Loveology
CHAPTER 189
"Fine." You cross your arms and plop down on your bed, glaring at the man before you. "But you better have a good explanation for this."
"I do, I swear." Dunstan takes a seat beside you, your shoulders almost touching. Your first instinct is to lean into him, but you force yourself to scoot closer to the foot of the bed and away from him.
"Thank you for hearing me out, Carol." You nod in response. "This, uh... this will take a little explaining."
"I'm not in any hurry." Dunstan's hesitant mood puts you edge. This man is impulsive, hot-headed, and quick-witted. Hesitancy isn't something you'd ever thought you'd associate with him.
"I'm not from Vallasea, as you probably guessed," he begins, hands folded and elbows resting on knees. "I'm from, uh... I'm from Ashta, originally." He winces at your gasp, and you immediately regret doing so. "I know, I know. We're at war, and I'm, uh, not legally allowed here, but...
"I'm a criminal, actually." You pull away from him, but he turns towards you, finally making eye contact. His eyes are dark and glassy, pleading for your understanding. "I didn't do anything terrible, though, I swear, Carol."
"I believe you," you say quietly. You're surprised to discover you really do. You may have witnessed him stealing, but he has a good heart. You know that now.
"Good." Dunstan leans back again, returning to his previous position. "Thanks. Listen, I have been stealing but only what I've needed to survive. You understand that, don't you?" You nod, beginning to relax in his presence.
"I... I don't want to be a thief, Carol," he says almost too quietly for you to hear.
"Dunstan." You put your hand on his shoulder. He looks up, giving you a look that you'd call innocent if you didn't already know him so well. "Your heart's in the right place." You gently rest your head on top of your hand, Dunstan's shoulder supporting your weight. "You just need to find another way to survive, that's all."
You sit in silence for a moment, both of you contemplating your words. Dunstan wraps his arm around you waist almost tentatively, dislodging your hand from his shoulder. You rest your head back, though, welcoming his warmth and offering some of your own.
If only there were some place Dunstan could go that would fix everything, something he could do...
"Marry me." Dunstan pulls back from you as though your words had slapped at him across the face.
"Isn't that my line?" he asks after a pause?
"Dunstan, think about it." You pull away from him reluctantly, but you need to look him in the eye to explain this. "If you were married to a citizen of Vallasea, the state would have to protect you, no matter what you did in Ashta." You lean forward to take his hand. "You'd be safe here."
"Carol, you don't even know what I did," he says darkly.
"Then tell me." He sighs and tries to turn away, but your hand on his cheek brings him back.
"My sister was sick," he says quietly, playing with the rings on your hands. "She needed medicine, but I couldn't afford it. Our parents are dead, and I could barely afford to feed and cloth us both-"
"So you stole it." He nods and buries his head in the crook of your neck. He doesn't have to say it aloud. You have a pretty good idea how the story ends. You rub your hands over Dunstan's back as he mourns his sister.
Eventually, he pulls away from your shoulder, giving you a kiss on the cheek.
"Alright." he pulls back and gives you a lazy smile. "Let's get married."
"Fine." You cross your arms and plop down on your bed, glaring at the man before you. "But you better have a good explanation for this."
"I do, I swear." Dunstan takes a seat beside you, your shoulders almost touching. Your first instinct is to lean into him, but you force yourself to scoot closer to the foot of the bed and away from him.
"Thank you for hearing me out, Carol." You nod in response. "This, uh... this will take a little explaining."
"I'm not in any hurry." Dunstan's hesitant mood puts you edge. This man is impulsive, hot-headed, and quick-witted. Hesitancy isn't something you'd ever thought you'd associate with him.
"I'm not from Vallasea, as you probably guessed," he begins, hands folded and elbows resting on knees. "I'm from, uh... I'm from Ashta, originally." He winces at your gasp, and you immediately regret doing so. "I know, I know. We're at war, and I'm, uh, not legally allowed here, but...
"I'm a criminal, actually." You pull away from him, but he turns towards you, finally making eye contact. His eyes are dark and glassy, pleading for your understanding. "I didn't do anything terrible, though, I swear, Carol."
"I believe you," you say quietly. You're surprised to discover you really do. You may have witnessed him stealing, but he has a good heart. You know that now.
"Good." Dunstan leans back again, returning to his previous position. "Thanks. Listen, I have been stealing but only what I've needed to survive. You understand that, don't you?" You nod, beginning to relax in his presence.
"I... I don't want to be a thief, Carol," he says almost too quietly for you to hear.
"Dunstan." You put your hand on his shoulder. He looks up, giving you a look that you'd call innocent if you didn't already know him so well. "Your heart's in the right place." You gently rest your head on top of your hand, Dunstan's shoulder supporting your weight. "You just need to find another way to survive, that's all."
You sit in silence for a moment, both of you contemplating your words. Dunstan wraps his arm around you waist almost tentatively, dislodging your hand from his shoulder. You rest your head back, though, welcoming his warmth and offering some of your own.
If only there were some place Dunstan could go that would fix everything, something he could do...
"Marry me." Dunstan pulls back from you as though your words had slapped at him across the face.
"Isn't that my line?" he asks after a pause?
"Dunstan, think about it." You pull away from him reluctantly, but you need to look him in the eye to explain this. "If you were married to a citizen of Vallasea, the state would have to protect you, no matter what you did in Ashta." You lean forward to take his hand. "You'd be safe here."
"Carol, you don't even know what I did," he says darkly.
"Then tell me." He sighs and tries to turn away, but your hand on his cheek brings him back.
"My sister was sick," he says quietly, playing with the rings on your hands. "She needed medicine, but I couldn't afford it. Our parents are dead, and I could barely afford to feed and cloth us both-"
"So you stole it." He nods and buries his head in the crook of your neck. He doesn't have to say it aloud. You have a pretty good idea how the story ends. You rub your hands over Dunstan's back as he mourns his sister.
Eventually, he pulls away from your shoulder, giving you a kiss on the cheek.
"Alright." he pulls back and gives you a lazy smile. "Let's get married."