Lina
Time slipped, measured in breath and heartbeat.
When we finally came together, it was slow—intentional. Nothing was rushed. Nothing uncertain.
He watched me the entire time, searching for any sign I might need him to stop.
I didn’t.
Everything about it felt chosen.
Right.
We moved together, finding a rhythm that felt like it had always been there, waiting. The differences between us didn’t divide—they fit, unexpected and natural.
When the tension finally broke, it carried us both with it. I felt the shudder that ran through him as he buried his face against my neck, my name a breath against my skin.
Rygnar
Afterward, we remained where we were.
Her head rested against my chest. My arm curved around her, holding—not to restrain, but to keep contact.
I felt her heartbeat slow, aligning with mine.
This was the part I had not expected.
Not the intensity.
The quiet.
The absence of danger.
The simple presence of another being beside me.
She shifted slightly, her lips brushing my collarbone—not quite a kiss. Just contact.
I tightened my hold a fraction.
“I remain with you,” I said softly.
Lina
I lifted my head, meeting his gaze in the dim light.
“I remain with you,” I answered.
This wasn’t urgency.
This wasn’t fear.
This was something steadier.
I traced idle patterns across his chest, following the places where scales gave way to skin.
“What are you thinking?” I asked.
“That I did not expect this,” he said.
