Private Tales Long Days of Rest

[Cassidy Ackerson]

Cassidy was only vaguely aware of what was happening; Neith had obviously been granted Mar's magic, but he had no idea how or why it had happened. He didn't know that could happen! Regardless, he wasn't about to look that gift horse in the mouth, not when it enabled her to speed through a surging crowd that could well have crushed her otherwise.

Cassidy, too, was blessed. Not by magic, but by being branded a killer. As he tailed Neith from a short ways behind, the crowd around him parted without the need for any barrier. They thought him a bloodthirsty criminal, and wanted to steer as clear of him as they possibly could.

Just this once, Cass paid a silent whisper of gratitude his rotten parents for the title.

The Guard was hot on his tail, angry shouts calling out behind him, dozens of boots against the road, the gnashing steel of blades being unsheathed a ringing death knell under any other circumstances. Through heavy breaths, an aching side, and numbing legs, Ackerson briefly felt a pang of true fear as he realized the possibility of being stuck in the back with an arrow.

A quick, panicked look over his shoulder assuaged that worry, and spurred him to make that final push to freedom as another blessing dawned on him.

The guards were helpless! They couldn't attack Cassidy with ranged weapons for fear of civilian casualties, nor could they use vehicles to catch up with him without plowing through innocents. It really wasn't Cass's style to use human shields, but this had been a day of firsts, hadn't it?

Gritting his teeth, Cassidy reached out and pushed his way past the final wall of flesh blocking his way. The wagon in front of him was like salvation on wheels, and Nee might as well have been the Seraphim herself, welcoming him home with an outstretched hand.

With a final leap, he grasped her hand, clambering up into the driver's seat of the wagon and delivering the hardest crack of the reins he'd ever managed in his life. Those poor horses reared back and took off as if their life depended on it, thundering away from the crowd, the parade, the guards, and toward the gates of the city.

Neith

 

[Neith]

"What in the name of fucking fuck were you fucking thinking?!" Neith screamed at him above the thundering of hooves and chaos of the crowds, thumping her fist against his bicep the moment she'd let go of his hand. Her heart was stumbling over itself, her entire body thrumming with adrenaline and magic and brimming with so much emotion that she tried her best to contain right now.

She peered around the side of the wagon, seeing that guards were mounting up. "Shit... Shit shit sh-"

"CLOSE THE GATES!!"

The order carried from guard to guard, reaching the gatemen faster than they could ride, and already she could see the gate starting to close. Her racing heart felt like it'd stopped. If they got trapped in here..

"Please.. hurry Cass.." she quietly begged, her nails splintering wood as she held on for dear life.

They weren't going to make it - the gate closing too fast, and Neith's eyes closed.. "Keep going." she told him, and she focused on whatever power she had used to keep those guards from Cassidy.

Stay open.
Let us out.
Stay...open.

Neith felt the power she'd been granted pulse and radiate, she felt it grasp on to the iron bars of the gate and hold them open. She felt it weaken her body as though she herself were physically holding it on her own. It was slipping, and she grit her teeth at the sound of iron grinding and scraping against her mind. Her breath caught and she groaned against it, hands covering her ears as she begged Cassidy to hurry, her eyes still squeezed shut.

She had no idea how close they were, no idea if they'd made it or not by the time the weight crushed down on her and she had to let go, her body slumping against Cassidy's. She only prayed they were on the other side, and that the guards were not.

 

[Cassidy Ackerson]

"I don't know."

His reply to her was like a whisper-- too weak to be heard over the commotion surrounding them. Even if every Guard in the city wasn't chasing them it would have been difficult to hear. Cassidy kept a stone face, eyes of steel pointed straight ahead to the closing gate. They'd make it. They had to make it. He hadn't come this far to fail now, to be thrown away in some cell and ripped from the only person who loved him unconditionally.

Even if he deserved it.

But the gate was moving quickly, and the poor horses carrying them were going as hard as they could. But they were scared, wary of the weapons and loud shouts that came from all sides, and it was spooking them to the point where they hesitated. It was that small hesitation that was going to cost him. Ackerson bit down on his lower lip as they neared the dimming light at the end of the tunnel. Closer. Closer. He could taste the copper of his own blood on his tongue.

"Fuck! Come on... Come on!"

Then, a familiar presence beside him. One he hadn't felt in years.

Cassidy knew her scent, knew the taste of her magic, knew the presence she exuded just by being. He whipped his head to his passenger, eyes going wide as he bore witness to his lover holding open the gates, her body brimming with Mar's magical energy. No, not Mar's energy.

"Ariella..."

If he'd had the time to cry, he'd have wept. Later, when they were safe and clear of danger, he would. Even in the midst of absolute calamity, he knew what he was witnessing. It was the last gift of his former lover, reaching through the curtain of death and acting through Mar, through Neith, to save him. Again.

He wouldn't waste it. Cass tore his gaze away from Neith and cracked the reins again, setting them forward as fast as he could muster. The gates held, shaking in place, struggling against the magical grip restraining them. Behind their wagon no less than twenty mounted guards made pursuit. It was still so close, the exit still narrow...

As they crossed, the sound of their wagon scraping against the sides of the gate filled his ears, causing him to wince. It wasn't pretty, but they'd squeezed through. The moment they did, Neith expended the last of her strength, and the gates slammed shut on their pursuers with a mighty crash.

Freedom.

Neith

 

[Neith]

Neith heard the gate crash down with such a force that metal cracked, wood splintered, and men roared with fury at their backs as they were cut off from the pair. Neith took a shuddering breath, the adrenaline and magic leaving her body drained. She trembled uncontrollably, her strength sapped, and looked up at Cassidy, his handsome face blurred through the tears welling in her eyes. The fear of losing him had been overwhelming, and now it poured out of her in silent sobs of pure relief.

She clung to him, her voice shaking as she whispered against his shoulder.

"Get us away from here, Cass.."

 

[Cassidy Ackerson]

It wasn't like he'd imagined it, like he'd wanted it.

Somehow, Cassidy had romanticized this moment in his head. So many times he'd imagined riding triumphantly from the place that had taken so much from him, with the satisfaction of knowing that now he'd taken something back. It should have felt good, should have made him happy. But it didn't.

He knew why.

It was because he was selfish. His actions today had only been to serve himself, to bring some closure to his own traumas that he couldn't otherwise bring himself to reconcile. To that end, he'd put the woman he loved in harms way, the person who had given him so much, had given him a new reason to be. Now, she lay trembling and sobbing beside him, because she'd trusted him and he'd used that faith to serve himself over her.

Gods, it was a disgusting feeling. The little object in his pocket barely felt worth it now, the whole trip felt like some mistake she'd tried to save him from, but he'd plugged his ears and pretended not to hear. He was no better than his father.

Cassidy didn't take them all the way home yet; the horses were exhausted and his arms were numb. The sounds of pursuit behind them had faded long enough ago that he felt safe pulling off to the side behind a stretch of trees and parking them out of sight of the main road. Night was falling by now, and they'd be nigh impossible to spot by any passerby.

"We should be okay here, until we've rested for a spell..."

He only hoped he didn't sound as miserable as he felt.

 

[Neith]

Neith awoke to the gentle rocking of the wagon coming to a halt. The once deafening roars and thundering hooves had now been replaced by an almost eerie silence, broken only by the occasional rustle of leaves. Darkness enveloped them, with only the faintest glimmers of moonlight filtering through the trees. She sighed, feeling a strange calmness settle over her.

"I'm sorry I yelled at you." she said quietly, her voice cutting through the stillness. The memory of her screams echoed in her mind, fueled by the raw fear she’d felt. Her fingers pressed into her temples, a dull ache pounding in rhythm with her heart. "I have a power hangover." she groaned, wincing at the lingering sensations of Mar’s magic. "I don't know what happened."

"Are you alright?" she asked, concern threading through her voice despite her own weariness.

 

[Cassidy Ackerson]

"Fine. I'm... fine."

Physically, he was. Mentally... he'd get over it. Not until he was good and damned sure Neith was safe, and back in their home where she damn well belonged. Cassidy leaned back in the seat, closing his eyes and letting his mind catch up with his body for the first time since they'd left the inn that morning.

"You were right to yell at me. That was... That wasn't what it was supposed to be. I got carried away with a fantasy, Nee. I'm sorry."

All of the events up until replayed in his head, one by one. It was only upon reflection that he realized just how stupid the whole ordeal had been on his part. That, and the measures that Mar had taken to save his sorry ass, those same measures that left Neith feeling like a horse and buggy had trampled her.

Looking over at her, a remorseful frown crossing his lips as she ached and groaned, he reached under his seat for his flask and held it out to her. "Here, this always helps me with that." Cassidy popped it open with his thumb, but the contents didn't smell like alcohol. Rather, it was a brewed drink, one he made from their home with ingredients he gathered while out working.

"Mar disconnected herself from me. Jumped over to you. I didn't realize that was something she could do, honestly. But..." Cass bit the inside of his cheek as the ginger-haired cat appeared from thin air and curled up in Nee's lap. "There's a lot about that cat I've never fully grasped."

Neith

 

[Neith]

"I know... but it's alright. We're alright.. I was just afraid." Neith frowned, hating the guilt in his eyes. She offered a reassuring smile and reached to settle a hand on his with a gentle squeeze, hoping to ease his mind.

Her dark eyes fell to the flask he offered, and she took it, drinking without question and grimacing slightly at the strange mix of herbs. Jolting at Mar's sudden appearance in her lap, Neith was clearly still on edge, but she settled at once and her fingers wove into the cat's ginger fur with a deep sigh.

"Whatever she did, I'm grateful... Tired, but grateful." She smiled, though her expression grew distant for a moment.

"Ariella..." Neith said quietly, turning to Cassidy with a tightening in her chest. She had been so caught up in getting through the gates that she just now realised she'd heard him say her name. "You think it was Ariella?" she asked gently, her gaze falling to the purring cat.

 

[Cassidy Ackerson]

It felt... bizarre. To hear that name from Neith's lips. The knot in his chest didn't know which way to turn, hearing the person he'd once loved more than any other's name from the lips of the one who'd filled that void in his heart. Cass's face twisted as he tried to hold back the surge of emotion that threatened to well in his eyes.

It didn't work, and he only hoped the darkness surrounding them did a good enough job of hiding the silent tears streaking his cheeks. Cass upturned his hand and interlocked his fingers with Nee's, biting gently at his bottom lip. "Yeah..." He choked out. "Always was pulling my ass out of the fire."

Cassidy called Mar a familiar of his lost lover, but he wasn't so oblivious as to the oddity of that statement. Familiars didn't last as long as that cat, and they didn't tie themselves to swords or people. That, and the fact that Mar hadn't shown up until weeks after Ariella's death, after he'd fled home...

Ackerson wasn't sure he believed in ghosts, but if Ari's spirit lived on, it was inside that purring feline curled up on Neith's lap.

"Suppose maybe that's her way of giving you her blessing, yeah?" He forced a smile as he found her eyes again, shimmering in the dim light of the stars. "Musta known what I was up to, the cheeky girl."

It wasn't clear if he was speaking about Mar or Ariella, at this point. Either way, Cass reached into his pocket and pulled out the item he'd taken from the boy on the cart, the treasure he'd just risked both of their lives for, that he'd renewed the hunt on his head to get.

A golden ring, with a beautiful ruby inset upon it.

"Neith... I never got to marry Ariella. These last few months with you... the way you make me feel every day, the warmth you've brought back into my life that I thought I'd lost forever... If I'm ever going to try again, I want it to be with you."

Maybe it wasn't the best time to ask this question. Maybe he should have gotten them all the way home first, where they were warm, fed and comfortable.

But he couldn't. They'd nearly died and he wasn't waiting another hour to see if their luck ran out. Plus, he was damned terrified he'd drop the fuckin' thing keeping it in his pocket, when it belonged on her finger.

"Will you marry me?"

Neith

 

[Neith]

There was little light, but light enough to glisten on the tears he shed. Neith’s heart cracked at the sight, the thick sorrow in his voice, and she squeezed his hand apologetically. Her lips curled sadly as he spoke of blessings, and she fought the desire to wipe away his tears. He had every right to cry over her. Over Ariella.

Then he was retrieving the trinket from his pocket, and she realised what he was talking about, what it was. Her heart stopped; she was certain of it. She stared, and stared, her expression blank with shock as she took in the ring in his hand and listened to him speak. Even in this dim light, even through the tears pooling in her eyes, she could see it was beautiful.

He’d risked his life for this ring. He'd risked his life to ask her to marry him. She could yell at him about that later. She would most definitely yell at him about that later.

“Cass…” she breathed his name out, her voice shuddering and a tear falling free as she let out a quiet laugh in utter disbelief. She reached to take his face in her hands, studying his features intently.

“You...Infuriate me." she frowned, her head shaking slowly. "You make me laugh. You take care of me. You make me feel alive, feel loved in a way I never thought possible. And I will love you with everything I have, as fiercely and deeply as you deserve.”

Neith’s fingers trembled as she held his face, her thumbs brushing away the tears. “Yes, Cassidy Ackerson. Yes, of course I’ll marry you." she laughed softly.

 

[Cassidy Ackerson]

He'd been a fool to risk everything for this, to put the life they'd finally found together on the line for a symbol of what he'd had, hoping to pass it on to her. Cass knew it, and he would find the time to beat himself up over it later. Right now? All that mattered was the warmth of Neith's palms against his cheeks, the glistening trails that painted her face to match his own.

There was no sadness in her tears. Not this time. And as she said the one word he'd needed more than anything else in the world, a weight akin to all the gold in Arethil lifted itself high from his shoulders. Freedom, from a soul-crushing loss and a dark cloud so persistent and unyielding.

It only made him love her all the more.

"Good..." He breathed in a whisper, glossy eyes darting across her face, searching for any vestige of doubt or uncertainty in her answer. There was none, only the woman he'd grown to love so desperately, so completely. "Because I really didn't have a plan for if you said no."

In his final act of selfishness, the last time he would indulge the entitlement and privilege of an Ackerson, Cassidy closed the distance between them, pressing his lips against hers, his arms reaching out to pull her in tight against his chest, blazingly warm in the cooling air of the night. Through this kiss, he could let go of what he had once been. He could turn away from the city that had once been his home, the people who'd one been family.

Through her, he could finally move on.

Cassidy lost himself to time, floating on a moonlit cloud high above the sky that was their lips entwined. He wished he could say this kiss was any more special, any more intense than usual, but it wasn't so. Every time they touched, his entire body came alive, a high greater than any Lyrum dose could have ever brought.

His hands slid from her body, reaching out to take one of her own. Without breaking their kiss, Cassidy slowly singled out the fourth finger on her hand, gently sliding the ring down past her knuckle.

Neith

 

[Neith]

Neith could hardly believe this was real. The warmth of him, the pressure of his lips against hers—it all felt like a dream, a fleeting moment she might wake from at any second. But this was real, more real than anything she'd ever known. The man she loved was here, and he was hers, asking her to be his in the most profound way.

She laughed softly against his lips as she melted into him, her body responding to his touch as if it were the only thing grounding her in this world, and as he slipped the ring onto her finger, her heart stumbled - a sensation so overwhelming that it left her breathless. She could feel the cool metal of the ring as he slid it onto her finger, the weight of it both grounding and liberating.

When the ring was finally in place, Neith pulled back just enough to look at him, her eyes shining with tears that now held only joy. She glanced down at the ring—a symbol of his love and commitment, and their future. It wasn’t just a ring; it was a promise, a new beginning.

“I can’t believe you,” she whispered, another tearful laugh escaping her lips as she looked back up at him. “You want to keep me…” Her voice broke slightly.

She lifted her hand to caress his cheek, her thumb brushing over his skin. “I love you, Cassidy. More than I ever thought possible. And I promise you, I will wear this ring with pride, and with the knowledge that I have the most stubborn, reckless, and wonderful man in the world by my side.”

Neith leaned in again, capturing his lips in another kiss, softer this time, filled with all the love and gratitude she felt. This was their moment, their beginning, and she would cherish it for the rest of her life.

 

[Cassidy Ackerson]

He'd wanted to keep her from the moment she'd held him in her arms in that ratty old boathouse.

The last few years of his life had been an absolute hell: His own step-mother attempting to assassinate him, the loss of his Ariella, his exile from his home and the mental anguish that had lingered like a black stain upon his brain for every waking moment after. That evening, when she'd healed his wounds with her hands, she'd also healed his soul with her lips.

It had almost driven him mad, trying to figure out how she'd taken away all of that pain so quickly. Because ever since that day, everything had just made sense. Sometimes he struggled with his own stubborn attitude, and sometimes his priorities found themselves a bit crossed, but she was always there, waiting at the end with a patient smile and a loving hand like a proverbial light at the end of the tunnel.

She put up with him, despite his flaws. God knows there were so many.

Even now, he couldn't bring himself to pay a singular thought to the world around him. Not the cold of night that surrounded their wagon, not the looming threat of pursuit, or the risks he'd taken just to find this moment with her. The only thing that existed was the woman whose lips pressed to perfectly to his, her weight as he pulled her up onto his lap, and the way her body moved under his hands as she spoke those honey-sweet words to him, each one coating him in another layer of bliss.

"Save the compliments." He purred up at her, eyes glimmering from behind the red curtain hanging down over his face. "I haven't gotten us home just yet, have I?" Cass laughed breathily, sliding his eyes shut as he pressed a trail of feather-light kisses along Neith's jawline, hands resting on her back as he muttered in a haze. "Though... that can wait a few more hours, can't it?"

Neith

 

[Neith]

His words, his touch—they were everything she needed, everything she'd ever wanted. The darkness around them, the cold night air, even the danger that still loomed in the distance—they all faded into insignificance. All that mattered was him, and the way his lips found hers with such desperate tenderness.

His playful words sent a pleasant chill spider-walking down her spine, and she couldn’t help but smile, her breath catching as his kisses trailed along her jawline. “Mhmm, a few more hours at least, i'd say,” she murmured, her voice barely a whisper, as her fingers tangled in his hair and her head tilted to allow him more room to his lips to roam.

"Sort of... reckless to travel in the darkness anyway.. And we should.. probably stay awake.. for safety.."

She couldn’t resist the urge to pull him closer, to feel every inch of him against her.

Her hands roamed over the steady rise and fall of his chest. The way he held her, the way he made her feel—safe, cherished, loved—was unlike anything she’d ever known. He was her world, her anchor in a stormy sea, and she wanted nothing more than to lose herself in him, to let go of everything else and just be.

She tilted her head again slightly, guiding his lips back to hers, the kiss deepening with each passing moment. “But don’t think for a second,” she whispered against his mouth, her tone playful yet full of promise, “that I won’t be reminding you of your idiocy when we get home." she laughed quietly.

 

[Cassidy Ackerson]

Neith's words were barely more than hurried whispers between meetings of their lips, neither she nor Cass willing to break from one another for long enough to say anything of substance. The lingering guilt and shame he felt for the extremes he'd taken on this day so willingly stepped aside to allow him to focus completely on the woman straddling him, the searing fervor of her tongue as it slipped between his lips, the desire behind her hands as they wandered, leaving his skin aflame in the cold of night.

His Nee. No, more than that now. His wife.

"I'd be disappointed..." Cassidy breathed against her as his fingers splayed at the hem of her clothing, curling underneath to feel the bare skin it concealed from him. "If you didn't." Even when they argued, which had been rare in their time together, there was a love behind their squabbling, an honesty that they shared with one another. Neither would lie to the other to save their ego, and Cassidy so did love when Neith needled him. "Gods know you can be prone to spoiling me..."

There would be no rest for them tonight. Even if he'd tried to sleep, Cassidy knew the events of the evening would only keep his mind racing until dawn. There was a much better distraction in his lap right now, though, her fingers splaying out over his chest, her breath growing hotter with every passing second.

Tomorrow, he could feel the weight of his mistakes. Tonight, all he wished to feel was the love of his bride-to be, to hear her voice echo in the quiet night sky as she spoke his name. And he'd make it so.

"There's some space in the back..." Cassidy purred, trailing kisses to her ear, biting at her lobe as his hands ran up and under her clothes. "We could lie together and... watch the stars."

Neith

 

[Neith]

Neith’s breath hitched at Cassidy's touch, her skin igniting with every brush of his fingers beneath her clothes. His whispers against her ear sent a shudder spider-walking down her spine, and she let out a quiet, breathless laugh, her lips brushing his neck as her hands roamed freely over his chest. “Spoiling you is my favorite pastime,” she murmured, her voice low and teasing, “and I don’t plan to stop anytime soon.”

Her heart raced, each beat pounding in her chest as she felt the weight of his words sink in—his wife. It felt surreal, intoxicating, to think that this man, who had weathered so much with her and yet still loved her with an intensity that left her breathless, was hers. She pressed her forehead to his for a moment, closing her eyes and savoring the feel of him beneath her, the warmth of his breath on her skin.

Cassidy’s suggestion about the space in the back quickened her pulse, and her mind raced ahead to the promise in his voice, the heat of his hands moving over her skin.

“Watch the stars?” she echoed, her lips ghosting over his jaw as she teased him, her voice thick with desire. “Is that all you want to do?” Her fingers tugged gently at his collar, eyes glinting with playful defiance. “Because I had something else in mind, Mr. Ackerson.” she whispered, a mischievous smile tugging at her lips as her fingers threaded through his hair, pulling him closer for another kiss, deeper, hungrier this time. Every inch of her body craved him, needed him, in a way that made her forget the cold, the danger, the world outside their little haven of shadows.

With a soft, breathy laugh, she leaned in close, her lips brushing his ear as she whispered, “Lead the way… and I’ll show you just how well I can spoil you.”

 

[Cassidy Ackerson]

Cassidy moaned against her lips. knew that thick, playful lull in her voice. He knew that devious little glimmer in her eyes, and the pull of her fingers as she tugged at his clothing. It was the same lull, the same glimmer and tug as their first night together, in that quiet, empty old boathouse. Even the memory of that moment made his heart race, made his throat loosen and release the breath he'd been holding in a soft groan.

There would be no stargazing, they both knew. There was so much more that they needed, more than the fingers weaved in his scarlet locks, more than the frenzied, feverish kisses that only pulled them both deeper into a maelstrom of lust and desire. More than Cassidy's hands, sliding up the bare skin of her back, his fingers practically leaving sparks of ember across her flesh as his hips rose up in a thoughtless prelude.

"All I could think of, when things looked their bleakest..." He breathed, "Was that I might never touch you again, Neith..."

They'd both had partners before, but this had been different from the very beginning. Neith's very existence made Ackerson come alive, the way she breathed, the way she walked, the way she spoke... all of it was perfect. They love they shared, and the love that they made, it was all the proof Cass needed of some higher power, who'd sculpted the perfect woman and put her in his path.

Tonight would be no different. Last night he'd touched her as a lover. Now, he would love her as his wife. As Neith spread her fingers across his chest, the fabric of his shirt parted, exposing his skin to the moonlit night, and to the touch of his bethroed.

"Be careful, Mrs. Ackerson..." Cassidy purred sensually into her ear, managing to tear his lips away only briefly to nip at her lobe with a growl. "You might find yourself with quite a beast, if you spare the rod too much." He didn't even bother to push her from his lap to walk around to the wagon's rear. Instead he deftly moved his hands to clutch at Neith's backside, lifting her with him as he slid from the seat.

Neith

 

[Neith]

His confession, whispered between kisses, made her heart ache with both longing and relief. The thought that they might never have had this moment, that he might have been lost to her forever—it was unbearable. But they had survived. They had each other. And now, as his wife, she would make sure he never doubted that again.

"I'm here.... We're here.... Let's not dwell." she whispered back.

Her lips curled into a wicked smile as Cassidy growled into her ear, his teasing words only heating her blood that bit more. She tilted her head, giving him just enough room to nip at her neck as her fingers trailed down his chest.

“Oh, I’ll handle the beast just fine,” she whispered back, her voice a sultry purr that mirrored his own. “But I’ll decide when it’s time for the rod.” She nipped at his jawline, teasing him, drawing out the tension between them, letting it simmer and boil over as her hands slipped beneath his shirt, running over the firm muscles of his abdomen.

She clung to him, her fingers digging into his shoulders as he carried her, her lips never leaving his, their shared breaths hot and feverish.

As he carried her toward the back of the wagon, Neith let out a soft laugh, breathless but full of mischief. “Careful now. If you drop me, I’ll make you pay for it.” Her playful threat was undercut by the burning desire in her eyes as she pressed her body closer to his, her fingers tugging at the fabric of his shirt, desperate to feel his skin against hers.

She barely noticed the cool night air as he laid her down in the back of the wagon, her world narrowing to just him—his touch, his lips, his weight pressing down on her. Every kiss, every whispered word sent sparks of pleasure racing through her veins, and she knew without a doubt that this moment, this love, was unlike anything she’d ever known.

“I love you,” she whispered, her voice soft but full of conviction, her hands framing his face as she gazed up at him. “I always will.” And with that, she pulled him down into another kiss, deep and fervent, their bodies entwining beneath the stars, their love consuming them both.

 

[Cassidy Ackerson]

Neith was right. Despite the reckless nature of Cass's scheme, they'd pulled it off. Instead of dreading what could have been, they ought to revel in what was. In the reality they both lived in, the heat building between them with every feverish kiss and wandering touch. The only thing Cassidy wanted to dwell on was Neith, every inch of her.

His fingers dug into the soft swells of her arse as he rounded to place her in the back, but the moment they'd arrived he'd had already gone to work on pulling away layers, seeking the warmth of her flesh against his palms. It was all he could do, with the sultry words that echoed in his head, double meanings and double entendres of a lover in need of satisfaction, of affection and of pleasure.

"At this point..." He groaned as her lips traveled across his again in soft little reminders of what she wanted most. "I don't care if it's in a wagon, on the ground, or in a god damned dungeon cell." Her hands framed his face, and his own gripped the clothing that concealed her slowly pulling it up her midsection.

Even in the moonlight, her scars stood out, but she didn't look like some damaged girl off the streets of Elbion. In the glow of night, she was an angel. A divine being, splayed out beneath him in an invitation to heaven. "I need you. And I love you more than any living creature has ever loved another."

Neith pulled him down, their lips met, and the only words that would follow that night would be those of bliss and passion, echoing in the quiet sky of midnight and bouncing off of the distant stars that shone down on them as they made love.

No longer as two halves, but as a whole.

Neith

 

[Neith]

Neith lay nestled against Cassidy, her cheek resting on the warm expanse of his chest, listening to the rhythmic rise and fall of his breathing. The steady thrum of his heartbeat beneath her ear was soothing, a quiet, constant reminder that they were here—alive, together, at peace. She smiled softly, eyes half-lidded with the heavy weight of satisfaction, her limbs still tingling, skin still flushed.

The night around them was quiet, save for the occasional rustle of the wind against the trees and the distant call of night birds. The stars above seemed brighter somehow, as if they, too, were witnesses to this perfect, intimate moment. Neith’s fingers traced idle patterns along the scarred skin of his chest, the blanket pulled snugly over their bodies, cocooning them in warmth.

A deep contentment settled in her bones, the kind she hadn’t known was possible before Cass had come into her life. She sighed deeply, her breath soft against his skin as she pressed a tender kiss over his heart, the love between them tangible.

Neith shifted slightly, curling closer to him, her leg draped lazily over his. “I could stay like this forever,” she whispered, her voice thick with the afterglow of their passion, but also with the deeper emotion that filled her. “Just us... nothing else matters.”

She tilted her head, her dark eyes lifting to meet his, glowing softly in the dim starlight. There was a certain serenity in her gaze, a peace that came from knowing, without a doubt, that she was exactly where she was meant to be. “You make everything feel right, Cass,” she murmured, her lips curving into a sleepy smile. “I don’t know what I did to deserve you...”

She pressed another kiss to his chest, her fingers entwining with his as she settled back down against him, her heart full, her soul lighter than it had ever been. This was love—simple, pure, and unshakable. And for the first time in a long while, Neith allowed herself to believe that they could have a future like this—filled with moments of quiet bliss, with love that burned as bright as the stars above them.

 

[Cassidy Ackerson]

In hindsight, it all seemed so... silly.

There was no taking back what he'd already done, of course. The perilous stunt he'd orchestrated was said and done, the hostilities between he and his family renewed, and an entire city was after both of their heads. All of that for the ring now wrapped around Neith's finger.

Yet, as he felt the subtle warmth of her lips press against his chest, her weight pressing down on him as she still lay partially atop him in the back of the wagon, it seemed obvious that he hadn't ever needed the vengeance against his step-mother he thought he did. He didn't need to steal back Ariella's ring for some phantom closure, to right a perceived wrong that had been inflicted upon him.

All he'd ever needed was laying beside him, peppering kisses along his skin beneath the stars. True to the Ackerson blood in his veins, he'd gotten greedy.

It had almost cost him everything.

Of course, it was hard to feel too guilty in the afterglow of the love they'd just made, yet still, the smile on his lips as he looked down at his Bride to be as she rested her head over his heart was a somber one. "I'm the one who doesn't deserve you, Nee." He muttered, a hand weaving itself into the tresses of her hair, a long sigh causing his chest to rise and fall as he looked into her glowing gaze, brighter than any star in the black void of the sky could hope to accomplish. "What I did today... it was foolish. I've been clinging onto the past... onto my hatred... for so long, that I let it cloud my judgement."

Before meeting Neith, the thought of getting back at his family was all that had kept him going, sometimes. Despite her giving him so much reason to be at peace, he' d taken the first chance to jump back into his anger. Worse, he'd guised it as something he needed to do for Ariella, for Neith.

"I could lay here, and beat myself up over it, but..." Ackerson gives a little shake of his head, a huff of a chuckle leaving him, as he slowly strokes her hair, "I think... all that I really want to do, is take you home and learn from my mistake. Stop worrying about being the worst son..." His palm slid from her hair, gently over her cheek. "Start worrying about being the best husband..."

Neith

 

[Neith]

Neith's lips curved into a tender smile against his skin, her breath warm as it fanned across his chest. She stayed silent for a moment, letting him speak as her fingers traced lazy circles over his ribs as if the motion might somehow ground him. His admission wasn’t unexpected—she’d known the weight of his anger, the pain that had driven him for so long—but hearing him voice it, seeing the vulnerability etched into his face, made her heart ache in the most bittersweet way.

Slowly, she lifted her head, resting her chin on his chest so she could meet his gaze. Her dark eyes were soft, filled with the kind of love that seemed to brim over endlessly when it came to him. She studied his face, as though memorising every line, every shadow cast by the faint moonlight.

"You’re a fool, Cass," she said softly, the words laced with affection, her smile teasing yet warm. Her hand came to rest over his heart, her palm flat against him, feeling the steady beat beneath her fingers. "But you're my fool. And doing foolish things was how I came to be so in love with you."

Her smile faltered just slightly, "I won’t pretend what you did wasn’t reckless, and I won’t say I wasn’t furious with you for it," she admitted, her tone growing quieter. "But I also know why you did it. I know what losing her did to you, Cass. And I know how much you’ve fought to hold yourself together all these years, even when it felt impossible."

Neith paused, her thumb brushing softly against his chest. "You’ve carried that anger for so long because you didn’t think you deserved to let it go. But you do, Cass. You deserve peace. You deserve happiness. And you don’t need to prove anything to anyone—not to Ariella, not to your family, and certainly not to me."

Her hand rose, her fingers threading gently through his fiery hair, her touch feather-light. "Before I met you.." she frowned, cutting herself off with a huff. He knew what she was before. "You’ve already given me more than I ever thought I’d have. You’ve given me love, safety, and a future worth fighting for. If that’s not the best husband I could ask for, I don’t know what is."

She leaned up then, pressing a soft kiss to his lips, a gesture as much a promise as it was a reassurance. When she pulled back, her smile returned, brighter now, more certain. "So no. No beating yourself up, Cass. If you’re really so set on being the best husband... you’ll need to save some of that energy for keeping up with me." Her tone turned teasing, her fingers tugging playfully at his hair. "Because I’m not exactly the easiest wife-to-be, you know."

She nestled back against him, her head once again resting over his heart, her arms wrapping loosely around his torso. "But I’m yours, for better or worse. And if that’s not enough to make up for your foolishness, I don’t know what is." she grinned.

 

[Cassidy Ackerson]

He'd have loathed it only a scant few months ago, somebody knowing him so damned well. The idea of another person being able to read him like an open book on a whim was certainly never a concept that appealed to him. Maybe before... but afterwards, being a well kept secret was what protected him.

He couldn't be hurt again if nobody knew now to hurt him, could they? So he'd shut himself off, turned to a life of bounty hunting, and tried to never look back, bottling that fear and hate inside of himself.

Cass had never been able to kill his own kindness though. When he'd come across Neith being attacked in an alley on that rainy night, he hadn't even thought twice about jumping in to help. Had he the faintest idea that it would change his entire outlook on life... would he have still done it?

It was a question he'd asked himself before, with no answer. Only now, as Neith so lovingly touched, kissed, and held him in the aftermath of such a perfect, lovely night, did he know for certain the truth. For this, and for her, he would have done all of it again, in the blink of an eye.

Neith was more than just some girl he'd stumbled across, had a lay with and moved on. Even when confronted with his worst aspects, with the darkest and most vile sides of himself, shades of horrors inflicted on him and the ones he loved, she never left his side. Not once did her loyalty to him falter, and not once did he doubt that she would meet him on the other side of any gap he leapt across.

So, as he tilted his head back and reveled in that soothing sensation of her fingertips dragging over his scalp, he let that last vestige of doubt slip away from him. This was right. Nobody, alive or dead, could claim otherwise.

"I think..." He hummed, lips curling into a grin as her grip on his hair tightened. "We should get a move on. Day will be breaking soon, and after a meal and a hot bath..." Cassidy willed himself to sit up, the cold air biting against his bare chest. Finding his clothes in this dark wagon was going to be delightful. "I want to see exactly how challenging a bride-to-be you can be."

Neith