A/N: Accidental marriage!au for the lovely Amber via the Drabble Game Challenge. Enjoy, my dear.
Written for the Ultime AU Promptathon challenge: accidental marriage!au.
x.X.x
He knows, without a doubt, that she's in his house again. She does it to spite him.
'Echo," he calls, pushing the door of open. The room smells like alcohol and the strong aroma of her perfume. Tonight, once again, he will drown in his mistakes.
Echo is leaning on the counter when he sees her, a predatorily smile so at odds with the innocent smile she wears.
"Hello, Roan," she purrs and he closes his eyes. "You're late."
"I wasn't aware we had plans," he counters and she's by his side in a flash. This is why, despite her impulsiveness and toxic personality, he keeps her around. There is no one else who is his equal like this. Like her.
Echo bats her eyelashes, a move so out of character it instantly puts him on alert. "I saw your mother today. She took me for lunch."
His mother taking Echo for lunch feels like a personal fault. His mother hasn't done anything good for him, ever. He is not naive enough to believe that will change now, especially with Echo involved.
Roan narrows his eyes at Echo and watches her smirk drunkenly at him. Still, she is sharp, far sharper than even he can imagine. He thinks he may hate her. "What did she say?"
Echo traces his jaw with a careless intensity and he shivers under her touch. "She says you should marry me. Together, we can be ruthless and crush Lexa Griffin's pathetic empire."
"I'm sure my mother knows about ruthlessness," he snaps and he knows instantly that it's a mistake. "Considering she killed my father for that CEO position."
Echo laughs lazily. "Careful there with the accusations."
Roan glares at her. Echo does not worship anyone but herself but if she did, it would be his mother. His damn mother.
"I know she did." He states and her resulting grin is razor-sharp. "I'm not marrying you either."
Echo coyly looks up at him through her eyelashes. "Don't be so sure."
x.X.x
He's drunk out of his mind as he matches her shot to shot. The alcohol burns his veins and he was always a pathetic drunk. That hasn't changed either.
Echo watches him sharply and he wonders dimly at why she isn't getting any drunker until he grabs her cup instead.
It's only then that it sinks in and he's stumbling, whether towards her or away from her, he's not sure.
x.X.x
He wakes up with a ring cutting into his side and her resting beside him. The sunlight shines directly on the stack of marriage papers by his bedside.
"I told you so," she says, propping herself up on her elbows.
"Damn you to hell, Echo," he spits. She laughs.
"Together, we'll rule," she repeats, bloodlust evident in her voice.
He knows already that it's irreversible. Echo never does anything halfway. It's time for his to chose the terms of his surrender.
"Kill my mother and we will do whatever you want," he says and she grins.