Chapter Text
“I hate this.” Lucanis exclaimed as he pressed three sets of armour into a trunk.
Amelia's eyebrows rose. “Don't tell me you're pining for your desk?”
“No.” He would never. The entire office was layered in so much history and expectation that he always wanted to scream. The seat of First Talon had proved just as uncomfortable as he'd feared. It wasn't something Lucanis had ever really wanted, but in one evening Caterina had effectively shackled him to a job full of paperwork and politics. He wasn't good with either of them, he’d never been able to sit still for very long. He had always preferred being out on contract, or at least somewhere other than the villa that always reminded him of what had been lost. And yet… “I still don't like that I have to leave you with Caterina and Illario.”
Amelia's dark green eyes softened as she looked up at him. They both knew there was more to it than that but acknowledging it wouldn't help either of them. “I won't be here much, I'm needed in Minrathous and Arlathan. And you won't be gone too long.”
“A week at most.” He was not looking forward to a meeting with all eight Talons in Antiva City. Ostensibly it was to discuss the continued enforced exodus of the Antaam, but far more likely it would dissolve into arguments over how the invasion had been handled by each of the Talons. Especially when he announced the changes to the Talon and house order that he felt were long overdue. He stepped away from the wardrobe and knelt in front of Amelia’s wheelchair, taking her hands in his. “How guilty should I feel do you think for considering making you come with me even knowing that you're needed elsewhere?”
Amelia laughed. “Oh, very. Dorian would have to find some other schmuck to send into the Minrathous sewers to find darkspawn.” She sobered, smiled sadly and traced a thumb along his cheekbone. "I think we all might need this. A chance to prove that we will survive not seeing each other every day. That we're still there even when we’re not together."
Spite moved uncomfortably within him. The demon was even worse at speaking about emotional things than Lucanis was, so he normally left it well alone. Lucanis’ hands tightened on hers automatically, before forcing himself to let go and brush the few stray curls that always escaped their bonds behind Amelia's ear. "You'll write?”
“Every day. It's not like there's a lack of crows here to send a missive,” Her thumb stilled on his cheekbone. “It won't be like last time.”
His heart cracked a little at the slight tremor in her voice. Last time. The regret prison. He didn't want to dwell on that again. The pain or the utter desolation that had followed it. She was here now, and that was all that really mattered. Yes, they had barely been parted for more than a few hours since, and yes, they probably had become a bit too codependent, but it had worked. The nightmares had, pretty much stopped for the both of them, and everyone had grown used to the new routine. His new role had even helped. Until now. Lucanis leaned forward to kiss her slowly, trying to show her just how much she meant. “No, it won't. We've got you, always.”
Amelia smiled. “You don't need to pretend you're not panicking as well.” She’d always been able to read him a little too well.
“I'm hoping if I ignore it for long enough it will go away.”
“And how many times has that actually worked?”
He didn't answer, which probably told her everything she needed to know. He just watched her instead, the way her eyes sparkled with amusement and her smile seemed to light the room. He knew he could never get enough of her. Lucanis cupped her face in his hands, deliberately avoiding the nearly invisible scar near her eye that she was always so painfully conscious of. He pressed his forehead to hers. “I'm going to miss this. You. Everything.”
“Well,” Amelia kissed his hand and shot him a look that quickly sent his blood rushing in one direction. “As you're not going until tomorrow you’ve got more than enough time to show me exactly how much you will miss me.”