Work Text:
“Eliott!” Lucas calls from his bedroom.
Eliott appears in Lucas’ doorway, raising his eyebrows but not saying a word.
“I need a favor,” Lucas continues, glancing down at his phone.
“Oh, no, what now?”
“Excuse you!” Lucas sits up in his bed and tosses his phone onto his comforter.
Eliott laughs and walks further into Lucas’ room. “Hey, I’m just saying, last time you asked for a favor I ended up locked out of the apartment for most of the night.”
“That was not my fault, and you know it.”
“Sure, whatever you say,” Eliott smirks as he sits on the edge of the bed. “What do you want?”
“I need a favor.”
“Yes, I got that. I meant more specifically.”
Lucas rolls his eyes but says, “I need a date.”
“You want me to set you up with someone? Wow, we’ve been roommates for three years now, and this is the first time you have asked me this. Honestly, Lucas, I’m surprised it took you this long to-”
“Oh, shut up, that’s not what I mean,” Lucas interrupts Eliott and mumbles curses under his breath before continuing. “I actually need a date for a friend’s wedding, and I really don’t want to have to find some stranger on the Internet to be my date.”
“So, you do want me to set you up with someone?”
“No, Eli, oh my- dude. Seriously?”
“What? You aren’t really elaborating very well here Lucas!” Eliott laughs.
“Ugh, this is going to sound weird, and I don’t want to make things awkward or anything, but would you be my date to this wedding, please?” Lucas blurts out, suddenly nervous.
Eliott raises his eyebrows, clearly not expecting that to be what Lucas was trying to say. “Oh, uhm- yeah, sure! That’s no problem at all. Uh-” Eliott looks away for a moment, lost in thought. “Follow-up question.”
“Okay.”
“Do your friends- are we- hmm, okay. Well, are we going to be pretending that we are dating? Or am I just going to be there as a plus one?”
“Oh.” Several facial expressions flash across Lucas’ face, each one unreadable before the next expression appears. “I hadn’t thought about that, actually.”
“Okay, well, that would be important information to have considering those will be two completely different acts we have to put on at that wedding.”
“Right,” Lucas says as he unlocks his phone. “Well, long story short: my friend Noora is getting married to her fiancée, Eva. The wedding is next weekend, and I’ve been given an invitation along with a plus one. There’s technically no mention of a date. So, we could just tell the truth and say we’re good friends, and I didn’t want to have to find a date for the wedding.”
“That works for me.”
“Okay, cool.” He lets out a breath he hadn’t realized he had been holding. “Thank you.”
“No problem, Lucas. This is much better than having to spend most of the night in the hallway.” Eliott laughs as he leaves the room, ducking to dodge the pillow Lucas throws at his head.
**
The Wedding
**
Lucas and Eliott arrive at the wedding together. The two of them mingle with Lucas’ friends, along with a couple of Eliott’s who also happen to know the brides.
“Alexia! Emma! I didn’t know you knew the wedding party,” Eliott tells them when he finds them standing near the chairs facing the altar.
“I met Eva when I took that trip to Oslo last summer,” Emma says, before adding, “you know, the one that you were ‘too busy to join’?” She laughs as Eliott rolls his eyes with a smile on his face.
“Hey, you know that New York trip was once-in-a-lifetime!”
“So was the Oslo one,” she responds, adding a wink.
Eliott rolls his eyes again before turning to Alexia. “And you?”
“Noora was in Spain when I was there years ago. Emma and I didn’t connect the two until we got the invitation.”
The chatting continues and groups form, friends of friends connecting and laughing. The ceremony begins shortly thereafter, and the friends of both brides quiet down and enjoy the ceremony.
*
Once the brides have said ‘I do’ and made their way back down the aisle as wives, the guests move inside. Lucas and Eliott are still sticking together, finding good company in each other. They find their way to the bar, waiting for the newlyweds to return. They grab their drinks and sit at a table, their friends joining them quickly.
As the reception continues on, more and more guests find themselves on the dance floor with Noora and Eva, congratulating the two before staying on the floor to have fun. Eliott and Lucas end up doing the same.
Lucas has dragged Eliott to the dance floor, and after saying their congrats to the two brides, they are dancing along with the rest of the guests. Lucas has had just enough alcohol in him to allow him to feel more loose and free. Eliott, on the other hand, is still slightly reserved, and he convinces Lucas to come back to the bar when the songs turn slow.
“You need another drink.” Lucas says, slightly slurring his words.
“Maybe, but you do not.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m doing just fine.” Lucas pouts before ordering yet another drink. Eliott does the same, but he makes a mental note for this to be his last, wanting to keep an eye on Lucas.
Lucas does this sometimes. It’s more rare now, Eliott knows this, but sometimes Lucas lets loose just a little too much. Eliott knows that Lucas can take care of himself. He really can. But Eliott likes to be there as a back-up, just in case Lucas needs a helping hand.
They find themselves back on the dance floor, dancing to every fast and slow song the DJ is playing. Toward the end of the evening, Eliott can tell that Lucas has had one drink too many, and they should probably get home before Lucas comes crashing back down. He manages to convince Lucas that it is time to say goodbye to the girls, smiling as Lucas clings to Noora and reminds Eva to take good care of her. Eliott grabs his hand and starts pulling him out the door. Luckily, the wedding was nearby, and the two didn’t have to drive or find a ride to get back to their apartment.
Lucas can’t focus on much. Things were happening in jumps of time. He knows that him and Eliott had been dancing. He knows he said goodbye to Noora and Eva. He knows they are walking home now, and he is definitely aware of Eliott’s arm around his shoulder, trying to hold him upright.
Lucas isn’t sure how he got from place to place, but he did know where he was. He isn’t sure, however, what him and Eliott were talking about. He knows for a fact that they are speaking; he can turn and see Eliott’s mouth moving. And he knows that he is responding. But the alcohol has somehow stopped his conscious mind from being able to figure out the words that are tumbling out of his mouth. He forgets most of the walk home. He forgets getting into the apartment. He forgets how his tux gets off his body. He does, though, remember one thing. He won’t forget the look on Eliott’s face when he turns to leave Lucas’ room, shutting off the light and closing the door behind him. He won’t forget the flick of pain in Eliott’s eyes as the bedroom lights bounce off them before submerging him in darkness, leaving him to fall asleep to the sound of the shower running in the bathroom behind the wall of his room.
**
The Next Morning
**
Lucas wakes up with a blinding headache. He rolls over, finding his phone resting on the table beside his bed, still connected to the charger.
Did I manage to plug it in? No, there’s no way. It must have been Eliott. Did he help me to bed last night? He had to have done so. There’s no way I would have gotten here myself. Plus, that look on his face. That definitely happened last night. But what caused that look? Lucas’ thoughts are racing trying to piece the night together, but the alcohol from the night before has caused the memories to be blurry at best, if they are there at all.
He gets up and throws on a pair of sweatpants before walking into the kitchen. When he steps onto the hardwood kitchen floor, he finds a couple of painkillers along with a glass of water. He walks over, takes the medicine and picks up the note sitting next to the water.
Lucas-
Drink this and take the medicine.
Take the day to rest. You had a lot to drink.
I took an extra shift at work, I’ll be back late.
Don’t wait up.
Eliott
Lucas sets the note back on the table and huffs. He had wanted to ask Eliott about last night. Instead, he picks up his phone to text his friends. Maybe they will know something.
Lucas: hey, what happened at the wedding last night
Arthur: im not sure, we were all pretty drunk
Yann: why do you ask
Lucas: something just feels off with eliott
Basil: maybe it's just all in your head
Yann: im sure its nothing but all i know is that you two
left together before most of the guests
Lucas: alright i'll ask noora or eva
He locks his phone before the chat starts talking about something else, not really in the mood for much conversation. He’s still a little hungover, and now he’s worried about Eliott. He’s not sure if they’ll answer, but he decides to text Noora and Eva anyway.
Lucas: it’s okay if you guys are busy but i just have
a question for you
Noora: what’s going on lucas?
Lucas: did i say something dumb at the wedding?
Eva: you kept reminding me i needed to take care of
noora ‘or else’
Lucas: okay thats kinda dumb but that is not what i’m
talking about
Lucas: i mean something with eliott
Noora: no everything seemed fine when you two left
Eva: yeah he just smiled and started pulling you away
from us
Eva: he wanted to get you home
Noora: yeah you were pretty drunk
Lucas: yeah… sorry… well, thanks
Lucas: and congrats again
He sighs, tossing his phone on the couch. He decides to follow Eliott’s request and takes the day to lay in bed and recover from the night before. Although he manages to distract himself for a good amount of time, his mind keeps coming back to the look on Eliott’s face from the night before.
We’re still okay though, right? I mean, he helped me get into bed last night. He left me a note and some medicine. We’re okay.
Lucas doesn’t see Eliott before he falls asleep that night.
**
Two Weeks Later
**
Lucas has seen Eliott a total of twice since the night of the wedding. In two weeks, he has seen his roommate two times. This lets him know that something is wrong. Since he can’t seem to catch Eliott in person, he decides to text him.
Lucas: eliott
Lucas: i need to talk to you
Eliott: sorry im at work
Lucas: it's fine just answer when you can
Lucas: why are you avoiding me
Eliott: im not avoiding you
Eliott: im just busy
Lucas: dont pull that bullshit on me
Lucas: i live with you and ive barely seen you since
the night of the wedding
Eliott: lucas im just busy
Lucas: dont lie
Lucas: eliott seriously
Lucas: what is going on
Eliott: im at work
Lucas: stop ignoring my questions
Lucas: seriously eliott oh my god
**
One week later
**
Lucas has had enough. Other than their conversation a week ago, Lucas hasn’t talked to Eliott at all. He is tired of it. Eliott has clearly been avoiding him, taking longer shifts and claiming to be hanging out with his friends much more often. Lucas decides that he is going to wait for Eliott to come home from work and talk to him.
It’s almost two in the morning when Eliott gets home. He opens the door to find Lucas sitting on the couch, scrolling through his phone.
“What are you doing up?”
“Why are you coming back so late?”
“I stopped by Alexia’s after work. We lost track of time. Is that okay with you?”
“Eliott, I don’t care. I mean I do, but not about that. I care that you’re staying up to early hours of the morning just to avoid me.”
Eliott sets his stuff onto the kitchen table and sits in one of the chairs next to the table.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he says, placing his head in his hands, clearly tired.
“My God, Eliott.” Lucas stands up. “Are you serious? You’re really denying this right now? It’s two o’clock in the morning!” Lucas’ voice has risen.
“Yes, and you’re yelling. We are going to get a noise complaint.”
“I really don’t care about that. I just want you to talk to me!”
“I am talking to you. Right now. This is talking.” Eliott slowly stands up, standing still while Lucas has started to pace across the room.
“Eliott, I’m being serious.”
“So am I.”
“No, you’re not! You’ve been ignoring me for weeks. I can’t remember anything of that night, except for the look on your face when you left my room. No one knows what happened, not even me! You’re the only one who knows, but you won’t talk to me!”
“Lucas, lower your voice.”
“No! I don’t care about the noise! I just want fucking answers Eliott! You’re my best friend, and-”
“That’s the point!” Eliott shouts, interrupting Lucas’ yelling.
“What are you talking about?”
“We’re friends! That’s all! And I don’t want to ruin things! You were drunk. And here we are. So just drop it, Lucas!”
“Eliott, seriously, what the hell are you talking about?!”
“You told me you love me, you dumbass!”
Silence.
Both of them have stopped screaming, stopped talking for that matter. The only audible sound is the sound of their breathing.
Eliott has sat back down in the chair, and Lucas has stopped his pacing. His eyes are wide, staring directly at Eliott, but not quite making eye contact.
Finally, Lucas speaks, but it’s barely a whisper. “I said- I said what?”
“You said you loved me. I knew you wouldn’t remember it in the morning. So I left. I left you the medicine and took an extra shift at work. That’s why I’ve been avoiding you.”
“Because you don’t feel the same?”
“God, Lucas, how can you be so smart and so dumb at the same time.”
“What?”
“No, not because I don’t feel the same. Because I’ve been in love with you for almost three years. Because I knew you wouldn’t remember saying it. And what if it was just because you were drunk? I thought maybe if you did remember, you would tell me when you’re sober. But you didn’t.” Eliott stands up and crosses over to where Lucas is standing.
“I’ve been avoiding you because it hurts. It hurts to not know, but I was too scared to say anything.” Lucas is now staring at Eliott’s face as he continues talking. “I didn’t want to scare you away if you didn’t feel the same. I didn’t want to lose you as a friend, even if we couldn’t be something more. I want you in my life, whatever way is comfortable for you.”
Eliott takes a deep breath, shrugging his shoulders slightly and moving away from Lucas, who has still yet to say a word since Eliott started explaining himself.
“Now you know. And I’m going to bed. I’m tired.” He turns and starts walking to his room, grabbing his phone from the kitchen table.
He’s standing just outside his door when there’s a hand wrapped around his wrist, pulling him backwards. He catches himself and finds himself face-to-face with Lucas, their faces mere inches away from each other.
“I didn’t get a chance to say anything,” Lucas says, his voice much quieter than it had been earlier.
All Eliott can do is nod in response, his eyes drifting over Lucas’ face.
“I don’t remember telling you that I love you, thanks to the alcohol. But, I do not regret it. At all. I’m actually glad drunk Lucas decided to tell you that because now I know you feel the same. And it isn’t just drunk Lucas that feels that way. I do love you, Eliott. I do. I have for years. I’m sorry I made you wait so long, and I’m sorry that I told you when I was drunk. But, please, give me a chance.
I’ve been scared to tell you out of fear of ruining things. I didn’t want to ruin our friendship, and I didn’t want to ruin a relationship, even if you did feel the same.” Lucas moves his hands up and wraps them around Eliott’s neck. He feels Eliott’s hands on his waist as he continues. “But, this is worth it. We are worth it. You are worth it. Please, give me a chance. I am so in love with you, Eliott.”
Instead of a verbal response, Eliott’s eyes flick down to Lucas’ lips. Staring. Wishing. Waiting. Wanting. He moves closer to Lucas, but pauses and looks Lucas in the eyes.
Lucas’ eyes shift down to Eliott’s mouth, and he whispers, “Kiss me, you idiot.”
Eliott smiles and moves toward Lucas, not stopping this time. The kiss is gentle and soft; they don’t want to move too quickly. The pair are lost in themselves, and they feel as if they were truly meant for one another. When they break apart, they rest their foreheads together.
“You’re not going back to your room,” Lucas says, breathlessly.
“Lucas, I’m sorry I’m just- I’m not ready. Can we move a bit more slowly?”
“You don’t have to apologize, Eliott. Of course we can take things slow, and that isn’t what I meant anyway.” He grabs Eliott’s wrist yet again and turns, pulling him into Lucas’ room. “I just want to fall asleep with you. I haven’t seen you in weeks, and I just confessed my love for you. And not while I was drunk.” Eliott laughs and follows Lucas to his bed.
They end up falling asleep together - Lucas’ head resting on Eliott’s chest as if it’s a pillow. It might have been a bumpy road to get them here, but they are both more than happy with where it has led them.