Tides of deception ✺ Outlander/Stephen Bonnet Fanfic

♤8. Keep your enemies close

The morning sunlight filtered through the half-open curtains in Stephen's cabin, casting a soft glow over the table where a small, velvet box lay. Inside, a silver ring glinted, its delicate design punctuated by a modest sapphire. Stephen stood by the window, his back to Maria, fingers tapping rhythmically against the glass. His expression was unreadable, a mixture of thoughtfulness and tension tightening his jaw.

Maria, seated at the edge of the bed, eyed the box warily. The weight of what Stephen was about to propose felt like an invisible chain between them, pulling them into a complicated, dangerous territory. She knew the moment would come-when playing his "fiancée" required more than just words.

He turned to face her, his movements calculated, though the air around him felt strained. His fingers flexed and unflexed as if trying to grasp control over a situation that refused to fit into neat boundaries. Slowly, Stephen walked toward her, his eyes not meeting hers yet, but focused on the box in his hand.

"We'll need to keep up appearances, Maria." His voice was low, but there was an underlying edge. "And appearances mean everything to these people."

Maria raised a brow, trying to mask her unease with a cool indifference. "You mean to tell me that while I'm pretending to be your fiancée, you'd have me wear a ring?"

Stephen's lips tightened into a thin line. His blue eyes, though still sharp, seemed softer in this moment. He exhaled through his nose, glancing down at the box in his hand before finally meeting her gaze.

"It's not a proposal, Maria." His tone was clipped, but there was something else beneath it. "It's... necessary."

Maria stood, crossing her arms as she looked at the ring. Her thoughts swirled-why did this feel more like a commitment than just an act? She shook her head lightly, feeling her pulse quicken. "And what happens when someone asks about our engagement? You think I can just stand there, wearing this, and lie about it without thinking of-"

"Stop." Stephen's voice hardened as he stepped closer, closing the distance between them. His presence was overwhelming, the usual unpredictability in his eyes now mixed with something rawer. He placed the box on the table between them, his fingers lingering on it for a second before pulling away.

He sighed, running a hand through his tousled blond hair before pacing back a step. "We have to make this convincing, Maria. If we don't, Moseley will tear us apart the moment he gets a chance. He'll ask questions. A ring makes it real enough to get us through this without suspicion."

Maria swallowed, feeling the weight of his words settle heavily on her chest. There was truth in what he said, but she couldn't ignore the tension-the way his fingers trembled slightly when he opened the box again, the way his breathing hitched when he said the word "engagement." This wasn't just about appearances for Stephen, and that realization sent a shiver down her spine.

As she slowly picked up the ring and examined it, a question came to her mind. "Stephen... who is Edward Moseley, really?"

Stephen's jaw clenched for a moment before he answered, his voice a little tighter. "Moseley is a lawyer and a politician. He's well connected, especially with the Royal Navy. He's also a man who's very aware of my... past."

Maria's heart skipped a beat at the implication. "So, you think he might try to expose you?"

"He won't do it openly," Stephen replied, his gaze darkening. "But he'll test me. See if I'm still the man I used to be. That's why we need to be flawless in this. He'll want to know everything-who you are, where you come from. He'll look for any weakness."

Maria nodded slowly, the gravity of the situation settling in. "And you think he'll use our engagement to test you?"

Stephen shrugged, though the movement seemed far more calculated than casual. "Moseley loves appearances. If he thinks I've moved on, settled down, he'll be less inclined to cause trouble. But make no mistake-he'll be watching us."