it's a wonderful feeling
Pairing: Aramis x Queen Anne
Words: 1410
Warnings: Fluff, mentions of cheating, mentions of divorce
Request: Dancing to Christmas music
ngl I struggled a little with this one. Started it back in September but got stuck on where to take it for a good two months
For @theflyingfeeling, merry Christmas babe! I hope you like it!
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The last few weeks had been hectic to say the least. Anne sighed as she looked around the living room of her apartment. She had attempted to unpack, but it felt as if the boxes were multiplying; every time she had emptied one, three more seemed to appear. She sighed and tied her hair back into a ponytail before opening what would hopefully be the final box. She removed a stack of cookbooks and laid eyes on a picture frame. The photo made her stop in her tracks, and she felt her throat close with emotion. Putting the cookbooks down on the coffee table, she picked it up, running a finger over the frame as the first tear rolled down her cheek. Anne had no idea how her wedding photo had found its way into this box. The sight of her younger self looking so happy and in love had caught her off guard.
“Anne? Are you hurt?”
She shook her head and looked up to see him in the doorway, worry and concern etched onto his face. He looked from her face to the frame still in her hands and was quick to make his way over to her.
“Oh my love,” he murmured into her blond curls as he pulled her against his chest. Anne allowed the tears she’d been holding back to finally fall freely, mourning the beguiled girl in the photo who had no idea she had just entered a loveless marriage to a jealous man. She was so proud of herself to file for divorce, wishing she’d found the courage to do so sooner.
“I’m sorry, Aramis, for not leaving him sooner… I was wrong to deny you being a father to your son and I-...”
“It’s alright darling, you had to make sacrifices to protect him. I will never blame you for doing what you did. After all, it gave us our son and how could I ever regret that?”
Her husband –ex-husband, she corrected herself– was the heir and CEO of a large bourbon distillery based in France. Their marriage had resulted in her becoming CFO, which had made sense at the time seeing as she had a Masters in both Finance and Business. It also alerted her to the fact that her husband was using company funds to finance his affairs. In the months that followed, Anne had confided in her assistant and friend, Constance. Anne had also drunkenly confessed to one of the mixologists employed at the bar of the distillery and had ended up finding comfort in his bed. Seeing as the COO was more than happy to turn a blind eye to Louis’ escapades, Anne had seen no other option but to tell the board what she had discovered and had threatened Louis to tell the investors if he caused her any issues in the divorce.
Aramis pulled back to look at her, wiping away her tears.
“I’m so proud of you,” he whispered, his love and adoration evident in his voice. Anne smiled timidly, resting a hand on his wrist as he held her face.
“Part of me feels like a hypocrite,” Anne muttered, wiping her nose on the sleeve of her hoodie.
“No my love, he broke the law. He used company funds to take those women on exotic holidays. All you did was seek comfort, a way to mend a broken heart,” Aramis said, eyes searching hers as he checked that she understood the difference. Anne nodded, taking a deep breath. He was right. Although both her and her ex had cheated on each other, she hadn’t resorted to fraud.
Aramis pressed a kiss so gentle to her forehead, it made her heart flutter. She was still amazed at how loved he could make her feel with such small gestures.
“How about I get started on dinner and we decorate for Christmas afterwards? Those boxes will still be here in the morning,” he suggested. Anne nodded in agreement and dropped the photo back in the box. Knowing Aramis, the photo would be put away someplace safe before she woke up tomorrow.
“Could you please take these into the kitchen? I’ll sort them later,” she asked as she pointed to the stack of cookbooks. Aramis chuckled and picked them up.
“How does pasta sound?”
“That sounds delicious,” she relied, hearing her stomach growl at the mention of food. Aramis laughed and moved towards the kitchen.
+
Anne had managed to find her faux Christmas tree and the several boxes of decorations in the time it had taken Aramis to cook dinner. Their son was spending the weekend with her brother and his wife so she could unpack and get the place ready for him. The little boy had just turned one and absolutely adored his uncle. When Louis had realised he wasn’t the boy’s father, he had been quick to relinquish his rights. A child simply didn’t fit in with his dreams and ambitions. Anne had been a little hurt in the beginning by Louis’ selfishness, but was grateful in a sense that the boy would now grow up knowing his real dad —Aramis.
“Here,” he said, pulling her from her thoughts as he handed her a glass of wine. She gratefully accepted it and took a sip before placing the glass on the bookshelf to her left. Anne had already strung the lights in the tree and had sorted out the ornaments. Last year she had bought shatter proof ones to hang on the lower branches. Aramis connected his phone to the new WiFi audio system and soft Christmas music filled the room. Anne closed her eyes, letting the music wash over her. Aramis came to stand behind her, wrapping his arms around her.
“I think we should leave the star for our little star,” he murmured, leaning forward to place one of the glittery glass ornaments higher up on the tree. Anne hummed in agreement and hung another ornament in the tree. The pair of them worked in relative silence, filling the tree with gold and navy ornaments.
Anne took a step back to admire their work. They had managed to use up all of the baubles and the tree looked almost magical in the dim lighting of her living room.
“Beautiful,” she said under her breath, taking the last sip of her wine.
“Agreed,” Aramis said, but instead of the tree he was looking at her. She let him pull her closer, wrapping her arms around his neck. His came to rest low on her waist. He lowered his face to press a tender kiss to her lips. Anne thought she had known love before, but when her marriage started fraying at the edges she realised that it hadn’t been love —it had been convenience disguised as love. And it wasn’t until she found herself in Aramis’ bed, drunk on lust and about five bourbon cocktails, that she began to understand what love should feel and look like; it was quiet and steady, an all-consuming warmth.
“Hey, you’re miles away,” Aramis murmured in her ear as he swayed them in time to the music.
“I was just thinking about how lucky our son is,” Anne replied, looking up at him. Aramis smiled at the use of our.
“He very much is, having you as a mother,” he said, eyes crinkling.
“I hope so, but I meant that he will grow up seeing what love should look like. He won’t ever doubt how much his parents love him or each other. Thank you for giving us that,” she explained. Aramis kissed her again, lips moving against hers at a languid pace. She sighed into his mouth as he pulled her flush against him. The kiss left her more than a little breathless. Aramis’ kisses very much mirrored the way he loved his people; it was so deep she was sometimes scared she could drown in him only to realise that he was there, always there, to keep her afloat.
Aramis kept moving them in time with the music, one arm around her waist while the other held her hand to his chest, right over his heart. Anne rested her head on his shoulder.
“Will you stay the night? I’d like to pick him up together tomorrow,” she asked quietly. Aramis hummed, a sound she felt more than heard.
“I’d like that very much, my love,” he replied, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.
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