My Villainess Ex Won't Leave Me Alone

╔═══ Author's note ════╗

Music: Listen To Your Heart - Mustafa Avsaroglu

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Apparently, Celine embarrassed herself in public again.

Nobody wanted to be disliked, and it was hard to be a person you didn't like. Celine was doing it to protect herself, but that didn't mean she liked it.

Lucian lifted her and carried her to the bathroom to wash her face clean. She wrapped her legs around his waist and buried her face in the crook of his neck.

Sitting her on the sink counter, he grabbed the towel and wetted it to clean her face.

He held back his own tears, trying to comfort her.

"It will be okay," he murmured, wiping her eyes and nose, "I'm not going to leave you, I promise."

"Don't let go of me," she whispered, her legs still locked around his hips, "Please, don't let go of me." Her words were quiet, almost inaudible, as if she was afraid to say them out loud.

"I won't, I won't," he said, wiping her cheeks and chin, "You're stuck with me, whether you like it or not. Haven't I survived your overbearing love already? What's another couple of years of you bullying me?"

She continued to shake her head and sob silently, her fists pumping against his chest. "Don't leave me, don't leave me, don't leave me..." she repeated, "I can't lose you, I can't...you are the only one, the only one..."

Her expression suddenly turned blank, her eyes dulling.

"Celine?" Lucian asked, patting her cheeks, "What's wrong?"

She blinked, her last tear rolling down her cheek as she looked down at her chest. Her hands felt it up, "It's... gone."

"What?" Lucian asked, confused.

"My heart," she whispered, her fingers pressing down on her skin, as if searching for the missing piece inside of her, "I can't feel it."

His hand slid down to the spot her finger pointed at, feeling the steady heartbeat. Steady, yet slow, as if she had a heart of stone.

"It's still there," he said, "It's just a bit weak, but it's still beating."

She nodded quietly, "Weak, huh? Not an usual thing when I'm with you. It usually goes the opposite way."

"..." Lucian lifted her up, her face resting on his shoulder, her limbs wrapping around him, "Isn't it too soon for flirting with me?"

It was like she got overwhelmed by something, and then her mind shut down all her heart's functions beside keeping her alive.

"Mm. Too early to be cheeky with you, too late to stop me," she smiled against his neck, "My heart needs a little kick to pump the blood again."

She didn't want to dwell on depressing things anymore, that much was obvious.

He turned his head to capture her lips in a kiss, and she returned the gesture. They fell on the bed, and he pressed her into the mattress, his hand sliding up her thigh.

"It's beating harder now," she said, her chest rising and falling rapidly as she tried to catch her breath, "You are such a good doctor, you know exactly what I need."

"..." Lucian dropped on top of her, his face buried in her chest, "Is this really time to joke around? I don't mind you being weak for a while longer. Forget what you said about proving yourself, okay? I already forgot it, and you should too."

He was referring to the time when he doubted her resolve to marry him, doubted her strength and called her naive. He didn't want her to hide her feelings behind a strong facade because of that.

She stroked his back, her other hand running through his hair. "A birthday boy should get what he wants on the day of his birth," she said, showing rare compliance, "I can't remember what I said to you. It must have not been that important."

"This is not the type of forget I was asking for." He got on his elbows, lifting himself up so he could see her face.

Her tears returned upon his words, but these were like she summoned them on command to appear.

"Stop that this instant," he commanded, wiping the tears away with his thumb, "or else I'll make you cry for real."

She blinked at his threat, "I didn't bring my horse whip."

"..." Lucian turned her around and gave her bottom a slap. This woman! She never missed an opportunity to tease him. Her bottom soon turned into his drum, and he started to play a tune on it.

"This is the sound of my patience snapping in half," he sang, "Celine, Celine, the trouble making Celine. She loves to tease, to make me mad. She loves to make me blush, she loves to make me fuss."

Smack. Smack. Smack.

"But I love her, the trouble making Celine," he continued to sing, "she is a meanie, a thief, she stole my little heart. She will never give it back, she is a cruel little brat. I'll give her another smack."

Smack.

Celine laughed into a pillow and Lucian felt a little better. He leaned over to see her rubbing her fresh tears into the pillow. He leaned back with a satisfied nod. That's what she got for doubting his skills in making her cry and laugh at the same time.

"You should join the choir," Lucian said, "I want to hear you sing too."

He continued to pat a tune on her bottom, and her laughter turned into a hum, singing along with him.

"Lucian, Lucian, the silly sunshine Lucian. He makes me mad, but also glad. He makes me want to sing, and I'll let him do his thing," she paused, thinking of the next verse, "He is silly and sweet, and he is all mine to keep."

Smack.

"Ouch!" Celine cried out, turning around to look at him, "Why?"

Lucian's cheeks turned red at her lyrics, and he cleared his throat to hide his embarrassment, "The tune required it."

"Oh." Celine turned back around and reached for her skirt pocket to get something, "I've got you a present."

Lucian stopped his drumming and leaned to her side to get a better look. A chocolate truffle and an envelope were in her palm.

He took the treat first, unwrapping the paper, biting a half of it and feeding her the other part. It was a bit melted, but still delicious. He chewed it with a smile, opening the pouch next to pull out the thing inside.

"You made it?" he guessed.

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