Author's note: Thanks to Avis Minter for our great brainstorming and all the wonderful ideas she came up with that I weaved into this chapter!
Message to Helene who reviewed on fanfiction net: Thank you so much, your review about you thinking about Grace and Lucas as you strolled down Paris and saw that exhibition really made my day! I would love to take them to Paris! If you are interested, log in and send me a message, I would love to ask some questions about Paris as I still haven't been there. And I'd love to hear your ideas for their time in Paris, it would really mean a lot and help me to write it properly!
—--
Grace felt butterflies fluttering in her stomach, blood in her veins felt like lava at Lucas' words. She trembled from anticipation of the unknown, but was more than ready to face it if he was waiting for her on the other side.
She didn't dare to hope and yet…his words and kisses made it hard for her not you.
Could he…?
Could he want that?
Unable to stop trembling, Grace broke their kiss and hugged Lucas, holding onto him to find strength and peace. As she felt his arms closing around her waist and hugging her so gently and lovingly while he softly kissed her hair, she hid her face in her safe haven - a place between his neck and shoulder.
Grace felt like she could cry and sing at the same time. Like she could stay like this forever.
Lucas closed his arms gently around Grace's waist and softly kissed her hair. He could feel her tremble in his arms and he knew that she must have realized what his words and kisses meant.
And as she hid her face in a place between his neck and shoulder he gently and slowly caressed her hair and back, allowing her to calm her racing heart down.
And took a few deep breaths himself.
Just a few more days. And then I'll ask her.
Trying to help her to calm down, Lucas playfully whispered:
"Is it my turn now? I think it's my turn now to ask the question."
He could feel Grace smiling against the skin of his neck.
Brava! He did it!
He gently moved her hair to the side and looked down at her sweet face.
Her smile widened at his playfulness.
"Yeah", she whispered as she peeked up at him "It's your turn", and she hid her face again into his warm neck.
Lucas nodded.
"Alright. If you could choose to have a special power, would you choose the ability to fly, be invisible, or see into the future?"
Grace fidgeted a bit in his arms as she moved and placed her head on his shoulder, playing with a strand of her hair and looking oh-so-serious.
"Well, I tried flying and I couldn't do it, Lillian stopped me, remember? After giving me that so-called cough medicine?", she grinned as Lucas shook his head and smiled, covering his eyes with his fingers, already aware that they were set up for another laughing fit.
Grace's smile grew even bigger as she continued.
"Invisible, huh… that may be cool", and all of a sudden she frowned in a mock offense "And have you already forgotten that I foresaw Spencer's future? I can foresee yours too!", as Lucas was slowly but surely losing a battle with laughter, Grace gasped, quickly sitting up "What, you don't trust me?! A fellow magician doubting another magician?!", she crossed her palms on the left side of her chest and dramatically yelped "Oh, the pain! THE PAIN!" and collapsed on her seat, not giving any signs of life!
Until she heard Lucas laughing his heart out.
Satisfied, she opened one eye to peek at him.
He reached for her hand and she grinned, accepting it.
Lucas gently pulled her up and kissed both of her hands.
"You make me laugh like nobody ever had, Grace", he said with a smile "And I love you."
Grace giggled, then suddenly turned dead serious as she turned over his palm and closing one eye looked closely at it.
"No need for crystal ball, Mademoiselle Graceiousness Bennettness can read you your future from your palm!", she spoke in a heavy gypsy accent.
Lucas stifled a laugh.
"Oh, I can't wait to hear this!", he said with a grin, leaning his elbow on a seat, his head resting on his other palm and he crossed his legs so that his heel rested somewhere close to his knee.
His other hand was outstretched and Grace looked at his palm like she just discovered a new planet, and all of a sudden she frowned and gasped.
"Oh, mon dieu!" ("Oh, my God!"), she exclaimed.
Lucas held back his laugh and asked, in a mock panic:
'What?! What do you see, Mademoiselle Graceiousness Bennettness?!"
Grace frowned even more.
"Oh, c'est terrible! ("Oh, it's terrible!") I seeee…", Grace rubbed her left eye and stared down at his palm again "A smoke", she deadpanned, looking up at Lucas, her eyes sparkling.
Lucas raised his eyebrows.
"A smoke?", he asked, confused.
Grace nodded, looking closely at his palm again.
"Ah, mais oui. ("Ah, but yes.") A fire. Big fire!", she looked up at Lucas, accusing look in her eyes as she slowly and silently growled "Dans la cuisine de ton frère" ("In your brother's kitchen"), then she practically startled him as she moved fast, pointing her index finger at him gasping loudly "And you started it!!"
Lucas' eyes and mouth opened in surprise and then he burst to laughter, grabbing Grace in his arms and tickling her!
"Oh, you! You are going to pay for this!", laughed Lucas as he continued to tickle her mercilessly.
She shrieked and laughed, falling with her back on his chest.
"Not fair!", she laughed, trying to escape his tickling fingers.
Lucas grinned.
"Do you yield?", he asked through a chuckle, pausing his merciless tickling attack for a moment.
Grace bit her lower lip and shook her head.
"Never!"
Lucas narrowed his gaze making Grace grin.
"Wrong answer", he grinned as he once again started to tickle her.
Grace closed her eyes, shrieking from laughter.
"Alright! Alright!", she managed to gasp through fits of laughter.
Lucas grinned victoriously
"So, you yield?", he asked, a smile never wavering from his face.
"I yield! Have some mercy, please!", she gasped through laughter.
As he pulled away, putting his hands up in a surrender with a smile on his face, Grace got up, chuckling.
"I need some air", she went to open the window, but couldn't do it.
Lucas got up.
"Here, let me", he pulled the glass window down and as it opened, Grace put her hands and elbows on it and leaned her chin on her fingers. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply.
Tilting her head so she rested her cheek on her hand, she looked at him warmly.
"Your turn", she said with a smile.
Lucas leaned on his hands, feeling the wind on his face and he inhaled deeply.
"Well, I think that I'd like to be able to fly", he smiled softly.
Grace glanced at him with a soft smile of her own.
"Did you ever fly the plane?", she asked.
Lucas nodded.
"I have. It's amazing. It's like you're out of this world. Such a great invention", he looked at her warmly "And you?"
Grace nodded, her smile widening.
"Yes, I have. Once, the sun was setting down and while it was already dark on the ground, there were still orange and purple colours above the fluffy clouds", she smiled widely "It was beautiful!"
The wind picked up, turning to be quite cold and they quickly closed the window. As they sat down, Grace snuggled into Lucas' side as he hugged her shoulders with one hand and leaned his cheek on her head that rested on his shoulder.
Grace smiled, feeling so happy and relaxed just to be here with him.
"So…", she took his fingers in her hand and asked "Are you allergic to anything?"
Lucas kissed her hair gently before looking down at their joined hands.
"Other than Gustave's lunacy about his kitchen?", he grinned as he felt her shoulders shake a bit from laughter and replied "Just caffeine", he let her play with his fingers, feeling even that simple touch from her relaxing him "And you?"
Grace shrugged.
"Just kiwi. Oh and some choc puffs kids love to eat back home. The minute I eat it, skin on my face burst to redness", she replied.
Lucas nodded.
"Alright. Two more items for Gustave to add on the black list", he murmured and she snuggled closer to him.
They sat in a comfortable silence for a few moments before Lucas' voice was heard.
"Do you have a dream you hope will come true?", he asked silently.
Grace was quiet as she pondered how to reply.
Her fingers traced the lines of his palm and fingers in a slow circle motion.
She hesitated for a second and then decided to just say it
"A loving home, a loving husband and loved children of my own", she said softly and her heart skipped a beat as she felt him pull her closer to him. She peeked at him up from her resting place somewhere between his shoulder and collarbone only to find him watching her mesmerized. His look took her breath away and she silently mumbled "And what's your dream?"
Lucas moved, cupping her cheek and bringing her face up closer to his.
"You, Grace", he whispered "You are my dream", and with those words, he kissed her.
And she felt the ground move under her feet.
Grace sighed into his lips, love overflowing her veins. She mewled in pleasure as she felt him deepen the kiss and her palm gently caressed the nape of his neck, playing with his hair, pulling him closer to her.
The kiss turned into a heated one and Grace felt like she was flying. Lucas' love lifted her high up in the sky, above the clouds leaving her feel boneless and trembling with happiness.
The need for air became desperate and Lucas broke the kiss, breathing heavily as he took her blushing face in.
She was trying to catch a breath, her pupils dilated as her sparkling eyes drank him in, her rosy lips swollen from his kisses. She gave him a shaky smile, her eyes full of love and hope.
His heart soared.
Just a few more days.
And then I'll ask her.
—--
Oh, my life is changing everyday
In every possible way
And oh, my dreams
It's never quite as it seems
Never quite as it seems.
I know I felt like this before
But now I'm feeling it even more
Because it came from you.
Then I open up and see
The person falling here is me
A different way to be.
I want more, impossible to ignore
Impossible to ignore
And they'll come true
Impossible not to do
Possible not to do.
And now I tell you openly
You have my heart so don't hurt me
You're what I couldn't find.
A totally amazing mind
So understanding and so kind
You're everything to me.
Oh, my life is changing everyday
In every possible way.
And oh, my dreams
It's never quite as it seems
'Cause you're a dream to me
Dream to me.
("Dreams" - "The Cranberries")
