Just The Two of Us// WMMAP [One Shot]

"Practice"

I see the crystal raindrops fall
And the beauty of it all
Is when the sun comes shining through
To make those rainbows in my mind
When I think of you sometime
And I wanna spend some time with you

"Lucas, can you practice with me?"

A page of paper fluttered in the air as the man in question flipped it. He hummed, lifting his head, greeting Athanasia's eyes with his own glistening rubies. "Why?"

"Well, I don't have anybody else to practice with!"
"Don't wanna."

Athanasia's cheeks puffed, and she struggled with her anger, though she definitely failed to stop her foot from kicking his. "Please! I really need to practice!"

"Kekeke, you have some weird persuasion techniques," Lucas laughed, his eyes gleaming brighter, which annoyed his companion even more. And, when she tried to kick his foot again, he simply rolled away and looked up at her. "What do you need to practice for?"

"I don't know. Felix told me that I've been invited to another event, and I might need to dance."
"With who?" For some reason, Lucas suddenly felt irritated. It was an odd feeling, where a balloon was inflating within his mind, the air hot and noisy as it whirled around.

"I don't know, but I need to practice!" Athanasia begged. Her companion simply turned away and flipped onto his stomach, continuing to read the book in his hands. "Don't wanna."

"Please?" Her back hit the floor, which was bitterly cold with the dropping autumn temperatures, but she didn't mind. She tilted her head on the marble ground, their eyes meeting upside down. As those passionate rubies, which were roaring with his irritation, met her calm sapphires, she smiled, "won't it be like the old times? You know, before my debutante?"

In the silence that responded to her question, Lucas remembered. His lips began to curl up.

Just the two of us
We can make it if we try
Just the two of us
(Just the two of us)
Just the two of us
Building castles in the sky
Just the two of us
You and I

"Yeah?" He hummed, pushing himself up to sit on the floor, but his hand was held out, awaiting hers; Athanasia thought that his hand felt oddly warm despite the bitter temperature. "Yeah."

"Well, if you're really that desperate, I guess that I'll give you some of my time."
"You weren't that busy anyway."
"Yes, I was."
"Doing what?"
"Breathing."

Athanasia guffawed, her mouth opened wide like her eyes as she stared at her companion, that insufferable man. Still, he was standing, waiting for her in the middle of the chamber, his hand held out again and awaiting hers. There was a soft smile on his face, which was enchanting in a way. For a moment, she thought that he really resembled a prince.

"You must have a lot of time on your hands to be moving so slowly." The image vanished the moment that he opened his mouth, and the princess felt irritated. Really, he could have given her the illusion that she was dancing with a gentleman. "Better than someone who's so bored that they consider breathing as being busy."

"That was weak. You can do better," Lucas clicked his tongue, but the smile on his face brightened when their hands touched. It was warm when their fingers interlocked, which happened so naturally, even though it wasn't dancing etiquette. And, when the music began playing with the flick of his wrist, Athanasia couldn't help but think that he really looked like a prince.

We look for love, no time for tears
Wasted water's all that is
And it don't make no flowers grow
Good things might come to those who wait
Not for those who wait too late
We gotta go for all we know

Their breaths merged in the space between them, and Lucas smirked when he noticed that she couldn't look into his eyes. She was oddly shy, which was rare to him. Why would she be shy when they've been friends since her 'childhood?'

So, he couldn't help but tease her. He leaned in close, his mouth near her ear, and his breath fanned over her neck. Immediately, the autumn chill vanished. "Are you rusty? Don't worry, I'll go slow."

Athanasia's breath became uneven, and her brain became foggy to the point that she forgot her steps. When her foot stepped on his, she couldn't even apologize. All that she could do was lift her head and look into his eyes, whose flames were dancing so joyously- it made her irritated.

The ocean waves roared within her eyes, and an uncharacteristic courage washed over her mind. She leaned closer as well, her breath over his collarbone as she looked at him through the space between her bangs. Lucas stopped breathing, his lungs in his throat, along with his heart too; he hadn't expected her to be as bold. "I'm not sure if I'm rusty, but I think that I can last pretty long. Lucas, let's dance all night long."

"Yeah?" Lucas asked breathlessly.
"Yeah," his companion replied, her cheeks reddening.

Then, they both looked into one another's eyes, their legs moving by muscle memory. After a moment of simply dancing, one song finishing without them even noticing, both burst into laughter and their grips tightened. Their fingers were intertwined so tightly that it was difficult to find where the fingers originated from, the space vanishing between each hand until they were as close as possible.

I hear the crystal raindrops fall
On the window down the hall
And it becomes the morning dew
And darling when the morning comes
And I see the morning sun
I wanna be the one with you

It was the memory of their first dance practice which flashed before their eyes. When Athanasia had been a nervous wreck, stepping on Lucas' foot every five seconds, he had made her laugh. Again and again, he simply said jokes, refraining from insulting her just so that she could feel comfortable.

They had been so young. Neither could even remember how many years had already passed, nor how old they had been. Time felt different for them, obsolete in some way, but they could only want for more of it as they danced into the night. Just like he promised, Lucas danced slowly with Athanasia. Just like she promised, she danced with him until the moon had risen high into the sky.

Just as it peaked, Lily knocked on the door. She didn't dare walk in; she felt that she would have intruded on an intimate moment. So, she simply waited outside to lead the princess to the dining hall, letting the duo finish a song, their eyes never leaving one another's. And, when the last note resonated within that moonlit room, Lucas smiled one last time and kissed his princess on her nose.

"Let's dance again another time."
"How about the function that Felix was talking about?"
"You want me to escort you?"
"Who else would I want to stand by me?"

Another moment passed between them, Lucas' heels tapping the floor as he moved to pick up his book. A hum filled the chamber as he straightened once again, facing the princess who looked at him as if he was the dumbest man that she had ever met.

"If you're that desperate, then I guess I'll go."
"Right, play hard to get, Lucas. It's a classic move." The door clicked open as the princess moved to leave, her lover's laughter following her from within the dim room.

"Why should I play hard to get?" Athanasia paused from following Lily, looking behind her back with a smirk of satisfaction.
"That's true. I already have you."

"I'm yours as you are mine." The words floated between them, as warm as the breaths that fanned the space that used to be so small. Their eyes met one last time, passionate flames against the raging waves, and the soft smile that they shared filled the gap as they parted.

They both knew that they'd see each other again as soon as silence filled the palace where Athanasia lived.

Just the two of us
We can make it if we try
Just the two of us
(Just the two of us)
Just the two of us
Building big castles way on high
Just the two of us
You and I

✧.*ೃ༄
Just a small snippet of Lucathy, lol. I hope that you guys enjoyed🙌🏼

Commentary on the image: "your honor, they're in love."