I have spent a lifetime defending you…but your heart is even blacker than I thought.

Dark, soulless eyes flashed toward him. "You do not protect the girl?"

Lorcan gave a shrug, praying they couldn't scent his bluff as he bought her more time, bought himself time to work out the puzzle of their power. "I don't even know her name."

He hated that brittleness more than anything he'd ever encountered. Hated himself for causing it. But he had limits to how low he'd crawl.

GIF by chmsth

We all know Elorcan is probably the most underrated couple in ToG, and as a HUGE Elorcan stan I always had a lot of questions in my head: what happened after Anielle's battle, when they slept in the same bed? And after Orynth's battle? Or when they marry? What kind of Lord of Perranth Lorcan would be? Let's be sincere: we have so few scenes of these two that there is no lack of guesswork lol Anyway, I had a Colleen Houck moment and thought I could at least TRY to write some of the many ideas I have about these two spinning in my head every day. I hope you like this first oneshot! But I would like to give an warning: this is the first time I write in years, english is not my first language and I am not even fluent in it, so please forgive me for any grammar mistakes you may find hihi

This scene takes place right after Anielle´s battle, when Lorcan is still recovering from his injury and Elide comes back to his room, hours later, to sleep at his side.   Hope you all like it!

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When Lorcan woke up again, hours later, the flame of a new candle lighting the room, there was no one sitting on the chair.

Yet he knew he wasn't alone.

A large tray, covered by a dome, sat on top of the dresser beside him, with what Lorcan suspected was food. It was the early hours of the day, midday or late in the night, then.

Was it the same day he and Elide had talked, or another one? Had she really told him she loved him? Had all this scene really happened, at all? Lorcan wasn't sure yet.

But it must have been, because when he turned to his left, hearing the bathroom door open, he saw Elide, wearing clean clothes, drying her wet hair with a towel, the scent of rosemary and beetroot filling the whole room.

She was here. It was all real.

Elide looked at him and surprise filled her eyes when she noticed he was awake, but she smiled.

She smiled.

Smiled at him again.

And Lorcan smiled back.

“You are awake. Good. I thought I would have to wake you for dinner” she said.

It seems that it was the same day then, and yet Lorcan felt stronger, and even more confident, when he got up, sitting on the bed. Maybe it was because he was washed and fully dressed now, thanks to Fenrys, who had helped him walk to the bathroom, and had brought the water to fill the tub first thing, anyway.

Just a few hours separated Lorcan from the life he had before the battle defending Anielle, and yet more things had changed in these last few hours than in centuries of his existence. From now on, Lorcan knew he was a male with a partner to share his life, who would walk in – and out – the hell itself to rescue him, Perranth, which could perhaps become his home if they survived this war, and friends.

Because that's what his cadre was, now. Fenrys, and Rowan, and Gavriel. His friends. Who had worried about him in that battlefield, carried him to the healers' hall as soon as he walked through the gates with Elide, and visited him once he woke up, with true relief in their eyes for seeing him alive, and in one piece. And Fenrys, Lorcan didn 't know exactly why, had become the most prestative of them all, spent hours and hours on the chair beside him, helping Lorcan to stand on his own feet and walk to the bathroom, bringing hot water and food whenever he needed it.

Perhaps the Fire-breathing-queen was his friend, too. The unleash of that power had saved his life, anyway. And Elide´s. That fact would hold his gratitude for the rest of his life.

“Are you over for today?” He asked. He knew Elide had probably spent all her day helping the healers in the Great Hall, and he doesn't understand how, if she already looked exhausted when she visited him, hours ago.

But she was Elide, anyway. She would work hard enough to break her ankle again and leave the palm of her hands raw to make sure she was being useful. That she was helping.

Somehow, Lorcan already noticed, Elide thought she needed to give everything of herself to make a little contribution. Give everything to her to build herself a place of respect between the Fire-breather queen, the shifter and all these Fae, immortal Warriors, including Lorcan himself. He hoped that, until the end of this war, she realized that her cleverness had the same importance as any fae powers in this new court. Lorcan had a feeling that, in this chess game against Erawan – and Maeve, too – Elide, with her fast ideas and easy lies, would be responsible for one of the most important plays.

His hands started to shake when he felt the presence of that god in his shoulder, like confirming his thought.

It was too much for one single day. Lorcan decided to worry about it – all the risks Elide would be facing, and what he could do to protect her- later.

Now, it was time for him to enjoy the first casual dinner he ever had. And, after it, share a bed – for an entire night, not only a couple of hours – with a female. Or woman, he corrected himself.

Elide was a woman. And human.

But, again, it was too much for one single day. He would worry about it later, too.

‘Yes, Hafiza kicked me out of the Great Hall. She told me I needed to rest, or I would end up putting my life, and some others, too, in risk”

“She is right. You work too hard”

Elide shrugged, dismissing his compliment.

“This is war. We work hard or we die.”

“You spoke exactly like me now”

She smiled for him again (three smiles in the same day, if he was counting right), laughing softly, and her smile became full of wonder when he smiled back to her.

“Have you already eaten something today?” Elide asked.

“Yes, a lot of sick people's food.”

“What about your abdomen? Still hurts?”

“Way less now. Only when I turn to the side very fast. I can get out of this bed tomorrow”

“Yrene will decide. And you'll obey whatever she says.” Elide said, sitting at his side on the bed.

She would actually sleep here, with him. Perhaps every night, from now on? Lorcan could barely believe it.

“I´ll be forced to obey, it seems”

“That's it. Get used to it. Someone needs to take care of you” She said, grinning.

Lorcan grinned back, but didn´t mention how the idea of someone worrying about him made his chest warm in a way he never felt.

“I brought dinner. Are you hungry?” She took the large tray, opening the dome. Roasted chicken, rice, beans and mashed potatoes. The smell of it made Lorcan agree instantly.

“Good. Here's your plate. I need to brush my hair, and then I will join you”

“Do you want help?”

“Help? Do you want to brush my hair?”

“If you need, I would gladly help you” Lorcan shrugged.

“What will the world say if they see the Dark Lorcan Salvaterre brushing my hair? Don´t you fear for your reputation?” She grinned at him. Lorcan looked at her, and then said:

“I stopped fearing for my reputation when I heard you screaming my name on that battlefield, when I had already accepted my death. I owe you my life. What anyone but you say is irrelevant”

He saw something shine in her eyes, and knew his words had arrived in their goal. Her heart. Elide inclined herself, getting closer to his face.

“Confirm to me, then: Lorcan Salveterre is fully in the “relationship” mode from now on?” She joked again.

“Lorcan Salveterre is fully in the “relationship” mode from now on” he confirmed, and then inclined himself to kiss her.

The kiss started slow and gentle, but – thanks gods – Elide seemed not to have enough patience to leave things like this. When she put her hands in his face, getting closer and going faster, Lorcan responded on his own, putting his hands on her back, feeling her body and following her in the rhythm.

“By the way” he murmured moments later, his forehead against hers, their breath shared “My reputation is kinda ruined since the day you made me join a circus”

~~~

Later, Lorcan concluded that casual dinners were his favorite events of all time. After Elide brushed her hair, they both ate their plates of food and got cleaned to go to bed. Where they were now. And their easy conversation had turned into a far more interesting activity.

After 30 minutes kissing without pause, Lorcan´s brain wasn´t working anymore, and all his movements were unconscious. He didn't know his name anymore, nor cared about the war and the future battles. All he cared about was following her rhythm and making it as good for her as it was for him.

More

More

More.

He thought he could do this all night, but then, when Elide´s hand slipped inside his shirt, gently touching the warm skin under it, and she started to distribute shy kisses along his jaw, consciousness came back to Lorcan like a punch.

Where they were, and his physical condition, and how this would end up if she continue touching him like that.

They were back together for like…one day? In which he had been recovering from a hard injury.

Even him, who never cared about those things, knew it was a bit too…soon.

“Enough” he said, voice raw against her face when he pulled away.

“What? Why enough?” Elide asked, breathless, her lips red and slightly swollen, her dark hair messed up after Lorcan's hands had run through the strands over and over again.

The bed sheets messed around her.

The nightgown slightly crooked, leaving one shoulder and part of the bust exposed.

Dammit.

Lorcan had faced incontable situations that had demanded a big amount of self control along his years, and it gave him a sense of control that few males on the face of the earth have ever experienced. Calculate, predict, revise and win.

And yet…

Yet, he thought all his self control would not be enough over the desire to  run his fingers, lightly, through the delicate fabric of her nightgown. Just enough to make it slide through Elide's arms, finally exposing one of her breasts.

“I am a strong male, Elide. Stronger than most of the other males in the world, and everyone knows it. But, if we continue what we were doing, I wouldn't be able to stop it, and one thing would lead to another…This is not the right place, even less the right moment for it.”

Elide´s face turned red when she realized what he meant, and how true his words had been. A few more minutes, and the two of them would totally lose control. Lorcan laughed softly.

“I barely survived, and you spent an entire day working hard with the healers. Save something for later, my lady” She laughed softly, too, and after staring at him, her eyes gleamed with the same mockery reflected in Lorcan's eyes.

“This is your fault. You are the one to blame for being so…tempting. Even for a poor little girl as me”

“Are you calling me tempting, my lady?” His eyes narrowed, and he lowered his voice. Being called tempting by Elide was…so good. “You better fix your situation: messy hair, crooked nightgown, swollen lips, or I'm going to pounce on you anytime. You, El, are the most tempting person I ever saw in this life”

He captured her lips again, in what should be a soft kiss, but was obviously - obviously - turned into a deeper dance by Elide.

She had absolutely no patience for soft kisses.

And he loved it.

But, again, continuing with it would invalidate their last minute conversation, so Lorcan made himself pull away- again.

“Let's sleep now. We can continue this tomorrow, Elide”

Lorcan laid down on the bed, and tucked the blankets around Elide when she did the same. They were staring at each other for some moments, and then Elide got closer, never looking away. Her eyes softened with an emotion Lorcan thought he would never see when someone looked at him.

“I love you”

His eyes softened too, and he put himself even closer, wrapped his arms around Elide, and tucking her head firmly against his chest. He would protect her from everyone and everything until the end of his days. Or her days.

Or until the end of their days.

“I love you, too” Lorcan said, and  slept assured that, after so many years lived through battles, suffering and an unassuming loneliness, he now had a home to call his own.

Elide was his home.

• He made two more elf bolts and gifted them to Mark and Cristina
• He got the wedding rune tattooed to his heart when Mark and Cristina drew them on each other
• At one point Tavvy was obsessed with friendship bracelets and he made them for everyone and one for Kieran and Kieran never took it off (it has a broken crown, cat paw, bisexual and poly flag charm)
• Cristina and Mark’s child’s first word was said in the cottage and to Kieran “dada” (Kieran almost cried and Cristina and Mark rushed to embrace him)
• Cristina and Kieran also had a child and Cristina raised it in her world because Kieran doesn’t want his child to be subject to the court’s cruelty and they know faeries will never accept a half faerie half shadowhunter as king/queen (Cristina practically lived in the cottage at this point because how can she take away kieran’s child from him?)
• Their child has kieran’s wild blue hair and heterochromia eyes; one silver one brown, and a deep rich brown skin. The child is one of the kindest people out there. They can bear runes and use seraph blades and witchstones
• Mark and Cristina’s child is super protective over kieran and cristina’s child and their child adores their older siblings (they look nothing alike: blond hair, blue hair, heterochromia eyes, blackthorn blue eyes) (yet their smile, the way they fight, their expressions are eerily similar) (first glance they don’t seem like siblings but then once you get to know them) (they become parabatai when they are sixteen)