#elu au fanfic

[shezzarus]

sur l'ordre de @jananabananawithnopeel je poste ce headcanon de fanfic que j'ai retrouvé dans mes drafts, si quelqu'un veut se dévouer, allez-y hein

sur ce:

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dans une suite d’un univers parallele de kaamelott, je m’imagine une Guenievre ayant pactisé dans son enfance avec les dieux pour aider le futur Elu roi de bretagne à sauver le pays quoi qu’il arrive. dans cette fanfiction mentale ca implique qu’elle a accepté de se sacrifier en echange force astrale à soulever la nature.

quelque part au milieu d’une nouvelle preparation de bataille contre Lancelot, Mevanwi s’étant retranchée sur quelques terres maudites version Reine des Glaces de Narnia, lors d’une nuit pour préparer un assaut, Guenievre se releve de la couche royale dictée par une fée messagère pour se rendre en forêt, près d’un plan d’eau où lui sont rappelé ce pacte, son engagement, son role; et lui sont donné les consignes qui guideront son geste.

Arthur l’a suivie, de loin. il l’a entendue se lever, il a feint de dormir et lui a emboité le pas hors de leur tente, hors de leur chambre. il arrive au moment où Guenievre se prosterne, genou à terre devant ce spectre et sa cour luisante. le souffle court il l’observe accepter un objet qu’il ne discerne pas tout de suite et son cri s’étrangle lorsque d’un mouvement brusque elle le porte haut, et se l’enfonce dans la poitrine d’une main tremblante mais déterminée. il l’entend qui étouffe un hurlement de douleur et la voit s’affaisser sur elle meme tandis que la foret autour d’eux semble se mettre à tourbillonner, à s’agiter: le vent soulève les feuilles mortes dans une energie furieuse, il lui semble que la terre tremble, les rochers grondent et l’eau remue jusqu’à l’aveugler.

et quand tout se calme lui a l’impression que sa vie s’est effondré avec Guenievre dont le corps offert et inerte a paru briller intensément l’espace de quelques secondes comme pour lui imposer l’évidence qu’elle vient de le quitter pour quelle que raison transcendante. elle lui a été arrachée et il n’a rien pu faire, trop sidéré par ce secret qui le laisse abandonné. hébété, il se précipite vers elle, ignorant l’assemblée magique qui se dissipe et se disperse. il trébuche, l’appelle, peste et la tâtonne l’air hagard lorsqu’il se rend compte qu’effectivement, elle gît dans ses bras.

il pleure jusqu’à l’aube dans cette clairière où tout s’est passé trop vite.

il ne sait pas très bien comment il rentre au camp d’entrainement, fébrile et désespéré, incapable d’expliquer à Léodagan ou Séli ce qui s’est passé. il n’y a que Merlin qui comprend, un air étrange et fermé sur le visage qui ne lui ressemble pas. Merlin d’ailleurs ne dit rien à part d’allonger la Reine sur le lit de soins et que tout le monde doit dégager, mmmm

[peachesplumsstakesfangs]

Hedgehogs and Raccoons

American High School Elu AU

Eliott sat at the lunch table with Idriss and Sofiane.  He was feeling down and moody, and had really considered skipping school that day but had already missed too many days that semester. Principal Allen had warned him if he missed any more days, he wouldn’t be able to graduate with the rest of the senior class and would have to attend summer school.

Sofiane patted his arm in pity. “You have to be happy for him, Eliott. He had a rough time last year and now he’s dating the most popular guy in school. They are couple royalty here -- top of the social food chain. Lance’s dad owns half of the town. He’s rich and good looking. The girls here fan-girl over them like they’re Hollywood celebrities, and he’s actually popular. Lance is the first openly gay quarterback at Davis High.”

“Gee, Sofiane, thanks for pointing all of that out to me,” Eliott groaned. He looked over at Idriss who was quietly chuckling.  “How do I even compete with all that? He is such a tool; he eats all that attention up. Everyone thinks he’s so brave, but he’s a jerk.”

“He is pretty brave, though,” Idriss said. “He’s taken a lot of abuse for being out and the face of the Bulldogs...the whole team has to face some hurtful, hateful ignorance, especially when we travel. It’s pretty progressive here, not so much in a lot of other places.”

“Well, when you put it like that...I honestly need new friends.” Eliott grumbled. “Look, I fucking support what he’s doing, but I still hate him as a person.” “Are you sure it’s not just jealousy?” Idriss asked. “He’s controlling, I don’t think he’s ever liked me, and he was the biggest bully when we were kids.” “Maybe he knows you’re in love with his boyfriend. You and Lucas are pretty close,” Sofiane pointed out. “The only one who seems blind to your whipped puppy dog eyes is Lucas.”

“I’m not whipped.” Eliott squinted his eyes at his friends...he really had to consider finding new friends. “Lucas never thinks anyone likes him. It’s what makes him so fucking adorable. Half the school wants to get in his pants.” “I’m in the other half...Jinx,” Sofiane and Idriss said at the same time, playfully tagging each other with a punch to the arm and laughing raucously. “Very mature guys,” Eliott chided. “Do I mess with you about Imane?” he asked, looking at Sofiane. “Or Ingrid?” he asked pointing to Idriss.

“Yes,” they both said in unison. “Seriously, though,” Idriss continued, “Lucas is your best friend, and you’ve been crushing on him since middle school. You’ve been his protector since elementary school. I told you to tell him how you felt about him last year.”

“He had just come out, and he was having all those problems at home with his parents,” Eliott explained. “I didn’t want to make things more complicated for him.”

“Ok, that’s understandable, but what about when he first told you about Lance?” Idriss asked.

Eliott shrugged. “Lance is still a jerk,” he mumbled. He looked up. “Shhh....Don’t turn around, Lucas is heading this way.”

Of course, both Idriss and Sofiane turned around at the same time. Lucas fist bumped each of them and then circled around the table to grab Eliott around the neck and kiss him on the cheek. He was relieved that Lucas couldn’t see the googly eyes Sofiane made at the public display of affection. He swung his backpack around and sat it on the table before sitting beside Eliott. “So, Lance is throwing a party Saturday, and we’re pre-gaming at my Aunt Lisa’s house. She’s been letting me crash there and is cool with me hosting this weekend.” He looked at Eliott. “Do you want to go shopping with me Saturday morning? I need new kicks.” Lucas looked down at his shoes, which still looked pretty new. “Lance says I need to get the latest season.”

“I thought you didn’t care about shit like that?” Eliott asked. 

“I don’t,” Lucas admitted. “But Lance does.” Lucas shrugged as if it were nothing to change his whole personality for a stupid jock. “Are you gonna ask Lucille to the prom?” “I don’t know,” Eliott answered. Sofiane raised an eyebrow. “Or, what about Jadon. Didn’t you have a crush on Jadon?” Lucas asked. Eliott moaned. “That was three years ago, Lucas.” “Lance knows him.” “Lance knows him,” Eliott said in a sing-song mocking voice. “What? Are they in the Rainbow Illuminati or something?” Idriss and Sofiane chuckled. Lucas smirked, then squinted his eyes at Eliott. “Why are you acting so weird? Anyway, come shopping with me. I can talk to Jadon for you.” “I don’t need you to play matchmaker for me, Lucas.” Lucas ignored him. “Idriss, are you taking Ingrid?” Idriss frowned, “I’m not sure.” “She and Imane getting along, yet?” “Are you the school Gazette now?”  Eliott interrupted him. Imane was Idriss’s younger sister and Sofiane’s girlfriend. He knew it was a sore spot for both of them, and he didn’t want Lucas to ruin the delicate peace they had brokered when it came to the subject. 

“No,” Lucas said, rolling his eyes. “Lance says I should care about all this stuff - know names, who’s dating who, buy people small things...shit like that. He wants to win prom king and king. They’re letting juniors and seniors go this year and it’s open voting for both levels, so he wants to be the first gay couple in Davis history to win.”

“He just wants it for the fame...not to make a real difference,” Eliott grumbled.

“I think you have him all wrong, but either way, it does make a difference. Some kid in Iowa sees us in an article and he feels a little less scared, a little more hopeful...a little braver.”

“Lucas, he used to bully you in grade school. He gave you a black eye in sixth grade. Did you get fucking amnesia before or after he got you off?”

“Hey dude, too far,” Idriss said.

Eliott knew before all the words were out of his mouth that he had gone too far. He hated seeing the pained look on Lucas’s face, hated himself for being the one to put it there, but couldn’t stop spewing negativity. Eliott stood up, felt like he was having an out of body experience. “Did he tell you that he had a crush on you way back then, but all he could do was punch your face in because he didn’t know how else to deal with his wittle gay emotions?” “You’re being a jerk,” Lucas said quietly. “That was years ago, and he did apologize for it.” Eliott had to get out of there before he said something he couldn’t walk back. “I have to go. See you guys later.”  As he was leaving, he heard Lucas ask Idriss and Sofiane what was going on with him. He knew they wouldn’t reveal his secret. He wanted to turn around and apologize, but his hands were shaking and he felt his eyes prick with angry tears. Something had shifted inside him after seeing Lucas and Lance kissing that morning behind the cafeteria. He needed to clear his mind and decided then and there that he was skipping gym class; thankfully, it wasn’t considered a class he needed for graduation. *** Eliott’s phone buzzed. He looked down to see a name that made the butterflies take flight. It had been a couple of days since his tantrum. He could admit to himself that he had acted childishly.  Lucas knew him well, knew he needed a couple of days to cool off.

“Please help me!” Lucas pleaded. “Manon was supposed to help me pick out an outfit and new sneakers, but something came up with Charles, and she’s standing me up.” “Lucas...I really don’t want to go.” “Hedgehogs and Raccoons,” Lucas said.

Eliott groaned; he could almost see Lucas’s smug little smile through the phone. “You’re using one of your favors. It’s only April, you have so many months to go little grasshopper.”

It was their inside joke, but they could only use the phrase three times a year. The other person had to drop everything they were doing and help the other if they invoked it. Lucas had used it quite a bit when he was younger and needed help at home or with the kids who relentlessly bullied him. Eliott had used it quite a bit when he was younger and the depression hit him like a stone to the head, and cuddling with Lucas was the only thing that kept him sane. Lucas once told him that he never needed to use it for that reason, but he still had, although he hadn’t used it in the last couple of years.

An hour later and he was honking the horn of his beat up Camaro outside of Lucas’s Aunt Lisa’s house. She came out to greet and hug him, her long, brown hair smelling faintly of lemon and something metallic. He knew she made her own shampoos and lotions and often smelled of the forest or fruit; it was one of the things he loved about her. He also liked her because she was sarcastic and irreverent, and didn’t care for Lance too much, as she also remembered how much he had tormented Lucas as a kid.  She was also one of Lucas’s biggest supporters.

Lucas kissed his aunt as he opened the passenger side door to get in. He told her to watch the wings he had put in the oven for the party. She nodded and waved them off. 

They spent an hour at the mall, and for a minute, Eliott forgot about everything that had been bothering him. They hung out and joked like they had done years before when it had been just the two of them, before he had met Idriss and Sofiane in high school when Lucas still had a year left of middle school.

“Remember the pizza place that used to be here when we were kids?” he asked Lucas. The place was now some kind of beauty spa.

“Oh, yea...we used to steal all the free pizza coupons from Mr. Ginley’s desk. You know I never got sick of that pizza.”

“It was pretty disgusting, though,” Eliott said, remembering how they always sat in the corner booth near the soda fountain, heads down and touching, pouring over the latest comic book together. “Only after having better,” Lucas admitted. Lucas’s blue eyes were bright as if he too were fondly remembering those times so long ago.

Lucas finally found an outfit and sneakers he thought Lance would approve of and they headed back to get ready for the party.  When they arrived, a couple of their friends from school were playing video games in the living room. Lisa had placed the wings, chips, and dip on the table.

“Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do,” she said.

“That leaves a lot that could land us in jail,” Lucas joked.

“Ok, smartass, just don’t burn the place down. I’ll be back in a few hours. Make sure you lock up when you leave to go to Lance’s.” She rolled her eyes at the name, making sure that Eliott saw it but not Lucas. He chuckled as she kissed them both on the cheek before heading out for the night.

Their friends waved them over, but Lucas picked up the bag letting them know he would be out after changing.  He told them to host and answer the door until he returned. He grabbed Eliott’s arm and pulled him to the back of the house where his small bedroom was located.

Eliott sat on the bed as Lucas changed clothes. He averted his eyes but stole glances at him when he thought Lucas wasn’t paying attention. He loved everything about him: the small moles like mini constellations that dotted his lithe body, the light freckles on his nose that were only visible when summer came around, the way his smile lit up a room. 

Lucas finally finished dressing and sat on the bed next to him, his arm brushed Eliott’s own. The touch gave him goosebumps, made him catch his breath.  Spending time with Lucas at the mall and recalling how close they had been when they were younger had made him remember all the times Lucas had been there for him, had been his confidante and saving grace. He barely registered Lucas asking him if he liked the outfit. He only saw Lucas’s mouth and those ocean-blue eyes before he leaned over and kissed him, pulling Lucas’s pliant lips into his mouth. He kissed him, and the years of pining turned into a hungry need to fill himself up with the taste of the boy he had loved for so long. Lucas stilled at first and then began kissing him back before a door slam broke them apart.

They realized it had been Lucas’s door, which had not been closed all the way shut.

“Oh shit, oh shit,” Lucas said as he raced out the room.

Eliott was stunned. He didn’t know why he had chosen that time to suddenly make a bold move, but he had no regrets. He would let the chips fall where they would.

A few minutes later and he heard Lance in the living room and then Lucas frantically whispering as their voices neared the room. 

Lance burst through the door. He was wearing his Letterman jacket and a white t-shirt with dark blue jeans. His ash blonde hair was messier than usual, as though he had just roughly ran his hands through it.  His green eyes blazed with anger as they locked with Eliott’s blue ones. Eliott stood, not wanting to meet the bigger boy’s wrath in such an unfavorable position. They were both tall and slim, both about six feet in height, but Lance was wider in the shoulders, had packed more muscle onto his slim frame.

“Did you kiss him, Lucas? Did you kiss him? Marcus told me he was coming to ask you about the beer and saw you two kissing.” He was yelling at Lucas, and Eliott instinctively wanted to protect him. Lance hadn’t been known to punch anyone since middle school, but he wasn’t taking any chances and jumped in between the two of them.

“It was my fault, Lance,” he admitted trying to direct the larger boy’s anger toward him. It worked because Lance turned to face him, their faces mere inches apart. “Lucas didn’t kiss me back,” he lied.

“I never trusted you, never liked you, even though Idriss always vouched for you.” Before Eliott could respond, he felt something land heavily against his face. It had happened so fast. One minute they had been facing each other and the next minute, he was on the floor with Lucas leaning over him, calling his name. 

He was dizzy. He touched his face and felt something wet. He looked down and saw blood on his hands. He looked up to see Lance head out of the door followed by Lucas. Everything was muffled, and there was ringing in his ears. Lucas turned to face him and mouthed for him to stay there.

As soon as they left the room, Eliott pulled himself from the floor and left out the window.

*** When he finally made it home, he rinsed his face and stopped the bleeding. He made an ice pack to hold against his nose. It wasn’t broken, or at least he didn’t think it was broken, but judging by the way it throbbed, it would be swollen and bruised for weeks.

Lucas, Idriss, and Sofiane tried to call him several times, but he ignored the buzzing. They started texting him, but he ignored the pings, finally cutting his phone off and crawling into the bed to nurse his wounds, both emotional and physical. Lucas had left him bleeding on the floor. He had chased after Lance. Eliott knew he had been wrong for kissing him. He should have just told him how he had been feeling, but he had been scared. He was scared that Lucas would reject him because he was only able to see him as a good friend. Or worse, that he wouldn’t reject him, and that a toxic romantic relationship would ruin their perfectly good platonic one. He jumped when he heard a knock on his window.

“Let me in, idiot!” He heard Lucas’s voice and stood up to peer out the window near his bed. He opened the screen to let Lucas in. Lucas threw a bag of something inside before heaving his body over the frame and onto the bed.

“I brought your favorite snacks and some pain meds.”

Eliott reached over to click on the lamp next to his bed. The light was dim leaving most of the room in shadows.

“Are you alright?” Lucas asked. He gently touched Eliott’s face, turning it towards him so he could study Eliott’s nose. “Ok, put the ice back on it. I’ve seen worse...on myself.”   Lucas paused. “Sorry I didn't listen to you. Guess a tiger doesn’t change his stripes. He is still a bully.” “I would’ve punched me, too,” Eliott admitted. He couldn’t believe he was actually defending Lance. “You know...if I were some cowardly jerk who kissed you while we were dating.”

Lucas laughed, “Oh, really?” He placed his hand on Eliott’s leg. “You’re not a coward.”

Eliott huffed. “But I am a jerk?”

“Hell, yes. Why did you leave? I was going to grab the first aid kit and tell everyone to leave. I punched Lance and kicked everyone out, and when I returned, you’d ghosted me.”

“You punched Lance?”

“Don’t sound so shocked...Well, I attempted to, but he blocked it pretty effortlessly,” Lucas chuckled. “I did tear his precious Letterman jacket. I think he was more pissed about that than the fact that we had kissed. Ugh, and that fucking Marcus.”

“Fucking Marcus,” Eliott agreed.

“You know Lance had the nerve to call me and tell me he’s taking Jadon to the prom. He didn’t even give me a chance to explain.”   

“I’m sorry. He was rightfully hurt. You probably did break his wittle heart.” “Shut up.” 

They both sat in silence for a minute, Eliott holding the bag of melting ice on his lap while Lucas opened the bottle of Tylenol and gave him a couple of tablets to take along with a bottle of water. 

“You know you always protected me when we were little...seems like you’re still doing it. If I never told you before, thank you...for everything.”

“You’ve always been there for me, too. I went through some pretty dark times when I was younger. I don’t think I would even be here if it weren’t for you.”

“Don’t say that.”

“It’s true.”

He studied Lucas as he looked up at the ceiling. There were a few neon green stars still there, evidence of the time when he and Lucas had stuck three bagfuls of glow-in-the-dark stickers on the ceiling because Lucas had been afraid of the dark when he slept over as a kid. 

“I didn’t know.” Lucas finally said after more quiet minutes had passed.

“Really?” Eliott asked. “We’ve always been affectionate...close. You’re my best friend, but I thought you saw me as a little brother even though we’re not that far apart in age.  You were always so much bigger and cooler.”

“Me, cooler?” Eliott huffed out a laugh. “Maybe I saw you like that when we were little kids, but I think something changed around middle school. By the time I came to terms about how I really felt about you, I decided I didn’t want to ruin our friendship.”

“I don’t want to mess that up, either,” Lucas said quietly. “But we have a problem.”

“What’s that?” Eliott asked.

“I can’t get that kiss out of my head.”

Lucas took the bag of melting ice from Eliott’s hand and placed it on the window sill. He gently grabbed Eliott’s face, first softly kissing the bruised flesh of his nose and then his mouth. Eliott closed his eyes, relishing the moment he had dreamed about for so long. Lucas stilled, which made Eliott open his eyes. They stared at each other, each breathing in the other’s breath, their heads touching.  Lucas kissed him again, first softly and then with more pressure. Eliott returned the kiss, opened his mouth to Lucas’s tongue, tasted his mouth with his own. Lucas groaned, which caused Eliott to deepen the kiss even more. He felt as if he were being consumed from the inside out.  He felt like he would never be able to get enough of Lucas -- of his mouth, his hands, his friendship, his heart.

“Hedgehogs and raccoons,” Lucas whispered into his mouth.

Eliott pulled back, stared intently into the eyes that he knew by heart. “What do you want?” he asked.

“Just you,” Lucas answered. “Just you.”

[kissjane]

THE 2021 BIG BANG IS HERE!!!

Learning to Love (aka Teacher AU) will update every Monday. Come yell at me about the first “chapter”... Share your theories in my inbox!

Thanks to @sandersyasmina for the WONDERFUL trailer! Go give her all the love!

[awake-dreamer18]

Chapter III: To be know by you

“A Measure of Stars” by @lepetitepeach

[flying-elliska]

I really feel that, the better a character is, the more layered and complex, the more they support the writing of a lot of different AUs, especially the more out there stuff, historical/fantasy/scifi etc. When the world around the character changes, you also have to tweak certain things about your character because we're all a product of our environment. So with a shallow character it's easy to lose track of who they are ; but with a complex one, for instance, you can select one of their traits and lean on that, exaggerate it, make it more prevalent, change some parameters, but the rest of their traits are still there so it's still them, they are still recognizable. It's like mixing sound when you dial up or down certain inputs. And I definitely think Elu are great characters in that way.

For instance with Diamants : I took the traits of canon Lucas being fierce, angry, driven, and isolated, and his family/money problems, and dialed them up to eleven ; with that Eliott I amplified "wearing a mask", charm and charisma, intelligence and social perceptiveness, also him being a bit of a guarded cynic and reckless at times.

With Myth AU, on the other hand : Lucas was still high on the angry, but also more his ability to bullshit, being a charming asshole, wanting to enjoy life, and being very ambitious. This Eliott, meanwhile, is a big higher on the loner side, being bad with people, tendency to disappear, and having this wonderful instinctive creativity linked to nature/the dark/abandoned places.

And then for Knight AU we have a softer Lucas who is more grumpy and hurt by life and a little lost/depressed, but also more in touch with his kinder, nurturing side, and really likes to take care of people ; and this Eliott is very high on being a sweet, sunshine weirdo who is out of place but also incredibly compelling and an idealist.

They're still the same characters! But it's fascinating to amplify different sides of them. I feel the same when I read Elu fic, like each writer often puts a specific side of each character forward and it is so interesting and I think we are creating a sort of collective...trove of all those interpretations of a same song or story and it's really cool. As long as one take doesn't become solidified as "the only valid take" like I have seen in certain fandoms.

It also makes me think about the aspects of those characters and their dynamic I have explored less and would want to, like a darker/more dangerous Eliott combined with a softer/more innocent Lucas (probably something for dystopia AU I think). And also coming back to canon for a bit after a long time writing only AUs.

[of-stars-and-moon]

What hurts more than angsty ships is reading soulmates AU about the angsty ships where they are skinbound. Like them seeing the bruises appear on their skin and knowing that somewhere their soulmate is hurt and thinking “They don't deserve this.” And worse, getting hurt themselves and even through the pain thinking of the bruises and scars their soulmate will get and thinking “They don't deserve me.”

[solbabies]

Hey, could you write a fanfic about the missing scenes after yesterday's clip? A still out of it and not completely well Eliott realizing Lola is 'fine'? I think they both need a convo and honestly, after yesterday's clip I'm worried more about Eliott now that we know that Lola is safe. Don't get me wrong, I'm still worried about her

Ah, yes the missing scenes! I hope I can provide a small sense of closure for you and I hope that this is what you were looking for! Thank you for the request! 

AO3- Book_Lover2001

Eliott could feel Lucas’ hand on his back; he could feel his presence next to him like a comforting, soothing force. He could see him, worry and fear creased in the lines of his face all for a girl who he barely knew, all for a situation they couldn’t control. Eliott felt him, saw him, and yet it was as if he wasn’t there. It was as if Eliott was underwater and everything was out of reach, floating away from Lucas the further he sunk.

He was better than he was last weekend, but not entirely. He still felt like he was trapped under a sheet of ice, or like he was living out of his body, or like he just woke up from a long nap-- pick whichever analogy you want to use, but none could truly describe how off he felt.

Daphné had gone up the tower thirty minutes ago and for each minute that passed, Eliott slipped an inch further. Lucas didn’t speak, afraid that he might say the wrong thing and unsure if the moment required arbitrary small talk or the mutterings of hopeful optimism.

“Was this how you felt when I ran off?” Eliott asked, his voice far off in a daze as his eyes never broke from the doorway. He could sense his boyfriend watching him, as the question hung in the air.

“Yes and no,” Lucas finally replied with a soft tone. “I felt, unsure, afraid, worried, a bit lost, but the difference is I knew where you were.”

“I don’t like feeling like this.” Lucas reached up and placed a gentle hand on his cheek, in a loving manor.

“She’ll be okay. She’s strong, like you.” As if Lucas' words triggered the mercy of the universe, the door of the building swung open and Daphné walked out with Lola tucked under her arm. Eliott felt all the air leave his lungs at the sight of his friend safe, but suddenly he didn’t know what to do. Should he hug her? Should he say something? Lucas’ touch ran down Eliott’s arm before dropping entirely, as if giving him permission to leave his side, but Eliott stayed frozen.

Daphné and Lola came up to them, and the latter looked up at Eliott, her eyes full of… everything; apology, embarrassment, pain, fear, confusion, relief and all of it made Eliott’s mouth dry.

“I’m sorry,” she cried quietly, tears falling down her face and immediately Eliott pulled her into a hug. “I’m sorry.”

Lucas held Daphné as all the energy seemed to be drained from her, her face slack and pale from a night none of them would forget anytime soon. He muttered something into her ear, to which she nodded. Lola looked up and over at the two, before lowering her gaze. Lucas reached out and ran his hand over her hair, a gesture that meant more to her than Eliott believed his boyfriend knew.

The cab ride was rigidly silent as they drove back to the Lecomte house, with Lola between Daphné and Eliott as if she might vanish into thin air if they let her go. When they stepped out onto the street in front of the apartment complex, Lola dropped Daphné's hand.

“Do I have to go up right away?” Daphné looked between her sister and Eliott, then a flicker over to Lucas before taking a shaky breath.

“Come on, Daphy,” Lucas spoke calmly, wrapping his arm around her. “Let’s make you some tea.” Lucas locked eyes with Eliott for a moment, a silent agreement between the two; an acknowledgement of trust.

As the two retreated inside, Eliott and Lola took up a spot on the stoop, as Parisians walked the streets unaware of what they had been going through all night.

“I’m--”

“Please, Lola,” Eliott cut her off with a quiet voice. “Don’t apologize.”

“I’ve messed everything up,” she muttered, her fingers laced together in her lap.

“You haven’t,” he disagreed, shaking his head. She looked to him, her lips set in a line, her jaw tight.

“I hurt you and Lucas.” The confession made his stomach sink, an awful churning sensation that made him want to cry. He didn’t know what to say.

“You can’t be blaming yourself for things that I did. I should have known better.”

“But I knew you couldn’t drink and I still made you do it.”

“You didn’t pour beer and vodka down my throat, Lola,” he argued, with restraint. She turned her eyes away, looking out onto the road in front of them.

“I still said things… stupid things that hurt you.”

“Yes, but I believed them when I shouldn’t have,” Eliott sighed, running a hand over his face. “We both made mistakes Lola, but that doesn’t make you a horrible person.”

“Lucas hates me.”

“Lucas doesn’t hate you,” he replied with a huff. “He’s been worried all night, just as much as I have. He’s kept the level head to make sure we didn’t all freak out, and he’s the one who talked to Daphné, helping her think about where you could have been. You care too much about what people think of you.”

“I keep hearing that,” she said drily but not without a small shadow of distant appreciation behind her expression.

“I tried too hard to fix you,” Eliott began slowly. “And it pushed you further.” She didn’t reply. “And if anyone should’ve known that you couldn’t be healed so easily, it should’ve been me.”

“I put too much pressure on you-- you’re not a therapist or my phycologist,” she admitted. “I… I need to be more of a friend.”

“I think we both do,” Eliott nodded. “Less doctor and patient and more ‘friend who needs help sometimes’ and ‘other friend who needs help sometimes’.” She snorted at this, the first moment of levity of the night--well, early morning. In the moment of silence that followed, he stood up in a stretch offering a hand to her. She took it, rising to her feet, and then reached for the door.

“I didn’t mean to drag you down with me,” she promised, opening it.

“And I didn’t mean to go down so willingly.”

…

“You were strong tonight,” Lucas mumbled proudly, running his fingers through Eliott’s hair as the older boy pressed himself to his boyfriend under the blanket.

“I feel sick,” Eliott told him. He could hear Lucas steady heartbeat, the sound calming his own racing thoughts.

“It was a lot to go through,” he agreed, holding him tightly. “I didn’t expect you to walk away unphased.”

“I think I’m slipping.”

“Minute by minute, my love,” Lucas whispered into his hair.

“I was getting better.”

“You can’t think about it like moving backwards,” he explained softly. “You just have to move forwards.”

“This has been an awful year,” Eliott said. Lucas placed a kiss on the top of his head, before resuming to play with strands of his hair.

“Not entirely. For this minute let's just think about all the good things.”

“You start.”

“Okay, Lola’s safe, you’re safe, and I’m safe. There, that’s three things. Your turn.”

“We moved in together.”

“You haven’t burned our kitchen down and we’ve had a surprisingly low number of food poisoning cases.” Eliott laughed at the comment, far from feeling better but now slightly lighter.

“I’m tired,” he spoke with a yawn.

“Go to sleep,” Lucas hummed. “I’ll still be here when you wake up.”

“I love you.”

“Me too,” Lucas replied with a breath. “Just remember that and we'll be perfectly fine.”

[killherfreakout]

tessellate 

elu / chaptered / 30k / complete

or: an elu au where lucas has a crush on his best friend eliott, and he finds comfort in the stars. (featuring social media)

entire work on AO3

chapter one : two : three : four : five

[officiallynuts]

A/N: Hi there! It’s been so long since I’ve written anything, like really written anything. and so I’m going to pop in with a little fanfic for you guys. So I’m going to start this off with a little fic of Elu from Skam France! (Yes, I know, cliche ship to start with but I would be more than happy to do the others as well if anyone would like me to! Even the friendships too! Or when my own inspiration strikes. Anyway, enough rambling, sorry). So I hope you guys enjoy! 

(Note: I do not own the characters. All credit goes to the creators and showrunners of Skam France) 

Word Count: 2,888.

Dark. Never-ending darkness. Reaching out all around him. All-consuming, gripping hold of his heart. Tightly, squeezing, never letting go. No release for the wicked. He couldn't breathe, couldn't feel, could barely move. All he felt was cold. Cold as everything was a slush, moving slowly as if he were underwater. No sense of what was up, nor down, he had no choice but to go forward. But there was a force pushing him back, it made him grow weak. Tired, too tired to move anymore. And so he floated. Arms held out beside him, hair floating up as he felt himself sink. Lower and lower, as his visioned blurred. He felt his last breath escape through his lips in a bubble, rippling away as he felt too weak to reach for it. Too weak to do anything but close his eyes one last time.

Hands. Hands were the first thing he felt. And soon they were all around him, sliding around his chest in a strong grip, pushing against him till he had no choice but to open his eyes, his mouth opening in surprise, feeling the gasp engulf him as water rushed through his turning blue lips. Blue was all he saw when his vision cleared, blue, maybe gray as well, eyes and brown hair that glowed like caramel as a light shone behind his savior. Closer the light came, till he was suddenly able to spit out the water he collected. Gasping for air, he let the hands led him to shore. Where his panicking friends were yelling out his name.

"Lucas! Merlin, are you okay?!" Worried voices called out as more arms helped pull him out of the water and to the soft grass. The drowning boy, Lucas, feeling as blue as his own eyes and scarf that felt like was strangling him, only coughed in response as he shivered harshly. He could barely speak, barely move. Even as everyone longed for him to say something, anything, to show that he was already. But he wasn't. Lucas was entranced in shock.

"The scarf." A rough, new yet familiar, voice spoke calmly. Possibly the only calm one there; Lucas appreciated that for a moment. Only a split moment, as he found a distraction. The body of his savior kneeling in front of him, hands reaching for his neck. Slowly, as if not to startle the shivering boy, he unraveled the scarf around his neck and laid it aside. "Lucas.. you're okay now. Can you breathe?"

Breathe, right, he could do that, Lucas thought to himself as he felt another wave of shaking cold rush through him. Closing his eyes, he tried to push through everything and focus. Focus... fo-

"Focus, Lucas," The voice continued as if he could read the other's mind. There you go, you're doing great. So great, Lucas. Yann, get me my wand, it's in my robes." His voice took on a demanding turn, still as soft but left no room for argument.

"W-wha..." Lucas was able to rasp out as he felt his breath coming back to him. He watched with wide eyes as his savior took the wand that was held out to him, then proceeded to wave it over Lucas's body slowly with murmurs of spells. Gasping out, Lucas felt his clothes dry as well as heat rushing back to him. He could feel the heat rushing to his face, turning his cheeks a slight pink. Feeling warm all over, like he was never in a cold, black, lake in the first place.

"There we go." His savior spoke softly, again, as he set his wand aside, his hand reaching out to hold Lucas by his cheek. "How are you feeling?"

"Better..." Lucas breathed out, sighing as he slowly pushed himself in a sitting up position. "What happened?" He frowned, looking from blue/gray eyes to the eyes of his friends standing around with freaked out eyes.

"The idiot-"  Arthur started, pushing up his falling glasses as he sighed with a shake of his head.

"Hey!"

"Got excited when he saw a certain blonde-haired Hufflepuff and tried to impress her with a spell, only to have it backfire as always." He continued as if he wasn't interrupted, sending a look to the one who yelled out. Basile, who was frowning at the other.

"You were walking towards the Lake, we were supposed to meet for a study session, and you walked right into the spell. Sent you flying." Imane, the only one who probably took their studies as seriously as he did, pipped in as she knelt to look him over. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Imane. Really. Don't feel like frostbite so that's a plus." Lucas shook his head, grateful for his friend's concern as he rested a hand on her shoulder for a moment.

"Speaking of which," his last friend, and maybe best friend out of them all, Yann, spoke as he turned to the boy who had saved him. "We have Demaury to thank for that. Seriously, man. You reacted faster than any of us. How did you even know it was going to happen?"

Demaury. Lucas knew the name. And the face. He was two years older, a Slytherin that came in the middle of the year mysteriously. He was quiet, kept to himself, but was one of the friendliest around. And maybe most beautiful, too, Lucas thought to himself. Everyone loved him, wanted to know him. Even Lucas did, secretly. But he could never suck up the courage to speak to him. Someone as... entrancing as Eliott Demaury was, didn't become friends with boys like simple Lucas.

"Oh." Eliott coughed as he shifted in a more comfortable sitting position. "I was drawing when I heard Basile yelling out his spell. Saw Lucas walking, put two together and... yeah. Here we are." He shrugged almost sheepishly, almost shy like as he turned his head. Like he wanted to avoid everyone looking at him. But his eyes met a certain set of blue, Lucas's.

"Well, still. Thank you for saving our Lulu! We'd be lost without him." Basile cut in with a wide smile on his face, only to frown again when Arthur reached to hit his arm.

"No thanks to you! Come on, you owe Lucas an apology dinner. And to explain to the professors why he won't be in class for the day." Arthur didn't give him a chance to deny the request, turning the curly hair boy around and away from the crowd. Back to the castle.

"What? I'm not?" Lucas frowned, watching his two friends leave before looking to the others.

"Are you kidding? Lu, you nearly drowned! Take the day. Imane will fight off any angry teachers." Yann scolded lightly, patting him on the shoulder as he turned his body to leave as well. "I'll see you at dinner, yeah?" Waiting for the nod of approval from Lucas, Yann looked from him to the last boy of the crowd, Eliott, then back at him to wiggle his eyebrows once before walking away.

"Feel better, Lallemant. I need you in top shape for the potions assignment next week." Imane talked as if she was demanding, but Lucas didn't feel threatened. He knew better. He could see the soft, relieved, look in her eyes as she stood up and left.

"She secretly likes me, I promise." Lucas let himself joke, to break the silence that seemed to take over once there were two left. He turned to the other and almost felt his breath leave him once again. Eliott was looking at him, staring at him. So close, so intensely, he felt like someone was casting the heat charm on him all over again. "So, um.."

"You scared me." Eliott started, not once looking away. Like the thought of taking his eyes off the boy physically hurt him. "Seeing you fly into the water like that... I didn't think I was going to reach you in time."

"But you did." Lucas put in, straightening his back to watch him. "You saved me, Eliott... Thank you. Seriously." He whispered by the end, his eyes wide as he felt the gratitude rush all over him. There he was, Eliott Demuary, saving Lucas Lallemant even though the two never met before. Never before now.

"I only wish I had gotten there earlier, save you the trouble from almost drowning. Before you hit the water, if I had run faster, or cast a levitation spell, or-" Excuse me, what? Was he seriously trying to blame himself right now?

"Eliott, no. Stop." Lucas shook his head slowly. "You couldn't have gotten there in time, I'm sure. Diving after me in the water... was probably the safest way. Who knew what spell would react to Bas's. It could have made things worse." Lucas felt himself wanting to reach out, to reassure the other. But he kept his hands to himself. He didn't deserve to touch.

"Still I-"

"Saved my life, thanks to your quick thinking," Lucas butted in before he could finish speaking. "I wouldn't be here right now if it weren't for you. Thank you, Eliott. Take it." He spoke strongly, not giving any room for a rebuttal as he moved to stand up. Eliott stuttered as he scrambled to stand up, taking Lucas's arm to help him. Just in case he would fall. If Lucas was shocked by his actions, which he was, then he didn't show it.

"I'm not sure you should be standing right now.." Eliott frowned, looking down at the boy. Which was something else, their height difference. Lucas knew he was shorter than others, and usually, he hated it. Still did. But having to look up at Eliott, who still had that glowing light behind him, he found that he didn't mind as much.

"Probably not. Which is why I should get to my dorm, to lay down." Lucas informed with a small smile, shaking his head. "I could use a nap after the near-death experience. And I'm sure you have a class you should go to."

"I can skip it." Eliott put in quickly, shaking his head as he took a small step to him. "Let me walk you back. Just to be sure."

"I.." Lucas bit his lip, licking them once, before shaking his head. Now that the shock was running down, back came the wall. Lucas could feel himself closing in, could feel everything coming back. So used to admiring Eliott from afar. But now he was so close he could just reach out and touch him if he wanted. But Lucas couldn't. He didn't have the right. They didn't know each other.

"Please." Eliott gave it one last try, sounding like he was practically begging the other. For what, Lucas didn't know. More time with him? He wished. But that couldn't be it.

"Alright." Lucas finally caved, letting himself smile a little when Eliott shot him a blinding grin. Biting his lip, he let the older gather their things, handing everything back to Lucas. All but the Ravenclaw scarf, Eliott rolled it up before putting it into his own bag. Saying he knew of a spell that would never let it get wet or something like that. He didn't know, Lucas still felt a little dazed by everything.  But after gathering their things, together they started their journey back to the castle.

The walk back was quiet, mostly. Lucas could feel himself getting awkward, not knowing what to say. But he also kept stealing glances at the other. If this was a once in a lifetime experience for him, being so close to Eliott, then he didn't want to miss a moment. He wanted to cherish it while it lasted.

Eliott, on the other hand, was secretly waiting for the other to speak. Come on, Lucas, what does it have to take to get you to talk to me like you do with your friends, he thought to himself, shooting the other silent looks. He, himself, didn't want the time to end. He wanted it to stretch on forever if he could make it. But as it always seemed to happen, time went by fast. Too fast. The portrait leading to the Ravenclaw common room was right up ahead, coming closer into view. The painting watching the two students come to it, no doubt waiting to speak the perfect riddle for them to answer.

"Well, this is me." Lucas cleared his throat, coming to a stop. He turned to Eliott, once again having to tilt his head up to look at him. "Thank you for walking me back, though you didn't have too."

Eliott, letting out a soft, almost disbelieved laugh, shook his head as he stepped forward. He reached up, taking a strand of Lucas's hair and brushed it back. "It was my pleasure, Lucas. Thank you for letting me." He spoke softly, letting his voice drop into a whisper. Like he was sharing a secret for just the two of them. "I'll see you around, yeah?"

"Yeah.." Lucas whispered, his eyes had fallen shut the moment Elliot touched his hair. But the snapped open when he heard the latter take steps away. If he was going to leave, Lucas needed to at least watch him go. If this was going to be the last that they saw each other, despite the promise just made, then he wanted to memorize everything about the moment.

"Good." Eliott smiled at him, still taking small steps backward, not wanting to look away as he left the younger boy standing there. But he soon came to a point where he had to turn around. But as he did, he was stopped by a voice calling his name.

"Eliott." Lucas started, pressing his lips together with a small frown as he waited for him to turn back. There was a question on the tip of his tongue, ever since he came to his senses. Ever since he realized who saved him, and that they knew him. Everyone knew Eliott, everyone always knew the new kids. But how did he know him? "How did you know my name?" He finally asked, letting out a breath as if the question hurt him to say out loud. He probably sounded crazy. Merlin, he probably scared him off now.

"Lucas Lallemant. 6th year Ravenclaw. Bluest eyes I have ever seen in my life," Eliott started with a small laugh. The silly boy. How could he not know? He could he not see before? "You were the first I saw when I accidentally bumped into you in the hall on the way to the Great Hall. You were with your friends, so you didn't see me. But I saw you. I only saw you. And since then, you are all I can think about. Drove Imane insane until I got her to cave, telling me your name."

Lucas was speechless after that, not knowing what to say. His lips fell open slightly to show his surprise, watching as Eliott gave him a soft smile and laugh.

"I'll be seeing you, Lucas. Have a good nap." Sparing him from what Eliott could guess would be a stuttering mess if the flush to his cheeks was any indication. He gave the boy a wave before finally leaving, walking away down the hall.

Slowly, Lucas started to smile to himself and turned, walking to the painting of a bronze eagle waiting for him. Answering the riddle after a second thought, Lucas walked through the opening portrait, and the next thing he knew Lucas was in his bed. He felt like he was in a trance, replying the day, the encounter, over and over in his head. Not believing any of it, but the missing blue scarf was the only indication that it was real.

If it wasn't the scarf, it was the warmth that enclosed around him. Where Eliott had touched him before, from inside the water, to his cheek, to his arms, everywhere. He never felt so warm before. It was mind-blowing and soothing. And cold, as the reminder that he wasn't near the other, made him feel cold all over again.

"Oh.. I'm in trouble," Lucas whispered to himself with a sigh, already feeling his heartbeat a little faster the more he thought of the Slytherin. While he was used to that reaction, it was different now. He had the sound of a voice to go with the mental image of him, and a feeling of touch to go along with. It made his heart race faster than before. That alone scared him, almost terrified him, how affected he was by the first meeting.

"Okay.. okay. Breathe. You need to get some sleep. Calm down." Lucas continued to whisper, sighing as he shifted. Moving to lay on his side, he closed his eyes. It took some time, Lucas never did fall asleep easily. His mind was always racing. Thought after thought. Daydream to nightmare, whatever it may be, sleep was hard for him to come under. And a nap was no different, only this time his mind only had one thing in mind. Blue/gray eyes. Eyes so intense, they somehow lulled the boy into a slow sleep. And soon, Lucas was out. Dreaming of his savior, saving him even in his sleep.

[floralelu]

Le Fleuriste Episode IV:

WARNINGS: NONE :))

Summary: Lucas hangs out with Eliott despite him trying to suppress his feelings, but will his feelings actually be reciprocated?

Word Count: 3,570

[A/N]: Hello!! We are so excited for you to read this chapter!! We just wanted to say that we would love to hear from you so send us questions or comments!! We will be checking our inbox and responding!!

———————————————————————

Lucas woke up the next morning with the sun in his eyes. He knew it was late morning because of the lack of noise in the apartment. All of the guys must’ve gone to work already, but Lucas didn’t mind. It meant he had the morning to himself.

Lucas checked his phone and was greeted with an Instagram notification.

1 Message from plantjunkieeli

Lucas welcomed the surprise message from Eliott. Even though Lucas knew deep down that this boy was probably straight and had other girls in his DM’s, it still thrilled him the fact that Eliott would text him.

plantjunkieeli: hey, lu <3 i’m sorry for what happened last night. i have a surprise for you tonight in paris, i’ll pick you up at 19:00 pm. can’t wait to see you :)

Lucas clutched his phone to his chest. His heart ached for this boy, but he had to realize that with heartache came heartbreak and he was scared to experience the feeling, especially for the first time.

But that didn’t matter. He was hanging out with his friend, Eliott. His friend. That’s it.

lucallemant: sounds good and me too <3

Lucas glanced at the time at the top of his screen. It was already 14:43 am. He only had a little over 4 hours to prepare for his “date”. Lucas slowly got up, still sluggish from the night before, and went out to the balcony.

It was a clear day, the sky was bright blue and people were scattered among the cobblestone streets before him. Lucas enjoyed it when the sun was out like this, he loved feeling the sun’s warmth on his skin.

Lucas wondered what Eliott would surprise him with. In a perfect world, Lucas would be greeted with a bouquet of flowers, it didn’t matter what kind as long as Eliott picked them out. Then Eliott would ask him the words. Will you be my boyfriend?

But Lucas knew that was too much to ask, if only he lived in a fantasy. Lucas knew his expectations couldn’t and would never be met.

Lucas soon left the balcony and went to Yann’s room. Yann and Lucas shared a closet since Yann already had a room to himself and had the space to accommodate Lucas’s wardrobe, which was larger than you might think.

Lucas went to the closet and opened it, he looked at the selections of clothes in front of him. Lucas wanted to wear something nice for Eliott, even though he knew he had no choice with him, he still wanted to look decent for him.

The only thing was that Lucas didn’t have many nice clothes. He had a couple of decent pairs of jeans and a few nicer shirts that he could wear, but the rest of his nice clothes were either too small for him or he sold it so he could have some extra cash on hand. Lucas finally settled on a pair of black jeans and a grey hoodie that had “ROMANCE” written across the chest. Lucas might as well wear his greatest wish across his body for Eliott, maybe he would take the hint then.

Lucas took a shower, washing the night before off of his body. It felt like all of Lucas’s thoughts from the previous night were washing down the drain. When he got out of the shower he felt renewed. He was excited to see Eliott.

Lucas slipped the hoodie over his head and felt something in the front pocket. He reached his hand in and was greeted with a picture. He took the picture out of his pocket and studied it.

Lucas could barely recognize what he was looking at. It was Lucas and his once manageable family. Lucas was a baby in the photo, he was seated in a highchair with a cake on the plastic tray in front of him. The cake was shaped into number 1 and was covered in bright blue frosting. His mom was on the right side of the photo next to Lucas, kissing his cheek. His dad was on the left next to Lucas, he was holding bunny ears behind Lucas’s head.

Lucas remembered grabbing this picture off of the pinboard on the wall above his desk as he was packing all of his things from his old room. He remembered his mom trying to talk him out of leaving. He had already been crashing at the gang’s place for a few days before he returned to his home and gathering his things in order to move in with them permanently

———————————————————————

“Lucas, you don’t have to do this. We’ll make it through this,” Lucas’s mom pleaded. “Please, Lu. You’re not ready to move out.”

“Mom, I am. You know I am. I’ve been ready since you and dad started fighting. I need to be away from it.”

“But what about me, huh?” His mother raised his voice at him. “Imagine what I’m going through! Dealing with my husband leaving and now my son.”

Lucas turned around and placed his hands on his mother’s shoulders.

“Mom, I promise to come to visit and call you as much as I can. But you have to keep in mind that I can’t be here. It’s not good for my mind.”

His mother nodded and hugged him tightly.

Lucas went back to the closet, picture in hand and reached up on the top shelf for his duffle bag. The duffle bag was filled with personal things to Lucas such as books, sheets of music he liked playing on the piano, and other things like his laptop and his chargers. Lucas placed the photo deep at the bottom of the bag, hoping to never see it again.

———————————————————————

“Lucas! You have a date?!” Basile shouted.

“This is great news! I’m tired of seeing you mope around all the time, Lu. Maybe this boy can bring some happiness into your life,” Arthur pointed out.

“It’s not a date. Just two friends hanging out,” Lucas commented.

“Yeah, sure. Friends,” Yann stated, making air quotes.

“With the way that boy flirts, I won’t be surprised if Lucas comes home with a boyfriend tonight,” Arthur remarked.

Eliott would be here any time now. Lucas was terribly nervous. He was terrified of the possibilities of what the night would bring. Could he get back his friend-zoned image and catch Eliott’s eye?

Lucas had his Instagram open, awaiting Eliott’s message of arrival.

plantjunkielei: i’m here :)

“I gotta go,” Lucas said as he placed his phone in his back pocket. “Wish me luck.”

“I bet he won’t be a virgin by the end of the night,” Yann mumbled to Basile and Arthur.

Lucas rolled his eyes and laughed.

Lucas headed down the stairs of the apartment building and headed towards the street. He was met with a truck that had the front of an old Volkswagen bus and had what seemed like a place for storage in the back. It was quite cute, it was the most Eliott vehicle Lucas had ever seen.

Eliott rolled down the window and Lucas’ gaze met Eliott’s eyes.

“You coming?” Eliott asked, flashing his brilliant smile that made Lucas melt.

Lucas nodded his head and hopped into the passenger side of the vehicle.

“For you, good sir,” Eliott laughed and handed Lucas a small bouquet of white daisies. Eliott plucked one of the flowers out of the bouquet. Lucas’ skin sparked at the contact of Eliott’s hand grazing his cheek and his temple as he placed the flower in his hair. “You look absolutely precious,” Eliott said, admiring his handiwork.

Lucas blushed hard and turned away from Eliott until he calmed down.

“So is this the flower that I remind you of?” Lucas asked as they headed down the street.

“I’m not sure yet. I’m testing out some different options,” Eliott said, glancing at Lucas multiple times while he drove on the road. “I still need to need to weigh my options, see what best fits you.” Lucas smiled.

“So where are you taking me in Paris?” Lucas asked as they headed out of Annecy.

“I can’t spoil the surprise,” Eliott remarked. “Besides, what’s the fun in ruining surprises?”

Lucas played with the bouquet of flowers in his lap, playing with their pedals and their leaves. He found that it calmed his nerves.

“Don’t you think I should have a right to know where we’re going?” Lucas asked. “You could still be a murderer, it’s especially suspicious how far away you’re taking me.”

“Oh come on!” Eliott exclaimed. “You still think I’m a murderer?”

“Not exactly,” Lucas said.

“Well, what do you think of me, Lucas?”

“Beautiful, I think you're beautiful,” Lucas wanted to say.

“I think you’re talented. People like you are hard to come by. You run your own flower shop and you’re so young. I could never do that,” Lucas told Eliott. “You impress me.”

Lucas met Eliott’s eyes, only a quick glance before Eliott turned back to the road, but Eliott’s eyes sparkled. Lucas turned away before he could blush any harder.

“And I think you’re beautiful,” Lucas whispered.

“What?” Eliott said.

“Nothing,” Lucas turned back to him. “What do you think of me?”

“I think you’re someone who doesn’t let people in easily. You’re a very reserved and quiet person. You have a lot of underlying issues that you keep hidden,” Eliott continued. “I want to be let in, Lucas.”

Wow. He was reading Lucas like a book. It was true, Lucas didn’t let people in very easily. The gang was a group of people he had grown up with, there were no barriers there, but with others, it was harder. Most of his friends were girls, which Lucas realized he could trust women easier than men. Most of Lucas’ friends knew his dad had left, but they didn’t know why. No one knew the full story because it was too hard to tell and Lucas didn’t want to see the other person’s reaction. Lucas knew he didn’t trust men as easy because of his dad and what he grew up with.

Lucas didn’t understand why Eliott wanted in. Who would want to befriend a guy with abandonment and daddy issues? Could Eliott handle hearing about Lucas’ past?

“I’d like to know more about you first, Eliott,” Lucas said. “I need to know if I can let you in.” Eliott smiled.

“Alright, then. My name is Eliott Demaury. I’m 26 years old. I was born in Paris, France.” Eliott said. “That enough?”

Lucas shook his head.

“Dig deep, tell me something no one else really knows about.”

Eliott sighed.

“Well, I just started back working at Barney’s this year. I used to work there all the time growing up, it was my home. I would burn through gas money just trying to go visit and work there every weekend,” Eliott told Lucas. “I loved seeing visitors come in and their faces light up with smiles just because of some fucking flowers. I mean, who doesn’t love flowers?” Eliott laughed.

“My grandpa and I ran that shop, it was something we were both passionate about,” Eliott said, his eyes lit up talking about it. “I went to my grandpa about everything, girl troubles, family issues, drama with my friends, he was there for everything, Lu. He was one of the only people who listened to me. Then, he got sick. My mom made us move to Annecy so that we could take care of him in his final days.” Eliott was tearing up at the thought. “I couldn’t bear it, seeing him in the hospital bed. I held his hand till his final breath and then I got angry. I was yelling and cursing, nurses eventually pulled me out of the room and calmed me down.

“At his funeral, I didn’t cry. I was tired of crying. I moved back to Paris because I couldn’t bear being in Annecy anymore. I didn’t go to the shop for years after he died, not until this spring. Luckily, Mrs. Lawerence hired my friend Idriss to manage the shop until I felt well enough to return.” Eliott continued. “It’s still hard sometimes, grieving him. But I’m getting better and that’s what matters.”

Lucas nodded. He was shocked to hear such a sad past come from the mouth of this boy who is upbeat. He didn’t know what to think.

He turned to Eliott as Eliott wiped the tears from his eyes. Lucas smiled at him.

“But you made it through it,” Lucas said. “I’m proud of you for that.”

The rest of the drive was filled with jokes and laughter. Even though it was a bit of a drive, Lucas felt like it went by quickly with Eliott. Lucas loved how easy going it was to talk to Eliott and to be around him. He enjoyed his company and Lucas prayed Eliott enjoyed his.

———————————————————————

Paris was a place Lucas had only been a few times, mostly for holidays or weddings. He never got to understand the love and the romance behind the city. He was someone who had been surrounded by the mountains his whole life. To be honest, Lucas was excited for someone to take him back to Paris again. Lucas hoped Eliott had some late-night sightseeing in store.

They pulled into the parking lot of Jardin des Plantes. Lucas had never been to the gardens before in Paris. Lucas hopped out of the car, following Eliott who had a picnic basket and a blanket tucked in his arms. Lucas was excited until he realized that the gardens would be closed.

“Eliott, why are we here? It’s definitely closed.”

Eliott smiled and flashed a set of keys.

“You have keys to this?” Lucas gestured to the massive gates in front of them. “May I ask how you obtained these keys, murderer?”

Eliott laughed.

“Yes, I just killed one of the bodyguards and stole these keys from his dead body.” Lucas rolled his eyes. “Okay, okay, I used to work here when I moved back to Paris after my grandpa died, and when I decided to quit, I may not have returned my set of keys.”

“Eliott!” Lucas shouted. “We could get caught!”

“Shush,” Eliott whispered. “If we keep quiet we’ll be fine.”

Eliott unlocked the gate and let Lucas in first before following him in. Lucas started to relax when he saw that no one was around. Maybe they won’t get caught after all. Eliott locked the gate behind him.

The moon was full and bright enough that it illuminated the ground below them. Eliott led him to a courtyard that had a stone pathway that was outlined with flowers. The courtyard was at the base of a hill, and at the top of the hill was a large grand building that looked like it could be built for French royalty.

As Lucas admired the scenery around him, Eliott was spreading out the blanket and placed the picnic basket on the ground. He opened the basket and fished out a few candles and a box of matches. He lit the candles one by one and placed them around the blanket, illuminating the beautiful spread. Eliott had packed sandwiches, crackers, different kinds of cheeses and fruit. Lucas’ mouth watered at the sight. Finally, Eliott pulled out a bottle of champagne and two glasses.

“What’s that building on the hill?” Lucas asked.

“That’s the Gallery of Evolution. Beautiful, right? It was designed by Louis-Jules André in 1889.” Eliott said, admiring the building with Lucas.

Lucas nodded and turned back to the spread before him.

“Eliott, this looks amazing. Did you make all of this?” Lucas asked.

“Are you kidding?” Eliott laughed. “Mrs. Lawerence made it, she’s good with details like these. After all, I wanted this night to be perfect.”

Lucas smiled and butterflies rose and fluttered in his stomach. He wished he could kiss Eliott now. He wanted to kiss him for eternity.

Eliott popped and poured the champagne into the glasses. They clinked glasses and sipped the champagne.

“Now,” Eliott started, pulling out a joint and lighting it. “Will you let me in?”

Lucas avoided Eliott’s eyes. Lucas didn’t know if he could do it, tell him his sob story of a past. What if Eliott didn’t want someone like Lucas in his life? It seemed like Eliott already had too much on his plate, with his grandfather’s death and taking over the shop again. Lucas sighed and began.

“My dad left my mom and me about a year ago. He would constantly abuse and yell at my mother and me. My mom was always having to hide bruises from her co-workers and family. My mom is schizophrenic, and my dad couldn’t deal with it anymore.” Lucas took another sip of champagne. “I couldn’t deal with it either. That night, I ran away to my friends’ apartment. They took me in with no questions asked and I’m really grateful for that, but sometimes I feel like a burden to them. When I arrived there, all I did was sleep, I couldn’t handle being awake. My mom kept calling me for the few days I was there and I wouldn’t pick up.” Lucas was beginning to cry.

“When I went back home to get my things, my mom begged me to stay with her. I couldn’t do it. I needed to get out, I was too old to live in my mom’s house anyway, you know? We eventually figured things out, I told her I would call her and visit her and I have been. It’s getting better.” Lucas said as a tear fell down his cheek. “But I miss those happier memories with my father. I miss when he was a good dad and didn’t abuse my mom or me. I have fucking abandonment issues and I’m so fucked up because of him.”

“Oh, Lu,” Eliott said as he pulled Lucas in for a hug. “I’m so sorry, you never deserved anything like that.”

Eliott pulled away and placed his hands on Lucas’ cheeks and started into his eyes. Lucas could feel his skin ignite under Eliott’s palms. Eliott took his thumbs and brushed them across Lucas’ cheeks, wiping the tears away.

Lucas calmed down as they dined on the sandwiches and other goods. They chatted a bit here and there but they mostly looked at each other, long glances being shared between them.

“Come with me, I want to show you something,” Eliott said, standing up and offering his hand to Lucas. Lucas nodded and grabbed Eliott’s hand.

Eliott guided Lucas further down a path that branched from the courtyard. It led to a large building made of glass that almost looked like a bubble. Eliott pulled out his set of keys again and unlocked the door.

Lucas was welcomed by a variety of tropical plants and trees, creating a jungle landscape. Lucas could even hear a waterfall running in the background. Little ponds of water covered in lily pads surrounded the path that leads throughout the building, eventually circling out to the entrance again. One of the glass panes was open, displaying the moon brightly in the sky and casting an enchanting glow on the water and the beautiful plants around them. Eliott took Lucas’ hand and led them around the path, even though it was dark, it was obvious Eliott had been here many times. Eliott led them to a spot where the trees and plants weren’t as dense and you could see one of the ponds of water clearly, you could even spot some of the koi fish circling the pond. Eliott turned and grabbed both of Lucas’ hands and stroked his knuckles with his thumbs.

“So, what do you think of me now?” Eliott asked, once again flashing his bright smile.

“I think you’re someone who doesn’t even realize how strong they actually are. You’re talented and independent. You’re someone others can count on, including me. I don’t deserve someone like you. I’m not enough for you.” Lucas felt the same feeling he felt when he last realized he didn’t deserve Eliott.

“You have the same look you did when you left my apartment,” Eliott frowned. “What makes you think you’re not enough for me?”

“Are you kidding?” Lucas started. “I’m falling for a fucking straight guy!”

Lucas tried to pull his hands out Eliott’s grasp, but Eliott tightened his hold.

“Lucas, I love people. I don’t love any specific gender or anything. I love who I love. I like you, Lucas,” Lucas wasn’t looking at Eliott, he couldn’t. Eliott lifted Lucas’ chin in order for him to meet his gaze. “Lu, I really like you, and I mean that.” Eliott readjusted the white daisy in Lucas’ hair. “You’re more than enough for me.”

Eliott wiped a tear that escaped onto Lucas’ cheek. They stared at each other for a minute, their faces inching closer and closer. Lucas could feel Eliott’s breath across his lips. Eliott brought his left hand to hold Lucas’ cheek while the other held Lucas’ hand, and with that Eliott kissed him.

Lucas felt the feeling deep in his belly, a whole migration of butterflies traveling across his body. Lucas got the wish written on his chest in the most beautiful place he’s ever been with anyone.

They were here together, kissing in their bubble, in their world, in their universe.

[iamshannonmcfarland]

me, waiting the update of Hollow Edge AND  les étoiles dans tes yeux

[luluwantskisses]

Okay I want to write a Harry Potter au for Elu, specifically a fourth year/ Triwizard tournament au where Lucas is the unwittingly Choosen One for the tournament and gets terribly unhelpful advise on How to SurviveTM from his professors, Potter and longbottom,

Meanwhile Eliott is the Choosen one from Beauxbatons, and he's distracting! Lucas thinks he might be in an enemies to friends story, Eliott thinks he's directing his life in classic French film noir and they're both thoroughly ignoring the Durmstrang champion, who thinks they need to get a room

Anyways I'm gonna use the other remakes to fill out the student roster because there's just not enough kids to fill out four houses. I need suggestions on where each of the other remakes boy squad and girl squad sit in terms of Houses

[littleprinze]

Yours, truly.

Lucas and Eliott have been best friends for almost as long as they can remember. Since childhood, they had trusted and told each other their secrets and confidences.

During Eliott's 18th birthday party, after a shitload of drinks, Eliott kisses Lucas.

The next day, while nursing a hangover from hell Eliott regrets having got drunk, and tells Lucas that he wishes that the night had never happened; unaware that he was sentencing the beginning to an endless twirl of misunderstandings.

Their friendship will remain along the years and the circumstances will give them another opportunity to demonstrate how they both feel for each other.

However, for two friends who are inseparable they continuously keep missing each other.

Or a Love, Rosie au.

Prologue.

Chapter 1: I fell, I fall and I'm still falling.

CHAPTER 1:

Take a deep breath.

And start from the beginning.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The vibrant lights and the blasting music coming from the speakers were filling L'Esclave Bar. The place was at its full capacity with sweaty people dancing along with those who were squeezing each other trying to move around to reach their own destinations in the square-space club.

They were in left side of the bar sorting out the two bottles of vodka and tequila, which at this point it really didn’t matter which one was which; and proving that point with Lucas, who apparently was deciding if he had to take the salt or the lemon first while the shot that had been previously in his hand was already going its way down to his throat.

Fairly speaking, Eliott lost the count of the amount of drinks that was put in the tab of the bar through the night so far. His parents were going to kill him when they saw the credit card resume. Well, unless wasn’t going to be for school this time; thank god they take care of that wisely.

But right now, it didn’t matter; it was his birthday, his night. And tomorrow’s problem.

His only focus between the unrecognizable song piercing his ears and the bitter liquid going through his system, was the step closer to freedom that 18 years old brought along. The closer to freedom from school, from this city, from his parents’ house, from the same everyday faces, from these fucking small-scale rooms called clubs.

A few more months will be coming along with, hopefully, an acceptance letter from university. From Boston.

No. With two acceptant letters. Lucas has to receive his too.

Because if there is one person that Eliott never wants to be free from that will be his best friend.

Lucas.

That has always been there, through everything beside Eliott. From discussions of what they should play first, with Lucas’ favourites action figures or Eliott’s ‘treasure maps’ draws. To school detentions after e-mailing in class and –trying to– covering it up bruises that they would get doing exactly what they were told not to. To Lucas parents’ getting a divorce and Eliott’s diagnosis day. To coming out on their own terms with their sexuality. To which universities should they apply for.

He had to be there. They both had to. Otherwise it just wouldn’t make sense if they weren’t… together.

But, he wasn’t going to worry about that now. About anything in fact.

Anything more than the music playing along with their clumsy moves and jumps trying to follow the beat. The strong shots, that already started to feel like water, going down their troughs. The salt and the lemon that was tragically passing from hand to hand, to mouth.

And Lucas.

Lucas with his sweaty hair going here and there with that usual unresolved direction while the buttons on the right side of his shirt had lost some of the links, during the course of the night, with left holes generating a flawless vision of his neck and clavicle.

And his eyes. Those blue eyes; darker and dilated caused by the uncountable litters of alcohol drank in the last hours. And that very well-defined jawline, bordering the pink blush on his cheeks.

And those lips, those half open plump lips, that were forming words that Eliott couldn’t decipher.

And the drop. The lemon drop falling from it. That small drop, of the previous squeezed lemon in Eliott’s hand, falling at the corner of that Lucas mouth.

And Fuck.

It was there. Tempting.

Because, you see, Eliott really likes lemons, one of his favourite fruits since he had tried it for the first time, even if it has this bitter taste at the beginning it is always the perfect company for any food or drink.

Nevertheless, this like was not news. Well… Lucas did know about his fondness for lemons so, maybe he wouldn’t mind finding out about another of his (wish to be) liking companies.

Right?

In the meanwhile, of his engaging thoughts, Lucas dragged himself to the chair next to him, getting on the border of the slim chair bar, a few more centimeters above the ground. He clenched his fingers in the fabric of Eliott’s shirt from the bicep side pulling him closer, so close that he could feel the chair bar glued to his shinbone and the remains of his perfume mixed with a scent of lemon on his skin.

Reflexively, Eliott grabbed his waist with one hand —trying not to drop the drink with the other— pulling him against his chest.

Newly, the words got lost in the short space between Lucas lips and his right ear. This time his voice was audible but Eliott was focus on everything but that.

He couldn’t hold the shivers going down his spine, that the closeness of his mouth cause.

When Lucas laugh open mouthed, accidently scrapping his teeth on lobe of his ear, Eliott hold his breath.

Lucas moved from the side of his neck to come face to face, without losing his grip or their proximity; so neither did him. He was waiting for Eliott’s answer/reaction.

In spite of how unfocused his look was becoming, he was able to capture that face.

That beautiful face.

He followed the curve of Lucas nose with his own and Lucas’ eyelashes trailed each movement while they were turning more and more heavy every second passing. He wasn’t sure if it were his or Lucas’ anymore.

Or both.

Once again, it didn’t matter which one closed his eyes first; because when their lips close against each other, they both felt it.

Eliott sigh in the softness Lucas mouth, receiving a tighter grasp in his arm.

Slowly, he brushed off the hold of Lucas lower lip from his mouth, slightly opening his eyes and helplessly lost in the pair of ocean eyes that were staring him right back.

He needed more.

He left the glass that he was ─surprisingly─ still holding on the bar, reaching now Lucas’ cheek; causing the fall of Lucas eyelids again. Eliott imitated the action, reaching to his lips, ready to deep the kiss…

But this universe had another plan for them; making Lucas slip from the border of the bar he was standing on, to going full body against Eliott.

In other circumstances Eliott would had handle it just fine. In circumstances that didn’t included both been completely wasted and ending up with his body smacking to the ground, with Lucas on top of him.

And again, in different conditions this would have cause a few groans and one than other bump; but in this scenario, just like the universe pushed Lucas against him, the floor knocks Eliott to unconscious.

Or maybe it was just the alcohol. (keep reading in Ao3)

[kissjane]

So, I was tagged by @flying-elliska for Six Sentences Sunday, but I only saw it on Monday, and then I forgot about it last Sunday, so... 

These are seven sentences. I know. 

They are from the scenes I still promised you guys for Cinderellucas, which I haven’t forgotten about, but I was a bit busy in November with another project. I’ll get it out before long, though!

Lucas already knows Eliott is effortlessly sexy whatever he does. Eliott takes his breath away when he is posing for the camera on some red-carpet event. He mesmerizes Lucas when he is caught by some paparazzi in jeans and a T-shirt, coffee cup in one hand. He rocks Lucas’ world when he’s standing in his kitchen, barefoot and bare-chested. And he blows Lucas’ mind when he winks at him – even through a phone screen.

But this – this is something else. This might be his favourite Eliott.

[moonb-eam]

petitepeach’s fic masterlist

alternatively titled: is it really possible i’ve written over twenty stories about these clowns

hello sweethearts 💛 this may be entirely superfluous, as everything i write gets posted to my ao3 account, but i figured i’d make a tumblr list as well, for the sake of organization ✨

one-shots

i told you something safe (something i never said before) (4,780 words)

eliott was the one to say it first, is the thing.

or, five times eliott says i love you and one time lucas does

la lune et le soleil (6,081 words)

Don’t worry about the sun and the moon. They always find each other eventually. But only for very, very special moments.

or, a story about a moon, a sun, and a twilight sky

come with me, my love (to the sea of love) (4,816 words)

there’s a small touch of wonder to everything that lives in the ocean

for the 75 dates prompt, aquarium

multi-chapter au’s

sk8ter boi (19,251 words)

began as a prompt - "have i entered an alternate universe or did you really just crack a smile at me?"

a measure of stars (84,456 words)

Lucas glances up, even knowing the stars won’t be there. He squints into the pale blue, picturing the endless constellations of light. He frowns, says, “I don’t know,” when really, he thinks, I wish I was born a star. I wish I could dip my hand into the empty sea. I wish I could fall in love with another star and make a new constellation every night. “Marriage isn’t meant for me, anyway.”

Imane tilts her head back as well, sighing. “Nor I.”

Lucas scoffs. “You say that, but I just know, one day a man is going to fall madly in love with you, and you’ll find him exceedingly tolerable, and then you’ll be in trouble.”

or, a pride and prejudice au

series

maybe it starts now

so let’s take on the night (8,507 words)

“Basile and Arthur are trying to pick out guys for me.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Trying being the main word. Lulu is too picky.”

or, the one where Lucas goes to a party and meets Eliott.

build a new world for us two (6,334 words)

"When Lucas wakes, it's to sunlight in his eyes and warm sheets tangled around his legs."

or, the morning after the night before

interlude - the gallery (1,638 words)

it's devastating, to look at someone and realize, you could ruin me

show me some stars beneath this ceiling (8,513 words)

They are something. Something serious, maybe, but they are only something. The relationship equivalent of a liminal space. And Lucas is fine with that.

or, Eliott takes Lucas on a date, things are realized, and terms are set

no one ever tried like you (24,594 words)

But that’s what it’s like with Eliott. Lucas doesn’t think he can become any happier, and then he does. Just like that.

It’s his final thought before he drifts off, how he never thought it could be like this, so good that it aches.

He never wants to lose it.

or, there's heartache in these galaxies

interlude - idriss (8,821 words)

Idriss watches them and he thinks, fire, meet gunpowder.

a dream of you and me (43,840 words)

They kiss, and it's a kiss borne out of excitement, of the giddy rush of youth mixed with endless time and possibility, but it’s also a kiss of reassurance, a small I’m here with you and a beautifully comforting, I think we’ll be okay, the two of us.

or, there is love, and everything else will follow

tumblr prompts

no. 28 (1,424 words)

for the prompt - "marry me?"

nos. 35 & 1 (1,861 words)

for the prompts - "come over here and make me" & "you heard me. take. it. off."

no. 18 (1,614 words)

for the prompt - "this is without a doubt the stupidest plan you've ever had. of course i'm in."

no. 25 (2,485 words)

for the prompt - "i can't believe you talked me into this."

nos. 17 & 48 (2,047 words)

for the prompts - "looks like we'll be trapped her for a while." & "boo!"

no. 7 (2,496 words)

for the prompt - "i almost lost you."

tarot card prompts

not to me (not if it’s you) (4,109 words)

the star: renewal, hope, rest “i feel at peace” possible AUs/settings/ideas: star-gazing, lazy days, cuddling, spirit au

no sweeter innocence (than our gentle sin) (7,764 words)

the devil: failure, lust, temptation "you want it too" possible AUs/settings/ideas: desire, nsfw, unrequited love, demon au

ce destin est une marée (et nous sommes emportés) (24,201 words)

the high priestess: magic, dreams, knowledge “I had this dream, and now…” possible AUs/settings/ideas: visions, sold fortune, magic au

in a peculiar universe (also known as cross-universe hoopla)

and my love life waits (1,062 words)

in which there is far more romance at the skatepark than anyone would guess

i’ve learned to lose you (can’t afford to) (3,700 words)

While Sander’s first instinct would normally be to make a lame joke or change the subject completely, instead he sits back on his heels, takes a deep breath and asks, “Did you ever…hurt anyone?”

Eliott tilts his head. “Because you tried too hard not to?”

“No. Because you meant to.”

in which an empty art studio is as good a place as any to bare your soul to a stranger

[starryhedgehog]

i’m letting you go

an elu soulmate au.

- - 

Twelve-year-old Lucas Lallemant wakes up with his arms painted with colors every single night.  He likes to lay awake in bed and watch as colors appear on his skin in thick brushstrokes, likes feeling the warmth in his heart as he realizes that somewhere, someplace, his soulmate is here.  His soulmate cares.

Lucas Lallemant doesn’t write anything on his arms, doesn’t want to disrupt the artwork that covers his skin.

Until one day, he doesn’t see the paint.  One day, the colors stop coming.

Lucas lays awake in bed and stares at his arms, pinching them, running them through cold water, even going to the extent of finding his acrylics and painting splotches of paint on his own arms.

Are you there?  Where are you?

Until one night he notices the ghost paint marks on his arm.  Watches through horrified eyes as the paint begins to form on his skin in translucent strokes, glimmering and glistening in the moonlight that shines through the blinds.

He stands up and looks in the mirror, confused to see his reflection transformed. ��The person in the mirror has arms full of color, arms painted red and blue and green.

Lucas looks down at his own arms, puzzled to see the same holographic illusion wavering on his skin.  When he looks up into the mirror again, he sees something there.

There’s another person there, smiling warmly back at Lucas.  He reaches out, and Lucas immediately feels safe.

The person reaches out to touch the glass with his fingertips, and trembling, Lucas does the same.  He feels the same warmth shoot through his spine, his finger tingling with slight electricity.  Lucas shivers, because he knows what it is.  It’s his soulmate.

“What happened?” Lucas says, throat clenching.  “What’s going on?”

The person in the mirror’s eyes soften, and he tilts his head.  

I died.

Lucas nearly collapses, hands flying to his arms.  He can’t even speak.

Not your fault.

“So I’m never going to meet you?”

The person in the mirror steps closer, shrugging.  I’m here now.  It’s me.  I’m just a ghost.

Lucas wants to cry.  “But I can’t touch you.  I don’t even know your name.”

I know yours.  I’m Eliott.  Eliott Demaury, he says, almost proudly.  And I’ve known you were my soulmate for years.

Lucas feels himself start to cry.  He wraps his arms around himself and shakes, fingers gripping his skin tightly.

Of course Eliott’s gone, too.

He peeks a glance through his eyes, half-embarrassed, and his crying falters slightly.  

There in the mirror, arms wrapped around Lucas, is Eliott.  Eliott’s forgotten his paints and paintbrushes and his expression is terrified, his hands clutching Lucas’ face and trying to rub away the tears from Lucas’ face.

Lucas is surprised to feel the tears on his face disappear.

Please don’t cry!

“What happened?” Lucas whispers.

There was an accident.  A car accident.  Eliott shrugs, staring at Lucas with a concerned expression.  I don’t really remember what happened.

Lucas stands up, presses his hand into the mirror.  He’s met with cold glass, no Eliott at all, and he feels his lower lip tremble.  “How’d you know where I was?”

One day you wrote your telephone number in real small numbers, right on the corner of your hand.  It was in black ink.  Thin sharpie, maybe?

Lucas feels something warm on his palm, and he looks into the mirror to watch Eliott poking him gently.

Basically, I looked it up on the internet and it couldn’t have been your mom or your dad, so it had to be you.

Lucas sniffs, the smallest smile turning up at his lips.  “You’re a stalker.”

Eliott laughs.  

Lucas can see his joy through the mirror, and Lucas wants so badly to run to him and share that joy.  To hold him, somehow.  But he can’t.

I’m smart, Eliott grins, correcting him.  If I hadn’t, I wouldn’t have known who you were.

“Okay,” Lucas gives in, “you’re a stalker who used their knowledge for good.”

Eliott laughs again.  Okay.

--

At fourteen years old, Lucas Lallemant likes knowing that there’s someone there, someone at home who makes things a little easier.  He’ll peer into the mirror after school and tap on the glass, watching as the mirror defogs and Eliott appears.

Eliott’s always got something to tell Lucas, like how Lucas’ mother came in and ate two of the sweets in his drawer, so now he’s got to find a new hiding space, or that Lucas’ father came and took two dollar bills, so don’t forget to ask him about it.

Today, though, Eliott’s just smiling.

“What?”  Lucas looks at Eliott, trying to stop his own lips from tugging into a grin.  “What is it?”

Nothing!

“Liar.”  Lucas raises his eyebrows twice, then walks away from the mirror to dump his backpack onto his desk.  He quickly returns to the mirror, curious.  “Are you going to tell me why you’re so happy?”

Eliott pretends to think, and shakes his head gleefully.  But then he just shrugs, reaching to poke Lucas’ reflection in the shoulder.

Lucas feels the same foreign warmth and bites his lip.  Too bad Eliott’s stuck in there.

I’m happy that you’re back.  It’s so boring without you.

Lucas laughs.  He lets himself gaze at Eliott for a while, a dazed sort of smile tugging at his lips.

Eliott blushes.  And then he looks back up, teasing.  You know, if your parents come in, they’re going to think they’ve raised a very self-obsessed child.

Lucas snorts.  “They don’t care.”

Eliott’s smile falters.  What?

“They don’t care.  They’re too busy.  Besides, they’ve got their own problems.”

Eliott shakes his head vehemently.  They care.  You’re just stubborn.  

Lucas raises an eyebrow, then yawns.  “Whatever.  I’m going to eat something.”

I’d recommend eating an omelette with fennel and cinnamon.

Lucas smirks, turning back to face Eliott.  “What, are you trying to get me killed?  That’s terrible, no way.”

Eliott bursts into laughter, pushing at Lucas’ reflection.  Or blueberries and bacon!

Lucas pretends to vomit.  “Why, Eliott?”

Eliott tries and fails to suppress another laugh.  “Why not?”

Lucas just rolls his eyes and walks forward so that he’s close to the mirror.  He presses his fingers to his lips and touches the spot where Eliott’s forehead is.  “See you.”

Eliott’s smile softens, he holds up his hand, and Lucas watches, throat tightening, as Eliott’s intertangles both his and his reflections fingers.  He presses his lips against Lucas’ knuckles, then laughs.  

Go get your food, I’ll still be here.  

- - 

Fifteen-year-old Lucas Lallemant comes home from school and glares at the floor, refusing to look anywhere but the mirror.

He’s angry, really angry.  He’s had to yell at three people today about how his soulmate is dead.  Dead of all things, and he’s so not interested in learning about ways to contact them.  

Of course I know he’s dead, Lucas thinks bitterly.  He lives in my fucking mirror.

It’s not Eliott’s fault he’s, well, a ghost, but Lucas still won’t look at him.

You’re angry, Eliott’s voice drifts from the mirror.

Lucas scowls, crossing his arms.  He dumps his backpack on the floor and grabs his binders, slumping face-first onto his bed.

Somehow there’s a chill that sweeps through the room and something warm messes with Lucas’ hair.

Lucas looks up, shocked.  

Hi, Eliott says, smiling.

“Oh, so now you decide to mention that you can move from the mirror?”

Eliott shrugs.  Never came up.

“Eliott.”

Lucas?

Lucas reaches forward, some sort of hope trickling through his mind, but his hand passes straight through Eliott.  Lucas growls in frustration, then slams his head on the pillow.  “How come you can touch me, but I can’t?”

Eliott runs his hand across Lucas’ shoulders, tracing small circular patterns into his back.  I don’t know.  Why’d I have to die so early?

Lucas sits upright.  “Don’t say that.”

Why not?

“I didn’t mean it.  Not like that.”

It’s just a question.  Maybe it’s some sort of gift.  You know, like a consolation prize or something.  You’ve died, sorry, but you can still touch your soulmate.

Lucas groans, but soon shuts up as soon as he feels Eliott’s chin resting against his shoulders.

I’m sorry you’re upset.

Lucas shrugs.  “Don’t be.”

I forget it’s hard for you, too.

“Don’t worry about me.”

I always do.

Lucas scowls again.  “You’re such a sap.”

Eliott laughs, his form ghostly blue.  He’s so tall, and when he stretches out he’s taller than Lucas already by at least a head.  

You know what?

Lucas can’t stop the smile from tugging at his lips.  “What?”

You’re still cute when you’re mad.

Lucas rolls his eyes, falling straight through Eliott.  But Eliott just laughs, reaching for Lucas’ hand.

I love you.

“You don’t have a choice.”

Eliott bursts out into laughter.  

- -

Seventeen-year-old Lucas Lallemant comes home from school, again, and heads straight to his mirror.  “Hey.”

Eliott yawns, blinking.  He crawls out from the mirror, standing to look down at Lucas with amusement.  You’re back.

Lucas steps forward, head tilted up.  “You’ve got it pretty good, you know.  If you had to meet Monsieur Caron, you’d actually like, explode with annoyance.”

Eliott laughs, and he reaches to draw Lucas into a hug.  Lucas feels warmth around his shoulders and waist, but when he reaches to lean against Eliott’s shoulder, he staggers forward, almost falling.

“I keep forgetting about that,” Lucas murmurs regretfully.  

Eliott shrugs, reaching forward to ruffle Lucas’ hair.  What’s it like to go to your school?

Lucas thinks about it, thoughtfully.  “It’s strange, I guess.  You could go if you wanted to.”

Eliott just shakes his head.  I’d get lost.

“No you wouldn’t.  Just come with me, silly.”

Then I’d get sad.

“Aren’t you already sad, here?”

Eliott sags slightly, then quirks up the corner of his lip in a half-smile.  Well, you’re right.  I’m just … nervous.

Lucas reaches to cup Eliott’s face, even though his hand passes right through Eliott, but it’s the thought that counts, isn’t it?  “If it makes you feel better, I get nervous, too.”

But you go every day.

Lucas sighs.  “It’s hell, Eliott.  I get nervous just thinking about it, sometimes.”

Eliott walks around Lucas to peer through the windows.

“What’s the first thing you’d do if you were alive?”

Eliott’s answer is immediate.  I’d want to feel your hugs.  And I’d want to make friends.  And eat food.

Lucas feels his smile fade.  “I wish you could do all those things.”

Eliott looks wistful for a moment, then shrugs, smiling.  At least I have you, right?

Lucas smiles.  

Right. Eliott answers, and he reaches to nuzzle Lucas against the nose.  And when Eliott leans forward to pull Lucas closer, Lucas doesn’t resist.  He feels a warmth against his lips as Eliott kisses him, gently at first, and then deeper until Lucas is being pressed against the wall.

He can’t kiss back, can only feel the warmth against his lips.  It comes to a point where he can’t take it, and pulls on the bottom of Eliott’s lip, but instead of there being warmth, Eliott shimmers and Lucas is met with cold, cold air.

“Sorry,” Lucas whispers.

Don’t be.

Lucas lets himself reach for Eliott’s fingers, not caring at the way his fingers fall straight through Eliott’s.  “I like like you,” he whispers, smile toying at his lips.  “A lot.”

Eliott smiles. Well, I love you.

“Me, too.”

Say it, Eliott whispers.  Please?

But Lucas shakes his head.  “Not yet.”

- - 

At eighteen years old, Lucas Lallemant looks at the wall and points to a spot near the corner.  “Did you know that’s where I hit my wooden block set when I threw a tantrum in preschool?”

Eliott blinks, staring at Lucas with amusement.  You what?

“I kept hitting the blocks against the wall, so it broke a little bit of plaster right there, see?”

Eliott glides to where Lucas is pointing, and he peers at it, thoughtfully.  So you still haven’t grown out of the hitting walls phase, have you?

Lucas looks down at his bandaged hand, shrugging.  “Guess not.”  He doesn’t think much of it, ready to change the conversation until he feels warmth against his knuckles.

Reflexively, Lucas jerks his hand away, hissing.

Just a scratch, Eliott says flatly, eyes narrow.  Okay.

Lucas sighs.  “Really.  It’s not a big deal.”

Show me, then.

Lucas raises an eyebrow.  “What’re you, my mom?”

Eliott glares at him.

“Okay, okay.”  Lucas reaches for the bandaging around his hand, biting his lip as he unravels it.  The gauze is bloody at some parts, and Lucas’ knuckles are split and bruised.

Eliott’s eyes widen.  Lucas?

Lucas doesn’t say anything.

You didn’t say it was this bad.

“What was I supposed to do, hm?”  Lucas steps forward, eyes vulnerable.  “I can’t just stand there while they, they --”

They what?  Eliott’s voice is gentle, Lucas feels warmth race across the palm of his hand.

“They were saying stuff.  Stuff about you.”  Lucas’ voice drops, he can’t meet Eliott’s gaze.  “They were talking about us.  I don’t know how they knew, I never --”

Lu.  You don’t have to prove anything to anyone.  You don’t have to fight battles for me.

“Why not?”

Because I don’t want you to.

“It doesn’t matter,” Lucas turns reflexively, clutching his hand to his chest.  “It’s over, now.”

So were you lying when you said you hit a wall?

Lucas barely turns, lips tugging into a half-smile.  “No.  I hit the wall after.  I was mad.”

Eliott laughs softly, and he inches closer to lean his head against Lucas’ shoulder.  Lucas feels Eliott’s familiar warmth, thinks he might actually melt.

No more hitting walls, please.

Lucas shrugs, smiling up at Eliott.  “You’re so …”

So what?

Lucas smiles to himself.

Eliott tickles him in the side and Lucas bursts into laughter.  “Alright, alright.”

Lucas turns so that he’s facing Eliott, but his eyes are glued to his knuckles.

Eliott notices this and tilts his head.  Why’d you hurt yourself for me?

Lucas shrugs, biting his lip.  When he finally looks back up, he looks more vulnerable than ever.  “I don’t want to tell you.  You’re going to leave if I do.”

Eliott tilts his head.  What?

Lucas shakes his head, throat tightening.  “I read that dead soulmates can’t leave until their soulmate tells them they love them.”  Lucas can only whisper, now.  “I don’t want to tell you because then I’ll lose you, too.”  He can’t stop the words from spilling out of his mouth.  “They said you were still here because you couldn’t be loved and that’s not true, and I, and I --”

Eliott sighs, burrowing his face into Lucas’ hair.  When he speaks, Lucas can feel his voice.  You could never lose me.  I’m always with you.

- - 

Lucas is nineteen when he lets Eliott go.

Eliott’s lying with his head in Lucas’ lap, and he points up to press his finger against a spot on Lucas’ cheek.  I love you.

Lucas feels warmth everywhere.  He looks at Eliott, and Eliott’s eyes are so beautiful.  They’re blue mixed with gray and somewhat see-through but Lucas loses himself in Eliott, loses himself in the warmth.

And he wishes Eliott could feel that, too.

“Are you sad, here?”

Eliott blinks.  Me?

Lucas nods.  “I don’t want you to be sad.”

I’m with you.

“I know.  But still.”

A little.

Lucas raises an eyebrow.

A lot.

“Why?” It comes out as a whisper, and Lucas absent-mindedly tries to run his fingers across Eliott’s face.  But his fingers pass through air, and he feels his chest tighten.

I’m so lonely, Lucas.  And cold.

Lucas feels the warmth from earlier, and realizes Eliott doesn’t feel any of that.  His throat starts to sting.  “Why didn’t you tell me?”

I like seeing you happy.  I like being around you.

Lucas sniffs.  “Me too.  But it’s been a long time, hasn’t it?”

Eliott’s eyes widen.  What are you doing?

Lucas smiles, feeling his face start to crack.  “Seven whole years.  The seven, best years of my life.”

Lucas, no.  You don’t have to --

“I do.”  Lucas reaches to run his hands through Eliott’s hair, blinking as his fingers pass through nothing.  “I need to let you go.  You’re hurting.”

It doesn’t matter.  I don’t want to leave you.

“But you do, don’t you?”

Eliott’s eyes soften, he shakes his head.  But then he deflates.  Yes.  But I don’t want to leave you.  I don’t want you to be alone.

“It’s okay,” Lucas whispers.  “It’s okay.”

It’s not okay.  You weren’t ever supposed to get hurt.  By anyone.

Lucas feels himself start to cry.  “Neither were you.”

Eliott’s quiet for a moment, his fingers raising to brush against Lucas’ cheek.

“You haven’t thought about yourself, Eliott.  You’ve always been thinking about me.  It’s my turn to do that now.”

Lucas.

“I love you, Eliott.  I’ve loved you ever since I first saw those paint marks on my arms.  I used to stay up every, single night watching, waiting for it to appear.  I loved you ever since you popped up in my mirror that night.  I’ve loved you ever since you first kissed me, and since you decided to drift out the mirror, and I’ve never stopped loving you.  I won’t stop.”

Eliott’s lip wobbles, and he blinks, a tear tracing its way down his cheek.  “You didn’t have to tell me.  I knew you did, Lu.  I knew.”

“I know,” Lucas whispers, and for the first time, he feels his fingers brush against Eliott’s skin.  

Eliott smiles, eyes watery.  And then he disappears, his form vanishing.

Lucas stares at the spot where Eliott used to be, and lets his hands fall into his lap.  There’s nothing there.  Just air.

He starts to hyperventilate, breathing quickly, eyes filling with tears.  Eliott’s gone.  Eliott’s gone.  He’s alone.

Something falls from Lucas’ room, and he stands up, numbly walking toward it.  There’s something on the floor, and Lucas frowns.

He steps closer, his breath catching in his throat.  There’s a set of acrylic paints, and Lucas takes them, cradling them to his chest, crying.

Later, he finds paintbrushes in his closet and opens the paints, painting stripes of red and green and blue across his skin.  It’s like how it used to be, when he was twelve.  

When he finally goes to bed that night, staring at the paint, he thinks somewhere, somehow, Eliott knows.  

He must.

And just before he falls asleep, he feels warmth racing up his arms.