#they def have a drunk first smooch at this party btw

[lucienarcheron]

Ok but expanding on the wingman idea - I wish you would write a fic where the women of Prythian come together to make Elain see reason. Picture this they’re all at some big party with all the courts, and Lucien is BUSY. Elain’s watching while the man is dancing with Nuan, Cressida, Vassa, oh what’s this? Feyre wants a turn with her old friend? Ok that makes sense- wait…Nesta?? But she doesn’t even like him?? Meanwhile Lucien’s just like 🧍‍♂️

Ohohohoho. Do I love this or what!

Elain is trying to ignore these weird... territorial feelings she's getting? Why? Why is she feeling this way? They don't...interact that way. He let her be, per her preference and Elain had certainly never given him any ideas that she felt otherwise.

Not that she'd been able to stop herself from thinking about him before bed. Or how he appears in her dreams. Or how she still hears his heartbeat. She would never tell anyone that she knows exactly when he sets foot in Velaris and is hyperaware of him at all times. No one needed to know that.

He was friends with Feyre. Of course, they'd dance together. She didn't need to pay attention to how they laughed. Or how smooth of a dance he was. Of course, he'd dance with Vassa, they were also close friends. They lived together and no, she was not feeling some kind of emotion associated with the color green at that thought. It was none of her business what he did or where he lived.

But those other women...who were they? Why was he so comfortable dancing with them? She could casually ask Feyre about it later but she didn't want to make her curiosity obvious...but Nesta? Dancing with Lucien?

Why? Since when did her older sister have a friendship casual enough that she danced with him?

Elain was barely thinking straight, running mostly on annoyance when she oh, so, casually bumped into him at the refreshments table and he apologized graciously as if she wasn't the one to bump into him.

"Giving yourself a much-needed boost after all that dancing?" she said, attempting humor but even to her own ears, her tone sounded tight.

Lucien only lifts a brow. "It has been a fun night with friends."

Elain hums, a finger tapping on the flute of champagne in her hand. "Yes, it seems like you're enjoying yourself."

"I am," he said, then tilted his head, watching her curiously. "Is there something I can assist you with, my lady?"

And Elain tried not to shiver at the term he always used with her. Always so polite. Always with manners. An awkward silence filled the space between them and Elain knew Lucien would always work on her pace. He would wait for her to initiate anything more than a conversation — as annoyingly respectful as he was.

Elain pursed her lips and before she could think too long about it, she knocked back the glass of champagne and cleared her throat.

"Are you going to ask me to dance?"

Lucien paused, a slight color staining his cheeks, and straightened. "I would've assumed you preferred I stayed away from you."

The next words slipped out before she could stop them. "I would not prefer that. Especially when you're dancing with every female in the room but me."

His lips twitched and Elain promptly wanted to die. She didn't even like him, right? Why did she care if he danced with her? Why was she even talking to him in such a public event?

But now she had brought attention to it and it seemed like she cared and oh gods, was everyone watching them? She felt herself turn more and more red by the minute, frowning.

"Nevermind. I —"

"I would be honored to dance with you," he said and Elain blinked at him as he watched her with amusement.

"Oh."

"Given that you're dying to dance with me."

"I'm not dying to —"

"Too late, you can't take it back now." he joked and Elain made a noise of protest until she saw the twitch of his lips. He was teasing her, that rake. "I just hope you can keep up."

Her eyes narrowed and suddenly her heart began to pump so very fast. She was going to dance with him. With her...mate. And maybe it was the drinks, maybe it was the general atmosphere of the party, and yes — maybe it was because he was handsome and she wanted to show everyone else exactly how well she danced, that Elain lifted her head, jutting her chin in a challenge and said, "Let's hope you can keep up with me."