Scarlett Mila Marino

It's been two days since Rowan got hurt. And I haven't seen him much since. Just distant glances of him in the hallway or passing rooms.

But tonight, as I make my way to the dining room, I stop in my tracks.

Rowan is there. Sitting at the head of the table like he belongs there...well, I guess he does, technically. But it still catches me off guard. He hasn't joined me for dinner since I moved in. I've gotten used to eating alone.

But tonight, for the first time, it's not just me.

I feel something flutter in my chest, something I quickly shove down before it can turn into anything else. It's not happiness, I tell myself. I'm not happy about this. It's just less...lonely.

I force a casual smile and walk over, pulling out the chair next to him.
"You decided to finally join me, I see." I say.

Rowan glances up. "Don't get too exited, I was hungry." He says.

"Sure." I say, lifting my fork to start eating. "It's not because you missed my sparkling conversation?" I say joking.

He snorts, and I catch the faintest hint of a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. He's not the type to show it, but it's there. I swear it is.

There's something about having him here that feels less suffocating. I glance over at him, wondering when he'll break the silence, if he'll even bother.

But I can't resist asking. There's been this gnawing curiosity in me, ever since we started this marriage. Questions have been piling up, but I've kept them locked away because...well, we're not exactly friends.

Still the words slip out before I can stop them. "So...why do you hate dinners so much? Is it me, or just the general idea of eating with people?"

He raises a brow, clearly not expecting me to start the conversation. "You assume I hate it." He says.

"Well...you haven't joined me once, until now." I gesture around the table like it's proof. "I figured you were allergic to eating with others." I say.

Rowan shrugs, taking a sip of his drink. "Maybe I just don't want to deal with pointless small talk." He says.

I laugh lightly, shaking my head. "Fair enough. But you're here now, so what changed?" I ask still curious.

His gaze flicks to me, pausing for a moment, like he's trying to decide how much to say. "Maybe I figured it couldn't be worse than eating alone." He finally says.

I blink, caught off guard by his honesty. "So, you do get lonely?" I push.

He glances at me, narrowing his eyes. "What's with all the questions?" He asks.

I shrug, trying to keep it light. "Maybe I'm just curious. We're technically married, remember? We should at least know something about each other." I say.

He leans back in his chair, crossing his arms as if he's sizing me up. "Fine. You ask a question, but then I get to ask one too. But only honest answers." He says.

I smirk, surprised by his willingness to play along. "Deal." I take a moment to think about my question.

"Who hurt you the other night?" I ask.

Rowan's eyes darken for a second before he answers. "My father."

I almost choke on my drink. "W...what!" I say, louder than I intended.

"My turn." He says trying to move on from what he just confessed. Rowan taps his finger on the table, thinking.

"What are you afraid of?" He asks.

"I'm...I'm afraid of being alone." I admit softly, almost to myself. And it's true. If not for Judie, Asuka and Anthony I would be all alone. Having no one left. They are my family, and I don't think I could live without them in my life.

I take a breath, feeling more exposed than I'd like. "Your turn, what are you afraid of?" I say, trying to keep the conversation moving.

His jaw clenches slightly, but he doesn't look away. "Becoming him." He says, and I know instantly who he means. His father.

"You're not him, Rowan." I say because he's not. He's more. He's good. Unlike his father.

He doesn't respond to that.

"Do you miss home?" He asks looking down on his plate. I wait a second before shaking my head. I promised to be honest.

"No. I hate it there." I admit.

"Why?" He asks. I raise my eyebrow. Why is he so interested all of a sudden.

I shake my head. Not wanting to answer that. He gets it. We both have secrets that we will not share, and this one's mine.

"Was it always just you and your father, growing up?" I ask. He smiles but it's not a happy one.

"No." He says simply. "I had a sister."

Had a sister.

"What...happened to her?" I ask before I can stop myself.

"That...I won't tell you." He says now meeting my gaze. "Sorry i didn't mean to push that far." I say, apologizing for my rude question.

"It's fine, Mila. It was a long time ago." He says trying not to make a big deal out of it, but I can feel it, he hasn't moved on. Loosing a sibling is the worst kind of pain. You can never truly move on from it. Trust me I know.

Before I get the chance to ask anything else a tall man steps into the dining room, out of breath. "Boss, there's a big fight at the training ground." He says.

Rowan stands up. I grab his arm, stopping him in place. "Can I come? I need to get out of here." I say, and he looks at me, thinking for a moment. Then nods. Yess!

***

The training ground is chaos. Shouts echo off the walls as fists fly and bodies collide. Rowan stalks toward the center of it all, his movements sharp and purposeful. I follow but keep a safe distance.
The man from the house, points out the trouble makers. Rowan nods once.

I linger near the outskirts of the chaos. Unsure of what to do.
"You look completely out of place here." Someone says from behind. I turn to see two men leaning casually against a wall. They are watching the fight unfold like it's a spectator sport.

One of them is tall and lanky, with messy brown hair. The other is shorter and broader, with blonde hair. His muscles evident even under his jacket.

"Lucas Miller." The taller one introduces himself with a little bow. "And this charming fellow here is Theodore Bennett."
Theodore rolls his eyes. "You don't need to bow every time, Lucas. It's embarrassing." Theodore says.

I can't help but smile at them. "Scarlett. Nice to meet you." I say.

"We know." Theodore says, his tone friendly but straightforward. "We've heard plenty about you."

Lucas nudges him with an elbow. "Don't make it sound creepy. We're Rowan's friends."

"Friends huh?" I say raising an eyebrow. I thought Rowan didn't have any friends.

"Yup. But that word doesn't exist in Rowan's vocabulary, he calls us his most loyal guards." Lucas says.

"He doesn't really seem like the friend type." I admit, glancing back at Rowan, who's already barking orders at the fighters. His presence is commanding, almost terrifying, yet Lucas and Theodore seem completely unfazed.

Theodore shrugs. "We're the closest thing he's got. Not that he would ever admit that. But someone's gotta keep him alive" He says.

"Or sane." Lucas adds. "Though we're doing a lousy job at that." He says.

I laugh, and Lucas grins like he's won a prize. "See Theo? She likes me already." Lucas says.

"She laughed because you're ridiculous." Theodore says but he's smiling too.

I cross my arms, feeling a little more at ease. "So, do you two always hang out here while Rowan handles all the dirty work?" I ask.

Lucas gasps in mock offense. "Excuse me, we do plenty of dirty work. But sometimes we let him flex his 'scary boss' muscles." He says.

They're both clearly fond of Rowan in a way that goes beyond duty. It's fascinating to see him through their eyes. "He's lucky to have you two." I say before I can stop myself.

They both grin. Before we can keep talking, a loud crash draws our attention back to the fight. Rowan is in the thick of it now, separating two men with a sharp command.

"He's good at this." I say still watching him.

"Too good." Theodore says. "That's why we stick around. Someone has to remind him he's human." He adds.

Rowan calls the boys over. "Well, boss needs us." Theodore says then starts to jog over to where Rowan is standing.
"Nice meeting you Scar." Lucas says over his shoulder then leaves me.

Rowan comes back to me looking annoyed.
"Tell the guards to take you home. I'll be stuck here training for a while." He says.

I cross my arms, biting my lip as I consider my next move. It's impulsive but I need to ask.

"Teach me." I say.

Rowan turns slowly to me. "Teach you what?" He asks.

I step closer. "How you fight. Your style. Your tricks. I want to learn." I say.

"You're already trained, I've seen what you can do." He says, his tone even.

"I'm good. But you're better." I admit.
Rowan crosses his arms now, studying me as if weighing my request.
"It's late." He says

"I'm awake." I counter, lifting my chin. "And you're awake. So, what's the problem?"

A flicker of something...maybe curiosity, crosses his face, but it's gone before I can be sure. He sighs and walks over to a nearby weapons rack, running his fingers along the hilt of a practice blade.

"You're not going to stop pestering me about this, are you?" He says almost to himself.

"Not a chance." I say smiling. Knowing I've won.

He turns back, his mouth twitching in what might be a smirk. "Fine, but don't cry when you can't keep up." He says.

"Please." I scoff, stepping into the circle. "Try me." I say.

Rowan follows, pulling off his jacket and tossing it aside. I can see the lines of his muscles as he rolls up his sleeves.

"You talk big game." He says stepping closer. "Let's see if you can back it up."

Oh, I plan to.