starchild.

There weren’t many places that Stefan had stayed at for more than a few months since he graduated high school. In fact, he never had plans to. He went from one place to another, soaking in the knowledge, the culture, dabbling in adventure and vices, and getting to know the people. It was around the time he had come to New Orleans did he decide it was time to settle down and properly work on his career before he took off again. And New Orleans seemed as good a place as any to do that considering Stefan’s parents barely cared where he was and what he did. And while he loved his Abuelo, and visited him often, going back to the small town that he grew up in permanently after traveling around the world was something he couldn’t even imagine doing.

Soon enough, the place had become a second home to him and that evening, he was at this new wine bar that his friend from school had recommended. The interiors were classy as ever, definitely nothing to complain about, but so far it had been too quiet for his liking which he hoped would change with the evening progressing. When someone took the seat next to him at the bar, he glanced over only to find a face he hadn’t seen in what had been years. Granted he did see her sister often as he traveled, Atalia was someone who enjoyed the exploring and the escape as much as he did – but Adira had never been like them, atleast not outwardly as he had realized from the few conversations he had with her a long time ago. 

She had always intrigued him and it seemed that had not changed for he found himself wondering what she was doing in New Orleans, he hadn’t been aware that she had moved from their hometown at all. “You remember.” A smile grew on his lips. “Literally years, yes, but I do keep in touch with Atty.. she never mentioned you being here.” he mused, wondering if perhaps Adira had only just moved. Granted, Stefan was much closer to Atty, and her twin sister wasn’t a topic of conversation for them, but she would have told him if she resided in the same town, wouldn’t she? “You look, – stunning really.” he said, never having been the one to hold back on compliments. “How have you been? And what are you doing here?” he asked her, meaning both the city as well as the bar. 

Adira was sure that she would’ve recognized Stefan Navarro if it had been twenty, thirty years since they’d last seen each other. She still remembered the first time her sister had dragged him to darken their doorstep back at her parents’ house, and his familiar shadow had lingered for years. He’d always been kind to her--she remembered that. However, though her memories of him were fond, faced with him after years apart and knowing they were never close, she wasn’t sure how to greet him. Perhaps her younger self might’ve simply given him a shy smile and moved along, but she reminded herself that she wasn’t that girl anymore. Hoping he wouldn’t find it too awkward, she reached out, holding him to her for a second before releasing him with a smile. “It’s good to see your face.”

She relaxed back into her seat, feeling a warm flush cover her cheeks as he complimented her. “It’s just what I wore to work, Stefan, but thank you. You look handsome, yourself.” He’d grown into his looks, more confident now than she was sure she’d ever seen him. Not that he wasn’t confident when they met. He’d always held, at least in her eyes, a certain kind of surety in himself that she envied still. She wondered if she looked any different, any happier.

The Garden District never seemed to have many places to park, but she found a place right next to Dom’s newest endeavor--a wine bar. Perhaps it was the luck of the weekend. She fixed her hair in her rearview mirror, pushing aside her own nerves. She was a grown woman, living her own life, miles away from her hometown... She was fine. Dom needed her for her Grand Opening. Sighing, she pulled back, finally leaving the safety of her car and deciding that she was going to have a good time for once.

The bar itself was beautiful, classy and fun in a way that only one of her dearest friends could’ve pulled off. Warm lighting illuminated the space before her, almost allowing the space to glow. She smiled, more relaxed to see that she wasn’t too late--the place wasn’t swarmed yet. Her feet traveled forward, taking her to the bar, as she paused to look at the menu of reds. A figure sat next to her, and she glanced over, fully expecting to see her friend. “--Stefan Navarro,” she murmured, wonder dancing on her tone. Her sister’s old best friend... so much for not seeing anyone. “God, it’s been years.”

With a few waves to coworkers, she made her way towards a certain mop of dark curls and bent down to wrap her arms around him from behind. The pathway to Tilden’s desk was etched in her memory; hers right next to his. She pressed a gentle, messy kiss to the side of his neck before pulling back with a small smile. “’Ya miss me last night?” she teased, before letting go of him to reach within her desk, grab one of the several sobering potions she’d acquired, and down the vial. The feeling was instantaneous, and while she’d been presentable at best before, she was more than ready to do her best for him. “Bet it was real quiet at home. Ya should’ve come out with me, love. Next time?”

with the first step inside the selwyn manor, xander’s concerns had been flooded with a single purpose: adira. primarily her safety. it was difficult to tell now if he felt more calm having her there within arms reach, or if the hovering presence of intruders set his worries even more aflame. the truth was that he was there to protect her. question was if he was still capable.

his fingers flexed against the skin of her waist before his grip tightened, drawing her protectively into him. it was a necessary action but one done with the clench of his jaw. on salazar, he’d drawn her into this space purely out of instinct, purely on hopes to stow her away, out of the sight of danger. but—

it appeared danger didn’t linger alone.

perhaps cold and calculating at times, there was no part of him that could ignore nor diminish the graze of her lips against his neck. his skin flushed at the very touch, heat creeping up inside him. worst of all, xander instantly wanted more. he wanted her lips to press harder. to meet his jaw. to whisper against his skin.

selfish.

with eyes closed in focus, xander urged his hands upward an inch. respectable. all the while, they stood listening to the sounds of footsteps scouring the manor. it felt odd, in times like this, to think back to hide as seek as children but that he did. a soft smile even dared to cross his lips as he replayed the memories over in his mind.  this closet even… he’d hidden there at least a dozen times, always stowed away in wait of her.

it was a practice of war that no one would have anticipated. yet, standing there, xander could place the noises to her bedroom. it confirmed the worst while also allowing him a moment to speak.

“i’ve got you.” his hand fell upon her wrist, gently holding on as he focused first on maintaining her gaze. in case she held any doubt, xander was certain his eyes could assure her. this was real. he was real. “twenty seconds. let them search, get further and then we’ll go.’

“i’ll take you away. alright?”

There was a bitter irony to Adira’s situation, her being stuck in a closet with Xander like this. Despite the war becoming more and more of a reality every day to everyone, it hadn’t been real to her until Xander was sent away. Xander... That’d been the incident that started the downfall of the House of Selwyn, the downfall of her own sanity. Now, in this moment, the war was so close her heart was sounding off canons. And he was there, smelling warm like soot, like smoke... She was close enough to tell, and as he pulled her closer, she felt herself focus on the position they were in.

She couldn’t recall, even in her innocence, in her youth, being this close to Xander before. The muscles in his back could be felt through his shirt with the way she was holding him, and his strong grip on her waist left her mouth dry. He tugged her closer, and their bodies were nearly pressed flush together, closer than even Chryson had been to her. She hadn’t meant to touch his neck, but as she tasted the salt of his skin, she wondered what it might be like to try it again. She was likely going to die soon, and a desperate part of her didn’t want to die with the regrets of an obedient daughter. God, was this going to be the end for her?

His hands moved swiftly northward, and her panic slowly set back in. She could hear them moving like rats in the wall, and every small noise she’d spent the last few months jumping at now seemed so small. They weren’t that subtle. Her head moved from his shoulder, away from his warmth as she perked up, listening. She’d grown good at that, if nothing else. They were farther from them, but not far enough to ease her. Ease was a distant friend, and like the rest, she hadn’t known it in months. While she couldn’t quite place them in her home, her hands trembled against him, loosening slightly as her focus shifted.

Merlin, she was supposed to die tonight.

His hands, his voice, shifted her focus back to the man before her, gazing up at him. The months on the run might’ve changed his demeaner, his face leaner than it was before, but it couldn’t change his sapphire eyes. Eyes she trusted completely, and she let herself fall into them for a moment. Fate may have meant for her life to end, but he had other plans, and her heart swelled for a moment to remember he cared that much. These past few months had been the loneliest she’d known; she’d nearly forgotten others cared for her at all. Nearly forgotten she hadn’t been left to rot with her parents that day. 

I’ve got you. Hadn’t he always?

She knew he lived a dangerous life now, and yet when he mentioned taking her away from here, she nodded. It was the easiest decision she’d made. “Twenty seconds,” she repeated, reaching for her wand with her free hand. The hand held by his hand on her wrist she turned, gently taking his hand in her own and squeezing it. “Merlin, please.” He was more home than any house she’d known, and especially in that moment, the house they were in was repulsive to her. This was meant to be her grave. She’d be safe with him. That wasn’t a question, but the only thing she was truly sure of. 

Just an hour ago, James had been knocking back a glass of whiskey at Harfang’s, a cheap cheap liquor that burned in the worst of ways when sober. He’d saved himself, in a way, given that he’d climbed himself into intoxication, a state almost of weightlessness. And yet, also heavy. Like his mind had chosen to drift off and his body grew weak to gravity. Habit would call for him to climb higher and higher— ever prepared to be a modern day Icarus.

As if he weren’t already in free-fall.

Fortunate for him, he’d had a hankering for Nando’s and that in turn had led to a run-in with the one and only Anna Higgs. The smile had been immediate… and lopsided.

Fast forward and here they were, bodies conformed to the mattress on the roof, like it didn’t already remember the shape of their bodies. How many nights had they each spent here? Alone, together, whiskey, wine, weed, maybe even nothing; no matter the state, there was something in the stars and the air that offered a calmness that, well, was not typical of Phoenix Circus.

Those stars had played witness to many of James’s nights and many of his mistakes. This, however, wasn’t a mistake. No, he’d told her to stay. A soft request. Though their late night snack was now abandoned along the side of the mattress, James didn’t want to leave. And he wasn’t ready for her to leave. With his head rolled over to the side, he looked at Anna, appreciating her in the moonlight.

“'Ya should stop by the apartment more,” James offered, perhaps a bit out of the blue. But it’d been at the top of his mind; his swirling with thoughts of a previous her. Yes, yes, the same her but different. His sister’s best friend. If memory were right he used to playfully run away from the pair. Ironic? ‘You should stay.’ His old words echoed. Innocent in his nature— at least in intention— James was clearly learning, despite the haze, that he wanted her around more. That he liked her being around. “Think Tom’s taken a likin’ towards ‘ya.” Yes. Definitely Tom. @tangodancer1x1​

About an hour and a half ago, Anna had set out for the night, fully prepared to wind down after a week at work. She’d been trying out different local bars in the area, unable to pick just one to patronize. Like a sprite, she’d flit about between the bars, charming her way into free drinks at one, buying a round for the bar in another. It was an old trick of hers, as she found herself missing the feeling of those large parties from school. Eventually, some people would catch wise and follow her to and from the bars, watching as she got steadily more and more intoxicated and handed out more and more free drinks.

Had any of her former classmates told her that three years down the line, she’d be working towards her brother’s dream job, she would’ve told them there was no way. Aidan had been the one with dreams to be a radio personality, and while Anna enjoyed music, she’d never had that same sort of drive. In all honesty, she hadn’t expecting to live past Hogwarts, but she had. In somewhere, in the freefall of losing her brother and losing her family, herself... she grasped onto her brother’s dreams like they were the last thing she had. 

Perhaps she’d grasped onto a lot more than her brother’s dreams, because as she rounded the corner to Nando’s with the new “friends” she’d made for the night, she caught sight of a head of dark hair that had her running, forgetting who she’d even come in with. None of them mattered when faced with the eldest Potter boy, and perhaps her favorite of the two.

Now, the night air felt pleasant against her skin, her cheeks warm from the fading amounts of alcohol. He’d asked her to stay. She could remember how excited that would’ve made her as a thirteen year old--a night alone with James. But she’d had nights like these several times, and instead of the girlish excitement she would’ve had before getting to know James, she simply felt... comfortable. The conversation was always easy, the mattress was familiar. He was familiar, too. With all of her years as Lily’s best friend, she’d gotten close to the entire Potter family, so finding out she had been living near James had been a dream. And, as much as she missed Lily, she had to admit she found herself wanting to spend more time with him.

His voice split through the comfortable silence, and she turned her head from the stars above, catching the moonlight dancing in his eyes. She hummed, turning slightly, her body fully facing him as he continued. Ya should stop by the apartment more. In all honesty, she wanted to. She bit her lip, but still a soft chuckle escaped her lips as he mentioned everyone’s true favorite Potter. “Oh, anything for Tom,” she teased, before reaching over and gently ruffling his hair. It was soft, and honestly, it was just an excuse to touch him. “You should try to run into me more, ya know? You’re better company.”

@tangodancer1x1·

Even before he’d apparated into the space— an aged but expansive home that’d played a part of his childhood, now tinged with the blood of war— Xander had been forced at the ready. Words and rumors had been racing. Suspicions fell. And, for him, concern amplified. Per request of his uncle, Xander had been instructed to ignore it. A task easier said than down once factoring in the essentials— those being that the target was the Selwyn home and the last remaining occupant being…

“Adira!” Had the loud crack of his arrival not announced his presence, the booming concern of his voice sure had, calling out into the halls of the emptied manor. Knowing, if at all, he had merely seconds to reach her, Xander could feel his body acting out in response.

One second. His heart hammered in his chest.

Two seconds. His stride lengthened.

Three seconds. His throat gone dry.

Four— Collision

It was quick as a whirlwind. Her face falling into view and his hand grasping for hers, tugging them both into the nearest bit of shadow. As the old friends found the darkness, the pops of new arrivals sounded like dreadful fireworks. Pop! Pop! Then a soft click as Xander forced them both inside the tiny cupboard, hardly an inch to breathe between them. The Blood Thieves, he’d learned quickly, weren’t a threat one ought to ignore. They’d both learned that quick; and in this moment, it was a fact shared in the glint of his eye. ‘Quiet,’ he seemed to urge. ‘I can’t afford to lose you.’

Adira wasn’t sure what she believed of the universe, but there was one thing certain to her since she’d left the hallowed halls of Hogwarts--she was in hell. Ever since the death of her parents, the horrific sight that haunted her nightmares, she found herself merely a shell of the girl she once was. A once vibrant woman, someone with hopes and dreams and a warm heart found herself with one constant friend--fear. If the Blood Thieves had made it into her house once, slaughtered her parents, they could do it again. Would, likely, do it again. Towards the beginning of her time back at home, she’d tried talking to friends, but no one seemed to listen. The only liquid to touch her tongue was wine, wine that she knew had been unopened. She wouldn’t befall the same horrible fate as her parents.

The weeks had dragged on, and a skeleton seemed to take her place. She wandered the halls at night at the slightest sound and found very little rest. Part of her wondered if death were not a better option than this sort of living. It was a thought on her mind as she debated opening a bottle of wine, having gotten down a bit of bread despite her fears. She haunted the halls, making her way towards the wine cellar, when she heard a sound that almost made her screech. Almost. Someone, something, was in her house, and she pulled her wand out, thankful to be painfully sober for once.

The voice called her name, a voice she’d merely dreamed about these past few months. A face she’d begged whatever was above to let her see again, even if just once. “Xander?” she called out, her voice hoarser than she imagined. How long had it been since she’d actually called for someone in that way. And she ran. Ran towards it, not likely the tone that it took. Far more serious than a friendly greeting. Though she was weak--Merlin, weaker than she’d ever been--her feet almost slid across the marble flooring until she saw him, his hand grasping for hers and pulling her with him into the shadows. A small closet cupboard she never found use for, with little room for them, leaving them closer than she could remember them ever being. It happened in an instant, before she even had time to breathe.

She was skin and bones against him, a million questions on the tip of her tongue, and that’s when she heard the sounds. If his arrival had startled her, the next few terrified her. Pop. She flinched at the offending noise, but just the first of them. She’d known. She’d known they would come for her next, and aching fingers tugged herself closer, her breathing labored against his neck as she kept an ear out for the intruders. As the realization of what was happening, what likely would have been an ambush on her, dawned on her, her tight grip only grew tighter, lips brushing against the skin of his neck. She hadn’t been crazy; he’d obviously heard rumors if he’d come to her aide. Even with added measures by aurors to ‘look after’ her safety, she knew it wouldn’t be enough. And he--Merlin, was he the only other person who realized the level of danger she was in, or was he just the only person who cared enough? She should be dead, she still could die... There wasn’t enough thanks she would give Xander if she made it out of this alive.

She really should’ve seen this coming. Adrien had never cared for her, never attempted to form a partnership with her. She just looked pretty in photos next to him and had the proper family standing. He rarely came to bed with her, rarely left the house with her unless it was for events. She’d noticed him dancing with a blonde woman, one she didn’t quite recognize at first glance, and she’d let it pass the first time. And the second time. But it became clear to her as he came home later and later that he’d found his own amusement outside of the home, leaving her to deal with herself. She’d given him everything, and all she had to show for it was the embarrassment that she couldn’t keep him faithful.

The bartender took her glass away, and she quietly asked for another one when she felt a rush of cold air. She turned, more out of boredom than anything, to admire the people who’d walked in... and then she froze. A familiar face stuck out in the crowd, one that left her stomach churning with nerves. “Stefan,” she greeted, her voice low and her expression a little solemn. “You’re a sight for sore eyes.”

He smiled a little but somehow from what he knew of her, he felt like he would be forgiven nevertheless. Perhaps it would take her longer but the way she treated him would change very little. It made him want to be more deserving of the care she showed him. He had been drowning in self-pity which had ended only with him becoming more miserable and take this beautiful woman for granted without realizing it. With him finally starting to see himself for the train wreck he had been since the time they had gotten betrothed, he could only imagine how kind a heart she should have to have put up with him for this long. Perhaps it had helped that they were friends, and she knew what he was really like. And it was no secret that he had been broken after Andromeda had rejected him. He wanted more than anything to put that behind him but it was hard when he had allowed himself to be vulnerable enough to have had his heart crushed. Her words brought him back from the thoughts swirling his mind, thoughts of a woman he wished he could forget. “Business arrangement.” he repeated her words. That was the opposite of what he had wanted for himself, for his future but after having tried to make it be something more several times only to have failed, perhaps it would be best to think of it that way. If nothing else, his heart was safe if he decided to be just as detached about this betrothal as she seemed to be. “I wish I had thought of it this way.” he said with a sad smile on his features. He had loved and lost, over and over again, and yet he didn’t think he would change anything if he had the chance to. “It doesn’t have to, not completely.” he reasoned. “It is you and I now, Adira. If you want to change your life, you can. Nobody is going to question what you do, I can promise you that much.” He frowned a little at her choice of words. “You are very selfless when it comes to her.” he noted. The care she showed for Atalia was something he couldn’t help but admire despite the twisted circumstances.”You should care for yourself too like you do for others.”

Adira found the slightest bit of levity in Stefan Nott’s smile, a clear sign that, someday, they’d be alright. She wished she could be less... jealous of a woman who was still very dear to him. Perhaps it was the fact that he’d had that sort of love before that lent to this overwhelming feeling. Perhaps it was the fact that she knew Andromeda, understood how someone could fall for a beauty like her. Such a kind soul, too... Could she really blame him for loving her still? “It helps, sometimes. Helped to remind myself when it was Phin.” While she and Phineas were never meant to be romantically compatible, they’d gotten along well enough, and she still found she missed him since their betrothal had ended. She’d been lucky with Stefan to find that they were also quite compatible, that they could talk like this. She sighed, feeling more than a little upset to be the more pragmatic one in this situation. “It’s not a kind thought, if I’m being honest. You’re lucky to have been in love. Don’t forget that.” She turned her gaze from him, the moonlight dancing along the water. It was easier than facing him. She wasn’t so open with people often, but he was a friend. She could call him a friend, she’d decided. And he was going to be her husband, if the fates allowed... The discomfort would pass. She smiled to herself at his words, despite not paying them much heed. “You’re very kind, Stefan, but you’re not my husband yet. I still have them to answer to.” She pulled her gaze from the water, catching how the shadows of the leaves danced along his skin. Her expression soured slightly as he mentioned her selflessness for her sister. True, she could be, but it hardly felt like a choice. “Can’t have the both of us running off to Ireland, can we?” She bit back any harsher words against her sister, knowing Atalia was dearer to Stefan than she was. “I do my best. Don’t worry about me.”

‘i need to lose my virginity and you’re the only person i want to lose it to’ sex

He trusted her when she said this wasn’t a decision she’d made in a whim but the words fell through his lips nevertheless. “You are sure about this?” The whispered words was all he could manage as he stepped closer to her. His hands rested on her hips as his forehead pressed against hers. He would be lying if he said he hadn’t wanted this for a very long time, but only if she did too just as much. “I want you to be sure that this is what you want.” @tangodancerwrites· 

Adira could feel her own nerves and excitement bubbling up in her as she watching Stefan’s reaction, but above all, she trusted the man she was with. As he moved closer, rested his forehead against her’s, she gently moved her hands up his chest, wrapped them around his neck. “Stefan, I know what I want.” Merlin, she loved this man. His concern for her was touching, really, but she knew what she was asking for. “And I trust you. I want this, and I want it to be you.”

❝ here, sleep. ❞

He knew she was only trying to help but all he could see every time he shut his eyes was the image of Bella in Azkaban. And he didn’t want that, he didn’t want the reminder that he was unable to help her when she had helped him when he had been in the same situation. He tried to get that image out of his head, moving closer to Adira, hand going up to brush the curls off her face. “I don’t know if I can.” he mumbled, a sigh leaving his lips before his hand went down to brush over the scars on her forearm. “This is not something I have to worry about, right? Not anymore?” he murmured, “I can’t take it if something happened to you.” @tangodancerwrites​  

Adira was more than well aware that Stefan simply had nights like this--she did, too. That’s part of what made it so hard when she felt she couldn’t comfort him enough. It was late at night, the sky outside black as pitch, and all she could manage was to sit up with him and try to urge him to sleep. As his hand moved, brushed her curls away, she turned her head to kiss his palm gently, small smile on her lips. But his hand kept moving, and as it touched her arm, she felt herself tense. The scar was still a bitter reminder of what she’d let herself become, what she’d been willing to lose. She sighed, looking down at a mark she used to hide from him. “Not now, love.” She moved a hand to stroke his hair gently. “Nothing’s going to happen to me. We’re alright, Stefan.”

He was glad that the other was going with him. While Stefan was perfectly capable of finding company had he gone alone, it wasn’t often that he found people he connected in the way he did with Adira. She was someone who challenged him, not in the usual sense, but intellectually. A part of him wondered if perhaps he was pushing her to do this with him, but her interest seemed genuine as she spoke which made a smile appear on his lips. “We have plenty of time. We can go where ever you wish to go.” he reminded the other. Perhaps they did not have plenty of time as such, but all weekend was better than nothing at all. They didn’t need to return till classes began on Monday morning. “Are you ready?” he asked her as he took her hand, apparation while making things easy was not entirely most conformable and he wanted to give her ample warning before he took her away. 

Adira felt her nerves, still, but they began dissipating as she felt her own excitement filling her. She’d be leaving the country--a lifelong dream at this point, if not one of her most pathetic ones. Stefan had left her with both the perfect excuse and the perfect travelling partner. While she had friends, there weren’t many who understood the extremely tight line she walked as a pureblood daughter who still encouraged her to find ways to explore her life. Despite him being closer to Atalia, surprisingly, she did trust him. As he smiled at her, she was struck with the idea that she could understand why he had women fawning over him. She pushed that thought down, smiling back at him. “We’ll have a busy weekend, then,” she teased. His hand was warm in her own, and she took a step closer, more bubbly than she’d felt since she was a teenager. “Ready as I’ve ever been, Stefan.” She squeezed his hand, anxiously awaiting the freedom he was giving her. The freedom he’d be exploring with her, despite likely not knowing just how much it meant to her. “Get me out of this castle.”

“Shit! Someone’s coming! Get in the closet, get in the closet!” ( Andre & Narcissa )

“What? Why are you–” Before he could even finish the sentence Narcissa had pushed him into her closet full of her uniforms and shut the door so quickly that he had no time to argue. He could faintly hear her talking to what sounded like her sister, he couldn’t be sure but he maintained his silence for the time being, his anger intensifying as seconds passed. It didn’t seem like the other stayed long thankfully, and once he heard the door shut he stepped out to glare coldly at the blonde. “So, this is how it is to be?” he snapped, annoyance evident in his tone. “You hiding me whenever you feel like it? What, you are ashamed to be seen with me now?” @tangodancer1x1· 

“I know.” She had barely finished speaking before the words fell from his lips. “I am so sorry.” And he was. He truly was. Not because he hurt Darius, hell he only regretted he didn’t make him suffer more. But he was sorry that he had scared her. She was fragile, breakable. He had to protect her. And while that’s what he had done, he knew seeing him like this would indirectly harm her in some way. And he didn’t want that. He didn’t want her hurt. He didn’t want to make her fear him. He wanted something else entirely with Anna, but this wasn’t the moment to think about it. He stepped closer to her tentatively. “Are you alright?” he asked her gently. She didn’t seem hurt physically but that wasn’t all he was asking about. “Anna, if you want me gone, I’ll go. Just let me take you back to your dorm, okay? I need to make sure you are safe.”

“Perhaps, but I have hurt you and that was never my intention.” As unenthusiastic as he had been about the betrothal, it had only been so because of how his previous ones had crashed and burned, not to mention Andromeda rejecting him and choosing another man had made him spiral completely. The thought that how much ever he tried, he was never going to find love made him close himself off simply to save himself from more heartbreaks if there was to come. And in his selfishness, he had let himself be blind to how his actions could affect Adira. Soft, kind-hearted Adira, who wouldn’t blame him for hurting her even if none of it had been her fault. “I learnt that too, the hard way.” he murmured with a sigh leaving his lips. He wondered how many times his heart could break before he couldn’t put it back together. A while ago it had seemed like this time he wouldn’t recover, but maybe that wasn’t the case anymore. “Anything like what?” he asked in confusion, the mention of Andromeda still bringing a bout of sadness to him, before he frowned a little. “You’ve never been in love?” he finally asked her, the realization made him question if he could really give her a life she really wanted if he refused to open his heart up. He didn’t know Adira much but he did know enough, he had been with her during a moment of weakness when she had found out about Phin. She was someone who craved love, rather like him. He had been aware that she was not the type to date as she pleased, but he had not realized how seriously she took the rules which her parents set for her. She was the exact opposite of Atalia. “You shouldn’t have to listen to her, or anyone. It’s your life to live.” 

He did not mean any harm, it was true but it was easy to see that somehow he had managed to cause harm nevertheless. She seemed to agree to go with him to the lake and so he got up and helped her up, making sure their fingers were laced together again as he made his way to the lake with her. He stopped in his tracks as she apologized, turning to look at the blonde, brows furrowed. “Why are you apologizing? It is I who should be apologizing.” he said softly before deciding that perhaps it would be best to be honest with her. “Getting over a long term relationship is hard. But you have to know that I am trying to put it past me. I want to make us work.” Perhaps he hadn’t made that clear so far, hardly putting in any effort for the other but the more he thought of how he had made no effort to show her that they were on the same side, the worse he felt. “I know I haven’t lived up to your expectations but I intend to change that, Adira. You’ll see.”

Three months since then, and with her allergy to skelegrow, there wasn’t much to be done about her leg. She’d been sent home from St. Mungo’s to heal with the hopes that her leg would set right, but it was torture. Perhaps the one shining light was that, in her time of need, Darius had really stepped in, despite what she might’ve expected from him or this marriage. She’d known him to be a lot of things, but caring and gentle wasn’t something she’d expected. Attentive. At that moment, he was gently massaging her leg, something the healers had suggested. She’d tried doing it on her own, determined not to bother anyone with her own shit, but he’d removed her hands and gotten to work, keeping his eyes down.

Perhaps that was a good thing, because Niobe felt red-hot tears well up in her eyes at the sight. She bit her lip, turning away from him for a moment, silent. There was something too raw, too tender about watching him take care of her like this. While they hadn’t married for love, the idea that she had a partner at what was perhaps the worst moment of her life was overwhelming. Her hands shook as she gently reached down to touch his hand, fighting viciously with herself to keep her tears at bay. But this seemed to be a fight she couldn’t win, and she gripped at his hand as she began to cry. “Merlin, Dar, I’m scared.” She’d refused to be anything but visibly angry up until this point, but she trusted her husband. 

lockwords: 

He knew he would take a long time to get over Andromeda but bringing her up to Adira was one of the biggest mistakes he’d ever made. The woman who had been trying her hardest to make their betrothal work had brought up a wall between them now, and he could not blame her for it. “Then please don’t. I don’t want to let my drunken rambles create a wedge between us.” he said softly, letting their fingers intertwine as he felt her hand reach for his. “You’re right.” he murmured with a sigh leaving his lips. “Care to walk with me? We could perhaps walk to the lake?” he suggested. “Do you like the water?”

This was one of those moments where Adira wished her logic could win out for a change, because she knew Stefan hadn’t meant to hurt her. He’d been drunk, and she knew, even before that, that Andromeda was a weak spot for him. She couldn’t blame him... but hearing it was a different story. It bothered her more than she had any right to be. She held his hand warm in her own, her fingers inbetween his, worrying her bottom lip. “I know. You didn’t mean any harm.” Frustration was building inside, reflected inwards. Stefan had been nothing but charming and kind to her, and here she was, pushing him out. She turned to face him as he sighed. A small, tired smile crossed her features. “A walk to the lake sounds nice. It’s been a while since I’ve seen it at night.” She’d snuck out before, when she couldn’t sleep. Gently, she squeezed his hand. “I’m sorry. I’ll be better.”