Marriage. Such a small word that holds so much behind it. Marriage is more than just a ceremony where everyone dresses their best and pretends to enjoy being near Uncle Vinny who never does anything but tell his war stories and list reason why Tamriel was better back when he was a lad. Marriage is deeper than saying a few words and adorning each other with some simple piece of jewelry. Marriage is a message, a promise, a commitment not only to the one you fancy but to all around that shows just how deeply you care for a person, to be willing to spend the rest of your existence trying to make them happy.
Cicero knew all of this and more as he entered the temple of Mara. When his duties didn't keep him tied to the night mother or at his listeners beck and call he was at Acyline's side. Their meeting was usually allotted for the last week of every moon phase, where they would wander the woods or clear out bandit dens in search of treasures. But he had missed the past six months due to his responsibilities as keeper. To make up for so, this month Cicero came on the seventh, the anniversary of the first day he and Acyline had met. He pondered waiting until the Feast of Mara but so many couples did so he thought it too cliche of a day to share with his dearest.
He hadn't realized it himself but his gloved hands were shaking as the coin purse plopped down onto the priest's desk. The coins clinking together within the cloth sack the only noise made as nervousness gripped his vocal cords and froze his voice.
"You would like to purchase an amulet of Mara?" Maramal's enthusiasm seemed to stir awake Cicero's fogged mind, allowing him to stutter a soft "yes" in response. "Splendid! So nice to see the light of Mara's love shining in these dark times!" Taking a moment to fumble through a desk drawer before him Maramal finally produced an amulet, its gems glittering in the soft candle light. "Here you are! Be sure to return to set the date of your wedding!"
Without wasting a moment Cicero grabbed the amulet and disappeared out of the temple doors. The sun shone brightly through the sky, as though the goddess Mara herself were smiling down upon him and his decision to be wed. Taking the stairs two at a time Cicero flew down and beneath the archways that lead to the guilds secret entrance. On any normal day he would be hesitant to enter such a way, without his silver haired angel by his side. But there was too much glee flowing through his veins for him to care.
The stone release felt cool, even through his gloves as he activated the secret entrance. The large stone slab fitted into the ground to hide the stairwell slid backwards-not nearly quick enough for Cicero's excitement-until finally reaching a halt under the false tomb. He moved swiftly. Reaching the bottom just in time to avoid the stone's return to its original setting. Even in the dim light the wall sconce provided in the now suffocatingly dark passageway the amulet seemed to glow, sparkling through the darkness. He pulled it over his head, letting it shine on display against the deep reds of his jester garb.
As he descended the ladder Cicero could hear Brynjolf's gruff voice and Acyline's laughter echoing through the cistern in response. As he turned around a thief stopped him, demanding he leave. Cicero recognized him as Rune, who from what Acyline had told him got his name from a strange rock his adoptive father found near him at his discovery. Acyline expressed many times to him her want to find the truth behind Rune's past for him, but she never had the time between quests. He always admired her dedication to her beloved guild having given her entire life to rebuilding its glory even if he didn't entirely understand its people's ways. After a moment Rune recognized Cicero and apologized for inconveniencing him, returning to whatever he had been doing the moment before.
As he got closer, Cicero could almost make out their conversation.
"Me? Get married?" Acyline's tone was nothing short of utter derision. "It would take a very special kind of person for me to even consider marriage." In an instant Cicero's smile flashed through her mind, a smile she wouldn't mind being stuck with the rest of her life, she wouldn't mind at all. Though despite the admiration she knew he held for her, Acyline didn't imagine her jester ever thought of things such as marriage. "But that wouldn't happen." Brynolf sighed, muttering something under his breath about "stubborn lass" and walked away.
'Wouldn't...happen..?' The words echoed through his thoughts and resonated throughout his body, shattering his glass heart. Shamefully embarrassed at having thought the thief may have loved him, Cicero turned to walk away from her once again. What did he expect? Clearly her skills ranged from pick pocketing trinkets to stealing hearts. Before he knew it he was outside, resting his head against his forearm on the spot of the wall where he had given Acyline her circlet on the Feast of Mara. The sun was beginning to set on the horizon, casting scarlet rays of light through the tears rolling down his cheeks.
~~~~~~
Acyline's eyes scanned the amulet of Mara she had purchased that morning. She thought back to her own time as Cicero had been gone: the first two months went smoothly, her worry only a miniscule sting in the back of her ever buzzing and ever busy mind as she stole her guilds way back to glory. But after the third she couldn't help wondering if something had happened to her beloved Jester. She neglected her duties as guild master and spent the following moon phases in search of him. In her panic she never thought to check his place of home and work, the Dark Brotherhood Sanctuary. The only solution she could manage was that he had been captured or killed by bandits. The following months were spent clearing horde after horde of bandits nests, though to no avail. The past months had been nothing short of hell as she searched for her missing love.
In truth she had hoped to confront Cicero with the amulet when she had finally found him. Beseeching him to never leave her side again, as she couldn't imagine being without him for one more moment. But Brynjolf's questions of her intentions made her rethink. In her mind to live a life without the warmth of Cicero's smile, or the easiness of his laughter, or the tenderness beneath his eyes wasn't a life worth living. But it hadn't occurred to her that he may not feel the same until now. After all, what if nothing had happened to him and he had simply chosen to be gone all this time? The idea crushed her but she couldn't let it show to the thieves around her. As much as they were her family, and would certainly be there to help her, she had appearances to keep.
After coughing some excuse about needing fresh air to no one in particular Acyline slipped away, disappearing out of the cistern and into the crisp breeze of outside. She couldn't help the surprised gasp that exploded from her lips at the sight of Cicero, his red and black armor looking like fire beneath the light of the sunset sky.
"Cicero?" At the call of his name Cicero immediately wiped the tears from his eyes. He quickly hid the stupid trinket that had caused him so much distress beneath the folds of his clothing, not wanting Acyline to know anything of his foolish plans of proposal. The grin he managed was diminutive and artificial, doing nothing to mask his heartache.
Acyline approached him slowly, almost not believing him real. "You...you're okay!" She jumped on him, knocking them both back onto the soft grass with a 'thump'. She embraced him as though he were going to turn to dust and slip between her grasp at any moment. His arms wrapped around her tentatively, desperately trying to disguise his longing for her touch. "Where have you been?" Her relief evident but Cicero didn't answer. He merely shrugged, his gaze on the grass, the trees, the statue of Talos, anywhere but her beautiful face that made him want to both smile and cry.
Acyline frowned, opening her mouth to question his silence when her hands felt something beneath his jester costume. His hands went to her wrists, trying to gently pull her attentions away but it was too late, she had already seen his amulet.
"Cicero..." The betrayal in her voice was unmistakable, believing his amulet meant for another. "And to think..I bought this..." Acyline pulled her own from her pocket, raising it just high enough for him to see before allowing her arm to drop woefully beside her. "I bought this..just for you."
"But my thief, you said that..." His voice trialed off, clearly unsure of his words "wouldn't happen."
Suddenly it all made sense to Acyline; his pain, his uncharacteristic quietness, the fact he wouldn't meet her eye. He overheard her conversation and thought she didn't love him. The amulet wasn't meant to be for anyone else, it was meant for her. He really did love her! Without thinking she lifted the amulet from her side and placed it over her neck, letting it rest boldly atop her armored chest. Cicero's eyes widened at the sight of her wearing it, flicking between the amulet and her determined yet clearly nervous golden gaze as it rested on his own. "Is that an amulet of Mara?"
"Why interested in me...are you?" Cicero giggled wildly in response, wanting to say 'that's supposed to be my line' but Acyline's lips passionately pressed against his own interrupted him, not that he minded. His hands found themselves on her sides, exploring further down and around, stopping to grasp her sizable backside as he pulled her closer against his body.
~A/N: So here it is FINALLY. I'm sorry for taking so long to finish this but I hope you guys enjoyed. Be sure to let me know what you think, I always appreciate feedback <3 oh and by the way the pics I create are all through rinmaru games. It's an awesome site for creating OC's that you guys should check out. Anyways until next time, CiceroLove~