Archive of Our Own ^beta

Lucas was slowly losing his mind. 

Eliott had him pined against the kitchen counter, his hands on his hair and he couldn’t repress a moan when Eliott fisted a lock of hair and pulled his head back, his mouth attacking his neck with heated kisses, sucking softly on the delicate skin.

His whole body felt like it was burning up and he just wanted to melt against Eliott and bask in the delicious ripples of pleasures that were running through him. His head felt foggy and he was sure he had a blissed-out expression on his face, but nothing mattered in that instant, his body completely lost in the sensations.

“Fuck, I can’t believe we’re doing this” Lucas whimpered as he tilted his head to give more room for Eliott’s kisses.

Lucas lifted his hands from the counter and fisted Eliott’s shirt, bringing his body closer to his. He slowly moved them under his shirt, touching the soft skin with his fingertips, tracing random patterns on his lower back.

“Mmm, me neither.” Eliott murmured against his skin, his lips tickling Lucas’ neck, making Lucas pant harshly.

Eliott’s mouth moved to his ear, nibbling on his ear lobe and Lucas shivered, want tugging at his stomach. He grabbed Eliott’s face with his hands and pulled him to his lips, losing himself against his mouth. 

Touch, kiss, feel seemed to be his only mantra.

He had waited so long for this moment, and Eliott was finally here, in his arms, against him and the happiness and the relief he was feeling were overwhelming him. It felt like he could breathe again after spending so long holding his breath.

He gasped when Eliott bit his lower lip, trying to reign in the waves of emotions that were crashing over him. Eliott’s hands left his hair for a moment, and Lucas felt the loss of contact vividly.

Then suddenly, Eliott’s hands seemed to be everywhere. On his back, on his stomach, on his ass and Lucas’ head fell back, a deep groan escaping his lips. 

“Lucas.” Eliott mumbled against his mouth, pulling him for a searing kiss and pressing his body against his tightly.

“Lucas!” A voice said sharply, followed by a knock on his door. Lucas frowned as the image of Eliott slowly faded away, only to be replaced by complete darkness.

“Lucas! Are you awake?” The voice repeated, and Lucas opened his eyes with difficulty. His body felt too warm and he moved around in his bed, pushing the covers away with a few kicks. He groaned when he felt the stickiness in his underwear, his erection painful.

It was one of those days apparently.

“Lucas! We’re going to be late for school!” Manon mumbled behind his door with a sleepy voice.

“I’m up! I’m up!” Lucas croaked, his throat feeling sore. He sat up slowly, and brought a hand to his hair, closing his eyes. He yawned, stretching his arms and turned around to check the time on his phone. He still had a good 20 minutes to get ready.

Manon knocked on the door and a few seconds later, she poked her head through the doorway, looking at Lucas with a fondly exasperated smile.

“I’m going to make some coffee. Do you want some? » Manon asked him, her eyes scanning his face.

“That’d be great, thank you.” Lucas answered, biting on his lip to repress another yawn.

Manon nodded, moving her head out of the doorway, and she closed the door delicately behind her. He heard her pour some water in the kettle a moment later and he sighed, getting out of bed slowly.

He made his way towards the bathroom, jumping straight into a much-needed shower.

Think of Daphné, that should do the trick, he told himself, wincing.

Fuck. What a way to start the day.

---

Lucas was heading home after hanging out with Yann and Arthur all Friday evening. It was almost 11 pm and the weed he had smoked with his friends was making him feel very sleepy.

He climbed the stairs slowly, yawning with all his might and he felt relieved when the door of his flat came into view. He was almost by the door when he heard loud giggles coming from inside. He raised an eyebrow and opened the lock with his key, entering the shared apartment with a curious look on his face.

He took his shoes off, dropping them carelessly by the entryway and stretched with a groan. He pricked up his ears to find out who was making so much noise.

“Manon! He’d be perfect for you! You’re gorgeous, and don’t get me started on how hot he is!” Someone who sounded like Alexia squealed with a high-pitched voice.

Ah, so Manon’s friends were still there, Lucas realised. He had thought they’d be long gone by now, but judging by Alexia’s tone, they had been drinking quite a lot.

Maybe sleep was out of the question for now, Lucas thought, a pout on his lips.

He slowly made his way towards the leaving room and stood in the doorway awkwardly. The girls didn’t seem to notice him, and he smiled lazily, eyes moving from Manon, Emma and Imane who were sitting on the couch to Daphné and Alexia who were snuggling in the armchair.

Manon looked positively over the conversation the girls were having, Lucas noticed as he saw her small frown and unimpressed stare. And from the looks of it, Imane was too. She was on her phone and was paying no mind whatsoever to the rest of the girls.

"Yeah! Think about the babies you two would make! They’d be unstoppable.” Daphné squeaked excitedly, bringing her hands to her chest with a dreamy look in her eyes.

“Ok Daphné, I think you’re getting carried away. I just said he seemed nice, not that I want him to impregnate me.” Manon said with a roll of her eyes, hunching over to slip her palm around her mug. She took a sip and slouched back on the couch with a sigh.

“I’m not talking about right now!” Daphné exclaimed, backtracking a little, crossing her legs. “But, you know, for future reference…” She trailed off, lowering her eyes to her almost empty glass.

Lucas cleared his throat. “Hey.” He greeted them with a wave of his hands, grabbing the attention of everyone in the room in a second.

“Oh! Lucas! You’re here!” Emma said drunkenly, getting up from the couch and staggering towards him to give him a bone-crushing hug. Imane shot her a dark look when she almost knocked her over, and Lucas had to fight back a laugh.

“I’ve missed you so much.” Emma continued with glazed eyes, putting all of her weight on him, making him almost stumble backwards.

“Uh, me too…” He stuttered with difficulty; the air almost knocked out his lungs, and he glanced at Manon with widened eyes. Manon smirked a little, nodding at him. He slipped his arms around Emma’s waist and helped her straighten up, half-dragging her back to the couch.

Once Emma was sitting down again, Lucas looked up and said, “Don’t mind me, I’m going to go chill in my room. I just wanted to say hi.”

“No, no, please, stay.” Manon implored, dropping her mug on the coffee table and getting on her feet. She shot a desperate look at Lucas.

"The girls were about to leave.” Manon said with a pointed look to Daphné and Alexia. The girls seemed confused but under Manon insistent gaze they all mumbled out their goodbyes as they got up.

Manon and Lucas waited in silence for the girls to exit the flat. Once the door was closed behind them, Manon sighed heavily and fell back on the couch, draping her right arm before her eyes.

“Thank God you arrived, I was losing my mind.” She muttered through her teeth.

Lucas glanced at her, intrigued. He sat down beside her and put his arm around her shoulders, pulling her to his side. She dropped her head in his neck and grunted.

“Oh yeah? What’s that about?” he asked, running a hand through her hair casually.

“Ah, that feels good.” She mumbled, a pleased smile stretching her lips and Lucas massaged her scalp a little harder. “Nothing really, I should’ve shut my mouth.” She acknowledged, a thoughtful look on her face.

Lucas hummed, closing his eyes a little. “Care to elaborate on that?” He murmured sleepily, repressing a yawn.

Manon didn’t reply right away. She played with her fingers and Lucas tilted his head towards her, trying to read the expression on her face. She seemed almost shy and Lucas felt very intrigued by it. Manon wasn’t usually easily put off.

She bit her lip and snuggled closer to Lucas’ chest. “It’s just that I think I’m over Charles and I told them I’m ready to move on, you know?”

“Really? That’s great!” Lucas told her with a smile, hugging her tighter. “I’m happy for you.”

“Yeah…” Manon sighed, rubbing her eyes with a frown. “But then the girls started talking about guys I could date, and they just wouldn’t stop.”

“Ah…” Lucas trailed off, at loss for words.

 He was highly aware of how that felt. Basile and Daphné had started dating at the end of their second year of high school, and Lucas had to admit that he didn’t think Basile could pull that off, but they had taken it upon themselves to play Cupid ever since. It was very annoying and Lucas himself had been a victim of their scheming.

Poor Martin, Lucas thought with a sigh, the dude hadn’t deserve being dragged into that mess.

“Yeah, and to make things worse, I, uh, might have let it slip that I have my eyes on someone.” Manon said softly, tracing imaginary lines on Lucas’ arm. “So, they were super curious about it.” She looked down, a slow blush covering her cheeks.

Lucas perked up at that. It was the first time he was hearing about any of this. “Oh yeah? Do I know who it is?” He asked with a raised eyebrow, a cheeky smile on his lips.

“Maybe?” Manon mumbled, glancing at him through her eyelashes.

“Wait...” Lucas said with a smirk, “It isn’t me, right? Cause let me tell you, I’m not sure I could get it up, no offense.” He teased her, pinching her side.

Manon rolled her eyes, pushing his hand away lazily. “Pfff, no it’s not you. And even if you weren’t gay, you’re not really my type.” She retorted with a smile.

“Ah, I see how it is. Too much sex appeal, I get it.” Lucas stated with a knowing look, biting his lip to not burst into laughter.

“You’re dumb.” Manon shot back, nudging him in the side.

“Sure.” Lucas said, nodding slightly. “You don’t have to tell me, you know.” He murmured, kissing her forehead tenderly.

“I know.” Manon whispered with a small smile.

There was a pause and Lucas glanced at the doorway, wondering if he should go to bed. His eyes felt heavy and his brain was becoming a puddle of goo. He was pulled out of his thoughts when Manon cleared her throat. He glanced at her and noticed she was looking at him with a hesitant gaze.

“Uh, so I was wondering….” Manon trailed off, biting her lower lip nervously. “You know Eliott? You’ve talked to him, right?” Manon continued as if she was scared of letting the words out and Lucas felt his throat clog up instantly.

He knew Eliott for sure. The guy had arrived at school a few months ago and he held Lucas’ heart in his hands. To say that his little infatuation had gotten a bit out of control was a euphemism. Hearing Manon talk about him made Lucas weary and he glanced at her curiously. “Yeah, I’ve talked with him a few times.”

“What do you think about him?” Manon asked him, lowering her eyes to her hands.

“Hum. I don’t know him that well.” Lucas stuttered, feeling his cheek burning up. “He’s nice.”

“Nice? That’s all you have to say?” Manon inquired, glancing at him.

“I don’t fucking know. I don’t think about Eliott all the time.” He grunted defensively. He felt his palms begin to sweat and he rubbed his free hand on his jeans nervously. Manon shot him a questioning look and straightened herself up. She moved away from Lucas and crossed her legs on the couch.

“He’s in my class, I’ve been talking quite a lot with him recently and he’s very sweet...” Manon trailed off, blushing lightly.

“Oh,” Lucas mumbled before clearing his throat. He felt doom curl at the pit of his stomach. “Is it him? The guy you kinda have a thing for?” Lucas asked, trying to act nonchalant.

 “Maybe? I don’t know, I think I like him and … I think he likes me too?” Manon replied with a blush, lacing her fingers in a nervous manner. 

“Ah, that’s, uh, that’s great.” Lucas whispered, looking down at his nails.

It wasn’t. 

He was in trouble.

——

Lucas didn’t really realise it at first but his feelings for Eliott had slowly but surely taken a hold of him.

First came the sweaty palms and the nervous energy every time he would glance around the school yard and see Eliott, face beaming with a sunny smile as he talked to a classmate. Then came the butterflies in his stomach that almost made him nauseous at times.

Lucas knew he was attracted to Eliott and by the looks of it, so were quite a few people in the school. But his attraction had morphed into fondness and then tenderness and without noticing it, Lucas had fallen in love.

Eliott was sweet and had a gentleness about him that Lucas found so incredibly endearing. He seemed liked a massive dork which was such a contrast to his handsomeness. All in all, he was the total package and all of Lucas’ thoughts seemed to be dedicated to him and his intense gaze, his lips, his smiles that made Lucas weak in the knees.

Lucas was going crazy with emotions. He felt like a mess of bottled up feelings and he had never felt that way about anyone before, at least, not to that extent. He had had crushes, sure, but nothing could compare to this. Not even his crush on Yann had been that consuming.

And for a moment, Lucas had thought Eliott was maybe feeling that attraction too. Maybe it had been a trick of his mind or just him looking for signs that his feelings were reciprocated but Lucas could’ve sworn he had seen Eliott glance his way a few times.

But Lucas could barely hold a conversation with him without becoming a blubbering mess. Gone was the smooth talker and brave Lucas. So, he had hoped from afar but had never dared take his chance.

Yet.

His nerves were pulling him back and Lucas had wondered if he should just remove the bandage and go for it. Because deep down, Lucas knew he wanted to do something and get it over with.

What was the worse that could happen, right? Lucas thought with a frown. Rejection would crush him, but he could get over it, right?

But now, with Manon in the picture Lucas didn’t know what to do anymore. 

Should he tell her he liked him too? Would it change anything? In the end, Eliott would decide, and he could very well not be interested in any of them. 

Manon had become one of his closest friends in the past few months, and she had been through a lot. He was happy that she was moving on from Charles, but he would’ve been happier if she didn’t like the guy, he had a crush on.

Lucas looked down at his hands, a crease in his brows. That whole situation was making him miserable.

What was he going to do now?

---

Where was that damn book? Lucas thought grumpily, rummaging through his locker, trying to find his biology text book with a scowl on his face.

The day had barely started but he couldn’t wait to go back to his bed and sleep for an entire week. Mika had brought his one-night stand at the shared-flat and Lucas had heard him getting it on very loudly until the late hours of the night.

He felt someone approaching and he glanced to his right, his mouth instantly drying out. Did Eliott have to be so good-looking all the time? Lucas thought, forcing his mouth to stay put.

“Hi.” Eliott said in a gentle voice, a easy smile on his face, wiggling on his feet. “How are you?”

“Hey.” Lucas cleared his throat, his mind turning at full speed to function normally again. “I’m dead on my feet, but I’m good. What about you?” He mumbled, scratching the back of his neck nervously.

“Eh, like a Wednesday morning.” Eliott said with a shrug, winking at Lucas. Lucas had to repress the want to squirm and he nodded, glancing down at his feet.

“Are you going at Alex’s party on Friday?” Eliott asked, a lazy smile on his lips, slouching against a locker.

“I don’t think so. I have an exam in biology next week and I’ve been way too distracted lately. Are you?”

“Distracted? A bit yeah.” Eliott said with a teasing grin, wriggling his eyebrows.

Lucas laughed and nudged him in the side. “Going to the party I mean.”

“No, not this time.” Eliott said, holding Lucas’ stare. “And between you and I, parties are more fun when you’re there, so…” Eliott trailed off with an intense look.

“Really?” Lucas stuttered as his eyes widened. The butterflies in his stomach seemed to awaken all at once and Lucas felt suddenly hopeful and terrified at the same time.

This was a sign, right?

“Of course, you suck at Caps. You’re the only one I can beat.” Eliott replied with a smirk and he bit back a laugh when Lucas glared at him with an offended look.

Ok, maybe not a sign.

“Oh, by the way.” Eliott exclaimed suddenly. He moved his backpack on one shoulder and started scouring it distractedly. Lucas took his time to admire his profile, his eyes trailing down from his messy locks to his nose, then to his throat. Lucas licked his lips without realising he was going it, wonder written all over his face and he shook his head when he noticed Eliott had pulled out a book and was handing it to him.

“I think this is yours?” He said with a shy smile and Lucas felt breathless for an instant. He loved that smile on Eliott and Lucas blinked slowly, dazed. He looked down at the book and noticed it was the one he had been searching for and took it from Eliott’s hand.

“Oh, thank you!” He said, a grateful smile stretching his lips before he frowned a little. “Wait, how did you know it was mine?” He asked, looking up at Eliott.

Eliott shot him an amused look. “Your name is in it?” He said simply and Lucas felt his body flush.

Duh.

“Right, of course.” He mumbled uneasily, feeling like a complete moron. “Well, thanks again.”

“You’re welcome.” Eliott said with a small smile and he wiggled on his feet for a moment.

They stood there, staring at one another awkwardly for a moment and Lucas almost jumped out of his skin when the school bell rang.

“Hum. See you later?”

Eliott nodded with a gentle smile and straightened up. “Sure. Have a good day.” He said, before turning around and taking a few steps down the corridor.

“Huh, Eliott?” Lucas called after him, grabbing his courage in both hands. Eliott glanced back at him and smiled invitingly, prompting Lucas to continue.

“Yes?” He said when Lucas didn’t say anything.

“Uh… I like your shirt.” Lucas mumbled, wincing at his own awkwardness.

Baby steps, Lucas thought, biting his lip nervously.

Eliott looked down on his black shirt and raised an amused eyebrow.

“Thanks, I like yours too.” He said with a teasing smile before slowly disappearing in the corridor leading to his next class.

Lucas exhaled loudly and closed the door of his locker shakily.

Baby steps, he repeated to himself.

---

“Manon come on…” Mika whined, knocking on Manon’s door repeatedly. “I just want to help you.”

Lucas rolled his eyes. Mika had been pestering Manon for the past five minutes and it was messing with his own studies. His exam was in a couple of days and Lucas had to admit that his head wasn’t in it.

Manon had told him the previous night that she was going out with Eliott ‘just to study’ but Lucas had felt his heart squeeze unpleasantly in his chest at the thought of the two of them spending time together. He had tried to gather the courage to talk to her but at the same time, he wasn’t even sure that the tension he felt between Eliott and him wasn’t all in his head.

He looked down at his biology notebook with a scowl, his stomach churning unpleasantly. Could Eliott not consume his thoughts for one minute? Lucas thought pitifully.

“I told you to leave me alone.” Manon yelled, stomping on each step she took in her room.

“You’re no fun, can you at least show me?” Mika exclaimed and Lucas could hear the pout in his voice.

Please, shut up, Lucas thought with a deep sigh, tapping his pencil against his still blank page. He groaned and closed his eyes, trying to tune him out.

“You’re going to see me when I get out of my room.  Now shoo.” Manon cried out

“Fine, be that way. I only have your best interest at heart here.” Mika shot back, a whine in his voice and Lucas felt like banging his head against the wall.

“Go away, you’re being annoying.” Manon snapped, and she threw something on her door, making Mika yelp.

Mika sighed heavily. “Don’t complain, if you look bad.” He retorted before opening Lucas’ door with a bang and falling on his bed.

Lucas shot him an annoyed look, hoping for Mika to get the hint and get the hell out of there.

“She’s so stubborn.” Mika exclaimed with a pout, turning his head to look at Lucas, completely ignoring his dark glare. “Everyone knows I have impeccable taste. That’ll teach me about being so generous. Lesson learned, trust me.” He added with a roll of his eyes.

“What are you doing?” Mika inquired, looking Lucas up and down with a frown.

“Well, as you can see, I’m painting my nails.” Lucas said in a snarky tone, trying to pull his notebook from under Mika’s back. “Move, you’re going to make a mess of my notes.”

Mika glanced down at the page empty of words. “What notes? There’s nothing on that page.” Mika deadpanned, raising an eyebrow, a mocking smile stretching his lips.

 Lucas shot him an unimpressed look before staring at his notes with a scowl. “Yes, any guesses why?” He shot back, exasperated.

So much for trying to be serious with his studies for once, Lucas thought with a sigh as he closed his notebook.

Mika rolled his eyes. “You’re all boring today.” Mika stated, looking at his nails.

“Don’t worry, I’m going to the swimming pool this afternoon with the others, my boring ass will be out of your way.” Lucas deadpanned as he fell on his pillow.

“Oh really? Interesting.” Mika murmured, rubbing his chin with his hand. “And you said it wasn’t a date!” He exclaimed loudly in Manon’s direction. He sat up on Lucas’ bed and crossed his legs, facing him.

“It’s not a date!” Manon yelled from her room. “We’re just going to grab a coffee and then we’re going to work on our philosophy essay. Stop spreading lies.”

“So why are you playing dress up?” Mika yelled back, throwing his hands up in an over-dramatic way.

Manon seemed to mumble something from her room and Mika’s face morphed into a victorious expression.

“See! It’s a date!” Mika said with a smirk.

Lucas frowned and stared down at his hands. He hated it, he hated it so bad.

“Shut up!” Manon spat and she swore when she dropped her purse.

“I’ve seen pictures and let me tell you, he’s yummy.” Mika whispered to Lucas with a conspirator look and Lucas felt like strangling him. “She’s a lucky girl. I wish I could get myself a man like him.” He added with a dreamy look.

Lucas heard Manon get out of her room and she entered his room shortly after.

“There you go, big baby.” She muttered, turning around on herself for Mika to inspect, her long hair floating around her head with the movement. She looked incredible, Lucas thought with a scowl. “Do I pass the test?” She said in a sugary voice.

“It’s alright.” Mika grumbled with flippancy, looking at his nails grumpily.

Manon rolled her eyes. “Whatever. I’ll be back later, don’t wait up.” She said as she adjusted the strap of her purse on her collarbone before turning around to leave the room.

“Be sure to bring a condom with you.” Mika called after her as she walked through the corridor.

“We’re going to study, Mika. It’s not a tinder date.” Manon replied with an exasperated voice.

“You never know. Don’t tell me I didn’t warn you.”  Mika yelled with an eye roll.

Manon grunted something, and Lucas heard her moving around the living room and picking up her keys. A moment later, the door closed behind her.

“Man, where is Lisa? The flat has a depressing stench without her.” Mika said in a dead voice, looking up at the ceiling with a bored look.

“In Germany. And to be honest, she probably fled from you too.” Lucas retorted, closing his eyes painfully and pushing is back against his pillow.

Mika shot him an irritated look and sighed heavily before perking up, moving his head closer to Lucas’.

“So, what ship name should we give them?” He whispered, wiggling his eye brows playfully.

“Why are you whispering? And what the fuck is a ship name?” Lucas asked, trying to keep his face as expressionless as possible.

“You know, like Brangelina, Brad and Angelina.” Mika explained and Lucas only stared at him blankly.

“Mika … I don’t care.” He said flatly, rolling his eyes. He glanced at his phone with a wondering look. Maybe he should pretend to text someone, and Mika would leave?

“I think Manzo has a nice ring to it. Don’t you agree?” Mika continued, looking at Lucas’ slouched position with an unimpressed stare, and blatantly ignoring Lucas’ retort.

“Manzo? What?” Lucas stuttered, wondering where the hell that name was coming from. He ran a hand through his hair and closed his eyes, exasperated.

“Well there are not many combinations for Enzo and Manon. I’m a thinker, not a poet.” Mika stated with a serious look and then he frowned. “Kitten, it stinks in here, when was the last time you cleaned your room?” He asked with reproving eyes.

“Six months ago, there’s a bunch of cockroaches too, my favourite is Lucy. Do you want to meet her?” Lucas replied sarcastically, getting up from his bed to open his window. Mika glanced at him with a blank face, clearly unimpressed.

“And, it’s not Enzo, it’s Eliott.” Lucas mumbled, biting his lip when the name left his mouth. Even saying his name out loud was making his body flush. He really needed to get a grip.

“Eliott, Enzo, it sounds the same to me.” Mika replied with a nonchalant wave of his hand. Then he sighed heavily. “But I hate to admit that, this time, you might be right. Manott is terrible and don’t get me started on Elion. I don’t think it’s meant to be.” He stated with a thoughtful frown, glancing at the door.

“Right, because Manzo is so much better.” Lucas said, exasperated and he sat back down on his bed with a sigh.

Mika shook his head, looking at him with a pained expression. “You have so much to learn.” He stated before getting on his feet and leaving Lucas’ room without a backward glance.

Lucas groaned and pushed his books out of the way, making them fall off his bed.

He’d study tomorrow. Maybe.

---

Lucas was lazying on his towel, the sun warming his back nicely, and he sighed. He had his headphones on, listening to his Spotify Playlist on shuffle and was enjoying this moment of peace, away from Eliott and his biology exam.

They had gone to an outside pool on the outskirts of Paris, the girls wanting to celebrate the first days of warmth and sun and they had invited the boys to join them.

Lucas suddenly felt water drip on his back and a shadow blocking the sun. He turned around to see Alexia. “I forgot to put sunscreen on.” She said, her face a little red. “Can you do my back please?” She asked with a shy smile.

“Sure.” Lucas muttered, dropping his headphones on his towel and sitting up, spreading his legs so she could sit between them. “You’re pretty red already.” He said, picking up the lotion she was holding in her hand and started applying it on her shoulder.

“I know, I can feel I’m burning up.” She shrugged. “Aaah, right there!” She hummed when he pressed a little harder than necessary on her shoulder. “You’d make a great masseuse.”

Lucas laughed, drawing little circle on her lower back, “I’ve heard that before. Thanks for the compliment.”

Alexia laughed and took the bottle back before putting some lotion on her legs and said, “Do you know why Manon isn’t here? She was so secretive when I texted her.”

Lucas tensed a little, but he shook his head before realising she was facing away from him. “Uh, no, I don’t know.” He lied through his teeth. If Manon didn’t tell her, Lucas wasn’t about to. He grabbed the sunscreen again, putting a bit of product in his hand.

Alexia gasped, “I bet it’s got something to do with Eliott.” She tilted her head, shivering a little when Lucas applied lotion on her neck. “I’ve seen them talk a lot recently.”

“Well, they’re in the same class. But, maybe, I didn’t pay attention.” Lucas mumbled feeling his cheek burning up. He was secretly relieved that Alexia couldn’t see him because he was sure that his whole face was betraying him.

“I’m a bit jealous, I would’ve totally gone for him if I wasn’t single.” Alexia said in a dreamy voice.

Lucas laughed nervously, glancing at the girls talking in the swimming pool. “Yeah, he’s really hot.” He acknowledged and before she could reply, he took his hands away from her skin and said, “All done.”

Alexia turned around and kissed him on the cheek “Thanks, babe.” She whispered against his skin.

She stood up, stretched a little with a yawn and said, “Don’t you want to swim? The water’s great.”

“Yeah, I’ll be right there, you go ahead.” Lucas murmured and Alexia nodded, smiling before making her way to the girls. He could see Imane rolling her eyes at Daphné and he smirked.

He stretched a little, feeling the bones in his neck crack. He stood up and walked to the pool, jumping besides the girls with a splash, and earning himself a glare from Daphné.

“Lucas!” Emma said, hugging him from behind and wrapping her legs around his hips. Lucas moved his hands to grab her thighs, pulling her up a little. “I’m not sure you want to be here for this conversation.” She whispered in his ear, laughing.

“What? Why?” Lucas asked, frowning a little.

“What do you think, Lucas? You do it, right?”, Daphné questioned looking at him.

“Do what?” Lucas said, a puzzled look on his face. He saw Imane rolling her eyes as she brought a hand to the bridge of her nose with an annoyed expression.

“Daphné, please, can you not?” She sighed, staring at Daphné in mild exasperation.

Daphné turned to face Imane, “What? It’s just a question.” She shot back, an offended look on her face.

Glancing back at Lucas she said, expectant, “Do you like it, when you finger yourself? You know... down there. I mean, you’re gay, you must do it all the time, right?”

“Told you.” Emma whispered in his ear, laughing.

Lucas stared at Daphné with a blank look, not quite sure he had heard her clearly. He paused for a second, considering his answer. “Oh yeah, all the time. I don’t know if you knew that, but it’s actually the only way, us gays, have sex. And when we’re done, we pamper our assholes with an oil that smells of roses. It keeps it smooth.” He stated, sarcasm dripping from his voice.

“Really?” Daphné exclaimed, surprise written all over her face. Wincing, Lucas pinched the bridge of his nose. He could see Imane shaking her head on the side and Alexia laughing, her hands covering her face.

“No! Daphy, of course not.” He gritted out, exasperated, hands shooting up in the air. “What the fuck?”

Man, no wonder Basile was so into Daphné, they were the same, Lucas thought with a scowl.

---

Lucas had just missed his bus and was looking at the timetable, hoping for the next bus to arrive shortly. His exam was on the very next day and Lucas still felt very unprepared and thought that he was going to bomb it majorly. It was raining outside, and Lucas’ hair were completely drenched, his body shivering a little despite the warm weather.

He checked the time on his phone and jumped when someone cleared their throat beside him. He turned his head to the side and saw Eliott sitting on a chair, his wet hair falling loosely on his face. Lucas gulped and tried not to stare too hard.

Images of Eliott under the shower flashed in front of his eyes, from one of the countless dreams he had had about them together and he felt his cheeks heat up. That look made him appear adorable and hot at the same time and Lucas’ mind couldn’t understand how Eliott could be both.

"Oh, hello.” Lucas stuttered awkwardly, glancing back at his phone.

“Hi, Lucas. What’s up? I haven’t seen you in a few days.” Eliott said with a small smile, turning his body to face him.

“You know, same old, mock-exams and all that. The bac is freaking me out, it still feels like it’s months away but it’s... In less than 2 months now?” Lucas muttered, feeling like he suddenly couldn’t stop talking. “How about you?”

“I feel you. I had to retake this year and I refuse to redo it a third time.” Eliott said with a wince and he shrugged as if he was pushing away that thought.

“Oh… I didn’t know that. Is that why you switched schools so late in the year?” Lucas asked, running a hand through his messy wet locks.

“Kinda.” Eliott replied with a shrug.

“Ok...?” Lucas trailed off with a puzzled expression and Eliott smiled mysteriously. “So, did you have a good time with Manon? She told me you spent hours cursing Kant on Saturday.” Lucas said innocently, fishing for information without trying to make it seem like he was. He clenched his teeth when he felt a cold shiver run down his spine and he brought his hands to his arms to rub them energetically.

Eliott hummed and shrugged casually. “It went well, I guess. I’m glad Manon was there because philosophy isn’t really my favourite. She’s your roommate, right? She talked about you.” Eliott said nonchalantly, pulling his phone out to check at the time.

Lucas frowned, surprised. “What? Really?” Eliott nodded with a playful smile and Lucas tensed up. “Was it all bad?” He asked, biting his lips.

“Well…” Eliott started with a pained look before he chuckled at Lucas’ scared face. “I’m just kidding, she just said she was glad you were there to keep her sane. She mentioned her ex-boyfriend, you know? Carl?”

“Charles. But sure, let’s go for Carl. He was an ass, I’m glad she’s over him.” Lucas told him with a tight smile, glancing at the cars passing them by.

Eliott shrugged. “She’s a sweet girl, and I’ve been in a messy relationship before, I get where she’s coming from.” He said with a thoughtful look before glancing up at Lucas with a smile.

Lucas bit his lip and nodded. “So, if philosophy isn’t your thing, what do you like then?”

“I’m more into arts.” Eliott stated with a mysterious smile and Lucas felt the desire to squirm.  

“Oh yeah? What kind of art?” Lucas asked, raising a questioning eyebrow.

“I draw…” He trailed off, staring at Lucas pointedly. Lucas only nodded, encouraging and Eliott seemed to deflate a little. He paused for a moment, eyes travelling across Lucas’ face before shrugging. “I think I want to make movies someday, maybe animated ones? I’ve applied to a bunch of schools too, but I haven’t had many answers yet.”

“It’s cool that you know what you want to do already. I can’t really draw personally, apart maybe weird looking dicks, which is a shame because one, it’s pretty easy to draw and two… well, I have one.” Lucas said with a cheeky smile, a bit embarrassed by his bad joke.

Eliott glanced at him with a fond smile and for a second, Lucas thought he was holding his breath. The second later, Eliott was laughing heartily and Lucas felt his heart squeeze in his chest. He had never seen Eliott laugh like this before and Lucas felt a strange sense of pride for being the one responsible for it.

“Art isn’t really your thing huh?” Eliott smirked, raising a teasing eyebrow.

“I mean, I can play a bit of piano?” Lucas admitted shyly. His friends didn’t even know about it but a part of him wanted to impress him.

“Really? I’d like to hear you sometime…” Eliott trailed off with a mysterious smile.

“Uh… Sure? Don’t get set your expectations to high though, I pretty rusty.” Lucas acknowledged with an embarassed smile, looking down at his feet. He glanced up and saw a bus coming their way.

“Isn’t that your bus?” Lucas exclaimed without thinking, pointing at it. Eliott turned his head, his wet hair bouncing around and he glanced back at Lucas with a playful smile, nodding.

He hummed. “How do you know?” He asked, a teasing glint in his eyes, getting up on his feet.

“Uh…” Crap, Lucas thought, busted. “I’ve seen you take it before.” Lucas mumbled, trying to act nonchalant. From the amused look Eliott was giving him, he had failed. Lucas blushed and cleared his throat.

Eliott chuckled and walked to the door of the bus. “Good luck on your exams.”

Lucas gave him a thankful smile and waved awkwardly. “Thanks, you too. Bye, Eliott.”

“Bye, Lucas.” Eliott said with a soft smile, getting on the bus and greeting the driver politely.

When Lucas got home a moment later, he avoided Manon’s stare and went straight to his room. He felt like Eliott had been subtly trying to tell him something, but Lucas had no idea what that was.

He had a lot to think about.

---

Lucas was sitting in the school cafeteria, moving his beans with the tip of his fork, lost in his thoughts.

He felt a kick against his shin and glanced at Yann with annoyed eyes.

“What?” Lucas mumbled, frowning.

“What’s with the long face?” Yann asked as he picked up his apple and took a bite, staring at Lucas with concern.

Lucas moved his eyes around the room without really paying attention to anything before he noticed a mop of messy hair on the table at the back of the room. Eliott was wearing a black hoodie today and Lucas felt his stomach do somersaults at the sight.

Eliott was talking to Manon who was standing up by his chair, a pensive look on his face, and Lucas felt his own face fall. As if he could feel Lucas’ stare, Eliott looked up and glanced in his direction, making eye contact and he shot him a small smile.

Lucas felt his cheeks heat up and he looked down at his plate, embarrassed.

“Lucas?" Yann said and Lucas shot him a questioning look. Did he want something?

“Huh?” Lucas murmured distractedly, taking a bite of his beans.

“You look like someone died.” Yann said. “Are you okay?” He asked in a softer tone, taking another bite.

Lucas shrugged nonchalantly. He didn’t really want to dwell on it too much and the idea of saying it out loud was overwhelming him. He glanced at Eliott and Manon again and noticed she had left.

He felt Yann’s stare on him, and his friend turned his head towards the back of the room and smirked a little.

“Ah, is it about Eliott?” He asked, wiggling his eyebrow in a teasing manner.

“What? No!” Lucas exclaimed defensively. He dropped his fork on his tray and scratched his temple nervously. Yann looked at him with an unimpressed gaze and Lucas sighed. “How do you know?” He murmured, defeated.

“Dude, you think you’re subtle, but I see you mooning over him all the time.” Lucas looked down at his tray, blushing and took a bite of his beans with a nervous look on his face.

“Hey, hey, hey!” Arthur said jovially as he dropped his tray on the table next to Lucas. “What’s up my dudes?”

Lucas barely glanced his way, murmuring an “all good” as he shoved the remains of his plate in his mouth, avoiding Yann’s eyes.

“Guys, you’ll never guess what happened yesterday!” Basile exclaimed with a proud smile,sitting down quickly. “I finally reached level 24!”

“What, really?” Arthur said, holding his fork up in the air.

“Yeah, you know when the final boss grabs you and you need to unlock a special power to free yourself?” Basile said, bringing a forkful of beans in his mouth. The guys were looking at Basile with blank faces and Basile continued without a care in the world. “Well I finally got it. It was a grind to get it but, guys! I. Did. It. I kicked his ass so hard!”

“Man congrats. Maybe you’ll stop talking about it now.” Lucas muttered darkly and Arthur shot him a puzzled look.

“Ok, what’s up with him?” Arthur said, pointing at Lucas with his thumb. “Did you get drunk last night or something?” He asked him with a frown.

“Nothing, sorry.” Lucas mumbled quickly, bringing his glass of water to his mouth and taking a sip, then he smiled at Arthur unconvincingly.

“Boy trouble.” Yann whispered to Arthur with an insistent look, putting the remains of his apple on his tray before he stretched out in his chair.

“Ah. Eliott.” Arthur said with a knowing look, nodding and Lucas shot him a surprised stare. Was he that obvious?

“Lucas, listen, you have to put yourself out there! Either go for it or move on. Don’t mop around like that, it’s not going to help with anything apart from making you feel worse.” Arthur muttered, his eyes serious, before he took a bite of his entree, chewing loudly.

“Exactly!” Yann exclaimed pointing at Arthur. “And if Eliott doesn’t like you back, so what? There are plenty of fishes in the pond, trust me.” He said with an encouraging smile and winked at him when Lucas smiled.

Yeah, maybe he was overthinking it all and should just go for it, Lucas thought, feeling better after hearing that.

“What? You have a thing for Eliott? Isn’t Manon dating him now?” Basile mumbled with a mouth full, looking around the room to see his girlfriend.

And wow, thank you Basile, Lucas thought with a scowl, a bad taste in his mouth. Why did Basile have to be so oblivious?

Basile waved at Daphné when he noticed her a couple of tables away and he smiled dumbly, a blush on his cheeks. The sight would’ve been lovely if Lucas hadn’t seen Daphné spit coffee in his mouth before. Now he just felt grossed out. He shook his head and looked down on his plate with a frown.

Arthur turned his head to stare at Basile, a puzzled look on his face. “What? How do you know that?”

“Daphné told me. Apparently, Manon is super secretive about it, but she heard it from Emma who heard it from Mika so it’s pretty legit...” Basile trailed off with a shrug, blowing a kiss to Daphné. “Did I tell you that she wants to try anal? Do you have any tips Lucas?” Basile asked, turning his face to him with a curious look.

Oh God, not this again, Lucas thought with a wince. “My tip is for you to shut the fuck up before I push you off of your chair.” He grunted, a bite in his voice and he shot Basile a menacing look. Basile opened his mouth, confused at Lucas’ aggressiveness but was interrupted by Arthur.

“Do you guys want to come to my place tonight? We could play video games?” Arthur blurted out, trying to diffuse the tension with a big smile on his face.

“I’ll bring the weed. I found a new dealer and his shit’s awesome.” Yann exclaimed with an exaggerated nod, glancing at Basile with a warning in his eyes. “Are you up for it, Lulu?” He asked him with a pointed look.

Lucas sighed, and scratched the back of his neck wonderingly, picking up his yoghurt distractedly with his other hand. He looked up at Yann’s encouraging face and shrugged. “Sure, let’s do it.”

---

Lucas was in much higher spirits after spending the previous evening with the guys and he felt like cleaning his room which had become quite a mess in the past few weeks.

Sure, Eliott might be with Manon now, but Lucas still had hope. Daphné was quite the gossip and if her source was Mika of all people, it was safe to say things could’ve been blown way out of proportion.

He walked to his window and opened it, feeling the soft breeze push his hair back. He breathed heavily and turned to the floor, picking up hoodies and tee-shirts before dumping them in his laundry basket.

He grunted when a rolled-up sock fell under his bed and he crouched down, bringing his head close to the floor. He pushed his right arm under the bed and fumbled for a moment, trying to grab the sock. Instead, his hand connected with a folded piece of paper. He frowned, confused, pulling it to him.

He sat down on the floor and opened it with a curious look.

It was a drawing in black and white.

Lucas’ eyes widened and he gulped, his stomach twisting nervously. What was this? He had never seen this before. Did Mika come snooping in his room and had forgotten this behind him? But Mika couldn’t draw at all.

On the left side of the page was a badger thinking about a hedgehog with a tender expression on his face. He frowned, and looked at the right side of the page, where the badger was tapping on the hedgehog’s shoulder with a determined face. He glanced at the words scribbled below ‘Fear no more, says the heart...’

Lucas frowned and turn the page around. He froze, noticing another message written on the back, in small letters. He read it a first time and felt his heart fluttering in his chest. He must’ve understood it wrong, he thought, reading it again, but no, he had been right.

Lucas felt his throat clog up and he got up on his feet, overwhelmed all of a sudden. He started pacing his room nervously, still holding the drawing tightly in his palm, glancing at it from time to time.

Was it for him? Was it really for him? Was he dreaming?

But how did it get here?

Lucas stood still for a moment, trying to remember when Eliott could’ve given him the drawing. He looked around his room with a pensive look and he noticed his school books on his desk.

Oh, his biology book?

He heard Manon enter the apartment and he jumped on his bed, hiding the paper under his pillow in a quick motion before laying down on his stomach, his heart beating wildly in his chest.

He tried to calm himself but the butterflies in his belly were going completely crazy and he felt a beaming smile pull at his lips.

He pulled back the drawing and stared at it longingly, biting his lip as waves of happiness washed over him, making him want to scream at the top of his lungs.

He needed to talk to Manon. But not today. No, in this moment, he was going to bask in this glorious haze.

He reread Eliott’s message, feeling his cheeks heat up and the butterflies in his stomach dancing around.

‘Eliott asks Lucas out on a date. Lucas says yes?’

That was probably the cheesiest thing he had ever seen.

And he loved it.

---

“Manon?” Lucas said loudly as he knocked on the door of her room, waiting for her to acknowledge him. He stood there for a few seconds before hearing her move on her bed.

He had spent the previous night thinking about what he was going to tell her, and he still didn’t quite know how to go about it. One thing was for sure, he couldn’t push it away any longer.

“Yeah?” She called out in a soft voice.

“Can I come in?” Lucas asked, wiggling on his feet, uncomfortable. He glanced at his own room and breathed out heavily, trying to get rid of his nerves.

“Sure.” She answered and Lucas opened the door, walking towards her bed and sitting on it quietly. He smiled uncertainly and scratched the back of his neck. The words wouldn’t come out and he dropped his gaze on the covers.

“So, what’s up? Are you okay?” Manon murmured with concern, putting a hand on his shoulders gently. Lucas looked up and stared in her eyes silently, dread heavy in his guts.

“Uh, yeah.” He mumbled, his stomach in a jumble. He could do this, right? He breathed in and licked his lips. “Listen, I need to talk to you.” He stated slowly, a serious look on his face.

Manon crossed her legs and furrowed her brows. “Ok?” She said, her eyes curious. She sat up straighter and looked at him expectantly.

Lucas cleared his throat, playing with the covers with his fingers. “You remember when you asked me about Eliott a couple of weeks ago?” He said, glancing at her through his eyelashes, a small pout on his mouth.

Manon nodded, looking a little lost, her eyes scanning his face.

Lucas exhaled loudly. “I haven’t been completely honest with you.” He murmured in a soft voice.

“Hum… You mean you don’t like him?” Manon guessed, a puzzled look on her face

Lucas shook his head slowly and lowered his eyes, looking at his hands nervously. “No, it’s not that…” He trailed off, glancing up at her timidly. “I like him a little too much actually.” He admitted and Manon’s faced morphed into a comprehensive expression, her mouth dropping open.

“Oh…” She whispered softly, her blue eyes widening, and she bit her lips.

“Yeah.” Lucas muttered, nodding. He looked at her awkwardly, waiting for her to say something, brows furrowing.

“But why didn’t you tell me?” She asked, an unreadable expression on her face, her blue eyes a little cold and Lucas’ stomach churned.

“I don’t know, I didn’t want it to mess with our friendship… And to be honest, I’ve already done that with another couple before and I don’t want to be that person anymore…” Lucas trailed off, avoiding Manon’s eyes, embarrassment making his body flush. “But I really like him, Manon.” He murmured, glancing at her to gauge her reaction. “I think I love him, actually.” He admitted with a shy grin, feeling his cheeks heat up.

“Ah.” She said uncertainly. She paused and seemed pensive for a moment, her eyes glazed. She cleared her throat. “Well, if we’re being honest, I think he likes you too.” She mumbled and smiled awkwardly, her expression becoming much softer.

“Oh yeah? Why do you say that?” Lucas asked, feeling the tension drain away as fast as it came and he sighed, relieved.

Manon shrugged and giggled a little, a playful smile on her lips. “He, uh, he kept asking me questions about you when we met up last Saturday.” She said. “I thought it was a bit odd, but…” She trailed off and winked. She moved closer to Lucas when she noticed his blush and pressed a reassuring hand to his shoulder.  

“Hey Lucas, it’s okay, you know? I’m not mad.” She said softly, a small smile on her lips. When Lucas shot her a dubious look she sighed, tilting her head to the side with a pained smile. “Ok… I’m disappointed, I’m not going to lie, but I wasn’t in love with him or anything. I’m going to be fine.” She added with a defeated shrug.

“So, you don’t mind if I go for it?” Lucas asked in a small voice, glancing at her through his eyelashes. “I don’t want this to ruin our friendship.” He acknowledged with a serious look.

Manon shook her head with a roll of her eyes. “I’m a big girl, you know?” She said playfully. “And, I’m happy for you, it’s the first time you’ve shown a real interest in anyone. It was about time, Mister” She teased, bringing her hand to pinch him in the side.

Lucas chuckled and grabbed her hand in his, holding it gently. “Thank you, Manon.” He whispered with a grateful smile, his eyes tender.

“Come here, you dumbass.” Manon said, rolling her eyes as she slid her arm around his neck, pulling him to her for a tight hug.

---

Lucas was in the school yard, looking out for Eliott. He hadn’t seen him in a couple of days and the drawing felt heavy in his pocket. He hadn't been able to not bring it everywhere with him and he felt way to whipped.

“Why are you looking like a man on a mission right now?” Imane asked, sitting beside him on the bench. She had been ignoring him for the past 5 minutes, texting someone named Sofiane and Lucas wanted to quiz her about him so bad, having noticed the soft smile she sported on her lips.

He glanced at her and shrugged. “I need to talk to Eliott.” He said, a goofy smile taking over his face.

Imane stared at him with a curious look and smirked. “Eliott, huh? Are you guys friends now?” She wondered, looking him up and down as if the thought seemed highly improbable.

Lucas avoided her inquisitive eyes, searching for Eliott once again. “Kinda.” He answered simply, a blush covering his cheeks.

“Well, he’s over there.” She said, pointing at Eliott who was just now entering the school yard, his hair even more dishevelled than usual. Lucas’ stomach twisted and he got on his feet in a second, earning him a puzzled look from Imane.

“I, uh, I’ll see you later.” He mumbled awkwardly, glancing at her with a nod.

“Sure.” She replied disinterestedly, looking down at her phone with a gentle look on his face.

Lucas walked over to Eliott who was lighting a cigarette and cleared his throat to grab his attention.

Eliott turned his face to him and grinned softly, tilting his head as a greeting.  

“Hi Lucas.” He said, his blue-green eyes intense as he took a puff of his cigarette, exhaling through his nose. Lucas bit his lip at the sight, feeling his body flush.

“Hey.” He murmured shyly before shaking his head to gain back his composure.

“So what’s up?” Eliott wondered with a curious look. Lucas wasn’t usually the one who started conversations.

“Uh…” Lucas started, pulling out the drawing from his jacket and holding it out for Eliott to take. Eliott’s eyes widened and his body seemed to freeze, a deep blush covering his cheeks.

“So, you see yourself as a badger?”  Lucas asked, trying to hold back a dumb smile from forming on his lips.

Eliott cleared his throat and his eyes travelled on Lucas’ face as if he was trying to gauge his expression. He seemed to have found what he was looking for because a short moment later, he bit his lips, a sunny smile stretching them slowly.

“That’s a raccoon actually.” Eliott said with a roll of his eyes, a fond exasperation on his face.

“Oh… Sorry.” Lucas mumbled off, a blush covering his cheeks. “So, I’m a hedgehog?” He asked again, looking at Eliott through his eyelashes, wiggling a little on his feet.

“You remind me of it. I think it’s your hair… And I might think you’re pretty cute too.” Eliott said, a confident smile stretching his lips.

“Oh yeah?” Lucas murmured, tilting his head. Eliott nodded and smiled, his eyes tender. “So, about that date…” Lucas trailed off, his stomach doing somersaults. He felt like he was glowing, his heart beating madly against his ribcage. “Are you still up for it?”

Eliott’s entire face beamed and he nodded, bringing a hand to Lucas cheek to caress it briefly before pushing a strand of hair behind his ear. Lucas felt shivers running down his spine and he almost closed his eyes at the contact, overwhelmed by the all-consuming happiness.

Eliott brought their foreheads together, eyes bright and smiled.

“I thought you’d never ask.”