'I want you to know that even when you thought your whole world had crashed and burned, that mine was going up in flames too- and I enjoyed every minute of it...'  

When White met Black (Part 2)

"Thank you for taking me to see her."

"Of course." Thanatos smiled up at the stars. His hand was tucked under his head and the other intertwined with mine.

We were lying under the stars, on one of Thanatos' old sailboats. The lake around his palace was calm and as smooth as a mirror. Crickets lit up the still night with lively chirps and the cool breeze blew in over our heads, filling the air with the scent of pine, moss and salt.

I tucked my head deeper into the crook of his neck and listened to his breathing. The sailboat swayed steadily on the tranquil water and the stars were bright with a silent white.

"This is nice..." I whispered up at the darkened sky.

Thanatos nodded his head and whispered back, his voice equally calming; "We haven't had time to ourselves in a while."

He was right- for the past two months; our lives were filled with the aftermath of the battle. There were constantly people around us, duties to do and meetings to attend. Not a moment went by that we weren't busy with some or other matter. And when we were alone, we weren't really. Trimorphe and Shadow were constantly playing around and looking for attention. We'd spoiled them a bit too much and now they thought our bed was theirs too.

The passion never faded though. Oh, far from. Even when we couldn't be intimate in bed, perhaps because Trimorphe couldn't stop snoring or Shadow kept hogging the sheets, we'd find other places. Thanatos never made me feel like he'd lost his lust for me- it was quite the opposite really.

The same could be said for me. Every day I found him more and more attractive, if that was even possible. We were more in love than we were at the start and how we'd kept developing our relationship to new heights and spheres was beyond me. It was just so natural and effortless.

And soon, he would be my husband.

"Look there..." Thanatos' pointed up to the heavens and I followed his long finger up. "Orion's belt."

I examined the sky and found three beautifully aligned stars. They were bright and easy to identify. "Is that the Andromeda constellation there?" I asked as my finger showed him where to look.

Thanatos nodded and used his hand to tilt my finger a bit to the right by just a fraction. "And there you have the Pegasus constellation."

"Did you have to learn about the constellations too?"I asked as I looked for the winged horse.

Thanatos smiled and chuckled; "No, I just always liked looking at the stars."

I grinned up at him, my eyes bright and full of content; "Me too."

We let the comfortable silence drift back in and shifted our eyes back to the dark blue heavens. Thanatos loosened his hand from mine and wrapped his arm around my shoulders. He turned his body to mine and tucked me into his chest; spreading his warmth through my body.

We lay like that for a while. I closed my eyes and inhaled the musky scent of him. Every now and then he'd move his lips to peck my head and nuzzle his nose in my hair.

He was blissfully content and seeing him so at peace brought me immense joy.

"Are you cold, precious?"

I shook my head against his chest and pulled him closer. Thanatos' fist tightened around my waist and he leaned his lips down to kiss the side of my mouth. Not my lips, but the sweet sensual spot right next to them- teasing me with his heat.

"You're still wearing it?"

I was monetarily confused by his words, but I quickly followed his eyes down to my neck and realised that he'd been referring to the aquamarine necklace I wore every day. It had been a gift from him not too long ago. It reminded me of the ocean, which is precisely why he bought it for me in the first pace. He knew I loved the beach...

"I never take it off..."

Thanatos smiled and traced his finger over the small, crystal. It shimmered in the moonlight- like glass made from the stars. I grinned up at him and lowered my voice; "You're pretty good at giving gifts..."

Thanatos' eyes lit up. "Oh, shit."

It was comical to see his eyes light up with sparks of recognition and his smile drop with such abruptness. It was abundantly clear that he'd forgotten something very important to him. I raised a thick brow up at him and waited for him to move his parted mouth. He was staring off into the distance with a daft expression.

"I completely forgot about your birthday surprise!" He sat up straight and ran a hand through his thick, black hair; his eyes drifting off along the calm waters.

I sat up too, slower than him, and crossed my arms to cover my chest from the cool breeze; "But wasn't the party my gift?"

Thanatos' eyes shifted to mine; "What? Oh, no! No, no..." He shook his head and sighed in frustration; "I was supposed to take you there last week and I kept forgetting about it. Hades has been pushing for this damn reaper-evaluation report and Apollo is just pulling me in every direction to get those pesky, left-over vampires dealt with and-"

He stopped himself and lifted up his hand; "You know what; that's not important. You're my first priority and I shouldn't have made you wait this long."

I chuckled softly and attempted to dispel his own irritation, but he was quick to counter me. "Darling, I don't need a gift-"

"Oh, you're joking right? I'm not going to give you a gift on your twentieth birthday and the first birthday I spend with you? Please, Aurora- let's be real." Thanatos stood up in the small boat and it wobbled slightly. He extended his hand down to me, his dark eyes determined; "Come on; let's go."

I sighed with a small smile playing at my lips and reached for his large hand; "You couldn't get me something that would fit in a box?"

Thanatos scoffed and waved his hand in the air to open up a portal. The air ripped open and a black and starry abyss flew forth. "Who do you take me for?"

"Right..." I rolled my eyes, but of course he wasn't predictable. It's Thanatos.

Before we landed on the other side of the portal, Thanatos grabbed my shoulders and kept my body angled forward. As we landed, I was pushed towards the ocean. The sudden smell was as clear as day. It hit my senses like a train; the sound of the waves hitting the sand and rocks, spraying water across the beach and into the wind. The smell of the sea was powerful and so very familiar.

I nearly cried; how well he really knew me to recognise just how dearly I missed the ocean and its ensuing comfort.

"Thanatos..."

"Ah-ah..." He shook his head and smirked by my ear; "That's not the surprise."

I opened my mouth to ask him what he meant, but before the words let my mouth, his hands turned me around and I was left speechless.

"Let's see if you can spot it."

"This-" I shook my head and my eyes travelled along the white beach; "This is Seagull's Valley..." I knew this place like the back of my hand. I'd come here every summer for the past ten years and I've explored every inch of this beach, turned every seashell and felt every wave. This was like a second home to me.

And this was the place I'd first met the Greek god of death.

On the very hill above us, in the decrepit and abandoned mansion that looked more haunted than most houses you'd find in a horror movie. My eyes scanned up the large dune to reach the old, scary-looking house. I can see it now; that battered room where Thanatos had put me in and introduced himself to me, all while Sonya and Trita were sleeping downstairs in the lounge under the full moon-

My breathing stopped.

I heard the waves crash onto the rocks and Thanatos' soft and excited breathing was right by my ear as he waited for my reaction, but I was frozen in time, waiting for some sort of explanation.

I didn't really need one; I mean, the gift was right there. On the hill. Where it had always been.

Thanatos took a step to the side to examine my face, his eyes filled with nervousness. "And?" He smiled softly and waited for my mouth to function, but I was stunned. "What do you think?"

I felt a tear prick the side of my eye. "What do I think?" I asked with a whisper as my eyes were glued to the most beautiful beach manor I'd ever seen. It wasn't old or dilapidated or even scary-looking- it was beautiful.

It was newly renovated and freshly redone to look like it had just been built. The walls were painted with the most stunning shades of white and blue, the windows were all new and beautifully clean, the large palm trees and the big pool in the front were so inviting and the leaves swayed in the gentle breeze.

The large house looked... beyond words.

It was nothing like that broken down and beaten structure before. This thing was... Well, it was unbelievably astonishing.

"I- I..." I gaped up at the manor, my mouth hanging open and my eyes filling with tears. What on Earth could I say but this was the perfect gift from the most perfect man. "Is that ours?"

"Yours." Thanatos said as he took my hand and led me forward towards the manor; "The deed is in your name. Come; let's have a look inside..." Swiftly, he lifted me up in his arms and a thick black smoke engulfed us before I even had a chance to react or even thank him.

He stepped out from the fog and I looked around in awe. He'd teleported us to the front door, the large gates still closed and shimmering in the moonlight. It was a full moon- how coincidental. Just like the first night.

Did he really forget? Or was he waiting for the perfect night? I wouldn't put it past him; Thanatos was cleverer than I could ever be.

Thanatos pulled the door open; the locking mechanism turning open with his magic. The door flew open and revealed a nearly barren and vastly large foyer. This house was even more beautiful on the inside, but there was no furniture and the walls were painted with a plain, but beautiful white. It looked half-done on the inside, whereas the gardens and the house itself were magnificently finished off.

Thanatos smiled and took a step over the threshold. I giggled as he winked down; "Practising for the real thing?" I asked with a sly smile and he chuckled.

"Welcome to your house..."

I shook my head as he gently placed me down on the titled floor. I was still in shock so I clung to his arm like a child, my eyes lifting to the high ceiling and admiring the beautiful large, glass lights and the long and wide window along the back wall. The moon was in full-view from where we stood in the centre of the foyer, the light shining in and bringing a brilliant shine to the whole house.

"This is..." I laughed, my joy bubbling over; "This is unbelievable! How on Earth..."

"That you don't need to know- just know that I love you very much and I wanted this place to be a good memory, not a bad one."

"Thanatos..." I looked up at him, my eyes full of happy tears. How could he ever think I had bad memories of him, or memories I'd want to forget? Yes, he had been boorish towards me in the beginning, but that only reminded me of how much he's grown and how far we'd come. It reminded me of how, even back then, we couldn't get each other out of our heads- we were screwed from the very start.

"I know I've apologised before, but-"

I swung my arms around his neck and hugged him so tightly, pressing him against me and buried my face in the crook of his hot neck. His familiar scent filled my senses and I knew I was home. "Don't. This is perfect. You're perfect. I wouldn't want to change a thing about how we met. Nothing will ever be as imprinted in my mind as seeing you for the first time and I prefer it that way."

Thanatos' large hands found my back and his strong arms wrapped around me in a loving embrace. He held on tightly, his voice soft; "Thank you... I needed to hear that."

"How could I ever want to change anything?" I whispered to the wind and the large house replied as the cool breeze blowing in from the open door through the empty rooms howled.

Thanatos' whisper was filled with hesitation; "I want you to know one more thing..."

I pulled back slightly, but he wouldn't allow it. He kept me pressed against his body and I knew then that what he was about to say next required a lot of inner strength. Like I've said before; eye-contact with Thanatos was everything. He was unsure and he didn't want me to see him so insecure.

I waited patiently, stroking my hand down his thick hair. "Yes?"

I heard him swallow softly; "Do you remember that night I made you fall asleep after we met and..." He paused. "You woke with bruises and marks on your body?"

I remembered. It was traumatising to think a stranger had been in control of me for quite some time while I was unable to recollect any of it. I nodded and kept my hand stroking down his black tendrils, soothing him.

"I want you to know that I did nothing to you; I swear on my life I didn't even touch you. I placed you back down in the lounge downstairs with the girls and left. I wanted to make you fear me and I needed to make sure that you'd refuse Zeus' offer of godhood, but... But I couldn't."

Thanatos sighed and for the first time he sound younger than me. "The marks, scratches and bruises were all in your imganintaion. I cast a spell on you that made you think they were there when in fact, you were perfectly fine. That's why Trita and Sonya never saw any of it and why they faded so easily; my magic was being consumed by you- already. Already I saw how much magic you had locked away and how my spell was being pulled apart without you even knowing it."

I was shocked, to say the last. He never hurt me. He never actually hurt me at all... This... This changes so much of our past and I had no idea. I was so sure. So sure that he'd tried to kill me. Well, he did try, at the start, but then Thanatos couldn't.

He continued, finally pulling back so I could stare up into his brilliant crimson eyes. He looked more confident now. "I wanted to hurt you and to scare you off- to make sure Zeus couldn't use a mortal to fix our problems, but after I met you-" He shook his head, a small smile sliding up; "You had me entranced. I wanted to know more about you and what made you tick. I liked it that you were scared of me, but I knew you found me just as intriguing as I did you. So I figured why not play around a bit and see what I could learn. Stupidly, I thought I was in control."

He tucked a strand of hair behind my ear and admired the soft skin on my cheek; "I think we both know I wasn't close to any form of control around you..." He leaned in and I felt his hot breath on my lips, his eyes dark. "Even now, I'm not in control."

I found my hand shaking slightly by his confession. He had this effect on me- I couldn't help myself. He did all the wrong things to me. So wrong it must be right?

"Thanatos, I-"

"I want you to take this house as a gift, yes, but more than that." He said seriously, but his smile was still sweet. "I want you to know that even when you thought your whole world had crashed and burned, that mine was going up in flames too- and I enjoyed every minute of it."

I didn't bother with words. I rushed up to meet his mouth and our lips struck a match. The fire was hot and I felt the love inside me burn and race with every long second. He was perfect. What more could I say?

He was utterly, stupidly, annoyingly perfect. That bastard.

I held him close; so close the world could've truly crashed and burned into ash and I would not have let him go. He was mine. And he would stay mine. I'd make sure of it.

"Thank you- for every single thing you've ever done for me. For us." I said between kisses and made sure he knew how much sincerity was in my words. Thanatos smiled into my lips and it brought my joy to see him so unburdened.

"This is the most beautiful thing anyone has ever given me..."

"I apologise for the interior, but I wanted to leave it bare so you could decorate it yourself-"

"No, no." I shook my head with a broad smile and my eyes staring up at him with so much devotion. I touched his cheek and felt his warmth radiate through me; "You. You're the most beautiful thing anyone has ever given me. Don't ever change."

Thanatos' eyebrows knotted and his smile turned up with gratefulness; "I won't."

"Good." A life growing you where you were taught to be more and less of who you were and then being too much and then too little. Never quite satisfactory to those you loved and often too good and intimidating to others to get close. How sad and alone and how cruel to be to such a young boy. But little did he know that he was perfect all along- he didn't have to try so hard at all. Actually, not even try.

"You're mine." I whispered to his lips and wrapped my hands around his back, pulling him closer; "And this house is ours."

"I'll change the deed."

I smiled up at him and kissed his waiting mouth. The cold air was lost in between our heat. Thanatos grinned against my skin as he held me close and hugged; "So... Excited to bring the girls here for the summer?"

"They are going to flip!" I chuckled and cuddled up into his strong embrace. "You really are the best gift-giver Thane 'What-ever-your-surname-is'."

Thanatos laughed and let go of me. He stepped back, his smirk knowing. I eyed him suspiciously as he placed his finger under my chin and gave me wink. He walked backwards, probably to show me to house, but his words were enough to keep me glued to the newly tiled floor.

Casually and confidently he whispered; "Venerelli. Thane Venerelli."

Love how this chapter basically breaks down everything you thought you knew about their dynamic from the very start... 

And of course, one of my favourite parts, he's all to happy to accept her surname as his own. My baby has grown so much! *weeps in the corner with shadow*

Tomorrow, the Epilogue!