His Little Diamond

11~ A Diamond Kiss

༻𝐋𝐢𝐚𝐫𝐚༺

"W-what's going on?" I panted into my wake. The last thing I remembered was being lead by a masked man through the woods, heading towards a beautiful hefty mansion that almost mimicked the structure of a castle. When I stepped foot inside, however, it wasn't as pretty. Blood was on the floor and Ramerio was standing over it all with such ease.

Which reminded me...

"Oh my god!" I squealed again. I'm going to die! I believed. He's going to kill me! He lied! He won't protect me! This was the worst mistake of my life! I'm so stupid! Is this the end---

"Miss Liara."

I froze and blinked my eyes repeatedly as I sat up, feeling the smooth sheets beneath me. They were silky to the touch, rosey to the eye, and comfortable for rest. I was in someone's bed. That's the only thing I was certain about in this moment as I gazed around the room, but was interrupted yet again.

"Aherm."

I looked to my side, seeing Ramerio was sitting on a stool, wearing a prim raven-black suit. That masked man was standing beside him stiffly, with his hands behind his back. He started speaking a language I couldn't understand, and Ramerio sighed in response, nodding his head. "Very well then," he spoke. "Liara, follow me."

I shook my head, "If you're going to try to experiment on me-"

"So you do know about what they've done to you?" Ramerio asked me and stood, unbuttoning his suit coat. His biceps were sculpted to the bone, and no ounce of clothing could hide his shape. My best bet of escaping here was to not pick a fight, for sure.

I was confused, nonetheless, as worry engulfed my emotions. Something happened to me? Was it when I fainted? What's going on? "Huh?" I questioned, in complete naivety.

"Don't worry about it," Ramerio told me as if he was trying to hide something important. I dared to ask him again, but he handed me my Grogu plushie and brushed back my fluffy hair with his rough fingers. I almost flinched at his touch when his skin crossed my ear. Why was my heart beating so fastly?

Fear?

His emerald eyes had such a coldness in them that they should have been blue. "I promised you I'd keep you safe. Did I not?" he stated softly, contrasting his intimidating features.

"I don't believe you, sir," I uttered out, "Promises get broken all the time."

"That they do, Liara," he told me and bowed his head, offering me his hand. When I took it and slowly stepped out of the master bed, which was a bit high off the floor, he rose his head back up to look at me. "But I'm a man of my word."

I was so stuck in a trance that I hadn't realized I had missed some space with my foot. The action caused me to just about fall, but he caught me, almost as quick as my two brown eyes could see. I felt his hands on my waist for the slightest second and then the entirety of his arms were wrapped around me.

He didn't smell of potent blood or silver blades. He smelled of light vanilla and the turning pages within a book. He smelled like the home I've always wanted to be in, and he was so warm to be close to.

"And I always have been, Liara," he continued.

"Always."

• • •

"Agh! You two are so mushy gushy!" Carter sighed in disgust. Turns out the masked man I was afraid of was that creep who stared me down at my job...and also Ramerio's younger brother. I thought he hated me, but Ramerio had turned him to a different side before he could supposedly end my life.

I still had so many questions left unanswered, but I didn't propose any. I was playing it incredibly safe for now.

Currently, Ramerio and Carter were showing me around. "Anything you love to do, I already have set up for you," Ramerio said. "Movies? I have a theater. Art? I have a painting room. Music? A room for that too-"

I gasped. "Plushie shop?"

I thought Ramerio's face couldn't get any sadder, due to the straight expression he always wore, but his lips had formed somewhat of a frown. Did I destroy his ego of having everything? Oops.

"I don't have that unfortunately," he mumbled. "Davidson!"

"Yes sir!" a plump man came running to his aid.

"Make some calls. I want a plushie room installed. Filled with varieties."

Davidson looked humbly confused, "A-a what, sir-"

"Do it," Ramerio spat.

Davidson was on the run again, "Yes sir!"

I started to laugh, "You're mean."

"I am not mean. It's called being assertive."

Carter was poking at paintings on the walls every which way. "Sei piuttosto cattivo fratello. Ricordi quando hai tagliato le dita dei piedi a quel tipo da un osso all'altro?"

("You are pretty mean brother. Remember when you cut off that guy's toes from bone to bone?")

Ramerio rolled his eyes, and I was confused, once again. "Very sorry," he told me, "he picks up on English here and there, but he's not exactly fluent."

"Could have fooled me," I said and crawled Grogu up his arm. His cheeks had turned a bit red, but I thought it was just the warm air. "Of course," he responded, not processing a word I said.

"I can teach him," I offered.

His eyes widened, "You'd do that?"

Carter sneezed and we both jumped a bit at the noise. "Y-yeah," I whispered.

I suddenly felt a finger hook underneath my chin, and before I knew it, my head was titling up at this mysterious being. He didn't appear so stoic. The look in his eyes was filled with lost, longing, and so much more. He knew something I didn't, and it was eating him up inside to dare speak out these next few words.

"You are mine to protect."

I gulped a little, finding it hard to breathe the same air as him. What secret was he keeping?

"My diamond," he added through his strawberry lips and leaned down a bit until his closed mouth was pressed against my forehead. I didn't know why, but such a gentle and simple action made the vessel in my chest flutter.

When he pulled away, he bowed and walked down the hall without me, leaving Carter shaking his head at my shocked face. "You? Him? Together?" he asked me through his thick accent.

I knew in his country a kiss like this meant a warm welcoming, but I felt so differently about it...as if...just maybe...he really thought of me as his.

His little diamond.