Work Text:
Xaden’s POV
The room is quiet, the kind of calm that only comes late at night when the world slows down. Outside, the wind howls faintly, and the occasional flicker of moonlight sneaks through the curtains, casting silver patterns on the walls. But none of that matters. Not when she’s here, tucked against me like she belongs there—which she does.
Her head rests on my chest, her breath warm and steady against my skin. One of her legs is draped over mine, her arm looped around my waist, as though she’s afraid I might slip away in the night. I tighten my hold on her instinctively, pressing my lips to the top of her head. Her hair smells like lavender and something uniquely hers, something that drives me insane in the best possible way.
These moments, the ones where I can just hold her, where nothing else exists—these are the moments I live for. After all the chaos, the battles, the weight of responsibilities and expectations, my upcoming… condition, this is what keeps me grounded. She keeps me grounded. My Violet. My heart.
Her breathing is even, but I can tell she’s still awake. There’s a certain tension in her body, a slight stiffness that tells me her mind is elsewhere. She shifts slightly, burrowing further into me, and I run my hand up and down her back in slow, soothing strokes. It’s been a long day for the both of us.
Meeting Mom.
Seeing that Mom is happy and thriving - without me.
Realising Mom replaced me with a brand new family.
Mom never missed me like I missed her.
Mom never missed me.
Mom left.
“Violet?” I whisper after a long silence, my voice so unnaturally quiet I almost don’t catch it.
She tilts her head to look up at me, though she’s still pressed against my chest. “Hmm?”
“Are you…definitely in love with me?” The words are soft, hesitant, but old wounds have been reopened and she’s the only one who can stitch them closed.
For a second, she looks like she’s sure she’s misheard me.
“Xaden,” she says, her voice low but firm. I shift so I can see her face, cupping her cheek gently to tilt her gaze up to mine. “What kind of question is that?”
I don’t meet her eyes, instead staring somewhere over her shoulder. “I don’t know,” I murmur. “It’s stupid. Forget I said anything.”
“Not a chance.” She sits up slightly, entwining our hands close as she studies my face. “Why are you asking me that?” she demands, though her voice is softer than the words suggest. “Of course I’m in love with you. I’m utterly, completely, hopelessly in love with you. I wouldn’t survive without you, Xaden. You’re everything to me. My gravity remember?”
I swallow hard, my fingers clutching hers. “You didn’t do anything,” I say quickly . “It’s not you. It’s just…I guess seeing Mom after all this time just… I know you love me—I do. But sometimes I wonder if she was right in leaving me, what if she subconsciously knew I would disappoint her and I wouldn’t be enough, or if—”
“Stop.” She cuts me off, her voice sharper than usual. My eyes widen slightly, and she softens her tone immediately. “Don’t ever say that again. You’re more than enough. You’re everything I’ve ever wanted, everything I’ll ever need. There’s nothing—nothing—in this world or the next that could make me stop loving you. Do you understand me?”
I nod slowly, my gaze finally meeting hers. She presses her forehead to mine, her voice breaking as she continues. “Xaden, my love, you are worth everything, everything and beyond and I swear to you, I love you more than my own damn life. I’ll spend the rest of my days proving that to you if I have to.”
“You haven’t done anything,” I insist , my voice steadying as her words warm my heart. “You’re perfect, love. It’s just…me. I’ve always had this voice in the back of my head, telling me I’m not good enough, that I’m not worth loving. I remember sitting on my hill in Aretia - I must have been 11 or 12 - and wondering why the one person who was always meant to stay by my side and protect me ended up being the first person to leave me. I thought I’d silenced it, but seeing her triggered it. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t apologize,” she says immediately, pulling me closer. “You don’t have to be sorry for how you feel. Just…don’t shut me out, okay? Let me fight those doubts with you. Let me show you how much I love you.”
I nod again, my fingers tracing idle patterns on her back. “Just promise me one thing,” I whisper. “Promise me you’ll never leave me.”
She takes my face in her hands, forcing me to look at her. “I promise,” she says firmly, the words leaving no room for doubt. “I’ll never leave you, Xaden Riorson. Not in this life, not in any other. You’re stuck with me, whether you like it or not.”
A small smile tugs at my lips, and her eyes flicker with relief. “I like it - love it actually,” I murmur.
“Good,” she replies, pressing a kiss to my jaw. “Because I’m not going anywhere. Ever. You’re mine and I’m yours.”
*******
After thoroughly reminding me of how much she loves every single part of me, she relaxes into me, her head resting on my shoulder as I hold her close. The exhaustion in her body fades little by little, and I press a kiss to her hair, silently thanking every deity in the realm for blessing me with Violet Sorrengail.