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It had been one year, three months and eighteen days since the beginning of Operation Strix. Over a year since he had adopted Anya, who was now the most important part of his life. Over a year since he married Yor for convenience, months since it had turned to love.
Anya had finally achieved her eight stella, a task deemed almost impossible by her father. She was an imperial scholar, invited to the grand events held for the students of such status. She was the second in her class, behind Damian Desmond to achieve such a feat.
The next ball was in a few days, Twilight’s next chance to infiltrate Donovan Desmond’s business. The progression of Operation Strix relied on it.
“Papa!” the young girl called out from the dressing room, “Anya likes this dress!” They were on a family outing, choosing new outfits for the upcoming event. They were all to attend, the three of them as a family.
“Anya, you should come out and show us!” Yor called back from beside him. Her fingers were interlaced with his, her spare hand holding the three dresses that Anya had tried on previously.
The young girl delicately walked out and showed them the dress she was wearing, a puffy dark blue dress with a sparkle that could only be seen when light was angled on it correctly. It was perfect.
“If that’s the one you would like, then I guess we can make it work.” Loid smiled softly, shaking his head as the girl literally jumped for joy. He told her to take it off and change, so that they could purchase it along with his and Yor’s chosen outfits.
Loid had chosen a simple black suit, with a deep maroon tie and pocket square as well as some new black dress shoes. Yor had chosen an elegant floor length maroon gown and some strappy gold heels. It was a great choice for such an extravagant event.
When Anya had changed, she ran at her parents, passing her father the dress. Yor split off from them and placed the unwanted clothes back on their designated rails. Loid and Anya paid the seamstress before making their way to the front of the shop, where Yor was waiting.
“We should take these home, and then maybe we could take Bond out for a walk,” Yor suggested, warranting a cheer from Anya and a nod from Loid. The man took his wife’s hand back into his and Anya walked in front of them on the pavement. The walk was short and silence filled with excited chatter from the young girl.
When they arrived at their home, Loid unlocked the door and Anya ran straight to the dog that had patiently waited by the television. Loid headed to his and Yor’s bedroom to hang up all of the clothes in his wardrobe, knowing that they wouldn’t get creased or damaged there.
Yor stood in the kitchen, filling a glass of water, when she felt familiar arms snake across her waist, pulling her into a toned body with a purely delicious scent (citrus and cedarwood from Loid’s cologne). She giggled softly, as her husband kissed the tip of her ear, before leaning his head on her shoulder.
It was a simple act of domesticity for them now, since the reveal. They could finally allow themselves to exist with each other without worry of compromising their identities. It had been an accident, a fluke, when it all happened.
Twilight had been on a late night job, taking down some threats related to a terrorist organisation being investigated by other WISE agents. Thorn princess happened to have a hit on one of Twilight's targets that same day. They had bumped into each other, unexpectedly, purely by chance. It was a long weekend, one that Anya was sent to Becky’s for a long sleepover, when everything came to light.
There had been tears, threats, panic attacks and restless nights when everything came undone. But they had reached an agreement, to pretend as if nothing happened. To keep their supervisors unaware. To keep hold of their little family for as long as they could before they were inevitably broken up, only Twilight thought.
After a month from the reveal, Loid and Yor were finally able to realise that they loved each other. Yor had acted first, kissing Loid intensely after a date. She admitted to her feelings, apologetic for not being able to admit it to herself when she was still hiding her identity. Loid had kissed her back, apologising for the same thing.
Now, they felt comfortable to exist together. Yor moved into Loid’s room, taking all of her stuff with her. They could express their romance alone and in public without fear of rejection. They were finally able to allow themselves to feel like a true family.
“Mama! Papa! I have Bond’s leash! Can we please go to the park?” Anya bounced into the kitchen, not batting an eye at her parents. She was used to it by now, just glad that their secrets were finally out in the open.
“I guess we should, Anya. Go and get your shoes on and we will be right there,” Loid said, untangling himself from his wife to follow the child. Yor smiled at the two, finishing her drink, placing her cup in the sink.
The Forger family all walked to the local dog park, where Bond was let off of his leash and played in the grass with Anya. Yor and Loid stood together, watching as they played.
Loid went to kiss Yor, smiling as he said “I’m so glad we can do this. As a family. I love this life we have together.”
Yor leaned against him, “I love this too. I never thought I would need something like this in my life. But now I have you, I don’t think I ever want to let go.” Loid promised her to never let her, or their family, from his grip. He would find a way to stay with them, even if from the shadows.
“Mamaaaa,” Anya cried, running into her mother’s arms with tears rolling down her cheeks, “Anya fell over and now my tights are ripped and my leg hurts.”
In the few seconds that the parents had taken their eyes off the child, she had managed to trip over and graze her knee on the path below, leaving a rough scratch and blood trickling down her leg.
“Oh my, Anya. Maybe we should head home to clean this up. I think SpyWars will be on soon too,” Loid said, attempting to cheer the young girl up. Yor picked her up, holding her on her hip as Loid clipped Bond to his leash. They made their way home, Anya sniffling into Yor’s neck as she settled.
By the end of the night, Anya was tucked into her mother’s side, both of them covered with a fluffy blanket given by Loid. They were watching SpyWars and eating freshly baked sugar cookies as well as drinking hot cocoa - all made by Loid.
The man in question was observing them from the armchair, content with seeing his girls happy. He knew he had to put Anya to bed soon, wanting her to get enough sleep to make sure she wasn’t going to be late on her last day at Eden for the week. But she looked so content, as did Yor, and he didn’t want to interrupt that.
When Anya yawned, and tried to nestle into her mother, Loid knew that it was time to move her to bed. With a small whine, she was lifted into his arms and carried to her room. He placed her down, covering her with her quilt and passing her the chimera plush he knew she loved. She fell asleep almost immediately.
Loid walked out of the room with a soft smile, and headed to where Yor was still sat, covered in the blanket.
“Come here,” she said, opening the blanket to her husband. He slid over, sitting with her under the soft fabric. She leaned on him and he pulled her in close, revelling at the contact. Loid Forger loved his wife. Twilight loved his wife.
They changed the channel to a soap opera that they had both started to enjoy, and sat there in eachothers arms until the episode was finished. When it ended, Loid stood up and offered his hand to Yor, saying “We should get some sleep too. We do have work tomorrow, unfortunately.”
They walked to their room, quickly changing into their casual night wear. They slipped under the covers and Yor immediately moved closer. She gave him a quick kiss before turning over, his hands holding on to her stomach as she did so. Their breaths both fell to a simple rhythm as they fell asleep. The comfort was nice, and so they succumbed to the darkness after mere moments
~x~
Faster than Loid would have liked, the ball for Imperial Scholars had arrived after the weekend ended. Anya spent the day at school and Yor at work, leaving him at home alone on his day off. In his stress, he deep cleaned the entire apartment - bedrooms, bathroom, kitchen and living area. It was spotless.
He was stressed for the evening. Anya had already worked so hard to even achieve her status as an Imperial Scholar. Loid needed her to be on her best behaviour for the evening, to not risk getting into any bother that could change that. He needed Yor to stick by him for the evening, to help him with small talk and to get to the Desmond family.
Yor had come home from work a few hours early, to start preparing herself for the event, and found her husband on his knees, scraping a small speck of dirt on the floor near the balcony. He was in his own world, mumbling to himself, so when she went to tell him she was home, he jumped, almost knocking himself out when he bumped his head on the wall.
“Oh! Hi darling, are you alright?” Loid had asked when he turned to see her. She stood trying not to laugh at his near accident. He looked so soft and cuddley, but his worry was evident by his furrowed brows.
“I’m okay. I’m back to start getting ready. Are you alright? You only ever clean this intensely when you're stressed.” Yor replied.
“I told you about my main mission, didn't I? Well this is a huge milestone. It has to go well, for our safety and for the safety of both Westalis and Ostania. If tonight goes well with the Desmond family, it can all be over within the next few months.” Loid explained, running a hand through his messy hair.
“Oh, I remember. I’m sure it will go well. You’ve got this. You’ll have me if you need backup, or just a doting wife.” Yor gave him a reassuring smile, squeezing his hand, before heading to the bathroom to take off the makeup she wore to work.
Loid took Yor’s arrival home to mean that he should stop stress cleaning and get started with cooking the food that they would eat before the family headed out for the evening. He knew it had to be simple, something that wouldn't take long to prepare or cook, needing to be ready to be consumed as soon as Anya walked in from school. The timeframe between Anya’s arrival and their leaving was a short one.
He settled on a simple chicken dish with steamed vegetables. It meant that he could shower whilst it was all cooking and it would be ready in time for Anya’s expected arrival. When Yor left the bathroom and headed into their bedroom, Loid grabbed a towel and turned on the shower.
If anyone was to ask, he did not shriek when Yor jumped in the shower with him. Yor did not laugh at him as he scrambled to hide himself. He did not have a deep blush on his face when she held his arm and told him to relax.
“Loid. We’ve showered together before. I thought since Anya isn’t here, we might as well.” Yor explained slowly, watching as the cogs of his mind turned. She giggled as Loid regained his sense of awareness, his demeanour relaxing. He rolled his eyes at her lovingly as he moved her closer to the water.
She was right, they had showered before. But he hadn’t expected to be doing it that day. He wasn't to complain though, not when he got to see his wife like this. They rarely had time alone together at home. So he would always appreciate the small times, even if his mind was somewhere else.
It was a quick shower, not very risque with only a few kisses here and there. They knew that Anya could come home any moment, and that Loid needed to make sure the food was okay. So they kept their typically wandering hands to themselves and just resigned to washing each other's hair. There were promises of revisiting it though, both missing the contact that they wanted.
Perfectly timed, Anya walked into the apartment as Yor walked out of her and Loid’s room with her hair tied up in a towel and Loid dished up the food. The three of them all sat at the dining table, talking about the plan for the evening.
Everything had to go as smoothly as possible, he had to progress Operation Strix for WISE. They all knew the importance of the success of the mission - Loid had mentioned it a few times after the identity reveal.
When everyone had finished eating, Loid sent Anya to shower and he and Yor went to their bedroom to style their hair. Yor had decided to do a simple curled look, and Loid decided on a typical put-together hairdo. As Yor finished her final curls, Loid changed into his suit trousers and shirt, deciding to wait on the tie and blazer until they had to leave.
Anya knocked on her parent’s door as Loid was clasping the button on his sleeve, having changed into her evening dress that was placed on her door ready for her. “Mama, please can you help with Anya’s hair?”
“Of course baby, come here, I’ll help put it into buns.” Yor replied, delicately brushing the child's hair into sections. Loid smiled as they sat together, taking his shoes, tie and jacket into the living area for later.
When Anya’s hair was done, she joined him on the sofa. Loid put on the television, allowing Anya to watch some episodes of SpyWars until they had to leave. He didn’t necessarily want to spend his time watching the show that was known to irritate him, but he knew that for Anya to behave her best, he had to reward her on occasion.
Yor finished her makeup with a sweet red lipstick and walked out of the bedroom with her heels in hand. She looked ethereal. “You look incredible, Yor.” Loid said when she stepped into the room, placing a delicate kiss on her cheek.
“Yeah mama! You look so pretty!” Anya said when she turned to look. Yor wrung her hands together, anxiety written over her face. She felt beautiful, but she couldnt help but worry that she was not going to be enough for the crowd of people that they would be seeing at the event.
“You are so beautiful. I can’t get enough of you. Maybe we should go to more events like this, just so you can dress like this more,” Loid laughed lightly, standing behind her and snaking his hands around her waist.
“Are you sure this is enough? I don’t want us to look out of place. I know how important tonight is.” Yor whispered. Loid shook his head before kissing her temple.
“You look amazing. You will look the best out of everyone there tonight. I promise that you are perfect, darling.” Yor smiled softly, appreciating his words. He was so kind to her, always supporting her and complimenting her.
“Look at the time. We are all on schedule. It’s time to meet the car and head to the school. Let’s put our shoes on and head out, shall we?” Loid said, pulling away from the warmth of his wife.
Anya placed her small mary-janes onto her feet as Yor clasped her heels around her ankles. Loid stood by the door, blazer jacket in his arms. The family all made their way to the bottom of the apartment complex, where a car booked by Loid was waiting.
It was a car provided by a company working for WISE, as was the chauffeur. Handler had promised that she would provide anything to Loid to ensure the success of the mission that evening. She knew as well as Twilight as to how important this evening would be for the next stage of Operation Strix.
As the sun began to set, the family were taken through the empty streets of Berlint to Eden College. They arrived exactly on time, stepping into the building alongside a few other recognisable families. Recognisable to Loid anyway, having researched every attendee of the evening in full detail.
Every student that Anya could see was one from an older year. She and Damian would be the youngest Imperial Scholars attending, having become some of the youngest Imperial scholars ever seen at Eden College. It was scary for her to be around so many older kids, so she stayed glued to her mother’s side, gripping her hand as tight as she could.
“Dr and Mrs Forger, how lovely to see you again. You as well, Miss Anya,” Mr Henderson said when the family had entered the main event hall. As housemaster of Cecile hall, he was here to celebrate his newest students achievements, as well as to continually support students from older Imperial Scholars.
“And you, Mr Henderson. It’s a beautiful event to throw this time of year,” Loid made conversation. It was always useful to stay on the good side of a teacher that saw his daughter often, knowing how much of a nuisance she could be.
“I do hope you enjoy your evening. I shall leave you to mingle with some newer faces,” the housemaster said before making his way to greet some other parents and students.
Trying to fit in, Loid showed his family to a small corner of the room - sandwiched between a wall and a table of photos from recent achievements like sports awards.
Anya stayed holding tightly to Yor’s hand, not quite ready to let go. It was busy, and Anya was trying to keep all of the voices at bay.
“Forger? Is that you?” a high pitched masculine voice distracted Anya from the small conversation her parents were having with a couple that had walked over from another area of the hall.
“Damian?” Anya questioned, unable to make out the voice or see who was speaking. That was until his hand tapped her shoulder, making her jump and lose grip of her mother’s hand.
“Anya? Are you alright?” Yor asked, looking down at her daughter to see why she let go rather suddenly, “Oh! Damian! How lovely to see you again!” she said when she noticed the boy.
“Hello Mrs Forger, I hope your evening is going well. I was just coming over to see if Anya would like to see the gardens, now that she has the permission to.” He said. He was nervous, feeling weak in a room with so many influential people. He needed a familiar face to keep him grounded.
“Oh that’s a lovely idea! You should go with your friend, baby. Me and your father will stay right here so you know where to find us when you’re back. If you can’t find us, find Mr Henderson!” Yor said, happy to let Anya spend time with Damian. She knew that it would be useful for Loid’s mission too.
Anya agreed and linked arms with the scion, walking through the hall to find the doors that took them to the gardens. Yor tuned back into the conversation that her husband was having.
“Why yes, research is my passion but helping people overcome some issues, or supporting them through changes can be just as rewarding.” Loid answered a question from a diplomat - father of a sixth year student.
“Yor darling, would you please get us some drinks? I’ll wait right here for you,” Loid asked, sensing that she felt out of place. He hoped that by asking her to move around and socialise when getting their drinks, she would feel better.
“Of course. I’ll be back in a moment,” she replied, kissing his cheek before turning away. She heard as Loid continued her conversation with the couple. Her heels sounded with rhythmic clicks on the hardwood floors as she navigated between small clusters of people all engrossed in their own conversations.
Right before she made it to the bar, she accidentally bumped into another woman. She immediately began apologising, scanning her to make sure nothing had been spilled and there had been no injuries caused. When she looked up her eyes widened.
“Melinda! I am so sorry!” Yor apologised to the wife of Donovan Desmond, member of the Lady Patriots Society. The other woman laughed her off, flicking her hair behind her shoulder.
“Oh Yor! Don’t worry about it. You’ve always been a little clumsy. Is your husband here? I’ll find mine and we can all have a nice conversation! Especially since our children are the first of their year group to become Imperial Scholars!” Medlinds said, walking away to find her husband.
Yor decided to skip the alcohol for herself, settling with a non-alcoholic champagne. If she was going to be there for Loid, she would have to remain sober. But she chose a glass of scotch for him, knowing that it was his favourite drink and wouldn’t affect him in the slightest.
Drinks in hand, Yor carefully made her way back to her husband. He welcomed her by pulling her waist and kissing her cheek, before thanking her for the drink. The couple from before had left some time before she came back, so he stood alone watching the crowd.
“I bumped into Melinda. Physically. She’s going to bring Donovan over. She seemed to want to talk about Anya and Damian. Isn’t that useful?” Yor explained to Loid, cheery as ever. Loid nodded and sipped at his drink. He had expected to put more work into meeting the man again, but with Yor’s connection he didn’t have to worry.
As Yor and Loid spoke about their pride for Anya to each other, the Donovan parents made their way over. Demetrius had apparently been sent to find Damian, according to the first thing that Melinda said when she arrived.
“Dr Forger, what a pleasure to meet you. I’ve heard many excellent things from your wife,” Melinda held a hand out to the man to shake. He took it and nodded out of respect.
“The pleasure is mine, Mrs Desmond. I’ve heard some wonderful things about you from my wife as well,” he said with a chuckle. Yor stood with a smile, shaking Donovan’s hand in silence. The man seemed to be watching every move around him.
“So Dr Forger, how amazing is it that little Anya and Damian have both become Imperial Scholars? You must be so proud of your daughter!” Melinda said, taking a sip of her drink.
“Please, call me Loid. And we are so proud of her,” he said, pulling Yor closer to him- his hand on her hip, “Anya has impressed us. She really has improved since the first day at Eden. I’m sure you both feel the same about your youngest.”
Donovan let out a sarcastic laugh at that. “Damian has been something. He is doing his duty to his family, so I mustn’t be too harsh. I do wish he tried harder though.”
Yor’s smile slipped slightly. From Anya’s school tales, she knew how hard the boy worked for his father’s approval. Even Loid had admitted to noticing the boy’s need for approval when he met Donovan the first time. It hurt her to think that the child’s incredible achievements were being brushed aside.
Loid picked up on Yor’s slight change so he tried to steer the conversation, “Children can be tough, especially at this age. Sometimes what we expect isn’t what we get in return. I know that’s true with Anya. We never expect her to be quite as chaotic as she can be though. It definitely keeps us on our toes.” Yor nodded in agreement.
“I’ve heard through the grapevine that Anya and Damian have become close friends over the past year. Isn’t that a change from their first day?” Melinda laughed, finding the situation that had caused Loid turmoil hilarious.
“They have! Anya is always talking about how she enjoys being his friend. No more physical altercations between them, only joking verbal ones from them now!” Yor said, happy to be talking about the positives of the children’s lives. She noticed as Loid and Donovan turned away to have a private exchange.
Loid and Donovan walked away from their wives, under the guise of discussing business. Yor knew that Loid was buttering the man up to become closer, to be able to infiltrate the man’s plans with the National Unity Party.
“Shall we get another drink, Yor?” Melinda suggested, watching as her eyes followed the two men. “Our husbands will be back soon. This is very typical for events like this, Donovan is always finding someone he trusts and talking business with them.”
Yor agreed to another drink, hoping that she would get back to the spot before Anya was back inside. She chose another non-alcoholic champagne, having to explain that she wasn’t pregnant, and choosing to stay sober to a curious Melinda.
“Oh! There’s Demetrius with Damian and Anya! Demetrius!” Melinda waved over the older boy, who held himself tall and smart.
“Anya! Hello baby, how were the gardens?” Yor asked, kneeling down to brush some hair out of her daughter’s face.
“They were good. Sy-on boy even showed me a planter full of roses. We should plant some roses at home mama!” The girl said enthusiastically. She enjoyed her time with her friend, it was quiet and they got to catch up on things they hadn’t managed to speak about during the week.
That was until Demetrius came over. Damian’s demeanour changed back to being stone cold. He beckoned the two to come inside, despite small protests from Anya. He explained that their parents were expecting them inside. And Anya was going to be given her cloak soon, so she had to be inside to receive it.
About an hour after Loid disappeared with Donovan, he found his family again. He kissed Yor’s cheek as he slipped by her side, giving Anya a small smile. His arrival was perfectly timed, as the head of the school began to make a speech.
“We welcome you all, current and graduated Imperial Scholars and family to Eden Academy. We are grateful that you would take your time to come to this event. I would like to start by announcing our newest Imperial Scholars.” The man announced a few names, a thunderous applause sounding as they walked up to receive their capes.
“And finally, Anya Forger from Cecile Hall, second year!” Everyone around Anya cheered, her mother walking her to the man. She thanked the teacher as the cape was draped over her shoulders, before making her way back to her parents.
“We are so proud of you Anya!” Yor said, peppering kisses over her face. Loid picked her up, balancing her on his hip.
“You did so well! We couldn’t be happier!” Anya hugged her father, nuzzling into his neck. Damian watched from below, standing between his own parents. He wore a happy smile, proud of his friend and relieved that he was no longer alone for these events.
Loid placed Anya back on the ground after she released him from a hug. She ran to Damian, engulfing him in a hug. “Thank you for helping me, Sy-on boy. I’m proud of us both!” Damian was shocked for a few moments, but hugged her back. They were friends. She was the first friend to hug him. It was nice for the boy.
Once the speeches were all over, the guests were allowed to resume mingling with one another. Donovan had slipped away but Melinda stayed with the Forgers.
“I‘ll go and get us some more drinks. Is it okay to leave Damian with you two? Demetrius has gone to find some of his classmates, otherwise I would leave the boy with him.” Melinda asked. Yor accepted, beckoning the two young children to where she could see them more clearly.
In a whisper, Loid said “I did it. The infiltration can be enacted.” to Yor as he went to kiss her. She kissed him back, saying nothing. She wanted to jump with joy, cheer him on and pull him into a deep kiss. But they were at a public event, at the school that their daughter attended so she decided not to.
“Mr Forger?” Damian piped up. Loid knelt to the ground, trying to reach eye level,with the boy. “Would it be okay if Anya and I studied together after school from tomorrow? There would be a bus that leaves an hour after the one she would miss, so she would still be able to get home. I just thought it would be useful for us both.”
Loid smiled widely, “Of course! That sounds like a great idea. It means that Anya could get some work done with someone who actually understands, rather than an adult pretending to understand the homework.”
The boy thanked him, before running back to Anya who looked giddy. “Kids,” Loid thought affectionately. He was so grateful to be Anya’s father, to get to see as her friendships developed and how her life progressed. He laced his hand with Yor’s. Everyone around them saw them as a perfect couple, true to each other, full of love and respect for those dearest to them.
Melinda sauntered back over, everyone’s drinks in hand. She passed over Yor’s first, clarifying it was alcohol free. Loid and Yor thanked the woman, who in turn thanked them for looking after her baby. Damian perked up at that, not used to receiving affection from his parents.
“We should be going. I must see some of the other ladies before the night is over. It was good meeting you, Loid, and nice seeing you again Yor!” Melinda said, beckoning Damian to follow.
This left the Forger trio alone in the big hall, alone. “Should we go and dance, Anya?” Loid suggested, pointing to where other families were enjoying their evening. Anya nodded tensely, wishing she could go home. She was exhausted, all of her energy having been wiped after receiving her cloak.
“We will spend a little while longer making connections, and then we will go. People will start to leave soon and we will follow.” Yor promised, picking the girl up into her arms. She let Anya snuggle into her, cape covering her like a blanket.
Loid heard a few parents nearby coo at the girl, she looked adorably small like this. When she fell asleep in Yor’s arms, some parents came over to comment on how impressive it was for such a young girl to be an Imperial Scholar. Many people were impressed that she had made it so far into the evening, being from a “common” background, and not used to late night events.
Loid and Yor mingled a bit more, making sure to not wake Anya in the process. Loid spoke to some men in government roles while Yor spoke to many wives. One she recognised from a distant memory of a girl at work. She worked in a different department of City Hall. They discussed their work, laughing at similarities with their roles and treatment from their supervisors.
After another hour of mingling, the number of people at the event dwindled. Younger families began to head home, wanting to let their children rest enough for the next day of school. Loid and Yor Forger were no different. Heading out, they shook the hands of all the staff, thanking them for the opportunity and their respect.
The hired car and chauffeur were waiting for them, ready to take them back to their apartment. It was a quiet journey, through the streets of Berlint. When they arrived, Yor carried Anya straight to bed, changing her into some pyjamas before tucking her in. Loid stayed behind, debriefing the other WISE agent. He told them to tell Handler that he was successful, and that the next step could be enacted.
Stepping into the apartment, Loid let out a relieved sigh that he hadn’t realised he had been holding in. Everything was successful. He found an in with Donovan Desmond, Anya’s studies were progressing, and Yor had an incredible friendship with Melinda. Everything was going to be okay.
Yor stepped out of Anya’s room carefully, making sure her heels made no sound on the floors. She saw Loid already on the couch, taking off his extra layers. She walked over to him, kicking off her heels as she made her way there.
She sat next to him, tucking her head under his chin, leaning her body into his. “You did it! It was a successful night, Loid.” Yor said, smiling. He tilted his head to kiss her forehead.
“We did it. We can finally breathe. Thank you for being so amazing, Yor.” He said, grateful for everything that she had done for him that evening. She sat up, wrapping her legs around his waist.
“You were amazing. You are amazing.” Yor said, peppering kisses over his face and neck. He brought her in for a deep, sensual kiss which she gladly melted into. He brushed stray hairs out of her eyes before kissing her again.
With the relief of the successful evening, Loid didn’t know how to feel. But sitting on the couch, his wife in his lap, her lips on his, he didn’t want to think about anything else.
“You were so beautiful tonight, Yor. You always are. I love you,” he said between kisses. Yor smiled, placing her head on his chest.
“I love you too, Loid. I love this little family, Anya, Bond, this home. I know nights like this are stressful, but for you two, anything is worth it.” She made herself comfortable as Loid adjusted his seat, bringing his legs onto the couch to lie down slightly.
“I’ll do anything to keep you, my girls. I can’t ever let you go.” He promised himself, as well as her. He wouldn’t let anything change what he had - a real life for the first time since he was sixteen. He loved living, having an identity.
“We should probably head to bed, Loid. You look exhausted, and we have work tomorrow.” Yor suggested, trying to peel herself from the man. But he just pulled her back, making her lie on him.
“We have the day off. I called when I was at home alone. Your boss said it would be okay, mine expected me to take it off. I’d just like to enjoy the presence of my wife, in my home, without any strangers.” He said. He has wanted to kiss her all evening, but being at an event that they were, he held back.
Yor just giggled, giving him a deep kiss before standing up. “Well, I want to change out of this dress. And lie in bed. With my husband. So come with me. You can ‘enjoy my presence’ there.”
And who would Loid be to deny his wife? So he followed her into their room, spending the night tangled with her, watching as she fell asleep, calm breaths relaxing him to sleep as well.
Twilight loved this little family. He loved feeling alive. He loved being able to hold the woman he held closest to his heart in his arms every night. He loved having someone to trust, someone to trust him. For him, this was what was worth living for.