Fly Away Home (Louvel)

[Leonie von der Marck]

As the Lioness wrapped her fingers around his in response to his light grip she settled against the seat and turned his palm over, tracing a fingertip over the lines etched there, among the scars and callouses to be found. She had long since decided she adored those hands, just as she did every bit of him; whether they were brushing over her skin or hard at work around the manor made no difference. They’d handled challenges together over the many years, and the more unique sort to be had as a couple in more recent months. A small smile crossed her lips as she thought back to their one and only real disagreement in the near-year they'd been together, the one that had had her temporarily vacating his small cottage in favor of the solitude of the rooms she’d kept, at the time, within the manor, to think. It had been Christmas, almost six months before, and once they’d talked about it in the next day or two, worked out their differences and reconciled and acknowledged what each needed to thrive, they had done just that. It had been mostly harmonious before, and an even better, more conscientious give-and-take after, she found, as her respect for him grew past what she’d thought possible. Where Leonie would once upon a time have booked it as quickly as she could at the first sign of a spat, with Lou she was already firmly committed to working it out.

This was no different. Despite her fears, despite the insidious whispering beneath her thoughts, telling her she wasn’t good enough, would never be good enough for the goodness within him, she would hear him out, she already knew. And as he began to speak, to reiterate what he’d said before, she kept her eyes down for a long beat, simply listening… until he paused. It was then she looked up at him, just as he asked her exactly what she’d been wondering, herself.

Even as Louvel released her hand and straightened up in the ensuing silence, she drew in a slow breath, turning as much as she was able while restricted by the seatbelt to face him. He continued speaking before she could reply, though, and she let him, keeping her expression as neutral as she was able throughout. But she couldn’t help the refreshed smile that came in reply to those words, a sort said out loud that had never been uttered before. She couldn’t have begun to imagine the stirring they inspired within, the absolute gratification that her own growing feelings hadn’t been unreciprocated.

She stayed silent as he settled back in his seat, for a far longer time than she intended. But before she knew it, before she could even think against it, she’d unbuckled her seatbelt and moved, in one swift motion, to settle herself over his lap. No matter the long time left to the ride home, she wanted… needed… that proximity in that moment, safety be damned. She still didn’t say anything, instead opting for a long, sweet kiss, her fingers sliding to link behind his neck. At last, she broke away, sharp hazel gaze trained upon his moss—colored one, with a smile that refused to go away.

“I love you, too,” she finally said, quietly, just a breath from his lips. It felt so good to say that, to give voice to what she already knew to be true. Almost as good to hear it. But she didn't let herself get caught up in that, instead continuing on to answer him as best she could. “And… I’m right there with you. I want all of those things, and more. A future with you… a life together… kids. All of it. I want to be the mom I never had, the one I should have had,” she continued. “Better than that, if I can help it.” Her knees sank down into the supple leather as she settled in closer, a sense of relief filling her that it had all finally been said out loud, that the silent thoughts and budding hopes since their first encounter had been allowed to see the light of day. “With you, being at your side, I think I can. I know we can do better, together, than what we had… and I can't tell you how much I want that."

She tipped her head back with a bright, short laugh before meeting his gaze again, a teasing look in her eye as a sly grin crossed her lips.

“****. Did we just decide to get married?”

[Louvel von der Marck]

“Are you saying yes, Lioness?”

The warmth of her centered in his lap was a good sign. So was the way she fit in his hands as each graduated up the generous curves of her hips. He fit his palms over the swell of hard bone and saddled his grip there. His eyes didn’t dare blink. So much of him wanted to hear her say it. Despite the driver catching sight of the lack of compliance with the seat belt expectations the Keeper managed to sit there and wait on the answer that was only to come from her. Oddly enough outside the driver navigating the luxury SUV towards the estate they still weren’t alone. The proof came in the sound of the only voice that could possibly share his attention when it was Leonie that otherwise held it.

”Never make promises you can’t keep, son.” Mara’s eyes reflected the beauty of truth and honor as he witnessed the sun setting behind her shoulders. “Not to your brother, your friend or even to a stranger.” She had him with each word that she said purposefully making sure she held his attention. “And never to the one you love. No matter how tempting it is, how much they want something different than what you can possibly give or how much discomfort it could possibly ease...don’t do it.”

As he watched his mother’s face in the silence that fell between them all those years ago he could see what the effects were when it was done. It created lines in the skin, shadows beneath eyes that should have been given every reason to age gracefully without the weight of worry and hidden pain creasing the flesh that framed each one. It should be a crime. What Otto von der Marck did to his mother with his lecherous ways should be punishable.

“I can promise you that I won’t.” His young hand reached out and brushed the lengths of sun influenced gold from her face. One of her unforgettable accepting smiles was what he was left with.

A slow smile formed and spread across his face. His mossy orbs ignored the slow rock of the car as it executed the first of several turns leading them deeper into the outskirts of the city. His hands slipped beneath the sweater that pooled at the top of her thighs and kissed his waistline. The movement didn’t halt despite the prying and curious eyes glancing between the road ahead and the passengers. Not until each reached the softest skin to be discovered beneath his open palms did he finally go still. Could he feel any more lucky? Yes. She could say yes.

“Excuse me…” The voice over Leonie’s shoulder finally alerted both to the physical presence of another. The moment was not to be theirs alone.
“Certainly.” Louvel winked at the face in the rear view mirror keeping eyes on them. “Just as soon as she tells me her answer.”

[Leonie von der Marck]

Leonie’s fingers slid over his cheeks as sharp hazel latched to soft moss, and she brushed another kiss to his lips as that smile only grew. It was hard to concentrate on much else as the feeling intensified and the words settled somewhere firm in her mind. She wanted to draw this moment out for as long as possible, but it wouldn’t be fair to do so without the answer he waited so patiently for.

Well… not that patiently, she realized, as his hands slid up, moving over her until skin was brushing over skin, stealing her breath away and stirring up the most scandalous thoughts. He knew full well how distracting he could be, especially with that tantalizing little promise he’d made while they were still on the plane. She couldn’t see the driver eyeing the pair in the back of his vehicle, but at the feel of being watched on occasion, Leonie had the urge to smack the button that controlled the divider, not giving one whit how rude it might come across. Still, she worked to ignore him and control the childish behavior that wanted to spill out, her focus staying squarely upon the man she had all but wrapped herself around.

But all of that paled in comparison to the stunned amazement coursing through her, a feeling she had never expected to experience. It wasn’t the first time someone had asked her such a thing, but none had ever counted or meant anything, either, not in the slightest. They had been turned down flat, an empty response for the emptier attempts at winning her over for all the wrong reasons – wealth, power… a trophy to display on the shelf. She had been worldly enough to recognize those who only saw her as a status symbol, a meal ticket, or worse, a doll to play with on a whim until she grew too old and was replaced by a younger, hotter version.

But this was different. So, so different, in ways she had never expected. Someone cared for her as much as she cared for him, for all the best reasons. Accepted her and her flaws and embraced them as part of her without judgment, just like he always had. Had inspired in her the kind of love and commitment she’d never wanted to give to anyone else after the heartbreak that had helped define her young adulthood. For the first time, Leonie understood what it was to be in an actual relationship filled with empathy and tenderness and plain, simple honesty. It was everything she could have ever wanted, but the funny thing was, if it had happened any earlier, the von der Marck Lioness was quite certain she wouldn’t have been ready.

And so, no matter that she stayed silent, that it took the next words from the driver, and the reply from her Lou, to shake her from her swirling thoughts, she already had the answer, clear as a bell ringing in her head. It didn’t need to be articulated; it was there in her gaze and in the way she kissed him again, but then… nothing would feel so good as to say it out loud, to utter the verbal confirmation he wanted to hear, that she wanted, so badly, to say.

“Yes!”