Chapter Text
“Ooo…” Lucas hums, chin propped in his paws, head tilting side to side curiously. Bright crimson eyes transfixed on his fantasy book. Lumine raises his head from the cookbook Lucas found for him to glance at his best friend—the Riolu’s lying on his stomach, legs lazily swaying back and forth behind him. Lumine can’t help but smile at the sight, his body relaxing, waves of warm affection wash over him like mouthfuls of hot cocoa flowing through a frigid body.
Arceus, Lucas looks so content… He’s so adorable when he’s trying to be—and even when he isn’t, really.
Lucas looks up at him, as if sensing Lumine’s gaze, and the Alolan Vulpix whips his attention back to his book, biting his lip to stifle a gasp. His cheeks burn as he leans forward, eyes burning holes into the picture of “Authentically Ancient Potato Mochi” like it’s the most mesmerizing, lavish dish imaginable—he hears an amused, all-too-familiar giggle, but doesn’t dare face the Riolu it came from.
“What were you looking at, Lu? Am I that nice to stare at, or do I have something on my cheeks?” Nothing at present but that huge, moronic grin of yours, Lumine retorts internally, but decides against verbalizing it.
“Y…You made an ‘oo’ sound. It sounded like ‘Lu.’ So I looked at you. That’s it,” He insists, earning another chuckle from his friend. He can almost see Lucas’ eyes roll through the cookbook Lumine’s pressing into his own Cheri Berry-red face.
“Suuure.” He hears Lucas shuffle towards him, just a few feet away on the other side of their bedroom’s little couch—a housewarming gift from Ampharos when they’d joined the Expedition Society a few weeks ago. And before Lumine can even get out a word, Lucas rests a paw atop Lumine’s book and gently pulls it away from his head—
Only for Lumine to be met with Lucas’ smug, beaming face inches from his, filling his vision instead.
He yelps in earnest this time, reeling back. He gently shoves him away by the shoulder, a paw on his own heaving chest as he heaves in and out, in and out. He would look so mad right now if he could just…stop smiling for a second. “W-What’re you doing?!”
“Moving closer so you can hear me better!” Lucas chirps, backing off for just a moment to snatch up his book and scoot back, holding it in both paws and showing off the cover proudly. “‘Cause this is what I was ‘oo’-ing about. …Lu.”
Lumine still wants Lucas to think he’s a little miffed at the scare, so the Vulpix throws out a quick scoff and fires a glare at him before he directs his attention to Lucas’ book. But he doubts it takes a Riolu’s Aura-sensing to tell he’s not really mad—even if Lucas is still trying to get the hang of it himself. Or…still trying to figure out how to sense any Aura, really.
They’ve tried. From the ”ghost hunt” at the school when Lucas had admitted it to him through tears, trying and failing to sense the supposed specters whispering and howling all around them, they really have tried to figure out why Lucas couldn’t sense Aura. Asked for Espurr’s advice, then Mawile’s advice; scouring libraries for any research on the topic. Sitting together in Lucas’ bed for meditation sessions, trying to get Lucas as comfortable and focused as possible.
Just the day before, he remembers watching Lucas’ Aura tassels like a Braviary as his friend clamped his eyes shut, Lumine holding his paw tight to ground him. As Lucas took long, deep breaths and tried his very best to sense the rippling life-force, the dancing emotions of the Expedition Society members through the walls of the HQ—
…Only for Mawile to walk in, ready to share a new theory about Lumine’s past. And then for Swirlix to float in, looking for Lucas’ help with preparing supper. And neither would ever accept their flustered insistence that they were training, not cuddling.
That, they always saved for right before bed when they were sure no one would walk in on them.
But…he supposes Lucas’ Aura troubles explain why he's reading…
“...’A Prince’s Aura: The Sword In The Scones?’” He reads aloud, raising an eyebrow and meeting Lucas’ gaze. “Isn’t this that romance novel about a…Riolu in love with a Honedge? Which…what a lucky-” He bites his lip with a quiet gasp, stopping himself before he dare says ‘what a lucky Honedge’ out loud. Why…Why in the name of Arceus had he thought that?
“Yup!” Lucas nods, tail swishing back and forth behind him. “It’s about this Riolu prince named Arthur who wakes up, finding his beloved Honedge partner gone from their bed—so he scours the entire castle, looking for them and calling their name, only to find them in the pantry, eating scones for breakfast! …And, yes, it’s more than a little stupid,” He sheepishly adds, watching Lumine’s expression become even more dumbfounded.
Why would Lucas of all people be interested in a book like that? He distinctly remembers sitting with all the other kids at lunchtime one afternoon (which did not happen often for them)—listening to everyone gushing about how cute Deerling apparently looked today or fawning over tacky magazine covers of Virizion or Keldeo. Only for Lucas to turn to Lumine to ask what ”finding someone hot” even felt like. And it doesn’t seem like that’s changed, from the way he’s never heard Lucas talk to or even look at someone with anyone but the same general friendliness during their travels. Not that it’s…any different for himself.
And…besides—they’ve both admitted, lying in the grass under Lucas’ favorite tree, that they doubt they’ll find a partner anytime soon. Not until Lumine can…can come to terms with all that’s happened to him, can uncover more about his past and rebuild his self-worth. And not until Lucas can find someone who’ll love him and care about him, the real him. Not someone like Pops, who screams at him when Lucas brings home C’s and can’t pay attention to his lectures. Or like Mr. Watchog, who tried over and over to beat into him that his energy makes him irritating, unlikable, a problem child off his leash. He just wants someone who’ll understand him for who he really, truly is—whoever that could be.
But…Lumine still remembers Lucas taking his paw when he was done speaking, giving it a little squeeze. Inching just a little closer; intertwining their arms and murmuring that—if it’s okay with him—he still doesn’t plan on leaving Lumine’s side in the meantime. A whispered vow so gentle, they and they alone would ever hear it before the wind carried it aloft and scattered it like stardust amongst the night sky.
And turning his head to face his friend, watching that bright, warm smile spread across his cheeks as they peer deep into each other’s dancing eyes—Lumine had learned he’s more than okay with that idea.
How could he not when Lucas has always been so kind to him, so understanding and gentle, no matter how difficult Lumine gets? When Lumine jolts awake in the dead of night, gasping breathlessly for help, cheeks stained with flowing tears—only for the pitch-black claws all over his quivering body, unfeeling and icy like metal, to give way to Lucas’ gentle paws already shaking him awake? When Lucas always knows just what to say to calm him down, just how tightly to cradle him in his arms to make him feel secure without making him panic even further? Always asking first before touching him at all, giving him a choice—all without Aura sensing?
How…How could he not want to stay with him when someone as damaged as Lumine feels so cozy and safe at his side?
“Er…hello? You there, Lu?” Lucas’ voice cuts through his consciousness, a blue paw waving in front of his eyes. Instantly, Lumine yanks himself from his thoughts, blinking hard.
“Y-Yeah! Yeah, I was just…lost in thought,” He stammers, clearing his throat in an attempt to regain his bearings. What were they talking about again? Lucas’ novel? “So…you were reading it for the romance? You? Or was it for the- ah,” It hits him, and he nods in understanding. Now it makes sense. “The prince probably uses Aura to look for Honedge, so you were reading it to get another perspective on how to sense Aura. Right?”
“He does?” Lucas opens his book up to a random page and skimming it, eyes drifting left and right as he quietly reads aloud. Then he brightens. “Oh, hey—he does! You’re a genius, Lu. …Not that the Aura-sensing was written all that great, now that I think about it. I guess that’s why I didn’t think about it at first.”
Lumine’s expression gives way to a dumbfounded scowl. “Th…Then what the heck were you reading it for, if not that?!”
“‘Cause being a prince sounds cool! Think of all the people you could help with all that money—and you’d be able to do anything without people judging you or thinking you’re being annoying! You could go on adventures…travel the world…I dunno, eat scones with your partner…” He shrugs, chuckling. “It’d just…it’d just be cool. Y’know?”
“Well…kinda,” Lumine assents. Although he doesn’t see why they can’t just do any of that already. “But…you don’t seem much like a prince, if you ask me. More like a-”
“If I hear ‘court jester’ come out of your mouth, Lu…”
“It won’t.” He stifles a snicker. “…I’m thinking a Mr. Mime desperately trying to make awful puns for the monarch. Only to be immediately thrown out.”
“That’s just a bad court jester!” Lucas laughs, leaning forward and giving Lumine a playful nudge. Lumine can’t help the chuckle that escapes him, too, and Lucas extends his arms and legs in a long stretch, letting his book fall to the couch cushions with a plop. It occurs to Lumine that his cookbook is still in his lap—and he sets it to the side. He hadn’t really found any in particular that he’d wanted Lucas to teach him…but he doubts Lucas will mind for now.
There’ll be time enough for that later.