Fated reborn - Chapter 254: Chapter 254
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Luciano's Pov.
The sun dipped low behind the trees, bleeding red and gold through the windows, shadows stretching long and soft over the sitting room floor. The warmth of the day was fading slow, air cooling just a bit, and the fire crackled soft in the hearth, throwing little sparks and flickers of light over the walls. It was comfortable, the kind of quiet that settled warm in your bones, and I leaned back a bit in my chair, fingers still loosely curled around Lunawyn’s.
Her thumb traced little circles over the back of my hand, all slow and absent, and I didn’t bother hiding the way my lips twitched, soft and real. She was smiling, too, eyes half-lidded and warm in the firelight, and I couldn’t help but stare, chest doing that stupid fluttery thing that I was almost starting to get used to.
Dorian stretched slow in his seat, arms over his head, and the smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth was enough to make me snort before he even opened it. “Think I’m gonna turn in,” he drawled, too casual by half, and his eyes flicked over to Trini, warm and lazy. “Care if I crash with you tonight?”
Trini’s cheeks went pink, mouth opening and closing a bit, and Victor barked out a laugh, eyebrows raising all slow and amused. “Well, damn,” he snorted, grinning wide. “Didn’t waste any time there, did ya?”
Dorian chuckled, all easy and smooth, and Trini stammered something half-incoherent, face red as a sunset. Even Marcus huffed out a laugh, eyes crinkling at the corners, and Lunawyn giggled soft beside me, cheeks warm with it. I couldn’t help it, a low chuckle rumbling up in my chest, and Dorian shot me a look that was all mock offense, smirk playing at his mouth.
“Yeah, yeah, laugh it up,” he snorted, eyes rolling, but he was grinning, too, and Trini was biting her lip, cheeks still flushed dark.
Marcus chuckled, shaking his head slow. “Don’t keep her up all night,” he grunted, voice dry, and Dorian snorted, eyes rolling.
“No promises,” he drawled, winking over at Trini, and she spluttered, cheeks practically glowing.
Victor wheezed, shoulders shaking with it, and even Lunawyn was giggling soft and breathless, eyes bright and crinkling at the corners. It was stupid, really, the way warmth curled low in my chest at the sound, soft and easy, but I didn’t bother trying to smother it.
Eventually, though, the laughter melted down to little chuckles and breathless snickers, and Dorian pushed himself up slow, fingers still laced with Trini’s. “Alright, alright,” he huffed, eyes rolling, but he was smiling, too, soft and real. “We’re heading out before you lot start making wedding plans.”
Victor snorted, smirk lazy and crooked. “Too late,” he drawled, and Dorian flipped him off without even looking back, tugging Trini along with him.
“Goodnight,” Trini mumbled, cheeks still warm, and I waved a bit, smirk playing at my mouth.
“‘Night,” I called back, eyes crinkling, and she ducked her head, fingers twisting together.
Marcus followed behind them, shaking his head slow and grumbling under his breath, and soon enough, it was just the three of us left—me, Lunawyn, and Victor, the fire still crackling soft in the hearth.
Victor stretched out slow, arms folding behind his head, and his eyes flicked over to the door with a little hum. “Seems like Trini’s really getting used to him,” he drawled, smirk playing at the corner of his mouth.
I huffed out a breath, lips twitching, and shrugged one shoulder. “Yeah,” I muttered, glancing over to Lunawyn with a little smile. “Guess so.”
She smiled back, soft and warm, and something in my chest fluttered stupid and light, cheeks warming a bit. I tried to smother it, glancing back to the fire, but my fingers tightened around hers, almost on instinct.
Victor’s eyes flicked between us, lips twitching, and I could practically see the gears turning behind that lazy smirk of his. My cheeks warmed up a bit more, fingers curling tight, and I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from making a face.
I needed him gone. Not in a mean way, but—just for a bit. Long enough to maybe steal a quiet moment or two, something soft and real without anyone else around. But bringing it up outright would just make him stick around longer, lazy bastard that he was, so I scrambled for some kinda excuse, words fumbling in my mouth.
But Victor chuckled, slow and amused, and my mouth snapped shut with a click, eyes flicking over to him. “Seems like I’ll leave you two, then,” he drawled, smirk going crooked, and my brain blanked out for half a second, eyes going wide.
Was he—did he just—?
I stared, mouth opening and closing a bit, but Victor just shot me a lazy little smirk, eyes glinting like he already knew the punchline to some joke I hadn’t caught on to yet. He pushed himself up with a sigh, stretching slow, and I scrambled to school my expression, forcing a chuckle past my lips.
“Stay a little,” I tried, aiming for casual, but it came out a bit too fast, a bit too desperate, and Victor’s smirk widened, eyes glinting. “We could drink over the celebration, yeah?”
He snorted, eyes rolling. “Nice try,” he drawled, smirk lazy. “But I know you need this moment.”
My mouth snapped shut, cheeks going hot, and Lunawyn’s fingers squeezed mine, soft and reassuring. I cleared my throat, trying to ignore the way my face was burning, but Victor was already waving us off, lazy and fond.
“Have fun,” he chuckled, and then he was gone, door clicking shut behind him, and the silence that followed was almost deafening, all warm and soft and humming low under my skin.
I let out a breath I didn’t even realize I’d been holding, shoulders slumping a bit, and Lunawyn giggled, soft and breathless beside me. “Smooth,” she teased, eyes bright, and my cheeks went even hotter, fingers curling tighter around hers.
“Shut up,” I grumbled, half-hearted at best, but my lips were twitching, warmth blooming stupid and giddy in my chest.
She just giggled again, head tipping forward till her forehead pressed light to my shoulder, and something warm and fluttery and too-big settled behind my ribs, all soft and aching and perfect. My free hand came up almost without thinking, curling light around her waist, and she sighed, breath soft and warm against my neck, fingers lacing tighter with mine.
For a little while, neither of us said anything, the fire crackling soft and steady and her heartbeat thumping slow under my palm. I shut my eyes, leaning back a bit, and let myself breathe her in, that soft, clean smell and the warmth bleeding through her clothes, everything else melting to a dull buzz in the back of my head.
It was quiet, soft and warm and perfect, and for a little while, at least, that was enough.
The sun dipped low behind the trees, bleeding red and gold through the windows, shadows stretching long and soft over the sitting room floor. The warmth of the day was fading slow, air cooling just a bit, and the fire crackled soft in the hearth, throwing little sparks and flickers of light over the walls. It was comfortable, the kind of quiet that settled warm in your bones, and I leaned back a bit in my chair, fingers still loosely curled around Lunawyn’s.
Her thumb traced little circles over the back of my hand, all slow and absent, and I didn’t bother hiding the way my lips twitched, soft and real. She was smiling, too, eyes half-lidded and warm in the firelight, and I couldn’t help but stare, chest doing that stupid fluttery thing that I was almost starting to get used to.
Dorian stretched slow in his seat, arms over his head, and the smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth was enough to make me snort before he even opened it. “Think I’m gonna turn in,” he drawled, too casual by half, and his eyes flicked over to Trini, warm and lazy. “Care if I crash with you tonight?”
Trini’s cheeks went pink, mouth opening and closing a bit, and Victor barked out a laugh, eyebrows raising all slow and amused. “Well, damn,” he snorted, grinning wide. “Didn’t waste any time there, did ya?”
Dorian chuckled, all easy and smooth, and Trini stammered something half-incoherent, face red as a sunset. Even Marcus huffed out a laugh, eyes crinkling at the corners, and Lunawyn giggled soft beside me, cheeks warm with it. I couldn’t help it, a low chuckle rumbling up in my chest, and Dorian shot me a look that was all mock offense, smirk playing at his mouth.
“Yeah, yeah, laugh it up,” he snorted, eyes rolling, but he was grinning, too, and Trini was biting her lip, cheeks still flushed dark.
Marcus chuckled, shaking his head slow. “Don’t keep her up all night,” he grunted, voice dry, and Dorian snorted, eyes rolling.
“No promises,” he drawled, winking over at Trini, and she spluttered, cheeks practically glowing.
Victor wheezed, shoulders shaking with it, and even Lunawyn was giggling soft and breathless, eyes bright and crinkling at the corners. It was stupid, really, the way warmth curled low in my chest at the sound, soft and easy, but I didn’t bother trying to smother it.
Eventually, though, the laughter melted down to little chuckles and breathless snickers, and Dorian pushed himself up slow, fingers still laced with Trini’s. “Alright, alright,” he huffed, eyes rolling, but he was smiling, too, soft and real. “We’re heading out before you lot start making wedding plans.”
Victor snorted, smirk lazy and crooked. “Too late,” he drawled, and Dorian flipped him off without even looking back, tugging Trini along with him.
“Goodnight,” Trini mumbled, cheeks still warm, and I waved a bit, smirk playing at my mouth.
“‘Night,” I called back, eyes crinkling, and she ducked her head, fingers twisting together.
Marcus followed behind them, shaking his head slow and grumbling under his breath, and soon enough, it was just the three of us left—me, Lunawyn, and Victor, the fire still crackling soft in the hearth.
Victor stretched out slow, arms folding behind his head, and his eyes flicked over to the door with a little hum. “Seems like Trini’s really getting used to him,” he drawled, smirk playing at the corner of his mouth.
I huffed out a breath, lips twitching, and shrugged one shoulder. “Yeah,” I muttered, glancing over to Lunawyn with a little smile. “Guess so.”
She smiled back, soft and warm, and something in my chest fluttered stupid and light, cheeks warming a bit. I tried to smother it, glancing back to the fire, but my fingers tightened around hers, almost on instinct.
Victor’s eyes flicked between us, lips twitching, and I could practically see the gears turning behind that lazy smirk of his. My cheeks warmed up a bit more, fingers curling tight, and I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from making a face.
I needed him gone. Not in a mean way, but—just for a bit. Long enough to maybe steal a quiet moment or two, something soft and real without anyone else around. But bringing it up outright would just make him stick around longer, lazy bastard that he was, so I scrambled for some kinda excuse, words fumbling in my mouth.
But Victor chuckled, slow and amused, and my mouth snapped shut with a click, eyes flicking over to him. “Seems like I’ll leave you two, then,” he drawled, smirk going crooked, and my brain blanked out for half a second, eyes going wide.
Was he—did he just—?
I stared, mouth opening and closing a bit, but Victor just shot me a lazy little smirk, eyes glinting like he already knew the punchline to some joke I hadn’t caught on to yet. He pushed himself up with a sigh, stretching slow, and I scrambled to school my expression, forcing a chuckle past my lips.
“Stay a little,” I tried, aiming for casual, but it came out a bit too fast, a bit too desperate, and Victor’s smirk widened, eyes glinting. “We could drink over the celebration, yeah?”
He snorted, eyes rolling. “Nice try,” he drawled, smirk lazy. “But I know you need this moment.”
My mouth snapped shut, cheeks going hot, and Lunawyn’s fingers squeezed mine, soft and reassuring. I cleared my throat, trying to ignore the way my face was burning, but Victor was already waving us off, lazy and fond.
“Have fun,” he chuckled, and then he was gone, door clicking shut behind him, and the silence that followed was almost deafening, all warm and soft and humming low under my skin.
I let out a breath I didn’t even realize I’d been holding, shoulders slumping a bit, and Lunawyn giggled, soft and breathless beside me. “Smooth,” she teased, eyes bright, and my cheeks went even hotter, fingers curling tighter around hers.
“Shut up,” I grumbled, half-hearted at best, but my lips were twitching, warmth blooming stupid and giddy in my chest.
She just giggled again, head tipping forward till her forehead pressed light to my shoulder, and something warm and fluttery and too-big settled behind my ribs, all soft and aching and perfect. My free hand came up almost without thinking, curling light around her waist, and she sighed, breath soft and warm against my neck, fingers lacing tighter with mine.
For a little while, neither of us said anything, the fire crackling soft and steady and her heartbeat thumping slow under my palm. I shut my eyes, leaning back a bit, and let myself breathe her in, that soft, clean smell and the warmth bleeding through her clothes, everything else melting to a dull buzz in the back of my head.
It was quiet, soft and warm and perfect, and for a little while, at least, that was enough.
End of Fated reborn Chapter 254. Continue reading Chapter 255 or return to Fated reborn book page.