Elucien stuck together physically somehow :)
(Magic glue, cuffs, stuck in a closet, whatever!!)
UNEDITED, RAW, NINE AM MB REPORTING FOR DUTY
“Lucien,” Elain began timidly from across the table. Instinctively, his gut tightened as he braced himself for whatever she might say. “Surely you can part with one finger—”
“No,” he snapped, his patience wearing thin. “There is some trick to this that we’re simply not understanding—”
“I’m not certain you have the capability for understanding!” Elain retorted, her faux sweetness evaporating. It was supposed to be a children’s toy, not a vice he’d never escape from. Cassian had presented it to the pair of them, grin on his face.
“Nesta got me with it earlier,” he’d said to Elain, trying to rope her into the merriment. At best, it would have been an awkward second where their fingers were connected without touching. They’d tug, stuck, laugh nervously, and then be separated. What was the harm?
The harm was hours upon hours of close proximity, touches that had started careful before coming impatient, and sharp words lobbied in his direction.
It was the most they’d spoken since…ever, really.
Lucien yanked, put his pointer finger remained trapped within, locking him to Elain. She rolled her eyes before resting her chin in the palm of her hand, elbow thunking comically loud against the dark wood.
“Do you have a better idea?” he asked, mimicking her posture with an easy grace.
A scowl darkened her otherwise pretty face. “Let me cut off your finger—”
“You’re not cutting off my finger!” Lucien half exploded, rising from his chair and taking her with him. Elain yanked in response, dragging him back to his seat with a forceful finality.
Using her free hand and its pointer finger, she jammed it in the space between them. “Don’t raise your voice at me, Lucien Vanserra.”
He couldn’t help himself. The absurdity of their situation cracked through his overwhelming stress and Lucien began to laugh.
“Always chained together, huh?” he joked, still chuckling.
Elain looked as if she might start shouting again before she exhaled, a small smile cracking her own features. “Apparently so. I suppose fate has it out for us.”
“It could be worse, you know,” Lucien hedged, still smiling like none of it mattered—just in case.
Elain’s eyes traveled toward the window at the far side of the room. “True. It could have been Rhys.”
Lucien’s stomach flipped with excitement. What did that mean? He wanted to ask her, but Cassian strode in, boots muffled by the carpet beneath their feet. One hand held a sandwich piled high with meat, the other held Nyx, still too small to eat the sandwich he was currently fisting toward.
“Still stuck?” Cassian asked, arching a brow. “Here, I thought you’d figure it out…you just…” he adjusted the baby in his arms to mime pressing their fingers close together. “Relax.”
It was the only thing he and Elain hadn’t tried. Cassian turned his back and swung the door shut behind him with a cheerful finality. The wood thudded dully, as though to say obviously. Elain hadn’t moved, frozen in place.
“I’m not going to grab you,” Lucien grumbled.
Elain swallowed. “I know. I never thought that,” she replied. Elain stood, and Lucien did too, though he didn’t move until she took that first step. Relax. The scent of her was overwhelming, and for the first time he understood that she might feel the same. The thought made him half delirious.
Their fingers were separated, the little blue and white trap falling to the floor between them. Lucien didn’t know what to say.
“Thank you,” Elain finally offered, holding his gaze. Lucien’s heart took off at a gallop.
Elain smiled. “The company.”
gracieabrams
tangentwithtanner
s-u-f-j-a-n-s-t-e-v-e-n-s
stormborns
dailybridgerton
turnnoffyourmind
yousharknotpass
titsay
