※♤※

The day that my paradise shattered was the day I met, once more, the very man I shattered myself.

The sun was bright as it always was as I wake, a warm, snoring form on my right side and a round form at my feet. I sighed, rubbing my hands over my eyes before squeezing the bridge of nose. Last night, I had done overtime at work to finish up the rest of Miss Florence’s, an old widow who lived in town, flooring. It was easier with the legal right of magic that I had obtained the month before, but it still took over six hours to complete.

The small man to my right, Fade, shifted, licking his lips as he rubbed his closed eyes. I thought he was going to awake, but he just did a breathy sigh and settled once more. I stroked his head on my chest, my scarred fingers twirling a strand of his thick snow-colored hair, as the round dragon at my feet did the opposite. Ri, a baby dragon with a spherical body and a small neck and head, yawned, stretching his maw, then clicked at me as he stumbled over our limbs to lick my cheek.

I chuckled, pushing him away so that he wouldn’t bestow Fade with the same greeting. “A good morning to you too, Ri, did you both have a great day yesterday?” Ri chirped, his stubby tail wagging. I laughed. “I’ll take that as a yes.”

“I don’t know about all that,” a lazy, rough voice said, the vibrations rumbling against my chest, “I missed you awfully so.”

Ri went to lick Fade on his nose, and I turned to smile at the brown-eyed man. After Ri finished, we kissed, a soft, sleepy press of lips, then rose to get ready for the day—I did anyway. Fade stared at me with a longing look, and Ri hopped off the bed and out of the room to most likely hunt something.

Fade stared at me dress, pale chest bare and the rest of him hidden under the sheets. Although I couldn’t see his expression as I lifted my shirt over my head, I knew he was frowning. More over when he said, “Are you too busy with work to not worry about me?” His voice was weak as he asked this, vulnerable. Something close to a rock lodged in my throat. I didn’t turn to answer him until I finished dressing, and my heart clenched when he was right there behind me.

He had gotten so thin over the year. The trousers that had once fit him perfectly hung low against his sharp, jutting hips. Fade’s lips were thin as always, but the pinkness of them had dulled, as well as the rosiness in his cheeks.

“Fade—I—” I had been working more and more over the years to pay for his medicine; yes, it was hard, but loosing Fade would be harder. How I lived before him, I did not know, but then I knew that I couldn’t live without him. His was the sun to my moon, the water to my throat. “It’s not like that—quite the opposite really.”

Fade’s head tilted in question. “Really?”

I brought his lips to mine and reveled in the softness of his lips. Fade’s hands went to my shoulders, gripping them as tightly as he could to bring me closer, and closer. Our breathing turned shaky at the same time, mouths opening and mashing together, but—with control that somehow possessed me at the moment—I tore away and smiled at the disappointed whimper he made.

“Yes, really, if you can believe it.” I rubbed our noses together and grinned. “I think worry about you every time I _breath_.”

Fade nodded, biting his lips to contain a pleased smile. “I can believe it.”

We startled as a loud knocking rapt at the front door of our cabin. I hissed, thinking that it was my employer, Taz, who had a reputation of being rather unpleasant when his workers came in late. I looked up to check the clock—it wasn’t even near the afternoon. It was bright and early.

I kissed Fade one more time before letting him go. “Go back to bed, dear, I’ll come by and give you your tea after I see who’s at the door.” Fade nodded glumly. I heard Fade grumble about the tea being _fucking poison _as he shuffled back under the covers, and I closed the door to our bedroom. The loud knocking resumed, and I shouted, “CURSE THE FOG! Just wait, will you Taz!?” I quickly strode through our small kitchen and opened the door with a bang. “Alright, what do you wa—”

My eyes widened as I took in the the pair before me. Both were ripped, muscles concealed beneath their armor, the royal seal of and eagle and a snake embedded on over they hearts. The one in front of me was staring at me, eyes cold and shut off, mouth quirking in the middle of a frown and a fake smile. His dark hair was streaked with gray, and the lines on his face seemed less than a weakness and more of the strong groves and rings on a tree. He knew me as well as I knew him, he knew what I had done, why I had left.

The soldier behind him was less composed. Anger poured out from him, as well as his magic, which was bubbling and the same heat and intensity of his feelings. His hair was that same custard color that I remembered, his eyes that same shade of lavender I used to tease him for. His mouth was still red, though his teeth were bared and not at all welcome.

The older man cleared his throat, calling for my attention. “Prince Damien, it was very hard to find you.” My heart lurched into overdrive and my legs shook. Whatever expression was on made face, it made General Leawds sigh. He ran a hand through his short hair and gave me a putting pitying glance. “The king wants your head, my boy.”

The custard hair man stepped forward, eyes still hard. “And that’s why we’re here.”

“Why?” My chest rose quickly, tightening as I realized that this may be my last day alive. My last day laughing with Fade and Ri. My last day seeing him smile for me. “To—to kill me?”

The general, sighed. “Of course your my goes there, your highness, but no, that’s not what we came here to do—”

“We came here to protect you, Damien! So shut up and let us inside so we can talk to you about what you missed!” The custard haired man seemed pissed. Of course he was pissed.

“Val—” I started before yelping at the sharp dagger that was pointed at my throat.

“Do _not_—don’t call me that, you bitch.” Valore’s eyes were painful, cutting through my heart even as he sheathed his dagger back to his side. “Don’t call me that.”

General patted my shoulder, and I jumped at the touch, my nerves firing again. “May we come inside?”

And, seeing as I had no choice, I opened the door for us all and closed it behind us.

I could never have peace, could I?

※♤※

_Author’s Notes: _

_This was just a random thing I free wrote on my Pages and posted here. _🙃_ My wrists are hurting, sooo. _

_Tell me what you think about the story, so far! And if you wanna ask me questions—please so I can develop the plot—go ahead. I’m not sure what the title of the story should be, and if you have some ideas, I will be grateful._

_Thanks for reading and have an amazing day!_