𝑭𝑬𝑨𝑻𝑯𝑬𝑹𝑺 - 𝑹.𝑵𝑰𝑲𝑶𝑳𝑨𝑰

chapter 42

FOURTY TWO

Away from the hum of laughter and clinking glasses, Nikolai's gloved fingers threaded through yours, tugging you gently but insistently past the crowd. His steps were lighter than usual—not the usual manic skips or teleporting bursts, but something softer. Purposeful. His mismatched eyes flicked back to yours every few seconds, like he was making sure you were still following, still his.

He didn't say a word. He didn't need to.

He led you through a small garden path that curled just around the lake, where the soft hum of the water kissed the evening air and the fireworks' faint echo still shimmered on the surface. The moonlight hit just right, bathing the whole scene in silver and quiet blues. Feathers from your wings—still loose from earlier—floated lazily down around you both, mixing with the petals of fallen blossoms.

Finally, he stopped. Beneath an old willow tree, its branches curtaining you from the world. The muffled voices and music of the reception were distant now, like a memory drifting further and further away. Here, it was just the two of you.

His hand didn't let go. Instead, he slowly turned, those mismatched eyes searching yours. And for once... there was no grin. No smirk. No dramatic bow or exaggerated jest. Just Nikolai. Your Nikolai. His expression soft, unsure, and deeply *human*.

"I wanted..." he began quietly, his voice lower, rougher. It cracked slightly like he was holding back too much. He breathed out a soft, shaky laugh and licked his lips nervously. "I wanted to steal you away for just a minute. Before the world starts tugging at us again."

You blinked, tilting your head slightly, wings folding tighter behind you as you gazed up at him. "Kolia..."

He squeezed your hand. "I never thought..." His words faltered, eyes flickering. He shook his head quickly, hair falling over his forehead. "I never thought I'd make it here. Not with anyone. Not with *you*."

He swallowed, reaching his other hand up to tuck a loose strand of your hair behind your ear, gloved thumb brushing the corner of your jaw so gently you almost didn't feel it. "I've broken so many things in my life, dove. So many people, promises, dreams. I always thought—*freedom* meant running away from all of it. From everyone. You know that. You've seen what I've done. What I *am.*"

You didn't flinch. You didn't look away. You only leaned in slightly, resting your forehead softly against his.

He exhaled shakily and shut his eyes. "But you... you were the one cage I never wanted to break out of." His voice trembled now, vulnerable in a way few would ever hear from *Nikolai Gogol*. His hands cupped your cheeks, thumbs wiping at the corners of your damp lashes.

"I promise, Y/N," he whispered, his voice cracking into a soft, breathless vow that felt heavier and more binding than anything spoken under the arch earlier.
"I'll love you in every reality. I'll love you when you're mad, when you're sad, when the world burns down around us. I'll be yours in madness and quiet, in chaos and in stillness. Even if I forget myself... I'll never forget *you.* I swear it. You're the only gravity I'll ever need."

Your throat tightened, tears slipping down before you could stop them.

He smiled then—small, wobbly, but full of truth. His nose brushed yours, his breath warm against your lips. "My dove, my darling, my miracle... thank you for teaching a jester how to stay

And with that, he kissed you again. Not like earlier. Not rushed, not dizzying. Just soft. Slow. Like the first time all over again.
Above you, the willow branches swayed gently in the night breeze. And for the first time in both your chaotic, scattered lives—everything was *still.*