Ash's Place

Chapter 2

Ash's POV

"Ash..." Finn whispers, his voice coming out hoarse and low. He never uses my name, much less my preferred name when he addresses me. I turn away from him, feeling embarrassed and overwhelmed and sad and scared and disappointed and...

He grabs me by my waist and pulls me back toward him before snaking his free hand into my hair, with his palm resting on the nape of my neck. He steps closer to me, until our bodies are almost flush against each other.

"Finn, you don't have to do this," I breathlessly whisper.

"Oh princess, I have always wanted to do this."

Then his lips are on mine again but this time he initiates the kiss, and it is most certainly not short, rushed, or unpracticed. When he does break the kiss, I am left blubbering and an incoherent mess. He releases his hand from my neck and pulls me into a firm hug.

He strokes my hair as I lean into his hold. I feel my magic bubbling under the surface of my skin, demanding to be let out but I stifle it. I want to stay in this moment, distraction free, forever. Tomorrow, everything will change regardless of what I want. I don't have a choice. I knew I would eventually have to marry someone, and I knew that my parents would likely choose that person for me. I just didn't know it would be so soon.

"Ash?"

Finn's voice breaks me from my depressing thoughts, and I lift my head up off his chest to look up at him.

"You didn't have to do that," I say quietly.

"I wanted to. Plus, you deserve to have a good first kiss before you marry a stranger."

"A good first kiss, huh?" I tease and he lets out a hearty laugh.

"Was it not? I would be happy to try again," he teases back, and I grin at him.

"As tempting as that sounds, you shouldn't even be in here right now."

"And yet, you were the one to pull me in, princess."

"Hmm...maybe so. And as much as I would like you to kiss me like that again, I shouldn't let you."

"Why is that?" he asks, twirling a piece of my hair around his finger.

"I think if you kiss me again, I will want to cross a line I should not cross. I can't let you into my bed; that has to be for my husband only."

He is silent for a moment before he asks me another question.

"Are you scared?"

Yes. "No."

He scoffs but softens his voice anyway, "I will be right by your side the whole time, Ash. You don't have to be afraid."

"I'm not afraid."

"Even if you are..."

"I am not afraid," I interrupt.

"Well even so, I will still be here to protect and serve you. That is one thing that won't change, even when you are forced to marry a stranger."

"Maybe he will be lovely."

"I hope so. You deserve to have something lovely in your life."

We fall into a comfortable silence as he continues to hold me in his arms. Minutes tick by and the only sounds are our breathing and my pounding heart, which I am pretty sure he could hear with how loud it was beating in my chest.

"I should probably go," he finally says, and I reluctantly step out of his hold. He turns toward the door and just before his hand lands on the doorknob, I open my mouth.