Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The day she told him she loved him, he was shocked.
Did he love her? Well, that he wasn't sure of, but he did his best to let her down easy. He thought he did well, but he could tell it crushed her spirit a little, so he did his best to make it comedic and showed her his paranoid writings of what he assumed her intentions to be. She laughed, a sweet noise full of mirth.
It was only after she received her scythe ring and lavender robes, renaming herself as Scythe Curie did he realize he may harbor some feelings for her, as well.

Michael had recently turned his first corner, reverting back to a man much younger than he appeared; back to his early twenties, his body no longer slow and now strong, flexible, and nimble.
He felt good about himself, and he was currently gathering his groceries by himself, lost in thought as he selected which bread loaf he wanted. He was brought back to earth by the familiar scent of lavender wafting through the air and the light footfalls of Scythe Curie, glancing up at her. He was almost surprised to see she, too, had a much younger appearance than when he'd last seen her.

Her long hair was braided down her back neatly, her fierce eyes scanning the market while everyone either cowered from her intimidating presence or was drawn to her beauty. Her eyes landed on Michael, who glanced away sheepishly upon being caught staring, continuing with his shopping as if he had never noticed her in the first place.
Scythe Curie, like the huntress she was, lurked in the market until he was finished shopping and left, catching up to him once he turned into his lonely neighborhood.
"Scythe Faraday," she called, sweeping up to him, her lavender cloak billowing gracefully behind her. Michael turned to her with a slight smile.
"Marie," he greeted. "Upon what intention are you following me today?"

Marie didn't answer right away, instead allowing them to walk in silence until they were at his home. He allowed her entry and she even began helping him put away his groceries, remembering exactly where everything went.
"An old conversation I want to finish," Marie began after a long break of silence. Michael glanced at her, noticing the hesitance in her voice and in her eyes. It was a strange thing for her to portray; it was almost as if he was looking at his apprentice again, always confident until the topic turned to something personal for her.
"Which would that be?" he asked, and Marie turned to stare into his eyes, the confidence back with such strength it was hard to withstand.

"Us," she said. "I want to discuss us."
Michael, taken by surprise, raised his brows. "Go on."
Marie pushed off the counter and approached him, tall enough to look directly into his eyes. "You're a smart man," she began, standing now only a few inches away. "I know you've felt the tension. I'm not ashamed to say my old feelings haven't died in these last few decades, and I believe you reciprocate them, do you not?"
Michael smiled a little, refusing to break eye contact with her as he answered. "Even if I do, what do you plan on doing with them? It's illegal for us to even discuss this, let alone dream of pursuing a relationship."

Marie shrugged. "I don't think it impossible," she said slowly, her grey eyes examining him carefully. "The Thunderhead won't tell on us, and it's not impossible to evade the sight of the other scythes. Most of them are self-absorbed or so busy with other matters I'm sure they won't notice." She smiled, this time a little more mischievously. Michael considered her silently.
He desperately wanted to love her, even if in secret, but his morality knew it would be difficult. To be a scythe in love was a crime they were not above, and if they were caught the punishments would be so severe he couldn't imagine. But the way she was looking at him, anticipating his reaction and possibly watching every microexpression to track his thought process made it impossible to decline.

He closed the distance and kissed her. It was sweet, his hands cupping her face gently while she gasped softly, then kissed him back. Her hands rested on his shoulders, and they stood kissing for what felt like eternity before he pulled away, looking deeply into her grey eyes and taking in her face. Then he laughed. "You're a bad influence," he teased, and she only responded with another, more passionate kiss.

And thus, a relationship was born, and Michael couldn't be more happy.
They kept to the shadows, only meeting once a month or even every other month to keep it a secret. Sometimes Marie would visit him in his small home, where they would cook together and read, or sometimes cuddle in bed for hours.
On other days, they would meet in a deserted park at odd hours of the night, where Michael would take her hand in his and they would walk in near silence, enjoying the cooing of owls and the scents of nature. Michael knew the Thunderhead watched them, its cameras trained on them at all times, yet it would never tell. It would remain silent, observing but never acting upon such an illegal act.

Tonight, Marie met him at a new park with huge willow trees and fireflies bobbing about in the grass. Michael waited for her by a large willow, his ivory robes keeping the chill November breeze from penetrating his skin. He was barefoot, and when Marie arrived she, too, removed her shoes and they began their stroll.
"These nights are some of my favorites," Michael commented after a few minutes, slipping his hand into hers. She was warm, and the way her hair was simply braided down her back allowed the strips of moonlight to illuminate her face. She was the most beautiful he had ever seen her, the silver light reflecting off her perfect skin and making her grey eyes shine.
"What are your other favorites?" she asked, their voices low. Not to avoid detection, but because it felt intimate; to be so close as to hear each others breaths and add their voices to the sounds of nature were what made it special to him.

"Every day I get to see you feels like a blessing, as the mortals would say," Michael said, which wasn't a real answer but it seemed to satisfy Marie, for she smiled and kissed him on the cheek.
They fell silent, Marie resting her head on his arm as they walked. The chill grass under their feet was soft, and the sounds of crickets, owls, and a single fox rummaging in the dirt filling the air. The only light came from the moon and the fireflies, which fled as their robes dragged across the grass behind them, sending yellow light into the air like stars.

They returned to his home before dawn, where Michael fell to the couch and laid on his back, looking up at Marie lovingly. She was quick to join him, sprawling across his body and nuzzling her face into his neck. Her hair still smelled like her lavender shampoo, which he inhaled while gently playing with the ends of her braid.
He was exhausted, but he was content. He wished he could have her every day he wanted and never have to worry about being caught.
He could sense her doze off lightly after a while, her breathing deep and rhythmic while he continued to play with her hair and stare at the ceiling, and eventually he closed his eyes and allowed himself to fall asleep, forcing all worries from his mind.
He had her here and now, and he would do everything he could to keep it that way.

Chapter Text

The crisp air of the December night sent everyone inside for the evening, enjoying time with families and friends or even alone.
Michael was typically the latter, spending his nights in his home alone and planning his next subjects to glean. A deeply unpleasant and gruesome process he truly wished wasn't necessary, but he did it nonetheless without complaint.

Tonight, however, he was looking forward to.
Marie would be arriving at his place at approximately midnight, and Michael had spent about an hour touching the place up out of nervousness. He knew she was a very neat, precise woman, whereas he lacked in some departments. Dusting, for one, was never a priority until it got too bad.
Michael was honestly surprised by how dusty his home was, but he got all his chores done and even prepared a simple meal by the time Marie strode into his house, not bothering to knock or announce her arrival any other way.

"What did you make?" she asked, inhaling the air and approaching the kitchen to look at his meal.
"Chicken," he answered plainly, knowing she wouldn't be impressed but would be satisfied. She smiled and took her portion, the pair sitting down at the table together to eat in relative silence. They never seemed to need to talk when with each other, content with just being together and doing intimate tasks, such as eating together in close proximity.

When dinner was finished, they washed the dishes. After the dishes, Marie completely took charge of the situation and Michael found himself cornered at the counter, Marie kissing him fiercely on the mouth.
He kissed her back, instantly finding himself flustered with his hands on her neck. Marie's hands were on his arms, then at his robe. "Take it off," she purred, hardly moving away from his face to say so. Michael smirked but didn't comply, instead pushing her backwards a little and pulling away.

"Patience was never your thing when it comes to this," he chided playfully, taking her hand and leading her into the bedroom for more privacy. Marie went willingly, kicking the door closed with her foot and her hands going to undo her robe. Michael's hand went to stop hers, which made her brows raise and her mouth turn into a mischievous grin.
"May I?" he asked.
"Of course you may," she answered, her hands falling to her sides, then reaching to undo his at the same time. Michael undid the two clasps holding the robe at her front, sliding the lavender material off her shoulders to expose her thin tunic underneath.

Marie stripped him of his robes and pushed him towards the bed until it hit his knees, forcing him to sit down. Marie stood above him, capturing him in another kiss as she removed every last strip of clothing from his body, climbing onto the bed to straddle his lap.
He moaned into her lips, then flipped her onto her back to regain control. A dance of two scythes, submitting control to each other for only moments at a time willingly before regaining it a moment later.

He slid off her tunic to leave her fully exposed to him, a sight he never would tire of. She was gorgeous; every last curve of her elegant body was perfection. Her long limbs, so strong she could kill him if she wanted to, yet she only used her legs to wrap around his waist and keep him there.
He kissed her mouth, cupping the back of her head in his hands and tangling his fingers in her silky hair, his body hot from arousal. But he felt like playing tonight, so he tightened his grip in her hair and tipped her head back, kissing her jaw and then her neck, feeling her pulse beat wildly and seeing her light blush down her neck and chest.

He listened as she started moaning, only softly at first, but she became a little more vocal when his mouth found her breasts and paused to leave trails of kisses and to tease each nipple evenly. She squirmed as he did so, making him smile and maintain his pace.
He grabbed her legs and shifted them from around his waist to over his shoulders, still kissing his way down her body and soaking in every last moan, which were only getting more desperate, though she tried containing them.

"May I?" he asked again as he reached her center, glancing up at her from his position between her legs. Marie glared at him, making him laugh a little this time.
"Verbal confirmation, please," he pressed, knowing it would annoy her but not enough to get upset. She sighed heavily, her cheeks red and her body lined with sweat.
"Of course you may," she confirmed with a little venom, making him laugh again.
"Thank you," he said, immediately planting his hand on her crotch and rubbing circles with his thumb on her clit, which made her jump a little and moan, throwing her head onto the pillows so she could no longer glare at him.

He teased her for a minute, using every pattern he knew she liked before he slid one finger into her, followed by a second a few moments later. Marie continued moaning and trying to stifle them unsuccessfully, her legs tightening around his neck as he worked.
Michael admired her while he worked, enjoying how she reacted so strongly to his methods and hardly tried hiding it. It was here he found her the most beautiful, the most raw and vulnerable, all for him to enjoy.

He added his mouth to her pussy, licking while he pumped his fingers inside her and making her legs only tighten further, threatening to crush his skull like a pumpkin. He gently tapped her hip twice and she loosened only slightly, enabling him to surface and allow her to take control.
She flipped him onto his back now, pinning him by sitting just over his crotch, her hands on his shoulders and her hair tickling his neck as she looked down at him. Her grey eyes glinted playfully, and he gasped when she promptly sat down on his cock and bottomed out in less than a second.

"That's for the teasing," she whispered, leaning down to say it right into his ear before she nipped his earlobe. He groaned, gripping her hips in his hands as she began moving up and down in a familiar rhythm. Michael thrust his hips into hers, meeting her halfway and making her moan again.
Marie resumed the nipping of his ear, her breath tickling his skin and making his whole body hot and feverish. He thrust into her again. Marie sat up and flicked her hair over her shoulder swiftly, her hands resting on his abs and tossing her head back to expose her throat, the two thrusting and grinding until Michael came first, unable to handle it much longer.

Marie finished a few seconds later, again using her legs to grip him tightly as she rode it out with him. He touched her forearm and sighed in a deeply satisfied way; he wished more than ever he could experience this with her as often as normal people did with their partners, but with their laws it was simply too dangerous.
"How was that?" Marie asked, leaning down to rest her chin on his chest and smile up at him seductively. He snickered.
"You're perfect," he breathed quietly. "You're always perfect."
Marie smiled and wrapped her arms around his body, holding him close and resting her face in the crook of his neck. He wrapped his arms around her, too, closing his eyes and burying his nose in her hair.

They laid like this for a few minutes before she shifted to lay beside him instead, the room too hot to continue being so close. He turned to face her, lying on their sides and staring at each other quietly.
"You have the most beautiful eyes," he muttered after a little while, making her smile again.
"You always say that," she reminded him. He smiled.
"And i'll always mean it."

Marie kissed him, sweetly this time. "And you'll always be the most noble, brave, compassionate, and paranoid man i'll ever meet," she teased.
He scoffed, kissing her to shut her up. She sighed into him, then they parted and she cuddled into his side, dozing off after ten or fifteen minutes.
Michael wrapped his arm around her and decided not to disturb her; the risk of getting caught was worth her love any day, for he knew he would do anything for her, even if it cost him his life.