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16
He couldn’t help himself.
It had been so long—so long—that Gideon had given up all hope. All prayer that someday, maybe, she might look at him and smile. Truly smile. To see him for what he really was and open her arms to him.
If only this had been the first time they had met. If he could suddenly wipe away all their history together, all their pain, and leave them just as they were now, he would do it in a heartbeat. The moment she learned all that he had done, she would turn away from him. And he might continue to live, but he was fairly certain he would be dead in all the ways that mattered once that happened.
No. I deserve to pay for what I’ve done. Wishing it all to go away and start fresh is cowardice. I must pay the piper. He reached out and gently stroked her hair, still damp from the shower she had taken. She was asleep, the lines of her face smooth and relaxed in deep slumber. She had earned it.
He had put her through her paces the night before. He would have felt bad about it if she had not been the one with the crop driving him forward to a breakneck pace. Careful with the metaphors. She might take you up on them. He smirked. If only he would be so lucky.
Her hand was lying on the pillow beside her face, her fingers curled. Algernon was nuzzled into her palm. They were so sweet together. There was consolation to be taken in the fact that even if she rejected him, she might accept her true nature. That she would not run from her existence as she had so many times before.
Once she turned her back on him for a final time, he would crawl into a dark cave and let himself turn to dust. His only solace against the emptiness would be that somewhere, out in the world, she was thriving. That even if he weren’t at her side, she would not be alone.
By the gods, I am melodramatic, aren’t I?
He held back a laugh. He didn’t want to wake her.
Carefully, he pulled back the covers behind her and slipped between the sheets to join her. He had not slept the night prior. Either because he was, well, occupied, or because he was staying alert to listen for soldiers of the Order who might burst through the door at any moment. He was painfully tired.
And he believed he might have pulled muscles in his hips.
Not that he was complaining.
Inch by inch, shifting his weight to not disturb her, he lay on his side at her back. Gently kissing the back of her head a single time, he draped an arm over her. How many times had he dreamed of this? How many times had he gone to sleep and reached out to a phantom of his mind that he tried to will into existence?
For all the magic in the world that he could command, he had been helpless to build that reality.
Enough with the Greek tragedy, you fool. She’s here now. Enjoy it while it lasts.
When she hummed and snuggled into him, pressing her back to his chest, he thought his still-newly-returned heart had stopped beating his chest. He laid his head beside hers on the pillow, and, shutting his eyes, he let himself bask in her presence.
Every part of him wanted to stay awake to enjoy the moment. To take in every second that she was in his arms. But even for a powerful lich like himself, it was useless. He quickly fell asleep with a smile on his face.
* * *
Maggie wokeup to the feeling of something shifting next to her. With a quiet hum, she stretched.
“Ssh. Go back to sleep.” Someone kissed her temple. She smiled sleepily, instantly knowing who it was. The sheets smelled like sharp cologne and the earthy tang of cigars.
With a yawn, she opened one eye to see Gideon sitting on the edge of the bed, buttoning up his shirt. She shut her eye again and snuggled into the pillow. “Did you sneak into the bed, you creep?”
“No, I—” He chuckled quietly, and she could hear the softness in his voice. “Yes, fine. Are you upset?”
“If I was, you’d know.”
“True. I’m not eager to have a lamp thrown at my head.” He leaned down and kissed her cheek. “Go back to sleep. You’ve earned it. I’m going to make dinner. Ah. I sent Harry to pick you up a new phone and get the SIM cards swapped.”
She half heard that, and half mumbled a reply. She was already sinking back into slumber. She had no idea how much time she spent dozing comfortably before she woke up to something poking her lightly in the face.
Blinking her eyes open, she tried to focus on whatever it was. Algernon was sitting on her pillow on his hind legs, tapping her on the forehead with a little bony paw. “Hm?”
His remaining few whiskers twitched, and he tapped her again.
“Okay, okay, I’m up.” She chuckled and rolled onto her back, rubbing her eyes. It was then that she smelled something incredible. The scent of whatever Gideon was cooking was wafting through the house. Her stomach growled, reminding her that she hadn’t eaten since dinner the previous night.
Clearly eager for a dinner that she wasn’t really sure if he was aware he couldn’t eat, Algernon tapped her on the cheek instead.
