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“real or not real,” Rook speaks for the first time in hours, her voice hoarse. “I used to hate you.'
Lucanis sighs loudly, his hands tightening reflexively in her unruly hair, the curls wrapping around his fingers. “real.” he answers back with a sad smile.
“But I dont hate you now, right?” rook burrows further into lucanis' side, her cold hands searching for warmth, hissing slightly when they land on lucanis' chest. “I don't think I'd let you touch me if I did.”
they'd been playing this game ever since Treviso – when rook had to make the impossible decision to help her new home instead of her former one. Treviso – and by extension lucanis – had never treated her kindly; her memories of being orphaned, bleeding out into the canals of the city she once loved still haunted her. Rook knew lucanis wasn't to blame – but it was still hard to let go.
Lucanis takes a deep shuddering breath, “I hope you don't hate me,” he says, lowering his arms to wrap it around rook's shoulders. “I don't know what I would do if you did.”
Rook hums. “Real or not real.”
“What is it, mi vida?”
she pauses, then buries her face in the space between between lucanis' shoulder and the mattress below them, muffling her voice. Lucanis has to strain to hear.
“mm, rook.” his accent was thick, syrupy. “i still can't hear you.”
rook feels her face heat up, filled with nerves that hadn't been there previously. “Real or not real,” she repeats, louder. “you love me.”
lucanis laughs softly, breathing in the scent of her hair while tightening his arm around her shoulders. dropping a kiss on top of her head, he answers, “is that supposed to be a secret?”
“lucanis!”
“of course, mi vida.” he smiles softly. “i love you more than the air I breathe.”