Chapter 79 - Scars Changing

Delaney and Vincent spent their night loving one another and the next day slept in late into the afternoon. When Delaney woke up to find the sun trying to make its way in through the curtains, she smiled and stretched like a cat.

She was naked in bed with her husband. It was such a strange thing. She smiled happily, her heart filled with love for the still sleeping man. She propped herself up and looked down on the expanse of him, blankets thrown off from the summer heat.

One muscled arm was around her, the other was flung up over his eyes in an attempt to block out the light. She looked at his face and wondered how she hadn't been able to see the beauty in it. He was just as handsome as he had been before, if not more so.

She looked at the scarred wound on his thigh, the one she'd only seen the night in the hospital when it had still been bandaged. It was larger than the others. Deeper, she imagined, with more scars coming off of it than the others.

Webs of red scars worked their way over his thigh, thick, leaving very small spaces of unmarred skin. They worked their way down, over his knee, tapering to an end shortly after. They seemed angrier than his other scars, even now as he slept. They grew up over his hip and stopped just before they would be seen above the waistline of his breeches.

Delaney swallowed as she looked at them. Even now they were frightening. No longer because they made Vincent frightening, but now because she was afraid of what they meant. The dragon's poison was still in her husband. His abnormally hot skin was always evidence of that. And even on good days, the marks were a constant source of pain.

She wondered if he would ever find any relief from them. Sometimes, at the end of the day, he seemed in more pain than normal. His limp would be worse and his arm wouldn't move as well. Nothing particularly exhausting would have happened that day which made her worry about it. Was he just very good at hiding his pain most days?

Looking at the scars on his abdomen, her eyes followed the one that reached out across his stomach. Delaney frowned as she looked at it. She had been sure it stopped under his navel but now it reached just a bit beyond it. She looked over the others and tried to remember if they looked any different.

"That isn't the expression I thought I'd see when I woke up," Vincent spoke, making her jump.

Delaney looked up at her husband's face and her heart leaped in her chest. She pulled herself up until she could kiss him. A sound escaped him as he pulled her closer, their bodies pressed together and kissed her deeply.

"Mmm," he almost purred, "I like waking up like this."

"Me too," she giggled as she held his handsome face in her hands and looked down into his eyes.

"Why were you frowning?"

Delaney swallowed and moved off of him, his eyes following her as she did so. She bit her lip as she looked over his body.

"Do you think... do you think your scars are getting worse?"

Vincent looked away from her and shifted uncomfortably, "I don't know Delaney they're just scars. They're something I try to look at as little as possible."

"But like this one. I really think this one has grown since..." Delaney reached out to touch the scar by his navel but he caught her wrist before she could do so.

"Are they disgusting you?" he asked, looking at her seriously.

"What?" her mouth fell open in surprise, "No! But..."

He let go of her wrist to reach down and yank the sheet up over himself.

"I'm sorry they're something you have to deal with," he said quietly although his voice gave away his displeasure.

"Vincent," she tried, "That's not what I mean! I'm just worried..."

"Maybe it would be better if I don't completely undress," he frowned as he looked up toward the ceiling, "It's not fair of me to expect you to look at the marks without them turning your stomach. Especially when we're in bed together."

"Stop," she said quickly, worried as this spiraled into something she hadn't intended, "I'm not disgusted by your scars at all. I find your entire body wildly appealing."

He turned to look at her now, his frown easing away.

"I just worry about my husband," she said quietly, "I wanted to know if you think the marks have gotten worse or if it's just in my head."

Vincent sighed and caught her hand in his, this time bringing it to his lips to kiss it gently.

"I'm sorry," he murmured against her fingers, "They're just embarrassing on the best days and more than horrifying on the worst. I don't want to talk about the marks. Especially not with my beautiful wife."

Delaney looked at him in disapproval, "Are they getting worse then and you're just not talking to me about it?"

Vincent groaned, "I don't look at them that closely. I try not to look at them at all."

"So, you think there's a chance they've gotten worse?"

"God Delaney!," Vincent exclaimed before rubbing his hands over his face, "I don't know. I don't know if they're worse or better. I don't want to know. I don't want to talk about them!"

Delaney shrunk back pulling the sheets up over herself, his anger at her leaving her feeling foolish. Why had she pushed the issue? She loved him no matter the marks. Surely if they were getting worse he would know.

"I'm sorry," she apologized quietly, "I just thought they looked different. I wasn't trying to upset you."

He was quiet and they sat uncomfortably in the silence. At last, Delaney thought it might be better if she went ahead and returned to her own room. She went to slip off the other side of the bed but he moved quickly and caught her around the waist.

"Don't leave," he said, gently pulling her back into his arms, "I'm sorry. You didn't do anything wrong. I think I'm just sensitive about the scars. I know they're ugly and offputting. I don't want you to decide you can't stand the sight of them."

Delaney turned in his arms to look at him, holding the sheet up to cover her chest.

"Vincent I love you. Your scars don't upset me. You have to stop thinking that."

"Alright," he said softly, "I'm sorry."

He was quiet as looked up at her, studying her creamy skin with it's little bits of freckles here and there. He looked at her rosy lips and her long black lashes over blue-green eyes.

"I have to make a trip in the next weeks. I have to visit our other properties and I might go as far as the King's City. If I do, I promise I'll stop and visit my doctor. Would that be alright?"

Delaney smiled fondly at her husband, "That would make me very happy. Thank you."

"Good," a grin slowly filled his scarred face, "Now, may I have a good morning kiss and a bit more... intimate attention from my wife?"

Delaney bit her lip, blushed and giggled before letting the sheet fall and moving to kiss him, her chest pressing to his. He chuckled and kissed her back hungrily, one hand sliding down to cup her backside, the other splaying out over her lower back.

He grabbed her and moved quickly, flipping her to her back and straddling her. She gasped and let out a little squeal of excitement. A wicked laugh rumbled from his chest as his mouth moved down her neck and over her chest. She gasped when the heat of his lips moved over her breasts.

Vincent moved, joining their bodies and a quiet moan escaped his wife's lips. He moved with her, loving the feel of her and making her happy. Delaney closed her eyes and felt a pressure building inside her she knew only he could release. She clung to him, moving with him, until they both reached that point and dropped back into the bed, bodies tangled together.

Delaney draped across Vincent's chest as they both worked to catch their breath. He kissed the top of her head and she hugged his chest.

"I think we should start every day like this," she giggled.

"And every night before we sleep," he chuckled, "Maybe we'll have to start taking mid day naps as well."

Delaney laughed at his teasing, happy he was happy.

Later once they were both clean and dressed, they ate and Vincent went off to his study to go over ledgers while Delaney worked with Ms. Crouch on preparing the menu for the week. Delaney was distracted though and it was slow work.

They ate dinner together, both with eyes alight with excitement. As soon as they were finished, Vincent took his wife on his arm again and took her up to his room. Not bothering to call for her lady's maid, Vincent undressed his wife hiself and Delaney took care of him.

Days went by and Delaney decided there was no need for them to continue to keep her room set aside for her. She had her things moved in to Vincent's room and the area decorated.

When the pair retired to the room the night everything was complete, Delaney watched his face closely to see if he liked it. He seemed happy with everything until he turned and came face to face with his own reflection in an enormous mirror.

"Is this alright?" Delaney asked nervously after watching his face fall.

"Of course Love," Vincent worked to put a smile back on, "Everything looks wonderful. Thank you."

Delaney hugged him then, resting her head on his chest. The smile slipped from Vincent's lips as he stared over her shoulder at his own face looking back at him. His eyes moved over his ugly scars, pausing on the one on his chin where the tail was now nearly to his bottom lip. He looked up at the one now making it's way over the bridge of his nose.

He swallowed hard and turned away.

"Let's go to bed," he said quietly to his wife, turning his back to the mirror.