Marcus leaned against one wall of the Atrium, keeping a careful eye on the people coming and going. Dolohov wouldn't attack here again. Not unless the bastard did it just because no one thought he would try it a second time. He didn't think Antonin was that ballsy.

He stifled a yawn and shifted positions. He'd not slept well the night before. His bed had smelled like both Princess and Angel and he'd spent the night as hard as a rock. Even after jerking off in the loo. It didn't make for the best of moods.

He wasn't even sure why the combined smell had effected him so much. He'd slept in the bed with them while Johnson was sick and hadn't had a problem. Now all he could think about was the two of them on the bed. Together.

The fact that he'd been coerced into talking to Astoria did not help improve his mood. Princess had been off for awhile, since Angelina had gotten sick. He wouldn't admit to being worried about her, but Angelina obviously was.

"You're late," he said the minute Astoria appeared beside him. She wasn't, not really.

Astoria did not say anything to that. She knew she wasn't. She just looked at him blankly and walked towards the apparation points. She didn't know what to say to him. He was pretending everything was fine, and no, she did not expect coddling from Marcus. She still was not speaking much and trying to stay out of their heads. Astoria was trying to find the happy medium.

He held out an arm once they had reached the apparation point and sent them both to the safe house. They were inside the wards in an instant, but instead of hurrying her towards the house as he was wont to do, he skirted the edge of the property, Astoria walking silently by his side.

Damn it, he wasn't good at shit like this. He didn't know how to ask her if everything was all right. And he couldn't ask her what bug had crawled up her arse. Not unless he wanted Johnson accusing him of fucking up.

Not that he wouldn't anyway. Or that she wouldn't.

"You haven't touched me," he said. "Not like that," he corrected when she tightened her hand on his arm to silently argue.

"It's easier not to intrude on things if I do not touch you. It's not that I do not want you," she said quietly. "I do, but I have to learn to let you be. I don't know how to do that yet. I don't want to ruin everything again."

Now she felt terrible. First Angie, now him. She wanted them both. Astoria so did. She just didn't want them angry with her. She needed to not be selfish, but she couldn't bear the solitude.

"You've also been really quiet. It's unusual for you. Dolohov got you worried?"

"No," Astoria replied. "I am frightened, but I know another meeting is inevitable. I am sad because he killed Kit. A person is dead because of me, one I did not wish dead. She was thoughtful and protective of me. I am sad and quiet because I am thinking. I have looked inside so many in the last few months. I should have been looking inside myself, fixing flaws. I am a selfish person, and I do not know if I can change that."

"Damned right another meeting is going to happen. Only this time I'll be there and he won't stand a fucking chance." Just the thought of Dolohov getting his hands anywhere near Astoria made his blood boil and he had to take several deep breaths to calm down. Before her controlling his emotions had been easy. Not anymore.

"You're worrying Johnson. She thinks you're depressed." Angelina hadn't actually stated that, but he was pretty sure that was the case. "You know you can talk to her, right? Or me? I'll probably say the wrong thing or otherwise fuck it up, but I'm here."

Astoria looked at him. "I spoke to her on Saturday. I'll be fine. I'm sorry if you are both worried. I have been selfish, and I am trying not to be now."

She still felt... sad. If she ruined her life for rushing, she would not be able to stand it.

He didn't understand what she was talking about. Selfish? Maybe trying to force the three of them together?

"Just... Talk to us, OK. I don't like seeing you like this."

"Oh, Marcus, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to upset you, either of you."

She put a hand on his cheek and kissed him. Normally he didn't go for the gentle stuff. She hoped he didn't get upset about this, but she sensed she needed to give him more physical contact - and she had figured this out without delving into his mind.

He stiffened when she kissed him. He hated the girly kisses she bestowed. Like he was a child. But she'd been so odd lately, so distant... Instead of jerking away or trying to deepen it, he held steady and let her lead.

Astoria gripped the back of his head and pushed up on her toes, deepening her kiss. She had missed this. She was lucky he still wanted to allow it. Poor Marcus was such a physical creature, and she had denied him touch. It was cruel.

She pulled back suddenly with that realization. In trying not to be selfish, she had been so in a different way. She had withheld from him what he needed.

"Forgive me."

"Yeah." He rested his forehead against the top of her head, just breathing her in. He considered the things she'd been saying, about not touching so that she wouldn't intrude, not ruining things, not being selfish. He didn't really understand what she meant. Which was probably OK. She didn't expect him to be anything he wasn't, including smart.

"When you're ready to talk, you know where to find me."

"Oh, Marcus, you'd hate that. I don't expect you to listen to me whinge. It isn't who you are, and that's perfectly fine. I appreciate the offer. It means the world that you'd suffer through it, but you don't have to. I would not have you be who you are not - not even for me."

She kissed him again, running a hand over his chest.

"I'll stop being so distant. I just have to be careful."

"Yeah, OK. But if Johnson asks, I talked to you, yeah?" He was grateful that she didn't want to chat. Really, he was. He'd just fuck it up somehow if she started weeping on him. Tell her to suck it up and deal.

"You talked to me because Angelina asked you to," Astoria asked with an arched brow.

Somehow that was better than him doing so simply because he wanted to. Marcus did not think of stuff like that. Astoria did not expect him to. It was very nice that he had done so because Angie asked it of him.

"Something like," he admitted. He wrapped her arm through his and continued around the parameter of the property, checking to make sure that there were no obvious breaks in the wards or anything else he might have to deal with. In particular there was a half-rotted tree on the other side of the field that he thought needed to come down before it fell down.

"She's worried about you, you know?"

"She has mentioned as much," Astoria replied, leaning into him.

This was nice. Just them walking and talking. She would never have suspected he would allow it. That just made it better. She had not expected it. This was also his way of saying he was worried about her. Not that he would admit that. All of this with no cheating. Astoria was pleased with herself.

"Figured she had. She said that she was going to talk to you." They had reached the far side of the field and the tree was in front of them, listing to the north. "You need something to hex, use this tree. It's coming down anyway." And he knew that she wouldn't hex a person. Not unless it was someone who had hurt her.

Astoria looked at him. He was very different than she, had lived differently, but in a lot of ways they were similar. One day he would not be trapped either.

"I will keep that in mind. Thank you."


{SUMMARY} As asked, Marcus reluctantly has a talk with Astoria.