The setting sun lengthened Natalia's shadow as she stepped down to the seaside. Standing on the platform looking over the sea, and resting her hands tensely on the railing as she squinted into the clouds (as warm in color as if they were a bonfire in the sky), she felt as though she were watching a wave of colossal proportions about to crash into her.

It would have been nice if she had been allowed more than a few seconds to herself to contemplate her situation as 'false princess' of Kimlasca-Lanvaldear… and, not entirely unrelated, her utter misery at the thought of returning to Baticul. Even now, Natalia only had time to turn a single, maddening question over and over in her head—what was she afraid of?—before she heard footsteps.

Footsteps could mean anything, but in her recent experiences, they usually meant trouble. Natalia's hand instinctively flew to her bow as she whirled around, and she took a deep breath upon seeing no one. She could not have mistaken the sound of footfalls on the street behind her. "Who's there?" she demanded of the seemingly deserted alley, prepared to fight if she had to, but the strength left Natalia's words immediately after she asked them.

Her heart skipped a beat, her question wordlessly answered. A now-familiar rush of giddiness enveloped her, and she could not suppress a smile at the approach of an old friend. "Asch!" she exclaimed breathlessly, before she could stop herself, but attempted to regain some semblance of royal dignity a moment later (resenting the blush rising into her cheeks). "What are you doing here?" she added with reluctant suspicion, attempting to force herself to treat him like a stranger. Though she knew in her heart that he was the same boy she had once agreed to marry, he had not treated her group as friends. In fact, he seemed loath even to call them allies.

"I'm looking for Spinoza," said Asch, and his voice held no hint of hostility—a welcome change from the stiff, prickly attitude he had adopted towards her friends. "What are you doing here?"

He seemed more more curious than wary for a change, enough so that Natalia felt comfortable with turning her back on him to stare at the dazzling edges of the clouds, illuminated by the sun. Goodness knew the sun was by far less bright than Asch in her eyes. "I'm…" she began, but hesitated. Natalia had hardly been granted time to mull things over, as she had sought in her solitude. How could she reveal to someone so distant and enigmatic as him what was in her head, when she couldn't identify her own thoughts on the matter?

The footsteps started up again, this time slow and tentative. "Aren't you going to Baticul?" he asked, a frown in his voice, and Natalia's breath caught in shock. How could he have found out? Even if our plans are not yet fixed, that means he was listening to our discussion! "You knew?" she gasped, trying distractedly to think of all the other conversations she and her friends had had to which Asch may have listened. How could Natalia be certain he had not listened in to their other discussions?

Asch seemed uncomfortable at her question—perhaps guessing her thoughts—and merely said, "It's not like you to be scared."

A warm glow touched her at his words: that was high praise, coming from someone so reserved as Asch. Natalia could no longer hold back a small smile, though she kept her back firmly to him. Still, however flattering the compliment was, she could not accept it. "Well, there are some things that frighten even me." Though she may ordinarily have been fearless to the point of recklessness, her current predicament was an exception. Considering the matter at hand with anything less than careful deliberation would be complete foolishness.

"Really?" asked Asch, chiding her gently in an almost teasing tone of voice that quickly summoned the heat back to her face. "Even though you have tens of thousands of Baticul citizens as your allies?"

"I know that," said Natalia, but a tiny, uncertain quaver made its way into her voice, contaminating it with doubt. Before she could attempt to reassert herself, she realized with a jolt that Asch was making his way towards the railing next to her. He settled a respectful distance away, but Natalia's heart beat a frantically elated rhythm against her chest, reminding her of days long gone—days when they were always this close, physically and mentally. They had been so childishly blissful in the knowledge that they would marry someday. Now, the promise he had made so faithfully in those sunlit days was no longer…

"Someday, when we're grown up, let's change this country," said Asch quietly, and the world turned airless. For a shivering moment, Natalia was sure she had imagined his voice in her yearning ears, but then he continued, "Change it so that no one has to be poor. Change it so that war never happens."

"Let's work to change our country," managed Natalia after a tremulous pause. "For the rest of our lives. Together." She glanced at Asch, trying to convey to him the continuance of her attachment, but he seemed lost in the setting sunlight. As its blazing glow bathed him in ruddy fire, a faint smile touched her lips as she committed this moment to memory. This view would forever stay in her mind's eye, inspiring her with gentle courage.

Before Natalia could look away again and pretend she had not been staring at Asch in a most undignified manner, he turned towards her and met her eyes. "I didn't say that because you were a princess," he murmured, and there was such affection in his gaze that Natalia could no longer meet his eyes. Instead, she stared at the clouds, head swirling with tangled thoughts and unspoken implications. As he turned around, her stomach lurched unpleasantly at the prospect of parting so soon. "Your birth doesn't matter. Just do what you can."

With that, he walked away. Natalia froze, petrified, trying to reach a decision before Asch slipped away for good, and eventually forced herself to turn around. Though she expected to find him gone, she instead found that he was walking much more slowly than usual. Clearly, he did not wish to be gone.

"Asch."

He halted abruptly, as though expecting the interruption—almost before the word had left her mouth—but did not respond. It still felt odd for Natalia to call him 'Asch'; after all, he was the true Luke fon Fabre. There was a fine and blurry line between the two redheads in Natalia's mind, but the most clearly outlined difference, sharper and more focused than ever, was that she loved this one. "Will you stay?"

The words tumbled out of Natalia's mouth before she could ask the question any more delicately. Asch did not turn around, nor did he respond for a long and worrying pause. She found herself taking a few steps towards him, afraid that he would ignore her completely, but he merely heaved a deep sigh, though he did not turn to address her. "I can't," was his only, simple reply, and he started walking again, but Natalia strode forward and caught his wrist gently.

Asch froze, and something between a shiver and a shudder ran through Natalia's body at their contact. This was the first since he had steadied her in Ortion Cavern. Trying not to think of how, when she had looked up after that earthquake to thank him, their lips had almost brushed, Natalia looked Asch in the eye with an effort. "One night?" It would be so comforting to know where he was and if he was safe, if only for a single evening. After all, she got the feeling he didn't take good care of himself, and he could find Spinoza more easily after a good night's sleep.

Asch's startled eyes narrowed momentarily, searching hers as if to try and discover a motive, but then he sighed, closing them again before more than a few seconds had passed. "Fine."

His response was mumbled, barely audible, and Natalia smiled up at him uncertainly. The corner of Asch's mouth twitched, but he seemed unable to fully return her expression of joy, though his cheeks were a shade closer to his hair than usual. He moved past her almost like a ghost, turning his feet in the direction of the inn briefly before pausing once more and addressing her without turning. "But I'll be gone by daybreak."

"So soon?" asked Natalia, disappointed despite herself. Though this reaction had been what she expected, it still ached a little to know that he would move on so soon. She understood, deep down, that she was not the reason behind his wish for solitude, but why couldn't he see that she needed him?

"This is as much goodbye as that," said Asch, and continued on his way. Natalia let him go with a heavy heart. She knew he intended to make good on his word, and felt that she had nothing to fear, but longed to see him at least once more before they had to part once and for all.

She returned to her post overlooking the sea. By now, the sun had dipped almost completely below the horizon, and the stars were beginning to emerge from their abyss. Though Natalia forced her thoughts away from Asch and back to the matter at hand, they immediately tangled themselves around her former fiancé again. Asch was perhaps the only person she knew who could relate to her situation. Had he not been deprived of his birthright as well?

As Natalia observed the night falling slowly all around her, she realized once and for all that she had always known the answer. She had to do what was best for her country, and that was to return to Baticul and confront her so-called father—but it had taken Asch and his rough wisdom to reveal the true path, and she was in his debt. Somehow, she would have to find a way to show her thanks before the sun rose.

Natalia hesitated once more before lifting her hand and knocking at the door.

A thousand worries danced in her head—worry that Asch had absconded without making good on his latest promise, worry that the inn clerk had lied to her for whatever reason about the room he was staying in, worry that he would turn her away rather than answer the door. But her worries disappeared, to be replaced by blank wordlessness, as the lock clicked and the door swung open.

Natalia wasn't quite sure why she was so embarrassed to look at Asch, but her eyes darted quickly over his form before they settled on a point on the other end of the room. It wasn't as though Asch wasn't fully clothed; he simply lacked the tabard he usually wore over the rest of his outfit, and he wore no gloves. Perhaps it was his tunic that so flustered her: it was open, similar to a vest, and secured only by a belt around his middle.

Out of the corner of her eye, Natalia noticed badly disguised pleasure to see her dancing in Asch's eyes, masked by a slipping veil of surprise. "Natalia?" he asked, his tone questioning. She took a chance and looked up at his face, attempting to overcome her automatic shyness when confronted with anything less than perfectly proper, but quickly noticed—why was she so aware of everything about him?—that his hair was damp, even more so than hers.

Each of them had bathed tonight; why did that matter? Why was the thought of their simultaneous baths so appalling and appealing? Natalia wrestled with her innermost desires, so close to being realized, before suddenly remembering that he was still waiting for an explanation as to her presence at his door. Frankly, it was a wonder that he had waited for her to speak, and prayed none of her reflections had shown on her face.

"Yes," said Natalia, her throat slightly constricted; the word came out almost a gasp. "I—I apologize for the interru—"

But Asch stepped aside before she finished, moving out of the doorway, and gestured for her to come in. "It's all right," he said, though his expression remained impassive. "Come inside."

Natalia forced her legs to obey, and as the door snapped shut behind her, Asch turned to observe her with ill-concealed curiosity in his gaze. "I just wanted to… to talk to you," Natalia found herself saying, surprising herself by meeting his searching eyes. However, just after realizing her courage, she was forced to drop it again as she felt a blush coming on. How could Asch disarm her so easily?

"What more can we say?" Though his words might have frozen the air between them if he had said them in a different tone of voice, his was as gentle as she had ever heard it, encouraging her softly to speak her mind.

Taking a deep breath, Natalia glanced up again, meeting his eyes once more and resolving not to lose that contact this time, no matter how fast her heart beat. "Thank you. You've helped me make my decision to return to Baticul. I will confront Fa…" She trailed off and swallowed the rest of the word before continuing. "The king, and I will prevent this war." She hesitated and, having received no indication that her words had affected Asch at all, added, "I am truly grateful."

"There was no decision," said Asch, with a strange mixture of scorn and graciousness. "That was the only choice from the very beginning. You just needed to figure it out on your own."

"But I didn't discover it on my own," said Natalia, taking a step forward. "You helped me find out. Please stop assuming that you and your actions mean nothing to me. Nothing could be farther from the truth, I assure you."

Asch raised his eyebrows in surprise, but Natalia was not going to stop now, no matter how little breath she had to say it. It had been seven years since their promise had been made, and over those seven years, she had imagined this situation too many times to count: the time Luke fon Fabre would remember their engagement, and she would confess to him that she had loved him for as long as she could remember. Only this time, it wasn't Luke; it was—

"Asch, I hardly know what to think about you anymore," said Natalia. "As a child, I loved you. When I found you again, I realized you were still the boy—the man—I loved." She fussed with her gloves before eventually pulling them off in frustration and casting them aside: Asch's eyes followed them briefly before flicking back to her. "But you've been pushing me away almost every time I try to remind you of our shared past, and I just… I wanted to know whether…"

Natalia trailed off uncertainly, fidgeting awkwardly with her now-bare hands, and half expected Asch to throw her out of his room after that revelation. She had no real right to ask him about his feelings; goodness knew he was loath to show them on his own. How would he react to being asked about them?

"Whether…?" Asch's voice was hoarse; he cleared his throat immediately after prompting her to go on. Natalia's eyes widened and she glanced up in astonishment to find that he had been peering at her intently, though he now attempted to disguise this fact by turning away from her. His skin was almost as ruddy as it had been in the dying sunlight.

Natalia cleared her throat, steeling herself. "Whether you've ever felt the way I have—the way I still do." Turning her back on him quickly, she raised a hand to her face, almost expecting to burn herself on her blush. When Asch said nothing, she felt her heart beginning to shatter a little, and took a deep, painful breath, resolved to apologize even if her heart broke completely in the process. She knew she shouldn't have asked. Why had her ordinarily rational mind allowed her to forget herself?

"Forgive me," said Natalia, after a pregnant pause. "I—I shouldn't have asked—"

Natalia had been absorbed in her own thoughts so much so that she had not heard Asch's approach. As she turned her head reluctantly to try and meet his eyes and convey the sincerity of her apology, she gasped. He stood directly before her, looking down at her unreadably in a way that might have alarmed her if her skin hadn't tingled so pleasantly at his proximity.

"Natalia," murmured Asch, seemingly about to say something, but closed his mouth again abruptly. Even that single word, her own name, sent shivers running up and down her spine. Part of her longed to run away from her feelings and this situation, but most of her desired nothing more to stay like this forever. She was about to open her mouth to beg him to go on, but Asch leaned in—silencing Natalia before she even began—and kissed her tenderly.

Natalia remembered the days from years and years ago: kisses on the hand each time they met and parted, kisses on the cheek when no one was watching, kisses on the forehead when it was time for bed. Only once had their lips ever met, on the night of Asch's promise, and that was the real reason she held that vow with an iron grip. That had accompanied her first kiss, and thus was her first true realization of what love was. Even if the promise was now supposedly abandoned, Natalia would never forget that first jump in the comprehensive heartbeat of her love.

Then, she had been a girl, able only to recognize that she desired Asch beside her as her king. Now, as a woman, she recognized a deeper, more arcane desire—a wish for him to be beside her in more ways than just that. If it hadn't been accompanied by such a pleasant dizziness, she might have truly frightened herself with the unprecedented ferocity of her feelings.

Asch's lips left Natalia's only unwillingly, and she felt no more pleased at his withdrawal. All thoughts of her predicament involving her alleged father disappeared from her mind as she became sharply aware of how very close they now stood. "My…" breathed Natalia, in an attempt to reprove Asch for his unseemly forwardness, but lost interest halfway through the single syllable, and—on a heretofore unknown impulse—kissed him with such force that he staggered backward a step.

Seven years' worth of missed opportunities, seven years' worth of suppressed emotions made themselves evident in this one kiss, as passionate and fierce on his side as on hers. Natalia would have been content to feel the warmth of his hand on the small of her back forever, half-waltzing, half-wrestling through the room, embracing him in the dim and dingy light away from proper, prying eyes… but then, she stumbled against something soft.

Finding herself toppling backward, she let out a muffled squeak, but Asch did not help her; rather, he released her abruptly. However, as she fell, she grasped the first thing she could—his tunic—and sprawled on the bed, eyes squeezed shut and heart pounding for more reasons than merely the exertion of their kiss. Asch was breathing quite as heavily as her.

As Natalia dared to open her eyes again, a wave of tiny and ordinarily meaningless observations pelted against her feverish mind.

Firstly, she still held Asch's tunic in her hand, but as only the belt kept it in place, part of his chest was now exposed. Natalia's hold weakened so that her hand dropped limply to the bed, and she forced her eyes up to his face, much closer than it had ever been before their kiss. More alarmingly still, there were only a few inches of space remaining between the rest of their bodies as well; Asch's arms held his torso above hers, and had pinned one of their wrists to the mattress.

Natalia swallowed, attempting to readjust her position, but immediately froze again as she became sharply aware that their legs were barely touching, Asch's positioned firmly on either side of hers. He had captured her in every sense of the word, and she had little desire for escape.

For a long time, she found herself quite at a loss for words, but eventually remembered to shut her eyes. Her heartbeat throbbed wildly in her ears, and she found herself wondering what his pulse would feel like pressed against her, but quickly shoved such indecent thoughts away. "I, u-uh," she began, and she had never sounded less regal to her own ears. "Sh-should I—"

"Leave?" interjected Asch swiftly, in a low and quiet and husky voice which sent momentary tremors shivering through Natalia's body. She nodded, opening her eyes slowly, only to find Asch's closed. A frown flickered on his face, and he seemed in no hurry to release her wrist or open his eyes again.

"Asch?" asked Natalia, and his eyes flew open so suddenly that she twitched in alarm. At this, he seemed to realize that he was grasping her wrist too tightly, and loosened his grip, mumbling something hastily that sounded a little like either an apology or an excuse. Natalia wasn't about to ask for clarification; truth be told, she hadn't minded much.

Asch took a deep, shuddering breath. "Either stay or go, whichever, but if you stay—" He cut himself off, the words catching in his throat, and a thrill of anticipation raced through Natalia. Even when Asch did not continue, she knew better than to be disappointed. She would never be half so composed in Asch's position. He needed help to speak plainly, and since he had helped her with a recognition of her own, she would assist him in his.

"If I stay?" she echoed, in an attempt to help him along, but he only stared at her. There was an intensity in their depths, almost hungry, a purpose that could not be denied. It was more than clear that whatever semblance of control he had over himself would be dispelled with one more move in the right (or wrong) direction. Natalia found herself blushing furiously; she had been too startled to realize it, but he was clearly thinking of more than a kiss.

Natalia tried to speak with her usual strict authority, but she was certain her voice betrayed some of her own churning excitement at the unspoken prospect. "Asch, you can't possibly be sugges—"

"Please, Natalia."

That was the first time Asch had said 'please' to her in a very, very long time; the word was spoken very quietly, almost a mere breath. Natalia stopped short for a little while, but resolutely tried to pick up the torn pieces of her proper upbringing, though her previous dedication to demonstrating her good breeding was fading fast. "I-it's not—I mean, we've barely—"

"Natalia!" interrupted Asch, a growl edging his voice, and Natalia fell silent with a fascinated shiver, flushing more deeply still as she finally recognized exactly why he was called 'Asch the Bloody'. This was the way he must have looked before each battle, the expression that led some men to flee rather than face him. And yet, despite her diffidence, Natalia was not truly afraid of him, nor the look in his smoldering eyes.

"This may well be our last meeting," continued Asch, glancing briefly away from Natalia. "If you want to leave, then go now." His voice was edged with a peculiar tinge of urgency and grief, as though he prayed she would not choose that option, and she felt a glow of appreciation. He, who had supposedly lost all remnants of his upbringing—name, status, and future—was still a gentleman.

"Do you still intend to make good on your promise?" Natalia surprised herself by the steadiness of her words. She had fully been expecting to be unable to speak for all eternity after having been placed in this situation. To maintain the use of her voice at all was an accomplishment in her eyes, let alone with all the appearance of calm.

"I no longer have that right," said Asch, and there was such regret in his words that Natalia debated telling him that of course he still maintained that right. He was the one who had made that promise, and it was he, not his replica, that was bound to keep it. However, Natalia was certain the words would not come out convincingly, and she settled for expressing her feelings on the matter in another way.

Raising her arm, Natalia brushed a lock of still-damp hair out of Asch's face, entwining a strand with her finger lazily. He closed his eyes slowly at her touch, similar to a cat being stroked, and Natalia smiled at this unusual feeling of power. She had been trained so long that it would be Asch in control when they were married, not her, that she had never anticipated being able to hold this sort of sway over him.

As she had hoped, it wasn't long before Asch added haltingly, "But… if I did… I would… without hesitation."

Without further ado, Natalia brought his head down and kissed him once more, breathlessly. Though Asch initially struggled, he quickly stopped himself and seemed content to follow Natalia's lead, but she pushed him away gently as she sat up, unsure as to how to proceed. She was hardly accustomed to this sort of situation, anyway, and had learned only the basics of what was supposed to happen, not how.

While Natalia sat up, Asch knelt down before her, as if she were some sort of princess, and she looked down at him tenderly. "Oh, Asch," she murmured, hands twitching and longing to grasp some part of him or other. Now that they had touched, she wanted nothing more than to entwine herself with him again in some way. "The honor of your intentions is all that matters to me."

Asch dropped his gaze quickly at her words and, seemingly to keep himself occupied, removed his boots deftly. Natalia half-wondered why he had donned his boots to begin with, if he was supposed to stay here. He hadn't been considering coming to see her, had he? Her heart leapt at the thought.

"I will stay with you tonight," said Natalia, and relished the expression of wild elation flickering on Asch's face before he gathered it into a smile, casting both boots aside. She wished he would smile more often. "As repayment for all that you've done—"

Asch glanced up once more, narrowing his eyes, and his voice lowered to a growl. "If you stay with me, do it for yourself, and not me. If you're giving this because you feel like you have to, then I don't want—" Natalia rested a hand on his shoulder, and he stopped abruptly. She felt that his ferocity masked his worry. It seemed a natural reaction to him, as though he had had to conceal his doubts before.

Natalia smiled at him, longing to tell him that it wasn't solely because of thanks that she felt this way. "Asch," she sighed, and his frown softened at his chosen name. "I want this, too. You just helped me realize it. Just like you did with Bati… cul." The last word stretched out perhaps a little longer as Asch seized one of her boots and tugged it off as well, and a jolt ran through her at his touch.

At the hesitation, Asch smirked, and Natalia's whole body seemed to pulse at the expression. "Your reputation," he began grimly, casting the first boot aside. "Your purity." He tugged off the second one and added it to the pile, gazing up at her once more, and his hand hovered in midair with seemingly uncertain intention.

"Only…" began Natalia, throat dry, and swallowed. "Only words."

A barely perceptible smile tugged at Asch's mouth, and he took one of her cold feet gently in his hands, rubbing it carefully. Natalia fidgeted at his touch, but could not find it within herself to move. "And you'd really allow a man like me to tarnish those words?" asked Asch, meeting her eyes, and she could not discern the source of their warmth. Passion or affection, determination or frustration? All she knew was that he had posed a challenge, and that she must respond.

"Do… do you really think me… the kind of woman to—" Asch moved his tender massage to her other foot, with unconsciously increased intensity. "To give myself so utterly t-to someone unworthy?" At this point, it was difficult for Natalia to think straight, let alone expect a response. Why was he still on the floor when there was a perfectly hospitable bed here? Was she not good enough?

As if her words had triggered something, Asch released Natalia's foot and got to his feet somewhat slowly. She reclined on the bed again, half-uncertainly, then raised her leg to press her heel into his side. As he curved away from the pressure, down towards her again, she smiled; there was no trace of an answer to her forgotten question in his hungry eyes. Natalia caressed the back of Asch's neck, and he grit his teeth. "I've made my choice. You should make yours."

Asch closed his eyes and kissed her, more roughly this time, and the distance between them was replaced gradually by friction and heat. They had little choice but to catch their breath, however. As they reluctantly broke away, Natalia noticed, half-dazed, that his red hair fell in curtains on either side of their faces, masking the outside world. No one existed in their universe but they two, soon to become one.

Looking down at her with undisguised longing in his eyes, Asch let out a long, shuddering sigh, and his voice was something akin to a groan. "Oh, Natalia…"

She giggled, no thoughts of Baticul or battle or even a worthwhile response entering her head, and—before either of them knew what had happened—rolled Asch over half-playfully. Sitting atop his stomach, she curled her fingers into the fabric of his tunic, nails digging ever so slightly into the bare skin of his chest. Asch gave a small, sharp exhalation, and Natalia smiled. If Asch's renewal of his promise was the engagement, then this was certainly the wedding… and Natalia would spare no expense.

Natalia rested her head on Asch's chest, snuggling deeper under the covers and encircling his torso with her arms. The strength of his heartbeat lulled her into the satisfied space between sleep and wakefulness for a time, though she was stirred by Asch putting his arm around her gently.

"Well," sighed Natalia contentedly. She wasn't quite sure what to say, in all honesty, and 'well' seemed as good a way to start as any under the circumstances. Her mind and body were both still buzzing pleasantly, after all, and she found it difficult to think of more than rest.

"Was it worth sacrificing your innocence?" Asch's sleepy murmur held a somewhat humorous edge to it, though Natalia could sense that the question was genuine on at least some level.

"I told you, that's only a word," said Natalia, nestling her face into his chest. Asch gave a faint chuckle, caressing her shoulder with a warm hand. "Yes, Asch. I enjoyed our dalliance very much."

There was a hesitant pause; Natalia heard Asch's breath catch momentarily in his throat before he asked one more question. "And if you should bear a child out of wedlock? That is much more than a word." As he spoke, Natalia bit her lip; the thought had not entered her head, and their encounter had been spontaneous. However, the thought of a little redheaded child with her own green eyes made her smile.

Natalia glanced up at Asch, tracing his jawline tenderly. "He would be conceived of love for you." Motherhood was not such a terrible thing to think about even at her young age, should her child be Asch's. "I will be content to wander the world with him—and, if you would have me, you." She paused a moment before continuing, more desperately, "I could still travel with y—"

"No," interrupted Asch, though his voice was gentle. "And I can't travel with your group, either," he added, almost regretfully, as Natalia opened her mouth. "I'm sorry. Not even for you, or our child. Until the world is saved."

Another long silence stretched on, and Natalia almost drifted off before remembering aloud, "You said you'd be gone by daybreak."

Asch made an indistinct noise, apparently having been asleep himself. "That's only a few hours away, now, but yes."

"Please wake me when you leave," said Natalia, after another, smaller pause. "They'll… be worried about me, if I'm not there when they wake." She already felt the beginnings of guilt at staying so late without informing anyone as to how long she would be out, but it wasn't as though she had known this would happen, after all.

Asch nodded, distracted, and stroked her hair—but Natalia saw him frown slightly in the dim light, and realized what was really going on. He was embarrassed—though why exactly that should be, Natalia would never know. "Don't worry. I won't tell them where I've been, if they ask."

"Thank you," said Asch, relieved, and Natalia leaned up to kiss his cheek. It was a light gesture: her lips barely brushed his face, but after their almost aggressive passion, gentleness was far more appealing.

"Good night, Asch," murmured Natalia, tightening her grip on him momentarily.

"Good night." His response was characteristically terse, and affection welled up within Natalia anew: she felt a warm sense of satisfaction that she was capable of unlocking his tenderer side.

But there was one thing she had yet to say. "Asch?"

"Mmm?"

"I love you."

There was a long pause; she thought Asch had fallen asleep already—his last response had been less a conscious reply and more a sleepy mumble—but a part of her still worried that after all they had been through, he would throw her away just like her family. It came as an immeasurable relief when Asch whispered, "I love you too, Natalia."

Natalia had nothing more to say, no other remarks with which to break the peaceful silence which now enveloped them. She merely gave a contented sigh along with Asch, her breathing deepening as they lay in one another's arms. Her last conscious thought was that no matter what troubles would arise in the coming week, she would be content in the knowledge that Asch still loved her as much as she loved him.