back to you | paul atreides

thirty four

His head hung with such guilt that it pulled at my heartstrings. I hated to see him like this even though he hurt me. I understood why he hurt, I was hurting too.

"It's yours." I whispered.

Paul raised his head. I smiled gently at him. Of course, this much he knew. It felt odd though to say it out loud. I had yet to admit that. Had yet to truly say the words out loud.

His eyes moved to my stomach and he shifted so that he was closer, bringing his hand up to my body. His touch was soft and gentle as he let his fingertips brush against the skin of my belly, his eyes wide as he imagined the life that lived inside.

"I can't believe..." He breathed in amazement.

"I know." I whispered again. "It's incredible. He's incredible."

"He?" Paul repeated with wide eyes.

I nodded. "He's a boy. I feel it."

Paul's body shook with silent laughter, shaking his head. "Wow, I'm so..." He looked up and met my eyes again. "You did this, Lia. You made this beautiful thing. Words cannot thank you for this incredible gift."

I couldn't help but giggle. "I enjoyed the collaboration."

He didn't respond, too mesmerized by the child inside my body. I admired him as he stared at my body in awe of its creation. We stayed like that for a moment, living in the beautiful stillness until Paul broke the silence.

"I thought you hurt me so I tried to hurt you, and I know I hurt you. Nothing I ever say will take back how I treated you..." He shook his head in shame. "But I'll spend the rest of our lives trying."

He gentle took my wrist in his hand and toyed with my bracelet. It wasn't until he pulled away that I realized he had added a few small metallic disks to the band. They hung onto my wrist and dangled like charms.

"What are these?" I held them between my fingers.

"Water rings." He answered. "I know you didn't want Yuma's, but I want to give you mine. In Fremen betrothal, a man will present a woman with water rings. It's a form of endearment." His finger brushed the metal rings. "Often, the woman will arrange them so they can be worn as an accessory."

"Is this..." I stared at tokens he had added to my bracelet. "Are you saying-"

"That I want to marry you." He finished, staring into my eyes. "I'm going to marry you. I've already said it, remember?" He held my hand between his two palms. "This is me asking you."

I stared at him with wide eyes, my mouth agape. He was asking me to marrying him?

"You want- I- I'm just..." I stuttered as I tried to find the right words to say. "I know how important marriage is to you in the politics of everything, but I don't want you to marry me for political reasons-"

"Ophelia Halleck," he shook his head at me, smiling. "Most people know that their first love won't be their only love, but for me you're both."

He held my head between his palms, staring at me with such intensity I felt flushed with emotion. "I will not make the same mistake my father made." He continued. "I will marry the woman I love, and she's here right in front of me. I won't let you get away again."

My chest shook, and I realized I was crying. Hearing Paul say these words, all these things I didn't know I wanted to hear but was overjoyed hearing them now, it put the missing pieces of my heart back together. I felt whole again because that's what Paul always did. He made me feel whole.

"I love you." I shook my head and pressed my forehead to his, dampening the both of us with my tears. "Yes, I'll marry you. Of course I will."

I took his face in my hands and I kissed him. I kissed him like I've never kissed him before, with as much passion as a person can convey. His touch was electric and I thought back to out first night together back on Caladan and the thrill of being together. I held onto his face and allowed myself to melt into his grasp in a way that felt natural. His hand moved to my waist, the other holding the back of my neck as he pushed me against his body.

Being here with Paul, touching him, kissing him, marrying him... it all made sense. Paul made sense. He always had. No matter where I was, or who I was with, I would always come back to him. Back to Paul.

***

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR 100k READS!! <3333

that's like a whole city! i cannot thank you all enough. i appreciate it all! every comment, ever vote, every read. all of it! i love your comments, i read every single one of them <3 i'm sorry if i'm not always able to answer them all, i do my best with the amount that you guys comment because you guys comment like crazy!

also, it's currently 4am for me on dec 27 so HAPPY BIRTHDAY TIMMY!! he is officially 26! (why is he so old ?? what??) i love him so much omg when did he grow up!

also the song blood in the water gives me such 2014 divergent vibes i love it with my whole heart. it came on while i was writing the end of this chapter and i was like omg it fits perfect!

as always, let me know your thoughts lovelies <3

with love,
via <3