I've kind of decided to only use this type of writing when it comes to oneshots. I don't think it would fair me very well with whole stories.
Anyways, I've written another short Lucian one shot per the requests of a few people. I intend to get an installation of Permanent Passion up by tomorrow! So, enjoy! And please review!
DISCLAIMER: None of is this is true in the lightest sense. I'm simply writing about Lucian for my own and enjoyment and the enjoyment of others. I am not affiliated with Lucy or Ian or anyone who does know them. This is fictional. If you don't like the pairing, please leave.
Brea gurgles as I push the carriage down the vegan aisle at Whole Foods. Well, one of the many vegan aisles at said grocery store. It's like a heaven for vegetarians, let me tell you. At almost a year old, Brea has grown more aware of the world in ways Lucy and I couldn't imagine. It's somewhat surprising to be talking on the phone and the baby understands that Lucy's call time is later than mine or that someone needs to pick up more food for Jack. Right now, her wide blue eyes are looking around at various packaged foods, pointing to each one with baby chatter as if to converse with me as to why we should have it in the house.
"Lovebug, I don't think we need…" I trail off as I pick up the package she was pointing to and read the labeling. It's dried Kelp Noodles that Lucy likes to boil up and bring with her on set. "Never mind, I think we do need these. Mommy was running out." I place a kiss to her soft forehead and Brea smiled triumphantly. "Good eye, B." She giggles and it's one of the most beautiful, enlightening sounds I've heard in the world. Brea's laughter is often a mixture of bell chimes and a hiccup; far daintier than the ones her mother and I have.
As I push the cart further down the aisle, Brea begins to babble about something and I pretend to listen, nodding enthusiastically just to see the gummy smile come over her face. In my head though, I'm thinking about the past two years and how everything has come together. After a severe breakup, Lucy had turned to me for support. It seemed like fate had decided to intervene and soon enough, we were taking things slow, trying to build back up the friendship we once had and embarking on an entirely new journey in the matters of romance. I don't mean to sound biased, but in the first year of our relationship, I had never seen her so happy before. I'd never seen myself so happy before either.
As things escalated and like turned to love and love turned to engagement, we went public with our relationship. I can vaguely remember the fans jumping for joy and people flailing over the Ustream we used to reveal our romance with. I wasn't and have never been ashamed of Lucy; in fact, I hated to hide what we had when I was so happy and proud of it. Engagement soon turned to pregnancy and pregnancy turned to the little girl swinging her legs back and forth in the front of a grocery carriage.
Brea at first came as a shock not only to Lucy and me, but to the cast and crew. Edits were made to shooting, plot lines were adjusted, and costumes had to be fitted and re-fitted for Lucy to be able to look good on screen without her bump being noticeable. The camera never shot her entire body, but only from her chest upwards. Difficult during that time was an understatement. It wasn't as if the fanbase or media was in the dark; our pregnancy was one of the top most watched stories in 2014. There's something about people's interest in co-stars living a life together off screen…I just can't really put my foot on it. I wasn't exactly thrilled about having everything so much so in the public eye, but people wanted to know what it was that made Lucy and I fully decide to take the plunge.
Brea Evangeline was born in late December; practically on Christmas. And since she came into the world with her little cry, she's been the light of the Harding-Hale household (soon to just be Harding).
"Da." Her clipped words bring my attention away from my reverie. Brea is pointing towards someone at the end of the aisle and I shake my head.
"It's not polite to point, Lovebug." Brea's bottom lip begins to quiver and I cup her somewhat plump cheek in the palm of my hand and lean down to place a kiss on the top of her head where the bow Lucy adorned her with this morning rests. She's all for dressing Brea up like her little doll. The amount of baby clothes we have in the house is shocking. They take up half the laundry basket. "Don't cry, Brea. Just a few more things and we'll be out of here, okay?" She gives me a watery smile, obviously recuperating from the few tears that lingered there only minutes before.
"Dada." This time, Brea's smiling at my goofily. It's the Harding trademark, as if my eye color wasn't enough for her to inherit.
"Hi, Baby." She claps her hands at my response and the points to another thing in the aisle. My eyes follow her tiny little fingers and spot a bag of cookies that my teething little girl so desperately wants. "I see what you're getting at, Miss Harding. What would Mommy say?" Brea begins to pout and her eyes cloud once again. Almost immediately, I reach for the bag and her expression lightens. Those tiny hands reach out for me and she blows little bubbles with her heart shaped lips.
"Don't worry," I mumble, pressing my forehead against hers. "We don't have to tell Mommy. It'll be our little secret." She giggles that tinkering sound again and I can't help but let the infectious smile grow on my face. This is my little girl. Despite the trouble and heartache I had to go through to get to this point, I wouldn't regret it for the world.
"I think we're ready to check out, Miss Harding. What do you think? Mommy's probably waiting for us at home and wants to make dinner." Or well, watch me make dinner while she writes out lyrics for her next album or highlights her lines for the table read this coming Monday.
"Momma," Brea squeals and with her excitement, I know it's time we start heading home.
Jack races enthusiastically around my feet as I enter the house with Brea resting on my hip. Her head is beginning to loll near my shoulder, eyes fluttering shut. Her dark eyelashes rest against her pale skin, creating quite the contrast. They open wide again once Jack starts yapping and Brea reaches towards him. She prefers the dog over any toy. "Hey, Jack," I say and he yaps again.
"Jack, don't wake her," calls a voice that I can only place as Lucy's. A smile breaks out onto my face as she rounds the corner with a video camera in hand. "Oh, hello, Mr. Harding." She laughs; it's my other favorite sound in the world besides Brea's giggle. "And who's this? Is this my little girl?" Brea's attention immediately flips from the dog to her mother and a huge smile breaks out on her face.
"Momma," she squeals and Lucy whips out the camera to catch the moment on hand. Having been given advice from Holly to record every moment of Brea's first year, I haven't been able to wean it from Lucy's hands except when it's time to go to sleep. Even so, it's always resting on the dresser.
"Oh, what? I don't get a hello either?" I pout, the moment caught by the camera.
"I think a hello can be arranged. I can even give you something better than just a simple word." Turning the camera towards us, Lucy leans in and presses a kiss to my lips. I want to reach out and hold her against me, but the weight of Brea in my arms deters me from doing so. "Was that a grand enough 'hello' for you?"
I nod. "Yes, I think you met the requirements."
Lucy simply shakes her head and places the camera down on the breakfast bar. "How was food shopping?"
"You know, the average. This one right here bought out the whole store."
"Again, Brea? I thought we told you not to overdo the credit card. It's just for special occasions." Brea looks back and forth between Lucy and I, both of us trying to maintain serious expressions, but a smile lingers behind my lips and certainly is trying to emerge on hers.
"This is the last time we'll let this slide, young lady," I say, my voice breaking into a slight chuckle. Kicking her legs, Brea points to the floor and demands that she be let down. She's sassy, but she's gotten that trait from her mother. I bring her towards her walker and set her down so that she can move about the room, but not go anywhere out of Lucy and my eyesight.
Once I have her settled, I make my way towards Lucy, looping an arm around her waist. "I think this is when I give you a proper hello without a baby and grocery bags in my hands. What do you think?" She giggles and nods, cupping my cheek in her hand. "I like the earrings today," I murmur, my lips against her in an instant. Lucy wraps an arm around my neck and deepens the kiss, both of us knowing that Brea is too enraptured with the toys on her walker and Jack to pay attention to us both.
Waiting for Lucy had been the best decision I made years ago. I don't like to think about how different my life would be if I'd given up so easily when she tried to divert whatever feelings she had for me with someone else. I couldn't blame her back then though and I still can't blame her now; it's scary to have overwhelming feelings for your co-star. You know the consequences, but sometimes they end up being the one you're supposed to be with.
As I pull away to catch my breath, Lucy smiles. "Thanks. I ordered them online last week."
"Is that the package you screamed about on Friday?" My nose nuzzles against her and my voice remains hushed. Lucy's eyes are hooded slightly, peering at me from under her lashed. I kiss the bridge of her nose. "So the one's that you physically pushed me out of the way to sign for."
"That would be them."
"Well, they look lovely on you." Giving her waist, a tiny squeeze, I let her go and make my way towards the kitchen. "Are you hungry? I wanted to be back to start dinner at a reasonable time before she has to go down." I see a glimmer in Lucy's eyes as she leans against the counter, her lips slightly brushing against mine.
"The earlier she goes to bed, the earlier we can spend some quality time together." My heart beat quickens as it always does when I'm with her. With Brea waking at all times of the night, it's been difficult to really relax with one another. Lucy and I have found though that the earlier we put her to sleep, the more time we have until she wakes up.
"Want to put her to sleep now?" I can't hide the eagerness in my voice and Lucy giggles once more.
"How about I feed her first and then I'll see what I can do." She winks at me and then walks over to where Brea's playing in her walker, joining in on her fun. Watching Lucy with Brea is one of the most rewarding things in the world. Motherhood agrees with my fiancée; there's a certain glow in her cheeks and the love she shows for Brea is impeccable. It almost outdoes the visible love I have for her, but then again, romantic love is a far cry different from familial love.
Brea squeals as Lucy moves a few beads around and then lifts up Jack so that he and the baby are face to face. The dog licks the palm of Brea's hand and then scampers off once Lucy sets him on the ground. The infectious smile grows over my face as I watch the two of them interact before starting to chop vegetables for the stir-fry I was planning on making.
Yes, life is undoubtedly good.