Chapter Sixteen: To Have and To Hold

Heart:
I opened my weary eyes to see our group out in the dark around us near the hideout.
"Guys?" I asked quietly as Duke carefully had me slide off of his back.
"Once again you've returned our brave leader to us," Silver chuckled.
Duke then stood quietly beside me, seemingly deep in thought. Then he looked to our friends and said reluctantly, "We need ta temporarily disband. Falcone has told them about Heart, he'll tell them about our hideout too. It's not safe at the hideout. We need ta take with us what we need an' regroup when things calm down. Trent an' Ebony stay together, Saffire go with Silver an' Diana. Heart an' I will stay together."
Then Duke looked to Saffire with a confident smile, "Ya know what ta do if ya can't find Heart an' I. Can I count on ya ta take my place if somethin' happens?"
I looked to Duke and then Saffire a bit in shock hearing all of this.
"Duke, are you sure?" Saffire asked.
"I am," Duke confirmed.
At this Silver picked up and tossed a back pack to our current leader. Diana then did the same with me, but Duke caught that as well.
"We had a feeling something like this might happen," Silver admitted sadly, "We put all we could in there for you. Clothes, food, her drawing stuff and jewelry."
"You were throrough," Duke commented.
"It's to protect her incase they try to track her here," Saffire said.
"Where will you all go?" I askd worriedly for everyone.
"Hey we'll be okay girly-girl, don't you worry about us!" Silver assured while rustling my hair once more.
"You two just take care of each other for now," Ebony said suddenly, then looked to Duke with a set look in her eyes, "L'Orange, don't let anything happen to her!"
I looked to Ebony genuinely shocked by this. In turn she gave a smile and a shrug, "I give up. I can't compete with what you did for him tonight can I?"
Then Trent spoke up, "I threw in some first-aid supplies. Please try not to get killed out there!"
Duke nodded in response.
Then we all shared a brief group hug, as though wishing for one another to stay safe and that we would meet up again soon.

With that Duke and I disappeared back into the city. Yet as we passed by the temple we had visited on occassion before I felt Duke pause as we went to go by.
"Duke?" I asked softly as I looked up at him worriedly.
He turned to me with an expression of certainty in his remaining eye. Then he lead me into the empty temple, not stopping until we were at the back center window.
"Before anythin' else happens, there's somethin' I'd like ta do sweetheart," he told me as we stood there together.
"I wish I could make this more official," he said to me as he turned towards me while making a slight nod towards the image depicted in the window, "but if maybe she at least witnesses then it'll count somehow?"
My eyes widened in surprise as he took both of my hands in his, "All I can offer ya is my heart my love."
Tears brimmed my eyes as I heard myself say to him, "That's more than enough."
Duke smiled as he held my now ungloved hands in his, the velvet of our feathers brushing the others gently. We were both wearing our familiar shades of burgundy and black, the fabric hugging our forms better than any dress or suit.
"Perhaps one day we can have a ceremony with your brothers here," he mentioned, "An' you can wear the gown ya deserve?"
"Duke," I said with my voice unwavering as I gazed up at him, "I just want to be with you."

Duke:
Stunned by her words I looked over the young lady who's hands I held tightly. Again her sapphire eyes looked up at me in the way only she ever did. I wasn't just a thief. I was her thief. She saw me as someone worth while, despite my scars, despite everything.
"Heart, as we stand here together, I vow that I will keep ya safe. I will protect ya an' give ya a life of freedom an' adventure. If anythin' ever tries ta sever us as we are now I vow ta find ya no matter what it takes. Of all the treasures I've ever stolen, you are by far the most precious ta me. I vow ta love ya with all of my heart that I am givin' ta ya," he promised me.
"Duke, as stand here, I vow to stay at your side. I will support you and look to you as I always have since meeting you. I vow to accept you as you are no matter what like throws at us and no matter what changes may occur. I see you for who you are. I vow no matter what tries to drive us apart I will strive to find you. I vow to love you Duke with all my heart that I've given to you," she swore to me.
Then for a moment I took in the sight of my bride. Her cheeks were crimson even through the white feathers of her cheeks. Her burgundy hair was pulled back in a loose ponytail by the gold silk ribbon I had given her. The burgundy and black fabric of her suit clung to her thin yet curved frame. And of course, those eyes of hers that shimmered as they caught the lantern light of the temple in them, those sapphire eyes that I had come to admire so much.
"Heart, my blushin' bride, may I kiss you an' seal these vows between us?" I asked her.
"Yes..." she whispered as though hoping I would.
With that I wrapped my arms around her, pulling her close to my lean form. In turn she clutched the front of my shirt to pull me close to her. Then I leaned my head forward, tilting it so that we could close the distance between us with this kiss. When I finally pulled away from her a little I looked into her eyes again while giving her my most charming smile, "I love you."
"I love you too," she whispered before I kissed my bride once more.
Then, for a split second, we thought we saw something in the window pane's eyes it seemed. Yet we figured it was probably the lantern light glowing behind us that had shimmered in the eyes of the Great Mother watching us now.
Afterwards I turned back to Heart as I swept her up into my arms and carried her out of the temple. While I did this she wrapped her arms around my neck, hugging me as though we were celebrating a true wedding together.

Heart:
Not long after Duke and I found ourselves on the very street we had first met on. The building we had hid in was still abandoned. So we decided to take refuge in there for the night until we could figure out a plan. It turned out it was a recently refurbished apartment that hadn't been rented out yet.
"I guess that's some luck at least," Duke said as we slipped inside.
Once we set our backpacks down I noticed Duke watching outside the window. He was still wearing his stealth suit. The moonlight showed his face while the shadows tried to wrap around him a bit. Watching him like that made my heart skip a moment, especially thinking of what we had just promised one another.
I walked over to him still wearing my suit as well. Then I found myself reaching a hand out and grasping his sleeve tightly. He turned to me with a concerned expression, "Are ya alright sweetheart? I know we've been through a lot the last two nights."
I nodded my head, "I'm okay."
Yet I remained gazing up at him. In my chest I felt my heart pounding against it as I stood beside him now.
"Hold me?" I heard myself request in a soft voice.
"Of course sweetheart," he said as he wrapped his arms around me and I leaned into him.
Still I gazed up at him with an overwhelmed heart racing inside of me, "Duke?"
"Yes darlin'?"
"I..." I heard myself trying to say quietly, "I want to be with you."
"You are sweetheart?" He replied before noticing how I was looking at him.
His expression went from concerned to surprised, "Are ya sure?"
"I am," I said, "I want to know before anything else tries to tear us apart that you and I were together in every way..."
Duke then smiled as he swept me up carefully into his arms and carried me again. I felt my cheeks becoming quite warm as he kissed and held me. Then with only the moonlight wrapped around us we were together.
The next morning I awoke in Duke's arms with my head resting over his velvet like chest. In his sleep Duke still held me close to him protectively. A blanket had been pulled over us as well. Our stealth suits were lying on the floor beside the bed. Upon feeling me shift in his grasp I heard Duke whisper, "Good mornin' my angel."
"Good morning," I said just as softly as I felt him hug me tightly.
"Hold me please?" I then heard myself ask as though I were afraid of him letting me go.
"Of course sweetheart," he promised as he continued to embrace me with the first sunlight washing over us in a warm greeting.
And I found myself holding onto him just as tightly in return.