veytharion’s breath hitched as she stepped into the bath, the water hissing where the damp silk of her dress brushed his skin. the fabric clung to her like a second skin, the emerald darkening to black where it pressed against her thighs, her waist, the swell of her chest. his hands twitched beneath the water, fingers curling into fists. not out of anger, but restraint. the strands of his hair, usually flickering like molten gold, deepened into a slow, smoldering red, the color of embers just before they catch.
when her lips met his. soft, fleeting, a whisper of a kiss. his entire body locked. the runes beneath his skin flared gold, the heat between them spiking so sharply the water steamed. his exhale was rough, almost a growl, but he didn’t move. didn’t dare. not when she was this close, not when the scent of her. wine and smoke and something wild, filled his lungs like both poison and cure.
“frida,” he managed, her name a prayer and a warning. his voice was rough, the sound of a man hanging by a thread. his gaze burned into hers, molten and dark, as she pulled back just enough to meet his eyes. he wanted to grab her. to pull her onto his lap, to trace every scar, every new curve of her with his hands, his mouth. to claim her in a way that left no doubt, no space for the past or the future. just this. just her.
but he didn’t.
instead, he let his forehead rest against hers for the briefest moment, breath mingling between them. the red in his hair darkened further, a silent confession. “you don’t owe me purity,” he murmured, voice low and raw. “i don’t care about the others. they were never you.” his hands finally moved, but only to brush lightly against her waist, thumbs tracing the damp fabric clinging to her ribs. “and i’d take your nasty over anyone else’s perfect a thousand times over.”