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Ivor plopped on the sofa between Soren and Jessica with a sigh, Jesse and Lukas had started to banter again and Ivor had to separate them like you would separate children: each one locked in a different room until they would calm down. Soren had a compassionate smile on his face, he raised his arm, offering a hug which Ivor immediately accepted, hiding his face in the crook of his neck.
When they told him being a hero would bring responsibilities, he didn't think that he would have to deal with two frustrated adults with unresolved sexual tension who cannot get along even if their life depended on it.
The three of them sat in total silence. Soren gently stroked Ivor's hair while reading a book and Jessica was cleaning her sword. Ivor started to complain which made her snicker.
"I don't see what is fun! they are getting on my nerves! And I love Jesse, but I’d love it more if he could just stop annoying Lukas on purpose!"
He took a deep breath before putting his head on Soren's shoulder again. Jessica stopped cleaning, a sad look in her eyes.
"They haven't always been like that, you know?"
Ivor scoffed. "I hope."
"No, really Ivor." she sighed. "I didn't know Lukas much back then but... I just know Jesse loved him, deeply. He..."
She stared at the wall. Ivor and Soren were now both looking at her.
"I know it seems hard to believe but it's true! And I'm pretty sure Lukas loved him too." She looked over to the room where Jesse was then to the room where Lukas was. "I just think they need to talk it out."
"How?!"
"Yeah how? We can't leave them alone for more than two minutes."
Jessica hummed, deep in thought. She raised her head back up to the boys, a mischievous grin on her face.
“Then I guess we’ll have to find a way.”
Jesse was sitting on the floor, he had taken his cape off and tried to catch his breath, he was starting to get too old for this. Not far away from him was Ivor, who was hitting repeatedly on a dummy with Magnus’ face on it. He smiled, after everything, the boy had made great progress, his arms weren't so shaky anymore and he had gained some muscle, even if they weren’t really visible, that boy was in for a sleeper build thought Jesse.
After a while, Ivor came right next to him but stayed up.
“Do you need anything Ivor?”
Ivor tensed up, he then sighed. “I huh…” He looked away. “Could you help me with something?”
“Sure, what do you want me to show you?”
The boy frowned. “No, no more training, I remembered there’s something I need to do but I need help.” He looked at the old hero expectantly.
Jesse chuckled before standing up. Ivor then put his sword away and led him out of the room to one of the farthest places of the building. Jesse recognized the area, what did Ivor need him in the library for?
In the hallway were standing his sister and Soren who were whispering, the only thing Jesse heard was “Do you really think it’s a good idea?” and “Do you really see another way?”. He decided to shrug it off. When they arrived in front of the room, he realized he forgot to put his cape back on, so he was just in his turtleneck and sweatpants, he mentally cursed himself for that.
Ivor stopped in front of the door and sighed, he then opened it and gestured for Jesse to come inside.
It was… weird to say the least, every member of the new order was inside (except for Soren of course) as well as Lukas, who was sitting on the couch near the fireplace. No one really noticed them, they kept doing their own thing. Ivor took him by the fireplace and asked him to stay here before disappearing behind the bookshelves.
Jesse went to sit in one of the armchair, glaring at Lukas, since they were in a library with all of the kids, he decided not to make a fuss and stared at the fireplace instead, he kept wondering what Ivor needed him for, and also why he was taking so much time.
After a while, he started to get anxious, it wasn’t the first time he took so long to do something, but Lukas kept looking at him, and whenever he looked back, he turned his head as if he was looking at something else, and it was starting to really bother him.
“Please stop doing that…”
“Doing what?”
Lukas’ tone was sharp and cold, Jesse hated it. He kept looking at the fireplace.
“Forget it.”
His stomach hurt and his eyes started to burn, he sighed, trying to think of something else.
“Don’t you think it got quiet?”
Jesse didn’t budge. “We’re in a library Lukas, of course it’s quiet.”
“No, really, where are the others?”
Before they could dwell on this, a soft “click” sound could be heard. They were locked in here. Why? Jesse quickly stood up and ran to the door, followed by Lukas.
“Hey!”
“I’m sorry Jesse…” Ivor’s voice was muffled because of the door. “But you guys need this, you really do.”
Before anyone could say anything else, step sounds could be heard; Ivor had run away.
“Piece of-”
Lukas got a glare from Jesse, clearly daring him to finish that. The blonde man simply frowned.
“Alright then, what do we do?”
“We wait for them to come and get us.” He started to walk away from the taller man. “It won’t be that long I’m sure.”
It was that long. Two hours had passed and there was still no sign of the others, Lukas had decided to walk down the bookshelves, looking at the books. Yet his mind was elsewhere, he kept thinking of Jesse, who fell asleep on the armchair somehow. Lukas was glad, for some reasons the brunette had decided to leave him alone. It felt nice, but now his thoughts were racings. How long as it’d been since they were alone like this? No screaming match, no fight, nothing… Just peace. There were times like this back then, when they would stay in the library late at night, reading and chatting, cuddled up on the couch with a blanket over them.
His eyes widened. No, he didn’t want to think about it, it was over. Yet it felt so nice… He grabbed a book and started reading the cover to think about something else, but he couldn’t focus.
He let out a groan of frustration and put back the book into place.
Making his way to another section, he catched a glimpse of the sleeping man. He had changed so much, but some parts of him were still the same, like his face, even if he looked older, his hair had grown really long yet he kept the same hairstyle. He was much more buff now, perhaps more than Petra, or maybe it was just his imagination. And his arms… They are covered in scars now, he already had some when they met, and he has always been prone to accidents, but there was so much more now. Just how hard did he push himself?
“You’re doing it again.”
“Huh?”
Lukas was so lost in his thought he didn’t notice that Jesse had opened his eyes and was staring right back at him, his emerald eyes reflected the fire’s light making them shine brightly.
Jesse looked beautiful.
“Tell me Lukas, do I have something on my face?”
The blonde man couldn’t respond, it was all so strange. Jesse spoke again, but he didn’t hear him, he instead walked a few blocks closer to him, not daring to break eye-contact.
“For god’s sake Lukas what is wrong with you?!”
Lukas flinched, Jesse was now standing, holding his head in his hands. He had to think of something, admitting to the man he was stuck with that he still loved him after all those years and that he found him as pretty as ever was perhaps not the best thing to do.
“Just making sure you’re not doing anything bad.”
Jesse’s eyes went wide. “Are you kidding me? Just because I decided to be nice for an afternoon I’m suspicious?” He shook his head. “What the fuck did I do to you?”
“Oh I don’t know, maybe you almost caused the end of the world?”
“Seriously? That again? We both know we wouldn’t be here if you didn’t use that damned command block!”
“Oh please, you all would have died.”
“You killed the person that mattered the most to me!”
“Because your pig meant more than us?!”
Jesse screeched. “At least my pig wasn’t a liar!”
Lukas didn’t know what to say, Jesse was crying, his hands were not holding his head anymore and were now pulling at his hair. He wanted to answer him, but he was at a loss for words. He went too far. Again.
Jesse took some time to regain his composure, he let go of his hair and fixed his posture before wiping away his tears. He then looked at the man in front of him again.
“You are the most pathetic man I’ve ever met, and yet, you are wonderful. You were not the leader of the Order for nothing. But god you are awful!” He wrapped his arms around himself. “You promised me and the others so many great things but look at where we are right now… Is this what you wanted?”
Lukas started to feel his eyes burn, no, this is not how he wanted things to end. He looked to the floor, why couldn’t he speak?
“And the worst part…” The blonde looked up again. “Is that I loved you. And I still do.”
Their eyes met. For a minute, Lukas felt like the Jesse in front of him was the Jesse he met all those years ago, the one he would have given up everything for. The one who would take him by his hand to show him something or take him somewhere, the one who would whisper funny or sweet things in his ear in public and laugh as he tried to keep his composure.
And then he realized it, Jesse never changed, neither did he. They just didn’t know how to act around each other anymore.
“Say something! Please…”
Someone could find irony in this, an author, not knowing what to say. As if stuck before a blank page.
He took one step, then another, finding himself merely some inches away from the smaller man. What he was about to do was perhaps the stupidest thing ever. He raised his hand and cradled Jesse’s cheek, which made him gasp.
“Wha-”
“You’re as beautiful as the day I lost you.”
Jesse didn’t say anything, nor did he move away, he just let his arm fall on his sides. After a while he started chuckling.
“Oh Lukas… You truly are pathetic.”
“I know.”
Lukas raised his other hand to grab his other cheek and pulled him in.
Their lips met. It was as sweet as he remembered.
Jesse raised to his tiptoes and grabbed the fabric of Lukas jacket on his back. Lukas let go of his cheeks and moved his hands to his waist. After a while, they parted as they needed air. Lukas looked at Jesse’s face, his expression had changed, he seemed…mad.
He put a hand on his cheek again and made him look up.
“Is… Everything okay?”
Jesse huffed. “You’re still not off the hook.”
He hated this, he hated how it felt the same as before, he hated that he remembered what Lukas liked, he hated how it felt just right and he hated the fact he wanted more of it.
“I’m sorry.”
Jesse rised and kissed Lukas again to the man’s delight. They stayed like this for a while before Jesse made Lukas take off his goggles, saying it bothered him.
Somehow, it felt right, for both of them, it felt like time had stopped, as if nothing had changed in the first place, yet they hated it, both of them. How they swore that they would never go back for anything yet here they were.
Jesse wasn't sure what to do, should he stop here? Or enjoy it as long as it lasts? He knew that no matter what he did, it would have great consequences. He didn’t have to think much about it as he felt himself get dragged toward the couch.
Oh fuck it.
Now the only thing he hoped was that the kid wouldn’t come back too soon.
Ivor, Soren and Jessica only came back three hours later, they decided to knock before unlocking the door.
“Guys? Is everything okay?”
“Do you think they tried to kill each other?”
Jessica shrugged. “I don’t think so… Well I hope not.”
Ivor opened the door and the trio was surprised to see Jesse and Lukas already on the other side. They were both very red and Lukas’ jacket was falling off his shoulder. Ivor and Soren glanced at each other while Jessica had a huge grin on her face.
“So. How was it?”
“What? Being locked with this idiot for creator’s know how long?”
She snickered, “Yeah.”
The two looked at each other.
“Well actually we- ARG!”
Jesse had hit the blonde man ribs with his elbow. “We had quite the discussion.”
“Oh yeah? What did you talk about?”
The small man shrugged and left the room, he then put his arms in the air to stretch.
“Ivor?”
“Yes Jesse?”
“Never ever do that again, am I clear?”
He shuddered. “Y-yes.”
“And you.” He pointed at Lukas. “Just like I said you’re not off the hook.” He huffed. “But it was nice, I guess. I look forward to talking about this again.”
With that, he left. Ivor turned to Lukas, he didn't know how it was possible, but the man was even more red. The author mumbled a little “thanks” before running the other way.
“So what do you think they talked about?”
“Oh Soren…”
Both boys turned to Jessica.
“Was it a success?”
“No, but it was a start.” She sighed. “I guess we’ll see how it turns out.” She turned to them. “Well, good night boys!”
Soren gave a puzzled look to Ivor who just shrugged as Jessica walked away. It was going to be long.