Work Text:
BANG
Damian felt a stinging pain in his cheek. He winced as he stirred awake from his sleep. With a deep but silent groan, his eyes fluttered open.
"Hmm... still dark out huh?"
He sat up from the bed and reached out to turn on his bedside lamp. After enduring the short and sudden pain due to the shining light, his eyes immediately darted towards the clock at the far end of the room.
3:15 am.
It still wasn't the time to be awake. He could continue sleeping. With a sigh of relief, he laid back down on his pillow.
As for the pain on his cheek, he didn't need to think hard to know who was responsible for it.
He rolled over to face the giver of this punch. The girl he loved.
Anya.
She was deep in sleep. Her chest heaved up and down in slow and deep breaths. Her hands were balled into fists. Her limbs were stretched out all across her side of the bed, while her long and pink hair was messily sprawled around her pillow. Even with her eyes closed, she had also somehow managed to have her signature grin on her lips, as a trail of saliva drooled across her cheek to the bed.
Even though she looked like this, Damian still thought that she was the most beautiful woman in the world.
Like a goddess.
"She must be having a good dream." He smiled as he thought to himself.
He reached an arm out to softly caress her, very carefully to not wake her up. He placed his palm on her smooth cheek and made small circles with his thumb. Even in her sleep, she responded instinctively to his touch and gave a light hum, a warm smile replacing her previous grin.
With that, he started to think about his past.
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She was just an ordinary commoner. 6-year-old Damian was the son of the distinguished Desmond family. He could do whatever he wanted and had planned to make her his servant, ordering her around to do his bidding. Surely she had no way of going against the words of the Great Lord Damian Desmond, right?
Boy was he wrong on so many levels.
Anya Forger most certainly packed him a punch. That and her annoying grin left the best (or not so great) first impression on him. Since her heartfelt apology the next day, she had been doing things to his heart. He didn't know what was happening, other than his heart beating faster, his face becoming a tomato, and him starting to stutter his words. He didn't know why just the sight of her would make him feel embarrassed, and her beaming smile would make his cheeks fluster. She was a puzzle to him, and Damian hated it with how uncertain he felt.
Despite finding her annoying, her warm personality managed to crumble the imaginary wall that he had built between them. She was kind and friendly, and would always stand up for her friends. He remembered the times when she would defend her best friend Becky Blackbell when kids were talking behind her back. Although her scoldings were not very elegant, he still admired her for her ingrained sense of justice.
Becky wasn't the only one she had helped many times. She had also stood up for him. He remembered all the times she had saved him from trouble. How she helped clear his name when George Glooman tried to wrong him. How she lent him her handkerchief to prevent him from getting a Tonitrus Bolt. He didn't know why she wanted to help him so badly, but he was extremely grateful to her and began loosening up to her. They became trustworthy friends with each other.
Another thing he couldn't understand was the weird nickname she gave him. Why did she keep referring to him as 'Sy-on boy'? He never understood, but just decided to roll with it. Just imagining her bright smile made him forget about his concerns about how she called him. She didn't know the extent of power she had over him.
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As they grew older, they became each other's closest confidants. They worked hard and helped each other in their journey of becoming Imperial Scholars. It became a routine for them to meet up after school in the library to study. Damian knew that Anya hated studying and would cry over it. He began helping her out with her weaker subjects, teaching her the tips and tricks he used to help him retain information and understand concepts. Eventually, she started to improve in her grades and managed to get several Stella Stars for her excellent examination results.
Anya also supported Damian along the way. He had opened up to her about his insecurities and fears as the second son of Donovan Desmond. He told her how he had always wanted his father's attention and how he was going to do so by becoming an Imperial Scholar, just like his elder brother. Whenever he needed someone to listen to him, a shoulder to cry on, she was always there, ready to embrace him. He liked the way she accepted him, weaknesses and all. To him, she was his comfort zone.
Then came a fateful day. Anya was feeling down all of a sudden. Being worried, he confronted her after their study session and asked her to spill what was on her mind. To his surprise, she told him about her telepathic powers and how she had been suffering because of them. Of course, this came as a massive shock to him, but he still listened to her, caressing her head as she cried into his chest. He felt fortunate for being one of the first few people she had opened up about her abilities to and was pleased that he could be a pillar of support for her at her weakest time.
The day they had successfully earned their 8 Stella Stars was the proudest moment of their lives. They had been the youngest students in the history of Eden Academy to achieve this feat. During their award ceremony, both 14-year-olds stood with their chests pumped up and toothy grins as their friends cheered them on. Hand in hand, they congratulated and thanked each other for the help and support along the way. "What I would do without you." Damian thought to himself as he patted the pink-haired girl on her head, receiving a radiant smile in return.
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Eventually, Damian realised how he felt towards Anya.
Love.
It was love.
Damian Desmond loved Anya Forger.
It took him 10 years to solve this puzzle. He realised that he had fallen hard for her.
So hard. Like the punch she gave him when they first met.
For once in his life, he felt happy about being the second son in his family. This meant that he didn't need to be with a girl of equal social standing as him.
He could be with Anya.
It took a lot of courage, but he managed to confess his feelings to her. It was just a normal day after school, during their walk together back to their dorms. He dragged her by her arm and sat her down under the oak tree in the middle of their school. He just felt that it was the right time. He wanted her to know how he felt about her, regardless of whether she returned his feelings.
To his relief, she accepted him with the brightest smile she could muster.
Anya loved him back.
Damian was overjoyed, until he realised that she had probably already known about his feelings for a long time. He blushed furiously, all the way from his cheeks to his ears. He remembered the way she laughed and called him an idiot for being so dense.
But he was her idiot.
He could live with that.
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The day he had asked Anya for her hand in marriage was the most nerve-wracking day of his life.
He was confident that she would accept him unconditionally, but still, what if-
Damian immediately smacked his face for thinking like this.
"No, you know that she loves you too, so man up and just ask her already."
It was during one of the alumni gatherings in Eden Academy. Both of them had attended it to reconnect with their friends and teachers.
But what Anya didn't know was that Damian already had another plan in mind.
Becky had told her to meet under the oak tree to talk about a guy she was seeing, but Anya didn't know that this was a big fat lie.
So imagine to her surprise when she saw her best friend, Ewen and Emile welcoming her with heart-shaped balloons in their hands and joyful grins on their faces. The area around the oak tree was decorated with red and pink rose petals leading her to a heart in front of the tree. The lamps surrounding the tree made the atmosphere very romantic.
Damian was standing in the middle of the heart, hands folded to his back. He noticed her cute strawberry dress and her star-shaped necklace, an anniversary gift he had given her. Her long pink hair was curled in bouncy beach waves and her emerald eyes gleamed under the moonlight. As she stepped towards him with pink-tinted cheeks, everything else in the world fell apart.
She was stunning.
If he didn't have more pressing matters to think about, he would fall apart from witnessing her beauty.
With that, he cleared his throat and laid down on one knee. He brought his hands forward to reveal a small pink box, which he opened to reveal a star-shaped ring. Without further ado, he popped the question.
Of course, she knew what he was going to ask her. He knew this very well but still thought that it would be meaningful to do this at the spot where they first confirmed their feelings.
He let out a sigh of relief when she said yes, with happy tears in her eyes. She swiftly dragged him up to stand and dove into his arms. He felt her smile against his chest. Their friends cheered for them with party poppers and champagne bottles. He was overjoyed, and could finally breathe again.
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Damian stared at the sleeping girl beside him, hearts forming in his hazel eyes.
Throughout his life, she had always been there, through thick and thin. She was his light.
A light that could pack a heavy punch.
He had learned that Anya had a habit of punching in her sleep. He had been her victim on so many occasions. Still, he wouldn't change her for the world. She was his.
His Anya Forger.
No, Anya Desmond.
It had a nice ring to it, and he loved it.
Damian beamed at the clumsy but strong girl he had fallen for. He gave her a quick peck on her forehead, then turned off his lamp to return to his slumber.
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"Oh no! I'm so sorry, Sy-on boy, I didn't mean to do it again..." Anya said with tears in her eyes. Even after all these years, she still called him by his nickname.
Damian looked in the mirror and saw a huge red sore on his cheek. Apparently, his wife had the means of making him red in the face, other than by making him blush.
"Well, it isn't the first time this happened, so I guess I'm used to it."
"I'm still very sorry about this, is there anything I can do to make up for it?"
Damian looked at Anya, head hanging low as she twirled her fingers. She looked very apologetic, as if she was about to cry.
Adorable, he thought to himself.
Now that she was his, forever, he could do whatever he wanted to her.
In the most lovingly and affectionate way possible.
"Well, since it's a Saturday and we don't have work, I know exactly how I'm going to punish you, princess."
Damian smirked knowingly at Anya. She felt her cheeks turning hot at what her husband had said. Before she had any time to react, she felt her body being lifted up. He was carrying her bridal style and headed for their shared bedroom.
Yes, it didn't matter if she kept punching him.
She was his, and he was going to make this point very clear to her.
He wouldn't give anything up for his happy and fulfilling married life.