NERTHUS
Arawn slowly opens the wrapped paper slung around the gift, making my heartbeat pick up its pace, the air in my lungs diminishing. I watch him silently as he opens it fully, clasping the frame with both his hands as he studies it.
“Aaaaaaw!” Danny shouts, getting me to tear my eyes away from Arawn still staring at my gift. “Is this us in Coney Island?”
I nod, my eyes jumping between an absent Arawn and an excited Danny. “Yeah, I had my favorite photo we took enlarged a little bit and framed. So, we could all have a nice souvenir of the day. I thought-”
My nervous rambling gets interrupted by Arawn standing up and leaving the room without saying anything. I gulp hard, pushing the painful knot down my throat with difficulty.
“What is happening?” Danny asks, and I shake my head slowly.
“I don’t know, baby. But don’t worry, I’ll go check on him.” I say while standing up myself. Forcing up a smile, I caress his chin encouragingly. “Don’t worry. I’m sure it’s about work.”
Danny nods, looking up at me with a saddened expression, and I walk after Arawn. My heart gets heavier with every step I take until I reach him standing in his bedroom.
“Arawn,” I call him softly, closing the door behind me. He doesn’t react and keeps staring out of the large windows, the framed picture still clasped in his hand.
I clear my throat, as I rub my hands against each other, “I’m sorry if it angered you. I can assure you that I made sure that they don’t have any copies lying around and I know them. It’s Jenna’s cousin who runs the shop. I…”
I take a deep breath as I stop talking, my anxiety getting the best of me. “Can you please look at me?”
He still doesn’t budge, his stare directed at the buzzing, illuminated streets as he clenches his jaw. “Arawn, it was just a cute thought because it’s Christmas. I know what you think about us. You don’t need to worry,” I stutter stupidly, my trauma acting on itself.
I know better than anyone that his signs towards me in the last month have been clear as day, but my stomach churns at thinking that it was just because he didn’t want to lose the one thing making him sleep to be able to function properly.
I’m just an asset.
Time seems to move in slow motion as he doesn’t turn around, keeping me on pins and needles.
“It’s not that,” he finally says, my heart jumping as if being released from a deep slumber by the sound of his voice. “I’m not angry.”
Tucking my hair behind my ear, I take a step forward, but I halt in my step as he moves. Setting down the frame onto the sideboard, he opens its first drawer, taking out a squared, blue velvet box.
My breath hitches in my throat as he turns it in his hands. “You got me something as well?”
“Yeah,” he says, still staring at the box pensively. “But I wasn’t sure about giving it to you as I didn’t know how you would take it.”
“How I would take it?” I ask my voice barely a whisper.
He takes a step forward, tilting his head at me. “Because you are just doing your job, right?”
I nod slowly, my throat refusing to make me utter any sound.
“So, tell me, Nerthus,” his husky whisper, gets a shiver to run down my spine. “What should I be worried about?”
He takes my hand to lay the box on my palm, leaning in. “The fact that we look like a little family?”
I open my mouth only to close it again, my eyes jumping shortly onto the frame before meeting his intense gaze again. “Is that the reason why you like it that much?”
I nod once again, and he lowers his eyes with a grin. He steps into me, wrapping his arms around me to turn me against the long mirror hanging on the wall.
“Open it!” he demands me in a whisper, and I oblige, opening the box slowly.
As I reveal the marquise diamond necklace on the inside, I gasp. It consists of three rows and looks horribly precious, and even if it seems to be old, the diamonds of the necklace as well as the ones falling from it like little droplets shine brightly, taking my breath away. “Oh my God, this is beautiful.”
“Just like her new owner,” Arawn chuckles, picking it out of the box to put it around my neck.
“This necklace belonged to my grandmother and is passed down from generation to generation,” he explains to me as if he were talking about something casual like the weather.
I touch the sparkling stones as he is about to close the latch and panic. “No wait, Arawn. I can’t! This is too precious for me to wear.”
“Hmm…” Arawn hums, ignoring my rambling. “I think it suits someone like you perfectly.”
“Someone like me?” I ask, meeting his gaze through the reflection.
He nods slowly, a grin stretching on his lips, “a queen.”
I push out a deep breath, letting my arms slump. “What did you say?”
“If you followed me in here afraid of me being angered, I guess I didn’t make myself undoubtedly clear.”
“About what?” I turn around, laying my hands on his sides.
He tilts his head, observing my face. “About us. About our relationship. About how you are mine as much as I am yours. And nobody is in it because of work. Are you ready to give up your position to upgrade to another?”
“Yeah,” I answer, distorting my face as I feel awkwardly happy.
“Proof it,” he challenges me, making me roll my eyes.
“You and your fetish of making me prove myself,” I shake my head, making him laugh. “So… we are something official? I can tell people about my boyfriend now?”
His smile has my heart squeezing, risking having me give out on the spot. “Just don’t tell them too much.”
“Don’t worry,” I laugh. “I’ll keep it down to the gloomy appearance and your dirty mouth.”
Leaning closer, he kisses me softly. “So, about me baiting you in here.”
“What?” I gasp, clasping his shirt.
His eyes rank over my face, down to my breast before he lifts his gaze again. “I want my other gift as well.”
“Aren’t you a naughty boy,” I chuckle, looking at the closed door quickly. “Okay, but just a glimpse. Danny must be worrying sick.”
He scrunches up his nose, growling. “Don’t put him into my head when I’m about to slam you against the wall.”
“God, don’t say that.” I moan, biting my lips and he grins.
“You have to suffer as much as I do, babe.” He follows the movement of my fingers as I open the buttons of my blouse slowly.
Opening my blouse fully, I show him my red, see-through bra that matches with the ribbon wrapped around my waist. “Merry Christmas, my King.”
“Oh, I should have stayed curious,” he groans, making me giggle.
Stepping into me, he lets his hands roam my skin while he kisses me hungrily. As soon as my brain starts functioning again, I push onto his chest lightly, getting him to break the kiss. “We really should go back.”
He groans annoyed, but nods agreeing with me. “You are probably right.”
“Is this mirror new, by the way?” I ask him, looking over my shoulder.
“Yes, and we will use it later,” he chuckles as he cups my chin, making me look at the ceiling. I gasp, my core throbbing in pleasant anticipation even without his husky whisper vibrating through me. “Just like that one.”