Answered Dreams (ACOTAR | ACOMAF | ACOWAR)

Chapter ☆ Fifteen

Feyre let out a shuddering gasp that could have been a sob as she watched him as he accepted her offering, and she realized her eyes were lined with tears only once the first one fell. A future. She and Rhys were going to have a future. Together.

Rhys looked up at Feyre after he'd swallowed that first bite. He reached over to wipe the single tear from her cheek as it escaped from her eye before he took her hand in his own, squeezing it reassuringly. His own eyes burned because, yes. They were going to have a future. He'd never thought he would have a future, not one that looked this bright and full of life, love, and happiness.

She smiled, letting out a loose laugh at her own silliness. Wiping at her eyes with her free hand, she took a breath and let it out. "Ok... tell me the story."

"Which one?" he asked, smiling fondly at her, continuing to eat his soup.

She shrugged slightly. "How you knew... when you knew. Why you weren't going to tell me." She smirked.

"There's more to the story than just that," he said before swallowing another spoonful. He didn't speak after that for a few minutes, trying to figure out the best way to tell her everything. And once he'd finally finished his soup, he took a deep breath and began. 

Feyre sat there, listening to the story. There was so much more to it, though, than she ever had imagined. With every bit Rhys had given her, she tried to piece the memories together, and found her own tears falling as he spoke. He'd known for years... after everything he'd done, everything she'd done... while she was with Tamlin, sharing his bed for months, planning to marry him... Rhys had known. And he would have let her for her own happiness. But he knew she wasn't happy, and had risked everything for her. She looked down at her tattooed hand, and realized that bargain was just a shade over what was between then the entire time. And Feyre was suddenly at a loss for words. This male had done so much for her, and she... she'd never be able to repay him.

Rhys sat there in the quiet that erupted after he finished speaking. And he let that silence wash over him as he sat there, reliving all those memories. Every moment, every word spoken. He reached up, rubbing his palms down his face, wiping away the tears that stained his cheeks. Finally, he looked to her, waiting to see how she'd react. If he was honest, he was more than a little nervous.

She looked up at him, meeting his gaze. And she was awestruck. She hadn't doubted anything he had told her, and now... she leaned over and brought her lips to his, in a soft, gentle kiss that she hoped conveyed everything she was thinking - everything she felt- as he lay his soul bare. No, there were no words to be said at that moment.

As her lips met his, Rhys knew she understood. Everything he'd done, why he'd done it, why he had kept the bond from her. His hand rested on her cheek, his body betraying him as more hot tears spilled from his eyes. Because he had laid his soul on the line, had laid himself bare, and she... she hadn't turned away.

She broke the kiss just enough to meet his gaze, and wiped his tears away with the thumb of the hand she placed on his cheek. "I'll never turn away from you, Rhys" she whispered, her voice shuddering as she fought tears of her own. "You're my mate, and I'd endure every bit of it again... for you."

He closed his eyes and leaned his forehead against hers. His hand came up to cover the one she placed on his cheek, squeezing it gently. "I would never ask you to," he said hoarsely, opening his eyes again to look into hers. "I would never ask you to endure any kind of pain for my sake." She had to know that.

"You'd never have to ask," she assured him, leaning into him. "You're mine. "

He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her into him. Pressing a kiss to the top of her head. "You are my master, Feyre. And I am yours. For it seems I cannot possess your soul without losing my own."