he tries to argue against her and magdalena shakes her head. "my father is a man consumed by grief. she is-" magdalena pauses, swallowing thickly. "was the most like our mother, out of all of us. alaric wouldn't have lifted a finger against her, not even if she was trying to kill him... if she had gotten a lucky hit against him, i-" magdalena pauses again, turning her gaze away. i wouldn't have been able to live with myself. alaric was strong, yes, but even the strongest could fall against a lucky hit to the wrong place. after everything, after such a deep betrayal, magdalena could not leave that up to chance, at least that's what she's told herself.

the deed is done though, and there is no saving magdalena from the black taint that has been left on her very soul. she can only sit here and hope that dominic will still love her despite it.

it is after a long moment of silence that magdalena's mismatched eyes slowly slide back to him, the worry obviously painted across her face as the moments without a response drag on. a feeling of dread settles in the pit of her stomach - ears flatten and brows furrow. just as magdalena is about to turn her face away, - as she prepares to make her ashamed exit - @Dominic's fingers brush against her jaw.

the wet brush of his nose is followed seconds later by dominic's lips and magdalena can hear her breath hitch in anticipation. by the time there's space between them again, she's staring up at him with her heart hammering practically in her throat.

just like that, magdalena is being enveloped into dominic's warmth and she sinks into his chest with a soft sigh. it had been her anger, her rage which had hurt him. could she ever truly let that side of her go? was the blood of her sister enough to douse that wildfire raging in her heart? magdalena's eyes squeeze shut hard as a hand curls against his chest. solid, steady.

"dominic-" she says quietly, head tilting back to bring his face into her field of view again. "you won't lose me," what more was there to fight now? sure, there was luther in the mire but magdalena is exhausted and cannot fathom taking on the task of bringing her half-brother on now, after everything. all she can think about now is to prove to dominic that she is here until he is sick of her. "i love you, dominic, i love you." she repeats, stretching upwards to try and solidly plant a chaste kiss on his lips.

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Perhaps it was hard for him to empathize because his own relationship with his father was strained. It wasn't something that came to him easy. It seemed simple. He couldn't fathom Alaric just letting someone kill him, even if it was his daughter. He could subdue Melusina without harming her, surely? A sigh escapes him, unwilling to argue any further about it with her. None of it mattered anymore.

It couldn't.

They had to move forward if their life was going to go anywhere. There was so much to talk about, about them, their future. How this love of theirs was going to work, but all he could do was focus on the words she spoke. The promises that lay beneath those words. You won't lose me. She tilts her head back and Dominic can only stare at her, brows furrowing heavily for a long moment. Silence envelopes them after those sweet, whispered words. She loves him.

She loves him.
And he loves her.

Powerful arms tighten around her, surrounding her in his warmth, his protection - for whatever it was worth, as he leans in to kiss her back. He wouldn't take more than he is given, not when she is in this broken, shattered state. Magdalena would need time to recover and then, then he would show her just how much he loved her.

---

Exit Dominic via fade.

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for a moment they're both still, staring at one another as dominic's eyebrows furrow together. magdalena thinks she should say more, soothe his worries and chase away any sense of doubt that might still linger for @Dominic. however, it seems the stillness between them won't last long - not as dominic's arms come around her and pull magdalena to his broad chest.

she lets out a quiet noise of contentment as his warmth slowly sinks into her fur. their conversation had been more tiring than magdalena had expected, because she finds her kids growing heavier and heavier with each blink. before she knows it, she's fallen asleep once again, buried securely into the plushness of dominic's fur.

exit magdalena

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