Hello all!
This week has been beyond hectic, so I honestly haven't had much time for writing at all (I usually spend an hour or so each night but I've been dead tired by the end of the day and often had to use that time for sleep). But, I have been working on a mini-series within this series of shorts! This is the first of five, so rest assured you'll have more Lucabeth to look forward to in the coming weeks!
The series focuses on the Five Love Languages, which, if you've never heard of them, relates to the five different ways that make most feel the most loved: Words of Affirmation, Physical Touch, Quality Time, Acts of Service, and Gifts. A while back I got to thinking: Lucas really has these five languages figured out already on the show (I could go on about this forever honestly), but why not explore them further? And thus, this mini-series was born.
I love seeing your reviews come through all the time! A little bird (this would've been an amazing pun if it had been Brian, but alas it was not...haha) said that they started the prep for filming Season 9 today so not too much longer now until our favorite people will be back together! I, for one, can't wait to see how these characters develop into this new season. Until then, I hope you enjoy this first one, and keep an eye out for the other four soon!
Every time Elizabeth figured that Lucas would be unable to top himself, he somehow managed to do so anyway, showing her each and every day just how much he loved her. Maybe it was the way he knew she'd lost out on so much love in her past, or that he spent three years holding back as he waited for her to be ready. Or, perhaps, he just simply loved her beyond anything he could do or say or show.
But he was going to make damn sure that he tried to express it to her anyway.
She felt it in the way he held her, his arms wrapped around her, holding her to him like he never wanted to let her go. She felt it in the way he surprised her with flowers that seemingly appeared at random on her desk or on the steps of her house. She felt it in the way he read to her son in the library, always just as eager to spend time with the young boy as he was to spend time with her. She felt it in the way he seemed to anticipate her needs, always arriving at the schoolhouse just in time to help her set up for her latest lesson even if she hadn't mentioned it to him.
And she especially felt it in the way he reminded her every single day.
"Did you know that I love you?" he asked her as they swayed back and forth to the gentle music. The entire town was gathered once more in the saloon to celebrate Christmas, and this time there had been no question whatsoever about who she would ask to dance.
A smile played at her lips as she stepped a bit closer, "You may have mentioned it...once or twice."
He leaned in, resting his chin against her head as she settled against his shoulder. "Good. Because I do. I love how hard you try to perfect your biscuit recipe, and I love the way your eyes light up when we get new books for the library. I love that I get to hold your hand when we walk through town, and that you, for some reason, picked me to share your life with."
Elizabeth pulled away to look at him. "Lucas…"
He spun her around again, cutting her off so he could continue to sing her praises. "I love the way your hair gently falls on your shoulders, and how much you love literature and aren't afraid to follow your dreams. And I even love the look you get on your face when you're mad at me" he laughed, and she joined in at his admission. "But most of all, I love how much you love. The love that you share for every person in this town, every person you've ever met, and the love you show me every day."
Tears had sprung to her eyes somewhere in the midst of his declaration, and it felt like all the other residents of Hope Valley had faded away, leaving just the two of them swirling slowly in the middle of the saloon. She pulled him down for a soft kiss, one that lingered.
"I love you too, you know" she told him when they pulled away. "I love the way you always seem to know exactly what to say to calm me down, and the feeling I get when I see you across town with your teacup, knowing that you're probably thinking about me too."
"I always am," he admitted quietly, pressing his lips to her temple.
She giggled before continuing. "I love how you see the best in everyone, because you know that everyone deserves a second chance, and that our past actions don't always dictate who we are today. I love how much you love Jack, and how much he adores you - how gentle you are with him, and the example you set for him. I love the way you try to pretend that you don't like your beard longer, which I don't understand because I certainly don't mind when it is."
"You don't?" he asked honestly.
Elizabeth shook her head, a coy smile on her face, "not in the slightest."
Lucas smiled, pulling her tight against him so they could turn sharply as the music picked up, laughing all the while. "Well then, I guess I'll just keep that in mind next time I go to see Fiona."
She ran a hand along the side of his face, pressing her thumb lightly over the dimple on his right cheek, "I also love the way your smile can light up a room, and I especially like the look you give me when we manage to find a rare moment alone."
The intensity in his gaze deepened, his hand running just a bit lower than usual on her back, heat radiating through the fabric of her dress, but he let her continue.
"But more than anything else, I love how selflessly you love me. How you're so patient and willing to let me take the lead, but always honest with how you're feeling too. I love you, Lucas, and I want to make sure you know that."
He kissed her again, slowing their dance to a standstill as others continued to twirl around them. He wrapped her in his embrace more fully, his lips continuing to move against hers gently, and she felt enveloped by the love that radiated off of him even after he ended the kiss.
"Of that, my love, I will never doubt."