Lyn's hair had a habit of sprawling all over Hector's chest by morning, but he'd come to appreciate it; the forest-colored mess meant that he'd woken up by her side, and that was all he wanted. So not the wake her, he gingerly combed his fingers through her hair and tucked it behind her ear, revealing her sleeping face.

She was so beautiful.

Hector skimmed his fingers through her long hair, following the curves of her body as it rose and fell with her breath. He knew it was true for most everyone when they slept, but Lyn was a goddess of serenity in the way her lips parted slightly, the way her brows relaxed, the way her fingers curled delicately in the space between them.

On one of them, shining in the morning light that filtered through the window, was a gold band, and the sight of it made him smile.

His hand trailed from her side, down her arm, and to her hand, where he traced tight circles around her ring – she hadn't taken it off when they'd gone to bed. Hector wasn't able to give it to her when they got engaged months ago because it resided at Castle Ostia – an heirloom that was to remain on the hand of the women of the royal house – but he made sure she had it by her first night there. It was possessive, but he was tired of their relationship being questioned, and he liked the message the ring sent to the disapproving members of the court. They expected Hector to be somehow different than he was: they wanted someone like his father – like Uther, even – older and conservative and stiff and noble.

In contrast, Lyn wanted Hector. She didn't expect anything else from him, and that made him love her even more. So unfortunately for the gossiping nobility, his motivations for marriage were nothing less than that – love.

Lyn's eyes slowly opened, like a flower unfurling by the touch of daylight. "You can't leave me alone to sleep…" she murmured, but the smile on her lips told Hector she wasn't upset about it.

He closed his hand around hers and leaned over to kiss her cheek, but missed and hit her ear instead. No matter. "No, I can't," he whispered. "I'm greedy like that, remember?"

"Hmph. You are."

He could feel her blush, no doubt recalling what she'd said to him the night before, and went on to nip at her ear (somewhat carefully, because on more than one occasion, Lyn had to make up excuses for odd marks around her ear, unless she wore her hair down to cover it up). Moving from there, he claimed her with kisses down her neck and chest, her sun-kissed skin smooth and warm on his lips. Lyn arched into him and moaned quietly, grabbing his side with one hand as if to maintain herself.

"Hector…" she said, tilting her head up and away from him. "The ascension… Eliwood and Ninian and the others are coming from Pherae today, and…"

"Not until the afternoon."

"… and there will be talk when I come out of your quarters this morning."

"What, is the nobility not supposed to know that two consenting adults are seeing each other?"

Hector looked up from Lyn's chest to see a smirk cross her lips. "We are incredibly bad at being nobles."

"I know – " he began, but was cut off by Lyn's mouth sealing over his as she pushed him on his back rolled on top of him.

Her hair fell around them like a shroud. "It can't hurt to be bad like this," she said, pulling away from the kiss but hovering only inches from his face. The look in her eyes – sharp and deep emerald and wanting – told him all he needed to know. "…this once."