Title: The Defining Moment
Author: tommygirl828 (at) gmail (dot) com
A/N: First time writing this pairing, so hopefully I didn't mess with the ship too badly. Feedback always appreciated!
Lucian was a faithful servant to the vampires. He heard other Lycans murmuring words like "revolution" and "freedom," but those were things he never yearned for. Aside from the fact that he doubted there was a Lycan capable of organizing such a thing, abandoning his post as a daylight guardian would mean leaving her behind. And that was unfathomable. So Lucian remained indifferent to the strife, satisfied to enjoy the small moments – like whenever Sonja passed by or stopped to talk to him. Those were the things that mattered, he decided. Besides, he could bear no ill will toward any species that included Sonja.
"You stare at me at those as though I've grown another head," she said, shooting him an appraising gaze from her seat at the table. She put down her book and smiled at him.
In that second, Lucian thought his death would not come about by silver bullet, but by the upward turn of the lips of the most beautiful creature he knew. He tried to maintain a modicum of discretion – he was her servant after all and if others found out about their relationship, it wouldn't go well – and thought about a proper response.
As though she could read his mind, she waved him off and said, "Just promise me, Lucian, that should I ever grow a second head, you will let me know."
"Indeed, though I doubt you could look any less beautiful."
"A Lycan charmer? Who knew such things existed?" she replied. Sonja stood up and moved over next to him. The air around them charged with energy as she dipped her head around the corner, checking to make sure they were alone, before reaching for his hands. She intertwined them, raising their interlocked hands before the two of them, and looked up at him with a stunning smile. She said, "I must be quite lucky then."
Lucian smiled, torn between the urge to touch her further and remaining inconspicuous. He couldn't care less what would become of him if they were caught. It was Sonja he worried about; Sonja who cared so much about her father's approval. He settled for raising one of her hands to his lips. He kissed it and returned her smile. "I believe that I'm the lucky one."
She stared at him and sighed, "If only things could stay like this, just as they are at this moment, and everything would be fine."
Lucian could never figure out why someone as beautiful as Sonja would look in his direction, let alone love him, but there it was. And he wanted to give her everything, whatever her heart desired. He pulled her against his chest, allowing his hands to roam up her back, along her shoulders until he clasped her face between his hands. He kissed her forehead and pulled back enough to look into her eyes, so deep with color and emotion. He said, "I will do whatever you want of me, Sonja. I will continue to ask you to marry me, but if you feel the timing isn't right…"
"I fear the timing will never be right for most of the vampires. They don't see you the way that I do," Sonja replied. She glanced around the room and said, "I cannot continue to worry about my father's happiness. I can only focus on my own desires." She flung her arms around him, a vibrant smile plastered on her face, and whispered that she would spend eternity with him.
At first, he thought he must have heard wrong. After months of claiming he had lost his mind and going on at great length about how much trouble they would be in, she was agreeing to forever with him. He didn't want to push her, content to hide in the shadows for however long she required. He kissed the top of her head and said, "There is no need to prove yourself to me, Sonja. I have faith in your love for me."
"That's all very well and good, but maybe this isn't all about you, Lucian," she stepped back a few inches, creating far too much distance between them for his liking, and crossed her arms over her chest. She stared at him for a few more moments and added, "We love each other. That's not a bad thing and we need to stop treating it as such—"
"But you've—"
"—I've always believed it best to keep this relationship of ourselves quiet. I held out hope that the covenant, specifically my father, would learn to see that the Lycans were more than just indentured servants. I fear that will never happen now. My father is set in his ways, as are most of the others."
"Marriage between the species is forbidden, Sonja."
She smirked and said, "I don't think it's proper to take back a proposal once it's been offered, Lucian."
He caressed her face, pulling her back against his chest, and said, "You know I would never remove the proposal, Sonja, but I worry how your father will react."
"As do I, but we cannot continue to waste our lives on some silly hope that might never happen. I love you. I do not want to hurt my father, but I'm sick of waiting."
"Sonja," he replied, though it came out as little more than a sigh. She was more beautiful than he ever recalled in that moment and something told him to memorize it, as though this would be the defining moment in their life together and he would need to call upon it in the future. Her long hair fell over her shoulders, her alabaster skin glowing against the candles in the room, and the expression on her face as she wrapped her arms around his neck and brought his lips to hers. She belonged to him – he would never know how it happened, but he would treasure it, and her, for eternity. He smiled into another kiss and murmured, "I love you."
"I love you too and I have something to ask of you."
"Yes?"
"Remove all those worries from your mind for the time being. It's etched onto your face, Lucian, and I don't want the start of our life together to be overshadowed with such darkness."
"You are the best thing to ever happen to me, Sonja. No darkness can come of that."
If it were possible, her smile grew in brightness. She said, "We have some planning to do before my father returns."
"I do have to get back to work before someone notices," he countered.
"It can wait a bit longer. I doubt it's going anywhere. We have more important things to deal with," she replied. She kissed him again, allowing her hands to roam under his shirt and along his chest. He bit back a low growl as her lips followed suit and moved along his neck. She whispered, "A lot of things to handle if we're to marry, you know."
He placed his hands on her shoulders and met her devious grin. He doubted he would ever be able to refuse her. He smiled at her and said, "I can't wait for you to be my wife."
"Neither can I," she said. She took his hand and led him out of the parlor and up the stairs. The logical part of his brain, the portion that had kept him alive and well-favored in the eyes of his masters, told him that this wasn't their best idea and to wait. But prudence fell away when his gaze locked on Sonja's and her hand drifted to his cheek. He leaned into the caress and could do nothing else, but follow her.
Fin