A Brief Moment in Time
By Misha
Disclaimer- Not mine.
Author’s Notes- So this is a Bloodbound x The Royal Romance crossover set before both books. This was inspired by the most recent diamond scene and Kamilah’s comment that Adrian was a romantic and that was why he loved tragedy and that made me think of my main TRR MC, Eleanor, who is the ultimate tragic romance and I couldn’t imagine their paths crossing briefly.
Pairing- Adrian/TRR MC
Rating- PG
Summary- Adrian Raines and Eleanor Sloane meet at a function and are immediately drawn to each other, though it’s not the right time or place for anything other than a brief shared moment.
Words- 1282
Adrian wandered through the crowd, champagne glass in hand, pausing to make small talk. He repressed a sigh. Sometimes socializing was so tedious.
His eyes fell on a young woman, standing slightly to the side, by herself. She was beautiful, a tall brunette with lovely, if incredibly sad, blue eyes. That was actually what drew his attention to her, not her loveliness, he’d seen lots of beautiful women over the years, but her sadness. It almost overwhelmed him and yet drew him to her.
“The party isn’t that boring,” he teased, approaching her.
She looked up, startled by the comment and smiled self-consciously. “No,” she agreed, “I just… I’m not really in a party mood. My cousin, she insisted I come with her.”
“Is there somewhere you’d rather be?” Adrian inquired, stopping a passing waiter and plucking another champagne glass from the tray and handing it to her.
The woman accepted it with a smile. “No… Yes… Not really. I just, I haven’t really been up for socializing.” She took a sip of champagne.
“How long has it been?” Adrian asked gently. “Since you lost them?”
Her eyes widened in obvious surprise. “Excuse me?”
“I recognize the look,” Adrian told her.
She bit her lip. “Five months.”
Not long at all. No wonder the grief was still coming off of her in waves.
“It was my parents,” she continued, “they were…” She shook her head. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t be unburdening this on you.”
“It’s not a bother,” Adrian told her sincerely, “I approached you, remember? I’m Adrian, Adrian Raines.”
He saw her eyes widen as she recognized the name.
She took the hand he offered. “Eleanor Sloane.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Eleanor,” Adrian told her, “even if it is not in ideal circumstances.”
“It’s nice to meet you too,” she said softly.
“Would you like to dance?” Adrian offered, “or you would you rather go for a walk? We can if you like.”
Eleanor gazed around the crowded ballroom, her eyes distant. “I’d like a walk,” she said finally, “just… The air would be nice.”
“I notice you didn’t say ‘fresh’ air,” Adrian teased, handing their empty glasses to a waiter and then leading Eleanor to the exit.
She laughed, “does such a thing exist in New York?”
“Probably not, though if someone can figure out a way to manufacture it they will.” Adrian joked as they began to walk, the cool night air hitting his back. Not that it really mattered to him, of course, but… He stopped for a second, taking off a jacket and setting it around Eleanor’s shoulder.
She smiled gratefully at him. “Is that what Raines Industry is working on? Your next attempt at making the world a better place?”
“Maybe it should be,” Adrian said lightly, “I’ll mention it to the scientists.” He paused. “So you are familiar with our work?”
“Isn’t everyone,” Eleanor asked lightly and then paused, “my mother… She liked to keep track of scientific innovations and people who were trying to change the world.”
“You were close,” it was a statement, not a question.
He could tell from the way she spoke, from the depth of her grief. Maybe that was why he was drawn to her, human emotion intrigued him. He knew that many of his kind grew distant, detached from humanity, but he had never wanted to do that. Humanity fascinated him and especially the depths and fragility of the human experience.
“We were,” Eleanor agreed, “You mentioned that you lost someone,” she said gently, “do you mind me asking who?”
Who hadn’t he lost? This long life had brought too much pain, too much loss, and yet, in some twisted way, he welcomed that because he could still feel.
“My wife,” he answered truthfully. “But it was some time ago, the grief has changed.”
“But it hasn’t disappeared,” Eleanor commented.
“No,” he told her, “and it won’t. That kind of grief, it changes you and it stays with you, but you will find the grief also changes. In time.”
“It consumes me,” Eleanor admitted, “it’s all I can think of. Evie dragged me out tonight because I never leave the apartment and I know she means well, but…”
“It’s hard,” Adrian said sympathetically, “you’re not ready for the world to keep moving.”
“That’s it exactly,” Eleanor breathed, “I mean I know life has to go on, but… I’m not ready, I’m not ready for life without my parents and yet… I know they would want me to go on.” She sighed. “I was supposed to go to law school, Columbia. I should be there now.”
“It’s natural to not feel ready,” Adrian said gently, “and Columbia’s not going anywhere.”
“I tell myself that,” Eleanor agreed, “that it’ll be there when I’m ready, but then I wonder if I’ll ever be ready. If I can ever just go back to that life.”
“Maybe you need to make a new life,” Adrian suggested.
“Is that what you did?” Eleanor asked curiously as they walked through the park.
“Yes,” Adrian told her, “though not purposefully, my… Situation changed rather drastically and I ended up in a position where I couldn’t go back, all I could do was move forward.”
“And it obviously worked,” Eleanor said lightly, “you are lauded as a revolutionary genius who is going to change the world.”
“And who knows what lies ahead of you,” Adrian told her, “maybe in the future, I’ll read about the great things Eleanor Sloane has done.”
They paused as they approached a park bench, both of them moving to sit, turning towards each other as they did.
“The important thing is to give yourself time,” Adrian encouraged, moving to take her hands in his.
“Because time heals everything?” Eleanor asked lightly, but with a hint of bitterness.
“No,” Adrian corrected, “because you never know what will happen, who you will meet. You can’t force your next step, Eleanor.”
“You mean, meeting a handsome at a party isn’t going to change my life?” She asked with a laugh.
Adrian watched her in the moonlight, thinking how beautiful she was. But how fragile and so very, very human. Too fragile for his world. There was a bit of regret in that realization because she was beautiful and something about her spoke to him. But he couldn’t risk harming her even more.
“Probably not,” he said with genuine regret, “I think this is more of a ‘one brief moment’ kind of thing, don’t you?”
“Yes,” Eleanor agreed with a speed that was almost insulting, then she clarified, “not that you aren’t very handsome, but… I’m not in a place where I can think about that and I think with you, it would be hard not too. But… I appreciate this, I appreciate tonight.”
“It doesn’t have to end, just yet,” Adrian told her, “I know a great little place, we can go and talk and I can even get you a decent meal since the food at that fundraiser was awful.” The restaurant in his building was staffed to accommodate his unusual hours, so that would be no issue.
Eleanor laughed, “it really was.”
They both rose from the bench and this time, Adrian took her hand as he led her to the street, grabbing a taxi. They both knew that they’d part at the end of the night and wouldn’t pursue the connection, but they still had this night and who knew exactly what it would bring.
And Adrian had learned, in a life that had spanned centuries, that sometimes it was those brief, fleeting connections that were the moment precious, those moments that couldn’t last but were filled with endless possibility.
- End
