Midnight Clear

Her heart was absolutely pounding. She was sure he could feel it; how couldn't he? The way he was wrapped around her, warm and comforting and Regulus. She depended on him. But it was a new kind of dependence, entirely different from anything Solveiga had felt before in her life. As a young woman, she'd depended on her elder brother. She'd followed his every step, let him do all the talking and all the deciding. He ran her life, and then he walked out of it entirely. Left his helpless baby sister to find for herself. She had explored a little, tried to pretend it was okay, tried to convince herself she would be okay without him. But nothing truly changed until the day she met Regulus.

Was it crazy that she still remembered the exact moment she saw him through the fog on the moors? Every detail. The way he'd introduced himself and offered to help her find some herbs. The way she'd called him your grace for the longest time because she was so afraid of not showing him the proper respect. They'd come so far. She had come so far, and it was all thanks to him.

And so, yes, she felt a sort of dependence on Regulus now. But not the same kind of dependence she'd felt with her brother. She depended on Regulus for encouragement and support. She trusted him with her fears and her deepest, most troublesome feelings. She reached out to him for a shoulder to cry on when she had lost her mother. She didn't know what she would have done these past two years if she hadn't met him. She needed him. She loved him.

It took this long for her to fully realize and understand that, but it was true. Solveiga was in love with Regulus. And she listened to every single word he spoke as he told her about his grandmother and her struggle to find love. His voice was low, and soft, and comforting as he explained to the little healer what love meant to him. Being filled with peace and excitement all at once, just at the sight of your beloved. Feeling proud of them, always wanting to encourage them and support them. Feeling them in your heart and missing them when they weren't around. Every word seemed to ring true, deep in her heart. That was what love meant to her too. All of that, and more. To her it also meant trusting her future to the one she loved. Being able to imagine herself, round and glowing with pups on the way.

Her heart wasn't pounding anymore. She felt sure. Somehow, when Regulus whispered those final words, Solveiga felt surer about her feelings for him than she'd felt about anything else before. It felt like time stood still for just a moment when he pressed his nose to her cheek. The woman swallowed hard before turning to him, baby blue eyes wide and full of wonder and joy. So much joy.

"You're saying that I..." she whispered breathlessly. "That you feel... those feelings with me?" Solveiga laughed, because she couldn't hold it in. Happy tears gathered at the corners of her eyes. "That's how you make me feel too, Regulus. I'm in love with you, and it's scary, but..."

"But I think I'm ready. If you say you want me, I'll be yours."