Chapter Text
Some days after his mother’s coronation, Lucerys is taking a walk with Rhaena around the grounds of the Red Keep, reacquainting himself with the grounds. That one dinner they had while King Viserys was still alive was not nearly enough for them to get to know the place that was once home to them. As he walked, Lucerys let his mind wander.
“Luke.” Rhaena calls gently. He hums inquiringly. She pauses for a breath, then “It's possible now, isn't it?”
Lucerys immediate knows what she means. He sighs heavily, because the same thing has been plaguing his mind for days. He breathes deep, looks over at the architecture that his mother will surely have redesigned as soon as she’s settled as queen.
He swallows thickly, “What if he doesn't feel the same?”
Rhaena barks out a laugh. “Impossible, Luke.”
Everything in Lucerys rebels at the very idea of impossibility. He was raised to believe that anything in the world is possible. “But-”
Rhaena cuts him off firmly before he even gets out another word, “He went against everything he's ever believed in, for you.”
“Maybe he just wanted to do the right thing.” Lucerys tries weakly, even knowing as he says it, that it’s a bold-faced lie. His uncle had only ever cared about doing what he wants, when he wants, how he wants. And although all of the signs seem to point in the same direction, there is a small voice that just won’t be quieted, keeps sowing a seed of doubt and disbelief in his mind.
Rhaena lets out a hearty and decidedly unladylike snort, proclaiming quite matter of factly, “Aemond Targaryen does not care about doing the right thing, Luke. He cares about you.”
“Doesn't always feel like it.” he admits, and immediately feels a little guilty. For all his faults, Aemond has always tried to do right by Lucerys. Even if he couldn’t always see it.
“Yes, well, Aemond has ever had a roundabout way of doing things.” Rhaena shrugs casually. She gives him a pointed look, “Just because we cannot see the stars during the day, does not mean they aren't there.”
Lucerys worries at his bottom lip, wanting nothing more than to believe her words. Hope and harsh reality at war within him. The one side of him flat out refuses to consider the possibility of Aemond reciprocating his feelings. But the other part keeps whispering what if at him.
Lucerys seriously considers all the factors involved - everything from family to duty to getting his heart broken - and comes to the conclusion that Aemond is worth it. He is worth the risk of getting his heart broken. Deep down, Lucerys has always known what his choice would be. He just didn’t want to admit it. But now there is nothing holding him back - except himself, that is.
Lucerys makes his choice and his heart lightens. He looks at Rhaena with a nervous smile, “If this goes horribly wrong, I'm definitely blaming you."
Rhaena’s grin is blinding, “Very well.” she nods enthusiastically. He nods back, nerves lighting with full force. Before he could talk himself out of it, he turns away and starts walking. Where exactly his uncle is, Lucerys doesn’t know right this moment, but he’ll find out. “And Luke?”
“Yeah?” He asks over his shoulder.
Rhaena’s grin is pure mischief now, “I told you so.”
Lucerys can't help the giddy laugh that escapes him as he sets of to finds his uncle.
Finding Aemond turned out to be rather easy, even if he was only in the third place Lucerys looked. First the training grounds, then the library, then the Godswood. For some reason, Lucerys noticed that Aemond rather liked it in the Godswood. His uncle is not particularly religious, which is why it is somewhat of a mystery to him. Maybe it’s the peace and quiet the sanctuary offers.
Lucerys’ heart aches a little as he watches how stunningly beautiful Aemond looks in the sun. The rays reflecting off of his silver hair, skin given a healthy glow by the heat.
Aemond hears him coming, because of course he does, and raises his eyebrow. “What do you need now?”
“Can’t I just come and see you?” Lucerys wrinkles his nose at Aemond.
Aemond looks at him for a moment, that blue eye cutting through all of Lucerys’ weak defenses in a heartbeat. Slowly, he nods. “You may, but you never have.”
Lucerys ignores the guilt that threatens to make its way to the surface and decides to get right to it. He locks his hands behind his back, hiding his trembling hands. “Actually, there is something I want from you.”
“Oh?” Aemond asks with a triumphant air, a know-it-all look on his face that Lucerys desperately wants to kiss off. And if this conversation goes in the right direction, there is every chance that he can.
“There is still a debt to settle between us.” Lucerys says, praying to all the Gods listening that his voice wasn’t trembling as well.
A guarded looks crosses Aemond’s face, even as he takes a curious step closer, locking his own hands behind his back. “Pray tell, nephew mine.”
Now or never, Lucerys tells himself, pulling all of his courage together. His heart trembles just as violently as his hands. He looks Aemond in the eye, and risks it all, “You’ve taken my heart as your own. I want yours in turn.”
Aemond inhales sharply, entire body going taunt, visibly shaken by Lucerys’ bold words. Several different expressions crosses Aemond’s face before a mask of perfect neutrality settles like stone. His voice is short and clipped, “You don’t know what you’re saying.”
Lucerys makes the conscious choice not to be offended by Aemond’s immediate dismissal of his words. After all, he never thought any part of this conversation would be easy.
“Yes, I do.” His voice is perfectly calm, the complete opposite of the tangled mess that makes up his emotions. He takes a fortifying breath of air. “It was you when you carried me around the keep on your back when we were children. It was you when I took your eye. It was you when you took my dragon. It was you all the times I wanted it to be, and it was you when I didn’t it to be. It has . . . always been you.” He gives a helpless shrug as a bit of his nerve's escapes.
Aemond starts at him for a long while, quietly. So long that Lucerys wants nothing more than to flee. He doesn’t, determined to get through this conversation - whether he leaves with a happy heart or a broken heart.
“I’m short tempered.” Aemond says suddenly.
Lucerys frowns in confusion at the abrupt change of conversation, but nods, nonetheless. “I know.”
“I’m possessive.”
Lucerys can’t help the chuckle that passes his lips, “That too.”
Aemond hesitates for a second, “I will never be a good man.”
Like you deserve, goes unspoken but is loudly heard all the same.
Finally Lucerys gets an idea of what Aemond is trying to do with the declarations of his worst character traits. He frowns at his uncle, “Are you trying to tell me off?”
Aemond quickly shakes his head because that is the last thing he’s trying to do. Aemond is far too selfish a creature to let go when he truly wants something. And when it comes to Lucerys, he has always wanted anything and everything he could get.
“I’m letting you know what you are getting into.”
Lucerys’ heart lightens, breath catching in his throat. It might not be an outright confession, but those words definitely means that Aemond feels something for him. His heart feels like it might beat out of his ribcage. Boldly, he steps forward until he is just shy of being in Aemond’s personal space.
“I already know.” He says, watches Aemond’s eye darken with their proximity. For his part, Aemond makes no move to stop him from coming closer. Lucerys takes it as unspoken permission and he takes that last step to invade Aemond’s personal space, stepping toe-to-toe with him. “I still want you.”
Aemond breathes out harshly, looks away but stays right where he is. He unclenches his fists and jaw forcibly, willing himself to relax. “If you let me have you now, I won’t ever let you go.”
“Yes, that is kind of the point, you know.” Lucerys tells him with a playful grin, stomach and heart flip-flopping every other second.
The last of Aemond’s restraint snaps and he surges forward to claim Lucerys’ mouth in a kiss. Lucerys clumsily kisses back, caught off guard but absolutely overjoyed by this turn of events. He braces his hands on Aemond’s broad shoulders, fingers digging into the material and feeling the muscles shift even through the layers of clothing.
Aemond pulls away first, rests his forehead against Lucerys’, eye closed. “There is no going back now.”
“You already said that.” Lucerys laughs breathlessly.
“Just making sure you know.” Aemond mutters, seemingly mostly for himself. Close as they are, Lucerys hears anyways and grins fondly.
“Kiss me again.” He all but demands, tilting his chin up in invitation.
At length, Aemond does.
fin.