Chapter Text
I wake up to a dull throb in my head. My eyes slowly open and the world is still blurry. Despite my failing vision, I know where I am. I'm in my bed in Ymir. But how did I get here?... I don't remember anything that happened yesterday. Or much before that to be honest. I blink away the fuzziness from my eyes without much success. Even after rubbing my eyes, the fog remains. All the while, I'm trying to recall when I went to bed, but to no avail. I push myself up with my forearms into a sitting position which is immediately protested by my entire body. I make the noise of a poorly oiled door as I force myself to stand up from the bed, instantly feeling very dizzy. I drag my feet to the exit to my bedroom and my legs nearly give out. I have to catch myself on the doorframe to stay upright. Many deep breaths later, I push myself through the portal and stagger to the railing overlooking the inside of the manor. Everything looks as it should, but I'm still trying to get my bearings. I hear a voice from downstairs.
"We've got an idiot on the move." A high, almost nasally voice remarks.
"He's up already?" A softer voice questions.
"Barely. Just don't breathe on him too hard so he doesn't collapse."
I crane my neck over the railing to try and identify the speakers. I see nobody until a girl emerges from the kitchen and starts up the stairs. Her silhouette looks so familiar, but I just can't see her clearly through the fog in my eyes. I stay leaning against the railing, wracking my brain the whole time she ascends the steps. Once the reaches the top, I finally see her clearly.
"Emma...?" I ask, still unsure. She's wearing a typical Ymir parka with her hair down and without her glasses. She looks gorgeous right now, but I still have no idea how she got here or why.
"That's right. At least you remember that much." She sighs with a smile, striding towards me and placing the back of her hand against my forehead before sliding her hand down to hold my cheek. "How are you feeling?"
I feel my face heat up a bit from the contact, which doesn't help my general wooziness. "I've... been better. What happened?"
"Ugh, figures." The same nasally voice from before pipes up, I can't see the source until a black cat hops up onto the railing and... talks. "You go out on your own and get clobbered by a monster that we warned you not to fight alone, and you can't even remember enough to apologize for it."
I'm left staring for quite some time. This cat. Is talking. I have to still be asleep. My shock must have been quite evident as Emma redirects my attention back to her with another gentle touch to my cheek.
"Do you remember Celine, Rean?" She asks gently, eyes free from judgement.
"I... Don't. Hell, I kinda forgot my own name until you said something..."
"Unbelievable." The cat- er... Celine huffs.
"Now, now. Getting angry over it now isn't going to do anyone any good." Emma says placatingly, "The best thing we can do now is make sure he recovers quickly."
"I didn't sign up for this. He's your problem." Celine dismisses before pawing along the railing and jumping down out of sight. Emma lets out a breath before returning her focus to me.
"You said you're not feeling so good?"
"That's putting it lightly..." I shift myself so that I'm leaning sideways on the wooden railing to maintain my balance.
"Well, that's only natural. You took quite a heavy hit... Right to your head."
So that's what happened... I mean, that makes sense, but I still have no recollection of any of that happening. "What hit me, exactly?"
"A stone golem." Emma answers directly, giving me pause.
"... It was like a grazing blow, right?"
"No, it landed quite firmly..."
"..."
"Well, in any case, we should get you back to resting." She takes my arm, gently coaxing me back to my bedroom. I put up a small bit of resistance before relenting.
She leads me back to my bedroom and helps me into a lying position before pulling the blankets over my body. A weak smile is all I have to offer her as she begins inspecting my condition.
"I'm going to use a bit of healing magic to help your recovery along, is that all right?" Emma asks, feeling my forehead again.
"That's fine... thanks." I nod. As soon as I give my consent, I feel the cool wave of recovery magic through my head, seeping all through my body. It comes to me that Emma never answered why she's here, but I'm feeling far too sleepy now to ask again. Slowly, the world fades away.
I drift in and out of consciousness intermittently for the next few hours. Sometimes I hear or feel things around me, but I'm never sure if it's real or if I'm just dreaming it. Often, it's visions of Emma tending to me, either giving me another round of healing or just sitting by my bedside. I'm pretty sure she speaks to me, but I can barely hear her, much less make out what she's saying. Either way, it's soothing to listen to. Once, I swear I can feel Celine curled up beside me, but that probably isn't right.
Finally, I feel myself waking up more concretely, growing more confident that what I'm experiencing is reality. The pain in my head has lessened, if only a bit. A pair of voices draws my attention away from the discomfort.
"It's getting quite late. You should retire, my lady. We will keep an eye on Lord Schwarzer." Maple, one of the maids from the Phoenix Wings, speaks.
"I'm afraid I can't bring myself to leave his side. I know he'll make a full recovery, but I can't help but fear the worst will come to pass if I leave him alone for even a moment." Emma's voice replies.
"I know you're nervous for him. I can hardly blame you. But your own well-being is just as important, Lady Schwarzer." Maple pleads. "I promise he'll be just fine under our care."
Lady Schwarzer? But that isn't my mom talking...
"... Very well... Could I at least bid him goodnight?" Emma relents.
"Of course." The maid exits my bedroom, leaving Emma alone with me. She kneels at my bedside and I will my eyes to open.
"Why, hello there." Emma greets fondly, brushing some hair from my face. "Feeling any better?"
"A little..." I answer before asking my more pressing question. "Emma, did Maple just call you Lady Schwarzer?"
"She certainly did." The witch answers with a patient smile.
"Why?... And also, why are you even here in the first place."
"Aidios above, you must've been hit harder than I thought." Emma huffs. "Well, lucky for you, I have one answer to both of those questions." She leans in, nose nearly meeting mine. "I'm your wife, Lord Rean Schwarzer."
I have no idea what to say for what feels like minutes on end. It feels like she's joking, but her face is dead serious, if a bit cheeky. I feel terrible for it, but I cannot for the life of me remember getting married whatsoever. Despite my complete lack of recollection, I can't say I'm unhappy with the revelation. If I got to pick any girl I know to marry, it would be Emma. And it seems I did. Somehow.
"I'm sorry, Emma, but... I don't remember any of that." I admit, casting my gaze away from her. "Some husband I am, huh?"
"Don't be sorry. I'm confident that this memory loss is only temporary." She ruffles my hair a bit. "And even if it isn't, I'll just make you fall in love with me again."
I chuckle at her proposition. "I'm sure that wouldn't be too difficult for you, but..." I pause, looking into her eyes. "I want to remember. I want to be able to live with the memories we've made together... To look back on these days with you as we get older."
Emma's grin softens into an almost melancholy smile. "Of course. Don't worry, my love. I'll ensure you make a full recovery." She presses a kiss to my forehead. "But you're going to need to rest for quite some time if that's what you want."
"Great..." I grouse. Inactivity has never been my specialty.
"Don't pout." She gently pinches my cheek before standing up. "Well, goodnight for now, Rean."
"Wait-" I snatch Emma's wrist before she can get too far. It's strange, but even though I don't remember our marriage or much else about our relationship, I still feel a burning need to be close to her. "Don't you er... Couldn't you keep a closer eye on me if you were... Next to me?"
"How scandalous." Emma puts a hand to her chest, feigning indignation. "But... I suppose you have a point." Once I slide over a bit, she lowers herself into bed beside me. The witch rolls onto her side to look into my eyes. We stay staring into each other's eyes for quite some time. After just a little while, Emma takes my hand under the blankets, rubbing her thumb softly over my knuckles before lifting my hand to kiss that same spot.
My chest starts feeling all fluttery. I'm not used to Emma being this overtly affectionate with me. I probably wouldn't be feeling this way if my memories were intact, but right now, I'm blushing like Emma's my high school crush and not my wife. Once she finishes peppering my hand with kisses, I decide to be bold. Fighting my aching body, I scoot closer to Emma, bringing my face close to hers.
She doesn't resist the motion, immediately closing her eyes and lifting her chin in offering like it's routine. I, however, don't have a single memory of a kiss between us. Far too soon, I can feel her breath against my lips and I realize I'm out of my depth. My blood pressure skyrockets and I change course last-second, winding up kissing the tip of her nose instead. Emma begins giggling immediately after I quickly pull away.
"Sorry... I guess I wasn't as ready as I thought..." I roll onto my back, staring up at the ceiling.
"Don't be sorry. There's no shame in taking this slowly. I don't expect you to be acting your usual self so soon." Emma says comfortingly. "But that was adorable."
"Stop... Please." I plead.
"Fine, fine." She acquiesces before pressing up to my side. "Get some rest now, okay?"
"... You'll stay with me... right?" I ask in a small voice as my eyes begin to close.
"Always..."