Julian

"NO! He didn't!" gasped the Apprentice.

Julian visibly cringed as Portia told the fourth embarrassing story starring him as a little kid to no other than the famous Apprentice of Vesuvia. Both were currently laughing their asses off as his sister betrayed him over and over and over again.

"Yes! And then he just went over to the poor girl, knelt before her, and licked her knee!"

Both ladies cackled as the little witches they really were. "Oh, my goodness! So he's been all kinky and horny since before he was seven?"

"Oh, he didn't tell you?" Portia looked at him questioningly.

"Of course I didn't! This was supposed to have gone with you and me to the grave," he gestured to himself and to Portia dramatically.

Julian leaned back in the cozy chair with a pout and a vibrant blush stretched all over his features. Who would've thought that not only the two most important women in his life already knew each other, but that they already got along so well?

Embarassing stories apart, it was a relief to at least have this much go right in his life. At least they'd have each other when he was gone.

"Oh, my gosh, look. He's sulking again," whispered Portia to the apprentice who lightly giggled in response. Noticing the slightly tired gleam in Julian's eye, she cleared her throat and patted Portia on the thigh.

"Well, we'd better get going. You wouldn't want the guards stopping us to ask what business two low Vesuvians have in the palace grounds at night, do you?"

A shadow crossed over Portia's features at the reminder of their fugitive state. Ilya wasn't even supposed to be in the territory. After what happened that night at the theatre, someone had ratted the doctor's new companion to the Countess—she wanted nothing to do with the apprentice now, either. Portia had been mortified when she heard the news on the streets on a day she'd gone to do some diligences—Doctor Julian Devorak and the Famous Apprentice wanted, dead or alive. When she'd return to the palace and asked Nadia about it she'd only answered that she wanted nothing more than to exhibit their mutilated corpses on the front gates, to hell with what that said about her. Portia thought it was all because of how much she'd come to appreciate and trust the Apprentice only to b betrayed with the same man who'd murdered her husband. As far as she cared, they were both murderers.

The Appentice didn't care, though. There would be no count, alive or no, to separate her from Julian. She'd sworn it the day she'd left Asra all alone in the shop and she'd sworn it every night since as she made love to Julian—much to Mazelinka's dismay. Nothing and no one would be enough to separate them anymore. They had been living squeezed in those small quarters since then, but she didn't mind—and neither did Julian as it gave him more excuses to press closer to her every chance he had.

They all said their goodbyes, and then the doctor and apprentice sneaked into the night. Walking hand in hand through the shadows, both relished in the comfortable silence that settled over them as the apprentice lead him through the same trail that had led her to him that fateful night. As they got to the buildings, delicious aromas found their way back to their nostrils. She could have even sworn to have caught a whiff of that pumpkin bread she loved so much. She shook her head, dismissing it as part of her imagination. The baker was in the opposite side of town, along with her past life—or what she knew of it.

It still hurt to think that the only person she could lean on before was the very man who'd betrayed her friendship. Asra couldn't even respect her feelings for Julian when she explained he'd returned and talked to her and just went off ranting about how she couldn't leave. Of all the time they had spent together, he'd chosen the very last minute to confess his feelings for her.

"You're overthinking again, my dear. What's wrong?"

Julian threw a lazy arm around her shoulders and pulled her close against his warmth. She offered a small smile as she laced her fingers through his. She steered him to another direction, one that conveyed a painful memory. Pavement turned to dirt, and dirt turned to sand.

"What are you doing?"

Slight panic flooded his eyes as the last time they were both at the dock replayed over and over again in his mind. He still wouldn't forgive himself, nor let the sorrowful expression of the Apprentice fade away from his memories.

"It's okay. Come on."

Snaking her other hand around his waist, the Apprentice pulled Julian down the wooden path of the dock and dropped down to sit at the edge with her legs dangling just like that last time. Julian followed after her and couldn't help but to chuckle wholeheartedly as he contemplated how close to the water his boots were compared to the Apprentices now bare feet. She still had a whole foot left before she could reach the water.

Stars blinked playfully high in the dark sky as the soft sounds of the waves floated along to them. In the serenity of the moment, both of them inched closer to one another, seeking that delicious heat emanating from their bodies.

"Hey, um, about that night…" Julian started

"It's ok. I understand. You needed your space."

"No, I mean, I did, but… it was never about you. Well—it was—but not in the way you were thinking," he quickly added stammering. He took a deep breath before he continued.

"I was scared. Of how you make me feel, and what it implied. I'm a fugitive. I wasn't even a real doctor to begin. I'm not the kind of man you deserve. And I was scared because allowing myself to be with you not only put you in danger, but it also snatched away any chance of you having a fruitful life."

The apprentice simply stared at him. At the broken man beneath the confident smiles and the shameless flirt. Maybe this had been too soon for him—coming back to her. Tears prickled her eyes. She wasn't ready to part from him, but if he still needed time to put himself together, she'd willingly give him all he needed. She only wished he'd see that she didn't want a fruitful life. She just wanted a life with him, good or bad.

"I understand, but I wouldn't have been happy. Or had a fruitful life, for that matter. I probably would've stayed the rest of my life in that shop being continually lied to and pushed aside by Asra."

"Probably, but I couldn't take any chances away." He paused. "Would you really have been unhappy?"

The apprentice scoffed as she wiped off a stray tear. "Is it really hard to believe someone can be truly happy with you?"

Julian didn't wait a heartbeat before he answered, "Yes."

"Illya," he froze at the mention of his real name, "there is nothing—nothing—I desire more than you and being with you."

The Apprentice lifted a smooth hand to his face and gently pulled him in for a passionate kiss. Their lips moved against each other for a short eternity before their breaths grew heavier and the kisses hungrier.

Julian softly pushed the Apprentice to lie back on the wooden boards. He dragged a hand down her throat and lower until he passed her loose white shirt and reached her long gipsy, wrap-around skirt. He searched for that slit that showed her leg whenever she walked and drove him crazy whenever he caught a glimpse of honey colored skin. Once he'd found it, he snaked his hand in and up her leg until he found that spot that belonged to him and only him. He'd been so excited beyond belief when he felt that delicious slickness that he'd let out a throaty moan.

Goosebumps covered the Apprentice's skin. Long fingers easily found her center—she hadn't worn undergarments for as long as she could remember—and started stroking gently… But this wasn't the place for them to be so intimate. She thought of how to stop him, as she knew from experience that once he'd been turned on, nothing could turn him off.

"Julian, maybe we should wait until we get home."

He shuddered at that word. Home. She and he would go home together. Well, it wasn't exactly home, but he liked the sound of that nonetheless. Reluctantly, he pulled himself away from her. If they were heading back, they'd better do it now. He desperately needed release.

Both stood and walked back to the shore hand in hand. Once they reached the sand, the apprentice suddenly stopped and dropped her sandals. When Julian turned, a strange look covered her face.

"Wha—"

But before he could finish, the Apprentice was running back to the shore with a smirk on her face as she pulled off her white long-sleeved shirt, untied her skirt and ran off naked against the soft waves. Once she was in the water, she turned to see his full shocked expression. The poor man was blushing as if it were the first time he'd seen her naked.

"Come on!" She shouted giggling all the while she did.

Julian shook his head, taking slow steps towards her, unclasping his coat, and pulling off his shirt next. He stopped to look at the Apprentice's dark figure against the light shimmer of the stars in the water. This woman… this person would be the death of him, of that he was entirely sure. He was also sure that it was in a good way. Maybe she would be the someone to help him die to his old self and bring out the new, fully restored man he yearned to be. It wasn't easy, especially since he still hadn't discovered much about what happened to get him this way, but he certainly would try. For her. For himself. Dropping down on the sand, he hastily pulled his boots off along his pants, and dashed butt naked into the waters with his lover.