89. Survivors!

Author's POV 

Egon held her like a man who had been starving for years and finally had something warm in his arms again. His arms tightened around her lazy morning frame, almost too tightly, as if she might dissolve into thin air the second he loosened his grip.

“To be honest,” his voice came out low, a confession dragged straight from the center of his chest, “I thought you would never accept me again.”

His thumb brushed her waist in slow circles — a habit he developed long before, one that never truly died.

“I still don’t feel deserving of you,” he admitted, the words cracking slightly, “even though I’m selfish enough to not let you go.”

Emerald’s answer came not through words at first, but through the way she burrowed even closer, nuzzling into the warmth of him like she was trying to sink into his bones. There was no fear, no hesitation — just a quiet, hungry comfort she had missed far more than she had expected.

“I was in the same dilemma,” she murmured.

She tilted her head to meet his gaze, and for a moment they simply stared at each other. His eyes — those mesmerizing eyes that could command empires or crumble at her touch — softened in a way only she could ever pull out of him.

“But I couldn’t…” She blinked slowly, and her lashes trembled with the weight of the emotion rising in her. Her eyes turned glossy, not from weakness, but from honesty she could no longer hold back.

“I couldn’t walk away. Maybe our love was stronger than the storm we faced. Maybe we were stronger than we believed.”

She let her hand rest against his jaw, gently tracing the rough edges of the man she once feared, once fought, once hated — and always loved.

“You know what made me stay?” she whispered.

“What made me hold onto hope even when everything inside me was breaking apart?”

Egon hummed against her neck, his breath warm on her skin, encouraging her to continue. His hold tightened like he was preparing himself for whatever truth she was about to give him.

“That you never stopped wanting me,” she said in a soft, trembling breath.

“Even when we became enemies. Even when I tried to convince myself that I hated you. Even when I pushed you away.”

Her fingers slid through his hair, slow and gentle.

“You still wanted me. You still hoped. And your hope… kept mine alive.”

Egon’s eyes softened so much it nearly broke her.

“How lucky am I,” she whispered, “to have a man who refuses to let go of me even in the strongest storm.”

Something inside him finally loosened — something knotted, choked, and suffocating for far too long. His guilt, his fear, the constant worry that he had broken her beyond repair… it all melted under the warmth of her words.

His lips curved into a slow, relieved smile.

“Will we ever heal from our wounds?” he asked quietly.

She exhaled, a soft sigh of acceptance.

“We already have, Egon. What’s left are scars.”

She rested her forehead against his.

“Scars fade. Slowly. But they do fade. And we’ll live with them as reminders — not of what we did to each other, but of what we survived together.”

He closed his eyes at that, letting her truth sink into him like a salve.

“We’re victims, Egon,” she whispered, touching his cheek with gentle fingers.

“None of us was at fault. Destiny threw us into a war we never asked for. Maybe it wanted to humble two powerful villains… so they could learn to heal with each other.”

Her words cracked something in him, something raw and vulnerable. He tilted his head, capturing her lips in a deep kiss — a kiss that tasted like relief, apology, love, and unspoken promises all tangled together.

When he pulled back, his voice was hoarse.

“You have no idea how much I needed to hear that. Fuck…” His breath trembled.

“This guilt was eating me alive.”

He pressed his forehead to hers again, breathing her in as though she were oxygen.

“I promise you,” he said, each word heavy with devotion, “I will protect you no matter what happens. Even if the whole world thinks you’re a villain. Even if you stand in front of me as one. No one — and I mean no one — gets to come between us again.”

She chuckled softly, tapping the tip of his nose.

“I think someone might stand between us, Egon.”

His eyes narrowed.

“What do you mean?”

Her smile turned mischievous.

She grabbed his hand and slowly guided it to her belly.

The second his palm settled, his entire face changed. Shock. Hope. Disbelief. A thousand emotions all at once.

“No,” he whispered, eyes wide.

“You’re not serious.”

Her quiet laugh was all the confirmation he needed.

“Egon,” she said gently, “it happens when you don’t use protection. You know…”

“Fuck.”

This time the word came out with a grin — a real, wide, overwhelming smile that lit up his whole face.

“Is this really happening, my love?”

He gathered her carefully in his arms, hugging her as though she were made of something holy. His excitement vibrated through him; he was trying to be gentle, but his joy made him almost tremble.

“It feels like the universe is finally rewarding me,” he murmured against her hair, “for everything we went through.”

Emerald’s arms slid around him, holding him just as tightly.

“True, Egon. We’ll have our own family now. A better one. Stronger. A family that grows from love, not bloodshed.”

He nodded, pulling back just enough to see her face.

“I guess,” he said slowly, “we should start preparing for a wedding.”

Her lips pressed together as she tried — and failed — to hide her smile.

“That’s not how you propose, king.”

Egon shrugged without missing a beat.

“In my head, we’re already married. Pardon me if reality is catching up late.”

She laughed, shaking her head.

“I’m kidding. I don’t need a fancy proposal. Our reunion was enough — more than enough. And yes,” she added softly, “we’re getting married.”

He kissed her again — not out of hunger, not out of desperation, but out of pure, unfiltered love.

The kind that survives wars.

The kind that survives hatred.

The kind that survives destiny.

Together, they were no longer villains.

They were survivors.

And now, they were becoming a family.