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littlemisswriter · 1 year ago

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Saving London - Final Part

Summary:

Sometimes distance doesn’t heal estranged lovers. There was so much to say yet only silence from internal conflict. But when that conflict turns into real danger, will there be enough time for Jacob and Lily to put aside fears and speak their truths?

Hiya, I have FINALLY finished this AU series with this final part. It is definitely longer than the others as it wraps everything in this storyline up. I hope you have all enjoyed x

Time had dragged on agonisingly slow, being a little over a week since Lily had leapt from the clock tower alone that night. She hadn’t been any less preoccupied with her gang or leads that aided her against the Templars, but that hadn’t meant her mind had been elsewhere. Her last interaction with Jacob had left a heavy pull in her chest that she couldn’t shake no matter how she attempted to remedy it. In the time apart, the two hadn’t seen each other, with good reason. Well… that hadn’t been entirely true.

Only after the second day of the encounter with a tremendous amount of overthinking had the assassin gotten restless. She remembers fighting back and forth between her head and her heart as she paced through her carriage on what to do. She left Jacob so coldly, and the poor man didn’t deserve it in the least, especially when he had opened up his heart to her. It did not sit right. So against her better judgement, she leapt from the train and made way to his usual patrol spot. Her legs anxiously taking her through the streets, keeping to the shadows with her hood pulled up to avoid recognition; and to hid away her turmoil from those that glanced over long enough to notice.

Taking higher ground was a better alternative, knowing it would inherit a better chance of stealth when all she had intended to do was spy. Having intention to do just that would make anyone think she was mad, but Lily had to see him, even if for a brief moment.

And she had, finding him stood alone in the alleyway with a few urchins scarcely stood around a close bonfire in attempt to get warm. The assassin crouched down along the roof, brows furrowing as she lay eyes on the man watching over the area; his eyes turning to the children every so often before looking back out onto the street.

He kept to himself mostly, not engaging as much with his comrades as he usually did as his mind was helplessly elsewhere. It was hard to detect his expression, his face hidden under another hat he acquired for himself, though his body language in itself was very telling. And the guilt that seeped into her thoughts was heavy, inhaling heavily as she soon made way from the area through the rain that began to set in.

That night days ago hadn’t left her mind; Jacob hadn’t left her mind if she was being completely honest. She had really left an impact on him. And herself too. Lily did her best to push through it all and remain her usually cheeky, light-hearted self, but it was tough. There was no denying that she missed gazing onto his smile when they were together, or how they reeked havoc whenever they visited the pub to share a pint. Most of all it was his company she missed, how he was one of the very few that could reach a genuine laugh from the woman, and somehow always finding themselves in mischief in situations they definitely should not be in.

Expressing emotions wasn’t one of her strongpoints, having shut off that part of herself when she was very young. And now she seemed to be paying the price. Growing up as an assassin was very lonely, the lifestyle was hidden under an oath as well as her true identity. And the memories and experiences she had were vividly different from those of anyone else, yet she had to keep it all a secret; a lesson she had learnt very early in life. With all that in mind, it’s what made it difficult for her to create any real intimate connections with people. Yet her heart yearned.

There was something special about that man, something that ignited a fire in her after a long time. It was a feeling that didn’t come to her often. But this past week had her realise that she could not deny her heart anymore no matter how hard she tried.

The rain was incessant and the days long. That type of weather usually brought her a sense of peace, and now it acted as white noise that she found herself lost in. Her body swayed every now and then as Bertha tracked another mile along the tracks. The carriage that she sat in was warm with a golden hue lit by the surroundings candles. Her body slouched back into the lounge as she listened to Henry Green, her ally and friend, stand before her and speak of another endeavour about this Precursor Artefact he had been infatuated with since the day they met. His interest never differed from it, always so focused on this so called ‘shrowd’ and all the relentless study that came with it.

Henry didn’t feel fieldwork was his speciality, but rather being in the confines of a room with his nose in a book. He planned and strategized; it was what he was best at. So, a lot of the times, Lily had been the one to venture out on his behalf for these findings of his. It hadn’t been all bad however, it kept her busy as well as everything else she dedicated herself to.

“-a material that speaks of something rather interesting. The Kenway mansion, the original home of the assassin and pirate, Edward Kenway, that lived here right in London over a century ago!” He placed the book down that he was holding, putting his hands on his hips as he sighed, revelling in this new revelation he had discovered. “It’s all rather fascinating, and I will need your help to find…” He trailed off, turning around to look back at Lily, though she appeared deeply lost in thought. His brows furrowed as he stepped closer to her, the woman not reacting to his movement as her eyes loosely locked onto the safe across from herself. “Miss Harvard?” His call was enough to snap her out of whatever trance she was in, lifting her chin from her palm as she averted her wide-eyed gaze back onto Henry. “Are you quite alright?”

“Yes, of course. My apologies, Henry. Do go on.” She straightened her posture, sitting upright as to prove to her friend that she was now attentive. But Henry could see past it, slowly coming down to sit by her side as he looked over the assassin with a hint of worry.

“You don’t seem yourself, if I may be so bold.” Her demeanour wasn’t as well hidden as she thought. But then again, the assassin was quite perceptive. “Is there something bothering you?” Lily’s mouth opened to reply but she had not truly had an answer for him. So, she sealed her lips once more and glanced away, confirming with certainty what Henry had already suspected. “You know, it’s not best to keep these things cooped up, Miss Harvard. It won’t do you any good.” Henry knew she was bold and confident with most things, but it had become obvious overtime that important, more personal topics, were ones that she tended to avoid. He understood, but he still didn’t like to see his friend suffer so.

Yet she still hesitated, being close with the man didn’t mean that it made it any easier on expressing how she felt. It was not the assassin way. Not her way.

“You mustn’t worry, I am fine.” She attempted to deny his questions of worry with a small smile, but the man was not naïve. He could only give her a concerned look, tilting his head as if conveying the message that he knew her words did not ring true. And she knew he was a smart man, and to continue to feign contentment in front of him would almost be an insult t his intelligence. So, she sighed, dropping the façade as she leant further down into her lap, elbows resting over her knees as her fingers laced loosely together.

“You know I am always here if you wish to talk,” he coaxed her gently, “we can speak of business at another time when you tell me what bothers you so.” His words gentle and his patience astounding at times. But it seemed to be enough for the woman to concave, sighing as she took a moment, doing her best to rattle her thoughts together enough to explain it the best she could.

“I just…” She looked to Henry, the man easily sat waiting for her to speak her mind. She sighed again, “I believe that… I may have,” she looked down to her feet, “possibly grown affections for someone.” The last part was spoken quieter, almost like she was embarrassed to admit it. And she didn’t receive an immediate response which stemmed her worry, so she looked back up at Henry to see him offering a small warm smile. It had her blink back as she felt heat rush to her face at the confession. But she continued on. “But it’s all so difficult. I pushed him away.” Henry listened intently, as a good friend. “And now I’m tormented with nothing but regret.”

Her eyes slowly drew up to her targets on the board, each Templar tied to the Mastermind of it all: Crawford Starrick. It reminded her that there was an entire city outside this carriage that needed her, whether it knew it or not. A goal that she was willing to risk her life for in a fight against oppression. It was that simple, or so it had been. Now she was riddled with other prioritise other than herself, something very new to her. It was all overwhelming. Henry too had turned his sights onto the same thing, eventually looking back to Lily to see her mind whirring faster than she could comprehend. She looked lost and torn at the predicament.

But a hand placed gently onto her shoulder had it stop, her attention pulled back onto her friend. The two shared a silent moment, as if Henry was offering her a moment of peace with a reassuring look. It had done nothing less than confuse her, trying to salvage her thoughts the best she could as she had shown too much already.

“What is his name?” He took his hand back, the question unexpected. She couldn’t believe she had finally told him and that they were truly speaking of this out loud. Lily could have laughed if she wasn’t so pent up. Her eyes drifted elsewhere, and she couldn’t help but twinge a smile at the thought of the Rook.

“Jacob.” His name rolled off her tongue like silk, a reflection of her thoughts on the man.

Henry could see by her small smile that Lily had indeed held deep affections for this fellow. Her feelings deeper than she had realised, but to the watchful eye, it could not have been clearer.

“What a splendid name.” Henry nodded, doing his best to lighten her spirits. “You know, I understand that our Creed dictates us to disassociate from such feelings. I have even been told that having these personal feelings could compromise missions.” Lily looked up at Henry once more as he went on, “but I am not against one person loving another.” The way he saw it, you could train an assassin to detach themselves from people as much as you’d like. But the one element that no one could ever take away from you, was your humanity.

His words planted a new thought into her head, that maybe she had been looking at this all wrong; even going so far as being too harsh on herself. And especially too harsh on Jacob.

Henry wasn’t what most others would deem a true assassin. He was seen as softer than the others due to his hesitation of violence and fieldwork. But maybe it wasn’t such a bad thing; it offered a different perspective. And though she never would have believed it, her heart slowed as did the weight in her chest lift ever so slightly. She faced danger and even death quite regularly, so what harm would it do to indulge in your feelings every once in a while?

“Go to him.” Her eyes widened as he nodded, glancing towards the carriage door as if to encourage her to do so. “I am still gathering as much intel as I can on the Kenway mansion, so it can wait a little while longer.” Her expression was nothing short of surprise as he offered her his own kind smile. “Love like this doesn’t come across a person every day. And if you don’t try, you might spend the rest of your life regretting it.” That was certainly something she did not want.

Her gaze tore over to the very door Henry insinuated at, conflicted as she did so. But he was right. If she didn’t take this opportunity now, she might very well miss it. So, with a hard swallow, she stood up to her feet and released a nervous exhale before slowly smiling with one last glance to the assassin.

“Thank you, Henry.” With that, she exited the train. The locomotive was not near a station, yet it didn’t deter the woman, jumping down onto the open tracks as her shoes squelched from the terrain beneath her.

Of course it was now raining harder than before. But she was determined, pulling her cowl from her robes over her face as she made haste to the Strand. She hadn’t known how long she was running, but her speed never slowed. She was on a new mission, and time only slipped away the longer it took her to reach the man.

The sight of the usual area Jacob would patrol came into her vision, weaving past two carriages along the cobblestone which earnt yells from their drivers. But she paid no heed. Her heart race sped up as she turned the corner to the alley with expectation to see the Rook there, though just as quickly as it sped up did it drop to find him nowhere in sight. Lily didn’t understand. Her brows furrowed as she instead set eyes on another two Rooks in Jacob’s place; she approached the brute and woman adorned in green. They seemed pleasantly surprised to see their leader, greeting her as such as she came before them.

“Well ‘ello Miss Harvard, we didn’t expect to see’s you out in such damning weather.” The two genuine as they attempted to converse with her, however her mind was elsewhere so she kept it brief.

“Glad to make your acquaintance. Now, I am indeed in a hurry, looking for a Rook as it may. His name is Jacob Frye, he usually patrols this area. Where is he?” The assassin was quite direct, looking between them impatiently as they looked sceptically at each other. It was an odd request yet very specific. But they could see time was of the essence and neither wanted to face the trouble of delaying her any longer.

“He’s been moved Miss.” The woman spoke up, an arm raised over her head to keep the rain from her eyes the best it could, though it had already saturated her head to toe thoroughly, so the attempt was in vain.

“Moved? Moved where? Why?” She hadn’t known of this and certainly did not arrange it as such.

“Well, it was an impulsive idea it was. There’s been trouble in the city for the past few days and our numbers are dwindling, ma’am.” She explained.

“It’s the Blighters,” the brute added, “they’s doing their best to seize back the burrow as we took all the rest, we ‘ave.” Lily cussed under her breathe. She had heard of a rally within the city but thought nothing of it, truly believing that the Rooks numbers would outweigh the threat. And her mind had been occupied elsewhere over the past few days that she hadn’t truly the time to orchestrate something more efficient to deal with it. Now it appeared to be catching up to her. “Miss?” She snapped from her thoughts and offered a simple nod.

“Thank you. I must make haste, but do continue your patrol here and kill any Blighter that so much as looks your way.” The tone was loud and clear; the assassin not messing about. With that, she turned and made way from the pair. The order of violence condoned by the leader herself momentarily silenced the two, the female Rook could only nod in understanding beneath her hand as she watched the assassin become but a figure in the distance. Her sights turned to her associate, the brute looking a little too chipper by the toothless grin on his face. Her eyes rolled as she smacked his shoulder and turned, the man confused as he followed after her.

“What?!”

Lily came to find a vacant carriage on her way through the street, slowing down to turn on her heel as she commandeered it without second thought. It had been too bad if somebody had needed it, but there were other important matters at hand.

She whipped the horses faster, doing her best to navigate from one burrow to another through the rain, using her eagle vision as aid every so often to avoid running into anything along the way. Lily’s mind was solely on reaching Jacob. Still nervous to face him and express her feelings, yet now there was another dire matter at hand; his safety. Torn in her mind between how she would even approach him after everything she had done, and worried to find him in some sort of conflict that left him helpless at the hands of the Blighters.

No, she couldn’t think that way. He was trained well enough to hold his own. Besides, if she knew anything about the man, it was that he was stronger than he thought. His will alone will keep him alive.

At this time, she could only rush to him, deciding that she would figure out her confession later. It was as Henry said, if she didn’t do this then the regret would weigh her down for the rest of her life. Lily simply had to reach him first.

Finally, she recognised the change of burrow, coming into the city though unsure of where to begin looking. Going back to her training, when in doubt or stuck, retrace your steps and use the resources around you. Somebody knew where he was, and she needed to find that somebody.

Meanwhile, the rain in the city from Jacob’s view was all the same. His eyes cast up to the skies as he felt the heavy droplets splash against his skin. His hat and coat had done a reasonable job at keeping him relatively dry. His eyes lowered back onto the area ahead, patrolling it with two other Rooks by his side. They appeared at somewhat ease despite being reinforcements for this trouble the Blighters had been stirring. There was yet to be a sighting of a redcoat, but that hadn’t meant they were out there lurking in the shadows.

“Lovely weather, isn’t it?” The muscled Rook of the three spoke up, looking back to Jacob as the young man could only nod with a brief forced smile. “Who’d wanna be inside when you could be drenched out here instead?” He walked ahead of the others, acting as a barrier to scare off any enemies that came their way.

“I can’t tell if you’re being sarcastic or not, Barry.” The other Rook, smaller in size but just as reckless shook his head, his fingers latched together and sat snuggly against the back of his neck. His arms outstretched wide as he glanced over to Jacob as Barry chuckled. “Eh, don’t let him bother you. He’s a buffoon if nothing else.” He nudged Jacob’s shoulder with his elbow.

“I’ll keep that in mind.” A light tease that didn’t reach his eyes. Luckily no one could truly see them. Jacob’s head was elsewhere that night, seeming to be unable to focus properly on his duties since his last encounter with Lily. The glimpse of her face ran through his mind, quietly sighing to himself as he remembered that evening at the clock tower. Though another memory came by it next, the image of his sister, Evie, approaching him various times throughout the week with concern of his changed behaviour. A twin could sense it like no other, and each time she asked if he was alright, Jacob had only shrugged off her questions. It worried her to see her brother so quiet; he was anything but and his lack of enthusiasm had been consuming him as of recent.

Jacob shook his head at the thought, pushing past it back to the present moment. He had relived that rejection enough; the last thing he wanted to do right now was talk about it, let alone think about it. All it did was bring back those emotions. He was a Rook for god’s sake! He needed to pull himself together and let it go. He tried and failed on his own account; it wasn’t as if Lily owed him anything. She was his boss, that’s all it was.

The sound of a sudden gunshot was heard as it pierced through the rain. The three now repressed regret of letting down their guard earlier when trouble was near. “Stop, boy!” The Rook beside Jacob held his arm out, halting the two to a stop. Jacob’s eyes widened slightly as he lay eyes on the larger man before them. He had stopped in his tracks and made no response when he was called upon. “Barry?”

His head slowly tilted to the side before his body fell backwards. He was a hard hit to the ground, immediately rousing concern from the others. But as his friend stepped closer to inspect him, Jacob grabbed the back of his jacket to stop him in his tracks. “Don’t.” Jacob said, now on alert as his eyes stared directly at the hole in the man’s chest by the sounding bullet not mere moments ago. Blood had mixed with the rain, sliding down Barry’s abdomen as he looked up blankly at the sky. His expression of shock was his reaction before his life ended, and it was engraved into Jacob’s brain.

Then, another shot followed by another.

“We’re under attack!” Jacob yelled as he ducked for cover, the other Rook doing the same as he pulled out his own pistol. The sound of active fire became all he could hear, turning his head around the corner to now lay eyes on four Blighters that emerged side by side. It was a surprise attack, and there hadn’t been another Rook nearby that could be called upon as backup. It was now two against four.

They came into line of sight leaving the men no choice but to engage in a brawl. A knife clasped sturdy in Jacob’s hand as the first Blighter made contact. Swinging away with her own knife, the weapon larger than his own putting him at a disadvantage. “You fuckin’ savages!” His fellow gang member, now forced out into the open, shot openly though the bullets not seeming to hit the intended targets. The weather doing its best to cast haze and confusion over the few. Though one of those gunshots was met with a guttural groan, Jacob looking back to see his only other ally now following the same fate as his friend. His heart dropped as he came to realise he was now the only one left, and this woman swinging wildly at him would not let up her attack.

His head snapped back to her as she gained an advantage, kicking under his legs to have him land hard against the ground. Jacob groaned, not having enough time to catch his breathe as the Blighter began roughhousing with him. She jumped onto his chest, sitting on top of him as she attempted to violently murder the man. The madwoman screamed, trying to stab him viciously as he evaded her weapon every time by a whim. The rain and panic of the situation had done him no favours in this moment, and even if he were to push her off, there were three others waiting to snatch him up. It was nearly hopeless. Nearly.

He still had his own knife, taking hit after hit as he waited for an opportunity to inflict his own damage. So with a yell, he swung his arm around and pushed the blade into her side, another cry came from her, this one of agony as the weapon had imbedded itself deeply into her side. The assaults stopped, her body becoming stiff as he panted, pushing her off him and scrambling to his feet. He would have reached for the knife back if the other Blighters had not began making way at him; Jacob stumbling back now unarmed as he turned, running in the opposite direction into a nearby alleyway.

Hopefully he could lose them with sharp turns and tight crevices. His life depended on it. If he could just make an escape back to other fellow gang members than he would be safe to fight for another day. But his chances were looking slim. And then, impossible as he found himself at a dead end. He yelled out in frustration, attempting to climb the wall, but the rain had deemed it too slippery. “Christ!” He hissed, gaze than landing on his gauntlet as he promptly aimed it to the ledge. But luck was not on his side, the mechanism jamming and not doing the one thing he needed it to do. “Christ!” He smacked it a few times, half in hope to get the device working, and the other half in frustration that it had let him down as it did.

Dark laughs then echoed behind him as he spun on his feet, back against the wall as he watched the figures slowly come into light. It was like watching animals prey on their victim, enjoying the kill more than the feast. “Well, well, little flightless bird, are your wings broken?” One called out, mocking him as he swung a machete around. Jacob swallowed hard as his eyes narrowed, growling beneath his breathe as they closed in.

“Well if they weren’t before, they’re surely gonna be now.” This was it. Nowhere to run and nowhere to hide. It only left one option; to fight. If he didn’t try than he was as good as dead anyways, so why not go down with a hefty brawl?

Jacob pushed himself off the wall, stance straightening as his fists balled, standing ready for what was to come. His show of readiness gained a few more chuckles, one Blighter slapping the other across the arm as he feigned fear with a dark grin. “Looks like the little raven wants to fight. Shall we humour his last wish?” Jacob stood in silence, eyes moving between the three as they slowly put away their weapons before advancing on him. He needed to remember the basics of delivering a hard hit alongside countering any attacks. And though he fended himself off relatively well for a little while, he had taken more hits than he was ready for.

“C’mere you!” One yelled, jumping at him a moment too soon. Jacob took the opportunity and grabbed him by the arm, twisting it behind his back before slamming the Blighter into the ground. It was one hell of a fight, and sometimes the man forgot his own strength until he really needed it.

If only Lily could see him now.

“You lit’le bastard!” His attempt was however futile, being knocked off by another, yanking him over and onto the wet, muddy terrain. A fist was felt over his face, inducing a loud ringing to start throughout his ears, followed by another. The action was repetitive and Jacob knew that this was where he was beat. He hadn’t known what to do, if there was anything he could really do.

But then came a turn of events, and the hits stopped. He blinked back, coughing from the pain of the blunt force, feeling the blood from his nose slip down and over his lips. Not a pleasant taste.

The Blighter above delivering the hits reciprocated that of his muscled friend earlier. Lifeless. His arms dropped limply to his sides as his eyes rolled back into his head as his body rolled off and onto the ground beside him. It startled the others also as they all gazed down onto the throwing knife now lodged into the back of his head.

The remaining two Blighters seemed alarmed, looking back up the alleyway to now see a dark silhouette standing at its entrance. Jacob’s eyes widened the best they physically could, his heart almost stopping at the realisation of who it was. There was no mistaking it.

A shuddering breathe came as he could almost feel a wash of relief run through him. His eyes shut momentarily, thanking the grace of god, or whoever it was, that decided that tonight was not yet his time. The remaining Blighters that once held the upper hand now stood uncertain at their new opponent, and while they had been distracted, Jacob attempted to pulled himself back to his feet.

“Who the bloody hell are ya?!” The silhouette never answered but simply closed the distance slowly. Each heavy step they took was deliberate, an element of control as their identity remained unknown. The mystery to who exactly killed their friend with such precise aim did nothing less than embed fear through their stomachs. Neither Blighter would confess it, but they hadn’t a need. You could hear it through their racing heartbeats if you stood close enough. “Leave now! We’re warning ya!”

“Clive… you don’t suppose that’s…” The man originally wiped off his feet by Jacob muttered, looking over to his friend that did not dare to turn his eyes away from the silhouette. “I’ve only ever heard of her. Not from anybody that lived to tell the tale-”

“Shut you fuckin’ mouth!” A hiss came his response as the man pulled back out his knife as he stood ready, the hairs on the back of his neck standing as his fists clutched tightly around his weapon. “You ain’t know who that is!”

Her pace picked up, unsheathing her hidden blade as she did so. Slashes of blood dripped from the tip of the weapon, as if taunting its next victims of their fate. It was in that moment that they knew, the infamous Rook leader now found them and cornered them in their own trap.

“Ah! To hell with it!” The brute swung his knife above his head and charged toward the assassin. Her calm demeanour compared to his friend’s erratic one was enough to tell all of how this interaction would end. He swung first, arm wide to gain speed and strength to his intended strike, though it was all in vain as it never hit its target. His attempt was unmatched to her speed, the assassin finally picking up into a run to gain momentum. There she easily slid between his legs, digging her foot into the ground to gain traction so she could spin around and deliver horrible slices to the back of his knees. He cried out in pain, his legs giving way as she stood, face contorting into one of anger before lodging the blade into the back of his neck.

“Christ! Clive!” A takedown seeming so effortless yet so precise, and the last Blighter standing knew he was next. He looked back to Jacob now leaning against the wall with a hand to his face, anger stemming through him as he yanked out his pistol and aimed it at the gang leader. His hold had been the furthest from steady however, hands shaking as she pushed over the brute and kicked away his knife. “Take another step and I’ll put one right through you!” She turned, unmoving before facing her body toward him completely. He swallowed hard. “N-not another step or I’ll end you right now!”

Her neck craned slightly sidewards, huffing quietly under her breathe at the empty threat before daring to take a step forward. The Blighter’s reflex was fuelled by fear, pulling back the trigger instinctively. But to no avail. The gun had been empty. His eyes widened as he looked at his weapon before bringing his sights back onto the assassin that sheathed her blade.

“Seems like you’re all out.” She spoke, flicking her wrist into her robes and pulling out her own gun. It was too fast to intercept or even process what was happening. There was a gunshot, pain, and then nothing at all. A perfect bullseye between his eyes; the Blighter falling lifelessly into the muddy ground as a result. Jacob swallowed hard once more as he pulled his gaze up onto the woman. His expression softened as she scanned the area; there were no more threats in sight. She ensured it was absolutely safe before letting out a breathe she hadn’t known she’d been holding onto; so cooped up in anger at what they had done to Jacob and her Rooks. She had let off a little steam in what came to be a small massacre. None of it enjoyable, but no less satisfying.

Lily pulled her hood down, the rain hitting her face immediately as she locked eyes with Jacob. It had been the first time in a while they stood face to face, and she could have only wished it was under better circumstances.

His face and body sore, more likely to ache later, but for now it was durable as he set focus on the woman before him. She made way towards him, side stepping the body as he watched. His stance straightened subconsciously as he pushed off the fence, wiping droplets off his face as she came before him. Jacob’s arms now dropped by his sides as he watched her scan over his physic. Lily was assessing the damage those thugs had inflicted on the man, eyes catching onto a few droplets that he had missed. They started down his temple and along his jaw to his chin.

There were no words spoken, Jacob still believing that Lily was actually there in front of him. It had been too long, and he didn’t know what to do or say.

But he needn’t do anything as Lily made the first move, not wasting another moment as she closed the space between them to press her lips against his. Jacob was in shock, feeling her press against him as she did in a way he had been yearning for. His brain malfunctioned, comprehending what was happening. Yet despite the cold weather, he felt warmer with her against him. He came to, finally processing that Lily was kissing him, with a passion that conveyed more than words could in that moment. Humming in delight, he shut his eyes as he kissed her back, his hands coming to her sides as he kept her close.

The kiss lingered, telling how much needed it was between them. Though Lily had been the first to pull away, hands raising to cup his cheeks as she looked over his face once more. There was going to be bruises for sure, but nothing that would deter her attraction from him in any way. “I’m sorry, Jacob.” She whispered. It was the first thing to come from her. Her eyes fluttered down to his nose where a thin streak of blood caught her attention, her thumb lowering to wipe away at it. He flinched slightly, her touch immediately gentler though he hadn’t let her open the distance between them despite. He wanted her close, needed her. “I never meant to hurt you.”

“Lily,” he shook his head, “it’s okay.”

“No, it’s not.” She wouldn’t let him give in that easily. There was a need to explain herself to him, it was the least he deserved. “That night at the clock tower, I didn’t kiss you and I’ve regretted it ever since.” He raised his hands to hold onto her elbows, offering a form of comfort as she went on. “It wasn’t because I did not want to. I just could not let you because there is too much you don’t know.” She sighed, dropping her gaze from his eyes, earning a reassuring squeeze from him. “I just…” She lifted her head once more. “You mean more to me than to allow you to blindly get too close. It wouldn’t be right.”

“Lily-”

“Please,” she stopped him, “you need to hear it from me.” She was adamant to be honest and upfront before he made any kind of decision of their companionship. “If you want to be with me, and I mean, truly… want to be with me, then you deserve to know the truth. Everything. And then,” she sighed, “then you can make a decision.”

That was it, it was finally off her chest as she offered him every part of herself. Jacob looked between her gaze, cracking a soft smile as he lifted his hand to her cheek. His touch was exhilarating; her eyes fluttering momentarily as her hands ran down to his chest, still weary of his current condition.

“Look at me.” And she did, the man briefly pressing a soft kiss to her lips as he thumbed her cheek. “I have already made my decision.” He dryly chuckled, groaning as he did by the ache in his chest. Lily soothed it the best she could with her hands. “Truth be told, I made my decision the moment I laid eyes on you.” Her fingers loosely clutched his shirt as her heart yearned at his words. “No matter what you tell me, I’m not going anywhere. As long as it’s by your side.”

She was touched and knew that her feelings were in too deep with this man. It was all or nothing. And for that reason, she quite liked the sound of it.

“All right, Jacob Frye,” she mused, finally cracking a small smile of her own, “let us get out of this weather. There should be cover nearby.” Lily lowered her arms and went to step away, but Jacob grabbed her wrists softly and stepped forward closing the gap. He stole yet another kiss from the assassin, doing his best to make up for the one he had lost all those nights ago with as many as he could now. And Lily could only smile, her chest no longer heavy as she pressed into Jacob’s arms.

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