She looked....heavens, she looked like she stepped out of a dream....a dangerous, alluring dream, that he couldn't help succumbing to.
His eyes took in every dip and curve that the dress painfully highlighted. If he had thought she looked good in the other one, then this...he didn't know what to say of this.
Lyla shifted uncomfortably at his eyes that seemed to consume every inch of her. His sudden stillness made it all the more tense.
"Lucien?" She called, but he didn't respond, didn't even move
The dress was made for…actually, no, she was made for this dress. He had never known anyone would look so damned good in a fucking cut of silk.
But the way the dress flowed down her, from the little straps to the bit of cleavage to how it held her waist and hips, to that slit starting at her mid thigh before flowing to the ground. Red had never looked so enchanting.
"Lucien?" Shit, he'd been staring at her like a freak
"Seems good. This will do," he said, playing it off as nonchalantly as possible.
"Thank the heavens," she sighed, but then her brows scrunched, "you don't think it's a bit too much."
She asked, and before he could answer, she turned.
His reply emptied from his head.
The back of the dress hangs low, mere inches from the curve of her ass.
How could someone's back look so glorious?
"It's...you look... It's good unless you're not comfortable." Heavens, was he stuttering? he was glad no one was here to witness it
She turned to face him, a little pout on her lips.
"I mean, it's gorgeous, but it will take some getting used to, but if it works, then good."
"Are you sure?" he asked. She might look great, but if she were uncomfortable...
"Yeah," she nodded, resolve clear in her eyes.
After purchasing it, they left to find suits for them. Lucien, the selfish idiot, didn't give her the same pleasure she did by allowing her to have a look and choose. No, he just found one, tried it, and paid. Fine
They spent the rest of the day walking, taking in the views of the city; it was immaculate, so much life buzzed around in a vibrancy she hadn't seen even in Luminara.
The walk ended with them sitting at a bench in front of a pond. It was already night, and the moon shining above cast a radiant glow on the waters, making them shimmer. Life swam beneath if the little ripples were to be trusted.
Silence stretched between them for minutes, allowing her to savour the beauty before her.
She turned to find Lucien staring blankly into the waters, his thoughts miles away.
"Thinking about the fancy party"
He turned to her eyes shining brighter under the moon, "thinking about a lot of things," he shook his head, "Do you miss your home?"
"Yes," she let out a heavy breath, "every day," and heavens did she miss her family.
"Is it that different here?"
"Luminaraeth is great, but....I mean, umbraeth, umbraeth is great, but you know"
His head tilted, something she had noticed he did when he was curious or questioning.
He only nodded before saying, "Tell me about your family, your life there."
"Well, my family is ah, they...they are far from reach," she started looking into the pond. "I live with a guardian, a friend of my mom, she ah she's also a projector, a really good one too, but she's so... bossy," she chuckled, the Keeper's scowling face coming into mind.
"We fought once, a nasty fight, and we...we never really got to straighten things out before you know, I came here. I thought...I thought I really didn't care about it, and I always assumed she didn't care about me, but…" she remembered the Keeper's scream as the Cu sith took her away, it had sounded so real and pained and…frightened.
"I just...I don't know, it's complicated," she finally turned to face him.
He nodded in understanding, "My father and I also have a complicated relationship."
He had never once mentioned his family in the many weeks she had stayed with him, so for him to say this, she just continued.
"I have two friends who're protectors, they were the ones training me," she smiled fondly, "they're incredibly talented, you know, I'd say they are the best protectors out there."
"I think the Drakon brothers would disagree."
She whipped her head to him, "You've heard about them?"
"Of course, that wall doesn't really hide everything. Plus, their family is legendary, so I'd assume they've lived up to the name?"
Lyla just shrugged, "I guess they do. You have any other friends, well, other than the ones I know?"
"Not really"
"I have another, she's a healer still in training, but I know one day she'll be the best Luminaraeth has ever known."
He chuckled, "Don't tell Livie that."
She smiled, "I think they'd get along. They're similar in many ways, actually, cute with big doe eyes, quiet, always buried deep in their research. Together, I think they'd make some great discoveries."
"Well then, I hope they meet one day."
She turned to him, still smiling, "I hope so too, and...and I hope all of you get to see Luminara and they also get to come here."
"Yeah"
"You really don't believe in the prophecy?"
"It's not that I don't want to, but if the chosen one was real, why aren't they here yet? This world is already fucked up. If evil is what will bring them, then we have a lot of that, so why aren't they here?"
She remained silent, and maybe it was the assuring presence of the night or the normalcy between them. She said
"Maybe they are, maybe they're just bidding their time gathering their strength, searching for ways to make this world better. Maybe they're lost, confused, or they're just not ready yet," she shrugged, " who knows?"
*
The day of the party had arrived, and Lucien had offered to pay for a hairdresser, but she adamantly refused. He had spent a lot on the dress, plus it already did enough for her, so she opted to keep her makeup minimal and her hair held as a ponytail, allowing some curls to drop on her face.
Lucien had stared at her again when she exited the room, but instead of dwelling on the awkwardness, she focused on him. On the suit that hugged his powerful form
A black suit and white shirt, simple but...why did he look so heavens damned perfect
Three of his shirt buttons lay open, allowing a glimpse into his muscled chest, and she followed that trail till it was obscured by cotton.
Currently, he was trying to close the cuffs on his suit jacket to no avail.
"Let me," she said, approaching him, and he held out his arm.
His scent wrapped around them as she busied herself, ignoring how the smell of him always settled so right in her.
She could feel his eyes on her as he watched her close the cuff, then followed her to the next. She might have lingered a bit before finally stepping back, yet she was still too close.
His thick hair was messy as if he couldn't be bothered by it, but she preferred it that way, the wildness that made him even more appealing.
Standing this close, she noted the little things that added to the perfection that was his face, strong jaw, pink, lush lips, thick eyebrows and lashes, a beauty spot close to the lower lashes of his right eye. He was...
"We should ah, leave," he said, and heat immediately rose to her cheeks.
"Yes, yes, let's go."