"After," Jace starts before abruptly stopping. He gathers his thoughts and tries again. "After you left. I didn't have you, or Dec to keep me centred and I wasn't close with the guys either until after you were both gone. Mum put me in MMA when I started getting into fights at school. I'd only met the guys a few times with Dec but I ran into them there. Our trainer paired Luc and I up. Apparently it's a newbie prank to pair someone who's had no training with someone who's trained in fucking everything."
Luc laughs. "You held your own for a while," he tells Jace.
"You still kicked my ass." Jace scowls before getting up with a disgruntled groan.
Jace, Luc and I follow the sound of the guys talking out on the verandah. Not giving me time to ogle the guys who are all shirtless, Luc grabs my hand and I follow him to the daybed on the far side of the verandah.
Luc snuggles in the corner of pillows, stretching his long jean clad legs out on the bed. I sit down beside him. He puts his arm on the back of the daybed behind me.
I watch as the guys all pair up. Alec and Mase then Mav and Dom. Jace’s back is to us, his eyes focused on the guys from the steps of the porch.
The guys start a drill of sorts while Luc watches longingly.
"You'll be healed in no time," I tell Luc when he sighs deeply.
"This is the longest I've gone doing nothing. I've been shot before and I was beating confessions out of people out of people a week later," Luc sulks. Normally whenever he says something like that, he looks for my reaction but I think he’s so annoyed by the situation, he doesn’t even care.
"Alec just wants to make sure you don't make it worse by pulling your stitches," I say distractedly when the guys run the same fast movements in unison. It has a certain finesse and style to it.
"Hey," Luc says randomly. I drag my eyes away from the guys. "How did you know I was having a nightmare last night? Usually Mason's the only one who hears me."
I feel a blush creep up my neck as Luc watches me intently, awaiting my response.
"Ummm." I bite my lip. He lifts a hand, using his thumb to free my lip from the confines of my teeth.
"Maverick said maybe you'd sleep better with me, like Mase," I reply awkwardly. "You slept okay for a bit after you told me about you so…I was coming to get you," I trail off.
Luc smiles softly. He leans across and presses his lips against mine briefly before pulling back.
"Thanks, Butterfly," he murmurs.
I can't help myself. I rise up slight and capture his mouth. I can tell he's taken by surprise but he quickly responds, his chest rumbling and I swallow his groan.
Before I get sucked in, I break our contact, instantly missing it. My eyes linger on his soft slightly pouting lips.
"You're dangerous," he tells me, heat dancing in his moss green eyes.
This world remind me of when he first brought me home. It's that I said to him.
"It would be odd if I wasn't," I murmur back grinning.
"Why's that?" He smirks.
"I get to keep some of my secrets, don't I?" My eyes flick down to his lips before I drag them back up to watch the guys.
Luc growls in my ear and I grin, leaning back against his firm chest.
"You weren't this confident before," Luc observes. "Not that I'm complaining," he adds.
I shrug. "I pretty much went without normal human contact for three years. It's taking me a while to remember me." Whoever that is.
I'm angry and saddened by the realisation of this. I spend three years of my life scared and alone. It's taken time for me to remember who I was before. Sure, things weren’t good before but I had Dec and Jace to keep me sane. Once they were gone…I became a broken shell of the person I was before.
"Butterfly?" Fingers stroking my cheek breaks me out of those thoughts.
I meet Luc's eyes, concern growing in them. I smile softly, exhaling deeply and letting those feelings leave me.
"I'm okay, Luci," I tell him. He eyes search mine before the concern leaves them, a gentleness remaining.
