Chapter Text
Sitting on the bed with one leg bent, one the floor, scrolling through his various social media accounts Luke was waiting for Aemond to leave the bathroom. He had already taken the shower, he went first this time, and the reason why they ended up in the need of taking a shower despite it being still early in the afternoon was also the reason why he couldn't fully focus on the content on his phone. Aemond decided to try on some of the things they'd bought earlier that day. He'd tried on some of them at the store but not all of them. He decided to do it in their bedroom, in the wardrobe. Naturally, Luke offered to assist him and to assess the final looks as the self-proclaimed fashion enthusiast. Somehow that devolved into both of them assisting each other in taking of their clothes rather than trying them on.
Luke smiled recalling how Aemond took the lead, gave him a little push to sit on the bed. He sat in his lap, brought their lips together. He loved the way Aemond ran his hands over the contours of his body, tracing and caressing every inch of him with urgency and eagerness. He loved how impatient his mouth was, and how his hands gripped his shoulder blades, when lowered himself onto him, taking him in. Every one of Aemond's loud moans was like his personal victory fanfare. He wanted to hear it again and again. He put his hands on his hips, guiding them, pulling him down, while watching him or actually, gazing up at him in awe. What a sight he was. His thighs trembled, his body tensed, his hair flowed down his chest and over his shoulders, his back arched beautifully when he climaxed repeating Luke’s name. Blissed out, still sitting on his lap, Aemond wrapped his arms around Luke's neck and pressed his face on the top of his head, while Luke moved his hands up and down his spine.
Now, hearing the soft steps on the carpet Luke glanced up from his phone. He did not expected anything unusual, he didn't expect anything else than them exchanging a smile.
When he lifted his gaze his mouth fell open and he dropped his phone.
He got to his feet, his eyes fixed on Aemond- enchanted. He looked so beautiful and so ... soft. At the same time he appeared to be somehow more vulnerable then just about twenty minutes ago when he was completely naked. Luke knew why.
All his external defences were down. Instead of his usual black or red he was wearing one of Baela's cotton jumpers, dirty pink with very long sleeves. His hair was down. He didn’t tie it the way he always did. It grew few inches over the last months, it was now almost waist long, unbound it covered him like a snowy cape. And one more thing.
No eye-patch.
It was the first time Luke saw him like that. Slowly, he walked up to him and looked at him with eyes wide and bright with awe and wonder. He lifted his hands to Aemond's face.
“May I?” he whispered.
"Mmm."
Gently he pushed away the strands falling over that side of his face. Then he touched his cheek almost with reverence. Surprisingly the bespoke artificial eye looked almost like a real one, if it weren't for the vertical scar running through it would be hard to say that anything was wrong.
"They managed to reconstruct the eye-lid," Aemond said, “I can blink. I don't really need the eye-patch.”
Luke nodded.
"I’m sorry for doing this to you," he said, "Before you say, that I was just a child, and all that. I know. But it still happened, I did it and I regret that."
"I know you do. I hope you know that not only have I forgiven you," Aemond replied, "but you have done more than enough to make up for it."
Luke felt the need to kiss him but not just not on the lips, he pressed a kiss against his temples, the corners of his eye, traced the angle of his cheeks, kissed every line and curve of his face. And he did that, lips brushing against Aemond’s skin until he was smiling too goofy to effectively kiss.
“Can I... ask you something?” he asked suddenly sheepish.
"What is it?" Aemond asked in return. He was curious where this was going. It was rare to see Luke this bashful.
“Would it be okay if I brushed you hair?”
Before replying Aemond kissed him. A long, sweet, savouring kiss.
"Of course it would be okay," he answered.
Luke grabbed a brush from the bathroom and Aemond suggested they go to the Vault to use a floor mirror standing there - imperial mirror framed in silver. He sat on an ottoman stool, a ridiculous faux fur ottoman stool, in front of that mirror, Luke stood behind and began brushing his hair. He did it with utmost precision but also very carefully.
"Can I move the parting to the side?" he asked.
"Go ahead."
When Luke did that it caused his hair to fall in a soft wave across his forehead and the side of his face, partially covering his artificial eye. Then Luke smoothed the strands in the front the way hairdressers do.
Looking at himself in the mirror Aemond thought that ironically he was so much more similar to 'Black' side of the family. Where Helaena and Aegon inherited their mother's thick locks, her doll-like face and her doe eyes, his own sharp features, his aquiline nose, and his straight hair, made him look so much more like Daemon and like Luke's mother.
"I like that," he said.
Luke put the brush away and then put his arms around Aemond's shoulders, and pressed his cheek into his hair.
"You really look like an angel," he murmured, "My white-haired angel."
"It's funny that you call me that..." Aemond said running his hand over Luke's forearm, "When in fact you have been my guardian angel,"
"Now that is one more title I can be proud to carry," Luke said happily.
"Can we stay here for a while?" Aemond asked.
The last time they hanged out here was that faithful night which ended with them drastically changing the nature of their relationship. The Vault still seemed to have the same effect on Aemond meaning it made him act like a kid in a toy store.
"Sure. I'll get us some snack. And coffee - of course."
When Luke returned with coffee and snacks he saw that Aemond had found two chairs, completely different from each other, and moved them to the table by the window. Luke put everything on that table; a bowl of snacks and two mugs. His mug was a companion to Aemond's moon-mug, a part of a two piece set, the writing on this one said My Sun and Stars.
Aemond had also already plugged in the vinyl record player and put on a vintage Christmas songs, and now he was looking for something on the shelves on the other side of the room. More than once Luke observed. that he a good sense of rhythm, good ear for music. Even though only Aegon pursued career in music almost everyone in their family had some latent musical talent. Luke didn't have to wonder whether Aemond could dance, they all had to learn how to dance. He smiled to himself thinking about dancing with him at a proper ball where everyone would be dressed as if they were still in nineteenth century. Judging from Aemond's fascination with the queen's wardrobe and the picks he made during their shopping spree it seemed it wouldn't take much to convince him to wear a dress. Perhaps something inspired by the dresses of Empress Elizabeth of Austria.
"Lucerys - what are you thinking about now?" Aemond approached the table and was standing there with his hand pressed into his hip.
"Nothing, nothing." Luke assured him with an innocent smile.
"Focus," Aemond said, taking the other seat and placing a box on the table. It was a box of chess.
"You wanna try?"
"Yes. Why not."
They set up all the pieces on the board and began. Soon it became clear that neither could remember the rules and moves correctly so they ended up playing consulting their phones.
"We're so bad at this," Luke laughed.
"We? You seem to be less bad than I am."
"Chess is like politics and diplomacy. You have to think few steps head."
"It is, isn't it? I think my mother and my grandfather should have played chess before they started making serious political decisions and messing up the succession line."
Luke sighed.
“You see, your mother overplayed her hand with that lawsuit,” he began, “It didn’t stand any chance. The process of making my mum the only rightful heir was fully, legally completed. The constitution had been amended to accommodate for that. Unless my mother willingly abdicated there was nothing that could be done to challenge her claim.”
"But? I feel there is a but coming."
“But removing your titles wasn’t done properly. As you know the king was very ill when he wrote that act and that alone might have been enough to question its legality. Non compos mentis."
“Which is a nice way of saying he had lost his damn mind," Aemond rephrased it bitterly, then he asked, “Who told you that?”
"Jace,” Luke answered, “He read that document. He said it didn’t meet the formal requirements to be legally binding."
Being a law graduate specialising in constitutional law Jace was probably the right person to assess that.
"So why did the parliament ratify it?" Aemond asked.
"As you know, your mother, and even more so your grandfather are not ... to put mildly, well liked by certain politicians, MPs and several members of the Council of Lords. The latter might be a conservative bunch, not too happy to see a woman on the throne but they still prefer her, who they see as a full Targaryen instead of a Hightower king. Which is how they would perceive your brother. They had a vested interest in keeping him away from the crown."
"So what you’re saying is that my mother made a mistake of wanting to put him on the throne. If she went ‘only’ for reinstating the titles for all three of us she might have been successful?”
“Yes.”
“But instead she put Aegon first and lost everything. Sounds about right."
It felt even more bitter knowing Aegon never really wanted to be the king, he would have gone along with it but only because of fear of losing their mother's acceptance. It wasn't something that Aemond wanted to dwell on in that particular moment so he said:
"I am still processing the fact that my brother and Jace are best pals now."
"I wouldn't go that far,” Luke laughed, “But frankly, there is no reason for them to be at odds with each other. Aegon doesn't want to be the king, he's never wanted it, he has his own career now, Jace wants to be the king and so he is the heir. There is no conflict."
“I guess I have to start getting used to the thought of ... being on speaking terms with your brothers,” Aemond remarked trying to sound casual.
“We will be staying here in the US for a long time so they won’t bother you too often.”
“Yes, but they’re your brothers. Probably you would like to see them more often.”
“Let’s take it easy okay? One step at the time. You don’t have to force yourself to like them or get along with them.”
"Do you think it's even possible for us to get along? Or like each other?"
“Did you like me when you came here in September?”
“Not really.”
“Do you like me know?”
“A little,” Aemond replied not batting an eyelash. "I see your point, though. How do you think they will react?”
“When they learn about us? Oh, Jeoff and Baela will think it’s hilarious and also that I have completely lost my mind. They will tease me about it for the rest of our lives. But don’t worry about them. I can handle them pretty well.”
“It's not them I am worried about.”
“Who then? My mother?”
After promising not to tell the queen Daemon in a typical Daemon fashion ratted them out to Harwin who, after learning about their relationship, had been supportive and sympathetic. That made Aemond feel even more like an asshole for saying what he had said.
“Frankly I am kinda terrified to meet your father,” he confessed.
"On the outside, he might be a bit intimidating but I told you before - he is the most protective and loving person you'll ever met."
“To you. You know what other people call him.”
“Breakbones?” Luke said smiling fondly, clearly amused as if that was just an adorable little nickname his dad had. “People used to call him that in the army. He is very strong but it doesn't mean he goes around randomly picking people to break their bones.”
“You sure?”
“Absolutely. Aemond, my dad is a teddy bear. You don't have to be afraid of him.”
“I don't even know how to address him..." Aemond murmured, "Should I call him sir?”
“Well.." Luke began as if he was about to give a proper answer but instead he giggled, "I don't think you have to.”
"Why is it so funny?"
"I think you can call him by his name. "He's your brother-in-law after all."
"Oh my god," Aemond said, astounded, "He is. I never thought about it that way."
"He is going to be both your father and brother-in-law. Isn't that wild?"
Aemond tilted his head and gave him a disbelieving look.
“Lucerys you idiot, what are you talking about? As much as I'd love that, you cannot marry me. I am technically still your uncle.”
“I know,” Luke said utterly unfazed, “Technically we cannot get married but there is a way around it. We will be married in everything but name. If you'd like that of course."
"Of course I'd like that. I just said - I would love that."
"I will make you my co-ruler one day," Luke continued. Clearly he had it all figured out, "I wish I could give you the throne of Vesteros but alas - I’m only the second son,” he winked.
“I am only the second son as well," Aemond said to that, "And I don’t want the throne of anything. Unless it's by your side."
The truth was that he had never really wanted it. The throne. Even the title didn't seem as important to him as it used to. Losing it hurt because it when their father took it away, it felt like he considered them his mistake one that he wanted to erase. He understood it better now.
"Can you imagine us together? The gossip and fashion websites will have a field day any time we make a public appearance. I can already see the posts filled with photos and the caption: Prince Aemond stunning as always in Alexander McQueen's blazer expertly tailored from the brand's sartorial wool embellished with comet-shaped beads and crystals on the lapel."
"Alexander McQueen?" Aemond repeated amused, "I thought I was supposed to be your bodyguard not Kate Middleton."
Luke snorted.
"Excuse me - Catherine has nothing on you. You are waay more beautiful. You will easily outshine her."
"I'm sure many people would disagree."
"I'm sure they would be very wrong."
"What about children?"
"What??" Luke almost choked on his coffee.
"Don't look so outraged," Aemond laughed, "You brought up marriage. Don't you want to have children?"
"No. To be honest, not really. Do you?" Luke asked with just a hint of panic.
"God no," Aemond replied and he could see Luke exhale with relief, "But won't you need an heir at some point in the future?"
"I got it covered," Luke replied back to his resolute tone, "I made an agreement with my sister regarding that matter."
"Your sister?"
"Rhaena."
So, his aunt. Technically.
"She wants to have many children. Big family. At least five. Which is a bit insane if you ask me but that's her choice. We agreed that I will name one of her children my heir."
Aemond drew his eyebrows together.
"Wait. So, you who are not a Velaryon by blood will name a child of a Targaryen princess who is a Velaryon by blood through her mother, your heir and give them the right to inherit a Velaryon throne?"
Luke opened his arms.
"Yeah," he said. "Pretty much."
"That is wild."
"We're all Targaryens, we have to keep things at least a little insane otherwise we would lose all credibility."
"That's true."
Aemond looked at the board and made his move.
“I was thinking about Christmas,” he said changing the topic.
“What about it?"
“You said we were going to spend it together, just the two of us..."
“I said it because no one else is coming this year. Why? Do you want someone to come? I'm open to suggestions.”
“I thought we could invite my sister and my brother. If you wouldn't mind."
“Mind?" Luke repeated incredulous lighting up with enthusiasm, "Are you’re kidding? I'd love that!”
"Hel wants to come here to see the city in winter, go skating and I know she would love to see the Nutcracker. ”
"I am going to book us best seats tomorrow.”
"It might interest you to know,” Aemond added, “That Hel is planning to make Duke's cake this year for Christmas. If we ask her she might do it here."
"We have to ask her.”
“If that old keyboard that I found behind the boxes in the back, gathering dust is still functional I’m sure Aegon would be more than happy to play for us.”
Luke laughed.
“I think it is functional. We’ll check in a moment. That is an awesome idea,” he said still beaming, “It’s gonna be amazing to have them here. I am so excited for this. And you know what - we need to get a live Christmas tree."
Aemond recalled that image of little Luke on his father's shoulder reaching up together with his brother to put the star on the top of the Christmas tree. Now, Luke was just about as tall as a six foot Christmas tree and he would have no problem securing the star on the top.
"We are going to dress together right?" he asked.
"Of course. Of course we will." Aemond assured him, "I'm looking forward to it."
The record stopped playing so Luke got up to change it. Probably inspired by what they were talking about, he picked It's Christmas Time in the City.
Aemond reached for his coffee mug. Looking through the window he smiled to himself. It was snowing outside. He was here playing chess, making Christmas plans with this ridiculous, precious boy whom he still couldn't' believe he could call his, who had just - more less - proposed to him. Maybe this wasn't what other people would consider a fairy tale but it felt like that to him. And Hel was absolutely right. Who said this was the end of their story? Far from it. Their fairy tale was only now truly beginning.