Slow motion

Maybe she should have returned to her mother, Kieran and her two sons. But instead, she had teleported back to his church. She wanted to come here a month ago when she had finally gotten his name written on his collarbone. The pain she had been enduring to make it so, but everything had fallen apart when she hadn’t been able to reach her mother, finding out that she had been kept captive and now was lying in her house, malnourished, beaten and tortured.
Rain was coming down, mimicking the angry rage that had been going through her heart as she had gone to her grandmothers in the meaning to kill her. She had wanted to take a life this late evening, and suddenly she wasn’t sure if she had ever become herself after she had lost her coven, husband and child. Even if she had gotten her daughter back, it didn’t magically mend the wound that she had gotten when she had thought that Alexandra had been dead for so many years.
She had no idea how long she had been standing in the rain before she walked up and pressed the giant doors open “Valdemar?” she called, winching when she heard how pitiful her voice sounded as it was thrown back at her from the church walls. Right now, she was sure that he would be the only one that could get her to think clearly, to get her to calm down. All she needed right now was him.

Valdemar stood with a very fine feather duster, cleaning the giant piano on the first floor. Making the feathers reach down between the pipes. Many of these things, he could have asked others to do, but it was just finishing touches. The church was already in much better condition than it had been six months ago. Everything had been restored, cleaned, and repainted with the correct kind of paintings. It was only a few windows that were missing, that had been transported to a specialist, to make new fine windows. He had been able to feel the presence of a powerful witch or warlock for a while but hadn’t acted on it. If it was someone who wanted something from him, they could call him or find him. At some point, the doors opened, and he heard a voice. It made his movement stop, and he turned his head, to look over his shoulder. With no words, he put the feather duster on the piano and moved towards the mirror not that far away. Of course, when it was a building of Valdemar’s there were mirrors so he could transport himself quickly. Who knew when he had to get from one place to another because of a ghoul or two he hadn’t gotten rid of yet?

He stepped out of the mirror and his eyes found her figure. “Sarah? What can I do for you?” he wondered, with slightly furrowed brows.

For a moment, she forgot to breathe. It was like he had taken her breath away as he stepped through the glass and asked what he could do for her. What could she say that was sufficient enough to explain what was going through her mind? How much she loved him, how she knew that they could finally be together forever if that were what he wished for. How she had tried to kill her grandmother and had found her mother walking in the woods, malnourished and closed to death. Something that had been caused by her said grandmother’s hand that her mother had chosen to take the pain and suffering that was meant for her.
“Your father can just pick up the heart at Rebekah’s”, she whispered, not knowing why that was what she led with. Maybe because she was scared? Because what she really wanted to do was to walk over, let her hands find his neck and pull him down for a passionate kiss. But fear could hinder you from doing what you needed and wanted the most.

It took a moment before any words left her, and he was worried that something was wrong, because it certainly looked like something was wrong the way she stood, the way she had called his name just a moment ago. The words that left her however made him blink shortly. “That-That is lovely,” he said and stepped closer to her. He took her hand, his left with her right. “Thank you,” he said before he pulled it up to place a soft kiss on her knuckles, lowering it right after. He didn’t even want to know what she might have gone through to get that deal, because no matter what, it couldn’t be easy. “I’m certain he knows,” he said and gave her hand a soft squeeze. “What’s on you heart?” he wondered, speaking softly. He could see that she wasn’t done with whatever she had on her mind. There might even be plenty of things that was spinning around in her mind, and even though he knew it might be uncomfortable, he couldn’t help but think if Serenity would be able to ease her mind.

She could feel how her breath stuck in her throat as he took her hand and placed a kiss against her knuckles. Her eyes closed as she felt the rush of the mate mark pulsate through her body. She opened them again when he spoke once more; a small smile formed on her lips as he saw right through her, asking what was on her heart—everything and nothing at all.
Her hand found his cheek, knowing how wet it was, and he was so incredibly warm against her cold skin. “I got it changed”, she whispered as her tongue ran over her lips, tears mixing together with the water dripping from her hair down her cheek. “I, I managed to get it changed, and then” she closed her eyes, breathing slowly to gain some kind of composer. Not that it helped, not when all she wanted was him, but she needed to take her time and not rush into it. They deserved that, to take things at their pace; they had all the time in the world if they wanted that, all the time in the world.

Valdemar pulled a small smile as her hand found his cheek, not minding how cold or wet it might be. The touch warmed it for him. “What?” he wondered, his brows only being furrowed for a short second, wondering what she had gotten changed for a moment. He could see how touched she was by everything. When she repeated her sentence, it was like all air was restricted from him. She had gotten her matemark changed? She seemed out of words and his eyes traveled from her eyes down to her collarbone, where he gently removed some of the hair that had stuck to her neck. He shortly glanced up at her, before he with careful fingers pushed the jacket and the shirt a bit to the side, where some of his name was relieved. He looked back up at her. “And what do you want to do?” he mumbled before he looked back up at her. This could either complicate things or make things so much easier.

She couldn’t help it; even if she were this old, the mate mark still had its power over her. So, when his fingers gently brushed against her skin to move the fabric of her clothing to the side, to see if he had guessed correctly. His name written so beautifully over her ivory white skin.
What did she want to do now? His voice was the only thing that brought her back to her senses. Her eyes opened, and she looked at him with a small smile; she could say so much, explain just how it had always been him, how she wanted nothing more than to finally start their lives together where nothing would tear them apart. But all those beautiful words stringing together in her head didn’t leave her lips.
Her eyes closed once again, steeling herself before she finally managed to part her lips; “I want what I always wanted to do; I want to spend my life with you”, she whispered, opening her eyes so she could look into his eyes; even though it scared her that he might turn her away—even if he had told her last time that he would wait, no matter how long it would take.

He studied her while she collected the words she wished to say, knowing that she might have many things that she wished to do right now. When she finally made a sentence, a smile spread on his lips. Comforted and relieved. The hand that had moved some of her clothing, so he could see his name on her collarbone, moved to her shoulder. “That is going to be a long life,” he spoke softly, pulling a brighter smile. “I would love to spend my life with you too,” he replied to her, if it hadn’t been clear enough for her. The free hand found her jaw and slowly glided the fingers into her hair. “And you are certain about this?” he spoke quietly, hoping that the matemark wasn’t pushing her decisions. He truly wanted her to think clearly.

Every touch, stroke and connection his skin had against hers sent shivers down her spine. She had to recollect herself for a moment. Close her eyes and breathe the situation in. Feel how the air in her lungs made her chest expand before she let the breath go again.  
Was she certain? Those words made her eyes open so her blue-grey could meet his dark brown. She hadn’t been more certain about anything her entire life; she had married him for love, not because her mate mark had told her to—but because she loved her. Sadly, it was a fate written on her collarbone that had torn them apart; the love, however, she had kept that hidden away even when the bond had been sealed. Even if she had remarried and gotten a child with Damian, it would always be him, no matter what.
“Of course, I want no one but you”, she whispered, taking a step closer before her hands gently took his head between them. Then she leaned up and placed a soft kiss against his lips. Felt the energy move through her, making her yearn for more.

His eyes met hers as she opened them. He could almost see the certainty in her eyes. The soft smile stayed on his lips, but as she spoke, it was like a deeper relief went over him, making his shoulders sink a little more. She stepped closer and placed her hands on his cheeks. He didn’t even hesitate to lean down to her. His free hand found her waist and glided to her lower back, pulling her closer. The hand in the back of her head caressed her softly as it pulled her even closer. He deepened the kiss, not wanting her to pull away just yet. There were words that he wished to tell her, but the words were almost spoken for each kiss that he gave her. It was the hidden meaning of every kiss. He was so glad to have her back fully, and that she had done what she had done. He never wished to leave her side. He wished to continue from where they had left, even though he knew there were years in between and that things had changed from when they last had been together. His hands felt like they still knew every single curve of her body, as if things hadn’t even changed. “I love you,” he said between a kiss. His lips found hers again, but this time it only lasted a short while, “I love you so much,” he spoke softly, deeply and very much from the heart.