Leap of Fate

Chapter Five

I wake up to the sounds of birds chirping and Lucien's heartbeat in my ear. The apartment is cool, and I burrow into his warm skin. Our legs are tangled together and the blankets are wrapped tightly around us. Sleeping next to him was amazing. Each time I woke up during the night I felt immediately soothed knowing he was right there, and waking up? Even better. 

His arms tighten around me, he takes in a long deep breath. I smile and rub my face in his bare chest. "Mmmm good morning." I say happily, a smile plastered to my face. 

As if he can feel my happiness he chuckles. "Morning dove." His breath is warm against my hair and he strokes my back. I pull away slightly to look at him, but only enough to look up at him. 

My heart stops as I look at him. His expression is soft and sleepy, eyes still closed. He looks so peaceful, happy. "How did you sleep?" I ask sliding my hands to his face delicately, tracing his jawline with my fingertips.

 "I slept good. You?" his voice is husky and low causing my heart to flop around in my chest. I trace the lovely lines of his face, and dare to run my fingertips over his scar. He stiffens against me. 

"I slept wonderfully." my voice is barely a whisper as I gingerly touch his scar. The marking Amarantha left on him. His own reminder of those horrors. Anger runs along my bones, even if I wasn't there.. What that woman had done to my sister, to her love, to my....to Lucien. It makes me seethe. 

When he finally opens his eyes, they're glassy and full of emotion. I press against him, rubbing my nose against his. "What are we going to do today?" I ask, dropping my hands to rest on his chest.

He takes a few moments to think. "I don't have anything planned. We could stay like this all day." 

I giggle. "Are you just saying that because I am not wearing pants?" 

He laughs at that and the sound is joyful, at ease. "No, but I will admit you have the most beautiful legs I have ever seen." I blush and absentmindedly rub my legs against his.

I roll around so my back is against him and he presses his body against my back, his arms around me like a steel band, holding me as if I would run away. He nuzzles my neck from behind. "Alright! We could stay here all day, clothed. Or we could go out and do something. Lastly we could work on some emissary things." I mull over the options in my head. 

Staying here all day with him sounds pretty comfortable, going out sounds fun and exciting considering we could do so many things, and doing work? Well he would have to get it done at some point. "How about we stay here all day doing your emissary work!" 

I can feel the vibration of his laugh against my back. "That sounds like a mighty fine idea." I smile widely and stand up and walk my way into his study.

        It is a mess. "What the..." I trail off, taking in the sight of papers stacked high on a desk, some are scattered all around the place, cups and plates covering the desks, along with a pair of his pants. Lucien comes up behind me and winces. 

"Do you live in here!" I turn and look up at him, my eyes wide. He rubs the back of his neck. 

"Kind of. I spend a lot of days in here reading complaints and accepting and denying invitations, etcetera." he looks around the room and moves into it, picking up some things. 

"Wait. You get started and I will clean up so this is a suitable working space! Mother above I don't know how you can work with all this clutter!" I shake my head taking the stack of plates from his hands and start gathering all the dishes. 

He just stands in the middle of the room staring at me. "Come on! Get to work!" I smile at him and gather up the cups before going into the kitchen and start my washing.

It takes 15 minutes to wash all of his dishes then it took an hour to do his laundry, now I set on a mission to organize his work. One pile is complaints, another is applications, another is request visits. I sit on the floor of the study while Lucien is in his chair writing and reading. When I finish organizing I put them on the desk he is currently not occupying. I let loose a long heavy sigh. Who would want to do his job? As I study his features, I don't find a frown. There is a slight tilt in his luscious lips. He really enjoys his job. I come up behind his chair and run my fingers in his hair, starting to tie it into a braid as I look over his shoulder. Currently it looks like he is reading a request to find a new route for spices. He sets down the paper and rubs his eyes.

He turns in his chair, pulling me into his lap, I straddle him and he runs his hands over my bare legs. "Does your work ever end?" I ask, keeping my tone light. 

He groans. "It would seem not. Half of these I could throw away, but I want to make sure everyone gets what they need." he rests his forehead against my shoulder. 

I stroke his hair and lightly massage his shoulders, easing the tension there, thinking all the tasks he must have had to do at the Spring Court. He has so much work here I cant even imagine the work he had to do at the Spring Court, yet that Tamlin still didn't appreciate him. The fact that Lucien still feels guilty over the broken vow he made him? It angers me. Tamlin used him and seems to me he didn't even value Lucien until he lost him.

  I tighten my arms around him, holding him close to me. "I am glad you're here Lucien. Not just with me, but here at the Night Court." he pulls away to look at me.

 "I'm glad I'm here too. I'm also glad you're here." I smile and press a soft tentative kiss to his lips. His grip on my bare thighs tighten and I suddenly feel very self conscious about how little I am wearing. His lips work on mine skillfully, but not pushing farther. His warm callused hands run over my smooth skin, and my hands tangle in is long hair. I nip at his lip and his fingertips dig into my skin making me gasp.

He pulls away and I have to kill the whimper of protest that rises in my throat. "We should get back to work." his voice is casual, but I can see the glaze in his eyes of wanting more. I don't argue. I just shift sideways in his lap and work along side him, reading some complaints, requests and whatnot, but not really. All I can think of is him. How close we are, every point of contact, every breath he takes. I can only concentrate on the way his arms are around my waist, holding me casually as he works. The way he occasionally strokes my inner knee. I can already tell this is going to be an interesting courtship.