#yeah anyway watch me cry. lukarin i hate you i hate you i hate you get away from me stop being in my brain i h

[lovinggreeniehours]

push and pull

↳ arin × luka (arin uses any pronouns. the ones appearing here are it/they/him)

↳ 900+ words

↳ this is not edited thoroughly so. pardon me hdfjgddh the brief rundown is: arin was the winner of al.nst season 48, then luka won 49th. they had a longstanding rivalry (or so the press would say) leading up to the 50th season, eventually culminating in an arranged marriage public relationship situation to keep their popularity numbers climbing. this takes place some time before round 4 or 5 i think

—whilst practicing a duet, they both get a little off-script. they forget why. some kind of competitiveness? a natural instinct for improvisation? technically, they were glad they could do so this smoothly, but.. there was a sense of getting lost in it. in the steps. in the words. in the harmonization of voices. they were good. it was why they were paired up. maybe it really was the competition. two winners of the same stage would wonder which of them would dominate, wouldn't they?

when luka dipped them, arin kissed him.

it leaned into the adrenaline their performance left them in, carding its fingers through his hair. and it is utterly fascinated when luka kisses back.

"how interesting." it murmured, just barely pulling away, luka's breaths still ghosting over its lips. "so this is how you'd react."

luka scoffs, but strangely, he only seems to grip them tighter.

"to think that you would actually.." arin murmured as they both straightened back up, simply thinking out loud at this point. he figured luka might enjoy a little glimpse into his brain. as compensation. "i didn't think you would desire me in that way. it seems there was more to it than i thought."

at that, luka's demeanor completely switched. arin watched, curious, though a little confused, as the former's lips curved into a smug grin.

"so you do observe me."

arin felt a distinct dip in their own mood watching luka smirk like that. ultimately, they just raised an eyebrow. not that luka needed any prompting to continue. he seemed to like the sound of his own voice well enough.

luka's typical flourish returned to his movements. it was almost comical, really, how little it took to get him from upset to elated. hands still locked in their dance position, luka swayed them both a little.

"so you think i'm worth observing, do you? i wonder what else you think of about me behind that impenetrable pokerface of yours. could i have a peek?"

"there's nothing to peek at." arin was confused more than anything, if a little.. displeased. it was a pity luka was a simplistic, arrogant bastard most of the time. "is it so strange that i would try to learn more about you? we are supposed to be married."

"so you kissed me for it?" the more luka talked, the brighter he seemed to get. "you could've just asked. but regardless of what road you'd picked, you either love or you love me, starlight."

"the answer is neither, however unfortunate that might be for you." arin said. "because my own intentions aside, you kissed back. and i have reason to doubt that our motives were the same."

though there was no more music, luka twirled them. they spun as gracefully as ever. luka put a hand on his hip, humming thoughtfully.

"is it that much of a stretch to say i observe you as well? i mean, i'm sure you're already aware." he tapped a finger to their cheek, lightly pushing it to make them look at him properly. "i did notice a certain boldness about you when you took my microphone earlier in the second verse. are you upset with me by any chance? is that why you didn't ask? you know, you should just tell me about things like this. i am your husband, after all."

luka delighted at the minute frown etched onto arin's face. he liked the way their gaze sharpened when they met his eyes. he coveted it even; he considered it proof. the perfect living doll was as fragile a human as he was. and luka was the only one privelaged enough to see.

then arin tilted his head at him. luka almost paused as it spoke, an odd lilt laced in its voice.

"i quite wonder which of my reactions you've taken as genuine and which ones you missed." arin mused.

"have you so little faith in me? you think i don't know when you're faking a smile or not?"

there was that look again. the barest glint of something in their big, dark eyes.

"do you?"

arin watched luka's lips, sweet and pretty, part ever so slightly. and it was almost as if arin could see the turning gears peering past his pale yellow eyes. a specific sort of glee burned at the sight of luka's growing uncertainty. one that arin hadn't felt in great measure since his childhood.

maybe arin did like him, it decided. this bare look of confusion would be precisely why.

"well, do you?" they repeated themselves.

unlike arin, luka could do little to hide.

so they continued, reveling in the look on his face. "if anyone knows anything about me, it's how i act onstage. i'd be a little disappointed if you of all people thought anything i said or did while performing was genuine. you know, since you claim to know me so well."

when luka said nothing, arin finally offered a smile. the way one would offer a consolation prize. if arin did their job as well as they hoped (which, they did. who were they kidding?), luka would be scrambling. was even this smile meant to lead him on?

luka was motionless now, the rise and fall of his shoulders aside, but the slight strain in his sigh said enough.

"i'll unravel you one day, wife."

arin gave him a laugh, waving him off. it cleared its throat, schooling its expression back into nothing.

"how about we run through that song again?"