Soldier // Justin Bieber

William

Marie's POV;

"It's Mrs Buckingham" a terrifying voice boomed, and the front door slammed shortly after. My shoulders tensed and my hands started to sweat as the sound of his heavy footsteps thumped on the wooden flooring. This was the moment I had been dreading, and now that it was upon us, I wish I'd have put a little more thought into what I was going to say or do. Now, in this moment, I was completely lost for words, my thoughts incoherent and irrational.

"William" I whispered, my eyes wide and vulnerable as I swiftly turned around to face the looming figure that stood in the doorway. His eyes were set ablaze with anger, his knuckles fisted and flashing white, his  defined jaw was clenched it was a miracle his teeth didn't shatter. I tried to avoid his glare for as long as possible, knowing that as soon as our gazes connected, his animosity would only fire up again. Unsettling guilt rose within me when I began to feel relief that his gaze was upon Justin rather than me.

"Who the hell do you think you are, talking to another man's wife in such a way!" His harsh words were directed towards Justin, his teeth bared as he spoke, and his forehead lined with pure anger and hatred. I backed a few steps warily, as William charged forwards with no sign of backing down. Justin stayed still, though not from fright, more so bravery and inner strength; and I admired him for that. Although, Justin being so unfazed only pushed William further over the edge, his anger at its peak, willing to explode. I found that I feared for Justin, with him being in such a fragile state he would be physically unable to stand up to William, and Ethel and I would be very little help. 

My cheeks heated as Justin turned to me, his dark yet comforting eyes finding my own, as if asking whether all that William was saying was true. My lungs felt tight and constricted, the look of disappointment welling in his dark orbs making it unbelievably hard for me to breathe. And, with the fumes and heat engulfing me from the open oven, I felt as if I could collapse to the ground at any given moment.

"We're not married, William" I mumbled, my gaze leaving Justin and instead settling on the kitchen floor. My breath hitched once I realized that I had stood up to William - although it was a poor effort on my part as I had spoken in barely a whisper and completely avoided eye contact. Nothing was said for awhile, in fact, all breathing halted as well as my heartbeat. Gosh, I just never knew when to hold my tongue. I didn't even know why I felt the need to clarify that we were not married, but I just couldn't bare the thought of Justin thinking I had married this power-hungry man before us. I felt dizzy knowing that one day - probably within the next few weeks - I would me married to him; but at least then I wouldn't have to deal with the disappointment in me that Justin seemed to have.

My pale hands began to shake at my sides, my legs threatening to give way as Williams eyes finally settled upon me. His face set into a scowl and his eyes squinted, scrutinizing me. William threatened to take another step towards me, his shoulders tense and his face now red with anger. But, thankfully, before his foot was even lifted, Justin had stood from the wooden chair, to stand protectively before me.

His widespread shoulders sheltered me from the burning gaze of my future husband, and gave me a sense of assurance and security. He was my armor, protecting me from harm. Without my armour, my enemy is at an advantage, and I would be shot down instantly. Despite first seeing Justin just an hour or two ago, I felt like I could depend on him, and rely on him to keep me safe and away from William's harmful grasp.

William stood still, his shoulders only slightly shorter to Justin's. He glared at Justin, as if waiting for him to back down under his gaze. But he didn't.

"Officer," Justin started, glancing at William's rather clean cut uniform for less than a second, "This young lady has been nothing but kind and helpful to me today, she saved my life" he concluded, as if expecting William to lay off and calm down because I had done a good deed. But this did not waver William. After all, he only saw the bad in people, and never the good. Justin turned his head slightly to the side, giving me a weak smile before turning back to William. I found that even the smallest and most simple of gestures sent butterflies to my stomach, and my cheeks heated unwillingly with shyness to the forward act.

As if he knew I needed all the comfort and reassurance I could get, he reached a blood-stained hand towards me, seeking my own. As soon as I realized his intention, I took his hand in mine and gave a gentle squeeze in gratitude. Despite the lack of time together, I trusted Justin more than anyone else, his figure simply emitting power but yet I didn't falter. Instead, his power was set like a cloak upon my shoulders, protecting me from the harsh and heartless people around us.