TIME WARP: Call It What You'd Like (Lyssa)

[Lucah Ivaskov]

Set Spring of 2013


It had been a little over a year. In relationships at this age, call it a decade. Having just graduated from Hammel was big, but staying in a relationship with a girl that was still at Hammel was even bigger. Things had been going great though. Summer would be starting in a month or so and then he'd have to figure out exactly how life would go. He'd been accepted into U of V, causing his father a huge fit, but he'd chosen to stay while Jezebel finished school and also while Alyssa did.

But school was over now and this was the time to relax. Lucah had planned a small romantic getaway to his home country of Romania. During the spring was when it was most beautiful. After a year together, Lucah thought it would be nice to show Alyssa his home. It was a big step to him, but it was worth it.

And sure, he was in Romania, but he had NO intention whatsoever to introduce her to his father. Dimitri liked the thought of Alyssa a little more than he did Belle, just because Lyssa reminded him of a Romanian girl. That being said, Lucah didn't want to subject his girlfriend to that kind of torture after only a year. Two years, maybe, but not one.

The first venue of their little romantic weekend was a small meadow area nearby Lucah's house. He'd gone there with Jezebel and his mother both, it had good memories and a great view. It took a while to get to the meadow, but eventually he'd settled nearby with a blanket laid out and the view between the trees. He'd never taken a girl to this particular place before. It held a sentimental value to him and he was usually afraid that someone would tear it apart.

Lucah sat on the blanket and wrapped his arms around his knees. He was dressed warm despite it being spring. A jacket would suffice for those who were used to the unseasonably cold weather of Romania and he'd mentioned to Lyssa for her to pack warm clothes. He looked out through the trees, then back to the beautiful girl next to him, "So, now that we're here, what do you think?"

[Alyssa James]

Alyssa couldn’t wait until summer. She had been dating the same person for the last year and she was head over heels in love with him. Or at least, she thought this is what love was. He had managed to help her grow out her hair and let it go back to its natural color. She had it in a high pony tail and it bounced on her back as she followed him into a beautiful meadow. She had the feeling this is the special place he probably never talked about. She turned around and could see his house through the trees. She suddenly wished she had her camera to remember this, but her brain would have to work.

She bent down temporairily to retie her shoes. She smiled at him and ran to catch up. It had taken them some time to get there, but the perfect spring air kept her cool and warm at the same time. It was perfect for a little get-away. And yet, she still couldn’t believe she was here with him in Romania. She wasn’t sure how her brother would’ve reacted had she not cleaned up her act.

He laid out a blanket and she took a spin in the middle, trying to take it in all at once. But that was almost impossible. It was so overbearing and it was such a special place, she was afraid to talk. She sat next to him as he wrapped his arms around his legs. She hadn’t dressed warmly and she shivered a little. She had been born in a cold place, so this weather wasn’t what bothered her. Alyssa was stuck in a dream she never wished to end. She looked over at the Romanian prince and gave a brilliant smile. “It’s…beautiful,” she said quietly. She didn’t say anything else and laid her head against his shoulder.

[Lucah Ivaskov]

Lucah smiled at her reaction to his little meadow and sighed in relief. Her reaction to it was what he'd been scared to witness. This was his home, not hers. Some people couldn't see the beauty behind all of the vegetation. Especially people who grew up in a city with more buildings than trees. America had been his home for a long time and still was in a sense, but Romania was his heart and soul. The warm places that few people saw. It was a place that he'd never be able to forget even if he lived permanently in America and raised his children there.

The fact that Lyssa saw that beauty didn't much surprise Lucah. After all, she'd been one of those few people that saw the side of him that was hard to get to. The soft, caring side that he used with Jezebel and her both. It was the side of him that was most like his mother and brought him closer to her.

When Alyssa shuddered, Luc pulled his jacket off and offered it to her. Chivalry was never dead in his case. Then he put his arm around her and kissed the top of her head, "As are you." He smiled down at her and looked back through the trees. It was strange, but he felt as if his father was watching them, even though he had no idea they were in Romania, well unless Jezebel had said something.

"My mother and I found this place when I was younger. After she died, I came here alone until Jezebel was old enough. It hasn't changed at all," He whispered quietly hugging her closer without a thought.

[Alyssa James]

Alyssa giggled quietly as he kissed the top of her head. It was small actions like that had been her initial case of dating him. He wasn’t overly kissy or huggy or anything of physical actions. It was too bad they were here for only the weekend. Summer was still a month off and she had one more year of school. It totally sucked, but she was still having fun. It saddened her when he had to go off to college, but the college was still in Pilot Ridge, which made her happy. All the trees and plants and flowers, it didn’t make her miss the city. There was something sacred and silent about being out here with him alone. She wasn’t sure if his father knew they were in Romania and she wasn’t going to press the matter. She knew of his father and it made her slightly shake with anger when she thought of him.

Luc handed his jacket and she wrapped her small frame into it and it smelled like him. He went quiet and she understood why. She knew of his mother passing away, but she did not know of this meadow. She had yet to formally meet his little sister, although the way he talked about her, it seemed like she had known her for years. She burrowed her head into his shoulder.

“I’m glad you showed this to me. It tells me that you trust me,” she said quietly. If she had shouted or yelled, it was like breaking a spell. It was something she didn’t want to do. “What do you want to do now Luc?” she asked, giving him a kiss on the cheek.

[Lucah Ivaskov]

Lucah looked down at her and smiled brightly, "I do trust you. And by bringing you here, well I figured it would bring you as close to meeting my mother as anything else. This was her hideaway from Dimitri." He had mentioned the arranged marriage between his parents once or twice, but had never really been able to get into it. It was still a touchy subject considering it held the most painful thing that could hurt his father. It was what Luc used when Dimitri and him fought. The fact that Jessamine had been forced into the marriage and had never really fallen in love with Dimitri.

He laid back on the blanket and looked up at the sky, "Well we've got a whole tour planned out for the weekend. We could either stay here and relax a little or we could go somewhere else on the list." He glanced back at his home peaking through the foliage and chewed on the inside of his cheek. Part of him wanted to show her where he grew up, but he'd never be the one to suggest it.

Luc knew his father wouldn't be there most likely, but on the off chance that he was, Lucah was just too afraid to risk it. He didn't want his father degrading another girl he'd been with. Just because Dimitri was still bitter about him turning down the arranged marriage. Lucah was eighteen and he was supposed to be married two months ago, but considering him and his father had gotten into a rather large fight about him staying in Vermont and with Alyssa, it hadn't happened. Dimitri had actually backed off.

[Alyssa James]

Lyssa smiled back at him and knew what was bothering him. His father sat in that very house, not even knowing that his son was home. And then his parents arranged marriage, she always had mixed feelings, all of them ranging from almost pity (which he would hate) to a sort of curiosity. She tugged at her necklace and put her hand in her jean pocket. It was such a nice day, the sun slanting down on the both of them. There were words at the tip of her tongue and she didn’t dare say it.

She wondered what was on the tour, what kind of beauties that Lucah would have to show her. Her eyes strayed to his home again; she wanted to see where he grew up, what kind of things he did as child beside hide from his father. What room he had and if it still looked like it did when he moved away. She doubted it, but it was fun to wonder about eleven year old Lucah. Almost amusing in fact.

She had vaguely remembering hearing about Lucah’s rearranged marriage, but he had turned his father down. When she had heard, her stomach dropped, but she was prepared for him to board the next plane towards Romania and marry a woman unlike herself. She swallowed thickly and blinked back the tears, but there were still little escape artists that rolled down her face and glinting in the sun as if trying to get noticed.

It was silly, crying over a boy. They had only been dating for a year. She turned away from him, her heart beating fast. She had fallen for this boy the first time he had sung to her, but this time, she had fallen into a hole, where her heart was on the line and he held it in his hands whether he knew it or not.

[Lucah Ivaskov]

Sometimes Lucah wished he had telepathy. What he wouldn't give to read her mind for one moment. Of course it was a total invasion of privacy, but still, it fascinated him. He always wondered what she was thinking about. Whether it was about him and if it was what was she thinking about him? There were so many things he wanted to know. It nearly drove him insane every time he thought about it.

They'd been together a year and he knew her fairly well, every once in a while she'd surprise him, but most of the time he could read her expressions and body language. And he knew she had gotten an inside look at the side of him that was so hard to reach. They were close. Closer than him and Belle had ever been. Of course, Belle had been the first girl who'd ever said she loved him and he had said it back. Then he freaked and almost lost her.

The problem with his feelings wasn't the emotions themselves, it was the thoughts he had. He was still so sure he couldn't actually love anyone besides family. He'd never witnessed true love before, not with his parents, not with anyone else. To him, true love was something that had been made up in fairy tales and romance novels. Love wasn't real, not for him.

Being with Lyssa had made him question those thoughts though. Being with her was different than being with Belle and with all of the other girls he'd been with. Alyssa was perfect. If perfection was actually possible. And for her, he believed it was. She always made him relax, even after fighting with his father so much. She didn't comfort him like Belle did, but the way she did was somehow more effective. He actually believed that maybe he could fall in love with her. Maybe he already had.

Lyssa turned away from him and he sat up with a concerned look on his face, "Lyssa what's wrong? Are you okay?" He brushed her hair back and his fingers slid across her cheek lightly.

[Alyssa James]

Alyssa’s hand caught his hand. She lay on her back and looked at him through glistening tears. She had never been good with this whole, confessing the true feelings with words. She showed through actions, usually hitting a wall or stomping off. How she longed to run away and come back when she was herself, not this weakling girl. She looked into his crystal clear eyes and was unsure of what he felt for her. It made her sad and she wished she knew what he was thinking. She knew nothing of what happened in his head, if he was thinking of that girl he went out with before they were dating or if he was still wishing to kill Edward.

She bit her lip, wondering if he was really the one she was looking for. She fell more in love with him over the past year than she did when she went out with all those boys. Her mind suddenly wished for a cig, anything to calm her down. She was shaking slightly, not enough for him to notice, but enough for her too. “I…I…” The words froze in her mouth. She couldn’t bring herself to say them.

She didn’t want to be shot down, to be left going on alone on a plane back to Vermont and go back to the girl she used to be. She wanted to be caught by him and always know he would be there. She wasn’t asking for marriage, just that confirmation that her feelings were returned. She suddenly remembered a conversation between them about love. He had believed he was incapable of love, returning a normal feeling to any girl. She felt her heart drop again, but this time, she had a better catch on her emotions and she gave him a watery smile. “Absolutely nothing, everything is perfect.” She had of course lied to him and she had yet to find out if he could see through her mask.

[Lucah Ivaskov]

Lucah looked down at her, his hand holding hers tightly. He didn't know what was wrong, but he knew she wasn't saying something. Times like this, telepathy would be really freakin' handy. He couldn't tell if he'd scared her away or if he'd done something wrong. The tears in her eyes weren't happy tears. There was something else he was missing and it scared him to no end that he thought he'd made a mistake.

Since the day that he'd gotten overly jealous about a guy she'd gone out with, well let's just say he'd been a little cautious. He didn't want to lose her to a guy like that, and he didn't want to get in trouble for killing someone. Edward very nearly had his pretty little face messed up. Lucah had been that jealous. Then he'd gotten back at her by going out with his friend Becca who was so NOT his type. They were on a strictly friend basis and even that wasn't entirely true. They couldn't be classified as friends, more like frenemies. Lyssa had taken hold of him wholly the day he'd sang with her. Not that he knew it then, but maybe a small part of his mind did.

She started speaking and he tilted his head to the side as his fingers continued brushing along her cheek bone. When she didn't finish his eyebrows pulled together and he looked away. Something about the way she'd started and how she was having so much trouble with it made him wonder if he already knew what she would say. What he hoped she'd say. But when she didn't finish, his hope had shattered.

Eventually when she answered he looked back at her and narrowed his eyes, "Liar." He smirked playfully, but his eyes held the real emotion. It was a sort of hurt expression. The fact that she'd lie to him like that was painful. He'd thought that by now she could tell him everything.

Lucah acted impulsively and pulled her up so she was sitting up beside him. He took her face in his hands gently and looked straight into those bright green eyes of hers. Breathing in deeply to prepare himself he rested his forehead against hers. It was some of the most contact he'd made with her really. Sure, they'd kissed or whatever, but it wasn't as intimate and emotional as this was about to be. He was either making the biggest mistake of his life, or the best choice. Barely above a whisper, he finally spoke, "Lyssa...I love you. You know how when we first started dating how I said I didn't believe I could ever fall in love? Well I believed that until it happened. Somehow I believe that this, what you and I have, is love." He looked down and bit his lower lip, "If I'm wrong, I understand and I'm not expecting you to say it back just because I said it. I want you to say it when you're ready and when you really feel that way."

[Alyssa James]

Lyssa’s heart fluttered when he grabbed her face. They had never been like this in their relationship, even when she heard the real truth about his father. She had laid a hand on his arm and that was it. And not to mention, his old roommate. She hadn’t liked him from the get-go and wished he would stop tormenting Luc. She had almost killed him in fact. Or mess up his pretty, pretty face. Her thoughts turned away from him and toward the day she had gone out with Edward.

Big surprise that he was jealous, but he had gotten her back with his friend Becca, who apparently, wasn’t his type. How was she supposed to know that? She had to lean in and listen to what he was saying to actually hear him. He loved her. He had said he was incapable of not loving someone, especially after what happened with Belle. She felt an angry flutter at the mention of his ex girlfriend. She hadn’t liked her either. Though she had never met her.

She gave a laugh and attacked him, wrapping her arms around his neck. “Oh god, you idiot. You think I don’t feel the same way. I’ve been trying to tell you that!” And now became the moment where she asked, “What about your dad? Does he know about us?”

[Lucah Ivaskov]

Her reaction was definitely unexpected. He wrapped his arms around her waist and laughed quietly as she spoke. He hugged her tight and took a deep breath. Relief flooded through him and he couldn't keep the smile from spreading across his face. It was one of those extremely rare smiles that Lucah ever had, besides when he was with Lyssa, she always seemed to bring that smile out. It was a smile of sheer bliss and happiness. Bright and wide, "Well okay maybe I am a bit on the oblivious side sometimes, but you can't expect me to know that you felt that way." He laughed again and smirked, "And that's just it, you were trying to tell me, but you didn't so clearly I couldn't know."

Her next questions made him tense briefly. Hearing the word dad seemed far to casual and informal to describe Dimitri. Dad was something one called their father if they had a good relationship, which was why Lucah had never called Dimitri that. He kept his arms around her waist and pulled her into his lap as he attempted to speak again.

Luc cleared his throat and nodded, "Yes he does know about us. Surprisingly he'd happier about you and I together than he was about Belle despite the fact that you're American. I showed him a picture of you and he said you could pass for a 'Romanian beauty' as he called it." He looked up into her eyes and smiled faintly, "He said you looked a lot like my mom when she was younger."

It was true. Lucah had noticed it right off the bat when they first met. The eyes were a different color, but just as vibrant. Her hair was the same dark flowing waves that Jessamine had. Strange way of thinking, but Lucah couldn't complain. He was with a beautiful girl, who she resembled didn't really matter much. Her personality was a bit different, but he liked that. She was spunky.

"If you'd like...you could meet him and come to my house for dinner." The reluctance in his voice was minimal, but there was a trace of it. He wanted her to meet his father and the servants that had helped raise him. One in particular that had been a mother type figure in his life. "You can meet Nausicca. She'll love you." He smiled wider this time thinking of the older women.

[Alyssa James]

Lyssa knew how he felt about his father. And to know that his father liked the way she looked, it sent a creepy shiver down her spine. His face fell when she forced out the words. She didn’t want to mention, she hated Dimitri, for what he did to Lucah. For taking away his younger sister, and a lot more. Then the mention of his ex girlfriend, she tensed herself. She didn’t like Belle, not only because she was stuttering, but because she clearly didn’t know what a great guy Luc was. She would never quite get over that fact. A roman beauty, is that all the older man cared for? Just because she was American, it didn’t mean Luc should have married that woman.

When he mentioned his mother, she gave a bright smile to him. She was glad that his father was finally talking to his son, even if it was slightly unhealthy and a bit angry. All she wanted was the two men to get along, but she wasn’t going to push anything. He mentioned a servant that took care of him when his mother passed away, she couldn’t wait to meet her. She looked down at the clothes she was wearing and instantly knew she would have to change into that satin gown her brother had bought her for her seventeenth birthday instead of wearing a pair of jeans and tank top that probably revealed a bit much.

“I think that would be wonderful. And if you father is being a dick, we can always walk out,” she said brightly. Lyssa kissed him softly. “And I will probably have to wear that satin gown I brought won’t I?”

[Lucah Ivaskov]

Lucah hated things that his father said usually. Most of the time they were things that were meant to make Luc fell completely worthless and as if he were the biggest mistake on this planet. In his father's eyes, he probably was. The fact that he took an interest in meeting Alyssa sent an angry chill through him when he'd brought it up. The man could be so incredibly sick and belligerent sometimes it was more than frustrating to deal with. The way he treated most women was ridiculous and Lucah was thankful he had his mother's manners in him. He wasn't a degrading prick like his father.

Her tension at the mentioning of Belle made him frown, but it wasn't because he was angry with her for feeling as such. It was more that he understood why she couldn't stand Belle. He'd been hurt by the girl without her even knowing it. Yes, he'd broken her heart, but only after his had been shattered by her absence. He didn't care so much about it now, he was glad they'd broken up. Had they stayed together, he most likely never would have sang with Lyssa and they never would have grown so close.

Lucah kissed her temple to get her to relax and continued talking. The smile she had when he brought up Jessamine made his heart stutter a bit. The affect Lyssa had on him was silly on many levels, but he preferred it. She kept him happy and also kept him from turning into the awful man that he's related to. He knew that she wanted him to get along with his father, but once she met him, she'd know why it was next to impossible.

Her response made him laugh and he smiled, "I like the way you think dulcea mea (my sweet)" He kissed her back just as lightly and his arms tightened around her. "You don't have to impress anyone Lyss, if you want to wear it that's your choice. Though I would love to see my father's reaction to your clothing choice right now." He smirked and pecked her on the lips once more.

[Alyssa James]

Lyssa loved nothing more than to watch him. She didn’t know why, but it was like a drug. She wanted to watch his face, to see if it fell or brightened with what she told him or what she did. She felt his lips on hers like a tingle. An amused look came across her face, she had so wanted to wear that satin gown for him, but even though they were in Romania, she had nowhere to wear it. Wearing it to his father’s seemed like a priceless idea. But what if…no older men knew not to prey on girls like her right? She combed through her brown hair, idly wondering if he was going to try and steal his son’s girlfriend.

A wicked idea just formed in her mind. What would happen if his father thought they were engaged? She started to formulate the plan in her head, her green eyes taking on that mysterious gleam and her grin becoming more of a smirk as time passed on. She opened her mouth once to announce the idea, but then thought again of how Luc would take it.

She could imagine his pretty blue eyes widening at the fact of making his father flip, maybe almost to the point of not actually doing it. But then again, Luc did have a rebel side and this might be the perfect way to get back at him. She opened her mouth again, this time words flying out so fast she could barely understand herself. “Ithinkweshouldhaveyourfatherthinkwe’reengaged,” she said in a huge breath.

[Lucah Ivaskov]

Lucah was in a sort of blissful state. Being with Lyssa in Romania had a lot to do with it. More so just being with her though. She made him feel as if he was always in his own little world with her. The thought of her in a sat floor-length gown made his heart fly. She'd be beautiful as ever and if it was the right color, he couldn't even picture it. Then he thought of having his father see her in what he deemed the necessary attire for all women. Surely he'd appreciate the beauty of it. But would he appreciate it too much?

Lucah shuddered at the thought. Would his father be that cruel? As to go for a girl Lucah's age? No, she was far too young for that. It wouldn't be legal....in America. Shit. Lucah trailed his fingers up and down her arm as the silence went on. It wasn't an awkward silence, it was a comfortable silence. The feeling of her skin was so soft and smooth. He found himself lost in wonder as he watched her. Call it lame, but he couldn't help it.

When she opened her mouth he looked up at her and raised an eyebrow at her smirk. She shut her mouth and he waited for her to speak. Though when she did he barely caught any of it. Luckily, he'd had practice with Jezebel who spoke faster than anyone he knew. The words pieced themselves in his mind and his eyes widened. "Wait a second..did I hear that right? Engaged?" He let out a gust of air and thought about it for a moment.

If they could go to his house, up to his room before she saw his father he could get the ring he was supposed to give to the woman he married. It was supposed to go to Vasilissa, but since he didn't marry her, he kept it in a safe place in his old room. Dimitri would never find it. No one would besides him. If they got there he could easily give it to her. "Alright, if you think it would be funny, I'm in," He smiled.