#acosad

If he could, he would freeze time right at this moment. Everything feels so right and good, and he doesn’t want a single thing to change. He just wants to be here, with her in his arms. His heart is at ease and feels full of life and love. There are things that are on his mind —Helion and Koschei— but when she is with him his mind can rest and he can allow himself to forget about all his worries. His fears. Fears of rejection and pain. When he is with Elain, he feels seen, loved, validated. He feels good.

Eventually, however, he pulls himself up, leaving the warmth of the bed and Elain— of course, not before kissing the side of her head. Elain grumbles some incomprehensible words, her voice groggy with sleep and buries her face in the crook of her elbow before falling right back asleep.

Lucien has to chuckle, his hand brushing down her waist before pulling the blanket up to her shoulder. "I‘ll be back soon."

The air outside is still crisp, but the scent of winter has been replaced by those of dewy grass, damp earth and a hint of sweetness coming from the early wildflowers — crocuses as Elain explained to him.

The light of the early morning sun filters through the canopy of trees above their heads, bathing the forest in a soft, yellow-greenish hue. Lucien knows Elain would love it here right now and the sole thought of her makes him smile, he just can’t avoid it.

His axe hoisted over his shoulder, Jurian glances at his friend as they reach the clearing where the big trunk of wood is waiting for the smaller chunks to be cut. The former general catches sight of the smile on Lucien’s face and grins. "I think I have never seen you this happy before, Vanserra."

Lucien’s brow lifts in silent surprise at how observant his friend is. He opens his mouth to answer, but Jurian beats him to it. "I‘m glad things are finally going in the right direction between the two of you. She is good for you."

"Thank you," Lucien answers, honestly surprised over his friend’s kind words, and a sheepish smile blooms on his lips.

"And you are good for her. I can see how much she has flourished since coming here and being with you. She was like a flower withering in winter, and now she is a ray of sunshine."

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"Lucien," Elain cries out and in a desperate attempt to reach for something to hold onto, she tangles her fingers into Lucien’s hair. He growls against her centre when she tugs sharply, the vibrations of it coursing through her. Release once again crashes into her with a sharp impact and she dissolves into bliss.

Lucien’s idea to clean up afterwards is only half successful. They make it to the bath, and they even bathe. Yet when Lucien rises to leave the tub and wants to gather a towel for his mate, his gaze falls on Elain, still sitting down, her eyes hooded, desire shimmering brightly in the deep brown.

Their bodies move almost of their own accord, fast and frenzied.

Kneeling in front of him, Elain looks up at her mate through her lashes, her lips, swollen from all the kisses and damp with saliva and bath water, parted. "You are so beautiful," she breathlessly expresses and her hand curls around the shaft of his length. Elain kisses the crown of his cock before her lips part around him and she takes him into her mouth — a first for her. She has never done this before, but the way he looks at her gives her confidence. Her lips fasten around him as she takes him deeper, starting to bob her head.

Lucien’s eyes roll back in his head when he throws his head back, long hair shifting over his shoulders with the movement. He tries to keep his thrusts shallow, his hips still in order to not gag her, to not fuck her face.

Still, Elain’s eyes start to water when the broad crown of his length hits the back of her mouth and she gags. Coughs. But she doesn’t stop. 

Using her lips and eventually also her hand together, she looks up at him. Lucien is a sight for sore eyes — his sculpted chest, the plains of muscles, are coated in a thin film of sweat that makes his dark skin shimmer in the dim light. His head is thrown back, the tendons in his throat standing out when he swallows roughly. And as if he can feel her gaze on him, a sensual grin breaks out on his lips, and slowly he lowers his chin to his chest.

Eventually, he meets her gaze — his eyes are twin flames of passion. Of hunger and fire.

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“Good morning, Lucien Vanserra,“ she hums in a singy voice, the smile not fading from her lips. “It’s quite toasty in here.“ But she doesn’t remove the blanket and she also doesn’t move away. Elain only sticks one foot out of the covers, wiggling her toes when they are exposed to the cool air of the room.

“Did you sleep well?“

“Like a babe.“ Her smile turns into a grin and Lucien is taken right back to the moment in the kitchen. The moment in the kitchen after they—

“I could feel you. That night…after you warmed my bath water. I could feel you. Everything you did. It was like you were in the room with me. Was this the bond’s doing? Was this possible through the bond?“ Elain’s cheeks turn from rosy to a deep red and now a grin appears on Lucien’s lips as well, at her straightforward question. 

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All the power needed was borne out of this sheer will and need to keep her mate safe and tend to his wounds. The entire journey back to the manor is a blur of effort, as she struggles to keep him close and upright — far from an easy task. Lucien is a tall male, so much taller than her, and he is heavy, nothing but muscles adorning his large frame. Every step is a challenge, and he does what he can to help, clinging to Elain as they make their way through the forest, through the thicket and the dewy grass. His full weight presses against her, and through the bond, she can sense his frustration. He despises the fact that she has to work so hard to support him. But along with that frustration, she can also feel his gratitude, his thankfulness. 

Never ever will he be alone. Not with her as his mate, Elain knows this. She won’t leave him alone again. They have each other now. 

And never in her wildest dreams would she leave him behind as Lucien had suggested during her first attempt to pull him up to his feet. She would sooner die than leave him alone in the forest, bleeding out, facing his final moments.

“Only a few more metres,” Elain expresses through clenched teeth, her breathing hard and ragged, her chest aching as cold air whooshes in and out of her lungs. Lucien’s low groans and noises of pain are the only sounds filling her ears. But she keeps pushing forward, further and further until they truly make it back to the manor. She is drenched in sweat by the time she reaches the door, out of breath, but a kernel of pride flickers to life within her – she made it. Lucien is safe!

Vassa and Jurian are immediately there to catch Lucien from her trembling arms, helping her get him inside and laying him down in his bed on the first floor. The pink sofa in the parlour wouldn’t be big enough and Lucien could fall off – a risk they won’t take.

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