A/N: This one tripped right over the mushy line and fell flat on its face. Hope you all like fluff.
Disclaimer: Don't own the world or any of the characters except Malayian, and don't have permission to use them. If this is a problem, please just tell me, don't sure. I have no money. At all. (Certain people owe me great amounts but that's beside the point.
Back in the Courtyard
Lucivar found her practicing her knife maneuvers in the same hidden courtyard where they had fought together. It seemed like so long ago since he had looked at her with anything but love. Now he stood watching her whirl around with the ease of a cat, her grace moving her smoothly from one move to the next. She had an assassin's skill with a knife, there was no doubt about that. Her combination of effortless movements and deadly accuracy reminded him of iron and silk. Soft, dancer-like steps coupled with swift hard strokes with the knife, just as he'd taught her. He stood in the shadows watching her bleed out the anger, the hate, the fear.
"I wonder," he spoke finally. "If you would still beat me in hand-to-hand combat."
She stopped her strike and stood up straight, not turning. She showed no sign of surprise at his voice. She must have known he was watching her. He wondered if she was angry, but he saw the edge of her eye crinkle with humor and he knew she was smiling.
"There's only one way to find out."
She had been practicing quite a bit, Lucuvar realized, as she nimbly dodged his attempts to capture her and push her to the ground. Her movements were more refined than they had ever been before. For the first time she seemed to be enjoying the skirmish, rather than treating as though it were her only chance of survival. She slid easily to the ground, her foot sliding out unexpectedly, tripping Lucivar. He executed a neat roll, but before he was able to spring to his feet again, she was on top of him, pressing him into the ground as she grinned at him.
"Perhaps next class I should instruct you," she whispered, running a seductive finger down the line of Lucivar's smooth chest revealed by rip in his shirt.
Lucivar snarled. "I can still kick your ass with sticks," he responded, trying to salvage some of his pride.
Malayian laughed and lifted herself from atop him. "That's only because I had a late start." She tipped her head upward, letting the moonlight bathe her face. Lucivar found himself transfixed by the figure. She looked like a sculpture, her face paled in the white light starkly accented by her dark hair. She looked weightless, as though a great burden had been lifted from her shoulders. Her haunted eyes now looked joyful.
"Marry me," he whispered into the darkness.
"What?" Malayian's eyes flicked towards him. She turned so that the moon now lit her from behind, creating a luminous halo around her dark shadow.
Lucivar pushed himself off of the ground so that he was standing in front of her.
"Marry me. Be my wife. I love you Malayian. I love you when you're prickly and trying to kill me, I love you when you're sad and you look at me as though I could do something. I love the way you practice every night no matter what has happened the day before, just so that you can beat me. I don't know since when or how, but I love you. I have loved very few people in my life, and none the way I love you. I want my life to become so intertwined with yours that I don't know where I end and you begin. I love you Malayian." The last part was whispered.
Malayian stared at him, wondering why she had the feeling that she was drowning in his eyes. Luicvar reached out a hand, and gently pushed her hair behind one delicately pointed ear. His eyes searched her, desperate to find an answer to his question, but unwilling to push her. His heart beat fast in his chest with anticipation. Everything hinged on this moment. If she said no, he was sure he would never be able to be this close to her again.
Malayian dropped her eyes. "He almost convinced me," she whispered. "My father. When I see him all I can think is how disgusting I am. He told me I liked what he did, and I believed him. I knew it wasn't true, but I didn't know if you would. At the last minute I realized he was really crazy. My brain knew it all this time, but my heart always wondered if maybe there was some reason why." She looked up and met his golden eyes. "But the moment before I realized that, I realized something else. It would kill me to have you look at me the way I pictured, to be disgusted with me. I don't know what I would do, who I could turn to. I have never loved anyone that much since I last saw my mother. Yes Lucivar. I will marry you."
The words seemed so slow to leave her lips. Even once they were spoken, Lucivar felt them clinging to his mind like dewdrops, unable to penetrate. He felt very light, as though a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders. Slowly her words began to make sense and a slow smile to unadulterated happiness filled him. Malayian searched his eyes, unsure of why it took him so long to answer her, wondering if her omission about her father had brought her worse fears to light.
Suddenly Lucivar grabbed her up in his arms and kissed her. It was not a burningly passionate kiss, but a kiss of happiness, relief, and promise, though passion soon entered. At that moment, Malayian knew what happiness was, and she knew that she would never regret this decision. In Lucviar's arms, for the first time, she felt truly safe.
A/N: Rather short, sorry. There will be one more chapter after this one, I think. Review a lot in the meantime. I'm not entirely sure when I'll next get the chance to write, but hopefully it will be soon.
Disclaimer: Don't own the world or any of the characters except Malayian, and don't have permission to use them. If this is a problem, please just tell me, don't sure. I have no money. At all. (Certain people owe me great amounts but that's beside the point.
Back in the Courtyard
Lucivar found her practicing her knife maneuvers in the same hidden courtyard where they had fought together. It seemed like so long ago since he had looked at her with anything but love. Now he stood watching her whirl around with the ease of a cat, her grace moving her smoothly from one move to the next. She had an assassin's skill with a knife, there was no doubt about that. Her combination of effortless movements and deadly accuracy reminded him of iron and silk. Soft, dancer-like steps coupled with swift hard strokes with the knife, just as he'd taught her. He stood in the shadows watching her bleed out the anger, the hate, the fear.
"I wonder," he spoke finally. "If you would still beat me in hand-to-hand combat."
She stopped her strike and stood up straight, not turning. She showed no sign of surprise at his voice. She must have known he was watching her. He wondered if she was angry, but he saw the edge of her eye crinkle with humor and he knew she was smiling.
"There's only one way to find out."
She had been practicing quite a bit, Lucuvar realized, as she nimbly dodged his attempts to capture her and push her to the ground. Her movements were more refined than they had ever been before. For the first time she seemed to be enjoying the skirmish, rather than treating as though it were her only chance of survival. She slid easily to the ground, her foot sliding out unexpectedly, tripping Lucivar. He executed a neat roll, but before he was able to spring to his feet again, she was on top of him, pressing him into the ground as she grinned at him.
"Perhaps next class I should instruct you," she whispered, running a seductive finger down the line of Lucivar's smooth chest revealed by rip in his shirt.
Lucivar snarled. "I can still kick your ass with sticks," he responded, trying to salvage some of his pride.
Malayian laughed and lifted herself from atop him. "That's only because I had a late start." She tipped her head upward, letting the moonlight bathe her face. Lucivar found himself transfixed by the figure. She looked like a sculpture, her face paled in the white light starkly accented by her dark hair. She looked weightless, as though a great burden had been lifted from her shoulders. Her haunted eyes now looked joyful.
"Marry me," he whispered into the darkness.
"What?" Malayian's eyes flicked towards him. She turned so that the moon now lit her from behind, creating a luminous halo around her dark shadow.
Lucivar pushed himself off of the ground so that he was standing in front of her.
"Marry me. Be my wife. I love you Malayian. I love you when you're prickly and trying to kill me, I love you when you're sad and you look at me as though I could do something. I love the way you practice every night no matter what has happened the day before, just so that you can beat me. I don't know since when or how, but I love you. I have loved very few people in my life, and none the way I love you. I want my life to become so intertwined with yours that I don't know where I end and you begin. I love you Malayian." The last part was whispered.
Malayian stared at him, wondering why she had the feeling that she was drowning in his eyes. Luicvar reached out a hand, and gently pushed her hair behind one delicately pointed ear. His eyes searched her, desperate to find an answer to his question, but unwilling to push her. His heart beat fast in his chest with anticipation. Everything hinged on this moment. If she said no, he was sure he would never be able to be this close to her again.
Malayian dropped her eyes. "He almost convinced me," she whispered. "My father. When I see him all I can think is how disgusting I am. He told me I liked what he did, and I believed him. I knew it wasn't true, but I didn't know if you would. At the last minute I realized he was really crazy. My brain knew it all this time, but my heart always wondered if maybe there was some reason why." She looked up and met his golden eyes. "But the moment before I realized that, I realized something else. It would kill me to have you look at me the way I pictured, to be disgusted with me. I don't know what I would do, who I could turn to. I have never loved anyone that much since I last saw my mother. Yes Lucivar. I will marry you."
The words seemed so slow to leave her lips. Even once they were spoken, Lucivar felt them clinging to his mind like dewdrops, unable to penetrate. He felt very light, as though a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders. Slowly her words began to make sense and a slow smile to unadulterated happiness filled him. Malayian searched his eyes, unsure of why it took him so long to answer her, wondering if her omission about her father had brought her worse fears to light.
Suddenly Lucivar grabbed her up in his arms and kissed her. It was not a burningly passionate kiss, but a kiss of happiness, relief, and promise, though passion soon entered. At that moment, Malayian knew what happiness was, and she knew that she would never regret this decision. In Lucviar's arms, for the first time, she felt truly safe.
A/N: Rather short, sorry. There will be one more chapter after this one, I think. Review a lot in the meantime. I'm not entirely sure when I'll next get the chance to write, but hopefully it will be soon.