Disclaimer: All characters belong to Cassandra Clare.

~0~0~0~0~0~

When Gideon found his fiancee the next morning, he had been slightly surprised to discover her in the Institute's kitchen. Sophie's likening of spending time with the servants was not news to him, and he found it sweet that despite her new status as a Shadowhunter, she did not wish to forget where she had come from.

As silently as he was trained to do, Gideon headed to her and placed his hands on her waist softly, his lips brushing her ear. "Good morning, my beautiful Sophie."

She gasped, and silently prayed that he hadn't noticed how stiff she went for a moment, before she heard his voice. As soon as she knew it was him, she softened back into him. "Gideon, you scared me." She admitted, blushing deeply.

He kissed below her ear, remembering her reaction to it last night, and he was not disappointed when he saw her smile. "Forgive me, I didn't mean to frighten you."

She turned in his arms so she could look up at him affectionately, the glow in her eyes showing that she wasn't really mad at him. "You seem to be in a very good mood this morning."

His grin widened as he rested his forehead against hers, his hands remaining on her slim waist. "Why would I not be? In just two days, I'll be marrying you. Nothing could make me happier. Nothing."

She tilted her head to one side. "Oh, really? So, there is nothing you require?"

"Well," He admitted, leaning his face closer to hers so his nose to rub against hers. "I will always require you." He said before kissing her. She gasped against his mouth, a small sound that warmed his heart as she returned his kiss.

"Gideon," She pulled away from him only when oxygen was necessary. Still, they kept contact, with her hands on his chest and his still resting on her hips. "I was baking. You're distracting me."

"I thought we were wedding planning today?" He asked, glancing at the bowl behind her, where a mixture was waiting to be kneed.

She nodded, her teeth trapped between her bottom lip. "I woke up early, and couldn't get back to sleep. I needed a distraction."

"My room is only down the hall from yours." Gideon reminded her gently, no pressure in his voice at all.

She raised an eyebrow. "You know that would be improper."

"And you know I respect you," he said. "I do have some self-control, my love. You ought to give me more credit."

"And you," She shoved him away from her with a laugh. "Should do more to prove that statement of yours, Mr Lightwood."

Before, she had referred to him as Mr Lightwood when she had been reluctant to admit her feelings and deny what they were becoming. Now, there was a teasing tone to her voice when she addressed him by that title, and he enjoyed it, probably more than a gentleman should.

"Is it a crime, for a man to be so in love that he cannot keep his hands off his betrothed?" Gideon asked, but he didn't push the matter any further. "I'm going to train, perhaps Gabriel wants to practise something. Will you come and find me when you are finished?"

"Of course," She said, and as he turned to leave, she surprised him by grabbing his collar and pulling his face to hers, kissing him.

Smiling against his mouth, he returned the kiss, cupping the back of her head before breaking apart from her reluctantly. "What was all that about self-control, Miss Collins?"

She was blushing again, clearly surprised by her own forwardness, but there was a pleased smile on her face. "Well, perhaps you're not the only one that needs to work on that."

~0~0~0~0~0~

There was something about watching Shadowhunter's fight that had always been fascinating to Sophie, but right now, as she stood in the doorway and watched Gideon, she felt a completely different feeling take over her body.

He was beautiful, she had always known that, but right now, he was a different kind of beautiful. A dangerous kind, just like a rose with thorns decorating its stem. Her eyes fixated on the rippling muscles of his arms as he lashed out with his sword, his broad shoulders slanting as he twisted to avoid being struck. He had the controlled grace and confidence of a big cat; so sure of himself, so unafraid of anything, as he faced his enemy.

Of course, right now, he was only sparring with his younger brother, Gabriel. There was not that same ferocious rage in him now then what she had seen at the battle with Mortmain, or when the clockwork creatures had attacked them at the Institute. As she remembered that, remembering how he had fought with such and power, she found herself feeling something that only he had ever made her feel.

Desire.

She flushed instantly. It was completely improper for her to even be considering such thoughts, even though they were about her fiancee. Women did not think such things. So why did she feel herself constantly thinking about it?

"Sophie, my love, is everything okay?"

She blinked, spiralling out of her thoughts and finding Gideon now stood in front of her. The concentration that had been on his face moments ago was replaced by concern as his storm-coloured eyes scanned her face. "You're blushing. Do you have a fever?"

Behind them, somewhere in the far corner of the training room, Gabriel snorted.

Straightening up, Sophie shook her head. "Everything is fine. I just got...distracted." It wasn't a lie.

His hands, which were currently on her lower arms, did not move. "Perhaps a walk would do you some good?" He suggested.

"I'd hate to intrude-" Sophie began.

"Not at all," It was Gabriel, not Gideon, who answered her. The younger Lightwood's eyes flashed with amusement as he regarded them. "My brother would only be thinking of you, if you went away, and it's not as much fun training with someone who isn't paying attention."

She felt her blush deepen, but Gideon's warm smile put her at ease as he took her hand in his. "Come on," He said gently. "I promised you wedding planning, and wedding planning is what you will get."

They retreated to the library, after walking the halls for a little while. It was empty, providing them with plenty of privacy.

With her small hand in his, Gideon led her to the long wooden table and helped her sit down before taking the seat beside her. He didn't drop her hand, and his thumb brushed over her skin.

"Are you sure you're okay, my love?" He asked.

She nodded. "Perhaps, I was just worrying that there were details of the wedding that you would be...unhappy with. I'd hate for the day to be anything less than what you deserve." It felt unfair to hide something from him, when that wasn't where her thoughts had been , but it wasn't a lie either.

He tilted his head, confusion touching the features of his handsome face. "Sophie, it would be impossible for me to be unhappy on our wedding day, even if it turns out you'd organised for Magnus to turn my suit bright green, or Will and Gabriel decided to have an arm-wrestle during our speeches. There is nothing in the world that could make me feel like the day wasn't everything I wanted, because as long as you're there, and it's you I'm marrying, I could think of nothing else I would ever want."

He always had a way of talking to her that settled her instantly. Whether it was the softness that took over his eyes and voice, a softness that was reserved only for her, or the gentleness of his voice, or the comfort of his touch, she wasn't sure. She wasn't complaining, either. For the first time in her entire life, she didn't mind being vulnerable with someone.

"As for it being any less than I deserved," Gideon went on. "I never even imagined myself getting married. It was never something I thought about, not until I saw you. When I saw you, I felt something that I don't think I could ever describe, but it was like I was actually seeing the world for the first time, the world and all the possibilities that it held."

"Gideon," She whispered, although she had no idea what to say. Her words stuck to her throat. How could she even respond to that, even though what he had just said was exactly how she had felt when they met?

"I want you." He went on, as if fearing that if he stopped, he wouldn't be able to continue. He lifted her hand to his mouth and kissed it. "I want you, Sophie Collins, in all the ways that entails. I want to walk down that aisle to you, to exchange wedding runes with you, to kiss you in front of all our friends with you as my wife. I want to go to bed with you, every night, and have your face as the last thing I see before I go to sleep, and the first thing I see when I wake up. I want to grow with you, to fight alongside you and protect you, as I know you'll protect me. I want to draw strength from you, and have you as my reason for breathing, for the rest of my life. I want to grow old with you, and watch our children-"

Here breath caught. "Y-you want children?"

"Well, of course. The thought of you, carrying my child, the thought of you bringing something into the world that was a combination of both of us...I could not imagine anything that would bring me more joy." He paused, noticing the way that she wasn't looking at him anymore. She was looking down, her bottom lip so hard he was instantly concerned she'd cause herself to bleed from the amount of pressure. "My love, what is wrong? Could you not picture it? Do you not want that?"

"Of course, I could picture it." She said, her voice trembling. She would not allow herself to cry. "It's just...I never thought it would be possible. Any of it. When I was little, I dreamed of getting married, of having children, a family. But then," Unconsciously, her hand went up to her scarred cheek. "After... I never let myself even dream of it. I feared no one would love me. I had convinced myself of it, in fact. I have not allowed myself to even consider the possibility for so long…"

He ducked his head to look at her, noticing the glimmer in her eyes, the wet promise of approaching tears. Carefully, gently, he placed his fingers under her chin and raised her head up so he could see her.

"What that man - no, he has no right to even claim himself as such - what that beast did to you, he deserves nothing put to rot in Hell. How dare he strike you, harm you. How dare he make you question your worth, your beauty."

She froze, stunned. Gideon Lightwood was a lot of things. Stoic, stone-faced, that was the impression he first gave everyone. Selfless and courageous in battle, like a lion. Soft, gentle, with her. She had never seen him so angry before, and although she was not scared of him, she found herself hating her former master more, for causing Gideon to feel like this.

"Sophie, my love." He continued, his voice quiet and soothing, capturing her attention. She was unable to look away from those storm-coloured eyes of his. Right now, they looked like a raging ocean, but still kept the tenderness they held only for her. "He did not take away your beauty. He did not take away your worth. Your strength. Everything that makes you, you, can never be taken from you. You deserve love, deserve all the happiness and joy this world can bring you, more so than anyone I've ever met. You are so good, Sophie."

A tear escaped her, trickling slowly down her cheek, but he brushed his away with the back of his hand in a touch that was as light as a dove's feather. The same hand cupped her face, whilst the other sought hers, entwining with it.

"I promise you, that I will give my last breath to give you what you want. Even if I have to travel to the end of the Earth for it. I would do anything for you, anything. If you do not wish to have children-"

"I want children. With you." She said, and she meant it. She willed Gideon to believe her, hoping he didn't feel like she was saying so simply to please him. "You taught me love, and since I met you, I allowed myself to dream of it, even when I told you we could not pursue anything. Every night, I would think about it. A little baby, that was half you, half me. Gideon, I love you. I want to have a baby with you."

With that, he smiled, leaning across the gap between them and kissing her with enough passion and fire that it caused her to gasp in pleasant surprise against his mouth.

Then, the door of the library opened. "Sir, pardon for the interruption," Cyril said, his gaze apologetically flickering from Sophie to Gideon, a blush on his face.

"What is it, Cyril?" Gideon asked, moving slightly away from Sophie to create a more suitable distance, but never letting go of her hands. "Is it my brother? Please, tell me he hasn't done anything stupid."

Cyril shook his head. "Master Gabriel is perfectly fine. You see, sir, it is your sister."

"You have had word from Tatiana?" The name sounded almost tainted on Gideon's tongue. Not bitter, but not welcome either.

Again, the servant shook his head. "The Blackthorn carriage has arrived. Tatiana wishes to speak with you. She says it is a matter of pure urgency."

~0~0~0~0~0~