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It had been many years before either of them felt comfortable enough to joke at her family’s expense. It was never in a harsh way, but always in a way that would remind them of how far they’ve come.
They were now living in the Day Court, since learning of Luciens true father was. While that dynamic may still be awkward to be around, both Elain and Lucien had to admit, that the way things were run, and how they were treated even, was drastically different than the Night Court.
They didn’t feel like they were expected to do the obvious things they enjoyed for comfort. Elain still gardened, she loved it, but there were other things she was able to do, because she wasn’t expected to be the gardener.
While she loved her sisters, and liked her brother-in-law’s as well as their friends, they had never fully, truly known her, not in the sense that she was entirely comfortable.
Gardening which she thoroughly enjoyed, started to feel like a chore, because she knew they expected her to be comfortable with it, and want to do it all the time. Doing it because it’s what they expected made it feel almost like a chore.
The first time they mentioned it to each other, they had an argument. It was sizeable enough that Elain had told Lucien to find some other room to sleep in, then in a cruel joke, the only time they had been cruel in their jokes about it, she had told him that he could find somewhere else to sleep.
“Clearly my sister thinks you’re comfortable enough to sleep in a completely different room despite how distraught I am.”
It wasn’t entirely a joke, but it had stopped Lucien and Elain in their argument to realize what was said, before laughing at the whole situation.
The next time it happened, Elain and Lucien were sitting for breakfast, and Lucien had just finished describing his plans for the day.
“Well I’m not sure what I will do.” Elain had responded.
“You could always garden, and if the weather doesn’t allow for it, there’s baking. I know you have very few interests of your own.” There was a spark of humour that flashed in his russet eye before Elain had time to feel offence.
Slowly, Elain had smiled, and started laughing. It felt like her family in the night court saw her only interests in gardening and the occasional baking. She couldn’t fault them, they were trying to make her comfortable, they just only touched the surface in doing so.
The third time was Elain, as Lucien was comaining about all the things he found he had to do on the odd day.
Elain had shrugged while looking up at him from her task. “At least Helion gives you tasks instead of you needing to feel like you need to volunteer to feel like you’re included.” She told him, referring the time Lucien had fully volunteered to go to the continent to find Vassa, when no one else had volunteered.
Lucien had to admit, with a laugh, being given tasks because he had to, or was good at them, instead of Lucien being the only option.
The two of them had known that their friends and family from the Night Court had never meant ill will, they were trying to include them and make them comfortable. It just often fell flat.
The jokes were never to the expense of her family, but they would joke about their time in the Night Court, and how there were times it felt very uncomfortable. It would remind them they the two of them were in a very good place today, and they were incredibly grateful for it.