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achaotichuman · 9 days

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Marry Me

Tamlin Week Day Five (yes I know it is day 6, I didn't get time to upload yesterday) Today I decided to, you guessed it, write some Tamcien.

The prompt I am using is masquerade. Tamlin has been wanting to marry Lucien for two years now, and finally he is putting his plan into action.

Let's hope all goes smoothly for him.

You can read on Ao3 or below the cut!

Pen tucked behind golden curls. Tamlin read over the poem he had spent hours agonising over once again.

Furrowing his brow, read it over another time, which quickly turned into a third, then a fourth, followed by a fifth. Not the longest poem he had ever written, but certainly not the shortest. A page of a babbling love confession, full of smooth compliments and hidden meanings about their time together. What it did to his heart. How it solely belonged to the person he was writing this for.

“Okay.” Tamlin took a deep breath, finally happy with the result of his labour, he folded up and tucked the poem in a hidden pocket in his jacket, where the box of emerald velvet lay.

What was harder than writing the poem, was finding the ring to go along with it. How does one shop for jewellery for the male that has ever accessory the world’s richest could ask for? It is incredibly difficult. And the decision took two years.

Two years since Tamlin ultimately decided he was going to marry Lucien Vanserra. Two years and he was finally ready.

At the first light that morning. When Lucien and Tamlin were tangled in a mess of limbs, sheets and… other things, Tamlin had looked up at the male as he opened his sleepy eyes. Scarlet hair frizzy, a piece stuck in his mouth, a sliver of drool dried on the corner of his mouth, and a bleary face. Tamlin had never felt more in love. He had tucked a lock of hair behind Lucien’s ear and kissed his head. Lucien had responded by tucking his face into Tamlin’s shoulder, strong arms around the High lord’s waist, pulling him in closer.

Ever the dare-devil, that Lucien Vanserra had grinding up against him and in a second they were consumed with lazy love-making as the sun rose up behind them.

In that sweet, slow moment. Tamlin knew it was finally the day. Even though he had already been planning this exact moment, on this exact day for months. He knew it was perfect, he had picked well.

When they had finally dragged themselves from the comfort of their bed and the warmth of the other. Tamlin had dragged Andras into distracting Lucien for the day. Getting them to go off on a hunting ride and conveniently ‘get lost’.

Bron and Hart, along with Alis and her gally of servants and maids were joining Tamlin in setting everything up.

Ten hours of work later and Tamlin was oh so pleased with the result.

Everyone was exhausted, but no tiredness could outweigh the excitement quivering in everyone. Tamlin stared at what they had all managed to create. A party unlike any other. A massive ball being thrown, a masquerade no less. Everyone from the Lords and Ladies to the field workers were dressed to the nines in their finery tonight. The Spring Court Manor had been transformed for the night into a wonderworld. Full of dim candle light. Soft, lovingly haunting music filling the air with sweet notes. The smell of roasts, berries and chocolate wafted through the air, mixing with the perfumes of hundreds of ladies in gowns, flowers riding up the sides of their skirts.

It was… not a traditional celebration of Spring. Any kind of traditional party often involved a lot of barefootedness and losing your skirts in a tree with a ravenous partner. Or dancing like you were fighting in a quick upbeat celebration while the bonfires roared, and people drank and danced.

Whilst Tamlin preferred the more down and dirty parties, Lucien liked this. This more upstyle, classy celebration. It was what he came from, and what he always savoured and enjoyed.

So Tamlin would give it to him. Tamlin would give anything to him.

“Ready?” Alis asked. Adjusting her own golden mask. Tamlin swallowed hard as he fixed up his green and gold waistcoat. Adjusting the golden drop piercings in his ears, and fixing up his coat.

“Yes. Where is Andras and Lucien?”

“Andras just convinced Lucien to winnow directly into their rooms.” Bron giggled as he ran up to join them. Hart quick on his talk, both shaking with their poorly contained laughs. The two troublemakers hardly being able to keep their glee to themselves.

Alis rolled her eyes and quickly snapped at the two, “Well get into place. Announce to everyone to quiet down and dim the lights.”

They scurried off to do as told and Tamlin and Alis quickly headed for Lucien’s room. Tamlin shoving his mask into his pocket so as to not give Lucien a jump scare when he saw him.

Standing at the outside of their shared quarters, Tamlin gave Alis a sickened worried look. Before he could so much as ask about backing out, Alis smacked the back of his head.

“You. Will. Be. Fine.” Alis hushed his thoughts.

“I know but-” She smacked his head again.

“Tamlin Kali Fairburn, stop backing out and get your man.” She told him. Before promptly knocking on the door for him and running back off to make sure everything was properly down. He nearly shouted after her for leaving him alone but before he could, Lucien opened the door, stood clad in only soft grey sleep pants.

“Tamlin why are you knoc-” Lucien cut himself off as he looked Tamlin up and down, observing the fine clothes he wore.

“Hello, handsome.” Lucien purred, a smirk slipping over his face, “Are we off to somewhere tonight?”

“We are actually.” Tamlin said, waves of nervousness coursing through him, it was a wonder his knees didn’t give out and he collapsed on the floor.

Lucien cocked his head, “Oh? Where too then?”

“Out.” Tamlin answered with, “Somewhere nice.”

“A surprise then?” Lucien lifted a perfect red eyebrow as he crossed his arms, “No hints?”

“None at all.” Tamlin said, a smile starting to slip onto his own face. Lucien was just easy like that, so easy to talk to, so easy to be around. All over again, he was falling in love all over again.

“One.” Lucien said, stepping forward and putting his hands on Tamlin’s chest, feeling up and up until those slender arms wrapped around his neck, “One hint.”

“It’s closer than you think.” Tamlin decided to say. Before putting both hands on Lucien’s waist, and leading him back into their room, “Now change my love.”

Lucien seemed to consider trying his luck at coercing Tamlin into telling him, but ultimately gave in and turned back towards their closet.

Tamlin sat back on the edge of their bed, waiting for Lucien to dress. As anxiety still welled in his chest, so did something else. Excitement, pure excitement. God if, no when, he would only say when, when Lucien said yes, a new chapter began.

First the wedding which everyone would want to be involved with, that would take a lot longer than the engagement would. At least a decade before they finished tying to knot, but who was counting the years? They were immortal, they had forever.

But after the wedding, what then? Obviously what they did now, and ruling their court as usual. Maybe one day a baby or two. Gods, what would they look like? A baby girl, or a baby boy, or maybe both, or just two of one. Who knew, Tamlin honestly didn’t care whether they were a boy or a girl, he would love them all the same. Maybe they would look like Lucien with his flowing crimson hair, darkened skin and flaming amber eyes. Or they would look like Tamlin, or a mix. Oh, a baby girl with scarlet curls and green eyes. Or a baby boy with golden hair and glowing amber eyes.

“Tam?” Tamlin nearly startled as he looked up to see the light of his life standing dressed before him. In a suit of green and white. He picked out an outfit that complimented Tamlin’s perfectly.

Tamlin smiled as he stood, walking over, he cupped Lucien’s beautiful face. Before kissing him oh so gently, “You’re beautiful.”

“I know.” Lucien smiled, “So are you.”

Tamlin grinned back, before his eyes quickly lit up and he reached into his pocket and pulled out a gilded mask, in the shape of a fox’s face. He took Lucien’s hands and pressed the mask to him.

“A mask?” Lucien questioned, scrunching up his nose.

“Indeed.” Tamlin confirmed as he pulled out his own golden mask and set it on his face. Lucien watched him warily but did as told and put on the mask, taking a few seconds to adjust it before smiling up at Tamlin.

“Ready?” Tamlin asked, offering his arm which Lucien quickly took.

“Of course, now show me what you’re hiding.” The fox demanded, Tamlin laughed as together they left the room and headed down the hall.

Lucien kept trying to guess as they walked and Tamlin kept saying no.

“The new restaurant is having some masquerade event?”

“Nope.” That place was actually under renovations at the moment.

“We’re going to the Summer Court for a celebration?”

“No.” As if Norstrus would ever even consider a masquerade.

Lucien sighed, exhausting his options. A he tried to think of more, Tamlin led him down the labyrinth of stairs, before eventually standing before the closed doors of the ballroom. Lucien stared at him confused, tilting his head as he asked, “What are we doing here?”

Tamlin squeezed his hand, face burning, blood pumping, heartbeat pounding in his ears, as he whispered, “Surprise.”

Throwing the door open, the room erupted into cheers and applause. The music immediately turning back on and dancing beginning once again as if the sudden welcoming of Lucien into the party never happened.

Lucie stared mouth agape at the scene practically cut from a book was beheld before him. He slowly looked over to Tamlin who was smiling sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck.

“You did all this?” Lucien asked incredulously.

“With some help.” Tamlin glanced over at Alis who was chaperoning Bron and Hart as they grabbed each other’s arms and swung themselves around and around in circles.

“And you got Andras to distract me.” Lucien crossed his arms as he accused.

As if summoned by his name alone, the wolf prowled up behind Lucien. Suddenly jumping out behind, causing Lucien to flinch slightly. Andras gave a grin to both of them, to which Lucien pushed his finger into the older male’s chest, “You got us lost on purpose.”

Andras just held up his rough hands, “I was given orders and I fulfilled them.”

Tamlin shrugged, as Lucien turned his fake furious eyes on him, “Oh so that was an order?”

“I said keep you out until nightfall by whatever means necessary, he’s the one that suggested getting lost in the woods.”

“It worked, did it not?” The brown-haired male leaned back on his heels, shoving his hands into his pockets. Lucien rolled his eyes and Tamlin had to hide his laugh behind his palm.

“Go make doe-eyes at Alis, Andras, your work is done.” Tamlin clasped his shoulder, the older chuckled briefly.

“Planning on it.” As he said the words he cast his eyes in the direction of where Alis was playing babysitter for the chaos twins who were getting dangerously close to a table of breakables.

Andras told them to enjoy their evening before striding off to join Alis, and distract her from her work.

“How long has that male been courting her?” Lucien asked as he watched Alis’ eyes light up as Andras neared.

“Five hundred and fifty years.” Tamlin murmured, Lucien whistled low.

It was no rare occurrence for a courtship, especially one not between mates, to last for centuries, the longest of history lasting millenia. Being Fae had it’s perks, living forever, basking in immortality and lacking the fear of death that mortals were instilled with led for people taking their sweet time in everything.

Tamlin however, could not imagine waiting that long to finally put the ring burning in his pocket on Lucien’s finger. They had been courting for two hundred years, since Lucien came to Spring. A shorter courtship than Andras and Alis’, but not the shortest for a Faery.

As the music in the air swirled and the people began to dance a heartbeat quicker, Tamlin looked over at Lucien. All beauty and dashing, charming face with sweet eyes, a soft flicker in that burning amber. His gaze sweeping over the work that had been made up for him.

Tamlin cleared his throat and Lucien looked back at him. Holding out his hand, the High lord asked, “My Lord, may I have this dance?”

Slowly, the softest smile that the male could have ever bestowed to him appeared on Lucien’s face. He took his hand gracefully, murmuring, “You may.”

With what he was sure was the same smile echoed on his own features, Tamlin swept Lucien onto the dancefloor. And all of a sudden, it was just them in the world. Just Tamlin with his hands on Lucien’s waist, and in his hand. Lucien with his smile and body pressed against his. Tamlin and Lucien moving like fluid through the room to the heartbeat of the music, falling into sync with each other as they faded away from the rest of the world. Becoming a bubble of their own.

Then the music began to slow, cutting them from the small world they had floated off too. Slowly the music came to an end, looking around they had found the centre of the ball. Standing in a circle made by the hundreds of people present. Tamlin held both of Lucien’s hands in his, as the red headed male looked around, confused as to why the music stopped and everyone was watching them.

He furrowed his brow, and Tamlin finally took out the poem he had spent so long making sure was utterly perfect. Pulling it from his jacket pocket he felt his face burn from the people staring. But he forced himself to untangle his hands from Luciens as he unfolded the crisp white paper.

“Lucien Vanserra-” Tamlin started, reading from the top, “You-”

He got no further, as there was the sound of glass shattering echoing through the otherwise silent ballroom.

A series of gasps unfurled as Lucien and Tamlin whipped around to several glass tables knocked over and shattered on the ground. Bron and Hart, their hands bleeding, atop them.

The four stared at each other. Bron and Hart too stupidly shocked to say anything besides stare like gaping dead fish.

“Look out!” A scream echoed, all Tamlin heard was a faint ringing sound before Lucien was jumping atop him to drag him out of the way as the crystal and gold chandelier above crashed to the floor.

Screaming broke out as people rushed from the shards of glass and metal. Lucien was still atop Tamlin, the High lord quickly scooped his lover up in his arms. Lucien wrapped his arms around Tamlin’s neck, breathing a repeated, ‘Thank god, thank god, thank god.’

Still shaking from the adrenaline, Lucien was only happy he had managed to shove Tamlin out of the way in time. Tamlin cradled the male close whilst plotting all the way he was going to torture Bron and Hart for this. By the time he looked back over to where they had been, they were long gone. But Tamlin had no doubts Alis had simply taken them.

His thoughts were confirmed by Andras who ran up to him and said, “Alis had Bron and Hart tied to chairs and ready for a tongue lashing. You and him retire for the night, we’ll handle this.”

Tamlin could only nod as he held Lucien tighter and walked from the chaotic scene that had become the ballroom.

Beginning to head up the stairs towards their quarters, Lucien then threaded his fingers through Tamlin’s hair and whispered, “Let's go somewhere away from here.”

The blond blinked quickly, “Are you sure?”

Lucien gave a sleepy smile, his eyes falling shut as he murmured, “Take me to the meadow.”

Even though every part of his body was screaming in shame from the disaster that just occured. Tamlin smiled at the request, obediently, they were engulfed in a cool breeze. Falling between the pockets of the world, before Tamlin’s feet touched the soft, soft grass of the meadow. Drenched in moonlight. He went down to his knees and laid Lucien out before him.

The red head looked up and smiled, reaching out his hand, he cupped Tamlin’s cheek, “You did so well tonight.”

At once he drew back slightly, eyebrows furrowed in confusion, “What do you mean? Everything was a disaster.”

Lucien shook his head, “No, you surprised me, with a beautiful gift. Gave me a wonderful dance. It was Bron and Hart’s stupidity that led to the abrupt end, and I don’t doubt after what Andras and Alis will say, that they’ll won’t do it again.”

“Those two don’t have two sticks to rub together.” Tamlin said deadpan, Lucien snorted.

“No they don’t, dear.” Shuffling up, Lucien leaned back on his elbows, “So… what was tonight about?”

“Sorry?”

“What was tonight about?” Did Lucien’s eyes always sparkle like that in the moonlight?

Curling inwards a little, Tamlin averted his eyes, not wanting to think about the cut off proposal at all, “Nothing, just… just a gift.”

“It sounded like you had something to say to me.” Lucien said, in that sly tone that told Tamlin he knew more than he was letting on.

“Maybe I did.” Tamlin whispered so quietly.

There was silence, as Tamlin’s heart roared in his ears until there was a faint ringing all around. Suddenly Tamlin felt warm fingers under his chin, guiding him to look up. He gave in and looked at Lucien, really looked at him.

The male’s face was so soft, so sweet, looking so gorgeous in the moonlight. A blush spread over Tamlin’s skin, hot all over, his heart feeling like it might try to fly away. Everytime they ended up like this, just on the brink of closing the distance between their lips. Tamlin got the same butterflies in his stomach that he got when they first kissed. That never changed, never went away.

“Tell me, Tam.” Lucien whispered in the space between them.

It broke, all his resolve, all his care, all his shame and guilt, it all broke.

“I love you.” Tamlin choked out, feeling like he was being strangled by the air around him, “I love you so much, you’re so sweet, and kind and caring. You love me so much, and you tell me everyday. I want to wake up with you next to me every morning. I want your face to be the last I see every night. I want to be by your side everyday. I want to kiss only you everyday. I want to be with you, only you, only ever you everyday. I want to have a wedding with you under the willow tree. I want to spend all my nights with you. I want to have kids with you. I want to grow into a bitter old man with only you.”

Lucien was smiling so wide, tears streaming, dripping down to his neck and soaking his collar. His hands moved to cup Tamlin’s face. Who hadn’t realised his tears were pouring from his eyes.

“Marry me, Lucien.” Tamlin finally said, “Please, will you marry me?”

They were both shaking. Under the soft gaze of the silver above. In the quiet of the meadow. Surrounded by only the wildflowers, the breeze and the owls that swooped in and out of the surrounding forest. They were together, in their bubble, taking their time.

Lucien leaned forward, brushing his lips against Tamlin’s throbbing pulse point. Breathing in the scent. Moving his hands to curl around Tamlin’s own. Moving that hot mouth up to his chin. Leaving a light kiss there, he travelled down again and nipped at his pulse point, kissing again, and again. Starting to map out his neck with his lips.

The intimacy ran deep. Lucien was calming him down, at the same time fire was stoking in his core. The intensity was nearly too much for him. All these emotions. He was drowning in them. He couldn’t be happier about it.

“Of course I will.” Lucien cried into his neck, tear of pure joy rolling down his face. “Yes I will marry you, Tamlin.”

Tamlin felt himself shaking all over. He quickly grabbed Lucien’s face and kissed him hard, unable to contain himself. Lucien wrapped his arms around his waist and pulled him down on top of him. They both laughed like children as they rolled in the field of grass and wildflowers.

Suddenly, Tamlin almost thanked Bron and Hart for their disruption. This was what he wanted. Lucien and him, carefree and unbothered. Under the starlit sky in the meadow. In the dirt and down with each other.

“I love you.” Lucien whispered.

“I love you.” Tamlin whispered back.

@tamlinweek

#acotar #pro tamlin #tamlin #acotar headcanons #acotar au #lucien vanserra #pro lucien vanserra #tamcien #tamlinweek2024 #tamlinweek #day 5- prompt: masquerade

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