Luca

. . .

Luca wasn't sure how long they've sat there, huddled together, talking about the events of the earlier day and revelling at the feeling of sharing quiet laughs and heartfelt kisses in between sentences. Was this what peace felt like? It was a concept she couldn't quite grasp, having to fight for survival ever since she was born. Running from monsters, assassins, political figures.. none of them had ever had the luxury of feeling truly at ease.

But this, she thought, must be the closest thing to it. Indulging in the fantasies and hopes she's had for so long. Spending time with the person she held most dear, whose presence was a beacon of hope in this dire reality. Yes, this truly must be what peace felt like. "What do you say we take Hilda up on her offer and help ourselves to some more of that wine?", she asked Hugo with a mischievous smile on her face, now definitely in the mood to celebrate her epiphany.

Hugo seemed to think about the possible repercussions of getting wasted and having to drag her back to her quarters but apparently ultimately decided it was worth the potential risk since he gave a small nod. He stood up with a sigh and retrieved the bottle from the table in the middle of the room, filling both their glasses up a generous amount upon his return.

"What are we cheers-ing to this time?", she asked excitedly and already held her glass raised, looking at Hugo expectantly. Maybe she was going overboard a bit, but she was happy. For the first time in a long, long while she felt truly happy. And that deserved to be celebrated, she told herself.

Unfortunately, Hugo seemed to have other plans. "To the fact that you are a spectacularly bad liar", he said with a grin of his own and brought his glass against her own with a clink, barely even giving her time to react to his preposterous exclamation. He peered at her over the rim of his glass, clearly amused at her expression of utter bewilderment and supressed a laugh when her fist collided with his arm.

"What do you mean by that!?"

Her voice went an octave higher, undeniably offended at his statement and to keep herself from resorting to violence once again, she took a big gulp of her drink with an exasperated look on her face. She would never want to take pride in being a good liar, or a liar at all for that matter, but a bad one? Harsh. A glare was shot Hugo's way which almost made him choke but he decided to elaborate rather than let Karma take him, it seemed.

"Remember earlier, when Zeke asked if anything happened between us?"

Luca's eyebrows furrowed, already suspecting what he was going to say next.

"Happen? W-What d-do you m-mean?", Hugo imitated her, sporting an exaggerated expression of innocence on his face and batting his eyelashes at her.

Her face became hot with embarrassment at his ridiculous display and because she really couldn't just let him get away with that, she balled her free hand into a fist and prepared to hit Hugo again, hard. This time she was aiming for his shoulder and ready to exact vengeance, but the other was quicker and ducked out of the way just in time.

But rather than stopping there, Hugo went on. "I mean even though it is Zeke we're talking about, I am honestly surprised he bought that", he choked out in between laughs.

Luca narrowed her eyes at the boy in front of her and tried to keep the blood from rushing to her face, but judging from the grin Hugo shot her and how hot the tips of her ears felt, she seemed to have failed miserably. "Stop it!", she said loudly. "At least I managed to say anything at all, not like other people in this room." She must have sounded like a petulant child by now but she didn't care, her pride was not going to take this lying down.

The look she gave Hugo just made him chuckle harder but before she could justify her actions any more he held up a hand and waved away her concerns.

"I'm only teasing you. It's rare to see you all clammed up and at a loss for words. It was entertaining, is all."

She softened a little at that, all of the previous anger disappearing immediately. Then she let out a small chuckle herself. Even though she'd rather be doing the teasing than be on the receiving end of it, it felt kind of nice. Intimate, almost, teasing each other about things only the two of them were privy to.

„That's rich coming from you, mister I have suddenly forgotten how to speak", she shot back at him, and although the words were light-hearted, they made a sudden thought cross her mind.

Ever since their sudden outburst earlier that day, neither of them had any time to think about their situation or process what had happened, really. It was all a little up in the air. "Say, Hugo.. What exactly .. are we?" There was uncertainty in her voice and when she looked up at him a sliver of dread rolled down her spine. It's true they both were clearly pining over each other for a while. Why was she afraid of his answer then? Wasn't it obvious enough from their previous conversation that they adored each other? Then why.. Why was she so anxious to know what he was thinking about her? About them? The concept of relationships and the whole boyfriend-girlfriend ordeal was foreign to the both of them. They weren't completely oblivious to how things worked, obviously, but it was still unknown territory. And that was scary. How does one deal with these feelings while also trying their best not to get ripped to shreds by giant monsters?

…

"Do you want to keep it a secret?", she added quietly, unable to meet the other boy's eyes. Instead she occupied herself with looking down at the red liquid swirling in the delicate glass, suddenly finding the residue taste in her mouth revolting and pursing her lips in disgust. Her thoughts were running a million miles an hour and she hated how she had brought the mood down from light-hearted to downright depressing.

Hugo was quiet for a moment and the hairs at the back of Luca's neck stood up, anxiety making her hands feel sticky and clammy and the room suddenly too small and hot. Maybe this was a bad idea. Maybe she should have just kept her mouth shut and enjoyed the momentary bliss she was given. She needed to rectify this, take it back somehow.

"You don't have to-"

"Hey. Relax", he interrupted her quietly and placed a hand on her cheek, probably sensing her restlessness. His touch made her feel warm and she subconsciously leaned into the touch. As soon as she met his eyes again he continued; "What are we?", he repeated her question and regarded her with a fond expression. His smile turned a little shy and he awkwardly tried to keep up the calm and collected exterior he tried to create while he thought she wasn't looking. "I'm not sure what WE are.. I don't know a lot about these things, but.. I know what you are to me." He paused, seemingly trying to gather his thoughts. Then, "You are my world, Luca. You are everything to me. Not a day goes by that I don't want to be by your side. It's almost-", he let out a breathless laugh. "It's almost as if my heart is about to burst with how much I adore you. I would do anything for you. Shout my love for you from the rooftops or keep it between us. The decision is yours. I'm yours."

How.. How did this boy manage time and time again to render her speechless? He was the only one who seemed to have a knack for catching her off guard, making her feel all self conscious and embarrassed. The only one who could turn her whole world upside down and have her heart working overtime with words alone. He was going to be the death of her one day, she knew.

"Forever and always?", she whispered, too stunned at his declaration to cringe at just how cheesy her question sounded. This, right here, was everything she ever wanted. Ever since she let him go off on that first mission by himself, without her there to keep watch over him. Ever since she realised she couldn't keep her eyes off him in battle anymore. Ever since she started longing for him to keep his hand on her should just a little while longer. The connection she felt with him was incomprehensible and impossible to put into words. What she did know, however, was that his words lit up her world, made everything just that little bit brighter.

Hugo smiled.

"Forever and always", he confirmed and drew her into a slow kiss.

Luca felt the tension in her shoulders dwindle and sighed into the kiss, letting his inviting lips cloud her mind and erase her worries. Every time their mouths collided it felt like Luca was coming home. Her heart felt so full, so very full, she finally understood exactly what Hugo meant when he said it almost felt like it was going to burst with love.

Their glasses were left forgotten on the floor as they inched closer to each other, seeking out more of the other's warmth. His hands were in her hair now, stroking the soft locks and his mouth was teasing her bottom lip until she parted them and he could slip his tongue into her mouth. The action made Luca let out the smallest of sounds and her arms around his neck tightened ever so slightly.

That seemed to have set something off in Hugo as he suddenly pressed even closer against her only to then suddenly hoist her up with his arms around her lower back. With a yelp she wrapped her legs around his waist to keep herself from falling.

"Hugo, what are you-", but she had no time to process what was happening because Hugo shushed her with his mouth and began to move, walking over to one lone piece of furniture across the room.

As he slowly lowered her onto the sofa, lips still on hers and one of his hands on the small of her back, her breathing momentarily stopped when her head hit the soft pillow underneath her. She let out a moan when Hugo started to suck on that sensitive spot on her neck, just beneath her ear. Her whole body felt like it was burning, overcome with desire and Hugo's own ragged breaths only fuelling the tingling sensation that built up in the pit of her stomach. She buried her hands in his soft black hair and pulled slightly, earning her a groan from Hugo himself as he looked up at her with half lidded eyes.

„Luca..", he breathed, voice dripping with desperation, not even trying to hide the desire so blatantly written across his face.

She let out a small smile and then pulled at his hair again with a bit more force than before, but rather than away from her she pushed his head back down to her own, so their mouths could meet again. His lips were slightly chapped and tasted like remnants of the red wine from earlier, but they were so so very soft. She felt dazed as he started moving them against hers, her love for him overwhelming her like a sweet fever dream.

„Hugo", she breathed his name in between kisses. „I love you. I love you so much." She never wanted this moment to end. Pressed against him, breathing in his familiar scent.

Tears formed in the corners of her eyes and Hugo's face morphed into one of concern when he realised she was almost crying. But then she smiled, so brightly and sincere it made his heart miss a few beats. „I'm so happy to be here, with you. Like this", she croaked out and pressed her lips against his, trying to convey just how much she adored him and how long she had been longing to be with him like this.

It seemed to have worked as Hugo made a noise in the back of his throat and pressed impossibly closer. He bent his previously still propped up arms, his body now fully covering hers and let one of his hands travel down her side, nimble fingers slipping underneath the jacket of her uniform. Luca let out a startled breath, but Hugo immediately covered her mouth with his once again and dug his fingers into her hip, making her squirm.

The feeling of his hands on her bare skin lit up a fire in her, his touches leaving a trail of liquid heat wherever they lingered, and when she couldn't take it anymore, she sat up in one fluid motion and flipped him over, now being on top of him.

Awe.

That was the only way one could describe the look Hugo gave her, and like a man starved his hands immediately found their way underneath her uniform once more and circled around her back, drawing her back into him. Whenever their lips met, it felt like the universe was aligning itself in just the right way. Like this was the one thing missing all along.

Moving purely on instinct, Luca slid her own hands underneath Hugo's jacket and let her hands roam over his toned chest, admiring the solid feeling of his lean muscles underneath the thin black fabric.

"You're perfect", she whispered against his lips and ducked her head to trail kisses along his jawline while still moving her hands over his chest, his sides, his hips. She could hear him draw in a sharp breath and his hold on her tightened considerably when she gave his earlobe an experimental lick.

"Luca, what are you-"

She shut him up by moving her hips ever so slightly, creating the barest amount of friction between them. In the next moment Hugo's hands flew to her hips, holding her in an iron grip and pressing her down against him. They both let out a moan and Luca lifted her head slightly to swallow any more sounds coming out of Hugo's mouth, tentatively rolling her hips back and forth, almost in slow motion, chasing after that delicious feeling it elicited. Hearing Hugo come undone beneath her was like a drug. A drug she more than willingly let herself become addicted to in just a few short minutes.

He pushed the jacket off her shoulders and was tugging on the tightly fitted shirt she was wearing underneath, just how he had done in the women's quarters after their battle today.

"Wait-", Luca managed to get out, sounding positively breathless. Hugo halted his movements, albeit reluctantly.

"What if someone.." She swallowed. "What if someone comes in..?"

Hugo smirked, all devious and eyes filled lust. "I'm passed caring", he simply said and started peeling off the tape at her hips, exposing more of her skin.

It was rare to see him like this – so confident, so sure of himself, so … bold. He was a born leader, there were absolutely no doubts about that in Luca's mind. But knowing him since they were kids, growing up and living together for years, she was privy to his more private side. The one where he was shy and awkward. Anxious and vulnerable. All those aspects of his personality Hugo carefully kept hidden from the common eye. The way he so boldly went after what he wanted, – her –, it made her breath catch in her throat and her heart stutter.

One after another, pieces of black tape fell to the ground and the remaining pieces of clothing were carelessly tossed aside. They both lost themselves in the ecstasy of basking in each other's heat.

It was early morning when the door to the common room creaked open slightly and both Zeke and Keith silently stuck their heads through the small crack.

"Ha!", Keith exclaimed. "You owe me 1000 fc."

The triumph in his brother's voice was downright infuriating and so Zeke only sighed and turned away from the door, letting it fall shut behind him and leaving behind his two friends curled up on the sofa with their limbs tangled together and their clothes thrown around the room.

It was quiet when Luca woke, her mind still slightly fuzzy with sleep. She looked down at the sleeping form next to her, staring at his tousled hair that was falling into his face and sticking up at the back.

Wait...

Shaking off the remaining tiredness and disorientation, Luca realised where she was. And what had happened the night before. Her heart starting hammering in her chest, so loud she feared it might wake Hugo from his seemingly peaceful slumber. He remained asleep, however, and Luca tried to calm her strained nerves.

Carefully untangling one of her arms from Hugo's, Luca slowly lifted her hand to her face and touched her lips, as if to make sure they truly were as swollen and sore as they felt. To make sure yesterday truly happened. To make sure she wasn't still dreaming. A smile spread on her face when she realised that she was indeed awake, and that yesterday's event weren't just a figment of her imagination.

Her eyes were drawn to Hugo's sleeping form again and Luca shifted, turning on her side to bump her nose against his slightly.

"Hugo."

….

A kiss.

"Hugo…"

Another kiss.

"Hugo!"

His eyes flew open and he looked at her as if he wasn't quite awake yet. As the fog in his mind slowly lifted and made way to realisation instead, his eyes widened ever so slightly.

"You're here", he whispered with a smile, moving his arms so they were securely around her once more.

"Of course I'm here. Where else would I be?", she replied with a low chuckle, unable to process how happy his relieved expression made her. It seems she wasn't the only one worrying and in slight disbelief.

She lifted one hand to brush the rogue strands of hair from his face and regarded him with a look of honest and pure happiness before she closed the few bits of distance between them to give him a slow and loving kiss.

"I am right where I belong."