Work Text:
Lucien headed back through Tesco, carrying an array of vegan chocolates looking for Oliver. It was pretty busy, and they had decided to divide and conquer the shopping list that Oliver had put together. Or rather Oliver was working through his list and Lucien had gone in search for a couple of ‘extras’ that he felt were missing.
He carefully balanced the sweet treats in his arms, and spotted Oliver as he had expected in the vegetable section, but he seemed to be talking to a short brunette woman, who was dressed immaculately in a sharp navy suit, expensive looking heels and was carrying a basket that contained a Tesco finest meal and posh looking bottle of white wine. Lucien headed over to them, dropping the chocolates into Oliver’s small trolley, successfully depositing them whilst he was distracted.
“I was ever so sorry to hear about your relationship situation Oliver” This woman was saying.
“No, no, there is really no need for any concern.” Oliver answered, then noticing Lucien had re-joined him, he turned to smile at him.
“Oh, there you are.” Oliver said, slipping an arm around Lucien’s waist. “This is, Sophia from work, she is another Barrister, Sophia, this is my…” Oliver paused. “This is my Lucien.”
“Oh, oh” Sophia said, trying her best not to look flustered and embarrassed. “I didn’t realise, I was under the impression that your relationship had ended, I do apologise.”
“There really is no need.” Lucien said to appease the poor woman’s blushes. “It was a bit of a strange situation, but we are extremely happy remaining unmarried, it isn’t right for everyone, but it’s right for us.” Lucien said.
“That’s wonderful.” Sophia smiled. “Good for you. Anyway, I had best get on, I have a lot of work to be getting on with this evening, I only popped in here to find something quick for dinner. It was lovely to meet you Lucien, and I’ll see you tomorrow, Oliver.”
“Great to meet you too.” Lucien said, as Oliver said his goodbye.
Oliver turned back to look at Lucien and raised an eyebrow. “Don’t think that I didn’t notice an array of non-list items being added to the trolley.”
Lucien laughed.
Back at home, shopping successfully unpacked, and dinner of stuffed peppers eaten and cleared away, they settled into their usual evening positions. Oliver sat on the floor, laptop open and a small amount of paperwork surrounding him, after he promised to do no more than one hour of work. Lucien on the sofa, watching some reality show where couples competed to win prizes based on a series of tasks filmed on an exotic beach. This series they finally had some same sex teams, which was secretly enthralling Oliver. “We could totally win this.” But whilst Lucien was enjoying watching “there is no way that I could compete on this Oliver, look how fit they all are.”
A bronzed pair of guys, Max and Jamie who were from Manchester were currently in the lead, having won a trip of a lifetime to the Bahamas that they were planning to use for their honeymoon. But then, out of nowhere Max announces that he doesn’t want to get married.
Oliver looked up from his laptop, as the drama unfolded on screen, with Jamie having the reality show expected explosive reaction. Cue lots of tears, and the other couples to step in and tell him that Max wasn’t worth it. Jamie stormed off, followed mainly by the women to the beach hut, where there was an array of seating and cocktails.
“Is it wrong that I was kind of expecting that?” Lucien said, sipping on a glass of water. “I mean, all of these couples are just too, well, happy. There hadn’t been a single argument between any of them, and we are already on episode 4.”
“Hmm” Oliver said, shifting uncomfortably and then picking his paperwork back up, and looking back at the screen again, suitably distracted by his work. Lucien surveyed him temporarily and then turned his attention back to the show, where Max was now at the beach hut, begging forgiveness and explaining that it wasn’t that he didn’t want to be together, but he felt like he wasn’t marriage material.
This was starting to feel a lot like déjà vu.
“But then why did you accept my proposal?” Jamie said, wiping away tears.
“Because I love you, and I know that you’ve had commitment issues in the past and I know how much it would have taken for you to ask. I didn’t want to hurt you, and I didn’t want this to end.”
“So, you do still want to be together?” Jamie sniffed.
“More than anything.” Max said, he was now crying as well.
They stood up and had a kiss and a hug, whilst the others hugged, some of whom were now also crying, then it cut to a commercial break.
“Well, drama.” Lucien said, turning to Oliver who was sat squirming, clearly uncomfortable, but continuing to look at his screen. “I guess you aren’t enjoying watching our life play out in a beach setting?”
Oliver cleared his throat, “I don’t know what you mean.”
“Come on you have to see the similarities, they are just a buff, bronzed version of us. Well, of me, you are always buff.”
“Thank you, Lucien.” Oliver said seriously, glancing briefly up and over at Lucien, before turning his attention back to his paperwork, “but I really don’t see much of a similarity.”
“You don’t? Two guys about to get married, ones a commitment phobe, the other doesn’t really want to get married, but they want to be together.”
“That’s not the same as us at all.”
“Oh really?” Lucien said, pausing until Oliver looked back up at him. “Do you not remember our non-wedding day?”
“I remember it quite sufficiently thank you.” Oliver said.
“And you don’t see the similarities?”
“Not specifically.”
“Let me remind you. It was 10 minutes before the ceremony and your words to me were, ‘I can’t marry you.’”
“I do recall that, Lucien. But I also recall that you didn’t want to get married either, and we remain truly happy, don’t we?”
“Of course we are. But they also wandered off into the sunset together.” Lucien said as the adverts ended and immediately the show picked up with Max and Jamie, snuggled up together, talking to the presenter Naomi back in the beach hut.
“So, what now for you two? You’ve won that beautiful holiday, which I guess isn’t going to be your honeymoon?”
“Oh no.” Jamie laughed. “We’re actually thinking that we might just stay engaged, so it might be an engagement moon.”
“Awwww!” Naomi screeched in a pitch that was borderline painful. “That’s amaaaaazing, I’m sooooo happy for you guys. So,” she said addressing the camera “on with the show!”
“Wow, so compassionate as always.” Oliver said dryly. “I assume that is fully resolved then.”
“Unlike us.” Lucien mumbled.
“What does that mean?” Oliver said.
“Don’t think that I didn’t hear that you struggled to address me to your colleague.”
“I certainly did not. I addressed you by your name which was absolutely appropriate.”
Lucien huffed. “And who am I to you?”
“What does that mean?” Oliver asked, closing his laptop and moving to sit on the sofa next to Lucien.
“As I said. What am I? You couldn’t think of anything to say in Tesco, so can you think of anything now?”
“Lucien, what are you looking for here?” Oliver asked.
“I want a label, I’m not your husband, so what am I? Your non-husband? Am I back to boyfriend or fiancé? Those guys” Lucien said pointing to the TV screen “they decided to stay as fiancés, so we could you know, just be that.”
Oliver sat quietly considering. “Well, I do still wear my ring” he said looking down at his left hand. “Maybe, we could get one for you as well, and just be engaged.”
“And never get married?”
“That’s what we agreed isn’t it?” Oliver said nervously.
“Yes absolutely.” Lucien said, taking Oliver’s hand. “Ok then fiancé, if we are staying engaged, which I am happy to do, then where is my ring?” Lucien asked holding up his left hand to show his empty ring ringer.
“What about our wedding rings?” Oliver suggested.
“Really? I thought that you wanted to return those?”
“Perhaps I was wrong about that.”
“You, wrong?” Lucien teased.
“Alright, alright.” Oliver said leaning over and giving Lucien a quick kiss, and then stood up and headed out of the door and up the stairs. He came back after a few minutes, with two small velvet boxes in his hands. Handing one over to Lucien he opened the other and held out a hand. Lucien gave him his left hand. “And with this ring…” Oliver said holding the ring at the end of Lucien’s ring finger “I take you Lucien as my non-husband to stay engaged as long as we both shall live.”
Lucien chuckled as Oliver slid the ring onto his finger.
Lucien then opened the box in his other hand, removing the ring. Oliver took his old engagement ring and placed it on the coffee table in front of them, then held his left hand out. Lucien held the new ring at the end of Oliver’s ring finger. “And with this ring, I take you Oliver as my non-husband to stay engaged as long as we both shall live.” He slid the ring onto Oliver’s finger. Oliver smiled at him and then leant over to press their lips together.
“I love you” Oliver said, running his fingertips down Lucien’s cheek.
“I love you non-husband.” Lucien replied, then settled down into Oliver’s arms as they continued to watch the bizarre beach competition, cuddling together.
“But we are still going for fiancé, right?” Oliver asked into Lucien’s hair, kissing the side of his head.
“Yes Oliver, we are going with fiancé.” Lucien said giggling softly and cuddling Oliver tightly.