Nicky's P.O.V.:
After that evening Leo avoided the others at all cost.
We spent most of the day just snuggling. He hugged my torso and put his head on my chest hiding his face in my oversized sweaters. The ones I still had left since he kept stealing them. Waking up next to him wearing my baggy jumpers made me grin. (He didn't mind them being way too big).
Leo barely talked, but I wasn't mad at him. His own family just turned its back on him after all. Even though I wanted them to make up again I did enjoy Leo's attention. At night we snuck out to stargaze and I taught him how to spot Orion or other stars. I told him every single greek myth about the constellations and he seemed to be interested.
"Do you believe that we will end up stars shining on the dark night sky once we perish?", Leo said one night, "So we can stay together until eternity?". Insects were buzzing in the background and the cold night breeze blew into our faces.
He turned onto his stomach so he could look at me.
Like a child he began toying around with my hair, which made me smile.
"What are you so happy about?", he said and then smiled.
"Nothing", I grinned messing with Leo.
"Did I tell you about the Lovers?"
"No", Leo replied now entwining flowers into some sort of crown fully concentrated not even glancing at me anymore.
"They say that the Lovers had to hide their love since their families were sworn enemies. But they were madly in love to the point that both committed suicide just because people wanted to tear them apart. That's when they became stars so that they would never have to leave each other's side", I continued proudly.
"Sounds like Shakespeare to me", Leo still didn't look at me once still busy trying to finish his masterpiece. I chuckled and he couldn't help it but smile.
"Even if we don't end up stars on the night sky, nothing will come between us. Not even death. After all we've already made history. We will be remembered as the Lovers of the 21st century. Just that I will make sure you have the happy ending you well deserve. We will live in a small but cozy flat in London. Go to uni together. Travel the globe. Do all the things we never could've done. Marry and maybe even have kids. As many as you want. We will live without any bother not even our origins or roots".
Leo was now putting his flower crown onto my head and grinned.
I sat up and took his face between my hands and cupped his cheeks. He finally looked me in the eyes and pulled me in for a long and intense kiss. I could feel his smile on my lips and the butterflies in my stomach were going crazy. We then fell asleep next to each other the flower crown resting on my head.
The next day we arrived in Idris. Leo was becoming more nervous than ever. He had once mentioned his stepfather being abusive but never really talked about it. Whenever he changed or was training I saw thin almost invisible countless scars on his legs.
I wasn't going to force him to tell me what happened but I wanted to help him at all cost.
Nor Leo or the others had told Maryse and Robert about me being with them even though they might've suspected it. Apparently Robert was on a business trip so every night I snuck into Leo's room and he told me about his childhood he spent in the Lightwood manor. Those nights were my highlight of the day.
Leo's P.O.V.:
When mum first told me about the Clave's ball I opposed to the idea of actually going there.
"I'm not going", I explicitly told my mum.
"We already got you a suit and maybe you'll even make some friends. Okay hear me out. We go there and if you don't like it we will leave. Deal?", she proposed.
"Okay fine only if I get to eat all the ice cream left overs".
"They are all yours", mum smiled.
The next evening we arrived at some huge manor owned by the Clave for official meetings and charity events. It looked like some castle both from the inside and the outside. At some point I lost count of the manor's rooms. There was a huge ballroom the size of a soccer field. In the middle was room for people to dance and at the sides were many fancily set tables. The walls were covered in expensive paintings and the room's wallpaper shone brightly because of the golden details. It made me feel like royalty being there. Before arriving there my mum forced me into a fancy grey suit and a tie tuck nicely into my suit. When we were about to leave Alec tried talking to me but I didn't pay attention to him. I put the "goodie-two shoes smiles" on and mum introduced me to some old folks and like I was expected to I greeted every single person at the ball.
Every once and then people introduced girls in my age to me but I could care about them although it was quite amusing see them try to flirt on me. If I could I probably would've put a shirt one with printed "my boyfriend" and a arrow pointed at Nicky on, but sadly Nicky wasn't present. Or at least that's what I thought for almost the whole night.
At some point the whole ballroom went still and we could hear several cars' motors roaring, then turning off. The ballroom's huge wooden and golden doors opened. There was a tall man with blond hair and glasses and a smaller brunette woman passed through the doorway. Their facial expression was neutral which made it even more scarier. Then familiar faces showed. Juliette, Louise, two twins and lastly Nicky. He was wearing a navy blue suit and a lighter bow tie. His hair was tied back neatly in a small ponytail. He wasn't smiling either but nonetheless as handsome as ever. When he saw me on the other side of the room he looked surprised but then looked away and followed his family.
When no one was watching I waved at him a few times but he never actually reacted at all. It was getting late and most of the adults were already wasted. Alec, Izzy, Jace and Clary had snuck away leaving me behind. Again. That night couldn't become more of a nightmare.
After a bit my patience went to it's limits, so I cocked my head to one side signalling Nicky to follow me outside. I took him by the sleeve almost dragging him. We entered some random room which turned out to be stunningly beautiful. One wall was completely made out of glass revealing a breathtaking view. The moon was high up brightening the room completely, but a burning chandelier was still attached to the ceiling. As soon as the double doors closed behind us Nicky pinned me against a wall and kissed me almost as he was thirsty wrapping my tie around his hand. He took me off guard so obviously I was surprised but I didn't not like it. When he paused to catch his breath I punched his chest. Then shook my hand since it hurt more than expected.
"Ouch, what was that for?", he said ginning sheepishly. Apparently it had done no damage to him.
"I don't know, maybe you ignoring me for the whole night", I replied which made him grin even more.
"I'm sorry, my family still had an eye on me".
"Why do you even care? What about becoming the Lovers of the 21st century. I thought you wouldn't leave my side. And besides why is what they think so important anyway? All they've given you is a traumatic childhood. What I'm trying to say is to never ignore me again, understood Mr.Handsome?"
"Understood. Wait since when am I Mr. Handsome. As far as I remember few days ago I was still loverboy", Nicky teased me.
"Well now you're both. The suit and tie look good on you. Makes me want to rip that cute smile of yours off your face", I threw at him and he laughed his eyes wrinkling up.
We could still hear the orchestra's music coming from the ballroom.
Nicky bowed and held his hand towards me.
"Will you make me the luckiest man and dance with me?", Nicky said in a British accent. He was obviously acting.
"Oh Dear, that would be my pleasure", I replied resting my hands back onto my forehead dramatically. We both bursted out laughing.
There was a piano in the middle of the room. I glanced at it once and sat down next to it.
"You play?", Nicky asked in surprise.
When he sat down on top of the piano next to me I started playing "Experience" by Ludovico Enaudi.
Maryse was obsessed with that song and made me learn it by mind when I was 10 years old.
Beside us everything faded away. The orchestra went silent. Even the birds chirping in the background stopped. It was like the earth was holding its breath.
When I finished Nicky clapped.
He was smiling and I bowed a few times like a pro.
Then Juliette and half the ballroom walked in on us kissing. Nicky was pressing me against the piano and with one hand cupped my face. With the other hand he grabbed my waist and pulled me closer.
When they bursted into the room unannounced I pushed Nicky away from me but thousands of eyes had just witnessed a Lightwood and a Baudelaire making out on Clave's property.
Nicky's parents ran towards us with anger in their eyes.
"How dare you lay hands on our precious boy?! You are a disgrace to the Shadowhunter's blood!", Nicky's father yelled at me.
"What about it? They obviously love each other and you, even his parents, can't forbid him to live his life", Alec interrupted. Everyone was shocked in disbelief. Me most out of all people. When no one was watching he winked at me and I hid a smile biting my lip.
Nicky was not even squinting or moving an inch.
I looked at him surprised and kind of disappointed, because his family had just insulted me and he didn't even try to defend me. When our eyes met he flushed out of embarrassment.
Juliette was smiling because of her victory. Once again she got what she wanted. Once again everything went south for Nicky and I.
I pulled at his sleeve for him to look at me, but he didn't.
"This will have consequences, young man", Nicky's father told me while he dragged Nicky by the collar out of the room.
Juliette glanced one last time at the damage she had done. Then left. Everyone left as if nothing were.
Alec looked at me worriedly before leaving as well.
My brain had not yet processed what happened but my whole world shattered into pieces right in front of me.
"The tears, oh they won't come. I don't shed one drop. But as the world caves in, everything I think about is you"-Anonymous
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Author's note:
Hello luvs.
Another chapter. Damn this took me forever, but I think it was worth it. Hopefully it'll be to your liking. Leave some love, thank you.
See you <3