𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 || Cillian Murphy ¹

twenty-five (edited)

"Are you nervous?" Auden asked as they sat in the back seat of their rideshare, heading to Charles's annual holiday party.

Cillian shook his head. "Not at all."

Liar. His fingers drummed against her bare thigh, betraying his nerves.

Auden turned from the window to study him. He was dressed sharply—dark slacks, a light blue button-down tucked in neatly, the top two buttons undone to reveal a hint of his collarbone. A long black coat shielded him from the biting Dublin air. His hair was freshly cut, no longer falling over his forehead to obscure his eyes.

He was staring out the window, chewing on the nail of his free hand. Auden sighed, slipping her fingers between his and giving a reassuring squeeze.

Cillian turned his head toward her, his lips curling into a small, grateful smile.

His nerves were justified. Admittedly, she felt them too. They both knew Jenni and Patrick would be there, and neither of them had any interest in dealing with them. But Auden had to attend — Charles expected her there — and Cillian, ever the gentleman, respected that. Charles had made her promise that there would be no drama tonight. She intended to keep her word.

When they arrived, Auden could already tell the party was packed. A small crowd lingered outside, and as soon as she spotted the flashes of cameras, her stomach dropped.

"Lovely," Cillian muttered. "I should've guessed the press would be here."

Auden bit her lip, anxiety coiling in her chest. The last thing she wanted was to see her face plastered across the tabloids tomorrow.

"Let's just get this over with," she said, jaw tight.

Cillian leaned in suddenly, pressing a kiss to her temple. "Follow my lead. It'll be okay."

Before she could respond, he was out of the car, rounding the vehicle to open her door. Her stomach flipped. He always made a point to do things like that. As she took his outstretched hand, his grip was firm and warm, grounding her as she stepped onto the sidewalk. A cold gust swept around them, making her shiver as she tugged at the hem of her dark-blue cocktail dress.

"You look amazing," Cillian murmured, his gaze trailing appreciatively down her body.

Heat rose to her cheeks just as the cameras erupted in a frenzy. The sudden barrage of flashes blinded her.

"I can't fucking see," Auden hissed, lifting a hand to shield her eyes.

Cillian's arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her into his side. "I've got you. Always."

Men called his name, shouting for him to turn toward them, but Cillian ignored them completely. With a firm hand guiding her, they pushed toward the entrance. He shouldered the door open, making sure she was inside before him, blocking her from view.