Je t'aime

It had been a year since Lucien and her had become…well whatever they were. Maeve had never been one to pursue romance but with Lucien it came so easy, so natural that the transition from friends to friends who like each other and slept together went smoothly. He spoiled her in the ways she liked to be spoiled but without demanding or trapping her like back when she had been a bard. Maeve had used bit of her skill in order to help him regain his contacts and status and she couldn’t believe how lucky she was
She also had taken the habit to return to the forest from time to time, like she had done back when she was young.
If it was so easy, why defining was so hard?
Truth came in the most unexpected times
It was a lazy morning, past noon, when she stretched and reached towards an empty side of the bed, the smell of strong coffee awakening her.
Maeve stretched as she smiled sleepily, watching as Lucien approached with two steaming cups “You know, showing up looking all gorgeous while bringing me coffee, like that it’s no wonder that I love you”
And as soon as those words left her mouth, her eyes opened wide awake “Merde” Maeve mumbled as she realized what she had said. Well, too late now, the ball was on his roof.

The last year had actually been pretty great, despite the fact that there was political unrest in Orlais and not one but two blights raging in the world. He wasn't really sure what it was, only that he liked whatever it was. It was a bit strange for him, before Maeve he'd only had flings or one night stands, nothing like he had with Maeve.

It was still early, but he couldn't sleep any more so he decided to get up and make them some coffee. He smiled as he walked back to the bed seeing that Maeve had woken up, he was prepared to say something funny or sarcastic, but then she let slip the words, I love you, he paused where he was, mouth slightly agape, one eyebrow raised in surprise. There were probably a hundred sweet things he could say back, but since he hadn't had his coffee just yet, sarcasm won the day.

Well, what's not to love....

Maeve passed in a moment from utter and complete embarrassment to misdirected anger in the blink of an eye. She knew perfectly that the intensity of the feelings bubbling inside of herself were not due to ire, but it was easier to be mad than to admit that she was feeling vulnerable for that second of honesty, in which she had let those words slip.

“You know what? I have changed my mind, fuck you” her reply would have been more consistent if she hadn’t blindly grabbed a Lucien’s shirt, while stuttering and leaving the bed red as a tomato before passing next to him, ignoring both her lover and the godamned coffee, that in Maeve’s opinion was to blame for the whole situation.

When she realized that the item of clothing that she had grabbed was his shirt, she threw it at him before looking for her own dress around the room, picking it from the armchair next to the window.

Lucien hadn't meant to piss Maeve off, the sarcasm had come so quick he'd barely had time for his brain to process the words as they stumbled from his mouth. Sometimes it was just so easy it was hared to pass up. He couldn't help but chuckle a bit as Maeve said she'd changed her mind and told him to fuck off. The chuckle was slowly building into a full blown laugh complete with tears in his eyes.

Wait, waaait. Look I didn't mean to come off as an ass it's just, no one's ever told me that before. Well, that wasn't family, they'd occasionally tell me they loved me but that's hardly the same thing here and I mean, are you even sure cuz, I'm not the easiest guy to get along with so, hard to imagine someone actually loving me. It was sort of an apology, an apology and an explanation.

“Well no wonder why, if your reaction towards it was to be an idiot” said Maeve, although at the least she was no longer actively leaving but rather standing while trying to look as intimidating as she could while dressing up. She realized after his whole explanation that her defensive attitude while, in her opinion, correct didn’t make things better.

She stared at him thinking about his words, her confession had been genuine, but an sleepy I love you was not the same than to say it while fully awake and facing him “I…I do” said Maeve as she took one of the coffees and sat on the bed again. “I…shit Lucien we have done this for a year, and the friend thing for maker knows how long and each day we spend together, I never tire of it you know” her words were clunky, more than anything that had came from her lips in years “Like it’s easy to look at you and want this forever, and smile like a fucking idiot just because you kissed my neck and called me pretty, or because you went with me for a fucking walk in the gardens”

She took a deep breath “I know how to fake love, but I think I couldn’t fake what I feel even if I tried” and after that she sipped from her coffee, hoping that she would burn her tongue to never ever talk again

Lucien just hadn't been prepared for someone actually loving him, let alone someone he loved in return. The last year had been great but it was the longest relationship he'd ever had and there were times he'd felt like he had no clue what the fuck he was even doing. One thing he did know was that in the past "relationships" had always been hard for him, but things with Maeve had been easy from the start, even when they fought it was easier, which was insane. Once it was clear she wasn't going to take off, he smiled.

Look honestly, you are the first person I haven't lost interest in after a few weeks, this is all new ground for me. I've known I loved you for weeks now but I've been too scared to say something, afraid it'll make things implode if you didn't feel the same way, but you're it for me. He was trying to do a better job at expressing himself and less being an ass, he wasn't sure how he was doing, only that he meant every word.

“Then it’s settled then…you are my uhm…partner?” asked the former bard with a smile after listening to him, before putting her mug on the table and his too. She tiptoed to brush her lips with him “For the record if you are ever to propose me, I want a pretty shinny ring, not over the top but it has to have something blue”

placing her arms around his neck she smiled widely, clearly turning the conversation into something more casual “And Im not removing my surname because it’s lovely, and I intend to wear the naughtiest underwear under my wedding dress to have you impatient during the whole ceremony” clearly by the way she spoke, the only bit that held some truth was the ring bit, which was no surprise considering that blue was Maeve’s favorite colour.

“And since now that we are togheter what’s yours is mine too” she grinned wickedly before dashing to steal (and if not stopped drink) Lucien’s coffee too. Did he have more coffee? Absolutely, Maeve was just being annoying for the sake of it.

Lucien had always thought partner was an unusual word, being that it could mean business or pleasure, his business partner versus his romantic partner. In some ways he suspected he might prefer boyfriend, but it wasn't something he thought warranted a talk. When she talked about an engagement ring it Lucien raised an amused eyebrow, the topic didn't scare him, but he was a tad surprised that Maeve was already going there. As she places her arms around his neck, he pulls her in closer.

That is quite the list, you sound like someone who has put great thought into this. Should I be writing all this down? He was mostly kidding with just a dash of seriousness. Even though he hadn't thought about marriage, he knew one thing with certainty, that she was the one for him, it all ended with her.

“Nah I am just kidding, and trying to find a reason to be a bitch and steal your coffee” said Maeve as she laughed, although her described design for the ring was quite accurate. Maybe in the future they'd talk more deeply about this, maybe she would get eventually that ring, maybes and perhaps felt too distant right now.

She pulled him down for a deep kiss “No notes, no duties. Just be you and that will work I think” and she sealed the conversation with a deep kiss.

Lucien couldn't remember the last time that he'd been this content, this happy. Maeve had stood by his side through a lot and even though she was joking about engagement rings and wedding dresses, the thought didn't terrify him. Not that he needed those things either, just, in his mind she was it for him. There couldn't ever be anyone else and he didn't want there to be anyone else. He relaxed into the kiss and slowly moved her back towards the bed.