Work Text:
Treviso was quieter at night, yet it pulsed with its own rhythm – a symphony of distant laughter, muffled footsteps, and the occasional creak of a gondola against its moorings. Lanterns cast golden light that danced across cobblestone streets slick with rain. The air smelled of water and citrus and stone, a reminder that even beauty here had a sharpness to it.
Rook and Lucanis moved through the shadows like ghosts, their breaths quick, their boots striking an uneven rhythm against the alleys’ worn paths. The heavy tread of the Antaam’s pursuit faded with every turn, until silence swallowed the city once more.
A wrought-iron gate loomed before them, its bars slick and cold under Rook’s hand. When she pushed it open, the sound was softer than she expected; a whisper, not a screech. Together, they slipped inside, their steps faltering as the world opened before them.
The garden was breathtaking. Moonlight spilled over flowering vines that wove themselves around towering trees, their blossoms trembling with dew. Marble fountains stretched wide, their basins shimmering with reflected starlight. Statues of forgotten figures stood sentinel; their serene faces tilted skyward as water cascaded around them. The air was thick with the perfume of jasmine and something faintly sweet – honeysuckle, perhaps. The whole space felt alive, alert, as if the garden had been waiting for them to find it.
“This is…” Rook began, her voice hushed, but she couldn’t finish. The words slipped away, as elusive as the moonlight on the water.
She turned, expecting to find Lucanis marveling alongside her. But his eyes weren’t on the fountains or the statues. They were on her.
The soft moonlight caught the sharp planes of his face, but it was his expression that made her breath hitch. For once, the wry amusement and practiced nonchalance were gone. He looked at her like she was the most delicate and dangerous thing in the garden.
Her cheeks burned, and she quickly turned away, brushing at her hair in a feigned gesture of distraction. “It’s beautiful,” she said lightly, her voice wavering just a little. “The fountains are so big, you could practically swim in them.”
Lucanis tilted his head, his lips curling into a half-smile. “Are you suggesting we try?”
1. 👍: I don’t think the owners would appreciate us turning their fountain into a swimming pool.
2. 🎭: No, I was just marveling at how enormous they are. My entire apartment in Minrathous would’ve fit in one of these!
3. 🛡️: No… The night air is cold enough as it is.
4. ❤️ Express romantic interest in Lucanis. (Does not commit to a romance.): Only if you’re brave enough to go first.
She snorted, folding her arms. “Only if you’re brave enough to go first.”
His smile widened, and before she could take the challenge back, he began to undo his armour, his movements unhurried and deliberate.
“Wait, I didn’t mean…”
His breastplate hit the ground with a dull thud, and his boots soon followed. Rook’s protest turned into a laugh as Lucanis hopped into the fountain, the water lapping at his waist before he sank in with a splash. He surfaced moments later, dark hair plastered to his face, droplets catching on his lashes.
“Are you always this reckless in someone else’s house?” she teased, leaning over the edge and flicking water at him, trying to sound unimpressed but failing miserably.
Lucanis, standing waist-deep in the fountain, looked every inch the troublemaker – wet hair plastered to his smirking face, droplets clinging to his bronze skin, his sharp features caught in half-shadow. “Technically, this is my house. You happened to break into the Dellamorte estate, of all places,” he said, voice low and amused. “And if I remember correctly, you were the one who dared me to jump in, Rook.”
Rook laughed again. “Your house? Well then, I don’t feel as bad about trespassing.” She grinned, nose scrunching. “I didn’t think you’d actually strip.”
His laugh was soft, almost self-conscious, sending a ripple through the still night air. “Maybe I wanted to see if you’d join me.”
Her heart stuttered at his tone – quiet, but laced with something heavier, more intent. She hesitated, her feet rooted to the edge of the fountain. The air around them felt charged, the playful banter slipping into something else entirely.
1. 👍: As tempting as it is, my schedule’s all booked up for jumping into cold fountains.
2. 🎭: Sorry, better luck next time. I think I’ll stay dry tonight. Someone has to keep an eye out, and I trust your swimming skills more than mine.
3. 🛡️: No, thank you. I prefer to stay on dry land.
4. ❤️ Express romantic interest in Lucanis. (Does not commit to a romance.): Oh, you think I won’t? Just watch me.
“Oh, you think I won’t?” she said, arching a brow, her voice laced with defiance and just enough mischief to match his energy. “Just watch me.”
She didn’t break eye contact as her fingers worked the buckles of her armour, the quiet clinking of metal cutting through the bubbling sound of the fountain. Piece by piece, the layers came off, each one discarded with a deliberate ease that made Lucanis’ teasing grin falter just slightly. When she reached her final layer, her tunic slipping away to reveal the bandeau and tattooed skin beneath, she caught the faintest flicker of something in his eyes – a spark that he quickly masked with a cough and an averted glance.
Without hesitation, Rook stepped into the fountain. The cool water lapped at her legs as she waded deeper, the chill biting but invigorating. When he turned back to face her, she had let her hair fall loose from its tie, curls bouncing and bobbing around her face. “There. Happy?” she teased, lifting her chin defiantly.
Lucanis didn’t answer.
His playful demeanour shifted in an instant, the sharp lines of his grin softening into something unreadable. His body moved before his mind seemed to catch up, his steps slow and measured as he closed the distance between them, the water rippling around him. He stopped just short of her, his gaze flickering across her face in a way that sent heat skimming down her spine.
The playfulness between them wavered, like a delicate thread pulled too tight. She saw it in the way Lucanis hesitated, his fingers twitching as though he wanted to reach for her but didn’t trust himself to.
“You look cold,” he said at last, his voice softer now, carrying something she couldn’t quite name.
“Maybe a little,” she replied, her breath hitching as his hand brushed against her arm.
He tilted his head, studying her like she was a puzzle he couldn’t solve. The air between them shifted again, the teasing ebbing away like the ripples in the fountain. Then, with deliberate slowness, his hands settled at her waist, drawing her to him. The chill of the fountain had been a shock, but it was nothing compared to the way Lucanis’ touch burned. His hands lingered at her waist, steady and warm, and she caught the way his gaze flickered down to her lips before darting away.
“Lucanis,” she began, but the name came out in a whisper, swallowed by the distance between them.
“Shh,” he murmured. His fingers trailed up her spine, leaving her shivering for entirely different reasons. Her heart thrummed as his fingers brushed against her skin, trailing up to her jaw. She couldn’t read the expression on his face – there was longing there, yes, but also something more, something more akin to fear.
When he leaned closer, she thought he might finally kiss her, and her heart hammered at the thought. Instead, his lips ghosted against the curve of her neck, soft and hesitant, as though he was testing the boundaries of a fragile thread. Rook’s hands found his shoulders, her grip tightening as he pressed closer, lips trailing along her collarbone.
It was maddening – the way he held her so carefully, as though she might break, but kissed her skin like he was the one falling apart. The warmth of his breath sent a shiver through her, and she tightened her grip on his shoulders, half-afraid he might disappear.
Then, just as suddenly as it had started, Lucanis stilled. She felt him tense, his hands sliding away as he stepped back, leaving the water between them cold and empty.
“I shouldn’t…” he began, his voice raw.
“Why not?” she asked, though she wasn’t sure she wanted to hear the answer.
His eyes flicked up to hers, dark and filled with something like regret. “Because wanting you is dangerous. For you. For me. For both of us. I can’t give you what you deserve,” he said, his voice breaking on the words. “And I’m selfish enough to want you anyway.”
Her throat tightened, but before she could find the words to respond, Lucanis was already climbing out of the fountain, his silhouette sharp against the moonlight. He paused only to grab his armour before disappearing into the shadows, leaving her alone with the sound of her heart pounding in her ears.
