"Ready?" Loke asked, keen eyes focused only on her.

Lucy nodded. "Ready."

Loke exhaled and moved closer towards Lucy, hand reaching out to encircle her back. Lucy twitched the moment his hand met her back, fingers touching her bare skin and the soft fabric of her sweater in the utmost appropriate manner and sending the most inappropriate chills racing down her spine faster than the Princess claimed the lives of her targets.

Loke slowly closed his eyes once he got close to the flustered woman's face, Lucy followed suit and squeezed her eyes tightly shut.

Was this how people with heart conditions felt?

Was there a cure for these erratic palpitations?

Could her ribcage fracture from the force of her pounding heart?

Lucy's legs and hands shook the smaller the proximity between them got, and just when Lucy felt her husband's warm, minty fresh breath ghost over her cheek her fists shot out in a mountain toppling slap.

Her hands met air as Loke quickly dodged the lethal attack and stood a good few feet away from his very flustered wife.

Loke rubbed his jaw thoughtfully. "Maybe we should call it a day."

Lucy's face nearly blended in with the deep red color of her sweater when she nervously shouted, "N-No! I kn-know I can do it, Lo-Loke!" despite her aggressive reassurance, her entire body was still shaking like a leaf.

Loke frowned at the sight. 'She's far too tense. Maybe I shouldn't force her if she is this uncomfortable.' Blue eyes focused on her trembling hands and pink cheeks, 'What sort of a gentleman am I if I force a woman to kiss me against her will? I'll have to figure out another way-'

Loke's thoughts were cut short at the sound of Lucy's small voice in the empty apartment. "I'm- I'm sorry." With hands clasped together as to ask forgiveness, Lucy's gaze was firmly fixated on the floor instead of her husband's surprised expression. "I'm sorry for risking getting discovered due to my- my inexperience. If only you chose a more experienced woman you wouldn't have to go through all this trouble to practice these things with me. I'm sorry-"

"Don't."

"W-what?"

"Please don't apologize, Lucy. The one who has to apologize is me, I didn't prepare adequately for a very logical and highly possible situation and I overstepped your boundaries without your consent. It was wrong of me to think we could convincingly pull off a fake marriage without at least being comfortable with basic affection." Loke held her gaze. "…And there is no other woman I would rather- I would feel more comfortable practicing this with."

At his considerate words and genuine smile, Lucy felt her wildly beating heart calm in her chest. Her voice came out stronger when she spoke, "…Thank you, Loke." Her eyes shyly met his before they lit up with a fiery determination. "Um, about being comfortable with basic affection…why don't we start with hugs first?"

Hugs?

Loke wanted to slap himself. 'Of course. Hugs are, by definition, the most common and acceptable form of showing affection to another person! How could I skip over to advanced tactics without going through the very basics first? Brilliant Lucy!'

Loke cleared his throat. "Yes, let's start by getting comfortable with hugging first."

There was a moment of awkward silence between the two adults, until Loke cleared his throat again. "Would- shall I start?"

Lucy nodded silently, all her bravado from a moment before gone.

Loke took a breath, as if getting ready to start an infiltration operation, before he slowly raised his arms and stretched them out towards Lucy.

The civil clerk steeled her nerves, swallowing the lump in her throat before carefully approaching Loke, as if he were a cautious deer ready to bolt at any second.

Even if Lucy felt like that deer in this moment.

Hugs should be much easier, she used to hug Asuka all the time when they were still living together, she hugged Wendy effortlessly, even Bond when he greeted her excitedly at the doorway when she came home from work.

Lucy could do this.

It was only Loke.

Her husband.

So the blonde took her step

Taking a leap of faith, Lucy closed her eyes and rushed towards Loke.

Lucy heard a soft 'oopf' from the man just as she collided with what she thought was a wall.

Had she accidentally run into the wall? How embarrassing! How much embarrassment would she have to endure today?!

But when Lucy slowly opened her eyes, blond hair obstructed her field of vision, along with the warm, solid body of Loke Leo.

Her arms had a death grip around his waist, but she didn't feel Loke reciprocating the embrace. "Um, Loke?"

Had she gripped him too tightly? Was he still breathing?

The soft rise and fall of his chest against hers confirmed he was indeed, still breathing, and Lucy felt the strong beat of his heart thundering against her own. As if their hearts were in a heated competition to see who could escape first from their imprisonment.

As if struck by lightning, Loke's body jumped slightly before relaxing again, his voice, entirely too close to her ear, sounded so loud in the empty living room. "Y-Yes, sorry."

And then, she felt his arms wrap around her back.

His embrace was much gentler and Lucy loosened her own in response. Was Loke taking deeper breaths now? She felt the odd sensation of his ribcage expanding and deflating in time with his breathing, so unlike the stillness of her targets laying lifelessly in their own pool of blood as Lucy's blade was still lodged into their bodies-

Lucy shook her head violently. This was no time to think of her assassinations!

Once her focus returned to the situation at hand, she felt the warmth emanating not only from Loke's hands on her back, but also his entire body pressed to her own. Was the room temperature always so high before?

She felt – felt – Loke swallow, his Adam's apple bobbing right next to her head resting against his shoulder. Even when she wore heels, she could only ever come up to Loke's eye level, now in slippers, her head reached his shoulders.

They appeared much broader now than she was aware.

When Lucy slightly squeezed his back, Loke's spine seemed to tingle, or at least that's what Lucy felt pressed up against his body. Had she struck an injury? Did she squeeze too tight and his body protested?

Loke was reciting old war reports in his head and counting off how many errors he spied on all of them, trying not to let his brain hyperfocus on the way Lucy's hands squeezed at his back.

'Come on, Loke, stop acting like a school boy and be an adult about this. This is a normal hug, people hug each-other often, or so I've observed in all my years . Maybe the time my brain was cut off oxygen from Lucy's hug messed with my senses. Why do I feel oddly nervous?' Loke's musings were cut short when Lucy loosened her hug, her hands still firmly wrapped around his waist, but no longer cutting off his air supply.

His eyes moved to the shiny black hair filling his field of vision, miraculously avoiding getting nicked by the surprisingly sharp earrings Lucy always wore. Lucy must take very good care of her hair for it to be so shiny, it felt soft to the touch too, pressing against his cheek and chin pleasantly. Had she used a scented shampoo? The subtle fragrance was far less invasive on his senses than all the other women from his missions.

"Is this okay, Lucy?" heart in his throat, Loke hoped he didn't cross any boundaries or make Lucy uncomfortable again.

While they were married on paper, they were practically still strangers, contrary to what Loke always told Lucy whenever she doubted her role in the Leo family.

'It's for mission , Lucy doesn't know Wendy isn't our daughter, of course she thinks she's intruding on our family life.'

He could feel Lucy shift in his arms, almost as if gauging the way their bodies fit together like two lost puzzle pieces.

'Two lost puzzle pieces? Getting poetic, Loke?' Loke mentally slapped himself for the odd comparison, focusing back on Lucy's voice when she spoke.

"I'm alright. Are you okay, Lo-Loke?" a sense of relief flooded Loke's chest, whether from her answer or the comforting warmth from her body, he didn't want to dwell on for too long.

"Yes, I'm fine." Loke observed his hands positioned on her back, a respectable distance away from any inappropriate places.

Until he zeroed in on his two forefingers touching Lucy's bare skin through the opening of her sweater.

Loke gawked.

How could he have missed this detail?!

What would Lucy think? Had she not addressed his indecent touch because she felt too uncomfortable? Was she keeping silent to help them from being discovered as a fake family?

'No, Lucy's comfort must come above all else.' With this thought in mind, Loke slowly lowered his hand to her waist, now back on the safe barrier of her soft sweater.

Crisis evaded.

Expertly done, Loke.

Loke was distracted from his thoughts when he felt Lucy move her head, soft hair brushing against his face and her warm cheek meeting his neck. "How long do hugs normally last?"

Another indecency!

He hadn't watched the time at all! How much time had passed? Were they hugging for too long?

"We-we can stop if you like, Lucy."

A moment of tense silence passed between the two adults and Loke was about to take the initiative by breaking the hug when Lucy suddenly tightened her grip around his waist.

"Actually...would it be alright if we stayed like this for a little while longer?" her muttered question sounded clear and loud to Loke, possibly due to their close proximity.

Loke felt as if he answered a little too quickly. "For a little while."

Lucy moved her body even closer to him, despite there not being much room to close at all. Her embrace was softer yet firm, and Loke couldn't quite remember the last time he got hugged.

Actually, he could.

Fragmented memories of his mother surfaced in his mind, he could no longer remember her face, but he vividly remembered her embrace.

Her arms were thin but lithe, Loke had always thought her arms could shield him from anything in the world. The sense of security her hugs had given him were greater than the protection of their home.

Her warm hands would always soothingly rub his back whenever he was upset, whether it was at his father's scolding for playing with his friends past curfew or a bruise. His mother would hum or whisper comforting words in his ear, sometimes she would sway his body gently and lull him into a calm.

Lucy suddenly felt Loke tighten his arms around her waist, not enough to hurt, but enough for her to turn her head to catch a glimpse of his face and check on him.

The expression on his face seemed so out of place for a man so kind and peaceful, an expression Lucy knew too well, back when she had first started her assassination job, her eyes would have this deeply pained, glazed over look. The look that spoke of thousands of injustices and indescribable pain, a pain so strong it couldn't compare to the thrust of her weapon into the soft flesh of her targets.

A pain that came from the heart.

With sympathy and a sense of kinship burning in her chest, Lucy nuzzled her husband's shoulder and squeezed back, her hands moving in rhythmic, soothing motions across the expanse of Loke's back.

He trembled and she only hugged him tighter, feeling the sting alive in her heart resurface.

Lucy had gotten many hugs from Asuka, but she couldn't remember her mother's embrace or her father's encouraging pat.

Both adults seemed to relax against each-other, as if melting into the hug that had started so tense and by the book.

They didn't know for how long they were hugging for, but by the time both of them had calmed down from their respective trips to their painful pasts, the front door of the apartment opened.

"Wendy, bought a teddy bear that looks like Lucy !"

"Woof! Woof!"

The married couple froze at the sound of the familiar voices.

Gray covered Wendy's eyes once he registered the sight before him. "Say Wendy, don't you want Leddy to be comfortable in your room? Why don't you show him his other stuffed friends in there?"

"Okay uncle !" brimming with excitement at seeing her parents hug in the split second before grays hand had obscured her vision, Wendy dashed into her room, ear eagerly pressed against the closed door to spy on the adults.

Loke and Lucy slowly turned their heads towards them, both looking equal parts disturbed and unsurprised.

"Seriously, there are kids in this house!" Franky scoffed, unloading a bag of what appeared to be groceries, some treats for Wendy and Bond.

"Woof!"

As if burned, Lucy and Loke sprung away from each-other. Franky didn't ignore the fierce blush on Lucy's face nor the very red ears of his friend and colleague, who looked less than pleased to see him at this moment.

Finally some bullying material to annoy the shit out of Loke.

"I-I'll make some tea!"

"T-Thank you, Lucy!"

Lucy scrambled towards the kitchen while Loke glared daggers at Gray, who only wore a shit-eating grin despite Loke's death threat. "You're back…early."

Gray grinned. "Actually, we were five minutes late, and how productively did you spend your day alone with Lucy the Mrs. Leo with Mr. Leo?"

If they were alone, Franky would be pronounced missing.

Not because he wasn't dead, his body simply would've never been found after Loke was done with him.

"I see…" clearing his throat and trying to get rid of the lump in his chest, Loke motioned towards the door. "You're right, its late, well thank you for looking after Wendy today! I'll see you tomorrow, Franky."

He scoffed. "Hey wait, I didn't have my-!"

Loke slammed the door shut in Franky's face at the same time Lucy returned with two steaming mugs of tea. "Tea?" she tilted her head quizzically, noting Franky's sudden absence. "Oh? Franky left already?"

Loke cleared his throat, gently guiding Lucy towards the couch so they could enjoy their tea. "He said he was exhausted from his day with Wendy and Bond and wanted to go home to rest." He lied smoothly, nodding at Lucy in thanks for the hot beverage in his palms.

Lucy made herself comfortable on the couch, her cheeks pink and her smile as bright as the sun. "I had fun practicing with hugging today, Loke!"

There was that weird, constricting sensation in his chest again.

Did he have issues with his heart too? Could his digestive problems negatively affect his heart as well?

Loke lifted his mug up to his lips, glancing at Lucy's beaming smile and not being able to suppress his own. "Yes, it seems we've gotten…comfortable with that part."

The two shared a chuckle, each nursing their tea and as the soothing fragrance of the tea and the comforting warmth from Lucy's hug still on his body filled Loke's mind, he discovered that the tea seemed to taste much better this evening.

"Study hard Wendy!"

"Be nice to everyone!"

The Leo parents waved goodbye at their daughter leaving for school in the early morning until they could no longer see her.

Loke checked his watch and turned towards Lucy. "Well, looks like I'll be off too. Have a good day at work, Lucy."

Lucy returned his smile and dived into Loke's arms for a hug. "Have a good day at work too, Loke!" she beamed, nuzzling the side of her husband's neck and dress shirt.

Passerby's shot them glances varying from amusement to envy and Loke's rigid body echoed his surprise at Lucy's sudden advances.

She had initiated a hug first.

It didn't take long for Loke to overcome his shock and return the hug, perhaps a bit too quickly, too tightly that was proper in public, but they stayed locked in place until a car horn made them both aware of their surroundings.

"Right, I'll see you at home!" Lucy waved goodbye as she ran towards Berlint City Hall, leaving in her wake an oddly bewildered Loke Leo.

"See you, Lucy." She was already gone when Loke had uttered his goodbye's, even when he already had entered his office in the hospital Loke still felt the effects of his hug with Lucy.

He couldn't quite stop smiling all day.