They'd met under extraordinary circumstances. And these very circumstances are what eventually drove them apart.
"I can't keep this up." WIth a hollow voice, Cordelia stared blankly at her husband, admitting to him, and herself, that she couldn't keep up with both their relationship and staying sane on the field. "I'm not perfect, I can't promise you that we'll both make it out alive. It's driving me insane."
"No one's asking you to be perfect." Reaching for her hand, Gaius ran a thumb over the ring that he'd slipped on her finger not so long ago. "I can take care of myself so you don't have to worry."
Taking her hand away, Cordelia gently placed it on Gaiu's side, moving it to his shoulder before resting it on his forearm. Each touch was light and fleeting, and wordlessly marked the places that he'd taken a hit in the previous skirmish. The medical tent they were currently in was thickly scented in herbal concoctions and still hummed slightly from the magical residue that the healing staves left behind.
"Alright, so I took a few scratches, but I'm still here." That was an understatement and he knew it, but bringing up the fact that he'd almost died wasn't the best way to convince Cordelia that she wouldn't have to worry about him suffering any injuries. "Danger's a thing in this line of business." He offered her a grin, hoping to lighten the mood.
Cordelia, however, remained stony faced. Letting out the smallest of sighs, she twisted the band on her finger, refusing to return his smile. "I find myself worrying about you more than I do about the entire company. It's costing us. And I can't risk the safety of everyone for just one person." She bit her lip, struggling to add that that one person meant more to her than the world. She stared at her lap, jaw clenching as she fought to find a better way to phrase her feelings.
"So is this it Sugar?" Gaius' usually honeyed voice took an acid tone, starting Cordelia enough to make her meet his eyes. "I guess a ring and a promise just don't go very far these days." The two stared silently at each other, neither one willing to continue the conversation. Gaius' question continued to float over them, the atmosphere growing heavier by the second.
She didn't want to end things on a bad note, but found herself unable to argue. It was she that brought this up in the first place, and if this was how things would play out, she would just have to learn to cope with the outcomes. Giving the familiar ring a final twist, Cordelia slipped it off her finger and laid it gently by Gauis' side. He searched her face, waiting for her to say something, but when she didn't Gaius reached for his left hand and pulled off his ring as well, dropping it next to hers. The two bands clinked when they met, reunited at last as their wearers departed.
AN: This was supposed to be the Cordelia & Severa chapter, but I guess that didn't really happen?