Syn

She pulled me into the door of the diner and I smiled as the familiar bell rang. This place hadn't changed a bit. It was as colorful and empty as I remembered it. I looked at one of the booths and I saw me and Queen laughing together. Then a few rows past it, I saw Queen hiding behind a menu while I stood right here in this spot. I laughed a bit. It was a strong effort on her part, I could see that now, but we were destined to meet no matter what. No matter the circumstances.

"I'm sorry, we're packed," the owner- the same old woman from before joked, a bright smile on her face.

Queen smiled at her as she approached the counter, her hand still in mine. "How have you been?"

"Good. Just working." She beamed at us. "It's good to see the both of you back here together again."

"Hm." I hummed. "You mean you miss our tips."

"That too," she admitted and Queen laughed a bit.

"Thought so."

"But your presence has been missed as well," she said. "Feels like I've watched the two of y'all grow up from behind this counter."

"Feels like I've watched you grow older too, Mabel," I joked with her and she threw her towel at me. She was one human that I didn't entirely dislike. She has never bothered me and she was the best cook I had ever met. If she wasn't so attached to this place I would've hired her at the palace.

"Y'all go sit down anywhere and I'll be there to take your orders," she said. "Apple pie tonight?"

"Of course," I told her and she smiled at us before disappearing to the back. A few people were sitting on the right side of the dinner, and a couple of people were seated at the bar. But the left side was empty. That was one of the best things about this place. It was hardly ever packed. It was still a hidden gem in this big city.

Queen grabbed two menus and looked up at me. "Where do you want to sit?"

I put my hand on the small of her back and led her to the empty side of the dinner. I headed to the booth in the farthest corner, closest to the window and she laughed before sliding in. "Did you choose this one for any reason in particular?" She asked.

"Just feels poetic." I sat opposite her and relaxed in the booth. "At least I remember you this time, mm?"

She frowned. "That will never be funny."

I smiled at her. "I'm sorry."

"Mhmm." She lifted her menu, covering her face and I tapped my fingers along the wooden table.

"Why did you want to bring me here of all places?" I asked her.

"Well, I was hungry." She peered up at me above the lashes. "And I happen to know that this is your favorite place to eat. I thought you'd be more comfortable here than at that restaurant."

"Hm." I nodded slowly and she looked back down at the menu. I leaned forward, resting my arms on the table. With two fingers, I pushed her menu down and she looked at me. "We need to talk."

A crease formed between her brows and she frowned. "I don't like those words from you. I don't think I want to." She lifted the menu again and I plucked them from her fingers. She moved her elbow to the table and rested her chin on her palm, then she added a smile. "What would you like to talk about?"

I smiled back at her, letting out a huff as I set the menu down. Then I looked at her seriously. "Back there, why did you accept his terms, Queen? You don't want a wedding and I thought you said you were going to think about the bonding."

She let out a breath and sat back. Her fingers toyed with the napkin on the table as she chewed on her bottom lip. She looked at me. "Because I wanted to." I raised a brow, pushing her to tell me more and she sighed. "You didn't see the look on your face, Syn. When you thought you were going to lose the Underworld, you looked like your world was crashing down around you and I didn't want to ever see that pain on your face again. So I agreed."

"To appease me?"

"To save you the pain of you sacrificing something else for me, Syn," she said. "I know other things start to matter less to you in comparison to me, but I don't want you sacrificing things that are important to you for my sake. I want you to be happy. If you gave up the chance to be King again just because I'm afraid to walk down the aisle, I wouldn't be able to look at myself in the mirror anymore. And you'd grow to resent me."

"I could never resent you for a decision I made myself, Queen," I told her. "As for the sacrifices, I will not stop. You and Saint are the most important things in the world to me. I'd do anything to protect the both of you."

"Even if it kills you?" I didn't answer the question, but she knew the answer was yes. It was always going to be yes. With my silence, she lowered her eyes to the table and shook her head. Her entire mood had sunk. "I don't want that, Syn."

I let out a deep breath and took her hands into mine. "Look. It's just what we do, Queen. I know you'd give your life for me if I were in danger, and I'd do the same for you. But we always find our way back to each other. Death has never stopped us before. Both of us have died, and we're still sitting here."

"For how long though..." she muttered, not meeting my eyes.

I placed a kiss on her hands and she looked at me. "I don't know, but I don't want to waste time thinking about it when we should just be enjoying the time we have. I don't know what'll happen in five minutes let alone what'll happen tomorrow or the next day. There is danger all the time. But there is no one else I'd rather be blind with." She smiled a little. "Let's just take it one day at a time and eventually we will make it to forever, okay?"

"Fine," she grumbled, giving in. I gave her one last kiss before letting go of her hands and she crossed her arms. "But I forbid you from dying."

I smiled. "Do you now?"

"I'm serious," she said, taking the menu from in front of me. "I won't survive something like that again."

"You won't have to," I said. "Now stop being a pessimist and stop changing the subject. How do you think I'll be happy watching you walk down the aisle when I know you don't want to be there?"

She pursed her lips. "I'll be anxious. Probably nervous as shit- maybe I'll even pass out. But I will be happy, I'm sure of that."

"Oh, I'm so relieved..." I said flatly and she smiled.

"I'm exaggerating, but we will figure it out like we figure everything else out."

I nodded at that bit. "And the ceremony?"

She shrugged. "It doesn't sound so bad." I winced and worry filled her eyes. "Right?"

"It's...a lot."

She frowned. "You're supposed to be making me feel good about this."

"You want me to make you feel good or tell you the truth?" She groaned, dropping her head into her hands and I laughed. "I'll try to be gentle with you, don't worry."

She lifted her head and peered up at me curiously. "What do you mean by that?"

"You know a bit about the ritual, I'm sure." I smiled. "You know exactly what I mean."

"Oh..." She blew out a breath and nodded slowly, sitting back up straight. She looked up for a moment in thought and when her eyes met mine again, there was a suggestive twinkle in them. I knew exactly what she was thinking and I shook my head. This girl. She placed both elbows on the table and put her chin in her palms. "You should've led with that. When can we do it?"

I laughed. "The sex isn't the only part, Princess. Don't get too excited."

Her smile dropped. "You don't like to see me happy, do you?"

"I only like to see you happy."

Mabel approached us, notepad in hand. "The usual drinks?"

"For me, yes." I looked at Queen who was still glossing over the menu and I watched her curiously. She only ever ordered one of two things; the vanilla milkshake and the strawberry lemonade. Was her taste something that also changed?

"I'll have just a water instead." She spoke up and me and Mabel both looked at her in surprise. She looked between the both of us when she saw us staring. "What?"

"A water?" I asked her and she nodded.

"Yes."

"Okay." Mabel scribbled it down. "I'll be back with those."

I nodded and when she left, I looked back at Queen. "A water."

"You're still on that?" She smiled, looking down at the menu.

"It's just a little out of character," I said. "You don't want a shake...a lemonade...both?"

"Both?" She laughed and shook her head. "No, I'm trying to watch it, Syn. I ran out of breath while shopping today and I had to go up a size for this dress."

I crossed my arms. "From what? A six to a seven?"

She gasped, lowering the menu. Her hand moved to her stomach. "You could tell?"

"You are insane. We have had this conversation," I reminded her. "Eat what you want, you'll be fine."

"Listen." She set the menu down and clasped her fingers together. "With all due respect, I won't take those words from you when you came out of the womb with a six-pack."

I laughed before nodding slowly. "Suit yourself, then. Enjoy your diet."

She looked back at the menu. "I will."

Mabel came back to us. She set a Diet Coke in front of me and a water in front of Queen. "Ready to order?" She looked at us.

"I'll have the usual," I told her before turning to Queen.

She set the menu down and looked at Mabel. "I'll have the garlic parmesan wings and cheese fries," she said. I raised a brow and she raised a finger, speaking up again. "On second thought, make that a chili cheese fries. A large one."

A large.

Mabel smiled, writing it down. "Got it. I'll have that out in a few minutes."

Queen nodded up at her with a smile and my eyes remained on her. She put her straw in the water and took a sip, bouncing slightly to the music in the background. When she caught me looking at her, she lowered her glass. "What?"

"What happened to your diet?"

She looked to both sides of us before tilting her head like I was the idiotic one between the two of us. "I ordered a water, Syn. What more do you want from me?"

A laugh burst out of me at that one. It started small but only grew the second I saw her face. She was being serious. I laughed until my stomach hurt and my vision blurred. In the clearing I could see her sip on the water as she looked around, trying to hold back a smile. It felt good to truly just laugh over something stupid. It had been too long.

"What's so funny?" She asked me and I grinned, holding back a chuckle.

"I just think you're the funniest person I know."

"That doesn't mean anything to me. You don't know a lot of people."

Another round of laughter built up inside me and I raised my hand to rub my temple, a pain like I hadn't experienced before shot at my wrist. I winced, grabbing it and concern filled Queen's features. "What's going on?"

Fuck. It hurt. I lowered my arm to my lap and shook my head. "Nothing, I'm--" The ache became a scorching heat that felt like it was ripping through my skin, and my entire body tensed. I gritted my teeth, my eyes shutting as I sucked in a sharp breath.

"Syn." I felt Queen reach out and I pulled away, more abruptly than I intended to and a confused look flashed across her face.

"I'm sorry. I'm going to go to the restroom," I told her. I didn't even wait for a reply from her before I shot out of the booth. I bumped into another chair, sending it falling and several heads turned to me. I couldn't focus on any one of them as the pain began to paralyze my entire forearm.

I had been through far worse than this. Less than two weeks ago I had managed to go through hours of torture without so much as screaming. But this? The pain was a thousand times worse.

I stumbled through the door of the men's restroom, groaning as I made my way to the sink. "Fuck," I cursed under my breath. I pulled at the sleeve on my left arm trying to find the source. Nothing. It pulsed again, sending another round of pain worse than the one before and I pressed my lips together to hold back a scream. When it passed, I tore away at the sleeve covering my arm until it was all exposed.

Then my eye caught sight of a glowing cross. Just a few inches above my wrist.

The pain immediately stopped when I looked at it.

And everything began coming back to me...

The door to the restroom opened and when I heard the heels come to a halt a few feet behind me, something broke in me. I promised her forever. We were going to get married...

"Syn, what's going on?" She asked me, her arm moving to my shoulder. "Are you not--"

"Queen..." I turned to her, a cry wanting to tear through me the moment I looked at her. The worry on her face only intensified as her eyes met mine and she reached a hand to my face. My heart ached as I looked at her. "I'm sorry."

She shook her head. "I don't understand. Sorry for what?"

For every word and promise I've told you since the moment you woke up, I wanted to say.

For the forever I had sworn to her only a few moments ago...

The taking each day one at a time I had said to reassure her...

The time I thought we had together...

Time.

All that time had now been reduced to a short seventy-two hours.

Then I'd be gone.

꧁꧂

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