“Of course I do.”
There’s a war buried beneath his thoughts, but his posture doesn’t waver. He stares down at me, trying to solve a series of riddles in my response.
“It’s the guilt,” he finally replies.
“It’s not.” But I feel I should clarify. “There is guilt, yes. But I used to hate you, Niklaus. If I still felt that way, there would be a hell of a lot less guilt.”
I place my fingers around his wrist and bring his hand closer to my face. The jagged scar where his ring finger once was…buries me alive.
I brush my lips against it, kissing softly.
“Given my departure that left you behind, I know it would be difficult for you to feel it back…”
“I feel it back.”
My lips hover over his knuckles.
“You do?”
He winds that strong hand into my hair. “I have spent a decade in hell loving you, Spitfire.”
I rest the side of my head in his hand and sigh.
“The fading memory of your face was the only goddamned thing that ensured my survival. I replayed your laugh in my head like a broken record. I tried not to love you for my own sanity. I did. But you saved my life every time you’d appear in my dreams.”
“You love me back?” I stare into his eyes with so much hope, I bet he can see it lighting up my irises with infinitesimal fireworks.
“I love you back, my darling wife.”
Niklaus pulls me to him and kisses me with the passion that followed us through time. His facial hair scratches my chin, but those lips are silk against mine, parting to take more of me. It is the most romantic kiss of my life. It’s the one you feel through your entire body like an earthquake. The one with so much vigor it makes a valiant attempt to stop time for us.
His other hand sweetly traces the outline of my shoulder, trying to memorize minute details, to savor the smallest touches between us.
As we part reluctantly, Niklaus holds my face close to his, breathing me in, still in agony as it is clear he harbors the fear of losing me again.
“You took my punishment for me,” I say sadly. “Watching you lose your fingers triggered me to travel.”
“I remember.”
“How…how did you survive that, Niklaus?” I plant a small kiss on his mouth.
“Sophia and Jack. Sophia was able to reattach two of my fingers.”
I watch him patiently, waiting for him to get out whatever he needs to say.
“Recovery was horrendous. The nightmares were worse. But…”
“Go ahead. You can say it,” I urge.
He sighs, brushing his nose against mine. “Nothing compared to the amount of time I held out hope that you were coming right back for me.”
He’ll never know that bit of information is a sickle straight through my chest.
“I am still not so sure you are real,” he adds.
My hands cover and caress his own, tilting them to my mouth for me to kiss several times. “I’m real. I’m here. Your little fuckup came back.”
Niklaus chuckles with closed eyes.
