I’d Give Up The World For You - Chapter 231

Rukelion had to be dreaming but he didn’t want to wake up. In his dream Daisy had not only remembered him but forgiven him and practically dragged him out the door to marry him again.

He was afraid that if he let go of her the dream would end so he refused to do that as much as he could get away with. Having to let go of her so she could talk to someone at the desk at the social security office made him realize it wasn’t a dream after all. She was still there even after he let go.

Once they were done there he blurted, “We should get you a ring.”

It was an idle thought but one that had crossed his mind briefly in the happy chaos that had been happening in his brain since this morning when she finally got her memories back. He was only reminded of it now because he saw his ring on the proper finger without using it solely as a deterrent. Hers had been left behind on Veronica’s body since it was only her soul that traveled back and forth between worlds.

Daisy smiled. “Alright but only if it doesn’t break the bank. I don’t need anything fancy.”

Rukelion wanted to get her something nice but quickly realized after they arrived at the jewelry store that things were so much more expensive here than back home. A single piece of jewelry here was worth more than a year of his part-time job salary.

She seemed to know this would be a problem already and gravitated toward the casual fashion rings rather than engagement or wedding rings. Her eager brown eyes scanned the rows of rings until something caught her eye.

“Ooh! I want this one, Rukelion!”

He peered over her shoulder and saw which one she was pointing at. The ring looked like a silver daisy flower crown and had a small sparkling stone where each flower head should be.

It would certainly go along with her usual jewelry preferences. He had never met someone who lived up to their name more than she did. The only jewelry he had ever seen her wear had flower motifs on them and they were usually daisies. Right now she was wearing her favorite daisy stud earrings as she so often did and they matched perfectly.

“It’s very you,” Rukelion said tenderly as he gave her shoulder a squeeze.

He paid for the ring and he didn’t notice that the young woman working behind the counter had been half-listening to their conversation and was riveted. She could have sworn she heard that female customer call the man who looked exactly like Rukelion Blaze by the character’s name.

She watched them carefully as they left the store with Daisy admiring her ring and Rukelion with an arm around her waist as they walked looking like the happiest man alive. Ideas began churning about a perfect modern Rukelion x Veronica AU.

She had stayed up all night reading Throne of Fire the day it came out and bawled her eyes out by the end. Like most Rukelion Blaze fans, she had set straight to work writing happy ending type fanfics where nobody had to die and he was able to live happily with his family. This gave her some great material to work with.

Rukelion was too caught up in his wife’s excitement about her ring to care about anything else. He was used to being gawked at by now.

Now that they had accomplished what they set out to do this morning they went out for breakfast at a crepe place elsewhere in the strip mall. Both of their stomachs had been growling while they were in the jewelry store.

Daisy got berries and crème crepes while he got apple cinnamon ones. She rolled her eyes and smiled fondly at his choice. She knew of his great love of all things apple but still let him try a bite of hers when he asked so he returned the favor.

They were both caught up in a daze of happiness that lasted until they had been home for a while and were curled up in each other’s arms in bed. It felt different making love now that she had her memories back. He couldn’t fully explain how but it brought him far more comfort than usual. He was perfectly at peace…until she started asking him questions.

“Rukelion, what did you do in those six months we were apart? And afterward when you found me again but we weren’t living together yet? I want to know.”

Rukelion sighed heavily. Those were times he didn’t like thinking about but since he wanted to know what those six months had been like for her as well he supposed it was fair play. He wished they hadn’t happened at all.

“Studied mostly. I had a lot to learn about this world and didn’t want much to do with that horrible woman so I asked her where to start then did the rest myself. I got my GED and a job that would allow me to hire a private investigator to find you,” he admitted.

“I didn’t have much to go off of. A first name, an age, and two big cities in Ohio we had narrowed down with a lot of guesswork about your accident. She was the one who figured out how much time had passed from here to there so we looked into major accidents in that timeframe.

“I hated every second of it. I had never been so miserable in my life. I hardly slept because of the nightmares and spent the extra waking time learning as much as I could about anything and everything I could think of.”

Daisy looked at him curiously. “How did you get an identity, anyway?”

“Well…I may or may not have broken into some government buildings and used arson to get away. My magic was the one thing I had going for me and I didn’t have any other ideas.”

She snorted. “Of course you did. So you really never went through driver’s ed or driver’s training? You’re a pretty good driver all things considering.”

Rukelion was relieved she wasn’t more upset about his illegal activities. They had been necessary for him to live in this world. “Not officially. I studied online and then the hag took it upon herself to teach me in person and let me get in a lot of practice hours before I left. I basically did the same things minus taking the tests.”

“I see. And once you made it to Cincinnati?”

“I had to get close to you somehow but I got very lucky your job was hiring. I spent most of my free time plotting how to win you over and looking up courtship rituals here so I wouldn’t do anything weird. I think it paid off for the most part.”

Daisy’s expression grew sad. “You must have been so miserable. And I was so terrible to you too! I’m sorry, Rukelion. I really am.”

He had been. More miserable than he thought was possible, which was truly saying something. He understood why she had reacted the way she did though. She didn’t think she knew him and didn’t trust easily.

“That wasn’t your fault. I never blamed you, Daisy. I just…thought I needed to work harder to get back to where we were,” Rukelion said truthfully. “But I’m very glad that’s over now.”

She sighed and snuggled closer to him, planting a kiss on his neck. “You have to be the most dedicated person alive. No one else would do what you did. Are you really okay with leaving everything behind just to be with me?”

“Yes, though I do wonder what happened back home from time to time…and feel a bit guilty about leaving Conrad and Ira to deal with the aftermath.”

Daisy bolted upright. “Ira! I was so focused on other things that I completely forgot about him! Poor kid…he’s probably having a really hard time right now since he saw me die too. That must have been horrible for him.”

By this point in time that kid had probably lived out his entire life but Rukelion wasn’t sure if that would make her feel any better. It might be best not to bring that up.

“He has his friends though. That’s something. I’m sure he’s fine.”

“I suppose…”

She didn’t seem convinced. She bit her lip, appearing quite troubled.

It made sense. She had always been a nurturer and she had raised Ira as her own for five years. Of course she would be worried about him. That was simply the way she was.

Rukelion was concerned she would continue struggling with this. And losing the baby, which she hadn’t seemed to process yet. When that hit her he didn’t think things were going to be pretty.

He thought a subject change was in order. “What did you do during that time? I know you had to deal with a lot of physical therapy and sued the trucking company from the file I was given but that’s all.. That must have been really hard for you.”