I Am LOVING Still Here!! The Story Is Soo Good, I Cant Wait To See What Happens Next

I am LOVING “still here”!! The story is soo good, I can’t wait to see what happens next🥹🥹

Thanks, friend! Words of encouragement are always appreciated. Getting this down on "paper" has been like therapy for me, as some of it is drawn from personal experience (obviously not with TC). Which also means sometimes it hurts, and I don't want to do it! But notes like this help me keep going.

Stay tuned for more!

Masterlist

he’s so gorgeous

The parallels are brilliant (Twitter credit to quibvs)

Found on pinterest. The artist is FlyingRotten@CamilleCailloux on Twitter.

A Little Closer (Part 1)

Part 2

Paul Atreides x F!Reader

Fluff, mutual pining, friends to lovers.

Boredom is a ruthless enemy able to confuse your perception of time. You have watched these greyish waves rolling and crushing against the cliffs everyday for two weeks, wrapped in your long dark blue coat covered by thin droplets. Today's weather is still better than it was. The sky is still covered with large clouds pushed by a cold wind whipping this land. Each time you stand there to the elements' mercy, your weak human condition slaps you in the face. You feel fragile, like about to get thrown to this vaste ocean anytime. Yet the Atreides, the family reigning over this planet, managed to adapt the military and the economy to this capricious climate.

Serving them is a great honor. However you certainly don't belong to this House despite what you thought. Duke Leto Atreides had chosen to turn his son's training into a private one with Duncan. Never any precision got added, but after all he wants the best for his son, his heir. It shouldn't be surprising to be seen as an outsider. You eill never have a planet to govern. It still hurts you deep down. Paul has been your only friend for a while now. You miss him. But now that you are getting older, more responsibilities await for him. Goodbye childhood and teenage years. Goodbye fake war games and welcome to actual galactic conflicts, the kind able to wipe anyone's life anytime.

"Good morning !"

This familiar voice illuminates your mood immediately, before you can even turn around to see Paul walking towards you. His formal pitch black outfits would look gloomy on him but honestly he looks good in them. Boots, pants, a coat even longer than yours, the belt, his top... he is definitely wearing something similar to his father. Another proof of his fate. Despite this official and stern clothing, his wide smile brings this joy your heart had been lacking of lately.

His breath gets taken away as you run to him and collide brutally to his chest, your arms holding him tightly. This is not what should be done with the Duke's son, but with your only friend everything is permitted according to you. Just not in public.

"Paul I'm glad you're back !" You scream as you nuzzle his neck to warm your nose.

"You're frozen." He says with an appalled voice. "Come closer."

Bubbling with affection you watch him opening his coat as he lets you more room to cuddle with him and to protect you from the wind. A part of you feels guilty of soiling such quality fabrics with the droplets of water, but your Paul is back and welcoming you fully, his gloved hand holding the back of your head. Outside he is the heir, and inside he remains himself. You need to cherish it.

"I've missed you Paul."

"I've missed you too. How is my little fox doing here ? I thought you would be in the library."

If he is back at this nickname then he is definitely putting his role aside. This simple fact makes you look up at him, your arms holding him tightly and your hands resting on his warm back. You don't dare to fold the black and soft top. Instead you admire the rich colors dwelled in his hazel eyes. Such a long time without seeing each other felt cruel, but finding each other again is the sweetest feeling in the world. He looks pale though, paler than usual.

"I was taking some fresh air, but please don't tell me you've trained so much that you barely left the castle."

"I had to. It's not like I have much other choices after all." He chuckles.

This time you furrow your eyebrows, one of your hands approaching his face with delicacy. His thin features relax as you caress his cheekbones with the back of your folded fingers. Now that you think about it his dark and long eyelashes are similar to his father's. Maybe the Duke had alike dark hair before. You don't even remember even after so many years on Caladan, it's like this man always had grey hair due to stress.

"Do you think you'll grow a beard one day ?"

Your genuine question takes him aback and he laughs, waking you up from your transe as you retrieve your hand and arm.

"Duncan asked me the same thing this morning. Are you sure you no longer follow his instructions ?"

"I wish I could."

Those sad words plummet each other's mood, you can see it at this slight twitch of his lips. Shared melancholy. But some hint of stress reaches your mind and you step back gently from him, trying to take a more acceptable stance with the Duke's son. The waves sound louder as the wind gets stronger.

"But after all you have responsibilities and I won't complain about it, orders are orders right ?"

The arm extended to you as an invite has you confused. You stare at the black fabrics and at the glove before going up at his face.

"Please follow me. I wanted to show you something."

Indecisive and making sure no one could see you, you take his arm and walk by his side. The path is curved between the small grassy hills, giving you more privileged time with your dear friend. Sometimes some flashbacks come to your mind, like the day you were wearing these orange and white clothes, running after him between the hills. It was more or less at this period that he called you a fox.

"What was that ? Not something too depressing ?"

"Why would it be depressing ? No it was something made to lighten your mood. I've been looking for you for a while. I know you like the botanical garden. And I needed to check on something Duncan told me about."

As the young Atreides is decided to keep his secret confidential, you follow him with your curiosity exciting your senses as he readjusts his coat. Fortunately you unfolded your arms right in time before walking past some people, and soon he opens the garden's gate. If you really pay attention between the sound of your footsteps on the ground, you can faintly hear the waves outside. The ceiling looks like open to the skies, but is in fact made of a transparent dome. Dozens of species grow there safely, without talking about the hundreds others hidden underneath or in more secret corners of this giant and intimate area. The stone and metal forming the walls are harmonious with the dense emerald vegetation. The lightening is slightly different here, giving more life and colors to this native inhabitants of Caladan.

"I came here. To think." He starts before giving you his arm again to lead you deeper between two bushes. "And I remembered there was a flower you liked. The one that has to wait for several years before blooming."

"I remember." You mumble as you start feeling a bit overwhelmed by the sudden intimacy. "The... the white flower ?"

"Exactly." Then he inhales, like a bit stressed as he brings you to a corner dug in the stone. "They put it in here."

The view is so unexpected that you grab his gloved hand with yours, your eyes focused on the beautiful yet strange flower. Only one, its dozens of thin black roots covering a small area around its base before plunging in the dirt. The flower is not white if not for the vein-like filaments across the intense green petals. Thin and long leaves fall to the ground, so light they look like some small sheets of paper.

"Oh. I didn't know it could give this." You whisper.

"Me neither. I know due to your training you are more used to poisonous plants, how to use them. But I don't know I really wanted to show you this one. It's non venomous don't worry. I just... I don't know I found it pretty. I wanted to show it to you."

"Thank you, you're adorable Paul ! You're an angel !"

You like these colors on his cheeks as he adverts his eyes from you. You do as you feel your own warming up at your words. You shouldn't talk to him like this but he isn't scolding you and... well are there still rules if there is no one to enforce them in one way or another ?

"You're very welcome. But you're being the angel here."

You swallow hard as his hand finds the back of yours. You see it as you lower your head. It is a conscious gesture, one growing more confident as you let him entertwine his fingers with yours in a solid embrace warming your whole body.

"I have a day off duty tomorrow. Well, I'd still have to listen to my lessons but the rest of the day will be free. Do you want to spend some time with me ?"

"I want to, yes." You answer shyly.

Paul comes right before you, abandoning your hand to cup your face as he tilts his head to the side. It's good to have him so close, touching you. You've seen him changing throughout the years and he is getting more confident in himself, not only about his duties but also about his wants. And by the Gods, you can tell he wants you.

"Maybe some time together tonight and tomorrow ?"

"Tonight ?" You whisper with a shy grin while rubbing his chest slowly.

Actually maybe confidence is not his forte as he chuckles nervously, his cheeks gaining some color again. But it doesn't stop him from staring at you, this desire making it incredibly powerful and impossible to ignore.

"Yes. Tonight. To get some time back together. Don't feel pressured or anything. Just some time. I don't want you to feel uncomfortable or anything."

It feels surreal to kiss his cheek. After so many years spent together, it's the first time you ever do that. The pressure of your lips on his warm cheek is pleasing. Your nose brushes against his skin when you step back, a pleased surprise clear on his features.

"I'm fine Paul." You say softly. "Where ?"

"Well... in my chambers ? After dinner ?"

Your heart is pounding at this mere thought. You've spent plenty of time in his chambers. But for some reason, the tension keeps rising and you think you know pretty well where it is going. Years of sincere attachment leading to this.

"Sounds good to me. Are you busy today ?"

Even a more normal question doesn't help to ease this tension. You feel like exploding as some warmth spreads to your core, stuttering as you notoce the distracted gaze directed to you.

"I am." He confirms in a murmur. "I should already be gone. See you tonight then ?"

A nod is the only answer you can elaborate, as well as a smile mirroring his. It's strange to feel this foreign feeling of shyness around him. It came so suddenly, and you feel it in his gestures and eyes as well. You are definitely about to change everything between each other.

- - -

Thanks for reading, please comment and reblog if you liked it ! 😊

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