Through Hell and Back {Final Rewrite}

The Love of a Fool

It was, unfortunately, a rare sight to see. Pisces looked so peaceful as she slept in his arms. It was, unfortunately, a rare sight to see. Pisces looked so peaceful as she slept in his arms. The light of the moon seeped through the iron bars of the cell's window - and seemed to set itself onto her. Aries recalled a time, many years ago, when the moonlight would reflect off her skin and hair, and make Pisces look like she was glowing. He recalled when her hair looked softer than the feathers of her wings, so light and curly. He lifted his hand and ran a finger through the white locks that had long since lost their buoyancy, their small curls having frizzed away from lack of care. He remembered when he was a young boy, sneaking off into this- at the time - restricted area, standing on his tiptoes to grab a glance at her through the slit in the door. He remembered seeing her and thinking about her lovely she was, he couldn't get enough of the big blue eyes that once held such life, always giving him a look of curiosity and wonder. And he remembered watching all of that fade away, little by little, as the years passed.

It couldn't have gone any other way, though. The old king was, though well-intended, a cruel man; exposing his children to the art of war and violence at such a young age and torturing another child in compensation for the murder of a soldier. Aries hated him for it, he hated that he let his father indoctrinate him into the same violent and stubborn mindset. Pisces was not meant to live a long or happy life, and he wasn't sure if he was relieved or distressed that his father would not be the one to end her. All he knew was that if he could keep her away from the Morsans, Jupiter's people, he could keep her alive for just a little longer. He didn't care how much longer, if Aries could keep her alive for only a moment longer, just one more second, he'd give up an arm and a leg. He didn't care what it took, he just couldn't give her up. Not yet. Of course, that meant that he would have to hand her over to one of them, but it was far better than letting Jupiter get her hands on Pisces.

Even if only for a moment longer... He thought as he glanced at her lips.

Oh, how he wished he could kiss her, but he knew that once he let himself get that far, he'd end up sacrificing his entire kingdom just to elope with her. It was so tempting, too; to steal her away and have a happily ever after with her. But his kingdom and people came first, he knew he couldn't handle the guilt of leaving them all behind. Not to mention the shame and humiliation that would entail such cowardice. No, he couldn't kiss her. He could never let himself fall down that rabbit hole.

Aries raised his hand once again to cradle her face ever so gently, his thumb running over a thin scar under her eye, raised with thickened skin and lighter than the melanin-rich colour of her face. Such unique traits she possessed, white hair and blue eyes, paired with skin like warm honey. He wondered if she would taste just as sweet, were he to kiss her on the cheek or forehead. Yet, nothing was more inviting than the pink, plump cushions that were her lips. He knew he shouldn't but...

But one tender touch couldn't be so bad, right? He thought, just the slightest bit of intimacy...

Aries had never felt so torn, he'd go mad if he was deprived of intimacy and he'd go mad if he let himself fall into a spiral of love. There was no winning in this situation. Still, he held her face, tilting it up to face him. He lowered his head closer to her face, still hesitant. With the scrunching of his eyebrows and a huff of breath, he moved his lips to her forehead, giving her a kiss so soft that she might have thought a feather of hers must have tickled her. She stirred, and Aries backed away. Pisces, still deep in her sleep, raised a hand to touch where he'd kissed her, but then went on to curl up closer to him. He let out a sigh of relief. And though he knew he should have stopped right there, after already having gone too far, he wanted more. He needed more.

Aries pressed his lips to her temple, then her cheek, and along her jaw.

Don't do it. Don't you dare-