Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

     One of the most magical moments of the year is the first real snow of winter. Something about waking up to a white blanket covering the earth awakens the child in everyone, giving them the urge to bundle up and go outside, whether it’s to have a snowball fight or to simply walk through the ice-cold air. The first snow in Beacontown is no exception.

     People fill the streets, making snowmen and snow angels, building igloos, throwing snowballs, and doing everything else imaginable with the snow. A few children are simply running through it, throwing handfuls of the white powder into the air and laughing as it falls back down on them. Beacontown looks even more beautiful in the winter than it does the rest of the year, and all of its citizens are out enjoying that beauty.

     Well, almost all of them.

     Lukas is sitting in his room, hunched over his journal and scribbling furiously in its pages. The perfect transition between chapters had finally come to him when he’d woken early that morning. He’d eaten breakfast as fast as he could before darting back to his room to work on his book. A few hours have passed, and he’s been working that whole time. Bursts of creative energy aren’t unheard of, especially in his case, but they’re rare enough that he knows he has to ride this one out before it disappears completely.

     Thump.

     Lukas jumps as something hits his window. He sets his quill down slowly and turns toward the source of the noise. There isn’t anything out of the ordinary. Just a few stray snowflakes from the flurry overnight—

     Thump.

     A snowball splatters on the glass, leaving more residual snow in its wake. Lukas thinks he can faintly hear someone calling his name, though the sound is too muffled for him to be sure. He shakes his head and turns back to his journal. He’s too busy for this. Hopefully whoever is throwing snowballs will get bored after a while and leave after he doesn’t answer.

     Thump.

     Lukas sighs and continues his work. It goes smoothly for a while, but he’s distracted by another snowball. And another. And another. Half an hour has passed by the time he finally relents. He goes to his window (which is completely caked with snow by now) and opens it. A snowball narrowly misses him, instead making contact with the wall. Axel is standing beneath his window, a small pile of snowballs next to him.

     “Hey! You’re alive!” he says, grinning.

     “Why are you throwing snowballs at my window?” Lukas asks.

     “Good morning to you too,” Axel says as he crosses his arms. “I was trying to get your attention.”

     “Well, you have it now, so what is it?”

     “Come outside!”

     Lukas sighs. “I can’t, Axel. I’m busy.”

     “C’mon man, we’re gonna have a snowball fight. Can’t you take a break?”

     “I would, but I just started the next chapter—”

     Lukas yelps and ducks down as Axel hurls another snowball towards him. Luckily, Axel seems to have overshot—it hits the wall above the window. Lukas leans out the window again to tease him about his poor aim, but before he can even open his mouth, a clump of snow falls on the back of his neck and makes its way down his shirt. Axel laughs as he squirms. Lukas narrows his eyes. It is on.

     “Fine, fine, I’m coming,” he says. “But only so I can kick your ass in the snowball fight.”

     “Good luck with that,” Axel teases.

     Lukas shakes his head and closes his window. It takes him a minute to find his winter clothes; he hadn’t been expecting the sudden snow. He closes his journal, trying to ignore the feeling of guilt nagging at the back of his mind. It won’t be all day. He can always come back to it. After pulling on his boots and coat, he ventures into the wintry world outside. His friends are in a small field around the back of the Order hall, standing in a tight circle to keep the cold at bay.

     “Hey!” Jesse calls with a grin. “We thought you’d never come out!”

     “Axel convinced me,” Lukas replies with a shrug. He’s given a space in the circle in between Jesse and Olivia, right across from Axel.

     “How’d he manage to do that?” Olivia asks.

     “Being annoying,” Lukas deadpans.

     “I prefer ‘persuasive’,” Axel says. Lukas rolls his eyes but smiles.

     “Okay, so how are we gonna do this?” Petra says. “Teams? Free-for-all? A single hit and you’re out?”

     “Seems a little intense,” Jesse says.

     Petra grins. “Exactly.”

     “Why don’t we just throw snowballs at each other until we get tired?” Lukas suggests.

     “Sounds good to me,” Olivia says. “I don’t really know how we’d keep track of a score any—”

     Olivia’s cut off by snow splattering across her face. While she splutters, Axel bends down, already making another snowball. Petra gives him a shove and sends him to the ground, and the rest of them scatter. Lukas dives behind a clump of bushes, getting to work on some ammo. Jesse darts past him, a snowball whizzing by in their wake.

     Lukas peeks out over the branches, surveying the battlefield. Petra is chasing after Jesse with one arm full of snowballs and a huge grin on her face. Olivia is busying herself with building a small cannon as fast as she can. Axel is building a snowball nearly as big as his head. Lukas takes the opportunity while Axel is distracted and pelts him with snowballs before hiding away again. He hears Axel shout in surprise and presses his hand to his mouth as he snickers.

     The snow crunches behind him, and he knows it’s Axel. He can still hear Petra and Jesse laughing in the distance, and there’s no way Olivia is done with her cannon already, even if she is the most brilliant engineer he knows. Axel’s footsteps slow, and Lukas holds his breath. There’s a small shadow over his head. Lukas stands up as quickly as he can, his feet scrambling against the slippery ground. Axel’s grinning at him with an evil glint in his eyes.

     “There’s no way you’re going to throw that thing at me,” Lukas says, taking a few steps backwards.

     “You don’t know that,” Axel says as he rounds the bush. He steps on Lukas’ pile of snowballs, reducing them to dust.

     “Well...I think—” Lukas cuts himself off mid sentence and hurls the snowball that’s been in his hand. Axel jumps, startled, as it hits him square in the chest, but he doesn’t drop his own ammunition. Lukas takes advantage of his split-second distraction and turns on his heel and runs.

     “That was a dirty trick!” Axel shouts as he runs after him.

     “All’s fair in love and war!” Lukas replies over his shoulder, grinning.

     They chase each other around the field, laughing and egging each other on. Lukas scoops up some snow as he runs and throws it in Axel’s general direction without even bothering to try to make it into a proper sphere. The snowy powder gets in his face, making him cough and giving Lukas enough time to put on a burst of speed to get the advantage back. His face is stinging from the cold and his fingers are numb, but he feels light. It feels like it’s been a long time since they’ve done something this much fun together.

     Fatigue is finally starting to slow Lukas down. Running through snow up to his ankles is hard work. He stops to catch his breath, and that’s his downfall. Axel catches up to him within moments, his wicked grin present on his face once more. He raises the enormous snowball over his head. Just as he’s about to strike, he’s knocked over by a blur of white. Lukas stands over him and laughs, but he’s soon met with the same fate. He can hear Olivia cheering through the snow covering his head.

     Lukas sits up, shaking the snow out of his hair. Olivia’s targeted her cannon at Petra and Jesse, who have teamed up against her. Axel groans, and that’s when Lukas realizes he’s landed on top of him.

     “You okay?” he asks as he gets off of his friend and sits in the snow instead.

     “Yeah, just wasn’t expecting that,” Axel says as he sits up.

     Heat rushes to Lukas’ face as soon as he sees Axel’s. He’s absolutely covered in snow; it’s clinging to his eyelashes and his hair, and it cakes his thick jacket. His cheeks are rosy from the cold, and his eyes are bright. Despite the fact that he’s been knocked down into the freezing cold, he’s still smiling widely. Lukas feels the overwhelming urge to kiss him. That only makes his face grow hotter. Kissing Axel? Where the hell did that thought come from?

     “Come on, we can probably get back at Olivia while she’s dealing with Jesse and Petra,” Axel says, shaking him from his thoughts. He stands up and offers a hand to Lukas. Lukas is suddenly grateful they’re both wearing gloves; feeling Axel’s strong hand wrap around his own is making his stomach flip, and he imagines it would only be worse if their skin was making contact.

     Olivia doesn’t stand a chance against the four of them. As soon as she admits defeat, the two teams turn on each other. Axel and Jesse go down, out of breath and too tired to carry on, and it’s just Lukas and Petra facing off. Lukas tries his hardest, but Petra’s too fast and too competitive. Lukas forfeits, and Petra is crowned the queen of snowball fights. Her coronation consists of Olivia dumping a handful of snow on her head and laughing.

     Later, when the five of them are sitting on the couch in the hall, wrapped up in blankets and holding steaming mugs of hot cocoa, Lukas lets the thoughts about kissing Axel come back to the forefront of his mind. He looks across the couch at his friend. Axel is talking to Jesse, one arm slung around the back of the couch and an easy smile on his face. His hair is still damp from the snow, and the light from the fire is dancing across his face, accentuating his cheekbones and jawline and making his deep brown eyes look warm. Lukas’ gaze darts down to his mouth as his tongue swipes whipped cream off his upper lip. He’s thinking about curling up in Axel’s lap, leaning against his broad chest and smiling as he kisses the top of his head.

     Oh, god, he is screwed.

Chapter Text

     It’s completely dark. Lukas can sense the people around him, but he doesn’t try to communicate with them. He can’t—if he so much as makes a sound, they’ll all be discovered. The floorboards creak. He knows what’s coming. They all do. The soft thump of footsteps grows closer, and the door slowly opens, a sliver of light cutting into the blackness. This is it. Olivia flips a switch, and the lights flare to life, catching their target by surprise and blinding everyone in the room for a moment.

     “Surprise!” Lukas shouts along with Olivia, Axel, and Petra.

     “Happy birthday, Jesse!” Axel says as he picks Jesse up in a bone-crushing hug.

     “Aww, you guys!” It’s hard to tell with half of their face being squished up against Axel’s chest, but Jesse looks like they’re tearing up. Lukas grins and the rest of them join in the hug (even Petra).

     The four of them have been planning a surprise party for Jesse for a few weeks. It’s been difficult keeping the secret from them; they’re good at reading people and knowing when something fishy is going on. It’s their job, after all. Well, technically, it’s the entire New Order’s job, but Jesse has always been the best at it. Mercifully, they hadn’t noticed the rest of the Order members making plans behind their back. It’s helped that the party is small. So small, in fact, that it only consists of the five of them.

     That doesn’t mean they can’t have fun, though. There’s a ton of food (including a huge cake Olivia made herself), a pile of presents for Jesse to open, music playing softly from a jukebox, and a few party games. And of course, it wouldn’t be a birthday party without a pinata. They all take turns swinging at the paper mache form of a creeper until it breaks, a small charge of gunpowder sending candy scattering across the room.

     “Who made the pinata?” Jesse asks as they sit on the floor in a circle around the candy.

     “I did,” Axel says, a note of pride in his voice.

     “The gunpowder was a nice touch,” Lukas says.

     Axel smiles at him, and Lukas feels his cheeks turn pink. Not this again. Not right now. He returns the smile and turns his attention to Petra, who says something that makes Jesse and Olivia laugh. He desperately hopes no one notices the blush he’s sure is covering his face.

     “Thanks a lot, you guys,” Jesse says after the pile of candy has been reduced to empty wrappers. “This was a lot of fun.”

     “It doesn’t have to be over yet,” Petra says. “Is there anything else you want to do?”

     “Kind of, actually,” Jesse says. “A new bar opened up a couple weeks ago, and I’ve been wanting to go. Haven’t really had the opportunity though.”

     “What better opportunity than your birthday?” Olivia says.

     “Yeah!” Axel agrees, standing up. He and Petra share a grin and hoist Jesse up on to their shoulders. “Point the way, buddy!”

     Jesse laughs, and they head out of the hall. It’s a quiet night. There aren’t many people on the streets, but the people they do pass wish Jesse a happy birthday. It makes Lukas smile. He knows how much Jesse cares about the people in Beacontown, and he can see that knowing the citizens care about them too makes Jesse happy. It’s what they deserve. They’ve gone through so much, and they still have so much weight on their shoulders. He knows they feel pressured by it all. A night where they don’t have to think about anything except having fun is just what they need.

     “This is the place,” Jesse says from Axel and Petra’s shoulders.

     Lukas’ eyebrows raise when he sees the establishment in question. He’s seen bars and inns and pubs in his time, but never anything like this. The sign is in bright neon colors, there’s a line of people coming out the door, and he can hear the pounding bass in the music from across the street. It must be exceptionally noisy and crowded inside. He’s hesitant about going in, but Jesse seems excited. He can’t bring himself to disappoint them on their birthday. The people lining up at the door let their group inside first, despite Jesse’s insisting that they wait in line like everyone else.

     Lukas was right about the noise. It’s almost unbearably loud. It’s also dark— the main lights are dim, and the colored ones don’t provide much light to see by. There’s a DJ on a raised platform, surrounded by fog machines and colored lights. There’s a dance floor in the center of the building, a bar to the left, and a sitting area to the right. It’s unlike anything Lukas has ever seen, not that he’s been in too many of the bars he’s encountered.

     “This is awesome!” Axel shouts over the music.

     “Yeah!” Jesse agrees. “Someone come dance with me!” Petra grabs their hand and leads them to the dance floor, grinning.

     “I’m going to get a drink,” Olivia says. “You guys coming?”

     “Sure,” Lukas says with a shrug. He follows Olivia to the bar, Axel not far behind as they skirt around the growing crowd on the dance floor.

     The drink Lukas orders is sugary and fruity, but he can still taste the tang of alcohol in it. It burns his throat as it goes down, though it isn’t unpleasant. He’s sitting with Olivia at one of the tables on the other side of the dance floor, nursing his drink. He doesn’t want to get too drunk tonight. Chugging enormous amounts of alcohol without it affecting him has never been one of his talents. Neither has dancing, which is why he’s content to sit on the sidelines while his more outgoing friends put themselves out there.

     Jesse and Petra find their table, a sheen of sweat coating their foreheads and drinks in their hands. Jesse’s grin is threatening to split their face in half. Axel joins them soon after that, a few shot glasses in his hands. He and Petra proceed to have a shots drinking contest as the rest of them cheer them on. Axel ends up winning. Olivia pats Petra’s back as she grumbles, her words slurred. Axel strikes a triumphant pose, his hands on his hips and his grin crooked. Lukas allows himself to look a moment longer than he usually would. He’s starting to feel the effects of the alcohol; his head feels pleasantly fuzzy.

     “I wanna go dance,” Axel says suddenly, breaking his pose to slap his palms on the table. “Someone come with me.”

     “I think Petra and I are out for now,” Jesse says. “We’re still catching our breath.”

     “You already know what I’m going to say,” Olivia says, giving Axel a scathing look.

     Lukas downs the rest of his drink and shrugs. “Guess I’ll go then.”

     Axel grins and grabs his hand, pulling him out of his seat and onto the dance floor. Lukas stumbles a bit; Axel’s walking faster than him, and his movements feel a little slower than normal. He has no idea how he’s going to dance or why he even agreed to this. His hand slips from Axel’s, and before they can lose each other, Lukas reaches for him, lacing their fingers together. Axel smiles back at him, and Lukas remembers why he agreed to this.

     They don’t go very far into the crowd, which Lukas is grateful for. The DJ changes the song, and the people around him cheer. What seemed like an unorganized writhing of the mass of people from the outside changes to a uniform pulse that keeps time with the beat of the song. Lukas has no idea what he’s doing, but he doesn’t let that stop him from having fun. His brain is fuzzy and the music is loud and it’s warm and Axel hasn’t let go of his hand.

     Lukas is simply bouncing to the pulse of the song on the balls of his feet, but Axel’s being a little more ambitious. It seems the shots he’d taken earlier in the night have started to take effect. His dancing is awful. Lukas laughs as he watches Axel do the robot, his grin still present. He does some more cheesy yet entertaining dance moves, but Lukas can’t take it when he starts frantically doing the macarena to the rapid beat of the song.

     “Oh my god, no,” he laughs, shoving Axel’s shoulder.

     “You don’t appreciate the classics!” Axel says.

     “That’s a classic if you’re ten,” Lukas teases.

     “What’s a classic to you then? Swing dancing?”

     “Yeah, actually!”

     “Oh my god, you’re so lame!”

     “You’re just mad you can’t do any swing moves!”

     “What, you mean like this?”

     Axel grabs Lukas’ hand again and guides the other to his shoulder. Lukas finds himself being led into an extremely basic rock step, but a rock step nonetheless. He laughs as Axel leads him into an underarm turn, bringing him out before twirling Lukas back into his arms. It’s completely offbeat with the bass that’s pounding in Lukas’ skull, but he doesn’t care. There are butterflies in his stomach and a deep flush in his cheeks. Axel’s looking down at him with a shit-eating grin, and god Lukas wants to kiss him. He’d probably taste like alcohol, but Lukas doubts he’d notice.

     “I stand corrected,” he says. Axel laughs, and it feels like the butterflies in his stomach are having a dance party of their own. He and Axel spend a few more minutes on the floor before they return to their friends, only to be dragged out again by Jesse.

     The night ends up being one of the best Lukas can remember.

Chapter Text

     They’ve been stuck in the Nether for three days.

     Lukas wipes the sweat from his forehead, careful not to get any of it on the crude map he’s made for himself and Axel. The paper is already fragile. Any trace of moisture in it has been sucked out, leaving it incredibly dry and crinkly. It’s hard to draw on, and even harder to fold. Lukas gingerly adds a small drawing of the fortress they’re hiding out in to the map. He has no idea if any of this is accurate. They don’t have a compass, and Lukas hasn’t ever tried to make a map in the first place. He folds the paper as carefully as he can and tucks it away in his pocket.

     It had started out as a simple errand. Ivor was in need of nether wart and a few ghast tears, and Lukas and Axel had volunteered. As soon as they had entered, a ghast had appeared and sent a fireball into the rock above the portal. The resulting collapse had destroyed the portal. They’d defeated the ghast easily enough, but the noise had drawn more monsters and forced them to flee. Now the two of them are in a part of the Nether neither of them are familiar with.

     “No obsidian in any of the chests in this one either,” Axel says as he comes in the room. “Plenty of nether wart though.”

     “Ivor had better be grateful when we get back,” Lukas says. “I never want to go to the Nether again after this.”

     “Me either,” Axel agrees. “And if Ivor says anything about us taking too long, I’m gonna deck him.”

     Lukas chuckles, but the sound dies in his throat when he hears faint footsteps down the hall. He moves to the door, his heart racing, and reaches for his bow. They’ve cleared the monsters out of this fortress, haven’t they? Axel’s seems to be thinking the same thing; they exchange a confused look as he moves to the opposite side of the doorway. Lukas peers into the darkness of the corridor as the footsteps get closer, mixing with the sound of rattling bones. It’s a wither skeleton. He’s able to take it down with a couple arrows.

     “There must be a spawner somewhere,” he says as he retrieves his arrows from the bones that are already beginning to turn to dust.

     “That means a room full of these things,” Axel sighs. “We should try to find another fortress anyway. C’mon.”

     The next three fortresses they find don’t have any obsidian in the chests either. This is beginning to get frustrating. They just enough to make another portal. There’s no doubt Jesse and the others are looking for them, but they can’t afford to wait around, especially with monsters around every corner in unfamiliar territory. They’re losing track of the days. Lukas is running out of arrows. Axel is running out of strength. They’re both running out of patience.

     Just when Lukas is starting to lose hope, a miracle happens. He opens a chest in a fortress, and it’s there, filing the entirety of the chest. Obsidian. It’s not enough to make another portal, but it’s a start. His hands shake as he opens the other chest on the other side of the room, hoping against hope that the gods or whatever is up there is smiling down on him that day. His heart jumps into his throat when he opens the lid and there’s more. It’s enough. They can finally go home.

     “Axel!” Lukas shouts as he shoves the obsidian into his bag. It’s heavy, but he hardly feels the weight. “Axel, I found obsidian! We can build a portal!”

     “Holy shit, really?” Axel calls from the next room over. Lukas goes to him, beaming and holding his bag open.

     “Take a look for yourself,” he says.

     Axel’s eyes widen when he sees the smooth black stone. He looks back up at Lukas, grinning from ear to ear. Lukas drops his bag as he’s picked up in a spine-cracking hug. They’re both laughing (Lukas’ is a little more breathless; it’s hard to breathe when Axel is crushing his lungs), and Lukas feels tears prick at the corners of his eyes. He was starting to believe that he’d never see the sun again. He’s been slowly coming to terms with the fact that they were going to die down here, with no one knowing what had happened to them. But finally, after god knows how many fortresses filled with diamonds and swords and nether wart and gold and everything except what they needed, they finally get to go home.

     “There’s not enough room to build the portal in here,” Axel says, setting Lukas back on his feet. “Let’s find somewhere more open so we can see if any monsters are coming while we’re building it.”

     “Good idea,” Lukas says. “Then let’s go home.” Axel smiles and nods, his eyes shining.

     It doesn’t take them long to find a place to build the portal. It takes them even less time to build it. Lukas’ heart races with anticipation as he digs in his bag for the flint and steel they’d found in the first fortress they’d raided. There are so many diamonds and ingots that he’s having trouble finding anything. He really should find a way to organize his things more. Ideas for a more efficient system run through his head as a flaming arrow sinks into the ground next to him.

     “Oh, come on,”   he groans. There’s a small group of wither skeletons coming towards them. One of them has a bow, but the rest have swords.

     “Nothing can be easy, can it?” Axel says irritably.

     “Nope,” Lukas confirms. He stands up and readies his bow. He’s down to his last two arrows. Well, three if he counts the one in the ground next to him. There are five skeletons. This is going to be tricky.

     “I hope you can kill most of them in one shot,” Axel says, readying his sword. It’s another find from one of the many fortresses they’ve visited. He’s still a little clumsy with it, but he’s been good enough to keep them alive.

     Lukas hopes he can too. He manages to take out the one with the bow with a single arrow to the eye socket. Its head flies off and bounces into a pool of lava, causing the rest of its body to collapse. His accuracy doesn’t last long. Shaking hands and exhaustion make for bad aim. One of his arrows gets caught in another skeleton’s ribs, making it slow down a bit, but the last one misses by a country mile. Lukas barely has time to retrieve his sword from his back by the time the skeletons charge them.

     The stone blade of the tallest skeleton clashes with his own. Lukas struggles against the monster’s strength, backpedaling in an effort to avoid getting knocked over. He gives his opponent a solid kick to the ribcage, pushing it backwards and making it stumble. Its face remains blank and unmoving, but something about its posture indicates that it’s irritated. Lukas swings at its ankles before it can regain its footing and sends it crashing to the ground. He drives the tip of his blade into its forehead, and its skull cracks. The skeleton’s limbs go limp, and it begins to disintegrate.

     There’s no time to catch his breath. Axel’s fighting off three of the monsters at once, teeth bared in a snarl and his brow furrowed. Lukas charges forward and slices across the back of one’s ribcage, leaving a deep cut. It turns on him, bones rattling menacingly. He ducks under its blade and gets behind it again, slashing it diagonally once more. A low, barely-audible groan that makes the hair on the back of Lukas’ neck stand up emanates from the skeleton. He shakes off the fear and steels himself as it turns slowly, hackles raised and tiny, burning pinpricks of light floating in its otherwise pitch black eye sockets.

     Out of the corner of his eye, Lukas sees Axel knock one of the skeletons to the ground. He turns on his heel to hook his fingers in the ribcage of the other and yank, snapping them like twigs. It shudders and falls apart, and Axel lets out a bark of triumphant laughter.

     What happens next feels like it’s in slow motion.

     Axel takes a step towards Lukas, his hand on the hilt of his sword. The skeleton he’d knocked to the ground stands up. It raises its sword and slashes across his back. Axel’s eyes widen and his face pales. Another gash is cut into his skin. He falls face first to the ground.

     “AXEL!”

     Lukas forgets about the monster preparing to attack him. He charges the other skeleton as it raises its sword to deal another blow. He doesn’t stop. He barrels into it, sending them both to the ground. Before it has a chance to retaliate, he stands back up and crushes its skull beneath his foot. It’s barely stopped moving before he whips around, eyes locked on the only remaining skeleton.

     Hot tears are flowing down his face as he picks up the defeated skeleton’s sword. It has blood on it. Axel’s blood. With a snarl and a surge of adrenaline-fueled strength, Lukas hurls it at the monster approaching him. It’s sent to the ground, and it doesn’t get back up. Lukas dashes to his bag. He has to light the portal. They have to get out of here. More monsters will be on their way, attracted by the noise. He finds the flint and steel after a short, frantic search and lights the portal. The adrenaline still burning through his veins gives him enough strength to haul Axel over his shoulder and drag him through the portal.

     He tries not to think about the trail of blood behind them.

     They emerge from the portal in a cave. Lukas immediately collapses, his chest heaving and his whole body trembling. The air is cool and moist rather than scorching. He takes a few lungfuls before sitting up and looking at Axel’s back. The deep gashes create a V shape across his skin. Lukas doesn’t have any bandages. He doesn’t see any cobwebs in the shadowy corners of dimly lit space. Lost for anything else to do, he whips off his shirt and tears it in half, pressing it into Axel’s wounds.

     “No, no, no, no, Axel no,” Lukas says frantically as the blood soaks through. His hands are shaking again, and tears are blurring his vision. “Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck, don’t die, please don’t die.”

     The blood covering his hands makes Lukas’ grip on his sword unsteady. He darts out of the narrow entrance of the cave, looking for something, anything to help his friend. A sheep gnawing on the grass nearby straightens, its ears perked as Lukas emerges. He makes quick work of it with his sword and does his best to shear it. It’s sloppy, and it’s not much, but it’s something.

     Lukas applies the wool shakily and nearly sobs with relief when there’s enough that the bleeding stops. He presses his fingers to the side of Axel’s neck and puts his hand to his mouth when he feels a weak yet steady pulse. Axel’s breathing is shallow, but he’s alive. Lukas wipes his hands on his jeans before shakily running his fingers through Axel’s hair, tears dripping down his face and his nose dripping.

     Think. Think. Think. He has to think. He has to find help. He can’t leave Axel here. He has no idea where they are. They could be miles away from any sort of settlement. Lukas gets an idea. He has to find Axel’s bag. It must have gotten cut off when he was attacked. With a deep breath, he ducks back into the portal. Axel’s bag is just a short distance away. He dashes over to it and is back in the cave within a minute. After a moment of rooting through it, Lukas finds what he’s looking for.

     For once, he’s glad Axel carries a ridiculous number of fireworks rockets with him wherever he goes. He exits the cave once more, scanning the horizon. He lets out a bark of hysterical, disbelieving laughter when he sees Beacontown in the distance. What are the odds? It’s too far for him to travel on foot while leaving Axel by himself, so he resumes his plan. Lukas sets up a handful of the fireworks rockets and lights them one by one. The resulting explosions send birds scattering from the trees in alarm.

     The wait doesn’t last long. Lukas can see someone approaching rapidly on horseback after half an hour of firing rockets into the sky. He lights the last of them and frantically waves his arms, jumping up and down and shouting to make sure he has their attention. As the rider approaches, he can see that it’s Ivor.

     “Lukas?” he says incredulously as he dismounts. “What in the hell happened to you?”

     “I’ll explain later!” Lukas says, already dragging Ivor inside the cave. Ivor’s barking more questions at him, but he’s not listening. He cuts himself off as soon as they enter the cave, and Ivor’s at Axel’s side in a flash.

     “I have a few potions of healing,” Ivor says, pulling a bottle of bright red liquid out of his pocket. “Help me turn him over so I can administer it.”

     Lukas does as he’s asked. Axel’s eyes are closed, and his face is still pale. Ivor pulls the cork out of the bottle, opens Axel’s mouth with one hand, and pours it down his throat. The world seems to stand still. After a tense silence, Axel groans. He doesn’t open his eyes, but he’s breathing more deeply and a little color has returned to his cheeks.

     “Oh my god,” Lukas breathes. He can’t help the sob of relief that escapes him.

     “Lukas?” Axel says groggily, his voice scratchy.

     “Hey,” Lukas replies, his voice breaking as he smiles.

     “Why are you crying?”

     “I thought—I thought you were gonna die,” Lukas chokes. “And I thought it was going to be my fault.”

     “I’m okay,” Axel says. “I think.”

     Lukas laughs weakly. “Yeah. Yeah, you’re okay.”

     Axel smiles slightly. Lukas wants to kiss him. He wants to kiss him and hold him and never let go. He opts for brushing a lock of hair off of Axel’s forehead instead. His eyes are slipping closed again, but Lukas isn’t worried this time.

     “You’re hurt too,” Ivor says, shocking Lukas out of his thoughts. He’s handed a potion bottle and he downs it immediately. It tastes like cinnamon, and he immediately feels strength seeping back into his bones.

     At the same time, he feels like he’s been hit with a minecart full of TNT. He must look borderline insane. He’s shirtless, covered in blood, crying with snot dripping down his face, and his hair is probably a mess. He’s exhausted. Now that they’re safe, he just wants to go home.

     The trip back to Beacontown is a blur. Lukas refuses to leave Axel’s side, even after they get back to the Order hall, despite Ivor’s pestering. He insists that Lukas needs to rest, but unfortunately for him, Lukas is far more stubborn. He drinks more healing potion and cleans himself up, but after that, he sits in a chair next to Axel’s bed, watching him sleep. There are proper bandages wrapped around his torso now. Lukas tries to stay awake, but it doesn’t last long. He ends up falling asleep in the chair, his head leaned against the wall and snoring. Ivor shakes his head and drapes a blanket over him.

     “These children are going to send me to an early grave,” he mutters to himself. Despite his words, he’s smiling fondly at them.

Chapter Text

     “Lukas?”

     “H-huh? Yeah?”

     “Have you been listening to anything I’ve been saying?”

     Lukas’ cheeks burn. “Y-yeah, of course I have,” he lies.

     Jesse can see right through him. They raise an eyebrow, unimpressed. Lukas sighs and rubs the back of his neck.

     “Okay, maybe I spaced a little,” he admits.

     “It’s fine,” Jesse says, patting his shoulder. “Have you been okay? You’ve been doing that a lot lately.”

     It’s true. Lukas has been having trouble focusing. He doesn’t have any excuse, not really. He’s not sick, he’s not sleep deprived, he’s not terribly stressed. He’s just been daydreaming. He’ll never admit that, though; he knows he’ll be teased endlessly if any of his friends find out exactly what’s been occupying his thoughts.

     Rather, who has been occupying his thoughts.

     Lukas and Axel have been spending more time together. He’s been going with Axel to Boomtown, helping him gather materials when he needs them, sitting on the couch with him while he tries to finish his book, watching him craft fireworks and other explosives, exploring the caves near Beacontown, and doing anything that means he can be near Axel. It’s been nice, but it’s also made Lukas’ crush on him all the more distracting. More often than not, any time he’s not spending with Axel is spent thinking about Axel.

     “Hey, you still with me?” Jesse says, startling Lukas back into reality.

     “Yeah!” Lukas says. “Yeah, definitely!”

     Jesse crosses their arms, shaking their head. “See what I mean? What’s going on?”

     “Nothing, really,” Lukas says. “Just, uh, writer’s block. I’m trying to think my way through it, but it’s been pretty frustrating.”

     “Alright,” Jesse says. They don’t look convinced, but at least they aren’t pressing him further. “Why don’t you go work on your book then? I can tell you about the plans for the mines later.”

     “Are you sure?”

     “Yeah. Go get a change of scenery or whatever. That might help, right?”

     Lukas smiles, though he feels guilty. “Right. Thanks, Jesse.”

     He heads to his room to grab his journal before leaving the hall. He might as well try to get some writing in today. He’s so close to finishing the book. A change of scenery actually sounds like a good idea. His room is comfortable and free of outside distractions, but it tends to make him feel reclusive and claustrophobic after a while. There’s a tree near the gate into Beacontown that he likes to read under from time to time. Maybe it’ll be a good spot to write in, too.

     Lukas settles down between two massive tree roots, his journal in his lap. The broad leaves provide ample shade from the sun. Birds sing in the tree’s branches, and the daily hustle and bustle of the town provides a pleasant background noise. Fresh air fills his lungs, helping him clear his head and get into a good writing mindset. Jesse ended up being right. A change of scenery is just what he needed to help him focus.

     It’s unclear how much time passes. Lukas’ hand flies across the page. Words are coming easily to him today. It’s incredibly satisfying. He only stops when his wrist begins to ache.

     Judging by the position of the sun, it’s some time around late afternoon. It’s gotten considerably warmer, too. Lukas takes off his jacket and rubs his wrist, wincing when it cracks. He looks around, deciding to engage in a bit of people watching while he waits for the ache in his wrist to fade. From his place beneath the tree, he can see down the main road of the town and into the square. There are people with arms full of shopping bags, people talking to friends, and people simply milling about. His eyes fall on a group of people tending to a large flower bed.

     Tulips in pots sit off to the side, their stems swaying gently in the light breeze. Everyone in the group is wearing matching green shirts. Lukas recalls Jesse saying something about a beautification project; this must be a product of that. They’re currently spreading soil in the flower beds surrounding Beacontown’s namesake. One member of the group is struggling with one of the large, heavy-looking bags of dirt.

     Just as Lukas thinks about offering a hand, Axel comes up behind the struggling member and slings the bag over his shoulder effortlessly. He isn’t wearing a matching shirt. In fact, he isn’t wearing a shirt at all. He has another bag over the opposite shoulder and his signature lazy grin on his face. The man he’d helped turns red and says something, probably a thank you, and Axel shrugs with his smile still present.

     Lukas is quite red himself. He’s seen Axel shirtless before, of course he has, but he still enjoys it every time. He can see the muscles moving underneath Axel’s skin as he adjusts the bags on his shoulders, and it makes his heart pound rapidly in his chest. Axel’s practically glistening in the afternoon heat. Lukas imagines being wrapped up in those arms of his, being pressed against his skin and nuzzling into his broad chest. He bets his skin is smooth. Maybe his hands are calloused, maybe he has scars, but Axel looks so warm and inviting and Lukas wants to RSVP immediately.

     Holy shit, pick me up and throw me against a wall, Lukas thinks to himself with a sigh as Axel throws a bag down and opens the other, single handedly taking care of a job three people were previously doing. Lukas is blatantly staring now, but that doesn’t quite register in his mind. He’s too busy thinking about Axel and his almost absurd strength.

     God, he could really manhandle me if he wanted to, he thinks. Maybe he could even hold me up with one arm.

     Axel would pin him to the wall, one arm wrapped around his waist, his smirk wide and eyes burning. Lukas would fight to not make any noise, not wanting to give him the satisfaction. He’d kiss him instead of playing along. Kiss him and touch him all over. Run his hands along his torso, his arms, cup his face in his hands, thread his fingers through his hair, touch every inch of him that he could reach. Axel would be warm, but he’d still shiver. Lukas would get back on the ground somehow and kiss him again. Kiss him, hold him close, feel his strong arms around him, feel his pulse against his fingers, make him smile and laugh and shiver and sigh, never let go, never let go, never let go—

     “Hey Lukas!”

     Lukas is startled out of his thoughts for what feels like the hundredth time that day by no one other than the main star of his fantasies. Axel is waving at him and smiling. Lukas returns the wave, feeling incredibly embarrassed. Axel stands up and dusts off his hands on his shorts, approaching Lukas. Lukas feels like he’s going to die. No, no, not right now, not right now—

     “Hi Axel,” Lukas says, a note of defeat in his voice, as Axel plops down next to him.

     “Hot out here, huh?” Axel says. He takes a drink from a water bottle, a few drops dripping down onto his torso.

     “Yeah,” Lukas agrees, staring at Axel’s chest for a moment before snapping his gaze back up to his face, his cheeks hot.

     “The shade’s nice though,” Axel says. He wipes his chin and leans against the tree with a contented sigh.

     “That’s why this is my favorite tree: lots of shade. That and the trunk is actually pretty comfy to sit against.” Axel nods, and he continues. “So you’re helping out with the flowers?”

     “Not officially or anything. I just saw they were kinda having a tough time and offered my talents. They seemed to appreciate it.” He offers Lukas his water bottle, which he accepts. “What brings you out here today?”

     “Working on my book,” Lukas replies as he hands the bottle back to Axel. “I’ve been having trouble with it lately, and Jesse suggested a change of scenery. It worked pretty well, I think.”

     “Cool,” Axel says. “Can’t wait to read it once you’re done.”

     “I didn’t think you knew how to read,” Lukas teases, his stomach turning pleasantly at Axel’s interest in his work.

     “Oh shut up,” Axel laughs, giving him a light punch to the shoulder. Lukas rubs his shoulder and glares at him, but his chuckle betrays him. Axel smiles before getting to his feet.

     “Back to work?” Lukas says, his eyes travelling down Axel’s body as he stretches.

     “Yep,” he confirms. “These flowers aren’t gonna plant themselves.” He gives Lukas a wave and heads back to the flower bed.

     “Try not to blow them up!”

     “Fuck off!”

     Lukas chuckles to himself again and picks up his notebook. He really should try to get more work done. Try as he might, he finds himself distracted either by his daydreams about Axel or the man himself. It doesn’t help that he still hasn’t put his shirt on. The universe must be plotting against him.

     Oh well.

Chapter Text

     Axel is being weird.

     There’s no other way to describe it. Lukas is used to his usual shenanigans by now, but the way he’s acting is just odd. He’s not exactly fidgety around Lukas—Axel’s never been timid a day in his life. But he seems like he’s a little stiffer. Something about his smiles seem nervous, maybe even a little forced. He’s still spending a lot of time around Lukas, and he doesn’t act weird all the time. It tends to happen when he and Lukas have been alone for a while.

     When Lukas asks Jesse about it, they stare at him without saying anything, an unimpressed expression on their face. Olivia has a similar reaction, and Petra just laughs. Lukas doesn’t get it. He gets the same reactions out of his friends every time he expresses concern about Axel, so after a while he stops asking. It’s getting a little frustrating, honestly. There’s clearly something bothering Axel, his friends seem to know exactly what it is, and no one’s telling him.

     Well, he thinks, I’ll just have to figure it out myself.

     Lukas waits for an opportunity to arise. Axel has never been good at talking about his feelings, and he’s definitely not going to do it if there’s anyone else around. As Lukas thinks of a way to get Axel to talk about what’s bothering him, he takes note of his behaviors. He doesn’t actually take physical notes (although he’s tempted to).

     A few things become apparent immediately. Axel is touching him much more frequently than he had been a few weeks ago. It’s casual things, for the most part: an arm slung around the back of the couch with fingertips brushing his shoulder, not pulling away when their hands brush, more playful nudges, bumping up against him when they walk next to each other, hands lingering longer than they need to after a clap on the back or the shoulder. Lukas isn’t complaining, not even a little bit. He feels warm whenever Axel touches him, however brief the contact. A flicker of hope appears in his chest when he notices these subtle changes, but he snuffs it out as soon as it flares up. He doesn’t want to assume. He doesn’t want to get his hopes up. More than anything, he doesn’t want to get his heart broken.

     A door opens about a week after Lukas decides to look for one. There’s a mishap with TNT near one of the town walls that leaves an enormous hole in its wake. The supply of stone bricks the town has on hand is large enough to repair it, but there won’t be much left once the wall is intact again. Everyone who’s able to build gets to work, Lukas included. He’s in the process of laying down a row of bricks when he feels a tap on his shoulder.

     “Hey,” Jesse says. “Can you do me a favor?”

     “For sure,” Lukas says. He stands up and dusts off his knees. “What’s up?”

     “Can you and Axel go get some more stone? There isn’t going to be much left after we’re done here, and I don’t want to come up short if something like this happens again,” they say.

     “Yeah, no problem,” Lukas says with a nod and a smile.

     “Thanks,” Jesse sighs in relief. “I can take over for you here.” They take his place at the wall, laying the bricks down once more, and Lukas sets off to find Axel. It doesn’t take long. He’s pushing a minecart of bricks across the town square, and he smiles when he sees Lukas.

     “Need a hand?” Lukas asks. The bricks look incredibly heavy.

     “Nah, I’m good,” Axel says, waving him off with one hand. It seems he can’t resist showing off; he continues to push the cart with one hand, continuing at his previous speed.

     “If you insist,” Lukas says with a shrug.

     “I do.” Axel chuckles when Lukas bumps into him, sending the cart slightly off course. “So did you come just to marvel at my strength, or is something up?”

     “A little of both, really,” Lukas says with a shrug. “Jesse wants us to go get some more stone. We’re going to be running low on bricks once the wall’s fixed.”

     “Alright, cool,” Axel says. “You wanna get some pickaxes and supplies and stuff while I get these bricks delivered?”

     “Sounds like a plan. Meet you by the gate.”

     “Don’t forget the fireworks!” Axel calls after him as he heads to the hall.

     “Why would I need fireworks?”

     “There’s always need for fireworks!”

     Lukas laughs and shakes his head. It only takes a few minutes to gather the supplies they’ll need: a couple of pickaxes, a few torches, his bow and arrows, and the huge bags they use for resource gathering. As he’s putting arrows in his quiver, Lukas realizes that this could be a perfect opportunity to talk to Axel about what’s been bothering him lately. He briefly wonders if Jesse sent the two of them on a mission on purpose, but brushes it off. He’s reading into things too much. He waits by the town gate, supplies in hand.

     Axel shows up soon after. Lukas hands him his bag, and they set off. The mineshaft near the town is still under construction, so they head to one of the nearby hills instead. It’s a bit of a walk, but it’s a nice day, so neither of them mind. They make small talk for a short part of their journey, but most of it is spent in companionable silence. Lukas thinks he catches Axel looking at him several times, but every time he glances over, his gaze is directed elsewhere. He brushes it off as wishful thinking.

     The two of them reach the cave closest to the town. It’s been excavated nearly to exhaustion of its more valuable natural resources, but stone is easy to come by. There should be plenty of it deeper in. Lukas and Axel venture deeper into the cave, looking for a good place to mine. The wide opening combined with the bright sun makes it so that they don’t have to use any of their torches until the ground starts sloping downward. Axel rummages through his bag in the dying light. His unusual stiff manner has made an appearance.

     “Here we go,” Axel says as he pulls out a couple of torches. He tosses one to Lukas and chuckles when he fumbles to catch it. “Oh, hey Lukas?”

     “Yeah?” Lukas replies as he lights his torch.

     “Are you a torch?”

     “...What?”

     “Are you a torch?” Axel scrapes the head of his torch over the rough stone wall, lighting it. “‘Cuz you light up my world.”

     Lukas stares at him for a moment before bursting out laughing. “Wh-what—” he chokes, “where the hell did that come from?”

     “Uh, you know,” Axel says with a shrug. “Jesse’s, um, gonna try that pick-up line on Petra and uh, they wanted to know if it’d work. So. They asked me to use it on someone. It’s pretty stupid though, right?”

     Lukas snorts, the sound devolving into another fit of laughter. That has to be the worst pick-up line he’s ever heard. It’s funny, sure, but he doesn’t think it would make him any more interested in someone just because they used it. If he’s being honest, he doesn’t think pick-up lines really work like that in the first place.

     “Yeah, it’s pretty dumb,” Lukas says after he collects himself. His sides hurt. “Just tell Jesse to be themselves. I’m pretty sure Petra already has a thing for them anyway.”

     “Right, yeah,” Axel says, nodding. He’s blushing, and he even looks a little embarrassed.

     “Oh, wait, did you come up with that?”

     Axel shrugs. “I mean, yeah.”

     “It’s not actually stupid!” Lukas says frantically, holding up his free hand in a defensive position, fingers splayed. “It’s just—”

     “C’mon, don’t do that. You already said you think it’s stupid, it’s fine.”

     “No, really! It’s not stupid, it’s just funny. But uh, I’m not sure how well it would work as a pick-up line. It’s kind of more like a joke.”     

     “So what would work?” Axel asks, turning to look at Lukas.

     “I’m not really sure, honestly,” Lukas says with a shrug. “Lay a couple more on me.”

     “Alright, lemme think.”

     “Don’t hurt yourself.”

     Axel flips him off as a response, and Lukas chuckles. Axel thinks for a moment, looking at the floor of the cave, one hand on his chin. He stares intensely at the ground before snapping his head up suddenly, grinning.

     “Hello, I’m a thief, and I’m here to steal your heart,” he says.

     “Nope,” Lukas deadpans.

     “Can I follow you home? My parents always told me to follow my dreams.”

     “That one’s just creepy.”

     “Yeah, that’s fair.” Axel clears his throat. “I thought happiness started with an H, but it turns out mine starts with U.”

     “That’s a little better,” Lukas says. He leans against the cave wall, his hands in his pockets.

     “You spend so much time in my mind that I should charge you rent,” Axel says, taking a step closer.

     “See, that one’s actually pretty good.” Lukas ignores the butterflies swarming in his stomach. Axel doesn’t mean anything by these. They’re just being silly. Even so, having Axel say things that even imply he’s thought about him in a context other than friendship makes his heart race and his cheeks warm.

     “Okay, one more.” Axel moves closer again. Lukas’ stomach tightens. “Are you going to kiss me, or do I have to lie to my diary?”

     I feel like I should be asking you that question, Lukas thinks to himself. He could kiss Axel right now if he wanted to. Which he does. He really, really wants to. He still has a light dusting of red across his cheeks and is close enough that Lukas could reach out and pull him down to his level. More than ever, he finds himself wondering what that would feel like, especially since it looks like Axel forgot to shave this morning, leaving stubble that Lukas is sure would scratch against his skin. He forces himself out of his fantasies hoping he’s not blushing nearly as hard as he thinks he is.

     “G-getting a little worse,” he says. Something flickers across Axel’s face, but it’s there and gone so quickly that Lukas doesn’t even get a chance to try and read his expression. He chuckles and returns to his bag where he’d put it on the ground to look for the torches, hoisting it back on to his shoulder.

     “Guess I should tell Jesse to not go to me for relationship advice,” he says.

     Lukas laughs, and they go deeper into the cave. They don’t have to go much farther to find a good mining spot, and they gather as much as they can before heading back to town. It isn’t until they’re there that Lukas realizes he never found out what was bothering Axel.

Chapter Text

     Lukas has had an incredibly long day. He’s been awake since the crack of dawn and underground for most of the day, gathering coal to replenish the torches in the corridors of the Order hall as well as a few other places around town that don’t have redstone lamps. He’d been attacked by a swarm of spiders that had followed him to the surface. The sight of spiders flowing out of a hole in the hillside had sent Lukas’ horse bolting in the opposite direction and into the trees. It had taken him a while to fight off the swarm and even longer to find traces of the horse. Its saddle had gotten caught in the dense branches of a bush with long, sharp thorns. Other than the saddle, a few tufts of horse hair, and a bit of blood on the thorns, he’d found no trace of the horse, meaning he was forced to travel back to town on foot.

     The sun is nearing the horizon by the time Lukas reenters Beacontown, covered in coal dust and dragging his feet. Every part of him is aching to crawl into bed and stay there forever. He can’t go straight there, though; he has to take a shower first. Otherwise his sheets will be covered in coal dust and smell like spider guts. He can worry about making replacement torches tomorrow morning.

     As Lukas approaches the hall, longingly thinking of a hot shower and a warm bed, he notices someone standing near the entrance, shifting their weight from one foot to the other and holding a flower pot. He thinks he recognizes him, but he can’t place where he’s seen him before. Just his luck to run into someone needing help when he looks—and smells—like this. With a sigh, Lukas climbs the stairs leading up to the hall and approaches the visitor.

     “Hey there!”

     The visitor jumps and almost drops his flower pot. He fumbles with it for a moment before looking up at Lukas, face flushed in embarrassment. “H-hi! Sorry, you startled me. I wasn’t really expecting anyone to be coming in this late…”

     “Sorry I surprised you like that,” Lukas says, adjusting the straps of his bag. It’s heavy, and his shoulders are beginning to scream in protest rather than just grumble. “I don’t think I caught your name, by the way.”

     “Oh! I’m Stephen,” the visitor says with a smile. He tucks his flower pot into the crook of one elbow and sticks his other hand out for Lukas to shake, which he does. He notices he has to look up to look Stephen in the eye.

     “Nice to meet you, Stephen,” he says. “I’m Lukas.”

     “I know,” Stephen says with an embarrassed smile.

     “Oh yeah,” Lukas chuckles. “I don’t think I’ll ever be used to that. Anyway, what’s up?”

     “I, uh, I was going to give these to Axel,” Stephen says, his face turning red. “He helped us with planting all the flowers around town a little over a week ago and I wanted to thank him.”

     That’s where Lukas recognizes him from. He looks over Stephen for a moment and, sure enough, he’s the same person who had been struggling with the bag of soil before Axel had helped him on the day Lukas had decided to try writing beneath his favorite tree. He has the same light brown skin and unruly reddish-brown hair. Lukas shifts his gaze from Stephen’s face to the flower pot in his hands. It’s painted white, has a green ribbon tied around it, and has a small cluster of red tulips sitting in it. There’s a tag with Axel’s name on it written in shimmering ink attached to the ribbon. It seems like a lot of effort to make just for a simple thank you gift.

     “Yeah, sure,” Lukas says. “Do you want me to give it to him or—?”

     “If it’s okay, could I give it to him myself?” Stephen asks sheepishly. “I want to make sure he knows I’m thankful.”

     “Sounds good,” Lukas says with a shrug. “Come on in.”

     He turns and walks into the hall, hearing Stephen following him. Lukas adjusts the straps of his bag again as he leads him down the main corridor. The weight is really starting to get to him now. That combined with the hot, gnawing feeling in his stomach is making him uncomfortable and a little grumpy. Axel isn’t in the common room, so he tells Stephen to wait on the couch while he goes and looks for him. Stephen seems a little nervous, but he obliges, perched on the edge of the cushions while Lukas heads toward the hallway containing all of their rooms.

     Before Lukas does any looking, he drops his bag off in his room with a sigh of relief and grabs the things he’ll need for a shower. He decides to knock on Axel’s door first; that’s the most likely place he’ll be. Sure enough, Axel opens the door.

     “Woah, you look like shit,” he says.

     “Hello to you too,” Lukas deadpans.

     “Seriously man, what happened?” Axel actually looks concerned. That makes the feeling in Lukas’ stomach fade a bit.

     “Coal mining and spiders,” Lukas says with a dismissive wave of his hand. “Nothing I couldn’t handle.”

     “We were wondering what took you so long,” Axel says. “I was about to go looking for you if you didn’t show up.”

     “I’m okay. But, uh, thanks,” Lukas says, rubbing the back of his neck. He feels flushed. Hopefully it isn’t too noticeable underneath all the the coal covering his face.

     “Well yeah, I’m not gonna just shrug and deal with it if you go missing.” Axel smiles slightly and leans on the doorframe. “But enough about what a great friend I am. What’s up?”

     Lukas had almost forgotten. “Oh, right. There’s a guy named Stephen here who wanted to give something to you. Kinda tall, messy hair?”

     “Oh yeah, the flower guy!” Axel says, snapping his fingers as he remembers. “Y’know all those flowers we planted around town?”

     “Yeah?”

     “They’re all from his shop. He’s a florist.”

     Lukas’ grip on the towel in his hands tightens. “Yeah? That’s cool.”

     “Yeah,” Axel agrees. “You said he was here?”

     “He’s on the couch.”

     “Cool. Thanks, Lukas.”

     Axel pats his shoulder as he walks past him, and rather than ease the tension Lukas feels, it makes it worse.

     After meeting him at the hall, Lukas finds himself running into Stephen more and more often. He visits Axel. A lot. Sometimes he has a potted plant with him. At first they’re just gifts for Axel, but as he gets to know the rest of them better, they become gifts for everyone. There’s a hanging plant in the large windows of the common room. Its leaves are so big and healthy and green that they spill over the edges of the pot. In any other circumstance, Lukas would think it was beautiful and comment on how it brightens up the room. In this circumstance, seeing it makes his mood tank. It reminds him of the small army of cacti sitting on the windowsills of Axel’s room.

     Lukas doesn’t spend as much time with Axel anymore. More often than not, Stephen is there. He makes the most lovesick, irritating faces Lukas has ever seen at Axel when he thinks no one is looking. Axel never notices. Lukas does nothing but notice. It makes it impossible to be around either of them at the same time.

     Out of curiosity, Lukas finds Stephen’s shop and goes inside. It’s infuriatingly perfect. All the cut flowers look fresh and vibrant, all the potted plants are thriving, and all the bouquets are breathtaking. Stephen himself is just as perfect as his stupid flower shop. He’s kind, he’s easy to talk to, and he’s unbearably charming. To top it all off, he’s damn near an expert on the language of flowers. There’s an ancient looking book on a stand near the cut flowers that explains their language.

     “It’s not really that relevant when you’re making a bouquet,” Stephen says as Lukas looks through the book, “but it can make your arrangement have that much more meaning if you want it to. That, and it’s just interesting.”

     Lukas nods and thumbs through the pages, looking for the meaning of tulips. He finally finds the page and looks down the list at the different meanings each color has. According to the book, red tulips mean true love. Stephen has to attend to a customer, so he doesn’t see Lukas slam the book shut and leave the shop, bristling.

     “True love my fuckin’ ass,” Lukas grumbles to himself as he stalks through the streets. “You barely know him. You sure as hell don’t know him like I do.”

     Lukas spends a lot of time in his room. Whenever someone asks why he’s being so reclusive, he tells them it’s so he can focus on finishing his book. That’s a half-truth; he is finishing it, but that’s not all he’s doing. He’s also stewing in his own jealousy. There’s no point in denying it. He’s incredibly jealous. Stephen is reasonably attractive, has next to no flaws, and Axel spends a lot of time with him. Not only that, but it’s pretty obvious to everyone except Axel that he’s completely head over heels for him. It would be easy for Axel to fall for him. Maybe he already has.

     Lukas can hardly stomach the thought.

     He’s sitting on the couch one afternoon, reading through his manuscripts, when Axel plops down next to him. Lukas glances at him and gives him a small wave but doesn’t pay him any other attention. Axel smells like flowers. It’s not hard to guess where he’s been, and thinking about it makes Lukas irritable.

     “Whatcha reading?” Axel asks, looking over Lukas’ shoulder.

     “My book,” Lukas answers. “I finished it, so I’m seeing if I need to make any edits.”

     “Woah, you finished? Awesome!” Axel says with a grin. “I’m proud of you, man!” He gives Lukas a hearty pat on the back.

     Ordinarily, Lukas would smile and thank him, but the sight of the plant in the window with Stephen’s signature white flower pot and the smell of the flower shop on Axel’s jacket have put him in a foul mood. He doesn’t say anything. He doesn’t even glance in Axel’s direction. He can practically feel Axel’s smile fade and his brow furrow.

     “Hey, are you okay?” he asks.

     “I’m fine,” Lukas says shortly.

     “Yeah, sure,” Axel says. He removes his hand from Lukas’ back, probably to cross his arms. Lukas isn’t sure; he’s still not looking at him. “That’s why you’ve been super grumpy lately.”

     “I’m not grumpy,” Lukas grumbles. “I’ve just been stressed about getting this done.”

     “Well, it’s done now,” Axel says. “For the most part, anyway. Why don’t you take a break? You deserve it.” He starts to take the book out of Lukas’ lap.

     “I’m fine,” Lukas snaps, yanking the book out of Axel’s hands and glaring up at him. Axel looks hurt for a moment before a deep scowl twists his features.

     “Well, if you’re going to be an asshole, I’ll just leave,” he says, standing up and moving to leave the room.

     “Yeah, why don’t you go hang out with your boyfriend?”

     That makes Axel stop in his tracks. He turns to face Lukas, his expression a mixture of confusion and anger. “My what?”

     “You know? Stephen? Weirdly obsessed with flowers? His dumb plants are all over the fucking place in here?”

     “Hey, what’s your problem? Stephen’s a cool guy! The fuck did he ever do to you?”

     Lukas doesn’t have an answer for that. He just lets out a huff through his nose and buries his face in his book. Axel’s still glaring at him, he knows that, but he’s hoping that he’ll just go away if he keeps ignoring him. Axel does the exact opposite. He sits back down on the couch, on the opposite end, legs folded underneath him and his hands on his knees as he stares Lukas down.

     “Weren’t you leaving?” Lukas grumbles, glowering at Axel over his book.

     “Not until you tell me what’s going on with you,” Axel says stubbornly.

     “I just don’t get what you see in that guy.”

     Realization dawns on Axel’s face. “Oh my god, are you jealous?”

     Lukas goes red. “Of course not!”

     “You’re totally jealous!”

     “I am not.”

     “You are too.”

     “Am not!”

     “Are too!”

     “Okay, okay, fine!” Lukas exclaims, throwing his hands in the air in exasperation. “Fine, I am! I’m really fucking jealous!”

     “There we go,” Axel says smugly, crossing his arms and smirking. “Was that so hard?”

     “Shut the fuck up,” Lukas grumbles.

     “Nope,” Axel says, popping the P. “But, anyway, you don’t have anything to be jealous of. Stephen’s just a friend.”

     “Why don’t you tell him that?”

     “I did.”

     “Wait, what?”

     “Yeah. When he brought me the tulips that first time, he told me that he wanted to get to know me better and asked me out on a date.” Axel shrugs. “I said no thanks. He seemed disappointed, but he still wanted to be friends, and he seemed like a cool guy, so I thought why not?”

     “Oh.” Lukas is reeling. Not only that, but he feels ridiculous. “Why did you turn him down?”

     “I already have feelings for somebody,” Axel says simply, and Lukas feels his heart crashing again.

     “Oh,” he says quietly. “Uh, who, if you don’t mind me asking?” Axel looks at him incredulously.

     “You, you dumbass.”

     Lukas stares at him. “What?”

     “Wow, you’re oblivious, aren’t you? I haven’t exactly been subtle. Don’t you remember me dancing with you at Jesse’s birthday party? Using all those stupid pick-up lines on you?”

     Lukas is still processing what Axel’s saying. He’s pretty sure he hasn’t blinked at all in the past minute.

     “I figured you knew I was flirting with you but that you weren’t into it,” Axel explains. “And, I mean, Stephen’s a nice guy, but I was kind of hoping you’d, you know...come around eventually.”

     Lukas doesn’t know what to say, so he doesn’t say anything. Instead, he moves to the other end of the couch, places himself in Axel’s lap, and kisses him. Axel startles at first, but he’s quick to relax and reciprocate, holding Lukas’ face in his hands. Lukas immediately melts into his touch, sighing through his nose. He doesn’t want to let go. He wraps his arms around Axel’s neck, and Axel grunts quietly before moving one hand to the small of his back to pull him closer. Lukas’ head is buzzing, and he feels like he’s amongst the clouds.

     “Hey Lukas have you seen my— okay, leaving the room!” Jesse says. “Petra owes me twenty bucks!”

     Lukas pulls away abruptly and watches Jesse scurry out of the room. He and Axel stare wide-eyed at each other for a moment before bursting out laughing. Axel’s still holding him close, and the light feeling in his chest expands, filling his whole body up with warmth. After their laughter dies down, Lukas cups Axel’s jaw in one hand.

     “I’ve wanted to do that for a really long time,” he says.

     “What took you so long?” Axel asks, leaning into Lukas’ touch.

     “Guess I’m just dumb.”

     Axel hums and presses a kiss to Lukas’ palm. “Nah. Just dense.”

     Lukas laughs and settles down into Axel’s lap. His broad chest is perfect to cuddle into, and he’s warm. Lukas’ heart feels like it’s going to explode when Axel wraps his arms around him, one hand moving up and down his back and the fingers of the other threaded into his hair. He tilts Lukas’ head upwards gently and kisses him again, slow and sweet and content.

     It’s better than any figment of Lukas’ imagination could ever hope to be.