rain & mist // ominis gaunt

two; bonus chapter

soon after chapter 32

"You're an idiot."

"Thats the thanks I get for coming to save you?" Arcturus snorted, moaning in pain as Leia laid him down in their bed.

The girl scoffed, rolling her eyes at him. "My point remains."

Arch grabbed ahold of her wrist gently, craning his neck to look her in the eye. "In that case I will forever be an idiot," he told her, sighing when she pulled away.

"You're getting sicker." She deadpanned, brushing her hands off on her button up shirt. "Every day. This made it so much worse—"

Arch let out a disbelieving laugh. "Does it look like I care?"

"I do!" The woman blurted, brushing her fingers through her hair to push it back – sighing in annoyance. "I care, Archie."

The boy's eyes downcast as she sat beside him, pressing the back of her hand against his forehead. "You know what would happen to me if you died..."

"I'm not going to die." He said firmly, gently grasping onto her hand and pulling it down to kiss the back of it. "Nothing can prevent me from protecting you."

Leia sighed softly. "I know," she muttered. "I know."

He hummed, gently brushing his fingers along her arm as he raised his hand to her neck – grasping onto the chain of her necklace and pulling it from under her shirt. "I promised."

The woman sighed, closing her eyes and lifting her hand to lay over top of Arch's hand, which grasped the vial.

"We were 12," she whispered softly, a break in her voice. "You didn't know any better—"

"I knew I wanted you, Leia."

She sighed, casting her head to the side. "Because we're betrothed—"

"I wanted you before I knew that." He deadpanned, grasping her chin and forcing her to look at him. "Stop pitying yourself, Leia. Woman up. I'm here for you to lean on but by god we both know you can walk fine on your own," he pulled his hand away from her. "You're Leia fucking Gaunt. Act like it."

She let out a sigh mixed with a chuckle. "I knew I liked you for a reason," she mused, grasping his chin and tugging him into a kiss.

The man hummed softly, grasping onto her hips and tugging her closer, pulling away to attach his lips onto her neck – sucking and nipping.

Then groaning in annoyance when she pulled him back by his hair, forcing him against the bed and getting up.

"I'm checking your rash."

"It's fine, Leia, Merlin's beard—"

"Who's in charge here?" she deadpanned, sitting back down beside him and smirking as she saw him roll his eyes. "Say it."

The man groaned, scowling slightly as she unbuttoned his shirt. "You," he muttered.

"Precisely," she mused, tossing his shirt aside. "Now shut up."

"Yes, ma'am," he sighed, wincing as she rubbed a herbal mix onto his rash. "Are you hurt?" he asked her after a few moments, eyes flickering over her frame.

"What happened to shutting up like I told you?"

"Leia."

She chuckled softly and patted his cheek. "Not that I can feel, no... what... happened before we found each other?" She inquired after a moment, fingers tracing the rainbow coloured bruises that wrapped around Arch's wrists, neck and torso.

"Boggart." He muttered frustratingly. "Did you run into one?"

"Got rid of it quickly," she hummed, eyes flickering down. "I tapped the charm – you were there as a boggart, and your bracelet didn't light up."

He nodded. "Thats good. It did what it was supposed to."

Leia tapped her nail against his sternum. "Will you tell me what you saw?"

The man chuckled softly, eyes flickering to the side. "Do you want to know?"

She nodded slightly, offering the man a smile. "I do."

Arcturus sighed – he couldn't say no to her. He never could and never would.

So he told her, regardless of how much he didn't want to talk about it. To tell a person what he fears most.

To confess to her.

"You were screaming for help," he whispered. "And I found you. And your clothes were torn... and you were bruised, and bleeding. And a man was above you."

Leia furrowed her eyebrows, but stayed quiet.

He took a moment to go on, trying to gather himself. "I ran to get him off of you, but vines from the maze stopped me. Held me against the wall, and no matter how hard I fought I couldn't... save you," he muttered quietly, eyes focused solely on the floor.

"And I heard you beg... and scream, and I watched him beat you... and rape you," Arch let out a trembling breath, closing his eyes when he felt Leia grasp onto his cheek gently.

"How'd you stop it?" she whispered quietly, rubbing her thumb under his eye gently.

"I killed it."

The woman furrowed her eyebrows, continuing to caress his cheek gently. "You... killed a boggart?"

"I used the unforgivable on it," he answered. "I saw its body on the ground."

Leia gaped at him slightly. "I..."

"I dropped my wand when the vines wrapped around me." he continued. "but I managed to grab it. I gnawed the vine off my wrist," he chuckled. "I was desperate."

The man finally looked up at Leia, letting out a chuckle. "Then I found Isla. You know the rest."

She let out a disbelieving breath, eyes set on Arch's. "Archie..." she breathed out.

"I would do anything to protect you, Leia Gaunt." He told her firmly. "If I had to gnaw off my own hand, I would have. If I had to break all 206 of my bones to keep you safe, I would."

She smiled softly, nodding. "I know," she muttered. "And I'll take care of you," she lifted her hand up to gently trace his jaw. "Always have and always will. Now, rest, darling," she told him, pulling the bedsheets over him and sitting down beside him.

He chuckled softly, letting out a slight moan of pain as he rotated – but let out a relieved sigh when he laid his head down on her stomach.

"You will get better," she told him, running her fingers through his hair. "We'll cure you. No more scarlet fever, no more arthritis, nothing but you and I."

He nodded slightly. "Yes ma'am," he sighed, letting his eyes close – placing a kiss on her stomach.

After all, she dedicated everything to trying to heal him. It's why she wanted to find the Kelmok people in the first place.

For him.

To keep him alive.

To have a life with him.

And Leia wouldn't let anything get in the way of that. Ever.