Title: Under Her Roof
Fandom: Macbeth
Rating: G
Word Count: 300
Characters/Ships: Macbeth/Lady Macbeth
Notes: Counting this towards Murder/Villain/Anywhere But Here.
Summary: A vignette from after the bloody deed.


She should have known he'd be too timid for murder in his own house.

He could go out into the world and drench the hills of Scotland in his adversaries' blood, his face covered with mud and looking for all the world like a wild thing. But as soon as he crossed the threshold, all that wildness, all that blood-lust, was as forgotten.

She had never thought that this would one day be a problem. She had counted herself lucky to have a husband who could be something other than a warrior if he chose to, who could leave the violence of that bloody business outside. But it wasn't until he shoved the bloodied daggers into her hands that she understood this wasn't a choice.

There was no time to dwell on it now. She took the daggers out of his hands, put them where they belonged, and went back to him to limit the damage as best she could.

He hadn't moved an inch, stood still like he was waiting for her to give him permission. She kissed him and he clung to her. For some reason she couldn't fathom, he needed this blood to have been spilled somewhere other than here.

"Mistress," he whispered. The need behind the words made her stomach lurch.
"All is well," she replied.

He moved, then, and nodded against her forehead, then sagged. She felt the full weight of him in her arms for a second before he caught himself. She breathed deeply.

"Come to bed."

He allowed himself to be led and she prayed to the Goddess that she'd be able to give him the strength for what was ahead.