Work Text:
The Demon's Truce
The lilting melody of a traditional Antivan lullaby could be heard as Rook entered the Lighthouse's library on her way back to her room. It was faint, but as she stopped and strained to listen, she noticed the tempo of the familiar tune had been slowed, giving it a more melancholy tone.
She had unlocked several of the secrets of the Dread Wolf's sanctum, and the layout seemed to change as each new companion joined their cause. One of the first discoveries she'd made in this strange place had been the music room, but in all that time she'd never heard anyone using it until now.
Her curiosity piqued, she altered her course.
She moved silently across the marbled floor, the door of the passageway opening on its own as she approached. She made her way down the long hallway before a second door opened onto the music room and Rook lingered in the entryway.
The light that filtered in through the windows along the wall was reminiscent of dusk, though it was always bright as midday in this place. Long shadows stretched across the room, seeming to draw her attention toward the piano at its center, where she was surprised to find Lucanis seated on the bench. His practiced hands played across the keys effortlessly.
There was no music sheet in front of him, he played the melody from memory. An open bottle of Antivan wine sat on the table to his left, a glass with the remnants of the red liquid resting near the edge.
She smiled softly to herself and crossed her arms as she leaned against the frame of the door. This was the most peaceful she'd seen her fellow Crow since she'd freed him from the Ossuary. She knew he grappled with more demons than Spite, but even they had finally found a way to work towards a common goal and had stopped fighting against one another. For now.
"Why don't you join me, Rook?" he asked suddenly, his fingers still dancing delicately across the keys.
She jumped at the sound of his voice, clearing her throat as she pushed herself away from the wall and began to cross the room. How foolish of her to think he wouldn't have noticed that someone had entered the room.
"You're a man of many talents, it seems," she commented simply before sliding onto the bench beside him, careful to leave space between them. Things had become tense since their almost-kiss. With everything they were facing, she didn't want to push him.
He glanced at her through his peripheral. "I imagine there are many things you do not know about me," he teased, a playful smirk showing for a brief moment before it disappeared.
He focused on the keys beneath his fingers and she watched them move with measured grace across the ivory. Hands that she had watched fell countless demons, Venatori, and Antaam. Hands that she had watched dice ingredients and stir them as he cooked. Hands that had carefully held one cup of coffee after another during as many chats in the later hours of the day, when the others had already departed for sleep and left them alone beside the fireplace.
Hands that she had yearningly imagined trailing against her skin...
"Well, I look forward to learning more about you now that you and Spite have come to an agreement." She smiled at him, and was pleased to see the edges of his lips pull upward as he struggled to focus on the melody. He missed a note and paused long enough to recover his composure before continuing.
"That was quite a trip to Dock Town, was it not?" he asked softly, more meaning hidden in those words than anyone else would ever know. The song reached its finale and Lucanis' hands stilled. He took a deep breath and turned his body toward Rook. "I did not expect Spite to drag you into our conflict."
Rook's heart ached as she saw the pain in his expression; the regret of letting her see the darkest parts of him. She turned toward him, shifting one leg so she straddled the bench and faced him completely, making a direct statement without uttering a word.
"You know... I'm glad he did. You'd probably still be in there if he hadn't brought me with him." Her voice was soft as she spoke. She'd expected Lucanis to break eventually, after all he'd been through. He'd been trying to avoid facing all the trauma he'd been hiding away. The final straw had been the discovery that Illario had been the one to betray him. His own cousin was the reason he now lived as an abomination.
"I must admit, I was... resistant to the idea, but he was right to ask for your help."
Rook watched his hand move toward her, hover for a moment, and then land in his own lap. He clasped his hands together as if forbidding himself from touching her, though they both longed for it.
"Spite said something while we were... in there," she admitted haltingly, uncertain if he was ready to broach the subject.
"Oh? And what did he say to you?"
Rook chuckled at the touch of concern in Lucanis' voice. What secret had Spite divulged while he'd locked himself away? Would he be able to salvage his reputation?
"He said I couldn't be there. Because I open doors. I don't close them."
Lucanis' eyes dropped to the space of wooden bench between them, his brows furrowing over his dark eyes as he took a deep, steadying breath. "Ah."
"What did he mean by that?" she prompted. Because she needed to know. They had been doing this dance for far too long. Much like the melody he had been playing, it needed to reach its finale.
Lucanis moved nearer to the end of the bench, swinging his leg over it as Rook had. His hands reached toward her as he closed the space between them, resting his inner thighs against the outer side of hers. He cradled her cheeks as if she were made of the most fragile porcelain and let his voice deepen as he spoke.
"I think you know what he meant, Julianna."
Rook let out a shaky breath as she looked into his eyes. He had never called her by her true name before, and it felt so intimate to hear it fall from his lips. A sense of relief washed over her, only to crash against her own fear. Relief that Lucanis had been the one to finally close the space remaining between them, but a gripping fear that he would pull away again.
"Maybe." Her voice was almost a whisper as she replied. "But I want to hear you say it anyway."
Lucanis let out a dark chuckle as he brought his head closer, resting his forehead against hers and closing his eyes for a moment. When he opened them again she saw the tell-tale glowing of Spite's influence fade away quickly.
"Leave it to Spite to reveal to you how special you are to me before I had the chance," he said bitterly as he pulled away, keeping his hands against her cheeks. His eyes searched her face before he pressed forward. "If I have put up walls, you will tear them down. If I have locked a door, you will pick it and walk through it bravely. There is no barrier I could erect that you will not overcome, mi querida."
Rook smiled at his words, knowing the truth behind them. She had already proven to him how stubborn she could be. Her feelings for him were not shallow, and she would not be easily swayed. They faced the dangers of this war against the Gods side by side. She had no intention of letting that change, even if their circumstances did.
Lucanis held her gently in place, his eyes flicking down to her lips. Rook's heart hammered in her chest, more hopeful in this moment than she'd ever been in her life.
His lips were soft as he pressed them against hers, and she could smell nothing other than the rich aroma of coffee he always seemed to have, but also the wine he'd already drank before she'd arrived. The two scents mingled together as she breathed him in, tasting him as he tilted his head and deepened the kiss.
Every flirtation and longing glance had led to this, and she wanted to savor every second. She committed the smell to her memory, knowing it would become her favorite scent after this.
Rook reached up and ran her hands through his hair, bringing them down to rest against his chest as they sat in front of one another. Lucanis pulled away slowly, leaving her wanting more.
"Honey and lavender cream," he mumbled softly as he dragged a thumb back and forth against the soft skin of her cheek. "Soft and intriguing."
Rook giggled and quickly pressed her lips against his once more, smiling at him before finding what she wanted to say. "It's been a long time, Lucanis, but that was a perfect refresher."