"Your hand—what happened?"

He took her wrist lightly, flipping it over to more closely examine her bandaged palm.

"I burned it—it's fine. Don't worry about it."

He cocked his eyebrow, "Burned? Doing what?"

"Trying to put the hot water on."

"Oh, thank god; for a second I thought you were setting fires without me."

"You're not funny."

The morning sun trickled through the window, spilling soft and wary across the floor. She had hoped he wouldn't notice, but of course he was ready to over-scrutinize anything she did, particularly things she did wrong.

Pulling her hand closer, he tried to look at her fingers, "How can one person be so clumsy?"

"I'm not clumsy!"

"You're not a particularly careful scientist."

"I was only making coffee."

"If you don't get any better at it, I'm going to have to turn you in for the newer model after all."

"Is that a promise or a threat?"

"After all the trouble you've caused me, too." He clicked his tongue, "What a shame."

"Oh yes, of all the reasons for us to get divorced, harmless accidents really are at the top."

"Why so defensive?"

"I'm not. You're just not funny."

"So you've said."

"I'm fine. Your cup is already on the table."

"After everything you've gone through to get it there, it better be." Taking her face in his hands, he kissed her, enjoying the soft give of her lips beneath his. When he broke the kiss, she didn't pull away, holding onto his hands lightly.

"You know, the original intent was for me to bribe you."

"Pardon?"

"You behaving perfectly insufferably and then kissing me isn't much of a reward for me."

"Says who? Do you know how many people would kill to be in your place?"

"How many?"

"A good amount."

"Oh yes?"

"Consider yourself honored, Darling."

"I'm just saying, I believe I've been given the short end of the deal."

"Well then. If even I, handsome and talented and dashing as I am, am not prize enough for the lofty Violet, what else is there possibly left for you to be bribed with?" Catching her behind the thighs, he lifted her up, causing her to reflexively throw her arms about his shoulders in an attempt to balance. "A castle, perhaps? Ships of pearls?"

"I'm injured; be nice to me," she smiled through the reprimand.

"Not to your tastes? No, of course not. Too dull. How about an entire armory?" Not particularly liking the serious air she wore, he spun her in a quick, if sloppy, circle, his chest ringing as she clung to him tighter with an almost-laugh.

"Like you would ever let me alone with a sword."

"I will trade you coffee for kisses for swords. That way the entire process comes round, and everyone is happy," he pivoted quickly to a stop.

"Oh, yes? And what do you get out of it?"

Setting her down on the table, he smirked, "Hopeless devotion and the deadliest wife anyone has ever seen."

"Hopeless devotion seems a bit strong, don't you think? I can tolerate you at best."

"Not everything's about you, Dearest." He kissed her again, catching her cheek in his hand, feeling the weight of his stone heart within him. "With that being said, if it's really such a problem for you-"

"It's habit by now, just strange is all—don't you think so?"

He didn't think so, but chose not to say anything, simply enjoying the feeling of her in his arms, her wrists caught behind his neck.

"But are you okay? If you lose your hand over a stove-"

"Oh my god. It's genuinely not a problem. It'll be fine by tomorrow."

"I'll never forgive you if you lose a limb to your own stupidity."

"Yes, yes. Condescending threats and all that."

"Do you actually want a sword?"

"Why the hell would I want a sword?"

He shrugged, "Why wouldn't you?"

"No, I'm fine without. Though I do need a new butcher knife."

"Should I be concerned?"

"Only if you like your dinners poorly cut. Yours is all dinged up from hell knows what."

"You know, even after all this time, it's still strange to see you so domesticated."

Her eyes widened as she shoved him back, "You did NOT just refer to me as domesticated!"

"But am I wrong?"

"I swear- What do you-"

"Don't worry, my Pet," he kissed her forehead, "you're still plenty fierce."

"You are- The most insufferable-"

"Yes, yes- I'm the worst, so mean, so terrible. If it weren't for my charming good looks, you wouldn't have stayed at all."

"You're fucked up. That's what you are."

"Fair enough. But if I'm as horrible as you say, what does that tell us about you?"

She knew he was only teasing, but as he kissed her forehead, the rumbling in her gut told her he wasn't wrong. What kind of person crawls into the arms of the monster under their bed?

He seemed to sense her sudden lack of bravado, and wrapping his arms around her, he kissed the side of her face, "Poor mercilessly tenderhearted Violet. Can't even make coffee without bad men bothering her."

"You're exceedingly difficult."

"Yes, yes, I know." Pulling back, he kissed her again, the feeling lingering guiltily upon her lips. "I'll get you your new knife."

"How generous." There was a smile in her voice as she replied. She was so fickle, so inconstant. And yet, she was here, she was kissing him, she was, at least for the moment, happy.

He would weigh her pockets down with the idols of his worship until she sank into the depths of his desire, until the very thought of leaving him was unthinkable. He would draw her down in wading steps until she met his love, the strange serpent lurking in the depths of his chest, cautiously guarding abscessed canyons of longing, and need, and more light than one might imagine.

After all, though fire burned just the same in the day, wasn't it all the more brilliant in the dark?

..

...

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AN-

Hello dear heathens!

Sorry this upsdate is so late in the day—I'm working two jobs and my schedule is hell.

If you're not on the blog yet, you've missed out on a whole bunch of drabbles, prompts, and semi-canonical nonsense. As always, keep sending me your thoughts, rants, anxieties, and anything else! I love it all

Cheers!