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Ajax didn’t deserve happiness. He didn’t deserve a wife or a family of his own. He didn’t deserve to be welcomed home into the loving arms of someone each day. He didn’t deserve to be asked about how work went as he unwound from the stressful events of his job. He didn’t deserve to be loved. He was just a filthy Harbinger. Sin was in his job description, and that was drilled into him by everyone he’d met-- by every victim he’d ever put down. The day he saw her, these beliefs were all he could think about. He was going to be her enemy, convince her that all she thought of the Harbingers was the absolute truth. He was going to make her hate him, whether he wanted to or not, because of the sheer difference between them. In truth, Ajax wanted to tell her that he’d heard of her accomplishments. He wanted to approach her and talk about every different method he could come up with to defeat a legendary dragon. He wanted to let her know of his respect towards her from the bottom of his heart. He wanted to fight her, to test her strength firsthand, but he couldn’t.
She was a hero. A walled-up, apprehensive hero. And that, if anything, took away his courage to speak to her sincerely even more, so he bottled it all up. He didn’t deserve interaction with someone as good as she was.
At least, that’s what he thought until a few years ago.
Now he was lying in bed, wondering how someone like him could get so lucky as to end up in this position. Rays of light were creeping in from the window and past the curtains, softly illuminating the sleeping beauty by his side. Her chest was rising and falling rhythmically, contributing to the calming atmosphere in their shared room. Automatically, his hand reached out to touch her, but still, he found himself hesitating. This was the girl that melted all of his worries away to nothing, the one who reassured him that he did deserve happiness. So what was he afraid of? Maybe if he touched her, she’d disappear. Die. Just like everything else he came into contact with. Maybe he’d finally wake up from this sweet dream and realize life is as bad as it’s always been.
Or… maybe it was simpler than that. He still wasn’t too knowledgeable when it came to love, this being his first. He was never quite sure what it was he was feeling when it came to her. Maybe it wasn’t that he was afraid she’s just an illusion. Maybe he was just scared to wake her up. They did have a very long night, after all, she must be exhausted. His brain was just trying to scare him—to ruin something beautiful. He chuckled to himself, forcing his worries to the back of his mind once again. Ajax moved away the strands of hair covering his lady’s shoulder only to notice that she’s wearing his button-up from the night before. She did say he looked good in it. He gently caressed the silky material, slipping it back to plant a soft kiss on the crook of her neck. It was marked up and bruised from every direction. He may have gone a little overboard for their first time, but the world needed to know she was his.
Holy shit.
She was his.
Lumine was all his.
He couldn’t help but smile at this realization. Between their wedding and their first time, Ajax didn’t have much time to think. She was finally, officially his, and no one could try and take her away from him anymore. He let out a sigh of relief, one he didn’t know he was holding in, and pulled his wife closer, his arms crossing against her bare chest.
His shirt was clearly too big on her, falling off at her shoulders and scrunching up at her elbows. She chose to leave it mostly unbuttoned except for the two buttons at the top. Was it for comfort or was it a strategic move in anticipation of what she expected to happen in the morning? Only she knew. He continued peppering kisses onto her shoulder and neck, tracing his fingers across the pale skin of her toned stomach. Even her skin was perfect while his was bruised and torn from the many battles he’d fought over the years.
Burying his head into the crook of her neck, he tightened his hold around her; this time holding her body pressed against his own. If she woke up at this exact moment, her reaction would be the best. Lumine always got flustered at seeing her shirtless boyfriend, or well, husband now. She wouldn’t admit it to him, but she liked it. That was probably the only good thing about his vicious training—the fact that his dear wife adored the muscle that he gained through it. Again, she wouldn’t admit it, but it wasn’t so hard to read her. Not to him, at least. It was evident in the way she gazed at his chest the night before.
He breathed in her scent, still as sweet as ever. Lumine would never let him do this before today. Lying together in bed, his chest pressed against her back as his fingers danced upon her abdomen. Not too long ago, kissing her was problematic in itself. Ajax smiled to himself, remembering their first kiss.
After months of dating and no progress, he decided to challenge her to one of their usual spars, on the condition that if he wins, he gets one favor of her which she can’t refuse. He went extra hard on her that day, pulling out all the stops. He was desperate for that kiss and knew he would have to work for it. He managed to beat her that day, for once, and cashed in his favor in the form of a gentle kiss. It was well worth it, too, as he got to watch her features turning the shade of a Pyro vision right as he pulled away.
After that, he would always initiate the kisses since she was far too shy. If she ever leaned in to kiss his cheek he would turn his head just in time to steal a kiss on the lips, successfully leaving her flustered every time. His strength was in battle after all, and winning her heart was a battle no easier than their bouts at the Golden House.
It was ironic, seeing someone of her reputation melt under him. To everyone else, it seemed that Lumine was a hardened warrior, while with him the lightest touch could make her go weak. He liked it that way. He liked being the only one who could keep her in check. The only one who could turn her into a blushing, stuttering mess with three simple words.
Deep in thought, he failed to realize that his wife had woken up. Liking the feeling of his gentle yet rough hands exploring her body, Lumine decided to allow Ajax to keep exploring her skin. Maybe last night wasn’t enough for him, she did keep him waiting for a long time before letting him do something like this.
She turned around to face him, slightly caught off guard by the sight of his bare chest as a light blush began to creep onto her cheeks. “Good morning, love..” She murmured sleepily, turning her gaze up to look at his face as she gently traced the marks left by her nails on his chest from last night. Ajax loved it when she called him that, and he loved hearing her voice first thing in the morning. She was usually up earlier than him, already having started her day by the time he even opened his eyes, which made today a very rare occasion, but he couldn’t blame her. He must’ve tired her out. He couldn’t complain either, seeing Lumine looking anything less than perfectly tidy and clean was a privilege only he had. She tended to get clingy when she was tired, which was also a rarity in itself.
Her hair was messy, her cheeks flushed out, and her eyes reflected that she’d just woken up. They weren’t as bright and exhibited her fatigue clearly. Not only that, but seeing her disappear in the thin fabric of his shirt sent his heart fluttering even more. She looked adorable. It truly was unfortunate he could only see this sight once in a blue moon.
“Morning, princess,” He smiled down at her warmly, trying his best not to flinch at the sting of the semi-fresh scratch marks on his chest. “did I wake you up?”
He slid his fingers into her hair, stroking it gently as she shook her head no. “Have you been up for long? I’m sorry, I must have overslept…” She mumbled out an apology, yawning as she slung her arm over his torso, wanting to be as close to him as she could. “What time is it?”
“11:30, and don’t apologize for that. You’re always up so early, I barely get to spend time with you like this.” He said, leaning forward and leaving a small kiss on his wife’s forehead. “You’re dead wrong if you think I’m letting go of you so easily.” Ajax teased, knowing full well that she could easily blow him away if she wanted to.
“Mmm.. but I need to make my husband his breakfast…” She protested, not even making an attempt to leave his embrace. She called him her husband. Sure, she said it a few hours ago over a toast for their new life together, and a few hours after that between moans and shaky breaths, but now it hit him. She may be his, but he was also hers—which was just as good.
Suddenly, an odd feeling flooded him. A feeling of pure happiness, relief, and lightheartedness. It was the same feeling he felt after escaping the Abyss but turned up to 100. The woman before him truly loved him and accepted him fully for exactly who he was. She wanted to take care of him from the bottom of her heart. She wanted to be with him. In his arms. Under his protection. She wasn’t going to hurt him. She wanted to be his. She wasn’t going to betray him the way he expected everyone else to. She was there not to gain anything, but to have a life with him. A normal life. With kids running and playing around in the backyard. Arguing who their children looked more alike or who loved the other more. This was the first day of the rest of his life with her. His wife. His angel. His goddess. His.
Marriage was something he’d hoped for ever since he realized his feelings for her. Two people devoting themselves to a life together, promising to love each other with all they have until the day they die. It was a beautiful thing, especially with a person as beautiful as her. Maybe this was the life he was meant to lead. A life with her.
That’s right. He did deserve her. He deserved the unattainable Savior of Liyue. He deserved to be happy. He deserved to have a family and be surrounded by the people that loved him every day. He deserved friends. He deserved a happy ending. Harbinger or not, she didn’t care. She loved him past what he was made to believe was a sin, and he felt the same way towards her. The love she held for him was unconditional. Unmistakable. And here, in her arms, in this bed, with these rings around their fingers, he finally felt truly loved. He finally felt safe. And he desperately wanted to make her feel the same way.
“Ajax?” She asked, looking at him with a slightly concerned face. He must’ve spaced out. Ajax propped himself up on his elbow, trying to block the intruding light from blinding Lumine. He stopped stroking her hair, instead positioning his hand behind her head to pull her into a deep, passionate kiss. Both of their minds went blank as they were absorbed into the kiss, only able to think of one another. Ajax dragged Lumine beneath him as they both pulled away, panting and desperate for air. Their faces were both flushed from the lack of oxygen, though Lumine was much redder than her husband, flustered by his boldness. He looked her in the eyes, brushing away the strands of hair that got in her face.
“I love you,” he whispered into her ear, watching her turn even redder. He leaned into her neck and kissed the hickeys he left on her only a few hours prior, repeating the same sentence over and over as he undid the buttons of her shirt, only pulling back to look at her once the shirt was out of the way. It seemed that that button-up was the only thing she was wearing, and he wasn’t one to complain about that.
“I-I love you too... idiot…” she stammered out as his hands began roaming her body once again. “S-so no breakfast today?”
“Mmm… I think I have a different idea of what I want for breakfast.” Ajax teased, beginning to kiss from her neck down to below the toned abdomen his hand was exploring not too long ago.