Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Truthfully, Ari had no idea how her life ended up like this.
The train engine below was giving a low grumble, rhythmic, as she sat perched on her feet in the back of a cabin, hoping no one would notice her. She was exhausted, dosing off here and there, her clothes were filthy, her hair was up in a bun- unwashed since the last opportunity she had to shower weeks ago.

She had lived a hard life. She didn’t know her own story, apart from being put in an orphanage at a really young age due to circumstances left unknown. There were a small number of things she did remember from her first life growing up, and she had spent most of her childhood and teen years fantasizing about what her life could have been like, using the fragmented memories left behind by hollow still-images of faces, people, and scenery left in the synapses of her mind without context.

A blue and pink ball in a brown living room. The face of a blonde-haired woman she could never remember the voice of. Swinging of the branch of an alpine forest, not another house in sight. There were few memories left, and those she chose to forget. As the years went by and the time passed, she lost hope of ever having a normal life, or recovering her history.

And now, a few years after being released from her rundown orphanage, she was hitching rides on the back of trains, dirty, starving, and exhausted. She was looking for a small town to settle in at, with no one who knew her name. She was no one right now, she dreamed of reinventing herself, curating her own story in her mind.

And just like that, the train, after days and days of steadily droning through nothing but forests, came upon a small town she had never laid eyes on before. The train slowed to a stop at a small station, and Ari jumped off before her car reached the building- hoping no one in this village would see how she arrived, or the condition she was in. She was sneaking her way across the platforms, trying not to be seen. Dipping behind walls, into shadows, until at the other end of the line she saw a restroom. She slid quietly into the women’s quarters and took a deep breath, steadying herself and removing her hood from her head.

She walked over to the sink, with intentions of washing up before she looked around- in case anyone saw her. She took off her long-sleeve, loose, gray hoodie and hung it on the door of the stall. She looked at herself in the mirror, but the person looking back didn’t even seem like her. She had dirty, mud-riddled strawberry-blonde locks, which she pulled from her messy bun and strung out from their coils, reaching just beneath her chest. She used water from the sink to splash her face, and began using soap from the dispenser to wash her face and hair, rubbing the suds into her scalp and letting it sit for a couple of minutes before beginning to rinse. She noticed her arms were much thinner than they were a mere week ago, as she had been on a train with no source of food for days.

Finishing her makeshift bath, and looking herself over, wringing out her long hair and sweeping the bangs from her eyes, she nodded to herself. This was the place, it had to be. She had a pair of dark overalls, unclasped and hanging at her wasit, with a white, thick-strap tanktop smudged with grease. Her wardrobe would unfortunately have to wait, but at the very least.. She looked okay. She thought. At least, she looked better than she did.
Slipping her hoodie back over her head, and pulling up her hood, she turned to head out of the bathroom.. And she saw a flyer on the door.

Farm-land open for lease, free of charge, just use the land to produce for the town of Mistria and all fees will be waived! It’s not much, but it’s a modest start for anyone who may need it! -Adeline

Ari pulled down the flyer and folded it, tucking it into her front pocket. She would most definitely be taking this once-in-a-lifetime offer, almost feeling like it was meant just for her.

She took a swift turn out of the restroom, looking down at the flyer with great interest, and ran face-first into the solid, rock-hard chest of a stranger.
“Hmp-oof-..” He spit out in surprise, as she collided with him in the dark, “Watch where you’re..”
He tried to look her over, but her face was concealed skillfully by her hood, purposely, in case of a moment like this.

“Wait.. I’ve never seen you in Mistria..” She heard him say to himself, as he tried to stoop down to her eye-level and see her face.

She caught the glimpse of reddish-auburn hair, but shuffled so he could only see the long, wet, blonde curls which had hung below her hood. Feeling trapped, she darted quickly past him, dodging him and staying behind his back as he kept turning to get a look at her, and skillfully, effortlessly hoisted herself up and onto the stone wall next to them, looking down at him.
Trying to follow her movements, he looked up, and just barely caught her lower-face as she stood on the stone wall overlooking him. He couldn’t hide the surprise on his face by her swift movements, and stared up at her with surprise, unable to see her eyes. In the lantern light, she could see he was a young man around her age, incredibly built, with glaringly dark eyes. At this moment, she almost felt locked in a battle of wits, as his stance was bellowing confrontation and not fear.

“Who.. Are you..?” He muttered, she could hear the confusion in his voice.

She said nothing, and ran steadfast down the stonewall with full intent to flee. She hadn’t meant to be seen. She jolted down the stone with amazing depth, and when it came to an end, she vaulted the upper-roof of the landing, reaching toe to hand as she did, and slid with skill as far away from the man as she could, fearing being caught or found out just as she found her perceived new start.
She kept running, even though she heard no steps behind her, melting into the dark corners of the town and becoming shielded by the city walls and shadows.

And March simply stood there, perplexed, yet impressed, by what he’d just seen. A man? Boy? A.. Woman? Parkouring her way across buildings and walls in a way he’d never seen, with the agility of a skilled warrior.
But.. Who were they..?

What did they come to Mistria for?

Ari cursed herself under her breath for not hearing his footsteps. Twenty minutes in this town and she already needed a new outfit. Fuck. Her heart was still beating in her chest as she imagined so many different ways that could have ended, most of them not in her favor.

Now behind a large building to the side of the town, in a more abandoned spot, yielding no lights, she took down her hood and looked up at the stars. They looked so different here, bright, not like in the city. She leaned back against a tree a few feet into the woods, pulled her hood back over her head, and pulled her knees up to her chest to sleep. Her next day would be interesting.

Chapter Text

Ari had awoken before daylight, barely, and took a little time to fold up her hoodie and place it in a safe spot behind the tree- in case she needed it later. In her smudged white tank-top and overalls, she looked like a farmer, so at least she fit into the expectation- she thought, looking over the flyer once more. She didn’t know very much about farming, but at least she looked the part- sort of.
She pulled her hair to one side, running her fingers through it. Wiped her face and rubbed her eyes. And then she sat, waiting to see a bit more light before she searched for a woman named Adeline.

On her way back into the town, she got a few stares from people just curious about the new arrival, but her paranoia left her feeling.. Insecure. And unsure of her place here, albeit she knew she was a total stranger. There were a number of shops, so many towns people, and she just tried to walk with her head high, as if she were also on business just like everyone else.
She stumbled upon a tavern and heard people chatting from within, so she coyly turned a corner and pushed open the door hesitantly, seeing a tall, dark, handsome man at the counter inside, who was having a casually pleasant conversation with a woman who had long, pink hair. It didn’t seem they noticed her peeking into the door, but when she went to step in-

Ring, ring!
The door had a visitor bell.

The man and woman looked over quite casually at the sound of a visitor, but as soon as they both realized it was a stranger who entered, the looks on their faces took surprise as they all stood there in silence for a few moments.

“I-I’m um..” Ari started, “I’m looking for a woman named Adeline..? About this flyer.”
Ari unfolded and held up the flyer, and immediately the emotion in the room changed completely.
“Yes! Come in, please!” The pink-haired woman said welcomingly, “I’m Adeline, and I’m so happy you’ve come!”
Sitting at the bar with Adeline, she talked about the town of Mistria, and their struggles sourcing food after the Earthquake, and her reasons for putting out the flyer for the sake of the town. She expressed that Mistria is a place of give and take- that everyone helps out and everyone plays an important role.. And Ari couldn’t help but find herself longing for a sense that there was a place she.. Belonged. An honest place full of hard-working, simple-lifed people who all know and care about the wellbeing of one-another. The sentiment of that pulled at Ari in a way she could never truly express. Ari had never really belonged anywhere before. She always just felt like a thing that.. happened to people, or dropped into people’s lives. She wanted more than anything just to have an opportunity to make an honest living and earn her way in life, it just never worked out for her that way.
“Well ma’am, I’ve been traveling the last couple of years.. I would really love an opportunity to be part of a team.. If you’ll have me.” Ari said quietly, trying not to let on just how much she wanted this, but trying not to get her hopes up.

“You’ve got yourself a deal!” Adeline cheered happily, jumping up from her seat, “Oh, I’m sure you’re starving, I’ll have Hemlock put a meal for you on my tab!”
As much as Ari wanted to turn down someone else buying her a meal, at this point it had been days since she’d last eaten more than random snacks she could find, and she could feel it weighing on her physically.
Adeline introduced her to Hemlock and Reina, and they all sat together casually, asking many questions about the newcomer who just happened into their village. Ari tried to answer as easily and simply as she could, but there were just so many questions they had which she didn’t know the answers to, herself. After she finished up, she thanked everyone and wished everyone a farewell as Adeline lead her out of the Inn and back into town, toward the farmhouse.

“Well, this is it!” Adeline threw her hands up, excitedly.
It was a a totally overgrown, unkempt land that looked like it hadn’t been touched in decades, but Ari didn’t mind at all. There was plenty of wood and stone, there were chests and boxes, and there were a small number of seeds left for her by the previous tenant.
Adeline lead Ari into the farmhouse, it was one room, quaint, a little dusty.. It was perfect.
“So sorry there aren’t many accommodations, but there is a fireplace to keep you warm in the spring evenings, and we managed to get you a spare bed from a donor, and-” Adeline was rambling, somewhat apologetically.
“It’s perfect.” Ari said, and she meant that.
She had never had a place of her own before, this was the very first time. It was so much greater than the one-bedroom, rundown apartment she thought she’d be living in for a thousand dollars a month, and she knew for sure it wouldn’t have come with a bed.
Adeline smiled, happy to hear of Ari’s contentment, “I’m so glad you’re here. It’s Friday tonight, I really do hope that after you get settled in you’ll stop by the Inn and meet everyone. Every Friday, we get together and cut loose. I um, I left some clothing int the drawers, although they’re all mixed and matched because I was unsure of who would next be living here, but there are at least a couple sun-dresses and smaller clothes for women in the dresser.”
Ari waved her off, after swearing many times that she would come into town and visit people at the inn later in the evening. The door eventually closed behind her, and Ari looked around. Everything was quiet now. Motionless. She took a deep breath, and looked around the space. There was no kitchen, but there was a bathroom with a shower, sink, and toilet. A bed. A dresser, with a mirror overhead. A table, two chairs. And a fireplace.
After a few minutes of idling, feeling like this wasn’t real, she began going through the dresser looking for something to wear to meet everyone tonight. Most of the clothes were farm-clothes, or clothes for men, but there were a few tie-top blouses, and skirts, and a couple sun dresses. Ari couldn’t remember the last time she wore a dress, or even felt feminine, but at the risk of running into the random young man who saw her.. She felt she had to look more feminine, to contrast how he may remember the stranger he ran into wearing more masculine clothing that night.
She removed all of her clothes, folding them and putting them to the side, and started the shower. It had been.. Months, probably, since she last had a real bath or shower. There was soap and shampoo on a small, plastic shelf. Two towels on the towel rack.
Ari hopped into the shower and felt her fears and worries melt away under the heat, she didn’t know how long she just stood there, under the enveloping heat, her eyes closed. It felt.. Like nothing she could describe, washing away months of filth from riding in trains, working night-to-night in random kitchens or work buildings, sweat from running, strain from stress, all being eleviated by the heat.
Eventually, after the water began to get cold, she turned off the shower and began drying herself, looking in the mirror. There was already a stark contrast to what she’d looked like the night before, she had color to her skin, her eyes weren’t as sunken in, and she looked.. Happier. If she barely recognized herself, it’s doubtful anyone in this town will know her face from before today, right?
She settled on a short, black sundress, and over her top she was wearing a plaid maroon shirt, tied at the waist with her sleeves rolled up. She had her black flats on, simple sneakers, but black matched the dress so they didn’t look too out-of-place. She had found a gray bandana on the dresser and debated on wearing it in her hair, but instead tied it at her neck, giving a nice contrast between the faded black and red. Black and gray were her most comfortable colors, as they didn’t draw much attention, a habit she brought with her from childhood.
And with that, her hair having dried into a nice, loose curl, she set her way off to town, enjoying her path to the inn as she walked, feeling carefree for the first time in.. Ever.

It was about 6PM when she got to the Inn, she stood outside for a few minutes, maybe in trepidation, listening to the townsfolk chattering loudly from inside. She tried to be at least a little early, hoping she could get settled in before too many people would catch her walking in. She glanced around her, old habit, and saw two men a building over watching her. She didn’t take a long look, just a short glance, but they both appeared her be young, one with short black hair and the other with red hair, he was a bit shorter.
She could feel her eyes on her as she looked at the doorway, but feeling rushed by their gaze, she finally entered.

There were already a few people sitting at the bar, talking. Ari tried to sneak in, and sit at the very edge of the bar, trying not to draw a lot of attention to herself. But immediately, Hemlock noted her arrival, shouting a welcome to her with a gentle wave.
“Farmer! It’s good of you to join us all, so glad you came by!” He praised, turning around, pouring an ale, and passing it to her from a few feet down the bar.
“Thank you so much, but I really shouldn’t-” Ari began.
“Please, cut loose with us a bit, we spend a lot of our time on business and we would love to get to know you a bit better.” Reina said kindly, “We’re glad you came.”
Ari stopped her weak protest, taking a sip of the ale and sending a gentle wave. Everyone in this town was so welcoming, and she couldn’t help but feel so socially awkward, because she’s never really been welcome anywhere she’s ended up in her life. She knew she was probably coming off a bit stoic, she didn’t mean to, but at the very least the people in this town didn’t seem to notice how quiet she was, as they continued to chat among each other.
“Well helloooo there, stranger!” She heard the voice of a pink-haired lad as she glanced over, “Ari, is it? I’m Eiland, Adeline has told me much about you already. Very glad you could make it to our gathering tonight.”
Ari nodded, shaking his outstretched hand, “Thank you for having me, this is a beautiful town. I’m still.. Not so sure I know where I fit in.”
“Oh, dear, everyone with pure intent fits into this town, you’ll find.” Eiland said with confidence, “So long as your heart is in the right place, and you care for the city and others, you’ll be returned that regard.”
Ari nodded, taking a sip of the ale in front of her, feeling a bit reassured.
“So tell me about yourself, Ari. Where have you rolled in from? What was the reason for all of your travels?” Eiland asked cheekily, smiling with his eyes closed.
“W-well..” Ari stuttered, “I’m not very used to talking about myself, so I apologize if my answers are short. I don’t really know where I originated, but I lived in deep marshlands a lot of my childhood, had no family, and traveled through city-state for most of my adult years. I’ve been looking for a place I could really.. Feel at home.”
Eiland nodded, listening intently to her story as a couple others, Adeline, Hemlock, and a couple of faces she didn’t yet know joined in to listen. Ari wasn’t used to this many people feeling so invested to her history, so it was.. A new experience.
“Truthfully, when I rolled into this town, I wasn’t sure of whether or not I should stay. What made me rethink my place here was the flyer I found on the door, put out by Adeline.” Ari stated honestly.
As she finished that sentence, the two young men who were staring her down from outside pushed through the entrance to the Inn, and Ari tried to act as though she didn’t notice. Like everyone else, the two men stood by the bar at a brief distance, listening to everyone in the Inn ask a variety of questions.
“So.. You came here by accident..?” Adeline asked, her curiosity evident.
“Well.. Yes.” Ari stated plainly, “I had been moving for so long, I didn’t really have a place set in my mind- I’m not even so certain I knew Mistria existed when I stopped here. But so far everyone has been incredibly nice, and I fully intend on earning my keep here and benefitting the town as much as I can.”
“So you were homeless, then.” She heard a pointed voice from the man standing a slight distance from her, with red hair.
“March!-” Reina elbowed him in an attempt to shut down his rude and demanding questions.
“It’s okay.” Ari said flatly, “Yes, I was homeless. I have been for a few years.”
“And an addict, no doubt.” He aimed, pointedly, tilting his head with cockiness.
“I’m certain I am not.” Ari replied, flatly, “Just down on a my luck.”
At this point, a number of people were standing in anticipation of what would be said next.
“I’ve been hearing buzz about some new farmer coming to town, I can’t say I’m impressed.” The man she now knew as March retorted, her brow furrowed, walking away with the other young man trailing behind him, looking embarassed and apologetic, “Just sounds like a charity case.”
“I- I’m so sorry about that one, please rest assured he’s like this to everyone-” An older woman called out, dispersing the silence, “I’m Elsie, it’s good to have you.”
“No worries, I did blow in from no-where, everyone has already been much more welcoming here than I had anticipated.” Ari said, nervously combing a hand through her locks.
For now she continued on, still feeling the eyes of March staring strangely at her from a distance. She wasn’t sure if he recognized her or not, but he was staring her down like a hawk from a booth in the corner, and it created a nervous buzz in her chest.
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March sat with a frown on his face, beer in hand, in the booth by himself as everyone buzzed excitedly around the new farmer. It was as if she immediately got accepted into this inner circle, no skepticism, no explanation, everyone suddenly just wanted to be her friend.. And it pissed him off to no end, that no one was willing to ask the hardball questions just to be friendly.
Who was this girl? Where did she come from?
What did she come here for?
And for some reason, she seemed weirdly familiar in her body movements and stature, it’s like he knew her from somewhere but couldn’t piece it together. Its as if his subconscious were screaming at him with hazard lights, and he couldn’t consciously figure out why. He just sat there, rumninating, watching everyone buddy up to this literal stranger.
After a couple hours passed, the girl began giving her goodbyes, answering the last of the questions, getting numbers and giving her number out to the new friends she’d made, and while she was going about her niceties he snuck out the side entrance and lie in wait for her, waiting minutes for her to come outside where he could finally confront her with no prying eyes.
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After wishing all the friendly towns people a farewell, Ari made her way to the door and out the exit, feeling relief at the cold night air that met her face. It wasn’t but a moment of relief, she heard the slight movement of a figure stoof outside by the side of the Inn, looming behind her.
“I know your game,” He stood, hand on the wall, leaning against the side of the building, “You’re not fooling me.”
Not taken aback by his presence, Ari walked to March and stopped a few feet away, “I’m not sure what you mean.”
He scoffed, flicking the hair from his eyes and standing upright, “I see what you’re playing at. Taking advantage of the nice people in a small town, looking for hand-outs.”
“I’m sorry you see me that way.” Ari said flatly, with no emotion.
Her lack of emotion seemed to send the man on a tirade, as he walked the rest of the way up to her and his posture became more assertive.
“It’s what it is. You’re a freeloader and-” He said with malice, a snarl on his face, and just then he paused, narrowed his eyes, and really looked at her, “Wait, I’ve seen you before-”
Ari immediately started walking away, she didn’t like where this was going at all.
“I’m sure you don’t.” She said as she turned her back to him and began on the path home, leaving him behind her and hoping he wouldn’t follow. If he did recognize her, he would have met her before she had reinvented her personality, while she was still in survival mode and scrounging like an animal. She didn’t want the embarrassment of that getting back to the rest of the people, she wanted so badly just to be.. Anyone but herself.
There was a difference between who she was when she was scavenging, and who she’s trying to be in this town. Ari just wanted to be the cutesy, care-free farm girl, that was the personality she was going with. She wanted to be.. Different here.

Chapter Text

The daylight brought her new reality, as Ari awoke, rolling around in her bed and covering her eyes from the harsh light. After taking time to collect herself, the tossed her legs over the side of the frame and pulled herself up. It was time to begin her farmer life. This was it. She just had to act competent and put in the work and effort, she could do this.
So she threw on her work boots and began the task of pulling weeds and clearing brush. Throughout the first few hours of the day, a few of the townsfolk stopped by and gave her a couple tools, an axe, a hoe, a sword, and she continued on clearing out the old field. She spent so much of her daylight shopping and moving wood, until she realized.. She was going to need a pickaxe for all of these rocks.
She welcomed this short break from the physical labor as she prepared herself for a brief fieldtrip to town in search of a pickaxe. She didn’t rush there, she really did take this time to enjoy the nice spring breeze and sunlight. Adeline had dropped by and passed her one thousand tesserae for supplies, food, etc to get started, so she would spend this money on getting by and gathering supplies that would hep her put the work into the farm.
She strolled up peacefully to the smithy and to her surprise there was someone right out front forging a sword as she came near. It was March, his hair tied back in a headband, shirt off, muscles pumping as he slammed his forging hammer town on the hot red iron. He looked much bigger now than he had before, his thin frame hides much of his bulk. Ari would be lying if she didn’t admit to looking a little longer at him than she’s intended, earning a glance from him as he halted his work to address her.
“What?” He asked, tone annoyed, “Come here to interrupt people who actually work?”
Taken a little aback at the sudden hostility, she said somewhat meekly, “I-I just need a pickaxe so I can work at the farm.”
He glared at her for a few seconds before flatly saying, “No.”
And just like that, he started working at his forge again, like none of that actually happened at all. Ari stood there a little confused, as she’d just been refused service on basically no grounds, for pretty much no reason. She just stood there, sheepishly, watching him as he worked, not even really sure what to do. Does she just.. Walk away, without the tool she needed to proceed?
Just as she was awkwardly about to leave, another young man came out the front door because he’d noticed her standing there for awhile.
“H-hey there! Uh, is there something I can help you with, ma’am?” He asked curiously, the other man not noticing he’d come out, still forging.
“Well.. I just wanted to buy a pickaxe..” She said with a shy smile, trying to be quiet, as not to draw attention from the man who just refused her service.
“Come on in, we have a few affordable ones in stock!” He smiled widely, opening the door and allowing her entrance as he followed behind her.
The shop had so many shiny, well-crafted tools, many of them very clearly far too expensive for her to afford. She followed him over to the shelves as he rattled off all sorts of specs and details about every tool he had in stock- it was very clear he had a lot of pride in what he did. His face showed so much excitement, she nearly couldn’t keep up.
“Oh, I’m Olric, by the way.” He finally said, slowing the pace of his rambling.
“I’m Ari, I’m the new farmer here. Happy to meet you.” Ari said with a friendly smile and a handshake.
“So do any of these suit you so far? I wasn’t sure of your budget, but we do have a few off-shelf supplies for beginners if you’re looking for something a little less extravagant.” He explained with a relaxed hand gesture.
“Well.. I’m not quite well off yet, and I’ll probably buy something a lot nicer from you in the future, but yes, I would like something from your cheapest supply if you have anything worn or found.” She said addmittedly, a little bit of shame in her voice.
“Not a problem at all!” He smiled, “Here, in the back we have a few rusty old ones, or these worn down copper ones we were going to smelt back into ore and refurbish. Please, just take one, no need for payment this time around!”
After wrapping up her tool and placing it in her shoulder bag, he turned to walk her out. She’s glad he did, for fear of getting berated by the young blacksmith. As he waved her down the path, she heard an accusatory grumble and slight argument begin in the background between the two men, but she just kep walking down the path.
As she got back to her place at the farm, she still had at least an hour of daylight and she fully planned on making use of it. After clearing out enough space to plant her first round of turnips, she began carefully plowing and setting rows in the freshly tilled soil. She carefully planted each seed, covering them in the soil, and watered them all before taking a step back and admiring her work. It was a start. Twenty turnips, ready in a week or two. She felt proud of it. She actually did this on her own, she was really farming. She was doing this.
She spent the rest of the evening cutting up more wood, pulling more weeds, and breaking up stone and sorting them into piles and chests for future use. After that, she sat on the steps outside of her cottage and just relaxed, staring at the land and the dark sky.
After awhile, she decided to head inside, and shortly after she checked in for the night, she heard a light knock at the door.
She pulled open the door to see a very happy Adeline.
“Ari! The land! It looks incredible already!” She exclaimed, as soon as the door opened, “I was just stopping by to ask if you’d like to gather some supplies for the bridge, we’re making an attempt to repair it and it would mean so much to the town if-”
“I’d love to be of any help, I’ll start bringing over supplies in the morning.” Ari said happily, ready for this welcome chance to prove herself useful to the town.
“Perfect! Thank you so much! Here’s a directional map to he box we’ll be keeping supplies in, and a simple map to the bridge, in case you’ve forgotten your way there!” She said, waving cheerfully and closing the door behind her with a goodbye for the night.
This was a solid chance to prove herself worthy, Ari was so ready for this. So ready, in fact, she immediately got ready for bed to get a good night’s sleep and be ready to work by morning.

Ari began preparing, packaging, and getting supplied hauled into a wheelbarrow and began trucking over to the bridge first thing in the morning. It began before sunrise, and ended just as the sun was going down. She was exhausted, sweaty, smelled of the woods, and her body was aching from all the lifting. Her last trip, there were a few people standing at the bridge, mapping out their bluprints at the table, and taking inventory of supplies and tools.
“Ari!” Exclaimed Ryis, “I came here expecting to need many more days of preparation for stone and wood, but I was totally shocked by the chests being full to the brim when I showed up. I can’t believe you did all of this in one day!”
Ari panted, pulling the last of the supplies using the last of her energy, “It was nothing- I-it’s just some stone and wood-”
Ryis, Eiland, and Balor all watched her from a distance, as she began putting the supplies in organized chests, very clearly exhausted.
Balor walked over, taking the stone from her hand, “Please, leave the rest to us, you’ve done your part in the repairs far beyond expectation, miss.”
“Ari, please, head to the inn and grab something to eat and a beer, it’s on me!” Eiland said cheerfully, waving her on from a distance.
It was an offer she wouldn’t refuse, she had been working for over twelve hours with no break, after all. She went back down the path to her cottage so she could clean herself up a bit, when she received a text notification on her phone.
Reina: “Hey! Please meet the girls at the inn in a little bit! We’re having a girls night!” ☺

Ari smiled a little at the thought of being part of a “girls night” and began getting showered and ready. There weren’t many skirts in the dresser, so the put on the only gray one, a denim mini skirt, and paired it with a cutoff black top that showed her navel, slightly. She then wrapped the plaid black and maroon flannel around her waist and slipped on her black flats.
She hadn’t experimented much with makeup hardly ever, but tonight she put on a little grown eyeshadow to compliment her honey-brown eyes, and some mascara Adeline had given her as a hand-me-down.
Ari felt.. Like a girl.
She looked at herself in the mirror, her chin resting on both of her hands as she sat in the makeshift vanity stool, quietly saying, ”.. Pretty..”
She made her way back into town, once again.

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Ari walked up to the inn, and for the first time since she’d arrived, she didn’t hesitate before entering, it felt familiar enough to her now.
She briefly looked around, before hearing a familiar voice.
“Ari! Over here!” Called Reina, the other girls talking among each other.
With her were Adeline, Celine, and a girl with long, purple hair I hadnt yet been introduced to. Across the room, at the bar, she saw Olric, March, and Ryis enjoying a few casual pints, and they all kept glancing my way- except March, who was looking more annoyed than usually, who was huffing and looking in the opposite direction. Out of the corner of her eyes, he saw Olric give a playful punch to Ryis in the shoulder and heard him say something along the lines of “do it man, you got this” before Ryis began his way across the room toward the table of girls.
All of the girls immediately stopped talking, watching like an audience as he approached by himself, very clearly feeling transparent and obviously nervous.
“Heeyyyyy Ryyyissss-” Juniper belted playfully, “What can we do for you toniiiiight?’
He paused for a second, looking directly at Ari, and raising one finger as a potential gesture, “Ari, I-“
All the girls cooed, huddling in whispered gossip, and hushed giggles.
“I um..” He continued shyly, now feeling like he’s on the spot, “I was just wondering if maybe you would want to get coffee with me, a-as sort of a.. Date..?”
Ari had never been asked on a date before, she was dumbfounded. Literally speechless. She probably sat there looking wide-eyed for far too long, because after a few seconds of everyone silently staring, Ryis put his hands up in a waving motion and started backing away.
“F-f-f-forget I ever said anything!!- I’m so sorry..!” He blushed, immediately regretting coming over, and Ari felt so confused and taken aback that she merely raised a finger with slight protest at his embarrassment as he went back to the bar and put his head down in his arms, March and Olric looking at him with surprise.
“I-I didn’t mean to say no, I just- I’ve never..” The girls were silently staring at her in wonder, waiting for her to finish that sentence.
Ari thought maybe she didn't need to confess she’d never dated anyone before, because that might sound really weird.
“Well, I just haven’t dated for a long time, because I’ve been traveling and focused on work.. I just didn’t know what to say..” She blushed and buried her face in her hands, feeling so embarrassed.
She glanced over to the boys, March was glaring at her as Olric was laughing and patting Ryis on the shoulder for comfort.
Ari felt bad just leaving him hanging like that, so she took a long drink of her beer, steadied herself, and walked across the inn to at least say something to him about it.
“I think you’ve done enough, don’t you?” March retorted, rolling his eyes.
“I just want to explain.” Ari said with a sigh, “I don’t really date. I just work. And travel. I don’t really.. Do that. You know?”
March glanced up in real curiosity, searching her face as she stood there awkwardly staring to the side with her arms crossed in front of her.
“W-wait you’re serious?” March asked with a mocking chuckle, “You’ve never been on a date?”
She could feel he was clearly making fun of her, and she blushed slightly, feeling just a little silly.
“Well.. No. I haven’t.” Ari said, trying not to let him have the satisfaction of getting a rise of out her, “It’s just never been the right time- I.. I um. Well, I just wanted to come over, because I thought maybe I’d hurt your feelings or something with how I reacted.. Or how I didn’t react, I don’t know. I didn’t mean to make you feel bad.”
She finished her statement and simply walked away, not waiting for a response from any of them, heading back to the group of girls, and earning a one-sided hug from Adeline.

“That didn’t seem like it went so bad! I hope there are no hard feelings.” Celine said, tilting her head with empathy.
“Um.. March laughed at me..” Ari sighed, still blushing from a hint of mostly-concealed fluster, still seeming quiet and in-thought.
“Don’t worry about him. He doesn’t really have any right to make fun of you, March doesn’t even date, not since he dated Reina in fifth grade.” Juniper said snidely, earning an elbow from Reina.
“You dated March..?” Ari asked with amusement, “I can’t imagine that.”
“Well, we were like ten years old, it was just a weird little schoolyard crush.” Reina explained, taking a long sip of her wine, “We just met up on the playground and held hands a couple time, we were together like three weeks and then I dumped him because I was like ten years old and got a crush on another boy- who doesn’t even live in Mistria now.”
Ari smiled to herself, “That’s sweet. The last person I called a boyfriend, we lived in the orphanage together. He was a few years older than me, we never went on a single date, never kissed, and he was let out a few years before I was out, I never saw him again. I think about him from time to time, even now. ”
The group sat there quietly, lingering in the information they just heard, heavy as it all was.
”.. You were in an orphanage?” Celine asked, emotion on her tongue, “That sounds.. Hard.”
“It was all I knew.” Ari stated flatly, “I don’t remember a life before that.”
Adeline, tinged with hurt, sighed, “But.. Isn’t that worse..?”
Ari took a few seconds to consider her sentiment, really thinking about what whether it would have been better to have had a life before the orphanage.
“No, I don’t think it is worse.” Ari said, looking down at her halfway empty glass, realizing how quiet the inn had gone as it felt everyone were listening in, “I didn’t have another life to miss. I didn’t have parents to hurt about. I had no siblings to wonder about. All I knew was that, and this life.”
She could feel at least one pair of eyes burning into her from across the room, listening to what they were saying. She didn’t mind. It wasn’t her history that was a secret, but the person she became while she was roughing it in the homeless shelters and hitching trains to random locations. The survivalist version of her was left on that train that night, she told herself. She wanted to be more open, more of a girl, lighter, fluffier, she didn’t want to be a fighter anymore.
After a long pause, Ari cleared her throat.
“Really, the life you’ve offered me here is much greater than anything I’ve ever had, by far.” Ari said with a smile, “You’ve all been very generous, and I’m dedicated to repaying you and Mistria.”
The girls smiled and cooed together with, “awhs.”

Chapter Text

The next morning, Ari woke up to a rainy day, which meant less farm work and less watering crops. For the first time in a long time, she actually felt.. Maybe a little lonely. She sighed to herself, maybe it was better to have a rainy day here and there, socializing more and being by herself less has left her open to weakness. She used to be fine with being alone with herself all the time. Travel alone, speak to no one, leave everyone behind and go to the next place hundreds of miles away in any direction.

Ari still felt guarded, the paranoia of feeling lonely and not being self-sufficient clung to her like a thick security blanket. It did make her feel safe, to feel secure in the fact that everyone could inevitably leave her.. And she would still be okay. The feeling of loneliness meant that if one day everyone abandoned her, maybe she wouldn’t be okay. Maybe she would be hurt by that. And a lot of thoughts from her childhood resurfaced with the thought of that hurt becoming present in her adult life. And if there’s anything Ari had learned throughout her life, it’s that eventually everyone she cares about leaves without a single word, and she never sees them again. It’s a lesson taught to her by every guardian, every love she’s ever known.
People leave. So she learned to be okay with just having herself.
So the way she sees it, it’s good practice not to get too accustomed to company, and never forget to know you’re your own solid company.
She spent the day on the couch, quietly listening to the rain outside, rain tapping on the window. She wrote in a notebook, drawing plans for crop rotation and upcoming seasonal changes, daydreaming about her plans for the farm, thinking back on Ryis coming up to her and asking her out, still feeling a bit embarrassed that March laughed at her.
Who did he think he was, anyway? The girls say he hasn’t dated since he was ten years old, it feels a little unfair he would make fun of her for that. She furrowed her brows as she thought about it all, annoyance putting more pressure on her writing as the words became emboldened unintentionally.
On second thought, her mind drifted back to Ryis.
.. What if she did agree to a date? He seemed like a really nice guy..
Suddenly her mind drifted back to watching March’s muscles flex as he struck an iron sword, sweat dripping over his muscles in the daylight, a slight twinge in her abdomen as she thought about it.
She shook her head violently.
Absolutely not, Ari. What the fuck.

At mid-day, the rain finally stopped, and she stepped out her front door and took in a deep breath, tea in hand, sweater draped over one shoulder, hair up in a messy bun. She’d been in survival mode for so long, she hadn’t thought about dating in years. Now, as an adult, it feels almost silly to think about something so trivial now. But, now that she feels less on-edge, it is something that’s been nagging at her.
She decided that, since the rain had come to a stop, she would make her way into town to browse around a little. She was thinking of things that could help her by convenience, or things that would just make the home feel a little more like her space, so since the weather did most of her job for her today, she could have an easy day. She went inside, put on a pair of loose, green, cloth overalls, a long-sleeve white shirt, and a matching pair of white bows for her hair, then threw on a white cardigan that fit loosely.
On the way to town, she figured she’d take an extra detour to stop by and see the progress being made on the bridge, just to see how things were going. As she walked up, there were some familiar faces currently working on the support-beams of the bridge, and they were soaking wet- as if they’d been at this all morning, even in the rain. It was Olric and March, soaking wet. Ari wondered if they really had been working at this through the intermittent showers, they must be cold and hungry, she thought to herself. She stood, staring at March from a distance, the way his red hair curled around his neck when it was wet. He had a loose-fitting tank top on, and she could see his muscles, taught and peaking out from the big, open holes of his sleeve.
He didn’t notice her, at least didn’t acknowledge her, anyway. She went on her way after sparing a few minutes to watch him work, paying little mind to Olric, who was on the far-end of the bridge.
She continued her walk back into town. She had been gathering berries and plants and selling them for a bit, and while her turnips were growing she had managed to save up a modest amount of tesserae, enough to spare grabbing them food and a couple beers on her way back from town. She spent maybe twenty minutes at a window store, bought herself a new black dress to go out in, and picked up two beers and some sushi for the boys, and a sandwich and a coffee to bring back for herself at home. She took a deep breath and really asked herself, why is she doing this?
Is it just to be neighbor-ly? It it to try to extend an olive branch?
Is it.. Something else?
The image of him slamming down on the rocks, wet from the rain, his biceps flexing, returned to her mind.
N-no, this was just to be nice. They’re doing something really great for the town by working so hard on this bridge from day to night, wind and rain. They deserved a meal to tide them over until the end of the day.
She came up on the bridge again after a short walk, getting a quiet side-eye from March.
“Ari! Hey!” Olric said with a cheeky smile, “What brings you here?”
“Oh, I just decided to browse the shops in town since the rain stopped.. Have you two been working out in the rain.. All morning?” Ari asked, a little concern showing in her voice.
“Haha yeah, the rain is nice anyway, keeps us cool-” Olric began, getting cut off.
“Rain or shine, there’s work to be done.” March said sternly, hammering away at a beam, making sure it’s in place.
Ari nodded in agreement, setting the bag with sushi and beers down on the nearby table, which held the blueprints and tools.
“I brought you both some drinks and sushi, I figured it was the least I could do, since you both have been working so hard..” Ari said, giving a brief wave and beginning to turn, “Well, I’m going back to the farm, it was nice seeing y-“
“Well, you owed us anyway. Seeya.” March retorted with annoyance, without a wave.
“Thank you Ari! We’ll both enjoy it!” Olric called out, trying to drown out March’s remark, but she still heard it.
She heard Olric from a distance give a short lecture to March, telling him he was rude, she didn’t say anything else or turn, she just kept walking. By now, she knew it was in his nature to respond to any kindness with being rude, but she’d be lying to herself if she said she hadn’t hoped for.. A different response.
Ari sighed, feeling a little put out, not wanting to fully let it affect her. At the end of the day, whether he admitted it or not, he’ll remember she did something nice for him, and she was sure he had some level of appreciation for it.

Later that night, while she was asleep in her bed, she heard a rustling in the dark outside her door. She immediately sprung out of bed, on high alert, worried it was a stranger or something. She peaked out the front window, and when she didn’t see anyone, she opened her door to see a wrapped up item propped against her doorway. She looked down the ally to see the figure of a man strolling back toward the town, a familiar figure.
She pulled back the fabric back that was wrapping the object, and she saw it was a new copper hoe, an M engraved in the hilt. It was obvious who it was who left it, she brought it inside and looked over the craftsmanship of it. It was impeccable, even just for copper. All of her other tools were busted up and low-quality, this new tool made them pale in comparison. She just sat at the kitchen table looking at it, pondering, for she didn’t know how long. She considered herself to have a lot of willpower and emotional control, but she found herself really thrown off by this. Maybe Olric put him up to this, or he felt bad for not thanking her earlier.
Her heart skipped a little when she wondered if maybe he was more invested in her than he played off.
She shook her head, that couldn’t be.

Chapter Text

The next day, the first thing Ari saw was that copper hoe March left. Her brow furrowed, still perplexed, but overall grateful.
She got up, put on her clothes for the day, and went to the mailbox. She got a letter from Juniper, stating she would be throwing a little sauna party for the younger crowd in town in a couple days, trying to intruduce everyone to the bathhouse- hoping it would bring in some business for her. Maybe even inciting a little chaos, perhaps.
Ari sighed to herself, she didn’t have a swimsuit.
She immediately sent a text to Reina, asking if there were any good spots in town to buy a bathing suit, her phone rang out with an immediate response.

Reina: “No need! I have the perfect one in mind for you!!! Stop by the inn at around 3pm today!”

Ari knew she’d be the one to ask, Reina loves swimming- although.. Ari looked at her body, somewhat shy in her stature. She wasn’t really built like the other girls in town, she was missing a couple of large assets she noticed the other girls had.. Ari looked down at her chest. A modest A cup.

She blushed at the idea of anyone seeing her torso, really. Or her legs. Ari started to maybe second-guess whether or not she should actually go to this, or if she would just end up feeling really embarrassed. Either way, she could at least see what Reina had in mind that was so “perfect” for her, even if just for curiosity sake.

3pm rolled around, and Ari was coming up to the inn, waiting for Reina to get done with her shift. After a few minutes, Reina came skipping out, bag in hand.

“Oookay, Ari! Let’s drop by the sauna so you can see what this suit looks like on you!” Reina said, excitedly, “And we can take a little dip and have a girl chat while we’re there!”

As soon as the girls stepped foot in the bath house, the air was immediately different. There was a scent of honey and warm sandalwood hanging in the heated, wet air. It immediately took some of the edge off, without even having stepped foot in the bath or sauna, it was incredible.

“Okay, the changing room is right over here, and you have to come out and show me because I need to see!!” Reina handed her the bag with the suit in it and ushered her to the back of the bath house changing rooms.
Ari closed the door gently behind her, locking it, and taking a deep sigh.

“You can do this.” Ari said to herself, opening up the fabric bag and peering inside.

But wait, there were actually two different.. Bikinis.

Ari blushed at bikini looking like her only option. That’s just.. So much skin. One of them was a baby peach polka dot one with ruffles at the hem, and the other was a beige and maroon one with only color, no pattern, and it had no fluff. She was leaning toward the latter.

Ari put on the second bikini, it had faded maroon outlines and a muted beige color filling the outlines, it tied in both the front and the back. Even the bottoms had ties on each side, leaving Ari feeling very naked and at risk.
She stared at her body, modeling the suit to herself and looking herself over. Her curly hair was half up, half down.
She heard Reina call from outside the dressing room, “Come on out! I can wait to see, I already know which one you picked!” She giggled.

Ari peeked her head out of the changing room, making sure it was only them out in the lobby where the mirror was, and slowly stepped out to show Reina. Reina immediately squealed at the sight of her in this bikini.
“Ariiiiiiii!!! Oh my god, it WAS perfect for you! I knew it!” Reina exclaimed, excitedly clapping her hands and pulling Ari’s hair up from her back to see what the back of the suit looked like.

.. And just as if right on queue, a familiar red-headed man emerged from the bath house door across the room, towel in hand, and she could see him in the bath house mirror. He first glanced at the sound of Reina’s excitement, and then glanced again, mouth slightly ajar, and blushed, quickly looking away and continuing out the door hastily as if he had intruded.

Ari pulled her hands over her face quickly and obviously blushed, Reina also seeing the event unfold in the reflection of the mirror.

”.. O-oh, wait..” Reina looked back behind her, catching the tail end of March scurrying out the front door of the bath house and looking over to Ari, “Did you see that?”

She got a cheeky grin across her face and rubbed her hands together.

“I told you it was perfect, you’re already turning heads!” She giggled loudly.

“I think he just thinks I’m weird..” Ari said, deflated-ly.

Reina pawed at her playfully, “Feeling a little self-conscious of our town’s meanest bachelor, are we? If it’s any consolation, I’ve never seen that look on his face before.”

Ari looked down at er own hands grasped across her body like a shield, and wondered to herself.. Was that why he was looking? Did she look.. Good? It was really hard for her to wrap her mind around, the idea that someone would be looking at her that way, even if unintentionally.

“Okay! So no need to try on the other one, lets take a dip in the bath! I’ll go change, you can go ahead in!” Reina said, quickly jogging into the changing room.
Ari approached the front desk, hands still shielding her.

“Oooooooiii, what have we hereeee?” Juniper playfully quipped, “So this must be what had March all flustered and retreating from my bath house, he-he-he!”

Ari shook her head, looking down at the ground defensively, “I-I don’t think so.. He was probably staring because I look weird without clothes on..”
“Hmm,” Juniper said, thoughtfully, “I don’t think you see what he sees, you must know. Anywho, you can head in for free, since this is your first visit! Have a blaaaasstt! I hope you drop by this Thursday!”
She waved as Ari pulled open the bath house door and walked in. The steam got thicker and heavier as she walked toward the last room, dragon figures and statues adorning the entire house. She opened the final door to see a huge room with a large bath, steam bellowing from within it.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

March continued on his path home, he could still feel that his face was hot. It just took him by surprise, is all. That was it, he told himself as he kept hastily walking.

The image of her body in the mirror, and how she covered herself so coyly, was burned into his head, and he kept trying to shake the image loose. He still hadn’t fully admitted to himself that she was a positive contribution to the town, he still felt pangs of jealousy when he heard people praising her work. He scowled as he found himself asking, why on Earth did she need to be so perfect?

He shook his head, putting a hand on his forehead with frustration. This was starting to feel complicated, and he didn’t like the feeling of it. He hated that he didn’t want other men, especially Ryis, to see her that way at the party- and he couldn’t even fully explain why he felt that way. He knew he didn’t really have a right, but the thought of it nagged at the back of his mind the entire walk home.

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“Soooooo, I wanted to talk to you about a little something I heard from Olric..” Reina bantered playfully, “I know you already know Ryis likes you enough to want a date with you, but he says this week Ryis hasn’t stopped talking about you!”

Ari stared at her in disbelief, trying to process, “I just don’t see what about me he really likes..”

“You’re kind of a smoke-show Ari, you’re going to need to accept it! You’re a really pretty girl, don’t doubt yourself so much!” She returned, reassuringly.

“I guess I just never really had much time to.. Act like a girl.” Ari explained, trying to let her friend in on why her mind works the way it does, “I still don’t really feel like.. A pretty girl.”

Ari blushed, looking down at her flat chest.
“I also.. Um.. Well, I think there might be someone else I feel some type of way about..” Ari went on, the image of March soaking wet, muscles pulsing as he brought the hammer down on an anvil coursing through her mind.

Reina gasped, “Girl you need to SPILLLLLLL!”

She faced Ari, eyes looking up at her begging to hear more.

Ari blushed, “I-it’s nothing I think.. But there’s someone I saw.. working out the other day, and now I can’t get the image of his body out of my mind, I feel like I’m losing it..” Ari said, covering her face with her hands, “I’ve never really seen a man look like that before, there’s just something..”

“Mmm, primal?” Reina offered a word, being accurate.

“Well, yeah. Even the smell of him from a distance was driving me wild. But I just can’t bring myself to approach him more than just in passing, and I don’t know why.. I.. Guess don’t think he really likes me, my first impression with him wasn’t great..”

Ari thought back to her first night, just off the train, when she ran face-first into March and literally parkoured away from him like an animal fleeing. She sighed to herself, putting a palm on her forehead.

“I’m sure whoever he is,” Reina said knowingly, with a wink, “He probably just needs time to get to know you.”

“And,” She continued, “If that one doesn’t go for you, I think Ryis is a really nice guy, you should maybe just talk to him!”

Ari nodded, “Yeah, he does seem really sweet. Maybe, we’ll see. There’s so much time.”

“I think my advice for you is to follow your feelings and step a little outside your comfort zone!” Reina said, nudging Ari on the arm with encouragement, “I think you’ll be surprised just how fast your self-image changes if you just try to think better things about yourself.

Ari nodded, sighing, and letting half of her face fall beneath the water.

Chapter Text

The next couple of days went by very fast, and Thursday morning came out of no where. Ari woke up early, the sun was shining, and started continuing her work cleaning up and improving the farm. Her turnips were starting to come in nicely, and she found herself sitting and admiring the little peaks that were sprouting above the surface, as if they were saying ‘hello!’
She spaced out as she chopped up more wood, so many thoughts from the last few days still heavy on her mind. She was extremely excited, yet nervous, for the party that evening. She hated to admit it, but she was anticipating getting at least a glance from March in her bikini, she at least had a little hope. She even felt.. weird that she was anticipating it.

As she chopped at the wood, she started to imagine scenarios in her head where they would talk, sit by each other, these were all fantasies that she fully had no real expectations of happening at all, but it was fun to think about them maybe.. Kissing? Ari started to wonder what it would be like to kiss him. Were his hands rough? His lips a little chapped, would he taste like a spring ale? She blushed as she continued chopping without a care, her imagination was making time pass by so much more quickly.

After awhile, she decided to stop. It was afternoon and there were only a few hours left before the party, so she chopped her axe into a nearby stump, wiped her brow, and headed inside.

She took off her farm clothes and tossed them in a pile of laundry she needed to wash, and hopped in the shower. She thought to herself, this was the most she had felt for a long time. Like really, really felt. She had to gain a lot of emotional control in her upbringing, as lashing out was always met with punishment and verbal attack. She learned very deeply that her emotions were secondhand, and that there was a greater cause than expressing her negative feelings. She didn’t like to let people “win” satisfaction of upsetting her, so she never argued. She didn’t allow herself to get emotionally invested enough to have strong feelings toward them.
And happiness? Well, she learned that having great happiness also meant having great loss when it was over, so she didn’t really.. Feel much of anything. She tried not to, or at least not to let it show too much. But she felt more secure here, as this was a long-term deal, so she was letting her guard down a little at a time.

And she thought to herself.. Would it be so bad to fall in love?

To feel butterflies, to be nervous, to.. Feel excited?

Would it be so bad?

Ari rinsed the shampoo from her hair, shaved her legs, rinsed, and hopped out of the shower. She put on the bikini Reina gave her, and brushed her hair, looking at her body in the mirror. She slid her hand over her curves, and slowly over her stomach. She brushed droplets of water from her arms, and ran her index finger down her collarbone and between her breasts.

Looking in the mirror, Ari watched her hand as she slid it down her stomach and briefly stopping just above the hem of her bikini bottoms.
And she lingered there, thinking to herself. For a long time.

Images of March, muscular, breaking up rocks, wet from the rain, sprung back into her mind.
Her fingers slipped past the bottoms of her bikini and down to her folds, it felt so.. Sterile. Awkward, to touch that area of her body, like it didn’t really belong to her. She felt so disconnected from her own femininity, and she admitted to herself that she was.. Repressed. At the orphanage, they were all referred to as “brothers and sisters” by the parents of the home, so even a crush was looked down on- and even punished if more was found out. The only other kids she knew, even the boy she considered her first “boyfriend” was called her brother by the head of the home, and it left her feeling very complicated about relationships, sex, and romance.

It blurred the lines of what is and is not appropriate, and made it seem like any male within close proximity of her was a relative, and that it was punishable to be romantically interested in them.
And her body, and touch, for that reason, felt so foreign to her.

She withdrew her hand with a sigh, turning toward the dresser to find a dress to cover up with until she got to the bath house, grabbed a few belongings in a burlap sack, and slid on a pair of black flats.

Arriving at the house a little early, Juniper and Adeline welcomed her- no one else had shown up quite yet, but she knew it was going to be big. There were large carafes of fresh herbal tea, cold water, and light snacks in the front room of the bath house. Ari realized everyone else was already just in their bathing suits, so she took off her shoes and sun dress, tucking them into her bag and holding them in her hands to find a good spot to set them down before they all got comfortable.

Juniper and Adeline we idling chit-chatting about something that presumably happened earlier in the day as Ari walked up to create a triangle between them.

“Ari! We’re so glad you came!” Adeline said, as she says every time she sees Ari at any event, “We’re early, but everyone else should be showing up soon!-“
As again, as if right on queue, March and Ulric walked through the door, March seeming like he was purposely walking ahead of him. He looked around a bit, as if he were looking for someone in particular, a weird expression on his face.

He and Ari met eyes, and then he looked around and away, around the rest of the building to see who else had shown up yet. She stayed in one spot, the girls in one small group and March and Olric sitting on a bench near the front of the bath house talking quietly amongst each other.

As more people came in, Ari figured it was a good time to put her bag in the changing and locker area of the house and headed that way. Pushing open the door to the private area, no one was in there yet, so she sat her things in one of the wooden cubbies and stood up to look in the mirror and straighten out her curls a bit.

To her surprise, the door opened, in slid someone, and they locked the door behind them, taking Ari by surprise. She turned to see why they locked the door.

It was March, and for the first time Ari felt genuinely shocked, as she dropped her brush on the ground with a loud clatter.

“March! Th-this is the girl’s locker room! What are you-!” Ari started, taking a small step back in nervous frenzy.

“Listen,” He said, taking off his shirt, earning more of an embarrassed gasp from Ari, “I need you-“

“M-March-!” Ari said with a gasp, blushing and stepping back further out of sheer disbelief.

“I need you to put this on right now.” He said flatly, holding out his shirt to her.

Ari nearly fell on her face, realizing he was just offering her his shirt to put on for some weird reason. And then her shock turned to confusion. And then it slightly turned to frustration.

“E-excuse me?” She asked, brows furrowed, holding her arms up to her chest in a defensive back-step, “Why would I want your shirt..?”

“Just do it.” He said, obviously annoyed, looking away from her, but not giving more context than that, “Cover up.”

Ari was really thrown for a loop, she was completely confused. Was he telling her to cover up because she looked.. Bad? The thought of that was exactly the opposite of what she’d been hoping for all day today. She’d been fantasizing about how he might see her and be interested, and now he’s asking her- no, telling her, to cover up her body. She was angry and embarrassed as hell.

“N-no..” She said, still in a defensive stance, getting increasingly irritated, “I’m not doing that.”

“You don’t understand. You don’t get these guys and hear what they’re talking about when they’re ‘with the boys,’ Ari.” He said, still holding out his shirt to her with more of a passive tone, trying at least to explain a little what he meant.

But what would they be saying about Ari in a bikini..? Did the rest of the men in town think she looked bad, too? She didn’t understand at all, and she found herself pushing his hand and his shirt away from her and back toward him, rejecting wearing it.

“I’m not wearing your shirt.” She said flatly, “I don’t know what it is with you and always needing to put me down, I didn’t do anything to you.”

He huffed, folding up his shirt and tucking it under his arm, “Fine. Can’t say I didn’t warn you, farmer.”

He left the room and Ari stood there, speechless, and the door closed behind him and a couple of girls wandered in, confused about why he was in the women’s dressing room. Then they looked at Ari and giggled, as if they knew what just happened, if only it had been what they thought.

“I-it’s not that, we were just talking-!” Ari said defensively, laughing nervously.

She heard one of the girls say “yeah right” and they both laughed as she left the locker room, she was feeling incredibly awkward, insecure, and now a little insulted after the whole interaction. She walked back out into the lobby, rejoining her friends, but far too embarrassed to tell them what just happened. She would almost rather them think she was in there making out with March or something, she didn’t want to have to explain to them that he clearly hates seeing her body so much he demanded her put on more clothing.

“Ari, what’s the matter..?” Reina asked, noticing a massive shift in Ari’s body language since she’d left minutes ago.

Ari covered her face with one hand, shielding her expression as much as she could, “I-it’s nothing..”

Eventually, after everyone arrived, they all began trickling into the back room of the bath house, which was enormous and had three large pools of hot water, all bellowing with thick streams of steam. A number of guests stayed standing, visiting with cups of water or tea, a few people mingled on the benches, and about half of the remainder immediately found their spots in one of the three hot baths. Ari, Reina, Ryis, Eiland, and Olric immediately descended into one of them, Ari seated herself next to Reina, and much to her dismay, March joined them, sitting across the bath from Ari. Before their interaction earlier, this would have been very welcome, she would have looked forward to potentially talking to him even a little, but now she just felt stressed by his existence nearby.

He wasn’t saying much, just talking to Olric. In one corner of the bath, Eiland and Ryis were talking amongst themselves, and eventually Balor joined into their conversation- it sounded as if it were about the bridge, by the few words she did hear.

And right next to her was Reina, who was talking all about the new drinks and recipes she’d learned while working at the inn. Ari was listening to her intently, but she was also distracted, her feelings still a little hurt, her arms wrapped around her body as if to shield herself from the redheaded man a couple feet across from her.

After awhile, Ari began to feel a little better, as things were going well, and more people sat next to her and began asking her things about her life and how she was doing at the farm. Adeline sat next to her on the edge of the bath, her feet in the water. Actually, Ari began to feel a little light-headed from the heat, and while she still felt extremely self-conscious after her interaction with March earlier, she decided to lift herself onto the ledge of the bath and sit next to Adeline.

So now, in the bath, were March in front of her, Olric next to him. Ryis, Balor, and Hayden off to the side in the corner, Reina was in the bath on the seat in front of her, Adeline was sitting next to her, and Juniper was sitting on the other side of Adeline.

She didn’t know why, but March kept looking up at her, and then looked back toward the group of boys who were chatting amongst themselves nearby. She could feel him looking at her, even when she was trying to ignore it for some time.

“So have you planted anything quite yet, or have you still been getting the land ready? I know that place was left in some crazy condition, I figured it may be a little while until you really got the hang of things!” Adeline said, genuine curiosity in her voice. She was always checking up on Ari and asking about her work, she really appreciated the interest.

“I planted some turnips just a few days ago! They have the cutest little buds peeking out of the soil right now, I was so happy to see them start to come through!” Ari said, clapping her hands together and returning them to her sides, leaning forward on them.

She duly noted that Balor got up from his spot in the tub, but it was just a secondhand thought that she brushed to the side as unimportant.

Just as Ari was about to talk again, she felt a slight tug on the back of her bikini, and felt the front of her bathing suit begin to fall down quickly, and just as this happened, March got up from his spot, faster than she could process, standing in front of her, pulling the strings to her bathing suit back up and over her neck to keep her top from falling down and revealing her body. He shielded her bare chest from the rest of the bath with his body, who were now all staring in shock as someone’s bikini just started falling off in the middle of conversation.

So they stood there awkwardly for a few seconds as March tied her bikini top behind her neck, while she used his broad chest to shield her breasts from the rest of the bath. She pressed herself against the front of his body, as he double-knotted her bikini ties, both top and bottom strings. As he did this, Ari had her eyes closed, a wicked red blush plastered on her face.
Ari sat there semi-shocked at what had just happened, Balor scurried off quickly in the distance, as not to be noted as the one who pulled the tie of her bikini loose- but March knew.

“Oh my god, what happened?!” Adeline asked in shock, “Your bikini just started falling off! Don’t worry, I don’t think anyone saw you!-“

March huffed, looking at the group of men at the other end of the bath with annoyance, taking his spot in the bath next to his brother, “Yeah, it just ‘fell off’ for no reason.”

Ari was a little shell-shocked, she didn’t know what to say or how to react to someone doing such a thing.

“I-I’ll be right back-” She said, getting up and bolting from the tub, running toward the women’s changing room, embarrassment making her face hot.

Ari picked up her towel and held it up to her face, feeling tears of frustration forming in her eyes as her face burned red. She thought back to earlier when March tried to warn her to cover up a little more, and she felt so stupid that she completely misunderstood what he was trying to tell her. In hindsight, she was so naive, she was so worried about him not liking her body that she heard something totally different than he was trying to say.

There was a faint knock at the door, and Reina’s voice came from the other side in a hushed manner, “Heyyy, Ari, are you okay in there..?”

She opened the door and popped her head in, seeing Ari and sneaking all the way into the room and closing the door behind her.

“Are you okay? I’m sorry that happened to you, that was a gross thing for them to do..” Reina said reassuringly, “You didn’t deserve that at all..”
“I’m so stupid..” Ari said, self-accusingly, still holding a towel to her face.

“What? No, of course you’re not, how would you have even known?!-“

Ari interrupted, taking the towel down from her face, “No, I am, earlier March tried to warn me. He was trying to get me to wear his shirt and keep myself covered, and I didn’t listen because I thought he was just grossed out by my body..”

“W-what? March did.. That?” Reina asked, looking taken aback, surprise on her face, “And.. He tied your bikini back up for you and helped you, that’s..”

”.. So embarrassing..”: Ari said, putting her face back in the towel and sighing.

Reina shook her head, putting a hand on Ari’s shoulder, “N-no, it’s just.. It’s obvious he cared enough to at least try, I think that’s something really surprising.. I’ve never ever known March to do something like that before.”

Ari took in this information and realized.. Reina was actually right. March went out of his way to try and help her today, he saved her from everyone seeing her topless, and the thought that he cared enough to do that.. Made her feel a little better. Ari brought her hand up to the back of her neck and tugged at the strings, and skillfully tied in a double knot, now they didn’t budge. Ari smiled to herself a little, earning a smile back from Reina.

“Girl, I think he might really like you.” Reina said, smiling, but really sure of herself, “I think you might be in.”

Ari and Reina went back to the party, they both acted like nothing happened, Ari was trying to enjoy the party as if nothing ever went wrong. She could feel that everyone was still in silent agreement that her being topless happened, but everyone eventually moved on from it like it never happened at all. She noticed that for the rest of the night, March and Balor were both no where to be found, and she felt it was unfortunate that she didn’t get a chance to apologize and thank March for what he did, she’ll have to see if he comes to the inn the next night, everyone usually does.

Later that night, Ari walked through the door of her house, and took off her suit, feeling free from the discomfort of wearing it. She slipped on an oversized t-shirt, sat on the couch, and curled her legs up to her chest and sighed.

Things got so complicated so fast.

Her emotions are pulled in one direction, and then hi-jacked in a totally different direction all the time. Most of the time, she didn’t know what to think. Her mind wandered back to the moment her top got untied, and how fast March stood up to cover her, his muscular chest in her face, the scent of his bodywash in her face, their skin brushing up against each other ever-so-slightly.

Maybe Reina was right, maybe he did feel something toward her. Or maybe he was just a good guy doing the right thing. She told herself that was more likely, just so she wouldn’t get her hopes up too much. Either way, she wanted to do something nice for him as a thank you, just needed to consider her options.

Chapter Text

The next morning, Ari woke up to another bright, yet quiet, morning.

She had fallen asleep on the couch, and stretched, feeling as if she’s been balled up all night as she slept. She felt a little sore, so she didn’t get up for a little bit and let her body rest. She was also probably recovering from the bath relaxing her body, and needed a little time to fully adjust.

After awhile, she got up and put some coffee on the machine, she needed a little extra caffeine today. She felt weird, thinking back on the night before, the image of March in front of her so close stayed on her mind almost constantly. She wondered what touching his chest would feel like, and at this point she had to admit to herself she had a really serious crush. The wondered to herself what he was like when he was comfortable and not guarded, and she was curious about what he was thinking about right now as she sat, zoning out, on her couch.

She was obsessing over why he helped her.
Was it just him being friendly? But when is he ever just nice?

She shook her head, finishing her coffee, and got up to wash the sleep from her face. She looked pretty well rested, given how late she was up the night before, she was thankful for that.

Ari had to start mowing today, the grass was getting long and the place was growing a lot of little weeds, so she decided to begin early in the day before it got hot. The mower that came with the property was a shotty mess, it had a semi-broken gas intake valve, and the wheels spun like shit, but it still somewhat worked- so she used the push mower to rake back and forth across the property until the grass, hours later, was starting to look slightly maintained.

It had been quiet all morning, not a soul stopped by her property. She had a couple of new texts in the girls’ group chat, but nothing that was directly at her. Her day felt really simple so far, and given the weird adventure she went on yesterday, she was thankful just to be in her own calm space with no interruptions. Ari still planned on heading out later to see everyone at the inn, but it was just after noon by the time she stopped mowing, so she still had at least a few hours to do work before seeing anyone.

She methodically began screwing wire into a new fence for her crops, trying to keep out the small animals, and before too long it was 3pm- time to shower up and get ready.

A shower was always that part of the day Ari used to wash off the stress of the farm and feel fresh. She hated to admit to herself how excited, yet nervous, she was to come face to face with March again after the night before. This time, she put on a pair of gray, cloth overalls, hitched at the hips, and a white long-sleeve shirt. She unbuttoned the top of the overalls, hooking them at her hips and tying them, so they wouldn’t fall. She put her hair up in a messy bun, tying her gray bandana around her neck again- a clothing item she’d become accustomed to wearing in her off-time. She slipped on some white socks and her black flats, put on a little eyeshadow and mascara, and looked at herself in the mirror, mentally preparing herself for all outcomes.

She nodded at herself, and began walking into town. Usuaully everyone started coming by at around 5pm, but she tried to show up a little early if she could help it, just because she hated the feeling of people watching her walk into the bar. It made her feel like she was on stage and everyone was staring, it was unwelcome attention to her.

She never hesitated to walk right in, anymore. The place, after living in Mistria a few weeks, felt like home.

“Ari! It’s good to see you!” Hemlock called from his place at the front of the bar, a big, welcoming smile on his face.

Ari waved quietly, stopping by to grab a short stout before finding her place at the table in the far back of the inn. There were only a few people so far, March wasn’t here yet, she felt a little relieved. It gave her a chance to get used to her environment.

She looked around from her spot by herself, watching the bar as people stopped in, enjoying the music and drinking her beer slowly, she admittedly looked at the entrance every time a new face walked in, and felt somewhat disappointed each time it wasn’t March. After a few minutes, she looked up at the door opening again to see Balor walking in, which sent a jolt of annoyance through her body.

He walked up to the bar to get a drink, and she noticed.. Balor had a big, dark, black eye.

Ari covered her mouth with her hand as she met eyes with Balor as he scanned the room, he lifted a hand in a coy wave, trying to sheild his very obvious shiner with the his tall pint of beer.

She recalled the night before, after she came out of the locker room with Reina, both March and Balor had gone missing from the party while everyone else was still visiting. Was that where they went? Did they.. Get in a fight? Was March really that upset about what happened, and if so, she wondered why. Was it just to defend her honor? Was it to get a point across that it wasn’t okay for Balor to untie anyone’s bathing suit? Her mind spun with the possibility that March was a lot more pressed about the situation than she originally thought. There was only one way to find out.

Ari got up from her place at the far back table, picking up her beer and walking over to the booth Balor had seated himself in. He was by himself, putting a hand of pressure against his eye, looking down at the table. Ari sat at the other end of the booth, drawing his attention, he sighed in annoyance but gave her a wave.

“How-dy.” He said, looking up at her slowly with an irritated look, beer in hand.

“So, how’d you get that shiner?” Ari asked right away, not even trying to make subtle conversation. He probably knew why she came over anyway, there was no point in trying to make it seem friendly.

“My fault.” He sighed, shaking his head a little, a small smile forming at his lips as he took another sip of his beer, “I did something someone didn’t like, they showed me they didn’t like it. That’s all.”

Ari paused, a moment of silence between them.

Ari asked in a low voice, needing to know, “Did March do that?”

He closed his eyes, smile falling from his face.

“First time for everything, I suppose.” He said, looking to the side and avoiding her gaze.
Their words were short, the silence between them was palpable.

Eventually Ari went back to her table, deciding it better that if March came in it would be easier if she weren’t sitting with Balor at a booth. Given the tensity of the situation, she felt it might be weird if it looked like they were casually visiting, especially now that things were a little more complicated due to this new information.

March had punched Balor in the eye, and had never done that before, according to Balor. Ari wasn’t sure how to feel about that, she obviously wasn’t thrilled that it went that far, but she couldn’t pretend the idea of March being this emotionally invested in her wasn’t thrilling. He never acted emotional at the time, so Ari was really taken aback by seeing Balor in that condition tonight.

Reina got off working from working the morning shift, and scurried over to the table Ari was seated at, squealing to herself.

“Ari, did you see Balor? Ohhhh my godddd, girlllll!” She squeaked excitedly, sitting next to Ari and taking one of her hands.

Ari shushed her, trying to quiet down her excitement, as it felt somewhat inappropriate to be excited about anyone getting punched in the eye.

“Shhh, shhh, I know, I don’t know what to think-” Ari began, in a hushed voice.

They whispered among each other for a few minutes, taking a couple glances over at Balor in the booth, but trying not to be too obvious.

The guest bell dinged, and through the door walked March, no Olric, surprisingly. He immediately looked right at Ari, as she was seated facing the door, and looked away as if he hadn’t seen her, heading straight to the bar. That’s about what she expected, but she kept her eyes on him as he went up to grab two beers from Hemlock, seating himself at the end of the bar, just across from where they were seated at the back table. She had so many questions she wanted to ask, but didn’t want to be too up-front. She stayed at the able with Reina chatting with her about her day, glacing over at the bar to see March pounding down beers a little faster than usual, trying not to be too obvious that she was staring.

Eventually, she excused herself from the table, and walked up to the bar with her beer, taking a seat next to March cautiously, he was about four beers in at this point and had a light flush across his face but was still only a bit buzzed.

“What?” He asked flatly, leaning his head on his hand lazily.

Ari stared at him, she hadn’t really thought about what she was going to say, she just came over on impulse.

”.. I just wanted to say thank you, you tried to warn me and I didn’t listen.” Ari said plainly, trying not to show how nervous she really was. She was pretty skilled in maintaining a steady face.

“Yeah, that was pretty stupid of you.” He said with slight irritation, taking a sip of his beer and looking away from her.

She was taken aback by the abrasiveness of his response, sitting in silence for a second to collect herself and think through what she was going to say.

“Okay, well you could have been a little more clear about things.” She said, no emotion, still somewhat apologetically.

He huffed, “Why else would I be trying to give you my shirt? What kind of idea did you have in your mind that made you think I’d just randomly take off my shirt for you in a locker room?” He said it so brashly, closing his eyes and tilting back his head seeming annoyed.

“W-well, I..” He had definitely embarrassed her at this point by what he was implying, this conversation wasn’t going as well as Ari had hoped and she was having trouble concealing it now.

“I think you probably wanted me to take my shirt off for a different reason..” He trailed off, mocking in his tone, opening his eyes narrowly and tilting his head to look at her, “I can feel when you’re staring at me, you know.”

Ari quietly sat there, eyes wide with embarrassment, unsure of how to respond to his (correct) implication. After a few solid, quiet seconds with no response from Ari as she wracked her mind looking for answers, he rolled his eyes in irritation, and gestured over to the table where Reina was siting.

“Go back to your table, this is just embarrassing.” He said, with clear intent to embarass her, completely having dominated her with this conversation, admittedly.

Having still done a pretty good job of covering up how embarassed and angry she was with his words, she quickly tucked those emotions away, as skillfully as she could, getting up from her seat and pausing.

“Well.. Thank you anyway.” Ari said again, March turning to look at her one more time, his expression lightening slightly, as she turned and went back to the table with Reina.

Ari couldn’t understand why March would go out of his way to do something so nice for her, yet be so short with her and so annoyed that she was talking to him at all. It just didn’t make sense, and she was now more confused than ever.

“Soo, so how did it go?” Reina asked in a hushed voice, turning to Ari.

Ari paused, looking down at her beer, “Um.. He called me stupid.”

They looked at each other, Reina obviously stumped for words.

“He.. What?” Reina asked, a blank look spreading across her face.

Ari didn’t say anything, they both kind of just sat in a moment of shared confusion and silence, and then Reina looked over at March who was still at the bar with his head resting on one hand. Neither of them really knew what to say, but Ari figured it was obvious enough to Reina that she got her feelings a little hurt, so their shared silence felt like solidarity. Ari couldn’t even really be mad at what he said, because he wasn’t wrong. He read her like an open book.

It was almost unnerving just how willing he was to say some really rude things to her, it got on her nerves a little more than she’d let on. It ate at her, as she sat there replaying the interaction in her head over and over again, her face growing red. She was even annoyed with herself, for being taken so off-guard she didn’t call him out for punching Balor like she could have. She just froze, like a deer in the headlights. Part of her wanted to go back over there and say something more, but she decided against it, at the risk of him mocking her more.

Juniper walked through the front door, her usual air of confidence making her seem larger than life, as usual. She got a cocktail at the counter and made her was over to their table, sitting across from them. They both waved at her quietly, the vibe very clearly still down.

“Good grief, who died?~” Juniper said jokingly, taking note of the fact Ari and Reina weren’t really saying anything or visiting happily like usual.

“It’s nothing.” Ari said flatly, not wanting to talk about what just happened, “Has business been good at the bath house today?”

Juniper smiled, “Ohhh-ho-ho it’s been fabulous!~”

Juniper explained in a high-pitched squeal that business this morning was nearly doubled, presumably due to the party she’d thrown the night before. She was in extremely good spirits, talking about the potential of throwing another big bash. Ari was listening to her, but in the back of her mind she was so hopelessly distracted, her feelings still a little hurt.

There was another guest ding, and Olric walked through the door, looking freshly showered after a long day at the shop. He made his way over to March and sat down, March had already ordered him a beer before he got there. She noted that after a few minutes, Olric glanced back at her, turning back right away and March put his hand on his face in an exasterbated way. Olric put a hand on his brothers’ shoulder. Ari wondered what they were saying, because the body language was hard to read.

They sat and visited for an hour or so longer, and around 8pm Ari decided it was time to take off. She gave Reina a hug, waved at Juniper, and got up from her seat, giving a quick glance to the boys at the bar, but not making eye contact. She pushed open the front door and began walking her way back to the farm, but heard the door open behind her.

“Hey wait!” She heard from behind her, turning to see Olric walking hurriedly out the front door of the inn, waving her down.

“Oh, Olric, hey. What’s up?” Ari asked casually, trying to hide that she was genuinely surprised by him following her out the door.

“I uh, I just wanted to catch you before you left.. ” Olric began quietly, rubbing the back of his neck, “Just.. Try not to take what March said to heart. He’s really not a bad guy. Just be patient with him.”

Ari didn’t know what to say, so she just nodded her head.

Olric waved her off, and she went back on her way to the farm, deep in thought.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

March sat at the counter, beer mostly empty, still having his head in his hand.

I just wanna love somebody, who won’t leave a hole in my heart-
I just wanna love somebody, who don’t want me falling apart-
And I’d be lucky if I ever find-
Something more than just a crazy night-
I just wanna love somebody-

The radio played overhead, as he sat there, six beers in, feeling some type of way. He’s glad Ari just went home. He was in a mood, and he was glad Olric was around to keep him in check. He knew that more than five beers, he was reaching the point of no return, and he would either be the best or worst person anyone’s ever met that night. Just as Olric stepped out front for a minute, he felt a presence walk up behind him.

“Heyy cowboyyyy~” Juniper cooed, strolling up to March and standing, leaning over the counter, her breasts basically spilling out of her top.

“Hey.” He said gruffly, his head still in his hand, Olric having taken off outside for the past few minutes. He didn’t look up at her.

“I was thinking..” She trailed off, spinning a finger down his muscular arm, “Maybe we play a game~”

He tilted his head and looked up at her, very obviously drunk, but maintaining his composure.

”.. What type of game..?” He said slowly, looking her over, noting that she was very obvioulsly flirting with him.

He had to admit, his feelings were low and his threshold was down. He was feeling lonely, and even just a brief break from that emotional abyss would be welcome.

“I think you know what type of game..” She leaned into him, brushing up against his arm playfully, running her hand from his arm to the back of his neck.
He thought to himself, he was already the worst person someone’s ever met tonight..
Maybe he could be the best person for someone else.

He took a long drink of his beer, finishing it, and getting up to walk with Juniper to the side door of the inn, catching a few glances- one being from Reina. They were both leaning on each other affectionately, March’s arm linked around Juniper’s waist.

They stumbled down the block, falling onto a bench, March leaning over her, trying to catch his balance a bit.

“Ooo-ho-hoo~” She laughed, falling beneath him on the bench.

March looked down at her, and for a second he remembered who it was that he was with. In a split second of sobriety, he lifted himself off of Juniper and looked down at her. She was laughing, but he wasn’t.. He was starting to realize that maybe this was a little too much fun for her.

March pulled himself to his feet, looking around awkwardly.

“What’s the matter, did you change your mind on me..?” She sat up on the bench, pulling him toward her by the pockets of his work pants.

“I..” He trailed, rubbing the back of his head, “I can’t think right now.”

She brushed her hands on his thighs, ”Well, I can think for both of us if you want..”

March paused, looking around the street, for a single reason not to. He had left Olric at the inn, he walked out front and as soon as he left Juniper took the opportunity to approach him.. As soon as Ari left.

Oh.. Right. That’s a reason.

March pushed her hands from his pockets and scratched his head in frustration with himself, turning around and heading back toward the inn, to see if he could find Olric. Just as he turned around, Olric was jogging toward them and waving, as if he’d been looking for March for awhile.

“Bro! I was wondering where you went-” Olric’s eyes fell on Juniper, who was looking dejected.
Olric pointed from Juniper to March, “Wait, what is..”

“Nothing. It’s nothing.” March said, trying to brush the drunken slur from his voice, “I.. Changed my mind..”

As March stumbled, Olric caught him and put his arm around his brother’s side, “Let’s get you home.”

Juniper sat there silently, exchanging a glare with Olric, “Hmph.”

Olric felt annoyed with her, as she was clearly not drunk at all and had waited until March’s inhibitions were low and he was being down on himself to make her entry. He was only gone about three minutes, so the moment Olric left the bar, she sauntered her way over there.

As Olric pulled his brother down the block back to their shop, where both of them lived, he felt like something needed to be said. March was on a self-destructive path, and he was sinking lower and lower than usual.

“You know bro, you can have something good..” Olric said, out of breath, pulling March along with him as he fumbled around, “You deserve something good.”

March didn’t say anything, but he knew Olric was right. He didn’t feel that way sometimes, especially when he drank too much. Sometimes March just wanted to feel close to someone, and it was so much easier when he was a few drinks in. He thought so much when he was sober, he felt like he was constantly on the defense, his walls were constantly up. The idea that, just one night, he could just be normal.. Appealed to him so much. That he could just feel the touch of someone else, hear their voice, spend a few hours just being bare and not hiding himself.. That would be nice.

It was just the implications of it all, in a small town. There is no secret that doesn’t get found out or spread around, and that’s just how it is.

“I.. Well, I talked to her. I told her to be patient with you.” Olric said, talking about Ari, “Then I came back and you were gone.”

“I fucked that up, man..” March shook his head, “There’s no coming back from that. Even if she did feel some way about me, I made her feel like shit about it.”

Olric sighed, pulling him along the path, their home in view, “I don’t think that’s true, I can tell you like her..” Olric was now breathing heavily from pulling a majority of March’s weight.

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At home now, Ari just walked through the front door to her cabin and kicked off her shoes- suddenly feeling her phone vibrating. Ari never got phonecalls, so when she looked down to see Reina was calling, she immediately answered.

Ari: “Hey Reina, what up..?”

Reina: “I just had to call you, I just saw something crazy and I think you need to know.. March just went home from the inn with Juniper..”

Ari: “Are.. Are you really sure that’s what it was and not just-“

Reina: “No, Ari, they were hanging all over each other.. I’m so sorry, I just had to let you know. I’ll chat with you later though, I’m going to head out with Celine. Bye, girl..”

Ari’s heart sank, and then tried to tell herself it was ridiculous for her to even feel that way. She felt.. Jealous.

The idea of Juniper, of all people, touching March, with her huge boobs and her sensual voice.. And the worst part about it was that she didn’t even have an actual right to be mad at either of them, because it’s not like Juniper even knew, and it’s not like March even belonged to her. Ari sat down on her couch, pulling one of the decorative pillows over her face, yelling into it.

What the fuck even happened to this night? She was supposed to go up to March, thank him, maybe even talk to him a little, and it all ended up going to hell. It was about 9pm, a little later than it usually was when she got home, and it felt like the whole evening was just.. A waste.

Ari walked up to the mirror, looking at herself.
She didn’t even feel like herself anymore, obsessing over some man who didn’t even like her. She was going out nightly, making friends with women who were plotting against her while her back was turned, she was wearing skirts and dresses, and wearing makeup, wearing bows in her hair- who was she anymore..?

In a split second of self-destruction and anger, she picked up a knife, holding it at her chest in a horizontal line, running it up to her neck. In one swift motion, Ari took one side of her hair, chopping it just above her shoulder.

She looked at herself, one side of her hair below her waist, and the other now in a short bob. She felt.. Better.

Ari took the other side of her hair, cutting it as equally as she could with the other half, resulting in a bob that was short in the back and long in the front, the curls of the hair she’d cut loose falling to the wooden floor.

She then turned on the water, splashing it on her face and rubbing the makeup and mascara from her skin. She had a feeling she would regret this rash decision in the morning, but fueled with emotion, she felt accomplished in her choice. The loose curls in her hair covered any uneven bits, and she actually really liked how she looked. It took away some of the fake femininity she’d been feeling. Her build was very thin and small, so having short hair never made her look masculine.

She took off her outfit, curled up on her bed, pulling the blankets over her head. She tried to shake the mental image of March and Juniper together from her head, it took her an hour to get to sleep that night.

Chapter Text

Ari woke up the next morning and it was raining, which meant less farm work for her. These rainy days were great for that, but it meant staying in the house by herself for a majority of the day- and when you’re in a cabin with few methods of entertainment it can feel a little dull after awhile. She spent a majority of the heavy rain writing in journals about her own self-exploration, and how she felt she had improved since moving to Mistria. She had a lot of heavy thoughts in her head, listening to the rain hit the windows of the cabin.

She was stuck between knowing she had no right to be jealous and having such an intense jealousy she was beginning to feel weighed down by it in her day-to-day life. She was thinking back on what Reina told her the night before, she wondered if Juniper woke up in March’s bed about then.

Her pencil snapped in half from the pressure she’d been unintentionally been forcing onto the notebook.

“Oo-” Ari stuttered with surprise, and sighed.

She should really stop thinking about this, it’s just taking over her mind.

Ari set down the broken pencil and pushed herself away from the desk, uncrossing her legs and stretching a bit. The rain had slowed down, and she thought about going out to do some yard work. She’d turned in her turnips the night before, yielding a couple thousand tesserae from the town. At this point she’d finally saved up a decent amount of cash, so soon she planned on buying a brand new pick- After all, she’d said she would.

She was just reluctant to until she had to, for fear of running into March, especially now. She put on a loose pair of jean overalls with a long-sleeved black shirt under them. Tossing on a beige plaid flannel and slipping into her work boots, she started on her day. She didn’t even need to put her hair up now, because it was above her shoulders and didn’t drag on anything as she worked. She worked in the light rain, droplets dripping from the fringe of her bangs and down her nose. She had been working on clearing the mass of rocks littered across the field, breaking them up and carrying them with her to the bins she’d been organizing full of supplies she knew she would eventually need.

A few hours passed, and as she swung the pick down onto a big rock, the pickaxe fell apart in her hands and crumbled to the ground.

Ari sighed. Well, she guessed she couldn’t put it off anymore. It was still sprinkling, she was soaked to the bone, her hair was wet and flipping upward from the rain. She tossed the broken old pick into a trash bin, picked up her wallet from inside, and started on her way to the blacksmiths’ shop.

Her boots dragging in water, she opened the door to their shop, wiping her feet on the rug at the door and wringing out her hair. Olric was at the counter today, polishing a brand new axe and setting it on the shelf.

“Ari! Heya! How can we help you today?” Olric asked, a big smile on his face, “Oh- I like your hair cut!”

March turned around from his spot at the desk, glancing briefly at her, then staying turned as he looked her over. She had short, flippy strawberry-blonde hair, her overalls were hanging at her waist, and she had a long-sleeve black shirt. Her waist was adorned with a soaking wet, beige flannel, which was dripping from her to the floor.

He didn’t say anything, just let his eyes linger on her momentarily and then turned back around toward his project at the desk.

“I just came in to buy a new pick from you guys, the last one you gave me fell apart in my hands while I was working..” She said with a smile, still wringing out her hair a bit.

“Were you thinking copper..?” He asked, gesturing to the tool on the display next to him, “This one’s got a really nice hilt.”

“Actually, I think I’m finally ready to buy an iron one, if you have one handy.” She said, putting out her wallet from one of the pockets of her overalls.

“Ah, I think I have one out back in our storage area, just give me a few minutes and I’ll be right back with one!” Olric said, bolding up and heading out the side door to their shop.

March sat there, drilling a hole into a work belt he’d been working on.

“Try not to get the floor too wet.” He said, not looking back at her.

“Okay.” She said, rolling her eyes but keeping her voice from being emotional.

The silence was weird, she could sense that March was initiating conversation with her to antagonize her, but she tried to shut it down before it started.

”.. You know, you walking in here with a new hair cut won’t get you into my bed,” He said, somewhat jokingly, somewhat mockingly, a little roughness in his tone, “You show up where I’m at a lot.”

Okay, he got under her skin with that one. She still had the image of he and Juniper heavy on her mind and she’d been hurting about it all morning, so for him to say something like that toward her right now had an extra sting.

Losing control of her temper for the first time in years, she retorted, “No, I’d have to have purple hair and big tits to get into your bed..”

He stopped working, but didn’t turn around to look at her. The room went silent as she looked off to the side with her arms crossed. She could feel that she’d surprised him with what she said.

He continued his work, flatly responding, “Why would you care about that.”

She kept her arms crossed, getting increasingly annoyed, “I don’t.”

“Sounds like you do.” He said, she could hear the smile on his lips.

He liked pissing her off, she could tell.

Her face was getting hot, and the tone in her voice shifted to having more obvious annoyance in it, “I don’t care.”

“Sure.” He said, shortly, “I’ll take your word for it.”

She didn’t like his tone, she uncrossed her arms and put them on her hips, “Yeah, I care about as much as you cared when you gave Balor that shiner after the party.”

She could tell she caught him off guard again, as he didn’t respond right away. She had more emotion in her voice right now than she’s heard from herself in a long time. It took her off guard just how hard it was for her to hide how she was feeling toward March right now. Her face felt hot, she could feel she was probably giving way more emotion than she really should, she was leaving herself open to ridicule and was too angry to care.

“We didn’t go back to my place anyway.” He said, a smile still in his voice, avoiding her statement about Balor on purpose.

“Yeah, I’m sure her place was nicer.” Ari said, accusingly.

He chuckled to himself dryly, not responding to what she’d said at all.

“This is just so funny to you. You’re an ass, you know that?” Ari said, getting even angrier and beginning to raise her voice. It sounded so weird to her, she didn’t even sound like herself right now. It’s like he knew exactly how to get a rise out of her, and it was out of her control at this point.

He got up from his work station and started slowly walking to his room, belt in hand. He was ignoring her, she caught a glimpse of a mocking smile on her face as he turned to go toward his door.

“Hey,” Ari said, balling up her fists, pissed off that he was just ignoring her, “Don’t you walk away from me.”

He stopped, just before he reached his door.

He paused there momentarily, it felt like he was thinking of what to say.

“Or what?” He asked tauntingly, not turning toward her, just waiting for her to say something in response.

“O-or..” She squeezed her firsts in tight balls, her face was red, “Or..”

She stammered in anger, as Olric walked back into the room, immediately sensing the tone of the situation was off.

“Hey guys, what’s going on?” Olric asked, pickaxe in hand, looking from March to Ari.

”.. Farmer here doesn’t like that I left with Juniper last night.” March said, opening the door to his room and swiftly closing it behind him with a slam.

Olric took a tense breath through his teeth, suddenly realizing what the problem was.

“Ari.. I walked March back here last night.” Olric said, ringing up the iron pickaxe she’d asked for, laughing to himself, “He was in bad shape, waaayy too much to drink.”

”.. That isn’t what I heard.” Ari said, arms folded, her angry tone dying down a little, “I don’t even know why I care.”

“He gets.. Lonely when he drinks.” Olric gave a light explanation, without trying to make it sound like an excuse, “He doesn’t usually make it far. Found him on a bench just down the street and walked him back.”

Lonely? Ari thought to herself.

“He’s not a player, Ari, he doesn’t just go home with people usually. I was surprised when he wasn’t there when I came back in.” Olric continued, “It wasn’t really like him at all. Just a moment of weakness.”

Ari finished paying for her pickaxe and Olric wrapped it up, putting it in a bag. Now she’d felt like maybe she had been too angry earlier, and felt like she didn’t want to leave things that way. She waved goodbye to Olric and turned toward March’s door slowly. She stood there while Olric watched, and gave the door a light tap with one finger.

“Come in.” She heard a quiet voice respond from inside.

She paused, unsure of if she could, but Olric waved her on with encouragement.

She stepped into his room and shut the door behind her, staying with her back against the door shyly. She felt like she was in someone else’s realm. His room was simple and neat, the only decoration was a well-maintained potted plant. He had a mass of trophies and medals, all with his name on them. He was standing there without a shirt on, the discarded, dirty shirt was thrown over a chair in the corner. There were no windows, the room was lit up dimly by lamp in the corner of the room.

He looked over at her from in front of his dresser, “Oh.”

There was a weird, silent moment before he set his headband down on the dresser, ruffled his hair, and turned toward her. It was awkward.

”.. I’m sorry.” She said, crossing her arms in front of her and tilting her head back against his door, “I don’t know why I even got mad.”

He didn’t say anything for a few seconds, before lifting a new shirt up and over his head, covering his torso.

He walked over to her, standing closer to her than usual, her back still pressed firmly against his door.

“If I kissed you right now, what would you do..?” He asked in a low voice, stepping closer to her, now directly in front of her face.

Ari stood there without a word, everything was happening so slowly, but it felt like it was so fast. He brought his face directly in front of hers, and Ari stood there like a deer in headlights, her hands lifted slightly upward in a defensive stance, but not quite touching his chest. The room was silent. They were silent. He stood there, arm leaning on the door, perched just over her with his face dangerously close to hers, for longer than she knew.

He then ran his nose across her cheek, teasingly, affectionately. His hand brushing her arm, just barely. His hand gently touched her chin. Her breath hitched in her throat, as she could feel her blood rising. There was a feeling in her stomach she had never felt before in her life, that bubbled up to her chest, making her face red.

He brought his lips so close to hers, and she could feel her body responding, even through her guarded self-control. Her face subconsciously turned up to his, her body arched to meet his, it was as if her entire soul was fighting against her resistance as his bottom lip just barely touched her, his eyes looking down at their lips nearly touching, and then up to her eyes, which looked to the side as they met, avoiding his gaze.

He then, in one swift motion, withdrew, leaving her unintentionally floating toward him for a moment- she caught herself, stumbling slightly. Just then, she realized how badly she.. Wanted that. And now he knew it, too. Her longing for him was practically dripping from every inch of her skin.

While he was facing away from her, not saying a word, she went to open the door to his room and leave, but he heard it and pushed it closed before she could exit.

“Ari.” He said, his arm over her head, his hand on the door, his voice rugged, “Don’t forget your pickaxe.”

He then handed her a bag, which she didn’t even realize she’d dropped while she was lost in his presence as he leaned into her a few moments ago. She took it from his hands, he withdrew from the door, and she quickly exited, more hurriedly than ever, her heart and mind were both racing as she ran from the shop.

She didn’t even glance at Olric on the way out.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

March watched as she bolted from the shop, he had never seen her look that way before. She looked.. terrified. Invigorated? He could feel her pulse skyrocket from an inch away. He could feel his own heartbeat racing.

He could plainly see that she felt some way about him. He could smell it coming off of her skin, in all the subtle movements as he stood before her. He had just cornered her like a small animal, having her trapped under his eyes, searching for any way out. He felt reassured that she was just as invested in this as he was, realizing that she had a really solid poker face.

Every time his skin met hers, he could feel the hairs on her skin rise. Her lip quivered with adrenaline at the practically non-detectable contact between them, and he could feel that she was waiting in anticipation for him to continue. He couldn’t get the look on her face out of his mind.

It was still mid-day and he had to get back to work, but the effect she had on him was so noticeable. She had likely been too distracted to really notice, but he couldn’t just go back to work quite yet. He sunk back, his back to the door, sitting on the floor with his head in his hands. He looked down, on the floor, and noticed..

Ari had dropped her wallet when she left his room.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ari hurried the entire way back to her place, her thoughts were racing.

Did that actually just happen?

Ari walked into her house and closed the door behind her, leaning up against it, still breathing quickly. She got up from the door and started pacing back and forth across the room of her cottage, holding her hands in her hair, her eyes darting back and forth.

Was March just making fun of her? Teasing her? She asked herself, thinking back on how he’d pushed her up against his door.

“W-what just happened..” Ari said to herself quietly, ”I don’t understand..”

She flopped down on the couch, all thoughts of her plans for the farm that day scattering from her mind. She immediately slipped out of her overalls and covered herself up with a blanket, and for the first time in probably ever.. She invaded her own personal space and let herself come a little undone. All she knew was that this feeling she had right now was all-enveloping and she couldn’t stand it.

Ari ran her fingers between her legs and began rubbing her clit in a circular motion, arching her back and holding the blanket clasped to her chest with the other hand. She thought about March, his eyes so dark when he was so close to her. The smell of the forge still lingering on his skin, as he burned his touch into her arm so gently. She let the thoughts of what could have happened drift into her imagination, as she imagined what it would have felt like if he’d actually kissed her, or if he had done more.

Ari gasped at the feeling of contact, and thought about how it might have felt like if he’d been inside her, pushing into her, she imagined he would be rough and passionate. Ari pushed one finger into her opening, a warm buzz coming over her entire body, as she imagined March being on top of her.

Shaking her loose from her fantasy, there was a knock on the door.

Ari bolted up from the couch, pulling up her overalls as if she’d done something wrong and was caught, pulled the beige flannel halfway onto her self, and looking completely disheveled, she cracked the door open slowly.

It was March, leaning against her doorway, holding her wallet. He looked her over, her hair was a poofy mess, her flannel was halfway pulled over her long-sleeve shirt, her overalls had one side unhooked, and her face was red, as if she’d been roughed up or was doing exercises.

“You..” He trailed, looking her over, a quizzical look on his face, ”.. Dropped this. In my room.”

He could practically smell the pheromones spilling from her body, as she stood there coyly shielding her face with one hand on her cheek.

His brow arched, a tone of unease on his tongue, ”.. Is someone here..?”

He had an annoyed look on his face as he tried to look past her and into the cabin, sounding almost perturbed.

“No, it’s just me..” Ari said, furrowing her brows, “Why..?”

He pushed the door open and out of her grip, sounding annoyed, his face hard to read, “Because you look like you just had a high school makeout session in a closet or something. Have you seen yourself?”
He walked right into her house, looking around seemingly suspiciously.

“Um, excuse me, what are you doing..?” Ari asked, a hint of annoyance in her voice, “You’re just going to walk into my house like this?”

He proceeded in checking around, not paying attention to her obvious annoyance, turning on the light and looking in the bathroom, checking the closet, and walking back to the center of the room looking back and forth.

“March, what the fuck.” Ari asked exasperatedly, gesturing to him flippantly, “You literally just waltzed right in my house.”

“No one’s here.” He said flatly with a shrug.

“Yeah, duh, I just told you that. What?” Ari said, trying to straighten out her hair to make it seem like less of a mess, “What if you’d just walked in on me with someone else, that doesn’t embarrass you at all?”

“No.” He said, walking back toward the door.

Ari gasped, her mouth agape with anger, “No?”

“No. It wouldn’t ‘embarrass’ me.” He said, sounding annoyed, putting emphasis on ‘embarrass.’
They both stood there for a few seconds, not saying anything, Ari thought to herself, trying to make sense of why he barged in. This day was giving her whiplash, but his mixed signals were starting to make a hint of sense in her head.

“Would you be.. Jealous?” She asked quietly, looking at him while he faced the door.

After a few seconds, he shrugged and stated, “I shouldn’t have let myself in like that. Sorry.”

He started to walk out the door, but Ari caught his arm in her hand and pulled him back slightly.

“March.” She said, flinching back at the touch of his skin, “Thank you for dropping off my wallet..”

“Yeah.” He said, opening the door and stepping out casually, “No problem.”

After he left, Ari sighed to herself, looking at her wallet. He really walked all that way just to bring it back? Despite the intrusion, that was actually a nice gesture, she thought to herself. He just.. Came right into her house, looking for.. Men? Ari rubbed the back of her head, shaking it and closing her eyes.

This jealousy was a dance they were both spinning around in tactlessly, and now they both knew it.

Chapter Text

The following evening was March’s birthday. Usually for birthdays, she learned, everyone gathered at the inn during the evening. It wasn’t really a party, per-se, but it was at least a way for everyone to get to see each other.

Ari wanted to give him a gift. She wanted to, but didn’t really know what to get for him. One thing she knew for sure, whatever he probably wanted.. Would be down in the mine. She had been putting off going down, due to not having the best pickaxe, but having bought the really nice iron one the day before.. It was time.

Ari was up at 6am, and began her way to the inn, helmet hooked on her rucksack, slung over her shoulder. She was stopping by to grab some food to bring with her, as she anticipated being in there for some time looking for what she needed.

“Hey there!” Hemlock said excitedly, “Stop by for a drink?”

“No, just some of your amazing food to bring with while I’m down in the mines today.” Ari said, looking at the display case of food, thinking everything looked amazing.

She ended up grabbing a number of things, putting them in her bag, and tucking all the food next to the bottled water she had with her already.

“Thank you!” Ari waved with a smile, tools on her belt rustling as she went out the door.

She made her way through town, heading past the blacksmith’s building, crossing the path to make it to the mines. Per usual, March was working out front, and as she walked by on her way to the mine she gave a small wave- which surprisingly.. He returned, with an unreadable expression. She continued with a smile on her route, enjoying the breeze.
She reached the entrance of the mine, all of her supplies in hand, and walked in- her eyes slowly adjusting to the dim light. Taking a deep breath, she hopped down the ladder into her first level, she had a really long way to go. She began slowly splitting rocks, taking ores, and finding the next level.

A little time had passed, she was now beginning to reach a new biome. It was the silver ores she was looking for, so she still had a long way and likely many hours to go. So far she’d gathered a bunch of stone and copper ore, but it wasn’t quite what she’d come here for. Running low on health, she stopped to have a snack, a strawberry shortcake from the inn.
She went down five more levels- ten more levels. Finally, reaching level 41 and having only about an hour to spare before the party, she began mining silver ore. She hadn’t had much of a problem tackling the monsters, but there was one persistent stalagmite making her day a lot more difficult.
She swung her sword at it a few times, missing each time- this little guy was pesky. He slapped her a few good times before she finally took it out, leaving her health relatively low. She only had one shortcake left, so she was trying to mak it last.
She mined a bit longer, cracking open silver rock after silver rock, until she swung her pickaxe with might at one particilar ore rock and..
She found a perfect silver ore.

That’s exactly what she was looking for, it was perfect for March.

She carefully wrapped it up in a cloth, putting it in her bag with the rest of the things she found on her way down, and made her way over to the elevator- back up to the surface. Ari realized the time, it was already after 7pm, the party had started an hour ago.

Not having time to get changed or get ready, she took off her cap and hung it back on her bag, sighing at the state of her hair. It would just have to do. She began walking to the tavern, taking in the night air. Being down in the mines was so stuffy, it felt great just to take in some fresh air. On her way to the inn, no one was present at the smithy, so she knew that meant March and Olric would, of course, be down at the inn.

She approached the inn, dropping her bag next to a bicycle at the side entrance of the place, straightened out her outfit and her hair once more, and picked up the wrapped perfect silver ore from her bag. She took a breath and walked in through the front door, the bell rang, but it was loud enough at the place tonight that no one really heard it.

She could see March in a booth across the bar next to Olric, beer in hand, head leaning on his hand. It seemed like everyone was enjoying drinks and music, but he was quietly off in a corner keeping to himself, that’s pretty normal. She walked up to him at the booth, and set down the cloth-wrapped ore on the table in front of him, he looked up at her. She was kind of a mess. She had smudges and dirt on her face, the curls from her hair had deflated into a flip, she was wearing a black apron over loose dark jeans, her beige flannel over a white long-sleeved top- which was covered in dirt.

He just stared up at her, not unwrapping the gift, just kind of looking her over in mild surprise, “What’s.. This?”

She brushed herself off, the way he was looking her over made her feel really conscious of how dirty she was, ”.. Birthday.”

“You didn’t have to get me anything..” He said, looking down at the gift with furrowed brows.

“Well, I did.” She said, gesturing to the gift, still wrapped, sitting on the table.

He was still just staring at it in what she interpreted as a drunken stuper, so she picked it up, picked up his hand, and put the gift directly in his hand.

“You are opening this.” She said, playfully annoyed tone in her voice as she tilted her head at him quizzically.

He looked at the gift again, then back at her, and back at the gift. He sat it back down on the table and pulled the edges of the cloth to unveil a perfect silver ore, and he was notably surprised by it.

“Where did you get this?” He asked, picking up the ore in his hand and looking it over, now fully engrossed.

“I was in the mine.” She said, hiding a small smile by leaning forward with her chin on her hand, trying not to make it so obvious that she was pleased by him opening the gift. Olric passed her a beer and nodded to her with a smile.

”.. You.. You mined this? From the mines..?” He asked, setting it back down in the cloth carefully, wrapping it back up and setting it in his lap.

“I did.” She said simply, “Happy birthday.”

”.. I can pay you for this.” He said, serious look on her face, “I can’t just take this from you.”

“You’re not taking it, I’m giving it to you.” She said, taking a long drink of the beer Olric gave her, “That’s why it’s a gift. I gave it.”

He shook his head, “I.. Would feel like I owed you something.”

“You don’t owe me anything, March.” Ari said reassuringly, “You’re not doing anything wrong by accepting a gift.”

He looked back at her, not really knowing what to say. They both sat there in simple silence for a few minutes, just watching everyone else dance and talk, they both had a light blush on their faces while avoiding eye contact.

They were both bad at this.

After a little bit, the vibe of the inn got a little more relaxed. Some of the townsfolk went home, others were idly chatting in their respective booths, some of the slower songs started playing over the radio. Olric was locked in an awkwarrd conversation with Juniper, Ari was still catching glimpses from Ryis across the bar, and she and March hadn’t really said anything to each other for awhile.

After the last time she and Ryis locked eyes, Ryis made his way over to the booth that she and March were seated in, and approached Ari yet again, still very clearly having shy intent.

“Hey guys, um..” Ryis said, looking between Ari and March, seemingly trying to read the dynamic before progressing, “Are you.. Chilling together tonight, or..?”

Ari and March sat there without a word, both of them too nervous to really say what they were, as their talking ability has all-around been.. Terrible. They both knew something was happening between them, neither of them could put it in words, and most of the time when they were talking it was sarcastic.

”.. I think we’re all just hanging out, Ryis.” Ari said, taking an unreciprocated glance toward March, “Why, what’s up..?”

Ryis held out his hand to Ari, still nervous, but it seemed he’d worked his nerves away at least a little this time, “Okay then, how about a dance..?”

Ari felt March turn his head out of the very corner of her vision, but he didn’t say anything.

“I um..” Ari started, looking down at her beer, unsure of the right move to make in this situation.

”.. It’s just a dance, I swear.” Ryis said encouragingly, a blushed smile on his face.

Ari looked down at her lap, waited a few seconds to see if March would say anything, and slowly took Ryis’s hand, getting up from her seat next to March. She could still feel his eyes quietly watching her as she left the booth. She was almost hoping he would say something, even though they both knew he had no place.

Ryis lead her to the middle of the floor, and Luke Combs’ “Fast Car” had just started playing. March watched in silence as Ryis took Ari’s hand, holding it up, as his other hand gently placed itself on Ari’s waist. As they spun on the floor, Ari caught March’s eyes from across the room every now and then, realizing he was very clearly and obviously watching every move they made as they danced.

The three minute song felt like an eternity, as she just waited for it to end. It was nothing against Ryis, it’s not like dancing with him was bad, it just felt like the limited time she had with March during his birthday was being disrupted- she didn’t want to be rude or make it seem weird by declining a dance, but at the end of the day, all it was, was Ari being nice.

As the song went on, Ryis pulled her slightly closer by the waist, which Ari accepted, as she put her arm over his shoulder. After awhile, Ryis noticed she’d been looking over at March every five seconds for practically the entire dance, and looked over at March to see he was staring back at them. Ari felt Ryis could feel that something was up, an unspoken event was taking place that he was in the middle of, so just as the song ended, he took a step back from Ari and waved at her with a smile.

“Thank you for the dance,” He said with a smile, walking away with a short wave, “I’m down for another any time.”

Ryis really was the sweetest, and he was so perceptive.

Ari returned, walking back over to March, who had finished and ordered another beer in the few minutes she’d been absent. She sat back beside him, hesitantly, unsure of what he was thinking, but understanding they both knew something was happening between them.

Ari was seated with her hands on the booth beside her legs, and she watched the dance floor as a few couples lingered there. She was zoning out, as she felt something touch her hand, and realized it was March lacing his fingers with her beneath the table. She looked over at him, he was avoiding eye contact, with a light flush across his face. Ari reciprocated, interlocking her fingers with his and leaning her shoulder against his.

”.. Your hair looks nice short.” He said, barely above a whisper, buzzed, looking over to Ari.

She could tell he was trying.

“Thank you, March..” She whispered back, still watching everyone dancing on the floor, “Did you have a good birthday..?”

”.. I was starting to think you wouldn’t come.” He said honestly, showing a hint of vulnerability.

”.. I ended up being in the mine a lot longer than I thought.” She said with an agreeing tone, admitting she was quite late to the party.

He nodded, the perfect ore still in his lap. They were now sitting very closely, they were basically huddled together and whispering while the rest of the party was still visiting. It was as if they were on their own little planet. March unlinked his hand with hers, and quickly put his arm around her waist, seemingly reclaiming her from her previous dance partner without needing to say so. She felt so small next to him, she could feel the weight of his arm wrapped around her.

He pulled her in slightly tighter, whispering in her ear, “Ari, watching him with his arms around you.. I didn’t like how it felt to see him holding you..”

She was taken aback by his real and sudden honesty, thinking it must have been the liquid courage. The feeling of his breathing on her neck and the gruff sound of his voice in her ear made her breath stutter, she closed her eyes. She could feel goosebumps all over her body just at the sound of his voice saying her name. She felt has hand grip her waist just a little tighter, pulling the fabric of her clothes gently into his closed fist.

”.. It was just a dance.” Ari reassured, running her hand over his hand, which stayed on her waist.

She noticed that across the room Ryis was looking over at them now, seeing that his arm was holding her close to him. And as March noticed him looking at them, he ran ran nose over her neck and let one hot breath into her ear, causing her blush, then giggle nervously and shiver uncontrollably.

“It wasn’t just a dance to Ryis.” He said quietly, his eyes closed as he held her close to him, now feeling as though he’d made a silent point to Ryis, who was now making an active, awkward effort to avoid looking in their direction after seeing they were having a moment.

“It was just a dance to me.” Ari said, turning and making eye contact with him, a shy blush across her face.

”.. Is this just a dance to you, too..?” He asked quietly, referencing the back and forth game they’ve been playing with each other since the day they’d met. He sounded so serious. He was being far more open with his insecurities with her in just that one simple question than he ever had been before.

“No.” She said in a hushed voice, fearing the clear vulnerability in her own voice, looking down from his gaze.

March paused, deep in thought, and finished his beer, ”.. Ya wanna get out of here..?”

Ari had no idea what the implication of this was, was he trying to.. Take her home? She looked around the inn to see that a number of people had been looking over at them, and thought back to what it looked like to her when he’d left with Juniper a few nights ago.. Would leaving with him now, in this state, would that look like something weird to them?

Ari thought to herself quickly, realizing.. She didn’t care.
Maybe she even wanted people to think they were together.
Maybe she hoped those rumors would spin, and they would be seen as a thing.

”.. Yes.” Ari said, unsure of where the night was going to take them from here, saying with an excited smile, “Let’s grab some bottled beers and we can get out of here.”

Chapter Text

Ari went up to the bar, buying six beers and putting them in her bag, which was still full of ores from earlier in the day. They had already garnered a lot of attention, since it was March’s birthday and everyone wanted to say goodbye to him before he left for the night. Everyone in the place noticed, and he waved and said goodbye to everyone while Ari finished up her purchase at the bar with Hemlock.

“Happy birthday bro, I’ll see you guys later. Be careful.” Olric said, giving March a hug and shooting a smile and wave to Ari, seemingly in approval, and turned back to March and saying to him quietly, “You deserve something good.”

Ari waited at the door so March could finish his goodbyes, and he walked out the door with her, stopping to grab her other bag and helmet from the side of the building.

“So.. Where to..?” March asked, walking backward in front of her with a smile on his face, clearly still not very drunk based on his coordination.

“My place for sure, I have so much stuff I need to put away.” She laughed, carrying like three different bags, a pickaxe, a helmet, and a bunch of supplies.

March, the ore she gave him earlier now in one of his pockets, took two of the heaviest bags from one of her shoulders, lifting it like it was nothing. Now they were both walking down the street, streetlights lighting their way in the night, bumping lightly against each other.

“You know, you’re not so bad.” March said, looking down at her with a grin.

“Shut up.” Ari said with a laugh, nudging him, earning the first genuine chuckle she’s ever heard from him.

They came up on the farm, and she lead the way up to her house, unlocking her door.

“I’ll be right back out, I’m gonna change,” She said, turning around and pushing him by the chest gently, keeping him from coming inside, “I want to look at the stars.”

He smiled, setting her bags down just inside the door and stepping back out on the front deck. She finally changed out of her dirty clothes, putting on a loose pair of dark jeans, and a black cropped top with sleeves pushed up halfway. Overtop that, she pulled on a gray sweater with a lowcut V neck.

She went to the bathroom and brushed out her hair, freshening up, finally wiping the smudges from her face and body from the mines, picked up her small bag with the beers in it, pulled a big blanket from the couch, and went back out onto the deck with March.

He was sitting on the steps, looking up at the stars.

“You don’t ever see stars like this, living in town.” He said, resting his face in his hands.

Ari thought, his amazement was so cute and childlike in that moment. It was a large contrast to her interactions with him before, she’d always seen him as someone who needed to grow up too fast, based on what she had heard in town, so seeing him carefree this way felt really nice.

She took two beers out of her bag, popping them both open and handing him one, taking a spot close to him on the steps, offering him a spot under her blanket- which he accepted.

It wasn’t a cold night, but there was a breeze that had just a little bit of a nip to it. It was 10pm on a spring night, not a cloud in the sky, and you could hear the wildlife buzzing quietly in the distace, looking over the fields of crops she’d planted. They sat there quietly, arm to arm, beers in hand, looking up into the vast sky.

They had a little idle chitchat, both of them seeming to quietly acknowledge the mutual awkwardness looming between them, mostly just talking about their days, and the events that happened at the inn before she had arrived. It had been maybe forty minutes or so since they’d taken their spot on her deck, and they were both still speaking in hushed tones, as if this moment were a secret they were both keeping between them.

”.. You wanna know a secret..?” Ari asked quietly, still looking up at the stars, enamored by their glory in the night.

March looked over at her, watching her face in amazement as her big, honey eyes looked up, he hushed back, “Hm..?”

She kept her eyes on the sky as she admitted in a whisper, ”.. I wish I’d danced with you instead.”

She felt that maybe she was being too forward, or maybe it were too soon, right after she’d said it. They were quiet for a few moments, March still searching her face, his expression lightening into one with some type of emotion, not knowing the right words to respond with. He looked back up at the stars, taking a long drink from his beer- finishing it, and stood up in front of Ari, holding out his hand.

”Let’s dance.” He said, seeming a little more buzzed, but genuine.

Ari looked back and forth, taking his hand, setting down her beer, and standing up to join him skeptically, “But.. There’s no music.”

“Ah, who needs it.” March said with a smile, walking her out a few feet to the recently cut grass.

March took the hand he was holding and held it out to the side, slowly putting his other hand on her waist- Ari couldn’t help but feel her body tense up slightly at his touch. She was nervous, being face to face with him like this. They were both a few beers in, calming their nerves a little bit, but she could still feel the dull buzz of anticipation simmering beneath the surface.

It felt like time was standing still, like the rest of the world melted away as they swayed back and forth in the dark. He looked down at her with dark eyes, as she looked up, wide-eyed, not taking her eyes off of him.

After a few minutes, to Ari’s surprise, March looked into her face with a hint of seriousness and pulled her closer to him, his arm fully around her waist and their bodies nearly touching now. It felt like a million words were being said between them, but not a sound came out of their mouths.

Ari, her arms now around his neck in an embrace, lie her head down on his shoulder as they continued to sway rhythmically, to a song only they could hear. She could hear his heart beating fast, as composed as he seemed on the surface.

His voice barely above a whisper, startling because it had been so quiet for so long, he said, ”.. Can I tell you a secret..?”

She maintained her spot with her head on her chest, closing her eyes at the sound of his voice in his chest, “Hm?”

She felt him turn his face toward the side of her head where it lay, she could feel his chin and mouth against her hair.

”.. This is the best birthday I’ve had in so long.”

After what felt like an hour of dancing together, March pulled away, popping open two more beers and passing Ari one, noticing hers was empty. They both sat down on the stairs of the deck.

“Thank you.” Ari said, taking a long drink of her beer, starting to feel a little more than buzzed.

March being on probably his fifth beer in the last few hours was noticeably slurring his words, “I feel like I’ve met you before.”

Hearing him say that sent a small wave of nervousness through her chest, but having a buzz and feeling open, she replied, “M-maybe you had. In a past life.”

He looked her face over, a calm expression, leaning his elbow on one knee and his chin in his hand, “Yeah, maybe.”

"Maybe we were birds and we lived in the same tree,” Ari said with a chuckle, bumping her arm into his lightly, “You know, like I was your asshole bird neighbor.”

March chuckled at the idea of that, “I would have probably been the asshole.”

They both genuinely laughed, on the obvious verge of being drunk.

Ari looked at him with a smile, a blush on her face, ”.. You have a really cute laugh..”

They both looked at each other, March looking taken off-guard for a moment, before covering with a shy smile. Their laughing stopped, and then Ari looked down from the intensity of his gaze suddenly feeling intimidated. He put one finger under her chin and lifted her face to look back toward him, knowing she had looked away out of nerves. He searched her eyes for permission, as he slowly leaned in toward her, his eyes were longing and deep, and she could feel his hand shaking slightly in nervousness.

She allowed him to lead her face into his, falling into his spell and closing her eyes as she waited on edge for their lips to finally meet.

And just like that, they kissed.
In the dark, under the stars, right at midnight.

Unlike she imagined, he was delicate. His hand still lightly shook as he cupped her face with one hand, pressing his lips to hers. She could feel his heart beating, and she could feel the pace of his breathing quicken as he tried to hold it in his chest. He was.. really nervous. Even after all the beers.

Feeling the internal, primal urge to be closer taking over, Ari cupped his face with both hands, and ran her fingers through his hair, deepening the kiss. It was becoming difficult not to fully give in to the demands her heart made, begging her to lose control as she ran a hand down his chest. Slowing down, they pulled away from each other slowly, their breathing both heavy as they opened their eyes, coming back down to reality.

They were both quiet for a few moments, but after catching his breath, March said quietly, “That was..”

”.. Really good..” Ari finished his sentence, straightening out her shirt and fixing her hair a bit.

He nodded, agreeing with her sentiment, looking her over. He had longing in his eyes as she pressed against him, they both looked up at the sky. They quietly sat there, each thinking to themselves.

”.. Can I tell you another secret..?” Ari said, taking another sip of her beer, looking down at her lap.

“What’s that?” March responded, looking to her, noticing her blush.

She was quiet, like she was debating on whether or not she was going to really say what she was about to say, taking another sip of her beer, she whispered, ”.. That was my first kiss.”

His head snapped in her direction, obviously stunned, “O-oh, I- I’m so sorry, I didn’t-.. Wh-what??“

She stopped him, touching his arm lightly, reassuringly, “Don’t be sorry. It was exactly how I imagined it would be.”

“I.. But you’re like in your twenties, that was your first-..?” He trailed off, still seeming he was taken completely off-guard.

“Hm.” She hummed to herself with her eyes closed, and explained, “We weren’t allowed to kiss at the orphanage, so that was eighteen years of my life where I didn’t have the option.”

He looked at her quietly, wanting to ask more, but unsure of what would be too far.

Sensing this, she continued, closing her eyes with a smile, ”We were all siblings, in the eyes of our guardians. Physical acts of affection- strictly forbidden.”

”.. Orphanage..?” He trailed off, trying to keep up without being too invasive.

“Yes. They took me in when I was three. We lived in a marshland, far outside of regular civilization. I was removed when I turned legal adult age, with nothing.” Ari said, with a sigh, taking another sip of her beer, “I never saw any of my ‘siblings’ again, even the one who was the closest to me. We were released years apart, and by then he was long gone.”

There was a long pause, March didn’t know what to say. He and his brother were orphans at a young age, but the town of Mistria took them both in as if they were their own. Despite their loss, they were always able to stay together and have each other, and Ari’s story was a starke reminder of how bad things could have ended up.

“I really liked the kiss.” Ari said, changing the topic, trying to bring things into a more positive direction, ”I.. Hope I get to do that again some time.”

March looked out into the field with Ari, letting the depth of the moment sink in. Ari typically wasn’t very open about her history, or at least she didn’t bring it up if it wasn’t necessary, but it felt good to give him a little information about herself. She probably wouldn’t have if she weren’t a few drinks in, but it wasn’t something she would regret.

Given the silence between them, comfortable but potent, she figured she had taken March off-guard by the sudden realization that she had probably never really had any romantic interactions with anyone. While she wasn’t trying to be especially careful, she was an adult who simply hadn’t had many romantic opportunities, she could tell he saw it as more than that.

“Hey,” Ari said, nudging him with her arm after he had been quiet for a few minutes, seemingly deep in thought, ”.. What are you thinking about..?”

“I was thinking.. I hope you mean with me.” He said, leaning his head in his hand.

Not following completely, Ari asked, “Hm..?”

“You said you hoped you could kiss again some time.. When you do kiss someone again.. I hope it’s me.” He said more clearly, looking over at her and meeting her eyes.

There were long pauses between them, as if they were both putting a lot of thought into what they were saying. The moment was heavy, in a good way. It felt like every word they said hung in the air around them.

She could feel the tension between them growing, as she realized just how serious this was starting to feel. He was hinting that he wanted to be the only person she kissed, and earlier in the night he was admittedly jealous she had danced with Ryis. And she was realizing now.. That she reciprocated that feeling. It felt so soon to give this a label, but she did know one thing for sure.

She wanted to kiss him again.
She liked the feeling of his quiet possessiveness.
There was a depth and implication in his silent gaze. She loved the look on his face, when he was trying not to let those intense feelings show.

She leaned over to him, he was now looking back into the field, and she planted a light kiss on his cheek, and then kissed him again a little closer to the ear, and he closed his eyes as she did. He tilted his head slightly toward Ari as she kissed the edge of his jaw, and she saw his jaw tighten with tension as he exhaled. He turned back toward her, pausing before kissing her again, putting one hand on the side of her face.

Ari deepened the kiss by cupping his face with one hand and he wrapped his arms around her loosely. Craving more contact, she parted her lips slightly, allowing him a shy opening to let things to get slightly more heated. He hesitantly took this opportunity, and parted his lips, both of them wrapping their arms around each other as their tongues met, they quietly sighed in ecstasy, mutually.

They continued the kiss much longer than last time, still gentle, but heated. She had to initiate deepening the kiss each time, as if he were maintaining a wall of control within himself. Despite the initiation being by her, he kept a dominating hand on the back of her neck as she pushed him back onto the post of the deck railing, pressing her body against him as they remained locked together.

Up until now, Ari could feel the hesitation in his touch, as if he weren't allowing himself to become resigned to this moment. She felt the moment he allowed himself to become a little unraveled, as he ran his hand from her waist to her outer thigh, taking a possessive hold on her as he broke their kiss, both of them breathing heavily as he kissed her neck, holding her body against his. She let out an unintended, fragile moan as he nipped her neck. At the sound of her voice, he pushed her back onto the floor of the deck, and grabbing her by both thighs, kissing back up to her face and planting his lips back on hers, firmly.

Ari had never felt this type of raw pleasure, as she ran her hand up his back, up the back of his neck, and into his hair, increasing the pressure between them. She was craving the friction. She still felt him holding himself with some restraint, as their kiss went on. Even with the blanket fallen to the side, the heat between them was maddening, as his lips remained locked with hers. Without intending to, March was pressing himself hard into her body, causing her arch her back and gasp into his mouth at the sensation. Ari ran a hand up his chest as he unintentionally rutted against her, shaking as he bit her lip, continuing their kiss, his lip trembling ever so slightly. His breath hitched in his throat as she wrapped one leg loosely around his hips, increasing the pressure between them as she ran her hands through his hair- his only barely coherent thought was that her mouth tasted sweet like cherry candy. Their roaming hands were gentle, but rushed, as they pressed against each other, desperately chasing a high that both of them longingly desired. This was a level of sensuality they had both been robbed of for so many years, and their mutually trembling hands and shaking breaths were making that obvious.

He could feel that he was losing control, quickly.

He ran his tongue over her bottom lip, moving his hands from her hips to hold himself over her, breaking their kiss and looking down at her.

They were both breathing hard, Ari’s face was hot and she could feel the obvious effect he had on her body physically. He looked down, seeing the frazzled look on her face, thinking it was cute how lewd she looked- out of breath, her face red, her hair a mess, looking up at him with those wanting eyes. For the first time in her life, she realized just how touch starved she's been, probably for years.

March never said so, but he had never really had any romantic contact quite this filled with emotion and longing before. Aside from a couple almost-one-night-stands when he had be drinking far too much, he was never really coherent for anything like this before. It was never emotional, or personal for March before. He had never felt the sharp spike of jealousy, or the disappointment in thinking someone wouldn’t show up, or the exhilaration of a slow burn turning into something real. Something subtle becoming physical, words known between two people but left unsaid in a tense silence. He had never felt any of this before. Even in this state, he had to remain collected so he wouldn't ruin this before it begins.

“March..” Ari sighed, running a hand up his arm and cupping his face as he looked down at her, an unreadable look on his red face.

He gave a low growl at the sound of his name on her hot, panting voice, ”.. We.. Should stop..”

A shiver went through her, March always stood on business.

Ari nodded, pulling him down into an embrace, which he accepted. They held each other, lying on the floor of her deck, as he kneeled over her. She felt so small beneath him, and his body was so warm, in contrast to the cool night air.

He was right. They’d had too much to drink, this was far enough for one night. Everything in them was screaming for more, more contact, to be closer, but they were too drunk to make that type of choice in that moment and they were both just sober enough to know that.

They sat back up, as he pulled her by the hand to assist her back into a sitting position, she straightened out her shirt, and fixed his hair for him affectionately. They looked at each other with a shy smile as they pulled the blanket back over their shoulders and huddled arm-to-arm on the steps, looking out into the farm.

Chapter Text

Ari opened one eye, realizing daylight was pouring through the windows into her cabin. She was on the couch in her living room, still wearing her clothes from the night before. It took a few minutes, but she groggily recalled everything that happened the night before.
She smiled to herself and rubbed her eyes. She glanced around the room and realized she was by herself, so March must have gone home before she went to bed. She vaguely recalled waving him off, but the night was sort of a blur to her after they’d kissed on her deck.

Oh right, Ari thought to herself, they had kissed.

The gravity of that felt a little heavier, without the booze.

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March woke up semi-early, looking out the door to his room cautiously, trying to avoid Olric for fear of being questioned. He looked around the shop, and didn’t yet see anyone out front, it was only around 7AM. Seeking a shower, March stepped out of his room quietly, hurriedly making his way toward the bathroom.

“Well hello, Casanova..!” He heard Olric’s voice from the back room of the shop, where he was looking out across the place at him with a huge smile on his face.

March felt a jolt run over his body, and the instant feeling of dread. He knew Olric was going to have all kinds of questions and want to know all the details of the night before, and March didn’t really want to tak about it.

“So I heard you come in at like 2AM, did anything.. Interesting.. Happen last night..?” Olric cooed mockingly, yet happily, from the back room.

“Uh..” March turned to face him slowly, rubbing the back of his head, “Well..”

Olric arched a brow at him, clearly expecting more of a response than that, “Well I know you weren’t gone for five hours doing nothing.”

March didn’t even know how he felt about what happened that night, let alone want to give his brother the juicy details. March had mixed feelings and he hadn’t really processed any of it. He felt so out of control that night, it went against every fiber of his being to allow all of that to happen. He felt so wrong for being as jealous as he had been, as out of his control as it was, and he felt so irresponsible for being out that late and not being ready to do work by 6AM per usual.

March was.. Spiraling- he thought. He felt he had abandoned his responsibilities to some extent, and he betrayed his sense of self by losing control, if even for a few fleeting hours.

He enjoyed his time with Ari. Maybe even a little too much. He was terrified by the thought that these feelings he had for her were.. Different. He didn’t usually bother himself with romance, it wasn’t on his list of important things, and he wasn’t really sure how to feel.

March paused, looking down at the ground, “I.. Had a lot of fun. It was a good birthday. I just..”

Olric set down the supplies he had been gathering and walked over to March, “Sweeeeeeet! So, are you guys like..?” Olric lead off, obviously excited.

”.. I was late to work today.” March said, implying his concerns without outright addressing it, “I had fun, but..”

Olric, knowing his brother well, already knew what the implication was, “Bro, you can just have a good birthday, you know.”

March thought to himself, “Ehh..”

“I know you think you don’t deserve this, but you do.” Olric said, taking March by both shoulders, “I can tell you really like her. You’re not doing yourself any favors by hiding from this.”

March still wasn’t entirely sure. There was something scary about just letting things go. Olric gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder and March turned back toward the bathroom, opening his phone. He opened it to see a text from Ari.

Ari: “Good morning! I hope you got home okay.”

March sighed to himself, closing his phone without messaging back. He was being so hard on himself. He closed his phone and got dressed for work, pushing any and all thoughts of this out of his mind.

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Ari closed her phone, seeing that March had read her message. Trying not to overthink things, she just thought to herself that he must be busy working. He spends so much time and energy on his craft, she would never fault him for that.

Instead of focusing on that, Ari decided that today she was going to start mapping out and planning for her next crop pen. She’d planned on a 10x15 space to grow additional crops, so she got dressed, drank a little coffee, and began her work outside by pulling weeds and chopping up any wood that had fallen into the area.

Despite the fact that she told herself she wasn’t going to ruminate on March not texting her back.. She did. She had a feeling that the fact they were drunk may have played a role in his openness to kiss her, or that maybe once he’d sobered up he changed his mind. She was worried about that, and she almost had a sense that was the case before really knowing for sure. It was already something she feared.

Ari, weeding the plot in her garden, started thinking about what Reina would ask when they saw each other. Nearly everyone in town had seen she and March leave the inn the night before, it was going to be impossible to avoid all of the questions from people in town.

After a few hours of prepping the area, Ari began planting cabbages. There were about two weeks left of spring, so that would be just enough time for the cabbages to grow to maturity before the beginning of summer. Rooting, planting, watering, and grooming, Ari spent at least another hour finishing up her crops, when she received a message from Reina.

Reina: “Are you planning on coming to the spring festival today? We’ll still have the stalls open until the end of the night; we could go together if you want?”
Ari: “I would love to.”

That gave Ari a reason to go out of the farm today, and she was happy she would have a chance to maybe see March. It was almost 4PM, so Ari, feeling satisfied in her work, put up her tools and headed inside to shower.

Drying her hair with a towel, Ari picked out a pair of dark jean shorts and a cropped, red paisley halter that tied in the back with a thin string. She put on her gray bandanna, and some gray leg-warmers, as it wasn’t incredibly warm out today. Flipping on her black sneakers, Ari grabbed her wristlet wallet and headed out the door. On her way to town, she was enjoying the breeze. She had been in Mistria for only a few weeks, but it had felt so much longer than that.

She came across the newly finished bridge, and it was so beautifully done. Between march and Ryis, the skill put into the bridge was impeccable, and she knew where most of the credit was deserved. This town was full of so many tallented and sweet people, and sometimes, despite hard-working, Ari wasn’t sure if she fit in the same way everyone else did. She was putting work into bettweing herself and contributing the best she knew how, but she still had so long to go before she would feel worthy.

Just passing Balor’s cart, Ari came across Celine and Ryis chatting in her garden, and he gave her a wave, seemingly cutting his conversation with Celine short to trot over to Ari.

“Hey!” Ryis said with a smile, meeting Ari at the entrance to town, “Ari, are you going to the festival? I’ll be by later, maybe we could look at some of the stalls.. Together?”

Sweet as always Ryis was too polite to bring up the fact that he had seen her leave with March the night before, but still as honest as always, was still trying to see if he had an entry into spending more time with her.

“Oh, um,” Ari said, thinking about the fact that March hadn’t said a word to her all day, “I-I guess we might see each other there, sure.”

“I uh.. My offer for another dance doesn’t have an expiration date, Ari.” He said with a wink, turning toward the road toward the forest East to the side of town, giving her a wave.

“Okay,” Ari said with a sweet smile and a wave, “Bye Ryis..”

He really was the sweetest man in this town.
Persistent, but sweet as ever. Ari had so much on her mind. Immediately after Ryis walked away, she checked her phone again, still not seeing a word from March. At the risk of being too pushy, she sent him a text telling him she hoped to see him at the festival. A few minutes later, she checked back to see that he’d read it- again with no reponse.

Ari sighed to herself, continuing toward the inn to meet Reina at the bar. She heard the visitor bells ring overhead as she walked through the door, immediately being greeted by Hemlock.

“Ari! Happy spring festival!” He waved warmly, passing her a tea, “It’s on the house, enjoy!”

“Thank you, Hemlock, I appreciate that.” Ari said with a smile, sipping the tea, “I’ll bring by some cabbage for you as soon as they’re ready.”
Reina walked out of the storage area with her bag, her own tea in hand, ready to start the day.

“Ari! You already know I’ve got a million questions, girl!” Reina cooed, Ari already knew this was coming, “I saw you guys leave last night, I want to know every single yummy detail!~”

They both waved at Hemlock as they walked out into the main road of town, sipping their tea and chatting excitedly about the festival. Ari had been avoiding a lot of Reina’s questions, but Reina kept looping the conversation back to March’s birthday. Realizing she wasn’t going to just let this go, Ari resigned herself and decided she could at least say a couple things about the night before to appease Reina.

“Well.. We went back to my house and hung out on my porch..” Ari said, a subtle blush taking over her face, “We.. Danced. We were a little drunk.”

Ari didn’t want to talk about the kiss, or how far things actually went. The last thing she wanted was to talk about how emotional and real the night was, given the fact that March had been ignoring her basically the entire day. She felt a little embarrassed she let herself get so emotionally invested just to be ignored the day after.

Reina tilted her head dreamily, waiting for Ari to continue, “Aaaannnddd..?”

Ari paused, thinking of how much she really wanted to say. She put her hand behind her neck and looked down at the ground, unconvincingly muttering, “Um.. and that’s all, I guess.”

Reina, obviously not convinced, gasped, “You guys did nottttttt!~”

“Wait what? No, No.” Ari waved her hands in front of her, sensing that Reina thought things got way more heated than they actually did, “W-we just kissed.”

Reina squealed in excitement, clapping her hands together, “You kissed!~”

Ari shushed her, waving her hands to get Reina to be quiet, “Shhhh! Shh!”

“Ugh, I’m so jealous, I wish I got kissed. I just got to go home to my empty bed.” Reina sighed, looking up at the clouds as they continued walking to the festival.

“Well.. I didn’t want to say anything about it, because he.. Hasn’t said a word to me today..” Ari said sadly, looking at her feet, “I think maybe he’s avoiding me.”

“I’m sure he’s just busy, he works all the time.” Reina said reassuringly, tapping Ari’s shoulder with her hand, “Don’t think too much about it, girl.”

Ari thought maybe she was right. Maybe Ari was just overthinking herself into a hole and she should just give him a little space. He was the hardest worker in town, after all. Flashbacks of March working on the bridge in the rain went through her mind, and she blushed, cursing herself. Those feelings were exactly how she got into this mess in the first place, and it’s still all she could think about.

They walked up to the festival, and the first stall was a clothing stall. She and Reina both walked up, ogling all the cute clothes, and Ari allowed herself to feel like a carefree girl with her friend for awhile. She ended up buying herself a necklace, one made of copper ore, delicate chain, with a tiny pickaxe charm dangling from the front. She felt endeared by it, as the charm reminded her of March. It also reminded her of hard work, pushing forward, and putting in effort. She liked jewelry that symbolized something meaningful to her, as few pieces of jewelry she had owned in her life had been lost, stolen, or sold at one point or another.

Ari put the necklace on her neck immediately, slipping it under her gray scarf.

“Ari, look! They have the cutest skirts!” Reina said excitedly, looking at all the skirts and dresses in the display.

Ari decided that although she ventured out into skirts and dresses when she’d arrived, they just didn’t feel like.. Her. She thought back on when she first got to this town, she originally planned on totally abandoning her entire past and personality to join this town seamlessly.. But what actually ended up happening was somewhere in between. She maintained a majority of her personality while trying to recover parts of herself she had been forced to forget or cover up over time.

Ari was still Ari, even after trying to cover it all up.

And the most surprising thing, perhaps, is that so many people in this small town immediately accepted her for who she really was, and not who she pretended to be the first two weeks.

Across the town square, Ari spotted March looking at the food stall, and they met eyes briefly. She gave a short wave, and he turned the other direction, continuing his conversation with Olric, not acknowledging her at all.

Ari felt that.

That meant something.

Deciding not to approach him after this brief interaction, she turned back to Reina and whispered to her, “Hey.. I just waved at March and he totally ignored me.”

“Are you sure he actually saw you..?” She asked, glancing in his direction, and back at Ari.

“I know he saw me.” Ari said, taking Reina by the hand and leading her up into the second area of town where the other stalls were, “I told you, he’s been ignoring me all day.”

Reina thought to herself, looking around and racking her brain for reasons he might be ignoring her, but was having trouble thinking of any valid reason he might be blowing her off that wasn’t somewhat shitty.

“I.. I guess I don’t know.” Reina said with a sigh, “I wish I could tell you something to make you feel better, but it does feel like he’s blowing you off, and only he could tell you why.”

“I’m.. Not going to ask. I’m just going to wait and see if he does say something to me at all today.” Ari said, shaking her head, “Let’s.. Go to the other stalls and look at more stuff, I need a distraction.”

Reina agreeing, coming with Ari to the stalls further up.

They looked around for a little bit, and she eventually saw March and Olric making their way toward that area of the festival.

She met eyes with March again, and he very obviously looked away from her, purposely turning toward a stall in the opposite direction and pulling Olric with him. At this point, she was positive March was straight-up avoiding her, and she felt both annoyed and a little sad about it.

What was so bad about last night? Did something happen that she didn’t remember? Was she a bad kisser? Was he mad at her for some reason?

As much as Ari wanted to fault herself for this, because that’s just who she was, she really didn’t see any reason he would be ignoring her today. Ari felt, above all, kind of embarrassed.

Deep in her thoughts at this point, she ran directly into someone’s back, nearly knocking herself off balance. She let out a tiny gasp as she stumbled.

“Oh- I’m sorry, I-” She stammered, a little taken aback by the sudden jerk back to reality.

She realized the person she had run into was actually Ryis, who was talking to his uncle in front of the souvenires stall.

“Oh, Ari! I was just looking for you,” He said with a smile, catching her as she wobbled from running into him, “Are you enjoying the festival..?”

Ryis caught her from stumbling, his hands on her arms and one around her waist. She looked up at him, he always looked so at peace and calm. She looked over at March to see this had caught his attention, but he looked away again once they’d met eyes.

“Oh, yeah!-” Ari said, still taken off-guard, a lot happening at once, “Th-they have so many things here, um, everyone is so talented..!”

Ryis still smiled, but tilted his head to the side curiously. Ari was glancing around nervously and he could sense how on-edge she was, and while he was really concerned, he didn’t want to ask outright.

“Here, I’m sorry, I must have startled you. Will you come with me to the shop up the block? It’s quiet there, so you can decompress a bit.” He asked genuinely, offering his hand to her kindly.

Ari glanced around, not seeing where Reina had gone off to, and reluctantly took his hand. She avoided looking in March’s direction, because the thought of being able to sit somewhere quiet and away from the crowd sounded like an offer she couldn’t refuse- she had thought about March enough all day.

Ryis opened the door for her and they both came inside the carpenter’s shop. Despite the fact that there were wood scraps everywhere, it was comfortable- even homey. It smelled like fresh wood, and sage.

“Well, this is the place.” Ryis said with a smile and a shrug, “It isn’t much, but it’s quiet at least.”

Ari looked around at all the trinkets and furniture in amazement, while he looked on seeming entertained by how enamored she was with his work.

“You made all this..? These are so incredible, Ryis..” Ari said, picking up a decorative sculpture from a shelf and gently holding it in the palm of her hand/

“Haha, y-yeah, me and my uncle. I made that one. .. Do you like it..? Be-because you can have it if you want.. I only ask that you keep it somewhere you can see it all the time.” He said shyly, looking down at the floor and then taking a seat on the bench at the front of the store.

“I couldn’t accept a gift like that for free, but I would love to buy this one from you.” Ari said, looking at a wooden carving of a bird flying from a tree, “This one is so beautiful.”

“It’s yours.” Ryis said, genuinely, “You can have that one, first one’s on me.”

Ari turned to him, he was blushing and sitting in a reserved stance, watching her look at things around the shop.

“Thank you. I’ll put it right next to my bed so I can see it every morning.” Ari smiled, sitting across from Ryis on the couch.

It was really nice just to.. Not be in a loud crowd. That was one thing she really liked about Ryis, he lived a quiet life, he didn’t party much, and albeit friendly.. He was reserved and very shy. He didn’t put himself out there much, and like March, he put a lot of his time into his craft and honing his skills. He spent countless hours working, and his work was especially detailed and meaningful- something Ari really valued.

For the first time, Ari really saw Ryis, being in his environment and looking at all of his work. He was diligent, he was talented, he had an eye for nature and a serious love of art. His shop was clean and organized, and it felt.. Comfortable. It was so much different from March’s room, which was very organized and sterile.

Ari felt.. A little guilty that Ryis had kind of been a fallback plan for her, and that she hadn’t really even noticed how great he is outside of his genuine kindness. She hadn’t even really been getting to know him, despite his attempts at spending more time with her. And she’s pretty sure Ryis knew that, and he was still nice to her, maybe even seeming like he’s lost a little hope in dating her.

“Hey Ari..” Ryis began, after a really long comfortable silence, “I just wanted to ask.. Are you and March..?”

He trailed off, but she knew what he was asking, and March had apparently not said anything about her to Ryis, which made her feel that whatever happened the night before.. Must not have been very serious to March.

“Um.. Well, I don’t really know.” She admitted honestly, “It’s been hit and miss.”

That’s probably the best way she could have described it, because she honestly didn’t know. Ryis was obviously too polite to bring up having seen them so close in the booth, or bring up the fact that March had been possessively watching she and Ryis as they danced, but it seemed that not having answers was weighing heavily on his mind.

“Ari, I like you a lot.” Ryis said outright, blushing, but firm.

“I like you too, Ryis..” Ari said, honestly, ”.. I just don’t want to lead you on, because I..”

She trailed off, but he already knew.

“I know you really like March..” He said, openly, despite the fact that she hadn’t, ”.. But he’s.. He might not be what you want.”

Ari looked at him, waiting for him to continue, pressing her hands together in her lap.

”.. He’s competitive and he will always put his work before you.” Ryis elaborated correctly, ”.. Nothing is more important to him than being an award-winning blacksmith..”

Ryis trailed off with a sigh, Ari nodded her head at that sentiment, and she realized.. Ryis was probably completely right about that. He had been avoiding her all day, probably working the entire day and ignoring her, and he blew her off every time he saw her. She knew that March was.. Probably ignoring her on purpose.

“Ryis..” Ari began, feeling her phone vibrate.

March: “Are you with Ryis?”

She had been at the carpenter’s shop for at least an hour, so March had waited some time before sending her that text. She left it on read and locked her phone, deciding not to give a response she felt she didn’t owe at this point.

Ari locked her phone and the irritation showed on her face as she closed her eyes and sighed.

“I just don’t know what to say right now, Ryis.” Ari said, looking at him with guilt on her face, “I feel.. Confused, to say the least.”

Ryis nodded his head, understandingly, “That’s okay.. I hope you know I’m serious when I tell you my offer for another dance will never, ever expire.”

They exchanged a long silence, as Ari felt her phone buzz again. She didn’t open it. Instead, she looked down at the bird figurine and then over to Ryis again.

“Ryis, thank you for bringing me here, and thank you for the figurine. Would you.. Be willing to walk me back to town..?” Ari asked, hesitation in her voice.

“Of course, Ari.” He said, standing up and offering her his hand.

She took his hand and let Ryis lead her back to town.

They talked the whole way back, and Ari couldn’t help but notice how.. Effortless it was to talk to Ryis. He was so simple and easy to talk to, he always said the right thing, and he was ever polite. It was still daylight and the stalls were still open, and as they walked up to the festival hand-in-hand, they caught the attention of Reina who ran over to Ari immediately- she glanced down at their hands together.

“Ari!- I- I was wondering where you went off to! I turned around for thirty seconds and you were just gone!”

Ari and Ryis dropped hands, shyly, and Ari waved at him as she went off with Reina back to the festival.

“Ari, I need to know, what was THAT?” Reina sked when they got far enough away from Ryis, “You were totally holding hands, what the hell? What happened while you were gone? I swear I look away from you for like a minute and you vanish, and suddenly you come back with a boyfriend, I-“

“No, no. I was just friendly, I swear. It wasn’t like that at all. I think I was starting to look and feel really panicky and Ryis just brought me back to his shop for a little bit to be in a quiet space, that’s all.” Ari said, looking down coyly at the bird figuring in her hand, “Ryis.. Is so nice.”

Reina arched an eyebrow at Ari, “Oh it was just friendly, was it?”

She was pretty clearly skeptical about the so-called friendliness, and Ari understood why she felt that way.

“I.. Think I should get home.” Ari said with a sigh, trying to process everything that had happened in the past 24 hours.

“Okay Ari, try to get a little peace and quiet or something.” Reina said with a hug, waving her off.

Ari, walking away from the festival, unlocked her phone to see she had a few new messages.

Ryis: “I had a lot of fun talking to you, Ari! Thank you for talking with me!”
Ari: “Thank you for the bird figurine Ryis, I appreciate you.”

March: “…?”
March “Are you still at the festival..?”
March: ”.. Tell me you’re not with Ryis.”

Ari was getting whiplash from this situation, she didn’t even know what to think. March ignores her the entire day, doesn’t message her back, avoids her at all costs, and now that he sees her anywhere near Ryis he decides to message her? This was insane, Ari thought to herself, shaking her head. She was looking forward to just going home to her house and being in the quiet for the rest of the day.

As Ari walked up to her cabin, she saw March sitting on the steps to her deck. She stopped walking as soon as she saw him, a little confused but mostly surprised.

He was.. Jealous.
Her phone vibrated again, she could see that March hadn’t seen her yet.

March: “I’m sorry.”

From a distance, she watched him run his hands over his face in dread and then lean his head on one hand, looking out into her field. Ari walked up to him, obviously taking him by surprise.

“Ari.” He said, with a flat tone, facing her and standing up.

Ari didn’t say anything, walking past him and up to her door, unlocking it, “You know, this is kinda awkward.” She said with irritation.

March noted the bird figurine in her hand and walked up to her next to the door, ”.. Ryis gave you that?”

“What, now you care?” Ari said, jingling her key with frustration as it stuck in the handle of the door.

“Who said I didn’t care before?” March said, steadying her hand and pulling the key from the lock, the door slowly opening.

They both paused and looked at each other, Ari pretty clearly annoyed.

“I should have messaged you.” March said flatly.

“No fucking joke, my guy.” Ari said with severe sarcasm, rolling her eyes and walking into her house.

March followed her, watching her put the bird figurine on the bedside table.

”.. So what did you guys go do..?” He asked, pretty obviously unable to get off the topic, pretty clearly jealous but fighting with himself not to make it too obvious.

“We went to his shop.” Ari said, turning back to him.

“You mean his house.” March corrected, accusingly.

“I mean his shop. We were in his shop.” Ari corrected again, putting more emphasis on ‘shop’ to make it perfectly clear they hadn’t been in Ryis’ room.

There was a long pause.

”.. Did you buy that?” He asked, loosely gesturing to the bird sculpture.

Ari shook her head, furrowing her brows, “No. It was a gift.”

March sighed, turning around and putting a hand on his head, “I hate feeling this way all the time.”

There was a long pause, as Ari was trying to figure out what he meant, and March was trying to figure out what to say. The silence hung in the air, as they both knew he had no right to be jealous about this, but both aware that he was.

“I figured you didn’t want to see me, so I left you alone.” Ari said shortly, brushing off her nightstand and looking down at the bird figurine.

“I didn’t say that.” March said in response, still facing away from her.

“You didn’t say anything, actually.” Ari corrected, a hint of irritation on her tone.

March sighed, turning back toward her, “I didn’t know what to say.”

“Anything would have been better than nothing.” Ari retorted, folding her arms.

“I saw you both holding hands when you left the festival.” March said, a hint of anger in his voice, and a lot of vulnerability, “I hate the way that feels.”

There was another brief pause as Ari figured out what to say, unsure of what was going to come out of her mouth.

“I would have rather held your hand, instead.” Ari said honestly.

March looked back up at her and his expression softened a bit, unsure of what to say in response. He walked over to where she sat on the bed, and sat next to her.

”.. Did you.. Do anything like..?” He asked, running a hand over to her arm and touching her skin ever so lightly.

“N-no, of course not. What kind of question is that?” Ari said, feeling taken aback by his question, but almost subtly enjoying the abrasiveness of his jealousy manifesting in words.

He ran his fingers over hers, his breath on the nape of her neck, they still felt so distant despite how close he was sitting next to her.

”.. I was waiting to hear from you all day.” Ari admitted, embarrassed by her own honesty.

March pulled his hand back, looking away from her with a slight flush on his face, ”.. It scares me, Ari. How you make me feel.”

Ari looked over at him, her face beginning to redden, ”.. How do you feel about me, March..?”

Chapter Text

“.. How do you feel about me, March..?”

They sat there in silence, he looked at her, she stared back at him waiting for his response.

“I..” He stammered, this wasn’t as easy when he was sober.

Ari still waited for him to continue, even through the awkward silence. She wanted to hear what he had to say.

“With you, it feels so.. Real.” He said, looking away from her gaze for comfort, rubbing his arm with one hand in this moment of vulnerability, “Having feelings for you.. Isn’t something I try to do. It just.. Happens. It’s out of my control. It makes me feel out of control.”

This was probably the most honest sentiment March had ever said to Ari, and she was stuck there in silence trying to interpret what he meant, but wanting him to continue.

”.. Is this real for you..?” He asked her, looking back in her direction.

“Sometimes when you ignore me, I don’t know if I can let it be real, March.” Ari explained defensively, shaking her head, “As much as I want to let myself have feelings for you.. You make me really afraid to do that.”

She paused.

“You might just leave and never come back.” Ari said flatly, avoiding his eyes.

Like everyone else, she thought.

They both sat there in silence, both realizing that this wasn’t a simple dance of jealousy, this was a dance of severe abandonment issues, resulting from two lives of a lot of loss and pain. They had both been through a lot, and because of everything that had happened in his life, March had some big issues with control- especially when it came to himself and his own willpower. And Ari had issues with letting herself become attached to anyone, because she always needed to uproot and leave, or circumstances lead to people she loved and cared about never seeing her again.

This was the first time they had allowed themselves to really go there, allowing some of the walls to come down in the process.

March turned toward her, putting one hand on her face and kissing her cheek, gently. She could feel his breathing staggered on her cheek as he lingered there, the feeling of his breath in her ear, giving her a light tingling sensation.

Ari was so weak when it came to March, she had to admit it to herself. The feeling of him sitting close to her brought back all those memories of him sitting next to her under a blanket on the deck that night. But this time.. They were sober. And the sobriety was nerve-wracking.

"I worry the most about Ryis.. Because he's a good guy.." March admitted weakly, still whispering into her ear, "He's.. A perfect gentleman.. It had to be the perfect man who wants to take you from me.. It could have been anyone else, Ari.."

"But Ryis.. I know he could win you over in a heartbeat.."

"If you really wanted a good, well-mannered gentleman.. He may have already had you.."

Ari could feel how closely March was sitting to her, it always lowered her inhibitions to be so close to him.

”.. Did he try to kiss you..? ” March whispered in her ear, planting another kiss on her jaw.

”.. No.” Ari said, closing her eyes and enjoying the feeling of his lips on her skin.

”.. Did he put his hands on you..?” He asked possessively, kissing down to her neck and running his nose over her skin.

”.. N-no..” Ari gasped at the contact on her neck, March pulling down her scarf and seeing her pickaxe pendant, pausing briefly.

...

March kissed up her neck and whispered gruffly in her ear, ”.. I don’t want anyone to touch you.. Except for me.”

Ari purred in her throat at the sound of him whispering in her ear with that much longing in his voice. That jealous anger had turned to something so intimate, so quickly. Her heart was beating out of her chest.

Ari turned her face to his, pulling March to her by the arm, ”.. I want you to lay your hands on me..”

March searched her eyes seriously, looking for any hint of hesitation. He found none. He put one finger at the bottom of her chin, arching her face toward his, and pressed his lips to hers gently. His lips were soft, she could feel the certainty in his kiss as it went on. His kiss was slow and passionate, she could feel one of his hands on her side as she pushed him down on her bed, deepening their kiss.

She straddled his waist, licking his bottom lip, begging for permission with her tongue. He parted his lips, letting a stifled moan into her mouth as she ran her hands through his hair, pressing her chest against his. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her down onto him, their tongues caressing each other as they both closed their eyes in ecstasy.

Her mind, for once, was totally blank- a feeling that was addictive, as she never felt her anxiety completely disappear this way. Ari and March were always in their heads, insecure, looking too far into things, overthinking to a fault, but when they were locked together like this, it’s like the rest of the world disappeared. That feeling alone was addictive for two lonely people who desperately wanted this mutual feeling of pleasure.

March moaned quietly into Ari’s mouth as she pressed herself down on his pants, feeling his body respond to their contact. She felt her face grow hotter at the knowledge that her touch could make him feel this way.

Out of control, for someone so well contained.

He got off from feeling in control. She got off on making him lose it.

She leaned back, looking down at him as she put more pressure on his waist, March putting both hands on her hips. He inhaled deeply as he pressed himself up into her, looking up at her, face red, she could feel that his hands were shaking. Ari, her primal desire taking over, began pushing herself down on his erection, seeking any additional friction she could, closing her eyes and leaning her head back as she enjoyed the sensation.

Biting her lip gently, he pulsed up into her body, humming at the feeling of her pressing onto him so roughly. Looking up at her, the image of her enjoying the feeling of his touch was burned into his mind. Ari ran her hands over his chest, looking back down at March, whose face was betraying him at this point, she could see just how much he mutually wanted this. Looking him in both eyes, she reached her hands down, unbuttoning and unzipping his jeans, allowing his erection, still in his boxers, to show. March looked away from her, possibly feeling exposed, as Ari recentered herself on top of him, rubbing back and forth over his clothed erection. She put a hand on the bottom of his chin, facing him back toward her, and leaning down to kiss him deeply.

As she continued to grind down on him, they both let out a moan at the friction, Ari didn’t even know where this part of her was coming from. She had never felt these types of urges toward anyone else before in her life, images of March hammering an iron sword flipped through her mind as she bit his bottom lip. She could feel that he was letting her have all of the control at this point, but she wanted him to lose control- the one thing she knew he couldn’t let happen.

Ari unzipped her shorts moving her legs to the side and sliding them off, to expose her sage green, silky underwear. Re-centering herself on March, she could feel the shape of him so much more clearly, blushing at the girth of his erection as she felt him slide lewdly across her clit.

“A-Ari..” March said, almost sounding like a warning, as he looked down at her grinding down onto him in her underwear, ”.. You’re driving me crazy.”

That was the point, Ari thought, slowly riding on his hard, bulging cock.

“Am I..?” Ari teased, ever-so-slowly sliding her clit over the head of his erection, earning a twinge and a sigh from March.

She continued slowly, torturously sliding herself across him, his hands gripping her hips, she could feel them shaking with every movement she made, gripping her harder and harder as if he were close to snapping.

He could tell she was doing this on purpose, keeping him at a stand-still, letting him rest on the edge of the moment with anticipation. His breath was catching in his throat, his eyes were closed shut tight, and he was gritting his teeth together as if he were using everything in his power to keep it under control.

Ari, looking down at him, pulled his erection from his pants, parted her panties to the side, and began sliding his member across her opening repeatedly, earning an agonizing and staggered moan from March.

“A-ah..!” He opened his eyes to look at her, the feeling of her wet and dripping opening sliding across the head of his cock was too much for him to handle.

In one swift motion, he rolled them so he was on top, parting them slightly, kissing her hard. He was shaking, his entire body was hot, and she could tell he didn’t like being teased and hated being out of control. He pressed himself against her again, feeling how wet she was, but having no intention of letting it get that far. He broke their kiss, rubbing his head against her, putting just enough pressure between them to make her think it just might enter.

“You’re really wet, Ari.. You must be enjoying this.” He whispered gruffly in her ear, holding her thighs down to the bed so she wouldn’t move too much.

“M-March..” She stammered, still taken by surprise at his fast and rough movements, finally getting him to lose a little bit of his prized control.

That award-winning self-control.

She relished in the feeling of him perched at her entrance, as he used one hand to move his erection in a back and forth motion.

”.. P-please..” Ari nearly begged, her face was red, her body trembling at his touch, “I want you to..”

He looked down at her, kissing her hard on the lips, putting just a little more pressure between them and inserting his head, and only the head, into her. Ari moaned out in anticipation as she wrapped her arms around him. The sensation of her body wrapped so hard around him was almost too much for him to even bare. His breathing was jagged as he pushed in just a little deeper, feeling himself lose control just a little more, nearly on the edge of completely losing himself to this.

“Y-you’re so.. h-hot..” March moaned into her mouth, a slight whimper escaping his lips at the end of his statement.

He wasn’t in very far, but he was losing the war. He didn’t plan on things going this far, but he was quickly losing this the further it went. Ari wrapped her legs around his waist, begging him to continue as she kissed his neck. Shaking, his hands on both of her hips, he found his body pushing into her ever so slightly, every few minutes. It was like everything in his soul was begging to be inside of her, and he had put himself at a severe disadvantage by believing he’d be able to stop after teasing her.

He felt himself hit somewhat of a wall, almost feeling like a rubber band at the point of breaking, and Ari moaned out in pleasure as he slowly, delicately inched into her. She had always wondered what the feeling of March inside of her would be like, she had imagined it many more times than she wanted to admit, and this moment was so much better than she ever could have tried to imagine in her head.

“A-are you sure..?” March asked, looking down at her, realizing he was at the end of his rope, he was about to lose his control completely.
Ari was breathing heavily, her body was hot, her hair was a mess, and she was dripping wet at the feeling of him inside of her.

“P-please, March.. I-I..” Ari panted, feeling the inside of her body twinge, “I want you to..”

He leaned down, kissing her passionately. She pulled his shirt, he moved his arms so it could come up over his head, and threw it to the floor. She ran her hands over his body and back up to his face, deepening their kiss.

Pushing into her completely, March let out a shaking moan at the feeling of her body completely envelope him. Ari gasped at the feeling of March filling her, it was so foreign. She wanted it so badly at this point, there was no pain, only pleasure. They both let out a mutual moan into each other’s mouth as their kiss continued, allowing their bodies to get used to this new feeling.

His lips met hers again, like a desperate prayer, as if he were begging her to return his feelings of intimacy. With no words, he was telling her how much he needed her approval, to know she felt as good as he did, that she was in this as deeply as he was. Ari put her hands on both sides of his face, deepening their kiss, running her hands through this hair affectionately.

After a few minutes, March began to pull himself slowly out of her, his lips still on hers, and pushing back into her, he gripped her hips with trembling hands. Ari arched her back up into his body and moaned into his mouth at the sensation of his re-entry.

“M-March..” His name fell from her mouth, pleadingly.

He growled at the sound of her voice, beginning to rut into her with a faster pace, Ari’s gasps and moans became uncontrollable. She found herself making noises she’s never heard herself make, holding onto him tightly as he continued thrusting into her, roughly. She had entered a state of pleasure delirium as their bodies met again and again, his name escaping her mouth time and time again as he now slammed into her with force.

“A-Ari..” She heard her name on his lips and a low buzz came over her, she couldn’t feel her toes anymore as he hit the same spot over and over again.

Wanting to be even deeper inside her, March lifted one of her legs up to her shoulder and pushed into her roughly, earning a stifled scream from Ari. At the sound of her voice, he pushed as far into her as he could and began grinding into her. He was completely at the will of his own body, he didn’t have any reservations over this anymore as their skin met repeatedly.

“I-I’m..” Ari stuttered, “N-nn..”

He could feel her body tensing and tightening as he continued coursing in and out of her, her body was tightening around him as he tried to continue, but the feeling of her body becoming more tense was too much for him to take. He could feel himself quickly approaching orgasm as she clamped down on his cock, approaching her peak.

He could hear the sound of their skin slapping together as he shakily continued pulling her hips up into him, pushing into her through her orgasm. Her hands shook and tapped his back as his name tumbled from her lips in a broken voice.

"Y-you want to know how I feel about you, Ari- I-" March panted as he pulsed into her with every breath, "I can tell you-"

Ari was shaking uncontrollably, her hips desperately bucking into his, chasing her own pleasure as she felt overwhelming pleasure at his hands.

"I-I don't ever want anyone to touch you-" March stammered as he roughly slammed into her through her shaking climax, "Promise me you're only mine, Ari-"

Ari was trying to put together a sentence, but she was losing her grip on reality as she began to feel lightheaded.

"P-please-" He pleaded, fucking her harder as she whimpered in pleasure, her shaking hands grabbing his arms.

Even in her intense ecstasy, she realized this was something March desperately needed to hear, she pulled him down, putting her forehead to touch his as he pulsed into her, "I swear."

“O-oh-” March stuttered, his thrusts completely losing throttle rhythm, pulling out of Ari and letting himself cum onto her stomach with a shaking voice, “A-ah- Ari-!”

He was shaking over her, as he came long and heavy ropes of cum over her body. He trembled in sudden weakness as he looked down at her. Ari looked at her stomach, covered in his love, and smiled at the knowledge that she could make him feel so good.

He lowered his head to meet her forehead again as they both breathed heavily, catching their breath and coming back down from their high together.

Ari knew from this point on, March was hers.
After a few moments of recovery, he went to her bathroom and picked up a towel, helping her clean herself off as she lie there looking up at him, taking note of how cute he was with his hair messed up and that look on his face.

They were silent for a long time as he finished wiping her belly, discarded the towel, and lie back down next to her. Ari sat up slightly, leaning over him and kissing him on the forehead affectionately. Then, looking down at his mouth, kissed him on the lips. March ran his hand through her hair, pressing her into him and deepening their kiss, letting her know that this wasn't just a fleeting moment, or a short-term victory for him.

He wanted all of her.

Chapter Text

Lying next to each other, still recovering from their intimate moment, Ari tilted her head on March’s shoulder.

“So.. Have you done that a bunch of times before..?’ Ari asked curiously, feeling that he must be experienced, “It just felt like you knew what you were doing.”

March chuckled with a grin, feeling a little pride in his performance, “No- well, it’s never gotten that far before. Not that I can remember, anyway.”

Ari hadn’t realized it was his first time, too. He never mentioned it, and she just kind of assumed.

“It’s just a really small-town and.. Most of these girls I’ve known since forever. I’m.. Not the easiest person to be around sometimes and they all know that by now..” He continued, sounding like he himself were trying to understand why his dating history was so spotted, “Have you ever dated anyone before..? I know you’ve mentioned you’ve never been on a date, but I mean like.. have you ever had a boyfriend before..?”

“I did, once. But we were so young, and we were considered siblings by the guardians of the site, so.. I never even held hands with him.” She elaborated, getting lost in her memories, ”.. His name was Domenico. Named after St. Domenico by the guardians, he was just a baby when he arrived. He was a few years my senior, so when I was three, he was six. I couldn’t say his name for the longest time, so I called him Domeno.”

Ari smiled, thinking back on her time at the orphanage, her guardians were highly religious, they drilled religion into their heads at a very young age. Ari wasn’t her given name at the camp; she completely dropped her given name after she was released at legal adult age.

”.. Were you named after a saint, too?” March asked, turning his head toward her, leading on his elbow.

“I was.. But Ari wasn’t my given name. I haven’t spoken my given name since I left that place, I can’t stand it.” Ari explained, shaking her head even thinking about that time in her life, ”.. It was dehumanizing, the way they took my identity. I wasn’t an infant; I was old enough that I knew my name. They rename all of the children at the camp, regardless of how old. All named after saints, and you must drop your birth name from your vocabulary completely. For a while, I was worried I might forget my birth name, since it had been so many years since I had even said it.”

March listened intently, putting a hand on her arm in a comforting way. Her life was so incredible for him, having grown up in a small, safe town and being raised by loving, generous townsfolk. It was hard for him to imagine the life she described.

”.. Do you think they loved the kids they took care of..?” March asked, pensively.

“We were just numbers to them.” Ari said flatly, shaking her head, “Mother Osyth was cold, I can’t recall a single time she ever once hugged me. Or told me she loved me. She never asked anything about me, only about my dedication.”

“That’s terrible..” March said with a sigh, leaning his forehead on her, ”.. Do you.. Remember anything about your mom or dad..?”

“I don’t. I recall a woman in my head, just a few still-shot memories of her, who was blonde.. But I don’t know who she really was. She could have been anyone.” Ari admitted, “But I like to think that maybe that’s what my mother looked like. Do you remember your parents at all, March?”

“Well.. I’ve seen photos of them. I was really young when they left out to sea and never came back, Olric remembers them better than I do. What I remember most is how our lives changed so fast.. One day we were a family, the next day we were bringing a bag of our things to go stay with auntie Elsie forever.” He explained, opening up a bit about his history, “I had Olric though, he was my rock- no pun intended.”

Ari ran a hand up his arm, cuddling closer to him under her blanket. This was the most they’ve spoken up to this point, and it felt really nice to see March open up a little and let down his many well-constructed walls. Ari still hadn’t confronted the demons of her past completely, but being this close, this intimate, and being this comfortable.. Felt like a lot of progress. A year or two ago, she wouldn’t have been able to have these intimate feelings at all, without feeling a heavy weight of intense shame cuffed to her ankle.

”.. I really loved the feeling of being close to you.” Ari said quietly, kissing his shoulder, “If I had met you too soon.. I don’t think I would have been able to do this.”

March kissed her on the forehead, ”.. What do you mean?”

“You’re the first person I ever got these emotions, by looking at you.” Ari elaborated, looking down shyly.

“I feel honored.” March said with a smile, and then a chuckle, “No wonder I could always feel your eyes on me.”

Ari gave him a light tap and blushed, “I still remember the first time I saw you.”

“Oh yeah? When was that?” March asked with a grin on his face, closing his eyes peacefully.

”.. When I got off the train-” Ari stopped herself, realizing that he probably didn’t even know that was her. She now felt really awkward, like she’d said too much. She was hoping he would say he didn’t remember.

“The.. Train?” March asked, confusion on his tone, “I don’t think I remember that.”

Ari paused, thinking of what to say, “I don’t think you saw me. But you were the first person I saw in this town.”

They were both quiet for a few minutes, peacefully enjoying the silence as they lie together. Ari wasn’t sure how to tell him who she’d been in a past life, all the things she’d done, or how dangerous she could potentially be. She wanted to pretend, for a little while longer, that those things didn’t make a big difference anymore. She knew that at some point she would have to talk about it.. But now wasn’t the time.

They lie in her bed, talking and cuddling for a long time, until nighttime arrived and March decided he needed to get back to the shop- he had to be up early the next day to work on orders. As nice as it would be for them to ignore the rest of the world and talk until morning, they both had a lot of responsibilities and needed to keep that in mind.

“I’ll text you, Ari. If I don’t get back to you right away, I’m probably working. Please, don’t think I’m ignoring you, I won’t do that again.” March stood in the doorway of her cabin, giving her a reassuring kiss on the head as he turned to head out.

“Okay.. I’ll be looking forward to hearing from you soon, March.. Don’t keep me waiting too long.” Ari said, leaning on the frame of her door as she watched him step off the deck, looking back at her with a smile, and heading toward town.

It was nighttime, but it wasn’t too late yet. Ari sat down on the stairs of her front deck and watched March as he headed down the alley back to town. She felt.. Different. Ari could still feel the effect he had on her body, and there was still a dull ache in her lower stomach that she had been too excited and in the throes of intimacy to really notice that much before.

She sighed to herself, processing that all of that really, actually happened.

That.. They actually did that.
She could still feel how he made her body feel.
And she was still so.. Afraid. That he would go away.

She needed to talk herself down from that feeling, watching him walk back to town. She knew he needed to go home, but that voice in her head that nagged her in the very edge of his conscious mind was screaming at her to run after him. There was nothing rational about that feeling, and Ari knew that.

That was the small child in her, terrified of being left behind.

*

The next morning, Ari woke up early, ready to start the day. She shot up from her bed, recalling that her turnip portion of her crops were due to be harvested today, and she excitedly threw on some clothes and popped out the door to look into the field.

There they were. Ninety-five turnips for the town. They were beautiful. She began her long trek of stopping by each little bud, harvesting them and putting them into boxes to be shipped off. It was a beautiful, sunny day. Summer was about a week away at this point, the humidity was starting to stick in the air, and Ari had to put on a sun hat halfway through her harvesting to shield her eyes from the sunlight. Ari wasn’t even thinking about anything else, which was abnormal for her, she had really started finding a lot of peace in tending her crops and creating life out of seeds.

After harvesting all of the little buds, Ari looked at her ten full boxes of turnips and smiled to herself- she had done it. She looked over at her cabbages, just a few days left until they were ready. She walked around, looking for weeds to pull, and began watering her cabbages one by one. Just as she was halfway through watering her crops, her phone vibrated, and she pulled it from her pocket and unlocked it.

Reina: “Ari! You should come to the beach with us, we’re gonna hang out in the sun! It’ll be me, Juniper, and Adeline! Bring your bikini. ☺”

Ari smiled, she enjoyed being invited to things, it was a nice change from her regular pace. The beach also wasn’t too far from her house, so it could be a short trip. She still hadn’t heard anything from March today, but it was still pretty early- he usually was hard at work until around 5pm at the least. After watering all of her cabbages, she put up her tools, changed into her bikini and threw on some shorts and a tank top, slipped on some shoes, picked up one of her big towels, and she was on her way out the door.

Ari arrived at the beach in a matter of minutes, and as she walked up she was a little surprised that Ryis was part of the group for the day. Reina hadn’t mentioned he would be there, she thought it was just going to be a girls day, but Ryis was always nice enough that she didn’t really see it as a problem. Thinking to herself, she figured she would send March a text and let him know she was at the beach, just in case.

Ari: “I’ll be at the beach with some of the girls for a little bit, I hope you’re having a good morning.”

March, responding back in seconds: “Good morning, I’m still working at the shop, but I’ll text you as soon as I’m done.”

Ari walked up to the group, who were getting their supplies all set down. Adeline was laying out a towel, Ryis was looking out into the water while holding a beach ball, and Reina and Juniper were talking excitedly about some new love interest Juniper had.

“Hey Ari! I’m glad you made it!” Reina said, walking over to her with a smile, “Soooo, I heard March left for your house after the festival yesterdayyy-~”

“Y-yeah, haha, we hung out for the rest of the night..” Ari interrupted her nervously, “Um.. I’m pretty sure we’re a thing now, it was a really good night.”

Reina stopped in her tracks, noticing a tiny mark on Ari’s neck, “Wait, is that a-!”

Ari’s eye’s widened and the covered her neck with her hand, “N-no- well yeah, but-“

Reina pulled Ari’s hand from her neck to get a closer look, “Oooooh!~ He really sunk his teeth into you, that’s a dark one!~”

Juniper came over, hearing Reina freaking out and wanting to get a look at what was happening, “Ari!~ Oh-ho-ho-ho-ho~! You have finger prints on your hip over here-~”

“N-no I-!” Ari said, a shocked tone, looking down to see that she did, indeed, have what looked like very light fingerprint bruises on her hips.

Ari covered her neck again, and looked over to Ryis, who was looking slightly uncomfortable but acting like he hadn’t heard any of that. She hadn’t even realized that March had left his mark on her, she hadn’t even felt any pain, she didn’t think she needed to survey herself before leaving the house. She knew she didn’t owe anything to Ryis, but she did feel bad for him, knowing he had feelings toward her.

“So was that.. March..?” Reina asked in a hush, referencing the very obvious bite mark left on Ari’s neck.

Ari looked around and gave a slight nod, “I-it was, but I’m not trying to have everyone talk about it.. I didn’t even know I had a mark there, I feel bad that I didn’t even check..”

“Hey,” Reina said reassuringly, “You’re a grown-up, girl. You don’t have to feel bad for having a little fun with a guy you like, you know?”

Ari realized.. Reina was completely right. Ari had no reason to feel bad about this at all. It was so drilled into her head that sex was bad at such a young age that even in adulthood, Ari felt like she was doing something bad by even having sexual thoughts. Hearing Reina say that made Ari feel a lot more at ease. After all, the idea of March leaving his mark on her.. Actually felt really good.

She would have to return the favor later, Ari thought to herself with a shy smile. The thought of leaving a possessive mark on him made her blush.

“So.. Anybody wanna play some beach ball..?’ Ryis said, a shy smile on his face as he held up his ball.

Everyone squared away and they all spaced apart, beginning to hit the ball back and forth in the sun. Ryis looked so happy, but Ari couldn’t help but feel like he interrupted her conversation about March and the mark on her neck on purpose. Ari couldn’t really fault him for not wanting to hear about it anymore. She even felt a little bad that she just showed up with sex marks all over her, not even realizing it. She hadn’t even felt any of it during their encounter, but looking down at the marks on her hips made her feel.. Good. She felt a sense of belonging.

They played beach ball for some time, but eventually one by one the group dwindled down to just being Ari and Ryis passing the ball back and forth to each other while the other girls sat on their respective towels and talked, drinking waters.

“So Ari.. I have to ask..” Ryis said, passing the ball to Ari, ”How did your turnips turn out?”

Ari sighed in relief, thinking he was going to ask her about March, “Oh, I finally harvested them today! I had ninety-five head, they were all pretty good weight, and they looked really healthy!”

Ryis caught the ball in his hands instead of hitting it, “I’m glad your crops turned out! There’s nothing better than the feeling of making something with your own two hands and it coming to fruition before your eyes.”

That was a crafter’s way of viewing things, that’s for sure. If there’s anything Ryis or March understood, it was the feeling of pouring your heart into your craft and achieving goals. That’s one thing she admired most about March.. He was a hard worker, he put so much feeling and effort into his craft, and he put in a lot of hard labor to create the tools and wares he did. Ryis, on the other hand, had an eye for art. He could sculpt just about anything, and his work was so detailed. She admired both of them for different reasons, but she related to each.

“For sure! I can’t believe that not very long ago, they were just a bunch of little seeds..” Ari trailed off, feeling pride in the skills she’s obtained, “They’re like my little babies.”

Ryis paused, seeming deep in thought, “Have you ever thought about having a family..?”

The question felt so out of no where, it took her off guard, “W-well no, I guess I haven’t really thought about that yet.. I’m still really young, there are so many years before..”

“We’re not that young, though.” Ryis said, looking out into the water, “If you really thought about what attributes a husband might have.. What do you think he would be like..?”

Ari thought about that for a few seconds, looking out into the water, sitting on the beach next to Ryis. She could feel the implications in that question, but it really did make her think about things. He was right, as much as she still felt young, there were probably only a few short years left before she would begin thinking about starting a family.

“Well.. I think he would be kind, and helpful. Um.. I would want him to be considerate, and good with our children..” She thought more about what she actually imagined in her head, “Pure of heart, selfless. Strong. Protective.”

They both sat in silence for a few seconds, and she felt Ryis was waiting for her to say more.

“When I think about myself as a mother, and I consider what I would want the other parent to be like.. I would want the father of my children to know the importance of just being there.” She explained with a smile, looking down at her shorts, “I would want someone who would never leave.”

Ryis looked down at his lap, it seemed like it was finally clicking just why Ari was so into March. He had originally asked that question to affirm to himself that what she was looking for in a partner was really himself.. But the more she described a future partner, the more she idadvertantly described March.

Protective.
Strong.
Someone who understood the importance of being there.
Someone who would never leave.

Ryis knew then that despite wanting to validate his own interest and attraction to Ari, who she wanted as a partner.. Sounded more like March.

“I see..” Ryis said, his voice showing understanding with a hint of disappointment that he was trying to hide, “I can understand all of those things.”

“Ari..” She heard a voice from behind her, already knowing it was March, “I uh.. Came to see you.”

Ari got up from her spot next to Ryis and walked up to March, excited that he showed up, but noticing an irritated look on his face.

“I’m glad you came.” Ari said, leaning into him and giving him a hug.

They hadn’t really been physically affectionate in front of people before, so she was keeping it light.

“So what was that..?” March asked, his voice low and annoyed, “I thought you said you were with the ‘girls’ today.”

“I didn’t know Ryis was going to be here,” Ari explained, trying to lower him from his increasing level of suspiscion, “I.. I’m glad you’re here.”

March searched her eyes for a few seconds, seemingly disarmed and escaping his jealous mindset, ”.. What were you guys talking about..?”

“Just life stuff, I can tell you later.. If you want to come back to my place after this.” Ari cooed, tucking her hair behind her ear and looking up at him sweetly.

March blushed, trying to hide his surprise by her hinting at that in public, “I-I mean.. Sure. That would be okay, I guess.”

“I have to pay you back for this.” Ari said, tilting her head and pointing at her neck, rolling her eyes, “Lucky me, I wasn’t the one who saw it first.”

March blushed even more, his eyes betrayed him, showing his level of surprise as he ran two fingers over the mark on her neck, “Oh man, I’m sorry..”

“And these..” Ari said pulling up her shorts to show the finger prints on her hips.

“O-oh.. Eesh..” March covered his mouth with one hand and pressed his lips together, “I’m so fucking sorry.. I didn’t think I was being that rough.”

“Don’t be sorry,” Ari said, leaning into him and putting her face in the nape of his neck, “I kinda like having these reminders.. But I want to pay you back later.”

She leaned back away from him, his face was red. Taking him by the hand, she sat down on a towel next to the girls, pulling him to sit by her. After a little light banter about them being together publicly, they all got into a conversation about the bath house, Ryis coming over and sitting next to Reina and bringing up that he was planning on doing construction on the bath house for Juniper at her request. It was about mid-day now, so the sun was past its highest point and things were cooling down a bit, there was a nice breeze by the water.. It was really nice to just spend some time around friends and just be normal for awhile.

But Ari couldn't help but look forward to when she and March would be going back to her place.

Chapter Text

Running their hands all over each other, March pushed her up against the front door to the cabin roughly, biting Ari’s lip as she fumbled for her keys. Ari tilted her head upward, letting out a gasp as March kissed down her neck and onto her chest, she couldn’t think.

“I have to open the-” Ari gasped, turning toward the door and trying to break their kiss long enough to actually get it unlocked.

March, breathing heavily, pushed her up against the door, roughly pressing himself against her, grinding into her body as he kissed her neck from behind. They had at least made it back to the farm, but as soon as they were out of public view they were all over each other like magnets.

Finally getting the door unlocked, Ari opened it, giggling as she took March by the hand and leading him inside, his lips crashing against hers again as they closed the door. Ari pulled at his shirt, lifting it up over his head and discarding it, tossing it on the back of her couch. She ran her hands over his body as their tongues danced.

Pushing him down on her couch, Ari took her place in his lap, putting both hands on each side of his face as she deepened their kiss. She could feel the desperation in his touch; it was the feeling of two touch-starved people finally finding enough safety with another to explore their desires. He pulled her to him, his arms wrapped around her waist, increasing the pressure between them.

Breaking their kiss, Ari began to kiss from his lips to his neck, planting a kiss right in the nape.

“It’s only fair..” She said in his ear in a whisper, planting her teeth on his neck, sucking on his skin.

March let out a stifled moan, as he grabbed Ari’s hips and drove himself up into her, his erection pressing into her through their clothes. Still biting his neck, Ari began grinding down onto him, humming into his neck as she made her mark on him. Pulling away, she looked down and saw a little, round bruise becoming more and more apparent.

”.. Now everyone can know you’re mine.” Ari said, kissing back up to his lips and looking him in the eye.

“Good.” He growled huskily, his eyes meeting hers.

March lifted her, still in his lap, and set her on the couch, giving her a kiss. He began unbuttoning and unzipping her shorts slowly, as she assisted him. He slowly removed the bottom of her bikini, still looking her in the eyes as she watched him.

He kissed her on the side of her ankle, then on her calf, and earning a shiver from Ari as he kissed her inner thigh. He was drawing this out so slowly, as he kissed her inner thigh again, sucking at her skin. Ari arched her back in anticipation, the closer he got.

“March..” Ari said with a shaky voice as he teased her.

Leaving a tiny kiss on her lower stomach, he held her hips to his face as he began flicking her clit with his tongue. Ari had never really felt a sensation like this before, she arched her back, closing her eyes with a moan. She ran her hands through his hair, as he caught a few quick glances of her enjoyment. He continued holding her to his face, glancing up at her to see her pleasure as he sucked and licked at her folds.

After a few minutes, March kissed back up to her chest, pulling her tank top over her head and fumbling with the strings of her bikini top as he kissed her lips, Ari wrapping her arms around his shoulders. Ari, breaking their kiss, pulled at the swim trunks he was wearing, fumbling as she shakily wrapped a hand around his hard cock. March sighed at the sensation of her hand and closed his eyes, pressing his forehead to hers.

”.. What were you talking about with Ryis..?” He asked suddenly in a low, rasping voice, locking eyes with her, his hands still on her hips.

Ari huffed, a little in surprise, mostly with irritation, “You want to talk about that right now?”

Ari began stroking his erection through his trunks, and pulled them down to reveal his fully-hard cock. He closed his eyes at the sensation of her soft skin rubbing him, then opened his eyes and tilted her face to look at his.

”.. Yes. What did he say..” March asked through short, peppered kisses on her neck and chest, obviously being unwilling to just let this go.

“Well..” Ari trailed off, still rubbing him slowly, her eyes closed as she enjoyed his lips on her body, “He asked me what type of man I thought I would marry.”

”.. And..?” March sighed, closing his eyes at the feeling of her running her finger tips up and over the head of his cock, “What did you say..?”

They hadn’t really talked about marriage or anything like that, or even really what their expectations were in a relationship, or even if they actually were in a committed relationship. Ari did kind of wonder what March thought about these things, but she was reluctant to ask him right now.

“I told him..” Ari said, running her hands over her chest, looking up at his eyes, “I saw myself with a strong and protective man.. Someone who would never leave.”

After a short pause, both of them enjoying a moment of comfortable eye-contact, March leaned down, giving her a deep kiss, and picking her up from the couch. Sitting on the bed, with her back in his lap, he ran his hands up her back as her tongue tangled with his. Ari pulled his cock toward her opening, lowering herself down onto him as they both mutually moaned into their kiss, not breaking it. It felt.. Right. To be connected with him once again, having his arms around her, feeling his kiss enveloping her.

Ari pushed him back onto her bed slowly, and she thought he was so cute as she looked down at him. His face was blushed, and he was breathing heavily, holding up his hands to her, for her to lace her fingers with his- she did. Using the leverage from their hands linked together, Ari pulled herself up and began slowly slipping his erection in and out of her, she hummed in pleasure.

She used her weight to grind down on top of him, earning a shaky moan from March as he moved his hands to her hips, pulling her body down into his, as he buried his cock deep into her. Quickening the pace, he began thrusting up into her, holding her hips to his. Ari felt a few broken whimpers leave her core as she put her hands on his chest, leaning down and kissing his neck as he proceeded in slamming into her.

“Ari..” She heard March say in a rough whisper, slowing his pace and taking her by both sides of the face, meeting her lips in a hard kiss.

Ari couldn’t help but feel.. It was so much more intimate this way. She felt so much in control, compared to when March was the one on top. Seeing him lay back and let her have control this way.. Was so hot to her. His breathing was staggered, as she ran her hands over his muscular body, he looked up at her, taking his hand and beginning to rub her clit in a circular motion as he coursed in and out of her. This position, Ari felt, showed a greater level of trust between them. It was as if March was becoming more and more accustomed to letting her take the lead.

Ari’s hands twitched in pleasure as she moaned out at the sensation, “M-March.. O-oh-“

She could feel the inside of her body tightening and twitching on his hard erection, earning a moan from March as he tilted his head back and closed his eyes, “So.. Tight..”

He sat up, hugging her body to his, and stopped their movement as he kissed her deeply. He ran his hands up to her shoulders, as she ran her fingers through his hair, deepening the heat in their kiss as he remained inside of her. There was something so intimate about the motionless contact, Ari could feel him deep inside of her as he licked her lower lip, holding her to his body affectionately.

Before they began this, Ari always imagined March would be rough and heated, but to her surprise, he was very warm and intimate. Despite his stone exterior throughout his daily life, his touch was full of feeling, and there was a closeness she had never felt before. There was a depth in his touch, as they continued their kiss, and his staggered breathing became very calm.

She noticed that the more they became comfortable with each other, the less shaky his hands were. The slower, and less jerking his movements were. The more he felt comfortable with their longing eye contact, and the less he looked away from her during sex.

They had created an undeniable bond, and it felt more and more serious the more they met this way, and it was something Ari craved deeply any time he was away. It wasn’t about the sex, so much as the intimacy. It seems they had both been starved of various forms of intimacy throughout their childhoods that finally getting a taste of it in adulthood was addictive. Not just physically, but emotionally, Ari was finding herself a little co-dependent on March in a way she had never experienced before.

Breaking their kiss, March lifted her from the bed, still deeply planted inside of her, lying her down on the edge of the bed. He looked down at her as he began coursing in and out of her, leaving a lot of sudden sensations after they had been still for so long. Ari could feel her body shaking as he began to go faster, holding her by the hips and pulling her body up to meet his with every thrust. He sighed and let a low moan escape his lips as he felt her body begin to spasm and tighten around him, getting closer and closer to her climax.

“M-March-” His name came out of her mouth stammered and in a whimper.

He loved the sound of his name on her lips. Every time she said his name, it sent a shiver down his spine. He leaned down toward her, Ari wrapping her arms around his shoulders, and began rutting into her roughly as broken moans escaped her lips. He could feel her body shaking intensely as he pushed into her through her climax, quickly approaching his own at the sensation of her body tightening around him.

March pulled out of her, releasing onto her stomach as he looked down at her, Ari looked up at him with longing eyes as she was breathing heavily. He enjoyed the sight of her, covered in his cum, looking up at him with her big eyes and flushed face. He grabbed a towel from her bathroom, ran it under water, and came back to help clean her up.

”.. I don’t think I’m ever going to get tired of that.” Ari said, still catching her breath as he ran the towel over her lower belly.

March chuckled and nodded his head in agreement, ”I think about you all day, most days.”

Finishing wiping her belly, she looked over at him, realizing he had said what he said. Ari felt the exact same way, she thought about March a good majority of the time, even as she was working on the farm. Even when she was with friends, or before she went to bed at night. He took over her mind, and she enjoyed it.

“I’m pretty sure you’ve taken over my mind at this point, I think about you almost the whole time I’m farming.” She laughed in admittance; it was nice she felt she could have this level of honesty.

“I had the biggest thing for you, it used to really piss me off.” March laughed to himself, lying down next to her, “I used to think it was so unfair. The one person taking over the town was taking over my mind.”

Ari smiled, looking over at him while he looked up at the ceiling of her cabin, “I’m on your team, not your competition.”

“I didn’t feel that way at the time..” March admitted, looking over at her, “Talking to you was.. Hard.”

"I just thought you hated me, to be honest." Ari said with a laugh, recalling a lot of the encounters they first had when she moved into Mistria, "Talking to you was intimidating."

March sighed, also recalling some of the things he'd said to her, "Yeah, I'm not great at that. I thought you were taking my place or something, I don't know."

Ari rolled over and propped herself up on his chest, giving him a brief kiss on the lips, "We're on the same team. I'm on your side."

Chapter Text

A few days later, Ari was sitting in her cabin, waking up to start another morning. Things had been going really well with minimum issues, and she had seen March nearly every day this past week. Both yesterday and today, March was preparing for a forging competition being held in the capitol, and he was taking it very seriously- as he should. There were a number of parameters regarding what could be crafted in this competition, so March was spending a lot of time studying the rules and guidelines so he wouldn’t get disqualified for any reason.

Ari was giving him a little space for now, while trying to maintain a gentle, supporting hand when he needed it. Ari had been distracting herself from his absence by working more around the farm. Today, she was going to be able to harvest her cabbages, and she was elated about that.

Enjoying her morning coffee and slowly waking up, Ari slipped on her shoes and walked out onto the deck, looking out into her fields. At this point, she had a number of different plots prepared for the next season’s plants. Summer was only a couple days away, so after her harvest today, she would have a few days to relax before planting all of the summer crops. She was ecstatic, thinking about all the new crops she would be able to plant for the upcoming season. Ari pulled her cardigan up and over her shoulders and began her way out to survey the cabbages.

They were perfect, ready for their new home in shipping boxes to help feed the town. Ari began her way through the crops, weeding and harvesting cabbages as she shuffled through the field on a warm spring morning. She was hoping to get this all finished before the sun as at it’s hottest, so she went through in a careful hurry, harvesting the cabbages and putting them all in their respective containers, one by one.

And done, Ari had pulled the last cabbage from it’s little home, and she looked over her cleared out field as she held it in her hands. This would be quite a bit of cash in her pocket, she had planted and grown 185 cabbages, and that was a major feat. Adeline always compensated Ari very well for her donations, and this time, Ari thought, maybe she could put this money toward making the cabin feel more like home. She really wanted to get a double bed, for when March stayed over. A nice one, Ari thought to herself. It felt a little odd being in a one-person bed, she was ready to level up.

Ari felt her phone vibrate, she unlocked it to see the first text from March today.

March: “Wish you were here.”

Ari: “I just got done harvesting all of my crops. Let me know if you want me to come by, or come over whenever you want. ☺”

March: “Come over in an hour? Love to see you.”

Ari: “I’ll be there”

Ari loved how casual their texts were now. Not long ago, they were both overthinking everything they said to each other and their level of communication was abysmally low. Now, they were almost cult-like in the way they communicated with each other in a way only they could understand. Even when they said nothing, they could both feel what was being said between them. There were still a couple walls, but for the most part their high level of defensiveness was lowered to a great degree. Not only that, but by getting to know March, she knew how to put his mind at ease. Telling him he can stop by whenever with no warning really sedated his jealous tendencies, and because Ari was so open with her home, and never hid the screen of her phone, and never had any secret meet-ups with anyone that she was trying to hide, it was a weight off of March and she could see the difference in his demeanor.

March was different when he could feel Ari was really in it.

He was really sensitive to the subtle things. He could sense when something was off, and he had a history of people leading him on whe their heart wasn’t really in it. He picked up on those small social queues, or the tone in a text message. He could feel when something was off, and he did have some issues with trust that lead him to act in defense at the first sign something was wrong.

Ari never wanted him to feel that way, it was easy to reassure him with words and actions, so she made a conscious effort to be as open with him as possible- and he returned that. Part of learning about March was realizing that he had a number of insecurities which manifested in jealousy, and he often closed himself off emotionally when things were hard.

But he was loving, and true. Ari could tell he was getting more and more attached to her as time went on, and she felt the exact same. She even had a level of codependence that she would have been really uncomfortable with a month ago. She thought about him all the time when he wasn’t around. She thought about their relationship, or their future, where things would lead. She thought about the feeling of his touch, thinking about kissing him and holding him close.

Things were really good.
They were both fumbling around this new relationship like toddlers attempting to walk for the first time, but they were figuring things out.

And Ari had big feelings for him at this point. She really appreciated his work ethic, and how he had a strong sense of morality. He always seemed to text her right when she was thinking of him, throughout the day. Ari wasn’t sure she had yet admitted to herself just how strongly she felt about March. She knew that this was really fast, just within a couple weeks, but it felt so incredibly right to be with him.

Ari finished up her work around the farm, and roughly an hour later she changed clothes and began her way over to the forge.

-------------------------------------------------------

Ari slowly opened the door to the forge, immediately seeing Olric standing at the work bench in the back of the shop.

“Oh, hey Ari! How can I help you..?” He asked, a big smile on her face, prepared to make a sale.

Oh, that’s right, Ari thought to herself, she had never come to see March at the forge before. She hadn’t really come over to the forge any time that wasn’t related to business. Maybe March hadn’t really told him much about how things had progressed between them- which wasn’t a surprise, because they were both reluctant to let anyone else in on their little safety bubble. Maybe inviting her over was March’s way of making her presence known.

“I’m just here to see March, actually.” Ari sad with a wave and an awkward smile as she shyly walked her way over to his door.

Olric seemed pleasantly surprised, as he covered his mouth slightly and quietly said, “O-oh, okay then.”

He watched as she knocked lightly on March’s door, and immediately the door opened and allowed her entry, March taking her by the hand and leading her in, shutting the door quickly behind them. He must have been in the middle of changing, since he was in the middle of changing his shirt, slipping the rest of it over his head after the door was completely shut.

“H-hey,” Ari said, leaning in and pressing a gentle kiss to his cheek, “I’m so happy to see you.”

“I’m.. Really glad you came over.” He said, he looked tired, taking her by the hand and leading her to come sit on his bed with him.

He looked like he hadn’t slept in awhile, he must really be pouring his energy and time into preparing for the upcoming competition. Ari had been giving him space so he wouldn’t feel suffocated while he was busy, but she thought about him basically the entire time they were apart.

She ran her hand over his forehead and down his cheek, “March.. You look like you haven’t slept in days, I hope you’ve been taking care of yourself.”

“I’ll have time to sleep later, it’s not a big deal.” He said with a smile, taking her hand from his face and holding it.

“When did you say you needed to travel to the capitol?” Ari asked, trying to estimate how much time they had together before his trip there.

“He day after tomorrow, I leave that morning..” He answered with a sigh, “I feel.. I don’t know.”

March stood up, walking across the room and pacing a bit before stopping in front of the mirror over his dresser. Ari got up from his bed, following him to his spot, looking into the mirror with him.

“Having doubts..?” Ari asked, running a hand up his arm, gently caressing his skin as they stood there in his mostly darkened room.

“I don’t know if I’ll be good enough. My competitors are from a lot of big cities across the area, I think they’ll have had a lot more exposure than I have..” He admitted, looking down at his hands on the dresser, “I usually feel a little more certain than this.”

Ari ran her hand up his chest and under his chin, tilting his face upward, into a more confident position, and lifting his head to look in the mirror.

“You are good enough.” Ari said, looking up at him as she altered his posture, “You’re incredible.”

He looked over to meet her eyes, she looked so serious.

March didn’t make a habit of telling anyone his insecurities, so even mentioning them this way went against everything in his body- but her response resonated with him deeply. Her supportive hand and serious words were exactly what he needed to hear right at that moment, and as the silence hung in the air, he looked from eye to eye at her, his feelings intensifying.

“Ari.” March said, taking a small step toward her, taking his hand, “I.. Would really like it if you could come with me.”

The trip to the capitol was a full two days, they would need to stay somewhere together, they would probably meet a lot of people and see many things. Ari had never been to the capitol, although she had been so many other places, so the idea of joining him appealed to her. That, and she had already been dreading him being gone for a few days.

”.. Of course. I’ll just ask Hayden to watch my crops for me, I’ll pay him in treats for Henrietta.” Ari said, stepping close to March, kissing his shoulder, and then his neck, “I would love to come with you.”

There it was again, that twinge in her stomach. Those butterflies. Every time she was close to March, any time his skin brushed against hers, any time she could hear his heartbeat or feel him breathing, she always got this deep, unignorable sense of longing. She knew he felt the same, by the way his body responded to just being near her. She could smell his skin when he broke out into a nervous sweat, she could feel the heat from his blood pumping.

They biologically responded to each other in very obvious ways, even from day one.

March looked from her eyes to her lips, and back into her eyes, and leaned into her, his lips gently taking hers. The intensity of the silence was taking her over, as he wrapped his arms around her waist. She could feel in his movements that he was low-energy, likely due to sleep deprivation, but it didn’t stop him from pressing her into the back of his door and pushing his body against hers as they continued their heated kiss.

At this point, he knew what she liked, and it made her weak. He ran his tongue over her bottom lip, one hand on the side of her face, as his tongue met with hers. At this point, they had so much trouble keeping their hands off of each other, they were like inseparable magnets. Every time he ran a finger over her navel, she felt her chest tighten. Every time he put a hand loosely around her neck, possessively, she felt her back arch. Every time he pressed himself against her thigh, she could feel a moan gather deep down in her chest just at the thought of how much he wanted her.

This was bad. Bad, in the way they were both absorbed into it.
But it was the best thing she had ever felt in her entire life.

“I-I can’t wait-” Ari said, turning toward the door and arching her back, sticking her rear toward him and looking back for him to follow.

He seemed a little taken aback at this, but understood the assignment. He laced his hands with hers, pressing them on the door, and began grinding his cock against her as she pushed back onto him, her ass grinding against him.

It had been a couple days since they last saw each other, and she was admittedly teased-out and completely losing her mind over him already. She wanted him. She wanted to feel taken control of by him.

He unlaced his hands with hers, to snake his hands down to the buttons of her pants, leaving kisses on her shoulder as he slowly undid them- agonizingly slowly. He was taking his time. After flicking the first button, he kissed up to her neck, nipping at her skin and causing her to gasp. Flipping the second button, he kissed up to her ear, running his tongue over her ear lobe and breathing hot air into it. Ari shuttered and scratched the door, still standing with her hands on the wood with her legs slightly parted.

As he unzipped her pants slowly, he let out a gruff whisper into her ear, ”.. You really want it that bad..?”

Ari gasped again, pushing her ass into his erection, “Y-yes, March, p-please..”

He pulled her pants gently and the fell to the floor, exposing her light blue panties as he pushed himself hard against her, ”.. You’ll have to be quiet, can you do that..?”

They both knew she probably couldn’t be quiet, but Ari nodded her head and intended to try her best to not be loud. She could feel every inch of him pressed up against her as he pressed his upper body against her back in an embrace. Above all else, he was a lover, and even in moments of haste sexual gratification, every bone in his body was screaming for some level of intimacy. But he also wanted to please her, so he unbuttoned his jeans, slipping them down, and unbuttoning his boxers. He began rubbing his hard cock between her thighs, her panties still in-tact as he grazed against her slowly.

Ari hummed quietly, parting her legs and rubbing onto him in any attempt to get as much friction as she possibly could. She hastily pulled down her panties, running out of patience. March looked down at her, watching his cock rub lewdly across her tight, pink, wet opening. In an attempt at getting him to enter, Ari stepped out of her pants and panties on the ground and spread her legs, arching her ass upward, and looking back at him. March felt a shiver run down his spine as he stopped grinding long enough to take a look at her.

She looked so.. Cute. She had an unsure look on her face, seeming like she was hiding behind her hair as she stood there, open and exposed, waiting for him to continue.

“Ari..” He said in a low voice, looking down at her body.

Instead of entering her, he got down on his knees and began lapping at her opening, earning a heated gasp from Ari.

“O-oh no not there- that’s-” She stammered, not expecting this, “A-ah-ah-“

He began rolling his tongue over her clit repeatedly, roughly licking and sucking at her folds as she trembled in pleasure. He began quickly moving his head back and forth as he sucked and lapped at her, putting more pressure between her and his face by grabbing her hips and pulling her into him. Continuing to lick her dripping wet opening, he coiled one hand around her body and began circling her clit with his thumb. Her body bucked, as he could hear her trying her best to stop from making too much noise.

So far she had done a good job of staying quiet, but he could tell by how much she was shaking that she was close to breaking. He stood up from his kneeling position, and pulled her back by her hips. Not wanting her to moan into the door leading out into the rest of the building, he pulled her from the door and pushed her into his dresser, where he was now able to fully see her face in the mirror. He looked her over, kissing her shoulder as he fumbled with the buttons on her shirt until her button-up was fully unbuttoned, and pulled her white lace bra up to her chin as he pressed his cock between her legs again, earning a moan from Ari as he wrapped one arm around her and began thumbing one of her rosy nipples. Ari blushed hard at the sight of herself in his mirror, his hands possessively placed one wrapped around her hip and playing with her clit, one pinching her nipple gently, and his mouth sucking at her neck as he rubbed himself between her thighs, creating so much sensation in so many sensitive areas.

“M-March p-please I can’t take it a-anymore..” Ari said, practically begging him to enter her at this point, she couldn’t take the slow pace he was driving at anymore.

“Ari..” He moaned into her ear, pushing the head of his cock to her dripping entrance, ”.. What are we..?”

He slowly began pushing into her as she stammered a moan, trying to process what he had asked. What were they? He began slowly pulling out and pushing into her, locking eyes with her in the mirror as he continued to play with her breast with one hand, and pull her into him by the hip with his other hand.

“I–” Ari stuttered, letting out short, gasping moans as his thrusts became quick and rhythmic, “I- M-March-“

”.. How do you feel about me.. Ari..?” He panted into her ear as he quickened his pace, looking at her in the mirror, his voice rough and rugged, “I need to know..”

She could feel his begging for validation in his voice, and she could feel the desperation in his touch as he intimately caressed and kissed her with each pull of their hips. She could sense his insecurity as his voice broke, as he hid his face behind her shoulder and he began bucking into her with more force. She was trying to string together a thought, she didn’t want her silence to be her answer. She felt she was putting him more and more on edge the longer she took, as his face dropped slightly, still fucking her with force as he pressed his forehead to her shoulder, seemingly hiding his eyes from her.

She could feel his hands begin to shake, he hid his face from her sight in the mirror.

“M-March-..? Wait-” Ari asked, putting a hand on his abs and stopping him briefly, pulling him out of her and turning to face him, putting her hands on both sides of his face, “.. I have never felt about anyone, the way I feel about you.”

March stared her in the eyes for what felt like minutes, and after a brief silence, pulled her face to his with a rough kiss, lifting her by the thighs and setting her up on the edge of her dresser, quickly reentering her. They had fumbling, trembling hands as they roughly and passionately kissed, running their hands through each others hair. March let out a short moan as he pulled back out of her, and he began pushing back into her repeatedly as she held onto him, returning his lips to hers as he began rutting into her with force. She held onto him tightly as he bucked into her body, arching her back, not breaking their kiss. She moaned into his mouth repeatedly as his hands latched onto her hips, pulling her into his body.

He broke their kiss, looking down at her flushed face as he laid into her trembling body over and over again, his eyes dark and pleading as his fingers gripped her skin, “Please.. Tell me you want me..”

Ari’s staggered voice broke as he began hitting that little soft spot just above her cervix, her body trembled in sensation as she saw spots in her vision, “M-M-Mar-ch.. O-oh my g-god..”

He began really leaning into that spot, fucking her faster, pushing down on her lower stomach as he roughly dragged her hips to meet his. He could see she was close to climax, as her walls clamped down on his cock, tightening and spasming around him.

”.. Tell me.. That I’m not just a t-toy to you..” He said, really laying into her body as roughly as he could, watching her face as her voice bottomed out and she was only gasping as he sent her through her rocky and intense orgasm, her legs shaking as they stay wrapped loosely around his waist.

Slowing down briefly, catching her breath, Ari lifted herself up on her elbows and brought herself closer to his face.

“Y-you are not a toy to me, March.” Ari said, gently grabbing his face with one hand, pulling him to meet eyes with her as he continued pushing in and out of her, his pace slowing a bit until he was motionless inside of her, “It.. Hurts my feelings that you would even think that..”

There was a pause between them as he searched her eyes.

“You said you’ve never felt this way about anyone.. But you didn’t tell me what you felt.” He said with a low voice, both of them breathing heavily, he kissed her cheek softly and ran his nose over her skin affectionately, ”.. Tell me. Please.”

She could tell this was something he really needed, and Ari was really bad at explaining how she felt in words. She never really had the time to learn how to give affirming words to others during her childhood, so this was a new thing for her. It was something she felt, but saying anything to describe it felt so.. Exposing. It felt so raw and emotional, in a way she didn’t know how to express- or where to start. She understood that if hearing affection were important, how everything being touch and not at all words could look like it was all about the sex for someone who needed to hear these things.

She pulled his lips to hers in a gentle kiss, a reassuring kiss, one that she wanted to be sure he knew what emotion she was trying to convey with it. If words of affirmation were one of his love languages, she would have to learn how to be that for him, but in this moment, she needed at least thirty seconds to put it together in her head before she said it.

“W-when Ryis asked me what I imaged my husband would be like in a few years..” Ari said admittedly, maintaining eye contact but feeling exposed and like she wanted to run away, ”.. It was easy to give an answer..”

Ari could feel his hands grabbing her hips harder at the sound of Ryis’s name, and his eyes flickered something she couldn’t describe.

“It was easy to answer, because when I imagined myself with a husband.. It was you.” Ari felt extremely bare in that moment, locking eyes with March, and for a second she could have sworn she saw surprise in his expression.

His face softened as he looked down at her lips, kissing her. He lifted her from the dresser, still deep inside of her, and sat down on his bed with her in his lap, deepening their kiss. He held her for a long time, running his hands up her back and embracing her, gasping a quiet moan into her mouth as her body twitched around his erection. Ari noticed March could never get close without some type of intimacy, it was something he really needed. He seemed to only really feel connected to her when they were facing each other, and when she was facing away it felt like he thought she was disconnecting.

They both knew it was still so fast, to be talking about things like that. It was an honest answer, and they both felt it, but it was really early on to be talking about marriage. His body responded to it positively, she could feel in his touch that her answer took away his insecurities.

Could it be that he had thought about it, too?

He pulled her down with him as he lay back on the bed, running his hands through her hair as they kissed. Ari, breaking their kiss, placed a gentle kiss on his forehead as she sat up and looked down at him.

“Your turn.” She said with an uncertain tone and a blush, “Tell me.. How do you feel about me, March..?”

He ran a finger across her soft skin on her stomach, biting his lower lip as he looked up at her, seemingly putting a little thought into what he was going to say.

“I think you’re it for me. The end.” He said quietly, a light blush forming on his face as he put his hands on her hips, looking back up at her.

Ari was a little confused by what he meant, so tilting her head, she ran a hand down his cheek and asked, “The end..?”

March nodded, elaborating in a quiet, slightly shaky voice, “Happily ever after. The end.”

Ari could feel the corners of her mouth pulling downward and felt her eyes actually tear up a little bit, as she covered her mouth. March had a slight look of concern, noticing her emotional response, and sat up to wrap his arms around her.

“I-I didn’t mean to upset you-” He whispered in a hushed voice, holding her close to him, he hadn’t predicted this being a response possiblity.

Ari softly giggled in her own insecurity and thinking how she reacted was silly, with a sniffle, putting her hands over her face in embarrassment of her uncontrolled emotions, “I’m not upset, March.. That made me really happy.. You took me off guard.”

March pulled back from their embrace to look at her, and she pulled his face to hers with both hands and kissed him, passionately holding him to her as his arms wrapped around her waist. Pushing him back down onto the bed, she began rocking her hips back and forth, deepening their kiss as she began grinding down onto his erection, which was still inside of her. Ari moaned into his mouth, as he put his hands on her hips and began bucking up into her, meeting her hips in a rhythm.

He broke their kiss, closing his eyes and tilting his head back slightly as he moaned at the feeling of her tightly wrapped around his cock, and the sensitivity of having been motionless for so long before.

“Oh-Oh… N-nhh.. A-Ari..” March moaned as she began bouncing herself down onto him, holding herself slightly above him, pushing and pulling the head of his cock in and out of her opening at a fast pace as she ran her tongue from his neck to his ear lobe, sucking on it and breathing hot moans into his ear, “I-I..”

She could feel his hands shaking as his voice quivered, she could feel his cock pulsating as he grew closer and closer to his climax.

“N-Not quite yet.. Hold on for a little bit longer..” Ari said as she slid all the way down to the base of his cock, pushing him all the way inside again.

She kissed him deeply, she could feel his jagged breathing, he moaned into her mouth as he tried to steady his breathing, “I-I don’t know if I can..”

She looked down at him as she slowly rocked back and forth on his erection, looking down at him with sultry eyes as she could hear the strain in his voice as he tried to stifle a moan. He was gritting his teeth, his jaw was tight as she took his hands and held them above his head, interlocking their fingers, grinding ever so slowly down on him.

“Ari..-” He said her name like a warning, as she began lifting herself off of his cock slowly, and then sliding back down on it agonizingly slowly.

She could feel him coming unraveled as he tried to steady his breathing, his fingers interlocked with hers, gripping her hands tightly and shook as she began quickening her pace again, using her leverage to bounce on his cock. She let go of his hands as she began rubbing her own clit, feeling her body clench onto his cock tightly as the sensation took over her. March put his hands on her hips and began thrusting up into her, another moan escaping his mouth as he looked up at the image of her enjoying him. He began to rut up into her body, losing control over himself as he shook.

“A-Ari- I’m gonna c-cum..” He said it as another warning, his voice was soft but alerted as she continued bouncing on top of him, looking him in the eyes as he lie there panting.

He sat up, meeting her in an embrace, and began to slow as he got too close to release, she kissed him deeply, continuing to rock back and forth on his erection, earning a whimper from March, something she had never heard from him before, “Ari- I-I’m close..”

“Cum for me..” Ari said, breaking their kiss and looking him in the eyes as he searched her face, light gasps escaping his lips as she continued lifting herself on and off of his cock.

He stuttered a moan and felt his eyes water slightly at the intensity of their intimacy, gripping her hips tightly and pulling her into him, feeling the sensation of her tightening around his cock as he was pushed closer and closer to the edge.

He began pulling her hips down into him harder, closing his eyes tightly and tensing his jaw as he began desperately chasing his own release. Feeling a tear roll down his cheek, he wrapped his arms around her waist and clung to her tightly.

“A-ri- N-nh..” He let out a trembled, heat-filled gasp, as he felt himself pump hot liquid into Ari, filling her cavity as she moaned at the sensation of it, "F-fuck.."

It was easily the most intense climax he had ever had, after being edged for over an hour. His hearing went out, due to all of the muscles around his head tightening, and he felt lightheaded as he let out a shaking moan, it was like nothing he had ever felt. Holding it together for that long was torturous, but it was one of the best orgasms he'd ever had, if not the best. They were also riding an emotional high after everything that had been said, which only added to the intensity of the experience.

"Th-that feels s-so good, March.." Ari panted, running her hands through his hair affectionately, reassuringly, their bodies still tightly pressed together as they slowed down in a long, intimate moment.

Feeling his cum drip down from her, down his cock, he looked at her, still searching her expression, only finding one of pleasure. She kissed him heavily, their tongues meeting as they embraced each other, they stayed wrapped up in each other’s arms for some time.

He lie down on the bed, still kissing her, running his fingers through her hair as she held his face with both hands. After a few minutes, Ari gently rolled off of him, sliding his cock out of her, and feeling the fluid run down from her as they both caught their breath. March, sitting up, grabbed a towel he had hanging from his desk chair and wiped himself off, and walking over to Ari began to clean her up as she lie there looking up at him.

”.. It’s like it gets better every time..” Ari said quietly, “I guess maybe I didn’t know it was like that..”

March, at this point, looked exhausted. He had already been tired before all of this, so now he was practically falling asleep as he slid his boxers back on and lie next to her in his bed. Ari, pulling her panties back on, lie next to him and cover them both with his blanket.

”.. I sleep a lot better with you next to me.”

Chapter Text

Ari opened her eyes slowly, realizing she was in March’s room still. She bolted up, in harsh realization of being in a different environment than usual. Ari almost never slept anywhere outside of her house, so it was jarring. She felt March stir next to her, but he was still asleep.

Looking down at March, Ari felt a little less tense. He was rolled over on his stomach, laying with one arm under his pillow, and one arm had fallen from being draped across her while they slept. She took a few solitary moments in the silence of his bedroom to acclimate a bit. It was still early enough that the sun was barely peaking out, and the sky outside his window was still gray. She hadn’t slept nearly as long, but they did end up falling asleep together pretty early.

Ari smiled to herself, thinking back on their night before.
It was.. Like nothing she had ever felt before-

Ari shook her head, she needed to stop describing her feelings that way. She needed to really start putting how she felt into words, instead of just describing it as “new feeling” in her head.

She had never felt this much before, so putting words to these things wasn’t as simple as one might think. She felt.. Attached. Alive. This was something she could touch, something she could feel with her own skin. March brought her peace, and Ari found herself seeing him as a symbol, the first thing she saw when she first came to Mistria. It’s like he was meant to be there, at that moment, and he was the only person here who had really seen her.

At some point, she wanted to be real with him about her identity, who she was outside of who she currently is. Her skills and talents, her achievements that she doesn’t claim, all the things she knows and everything she’s learned from living the hard life she had. Some day, she wanted to tell him those things. It may not be today, but some day, and that feeling of trust was an investment for Ari.

But saying all of those things to March.. That was hard.
There was intimacy they built on every day, but there are times his need for validation and security conflicted with her ability to comfortably be vulnerable. And her vulnerability to intimacy was also hard for her to accept, and she always felt silly when she felt emotional.

After all, she was taught her entire life that her feelings were unnecessary.

Ari sat back up from the pillow and slowly made her way out of the bed, being sure not to stir March too much. Through their steamy encounter the night before, she had lost her button-up somewhere around the room or in the bed, and she really needed to use the bathroom after being in there for hours sleeping, so she slipped on a green and black shirt of March’s from his chair, which covered below her thighs. She had her shorts on underneath, but they couldn’t be seen.

She slowly and carefully cracked open the door to his room, peeking out, trying to be quiet- but Olric was immediately in sight of the door, standing by the register. He was trying to look nonchalant, but Ari could tell he had a million thoughts going through his head even before she stepped out of the room.

“G- um.. Good morning!~” Olric said, trying to hide his surprise, “Nice shirt, looks good on ya.”

Ari blushed, covering her face and pulling down the shirt slightly, “Thanks..! Um, i just need to use your bathroom, excuse me..!”

“So.. I couldn’t help but notice.. You’ve been getting really close to March! I think that’s really great.. I really do.” Olric said, a genuine smile on his face, “I have to admit, I’m almost surprised he’s been so receptive to this kind of thing.. He showed no interest for so long.”

Ari paused, looking at him curiously, ”.. Really..?”

“Well yeah, he acts like all the girls here think he’s an asshole,” Olric shrugged, turning and wiping a smudge from the display, “But actually, he’s the one who always keeps things at arm’s length.”

That confused Ari. March told her the reason he hadn’t dated was because the girls in town all already knew what he was like, and it made sense because it was obvious he was kind of a loner.

”.. Well, I hope that doesn’t mean he’ll get sick of me.” Ari said with a small chuckle, but a little vulnerability, showing a flash of her own insecurity.

“Well that’s why I’m so surprised,” Olric smiled quietly, with a gentle sigh, “I could tell he liked you before, but.. I never thought he would let it happen. He never just lets himself have a good thing. He deserves good things.”

Ari smiled, looking down at the ground, “I just hope he knows I don’t plan to be a good thing, I’m aiming for the best thing. I don’t have any trophies or medals like he does, but being the best thing for him is a competition I’m ready to win.”

“I at least give you a gold star for effort, I can tell his energy had changed.” Olric said, gesturing toward his room, “Oh, uh, the bathroom’s right down the hall in the back. Sorry if I held you up.”

“I didn’t mind, thank you for the chat, Olric.” Ari waved with a smile, carrying down the hall and into the bathroom.

Ari did her business, and she looked at herself in the mirror in the new morning light. She felt.. Different. That was the second night they had slept next to each other, and Ari found herself feeling she could sleep next to him every night. Ari spent time brushing the sleep out of her eyes, splashed a little water on her face, and brushed out her hair with her fingertips. She would have to make up a stayover bag, she thought to herself.

She made her way back to his room and closed the door behind her quietly, then turned to see March was awake. She slipped her shorts back off so she was only wearing his shirt, and made her way back into the bed next to him.

“Oh, I thought maybe you’d left.” He said, rubbing his eye and fixing his headband.

“Nope, just a quick trip. Said hi to Olric.” Ari said, pulling the blanket up over her shoulder and wrapping her arms around March.

March chuckled to himself, “Yeah, I bet he said something when he saw you in that.”

March gestured to his shirt, which she was still wearing. Ari chuckled, pulling herself closer to him in a cuddle.

“You know him well, he did say something.” Ari smiled, as he wrapped an arm around her, turning toward her.

”.. I hope that’s all he said, he likes to reveal my deepest secrets on a whim.” March said jokingly, but also somewhat sounded playfully annoyed.

Ari pulled herself on top of him, straddling him, his hands on her hips. She still had the blanket over her shoulders, his shirt still on her body, and she looked down at March who was wearing no shirt and only his boxers. He was so.. Built. Even when he wasn’t flexing, you could see the outline of each muscle of his torso. He looked sleepy, his voice was rough and tired, and he was really relaxed. She could feel that his energy was peaceful.

He ran his hands under his shirt, feeling the soft skin of her belly, and he looked up at her with sleepy eyes. He ran one hand down her belly and over her thigh, sending goosebumps over her entire body.

”.. Geez March, you’re making me all tingly, it’s too early.” Ari giggled, grabbing his hand and holding it.

He looked at her with serious eyes, lifting a hand and touching her cheek, ”.. You look so cute in the morning..”

Ari leaned down slowly and kissed him, March putting both hands on the sides of her face and running his fingers down her neck and shoulders affectionately. She could feel his breathing hitch slightly as their kiss deepened, he wrapped his arms around her shoulders. Ari broke their kiss, giving him small, sweet pecks all over his face.

March smiled as she sat back up, running her hands over his chest slowly, and said quietly, “You look good in my shirt..”

Ari smiled, looking down and then back up at him, ”.. You look great without it.”

They both laughed quietly at their clear and unabashed flirting. March ran his hands up her thighs, watching her face for a reaction as he reached the hem of her panties. He watched as all the baby hairs on her legs and arms stood on end at his touch. Ari closed her eyes and sighed, something about the way he touched her made her feel liberated. Like she was land that he claimed from a tyrant and set free. Ari hadn’t been able to openly have these feelings without the guilt before, and between them, it was a safe space. She felt safe with March.

She could already feel his body’s reaction to even the slightest touch, erect beneath her. Ari felt her face grow hot as she felt him press up into her gently. Ari had never woken up and had sex with anyone before, or even this type of early morning sensual touching and holding. It was so new to her.

“I’m glad you stayed.” March said quietly.

“I would stay every night if we could.” Ari said sweetly, watching his hands travel her skin like a roadmap.

”.. We’re never going to get anything done.” March said, running his hands up her shirt, his fingertips gently caressing her nipples.

Ari shivered, reflexively pulling her arms up to cover her breasts, with a giggle, “H-hey.. Don’t get me started..”

They both laughed quietly, but both came to a serious halt, looking down and then looking up into each other’s eyes. Ari pushed herself down onto him, and he reflexively inhaled and shakily pushed up into her, meeting her friction. She could see when his eyes became dark, that desire started to burn deep in an instant. Taking initiative, Ari leaned back a bit, and slowly pulled his erection out of his boxers, revealing it. In the daylight, this was the first time she had actually been able to clearly see him.

Ari looked back at him, rubbing him with her soft hands. He put one arm just over his eyes, peeking at her with one eye as his breathing began to stagger. He covered his eyes with his arm as his body trembled with every touch.

”.. D-don’t get YOU started..?” He sighed, watching her run her fingertips from the bottom to the top of his cock.

In one motion, Ari pulled her panties to the side, steadied herself above him, and began slowly inching him into her. She could tell she took him by surprise, and he let out a shaky moan.

“O-oh.. Ari-!” He moaned out, uncovering his eyes and looking up at her, his jaw was tense and his hands were shaking as he put them on her thighs.

Ari braced herself, slowly sliding the rest of the way onto his cock and resting there for a second, letting her body get used to the sensation of him inside of her. She moved her hips back and forth, letting him stretch her insides, still feeling a little sore from the night before but not minding too much.

”.. You know.. I love feeling connected to you.. Like this..” Ari said slowly, leaning down, the blanket still on her shoulders, meeting his lips with hers.

She could feel his body respond to her touch, his hands were shaking as they ran across her skin, he closed his eyes as they kissed. The kiss was sweet and gentle, she slowly planted another on his cheek, and another on his forehead.

”.. You mean that..?” He asked her, not opening his eyes, still feeling her lips pressed to his forehead, “I mean.. You feel that way..? About me..?”

She could feel the insecurity in that question.

”.. I’ve never felt that way about anyone else.” Ari said, kissing back down to his lips, and humming into his mouth as he began moving his hips.

“I want to feel closer to you..” March said, looking into her eyes, and giving her a gentle kiss on the lips before lifting her off of him.

He pulled them over, flipping himself on top of her in a missionary position, pulling her legs up to his hips as they lie shielded beneath his blanket. His chest was against hers, his face was so close to her face. He took his time prodding at her entrance as she began to shake, suddenly things felt so much more serious now.

“M-March..” Ari whispered, holding his face with both hands and pulling him closer to her, their chests pressing together as he remained perched at her entrance, ”.. Go slow..”

He pushed himself into her slowly, carefully allowing them both to feel the sensation of it, entirely. She could feel his heart beating, his hands shaking. She could hear his breath become dysregulated with every motion. He moaned softly as his erection hit the bottom of her crevice, letting it rest there as they lie with their faces pressed cheek to cheek, enjoying this long moment.

Something about having her arms wrapped around him this way, having him between her legs, pressed chest to chest.. It was different. It felt intense. And despite being fast being a lot of sensation, going slow was a lot of intensity.

As he pulled out of her slowly, he pulled his face toward her, pressing his lips to hers gently, really tasting the flavor of her skin as he focused hard on the sensation of her body tightening around his. Pushing back into her, they both let out a mutual moan, Ari’s legs shaking slightly at the reentry, her hairs standing up on end. She could feel his muscular torso flexing against her skin, and his body was like a shield as she lie small beneath him.

Their kiss continued as he began unintentionally going slightly faster, his urges getting the best of him as he tried to remain in control, his tongue begging for entry into her mouth. As she parted her lips and their tongues met, she felt a surge of ecstasy hit his body as his breathing hitched and the both moaned quietly, the pace getting ever faster as their kiss grew more intense.

She could feel his body tremble as he gasped into her mouth, their hips making noise as their bodies met repeatedly. He propped himself up above her with his arms and began slamming into her body, Ari whimpered quietly as she tried to keep herself from being too loud, running her soft hands gently over his chest and stomach, touching his skin and watching his body flex. He was watching her face, his face red with pleasure, his body shaking as he held himself above her and laid into her. He enjoyed seeing her uncontained pleasure, and he reveled in the knowledge of how great he could make her feel.

“T-touch yourself, Ari..” March gasped between thrusts, taking in the sight of her, ”.. I want you to rub your clit..”

Ari appealed to his gentle demand, and ran her fingers down her belly and onto her clit, beginning to rub it back and forth as he continued fucking her roughly.

He shuttered as her body tightened around him, they both moaned at the sensation of it. Ari was starting to shake, getting close to her climax, his name began to tumble from her mouth in shaking whimpers, and every time she said his name he felt a shiver go up his spine.

March motioned his arms under her legs and lifted both of her legs up to her shoulders, pushing his cock even deeper into her, earning a yelp from Ari as she covered her mouth, realizing she couldn’t control the noises she was making. March looked down at her, her face was blushed, her legs lifted up to her shoulders, her hair was a mess, and as she said his name, it began to be only a whimper as he forcefully bucked into her, earning some sounds from Ari he had never heard before.

He had never felt his cock buried so deep in her before, at this angle he could feel everything, and as Ari continued to rub her clit as instructed, her body was clamped hard around him as she approached nearer and nearer to her climax. Her legs began to shake, and as her moans became more and more noticeable, he kissed her heatedly and roughly, laying into her as quickly as he could, both of them moaning and gasping into their kiss.

“I-I-” Ari stuttered, whimper in her voice, “M-March-“

She couldn’t even get a thought out before her entire body convulsed and shuttered, his name spilling out of her mouth over and over again as he fucked her through her intense orgasm. He watched her face, taking in how she looked, being in so much pleasure at his hands. She couldn’t contain herself.

He slowed slightly as she came down from her high, still slowly pushing in and out of her, lowering himself down and pressing his chest back against hers, kissing her deeply as their pace became more relaxed. He was close, but he was enjoying this. He was holding onto himself pretty well, as he pulled out of her, pulling her into a sitting up position, and motioning to her to turn around.

This was different to Ari, as usually March liked positions where they were facing each other, and if they were facing away from each other.. He seemed to feel like they weren’t connecting as much. He sat back on his legs, pulling her backward onto his cock, to where she was sitting in his lap. They began moving together as he grabbed her breasts, running his hands down to her hips, beginning to thrust harder into her. Ari closed her eyes, moaning quietly as he bounced her up and down on his cock.

Pushing her forward to where she was on all fours, he spread her legs farther, pushing deeper into her at a new angle. She felt her toes beginning to tingle and her body starting to lose control as he pushed her upper back down toward the bed and pulling her into him hard by her hips, the sheer force of him pounding into her was making her body shake.

“March.. O-oh..” Ari whimpered through gasps, sending a wave of pleasure through March’s body as he tilted his head back, still laying into her.

He was coming close, but was trying to hold off as long as possible, he was letting out quiet moans, watching Ari in pleasure as he pushed as deep into her as he could, aiming for that soft spot. Ari’s body was bucking and shaking as he carried her though her second climax, and as she tightened around his cock, a jolt went through his body as he couldn’t hold himself off anymore.

“D-do you want me to.. Pull out,,?” He moaned, asking permission in a rushed tone, shaking.

“Inside..-” Ari gasped as she shook through her pleasure, “I-I want to feel you..”

March’s body tremored as he got closer to his climax, he gripped her hips hard with both hands, pulling her back onto his cock as he went as fast as he could, rutting into her as she lie face down on his bed with her ass up and her legs fully spread, the sound of their bodies meeting was quick and rough as he chased his own release.

“O-Oh..- Ari-” March tilted his head back, whimpering her voice in a soft moan, “Nn-Nnhh..”

They both sighed as he sunk into her, releasing everything he had, hot streams of cum packing the inside of her, and dripping out from her as she overflowed. March pulled out of her, looking down at her dripping opening as she stay ass up.

He rubbed his cock, looking at her wet opening, dripping with his cum, and biting his lip, he repositioned himself and pushed back into her, leaning over her affectionately and wrapping his arm around her hip, quickly flicking her overly sensitive clit as he, still fully hard, began fucking her quickly.

Ari, surprised by his reentry and his sudden roughness, moaned out loudly in pleasure, March used his other hand to stifle her moans. Ari pulled her hand up, taking his fingers and lewdly putting them in her mouth, sucking on them, pushing them back into her throat. March moaned out at the sensation of her sucking on his fingers, as he pushed quickly in an out of her, a new slick from his cum making good lubrication as he flipped her clit back and forth.

Ari had never felt anything this.. Animalistic.
She had never felt March this primal. It was.. Invigorating.

“O-Oh God- Ari-” March moaned softly, the feeling of her slick hole sliding across his cock was already bringing him close again.

Ari began running her tongue up and down his fingers, still in her mouth, as he pushed into her repeatedly. She was shoving them halfway down her throat, moaning onto them as he lay into her. At the sensation of him rubbing her clit, she spread her legs as far apart as they would go, her chest touching the bed. He pulled his fingers from her mouth and leaned down to whisper to her.

“Ari, hold the pillow to your face..” March said, gently pushing her downward.

Ari pulled the pillow up to her face, chest on the mattress, keeping herself from making any sound. It was as if he’d been holding back, because as soon as she covered her mouth, he began pounding into her with so much force it was making her body stutter. She was yelping into the pillow, pleasure overcoming her as she felt another wave coming on. He was still flicking her clit, she could feel his cum had made her so wet, it was dripping from her. At this point she was completely at his will, following his commands, reveling in the insane pleasure he was providing.

She loved watching him fully let himself go, as he was doing things she had never seen him do before. She felt.. Alive. Free. She felt so safe, letting him have full reign of her body as she simply allowed herself to take in the pleasure. He was exploring her, seeing all of her, and she could feel him shaking as he quietly moaned and gasped, enjoying her body.

He pulled out of her, rubbing his cock quickly, shaking and softy moaning as he looked down at her, legs spread, ass up, face in his pillow.

“O-Oh.. Ari..” He shook as he came thick webs of cum across her opening.

Pushing into her halfway through his orgasm, he quicky pounded into her through the rest of his climax, pumping hot cum into her and watching as it dripped from her body. He moaned softly as he watched his love drip from her as he continued. He proceeded to quickly and roughly pound into her, despite having already climaxed, both of them twitching and moaning with over-sensitivity, until she began to shake, reaching closer to another climax.

“I-I don’t think I can-..” Ari said, muffled into the pillow as he began fucking her harder, pushing her down and pulling her hips up into him.

“O-one more…” He stuttered, persisting as she dripped his hot cum onto the bed, “I-I want to make you feel good..”

With every thrust, Ari let out an uncontrolled whimper, moaning in pleasure, feeling herself grow closer and closer to the edge. Her toes were tingling, her hearing was going out, and she was beginning to see spots as he pounded into her, leaning forward and hitting her soft spot as she felt her body tingle. He was rubbing her clit quickly, lubricated by his cum, and it began to twitch and her body began to tense up. She felt a hot liquid leave her body as he roughly rutted into her, it was like nothing she’d ever felt before. Feeling it, March moaned in pleasure, watching her release.

“O-oh God.. Ari-..” He moaned, “That’s so fucking h-hot..”

March pulled out of her, running his hands sensually over her back and shoulders as they both caught their breath. She rolled over on her back and lie there, March taking a place next to her, both of them breathing hard and shaking.

“Holy shit..” Ari sighed, still shaking with pleasure, “I-I didn’t know it could be that g-good..”

He was going to need to replace his sheets, they were completely soaked, Ari almost felt bad for being so inconvenient. March wrapped his arms around her, kissing her on the shoulder and affectionately holding her against him.

“I feel like I can be anything for you..” March whispered into her shoulder, kissing up to her neck.

Ari looked over to him, running her nose against him affectionately, ”.. I just want you..”

They locked eyes, moving slow, planting kisses and touching each other’s skin sensually as they lie next to each other.

----------------------------------------------------------

After awhile, they both got up, cleaning up themselves, cleaned up his room, put any wet bedding in a hamper for later, found her missing clothes, and got up out of bed- relcutant to join the rest of the world but needing to prepare for their trip to the Capitol.

Ari picked up her wallet and March followed behind her as they exited his room, walking out into the empty lobby. March looked at the front door, realizing their “Open” sign had been switched to “Closed” really early in the morning, it was only just now about noon.

Olric walked out into the lobby carrying a box of things to sort through.

“We’re closed?” March asked him, gesturing to the sign up front.

Olric pressed his lips together, suppressing a grin, “It’s better the town doesn’t have to hear everything I’ve heard this morning. I’m sparing the customers, we can be closed for a couple hours today.”

March put a hand over his face, his face growing red with a dark blush, “O-oh, I’m.. Fuck, we were that loud..?”

“Oh yeah, that sounded crazy bro, I’m not even sure what to say. Congrats, I guess..?” Olric said, sounding like he was somewhat impressed, trying to make it clear he wasn’t trying to judge, ”I mean it’s obvious you’ve got game, that’s great-“

”!- O-okay- Let’s- We’re gonna head out, Jesus Christ.” March stammered, clearly shook, leading Ari out by the hand and flipping the sign to open on their way out.

Chapter Text

Ari and March had a number of tasks they wanted to complete for the day, they needed to get some food for the trip and a tent. The capitol was about a two-day travel trip, and there weren’t really many town in between, so they planned on trecking there by foot and setting up a camp halfway through. They could stay at an actual inn when they reached the capitol, but until then there wouldn’t be too many shops or places to stay in between.

“I’m not sure how much traveling you’ve done, I know you’ve been a lot of places, but there won’t be many stops in between-” March explained, walking next to her through Mistria to the inn.

“I’m not worried about it.” Ari said with a smile, sensing his hesitation on her level of comfort during the hike, “I think we’ll manage just fine, it’s just two days. We’ll need a lot of water to bring with, but I’ve gone more than two days on just snack food before.”

He looked over at her quietly, not seeming to know how to respond to what she’d said, maybe looking for her to seem solemn or sad, but she wasn’t. Ari had a way of casually talking about her experiences to others, things most people would feel upset having to deal with, but Ari didn’t seem to have much emotion about the struggles she had been through.

“I have to ask,” March leveled with himself, feeling like something needed to be said, ”.. How long have you traveled with no stops..?”

Ari thought to herself, placing a finger thoughtfully on her chin, “Hm.. Well, when you have no where to go it doesn’t feel like ‘traveling,’ it feels more like wandering.”

March paused, looking down at the ground with a furrowed brow, ”.. How long did you wander..?”

Ari wasn’t sure she wanted to talk much about it, she could sense March was deep in thought about how her life may have been before she came to Mistria, and it wasn’t something she wanted him to worry about. She battled with herself about how to respond, feeling that she owed him the honesty, but wanting to keep it light.

“Well.. I turned eighteen four and a half-ish years ago.. And I moved here a month ago.. So I would say I wandered for probably just over four years.” Ari said, a smile in her voice, still trying to keep it light, ”I learned a lot of things from a lot of people, and I met so many crazy characters- you wouldn’t believe the kinds of situations you’ll get into when you have to rely on knowing other people to get by.”

March listened intently, still looking at the ground as they walked.

“You know, most of the people I met only exist in what they taught me and the experiences I had with them, since I’ll probably never see most of them again.” Ari chuckled to herself, looking up at the clouds, “I’ve.. Been at peace with that for a long time.”

March looked over to her, ”.. If you had to leave Mistria tomorrow, would you view me that same way..?”

The question was heavy.
And it was real.
Ari’s smile dropped, as her face showed her clear surprise at just how raw that question was. She had been trying to keep it light, but March was asking the question she was avoiding in her mind. Ari ran every time things got too much, or her past found her. She left every town and every person she had ever had real life experiences with, and her lack of attachment to people was likely rooted in her upbringing.

She had siblings, never saw any of them or her caregivers again.
She had parents, never knew their names.
Ari did have issues with attachment that she hadn’t completely addressed, and while she did feel attached to March in a way she had never experienced in the past, she did often wonder to herself what she would do if her past did find her in Mistria.

”.. To an extent, I would have to view you that way.” Ari said honestly, still looking at the clouds, “It hurts a lot when you leave the people you know behind. Seeing them the way I see them is how I’ve coped with the negative feelings of having so much loss.”

There was a dense silence between them for a moment.

“But that’s why I don’t plan to leave.” Ari said, looking over at him seriously, putting a hand on his upper arm and pulling herself to him, ”.. I have no intention on running from the life I’ve created here. This town is the first place I’ve ever felt at home in my entire life.”

As they reached the inn, March leaned over to her and kissed her on the cheek, leading her into the inn with her hand still linked on his arm. As the guest bell rang, Hemlock looked over and smiled, his face showing a hint of surprise. March and Ari really hadn’t gone out many places together, and they were still pretty new to public displays of affection, so a lot of people probably will be surprised to see them suddenly acting so close.

“Well hello! It’s good to see you both!” Hemlock greeted with a grin, “How can I help you today?”

“We’re going on a trip to the capitol, we just need to grab a few things to take with us. If you have some golden cookies available, that would be great.” March said, looking over the display case of foods, Ari standing behind him quietly.

“So Ari, you’re going to the capital? Is this your first trip there?” Hemlock asked, tilting his head.

“It is. I’m excited to see what it’s like, can you tell me a little about it?” Ari asked, stepping closer to March, pressing her face to his shoulder.

Hemlock quirked an eyebrow and smiled as he watched them, they were drawn to each other like magnets, and any time March moved, Ari lingered toward him physically, keeping herself at his side.

“The place is enormous, you wouldn’t believe!~ It’s been years since I’ve had a reason to head over there, but it leaves a mark in your memory, that’s for sure!” Hemlock said excitedly, using his hands to gesture how huge the place is, “You’re going for the competition, right? Olric mentioned it when he came by last night, I think it’s amazing you’re representing Mistria, March! You’ll do great. I have no doubt you’ll bring us up in rank, you’re unbeatable at your craft.”

Ari looked down, noticing March’s expression change to more of an uncertain frown. Ari ran her hand down his arm, linking her fingers with his and rubbing her thumb over his skin, reassuringly. She could sense his insecurity, she knew he felt a lot of pressure about this competition. March cared a lot about Mistria’s rank.

“He’s incredible.” Ari said, looking down at March as he continued to look in the display case.

March glanced up at her with a light blush on his face, a small smile pulling at the corner of his mouth, and then looked back toward the selection of food, gently squeezing her hand.

“I’m sure most of these blacksmiths are.” March said matter-of-factly, “I’d like to buy four orders of your garlic bread, four of your mushroom rice, four green tea, and eight bottles of water for both of us.. And.. Do you want anything? On me.”

“Um..” Ari paused, looking at everything, “I think just a couple lemon cakes and a couple waters should be enough for me. Thank you.”

“Lemon cakes for two days..?” March quirked an eyebrow, “That’s basically no food. You can get more than that.”

“I mean, cakes and trail mix won’t need to be kept cool, they’re low maintenance.” Ari explained, trying not to be too inconvenient, “Um.. Okay, I guess some trail mix would be fine, too..”

”.. You don’t have to worry about that, I have supplies for transporting a few things.” March looked over at her, whispering into her ear while Hemlock was addressing a customer who walked in, “You don’t have to be super minimal, it’s not going to bother me. You keeping me company on my trip is enough.”

“Uh.. O-okay, um.. If you just get more of what you like to share, I’ll just have that.” Ari said, rubbing the back of her neck with a smile.

“Ari, what foods do you actually like?” March asked, his brows furrowed in an exasperated expression, “Like what things in here actually look good to you? I don’t want you to get things I like, I want you to get things YOU like. I don’t want you to only eat stuff I like for the sake of being more convenient.”

Ari paused, looking down at her feet, and then back over toward the display, “U-um.. Okay, I like peaches and cream.”

“Aaanndd…?” March, nudged her, “That’s more fruit, you’ll need something a little more sustainable than that for two days.”

“Rosemary garlic noodles sound really good.” Ari tilted her head, still looking everything over and pondering what she actually likes out loud, not having fully decided, “Vegetable quiche sounds pretty nice, too. I’m not sure which one sounds better, though..”

“We’ll get you both.” March said, waving at Hemlock to let him know he was ready.

“Y-you don’t need to get me both, I’ll just pick one!” Ari waved her hands back and forth, cursing herself internally for thinking out loud.

“Can you add peaches and cream, rosemary garlic noodles, and vegetable quiche to my order for me, Hemlock? And I think that’s probably it for my order."

March ignored Ari’s quiet protests from the background as he picked up his bag and waved Hemlock off, Ari trailing behind him, still weakly protesting. He grinned to himself, with a chuckle.

“You definitely didn’t have to do all that, trail mix would have been enough for the trip-” Ari pouted in frustration, her arms crossed in front of her.

“Listen, I don’t know what happened to you that made you think you can just live on nuts and lemon cakes for two days, but I’m not going to let you do that to yourself.” He turned toward her, stopping Ari in her tracks, and leaning in to put his forehead on hers, ”.. You’re going to eat this quiche, and you’re going to like it.”

Ari looked up at him in awe, entranced by the serious look on his face, ”.. O-okay.”

They still needed to grab a tent and a few camping supplies, so they hopped over across the street to the shop and picked a few things up. Ari linked her arm with his again, trailing behind him, leaning her face on his shoulder as they began looking around. Nora walked out of the back room, having heard the visitor bell, taking her spot at the counter.

“Well this is sweet, how darling.” Nora said, a hand on her cheek, tilting her head to the side as they walked up together to check out.

Holt walked out of the back room, holding a box of potatoes to add to the display out front, “Well hey there!”

“Hey. Just need some supplies for our trip to the capital, everything going okay here?” March said plainly, looking around and back to Nora.

“Everything has been calm around here, we’re just getting ready for summer!” Holt smiled, looking them over and his eyes lingering on Ari holding onto March’s arm, “You kids going together, then..?”

Ari nodded with a smile, March looking over to her, “I could use the good company.”

Nora smiled, looking over at Holt and then back to March and Ari, “I’m sure you’ll do great at the competition. We heard about it from Adeline, it sounds like a really big event.”

“Yeah. I think a lot of people in the surrounding cities will be there. They’ve even brought in a few blacksmiths from out of the Kingdom to compete, they’re doing a whole new thing this year.” March said cautiously, looking back toward Ari.

“I think that’s a great way of introducing different cities to the talent of our Kingdom!” Holt said with a smile, “I’m sure you’ll meet all kinds of people.”

After purchasing their tent, a burner, and various other helpful tools for the trip, March lead Ari out, carrying five bags of things like it weighed nothing.

“Oh, hold on one second-” Ari said, turning back into the store, motioning for him to wait outside as she went up to the counter and bought a few little blue boxes that March couldn’t identify. Nora smiled with a blush over her face as Ari left the counter with a small bag, waving back at each other.

“What did you forget..?” March asked her, looking down at the little bag, trying to get a glimpse of what they were.

“Oh, it’s just something small.. I can carry something, you have like a dozen bags..” Ari offered, holding out a hand, changing the topic, “I can at least carry the food, it’s-“

“No, that’s okay.” March interrupted with a smile and a chuckle, “All you need to do is look pretty, no one asked you to carry anything. You’re so difficult.”

“Excuse you, you’re the difficult one.” Ari folded her arms, looking over at him with a playfully annoyed expression.

Truthfully, it’s like they were in a constant battle of control. They played off of each other really well, as March had a somewhat chivalrous view on doing the heavy lifting, while Ari always felt like she was asking too much or not pulling enough weight. She did everything by herself her entire life, and was always expected to do everything for herself, and put the comfort of others over her own. She learned from a young age that being carried or supported made her a problem to others, so she always felt she wasn’t doing enough to be of service.

March, on the other hand, took a great deal of pride in doing things for her, as he was raised that way. Deep down, he knew Ari appreciated everything he did for her, and he could tell that even through her defensiveness and her coping mechanisms, she valued his help. One thing that they both knew about their relationship was that they could both read between the lines and sense the other’s energy, when it came to things. They picked up on those little glances, the self-soothing actions the other was taking, those tiny motions. Even when they were saying nothing, they knew how the other was feeling- which was important, since they were two people who had trouble expressing things with words at times.

They walked up to her cabin; Ari unlocked the door and walked in. March set down all of their supplies, the plan was that they would stay the night at the cabin and head out the next morning. The last thing Ari needed to do was stop by Hayden’s house and ask him to look over her farm for a few days. She hadn’t planted any crops yet, since summer had just begun and she was planning on a whole new line of crops for the season, so she just needed him to drop by make sure everything was going smoothly in her absence.

March walked up behind her as she started packing the clothes she wanted to bring, and wrapped his arms around her waist, running his nose across the bare skin of her neck. Ari lifted her hand up to his head, running her hands through his hair, her body tensing slightly as he kissed her neck, running a tongue over her skin.

“Your mark is almost gone..” He whispered into her ear, running his hand over her clothed belly and down to the front of her pants, earning a small gasp from Ari.

“March.. I still have to drop by Hayden’s house and ask him to watch over things while I’m gone.. I don’t think we have time..” Ari whispered, closing her eyes and enjoying the feeling of him kissing her skin.

”.. Just enough time..” March whispered to her, motioning for her to turn around, unbuttoning her button up slowly as he kiss her lips gently.

Ari felt the argument leave her as their lips reunited, her eyes rolling back into a close, and her arms wrapping around his shoulders. March took her shirt off, and unclasped her white bra, sliding it down her arms and onto the floor, kissing down her neck and onto her chest as he pushed her down gently onto her bed, the folded clothes under her.

He kneeled between her legs with one knee, laying her down and taking one of her nipples into his mouth, thumbing the other in his hand. Ari cooed quietly as she felt his knee pushing up against her southern region, putting pressure against her clit. Repeatedly flicking her rosey peak with his soft tongue, he kissed a few inches lower, onto her stomach, and down to her navel. He kissed her gently, beginning to suck on her skin just above her panty-line. Now kneeling on the floor in front of her bed as she lie there, he nipped and sucked at one spot on her skin. Ari could feel her clit tingle as her insides twinged with pleasure as March left his mark on her.

”.. There we go.” March lifted his had, looking up at her as she lie there, face red, hair messed up, “I think that should do.”

Ari sat up on her elbows, looking down to see a deep red, strawberry-colored mark on her lower belly. March kissed back up her belly, up to her bare chest, and up her neck to her lips, laying his body against hers. Ari could feel that he was hard, pressing against her leg as his lips melted into hers. Ari moaned into his mouth as she pressed against his erection with her thigh, earning a slight moan from March.

”.. W-we don’t have time, remember..?” March said, breaking their kiss and sucking on her neck as his hands brushed against her sides.

“Ugh, you can’t leave me like this, you started it.” Ari whined a moan as she felt his teeth brush against the skin on her neck, one of his hands gently pinching her nipple as she lie there taking in the sensation.

March reached down between them, unbuttoning her pants slowly as he continued kissing and sucking on her neck, “Well.. Only because you asked..”

Kissing back down to her lower belly, he slipped off her pants, revealing her underwear. March kissed onto her mound, pressing his lips hard against her, sucking on her through her panties as she pulled her legs up to allow him more access. Ari was already wet through the fabric, as March licked her through it, creating more anticipation as he looked up at her, reveling in her pleasure. He was being a tease, an incredible tease, as his hands gripped her hips, pulling her toward his face.

Slipping her panties off slowly and pulling them down and off of her feet, he ran his tongue over her calf, as they made eye-contact, March slowly licking his way up her leg and onto her thigh. The anticipation was killing her at this point as she felt her insides twitch, and her lower body trembled at his touch.

“We’ll just have to make this one fast..” March whispered to her seductively, his eye-contact with her lingering as he set her leg on his shoulder, unbuttoning his pants and sliding them to the floor.

Taking his place over her, his erection was pulsing as it show through his boxers, the button on them almost coming undone. He allowed his cock to slip out of his boxers, pushing her leg up onto his shoulder as he took his place at her entrance, kneeling on the bed. March blushed, looking down at her, seeing her spread wide open to accommodate his body as she lie there looking up at him with one hand over her mouth in anticipation.

“M-March..” Ari said with a gasp, feeling him press into her opening, sliding the head of his cock into her and stopping.

He looked down at her, running his hands over her upper thighs as he gazed at her affectionately, pausing briefly to take in the sight of her. He loved these small moments of sensation, as he pushed into her slowly, her body full engolfing him. They both let out a quiet moan as he bottomed out inside of her, bending her with her leg up on his shoulder and the other sliding down his other bicep. Ari felt so exposed, being completely naked while he still had his boxers and his shirt still on, his eyes looking over every inch of her skin as he pulled slowly out of her. Her clit twitched as he left her entrance and reentered, a tingle going all the way up her legs and into her belly as he reached all the way back into her.

“Faster.. Please..” Ari pleaded, her hand still over her mouth as she watched him, every muscle in his upper body flexing as he pushed back into her slowly.

He obliged, beginning to pump into her at a faster pace, watching her grip the bedsheets and tilt her head back, her voice quivering with every stride of his body. He bucked into her faster, earning a shaking moan from Ari with each trust, he looked down at her, a blush forming across his face as her broken voice panted his name over and over again rhythmically.

Reaching his hand over her thigh, he began rubbing her clit in a circular motion, and he moaned and closed his eyes at the feeling of her body tightening around him in response. March rutted into her roughly, leaning forward over her, spreading her legs farther as he took short, quick strides, pushing into her repeatedly as he moan, closing his eyes and taking in the sensation of her body, his face growing hotter.

He released her leg from his shoulder, leaning down with his chest against hers, kissing her on the lips as they both moan. Ari wrapped her legs around his waist, bucking her hips into his, meeting him in his thrusts as their tongues collided. March gasped into her mouth as he grew close to his release, Ari’s body twitching around his cock as they stay locked together in their passion.

As Ari twirled her tongue around his, moaning into his mouth, they both had their eyes tightly shut as Ari’s body tremble in pleasure, her legs shaking as he pounded into her tiny frame, his arms wrapped around her shoulders, holding her body to his as they both shook.

“M-March..” Ari broke their kiss, tilting her head back as he started losing his rhythm, both of them reaching their climax mutually.

In a bear hug, March moaned quietly, his breath hitching in his throat as he came into her, Ari’s body clamping down around his cock as they both tightly wrapped their arms around each other. March whimpered slightly, riding into her through his lengthy orgasm, filling Ari with his fluid as he felt it begin to drip from her.

“Oh.. A-Ari..” March stuttered as he finished, still tightly holding her to his chest, kissing her on the neck.

Ari loosened her grip on him, kissing him deeply, her hands on each side of his face. He returned her kiss, still holding her close, passionately groping her as they held the intimacy as long as they could, taking in the last few minutes of their private encounter before they had to return to the real world.

To Ari, she really loved these moments the most. Where it was silent, and they were close, just holding each other and enjoying each other’s touch. Biting his bottom lip gently, Ari broke their kiss and looked into his eyes, both of them having a few moments of silent connection as he remained inside of her.

She even loved the smell of his scent, sage and heat, like the forge. She loved the feeling of having his sweat on her skin, his body melted into hers, as they combined into one. Ari never understood the perspective of people “becoming one” during sex until her first encounter with March. Where you both take on each other’s smell, each others sweat, each other’s movements mimicked as you spiritually sink into each other for just a brief moment of mutual pleasure and excitement. It was something Ari craved now, that feeling of closeness she could only get through these intimate actions. They had been one each day since the first time, and she thought about it constantly, like it had fully enveloped her mind. She wanted to feel his skin, smell his pheremones, take in his force.

“Ari..” March said quietly, his face pressed against hers, cheek to cheek, ”.. I.. Am terrified. That this is temporary..”

Ari sighed, pulling him close to her, wrapping her arms around him. She understood that fear all too well.

”.. I’m afraid sometimes, too.” She admitted, rubbing her nose over his cheek affectionately, “That isn’t reality.. That’s just fear. Because we’ve lost things before.”

Ari battled those emotions every single day. The feeling of loss that tears at her soul, knowing she had said goodbye to everyone else in her life up to this moment- with the constant fear that he would just be another person she had to leave behind. Ari battled those feelings, but fully understood that those were simply fears due to trauma, not the reality of who they were or what their future would be.

“As long as we’re both together.. No matter what.. Our fears have no power here.” Ari whispered to him, giving him a gentle kiss on the cheek.

No matter what.

He shivered slightly as he held her tighter, like she was going to fall through his fingers any moment. They rest there for some time, not pulling away from each other, and just enveloping each other in affection as Ari ran her soft fingers over his skin. Ari was realizing.. March likely had these fears much more than he let on. She felt honored that he was open with her about these insecurities, and she was realizing that she had become a safe space for him to express these things. It wasn’t often he brought it up, but when he did, Ari made sure to reassure him as much as he needed.

After a few more minutes of healing connection, March loosened his grasp on her, slipping out of her, feeling his fluids drip from her as he lifted himself from the bed. Grabbing a towel from the bathroom, he wet it in the sink and began lovingly cleaning her up, giving her a kiss on the knee as he sat on the bed by her. Ari watched as he cleaned his cum from her body, looking up at him in awe as he focused on tending to her.

He looked over at her with a smile, noticing her gaze, “I can always feel when you’re staring..”

Ari chuckled quietly, running a hand up his arm, ”.. You always could.”

They both began cleaning themselves up, Ari finally got a change of clothes. She hadn't changed since before she came over to spend the night at his house the night before, so she was in a hurry to get in a quick shower so she could refresh. She was already mostly undressed, so she hopped over to her bathroom and turned her shower on, the running water the only sound in the room. March had begun sorting through their supplies, making sure everything was properly packed, taking account for everything to triple check they had everything they needed. Ari hopped in the shower, feeling the water run over her skin as she closed her eyes, soaking her hair in the water.

After a few minutes, she heard the shower curtain open, and someone stepped in behind her. March's touch was so familiar to her, she could feel that it was him by the feeling of his skin, as he wrapped his arms around her, peppering kisses over her wet skin. Picking up the shampoo, he took some in his hands, and began washing her hair for her, running his fingers over her scalp as she closed her eyes, the feeling of it was so nice she couldn't help but tilt her head back. This level of care was something Ari could never fathom before, it was so different to her.

Kissing her shoulder, March continued washing her hair for her, both of them enjoying the feeling of the water pouring over their skin as they stand there silently, the sound of the water hitting the floor of the tub being the only sound.

Ari rinsed her hair, March's hands still on her waist, letting the shampoo drip off of her hair and body little by little until it was gone.

Taking his lead, Ari poured a small amount of shampoo on her hand, reaching up and beginning to lather his hair. He smiled genuinely and laughed, his eyes closed, feeling her body press up against his as she reached over her head to reach his hair comfortably. He put his hands on her hips to steady himself, his eyes closed, Ari smiled widely at the image of March with suds in his wet hair. He was so.. Cute. And carefree right now, Ari thought. Ari thought to herself how new this was, and that maybe she was never shown how to love this way. Those family moments you have where your parent washes your hair for you, or taking a bath with your siblings, Ari never had those carefree innocent moments of closeness. This was a first for her.

March was teaching her how to have that innocent, sweet love.

And it felt.. Right.

March opened her body wash, pouring some on his hands, and running it over her body. The feeling of him brushing his fingers over her wet skin tickled, and Ari jerked slightly with a giggle, pulling from him. March smiled slyly, running his hands over the same spot, causing her to squirm and laugh as she blocked his hand half-heartedly. March wrapped his arms around her, pulling into him, kissing her on the shoulder as she smiled, leaning her head toward him, lovingly.

March stopped, looking at her seriously, running his hand over her hip gently, ".. You're the most perfect thing I've ever seen."

She was standing there, wet curls, plain-faced, soaked, and naked.. And he thought she looked.. Perfect..?

Ari looked down with a blush, suddenly feeling exposed under his gaze.

"I'm anything but.." She trailed off with a nervous and unsure chuckle.

He brought a hand up to her face, taking her gently by the chin and facing her toward him, looking her in the eyes. He knew she could never just take a compliment. He knew she didn't view herself that way. From the day he caught a glimpse of her in a bikini at the bath house, the way she shielded her body from view, the way she stood shyly, trying to draw such little attention to herself, March knew that no matter how many times he told her, she would never see in herself everything he saw.

"Ari.. I-I think I.." March seemed deep in thought, as their playful moment suddenly felt so serious.

He was looking at her, both of them standing under the shower, hair wet.

"I.. Feel like.." He trailed off, seeming like he wanted badly to say something, but for some reason he couldn't get it out, and settled on, "I feel like.. W-we should probably get over to Sweetwater farm, I'm sure it's probably dark outside."

He turned the mood back to playful, giving her a few kisses on the face, and playfully pulling her against him, hugging her.

As they got out of the shower and began drying off and dressing, Ari couldn't help but feel that whatever he was going to say while they were in the shower was going to be a really serious conversation later. It was still so soon, but in a few weeks of dating they had a thousand moments of intimacy. It felt like they had been together for years, not weeks. Things had escalated so quickly, and neither of them felt any hesitation, both of them seemed incredibly certain of where things were headed. It was a talk she was ready for, but she would let him decide when he was comfortable enough to talk about it.

Ari got dressed, putting on a flowy pair of sage green pants, gray socks, and a cropped white sweater that fell from one of her shoulders. March sat dressed on her bed as she brushed her hair and got ready, her curls beginning to form as her hair was towel-dried. He watched her as she moisturized her face in the mirror, and then walked back over to him, placing a knee on the bed and then straddling his lap, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. She was so.. Soft. Her clothes were soft, and loose-fitting, as he wrapped his arms around her waist. Her skin was soft and fresh, and it felt like silk beneath his fingertips. It's as if after every intimate moment they had, the next was more intense. He could feel her heart beating next to his through her thin sweater, as Ari ran her fingers through his damp hair, kissing him on the cheek. They had to keep reminding themselves to stay on-track, as they repeatedly kept forgetting the world and sinking into each other.

"You ready..?" March whispered, running his hands up and down her back, feeling her breath on his neck, "W-we should get going, it will be dark soon.."

"Mhm.." Ari said, still having her arms wrapped around his shoulders, loosening her grip and getting up from her spot in his lap, "Okay, let's head out.."

After grabbing one of her pumpkin snacks from the storage pin by her house, they began on their way out the door, it was a fairly cool night at the start of summer, but the grasshoppers could still be heard singing in the distance as they set out on their path of Hayden's farm. Ari slipped her fingers into his as they walked, holding his hand as they both enjoyed their stroll. It was peaceful, they were taking their time. They had been so absorbed with each other and their respective professions that Ari realized it had been some time since she had seen Hayden or Henrietta. She brought a pumpkin snack just for the little sassy chicken, hoping it would make up for the lost time a little bit.

They walked up the drive toward his house, looking over his vast yard of crops and various farm animals, Hayden's farm was always so relaxed, everything was so well-maintained. Ari walked up to the door, letting go of March's hand, knocking twice and awaiting an answer. Hayden pulled open the door, and smiled brightly upon seeing Ari there.

"Well hey! It's good to see you, it's been weeks!" Hayden said, holding out his arms for a hug, embracing her in a friendly way, and allowing them both entry into his home, "Come on in!"

Ari and March both walked in, Ari immediately spotted Henrietta and walked over to her with a smile. At first, Henrietta seemed to be huffing and annoyed at not seeing Ari for some time, but then spotted the pumpkin snack in her hand and immediately perked up.

"Oh, did you see the snack?" Ari asked with a playful tone, "Yes, I brought this just for you."

Ari fed the snack to Henrietta, and the chicken immediately forgot how long it had been since she last saw Ari, resentment completely disappeared.

They caught up briefly, talking about everything new Hayden had done on his farm, having recently bought and built new installations for all of his new animals, and installed new sprinklers to assist with having more crops. Hayden told Ari about the endless possibilities, as she would eventually be looking to expand. Ari shared all of her plans for the summer, talking to Hayden about everything she wanted to learn, and Hayden offered to mentor her, Ari accepting. March couldn't help but feel a little left out of this conversation, as they were both farmers and he was a blacksmith, they had two very different professions. The idea of one of the other town bachelors spending time alone and tutoring Ari made him feel.. Somewhat threatened. But he knew it would be controlling of him to oppose, especially when it meant Ari would be able to learn so many new things for her farm.

March laced his fingers with Ari's, feeling insecure. Hayden immediately noticed this, despite it being very subtle.

"O-oh wait, maybe I'm catching on slow, are you two dating now? I was wonderin' wear ya'll went the last couple weeks, haha." Hayden said playfully, coming to the conclusion suddenly, putting a hand to his forehead, "Man, I must be slow on the uptake, I wonder how I missed that. Even Ryis mentioned something about it, but I didn't really get what he meant."

That perked March's interest.

"Wait, Ryis said what..?" March asked curiously, glancing over to Ari.

"Well he just said something about losing a girl to you last Friday while we were all at the inn," Hayden explained openly, "Ryis has been pretty down the last couple weeks, it's on me for asking him about it."

Ari felt.. Bad. She knew Ryis had a lot of feelings toward her, but she hadn't seen him in awhile. She didn't realize he was taking it that hard. They had a couple awkward moments of silence before changing the topic.

"Well, I stopped by to ask you a favor, since I'm going out of town with March for his competition." Ari said, purposely steering away from the topic of Ryis, "I don't have any crops over there for the season yet, but do you think you could just drop by my farm a couple times a day and make sure nothing weird is happening over there while I'm gone..? I can pay you."

"Oh no worries, you don't need to pay me for that! I'll stop by and make sure everything is tidy while you're away, no prob!" He said with a smile, "I think it's great March is representing Mistria this way! It's a great chance to raise our rank!"

"W-well still, this next season I'll be sure to send you some of my baked goods as a thank you, I won't forget you did me this favor, Hayden." Ari said with a smile, shaking his hand.

"That's a great deal to me!" He said, a big smile on his face.

Ari and March finished up their visit, eventually leaving when it started to get too dark outside. They walked back to her cabin, everything taken care of for their trip to the capital, and now all they needed to do was get a good night's sleep so they would have the energy to walk there. Ari was excited to have this experience with March, it was one she wouldn't soon forget, she was sure of that.

Chapter Text

After returning to the farm, Ari and March decided it wouldn’t be a bad idea to head to the inn and see a few friends before leaving on the trip. March needed to drop by the forge and grab a spare leather apron to bring with on the trip, so the plan was that Ari would go straight to the inn to check in with Adeline and Reina and he would come there right after.
Reina had been texting her, asking what she was up to and where she had been for most of the week. They had kind of been off in their own little world, admittedly. Ari basically hadn’t seen anyone other than Hemlock at the inn for days, and it was only because she stopped in to get food every other day or so. She hadn’t even told anyone she was going with March to the capital, although some people had heard from the grapevine already, and she felt she should at least explain all of the crazy events going on in her life over the past week. The only person who really knew what was going on behind closed doors was Olric, and he knew this kind of thing was something they were keeping to themselves, for the most part.

When they reached the break in the road, March turned to Ari, giving her a kiss on the cheek, slipping his hand from hers.

“I’ll be back in a little bit,” March said to her with a smile, kissing her again on the forehead, “Try to behave.”

Ari chuckled, waving him off as she watched him walk away down the street, dreamily looking at him as she snapped back to reality, realizing what she was there for.

“Ari.” Ari heard a soft voice from the side entrance of the inn, everything quiet, music from inside could be heard.

It was Ryis, who was leaning against the door frame, he looked.. Tired. Ari had thought about potentially seeing him here tonight, she had a little anxiety over it, but she also was hoping for some small opportunity to mull things over or maybe talk to him about things.

“Ryis, hey.” Ari said, walking up to him with a gentle smile, trying not to stand too close or seem excited to see him, just keeping it casual.

“I heard you were going to the capital this weekend.. I hope you have a safe trip.” He said, rubbing the back of his neck, avoiding her eyes with a small, disingenuous smile.

“Ah yeah, I’m really excited to see what it’s like, everyone tells me the place is huge.” Ari smiled, relaxing her shoulders a little at the casual conversation.

“B-Before you go.. Do you think I could talk to you..? Just privately.” Ryis asked, she could feel the tensity in his nervous voice, and she felt herself grow cautious.

”.. Sure, Ryis.” Ari said, keeping things casual, trying not to seem nervous, “Let’s walk down to the swinging tree, it’s usually secluded over there.”

They began walking to the tree, the street dark, Ari glanced back at the inn with uncertainty. She wanted to give Ryis this closure, but to some extent she felt she was putting herself in an awkward position being alone with him. It seemed like he had been waiting for her outside, so Ari was sure he had put a lot of thought into whatever he was going to say, and she was feeling a little hesitation.

Walking up to the tree, everything was quiet. No one was around; no voices could be heard. There weren’t even any sounds from bug or wildlife, it was like they had entered an echo chamber. The silence between them was intense, as she waited for him to collect himself and say what he needed to say. There was a long pause, before he turned to face her again, finding his resolve.

“I just need to know something, Ari. Just for me to know.” Ryis said, looking down at the ground, and then up at her, a small smile on his face.

“Please, ask me anything you need to know, Ryis.” Ari said openly, leaning her head against the tree, watching him nervously tap his arm with his fingers as he appeared to be trying to look a lot calmer than he felt.

”.. Ari..” He paused, leaning on the tree in front of her, looking her in the eyes, ”.. Have you ever felt anything toward me?”

Ari wasn’t expecting that question. She was expecting him to ask if there was a chance they would end up together. She thought maybe he would ask if she and March were official. She could have answered those questions with an absolute. But to ask the question if she had any feelings for Ryis, well, the answer was complicated.

The truth is, she felt a lot of things about Ryis.
And there were many moments, she wondered if he would be a good match for her before she and March were really honest with each other about how they felt- and he probably would have been. If he were the only option, Ryis was a gentleman, a well-mannered, sweet, and thoughtful man. He was objectively handsome, she found herself thinking that more than once. And if Ari wanted a cookie-cutter type family, a perfect husband, someone who would never argue or fuss with her. A man who would find it rude to be possessive or jealous, even in the situation that he’s currently in.

Ari could never see herself in a perfect marriage like that.
The perfect man, as ideal as he were, isn’t compatible with her.
Realistically, Ari wasn’t perfect. She could be short-tempered and hard to deal with, as much as she’s learned to hide it.

But did she feel something, anything toward Ryis?
Well, yes.
And that made her answer feel complicated.

”.. I can feel that you do.” Ryis rubbed his arm in a self-soothing way, looking down with a slight blush, “Your silence tells me that this is a harder question to answer than you’d hoped.”

As always, so perceptive.

“I have felt many things toward you, Ryis. I think you have so many wonderful qualities, and you’re one of the sweetest, most easygoing men I’ve ever met.” Ari said, sitting her head up from the tree and crossing her arms loosely in front of her, looking around the park, “But the real answer is that.. It pales in priority to how I feel for March.”

Ryis reached a hand out and gently touched her cheek, bringing her eyes back to his, ”.. But you do feel something.”

“The simple answer, Ryis, would be yes.” Ari explained, taking his hand from her cheek and holding it in hers, taking a small step back, ”.. But this isn’t so simple.”

There was a long pause between them, the breeze picked up a bit, and she could hear the leaves in the tree above them moving. It smelled like the forest, and a hint of laundry detergent drifting from someone’s home nearby. There were a few thick clouds overhead, you could see the moon peeking out from the other side.

“I just want you to know..” Ryis said, smiling gently, seemingly feeling hopeful at her response, ”.. I’m always here if you want that dance.”

Ari hadn’t meant for her answer to give him hope of a future chance with her, but as he held out a hand to her to go back to the inn, she felt that’s what her response had done. Ari responded as honestly and earnestly as she could, feeling she owed him that much, but she left feeling guilty that, perhaps, Ryis still was holding onto some hope that someday he would get an opportunity to date her eventually.

Ari didn’t take his hand, but she did take his arm, as an escort back to the inn. She felt holding his hand would be a bit too close, but she at least wanted to exchange this olive branch in between, which he smiled at.

When they walked back to the inn, Ari dropped her hand from his arm, giving him a soft smile, ”.. Thank you for talking to me, Ryis. I hope it helped you get the answers you were looking for.”

He walked back in through the doors with her, the visitor bell jingling but not being heard over the chatter. Ari glanced around, immediately seeing March was in a booth across the floor, looking right at her and Ryis. He had an unreadable look on his face, but Ari already knew at the sight of them walking in together, he would have a million questions.

She walked over to the booth and March got up, motioning for her to sit on the inside of the booth, and sitting back down after.

”.. Ari, what was that about..?” He asked, not seeming angry, just seeming genuinely confused, “Did Ryis bother you..?”

Ari shook her head, running her hand down his arm and leaning in close to whisper to him, ”.. He asked me if I had feelings for him. He wasn’t bothering me, he didn’t do anything wrong.”

March furrowed his brow, tilting his head and noticeably becoming slightly more tense.

“That’s your opinion, but as my friend, he already knows you’re dating me.” March said, annoyance in his voice, looking across the inn with at Ryis, ”.. He’s not being a great friend right now.”

Ari leaned her head on him, realizing he was pretty right about that. Ryis wasn’t being a great friend to March by repeatedly looking for ways to be alone with Ari. While he didn’t do anything particularly wrong, he was still going behind March’s back and looking for opportunities.

”.. What did you say..?” March asked, looking over at her.

“I told him any feeling I had toward him paled in comparison to how I feel about you.” Ari said, meeting eyes with Reina across the room, watching her walk over to the table quickly.

“Wait, you said you felt something for-?” March started with dismay.

“Ari!~” Reina intterupted, excitedly running up to their table, “I’m so happy for you guys! I think it’s amazing that you’re actually dating now!~”

March’s gaze lingered on her, Ari could tell the notion she had some sort of feeling toward Ryis completely threw him off, and now they were in an awkward situation. Reina could suddenly tell she walked into a really weird conversation between them.

“I’m happy about it too.” Ari said, taking March’s hand, he took her hand but looked off to the side, leaning his face on his hand.

March suddenly felt really distant, as Ari caught up with Reina. He was quiet, hiding his eyes with his hair, his energy was somewhat looming as he took a long drink of his beer.

Ari leaned in as Reina got distracted with Hayden walking up, and whispered in March’s ear, ”.. I didn’t mean it like that. Not those kind of feelings.”

He didn’t respond, it kind of felt like he was shutting down a bit, which Ari didn’t like. She had just meant some positive feeling toward Ryis’ good attributes, not that she had romantic feelings toward Ryis. Perhaps she could have been clearer, Ari was suddenly realizing that maybe her own words were why Ryis seemed to have rejuvenated hope after their talk. Maybe he was asking if she had romantic feelings toward him, not just positive feelings in general. Now Ari was feeling dumb, like she had completely misinterpreted this entire thing due to her lack of romantic communication experience, and she was feeling bad about it.

“H-Hey. Come here with me.” Ari said to March, ushering him out of the booth and pulling him behind her and into the closet at the end of the hall.

They were standing close, she could see by March’s face that what she had said completely threw him off. He had his arms crossed in a defensive way, with one hand over his mouth, looking down at the ground.

“I don’t want you to think I meant that I have romantic feeling for Ryis, because I absolutely don’t.” Ari said turning his face to her, being as straightforward as possible, “I just meant that I had like for his qualities as a person.”

”.. Did you tell him that..?” March asked, rolling his eyes, “Because I guarantee he didn’t think that’s what you meant.”

“W-well, I see now how that may have sounded, but that isn’t what I meant at all..” Ari said defeatedly, with a sigh, “I might have fucked that up, I guess..”

“Ari..” March said with a frustrated tone, putting his hand over his eyes and rubbing them, “I can’t believe you had no idea how that sounded. Are you serious?”

“It’s not like I’ve ever needed to have a talk like that with anyone before..” Ari said with a sigh, folding her arms in front of her and rubbing her arm with her hand.

March removed his hand from his face, looking over at her, his expression lightening into more of a concerned one, ”.. You don’t have romantic feelings for Ryis.. Right?”

“No, March.” Ari said simply, with a sigh.

”.. So you wouldn’t have dated him if I weren’t in the picture, then..?" He asked, leaning against a shelf and putting a little distance between them, still seeming insecure.

“W-well how would I know that..? That isn’t the reality. That’s.. An unfair question, March.” Ari looked off to the side, hugging her arms to her chest, “That’s like me asking you if you’d ever date another woman if you hadn’t met me, you probably eventually would.”

”.. No Ari, I’m asking you if you could ever see yourself dating Ryis.” March asked, the annoyance growing in his voice, “It’s a simple question.”

”.. I don’t know, March, I barely know Ryis. I’m dating you.” Ari answered honestly, maybe too honestly.

March looked at her intensely, a heavy moment of silence hanging between them as they simmered in frustration. His body language was screaming his anger, his body was rigid and tense, as he looked away, toward the door, taking a step in the direction of it.

“I can’t see myself with someone like Ryis, but it’s because.. I have to be honest with myself.” Ari’s frustrated expression dropped into a somewhat insecure one, rubbing her arm in a self-soothing way, looking down at the ground, ”.. I’ve never had a perfect life. I don’t want.. A perfect man. I like when you call me out, and I like it that you.. Get jealous sometimes. Because.. It’s the intensity of how you feel, that makes me feel really alive. And wanted.”

She paused, a heavy pause, feeling her voice shake slightly.

“Ryis is a nice guy, but.. He lacks the intensity you have that I love so much.”

March dropped his arms, looking over at her with brief surprise, looking down at the ground again, gathering himself like he felt he had shown too much emotion as he made a failed attempt to cover it back up.

”.. Love..?” March asked quietly, that word sticking in his head out of everything else Ari had said, and Ari blushed feeling called out.

In all honesty, that word flew out of her mouth before she fully processed it. She hadn’t envisioned herself confessing her love to March in a broom closet at the inn after an argument, but.. It was more accurate to describe her feelings toward him.

”.. I think what I feel for you is more than just ‘liking’ someone.” Ari admitted, looking away from him, her face felt hot, "Just saying I 'like' you feels like a petty huge understatement.."

His angry facade had quicky crumbled as they stood there in silence, music from the inn could be heard through the door, voices echoed down the hall.

“I..” March began, clearing his throat nervously, not knowing what to say, his expression seemed surprised and uncertain, “I’ve thought that, too.. I mean, about my feelings for you..”

“Do you..? Love me..?” Ari asked, reaching a hand out and touching his arm, suddenly the moment became very serious.

She could hear his breathing become tense, and she could feel his nerves though his body, as he avoided her eyes, “I.. I think.. I..”

She took a step forward, tripping over a box on the floor and falling into him, both of them tumbling to the ground. He had caught Ari just before she hit the ground, having fallen between her legs, his arms around her waist as his face was planted in the curve of her neck. They both paused there, catching themselves as they sighed in relief, realizing what had happened.

The door to the closet opened, and looking down at them was Hemlock, who looked shocked and confused, but then suddenly closed the door.

“I-I didn’t see anything!” They heard him say as the closet clicked shut.

Ari exchanged a look with March and they both started laughing, realizing the ridiculousness of the moment, not even caring what rumor would go around if anyone heard about this. After a few minutes of laughter, they both slowed and caught their breath, looking each other in the eyes. March looked down at her so seriously, so suddenly, running a hand over her cheek and leaning down to her, their lips meeting in a gentle kiss as he ran his fingers through her hair.

Ari was almost relieved at this moment, that this conversation could be something they had when they were really ready for it. Somewhere else that isn’t in a closet. Some other time that isn’t right after a petty argument. After a long kiss, March got up from leaning over her, standing up and offering her his hand.

“We should probably get back.. I’m sure everyone is wondering where we went.” March said, pulling her up and helping her brush off, affectionately fixing her clothes.

“Everyone but Hemlock..” Ari said, earning a chuckle from March, opening the closet and both of them taking their leave back into the main area of the inn.

March was leading her by the hand back to the booth, Olric had come in while they had been away, Ari could see Ryis with Hayden at the bar.

“Hey bro!” Olric said, waving at them with a big smile and moving to the side so they could sit back down, “I was wondering where you were at!”

Now there was Adeline and Olric standing next to the booth, and Reina sat across from them- she seemed pretty buzzed. Juniper and Balor were talking near the end of the booth.

“They went to chat in a closet!~” Reina said with a huge smile, earning a flustered blush from March, both of them realizing she’d seen them run off.

Olric gave March a pat on the shoulder with a huge grin, “I’m sure it was important!”

“Shut up.” March said quietly, looking a little embarrassed, running his hand over Ari’s upper thigh. She met his hand with hers, interlocking her fingers with his, looking up at his face with a smile.

“So Ari, have you heard about all the shops at the capital!? I hope you plan to bring some funds, they have things you wouldn’t imagine finding in Mistria!” Reina said dreamily, leaning her head on her hand with a smile, “Seriously, you guys are going to have so much fun!”

Ari looked over at March, then leaned her head on his shoulder, “I’m looking forward to the trip there, it will be really nice to sleep out in nature, we’re going to have to sleep halfway through so we brought a tent.”

March was so quiet, not having said a word. He seemed deep in thought still, Ari thought it might be some lingering emotion from earier. He took another sip of his beer as he listened to Olric talk about his most recent trip down to the mine this morning.

“One tent?~” Reina asked with a wink, both Adeline and Reina looked at Ari intently for her response.

“Well yeah, he is my boyfriend, I’m sure we can sleep in the same tent..” Ari said with an awkward smile.

“Boyfriend, you sayyyy?~” Juniper’s voice cooed, clearly having been listening from a couple feet away as she stood there with Balor.

Both Ari and March looked up at her, a little taken aback at her sudden involvement.

With an exaggerated sigh, Juniper leaned against the edge of the table, “I suppose that means our bachelor here is officially off-limits?~”

March ran a hand over his face with a little irritation, as Juniper was seemingly flirting with him in front of everyone. Juniper was an attractive woman, but March had always found her a little annoying and hard to be around, so her openness in flirting with him right now was really out-of-place.

Additionally, March wasn’t trying to make their budding romance the conversation topic for the entire night, and since Juniper was always talking so loudly, a couple people in the surrounding booths have caught an interest.

“We’re both off-limits.” Ari said with a tense smile, gripping March’s hand tightly.

The music turned to a slow song, and March got up from the booth, offering his hand to Ari. This was so unlike March, she had never seen him dance at the inn. Ari took his hand, sliding out of the booth and leading her onto the floor where a few other pairs were dancing, Nora and Holt being one of them.

”.. March, you wanted to dance..?” Ari asked as March slid one hand tightly over her waist, pulling her closely to him in an embrace.

”.. Anything to get us out of that interrogation.” March said, putting his cheek to hers as they swayed back and forth to the song.

She could see multiple people in the booths and the tables watching them, Ryis glanced over and then made an active effort to look away after he’d spotted what everyone was staring at. Ari looked over at Nora and Holt, Nora was laughing because Holt had dipped her unexpectedly, both of them looked so carefree.

Ari thought to herself that someday she wanted a love like that.

This was the first time March and Ari had really had this kind of public display of affection, it felt like everyone in the place was watching. Not only because March was dancing when he never danced, but because of how close they were clinging to each other.

”.. Everyone is staring..” Ari whispered into his ear, trying to avoid anyone’s eyes.

”.. Well, this should answer their questions..” March whispered in her ear, brushing a hand to her face and pulling her chin toward his.

March kissed her, sweetly. Gently.
They were both full of nerves, Ari could feel his hand shaking.

Ari broke their kiss, looking him in the eyes with surprise. March, returning his index finger to her chin, lead her mouth back to his, lengthening their kiss. It was a lovely kiss, not deep, but still carried a lot of emotion. As March let their kiss end, his brushed her cheek with his hand, giving her an additional kiss on the forehead.

They didn’t look like a new couple, they already looked so comfortable with each other. The way his arm held her to him, pressing her body to his, was so intimate for two people who just started dating a couple weeks prior. Ari was shocked at how open March was being in front of the whole town, it was as if he was making a point, showing everyone she was his.

Ari liked the feeling of everyone staring.
Everyone knowing, seeing how they really are together.
As the song continued, his hold on her lingered, his arm still tightly wrapped around her waist, his other hand still holding hers. Ari, looking up at him, felt it was almost like nothing else existed but them. She wasn’t hearing anyone’s voices, or the clatter from the bar, she didn’t hear the music, she only felt their existence together in that moment- and it was like everyone else was gone.

March put his forehead to hers, looking her in the eyes, ”.. I do, by the way.”

Ari tilted her head a little, not fully understanding, “You do..?”

“Earlier in the closet, what you asked me.” March whispered in a hushed tone, like he didn’t want a single other soul to hear, “I do.. Just so you know.”

Ari put her hands on both sides of his face, stopping their dance. They stared at each other intensely, Ari pulling him in for a deep kiss, no longer caring who was watching. The fact that March even said it was so much more than she expected, and the fact that he felt safe enough to tell her that in front of so many people.. Ari was taken so off-guard.

They stood there on the floor kissing while the song came to a close, no one else even knowing that this was one of those moments she was going to remember for the rest of her life.

Chapter Text

They left the inn semi-drunk, both of them at least pretty buzzed. They had decided to go home before midnight at least, since their trip would begin the next day. Ari brought a bottle of whiskey for both of them to share at some point, thinking maybe it could be in celebration or just after the competition in general.

Walking down the dimly lit road, March had never been this talkative, Ari was giggling and blushing, watching him go on and on about when he and Olric were kids, and what it was like being raised by the town, or primarily Elsie.

“Haha, and you wouldn’t believe the look on Elsie’s face when Olric came running into the house, telling her I threw a log at his legs and tripped him in the front yard all over a stupid kid fight..” March laughed, bumping into Ari slightly as he walked, “There was this girl who used to live down the road and he had the biggest crush on her and he was trying to sneak out to go see her. I was like five so I thought he was just blowing me off for no reason, turns out I blew his cover and he was mad at me for like a week after.”

Ari laughed, running a hand down his arm and linking with his fingers, “Lover boy Olric, at it again.”

“Dude was literally always trying to date girls. Not even just kiss them, there was a new girl every single week he thought was his future wife, I swear.” March scoffed, thinking back on these ridiculous child crushes.

”.. Did you ever meet a girl who made you feel that way when you were young?” Ari asked, leaning her head on his shoulder with a smile.

“When I was a kid? No way, I thought girls were gross until I was at least ten, and it took me another five years or so to even fully grasp what a relationship was even good for.” He chuckled to himself, pulling Ari closer to him, “I was really good in school and I cared a lot about my hobbies, marriage wasn’t even on my kid to-do list. How about you..?”

“Well, I actually did ‘get married’ when I was a kid, but not really, obviously.” Ari laughed to herself, nostalgia hitting as she thought back, “Marriage was a big topic, because the guardians were so religious. There was a lot of anti-sex propaganda, and of course that meant talking about waiting until marriage. So marriage was very romanticized in my upbringing.”

“Who’s the husband..?” March asked, surprised look on his face, but somewhat joking.

“Domenico, he was my ‘boyfriend’ when we had any time away from the guardians. We maybe had five minutes on the playground, or ten minutes walking together at the back of the schoolyard line on travels, we had a million tiny moments where we would see each other and talk for a little bit. Well, one time he brought me this silly little twig thing he made with a string attached, and he held it up to me and asked me if I would marry him. I held onto that twig ring for years until it suddenly went missing, I'm guessing one of the guardians tossed it because it was made of compostables.” Ari giggled, sighing, “It was a ring he had made out of sticks, it was so silly, but back then it meant a lot to me. A week or so later we had ten minutes after lunch, we walked out to the big tree together, and ‘got married’ with just the two of us.”

March looked down at the ground, feeling silly that he felt a twinge of jealousy over a crush Ari had a decade or more ago. He held her hand a little tighter.

“We we ‘married’ for about five years after that, but the older you get the more there is gender-based separation, so there weren’t many opportunities for us to really see each other after our elementary years..” Ari explained with a frown, “I didn’t even know he was leaving, it had been at least a week before I even knew he was gone. Birthdays weren’t celebrated, so I don’t think he or I even fully knew he was turning eighteen.”

March looked over at her, furrowed brows, “You.. Didn’t know your birthday..?”

“Well.. Neither did the guardians. Most of us were very small when they obtained us, so our ages could only be an estimate. Sometimes I wonder if they decide you leave when they think you’re ‘adult’ enough to handle it on your own. Domenico was a baby upon arrival, so it was easy to chart his age, but knowing our real date of birth would have been impossible. Most of us showed up with no documentation.” Ari explained, looking over at him with a solemn smile, “I will likely never know my real birthday.”

”.. Well, what day do you celebrate..?” March asked, genuinely wanting to know.

“I haven’t ever celebrated my birthday. At least not since I was a toddler, which I don’t remember.” Ari said, tilting her head, “Perhaps the reason birthdays weren’t celebrated was really because it would be unfair for the children who couldn’t know theirs. I used to think it was the guardians being cruel, but I’m sure some of the kids there were old enough to know their true birthday- many of us did not. Maybe it was the same reason for names, since many children had to be given a name upon arrival and they wanted it to feel equal.”

”.. You should pick a day. And we’ll celebrate it then, every year.” March said, rubbing her hand with his thumb, biting the inside of his cheek with a little thought, ”What time of year do you think you were born..?”

“If I think hard enough, sometimes I think I can remember a party I was at as a baby. I have no clue what the party was for, or if I even really remember it or it was a dream, but there were leaves on the ground.” Ari said, thinking hard to remember, “Maybe I was born in the fall.”

“October..? November..?” March asked, nudging her shoulder, glancing over at her almost playfully, excitedly, “Not too many people get to pick their birthday, the choice is all yours.”

“Um, October.” Ari decided, nodding her head, “I have no idea how to pick a date, though.”

“What’s your favorite number..?” March asked, looking up at the sky, the clouds had cleared and all the stars were clearly visible now.

“Nine.” Ari said with a brief laugh, shrugging to herself, “I have no idea why I even like that number, but I always have. I think it’s my lucky number.”

“So your birthday can be October nineth, you think..?” March asked encouragingly, his voice sounding assured.

“Yeah, I think that would be a good day for a birthday.” Ari smiled with a chuckle.

“It’s a good day for your birthday, not just anybody’s birthday.” March corrected with a smile.

Ari looked over at March. He was looking up at the stars, she was amazed that he sounded so certain.

“I’ll never forget it, promise.” He reassured with a smile, saying it like it was the simplest, most normal thing he'd ever said.

Ari felt.. Seen. It’s dehumanizing when you don’t have the one thing everyone else has. When you think of things everyone has, a birthday, a name, a family, those are all things Ari didn’t have for most of her upbringing. She reclaimed her name as an adult, but her identity was otherwise erased.

Maybe it was the booze, maybe it was the nostalgia, but Ari felt tears in her eyes as she thought about how genuinely sweet his words really were. Ari tried to hide the fact that she was tearing up by wiping her eyes with her sleeve, but March looked over and noticed because she inhaled in a stifled sob.

“Oh hey, woah..” March said, stopping their travel, facing her to him as she looked away from him, not wanting him to see her crying, “Are you okay..?”

You know how when you get caught crying, and you just start crying more? Ari thought to herself, what a ridiculous thing to cry over. She cried over getting a birthday. Out of all the things she could cry over, that was probably the most ridiculous one so far.

“Don’t look.. I feel like a baby..” Ari laughed though her tears, wiping her eyes.

“Sorry..” March pulled her by her sleeve into a strong hug, holding her tightly, “I wouldn’t have brought it up if I knew it’d make you sad..”

“I’m not sad.” Ari reassured him, pushing her face into his chest, ”.. I’m really happy. Too happy. Sometimes you say things so sweet, it takes me by surprise, and you don't even realize how nice what you said really was..”

”.. I’m glad what I said made you happy.” He said, giving her a kiss on the forehead, rubbing her back.

“You make me happy, March.” Ari corrected, pulling away from their embrace gently, her touch on his arm lingering, continuing their walk, "People talk about you like you're the coldest person in town, but you offhand say things that make my day almost every day. You're anything but cold."

"Just with you." March admitted in a quiet mumble, looking down at his feet, kicking a pebble.

March walked with her, holding her hand again. March hadn’t realized what he said hit her so deeply, it was meant to just be a casual conversation- because everyone has a birthday. Maybe he didn't realize how much his words had an effect on her. He was pensive now, realizing that there were probably a lot of things she went through, or things she lost, and maybe there were things even he wouldn’t be able to fully understand. They had so much in common, but March was well aware that there were probably many traumas Ari had experienced that he would never be able to relate to.

March wondered just how much trauma would he never be able to understand, had she been through by herself.

“.. Ari, do you think about that place often..?” March asked, feeling concerned for how much this affected her life still.

“Every second of every day.” Ari admitted, a sad smile on her face, blushing, “The only time I don’t is when we’re.. Close.”

That answered March’s question.
There were probably a lot of things she hadn't fully processed, that he doesn't know about.

“O-oh.. I see.” March said quizzically, scratching his head nervously, a light blush forming across his cheeks, “You don’t.. Think about any of that at all when we’re..?”

“It’s the only time I don’t. No blood flow to my head, I guess.” Ari joked with a chuckle, ”.. All I can think about is you. The times I would be walking through town, and you would be swinging a hammer, or lifting something heavy, wet, in the rain.. Well, I couldn’t think about anything else.”

March blushed, smiling at the thought that he could give her some reprieve. It also gave him a greater understanding of why Ari was so physically affectionate when they first got physical. March was so used to women trying to take him home for fun, that sometimes he got paranoid that Ari was the same way when she initiated intimacy.

“You’re the first person I’ve ever looked at and felt.. That way about.” Ari said shyly, thinking back on it with a smile, ”.. I was in denial about it for awhile, I even tried not to feel that way.. It obviously didn’t work.”

“Why me though..? A lot of the guys here have muscles..” March asked curiously, a small hint of insecurity showing in his voice.

“The way you carry yourself.” Ari said without needing to think about it at all.

”.. How do I..? Carry myself, I mean..” March asked, looking down at the ground as the reached the trail the farm was on.

“Confident. Sure of yourself. Serious.” Ari stated, bumping him with her elbow, “There’s an air about you that I love the feeling of.”

Love. There’s that word again. More often than not, Ari described her feelings toward him with that word. And now, every time one of them said it offhandedly, there was a comfortable mutual acknowledgement of it they could both feel.

They walked up to the porch, and Ari unlocked the door, letting both of them inside.

The plan was that they both sleep at the cabin tonight, stop by the inn for breakfast, and then they would both be on their way to the capital. It was only about 10PM, so they could comfortably stay up a little longer, get up at 8AM, and be on their way.

Ari walked in, setting her keys on the counter, and shaking her hair out, picking up her brush and fixing her curls. March set his spare leather apron with their gear for the next day, kicked off his shoes, flopping on the couch, still pretty buzzed. He closed his eyes, folding his arms behind his head, relaxing a bit.

She went to her bathroom, taking off her pants and slipping on a big shirt from her dresser, walking out into the living room. She paused, looking down at March, thinking he looked.. So cute. Ari picked up a blanket off the side of the couch, and pulled it over her shoulders, straddling March’s waist, taking him by surprise.

“O-oh..!” March peeped in surprise, looking up at her, seemingly melting at her gaze.

Ari looked down at him, affection in her eyes as she ran her hands over his chest sensually. His eyes softened, realizing the way she was looking him over.

”.. I want to make you forget..” March said quietly, running both hands up her thighs, feeling her silky skin beneath his fingertips.

Ari closed her eyes with a relaxed sigh, enjoying the feeling of his hands on her skin, ”.. Forget what?”

They both quietly chuckled, as he ran his hands up onto her hips, pulling her down onto his body, creating some much-needed friction between them. They both sighed at the feeling of contact, feeling reunited in a way, after a long day.

”.. Ari.. Tell me how you feel about me.” He said, a serious look on his face, looking up at her intently.

That was one thing about March. He needed to hear things like that. Some people like “dirty” talk, or pillow talk.. March wanted to hear that he was wanted, he wanted to hear words of connection, serious things. He wanted to hear heavy words of affection. He needed to know that there was more to this than sex, every time. If he started to feel the connection wasn’t the priority, you could see the insecurity roll over his body like a bad storm, it completely enveloped his mind.

“March..” Ari said slowly, running her hands over his chest, looking down into his eyes, ”.. I know why you are what makes me forget my past.”

March ran his hands over her sides, looking up at her gentle curls, ”.. Why is that..?”

Ari leaned down, putting her forehead to his, softly whispering, ”.. When I’m with you, I’m thinking about our future..”

March’s breath hitched in his throat briefly, and thereafter he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close to him with a deep and intense kiss. He was immediately heated, his body reacting to her words, a wave of emotion taking over him and putting his insecurities at ease. He held her tightly, lovingly, for a long time. Their kiss was heated and filled with feeling, their tongues twirling, their lips shaking.

He sat up from the couch, leaning up to meet her with more pressure, holding her body tightly to his as their kiss continued, not lessening in passion. He took a break from their kiss only to lift her shirt up and over her head, pressing his lips back to hers with quickness as he ran his hands over her lovely, soft skin. He placed a hand on her breast, Ari cupping her hand over his, increasing the pressure and encouraging him to grab more securely.

Ari could feel his body respond between her legs, he was fast to get excited after they exchanged words of intimacy. He was fast to excitement, but he always wanted to go slow. In the heat of the moment, Ari was usually the one begging for things to progress, but March seemed perfectly content with simply kissing and touching for hours most of the time. Ari reached down between them, wrapping a hand on his cock through his pants, earning a gasp and a quiet moan from March.

“A-ah-” He stammered, breaking their kiss at the sudden contact, closing his eyes at the sensation of it.

Ari stayed with her chest to his as she unzipped his pants and pulled him out of his sheath, her soft fingers beginning to slide up and down his skin. She could hear his breathing quicken as they embraced, his face pressing into her neck. She could feel his heart beating quickly, his body shook ever-so-slightly as he enjoyed the feeling of her touch.

”.. Ari..” He said softly into her neck, placing small kisses all the way up to her ear, taking her earlobe into his mouth and nibbling on it.

She felt her lower belly tighten with pleasure, closing her eyes and humming at the sensation of it. March reached his hand down, brushing against her lower belly, sliding his fingers down to her clit and beginning to rub her gently, earning a soft moan. After stimulating her momentarily, he moved his fingers down, feeling how wet she got so quickly, and slipped one finger into her opening, pressing up into her soft spot.

“M-March..” Ari moaned, her hand stopped rubbing him as she held his arm as he moved it.

“You’re so wet..” He said, somewhat teasing, somewhat actually surprised, as he slid across her opening, inserting a second finger.

Ari moaned out, holding onto him around his shoulders, pulling him close to her body as she arched her back. She loved the feeling of him whispering things like that into her ear, his mouth pressed into her neck, his hands roaming her body. He began pressing into that spot repeatedly, breathing hot air into her ear, running his nose up the side of her cheek.

”.. You’re so tight.. I love the way you sound, Ari..” March whispered gruffly into her ear, quickening his pace as she moaned out in pleasure.

She felt her body twitch as she climaxed to the touch of his hand, being surprised at how quickly she got off. March removed his hand from her panties, sitting her back so he could remove his pants and boxers, laying her down on the couch. Ari felt so lewd, laying there with her legs fully spread, her arms reaching out to reconnect with him. March felt entranced as the only thing he could think about was becoming one with her again.

He lie down on top of her, pressing his chest to hers, feeling her arms wrap tightly around him as he pressed the head of his erection to her opening, sliding it up and down, enjoying the feeling of her skin.

”.. I.. I love you.” Ari whispered, holding him tightly do her body, but feeling him immediately tense up at her words.

March pulled away just enough to look her in the eyes, a stunned look on his face, and a slight blush roaming over his cheeks, “Ari..”

March leaned down, kissing her passionately, pulling her body close to his as their tongues met. He didn’t enter her, only holding her, enjoying the feeling of their connection, feeling her lips on his, her soft, fregrant skin sliding across his as it felt like this moment lasted forever. After a bit, March put his forehead to hers, placing his member at her entrance, looking down into her eyes.

”.. I love you too, Ari.” He said softly, giving her a kiss on the forehead, his lips meeting hers once more.

He pushed through her threshold, his body shaking at the tightness of her body wrapped around his, tensing at the pleasure. Not that he wasn’t usually hard, but this time he was noticeably more turned on than ever, both of them taking a few extra moments to go slowly and enjoy the entry as he slid into her, his forehead to hers.

As he reached all the way into her, his cock twitching inside of her, they both stay there momentarily, adjusting to the feeling of their connection. He continued their kiss, Ari moaning into his mouth as he began to move slightly, working his hips gently as she clung to him like he was her lifeline. He pulled out of her slowly, reaching his arms down and grabbing her by the hips, and thrust into her, beginning at a faster pace. Unable to control herself, Ari moaned at every thrust, feeling her chest tighten as her body wound up, pleasure overcoming her as her hands gripped the back of his shirt.

“Ari..” March moaned her name, lifting himself up on his arms, looking down at her as he lay into her faster, watching as she squirmed in pleasure, her eyes mostly closed, all but peeking at him through one slight opening.

Her mouth was trembling as his name fell from her mouth over and over again, “M-March, p-please.. Harder..”

March obliged, positioning himself in a way that gave him more leverage, moving his arms under her legs and pushing them up to his shoulders, grabbing her by the hips and thrusting into her at a harder pace, earning a stuttered moan from Ari. Her voice was making his head swim, his face felt hot. He leaned forward onto her, her legs pressed up to her shoulders and began to slam into her relentlessly.

Ari reached her hands up, putting them on either side of his face, looking him in the eyes as he persist, roughly bucking into her body, both of them moaning in pleasure as she tighten around him, growing close to another climax. Her eye contact made a shiver go up his spine, the intimacy of this was making him shake, all he could see was her face right now.

“O-oh- Ari-” March shook as her name escaped his mouth, as he felt her body convulse and clamp around him.

She moaned out, trembling as he fucked her through her climax, tilting her head back in pleasure. As her body tightened and twitched, March felt himself unable to hold off, taking her by the hips and slamming into her body as he came inside of her, her name stuttered out of his mouth as he looked down at her face.

They were both breathing heavily as he released her legs from his arms, still steadily planted inside of her as he leaned down to kiss her deeply. Their kiss was passionate, as their hands desperately traveled each other’s bodies, their tongues meeting in unison as they both continued this intimate moment just a little longer. Before cleaning up and heading to bed.

After a brief interlude, both of them getting more comfortable and curling up on the bed, the booze from earlier was making it easier to get sleepy. Both of them curled up on the bed under her blanket, March wrapped his arms around her and he was immediately asleep. Ari stayed up for a long time, thinking about what their trip would be like, what kind of people they would meet. The kingdom alone was huge, from what everyone described, but even a number of towns apart from the kingdom were sending in their best. She was looking forward to how much time alone she would get with March, experiences they would be sharing just with each other. It was no doubt going to be different from anything Ari had ever done. As much as she has traveled and wandered, she never found herself in many big cities, surrounded by a lot of people. For the most part it was small towns, tiny populations, anywhere down low where she wouldn't be seen by too many prying eyes.

She was nervous that a face or two from her past life might recognize her. People she had to get one up on, or people she had run from. There was a reason she was a master at evasive maneuvers and escaping, those were things she hoped wouldn't follow her to Mistria. It had been at least a year now since she's needed to escape anything, or run from anyone, but it left her thinking.. Was a year long enough to forget some of the things she did for survival? And, worst case scenario, could it affect March in some way?

The chances of that were low, but not impossible, and Ari was aware of that every day. She knew she would need to tell March about who she used to be, but it was so easy to feel safe in their little veiled bubble, here in Mistria. Even in terms of the other people in town, it was easy for them to fall off the planet and end up fully enveloped with just each other for days on end. Eventually.. Soon.. Ari would have to talk to him about her past.

But.. not tonight, Ari thought to herself, closing her eyes.

The next morning, they both knew everything was going to be a completely new adventure for them.

Chapter Text

Ari was the first to wake, wrapped up in the blanket from the night before. It was earlier than planned, the sun was barely up, March had one arm over her hip as he lie behind her, peacefully sleeping. Ari rolled over slowly, trying not to wake him, and looked at him in appreciation.

Ari spent a number of minutes, holding herself close to his chest, looking up at his face. He was so.. Soft. When he slept, his sharp eyes and annoyed expressions were no where to be found, and all that remained was his handsome, angelic guise. She could feel him breathing quietly, his arm a noticeable weight on her body. Ari enjoyed these little, quiet moments. It was a cool day that day, despite the season, and the feeling on his body heat was comforting- hot as a furnace, as always. Whenever they slept together, his body heat was enough to warm both of them.

Seeming to stir, March inhaled deeply, pulling her close to him as he kept his eyes closed shut. Ari loved the feeling of his strong arm around her. Even in his sleep, he pulled her to him. The smell of his skin, sage and cedarwood, was intoxicating to her.

”.. You’re staring..” March said suddenly, tiredly, opening his eyes slowly.

Ari inhaled in surprise, a quiet giggle in her throat, “O-oh, you’re awake.”

He looked over at her dreamily, his eyes relaxed, running one of his hands up her arm affectionately, ”.. Beautiful.”

He was looking at her, eyes half open, his breathing was soft and quiet. His voice in the morning was so gentle, a little gruff, still barely awake. Ari smiled, bringing her hand up to his cheek and caressing him gently, leaning forward and planting a tiny kiss just next to his lips. The mornings were her favorite with him, when the world was still quiet, and it was like only they existed in the moment. It was too early to have to get up quite yet, no need to worry about anything outside of this bed.

”Today is the day, are you nervous..?” Ari asked sweetly, pressing herself up to his chest again, closing her eyes.

“Not nervous.” March said with a tired huff, wrapping hid arms around her tiny frame.

”.. Not even a little..?” Ari asked, her voice muffled by his chest, “I think I might be, I never leave Mistria.”

“I’ve been to the capital before, it’s not a huge deal, you know..” He reassured, rubbing his cheek on the top of her head, affectionately.

“Yeah.. I’m excited to watch you in action, I’m glad to go.” Ari said with a sigh.

”.. You watch me all the time,” March said with a playful laugh, he couldn’t resist saying it, “Your eyes are literally always on me.”

Ari quirked an eyebrow, her tone snide, ”.. Well I guess I could take a look around at the other competitors while we’re there, if you mind so much-“

March opened his eyes midway through her sentence, a serious expression on his face, and with no warning flipped her on her back with one fluid motion and pinned her to the bed.

“Oh, so you’ve got a thing for blacksmiths, hm?” He asked cockily, holding both of her hands with one of his, over her head, beginning to poke at her sides.

Ari, taken by surprise, gasped at the sudden movement, curling her body and trying to escape his hands. He stoppe poking her long enough to look at her with a playful annoyed look, awaiting her response before he continued.

Ari hummed a giggle, looking up at him with attitude in her voice, “Well I don’t know, I haven’t seen them yet-“

March began poking her faster, Ari laughing and trying to escape his grasp as he wriggled with her on the bed, her shirt rising up to her waist and exposing her belly as their legs tangled together.

“Fix your answer.” March said, slowing down and looking down at her with demand on his tongue, a slight blush forming over his cheeks as he noted her exposure beneath him.

“Hmm..” Ari pretended to think to herself, somewhat enjoying the current situation, ”.. You never know, maybe I’ll just get a couple numbers while I’m there and-“

March pinned her down by both hands over her head, not tickling her, but just looking her directly in the face, seeming a little serious. Despite the fact that she was obviously kidding, it seems she may have struck a tiny nerve. Perhaps he already had a little insecurities about that already and hadn’t mentioned it.

“The only blacksmith I’m remotely interested in staring at is you. Don’t worry your pretty head.” Ari rolled her eyes, somewhat playfully mocking his suddenly serious insecurity, “Have you seen you?”

Ari pulled her hand down as his grip on her hands dissipated, running her fingers over his bare chest, the look on March’s face softening with a blush. She looked up at him, his torso was muscluar, flexed as he still held one hand loosely over her head, balancing over her, looking down at her with a semi-flustered look on his face. She had obviously bothered him by what she said, but he also looked flattered, and maybe even a little turned on by their current position.

”.. Maybe I’m just the best you’ve met so far.” Some serious insecurity obvious in his voice now.

“March.” Ari said sternly, taking both hands, putting them on either side of his face, pulling him down onto her gently, “I’m sorry if that’s how I made you feel. That isn’t the case at all.”

Relaxing a bit, he embraced her by her shoulders, pulling her into him and kissing her abruptly. She returned the kiss, it was a reassuring one. She did feel a little bad for making light of his insecurity, it just seemed so far out of the normal realm of reality she didn’t think he would take it seriously.

After a little bit, kissing and cuddling under the blanket, they began making their way out of the bed, making arrangements, packing up their things, and doing their final walkthrough of supplies before their trip began. Ari put on some coffee as March sorted through the bags, making sure any food would be properly stored with ice they’d packed up in the fridge, blankets, tent, and a few other things like a change of clothes. Ari had her bag packed up ahead of time, hers wasn’t too big. She was fairly used to sleeping on the ground, or on the floor of a train, or propped up in the back alley of a building, so she wasn’t too worried about it. She was trusting March with their GPS and mapping, as he’d been to the capital before.

Pouring him a cup of coffee, and then herself one, she sat next to him at her table, watching him pack up the last few things.

“It’s mostly just one trail, we should be able to make good time because it’s not raining. Forecast says it’ll be sunny and not too hot all week this week, we lucked out.” March said, mostly to Ari, but also seeming to reassure himself that their luck was up.

“It’ll be fine, it’s not a long travel.” Ari added, rubbing his shoulder, keeping the roll positive, “We don’t have to sleep in the back of a moving truck, so it’ll be fun.”

“The back of a..?” March raised an eyebrow, “You’ve slept in the back of a truck..?”

“Oh yeah, fell asleep under someone’s truck cover during a storm, thinking they’d be parked for awhile, didn’t have any other options. Went on a whole journey I didn’t ask for, took me all the way up to the North, that’s why I ended up taking the train back down through Mistria. It was lucky, I guess.” Ari explained with a smile and a laugh, “Maybe one of my luckiest moments, actually.”

March paused, looking over at her in thought, then took a sip out of his coffee, looking out the front window of the cabin, ”.. Ari, I’ve been wondering.. You don’t tell me a lot about your history.. Do you think you could tell me more.. Sometime..?”

Ari paused, looking at him with surprise, “Y.. You want to hear more about that..?”

Ari was shocked. There was so much she could say. She’d had a million experiences, she’s lived a dozen lives, and there were so many thing she had said or done.. Some of which she wasn’t proud of. She knew her time for telling him everything would be limited, but perhaps letting him in to hear about some of the things she’s experienced would be a good place to start.

“I just want to know you.” March sighed, looking over at her with his head tilted slightly, “Sometimes.. I feel like I don’t know all of you. Every now and then you drop something wild about your life like it’s nothing, sometimes it takes me off-guard.”

“Well.. Sometimes I don’t think about any of those things for so long, that it only comes up in my mind at random. It’s relative to the topic and it reminds me, or suddenly it comes to mind, but if I try to think about specific things.. It’s hard to really remember them as a list.” She admitted, elaborating, hoping she could explain why she hadn’t told him outright, “Is there anything you want to know, really..?”

“Sometimes I can tell you’re dealing with some thoughts by yourself, you know.” March said quietly, taking her hand and rubbing his thumb over her skin, “Can you just tell me about that, sometimes..? Like.. Last night when you started crying, it matters to me why.”

Ari nodded, with a tentative smile, ”.. Well.. It just felt like I got back part of my identity. A birthday is something almost everyone has, like a fingerprint. I felt a little robbed of that, for a long time. I try to rationalize why things happened the way they did, but I think.. Maybe somewhere along the road it actually did upset me, and I just didn’t let myself feel it out of self-preservation.”

“That’s understandable.” March nodded, taking another sip of his coffee, ”Anyone who made you think like you weren’t allowed to feel was wrong for that. That’s the one thing you’re most entitled to. How you feel.”

“I was taught from a young age not to express my feelings, for the good of everyone. Watch and follow. Be seen, not heard. Tread lightly.” Ari held her cup up to her face with both hands, a smile melting across her face as she closed her eyes, ”.. You made me feel mad for probably the first time in most of my life. Like actually mad.”

”.. I made you mad? When..?” March asked, a confused look on his face, taking him aback.

”.. When Reina told me you went home with Juniper.” Ari said shortly, taking a long drink of her coffee, leaning her elbow on the table.

”.. Ah, right.” March rubbed the back of his neck, an awkward smile on his face, “I guess you did actually look like you were going to freak out. Good thing Olric was there to play the moderator, you might have thrown something at me.”

They both chuckled at the thought of it all, they were so bad at communicating before they finally admitted their feelings. Sometimes they’re still not that great at talking about it. Ari, being emotionally suppressed, and March not always admitting his emotions. Realistically, it was such a recipe for disaster.

Ari gave him a kiss on the cheek, getting up to go get dressed. She picked a pair of loose-fitting jeans and a gray cropped sweater over a tank top. She picked up her necklace from the dresser, putting it around her neck, and brushing out her curls. She could hear March tinkering with the supplies across the room behind her, as she went out to the living area to slip on her shoes and a light jacket, it still being a chilly morning.

They got everything together, both dressed and ready to go, having planned to head out right on track at 8AM. They were early, even, it wasn’t quite 8 yet.

“Alright, we off?” March looked back at her, carrying a number of backpacks, Ari carrying hers on her back.

“Yep, ready.” Ari said with a smile, walking up behind him and closing and locking the door as they left.

They started off, on their way to the inn, grabbing breakfast before heading out. It felt so surreal, both of them backpacking it and heading toward a whole new experience together. They made their way down the familiar path, passing the bridge, and making it into town. They got a couple looks, waves from a few friends, and as they passed Balor’s wagon, he held up a friendly gesture to them, he had a number of large men from out of town buying his wares. They looked like travelers, in from out of town, but Ari didn’t linger on them for too long.

They both walked up to the inn, opening the door and hearing that familiar bell jingle.

“March! Ari! Good of you to come by!” Hemlock waved and smiled from the bar, “On your way out of town today?”

“Hey, Hemlock. Yeah, we’re just stopping to eat before we head out.” March waved, leading both of them over to the far booth and setting their supplies in the small space away from the visitor path.

They ended up ordering light, two sushi bowls, two green tea, and some bread to share. It was peaceful in the inn, no one had woken up quite yet, the town visitors still must be asleep upstairs. No one came in nearly the entire time they sat down to eat, all but the last few minutes of their stay.

Eiland walked in through the door with Adeline, both of them chattering about a town project, seeming to disagree about something.

“I’m just saying, we really shouldn’t be spending extra town funding on so many random activities, we already have a few sponsor events this summer, we’re overdoing it. Eiland stated, putting his foot down as they stood by the door.

“Sponsoring this event will bring new faces to Mistria, this one is aimed toward the good of everyone. It’s an event to help raise funding to make our doctor’s building a full hospital! We could have one of few full hospital buildings in the area, it would be for the good of all the surrounding towns, and even people outside of the kingdom! Please, listen to me for once.” Adeline went on, but Eiland walked up to the counter to order in the middle of the point she was trying to make to order himself a coffee, not seeming to take her seriously.

“We only have one doctor. Valen is it.” Eiland responded flippantly, “You want to run a hospital with one doctor? Sheesh, listen to yourself.”

“We can put out a flyer for additional doctors. It worked well enough for our farming position, Ari was a perfect fit!” Adeline continued, “We could just try this, it would be a long time before the building were completed! We would have so much time to find a few more doctors and nurse staff.”

Ari and March both listened from across the room, finding it hard not to listen, since the rest of the place was so quiet this morning. This type of racket is more like what the inn was usually like. After the argument went on a few minutes, one of the upstairs doors opened and closed, and down came a pale blonde man, seeming around the same age as March. Mistria did get visitors every now and again, so it wasn’t completely abnormal for a stranger to stay at the inn. The argument must have woken him up, Ari thought, as he made his way over to the counter and ordered a coffee.

He was quiet, his straight, blonde, ear-length hair shaping his face nicely. He had a thin build, you could describe his face as boyish, and he was wearing black, baggy, jogger-style pants, high-top shoes, and a plain grayish-blue, sleeveless top with a high collar. He glanced around the room, his eyes lingering on Ari and March for a moment, before he faced back toward the bar, slowly and calmly sipping his coffee. Eiland and Adeline still arguing lightly as atmospheric background music.

“Hey, I appreciate you coming in, but please keep your voices down!” Hemlock chirped with a friendly smile, “We have guests sleeping here, you already woke one up!”

Adeline looked down at her feet in frustration, letting out a sigh, “I’m going to talk to family about this. This hospital will be good for Mistria.”

Not getting anything, Adeline walked out the front door and left Eiland sitting at the bar with his coffee, looking over the paper like none of it even happened.

After paying their tab, and hanging around a few minutes to mutually eavesdrop, Ari and March waved Hemlock off and head out the door. They made their way across town to the bridge, pausing in front of it, both of them taking a hesitating breath as they continue forward.

They spent a lot of their travel talking about their beliefs and values, and Ari learned that Mistria isn’t an especially religious town, as March had a much different upbringing to her in a lot of ways.

“I never even really heard about the concept of religion almost at all until I was in my teens. I knew about stuff like weddings, and prayer, and spirits, but religion as an institution wasn’t really something we heard of.” March explained, both of them trotting at a comfortable pace, “By the time I heard about that, I didn’t have any emotional investment in it.”

The idea of someone going their whole childhood without hearing anything about religion at all was baffling, “You don’t know anything about religious sacraments..? Or any of the prayers said in church, or before bed..?”

“Well I think I knew about some people praying before bed, Elsie had a picture of a child praying at a bed on one of her walls when I was a kid.” He replied, “The word ‘sacrament’ sounds scary.”

Ari chuckled, “It can be intimidating. We all had to do our religious sacraments. First communion, baptism, all the sorts. A lot of it required a lot of reading and studying, they had us do little workbooks about these things from when we were little children.”

“That sounds like a lot for a little kid.” March said understandingly, “I feel like the idea of religious purity and dedication would be stressful for someone that young.”

“Yeah.” Ari said, looking at the ground in thought, “There were times it was stressful. But there were many days, it all just fell into our regular routine. It was when we got in trouble..”

Ari trailed off, she hadn’t thought about that for a really, really long time. It was mostly when she was under the age of six that she ever got in trouble, because all the older kids knew by then that you would always be caught, and everyone was well aware of what happened after.

”.. Trouble..?” March asked, noting her sudden silence.

”.. Yeah.” Ari shook her head, feeling like she could remember if she tried hard enough, but simply not wanting to.

”.. What kind of trouble?” He asked, genuinely curious, realizing this was actually something that caused her to become unnerved.

“Mother always brought us to the kitchen in the middle of the night, if we did something bad.” Ari closed her eyes, furrowing her brows, and shook her head slightly, “I don’t think I want to talk about that.”

This struck March as serious, because there were actually very few things Ari wasn’t open to talk about upon request. She may leave some things out, but if he ever asked for an explanation or a deeper dive into anything she said, she always did- and none of it seemed to bother her all that much. But this, for some reason, changed the entire aura of her body language.

“We don’t have to talk about it.” He reassured her, sensing something was very off-limits about that topic right now, ”.. I hope some day we can.”

“Sometimes.. I forget how scary she could be. Osyth.” Ari explained, feeling like he deserved some sort of explanation for her sudden shutdown, “Because for many instances, she was my caregiver and a savior. She brushed my hair for me, helped me bathe when I was very little, she taught me everything I know.. Those are the things I want to remember about her, so those are the memories most present.”
...
”.. Every now and then, one of the very bad memories sneaks back in, just for a moment, and it reminds me that she was not my mother.” Ari said seriously, disgust in her voice, “I just push those thoughts out of my mind. I tell myself they’re not real, that I was too young to really remember. It’s been so long, afterall.”

The tone in her voice sent a chill down his spine, making him more aware of the seriousness of this particular topic. It was rare that Ari show genuine, negative emotion like that, usually she were very stone-faced and her words were typically positive.

”.. When you’re ready, that’s something you’ll handle.” March said, looking over at her with concern, “If you’re not ready, that’s okay.”

They walked a long way, by the time they’d stopped it was nearly 5PM. They had traveled many fields, still in the wooded area. They passed a number of broken down buildings, and one or two small towns on the outskirts of Mistria. The closer they got, the more life they started seeing along the way, as the middle of the kingdom was the heart of the area.

Deciding it was about time to take a break for the night, March found a clearing area not far from a town and they set up a tiny camp, mostly just a tent with them and all of their belongings in it. Despite the fact that the forecast was clear, it started to spinkle just a bit, leaving the area smelling green and fresh. The both sat inside the tent, having unrolled their blankets, sitting close to each other. They finally got to eat something, Ari being able to try the quiche March bought for her, along with some garlic bread.

”.. This is really good.” Ari said happily, picking small pieces of the quiche out of the container and eating it with glee, “It reminds me of home cooking from when I was a kid.”

“I’m glad you like it.” March said, his mood became solemn every time Ari brought up her childhood now, seemingly not forgetting the unease from earlier in the day.

“The other sisters used to bring us into the kitchen, after we got older, to teach us how to help make the food. The bredding in this is just like ours.” Ari continued, sensing March grow hesitant about the topic of her young years, “I.. Don’t want you to think my entire childhood was all bad.”

“Do you have any good memories that you think of sometimes..?” March asked, taking a bite of his bread, and moving closer to her.

“I remember when I was little, Domenico taught me how to play hop-scotch. He muddled up some berries and clay, found a paved area a ways down from the orphanage, and painted his own little hop-scotch line. One of the older kids showed him how, so we sat there taking turns for all of our free time, fifteen minutes.” Ari smiled, chuckling to herself, “I don’t think he actually did it right at all, now that I’ve seen what hop-scotch looks like, but.. It was really fun. We didn’t get to play many games.”

”.. It seems like a lot of the good times you had were with your brother. I relate to that. A good sibling can get you through the worst times.” March said thoughtfully, thinking about his brother Olric, “I think for most of my childhood, Olric was my only real friend.”

Ari nodded at that sentiment, “I know what you mean. The only person who makes you forget about the bad things.”

March nodded, finishing up his meal and putting the container, closed, back in the bag, “When our parents died, the only constant in my life was Olric. Everything else changed, but never him.”

Ari looked over at him, smiling sweetly, “You do have one of the sweetest guys for a brother, I don’t think I would have started talking to you without him. He’s your biggest advocate.”

“I know. We have our dumb sibling fights, but he’s always looking out for me.” March started rolling out their blankets, putting together a small bed for them to sleep on. No pillow, but just enough padding to be comfortable, and one to cover up with.

Ari took off her jeans and her bra, tossing them next to her bag, and taking her place next to March on their makeshift bed. He was still sitting up, sending a text to Olric about his current position, and then turning his phone back off to reserve battery. It was dark now, the sun almost fully set, and aside from the dim street lights of the town nearby, it was completely dark. March took off his shirt, laying next to Ari.

The light rain was pitter-pattering on the fabric of the tent, it was calming. Bugs could be heard chirping beneath the trees. It was so strange, laying with March in the middle of no where, so far away from home. She could feel his heart beating. Before she got too situated, she sat up briefly, opening her bag and pulling out one of the small boxes she bought at the general store. Taking one of the birth control pills, she put the package back in the box, tucking it into her bag, and lying back down next to March.

She had started taking them a couple weeks before she and March started talking, and so far she was happy with the results. She didn’t have any side-effects, to her knowledge, and it was probably the best thing for her health considering they were in a serious longterm relationship.

Ari ran her hand down his chest, feeling his muscular body, pressing her body against his as they lie there in the dark. It was pitch black now, she couldn’t see him, and the feeling of his skin against hers was excentuated by the lack of her other sense. Ari leaned into him, kissing his neck, earning a sigh from March as he lie there quietly. He looped one arm around her, pulling her into him tightly, the shapes of their bodies melting together affectionately. Something about being in a tent, in the dark, hearing the rain patter, being so far away from home.. It felt invigorating.

March pulled her to him, kissing her. His lips nearly missed the first time, but found hers right after, his hands roaming over her body as he sat up on one elbow. Their kiss continuing, Ari ran one hand from his lower torso down to his pants and onto his upper thigh, earning a sharp inhale from March as she made contact with his erection, already hard. The dark had already made it so much clearer to feel her touch, as Ari fumbled around awkwardly with the zipper on his pants, both of them heatedly rushing, hands patting as they locked lips. It seems that without discussing it, they had already had the same idea.

Ari pulled his erection out of his pants, stroking him gently, still kissing him heatedly as they lie there in the eternally black backdrop. She leaned into him, sitting up on her knees, running her hand over his chest as he held her face to his with one hand.

Breaking their kiss, Ari made a quick decision, leaning down and taking his cock into her mouth, earning a moan of surprise from March as he set a gentle hand on the back of her head, not having expected that at all. Ari had never given anyone oral before, so it was new to her, but she still was pretty aware of the general idea. She moved her mouth up and down, rubbing him as she did. His stomach was tensing, she could feel his breathing tighten as she went back down, pushing him deep into her mouth until he reached her throat.

"A-Ari, wait I-" March said quietly, gasping at the new sensation of her mouth around him, wet and warm.

She continued, running one hand into her own panties, beginning to rub herself with one hand to the sound of his soft moans, moaning onto his cock, sending vibrations onto his body and earning a hot gasp from March. He clearly didn't know how to react, as his hand was tensing as it rest gently on her head, his erection pulsing in her mouth.

Even though they were alone, it's as if they were trying to be quiet- the silence of the woods making them feel exposed. The sprinkling rain being the only sound around them, aside from their own voices.

"A-Ari-" March stopped her as he felt too close to a climax, reaching his arms out for her to straddle him, "Come here."

Ari followed his lead, using his hands to guide herself up onto him, parting her underwear to the side and rubbing against him, pressing her chest to his as she leaned down to kiss him. She used one hand to guide his cock into her entrance, both of them softly moaning at the sensation, feeling so much more intense than usual. Despite the thick darkness, their bodies melted together comfortably. Ari met his thrusts, increasing their friction as she softly moaned out. It even felt like being on the ground, without the give of the springs of a bed, made the impact of their bodies meeting feel even more intense.

His hands traveled her body as he wrapped his arms around her, she could hear him softly panting into their kiss, her own sounds mingling with his as he thrust into her body, pulling her down onto him by her hips. March pulled her toward him, pulling his knees up, using his legs to bounce her and throw her weight into their union, pushing into her as deeply as he could with every stride.

Their kiss continuing, Ari arched her back into him, whimpering into his mouth as he slammed into her. He broke their kiss, putting his face into the bend of her neck, listening to the sound of her soft voice as he quickened his pace, being slightly rougher in his movements, chasing the sound of her pleasure.

"O-oh- March- I'm close-" Ari gasped, her voice quivering as he bucked up into her body.

Hearing her, March started going harder, tilting his head back slightly, Ari moaned into his neck as she kissed and sucked on his skin, growing closer to her climax. Ari could feel his hands shaking, his chest tightened as she nipped at his neck, lovingly. Her legs shook and her body tightened around him, as he brought her to an intense peak, Ari moaned his name into his neck as her lower belly rattled with pleasure.

"Oh, A-Ari-" March felt his body tighten, his entire body responding to hers.

Riding her through her orgasm, March felt his thrust become uneven, his hips stuttering as she tightened around him. The sensation of her lips on his neck, moaning his name in his ear, he was taken over the edge completely, thrusting up into her roughly, releasing into her. Ari's lips met his with a loving kiss as he rolled through his climax, releasing long strides of cum into her body. March wrapped his arms around her as their kiss went on, still inside of her as they slowed to a stop, desperately and affectionately rolling over onto her as he deepened their kiss, still feeling heated and passionate, despite their shared climax.

".. I can't get enough of you.." Ari whispered, March kissing her neck, her arms wrapped around his shoulders.

"I try my best to keep you coming back.." March said through kisses, nipping her neck lovingly and earning an excited sigh from her.

Kissing and touching each other for this long after sex was a new experience, both of them fully enamored by the sensation of it. It felt like nothing Ari had ever felt, it was so different from all the times they'd slept together in bed. Something about this experience stood out in Ari's mind, there was something so exotic about having sex outside, or outside of their normal space. This was probably one of the first legitimate "kinks" Ari was realizing she had- sex in other places, or public displays of affection. She wasn't quite sure she was prepared to admit to that yet, but she had a strong feeling March felt the same way based on the intensity of his touch. Hearing the rain, smelling the plants, feeling the fresh, cool night air, it was completely different having all of these different senses activated.

They had a long day, hours of travel, and both of them were completely out of energy at this point. They spent the next few minutes embracing and kissing, but soon after curled up together and fell sleep, both of them ready for the next day ahead. They were roughly halfway through their trip, making great on time. They likely wouldn't need to stop again until they get to the capital, or at least until they're pretty nearby. It felt like they were completely isolated together, being so far out on their own, having their phones mostly off with very little contact with everyone at home. It really felt special, and Ari was looking forward to what the next day would bring.

Chapter Text

Ari woke to the sound of March opening the tent, climbing back in, apparently having left at some point. Ari rubbed her face groggily, stretching, and sitting up.

”.. Where you been..?” Ari asked sleepily, leaning forward onto her knees, still waking up slowly.

“I just went outside to see if there were any water sources nearby. We can follow the trail to the west and that should take us all the way there.” March said, kneeling next to her and resting.

”Gotcha, I’ll wake up and we’ll get going then.” Ari said, slipping her bra back on and putting her pants back on.

They weren’t in a huge hurry, they were making good time, but the shorter their trip was, the more time they would have to look around the Capital while they were there. They both hopped out of the tent, bags in hand, and Ari stood while March dismantled it, shaking off the rain, and packing it back up in the sling.

Ari looked across the field, spotting a train station next to a small town, a new cargo carrier rolling into the station, not too many people around.

”..We could head by train; it would be faster.” Ari said with a shrug, looking over at him, “It’s heading west, parallel to the waterway.”

March took a long second to think it over, trying to process.

”.. Have you.. Taken a train before, March?” Ari asked with a smile, sensing his hesitation, “It’s kinda easy, if you’re up for it.”

”.. Okay, we can do that, I think.” March said, hesitantly. Not really very sure about the idea but wanting to be open.

They both walked up to the station, Ari was shifting between walls, attempting to check for any employees who might be nearby. There were one or two of them transporting from one box car to a building, but there weren’t many people to be worried about. Ari pulled March by the hand, he followed her lead as they were slinking between the cars and avoiding the open gates. Ari silently pointed to one car, which the employees had just emptied, left open because it didn’t have a slider.

Ari’s footwork was impeccable as she led the way, her movements silent, March noted this with some intrigue. Getting to the car, Ari scaled the side like it was nothing, turning back and holding out a hand to March to help him up into the car she was in. He had a number more bags than she did, so he took her hand, both of them finally pulled up into the empty car.

March looked slightly bewildered, very clearly nervous, his breathing quickened. Ari couldn’t help herself; she giggled lightly at the sight of how nervous he looked, but she was proud of him for having accomplished their goal. They slunk into the back of the car, out of sight of anyone passing, and after fifteen minutes or so, the train began to move.

At first he looked terrified by the sudden movement, but after they got going, the fields rolling by, everything was quiet and he started to relax, looking over at her after staring outside the train for so long.

“When do we..” March trailed off, realizing the only way to get off will ultimately be to jump, ”.. You do this a lot?”

“Yeah, used to. Why, nervous?” Ari teased, giving him a gentle shove, “Doesn’t it make your heart beat really fast? It’s fun, right?”

March looked out into the rolling field, the little towns in the distance passing by one-by-one. They passed a big lake on a farmland, a windmill slowly turning on a hill.

”.. Looks like our stop is coming up, you ready?” Ari asked, leaning out of the car, looking for a good spot to land, “If you roll into the fall, pick somewhere with a little grass, it helps.”

March nodded nervously, his eyes looking back and forth, spotting a good spot with some tall grass in a clearing. Appearing to mentally steady himself, without a word, he jumped- to Ari’s surprise, he went first. Ari steadied herself quickly, spotting a good clearing, and jumped from the car, rolling into the grass. Sitting on the ground, headband slightly falling down, March looked over at Ari- still holding all of their bags. He looked up at her as she walked over, still seeming to process and shake off the jump. Ari laughed, sticking her hand out to help him up.

“You did great, that was awesome.” Ari smiled, pulling him up from the ground, obvious excitement in his chest.

“That was crazy-!” March said, breathing heavily, still steadying himself from the tumble, but overall back on his feet, “Wow, I can already see the Capital, that cut our travel down by hours.”

“Best way to travel, I swear.” Ari held up a hand, a cheeky smile on her face, pulling up his headband out of his face and fixing his hair for him.

March reached over, putting his hands on both sides of her face, kissing her excitedly. They both stopped walking momentarily, taking the moment to embrace, She could feel how shaken March was with adrenaline, and it made her feel so happy that she could make him feel so alive, the way he made her feel. He broke their kiss slowly, looking her in the eyes. He thought she looked so.. different right now. She had her hood pulled up, backpack hanging from her back, loose jeans, and a sweater wrapped around her waist with a tank top on. Her short curls dangled in front of her face, messily. Ari gave this seasoned, masculine energy right now, for someone so small and sweet. She felt so experienced in her travels, like she had done this a million times, and March found himself looking at her so much differently- somehow walking away from this feeling like he only loved her more. This was the real Ari, not the Mistria Ari. It’s like the further they got from their town, the less sterile and the more alive she began to feel. Her movements were so assured.

Ari always felt she needed to “find” herself by moving new a new town and reinventing herself, but the truth was that she never felt more like herself than when she was backpacking, jumping from trains, and sleeping outdoors. Returning to those behaviors felt like home, and Ari was glowing in a way he had never seen her before.

”.. I love you.” March said with a serious expression, letting his hand linger on her cheek as he pulled from her, both of them beginning on the last of their journey through the field, over toward the towns surrounding the Capital.

“I love you too, March.” Ari said, smiling to herself and looking down at her feet shyly, sweeping her curls from her face with her hand.

“You’re so.. Different right now.” March said with a furrowed brow, taking her by the hand and walking alongside her, ”.. You’re incredible.”

Ari, surprised by his words, glanced over at him briefly and looked down at her feet again, “I guess.. Being out here, traveling, it feels like home.”

What kind of sense did it make, that the most Ari felt like home was when she was so far away from home? Even Ari didn’t understand it fully, but she did feel happy, and she was happy to share this experience with March. It felt like she was being more real with him. It was easier to show him what she was like, instead of telling him.

“Can’t believe I jumped from a moving train.” March said with a chuckle, “Elsie’s gonna freak out.”

“Hey, what we do stays between us, if you want. Nobody needs to know. I’ll never tell a soul.” Ari sang sweetly, swinging their hands back and forth, bumping into him lightly.

“Promise?” March asked seriously, “That I can tell you anything?”

“Of course.” Ari returned his seriousness, looking over at him.

March was quiet for a second, looking around the field, looking over at Ari. He smiled to himself a little, thinking about their relationship, how serious it had gotten, so quickly.

”.. I actually do remember the first time I ever saw you.” March admitted with a tone of repentance, ”.. At the train station. I told you I didn’t, but I do.”

Ari looked over at him with surprise, not being nearly as bothered by that now that he’s seen her throughout their trip, “You do?”

“Yeah. You ran into me that night, I was picking up a crate of iron late that night for the shop, you ran face-first into my chest.. And ran away right after.” March described, it took Ari by surprise just how well he recalled it- had he known this whole time?

”.. I’m sorry you met that version of me first.” Ari said glumly, rubbing the back of her neck with an awkward smile, ”.. You saw right through me. You usually do.”

“That version of you..?” March asked quizzically, question in his voice, “Ari, I feel like I’ve known you more just the last day than I ever have. There’s no versions of you.. That’s all you.”

Ari took his words hard, but realized he was right. She had tried so hard to separate herself from her history that she felt like she needed to be someone else to succeed.. Yet the man she loved knew the real her this entire time- and loved her despite that.

Not despite that. Because of that. And now, for the first time, he was feeling like he really, genuinely knew who she was. The idea of that was both daunting and comforting at the same time.

“You’re right, you know.” Ari admitted with a smile, a blush working its way across her cheeks, looking out into the fields, “I’m realizing, the more we’re out in the world, that the things about myself I was trying to run from.. They’re just out here. Those attributes never left. I went to Mistria to be someone else, because I didn’t want to be me.”

”.. Why?” March asked, not fully understanding, “What was so bad about being you..?”

That was the question Ari dreaded having to tell him the answer to.

”I can tell you that.” Ari said, furrowing her brow, insecurity showing in her voice, “But unlike all of this, I don’t expect it to make you love me more.”

March looked over at her, realizing that she was feeling very on-edge about this topic in particular, ”.. Try me.”

”.. Well, I used to be the runner for a few groups when I was at my lowest. Uh.. Weaponry, substances, just generally things that needed running. I was a scout for some of these groups, and.. I didn’t always leave them on a happy note.” Ari gestured, shaking her head, ”.. There were a lot of things I did just to survive, but so many things I wish I hadn’t done.”

”.. Some of these people were self-claimed Byzantines from long lines of Mediterranean cultures far away, they took their wares very seriously. Some of them were.. Very scary.” Ari shook her head, with a sigh.

March seemed concerned about this, his face serious, ”.. Would they recognize you..?”

“Possibly. But it has been over a year since I last saw any of them, so possibly not.” Ari shrugged, serious tone still in her voice, “I.. Dreaded that I would need to tell you any of that. I knew I would need to.”

”.. I’m glad you shared that with me.” March said, looking at his feet reaching a new road, the feils behind them as they met a path.

“I want to share everything with you.” Ari said, meeting eyes with him for the firs time in awhile that they had been walking, ”.. If you can keep my secrets.”

March paused for a long time, thinking to himself, clearly deep in thought, ”.. I would love to be an insider to your world, Ari. If you trust me.”

“I do. If I didn’t, I never would have told you about my past.” Ari explained, a serious tone in her voice, “I could keep these secrets to my grave.. I’ll do the same for yours.”

He looked at her, for a long time. He saw her.
Secret keeper. Confidant.
Serious.

Those were parts of herself she never thought she would share with anyone. March was that person. Her person. He took her seriously, and at these words they had entered a silent pact. That no matter what, they were on the same side. A private team. They linked hands again, Ari leaning her head on his shoulder.

”.. Do you think.. Nevermind.” March started, and stopped himself, a blush forming across his face.

Ari quirked an eyebrow, looking over at him with a chuckle, “Oh, now you’re keeping secrets..?”

“I.. So, okay.. If you were to get married.. Would you ever consider eloping?” He asked quietly, a little flustered, but trying to conceal it.

Ari blinked, her eyes wide, meeting his blush, “O-oh, well.. I would, yeah. My first ‘wedding’ it was just us two and a tree, I think I would be okay with that..”

“I guess I thought maybe.. This is so stupid, but everyone gets married at the capital, it would just be really crazy if we..” March trailed off, really catching himself, “I-I’m just saying hypothetically.”

Ari’s eyes darted around, she was really taken aback, her face was red, ”.. That would be crazy, yes. I-I wouldn’t be against it.. If we talked about it in the near future..”

March smiled big, rubbing the back of his neck, “You.. Wouldn’t be against it..?”

“Ask me in five months.” Ari leaned toward him, tilting her head and resting it on his shoulder.

”.. Five months.” March echoed her words quietly, thinking to himself, clearly elated by her answer to the question he wasn’t even sure he could ask.

They continued down the path, they had finally entered the central town area of the capital, and the closer they got, the more buildings and people there were. No one really paid them much mind so far, both of them just looking like your regular travelers, in a town full of travelers. There were a number of shops, a lot of different pubs and grills, and unlike the calm streets of Mistria, these towns were buzzing with life. The people here looked working class, handymen and women who had a skill or trade. They still had a ways to go before they got into the central area, but they were getting closer.

Ari had been to towns like this one before, the busier areas with more people. Usually she was just passing through, but she’s always found areas like this interesting. Always wondering how many of these people had their own lives, their own personal affairs, how many of them had secrets, bigger cities always keep their secrets better than a small town.

March pulled her to him gently, leading her down the street to the town, affectionately standing in front of her as an emotional shield. She stood slightly behind him, trusting him to lead her way through, she was feeling somewhat claustrophobic as a large group of younger kids walked on the sidewalk next to them, seemingly headed toward the town pool together.

“You wanna stop anywhere while we’re here?” March asked her quietly, glancing back at her.

Ari shook her head, just looking forward to getting their stay at the inn at the Capital in order, that way they had a place to put all their things while they explored. Ari was looking forward to having a place to clean up and refresh, or even just a few moments alone in the quiet with him- being out in the world was starting to feel like a lot.

So they continued on, for an hour, two hours, and the further into the central area of the kingdom they got, the more people there were. Entering the gate to the capital, Ari looked around. There was a large, open town square of people, a lot of shops set up, there were a number of buildings and inns. There were many decorations, potted plants, vines on a trellis, signs from businesses, a number of colorful stalls full of wares.

He lead her a few streets over from what looked like a large arena-style building, it looked professional. There were guards standing at the entrance of the building, kingdom flags waving in the breeze.

“That’s where the competition will be.” March said, pointing at the large building and looking back at Ari with a smile.

They took a turn, and within sight of the arena building, there was an inn. It was a large building, probably over a dozen rooms, with a secondary building attached by a garden. The place was buzzing with people as the entered. There was a bar, and a diner downstairs with an entry desk, littered with small potted plants and cute decorations, a young woman with brown hair and glasses greeted them. She wore a long, flowing skirt, and a frilly, matching light blue top.

“Hello! How may I help you..?” She asked, setting down a box of books behind the counter and turning to face them with a smile.

“I called in a reservation here a few days ago. March of Mistria.” March explained to her, looking back at Ari, giving her a nudge as he could sense she was overwhelmed.

Ari squeezed his had, letting him know she was okay.

“Ah, I see your reservation right here!” She said happily, looking at a long name of lists written on a sheet of paper, “You’re room 24, second building!”

She handed them a door key with a tag on it, and waved them off, pointing toward a door at the far end of the room, leading toward the second building. They walked along the room, glancing around as a few people were talking, glasses from the bar clattering, one of the servers dropped a plate and a group of men clapped at her- she bowed sarcastically at them.

They both walked up to the door, opening it to see that between the building there was a patio, vines growing thicky on the fence in between, giving a canopy-like coverage from the outside street. There were a couple men smoking out there, in fact, most of the visible patrons were seemingly men. They were all likely meeting here for the same competition, this inn being so close to the arena. Ari found herself wondering how many of these rough-looking men were actually March’s competitors.

March gripped the handle to the second door, leading into the joined building and opened it for Ari, letting her walk in ahead of him. The second building was a bit quieter, not nearly as many people buzzing around. There was a second bar, a couple men sitting at different areas in the room, and a staircase leading to an upstairs area. It was homey here, there were a number of plants and decorations adorning the place, a deep brown, well-kept wooden floor, matching the bar and the accents. This place wasn’t like the inn over in Mistria, this place felt completely different.

March gestured to the wooden stairs leading to the next floor, and Ari walked up them cautiously, March walking behind her. The upstairs didn’t feel like a hotel, it felt like they were just walking through someone’s very big home, the hallway stretching a long way and the rooms not being uniform and right next to each other. There were a few different hallways, the ceiling hitched in some areas with the shape of the roof. The walls were a deep, fancy wooden panel, with intricate wooden carvings adorning each new panel. They walked a bit dowm, past a window looking out into the street, and came across the very last room in the hallway- Room 24. writen on the door.

March entered the key, turning it, and cracking open the door, letting Ari walk in first. It felt like.. Someone’s really nice bedroom. There was a big bed, fluffy, freshly washed bedding and the pillows looked full and new. There was a small, wooden desk, and a deep red carpet, matching the deep draped on the window on the other side of the room. More potted plants littered the room aesthetically, a painting of a woman holding a cat over the bed. There was a light on one night stand, and a phone and a bible on the other. There were two doors, one presumed to be a closet, the other leading into a bathroom.

“Well, this is it.” March gestured, setting down their bags, walking up behind Ari and putting his hands on her waist, “What’da you think?”

“This is.. Really, really nice.” Ari said, still looking around in slight amazement, “It looks.. Like someone’s really nice house.”

“Yeah, the town is paying for our stay here, because I’m repping Mistria tomorrow. Stay up to three days, but I don’t think we’ll need that long.” March explained, taking the bad from Ari’s shoulder and setting it on the chair of the desk.

“Are.. The men downstairs here for the competition, too?” Ari asked, turning to look at him, putting a hand on his arm.

“Probably, yeah. This is where we all stayed last time.” March said with a shrug, looking her over, “The first thing I’m going to do is shower.. You want to maybe.. Join me..?”

Ari smiled shyly, following him by his hand to the bathroom, he flipped on the light. It wasn’t big, but it was well-kept. It had small deep-blue tile with tiny kingdom symbols of every other square. The counter was a nice white marble, with a small but tasteful vanity mirror over the sink. Ari looked at herself in the mirror, lowering her hood and inspecting her face, rubbing off a little black smudge she’d obtained at some point. March walked up behind her, putting his hands on both sides of her waist, embracing her in an affectionate hug, looking over her shoulder at them both in the mirror.

March reached around her, taking her zipper and slowly unzipping her jacket for her, lingering on every motion. He put his lips on the side of her neck as he slipped her jacket from her shoulders, hanging it on the handle of the bathroom door. Ari tilted her head to the side, moving her hair to allow him more access. They both looked in the mirror, watching as he parted his lips, sucking gently on her neck as she lifted one hand to run it through his hair.

Ari noticed.. Not a lot of these other men brought women with them. A majority of them were either by themselves, or with a group of other people. She found it a little out-of-place that she was seemingly one of the only women at this place, maybe even at the event at all. She was happy to be there, thrilled to have this alone time with March, but she did wonder.. If maybe these men didn’t have wives or girlfriends because the job took up that much of their time and energy.

March motioned for Ari to turn to him, kissing her, and lifting her by her thighs to sit up on the side of the sink. He deepened their kiss, wrapping his arms around her, Ari hooking one leg over his waist and pulling him into her, her arms wrapping around his shoulders loosely.

She wondered if she was a distraction to him from his work, that maybe when he was so worried about getting too caught up in this.. That perhaps he had a point in thinking that. When they hadn’t yet confessed to each other, and he was hesitating to make things real with her, his main reason was that he wanted to be more focused on his work.. And after seeing all of these other men not bringing women with them, she was starting to see how the blacksmith lifestyle, specifically for specialized blacksmiths with kingdom jobs, maybe didn’t seem to suit longterm relationships.

March ran his hands over her skin, breaking their kiss to lift her tanktop over her head, discarding it on the floor. March could tell she was thinking about something. He took off his own shirt, tossing it next to hers, and pressed his chest to hers as he trailed small kisses up her chest and onto her neck, running his nose over the lobe of her ear gently.

”.. You’re thinking about something else right now, what is it..?” He asked quietly into her ear, sending a shiver down her spine.

”.. The other men downstairs.. They didn’t have women with them..” Ari said quietly, barely above a whisper, as she brushed her lips against his.

“You’re thinking about the other men downstairs right now..?” March chuckled, circling his nose around hers playfully, ”.. I don’t care if they don’t have girlfriends..”

”.. I guess I was just thinking about why they don’t..” Ari closed her eyes, March kissing her on her cheek, and then on her jawline, pausing in front of her mouth as he looked into her eyes.

”.. I knew what choice I was making when we started this.” He whispered to her, pressing his lips to hers, holding her to him with a gentle hand on the back of her head.

That just made Ari think even more. What did he mean by that? Did he mean that this was a sacrifice toward his career that he knowingly made? Ari was a little thrown off by his words, wondering if he would grow to regret that, or if he would resent her. He.. Made a choice? What did he mean?

Ari was starting to feel her thoughts cloud, as he pressed his muscular chest to hers, reaching behind her and unclasping her bra. As he cupped her breast, he kissed down her neck and onto her chest. Ari shook her head slightly, trying hard to muster a clear thought.

“I.. I never would have wanted you to step back from your career lifestyle for me..” Ari said with a sigh as he took one of her nipples in his hand, thumbing it gently as he sucked on her neck.

He kissed her cheek, running his nose gently to her ear, and whispered seriously, ”.. I wouldn’t be able to ever have a family, if I took it as seriously as they do. Those men downstairs, a lot of them never married.”

That was the first time March ever explicitly stated he wanted a family, children. Marriage. Ari realized now that it wasn’t a choice he made specifically for her, it was a choice between two things he wanted that conflcited, and he couldn’t choose both. At this point, everyone knew March was talented, he had blessings and talents no one in the area had, he was a special force. But he knew being blessed with a family line wasn’t necessarily going to make him the best.

”.. Family..?” Ari tilted her head back, enjoying the feeling of him on her skin, humming quietly at the feeling of him.

”.. Most important thing is family.” He said seriously, pausing to look at her, a blush across his face at the seriousness of his own words.

He looked down into her eyes, running his fingers over the silky skin of her sides, flipping the button on her jeans, and unzipping them. Ari lifted herself slightly, allowing him to pull down her jeans, taking her underwear with them in the process. She felt so bare under his gaze, his face was red. He was looking down at her, stepping back to get a good look at her shape, Ari crossed one arm over her chest, shyly covering herself.

”.. I-I’m glad we can both agree on that..” Ari said, looking down and over to the side, her face felt hot as he looked over her body.

His stare was loving, he looked relaxed, leaning down to her, embracing her again, his warm body felt nice in the cool bathroom. His arms felt so big around her, their tongues meeting with intensity. Ari felt light-headed, the feeling of his skin on hers was intoxicating, she felt herself let an unintentional moan into his mouth, March holding her tighter in response, deepening their kiss. The uncertainty of their new surroundings made Ari feel even more bare beneath him, like she was relying on the coverage of his body for safety in the bright bathroom light.

He kissed from her lips, down her neck, and onto her chest, taking one of her nipples into his mouth, Ari sighing in response. Flicking her with his tongue, he reached his hand down between them, beginning to gently rub her clit in a light circular motion. Due to her shyness in this new place, he was taking more of a leading role in this experience, which felt so new. His energy was so heated and passionate, as he held her waist to him with his other arm, spreading her legs a little wider as she blushed at the exposure of her body to him. Kissing down her belly, he began sucking and kissing at one spot, just next to the other small, faded, nearly healed mark he made on her days ago, slipping one finger into her wet entrance. Ari quietly moaned his name, trying to be quiet, not knowing if anyone in the surrounding rooms would hear her voice.

Ari moaned out weakly as he nipped at her skin, wrapping her legs around him as he continued pressing into her with his finger, bending his finger upward and putting pressure on the soft spot just above her cervix. Her legs trembled slightly, urging him to continue as he looked up at her, meeting her eyes as she watched him through lewdly lilted eyelids, her face decorated with a light flush.

Ari thought to herself.. This man could be her husband, within a year if he did ask her in five months. This man, with his beautiful complexion, his sweet, boyish face, those serious eyes.. This could be her soul mate. The idea of that was so wild to Ari, because only a month ago they were secretly pining after each other as strangers, and now..

Ari looked down, watching him as he pulled back from the dark mark he left, kissing down her lower stomach, keeping eyes up at her as he kissed slowly lower, meeting her clit with his tongue as he inserted another finger into her, Ari moaning out and coyly covering her own mouth, tilting her head back in pleasure. He licked and lapped at her, putting his mouth onto her and moving his head back and forth, running his tongue over her most sensitive area, she could feel that she was embarrassingly wet.

“M-March..” She said his name holding out her arms for him to embrace her, begging him to continue.

He kissed back up her body slowly, slinking his hands up the skin of her back, sensually. He ran his nose up her neck, meeting her lips with his, Ari tightly held him to her in an embrace. She felt so.. Small beneath him right now. He gently pulled back from her, her legs wrapped around his waist, and she looked up at him in anticipation as he looked down at her, slowly unbuttoning his pants. He teased her, with how slowly he unzipped them, clearly taking his time as she look up at him with rosey cheeks, her legs open for him. She was enjoying the sight of him, his body was incredible. The look on his face was so serious, yet there was a sexy playfulness in his eyes.

He let his pants fall down slowly, revealing his boxers, his erection incredibly obvious through them. He was beautiful, Ari thought to herself, a long and potent pause between them as they looked at each other with an intense gaze. Revealing his cock, he looked down into her eyes, holding it to her entrance, Ari arching her back slightly in response. He rubbed up and down, she was wet and hot, reaching her arms out, begging for him to embrace her. Leaning down to her, he kissed her, sweetly. He held her by the waist, pushing into her slowly, as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders. They both moaned quietly into the kiss as they met in union, becoming one once again.

Ari’s legs shook a little, feeling him fully enter her, hitting her wall and filling her. She could hear March’s breathing intensify, his breath catching in his throat as he began pulling back out of her slowly, reentering her as their kiss persisted. He pulled her hips to his as he picked up his pace, breaking their kiss to get a better grip on her waist. He looked down at her, legs spread, wrapped around his cock, fully lit up by the light of the vanity. March blushed and felt excitement at the intensity of this visual, being able to see her fully this way, so exposed and vulnerable, her face showing her pleasure so clearly as he began a faster stride.

“M-March-” Ari moaned out, probably a little too loud, but he didn’t care.

Ari looked up at him, his muscular torso was flexing with every motion as he looked down at her, his face showing ecstasy as he continued riding into her. His face was blushed, his body shaking slightly at every entry, strongly gripping her with his hands as the soft skin from her body melted to his touch. He tilted his head back, closing his eyes and enjoying the sheer pleasure of their bodies meeting, beginning to rub her clit and feeling her body wrap tightly around him. Ari shook at the sudden sensation of his hand rubbing her, arching her back, propping herself up on the sink with her hands.

“Ari-” March panted, looking down at her, pulling her roughly into his thrusts, earning soft, breathy moans from her with every stride.

March took her legs up on his shoulders, changing the angle, grabbing the edge of the sink with both hands, pushing into her roughly. Ari stuttered her moans, whimpering his name weakly as she felt her legs begin to hopelessly tremble. Leaning down close to her, March watched her face as she squirmed with pleasure under him, going harder as he watched her enjoying the feeling of his body. He lived for her reaction, every time she moaned his name he felt his hairs stand on end, making his head feel light.

“Ari- .. Tell me what you’re thinking right now-” March said through thrusts, bucking into her quickly, one of her legs falling from his shoulder and hooking on his arm as he attempted to stabilize himself, his voice shaking.

“I- I don’t know-” Ari said honestly, not being able to put together even a semblance of a thought as she felt him continuously pushing into her body with force.

March took one hand, putting it under her chin and facing her eyes to his, intensely. The look on his face was serious, get filled with pleasure, “Try-“

”.. Y-you’re- incredible-” Ari moaned out, seeing stars as he pounded into her body, her legs shaking as she grew close to her climax, “O-oh March-“

March closed his eyes, leaning in toward her, kissing her on the forehead gently as he thrust into her, Ari looking up at him and putting one hand on his cheek, kissing him passionately as she felt her entire body tighten and convulse in pleasure, March moaning softly at the feeling of her body tightening around him. Feeling her body relax a bit, he gripped her hips, chasing his own climax as his pumps became uneven and stuttered, breaking their kiss and pressing his cheek to hers lovingly as he came inside her, gasping a barely audible moan at the sensation.

He thrust into her slowly, finishing inside of her. Ari wrapped her arms around his shoulders, pulling him to her, meeting him with a heated kiss as he allowed her legs to fall from his shoulders. They remained that way for a few minutes, lost in an intimate kiss, allowing themselves to float down from their high. March broke their kiss, finally, pulling out of her body, looking down and watching his cum drip from her entrance.

His eyes lingered on her, sat on the sink with her legs spread lewdly, his love dripping from her wet opening as she try to catch her breath- Her face still blushed. Ari hopped down from the sink, using a towelette to wipe herself as March flipped the shower on. Ari took their clothes, hanging them up neatly on the hooks adorning the back of the bathroom door. The shower was a beautiful marble, one line of royal blue tile toward the top of the shower. The curtains were printed stained glass, accents of blue matching the royal blue tile. There was a small variety of shampoo and body wash on a small rack hanging from the side of the shower, neatly arranged in a row.

”.. My legs are numb.” Ari said, stretching her legs slightly, wiggling her toes.

March chuckled, leaning in and checking the temperature of the water, “Sorry, didn’t mean to beat you up that bad.”

Ari playfully chuckled, tilting her head toward him, “No, please, do beat me up.”

March looked back at her, raising an eyebrow at her, ”.. Don’t tempt me.”

They both made their way into the shower, Ari standing further up toward the faucet, turned toward March as he wet his hair. She stood so close to him, just out of reach of the water, ogling at his face as he closed his eyes, wetting his hair as water streamed down his head and face. Ari ran her hands down his wet chest, dreamily looking him over.

March brushed the water out of his eyes, looking at her with a chuckle, ”.. Hey now.”

Ari met his eyes, her face serious as she wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing herself against him. March leaned in slowly, kissing her gently, their lips soft and wet. He ran his hands over her soft skin, pulling her to him by her hips. She was so enamored by him, and he could feel it dripping off of her right now, sensing the intensity of her stare. He could feel her arching her back, her belly pressed against his body.

“Hey Ari.. What’s up..?” March asked curiously, enjoying her attention fully, but somewhat feeling like there was something she wasn’t saying.

Ari closed her eyes, pressing her head to his chest, letting the water wash over them both, ”.. I was just thinking.. You talking about family got in my head.”

“I didn’t mean to imply-” March started, gentle defensiveness in his tone.

“If we had kids, I would hope they got your nose.” Ari said, looking over his face, inspecting his nose playfully, ”.. Mine is really round at the tip, yours is cuter.”

March quietly looked at her, briefly assessing her level of seriousness before reaching up and touching her nose with his index finger, ”.. You think about stuff like that?”

“Well yeah, I have a couple times.” Ari admitted, blinking hard as he lightly tapped her nose with his finger, “Have you?”

March took a long pause, a serious look on his face, running a hand over his wet eyes, he seemed nervous to respond, “W-well..:”

“So you have..?’ Ari smiled, playfully tilting her head, seeing his embarrassment as cute.

”.. Maybe..” March looked away from her with a blush ”.. If we did have kids.. I hope they have your hair color. And your curls.”

Ari smiled as he reached a hand up, running one of her golden rings through his fingertips. This felt so.. Serious. His hesitation to admit he’s thought about it felt like he was afraid to admit it, for fear of sounding way too intense. Like he didn’t want to intimidate her with how hooked he really was on her.

March opened a bottle of body wash, rubbing it in his hands, and running his fingers across her skin, washing her body for her. She stepped out of the stream of water as he lathered her up, both of them smiling, Ari looking up at him, the water running over his masculine form through the steam.

”.. Sometimes when you talk about that stuff, I’m not sure if you’re playing or for real.” March admitted, looking down and to the side, a light blush forming on his face, ”.. That’s why I don’t want to talk too much about it.”

”.. You think I’m.. Messing with you..?” Ari asked seriously, putting her hands on both sides of his face, looking into his eyes.

”.. Maybe not on purpose, but..” March avoided her eyes, putting his hand on top of hers, still on his face.

“I mean what I say.” Ari said, pulling him down to her face, looking at him closer as he found it difficult to avoid her gaze, ”.. These are things I really do think about, with you.”

March looked her in the eyes, furrowing his brow, his blush growing deeper at their level of intimacy. In less words, Ari had basically admitted very openly about March fathering her children, and there was a level of vulnerability in that which he wasn’t fully emotionally prepared for. It made him feel.. A lot of things. Overall, overjoyed in a way he couldn’t describe, but so nervous to talk about it with her at length.

”.. You.. Mean.. That..?” March looked into her eyes, debating on whether or not he was fully prepared to let himself fall that deeply.

“Of course. “Ari said, letting her fingers slide gently down his cheeks, still looking into his eyes very seriously.

He pulled her into a hard kiss, Ari gasping at the suddenness of his grasp on her, their lips meeting with heat as they stand there is the stream of the shower, their hands traveling each other’s skin sensually. They finished up their shower, washing each other's hair, helping each other rinse, showering together had ended up being one of Ari's favorite activities to do with March. It just felt so.. Intimate. They both got out at the same time, March passing Ari a towel from the stand, both of them ringing out and shaking their hair, Ari's curls flowing sweetly as they stand in front of the mirror, drying themselves.

"Hey, wanna go down to the bar and have a drink?" March asked, looking over to her with a smile.

"Love to." Ari said immediately, happy he asked.

They took their time getting dressed, both of them chattering about what they heard Adeline talking about, and giving their own two-cents regarding having a bigger medical building. Ari rubbed moisturizer over her face, looking at her skin in the mirror. She put on a pair of black jogger-style pants and a gray tank top, putting her pickaxe pendant back on, and tying her darker gray bandana overtop it, covering her neck- and a few tiny love-marks left by March. She pulled on her light black jacket, flipping up her hood. They both slipped on their shoes, and walked out the door to their room, March locking it behind them. He followed her down the stairs, Ari looking back at him with a playful smile as he closely trailed her. They decided to walk back into the first building, it being a little livelier, and passed through a group of young men around their age in the process, both of them standing at the bar waiting for service.

"What do you want?" March asked Ari, getting her drink order ready for the bartender.

"Oh, any brown or stout will do." Ari chirped, pressing her body against his affectionately, watching him wave down the bartender.

The room was a little loud, there were enough patrons in there to call it a small crowd. A number of people were sitting at the bar, some of them over at tables having their own casual conversations. Music was playing lightly in the background, as everyone kicked back, seeming to have a good time. The vibe of the room was great, it was laid back. The music paused after the end of a song, leaving a long, potent silence as the room quieted just slightly. Ari could feel someone standing behind her, slightly to her left, and out of the very corner of her eye she could feel them staring at her, unmoving.

.....

".. Faustina."

Chapter Text

”.. Faustina.”

Ari felt her blood run cold.
That voice was one she would know in any dream, any nightmare, and every moment in between.

She snapped her head toward him, shock in her eyes, as looking past her hood she turned back to a young man. He was an inch or so taller than her, but about an inch shorter than March, he had a lean, but muscular form, seeming to do a lot of physical labor. He was wearing black boots, loose-fitting maroon pants, with a waist wrap. His shirt was a purposely tattered dark gray shirt with no sleeves, marred with charcoal. He had caramel-brown, wavy, ear length hair, held back by a charcoal black headband. His skin was a light tan, darker complexion than hers, his face speckled with freckles from the sun. He was wearing various jewels and beads, adorned from his ears in tasteful, accenting piercings- a small religious symbol hung from his other ear, in balance. He had a nose piercing, pointing down to his lips in a tribal triangle, his lips were a light peach color. He had a number of tattoos on his arms, the most notable being a familiar prayer on his left bicep, slightly facing Ari, well-enough to clearly read.

“Have mercy on me, O god, according to Your unfailing love; according to Your great passion blot out my transgressions.”
Psalm 51

That was one she knew so well, like the back of her hand, for mother Osyth would send them to bed to pray after- No- Ari shook the thought from her mind immediately.

And he had those same, piercing Norko green eyes.

”.. Domenico..” Ari felt her lips say, the words falling from her mouth with no effort.

They both stood there, fully astounded, Ari’s blood pressure skyrocketed, and she started to feel light-headed. He took a step toward her, reaching out and grabbing the sleeve of her jacket, pulling her in for a tight embrace. March watched silently, mouth agape, all of them stunned to no words.

Ari was surprised by the image of him, so different than the last time she saw him. He used to have long hair, pulled up into a loose tie- now cut into layers, wavy- almost curly. They obviously never had piercings or tattoos as kids, and he had a few. When they were children, he used to be a bit smaller, he was thin, and his posture was insecure and a little shy- now replaced by.. Confidence. His voice more assured. He even smelled different, like recently burnt insense and pine.

Ari was surprised by.. All the religious imagery.
She had completely dropped all of that from her identity, completely forgetting about all of it as much as she could. It was.. So strange, the feeling of his arms around her, as she had only ever hugged him a single time before- at their mock wedding as children.

”.. W-what are you.. Doing here?” Ari stammered the words quietly, still not really even believing her eyes, as she pulled back from his embrace, it was all so much.

”.. Our city is in the blacksmith competition, invited by the capital as a guest.” Domenico explained, watching March grab Ari’s hand for emotional support- he noted it quietly, his gaze on their hands, but back up to Ari immediately.

“You’re.. A blacksmith?” Ari asked, realizing his stature being so muscular, explained by that, “I-I’m sorry, I just need a second.”

Ari put her hand over her face and closed her eyes, this was so much. The entire room was buzzing with noise, but in her mind it all fell silent, as if no one else existed but them. March could tell Ari was completely on the verge of a meltdown, completely overstimulated, but she was holding it together.

”.. Wait, are you both here for that, too?” Domenico asked, pointing between both of them, trying to confirm that they had come together as it seemed.

“Yes. March of Mistria.” March stated, looking over at Ari as she finally pulled her hand from her eyes and opened them with a deep breath.

“Ah! Well good luck in the roll, I’m sure you’re my biggest competition!” Domenico said with a gentle smile, his words echoed in March’s head.

Biggest competition.

“Faustina, I can’t tell you how long I’ve looked for you, every place I went. I never thought I would see you again.” Domenico said with a serious tone, tilting his head, “Can we.. Go somewhere and talk, do you think? Somewhere not as loud.”

Ari nodded, looking at March who seemed reluctant but understanding. He released her hand slowly, watching her as her eyes lingered on his, handing her the drink she had ordered from the bar. He took a seat on one of the stools, taking a sip of his beer.

Ari followed Domenico into the second building, the quieter space. It was slightly darker in this building, the one their room was in, because there were no windows- the back wall being an aquarium. Domenico gesture to one of the booths in the back, Ari took a seat, and to her surprise.. He sat next to her on her side of the booth. It was like he’d known her a million years- which he had. But to Ari.. He was a stranger, in a way. Perhaps not.

“Faustina.. Where have you been..?” He asked quietly, looking down at his lap with a sad smile, “I.. Came back to look for you your release year.”

That name, it made her blood boil, but from that voice it was conflicting.
He had come back..? To the orphanage?

“Y-you did?” Ari asked with a gasp, furrowing her brow, “I thought you.. I thought you just left, moved on.”

“Never.” He said sternly, “I came back every other week, requesting to see you when I knew you were soon to be released, for over three months. Osyth never even told you I came?”

Ari shook her head with a sigh, pressing between her eyes with frustraton, trying to understand, “You.. Came back for me?”

“I wrote letters.” He tilted his head, confused by how thrown for a loop she was, as he had tried to contact her consistently for so long, ”.. She never relayed them?”

“Not one.. I didn’t even know when you got released, I just knew.. You stopped showing up anywhere.” Ari said sadly, recalling her most intense childhood disappointment- her first real, percieved loss.

“That bitch.” He said with muted frustration, taking a sip of his ale, furrowing his brow and looking down at the table in thought, “That man out there, is he..?”

His voice trailed off, but Ari knew what he was asking- and to her surprise, she found it hard to answer, already feeling this was conflicting.

“Yes. He is my partner.” Ari said with an awkward smile, taking a sip of her beer and looking away from him.

”.. Blacksmithing-type partner..? Boyfriend-type partner?” He pried gently, his voice trailing off, maybe feeling he was being a little too straight-forward.

“Boyfriend-type.” Ari said quietly, sensing this was awkward, “I actually couldn’t date for a really long time, after everything. He’s the first man I ever met that I had any feeling like that toward as an adult.”

Domenico nodded at that sentiment, tapping his hand against his arm nervously, “I.. Have tried a couple times to get to know women in the past, but there’s just this wall that keeps me from feeling anything toward them at all.”

Ari was surprised at his soft-spoken words, it reminded her of what he was like when they were children. He had that same, quiet, hushed voice when it was just he and her. Admittedly, this complicated things. She thought she would never see him again, and now, like a ghost, there he suddenly was back in her life, close enough to be in the same kingdom.

“Can we exchange numbers..? I can’t stand the thought of just having no contact with you after this.” He asked solemnly, taking his cellphone out of his pocket.

“Oh, definitely. That would be really nice. I haven’t seen a single one of my siblings since-” Ari took her phone out of her pocket with a smile, opening it and beginning to type his name in the contact bar.

”.. Sibling-?” He mimicked her word, a look of surprise on his face, “Y-You know we’re not actually-“

The door to the room closed, March walking toward their table with a wave, clearly taking note that they were both on the same side of the booth. He lasted longer without interrupting than Ari thought he would, actually, she figured he would eventually grow protective, given the situation.

“Sorry to interrupt your chat with your brother, I just wanted to see if you were down to do some window-shopping? Before I get too drunk, you know.” He chuckled dryly, rubbing the back of his neck, trying to be light about it.

“Uh, yeah! That would be really nice. Domeno, are you here with a group? Would you want to come with us..?” Ari asked, noticing the slight twinge on March’s expression, turning toward Domenico with a smile.

“I just have two blacksmithing partners with me for moral support, but they were drunk way earlier, so they’ve gone to bed. I’d love to come with you.” He smiled, Ari could tell by the change in his tone that he felt some type of way about March’s perceived intrusion.

They all came to some sort of agreement, Domenico let her out of the booth, following Ari and walking with she and March as a small group. March held her hand, but Ari was trying to not be so physically affectionate, not wanting Domenico to feel like a third wheel to their “couple time,” but March noticed that after a little while, she’d let his hand go, giving him an affectionate nudge. It left him feeling like she was trying to tone down their relationship in the presence of this face from her past, and it made him incredibly uneasy.

As they all walked the line of shops, Ari between the two of them, it was mostly Ari and Domenico talking- they had a lot of history to catch up on. Domenico found a little town just like Mistria that was only an hour or so travel from Mistria, they had all traveled West to get to the kingdom central. He became a blacksmith very young, immediately learning he had a special talent in the craft, unlocking a blessing passed down through his unknown lineage. He and March had that in common, but March didn’t comment, simply listening in.

Ari told him all about Mistria, and how she’d become a farmer on a whim. She told him about her life being hard and complicated, up until about a month prior when she moved into town. Ari told him about her friends, what it was like at the orphanage after he left, and she told him about the day she was removed.

”.. I’m regretful you had to go through any of that.” Domenico said with a frown, listening to her talk about her life, “I was hoping to intercept your leaving that place, but they wouldn’t tell me a date.”

“It was August 3rd, four years ago.” Ari said, easily recalling the date, “I’ll remember that day for the rest of my life. They didn’t even warn me.”

”.. Same. Didn’t even know I was eighteen.” He agreed with an awkward smile, “Just tossed us right from the nest. It turns out, I was a year early to your release. I thought you were two years my junior, not three. I didn’t have a real concept of your age, you’re a tad younger than me than I remember.”

“I remember the last time I saw you. We were outside, probably 10 to 12 years old, we passed each other when you were following one of the other mothers inside. They never really let us see each other after you turned 11.” Ari recalled, the memory clear as day in her mind.

“They kept the boys and girls separate when they got above ten years old. I entered the boys wing of the building, all boys, no girls at all.” He nodded, thinking back on it, chuckling to himself, “Luckily we got married when we were ten, so they didn’t act soon enough.”

He remembered.

“Oh, if they even knew we hugged, they would have been furious. We would have been brought to the kitchen for sure-” Ari stopped herself abruptly, shaking her head, “A-anyway, I’m glad you remember.”

”.. That you’re my wife? I never forgot.”

Ari felt March’s hand tense and heard him mutter to himself barely above a tone she could hear, “Yeah, your wife-sister, that’s normal I guess.”

Ari nudged him with her elbow, not acknowledging his comment otherwise.

“Actually.. That’s why I never really dated.” Domenico admitted with an awkward smile, March turning toward him and looking at him, “You.. Remember the kitchen?”

”.. Not really. Sometimes that thought comes to mind, but it’s like a blank space with nothing in it.” Ari looked down and to the side, trying not to remember.

“Well.. It was probably for our own good, anyway.” Domenico said with a shrug and a smile, earning a confused look from Ari.

Domenico apparently leaned into their upbringing, having come to terms with it in a positive way. Ari wasn’t fully certain what happened down there in that room, but she knew whatever it was, was nightmarish and evil, and there was a reason she never wanted to remember it.

She never wanted to. That’s why she couldn’t.

”.. I don’t agree. I don’t think it was for anyone’s good.” Ari said seriously, closing her eyes and shaking her head to remove the flooding thoughts from her mind, ”.. Did you say you never dated?’

“Well no..” He admitted, looking over at the windows, at a shop full of weaponry, “I never met anyone I wanted to date.”

Ari realized then, that this was cruel fate, in a way. Reunited with her childhood love, but only through her very real and intense adult romance. If she hadn’t met March, she wouldn’t be here at the capital- but if she and March hadn’t started dating a simple month ago, there is no doubt in her mind she would have reunited with Domenico and likely would have dated him- if not just to fulfill some childhood romance.

At any rate, as much as she hated jilting him this way, she was loyal to March. She loved him dearly, and she could tell he was bothered by all this talk of their childhood marriage. The insecurity was dripping from his body, he was distant, not involving himself as much, just listening in with a blank face.

“You know.. There are a number of very nice bachelorettes in Mistria, I’d love for you to come see our town sometime soon.” Ari smiled, rubbing her thumb over March’s hand affectionately, comforting him.

Domenico smiled glumly, looking at the ground, pretty obviously trying to conceal his disappointment, ”.. Sure, it would be really nice to see your town, Frostie.”

Frostie. He hadn’t called her that since they were very young. They both had trouble saying the complicated patron saint names they were given by the guardians, so they just said what they could pronounce back then. That was a throwback Ari hadn’t expected.

“Frostie..” Ari echoed quietly, recalling more memories of her past like a rising flood, “I remember the last time I heard you say that nickname. We were six or seven, and one day you just never called me that again, because you learned my full given name.”

“Ari.” March called her attention, bringing her back to the current day by her chosen name, pointing up at one of the windows that displayed a number of neck wraps and bandanas, “You should look at some of these while we’re here, I know you only have the one.”

”.. Ari?” Domenico asked curiously, “Did you not keep your patron name?”

“I wanted nothing to do with that place after I left.” Ari admitted with a sorrowful sigh, following March’s lead into the shop, ”.. No one has called me by my patron name since the day I left.”

That seemed to surprise him, he had obviously kept his. At that realization, it’s clear he was beginning to notice just how different Ari was, seven years later. She wasn’t the same, innocent, shy, curly-haired sweetheart he remembered from when they were kids. She had been through so many things that he was absent for.

They all wandered the store, Ari following March by hand over into the bandana section, Domenico had wandered further toward the back, looking at a number of men's shirts, sort of just walking around, looking over toward her out of the corner of his eye every now and then, like he was afraid she’d disappear.

”.. So he’s in love with you.” March whispered to her through his teeth, pulling her close to him gently by the arm as they browsed, “You can see that, right..?”

”.. He’s my brother, March.” Ari reassured in a low voice, rolling her eyes, “All of that stuff was so long ago, don’t tell me you feel threatened by him. I want you to pick one of these for me, so when I wear it I’ll think about you.”

March furrowed his brow with concern, but also sighed affectionately at her sentiment as he looked the bandanas over, “I just.. Ari, I can tell..-“

“Well at least the summer shopping is out of the way.” Domeno walked up, holding two or three new shirts- probably pretty necessary, since his current one was pretty beat up.

He could tell he walked into something by how March looked over at him, both he and Ari got quiet when he came back to them from his spree. The air was a little tense between them, but March still clung to her lovingly, holding her hand as he looked down at all the differently patterened neck coverages.

“I like this one for you.” March picked one of them up, handing it to her, leaning in and kissing her on she cheek delicately, looking away from them both with a blank expression.

He picked a black one with a muted mauve paisley pattern that Ari must have missed, she took it from his hand and looked it over- it was perfect. He knew her so well.

“I love this one, it’s perfect.” Ari said, holding it up and inspecting it.

They checked out from the store, March buying for her- it almost seemed like he felt he had something to prove. He typically bought all the food and wares anyway, but this time he made a point of leading her by hand, paying for everything, not letting her lift a finger. Ari could tell he had a lot on his mind as they walked along the square, Ari felt Domenico’s hand brush against hers gently, glancing over at him, but he was looking over at the fountain so she figured it wasn’t intentional.

“This city is really nice.” He said, looking back over at her, paying no mind to their hands touching briefly, “I remember after I left the place, seeing cities like this was so overwhelming, since we never left the marshland. Took years for me to feel well-adjusted in a crowd. It was scary.”

“Oh, I know. I slept in the most random places. In truck beds, on trains, under the side of abandoned barns and buildings,” Ari related to a lot of what Domenico described, leaving the orphanage with no warning was easily the most traumatic part of her childhood, “I didn’t sleep in an actual bed until I found Mistria.”

March looked over at her, pulling her close to him affectionately, rubbing her hand with his thumb gently as a small token of comfort. There was a lot he learned about the hard years she spent on the road before he met her, things she had never said before. He felt guilty that when she moved to Mistria, he gave her such a hard time- he called her an addict, accused her of having ill-intent. He felt a twinge of hurt in his chest, listening to her so casually talk about some of the most horrible things he had heard her say.

“I had a number of run-ins with slummy men, a lot of them trying to pick me up at bars- I think I got lucky someone was always nearby. I didn’t have friends, but humanity is.. Mostly good. There was always someone around to address the really bad situations.” Ari said with a sigh, a small smile on her face, “Once, one of my captains of the Diavolde was being rough with me while he was drunk, but one of our second-years stepped in and put his foot down. He took a punch for me. I never forgot that. He was a young kid, no older than sixteen.”

“Rough with you..?” March inquired, disgust in his tone, almost immediately regretting asking.

”.. It’s exactly what you think.” Ari said simply, looking down at her feet, “Being homeless as a woman has moments just like that.”

They all were quiet for a moment, a little in horror, in part because neither of them knew how to respond to her. March was quietly fuming at the thought of something like that, but chose not to speak on it, his ears growing red. Ari grabbed his hand just a little tighter, letting him know it was okay.

“I learned a lot of things, survival skills.” Ari brought it up on a positive note, “I learned a lot about weapons and martial arts- mostly evasive moves, ways to retreat. My captain was a jackass, but he wanted me to be useful.”

“You’re so different than I remember you.” Domenico said quietly, realizing the years that had passed, ”.. You’ve had so many experiences, ones that even I can’t relate to.”

“Domenico.. What happened.. In the kitchen?” Ari turned toward him, a serious look on her face, “I mean.. From your perspective.”

“Frostie..” He trailed off, not really seeming to want to talk about it, looking away from her over to the fountain.

“I just.. I need to know, so I know what memories are.. Real.” Ari prodded gently, putting a light hand on his shoulder.

”I.. I can tell you that. But not here.” He furrowed his brow, his voice gentle and concerned, ”.. Just with you.”

Ari felt the seriousness in his tone, there was something heavy and uncomfortable in the air. Ari was glad this was something she would be able to handle on her own, before addressing it with March- because she knew it had to be really bad for her to not recall. A lot of negative things had happened over the years and she remembered most of these things very clearly.. But not what happened in the kitchen. She wasn’t completely sure she was ready to know, especially here, so far from home.

“Okay.” Ari agreed, locking eyes with him, noting the intensity- as if he were warning her with his gaze that she didn’t want to know.

”.. You really.. Don’t remember anything else?” He asked in disbelief, scratching his head, “You just remember going to the kitchen?”

“I know Osyth used to wake us up in the dead of the night,” Ari looked up at the sky, thinking hard, trying to pull the pieces together coherently, “I remember it was cold down there, with the stone floors and all the steel countertops.. I remember my feet were bare, and it was ice cold.”

”.. And that’s all?” He looked at her, seriously.

“After that, nothing.” Ari admitted quietly.

March was looking over at her, she could see the concern on his face out of the corner of her eye. They looped back around, toward the inn, making their way back into the building.

“I’m room 23, I haven’t been in there much yet, though. Just long enough to drop off some things. I’ll be there later tonight, probably around 11ish, if you want to stop by and talk, Ari.” He said casually, waving to them as they said their goodbyes, Ari and March walking back into the second building, leaving Domenico by the bar.

As soon as they got into the second building, March stopped, turning her toward him, looking her in the face, ”.. Are you okay?”

“I.. Am. Yes.” Ari said with a nod, completely understanding his sense of worry, “I’m not sure I’ve fully processed yet.”

”.. I don’t think you should know what happened.” March said, taking her by both shoulders comfortingly, looking down at her, “If you don’t remember, it’s because your mind is protecting you from whatever it was.”

“I.. Feel like I should know.” Ari crossed her chest with one arm, resting her hand on his, “I need to know.”

He leaned forward, kissing her on the forehead softly. Domenico’s room had been right next to theirs, and she didn’t even know. He said he hadn’t been there much, but just knowing he was that nearby felt so crazy to her, after not seeing him for so long. Nearly seven years. March took Ari by the hand, leading her up the stairs and into their room, looking like he had something he needed to say.

He shut the door behind them, facing her, putting his hands on both sides of her face, “Please tell me you can see he has feelings for you. Just so we’re on the same page, before you go to his room later.”

“March..” Ari put a hand on his comfortingly, “That was so many years ago.”

“Ari.. I can feel it. From one man to another, I can see what he’s thinking all over his face. You are an item of affection, and he had a conquest he feels he needs to fullfill.” March said, urging her to listen, his voice sounding gentle but desperate, “I just need you to know that, before you go. I trust you, but I don’t trust him.”

“I trust him.” Ari said, tilting her head into his hand, somewhat recalling a number of moments Domenico was close to her that night, ”.. But I trust you more. I will take what you’re saying into consideration, March.”

He kissed her deeply, holding her body to him like he was terrified of losing her. It was a desperate kiss, it felt like he was terrified, she could feel it through his veins. He pushed her backward, down onto the bed, gently- their kiss continued. Ari noted how deep his touch felt, how much control he held onto in this moment, kneeling overtop her, pushing her back onto the comforter, Ari wrapping her arms around his neck and meeting his heated motions. Biting her lip gently, he pulled away from the kiss, looking down at her with pleading eyes. He had a different feeling to his body language tonight than usual, she could feel his possessiveness in his touch as he ran his hands down her waist, pressing his body to hers in an embrace, as if he were enveloping her. They both held each other for a long time, kissing, sensually touching, Ari took this time to let him know without words that she wasn’t going anywhere.

They sat on the bed for some time after, it was just after 11PM, the vibe of the room wasn’t nearly as tense, March feeling somewhat reassured by her actions that she was still in this with him. That she wasn’t leaving, that he wasn’t losing her, despite this ghost from the past blipping into their realm. Ari ran a hand across his cheek, looking him in the eye, and leaning in for a serious and heated kiss, both of them knowing she was soon to head out the door and into Domenico’s room. Ari could feel March’s tensity, he looked worried about it, despite trying to hide his expression.

“I’ll be back in two hours at most.” Ari reassured him, urging him with her eyes, “Please, if I take any longer than that, come get me.”

He nodded his head with a grimace, as Ari untied her gray bandana, taking the one her just bought for her out of her bag, and tying it around her neck. It was a small token, but the symbolism made a difference to March, a reminder of him to take with her while she was gone into another man’s room. She pulled up her hood, getting up from the bed, and her eyes lingered on him just a little longer than usual as she turned toward the door, tucking her phone in her pocket.

Ari walked out into the hall, closing the door behind her. She walked a few feet over, walking down the hall adjacent to their room, flipping on a light on her way down to the next door. Room 23. She steadied herself there for a few seconds, pulling out her phone, already thinking about March thirty seconds after leaving. She decided to send him a text before she knocked.

Ari: “I love you”

A few seconds after, March responded: “I love you more”

Ari smiled to herself, tucking her phone back into her pocket, taking a deep breath. She knocked on the door very lightly, thinking maybe too lightly, but she heard someone rustling on the other side of the door after a couple seconds. The lock turned, and the door opened, revealing a freshly showered Domenico, his curls slightly damp, no headband on. He smiled big at her arrival, wearing a t-shirt and pajama pants, all but his one religious earring removed, his nose piercing still calling attention to his face.

“Ari! Hey, happy to see you,” He chirped charmingly, his damp curls flipping in random directions as he moved, shaking his head, “Come in!”

She walked into the room, immediately smelling a really light and refreshing insense he had been burning, spotting the small stream of smoke running from a tiny, peach-colored cone on the dresser. His room was different from theirs, but his bed was the same size. His bedding was a muted green, with beige accents. His room didn’t have a window, it felt very enclosed compared to theirs, almost like a little hut. The ceiling was hitched, as his room was beneath a slope of the roof. Like their room, there were a number of plants decorating the place.

He gestured to the bed for her to have a seat, Ari hesitated for a second but eventually did have a seat right on the edge. He walked around the room, sorting out his possessions, as he hadn’t really been there but for the past fifteen minutes he had clearly been showering. He looked so different outside of his work attire, he looked.. Soft. He was just a tad smaller than March in stature, he had a more delicate figure, despite the fact that he stood out so masculinely in his work clothes.

This softness was what she recalled about him, from when they were young.

”.. I’m almost surprised he let you come over by yourself.” He chuckled, referring to March, “I can tell he isn’t crazy about me being in the picture.”

”.. He thinks you’re in love with me.” Ari chuckled back lightly, rubbing her arm awkwardly, “I let him know that we’re just siblings, and not to worry too much about it.”

“Haha, yeah..” Domenico half-heartedly laughed, but didn’t disagree, an unrecognizable look spreading across his face that she couldn’t read, ”.. Siblings.. You know we’re not though, right? Like, not actually..”

Ari nodded, smiling coyly, ”.. We have different parents, I’m aware. But we did grow up together, in the same building.”

He shrugged off her comment, trying not to think too much about it, moving on to the real topic of the visit, ”.. So, I know you came here to hear about some of our childhood, and I just wanted to warn you in advance.. There were times it wasn’t great. Overall, I’ve chosen to follow the faith as an adult, but I can see that you’ve rejected it, and I understand that.”

“I can’t remember a lot of things from back then.” Ari admitted, gesturing to the tattoo on her arm, ”.. I remember that prayer. They made us recite that all the way through before bed when we did something bad.”

”.. Right.” Domenico furrowed his brow, seeming to remember that, possibly not completely positively, ”.. Asking for forgiveness and purity was very big at the home. Especially to mother Osyth.”

Ari looked around the room, deep in thought. She noticed he had moved slightly nearer to her, taking his place on the bed next to her. In the soft light from the lap, he looked.. Pretty. He sighed, looking at the ground, seeming to be deciding where to start.

”.. Do you remember the white bunnies?” He asked, clasping his hands together tightly.

”.. No, I don’t.” Ari admitted, noting the massive, negative shift in his tone as he avoided her eyes.

“I’m not sure you recall, but above the modem in the hallway leading into the main entrance, there was a giant, beautiful painting of a woman with bunnies.” He described, and Ari did remember that painting, “Her name was Saint Melangell. She was a patron rabbits. An icon of protection and purity. Do you remember the fable?”

Ari shook her head, leaning in and listening intently.

“The story goes that a young prince was hunting hares with his hounds, and he came across Saint Melangell in the forest. A hare he was hunting ran under her cloak for protection from the hunter. He even tried to order his hounds to hunt the rabbit out from under her, and they refused. So she became the fabled Saint of Rabbits, a symbol of protecting the helpless and the small.” He recalled so easily, like the story was drilled into his head, “That’s why I have this..”

He tucked the hair from behind his ear upward, revealing a tiny rabbit tattoo on his neck behind his ear. Ari put her hand on the bed, leaning forward to get a closer look.

“The guardians, they worshipped this saint in particular, considering themselves very seriously to be protectors, as they oversaw the tiny children. That’s why the little kids were kept off the regular grounds in a separate, inaccessible area of the building. Do you remember that?” He asked, looking over to her, Ari taking down her hood and relaxing her posture a bit, “That’s why I never saw you, after I turned 11.”

“I do, sort of. I remember when I was little we all slept in one big room in different beds, and when we got older we were separated by our age.” Ari nodded, crossing her legs.

“That’s right. So, I know you’ve asked me what they did in the kitchen.. And I can tell you.” He looked down at his lap uncomfortably, fidgeting a bit, ”.. But first, I want to tell you a story of the first time I got in trouble.”

Ari nodded, a look of concern took over her face, feeling like she was about to hear something awful.

“The first time, I was about seven. I was still in the little kid area, and one of the really young kids were crying because they were hungry. We always were, due to the limited food supply. Even when there were food materials, there were so few guardians and so many kids, there often wasn’t anything kept around to eat- much less easily accessible by the kids.” He explained, giving a little insight into their living situation, “We weren’t allowed to take food unless it was given to us by their hand. Well, one of the younger kids was crying, so I snuck downstairs, and I took some of the dough and flour they had resting on the counter to rise, and I brought it to the little kid and gave it to them.”

Ari remembered this. It seemed like he was trying to spare her feelings, but she was the little kid. A lot of the only memories she had of that place were the ones with Domenico, so she did remember a time when she was very small and he gave her food. More than one time, actually. There were a number of occasions he would sneak her food, because she was hungry.

“Osyth caught me once, that time in particular.” He looked away from her, rubbing his tattoo on his arm nervously, ”.. She woke me up late at night, and she told me to follow her, so I did. It was dark, the blackest night, and she brought me downstairs to the kitchen. You described it well before, frigidly cold.”

…

“I don’t know if you remember, but in the back area of the yard, we had pet rabbits, just outside the back door of the kitchen. Do you remember..?” He paused, looking over at her uncomfortably.

Ari shook her head, she didn’t remember the back area of the yard at all, or any rabbits.

”.. The mothers, they believed that when you sinned, you needed to repent. That you needed to be purified.” He was talking more slowly, like he was reluctant to get through the rest of this story, ”.. Do you remember the incense?”

Ari’s eyes glanced over to the incense cone, burned out, the room still smelling of it, she shook her head again.

”.. The back room of the kitchen, in the middle of the room there was a stone pedestal. On it, were a polished stone, an incense container, and a lighter.” He closed his eyes tightly, seeming to visualize this, shaking his head lightly, “In front of it, there was a small bed of uncooked rice. The room was completely dark, all but for one hanging light over this stone pedestal in the center of the room. She opened the door, and she told me I needed to tell her what I had done.”

Sensing his distress, Ari slipped her hand into his, comfortingly. He opened his eyes, seeming to calm down slightly, as if her touch had brought him back from that time mentally.

”.. She made me kneel on the rice. It was painful. Until I told her what I did. It didn’t take me long to admit it, I figured she already knew. And after I told her I stole the food, she left me there for a few minutes, and I heard her go out the back door.” He looked her in the eyes, a sense of calm coming over his voice, “It was cold and quiet in the room, and kneeling on the rice was getting more and more painful as I waited for her to come back.”

…

“Eventually, she came back into the room, holding a white bunny in her hands.” He bit the inside of his cheek, looking down at the bed, his eyes getting glossy as his voice shook slightly, ”.. And she set it down on the pedestal in front of me. It wasn’t old enough to even run away.”

…

”.. She handed me the rock. And she said to me:

Take innocence, to retain your innocence, child.
In the name of the lord.

And told me to hit the rabbit with the stone.” Tears formed in his eyes, as he tried to hold it together, trying to get through the rest of his memory, ”.. And I wasn’t allowed to get up from the rice until I did. So I.. Hit the rabbit with the rock. Over and over again, until it stopped moving.”

Ari sat there, a hand over her mouth in horror at his words, holding his hand tightly. She saw one tear roll down his face as he bit his lip, his mouth twitching with the urge to cry.

“And then she brought me back up to my bed, all the other kids were sound asleep, and she looked over me, telling me to repeat after her the Psalm.” He said with a shaky voice, patting his tattoo, ”.. This one. And then she left. And I laid in bed awake all night. Until the birds started chirping, I laid there and I stared at the window.”

Ari leaned forward, embracing him in a tight hug, horrified by his words. She was shocked, what an abhorrent thing to do to children. She realized now that these tattoos were less of a dedication to the faith, and more a reclaiming of a traumatic experience. They held each other for a long time, in a mutual understanding of events, Ari felt.. Angry. Lost. Confused. There were so many thoughts rolling through her head. She didn’t cry then, she could feel that Domenico was shaken up, likely not thinking about those events for some time,

”.. I’ve never told anyone.” He pulled away from her, wiping his face with his arm, clearing his throat, ”.. I’m sorry to tell you all of that. But you have a right to know, if you want to know.”

”.. I can’t believe they did that.. To children.” Ari said, shaking her head angrily, ”.. And for what? A fable?”

Domenico understood her rage, sitting there quietly, letting her process, their hands still clasped together. He knew this wouldn’t be a simple or easy revelation, and he knew it would probably take a lot of time to work her way through all of what he’d told her. He gently rubbed her hand with his thumb, looking down at the bed.

”.. Horrible women..” Ari muttered, still angry, looking over at him, ”.. I’m sorry you have to remember that.”

“Every night,” He started, his eyes looking into his lap where their hands were, ”.. I can hear the rabbit.. Scream.”

Ari shivered at the thought of that.
There was a long silence after, eventually it got quite late, nearly two hours. Ari knew she would have to head back over to her room, and she would have to leave Domenico alone with his thoughts after all of this, but she felt.. Off. She just felt not very okay. It made her want to run to March and tell him, but part of her felt like she couldn’t. What would he think of her, if he knew that about her? There was a deep sense of shame that came with this knowledge, and it’s something she could see written all over Domenico’s face as he told her his story. Shame. Guilt. And She fully understood why he leaned so hard into religion and repenting to the lord, living with those feelings of shame for so long. She knows why he never told another living soul- because how would that change their opinion of you, learning something like that..? Even if it’s pity, even that isn’t ideal. She is the only person in his world who had that shared trauma with him, and she was the only person whose opinion he didn’t need to dread.

“Hey Ari.. It’s late, I think I’m gonna head to bed.” He interrupted, suddenly seeming fatigued, she sensed that he wanted to be alone for awhile, ”I really hope you’ll drop by or send a text tomorrow."

”.. Thank you.” Ari said, both of them standing up, Domenico pulling her in for one more hug, ”.. I’m glad you told me. I’ll send you a text so we can meet up tomorrow after the competition, okay?”

He nodded, pulling away from her, his hand lingering on her side gently as she turned toward the door, opening it. As she walked out into the hall, pulling the door shut behind her, she found herself worrying about him, hoping he was able to sleep well. She took a few moments to stan in the silent hall by herself and think for a few minutes, putting a hand on her forehead, thinking things over. She wanted so badly to go to March, to hold him, but right now.. She just needed a second to be by herself. She leaned over the railing to the stairway, looking down, thoughts running through her mind at a hundred miles an hour.

After a bit, she stood up from the railing, collecting herself, and heading back down the hall to the door to her room. Before she even turned the knob, the door opened, March meeting her there, clearly anticipating her return. She immediately fell into him with a hard hug, catching him a little by surprise- he closed the door behind her, holding her to his chest with his other hand.

“Hey, hey.. What’s the matter..?” He asked, sensing her clinginess, and worried by her silence.

She didn’t say anything, she just shook her head, feeling the crying sensation rising in her throat- now being in the safety of his presence, the emotions were suddenly starting to flood in. Ari covered her eyes with her sleeves, her lips quivering, earning a sense of alarm from March. He knew that whatever it is, it was bad. Sobbing into her hands, she leaned against him, March holding her tightly

”.. He told you?” March asked knowingly, tilting his head on hers, “Here, sit down with me.”

He lead her over to the bed, urging her to take her hands down from her eyes, which she did, looking down at her lap, her face wet with tears. She leaned against his chest, closing her eyes tightly, still not saying anything for a long time as he held her in silence.

”.. They.. Were horrible.” Ari said, still something in disbelief, shaking her head slowly, “To do that to children.”

He was curious, but he didn’t ask, knowing she would tell him when she was ready to. Mostly, he was worried about her emotional health. He could tell something was really wrong, with whatever they talked about. He sat there for a long time, petting her head, holding her to his chest. Eventually, he unzipped her hoodie, assisting her in taking it off, putting her to bed, pulling the blanket over her, and turning out the light. He joined her under the blanket, wrapping his arms tightly around her, running his fingers over her skin. She pressed herself against him, her head on his chest as they both eventually fell asleep.

…

In the final moments between being awake and falling asleep, Ari heard the horrible screaming of the rabbits.

Chapter Text

“Come, child." Mother Osyth's voice, a voice Ari hadn't heard in years, quietly hissed at her in a hush, her figure in the dimly lit doorway of the bedroom.

"W-what is it..?" Ari heard herself ask, sounding young, rubbing her eyes as she pulled back the blanket to her bed and slowly walked up to the doorway.

The room was dark, there were many beds of other children littering the room in the shadow light, every other child was fast asleep. The floor was rickety wood, and the ceiling was hitched because their room was in the attic. It had been so many years since she slept in the nursery, that was where all the small children were kept, she hadn't been in that room for over a decade. There was one window, far at the end of the room, there was no moon, only an endlessly black sky outside of it.

It was incredible, in Ari's mind, just how accurately her mind had recreated this memory in her head. Mother Osyth's form, veiled in a long dress, was lit warmly in the dimly yellow light from the hallway. Ari thought, in her young mind, that mother Osyth looked like.. An angel.

Ari slowly followed her, still rubbing her eyes of the sleep, down the hall, down the stairs, and into the kitchen which was empty this time of night. It was eerily quiet, the lights were brighter in there, Ari had never been in the kitchen at nighttime. Children were only allowed in the kitchen to help bake the bread or noodles, and that was very rare.

"Listen to me very carefully." Mother Osyth stopped abruptly, her voice started to warp, picking up a container off the counter, still facing away from Ari.

Her voice was shrouded in this dark veil, like it was sending ripples through the air around her. It was as if an aura of deceit had wafted through her dream as her mind made an attempt to recall a moment that wasn’t meant to be recalled. In her dream, Mother was standing there in a pause, menacingly. The entire tone had advanced from curious to deeply unnerving.

"I need you to confess to Mother what you've done." Mother Osyth's voice was deep, growing in anger, an echo forming around it as the environment grew darker and darker around them. Everything grew elongated and tense, as Ari stood there so small.

"Um.. I don't know, mama.." Ari looked down in her dream, her bare feet below, and fiddled with her hands, a tiny, worn night dress flowing over her little toes peeking out on a hard, stone backdrop.

"Now, Faustina. Tell mama what you did."

Ari looked down at her tiny hands, shaking in the kitchen lights, they were covered with blood.

"Mama!"

Ari yelled, into an empty room. Daylight barely peaking through the shrouded window, the draped moving slightly with a breeze, birds chirping quietly from the outside world.

Ari realized.. she wasn’t in the kitchen anymore.
There was no Mother Osyth.
No orphanage.

She looked down to the pillow next to her, March was quietly looking at her with open, yet tired eyes, the look on his face showing concern.

Ari.. Hadn’t had a dream about Osyth since she was a little child, even when she was still living at the orphanage. It felt so real, Ari thought to herself, bringing her knees up to her chest and tightly wrapping her arms around herself as a way of soothing herself. She stayed that way for some time, trying to process what had just gone through her head, realizing that was something that really happened. She didn't say anything. March didn't say anything. They both exist there in a very real moment, and the quiet was knowing and comfortable. Ari eventually lay back down on her pillow, no words exchanged, and March put his arm behind her head, pulling her toward him in an embrace. Pulling her face to his chest, he pet her hair comfortingly, rubbing his nose against her cheek affectionately.

She didn’t even remember falling asleep. She lie there, eyes open, recalling the night before as she took solace in March’s embrace. He was solid, unwavering, like stone. It was almost like he had been quietly anticipating there being an after-effect from the events the night before. He had allowed her to quietly unpack everything in her own time, not asking questions right now, just letting Ari feel what she was feeling. It was a relief. She pressed her face to his, kissing his cheek softly, he opened his eyes to meet hers, caressing her face with his other hand gently.

Ari leaned upward, meeting his face, kissing him on the lips- March seemed somewhat surprised, melting into her kiss. As she ran her tongue over his bottom lip, deepening their connection, he closed his eyes, pulling her body to his. Ari’s chest ached with need as she taste his mouth on hers, still feeling a sense of adrenaline from her nightmare, March becoming more awake as her movements became more heated. He reveled in the feeling of her passion, allowing her to lead, as Ari wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him into their kiss. Still half-asleep, he felt like his head were floating, a hitched gasp escaping his throat, his hands softly caressing her body, loosely.

Ari wanted to forget.

She ran her hands over his bare chest, earning a a shaky breath from his lips, pulling her into his lips by her waist. Ari, using the leverage of him pulling her toward him, intentionally pressed her thigh to his, feeling his erection through his pajama pants with her upper thigh, earning a gasp from him as he broke their kiss, opening his eyes to look into hers, slowly.

“Ari..” He looked her face over, assessing her, not fully understanding her sudden urgency.

She looked into his eyes, running her hands over his chest, looking down, and then back up into his eyes, her breathing slightly quickened. He could see she was hinting at more, as they lie there in the quiet, but March was still somewhat concerned with her mental wellbeing, taking pause to think things over. He ran a hand down her cheek, and kissed her on the forehead softly, letting their gentle touch create a little intimate connection between them for the time-being, letting the air rest comfortably in between for a long moment.

Ari, unwavering, pressed her body to his, certain of her intent, reassuring him without words. He looked from one eye to another, judging her face seriously, his heartbeat racing as she ran her hand onto his lower stomach as he searched her eyes. Reuniting them both in an assured kiss, her lips pressed against his, as she ran her hands through his hair lovingly. He didn’t want to just be a tool for her to forget what she didn’t want to think about, however wanting to give her some reprieve, he melted into the feeling of her touch on his body, intoxicated by her lovely scent as their kiss grew more passionate. The feeling of her skin soft on his, the way her breathing grew rushed and her voice uttered barely audible moans into his mouth as she reached her hand all the way down, both of them stuttering a soft moan into their kiss as her hand wrapped around his clothed member.

There was something addictive in her touch. March’s eyes rolled into a close, letting himself give in to the feeling of her tongue caressing his. Ari ran her fingers up and down his erection, feeling it hard beneath his clothes, feeling the excitement growing in her chest as their kiss persisted.

They had so many different types of physical intimacy. Nervous. Excited. Loving. Passionate. All of them felt different, for separate reasons. This time, it felt like necessary. Like a need. There was something so ceratin about this, in the web of uncertainty in Ari’s mind. Out of everything that was changing, this was one thing that she felt sure of- this connection she had with March. She could sense the worry in his mind, as he let her lead them, falling back and allowing things to go where she took them. She could feel how her body excited him, how her touch made him feel, despite any weak reservations he was holding onto for her sake.

She lifted the blanket, climbing on top of him, straddling his waist, their kiss still ebbing. He placed his hands on her upper thighs, tracing the shape of her hips as she leant down to him. Not breaking their kiss, Ari unveiled his cock, gently running her fingers up his skin, feeling his hands grab her hips, his stomach tensing at the sensation of her fingertips. This was less intimate than usual, it was more to-the-point and direct, as Ari broke their kiss, looking down at his face as she parted her panties to the side, licked her fingers and wetting herself with them, and began lowering herself down onto him. He seemed surprised by the suddenness of their reconnection, Ari was rushing much more than usual, leaving him feeling a little empty. She didn't usually need lubrication, this time she wasn't even waiting until she felt aroused enough to be naturally wet. Begging to return back to some of the intimacy, he held his arms out to her, Ari leaning down to embrace him, rubbing her cheek against his affectionately.

“Ari..” He said her name softly as she pressed her face to his, kissing him on the cheek lovingly, his voice breaking ever-so-slightly, ”.. I love you.”

Ari pulled back slightly, looking down at him, running her hands over his chest, ”.. I love you too, March..”

It’s like just then she realized their typical level of intimacy had been taking a backseat to her physical desperation, in that moment. That tone in his voice put a pit in her stomach, as she realized she had left him feeling incredibly uncertain. March usually needed a large margin of intimacy in their sexual contact, and he could always feel when she wasn’t completely present, very sensitive to any slight changes in her conduct. She stay still, running her hands over his chest, making an active choice to be more aware of her touch, moving forward. She leaned down to him, embracing his face in her hands, giving him a gentle peck on the lips, meeting his eyes with a serious gaze.

“Hey..” She whispered into his lips, closing her eyes, ”.. I mean that.”

It was as if she were making an effort, a quiet acknowledgement that she felt his hesitation, attempting to put him more at ease. She felt his body relax slightly, seeming to feel a little more certain in the face of her words. She reconnected her embrace, their lips meeting in passionate union, feeling him unintentionally push up into her with his hips as their kiss deepened again, her arms hugging onto him. He was acting on serious self-control, prioritizing their intimacy over his physical pleasure, she could feel his erection pulsing inside of her as they remain there motionlessly connected, kissing deeply as the sunlight began to show through the window.

She broke their kiss, sitting up, caressing his face as she looked down to him. Sensing the question in her eyes, he gripped her hips lightly, pulling her down into his body, as if to affirm. She leaned forward slightly, sliding his cock from her body slowly, feeling every inch of him as she looked into his eyes, watching his face as she allowed the sensation to overcome her, slowly lowering herself back down onto him, gasping lightly as he ended deeply embedded in her. He could feel that she was keeping herself moving slowly to accommodate his feelings, making an active choice to fully feel every motion, not wanting to disrupt their emotional bond. Wanting to please her, he thrust up into her body, earning a weak moan from Ari, her body reacting to the sudden motion as he grabbed her hips tightly. He wanted to make her feel.. Better.

Beginning to thrust up into her, drawing his legs up and beginning to bounce her tiny frame on top of his, her delicate voice stuttered in pleasure. The sight of her pleasure added to his, as he peered up at her with lidded eyes, a blush tinting his cheeks at the sensation of her body gripping his tightly. He loved the way she looked down at him, knowing exactly who she was with, the way she looked into his eyes with no hesitation. He reached his hand between her legs, rubbing her clit in a circular motion as he bucked up into her, both of them quietly moaning as her body tightened, March’s breath shaking as he looked up at her.

“M-March-!” Ari moaned out, slightly louder, as he began coursing up into her body repeatedly.

She met his thrusts as his name fell from her mouth over and over again. He found himself wondering if Domenico could hear her from the neighboring room, but it being so early in the morning, he was almost certain everyone else was asleep yet. Every time he heard his name on her voice, he felt his face get hot, as pleasure bubbled up in his chest. He felt his jaw tensing, growing closer to his climax, trying to keep himself calm by stabilizing his breathing. Ari met his thrusts, tilting her head back slightly, feeling her entrance gripping his member as her hands shakily ran down his chest. He pulled her hips down into his body as Ari rubbed herself back and forth on top of him, grinding down onto him, March moaning at the feeling of her slick opening sliding across his cock, gliding fluidly over him.

“A-ah-!” He closed his eyes, tensing his jaw, so close to not being able to hold in his release, his hands trembled as he gripped her hips tightly.

He then rolled them both, taking his position on top of her, meeting her in a frenzied kiss as he remain embedded inside of her. Ari wrapped her arms around him, enjoying their tongues smoothly gliding across one another, feeling his heart beating quickly as their bodies brushed against each other affectionately, both of them closing their eyes, enjoying the feeling of their heated kiss, his strong arms like a shield, protecting her. She spread her legs to accommodate his form, as he began rutting into her quickly, Ari breaking their kiss as she felt a moan suddenly escape her lips at the resumed contact. March tucked his face in the curve of her neck, laying into her roughly, using his hands to grip her hips, pulling her body into his. He could hear her broken moans in his ear, bringing him close to orgasm again, but determined to wait until she was satisfied.

He began pounding into her, using his knees to lift her body into a slightly different angle, laying right into her sensitive spot as her legs began to shake. He could always feel when she was close, as her body trembled beneath his weight. He kissed her neck, nipping her lovingly, adding another love bite to her collection as he bucked into her body intensely. The sensation of his teeth on her neck sent her reeling over the edge, her body shaking as she cling to him, March riding her through the waves of pleasure as her body clamp down onto his cock, he felt himself gasp into her neck, his breath hitching in his throat as he released into her, his thrusts uneven and desperate as they both moaned out softly in the quiet morning light.

March met her lips in a desperate kiss, hoping to have pleased her. Needing to have pleased her. Begging for her approval, as he ran his hands over her body, still heatedly. She returned his emotion, wrapping her arms around the back of his neck, pulling his face to hers. She wrapped her legs around his waist, holding him inside of her, still reveling in their continued connection, their tongues twirling as they both enjoyed this quiet moment together. After a while, March broke their kiss slowly, lifting his gaze to look her in the eyes.

”.. I need to know.” He said quietly, gently kissing her chest, “Is this something you need right now..?”

Ari let his question hang in the air between them, seriousness in his voice, but a delicate lingering in his touch.

”.. March..” Ari said quietly, looking down from his eyes, unsure of how to respond.

“I just mean.. Does being with me this way.. Make you feel better..?” He asked his question gently, not trying to make an accusation, just trying to fully understand.

“It does.” She admitted, re-meeting his gaze, wanting to be open with him about it, “It.. Makes everything else go away.”

He nodded, understanding what she meant, glad she was willing to openly talk to him about this.

“I don’t want you to think it means my feelings for you aren’t in it.” She elaborated, sensing his insecurity, ”.. The only person I feel safe with is you.”

He ran his fingers over her arm, her legs still wrapped around him, starting to relax a bit, coming to understand more clearly, ”.. Okay. I think I understand.”

Ari didn’t want him to feel used. She was as serious about him as she could possibly be, her full intention being to stay by his side. The connection they had, like every true connection, was complex. They didn’t always talk about it. She knew, first and foremost, there was no one else who made her feel this way. They lie there for a long time, kissing, touching, embracing each other.

There were still a number of hours until the competition, it being summer, it began after the heat of the day were past it’s peak, at 5PM. They lay there, enjoying their morning together, joking quietly, whispering to each other, in their own little bubble away from the world. After an hour or so, Ari heard her phone vibrate on the nightstand, picking it up and unlocking it.

Domenico: ”.. Breakfast? ☺”
Ari: “We can meet in an hour”

Ari locked her phone, setting it back down with a sigh, remembering they would both need to rejoin the rest of the world.

“I told Domeno we could go grab breakfast, in like an hour.” Ari said, rubbing her hands over her face.

”.. Alright.” March said with a sigh, his hesitation to be involved with Domenico currently sated by their early-morning tryst, feeling more assured.

Eventually, they made their way out of bed, getting dressed, Ari brushing out her hair. She turned to March, brushing his hair for him, patting it down. He picked up his headband, tying it firmly above his eyes, adjusting it into place with his eyes closed. Feeling her hands on his head, leaning into her touch slightly, opening his eyes at her slowly. He quirked an eyebrow and tilted his head at her stare.

”.. What?” He asked softly, wondering why she was looking at him that way.

”.. You’re just really cute.” Ari said with a blush, smiling and looking away from him.

March blushed, biting the inside of his cheek and looking away from her seeming somewhat nervous. She could sense that he was still a bit on-edge about spending time with Domenico, but he wasn’t protesting it at all.

Eventually they made their way out of the room and into the hall, immediately Ari saw Domenico, leaning casually against the stairwell, right on time for their meet-up. He waved with a smile, shyly looking down at the ground. He walked over, turning and heading down the stairs, Ari following, March close behind her.

“Hope you slept well, we were up pretty late last night.” Ari said with a smile, happy tone in her voice.

“Uh.. O-oh, yeah. I did sleep really well until about five this morning, woke up early for some random reason.” He said turning a corner at the end of the stairs, maintaining his playfully happy tone.

Ari recalled, that was about the time she and March had been intimate, the idea of the fact they possibly woke him playing on her mind, feeling a little awkward- but choosing not to address it. She had a feeling that was a hint, but had no way of knowing for sure, with how indirect it would have been. Domenico would never just call them out on that, at least not right up front.

“The beds here are really comfortable; I slept like a rock.” Ari said hesitantly, choosing not to mention her nightmare at all, earning a glance from March as it remained between them.

“Yeah, the beds.. Are really nice.” Domenico echoed half-heartedly, pushing open the door, walking over to the first building with them, “So, where should we head to? There’s a little cafe’ down the road that houses a bunch of friendly cats, I’ve heard they have some great muffins.”

Ari glanced at March, they both nodded in unison, “S-sure, that sounds like a plan.”

“Only one of my buddies survived the night, the other is still sleeping off a hangover, care if he joins?’ Domenico gestured to a man standing at the end of the first building.

He was a bit taller, jet black, layered hair, a tribal tattoo peaking out from beneath his glasses on his temple. He was built, but didn’t have the same physique as the rest of the blacksmiths. He yawned into his hand with bags under his eyes, a slate-gray. He wore black pants, tucked into black boots, a loose-fitting, pale green sweater tucked into them, hanging from one of his shoulders loosely, a white undershirt peeking from beneath.

“Not at all, please introduce us.” Ari said, walking up behind Domenico as he patted the other man strongly on the shoulder.

“Hang in there, buddy. You look horrible.” Domenico chuckled, the other man did look terrible, “This is Locke. Met him a few years ago, taught me everything I know.”

”.. Yes, how fair my protege has surpassed me in every way humanly possible.” The man’s deep voice said sarcastically, yawning into his hand again.

Dominico chuckled dryly, sensing his sarcasm.

“This is.. Ari.” Dominico paused, calling her by her chosen name consciously, “And this is March of Mistria.”

“Ah, I’ve heard the name.” Locke glanced over, looking him up and down, ”.. I’ve seen your work. Remarkable.”

Ari tilted her head, maybe she hadn’t realized how well-known in the area March was at his trade. She found herself wondering just how many of the men in this room have seen March’s craft, without knowing his face.

”.. Which of my works have you seen? Just curious.” March asked, genuinely curious, ”.. They all stay on my mind.”

“It was a necklace, actually. My aunt is the duchess of a nearby town, it’s her favorite piece. Never leaves her throat.” Locke elaborated, “The intricate work of it.. It’s like nothing I’ve ever seen.”

Ari saw a look of nervousness take over Domenico, perhaps not having realized how well-versed his opponent was. After all, Domenico had only been in the trade for a few years, this being the first year his town was invited to put forward one of their most skilled.

“I recall that one. Sterling silver, right? With a very expensive, polished labradorite stone, carved in the shape of a hawk.” He described in great detail, as if he had just looked at it moments ago.

“I love a man who takes his work with him wherever he goes.” Locke nodded with some level of respect, pointing at his temple, “I’m impressed, brother.”

So far, March and Locke seemed to be hitting it off, which was a relief to Ari. The last time they were out, March was basically silent the entire time, March and Domenico having so much to catch up on. After a few minutes of introduction chit-chat, they all made their way out of the building, Locke filching at the harsh daylight. He seemed a few years their senior, clearly around 28 in age, but they all felt compatible in their conversing.

They walked up the block, immediately seeing the sign to the cafe- it had a cat sitting in a cup of coffee on the sign, it stood out pretty obviously. The building was homey, most of the shops around here looked like they could have been someone’s home in a past life, there were heavy vines hanging over the roof, flowers planted all along the outside of the building. There were a number of cats wandering around, all of them staying within a few feet of the building, Ari could see two or three cat doors leading back into the building. There was a white fence around the place that all of the cats were staying within.

They all walked up onto the porch, there weren’t too many people around this morning, Ari noted. Within minutes, Ari looked back, watching a number of cats flocking up to Locke. He didn’t seem to pay them much mind, he wasn’t annoyed by them, just letting them gather around him as he walked up to the counter with the rest of the group. Ari looked back at March, grabbing his hand, making sure he was still present with her. He glanced over at her with a blank face, a tinge of pink on his cheeks as he try to remain stoic in the presence of strangers.

“Are you hungry?” Ari spoke in a low voice, as the other two men were distracted with the menu board.

March nodded, rubbing her hand, “Yeah, I think a breakfast scramble sounds pretty good. Have you looked over the-“

Ari walked up to the counter, ordering two breakfast scrambles and two espresso coffees, waiting for a couple minutes, paying in exchange for the bag, and walking back up to March with a playful smile. He had been paying for everything the entire trip, so she wanted to grab this one, buying him breakfast on his big day. They both sat at a nearby booth, their other two group members still checking out. After a few minutes, Locke and Domenico joined their table, four or five cats following Locke, right at his heel.

”.. I think they like you.” Ari chuckled, pointing down at the cats with a smile.

“All cats love me. Always have.” he said casually, taking a sip of his coffee.

Domenico was taking pieces of his muffin, eating bits of it at a time while he reached down to pet one of the cats, a calico with brown and black spots. She leaned up into his hand affectionately as he scratched her ear. He looked so peaceful, Ari thought to herself, glancing over at March who seemed to be watching her stare at Domenico with an unreadable look on his face as he bit into his sandwich, looking away from her uncomfortably.

Ari reached for the basket of napkins on the table the same time Domenico did, both of them absent-mindedly bumping hands, and both of them flinching at the sudden contact.

“Uh, sorry.” Domenico said with a smile, looking down at his lap shyly.

Catching her by surprise, a small cat jumped into Ari’s lap, taking her off-guard. It was basically the only cat that had paid her any mind at all. She was a long-haired tortoiseshell cat, with a clipped ear. Her nose and the insides of her ears were a soft pink. She rubbed herself on Ari’s chest, standing on her lap.

“Oh.” Ari said in surprise, cautiously petting her with a smile, happy for the sudden relief from the awkward encounter over the napkins.

“Seems like she likes you.” Domenico referred to the cat, leaning his head on his hand as he watched Ari bond with her.

March watched, noticing Domenico’s eyes linger on her just a little too long. He noticed Domenico’s foot brush against Ari’s, glancing under the table. He turned his head away, feeling unnerved by this, but not wanting to call it out. It felt like he was watching another man shamelessly flirt with his girlfriend, and his girlfriend didn’t even notice or care. But it was all so subtle, anyone could deny that’s what it was at all.

Ari was still fully paying attention to the cat in her lap, hugging her soft little figure to her chest with a whine, ”.. I just wish I could take you with me~”

“Oh, you could.” A woman’s voice said from the counter, “These cats are all looking for their forever homes. All of them can be adopted, they just stay here.”

“If I didn’t have such a long travel back..” Ari trailed off, sadly realizing she would have to take a cat home with her on a two-day trip.

”.. We don’t have to take any trains on the way back.” March said, looking out the window, his tone flat, “If you want her.. We can take her with us.”

“But how would we- I don’t have a leash or a kennel- How would I get her there-” Ari stammered, tilting her head, melting as the tortie mewed sweetly.

“We have harnesses for sale here.” The woman said, temptingly, “As long as you vouch for her safety, she is yours to take home.”

Ari had never had a pet before. She never had a home to put a pet in, or money to take care of one before. Now she had a house, money for food, and a big farm full of vast fields.

”.. Can you hold her for a day or two? Just until we’re on our way back to Mistria, so she won’t have to be cooped up in the inn with us?” Ari inquired, lifting the tortie by her armpits and holding her to her face, affectionately.

“Of course! No one usually takes these little ones home with them, most of the travelers in this town are men who are fully invested in their careers. It’s nice to see someone connect with one of them, they’re incredible companions.” The woman sang happily, “I’ll have the paperwork ready for you in one day, the adoption fee is $25.”

Ari nodded, smiling, petting between the cats ears. Domenico couldn’t keep his eyes off of her, but Ari didn’t seem to notice, all of her attention being on her new furry friend. March saw it, his brows furrowed as he turned his face back toward the window.

They packed up, Ari saying goodbye to her soon-to-be pet with a head pat, all of them heading back toward the inn- until Domenico pointed to a nearby park.

“Hey! You ever played frisbee golf?” He asked, turning back to Ari, who was holding hands with March.

“N-no, never.” She admitted with a smile, “Why, is that what all that is?”

“Yeah, you see that building over there? You can rent and buy the frisbees there and pay to use their field for the day.” He explained, pointing at all the different areas, “You see those? You just try to toss the frisbees over into them. It’s like golf, you count how many throws it takes to get them in the chained circles. Wanna play..?”

Ari paused, glancing over at March, who seemed a little interested, “Sure, we can all play.”

They walked up to the building, all of them walking in and seeing all the differently colored and styled frisbees on the wall. Domenico picked up a purple and maroon one, Ari chose a black and gray one, March picked a green and blue one, and Locke reached up to the top shelf and grabbed the only multi-colored one. They checked out, the rent being relatively cheap for the next couple hours, and they all walked the path over to where the game was meant to be started.

“Here Ari, you go first.” Domenico gestured over, pointing to where she was supposed to throw her frisbee.

Ari had never thrown a frisbee.
Ari had literally never seen a frisbee in her life.
Ari should have had a practice throw, but did not.

Tossing it with force, the frisbee immediately bee-lined into the grass, only getting like a foot away from her. Locke laughed, earning an elbow from Domenico, stifling his laughter thereafter.

“O-okay, hold on, that one didn’t count-” Domenico said with a smile and an awkward laugh, “Ari.. You’ve never thrown a frisbee before..?”

Ari shook her head with a blush, realizing it wasn’t as simple as everyone made it look from a distance.

“Here, everyone else can take a turn and you can watch, sound good?” Domenico asked, gesturing for Locke to take his turn.

Locke took an elegant and long stride, his arms being quite long, his frisbee catching the wind ever so slightly and nearly entering the hoop despite that, flipping on the edge of the circle and falling to the ground.

“Ah, drat. The wind is my enemy.” He said with a casual huff, walking across the way, going to stand on the other side of the goal, awaiting his next turn.

“March?” Domenico asked, seeing if he would take his turn next.

March nodded, taking his frisbee and free throwing it with little force.. Directly into the goal. March couldn’t hide a smile, as he walked over to stand next to Locke, Locke holding out a hand to give March a low-five as they both turned to look back at Ari and Domenico.

Ari took a couple practice throws, getting the general idea, learning how she needed to angle her aim.

“Wait, so if you angle it upward like this-” Domenico said softly, putting his hand over top hers, standing closely to her as he leaned into her slightly, trying to train her eye on the goal as she looked at where to make her move, “You have a better shot of getting close to the goal.”

Ari was flustered at how close he had been standing, his touch on her hand lingering as he pulled his hand gently from overtop hers, letting her make her throw. Ari’s eyes darted nervously, admittedly stunned at his overly friendly contact, and as she met March’s gaze she could see that he had a stunned look on his face, mouth agape, and then his expression turned to more of a glare as he crossed his arms.

Ari was nervous now, taking a noticeably long time, Domenico starting to wonder what was up, “Ari..?”

Realizing how long she had been stalling, Ari shook her head, taking her aim, and throwing her frisbee.. Directly into the goal. She and March were now tied at first.

“Wow!” Domenico looked at her with his eyes wide, “That’s crazy! I can’t believe you just did that!”

Ari smiled, rubbing the back of her neck, walking hurriedly over to March who was honestly just looking super pissed off right now. She stood close to him, trying to sense his level of anger with her specifically.

“That was pretty friendly.” March hissed a whisper, his voice low enough that Locke seemed to have not overheard, March’s brow furrowed angrily as he looked down at Ari, ”.. Believe me now?”

”.. He was just showing me how to throw, March. And it worked, I made a goal.” Ari tried to calm him, suggesting there was nothing romantic about what had just happened, but even she admittedly felt.. Something.

March rolled his eyes, turning his head away from her as Domenico made his throw. Lunging forward with a huff, Domenico threw his frisbee with a gentle hand, directly nailing the goal. They were now all three tied for first.

“Ah, I’m the only one who didn’t get a goal, I’m a walking disaster.” Locke said, rolling his eyes and putting his hand to his forehead.

After shaking off his shame, he went to pick up his frisbee, tossing it in from a foot away and making his goal on the second throw.

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March looked over at Domenico, watching him pretend he hadn’t any intent, both he and Ari carrying on like nothing happened at all. From a distance, March saw how close Domenico had been standing to her. His chest just barely brushing her shoulder, his arm looped around her, his hands overtop hers. He knew what he saw. They all walked over to the next area, spotting the faraway goal, it was a little more of a hill than the other area, proving to be more challenging.

Locke went first again, the wind forgiving him this time as his long arm tossed his multi-colored disk, bouncing off of the metal ring and onto the ground. Locke huffed, a small pout on his face as he made his way over to the other side, yet again not getting a goal.

“Ari.” March said sternly, waiving his turn for the time-being, allowing her to go before him, which was out of turn.

“O-oh okay.” Ari said, a little confusion in her tone, but she walked over to the line to make her throw anyway.

This time, the wind kicked up just slightly, but Ari tried her best to compensate her throw, being aware of it. She lunged, allowing the disk to leave her fingers, watching it bellow in the wind as it headed directly toward the goal- bouncing off of the metal ring, and landing right on top of Locke’s.

Locke laughed, pointing at her frisbee on the ground from across the way, Ari had disappointment in her voice, “Ah, damn wind.”

Ari walked her way across the yard, March watching her as she walked far enough away, taking his opening to say something to Domenico out of her earshot.

”.. I can see you’re in love with my girlfriend.” He said plainly, anger on his tongue as Domenico took his aim.

Not seeming phased by March’s sudden aggression at all, Domenico’s voice remained sweet but his tone was serious, “Actually, you’re in love with my wife.”

March’s mouth dropped open at that statement, protest in his eyes as he spit angrily, with slight disgust, “To her, you’re her brother.”

Still sweet, Domenico smiled grimly, turning his head to look at March out of the corner of his eye, ”.. I’m not, though, and we all know it. You’ve seen the way she looks at me.”

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Ari looked at them across the field, watching them exchange words, not being able to hear what they’re saying.

“Ah, uh-oh. Cat fight.” Locke said with a dry chuckle, rubbing the back of his head.

”.. What? What do you mean?” Ari asked, confused by his words, as if Locke knew something she didn’t.

“Oh boy.” Locke said, waving over at them with both hands, shouting over at them, “Come on kids, everyone can see you stalling!”

Domenico turned back toward Locke, March gritting his teeth in anger as he watched Domenico throw his disk into the slight breeze. He didn’t hit the metal at all, but landed right next to the pole of the goal. He walked over to Ari with a smile, as if nothing had happened.

“What was that about?” Ari asked Domenico seriously, concern on her tone.

“Boy talk.” He said simply, his tone soft and unassuming.

Ari accepted his answer with a sigh, turning back toward March who was aiming at the goal. He waited a second for the breeze to cease, tossing his disk with an airy throw, his frisbee landing directly within the chains of the goal. He was in first.

Ari could see the rage in March’s eyes as he walked over and grabbed her hand, “We should go now.”

“W-what? Why?” Ari asked, confused, prepared to demand an explanation, “What happened?”

“I need to go back and get ready for the competition, it’s almost 2PM.” March gave a fake reason and Ari knew it, but rolled her eyes and walked with him anyway, waving back weakly at Domenico and Locke as March lead her back through the park, toward the inn.

When they got far enough away, Ari pulled her hand from his angrily, her tone annoyed, “March, what is going on?”

“Ari, Domenico is in love with you.” March said, anger in his voice, continuing to walk as she trailed behind him.

“March.. Even if he were, I don’t see him that way-” Ari started, sighing loudly in frustration.

“Oh, so you wouldn’t mind if he were?” March stopped, looking back at her with a glare in his eyes, “If he’s in love with you, that doesn’t bother you at all? Are you serious?”

”.. I think he’s in love with the past, not with me.” She said, looking down at the ground, March turning back and walking toward the inn.

“Okay, so tell me Ari, who are you rooting for in this competition? Me, or Domenico?” He asked accusingly, a flipping hand gesture as he walked.

“You. Of course, you.” Ari said exasperatedly, sounding annoyed that it was even a question, “What are you even saying right now?”

Ari lunged to him, grabbing his hand and pulling him to look at her, stopping him in his tracks. He turned to her, his face softening slightly but still looking pretty upset.

”.. Watching another man flirt with you like that, right in front of me.. It makes my blood boil, Ari.”

”.. For the most part, I don’t think it’s like that at all. I think him teaching me how to play a game is pretty older-brother of him..” Ari trailed off, still seeming to doubt March’s concern.

“It ins’t very older-brother of him to call you his wife.” March huffed at her, pulling his hand from her and folding his arms in front of his chest.

“That was just a kid thing, March.” Ari said, putting her hand on her head in irritation.

“Really? Because to him it wasn’t.” March turned back, walking ahead of her again, “He just told me that, it’s not a kid game to him, Ari.”

Ari didn’t know what to say, she didn’t want to argue. On some level, she did feel Domenico was being overly affectionate, but the thought of losing him again after so long pulled at her feelings. In a way, having him in her life at all was almost worth having to put up with his increasingly obvious affection for her. What was she supposed to do, cut him off again? She couldn’t stand the idea of that.

”.. I’ll talk to him about it later, March.” Ari resigned herself, at least somewhat willing to admit he wasn’t wrong for being concerned, “I’ll express my boundaries, and we can all move on from this.”

March huffed to himself, looking back at her, his expression less angry, ”.. Fine. But at least tell me you get what I’m saying.”

Ari shrugged in frustration, her voice quiet and low, “I really don’t think this is as serious as you feel it is. It’s playful flirting at most, and it doesn’t weigh on my mind that much.. But if it bothers you, I’ll address it.”

He held her hand, feeling at least heard, being able to air his worries to her. He understood the complexity of this situation, and he respected it, but there was no way he would be able to stand by and let him behave that way, knowing he was standing there watching. The disrespect of that fully pissed March off, despite Ari being reluctant to cast blame over it.

They both walked back to the inn, ready to prepare for his competition.

Chapter Text

Back at the inn, Ari followed March through the door, and they could both feel the vibe was completely off. You could feel the bad energy looming in the room like an ugly gray haze, engulfing them both. He walked in the door, manic-ly moving bags around and going through his supplies, as Ari sat down on the side of the bed and watched with concern. He was avoiding her eyes, and she could feel that he didn’t want to talk.

Ari wanted to talk.
His silence left her feeling very bare, like a little kid who was in trouble and waiting for their parent to call them out for what they did. She didn’t know how to let things rest open like this with no resolution or reassurance that everything was okay, because right now it didn’t feel like things were fine.

After roaming through supplies, fumbling, dropping a couple things, March stood up straight, facing away from her, and rested his hands on his head- seeming to be battling himself internally. He had something to say, but he wasn’t saying it.

”.. March.” Ari said quietly, sensing the dense air between them, “We can talk about all of this later, after the competition. I know you’re not thrilled with me right now.”

”.. I’m ..Not mad at you, I’m just on edge right now.” His voice said calmly, with no edge, but with a hint of wayward trepidation on the very tip of his tongue, balancing on a tightrope like his real thoughts would come spilling out at any moment.

The fact that he didn’t sound angry or annoyed worried Ari. Something about it was unsettling. He’s never once shied away from yelling when he’s mad, or calling out what he doesn’t like. This felt different.

”We should talk later anyway.” Ari said quietly, standing up from the bed and walking up behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist.

She felt his body tense, and he relaxed a bit after a few seconds, putting a hand over hers. It was if she embraced him to let him know ‘it’s still just me,’ in a whirlwind of thoughts between the two of them. It’s still just them. Just the two of them, where there were meant to be no secrets, no motives, and an open line of communication- Because they were on the same team, working toward the same goal.

They stood there for a long time, and after a little time passed, Ari felt March wipe his face with his arm, and she realized the reason he had turned away from her. She didn’t say a thing about his break in emotions, pretending she hadn’t notice his stone-faced facade drop from his hands for just a moment. She didn’t want to make him feel self-conscious about it, as she always felt worse if anyone addressed her about crying. After a few seconds, he pulled on her arms lightly, loosening them, and turning toward her to embrace her fully in a very tight and desperate hug. Like he was afraid of letting go, for fear he felt she would get swept out of his reach like a tumbleweed in desert storm. He buried his face in her neck, his face shrouded by her hair, and she heard a well-concealed sniffle escape him.

He eventually pulled back from her, looking into her eyes, wrapping his arms around her waist, and said quietly, ”.. I need you on my team today, Ari. .. Just my team. Please.”

She nodded, running her fingers down his cheek as a silent acknowledgement of his feelings, “I’m on your team every single day.”

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The competition was held in a large, arena-like building. Looking down from the wooden bleachers overlooking the large, stone area in the distance, Ari could see small, compartment-like areas, separated by pre-arranged stone half-walls. In the center of them was a forge, the flames burning brightly, even in the daylight. There were ten different areas arranged like a pie-chart, Ari sat behind March’s designated space at the very front row. All other competitors were beginning to file in and get set up, March was the first to show. The judges in this field didn’t have a table, but rather clipboards, and they would walk between each contestant and take notes based on efficiency, competence, and various other factors moving toward the creation of the weapon of choice.

All of the men competing could choose a weapon, jewelry, or tool of any choice, and their materials were ordered in advance, whichever metals, leathers, woods, jewels, or otherwise they would need to accomplish their intended result. March hadn’t told Ari what he chose as his object, so this would be a surprise to her as well. The men were all physically preparing themselves and their field areas. March had his shirt off, a pair of work boots and loose-fitting, black, jogger-style pants.

The crowd of people had already begun filing in and sitting around the arena, all of them chattering amongst themselves. Domenico walked in, taking his place at his designated area on the arena floor, which was coincidentally the area right beside March. Walking in, he looked directly up at Ari, giving a cheeky wave to her from the floor. Ari waved back a coy wave, not trying to seem overly excited, and when she looked back down at March preparing on the floor, she noticed he had been looking up and watching her wave at Domenico.

Ari didn’t want to stress March out by paying anymore mind to Domenico during this competition, so as March looked up at her with a disappointed look on his face, Ari blew him an affectionate kiss, and stood up from her seat.

“I love you, March!” She stood up, proving a point, yelling toward him from her seat.

He looked embarrassed and shocked at her sudden outburst, but soon after lightly blushed and she could see a small smile forming across his face as he tried to pretend it wasn’t a big deal, holding his hand up in a wave and silently mouthing ‘I love you” before turning back to his anvil and standing there, waiting for everyone else to get fully set-up, everyone got an hour to figure out their plan before beginning.

Ari checked out the other contestants to get a look at what they were like, most of them she had never seen, a couple of them were staying at the inn. She looked over at Domenico, who had just removed his shirt and tied his headband, sliding it into place. She hadn’t noticed before because Domenico looked so relaxed and soft, but he was nearly as built as March- like most career blacksmiths were from the power it takes to work the forge. He had a tattoo on his peck of a halo, adorned with gilding.

Ari tried not to look longer than a couple seconds, she was there for March.

After roughly thirty minutes more, an announcement was made over a speaker that the competition would begin in a few minutes, all of the contestants stretching, lifting their hammers to prepare themselves, looking around at their supplies and surroundings, but March stood at attention, simply waiting as he stood motionless. He looked so confident right now, Ari thought, like he was in his atmosphere. He didn’t flinch or fidget when they blew their horn, signaling for the first three hours to begin.

Ari watched, as March moved with strong intent, pulling what looked like iron from a pile, using his tongs to hold it into the forge for quite a long time, the metal growing hot and yellow. Ari watched his body as he pound the material out, his muscles flexing, sweat beginning to drip from him as time went on. Curious about what other people were crafting, Ari looked over a short distance toward Domenico, who was working at a somewhat faster pace. His brown curls, wet with sweat, curled around his headband and just slightly graced his face, sweat running down his chin and dripping onto his hands as he pound out a gold material, looking a much different shape to what March was creating just feet to his left.

After some time, what felt like minutes filled with anticipation, the mid-horn sounded, signaling a break in between, the middle of the competition. Ari hadn’t realized iit had been that long, she was so enamored and focused, watching March skillfully work the forge, glancing over to see if she could make out what Domenico had been crafting every now and then. At the sound of the horn, all contestants set down all of their weaponry, immediately halting their work. March walked over to his table of supplies on the table just in front of the front row of bleachers, separated by a short partition, and chugged his water while he had time, wiping his face with a towel.

Ari leaned down, crossing her arms and leaning on the partition between them, March walking over to her and trekking his hot hands up her arms affectionately.

”.. You’re incredible.” Ari said to him quietly, kissing his hand when it got far enough up her arm to reach with her mouth.

March pressed his damp forehead to hers, Ari didn’t even care that he was sweaty. She could feel that her words made a big difference to him right now, and she wanted to make sure he knew she was on his team. That’s what he brought her for. Reassurance, because she made him feel better. They both decided to take a quick run to the bathroom nearby, they still had about twenty minutes for a break, three more hours of work, then another break, and another finishing hour on the clock after that.

“Can you tell what I’m making?” March whispered to her, sending a thrill through her body, unintentionally.

”.. I think so, but I don’t want you to tell me. I want to see the finished product.” Ari whispered back, holding onto his arm.

They reached the separate bathrooms, Domenico walked out as March walked in, March choosing not to acknowledge him. He walked up to Ari in his absence, before she made her way into the bathroom.

“Hey!” He chirped happily, tilting his head, “Haven’t seen much of you since earlier, are you enjoying the competition?”

“O-oh, yeah, I definitely am. It’s so crazy to see everyone so dedicated to their work, it looks like it takes so much planning.” Ari was trying not to seem too invested, not right now. It was just a bad time for them to be talking.

“Hey, Fr- Ari..” He leaned forward to whisper to her, holding up one hand as if to shield his lips from onlookers, ”.. I hope everything was okay. From earlier, I mean. Seemed pretty tense when you left the park with March, I was worried about it-“

And as if right on queue, March walked out of the bathroom, walking up to see Ari and Domenico looking like they were two kids sharing a secret in his absence. He sighed in annoyance and ran a hand over his face, walking right up to them, pulling Ari by the hand without a word, seeming to be pretty annoyed, but choosing not to say anything outright.

“I-I’ll talk to you about it later.” Ari called to him, as he looked over at her in the ever-growing distance between them, March walking with her back to the competition.

Ari didn’t want to worry about pulling back to go to the bathroom now, deciding she could just hold it for another few hours. She could sense March’s tensity, his eyes narrowed as he walked slightly in front of her, seeming to lead her back to her place in the bleachers, not a word said. Before heading back down to his area, he turned to her, looking at her softly, pulling her into his form and kissing her deeply- in front of a stadium full of people, some of them watching.

Ari couldn’t shake the surprise from her face as he wrapped his arm around her waist, deepening their kiss. Public displays were so unlike March, but every now and again he surprised her. Ari closed her eyes, getting lost in the feeling of his lips.

”.. Hey.” March said to her after breaking their kiss, holding her face with one hand, “You okay?”

Ari nodded her head, feeling the look on her face must have been a mix of confusion and worry, as she waited for him to get annoyed with her for talking to Domenico in his absence.. But he didn’t. At least not right now.

An announcement was made that the horn resuming the competition would sound in exactly five minutes, signaling March to take his leave. He gave her a short peck on the lips before heading back down to his anvil. Ari saw him resurface in the arena, taking his place down by the forge, waiting for the competition to continue with confidence.

After a few minutes, the horn sounded, signaling everyone to continue. Ari watched on as the competitors continued their craft, pounding their metals, engraving, setting stones, and wrapping hilts. She kept her eyes on March, noticing that every now and then, he silently peered over to her, seeming to confirm she was still in his corner, that her eyes were still trained on him- which they were. She couldn’t help but feel that she may have been a distraction, that his worry to keep her was taking his eyes off of his work, even if just for seconds at a time.

A cry rang out, one of the competitors began wailing in pain. Ari glanced over at the sound, but none of the other blacksmiths stirred. Ari watched out of the corner of her eye as one of the men was walked off field to a medical team, having injured himself pretty badly. This was a huge reminder to Ari what could happen if a blacksmith took his mind off the work, how dangerous this craft could be to someone not skilled enough to handle the tools.

At this point, Ari could see that March was crafting a classic claymore. It was beautiful, even, the perfect shape as he began sharpening it with a steady hand, all the basics set in place. There was a long line of gold adorning the guard of the sword, the intricate pattern ran long down into the grip, decorating the entire hilt in one incredible, fluid design. The pommel of the sword was a vibrant tourmaline stone, encased in iron. The quillon was an intricate, Nordic-looking shape, almost like a triquetra. It was incredible craftsmanship.

Taking the sword, finely sharpened, March placed his hands on either end of it, seeming to focus. Ari was unsure of what he was doing, she had never seen him focus on any of his weaponry this way. After a few moments of quiet intensity, the sword glowed blue for just a split second, a gust of short wind seeming to come from the sword beneath it, and then the weapon returned to normal. The crowd seemed intrigued by this, one of the women behind Ari commenting on March’s dedicated focus.

Just after, the second horn rang out, signaling the second break for the event. Setting the sword back down on his anvil, March stood back to look it over before heading over to take his break. The claymore was glowing, radiant. It was like a star on the area grounds, having a powerful energy about it. March had finished first, ahead of the other contestants. The others were still sharpening their weapons, embedding their decorative patterns, setting their stones- he was seemingly fully done.

March walked over to his table, crushing another bottle of water, and wiping his face with a towel. Ari gazed down at him, watching how he dipped the curve of his neck with the towel, admittedly crushing on him very obviously after watching his body flex for hours now. Taking the towel down and setting it on the table, March glanced over at her, noting the intensity of her stare as she looked over his body with a dazed look on her face. She snapped out of it, realizing he had caught her staring, and a tiny grin sabotaged the seriousness of his guise, a light blush making it’s way over his cheeks.

March took a few steps, walking over to where she was leaning on the partition, ”.. Whatcha looking at..?”

Ari hid her face in her arms, talking downward in a muffled tone, ”.. Th-the heat is getting to me.. I’m spacing out.”

March ran a finger up her arm, earning a jolt from Ari, “I love it when you stare.”

Ari blushed, looking up into his eyes, her chin still resting on her folded arms, ”.. And you used to act like you hated it.”

They both chuckled. It felt nice, being just the two of them, right there and now. They were surrounded by a stadium full of people, but in that moment, it felt like nothing else existed, as they unabashedly flirted with each other in the middle of a crowd of a thousand people. He leaned his chin onto her folded arms, his face right in front of hers.

”.. I hope you never stop staring at me.” He said with a sincere tone, letting just a hint of vulnerability to seep out into his words.

Ari took her hand, running her fingers across his face gently, “I’ll have my eye on you.”

Ari pulled from him gently, lingering just a bit as she got up from her spot. She let him know she was running to the bathroom, and head off into the direction of them, since she didn’t get to during the last break. She walked down the hall, people littered the building going about their business, and she ran into the restroom uninterrupted this time.

When she emerged from the bathroom, wiping her hands with a towel and pulling the door open using it, discarding it in a trash bin just outside the door, she caught the look of a familiar figure out of the corner of her eye.

“Pretty impressive weapon he’s got out there.” Locke said jauntily, a relaxed smile on his face, “Can’t believe how many talented blacksmiths this kingdom has.”

Ari smiled, happy to see a familiar face, “Oh definitely, I had no idea March could work like that, he’s incredible.”

“Domenico still has a long way to go, but not having begun this trade until he was a fully grown adult, he’s far surpassed any of my expectations. They’re both naturals.” Locke agreed, nodding his head.

March inherited his craft from his family lineage, having worked at the forge since childhood. He was a quiet child, as described by Olric. Serious. All business, no games.

Ari waved him off, returning to her spot at the bleachers, March glanced over at her from his spot at the anvil awaiting the horn to resume his progress. Ari waved gently, March raised his hand in a motionless wave back at her. After a few minutes, the horn sounded, a majority of the contestants began rushing quickly to pick up, a majority of them seemingly having a long way to go before they finished. The night embraced the arena, lit up by lanterns, and by the hot flames of the forge.

March, on the other hand, inspected his sword, making a few detail changes, polishing any spots he felt he missed, and taking his time gingerly looking over his newly crafted weapon with care. Ari was impressed by how solid, calm, and collected March was- a far cry from his usual nervous, angry energy. It’s clear that this was where he felt most confident, most at home.

They had only an hour to spare this round, meant to allow them time to finish their projects. It was the shortest hour of her life, she thought, as she looked around and watched some of the other contestants finish. She glanced over to Domenico, not able to identify the weapon he created, beautiful as it was.

As another horn sounded, ending the time they had to work, the contestants set down their crafts, taking a solid step back from their anvils. There were ten other contestants, and the judge was going down the line, reading over the finished products into the microphone, holding up and describing each piece very descriptively.

“Beginning with last year’s winner- March of Mistria! The item crafted is a carbon iron claymore, delicately woven with intricate gold patterning, an incredible carven tourmaline pommel. The claymore is a delicate, classic sword, and it symbolizes strength and freedom in the old lands. Imbued with mana, this sword gives high energy, is incredibly light to the hold, but heavy to the swing. Positive ratings in efficiency, pace, and detail!”

“This year’s only new contestant to make it, Domenico of Central Ides! Domenico has crafted potentially the only khopesh I’ve ever judged in this competition, the item material is primarily gold with a solid line of silver detail down the center of the blade. The hilt of this weapon has intricate Egyptian detailing, the pommel of this khopesh is a lapis stone carved into the shape of a Duat, symbolizing the underworld. The Egyptian khopesh symbolizes divine protection! High ratings in detail, creativity, and crowd effect!”

Ari had to admit, the khopesh Domenico crafted was also far talented beyond expectation, and it gave a refreshed feeling to the competition. But March crafted a classic, one if done correctly had a charm that couldn’t be replaced. They both had so many positive attributes to their craft, it was impossible to predict an outcome. As the judge went down the line, circling the grounds as he read off the other ten contestants and their projects, March looked over at Ari, meting her eyes in a comfortable, mutual stare as they waited through the rest of the readings.

After completing his rounds, the judge returned to March, where he began, and was handed a clipboard by another judge.

“Third place - Ligon of Padstien!”

Ari and the rest of the crowd cheered, as one of the other judges walked over, holding the man’s arm in the air to claim his prowess from the crowd. That left two more spots, Ari held onto her hands anxiously, fidgeting as she waited for the crown to calm.

“Second place - Domenico of Central Ides!”

Domenico smiled big, gripping his hand in an excited fist as one of the judges walked over to hi, holding his arm in the air to draw attention to him from the crowd.

This was easy, she exchanged a glance with March, both of them happy and anticipating the results, already fully knowing he always placed in the top three. The judge waited for the crowd to quiet down again, returning his eyes to his clipboard, drawing out the long silence.

“And first place - March of Mistria, our third year return winner!”

The crowd cheered, the judge holding up March’s arm. Ari could tell he was thrilled, but trying to save face, just a slight smile taking over his mouth as they hung a first place, gold medal over his shoulders - yet another for his large collection of first place prizes and awards. There was a brief meeting of the contestants next to the entrance of the arena, all of them carrying on, slapping each other’s shoulders, shaking hands, congratulating each other. March and Domenico made their rounds, eventually coming face to face, and Domenico held out his hand to March in decorum, March taking his hand in a solid handshake and both in recognition of each other’s skill.

In that moment, there was a shared respect between them, and it felt refreshing to Ari that, even if only for a few minutes, they got along.

After a bit of conversing with his fellows, March made his way over to Ari, who patiently waited for his return. She could tell by his energy that he was happy, that he was quietly soaking in this positive acknowledgement of his incredible skill.

“Hey, I’ll meet you out front, I have to go in the back and get my bag and I’m gonna clean up a bit. Wait for me, I’ll be like twenty minutes tops.” March said, touching her hand gently, and lingering as she nodded, walking away toward the entrance to the arena.

Ari got up from her spot, taking a final look around the place as everyone filed out, committing it all to memory, as she would like not experience something like this so often in her life. Ari made her way into the doors, walking back into the hall, and sitting up front by the building entrance on a wooden bench in the corner.

She waited a bit, but instead of seeing March, Domenico came up the hall toward the doorway, carrying a bag on his shoulder and the weapon he had crafted.

“Ari!” He said with a wave, trotting over to her, “Did you see my weapon?”

Ari smiled as he held out his khopesh, letting her see the detail in full from up close. It was so much more intricate up close, Ari thought, there was a lot of small, black detailing that she couldn’t see from the crowd.

”.. That’s insane, you can’t see all this in the crowd.” Ari said softly, running her hand over the pattern, feeling the slick gold beneath her fingertips.

Domenico’s eyes softened at her interest in his work, a slight blush making its way across his face at her appreciation for his skill. Ari glanced up, noticing the moment between them had grown unintentionally heavy, the weight of his gaze crashing into her suddenly, becoming extremely apparent. She dropped her hand from his weapon, a little in surprise at his lengthy stare.

“March is a really great blacksmith.” Domenico said, looking down at his feet, ”.. Always coming in second place, only to him.”

“Isn’t this your first ye-” Ari began, Domenico suddenly embracing her in a tight hug, leaving Ari feeling surprised and taken off guard.

Ari heard footsteps, which stopped abruptly. Ari had her hands at her sides, not embracing Domenico in return, very obviously not participating in this embrace, yet not declining it. After Domenico released her and stepped back, Ari saw March standing just a few feet away, seeming to be watching them closely. He was holding his claymore, and a bag on his shoulder, and an annoyed look on his face.

“Ah-” Domenico said, spotting March and looking back to Ari thoughtfully, “I’ll.. Talk to you later.”

Domenico glanced back to March, walking out the front door, meeting up with Locke who appeared to be waiting just outside.

”.. Geez, every time I leave for thirty seconds..” March mumbled to himself with a furrowed brow, taking Ari by the hand and quietly leading her out the door.

It was just after midnight, dark embraced the outside now, lit up by the street lights. Even after such a long day, they still hadn’t intended to sleep, since they had the whole next day to recover and sleep. There was a heavy feeling of quiet apprehension between them, as they held hands, walking back to the inn. Despite the happy undertone, Ari could tell March was severely put off by seeing Domenico hugging her before, whispering to her like a secret kept from him, it felt like they were dancing around and avoiding him- and that wasn’t Ari’s intent at all.

”.. Thank you.” March said suddenly, awkwardly timed, Ari was confused by it.

“What? For what, March?” Ari asked, looking up to him, quirking an eyebrow.

“For being there. It means a lot to me, you know..” He mumbled, looking off and over to the ground, pink tinting his cheeks.

“Thank you for bringing me.” Ari returned, pulling on his hand gently, smiling over at him.

”.. If I hadn’t brought you, things..” March trailed off, like he was really thinking on whether or not he should say what he wanted to say, ”.. I-if I hadn’t brought you, things wouldn’t be like this.”

What he meant was, if he hadn’t brought Ari, Domenico wouldn’t be causing him so much stress. She took a long pause, understanding his perspective, but not necessarily agreeing with it. Things may have been simpler that way, but seeing Domenico again was something she needed, even if just for the closure.

”.. I’m glad I came.” Ari said, looking at the ground, “For both reasons, March. I don’t know if that’s the answer you wanted to hear, but it’s the truth.”

A long silence followed, as it seemed to put him deep in thought. For the rest of the walk to the inn, they were both quiet. At this point, their noticeable disagreement was about her having contact with Domenico, and it wasn’t something either of them were willing to budge on. It was a recurring issue, one that reccharged after every instance March saw them anywhere near each other, and it was causing very obvious conflict between both of them time and time again.

But Ari.. Just couldn’t let it go. Not after all this time.

They walked into their room, March setting down his bag, Ari sitting down on the bed. Without a word, March walked into the bathroom and closed the door, Ari soon heard the shower running from beyond the door. She hoped a shower would help him clear his head and relax a bit. In the meantime, Ari decided to change. She pulled out a pair of tight, black leggings and a loose-fitting, cropped sweater, laying them out on the bed. She walked over to the mirror, brushing out her curls, looking at herself in the mirror above the desk. She slipped on her new outfit, smoothing out her tight-fitting leggings. She spent time preening herself, filing all of her nails and toenails, sanding off her leg hair with a smoothing stone, applying lotion to her face and body, freshening herself up so that she would be soft, smooth and feel nice.

Afterward, as she waited for March to emerge from the bathroom, she pulled a bottle of Miriad whiskey from her bag, setting it on the table. Regardless of the negative energy that lingered, she thought that maybe a little alcohol would help lift the spirits in celebration after a long and tiresome day. She lie back on the bed, hearing her phone vibrate on the nightstand. It was a text from Domenico.

Domenico: “Swing by later? I feel like we should talk.”

Ari agreed, they did need to talk. She needed to express some very clear boundaries between them and talk about everything in between. That said, Ari still wanted to spend a little time with March, so it was going to be a bit before she went over to see him.

Ari: “Around 2 or 3? I’m goiing to spend some time here with March and I’ll head over after.”

Domenico didn’t message back right away.

It was a late night meeting, but they had a limited time. They’d decided to stay an extra day, but they were already nearly on their way back to Mistria, and it felt so soon. At the end of the day, Central Ides was only about an hour’s travel from Mistria, so it’s not like they couldn’t just meet up at some point later.. But something told Ari that at the inn, it would be the last time she’d see Domenico for awhile.

March eventually opened the bathroom door, shirtless, still patting his hair dry with a towel. He looked so soft without a headband on, as rare a sight as it was. Ari put her phone down on the nightstand, sitting up into a sitting position and looking at him, her eyes running over his abs.

“Geez, take a picture.” March said with a blank face, a telling red tinge running across his face as he noticed where her eyes lingered.

He was still guarded, some of his softness replaced with a sarcastic tone. He wasn’t angry, but something told Ari he spent his entire shower in his head about everything. He glanced to the side, noticing the bottle of whiskey, pointing at it.

“What’s all that..?” He asked, hanging his towel up on the knob of the bathroom door and looking back at her.

”.. I got it for us. You know, to celebrate.” Ari explained, rubbing her neck shyly.

“When did you sneak off to get that?” He asked with a slight smile, some of his harshness melting a bit.

“I got it when we were still in Mistria.” She admitted, pointing at her backpack.

”.. You bought it before I won?”

“I knew you would win.”

March blushed in a brief expression of surprise, a smile creeping up to his face in a shy grin, but after his tone caught a playful hubris, “Haha yeah, me too.”

He took a spot sitting next to her on the bed, and she passed him the unopened bottle. He removed the plastic from the edge, cracking it open and removing the plug. He looked it over briefly before taking a shot-sized drink from the bottle, passing it back to Ari. He grimaced at the potency, but handled it well, wiping his mouth with his arm.

“Hey, that’s actually not bad.” He said, clearing his throat, “I haven’t had much hard liquor, I’m usually just a beer guy every now and then.”

Ari took a long sip from the glass bottle, cringing a little, and putting the plug back in, setting it between them on the bed. She laughed lightly as she coughed a little, both of them chuckling over their inexperience with whiskey.

So far, this was nice. They were both in good spirits. They passed the bottle back and forth for a while, talking about the competition, talking about what it will be like going back home to Mistria, everything in between. Ari tried to avoid anything regarding Domenico, trying to keep things light. After an hour or so, they were both obviously pretty drunk, slurring their words, and they started to get somewhat heated, kissing each other heavily. Ari held him close, enjoying the feeling of his skin on hers, it had been awhile since she’d felt his hands running up her sides, under her shirt this way. With the alcohol, his touch felt even more electrifying than usual, Ari tilting back her head as he broke their kiss, running his lips across her neck.

Both of them heard her phone buzz from the bedside table, March looking over at it.

”.. Who would that be, this late..?” He asked with a flat affect, his mouth pressed into a tight close, as if he already knew.

He reached over her, grabbing her phone from the night stand, and surprisingly unlocking it with her pin like he’d always known it.

“H-hey, you know my-” Ari started, with a disbelieving laugh.

“What’s all this?” March asked, facing her phone to her, his words slurring and growing in irritation.

Domenico: “I’ll wait up for you.”

Ari ran her hand over her face, realizing how that looked, sighing in frustration, already knowing the implication, ”.. Read the rest of the texts, not just that one.”

March backed up into the text thread, reading the rest of them, but he was clearly already pretty charged. He eventually closed her phone, tossing it on the bed, laying back on his pillow and rubbing his eyes with both hands in irritation.

“You know, Ari, this is just getting really old.” He said dryly, anger on his tone.

Ari sighed, rolling her eyes, she already knew this was coming as soon as he showed her the first message he opened. There was a long, uncomfortable silence between them, as they both sat there, waiting for the other to say something. Their emotions were charged, slightly unstable due to the whiskey, both of them had tilting emotional control and it felt like they were reeling impossibly close to the sun.

“I can tell.. There’s something else. There’s something you feel that you’re not telling me.” March said with annoyance, sitting up and looking back at her anxiously, his body language becoming guarded as he unintentionally wrapped his arms over his chest.

“I don’t need you to tell me how I feel.” Ari said, laying back on her pillow, furrowing her brow with a tinge of anger, looking away from him.

March got up from the bed, beginning to nervously pace the room, his energy was starting to feel intimidating as Ari sat up, propping herself up on her hands, looking over at him with worried irritation, in disbelief at how quickly things had turned around.

“I chose you, March, isn’t that enough for you?” Ari asked quietly, into a silent room, after March had stopped pacing. He put his hands on his head, taking a long, irritated sigh.

“The fact that you admit there was another option to you tells me everything.” He shook his head, fully letting himself say exactly what he was thinking, probably for the first time.

“You think I enjoy this? This situation? You think this is fun for me?” Ari said, feeling her voice become strained, shaking her head incredulously as she tried to understand how things ended up this way.

“No, Ari, of course not. I’m just saying it doesn’t feel like you’ve really ‘chosen’ me. Not completely. Not in your head.” He raised his voice barely one level, but Ari felt it with severity, taking more offense than she probably should have in her drunken state.

“I’m sorry you’re really this insecure, March. I can’t believe you’re acting like this right now.” She met his raised voice, the first time she had ever raised her voice that way.

“I can feel that something isn’t right here, this isn’t just in my head, stop making me feel like this is all in my fucking head.” He was just below yelling volume now, gesturing animatedly, pointing in the direction of Domenico’s room aggressively, looking at her face with heated anger.

It almost felt like he paused because he heard his own voice and regretted the aggression of it, but he immediately stood by it out of stubbornness, folding his arms in front of his chest, half angrily, half defensively.

“Stop talking to me like that.” Ari said in a low tone, trying to keep herself calm, but her words were pointed like daggers pointed directly at him.

“Stop making me feel insane, Ari.” March retorted, raising his voice again, slightly.

Ari began getting up off the bed, hurriedly picking up her phone and her bag, walking around the room and grabbing the few things she had laying around on the desk and tucking them in the bag, “I’ll stop making you feel anything, March. I’m leaving.”

“Yeah, and I bet I know exactly where you’re gonna fucking go.” March spit with volatile aggression, lowering his voice but sharpening his tone into a serious accusation.

“I hadn’t put any thought into where I was going,” Ari huffed, an angry, dry chuckle as she turned to him, “but now I know exactly where I’m gonna go.”

March, taken aback by that and trying not to show it, gathered himself in a split second and uttered a response before fully thinking it over completely, “Then whatever this was, is over.”

“Fine.” Ari said, her voice suddenly calm, turning back toward the doorway and walking out, closing it quietly behind her.

Out in the empty hall, it felt so bare. Like a different country, worlds away from March. After a few seconds of quiet disbelief and confusion, Ari burst into sobs, covering her face and crouching on the ground next to the stairwell. Whatever this was, it fucking hurt. Everything had happened so unbelievably fast, like they were throwing a ball calmly and suddenly started whipping it back and forth, both of them needing to recover a response so quickly that anything was flying out of their mouths.

What the fuck was that.

March.. Broke up with her. Ari’s chest hurt as she stood, deciding that if he opened the door, she wouldn’t allow him to see her pathetically crying on the ground like a paper ripped to shreds and discarded. Despite the pain, she was still pissed off, and unwilling to talk about it with him further. Ari took her phone and turned it off, before even checking it. She didn’t want to talk. Ari took a walk down the stairs to the bar, her eyes puffy, and took a seat, ordering a light beer from the tap to sip. She sat off in the corner, trying not to be seen. There were a number of people celebrating, most of them drunk, just having a good time after the competition now that it was over.

Ari sighed, staring down at the counter.
She didn’t really know what to think, or if she even could think.
Her face was hot. She pulled her hood up, to conceal herself, hoping no one would see or notice her. Despite the loud room, she was enjoying this time to herself, unbothered by anything but her own thoughts and feelings at this point. She just wanted to disconnect, shut it all down. She wasn’t used to these intense feelings of sadness, just wanting to ignore it all until it subsided.

Eventually, she was going to go see Domenico so they could talk, but.. Not right now. She stay turned toward the counter, not facing the crowd, slowly drinking her beer from the pint glass, zoning out. After finishing her beer, Ari tossed a couple dollars on the bar for a tip, waving off the bartender. At this point she felt she had sufficiently cleaned herself up, so she felt comfortable facing Domenico.

She walked up the stairs and down the hall, glancing over at the room she and March had been staying in. She had her bag on her shoulder as she walked up to Domenico’s door, taking a brief pause, a deep breath, and then knocking quietly on the wooden surface.

After a few seconds, the door opened, and Domenico originally had a big smile, which very soon after turned to a look of much worry and concern.

“A-Ari? What’s wrong?” He asked, opening the door the rest of the way and reaching out to grab her sleeve, pulling her in, looking both ways out the door to see if anyone else had been out there with her, then closing the door shut behind them.

Damn it. Read her like a book. Perhaps she hadn’t cleaned herself up as much as she thought.

“Uh-..: Ari started, looking down at the ground.

“March stopped by. If that’s what this is about.” He said shortly, Ari shooting him a brief look of confusion, and then slight annoyance.

“He what? When?” Ari shook her head, running her hand over her eyes, still pretty annoyed, taken back by the audacity of March coming by Domenico’s to look for her.

“Like twenty minutes ago, came by and asked if you were here. Looked in my door, actually. He seemed stressed out, but I didn’t think much of it at the time.” Domenico said quietly, awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck uncomfortably, “Ari.. Are you drunk?”

”.. Yes. Listen, I don’t want to talk about it. We had an argument, it wasn’t good, I just want to pretend it didn’t happen right now.” Ari said with a sigh, shaking her head and turning away from him, wiping her face with her hands.

”.. I know. The wall is thin.” Domenico pressed his lips together, looking off to the side uncomfortably, “I couldn’t hear what you guys were saying, just sounded like loud voices. I can always hear you.”

Domenico leaned in, taking Ari’s bag from her shoulder and hanging it on a chair in the corner of the room. He sat on his bed, looking up at Ari worriedly as she paced around, trying to collect her thoughts.

“We argued.. Because he thinks you’re trying to take me from him.” Ari said calmly, turning toward him with a dry chuckle, putting a hand on her forehead with frustration.

Domenico nodded pensively, looking up at her, “Okay. Well, I can’t take you from him. You’re not an object. You can go where you want to go, and I respect that.”

“I know!” Ari said with exasperation in her voice, flinging her hand and tilting her head back, as if she were still trying to understand.

”.. Here. I need a drink, you’re way off my level. Feels unfair.” Domenico said with a sigh, pulling a flask out of his bag and taking a long sip from it, grimacing a bit as he listened to Ari talk.

“It just feels like no matter what I do, he just won’t let it go. It’s always a fight, and it’s so tiring.” Ari said, sitting down on the bed, pulling her knees up to her chest, “I love him so much, and it feels like that isn’t enough for him right now.”

Even now, with all of these rationalizations and all of this anger boiling inside of her, Ari still felt like being here with Domenico, in this condition, probably wasn’t the best idea. She couldn’t shake that voice in the back of her mind that was telling her to go back to her room.

Domenico listened to her talk for a long time. He eventually started sounding a little slurred, but he got more playful- Domenico was clearly a playful drunk. Hellbent on getting her out of her funk, he pulled a deck of cards out of his bag, holding it out in his hand for Ari to see it.

“Ever played Daggers and Maces?’ He asked her with a grin, already assuming she never had before.

Ari shook her head, looking over the box, it looked like a kid's game, “Oh, no, how do you play?”

He started opening the box, a huge, kiddish smile on his face, barely able to hide his excitement, “I’ll show you! It’s great.”

He sat crisscross on the bed, patting a place just to the side of him for her to sit with him. They sat there together, both cross-legged, like two kids playing a game in the schoolyard at recess. Domenico was always the one teaching her games, showing her how to play sports, he was always the one urging her to do fun activities. It was one thing she really enjoyed doing with him. He made her feel young.

“So, when you get a type of armor, you can wear that. Obviously, you can only have one of each type on, and the points add up and that’s your defense level.” He showed her a type of armor he pulled from the stack on his turn, “You get to pull thees cards to open dungeons, and if you pull a monster you get to fight them- and your defense and attack level tells you if you beat it or not.”

Ari looked over at Domenico, watching his lips move as he looked down at the cards, focusing, but spacing out on his eyes, his eyelashes batting up and down. They had only played for about thirty minutes, the entire time spent Domenico teaching her the game, but she didn’t mind.

He met eyes with her dazed expression, a little shy surprise on his face, and then he chuckled with a blush, waving his hand, “Eh- Earth to Ari.”

“I’m listening, I swear.” Ari opened her eyes wide, sitting up, looking away from his face and down at his hands where he loosely held the cards.

She was listening, but she was also noting how his knee was touching hers- just slightly. How his voice had a different inflection when he was teaching something. It sounded just like how he would sound teaching her games as children. That same lilted tone. Ari felt like.. for the first time since they met again, he didn’t feel like a stranger. Watching him so focused on explaining the game to her, looking down at the cards, softly poiinting at them and telling her what they mean.. This felt like Domenico.

He was different when it was just the two of them. When they were around March and Locke, his playfulness was very sedated, and he came off as so much more serious, with a flat tone and a friendly smile, like a customer service representative. He was so different right now, and Ari felt herself still staring.

“Hey Ari.. Maybe you’re a little too drunk to play this game, haha.” Domenico laughed lightly, meeting her eyes with a soft gaze, both of them realizing that she had been silently staring at his face the entire time, leaning her face on her hand dreamily, and paying little attention to the game.

Ari looked down with a blush, laughing it off and putting a hand lightly over her mouth, “Y-yeah, I think I’m getting distracted.”

Distracted.
But by what, exactly?
Not by the cards. Not by the game. Not by being drunk.
She was getting distracted by her increasingly loud thoughts.

“It’s only 2ish, wanna go to one of the clubs here? They’re usually open until like 4:30.” Domenico asked with a smile, slipping the cards back into the box.

“I’ve never been to a club, we don’t have one in Mistria.” Ari admitted, not even fully knowing what a club even was.

“You go and dance and hang out, it’s fun. I know one that’s not too formal and it’s close.” He said with a smile, pushing her lightly, playfully, “Let’s go, it’ll be fun.”

Domenico got up from the bed, taking another drink from his flask, and walking over to his mirror to fix his hair and adjust one of his earrings. Ari just watched him, her beer from earlier had kicked things up a bit and she was feeling increasingly drunk.

He walked back over to the bed where she still sat, holding his hand out to her with a smile, “C’mon!”

Ari looked up at him. He wasn’t wearing his headband for one, his soft brown curls lingered around his green eyes, framing his face. He had a playful look in his eyes that Ari could appreciate, in large contrast to the sarcastic, annoyed look March usually wore.

March. Ari hadn’t thought about him for a little while, fully immersed in her time with Domenico. She was.. Still mad. Ari thought to herself, trying to identify through loose and fleeting thoughts what she was feeling. Ari took his hand, getting up from the bed, walking with him to the door. Oh. As the door opened to the hallway, she caught a wave of apprehension, like she was going out-of-bounds on a foreign playing field.

Domenico glanced where Ari’s eyes landed: The door to room 24.

”.. Hey, Ari..” Domenico stopped her, whispering in her ear so his voice wouldn’t echo in the hallway, ”.. You don’t want to think about that right now.”

He took her hand again, walking backward slowly, sneakily toward the stairs, staring into her eyes with a mischievous trance in his, and in that moment, he was right. She didn’t want to think about any of it. Not right now.

They walked quietly down the stairs, like a couple teenagers sneaking out of the house in the middle of the night. Ari tripped on the bottom step, stumbling into Domenico’s back briefly and catching herself. Both of them laughed at the mess she was right then, and for the first time.. It felt like Ari wasn’t taking herself so seriously. As they made their way from the second building into the first building, Domenico held on tightly to her hand, gently leading her.

Ari had her hood pulled up, but she couldn’t help but glance around at all the faces in the first bar area. She felt a bit on-edge, like she was going to get caught, even though in her adult mind that made absolutely no sense.

“Whatever this was is over.” She heard March’s voice in her head.
Ouch, she thought to herself, an angry flood rolled over her emotions.

“Hey.” Domenico waved his hand in front of her face, detecting her horrible fog of thoughts, “Stop thinking about that.”

Ari looked up at him, shaking the thoughts from her head, “Y-yeah, you’re right.”

They were walking down the sidewalk now, out in the damp night air. It looked like it had showered, you could smell the rain in the air. The street was lit up by lanterns on the block they took, a different direction than she had taken before.

”.. Ari, have you ever heard the story of Saint Ari?” He asked her with a smile, nudging her arm, his hands in his pockets.

Ari shook her head, looking over at him, watching his face as she anticipated yet another one of his stories.

“There were a few St. Ari, but the biggest one is one who was known for going down as a martyr for refusing to worship idols. He was said to have worked many miracles, or God worked miracles through him, rather.” He chuckled at the end of his short explanation, “I thought it was ironic, that you took the name Ari when you swore off the faith.”

Ari smiled, tilting her head back, catching his drift, “Listen, I didn’t ‘swear off’ anything, Domeno.”

He got quiet for a second, then looked over at her curiously, “What would you say your feelings toward it are?”

“I swore off the guardians and that place. My failure to practice the faith or live by it is.. I just don’t feel connected to it.” Ari explained, pulling him over to her by his arm, comfortingly, “I don’t feel anything.. Positive about any of them.”

“I’m sure.” Domenico said, understandingly, “I get why you wouldn’t feel positive about any of it. Sometimes I don’t.”

“Then why..” Ari trailed off, running her index finger over the psalm tattoo on his arm with her other hand, still holding herself to him.

“Ownership.” He said simply, like it was just that easy, “Acknowledging who I am, where I came from. Believing it wasn’t all for no reason.”

Ari nodded, walking with him down the block, “I understand that reason.”

“Oh hey, look, these shops are still open.” Domenico pointed at one of the side-shops with clothes and hats in the window, “Crazy half this town stays open until 4am. Before we go to the club, let’s take a look.”

Ari sighed, nodding her head and rolling her eyes, ready to be taken on another adventure.

They walked through the door, and there were actually a surprising amount of people in the store at this hour, it’s like no one slept in this town. The store mostly had hats and party outfits, so they both spent a little time looking arund the shop and laughing at the ridiculous party outfit pieces hanging on the shelves.

“Oh, no joke, this fits you perfectly.” Domenico said, taking down a silly-looking bucket hat with a multi-color pattern on it.

“That fits me perfectly?” Ari scoffed in playful insult, as Domenico lowered her hood and placed the hat on her head, holding her back by the shoulders and looking at her.

“It’s perfect.” He said with a stifled giggle but had this immense look of adoration in his eyes, as unserious as his guise was.

“Ha, fine, well now I get to find one for you.” Ari said, throwing him a shady smile and beginning to look through all the hats, spotting a second bucket hat that was lime green with teddy bears on it, the pattern made no sense at all.

Ari took the hat down from it’s place on the shelf, facing Domenico to her and placing the hat on his head, flipping up the lip of the hat and tugging it down until it suited him the best.

And then she couldn’t help but stare at him, he looked so radiant in this dumb joke-of-a-hat. He had the biggest smile on his face, his curls falling down over his eyes, and his jewelry matching part of the pattern of the hat. Now she fully understood exactly why he was looking at her the way she was, because.. He looked really good in that stupid fucking hat.

His smile eventually faded as she stare at him, still loosely holding him toward her by his shoulders, and now it was just a casually confused smile- she had definitely been staring too long.

“What?” Domenico asked, a knowing, playful tone in his voice, “Cat got your tongue?”

“I-I-” Ari stammered, releasing his shoulders and taking a step backward, bumping lightly into a display, “We should check out, these hats are perfect.”

Domenico tugged on the side of her hat playfully, muttering to himself barely above a whisper, ”.. You’d know a thing or two about perfect.”

Ari pretended not to hear him, hiding a smile from her face as they both went up to the register and cashed out.

They both head out of the building and down the block, both of them chatting about random things, talking about their favorite music, places they’d been, people they had met, etc.

When they started walking up to the club, there were people hanging out outside, no line, it seemed like one of the more relaxed ones in town, not too loud or crazy - Just like Domenico had described. They both walked up, Domenico holding the door for her and walking in behind her. It looked crazy, there were multiple wall cut-outs with multi-color lights, the bar was lit up, there was a decent size dance floor, people dancing together, carrying drinks, and around the floor were a bunch of tall tables with chairs littered around them.

“I’m gonna grab a drink from the bar, you want anything?” Domenico asked, gesturing for her to have a seat at one of the tables.

“Oh sure, um.. Single shot whiskey and cola, on rocks?” Ari said, having felt a little of her buzz wear off a bit from earlier, wanting to keep herself at the level she was.

She sat at one of the tables, watching him as he walked up to the crowded bar. He knew she didn’t like crowds, Ari thought to herself, knowing exactly why he’d offered to go up by himself. He eventually came back, sliding her drink to her, sitting in the right right beside her, both of them looking out onto the dance floor.

“What’d you get..?” Ari asked, pointing down at his drink, tilting her head at him.

“Oh, it’s PeanutButter whiskey, double shot. I don’t really care for mixers.” He said with a smile, taking a sip from his drink and clearing his throat.

”.. PeanutButter whiskey??” Ari said with surprise in her voice, “Man, I didn’t even know that was a thing, I live under a rock.”

“Wanna try it?” Domenico asked, holding up his glass toward her, “My favorite, for sure.”

Ari glanced down, thinking to herself in a half-thought with no real concern that his lips had been on the glass, and looked from the glass up to his eyes with a nod. He passed her his cup, Ari trying just a small sip of his drink, thinking to herself that they had essentially just had an indirect kiss.

Ari coughed at the strength of the alcohol, passing it back to him, “Th-that is so good, but wow it bites hard.”

Domenico laughed to himself, taking a sip from his drink again, not seeming even a little bothered that her mouth had just been on it, “Haha, I don’t know if you know this about me, but I’m a tank when it comes to alcohol. I keep this 100 proof mint liquor in my flask, it’d kill ya.”

“Mint mixed with PeanutButter? That’s diabolical, Domeno.” Ari said, a terrified look taking over her expression.

“I mean, the mint was awhile ago, now it’s just PeanutButter.” He laughed, sticking his tongue out at her, cutely.

He was cute, Ari thought.

“You’re so different now, than you were when we were with the group.” Ari leaned on her hand, looking over his face.

“Oh.” Domenico said awkwardly, setting his drink on the table, ”.. I mean, it’s just you.”

“What do you mean?” Ari asked, still gazing over at him, trying to understand.

“Well.. I don’t feel like I need to pretend with you.” He explained, leaning in toward her and talking somewhat into her ear, as the song got louder, “You’re different too, when.. Other people aren’t with us.”

“Really? How?” Ari asked with a chuckle, sipping her drink.

Domenico leaned in closer, putting his lips almost up to her ear, and whispered, “You play back when it’s just us.”

He was right. When everyone else was around, she had shrugged off a number of playful encounters between them for the comfort of March, for obvious reasons. Ari felt a shiver go up her spine at the sound of his voice lowering in her ear. She could feel her face grow red, and her breathing felt tight.

Domenico leaned back over, looking at her in a sideways glance as he sipped his whiskey, ”.. I think you like bantering with me, actually.”

“I’m also drunk.” Ari quirked an eyebrow, looking over at him with attitude on her face.

“Let’s be honest, that’s not why.” Domenico said with a certain tone, having correctly read her like a book all over again.

Again, he was right. It was pretty obvious that the reason she rarely reciprocated his playfulness before was because she was in a relationship at the time. Ari thought about March for a split second, then took a long sip from her drink, finishing it and setting it on the table.

Noticing how fast she finished the drink after his comment, he seemed reluctant to have said it for a second, jokingly commenting “I didn’t mean to stress you out, now you’re binge drinking.”

“It’s not you.” Ari admitted, leaning forward on the table and looking back toward him, ”.. It’s just what happened earlier. Thought about it for a minute, hated it.”

“Hey, you know what? We should dance, I like this song.” Domenico said suddenly, pretty obviously attempting to drive her out of those thoughts completely.

He finished his double shot, setting down the glass and taking her hand, leading her out onto the floor. It was a slower song, still somewhat upbeat, not an old-timey one. Something more recent Ari had never heard, but it was beautiful. She was still not the greatest dancer, which he seemed to catch onto pretty fast, taking her by the hand and putting his other hand on her waist, leading her. There were a few other people dancing on the floor, seeming the place was slowing down as it got late into the night.

He smiled, spinning her and the catching her, both of them laughing. They danced for about half the song, and Ari realized.. This felt so natural. He wasn’t nervous at all. She found herself wondering how he could seem so sure about all of this, it was like he’d known her.. Her whole life. Just then, it really set in with Ari, that they really had known each other their whole lives, nearly. She had spent so much time feeling on edge around him and being unnerved that she was overlooking that this was someone she knew very well. The sudden knowledge of that dawning on her felt so intense, as she found herself staring, expressionlessly, at his face.

He tilted his head, the playfulness dropping from his eyes for a split second, “When you look at me that way, it feels like a mixed signal.”

Ari blushed and looked away, not having realized she had been so deep in thought again, “I-I don’t know what you mean.”

He leaned in, placing his mouth just shy of her ear, whispering, “I have to ask you, Ari, what do you feel when you look at me that way?’

The seriousness of his question gave her pause, as she looked around the dance floor, really thinking to herself.. What did she feel.

“You could say you feel nothing, and that would still be okay.” Domenico added, pulling her a little closer to him, “But I do feel something between us, and I just need to know if you feel it, too.”

”.. Of course I feel something toward you, Domeno. How could I not?” Ari asked with a shy smile, avoiding his eyes, “But what do I feel? I don’t know the right answer to that..”

“I’m not asking you for what you think the right answer is, Frostie, I’m asking you what you feel.” He asked her seriously, hugging her in an embrace as they sway to the song, “There is no right or wrong answer.”

“But March, he would feel so-” Ari started, a pang of guilt hitting her.

“I’m not asking you what March feels, I’m asking you what you feel, Ari.” He interrupted her, holding her close, “If you feel nothing, it’s fine to say that, too.”

He was right again. Ari was so worried about everyone else's feelings and the politics of this, that she wasn’t even being honest with herself. And right now, she was presumably single, and she still couldn’t just be honest about how she felt.

”.. Of course I feel something for you, Domeno. How could I not?” Ari said softly, her cheek touching his, her arms around her neck, ”.. This has been the most confusing time in my whole life. I have to be honest with myself and admit.. I’ve put my relationship in jeopardy to talk to you, and someone who feels nothing toward someone wouldn’t do that.”

There was a brief pause, and she added, ”.. I need to know, do you have feelings toward me, Domeno?”

“Of course, I do.” He said it so simply, like it was the easiest question he’d ever answered, “I love you, Frostie. Always have.”

”.. I’m not the person you knew before, Domeno. I think you love that person, not me.” Ari said, pulling back and looking at him, still swaying with him to the music.

“If we had never been separated, I would still love you.”

He was so sure of this, Ari realized. He wasn’t nervous, not jittery, he was calm, he had a steady voice. He was so good at talking to her. Ari didn’t have the best luck identifying her emotions, let alone talking about them- but Domenico could so easily explain his intent and feelings, so effortlessly. They both had the upbringing of keeping their emotions quiet for the sake of others, but it seemed Domenico had taken the empathy of valuing how other people felt, while also being able to voice his own emotions in a calm and respectful way. It seems he had been through a lot, to be this delicate and considerate.

“Under different circumstances, this is when I would ask if I could kiss you.” Domenico said, not a hint of trepidation in his eyes, ”.. But it’s just not the right time. Bad timing.”

Ari found herself wishing he would. If she got to kiss him, it would end this torturous unknown- she would know what it felt like. It would be full-circle. An action set in motion decades ago, that they never had a chance to fulfill. Ari looked him in the eyes, finding herself holding him just a little tighter for support.

“Ask me, Domeno.”

“I don’t think this is the right time. I’ve thought about this moment for so long, Frostie, and it just feels like it’s not the right time. You just had a break-up. You and March will get back together tomorrow, probably.” He said, looking down at the ground as if he were disappointed with his own good ethics.

”.. I need to know.” Ari said clearly, certainty in her voice, “I want to know if I feel.. A spark. Emotions. I want to know if I will feel something more with you.”

“Are you really sure this is what you want?’ He asked her, the only sign of any nerves being that his grip of her waist tightened a little.

Ari thought to herself that this was the only time she was thinking about what she wanted, and looked up into his eyes with a whisper, “Ask me.”

There was a long pause, as if he were really debating this, he was giving her time to change her mind. He was waiting for her to say ‘never mind’ or something, or for her to give some hint that he shouldn’t allow this. But Ari just stare at him, waiting to see what his next move would be.

”.. Ari.. Can I kiss you..?” His voice sounded so quiet.

“Yes.” Ari whispered, her face serious, her voice sounded so airy and breathless to her in that moment, like they were sharing a secret between good frirends.

Domenico wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her to him as if to protect her from the outside world, leaning in so slowly, inching toward her face, looking into her eyes, seeming to give her more than enough time to change her mind, seeming like he almost expected her to pull away.

Their lips touched so gently, just barely grazing each other, and Ari felt her heart jump up in her chest. His lips were soft, just barely a little chapped, as she felt them brush hers. Seeming to realize she was following through with this, not backing down, he closed his eyes and really kissed her. A kiss, kiss. A real, deep kiss. Even now, there was no nervous energy. There was no quickened breathing. No surge in anxiety. It was a calm, certain, longing kiss- and Ari realized.. The feeling of his kiss was so different from March. His embrace was different. His scent, while also lovely, didn’t have the same intoxicating effect on her that March did.

And after a few long seconds of this kiss, they both pulled away, their eyes opening and both of them looking at each other so calmly. Neither of them said anything, resuming their dance, Ari realizing that a new song had started playing some time during their kiss. They both sway there, their noses colliding lightly a few times, his strong arms were comforting to her as she battled her own mind, coming onto the realization..

All she could think about was comparing her kiss with Domenico to her kiss with March. March had so much emotion, so much untamed fire in his touch and his kiss. This was nothing like that. This was.. Intimate, but in a tame and comfortable way.

She realized.. She liked the passion and anxiety of her intimacy with March. Suddenly she felt herself missing him, the anger she had earlier faded.

”.. Ari, what is it?” Domenico asked, noticing a look of deep thought come over her face after their kiss.

”.. Domenico.. Thank you.” Ari said quietly, pulling away out of his arms gently, looking at him, “I’m really glad we kissed.”

He nodded, fully understanding, if not a little surprised she had no regrets, “I think the place is about to close, we should probably head back to the inn.”

“Before we go.. I’m going to turn my phone on and check my texts.” Ari said with a sigh, knowing that eventually she would have to face them.

At this point it had only been a few hours since she left their room, but she fully knew March was probably freaking out at her lack of response, or seeing that his texts weren’t being delivered. Now that she was starting to sober up a bit, she started realizing this wasn’t something she would just be able to ignore.

They walked back over to the table, and Ari clicked her phone on, waiting for it to start up.

Phone current time: 3:48AM
23 Missed calls
2 Voicemails
8 New texts.

Voicemail #1, 1:26AM: “Ari, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. I immediately fucking regret that, I feel horrible knowing that now you’re probably.. Ugh. Just give me a call back, please.”

Voicemail #2, 3:45AM: “Your phone is saying none of these are getting to you, so I’m sure you turned your phone off.. I’m leaving the door unlocked for you, if you decide to come back. I asked Domenico where you were earlier and he said he didn’t know, I know you can handle yourself, but.. I hope you come back to our room.”

Text #1, 1:12AM: “I can’t believe you just left like that, what the fuck Ari”

Text #2, 1:20AM: “Hey, I’m sorry, I don’t want this to be over, ignore that I said that, fuck”

Text #3, 1:22AM: “Please don’t go to Domenico’s room, please talk to me about this”

Text #4, 1:37AM: “Your phone is going straight to voicemail, please call me when you see these”

Text #5: 1:42AM: “Ari, please message me back”

Text #6: 2:30AM: “When you see this, I’m not mad anymore, I just want you to know that. I shouldn’t have yelled, I feel like an asshole.”

Text #7: 3:00AM: “I know I broke up with you earlier.. But I just.. Really hope you’re not with someone else tonight.”

Text #8: 3:35AM: “I love you. I’m going to try to get some sleep.. I’m leaving the door unlocked for you.”

Ari felt her heart shatter into a million pieces. She turned on her phone expecting him to be so angry with her, but instead found that he regretted all of it thirty seconds after she walked out the door. Sitting at the table with Domenico, Ari actually started crying, drawing immediate attention from Domenico.

“Ari.. Is it that bad? What did he say?” He piqued curiously, a small hint of anger growing in his voice.

”.. He said he regretted breaking up with me, and that he loves me.” Ari sighed, shaking her head with a hand wiping her face, “I thought he’d be so mad..”

“I don’t think he was ever just mad, Ari.” Domenico said, rubbing her shoulder softly, ”.. I think he’s just been acting mad because, well, he’s afraid.”

“Afraid..?” Ari echoed the question, mulling it over.

“Terrified. That he was losing you, the moment he first saw me here.” He seemed sincere, proving her authentic clarity, instead of motive, ”.. I think he’s been afraid the whole time, that he couldn’t compete with history.”

Ari looked down, rereading the texts. She felt bad. She had been making him feel crazy when she knew there was something between she and Domenico, even if it were just romantic curiosity about each other.

And now that she got her answer, she had kissed Domenico, she realized.. She didn’t feel the spark with him that she felt with March.

“I think I should go.” Ari said quietly, looking over apologetically at Domenico, ”.. I really enjoyed the time we spent together. Thank you for talking to me, and.. Thank you for the kiss.”

“Any time.” Domenico laughed, not seeming upset by any of this at all, almost like he had anticipated things going this way. He knew it wasn’t just simply ‘over’ between she and March, it would never just be that simple.

They both left the club, heading back toward the inn, and Ari was ready to face all of this.

Chapter Text

Back at the inn, Domenico opened the door to his room, letting Ari in and closing it behind them. She had left her bags there, but it would also be a good opportunity to spend a little time saying goodbye to Domenico. She wasn’t sure when he would be going back to Central Ides, or when she and March would be heading back to Mistria, so it might be better to bid farewell now, rather than later.

They both sat on the edge of his bed, a comfortable silence between them, both of them seeming to know it might be a while until they next saw each other. For the first time tonight, he was fidgeting with his hands, it seemed the only thing that stirred his calm exterior was parting ways with Ari again.

“I really enjoyed our time together, I think it was one of the best nights of my life.. Aside from the obvious.” Ari said, taking one of his hands, both of them looking at each other knowingly.

”.. Hey, you know I’m only an hour travel from you, you have my number, don’t be a stranger.” He reassured, making sure she knew this wasn’t really goodbye, “At some point I’ll drop by Mistria, I know you said there are some pretty bachelorettes, you have me curious.”

The both chuckled at that comment, the idea of him coming to town and dating one of the girls there was a wild prospect, almost seeming ridiculous and far-off in the face of their current situation.

“I hope you have a safe travel.. If you’re feeling up to it, I’d love for you to shoot me a text when you get back to the Ides.” Ari smiled softly, running her finger across the vein on his palm.

“You worried about me?” He asked, raising an eyebrow and chuckling lightly, “Don’t worry, Locke will be with me. He keeps me in check.”

Ari nodded, Domenico holding out his arms for a hug, which she hurriedly took. She was feeling sentimental, there was something deep down that left her feeling anxious about parting with him again- and it was hard to let go of him, suddenly. They both stay in an embrace for a long time, neither of them seeming to want to break it. As they mutually began to slowly pull back, they looked at each other’s face, both of them slowing as they lingered with their noses nearly touching.

Ari.. Felt something, as they stay very still, both of their faces nearly touching in this emotional moment.
They were at a stand still, both of them with their arms around each other, as if they were waiting for the other to make the call.

Did she want to feel something? Was it a bad idea to be doing this?
Should she just take the first kiss as her answer?

Ari thought to herself, in that moment, that it might be her last opportunity to kiss him- possibly ever, once she and March talked everything over and they all went home to different cities. She felt more for Domenico now than she had earlier, given the circumstance of their departure. Before, it almost felt too manufactured, too mechanical, like they had planned their previous kiss and there wasn’t emotion attached to it.

She looked down at his lips, and then back up to his green eyes, it felt like they were in slow motion as they could both see the other processing the situation and weighing their options. His eyes were lidded and Ari could tell they both wanted this, having the same idea, met with the same questions.

And just like that, Ari pulled him into her, pressing her lips to his gently. Their kiss was sweet and pure at first, both of them pulling back and looking at each other right after, a mutual, barely audible chuckle escaped them both. An awkward little laugh in acknowledgement of this unusual circumstance, before they both pulled back into the kiss, wrapping their arms around each other.

It was different this time. She knew Domenico could feel that, too, as this time she could feel his hands lightly shaking as they held her waist. The realness of this moment and these emotions were potent, as she felt his lips quiver, just barely, she could feel the anxiety running through his body, and she realized.. He could get nervous.

He wasn’t as calm, cool, and collected as usual.

Ari took this moment to deepen their kiss, feeling the sense of urgency take over her, she felt Domenico’s hands lift from her waist in stasis as he was clearly not expecting her to take the kiss this far. As their tongues met, she felt him gasp slightly into their kiss, and suddenly she realized.. He wasn’t the teacher in this moment. He had never played this game before, and for the first time in their entire lives, she was the leader.

This time, there was a spark.

They could both feel it.

Ari thought to herself, this was the only time she had ever seen him less composed, as his arms wrapped around her back, pulling her into him tightly as they stay locked together, Ari losing herself in the moment. It felt like the last of a number of chances, and for that reason, it felt so much deeper. The looming goodbye after this kiss made her never want it to end. That playful, confident guise he had been wearing fell from his face as she licked and nipped his bottom lip gently, his body tensing.

Ari leaned into him, both of them continuing the kiss, and she could feel his heart was racing. He leaned back, one hand on the bed to brace himself as they tilted backward into the kiss, his other hand still around her waist. As Ari fell forward in a jagged movement, her hand landed on his lower stomach, earning a jolt from Domenico, his body stuttering slightly at the sudden touch so far down toward his pelvic area, his abs flexing with tension. His hat fell wayside as their kiss progressed, showing his delicate curls in full. Ari removed her hand quickly right after, running it further up on his chest, not having intended to get so physical so abruptly.

Lost in the moment was the best way to describe this, as the kiss persisted, both of them allowing it to go on much further than intended, with much more passion than they could expect. Ari loved the feeling of surprise that reverberated over his body, that anxiety that their contact had lacked earlier.

As Ari pulled away from him, sitting back up and leaving him leaning back on one hand, ajar, they both opened their eyes to look at each other, neither of them saying anything at first. The look on Domenico’s face was.. Hard to read. Slightly nervous, surprised, maybe still processing.

“I-I should probably go..” Ari said, getting up from the bed with an uncertain, shy smile, glancing upward at him.

“O-okay.” He said, seeming to shake himself out of his stupor, getting up from the bed to see her out.

They both walked over to the door, exchanging one more hug, and Ari opened the door, holding her bag, walking out into the hall with her hat on. They turned toward each other and exchanged a final goodbye.

“Bye, Domeno.”

“Seeya soon, Frostie.”

And Ari turned away as he closed the door behind her. She didn’t hear it lock. As she faced the wall away from the door, she caught a feeling of grief, that she hadn’t stayed. She hadn’t expected that. Compared to their kiss at the club, that was so different. She couldn’t shake the look on his face from her mind, how serious he got when their lips met. She found herself wondering, thinking it more likely than not, if that was his first real kiss. She had never seen him so docile and easily led before, usually he was the one with the ideas, with more know-how.

And she wondered if he was on the other side of that door, standing there having the exact same thoughts she was.

Ari turned around, thinking to herself that she should just go back to her room. Took a small step toward Domenico’s door, agonizing over the fact that she shouldn’t knock.

But before she could, the door opened, and there stood Domenico, both of them jumping slightly at the sight of each other, both of them coming under the sudden realization that they had both turned around to catch each other at the same time.

In one swoop, Ari walked back in through his door, Domenico pulling her gently by the sleeve of her jacket, closing the door behind them. It didn’t take two seconds before Domenico pushed her up against the closed door, kissing her deeply as they both wrapped their arms around each other, knocking Ari’s hat to the floor as she dropped her bag. This kiss felt like he had regrets, that he wished he had done this a few minutes ago, years ago. That he thought he lost his chance to do this. He pushed her against the door roughly, both of them petting each other as their hands roamed, running their hands through each other’s hair, she could feel his arm wrapping around her waist, pulling her into his body roughly as their lips crashed together.

She could still feel the shakiness in his movements, as their kiss deepened, both of them allowing more access, and Ari felt herself unintentionally moan into their kiss as she felt him press his lower body against hers, feeling him pressed against her thigh. He was soft and gentle with his touch, but at the sound of her moan, his eyes fluttered shut, and their kiss became rough and desperate, both of them feeding into it with heat, like a fire. Like hearing her enjoyment had reaffirmed to him that she was enjoying this as much as he was. Their hands were a tangled mess of raw emotion, Ari running her hands affectionately through his hair as their tongues caressed.

Pulling her from the door, he lay them both down on the bed, their arms still wrapped around each other, their kiss unbreaking. He kneel over her, their lower bodies touching with intensity, Ari could feel all of him pressing against her. Ari lifted one leg, allowing him space to lean into their kiss more deeply, feeling his body grind against hers in the process. Both of them gasped as he began grinding down onto her, Domenico holding her body close to his. He felt so new to her, yet so familiar, as they heatedly made out like they had just seen each other for the very first time.

Ari reached between them, palming his erection through his joggers, and he broke their kiss with a shaky, surprised moan. She was surprised by how soft and breathy he sounded, as he put his face in her neck, closing his eyes at the sensation of her touch. He couldn’t pretend to take the lead right now, Ari noticed, as she softly and slowly rubbed him through his clothes with a gentle, yet self-assured hand. He braced his shaking frame with one hand on the bed as he was seemingly stunned, finding it hard to react with action to the feeling of her hand on him.

She found herself wondering, what would be the price of one night?
She would have to tell March.
What would happen between she and Domenico after?
Would March ever forgive her?

They answer was.. Right now, he probably would.
They should.. Stop.

Ari had many fleeting thoughts, as Domenico kissed her again, her hand still on his clothed cock, both of them gasping into the kiss as it went on. And then suddenly, as if he had the same exact thoughts that were flying through her head at 100MPH, he pulled away from her, holding himself over her with both hands, Ari pulling her hand away to place it on his chest, gently.

”.. We definitely shouldn’t do this..” He said softly, breathing heavily, looking down at her, his eyes screaming that he had to scrape together every ounce of his remaining willpower to stop.

Ari nodded, looking up at him with longing eyes, but fully agreeing, “You’re right.. And it sucks..”

“Y-you should go, before..” He got up from the bed, offering a hand to pull her up, “I.. Don’t think I’ll be able to stop twice, Frostie..”

She took his hand, him pulling her up toward his chest, embracing her in a hard hug. She met his hug with equal strength, soaking in every last feeling of him before they both pulled away, Ari putting her hat back on her head and tossing her bag onto her shoulder.

And this time, he saw her out for real, both of them saying goodbye and the door shut behind her.

Ari had to ask herself, would she have stopped if he hadn’t said anything? What did that mean for her and her feelings for March? What does all of it mean? What is the right answer? She thought to herself, staring at the floor of the hallway as she slowly walked over to room 24, bracing herself mentally for what was to come once she walked back in. What would March say to her? Would they fight? Certainly they would now, once she tells him what she almost just did with Domenico.

She looked up, realizing she had been just standing in front of the door. It was 4:50 in the morning, so she and Domenico had been in that state for about an hour, when she originally planned to go straight back to March’s room.

She slowly turned the handle of the door, not knowing what to expect on the other side of it. She immediately saw that the bed was messed up on one side, as if he had been asleep at some point, and she heard water running in the shower as the walked in, closing the door, and setting down her bags. He was taking a shower- at 5AM, so he probably couldn’t sleep.

She noted at least one shot more had been gone from the bottle of whiskey, but no idea when he’d taken it. She wasn’t sure if he’d still be drunk, or if he would be mostly sober- she felt even she was still a little drunk, having had shots at the club a couple hours earlier. She walked around the room, took her hat off and tucked it in her bag, kicked off her shoes.. And sat down in the middle of the bed, waiting for him to come out.

After twenty minutes, she heard the shower turn off, and a wave of nervousness came over her. She lay back on the pillows, realizing she’d been sitting there like a mannequin for probably too long. And suddenly, she found herself really.. Just wanting to see March and talk to him. Being back in this room reminded her of March, and she started thinking about the time she’s enjoyed with him. She heard a stirring behind the door, as the knob turned and it opened, March walking out, drying his hair with a towel, looking at the ground.

His eyes made their way around the room, landing on her.

“A-Ari-” He said softly, stopping, putting his towel on the nearby chair, ”.. I thought you might be awhile, I heard your voice through the wall a little bit ago and I.. Thought it would be better if I took a shower.. So I wouldn't hear anything else..”

Ari sat there, still looking at him.

”.. I’m sorry.” He said in a gentle voice, looking off to the side, “I.. shouldn’t have said any of that, earlier.”

”I’m sorry, too.” Ari said, looking down at her lap, avoiding his eyes.

“Wait.. What are you sorry for..?” He asked, his eyes narrowing a little, as if he were bracing himself for something that would hurt him most.

”.. Making you feel like you were crazy. For feeling everything going on between me and Domenico.” Ari said softly, looking him in the face, “You didn’t deserve that.”

March nodded, almost seeming relieved, or waiting for the ball to drop, “So.. That’s.. All..?”

She knew what he was asking. She noticed his eyes were red and he looked tired.

”.. No.” Ari admitted dryly, trying to decide what she would say, noticing his posture tense a bit in anticipation of what she would say, “March, I kissed Domenico. And it proved to me.. That I do feel more than I was telling you.”

March’s body relaxed a bit again, his voice was soft, ”.. K-kiss..? Oh.”

”.. Why? What were you expecting..?” Ari asked softly, tilting her head, knowing what was probably on his mind all night.

”.. I heard you talking to him a little bit ago, and then it went quiet.. And I figured.. If you’re not talking, you must be doing something else.” March put his arms across his chest in a self-soothing manner, looking away from her and toward the ground, and he was right, they did do something else when they went quiet.

Ari found herself in awe of just how much could be heard through the wall, feeling a little betrayed by it.

”.. We did kiss.. More than once.” Ari admitted, looking away from him, ”.. But we just kissed.”

March ran his hand through his hair with a sigh, sitting down at the end of the bed, a few feet away from her, ”.. You were single. I broke up with you earlier. I really want to talk about that.”

“Okay..” Ari said gently, tucking her legs up under her, waiting for what he would say.

“I shouldn’t have said that. I don’t even know why I said it. I think I was just really scared, when I knew you were planning on going to see him later tonight..” He said honestly, showing full vulnerability in his voice, ”.. I’m glad you just kissed.”

”.. Me too.” Ari admitted to herself, finally feeling so much different now that it was just she and March in a room together.

She was glad that was all she had to admit to, because admitting to more would have felt so much worse. At the time, it was something she easily could have gotten lost in, but after a little time had now passed, she was glad Domenico did the right thing by stopping them. He was right. It would have been worse if they had. Looking him in the eyes, seeing that naked fear, knowing the one thing he was most afraid of.. How would she have been able to tell him if she had?

March scooted closer to her on the bed, awkwardly. Ari could tell he wanted to be closer to her, but she still didn’t know how she felt. She wasn’t upset, or mad, she maybe even felt.. Guilty. And confused.

This was so.. Weird.
It felt like something had changed.
Despite the absence of anger, she felt a million miles away from him right now, and she wasn’t sure how to fix it.

“I have a statement, and a question.” Ari said quietly, as he lay next to her on the pillows, wanting to be as honest as possible.

”.. Sure.” He nodded, looking down at his lap, trying to mentally prepare himself for the possible topics at hand.

”.. I have feelings for Domenico, and I want to be honest with you about it.” Ari said, feeling her face grow hot, “I want him to be part of my life, even just at a distance from now on.”

He sighed, but sat and waited for her to ask her question.

”.. I love you more, March. I love you most. I want you. Can that be enough?”

He sat for a long time, thinking about what he was going to say. Both of them sitting in a comfortable silence. It felt much longer than it was.

”.. After we leave tomorrow.. Things go back to the way they were?” He asked as verification, seeming uncomfortable with her question without clarity.

”.. Yes.” Ari said confidently, “He isn’t who I see my future with.”

“I know this hasn’t been simple for you.” He said while rubbing the back of his neck, “I would be lying to you if I said it didn’t hurt me that.. You love someone else. .. But you knew him first. And.. It just couldn’t have been predicted, that this would happen.”

”.. Yeah, I didn’t wake up two days ago thinking I would see Domenico here.” Ari sighed, leaning her head on his shoulder, ”.. I just thought this would be a trip for me to come watch you do the best blacksmithing work in the kingdom, I didn’t know it would end up like this.”

He couldn’t help his smug smile at her phrase ‘best blacksmithing in the kingdom,’ despite the current situation, ”.. Best, huh?”

“Certifiably the best, you have a gold medal that says so.” Ari smiled, stating matter-of-factly, and chuckled, ”.. And you can put it right next to all the other ones, from every year before this year.”

He chuckled lightly, but his face turned serious, ”.. I’d give back any of them to wear you around on my arm.”

Ari felt her eyes water at that comment, she hadn’t expected that at all. He was being so amnest and serious, she wondered exactly how long he had sat in this room, stuck up in his own mind, no distractions, nothing really to do but to think. She suddenly felt really bad that she had spend her whole night out partying, basically. She was trying to do anything but think about March, turned off her phone, ignored his texts and calls.. And he sat here by himself, drunk for at least most of it, and then heard her over in the next room not long ago.

That’s.. Dark.

”.. March, I really don’t deserve you telling me that right now.” Ari said quietly, holding his arm for comfort, burying her face in his sleeve.

”Maybe you feel that way.. But I’m just glad you came back after what I said.” March furrowed his brow, putting a hand up to his face and pinching between his eyes, frustrated with himself.

”.. You were right. About what you said.” Ari admitted in a quiet voice, the guilt hitting her like a ton of bricks, ”.. I did have feelings I wasn’t telling you. And I was telling you you were wrong for feeling it.”

”.. Ari, I’m not even sure you knew what you felt until tonight.” March turned his head toward her, taking his arm and wrapping it around her.

He was right about that. Until she’d been able to actually spend time alone and be herself with Domenico, her connection with him was an unknown.. And she wished, to some extent, that it had stayed that way.

Because now she knows.
She knows that she does feel something for Domenico.
And now what does she do? Turn around and pretend it didn’t happen? She didn’t know how to do that.

”.. I wish I had left it how it was.” Ari admitted, shaking her head and avoiding his eyes, ”.. Because I don’t like the answer I found to all those questions I was asking, March.”

”.. I don’t think you deserve to feel bad for the circumstances you had no control over.” March said, pulling her into him, ”.. I should be glad you came to Mistria and not one hour East to the Ides.. You would have been running into him when you jumped the train. Instead, you ran into me.. And I’m glad.”

“I’m glad too..” She said, burying her face in his chest.

This was probably the most honest they’ve been with themselves and with each other since they got to the capital and ran into Domenico. They had both been in defense mode, they had been hiding how they felt just to get through this trip, hoping that if they’d just ignored it until they got back that everything would go back to normal. There was no way to just go back, this was a life-changing encounter, and they were finally just dealing with it together like they should have from the beginning.

She felt him kiss the top of her head, and it just made her feel.. Worse. He was reassuring her that it was fine, but she didn’t feel fine about it at all, now that she was sober and clear-minded.

“I just have a request, if it’s not too much to ask.” March said softly, looking down at her.

“Sure.” Ari asked, sitting up and looking back at him curiously.

”.. Kiss me?” He asked, it sounded like the most innocent question, ”..I just.. Want to be the last person you kiss before we go to bed tonight.”

It was such a cute question, Ari found herself smiling at the purity of it in the face of everything that was happening. She looked back toward him, and he sat up, criss-crossing his legs in his pajama pants and long-sleeve white shirt. He looked.. Like her boyfriend. Comfy and ready for bed. She got in front of him, sitting on her legs, and looked him in the eye, leaning in toward him slowly.

She kissed him on the lips, gently. After a few seconds, she melted into him, the familiar feeling of his touch running through her veins like a drug. She placed one hand on his chest gently as she wrapped his arms around her, strongly. She missed.. Him. The feeling of him. The scent of his skin. He was something she knew so well, the feeling of his arms around her, the touch of his lips on hers, the feeling of his breathing was one she could recognize so easily. She knew him.

She could feel his body relax, as if he were so relieved just to be able to hold her this way, as their lips lingered. She wondered if he’d been worried, he never would again, while they had been apart all night. They pulled away from their kiss, both of them looking at each other. Ari could feel her heart start beating fast, as she looked into his eyes.

.. But, with the walls being so thin, they wouldn’t be doing anything like that tonight. Ari couldn’t stand the thought of it. It just wasn’t a good time. She didn’t feel ready to go through with another heated encounter with another man, the idea of it made her heart ache. Realistically, it would probably be a long time, days, before she felt okay with anything like that.

She even found herself wondering what Domenico was thinking about right now, wondering if he went to sleep. She even felt a little apprehension about the fact that she wouldn’t see him again, probably for a long time, and the thought of that hurt her, too. It was all.. Messed up.

But March holding her tonight, kissing her, just feeling comfortable in his presence with no anger, she needed that. She needed to have this honest conversation with him. He could see she needed that. He leaned forward, pulling her to him in a tight hug.

”.. Can we cuddle and sleep?” Ari asked, her voice muffled by his chest, “I think we’ve both been awake for almost a full day, and now that I’m here with you, I feel so relaxed I might pass out on you.”

March chuckled, rubbing his eye as she pulled back from him, “Thought you’d never ask. I’ve been tired since the end of the competition, but couldn’t sleep. Probably wouldn’t have slept for a week if you hadn’t come back.”

He pulled the blanket from under him, flipping himself under it while Ari climbed up next to him, wrapping her arm around him and laying her head on his chest. He turned out the table lamp, and they both fell asleep immediately.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mother Osyth’s voice, enchoing, in a pitch black void:

For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is always before me.
Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in your sight;
so you are right in your verdict
and justified when you judge.
Surely I was sinful at birth,
sinful from the time my mother conceived me.
Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb;
you taught me wisdom in that secret place.

Ari woke with a silent scream, shooting up into a sitting position, breathing heavily as if in her mind she had been running- perhaps she had been. She had been running, and now felt that she was confronting a demon that had been lurking in a dark corner of her room since she was a child.

She felt a silent heave leave her chest, like she was going to be sick, and she ran to the bathroom, closing the door behind her, and threw up in the toilet. She heaved violently as her chest ached, and after she stopped, she sit back against the wall, on the floor, wiping the sweat from her forehead. She felt dizzy, eventually lying on the cool tile to get some relief, hoping March didn’t hear her.

She didn’t even know why she didn’t want him to see her this way, maybe so he wouldn’t be worried. Maybe out of embarrassment. She felt stupid for keeping yet another secret from him, but as she was thinking that, the bathroom door opened slowly, and March looked down at her with a look of concern, crouching down to her, looking like he had just woken up from his sleep.

”.. Ari, are you okay..?” He asked quietly, putting a hand on her leg comfortingly.

“I dunno.” Ari said weakly, sighing, still feeling like she was on fire.

“Are you hungover..? He asked her curiously, still seeming worried, ”.. Did you drink a lot after you left last night..?”

Ari shook her head, she definitely hadn’t had so much to drink that she would be this sick, she had been sober by the time she went to bed the night before. It had been so long at this point, ten hours later, she shouldn’t have any effects from drinking.

“I had maybe four shots throughout the night, one an hour maybe..?” She sat up from the ground, feeling a little better after cooling down a bit, “I.. Think I need a shower.”

”.. I don’t want you to pass out in there or something, Ari.” March said, helping her up from the floor, “I’ll sit in here just in case.”

Ari nodded, wobbling on her feet, taking off her clothes and turning the shower on a cool temperature. March sat on the sink as she showered, both of them talking while she did. She washed her hair, scrubbed her body- feeling gross after having been on an inn’s bathroom floor, ew.

”.. We still have to stop and pick up your friend before we head back.” March reminded her, a smile in his voice.

“My friend-? My friend! Oh right!” Ari suddenly realized what he meant, excitement rolling over her, “Will you help me name her..?”

“Of course.” He smiled, sounding proud to, it almost felt like they were adopting this cat.. Together.

It felt so.. Normal today. Like.. They were back to just being themselves. Ari felt like somewhere, deep down, there was going to be some level of resentment. The night before was so emotionally charged, how could they just go right back to these calm moments?

“What about Libby? That’s kind of a cute name.” Ari said questionably, thinking hard about what to name their new friend.

“Hm, I don’t think that suits her. She has a firey orange and black mixed coat, she almost looks like cinder.” He thought pensively, “Cinder would be too easy, too obvious.”

“How about.. Kindle?” Ari piqued, not sounding very certain.

“Hm.. Maybe we should wait until we see her again, maybe that’ll give us both some better ideas.” He suggested, which was a good plan.

Ari turned off the shower, ringing out her hair, she felt so much better than she had before. She pulled open the shower curtain, and March looked over at her, and then looked down with a blush developing on his cheeks and nose.

“Yeah, that’s probably the best idea.” Ari agreed with a smile, and then right after noticed he’d looked away from her, Ari met his blush and said quietly ”.. You can look at me, March. It’s nothing you haven’t seen.”

”.. I just didn’t want to be rude, because..” He got quiet, like he wasn’t even sure how to finish that thought, “I-I guess I just didn’t know if you were comfortable with..”

Ari walked over to him with a towel, drying herself off, standing in front of him. He watched her, mouth shut, eyes open, as she worked the towel around her body, drying herself off limb by limb, and then as she wrapped the towel up in her hair, leaving her body completely uncovered. She then looked him in the face as he sat on the sink, lifting him by his chin to meet eyes with her.

”.. That hasn’t changed.” Ari reassured him, realizing she had been distant, and maybe she had left things feeling off, ”.. I just don’t want to go too crazy now that I know how.. Thin these walls are.”

“You mean.. You don’t want Domenico to hear-” He started with a tinge of discomfort on his face.

“I don’t want anyone to hear all that, March.” Ari corrected, but he was partially right, gently reassuring him, ”.. But those feelings, they’re still there.”

Ari detected.. March wasn’t sure if she was his anymore.
He felt like he needed permission to touch her now.
Like he had to ask to look at her body.

Ari leaned forward between his legs, kissing him on the lips, grabbing his hands and placing them on her bare waist, his fingers gripping her lightly. He pulled her into him, feeling her damp skin on his, deepening their kiss, feeling himself let some of his inhibitions go. He let a slight sob into her mouth as his tongue met hers, holding her close to him like she would slip away again if he allowed it.

As much as Ari was still processing everything, trying to give herself time, she had to admit, his desperation to hold her made her feel.. Wanted. Like she belonged to him. And the one thing that she knew by being with March was that his touch, his body, his intense and possessive hold on her.. It made her thoughts disappear until all she could will herself to think was about how mind-numbingly incredible it felt to be his.

His lips were soft and still a little unsure, but his arms were wrapped tight around her. It felt so raw, standing here naked before him, kissing him and enjoying the belonging of being back in his arms. Reminding him what was irrevocably his, because right now he needed to know that, and Ari felt it.

Their kiss finally broke, and he leaned his forehead into hers affectionately, his eyes closed as he persued the moment between them with a calm breath. Ari hoped he could feel what she was trying to tell him with her touch, running a hand up his neck and into his hair, as she increased the longing between them. She could feel the tension leave his body at the trace of her fingers on his skin. He needed that intimacy back, the type of feeling she had been neglecting to afford this entire trip. She’d been hurried, careless with his heart, and she could feel him pulling away from her in a way- maybe not purposely, but in his own defense.

“Ari..” He whispered, his forehead still resting on hers, as she ran her hands over his neck and through his hair, still pressing her body to his in a tight embrace, ”.. I feel afraid to go there right now.”

Ari opened her eyes, looking at his face. He slowly opened his eyes, looking down at his lap. She ran a hand over his cheek, lifting his chin so he was looking at her.

”.. I’m sorry I made you feel afraid.” Ari said barely above a whisper, still taken aback by his vulnerability, holding his face to her neck, feeling his arms grip her somehow tighter, ”.. Let’s go home. I want to get back to our normal life. I miss being alone with you.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They gathered their things, Ari got dressed in a pair of loose-fitting jeans, a black tank top, and her black jacket, brushing out her wet curls, putting her pickaxe pendant around her neck, and looking at herself in the mirror. She felt so different, since they had come here. It felt like they'd been there so long, when it was just a couple days. So much had happened, it felt like they had.. Growing pains.

Ari met March by the door, both of them did their final sweep to make sure they hadn't forgotten anything, and then they both made their way out of that room- more than ready to leave it behind them, closing the door and walking down the stairs. Ari couldn't help but glance over at room 23, wondering if Domenico had left, and then shaking the thought from her mind as they reached the bottom of the stairs.

He was so embedded in her mind, it felt like. Ari didn't want to think about it, but it still weighed heavy on her mind. She realized now, that she did love Domenico, choosing not to speak it into reality.. But she loved March more. When she thought about her future, who she would marry, she saw March. It's just so hard to shake the night she and Domenico spent together from her mind, the image of his big smile in that lime green bucket hat was burned into her mind. Ari told herself that with enough time, going back to Mistria, returning to her normal life, that would remove all of those feelings from her mind.

As they walked out of the inn and into the street, she held March's hand a little tighter.

She could feel the difference between them, but that both of them were willing to work on this. They both wanted this. They both loved each other. They just needed to leave this place behind them, and Ari would never ask the questions again. They walked quietly down the street, it was a pretty warm early summer day. They walked up to the cat café, both of them pausing to look up at the porch, Ari was excited.

March looked over at her with a smile and quietly asked, "Ready to go get your friend?"

Ari nodded, both of them walked up the steps and into the building, and the very first cat to greet them was the little tortie girl Ari had grown attached to only just over a day ago now. Ari leaned down to pet her, her fur was soft, she was like a like a tiny cloud. Ari picked her up, walking up to the counter, picked out a cadet blue harness and leash with white flowers on it, and walked up to the woman at the counter.

"It's so good to see you again! Did you come back for Dina?" The woman asked excitedly, petting the cat in Ari's arms, "Here, all you need to do is fill out these papers and pay this fee and she's all yours!"

Dina was clearly the name the cafe had given her, but Ari was sure March would agree the name didn't suit her. Ari smiled wide, taking the papers over to a table to fill them out, the tiny tortie climbing into her lap and laying down as she wrote down all of her personal information, address, etc for their records.

"Pfft." March muttered under his breath while shaking his head, bending down to pet her for the first time, "Dina. Doesn't fit her at all."

"I know, right?" Ari whispered to him, petting the little furry friend as she finished filling out the forms, picking up the cat from her lap and carrying her to the counter.

After paying the fee, filling out the papers, and putting on the cats harness, they turned back toward the woman at the counter, she waved them off.

Now they walked down the street with the tortie walking along with them, Ari holding March's hand with her free hand. They both were chattering about what to name her, now that they finally got to see her in person.

March looked down at the cat, thinking to himself, tilting his head, "Hm.. She kinda looks like a cooling alloy, after pulling it from the forge."

"She does kinda look like an Alloy. We could name her that. I think that's really cute." Ari said sweetly, looking over at March with a smile, "And her name would remind me of you."

March seemed surprised she agreed on the name he suggested, a blush making it's way across his face. He seemed really happy to feel involved in such a big moment for Ari, adopting her first ever pet.

"Alloy it is, then." March echoed, looking down at the tiny cat, a smile pulling at the corner of his mouth.

And then they began their journey home, all three of them. Ari knew they had a long travel to go, but the was just looking forward to having time alone with March again, both of them far away from the capital. She was looking forward to sleeping with him in a tent again, and having more than enough time to talk to him, being able to experience a new place to eat or two on the way. They'd picked up a couple things from the capital for their trip, some water and easy-to-store food. The only difference this time is that now March had a large, wrapped sword on his back, and Ari had Alloy trotting beside her, who was equally ready for the journey ahead.

Chapter Text

Unlike their travel last time, they were both pretty quiet for a lot of the day. Despite talking things over and choosing to move past everything, there was still a pretty obvious barrier between them, and Ari could sense that both of them knew it. She found herself avoiding looking at him too much, as if she were suddenly afraid to get caught staring. They walked along the wheat field paths. Alloy often would start chasing a bug or a butterfly, but was yet too small to really catch anything, joining them in a pleasant laughter every now and then.

Ari knew he was more quiet than usual for nearly the entire day so far, seeming like he was stuck in his mind about one thing or another, probably about last night. She wanted him to tell her anything about what he was thinking. She wanted to know. The empty space where his words would typically be felt so empty and heavy, like part of him was completely absent. The wheat blew in the air, creating a wave effect, looking like a big, golden ocean in the sunlight. Every now and then, they would pass an abandoned house or a little rickety shed, this area being sparse with any other people or operating buildings. It seemed so dead out here, for how huge and beautiful the area was. It was at least another hour walk until they came to the next town, and time was passing so slowly without March participating in conversation.

”.. March, you’ve been quiet. Thinking about something?” Ari looked over at him cautiously, a quiet tone in her voice.

”.. Well..” He started, seeming to really put thought into his response, “I guess I just don’t really know what to say right now.”

“You didn’t answer my question, though.” Ari prodded gently, nudging him with her arm, trying to open a line of communication.

“I was just thinking about.. That time we danced at the inn.” He said softly, staring off into the open fields as they walked, a breeze blowing gently, ”.. It feels like that was so long ago, but it’s only been a few days.”

”.. I still feel the way I felt that night.” Ari said with a smile, watching Alloy leap at a flying bug.

“Do you?” March looked over at her, his tone giving a hint of uncertainty.

“Of course.” She said simply, meeting his eyes, sliding her hand into his, “I think about a lot of the nights we’ve spent together, all the time. There were even times I would think about those nights, when it was painful to remember.”

He paused for a second, seeming to think it over, she felt his thumb rub over hers.

”.. Were you thinking about me last night..? When..” His voice sounded strained, like he was fighting his better judgement, not with anger, but he really needed to know.

”.. I was trying my best not to think about you, March..” Ari admitted, shaking her head and closing her eyes, ”.. But all I could think about any time I kissed him, was how different he felt than you.. Whether or not you would look at me the same way if it went any further than that.. For most of the night, I was able to distract myself from thinking about you. But when he and I got close, you were weighing heavy on my mind. Couldn’t shake it.”

”.. You were thinking about me..?” He asked, looking over at her with a softness in his expression.

“I can tell you do see me differently now, even just being what it is.” Ari said simply, acknowledging the distance she was feeling between them.

”.. I don’t see you differently, Ari.” He furrowed his brows, with a sigh, “I just feel.. Like I can’t love you too much, because.. You could just decide at any moment that you love him more, and leave.”

Ari stopped in her tracks, the breeze blowing gently, Alloy sitting in the ground in the grass beside her. There was an abandoned windmill near them, it’s wheel stopped in silent age, not a soul nearby for miles.

“March, there has never been a single moment that I’ve loved him anywhere near as much as I love you.” She said very clearly, March looking at her in awe, not sure what to say, “I need you to know that.”

He nodded, putting a hand on her waist, turning her to him. His touch was gentle, his eyes were longing, and for the first time, she realized what Domenico said was right. March was terrified. Ari was so stuck on her own insecurities she couldn’t see that he was desperately trying to protect himself from the prospect of her leaving. She could see it now. He pulled her into him, kissing her lightly, rubbing his nose against hers, affectionately.

He motioned toward the windmill out of curiosity, a light blush on his face ”.. Wanna see what it looks like up close?”

Ari nodded, following him as he walked up to the wall, setting their bags down, pulling out a bottle of water and drinking it. He took Alloy’s leash, tying it around the bag, and after a few minutes of them hanging out, she rolled around in the warm grass until she seemed to take a nap, curled into a little whirlwind ball of fur.

Seeming to be thinking hard, Ari saw the blush on March’s face growing as they stood there, he kept looking over at her and looking away when their eyes met. Leaving Alloy tied to their heavy supplies right outside, he pulled her by the hand into the open door of the windmill, Ari trailing behind him in fascination. It was full of old boxes, a few abandoned webs hung from the middle staircase. Despite the wood of the stairs appearing old and rickety, the masonry of the walls held strong, cement and cobble.

”.. Wow, this place is so neat-” Ari began, abruptly interrupted.

March pulled her to him, his lips crashing against hers. Ari’s arms both pressed against his chest, his arms holding strongly around her like a security blanket. As their kiss continued, Ari left her surprised state, wrapping her arms around his neck, running her hands through his hair as she parted her lips, begging for him to deepen their kiss. March obliged, his tongue meeting hers as he pushed her roughly up against the stone wall of the windmill, both of them gasping into their kiss. His touch was frenzied and pleading, as he pinned her arms to the wall, breaking their kiss and trailing his tongue over the skin of her neck. Ari bleated his name weakly, feeling her body tremble with anticipation, feeling so small beneath him.

”.. You think I feel differently about you..?” March whispered gruffly into her ear, planting a wet kiss on her ear lobe, his breath was heated and needy.

Dropping her hands from the wall, he reached down, fumbling with the buttons of her jeans, both of them breathing heavily at the sudden physical contact after so long. His hands were shaking, so she flipped her buttons for him, and then his, pulling at the hem of his pants and exposing his erection beneath his boxers. He leaned forward, his face next to her neck, trembling slightly and moaning softly into her ear as she wrapped her hand around his clothed member. Ari felt her eyes flutter shut as she heard his voice, loving the sound of his enjoyment at her touch. He pulled at her pants, lowering them, Ari stepping out of them, and they both turned her around to face the wall. She felt him press his whole chest against her back, wrapping one arm around her belly as he rubbed himself between her legs, her panties felt wet as he prodded against them.

She could feel his heart beating against her back, his muscular pecks pressed to her, as he braced the wall with one hand and wrapped the other around her in a tight embrace, his breath hitching each time he pressed into her. Wanting more, Ari used one hand to pull her panties down, reaching between her legs and guiding him into her opening, both of them moaning as the head of his erection entered her slightly. He held her so tightly, his chest pressed against her, his head right beside hers. She could feel the desperation of his touch, as he shook at the sensation of his entry.

”.. A-Ari-” She heard him stammer into the side of her neck, close to her shoulder, ”.. You feel so good..”

He hadn’t moved yet, still barely inside of her, both of them breathing quickly, his rugged voice sending electricity through her body. She loved the way he talked to her during sex, telling her how much he enjoyed the feeling of her, saying her name, sharing his feelings with her. Every time she heard his voice, her lower belly twinged with excitement, she missed this.

”.. March, tell me w-what you feel..” Ari gasped, feeling him slide a bit more into her, his arms shaking as he held her waist.

“Ari-..” He gasped, his abs flexing at the sensation of her entrance gripping him, “I-I.. I can’t share you..”

She felt him enter her completely, pushing into her hard with a clean thrust. Ari felt her legs begin to quiver, moaning into the stone wall of the windmill, feeling the rough surface lightly scratch her skin.

”.. T-Tell me no one else.. Can make you feel this way, Ari..” He whispered into her ear, strain in his voice, moving his hand from the wall to grip both of her hips, pulling her backward into him roughly.

Ari whimpered in pleasure at his rough movements, she could feel the desperation in his voice, as he set his most vulnerable feelings on a perilous edge, allowing himself to be so close to plummeting. He began bucking into her, pulling her backward into him, Ari bracing herself with the wall as his body met hers with rugged force.

“M-March-” Ari yelped helpless at her own hedonism, assisting him by throwing her body back into his with each thrust, both of them gasping, “N-no one..”

She was trying to string together a full sentence, but as he laid into her, she could barely get her voice out of her chest, he was being rougher with her this time, as if he needed to make her understand what he felt for her. He needed her to know that his feelings for her hadn’t changed, that he was evermore charged and intensely attracted and connected to her, if not even more than before. Needing to reclaim her, needing her to reciprocate.

“No one e-else, March..” Ari whimpered pathetically, as he started grinding up into her, pulling her body close to his and holding her to his chest.

He withdrew, pulling at her shoulder for her to turn, lifting one of her legs up to his waist, leaning back into her, holding her waist with one hand and the curve of her knee in the other to help her stabilize, looking down into her eyes as he began pumping in and out of her body. He was slower this time, but no less rough, wanting to look into her face as they continued. He was gritting is teeth, his jaw tense with pleasure as he began bucking into her once more. It was different, facing each other. This was the first time they’d connected this way, face to face, since the night of the competition.

“M-March..” Ari moaned his voice, wrapping her arms around his neck, leaning upward to kiss him.

Their kiss went on, March slowing just a little as their tongues met again. She let a gasp into his mouth, March stopping his pace just to kiss her. He slipped out of her, putting both hands on her face and letting out a single sob into her mouth, as she ran her hands through his hair lovingly. They kissed for a long time, letting the slew of emotions hit them, she could feel his body shaking at the intensity of their connection.

He lay her down on the floor of the windmill, an area where grass had grown through the cement that used to be the floor, and lie on top of her, kissing her still. Neither of them cared about getting dirty, both of them desperate for a more intimate position, March ran his hands over her body slowly and sensually as lifted one of her legs to allow him access to her entrance. Their wet lips slid against each other, their tongues exploring each other’s mouths as he made his way back into her core, bottoming out inside of her, feeling her gasp into his mouth.

He broke their kiss, remaining motionless as they both enjoyed the feeling of their closeness, ”.. I missed this..”

She knew what he meant. Not the sex, but the intimacy. The feeling that neither of them were rushing, just enjoying being connected to each other. She had been so rushed the last couple of times, distracted, that she hadn’t met his connection. He could feel it this time, and it relaxed him, melting his worries away. Ari looked up at him, running a hand over his cheek, meeting his eyes. He looked out of breath, a tinge of red across his face, his usual sarcastic and annoyed expression no where to be found. He was emotionally bare with her right now, like he hadn’t been in days.

Ari felt tears forming in her eyes, and watched March’s expression change to slight worry, “Ari.. What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. I just feel really happy right now.” She admitted, chuckling at the ridiculousness of her tears, “I’m dumb for crying.”

March kissed her, lifting her leg to his hip and pushing up into her, earning a moan from Ari. He held her to his body with his other arm, roughly pounding into her now, feeling her nails grazing his back. He gasped in pleasure at the sensation, the sensation fueling him as he began fucking her harder, feeling desire come over him- desire to make her feel better. Leaning his chest against hers and putting both hands on her hips, he pulled her up into his body, pushing himself into her shaking frame repeatedly as she whimpered, his name falling from her mouth over and over again, the sound of his name on her voice was adding to the pleasure of each thrust.

He could feel her hands begin shaking, as she grabbed at his shirt with both hands, her legs trembling as she approached her peak, she clung to him for dear life as he persisted in riding into her. He felt her body tighten around him as her insides twitched and clenched, March moaning out at the intense feeling of her around his cock. She stuttered his name in a weak and broken moan as he continued rutting into her, faster and harder yet as he began chasing his own orgasm, kissing her sloppily as he whimpered a trembling moan into her mouth, tightly closing his eyes, and releasing inside of her with a few slow, rough thrusts into her quivering body. Ari pulled him hard into her lips, both of them running their hands over each other’s body as their kiss deepened, both of them desperate to hold onto this moment.

“I love you-” Ari said breathlessly, their kiss finally breaking.

He looked down at her, caressing a stray strand of hair from her face, ”.. I love you too, Ari.”

”.. Ask me.” She panted, and at first he wasn’t sure what she meant by that, but she watched his face grow to surprise and fluster when it set in what she meant.

”.. A-Ari, I..” He was speechless, he looked so nervous and taken aback.

Ari looked up at him, realizing she had completely thrown him for a loop.

”.. I.. Want it to be the right time..” March said softly, surprise still on his face, “B-but I will.”

He pulled her body into his, kissing her harshly, letting emotion overcome him, feeling his motions become more intense. They stay tangled together for a bit, Ari enjoying the peaceful afterglow with him, before they had to go back to town. As much as she missed home, she was enjoying this time with him, and she felt they were going to draw the travel out just a little longer than they had.

Pulling her panties back up, she could feel the wet from him resting inside her, making her blush. They didn’t really have a means of cleaning up right now, at least an hour away from the next town, so she would just have to feel extremely aware of the fact that she had his finishing effect clinging to her and dripping from her. She didn’t exactly mind, if anything it felt kinda.. Intimate. That both of them knew she was carrying part of his DNA all over her body as they traveled. He’d left his mark all over her, and after the day they had yesterday, it seemed that left him more assured that she was his.

They picked all of their bags back up after their brief recess, woke Alloy from her peaceful nap on the bed of field grass, and began on their way toward Mistria. They still had a long way to go- they honestly hadn’t gotten far- three hours- before they ended up with that sultry interlude, and Ari already felt herself daydreaming about the next encounter.

”.. I think it would be cool if.. We maybe stayed together more.” March said suddenly, a nervous blush on his face, “I-I mean, it would be nice if we could sleep together.. Most of the time.”

Ari smiled at the suddenness of him blurting that out, ”.. Can Alloy come stay at your house if we traded every other night..?”

“Definitely. Olric will love her, she can be a shop cat. She has the perfect name for it, and she’s already used to socializing with customers from living at the Cafe.” He smiled, looking down at Alloy.

So then, now Ari would just have to go back to the farm for her daily work, on the nights she was staying with March. She was happy with the idea of getting to sleep with him every night, after sleeping in the same bed for so long it will already feel weird to sleep by herself. She has Alloy, but March doesn’t have pets at his place. Well, now he will.

“I wonder how everyone back in Mistria is doing.” Ari mumbled to herself thoughtfully, looking up at the lingering clouds.

“I’m sure it’s still the same as when we left, it’s only going to be a week we’d been gone by the time we get back.” March shrugged, “But it’ll feel really nice to see everyone.”

Ari smiled at the thought of everyone being at the inn this Friday. It felt like so much had happened since they’d left. She and March had been through enough now, their new relationship nervousness from before was completely gone. Both of them were fully immersed in their own little world. They felt a lot closer now, after their little fling, Ari hanging on his arm, leaning her head on him as they walked on.

Ari felt closer to being back to normal with each step she took toward Mistria. It was a long travel, but looking forward to laying in her own bed, seeing her own farm, being around her friends, it kept her moving forward.

They walked on for some time, until it started to grow nearer to sunset. Setting up the tent, stowing away their supplies, and getting comfortable by laying out a couple blankets, they settled in for the night with Alloy. It felt nice, laying with March, Alloy tucked under her arm. She could feel his arms around her, keeping her warm as the air grew cooler. His body was always hot, like a furnace.

“Do you ever think about what life will be like in a few years?” March asked in a hushed voice, pulling her closer to him.

“Sometimes, yeah.” Ari said thoughtfully, putting her hand over his on her waist, “What do you think it looks like for you?”

“Well..” March trailed off, seeming to put some thought into it, ”.. I think if we’re talking like two years, I’m hoping to expand the shop, probably make the building more like two full houses with the shop connecting them. We already have the money for that, since we’ve been selling and shipping materials and tools from the forge for a while now.”

”.. Thinking more space?” Ari quirked, starting to feel herself grow sleepy, “I think that sounds nice.”

“Yeah. I mean, I want to be married.. And have kids. It would be awkward if we all lived in one house with Olric within arm’s length.” March said with a laugh, ”.. So yeah, within five years I’m hoping that’s a thing.”

Ari smiled at that idea, “I.. Like your goals.”

He pulled her closer to him, hugging her tightly from behind.

Those were promising goals. Despite how quiet he was, March had big dreams to do so many things. He didn’t just want to be a blacksmith, he wanted to expand, do more, support Mistria, be a husband and father. Ari found herself looking a him with more respect for what he’s planned for himself. He didn’t waste time, for him to have chosen her, he knew what he wanted. He wanted her. Before her, he never wasted time on anyone else. He never even dated anyone, past the age of ten. Ari forgets sometimes how lucky she was that she was his specific brand of attraction, because no one else was.

Ari thought to herself.. Maybe he needed to hear that he was the only one who made her feel that way.. Because she was the only one who made him feel that way.

Ari gently moved her arm, letting Alloy stay fast sleep on the blanket, and turned to face March, his arm still hooked around her. They still had a blanket for coverage, the thicker blanket making their bed. It was dark in the tent, so they couldn’t see each other anymore, but she could feel his heart beating.

”.. I was just thinking..” Ari trailed off, touching his nose with hers gently, her lips brushing against his, ”.. I’m sorry I’ve been distant.”

“O-oh.. That’s okay.” He seemed surprised by her sudden admittance, giving her a silent peck right next to her lips.

“It’s not..” Ari said quietly, kissing him back, whispering right up against his mouth “I’ve been distracted, and I don’t like that. I know you can feel it when my mind is somewhere else.. and it makes you feel bad.”

It seemed he didn’t know what to say to that. She couldn’t see his face, but she imagined he was a little taken aback, by his lack of response.

“You don’t deserve to feel like this is one-sided.” Ari said softly, planting another kiss right next to his mouth, and he pulled her to him tightly, giving her a kiss on the forehead, ”.. I think I lost perspective at the time, so I’m sorry.”

There was a brief pause, as his grip on her tightened the most it comfortably could.

”.. Don’t worry about it so much.” His voice sounded a little strained, just barely breaking at the very end of his short sentence, clearing his throat afterward.

She could hear in his voice that those words made a difference to him. She recalled a time when she couldn’t even get him to pay positive attention to her, he wouldn’t show how he felt, wouldn’t hardly talk to her at all.. And now there were times she made him feel bad for not being fully immersed in their relationship- when her emotions go on a vacation. It’s so different how things had changed, where enough of his walls came down that he got attached to her somewhere along the way, and really feels things for her, and she’s so oblivious and in her own world that she forgets to appreciate how special that actually is. That he trusted her enough to have this level of emotional availability with.

And it hurt him when she forgot to love him back.
As it would anyone.

Ari was in her head more than usual and feeling herself pressed against him this way was making her feel a certain way. She kissed him again, on the cheek, and then on the lips.

”.. Ari, is there something else you want to talk about..?” March asked, detecting she had more on her mind, by how much attention she was affording him right now when they had intended on sleeping.

”.. I just have a lot of feelings toward you right now.” She said sweetly, pressing her body against his and wrapping her arm around him, ”.. And I wanna kiss you, so..”

She kissed him again, right next to his mouth, letting her lips linger there, and then kissed him again on the jawline, hearing him take a deep breath as she did.

”.. Y-you’re making me feel.. I don’t know, Ari.” March sighed, tilting his jaw upward to give her more accessibility to kiss, ”.. What you’re saying right now is.. I-it..”

They were pressed so hard flat against each other, she could feel his high level of arousal. She could feel that his face was hot, he almost sounded stressed- but in a good way. Ari could tell he wasn’t mentally or emotionally prepared for this level of vulnerability, and he was stunned and unsure how to respond. He had spent all weekend feeling like she was disinterested, and now he was getting a higher level of intimacy in words than he was readily used to, and it felt intense to him.

Ari pushed her thigh into his, pressing against his erection under his pajama pants. She heard his breath hitch, and he held her tightly. Reaching her hand down, she palmed his erection through his clothes, and began rubbing him.

”.. I’ve never felt this way about anyone..” Ari whispered in his ear as he lie there quietly, she could feel his body tense, “March.. I really do love you.”

At the sound of her words, his cock pulsed, hardening even more as she confessed her feelings to him, continuing to massage him.

”.. I never want to make you feel I’m far away from you.” She whispered, her lips touching his ear as he shifts to lying on his back slightly, she could hear the strain in his breathing and he gasped at the sensation of her lips on his skin, ”.. No one makes me feel the way you do. No one ever has.. I didn’t know what love felt like until I met you.”

“A-Ari..” He stammered, stopping her hand gently and taking a deep breath, “I-I’m close..”

She sat up from her spot next to him, putting gentle pressure on his shoulder for him to lie down on his back, and pulled his erection from his pants as he lie there in the pitch-black dark. She straddled him, sliding her panties to the side and slowly lowering herself onto him, already dripping wet from the topic of conversation. She felt his body tense up more as he realized what her motion was, letting out a staggering, breathy moan as he entered her completely, putting his hands on her hips, his hands shaking.

Ari leaned down, her breath hitching as she felt him fill her completely, pressing her chest to his and running her nose over his cheek, she could feel his heart was beating so fast.

”.. Ari..” He whispered, a whimper on the end of her name.

Ari began slowly and agonizingly pulling herself up, sliding him out of her entrance, and then lowering herself back down very slowly and gently, and she whispered in his ear, ”.. I hope you know how badly I want you, March.. All the time..”

A soft moan escaped his throat as he wrapped his arms around her in a tight hug, pulling his legs up and beginning to bounce her on top of him in a gentle rhythm. Talking to him was his kryptonite, telling him how much he’s wanted and loved is something that hits him deeply. Thrown off at his sudden fast pace, Ari began whispering airy moans, trying not to be too loud.

“M-M-March.. A-ah, F-f-fuck.. Please..” She disintegrated quickly into a lot of broken words as he pushed up into her quickly, “I-I love you so much..”

She heard his breath get shaky as he stifled a moan, her insides tightening on him, she could feel he was trying hard to keep things going, holding himself back for the sake of how good it felt just to be this close to her right now.

Ari leaned down, broken moans escaping her mouth in a whisper, “A-ah.. M-March, I’m yours..”

He whimpered a quiet moan, slamming up into her, bouncing her roughly on top of him as he shook, his voice broke slightly with a voiceless sob, “I love you..”

Ari felt her insides twitch around him at his words, feeling an ache deep in her chest as she was filled with emotion, hearing his voice break at the will of their intimacy. She could feel his chest stifling his emotions. She kissed him on his face right at his temple, feeling a damp streak beneath her lips as she wrapped her arms around him, both of them embracing tightly as they both reeled toward a mutual climax, kissing him deeply as they both moaned breathlessly into this kiss, March holding her against him like she was going to float away.

With two hard thrusts, she felt him become uneven, his cock twitching inside of her as he moaned into her mouth, breaking their kiss, “Ari-“

She felt her entire body convulse as he persisted pounding contact, the inside of her body clamping onto him as they both reached a mutual peak. Ari stuttered a moan into his ear as they both rode it out, holding each other tightly as their movements slowed, both of them breathing heavily.

”.. Ari.. I..” March said breathlessly, running a hand over her cheek and cupping her face, ”.. I’m sorry I’m hard to deal with sometimes..”

“W-what..?” She asked, taken aback at his sudden self-deprecation, “You’re.. Not..”

She heard a sob escape his lips, albeit he masked it pretty well, “I’m sorry I’m bad at communicating.. And I’m sorry I’m so jealous all the time..”

Ari put both hands on the sides of his face, comfortingly, her brows furrowed upward as he continued apologizing to her for things she never blamed him for.

“I-I’m sorry I yelled at you..” He continued, holding her close to him, “I-I’m-“

“March, I never blamed you for any of that.. It’s okay.” She said quietly, wiping one side of his face.

”.. I blame me for it.” March said meekly, putting a hand on top of her hand on his cheek, “I wish I wasn’t like this. I'm not afraid someone will take you from me, Ari.. I'm afraid of you leaving because of how I am sometimes..”

“I’m glad you’re the way you are, March.. I don’t want you to change anything..” Ari reassured him, giving him a quick kiss, whispering, ”.. I even like that you are that way.”

“There’s no way that’s true, Ari..” He said softly, rubbing his face with both hands, “There’s no way anyone would like that."

“It makes me feel.. Wanted.” Ari sat up, running her hands down his chest, sighing heavily, “I.. Like that you care enough that you have those feelings about me.”

These are the words they both needed to hear, that honesty. March had clearly been beating himself up over a lot of things he’d been keeping to himself, and now she understood why he got so quiet earlier when she started talking about her regrets. He didn’t say anything then, but right now it seemed all of those thoughts were spilling out of his mouth.

”.. I can’t believe you can love me for that, Ari.” He said, his voice calmer now, “I’ve been trying to just not be that way, not be jealous, not be overbearing.. I’ve been trying to just turn it all off.”

Ari, realizing that’s why he’s been so standoffish and quiet, rubbed his chest with her hands and whispered, ”.. I just want you to tell me what you think and feel. Even if sometimes it’s not positive. I want you to tell me.”

“I hate that you kissed him.” March let the words come out so suddenly, “It.. Doesn’t change how I feel about you.. But it makes me feel so jealous that someone else has felt you that way.. And I don’t have a right to be.”

Ari looked downward, even though they couldn’t see each other. She was glad he told her what bothered him. She realized these were words he had been keeping inside since it happened yesterday, and she felt terrible that her line of communication has felt so closed off to him that he didn’t tell her at the time.

“You have every right to be upset about that, March. I shouldn’t have done that..” Ari said softly, her voice was guilty.

“You wouldn’t have if I hadn’t.. Said what I said.” March sighed, sounding frustrated with himself, “Ari, I shouldn’t have broken up with you.. None of this would have happened and it.. Wouldn’t feel so bad. I’m sorry I hurt you..”

”.. We both contributed to that night, and I don’t want you to feel bad about being hurt by it..” Ari placed a hand on his cheek, leaning forward toward him, feeling him still inside her, ”.. I’m sorry I hurt you, too.”

They were a lot more direct this time around, really sharing their true feelings instead of setting them aside to smooth things over as quickly as possible. Both of them admitted their guilt, and it felt like a weight was completely lifted from her chest. She understood now that the biggest issue to him wasn't the kiss, what was eating at him was that he really believed it was his fault it happened. He was angry at himself. Ari wondered if he had felt as bad about this as she had, and if it had been heavy on his mind, too. They both shared a healing moment, gently exchanging kisses and holding each other.

It was easier to talk about this in the dark, where the black space between them was a mask, and they could face each other without facing each other. He could have these feelings without it being visible on his face, but she could hear in his voice how incredibly hurt he was. They both felt so guilty about how that night ended up, and Ari was just hoping that with this cleared air, they could put all of this behind them. Lifting herself from him, sliding her panties back into place, and laying facing him with one arm over his chest, Ari listened to his heart beating as she lulled into a sleep, hopeful that tomorrow they’ll be closer for it,

Chapter Text

The next morning, Ari woke up first. It was still semi-dark outside, Alloy was drinking from her plastic cup in the corner of the tent. Ari lie there for a bit, thinking to herself.. Had she been dreaming? She had this lingering anxiety, but couldn’t consciously recall. She looked over at March, recalling the night before.

He was facing Ari, she looked over his face as he slept.
His headband was on the blanket on the other side of him, so his hair graced his eyes slightly. His roots had begun to grow back in, having his hair this black to red ombre effect, and Ari found herself wondering what he would look like with black hair. Ari hadn’t realized, but she was reaching one hand out toward his cheek, and gently ran her fingers over his skin, lovingly. He stirred briefly, before opening his eyes, slowly.

“Oh, sorry.” Ari whispered, “I wasn’t trying to wake you..”

He pulled her closer to him, Ari feeling comforted into a lul by his embrace. His sleepy breathing relaxed her. She was surprised and taken aback just at how emotionally charged she became anytime she was anywhere close to March. She could feel the butterflies in her stomach rustling as his arm looped around her waist, and her face got heated as she felt his chest pressed against hers.

I’m completely out of control, Ari thought to herself, realizing that at this point she couldn’t be around him for five minutes without aching for him. It hadn’t been like this before.

March inhaled deeply, seeming to be in the process of waking up, still holding her to him, ”.. Mornin’. I was awake before that, kinda.”

“I’m glad I didn’t wake you.” Ari smiled, running her hand down his bare chest, onto his abs.

”.. You swooning over me..?” March grinned lightly, looking at her out of lidded eyes as he watched her flushed face in a dazed expression as her hands lingered on him.

”.. Yes.” Ari said softly, still running her fingertips over his skin, then looking up at him.

He chuckled, still half asleep, leaning in and kissing her on the forehead. Today they would be traveling the rest of the way to Mistria, hoping to be home by the evening. They would be rolling through a small town nearby, planning to stop and maybe grab something to eat together. But right now, they were just enjoying a quiet moment between them. Ari could hear that it was raining lightly on the fabric of the tent, just barely.

Ari found it amazing, how even when they’d been away from home for days, he still had this incredible scent of sage and cedarwood- like it was just part of him. She felt intoxicated by it as she lean her face into his neck, both of them lying there sleepily as the sky outside the tent very slowly grew lighter and lighter in the quiet of the morning.

”.. Ever been to a farmer’s market? I mean, other than the little ones we have in town.” March asked quietly, rubbing her back slowly, both of them still pressed together.

“I don’t think so.. What is it like?” Ari asked sleepily, noting how his pecks flexed as he moved his arm back and forth, rubbing her.

“Usually they’re just selling stuff, but they usually have games or lessons or something else the town has to offer.” March explained, ”.. I think it would be a cute date.. To go with you to the one on the way. I read though an ad that they had one this weekend.”

Ari smiled at the prospect of a date, feeling oddly giddy about it, ”.. I would love that, March.”

She and March hadn’t been on a real date, as many special, private moments as they’d had together. The closest thing to a date was probably his birthday, when they danced together for the first time at her cabin.

”When we get back, wanna take a shower together?” He asked, seeming a bit more awake, rubbing his nose against hers, sweetly.

“I’d love that.” Ari said with a sigh, knowing she’d been covered in their sex for almost a full day now, starting to feel a little grubby about it despite the last time she showered being the day before.

They eventually both got up, packing up their things, Ari re-attached Alloy’s harness and got dressed. It was her last clean outfit, a pair of tight black joggers with cargo pockets on the side, and a relatively tight-fitting t-shirt with a faded picture of a sunset on the front, pulling on her black jacket overtop it. March put on one of his sleeveless shirts and a pair of cropped jeans, the hem of his pant legs folded upward, showing his black socks and black shoes.

Tent packed up, everything in their travel backs, Alloy leashed in her hand, they were off again. The area they were in was a prairie-like clearing just outside of the fields they had walked through the day prior. They walked for a lot of the morning, both of them talking about all the things they were looking forward to when they got home, finally.

They’d been walking through wheat fields for hours before finally reaching a new area that was full of rolling prairies and spotted woods- in the far distance, Ari could see the town they were headed toward. It was just a bit bigger than Mistria, having more buildings, and it had a couple small factory-like buildings nearby.

“This town is known for being the ‘organic capital’ of the kingdom. You won’t see many fumes from those factories, because they’re full of packaging supplies and crop-harvesting equipment.” March pointed, letting her in on what to expect, “Their farmer’s market focuses a lot on organic stuff, they have cooking classes out in the square, and some shops with home-made decorations, it’ll be fun.”

Ari was happy, it was nice that their date was outside so she wouldn’t need to worry about having a pet with them. She was excited, because they could finally have that uninterrupted one-on-one time they had hoped for when they left Mistria. They had spent a lot of their trip full of anxiety and worry, being disrupted by everyone, and they unfortunately didn't really get to celebrate his win. They would probably celebrate with the town back home, but they had to finally get there first.

They got closer and closer to the town, and soon Ari saw a sign that said “Padstien” on it, with a variety of gourds and crops next to it on a wooden sign. Ari recognized the name, the third-place winner of the competition was from this town. Walking into town, so many people were flocking, there were dozens if market stalls, so many colorful bins of produce, this town had to have three times as many residents as Mistria, even though it was only a little bigger.

March noticed her growing nervous with so many people, and slid his hand into hers, nudging her with his arm. They exchanged a look, heading into the crowd, Ari Picking up Alloy and holding her. They walked along the market stalls, looking at all the colorful objects. There was one with paintings- and the stall owner was offering face-painting. Multiple stalls with handmade crafts and materials. There was a stall of dream catchers and woven jewelry. Ari thought to herself that the people here were talented, it seemed everyone had a different skill to contribute to the town.

Ari looked over, seeing a pet stall, looking down at Alloy and then up at March, ”.. Can we go over there and see what they have for pets? Maybe they’ll have something I can get for Alloy.”

Alloy had been eating some of the kibble they gave her in a plastic bag at the cafe, but it would be nice if they had anything else. They both walked over, noting they had a variety of outfits for small animals, a bunch of hand-made toys, some organic cat nip, homemade treats, and so much more.

Ari looked over the tiny outfits, her eyes coming across a cat collar that was seafoam green with mauve flowers on it, picking it up. She also picked up a dozen or so cat treats that looked like little brown cat-shaped cookies- they smelled like cat food, but had the aroma of salmon and fresh vegetables. Finally, she got a cat pillow, that way Alloy would have her own bed. It was almost matching to the collar, seafoam green with a light beige floral pattern. Ari walked up to the register, pulling out her wallet from a side pouch of her bag- but March walked up first, cash in hand, handing cash to the person at the stall check-out.

“You don’t have to buy-” Ari started in protest, putting a hand on March’s arm.

“You paid all the adoption fees, I can buy her some stuff for home.” March insisted, lightly setting a hand on her waist.

It felt so.. Serious. Like they were a unit, both contributing as shared caregivers. They put everything in a small bag, so Ari walked with it linked on her backpack, hanging from a cord attached to the side- it didn’t weigh much. Walking away from the stall, she looked over at March. He was wearing his regular annoyed look on his face, but she could tell he was happy, she felt him pull her closer to him by her waist. He had a number of bags, but didn’t seem weighed down by them at all.

She looked over at March as they walked away from the stall, and he had already been looking down at her, and he looked away with a slight blush when she realized he’d been staring.

”.. You swooning over there?” Ari asked playfully, taking his hand and pulling him toward her.

”.. Yes.” March mumbled, a grin pulling at the corner of his mouth.

Ari found herself feeling honored, that she found him staring at her. That usually wasn’t the case, March almost never stared. He usually was looking around at things in his environment, usually doing something or other, usually if he was staring at her it was when they were talking directly, or during intimate moments. It was rare that she found him staring at her that way out of no where. She was starting to realize he was crushing on her just as much as she felt toward him, and she smiled, feeling her face get hot. They were both quiet for a few seconds, in mutual acknowledgement of his silent affection toward her.

”.. Oh, there’s a food stall over there, wanna check it out?” March asked finally, changing the topic, hiding his fluster.

“Sure.” Ari said with a smile, adjusting Alloy in her arm and petting her head.

They both walked over to the stall, where they were selling a variety of handmade snacks and candies, Ari immediately took the most interest in a nut-coated caramel apple, which wasn’t completely like her, since she still didn’t eat much food outside of necessity. March pickled up a container of chocolate-covered pretzels, homemade trail mix, and a few fresh strawberries in a plastic container. They only had a couple hours of travel left, so they weren’t too worried about carrying a few extra bags at this point.

Ari was glad to have this experience, happy to have this be her first date with March. Her first real date ever. March leaned down, giving Alloy a head scratch, and a light boop on the nose. She was such an easy cat, relaxed, didn’t mind being held at all. Ari was so excited to introduce her to the town. After another thirty minutes of looking around, they head off through the town, out on the other side and toward Mistria, ready to get this trip over with.

After another couple hours, only stopping to let Alloy have a drink from their water, they finally approached the wooded area that surrounded their home- they came up on the winding trail that led to the bridge, and they were both so relieved to see a familiar area.

“I’m so excited to see everyone.” Ari said with a smile, both of them seeming to pick up their pace as they crossed the bridge.

“I kinda need to drop off the sword back at the forge,” March said with a smirk, “And, you know, my medal.”

Ari shook her head with a knowing smile, she loved it when he took that cocky tone. After seeing him so put down for a lot of the trip, hearing his playful tone was music to her ears. They walked through town, waving at Holt outside the shop, and Eiland near the fountain as they passed through- exchanging a few words like ‘congrats’ and ‘welcome home’ on the way.

“Man, it feels so nice to see my anvil and my forge..” March said as they walked up to the entrance of the shop, noticing that the shop had closed at least an hour early, it being 4PM, ”.. Closed?”

March looked back at Ari with a semi-confused look, unlocking the front door and opening it- and she and March both looked in at the exact same time..

And across the room, right next to Olric’s door, where he and Merri stood locked together in fervid passion, Merri pushed up against the wall in some level of undress- all parties involved jumping at the sudden realization. March quickly covered Ari’s eyes, turning her around quickly and closing the door behind them both in a confused panic, she and March both clearly a little shaken at walking in on a sight they hadn’t expected.

Ari blushed, covering her mouth as she started laughing out of shock as her nerves were frayed from the surprise.

“Shhhh, don’t laugh they’ll hear you-” March said in a hushed whisper, but also started chuckling at the end of his sentence.

They both broke into a hard laugh, as the door to the shop opened and Olric stepped out, closing the door behind him. His shirt was untucked, and his pants zipper was down.

“H-Heyyy guys..” He said nervously, his shirt collar pulled up, and lipstick smeared on his neck, “You didn’t send a text saying you were on your way back..”

Ari pointed at his neck, with a small, devious smile, “You’ve got a little lipstick right-“

Olric scrubbed at his neck with his palm, nervously, “C-could you guys do me a solid and come back in a few hours-?”

“A few hours?” Ari echoed quietly, covering her mouth with a giggle.

“Yeah, Olric, no problem. Sorry I didn’t text you, I didn’t expect you to be.. Preoccupied.. Today.” March said with a laugh tugging at the strings of his voice, exchanging a look with Ari, ”.. Can you just put these in my room?”

March held out his claymore and his medal, the sword wrapped in leather.

“Oh for sure, bro. Congrats on the win!” Olric said with an excited smile.

“Yeah, uh, you too.” March said with a chuckle, gesturing to the shop as Olric waved them both off, stepping back into the shop quickly as they both turned back toward the path, they heard the door lock behind him.

”.. Oh my god.” March said breathlessly, in disbelief, “I’ve never once had to worry about.. That being a possibility before.”

Ari laughed as they made their way back through the town, down toward the farm, ”.. What, naked women in the shop?”

“Olric ever having company like that.. Or me, even.” March said with a smile, “I guess that’s a new thing he and I will have to worry about, now.”

It felt so good to walk through their own town, both of them giggling to themselves about that awkward situation, both of them making their way down the path to the farm. As they walked down the longer path, Ari could see that.. Her farm, which she left completely bare in anticipation of the plans she had for her summer crops.. Was full of growing crops, dozens of rows of them, all of them at least a few days into growth.

“W-wha?” Ari said in confusion, not understanding how she suddenly had a full field of growing crops when she hadn’t been home in days.

Just as she was looking around, confusing on her face, her eyes landed on Hayden across the field, watering the crops. Noticing them, he gave an excited wave, and a big smile, finishing up his watering and meeting them by the cabin porch.

“H-Hayden you didn’t have to do all this!-” Ari started, feeling bad that he’d put in so much work while she was away, thinking maybe he had misunderstood what she was asking.

“Welp, I got to looking around, and I saw so many things that needed to be done- I just couldn’t help myself. I chopped up all the wood, pulled all the weeds, fixed your side fence, patched up your walkway, polished the tools, cleaned the shed, planted 250 new crops, and I just got done watering them all, so you should be good until tomorrow!” He rattled off excitedly, a huge smile on his face.

“W-well now I’m definitely going to have to give you more than some food and snacks for you and Henrietta, here, take this-” Ari said, taken aback, reaching toward her wallet.

“Don’t even think about it, Miss!” He said quickly, stopping her, “March got us so much recognition for Mistria, consider this a favor already paid back in full. Congratulations on your win, March! Crazy amount of rep for us as a town, yet again.”

She looked over at March, already predicting that crooked little grin, “Oh he knows.”

“I do, yeah.” He chuckled quietly as Hayden left back toward the narrows, "Thanks, Hayden."

Walking up onto the deck, she turned back and looked out toward her fields with a sigh, ”.. He didn’t have to do all that. I’m at least making him a damn pie.”

March chuckled as she turned back and unlocked the door, walking in and taking a huge sigh of relief. It was so.. Dark, and quiet. She flipped on the light and set all of her bags down, releasing Alloy onto the floor, giving her a pat on the head and letting her poke around at the new environment.

”.. Well.. I can’t go home for three hours, so..” March set all of his bags down, very orderly and well put together, “You wanna shower?”

“I would love to take a shower.” Ari said, rolling her eyes with a huge sigh, and being more up-front than usual she added, “I’ve had your cum literally all over me since yesterday, and not that it wasn’t great, but I’m starting to feel gross and sticky- even if it’s all in my head.”

”.. It’s kinda hot though, am I right?” He chuckled, looking her over, lowering his voice a bit, ”.. Maybe that’s just me, thinking that.”

He liked having part of him on her at all times, whether it’s a hickey, or his shirts, or his scent, he loved feeling like she was his. She was his. She wanted to wear him all over her.

”.. It’s not just you.” Ari looked over at him flirtatiously, her eyes lidded, “I usually love having you all over me- Just.. Not during a hike.”

”.. Oh, so you do like it?” March asked her quietly, quirking an eyebrow, a blush tinging his face.

“I mean.. The morning I had to wear your shirt, I liked how it felt wearing it. Anything that smells like you or reminds me of you is welcome on, or around my body.” Ari admitted with a blush, “And when you leave marks on me, I get a little high from seeing them the next day.”

”.. Oh.” He chuckled with surprise, walking up behind her and wrapping his arms around her waist, ”.. I-I’m glad you feel that way.”

After a few minutes of kissing, putting away her clothes in the dirty laundry, sorting out supplies, and idly chatting, Ari picked up a couple folded towels, walking into the bathroom and brushing her hair out in the mirror, and flipping the shower on, testing the temperature. March walked in, pulling off his shirt, Ari glancing over out of impulse and staring at him, pausing with the brush in her hair.

”.. Pff, you’re acting like you’ve never looked at me before.” March stated with a grin, untying his headband and tossing it next to the sink by his shirt.

”.. It never gets old to look at.” Ari said with a cutesy attitude, unbuttoning and pulling off her jeans, bending over slightly to pull new bodywash from a drawer in the vanity.

”I see your point.” He said quietly, watching her bend over, looking over the curvature of her body.

They both chuckled, Ari standing back up, running one hand over his abs and looking up at him, “Besides, you could have been one of those old, Greek statues.. But you know, your dick would’ve been too big.”

March covered his face and burst out laughing, like he couldn’t believe she actually said that, “Oh.. Don’t tell anyone else that.”

“Why would I go telling anyone else that, you think I want to share? Women would be asking if I brought enough for the whole class, I can’t have that.” Ari joked with a laugh, washing off her face in the sink.

They both had a genuine laugh about it, one of few times she’s heard March really laugh. Ari stopped laughing first, looking over at him with adoration at his real smile and the sound of his voice. She loved happy, unbothered March. When he wasn’t smiling with her, it felt bad. She wanted to keep him happy like this.

Ari took off her shirt, stepping into the shower. The first thing she did was pull out that body wash and start scrubbing, the feeling of being cleansed coming over her entire body as she felt the hot water rolling over her. She heard March get in the shower behind her, and felt his hands on both sides of her waist, sending a shiver up her spine. The feeling of his hands on her was one that couldn’t be replicated. His hands were shy and unsure, but longing and precise. Ari turned to face him, washing the suds from her body, running both of her hands gently up his lower stomach and onto his pecks. His hair was still dry, falling into his face from the lack of headband.

He pulled the shampoo from the shelf, pouring some into his hands, and lathering her hair for her- being cautious not to get any in her eyes, since she was facing him. She braced herself against him, putting both hands on his chest, pressing herself against him. She could feel him looking down at her.

“I’ve missed this.” Ari said softly, enjoying the intimate moment between them.

March finished washing her hair for her and kissed her on the forehead, Ari turning back toward the stream of water and rinsing. She playfully backed her ass up into him, March grabbing her in response.

”.. You sure you want to start that right now?” March asked, a playful warning in his voice.

“I mean, now would be the best time, I could rinse off in here after.” Ari chuckled, trading him spots so he could be under the water and wet his hair.

”.. Why do you need to rinse..? Plan on hiking sometime soon?” He asked jokingly, his eyes closed, a cute grin on his face.

Ari laughed at his question, and then sarcastically laughed, “Ha-ha. You’re right, actually. I should just wear you on me everywhere I go, all the time.”

”.. You will once I get a ring for you.” March said so casually, taking Ari by surprise.

“Th-um.. That would definitely be a better way of wearing you around than how I do right now.” Ari tried to banter smoothly to cover up her drastic surprise, but she still sounded stunned.

Ari began lathering his hair for him, having to reach over her head, stepping close to where their chests were barely touching. Out of nowhere, his eyes closed and his hair full of suds, he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her up against him.

She was suddenly much quieter, being deep in thought. She was thrilled, but she found herself just not knowing what to say, she was shocked into silence and March noticed, rinsing the soap from his hair, running his hand over his face, and looking down at her.

”.. Didn’t mean to make things so serious.” He chuckled in uncertainty, “I-It’ll still be a while before I ask, I swear.

Ari realized her sudden quietness had been interpreted negatively, ”.. You could ask tomorrow, and I’d say yes, March. It’s not that, I swear. I think I was just taken off-guard by you saying it so casually, it.. Made me happy.”

”.. You’d say yes..?” March asked curiously, still having the plan to wait a few months to be really sure they both wanted this. After all, it had been like a month since they got together, ”.. But what about four months?”

“I mean, even if I did say yes right now, we could still wait a bit before we go to the capital. Waiting a few months would be a safe thing to do, but if you asked.. I’d say yes.” Ari elaborated, sounding very sure, “We did just have an argument this weekend, but.. They were highly unusual circumstances.”

“I plan on forging your ring, I want it to be something only you have. So it’ll be at least a month, probably.” He said simply, rubbing body wash over his skin, ”.. Silver, right? I’ve seen you wear mostly silver.”

Ari’s interest was piqued at how much he’d paid attention to her details, “Y-yes.. You noticed that..?”

“Mhm. .. I also noticed you started wearing your pickaxe necklace after our first date.” March said with a blush and a small smile, “I know you go to the mines, but.. I always wondered.”

”.. You caught me.” Ari admitted, leaning on the shower wall, “I was sure about you from the first time you kissed me. I wanted something to symbolize that, found it at the market the next day.”

Ari saw him blush, he was clearly flattered by that.

”.. I was, too.” He admitted quietly, “Tried to fight it, but couldn’t. My future was so set out for me, until I met you. It all changed, really fast. Was scary at first.”

“Changed..?” Ari inquired, running her hands up his chest.

“Well, yeah. I was fully in the mindset of fully making my entire life about the forge. I was planning on probably traveling to other areas of the kingdom to learn more from other successful blacksmiths, I had zero plans of dating.” He explained, wrapping his arms around her, a quiet amnesty in his voice.

It probably should have been obvious to her already that this was far outside of his original gameplan. He had been the last of a long line of blacksmiths since he was six years old, he’d probably grown attached to that as his destiny. The way things just were, what everyone expected, how everyone viewed him- an award-winning blacksmith. Gifted. Blessed.

”.. I’ve wondered if you’ll grow to regret me for interrupting your gameplan.” Ari said softly, but honestly.

”.. Not at all, Ari.” March said sternly, “If anything, the reason I leaned so far into being a blacksmith is because I never thought I would meet anyone I felt more connected to than the forge. I was wrong. I always wanted a family, since mine was just me and Olric- it just felt outside of my reach. Like it wasn’t meant for me.”

Ari understood that feeling. That being raised in a broken home makes you feel like it’s completely unattainable. Like the idea of a family with a mom and a dad who stay together and really love each other just feels like something you only see in the movies- and you don’t realize that it’s within your grasp until you meet that one person who helps you understand that it’s right there in your hands.

”.. I know how that feels.” Ari said, looking up at him, watching the water run down his face, “You just feel like a family that stays together is so impossible, because it was impossible for you as a child. I know that feeling very well.”

March leaned down and kissed her forehead, ”.. I know you do.”

March turned off the shower, taking both towels from the sink and handing one of them to Ari. They both dried off, Ari ringing out her hair as she freely roamed her house, completely naked.

“If you leave a couple shirts and pants here, I can wash them and keep them here for when you stay.” Ari called over to him, going through her dresser, taking out a pair of black leggings and a white t-shirt with a faded picture on the front, beginning to slip them on.

“It’ll be nice to have a change of clothes for here. At least I still have one outfit extra from the travel.” March said, rummaging through the bag he left next to the bathroom door, pulling out a pair of plaid boxers and a black t-shirt, putting them on with a pair of black socks. Ari thought to herself that he looked so cute with his hair wet- the black quickly growing in.

”.. I think you'd look good with black hair.” Ari walked up to him, running her hand through his hair and leaning on him.

“Ugh, don’t say that, I hate my natural color.” March said with a chuckle, “I look like an angry Olric with his hair color.”

“No offense, March, but you look nothing like Olric.” Ari said playfully, walking over to her couch and sitting down, pulling a blanket over herself.

Alloy, satisfied with her adventure and discovery of the cabin, curled up in a ball on the edge of the couch and lay there contentedly.

”.. Can’t tell if you’re saying I look worse or better..” March walked over and sat next to her, Ari pulling up the blanket and throwing it over him.

She scooted over, pressing up against him, ” No one is better, I’m just saying you’re my type. He doesn’t look like you at all”

“I’m glad I’m your type. It would really suck if you were more into my brother. He always got all the girls, they focused on him so much growing up that I didn’t even try.” March smiled, looking down at his lap as he thought back on it.

”.. Even your bad attitude is attractive to me.” Ari played, nudging him with her leg.

”.. Oh yeah? So me being a total jerk to you worked?” He laughed, pulling her toward him.

”.. I mean, if it hadn’t worked I doubt we’d be cuddling on this couch right now.” Ari leaned her head on his shoulder.

“I guess I’m glad you like assholes.” March said with a slight smile, leaning his head on hers.

Ari ran her hand under the blanket, wrapping her arm around him, “Well we still have a couple hours to kill, wanna take a nap?”

“That would be nice. Walking all day is exhausting.” He agreed, pulling her alongside him into a cuddling position, holding her tightly, ”.. Ari, can I ask you something..?”

“Hm..?” Ari responded, her head resting peacefully on his chest.

”.. Do you ever wonder if you have biological siblings anywhere..? Don’t answer if you don’t want to, just talking about Olric made me think about it.” March asked, his eyes closed, the sun outside the cabin starting to grow orange.

”.. I do think about that sometimes, yes.” Ari said quietly, “But.. It goes hand-in-hand with wondering if my parents are.. Alive. If they are, it would be more likely for me to have siblings. But I have no way of knowing, at least not unless I want to go back to that place and ask them where they got me.”

“I guess that makes sense.. That must feel isolating.” He empathized, holding her close to him.

”.. I don’t mind being isolated.. Or at least I didn’t mind. Being in Mistria makes me happy to be part of a community.” Ari smiled, talking softly into his chest.

”.. I’m glad you came here.” He said with a sigh, sounding like he was dozing off.

Ari smiled to herself, thinking she was glad she came to Mistria, too.

---------------------------------------------------------

Ari woke up later in the evening, and it was dark outside. She bolted up into a sitting position, realizing they had both slept way longer than they’d planned. It’s not like they needed to do anything, but now they were definitely going to be up all night, now that their “nap” turned into a four-hour sleep. It was silent, only the very light sound of buzzing from the bugs outside the window, barely loud enough to hear.

She looked down at March, still asleep, and could barely make out the features of his face in the dark. He had one arm over his head, his chest lift up and down so slowly. Ari lie back down on his chest slowly, trying not to wake him. She loved being able to hear his heart breathing in the quiet, wondering to herself if he were dreaming. His shirt was soft, his muscles relaxed, his breathing was calm and steady. Alloy was down by their feet, keeping them warm.

Ari thought to herself, in these quiet moments, what their wedding might be like. What their kids would be like. She found herself a little scared by how much this had been on her mind- how quickly being around March one-on-one had completely flipped her perspective. She felt so much better when it was just the two of them, and everyone else let them exist in their own little space.

Ari felt her phone vibrate, seeing it was roughly 11PM, and she had a new text message.

Domenico: “Just got back to CI, hope you got home okay”

Ari: “Glad you got home safely, we got back and passed out on the couch.”

Domenico: “I’m glad you got back, I’m about to go to bed but.. talk soon?”

Ari: “I think we should wait a little before we go back to talking, Domenico..”

After a few seconds, her phone lit up, vibrating- he was calling.

Ari, in a state of quiet panic, pulled herself up as gently as possible from her spot on March’s chest, carefully making her way off the couch without waking him, pulling a sweater off the table chair and pulling it over her head, slowly opening the front door and walking out onto the deck.

Ari answered the phone, pulling the door shut behind her, ”.. Geez Domeno, not a crazy great time for a phone call..”

”Sorry.. I guess I just wanted to hear your voice while we had this conversation.”

Ari sat down on the steps, looking out into the buzzing field, the stars were visible, ”.. I want to stay in touch with you, I care about you a lot, but.. Not at the expense of my relationship with March.”

”That’s okay, I’m happy to have you as a friend. But.. I just feel like I need to tell you for transparency.. I haven’t stopped thinking about you.”

Ari sighed, hating the frayed sound in his voice, ”.. Domenico, us talking almost took out my relationship, I can’t let that happen..”

”.. If talking to me makes you question what you have with March.. Maybe that’s because you’re better with me.”

Ari furrowed her brow, putting her face in her hand, “Domeno, I love March. My feelings for you are.. Unfair to him.”

He was quiet for a long time on the other line, seeming to think hard about what he was going to say.

”You being there with him right now.. It’s exhausting always thinking about what he feels. I know what I feel. And you’re right, this does feel unfair.. It kills me, Ari, knowing you’re with him right now.

Ari felt her eyes water at the broken sound in his voice, she had never heard him get emotional over this. He was usually so worried about what she felt that he was completely willing to tone down his own feelings just to make sure she could do what she wanted. She wanted a kiss, he gave her that. She wanted to forget, he gave her that. She wanted to go back to March right after, he gave her that- without letting it go too far. But right now, it seemed getting as close as they had this last encounter.. She gave him too much hope. Because there were feelings on both ends, and that is something Domenico can’t un-know.

She wiped at her eyes, clearing her throat to steady her voice, ”.. I-I’m sorry, I can’t talk to you about this right now..”

”Because it hurts you too, and I can feel that it does.”

“Domeno.. What hurts me is that I love both of you, but I already made my decision.” Ari said, shaking her head, the words came out of her mouth before she realized what she’d said.

”You love me..?”

Ari paused, sighing at the obvious mess she’d just made by that slip of the tongue, “I do. But I can’t backtrack my entire life to chase something unknown with you, when I know what I have with March is real- I’m sorry, Domeno, I h-have to go..”

Ari hung up the phone, leaning her face in her hands, feeling this entire situation was a losing battle for her. Hot tears were running down her face, and she wiped at them- trying to make it feel like they never developed.

To her dismay, Ari heard the door open behind her, March stepping out sleepily onto the deck, blanket from the couch over his shoulders, ”..Ari, what are you doing out here?”

“Domenico called.. It felt horrible.” Ari said, still wiping away some tears and fixing her hair.

“He called?” March asked quietly, sitting beside her, realizing now that she had been crying, wiping one side of her face with his hand, ”.. Wait, why are you-“

“He was upset, it was uncomfortable, I just don’t want to.. Talk about it.” Ari said, leaning into him as he wrapped an arm around her, flipping the blanket over both of them, as they sit on the steps together in the night air.

It was a semi-warm summer night, fireflies were lighting up in the distance. Despite the panic that surged through her body when March stepped outside, she was happy he came out, she felt so much better. She ran her hand up his chest, cupping his face and turning him to her, kissing him on the lips. It reminded her that.. This place, around this time of night, they had their very first kiss. And it was awkward, but heated, and this time.. It was sweet and comforting, like a security blanket.

”.. I should have never kissed him.” Ari said quietly, looking March in the face, ”.. The lines are all blurred now, and I don’t think I can fix it.”

He pulled her closer to him, feeling her high level of stress, ”.. I’m sorry this is upsetting you. I hate seeing you this way, Ari.”

He planted a kiss on her temple, and then on her cheek, slowly kissing her jawline, and then down onto her neck- Ari tilting her head to allow him more access, a sigh leaving her lips. She knew he could feel how responsive she was to his touch, like it echoed from one side of her body to the other. She closed her eyes, enjoying the feeling of his skin on hers.

Feeling his chest pressed against her shoulder, his arms around her, his mouth making contact with her neck, she was hardly thinking about anything else. That’s the magic effect March had on her, he could completely envelope her mind in a way no one else could. Ari turned to him, gently taking his face in her hands, and looking at him. His hair was slightly messy from being asleep, his expression was relaxed, and there was a very faint blush on his cheeks. He leaned back into her, his lips brushing up against her ear.

His voice was low and gruff as he held her close to him, ”.. I want you.”

He ran his nose down her neck as a shiver ran down her spine, her eyes fluttering back into a close at the sound of his voice. It felt like he wanted to make her forget, needing to reclaim her body, spirit, and mind, to completely absolve her of what had upset her. Ari felt her body work against her, feeling a twinge in her lower stomach at the ache in his voice, that pining tone at the edge of every word he said. Him wanting her this badly did something to Ari.

She felt a haze roll over her, as she felt his hand brush from her belly downward, briefly, working his way between her thighs, sending jolts of electricity through her body as he made contact with the hem of her leggings, slipping one hand into them as he kiss her. Ari gasped at the sudden feeling of his finger circling her clit, letting a soft moan into his mouth, seeming to invigorate him.

She clung to his body as he kissed her neck, she could hear his voice becoming breathy and strained as he listened to her panting softly at the contact. She knew him well enough now to know that any time she spoke to Domenico.. March needed to remind her who made her feel this way. And it never failed. Arching his finger, he slid one into her opening, pressing up into the soft pallet inside of her, Ari arched her back and moaned softly, his face still pressed into her neck.

“M-March..” Ari moaned softly, pressing her cheek to his, running her hands through his hair.

”.. What are you thinking about now..?” March asked into her neck, running his nose over her skin and exhaling a hot breath onto her, as Ari pressed her legs together unintentionally, her body responding to him.

”.. Y-your voice is so.. Hot..” Ari said dreamily, March entering a second finger into her, Ari’s hands trembling at the intensity of it.

“Ari..” He breathed into her ear, a soft moan on the end of her name.

Needing to reciprocate, Ari ran a hand down his chest and onto his lower stomach, running her hand down to his boxers, feeling how hard he already was through them. As she wrapped a hand around his clothed erection, she heard his breath catch in his chest, and his hand paused inside of her very briefly as she began stroking him through the material of his boxers.

She felt his entire body tense as she slowly continued, his untamed response urging her to continue. She loved how nervous she could still make him- how her touch still made him freeze, even if just for a moment. After a few seconds, he pulled his face back from her neck, laying the blanket down on the deck, and laying her down on her back, kneeling over her. Kissing up her neck, she assisted him in pulling her leggings down and off, as he resumed pressing his fingers up into her core. She felt herself growing ebarrassingly wet, his lips making their way up her neck, until he found a spot next to her ear and nipped at her skin, earning a gasp from Ari as she arched her back.

“O-oh-” Ari moaned, feeling her hands shake as he began thrusting his fingers upward into her at a faster pace, every sound she made quickening his breathing and making his touch more desperate and frenzied.

She could feel that with every sound she made, every body response to him she had, he grew more and more aroused. Ari lifted one leg up to his hip, begging him to go further, her hands weakly pulling at the hem of his boxers.

”.. You want more?” He asked lewdly into her ear, his voice sounding almost teasing, with his own arousal bleeding into his tone.

“Yes, p-please..” Ari was surprised by the own pleading sound in her voice, feeling her face get hot, almost feeling embarrassed by it. By how easy it was for him to get her to relinquish all control to him.

At the sound of her unintentional, unplanned plea, she heard a low growl in his throat, ”.. ‘Please’, huh..?"

She could sense how much that turned him on, as he positioned himself between her legs, revealing his erection. He pressed his lips hard against hers, holding himself over her, letting his cock touch between her legs lightly. Ari wrapped her hand around his member, positioning him at her entrance, waiting for him to enter her as she sucked and nipped at his bottom lip, earning a stifled moan from him. He was taking so long, too long, and Ari knew he was purposely dragging this out, as he broke their kiss, biting her neck gently.

“M-March.. Don’t tease.” Ari pleaded, arching her back, linking her legs around his hips and pulling him toward her gently.

He was reveling in the sound of her voice right now, even Ari didn’t recognize her own desperate tone, ”.. I want you to ask again, Ari.”

Ari whined pleadingly, holding him to her, wrapping her legs around him, but he wouldn’t budge. She felt so small, and sexually frustrated as he made a request that turned her face red. She could tell he was finding out now that.. He liked it when she begged.

”.. March.. P-please fuck me..” Ari whispered, turning her face away from him, feeling exposed.

She heard him moan lowly into her neck, as his entire body tensed. She could feel the hairs stand up on the back of his neck as she gripped his hair loosely, running her nails over the back of his shirt with her other hand. Meeting her pleas, he began slowly pushing into her. Ari gasped at the sensation of his entry after being dragged out for so long, arching her body up into his as he licked and kissed at her neck, softly moaning into her skin.

Ari moaned out delicately at the feeling of him stretching her entrance, her legs shaking just slightly, her arms wrapping around him and pulling him to her. She could tell that he wasn’t teasing now, he was taking it slow to keep himself under control. His muscular frame shook as he inched into her, little at a time, until he finally fully immersed into her. He stay still for awhile, kissing up to her lips again, crashing his tongue into hers, both of them letting out shaking gasps into their kiss.

He pulled slowly out of her, as she cling to him, and planted himself back in her as deeply as he could, Ari wimpering pathetically as she finally got some relief.

”.. I don’t ever want you to cry over him, A-Ari..” He said as he began meeting her body with consistent friction, roughness in his voice, ”.. I can’t handle it.”

“March-” Ari moaned, feeling the inside of her body twitch around him, a deep buzzing feeling in her lower belly, “I-I..”

March lowered his chest to hers, moving his hands down to grip her hips, roughly bucking into her body as he felt her shaking beneath him, feeling her hands trembling as she gripped his shirt in her fists. He bucked into her roughly, her voice stuttering with each meet of their hips, Ari running her tongue from his neck to his ear, sucking on his lobe and breathing hot moans into his ear.

“H-Harder..” Ari moaned softly into his ear, a whimper on her tongue as he lifted himself over her, bracing himself on the floor of the deck.

Changing his angle, he lifted one of her legs onto his arm, thrusting into her roughly, Ari’s moans disintegrating into broken syllables and gasps, her eyes barely open out of pleasure, her hands trembling on his chest. She looked up at him, he had a blush over his face, his mouth slightly open, panting quietly. She could feel him pulsing inside of her, his rhythm becoming more and more jagged and forceful, she could feel herself growing closer to a climax.

”.. I don’t want you to talk to him, Ari..” March panted, riding into her, rubbing his cheek against hers, “I-I know that’s a lot to ask, but I c-can’t do this again..”

She heard a familiar strain in his voice, and she hated making him feel that way, ”.. I-I told him.. I didn’t want to talk for awhile.. Be-because it’s unfair to you..”

He paused, letting her leg release from his arm, looking at her with an unreadable look on his face, ”.. He doesn’t fight fair, Ari. I can’t go back and meet you sooner, and he knows that.”

She put a hand on his cheek detecting his high emotions, and knowing.. He was right. Domenico was using their history as leverage against him, and he didn’t care about what March felt at all, if it meant talking to her again. Ari pushed him back gently, rolling them so she could sit up and look at him, both of them pausing their heated rendesvous.

”.. I won’t text him back or answer his calls for awhile.” She agreed, running a hand over his chest and leaning in, whispering to him, ”.. Meeting me a couple months ago was soon enough, March.. Perfect timing.”

She leaned into him heavily, pushing him back onto the blanket, straddling his waist. She could feel his tensity subside at what she’d said, that knowing she had already planned on halting contact with Domenico made a huge change in his demenor. Ari leaned down, lifting herself overtop him, and sliding his cock back into her slowly, both of them breathing a sigh of contentment with being reunited.

Ari leaned down, whispering into his ear, letting him rest inside of her, ”.. I just want to be alone with you.”

He inhaled deeply, putting both hands on her hips and driving up into her just slightly, his breathing responding to her words, his emotions showing through. Coming out and hearing who she’d been talking to had scared him to death, and she could feel, now, how he’d been trying to hold it together. She was upset, so he kept it to himself. But now, in his words, ’he doesn’t fight fair, Ari’, she could hear the fear that was hiding in the back of his mind.

Ari kissed him, putting her hands on his chest, lightly pecking him next to his lips, and again on his cheek, looking down into his eyes. There was depth between them, and she could feel his relief in his body as he began pushing up into her, pulling his knees upward and bouncing her gently. Ari moaned, feeling him course into her body so suddenly. She noticed his jaw tense as he started bucking up into her, tilting his head back, his breath hitching as their bodies met repeatedly. She could feel her body stutter with every thrust, broken moans falling from her lips.

He let out a quiet gasp as she grind down onto him, sliding her body back and forth, her tight, wet hole engulfing him and squeezing him as he bit his lip, stifling a moan. Putting his hands on her hips, he began pounding up into her with force, Ari feeling a tingling sensation roll over her as she approached her peak.

“M-March- Oh-” She stammered, feeling herself growing closer to the edge, riding into him roughly, she could feel that he was coming close as his hands gripped her hips tight enough to bruise, pulling her down into him as quickly as he could. She felt her entire body tense up, her entrance gripping him intensely as he rode into her through her climax.

“Come here-” March held out his arms to her, Ari leaning down to rest her chest to his, both of them wrapping their arms around each other.

Ari felt his thrusts become uneven as they both peaked, March moaning quietly, pumping up into her with force as he held her hips to him roughly, releasing inside of her. She met his lips with an intense kiss, wrapping her arms around him, feeling his body still tensing in pleasure as they heatedly pawed each other, both of them breathing heavily.

”.. You won’t.. Talk to him?” March asked breathlessly, reaffirming what she’d said, as though he needed to hear it again.

“Not for awhile, March.. I at least want to give this like a month break, I think we all need the space..” Ari spoke into his ear quietly, running her hands through his hair, ”.. I want to express boundaries here, I’m trying to make this as painless as possible..”

March nodded, seeming content with her answer, ”.. A month- I can work with a month..”

”.. Maybe longer. If he texts me, I’ll tell him I need some space, and leave it at that.” Ari said softly, sitting up and looking down at him, running her hands over his chest, “This whole thing has just been.. Too much.”

They both stay in an embrace for some time, midnight coming and passing, the air around them growing cooler with the night. Eventually they made their way inside, both of them recovering from their close encounter. Ari sat on the bed, Alloy spinging up beside her, lying next to her in a little ball. March approached the bed, looking down at them affectionately, climbing over Ari and lying on the other side of her. It felt nice to be in her bed, clean sheets, soft blanket, fluffy cat to cuddle.

It was the first time they’d spent time cuddling in her bed all together this way. It’s incredible how a fluffy friend can make a bad feel so much more cozy, Ari thought to herself. Ari lie there with March, neither of them tired since they’d napped for four hours.

”So what’s the plan for tomorrow? It’s Tuesday, so not a lot will be goig on.” Ari asked, patting Alloy as she pur next to them, peacefully.

“Well, I definitely need to go take some inventory at the forge, probably have enough orders on the board to fill a week, so I’ll need to get back to that.” March said with a sigh, coming to the reality that he’ll likely have a ton of work since he’d been gone for a few days, ”.. But, at the end of the day I want to go to bed together.. I want to sleep next to you every night.”

Ari loved the sound of that. She loved her cabin, but it was mostly just one room with a bathroom, and it wasn’t much of a ‘house.’ At some point, probably a year or two, she’d likely be living at the shop with them- after he makes some changes to his side.

“Next week, I’m gonna go talk to Ryis about making an expansion on my side of the building. It’s awhile off, I know, but it could take months to get the work done, so I should probably start planning it now.” March elaborated, his mind going to the exact same place Ari’s had.

”.. After we move in together, I could use the cabin as more of a shop than a house, to sell produce. I think that would be nice.” Ari added, both of them thinking about the changes they both wanted to make in the near future.

They had big plans. The goal was to expand his bedroom at the shop into more of a small house, expand Olric’s space into a secondary house, and have the shop connecting them both. March wanted to stay close to the forge and close to his brother, so it would be the perfect set-up for everyone. At some point, Olric would probably get married and have children as well.

“I think the next year for us is definitely going to be busy, I’m excited for it. We’re both going to be busy, but.. I will always make time for you.” He looked at her, pulling her chin so she was facing him directly, ”.. There is no one else in the world I would want to do this with, Ari.”

”.. March..” Ari whispered, kissing him delicately, her eyes lidded, caressing his cheek with one hand, ”.. I’m excited to share these experiences with you.”

Ari was ecstatic, she could really see their future. She thought to herself.. What if they had two boys, just like he and his brother? What if they inherited his blessings and took after him as blacksmiths? As they kissed, Ari felt her future with him flashing before her eyes, realizing, with no fear, that the next few years would be some of the biggest changes she would ever make in her life. A couple months ago she could barely predict what her next day would be like, hopping trains, homeless.. And now it was like her entire world had been flipped upside down, and she started to understand just how incredible her life had suddenly become- with the simple aspect of hope.

Ari felt her eyes tear up, and her nose got a little red, chuckling a little at her own sensitivity ”.. Do you ever think about things like.. If our kids will be boys or girls..?”

”.. I do think about things like that, Ari.” He said seriously, leaning his head into hers, ”That’s what makes all of this so terrifying. I tried not to let myself go there, because if I get my hopes up, it.. It would hurt more if it didn’t work out.”

Ari suddenly understood exactly why March started getting so jealous, recently. He’d started taking her more seriously. Not only that, but on their way to the capital they had talked about exactly that, and March had let his guard down, letting himself think about what their future would be like, what their children would be like, and shortly after that Domenico walked in and put all of those things in limbo. Those things he’d let his walls down to consider became uncertain, as an unpredictable outside force had interrupted, and it was out of his control.

And he hadn’t done anything to deserve that.

”.. For the first time in my life, I can see what my future looks like. Like, actually imagine it, you know?” Ari said quietly, running her nose across his cheek, lovingly.

”.. What do you see..?” He asked softly, barely above a whisper, vulnerability in his eyes as he looked into hers.

”.. I see us, with two boys, and you teaching them how to work the forge while they’re growing up. Across the shop, Olric would have his own kids, and I’d be close with his wife- and it would be a family, for us.” Ari met his vulnerability, speaking gently as she watched the emotion grow in his eyes, “You would be the first thing I think of when I wake up, and the last thing I think about before I fall asleep- not so different to how things are now.”

He pulled her face into his, meeting her with a deep and meaningful kiss. She could feel his heart beating quickly as he pulled her to him, in a tight embrace. His face was just a tinge pink, his expression serious, but light.

”.. March, what do you see in your future..?” Ari asked with a sigh, still holding him in their embrace.

He took a brief pause, finally slowly releasing her from his grasp, laying back down on the pillows, ”.. I see something almost exactly the same in my head when I think about it. I wonder if our kids will inherit my blessing, I wonder which of us they’ll take after. I imagine if we had a daughter, she’d look just like you. If we had boys, I’d teach them the forge from as young as I was. And you and I.. We would never leave.”

“Together, always.” Ari lay her head on his chest, wrapping an arm around him, pulling herself into him tightly.

March nodded, putting a hand on her arm affectionately, wrapping his other arm around her.

”.. I’m willing to fight for that future, any day of the week.” He said with certainty, putting a hand gently on her head and running his hands through her curls.

Ari really thought to herself, and with extreme certainty, she whispered, ”.. Me too, March.”

Chapter Text

March’s POV

About a week had passed, and March had finally caught up on all the work he’d missed out on while they were out of town. With Ari out at the farm figuring out a new sprinkling system to help her manage the massive amount of crops Hayden started growing in her absence, March planned on dropping by Ryis’s shop today and going over some options for expanding his side of the shop. Obviously, it would end up being a team effort, the town just worked that way, but they could come to a deal about it over contract just to sort things out.

He hadn’t really talked to many people about his living situation likely changing soon, but one of the people he needed to talk to about it would be Olric. March wasn’t hesitant to talk to him about it at all, he knew Olric would be supportive. But just for the sake of formality, he needed to discuss it, since they lived together. Unsurprisingly, March had started seeing Merri around a little more lately, under the assumption Olric was at least casually dating her- although they hadn’t said much about it.

March finished up at the forge, completing the last daily order, putting away his supplies and cleaning himself up. He figured now would be a good time to talk about it with Olric, since it was the end of the day. Walking inside, he walked up to the counter. The store had been mostly empty today, not their busiest work day, and he came up behind Olric at the work table and looked over his shoulder, seeing he was breaking open what appeared to be a geode.

“Hey, I want to run something by you, if you have time.” March said, suddenly finding himself fidgeting with his leather apron.

“Sure bro! What’s up?” He asked, turning his attention to him, setting his tools down.

”.. I’m gonna go talk to Ryis today about working out some changes to my side of the place. Uh, I’m sure you’ve noticed I spend like every single night with Ari, so.. I want to live with her. I’m.. Going to ask her to marry me.. Soon.” March looked down at the ground, feeling honestly just awkward, as Olric stared up at him with a look of surprise written on his face.

“You’re.. Oh!” Olric was processing, but seemed receptive, March started to get a little nervous that he didn’t say anything definitive right away, ”.. Yeah, I mean! I think that’s great, it’s just a lot earlier than I thought you’d be..”

”.. I’m sure about this.” March reassured him, understanding why he would be hesitant about this, he and Ari had only been together just over a couple months at this point, “I know you know me well enough to know I wouldn’t follow through with this if I wasn’t sure about it.”

“No, I know! You have my full support. I guess the reason I’m acting weird is.. Because I was thinking the same about Merri.” Olric smiled awkwardly, tilting his head, “I’ve been seeing her for a few months now.. We were just keeping things quiet, until.. Well, you know.”

“A few months? I didn’t know you’d been seeing her that long, I have no idea how I missed that.” March ran a hand through his hair, furrowing his brow.

“Ah, well we didn’t really want anyone to know about it.” Olric admitted with a chuckle, “Her dad.. Doesn’t want her to date. But that’s why I want her to move in!.. Because, well, it’s awkward sneaking around..”

March nodded, a genuine smile on his face, ”.. So I’ll talk to Ryis about the three of us making changes to both sides, I’m thinking we turn the bedrooms into living spaces, and add an upstairs master bedroom and two small bedrooms, either side.”

“It’ll probably cost a lot to do both sides, not that we’re struggling. I think you should focus on your side first, and Merri and I can share my bedroom until that’s all done- and then after we can focus on my side of the house.” Olric assured, seeming to give his full blessing, “Three bedrooms?”

“Well yeah, we want kids at some point in the near future, you know. Not super soon, but within five years, might as well get that figured out now while we have the time.” March said with a sigh, leaning against the counter.

”.. I remember like five months ago, you were never planning on any of this. I think it’s great!.. You know, that you found someone who makes you feel that way. Never thought I’d see it.” He responded honestly, sincerity in his voice.

“Well, you know.. When the options were Juniper or Reina, I didn’t want that.” March chuckled, thinking back on his mindset then, “I never thought I’d meet anyone like Ari.”

”.. What’s wrong with Reina?” Olric snickered, turning back toward his geode and breaking it open, revealing a bright-orange gemstone.

“There’s nothing wrong with them, they’re just.. Not for me, you know? I would’ve rather been single and just stuck to blacksmithing if it came between that or one of the girls we grew up with.” March finally admitted, or maybe just realized, ”.. They’re just not like me.”

Olric nodded, brushing off his gemstone, “I think you and Ari are perfectly matched. Besides, you know I felt the same way about the girls in town.. Merri doesn’t live here, I get having to go out of the six bachellorettes around here to find one who.. Fits.”

“I’m planning on forging her ring by hand. Silver with a diamond. I’m going to make the detailing myself. I think a three-stone ring suits her, something delicate. Like, I want to put plant and vine detailing in the silver- I know she doesn’t want a big diamond, too flashy for Ari.” March was more or less thinking to himself out loud at this point, Olric smiling at the obvious ball of nerves March was.

“I’m sure she’ll love anything you make for her, man. Try not to overthink it.” Olric said with a smile.

“Ari? I could ask her with no ring and she would say yes- I just want it to be perfect.” March ran a hand over his face, nervously, realizing for the first time that he actually felt a high level of anxiety about this, the closer he gets to asking.

“Hey, it will be, don’t stress over it. There's no trophy for best proposal.” Olric got up from his desk, patting March comfortingly on the arm with a short laugh, "I’m thrilled for you! I never thought I’d live to see you this worked up over a relationship, it’s kinda funny.”

“Yeah, it’s only asking someone to spend the rest of their life with me and have my children.” March rolled his eyes, the words seeming to actually add more anxiety to his body language.

“I mean, I guess you’re right about that, but it sounds like you already know she wants that- all you have to do right now is make the ring.” Olric reassured him, trying to sedate some of the high, jittery energy coming from March, “Man, I’m not used to seeing you like this, if you’re this nervous now, wait until the day of.”

March took a deep breath, realizing he was right. This was going to be fine, everything was on the right track.

“Well, I have an appointment to meet with Ryis and his uncle, so I better head over. Hey.. Thank you for talking to me about this.” March said quietly, rubbing the back of his neck, “I.. Feel a lot better after telling you,”

“There’s nothing I wanted more than for you to actually get what you deserved in a partner, bro. I think it’s great.” Olric smiled, wiping off his hands with a towel, giving him another reassuring pat on the shoulder, “I’ll see you later, let me know how your talk with Ryis goes!”

March found himself wondering what Ari was up to. He spent a lot of his day thinking about her when he was away from her. It felt so weird walking around without her when they’d gone everywhere together for almost a week. He never knew someone’s absence could feel so noticeable.

Walking up the path, the carpenter’s cabin came into view, Ryis standing out front at his saw mill. March skipped his way up the steps, Ryis hearing him through his work and turning back to see him.

“Hey!” He chirped, turning off his saw and laying it flat on the table, turning toward March while taking off his gloves, “How’s it goin’?”

“Hey Ryis, sit down for a talk? I’ve got some plans.” March got straight to business, ready to get these plans in motion as soon as possible.

They both walked inside, no one else appeared to be in. The original plan was to sit down with Ryis and his uncle both, but he didn’t appear to be around. Both of them sat down, Ryis taking his place across the table, taking out a pen and notepad.

“So what do you have planned, March? New shed?” Ryis asked with a friendly smile.

“Well.. I wanna expand the house around the forge, kinda like two houses connected by the shop. My goal is to make my current bedroom a living room, add a bathroom and a small kitchen and diming area, and have three bedrooms in an added second floor. Sound workable? Money isn’t a problem, just need a hand with the work.” March said directly, “And your keen eye for building planning.”

”.. Expanding? You adopting four kids?” Ryis chuckled, but then like it dawned on him he looked a little surprised, “Wait, are you and Ari-?”

”.. We’re planning on getting married, probably soon, yeah.” March said with a flat tone, recalling Ryis having a serious crush on Ari not long ago, “Hope that isn’t weird for you. Not intending it to be.”

“Not at all, I support her choice.” Ryis said with a nervous smile, ”.. Just seems so sudden, I guess. Are you happy with this plan? Asking as a friend.”

March didn’t have to think twice, “I mean yeah, probably the surest I’ve been in my whole life.”

They both sat in silence for a few seconds, Ryis seeming to process everything.

“Congratulations to you both!” He said with a smile, clearing his throat, “Alright, so I’ll need to come by and take some measurements of the property space, and then I’ll be able to give you an estimated potential room size, per room, and we can go over estimates for the job.”

After another hour or so of them going over necessary tasks and requirements, both of them scheduled a time for Ryis to come by later in the week, March telling him he’d be over at the inn, waving him off and walking down the deck steps and back onto the path, a smile on his face. He felt his pocket vibrate, pulling out his phone to check a text.

Ari: “Drinks at the inn at 6?”

March: “Wouldn’t miss it, can’t wait to see you.”

Ari: “Feeling’s mutual, cutie <3”

March smiled at her text, locking his phone and putting it in his pocket, ready to head over to the inn a little early. It was about 5PM, so he would be expecting Ari in about an hour- No point in starting another project with that small amount of time, but would be a good time for a beer or two after a long day of work.

March walked up to the inn, opening the door, the guest bell dinging in the mostly-empty bar, tables completely unoccupied. It was the third Friday of the month, so people would no doubt be coming in before too long, everyone gets done at work around this time. He walked up, sitting at the empty counter, Hemlock walking out from the back storage.

“Oh! Didn’t hear you come in! You thinking your usual?” Hemlock asked, washing his hands on the sink and drying them.

“Yep, that sounds great.” March said, leaning his face on his hand.

Hemlock passed him his beer, giving him a friendly wave as he went back to stocking supplies. March was enjoying the quiet before everyone started showing up. Halfway through his first pint, he heard the guest bell, looking over to see if Ari had come early- but realized it was actually Juniper. He didn’t wave or smile, just kind of noted she was there and went back to drinking his pint, not thinking much of it.

He felt a hand slide over his upper back, and an arm around his shoulder, making him flinch at the sudden, unexpected physical contact.

“Look who it is~” Juniper cooed, taking a seat on the other side of March, leaning over onto the counter and facing him.

“Whadya want, Juniper?” March asked sardonically, looking away from her as he drank his beer, already knowing something was up.

“Well I just had to stop by and ask you, is it true~?” She asked with a sickeningly sweet tone in her voice, leaning in closer to him.

“What?” March asked, quirking an eyebrow and looking at her with annoyance on his tongue.

“That you’re getting married?” She whispered, running a finger down his arm, March pulling away from her.

”.. Who told you that?” March asked brashly, rolling his eyes at how fast word travels in their town, “Not really any of your business.”

“So it is true!~ O-ho-ho-ho~” Juniper giggled, clearly being flirty with her tone and body language, leaning closer and closer to him with every sentence, “Well I don’t know if I like that~ Never got a chance to finish that game we started.”

The guest bell rang, but March was too distracted by his current situation to turn toward the door, Juniper hanging on him now.

”.. Juniper, we never started a game.” March said shortly, shrugging her off of his arm, trying to shake her from him lightly,

“Juniper? What, you won’t call me Juni anymore..?~” She pouted, standing up from her seat and leaning into his ear, pressing her chest against him, tilting his face toward hers by gently guiding his chin with her hand, ”.. I can think of at least one time you called me Juni that I'm sure we both can recall~”

Juniper started leaning in, pressing her face against his affectionately, March attempting to brush her off, but she wasn’t taking much of a hint.

“Hey, Juni, what the fuck are you doing?” Ari asked angrily, standing just behind them.

“U-uh- Well, I was just saying hi to-” Juniper started in defense, but didn’t get to finish.

Before anyone could say anything, Ari aggressively grabbed a thick hand full of purple hair, roughly pulling Juniper toward the front exit, Juniper not able to resist being pulled.

“H-Hey!” Juniper yelled, trying to pull herself out of Ari’s grip.

March stood up from his seat at the bar, panic on his face, jogging over to catch up with the girls who just left out the front door. He could already hear yelling and scuffling, but by the time he got out the front door, all he could see was Juniper on the ground, her hair a wreck, her outfit disheveled, and a red mark developing on her cheek.

“I better never see you bother him again, do you understand me?” Ari’s voice sounded so different right now, March had never seen her this angry.

What added insult to injury was that March knew Juniper as one of Ari’s acquaintances, someone Ari had hung out with on girl’s nights a number of times, Juniper knew they were seeing each other, and she still went so far out of her way to do something like that.

Ari walked angrily back into the inn, muttering to herself, ”.. Stupid bitch.. Shitty Friend.”

March jogged behind her trying to catch her attention as they walked back up to the bar, March catching her and turning her to him. She was shaking mad as he grabbed her by both shoulders, she pulled away as he tried to get her to calm down.

“H-Hey, that was a lot-” March said, lifting her chin up to match her eyes to his, Hemlock now looking out the front door to watch Juniper get up from the ground.

“Oh, you think that was a lot?” Ari cocked her head, her voice was fuming, avoiding him repeatedly as she sat down at the bar, she ran a hand down her face.

“You um.. You’re really that mad..?” March asked, a blush forming across his face, surprise still in his eyes, ”.. Ari, I hope you know I don’t like her.. She’s like a weird cousin with no boundaries.”

“I’m not pissed off at you, I’m.. I need a shot.” Ari said, closing her eyes in frustration, Hemlock walking back over after a long look out the window.

”.. Hey!- Uh.. Drink?” Hemlock asked awkwardly, trying to remain impartial, and cheery.

“Triple shot of Burrand’s whiskey, cola on the side.” Ari ordered from him dejectedly, her hands still over her face.

March was a little worried about her order, a triple shot was a lot starting out, “Are you sure that’s a good idea?”

”.. I’m going to have a triple shot, and I think what I just walked in on was a worse idea than this.” Ari said flatly, furrowing her brow and looking away from him.

Hemlock slid her drink to her gently, giving her a friendly wave. In two drinks, Ari finished it, chasing it with the coke she ordered. March just sort of looked at her, actually surprised by how intense her reaction to all of that was. Ari was extremely mild-mannered, that’s probably why Juniper felt so overly confident coming up to him that way to begin with. Ari was quiet, she didn’t yell, she never really showed her anger- aside from a couple instances between she and March. He sipped his beer, both of them sitting quietly, he wasn’t sure what to say.

--------------------------------------------------------

Ari’s POV

Ari was boiling at the sight of her touching March. She couldn’t even think, didn’t want to talk about it, she just sat there waiting for those shots to kick in, folding her arms over her chest in a defensive way and leaning her face in her hand.

March finally spoke, after a long quiet between them, “You know I would never do that, right?”

Ari sighed, looking over at him and tilting her head, ”.. Yes, I know that. I’m not mad at you. Seeing her with her hands all over you, just..”

There was a silent pause between them, as Ari caught herself- realizing that’s probably exactly how he felt when she told him she’d kissed Domenico. It gave her a little new insight into March’s point of view, allowing her more empathy toward his angry reaction the night of the competition.

”.. Y-Yeah. I know.” March said quietly, leaning in, moving his bar stool closer to hers until they were touching.

He’d had to listen to her in the other room with Domenico, knowing they’d kissed. If this is what just Juniper touching him felt let to Ari, she couldn’t imagine how March had felt. She didn’t have much reason to be mad at March, it was clear from the small snippet of the event she walked in on that he wasn’t reciprocating that at all. She was still left with this deeply troubling feeling in her chest that she couldn’t fully understand.

”.. I know you know.” Ari said with a sigh, putting a hand on his lap, March putting a hand on hers.

“I can’t believe you actually got that mad, I didn’t know you could get that mad, Ari. Kinda scary.” He smiled, a chuckle in his voice, a blush on his face, ”.. Kinda hot.”

Ari looked over at him with a half-hearted grin, looking up at his eyes. She was pretty clearly buzzed now, the shots hitting her relatively fast.

”.. Hemlock, another round, please.” Ari said quietly, still slightly simmering on the inside over the situation.

“No way, you’re not gonna-” March started, getting protective, not liking her pace.

Hemlock slid her another shot, Ari catching it from the bar in a rocks glass, looking over at March. March looked at her, and then down at the shot, and then took the shot from her hand and drank it in one go.

“Wha-?” Ari sat with her mouth agape at the fact that he stole he round, shaking her head in disbelief, “You shot thief.”

March grimaced at the intensity of the alcohol, taking a long drink from his beer, ”.. Oh god, what’s the proof on that-“

“99 proof, it’s good whiskey.” Ari said simply, looking a little dazed.

“Are you insane? You can’t just do four shots of that in fifteen minutes, Ari.” He grabbed her hand to keep her from waving down Hemlock a third time, he could see it on her mind, “You can’t be for real right now, no more shots.”

“What are you, my watcher?” Ari huffed, pouting a little.

March thought about it for a second, and then said with a quirked brow, ”.. Yes?”

Clearly buzzed now, Ari leaned into March suddenly, taking him off guard, “Ugh, why does big boob sauna lady have to be so into you?”

March wrapped an arm around her, muttering with an annoyed look, “Tsch, what makes you think I like them big..?”

“Oh yeah right, like anyone wouldn’t like that.” Ari huffed, leaning on her hand.

”.. Yours are cuter.” March blushed a hot red, and then he made a look like he couldn’t believe he said that out loud, “I-I mean.. Well. Yeah, actually. Never mind, that is what I meant.”

“Cuter?” Ari inquired, tilting her head and looking at him with a flushed look on her face, ”.. What makes them cute..?”

March looked away, around the room, noticing a lot more people had come in since the beginning of their conversation, he started whispering, leaning in close to her, hoping no one would overhear, “Y-You um.. Your nipples are a cute color.. And I think the size suits your body type.. Better.”

Ari was starting to get a rise out of how embarrassed he looked, having this conversation in public.

”.. So, what you’re saying is, you like my nips?” Ari said just slightly louder, earning a panicked expression from March as he looked around to see if anyone was listening in, “So.. How do you feel about my-“

March leaned in, kissing her hard, pulling her face into his. Ari giggled into the kiss, knowing it was his way of averting the conversation to something different. Not meaning to, Ari set a hand on his upper thigh, trying to catch herself because he was pulling her out of her seat into the kiss, and heard a surprised noise come from him as she was about one inch from full-on just grabbing him in public.

“W-woah-” March pulled away from their kiss, grabbing her hand and looking around again, “A-Ari..”

Ari giggled a little at his nervousness, noticing how red his face was, ”.. Your face is so red right now.”

”.. It’s not..” March muttered under his breath, putting his hand on his cheek and leaning on the counter.

“Heyy! You guys, where have you been?!” Reina’s voice said excitedly, “I haven’t seen you in weeks, you guys are always off doing your own thing!”

Ari looked over in surprise at the sudden entry of a third party to their bubble, “Reina! Hey!”

Ari got up from her seat, hugging Reina.

”.. I um.. May have heard you had a little fist-to-cuffs with someone a little bit ago, that’s.. Sort of why I came down.” Reina admitted quietly.

March stayed facing the counter, ”.. Yeah, something like that.”

“Oh, did she text you about it? Good, hope it stuck.” Ari rolled her eyes, leaning back on the bar stool.

“Um.. Actually yeah, she called and.. Cried.” Reina said hesitantly, “What even happened?”

”.. I walked in and she was hanging all over my boyfriend. She left that part out, I’m sure.” Ari said, folding her arms, leaning on March’s shoulder for comfort.

”.. She did leave that out, yeah.” Reina sighed in mild frustration, “Was she like.. Touching him and stuff?”

”.. Unfortunately.” March said roughly, finishing his beer.

“Not gonna lie, I sorta saw red, I don’t think I’ve ever felt like that before.” Ari admitted, sitting back down in her seat and linking one of her legs around March’s.

March put a hand around her arm for support, running his thumb over her skin.

“I mean.. I thought maybe she was exaggerating, I’ve never even seen you mad before.. But.. You actually hit her?” Reina asked, still trying to wrap her head around it.

“Wait, you hit her?” March asked, turning toward her, not realizing he had missed that part completely.

“Hemlock, could I grab one more shot of whiskey?” Ari asked with a sigh, starting to regret losing her temper like that- but mostly just not wanting to talk about it anymore, “Listen, if you talk to her, tell her to keep her hands to herself and we won’t have any problems.”

Ari immediately took her shot, cringing at the intensity of it.

”.. And tell her not to talk to March. They’re not even friends, anyway.” Ari finished, leaning her head on March’s shoulder.

“I’ll tell her, Ari. I don’t even blame you, it sounds like she made a bad choice.” Reina said seriously, taking a sip of her drink.

March wrapped an arm around Ari, their chairs still close together, Ari was leaning in toward him, feeling protected under his arms.

“Oh hey, I don’t think I got a chance to say it March, but congrats on the win!” Reina said to March, changing things to a more positive topic, “I think it’s amazing what you did for Mistria, how was the trip?”

“Mostly good.” March said shortly, grabbing Ari’s hand with his other hand, “Unexpected, but everything is so much better now.”

”.. I’ll explain, because I’ve already told Reina about this, but my old boyfriend from when I was young was coincidentally also a blacksmith in the competition.. And I saw him there, first time in years after we lost touch.” Ari said quietly, Reina taking a seat on the other side of her, “It was confusing, and emotional, and.. I’m just really glad to be home.”

“That sounds so crazy.. Was he a lot different than you remember?” Reina asked, genuinely curious.

”.. He looked a lot different, but.. He was still how I remember him being. Anyway.. Things were complicated, it’s.. Still complicated. But I really want to just go back to it just being us.” Ari linked her fingers with March’s, already knowing how he would feel talking about it.

“I’m glad you guys are back. So.. Ryis said you’re expanding the shop?” Reina asked, having a lot of things to catch up on after so long, “Are you.. Making the shop bigger? Ryis didn’t say.”

”.. Ari is moving in with me.” March said, glancing up at Ari for brief confirmation.

“Mhm.” Ari hummed, lifting a hand to March’s cheek, as if to reassure him of any uncertainty, no matter how small, after everything that happened a bit ago.

“That’s great! Oh my gosh, that’s so crazy!” Reina said, excitement in her eyes, “Wow, you guys are doing so much!”

March unlinked his fingers with her, riding his hand up her thigh as high as he could, Ari grabbing his hand in surprise, still talking to Reina. She could tell he wanted her attention back, he was teasing her.

“Y-yeah, I um.. I’m really excited.” Ari stuttered, turning her head toward March and pulling his hand slightly back down her thigh, “H-hey um, that last shot is starting to kick in, I think I’m gonna head out, Reina. It was really good to see you!”

“Oh, okay! I’ll text you soon!” Reina said with surprise, Ari getting up to leave was so sudden.

March smirked, throwing some money down on the counter to generously cover their tab, “Bye Reina, it was nice seeing you.”

March pulled Ari to him, wrapping his arm around her tightly as they left the inn. The night was cool, this summer starting off a little colder this year than usual- but just by a small amount. It was a cloudy night sky, and the wind was blowing, Ari could smell the humidity hanging in the air.

“Wanna stop and grab some snacks from the store?” March asked, rubbing his cheek on hers.

“That sounds great.” Ari smiled, walking with him across the road.

They both walked in, it was only about 8PM, Nora waving at them from the counter. They were both pretty tipsy, hanging all over each other, looking through the food area of the shop.

“You like any fruit?” Favorite?” March asked, looking over some of the produce held for the summer.

“Hmm.. Strawberries, for sure. Um, we could do handmade shortcakes, that would be good.” Ari suggested, picking up half-cup shortbread slices and whipped cream in a can, turning to him with a playful smile.

“Sure, I could go for that.” March agreed amicably, picking up a couple containers of strawberries.

Both of them checked out, a couple bags in their hands, and headed back toward the cabin. They were both in good spirits, both of them smiling and chuckling, the events from earlier in the day seeming very far away. Ari felt her phone vibrate, checking and seeing that it was a call from Domenico. March glanced down when she looked, seeing the screen.

”.. It’s okay, you know. If you want to answer.” March mumbled, pressing his lips together in a slight frown, trying to be considerate- Ari could see in his body language how uncomfortable it made him to say that.

”I.. Don’t want to talk to him right now. I’ll just send him a text and tell him it isn’t a good time..” Ari sighed, already seeing a pang of discomfort on March’s face.

Ari: “I’m sorry, it’s not a good time right now.”

Domenico: “I’ll try back tomorrow, sorry to bother you.”

Ari: “I just need time right now, Domeno. If you give me a month, I’ll talk to you after that. I think we all need the space.”

Domenico: ”.. Okay, Frostie.”

Ari closed her phone with a deep breath, looking over at March with a half-hearted smile, “Um.. Sorry about that.”

“You don’t need to apologize, Ari. I’m.. Glad you don’t feel like you need to talk to him right now.” March blushed, looking down at his feet.

Ari could feel there were a million things zigzagging through his mind right now, any time the topic of Domenico came up- and it unfortunately was often.

”.. I really just want people to leave us alone, these days.” Ari admitted with a slight chuckle in her tone, “I like what we’re building together, and it just feels like everyone wants to disrupt that.”

“I know what you mean.” March agreed, sliding his hand into hers.

Ari leaned in, putting her head on his shoulder, “When I’m alone with you, nothing feels better.”

”.. I feel the same way.” March said softly, pulling her close to him.

“You have such a reputation for being mean, but.. I think you’re the person I’ve ever met that I most understand.” Ari elaborated, feeling like she might be talking too much, “I’m.. Sure you know.”

“Most understand..?” March inquired, asking her to share more.

“I think we were butting heads before.. Because we’re alike. We keep to ourselves, we’re quiet, we care about work, and we’re both really serious. Out of all the friendly, easygoing people in this town.. I was most drawn to you.” Ari explained, “Probably because we had difficult childhoods, in one way or another. Grew up fast.”

“That’s true.” March agreed, his sentences were short, as if he were deep in thought, “Ari.. I’ve been thinking. You haven’t been having nightmares since we got back. Do you think they’re a stress response to seeing Domenico..?”

Ari hadn’t really made the connection, but he was probably right. Seeing Domenico put her in a headspace that made her feel so many things, good, bad, and ugly. She loved Domenico, but he was linked to something deep and terrible in her subconscious that she was still having trouble confronting.

“I.. Hate that when you talk to him, you cry.” March said, furrowing his brow and shaking his head, looking out toward the approaching field.

“The hardest part is that.. It’s not Domeno’s fault things happened the way they did, and it isn’t his fault he’s part of that history. I just can’t keep him close now, even when I miss him sometimes.” Ari admitted, trying to be honest about how she felt.

“You miss him?” March asked, not angrily, just trying to understand.

“I do. But.. I don’t miss the negativity that comes along with his presence.” Ari continued, “I pick you and what we have, that always comes first. Even if it means that.. Sometimes I feel sad that it couldn’t be different- that he couldn’t just be a friend.”

They met her deck, Ari leading them up the steps, unlocking her front door and opening it. They walked in, Alloy getting up from the couch, stretching, and coming over to greet them. Ari knelt down, giving her some scratches between the ears. They both set their bags down on the counter, Ari walking up to March and putting her arms around his shoulders, pulling him to her, pressing his lips to his, softly.

It felt nice to be alone together, after having been apart for most of the day. March filled Ari in on all the updates regarding the renovations and told her about talking to Ryis.

“When the renovations start, you can stay here with me until it’s all done if you want.” Ari said with a smile, unpacking their strawberry shortcake ingredients.

Taking them to the sink and grabbing a bowl from the counter, Ari began washing the berries, cutting them, and putting them in the bowl. They were both still pretty buzzed, Ari slightly more buzzed- sort of drunk. March, wearing a pair of black joggers and a sleeveless seafoam green shirt, kicked off his black shoes and walked up behind her, wrapping his arms around her in front of the sink.

”.. I think Ryis is the one who blabbed to Juniper about you moving in with me. And in record time, it took her like twenty minutes to find out and come to the inn. Makes me think he sent her a text about it or something.. Well, I guess I did tell Olric, but Ryis is the one who knew where I was going afterward.” March was thinking out loud, seeming very skeptical of the situation, “It’s almost like.. Juniper’s been talking about being into me, to other people. Eh, maybe I’m paranoid..”

“No, I think you’re right. I think someone’s talking to people about our lives behind our back, even if it isn’t malicious.” Ari agreed, still cutting up the berries.

“Ryis, malicious? Never.” March said, confusion in his tone, trying to understand, ”.. But a little down about you being off the market, he could’ve vented to someone. I could see that.”

”.. I’m not off the market yet.” Ari said playfully, nudging March with her elbow and flashing her empty ring finger.

”.. Don’t play dirty.” He muttered, a blush across his face, “What, are you planning on getting with Ryis in the next six days?”

“Six days..?” Ari stopped cutting the fruit and turned to face him, looking up at him seriously.

“Somewhere between six days to two weeks, the supplies came in today, actually.” He said matter-of-factly, putting his arms around her waist and pulling her into him, a shy smile pulling at his lips, ”.. Unless you’ve had a change of heart.”

“My heart is yours, March.” Ari said sweetly, running a hand up his chest, “My ring finger is waiting patiently, and I’m sure it’s not going anywhere. It’s been on my hand all day every day for my entire life, it’ll still be here in twenty days.”

He leaned in, kissing her deeply, pushing her back on the counter.

Breaking their kiss, he leaned his forehead into hers, searching her eyes, ”.. You’ll really say yes..?”

“I would say yes if you asked me now, with or without a ring.” Ari giggled reassuringly, placing a hand on his cheek.

Ari kissed him again, running her hands over her chest, and then stopped herself from getting too physical by turning back toward the sink, resuming her berry cutting. March continued running his hands over her skin, gently caressing her neck with his lips, watching as Ari’s hair stood on end.

”.. The berries are never gonna get cut.” Ari said playfully, tilting her head to allow him more access to her neck, her actions betraying her words.

Finishing the berries, she took some sugar, sprinkling it over the bowl of cut up berries, flipping them so they were lightly coated. March opened the shortcake, handing it to her, as she got two bowls down from the cabinet. She put the half-cup shortcakes in the bowls, adding a generous amount of berries to each cup as March wrapped his arms around her waist, seeming fully entranced by her and disinterested in the food. As she put the bowl down, March pickled up the can of whipped cream, handing it to Ari.

”.. If you keep touching me like that, you’ll be the snack.” Ari joked playfully as he ran his hands up the front of her chest, pressing the front of his body into her as she added a heavy amount of whipped cream to the shortcakes.

"Don't threaten me with a good time." He responded in a low voice, seeming to be talking more to himself than to Ari.

She handed him his bowl and a spoon, grabbing a spoon for herself. They both walked over to the couch, Ari sitting as close to him as possible, pulling a blanket over them both.

March, taking a bite of shortcake and berries, looked over to her with an impressed look, “I think I could eat this every day.”

Ari nodded with a smile, taking a copiously large bite, getting whipped cream on the side of her mouth without realizing it. March looked over at her, a blush working it’s way across his face as he watched her, thinking to himself.

“Hm?” Ari inquired, noticing his stare.

“You just have a little..” March trailed off, taking his index finger and wiping the whipped cream from her mouth.

Ari, seeing the opportunity to return some of the flirting he’s been doing for the last hour, caught his hand as he went to pull it away, taking his finger in her mouth completely, twirling her tongue around it and sucking on it, purposely making eye contact with him as she slowly pulled it from her mouth, releasing his hand.

March, eyes wide open, face red, seemed stunned into silence as he left his hand floating in mid air, unsure of what to say. Shortly after, his eyes became sultry, a dazed look on his face as he looked at her, watching her continue eating.

“Y-you can’t just do something like that and just..” March said quietly, his face was so serious, a dark pink tinge over his cheeks, looking down at his bowl and then back up at her.

“Do what..?” Ari asked cutely, pretending she had no clue what he meant, taking another bite of her berries.

March looked at her flatly, his face still red, and set his bowl down on the coffee table, getting up from the couch. Ari giggled to herself deviously, continuing eating.

Eventually, March sat back down next to her, leaning toward her, and before she fully realized what he was doing, she could hear the sound of the whipped cream can and felt whipped cream cold on her chest, just above her tank top.

”Wh-what are you doi-?!” Ari stammered, dropping her mostly empty bowl off the couch, spoon hitting the floor with a clatter.

March playfully wrangled her hands, leaning down and licking the whipped cream off of her chest, earning an airy squeal from her.

“M-March-!” She said desperately, both of them wrestling on the couch now, Ari being pinned down in the process, March running his tongue over her skin, looking up at her with a red face, clearly way outside of his own comfort zone but dedicated to teasing her back.

As his tongue traveled south, reaching the hem of her shirt, Ari could feel how hard he was through his joggers, the feeling of him pressed so hard against her made her gasp, arching her body up into his. His eyes were dark, desire written all over his face as he pulled back, looking down at her, hands still pinned over her head.

”.. Don’t tease me.” March whispered gruffly, pressing into her, a moan trickling from her mouth at his forwardness.

Ari looked up at him with a red face, her breath quickening, and whispered back, ”.. Kiss me.”

Taking no pause, March released her hands, crashing his lips against hers with a barely audible moan, pressing himself into her, Ari wrapping her legs around his waist. Ari pulled him down into her, increasing the friction, wrapping her arms round him, running her hands through his hair as their kiss continued.

Beginning to grind into her harder, grabbed her by both hips, pulling her up into him, breaking their kiss with a gasp, “Oh- F-fuck, Ari..”

Ari could feel him tensing, his breath hitching in his throat, he was putty in her hand right now and she could feel the intensity of his arousal as he shook overtop her, adrenaline coursing through his motions. Pulling at his shirt and lifting it over his head, running her hand over his chest and abs as he began grinding down onto her, looking her in the eyes.

”.. You feel different right now.” Ari said breathlessly, assessing the look in his eyes, feeling invigorated by his dark stare.

March leaned down roughly whispering into her ear, each thrust making both of them tremor, ”.. I just want to make you mine again.”

...

She moaned out weakly as he nipped at her neck, kissing her skin, he continued, ”.. And again. And Again..”

He kneeled in front her, pulling at her leggings, taking them off and tossing them to the side, looking down at her and appreciating her body, reaching a hand down and tracing the hem of her black, lace panties. Running his hand up her belly, feeling her soft skin beneath his fingertips. He got up from his spot between her legs, pulling her panties halfway down her thighs, and pushing her legs together, pushing them up toward her chest. He then leaned down, beginning to lap at her folds, flipping his tongue back and forth across her clit roughly as she moaned from the suddenness of his actions. He was rough with his touch this time, like he’d been thinking about this all day, and Ari was turned on by how intensely he wanted her.

’Why does big boob sauna lady have to be so into you?'
Ari heard her own words from earlier echoing in her head.

In this moment, it clicked to her again, his eyes were completely on her. Only on her. Desperate to be close to her, needing to please her. He had his hands all over her body from the moment Ari expressed that insecurity at the inn, earlier.

“O-oh my god, March-!” Ari moaned weakly, arching her back as he sucked and licked at her entrance, slipping two fingers into her and earning a gasp from her, “A-ah-!”

March quietly moaned onto her, Ari could see that he had one hand wrapped around his cock, his joggers and boxers pulled slightly down. Ari felt her eyes roll back in her head at the image of March pleasuring himself while he fingered her, feeling him lightly pant while flipping his tongue over her clit repeatedly, moving his head back and forth as he did.

Pulling his fingers from her, March pulled himself back up, pulling her panties the rest of the way off, Ari spreading her legs to accommodate him as he kneeled in front of her, watching him slowly rub himself, his abs and pecs flexing and tensing as he did. March was looking her over, her legs spread, her tank top pushed up, her face red, panting.

“Ari..” He said lowly, leaning down and kissing her, taking his place back exactly where he belonged, ”.. I love you.”

She felt a hit of endearment at his words, wrapping her arms around the back of his neck and pulling him down to her, their chests touching. Even during times like this, where he was overcome with desire, the thing on his mind was always how they were emotionally connected.

Ari paused, taking his face in her hands and looking into his eyes, “I love you too, March..”

Feeling reassured, he kissed her heavily, beginning to push into her entrance, both of them gasping into the kiss. Ari could feel his body trembling as he was completely enveloped by her. Usually he would pause here, kiss her, allow both of them time to get used to this- but this time, he immediately grabbed her by the hips and began thrusting strongly into her, Ari moaning out at the intensity of him. March was looking down at her with depth, watching her with arousal as he made her body buck and tremble beneath him.

Ari thought to herself how outside the norm he was moving, he seemed so assured, secure in himself and their connection enough that he didn’t need the high level of external validation from her that he usually craved. Maybe he got that validation earlier, when he saw how jealous she got over that incident- Maybe he felt assured because she told him she would say yes to his upcoming proposal. Unsure of why, she could feel in his actions how absolute he was, taking no time to show her exactly what he felt.

March used to be filled with quiet insecurity in the face of intimacy with her, from the first time they’d been intimate he almost always needed to hear a lot of reassurance from Ari that things were real. That he could feel safe in having intense emotions toward her. That she was just as in love as he was. That she needed this as badly as he did. But now, it seems he knew perfectly well that she was equally hooked on and dedicated to him, that she wasn’t going anywhere, that she was perfectly serious, and that this was going to be his life partner.

Ari’s body was stuttering and bucking as he laid into her. March held himself over her with his hands, watching the pleasure all over her face as he gravely pursued her climax, relentlessly thrusting his body into hers. Ari lifted a hand, caressing his cheek, barely recognizing the noises coming from her own mouth. His face looked so serious, so driven, his eyes were dark and needy as he changed his angle, grabbing her by both hip and pulling her into him roughly. Ari felt a low buzz in her belly, feeling herself growing fuzzier as he persisted, not slowing. Feeling her body become tense, he began rutting into her harder, rougher, faster- until her walls clenched onto him and he could feel her pleasure reverberating through her body.

“M-March-!” She moaned out his name, March closing his eyes and tilting his head back at the sound of her voice, leaning down and putting his chest to hers, affectionately.

She could feel his body shaking, wrapping her arms around him, kissing his neck as his rhythm slowed just a little. He was breathing heavily, the heat radiating from his body like a furnace.

“You..” Ari panted, March slowing to turn his attention to her, ”.. You feel s-so good..”

He paused to look at her, his face blushed, kissing her gently as they take a few moments to stop and rest- both of them catching their breath, touching each other, kissing.

“I wanna be on top for a while.” Ari whispered, March withdrawing from her and sitting up on the couch.

After a couple seconds of recovery, Ari sat up, getting up from the couch and straddling him, putting a hand on his erection as he rested his hands on her waist. It felt so intimate to be face to face like this again. She lowered herself onto him, his cock slowly reentering her. Both of them moaned softly at the reentry, she could already feel his hips unintentionally push up into her at the sensation.

”.. You’re.. So rough today.” Ari said breathlessly, putting a hand on his cheek, wanting to return a little familiar intimacy to their encounter.

”.. Sorry, I’m not trying to be.” March said softly, looking down at her waist, running his hands over her body, “I-I just.. Seeing you get jealous earlier.. Did something to me.”

”You didn’t know I get jealous..?” Ari asked incredulously, thinking it such an obvious thing.

“Well no, you’ve never seemed..” He trailed off, pulling her body down onto him, sudden arousal in his voice, “I-it was.. It felt good to know you could care about that, so..”

”.. I don’t want anyone else to touch you.” Ari put a hand under his chin, tilting his face up to look at hers, kissing him deeply, “If you were under the impression I didn’t care, you were mistaken. I’ve just never needed to worry about it before.. You’re usually at the shop or with me or Olric.”

He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her to him, both of them gasping into their kiss, their tongues meeting feverishly. Before she could move, he began pulsing up into her gently, lifting her by her hips, pulling her down onto his lap and moving her back and forth. Ari wrapped her arms around him, meeting his thrusts. As their kiss went on, she could feel his breathing become uneven, March moaning quietly into her mouth. She could feel that he was close, his breath catching in his chest, his hands lightly shaking on her waist.

He broke their kiss, pulling her close to his chest, “Ari-!”

Holding her to his body, March lifted her up, flipping them back over so he was on top. She looked up at his face, flushed with pleasure, panting softly as he chased his own orgasm.

“F-fuck, o-oh-” He panted, leaning in, taking her lips in passion, moaning softly into her mouth.

Ari felt his hands grip her hips with force, as she held onto him for stability, he thrusts shaking her entire body vigorously. His thrusts became jagged, his voice shaky, pushing into her deeply and reaching his peak, filling her as she clung to him, both of them moaning softly as he continued pushing into her through his orgasm.

Both of them catching their breath, March gave her a peck on the side of her mouth, letting his nose run across her cheek, wrapping his arms around her.

"I want this for the rest of my life." Ari sighed with a soft tone in her voice, running her hands through his hair affectionately.

"The rest of our lives started two months ago.." March said, still heatedly, pulling a blanket over them both and running his hands over her skin, kissing up her chest and onto her neck.

Ari realized he was right, this was already the rest of their lives. It was already in motion. They were already certain, this was already in their minds. March was already living in the moment, and she could feel his attachment to her growing exponentially as the days went on. For the first time in her life, she felt so sure of her future- and she wasn't worried at all.

"I hope I make you as happy as you've made me." Ari said quietly, feeling his lips run across her neck lovingly, both of them still connected and entangled in their afterglow.

".. I don't think I knew what happiness was until I met you, Ari." March whispered into her ear, Ari felt his nose grace her skin gently, she closed her eyes at the sound of his voice being so rugged and real, ".. I think I was going through with the motions, living in purgatory until you walked into my life and made me feel something. Only feeling anything if I won, or someone recognized my work. You're the first person who really saw me.."

She was taken back at his words, the truth and vulnerability of what he was saying. It was relatable, they'd ignited something so serious and grave the moment they'd collided, and both of them could feel it.

"March.." Ari sighed, feeling his hands on her thighs, his face shielded in the side of her neck, both of them existing in their own world, "O-oh.."

Ari could feel that he was still hard, their words urging him further, March kissing her neck softly as he inadvertently began pushing into her body at the sensation of her still wrapped tightly around him. She could feel that he was resisting the urge to continue, saving space for their intimate moment, his body tensing slightly.

Ari wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling him into her, earning a quiet gasp from March, as if to tell him she wanted to continue. He met her body language, pulsing up into her, moaning quietly into her neck as Ari ran her nails gently over the skin of his back, clinging to him as he slowly and ruggedly reentered her.

"B-before I came to Mistria-" Ari said quietly between airy breaths, "I never thought- I-I'd be able to connect.. To someone else this way."

March, holding himself above her to look at her face, "Ari-.."

"With you.. It just feels natural-" Ari said softly, putting a hand on his cheek, "I- Couldn't even look at myself naked without feeling.. Weird."

".. I'm curious, Ari.. Did you ever touch yourself before you met me..?" March asked quietly, intimately, genuinely wondering out loud.

".. The first time I ever did was that time at the shop, when you.." Ari paused with an inhale, feeling him pulsing inside of her, ".. Pushed me up against your door. I left my wallet because I ran out.."

March let out a soft gasp, feeling her tighten around him, thinking back on it. He could feel her lower belly tighten with excitement at the memory of him cornering her and nearly kissing her that day.

"I.. Wanted to kiss you that day.." March admitted with a blush, leaning back down to kiss her neck, whispering to her, "When I came to your house, that's why you looked..?"

Ari felt her face grow hot, feeling his body react in response to that knowledge, she could feel his abs flexing as he tensed at the thought of it, she admitted quietly, ".. That was the first time I.. Could."

He began picking up his pace a bit, both of them moaning at the sudden movement, March was still going relatively relaxed in his pace, this time around feeling much more emotional and pure than before. He pulled back up onto his arms, looking down at her face as he began laying into her, watching the pleasure all over her face as his body met hers with vigor. Ari reached a hand up, running her fingers over his muscular body, looking back up into his eyes as he began bucking into her roughly, both of them softly moaning at the contact.

"G-god- Ari-" March whimpered softly, feeling her body clench onto him, her legs shaking as she grew closer to her peak, "F-fuck.."

His name fell from her lips, over and over again, as he met her with force, both of them shaking. Every time she said his name, she could feel him grow more desperate in his movements, aggressively pulling her up into him to increase the roughness of their unity. As she looked up at him, a dazed look on his face, his cheeks pink with emotion, his dark eyes targeting her, she felt small under his gaze.

"M-my name sounds so good.. Coming from your mouth, Ari.." March said quietly, pursuing her orgasm, his entire body shaking as he etched his emotions into her body, Ari merely squeaking beneath him.

"M-March-!" Ari bellowed, her voice lilting with each thrust of his body, feeling every feeling course through him and into her.

"Ari.. Please tell me.. H-How I make you feel.." March pleaded, not slowing, his voice breathless.

"M-March- I-" Ari moaned out, unable to answer quickly, trying to string together even a small thought in response, "Y-you’re.. Oh- I-I love you-"

It was the only thing she had bouncing through her mind like a marble, ping-ponging back and forth, rattling her thoughts as he shook her with every stride. Hearing her say that, she felt a jolt roll through him, his eyes locking into hers, like she'd said the exact thing he needed to hear most.

"I-I love you.." He echoed, leaning down and kissing her as he picked up his pace, feeling her entire body tremble as she quickly approached her peak.

Her broken moans echoed in the cabin as she shook to completion, March watching her face in a trance as he desperately chased her pleasure, low moans grumbling from deep in his chest as he persisted through her entire body tightening around him.

"F-fuck Ari-" He stammered mindlessly, closing his eyes so he could focus, riding her through her climax, both of them throwing themselves roughly into their motions.

Unable to hold back anymore, he released into her, his jaw tightening as he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into him. After a few solid thrusts, fully letting her have everything, he slowed, kissing her shakily as they both hold each other.

"God, you're s-so good.." Ari said breathlessly, her arms wrapped tightly around him.

".. Ari.." March said with a gentle tone, between heated breaths, "I could do this every single day.."

".. Well you'll be able to, when we live together." Ari chuckled softly, running a hand through his hair, slightly damp with sweat.

"After the measurements are done on Thursday, I'll pack up some things so we can stay here until the place is done." He said quietly, retreating from her finally, laying beside her and wrapping an arm around her.

"Really..?" Ari asked excitedly, turning her body toward his, wrapping an arm back around him, ".. It'll be so nice to see you any time we're not at work."

"I know, no more running between places for clothes.. It'll just be us going off to our jobs and then coming home like a normal couple." He said with a smile, looking over her face, moving a stand of her hair with his fingers.

He was right. It would be really great to come home to him, make dinner with him, sleep beside him, wake up next to him.. When they went back to their separate lives after the competition, Ari found herself feeling lonely at times- something that used to make her feel so uncomfortable. Before, any time she got too used to being around people, she used to retreat and isolate to avoid getting too attached. She felt so certain now, so attached and connected to March, that any time she started feeling lonely.. She wanted to retreat into him. Into his arms, his world, hear his voice- he comforted that feeling of abandonment in her that she used to be so intrinsically aware of at all times.

".. I never want you to leave." Ari said quietly, talking about their living situation on the surface, but he could feel the insecurity in the depth of that statement, running a hand over her cheek.

"Only if you'd asked, would I leave." March said softly, his own insecurity clear in his words, both of them mutually understanding this was a fear that danced in the back of both of their minds from time to time.

"Can't think of any reason I'd ever ask for that.." Ari giggled lightheartedly, rubbing her face against his chest, tightening her hold on him.

"I can be a lot.. I mean it, Ari." He said softly, seriously, kissing the top of her head, ".. If you ever want to take a break from me, all you need to do is say so.. I don't want you to get sick of me."

"March.. I'm sure we'll argue and stuff like everyone else does- but I'll always come back to talk about it with you." Ari reassured him, looking up at him, "I want you here with me at the end of every day.. No matter what."

".. No matter what?" March asked barely above a whisper, seeming to process what she said, "So.. We go to bed together every night, whether we're arguing or not..?"

"I always want to make up before we go to sleep.. Okay?" Ari asked with need, furrowing her brows as she considered the idea that they would eventually have disagreements, knowing the honeymoon phase doesn't last forever, ".. I need to have you with me every night. Even the bad nights.. Promise?"

".. I promise, Ari." He said gently, running his fingers over her arm, hearing the seriousness of her request, feeling that it was something drastically important to her, ".. I don't think I can sleep while you're upset with me anyway."

".. Even if you're mad?" Ari asked in an unsure voice, suddenly a lot of emotion overcoming her.

"Even if we're both mad." He said with clarity, his voice certain.

"I'll hold you to that promise.." Ari said with a smile, linking her pinky with his, playfully.

"I hope you do." He said with a soft chuckle, affectionately running his fingers over her skin, "I want you to hold me to that. Hold me to all of it."

They had made a lot of promises with full intent to keep them, both of them feeling evermore bonded. Ari felt incredibly safe lying next to him, feeling fully assured in their plans- and feeling ecstatic that he'd already made big steps to set their plans into motion. March would likely be at the shop from open to close, so Ari thought it would be nice if she made a habit out of grabbing them both lunch to share every day so they could spend a little time together between their jobs. She didn't mention it, planning to surprise him. After all the effort he'd been putting into their future, the least she could do was bring by lunch to let him know he was on her mind. Ari knew March felt the little things, the random love texts, the little things, he heard every single word she said and he was very sensitive to her tone at all times. She could think of a dozen things that would be small efforts that he would appreciate with depth, just in this moment between them. He was so easy to please, because he felt everything so deeply.

Ari was excited for the next day to come, both of them talking so openly, holding each other. It felt like she could tell him anything. Her fears, her affections, her shower thoughts, she could feel that all of them were safe with March. Every tap of his finger, every breath screamed of his feelings for her.

Ari felt certain this would be the scariest, greatest, most intense next few months of their lives, and she was incredibly prepared to spend it with March.

Chapter Text

The next two weeks passed quickly, they’d begun the work on adding the additional rooms to the forge. Ari felt much better being able to sleep with March every night- and despite the fact that they stayed together more nights than not before, it did feel different living together. Instead of needing to text about where they were staying, she just left the door unlocked and March came in whenever he was done at the forge and his efforts toward the renovations.

They had made a habit of showering together- and while saving water was a positive effect, a majority of the reason was to just have that bonding time together. They cooked together, slept together, showered together, and if March came home before she was done with her work on the crops, he would sit and visit with her as she finished up. As much as it was a relative fear that living together often exposes the other person’s niche habits or social abnormalities, they had been getting along just fine. Ari was hypersensitive to not negatively affecting other people around her and March was extremely orderly, so it hadn’t been difficult to manage one place together.

There had been a lot of incoming outsiders to the town, people who had just heard about Mistria through their rising town rank, and many of them were coming specifically for March’s blacksmithing ability. It had been incredible for the forge, a lot of money toward the town and for March and Olric, but the orders were often on hold and March hadn’t been getting home until 8PM, making his regular shifts twelve or more hours. Ari made it a point, every single day, to bring by lunch and water for both of them so she could make sure he was taking a break throughout his long day. They would sit on the same side of the table, and even the thirty minutes of time between them was more than enough to make the long days more tolerable.

Today was the start of a new day, and Ari was on her way over to Hayden’s with a strawberry pie, some scones, and some homemade peach pudding- finally getting the time to properly thank him for all the work he did while they were away. She’d asked him what the best day for his schedule would be, that way she didn’t disrupt his work too much. It was a rainy day, but the rain had halted just a bit ago, leaving her crops watered for the day. Ari could smell the rain in the air, the summer heat making it feel sticky outside. Making her way down the path, Ari decided it would be good to send March a text to let him know where she would be. It was about 9AM, and she usually ran lunch by for him around 1PM, so she still had a number of hours to kill in the meantime.

Ari: “Going to Hayden’s to drop off some food. I hope your day has been good, I love you. <3”

March: “I love you too, see you in a bit”

Walking up Hayden’s path, his livestock seemed to just be coming out during the break in the rain, all of them munching on the tall grass. Henrietta came out running, seeing Ari and knowing a treat was incoming. She bawked excitedly, whapping her wings and running around, Hayden appearing under the awning on his porch, giving a friendly wave.

“Hey girl! You’re looking beautiful as ever!” Ari said sweetly, crouching down next to Henrietta, giving her a scratch on the top of her head, affectionately, “Oh, were you expecting a treat?”

Ari rummaged in her bag, pulling out two strawberries and letting the hen eat them from her hand, Henrietta excitedly eating them up in a rush. Ari walked the rest of the path, Hayden greeting her with a big, friendly hug, inviting her inside immediately.

“Welcome! Happy you came by!” Hayden said, closing the door behind them both and turning toward Ari.

Already pulling everything out of her bag and setting it on his counter, she excitedly listed, “So I’ve got strawberry pie, crispy on top like you prefer, I’ve got chocolate chip scones, and I brought some peach pudding with a graham cracker crumb topping!”

“Good gosh, Ari, I thought you were just bringing a pie! This is all too much, you didn’t have to do all this!” Hayden exclaimed with surprise, looking at everything with big eyes, picking up the pie and getting a closer look at it, “Thanks so much!”

“Well, you did so much for me, I had to do more than just a pie..” Ari smiled, happy to see him so interested in her food, “I had to look in some recipes, I hope they taste as perfect as they look. What have you been up to on this rainy day?”

“Welp, a couple of my buddies from Central Ides drove their cattle all the way here so I could doctor their hooves! So I’ve got twelve cows with punctured hooves in need of detailing. I’ve gotten four done already, been up since 5AM!” Hayden explained, picking up a scone, ”.. Hey, that’s something I can show ya, if you’ve got time!”

Ari still had a few hours to go, so she agreed, “Oh, sure! I would love to see the hoof doctor in action.”

At the offhand mention of the Ides, Ari thought for just a few moments about Domenico, a few complicated emotions surfacing briefly before dissipating almost entirely in the face of everything that was happening in the moment. More often than not, her thoughts about Domenico generally went that way, now that it had been a week or so since she heard anything from him. Sometimes she thought about shooting him a text, but chose to uphold her decision to wait a full month to talk to him- despite wondering how he was doing for a few seconds out of almost every day.

After spending a little time visiting in the kitchen while Hayden enjoyed the rest of his scone, he led her out toward his barn where all the cows were collected.

“Alrighty! So the first thing is to get one of these injured little ladies into the lift! This one right here is number 454, says it on her tag, but I’m gonna call her Tipsy because I think that’s a better name for her!” He said, walking up to one of the limping cows and patting her on the back.

Ari felt it was incredibly sweet that Hayden didn’t refer to them as numbers. Hayden only kept a few cows that were free roam, but clearly these other cows had a number of other cows in the field with them for their numbers to be that high. He walked up to a machine, helping the cow he called Tipsy into the lift, the machine linking beneath her and hoisting her upward. He pulled one of the levers, lifting her injured foot, which appeared unkept but otherwise seemed normal on the surface.

“Alrighty, so can you tell me what you can see wrong with this girl’s toes?” He asked, patting the cow comfortingly as she pulled at the brace to no avail.

“Just looks like she needs a trim and cleaning, is there something else wrong with her that you can see?” Ari got a close look, checking both sides.

“So, I’ll start out with looking at the angle degree of the hoof. It’s sitting at a steep degree, meaning she’s been trying to adjust her weight to the toes, so I’m willing to bet she has a legion or abrasion near the back of the hoof. I’m gonna file ‘er down to get a better look under the top layer.” He detailed, showing his long years of experience in the field.

He took a round grinder, gently and quickly shaving off extremely thin layers of the hoof near the back of the foot, cleaning it up on the sides, and deepening the groove in the center of the foot in between. As he cut away a few layers of the hoof, a black, jagged line beneath began to become obvious.

“See that right there? That there’s a malformation in the claw, I’m gonna shave away a bit more and you’ll see how deep the injury runs. This young lady is going to need a block on the other side of her foot so she doesn’t put too much pressure on the hurt side, so I’ll shave that side flat as well.” He took his goved hand, pointing out the areas he was referring to, very demonstrative.

He began shaving down the hoof, and the injury began to look wet the further in he went, it was fizzing and bubbling as the pressure inside released- it looked like she must feel very relieved, all that air having congregated inside her claw. He flattened out the other side and put down his saw, pulling a very sharp knife with a hook, hooking at the hoof formed around the injury, getting rid of the dark, malformed pieces of hoof that would impede healing.

“I’m sure you can see, this injury is perty deep, the abscess is full of bubbles and pus, I’m just shaving away a large part of the hoof so I can pack it with a powder, cow-friendly anti-biotic so it can have the best chance of healing and regrowing properly. Then I’ll glue the block on her other side, pack her injury with the powder, and wrap her up with a bandage, then send her to see her gal pals!” He said excitedly, hooking and pulling away broken hoof.

Setting down his hook, Ari saw him check his phone and send a text before picking up a container, pouring some white powder onto her hoof, packing it with his hand, and letting it sit while he opened a glue tube. He picked up and testing the leveling of the block, making sure he had cut enough of the hoof off before preparing the glue and putting a generous amount of it on the hoof, aligning the block just right and letting it set.

After waiting a few minutes, sending another text, Hayden began wrapping Tipsy’s other side of her foot in a green bandage, making sure it was nice and tight, securing it on one end so it wouldn’t unravel.

“There she is! A perfectly wrapped toe!” Hayden expressed with a big grin.

“How long will it take to heal?” Ari asked, getting a close look at the result.

“This one? Probably a few weeks to a month, and if the block falls off I made sure to keep them at the right levels so she could still have relief.” He said, lowering her foot and releasing her, making his way around the other side of the lift and leading her back into the pen alongside the far wall of his stable.

Ari looked at her phone, it was around eleven now, meaning she should probably head over to the general store to grab some lunch for she and March.

“That was incredible Hayden! I appreciate you showing me how it’s done, you’re truly a master at your trade. You have a keen eye for things like this, and it’s even more impressive how much you care for each one of them.” Ari said, turning toward the barn exit, “I’ll have to drop by again soon to see you in action! I have to go grab lunch for me and March, so I’ll need to skip out on you early today.”

Appearing jittery, Hayden cut her off, uncharacteristically blocking the exit, but trying to cover his nerves with a chuckle, “W-wait, don’t ya wanna see how to check a cow’s teeth? I-I mean, there’s still a ton of time before lunch, it won’t take long!”

Ari mulled it over, wanting to take advantage of the tips Hayden had to offer as a specialist. She didn’t want to keep March waiting, but she sent him a text letting him know Hayden was talking her ear off and that she might be a little later than usual.

-------------------------------------------------------

A couple hours later, Hayden was still talking at 100MPH, showing her how to properly cast a chicken’s injured wing, Ari sitting on the edge of one of his troughs, leaning forward with her hand on her face, her brows furrowed upward with concern, exhausted that every time she tried to politely skip out, Hayden would rope her into the next important task, and it was impossible for her to get out of.

“And that’s how ya clip ‘er wings so the cast doesn’t catch on ‘em!” Hayden smiled a huge grin, nervously chuckling, seeming just as exhausted with this as Ari was.

At this point, Ari could sense something was up, she tilted her head and narrowed her eyes in question, “Hey Hayden, what’s up with all the back-to-back lessons today? Not that I’m not grateful, it just seems like you’re trying to keep me here.”

“W-well, I just thought you could use the knowledge! Ya did say you’d be getting some cattle soon, right..?” He asked, rubbing the back of his neck, “N-Next we’ll be teaching you how to.. Um.. Spot a pig who needs a better diet! Yeah! There are a ton of symptoms of vitamin deficiency in pigs, so let’s-“

“Hey.” Ari heard March’s voice from the barn door, he was peeking in and looking around, “Heard you were in the middle of a lesson, eh?”

Ari got up from her spot, Hayden letting out an audible sigh as she went up to March and gave him a long hug, whispering, “Thank you, you’re saving my life.”

“I, uh, brought lunch.” March said quietly, Ari noticing a blush across his face as he lifted a small basket to show her, “The sun’s out, figured we could go sit on the dock and eat together.. I’d say the beach, but you know, the sand is probably still tacky from the rain.”

“Bye you guys!” Hayden said, sounding out of breath, briskly walking over to the side door of the barn that led to his house, waving them off.

Ari thought everyone was acting a little strange. Something was up. At first, she thought Hayden was trying to keep her at his place because he was lonely, but now she wasn’t really sure what was going on. She and March walked back down the path, headed to the beach

“I’m sorry I never showed for lunch; Hayden wouldn’t let me leave without teaching me how to repair every limb on every animal in existence.” Ari smiled, slipping her hand into his.

March was being noticeably quiet, but not standoffish. He clearly wasn’t annoyed, he was smiling, but just.. Quiet. They both enjoyed the cooling temperature, a breeze rolling into town, clouds having passed. Down closer to the beach, it was just a little cooler. Ari noticed March wasn’t wearing his regular work clothes like usual, he was wearing beige khaki pants and a loose-fitting, untucked white button up. No headband. He didn’t look like he’d just been forging at the shop.

“No blacksmithing today?” Ari asked, gesturing to his change of outfit, ”.. You look really nice, much too nice for making steel nails.”

They both chuckled lightly, March looking down at the ground and back up to her, “Haha, well, I was mostly doing non-forge tasks today. Um. Paperwork, you know. Shipping orders. St-stuff like that.”

“You look.. Nervous. You scared of the beach or something?” Ari asked jokingly, referencing his unusual level of anxiety.

“Just today, I guess.” He said with a smile, seeming to keep it short but light.

They both walked onto the edge of the dock right next to the shop, sitting on a picnic table nearby. He set down the basket, Ari watched with a cute smile and big eyes on him as he set out two sushi sets and two beers, this meal seeming extremely familiar.

“It’s the first meal you ever brought me, you know.. While we were working on the bridge.” He smiled, knowing these were also two of Ari’s very favorite things as well.

”.. You remember that..?” Ari asked, watching him open her beer for her, popping off the cap.

“Yeah. I never actually thanked you for that, so.. Thank you. I meant a lot more than you probably know.” His words were meaningful, and his tone was soft, his face growing more and more pink with passing time, ”.. But you know, your thoughtfulness is one of many things I love about you, so..”

He opened his own beer, Ari holding hers out toward his, March meeting her glass bottle with his, colliding with a clink. Ari could feel something was definitely different, she already could sense a serious conversation arising- which she was halfway certain she already knew the context of.

“I, um.. I’ve thought a lot about what I was going to say to you.” He said quietly, both of them sipping from their bottles, March looking out into the water, ”.. But there’s not much I could say to you right now that I couldn’t tell you every other day, because, well, I tell you everything that goes through my mind.”

Ari inhaled swiftly, suddenly realizing for sure what this was about, her eyes slightly widening. March, having immediately noticed this, appeared to grow noticeably more anxious, tapping his foot against the table gently but quickly. Ari, catching onto his anxiety, flashed him an excited smile, making certain he knew she was anticipating this with extreme thrill. Spotting her smile, his nervous fidgeting became less obvious, and he smiled back at her, getting up from his spot across the table from her and sitting next to her on her side of the table, Ari scooting over to give him a spot beside her.

Oh, he was really nervous.
Closer together, she could feel his energy just sitting next to him. March got really quiet, both of them sitting in silence, sipping their beers while looking out at the water.

“You’re drinking your beer a little slower than usual.” Ari joked playfully, trying to offset his obvious nervousness.

“I-uh, I’ve already had two. And a shot. Um.” March said with a nervous chuckle, “I don’t want to be drunk right now, so I’m taking this one a little slower.. Uh..”

His sentences, littered with ‘um’ and ‘uh’ and pauses, were very quiet. She leaned forward, interrupting him with a soft kiss, putting her and on top of his. Letting him know it was just them, just her, no one else was watching. She felt his body relax a bit, his eyes becoming lidded, but his breathing was still fast as they pulled back from the kiss, Ari giving him a reassuring peck on the cheek.

“I.. Well..” March was blushing bright pink, and put a hand in his pocket, revealing a small, black box, Ari looking back and forth between his face and the box in excitement as he presented it to her, opening it, ”.. I just need to know, Ari, will you be my wife?”

Ari actually had to do a double take, because she had expected an incredible ring, but seeing what he made for her was so much more beautiful than she’d imagined that she actually furrowed her brows, looking closer at it, and gasped, “Oh-oh my god- March that ring is.. Oh my god-“

The ring was beautiful, sterling silver, the detailing was impeccable. It had extremely small, engraved vines and leaves, leading up into a three-stone setting, two small, blue diamonds on the side, one brilliant, white1CT diamond in the center. It had a blue glow about it, clearly imbued with mana, which accentuated the natural dazzle of the ring.

“March-” Ari uttered in disbelief, actually speechless.

She had mentally prepared herself for this moment, even, fully knowing he was going to ask soon- and she still could never predict that the ring he would make for her would look like this.

“Of course!” Ari said excitedly, looking him in the eyes and leaning in, hugging him tightly.

As she hugged him, she could feel him shaking, obviously having been a lot more nervous than he had been coming off, as he sighed in relief and began rambling, ”.. I’m so fucking glad that was your answer. I was thinking about the worst case scenario all day, I had to talk to Olric like six times while I was pacing the shop, even he was getting annoyed with me, and Olric doesn’t ever get annoyed-“

Ari interrupted him with a heated kiss, calming March into a lull, closing his eyes and wrapping his arms around her, seeming to relax a bit.

Eventually pulling back from their kiss, March pulled the ring from the black box, slipping it onto Ari’s finger.

“I was expecting a ring, but holy shit, March. I understand why people are traveling across country to order specifically from you, I’ve never seen anything like this in my life.” Ari said, still in disbelief, tilting her hand back and forth to see the ring from all angles.

March loved that she said that, smiling a huge grin, probably one of the most genuine smiles she’s ever seen on his face, “It took me five full days, Olric has been helping me with the small orders, so we didn’t get too backed up.”

“I didn’t even really care about having a ring at all, I didn’t even think I could get that excited or impressed with a piece of jewelry, you really awakened that feminine excitement in me today because.. Wow. Wait a second- Did you have Hayden distract me all day to get ready for this?” Ari furrowed her brow, skeptically, a playful smile on her lips.

“Haha, yeah, it was his job to keep you busy until I worked up the nerve to actually come do this.. And it took longer than I thought. If there hadn’t been a timer, it might have taken me until the end of the night.” March admitted with a blush, ”.. And that was me after you already told me what your answer would be. I don’t know how anyone proposes to anyone without an answer first, I felt like I was gonna get sick at more than one point today.”

Ari chuckled, running a hand through his hair affectionately, “I suppose your job was the hardest, mine was just waiting.”

They both sat and peacefully ate their sushi, enjoying the breeze on the beach, the sea water smelled clear and fresh today after the rain.

“So they finished up the bones to our house today, they’ve got all the walls in progress, covered it up when they got done in case it rains overnight.” March informed her, “They did that while I was pacing and panicking, it was nice of them to continue while I was preoccupied.”

Ari smiled, taking his hand in hers, ”.. So, will it just be a couple months before it’s done, then?”

“Probably about two months, they’re really pulling together to get it done fast. They know we plan on buying Ryis and his team out for Olric’s side, too, so they’re being efficient, so they have time this year for that.” March sighed, “Alright, two things almost done, now we just have to.. Get married.”

Ari kissed him on the cheek, pressing up against him lovingly, ”.. We have time, we don’t need to do that immediately. I’m thinking.. End of this year or early next year in the spring?”

”.. S-six months? That’s really, really soon.” March rubbed the back of his neck, “Are you sure..? You haven’t had the full demo yet, we’ve only lived together for a little over a week..”

”.. I’m not going to change my mind about you, March.” Ari reassured him, seriousness in her tone.

He half-heartedly smiled, looking down in uncertainty, “Well.. Anything can happen at any time, life is just like that.”

Ari could feel that this was another defense mechanism, March not allowing himself to get too excited in case things ‘didn’t work out’ as he’s said in the past. She understood his worry, but it broke her heart that every time he had a happy moment those thoughts were looming in the back of his mind every time.

She leaned in, kissing him again, turning his face toward her with one hand, ”.. This isn’t like that.”

March was used to people disappearing from his life, whether it be random incidents like his parents never coming back, or peers walking out of his life due to his self-fulfilling prophecy. Being so worried about people leaving, he would be rude or isolate, resulting in them actually leaving his life or keeping a distance. When they met, he tried to do the same to her. She understood that this wasn’t a fear that could just be erased with words, it was one that would be put to rest by her proving month after month and year after year that she intended fully on staying. Ari got these same fears, but she knew how to effectively reason with them, rather than ruminate on them.

“I’ll prove it.” Ari said softly, tilting her head, blushing.

”.. Prove..?” March asked quizzically, also blushing at his own insecurity.

“By not leaving.” Ari said, leaning her head on his shoulder, “Ever.”

March was quiet for a few moments, leaning his head on hers, then said quietly, ”.. That’s the one thing I need from you, Ari.”

Ari ran a hand up his chest, feeling his heart beating quickly.

“March, we.. Should go home.” Ari trailed slowly, looking him over, her face growing warm.

“O-oh- uh.. Yeah, okay.” He said with a hint of surprise, catching her drift, both of them packing up the empty bottles and sushi containers into the basket, Ari slipping her shoes back on, and both of them heading back toward the path.

It didn’t take long for them to get back to the house, both of them excited to be home after being gone a few hours. Ari had spent more than a couple hours in the barn, taking her hair in her hand and smelling it, making a face.

“I.. Was in a barn, I smell like a cow.” She sighed with a soft laugh, ”.. Shower with me..?”

She looked at him with sultry eyes, March setting the basket down on the counter and walking up to her, pushing her up against the wall beside the fridge, planting his lips firmly on hers and running his hands over her body, lifting her tank top up a few inches and exposing her midriff.

”.. I don’t think you smell like cow, but you don’t have to ask me twice.” March said with wanting eyes, breaking their kiss and trailing the tip of his nose over her neck.

Ari took him by the hand, leading him toward the bathroom, her eyes lingering on his, a deep intensity between them as she turned on the bathroom light, and closing the door behind them. Taking off her tank top and revealing her light blue bralette, Ari ran her hands up the front of his button up, taking initiative, March seeming taken aback at the small amount of force she was using to take control. She brought her hands up, slowly unbuttoning his shirt while he stood with his hands up, seeming to let her continue with no interruption. After unbuttoning his shirt, she ran his hands over he built body, kissing him deeply, pushing him up against the back of the bathroom door.

He met her kiss in equal depth, running his hands up her back, unclipping her bra and watching it fall loose, Ari tossing it from one arm to the sink as their kiss persisted. Ari unbuttoned his pants, unzipping them, earning a gasp from March as he anticipated her advances, she could feel the goosebumps on his skin as she ran her hands over his tensing abs. She pulled his khakis down just enough that his manhood was revealed, very obvious under his gray boxers. Ari didn’t break their kiss, wrapping a hand around him through the material, matching her tongue to his as he gasped at the sudden contact, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her to his body. Ari pulled him from his boxers, exposing him, running her soft fingers up and down his length as they kissed passionately, both of them adding force in increments.

Reaching for her pants, March began unbuttoning her jeans, but Ari pulled out of their kiss, looking up at him as she knelt on the ground, slowly but steadily taking him into her mouth.

“O-oh-” March moaned out breathlessly, not expecting that, his hands floating in the air on either side of him, his reaction showing his surprise.

Ari ran her tongue in circles around the head of his dick, then took his cock into her mouth, sucking as she pulled it back out, being urged on by March’s body trembling in response.

“Fuck, Ari-” He sighed, unintentionally thrusting slightly, Ari rubbing him with one hand as she pushed him as deeply into her mouth as she could get him to go, earning an unleashed moan from him as he braced himself by leaning back onto the door.

She rarely got to hear March fully moan, he was usually very quiet, very slight, but at the feeling of his cock buried deep in her throat, Ari finally got a real moan from him, and it turned her on to hear how good she made him feel. He had his eyes on her, the only other time she gave him oral being in a pitch black tent, and the sight of her giving him head made his face red. Working him with her hand, Ari continued sucking him in and out of her mouth, running her tongue over his flesh in circles. His cock was twitching, March putting his hand on her head, and Ari could feel that he was getting close- much faster than usual.

Working at him faster, Ari ran her hand into her underwear, pushing one finger into her notably wet entrance, pleasuring herself as she continued, moaning onto him.

“Fuck Ari, that’s- a-ah-” March moaned out, Ari feeling his body shaking, “I-I’m gonna-“

Ari continued, fully prepared to take him in her mouth, not knowing what semen tasted like- but also not caring. She continued stroking him, sucking him into her mouth hard, sending vibrations up his cock as she moaned, sliding a second finger into her panties, increasing her pace.

“A-Ari- I’m-” March moaned, warning her again, as if he really didn’t want to climax in her mouth, “I’m close to-“

She continued, using one hand to pushing him back into the door, and pushing him far back into her throat, sucking him as she pulled back, plunging him deep in her throat again, moaning into him with each action. She wanted him to cum in her mouth, she wanted to know what it was like, not that she had made that lewd claim to him with words. She persisted, taking her hand and holding his with it, expressing that it was fine if he came in her mouth, but he still seemed to be holding out, unsure that he should do that.

“Ari- I don’t th-think- a-ah” He moaned out, putting both hands on the back of her head gently and leaning forward slightly as she continued quickly, despite his uncertainty.

She felt his body tense repeatedly, as he pulled her head into his groin gently, instinctually, moaning out softly as he came in her mouth, taking a number a seconds and thrusts of his hips to complete his climax. Ari felt his cock pulse as he came, long streams of cum into her mouth, Ari noting it was thick and tasted bitter, unlike she could have imagined. She pulled back, wiping her mouth of her own spit.

“I’m sorry, y-you can spit it out if you-” March stammered breathlessly, clearly not having wanted her to take it in her mouth.

Ari swallowed, wiping her mouth again, earning a shocked blush from March as she looked up at him from her seat on the floor.

“Y-you-” He stammered, realized she’d swallowed it, she could see the arousal travel over his face as she looked up at him.

Ari got up from her spot, pulling down her pants, running a hand playfully over his abs as he stared at her with a red face, clearly still processing. He pulled her into him a deep kiss, pushing her backward up against the sink, meeting his tongue with hers in a serious kiss, pulling her body into his with force.

“Fuck, Ari, that was so hot.” March said, breaking their kiss, still catching his breath as Ari walked to the shower, turning it on.

“It didn’t taste like what I thought, not that I had any idea what it would taste like.” Ari said with a giggle, testing the water with her hand, March looking over at her bending over in her underwear.

It dawned on him that Ari obviously had never tasted that before, “R-right, you’ve never..”

“Mm, no. That was the first time I’ve done that.” Ari chuckled softly, turning back toward him, taking her panties off, and walking over to him, “I mean, yours is the first one I’ve ever touched at all, so..”

March blushed, looking away from her, “Y-yeah, I should have guessed that much, I just didn’t think about it..”

March pulled his pants and underwear the rest of the way off, taking off his unbuttoned shirt, folding them and setting them on the sink. Ari took off her ring, setting it on a safe space in a fancy dish on the countertop, and hopped into the shower, feeling the hot water wash over her as she let out a long sigh. It had been a muggy day at the barn, and she was thrilled to finally feel the water washing it from her. The first thing she did was pick up some body wash and scrub herself in all areas, wanting to be certain the barn smell was gone, March looking over her wet skin with lidded eyes, an obvious blush on his face. It wasn’t every time they showered, he looked so flustered, just this time especially, as he clearly had more on his mind and was waiting on standby.

“Ari.. Do you.. Think I should work out more? I guess I’ve just been thinking about it lately.” He said, a slight insecurity showing through, leaning back on the wall of the shower and watching her wash her body.

“March, you have the nicest body I’ve ever seen on a man in my life, are you trying to become a superhero?” Ari asked with a playful but curious tone, wiping the water from her face and looking at him, running a hand down his chest and stomach, seeing how incredibly hard he still was even after his climax, running a hand down onto his cock and palming it, ”.. And you have the healthiest blood flow any woman could ask for.”

“So.. You like my body then..?” He asked for reassurance, inhaling at her touch, tilting his head back and closing his eyes momentarily.

”.. Back before we learned how to talk to each other, I would daydream about you forging at your anvil, March. Literally replayed in my head all fucking day on repeat.” Ari admitted with a chuckle, thinking back on it, ”The way sweat would run from your head and catch on your collarbone, the way your muscles would flex as you struck with your hammer, it’s incredible how detailed a daydream can be.”

He stepped to her under the water, walking her backward until she hit the wall beneath the showerhead, pressing his body up against hers, seductively, ”.. So this.. Works for you..?”

“It more than works for me, March. Your body is top tier.” Ari giggled, running her hands over his wet skin, watching as his hair dampen beneath the streams of water as he pressed himself against her just under the shower head. She could smell his scent, sage and cedarwood, closing her eyes and taking it in.

He looked at her deeply, darkly, before kneeling, putting one of her hands on his shoulders and lifting one of her legs onto his other shoulder. Ari, taken by surprise, put one hand on his head, running it through his hair as he began licking her clit, flipping his tongue over it repeatedly as water ran over his body.

“March-” Ari moaned, feeling him insert a finger into her entrance, feeling her body tense at the suddenness of it.

Lapping and sucking at her, Ari felt a shiver roll over her body as he met eyes with her, looking up at her as he continued, pressing his finger into her soft spot and making her arch her back in pleasure. Beginning to rub himself, she could feel the intensity growing in his body gestures, as he began moving his face back and forth to increase the friction between his tongue and her body. She felt him insert a second finger, focusing his tongue on her clit, wet with water from overhead, over and over again, as he pressed into her spot aggressively. Ari beginning to feel herself coming close to a climax, put her hand on the side of his face, caressing his skin.

“March- I want you-” She moaned, putting her hands out to him.

March got up from his kneeling position, kissing her heatedly, pushing her up against the wall and embracing her tightly in his arms. Ari turned around, sticking her rear out toward him and looking back at him, lewdly. This being the most practical position, March grabbed her by both hips, rubbing himself between her legs. Ari moaned in anticipation, looking back at him, meeting his eyes. He was breathing heavily, mouth agape, face red, looking a little stunned.

“I love you-” Ari moaned, feeling him perched at her entrance, pushing herself back onto him ever-so-slightly.

“Ari..” March said softly, running his hands up her back and back down onto her hips, ”.. I love you, too.”

He began to inch into her, Ari shaking slightly at how big he felt, he almost felt harder than usual. He could clearly feel how tight she was around him, giving her a little time to recover as she got used to him penetrating her.

“Y-you’re so tight right now..” March said softly, pleasure and strain in his voice, “I’ll go slow.”

He began to roll his hips gently, taking care this time to let her body get less tense before he continued, panting quietly at the sensation of her wound tightly around his cock, the water running down the front of his body and over the back of hers.

“I-It’s okay, you can go faster-” Ari moaned out, craving more.

He began pushing into her in quick bucks, both of them moaning out each thrust, Ari feeling one of his hands gently run over her back as he pressed on. Each thrust rattled her insides, she could feel her body tightening around him as they went on, already feeling herself growing closer. Before too long, she felt March pull out of her, motioning for her to turn around.

”.. I want to kiss you.” He said softly, his face blushed, looking off to the side seeming embarrassed at his own vulnerability.

She felt those words hit her heart. 'I want to kiss you.'
It was such an innocent request in such an intense moment, reminding her that despite his assured actions.. This was still March. His feelings were sensitive, still needing that high level of closeness with her. There were instances she could see his inner child showing through, the one who everyone left and made feel unimportant, and the fact that he trusted her enough to show those deep insecurities to her made her feel connected to him. Even a request so simple.

Ari leaned back against the wall as he lifted one of her legs to just above his hip, pressing his wet lips gently against hers as he pushed back into her. She felt her eyes roll back as his wet tongue met hers, twirling as the water ran over both of them, making their kiss feel extra glide-y and soft. He took her by the hips, pushing roughly into her, moaning into her mouth as their kiss went on. He ran a hand up her stomach and onto her chest, grabbing one of her breasts in his hand, thumbing one of her rosy nipples, pinching it gently in his fingers, earning a whimper from Ari as the thrust into her strongly. Hearing her response, he bent down, taking her other nipple in his mouth, running his tongue over it repeatedly, moving his other hand to her clit, flipping it back and forth, Ari beginning to shake at the multiple points of contact.

“F-fuck- March- Oh-” Ari gasped, urging March further, his pace increasing at her voice moaning his name in fervor.

As he picked up the pace, fucking her harder, knowing he was getting her close to her peak, he closed his eyes and stabilized his breathing, focusing on pleasing her. He laid into her as hard as he could without throwing them both off balance, feeling the water run over his chest, Ari bucking and arching her back as she felt her entire body tense and tighten, rolling through her intense climax, her entire body trembling and every hair standing on end as she shook helplessly, his hands keeping her standing up.

He pulled out of her, still hard, picking up the shampoo and lathering it in his hands, washing her hair for her.

”.. I want to pick this up after we dry off..” He said with a blush and a serious look on his face, Ari giggling as she closed her eyes, sensing his high level of urgency.

Ari loved the time they spent together in the shower. March always washed her hair for her, and she always returned the favor. It was a small, but meaningful, bonding moment between them. She rinsed her hair, taking shampoo in her hands, lathering it and running her hands through his hair, both of them chuckling as he cupped her breasts, as she reached up to his hair, above her head. Ari spent an extra couple agonizing minutes to shave her legs, feeling it had been too long- March patiently watching.

They took the time to dry, brush their teeth, Ari lotioned her body, and used the towel to squeeze and pat the water from her golden curls. Not bothering to get dressed, March walked out to the bed, sitting down, freshly clean with wet hair, still completely hard. Ari walked back out to him, putting her ring back on her finger, arch smiling to himself, watching her return it to her hand. Ari could hear on the roof it had begun raining again, the clouds having rolled back in with the high winds picking up.

”.. We haven’t done this in bed for a minute.” March said softly, holding out a hand to her, Ari taking it and sitting beside him.

He leaned in, kissing her softy, intimately, running a hand up her arm, leaving her hairs to rise at his touch. He pull up the blanket, lying beneath it, lifting the blanket for her to join him, which she did. He took his place overtop her, Ari spreading her legs to accomodate him, wrapping them around his waist as he met her face to face. Ari looked up at him, no headband, red and black hair in damp loops framing his face, his cheeks tinged pink, with a serious look on his face. He leaned down, kissing her forehead, then her cheek, then her lips, lingering as he placed himself at her opening, wet with anticipation.

It felt so.. Serious. Formal, like they were doing this the ‘right’ way, with the most intimacy. The most connected. Both of them pressed chest to chest, face to face, as they reconnected in unity. He kissed her deeply, their tongues meeting, as he pushed into her, taking space within her once again. He broke their kiss as he bottomed out inside of her, her arms wrapped tightly around the back of his neck as he buried his face in her neck and hair like a comforting shield.

“Ari-” He gasped, pulling back out of her slowly, and pushing back into her, ”.. T-Tell me what you’re thinking- right now..”

Ari could sense that after the intimacy of the day, he needed a little reassurance, he needed her to tell him that he did something right, that he did good. She wanted to put his nerves at ease, feeling serious words come to her mind.

”.. I-I’ve never been sure about anything in my life- B-but I’m sure- about this..” Ari moaned with every stride, feeling pleasure roll over his body as he tensed at her words, “This was so much more than- I ever imagined, March-“

She heard him moan softly into her neck before reeling up and beginning to rut into her quickly, holding himself over her, looking down at her labored breaths, her face flush with pleasure, only hearing a variation of broken moans and gasps escape her. She looked up at him, his hair damp, his mouth slightly agape as he breath heavily, his eyes showing a sensual trance as he went harder, faster, meeting her shaking frame with vigor as she tremble beneath him. Her words had activated that part in his mind that was driven solely by pleasing her, making her feel as good physically as she made him feel.

“Oh- March- H-Harder-!” Ari moaned out, March tilting his head back at the sound of her plea, gladly obliging as he met her with harder force, letting a soft moan escape his mouth at the sight of her enjoying his body.

She felt small under his gaze, as he stared at her, making her blush. Looking back into his eyes, she felt the most intimacy, both of them meeting at the soul as he lay into her, Ari peeped and whimpered at the force, feeling her entire body overcome, pleasure overriding her completely as her legs shook, her body clenching around him.

Feeling her tensity, she saw March’s face cringe in pleasure, his eyes mostly closed, his breathing hitching in his throat, “O-oh f-fuck-“

Despite the influx of pleasure, he persisted through her orgasm, following through until he had completed his task, clearly having to hold himself back from his own climax to follow through with hers, closing his eyes tightly, appearing labored at his efforts to keep it under control for a little longer. Even after, he lifted one of her legs up onto his shoulder, pounding into her body, shaking her insides resolutely, feeling her body twitch around him. By this point, Ari was a shaking ball of frayed pleasure, completely at his will, relinquishing all control over to him and just enjoying the ride.

March pressed his chest to hers, grabbing her by both hips, pulling her body up into his as she stuttered his name, her trembling hands on his back, her nails lightly grazing his skin in passion. She could feel his thrusts grow jagged and uneven, his body growing more and more tense in his efforts.

She heard him panting into her neck softly, “A-Ari-!”

With a few more thrusts, she felt him reach his climax, pushing deep into her, releasing. She could feel him pulsing inside of her as he finished, pushing into her body a few more times before resting, putting his forehead to hers as they both catch their breath, finally.

He met her lips with a tender kiss, Ari still wrapping her arms around him. She felt so connected to him right now, so attached to the highest degree. She could feel the emotion in his kiss, as he held her body to his like he was terrified she would disappear, a silent desperation in his chest as his breath hitched, a slight sob leaving his throat. Feeling his vulnerability, Ari ran her hands through his hair, holding him in her arms.

March broke their kiss, looking her in the eyes, ”.. You’re really going to marry me?”

Ari chuckled softly at the suddenness of his question, almost in disbelief, “Yes, March. I am currently in the process of marriage with you. It is not a prank, I swear.”

”.. That would be a horrible prank.” March furrowed his brows, lying his head on her chest, listening to the steadiness of her heartbeat.

“I would marry you tomorrow, if it fit the plans.” Ari said softly into his damp hair, running a hand over his back and shoulders comfortingly, “I just don’t see a reason to hurry.”

”.. You would do that? Marry me tomorrow?” March asked calmly, his eyes closed, finally seeming to relax.

“Well, sure. If the wedding were already planned, invitations sent for that day, and we already had our marriage license from the capital, I would marry you in thirty minutes.” Ari said with a smile, both of the chuckling softly at the idea of that, “But it would be better if we had at least the house done.. And you know, all of our wedding planned and stuff.”

”.. True.” He said with a sigh, “But.. You would though?”

Ari giggled, then kissed him on the head. “Yes! I already said yes.”

He wrapped his arms tightly around her, “I will never get tired of hearing you agree to marry me, Ari.”

“If you ask me every day, I’ll say yes every day.” Ari giggled, closing her eyes.

“Then I will. I need it for my ego.” March said flatly, adding a short chuckle at the end.

“I’ll give you a medal for best proposal.” Ari said, both of them laughing.

“Now that’s one I need, none of my friends in town are blacksmiths, but I can be the best at marriage proposals- all I need is a gold medal.” He joked, lifting his head from her chest and kissing her, both of them smiling into the kiss.

Their kiss deepened, Ari inhaling deeply as he inadvertently pushed up into her, still somewhat erect. Feeling her arch her back, March gasped into their kiss, and Ari felt his erection harden inside of her, both of them moaning softly.

“March-” Ari said, breaking their kiss, her breath shaking as he began surging inside of her slowly, “H-how long after we get married d-do you think we should have kids..?”

“O-oh, w-well..” He said, suddenly serious, looking down at her, a blush on his face at the thought of it, “I guess.. Any time after would probably work.”

”.. So potentially seven months..?” Ari asked with a nervous laugh, assuming that’s not what he meant, ”.. Because.. We might be getting married in under a year.”

“Well.. Yeah. We’ll both be twenty-four by then.. So around twenty-five by the time a baby would be.. Born.” He said nervously, this being something he hadn’t really considered, ”.. But uh, we could wait as long as you want. I just.. Figure marriage is the prerequisite.. At least for me, personally.”

“I suppose that makes sense.. I’d like to enjoy the honeymoon phase for a bit before kids, at least. Just some time with you.” Ari said with a smile, running her nose against his gently.

“I love the sound of that..” March said quietly, pulling her by the hips, pushing into her suddenly, Ari moaning out in pleasure.

She was impressed by his stamina, but was getting weary of the position, whispering, ”.. Can we try a different position..? I want to face you, but.. Both of us sitting up?”

Nodding his head, he pulled out of her, sitting with his legs crisscrossed, awaiting Ari to join him. Ari kneeled over him, positioning herself at the right angle, lowering herself onto him, wrapping her legs around his waist. She wrapped her arms around the back of his neck, both of them beginning to bounce her weight onto him, softly moaning into their kiss.

His arms felt incredible, tightly wrapped around her. He adjusted them to grip both of her hips, pulling her up and down on his cock, she could feel his body shaking slightly with every thrust.

“Fuck- You feel s-so good, Ari-” March moaned softly, his face twinging with pleasure, his torso flexing in the rhythm of his thrusts.

“March-” Ari whimpered as his thrusts grew more and more rapid beneath her, as he continued lifting her and pulling her down into his body.

Ari kissed his neck, sucking and nipping at his skin, kissing up to his ear and sucking in it, whispering hot, breathy moans into his ear, earning a shuttered gasp from March. Moving her legs from his waist, she pushed him back onto the bed, claiming her place on top of him, March pulling his knees up, beginning to push up into her at a fast pace, Ari whimpering pathetically at the sudden contact, both of them panting and meeting each other’s force.

She loved hearing him tell her how good she made him feel, sending a low buzz throughout her entire body. Ari leaned down affectionately, putting a hand on his cheek and kissing him. She could feel him panting softly each time he pushed up into her, Ari breaking their kiss he he picked up his pace. As she felt herself peak, she tilted her head back, bracing herself on his chest as he watched her face, his eyes dark as they took in the image of her, his eyes lidded with pleasure.

As he felt her clamp onto him, holding onto him desperately, he let go, releasing inside of her again with a few solid thrusts, both of them moaning out in breathless gasps.

There was still the rest of the day, Ari thought to herself, listening to the rain grow stronger overhead, the rhythmic tapping on the roof. It was only about 4PM, the clock over her kitchen sink was honest about how much time they'd spent in bed together today. As out of breath as they both were, she was fully aware that March could do this all day. Any time they got to talking honestly about their feelings, he was ready to go again, and both of them would start getting distracted by their automatic reaction to each other. Being around her, hearing her voice, feeling her skin, it didn't take much to get him in the mindset for intimacy.

Ari looked over at him, laying on his back with his arms folded behind his head, she felt her mind daydreaming about what her life with him would be like. Thinking about herself waking up, upstairs at the forge. Walking down and hearing him working as she got ready to leave for the farm, meeting him downstairs and giving him a quick kiss as she walked out.

Ari found her mind tumbleweed into thoughts about what she used to think her future would be like with Domenico. When she was a kid, she always used to think they would grow up, have a house on a lake with a big, wrap around porch. They would wake up every morning together, have coffee outside by the water.

She physically felt herself shake her head, as if to literally shake those thoughts from her childhood from her head. She felt even a little guilt, thinking about Domenico at all- but being engaged today did bring up these old thoughts, and she did have some old pain that she was still dealing with, down at the very bottom of her heart priority list.

"Hey, something on your mind..?" March asked in a whisper, Ari laying there with a serious face, staring at the ceiling next to him for minutes now.

She debated on what she would say, not wanting to hide anything from March, but also not wanting to cause him grief at her thoughts about Domenico on this day specifically.

"You know.. I was just thinking that when I was young, I used to think about what marriage and life would be like." Ari said softly, turning toward him and putting an arm around him, ".. My future changing so recently.. Made me think about what I used to imagine marriage would be like for myself. That's all."

He was quiet, seeming to understand what she was saying. Trying not to overthink it, mulling through his thoughts and insecurities, ".. Are you happy with the change in plans?"

"Of course." She said with no pause, certainty in her voice, and then softly admitted, ".. There's just a very small amount of heartbreak that comes with the realization that what you dreamed of for most of your life isn't for you anymore."

March was quiet, but turned toward her, wrapping an arm around her and pulling her into him. Both of them wrapping their arms around each other, cuddling under her blanket. In no few words, she had been honest that some small part of her that dreamed of marrying Domenico her entire childhood felt some type of pain over the realization that her future changed hands- and he hadn't said anything yet.

"I'll prove to you that I'm the right choice, Ari." He whispered, looking into her eyes and putting a hand lightly on her cheek, ".. I'll prove that I'll never leave. That I'm the strong family head you're asking for. I just need time to do that.. Just a year or so."

"There's nothing you need to prove, March." Ari sighed, feeling sad that she'd said anything, pulling him close to her, "You've more than proven yourself to me, in every way possible. I always want to be honest with you about what I'm feeling.. And sometimes when I think back on times I felt so certain and realize things have changed.. It's bittersweet. That's all. You don't need to do anything, they're just feelings and fears."

He turned toward her, wrapping his arms strongly around her, burying his face in her neck, ".. I'll never stop trying to prove myself to you, Ari."

Ari felt a pang of guilt roll over her body, understanding she'd brought back some of his insecurity even with the small truth she'd let escape her, not having meant to do that. She didn't want him to think this was a competition, that he wasn't safe, that he hadn't already won. He had won. She ran a hand through this hair, pressing her cheek against his, lovingly.

"March.." Ari said softly, her voice hinting just a little strain as she cleared her throat, "I love you."

He pulled back, looking her in the eyes, putting both hands on either side of her face, and slowly leaning into her, pressing his lips strongly to hers, pulling back to meet her eyes again afterward, ".. I love you, Ari."

The next month would be some of the most confusing times in her life, and Ari had no idea what was already set into motion beyond the walls of this cabin. Nothing could have tipped her off about the whispers and exchanges of hand beyond the surface of these dark oak floorboards, the wooden panel walls of this safe haven. The next month's time would be the most incredible, new, terrifying months of her entire life. Thoughts of incoming premonitions pulled at her heartstrings, but how close would her fears truly be?

Chapter Text

Time was flying by the day, and life was progressing bit by bit. It had been a little more than a few weeks since the proposal, and March put haste into the forge renovations, a majority of the building was done and today was their move in date. They still had a cover over part of the roof on the second floor, and the bricking was still being fulfilled on the outside of the first floor, but a majority of the building was done- making the shop look very small on one side.

Currently, Ari and March had offered a few of their friends dinner to help them move over a number of things, moving March’s bed into the second bedroom as a guest bed, and they had built a queen sized platform bed for both of them in what was now their master bedroom.

“Hm. I’m feeling like a dark teal, or like a Castleton green.” Ari said pensively, walking with March in their upstairs bedroom, mulling over the color they would use in their new room, “What do you think?”

”.. I’m more of a cadet blue kinda guy, we could meet somewhere in the middle and do a muted jade color..?” He weighed in, looking back over at her.

“I can work with cadet blue, I like that color, too.” Ari smiled, leaning in and wrapping her arms around March.

Their place was pretty bare bones, but the kitchen (empty of furniture) was done, they had a bed in their room, and Ari brought over the couch from her cabin, so they at least had that. They didn’t plan on having kids for some time yet, so they were treating one of the upstairs rooms as more of a guest bedroom. It would take a long time before this place felt like home, but Alloy didn’t seem to mind the change of venue. They talked about putting a cat door at the bottom of the door leading from the shop into their side of the house so she could free roam, but she typically hung out on her cat bed in front of the window, basking in the sun.

March checked his phone, making a disappointed ‘tsch’ noise with his mouth, ”.. I gotta go down and start this next order, customer moved the date up. Hate working Saturday, but a job is a job.”

Ari leaned in, kissing him, “Hey, I’ll meet you back here tonight. I’m gonna head to the market and see if they have anything that would help this place feel.. More lived in.”

She followed him down the stairs and out into the shop, which had a number of customers. Olric was at the counter waiting on them and answering questions, at least two of them not from Mistria at all. The work submission box was getting full with order forms, the place was starting to really take off. This many outsiders in town did still make Ari feel quite nervous, but it had been so long at this point, she’d started to feel more comfortable, maybe even a bit too comfortable. That said, she often felt like she was waiting for the other foot to drop, like everything going this well was a sign that something was soon to come.

Ari walked out the front of the shop, glancing over briefly to see March taking off his shirt, preparing for work on the hot summer day. He looked up at her, pausing with a smile as he caught her staring. She felt the urge to walk over to him and disrupt his work, but overall decided it would have to wait until later. Their eyes stay locked for a few solitary moments as they both lingered on each other, prying themselves away from each other due to absolute necessity. She hated having to be away from him, but recoiled from that thought, because she could feel the intensity of her reliance growing at an uncomfortable pace.

Walking up the path to the center of town, she could see this round of vendors was slightly bigger than usual, many of them faces she hadn’t yet seen. Their typically small town was getting livelier by the day, the summer sun bringing almost a nostalgic vibe to Ari’s mind. She recalled, as she walked down the sidewalk with her wristlet, during the summer the guardians would walk them all to the nearby town- a tiny place, with only one shop. The smell of the hot cobblestone path threw her back to the only day they ever went down to the candy shop- a single fieldtrip in the many years.

Despite Eiland’s complaints, an expansion onto Valen’s doctors office was being arranged, contractors from the Ides had been around a couple days of the week to take measurements and marks with paint on the ground so they could map everything out. She could see them gathered around the doctor’s office with clipboards and tools, Ari wondered to herself if the new jobs would bring new towns folk to Mistria.

Walking around the square, coming up on the hair stall, Ari thought to herself.. Maybe she should ask Vera for advice. She stood in line patiently, until it was finally her turn, giving Vera a gentle wave.

“Hey! Um.. I’ve never really done much with my hair. Aside from chop at it. I was wondering what you thought would look good on me? In your professional opinion.” Ari said coyly, fidgeting with her wallet.

“Oh! With those beautiful sunshiny golden curls?! To die for. I’ll tell you what, I could accentuate your natural color by throwing in some light blonde and peachy highlights, and I can add some layers!” Vera said excitedly, taking one of Ari’s rings into her fingertips, leading her by the shoulder to sit in her salon chair.

Ari suddenly started to feel on edge, thinking maybe changing her hair would be bad- maybe March wouldn’t like it. Or worse, what if he didn’t notice. After about thirty minutes, a wash, a cut, a dye and rinse, Vera began blow-drying Ari’s hair with a circle brush, allowing her curls to freely form, bouncing around her face in the daylight.

“Alright, girly! Whatya think?” Vera said with excitement, turning a mirror toward Ari.

Ari was taken aback, she felt so.. Womanly. She was so enamored, taking the mirror in her hand and leaning forward, really looking at herself.

“Vera.. This is so great!” Ari said in a soft voice, running her hands through her hair.

”.. Oh my gosh, look at the rock on your finger-!” Vera gasped, pointing at Ari’s hand, leaning in to get a closer look at it, “Who’s the lucky guy?”

Ari blushed, realizing Vera hadn’t really been around town much, she was the only person who hadn’t already heard- so this was the first time she’s really been able to make this announcement to anyone.

“March.. But, I’m the lucky one. He’s.. Incredible.” Ari said, unintentionally putting one hand on her chest, still looking at her hair in the mirror, “i.. Really hope he likes it- I’ve never done anything like this before, so-“

“He’ll love it, Ari! I do his hair too, every few months.” Vera giggled, “I’m sure he needs another round, soon. His hair has to be really grown in.”

“I’ve been kinda wondering what he would look like with his natural color- not that the red doesn’t look amazing, because, ugh, I love the way he looks, always.” Ari cooed over him, Vera covering her mouth with a chuckle at Ari’s flustered crush.

”.. You have to tell me, Ari, what is he like when he’s not.. Being his normal self?” Vera asked in a whisper, urging on Ari’s daydreaming.

”.. He’s.. Sweet. And gentle, he pays attention to detail..” Ari sighed, thinking about him out loud, blushing, “A-and he’s..”

She trailed off, catching herself, Vera gasping to herself quietly, “He’s..?”

Ari lifted a finger to her lips, shushing Vera, feeling she’d said way too much. Both of them smiled, Ari paying her double the cost, getting up from her seat and saying a friendly farewell. She still had a number of stalls to run to while she was out, the one with bedding for their new queen-sized bed being the main priority. She putzed around for some time, looking at a number of decorations, and settling on a couple house plants, some new cadet blue towels, and a big, nice bed set with a duvet and cover, some pillow cases, and sheets all included into one big, tightly packaged bundle. It was exactly the color March would love.

She also got a long, good quality pair of hanging shelves, which she felt would make a great display place for his trophies and awards, right above the couch in their living room where everyone would be able to see them. She wanted to do something amazing for him, and this was one thing she knew he would really appreciate.

She realized she’d need to make a number of stops back at the house, her hands so full she could barely carry everything. She waved at Adeline and Eiland as she walked by the center, both of them waving back, Eiland looking more and more defeated as Adeline appeared to be leading the entire operation on the new building.

As she was waving, she ran into someone, their chest at her face level. It was a man with ear-length, pin-straight blonde hair, the same man she’d seen at the inn a month or so ago before they left for the competition. He looked oddly familiar to her, but she couldn’t place his face. They both stopped, the man doing a double-take, seeming to recognize her in return.

After a long pause, Ari stammered, “E-excuse me, sorry.”

Trying to think of where she’d seen his face before, she walked away, seeing that he was still standing and watching as she made her way down the path and back to the forge. She walked up, hearing March working before he came into view, feeling comforted and happy by the sound of him striking the anvil. She turned the corner, March locking eyes with her as he slammed down on his project, his pecs flexing with the force. Ari tilted her head with lidded eyes, pausing ever-so-slightly, even with her hands full.

He flashed her a devious grin as she pried her eyes away from his body, knowing good and well what she was looking at and exactly what she had on her mind. Ari pushed open the door to the shop, peaking her head around the side to catch one less look at him before entering. She loved how easily he could see right through her.

“Hey Olric, could you.. Help me with a thing really quick?” Ari asked in a hushed voice, trying to keep it a surprise for March, “I just need help with these shelves, if you put them up while I’m at the store, I’ll make all of us dinner tonight.”

“Sounds like a plan! Merri was going to join in, we’ve been talking about a lot of things so it’ll be good to sit and have a real dinner with you and my brother.” He smiled ear to ear, finishing up wiping off the countertop and walking his way over to the door to their side of the house.

Handing him the supplies, nails, and a plethora of other tools, Ari left him to his devices, walking back out the front door, catching another soft glance at March, who, yet again, caught her looking, “Ari. Your hair.”

He had noticed even from a distance, Ari feeling a flash of insecurity, wondering what he was going to say.

“You look..” March looked her up and down, trailing off, a slight pink hue making its way across his face as he pulled his hammer up onto his shoulder, resting it there, ”.. I can’t wait to see you later.”

Ari sqealed internally at his response, reading everything he was thinking all over his face, regardless of the few words he’d actually said. The look on his face practically made her eyes roll back in her head. On second thought, Ari decided she would swing by the clothing stand and see if they had something a bit more,, Intimate. She had never bought lingerie, this would be the first time. March had been putting in so much work, constantly, she wanted to really make him feel appreciated in the few ways she knew he would.

She went through a number of racks, not really seeing anything she felt suited her, until in the last rack at the very end, in just her size.. Was a navy blue babydoll set, with a sheer, dotted overlay. She immediately pulled it from the rack, trying to be somewhat discrete.

“Oooh, Ari, what have you got here?” Reina came up behind her, gently calling attention to the hanger in her hand, looking up at her with surprise, “Wait.. Is this for March to see you in-?”

”.. I mean, we are engaged.” Ari chuckled quietly, blushing and looking away from her.

“This is such a good color for you! I.. Have questions, Ari. Like, I know you’re not the type to kiss and tell, but..” She leaned in close to Ari, whispering as they walked around the clothing racks, “Have you guys..?”

Ari felt her throat grow inexplicably dry, causing her to nervously cough, walking up to the counter and paying for her lingerie and folding it into a bag, tucking it under her arm hastily, “W-well..”

Reina giggled sweetly, knowing her answer by her face, covering her mouth, “He’ll love it, it goes perfectly with your complexion.”

Ari smiled at her, swiping back a strand of hair from her face shyly, ”.. I just want to do something really special for him.”

”That’s so sweet, girl.” Reina cooed softly, day dreamily, “I think he’ll love it. Anyway, I just wanted to stop and say hi, I’m on my way to the archives, I’ve got a dinner to plan for my family!”

Ari waved her off, both of them headed in opposite directions as Ari made her way to the general store to go over dinner plans. She intended on doing pasta, some bread, and a side dish of some kind. She walked in through the front door, being greeted by Nora at the counter. The store was otherwise empty, a majority of the town and its visitors at the market or the inn.

“Ari! It’s good to see you, at least I’ve got one customer today.” Nora exclaimed with a smile, ”.. So, I’ve heard you’re getting married! Let me see the ring March proposed with, I’ve been so curious..”

Ari walked up to the counter, holding out her hand to show Nora her ring finger.

“Oh my, that is a gorgeous ring, Ari.” Nora said, taking her hand and tilting it side to side, getting a good look at it in the light, “I’ve never seen anything like it..”

“March made it by hand, he’s.. Incredible. The ring is just like him, you know? One of a kind.. irreplaceable.” Ari whispered just loud enough for Nora to hear, Nora looking up at her with a big smile.

”.. You know, I always thought Olric would marry first.” Nora thought out loud, rubbing the top of Ari’s hand with her other hand, affectionately, “I’m so happy for you both, truly.”

“Do you have any marriage advice..?” Ari inquired seriously, seeming deep in thought.

”.. Only to never stop winning each other over, always put in that little extra effort every single day.” Nora smiled, releasing her hand and looking up at her encouragingly.

After their brief conversation, Ari went about her way, gathering groceries one at a time, looking over all the potential sides and settling on a dinner salad. She ended up walking back up to the counter with far more than she’d anticipated, checking out and carrying a dozen bags out the front door to the general store.

She walked back up the path, over the bridge in town, already hearing the hammer striking the anvil, making her smile to herself as she walked over to the shop. She’d finally finished her shopping, ready to doll up the bed and his shelf, and start on dinner for them. She walked up, seeing March taking a short break, drinking from his water bottle, turning to her as sweat dripped from his head down onto his neck, trickling down his chest.

“Ari.” He called to her, seeing her bags, “Here, let me-“

“No, no. I have a surprise I’m doing for you, ya can’t come in the house yet-” Ari implored, holding up a finger in protest.

March quirked an eyebrow, smiling at her curiously, skeptically, “A.. Surprise..?”

“Yes, so stay out in the shop for like another hour, I want it to be perfect.” Ari leaned in, kissing him, turning back toward the shop door, looking back at him with lidded eyes, flirting with him, “I’ll.. See you later, March.”

He tilted his head and gave her a slight wave, watching her walk back in through the front door of the shop. Walking into their side of the house, the first thing she did was look toward the shelves, looking them over as she set all the groceries down on the counter. They were perfectly centered, perfectly leveled, and ready for her to start pulling all of his awards from the box they were currently sitting in- having been put away temporarily while they figured out their living situation. She took a few minutes to put the groceries away, and then pulled the box of trophies from the corner of the living room and began setting them out, to order them properly. She realized a lot of them were so old, they’d gotten a bit dusty, so she pulled a dry towel out from the new set she’d bought today and gently swiped them clean of any dust.

She tried her best to order them from oldest to newest, paying attention to having them allow the best view of each one, putting the tallest in the back and smallest in the front, his medals being propped up in cases already. His newest medal, from the competition, took a spot center-stage, right between all the others. Feeling satisfied, looking at her work, she smiled to herself, thinking about all the years of work he had put into achieving all of these.

She picked up the bag with towels and bedding, putting them all in the wash, and laying the duvet over the couch while everything was going through the wash. She began setting all of the ingredients for dinner on the counter, starting her preparations. As she began dinner, Ari put the boodles down into boiling water, and suddenly felt her phone ring, buzzing in her pocket.

She looked at the screen, seeing Domenico was calling. She debated on answering, it had been just over a month since they’d last spoken, and she did say one month. She thought about it for a number of seconds, answering it, slowly lifting it to her ear, not sure what to expect.

Ari: ”.. Domeno?”

Domenico: “Ari- I just.. I’m.. Traveling right now.”

Ari noted how panicked he sounded, his voice was tense and his words were stuttered.

Ari: “Domeno.. Are you okay? You sound like you’re-“

Domenico: “I just- Please, Ari, just.. Tell me about your day. I just need to hear your voice right now..”

Ari furrowed her brow, walking over to the hall and crouching, sitting on the floor in the dark, needing a space to disconnect from her surroundings and focus.

Ari: “Domeno.. Where are you?”

Domenico: “I-I’m in a closet at the.. I don’t want to talk about it- I just really need to hear you talk, Frostie.. Please.”

Ari sighed, tilting her head back onto the wall. She had been trying not to talk to him, avoiding him, but hearing the panic in his voice made her chest ache. She took a few seconds before returning her ear to the phone.

Ari: “My day.. Was good. I um.. I went shopping, bought a new bed set.. And I had a friend help me put up a couple new shelves..”

She was trying to avoid talking about March or her new living situation, already sensing his high level of stress. He was silent on the other end of the line, aside from a few short breaths Ari heard, as if he had been having an anxiety attack before he chose to call.

Ari: “Um.. I went to the store, the weather was so nice today- I got a few things to make dinner, so that’s what I’ve been doing for a little bit now.. Domeno, are you okay?”

Domenico: ”.. Planted any new crops recently..?”

He avoided her question, not wanting to talk about it, his voice was soft and he was starting to sound more relaxed since she’d answered.

Ari: “Well when I got home from the event, Hayden had planted a bunch of crops that can be harvested more than once per season, I forgot to mention that! Um.. Hayden planted over 200 crops, so I’ve had strawberries all month.. I’ve been baking a pie every few days, but peach and strawberry are getting a little old, so.. I’m looking forward to the next season, because it’ll mean new crops.”

She rambled, stopping herself once she realized it.

Ari: “Sorry, I’m going on and on about plants..”

Domenico: “N-no, don’t be sorry.. Listening to you talk is helping.. I’m sorry I interrupted your dinner plans, I just..”

Ari: “Domeno, what’s going on? You don’t sound okay.”

Domenico: “I’m.. Not okay. I’m in a closet at a church.. I just needed to hear your voice and.. I have something I need to give you- I’ll-I’ll come back over to Mistria soon. I’m.. Really sorry I called..”

Ari: ”.. Don’t be sorry. I’m happy you called.”

It was probably too honest, but hearing how much her voice soothed him made her happy he’d called her.

Domenico: ”.. Really?”

Ari: “If you’re ever in trouble or anything, I’d hope you would call.. I’m still your friend.”

There was a long pause, as he seemed to think over what she was saying, she heard a rustling on the other end of the line, as if he were getting up from the floor.

Domenico: ”.. I have something for you, Frostie. I’ll see you soon.”

He hung up before she could say anything more, leaving her in deep thought, sitting on the wooden floor of the hallway. She was left with so many questions, as thoughts and potential flew through her head at top speed. Realizing she’d left noodles boiling, she pulled herself off the floor, fixing her outfit, and went back to cooking. She couldn’t shake the panic she heard in Domenico’s voice, she had never heard him sound that way before.

Hearing the laundry finish drying, and the noodles still needing a little time to boil, she brought the bedding and towels upstairs, after putting the lingerie she bought in the dryer on a gentle setting. As she walked up the empty stairwell, she stay immersed in her thoughts, wondering why Domenico had been in a closet at a church, recalling he’d said that. She also realized.. She would have to tell March he called.

Would she?
No, she definitely would. He would want to know.
She’d tell him after dinner.

She set the duvet, the cover, and all the other bedding on their new mattress, wrestling with the duvet as she pulled the cover over it. Ari had never had a duvet before, just comforters, so it was really different- and difficult, she thought, having to wrangle the cover onto it. Finally, she zipped it up, pulling the sheets over the bed, and smoothing the covered duvet across the sheeted mattress. Lastly, she put the pillow covers on all four pillows, laying them across the headboard neatly, and taking a step back to look at what was going to be their marital bed.

She blushed to herself as the thought ran across her mind. They had never slept on this bed or these sheets, no one had. Her last mattress was a hand-me-down from when she moved into the cabin, and March’s had also been someone else’s before it was given to him- but this bed was theirs, fresh, no old experiences. After hanging the towels in their bathroom on the rack, she quickly made her way back down to continue making dinner for the house.

--------------------------------------------------------

Ari heard a knock at the door, before the handle turned. She turned her attention over it it, having just poured the newly coated penne noodles into a bowl. March walked in, looking over at her from the doorway.

“Am I allowed in here..?” He peeped quietly, looking over at her.

“You do live here, I suppose.” Ari chuckled quietly at his shyness, “How was work..?”

He stepped in, shirt in hand, kicking off his shoes next to the door, neatly. He took off his leather apron, hanging it on the rack next to the door, turning toward her and looking down at the counter, seeing everything she’d been up to.

“Work was good- You did all of this..?” He asked, leaning on the counter and looking up at her.

“Oh, wait, come over here in front of the couch, I did something else..” Ari said excitedly, taking him by the hand and leading him, facing toward the shelves with all of his medals and trophies.

He looked up, a soft gasp escaping his lips as he looked over her recently finished project, his eyes sparkled at the sight of it, “You.. Did this?”

He was visibly stunned, Ari could feel his adoration at her pride in his work, sensing her connection to him through her actions. Ari wanted people to see how incredible he was when they came over, having the urge to show off his skill and achievements- knowing he deserved recognition.

“Olric helped me hang the shelves, so he and Merri are joining us for dinner tonight, I told him 6PM.” Ari smiled, leaning her head on his arm.

“This is.. Ari, thank you.” He leaned over to her, kissing her on the head, “I love it.”

Ari turned toward him, running a hand up his torso, “We’re having guests, are you planning on a quick shower before dinner..?”

He ran a hand through her newly highlighted curls, holding them to his face and inhaling deeply, seemingly comforted by the scent of her hair, ”.. Probably should, I’m filthy. It’ll only take like fifteen minutes, I’ll be right out.”

He gave her a peck on the cheek, his hand lingering on hers as he pulled from her, giving a quick glance back at her as he walked down the hall, Ari heard the door close behind him. She waited until she heard the water turn on, turning her attention toward the recently stopped dryer, pulling her new lingerie out of the machine. She went upstairs, rummaging through her outfits, pulling out a white dress with ruffled sleeves. She took off her clothes and undergarments, slipping on the new lingerie, pulling up the flowing white dress over it- skillfully hiding the navy blue beneath the fabric, only leaving the faint outline of blue barely visible. She brushed her hair gently, taking care not to muddle the curls, looking at herself in the vanity above his dresser, taking a full look at herself.

She felt.. Different. But it felt nice. She felt like this was really a development of herself as a woman and soon-to-be wife. Before, wearing these feminine things had left her feeling fake.. But being with March made her feel.. Like a woman. She spent all day shopping and being a home-maker, something about it just felt.. Nice. That she could help improve his day, just with the small things. She had never really seen herself in this light before, she had never been.. Wife material. Something about him made her want to be better. She loved the feeling she got from doing things that made him happy- especially after all the work he’s been putting toward their future. He was.. Doing so much. Sometimes Ari felt like she wasn’t doing enough for it to feel equal, at times.

The farm and selling crops had left her with quite a bit of money, so Ari spent a lot of time giving back to the town of Mistria. Sending in crops to the inn for town meals, helping teach the kids about crops throughout the week, she really felt like she was becoming part of Mistria. Things were going well, it left her with a worry in her chest that things were about to somehow go wrong. Ari shook the thought from her head, telling herself she was wrong for even thinking. Just being negative.

Ari went back down to the kitchen, setting out some plates she’d brought over from the cabin, and putting out silverware. This was the first time they’d used the kitchen, first time they had guests coming over- even if it was just his brother and Merri.. It felt so new, so many firsts for them. First place together, first time sleeping in their new bed, first time she’s worn lingerie for a man. She blushed, thinking to herself about the after-dinner plans, thinking to herself about the feeling of his skin on hers.

As she stand at the counter, stirring and mixing the salad, she felt a pair of arms wrapping around her waist, shaking her from her daydream. She knew the feeling of March’s arms, strong and certain, as he pressed his body against hers. She continued mixing the lettuce, onions, diced tomatoes, and balsamic dressing. She could smell the scent of his bodywash, his skin still damp from the shower, heat radiating from him.

They both turned, hearing a knock at the door and Merri’s voice outside the door chuckling. March kissed Ari on the head, walking over to open the door, putting his usual serious look on his face.

“Hey, bro!” Olric said excitedly, pulling March into a one-armed hug, patting him on the arm, “We brought a dessert, Merri wanted to do something, so she made a strawberry tart.”

Ari smiled over with a wave, beckoning Merri to come over, “Oh hey, just set it anywhere, everything is almost done.”

Merri was wearing a maroon sundress, with a beige cardigan overtop, it fit her snuggly. The few times Ari had seen Merri, she never wore makeup or looked overly girly, but Ari realized today that Merri was wearing a little eyeshadow and mascara, some clear lip gloss, and her hair was pulled in a half-up, half-down fashion. She had made herself look nice for Olric, and her hair and skin both had a nice, healthy shine to them.

“You look really nice, Merri.” Ari said quietly, standing next to Merri at the counter while Olric walked over with March to look at his new trophy display, Olric exclaiming about not knowing what it was for at the time.

”.. Thank you Ari, I don’t usually do this kind of thing but-” Merri started, looking down at her feet.

“I think you look great.” Ari said comfortingly, putting her hand on Merri’s shoulder.

Ari knew all too well how out-of-place it felt to be feminine and girly when you’ve been anything but that your entire life. Ari battled with herself daily about that very thing.

Merri smiled at her, seeming to relax a bit, “Congrats on your engagement.. It’s so dreamy, you and March. I’m so excited for you both, so is Olric. He said he never thought he’d see March this happy, and if anyone would know, it’d be Olric..”

“He deserves all the credit, he’s the one pulling everything together so fast..” Ari whispered, gesturing over to March with a quiet chuckle, “All I’ve done is garden and make dinner, he’s the real team leader here.”

”.. How did you know, Ari?” Merri sighed lovingly, looking over at March and Olric playfully roughhousing, Olric giving March a playful slap on the back of the head, both of them laughing, “That you loved him, I mean..?”

Ari felt the seriousness in that question, knowing she was implying her own feelings toward Olric.

”.. Well..” Ari said quietly, barely above a whisper, staring at March, ”.. When I realized no one in the whole world, in all these years, has ever made me feel the way he makes me feel. With him, I don’t feel alone, it feels like there is one other person on the planet who really gets me, and March is that person, for me.”

Merri tilted her head and pressed her hands together, appearing to empathize with what Ari had said, “I see..”

Olric and March walked over, both of them taking their respective spots next to their perceived partners, March leaning in and giving Ari a kiss on the cheek.

“Hey, everything’s ready, you guys can go ahead and grab some pasta and stuff, I’m just finishing up the salad and I’ll join you in a minute.” Ari said sweetly, pressing her face up against his and giving him a side-hug.

Everyone grabbed their plates and food, March standing at the counter and eating, Ari and Merri sitting at the counter in the stools, and Olric sitting in a chair nearby the kitchen. They didn’t really have a table yet, but it didn’t seem anyone really minded that much.

“So I’ve already talked to March about this a little bit, but.. Merri is moving in with me across the shop.” Olric said with a big smile, shooting a smile over toward Merri.

“That’s great! Always happy to have a friend nearby.” Ari said with a smile, she and Merri seemed to be connecting easily, which wasn’t common for Ari when it came to other women.

”.. Yeah, sorry for.. You having to find out the way you did.” Olric said with a shy smile, the only time she’d ever seen him blush during conversation.

Merri coughed in surprise, March smirking over toward him, ”.. I don’t have any room to be mad, we both know it.”

Olric chuckled, recalling the times he had been an unwilling witness to unfortunate noises from March’s bedroom, ”.. That’s alright, if it happens again I’ll just flip the sign to closed and-“

“O-okay then-!” Ari interrupted nervously, Merri looking confused but not asking questions, “So it should only take a couple weeks to finish the roof and the outside of our place, will they be starting the other side soon?”

“They’re taking a few weeks break, but then they’ll be right on it. Ryis and the forge are already under contract, so it’s underway!” Olric exclaimed, letting the topic change back to the project.”

“I should probably also say that.. My dad isn’t happy about this. He’s a short man, bald head, big green eyes, and he wears a lot of overalls.. If you see him around here, please call me. He’s not usually aggressive, but.. He feels passionately about me being married before cohabitating. Which, well, that’s not how things are going.” Merri sighed, looking concerned, “He’s been calling me non-stop since he found my room empty last night.. I left at like 3AM just to avoid him, and he found out by 4AM that I left.”

”.. He keeps a weirdly close eye on her. He’s too much.” Olric said, seriousness in his usually playful and light tone, ”He thinks I’m disrespecting his authority.”

“But Merri is like twenty-two.. What authority does he think he has?” March asked in an irritated tone, taking a bite of his pasta.

“He still sees me as a child. I don’t think it ever would have changed.” Merri said lowly, looking down at her lap.

“Her room still looked like a little girl’s room, it was creepy..” Olric said heatedly, furrowing his brows, “Now she gets to be an adult. Wear makeup and nice clothes, do her hair if she wants to.”

“Have sex, if I want to.” Merri mumbled to Ari quietly, gently bumping her arm to Ari’s.

Ari stifled a surprise giggle, March looking at her with a little confusion on his face, not having heard what Merri said.

“You and me both, sister.” Ari mumbled back, both of them laughing and exchanging knowing looks.

March and Olric glanced at each other, March inquiring with a veiled smirk, “Whatcha laughing about..?”

“Nothing.” Ari said, pressing her lips together, appreciating the shared moment between she and Merri.

After all, if anyone understands the allure of the brothers, it would be her. Olric and March were very different in many ways, but they did still have a lot of commonalities. She was finding out that she actually really liked Merri, after getting to know her and be around her more than a few fleeting moments at the market. She even had a dream in her head that maybe the four of them would eventually have a big family together, just separated by a few thin walls.

“Ari, I don’t know much about you, have your parents come by to see the place..?” Merri asked in a gentle tone, uncertain of Ari’s situation with family.

“Actually, that’s one of many things I have in common with March, I suppose.. I don’t know who or where my parents are. Never did.” Ari smiled, not minding her question, not feeling put off by it at all.

”.. I guess we all have kind of been lacking in the parent department.” Merri said with a sad smile, putting a hand on Ari’s arm, “Other than my dad, I don’t really have much family I talk to, so.. We’re all pretty much on our own, then.”

“Hey, it’s never stopped us before.” Olric piped in, meeting eyes with Merri, offering words of support, “Mistria is here for you, you’re one of us, now.”

Merri looked over at him dreamily, Ari and March exchanging a glace, both appreciating Olric and Merri’s connection with a few standing moments of silence. All of them finished up, Olric and Merri insisted on washing dishes, Ari and March packing up some bowls for leftovers that they could take with them to the kitchen mid-shop. Since their side of the place wasn’t done, they had been using the shop kitchen and bathroom, the one he and March used for many years before adding the new building on.

”.. I’m excited to just spend some time with you.” March said quietly to Ari as he watched her put plastic wrap over two bowls, Merri and Olric laughing together over by the sink.

“We have all day tomorrow, it’s Sunday.” Ari cooed at him, pausing to run a hand up his arm gently, ”.. I want to spent the whole day with you. Come down to the farm and hang out with me while I water the crops..?”

“Of course.” March nodded, looking her in the eye, he could sense she was feeling clingy, ”.. Ari, I’m sorry I ended up having to work today, it feels like maybe you missed me.”

Really, the reason she was coming as clingy and wanting to be alone with him had more to do with the phone call she got from Domenico. It left her feeling sad and needy, and she was feeling anxious about needing to tell him about it- even when she knew it would be fine.

”.. I did miss you, March.” Ari said simply, deciding it better not to give him any unnecessary anxiety about the conversation she knew was coming after the company left, “It’s okay, I know work is important, I’ll never feel bad that you have to work.”

”.. Do you want to talk about something..?” He asked quietly, reading her like a book, as always.

“I do, but it’s not about that, it’s about a call I got earlier. I didn’t want to put you on edge, it isn’t that big of a deal.” Ari smiled, turning toward him and leaning in, wrapping her arms around his waist.

It was hard to keep anything from March, he was so sensitive to every changed tone in her voice, every slight difference in her body language.. He noticed everything, even if he didn’t consciously think about it.

“Oh, okay.” He sighed, seeming relieved, wrapping his arms around her and putting his cheek against hers, ”.. You’re sure it isn’t a big deal?”

“I’m sure, March. I just tell you things I think you’ll want to know about, this is one of those things.” Ari said reassuringly, running a hand up the back of his neck and through his hair.

“Alright guys, we’re going to take off.” Olric queued, both of them using a towel to dry their hands, noticing the moment between Ari and March was turning intimate and excusing themselves.

“Oh, here, take these with you for the other kitchen!” Ari pulled away from March, picking up the bowls she’d packed up and handing them to Merri with a smile, giving her a friendly hug.

“Thank you! It’ll be a great snack for later, this is great.” Merri said with a big smile, seeming incredibly happy to have made a new friend.

“Don’t be a stranger, if you text me some time this week we can hang out and do something, I really enjoyed being able to really meet you.” Ari reassured her, making sure to let her know she could be comfortable contacting her.

After they walked out, March closing the door behind them, he turned back toward Ari. They both sighed in relief, in their empty house, finally getting that time alone together they had been craving the entire day. Hey exchanged a long look at each other, March suddenly taking more of a shy stance, rubbing his arm with his hand in a self-soothing type of way.

“S-so..” March started, walking toward her slowly, “What was the phone call..?”

Ari put her arms around him in an embrace, sensing his level of nerves, clearly his anxiety was unnecessarily high- he didn’t handle the unknown well.

“It was Domenico. Calling from a closet, panicked, it sounded like he was having a panic attack or something.. So I talked to him for a few minutes.” Ari said quietly, March looking down at her, a little discomfort spreading across his face at the mention of Domenico.

”.. That’s it, though..?” He asked hesitantly, holding her close to him.

“He said he had something he needed to give me, and that he would be coming here.. Soon.” She finished, feeling him tense a bit, seeming to take a stabilizing, deep breath, pulling back and looking her in the eyes.

”.. Okay.” March said simply, trying not to be negative, “I.. Just hope this isn’t him trying to weaponize his history with you against our relationship, Ari. I know he cares about you, but..”

“I hope that’s not his plan..” Ari whispered, pulling him into her, “Because if it is, he’ll be disappointed when it doesn’t work.”

She leaned up to his face, kissing him gently. Reassuringly.

“Did you see the bed..?” Ari asked sweetly, looking him up and down slowly.

He shook his head curiously, blushing, letting her lead him by the hand toward the stairs, “No I haven’t, you did more today?”

“Just a couple more things..” Ari said with a soft smile, March following closely behind her.

They both walked into the bedroom, Ari flipping on the lamp on the bedside table, revealing a very nice cadet blue bed set.

“Ari.. That looks really nice.” March said, his eyes lingering on her.

She was standing in front of the light, and he could see right through her white dress, her feminine form very clear. He looked closely, seeing a slight hue of blue in the shape of her showing through the fabric, barely visible.

”.. I just have one more thing.” Ari said with a serious tone, hearing the nervousness in her own voice, “Here, sit on the bed..”

March obeyed, slowly lowering himself onto the edge of the bed, looking up at her with big, curious eyes, unsure of what to expect. Ari stood at the bottom of the bed, just im front of him. He leaned back on his hands, looking up at her as he realized how anxious she looked.

”.. Ari.” He said quietly, looking up at her with a blush as she lowered her sinched dress shoulder straps, slowly pulling them down, revealing just the hem of her navy blue bralette.

Realizing she was wearing something specifically for him, he gasped lightly, his body language straightening at the sight of her, sitting up from his hands and leaning in toward her. As she pulled the white dress down, revealing her matching navy babydoll set beneath, March looked her up and down, his eyes lingering on each part of her body, almost appearing to be afraid to touch her.

Ari walked toward him, putting one knee on either side of him, March putting his hands up, gently and hesitatingly placing his hands on her waist. He was immediately hard, Ari could feel that through his pants as she sat in his lap, facing him.

“Ari.. You bought this.. For me..?” His eyes lingered on her waist, veiled in the sheer, blue flabric, her bellybutton showing through it.

He ran his hand up the bottom of her blouse, feeling the silkiness of her skin beneath his fingertips, putting his face in the curve of her neck, Ari closing her eyes at the feeling of his breath just beneath her ear.

“I’ve.. Never worn something like this before.” Ari blushed, looking down and to the side, feeling the hairs stand where his hands graced.

”.. You’re like an angel.” He said softly into her ear, wrapping his arms around her waist, making her gasp softly.

She felt him thrust up into her body, pulling her down onto him, feeling his length on her upper thigh, she said between increasingly labored breaths, ”.. This is going to be.. Our marital bed..”

She felt him take a swift inhale, feeling tensity roll over his body, feeling his strong hands make their way up the center of her back. She could feel what the sound of her voice did to him, his scent and pheromones blessing the air as he grew increasingly more physical, holding her body to his with intensity.

”.. You can’t say things like that, Ari..” He whispered, kissing her neck, running his tongue over her skin.

”.. It’s true..” Ari sighed, feeling her legs quiver slightly, moving herself up onto his erection, feeling him through her panties.

“If you say things like that.. I feel something I don’t have a word for..” He said, running one hand up onto her breast, taking her nipple between his index and middle finger, rubbing it gently.

“Try.” Ari hummed, closing her eyes and tilting her head back, wrapping her arms around the back of his neck.

“It feels.. Real. It makes me happy, but scared.” He said softly, pulling down one of the straps of her top, revealing her breast, “I don’t know how to handle.. How it feels.”

He took her nipple into his mouth, earning a gasp from Ari, pulling her down forcefully into his lap, driving himself up into her. Ari met his thrusts, moving her body back and forth against him, increasing the friction between them.

“You thought about me this much today..?” He asked breathlessly, pulling his face away from her breast, looking her in the eyes with dark desire, needing to hear her say it.

”.. Yes.” Ari sighed, still rocking back and forth in his lap, meeting his eyes with craving, “You’re all I could think about.”

She felt a silent gasp leave his throat, closing his eyes and tilting his head back as they grind against each other, both of them contributing to the effort between them. Out of everything, she could see the pleasure on his face by knowing she had been thinking about him throughout her entire day- she made him feel so.. Important. Like he was the center of her universe.

“Ari.. Tell me what you were thinking about..” He moaned softly between breaths, opening his eyes to look at her, pushing her down onto his cock as he begged her with his eyes.

”.. I thought about this.” Ari said softly, biting her lip between sentences, ”.. That this would be the first time we did this, in this bed. O-Our bed..”

His face grew more and more red as she continued talking, “March.. Nothing else makes me feel so good..”

She could feel his breathing grow labored, hitching in his throat, his cock throbbing through his pants as she wrapped her arms around his neck, both of them wrapping their arms around each other. He was moaning softly, his face shrouded in her curls, his nose running up her neck. They continued grinding against each other, as his hands began to shake.

“Y-you feel so good.. I’ve been daydreaming about this since this morning..” Ari sighed, softly talking him through his thrusts as they became harder and more jagged, “March.. O-oh.. Y-you’re amazing..”

”March, you feel so good..”
”I’ve never known this feeling until I met you..”
”O-oh, you’re turning me on..”

He moaned out softly as her gentle words echoes in his head, as his hips stuttered, pulling her close to him. Ari could feel a wet spot forming under her upper thigh, his cock pulsing as he shook with pleasure. Even he seemed slightly stunned at this, his movements freezing and his chest tightening, his arms frozen in place as he realized he had just climaxed in his pants.

“Oh- Fuck.. I’m sorry, I don’t know how that-” He stammered, seeming incredibly embarrassed, turning his head away from her and avoiding her eyes with a red blush across his face, “I’m sorry.. That’s fucking embarrassing.”

Ari kissed him on the cheek, then on his lips, pushing him back down onto the bed. She was so turned on by just how affected he was by her words, still grinding herself on top of him, taking him by surprise as he met her lips, gasping into her mouth. Ari could feel the damp spot beneath her, making her upper thigh slick, rubbing herself down on top of it, moistening her panties with his fluids. Sitting back up and breaking their kiss, she unbuttoned and unzipped his pants, revealing his erection underneath his damp boxers, wet from his cum.

He looked over to the side, embarrassed at her staring at his length, still feeling his face hot at how easily he’d gotten off, ”.. Don’t stare. That’s making me feel.. Weird.”

Ari giggled at his vulnerability softly, pushing her panties to the side and grinding her entrance down onto the wet spot on his boxers, softly moaning at the wet sensation on her clit, turned on by his sensitivity to her voice. He looked down, watching her grind her exposed opening across his slick, feeling himself harden at the sight of her enjoyment at his pleasure.

“A-Ari, that’s-” He stammered, pausing as she pulled him from the opening of his boxers, cum still making his cock wet.

Ari began rubbing the head of his dick up and down across her entrance, making herself wet with the fluids pre-established. March twitched, tensing at the sensitivity, softly moaning at the sight of her. Ari was focused on rubbing his wet onto her bare skin, seeming to grow more aroused as his sticky fluids dampened her even more.

“It’s a turn-on, you know..” Ari began, pushing the wet head of his cock into herself, slowly lowering down onto him, earning a gasp from March, “H-how much pleasure you get from my voice, March.. I-it makes everything so wet, it’s..”

”.. It’s hearing that you want me.” March said with a sigh, pulling her down onto him by her hips, “I love hearing.. How much you want me, Ari. Just me.”

Ari leaned down, soft gasps escaping her lips as he dragged her body down onto his, feeling him deep inside of her, “I’ve wanted you all day.. W-watching you look at me every time I passed the anvil.. What were you thinking about..?”

March inhaled deeply, feeling his cock bury into her as deep as it could, hitting her wall, ”.. I was thinking about.. This.”

He began rutting up into her, earning a gasp from Ari as he did. His abs were tensing, his hands shaking with pleasure. They met lips with a desperate need, both of them moaning into the kiss as he pulled up his knees, beginning to bounce her weight on top of him roughly. Slipping her tongue into his mouth, she could hear his uneven breaths, feeling him gasp into their kiss with every thrust, Ari moaning short, high-pitched peeps as he thrust quickly up into her. He pulled her down to meet his body with both hips, his pants still most of the way on, his wet boxers not impeding their efforts at all.

“F-fuck, Ari- O-oh-” He gasped with passion, his jaw tensing, tilting his head back slightly and closing his eyes, focusing his energy on her pleasure.

He could hear her broken gasps and moans, hearing his name fall from her lips over and over again as he persisted, roughly rattling her tummy, stirring her up with his cock. She loved how good she could make him feel, looking down at his face, watching how hard he needed to concentrate just to hold himself together.

“I-I hope you know how much I appreciate e-everything you do-” Ari slowed, rocking back and forth, gliding across his erection, March moaning at the new sensation, “You’ve- You’ve been working so h-hard and..”

They both paused, March looking up at her with a serious expression, fully turning his attention to what she was saying, his eyes grew a little glossy with emotion.

“I notice, y-you know..? How much you’ve been doing for us.” Ari sighed, both of them at a standstill, heavy with emotion, both of them feeling the intimacy between them, Ari blushed with an honest smile, ”.. Sometimes I even feel that maybe.. You’re too good for me. That I got so.. Lucky all of a sudden.”

“Ari..” He whispered, looking her in the eyes, running his hands up her thighs affectionately, ”.. I’m the lucky one.”

”.. H-how..?” Ari asked softly, letting her internal fear come to realization, running her hands over his chest.

”.. That I have someone by my side who really sees me.” He said reassuringly, sitting up and meeting her eyes, “I feel.. Appreciated. That you think about me, that you want me, Ari. I can do everything else, all I need from you is that.”

Using his weight as leverage, he flipped both of them over, Ari wrapping her legs around his waist, a surprised gasp escaping her lips as he took control, putting his face in the curve of her neck and nipping at her skin.

“March- I-” Ari moaned softly, feeling him start rutting into her, pushing into her entirely as she hold onto him tightly, “I love you-“

She felt him pulse into her at the sound of her saying it, feeling his entire body tense overtop hers, his voice strained as he began going harder, “Ari-“

She knew what he was trying to say, his body taking over completely as he held himself over her, pounding into her relentlessly as she squirm in pleasure, running her hands down his chest, looking up at the sight of him. He was.. Beautiful. Ari thought, as she watched every muscle in his body tense with every thrust. His mouth just slightly agape, his cheeks pink, his eyes dark with emotion. She could do this with him every night, in this bed, just the two of them- it would never feel repetitive, it would never get old.

“M-March..” Ari stammered over and over again, sending pleasure rolling through his body as he leaned down on his elbows, kissing her, roughly etching every emotion into her body, grinding down onto her.

As the fission began building up in her belly, broken whimpers came out of her mouth with every driven plunge, he could feel she was getting close as her walls closed around him. As she shook, her entrance became tauten around him, making him cringe and grit his teeth as he bucked into her through her climax. Delivering a measure of jagged movements, March felt his peak approaching as he met her lips with his, their wet tongues tangled as he continued to lay into her body. He ceded to his own pleasure, shaking as he pushed into her with deep and hard strides, pumping her full of his fluids as he gripped her hips tightly, moaning into their kiss.

Ari, sighed, breaking their kiss with a slight sense of urgency, “Th-the new bedding, I’ll need a t-towel so it doesn’t get wet..”

Beginning to pull out of her, March assisted her to being on all fours, leaning over her and whispering, “I’ll wash them again.. Don’t worry.”

Pushing her downward onto the bed and pulling her ass up toward him, he began prodding at her entrance, Ari spreading her legs further at the sensation, feeling his cum drip from her opening as he held her hip with one shaking hand, directing his cock back into her with the other. He felt so.. Primal. So out-of-control with her right now- it was driving her crazy.

As he pushed back into her, Ari felt him much deeper than before, she bellowed a shaking moan out louder than usual, March gasping at the sound of her. Ari grabbed one of the pillows, holding it to her mouth, trying not to be too loud, even this far away from their housemates. Still in her navy blue babydoll lingerie, panties pulled to the side, he began fucking her hard, his hands clasped tightly on her hips. Her gasps and broken moans urging him, leading his actions to grow more and more rough as he aggressively pushed her forward, and pulled her back onto his cock.

“A-Ari-” He moaned out, feeling a low buzz come over his body, closing his eyes tightly.

He was hitting her deep, Ari’s body stuttering with each thrust as she used to pillow to bury her yelps and moans. She could feel his nails gripping into her thighs, his hands grabbing her hard as he quickened his pace, angling himself toward her at a downward angle, leaning against her and wrapping one arm around her, flipping her clit back and forth repeatedly, wet from his cum.

As he pumped in and out of her, Ari’s moans became almost silent, just gasps, as she approached her climax. March was being rough, his hand shaking as it rubbed her most sensitive spot, his angle giving him full access to her sweet spot as he roughly pounded his body into hers. She could feel her mouth drooling, slightly agape, as she felt herself lost in pleasure, her eyes rolling back into a close.

“M-March I can’t take-” Ari stuttered, her voice strained and breathy.

“One more.. I want you to cum one more time, Ari-” He moaned, his breath labored as he persisted.

Feeling her legs shake uncontrollably, Ari felt a short, wet stream leave her body, the fluid was hot, overcoming her with pleasure as he rode into her through it. She heard him moan out as he saw her body shake at the sensation of his cock, clearly turned on by how good he could make her feel.

“O-oh fuck, Ari- O-oh God-” March moaned, continuing to ride her, grabbing her by both hips as she shake with oversensitivity, both of them wet from their fluids, March chasing his own climax one more time- having to be rough to achieve a third orgasm.

She felt his cock pulse inside of her as he pushed deep into her body, closing his eyes and leaning over her, feeling his orgasm come to a peak. Pulling out of her, Ari slumped to lay on her back, March taking a place next to her, or propping himself up on his elbow, both of them breathing heavily.

Ari reached over, moving a damp curl of red and black hair from next to his eye, caressing his cheek affectionately, March looking over at her with a shy smile. He leaned down to her, kissing her on the temple as she looked up at him sweetly, still feeling overcome by the tingling in her belly.

"March.." Ari sighed breathlessly, running a finger up his forearm lovingly, lingering in the moment, ".. I love you. Are you sure there's nothing else I can do to help..? Aside from dinner and farming, I mean."

"You being here does much more than you know." March said quietly, leaning in and kissing her on the forehead, ".. I couldn't do all this alone, Ari. Your support is everything to me. Without you, I don't even have a real reason to do any of it."

Ari scooted herself closer to him, laying just beside him, and he looped his arm over her waist, cuddling with her. Still heated from the connection, they didn't even consider a blanket, March acting as a furnace beside her. Ari felt his hand roaming her waist, gently caressing her skin. March seemed to be growing more and more comfortable with these intimate words, he told her much more frequently and openly what their connection meant to him. For the first month of their relationship, he had a hard time expressing himself openly a lot of the time- because he was operating under the assumption that things eventually wouldn't work out, or that she would go away at some point. Now they were living together and engaged, so he seemed to be more comfortable.

Alloy finally made her way up the stairs and into their bedroom doorway, March noticing her and getting up from his spot on the bed, awkwardly stating, "I'm.. Gonna go change into something to sleep in."

Ari watched him walk to the bathroom across the hall, getting up from her spot and using one of the towels from one of her boxes to clean herself up a bit. She pulled the duvet cover and the sheet back, sitting down on the side of the bed furthest from the door, covering herself up as Alloy pranced up to her, shaking her coat out and rubbing up to her for pets. Ari obliged, giving her a pat-down, smoothing out her fur. Eventually she lay down, taking a spot right next to Ari.

March walked back in, pausing to look at them both, ".. Well the cat might have to move."

Ari smiled cutely, pulling Alloy into her, beneath the blanket, "The cat has a name."

March rolled his eyes sarcastically, sitting down on the edge of the bed, sliding in next to her, "She can be a cat and Alloy at the same time.. I want to cuddle with you."

Ari tilted her head teasingly, ".. You can't share?"

March raised his eyebrows and looked at her seriously, his tone serious, ".. We both know I can't share."

Ari rolled her eyes back, playfully making a 'tsch' noise, moving Alloy to the other side of her so March could cuddle with her. That's one thing that never changed, no matter what bed they slept in, March always wanted one arm around her. Ari couldn't complain, feeling his muscular arm tightly grasp her made her feel safe. Like no one could pry her away from him.

She slept much better with him next to her.

Chapter Text

It was barely a week since, summer was still in full-swing. It was hot, but quiet out on the farm this morning. It was early, only about 9AM, and Ari was making her round, watering all the re-harvestables, picking the ones that were ready for harvest. Ari was sporting a long, white skirt, cropped at the ankle, and a gray crop top. She was wearing a hat to help shield herself from the sun, which was rising to mid-day quickly.

Since a week prior, she hadn’t heard from Domenico. She sent one text just over one day ago asking if he was alright, but received no response. She tried not to let herself worry about it too much, but given the emotional state he was in when he called, he stayed heavy on her mind today. Ari still loved and cared for Domenico, despite the troubles between he and March. With the newly introduced concern for his safety, she did have a few feelings resurface for him, much to her dismay. She tried to tell March everything she was feeling and thinking, but she found herself avoiding talking about this particular thing, as she was trying to push it to the back of her mind and pretend those feelings didn’t exist.

Despite the common belief, you can love two people at the same time. You cannot be dedicated to two people at the same time. You cannot hold space in your heart for a future with two people at the same time. You cannot act in ways you know would hurt your partner, but love them at the same time. And that’s why.. Ari was choosing to just not think too much about it- but the worry in her heart for Domenico’s health and safety did weigh on her.

She knew there was a battle between her love for Domenico as a friend and his love for her as a lover, and that these things were overall conflicting and contradictory in a serious way. She also knew that she had to be very careful of March’s feeling during this complicated time in their lives, because he, with good reason, felt threatened by Domenico and Ari’s history with him. March felt it was an unfair fight that he wouldn’t be able to win, long-term, despite Ari reassuring him that her choice was made. She felt the tensity in his body when she said Domenico would be coming by soon, much too soon for his comfort.

She could also tell.. March was trying to save space for her to process her emotions on her own, and he was trying to be fair to her by allowing her to handle this very personal situation in whatever way she deemed fit- because he trusted her.

Ari felt that. March trusted her.
And she had no plan of betraying that trust.
March is her soul mate. This conflict, in her mind, was a simple obstacle she needed to vault. Eventually she and March would be married, and everything would be said and done- eventually Domenico would just have to be okay with that. There wouldn’t be another option, the only option would be at least some level of acceptance and respect for their marriage- Domenico took marriage seriously due to their upbringing.

The issue right now would be working everything out carefully while they were still unmarried.

Ari skipped her way to the storage bin with her baskets of strawberries, packaging them up to ship off to the town, kneeling in front of the bin and leaning to neatly stack them amongst the other small packages. She was humming an old song to herself from when she was a child, not remembering the words, enjoying the sunlight of the morning on her skin.

As she sat up, she jumped at the sight of a figure standing nearby her, out of the corner of her eye. She tripped backward over her gardening tools, tumbling over onto her backside, adjusting her hat out of her face to see a familiar face.

”.. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.” Domenico said softly, as Ari turned to see him standing just by the edge of the porch, a few feel away from the bin, “Here, let me help you.”

He stepped toward her, avoiding stepping on her tools, and she took his hand, Domenico easily lifting her onto her feet, Ari brushing dirt from her skirt. He was carrying a couple large bags, seeming to be coming to her straight from his travels. His gentle brown curls were only a little longer than when she saw him last, framing his face over his headband. He was adorned with his usual jewelry, his ears with dangling jewels and his nose with a triangle piercing aimed toward his lips. He was wearing a new necklace, a cross, bright silver- maybe platinum. He was wearing black joggers, tight at his calves and down to his feet, and a faded blue sleeveless top, bandages covering both forearms.

He looked.. Different. He wasn’t as usually playful, almost having a flat, but friendly, expression. He must be tired from his travels, Ari thought to herself. He had a new tattoo across his shoulder and onto his pec, of a large oak tree with two hands holding in an overlay over it. Seeming very well done, it still appeared to be at the end of healing, looking like fresh ink.

After looking him over, Ari set her basket on the ground, pulling him into a tight hug, softly saying, ”.. You didn’t text back. I was worried about you.”

He hugged her back tightly, his hand lingering on her lower back as she pulled back to look at him, he chuckled quietly, “Sorry.. I spent most of the last day hopping trains to get here. Ari.. I have so much to tell you.”

So they sat on the steps to the cabin deck, and he told her about his travels. That he had gone back to the marshlands, thousands of miles away, and went back to the orphanage they had grown up in.

“It.. Was surreal, Ari.” Domenico said softly, looking out into the field, ”.. They still have kids. A lot of kids. And the place looked exactly the same, like the whole building was a time capsule.”

”.. Domeno..” Ari sighed, running a hand over her face, ”.. Why did you go back? Is that why you called..?”

”.. When I was in there, it started out fine, Ari. I felt so confident that I was strong enough to handle it, that I was healed.. But when you’re in there, it’s.. It felt like I was a little kid again when I walked back out from their office and through the cathedral..” He explained, rubbing his eyes in discomfort, ”.. So I just myself in a dark place.. So I wouldn’t have to look at it until I had calmed down a little.. But the smell of the place was so the same, it was like I couldn’t escape it. .. So that’s why I called.”

”.. But Domeno.. Why?” Ari repeated her question, looking at him with furrowed brows, “Why did you go..? Why did you do that to yourself..?”

”.. For me. And for you. Ari, the reason I went was so I could get my file from the guardians.” He said, looking over at her, seriously, “Ari.. I have your file.”

“My..” Ari suddenly felt herself unable to think, “F-file..?”

”.. The mothers all kept a file full of information on us, I.. Knew about it. I got sent to their office once, and I saw one of them tucking an entry away in a folder after I was sent out. They were usually careful not to let us see, but.. I always knew they were in there.” He explained, looking down at the stairs of the deck, ”.. I told them I wanted mine and yours.. And I told them everything I remembered, and that I would expose them- unless they gave me what I asked for.”

”.. What’s.. In them..?” Ari asked, still processing, not fully understanding.

”.. I didn’t look in yours.” He said softly, rummaging in his bigger backpack and pulling out a beige file folder, holding it out to her, ”.. But in mine, it had my birth certificate, parents names, photos of me from when I was little and growing up, all kinds of things, and.. Ari, they were dosing us. With.. Something. It says ‘C20H26N20’ in my fie, and the dosage value in increments on different dates. But I don’t know what it is.”

Ari reached her hand out, gently taking her file from him, not opening it, frozen and unable to act.

”.. You don’t have to open it, Frostie.” He said softly, ”.. I just didn’t want them to have it anymore.”

Ari wasn’t sure how to feel, many emotions overcoming her at once as her eyes began to water with the sheer intensity of the tiny weight of the paper file in her hand. So many years, all congregated in a couple sheets of thick paper being held in her fingertips, like holding her entire life and being in her own hand for the first time. There was a long, silent pause between them, a comfortable, heavy moment between two lifelong friends, Domenico fully understanding her lack of words- not rushing her for a response, and completely empathizing with her as she sit there in a wild attempt to process.

Ari could think of only two words, uttering them with a weakness that surprised her, “Th-thank you.”

Their eyes met after a long time of silence, Domenico smiling at her hesitantly, but soon after, his eyes glanced down at the file, and then.. Her hand. He gasped silently, as the smile fell from his face, Ari immediately realizing he had spotted the ring on her hand- immediately a sense of dread spread between them like a plague as he uncontrollably stood, backing up in surprise, his response untamed and unplanned.

“Y-you..?” He stammered, appearing to catch himself, shaking off the shock as best he could, “I-I see.. March..?”

Ari looked down at her hand, nodding her head slowly, flinching as not knowing what to expect, feeling like a kid who did something bad and was just now getting caught.

”.. Congratulations.” He said lowly, Ari knew he didn’t really feel that way but that he was choosing to resign himself, “Isn’t it.. Really, really soon for that?”

He wasn’t wrong. It was very soon.

“Domeno..” Ari said in a quiet voice, looking up at him from her seat on the steps, ”.. I’m sorry you had to find out this way.”

”.. You’ve only been together like two months, Frostie.” He said with a tinge of disgust, closing his eyes and putting his hand over his forehead, furrowing his brow, appearing to go through waves of many different feelings.

”.. I know that.” Ari said softly, almost pleadingly, suddenly feeling like she was in the wrong for something.

“How do you even know him at all?” Domenico asked in frustration, gesturing to the side as he began pacing, “You guys haven’t..”

He paused, suddenly looking over at her, his voice was soft, ”.. Have you..?”

She knew what the question was. He was asking if they’d been intimate. She felt a wave of discomfort overcome her, not only at the audacity of the question, but also at the knowledge that there was no right answer. There was either a lie, or a painful truth that would be even more uncomfortable than a lie. Ari wouldn’t lie.

She just looked up at him with her mouth agape, feeling very small.

“You have..?” Domenico asked, shaking what appeared to be a mental image from his head as he turned away from her, seeming to still be processing.

“Y-yes.” Ari finally peeped, clearing her throat nervously, “We have. And I don’t feel bad about that, Domeno. I love March.”

“You’re not even married, Frostie.. I knew you guys did something, I could hear that much before, but..” His voice was slightly reprimanding like an older brother, but mostly pleading like a suitor, ”.. You’re not even married yet. Doesn’t that mean anything to you?”

Ari thought to herself, looking at her feet uncomfortably, then back up at him with a sigh, ”.. No, Domeno. It doesn’t. I know that means something to you, and I respect that.. But it’s my body, and I choose to show my love for March.. That way.”

”…” He was stunned, not seeming to know what to say, rubbing his face with his hands, “A-and your kiss with me, then..?”

There was a long pause, Ari not knowing what to say in response.

”.. I know you love me, Frostie.” He sighed, putting a hand over his mouth, ”.. Why are you rushing into this..? Is it because you’re afraid of this..?”

”.. I can’t talk about this with you, Domeno.” Ari said sadly, standing up from her seat on the porch, ”.. We have a guest bedroom at the forge, I am offering it to you so you can rest.”

She was trying to be matter-of-fact, and doing her best not to show the emotion she was feeling, but wanting to show her appreciation to him in some way- he had traveled a long way to do an incredibly nice thing for her, and she could only imagine how much he had been through mentally throughout the time he’s been away from home.

”.. You live together?” He asked, obviously still unable to fully process, gesturing toward the cabin, “I thought you lived here.”

”.. The cabin is currently being used as more of a storage place, you know, for my work on the farm..” Ari said, putting her hands up as a way of urging him to calm down a bit, “Domeno, please. Consider staying the night. I can tell you’re exhausted, you look like you haven’t slept in days.”

He was currently falling apart, and Ari could tell. He had more he wanted to say, Ari could read that all over his face, and he needed time to compose himself- and they both knew it.

”.. I’ll think about it.” He said shortly, in a tone she didn’t recognize, Domenico turning away from her and walking toward the Narrows.

She could see how hurt he was. She let him walk away, taking her invitation to stay with him, heavy on his mind. She looked down at the file, realizing it had quite a number of other papers inside, but not looking at them. After she waited a bit, she immediately turned her way toward the town, taking off for the forge- she needed to talk to March.

--------------------------------------------------------

She basically jogged up to the forge, file in hand, spotting March at the anvil. His eyes met hers, and he immediately paused, spotting something was off.

“Ari, what’s wrong?” He asked, setting down his hammer and wiping sweat from his face, turning toward her.

She held up the file in her hand, feeling her own heart still racing from her run over, breathlessly stating, “Domeno.. Brought me my file. March, he saw my ring, and he’s.. Not happy, asked me if you and I had been intimate, was really unhappy with my response. But I told him if he wanted he could stay the night with us, and-“

”.. Wait, Ari, you told him he could stay at our house..?” March asked incredulously, ”.. And what do you mean your file..?”

“My file. From the orphanage. He traveled thousands of miles to the marshes and.. Got all of my information out of that place.” Ari tried to explain in short words, trying to communicate, ”.. So for that.. Yes, I told him he could stay.”

March took a few seconds of silence, looking pretty bothered, but trying to understand, attempting to see it from Ari’s perspective.

“Ari.. You know he did this to win you over, don’t you? Tell me you know that. That’s why he’s so upset about the ring.” March gently took her by both shoulders, his hands damp with sweat, ”.. He wanted this to be a grand gesture.”

”.. He went to get his own file, March.” Ari said with a sigh, “He just got mine while he was there.”

“No, Ari. That isn’t why he went. Why else would he go after he saw you at the capital..? Think about this. He was hoping this would be enough to change your mind.” He urged her, looking her in the eyes, “I’m telling you this as a man. He did this for a reason.”

Ari sighed as he leaned in, kissing her on the cheek. On some level, she wondered if he was right, but either way she wasn’t retracting her invitation. As March went to pull away, Ari held onto his arm, pulling him back toward her and wrapping her arms around his neck. She knew him well enough by now to know he had to be feeling unsure. She kissed him deeply, running her hands up into his damp hair, his sweat dampening her blouse in the summer heat.

“March, I love you.” Ari reassured him, seeing the discomfort in his eyes.

“I love you, too. I just.. Hope you know what you’re dealing with.” He said softly, pulling back and waving at her, turning back toward his anvil.

Ari turned toward the door of the shop, walking into the building, feeling the air conditioning hit her. She saw Olric at the counter, who waved to her with a smile.

“Home early?” He asked, noting it was only noon, sooner than she usually got back from the farm.

“Yeah.. Unexpected visitor.” Ari sighed, unlocking the door to their side of the house and walking in, waving goodbye to Olric, who stood at the counter with a confused expression.

As she shut the door behind her, the silence of their home, only disrupted by the muffled sound of March forging outside, felt so.. Sudden. Ari looked down at the folder in her hand, still unsure of if she wanted to crack open that coffin right now. She walked over to her cupboard, pulling out the half-empty bottle of whiskey, pouring a couple shots of it into a short glass, with one ice cube from the freezer.

She walked over and sat on the couch, setting the file down next to her. The room was still mostly bare, and dark- aside from the front window, where she could see the silhouette of March moving through the sheer curtains. The rhythmic sound of him working was almost like a metronome, as she closed her eyes, taking a long sip of whiskey.

As she pulled her knees up to her chest, tucking her skirt around her sides, she pulled off her hat, setting it on the armrest beside her, looking out the window through the small gap in the blue curtains. She could just barely make out the hammer and his forearms, but just looking at him through the small space gave her some comfort. It would almost be time for lunch, so she and March would likely make their way down to the inn, per usual, when he came inside.

But right now, she was drinking whiskey in the dark silence.
And she didn’t know how to feel.
Recalling the disturbed look on Domenico’s face as he spotted the ring on her finger, and the sound of his shaking voice.

Realistically, she knew Domenico staying with them would be a bad idea, but she wanted to offer him some small token of her gratitude, knowing it would save him a few dollars if he didn’t need to rent a room at the inn that night. The Ides wasn’t far away, only an hour by car, but he already looked exhausted. She found herself wondering where he was now. She glanced over at the file, sighing and taking another long sip of her whiskey. It was burning a hole on her couch, she felt, the urge to look into it began to intensify as she began to process what exactly could be inside of it.

But not now, not in the middle of the day.
Not right before lunch. Not with March about to come in, soon.

Ari lost herself in thought, thinking back on the heated moment she had with Domenico. She had never really considered how seriously he felt about doing something.. Like that. And after they’d spoken earlier, she was left wondering.. Despite his belief being marriage before sex.. Would he have slept with her that night, if she’d wanted to?

’I won’t be able to stop myself twice, Frostie.’

He.. Would have.
Ari thought hard about what that meant about Domeno’s feeling for her, that he would have been willing to override his deeply driven beliefs if it meant being close to her that night. She felt a blush cross her face, furrowing her brows and closing her eyes, shaking her head at the thought of it. Despite keeping things soft, even that night, they had gone.. Farther than she’d admitted to March at the time. More than kissing, and Ari knew that.

Ari jerked her head, hearing the doorknob turn, March slipping into the house with a water bottle, closing the door behind him. He glanced over to her, kicking off his shoes and slowly walking over to her. He sat beside her, the file between them.

”.. Have you opened it?” He looked from the file up to her, Ari shaking her head gently, sipping her whiskey, ”.. Whiskey for lunch..?”

His voice was understanding, but hinted concern.

“March, I have a question.” Ari said pensively.

“Hm..?” March hummed, with a worried sigh.

”.. If you could open a folder that answered all the biggest questions you had about yourself.. Would you open it?” She asked softly, finishing her whiskey, holding the glass tightly in her hands.

March looked down at his lap, thinking it over.

”.. If I was handed a folder and someone told me there was a 1% chance it held the answer to what really happened to my parents inside of it, I would.” He said, crossing his ankle over his knee, ”.. But that’s me.”

He got up from his spot, taking the glass from her hand and setting it on the counter, taking another glass from the cabinet and pulling the whiskey over, pouring them both another generous shot, and adding ice to them both. He walked back over, handing her one of the glasses, sitting next to her. He sat with her in silence for a long time, sensing that she needed his presence for this.

After a few minutes, she looked over at him, leaning her head on one hand, in a quiet voice, asking, ”.. If.. If I asked you, would you look for me..?”

He looked at her with surprise, feeling unsure, “A-Ari, I don’t know.. I think this is the kind of thing you need to do, I wouldn’t know what I was looking at.”

”.. Can you just tell me if it’s something I would want to see?” Ari asked, looking away, worry on her face, ”.. I just can’t make this choice on my own, March. I don’t know what I want.”

She trusted March with this, and she could tell he felt that trust through this question. He looked at her, then at the file, then back at her- Ari nodding at him, pushing it toward him with her socked toes, as if she were hesitating to touch it- like it was an explosive. March reached over, picking it up, looking back over at her with uncertainty.

”.. Are you sure you want me to look in-” He asked with unease.

“Yes. March, please tell me what is in there.” Ari said, pulling her leg back up and wrapping her arms around them, holding her glass near her face.

He took once glance back over at her, then hesitantly opened the file slightly, looking at the first page. She wanted in anticipation, waiting for him to read through the first page, waiting for him to say anything.

“W-well..?” She asked after a few long seconds, her anxiety growing.

”.. Your real name is in here. And your birthday.” He listed, still reading, “Who your parents are, their marital status. Birth records, medical records, allergies. Shots you’ve had, medication you’ve been given. Place of origin, notes about how you-“

He glanced over, seeing the anxiety all over her face.

“Ari, you should look at this yourself. You need to read this.” March closed it, holding it out to her, realizing he couldn’t just know all of these things and say nothing to her about it, that door was already wide open and couldn’t be closed.

Ari took the file from him, slowly opening it.

Arrow Sumner - St. Faustina
Birth Date: 10/12/2001
Intake Date: 11/29/2004 - Release Date: 05/21/2019

Biological Parents: Conrad Sumner and Florence Sumner
Parental Marital Status: Married.

Along with this were two death certificates, one for each of her parents, who passed in a fire on 10/01/2001, just before her intake date.

“I’m sorry.” March said softly, ”.. But at least you can know for yourself.”

Ari nodded, still reading the rest of her file. There were pages and pages of notes from the mothers, throughout her upbringing. Behavioral notes, notes about administered medications and among it.. Were substance attribution reports for a ‘C20H26N20’ just like Domenico said was in his file. Ari had no concept of what this was, not a clue, assuming it must have been some sort of natural remedy for a cold or ailment given to them by the guardians.

It had the town she was born in, Klainston, not one she had ever heard of before. Her allergies listed, none. Siblings, none. And attached were a number of photos of herself over the years, each file update of her height and weight beneath all the photos.

”.. So, Arrow.” March said lightly, shooting her a smile, ”How do you feel..?”

She closed the file gently, making sure to keep everything intact, setting it on their new coffee table, picking up her glass and taking a long drink from it, scooting over toward him.

“Better.” Ari said, leaning her head on his chest, ”.. Complete. I’m.. Glad you told me to look.”

”.. The worst feeling is not knowing.” March said softly, wrapping an arm around her, rubbing her arm with his fingertips, “I’m glad you got answers.”

She felt solidarity toward him, understanding exactly what he meant by that. He had no answers, and unlike with Ari, there isn’t a file out there for March with all the answers to his questions.

”.. We were close, almost guessed your birthday.” He chuckled, Ari realizing he was right.

“Just three days off.” Ari smiled, listening to his heart beat, in the otherwise silent room.

March kissed the top of her head, comfortingly. Ari suddenly had an urge for.. More. This moment between them was a huge symbol of trust and an intense moment of intimacy. She trusted him to know even before she did, these truths about her. Her answers to every question she had asked herself since she was a child, she trusted him to know first. She felt him take a long drink from his glass, Ari finishing hers and placing it on the table.

She turned back toward him, standing, putting her knees on either side of him on the couch, earning a look of surprise and confusion from March at her sudden forwardness. She kissed him deeply, pushing herself onto him, earning an immediate response from March as their kiss broke briefly.

“Ari, are-” March began, interrupted by her lips on his, wrapping his free arm around her waist as his other held his glass.

Beginning to pull up the bottom of his shirt and run her hands down to the buttons on his pants, unzipping them. She earned a surprised gasp from March as she pulled him out from his boxers, Ari heard him drop his nearly empty glass, ice cubes sliding across the floor.

“U-um.. Ari-” He stammered hopelessly, as Ari raised her skirt, lowering herself onto him, “Are you sure-?”

”.. March, I am sure.” She laughed softly into their kiss, March wrapping his arms around her in response.

The heavy moment turned intimate, she reassured him with her touch, placing her hands gently on either side of his face, gently kissing him as he lie embedded deeply inside of her, neither of them moving yet. The scent of the forge in his hair, sweat still dampening his skin, she ran her fingers through his hair as she fixed her lips to his.

March made Ari feel.. Better.
He lifted her from the couch, lying her down, pushing into her further as their kiss went on. Taking the lead, he pulled back from their kiss, looking down at her, both of them breathing heavily in their throes of passion.

”.. You’re not avoiding your feelings by doing this..?” March asked softly, kissing her on the cheek, trying to give her a weak voice of reason, between kisses.

”.. I know my feelings.” She said seriously, looking him in the eyes, caressing his cheek with her hand.

He looked at her with concern, but a blush, leaning down and pressing his cheek to hers, gripping her by both hips, beginning to move his hips gently. Urged on by her soft gasps, he began rolling into her harder, and Ari could hear his breathing hitch as he continued, his chest tightening with each thrust.

“Ari..” He said in a low voice, quiet in the silence of their living room, ”.. I-is this good..?”

He sounded so unsure, desperate to please her, wanting badly to make her feel good. He wanted to make her happy, thrilled to share this intimate moment with her, a deep ache in his chest with the emotional satisfaction of her trust in him.

“March- Y-yes-” Ari moaned quietly, both of them just barely whispering, feeling exposed in the open, empty room, so nearby to the shop, “Don’t stop-“

He continued, thrusting into her harder, pulling her skirt up to her thighs, exposing her skin further, his hands traveling as he pushed into her, quickening his pace. He gasped at her words, as he pulsed inside of her, a short moan leaving his throat.

“H-harder- O-oh-” Ari gasped, wrapping her arms around him, gently rubbing her cheek against his as she felt his body tremor with pleasure.

The sound of her plea made his hair stand on end, as he reared back, lifting himself up on both arms, and began rutting into her harder, like she had asked. Ari tilted her head back, moaning out with each thrust, reaching one hand down and beginning to circle her clit, her walls twitching onto him, earning a gasp from March as he closed his eyes tightly.

“F-fuck..” March stuttered, having to slow down, trying to keep himself from his peak, needing to please her.

He stay thrusting hard, but slow, earning a lilted moan from her with each course of his body into hers. Feeling they might be getting too loud, he lean down to her, wrapping his arms around her, kissing her deeply to muffle her calls.

Ari could feel her body tighten, nearing her climax, running her hands through March’s hair as he continue rutting into her, kissing her, his sweat dampening her body- the feeling of having him all over her was like a high. Hearing his voice through their kiss, tasting him, seeing the blush across his face, being able to feel how badly he wanted to please her, all of it was maddening. She could feel how hot her entrance felt with his member deep inside, his body hot even there, like the heated coals of the forge searing deep into her with every desperate motion.

“O-oh March- That feels-! A-ah!” Ari moaned, breaking their kiss, feeling him change his angle just enough to hit her in just the right spot, making her arch her back.

His eyes rolled to a close at her words, changing his angle just a hair more, and laying roughly into her spot, feeling a shiver go down his spine as Ari clasped her hands over her own mouth to muffle her noise. He reeled back, pushing her legs up by her thighs with one of his strong hands, looking down at her with hungry eyes as he used his thumb to circle her clit. As her body shook, March tilted his head back, rolling into her through her climax, roughly pegging her as quickly as he could, holding himself back just long enough for her to achieve her pleasure completely.

“A-Ari-” He moaned quietly, pushing deep into her, and ultimately finishing, his entire body shaking as he came inside of her with a few solid thrusts.

He leaned down, his chest pressed to hers, both of them breathing heavily as they both came down from their high.

But this was short-lived, as they heard a couple gentle knocks at their door.

March glanced back, retreating from her entrance as Ari pushed her skirt down, patting down her hair in a panic. March pulled himself back into his boxers and buttoned his pants, zipping them, both of them trying to coordinate themselves before answering the door.

“W-wait, does my hair look okay..?” Ari asked in a hushed voice, pulling her panties back into place.

“Yeah, you look good-” March whispered, shaking the panic from his body and preparing to open the door, taking a deep breath.

He opened the door, and Ari could see that it was Domenico, March opening the door the rest of the way and allowing him entry.

“H-Hey Ari, I just wanted to stop by and say I’m sorry for how I probably came off earlier.. I was just surprised..” He said with a half-smile, Ari standing up from her place on the couch.

“It’s okay. Here, sit with us, we can talk.” Ari said, sitting on the couch and gesturing to the chair, ”.. I feel like we should.”

He nodded, taking a seat on the chair right beside the couch, March sitting on the arm of the couch next to Ari. It felt awkward, all of them in the same place after so long, March and Domenico not having seen each other for some time. They had some idle chit-chat, talking about their life living together at the forge, about the fact that they had a new house mate. Domenico talked for about an hour about his travels, what the orphanage was like, which one of the mothers he saw- and how many kids he saw. Talked for a little bit about what feelings resurfaced regarding that.

”.. Is there anything you want to ask us, Domeno? While we’re all here.” Ari asked softly, leaning a little closer to March, “For closure, or anything?”

”.. So you’re both getting married then..?” He asked quietly, the hurt on his face from earlier being no where in sight, he was masterfully concealing it.

“Yep.” March said shortly, crossing his arms. Ari could see that he wasn’t really thrilled about even having to see Domenico.

“Then she told you about that night, then..? The night of the competition?” Domenico questioned with implications, raising an eyebrow, Ari feeling somewhat alarmed at his bringing it up, “I’m guessing she has told you, given the situation.”

”.. That you kissed..? Yeah, Ari told me about that.” March said, narrowing his eyes, sensing Domenico was trying to start something, but unsure of what.

Ari stay silent, she and Domenico looking intensely at each other, Ari staring him in the eye, waiting to hear what he would have to say about that in response.

”.. Kiss?” He narrowed his eyes in feigned confusion, tilting his head, ”.. Is that what that’s called?”

He was starting something. He came here to call it out and put the cards on the table, that was obvious.

“When you put your lips on someone else's? Yeah, that’s what a kiss is.” March said sardonically, his eyes looking increasingly irritated, tilting his head with a hint of confusion.

“Oh yeah, we did that, too. I’m referring to everything else we did that night.” Domenico threw it out in a soft voice, but it felt anything but soft, ”.. If you’re getting married, you should probably know everything.”

“Domenico.” Ari said warningly, a hint of disgust in her voice, “We made out, what else to you think I need to tell March about? Just say it.”

”.. If I hadn’t stopped us, it would have happened, Frostie.” Domenico said in a stern voice, standing up from his chair, ”.. You grabbing my dick felt like a lot more than a kiss.”

March sat silently with his arms crossed, looking over to Ari to hear her response.

“What is this doing for you, Domeno? Do you think this is supposed to break us up, and then I’ll suddenly love you?” Ari stood to face him, confronting his motives, “I open my home, our home to you, and this is what you do?”

”.. You already told me that you love me on the phone when we talked.” He said quietly, his eyes showing anger, but also sadness, ”.. And I love you, too. And now you’re getting married like all of it just meant nothing to you. That hurts.”

All of them were silent, Ari was stuck in between. She couldn’t lie and say none of it was true, she didn’t want to outright confirm it until she could talk to March about it. Her head was spinning, she didn’t know what to say.

”.. Did you say that, Ari..?” March whispered to her, hurt in his tone.

“I did, but I wasn’t trying to.” Ari sighed, putting a hand over her eyes, ”.. I told him I loved both of you, but that I had made my choice. Selectively deciding what parts of that conversation benefit you is really dishonest, Domeno.”

“I’m telling you what parts are relevant to me feeling confused about the unreal absurdity of this sudden engagement.” He sighed, shaking his head as he made his way over to their door, ”.. The least you can do is confront the truth before you get married, Frostie. There’s a reason you didn’t tell him any of that.”

“Leave.” March said, turning toward the bottle of whiskey, pouring himself some in a new glass, shaking his head.

“No problem.” Domenico said, opening the door, walking out, and closing it behind him with a sturdy hand.

There was a long silence between them, March taking a long drink of his new whiskey. Ari leaned down, picking up his discarded glass from the ground, and picking up the halfway melted ice. They didn’t say anything, both of them processing, Ari was a ball of nerves.

”.. So it was more than a kiss, then.” March said with a sigh, avoiding her eyes, his voice sounded weakened by emotion but he was holding it together.

”.. It was more than a kiss, but I wouldn’t call it anything else.” Ari admitted, leaning back against the counter in front of him, ”.. Petting? Touching? I mean, I don’t know what to call it, but it was more than a kiss. About ten to fifteen minutes of that, I didn’t really know where it was headed, I wasn’t thinking.”

“Ari, I know you love him. It wasn’t a surprise to hear that. It was a surprise to know you told him that at some point.” March admitted in a whisper, Ari could feel that he was hurt, but was attempting to mediate.

“It was the night you came out on the deck at the cabin and I was crying.. He was upset. It was just an emotionally charged conversation. I regretted it as soon as I realized I had said it- but it was too late.” Ari looked down at the ground, her voice quivering slightly at her anxiety.

”.. I knew this was why he came here.” March said, closing his eyes, trying hard to conceal the pain he was feeling, “He came here because he wants you. And he’s willing to hurt you to do that.”

”.. What should I do now?” Ari agreed with a nod, picking up the bottle of whiskey and taking a long sip from the bottle, cringing.

March thought about it to himself for a minute, mulling over his options, ultimately ending in a deep sigh.

”.. Tell him he can stay here tonight. No hard feelings.” He said with a simplistic tone, setting his empty glass on the counter, ”.. Just a big misunderstanding.”

“What? No, that’s-” Ari furrowed her brow, shaking her head.

“If we treat it like it’s nothing, that’s worse for him than treating it like a big deal. Unified front. Us on a team, he isn’t that important in our life.” March explained, tilting his head and looking at her, ”.. Tell him he can stay in the spare bedroom. He’ll take the offer, he’s looking for his next opportunity when it comes to you. Always is.”

Ari looked at him for a long time, March nodding at her.

Ari picked up her phone off the arm of the couch, looking up at him hesitantly, unlocking her phone and typing up a text to Domenico.

Ari: “Hey, sorry about everything. You can still stay here, no hard feelings, okay?”

Domenico: “You sure?”

Ari: “Yes. My offer still stands. Least I could do, since you did a nice thing by finding all my information and handing it over to me.”

Domenico: “Okay. I’ll come back over around 8PM. Thank you for the offer.”

Ari turned to March, showing him the texts, March nodding and getting up from his spot against the counter, pulling Ari into his arms, ”.. I don’t care if you did more than kiss. That was before.”

Ari was surprised by this, given how jealous March typically got, ”.. I love you. I should have just told you specifically. Would have avoided this whole thing.”

“I love you too, Ari. We never got lunch today, go to the inn and sit down for lunch then..?” March offered in a soft voice, leading her by the hand toward the door, Ari nodding at his offer with a smile.

-----------------------------------------------------------

March had taken the rest of the day off, both of them taking some much-needed quality time together after their uncomfortable moment. They went to the inn and had lunch, took a walk to the beach, and then went to the museum, looking for more information on the chemical compound ‘C20H26N20’, finding that it was a lesser-known hallucinogen, found in the wild through a wild plant.

Ari had learned, the mothers were dosing the children with hallucinogens, and this chemical was also known for causing memory loss by itself- but combined with another chemical compound, a sedative, that would explain why much of Ari’s long-term memories about what happened at the orphanage were locked deep in her subconscious.

They had made their way home around 5PM, still buzzed on whiskey, and spent some time talking about everything, by the time 7PM rolled around, Ari was making them something for dinner, accounting for Domenico in her meal pans, making a little extra pasta to be friendly. She realized.. March was right. The more upset they seemed, the more his words would have had an effect on them- so the best plan was to act like it didn’t even happen. Ari was still nervous, knowing March well enough to know he wasn’t as calm on the inside as he seemed on the outside. He was like a lake with a calm surface but boiling beneath.

But his plan made sense. Showing Domenico that he had no power, and that nothing he did or said was going to negatively impact their relationship no matter how hard he tried. Ari had a little hope that maybe after all of this, he would get the picture and they could just be friends from afar. That would be the best case scenario, and this seemed like the best was to accomplish that.

Around 8, Ari just getting done cooking dinner, there was a knock at the door. March glanced over to her, nodding at her, Ari nodding back, as he got up and answered the door.

“O-oh. March.” Domenico said with a nod, almost sounding surprised he was here, like he’d expected March to be gone or not around while he stayed.

March allowed him entry, Domenico hesitantly walking in, turning toward Ari at the counter, he seemed.. Nervous. Especially nervous now that he’d seen March was there.

“Hey Domeno, I made extra for you. Figured it would be nice if I did.” Ari said with a soft smile, cutting the bread, passing out pasta onto three plates, giving everyone a serving of garlic bread.

He looked down at the plates and then back up at her, seeming genuinely taken off-guard, Ari taking her spot at the counter next to March. Domenico looked extremely hesitant to take a plate, his face looked worried or almost.. Like he felt bad.

“Ari.. I’m sorry about earlier.” He said, sounding genuine, given their kindness toward him even after that, “I shouldn’t have said any of that.. Wasn’t my place.”

“That’s okay. It wasn’t a lie, those are things March and I needed to talk about, and we did. And it wasn’t a big deal.” Ari looked over at March, who was looking down at his place- he put a hand on her thigh.

“It was over a month ago and we were broken up at the time.” March said surprisingly calmly, “We weren’t engaged at the time or anything.”

“Y-yeah..” Domenico said, looking down at his feet with a dejected tone in his voice, “Well, thank you.. For letting me stay here.”

Ari could tell, Domenico was feeling put out, realizing his goal hadn’t worked and they were still perfectly fine. Ari lifted his plate, handing it directly to him, and he stood at the counter and joined them for dinner.

“So Domeno, are you headed home after your stop in Mistria?” March asked, glancing up at him with his dark eyes.

”.. I was thinking I might stay for the day tomorrow, maybe another night after- But I don’t expect to stay here, don’t worry. You’ve done more than enough.” Domenico said politely, his voice uncertain and soft, “I’ve.. Been thinking of moving here, actually.”

Ari paused, looking up at him, and then over to March, wondering what he’d say, knowing how protective March was of Mistria.

“Ah, I see.” March said uncharacteristically casually, ”.. Well, could always use another skilled craftsman. The mines here are really great, but dangerous. Be sure to watch yourself.”

Ari furrowed her brow and widened her eyes, looking away from both of them to hide her surprise and confusion. This wasn’t like March at all. March would never appreciate another blacksmith taking up shop in town, let alone his second-place competitor. He wouldn’t want Domenico this close to Ari, especially not long-term.

“Yeah..” Domenico said, in an unsure voice, sounding disappointed, as if what he’d said was meant to get a rise out of March and he realized that wasn’t going to happen.

Domenico was waiting for his next opportunity. He was trying to get March to lose his temper at him so Ari would see it. He was saying things he knew would get March to lose his cool, and he was notably unhappy with the fact that March had killed his plan with kindness. Ari could read it for exactly what it was now, and March glanced over at her, his dark eyes matching hers, both of them in a silent understanding that both of them could see clear as crystal. Ari could see it now. March had showed her what Domenico was really like beneath all the social formalities- a man who wanted her at any cost. March was right, Domenico didn’t fight fair.

“Domeno.. I hope the guest room is okay for you, even though it’s pretty bare in there. We just moved in not long ago, so there’s just a twin bed and a dresser. Bare bones, but should be fine for a night at least.” Ari said with a smile, taking another bite of her pasta.

“Oh, I’m not worried about the room, Frostie. I’m sure it’ll be nice, you are letting me stay here for free, anyway.” Domenico said with a friendly voice, smiling over at her.

It seemed he was starting to feel a bit more at ease. When he’d walked in, he looked really on-edge, after seeing March at the door, like he wasn’t sure what to expect. But since they had both been friendly, offered him dinner, and they were having a normal conversation with him like none of it had happened earlier, he seemed to let hi guard down a bit and looked more relaxed.

”.. I just have one rule, just in case. We don’t really like when people cruise in and out of the house during the night, so once everyone heads to bed, we lock the shop until morning. We have a door alarm, so it can’t be opened after we lock up without a code, or the whole thing will start going off.” March said with a casual shrug, a small smile on his face as he looked over at Ari.

That wasn’t true. They didn’t have a door alarm, but the look on March’s face told her to roll with it. Ari figured he just didn’t want anyone meandering down in the shop after they went to bed, just in case. March didn’t really trust Domenico, so it made sense that he didn’t want him going in and out of the house during the night.

“Oh that’s no problem, I don’t have anywhere I need to be after 10PM.” Domenico said with a smile, finishing his pasta.

In true gentleman’s fashion, Domenico gathered up the plates and silverware, taking them to the sink and beginning to wash them as a token of appreciation for their hospitality. Ari began packing up the leftovers, putting them in the fridge, wiping the counter. It was about 9 now, after all the time they’d spent talking, eating, putting things away, and cleaning up. Everyone was starting to look tired, so March turned toward the door to the shop, gesturing toward the front door.

“I’m gonna go lock up, I’ll meet you up there, Ari.” March said with a yawn, stretching, “Night, Domenico.”

Ari smiled at Domenico, gesturing toward the stairs, “Alright, let me show you the guest room, Domeno.”

He smiled, following her up the stairs quietly, glancing behind them toward the door to the place. His feet were light, both of them walking up to the guest bedroom, the hallway dark and silent. Ari turned the knob to the door, opening it, and leading him in with a gentle gesture. He walked in, looking around as she flipped on the side table lamp.

“This is nice.” He said quietly with a smile, saying seriously, ”.. Ari, are you sure this is okay with March here? I guess I was surprised to see him here with your offer for me to stay. I figured he wouldn’t have agreed to that.. After everything.”

“Oh, well actually it was his idea- he just felt bad that everything happened the way it did. Just a big misunderstanding.” Ari smiled, Domenico sitting on the edge of the bed, looking up at her.

What he really meant was that he thought she was inviting him back because March had possibly left. He was probably holding out some hope that his words had put a rift between them, and he still seemed a little uncertain and disappointed at the current situation- but was rolling with it because he was already there. It would be weird to excuse himself at this point.

“Well, thanks again.” Domenico said, both of them hearing March coming up the stairs as Ari walked toward the spare room door, “Night, Frostie.”

“Night, Domeno.” She said softly, closing the door behind her as she walked out into the hall.

Ari turned toward March as he made his way to their bedroom door, Ari walking in behind them, shutting the door.

“Well, that wasn’t so bad. Only kind of awkward.” Ari joked in a whisper, hoping Domeno couldn’t easily hear from the next room, ”.. March, I should have believed you before..”

March wrapped his arms around her, pulling her head to his face and kissing her on the cheek, ”.. Yeah. The whole.. Trying to get me to react thing?”

“Yeah.. You were right. I could see it. That every time you didn’t get mad at what he was saying, he looked.. Upset about it.” Ari ran her hands down his chest, turning her face toward his and looking up at him, ”.. It was so obvious this time, I can’t believe I never noticed it before.”

“It’s okay. If it’s any consolation, I believe he does that because he really has strong feelings toward you.” March whispered, giving her a peck on the lips, “Not that it’s a good excuse, but it can at least be a reason.”

Ari walked up to the dresser, pulling her cropped top over her head, March coming up behind her and unclasping her bre, giving her a kiss on the neck from behind her. Ari was surprised at how things had gone, March was being incredibly casual about the entire thing, and Ari was left thinking.. Maybe he had grown past all the insecurity he used to have when they first started dating. He was exhibiting a huge level of self-control, Ari was really surprised by it. It felt.. So unlike him.

She slid her skirt off, and her panties, tossing them in the hamper. March stay behind her, his arms around her waist as he look at them both standing in the mirror, his eyes were dark as he kissed her neck, parting his lips and sucking gently. Ari closed her eyes, enjoying the feeling of his lips on her flesh, as he began sucking harder, putting more pressure into his kiss. Ari jumped with a peep as he nipped her neck, stabilizing herself by wrapping an arm around his.

”.. March..” Ari said in a whisper, smiling with her eyes lidded, watching him run his hand over her lower belly in the mirror, ”.. Wanna lay and talk in bed for a little bit?”

“Sounds.. Perfect.” He said between kisses, looking at her neck, seeing with pleasure that he’d left his mark on her, “Meet you there.”

He glanced back at her, smiling in her direction as he walked over to the bed, pulling back the blanket and sitting on the side of the bed, putting his phone on the charger and taking a sip of his water. Ari pulled one of her light nightgowns over her head, brushing out her hair, putting lotion on her face, and then walking over to the bed and sitting down, putting more lotion on her hand, running it up her legs one at a time. March looked over, watching her rub lotion over her skin.

”.. Tired?” He asked softly, laying down, propping himself up on his elbow as he watched her lotion her body.

“Mm, kind of. Not extremely, enough I could probably sleep.” Ari said sweetly, glancing over toward him, noticing a blush making it’s way across his face, as he looked up her nightgown as she lifted it to lotion her upper thigh.

“Oh, you like that..?” Ari asked with a teasing voice, lifting her nightgown up and flashing him a glance between her legs by lifting her knee up to her chest.

”.. You know I do.” He said quietly, rolling over onto his back with a relaxed sigh.

Ari put the bottle on her nightstand, finally having rubbed the moisturizer into her skin completely. She flipped off the light on her side of the bed, pulling back the blanket, and taking her rightful place next to March. She scooted over to him, and turned her back to him, rolling onto her side, getting comfortable. March turned toward her, wrapping his arm around her, pressing himself against her. She could feel his hot breath on the back of her neck.

His hand traveled down her waist and onto her hip, as March pulled her back into him, and Ari sighed as she felt his hard cock pressed to her. Ari put her hand on his, reveling in the feeling of him, but remembered quickly that they had a guest in the next room.

”.. M-March, we can’t..” Ari sighed a warning, shaking her head gently, “I want to, but..”

”.. Why’s that?” March said teasingly, running his hand up her nightgown and onto her lower tummy.

“D-Domenico will hear..” She said in a whisper, feeling her face grow hot.

March paused, whispering gruffly, ”.. Do you really choose me, Ari?”

His whisper was filled with longing, and just a hint of insecurity, and a real need for an honest answer.

”.. Yes, March.” Ari whispered back, catching his drift, realizing he was doing this to prove a point to Domenico.

”.. I won’t fight fair with him, Ari.” March whispered desperately, she heard his voice break slightly.

Ari turned toward him, kissing him deeply. She needed to let him know that she was completely in this, that she wasn’t saving space for Domenico in their relationship. He wanted to make sure Domenico knew who she belonged to, without a single shadow of a doubt.

He wrapped his arms around her in a tight hold, kissing her deeply, she could feel his hard cock pressing into her. Ari gasped into their kiss as he grabbed her behind, pulling her into him. He felt so much more assertive in his hold on her than usual, rolling them over so he was on top of her, her legs wrapped around his waist. He desperately kissed his way down her neck, licking her skin.

“M-March-” She moaned softly, still trying to be quiet, his hands running up her nightgown.

”.. Can’t hear you..” March said roughly into her ear, pushing her nightgown up and over her breasts, kissing down her neck.

Ari wrapped her arms around his neck, gasping as he took one of her nipples into his mouth, twirling his tongue around it gently, sucking on her skin. She felt a real moan leave her mouth, March slipping his hand between her legs, sliding one finger over her entrance, feeling how wet she already was from his teasing.

”.. O-oh-” Ari moaned out as he slipped one finger into her, kissing down her lower stomach and nipped at her skin, kissing and lapping at a spot on her lower belly, pressing up into her sweet spot.

She was still trying to be a little quiet, March could tell. He slipped a second finger into her, making his way down with his mouth, lapping at her clit aggressively as she began to arch her back in pleasure. Fingering her more quickly, he sucked and licked at her sensitive spot, Ari being careful, trying to stifle her moans to the best of her ability, much to March’s dismay.

March slipped in a third finger, pressing all three of them upward, hitting her spot just right as he quickly moved his head back and forth, flipping his tongue over her clit, making her entire entrance soaking wet.

“O-oh- M-March-!” She moaned out, then pressed her lips together, closing her eyes and tilting her head back, trying her hardest not to give in.

March retrieved his fingers from her, and Ari felt him perch himself at her wet opening, as he met her chest with his, pulling her nightgown up and over her head.

“Ari..” He whispered to her in the dark, running his nose up her neck affectionately, ”.. I love you.”

“I love you too, March..” She whispered breathlessly, wrapping her arms around his neck as he pushed into her, slowly.

She knew this was where the challenge would be, gasping as he hit her wall, hearing March gasp into her ear at the feeling of her taught around him.

“I need to know, Ari.. Are you being quiet because you love him..?” March said in a whisper, running his hands down the sides of her waist, stopping at her hips.

She could feel that insecurity bleeding into his tone, while his words sounded suggestive. He was teasing her, but.. There was real hurt at the very end of his sentence, dancing on the tip of his tongue

“March..” She said quietly, rolling her hips against his, “It just feels weird.. Someone listening. It’s.. Unnatural.”

“I need him to know, Ari..” March said in a low voice as he began to thrust into her gently, earning steady moans from her, ”.. He needs to know how I make you feel..”

She could hear the desperation in his voice, and feel it in his touch, as he tightly gripped her hips and began driving himself into her, earning true moans from her in waves, he could feel she was starting to let herself let go of her inhibitions. He lifted himself up on his arms, roughly bucking into her body, as her noises became broken and frantic, Ari clutching the bedding as he persisted, roughly shaking and rattling her, he moaned out, catching himself and biting his lip.

“F-Fuck, Ari-” He gasped, leaning down and embracing her, taking her lips in a soft kiss.

They kissed for a few moments, before he reeled back up, putting her legs up on his shoulders, and pushing back into her, his name falling from her lips in a moan at the reconnection. Wrapping his arm around her thigh, he began rubbing her clit in circles, thrusting into her roughly, Ari being able to contain her pleasure, moaning out loudly now, broken words and syllables bursting from her with each trust.

“O-Oh-! March! O-Oh my-” She whimpered uncontrollably as he continued, she could feel that her moans urged him on, as he got faster and harder with every sound of her voice.

“Ari- F-fuck-” He gasped, his voice strained, as he tried to keep himself under control, needing this to last longer.

Ari was starting to feel that familiar buzz taking over her mind, her hands shaking as she gripped the sheets, not even recognizing the noises escaping her throat at this point. Out of all the times they’d had sex, he was always an incredible lover, but he had never fucked her like this before. He was pushing every button and turning every knob, Ari barely holding on at this point as he persevered, riding her through an intense climax.

“M-March- O-oh-! March-!” His name bolting from her lips with every single thrust, “M-March-!”

“Oh, Ari- Fuck-” He moaned in return, feeling himself growing close, tilting his head back at the sound of her passion, taking great pleasure in how good he could make her feel, “T-tell me it feels good, Ari-“

“M-March you-” Ari moaned out feeling him start coursing into her even more heatedly, her body beginning to tremble, “Y-you feel so good-! O-oh-!”

Releasing her legs from his shoulders, he leaned down, shielding his face in the curve of her neck, pausing, taking a little extra time to plant kisses gently on her skin, running his hands up her waist, Ari could feel his cock pulsing inside of her as he took a brief recess. He kissed back up to her lips, as she panted softly, both of them catching their breath, holding each other tightly, their soft tongues meeting in unity.

He pulled out of her slowly, guiding her onto her stomach by her hips, pressing his cock between her legs. It was a position she had never tried before, as he leaned forward, holding her hand as he guided himself back into her, her legs pressed together as he slid his cock between her legs.

”.. Still okay..?” He asked her in a whisper, running a hand up her back affectionately.

“So g-good..” Ari whispered back, slightly raising her butt up toward him, encouraging him to continue, fully resigned to the pleasure of March.

He pushed into her, hitting her in an entirely new spot, both of them moaning out at the new sensation, his voice quivering a bit at the reentry. Her legs pressed together this way making her entrance so much tighter, the downward angle making him hit her spot directly, the noises she was making only being accurately described as a squeaky toy being repeatedly squeezed, relentlessly. Shaky bellowing escaped her throat as he grabbed her by both hips, roughly rolling himself into her body over and over again, her quivering hands desperately grabbing the bedding for stability.

“A-Ari-” He whimpered a moan, tilting his head back as he continued pounding into her, “Y-you’re so tight, I-“

She could feel his thrusts grow erratic, faster, uneven, his shaking voice lilting as he pushed far into her, reaching his peak, releasing into her as she lifted her ass up toward him, meeting his thrusts with pressure.

He pulled out of her, rolling off of her, as Ari moved to her side, wrapping an arm around him lovingly.

“That.. Felt crazy.” Ari sighed, leaning her head on his chest, March pulling her in, both of them breathing heavily.

In their afterglow, Ari felt a pang of guilt, thinking about Domenico in the next room. Wondering if this had been cruel, despite his relentless attempts to win her over. She pictured him, in the other room, listening to them doing all that.. But realized that at one point March was in that position, listening from another room.

”.. I hope he gets it now.” March said softly, sensing that Ari was deep in her own head, “I hope he understands that you’re not his property just because he knew you first.”

Ari sighed, knowing he was right, ”.. I hope so, too.”

Ari realized that after all of that, her mouth was incredibly dry. She found her nightgown in the bed, lifting it and slipping it on.

“I’m gonna run down and grab a water, want me to fill your glass while I’m down..?” Ari asked, flipping on the light, looking over to him with squinted eyes.

“Sure, thank you.. I love you, Ari.” March said softly, adjusting to the light, his hair was messy.

“I love you, too. Be right back.” She said with a smile, picking up his cup and taking it with her, closing their door behind her as she walked into the hallway.

She glanced over to the guest bedroom, realizing the door was slightly open, the room dark. Not thinking much of it, Ari continued down the stairs, the wood felt cool on her feet. As she got to the bottom of the stairs, she saw Domenico sitting in one of the stools at the counter, he had his face in both hands, her whiskey and a nearly empty glass in front of him. Hearing her approach, he removed one hand, leaning his cheek on the other, Ari could see that his eyes were very red and his face was puffy. He had, at some point, been crying.

“D-Domeno..” Ari said hesitantly, glancing at him as she brought the glass to the counter, grabbing a second glass and filling them both with water, ”.. I thought you’d be asleep.”

He paused, sniffling as he let out a saddened, dry chuckle, ”.. Satisfied?”

It was so direct. He knew they both fully knew why he wasn’t sleeping, she had ended up being incredibly loud. He wasn’t in the mood to play pretend with her, try to spare her the awkward conversation- He was hurting and it was obvious. That said, she was completely unsure of how to respond.

”.. Does it make you feel good to hurt me, Frostie..?” He asked, looking down at his glass, his eyes watering a little as he looked down and away from her.

Ari walked over to him, sitting beside him at the counter at the other stool, ”.. No, it doesn’t.”

“Could’ve fooled me.” He said quietly, taking a sip of whiskey, trying to numb whatever he was feeling.

“I could ask you the same question, Domeno.” Ari said quietly, furrowing her brow, “Did it feel good earlier, when you tried to put a wedge between March and I by saying all of that?”

“I wanted all of us to know the reality. Hurting you was not my goal.” He wiped his face with one hand, still not facing her, “Your goal with this was to hurt me. Well, you did. Feel better..? Satisfied?”

“If it gets you to accept the truth, Domeno, I will hurt your feelings.” Ari said, a sad sigh escaping her lips, “It isn’t fun for me, it hurts, but.. I will.”

”.. You know, since that night, I’ve thought about how it would sound to hear you that way..” He rubbed his eyes, then covered them with one hand, seeming to avoid her gaze out of vulnerability, ”.. What it would be like, if I could make you feel that way.. To feel close to you like that.”

Ari stay quiet, letting him talk through it. She felt an ache in her chest, her eyes swelling with empathy, trying to keep herself from falling apart- needing to maintain a unified front with March.

”.. Hearing you sound that way, with someone else, that breaks my fucking heart.” He said with venom, disgust in his words, his voice crumbling with hurt, ”.. I love you.”

Just as she felt a tear roll down her cheek, an unwanted escapee despite her efforts, Domenico turned his head toward her, his eyes opening completely as he noticed she was crying, too. It didn’t feel good for her to hurt him, it felt terrible, and the idea that he thought she wanted to cause him pain was hard to mentally tackle for her.

”.. Domeno, it doesn’t make me happy to hurt you. I need you to understand, that no matter what, I’m marrying March.” She said expressionlessly, being careful with her words, trying to keep herself from getting too worked up, trying to keep a united front.

”.. It wasn’t your idea, was it?” He said with a furrowed brow, reading her expression, disgust taking over his face as he finished his whiskey, standing up restlessly.

”.. March lied to you. There is no alarm on the door, Domeno.” Ari could sense him growing angrier, feeling slighted, thinking it best if he left for the night, ”.. If you want, you can go. You’re not trapped here.. I’m just letting you know that, so you can make that choice for yourself. You’re still welcome to stay, if you want to..”

He paused, and ultimately nodded, crossing his arms in front of his chest, ”.. No, I’ll go to the inn.”

He picked up his bags from beside the front door, putting his shoes on, and looked back at her.

…

“Frostie, I will always love you.” He said with a pained expression, wiping his face again as he looked down at the floor, ”.. I know my feelings for you are inconvenient, but.. They are real.”

”.. I love you too, Domeno. I can’t be in love with you.” Ari sighed, folding her arms in front of her chest defensively.

Domenico looked at her for a few long seconds, and whispered to her, ”.. You mean you’re not, or you can’t be? Because you didn’t say you’re not.”

He looked down, then back up at her, turning the door handle and closing the door behind him as he left.

The room was so still, when he walked out. It left Ari feeling empty and uncomfortable. Before she went back upstairs, she took a few solitary moments to herself to think about what Domenico had said, let it hurt her for a few minutes, cry her tears, wipe her eyes, and let out a long sigh before setting on her way back up the stairs with both glasses of water.

Ari walked into the bedroom, the light was still on, March looking up at her as she set his water on the table on his side.

“That took a minute. Everything okay..? Heard you talking.” March said, his eyes following her as she made her way to the other side of the bed, sitting down.

She stay still for a few moments, looking at her lap, then took a sip of her water before setting the glass down, ”.. I told Domeno he could leave, so.. He left.”

“I see.” March ssaid understandably, nodding his head, ”.. So he heard, then.”

“Yeah.” Ari said softly, laying down in bed next to March, looking over at him, ”.. He wasn’t doing okay. So I told him he could leave if he wanted to.”

”.. I understand why you told him to go.” March nodded, putting a hand on her thigh, Ari scooting toward him and laying her head on his chest for comfort, ”.. Are you okay?”

Ari paused, taking a deep breath and wrapping an arm over him, ”.. Not right now, but.. I will be.”

He took his hand, running it through her hair comfortingly, holding her to him tightly, understanding her upset. She was overall okay with this turn of events, knowing it was most likely a means to achieve their goal, but in the meantime.. It hurt. Seeing him that way, hearing him tell her that he loved her, all of that was painful for everyone involved. Domenico did love her deeply, but it was time for him to understand that Ari had made her choice already. Her only hope was that after this, he would understand that trying to put distance between she and March would be retaliated against, and to just move on and learn how to be a friend to her.

And if this didn’t work.. It might mean the end of her friendship with him. The thought of that broke her heart more than anything. To be separated from him for so long, to have wondered where he was for years with no answers, only for them to just becomes strangers again..? That’s the last thing Ari wanted to happen- but at this point it was a possibility and knowing that hurt her deeply.

With that, Ari turned off the light on her table, cuddling up to March.. Tomorrow would hopefully just be another normal day.

Chapter Text

March’s POV

The next morning, March woke up a little late. The night before had been a wild ride, and by the time he woke up, Ari had already made her way to the farm. He vaguely recalled her giving him a kiss on the cheek while he was asleep, per usual.

As he got dressed, throwing on a torn-up faded blue tank top and some black pants, black socks, and some black shoes. He looked at himself in the mirror, thinking hard about the night before- March wasn’t a coward. He felt pretty strongly about being up-front, so the little passive-aggressive, indirect way he had been handling things with Domenico was leaving him feeling.. Like a coward.

Knowing he could find him at the inn, March decided to go in and grab something to eat, hoping he’d run into him at some point. He wanted to talk to him directly, man-to-man. This was their life, their relationship. He knew he proved a point the night before, but he wanted an open line of communication with Domenico- something they had never done.

He walked down the stairs, glancing at the nearly empty bottle of whiskey and the solitary glass on the counter from last night, recalling Ari had said Domenico wasn’t ‘doing well’ after everything, so he had some hope that being at a low point, Domenico might be more receptive to sitting down and really talking. Not being petty, not being his competitor, but as two men who loved the same woman- a huge aspect they had in common.

After all, they saw the same beauty in one special person.
Now that March felt secure in their bond, he was open to discussion.

He made his way out the door, seeing Olric at his spot at the register.

“Morning. I’m gonna be back in awhile to work on orders, I’ll see you soon.” March said with a wave, Olric looking up at him with a confused look.

“You have an appointment? You never take off this early.” Olric asked, writing down some numbers for inventory.

“I just have something I need to do.” March assured him, walking backward out the front door, not in a hurry but walking quickly.

He made his way down the block, past the fountain, waving briefly at Adeline, who was sitting at a bench writing papers into a folder. March started feeling a boost of adrenaline as the shop came into view, something primal in his veins preparing him for some sort of primitive battle against a foe- he felt.. Like he was about to be in a conflict. But was reminding himself, this was supposed to be civil.

He walked in, the visitor bell ringing but no one turning toward him. He surveyed the room, and spotted Domenico at the bar, he was eating a salad and drinking water, looking like he just woke up. March debated with himself before shaking off any apprehension, walking his way up to the bar, nearing where he was seated by himself.

“March!” Hemlock sang out, walking out front from the back, “What can I get for you? I never see you before noon, you’re early.”

“Just a beer and something light, you pick, Hemlock.” March said simply, Domenico not turning toward him, not seeming surprised or taken aback by his presence at all.

March took a seat one bar stool away from Domenico, Hemlock sliding him a beer with a smile. It seemed Hemlock sensed the overall vibe, not hanging around too long. Domenico had his head leaning on his hand as he ate, his body language still looking a little put out. He and March just sat next to each other, both of them aware of each other, both of them in their heads, March waiting for him to grant the opening.

”.. You have something you need to say?” Domenico said in a low voice, not looking over at March, taking a bite of his salad.

March felt he was being so cavalier. Almost seeming annoyed, but just to a small extent. Trying to hold it together.

“Figured it would be good to talk directly.” March said flatly, taking a sip of his beer, “I don’t like mind games, I would rather just say it to your face.”

“Last night didn’t feel like a mind game to you?” Domenico said, glancing over at March, a hint of hurt in his voice being covered by an angry tone.

March met his eyes, realizing he looked like he hadn’t slept.

“We both know what game you’ve been playing, Domenico. You’re only mad because I learned how to play back. I don’t enjoy it, but I have no problem meeting you at your level.” March assured him, laying it out on the table with confidence.

”.. She never would have done any of that.” Domenico shook his head with disgust, “She never would have done that to me, I know it was your game.”

“Ari was a willing participant.” March reassured him, correcting him, “Takes two to tango.”

“She wouldn’t try to hurt me like that. That was all you.” Domenico said softly, setting down his fork and looking down at his lap.

“Are you implying I made her do anything?” March quirked an eyebrow, reading into his words as an implication.

”.. She’s been doing a lot of things she never would have done, because of you.” He glanced at March, his eyes angry and hurt, ”.. I know her, she isn’t like that.”

”When she sees or hears from you, she has nightmares.” March said in a matter-of-fact tone, shaking his head, “And I don’t know if you’ve realized, but I’ve noticed that when you’re around, she cries.”

Domenico was quiet, seeming to be thinking about it. Unsure of what to say to that.

March continued, ”.. Or are you so stuck in your goal of winning her, that you can’t see she’s happy and carefree.. Until you come around. It’s selfish.”

“You think I couldn’t make her happy? I know her in ways you couldn’t even dream.” Domenico said, an annoyed tone on his tongue, continuing to eat his salad, ”.. I could make her happy.”

”.. You’ve heard how good she feels when she’s with me. With you, she just feels bad. Spot the difference.” March said, simply.

“You’re not even married.” Domenico scoffed, disgust showing on his face.

March scoffed back, incredulously, “What, are you a priest?”

“Just another thing she never would have done without you telling her what to do.” Domenico said, finishing his salad and taking a long sip of his water, starting to get up from his seat.

”.. Telling her what to do?” March said angrily, not liking what he was implying, “The first time we did, she asked me for it.”

Anger flashing in his eyes, clearly not liking that, Domenico seethed, ”.. Shut the fuck up.”

March got up from his seat, just as Domenico shoved him, clearly not appreciating March talking about the first time he and Ari were intimate. Perhaps not believing Ari was the one asking for it to get intimate, but it was the truth, they had both wanted it.

March shoved him back, just a little more forcefully, earning a glance from Hemlock who was keeping a close eye on them.

“You can never just be a good friend to her.” March raised his voice just a little, exerting power into his stance, “Do her a favor and stay out of our life.”

Domenico stepped to him, quietly saying, in a threatening tone, ”.. I’ll stay away from her when she tells me to.”

And they were both at a standstill. March knew it wouldn’t be easy to get Ari to tell Domenico to keep a distance, as she loved him dearly and they had a lot of history together. It just wasn’t that simple, and March knew it. Domenico knew it, too. He knew Ari would have reservations about cutting him off, and he knew that Ari loved him.

But what March knew, that Domenico didn’t understand, was that Ari would put their relationship before Domenico every single time- and March was secure in that.

Just as they were getting heated, standing up to each other, chest to chest, the guest bell rang and two people walked in.

“March?” Ari asked from the doorway, Reina behind her, both of them looking hesitant and confused, not fully understanding what’s going on.

“Ari-” Domenico said lightly, backing up from March, seeming to grow insecure at her gaze, given the situation she walked in on.

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Ari’s POV

Ari wasn’t sure what she’d just walked into, she and Reina going to grab a drink and catch up, since Ari had spent her morning watering all the plants. Reina had dropped by to bring her a letter from the mayor, and they got to catching up.

Ari glanced to Reina, seeing her looking at Domenico with an intense, unrecognizable look on her face, like she had never seen anyone like him in her life. Domenico was wearing an unbuttoned, button-up and some gray joggers, looking like he just crawled out of bed. His chest, tattoos, exposed beneath. He had a headband on, his soft, wavy hair framing his face.

“Wh-who’s that..?” Reina whispered to Ari, tugging at her sweater and looking up at her with big eyes.

“My childhood friend.. Domenico.” Ari whispered to her, then raised her voice to normal level, addressing them both, ”.. My childhood friend and my fiancé, who are for some reason bumping chests at a bar. Like two gorillas.”

March shot her a slight smile, his eyes dark, knowing he was caught, ”.. Just wanted to chat. Boy stuff.”

”.. Yeah.” Domenico said dejectedly, looking like he’d resigned himself a bit, taking his spot back in his seat and facing the bar, trying to disconnect himself from the situation.

“Okay.. Sure. Well, Reina and I came to have a drink, so-” Ari began, and felt Reina pull at her sleeve pleadingly, Ari catching her drift, “W-well, maybe we can all have a drink together.”

”.. Together? Right now?” March asked hesitantly, trying to catch the vibe but not fully getting it, “I don’t know if it’s a good..”

Ari gave him a look, looking over at Reina who was trying to look past March, toward Domenico. She had very obviously taken interest, not something typical for Reina at all.

“O-oh. Yeah, okay.” March said in an unsure voice, rubbing the back of his neck.

Ari sat next to Domenico, Reina sitting on the other side of Domenico, and March taking a place next to Ari. Domenico seemed taken aback at the sudden company, giving Ari a confused look, seeming uncomfortable.

“Domeno, this is Reina. She works here, really close friend of mine.” Ari said with a smile, trying to introduce them, but Domenico didn’t seem receptive.

“Sure. Hi.” Domenico said, drinking his water.

“Can I get you girls something to drink..?” Hemlock asked, highly uncertain of the vibe change, everyone seeming to try their best to get along after an awkward encounter.

“I’ll take a vodka soda and a lime.” Reina said sweetly, glancing over at Domenico who hadn’t really even looked back at her yet.

“I’ll just have a beer, same one March got is fine.” Ari said simply, looking over at March with a smile.

The vibe was off. March and Domenico had barely uttered a word, while Reina and Ari were both in a good mood. Ari could sense that the only reason Domenico stayed was because she’d shown up. He was done with his salad and just drinking a water, he looked exhausted, but he was entertaining Ari because she wanted to introduce him to her friend.

Ari could immediately tell Reina was into Domenico. Her entire body language had changed, she was sitting pretty, preening her hair, cutely sipping from her glass. Domenico didn’t reciprocate it or respond at all, leaving Ari feeling like this was just really awkward.

“So, Domenico.. What do you do for work?” Reina asked politely, leaning her head on her hand, trying to get to know him better.

”.. I’m a blacksmith.” He said shortly, looking down at the bar, totally disinterested in Reina, and clearly not trying to be overly friendly- he was shrugging her off to a large extent.

Reina could feel it, too.

”.. I-I think that’s really neat.. Didn’t you get second place in the competition..?” Reina cooed, insecurity in her voice as she began to realize he was purposely not showing interest, ”.. You must be very skilled.”

”.. Yeah. I guess.” Domenico said in a soft voice, still not looking up at her.

Ari wasn’t used to seeing Domenico this way. He was usually playful and had a smile on his face, typically he was really easygoing and simple to have a conversation with. But right now, he was being.. Rude. Trying not to interact.

”.. Maybe you guys should go do something some time.” Ari suggested, looking over at Domenico who furrowed his brows in response, “Reina is a really good friend, you’re both great people.”

“I don’t really do that.” Domenico shook his head in annoyance, ”.. I don’t date.”

”.. Just put on an engagement ring and he’ll be all over you.” March scoffed quietly to himself, rolling his eyes, barely loud enough for Ari to hear.

“Domenico, come here for a second.” Ari narrowed her eyes, getting a little fed up with how rude he was being, tapping his arm and getting up from her seat.

He sighed, getting up from his spot, both of them walking into the back hallways. He looked.. Put out. He was clearly tired, and he was not seeming like himself at all.

“Why are you being so rude to my friend?” Ari asked with annoyance, gesturing toward the bar, “What’s your problem?”

“You think I don’t see what you’re doing?” He asked in equal annoyance, folding his arms in front of him.

“What?” Ari asked in pure confusion, shaking her head.

“You brought her here to get me off your case, right?” He accused, hurt on his face.

”.. No, Domeno. I didn’t bring her here for that.” Ari said flatly, “I can’t believe you think I would do that.”

”.. What am I supposed to think, Ari?” Domenico asked, pacing slightly, running his hands over his face in frustration, ”.. I don’t want to date your friend. I don’t just..”

“Domeno. I’m not asking you to date her. I’m just asking you to give her a chance. I didn’t plan any of this, but I can tell she really likes you.” Ari compelled him, pleadingly, ”.. I can’t be with you. Please.. Don’t hold out for me.”

He looked at her with surprise and hurt in his eyes, like he couldn’t understand why she would say something like that. It was obviously too soon, Ari should have expected his response to be this way, Domenico was still hurting from the night before and it was really obvious. She was asking too much, she could see that, now.

”.. The only person I want is you, Frostie.” He stepped back from her, looking at her like she was a stranger, looking at the ground and then off to the side, like he wasn’t sure what to think.

”.. Domeno.” Ari put her hands on both of his shoulders, bringing him to face her, ”.. I love March.”

”.. Why won’t you just admit it. You love me, too.” He looked at her with pain in his eyes, his voice was breaking, ”.. It’s like I’m so close to you, Frostie, but I can never quite reach you..”

”.. I will admit it, Domeno. I do love you. But I can’t be with you.” Ari said with confidence, trying to reassure him very seriously, “Domeno, do not wait for me.”

They looked at each other for a long time, Domenico unsure of what to say, pulling away from her and looking at the ground and then away from her, slowly starting to walk away from her and back down the hallway. Ari hadn't realized until now that he had clearly never dated, not due to disinterest, but because he was in love with her and he couldn't fathom being with anyone else.

He walked out. Left. Didn’t even go back up to his room, he walked right out the front door to the inn, like he was fleeing from a bad dream. After a long time, Ari shook off the heavy emotions she was feeling. She ran a hand over her face, as she started walking back up to the bar, taking her place between Reina and March.

”.. Sorry about that.” Ari said softly, putting a hand on Reina’s arm, ”.. He isn’t usually like that. He just has a lot going on, I can explain later.

“Well.. Speaking of later, Celine and I were gonna get together and stay at her cabin tonight.. Do you wanna stay? I’d love to hear more about your friend.” Reina asked, clearly not too put off by the fact that Domenico had blown her off.

Ari looked over at March, and then back at Reina, “Y-yeah. I’d like that.”

Ari hadn’t spent a night away from March since before the competition over a month ago. It would feel so strange to spend a night away from him, but Ari also hadn’t spent much time with her friends. She had been in honeymoon land with March for so long, she hadn’t seen Celine in more than a month, she barely knew her at all. It would be healthy to have a girls night.

“Hey, I’m gonna head back to the shop. I have a bunch of orders to do today.” March said quietly, finishing his beer and getting up from the counter, kissing Ari on the cheek.

“Did you just come by here to talk to Domeno?” Ari asked with a quirked brow, already knowing that’s what he did.

“Yeah. Well. I just wanted to say what I needed to say.”: March said simply, “Trust me. It was civil.”

“Didn’t look very civil when I came in.” Ari said with a sigh, taking a sip of her beer, ”.. I just really want everyone to get along.”

March nodded, running a hand over her back affectionately as he tossed some tesserae on the counter- enough to pay for all of their orders. He walked out, leaving she and Reina alone, Reina suddenly squealing to herself and turning to Ari, ready to really talk.

“Who was that handsome man?” Reina asked, cooing over Domenico like he was the first man she’d ever laid eyes on.

”.. Domeno? Well, I’ve that’s the friend I told you about.. The boyfriend from my past, a long, long time ago.” Ari reminded her, jogging her memory.

“Ohh!~” She gasped, connecting the dots, “So.. He’s your ex, then?”

“Well, it doesn’t really feel like that to me, but..” Ari explained, running a finger up the condensation on her glass, ”.. He’s still in love with me, and he won’t let it go and just be my friend.”

Reina paused, leaning in, whispering sadly, ”.. So that.. Kinda means he’s off-limits, right? Girl code, exes, you know..”

Ari thought to herself, it would be convenient if Reina and Domenico got together, it would potentially make it so Domenico wouldn’t be so focused on her and March. The issue was that.. Domenico wouldn’t go for it, more than likely. Ari was fairly certain Domenico would likely not date anyone else, given the fact that he’d dedicated himself to waiting for Ari- and was very serious about that.

“N-no, I think you should go for it!” Ari nodded, holding Reina’s hand, ”.. I just don’t want you to get your feelings hurt. But I think you should try, you would be good for him.”

“Really?~” Reina squealed, excitedly jittering, “I’ve.. Never seen anyone like him before, Ari. He’s so.. Rugged.”

Ari looked at Reina with a soft gaze, smiling at her excitement.. But somewhere in her chest, something started to ache, and she didn’t know what to make of it. On the surface, this seemed like good thing. The best thing. If Domenico fell for Reina, this would solve all of their problems, it would be what’s best for everyone. Ari knew that.

But, sitting here and watching Reina’s excitement, something hurt.
But Ari couldn’t show that. It would mean something if she did.
It would mean something if she told Reina not to go for it.

It would mean something. It would make her feelings toward Domenico very real, and she was in no position to allow that, at all.

So Ari just smiled weakly, sipping her beer, listening to her best friend go on and on about how great she thought Domenico looked. That she loved his tattoos, and that his eyes were the perfect color. She listened to Reina talk about how fit he was, and how stylish he looked. And she didn’t say anything. She just let the moment hang there, through her confused feelings, letting herself feel uncomfortable- knowing she had no right to say anything to the contrary.

But.. Domenico would never go for it.
Ari knew that.
And something about that.. Was comforting.

And then she felt guilty, for knowing she was glad, somewhere deep in her mind, that Domeno hadn’t moved on yet. It wasn’t something she was ready to admit, as it meant she had saved some space in her heart for him, even after everything. That is what March feared.

After finishing their drinks, she and Reina agreed to meet at Celine’s after nightfall, going their separate ways for the rest of the morning. Ari walked back to the cabin, still needing to do a number of things on the farm before she kicked back completely.

As she was watering the plants, she decided to text Domenico.

Ari: “Here’s Reina’s number, Domeno. 986-643-****. Think about it.”

Domenico: ”.. Why do you want me to date your friend?”

Ari: “She’s really nice.”

Domenico: ”.. Okay, Frostie. You win.”

She wasn’t fully sure what he meant by that. Suddenly she felt a pang of insecurity, wondering his intent with those words. She had mixed feelings, she wasn’t sure what to think.

As Ari continued pulling weeds, she started thinking to herself that.. Maybe she’d pushed too hard. Maybe Domeno wasn’t ready for this. Maybe.. Ari wasn’t ready.

She shook her head, trying to shake the insecurity out of her mind. Suddenly she found herself thinking about March. Wondering what March had said to him, before she and Reina got there. Ari wondered if something March had said, combined with her trying to push him to date Reina, maybe got through to Domenico.

And now she felt.. Sad. That she felt so conflicted.
March gave her a ring, and she gave him her word.
That meant so much to Ari, for her to feel these complex feelings just felt like a betrayal. She decided to pull out her phone and send March a text, suddenly missing him.

Ari: “March, I love you.”

March: “I love you too. Something wrong?”

Ari: “Nothing is wrong.. I just miss you.”

March: “I miss you too. I’ll see you in a bit when you stop home before you go to Celine’s, right?”

Ari: “Yeah, I’ll make a quick trip back.. I didn’t get to kiss you.”

March: “See you in a bit, babe.”

Ari somehow felt.. Better. Like texting March was the right move. She started to feel that whenever she started thinking about Domenico, that she needed to lean more into her connection with March. She decided that’s what she would do.

If she felt bad or missed Domenico.. She would just go find March.
It had to work.

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Later in the evening, around 6, Ari was making her way back into the shop. March wasn’t in his usual spot at his anvil, shop closed at 5PM, she could hear Olric and Merri talking in their room as she walked into the shop and up to her door, unlocking it, walking in, and gently closing it behind her.

As she walked in, setting down her bag and kicking off her shoes, she could very faintly hear the water running in the shower, smiling that she could hear March in the house. She made her way upstairs,being careful not to make any noise, taking off her shirt and slipping out of her jeans, taking off her socks, unclasping her bra, all while walking step by step toward where she could hear the shower running.

She turned into the bathroom, fully nude, and saw his form through the curtain, standing securely, facing the shower head. She smiled to herself as she set her clothes down on the counter, neatly, and stepped toward the shower, pulling back the curtain and stepping in behind him, finally drawing his attention to her as he heard her step in.

“A-Ari-” He stammered, surprised to suddenly see her there, wiping water from his face, “Hey-“

Ari stepped toward him, running her hands over his broad back, pulling him into her as they both embraced.

”.. March, I missed you.” Ari said into his skin, muffled, ”I’m really sorry..”

Her guilt suddenly spoke for her.

”.. Sorry for what?” He asked in confusion, pulling back from her and looking into her eyes.

”.. I’m just sorry everything was so awkward earlier.” She covered, but it was also true.

The truth is, she was feeling really guilty for her thoughts about Domenico. She was feeling so bad that she was hurting over the idea of him moving on. She had a large level of shame when she realized.. She didn’t want him to move on. But she had to support it, because it was what was best for everyone else.

“Oh, don’t worry about it. I.. Started that.” March reassured her, running his hand over her cheek, swiping some hair from her face.

He met her lips with a soft kiss, both of them standing beneath the hot water, naked to each other. She felt.. Connected to him again, standing there, skin to skin. She had spent a lot of the day stuck in her head, thinking about Domenico, but right now she was present in her moment with March.

He turned back toward the shower head, rinsing his face with the water, Ari wrapped her arms around him, running her hands up his muscular torso.

“What did you say to him earlier?” Ari asked softly, running her hand down lower, earning a strained noise from March as her hand reached his pelvic area.

“O-oh I-” He started weakly, surprised at how sudden this contact was.

“I’m just curious.” Ari admitted, feeling his skin on hers, delicately.

”.. I just told him he was being too much.” March said, really simplifying it to a great degree, “Told him he was being selfish.”

That was true.
Ari knew it was true. To an extent, they all were being selfish.

“I sent him Reina’s number, and he seemed.. Okay with it.” Ari explained, pressing herself against him.

He turned around, stepping back and letting her get her hair wet, picking up the body wash and lathering it in his hands, running his slick fingers all over her body, pressing himself against her lewdly as he did.

“You’re okay with Reina dating him..?” March asked softly, feeling insecure, Ari sensing he could see why that would be hurtful to her on some level.

Ari wanted to say no.
But she couldn’t.

”.. Yeah, I mean.. They’re both good people, so..” Ari said quietly, sounding like she was trying to convince herself, rather than state something.

”.. I love you, Ari.” March whispered to her, leaning in and putting his lips close to her ear, ”.. You don’t have to pretend this is easy for you.”

Ari paused, looking down at the floor of the shower, watching the suds run down the drain. He could always see right through her.

“It.. Is fine.” Ari looked up into his eyes, running a hand up his chest, ”.. Really.”

March kissed her neck, running his hands up her stomach, onto her breasts. Ari was losing herself to his touch, feeling the desire in every flex of his fingers, every breath.

”.. Ari, I don’t want you to feel like you need to hide what you’re feeling from me.” He said, planting a gentle kiss on her neck, then on her cheek.

Ari felt a familiar ache in her chest, thinking about it.

”.. When I picture them together.. I don’t know what I feel.” Ari admitted, looking at him with serious eyes, giving him some small level of her honest feelings.

“I can understand that.” He nodded reassuringly, kissing her on the neck again, running one hand down to her navel.

Ari gasped as his finger brushed her clit, just slightly. Disappointed when his hand traveled back up, March unintentionally teasing her. Ari reached down and picked up the bottle of shampoo, putting some on her hands, running it through her own hair. She lathered herself, and then glanced down, seeing that he was fully hard, despite not trying to be sexual.

Just being around her, seeing her body, feeling close to her, he was intense and ready to go. Ari loved how responsive he was to her. As he finished washing his face and was done with his shower, he leaned against the wall, watching her with lidded eyes.

“What time are you going to Reina’s..?” He asked, a blush on his face as he looked her over, watching her eyes screen his body, knowing he was fully erect- not subtle.

“Around 8, probably. She’s been asking all about Domenico, so I’m preparing myself for that.” Ari sighed, rinsing the rest of the soap from her hair.

“I’ll miss you tonight. It’ll feel weird, you not being here.” He said softly, looking downward at the floor of the shower, “I’m not used to sleeping by myself anymore.”

“I’ll call you before bed. I’ve been dreading the same thing.” Ari said with a gentle smile, looking up at him coyly, feeling the sweetness of their attachment looming between them.

He unwrapped his arm from her waist, turning off the shower. Ari picked up two towels, handing one to March, and they began drying and doing their after-shower care. It was the little things like this, that Ari really felt tug at her heart. The sex was incredible, their mental connection was infallable, but these little moments between them where they were just being human.. Those were what Ari lived for most.

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Ari had enough time to eat something with March, and then she went up to their room to dry her curls, make them look nice for tonight. She wanted to at least put a little effort into how she looked for the sleepover. She slipped on a light, long-sleeved crop sweater, gray, and a pair of tight black leggings.

After getting ready, she ran back downstairs, prepared to take off. March was sitting on the couch, sending a text as she walked over to snag a kiss on her way out.

“I think I’m gonna go to the inn and see Ryis and Olric for a little bit, haven’t hung out with any friends for awhile.” March said with a smile, closing his phone and meeting Ari’s lips for a kiss.

“That’s great, I’m glad you’re getting a chance to see your boys, I know neither of us have really been taking time to see our friends.. It’s just really easy to get lost in our own little world.” Ari admitted, caressing his cheek with one hand.

Ari sat down in his lap, cuddling into his chest as he wrapped his arms around her. She felt close to him. Feeling his arms around her. His body was so relaxed, his breathing steady. He set down his phone, putting his hands on both of her hips and running them up her waist, slowly.

“Ari.. You’re doing something to me.” March sighed, stopping his hands and then holding them up to the side, “You have to leave soon, I should probably keep my hands to myself.”

Ari chuckled softly, turning back to look at him. He was so cute, with his hands up, like he was at gunpoint as she sit pressed against his lap.

”.. Usually I would disagree and tell you to keep touching me, but.. I’m going to be late if I don’t get out of here soon.” Ari whispered, pressing her lips to his, letting herself melt into him, despite the time crunch.

She felt his breath hitch in his throat as he closed his eyes, putting his hands firmly back on her body. Ari recalled before, when he wouldn’t allow himself to get this way, where he always needed to keep himself in control.. And now, he easily relinquished control to her, letting himself fall prey to her in a heartbeat. Letting himself fall into her with little to no resistance.

“Ari..” He whispered, as she pressed herself against his lap, his breathy words urging her to tease him, ”.. You can’t do this to me right now.”

Ari pressed herself down onto him, feeling his hard length beneath his clothes, March tilting his head back and closing his eyes, running a hand over his face with sexual frustration. She loved the feeling of his desire toward her.

And with that, she got up from his lap, turning toward him and leaning in for a kiss, March looking up at her with longing eyes, but settling for a simple kiss.

“I love you. I’ll call you tonight.” Ari said softly, kissing him again, letting their lips linger before she pulled away from him.

Slipping on her shoes and a jacket, she took one last glance with a smile at him, March gently waving before walking out, closing the door behind her.

She walked out of the shop and down the block, past the fountain, over the town bridge, down past the inn, and finally Celine’s house came slowly into view. Ari felt herself get a little nervous, her high from her contact with March was beginning to finally wear off. She found herself suddenly wondering what the topic of conversation would be. She was hoping Celine would have a lot of new things going on. She hadn’t spent much time with Celine, so it would be nice to hear what she had going on.. And it would be nice not to listen to Reina talk about Domenico.

She walked up to the door, giving it a few light knocks. She could hear the girls talking from inside, hearing someone walking up to the door. The door opened, Reina answering it with Celine behind her, and Adeline in the far background- which was a surprise.

“Ari!” Reina squealed, seeming tipsy already, ” I’m so glad you came!”

Ari walked in, hugging both of them, spotting three different bottles of wine on the coffee table. It was clear that all of them were going to be drinking. She felt.. A little better, knowing that.

She walked in, Adeline was already stuck with a case of the giggles, clearly tipsy. They eventually got settled in, all of them sitting on the couch and on the floor, blankets pulled over them, pillows everywhere. Ari noticed that throughout a lot of the night, Reina was texting on her phone- sometimes smiling.

”.. Hey Reina,” Ari said, glass of wine in hand, genuinely curious, “What’s all the smiling about..?”

“Well.. Domenico is texting me, actually.” She smiled big, typing back a message, ”.. Things have been.. Hot.”

“Hot?.. How?” Ari asked, confusion on her face, downing a majority of her glass of win, and reaching toward the bottle to pour a second glass.

”.. We’ve been.. Sexting.” Reina said with a devious smile, Ari felt a pang of hurt in her chest at that.

”.. What’s.. Sexting?” Ari asked, already kind of able to guess, but wanted details out of curiosity.

Reina smiled shyly, and looked down at her lap, ”.. You know, messaging someone and telling them what you’d, like, do to them.”

Ari found herself both shocked and surprised that Domenico would do something like that, but tried hard to cover up those emotions with a shy smile, taking another long drink of wine. She felt.. Nausea. Thinking about Domenico really typing something like that. Morbidly curious about what exactly he was saying.

”.. Can I see? I guess I don’t really get it..” Ari feigned ignorance, really just wanting to see exactly what Reina meant.

Reina blushed and giggled, “Ari- Well, okay, I guess it couldn’t hurt.”

Reina handed Ari her phone, the text thread between Reina and Domenico.

Domenico: “If I were there right now, there wouldn’t be a lot of talking.”

Reina: “Oh? Well what would there be a lot of?”

Domenico: “I’d love to touch all the curves I saw earlier.. Your skin looked so soft.”

Reina: “Oooh, my tongue is even softer~”

Domenico: “I can only imagine what it would feel like to have your tongue on my-“

Ari shook her head, unable to hide the surprise on her face as she looked away from Reina’s phone and handed it back to her. Reina looked a little taken back by her response, a little concerned, even.

“I-I’m sorry Ari, did that freak you out?” Reina asked with a half-smile, seeming to sense Ari’s emotions.

“N-No, that’s my bad completely, I shouldn’t have asked.. But now I see what it is, at least.” Ari stammered, all the girls getting quiet.

Ari realized her cover got a little blown by that, Adeline and Celine looked at each other, before Reina changed the topic.

“So.. What is March like?” Reina asked with a playful grin, “I’ve always wondered what the serious blacksmith was like.. You know, in the sheets.”

Ari still felt an ache in her chest, trying to think.

“He- He’s the most incredible.. Ugh, He just..” Ari blushed, switching gears into thinking about March and the last time they’d had sex, ”.. March is amazing.”

The girls all giggled quietly, all of them getting back in a playful mood, as they all leaned in, begging her to tell them more.

Celine chimed in, ”..Is he.. Big?”

Ari held up her hands to give an estimate, all of the girls gasping and widening their eyes, Adeline covering her eyes and Celine covering her mouth, Reina whispering, “Wow.. I knew it.”

All of them were actually.. Acting like girls. Like friends. Ari was on her fourth glass of wine, extremely buzzed, and she realized it was getting pretty late and that she should probably call March. They had spent a number of hours gossiping, talking about boys, giggling about Celine’s crush on Eiland, Ari lost track of time and it was already 1AM, way later than she’d planned on calling.

“Hey, I gotta give March a call.. I’m gonna go to the bathroom so I can talk to him in private, but I’ll be back soon.” Ari explained, standing up from her spot on the couch next to Reina.

Reina grabbed her arm gently, whispering to her, “Hey.. Try phone sex. Seriously. It’s actually really fun and.. It’ll surprise him.”

Ari chuckled, making a face at her that was meant to show how ridiculous she thought that idea was, but as she walked to the bathroom she actually started thinking to herself that.. Well, it might be fun. Maybe March would like it. She walked into the bathroom down the hall, closing the door behind her, and sitting on the sink. Celine’s bathroom was cute, pink and mint green, soft. There was a lamp in the corner, so Ari didn’t need to turn on the bright light.

Ari opened her phone, clicking his number in her recent numbers, and listening to the phone ring.

Ring.

Ring.

He answered, his voice sounding uncertain, “Ari..?”

“I just wanted to call. Sorry it’s so late, I lost track of time, but.. I miss you.” Ari said softly, hearing the vulnerability in his voice as it sounded like he just woke up to her call, beginning to run her hand down into her leggings, rubbing gentle circles into her clit through her panties.

“Are you.. Drunk..?” His voice said groggily, clearing his throat, seeming to notice her labored breathing.

”.. I’m touching myself right now, thinking about you.” Ari whispered, blushing at the lewd sound of her own voice, feeling insecure in her own verbal performance.

There was a long silence on the other end, as it seemed it was debating what exactly to say. He was clearly stunned, and Ari could imagine he was extremely confused.

”.. I want you to do me a favor..” Ari moaned softly into the line, closing her eyes, hearing his breathing quicken on the other end, ”.. Put your hand in your boxers, and rub yourself to my voice right now..”

She heard a sigh on the other end of the line, his voice sounding rough and sultry, ”.. O-okay..”

Ari moaned softly, as she slipped a finger into her entrance, a whimper leaving her throat as she pressed into herself, “O-Oh.. I’ve been.. Thinking of you.. All day..”

She heard his breath hitch on the other end of the line, as he whispered intimately, “I.. I feel really weird doing this.. You really want me to touch my..?”

“It feels good, thinking of you while I-” Ari began to slip in a second finger, moaning out in a lilted voice, her breath hitching as the sensation grew, she heard him moan out on the other end of the line at the sound of her voice as they both began going faster, “W-what would you do to me right now, March..?”

“Fuck..” He moaned, she could hear the strain in his voice as he neared his climax, Ari moaning with him, arching her back and spreading her legs, fingering herself intensely at the sound of his pleasure, getting off to the sound of her voice, “I-I would push my dick up into you as far as it would g-go, shove you up against the dresser, and fuck y-you..”

Hearing him say something so sexual sent Ari on a high, she could tell by his voice that he felt really exposed even saying something like that. March wasn’t vulgar like that, only cussing pretty sparingly in his everyday life. He had never said in words that he wanted to 'fuck' her- and while he proved rough with his actions during, he never said it up front like that.

“O-oh god- March, that's-” She moaned into the line, tilting her head back, feeling a buzz overcome her, the first time she’d ever gotten off just with her fingers, just by the sound of his voice, ".. I love you."

Ari figured maybe being drunk made her more sensitive, but the sound of him enjoying the sound of her voice this much really got to her emotions. His voice was so breathy and sweet, unlike it usually was. She could hear his high level of emotion in the few words he said, his breathing was labored. He sounded so.. Filled with desire, his words made her blush, they were so.. Bad. She felt honored that he was willing to go outside of his comfort zone and do this just because she'd asked him to.

“O-oh- I’m gonna-” She heard him stammer on the other end of the line, a broken moan escaping his throat as he finished, “A-Ari-“

She knew by his broken moans that he’d climaxed, she imagined himself, long strings of cum up on his chest, sleepy, relaxed, his breathing quick and his heart pounding. The mental image of him laying in their bed while they did this on the phone felt incredible.

Ari retracted her fingers from her panties, straightening herself up, whispering, “That felt so good, ugh. I’ve never done that before, so..”

March chuckled quietly on the other end of the line, ”.. Can’t even be upset that you called late, that wake-up call was.. Out of this world. You sound so.. cute.”

Ari giggled softly, humming into the phone, “Sorry I called so late.. I lost track of time. What time did you get home?”

“At like midnight, I had a good time with Ryis and Olric, but didn’t get drunk. Just came home, went to bed. Woke up to your beautiful voice. It was a great night.” He had a smile in his voice, she felt glad she could improve his already good night.

”.. I’m glad we did this. I was really nervous. Reina told me I should, and for once she was really, really right, that was fun.” Ari sighed, standing up from the sink and straightening her outfit, "I love the way you talk when you're turned on.."

“I’m glad too. Oh, and I love you, Ari.” He made sure to return the ‘i love you’ she had said earlier, because he got off before he was able to say it back, ”.. I can’t wait to see you tomorrow.”

”.. We’ll have to catch up for missing a night.” Ari said seductively, smiling into her words, heavy sexual implications in her tone.

“We can catch up all day, after I do some orders.” He chuckled, “All this sex, I’ve been falling behind a little. Gotta work until like 2PM at least, and then I’m all yours.”

“Deal.” Ari said sweetly, rocking back and forth as she smiled thinking about it, “Alright, I better get back to the girls.. I love you March, sleep well.”

“You know I will now. I love you too, Ari. Sweet dreams.” March said in a soft voice, yawning at the end of his sentence.

As Ari hung up the phone, she found herself internally celebrating that she really followed through with something outside of her comfort zone. She really did it. She felt really good about it. As she regained her composure, she looked in the vanity mirror and fixed herself up a bit before heading back out to the girls. Her face was flushed, red with a cute blush, she looked like she’d been up to something in here. But she didn’t mind them knowing. After all, they would be happy for her, and she knew it.

She opened the bathroom door, giving herself a boost in confidence, and headed back out to face the girls and tell them all about her new experience. After all, what are friends for..?

Chapter Text

The next morning, Ari woke up first. She was in a bright living room, under a foreign blanket, with her face tucked into the cushion of a floral print couch. Ari took a deep breath, sitting up and looking around. Adeline and Celine had slept in Celine’s bed, and Reina was on a padded pull-out on the floor in a pile of pillows and blankets.

Ari immediately thought about March, lifting her hand and looking down at her engagement ring. Ari checked her phone, seeing she had a couple texts, and that it was around 6AM.

March 1:55AM: “I love you. Sleeping without you sucks.”

Ari 6:10AM: “I love you too, I immediately passed out, I was drunnnnk.”

And she had messages she must have sent the night before, that she didn’t remember. Domenico’s text thread had a new text.

Ari 1:23AM: “I didn’t know you were the type.”

Domenico 1:30AM: “The type?”

Ari 1:31AM: “You know, sexting.”

Domenico 1:35AM: “Oh. She told you.”

Ari 1:39AM: “She showed me.”

Domenico 1:42AM: ”.. Well that’s embarrassing. Why do you care?”

Ari 1:46AM: “She’s not a sex friend, just so you know.”

Domenico 1:48AM: ”.. Are you just worried about me sleeping with her?”

Ari 1:49AM: “She deserves more than a fling.”

Domenico 1:51AM: “She’s the one making it sexual.”

Ari 1:52AM: “You could say no.”

Domenico 1:53AM: ”.. Why do you want me to say no?”

Ari 1:53AM: ”… Because she’s vulnerable right now, and she doesn’t know what’s good for her.”

Domenico 1:54AM: “I think there’s a really different motive for you not wanting me to sleep with her, Frostie.”

Ari didn’t remember these messages at all, and she felt a stab of embarrassment in her chest from the knowledge that she had really inserted herself into their business that way. What’s worse is that in her drunken state, she had allowed her insecurities and hurt feelings to take the driver’s seat when she had been trying her best just to hide all of it.

What if he told Reina she messaged him all of that?

Ari put a hand on her head, rubbing her eyes, frustrated at herself. She figured she should message him back at least addressing all of that, for the sake of being direct.

Ari 6:13AM: ”.. I’m sorry. I was drunk last night. I shouldn’t have said any of that, just ignore those texts, please.”

Domenico 6:14AM: “Ignoring the texts won’t get rid of the reason you sent them to me.”

He had messaged back immediately, and Ari was surprised. Ultimately, she knew he was right. Ignoring the texts doesn’t erase the fact that her feelings for Domenico had manifested in them during her drunken stupor. She looked down at Reina with a sigh, feeling like a bad friend. She had reassured Reina that it would be totally fine if they dated, that the ‘girl code’ didn’t apply, and now after saying that, Ari was having all of these sudden feelings. She felt hurt, she felt a deep sense of longing, and she felt a large sense of loss- like she was losing Domenico.

Ari loved March.
And it was unfair for her to keep Domenico from doing what he wanted to do. She should be relieved that he’s moving on. She should be glad.
She should be glad.
But she wasn’t glad. It just hurt.
She thought he would never agree to it.
She thought she would give him Reina’s number, and he would just never use it. But he did. And Ari knew it was selfish, that she just expected him to pine after her all this time, with nothing in return.

This was terrible.

Ari got up, picking up her bags, and quietly put her shoes and jacket on. She wanted to leave. She wanted to go back to March. She felt bad, and March made her feel better- she needed to go home. She looked back at Reina as she quietly opened the door, bustling town noises quiet in the background, as she slowly closed the door as quietly as she could, sighing when it was shut.

It was Friday night, and later they would be going to the inn to meet up after a long week. Ari walked up the path back toward the forge, past the fountain, and she didn’t hear him at his anvil yet. She could always hear when he was busy at work, which meant he still hadn’t begun yet. She walked up to the shop, opening the door and slipping in. They usually didn’t open until at least 7AM, and as she walked in, no one was up yet. The place was eerily quiet. Usually March woke up around 6, but he had been out late, was..

Oh right, Ari remembered, they’d had phone sex.
Ari smiled to herself, thinking back on it.

She walked into their house, closing the door behind her, all was still and quiet. It was peaceful, the sun shining through the window, not a sound to be heard. She looked over to the front window, Alloy was curled up in a little ball right in the tiny ray of direct sunlight on their living chair. She made her way up the stairs, shoes in hand, slowly. She was certain he was still asleep, excited to see him despite that. She walked into their bedroom and it was so still and silent, glancing at the bed and seeing March fast asleep, his eyes closed and both arms over his head in a slight stretch.

Ari set her shoes down and walked over, sitting on the side of the bed he was sleeping on. He had slept on her side of the bed in her absence, Ari noticed. He usually slept on the right side of the bed. She found herself smiling at the idea that he purposely slept on her side, possibly because he subconsciously wanted to feel closer to her.

She sat on the edge of the bed, looking down at him with a soft gaze as she watched him sleep. He chest rising and falling, soft breaths falling from his slightly parted lips, his hair just a little messy from his slumber.

She looked at him for an embarrassingly long time, suddenly shaking herself out of it, and leaning down slowly, wrapping her arms around him and putting her head on his chest. She heard him inhale deeply, stirring from his sleep just a bit, and taking his arms from above his head and wrapping them around her. After a he woke up a bit more and realized what was happening, he playfully pulled her onto the bed, Ari laughing in surprise.

”.. Mornin’” He sighed sleepily into her neck, her hair shielding his face.

“You slept on my side of the bed.” Ari chuckled softly, still tightly hugging him.

”.. Oh. Yeah, sorry.” He sighed, his eyes still closed.

“Don’t be, it’s kinda cute.” Ari said quietly, fully enjoying the early morning cuddly version of March.

Half asleep March was one of her favorites.
He was soft, his voice was quiet, and he usually had at least one arm linked around her in some capacity. His softness in the morning compared to his abrasiveness throughout the day when it came to others was a stark contrast. He pulled his face away from her neck, tapping his hand around on the bed to look for his phone, finding it and checking the time with one eye closed.

“Damn. I’m gonna be late for work today.” He sighed, tossing his phone on the bed and rewrapping his arms around her.

”.. It’s only 6:30 though, don’t you start at 7?” Ari asked softly, running a hand through his hair.

”.. Yeah, but I haven’t seen you in forever, so I’m gonna stay here and enjoy this for a little bit.” He said with a muffled voice, pulling her into him.

“It wasn’t even twelve hours, I wasn’t even gone that long.” Ari chuckled, nuzzling her head against his, pressing her cheek to his affectionately.

“Don’t care.” He said with a sigh, kissing her neck, ”.. Felt like a week.”

Ari smiled at his openness. It’s true, they were usually barely apart for a full five hours, so overnight separation did feel really strange, both of them almost never left to go anywhere like that. She loved being a fixture in his life, something he’d grown uccustomed to being near so much that it felt wrong when she wasn’t.

She was sort of on top of him, sort of on the bed, the angle was awkward but comfortable. She lay there with him for a long time, just enjoying this solitary early morning moment with him after a long night of being apart. He still had his eyes closed, his arms tightly wrapped around her, his face buried in her curls.

”.. When you called last night.. I was surprised.” He said quietly, into her neck.

Ari blushed, feeling called out, but it was nice to think back on, “Oh. Yeah, I thought that was really fun.. Did you like it..?”

”…” She felt he was actually hiding his face from her, she felt his arms tighten around her, ”.. Yes. I did.”

She smiled, finding his timid vulnerability to be cute, ”.. Like on a scale of one to ten, how much did you like it?”

He knew she was teasing him at this point, because he brought it up, so he took a long pause to think about his response, turning his face toward hers and away from her neck, a blush across his face.

”.. Probably about a ten.” He answered softly, honestly, looking at her from beneath his bangs, which were slightly messy and in his eyes, “I.. Just liked hearing you say you thought about me all day.”

“Ooh, that’s a much better rating than I expected.” Ari said with a joking laugh, rubbing her nose against his.

”.. Yeah.” He said quietly, closing his eyes at the feelin of her nose rubbing against his, ”.. Good surprise. You definitely got me with that one.”

After a few minutes of idle chatting and flirting, Ari eventually started wrestling her way out of the awkward position she was laying in, sitting up on the side of the bed. Eventually March got up, knowing he needed to start his day at some point.

“Wanna go to the inn later? It’s Friday, I know people will be there.” Ari asked casually, getting up from her spot and walking to the dresser, brushing out her messy hair with a brush.

“Sure, that could be good.” He said, stretching and getting up from his spot on the bed, beginning to rummage through his dresser to get dressed for the day, ”.. Hey um.. Have you seen my red joggers anywhere..?”

“Oh, yeah, second drawer on the bottom right side.” Ari glanced over, gesturing toward the drawer.

Looking in the drawer and finding them exactly where she had said they were, she noticed him smile briefly, ”.. Thank you.”

They used to be complete strangers, beating around the bush, barely able to share one full, coherent thought with each other, and now she knew what drawer he put his pants in. It’s incredible how quickly things had changed, Ari thought to herself with a smile. Usually he was extremely organized and always knew where everything was, but they were both adjusting to the new living situation, so it wasn’t the first or third time he had asked her for help finding something.

Ari needed to head to the farm when March picked up and headed out to the shop for work, so she changed into a pair of comfy jeans and a button-up gray blouse, clasping her pickaxe pendant around her neck and covering it with the scarf March had picked out for her while they were out of town.

As they finished up, March sat down at the end of their bed, watching her pull one sock on, her toenails newly painted with a dark mauve. She rarely painted her fingernails, due to constantly farming, but her toenails last much longer. She felt a blush creep across her face as he stared at her, still seeming like he was waking up.

”.. You painted your toes.” He said in a soft voice, making an acute observation.

“Mhm. You like them..?” She pointed her unsocked toes in his direction, wiggling them with a cheeky grin.

“Mhm.” He hummed, looking down at her toes with a blush, and then back up into her eyes.

Ari looked over, feeling playful, and put her foot just between his legs, jokingly. Earning a surprised gasp from March, as she was extremely close to his crotch.

“Oh-” He gasped, her foot pressed up, barely touching his pants, wiggling her toes just a little, “Ari, wait-“

“Hm..?” She hummed, seeing the blush darken on his face and realizing he was.. Getting turned on, saying with slight surprise and intrigue, “Oh.”

He lifted his hand and put it in his lap to stop her foot from touching him too much, seeming flustered and thrown off, suddenly looking pretty awake as she teasingly pressed her foot into him a little harder.

”.. Don’t do that, I feel really weird that I’m getting..” He looked off to the side, grabbing her foot gently, seeming increasingly embarrassed by his body responding this way.

”.. What do you mean?” She asked in a sweet voice, purposely rubbing her foot up into him, and she could now feel that he was erect beneath his pants, much to his dismay.

”.. This is.. Weird.” March resigned himself, leaning back on his hands as she ran her foot up and down his length, avoiding her eyes and still looking flustered by the situation- although accepting it.

Ari didn’t even realize something like that could be a turn on, it wasn’t something they’d ever talked about- and it seemed he also had no idea. He looked down, watching as she continued, earning a gasp from him as she began to put more pressure onto him.

”.. I swear I don’t have a foot thing, it’s just..” He explained somewhat pleadingly, seeming like he was trying to understand himself, “You touching me there at all just-“

Ari dropped her foot from the bed, walking up to him and kneeling in front of him, March looking like he had no clue what to say at this point. He could try to explain it more, but he felt like he was just talking himself into a hole at this point, so he just stopped talking, his face red, his eyes looking sheepish and insecure. Ari leaned onto his legs with her elbows, folding her arms and looking up at him.

“You don’t need to explain why me touching you turns you on, I’m not judging you.” Ari reassured him softly, feeling the insecurity in his body language and written all over his face in bright red colors.

He looked off to the side, shrugging lightly, “I-I know.. I guess.”

Ari sat up from her elbows, reaching up and unzipping his pants, looking up at him with big eyes as she released him from his boxers, March looking down at her to see what she was doing. He stayed quiet, his eyes becoming lidded, feeling her hands on his erection made him softly gasp, barely audible.

“Ari-” He began, still seeming a little taken aback at how fast all of this started.

Glancing up at him, Ari licked the head of his cock, earning a slight jump from him at the suddenness of the contact. She could feel his body tense as she slipped the head into her mouth, pushing him in as far in her mouth as she could, March inhaling swiftly.

Ari felt better by putting him at ease, she thought it was cute when he got embarrassed by little things but also had this urge to relieve him of it. She hated making him feel uneasy, even when it isn’t intentional. She could feel his body slowly relax as he fell into the pleasure, moving his anxiety into something more palatable. He closed his eyes and tilted his head back slightly, she could hear him softly gasp, she got a rise out of how good she could make him feel. He seemed to have completely forgotten the embarrassment he was feeling a few minutes ago.

Ari began quickly working him with her hands, getting his cock wet with her saliva, pushing him far into her mouth, sucking as she pulled him in and out. Wanting to try something a little new, Ari reached her other hand up, gentle cupping his testicles while she continued quickly pushing him into her wet mouth, earing a gasp from him and his body grew ridged at the new sensation, opening his eyes with surprise and looking at her. She looked up into his eyes as she continued, his breathing quickened and she could feel his body tremble at all the new sensations, his mouth slightly parted, his face red.

“A-Ari-” He stammered, closing his eyes tightly as he shook, Ari pulling his cock out and pressing her lips around the head, licking him with her tongue as she watched his face, gauging his reaction.

She pulled her mouth from him, still rubbing him with both hands, gentle massaging his testicles as she watched him tense with pleasure, ”.. Does this feel good, March..?”

“N-nh..” He stammered hopelessly, opening his eyes to look at her, mumbling between labored breaths, ”.. I-I-“

Realizing he was speechless, she pressed her lips against the head of his cock teasingly, moving them back and forth across, spreading his precum over the head and then licking at it slowly between parted lips as she continued rubbing him. She could feel he was growing close, his erection pulsating as she took him into her mouth again, March gasping and moaning softly at the direct contact. She began going faster, rubbing his cock at a quicker pace, completely soaked from her saliva, making it incredibly slick in her hand, sucking with force as she pulled back. He began unintentionally thrusting into her mouth as he approached his peak, closing his eyes tightly and putting one hand gently on the back of her head.

“Fuck- O-oh- Ari-” He sighed, his body shaking.

Pushing him far into her throat, he thrusted into her slightly, moaning out as she felt him pulse a number of times, releasing hot fluid into her throat, Ari moaning onto him at the volume of fluid she was taking, some of it coming out of her mouth, around his cock and down her chin.

He was breathing hard as Ari pulled back, his cock falling from her lips as she sat back, still on the floor, March looking down at her as he caught his breath, still leaning back on his hands.

“Fuck, Ari..” He sighed, closing his eyes and tilting his head back, then tilting back up and looking at her, “That.. I don’t know what to say. Fuck.”

Ari smiled, swallowing, wiping her mouth with her arm as she still caught her breath, saying softly, “Well.. Couldn’t just let you go to work like that.. Right?”

March still looked a little frazzled as he tucked himself back in his pants, zipping them, leaning down to give her a kiss, ”.. Kiss me.”

Ari obliged, lifting herself slightly and kissing him deeply, March licking her bottom lip, meeting her tongue with his as he put his hands on both sides of her head, affectionately. After a few minutes, he pulled back, looking her over, noticing her face was flushed and she looked hot.

”.. We should probably get to work.” March sighed, giving her a shy smile, “It’s already 7:30.”

“Yeah, you’re right.” Ari gave a big sigh, smiling up at him, ”.. If you didn’t stop us, we’d be doing this all day.

”.. I wouldn’t have a problem with that, but my customers might start to complain.” He chuckled, standing up from the bed and holding out a hand to help her up off the floor.

Ari took his hand, both of them assisting her to a standing position, March pulling her in for a tight embrace, both of them letting the contact linger.

“I love you. I’ll see you for lunch? I’ll bring something by around 1:30, that way you get a break.” Ari smiled, kissing him on the cheek, then on the lips, ”.. Otherwise I know you’ll skip your break.”

”.. You tryin’ to take care of me or something?” He asked jokingly, kissing her back, pulling her tightly into him.

“Always.” Ari responded sweetly, pulling back, heading toward the bedroom door.

“I love you, too.” March said softly, following her out the bedroom and down the stairs, both of them grabbing their supplies from the door together before finally heading out.

----------------------------------------------------------

Ari had made her way to the farm, spending the majority of her day watering all the crops. Summer would be over in a few weeks, making time feel like it had barely passed. She thought to herself as she pulled weeds, about Reina and Domenico. She couldn’t help but think about the fact that she had messaged him during her drunken fit, regretting that she had said anything at all.

Whatever she was feeling about that.. She needed to get rid of it.
She needed to stop feeling it.
And she told herself that’s what she would do.

She continued pulling weeds, the clouds began to slowly roll in overhead. Rain wasn’t expected today, but within the next day or two it looked like imminent showers- which is great for having a Saturday to hang out at home with March. She blushed to herself, thinking about that. She could never get enough time with him. Not only for the physical intimacy, but to laugh, talk, play, and just be around him. She felt herself blush, rubbing her legs together for friction as she thought about the morning they had, wishing they had time to do more, as she was left feeling.. Unsatisfied.

It was nearly 1PM now, so she began cleaning up and straightening up her tools, brushing herself off and washing her hands in the cabin, looking around briefly.

Aside from her personal effects, the place still felt like home. It was dark, the couch was at their new place, but she could see the old bed she slept in, and the floral towels- since she’d bought a new set when they moved to the forge. It left her with a lot of good memories. The first place they connected as one was in that bed. Their first dance was out front. Their first kiss was on that deck. Her first.. Everything. First time they said they loved each other was in this very room, Ari thought to herself, smiling, her face felt hot with emotion.

She decided it was time to go, walking out the front and locking up, heading back in toward town. She dropped by the inn on the way back to the forge to grab some of the good food, she settled on two sushi bowls and a couple beers, chatting with Hemlock for a few minutes as she checked out, catching up briefly.

She heard a set of footsteps walking down from the bedrooms, and glanced up to see Domenico trotting down, a smile on his face- which had been absent since he got to Mistria. He had been falling apart for days, because everything happened the way it did, so Ari found herself.. Feeling put off, by his sudden happiness, wondering what exactly had him so happy today.
“Ari, hey.” He said sweetly, walking up next to her, reaching close to her and nearly touching her waist with his arm as he reached for a water from the bar, placing it on the counter to buy.

“Oh, hey Domeno.” She said with a feigned smile, and judging by the very slight narrowing of his eyes and upward turn of the corner of his mouth, he could read right through her.

”.. About last night-” He began, as Hemlock walked up to his customer at the bar.

“Domeno, I shouldn’t have texted you.” She interrupted, shaking her head, picking up the bag with her lunch for March in one hand, ”.. Just pretend I didn’t, okay..?”

He bit his cheek and furrowed his brow, his lips pursing together in thought, ”.. I think we should talk about it.”

“I don’t. I think we should ignore it.” Ari said with a sigh, turning away from him, trying to avoid him, ”.. I don’t want to do this right now. Okay?”

He looked down at the ground, his voice growing quiet as the smile fell from his eyes, ”.. Okay, Frostie. I’ll talk about it when you want to.”

She glanced back at him with a sad ache in her chest, giving him a small wave as she walked out the door, which he returned half-heartedly. She felt bad. She didn’t want to talk to Domenico about how happy he was now that he was talking to Reina. He looked like he was walking on a cloud today, that could only mean he’s been enjoying talking to her- which admittedly made Ari feel gross.

She hurriedly made her way down the path, feeling herself grow more and more bothered by the prospect of it, shaking her head to remove the idea from her brain. She could hear March hammering at the anvil, and even the sound of it from a distance brought her a wave of comfort. She’s found more and more that when she starts feeling upset about Domenico.. She could lean into her connection with March, and it always makes her feel so much better. She walked until she could see the edge of March’s arm, walking faster as he came into view. As she walked up, he glanced at her, continuing for a few minutes until he could stop at a good place in his work.

She looked over his body, he was shirtless, maroon joggers, sweat dripping down his body as every single muscle flexed with each strike. She was already flustered, she hadn’t had any relief from the morning and she had been thinking about it the entire day. After he stopped, removing his gloves, walking over to her as he wiped sweat from his face in the summer heat- a smudge on his jaw, he stopped in front of her and Ari looked him over shyly. Her thoughts were loud enough for both of them to hear, as his dark eyes flashed up at her, catching her staring at his body as he drank his water.

”.. Good day?” He asked, noting the look on her face as she looked away, knowing she was caught.

“Mhm. Happy to see you, come have lunch with me, I got us stuff.” Ari smiled, both of them walking into the shop and up to their door, Ari fumbling as she unlocked it.

They both walked in, Ari setting the bag of food from the inn on the counter, pulling out the sushi bowls and the two beers and smiling up at him excitedly.

“Looks great.. Thanks.” March said with a smile, leaning in and kissing her on the cheek.

Ari almost shivered, she could smell the pheromones and feel the testosterone coursing through his body as his stance felt so much bigger than hers right now. When he’d been working all day like this, his body was always toned up and exerting heat, the way he smelled wasn’t like sweat, it had a sweet scent and a hint of sage.

“Y-you smell.. Good. Right now.” Ari said softly as he leaned in, pulling away from the kiss slowly.

”.. I’m not wearing anything.” He said simply, popping open both of their beers and getting a good look at her, ”.. Your face is pink.”

Ari felt her insides twinge at the look in his eyes, as he leaned back into one of the bar stools, her voice coming out in more of a whisper, “I’ve just been.. Thinking about you.”

“Oh.” He said, quirking an eyebrow, his voice rough, ”.. Thinking about what?”

He was prying at her with a teasing tone, he could see the arousal all over her, he had caught her when she was staring at him outside. She knew by his eyes when she’d been caught, and now she was his target, as he danced around her arousal for fun.

“This morning.” Ari said, taking a long drink of her beer, leaning over the counter next to him, playfully hinting at him.

His eyes glanced to her bent over, and then back to her face, “Hm. Don’t know what you mean, you’ll need to be more specific.”

He was messing with her now, and Ari giggled, cocking her head with attitude, “I’d jog your memory, but I’d need to take off my socks first.”

She stuck her tongue out at him, earning a frustrated sigh from March as he stood up from the stool, “I told you, I don’t have a foot thing.”

As she started to stand up straight, he stepped behind her, shoving her back into the counter, pressing on her back to keep her bent in place. She gasped out a surprised and turned on giggle at his roughness with her, it wasn’t often he took the upper hand in such an aggressive way.

“O-oh-” Ari gasped, deciding to antagonize him a little more, “C-could’ve fooled me, you got pretty riled up when I-“

March drove himself into her, rock hard- presumably from her teasing, but also because of her perceptively high level of arousal. He reached around her, unbuttoning and unzipping her jeans, pulling them hurriedly from her hips as she felt a hard shiver go down her spine, arching her back to put her ass upward toward him as he pushed into her. Ari would usually feel embarrassed that she was so ready for this, but after thinking about it all day and phone sex with him the night before, she really, really didn’t care how lewd she looked.

“You’re so wet, Ari.” March leaned forward and whispered to her gruffly, running his fingers on the outside of her panties, tracing her entrance, ”.. From all that thinking about me you’ve been doing.”

“N-no. Since last night-” Ari moaned out, feeling him roughly shove his cock into her, gasping at the friction, “You told me you would shove me into the dresser and f-fuck me-“

March tilted his head back, turned on at her words, as he pulled away just far enough to unbutton and unzip his pants, his actions becoming urgent, saying in an aroused, low voice, “Careful. I- I’m a bad influence on you.. Need to make sure you really want this..”

He pulled down her panties to rest on her upper thighs, pressing himself to her entrance, noting that she was dripping wet already.

“Don’t tease me..” Ari pleaded as he slid his cock up and down, not putting enough pressure for it to enter her, “P-please- Oh-“

”.. Ask again.” March said, running his hand down and spreading her entrance, prodding her, his energy was rough and intense.

“M-March-” Ari whined, trying to push back onto his cock, but he held her by the hips so she couldn’t move too much.

“Beg me.” He sighed, putting just a little more pressure between them, until his cock slipped a bit and went downward between her legs.

“F-fuck March, Please- P-please fuck me-” Ari squeaked in a weak voice, spreading her legs a little further, “I’m begging you-“

“Just making sure..” March moaned gruffly, taking her hips and driving up into her, tensing at the sensation of her body wrapped around him, “Oh fuck-“

As he slowly pushed in, hitting her wall, he usually took a little time to adjust, but this time he roughly began thrusting into her over and over again, shoving her into the counter with force as he pounded into her body, Ari moaning out uncontrollably. Her body shook, as she whimpered weak, yet satisfied sounds each thrust, his hands gripping her hips, leaving indentations in her skin as he persisted.

“M-March- W-wait I-” She moaned out, her hands flat on the counter with nothing to hold onto, “I’m-“

At her moans, he began thrusting into her faster, feeling the inside of her body grasp onto him, she was already nearing a peak, and he began chasing it relentlessly, closing his eyes and tilting back his head, a soft moan escaping his lips as he drove himself into her harder.

He didn’t usually go this hard, this was pent-up. This is what he was talking about, when he told her what he wanted to do, over the phone. He was fucking her, and this couldn’t be confused with the normal type of sex they had regularly. He had been holding onto this all day, and from the moment she saw him, she could see his body flexing and his eyes dark before they even walking into the door of their home a little bit ago.

“O-oh- March-” Ari moaned out again and again, March speeding up even more, causing her gasps to become voiceless as her legs began to tremble, her climax approaching at top speed.

As her entrance clamped around him, March remained dedicated to riding her through it, despite having to use extra force to pump into her through the tightening of her walls. He was working so hard at satisfying her, that he was making barely any noise, not slowing, not faltering, just a steady rhythm that continued growing faster and stronger the longer things went on. Ari felt his sweat dripping onto her skin as he persisted in putting in work, as she floated down from her orgasm.

He slowed a bit as she came down from her high, pulling out of her, and stepping back. Ari turned around, her legs like Jello, putting her arms around him and kissing him deeply, March meeting her back with intensity, lifting her by her thighs to sit up on the counter. Their tongues wrestled with passion as she wrap her legs around him, March re-inserting himself into her and dragging her hips roughly into his body, earning a moan from Ari.

He began thrusting in and out of her, their lips still matched, their tongues and lips soft with saliva as Ari ran her hands through his hair, March leaning into the counter, on top of her, using leverage to hit her in a new spot. Ari yelped as he hit her spot, and he began driving into that spot, breaking their kiss as she lie down on the counter, March pulling her legs to spread them even farther, holding her hips in place and pinning her so he could rut into her more intensely.

As he leaned over her, his body tensing, Ari ran her hands down his chest, over his arms, and she realized for the first time how familiar his body felt to her now. When you sleep with someone new, it’s like visiting a city for the very first time, uncertain of the roads to take, how to touch them, all the new marks and divots of their skin.. But she knew him like he was the village she lived in. Touching him felt like the favorite novel she’d read a dozen times. She knew the tensity that coursed through his veins. She knew what his skin felt like on hers, every freckle and mark, and the familiar touch of his hands on her skin. There was always something exciting about the new, that anxious uncertainty in the touch of someone you’ve never touched before- but nothing feels quite like turning onto the road you live on after a long day. That’s what March was to her.

Ari knew March. The sound of his soft voice to her, when he was usually silent and short-tempered with others, felt like a privilige. She was the only person who gets to see him this way, the side of him he only allows her to see. That’s what he was to her. Familiarity in a million tiny, wayside moments.

“O-oh- Ari-” He moaned out, his breath hitching in his chest, his torso tensing with every motion as sweat dripped from his hair onto her belly, March letting out a soft moan every few thrusts as he got close to a climax.

As he pushed into her deeply, going as deep as he could go, he began thrusting into her faster, stuttering a moan as his thrusts became uneven, Ari looking up at him through nearly-closed eyes, feeling lightheaded and feeling a buzz come over her entire body. He persisted, growing closer, feeling himself lose control as her legs began to shake and every muscle in her body gripped his cock.

“O-oh-” March moaned softly, thrusting into her two hard time and then releasing into her as deeply as he could push.

Ari could feel his cock pulsing inside of her, as his jagged movements became still and shaky, March tilting his head back as Ari sat up from her laying position, wrapping her arms around him, both of them kissing as he pulled out of her, his cum dripping onto the counter and the floor from her body.

“Fuck, that was good..” Ari whispered as their kiss broke, “I say this every time, but I swear it only gets better..”

March smiled, leaning into her and kissing her neck, ”.. Never get tired of it.”

After cleaning up a bit, pulling her pants back up, wiping off the counter with wipes, and straightening herself out, Ari rejoined March at the counter, passing him a sushi bowl, finally sitting down for lunch after an hour of recess. Ari felt so much better, after agonizing over her desire all day. She couldn’t help but stare at him as they ate, his eyes met her a couple times and he realized she was staring again.

”.. You thinking about something?” He asked quietly, taking a bite of his sushi, “You’ve been quiet.”

”.. I just love you, March.” She said seriously, pausing her meal, leaning her head on her hand and looking at him, ”.. I’ve been feeling really weird and unsure about a couple things lately, and.. Being with you, thinking about you, talking to you.. It just makes me feel so much better.”

Curious, he asked, “Unsure about what..?”

“It’s dumb. Having Domenico in town and that whole situation.. Makes me feel weird.” She admitted, being a little vague but letting him in on a few private thoughts.

“Yeah, I’m not crazy about it either, but I know it’s probably more complicated for you.” He looked down at his sushi, his voice was soft, ”.. I mean, now he’s dating your friend. That probably does feel.. Different.”

“I shouldn’t feel weird about it. I don’t know.” Ari said softly, March looking over at her, “I’m the one who told them to date, I don’t understand why it feels weird now.”

“When you say ‘weird’, what do you mean..?’ He had a hint of insecurity in that question, barely detectable, but Ari caught it.

”.. I guess I’m not sure. Seeing two people I’m close to sext each other was just weird.” Ari said with a furrowed brow, shaking her head.

“Sexting? Reina and Domenico?” March asked with surprise, making kind of a grossed out expression, “Wouldn’t have predicted that. That’s wild.”

“I don’t want to talk about it.” Ari said with a sigh, running a hand over her face, “I think maybe that just happened kind of fast and I’m.. processing.”

March paused, getting quiet for a minute, and then asked softly, ”.. Are you jealous..?’

“I don’t know if I’d call it that. More like.. Grossed out.” Ari huffed, looking over at March, “Doesn’t feel the same as when I got jealous over the Juniper thing.”

Wasn’t entirely true, but it was different. This situation made her feel sick, because she didn’t have any right to be jealous. When it came to March, she had possessive feelings and a sense of belonging when it came to him. They were different situations completely.

March nodded, agreeing simply with, “Yeah, I can see why you feel that way.”

She could feel that he was feeling a little put-out by her upset over Domenico, but she could see that he was trying his best not to show that. He knew she couldn’t help feeling upset over it- and he was at least glad to know she felt better when she was wth him. She looked over at him as he looked down at his sushi bowl, he seemed to be avoiding her eyes to some small extent, thinking to himself.

As they both finished up, Ari stood up from her seat at the counter, scooting it closer to his and sitting back down. He turned a little toward her, Ari sitting somewhat between his legs which were slightly spread- one on the bar of the stool and the other hanging down- and she put herself between his arms, earning a smile from March.

”.. You’re clingy today.” He smiled to himself, glancing over at her and putting an arm around her.

He said it like it was no big deal, but she could see it in his eyes that having her move closer to him made him happier. His face, stoic before, had a faint smile as he took another sip of his beer. He gently ran a hand down her arm, leaning his head on her.

After a long break of silence, he whispered to her, squinting his eyes uncomfortably, ”.. I have to ask. Ari, is this something I should be worried about? The.. Weird feeling you have over them dating?”

Ari paused to give that some actual thought. Her immediate, knee-jerk answer would have been ‘no, of course not,’ but it was something she had been worried about all day- and it wasn’t just a fleeting thought.

”.. Worried about what?” Ari asked for clarity, needing to know what exactly the question was.

”.. I guess I’m not sure.” He tilted his head to the side, looking down at the counter, “Hm. Never mind.”

Ari leaned her head on his shoulder, wrapping an arm around his muscular bicep, saying reassuringly, “I love you. I don’t want anyone else. When I start feeling those things, it makes me want to feel close to you.”

He smiled to himself, but Ari caught it.

”.. I hope any time you feel bad, you come to me.” He said softly, reassuringly, ”.. I won’t pretend with you, Ari, sometimes when we talk about Domenico.. It feels like second-place.”

“You’ve never placed second, March.” Ari reminded him with a soft smile, leaning in and kissing him on the cheek, and then on the neck, “Not with anything, especially not this.”

He looked into her eyes for the truth, seeming to find it, leaning in and kissing her softly. She did feel some negative process developing somewhere in her mind, that she knew somewhere deep in her thoughts, he would be worried if he knew her level of bother with this situation between Reina and Domenico. She hadn’t told him she messaged Domenico while she was drunk, and she did leave out a lot of her conscious thoughts for the sake of not making him feel bad.

Because if just her saying she felt weird about him resulted in this much negative feeling from March, if he knew everything else, it would just make him feel worse. It ate at her, keeping something like that to herself, but with no intention of acting on these feelings she was having she just didn’t see the point in causing him upset like that.

As they both went back to work, planning on going to the inn later that night, she gave him a kiss and they both set off to deal with their responsibilities.

-------------------------------------------------------------

Later that evening, Ari was picking out an outfit to change into for going to the inn with March. Obviously it wasn’t a formal event, but it was only once a week at most she got to doll herself up to go do something, so she tried just a little harder to feel pretty. Somewhere in her mind, she knew she was dressing up for everyone else, and that she was, to some extent, putting on a little extra flare for the sake of someone noticing.

Probably a specific someone, if they were there.
Ari shook her head, telling herself that wasn’t the case at all.

She picked out a jean skirt and a black, lace crop top, pulling out matching shoes with gray socks. She slipped on her pickaxe necklace, letting it stay visible tonight- usually she wore a bandana around her neck, but she was letting her neck and collarbone area be seen. She also didn’t usually show her legs, but chose a dark wash jean mini skirt. She took a little extra time to make her curls look neat, put on a little mascara, a little lip gloss, all from a drawer where they typically remained untouched any other day.

She felt pretty. Like a woman.
Ari didn’t usually feel like that. Admittedly, since she’d met March, it was the most girly she had ever been, and to some extent that still wasn’t very.

March walked up into the bedroom, walking slowly as he looked at her, walking softly like he was approaching someone else's territory.

“Sorry if I’m disrupting.” He said quietly as she looked in the mirror, brushing out her hair and fixing her bangs, he sat on the edge of the bed, ”.. You look really nice.”

Ari smiled at him, looking at him in the mirror, “I don’t usually try to look nice, I felt like doing a little more tonight.”

He smiled at her, but somewhere in his expression she saw that hint of insecurity, like he knew in some capacity that he wasn’t the one she was getting dressed up for. Ari wasn’t ready to confront that, and neither was March. Even if she only wanted to be noticed, flaunt, with no real intention of acting on it.. It would still be hurtful if he knew, and Ari was aware of that.

But Ari just needed this for herself.
She wanted Domenico to notice her.
Miss her. Want her. And she had no good reason for it.

It was something she and March both knew, but was unspoken between them, neither of them bringing it up,

“Alright, ready?” Ari turned toward him, walking over to him and standing in front of him.

”.. Kiss?” He asked softly, looking up at her with serious eyes, begging to feel the closeness he feared losing.

He was cute, Ari thought, as she leaned down and gave him a peck on the lips, March closed his eyes as their lips lingered, a moment of potent silence between them in the quiet space. She pulled back from him gently, but he put his fingertips beneath her chin, leading her lips back into his. She felt a longing in his motions, like he was afraid to let her get too far from him, placing a possessive hand on the back of her head, pulling her into him.

Ari leaned into the kiss, feeling absorbed by the depth of it, losing all the little, fringe thoughts she had been distracted with the entire time she was getting ready. Suddenly.. She could barely remember what she had been getting ready for at all, as she parted her lips, allowing him further access, March hungrily taking anything he could get from her in that moment, relieved to feel her resign herself to him in that instant.

Reaching his arms around her, March pulled her onto the bed, linking his arm around her waist and leveraging himself over her, continuing their kiss with heat. Ari found herself immobilized, running her hand up his chest, feeling his lips break from their kiss and begin traveling down her neck. She could feel his heart beating faster. His breathing become uneven with excitement. She could feel the effect she had on him, like he fell into a trance the moment he saw her, wanting nothing else but to retain this closeness that he felt fleeting out of his hands.

Ari closed her eyes, letting herself feel the gravity of his form on top of her, kissing her, and then she opened her eyes and took a deep breath, sitting up after kissing him a few more times- March seeming disappointed for their lack of time together.

“We should probably head out, it’s already almost 8.” Ari smiled, caressing his face with her hand, leaning in to kiss him on the cheek where the touch of her hand still lingered.

”.. Yeah. You’re probably right, we can go.” He said in a low voice, looking over to the side, not sounding convincing, still sounding disappointed that he couldn’t buy more one-on-one time with her.

Ari could feel it. He was feeling insecure.
And she knew he had every reason to be.

They eventually made their way out of the shop, both of them heading down the block, past the fountain, over the bridge, and down the path to the inn. There were already a number of people standing outside, walking in. They made their way up to the door, and Ari looked back at him before she went any further, holding her hand out toward him for reassurance- he met eyes with her and accepted her hand, both of them walking inside together.

There were quite a few people, but there for still a number of open booths and spaces at the bar. Ryis and Balor were at a table, a few people were dancing, she spotted Reina and Domenico sitting together at the bar, and Eiland and Adeline were sitting in one of the bigger booths with Celine.

“Wanna see if they’d like joiners?” Ari gestured to the table with Celine and Adeline, looking back at March.

“Sure.” He said, leading her over to their table, Adeline looking up at them with a smile.

“Hey! Glad you guys came, come on, sit with us!” Adeline smiled, gesturing to the other end of the booth, “We’re just talking about all the new city plans.”

Ari and March joined them, Ari sitting on the outside of the booth, she asked, “What plans are you making? The hospital?”

“Well that, but also we’ll be putting up a few new houses to account for a few new citizens- after all, for more people to work at the bigger hospital, they’ll need to live nearby, right?” She smiled, taking a sip of her cocktail.

“That makes sense, are you doing screenings for all the new towns folk, I hope?” March asked seriously, his concern for Mistria was always a priority.

“Oh yes, we’re doing full background checks, so you need’nt worry about any of that.” She cooed, looking ove at Eiland who nodded, taking a sip of his beer.

“I’m going to run up and get a drink, you want a beer, babe?” Ari asked cutely, looking over at March, who was now fully invested in all the ‘new’ people who will be moving in.

“Oh, sure.” He nodded, turning back toward Adeline, “So what new developments will this hospital have, anyway? Are you adding specific specializations and fields? I just don’t see the point, explain it to me.”

As Ari got up from the booth as walked away, she could vaguely hear that the conversation was getting a little negative tone, but she found herself tuning it out as she found Hemlock with her eyes, walking toward him. He was standing in front of Reina and talking to her, as he would be, so that would mean Ari needed to walk up right next to she and Domenico to order her drink- which she found herself feeling confidently happy about, since she dressed herself up for the night.

She walked over, right next to Reina, and waved to Hemlock with a smile, “Hey! Can I order a couple drinks from you..?”

Reina smiled and looked up at her, Domenico looking surprised to see her, “Girl! Hey!”

“Hey Reina, so good to see you.” Ari said softly, leaning down and giving Reina a hug as she stay seated at the bar, fully turning herself toward Ari, “So sorry to interrupt, just grabbing a couple drinks. I’ll have a double shot of blackberry whiskey, neat, and March with have one of the red ales you have on tap- you pick the better one.”

“Sooo.. Was March really happy to see you after last night?” Reina said cheekily, flirting in her tone as she took a sip of her drink, Domenico glancing over at them.

Ari hadn’t looked back at his, but she could feel that he kept looking toward her, watching her out of the corner of her eye as she and Reina talked like he wasn’t even there.

“He was." Ari said quietly, smiling and looking over at March, “We had a.. Really good day today.”

Reina made an excited sound, holding Ari’s hand and squeezing it, ”.. Was it good..?”

Domenico looked down at his glass, clearing his throat, furrowing his brow.

”.. Best yet.” Ari said with a smile, rubbing her arm with her hand, self-soothingly, feeling a little awkward that she was asking her things like that in front of Domenico- maybe even asking on purpose, ”.. A-anyway.. I hope you guys are having fun. First date?”

“Well..” Domenico said quietly, leading off like he wasn’t totally sure about the semantics of it.

“Yes!” Reina said with a big smile, touching his arm and leaning into him.

”.. Hey, I hope it’s great, um.. Well, I’m gonna go sit back with March, you guys have fun!” It was feigned happiness, Ari finding it difficult to pretend she was excited about them both being on a date, but trying not to let it become apparent.

“That’s just twenty.” Hemlock said with a smile, setting her drinks down on the bar, Ari tossing him some money from her wallet and picking them up, letting him keep the change.

Ari walked away feeling.. Annoyed. That they were on a date. But also annoyed that she had no reason to be annoyed. When she got back to the booth, March had been watching her, Ari wondered for how long, although he didn’t seem bothered or anything by it. She took her place next to him, sliding him his beer, and leaning in to kiss him on the shoulder.

He leaned in, whispering to her, “Everything alright?”

“Yeah, just ran into Reina, said hi to her.” Ari smiled, taking a long sip of her whiskey.

She leaned her head on him, wrapping her arm around his. She felt like she wanted to hide from that situation, and of course, the place she wanted to hide was under her security blanket- March. He wrapped his other arm over, taking her other hand in his, looking down at her, sensing her mood change. He seemed a little confused, but was perceptive enough that he sort of knew why she got quiet.

He took a long drink of his beer, Ari looked over toward Adeline and Eiland who were talking idly about some of the city plans, Celine peeping her input about needing a new garden center.

“I second a garden center.” Ari chimed in with a smile, looking at her glass on the table, “It would be great for the farm.”

Adeline chuckled quietly, nodding her head to agree, “Well, I already have my hand in four of five projects right now, but I’ll see to at least adding a new section of supplies to our general store. Better crops and plants would be a huge benefit for everyone.”

After little bit, Ari glanced over to the dance floor just to survey the room, and she looked over just in time to catch Reina standing up from the bar and pulling on Domenico’s arm, urging him to stand up and come with her. He shook his head and very weakly resisted the first few times, but ultimately followed her with a shy smile as she led him onto the dance floor. He seemed really hesitant at first, slowly swaying as she put her arms around his neck, but ultimately gave in, putting his hands loosely on her waist, dancing with her to the song.

Ari realized she had been staring, probably too long, looking away from them and back toward the conversation, taking a long sip of her whiskey. She was trying to shake it off, all the thoughts that started drifting through her mind, and fighting the strong urge to look back over at them. It was like a trainwreck, she couldn’t stop looking. Wondering if they were standing closer, not hearing Adeline’s words as she zoned out, staring at her lips and nodding.

She looked back over, just as Reina was leaning in, kissing Domenico on the lips- and he seemed taken off-guard but accepted it, closing his eyes for a few seconds, and then glancing over at Ari as Reina pulled back- he had caught her looking.

“I-I think I need to grab some air and sit for a minute, I’ll be back in a few minutes.” Ari said with a shaky voice, trying to hold it together.

“Do you want me to-” March started, concern in his voice, confused about her sudden departure.

“No, it’s okay. Stay here with my drink? I just need to sit in a quiet place right now.” Ari said, feeling the ache in her chest turn to a stabbing pain.
As she turned facing away from the booth, the corners of her mouth tugging downward as she used her arm to pretend she was wiping hair from her eyes, trying to conceal that her eyes were tearing up, out of her control.

She didn’t have a right to be upset.
She shouldn’t be.
But Ari remembered that once, Domenico danced with her that way. Had his arms around her waist just like that, and he had kissed her for the first time on a dance floor just like that. And while she was trying to shake the thoughts from her mind, she couldn’t help but think back on the times she had felt his embrace that way, getting vivid memories of the time she had spent in his room, playing cards, his knee touching hers, the sound of his voice when he was being a teacher.

All of it became very real, felt very recent, and for the first time since the trip, it became painful. She had been distracting herself with her connection with March, moving on from it all like it meant nothing, but in these moments of weakness, she could feel it all.

She sat on the curb a few feet down from the inn, just out of the light and out of the way of anyone walking in or out, concealing herself in the dark space between street lights. She took a few deep breaths, looking upward at the sky and blinking the tears away, one of them falling from her cheek, despite trying to hold them in. She wiped her face, sniffling, and then she laughed at herself, feeling so ridiculous. She felt.. Stupid. For thinking he would never move on, for thinking she was just so special that he was supposed to spend the rest of his life waiting for an opportunity to be with her- when she was engaged to be married.

She felt derisory, in this situation, so small and insignificant in a way she had never felt before. She had never felt like such a fool before in her life.

Just as she was starting to feel her breathing become uneven again, like the ache was bursting from her chest, despite her efforts in holding it in, she felt someone walking up just behind her, thinking it was probably March coming to check on her- after she left so suddenly.

”.. Are you okay?” It wasn’t the voice she was expecting, taking her by surprise.

She wiped at her face, turning her head away in a failed attempt to conceal her emotional outburst, shaking her head at his poor timing, and how this was just such an awkward moment she wished she could have avoided.

“I’m fine. You should go back inside, Domenico.” She said with a stable voice, but a stuffy nose made it pretty obvious that she had been crying. She sounded like a person who had been crying.

“I.. Didn’t realize you would be this upset.” He said softly, walking up to her and sitting next to her on the edge of the pavement, Ari still facing away from him in her complete failed attempt to hide her current state.

“I have no right to be. Go back inside, I don’t want anyone to see me like this.” She said, seriousness in her voice, lacking weakness in an eternally weak moment between two lifelong friends.

“Please talk to me about this.” He said simply, imploring her to have this conversation, despite how hard she had avoided it like the plague, trying to shove all of her emotions down and pretend they didn’t exist.

It wasn’t that easy, she thought to herself, to have this talk. Talking about this would make it real. She would have to confront what she had been avoiding since the week of the competition, and she had fought hard to keep it from becoming reality.

“What is there to talk about, Domeno..?” Ari said with a sigh, turning her face to him, finally looking at him as he leaned with his head on his hand, propped up on one of his knees, “I’m engaged. I shouldn’t even have feelings about this.”

“Frostie, this isn’t the type of thing you can strong-arm your way out of feeling.” He said, looking at her face, noticing the skin on her cheek was wet, Ari leaning forward with her arms folded across her chest defensively, ”.. It doesn’t just go away.”

Ari huffed with a weak chuckle, wiping at her face as another tear escaped from her eye, “I can’t be having these feelings, now. It’s too late for that.”

“It’s not too late to feel what you feel.” He seemed to be emotional, watching her cry, like he was holding in his own emotions for the sake of paying attention to hers.

There was a long pause between them, both of them sitting there next to each other. The only sound between them were a few sniffles from Ari as she tried to clean herself up, still feeling like she wanted to hide.

”.. If I could go back, I wouldn’t have stopped us that night.” He said quietly, honestly, looking down at his feet on the pavement.

Ari chuckled in surprise and disbelief, shaking her head gently, “Domeno, premarital sex is exactly the type of thing you would regret.”

“Usually you would be right. That sounds like me.” He nodded slightly, seeming deep in thought about what he was trying to say, looking back over at her, ”.. But no. The thing I regret is that I didn’t. My biggest regret is that I didn’t take that chance to show you how I felt, and now I probably never will.”

Ari realized the depth of what he was saying to her. He was strong in his beliefs, to the point that he had stopped them just to stay in line with his own ethics, to be true to his religion, and to do what he thought was best for both of them at the time. Just now, he was admitting he would take back doing the right thing if it meant having that connection to her- and his morals and ethics were everything to Domenico, especially in terms of his faith.

“Domeno, you don’t mean that..” Ari assured him, a concerned look on her face.

“Anyway.. I’ll go back inside.” He paused, but then looked at her with certainty, ”.. I’m not going to sleep with her. Just so you know. Because I’m not in love with her.”

That sentence had weight, telling her between the lines that he viewed her as being the only, singular reason for overlooking his values, and that he recognized it was out of character for him. That was a rule he was willing to break only for her, and her alone. He would never do that, unless for Ari. As he began getting up from his seat on the curb, Ari found herself grabbing his arm with hers, he was wearing a black jacket, and he felt soft to the touch as she pulled him back down next to her.

She didn’t know what she was doing.
She wasn’t thinking.
She was caught up in feelings, as she turned her head toward his, Domenico was looking at her intently as she leaned in toward him, like he anticipated this. He didn’t pull away, like he usually would, for the point of the right thing. After a long pause, realizing she couldn’t kiss him like she had to urge to do, he leaned in, putting his hand under her chin, and gave her a very gentle, barely acknowledgeable peck on the lips- so soft she could barely feel it at all. Despite how physically light it was, there was a monumental emotional impact of it, leaving Ari feeling incredibly weak.

She was surprised he kissed her, he almost always put the debt of actions on her, a choice he allowed her to make at every single point. Any time they had touched before, he would laugh it off and back up from it, trying to be a gentleman. Any time she would stare at him, he would smile and make a joke, wave his hand in front of her face lightheartedly, but there was nothing lighthearted about his guise right now. He was so serious, still.

”.. I just need you to know, I’ll never stop you again. Any time you go in for a kiss, or a hug, or you try to talk to me, anything.. I won’t stop you for the sake of what’s right.” He whispered, looking her in both eyes, their faces barely an inch from each other, the street was silent, ”.. And if you need me to be the bad guy, if you need me to take the actions and take the fall.. I’ll be that for you, Frostie.”
...
“I’ll even be a secret for you, if you need me to. Just don’t ask me to be the hero anymore, because.. I’m not. I’m just a guy. I’m not bullet-proof.”

He lingered for a few more moments, looking from her eyes down to her lips, looking like he wanted more than anything just to kiss her again, but instead he pulled away and got up from his spot next to her. She didn’t glance up to watch him go, just staying still and staring at her feet on the cobblestone as she tried to process what had just transpired between them.

’Just don’t ask me to be the hero anymore, because.. I’m not.’

Hearing him say that struck her with weight, it left her heart feeling heavy as she stared down between her shoes, taking a deep breath. She found herself.. Missing March. Just then, she realized she had been out for about ten minutes, she was sure he was wondering about her at this point, she did leave in a hurry.

Ari realized, sitting there, that it wasn’t Domenico’s feelings keeping them from being friends. It was her own feelings. Her own actions, lack of boundaries. It was the pre-existing romance between them, that’s why they could never just be normal friends. She sighed to herself, internally acknowledging that just then.. She wanted him to kiss her again. She wanted him to hold her, and tell her there was no one else. She was finally able to be honest with herself, and she made a choice that she needed to keep her distance from Domenico. Not because of his feelings, but because of her own.

She got up, dusting herself off and pulling her skirt into a proper place, running her hands through her hair and straightening herself out a bit before she went back in. She took a deep breath, walking back up to the door just as March was walking up to open it, both of them opening the door at the same time.

“O-oh, hey, I was just coming out to check on you.” He said with a grimace and a sad tone, Ari could tell he came out because he saw Domenico come back in and he got worried about it.

“Hey.. Let’s leave.” Ari said with a long pause and a sigh, suddenly just not wanting to be at the inn anymore.

She didn’t want to go in and pretend everything was fine. She didn’t want to see him talking to Reina, and know what they had just talked about. She didn’t want to be fake right now, she just wanted to go somewhere with March.

Chapter Text

March went back into the inn, grabbing a few beers for them to take with them, heading right back out to leave with her. He could tell just by the look on her face that whatever reason she had for leaving must be important. As they left, walking down the path toward the swinging tree, March popped open a couple beers for them both, handing one to Ari.

The night was warm, with a slight breeze, there were only a few clouds overhead. For the first little bit, they were both quiet, Ari leaning on March affectionately, deep in thought about everything that had happened. Ari could sense things might be a little off between them, but that they had both decided to give it a little bit before talking it over.

They walked past the forge and down through the narrows, and came up on the beach, both of them kicking off their shoes to walk in the sand. It was a full moon night, it certainly felt that way, and they both walked back and forth along the beach, where the sand was still dry.

”.. Hey Ari, what was up with that at the inn?” March asked softly, suddenly, taking a long drink of beer, ”.. You went outside, and then I saw Domenico was out there.”

”.. Domeno came outside, because he saw that I was crying.” Ari sighed, realizing it probably looked like she had snuck out to talk to him, “I saw him dancing with Reina, they kissed, and I was trying to sort myself out without having to talk to anyone about it. But he saw me.”

”.. Why didn’t you tell me?” He asked quietly, looking over at her with a concerned expression, stopping, Ari looking back at him.

“I didn’t want to talk about it.” Ari stood with him, looking out into the waves, enjoying a sea breeze, ”.. He kissed me. I don’t think I can see him anymore.”

“He kissed you?” March asked in an increasingly upset tone, looking at her for answers, ”.. What did you say?”

“He sort of kissed me, yeah. And.. I didn’t say anything.” Ari said softly, acknowledging her own lack of action, “I’m.. Pretty sure I’m the problem, March.”

He tilted his head, furrowing his brow, trying to understand, ”.. What?”

“I told myself for a long time that the reason I couldn’t just be friends with Domeno was because he couldn’t just leave it alone, but I’m realizing now that it isn’t true.” Ari took a long drink of her beer, turning to face March, “I can’t be friends with Domeno because of me.”

He continued to listen, walking up next to her, looking down at the sand under his feet.

”.. So, you do love him, then.” March asked, his tone knowing but hurt, needing verification, wanting to hear her say it.

”.. Of course I do.” Ari said in a whisper, shaking her head at her own prior denial, “How would I not? I’ve known him my whole life. That’s what makes it so difficult to stay away from him. But I have to pick what is best for my life, and our relationship, and I have to do what’s fair to you. Which means staying away from him, maybe for a long time.”

March turned toward her, leaning into her and wrapping his arms around her, comfortingly. He leaned his head on hers, both of them looking out into the waves. Ari could tell he was relieved to hear her say that, he had wanted her to stop talking to Domenico for a long time, so hearing her say that made him feel significantly better- despite the situation earlier.

”.. Well.. I love you.” He whispered to her, his voice was filled with uncertainty, she could hear that before this conversation he had a completely different outlook on what was going on.

“I love you too, March.” Ari put her hands on both sides of his face, pulling him in to look her in the eyes, “I’m sorry things have been so complicated. When it’s just us, nothing goes wrong. I thought coming back come would fix everything, but now..”

“Yeah. Now he is at our home. Followed you here.” He said flatly, recalling what she had said before they left the capital, that they would be able to come back here away from it all and everything would be normal again.

That’s what she thought, at the time.

”.. If you had known about all of this, would you have still wanted to be engaged this soon?” He asked with vulnerability.

“I would have wanted to wait, for the sake of keeping things from getting this complicated.” She sighed, looking down at her beer and swishing it in circles, ”.. The second he saw the ring, he freaked out, and now it’s like he’ll do anything just to fight it. Then he found out we were sleeping together, and he got protective, and now he just.. Hates you. Thinks you’re a villain.”

March looked over at her, picking up her hand and looking down at the ring, then back up at her, softly, ”.. Are you still sure about getting married..?

“I’m sure about that, March.” Ari reassured him, looking up at him seriously, her tone confident.

He pulled her in, kissing her gently, Ari feeling herself fall into the kiss as her worry melted away. Being here with March.. Was stress-relief. March had come a long way, he was very level-headed about this situation, given how out-of-control it had been getting. He hadn’t really done much to lash out, he was trying to give her space to figure everything out, but she could tell he was hurt and confused by all of it.

She felt bad. That she had these feelings at all, given everything they had been working toward. March had been putting in a lot of work, investing in their future, their space, their relationship, and Ari felt like she was constantly causing him unnecessary stress with all of this- and she felt guilty about it.

But guilty or not, she still had feelings.
At this point, she had no choice but to accept that.
And March had been handling all of it with so much grace.

Ari sat down in the sand, setting down her bag. March sat down next to her, looking over at her as she watched the waves, both of them sitting closely together. Ari leaned her head on his shoulder, and both of them quietly watched out into the sea for a long time, peacefully enjoying the alone time. She found herself feeling this was so much better than the crowded inn, better than talking to everyone else, it was just the two of them and an empty, big space- but it felt so comforting. Anywhere March was, felt like home.

“There are a bunch of new houses going up, over past the carpenter’s shop. We could walk over there and take a look at them, if you want.” March said with a smile, changing the subject.

“Sure, I’d love to do that in a little bit. I wonder how many new people will be coming to the town.” Ari sighed, putting her hand on his arm.

“Adeline said they’re screening, mostly looking for people with specific roles for the town- but just looking for skilled workers with money to circulate into Mistria.” He took a sip of his beer, finishing the bottle and passing it from hand to hand, ”.. I’m a little nervous to have new people come here.”

“I mean, you definitely didn’t appreciate when I came to Mistria.” She chuckled, smiling over at him, ”.. At least that turned out different than you thought, right?”

”.. This was a best case scenario.” He kissed her on the cheek, rubbing his nose against her face gently, ”Best thing that ever happened.”

Ari turned her face to his, slowly rubbing her nose against his. The sound of the waves was so calming, March’s breathing so slow and calm. He slowly brought his hand up to her chin, leading her face into his, enclosing the space with a soft kiss. Ari closed her eyes, falling into him, her entire world revolving around him yet again. There was a peace in it, that feeling she got when he touched her, that all-enveloping embrace. She parted her lips, deepening their kiss, pushing into him with her upper body, until he fell backward onto his elbows in the sand. Ari wrapped her arms around his neck, running her fingers through his hair, caressing his face, their tongues meeting in a familiar tie.

He was the cure to her heartache, time and time again.
His remedy never failed.

He began pushing back into her, swooping her with one of his arms, laying her back on the sand as he lean over her, both of them changing pace as he took the lead. He ran his hands over her body, his fingers tracing her waist gently as he continued their kiss, the sand cushioning them beneath.

It was a beautiful moment, Ari thought. Kissing March on the beach, the breeze picking up as a few clouds passed overhead, the smell of rain approaching from a far distance. She couldn’t help herself, pulling her knees up into a hitch, pulling March down into their kiss.

He gently pulled back, looking into her eyes, a blush across his face, ”.. I think I need to sit out, chill things out a little.”

Ari knew what he meant. She agreed that this probably wasn’t the place for that. It was late and the beach was empty, but you never know when someone will come down for a late stroll in the sand. Sitting up, March stretched and stood up, offering a hand down to her.

“Check out the new houses..?” March asked with a smile, still carrying his empty bottle.

Ari took his hand, standing up and dusting the sand off of her skirt, both of them hanging on each other as they made their way across the beach. They passed a trash can, tossing their empty bottles, and head toward the farm to pass through and get to the other side of town. Ari looked over her crops, a light from the cabin deck casting over the entire field. The bugs were chirping, and March glanced over at the deck, then back to Ari.

”.. Remember our first kiss?” He asked her, looking back at the deck.

“I do. I think about it every time I’m here.” She smiled, looking with him at the wooden steps, “And I think about when we danced.”

“Had no idea we’d be engaged and living together a couple months later.” He chuckled, looking down to her, ”.. Wild how things happen like that.”

“Wouldn’t have it any other way.” Ari leaned on his arm, holding his hand, “I thought you hated me.”

”.. I told myself I did.” He rubbed his neck with his free hand, pulling her close to him with the other, “Denial is crazy.”

They passed the cabin, now headed down the road over to the bridge headed outside of town. They could see from there, that they had taken down some of the trees, clearing out a decent-sized area, and there were four new houses in different states of construction. They all seemed to be relatively small, three bedrooms each, at most. They matched the town in style, very quaint and they weren’t modernized. Ryis and his uncle had built a majority of the town over time, and you could tell these new homes had the same touch.

“Well, here we are.” March sighed, both of them stopping just before one of the houses.

There were only a few walls up, beams, simple pathing, but it was still open and only about a third of the way built. They both poked around curiously, getting a feel for the layout, looking to see what the yards were like- laughing and talking to each other. They ended up in the back yard, the area was relatively concealed, only a far away light from the path casting shadows through the half-built beams and walls. Ari was peeking into the empty space where a back window would be, when she felt March put his hands on her hips, looking into the window from beside her. She giggled as he pressed his fingers into her sides, earning a jerking motion from Ari as he tickled her briefly.

“March-” She chuckled with a sweet voice, but he interrupted her with a kiss on the lips, Ari turning to face him completely.

He pushed her gently up against the beam, pressing his lips to hers, pressing the front of his body against hers. It was so still, so quiet- all but the river running down the way. She could hear crickets in the distance, just within the wall of the forest. Ari’s hands roamed his body, traveling under his shirt, as she felt his skin beneath her fingertips. He sighed into their kiss at the sensation of her touch, pressing his lower body to hers, craving friction as he licked her bottom lip, begging for more.

She could feel the desire in his touch, the dark look in his eyes, as he backed her up into the wall and melted into her.

“Ari..” He whispered to her, just next to her ear, ”.. What about here?”

Ari looked around and whispered, looking up at him with big eyes, “Here..?”

He nodded, taking her face in his hands and kissing her deeply, Ari resigning herself to this gameplan. She had never done this out in the open, the only place with him being on the deck of her cabin late at night. Otherwise they had always been concealed by a tent, or inside of the windmill, she had never just been out in the woods like this. Something about it excited her, as her touch became more and more heated. March always felt this way after Domenico got close to her, she noticed. He became territorial, wanting to be absolutely certain Ari knew where her connection was.

He ran his hands down her hips and onto her thighs, his hands stopping at the hem of her skirt, running them upward, lifting her skirt slowly- as if asking permission, giving her an opportunity to object. She sighed into their kiss, pressing herself to him, deepening their contact in response. Breaking their kiss, he looked at her briefly, before getting down on his knee, lifting her skirt, bending down to kiss up the inside of her thigh. Ari sighed again, shakily, running her hand through his hair as their eyes met, watching him as he kissed higher, feeling his soft lips on her skin, her hairs standing at attention with each caress.

He reached up, pulling her black panties down to her ankles, Ari stepping out of them hesitantly as he locked eyes with her. She could feel that her face was red, March looking up at her entrance, lifting her leg up onto his shoulder as he held her hand to let her brace herself. He began running his tongue up her thigh, up onto her opening, lapping at her lightly as she arched her back. She gripped his hand tightly as he ran his tongue onto her clit, circling it, putting more pressure on it with his tongue.

She stifled a moan, her voice shaking, realizing she needed to be quiet since they were so out in the open. He persisted, holding her hips in place as her body arched, pressing his mouth hard into her, putting more pressure into his passion.

“M-March-” Ari moaned, her legs beginning to shake, as March slipped one finger into her entrance, but she ran a hand through his hair and pulled back slightly, “W-wait, I want..”

Her words trailed off, as he stood from his kneeling position. She began unbuckling his belt, pulling it loose, unbuttoning his pants as she looked him in the eyes, both of them having a silent moment before continuing. She unzipped his pants, earning a gasp from March as she pulled him from under them, revealing his cock. He leaned in, taking her lips in another deep kiss, pushing her up against the beam again as she stroked his length, both of them sighing into the kiss in anticipation, March lifting her skirt to her waist and pulling her leg up to his hip, positioning himself at her wet opening. She felt her chest tense as she felt him begin inching into her, she moaned lightly, breaking their kiss and holding him to her, running her hand through his hair, hugging him to her.

It ran through her head for a fraction of a second, they were in what was going to be someone’s house- the back entrance of where the walls would eventually be. They were intimate here, and no one would ever know- no one but them.

He pushed up into her, earning a lilted moan as Ari gripped him for balance, bracing herself as he united with her, his breath hitching at the sensation of it. Her clit twitched at the pleasure of him deep inside of her, as he began pulling out of her, roughly bucking back into her again. He closed his eyes and enjoyed the quiet sounds of her voice, her pleasure at his hands, reveling in how good he could make her feel.

“Ari.. I love how you sound-” March said roughly, thrusting into her, her lips right next to his ear, “When I make you f-feel good. It’s- better than the sex-”

“March-” She whispered, a soft moan following her words, clinging to him.

”.. Tell me no one else makes you feel this way, Ari-” He sighed, beginning to buck into her more roughly, lifting her other leg until she had both wrapped around his waist, using the wall as stability.

“No one, M-March..” She moaned daintily as he started bouncing her on and off of his cock, Ari’s moans growing louder, out of her control.

The force of gravity was making him hit her so hard, her hands began to shake as he held her, letting her collide with him, embedded deep inside of her.

“O-oh-!” She whispered, stifling her own voice, trying hard not to be loud as she shook the life out of her, bucking her body onto and off of his, March moaning softly and closing his eyes.

“Ari-” He whispered in a shaking voice, his body rigid, trying to last longer, “Fuck. I-I’m..”

Ari shook, her legs quivering as she peaked, a few moans escaping her lips at a higher volume, her body tensing around him as he pushed her back against the beam, rutting into her roughly, kissing her deeply as they both reeled toward an intense climax.

“A-ah- March, I-” Ari stammered, breaking their kiss as he bucked into her, the beam behind her making his contact feel much more abrupt, her body shaking in pleasure as she clung to him.

“Y-you’re so beautiful-” He looked into her face, his voice breathy and strained, as his hands began to tremble on her hips as he persisted.

Chasing his climax, he went harder, faster, meeting her with rough and uneven thrusts, pushing through the density of her body tight around him. After a few stuttered thrusts, he pushed deep into her, Ari felt him pulsing inside of her as she hugged him to her chest, March gasping as he came inside of her. He leaned against her, both of them meeting lips with passion, both of them relaxing a bit as he stilled himself, both of them catching their breath and recovering.

Eventually he pulled out of her, slowly helping her back onto the ground, his fluids dripping from her and onto the concrete as her feet met the ground.

“Oh.” Ari chuckled lightly, looking between her feet as the wet spots beneath her, ”.. Well, that’s ladylike.”

March chuckled with a shy smile, following her gaze, ”.. That’s probably my fault.. Kinda hot though.”

“That’s pretty much every day for me, at this point.” Ari smiled, pulling up her underwear and smoothing down her skirt, ”.. It’s hard to keep my hands off of you.”

“Relatable.” He said softly, pulling her into him and kissing her, both of them still catching their breath.

Eventually they set back on their path back to town, going up through the area in front of the carpenter’s shop. Ari could still feel that her hair was still a little messed up, but she didn’t really care. She and March kept taking turns glancing at each other affectionately, but they finally met eyes, March looking down with a shy smile.

”.. So.” He said in a soft voice, both of them still walking down the path, making their way back into town, “Pretty good night, right?”

“It is now, yeah.” Ari smiled, taking his hand in hers, “Every night with you is the best night of my life, March.”

”.. You mean that..?” He asked softly, squeezing her hand.

“Yes.” She answered quickly, no need for a second thought.

He looked down at his feet, still walking alongside her.

“Ari.. Earlier, you know, I thought you were sneaking to go talk to him.” He admitted with a side-frown, furrowing his brows, ”.. Scared me a little.”

Ari nodded, acknowledging his fear, “I know. I’m sorry about that.”

“It’s okay, just..” He said with a half-hearted smile, looking over at her, “You can tell me, you know? Even if it’s.. About him.”

Ari didn’t think he really meant that. She felt guilty keeping anything from March, but there were a lot of things she was feeling that she didn’t want to talk about. After all, she did just start even being able to admit it to herself at all to begin with.

“It’s just.. Hard.” Ari admitted, “I really don’t want to bother you with it, you know? I know it hurts you when I talk to him, or feel anything about him- A-and I shouldn’t! But.. Sometimes I do. And I wish I didn’t, but-“

He interrupted with a faint chuckle, pulling her to him, ”.. Your feelings matter to me, Ari. Even the bad ones. And if you feel bad, we can both feel bad together. I just want you to share things with me.. When you keep things from me, it just makes me feel like it must be worse than it seems.”

”.. What if sometimes.. It is?” Ari asked quietly, suddenly feeling afraid.

She didn’t tell him all of it, specifically for that reason exactly. It was bad. She’s had a lot of weak thoughts, weak moments. He was quiet for a long time, suddenly seeming tense, fear in his expression.

”.. How bad?” He furrowed his brows, looking over at her, needing the answer.

”.. I’ve had a lot of weak moments, March. Nothing you would hate me for, nothing.. Physical, or intentional.” She confessed, beating around the bush, not wanting to be specific, ”Sometimes what I feel doesn’t align with my feelings for you, or the life we’re building, and I’m still trying to sort through it.”

“Ari..” He said quietly, slowly, stopping them in the path, “Next time, just tell me. Please.”

Ari nodded, as he embraced her. She could tell he was trying to be understanding. She could hear the hurt in his voice, despite his embrace, suddenly his fears were feeling a little more real with her honesty. She had been so quiet about all of this, that he could almost tell himself it wasn’t a problem at all- and now he just didn’t know.

”.. When I was drunk, I called him out for sexting Reina.” She admitted quietly as the turned toward the path to the fountain.

”I mean, it was pretty weird. I don’t blame you for feeling freaked out about that.” He tilted his head with a shrug, clearing his throat, “She is your best friend.”

“Yeah.. I just feel like my reason for doing it was that I felt.. I don’t know.” She knew, she was going to say ‘jealous’ but chose not to.

They got back to the forge, and stood outside, turning to face each other in the dark. She was trying to be more up front with March, so their problem could be a team issue and not something she was keeping from him. But how was she supposed to explain to him that she was jealous about Domenico? The whole point was to get him to move on, and now that he’s seen her reaction to him moving on, he would almost definitely double down on trying to stay in contact with her. The worst thing about it was that she hoped he did. She had to come to terms with the fact that she wanted him to chase her, and the moment he stopped she was jealous. It wasn’t fair of her. Not to Domenico and not to March.

But she just couldn’t say it to March. No matter how hard she tried. She found herself wondering if he waited for her to come back into the inn, if he walked up and resumed his dance with Reina, and she hated herself for how she always wondered what Domenico was doing. A permanent string tied from her heart to his that pulled her when her mind wandered too far from him.

And as she walked back into her house with March, both of them settling back in and preparing for bed together, she wondered what happened at the inn after they left.

-------------------------------------------------------

The next morning, Ari woke up in an empty bed, she had slept in. As the daylight pour into the window, she could already hear March outside at the forge, the clank of his hammer rhythmically bounding, like a metronome. She looked over at her phone, picking it up and unlocking it, seeing she had a new text..

Reina 7:06AM: “Hey, sorry to bother you, but did you see where Domenico went last night? He totally ditched me.”

Ari 7:32AM: “Sorry, I don’t know. I left with March early.”

Feeling a little concerned that Domenico never went back to find Reina and wasn’t seen for the rest of the night, she battled with herself about whether or not she should text him and see if he was okay. She probably shouldn’t, she knew that, but she also felt worried that something had happened. So she opened their text thread, typed out a message, didn’t send it. Typed out another, erased it. And then she settled on a more casual text.

Ari 7:34AM: Reina said you disappeared, you good?

Domenico 7:36AM: Business in the Ides this morning, left last night so I could do a few things. Why, you worried?

Ari 7:36AM: You never messaged her back, she was freaking out.

Domenico 7:37AM: You’re the only person I answer to.

She didn’t message back to that, but something about his text made her feel fuzzy and warm. She had to shake it off, because after the glow wore off it just felt gross. She sent a message back to Reina and told her he’s fine and just had business, and among the text of Reina seeming annoyed that he texted Ari back and not her, there at least was some relief.

She struggled with herself about how much she felt responsible for, and how much she was being an active participant in because she wanted to. She decided she played her role in that situation, and that now she needed to get ready for work and head to the farm, no more hold ups. She dressed herself in a pair of faded paisley shorts, and a cropped white sweater, slipping on her shoes and heading out the door to the shop. She turned over toward March with a wave, and he stopped his work momentarily, walking up to her with his water bottle in hand. He was a sweaty mess, summer was always like that for him, but he always looked incredible. She ran a hand down his chest, slick with sweat, and he leaned in with a gentle kiss to see her off to work.

“I’ll text you, see you around 1 per usual?” He asked with a smirk, his body language still confident and tense from working the forge.

He always looked so much surer of himself, this was his element. It put him in a certain head space, she could always tell.

“I’ll be back around 1, I’ll bring lunch. I love you.” She leaned in, kissing him on the cheek, and he smiled as he knew she never cared about getting sweaty or dirty- not when it came to touching him.

“I love you too. Hope work on the farm is simple.” He waved her off, wiping sweat from his face and heading back to his spot at the anvil.

As she walked the path, she heard him at the anvil.

Ari had already gone to work on the farm throughout the day, the night before weighing heavily on her mind. It was all she could think about. It made time working go by really quickly, her imagination and recollection of what his touch felt like on her body. They had really done all of that outside, she thought to herself, and it didn’t feel weird. It always felt safe with March, he knew all the good places to hide away and create a secret together, never failed to surprise her.

She had now planted a bunch of corn, cleared out the remaining area of the field, and watered all of her crops. She looked out into her fields, realizing a lot of wood and stone had littered the place throughout the past few days, so she spent the next hour or so clearing out wood and stone, organizing it in her chests, and catching bugs, jarring them, and packaging them into the shipping bin for a few extra bucks.

Deciding it was late enough in the day she could make a trip back to the forge and have lunch with March, she began picking up for a lunch break. It wasn’t quite lunch time yet, but it was noon, and she wanted to see March for a bit. He never complained when she came early.

On the way into town, she’d passed Balor and a group of rough-looking individuals. She didn’t pay much attention to them at the time, it looked like a group of shady men purchasing his wares while moving through town. A few of them glanced in her direction, but none of them said a word to her, mostly talking to Balor who gave her a short wave on her way through. They weren’t necessarily friends, but at the very least they threw a friendly gesture at each other now and then.

She walked up to the inn, grabbing two sushi bowls and two beers- their usual lunch at this point- and head out the door, in a hurry to get back to the shop. As she went up the path, she started hearing his hammer, and it made her smile. That sound always radiated around him, and she loved the way it always told her she was near to him. She walked peacefully up the path, glancing across the square and waving toward Adeline and Eiland, earning a wave back from them. It looked like they were having a disagreement, which had been typical lately, and standing in front of the new hospital in progress she could probably guess what the argument was about.

She walked back up to the forge and caught March just as he was drinking his water, and he immediately noticed her up the path, she could see a droplet of water sliding down from his mouth. His hair was damp with sweat, no shirt, looking like he needed a break from the heat.

“I brought sushi!” She cooed, earning a smile from March as he walked up to the door of the shop beside her.

“You brought all my favorite things.” He said in a low voice, walking up and putting his arms around her, pulling her into him and kissing her neck with a deep breath.

She chuckled at the feeling of his lips on her skin, the feeling of his hand on her side tickled. He was always so assertive when he came off the forge, the physical nature of the work filling him with testosterone. He pulled away, opening the door for her and letting them both inside.

They both enjoyed their meal together, it was a simple day. It felt like nothing was happening, but what was within their little bubble.

“March, I think we should have our wedding in town.” She said suddenly, looking up at him from her plate, and then back down.

“Not the capital, then?” He inquired, setting down his chopsticks and looking to her with a soft smile.

“We could do our honeymoon there, but.. I want everyone to be able to come easily. We can make the trip to get our marriage certificate and plan the wedding here a couple weeks after.” She nodded simply, as he watchd her with a soft gaze.

He was happy to hear her talking about the wedding, he was clearly feeling excited by it. He had worried a lot the past couple of days about whether or not she was certain she wanted to, given the situation with Domenico.

“That sounds great.” He nodded, taking a sip of his beer and leaning on his elbow on the counter.

After they finished up lunch, they gave each other a kiss as she went back into town, both of them having to get back to work.

On the path back to the farm, she walked by Balor, who was flipping a coin at the merchant stand, who looked over at her with narrowed eyes. He was stood next to his cart, no customers nearby- the crowd of men from earlier seem to have left while she was enjoying lunch with March

“Tsk, tsk, tsk,” He clicked his tongue to his teeth slowly, “It seems our wayward traveler is in a bit of trouble.”

It was vague, but it was enough to pique Ari’s interest, as it was clear he was talking about her, albeit somewhat in riddle. His tone was dry, yet curious, as he lean back against his market stall, casually.

“Hm..?’ Ari stopped walking and turned to look where he was standing just off the path.

They hadn’t said more than a few words to each other since the spa incident. His black eye had long since healed and Ari didn’t really have hard feelings toward him anymore. It had been at least a couple months.

“It seems one of your adversaries from villages over recognized you earlier, my dear.” He said with a dark tone, catching the silver coin in his hand, and walking over to her, “Far be it from me to go telling secrets, but it had me curious.”

“I’m not sure I understand what you mean.” Ari said, furrowing her brows, yet hiding her nervousness.

“I suppose you would say that.” Balor said with a playful tone, a sly smile on his face, “It seems the person you are..” He paused with suspicion, “Is hiding from the person you once were.”

He stepped closer to her, and hushed his voice.
Ari was stunned by just how well Balor had read her.

“Isn’t that so?” He finished, just above a whisper, a daunting tone in his voice told Ari that he knew too much.

They stood there, staring daggers at each other, the smile slipping from Balor’s face as they felt locked in a silent battle. Ari walked with him a short ways, trying to avoid any prying eyes or ears.

Ari resigned herself, trying to look for a resolution, ”.. What do you want to know?”

Balor folded his arms behind his head, taking a few steps to the side, “I want to know what you did,” he said turning back to look at her, ”To cause multiple full grown men.. to flee in fear of you.”

Ari tilted her chin upward, taking a defensive stance, narrowing her eyes, ”.. Anyone who fears me, fears because of who they are, not who I am.”

Ari’s code-switch was undeniable, as Balor’s cocky expression dropped from his face. He unfolded his arms and looked at her seriously. Who she had been in Mistria was a far cry from the person she was before she came here. Soon-to-be-wife and future mother, married to the town blacksmith in a simple little life, that version of Ari was the one everyone knew- but this Ari was someone else. The way she stood became evasive and defensive, and the tone in her voice exuded a secretive threat, as she folded her arms and stood with abrasiveness.

“Who are you?” He asked in a different tone, one less cocky.

“I’m exactly who I’ve said I am.” She replied simply, closing her eyes with a sigh, “I live a different life now. I’m not that person anymore.”

”.. They ran out of Mistria when they saw you.” He continued, skeptically.

“They ran because of who they are.” Ari repeated, a dull anger in her tone, this was much unlike her as far as he’d seen, “If someone does something to me, they always pay with something of equal or greater value, nothing less.”

“They didn’t mention what they paid.” Balor said, leading that he wanted to know, “Perhaps you could enlighten me.”

“If they hadn’t paid, they are right to tread lightly.” Ari said, allowing a brief pause, waiting for him to respond.

He said nothing, simply staring at her, so she turned back toward the path and began on her way home, without another word. She knew this wouldn’t be the last she heard about this from Balor, judging by his tone. It was something she knew she couldn’t hide forever, but she just hoped she had a little more time to figure out a way to at least explain herself to March in a cohesive way.

She rounded the corner and plopped herself down on the steps to the front deck of the cabin, taking a deep breath. She still had a little work to do for the day, but she needed a few minutes to reflect and relax, given what had just happened.

There were a number of people who may fear Ari, or at the very least have a problem with her. During the few years she had to scrape by to survive, she was in the company of a number of rough crowds, most of them being encampments of sorts, with people who were willing to accomplish their ill-conceived goals by any means necessary. Ari was complicit, or at the very least went along with, a number of things- for her own survival and self-preservation. She had to rob people, hurt people, she learned from the very best about different fighting techniques, but mostly centered on evasion. She was the runner for most of these groups, she was an escape-artist, and she was unbeatable at disappearing into the shadows in an instant.

But that wasn’t who she was now.

Ari thought back on her many travels, she thought she had gotten far enough away to escape anyone who would recognize her, but it seems she was wrong. Maybe Mistria wasn’t quite far enough. Being a master of evasion, the first impulse she had in her heart was to drop everything and run without a single word.

But now, a few months into her stay at Mistria.. She had friends, and she loved this town. And.. March.

The idea of having to leave March, after they both got this emotionally invested.. She couldn’t just run and leave March without a word. That would break her heart. So now, as much as every bone in her body was screaming at her to run, to keep looking for a new town until no one knew her name within a thousand-mile-radius, she knew that in all the new places she could find, she would never find another March.

So her only options.. Are to tell March everything and offer to have him leave with her on a travel, which would mean March leaving everything and everyone he ever knew, including his brother and his shop. Or to tell him and stay in Mistria where she’d already been sighted, leaving the mild risk that someone would eventually come for her.

Either way, she would need to tell him, likely very soon. She didn’t know how he would respond but assumed it would be a tough one to explain. March had barely left Mistria since he was a child, no one new really moves here, and no one ever leaves. The drifters were the issue with this place, and Balor was usually where they headed to. It was a traveler-friendly town, strangers often staying at the inn, even when it was seldom. She had seen a few faces she knew she had seen in the past, but no one she recognized without some shadow of doubt.

She needed a plan.

Chapter Text

It had been a couple weeks since Balor piped up about someone recognizing her in town, and Ari had somewhat let her guard down at this point- although still staying somewhat aware of her surroundings. She was really still hoping it was all just a one-off and that no further issues would transpire due to her being recognized. She was also aware enough about what these people were like to know they would likely wait some amount of time before trying to contact her, because they would want her to have her guard down before approaching. But at this point there wasn’t much of a point in worrying about it, when it hadn’t become a problem yet.

She knew she should tell March about this, but that was going to be a really awkward and confusing conversation, so she had unfortunately been putting it off since then. She started to bring it up by mentioning someone from her old life recognized her in town, but then quickly blew the conversation off when the discomfort started to set in.

At this point she had been avoiding Domenico, and he could tell. She had ignored one or two texts from him, and she hadn’t been frequenting the inn, so she hadn’t actually seen him in person for about a week now- she knew it was the responsible thing to do. Something would always pull at her to be close to him, and while she was engaged, she couldn’t do that in good conscience.

This day, it was early in the morning and for the first time in a long time, she had woken up before March and left right at sunrise. She had been on edge, and going for walks in the very early morning were something that brought her some amount of peace, giving her time to think. March hadn’t done anything wrong, but she felt the stress getting to her, making her pull back from him at times. She still loved him very much, he was her safe haven to the highest degree, it was just a stressful time in her life and she had a history of isolating that had nothing to do with him.

She was pulling back into her head, because it was the safest place. Pulling away from her attachments just enough that the prospect of returning back to her traveler life by herself if she needed to.. Started not to sound all that bad. She would immediately shake that off and chastise herself for even thinking that, she knew she could never just leave like that.

It was now the first week of fall, so she had every reason to pull back, be home less, be at the farm earlier and stay later- it was just a good cover-up for how she was feeling. Spacing out and digging holes and planting things for hours, lately. It felt simple. Just dig, do not think. After a couple hours, she felt like she needed a short break, so she got up, went to wash her hands in the cabin, and took a seat on the front deck of the cabin and looked out into the early morning field.

”.. Ari.” She felt surprised to hear a familiar voice, jumping slightly at the suddenness of it in the early morning, taking her off guard since she was on high alert.

She turned with a jerking movement, seeing Domenico standing over to her left. He was wearing a long, black-sleeve, loose-fitting top and a pair of sage green joggers, black work boots, and a black headband. She hadn’t seen him in awhile, she had been actively avoiding his messages, so she figured that’s why he was at her farm so suddenly.

”.. Oh, Domeno. Scared me a little.” She admitted with a halfhearted smile, looking at him with a gently tilted head and furrowed brows, ”.. What are you doing here..?”

He came over to her cautiously, sitting beside her with one leg on the higher step and one leg on the lower step, so casual given the situation.

“You just haven’t said much lately.. I figured you’d be here, because of the changing season.” He shrugged, his face telling a little disappointment and his tone sounding a little worried, ”I just.. Wanted to see you.”

It was so simple and honest.

He didn’t try to find some sort of cover-up, or rationalize it, or excuse it.. He just wanted to see her, so he came there.
He.. Shouldn’t have.
Ari had to remind herself, she was avoiding him on purpose.

“Domeno..” She said softly, looking down at the ground between her feet and her tone was uncomfortable.

“I know, Frostie. I was a lot.” He stopped her with a soft tone, almost sounding like he couldn’t help the weakness he had, “I’m sorry if I’ve been too much.”

They sat for a long time, it felt like, just sitting in the quiet of the morning in a moment of mutual understanding.

”.. I don’t think I can leave you alone unless you tell me to.” He admitted, looking over at her with a twinge of hurt in his voice, but a halfhearted smile on his lips.

She couldn’t tell him to leave her alone.
She couldn’t.
She probably should, but she just didn’t feel that way.

He almost seemed relieved when she didn’t immediately follow his sentence with telling him to leave her alone. It was almost like he had held his breath, bracing for the words to follow, fully believing there could be a chance she wanted him to leave her alone- and now they both knew.

She didn’t want that.
And there was no winning, for Ari.

“No matter what, I lose.” She chuckled softly, leaning her head on her hand, propping herself up on the upper stair.

“I know the feeling.” He sighed, both of them sharing an honest moment, ”.. Can’t live with you, seeing you with someone else. Can’t live without you. But definitely, definitely can’t live without you.”

She glanced over at him with a serious look on her face at what he’d said. She hated this.

“I really shouldn’t see you.” She sighed sadly, closing her eyes with furrowed brows and then opening them slowly to look at him again, ”.. I can’t tell you to leave me alone. You know that.”

She saw him look over at her out of the corner of her eye, but she avoided his gaze.

“Hey Domeno.. When you got your file, did you.. Ever find your real birth name?” She asked suddenly, looking out into the field.

“Uh, yeah, I did.” He said pensively, seeming to appreciate her sudden interest in him and his life after all this time, ”.. Reav.”

“Reav..?” She echoed, thinking about it.

“Reav Kestler.” He completed, shaking his head with a light chuckle, “My parents were Christoff and Callisto Kestler. Neither living. Can’t even see myself as a Reav.”

“My name is Arrow, apparently.” Ari chuckled with him, nudging his leg with hers, “Couldn’t even remember my own name correctly.”

They both laughed in a moment of mutual understanding. It was dark, but if you couldn’t make light of it, it just weighed on you more. That’s something she felt most connected to Domenico about, her upbringing and her history. They had so much in common, even the way they made light of the hurtful things.

“Arrow. That’s a pretty name. Last name?” He asked, looking over to her, acknowledging her true identity for the first time.

“Sumner. I guess I could see myself as an Arrow Sumner. It’s hard for me to see you as anything other than Domeno.” She smiled shyly, looking down at the ground.

If they’d married, she legally would have been Arrow Kestler, she thought to herself. It had a charm to it.

She obviously didn’t say that, she just let the silence hang between them as the sun rise higher in the morning sky. It was peaceful, she thought, not like she thought seeing him would feel like. He always brought some level of stress, only because she didn’t know how to not lead him on.

But today, it was lighter.

”.. So how about those natural psychedelics..? You remember any of that?” He asked with a chuckle, shaking his head, ”I don’t even full know what they gave us.”

“So, I went in and looked up the chemical compound in my file, and they were giving us Ibogaine and some kind of sedative. Both found naturally. I didn’t see your file, so I have no idea if they dosed us with the same things, but I’m willing to guess they probably did.” Ari explained, reflecting on it with confusion and slight upset, “They kept us in a dream-like state, forced religious imagery into our heads, and then knocked us out with some kind of natural sedative.”

“I wonder if they gave us different dosages. You don’t remember much from when we were kids, but I remember a lot more.” He thought out loud to himself, furrowing his brows.

“I’m willing to bet it was mostly based on our age and gender, your personal biology maybe made one or both of them less intense or wear off faster or something, that’s my guess.” Ari inferred with a sigh, putting a hand on his forearm, earning a light flinch and a glance from Domenico.

”.. That sounds probably right.” He nodded, agreeing with her, his voice getting more quiet after she initiated physical contact in a small effort.

“Hey Domeno.. Someone from my past saw me a couple weeks ago.” She said suddenly, blurting it out at random, feeling like she just needed to tell someone around her who cared for her safety, ”.. I’ve been worried about it, but I haven’t said anything because it’s hard to explain..”

He tilted his head, sitting up from his relaxed position and looking at her with worry, “What do you mean, your ‘past,’ Frostie?”

“I used to be in a bad group of people when I was homeless and in survival mode.” She said simply, not wanting to get too into detail, ”.. I’m guessing someone related to them or rivaling that group are the ones who saw me. Balor said they knew who I was before skipping town. He thinks they ran, but.. I think they were running to tell someone else my whereabouts.”

”.. You’ve told March, right?” He asked, sounding like he really hoped she had told him for her own safety.

She hesitated with discomfort, ”.. Not yet.”

He looked really confused by that, leaning in toward her with furrowed brows and seeming tense, ”.. You haven’t told March..?”

She paused in hesitation again, like she didn’t want to admit it, ”.. No, I told you. .. Just you.”

He looked around with confusion, standing up from his place seated next to her and looking down at her in the deck stairs, “You need to tell March. He’ll make sure you’re safe.”

It was clear to Ari that Domenico’s fear for her safety was far overriding the fact that she told him what was happening. This is the first time she ever heard him say she should go to March for anything ever, he had never said anything like that before, and she was seeing that he really was worried about it.

”.. It’s easier.. Telling you.” She admitted quietly, looking down at her feet, ”.. I don’t know how March will react, if he’ll stay with me or not, if he’ll see me differently. I don’t know.”

“He won’t see you differently.” He reassured her, sitting back down and taking her hands in his, “I’m glad you told me, but you only come around me every couple weeks- and that’s if I chase you down and find you. March is around you all the time, he can make sure you’re okay.”

She knew he was right.

”.. I know. I will tell him, I just.. Need a couple days. I don’t want to tell him about this for no reason.” She sighed, shaking her head, “What if it isn’t even a problem, and I tell him about that part of my life and he thinks I’m crazy for it?”

“He won’t think you’re crazy.” He closed his eyes and shook his head, almost seeming like the prospect of that was just irrational, and maybe it was, “Crazy is that you walk around town by yourself all the time without telling him about this, that’s not good. You have to tell him, Frostie.”

”.. I will. I just need time.” She sighed, and Domenico moved closer to her, leaning on his elbow on the stairs, “Domeno, please don’t say anything.”

He seemed to fight with himself about that internally, not sure he agreed with her about keeping it between them, but not wanting to betray her trust in him, ”.. I’ll keep your secret, if you tell him this week.”

She looked him in the eyes for a long time, looked down at her lap, and then nodded in agreement that she would tell him within a week.

“And in the meantime.. Think on why you told me first.” He looked away from her with a slight smile, and she could see there was at least a little pride in his chest that she went to him before she told March- which is what she expected to see to begin with.

“I told you first.. Because I know that no matter what, you won’t see me differently.” She admitted, standing up from her spot on the steps, stretching her arms and sighing, turning back to look at him.

”.. I’m glad you know that.” He said quietly, with a hesitant smile, standing up beside her.

He hesitantly reached his arm out to her, not seeming certain she would even accept a hug from him at this point, but she did. She could feel his body tense in surprise at the strength of her hug, Ari pulling him into her and hugging him much tighter than she had anticipated.

She needed this hug, from him.
It had been a long time since they had hugged this way, since she left the Capital after the competition. She hadn’t felt an embrace from him this way in.. Too long.

And even still, neither of them pulled back.
She knew she should.
But as their hug finally broke, she became so aware of the way his hand caressed her waist. Cursing herself for just how much she noticed the absence of him when their embrace finally broke.

“I’ll check in with you, Frostie.” He said quietly, a soft tone in his voice matching his eyes as he looked at her, turning back toward town, presumably toward the inn.

“Bye, Domeno.” She said with a sigh, looking at the ground as the usual pang of guilt rolled through her body like a headache.

She always felt this way, after Domenico left and she realized March was the last thing on her mind for the past twenty minutes. She couldn’t remedy that feeling, or explain it away. It stuck around long-term, and for the most part, it was the biggest reason she avoided Domenico most of the time. Because she felt bad after she saw him, almost every time. She hated that there wasn’t a hug in the world that beat the security or comforting effect than a hug from Domenico. It reminded her of falling on the playground and feeling better from a kiss on the knee. Domenico was like a band-aid, or a warm campfire.

March was like a shot of espresso, every kiss was like the excitement of a first. His glare sent electricity through her nervous system, shaking her from overtop her safety net. These things, while both lovely for different reasons, were not comparable.

As he walked down the path, he turned slightly to look back toward her, and she realized she’d still been watching him walk down the path. Waving sheepishly and shaking the thoughts from her head, she turned back to her crops and picked work back up, chuckling at herself for how long she was staring down the path before he noticed.

Embarrassing, she thought to herself.

Now feeling like a total fool, she worked on mapping out her next line of crops, a new bed for flowers. She didn’t typically dabble in flowers, usually she was growing things for the town to eat, but something about violas just called to her.

After a few hours, around 11AM, she figured it was a good time to surprise March with lunch a little early. She started earlier than usual and was starting to feel hungry, so she cleaned up and made her way back to the inn, being even more cautious than usual when she passed Balor’s cart- and she noticed he must be on break, because he wasn’t there.

Walking into the inn, she could see Celine and Reina at a booth across the room, and they greeted her with a wave, so she decided to walk over and talk for a bit.

“Hey girl! I haven’t seen you for awhile, where have you been?” Reina asked excitedly, drinking a cocktail before noon.

“I’ve just been in my head a lot lately, I’m sorry I haven’t been around much.” Ari explained with a sigh, sitting down at the edge of the booth and crossing her legs, “That, and it’s the first week of the new season, so I have a ton of stuff to do.”

They chatted for a few minutes, catching up on the last two weeks, all of them chipping in with facts about their lives and things they’ve been up to.

“Hey Ari, have you heard from Domenico..?” Reina asked suddenly, leaning her chin on her hand, and looking down at her drink.

“He came by the cabin this morning to say hello, why..?” Ari asked carefully, but extremely curious.

”.. He still hasn’t said anything to me since I kissed him.” She said sadly, seeming genuinely upset about the situation, “I.. Should have asked before I did that, I think I weirded him out.”

Ari couldn’t tell her the real reason for Domenico disappearing from Reina’s life. It would be a huge stress, having to explain that the reason he dropped out was because he loved Ari, when Ari is engaged. There was no way to make that sound good or normal.

”.. I’m sure it wasn’t the kiss, Domenico just has a lot going on right now. He doesn’t usually date, he’s usually a pretty solitary person.” Ari said, reaching across the table and patting Reina’s hand, “Please don’t feel too badly about it, I’m sure it isn’t an issue with you.”

She nodded with a halfhearted smile, not seeming to believe Ari completely, still pretty down on herself. She took another long drink, finishing off her cocktail.

Ari felt bad that it took watching them kiss before she really felt like it would be an issue for her to see Domenico and Reina dating. She felt extremely oblivious, cursing herself for not seeing how that would emotionally affect her, now that it’s become so obvious. She had still been in the mode of avoiding all of it, and watching him get with someone else really brought out everything she had been pushing under all of this time.

And now she also knew he would want to see her more.
He knew she went to him first.
For the first time, she picked him instead.
And it wasn’t even something she consciously did.

In the face of possible danger, she chose to tell Domenico, and she was realizing now that it was a big thing to choose him for. Protection? Comfort? He was a confidant. A secret keeper.

For one week, she thought to herself.

It was setting in now that by telling Domenico, she had put a time limit on herself when she hadn’t even decided if she was going to tell March. Now she absolutely had to, it was out of her hands. She told Domenico she would, so that was that. She dreaded it, but her plan was just to bring it up casually, tomorrow she thought.

Not today.

“Well.. Anyway, I told Ryis I would go with him to this festival over in Padstien, so.. I have a date!” She smiled, clearly trying to bring herself back up on a positive note, ”.. I do like Ryis, so..”

“I think that’s great, Reina. Ryis is one of the sweetest people I know, I’m sure he’ll be a total gentleman.” Ari smiled, slowly getting up from the booth and standing in preparation to part ways, “I’m about to get lunch and see March, so I’ll text you later, Reina. I really hope you have a good date!”

“Thank you, Ari. Hey um.. If you see Domenico, can you tell him I said hey? I just want him to know there’s no hard feelings, okay?” She asked with a shy smile, and her tone was sweet.

“Of course.” Ari said, running a hand over Reina’s shoulder and waving to her and Celine as she walked off toward the counter. Deciding on something different today, she picked out a bottle of white wine for them to share and picked out a few different plates. She got crab cakes, rice balls, a lemon pie, and a few sweet sesame balls for them to share. She usually just brought sushi bowls because it was easy and March loved them, but she hadn’t switched it up for awhile, so she thought she’d surprise him.

After purchasing her wares, she left the inn and turned toward the forge, thinking to herself, stuck in her head. She had a lot on her mind. She was trying to think of who may have spotted her, or who it was potentially going to be relayed to. Worst case scenario, it gets back to one of the neighboring tribes to the one she had been in. She had stolen a lot of things in the past, and she was sought after for her skirting abilities, but she had never really hurt anyone for no good reason. She usually just did what she was told, and spent the rest of her time minding her own business. There were a number of younger kids in the tribe she was in, teenagers, and she was somewhat regarded as the one who looked after them and taught them how to survive and be useful. It wasn’t an order, no one ever demanded her to play that role, it was just one she filled over time because she was one of very few women in her particular group. She used to assist the younger kids by making sure they ate somewhat regularly, showing them places to go and people they could ask for food, places that let them trade tasks for a meal, things like that.

Ari thought back on the kids she used to know then, wondering where they were at today. There was one she was especially close to, he was very quiet, a few years her junior. She couldn’t remember much about his face at this point, it had been a few years, but he was like her small companion for some time. Even defended her once against the tribe captain. Took a solid punch for her, because the captain was drunk and made advances toward her, shortly after that was when she left.

Without a word.

She didn’t wake anyone up when she left, not even her junior companion, just gave him a kiss on the forehead while he was asleep and took off, leaving him her cross necklace that she’d had since she was a child. All the kids at the orphanage got them. She almost wished she had woken him up to say goodbye, but.. She figured he got the message when he woke up with her necklace by his face. She had spent a couple hours that night holding ice to his eye, but a trooper as always, he was unemotional and made no fuss.

That was Paulson.
For a kid, he was steady and hard to shake up.

As Ari reached the forge, she saw March sitting at the front steps drinking his water, seeming to take a break from his work. He glanced up, realizing she was there, and stood up from his spot on the steps, walking up to her strongly and putting an arm around her waist, linking behind her back and pulling her into him. She loved that now, it didn’t matter to him who saw them being affectionate- at first they were both really hesitant about it. Now, it’s like he wouldn’t care if the whole town gathered around just to watch them, and Ari liked how much it had changed.

”.. You’re early.” He breathed into her neck gruffly, as she wrapped her arms around him and met his embrace.

His embrace was one of passion, like he would absorb her into his body if he could. He was always short with his words most of the time, but he was always happy to see her, and any time they were around each other she could feel his affection toward her. His gaze was dark and had a pull on her like she couldn’t describe.

He pulled back, leaving her coated in his sweat, and held the door for her with a smile, allowing her entry. She walked in, letting him lead her, and they sat at the counter and she pulled out the variety of things she brought for them both, March blushing lightly and watching closely as she pulled each dish from the bag.

”.. Wine, hm? What’s the occasion?” He asked softly, leaning an elbow on the counter and looking up at her.

Grabbing two wine glasses from the cabinet and popping open the bottle, pouring the wine into two glasses, she leaned her arm on him with a sigh, ”.. None, unless you’re trying to make this a special occasion.”

He chuckled softly, watching her as she focused on making the wine even in both glasses, always giving him the one that had just slightly more, he noted, “Every time I see you is special for its own reason.”

She smiled to herself at those words. March was sweet, but he didn’t always verbalize it that way. He was open with her about loving her with his actions, words were a lot bigger for him- both saying and hearing them from her. Usually when he was saying something like that, it was either before or during intimacy- mostly during.

”.. Because you love me..?” She asked in a cutesy tone, being playful.

“Yes.” He said seriously, wrapping one arm around her waist and putting his chin on her head gently, pulling her to him, “You know I do.”

She hadn’t expected him to get serious that fast, it made her feel there could be something else weighing on his mind. She knew their talk before had made him act a little different, she could tell he was troubled by the fact that she had any feelings for Domenico, despite having reasoned with himself about it so many times. Hearing her tell him it might be worse than she let on put him in a more serious space any time she brought up their mutual feelings for each other.

“I love you too, March.” She said, pulling back from him slightly and looking up at him, holding out a piece of pie on a plate, already knowing it would be the first thing he went for.

Taking the plate from her hand, he set it on the counter, turning back toward her and leaning in to meet her lips with a soft kiss. There was definitely something on his mind, she could tell by his dark and intense focus on her, not usually being like this.

She put both hands on the sides of his face, looking him in the eyes as he pulled back from their kiss, tilting her head curiously at his sudden seriousness, ”.. March, is everything okay?”

He looked her in both eyes for a few seconds before looking down, and then pulling back from his hold on her, whispering, ”.. Yeah, everything is okay. Sorry.”

She walked back up, pressing into him, noticing his sudden and obvious withdrawal from her at her question, matching his eyes as he looked at her with a light blush, seeming to shy slightly at her advances. It had been a number of days since they’d been intimate, which was unlike their relationship- she hadn’t really thought much of it until now. Now it felt like he was having some kind of internal struggle over something, and she was wondering what it was- especially now that he was clearly avoiding talking to her about it.

“Hey.” She whispered, walking into him until he was backed up against the wall between the stairs and the fridge, running her hands up his chest, ”.. You know I still want you, right?”

He blushed, looking down and away from her, like he hadn’t been expecting that, ”.. Y-yeah..”

She wasn’t convinced by his answer, not even slightly. So now she was pretty certain she knew what the issue actually was. Putting a hand on his cheek, she stood up on her toes and kissed him, pressing herself against him. After a few seconds, he wrapped his arms around her, increasing the friction between them. She could still feel the hesitation in his body as she pulled him toward her, encouraging him to initiate more.

“Ari..” He said with a shy sigh, kissing her on the head, ”.. I should probably get back to work soon, I have a lot of orders.”

Eesh, she thought to herself. She nodded, handing him the plate of pie, and sitting down at the opposite end of the counter with a rice ball, picking at it quietly in the semi-dark kitchen. She could tell there was a wall between them, one that probably ended up being built the night Domenico kissed her and she didn’t say anything about it until way later.

They sat there quietly until they both got done eating, and Ari could physically feel her heart break just a little bit at their distance, using her tiny half-eaten riceball as a reason to conceal her likely quivering voice.

--------------------------------------------------------

By the end of the day, Ari had been farming almost a full twelve hours, stopping just before 7pm, deciding the rest of her crops would have to wait until the next day. She told herself she wasn’t using this as a reason to avoid March, but she could at least admit to herself that the awkwardness from their lunch did make her want to stay out just a little later. March had sent a text asking when she would be home, and she just told him she would be a little bit because she was still working on stuff with the crops, and that was around 6pm.

Something about digging in the dirt and the smell of the fresh air in the quiet was just.. Comforting to her. When she first came to Mistria, she had never really been much of a farmer. A scavenger, sure, but she had never really spent an extended amount of time with plants or anything like that. It turns out.. She was really good at farming. She also really loved it.

She stood up from the shipping box, closing it, taking a deep breath of the night air as she closed her eyes. She picked up her maroon cardigan, slipping it over her gray sweater, walking just past the cabin where she saw Domenico looking into the field- presumably trying to spot her.

“Oh, there you are.” He said, turning toward her when he saw her out of the corner of his eye, ”.. I was hanging out by the inn and I never saw you come back through, so I was just making sure you’re okay. I thought you might be here.”

She smiled at his high level of concern for her, walking up to him and sitting on the steps, Domenico joining her shortly after, saying with a sigh, “Well, it’s been a long day. You know, first week of fall, I.. Just have a lot to do here right now.”

Seeming to immediately sense her unease, he tilted his head and looked at her as she stared out into the field, asking her, “Something up?”

She leaned her head on her hand, propped up on her knee, pulling them together and further up on the stairs, ”.. No, not anything I really want to discuss.”

He was quiet for a few seconds, probably trying to read her, and then said softly, “Well if you did want to discuss it, it could stay between us.”

“The thing between us is what started the problem.” She chuckled softly, laying her head on her knees defeatedly.

”.. Between us?” He asked curiously, wanting to know what that was from her perspective, potentially wanting to clarify what it even was at this point.

She sighed, sitting up and facing him, “Well.. I told March everything I talked with you about a couple weeks ago, Domeno. I told him you kissed me, and that I didn’t stop you. I told him why I went outside, and what we said, all of it. And well.. Since I told him, things have been distant.”

“Oh.” He said in a soft tone, leaning his head on his hand and looking at her, waiting for her to continue.

“He asked me if I loved you, and I told him I did.” She avoided his eyes as she said that, looking toward the field, “I try to be as honest with him as possible, or I feel like I’m hiding things. But it has to hurt him to know some of it. I’m surprised he hasn’t had a more negative reaction, aside from just.. Pulling away.”

”.. I see.” He said pensively, seeming to think about everything she’d said, “Frostie.. Do you ever think about what things would be like if we found each other before you came here..?”

She nodded lightly, very subtly admitting this, “Mhm.”

“Sometimes.. I have to be glad you met March, because he’s the only reason you came to that inn the week of the competition.” He said, looking down at his feet on the wooden stairs, ”.. I hate that I’m glad you met him. But I am. Who knows if I ever would’ve seen you again if you hadn’t.”

She nodded, leaning her head on his shoulder with a sigh, ”.. I don’t know what to do, Domeno. .. I don’t want to stay away from you anymore.”

He was quiet for a long time after, she could feel his breathing pick up pace just slightly, enough for her to notice. He looked down at her, her head on his shoulder, They stay that way for some time, neither of them moving or saying a word. Ari felt like maybe she’d said too much, that she shouldn’t have said anything at all.

“Ari, staying away from you feels like..” Domenico started in a quiet tone, furrowing his brows and looking out into the field, “It feels like every day, a knife digs a little further into my chest.”

“And that is why..” He started slowly, softly, like he was fighting the urge to shield his vulnerability, ”.. I chase you. ..Even when I know you’re avoiding me.”

He said it like it hurt him to say out loud, his voice was full of nerves. Ari lifted her head and looked up at him, Domeno looking over to meet her eyes. Being so direct like that, it felt so intense. They had been avoiding talking about it, she had been trying to stay away from that conversation like the plague, and hearing the hurt in his voice hit her.

He knew she was avoiding him, he still wanted to see her.
And it hurt him.
But he did it anyway.

It hadn’t occurred to her how much it probably meant to him when she had admitted she didn’t want him to leave her alone, because it was pretty likely he thought she wanted him to go away, due to her constant avoidance.

“Domeno.” She said softly, leaning back on one hand and putting the other on his shoulder, tilting her head, ”.. I’m sorry I’ve avoided you. It’s because.. I feel like if I’m around you too much, I might complicate things with my current relationship.”

He looked down and to the side, turning his face toward her, shyly echoing, ”.. Around you too much?”

“Yeah. Like this.” She referred to how close they were sitting, the conversation tone and topic, ”.. It’s really hard for me not to get like this with you.”

She straightened up, pulling back a bit now that she’d mentioned and realized how close they were, much to Domenico’s dismay. They both stood up from their spot on the steps, slowly.

“Well.. Thank you for coming and checking on me, Domeno.” Ari said with a smile, shyly swiping a strand of hair from in front of her face at the slight breeze, “I should probably get home.”

“I’ll walk you to the inn, at least. It’s dark.” He implored, gesturing for her to walk a step or two before her, likely to watch her back.

He was strategic, she noticed, in his placement of where he walked. He put her in the middle of the path, and he was back on step and closer to the woods. They talked a bit as they walked down the path beside the cabin that led toward town, both of them enjoying the slight breeze that sedated the remainder of the summer heat.

Just as they reached the middle of the path, Domenico stopped, and pulled her to him by her arm, holding her just in front of him and to the side, closer to the cabin. It took a second for her to realize what was happening, until she saw four different very large men coming into view, dressed all in black, their faces covered by masks of various types.

“Stop.” One of them said roughly, the other three blocking the path in different places.

”.. Who are you?” Domenico demanded in a low voice, one she had never heard from him before, “Who sent you?”

“Who we are doesn’t matter, it’s who she is that does.” The man bellowed in a deep voice, “Step aside.”

She felt Domenicos hand pull her left behind her back, as he continued talking to the man, asking leading questions, and quickly and carefully pulled her engagement ring from her hand, tossing it on the ground a short ways beside them just as the man beside them glanced in the opposite direction. At first she thought this was odd, and that she didn’t really get why he would do that. Until he gripped her wrist, hard, and she realized.. These men were going to take her, Domenico knew that, and he wasn’t going to let go of her- so he was leaving her ring as a sign she went by force.

After a few brief sentences, the bigger of the men stepped up to her, and a wrestling match ensued, Domenico not letting her go. He looked more determined than she had ever seen in her life, his expression was one she couldn’t recognize.

He was not going to let her go.

One of the men pulled out a sharp weapon, a knife of some kind, and the bigger man said lowly, ”.. Not part of the deal” while gesturing for the other man to put the knife away.

“Take them both, they’ll be less likely to flee, and demand more when we get there.” He said gruffly, and Ari realized there was clearly a bounty on her head placed there by someone, if people were bringing her in for some sort of prize.

Domenico was gripping her so hard, she could feel his nails digging into her skin as all three of the other men grappled with them both, taking her by both shoulders and bringing her deep into the woods. They were both silent, neither of them yelling of causing a fuss. After about twenty minutes, they reached a caravan being lead by two horses, and using a knife, they directed them both into the back of one of the stalls, the men not seeming interested in causing her harm and just wanting her to go. They briefly frisked their pockets, finding both of their phones and tossing them into the woods, before moving them into the back of the cart.

They both hopped in, and after the doors closed and they both heard them lock, sitting on the wooden board floors, Domenico released her arm shakily, taking a deep breath and looking at her with bewilderment.

“Ari.. What the fuck is this?” He asked in a hushed tone, looking around the cabin, trying to see anything, but it was dark.

“I don’t know..” She whispered back, feeling the wagon begin to pull, rattling on the rocks with rickety wooden wheels.

For a long while, it was all travel. She thought maybe she should yell, but they had such a large number of wagons in their caravan, the sound of the horses and carts combined with the number of large men talking amongst each other, additionally to how far away in the woods they were, it was more likely that no one would hear.

Ari was scared. But she knew better than to show them that. But Domenico..? She could show that to him. After an hour or so, they both lean against the back wall of the cabin, Ari couldn’t see a thing, but she used her hands to feel where he was beside her, and quietly and slowly leaned against him. He wrapped an arm around her, and she lay on his chest.

It was the first time he had held her this way. The circumstances were weird.

“Domeno.. You didn’t have to come. I’m glad you did, but.. Now what happens..?” She asked in a low voice, just barely audible over the sound of the carts, ”.. What will happen to you now?”

“I don’t care about that, Frostie.” He responded, not skipping a beat, putting his other hand on her head and running it through her hair comfortingly, ”.. I wasn’t going to let you go.”

Ari ran her hand over the little crescent marks on her wrists from his nails, noticing how much they stung now. She didn’t get a look at them, but she was sure he’d drawn blood with how hard he held onto her. She was glad he did. She was wondering if March had realized she was gone from the farm, cursing herself that the last message she sent was telling him she’d be late- so he probably just thought she was farming still.

She felt Domenico wrap his arms tightly around her, taking her thoughts off of that. Who knew the only time he would ever be able to just hold her like this would be under the circumstances they somehow got abducted together. She could feel that even given the situation, her being near to him brought him significant comfort.

They stopped a few times, but they continued riding for hours and hours, after awhile she took off her cardigan and lay it on the floor of the cart, letting Domenico lie down his head, and she lay on his chest with his arm around her. It was the first time they had slept together since they were little kids, and it brought her a lot of comfort.

She had to be honest with herself in that moment.. She was glad Domenico was there with her.

She knew he had lived a hard life, too. He was a survivor like she was. He had to bum it and live on nothing for some time, just like she did- and for that reason, she was glad it was him.

”.. Hey, you asleep?” She heard Domenico ask in a soft voice, pulling her close to him.

”.. No way, definitely can’t.” She sighed, wrapping one arm around him.

”I have a thought..” He asked, and she pulled up slightly to look at him, even though they couldn’t see each other.

“Okay, sure.” She nodded, turning toward him in the dark, finding his cheek with her hand so she knew where he was.

”.. If.. So wait.” He stumbled nervously, chuckling at his own nervousness, “So if we got married, you would be Arrow Kestler, legally.”

She chuckled lightly, but because she had already thought about that earlier, ”.. Yeah, I think it’s a cute name. Are you.. Thinking about marrying me..?”

“Well no- I mean I would but- I was just thinking about it and-” He hopelessly attempted to cover the fact that he’d outed his own internal thoughts.

“It’s okay, you know. If maybe you were thinking about that.” She said with a soft tone, laying her head back down on his chest, listening to his heartbeat increase, ”.. You would be a good husband.”

”.. You can’t say that.” He said in a serious tone, taking her by surprise, ”.. I.. Want that too much.”

She felt a little bad about her endorsement of the idea of them being married, even theoretically. She should have known that would be a sore spot for Domenico, understandably so.

“Sorry, Domeno. I wasn’t trying to make you feel bad.” She sighed, a twinge of sadness rolling over her, ”I just hope you know that.. In different circumstances, I would have.”

He held her a little tighter, and she felt him sigh, his voice was low, ”.. Ari, I don’t really know how things are going to turn out.. And I just wanted to know, can I kiss you?”

She paused for a second, considering it.
He had really put himself on the line for her.
Potentially risking his life for her.
And she loved him.

After a few seconds, he seemed like he was holding his breath and bracing for decline, and after a few more seconds he whispered, “I-it’s okay, forget I asked-“

“Yes.” Ari said softly, lifting her head from his chest and turning her face to his.

She could hear his breathing pick up pace a bit as he grew nervous. They hadn’t kissed since the night before she left the capital, and she braced herself.

She leaned in, and she could feel his heart beating. He sat up on one elbow, leaning close to her.

Truthfully, kissing and physical touch was one thing she picked up more often when under stress, because it was easily one of the biggest stress reliefs for her. That said, she was under a lot of stress, currently. That said, she was engaged. That said, she was in a life or death situation, and she wasn’t sure where things were ending up- especially for Domenico, since he was unecessary to these people. He had come all this way, risking his life for her, just to make sure she was safe.

But he looped his arm around the curve of her back, pressing his chest to hers and met her lips with a gentle and healing kiss. She noted he wasn’t nervous this time, not aside from the situation. He lay her down in the pitch black cart, down on her bunched up cardigan, running one hand up the back of her neck as he pulled her to him with his other arm linked behind her back.

As much as this began as a favor to him, because he had gone so far out of his way to be so worried for her safety, it was starting to feel more than a little too sincere, Ari thought, feeling her eyes roll back as she arched her back to him. She could tell he could feel when she felt the wave of arousal overcome her. His touch was so deep and soft, it was caring, like he was holding her to shield her from a storm.

Kissing him felt like standing in the rain on a summer day when you’re a kid. When you’re getting wet, but you don’t care because it felt like freedom. When you’re grown up, you have to worry about if the house will get wet when you run inside, if your phone is in your pocket, you worry about getting your hair all messed up when you have to go to work or to run errands. Kissing Domenico felt like she was standing in a downpour, walking through puddles in the street, and she didn’t care if she was getting soaked to the bone.

She pulled him down into her by the collar of his shirt, feeling him tense up at her sudden heated motions, she felt him inhale sharply into their kiss at the sudden friction. Running her hands down his chest and around his back, she could feel him fall into place between her legs, and she realized then how touch-starved he must feel as she felt his body shake slightly with nerves.

“Domeno..” She whispered, breaking their kiss and holding him to her, hugging him tightly, ”.. H-how do you feel right now..?

She was feeling on edge, and needed him to say something, she needed to hear his voice. She couldn’t see him in the dark, so she needed something, anything to remind her now who she was with. In the dark, for how long it’s been since she and March had been intimate, doing this and not seeing it isn’t March.. Was tricky.

She consciously knew it wasn’t, the way Domenico felt to her was so different from March. His frame was also muscular, but slightly shorter. His lips felt different- his kiss was different. But in all this stress, she could easily feel herself losing to the senses she favored, and it was the feeling of pleasure.

”.. How do I feel..?” He echoed into her ear, pressing his lower body into hers, earning a gasp from Ari as she felt him pressed hard up into her, ”.. Frostie, I.. I dream of kissing you. Dreaming is the closest I get to this, and even when I can’t see you, I.. I just wish I could live in this moment for the rest of my life.”

Hearing his voice didn’t change the low buzz that was beginning in her stomach, having only made it worse with how emotionally connective his words toward her were. She could literally feel the thoughts and reservations slipping out of her head at the absolute relief she felt, having his hands on her.

If anything, hearing Domenico’s voice only brought her more comfort, which had the opposite effect than she had hoped.

“D-Domeno..” She stuttered, suddenly feeling like this was serious, feeling him press his lips to her neck, kissing up to her ear and gently biting it as he pressed into her, grinding onto her.

She wrapped her arms around him tightly, pulling him into a bear hug, feeling a gasp and a moan leave her lips at the sensation of his nip at her skin, she never realized how much she really liked that. She could feel his breath on her ear, hearing him shakily gasp and very softly moan as they both rocked into each other, enjoying the friction. She could feel the shape of him pressing into her clit, as he pressed himself into her with force. He met her lips again, pausing his motion, it was a more desperate kiss, a wet kiss, after a few seconds, she could feel his saliva dripping down the side of her mouth, and she never thought she would feel turned on so much by something so small.

His tongue was soft, and the sound of him stifling his moans as he shook with pleasure made her feel something. It took so little for Domenico to come undone with her, how worked up he got had her face hot.

“Frostie.. You have to tell me to stop.” He whispered, breaking their kiss and hugging her tightly, running his lips across her cheek, kissing her gently.

“We should stop, Domeno.. I..” She sighed, holding onto him tightly, enjoying the feeling of his embrace, ”.. I love feeling close to you this way.”

He didn’t go any further, simply keeping it at kissing and embracing, both of them flowing until they were just holding each other in the pitch black cart.

“Thank you for letting me kiss you..” He said in a soft and somewhat dejected voice, like it was a chore he asked her to do.

“Domeno.. I wanted to.” She reassured him, kissing him on the cheek, and then on the nose, ”.. You don’t have to thank me for that.”

That was true, and real.
She hated the idea that he thought she didn’t want to.

”.. You wanted to kiss me?” He asked softly, almost seeming like he was trying to understand, “Do you want to kiss me.. Often?”

Ari thought hard about how to answer that, it was a hard question.

“Sometimes, yes.” She answered, trying to minimize it the best she could, ”.. I can’t do everything I want to do.”

They were quiet for a long time, before he lay back down by her, both of them laying on her cardigan for a slight cusion behind their heads. He held her around the waist, both of them trying their best to tune out the wagon wheels turning beneath them, and trying to drown out the nagging knowledge that eventually.. The wheels would stop turning, and they would be somewhere. Probably soon.

Chapter Text

March’s POV

The daylight was beginning to spring through their bedroom window, as March stirred with no alarm. In his half-asleep state, he couldn’t quite place what exactly felt off, but he had a feeling in his chest that persisted as he tossed and turned. Finally shooting up into a sitting position, fully awake, he sighed as he realized he was just in their bedroom and that was all.

Was he having a bad dream?
He couldn’t remember now, as he looked around their empty bedroom and furrowed his brow curiously.

Empty.

He looked to the other side of their bed to find it empty, still made from the day before. Ari hadn’t come home. He looked down at his lap, closing his eyes with a sad sigh. He thought maybe he had been too distant the day before. He had been upset with her over their talk about Domenico, and he had been avoiding contact with her for weeks, probably pushing her further and further away. He knew it was counterproductive, but he just couldn’t shake the fear that built up in his chest when he got close to her now.

She felt like a stranger lately, so worried about Domenico’s love life. Having feelings for another man right under his nose- and openly admitting to it more than once. Admitting it was worse than he thought.

Either way, he knew it wasn’t helping, the way he had been avoiding her. He suddenly wondered to himself solemnly, wrapping his arms around his torso, where she had slept last night. He closed his eyes tightly, shaking the thought from his mind, and turning to sit on the side of his bed, picking up his phone.

No new messages.
Not one call.
It’s like she didn’t even care.

He put his head in his hands and rubbed his eyes with frustration, letting the tensity overtake him, but only for a quiet moment. She would come home at some point today, he was sure. He was too stubborn to send her a text then, too proud to look so vulnerable. He got dressed, slipping on a pair of maroon joggers and a black cut-off tank top.

He felt like the house was so quiet, and off-putting. Waking up without her there left a pit in his stomach and he couldn’t shake the feeling that it was just wrong. He walked through the kitchen, seeing nothing had been touched. Alloy mew’d sweetly by her empty food bowl- which strangely hadn’t been filled. He poured a cup of food into her bowl, crouching beside her and petting her affectionately as she looked up to him curiously before beginning to eat.

She hadn’t fed the cat.
She hadn’t come home to sleep.

March furrowed his brow, sighing and rubbing the back of his neck. Ari must really be pissed off, he thought to himself, suddenly blaming himself for being so hard on her about everything. Maybe he had been too much. He had barely touched her in weeks, and he suddenly found himself deeply regretting that in her obvious absence.

He sat on the couch, tossing his phone to the side, and put his face in his hands, letting the feeling of dread overcome him. He felt annoyed and hurt, but also worried and sad. Part of him really wanted to call her, glancing over at his phone. Eventually he stood back up, tucking his phone in his pocket, and heading out the door and into the shop. It was still empty, both Olric and Merri were clearly still asleep. It was only about 6 in the morning and they didn’t open until 7, so it wasn’t a surprise. Walking up to the door, March realized there was a yellow paper with writing on it stuck to the door on the outside.

Opening the door, he pulled the paper from the glass, peeling the tape carefully from the door.

“Diavolde HQ
4047 Halstead
Captain Dennison Holly”

Not understanding the note at all, having no information on any of this, March furrowed his brow and looked around to see if the person who put the note there was nearby, but saw no one. He folded the note carefully and tucked it into his pocket, standing there momentarily and looking around, deep in thought. He got a random urge roll through his body to look for Ari at the farm. He began briskly walking his way toward the cabin, his brow furrowed and his face showing a slight frustration and a lot of worry.

He finally got onto the road leading to the cabin, looking around the field from a distance, and seeing no one. Walking up the path to the wooden steps, he felt it was eerily silent. He looked in the windows, knowing he didn’t have a key. He saw no one. At the off chance she left the door unlocked, he tried the handle, and to his surprise.. The door opened.

She hadn’t locked up.
Which means she intended on coming back.

He peered in, seeing nothing but a lot of sorted supplies and boxes, all of them sitting so still in the dark room, barely lit by the light of the morning peeking through the veiled window. He didn’t walk in, simply stepping back out and closing the door, still facing it, letting his stance linger and more worry ran through his veins, paralyzing him for a moment.

Something was wrong.

He turned back toward the path, pacing, walking back and forth in the dust of the path, running his hands anxiously through his hair as he wracked his mind for some kind of answer. Was he forgetting something important? Did she say she was going somewhere and he just forgot? He pulled his phone from his pocket and unlocked it, staring at his home screen, focusing to himself, thinking about calling her.

And out of the corner of his eye, something dimly glowed a soft blue in the dirt of the path, silver sparkling in the morning light. He paused, stunned, but took a few slow steps toward it, crouching down and retrieving it from it’s spot in the dirt.

Her engagement ring.

Panic rolled through his body as he stood straight up stiffly, looking from her ring out into the dense forest before it. Without even a word, he began desperately pulling his way through vines and noted the grass had recently been stepped on and parted, vines had been downed as if someone had already gone through here. As he marched his way through the greens, he pulled out his phone, selecting her contact information and calling her phone.

Nothing.

He was breathing heavily, panic on his face, a cold sweat running down his face as he nearly tripped and fell multiple times trying to make his way quickly through the woods. After a few minutes he tried her again, letting the phone ring a number of times, and in the distance he could finally hear a light, far away jingle. He paused, listening for what direction it was in, and then quickly and hurriedly made his way in the direction of it, calling it repeatedly to hear it over and over again.

Until he stepped on something.
It was a cellphone, but it wasn’t Ari’s.

He picked it up, but kept moving in the direction of the song, having trouble locating it’s place. Eventually he stood in one spot, hearing it nearby, and looked to a tree to see her phone lighting up, wedged into the crevice of one of the limbs, perfectly wedged there. He pulled it out, looking at it in his hand, and then looked around to see if he could see anyone.

There was no one.
Just a path nearby, a dirt road.

He looked at both phone in his hands, riddled and not understanding. He unlocked the unknown phone to see a lock screen with only a swipe and no pin code, and began looking through it to see if there was any clue to who it belonged to. It had a lot of contacts he didn’t recognize, but looking at the text and seeing everything under Ari’s contact information, he could see that this was Domenico’s cellphone that had been tossed into the woods away from Ari’s phone.

Frantically beginning his way back through the woods, needing to get back to town, he opened Ari’s phone with her code and began looking through all of her texts and calls for any information of her whereabouts. He found absolutely nothing that would point him in her direction. He almost had no thoughts, zoned out in a state of desperate panic, making his way back through the dense forest and panting as he ran. He felt terrified.

Had Ari run off with Domenico after ditching her engagement ring? Just like that? Without a word, completely cut contact and took off like she had so many times before she moved here? Was this her way of breaking things off and moving on without a single conversation with him?

No. She wouldn’t just do that.
There’s no way in hell.
There is no fucking way she would do that.

As he reached the path, he recalled the note left at his door and continued running back to the forge. They had cameras there, he could look and at least see who had left it. If it was Ari who left the note that morning, that would be a clue, but if it were someone else.. He would know she had been abducted without her consent. He started running, not caring who saw him, not paying attention to if anyone else was on the path around the inn or by the general store. Not caring how insane he looked as his hair was a mess, covered in sweat, panting as he forced his body to keep moving forward as quickly as possible.

How hadn’t he noticed she was gone? How long had the been gone? Why the fuck hadn’t he called her before bed to make sure she was okay? How could he just leave her alone at the farm at night for that long? He cursed himself, guilt making it’s way up his throat and bringing tears to his eyes as his body began to feel numb from his desperate running.

How could he have ignored her and avoided her all week like that? Why didn’t he kiss her before she left? He found himself wracked with self-blame as he wished he had just hugged her more. This last two weeks he had been trying to hard to stay away from her, and now she was just gone like she never existed.

Right now, he would give anything to go back and do things so differently. It really brought into perspective, just how distant he had allowed himself to get, and how much he loved and missed her became such a higher priority as he fought his own conscience.

As he reached the forge, he pushed his way into the shop, tripping up the steps and landing on the wood floor of the shop on his knees, both cellphones dropping and sliding across the floor. Olric stood at the counter, immediately alarmed, and ran over to him, crouching down and putting a hand on his shoulder.

“March!” Olric exclaimed, panic in his eyes, “Bro what’s wrong? What happened?”

“Ari-” March panted, getting up from the floor and desperately trying to pick the phones back up, dropping one a couple times as he fumbled, his hair a mess and covered in sweat from running, “She’s gone- Her phone was in the w-woods- Her ring was in the dirt at the cabin- Olric, I need to see the camers from this morning-“

“Wait, wait.” Olric shook his head, trying to understand, “Slow down, please just take a deep breath and tell me everything.”

March let out a breathy sob, trying to inhale deeply, shaken with nerves, “Ari. She didn’t come home. Someone left a note on our door this morning. I found her engagement ring in the path by the cabin. I found both her and Domenico’s phones deep in the forest next to a road. Please, Olric. I need your help.”

Olric looked down, thinking to himself deeply, brow furrowed with worry as he stood up from his crouching position and put his hands on March’s shoulders, “We’ll find her. Come on, let’s check the cameras.”

It wasn’t often March saw this serious, controlled side of Olric. Olric often acted a little dumb and sort of innocent, but the truth is.. He was the older brother, and he very much played that role naturally when things got heavy. He followed as Olric lead them both into the back room, where he had a computer at a desk, sitting down at it as March paced behind him.

March couldn’t think straight, running his hands through his hair with his breath catching in his throat, a twinge of pain rolling over his expression as he fought back tears. He waited for some time, knowing Olric would alert him once he got an answer, but it was taking too long. He was getting increasingly panicked, and just as he turned toward Olric in frustration, about to beg him to hurry, he paused the screen and they both stay so still and looked at the image.

“There. He left the note, watch. You can see it in full, let me rewind.” Olric said seriously, using his mouse to pull the bar of the video back and hitting play.

On the screen, March could see the front steps of the shop very clearly, and at exactly 10PM the night before, long after he had gone to bed, in the dark of night, a man approaches the door. He had no expression, dressed as a rogue with brown and black treaded pants and boots, a black ripped up high-collar top, and a brown and black cap. He had pin-straight blonde hair that was ear length, and piercing gray eyes that could be seen even in the small screen of the video. He appeared to be a couple years younger than them, or a few years at most.

“I’ve seen him before.” March said quietly, thinking to himself about where he’d spotted him, putting his hand on his head, “At the inn, once.”

“What was the note?” Olric inquired, turning to March with his hand out.

March handed him the note and Olric looked it over, thinking to himself as he put his elbows on his knees, pulling out his phone and entering the address into the GPS.

“It’s a real address. Over in the marshlands, hours away.” He said slowly and somewhat confused, ”.. Why would they give you the address with no demands or a ransom note..?”

“So she’s there? With Domenico?” March asked exasperatedy, trying hard to understand, ”.. Why would they even take them both?”

”.. I have no idea, March” Olric said quizically, sitting back in his chair and handing him back the note with the address.

”.. He didn’t let her go alone.” March said to himself, coming to the revelation with a breathy sigh, putting a hand on his head and turning around to pace again, “Domenico would never let them take her. Not without a fight.”

Realizing that, he found himself so conflicted at how relieved he was that Ari wasn’t going through this alone. Also feeling so much dread at the knowledge that an experience like this between them would bond them even further, knowing that right now Domenico was basically her protector through all of this, and knowing this would only bring them closer together if they got home safely.

If they got home safely.
March shuddered to himself at the ‘if’ in that thought.

He suddenly felt sick, realizing Ari was in imminent danger and he had no idea what was happening with her.

“March, hey. We’ll go straight to Eiland and Adeline with this, we’ll rally some people, and we will go get them.” Olric stopped his pacing by bracing his shoulders, “We will find her.”

-------------------------------------------------------
Ari’s POV

They had traveled all night, she and Domenico clinging to each other in the pitch black, and they had eventually stopped. She only realized it was morning, because the doors to the trailer opened with a harsh clatter, shaking them both from their half-asleep state. As the doors opened, a light gray sky show, it was barely daylight. They had been in there the entire night, from around 9pm the night before to presumably 5am the next day. As soon as the doors shuddered open, she felt Domenico instinctually grip her other arm, the opposite one to the one he’d grabbed before, a bit harder because it was his right hand. They look out the cracked door as it opened, seeing two large men with masks looking in at them as they were immediately at high-alert.

“Who are you?” Domenico demanded angrily, putting himself in front of Ari defensively, putting his other hand across her, slightly facing her, “What the fuck do you want from us?”

“Haha.” One of the men gruffly chuckled, looking in at them, “We just want the bounty for the girl.”

“Bounty?” Domenico demanded with confusion in his tone, “Bounty for what?”

“For the girl. She has 300,000 Tesserae on her head, via the leader of the Diavolde.” The other man chuckled confidently, “We just want the cash, we dunno what he wants her for. He’s been lookin’ for her for a long time, the bounty has gone up a few times. All the members were sent out on a quest.”

Ari felt a shiver roll over her body, at the thought of her past suddenly resurfacing after all this time. She had been traveling for so long, and she made the choice of stopping at Mistria, suddenly feeling so stupid for thinking this issue would simply disappear.

“Get out, we’re putting you in captivity until Capt can come affirm it’s you.” One of the men barked, ordering them out of the trailer.

Domenico lead them both as they slowly scooted from the wooden boards, his hand tightly clasped around her wrist as the men attempted to drag them the rest of the way out of the cart, taking them both roughly and shoving them toward the outpost. There were a number of poorly built buildings and tents, a number of members passing through and looking at them both as they marched their way across the lively center, people were roasting food over fires, banging on anvils and forging supplies, cutting cloths for injuries, all of it brought back so many memories for Ari. This wasn’t her outpost, but it felt nearly the same, bringing her back to the time in her life that she was one of them.

They eventually made their way to a solid brick building, the doorway was open and there were just a couple of different hallways, with jail cells lined with bars. They were brought down one of the back hallways, deep into the building, and then down a flight of stairs into a dim basement, both of them shoved into a cell that was secluded, Domenico defensively clinging to her as she was shoved into the pen, both of them stumbling into each other in the dim light. The cell door clanked shut behind them, locked with heavy iron as one of the men lingered to look at them both, shaking the lock to make sure it was sturdy.

“Gotta keep you in a secure place, you’re valuable.” He chuckled grievously, winking at her creepily and heading up the stairs, Ari hearing the door to the stairs closing behind him.

Domenico let out a deep breath, releasing her arm and beginning to look around quickly and desperately for any gaps in the bars, and sharp objects, or any supplies. There were few. There was some flint, some old cloth, and some other garbage lying around, but nothing objectively useful to their situation that they could see. Ari sat with her back against the wall quietly, already knowing they wouldn’t leave anything they could use to escape. She knew, because she was one of them, they were careful.

“Fuck.” Domenico sighed, leaning against the wall and sliding down beside her, tilting his head back and closing his eyes, hopelessly.

“I’m so sorry I got you into this, Domeno.” Ari said sadly, looking down at her knees, then turning her face away from him, ”.. This doesn’t even involve you, and you’re stuck here.. Because of me.”

“Frostie, no.” He turned to face her, gently putting a hand on the other side of her face and turning her back toward him, “No, I wanted to go with you. I would follow you anywhere. I knew the risk.”

She shook her head, not agreeing with him, but not wanting to argue. She closed her eyes, and lay her head on his shoulder, feeling comforted by his presence.

“Why would the leader of this clan want you..?” He asked quietly, wrapping an arm around her and pulling her close to his chest, “Frostie, please tell me this story.”

She hesitated, but only for a moment, falling into his chest and wrapping her arms around his torso, both of them holding each other tightly. She hadn’t told a soul the entire story of her arrival to this clan, or gone into depth about any of it, but if there was an appropriate time.. It would be now.

”.. I was young. When the mothers released me from the orphanage with nothing, I was just trying to survive.” She began, feeling Domenico rest his chin on her head gently, “I met Dennison by chance, outside of a dirty pub over by the village near the orphanage. I had been sleeping in alleys for weeks, hungry, dirty.. He saw me, and approached me with an offer I couldn’t refuse. Community. Shelter. Food. And all I had to do was follow his orders.”

She felt Domenico sigh, and begin running his fingers through her curls, brushing out the knots with his fingers and straightening them out delicately as she spoke softly.

“I met so many people, Domeno. I did so many things, because he told me to- sometimes by threat. I was a thief, and an escape artist. A runner for drugs, because I was quick. They made me somewhat of a den mother for the juveniles they found on the street, because Dennison would catch them young, because the younger members hadn’t formed any ‘bad habits’ from their previous alliances yet, and he could teach them exactly what he wanted.” She furrowed her brow, hugging him tightly, “When they would come back with bruises and cuts from training, I would clean them up. I would teach them how to find food, help them wash their clothes, and for the very young ones.. I would hug them, and reassure them when they cried. The youngest was thirteen, at one point.”

”.. That sounds like a lot, you were just a kid yourself.” He responded with a quiet voice, continuing to run his fingers through her hair, “You’re good for what you did for those kids back then.”

“No, Domeno. I wasn’t good.” She said suddenly, sitting up and looking back at him, “I did so many horrible things, I can’t even be surprised this is where I ended up. You see, I deserve this.”

“No, Frostie, you don’t.” He placed both hands on her face, his face showing worry and empathy as he looked into her eyes, sitting up from the wall and peering at her with depth, “You didn’t ask for any of this. Not how we grew up. Not ending up on the street. Not being groomed by a disgusting excuse for a clan leader. You did not ask for any of this.”

She looked up at him with no words for a few moments before lying back down against his chest and hugging him tightly, ”.. Dennison.. He always wanted me to be his partner. Not just in crime, but in other ways. I never reciprocated. He’s in his fifties, and I’ve seen him do terrible things. I could never love a man like that.”

Domenico wrapped his arms around her, laying back against the wall, quietly asking, ”.. Do you think that’s what this is about?”

“I escaped from here, one night, without a word. Once you’re a member of the Diavolde, you are always a member. You cannot simply leave like I did. I think that’s what this is about.” She sighed, rubbing her face into his chest with frustration in her tone.

She felt comforted by Domenico. Even at a time like this, he was so calm and calculated. The first thing he did was scale the place and look at his resources, Ari was beginning to realize Domenico had a lot more survivalist skill than she thought.

“Domeno.. After you left and before the Ides, what did you do..?” She asked curiously, feeling her eyes lull a bit as she grew more comfortable, “I mean.. After the orphanage.”

“Well.. I stayed near the orphanage for two years, because I thought you would be released soon.” He admitted with a soft smile in his voice, and a hint of sadness, ”.. I slept in dark spaces, did physical labor for cash, and went day by day. Felt like I was in limbo. I got mugged a few times, had to learn how to fight, and.. Eventually Locke found me, taught me how to use weapons. I learned everything from him.”

“You.. Stayed in the village..?” Ari turned her face up to look at his, seeing he was looking off to the side at his hand as he continued to straighten her curls, “On the street..?”

“I wanted to be there when you got out.. I just.. Didn’t know I left one years early. I thought I’d somehow missed you and you left without me finding you. I went back to that place every day for the last six months of the second year.” He turned his head and looked her in the eyes, taking a long moment of quiet before continuing quietly, ”.. I’m sorry I wasn’t there when you got out, and you ended up in.. This.”

She sat up, meeting eyes with him in the dim light, able to clearly see him as her eyes had adjusted, “Domeno.. Don’t be sorry. It wasn’t your responsibility to do all of that.”

They looked at each other for a long time.

”.. All I ever wanted was you.” He said with a quiet chuckle, looking down from her gaze and sighing, “Even now.”

Ari couldn’t describe the way she felt right now. She was overwhelmed by all of this new information, she hadn’t realized he stayed at that barren village for years just to wait for her. She was under the impression he’d gone straight to the Ides and had come back every now and then to ask about her, she had no clue he waited there day after day, just waiting for a chance to see her.

His arm was around her still, as she sit up looking at him, cradled in his legs as he sat with one leg perched up, in a relaxed way. She looked down at her wrist, seeing the marks from his grasp the day before, little crescent marks, red and scabbed over now. Domenico always tried so desperately to hold onto her, even at this moment. He seemed so relaxed, with her cradled in his lap safely. It was almost the most relaxed she’d seen him in a long time, despite the circumstances. She realized that all this time since they’d been taken, she hadn’t actually thanked him for risking his own safety and coming with her all this way.

“Domeno..” Ari said quietly, sitting up and putting her face nearby his, pressing her chest against his, “Thank you for doing this for me.”

“I would do it again, Frostie.” He said confidently, straightening his back and looking her in the face, opening his eyes with slight surprise as she drew closer with lidded eyes.

As she leaned in, she placed one hand on his cheek, turning him toward her, and leaned into him agonizingly slowly, her lips pressing into his softly. His eyes were still open with surprise, his back straightened, she could feel he was holding his breath.

He hadn’t asked her, this time.

After a few seconds, she wrapped both arms around his shoulders, and he finally relaxed, wrapping his arms around her waist. She could feel him slightly shaking with anxiety. In this whole situation, the only time she saw him nervous was when she was close to him. The only thing that quickened the pace of his breathing was her. The only force that could make him tremble was the feeling of her skin on his.

The kiss was soft, in the dim light, both of them living in the quiet moment for what felt like forever. His lower lip shook a bit as she opened her mouth slightly, allowing him access to deepen their connection. He hesitantly took her silent invitation, meeting her tongue with his, as his eyes fluttered shut and he wrapped his arms tightly around her, pulling her into him gently. She felt his breath hitch quietly his kiss became more longing as she felt herself getting lost in his embrace. His touch felt so familiar to her now, unlike before. As she pushed him back, down onto the stone floor, she lie on top on him gently, keeping their lips tightly locked together, his grasp pulling her down with him in one fluid motion.

Domenico let out a staggered moan into their kiss as she pressed herself against him, sending shivers down her spine, goosebumps rolling down her arms and neck. As their kiss grew more intense, she felt his shielded member press into the inside of her thigh, breaking their kiss with a jagged moan, earning an unintentional thrust from Domenico, his eyes closed tightly as he felt the pressure on his cock, a heavy blush across his face. After a few seconds, both of them breathing heavily, he rolled them over so he was on top, and looked down at her, his brows furrowed and clearly fighting back tears, pain on his face, his breath in his throat.

”.. I-” He started, seeming like he was thinking hard about what he wanted to say, looking down at her, and then away from her with a shaky voice, “I know this is temporary.. I just.. Love you.”

He met eyes with her again, as she looked up at him stunned, unsure of how to react to his words. There was a long pause between them as he hover over her with vulnerability, but it was comfortable.

“Domeno.. I love you, too.” She said honestly, feeling a tightness growing in her chest, she hadn’t said those words to anyone but March.. Until now.

He reared back with surprise, his eyes wide, as if he hadn’t expected her to say those words. After a few seconds, his eyes grew lidded, and he slowly lowered his face to hers, as she wrapped her arms around his neck, and he kissed her. She could feel his heart beating out of control as his chest lowered to hers. She parted her legs, allowing him to get closer to her, feeling his erection through his joggers as they kissed, both of them panting and desperately pawing at each other, Ari running her hands through his hair and pulling him into their kiss, her tongue wrestling with his as things grew more intense.

She could feel him pressing into her core- he was shaking.

She broke their kiss, pulling him into a hug and kissing down his cheek to his neck, sucking at his skin as she wrapped one leg around him, pulling him harder into her. As she bit his neck gently, he grew tense, softly moaning, his voice was so quiet, like he didn’t want her to hear. She licked up to his ear, biting and licking at it, letting out a soft moan as he instinctually pressed his member into her through their clothes, earning an unstifled, soft moan from him, as he shook slightly.

“F-Frostie-” He stammered, pulling back from her and looking her in the eyes as he pushed up her sweater, Ari looking him in the eyes as he slowly and gently pushed her bralette to her chin.

As he revealed her breasts, he paused briefly, looking into her eyes and not at her breasts, as if asking for her permission to continue.

“T-tell me to stop..” He panted, both of them locked at the eyes, his hands holding him up from her as she lie there with her bare chest exposed between them.

She didn’t look away from him, placing one hand on his cheek and shaking her head slowly. After a few more seconds of hesitation, he pressed back into her lowering his face to her chest, and she moaned softly as she felt his soft lips take one of her nipples cautiously into his mouth, as he very gently cupped the other in his hand, as if he were afraid to hurt her by squeezing too hard.

Domenico had likely never done this before. His touch was so gentle, she could barely feel it. She closed her eyes, taking in the sensation of him wrapped around her, his lips caressing her. As his tongue circled her nipple and he gently pinched the other, she let out a gasp, arching her back into him. She was shocked at how attentive he was with her body. He suddenly pulled himself up, looking at her with a dazed expression. They both stare at each other, his face was flushed and his expression was labored, as if he were trying hard to control himself in this situation. She could feel him pressed hard against her core, right into her clit, and every few seconds he would unintentionally thrust into her, his face twinging at the sensation of it each time.

As he put his hands at the hem of her pants, leaning down and putting his face beside her ear, whispering to her softly, ”.. Frostie, tell me to s-stop..”

After pausing for a long time, receiving no opposition, he kissed her gently on the cheek, and began lowering her pants slightly, just enough to expose her, but not far past her knees, taking her panties down with them. He sit back on his knees, looking at her, her chest still exposed, her pants down, and panties at her knees. She could see his thick erection through his pants, as they both panted, looking at each other.

”.. So f-fucking beautiful, Frostie..” He panted with quiet excitement, leaning down to her and spreading her legs just enough to give him access, ”.. Perfect.”

She closed her eyes as she felt his mouth meet her clit, he paused for a few seconds at contact, running his tongue slowly into her folds, as if he were memorizing how she tasted. It had been so long since she had been touched this way, so she was sensitive, not even caring that he was inexperienced. She shook and moaned softly as he flipped his tongue over her clit repeatedly, realizing he had noticed that spot in particular was good. He pulled back slightly, looking down at her pants, but not wanting to remove them completely in case someone was coming. In one motion, he rolled her onto her stomach, pulling her up onto her knees, and burying his face in her mound as she spread her legs as far as they would go with her jeans around her lower legs, closing her eyes tightly.

He devoured her, like she was the only flavor he knew, and she arched her back, pushing herself back into him unintentionally, earning a moan from him as he desperately sucked and lapped at her, and she could see he was holding his cock through his pants as he did.

“D-Domeno..” She panted, holding a hand over her mouth to stifle her soft moans in the dim room.

In response to her call, he moved his face back and forth across her, flipping her clit back and forth so quickly she felt her body go ridged, and her eyes opened and rolled back in pleasure, her chin thrembling as she sighed quietly.He pulled back, closing his eyes and gritting his teeth, putting both hands on his crotch through his pants, shaking for a few moments, both of them panting.

“A-ah-” He stammered a whimper, as Ari rolled back onto her back and looked up at him.

He had clearly gotten off, and stay there on all fours, one hand on his member as he shook, unmoving. He seemed to be hiding his face, looking away from her, suddenly distant after their intimate contact had ceased.

“Domeno..” Ari sighed, pulling her panties and jeans back up slowly, and crawling to him on all fours, sitting beside him as he stay stunned, “I-it’s okay.”

He looked over at her with tears in his eyes, his face bright red, clearly embarrassed, “I.. I’ve never felt that b-before..”

He looked away from her, sitting back and adjusting himself nervously, like he didn’t know what to say, clearly his head was full of thoughts he wasn’t sharing with her.

“You’ve never..?” She asked quietly, rubbing his arm with one hand comfortingly, tilting her head on his shoulder and pressing into him affectionately.

“I’ve never been able to..” He didn’t look at her, sitting down and pulling his knees up to his chest, “I don’t get.. Excited like that.”

Was he telling her the only time he gets aroused was with her? Ari didn’t want to pry, but the knowledge of that weighed heavily on her mind. They both sat there for a long time, and after awhile, Ari picked up the discarded cloth they had found before, handing it to him so he could clean himself up a bit. She turned away so he could do so without having eyes on him, because she could see he was obviously embarrassed. She didn’t know how to make the situation any less awkward, but remained quietly pressed at his side.

”.. Would you.. Have stopped me, if I didn’t..?” He asked softly, tossing the cloth to the side and slowly placing a hand on her waist, both of them facing each other.

”.. I don’t know, Domeno.” She admitted to him and to herself, she wasn’t sure if she would have gone all the way or not.

She was glad she didn’t. Thinking about it now, she felt so horrible. March had to be worried sick at this point, and she knew it. It was nearly noon, she was pretty sure, and he definitely would have noticed her absence by now. She asked herself, silently, if he even would come for her. Before this last two weeks, she wouldn’t have doubted it for a second, but now.. She had been feeling like he wanted nothing to do with her.

When she went to hold his hand, he would shy away.
If she leaned in for a kiss, he would have her kiss his cheek.
The last time she felt any intimacy from him was at the construction site for the new houses in Mistria.

“If we did.. I wouldn’t want you to regret it.” He looked away from her, hugging his knees tightly.

She could feel he was insecure right now, and sad. His fears were real, and she didn’t want to admit she often felt guilt after being close to him. Right now they were in an insane circumstance and she was struggling to make sense of it all.. But if she finally went back home to Mistria she would never be able to look March in the eyes if she did sleep with Domenico. It was going to be hard enough to explain this, already.

If they ever got out of this alive.
That fear is what made her act without regret in this situation.

If they were going to die, and this wouldn’t be the first time she’s seen the Diavolde commit a murder, she would wish she spent her time with Domenico feeling close to him. She had to save space for the possibility that they would get out of this.

“I don’t want to regret it, either..” She sighed, both of them looking down solemnly, a silent moment between them followed.

They sat for a little bit, before Ari lay her head on his shoulder, both of them not knowing what to say. It wasn’t awkward, both of them simply existing in a moment together, until after awhile they heard the door at the top of the stairs open, and footsteps began down the stairs. Both of them huddled together, pressing their backs against the back wall, leaning on each other for comfort as he wrapped an arm defensively around her.

The figure descended the stairs, and Ari could see the bottle of whiskey in their hand before their face was revealed. As he reached the bottom of the steps, a man with striking eyes and straight blonde, ear length hair looked back at her, pausing and looking at her as he reached the bottom of the steps.

“Well.. Fancy meeting you here.” He said sarcastically, sighing to himself with no expression, walking over to them and leaning on the wall in front of the cell, taking a sip from the bottle, “You look different.”

She furrowed her brows and squinted her eyes, trying to figure out where she had seen this man before. He looked tired, but wore no expression, his cap angled slightly downward over his face.

”.. You don’t remember me, do you?” He asked with a flat tone, pausing briefly but receiving no answer from her, “Maybe this will jog your memory, then.”

He slowly pulled a cross necklace from under his shirt, revealing it’s silver shimmer even in the dim light. Ari was taken aback, audibly gasping as she immediately recognized this fully grown man as one of her prior juniors- the second year who had once taken a punch for her.

”.. I woke up with this in my hand, the day you left, Donner.” He said, closing his eyes with a sigh and tucking it back into his shirt.

Donner. No one had called her by that name in years, it was her clan title. His name was Paulson, and he was three years her junior, one of the younger members of the tribe she used to help care for when they had no one else.

“I remember once, I came back with my only shirt torn all the way up the side from a fight.. And you helped teach me how to do a tight stitch and helped me save my shirt.” He still had his eyes closed, as if he were reliving the memory in his head, “Real shame you’re in here.”

He took another long sip from the bottle, opening his eyes and looking at her.

“Paulson..” She said quietly, crawling on all fours until she was in front of him, through the bars, ”.. You look so different.”

He cleared his throat of the whiskey, sliding down against the wall and sitting with her on her level, “Guess so.”

Ari didn’t ask him to help her escape, as she knew all too well the politics of this place. He couldn’t help her if he wanted to, not without severe punishment or exile. He had joined the clan when he was fourteen years old, it was everything he knew at this point, there was no other place he could really go. They used to sleep in the same bed when he was afraid of the dark, and the dark in this clan was worthy of being afraid of.

He was like a younger brother to her, she cared for him like she was his mother, at times. She cared about him very much, and seeing him so torn up and drunk at noon on a random day tore her up a little.

”.. I’m sorry for leaving you here.” She said sadly, looking down at her lap, “I wish I had brought you with me.”

“You would’ve never made it with me as a handicap. Don’t worry about it. I was unskilled back then.” He looked away from her, his eyes showing little light, ”.. I used to wonder, Donner.. Why not me?”

She was confused by that question, so she didn’t know how to respond.

“W-what?” She asked with furrowed brows, tilting her head.

“After all the time we spent together.. You never saw how much I loved you.” He said with a slight slur, “Why not me? I just.. Always wondered.”

“You were just a boy, Paulson.. I-” She stammered in confusion, completely taken aback by his dialogue, “Wait.. Is that why you turned me in, after you saw me..?”

“I did not do that.” He furrowed his brows, the only expression he had made at all, setting down his bottle of whiskey in front of him just before the metal bars, setting something behind it, “I.. Would never do that. But.. I knew when they’d seen you, a few days ago. Word got around.”

“You were so young, back then.” She continued her explanation, looking down at her lap awkwardly, “I just never knew you felt that way.”

Looking back, the fact that he had taken a punch from the captain over her was shown in a completely new light, it gave so much more context to that entire situation.

”.. Yeah. I guess.” He sighed unenthusiastically, crouching and getting up from his spot, with a slight drunken stumble, “Um. Hey. I hope everything works out for you. You were always nice to me, I never forgot that.”

He glanced back at them one more time before ascending the stairs, and after a few labored steps, they heard the door at the top of the steps close.

Ari looked down at the 2/3 full fifth, and picked it up through the bars, and behind it sat a metal flip lighter.

He gave them one shot to get out of here.

Chapter Text

Ari’s POV

They had been in the cell for hours at this point, both of them had long since stopped pacing, sitting beside each other, Ari’s head on his shoulder. They had both been deep in thought, quietly discussing their options, as far as their escape potential.

“It’s high alcohol content.” Domenico said, referring to the bottle of whiskey they had stowed away in a far corner and concealed with a few of the random pieces of junk that lie discarded around the place, “It’ll burn fast because it’s alcohol, so we will be better off if we use it more as a splash accelerant.”

She looked up at him in awe, a little surprised by his knowledge of this kind of thing, her arm linked around his, whispering in the silent den, “How do you think we should do this, then..?”

“Wet the cloth with some of it, light up the cloth, throw some of the alcohol on whoever comes for us, and hit them with the cloth full of fire while the other distracts somehow.” He whispered back, seeming to think it over as he spoke, “If we use it the way he probably intended, we run the risk the alcohol will be too much for the started fire and just put it out. There are a lot of additives in whiskey, it’s unlike gasoline.”

Ari was listening to his voice, and something about his knowledge of this made her face hot. She.. Liked that.

“Where did you even learn all of this..?” She asked quietly, looking up at him with big eyes, feeling she could trust him to figure this out for them- and usually Ari didn’t put whole faith into someone else like this.

“Oh, when Locke and I met his living situation was nothing like it is now, we went a few years living in a pretty rough spot.” He explained with a smile, tilting his head back on the brick wall and closing his eyes with a chuckle.

”.. I see.” Ari said with a shy and slightly concealed blush, realizing how enamored she suddenly sounded to herself.

Domenico looked down at her face, having the same realization, noticing her blush as his expression changed from a chuckle to intrigue, tilting his face toward her ear and whispering teasingly, ”.. Fan of survivalists, are we?”

She tilted her head away with slight embarrassment, putting a hand on her cheek and looking away with a slight smile, whispering back, “I don’t know what you mean.”

He leaned closer to her, giving her a soft kiss on the temple, and whispered, “Might just be something we have in common that you really like.”

He was right, and she knew it. Something about allowing herself to get a crush on this detail made her feel so.. Small. Like for once, maybe she didn’t need to be the one with the ideas. She could just follow someone else’s plan, because she trusted his knowledge of this situation. Relinquishing that level of control over to someone else made her feel.. Calm.

She.. Had a crush on his capabilities.
A respect crush.
She didn’t like the feeling he knew that.

There were so many things she knew how to do better, but this type of thing is where he was the leader. Ari thought to herself, there was one thing she knew better, where she felt in control, and in this moment of embarrassment she found herself getting the urge to take the reigns and draw this situation back to where she had the control.

She took her hand, placing it on his cheek and turning toward him in a fast motion, sitting up to meet his level and pressing her lips to his with one fast motion. It had immediately removed his subtle teasing from the equation as his hand stay frozen halfway to her face, she had taken him by surprise. She liked the feeling of taking him off guard. Adjusting her position, she lifted herself up onto his lap, straddling him, not breaking their kiss. She felt him relax a bit, resting his hands on her waist as their contact persisted. As she ran her hands slowly up his chest, she could feel his heartbeat beneath her fingertips, and she could feel his hand travel from her waist back behind her back, pulling her into him gently as they continued kissing.

It was like nothing else existed, when they held each other this way. Not the Diavolde. Not the jail cell. Not the situation. Not any of it. They were all that existed in this moment.

She felt him gaining the confidence to take action, and felt it becoming a gentle fight for control as he sit up from the wall and hug her closely, as she pushed him back against the wall and broke their kiss, staying close to his face as she reached her hands down and fumbled with the first button of his joggers, earning a surprised gasp from Domenico as they look each other in the eyes, unbreaking. As her fingertips grazed his cock through his underwear, he caught her hand with his on impulse out of surprise, stopping her for only a split second with widened eyes before he realized.. This was Ari.

He wanted this with her.

“I-I’m sorry, it’s just..” He said quietly, letting go of her hand and allowing her to continue, ”.. Reflex.”

She understood then, that he had never really been fully seen by anyone this way, and there was a wide margin of vulnerability in this for Domenico.

She let her hand rest on his cock through the fabric, and leaned in, pressing her lips to his cheek, and then meeting his lips with hers in a soft and slow kiss. After the experience she’d had, it was easy to lose perspective a little, become rushed, and forget that not everyone is as comfortable with this level of intimacy. Their gentle kiss broke, and they look at each other in a comforting gaze, the cell around them was silent.

“If.. If anything bad happens after all of this, I’m.. Really glad I got to spend this time with you.” He whispered softly, allowing her to continue as he placed both hands on either side of her face.

She stopped, staring back at him.

’If anything bad happens after all of this-‘

“Nothing bad is going to happen.” She insisted, the idea of anything happening to him bothering her deeply, her tone showing it.

She felt back in control. He tremble, frozen in place as he opened his eyes slightly to look at her, Ari pressing her lips to his in a wet kiss, Domenico groaning into her mouth at the sensation of her touch. She wrapped one hand fully around him in a more solid grip overtop the fabic, rubbing him in strokes, kissing him on the cheek, pressing her chest to his in a hug, kissing up his neck and nipping at his skin gently.

She realized then, that she didn’t know that. If they did fight back and couldn’t escape, one of them would probably get hurt, and it would more than likely be Domenico. She had money on her head, but he was expendible, so whatever they did needed to be perfect.

“Yeah..” He said with an unsure smile, pulling her closer to his face, “I’m sure you’re right..”

They paused for a long time, both of them deep in thought, Ari could feel the tightness in her chest growing as what he just said stay heavy on her mind. She thought hard about it. She couldn’t just do whatever she wanted with a free conscience just because she was being held captive, but the thought crossed her mind- that what if this was her last chance to be close with Domenico this way.

She pressed her lips to his again in a heated kiss, and Ari reached her hand into his open joggers, pulling his member from his pants and his boxers in one motion, Domenico inhaling sharply into their kiss and becoming tense at the senation of her flesh caressing his cock between them.

“A-Ari-” He stammered in a panic, breaking their kiss and looking up at her with a hint of concern, but mostly surprise, “W-wait-“

As her fingertips graced him, gently scaling his cock, she peered down so she could really see him. It was nice, bigger than she imagined, and on one side he had a somewhat darker patch of skin- a faint tan birthmark on his slightly pink flesh. Now she was the only person who knew he had a birthmark at all. As she looked at his member revealed, he looked away from her, feeling exposed, a harsh blush across his face. As she wrapped one hand fully around him, watching him tense and hearing a barely audible whimper leave his throat, Ari felt a wave of arousal hit her.

Domeno.. Was cute.

“Ari-” He panted, squinting, his jaw tense with pleasure at her touch as she began to stroke him more confidently.

She smiled, pressing her chest to his and continuing, kissing him on the cheek, and then on the neck, whispering to him softly, ”.. You never call me that.”

She blew a hot breath into his ear, earning a stifled moan from him as she continued, rubbing her hand in circles and squeezing the head of his cock gently as she reached the tip. She pulled back, looking him in the eyes as she parted her lips, letting a long string of saliva drip from her mouth down onto where her hand met his skin, wetting his member. He looked down with squinted green eyes at the motion of her hand, his hands frozen in air as she continued to rub him.

“You have no idea h-how long I’ve waited for you to see me.. As more.” He said quietly, slowly placing his hand on one side of her face, meeting her eyes.

He was so reactive, and every time she heard him try to hold a moan in his chest, every sigh, every time she felt his shaking hands touch her skin, watching his face twinge with pleasure, she couldn’t help how much she really enjoyed being able to make him feel this good just by her hand. Even as he brought the focus back to their connection, he couldn’t fight his physical response to her touch, her fingertip strolling along his length, up to the tip, as she playfully circled the head of his cock with one finger.

”.. Do you ever do this when you’re by yourself..?” She asked lewdly, hoping for a reaction from him, as the topic of masturbation was one harshly criticized by their upbringing.

“N-no-.. W-well..” He was quick to deny at first, but then softened his voice when he realized his knee-jerk reaction was to pull away and hide, wanting to be open with her he looked away from her as he admitted barely above a whisper, ”.. One time, when I was younger.”

“How does it feel..?” She whispered, leaning in and hugging him, kissing his neck softly as she worked her hand slightly faster, her saliva making him slick beneath her fingers.

”…” She could feel the silence was from embarrassment on his end, like he didn’t want to admit just how much he was enjoying this, hearing him gasp quietly before whispering, “You c-can’t ask me stuff like that.. You already know..”

“No, I don’t, Domeno..” She whispered, picking her pace, tightening her grip slightly, and earning a labored sigh from him, biting his neck softly and feeling him pulse in her hand, ”.. I need to know, how does this feel..?”

“I-it-” He moaned softly, closing his eyes tightly, clearly holding back, his voice meek, “I-it feels.. Good..”

He then pulled her to his face in a rough and frenzied kiss, likely to feel more in control of this situation. She had all the control, she had taken the lead, and he was feeling incredibly vulnerable- and Domenico wasn’t the type to allow anyone to dominate over him in any situation. In this particular situation, he and Ari were both seeking control and pleasure to put themselves at ease, like bonobos in the wild.

Domenico ran his hand under her sweater, grabbing one of her breasts, Ari moaning out in response as he pushed her down into a laying position, thrusting into her hand as his lips stay connected to hers in a passionate kiss. She could feel that he wanted more, and in this position he could almost pretend they were doing more. He lie between her legs, hand up her shirt, tongue dancing with hers, her hand tightly gripping his throbbing cock between them- Ari had to admit to herself that she wanted more.

But she couldn’t.
This had to be it.

As he grew close, his thrusts became jagged and uneven, she could feel that he was nearing his climax. Their kiss persisted as he moan into her mouth, both of them panting and getting worked up as she felt him losing control over himself completely, thrusting into her hand, his body becoming ridged as he release her breast and embrace her in a tight hug. Pulling her discarded cardigan between them and putting it over her hand and around his cock she moaned into his mouth at the feeling of arousal that overcame him as he peaked, their kiss breaking as he squinted, just barely able to meet her gaze, his face twinging with pleasure repeatedly as he pumped into her hand, releasing everything he had pent up.

“F-Frostie-” He sighed, leaning his face down to hers and kissing her deeply, both of them still in a tight embrace.

Ari knew this felt like sex, for him. Having someone this physically and intimately connected to him, seeing and feeling him orgasm, feeling his body tremble in weakness at the pleasure, she knew he would never feel comfortable allowing anyone else to see him in that state. As she bunched up her cardigan and pushed it to the side, he kissed her again, his tongue meeting hers in ferver, both of them feeling more connected now than ever before.

They stay that way for a long time, or what felt like a long time. The concept of time between them was starting to grow hazy, due to how long they had been left down in the cell. After, it didn’t just abruptly end, like all the times with March usually did. Normally after sex-related activities, the closeness faded after a few minutes and they got back to their day, but with Domenico, his attention stay on her. Breaking their kiss, he kissed her on the cheek, looking down at her with lidded eyes.

”.. I.. I’ve never noticed before, how gray your eyes get. They were blue the whole time we’ve been down here.” He whispered, looking down at her, pressing his lips back onto her cheek and letting his kiss linger.

”.. They get gray when I’m relaxed.” She said quietly, mostly to herself, realizing just how at ease she felt right now, tucked safely in Domeno’s arms in the lowlight.

“You.. Feel it, too.” He whispered, looking down at her with a soft gaze, both of them hanging in this heavy moment, trying to make sense of it all.

There was a silence between them after that, as Ari thought over her feelings. What did she feel? She felt.. Confused. But as her thoughts attempted to race, and her chest was unsettled with guilt, all of it washed away as Domenico pulled her chin up, facing her to look at him, and slowly met her lips in a healing kiss. She ran her hands slowly up his chest as both of them inhaled into the kiss, feeling the depth of it overcome them. This was.. Her friend. Best friend. Older brother- no. Not anymore. It didn’t feel that way.

Not anymore.

She licked his bottom lip, meeting his tongue with hers, and for the first time she really felt like.. They were lovers. It wasn’t simply a distraction she was grasping for, it wasn’t curiosity, it was never any of that this whole time. This was because she genuinely loved Domenico, and that’s why it had been so impossible to stay away from him this entire time. No matter how hard she tried to fight this, deny it, push it away, it always found its way back to her, and she was tired from all the fighting she had done.

She was tired of holding back her feelings toward him. She felt herself growing weak at the knowledge of how long she might have to fight. And for what? Someone who had been ignoring her for weeks? A man who probably didn’t even notice she was gone? She felt herself run her hands from his chest, up and around the back of his neck, pulling him tightly to her in a kiss of admittance, and as Domeno’s lips met hers, she could feel his heart, for the first time, was beating slowly, their chests pressed tightly to each other. He was relaxed with her, this way.

After tucking himself away and buttoning his joggers, both of them eventually recovered a bit, sitting back up against the wall and leaning on each other in the dim light. It had been so many hours since they had gone down into that cell, and Ari was starting to wonder if anyone had even noticed her absence. Thinking maybe March wasn’t even worried about her, or maybe.. He wasn’t going to come for her. Maybe he was worried, but couldn’t find her- after all, she only vaguely told him about this old clan of hers a couple times, and it was so long ago.

At this point, she had already wracked herself with nerves over the reason she was brought here, or what Dennison would finally have to say once she was taken to speak to him. She knew that no matter what it was, it couldn’t be good if she were locked in a cage to discuss it.

Solid life advice, but if you’re locked in a cage, the topic of conversation probably won’t be very fun for you.

She looked down at her wrist, seeing the little marks from Domenico’s nails that had scabbed over and remain a dark red now. He had clung to her so hard, for this long, and she found herself incredibly glad he was here with her. She would have chosen to come alone, to spare his safety, but.. Well, things happened how they did. And she was happy to have him here with her, right now.

As the time ticked on, all she could do was wait.
And wonder.
And dread, thoughts of her ex-clan leader coming to mind.

It had been so many years since she had seen Dennison, two or three, and she could still see the mental image of him in her head, clear as day. He was by no means an ugly man on the outside, but putrid on the inside. Old enough to be her father, he had black, short, slicked back hair with a gray fox stripe in the front. He always shaved himself a goatee, which was peppered with gray. Eyes pitch black like the sunless, everlasting nights on Pluto.

And his stare was all-consuming, like being eaten alive by a pack of wolves. Meeting his gaze, even for Ari, was always so difficult. She bowed her head to him so many times on impulse, always out of fear, never once out of respect. Everyone avoided his eyes. Nothing good ever came from Captain Holly noticing you for more than a passing glance.

There was nothing jolly about his laugh. Even when he was in good spirits, that sharp dagger was always pointed in his tone. The most unapproachable expression always plastered to his angry face. She knew little of his upbringing, he lived his life like he was born into this position, but there was one instance while walking through the old village, she heard an older woman desperately calling to him from a distance- and she will never forget the look on his face. Surprise. He was a man who was impossible to surprise, no one ever took Holly off guard- except whoever that woman was. She always wondered if it were his mother, and was always so curious why he had avoided her. She thought he wanted people to think of him as Captain Holly the overseer, not his family, or who he was growing up.

He had no past and planned no future, from her recollection.

”.. You’re so quiet now.” Domenico whispered to her nervously, shaking Ari from her thoughts as he looked down at his knees, “I.. Hope that didn’t change anything.”

“No, Domeno.” She turned toward him reassuringly, placing a hand on his cheek and turning his face to meet hers, “I was thinking about everything I could remember about the clan. It isn’t you. I-I mean.. Everything is fine between us.”

She could see on his face that he was feeling insecure, and what she said hadn’t fully convinced him. He seemed genuinely afraid that their dynamic would change. And Ari thought to herself, on some level, that maybe it would. When they get out of this place and go back to Mistria, do they just pretend none of this ever happened? Domenico once told her he would be anything for her- even a secret.

No. There was no way she could just pretend this didn’t happen. Judging by the look on his face, his brows furrowed, concern pulling at the corners of his lips.. He couldn’t just pretend, either. After everything, she was positive he wouldn’t just be able to feel fine with keeping this a secret and moving on from all of it like it was nothing. She knew someone was going to get hurt, maybe all of them- almost definitely all of them.

March.

Ari wondered how she could let all of this happen, cursing herself for complicating things all for a semblance of control in a hard situation. There she went, blaming all of this on a need for control, she rolled her eyes at herself and put a hand on her forehead, covering her eyes with frustration as she felt herself falling into those old habits.

She didn’t do any of that for control.
Maybe it was a factor, but she couldn’t just say that anymore.
It would be less complicated if that were why, maybe she could avoid some level of responsibility if that had been her reason, if the only reason she allowed this all to happen was due to their life-threatening situation, but.. No. That wasn’t it. And she needed to stop telling herself that.

As she uncovered her eyes from her hand, she realized Domenico was looking over at her with an uncomfortable expression, as if he knew what was going through her mind, as it was likely visible. He didn’t want her to regret this. And she didn’t. What she regretted was breaking her promise.

”.. I’m sorry.” He whispered, looking down at his lap, seeming that he was already hurt.

“Domeno, don’t be sorry. I’m not sorry for any of.. that.” She whispered to him, reaching her hand across her chest and placing it on his affectionately, ”.. I’m sorry I broke a promise to someone. That’s what I’m thinking about. I don’t want you to be sorry. You didn’t do anything wrong. It was me. It was my promise.”

After sitting for some time after, the door at the top of the stairs clicked open, and she knew. She could even recognize that agonizingly slow pull, the lingering before making his entry, as Dennison. He was so daunting, and he reveled in the fear he instilled. Ari knew, he was having the best day of his life, all while knowing he was making this her worst.

As the footsteps began, slow, heavy, she could see a pair of thick, black boots reveal themselves at the highest visible step.. And it was him. She knew his walk. His boots. If she closed her eyes, she could even smell the smoke and whiskey, always the same brand of each. As he descended the stairs, she felt her body becoming defensive, crawling over Domenico and placing herself closer to the metal bars and slowly sitting crisscross, hoping that by giving Dennison her full attention, he would ignore Domenico. Dennison was hateful, but he was a narcissist, and he would only fall for flattery if he really wanted to believe it.

As his head came low enough for her to see, he didn’t turn his head to look at her, ominously pausing as his feet met concrete, looking down at his watch on his right wrist and clearing his throat. Ari could see the scar on his left cheek, and as his eyes flickered to her with an angry glance, she felt her body go numb.

“Hello, old friend.” He chuckled dryly, turning toward her, looking up at her without raising his chin, still reading the time on his watch, tapping it, “Damn battery’s dead, I think.”

How was he acting so casual? Was he joking?
Is that why he took eight hours to get here?

He paused, shaking his head in disappointment, clicking his tongue to his teeth cockily, “No ‘hello’? That is rude, isn’t it.”

He locked eyes with her, arms folded behind his back, standing straight with his head held high as he looked down at her. She knew he was waiting for her to say something, and maybe she even wanted to say something, but she couldn’t get the words out.

“Do you remember why I called you Donner?” He knelt down beside the bars, placing his forearm on his knee.

She almost flinched at him being so close to her after all this time, but caught herself, knowing she couldn’t show him a hint of weakness. Since she had seen him last, his right eye was under a patch. He looked rough, tired, like the last few years had been hard on him. His jawline was sharp and pointed, and the one eye she could see was dark, and even with no expression she could feel the hate spilling from it. His gray fox stripe had widened, the rest of his hair black as a starless night.

“No.” Ari said flatly, calmly, being careful not to sound afraid- despite her heartrate racing as her fight or flight response boiled up in her throat.

He smiled, one silver capped tooth covering one of his canines, the rest were somehow pearly white despite his hard lifestyle, “You were my fastest follower. When I was the lightening, you were my thunder, just one step short of my successor. Quick, but stayed in line where you were meant to be. If I picked up my sword, you drew a dagger. When I tossed you a bag, you dodged with it. I could always count on you to pick up where I allowed slack.”

Ari didn’t respond, realizing this was some sort of backward confession to him, that this was a reunion Dennison had clearly long-awaited, much more to him than she originally thought.

“My reign without you has been so much less than I wanted for this clan. I didn’t realize how much you did, Donner, or how much I relied on you, how much you rallied the younger members, until you were gone from my equation.” He said with a serious expression, standing back up and pacing back and forth, “That is why I have a proposition for you.”

“Name it.” She said sternly, wanting him to get to the point, just glad at this point he hadn’t addressed Domenico.

“Well, you see, I’m not the only one who wants you, Donner. I’ve been in communication with nearby guild you gave.. A bad impression with.” He turned toward her, looking down at her on the concrete floor, “You have a lot of money on your head between me and this other guild. Your head, alive, is priced at 200,000 tesserae with them. I will pay it for you, and make sure you don’t fear another day in your life, on one condition.”

He had given 300,000 tesserae to the members who acquired her earlier, and he was willing to pay another 200,000 to this guild for her safety? This left an incredibly uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach as she came to a hard realization of what this was all about. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, furrowing her brows and waiting for the ball to drop.

“I’m getting up in age, and my running days are over. I’ve found myself craving a connection I never found a sliver of value in before. I want a family, and a life partner.” He crouched down once more, meeting her eyes with a heavy and serious tone on his silver tongue,
“Mother my children and be my bride, and you will never want for anything a day in your life. Live as my right hand, and you will have your safety assured.”

A long pause hung between them, as she heard Domenico chuckle to himself angrily, earning the attention of Dennison, much to Ari’s dismay, “You’re insane.”

“Am I? I suppose you are her boyfriend, having come all this way.” Dennison said with no emotion, still seeming fully assured in his mission, “This is her choice to make. In my opinion, it’s a simple one.”

“You think you’re going to leverage your way into a marriage with a kingdom civilian?” Domenico laughed to himself in anger, “What you’re doing is against kingdom law.”

Before Dennison could respond, Ari stood up from the ground and looked Dennison in the eyes, her tone bleeding sincerity and thought, ”.. I will consider your offer, Captain.”

Turning his attention immediately back to Ari and away from Domenico, he gave her an honest smile, the first honest expression she had ever seen on this man’s face, and his tone was soft for the very first time she had ever seen, “Call me Dennison.”

She was appealing to his ego, to get his attention turned as far from Domenico as possible, and it had worked. He threw a sly grin in Domenico’s direction as he turned slowly on his heel to go back up the wooden steps. There was silence between all of them up until she heard the door at the top of the stairs click shut.

Ari immediately dropped her head, her confidence fully melting away as dread overcame her.

“What do you mean you’ll consider his offer, Frostie? Are you fucking crazy?” Domenico crawled beside her, taking her into a hard hug, pleading with her for an explanation, “W-why would you even say that?”

“Domeno, please. I don’t want to put you in danger. Holly doesn’t care about laws, he always, always gets what he wants.. And right now he wants me.” She looked down at the ground, feeling Domenico hug her tightly, feeling him pull back to look at her, reading her face.

“I’m not letting you do this. We need a plan, and we will get one. I already have an idea.” He stood up, pulling her cardigan up from the floor and beginning to tear it in long strips using the sharp piece of flint as a knife, as she watched him in confusion.

He too one of the long strips of maroon fabric, tying one end to the metal bar of the cell door, holding it out to see how long it was. He pulled the rest of the cardigan into strips, tucking one thick portion of it in his pocket.

“Domeno, it won’t work.. And if we fight and don’t escape, he will have you killed. D-Domeno, please, listen to me.” She pleaded with him, standing up and walking with him as he rounded the cell, picking up various objects as he readied them for whatever plan he had come up with, “Domeno-“

“Frostie.” He took her by the shoulders, turning her toward his face and looking into her eyes seriously, “I am not letting you fucking marry this monster. I will die on this hill if I have to.”

She put her hands on both sides of his face, feeling tears form in her eyes, ”.. I can’t let you get hurt, Domeno.”

He looked surprised by her tears, stopping in his tracks to wrap his arms around her shoulders and pull her into a tight embrace, ”.. We’re doing this my way, this time. I need you to trust me.”

She felt a tear fall from her eye as he pulled back from their embrace to look at her, both of them seeming to disagree on this. Ari wrapped her arms around the back of his neck, pulling him into a desperate kiss, taking him by surprise as she pushed him backward into the far wall. As he fell into their kiss, he wrapped his arms around her waist, battling her in a rough kiss, pushing her backward and up against the side wall, Domenico breaking their kiss and hugging her tightly, both of them catching their breath.

“L-listen to me,” He said gravely, pulling back to look at her and wiping the tear from her cheek, “I can do everything, I just need you to play dead.”

“Wh-what?” She asked, still breathing heavily, wiping a tear from her other eye as she looked at him in confusion.

“Pretend something happened to you, I’ll call for help, the guard will run and open the cell, and I’ll choke him out with one of these cloth strips.” He said directively, gesturing to the cloth tie he’d knotted against the bar of the cell door.

”.. But..” She tried to object, still understanding that fighting this at all would put him in danger.

“We can do this, Frostie. I can do this for us. We just need to get out of this cage, and we’ll be able to get out of this.” He took her by both shoulders, nodding at her for agreement, locking eyes with her, “We need to wait a few hours and do it then. If I’m right, it’ll be around sunset.”

She thought about it silently, nodding only for now, despite her massive reservations about this hanging loosely in the back of her mind. She trusted Domenico with her life, there was nothing more he cared about than her. But with his own life? Ari knew he would easily sacrifice himself for her freedom, and she didn’t want that to be his out.

There was nothing left to do but wait.

--------------------------------------------------------

March’s POV

His heart was beating heavily in his chest as he sat in the back of a cart with Olric by his side, Adeline and Eiland in the leading carriage of the kingdom. They had rallied the troops, alerting the guards of the kingdom that two of their tax-paying citizens had been abducted against their will and were in imminent danger. They hadn’t spoken to the queen herself, but a group of soldiers had been sent to Mistria to gather intel at around mid morning.

There were so many guidelines that needed to be checked off, it had taken half the day to get everything set in motion. He had spoken to a dozen people, recounting the same information, telling the same story of his day, as the kingdom guards investigated. The entire time, March felt like their time was running shorter and shorter, and the more he had to retell people the same information, he found himself starting to lose his cool.

By the time they finally started on the six hour haul to the given address, it was noon. The current time was 5PM, and they were nearly to the given address left at his door. So far, it was being called in as a “wellness check” with suspicions of abduction, but without visually seeing either civilian it wasn’t being treated as a crime. The kingdom guards were aware of this clan, but they existed just outside of kingdom borders, so there were politics with kingdom involvement that March couldn’t fully understand.

He was beside himself, riding in the back of the kingdom cart with Olric. He had been quiet for some time, sensing March was being quiet due to internal panic.

“Hey.” Olric suddenly said, the sound of the horses tread making quite a lot of noise beneath them, “It’ll be okay.”

March ran a hand down his face and looked over at his brother with a heavy sigh, tired from all the devastation and stress of the day, ”.. Yeah.”

“We’ll be at the clan outpost soon, the guard says he’s been at this one before during a robbery investigation, so it’s not off radar. We’ll find her, March.” He put a heavy hand on March’s shoulder, attempting to reassure him.

March looked down at his feet, realizing most of his worry was with how this whole thing would affect his relationship with Ari. All he wanted right now was a chance to show her exactly how he felt, love her harder, talk to her- he just wanted to hear her voice after all this time. He wanted to smell her scent, touch her skin, he just.. Hoped he got the chance.

After an hour, the finally rounded a way back up into a thickly forested marsh area, wild boars running through the tall grass between the trees.

“Hoy! There!” He heard one of the guards yell, catching his attention as he looked out from the cart toward the direction they were headed, where he saw wooden fence peeking out from behind the trees, the path was dirt, as if this area were made by the hands of the clan.

As they reached the gate to the clan outpost, guards walked out from the place on defense, and the kingdom guards disarmed from their horses and walked up, Adeline walking with them. March could hear the confusion between everyone as he hopped the cart and ran over, entering a winded discussion between like ten different people.

“This ain’t kingdom land.” One of the outpost guards said sternly, pointing his makeshift sword across their path, blocking them entry, “Leave.”

“We have reason to believe you have two of our kingdom citizens, we want to take a look around.” Adeline said in a strong and angry voice, so unlike her, much like a leader.

“Ha, citizens? They have to be land owners in the kingdom, in the eyes of the kingdom, to be consider true residents.” The guard said cockily, “I’m sure you have the papers to show for yourself.”

“We do. They are both land owners in Mistria.” Adeline cocked her head with attitude, retrieving a folder from her hand guard and opening it to pull out multiple documents, “They both reside as taxpayers of Mistria.”

March felt his mouth gape open, coming to the realization that.. Domenico was a landowner in Mistria.
One of those houses under construction..
Belonged to Domenico.

March began to pace, his hand on his head, reeling with the sudden realization. Domenico.. Was going to live in Mistria. He was moving there. He was going to be a competitor blacksmith in his town. He was going to live a street away from he and Ari, and the knowledge of that brought an entirely new level of stress and panic.

“Fuck.” March whispered to himself as Olric met him up by the group of people arguing, running up and putting a hand on March’s shoulder.

As Olric listened in to the heated discussion with confusion, March could hear that even with the proper papers, they were denying everyone entry on the basis that this wasn’t kingdom land. He was so close to her, but with no way to get to her.

“I demand to speak to your captain, Dennison Holly, immediately!” Adeline barked, stepping toward the guard with aggression in her tone.

“He’s not at this outpost, lady.” The guard barked back, tilting his head back and looking at her with sharpened eyes.

As everyone argued, March walked up to the gate, peeking in to see past the guards, looking for even a glance at Ari from a distance. Al they needed was to see she or Domenico to be provided access, and he was staring as far into the gated clan community as he could, desperately looking for even one glance.

--------------------------------------------------------
Ari’s POV

“Help! Help! There’s something wrong with her down here, please!” Domenico yelled in a believably desperate cry, then glanced back at Ari who was lying on the ground, appearing to be unconscious near the back of the cell.

Very faintly, after a few moments of yelling, she heard the door click open as a guard ran down the steps in a rush, “What, is it a fuckin’ full moon or something?”

As he ran to the door and looked in, the guard began cursing to himself, jostling his keys in a rush to find the one to the jail cell. Domenico was attempting to look panicked, both hands on top of his head and pacing.

“Come on, man! Help her!” Domenico begged convincingly, a sob in his voice as he stand beside the door to the cell, looking back toward Ari who was lying still at the back wall.

“Ah shit, son of a bitch, we’re gonna lose all that cash if you die.” The guard muttered to himself, pulling out the correct key and unlocking the cell, pulling open the door and hurriedly running in just a foot or so- but then catching himself as her eyes trained on him, “W-wait.”

Domenico quickly shadowed out the door to the cell just barely, then pulled the guard over toward him by the back of his hair, gripping the strip of cloth he had tethered tightly to the bar with the other hand, pulling the door wide open and wrapping the strip of cloth around the guard’s throat, using the bars of the door as a leverage post, trapping his neck between the cell and the fabric, choking him.

As the guard fought, unable to reach Domenico behind the bars of the cell door, swatting desperately for his life, Ari got up quickly, pulling the bottle of whiskey and the lighter out from their stash. Running to them, she opened the glass bottle, tossing whiskey onto the guards face and chest, and hesitated for only a moment, Domenico nodding at her, before flipping open the metal lighter and holding it to the whiskey, igniting his shirt with flames.

Dazed from being choked, the guard stumbled forward onto the concrete, the flames engulfing his face as he roll on the ground desperately. Ari slipped past him, meeting Domenico at the bottom of the stairs, both of them looking back at the guard as he choked desperately, trying to scream as he batted out the flames that had burnt up to his hair and cap, rolling around on the ground.

They both ascended the stairs hurriedly, Domenico took her hand tightly as they reached the top door, Domenico cracking it open slowly and looking out cautiously, trying to see if there was anyone standing guard. Much to his surprise, there was no one out there, all guards having drawn their attention to some other area of the outpost for the time being.

“Come on, shh.” Domenico hushed her, pulling her by the hand and pulling her out into the upstairs jail, both of them looking around, but rushing, desperate to take advantage of the lack of guards in the quarters.

Ari recalled the guard saying it ‘must be a full moon’ and figured something else had happened with the clan nearby that required a number of guards. She blessed their luck, knowing there were usually so many people standing guard in the jail, there was never only one guard in there.

As they reached the front door of the jail, they both scaled the wall as there wasn’t a door, Domenico peeking out beyond the brick to see if anyone was nearby. Not seeing anyone, he pulled her with him down the steps to the jail, intending to walk out the back of the clan community, but before they could make it beyond the yard of the jail, Ari felt a strong hand grip her arm, roughly pulling her back in the direction of the jail, Domenico being pulled back with her, his grip harshly cutting into her wrist.

She looked back to see Dennison with an angry smile on his face, having been standing behind the jail, cigarette in hand, clearly he had been standing in the back yard of the jail having a smoke when they’d tried to escape.

“Where do you think you’re going?” He roughly pulled both of them toward him, Ari’s face hitting his chest and Domenico roughly stumbling into both of them, Dennison’s sheer strength able to pull both parties with more than enough force to stop them in their tracks, “Muds! Grab ‘em! Bag the boy!”

Ari felt panic settle in her chest at that phrase, she knew what it meant.

“N-no-” She stammered desperately, trying to pull away from Dennison, failing miserably to get away from him as he yanked her toward him, in a battle to get her away from Domenico’s grasp.

Ari looked back at Domenico with tears in her eyes, gasping in devastation as one of Holly’s guard’s quickly rounded a small burlap sack over Domenico’s head, pulling him back and away from her roughly, but his grip on her arm was harder than ever. Just as he lost his grip, being pulled backward by the neck, a back tied tightly over his neck, Ari screamed.

“Get rid of him.” Dennison spit with an angry laugh, holding Ari to her with an arm around her throat, putting her in a tight headlock as she watched the guard pull Domenico away with a sack over his head.

“No!- Domeno!-” She screamed a scream she had never heard leave her body before, her voice sounded so pained and desperate she barely recognized it came from her lips.

She realized then, that she had started crying, watching Holly’s guard pull him backward, wrestling him in the opposite direction of them. She broke down, sobbing and yelling after him, unable to wrestle herself free from Dennison’s grip, feeling hopeless, powerless, and out of control.

And most of all, she was terrified.
She had lost him. He was gone.

--------------------------------------------------------
March’s POV

Standing by the gate, vaguely listening to Adeline and the guards talk politics, he heard Ari scream in the distance. It was Ari’s voice, he would know it anywhere, but he had never heard her sound like that. She had let out the most blood-curdling scream, one that made every single one of his hairs stand on end, a scream that triggered his fight response so deeply he found himself immediately beginning to run in the direction of it as time felt like it was slowing to a stop.

A guard caught him, disallowing him entry, as he desperately yelled, “That was Ari! I heard her, she’s in there-“

Just as he finished his sentence, just barely stepping his way through the gate, he could see them. He saw Ari being held captive by a very large, older man, and Domenico being wrestled by multiple guards, a burlap sack tied over his head as he fought hard to keep them from pulling him away from Ari.

“I see her! She’s there!” March pointed, one of the kingdom guards walking over and getting a visual.

“Resident spotted, being held captive. Head in.” The guard said sternly, a stoic look on his face.

As the guards forced their way into the outpost, the guards of the clan stepped back, realizing that now they were outnumbered and at the mercy of the kingdom, being caught in a crime. As the guards ran in, Dennison took a defensive grip on Ari, holding her roughly by the throat as his other guards threw Domenico to the ground in front of them, retreating at the sight of the kingdom guards.

“Dennison Holly, drop our civilian and put your hands over your head, immediately.” The guard demanded, holding his sword toward him, two other guards surrounding him.

“What is the meaning of this? This is my clan’s business, it has nothing to do with your kingdom.” Dennison spat angrily, increasing his hold on Ari as Domenico pulled the sack from his own head, lying on the ground, catching his breath.

“These are our kingdom taxpayers, they are residents of Mistria.” Adeline yelled to him from behind her guards, holding up her folder as a gesture.

“T-taxpayers..? She’s- She’s homeless!-” He looked at Ari incredulously, then back at the kingdom guards in disbelief.

“No. Neither of these civilians are homeless. They both reside, as legal homeowners, in Mistria.” She corrected, Dennison looking around at the massive group of guards who gathered around them, realizing not only that he was outnumbered, but the kingdom would never send this many formal guards to assert this unless they knew for sure.

“Fuck.” He rolled his eyes with a harsh sigh, violently retreating his arm from around Ari’s throat and throwing her roughly and angrily to the ground, "A fucking homeowner. That's rich, you little whore."

The kingdom guards immediately pulled his hands behind his back with an intense grip, pulling him away from the group and into the back of the third cart that was driving separately back to the kingdom, Dennison spitting further vitriol as he pulled at the guards, being lead by three men to the cart.

Ari desperately crawled over to Domenico who was sitting up a few feet away, and wrapped her arms tightly around him, sobbing into his chest at the thought she had lost him. March watched from behind the guards, feeling a hurt in his chest travel to his throat, creating a lump as he watched his future bride cry into another man’s arms. She hadn’t even noticed him standing there, it was like all she saw was Domenico.

”.. Ari.” March said with insecurity, the guards walking around in various directions, searching the outpost, and Adeline sitting to start filling out paperwork on this with her counsel, leaving only the three of them and Olric.

She pulled her head up in surprise, looking around for him, recognizing his voice immediately, “March-?”

As she saw him standing a few feet away next to Adeline, she made her way over to him, running, wrapping her arms around him. He held her tightly as he and Domenico locked eyes, and even then, March knew. He knew something had happened between them. He could see the unusual amount of jealousy in Domenico’s eyes as he stood up from the ground and dusted himself off, glaring at March from a distance.

“How did you find me? I-” She pulled back to look at him, still processing everything.

“A man with blonde hair left a note with the address to this outpost. Maybe you know him.” March couldn’t help how flat an annoyed his tone came out.

Just a bit ago he had been so desperate to see her, so excited with anticipation over being reunited with her, and now, seeing her hug Domenico like that, hearing the pain in her voice as she screamed for his life, and seeing the unbridled jealously in his expression as he held her.. He felt like the only one not in on the joke.

He didn’t like it.

She held onto him tightly, and it pulled at March’s heartstrings. He loved her. He was so worried for her. He had fought all day, just going through the motions to finally find her. He finally closed his eyes, wrapping his arms around her and sinking into her embrace. He felt at home in her arms. After avoiding her how he had been, feeling her this way felt so much deeper than usual.

---------------------------------------------------------
Ari’s POV

As she pulled back from her embrace with March, Ari could see Domenico standing over by the guard’s cart, facing away from them, seeming to be waiting for everyone to get everything figured out so they could all be on their way home. He didn’t want to see Ari hugging on March right now.

“Ari.. Domenico bought one of the houses in Mistria.. Did you know about that..?” March asked her quietly, joining her gaze in Domenico’s direction, and she realized March saw her staring at him in the distance.

“What..?” Ari furrowed her brows, snapping to look at March in disbelief, “Since when?”

“Adeline showed the tax papers. We all own land in Mistria.” He said looking at the ground, she could sense he was uncomfortable, having just saw how close she and Domenico had been, “Did you know about that?”

“I didn’t know, March.” Ari admitted quietly, turning toward March and placing a hand on his cheek, turning his face toward her, “I swear, I had no idea.”

He didn’t seem fully certain, but he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to his chest, kissing her for the first time in weeks. Ari felt a sob leave her chest as her eyes rolled to a close, falling into March as their kiss continued.

As their kiss got more heated, Ari heard a nervous cough from a few feet behind them, and realized Olric was a third party to their groping session.

“H-hey, I’m right here.” Olric said with a chuckle, rubbing the back of his neck, pulling March and Ari back to reality.

“Yeah, sorry.” March cleared his throat, pulling away from Ari’s lips with a slight blush, still seeming conflicted.

After an hour or so, the paperwork was all filled out, and Adeline walked up to the small group beside the carts and let out a big sigh, seeming exhausted from the day she’d had.

“Good grief. Please, never get abducted again.” Adeline sighed, running a hand over her face and shaking her head, “I’ve never needed to do any of this before, thank God for kingdom counsel.”

“Alright, it’s getting late, so we need to find a spot nearby to haul up for the night before heading back.” Eiland said, walking up to stand beside his sister, putting an arm across her shoulders, “We passed a small village a bit back, even if we need to sleep in the carts overnight, it’ll have to do.”

“Alright, let’s cart up, then. We can take this one.” March gestured to the second cart, since Domenico was seated at the entrance of the first, clearly trying to separate them.

“We can take that one and ride together.” Ari furrowed her brow and looked away from March uncomfortably, “Domeno just saved my life, March. I want to sit with both of you.”

March clearly didn’t like the idea of that, glaring and looking away from her, but overhearing what she said, she noted the small smile pulling at Domenico’s mouth. After everything, she wasn’t going to make Domenico feel forgotten about. He wasn’t going to be the third wheel right now. They hopped into the cart, Domenico and Ari seated on the floor, March and Olric seated on the cart bench.

She felt so attached to Domenico right now, and she hated how much she knew March could feel that. Ari had just spent a day of captivity with Domenico, and she had been through so much with him. She nearly lost him today. Watching him get dragged away from her with a bag over his head had punctured her heart in a way that hadn’t quiet healed yet, and she didn't want to be away from him right now.

Sitting beside them both in the cart, she wanted to be close to both of them. She was holding herself back from the physical attention she had been giving Domenico the past day. They had been practically inseparable, and now that they were together in the cart, it felt so wrong to sit so far away from him. But knowing that, she didn’t want to be too physical with March to spare Domenico’s feelings.

March noticed the space between them.
She could feel it.

As they made their way into the small village, the guard spotted a small inn at the far end of town. It was small compared to the inn of Mistria, but they had one free room, and as they talked amongst themselves about who would take it between all of them.. They couldn’t figure out a winner.

“Come on, you can take the room, Ari. It’s fine.” Domenico said with a strained smile, wanting her to have the bed, but the undertone of him giving a room for her to sleep with March in the same bed made her feel weird.

“We can sleep in the cart, it’s fine.” Ari waved her hands in front of her, not wanting to be in a bedroom alone with March, not due to discomfort but because she didn’t want Domenico to think anything was.. Happening.

“Oh, and Olric will bunk with us? That doesn’t make any sense, Ari.” March argued, on Domenico’s side somehow.

“Domenico and I can sleep opposite ends of the cart, you guys take the room.” Olric reassured her, patting March on the shoulder, “Besides, lady always takes the bed.”

“I.. Ugh. Okay.” Ari realized they were all agreeing about this, and she had no reason to keep arguing.

It was Domenico’s professional nature that made him give her the bed, but she could still see the discomfort written all over his face at the idea of her reuniting with March in that bed. She didn’t want to fight about it, there was no point, so as the guards bedded down in their respective spots out front, March and Ari hopped the cart, March leading her inside by the hand.

The guards had already paid the desk, and they were pointed toward the only bedroom on the second floor, right at the top of the stairs. There was still a heavy air between them, it almost felt awkward being with March after so much time away from him. She felt on edge and out of her element. He unlocked and opened the door, allowing him to enter before him. The room was quaint, very simple and small. This wasn’t an extravagant village, so the room was more like a spare bedroom at your grandmother’s house. Small, a bed with a blue and white checkered quilt, a small wooden desk, a couple bedside tables with a lamp.

They settled in, March pulling hers and Domenico’s phones out of his pocket and handing them to her, tossing his own phone with a charger on the bed. Ari sat down quietly and looked around, still feeling incredibly awkward, and March was pacing around absentmindedly, because he could openly feel how weird things were between them.

”.. Ari, I’m sorry.” He stopped pacing and sit on the bed beside her, close to her, looking down at his hands.

”.. For what, March? You found us, you saved us.” Ari leaned her head affectionately on his shoulder, closing her eyes.

“No, I mean.. Before this. I.. Ignored you. I’m just sorry.” He stood up from the bed, kneeling before her and looking up at her, “Ari.. All I could think about the past day was how fucking sorry I was that I..”

Ari was taken aback at his high level of emotions. He had ignored her for so long, she had expected him to still be mad at her, distant, she wasn’t even sure he wanted anything to do with her at all until he came and found her today. She knew he should be mad at her, after what she knew she did.

“March..” She whispered, cupping his face with her hand and looking down at his eyes, ”.. I don’t know what to say.”

“I can feel that something changed between us, Ari. I can feel it, and it fucking kills me.” He whispered in a sob, wrapping his arms around her waist and laying his head in her lap, and she felt a sob escape his chest, “I just want to do this over. Please.”

She ran a hand through his hair lovingly, looking down at him with a furrowed brow, feeling emotions welling in her chest as she recalled what her past day had been like with Domenico. She felt guilty. The whole time March was feeling like this, she had been doing all of that with Domenico.

“March, I-” She started, feeling like she needed to admit herself, she had broken her promise and she needed to come clean to him about Domenico.

Before she could continue, she felt him bring his face up to her, kissing her on the lips and pushing her backward onto the bed, wrapping his strong arms around her in a desperate hug.

It had been so long since he had touched her this way.
His scent found its way deep into her chest.

“A-Ari-” He broke their kiss, rubbing his nose against hers, then met her lips again in a hard kiss, pushing her down against the bed as she instinctually wrapped her legs around him, pulling him down onto her.

She gasped, feeling his hard cock pressed against her as his tongue twirled against hers, feeling the fire growing in his motions, feeling his desperate need for her approval once again overcome him. It had been so long since he had laid a hand on her, she fell so fast into his web and became wrapped up before she even knew what was happening.

“O-oh-” She moaned as he lifted her shirt over her head and pressed his lips to her breast, grinding into her feverishly, she ran her hands through his hair and pulled at his shirt.

He lifted his arms over his head and broke his contact with her skin just long enough for her to pull his shirt off. He panted as he grind down onto her, Ari gasping as the feeling of his hard length pressed onto her, running her hands up his muscular chest as he look down at her with dark eyes.

“Ari, tell me you’ll still be mine-” He panted, softly flipping the button on her pants as he continued to press into her.

“M-March-” She moaned out as she ran a hand down onto his cock through his pants, March gasping and sighing at the contact.

It had been just as long for him, since the last time they were intimate. He was so ready to go, he looked like a bull in a pen, ready to ram into her at full speed, full aggression. He pulled his headband from his forehead and tossed it to the floor, his red and black hair was ear-length now, just barely covering his eyes, messy as he leaned over and looked down at the image of her beneath him.

As he pulled down her pants, taking her panties with them, she felt so exposed. For the first time since they had started dating, she pulled her legs together to hide her sex from him without even consciously realizing it. He seemed a little confused by this, perplexed at her defensiveness.

“I-I’m sorry. I want to, I just haven’t had a shower in-” She stammered, a blush across her face and insecurity in her eyes.

“I don’t care about that.” He reassured her, Ari looking away from him shyly as she parted her legs, March quickly making his way between them without skipping a beat.

Truthfully, while that was one reason, the other reason was that not even twelve hours earlier.. Domenico had his mouth there. She hadn’t told March yet, as much as she wanted to, she just couldn’t get herself to stop this from action. March touching her was.. Heavenly. Leaning down to meet her folds, he hungrily and quickly lapped at her skin, like he had missed the taste of her flesh for weeks. Ari arched her back, lacing her fingers through his hair and tugging lightly as her body twitched and convulsed.

He knew exactly what she liked.

As he groaned onto her, she looked down and saw he was unbuckling and unbuttoning his pants, his cock noticeably hard through them. It almost looked painful, how hard he was, as he wrapped a hand around his throbbing member, lapping and sucking at her clit, wetting her entrance with his saliva.

“March-! O-oh!” She moaned out, unintentionally pressing herself up into his face, March moaning in response as his licking drew more aggressive in response, looking up at her, watching her arch her back in pleasure.

“F-fuck Ari- I-I need-” He stammered, pulling his cock free from his pants and looking down at her with a look of desperation.

He was solid, throbbing, breathing heavily. He had this look on his face she had never seen from him, he wanted her so badly he could barely convey it to her in words. Catching her breath, she held out her arms to him, becking him to her. He lie down on her, kissing her with a gasp, groaning quietly as his cock press against her wet opening, his jaw tensing with anticipation.

“P-please-” She gasped, breaking their kiss, spreading her legs and wrapping them around him, running her hands up his chest as he look down at her with uncertainty.

“I-I-” He stammered, twinging as he rub himself against her, up and down across her entrance, sobbing into the side of her neck as he embrace her, “I don’t want to lose you..”

“March-” She moaned his name with question at his statement, but before she could ask, she felt him begin to push into her, both of them moaning out as he fill her up, “Ah-!“

She felt him tremble as he embedded himself deep in her core, and she wrapped her arms tightly around him, running her hands up his neck and through his hair, planting lovely kisses from his neck up to his cheek, small gasps leaving him as he hold still, allowing them both to get used to the sudden contact.

He kissed her with grave emotion, as she felt him sob into their kiss, she suddenly realized just how much of these feelings he had been holding back all this time. His breathing was staggered and uneven as their kiss continued, both of them moaning out as he began to move his hips against hers, sensitive from how long it had been since the last time they had felt each other this way.

“Fuck, Ari, you’re so tight right now-” He gasped, breaking their kiss as he held a moan in his chest, holding his hips still as she clamp down onto him, “I-I’m not going to last long-“

“It’s okay, March.” She sighed, hugging him to her chest and kissing him on the forehead, “I-I love you-“

As he began to pick up pace, gasps and moans escaped her throat, March pushing deep into her with this position, Ari’s legs up around his waist as he lean into her from a standing position. She heard a few quiet moans escape him as he started going harder, his body tensing and his muscles tightening as he tried to hold himself together. Ari felt her eyes roll to the back of her head as he hit her deeply, her hands tapping on his chest as he wrap his arms around her, leveraging himself so he could go harder.

“M-March- Oh, F-fuck-” Ari stammered, feeling her body start to twitch, his cock growing and throbbing inside of her, she could feel that he was close.

“A-ah- Ari-” He groaned quietly, moving his hands to her hips and roughly gripping her, pulling her up into his thrusts, making her hips meet his even harder as her body stuttered.

She gasped repeatedly, unable to even moan, whimpers and sighs leaving her chest as he looked down into her eyes. He was drawn on her, locked to her, his mouth slightly parted as he gasped with each thrust, his abs and pecs flexing with each pump of his hips. He bucked into her a hard few times, as his thrusts grew uneven, leaning down and kissing her roughly and passionately as he pulled her hips hard into his, pushing as deep in her core as he could possibly go, and unleashing inside of her, quietly moaning into her mouth. She could feel his cock twitching deep inside of her as he released, both of them moaning into their kiss.

As he stay deep inside of her, their kiss persisted, both of them holding onto each other tightly as they lie on the bed together. A million thoughts suddenly flooding to Ari’s head, and she suddenly felt filled with emotion. March had lay his hands on her for the first time in weeks, and right now she was thinking of Domenico. She felt the corners of her mouth pull downward as she felt so overwhelmed. From getting abducted, to seeing Dennison for the first time in years, to being so close and bonded to Domenico, to being intimate with March for the first time in so long, she felt.. Too much. Something in her chest felt like it busted into a million pieces.

Ari started to cry.
She didn’t want to cry.
She didn’t want March to see her cry.

Pulling back far enough to look at her, March immediately noticed she was crying, and placed a hand on her cheek and looked at her with concern. She looked away from him in embarrassment, covering her mouth.

“Ari-?” He questioned delicately, pulling her to his chest, comfortingly, “Ari, why are you-?”

“No, I- I don’t want to talk, March. Please.” She sobbed, pressing her face to his chest as he wrapped his arms around her.

Ari very rarely cried, never like this, never after sex, and March was clearly confused and worried about this- as he should be. As he held her, pulling out of her and helping both of them get under the covers, he broke his hold on her only to turn off the bedside table light, holding her tightly to him as she huddled against him.

After all this time, with everything she had gone through, the arms she felt safe enough to cry into like this were his. Things just kept getting more and more fucked up, and now she didn’t know how to fix it. She didn’t know how she was going to face Domenico after this, or how she was going to come clean to March. She had to, and she would.

But not tonight.

Chapter Text

The next morning, as they arrived home in Mistria and she and March went back to the forge, she found it difficult to return back to her daily life as if nothing had happened. The trip back had been so awkward, sitting between March and Domenico without a word, Olric awkwardly attempting to crack a few poorly-landing jokes, but eventually giving up and sitting quietly with the rest of them.

But one thing was for sure.. she had missed Alloy.

As Ari washed the dishes, Alloy was curled up on top of her feet, purring heavily. Ari looked down at her on her toes and smiled to herself. Some much needed reprieve from everything she had been feeling. March had gone straight to the anvil, and with every strike, Ari felt it drive a nail into her chest, a repetitive, banging reminder of the guilt that plagued her mind and heart.

She hated the way she felt, but.. it hadn’t felt like a good time to talk about it with him. She planned on waiting until he was done with work, after dinner. She had to tell him. She knew it would be bad, understandably so. It would be so much easier to just move on from this and pretend nothing happened, but the guilt was growing in her chest with every deep-seeded kiss and hug, every passing glance, every single moment of silence between she and March.

As she finished up, she leaned down and picked up Alloy, hugging her to her chest and burying her face in the kitten’s fur, sighing. After a few moments of comfort, she set Alloy down on the couch and watched as she rolled out into a curly-fry shape, Ari smiling and patting her belly before turning toward the door and heading out to get supplies to make them both dinner.

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After the long day, Ari had made them both a lambchop dinner and various sides, trying her best to at least do something nice for him, before the approaching argument. She knew it was coming, and she was dreading it. She set the table, poured them both water- not wanting to aggravate the situation with alcohol of any kind.

As she waited for his arrival, she heard the door to their home open, March walking in, covered in sweat and black marks.

“Hey-” Ari started with a shy smile, looking down at the ground as she greeted him, “Here, let me take that.”

She took his bag, setting it on one of the hooks across the room as he kicked off his boots by the door. He immediately walked up to her, wrapping his arms around her waist, pulling her into him with a tight hug. Despite everything she had on her mind, his arms tightly enveloping her still brought her so much comfort.

She felt guilty being comforted by him.
She didn’t deserve it.

”.. What is it?” March asked her suddenly, Ari hadn’t realized how obvious her negative body language was at the time.

”.. Let’s just have dinner, okay?” She pulled the subject to the side, giving him a quick peck on the cheek, which seemed to throw him off.

She didn’t really just give him pecks on the cheek like that, she cursed herself right afterward realizing how weird that probably seemed to him.

“Uh.. I’m gonna go change, I’ll.. Be right back.” He said with a heavily skeptical tone, his brows furrowed as he seemed incredibly concerned now, like he was being sat down for a ‘talk’ and he knew it.

She sighed as he disappeared up the stairs, and then she felt herself start pacing. She put a hand to her forehead, cursing herself for being so incapable of just acting normally long enough to have dinner with March before she said anything. She just couldn’t get it all out of her head, all she could think about was what she was going to say to him, everything she was going to admit. After a few minutes he trotted back down the stairs, walking up to her and kissing her, pushing her back against the counter. He had been very lovey to her since the night before, and while Ari loved that, it was everything she had wanted before, after all the events from the day before she found herself unable to fully be okay with it.

They sat down and had dinner, both of them were very quiet. March had attempted to start conversation about the forge, but being so deep in her own head, Ari was having trouble focusing on asking the right questions to keep the conversation on track, so it eventually fizzled out and they finished out the rest of their meal quietly.

As they both finished up, Ari sat quietly drinking her water, stalling. Now would be just about the time. She was working up the nerve, staring off at the floor of the kitchen, until she realized she could feel March’s eyes on her.

”.. I can feel something happened yesterday that you’re thinking about.” He said suddenly, looking at her, his hands clasped in front of his mouth.

She was almost glad he brought it up, as she couldn’t figure out a good way to smoothly transition into a conversation about that whole thing.

”.. Yes. I need to tell you something.” She said quietly, looking away from him.

“Before you do.. I found this at the farm.” March lifted his hand from his pocket, pulling out her engagement ring, holding it out to her, ”.. I thought you might like it back.”

Ari’s eyes teared up, seeing the ring.

”.. Before you give that back to me, March, I have to be honest with you.” She tapped at her eyes with her hand, trying to keep her tears from running down her face.

She could see the fear cover his face as he retracted his hand, holding the ring in his fist as he sit back in his chair, crossing his arms, pressing his lips tightly together for a moment before quietly saying, ”.. I’m all ears.”

By his tone, she could tell he already knew.
She saw in his eyes that on some level, he knew yesterday.

”.. I did a few activities that were outside the boundaries of our relationship, and I want you to know that it happened.” She said calmly, trying to be direct.

“Don’t be diplomatic, just say you cheated on me with Domenico.” He spat back, anger in his tone, “Just say it.”

She didn’t know why she still felt so taken aback at his sudden coldness, looking down at the table and pausing for a few seconds before quietly admitting, “I cheated on you with Domeno.”

“Okay, well, I want all the details, please.” He leaned forward on his arms with narrowed eyes, staring daggers at her, “Did you kiss or..?”

She looked away from him uncomfortably, not wanting to be specific, feeling that would be crude. After almost a full minute she heard March scoff angrily from across the table.

“O-oh, so it’s ‘or,’ then..?” He sat back again, waiting for her to answer, until he started getting pissed at her lack of answer, “Ari, what the fuck, say something. What did you do with him?”

”.. We made out, and he.. Gave me oral.” She said just above a whisper, afraid of his response, not even wanting to tell him that detail, but not wanting him to think they fully had sex.

”.. That’s fucking disgusting, Ari.” He looked away from her, closing his eyes tightly and shaking his head, as if he had accidentally pictured it mentally and he was trying to erase it from his mind, “You’re a real bitch for this, you know that?”

”.. I do know that.” She said in a low voice, wiping a tear from her eye and trying to conceal her eyes with her hand afterward.

”.. Why the fuck would you do that?” He asked her, still looking away from her, his body language increasing in anger as he stood up from the table and started pacing the room.

She sat there like a child in the principal’s office, simply feeling ashamed, not even wanting to argue, but feeling like she owed him an answer she cleared her throat of tears and said, ”.. You hadn’t touched me in weeks, March. I was really just starting to think things were over between us, and-“

“Oh.” He spat angrily, looking at her with disgust as he interrupted her, “I’m sorry that you being in love with another man was kind of a fucking turn-off for me, Ari. Did that make you feel bad?”

He picked up his glass from the table and threw it, shattering it against the wall, causing Ari to jump at the suddenness of it. The room was silent after that for a long time, and they both hung in it.

”.. What am I doing wrong, Ari? What am I doing that isn’t ever fucking good enough for you to love me more than him.” She heard a break in his voice as his rage turned to overwhelming sadness.

She sit there silently, looking down at her lap, glancing over at the broken glass splintered across the floor and the puddle of water beneath it as she avoided giving a response.

“It’s like no matter what I do, it isn’t enough for you to choose me.” He said in a low voice, facing away from her, wiping his eyes with his arm, ”.. I want you to leave. I can’t do this anymore.”

She paused, understanding that he was right, that she didn’t deserve him at all, before saying quietly, ”.. I’ll go.”

As she got up from her spot at the table, tears running quietly down her face, she picked up her jacket and threw it on, grabbed her bag, her phone and her charger, and without another word, she left. She felt terrible. She knew she should. She felt numb after all of it, with no idea of what she was going to do.

So she head to the cabin, because it was what she knew. She didn’t want to make it home again, but it was somewhere she owned that she could store her things and had a few leftover changes of clothes, so she could use it for storage at least. She sat outside on the deck for a long time, sitting on the stairs where she and March had first kissed, looking out into the field. She knew March thought she would immediately run to Domenico, so she couldn’t bring herself to send him a text, despite him being the single only person in the world she felt tied to emotionally.

She just couldn’t go to Domeno after this.
It would be such an insult to March.

She thought to herself for a long time, sitting there for hours, trying to decide what route to take from here. She decided to continue farming, making money for herself and Mistria, and in the meantime.. She wanted to go back to her roots. No more simple life comfortability. She wouldn’t be sleeping at the cabin, she would bum it wherever was convenient.

As she sat there, she received a text, the vibration making her heart jump.

March: You can come get your things while I’m out of town tomorrow. 3PM to 8PM.

It was so.. Emotionless, she thought to herself. She didn’t message back. She wasn’t going to pick up any of her things, she didn’t want any of it. Everything she bought in that house reminded her of March, she didn’t even want to look at it.

She wasn’t going to talk to anyone about it.
She just wanted to be by herself with this.

As she got up and walked down to the beach, night was fully set. She began to realize, every single spot in this town held the memory of March. He had proposed to her on that dock, looking out into the sea. She spent a good portion of the night just walking around, pulling her hood up over her head and looking up at the stars for peace of mind.

She couldn’t act like she was surprised, but she was absolutely hurting. She was hurt by how devastated March had sounded. She wounded him horribly, and there was nothing she could do to take it all back. The most she could do was accept responsibility, and hope that maybe he would forgive her someday.

Eventually it rounded to nearly 5am, and Ari found herself in a divot behind the museum between the back roof and the wall of the building add-on where she would be shielded from the morning sun when daylight came. Settling in the concealed area, Ari sat with her back to the brick, leaning against the side wall, and eventually fell asleep, tucking her hood over her eyes.

Just like old times.

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March’s POV

March paced the house, rubbing his eyes.

He found himself so angry that she didn’t even try to fucking plead for their relationship. She didn’t ask once if they could work any of this out. She just said ‘I will’ and fucking left without a single word more, even ignoring his text about picking up her things.

It’s like she didn’t even fucking care, and it compounded his heartbreak, it was like having his heart torn out of his chest twice. He was sure the reason she didn’t fight for their relationship was because she had planned to go be with Domenico, and the thought of that made him feel physically sick.

She could be with him right now, March thought to himself, throwing the dish towel he’d been balling up angrily into the sink with a sob, sitting down at the kitchen table and hanging his head in his hands.

He knew he didn’t deserve this.
But he had the thought hanging in his head.
Maybe if he hadn’t avoided her before- no.
He shook that from his head.

He knew this was something he would need to keep to himself. He wasn’t even sure what to tell Olric about all of this, he knew he would be so confused. Yesterday he March and Ari were fine, and tomorrow morning he’ll have to tell him it’s all over.

He was fucking angry.
And really fucking sad.

As he eventually lie down on the couch, not able to bring himself to sleep in their bed alone, his last thought before falling asleep was that come morning he would be fully diving head first into his career. No more distractions. Love was a fucking waste of time and energy.

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Ari’s POV

Ari had woken late, having gone to bed at 5AM, and spent a few hours out of her day watering the crops and weeding the plants, being careful not to spend too much time at the cabin, hoping not to be found.

She had recieved a text from Domenico around 5PM.

Domenico: Hope you’re doing okay.

But she didn’t message back, she couldn’t just yet. Not a single word from March the whole day, which was to be expected. She was trying not to be seen by anyone, she didn’t want to talk. She didn’t go to the forge to get any of her things like March had told her to, and she had no intention of bothering him with a response. Come 8PM, she received a text from March, and she read it as she stood up from the deck, leaving the cabin.

March: Olric is going to drop off your things to the cabin Thursday morning.

She had read it immediately, but didn’t text back, tucking her phone back in her pocket and sighing to herself.

It was going to be a long week.

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March’s POV

March had spent a lot of the week throwing himself into fulfilling orders, barely taking any time to eat or sleep. His hammer could be heard across the town day and night, and much to his surprise.. Merri was the one bringing him snacks here and there to keep him moving.

It was Thursday morning, 9AM, and he had already been working for four hours, He had his back turned toward the door, trying not to watch as Olric boxed up and pulled out Ari’s things from the house. He didn’t want to look at her things, but he didn’t need a reminder that she was gone. He just didn’t want to think about it, he didn’t want to think about anything, he simply wanted to attain the only positive emotion he could mutter- pride in his work.

After a few hours, Olric coming back up from the farm with their moving cart, he paused briefly to catch his breath and drink some water as Olric walked up to the anvil with a weird look on his face.

“Hey bro.. I hate to bother you with this, but Ari hasn’t been at the cabin all morning. I dropped her things off outside, maybe you could send her a text and let her know. I could only do the smaller stuff, it was like four boxes.” He said with a sigh, still catching his breath from moving everything, ”.. Have you actually talked to her? I’m not trying to pry, it’s just weird she disappeared off the planet, no one has seen her.”

“I’ll text her again. She reads them, doesn’t have the decency to message back.” March said angrily, tossing his hammer to the ground with a clunk, and pulling out his phone.

March: You alive? Olric tried to drop off your things. Say something, I want to make sure you’re aware.

Message not delivered. Little circle was empty, meaning her phone was off or she had no connection.

“Hm.” March hummed to himself, “Whatever. She’ll get it when she gets it.”

Olric stared at him with worry as March bend down to pick up his hammer, walking up beside him as he returned to work, “You don’t have to do this to yourself, March..”

“I’m working.” March said flippantly, his chest aching a bit from the unwanted reminder of everything that had happened.

“This is self-harm, bro.” Olric put a hand on his shoulder, making March jump at the sudden contact, ”.. I’m here, you know.”

”.. I’ll let you know if I need a dad lecture. Thanks.” March said with a huff, sarcasm in his tone as he continued with his hammer.

Despite how short he had been with Olric, not being able to get in contact with Ari had put him a little on edge. He was pissed off, but he didn’t just stop loving her overnight. He grew angrier at the thought that.. Maybe she was with Domenico, and that’s why she wasn’t at the cabin. He threw down his hammer and sit beside the shop, putting his face in his hands, unable to contain his emotions.

Fuck this.

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Ari’s POV

It had been two weeks since, and Ari was sitting at the beach at 8AM, looking out into the lightened waves, having caught the sunrise. She had spent the night at the cabin watering the crops, typically going there only at night so no one would see her, sleeping at a random location throughout a majority of the day. Admittedly, she had been spotted a couple times, it was hard to avoid everyone in this tiny town. She had long since turned off her phone, not having turned it back on, not wanting to read the texts anymore.

She pulled it from her pocket, looking at it, but deciding against turning it on, she slipped it back into her pocket. Her pick had broken, so she planned on going to the forge to buy a new one, and it would be the first time she had gone there since she left a few weeks ago. She didn’t have another option, they were the only forge in town. As she looked out into the water, she thought hard about what her plan was. She considered moving, but Domenico had bought a house in Mistria and it was nearly finished. Not that she asked him to do that, but he was her closest friend and he had spent a lot of time and effort into moving himself closer, so she couldn’t just bring herself to leave.

Her closest friend.

Just as the thought crossed her mind, she recalled she hadn’t sent a single text to him, finding it impossible to bring herself to do it, not after everything. Even though she and March were broken up, she still couldn’t let herself get closer to Domenico right now.

Just as she was deep in thought, someone sat down beside her, and she already knew who it was. Domenico pulled his knees up to his chest quietly, looking out into the waves with her, both of them taking a long, silent pause between both of them, the morning sunlight casting shadows from the forest over the lighthouse cliff.

”.. I’ve been worried about you.” He said quietly, both of them still looking out into the sea.

Ari lay her head on her knees, looking over at him coyly, whispering, ”.. I know.”

“I just wanted to know that you’re okay.” He said, meeting her eyes, “I.. heard you moved out of the forge.”

”.. Yes. I told March everything.” She turned her face toward her knees, hiding her eyes with both arms, ”I couldn’t just not say anything.”

He looked back toward the water and sighed, breathing in the air from the sea, whispering, ”.. I’m sorry.”

“It wasn’t your promise to break, Domeno. I shouldn’t have done any of that with you- not while I was in a relationship.” Ari admitted reassuringly, ”.. He told me I was a bitch. He was right.”

“He shouldn’t have called you that.” He said, annoyance in his tone, a little surprised.

“He was right, Domeno.” She shook her head slowly, looking across the beach, away from him, “What I did was a real bitch thing to do.”

“He was just mad, Frostie.” He said comfortingly, trying to take some of the edge off of the conversation.

“He’ll never forgive me for this.” She shook her head and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath, “And he shouldn’t.”

Hearing the sound of wheels slowly rolling behind them, she and Domenico both turned back to look toward the narrows, and behind them was March with a wheelbarrow full of rocks and ores, likely collecting extra supplies from around the lighthouse.

As he met eyes with her, he scoffed and shook his head, turning back toward the narrows and going back the way he came.

The way he shook his head was as if he were saying, ‘I fucking knew it,’ seeing them both together on the beach. The timing was so wrong, she hadn’t seen Domenico since before they got home, and she knew March thought she immediately ran to Domenico after she left.

She hadn’t.

She turned back toward the waves with a sigh, closing her eyes and furrowing her brows, frustrated at what she knew March was thinking now. She just had to let it go. Maybe it was better if he thought she’d moved on, maybe it could be more.. Final. She loved March, but she couldn’t keep herself from hurting him, and she hated it. He could hate her, and move on with his life.

And she.. Well.
She would just be a farmer.
Back to the beginning.

”.. Well.. I’m gonna get back to the house. They just finished up, so tomorrow I’ll be moving everything in.” He said, standing up from his spot beside her, dusting sand off of his pants, ”.. You should come by. I’ll make us lunch, it’s be good for you. .. Doesn’t look like you’ve been eating much.”

He was right. She just hadn’t been hungry.

She looked up at him, so close to declining, but instead she just nodded and whispered, ”.. Maybe. Yeah.”

After all, what was she holding out for? March already thought she had moved on. She might as well just be friends with Domeno, instead of pushing him away just to stand by her word to a man that she had already shot to hell. It’s not like March cared now.

As Domenico walked away from the beach, she lay back on the sand, looking up at the scattered clouds overhead. At this point, she didn’t even like being at the cabin. There were way too many memories there for her, and every corner of that place reminded her of March. Every time she sat on the steps to the deck, she could see the mental image of him leaning in to kiss her for the very first time dancing in her vision like a nightmare that haunted her.

She needed to go buy a pick. Maybe if she went around through the farm, she could drop by the forge and buy one firms Olric before March got back, since he was out right now getting supplies, Ari stood up from the beach and began quickly making her way through the bottom of the narrows, through her fields, and toward the town.

As she approached the forge, she saw no March at the anvil and no wheelbarrow out front, so she was fairly certain she’d beat him back. As she reached the door, she stopped in her tracks, hand reaching toward the handle to the shop entrance. She just felt.. Frozen. She wanted to walk in, but a pit had formed in her stomach as she looked at the door, and she felt stunned.

A lot of different emotions overcame her for a moment.
But she shook them off, pulling open the door and walking in, seeing Olric at the counter. He looked surprised to see her, but it seemed he was trying his best to just seem normal.

“O-oh, Ari, hey.” He smiled with a short, awkward wave, setting down the ore he had been polishing, “How can I help you?”

“I just need a new iron pick, if-” She suddenly felt like she was going to puke, pausing and putting her hand over her mouth, closing her eyes and focusing on just riding through the waves of nausea.

”.. Ari, are you okay..?” Olric asked in confusion, beginning to walk around the counter and come over to her, but she pulled away from him uncomfortably and put a hand up as if to halt him.

“I’m fine- I just need an iron pick, please.” She choked out, still feeling a surge of illness building in her stomach, but fighting to keep it from coming up.

Ari usually loved the smell of the forge, but suddenly the smell of heated metal and ores was making her feel ill. Ari wondered to herself if this was some sort of physiological response to her grief of ending her relationship with March, shaking her head at her own weakness as Olric came back from the back room with a new metal pick in hand.

She purchased the pick from him, Olric wrapping it in a cloth and handing it over to her, as Ari stood there quietly with one hand clasped over her mouth and nose, silently fighting the urge to projectile vomit. She nodded at him without a word and waved at him as she began walking toward the exit, and as she grew closer to the forge just outside, the scent of the coals grew stronger, striking her and suddenly she found herself running out the front door of the shop and down the steps, dropping the pick in the flowerbed as she turned toward the bushes, retching violently into the wood chips behind the brush.

Throwing up hard, tears formed in her eyes as she ran out of things to vomit, dry heaving and coughing, breathing heavily as she turned away from the bush, wiping her mouth with her arm and standing there looking at the ground, recovering.

As she turned around, she realized March was standing over by the anvil, looking at her with wide eyes and confusion all over his face. If she didn’t know better, she’d think he was worried, the way he looked like he was about to walk in her direction, one hand slightly outreached in her direction. He didn’t say anything, Ari silently picking up her new pick from the ground, pausing and taking a deep breath, and then walking away from him without a single word.

As she walked the path back to the farm, she felt dazed. She felt embarrassed that the first time she had seen March since their break-up, face-to-face, she was puking in his flowerbed. She took a deep breath, and then spit off to the side of the path, still trying to get the taste out of her mouth. She got back to the cabin and immediately went inside for a cup of water. She sat down at the old table, in the dark and cluttered cabin, drinking, just trying to get the taste out of her mouth, trying to put something back in her stomach after it had squeezed every drop of content out of it with force.

She sighed, wondering to herself when feeling this bad would finally stop.

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Later that day, it was Friday night at the inn, and Ari battled herself about going out for a drink. Going out in public was something she had avoided for some time, but she could really use a drink after the week she’d had. She just wanted to sit in a room and exist like a normal person for awhile. She had spent the day recovering from her random bout of illness, and she was finally feeling back to normal, and she walked up to the inn and pushed open the door.

The place was full, no one really noticed the visitor bell.

Everyone was gathering, talking, Reina and Celine were dancing together playfully on the dance floor. Adeline and Eiland were talking at a booth with Elsie joining and watching them argue. If Ari didn’t know better.. It almost felt so normal. Like the entire town had moved on, without even noticing that her world had ended a couple weeks ago.

She looked to the end of the bar and saw March was sitting at the far side, beer in front of him, head on his hand. He looked.. Rough. Ari decided to avoid going to the far end, not wanting to cause any issues, and ordered her drink from Hemlock, just a barleywine, and sat herself behind March at a booth further back, hoping no one would see her there.

She sat with her hood up, in a darker corner, trying not to be noticed. She couldn’t help but glance over at March as he ordered his second, third, fourth, fifth beer since she’d been there. She sipped on her one barleywine for a long time, closing her eyes and just enjoying the feeling of existing in the same space as March, even if he hadn’t noticed her. She missed March so much, that even being able to be twenty feet away from him, across a busy bar, so much clatter and noise between them, brought her comfort right now. She felt stupid, knowing on some level she had hoped he would be here.

After an hour, and a number of beers later, Olric walked up to March at the bar and put a hand on his shoulder, pulling lightly at March’s shirt, “C’mon bro, I think it’s time to go home.”

”.. I’m good. Leave me, you go.” March mumbled, not looking up at him from the counter.

“No.” Olric asserted, pulling March up from the bar stool, March looking over to him angrily.

“You’re not my fucking dad.” March slurred angrily, pulling away from Olric, stumbling just a little backward, “Leave me alone.”

“I’m not leaving you here like this, March. Let’s go.” Olric furrowed his brows, stating seriously, taking March by the wrist and attempting to lead him out the side door.

March, pulling his arm away from Olric, shoved him with force, knocking the air out of Olric’s chest as he stood there completely taken off-guard by March’s sudden aggression. They both stand there at odds for a few moments, multiple people staring at them now, Hemlock looking over at them as he polished a wine glass. Looking past Olric, March spotted Ari at the back booth. Ari could feel the concern all over her face, watching March look so angry and not okay right now. As he met eyes with her, he fliched, and anger ran through his expression as he glared at her, then at Olric, before storming out of the inn, everyone had eyes on him as he left.

Olric ran after him, an angry expression on his face, but worry in his eyes.

Ari had never seen March like that.

She finished up her beer and brought her glass back up to the bar, and she turned to leave out the front door, running almost face first into Domenico’s chest as she took a sharp turn toward the door. He caught her, both of them jumping slightly.

“O-oh, Ari.” He said softly, holding her by the shoulders to steady her, then took a step back as they caught their balance, “Didn’t expect you to be here.”

”.. Yeah, I just wanted a beer. I’m heading out now.” She said simply, smiling at him softly and starting toward the exit.

“Hey Ari, can you do me a favor..?” He stopped her with a gentle hand, and she looking up at him questioningly, ”.. Can you turn on your phone, please? It’s not safe to just be out in the street all night with no lifeline.”

She thought it over for a second, pulling her phone out of her pocket. She had charged it a couple days ago, just in case, she just couldn’t bring herself to turn it on and see the potential messages.. Or lack of them. Neither felt good. She turned the screen toward him, holding down the power button and letting it start up, then turned away from him and began heading toward the door. He seemed content with that, at least.

As she walked home, she felt the phone repeatedly buzz in her pocket, messages that hadn’t been delivered while it was off. she couldn’t even look. She didn’t want to read any of the texts she’d missed. She began her way back toward the cabin at first, but then decided to walk around the streets instead. She had already finished her business at the farm, and there was no point in heading back. As she walked around in the dark fall night, she saw few people, despite it only being around 8PM. She passed the forge, pausing to look, then turning back toward the narrows.

Just as she was turning her attention back toward the bath, she caught movement at the forge just out of the corner of her eye, and from a distance she turned her head to see what it was. She saw Juniper walking from the fountain to the forge, stopping just outside the shop door, texting someone on her phone.

Ari watched as March emerged from the door of the shop, meeting Juniper out front, both of them talking briefly. March glanced over and saw Ari, obviously still drunk, and she saw the expression on his face turn into one of almost.. Shame. But clearly shaking it off, he turned back toward Juniper, taking her by the hand and leading her into the front door of the shop in one swift motion, as if he wanted to get out of Ari’s sight.

She felt a pang of pain in her chest, as her heart broke again.
He was drunk, and with Juniper.
Probably in the bed they slept in together.

She wiped at her eyes as she felt tears forming in them, holding her breath painfully in her chest until she could still her emotions. March had told her he didn’t like Juniper, yet the first person he turned to after their break-up was her. Texting her and asking her to come over, to the house they used to fucking live in. For the first time, Ari found herself angry and filled with devastation at the idea of March with her of all fucking people.

She stopped in the path and sobbed, pulling her phone out of her pocket and unlocking it, finally checking her texts. March had sent her a small number of texts since they broke up, all of them being about Olric dropping her things off, asking if she was alive, trying to confirm she had received all of her things. There were a lot of texts from Domenico, asking if she was okay, asking why his texts weren’t being delivered, generally just trying to make sure she was alright.

Wiping at her eyes, her chest aching, she decided to send a text.

Ari: I miss you.

And after a few seconds, almost immediately, she received a text back.

Domenico: You can see me any time.

She locked her phone, tucking it back in her pocket, sobbing in the middle of the narrows path. She could feel that urge to fall into the comfort of her friendship with Domenico starting to take over. March had moved on. Fucking someone else in their bed tonight. She just wanted to feel something that wasn’t so terrible. She didn’t want Domenico to be a rebound. She felt like she would be taking advantage of Domenico if she did that, and who knows what March would think if she did that-

.. He already thought that.
He was wrong.

Ari sat down against the fence post, pulling her knees up to her chest and looking up at the starry sky. In the narrows, the stars were so clear, making her feel so small. She wanted to text March, she wanted to tell him not to do anything with her, but Ari knew she had no place to do that. Not by a long shot.

Suddenly she felt sick again, that barleywine not sitting right. She got up in a rush, leaning over the wooden fence and retching into the tall grass with a few subsequent coughs, her body fully ejecting the beer from her system. She stay leaning against the fence, looking down into the grass, panting as she caught her breath.

She felt like.. Maybe she was getting sick.
The stress must be getting to her.

Sighing, sliding back down from the fence and sitting in the grass, she pulled out her phone and unlocked it again, typing a text, filled with hopeful anxiety as she rested a hand on her cheek to sooth herself.

Ari: Can I come over..?

After a few seconds, her phone vibrated.

Domenico: Just left the inn, meet you outside the new houses.

She smiled genuinely, probably for the first time in awhile- but then remembered she would have to walk by the forge at a close distance. She took a big sigh, then lifted herself up into a standing position. She took the path by the swinging tree, cutting her path short so she wouldn’t have to be in front of the forge for too long. She kept her head turned away, but out of the corner of her eye, she could see the upstairs bedroom light was on at their March’s house.

As she reached the new house area just beyond the bridge, she walked up, wondering which belonged to Domenico. She looked around curiously, then noticed him standing outside, leaning against a mailbox in front of one just in the middle. He saw her and waved with a big smile, turning toward her and meeting her in the middle of the rocky driveway with a big hug.

“Hey.” He sighed, pulling her in tightly, taking Ari a little by surprise.

She hadn’t really been close to him like that since she got back, so it felt foreign for Domenico to hold her like this after a few weeks of not seeing him much. She could feel, on some level, he was hopeful that now that she was single, maybe this meant she could be with him now.

But she still had reservations.

He walked with her up to the door, walking them both in. The house was really nice, but it was still mostly empty. There were a few boxes on the counter, some chairs stacked up, a living room chair in the far corner, but the place.. Was pretty bare.

“Wow, this house is really nice, Domeno.” Ari sighed, looking around with a smile, ”.. How long did you plan this?”

“A few months before you found out. I hired someone for construction, bought the plot, and it was put up pretty quickly.” He took a sip of his water, looking over at her as she walked around, ”.. Usually I would offer my guests something, but right now I uh..”

He opened a cabinet, then the fridge, walking around his kitchen as Ari watched him, entertained by how flustered he seemed by her sudden visit.

“I can offer you a PB&J, or um.. A glass of merlot.” He chuckled, laughing at himself a little, ”.. Both, if that’s your thing.”

Ari laughed, the first genuine laugh she’d had since th break-up, ”.. You know, I actually would go for a PB&J right now.”

“You got it.” He smiled with a chuckle, pulling the few supplies he had from the fridge, and making them both one, using paper plates.

She walked over to him, looking over the kitchen curiously, then looked over at him from across the room, watching as he happily made them both a sandwich, and thought to herself.. He was so cute. He seemed so happy just to have her there. He walked up to her, handing her a plate, and they both walked into the living room and sat on the carpet, crisscross.

“You know.. After not eating anything but crackers for six days, this is the best meal I’ve ever had.” Ari chuckled, suddenly feeling her appetite return, but realized Domenico was looking at her with a raised brow, pausing.

”.. S-six days? Are you nuts?” He asked, looking over at her with concern, “You can’t do that to yourself, Ari.”

”.. I just haven’t been hungry.. Sometimes when I eat, I just throw it back up. That’s why I’ve been eating crackers.” She explained, taking another bite of her PB&J, rocking back and forth on her legs a little.

“Throwing up..? Are you sick?” He asked softly, taking a bite of his sandwich and looking over at her curiously, putting her free hand on her forehead, earning a chuckle from Ari.

“No, no, I think I’m just stressed, is all.” She sighed with a tired smile. Finishing her sandwich and leaning back on her hands, looking over at him and meeting his eyes, her tone becoming sad, “It hasn’t been the easiest few weeks. Earlier I saw.. Juniper meeting March at the forge. He was really drunk.”

He looked down at his plate, thinking to himself briefly before looking back up at her seriously, ”.. Is that why you texted me? ..To get back at him?”

“No, Domeno. I texted you because you make me feel better..” She looked down at her lap, leaning forward and putting her face in her hands, ”.. I’ve thought about texting you, I just needed some time by myself to think about everything. Tonight when I saw her there, it broke my heart.”

She chuckled sadly, propping her chin up on her hand and looking at the floor, avoiding his eyes.

”.. I’m sorry that happened.” Domenico said, leaning forward to meet her eyes, running a hand comfortingly over her forearm, “I’m sorry for all of it.”

“Don’t. This is all my fault, and I’m going to have to learn to be okay with it.” She sighed, sitting up and smiling at him, “It.. Feels nice to be able to sit with you in a room and not have to worry about it all.”

“I’m always here for you, Frostie.” He said with a slight blush, their eyes locking.

She knew that was true. But through all of this, everything that had happened, she felt like she couldn’t fully fall into something with Domenico. She just felt like things with March weren’t over. She couldn’t explain why she felt that way, but it was like she could hear a constant, nagging voice in the back of her head that told her not to do anything March wouldn’t approve of.

They sat and talked on the floor in his living room for a couple hours, until both of them grew tired. Domenico pulled a couple blankets from his laundry basket, offering her one as they both lie down on the carpeted ground.

”.. This was going to be my first night staying here, I’m.. Really glad I’m not sleeping on the floor by myself.” He chuckled, throwing one of the blankets over Ari, and then turning off the overhead kitchen light, sitting beside her, and covering himself up with the other.

”.. I’ve been sleeping behind the museum every night.” Ari admitted quietly, expecting him to tell her she was nuts.

Exactly as she expected, he looked perplexed, “W-what? You own a cabin, why are you-“

“Because being at that place reminds me of..” She trailed off, sighing to herself at how ridiculous that probably sounded. Sleeping in an alley because of a break-up, now she really sounded insane.

“Oh.” He said understandably, nodding his head slightly, ”.. I get it. That makes sense. Well.. You can sleep here any night of the week. You’re always welcome here, Frostie.”

She smiled, but deep in her chest she knew she couldn’t sleep here every night. That would be relinquishing herself to the idea of having a relationship with Domenico, which she didn’t plan on doing. She just needed a friend right now, and Domenico was an incredible friend to her. As she noticed he was falling asleep, she looked down at the carpet, furrowing her brows, deep in thought.

Domeno was an incredible friend.
.. She couldn’t imagine her life without him.

Resolving herself, she looked up at him, he had his eyes closed and seemed to be asleep, or falling asleep. In a moment of bravery, she pulled up his blanket, rolling herself closer to him, and lifting his arm and placing it over her waist. Just as she thought he was already asleep and hadn’t noticed, she was turned away, her back to him, he pulled her into him, hugging her tightly.

”.. Night, Frostie.” He whispered in a low tone, holding her tight.

“Goodnight, Domeno.”

---------------------------------------------------------

The next day, when she woke up, Domenico wasn’t next to her. She felt very odd, being in a completely empty house without him in it, so she checked her phone to see if he’d left her with any idea of where he went, and saw he had sent her a text.

Domenico: Had to go back to the Ides on business, sorry to leave you. Stay as long as you want, Frostie.

‘Stay as long as you want.’
What about forever? Ari found herself thinking.
She shook her head and sighed.
Friends.

She readied herself to leave, she had to get down to the farm to start her rounds, since she hadn’t last night. As she left, she locked the door behind her, walking up the path and then looking back at the house. She sighed to herself, in the morning light. Behind Domenico’s house was a forest, and she could hear the birds chirping. For the first time in a few weeks, she genuinely felt at peace for a moment. He lived a three minute walk from her house, and she never thought they would be so close like this.

At the farm, she started tending her crops, spraying her eco-friendly pesticides and pulling weeds from between her crops. She had planted a ton of pumpkins, easily 300 of them, and she was making her way through and watering them. They were turning out great, she had only been dealing with a small number of pests, almost all of the pumpkins were coming along nicely and should be ready in a week or so.

Just as she was pulling what she thought was a weed from between her pumpkins, her hand gripped something slimy, and she pulled out a rotten pumpkin full of pests, and it stunk. Ari immediately dropped it, pulling her other hand up and over her mouth, turning around and puking in the grass behind her crop partition.

“Urgh..” She was breathing heavily, getting up and walking away from the rotten crop she’d pulled out.

She wasn’t usually this sensitive to smells. She couldn’t think of a single time a rotten crop had made her get sick before. Catching her bearings, she walked back to the cabin, making her way inside for a glass of water.

She thought to herself, suddenly-
Fuck.

----------------------------------------------------------
March’s POV

Eyes closed, March woke up, taking a deep breath. He could feel someone laying on his chest, and for a split second, his brain tricked him into thinking it was Ari, until he came fully back to reality, opening his eyes and looking up at the ceiling.

He looked down, seeing the long, purple hair laying across his bare chest, both of them were in his bed, and he slowly pulled himself out of the bed, trying not to wake her, as he began to feel the panic rolling over his body.

What the fuck happened last night?

He walked out into the hall in his underwear, walking briskly into the bathroom, and locking the door behind him. He stood in front of the mirror, looking down at the sink, catching his bearings, trying to remember everything that happened.

Juniper giggled, both of them sitting on the couch, and he could smell her cheap perfume.

Ugh.

”Come on, let’s go upstairs, I have a game I want to play with you, hohoho~”

March ran his hands over his face, holding his head in his hands as he started to recollect everything that had happened in pieces.

He looked up at her as she moaned, he could feel her straddling him, the room was spinning and he was feeling blurry. She lowered herself onto him, and March closed his eyes, putting an arm over his eyes and allowing himself to disappear into the black of his eyelids, not wanting to see her face. If he closed his eyes, he could almost pretend-

Fuck. March turned on the water, splashing his face a couple times and looking at himself in the mirror. He felt disgusted with himself.

As he walked out the front to meet Juniper by the door, he heard her say something- but out of the corner of his eye he saw someone staring in the distance. It was Ari. He felt stunned, shame burying itself deep in his chest, as he saw the look on her face as she saw him with Juniper. Feeling angry, he pulled Juniper inside by the hand, closing the door behind them.

March started pacing the bathroom, rubbing his eyes and feeling so repulsed with himself. What had he done. That look in Ari’s eyes, it-

He shouldn’t even feel bad.
She cheated on him.
But there was still the feeling in his throat that made him feel so horrible. Even if they weren’t together anymore, he felt like he was cheating on her. He had another woman in his bed. He had slept with someone else last night, the only other woman he had ever been with.

And Ari had seen him with her.
He knew now, after this, it was really over.

--------------------------------------------------------
Ari’s POV

Ari made her way to the general store in a hurry, flipping open the front door and beginning to scour the aisles, looking desperately for an object she desperately needed right now. She picked up a little pink box, looking around the store, trying to make sure not a soul was going to see her buying one of these, and quickly made her way up to the register, nervous that even Nora was going to see her purchase.

”.. Oh.” She looked down at the pregnancy tests, as Ari nervously shuffled her eyes around, tapping her foot, ”.. I-is this all for you today, Ari?”

“Yes.” Ari said simply, as Nora gave her the total, Ari pulled the money from her wallet and handed it to Nora, both of them feeling awkward, ”.. Nora, please don’t tell anyone.”

“I would never.” She smiled gently, wrapping up the test so no one could see through the partially clear bag, handing it to Ari and waving gently.

Ari skipped her way quickly out of the store, not wanting to go all the way to the cabin to take the test, she walked just across the road to the inn. This time of day it would be completely dead, so she knew she could use the back bathroom that rarely anyone went to. She pushed open the door, the visitor bell ringing. Hemlock looked over to her, noting the nervous look on her face as she quickly made her way past him with only a small wave.

“S-sorry Hemlock, need to use your bathroom.” She said quickly, not wanting to stop and talk to him.

Ari made her way into the far bathroom, locking the door behind her. The front bathroom was more like a bar bathroom, but this one was more like someone’s bathroom at home, since it was mostly utilized by people staying in the inn part of the place.

She stood with her back to the door, looking down at the rolled up plastic bag in her hand, then tilted her head back against the door of the room and closed her eyes sightly, taking a deep breath. Standing in front of the sink, she unrolled the bag, taking the little horrible box out of the bag and opening it, carefully reading the directions on the package from top to bottom.

She followed the directions on the box exactly, placing the little cap back on the test and setting in on the edge of the counter, pulling up her leggings and standing up to wash her hands. She looked at herself in the mirror, feeling.. Afraid.

What would this even mean for her? What if she is pregnant? She realized that during the time she’d gotten abducted, she had forgotten her pill a couple random nights before, but right after one of the two nights she’d forgotten to take it, she was taken by the Diavolde, so she had gone nearly three days without taking her birth control before the last time she’d had sex.

March.
She couldn’t tell him.
Not after everything, he hated her.

Ari sighed, pacing back and forth as she waited for the ten minutes to be up, panicking to herself about all of this. She couldn’t let this affect March’s career. She had already heard from Hemlock that March planned on doing some traveling for his blacksmithing soon, this would completely destroy his plans. She would never want him to put his life on hold for.. this.

Minutes passed, and she looked at her phone for the time, seeing it had been almost ten minutes. She sighed, sliding her back down the wall in front of the sink, pulling the test from the counter on her way down. She gripped it tightly in her hands, praying to some omniscient force that this test would please, please be negative. She was stalling, sitting there for a long time just gripping the test in her hands with her eyes closed.

She pulled the test down from her chest and slowly opened her eyes, looking down at it.

Fuck.
Positive.

Chapter Text

Sitting on the floor in the bathroom, she probably spaced out there for way too long, looking at that stupid, little, oblong plastic tube.

A life-changing, little, oblong plastic tube.

This was just the dumbest thing she’d ever fucking seen. She dropped it in her lap and put her hands on both sides of her head, tightly closing her eyes and sighing in frustration.

She had a million thoughts flying through her foggy head at full speed. Should she.. Just not have it? Should she give it up for adoption? She.. Couldn’t do that.

Should she tell March?

She sighed to herself and put a hand on her belly, briefly thinking to herself how insane it was that there was a baby in there. She needed to see Valen. Ari lifted her head, recalling that Valen took walk-ins on week days, and started getting up from the ground in a hurry, tucking the test and the box back into the plastic bag and rolling it up, tucking it under her arm like she was trying to hide it. Maybe if she went to Valen and had a real blood-test done, it would be a false positive.

.. Right? False positives happen.
Maybe she was panicking for no reason.

She looked at herself in the mirror, fixing her hair and trying to steady herself and her emotions before going back out into the world to address the issue which had existed only in this tiny bathroom until now.

As she left the bathroom, all the sound from the inn came back in full, and it felt so weird to be rejoining an unchanged Mistria after what she knew now. She held one hand over her mouth, clearly still looking unsettled, as she walked back through the dining room of the inn, passing the bar while looking at the ground, still lost in thought.

Just as she reached the front and looked at the door, reaching for the handle, on the other side of the glass she saw March, who was looking up at her through the glass, getting ready to enter the inn. In a panic, Ari pulled her hand back and turned away from him, starting to walk toward the direction of the side door.

“Ari, wait-” She heard the visitor bell jingle as he opened the door, his voice sounding almost desperate, “I need to talk to you about-“

She didn’t turn around, continuing to walk toward the other door, one hand on her mouth, her head looking down at the ground. Just as she reached the door, March stepped in front of the door with his arms out, appearing frantic and concerned, blocking her exit.

“Ari, I need to talk to you about last night-” He looked her over, realizing something was obviously very wrong by how she was avoiding his eyes and had her head down, but likely thought she was upset about seeing him with Juniper, ”.. Please let me explain-“

She turned away from him again, avoiding his eyes, rolled up plastic bag now hugged to her chest defensively as he walked around the table hurriedly to meet her at the other side. She was upset about seeing him with Juniper, of course, but there was a different complication far overriding her jealousy right now.

”.. I don’t want to talk.” She said coldly, “I just want to leave.”

“If you just let me explain, I-” He started, stepping closer to her, trying to meet her eyes.

”.. You don’t owe me anything, March.” She said, softening her tone and looking him in the eyes for the first time since they’d met at the door.

“But-” She noted the unrest in his voice, as he clearly wanted to talk to her about this, but she turned away from him and walked back out the side door- this time, he didn’t follow her.

She couldn’t tell him.
Not after everything.

She walked her way down the street up over to Valen’s office, taking a deep breath of fall air. It brought her some peace, the smell of cool air and fallen leaves.

She reached the office, glancing around briefly to see if anyone saw her, only spotting Elsie by the fountain. She walked into the office, looking around, seeing that this time of day there was no one- aside from Valen who was seated at her desk.

“Oh, Ari, I’m surprised to see you.” Valen said with a friendly tone, shuffling a few papers into a folder and putting it away, “What can I help you with, just a check up?”

Ari paused, unrolling the plastic bag and pulling out the positive pregnancy test, flashing the result up toward Valen, who gave her a knowing smile.

“Well, we can run some tests and see if this is accurate. Are you in a committed relationship or have you had multiple sexual partners? I ask as a doctor, not to pry.” They said in an understanding tone, pulling out a blank sheet and a new folder, motioning for Ari to sit with her at a table with an exam table, pulling the curtain closed behind them.

”.. I’ve only ever been with one, but we’re.. not together now.” Ari said quietly, knowing everyone in town already knew she and March had been engaged, and now Valen would be fully aware who the father of this particular pregnancy was.

They nodded at Ari, writing down something in her notes, ”.. I see. Well, let me draw some blood from you, and I’ll test for your vitamin levels while we’re here. After all, if you’re going to be carrying a baby, it would be good to know your general health. In the event you are pregnant, would you like to talk about your options?”

”.. There is only one option for me.” Ari sighed, coming to terms with it herself as she looked down at her lap, “I would be keeping it.”

Valen nodded and closed their eyes, walking back out the curtained area to prepare for the tests.

Ari hadn’t even realized she’d made up her mind, until the notion of ‘options’ became part of the conversation. After all the times she and March had talked about starting a family, all the times she had imagined what their children would look like, she just couldn’t bring herself to feel okay with getting an abortion. Eventually she would have to tell March, but it wasn’t going to be right now. Eventually he would notice her pregnancy, she wasn’t fooling herself into thinking he simply wouldn’t notice, that would be obtuse.

At the same time, she didn’t want to disrupt his life and destroy his career with the responsibility of a child. He wanted to talk to her so badly, to explain himself for the night before, she had never once seen him so desperate to speak to her. She found herself wondering why, after all of this, he felt like he needed to explain himself to her.

Was it not over for March?
Did he still love her?

She felt an ache in her chest as she felt the familiar sting of tears come to her eyes, trying to blink them away as Valen came back into the room.

“Alright Ari, it shouldn’t take long at all. I do all my testing in Mistria, so it will only take a few hours for me to run everything. Let’s get you set up, that way you get return back to your day.” Valen smiled, pulling out a variety of things and beginning to strap Ari’s arm to take her blood.

After the blood tests, Valen put a ball of gauze in Ari’s inner elbow and taped it there, giving it a gentle pat before beginning to toss the discarded supplies into a nearby trashcan.

“There we go, good as new!” Valen smiled, standing up, “I’ll get the results later today and I’ll give you a call, that way you can have a definitive result.”

Ari nodded, holding her jacket and her positive test rolled up in the bag, hidden beneath her jacket, as she waved back at Valen. She walked back out into town, and as she turned toward the path leading to the cabin, she met eyes with Domenico, who was talking with Eiland by the fountain.

“Ari, hey.” Domenico called to her, waving at Eiland and walking over to Ari, looking her up and down, gesturing to the gauze on her arm, ”.. You sick? Looks like you got tests done.”

“It’s just normal blood tests, it’s nothing.” Ari lied, and she felt bad about it immediately, correcting herself after realizing how easily that lie had flown out of her lips, ”.. It is a big deal. I don’t want to lie to you.”

“Wait, you’re sick? What is a big deal?” He furrowed his brows, looking around to see who was around and walking with her, both of them speaking in quiet tones as they passed the fountain.

“I’m okay. I don’t want to talk about it right now.” She sighed, realizing that telling Domenico she was pregnant was going to be a lot harder than she imagined.

She was certain he had been holding on to the idea that Ari and he would be together after awhile, since she and March had broken up. She had even gotten used to the idea of being with Domenico.. And she hadn’t realized how used to that idea she had been, until the potential of that came crashing down with one tiny positive test.

She couldn’t be with Domenico now.
She hadn’t even decided if that were in her future or not, but it seems the choice had been removed from her hands, as life had other plans.

As they reached the path to the inn, further down, March and Olric turned the corner, and now they were all looking across the brick of the road at each other. March saw her with Domenico, again, and she saw a glare flash in his eyes before he stopped in his tracks and turned on his heel to walk in the other direction, pulling Olric by the arm behind him. He had been so desperate to talk to her at the inn an hour ago, Domenico was like a March-repellant right now.

She felt a little relieved to see he was with Olric, especially after the argument she’d witnessed at the inn not long ago. But she also felt unease sink over her, at the knowledge that March had seen her with Domenico again, and now he probably thought the reason she avoided talking to him earlier was to go and meet Domeno.

He couldn’t be more wrong.
She couldn’t explain.
This was so fucked up, now.

“Hey, Ari, I just wanted to ask you.. There’s a fall festival party coming up at the inn in a few days, and I just wanted to know if you would go with me..? I-I mean, not as a date, just as..” He started, nervously stammering, Ari could see that this actually was a date proposition, despite his denial of it being a date, “U-unless you wanted it to be a date, I mean-“

”.. I-” She was going to decline, with everything going on, but.. She caught the look in his eyes as his excited expression dropped, and decided there really wasn’t any harm in it, smiling faintly, ”.. Sure, Domeno.”

He paused with his mouth slightly ajar, tilting his head to the side, fully seeming like he had expected her to decline and was now thrown off by her approval. After a second of processing, he blushed and smiled, looking down at his feet shyly,

”.. Sure, it’s a date? Or..?” He crossed his arms over his torso and held himself, self-soothing in the even that question din’t yield the response he was hoping for.

“It can be a date, Domeno.” Ari smiled, feeling her face grow heated as she realized just how much he wanted this, “Um.. I have something important I need to tell you, but it’s.. A huge secret that needs to stay between us.”

“Oh?” He quirked a brow, looking at her with piqued curiosity, ”.. What sort of secret, Frostie?”

”.. I’ll tell you at the fall party, okay?” She ran a hand down his arm reassuringly, pulling herself in to hug him.

She felt better with Domenico. Somewhere, she was afraid this news might completely drive him away, and the thought of that was so much for her to consider. She knew this wasn’t a secret that could go under the radar for long, she completely knew that right now she was simply buying herself time to emotionally process everything the best way she could.

And Domenico needed to know about this as soon as possible, considering how heavily he had been dropping hints to her, wanting to spend more time with her, inviting her to stay at his house- they had been growing much closer in a seemingly romantic-type of way, up until today, and she didn’t feel comfortable keeping this from him for that reason.

As she pulled back from her hug and checked back toward where March had been standing, the thought occurred to her.. With how much he had seen her around Domeno, maybe March would assume they were sleeping together- especially now that she had seen him with Juniper that night.

Maybe she could keep this between she and Domenico.
Maybe he would keep this secret for her.

Maybe she could let March live his life, without ruining his career with this sudden, unplanned pregnancy. She wouldn’t have to tell him, if he just assumed Domeno was the father. Something deep in her chest began to ache at the thought of keeping something so serious from March, but she knew for a fact he would cancel all of his plans and uproot his life if he knew about this. Even if she just waited until the baby was born, that would give March nine months to travel, compete, and be an incredible blacksmith without having to worry about all of this.

Or.. Maybe she wouldn’t tell him, if she didn’t have to.
She could just let him assume it isn’t his. When the baby were older, there is no doubt he would know, but at that point he’ll be so much further on in his career. Ari sighed, continuing to walk with Domeno down the block, trying not to put so much pressure on herself to make that type of decision right now.

Her thoughts were disrupted abruptly, as she felt his hand brush against hers, his fingers lacing into her own as they continued down the path toward the cabin. She was heading back to pick up where she’d left off earlier in the day, trying to push forward through this shocking revelation with a little normalcy. Now, every time Domenico got closer to her, she was reminded of why that felt so weird, now.

She was holding hands with one man.
Pregnant with March’s baby.
And neither of them knew.

She already knew, despite still waiting on the blood tests to come back, that she was pregnant. She wouldn’t have had any reason to take the test, without all the sudden symptoms. That positive test she took at home would have been enough verification. The blood test was more of a hail Mary, Ari desperately looking for a doctor to tell her the home test was wrong. After sitting with the news for a few hours, the panic wearing off a bit, she realized now that.. Well.. Chances are, she’s definitely pregnant.

As they reached the farm, he walked with her over to the deck, Ari sitting on the steps. After the blood tests and all the walking, she actually felt pretty winded, having to sit down and catch her breath, and sensing her weirdly low fortitude all of a sudden, Domenico took a seat next to her and put his elbows on his knees, looking over to her with a little worry.

”.. Are you okay?” He asked suddenly, Ari still catching her breath.

All she had even done was walk, and she was this worn out. There was no way she’d be able to fulfill the rest of her work, despite how much she wanted to.

“I’m okay, Domeno, I.. I just need to catch my breath so I can finish up my work.” She panted quietly, closing her eyes and resting her head in her hands, taking a deep breath.

”.. You’re not working when you can’t even handle walking, Frostie.” He furrowed his brow, seeming to be making a statement rather than a request, standing up and looking down at her, “You can’t be serious.”

”I have to, or-” She began to argue, her concern for her crops apparent.

“I’ll water the crops, you sit here.” He commanded gently, beginning up the stairs and walking into the cabin, returning moments later with a bottle of water and handing it to her, “Drink this.”

She looked up at him with big eyes, and thought to herself briefly about arguing, but was also in awe at how much he had just made himself the boss with her. Usually he was so docile when it came to Ari, he did anything she wanted, he pined after her- but right now he was not asking, he was telling her she couldn’t water these crops today.

No crops. Water self. Note taken.
It’s not like she was in the position to complain.

“Hmph.” She pouted with a sigh, taking the bottle of water from his hand and opening it, leaning on her knees as she sipped it.

She found herself impressed, as he picked up exactly where she’d left off, without her needing to give him any directive. Just picked up the watering can and started on his way, pulling out any weeds as he went down the line. Obviously there were a number of weeds she would have taken the time to stop and pull out, but Domenico was doing this like he’d farmed before, and it wasn’t something that she’d expected. She watched with lidded eyes, as his arms flexed, lifting and setting down the watering can.

She continued to sip on the water, and she was starting to feel a lot better. Domeno was right, she did need to sit down and drink water instead of working herself to death over some pumpkins. As he finished up, picking up the handfull of tools and supplies she had left out when she ran to the general store in a hurry earlier, he brushed off his hands as he walked back up to the porch and sat back down next to her, sighing to himself.

”… Thank you.” She said softly, in a quiet admittance that he had been right about everything, ”.. I do feel a lot better.”

He smiled, playfully nudging her gently on the arm, “Told ya.”

She chuckled at his gentle sass, and realized.. She felt so much better now than she did. Not just physically, but Domenico had turned a horrible day into something better. She felt seen and cared for, she felt better physically, but she had also just laughed for the first time in.. Awhile. She hadn’t been doing much laughing, since the break up with March.

She felt Domenico put his hand on hers by accident, lifting it back up momentarily at the touch of her skin, but after another thought he put his hand on top of hers. She realized then that it was still hardwired into Domenico’s head that he couldn’t be too physical with her, as every now and then his first reaction to contact with her was to pull back a little. She smiled and looked down at her feet at the feeling of his hand on hers.

And then she felt a tinge of discomfort.
But then, she leaned against his arm, laying her head on his shoulder. It was true that this situation was a strange one, and she needed to tell him about the pregnancy, but she couldn’t help how much better she felt with Domeno. She hated how much she wanted to be closer.

As if he could feel her desire to be closer, he moved to look at her directly, placing a hand on her cheek as she lifted her head from his shoulder to look at him. They both met eyes, lingering there as he slowly leaned in further toward her.

”.. I would really like to kiss you.” He whispered, catching Ari off guard, and she felt heat rise to her cheeks as his hand placed on her face moved to put a strand of her curls behind her ear.

Ari let out a slow breath, looking down at the deck between them, thinking to herself hard about her next move. She didn’t want to lead him on, especially not before she told him about her big news. That said, at that moment, she really felt like she wanted that too.

”.. I would really like you to kiss me.” She echoed in a soft, barely audible whisper, putting her hand on top of his, which rested on her cheek.

Without letting another moment pass, he leaned in, pressing his lips softly to hers as they both sat on the deck of the cabin. She suddenly got a flashback to kissing March on this very deck, springing unexpected emotions into her chest as she pulled away, putting a hand over her mouth and turning her face from him in a hurry.

“I-I’m sorry.. I think maybe it was soon for me, with everything that happened..” She explained, taking a deep breath and putting her face in her hands, feeling angry with herself for making this such an awkward moment between them.

“Hey, it’s okay, Frostie.” He reassured her, pulling her into him by the shoulders, comfortingly, ”.. It’s my fault. I should have known it would be too soon for that.”

“No, it’s..” She sighed, stilling herself as she decided then that she wanted to be more open with him about her internal thoughts, “It’s this place. Every room in this house, the deck, the fields, walking to the beach, this town, it.. Reminds me of March.”

He nodded understandingly, running a hand over her back, ”.. I hope someday you let me make new memories for you here. You don’t deserve to feel bad at a place that’s supposed to be yours.”

Something about what he said struck her, and it altered her perspective on this situation from being awkward and negative into feeling somewhat reassured, looking back toward him with awe.

”.. You’re a really incredible man, you know that?” She whispered, as the air between them grew in tensity, Domenico looking taken aback at her words, like to him what he had said was just so normal, he hadn’t expected her to be so enamored by it.

”.. Frostie.. I wouldn’t be who I am if I didn’t know you.” He whispered back, looking down at his lap with a blush, a sad smile across his lips as he acknowledged their long-time bond.

Oh no.
That fluttery feeling became overwhelming for Ari as she leaned back in toward him, angling his chin up toward him and meeting him with a needy kiss. Taken off guard by this, he gasped softly, opening his mouth and inadvertently deepening their kiss as Ari wrapped her arms around the back of his neck. He quickly fell into the kiss, recovering from the suddenness, wrapping his arms around her tightly as their connection went on.

As their kiss broke, both of them pulling slowly away and opening their eyes to meet once more, Domenico paused, and then kissed her on the nose, pulling back from her gently.

”.. That can be my favorite memory here, so far.” He said softly, getting up from his spot beside her, “My door is open if you want to stay. I have to go back to the house while there’s still daylight and move some things in off the truck.”

“Is that why you went to the Ides this morning?” She asked curiously, standing up beside him.

“Yeah. Locke came with the first two rounds for the heavy stuff, then packed the truck up for me this last time and all I had to do was drive it back. Went back into town for a sec and ran into you, happy surprise.” He smiled, looking out into the field, “I was a little sad you weren’t there when I got back, but I know you’re busy, so..”

“Sad?” Ari echoed, tilting her head, then chuckled to herself understandingly ”.. I felt a little sad, too, when I woke up and you were gone.”

He smiled to himself, hearing her say that. When he was gone, she was sad. That meant something to him, and she could tell. She felt taken care of by Domenico, as acts of service were how he showed he cared. This was almost definitely due to their upbringing, as they were very much raised to know that doing chores and making sacrifices made you more valuable as a person. While it wasn’t necessarily healthy to convey that type of message to children, it was something she and Domenico had in common, and it was a language they both spoke and understood fluently.

Ari turned toward him, hugging him from behind and placing her hands on his muscular chest, pressing her face against his back as he looked out into the fields. She felt him tense slightly in surprise, before putting his hand overtop hers, turning his head slightly toward her. As she loosened her hold on him, he quickly turned toward her, wrapping his arms around her and hugging her tightly to his chest.

”.. My door is open, Frostie.” He sighed as they both pulled away from their hug, Domeno walking toward the direction of his home, waving back to her with a smile.

As he walked down the path, she sighed to herself, closing her eyes and running a hand over her face. She would tell him at the end of the fall party. She had decided.

At this point, she needed food. She was sick most of the morning, too worried to be hungry for the rest of the way, and now she was actually starting to feel the hunger hit her. She thought to herself.. Had Domenico eaten yet? He left so early in the morning, drove for hours, watered her crops for her, and now he was going back to do more moving.. Ari thought maybe he would be hungry, too. It would be the nice thing to do, if she brought him something from the inn.

She readied herself a bit, changing into a pair of jeans that were cropped at the bottom, and throwing on a purple cropped tank top. Since the sun would be going down soon, she tossed on her gray jacket before packing a couple necessary things into her bag before heading out the door toward the inn.

--------------------------------------------------------

Ari walked out of the inn, having bought a variety of different things for them to share. Domeno wasn’t a picky eater almost at all, so she didn’t necessarily feel like she needed to get so many different things, but she wanted to surprise him with something nice after how much he’d helped her the last few weeks- especially today.

As she walked straight, taking the path in front of the general store, she turned her head to look down in the direction of the forge, sighing to herself.

Nope. Not right now.
She wasn’t thinking about that right now.
Domeno would tell her that, if he were there.

She quickly shook it off, carrying the bag of goods and inhaling a deep breath of fall air, enjoying the last bit of time before the sun would set. This time of year, it felt nice to have as much sun on your skin as possible, because come winter, Mistria would be mostly overcast from what she’d heard.

She walked up to Domenico’s house, taking a deep breath before starting up the path to his front door, but to her surprise, he came from the house, clearly still carrying boxes into the house from the open moving truck.

There really weren’t many cars here in Mistria, so it stood out.

“Oh, Frostie, hey.” He said with a smile, skipping over to the moving van, shirtless and a little sweaty from having been moving things for about an hour now, “What are you doing here?”

“Oh, um.. Your door is always open..?” She asked cautiously, with a shy smile, walking up to him, “Still moving things in?”

“Just closing up the truck, you came at a good time, just got done.” He hummed, and Ari watched his biceps and pecs flex as he pulled the door of the moving truck up slightly, then pulled it back down with force to close it up, “You just came by to see me, then?”

He then turned to her, and noticed she was staring at his shirtless chest, a shy blush making its way over his face, chuckling to himself and softly waving a hand in front of her face, “H-hey, anybody home..?”

“Oh!” Ari shook herself out of ogling him, holding up the bag nervously and explaining, “I brought you food, as a thank you for earlier.”

“You didn’t have to do all that over some plants..” He smiled big and rubbed the back of his neck, chuckling lightly.

“Well I didn’t see you sit down and eat anything today, so I did.” She replied with a shy smile, as he lead her toward the open door of his house.

”.. I’m surprised you came over this fast, I thought maybe it would at least be later tonight if you came by. I’m really happy to see you.” He said with a smile, closing the door behind them both and took his headband off, letting his ear-length curls properly frame his face as he shook his hair out.

Ari could still feel herself staring at him, so she turned toward the counter and set out the variety of different things she got for them both. Sweet potato pie, mushroom rice, some fresh pasta, and some steak- mushrooms on the side.

”.. You don’t like mushrooms either?” He asked, noticing she had asked for the steak to be made not sauteed in the baked mushrooms like the inn usually made them, looking over at her with surprise.

“Oh no, I do like them, I just know you think they’re gross.” Ari smiled, looking over and noticing he couldn’t hide the genuine surprise from his face, “W-wait, am I wrong? I could swear I remember that from a really long time ago.”

“N-No, you’re right, I do not like them.. The texture is.. I can’t believe you remembered that.” He said quietly, pulling a couple plates from his cabinet and setting them next to her, letting his skin grace her forearm as he pulled his hand away from the counter, ”.. How did you even know that?”

“Because the mothers always did a mushroom hunt during the fall.” Ari reminded him, smiling to herself at her own good memory, starting to plate up a bit of each food for both of them as he looked at her from the corner of her eye.

”.. Yeah. I do remember that.” He said quietly, deep in thought, sitting down at one of the bar chairs beside the counter, watching her face with lidded eyes.

“You always said it’s gross to eat fungi and that we’re not slugs.” Ari chuckled, holding a hand over her mouth as she thought back on Domeno as a kid.

He nodded, a serious look on his face as he stare at the counter, clearly deep in thought, shaking it off as she passed him his plate with a fork- along with one of the lemon teas from the bag.

”.. Frostie.. He started, leaning his head on one hand and looking up at her, ”.. Do you think about that place a lot?”

“Every day.” Ari paused, immediately realizing her quick and serious response could be worrying, she nervously laughed, trying to lighten her reaction a bit, “Y-you know, you were the best thing about that place.”

“I think about it a lot, too.” He said in a serious tone, meeting her first response and ignoring her failed attempt at covering it up, “When I got moved to the older boys quarters, I felt lost without you.”

Ari took a seat in the chair beside him, pushing it closer to his chair until they were touching, setting her plate on the counter, ”.. I was so young then, I didn’t understand where you went. It was lonely, after that.”

“I know the feeling. Sometimes if I heard the group of younger kids playing outside, I’d see you from my window from time to time.” He stared down at his plate, fiddling with his fork, reliving a lot of negative, impactful emotions from their shared history.

“Domeno.. That was so long ago now, it’s.. History.” She placed a hand on his shoulder, encouraging him to let the feelings go so he would eat something, “I’m right here now, we both are, and I’m glad.”

He looked over to her with a smile, softening his tone and expression a bit, letting her know it was okay, ”.. I just want you to know what it means to me now, being able to sit this close to you.”

He was referring to how she had pushed her chair up against his, letting her know he felt the same way, and making it clear to her that he noticed she felt the way he did by her actions. That kind of recognition made her blush, not having realized how obvious it was to him how attached to him she was.

They chatted lightly about their days after that, both of them enjoying the rest of their dinner with lighter conversation. Afterward, right before Ari got up from her seat to take their plates to the sink, he picked up her plate, then his, and stood up from his seat and went to the sink to wash them.

“You brought the food, sit.” He chuckled, walking over to the sink and turning on the water, facing away from her, “So.. Um. Would you like to stay, or would you rather sleep behind the museum instead of with me?”

Ari felt a wave of nerves roll over her at the prospect of ‘sleeping with’ him, and it seemed he realized the same thing about his accidental phrasing, stammering a bit.

“I-I mean, sleeping. Actually sleeping. Not-” He continued, scrubbing the plate slightly faster, Ari giggling to herself about his obvious nervousness.

”.. I would like to stay, if you’ll have me.” She had a smile in her tone, watching his back as he rinsed the dishes and set them out to dry.

“Of course. You could move in, and I wouldn’t mind, Frostie.” He said it in a joking tone, but there was a softness in his voice that told her it was the truth, “Um.. I have all of my bigger furniture moved in now, so you can sleep in the spare room, if you’d like. It’s a little empty in there, but the bed is made up at least. If you want, you can use the shower.. As long as you don’t mind men’s body wash.”

“I would, but I didn’t really bring anything to change into.” Ari replied simply, taking a sip of her tea.

”.. You can just borrow one of my shirts, if you want. Hm. W-well, I don’t know if that would be weird for you, I guess.” He hinted at the fact that wearing another man’s shirt might make her feel some type of way, considering the break-up.

“Oh, that.. Would be nice. Sure.” Ari nodded, skillfully hiding the fact that thinking of the times she’d worn March’s clothes to bed made her heart ache for a moment.

“Here, I’ll show you the upstairs and get you set up.” He tilted his head toward the stairs in the living room, taking her hand lightly as she started walking with him.

She felt a little relieved that he suggested the spare room. It’s not that she didn’t want to be close to him, but she just felt so conflicted right now, about everything. Tomorrow night they would have their date together and she could tell him about her situation, but tonight she still had this secret hanging between them, and it was making it impossible to live in the moment with Domenico. If he knew, and he was fine with it, things would be different.

As they rounded the corner, turning into the room, Domeno flipped on the light and it became pretty noticeable to Ari that the new construction of this house made it feel more modern, suburban in a way. The lighting during the day would be much brighter than the forge during the day, there were more windows in each room. March’s room always felt like a little cubby with dim lighting, because the building itself didn’t have a lot of windows with natural light. There were wood floorings, the walls were a bright white, no nails or holes from any previous owners, because he was the first.

”.. So you paid to have this place built? It’s really nice, Domeno.” She said softly, running her hand along the doorway as she walked into the spare room with him.

“Mhm. Adeline posted a flyer at the inn and I saw it, she was looking for talented workers to come to Mistria, so I sent her a list of my rewards and paperwork regarding my career as a blacksmith. Got approved.” He explained, sitting on the side of the bed and looking up at her as she walked over and looked out the window, “I’m second place in only one competition, believe it or not.”

He had lost to March when they were at the capitol, but Ari felt surprised that it was his only second-place award.

”.. I see.” Ari said quietly, sitting beside him on the bed and looking down at her lap, “Well, I think you’re an amazing blacksmith, so I think Mistria is lucky to have you.”

“Thank you for saying that. I’ve been really nervous that March would be too much competition for me, but I plan to out source for orders, so it won’t only be Mistria residents I’m crafting for.” He nudged her, both of them quietly taking a moment to acknowledge the situation, Ari realizing that having two blacksmiths in town could get tricky.

“Your style is very different from March. Yours is more innovating, March is more classic, I think you’ll both have no issue finding clients for your work, even in the same town.” She reassured him, putting a hand comfortingly on Domeno’s arm, leading him to look over to her with a shy smile.

”.. I just want to be first place in one competition.” He looked from her eyes to her lips, slowly leaning in as Ari sensed his closeness, letting her eyes flutter shut as his lips softly met hers.

Putting a hand in her curls, against the back of her head, he deepened their kiss. Ari felt a wave of relaxation come over her, as their tongues met gently, Ari softly gasping into their kiss with a longing ache deep in her stomach, reaching one hand up to his cheek and letting it linger there. His body reacted to her longing sighs, quickening his pace, pressing into her more closely as she lay back on the bed, moving to kneel over her, placing his hands on either side of her as they both gasped, breaking their kiss as Ari wrapped her arms around him, pulling him closer to her.

“A-Ari-” He panted, both of them catching their breath as they hold tightly onto each other, looking away from her, “S.. Sorry.”

.. Sorry?

Ari found herself confused by his apology. Did he think she hadn’t wanted this, too? Furrowing her brows upward in concern, she put both hands on the sides of his face, tilting his gaze toward her eyes.

”.. Don’t be sorry.” She said softly, running her hands up his chest and wrapping them around the back of his neck, pulling him back down to meet her in a slightly more heated kiss.

He gasped into their kiss, running his hands up her sides as they continued, she could feel the arousal building in his chest as their tongues caressed, both of them embracing tightly. As she pressed her thigh to his, she felt his cock beneath his pants, and he broke their kiss with a surprised, barely audible moan, pressing himself down onto her instinctually.

He was always ready to go, when it came to her.
He was almost a non-sex person otherwise.

Domenico never told a dirty joke, he never talked about thinking anyone was attractive, if anyone brought up sex he would always become so quiet.. But with her, it was like he was naturally drawn to her sexually.

“H-hey.. You should shower.” He pulled up from her, looking down at her with a blush and a dazed look on his face, seeming to stop them on purpose, both of them catching their breath.

“Y-yeah.” She whispered, Domeno slowly getting up from the bed and sitting beside her, offering her his hand and pulling her back up into a sitting position.

“Here, I’ll bring you one of my shirts, so you have something to sleep in.” He sighed, steadying himself as he got up from the bed and walked into the hall, coming back a few moments later with one of his gray t-shirts, much too big for Ari, which made it a good nightgown.

Folding it up and setting it on the bed, both of them looking at each other momentarily. Ari.. Was turned on. She wouldn’t say it, absolutely not, but she wished they had gone further. As he looked down at her from in front of the bed, she could slightly see that he was, as well, his cock not well-concealed in it’s current state.

He noticed her glance down, and looked away with a blush, nervously glancing back down at her, both of them quietly not mentioning it. Without thinking about it, Ari felt her hand strolling up toward him, running down his stomach as he stood before her, looping one finger onto his pants and pulling him a bit more toward her, taking him by surprise.

“O-oh-” He sighed, enjoying the feeling of her touch, his abs flexing beneath her fingers.

Running her hand lower, she softly touched his erection through his pants, able to feel it’s length with her fingertips as she felt his breathing grow more labored.

“Ari-” He sighed, closing his eyes and tensing his jaw, trying to steady his resolve.

She could feel he was a second from pulling away, so before he could, she flipped the buckle on his pants, looking up at him as he opened his eyes with slight surprise, his face growing redder. He nervously looked around the room, avoiding her eyes as she lowered his zipper and pulling his cock from them, easily able to work him out of the opening of his boxers.

She felt a jolt run through him as her skin met his, letting a soft gasp and moan leave his throat, looking down at her with squinted eyes as she looked him over. She had never seen it this closely, and it seemed that her ability to see his cock so close to her face made him anxious, as he slightly fidgeted, wrapping his arms over his chest and hugging himself.

“Hey.” She pulled at his arm, encouraging him to stop self-soothing, requesting he meet her eyes with her tone, “It’s okay.”

”.. Is it, though?” He asked softly, looking at the floor, avoiding her a little.

Ari realized, Domeno outside of that cell they were trapped in was no where near as open to physical intimacy. Something about him now felt so serious, and she couldn’t fully understand what he was thinking. She gathered that for some reason, Domenico really didn’t like to be looked at, much less at this close of an angle, and if she were able to fully see his cock up close he grew pretty distant and anxious.

”.. With you, it feels okay.” She said in response, softly running her fingers up and down his length, but slowing a bit to appease his uncertainty, “Domeno, would you shower with me?”

She could sense his high level of insecurity, and taking a bath together seemed like the type of thing that would make this sudden physical encounter a little less abrasive.

“Mm..” He furrowed his brows and hummed, seeming like he was trying to focus on that choice through the distraction of her touch, “S-sure.”

Ari smiled softly, standing up and nearly touching his chest with hers, chuckling to herself as she held her hands over her head playfully, waiting for him to take the hint and undress her. The added playfulness seemed to put him a little at ease, as he laughed softly, running his hands up the skin of her stomach and sliding his fingertips upward, causing Ari’s eyes to flutter closed as he slowly lifted her cropped sweater up and over her head, allowing her loose curls to bounce over her bra as he discarded it on the bed behind her.

She met his eyes, and felt relieved that he looked less worried and serious now, and she flashed him a smile as she turned her back toward him, lifting her curls up and out of the way of her bra, ”.. Can you help with this?”

After a brief pause, Ari felt him rest his hands on her lower back, letting his fingers brush her skin so lightly she could barely feel it, leaving her hairs to rise on end behind every trail of them. She was surprised as she felt her body respond, her back straightening as her body tensed, and she held her breath in her chest as he unclipped her bra, letting it hang loose on her inner-elbows.

“You’re nervous.” He whispered, more in surprise than teasingly, sensing how tense she became at his touch.

She was surprised by his statement, didn’t he already know?

Is that why he was so put off, he thought this was nothing for her?

“Y-yes.” Ari chuckled softly, letting her bra drop from her arms onto the bed, ”.. You didn’t know that?”

She turned to face him with her arms crossed her her chest, meeting his eyes and realizing by his expression that he didn’t know that.

”.. You just seem so in control sometimes.” He admitted with a blush, and Ari realized that Domenico was a little intimidated at her prior experience, despite never mentioning it before.

”.. I’ve known you my whole life, but not like this.” Ari said softly, walking up and pressing her chest to his, tugging gently at his unbuckled joggers, lowering them as his cock became even more apparent through his boxers, ”.. This is still new to me. It’s you.”

Ari playfully pulled off her leggings and tossed thm with the rest of her clothes on the bed, taking him by the hand and leading him toward the upstairs bathroom, but as they reached the hallway, in the dark, he pulled her back to him by their clasped hands and wrapped his arms around her, pressing his lips against hers. It immediately ignited, growing heated with every milisecond, and suddenly she felt him taking the lead, a little too ambitiously pushing her up against the wall, knocking the wind from her chest at the abruptness as they both laughed at their clumsiness. His lips were soft, as they met her neck, Domeno nipping her a number of times, getting lower with each.

“D-Domeno-” Ari gasped, as his lips lowered to her breast, feeling her body tense as he took one of her nipples between his lips, pressing them together.

She could feel his hands lower to her hips, as he linked his fingers in the elastic of her panties, slowly lowering them until they reached her feet. She suddenly felt a little exposed, in the open air of the hallway being completely naked this way felt so strange.

“I-it’s cold-” Ari laughed nervously, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling his body into hers for warmth, his lips sliding up her neck as he met her in a tight hug.

”.. We can fix that.” He said with a soft smile, pulling her by the hand into the bathroom beside them, lit dimly with a wax burner sat on the counter beside them.

He still had his boxers on, she noted, and as he closed the door to the bathroom and looked at her in the lowlight, Ari hooked one finger onto the lining of his boxers, immediately noticing his nerves rising.

”.. Does me seeing you make you uncomfortable?” Ari asked directly, but softly, unlinking her hand and running it up his stomach gently.

”.. I-” He started, but seemed to still be processsing, “I don’t know why, but.. Yes.”

”.. I’ve seen, it’s actually very nice.” Ari said encouragingly, leaning back against the counter and looking up at him with a shy smile.

“Er.. Don’t say that.” He laughed anxiously, a blush visible on his face even in the dark, ”.. Wait, really..?”

“Yes. It’s bigger than I imagined, you know.” She admitted with a blush, both of them very clearly feeling awkward, but she had hoped this would make him feel a little less insecure.

“Oh..” He looked at her with lidded eyes, running a hand down her arm, his fingertips barely grazing her, ”.. You imagined it before?”

Ari realized what she’d admitted and the surprise caught his eye, but she blew it off with a slight laugh and tilted her head, shielding her face with one hand, ”.. Caught me.”

His face suddenly serious, he cupped her breasts with both hands, whispering, ”.. When..?”

“Hm..” She thought back, trying to recall the first time she had ever felt that type of feeling toward him.

Ari had these feelings as long as she could remember, but there was one time in particular that stood out. She hadn’t thought about these moments in years, trying her best to piece the memory back together in her mind as she closed her eyes. She heard him remove his boxers, feeling a little less apprehensive as she closed her eyes.

”.. When I was thirteen, we all went into the village on a field trip, and it was one of few days we all got to see each other.” Ari said softly, her eyes still closed, fully naked in the dim light as his hands on her chest anchored her to reality, ”.. You looked different to me, that day. I hadn’t seen you in months, and that’s the one time I remembered thinking.. I liked the way you smelled. And your smile while you played with the younger kids, it made me feel.. Something.”

A surprised expression had made its way over his face, as Ari opened her eyes to meet his. She hadn’t realized how long she had these feelings toward him, having to reach so far back in her mind to pull that fragment of a memory to the forefront.

”.. Ari.” He whispered, running his hands from her breasts up to each side of her face, ”.. I remember that. I remember thinking it was weird how much you were staring at me that day, but I never would have known that-..”

“H-hey, let’s forget that place.” Ari broke the seriousness with a smile, walking over to the shower and turning it on, feeling him staring at her with intensity from the other side of the bathroom.

”.. I don’t want to forget it, Frostie.” He admitted quietly, coming up behind her and wrapping his arms tightly around her waist, taking her by surprise, ”.. I met you there.”

”.. There was so much bad, Domeno.” She said softly, closing her eyes at the soft feeling of his embrace, ”.. I-“

“Not all of it was bad.” He corrected, turning her face toward his and pressing his lips to hers strongly, Ari gasping into the kiss as his hold on her made her lose her train of thought.

It.. Wasn’t all bad?
But it..

Ari felt a moment of healing, as the nightmares suddenly felt so small. The unsettling thoughts and emotions that plagued her, they were no where to be found in this quiet moment between them, the shower creating a calming white noise in the mostly dark bathroom. She had spent almost all of her adult life running so far away from that place mentally, and suddenly..

She felt his hands run down, touching her outer thighs, his lips still pressed tightly to hers as they stand beside the shower. Breaking their kiss and letting her eyes linger on his, she stepped into the shower, tightly locking her fingers with his, and giving him a slight pull to follow her.

It was dark, aside from the little, dim light on the counter.

It was quiet, neither of them saying a word.

He was right.
It wasn’t all bad.
She met him there.

She ran her hands over his skin, and suddenly their heated encounter became.. Something else. It wasn’t sexual. He picked up the body wash from the side of the bath, pouring some in his hands, and running it over her skin. As he touched her belly, she felt a little insecurity working it’s way up into her throat. He leaned in, kissing her on the cheek, his loose curls wet and flipping over his eyes as he met hers.

“Domeno, I-” She started, but caught herself.. Now wasn’t the time, she realized. Quickly correcting, she whispered, blurting out, ”.. This feels so different with you.”

He pressed his lips to her neck as he ran his hands gently over her body, humming, ”.. How so..?”

“I-it feels.. Like I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be right now.” She whispered back, wrapping her arms around the back of his neck.

And it was true. As they shower together, washing each other clean, holding each other in the dark, a comfortable silence lingering between them.. Ari felt like this was where she was meant to be, in this heavy moment between them. There was a healing aspect to this, as she came to the realization that she and Domeno were going to always be together, tied together by the soul, and she felt comforted in her current situation by the intense amount of care she felt in his arms.

.. No matter what happens, she wanted them to stay together.

Things were going to be complicated and messy, but she had a feeling in her heart that he would never leave.

“Domeno.. No matter what happens, please stay with me.” She whispered, and he pulled away to look at her with lidded eyes, water running over with of them as they stand paused.

”.. Always, Frostie.” He whispered back, hugging her to his chest comfortingly as they stand under the hot streams.

Always.

Chapter Text

March’s POV

As he got back to the forge, he closed himself in his house, locking the door behind him and putting his face in his hands, his forehead lightly thudding against the wooden door as he took a deep breath, letting it out of his chest with a painful, shaking, silent sob.

She wouldn’t even look at him.
She looked pale in the face just seeing him.

March felt like he made a huge mistake. He didn’t even like Juniper, he was just pissed off, and that night he had to admit on some level he wanted to feel like he got even with Ari.. But at what cost. Ari hadn’t even sent him a single text back, not about her things, not about anything.

As Alloy walked up and rubbed against his leg with a mew, March looked down at her, then put his back to the door and slid down into a sitting position, pulling the cat close to his face and pressing her soft fur to his skin. The fall party was tomorrow night, and he thought maybe he would try to talk to her there, if he could. When he saw her walking with Domenico, he felt an ache in his chest that hadn’t receded since, feeling like he had just quit their relationship and handed Ari right over to him.

It was like he’d tied a bow to her head and given him a gift, and March was having trouble rationalizing all of this to himself. He couldn’t just move on from what she did and act like it wasn’t a big deal, the mental image of Ari with Domenico’s face in her-

March shook his head violently, putting his hand over his eyes in frustration.
It still hurts.
No, what she did wasn’t okay.

But she didn’t even try to fight for their relationship.

Maybe he would’ve.. Just been mad for awhile. At this point, he already regretted everything. He recognized his thought process as bargaining. He missed Ari.

Oof. It hurt to accept that, that thought snuck in quickly.
He did. He missed her.

He missed waking up early with her still in bed, Alloy snug between them. He missed that she would always bring lunch when she came back from the cabin, and she always picked things he liked. He missed that she never complained about anything, and she knew what he was thinking without him really needing to say anything. If she could see him feeling insecure, she squeezed his hand lightly. She could always read his body language, and she paid extra attention to him if she was reading his negative internal dialogue.

They had been through so much together.
And now he was worried it was for nothing.

He couldn’t just let that happen. No.

Getting up from his spot on the floor, he began to pace the room, Alloy jumping up on the counter and watching him as he stare down at the floor, holding his hand to his chin, deep in thought. He thought maybe at the dance, he would be able to talk to her. Actually talk to her, instead of just being angry and lashing out. He wanted to talk to her, explain himself, tell her he didn’t even like Juniper and that he was just upset.

And that he regretted it immediately.
He really needed her to know that, and he was going to tell her tomorrow at the party. He was sure she would be there, probably with Domenico, and he felt stupid that he was getting intimidated away from Ari every time he ran into them together. He practically ran from them, and he felt.. Like a coward. Truthfully, he just didn’t want to stick around by them long enough to have his fears of them being in a budding relationship confirmed.

He wasn’t sure he could take it right now.

He had a lot of trips planned to collaborate with other blacksmiths in other towns of the kingdom this next few months, and he almost wanted to just say what he needed to say, and go. Go travel a little, learn better at his craft- and Ari always encouraged him to do better at his skillset.

Ari.. Cared so much about his career.

He felt his heart drop, remembering that about her. She had supported him in everything he wanted to do. Traveled hours with him to a competition, and he spent their time celebrating afterward yelling at her in an inn. He had tried so hard to drop every ounce of jealousy from his mind after that, thinking he’d just went too far. If he’s never been that way, that night, she would have never ended up kissing him and igniting those feelings toward Domenico.

That kiss, that night, ruined them.
She said she wished she hadn’t looked for that answer. That, she didn’t like what she found that night. And what she found, was that the connection she had with Domenico was more than just.. Ugh. If he hadn’t broken up with her over a text, she would have never found that answer, he thought to himself, self-blame riddling his mind.

I-it isn’t fair.
That one bad night, it ruined everything.
All over a text.

During the day, he didn’t really talk to anyone. During the night, he had spent it alone. When Juniper texted him that morning, he had ignored it. He had waited in the bathroom, sitting on the tile with his head in his hands, listening in the silence for her to just leave. He didn’t want to see her, or talk about any of it, he just wanted to talk to one person about any of it, and she didn’t want to hear it.

And now, who knows what they were doing together. She had free reign to do whatever she wanted, with Domenico. He felt disgust boiling up to his throat- no, tears- and put his hands over his eyes, sitting on the couch and trying to force his sobs down in his chest. He didn’t even have a right to be upset if she had slept with him, he had a one-night stand with someone he had assured her wasn’t even attractive to him. All because he was angry, and drunk. He didn’t know if it was better or worse if Ari loving Domenico was a factor in them sleeping together, but quickly decided it felt worse.

Maybe if he could talk to her at the party, he could fix this.
He had to try.
But tonight, whiskey was the plan.

-----------------------------------------------------------
Ari’s POV

She had been lying in the guest bedroom for about an hour, after they finally head to bed that night, and she felt herself overcome with so many different emotions. She missed March. Being alone in a bed like this, which she hadn’t been yet, just made her wish he could be beside her. She had never slept in a double bed without March, and that’s part of why she had just been sleeping behind the museum for weeks. It had started raining a little bit ago, and the scent of wet grass was filling the upstairs through a couple open windows, the fall air leaving a chill with each room it graced.

She looked beside her at the empty space, reaching out a hand and laying it where he would usually be, the cold sheet beside her touching her skin. March was quiet, but he always went to bed when she did, even if he wasn’t tired yet, even if it were just to hold her for a little while longer. She could close her eyes, face toward the ceiling, and imagine she was still in their room. Wooden night stands beside the bed, cadet blue curtains and bedding. His dresser beside the bed, with the mirror he always looked in to fix his hair in the morning. She could see the image of him glancing into the mirror and seeing she was awake, and a small smile would cross his face.

’Mornin’ he would say.

She put one hand on her belly and opened her eyes, looking up at the blank, white ceiling, feeling a familiar ache in her chest as she realized.. She didn’t want to be alone in this room with her thoughts, anymore. She didn’t want to wake up Domenico, worried he would have something planned for the next morning- but recalling the next day was Saturday, she thought again. She.. Couldn’t sleep this way.

Ari flipped the blanket up, moving to the side of the bed, wearing Domenico’s shirt as a night gown and nothing more, and sighed to herself. Was she really doing this again? When they were little, little kids, and they were both still in the younger kids quarters, sometimes in the middle of the night she would go lay with Domeno because she couldn’t sleep.

She shook her head in disappointment at herself.
Some things never change.

She stood, feeling goosebumps cover her legs as she got up from her blanket, walking barefoot through the pitch black hallway as she moved to his bedroom. Something about all of this, made her feel like a scared child who had just had a bad dream. Maybe she had. The thoughts of March that haunted her felt like a nightmare. As she reached his door, she realized he had left it cracked, and smiled to herself knowingly.. Because he always said his door was open to her.

She quietly pushed his door open, closing it back into the position it was in, and turned to see he was in the dark, one street light casting shadows into his window, and he was rolled over the opposite direction and appeared to be asleep.

For a few seconds, she just stood there, really debating to herself if she wanted to do this. After losing the battle, wanting to be able to sleep, she walked around to the other side of the bed, setting her phone on the pillow, and pulled back the blanket, quietly walking on all fours on his soft sheets, and carefully lowering herself into them, trying not to wake him up. As she got close to him, facing him, looking at how beautiful he looked in the dim street light, his curls loosely covering his eyes, his chest tattoo barely visible, just slightly outside the blanket as he lay shirtless beneath it.

And just as she were staring silently, his eyes cracked open, calmly. Both of them looked at each other in the dark, only the sound of the rain pattering on the window and roof between them now, she realized he hadn’t been asleep yet. A low grumble of thunder, far away, was barely audible.

”.. I remember you used to do this sometimes, during storms when we were young.” He whispered, both of them still looking at each other, Ari felt just a little embarrassed that he’s been awake the entire time she had been so quiet.

She looked down and away from his gaze, quietly rolling until she was right in front of him, both of them facing the window now. He wrapped an arm strongly around her, and she immediately felt a wave of relief come over her.

They had spent a lot of time silently close to each other, that night. This, more than anything, reminded her of her upbringing with him. But it was different. It felt more grown, as they press against each other, and she felt the warmth of his body heat take over her senses. When they were young, they always faced each other when they slept in the same bed, often he would hold her hands and put his forehead to hers as comfort during the harsh marsh storms.

But now, feeling his arms tightly wrapped around her this way, as the rain lay into the house even more heavily, this felt.. Different. She could feel the hair from his happy trail lightly brushing against the skin of her back. His lips were just barely grazing the back of her head, his nose piercing catching gently in her curls, just enough to notice.

”.. Domeno..” Ari whispered, wrapping her arms tightly around his arm as he pulled her in closer, ”.. This feels so different.”

”.. Do you remember when Osyth caught us in the same bed, Ari?” He asked in a soft voice, hugging her.

”.. I don’t remember that, no.” She wracked her mind for that memory, but all she found was blank space, unable to remember.

“I was older, so I guess I got the blame.. I still have no regrets.” He whispered, pressing his lips to her neck, sliding her curls to the side with his nose, ”.. Maybe I never even told you I got in trouble, because I didn’t want you to stay away.”

Ari felt the breath catch in her chest, at the realization of how much he had been in trouble just to be close to her, or make her feel better. She pulled away from him slightly, just enough to be able to turn and face him, and pressed the front of her body to his, wrapping an arm around him and putting her face in the bend of his neck. He immediately tightened his hold on her back up, his arms resting perfectly in the bend of her back.

She lay a kiss on his throat, gently, and another further up. She felt his breathing hitch, as he pulled his chin up, allowing her more space to press her lips to him. She sat up on one elbow, running her other hand up the side of his neck, to his face, and trailed her kisses onto his cheek as she pressed her chest to his.

”.. Frostie-” He said softly, before he pressed her lips to his.

It was a gentle kiss. A grateful kiss. Ari closed her eyes, letting their lips linger with so much time and history playing on them, and tilted her head just a little to deepen it. He gasped into her mouth, as she realized the familiar ache in her chest was also living in his, running her tongue softly against his bottom lip, feeling his arms wrap around her as their tongues then met. She realized, if she closed her eyes, she could tell he had somewhat the same scent as he did when they were young. His skin, it felt the same. His hands, held the same depth with her- only more.

As she lay atop him gently, pressing her body to his, feeling his member beneath her, he broke their kiss and tilting his head slightly back, closing his eyes tightly and taking a deep breath. After a few moments, he opened his eyes slightly and looked at her, meeting her gaze.

”.. I-I’m sorry.” He said with a deep exhale, referring to his lurid disruption pressed between them.

Ari still couldn’t understand the apology.

”.. Why are you sorry, Domeno..?” She asked softly, moving to straddle him, looking down at him as he press hard into her bottom, nothing but his pajama pants between them as she was only wearing one of his t-shirts.

He blushed and looked down at her bare legs, realizing she wasn’t wearing anything under his shirt, quickly glancing away from her body and whispering, “I-I just.. Can’t help how you make me feel. You have to think I’m a huge pervert with how my body reacts to you, and.. I’m sorry.”

“I don’t think that.” Ari said quickly and seriously, her voice still soft, running her hands up his bare chest, onto the tattoo of the tree he had done, ”.. I think you love me. And I love you, too.”

”.. I do.” He said simply, softly, quickly, placing his hands on her hips slowly, cautiously.

”.. Do you want to touch me, Domeno..?” Ari asked, running her fingers over his hands, affectionately.

”.. I-I do..” He said with uncertainty, looking down and away from her.

“I want you to touch me.” She said lightly, as he met her eyes, a blush on his face, even in the dark.

He seemed to be thinking this over, letting his hands sit on her body, both of them sitting in comfortable silence. As he sat up from his pillow, wrapping his arms around her, pulling her into his body with a tight hug, Ari realized.. This wasn’t about sex for him. It never was. This was about how close he could feel to her, without needing sex to do that. But now he knew that Ari wanted that, and he was willing to do that- because he was willing to do anything for her. As he leveraged their hug, he pulled her down onto his cock, Ari hugging him around the neck, let a soft, shaky gasp leave her lips at the feeling of him. As he pulled them up, laying her down on the bed with one swift motion, he met her lips with force as he lie between her legs, running his hands through her hair as he pressed into her, both of them moaning into the kiss.

He broke their kiss, leaving quick, loving pecks from her mouth to her neck, and whispered, ”.. Do you want all of me, Frostie..?”

She opened her eyes, awakened by his words, looking at the ceiling as she felt his lips meet her skin again, the heat between her legs radiating between them as he pressed into her body, her arms wrapped around the back of his neck like she was terrified he would disappear if she let go.

“D-Domeno-” She sighed, hugging him closely to her, running her fingers through his loose curls, feeling her eyes begin to water.

”.. Because I can give you that.” He whispered, both of them tightly embracing, as his kisses halted, ”.. You say the word, and I will.”

This felt so serious, the silence that followed felt like so much more than a break in words, both of them holding each other in the dark as he pressed into her, one thin fabric between them.

”.. Yes.” She whispered, letting a silent sob escape her chest as he pulled back to look at her directly, slight surprise in his eyes as he realized what she had just said.

”.. You.. Want that?” He asked her for verification, like he couldn’t believe what she had said.

”.. Only if it’s something you want me to have, Domeno.” She clarified, both of them looking at each other in the dark, the rain strongly coming down overhead, “O-only if you will stay with me, no matter what.. Don’t do this because I want that, only do this if you want it, too..”

He wiped a tear from her cheek, looking her from eye to eye, both of them taking time to process what they both were saying right now.

“Frostie.. I do want this.” He leaned in, kissing her on the cheek, holding her tightly.

Every moment that lingered between them was heavy with the realization that.. From the moment they met as kids, every single second since had led to this moment. Every hardship, every bad day, every happy instance, every person they had met and every experience they had ever had that brought them to this place, right now, brought them here.

As he kissed her lips, both of them paused, not seeming where to go from here. Up until now, he had been taking the lead, and it felt like he was suddenly intimidated by where they both knew this was going now.

Feeling she needed to say something to affirm this was what she wanted, she wrapped her arms around his neck, breaking their kiss gently, and whispered, ”.. I want you to have all of me.”

He looked at her face, up and down, reading her seriousness, before taking her lips in a heated kiss. She felt him press into her, their union becoming more frenzied as his primal urges began to take over, both of them putting more pressure into their bodies touching. He pulled his shirt up and over her head, revealing her full body, leaving fast and heated kisses over her skin, almost seeming desperate to feel her, more, heavier, closer. He paused, as his lips ran to her midriff, as if he were waiting for her call, leaving gentle pecks in a line across her belly.

”.. That feels g-good..” She sighed, closing her eyes and feeling him heat up again, having received permission to move forward.

As his lips reached her naval and he sunk beneath the blanket, she felt her breathing quicken in anticipation, his hot hands taking hold of her outer thighs, and his lips meeting her clit in a soft kiss.

She gasped, placing one hand on top of his, on her thigh. He moved his hand to hold hers, beginning to lap and suck at her folds, Ari moaning out at the sudden sensation in her most sensitive spot, her back arching as her body shook. Encouraged by her soft outbursts, he flipped his tongue over her more quickly, and she heard a soft moan escape his lips as she unintentionally pushed her body up into his face, twitching with pleasure.

He kissed back up to her lips, tangling with her as they both breath heavily, fully emersed in their encounter, and Ari realized then that it felt like nothing else existed. Only the two of them, this bed, and the rain that created a sound barrier from the rest of the world. As he lowered his pajama pants, he looked to her again for approval, Ari smiling softly at him with a flushed complexion, fully ready to move forward, both of them taking their places in each others arms.

She felt him tremble a bit as he placed himself at her entrance, seeming uncertain, a wave of apprehension taking over him as he looked into her eyes for any hint of regret. She could see on his face and in his body language that something was holding him back.

“H-here, lets try..” Ari whispered, taking his cock and placing it just above her entrance, between her legs, and pulling him down into a kiss.

Taking her lead, he pushed his cock back and forth between her thighs, rubbing softly against her clit, both of them moaning softly at the sensation.

“I-is this okay..?” He whispered, pressing against her clit and sliding his member across it, both of them panting lightly.

Ari licked her hand to add a wetter aspect to their friction, rubbing it across her clit and wetting his cock with her saliva, Domenico sighing at the feeling of her hand touching his skin. As he started to glide back and forth, looking down at her through pleasured eyes, his face red with blush, his body tensing as he continued, Ari used one hand to put more pressure from him down onto her spot, both of them moaning out. It was slick, allowing him to feel what it would be like without the seriousness of entering her, squeezing him between her thighs tightly, with both legs on his shoulder pressed together.

As he thrust repeatedly, looking down at the pleasure on her face needily, growing faster with each passing moment, she could feel him sighing and tensing as he grew more and more aroused by this. Looking up at him, watching his pecs flex with each push, the head of his cock appearing between her legs as precum formed at the tip, adding to the lubrication between them, Ari was starting to lose it, internally begging him to just enter her, caressing his cock with shaking fingers.

”.. S-see, this is just like- o-oh-” She moaned suddenly at the pleasure, her breath hitching in her throat, ”.. O-only it’ll feel better i-if-“

“O-oh-” He moaned softly, his eyes lewd with desire, stopping his pace and spreading her legs to accommodate him, leaning down to press his chest against hers as he quickly perched at her entrance, suddenly urgent and exact in his intent, as if he couldn’t hold himself back anymore.

Just as they kissed, and he began to put pressure between them, entering her just a millimeter, Ari’s phone lit up and began buzzing, with a text.

No, not a text, it was a phone call.
Ari never got phone calls.

“H-hold on, I’m sorry, no one ever calls me it must be important-” She sighed, as Domeno got up from his spot over her, both of them breathing heavily.

She picked up her phone and looked at the screen, seeing who was calling her.
March.

She suddenly sat up with a panic, like she just got caught doing something wrong, and shuffled to the side of the bed, pulling the blanket over herself to cover up.

She hit the green icon, answering the phone.
“March..?”

March: “A-Ari, please don’t hang up..”

Ari sighed in disbelief, furrowing her brows, “You really shouldn’t be calling me right now, it’s one in the morning.”

March: “I know, I’m sorry.. I just wanted you to know, I-“

Ari realized he sounded drunk. Really drunk. Maybe even black-out drunk.

March: “I-I’m really sorry I called.. I just wanted to hear your voice..”

She felt an ache in her chest as tears sprung to her eyes, taking a deep breath and steadying herself before responding, ”.. March, you’ll regret calling in the morning. You should go to bed, okay?”

March: “N-no Ari, I regret that I didn’t call before. I should have called. I.. I just should have called sooner.. I know it’s too late now, a-and I.. I just should have called you and told you.. That I miss you.”

His words were broken, his voice barely sounded like him, and she could hear that he was crying. She had to close her eyes and focus her breathing not to be brought to tears at the sound of devastation in his voice, keeping in mind that Domeno was right there listening.

She sighed, letting a shaky breath out of her tense chest, “March.. Please, drink some water and go to bed, okay? We can talk later.”

March: “Ari.. I loved you.”

At the broken sound in his voice as he said that, she began to cry, pulling the blanket up further and feeling like she needed to hide from everything. She hung up the phone, opening her text app to send him one, so he wouldn’t hear her crying.

Ari: “I loved you too, March. Please, take care of yourself.”

She closed her phone, rubbing her eyes with both hands as she and Domeno sat in silence. He didn’t say anything, as he realized this was probably a lot for her right now. She could feel him moving behind her, sitting beside her under the blanket, and pulled her into a tight hug. She cried, and she felt stupid for crying. She was crying into the arms of another man, over the man she loved just calling her. She almost felt glad he’d called before what they were going to do had progressed any further. If she had woken up the next morning to a voicemail like that from March, it would have broken hear heart into a million pieces.

“Hey.. Let’s just sleep, okay..?” Domeno said softly, kissing her on the cheek and running his nose down her neck, ”.. I think that’s enough for tonight.”

Ari nodded, wiping her face with her arm, relieved that he said that. She was glad Domenico was more worried about her feelings than anything else, immediately sensing that the mood they had a few minutes ago had quickly been overridden by one bad phone call. Ari couldn’t steady herself now, knowing the father of the baby inside of her had just called while she was about to sleep with another man. Right now, more than anything, she wished she could be with March. While the phonecall had upset her, on some level it brought her comfort in knowing..

He missed her.
And he loved her.
And when he was drunk, he was thinking of her.

And then she was saddened that just a few minutes ago, March was the furthest thing from her mind. While Domenico was laying on top of her, March hadn’t even been a fleeting thought, and knowing he was blackout drunk and crying at the forge while she was doing that.. That didn’t feel good.

As she lay her head on Domeno’s chest, feeling him pull her in, the thoughts whirred in her head with no rest. At the very least, they didn’t hurt as much now, tightly held in his embrace. She knew everything was going to change between them, after she tells him the news, but tonight she was happy to have this spot beside him.

--------------------------------------------------------

March’s POV

March woke early the next morning, groggy and confused, sprawled across the couch. He remember that last night he’d started drinking early, trying to forget about everything. He sat up, putting his hands on his head, realizing he was still a little drunk but at least mostly there.

He opened his phone, seeing he had a text from Ari that he hadn’t read.

Ari: “I loved you too, March. Please, take care of yourself.”

Realizing the phrasing was odd, he checked his most recent calls to find one outgoing call to Ari at 1:37AM.

He rolled his eyes at himself and shook his head, frustrated at how drunk he got, dreading what he might have said to her. He closed his phone and tossed it on the couch, getting up and heading to the shower, desperately wanting to wash the night before off of him entirely.

As he stood in the streams of water, still feeling hot embarrassment from his late night drunk call to Ari, he almost felt relieved that at least now she knew he still cared about her. He had the worst time just saying that, he was so stubborn, he had spent the last two weeks just feeling depressed after the anger had subsided just regretting not being honest with her about how he felt.

Well, now she knew.
.. For better or worse.

He wished he remembered what her voice had sounded it, it having been weeks since he’d last heard her speak. He closed his eyes, letting the water run over him, feeling his drunken daze begin to dissipate into the steam. Tonight he would say more. If that phone call gave her a chance to think things over beforehand, maybe that would be a good thing.

He stood up and walked his way to the kitchen, grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge, and drinking all of it in one sitting, breathing heavily as he crumpled up the bottle and threw it in the trash.

He had no clue what he had been dreaming about, but he realized he woke up full mast, his cock incredibly hard upon waking. He sighed to himself, feeling a little lonely. He wished he hadn’t chosen the route of sleeping around, last time he was aroused. He put both hands on the counter and closed his eyes tightly, still waking up. As the fall party was coming up later that night, he felt like a shower would be good, and it would probably make him feel so much better.

As he made his way upstairs to shower, stumbling a little as he got to the top of the stairs, he wondered what Ari was doing now. Where was she staying? Did she feel anything from their phone call? He sighed in frustration, continuing his treck to the shower.

He couldn’t think about anything else at this point.

As the hot streams of water hit his skin, he started having vivid memories of Ari. Sitting on top of him, with his t-shirt on. Running her soft hands down his bare chest. The way her hair smelled, when she leaned down to kiss him, both of them moaning into their kiss as she lowered herself onto him.

Before he really thought about it, one hand on the wall before him, he began stroking himself, running his hand up and down his cock, closing his eyes to imagine mental images of Ari.

He felt embarrassed, and stupid.
Almost ashamed, jerking off to his ex-fiancé.
But he felt so much relief, thinking of her.

His breathing hitched as he reached his peak, softly moaning to himself, the steam rising. As he climaxed, a stream of semen ejected from his hand to the stream of water flowing down the drain below, March tightly closing his eyes, imagining holding Ari and feeling her tight around him, kissing him.