(BEWARE: Contains massive spoilers from "Professor Layton and the Unwound Future" !)
Professor Layton : Reader x Future Luke
Innamoramento
You can feel your muscles tense as his fingers brush your burning cheek, his other hand finding yours, lacing your fingers with his.
You cannot look away. Your eyes lock on his and your heart skips a beat as the distance between your faces is slowly closed.
Both of you have stopped breathing. An uneasy silence fills the air.
He closes his eyes.
"Luke, stop."
He opens them again, blushing from embarrassment as you suddenly interrupt the kiss.
You cannot.
"We can't."
His eyes fill with sadness and incomprehension.
"That would be immoral."
He smiles bitterly, waiting for you to continue.
"... In the present where I'm from, Luke is... you are still a little boy... Think about the implications and consequences..."
Ah.
That is right.
Everything goes according to the plan.
You do not know. For now, that is.
But his name is actually Clive.
To ensure his revenge would be fulfilled, he has perfectly studied all of it. He knows all about your bond to Hershel Layton – you are one of his students from Gressenheller University. You have helped the professor countless times at the faculty and even outside, being dragged around in his crazy adventures around the globe every time you expected them the less.
He knows you are close to Flora – this is exactly the reason why you are here right now. Flora was so distressed after her dearest Professor and Luke had left her behind 'again' that she nagged you, her best friend, into following them to this quaint clock shop, and thus, to future London.
But that is not all.
He also knows all about "Little" Luke's deep affection for you. Yet, because of the significant age difference, you do not acknowledge – or are rather oblivious of – the fact he cares so much about you, as you are only tempted to consider him as a little brother. Nothing more, nothing less.
But after encountering "Big" Luke, you began to wonder. To doubt.
About your blooming feelings.
And he can see it.
He has successfully trapped you inside the story.
Your arrival was totally unexpected. He could not have dreamt of any better opportunity to push his role to its utmost limit by naturally getting closer to you.
Even Layton does not suspect the masquerade: it is, after all, a normal process – the evolution from a sweet, platonic 13-year-old teenage boy's crush towards a more adult relationship. His interpretation of Luke's role is simply reaching a logical outcome. He gives the boy what he simply lacks of in the present and probably regrets – maturity, legality… Sensuality.
His game is flawless. This is why he does not hesitate.
To conquer your heart.
To torture his past "self" by making him jealous.
You all distract him so much.
However
His plan has gone too far.
He did not expect to grow fond of you. To be the one struck with envy when you shift your focus from him to the others.
You are too kind, too moral. He is a deceitful, manipulative man. This is probably why he is attracted to you in the first place.
What he loves the most about you is your optimism and above all, your trust in living. This innocence he lost a while ago.
Unfortunately, you will never know how he feels about you.
How will you react the day his plan will be revealed? When his revenge will be accomplished? When Layton, Flora and "Little" Luke will certainly be dead because of him?
What is he going to do with you?
You are such an obsessing, insolvable puzzle.
He fell into his very own trap. Deep, so deep…
He met you only few hours ago.
Although he has studied all of it.
It is different.
How comes it feels like he has known you for much longer?
What are years anyway? Hours. And hours? Seconds, pumping in his chest like heartbeats.
If only…
If only you had appeared into his life sooner… way before all this madness would come alive in this underground replica of London…
Perhaps, in different circumstances, he could have taken you away with him. Hide his true identity from you and start everything anew as Luke Triton and live a new future in Future London – live the comforting present he longs for.
Where you would be his queen.
And Clive Dove would have been buried altogether with London and his past.
But this eerie, crooked future would never see the light, because everything happening in the present already belongs to the past.
Destroy it all, rebuild it all.
This time of relief would never come. Ever.
"I understand. I'm sorry, (Name)... I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable... sorry." he replies, letting go of your cheek and your hand. You politely shake your head to dismiss his apology and sigh in relief. Both of you remain silent for what seems like an eternity. You tell awkwardly:
"We must go now. The others are probably already waiting for us at the hotel and wondering where we are..."
"I agree, let's go." He nods, walking directly in front of you to show you the way while putting back his hat straight. He opens the door and you two eventually exit the stairwell where you have been standing for the past minutes.
"I hope they won't be too worried." you say. "Especially Flora and Luke... let's not keep them waiting."
"I know a short-cut. Follow me."
Leaving the pagoda behind, you walk across Chinatown's narrow streets, silently avoiding Dimitri's henchmen from time to time until you eventually reach your destination – Hotel Duke.
As you barely arrive into the lobby, Shipley, who is sitting near the reception desk, walks right towards Clive and tells him abruptly:
"I need to talk to you right away about an urgent matter."
The young man nods then looks at you, obviously preoccupied.
"(Name), could you give us a minute, please?"
"Sure."
You walk away to the bottom of the staircase in order to let them have some privacy. Nevertheless, you can still hear the man's fast and furious hushed voice and observe Future Luke's troubled look on his face. Once the conversation is over, Luke walks in your direction and says:
"(Name), some very important business has come up, and I need to go take care of it immediately."
You look at the moustached man standing in the corner of the lobby with suspicion, then back at Luke. You frown.
"Where are you going?"
"I can't tell you, but don't you worry, it won't take too long."
"Let me accompany you then, you might need some help."
"No, (Name), you must stay here! Please, I need you to tell the professor to carry on with this investigation without me for now. I promise I'll meet back up with you all later."
"But..."
"No buts about it! We might get in troubles and I don't want you to get hurt!"
"Luke, we have to go!" Shipley calls.
"Aye, I'm coming already!" He retorts a little upset. Seeing your disappointed and confused expression, he makes Shipley understand with his hand and a whisper at least five more minutes are needed. The man sighs in defeat.
"(Name), come with me."
Walking by your side, Luke delicately places his hands on your arms to force you to turn around and climb up to Professor Layton's room, where surprisingly, none of your friends are back yet.
The young man closes the door behind you.
"They aren't here yet? My short-cut truly was effective."
It is strange to find himself alone with you again in a closed space. The feeling is mutual.
He smiles to himself.
He wants to see it one more time. That flustered expression of yours.
"I haven't got much time, but let me tell you this: you mustn't get hurt. I just... will never forgive myself if anything happens to you... especially when I'm here... do you follow? Plus, it would be unworthy of a gentleman to let you be the target of some dangerous psychopaths running loose out there."
You imperceptibly blush at his words.
"Luke, what's going on? Where are we meeting, then?"
"I'm sure Professor Layton has figured it out already. He'll know where to find me. So please, until that time, stay by his side and be safe."
He is about to take his leave but you retain him by the sleeve.
"Luke, can I trust you?"
Well, what a surprise.
He did not expect this question.
Disconcerting.
You have all the reasons in the world to distrust him. He is a cunning liar, after all.
A fake Luke Triton.
Despite the fact he has created this underground city, he is no God, no angel.
Just a liar.
Acting.
Somehow, your question makes him profoundly sad.
Because this time, he is not lying.
"I sincerely promise I only want to protect you." He eventually says, after a long pause.
"... What does that mean, 'sincerely'? The Luke I know has always been a sincere boy. I know you are. That you are still a sincere young man. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings with my question. I regret."
He is about to reply when someone knocks hastily at the door.
"Luke!" Shipley calls in a whisper, as in panic.
"Go." You tell. "It'll be okay. I believe in you and in Professor Layton. I know we'll find you anytime soon."
"(Name)." Clive sighs in relief. "Thank you."
And that smile of yours.
It makes him realise.
Undoubtedly.
He really is falling for you.
And he wants you, as much as you want him. Both of you have noticed it.
But soon, he will obliterate London and you will never forgive him.
As he is about to step out of the room and set off, he rapidly removes his hand from the doorknob to gently grab your wrist.
Before you can even protest, he brings the palm of your hand to his lips and then softly places it on his chest, where his heart is.
It sounds peaceful. And confident. Just like the tick-tock of a clock.
It feels warm.
Is it true? That in the future you and Luke will...
"(Name)", Clive murmurs with this voice sending shivers down your spine.
This day will come. He will wait for it. Patience is his greatest virtue.
One day, not now, he will make you his.
He whispers.
"I shall be waiting."