Stepping inside his father's home, Abel felt an odd feeling in his chest. He'd lived there his entire life, yet it no longer felt like home. Sure, it had always been awkward living in it as a female, but he had gotten used to it growing up. Returning to it knowing that he would be a male after Kirin was satisfied that he had not been lying, and being forced to leave Ariella behind, was suddenly hard to think about.

"Come, Ariella! I have an engagement soon, but we must make sure that our guest is comfortable for the night first," Abel's father chortled as he began to lead Kirin up the stairs. Abel hurried after them, doing his best to remember to keep his posture correct and head down.

When they got to the second floor, Abel noticed that his father was giving Kirin the room down the hall from his own. There were several others that could be used, though he doubted that they were made up to be used as a guest room right away. Shrugging to himself, he walked down to the end of the hall and waited outside of the room while his father pointed out a few small things to Kirin, then stepped out.

"I shall be back late tonight, but I do have something I would like to ask you, Sir Squire, before I depart."

Kirin turned from examining the room to give his attention to Abel's father once more. "Yes, sir?" he questioned as he took a small step forward.

"Considering this odd turn of events and even though she already has someone quite interested in courting her, I would like to offer you my daughter's hand in marriage if you would have it."

Feeling the blood drain from his face, Abel leaned back against the wall, trying to pretend like he was embarrassed by ducking his head farther. He knew there was no way Kirin could accept such a thing, considering he knew that he was a male, and marriage contracts were legally binding documents. Abel had no doubt that his father would produce such a document the first time someone agreed.

Just one signature and a small wedding the next morning and the man's life is ruined.

"Yes. I would very much like to have it."

What?

Abel's father clasped his hands together, a glint of greed shining in his weathered eyes as Abel glanced up. He could not believe that Kirin had accepted a marriage proposal! Such a thing was going far beyond what was necessary to prove his innocence!

"Very good! I shall be right back. Best to make it official immediately or risk others trying to catch her."

When Kirin just smiled, Abel's father rushed off down the stairs to his study, no doubt. That left the two of them together, allowing Abel to jerk his head up and glare at Kirin. "What on earth are you doing, sir?" he hissed quietly, fists balled at his sides in frustration. He wanted to say several more choice words, but his father soon appeared again, huffing as he hurried over to them.

The paper must have just been sitting on his desk.

With a quick gesture to Kirin, he hobbled into the guest room and set the papers down on the small desk set up in the corner.

"Pardon me, my lord?" Kirin finally said as he stepped over to the document Abel's father was already signing where it required his name.

He looked up, smiling disturbingly wide. "Yes, Sir Squire?"

"I believe it might be best for young Ariella to only have her papers signed after the official wedding ceremony. I seem to have gotten ahead of myself," he added, looking over at Abel, who remained in the doorway with his eyes slightly lowered, before looking back at his father. "Her beauty is quite... distracting."

Sir Hallerd blinked, then frowned. "I suppose."

After a moment, he straightened and set the quill down across the document and fixed his grin back in place. "You are quite right. I suppose I just got ahead of myself as well. It is so wonderful to finally have Ariella back and be able to appropriately wed her to a young man who will care for her far better than I have struggled to in my growing age."

The man's words got a laugh from Kirin, but Abel could tell that it was forced. "I understand, Sir Hallerd. If you would like, I am more than willing to have a small wedding tomorrow, if possible. My job, unfortunately, does not allow me to spend much time in a specific area, so I will have to leave within a few days, at most. So it is best to have the wedding as soon as possible."

That seemed to make Abel's father quite happy. He nodded, rubbing his hands together as if already planning the end of his eighteen-year scheme. Abel doubted that he even knew he was performing the action, though it was clear in Kirin's eyes that he caught the gesture without an issue.

"Very good. I will stop by the church on my way to my engagement tonight and set everything up for tomorrow morning."

Before either of them could respond, Sir Hallerd left, the sound of his footfalls lessening as he moved down the hall, stairs, then out the door.

"Hmm, he is quite a character."

"What!" Abel growled as he stomped into the room, throwing his wig onto the bed. Kirin seemed a little taken aback by his anger, but when Abel wasn't able to keep his face skewed with fury, Kirin knew that he was not upset enough to worry about a possible fight. Not that he'd lose...

"Calm down, Ariella," Kirin replied with a steady voice as he lifted the wig from the bed and carefully replaced it atop Abel's head.

"After tomorrow morning, you will be free to do as you wish for the rest of your life. Surely you are eager for your chance at freedom? Your chance to be you, without having to worry for your life?"

Abel licked his dry lips and looked down at the dress he wore, uncomfortable that he couldn't even see his shoes in the annoying garment. It was a lovely gown, but it was no longer what he wanted to be seen in. After so many years, he thought he might be free after doing as his father wished, but even if Kirin was willing to sacrifice part of what he had built to save himself from being outed as having married a man by mistake, Abel did not feel that it was alright.

The light sound of the door closing and a quiet click from the lock made Abel whirl around, confused as to what Kirin was doing. "Sir?"

The feeling of Kirin's rough yet gentle hands against his cheeks warmed Abel's worried heart as the lawman finished closing the space between them and leaned down slightly, pressing their foreheads together. "I am not worried about my assets being stolen by your father. I need you to trust me that there will be no ill outcome for either of us. Can you do that, Abel?"

His voice grew quieter and quieter as he spoke, ending in a mere whisper that Abel had to focus upon to hear correctly. He was unsure how Kirin could promise him such a thing, yet he found that he could not speak against his words.

With his own quiet, yet worried voice, he replied, "I trust you, sir."

When Kirin's lips turned upward at the edges, Abel felt his heart flutter in his chest.

"May I remove these frustrating garments from you, Abel?" Kirin asked, making Abel draw in a breath of surprise. Only managing to give a slight nod, he held his breath as Kirin slowly removed his wig, then hastily undid the back of his dress and let it fall ungracefully to the floor. That left him in his dirty breeches as Kirin slowly knelt down in front him. At first, Abel was confused, but when Kirin gingerly lifted his left foot and began removing the slipper, he felt a shiver slip down his spine as gooseflesh pimpled his arms.

Once both of his slippers were removed, Kirin lifted Abel's right foot to press a chaste kiss against the top of it, warming the skin there. "I understand that I am being rash, but as I have made quite a mess of our relations toward each other up to this point..." he mumbled, looking up to meet Abel's emerald eyes with his own.

"May I love you, Abel Squire?"

What about the sin of bedding a man? Can the marriage even be legal, even if it was a trick? Can I make him happy?

So many thoughts whirred around in Abel's head, making him dizzy with worry.

"I... Am I really... what you want, sir?" he whispered the question he eventually settled on voicing, blinking repeatedly to try to stop the tears forming in his eyes from falling as he did so.

"Kirin, Abel," Kirin said quietly as he straightened partially and reached over to caress Abel's cheek gently. "And while I had not planned on ever being in such a situation—with another man, at that... Yes. My heart says that you are exactly what I want."

Abel took several deep breaths before he was able to speak again.

"You are not worried that I am lying, si—Kirin?"

The smile that Kirin gave him in response was breathtaking. "I only worry for your safety now, Abel. You have clearly proven that your father has trapped you into a situation that should have never occurred. If it is the last thing I do, I will see you free of him for the remainder of your days... A-and if you will have me..."

Kirin glanced down, a faint red painting his cheeks in the dim light cast from the candle sitting on the desk and the small amount slipping in from the drawn window coverings. His eyes returned to Abel's after only a moment, a small, hopeful smile stretching his lips. Unable to help himself, Abel found a smile slipping onto his lips, too. His eyes closed slowly, and his head nuzzled against the hand that remained settled on his cheek as he sighed out a stressed breath.

"It would appear that the maid has the night off and that father still keeps little other servants who may stay in the home after dark..." he finally said, opening his eyes to meet Kirin's darkening ones. The man looked anxious, hesitant, but the emotion becoming dominant above all the others quite hastily, was hunger.

Tucking his chin slightly, Abel straightened his spine and felt a large weight lift from his shoulders as he spoke again. "You may love me, Kirin Squire, as I believe I have unknowingly found myself quite t-taken with you..."

The sudden serious way he spoke seemed to appear humorous to Kirin, as not even a moment after he had finished his sentence, the lawman burst into a fit of laughter, leaving him falling back onto his butt.

Did I say something wrong?

Confusion clouded Abel's thoughts as he knelt down, hands raised as if he wished to help, but honestly having no idea how he had caused the laughing fit in the first place, thus unable to offer any kind of assistance. He instead waited, sitting on his heels as Kirin ran out of chuckles and slowly fell silent, wiping away a few tears after finally quieting. That left the man just smiling at him awkwardly.

"Kirin...?"

He was about to question Kirin about what he had said incorrectly, but wasn't given the chance. A strong hand encircled his wrist and pulled him forward against a hard chest. Warm arms then encircled him, preventing an escape that he had no interest in attempting. Kirin gave a quiet chuckle as he leaned down, their faces mere inches from each other.

"I love you, Abel. Quite besought, smitten, and all of those things. I was unsure what it could be at first, because there was no logical reason I would fall in love with another man. Let alone a thief and possible murderer," he murmured, winking and drawing a blush from Abel. "Yet here I am, unwilling to let you go. Wishing to spend my life with a male."

He seemed as if he were partially speaking to himself, so Abel kept quiet and just listened intently as he rested the side of his head against Kirin's warm chest. They were quiet for several minutes afterward before Abel felt a soft kiss against his hair, drawing his attention up so that their eyes could meet. Then their lips met. Kirin pulled away just enough to be able to talk after a moment, yet seemingly unwilling to completely break the connection between their mouths.

"I say this as quite an unholy man to his bride come morning... but my memory is unfortunately hazy from the night in which I had first made love to you."

Abel swallowed a sudden knot that had formed in his throat and connected their lips completely again for a moment before moving his head back enough to be able to speak. He was hesitant to try such a thing again because of the pain, but the pleasure had also been there, and perhaps the second time would not be so bad.

"I suppose it is best to refresh your memory..." Abel mumbled as he pressed their lips together again.

"Yes." Kirin moaned quietly as his hands began to wander along Abel's warm body. "It would be a shame to forget such a beautiful thing."

Before Abel realized what was happening, too lost in Kirin's now-fevered kisses to pay attention to anything else, he was being laid down on the thick blanket covering the bed. When he finally managed to focus again, he saw Kirin hovering over him on his hands and knees, his shirt already discarded, breath coming in quiet pants. Knowing that he was waiting for some kind of okay from him, Abel smiled softly and reached up to wrap his arms around Kirin's neck, guiding him down until his weight settled upon his body.

"Love me, Kirin."

There was an immediate deep moan in response, followed by a voracious kiss, before Kirin was able to speak again. He only said two simple words, but Abel knew that they were a promise for a future he would have only dreamed of prior to meeting the man.

"I will."