Chapter Text
Eliott’s Thursday started like every other one in the last couple of months (ever since his third semester started at one of the better Parisian Fine Arts universities). Waking up at 8 finding leftovers in the fridge and drinking the coffee Sofiane made before he left for the Youth Center. While having his breakfast which could be curry, quesadilla, or even lasagna, whatever they felt like eating the day before, he would go through his Instagram explore page, looking at art, gorgeous people, and wildlife animals. After finishing up in the kitchen (cleaning up after himself, see he’s a grade-A roommate) he would go back to his room to dress up, putting on skinny jeans and one of his many black shirts. Then as per usual, he would scramble all his books and appliances into his backpack to run to his first class of the day.
Once he is done with the two classes he has on Thursdays he would have study sessions with a couple of his university buddies. What a study session consists of for them is completely depends on their day. They might actually go to a library and do some research, they might go to a museum, or just sit down in a café between the university and his part-time job and pretend to do some smaller assignments.
This was his favorite shift at Fitte, the bar he's working at. Thursday opening. The manager opens at 6, and Eliott only has to join him at 7 then leave at 2. He gets his money as if he was opening with him, but the guy understands that Eliott's still a university student, and anyway, in the first 2 hours there's barely any traffic. From Thursdays to Saturdays the bar is open until 4 in the morning but the only time Eliott's closing is on Mondays at 2. He only tends the bar and the staff never let him near the foods, ever since chicken-gate. Lou, his colleague keeps reminding him, how shocked she is that Eliott is not banned from working in the service industry.
The bar itself is not really a bar, and not even really a pub, and not even really a club. It is something in between everything that is considered nightlife. It's kind of a nasty place, pretty rough where usually only punks, junkies, or art students like himself hang out. It's not in the nicest part of Paris but still quite close to the center just a few blocks away. People who are looking for something new wouldn't end up here. It's basically in the basement of an old building, and as soon as someone opens the door they have to take 7 steps below. The door is made out of iron and vandalized by stickers and graffiti, and it perfectly fits the inside. The walls are grey concrete but fully decorated with obscenities written/drawn with permanent markers, spray paint, and political stickers. The owner and every bartender encourage the patrons to write something on the walls, they can even ask the bartenders for markers. So, this is a place that constantly seems dirty, not a place to take someone out on dates.
Why is Eliott working here? It's a place fairly close to his university and every year a few upperclassmen bring along the freshmen in September. This is our home. And now it's yours too they would say. It makes sense why a couple of edgy fine arts students are the regulars of a place like this (but only very specific kind of inspiring artists would take it up as their „Spot”). They are free to decorate. The owner loves these students since they don't just write and draw profanities on the wall. Sometimes they start actual murals, which of course don't stay "clean" on the wall for a long time since they get defaced fairly quickly. But they never stop trying.
The staff is also quite nice. Eliott really likes his boss and the manager. The boss is really open-minded, let's the manager deal weed with the regulars and the staff. The manager is also gay, so they put out a rainbow flag next to the drinks on the wall, it's a small one but every one can easily see it.
So here is Eliott, on Thursday at 7. He runs down on the narrow stairs and goes straight to the staff area. Throws down his bag in the staff room puts on a black apron, washes his hands, and stands behind the bar. He's not an actual bartender, he doesn't have a certificate, never finished a course (he did start one in the summer before he hit an almost two-week long slump). He can't make really fancy cocktails (meaning any cocktails with more than three ingredients), so whenever he is behind the counter there is at least one full-time employee. He starts his register and only after that scans through the room.
There is a guy already sitting at the counter. He doesn't look like someone who belongs in a place like this. First, he is here almost at the opening, and his clothes are too basic and light-colored for their usual clientele. But Eliott wouldn't care about all this if the guy wasn't that good looking. He is handsome but like in a pretty way.
Now, there are many ways to talk up to people. He can be corny and ask Do you come here often? or what's a nice guy like you doing in a place like this?. But also the guy can be straight. However, Eliott's philosophy is "not-straight until proven otherwise". Still, it's best to approach in a strictly friendly manner, and before the other bartender, Lou asks him for his drink.
"Hey what can I get you?" Eliott tries to get the attention of the guy, but by the looks of it, he is all too busy going through his Instagram feed.
"Uhm..." He starts to raise his head but his eyes are still glued to his phone. "What?" Then big blue eyes finally meet his own and the boy's lips part.
"Do you want anything to drink?"
"Yeah uh- sure." A little shaken the guy skims through his face, regarding his eyes and lips. It took Eliott a few years to recognize when do people find him attractive. He didn't really catch on when people would flirt with him. All his relationships started by being absolutely upfront. He was a straight shooter with everyone, and the other person rewarded him with being the same way. However, that's where it differs from guys. Most people are still heterosexual sadly, and even in France, in the 21st century, there are just too many homophobes for comfort. So being bold could get him in trouble.
"And... what can I get you?"
"God sorry-- I don't know... a beer." Eliott for a second wonders if he should ask him what kind of beer he wants or just give the boy something not too cheap or expensive. He decides to cut the guy's struggles short and instead find out if really Eliott's the reason why he's jittery.
"Can I see your ID?" Eliott is a responsible bartender, the guy looks pretty young so there is the slight chance of him being underage... but more importantly, he wants to know his name.
"Of course." He said with a little tilt in his voice, he dugs the card out of his wallet and hands the ID to Eliott.
Lucas Lallemant. And what a cute picture, doesn’t compare to the real thing sitting in front of Eliott but still. Oh and yes he is 19. Thank god.
Eliott, after spending an unnecessary amount of time inspecting the boy’s – Lucas’s ID, opens a Heineken beer tap and pours out a pint. By that point, Lucas already dug out changes from his wallet to pay. Accidentally he takes a sip too big, beer foam transferring to his upper lip and a bit to his nose and almost by reflex raises his hand to his face in embarrassment. Eliott chuckles at him, then hands him a napkin.
"Waiting for friends?" An easy ice-breaker. Friendly, test the waters.
"Not really. I uh..." He pauses, considering Eliott’s face with a lip bite. Not the sexy kind, but the one where someone is debating whether to tell something or keep it to themselves. Now, there is a couple of reasons why Lucas wouldn’t want to be honest with him. He might have come here to buy weed from his manager. Eliott can see it in front of him, a first-year in university, leaving the parents' house, wanting to be rebellious but doesn’t want to commit. Eliott would also debate that maybe the guy is indeed underage with a fake ID, but Eliott has seen enough of those to instantly clock one from meters away. Lucas’s ID is as legit as they come. Rolling through the rolodex of excuses Eliott naturally ends with the one he desperately wants to be true.
He might be gay, he might came here to meet up with a guy. There is one way to find out. Eliott moves a bit shifting his weight on his right elbow on the counter, so Lucas could see the little flag behind him.
"I'm waiting for a date." He blurts it out as soon as he spots the rainbow flag over Eliott's shoulder. Jackpot.
"I guess the place was the..." Eliott makes a show out of looking back over his shoulder to glance at the same thing as Lucas did, then continues. With a smolder Eliott, a smolder. So he knows you're into it. "other guy's idea." Lucas smiles at that, and Eliott was too busy being happy that the boy is gay that it took him a second to realize that fuck he's got a guy already.
"Is it that obvious? That this isn't my scene?" He lets out an awkward giggle with it and averts his eyes back down to his beer, his fingers playing with the napkin wet with beer foam. His tone suddenly changes as he looks over Eliott's head and starts talking animatedly. "He's like this pretentious so-called „artist”. Who thinks he will change the world with his scribbles. He goes to the university near here."
Eliott knows exactly two gay guys from his department who planned a date this week. One is Jules, a very colorful kid, a freshman to Eliott's sophomore. Jules is a really nice kid, who he never saw here after the semester-starting get together. He was really looking forward to his date, believing that this guy might be the one. The other is Leon, who is one year above him, who was not so much looking forward to the one but to finally fuck that twink he's been talking with for 2 weeks. Eliott wishes it's neither of them.
"I guess that's why I'm here." From all this information he gathered, Eliott knows two things about Lucas. He isn't a fan of the arts, and he wants Eliott to know he's not that into the guy he's supposed to be on a date with.
"Well, I’m highly positive I go to the same university as this artist. You must think I'm just as pretentious."
"I'm sorry I didn't mean to-"
"I'm kidding Lucas." He honestly looked scared for a second, thinking he offended Eliott, but luckily he's smiling again.
"Very funny- uh... wait what was your name?"
"Hey, Eliott." And that’s the moment fucking Leon appears on the right side of Lucas to burst Eliott dreamy little bubble. The idiot stretches his arm over the bar and grabs his shoulder in a greeting, then turns to Lucas. "Hello, you! You're early." He greets Lucas with two kisses on his cheeks. He doesn't want to sound selfish, but he’s glad Lucas is on a date with Leon „down with the system” Minard and not with sweet Jules. Being on a date with Leon can end with disappointment without having to feel bad for either of them. "My man give me two gin tonics." He never understood why some gay men felt the need to over excessively use man, dude, bro, and such. And it also seems like he won't be more specific either. We literally have 5 types of gin.
"Are you paying?" Eliott decides on asking.
"Yeah sure." He quickly nods, then turns to Lucas. "Although I see you started without me." Ass. But at least Eliott can pour out the most expensive gin. It still won't be that expensive tho. They don't really have the fancy drinks in their inventory.
"Next round is on you Lucas." As soon as Eliott gives them their drinks Leon is on his feet to walk toward a more secluded part of the bar. Almost every part is secluded, especially from the bartenders' standpoint. The guest area is made out of 5 rooms, but even with the doors taken out it still has some quite spots. The counter itself is in one of the smallest rooms, from where the bartenders stand they can only see two tables. Lucas follows Leon, but only after he locks eyes with Eliott for a few seconds. He keeps up the eye contact until he exits the room, with lips rolled between his teeth he looks like a kid who got caught doing something semi-naughty.
Slowly more and more people come to Fitte, filling up the empty seats. Eliott isn't busy per se, he can talk some with the regulars, and send messages to his group chat with Sofiane and Idriss. There is this guy. He sends, and almost instantly Idriss answers back Seriously if you bring a guy home on a Thursday I will kill you. Then Sofiane writes Why can't you meet people who volunteer at animal shelters? I don't like the people who frequent that bar. They are so lame. Not everyone can work at fucking youth centers. And with that, he locks his phone and puts it back in his apron. It's somewhere around 8 when he sees Lucas behind some stoners waiting to buy drinks. It's pretty hard to see him, but Eliott has his senses tuned to the guy tonight.
"Lucas come over here." He shouts over the music and the talking crowd.
"Wow being on the good side of a bartender is really rewarding." Lucas says after successfully passing through the tall bodies to get to the side of the counter.
"You called me pretentious, and also one-third of the customers here. You’re not really on my good side" He tries to say it seriously as if he was offended, but he can't stop grinning since he saw Lucas again. The boy just scoffs at that and dramatically rolls his eyes. The beer and gin tonic did loosen him up a bit.
"I already apologized. And enlighten me then, who are the other two-thirds?"
"Stoners and punks." Just as Lucas started laughing, the other bartender voice interrupted them.
"Eliott please stop flirting with the customers and work a little." Lou yelled at him from the other end of the counter, and fair enough a lot of people arrive after 8 so actually doing his work is expected.
"Yeah sorry." He yells back at her. "God… What can I get you?" Maybe he does have to do his job, but he keeps the flirting tone with Lucas, fighting the slight waver in his voice after being exposed by his colleague.
"Something stronger, please. Can't deal with mister big mouth over there." Eliott hates when people are being vague. Attractive people are an exception. And he likes Lucas so he gives him something cheap that tastes good and still does its job.
He puts the drinks on the counter and takes Lucas's money.
"If Leon gets on your nerves you know where to find me." He wiggles his eyebrows once to make sure the message is clear.
"I'm sorry for being mean to your friend." Lucas sincerely apologizes which wasn't the reaction Eliott anticipated after blatantly flirting.
"I wouldn't call him a friend. He is more pretentious than the average art student." He tries to give some consolation. "Which says a lot."
"Yeah." Lucas glances down at his hand around the drink, with a relieved smile. "I uh... I should probably go back." He half-heartedly flicks his hand tot he direction where he just came from.
"See ya!" He responds cheerily, and watches Lucas’s back disappearing in the crowd. Eliott knows he shouldn’t be delighted over someone’s misery. But sue him, he is very happy how Lucas makes sure to let Eliott know he is not happy where he is.
More time passes and more drinks get spilled on his black shirt and apron. Still, one of the reasons he likes this shift the most is because there are not that many people, and if he finds someone attractive, who's also nice to talk to, he can start talking them up. Of course, there's barely anyone who would go home with him on a weekday but if they like each other, then the other person would come back on his Friday shift and then leave together.
Today there is someone he likes here, the problem is that Lucas is busy having a date with someone else. A little over half an hour passed when Leon comes back for a shots tray, saying If we are not fucking tonight, I give up. Eliott is highly positive they will go on their separate ways once done here. He doesn't know a lot about Lucas, but he made it known that as the kids say today, he isn't vibing with Leon. Eliott can do nothing, but only hope he will see Lucas at least once more tonight.
Almost another hour passed before Lou asked him to bring a few bottles from the storage. The room opened from the same corridor as the toilets, and it’s next to those doors he finds Lucas and Leon. Leon is doing a number on Lucas's neck who is clearly bored out of his mind. So much so that while his arms are around Leon's shoulder, he has his phone in his right hand and is obviously reading something on it. Once Leon moved on to his ear Lucas scrunched his nose and looked away from his phone in disgust, only to see Eliott standing a few meters away. Lucas's face then breaks out in a grin and shoves Leon a bit.
"Sorry, you were saying?" Lucas yells at him. Eliott for a moment is dumbfounded since obviously he didn't say a word, he was just being a weirdo looking at two guys making out in the dark for either five seconds or a whole minute. He squints his eyes and inspects Lucas who just stares back at him with wide eyes and head tilting a bit towards Leon. Only then Eliott realizes, Lucas is looking for a cop-out.
"I was just saying..." Quick Eliott find something. "You dropped your membership card for Passage du Désir."
Lucas's face quickly turned horrified but then finally, not gladly, accepted the figurative card Eliott gave him.
"Oh, thanks so... should I go with you?" Then quickly glimpses at Leon. "Just go to the toilet I will wait upstairs for you."
Aah, so that was their destination. Wouldn't be the first time in Fitte for people to seek for alone time in the privacy of a toilet stall. Lucas staggers towards him with a little stumble in his steps. Eliott finally opens the storage room door and asks Lucas to make himself useful, after saving his ass, and hold it while he brings out the bottles.
"Sex-shop membership card really?" Lucas retorts his words are slurred. Eliott barely understands him.
"Well, I caught you in a heavy petting session." At that Lucas presses his lips together tightly, his eyes narrow and sports the most unimpressed slash judgemental face Eliott has ever seen. Especially from someone as drunk as Lucas. Then he continues as he keeps filling up the small plastic crate with bottles. "You seemed like you were enjoying yourself."
"You know damn well I didn't. Who the hell thinks that going to town on someone's ear is arousing." It looks like the bashful Lucas he met earlier is long gone, it quickly became obvious that he and Leon finished all their shots. "Like if you want to put your tongue into someplace else than my mouth put it in my a-. I'm not wasted enough to finish that." Eliott barks out a laugh at that and steps out the storage room, then asks Lucas to close it with the key he has in his pocket.
"God we just met and you’re already asking me to put my hands in your pants."
"It's in my apron."
"Whatever." Eliott wonders if Lucas is playing annoyed or he is actually a snappy drunk. He is also pretty wobbly on his feet, as he grabs onto Eliott's bicep to hold himself up while his other hand fishes out the key. He keeps his hand there while closing the door, and only let's go when they start walking back to the bar. Even then he keeps his hand on the wall for support. Those shots have done their job. Once they get back to the bar, Eliott starts to put the bottles out on the shelves while Lucas just stands at the side of the counter.
"Shit, it's almost 10. I need to get home." He hears Lucas from behind, his voice is tired. Students shouldn't be tired so early in the middle of the semester.
"Yeah, your parents must be frightened, where's their baby gone?" Baby enough to be sleepy at 10, but not baby enough to not hook-up with people in seedy bars.
"I stopped living with them when I was barely 16, but nice try." Lucas's voice was void of emotions, the polar opposite what Eliott got used to. Leaving the parents' house that young must have been tough and the reason had to be even worse.
"Oh shit. Sorry." Eliott didn't mean to be insensitive. He had his fair share of awkward conversations because people are unaware that certain topics are sensitive subjects. Damn, that chick is crazy, don't go for that Eliott. and Nah, man don’t bother dude’s fucked up in the head and his favorite Seriously, having a mental illness is such a trend nowadays.
"Never mind.” A nonchalant shrug. "But I do have classes tomorrow and I live fucking far from here."
"I don't wanna underestimate your drinking prowess, but you will be too hungover to go."
"You underestimate my commitment to my education." Eliott swears he didn't mean to laugh at that but hearing the words 'my commitment to my education' from a guy who can barely hold himself up, has his eyes basically shut and slurs his words is pretty comical. Disregarding his giggle snort Lucas with much difficulty takes four steps away from the bar to look down on the corridor. "There he comes." Lucas says and moves back to Eliott, oh so he was checking on his date.
"I hope I will see you around." To his own surprise, Eliott doesn't flirt, no smoulder no smug smile no inuendos. Just simply means it without any ulterior motive. Lucas gazes up at him the bashful smile from the beginning of the night making a surprise come back.
"So I didn't offend you that much." Eliott only has time to mirror Lucas's smile before Leon catches up to them and ruins the moment one last time.
"Did you get your card?"
"What...? Oh yeah sure, but I gotta go now. I have an early class." If Eliott wasn't sure Lucas liked him, he was now. The way he sounds when talking to Leon is lightyears away from the way he talked with Eliott. Lucas was many things during those minutes they got to know each other bashful, flirtatious and snappy in that particular order, all the while he addresses Leon like an acquaintance whose existence is just above a nuisance.
"You can go to class from my place." Leon tries but his voice sounds resigned like he already gave up before trying.
"Nah I need my books and shit." Lucas doesn’t even glance at the poor guy as he speaks, he is busy checking his pockets, to see if he got everything on himself. Only after being sure, he didn’t lose anything does he look up at Eliott and says "See you."
And with that Lucas is gone in a minute, as quickly as his heavy steps let him. Eliott's still staring at the door where Lucas disappeared from sight only to be interrupted by Leon's whining.
"Fuck it. This was a waste of time."
"Man... I guess it wasn't meant to be." Eliott lost interest in Leon when Lucas left and made it obvious that they won't continue dating. So he tries to end this talk in the most polite way possible.
"I was trying to get laid not find my soulmate. You of all people should know how it is." Leon is annoyed for obvious reason, but it's not a reason for him to take jabs at Eliott.
"But that's exactly what I'm doing." Leon's hooded eyes search his own in question. "Looking for love." He explains while cleaning the countertop, in a desperate attempt to seem busy.
To some people, he might look like someone who is only looking for fun few-nights-stands, but he barely gets with people he doesn't see himself with, in the long-run. Eliott loves love. He's very quick to fall in love, and maybe he's just as quick to fall out, but he knows those relationships just weren't meant to be. For him love is a safe-space, while others become anxious in relationships, he thinks about the excitement of a new relationship or the comfort of an old one. And once he feels suffocated he just leaves, as quickly as he came. But no one has the right to say that Eliott is just hunting for a quick fuck. He loves deeply and shows it too. Some of his partners left for that exact reason. They get with him because they hear he's 'easy', just to find out that Eliott loves hard. Only the people he has no love for (be it friendly or romantic) thinks he is promiscuous, the other's know he's constantly looking for love.
"I'm just trying a little harder than the average."