Stages of Love Lukas
Wow this is long. Most people would say Python is hard to write but in my experience Lukas is where I struggle. I hope I stayed as in character as possible and did him justice
Attraction:
• Lukas falling in love with you was a long process as his priorities were elsewhere • You came from a noble family but had abandoned them. Now a priestess from the Novis Priory, you enlisted into the Deliverance. Your family had aligned with Desaix, bled the common folk in your area dry with cruel taxes, and hired brigands to harass the nearby towns so the common folk would seek help from the nobility. Your family, in their greed, crippled the people they should’ve been protecting, so you left them for the Priory. • You and Lukas would often strategize together, your family had a sizeable personal army and if you came to blows, it would be disastrous for your side. You were Lukas’ assistant in terms of managing the army. Spending so much time with each other brought you closer together and he mentioned in passing that he’d met you before at some celebration, you apologized for not remembering as you hated going to those parties and often your mind was elsewhere. • A friendship developed as both of you had roughly the same background. Coming from noble families but ultimately leaving them. Both of you didn’t care much for social status but wanting to find their place in the grander scheme of things. You had an uncanny ability to peel back some of Lukas’ defensive layers and pick up on what was happening with him internally. • You shared one of your observations of him, how his eyes have this different look to them out on the battlefield. “Quite the observation, I admit, it’s one of the few times I feel… something.” He folded his arms behind him and twiddled his thumbs “Does that frighten you?” he quirked his head to the side trying to read your expression. “More saddened than afraid really… Lukas, I wonder what could’ve happened in your past that caused you to be this way. To only come alive when your life is in danger.” He closed his eyes, purveying his thoughts “I can’t say with certainty if it's my upbringing or if something in me is broken. Perhaps I’m not normal.” There was resignation in his voice, you reached and presented your hand to comfort him. He looked at it perplexed “You don’t need to hold it if you aren’t comfortable Lukas. But if its any consolation, I don’t think you’re broken and I’m here for you if you need a companion as you try to figure out life.” He gave your hand a tentative touch then pulled away, folding his arms behind him once more. • He picked up the conversation about not being normal, it was freeing to talk to you so openly. He confided about his insecurities regarding his personality, his coldness, inability to express emotions freely, his desire to feel something intense for once, all of which he deemed imperfections in his personality. You assured him they weren’t defects, that these “flaws” are what makes each of us a unique human being. That feelings aren’t to be forcefully felt, they just happen in varying intensities depending on the person. • Lukas was drawn to how understanding you are and how you didn’t color his kindness towards you. As the friendship deepened you were slowly able to gauge what his boundaries were and the little tics in his personality. As he opened up more to you you never met him with comments like “See you can express emotion?” but you responded with gratitude he was opening up more to you and assurance he can take things at his own pace. • After the war and Duma’s defeat, you and Lukas started teaching new recruits basic education (reading, writing, arithmetic, and history.) Most of your pupils were commoners but you both enjoyed spreading education to every social class. • Lukas began noticing very unfamiliar feelings within him, catching himself staring at you, little things would remind him of you, and the sound of your voice and your smile was always on his mind. He’d feel “something” whenever your hand would brush against his or when you’d give him a pat on the shoulder. He wanted nothing more than to share the same space with you and he knew he had feelings for you but he wanted to make sure if it was romantic or leaned more on platonic.
Confession:
• It took time for Lukas to fully process his feelings for you, never had he anticipated he’d develop any form of romantic attraction/affection towards another person. So he gave himself ample time to let the feelings sink in, to accept and be sure that his feelings were romantic. Lukas did not want a repeat of pursuing someone only to find out he was not emotionally invested whatsoever. • He began courting you by spending more and more time with you ( just the two of you ), doing small favors, or giving you tokens of appreciation. You’d have tea together while going over lesson plans, spar, he’d gladly accompany you if you wanted to visit the priory at Novis from time to time, or you’d find gifts of either flowers or food you like on your desk with a note from him “You’re always on my mind.” “I thought of you when I saw these.” “Have you eaten yet? I hope you like these.” Are some examples of his notes. • Lukas had never outright asked you if he could court you and this had been going on for a few months. You opted to confront him, he dropped by your desk with his usual care package then you asked “Lukas, be honest, are you courting me?” he folded his arms behind him and began to twiddle his thumbs, finding the right words to say “I am.” A succinct response but you wanted more out of him “Well this is unexpected. You never mentioned being attracted to me or wanting to court me before… I’m just surprised.” He cleared his throat and looked at you sincerely, there was anxiety in his eyes “Perhaps I wasn’t being honest with myself in the past or I kept denying my affections for you. Granted everyone had described me as cold and emotionally subdued, I thought that was who I am, unfeeling. “ he reached out to hold your hand, you didn’t pull away. He intertwined his fingers with yours, the warmth of your hand giving him confidence. “I’ve stared a crazed dragon god in the eyes and felt little to no fear, yet when I look at you I feel so many emotions all at once. Happiness, longing, fear, and so many others. I am certain my feelings for you are romantic and I’d like to explore this side of me, hopefully, with you by my side.” You squeezed his hand “Of course Lukas.” This was the first time you ever saw Lukas smile up to his eyes. Layers of repression crumbling away, he finally found someone he could be wholly open to.
First Date
• Lukas isn’t one for grand gestures and overly fancy dates. He prefers very intimate and private ones. Having a dinner date where both of you cook it together is very much his speed. He admits he prefers making desserts but doesn’t mind helping and learning how to cook your favorite meal and you don’t mind learning how to make his favorite desserts. • He has his own brand of playfulness, you’ll ask for an onion to chop and he’ll roll it slowly towards you. Or if you ask him for a utensil (that’s not sharp or pointed) he won’t let go of it immediately, initiating a light tug-of-war with the faintest playful smile on his face. • Dinner is enjoyed with deep conversation and warm banter. At this point, Lukas is comfortable with holding hands to the point he doesn’t let go of yours. After the meal, he’ll offer to do the dishes, pressing a soft kiss on your head. It warms your heart so much that Lukas is more giving and accepting of physical touch, it shows how secure he feels. • He walks you back to your room in the barracks, hand in hand enjoying the moment. Walking about while holding hands would’ve been scandalous for Lukas’ past standards, now he isn’t so conscious about that trivial things, he’d rather enjoy every moment with you at his own pace. Right before you reach your room, he gets this sudden impulse. He quickens his pace, leading in front of you and in one fluid motion twirls you as if you were dancing. The gesture is sudden but romantic, your face is flush but with a wide smile on your lips “Well… what’s that all about Mr. Romantic?” you giggled, he cups your cheeks and slowly presses a kiss on your forehead then resting his against yours. “I’m not too sure myself… But I’d do it again,” Lukas gave you face a light squeeze before pulling you into an embrace.
First Kiss
• Your first kiss was an accident. You were hesitant to push Lukas and make him uncomfortable while he was surprisingly bashful about asking you for more physically intimate interactions. • Although at this point Lukas was comfortable with hand-holding, embraces, and kisses (on the cheek, forehead, hair, and hands) minimally in public. He was very forward when asking for cuddles during your one-on-ones • Both of you were cuddling in bed, he had one arm wrapped around you as he read a book while you nuzzled into his shoulder. Maybe he was too engrossed in reading his book he didn’t notice you staring at him lovingly, thinking about how far he’s come opening up and being more comfortable with intimacy. You whisper his name and go in to kiss him on the cheek or jaw, whichever comes first except that doesn’t feel like his cheek. Then it clicks what had just happened, he heard his name and turned his attention towards you, your lips clumsily catching half of his. You quickly pull away, you feel like you overstepped his boundaries “Gods! Lukas, I’m so sorry, I only wanted to kiss your chee-“ he’d went ahead and kissed you right then and there, parting just enough to get some words in “You don’t have to be so hesitant with me love. I appreciate you being so considerate but we’re well past that.” He molded his lips onto yours with more passion “You’re the only one who’ll see this side of me, you’re the only one who can bring it out…” he locked you into a deep passionate kiss, pining you onto the bed…
First Time
• Your first time together was also your first kiss, this intimate moment was many months (or up to a year) in the making. There was much build-up and one kiss was all it took for the dam to break, perhaps a little spontaneity was required to things going. • Lukas is a simple guy, not one for tricks or adventurous positions for your first night together but that did not diminish the fervor and passion. You won’t hear him talk dirty but his kisses on every inch of your body spoke volumes of how much he adored and “needed” you. • His gaze was intense as he hovered over you, one hand keeping his balance while the other was clasped tightly around yours, your grips growing tighter with every thrust. You couldn’t decide what to do with your free hand, it alternated between covering your mouth or entangling it in his hair. The way he looked at you and his focused silence melted your insides, you just knew “that” look was reserved for you and you alone. His breathing grew more and more labored, a moment later you heard his breath catch in his throat as he stopped abruptly. You felt him pull out of you and you whined in response to the sudden emptiness. Lukas spread your legs wider and went down on you, lapping at you with his tongue. He put his neck into, nuzzling deeper in between you sending shivers down your spine making squeeze his head with your thighs. He grunted then gripped your thighs to keep you steady, his hold was tight and you knew it would leave a mark. You felt your core tighten more and more then you just felt yourself melt into his mouth, Lukas gladly drank you in. Though spent from your orgasm, you’d gladly return the favor but Lukas said he’s in a giving mood that night. The sight of him looking at you, framed between your thighs stirred you once more. Lukas was certainly very generous that night and you’d repay that generosity once he was in a receiving mood.
Proposal
• Another year into the relationship and Lukas brought up the topic of marriage. He’d become more forward with things he wanted to do, happen, or try out in your relationship. While you were open to getting married, both of you were preoccupied with serving the One Kingdom as knights. The thought of having your knightly responsibilities conflicting with wedding planning or married life wasn’t something you looked forward to. Lukas agreed on that point, he didn’t see himself staying a knight for the rest of his life and he had another long term goal in mind aside from marrying you. • He asked what you’d do after retiring from knighthood. You enjoyed teaching recruits and wanted to do that full-time once you retired. It made Lukas very happy that your long-term goals were exactly like his, he suggested opening a school together. The way his face lit up made you ecstatic, you wanted nothing more than to do this together. • Both of you filed your retirement, while Clive and Alm were slightly saddened with your departure they both respected both your decision. Clive went ahead and found a building that could be used for the school, both of you were grateful for the investment. You inspected the building on your last day of service, it had 2 floors, the first floor spacious enough for two classrooms. The second floor, as per Lukas’ suggestion, could be modified to be your shared living space. That word “shared” caught your attention, perhaps it would’ve been more convenient and cost-effective to co-habit than find separate housing. • He had one more place he wanted to take you that day and to your surprise, it was the goldsmith. “Lukas…” he turned to face you “Not the most romantic and this is a round-about method.” You interrupted him “It doesn’t have to be fancy, we both made sizeable down payments for the building because we didn’t want Clive to pay for it all.” He inched closer to you and placed something in your hands, it was a ring. “That’s my family’s signet ring, that’s the only token I have proving my lineage. As you know I hold no familial connection with them since my enlistment to the Deliverance, that ring, in its current form, has no sentimental value.” You enclosed the ring tightly in your hands as he cupped your face and looked deeply into your eyes. “You’re my family now, I’d gladly melt that ring and forge a new, much more meaningful one with you.” He pressed a kiss to your forehead “I hope I’m not being too presumptuous in thinking we both want to spend the rest o our days together?” you couldn’t help yourself, you wrapped your arms around him “YES! YES! I’d be more than happy to Lukas! You know what? I have a family heirloom as well, we can melt that down too!”
Marriage
• The ceremony was simple and private, only your closest friends were in attendance and Lukas was stern about not inviting anyone else much to Clive’s dismay. You both requested that you’d both take a new surname, both of you had cut ties with your families. • Married life was absolute bliss, both of you were pursuing your passions together. Your students were very appreciative and felt part of your family. Later on, the school had taken in a few orphans, you and Lukas made for excellent foster parents. • Something about Lukas changed, he seemed more alive now that he had settled down and taught full-time. There was a certain “fire” in him now, not raging but akin to a well-kept flame in a fireplace, cozy and peaceful. No one would ever describe him as “cold” anymore. He was animated when he taught, a few hand gestures here and there, moving around the classroom, and more inflections in his voice. A stark contrast to the way he was in the Deliverance, hands always folded behind him and speech almost monotonous. This was Lukas’ “water”, this was his element, this is where he meant to be. • His eyes lit up when students would ask him questions or he’d see improvements. Your students adored the both of you to bits, some wanted to board and stay in school forever, which caused a few problems but it was just a sign of how great you two were as instructors. • Some students even slipped and called either of you “mother” or “father”. Neither of you complained though. “Dear, I heard little Timothy call you ‘father’ in class. Did you really have to tease him so?” you poked your dear husband’s side “I can jest every now and then. It isn’t the first time he’s called me that either.” Lukas smiled as he put away some books, as you laughed “But you said ‘excellent answer my son’ I swear Timothy went beet red!” you playfully tapped a roll of parchment on Lukas’ head. He turned his attention to you and squeezed both your cheeks “I only tease those I’m very fond of. You’d know this because you receive the brunt of it.” He pressed a kiss on your lips he then smooshed your face. You swear he’s been getting pointers from or being influenced by Python. • Now married, Lukas is more comfortable with physical touch. There was never a morning or night he didn’t greet you with a kiss. If you were in separate rooms doing your separate thing, he’d come in at least once and kiss your hair. If he’d run into you between classes, he’ll give your hand or shoulder a squeeze. These were new ways he’d show his love for you but there were the standard little affectionate notes on your desk or treats he’d find time to get you that he’d been doing before. • While you weren’t the overly lovey-dovey kind of married couple it did not diminish the depth of your bond. Both of you felt loved and most importantly, understood. You couldn’t have asked for a better half and Lukas felt the same way about you.