Curate, connect, and discover
Blue eyes looked up at him when he tried to explain his gesture and the young woman smiled.
“It's more than alright. Thank you my dear.”
She nuzzled the doctor's neck, making herself comfortable against his body. This man had a heart of gold and his charming nature was making her melt. The hand caressing her back was lulling her to peace, a feeling of security enveloping her tormented mind.
“To be honest, I didn't expected this night to turn out like this.”
Julian's presence was soothing and it encouraged Lysandre to pour her heart out like all drunkards do.
“You asked what brought me here tonight… Well, Asra did. He left me behind once again and I lost it. He's important to me you know? I couldn't put a precise word on our relationship since everything is confused but we're really close and he's being very affectionate. I've always been proud to be by his side but now, I wonder how pathetic I must be for him to let me rot alone in the shop… It happens so often…”
A bitter laugh escaped her lips and she suddenly seemed incredibly fragile, huddled against Julian's tall body. This was one of the rare occasions where the woman was showing the need to feel protected. Such weakness had never been allowed in her younger years of life.
“But then, why does he keep me around if I'm being a disappointment? I don't understand. It doesn't make sense…”
She sighed, shaking her head lightly.
“ In a way, I'm very grateful for your sudden appearance in the shop. Our encounters always bring me back to life ... Being in this damned house only makes me feel empty. And tonight… Tonight has been amazing. You were so incredible I nearly forgot HIM...”
Lysandre sneaked her arms around the doctor and squeezed lightly. The alcohol was starting to lose its effect and her education was coming back to her mind, forbidding her to be any more sincere towards the fugitive.
“I'm being ridiculous. Please, forgive my inappropriate behavior Doctor Devorak. You're keeping me warm ans I take advantage of the situation… How rude of me to take such liberties.”
Her arms retreated from his waist and she brought them against her chest awkwardly.
Several long seconds that felt like hours passed by while he was admiring her more or less discreetly before he unconsciously turned his head to face her like it was no big secret anymore that he was shooting her glances. Her words completely went over his head, because in that moment, the only thing on his mind was her and her alone. What guards, what safety? The entire world was at his feet for the time being and the confidence he had towards the fact that no such incident was to impact that night negatively was easily spotted in his grin. With his usual dramatic flare, he gestured by flailing his hands in the air as he spoke loud enough for anyone else who was outside to hear.
“So, let them come! They can try to catch us, but I swear I’m invincible!”, much alike a drunkard, he let his arms fall to his sides quickly after, as if he was too tired to keep them up in the air anymore and he lowered his voice for the next utterance; he didn’t exactly want to tempt fate, no matter how confident he might have felt.
“You’re an amazing dancer, I bet you’re also fabulous at running. I am quite nimble myself, a creature of habit, you see…escaped the law for 3 years…what’s 3 years more, right?”, he chuckled for a brief moment, his laughter interrupted by her sudden shiver. Reflexively, he reached over his shoulder to grab his coat, but instead only grasped at the cold air of the night - he had forgotten his coat inside the bar.
“Ah, curses…”, he muttered to himself when he realized he did not have anything to comfort Lysandre with but his own cold body, which he knew would not suffice, but he was willing to try it out anyway. His arm wrapped around her upper back and pulled her closer to him, enough for Julian to be able to hug her to his chest, pink cheeks growing hotter by the second. Only then he realized how crude he was being by not even asking permission first, but it was too late to part from her now, it would have just been even more awkward to push her away just to pull her back in, in case she accepted his embrace.
“Y…you looked cold, so I-…I hope it’s alright.”, he spoke quietly, exponentially more tame than before, a hand gripping at her arm while the other was warmly stroking her back. His poor heart was almost thumping out of his chest, his breathing had become irregular, as if he was trying to hold it or to slow it down, in a way that would not hinder her while her head was resting in the crook of his neck. What a fragile form in comparison to his own, and yet…he was not afraid to squeeze her in his arms, in order to make her body feel warmer and to shield it from the weather. The closer their hearts were to each other, the better Julian realized that their giddy heartbeats were in sync, which lifted some weight off his shoulders - perhaps he wasn’t being a creep after all.