Chapter Text
Loid is kissing Yor.
A deep, soul sparking kiss. One hand is on Yor’s lower back, pressing just enough to keep her flush against the solid muscle of his chest. The other is cupping her jaw, thumb stroking the side of her neck, and keeping her open to him. Loid kissing her . His lips are soft and coaxing and expectant. He nips at the bottom of her lip, his tongue teases at the seam of her lips and she can feel heat in her blood. Her heart is beating fast and her mind is spinning and she feels like she’s probably doing something wrong because she’s never really done this before but it feels good. There are sparks in her gut and it’s not the wine that has her head buzzing. It feels good. He feels so good. And… and.. and…
Loid is kissing her .
And then he pulls away and she chases after him instinctively, pecking at his lips one more time, before realizing what she’s doing.
What is she doing?
What is he doing?
He kissed her. Here, at the work party that Camilla had strong-armed her into attending. The party she had asked Loid to come to with her because he was her fake husband and how could she possibly explain to her coworkers why her handsome husband hadn’t come with her?
It would have raised too many questions, too many suspicions.
Loid had agreed immediately. In fact, he’d sounded excited about it. He said she couldn’t wait to see where she worked and properly meet everyone she worked with.
And she wasn’t surprised at all.
Because that is the kind of man Loid Forger is.
Kind, understanding, and accommodating.
That is what makes being married to him – fake married – so easy. Loid is just so… good. He is easy to get along with. Easy to talk to and laugh with. She can see how easy it would be for someone to fall in love with him and when the time comes… when he finds something real… she will be so happy for him. But for now, he is hers and he is so good to her. He listens to her and gives her sound advice. He cooks and doesn’t make her feel bad that last week when she was boiling water she charred one of their silver pots black. He helps her clean. He’s an excellent father and doctor. And he looks after her in a way she’s never had anyone do before.
And, it is safe to say, he is now one of her closest friends.
Her family.
Fake or not.
They are in this together.
For better or for worse… for richer or poorer. In good times and in bad, in sickness and in health. I pledge myself to you.
The memory of his proposal is still fresh in her mind and even though this marriage isn’t real… the vows he’d spoken back then, that she had repeated right here at City Hall, still stand firm. Loid and her…? The two of them are a team.
They’d arranged for Franky to watch Anya — she had been adamant that they not refer to it as babysitting because she was not a baby — and they’d arrived at City Hall, which was still dressed up with lights and decorations from the Christmas season, where an usher lead then to the roof. Camilla had volunteered to plan the New Year’s party like she did every year and this year she’d finally convinced Chief Barnes to let them host the party on the rooftop. And Yor had to admit… the view was spectacular.
Growing up in the countryside, the stars had shone bright all year round and while she did miss the sight of a night sky sprinkled with stars that looked like glitter, she never understood why people complained about the stars in the city. Sure, the stars weren’t as bright here as they had been in her village but the lights, especially the Christmas lights still strung around the city, danced just like stars. It was almost like a brighter, man made echo of the dimmer night sky. Not bad, not good. Different.
But no less beautiful.
“We’ll be able to see the fireworks from here.” Loid had whispered to her. “Anya would have loved this.” They had been standing right by the railing, getting a full view of the layout of the party at Loid’s suggestion. Yor had been sipping a fruity red drink that Loid had gotten her from the bar to calm her nerves. Loid had been nursing a whiskey. “Although… I wouldn’t be surprised if she was already fast asleep by now.”
The thought of Anya, tuckered out and probably curled around Bond, had brought a smile to Yor’s face. “I wish we could have brought her.”
The clock tower served as a reminder set of how soon the new year would be upon them with each tick, tick, tick. “Well,” Loid had clinked his glass against hers, “as much as I’d have liked that I do also appreciate the adult company.”
The alcohol had warmed her from her feet to the tip of her head despite the chill of the evening air. The thought had crossed her mind then that maybe she should slow down. She was aware that she wasn’t the best at handling her alcohol… and something about Loid that night – Maybe his cologne? The flush on his cheeks from the wind? Or was it that she had never seen him in this particular cashmere sweater before? – was making her feel even drunker.
Whatever it was…
Rather than dwell on it, she had clinked her glass against his and smiled. “As do I”
The night had been going nicely.
Loid was handling her coworkers excellently. He’d charmed her boss with talk of golf and business and other things Yor wasn’t aware he liked. He’d asked Sharon about each of her children by name and offered advice on late enrollment into Eden Academy for their oldest. Camilla had grumbled through her greeting but even she wasn’t immune to that sincere, stunning smile Loid gave her. Millie had been content to just stare and blush at him, flushing when he asked her how she was doing.
And the whole time he’d had his arm around her. A small, simple reminder that yes, this is my wife.
Loid was an excellent actor.
She was lucky to have him by her side.
So, yes. The night had been going nicely.
The night had been going normally.
But then…
Then the clock had struck twelve, cheers and the popping of champagne had sounded around them, and as she turned to wish him a Happy New Year, he had pulled her in close and kissed her.
And she is still reeling from it as she blinks up at him.
“Sorry,” Loid whispers just loudly enough for her to hear.
Loid is rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly with one hand, his other arm is still holding her waist. She can feel the warmth of him through the material of her new sparkly dress. She’d bought it, especially for tonight because nothing else in her wardrobe seemed appropriate for a couple’s outing on New Year’s Eve. Or, um, New Year’s Day now. “It’s custom that couples kiss at midnight and, um, well, I’m sorry I didn’t have much time to warn you before I…” When she’d stepped out of her room earlier in the evening he’d told her she looked beautiful. They’ve been married – Fake married, Yor. Don’t forget. – for a few months now and he’s called her pretty several times but beautiful …well… “Are you alright, Yor?”
The chatter of the party has reached a peak now that the new year is finally here. In the distance, she can hear Camilla laughing at something Dominic is saying. The guys from the licensing department are chanting ‘ Drink! Drink! Drink! ’ as someone else chugs are what she assumes is beer. Sharon and her husband are chatting with Millie and her date, some mousey man who was late and who Camilla thinks will last two weeks tops , loudly about whether or not there will be any special holiday sales at the boutiques tomorrow.
No one seems to have noticed them.
Yor swallows.
How has no one noticed them?
How was it possible no one else is even looking their way when it feels like Yor will never catch her breath again? When it feels like her heart is just going to be beating against her ribs for the rest of her life? How is no one asking her to explain why she’s replaying the feeling of his lips against hers again and again in her brain?
Yor blinks.
“Oh… um…” Loid’s thumb is drawing circles at her waist, toying with the sequins of her dress and flipping them from purple to silver. She doesn’t even think he realises he’s doing it but she can’t think . She can’t think when he is this close, when his hands are on her like this. Her brain is too busy focusing on how it feels to be held by him, on the shared breath between them and on the beating of her heart to comprehend anything else so she just shakes her head and says,“Sorry?”
Loid frowns. “Oh, well...” He finally lets go of her and suddenly the chill of the rooftop is much more apparent. Her skin has goose pimples and a shiver passes through her. Loid had been so warm . “I was apologising, Yor. They were counting down and, um, you know people assume that when it hits midnight that a couple… in particular, a married couple will kiss. And with your coworkers and boss around I didn’t want to raise any suspicions…”
He searches her face but Yor lowers her gaze. Part of her is afraid he’ll see the two of them moments ago running on loop — kissing, kissing, he kissed her — in her eyes and the thought mortifies her.
Loid frowns. “I apologize, Yor. I should have asked you. Next time I’ll come up with an excu–”
“No!” The word leaves her mouth so suddenly that for a moment she doesn’t realise it’s even hers until Loid’s eyes widen and a couple of her coworkers stop their conversations to look their way. They hadn’t noticed the couple before but they do now. It couldn’t have been more embarrassing if the music had come to some sort of cartoonish screeching halt — thank heavens, it didn’t. “No, sorry.”
She moves closer to him, trying her best to block out the eyes of those around them.
Were there alway so many people around? Did this many people even work here? Did they all see him kiss her? She hadn’t noticed before but her fellow partygoers were much closer to them than she had first thought. And the sound of them is much more apparent now that Loid isn’t touching her. How had she not noticed them earlier?
Had she been so wrapped up in… in…
Kissing, kissing, kissing.
She can still feel the pressure of him against her lips. “It’s really alright, Loid. I-I didn’t mind at all.”
“You didn’t?”
Yor swallows.
They’re a team. Family.
Loid is one of her closest friends.
And the way he made her feel…
The way he makes her feel…
“No.” She says, truthfully.
They look at each other for a long moment, brown eyes meeting blue, and Yor can feel herself heating up again under his gaze. She can’t take it. She can’t take the feeling of his gaze on her skin, palpable like a caress. She can’t take the heat from his body, how he nears her as the wind blows shielding her from the bulk of its chill. How something honey and warm settles in her stomach. She can’t shake the memory of his kiss.
God, he kissed her. He placed his hand on her waist, pulled her in, and kissed her. His hand had tilted her chin before moving down to rest at the curve of her neck, opening her up to him as he deepened the kiss. And she… Well, she had… Oh, god. “I didn’t mind at all.”
Clearly.
She had, after all, kissed him back.
“Oh?” Loid blinks. “ Oh.”
And then his eyes widen ever so slightly and what’s just enough to convince Yor that he knows. He knows that her world has shifted and her mind has betrayed her and that she’s thinking about all kinds of silly, silly, silly things like kissing him again.
Oh, god!
How embarrassing?
How mortifying?!
How…
How…
Ah!
“Appearance!” She tries to recover. Which may have worked if she wasn’t flushing bright red and her voice wasn’t two trebles too high. Yor coughs, “I mean… I know that we need to keep up appearances.”
Loid blinks at her. “Appearances.”
Yor’s face is warm even in the cold. “Yes, appearances.”
Then Loid smiles, softly and slowly like the morning sun. And just as warm. “Ah, yes.” And then to nobody but Yor’s surprise Loid reached down and held her hand, lacing their fingers together and pulling her in until the tip of her heel nudged his dress shoes. “Appearances are important.” His breath was a ghost in the air between them. “But you know why people kiss at midnight? The tradition?”
No wonder Millie flushed like she had. “I’m not really familiar with it.” Being the sole object of Loid Forger’s attention was like staring into the sun. Stunning, blinding, and warm. It made her feel brave. And — thank god, he wasn’t part of the secret police or a spy or something because — it made her want to be honest with him. “Why?”
“They say that the person you’re with at night determines what type of luck you’ll have next year.” He squeezed her hand.“You’ve been a joy and a much needed addition to the Forger family.” The sun. Loid Forger was the sun. A celestial body that brought things to life and kept her warm. Her own personal star and it was probably for the best that this marriage was fake. ”I was really lucky to find you this year, Yor.”
It was for the best. It was. Because she could see herself orbiting him, burning up for him, happily for as long as he’d have her. She could see herself surrendering to him.
And she doubted the Garden would be happy about that.
But right now?
At this moment?
Well…
She smiles.
“So was I, Loid.” She squeezes his hand. “So lucky.”