Magnus loved the feel of her body against his. There was something so natural about it, like they were puzzle pieces that fit together so perfectly that the picture would be incomplete without each other. He'd never felt that way with anyone else. Sure, he'd loved and made love to other women...but it was never like this. He'd never felt whole with anyone but her.
[color=#7CD98A]"I do."[/color] It was the truth. When it originally went up for sale, there was talk about tearing it down and building something else in its place. This place had housed some of the best memories of his entire life - he couldn't let it be destroyed. And he could afford it.
So he bought it, restored it to how he remembered, and paid Ferndando to keep serving drinks to the same crowd of misfits. He knew so much about what went on inside the walls of this place, about the lives of the people who spent their nights drinking and the occasional visitors in cowled hoods that pretended to be someone they weren't. Information was power, and this place was awash with it. And...of course, his memories were safe.
The fact that she too had wanted to buy it made his chest tight with hope. He'd always been a sentimental fool when it came to her, keeping safe mementos of their time together when he had nothing else.
As they sat there, he could feel her mind spinning. She wanted this, she couldn't deny that she wanted it so much she couldn't breathe. But he could also feel the guilt there. She'd put other people ahead of herself for so long that she couldn't see the damage it was doing. He knew she was desperately trying to be a good mother, to be loyal to her late husband, and live up to everyone's expectations. But teaching your children it was better to be miserable than chase their dreams was a disservice. Settling doesn't make you a good ruler or good parent, it just erodes who you are.
As he looked at her, the corners of his lips turned up slightly. He tucked an errant hair back behind her ear. [color=#7CD98A]"You know you're allowed to be happy, Lara. Anyone who wants to deny you that doesn't deserve the sacrifice."[/color]
It was true. It was why he had lived so long in her shadow. She deserved happiness. They both did. And finally, they had a chance to find it together.
[color=#7CD98A]"I do."[/color] It was the truth. When it originally went up for sale, there was talk about tearing it down and building something else in its place. This place had housed some of the best memories of his entire life - he couldn't let it be destroyed. And he could afford it.
So he bought it, restored it to how he remembered, and paid Ferndando to keep serving drinks to the same crowd of misfits. He knew so much about what went on inside the walls of this place, about the lives of the people who spent their nights drinking and the occasional visitors in cowled hoods that pretended to be someone they weren't. Information was power, and this place was awash with it. And...of course, his memories were safe.
The fact that she too had wanted to buy it made his chest tight with hope. He'd always been a sentimental fool when it came to her, keeping safe mementos of their time together when he had nothing else.
As they sat there, he could feel her mind spinning. She wanted this, she couldn't deny that she wanted it so much she couldn't breathe. But he could also feel the guilt there. She'd put other people ahead of herself for so long that she couldn't see the damage it was doing. He knew she was desperately trying to be a good mother, to be loyal to her late husband, and live up to everyone's expectations. But teaching your children it was better to be miserable than chase their dreams was a disservice. Settling doesn't make you a good ruler or good parent, it just erodes who you are.
As he looked at her, the corners of his lips turned up slightly. He tucked an errant hair back behind her ear. [color=#7CD98A]"You know you're allowed to be happy, Lara. Anyone who wants to deny you that doesn't deserve the sacrifice."[/color]
It was true. It was why he had lived so long in her shadow. She deserved happiness. They both did. And finally, they had a chance to find it together.
01-28-2023, 03:54 PM
