The House of Sorrows

Chapter 16: "First kiss"

"Lockwood! Hey, it's okay! It's not real!" Lucy called out softly, trying to shake him awake. But when Lockwood's eyes snapped open, he was still in a panic, disoriented and unable to see clearly in the darkness. He didn't recognize where they were, and he couldn't tell who was in front of him. Reacting on instinct, he shoved her back, causing her to stumble onto the floor. Standing above her, he pressed his foot against her chest, shouting, "Who are you?"

"Lockwood—ah, it's me, it's Lucy! You were having a nightmare!" she squeaked, her voice tight as his foot pressed into her bandaged chest.

Realizing his mistake, Lockwood quickly pulled his foot back, his face filling with horror. "Oh. Oh, I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry, Lucy! I—I didn't realize." He leaned down to help her up, his apologies tumbling out as she took his hand.

"It's okay," Lucy reassured him, brushing off his concern. "You were having a nightmare. I didn't want to scare you—I obviously failed, though," she added with an apologetic smile.

Once they were both standing, Lockwood went to turn on the light, casting a soft glow across the room. As he looked back at her, his eyes widened. "Lucy...your neck. It's bruised. Badly," he murmured, reaching out to inspect it.

Lucy's heart quickened at his gentle touch, but as his fingers brushed her neck, she flinched from the pain. The injuries from the man's grasp the night before had worsened overnight.

"Sorry," he whispered, pulling his hand away quickly, almost as if he feared causing her more harm.

"It's okay," Lucy assured him, not wanting him to feel responsible. "It wasn't you—it's just sore." She watched his expression soften, but there was a lingering sadness in his eyes.

"Lockwood, was your nightmare...was it about me? I thought I heard my name," she ventured cautiously, knowing he was often reluctant to talk about his feelings. Lockwood's face fell, and he looked down, avoiding her gaze. Gently, she reached out, cupping his face and lifting it so that their eyes met.

"It's okay," she whispered. "You can talk to me."

He hesitated, but then the words began to spill out. "Yeah. We were back at the old woman's house, when you were hurt, and then I was back in that building, in that room with those men...torturing you. But in my dream—in the nightmare...you died. Both times. I had to watch." His voice trembled, and she could see the tears beginning to form in his eyes.

"Lockwood, that sounds horrible," Lucy said softly, her heart aching for him. "But it wasn't real. I'm right here, right in front of you." She leaned forward, pressing her forehead to his as they both closed their eyes, breathing in unison, grounding themselves in the moment.

When she opened her eyes, he was looking at her, the sadness now replaced with something warmer, something softer. Their breaths mingled as they leaned closer, and her hands found their way to his neck, pulling him in. He didn't pull back; instead, he moved closer, meeting her halfway. Their lips met, soft and warm, his breath coming in uneven waves as he held her close. His hands rested on her arms, their touch trembling with the intensity of the moment.

For Lucy, it was pure bliss, the world falling away as she lost herself in him. She had loved Lockwood for so long, often imagining moments like this, but she'd never thought it would truly happen. But here he was, real and solid, his lips against hers, in the dim light of the hospital room, smiles breaking through the intensity of the moment.

The feeling that enveloped them was like a balm, a remedy for all the pain and hardship they'd endured. She wondered if she could call it love—she knew she loved him, but did he love her?

And as if he had burrowed himself in her brain, and could hear her thoughts—and perhaps he had—he whispered, "I love you, Lucy," Lockwood said, his voice soft and warm, his hands cupping her cheeks as his thumb brushed lightly across her lip.

Yes. He did. Their love was real, and she could see it reflected in his eyes. She smiled back, her heart pounding, not from fear or embarrassment, but from joy. They walked over to her bed, and she lay down, with Lockwood settling beside her. The light was turned off, and though they didn't speak, they didn't need to; they knew what they were feeling. She leaned against his chest, his arm wrapped around her, his face close to hers. As exhaustion began to overtake her, she closed her eyes, breathing in his comforting presence.

Just before she drifted off to sleep, she felt a soft kiss on her forehead, a final reassurance that she was safe in Lockwood's arms.

Authors note: holy absolute crap! I've never written a kissing scene before so I hope that was ok! Also how freaking cute are they!!!!