Work Text:
[Takes place during fall 2]
Beep! Beep! Beep!
It took Luka a few seconds to open his eyes as his phone rang tirelessly on the nightstand. He managed to turn the alarm off in a grunt but when he tried to sit up, he felt a force holding him back. The man groggily looked on his side and his gaze immediately softened when he saw a sleeping Elio clinging onto him as if his life depended on it. Luka’s heart skipped a beat and a soft smile appeared on his face as he reminisced of the events that lead to that exact moment.
***
[The day before, 5 PM]
Luka was at his desk, he had just finished his homework and felt content with himself. Deja was not here because of her duties and had told Luka she would not come back for the rest of the day because Reynah had organized a hangout with the rest of the Student Government.
Luka did not really mind staying alone. He loved Deja more than anything but he could not deny he really needed to get that homework done. He sighed and got up before walking to the kitchen and rummaging through the fridge. Thankfully, he found some leftover rice and decided it would be his meal for that evening.
However, as soon as he closed the fridge, Luka noticed his phone had lit up with a notification. He immediately picked it up and his smile widened when he saw that his boyfriend was the one who had sent a message. He laughed as he read through the thread of Elio basically begging for them to meet up as soon as possible.
Lu ♡
5:11 PM > Okay, okay you can come over in like 30 minutes
5:11 PM > Deja’s not here :))
Lio ♡
5:13 PM > YOO for real??
5:13 PM > Alright I’m coming over
5:14 PM > See ya, Lu 🔥
And not even thirty minutes later, Luka heard a knock on the door followed by a message saying “I’m here!”. The man shook his head and chuckled to himself. He had always considered himself as clingy until the day he and Elio got together. Since that night on the hill, Elio could not let go of Luka and the two men would meet up rather often. Now that college started again, they both promised they’d meet up as often as possible — while respecting the needs of their own roommates. As soon as the door opened, Luka found himself tackled by the other man. Both ended up in a feat of laughter and neither let go of the other for a good thirty seconds.
“Hey! You’re acting like you haven’t seen me in a week!” Luka giggled while Elio kissed his face lovingly.
“I don’t care, it’s been too long,” the latter mumbled against his boyfriend’s shoulder. Even if they had seen each other the day before, Elio did not like to be separated from Luka for too long.
After a while, the two men hung out on the dorm sofa, starting to vent about their day and the load of homework their respective teachers kept giving them. Then, the conversation flowed to more pleasant topics like the activities they had been doing, or some funny short videos they saw on their phones. However, their discussion was cut short by the undeniable sound of grumbling stomachs. Luka and Elio looked at each other before realizing that they had been talking for almost two hours now.
“Woah… Well we’ve got carried away for sure,” Elio chuckled before looking at his boyfriend with a sheepish smile which made the latter laugh too.
Only after that, the couple decided to get up and get something to eat. Luka opened the fridge and suggested they eat the rice he had put his eyes on even before Elio came over. While Luka moved around in the kitchen to search for some sides to add to their meal, Elio could not help but stay back and eye his boyfriend shamelessly.
This was honestly one of the three best things he could do now that he was going out with Luka. Before that, Elio could only throw a few subtle glances when the other man was not looking and this frustrated him — because Luka was the most beautiful man he had ever seen. However, now that the two of them were together, Elio could admire Luka whenever he wanted even if that meant getting mocked by Jamie and Percy. While the other man was waiting for the rice to heat up in the microwave, Elio swiftly walked behind him before doing the two other things he liked the most: hugging and kissing his boyfriend. Of course, this made Luka laugh and hide his face and Elio absolutely loved to get that reaction out of him. So he continued his attacks on the man’s neck.
“If you continue like this, you’re not going to eat,” Luka chided without any real heat in his voice. He sighed softly when he felt Elio let go of him with a chuckle — somehow, the threat of no food always worked on his boyfriend and it always made Luka laugh.
Now that Luka was free to roam through the kitchen, he quickly grabbed the rice out of the microwave and shared it into two equal portions before giving Elio his bowl — Not without receiving an umpteenth kiss as a thank you. Both men added their own toppings before sitting down at the small table to eat.
The beginning of the meal was lively, both of them catching onto the conversation they had left earlier. It was so easy to talk when they were alone, Elio and Luka complemented each other so well… However, as time went by, the two men gradually felt more and more overwhelmed by a feeling of shyness and vulnerability. The clock showed it was almost 8:30 PM, not that late but the sun had already set by then.
One question went through Luka’s mind: “Would you stay over tonight?” But he was nervous. They would not do anything particular except holding each other all night, yet Luka still feared to be that close to Elio. What would he say when he saw his trans tape? Would he be weirded out? Maybe disgusted— Thankfully, Luka’s damaging train of thought was put to a stop thanks to Elio who put his hand over his boyfriend’s, looking at the latter with concern and slight confusion.
“Lu… Are you okay? You’ve been zoning out,” he said while he mindlessly rubbed Luka’s hand with his thumb.
Luka would have lied in normal circumstances. But it was Elio we were talking about, there was no way Luka could lie to his face like that.
“Not… Not really. I’m a bit nervous.” He looked away before putting his gaze back on Elio. There, he was going to say it. “It’s just… would you stay over if I asked?”
Elio blinked two times, taking the time to process his boyfriend’s words. And as soon as he understood, a big and warm smile appeared on his face.
“So that’s what it’s about?” he asked with his smile still glued to his face. “Of course I’d stay over! To be honest, I brought some stuff in my bag in case you’d ask me.”
A short silence ensued as Luka glanced at the dorm door and finally noticed the bag just sitting there. He let out a few chuckles of relief before looking back at Elio who was looking at him like he was the most precious thing in the world. Both men laughed a bit before Elio reassured one more time that “of course, he would stay over”. They then got up and cleaned the table and their plates, all that in between hugs sessions of course.
Time passed and it was now 9:30. Luka was in bed scrolling on his phone, patiently waiting for his boyfriend to come out of the shower. He could not help but recall Elio’s face when he said he was going to shower alone; it was obvious from his kicked puppy face that Elio was disappointed but he still respected his partner’s decision. So funny, Luka thought to himself right as Elio came into the room. He could not tear his gaze away from the man’s slightly damp hair that stuck to his forehead, his broad body and his tattoos. Luka thanked the universe Elio was in PJs pants and not anything else, he would not have been able to function correctly otherwise. Luka quickly averted his gaze and hastily looked back at his phone, feeling a mix of attraction and shame, before trying to start a conversation.
“Woah… You were quick,” he said with a small smile and quieter voice than usual.
Elio hummed before swiftly sitting next to his boyfriend — not daring to go under the covers yet. He felt so nervous right now. It was his first time sleeping over with a partner, and that partner was Luka. How cool was that? However, even in his nervous state, the man realized his boyfriend was quieter than usual. That did not sit right with Elio so he gently grabbed the side of Luka’s face so the latter would stop looking at his phone.
“Hey, you're quiet… and not the good kind of quiet. What's going on?” Elio asked with his usual patience.
He could see in real time Luka’s thought process on how to answer: considering lying at first before giving up and being truthful.
“I’m just feeling a bit insecure,” the man admitted with a nervous smile as he put his phone away. “It's no big deal.”
Elio frowned at that answer and quickly got closer to Luka before hugging his waist.
“It is a big deal for me,” he fought back as he finally dared to go under the covers. “You're the most beautiful man ever, dude! You being insecure makes no sense — at least to me!”
Luka took a second to process his boyfriend’s words before letting out an incredulous chuckle. Elio's words of reassurance were always so genuine with a hint of clumsiness, it was endearing to hear.
“Sure, sure you're right,” he said with a tone that clearly said ‘I give up, you’re too adorable to fight against’. He then turned his back away from Elio before speaking again. “Can you help me with my shirt, then? It’s too hot anyway.”
Elio blinked in initial confusion but quickly obliged and helped his boyfriend remove his pyjama top, revealing his beautiful marked skin. He was so mesmerized that he did not even care about the trans tape poking out from each one of his sides. There was a short silence between the two of them before Elio tentatively hugged the other man from behind and placed a rather shy kiss on Luka’s shoulder, leaving the two of them feeling even more flustered.
“What… What are you doing?” Luka asked with a shaky voice, not daring to turn around.
“I— I don’t know… Am I doing a bad thing?”
Luka just shook his head as an answer; he did not want to show how giddy he was being for now. They stayed like that for a while, still not daring to speak until Elio tightened his hold and muttered something about Luka being beautiful. The other man felt his throat tighten so the only thing he could do was exhale — but even that was hard to do.
Hours passed and it was now midnight. Despite that, neither of the men wanted to fall asleep yet — even if Luka was already dozing off. Elio was too agitated and kept gazing at his boyfriend. His hand hovered over his boyfriend’s waist before pulling back and ending up on the man’s cheek. A soft hum escaped from Luka’s lips as Elio moved his thumb back and forth.
“Lu? You still awake?”
“Hmm…”
“… Babe,” Elio reiterated with a little more insistence while shaking the other man lightly. He felt giddy since it was the first time he called his boyfriend like that, but it did not really matter because Luka was too out of it to care anyway.
“No… No… I’m awake,” was the only words Luka could utter before closing his eyes fully and nuzzling closer to the man he loved.
Elio chuckled and made his hand glide from the man’s cheek to his back.
“Sure, you are.”
And just like that, he placed a soft and slightly clumsy kiss on Luka’s forehead before closing his own eyes and letting himself fall asleep.
***
[Present day, 9 AM]
Luka smiled at Elio who was still peacefully sleeping before gently caressing his hair, causing the man to slowly wake up.
“… Lio, wake up,” he mumbled as he tried to pry Elio off him. This only worked a little since Elio actually moved a bit on his side, leaving space for Luka to breathe.
“… Hmm… Lu? What time is it?” The other man groaned before turning on his back and rubbing his face.
“It’s 9 and I have to make breakfast for the two of us,” Luka said, causing Elio to groan once again and sit up. He could not help but laugh when he felt his boyfriend hug him and bring him back to bed. “Lio! Oh my god…”
The couple went back and forth for a while before Luka finally managed to get out of bed to prepare that breakfast he was starving for. After letting Elio kiss his lips, the man drowsily walked to the dorm kitchen. He checked the fridge and pantry so he could assess what would make the best breakfast for his boyfriend. After a minute of thinking, Luka decided to grab some eggs and bread — not without feeling a bit guilty he could not give a better meal to Elio.
Luka quickly rubbed his face to shake that thought away and got to work by making some simple eggs and toast. He was not going to lie, he would not usually make himself something that elaborate for breakfast, cereal did the work very well. But we were talking about Elio Kealoha. Elio deserved the world and if waking up earlier than necessary to cook a good breakfast for him, Luka would do it. However, a voice abruptly stopped his train of thought.
“Woah… It smells good here. What're you cooking, Lu?”
Luka stiffened for a split second, feeling a bit embarrassed that Elio surprised him in the act, but he immediately relaxed when he felt two arms hugging him tightly from behind. Luka relished a bit in the feeling before sighing and speaking up.
“Eggs and toast. I hope you'll like it,” he said in a quieter voice, his guilt showing up a little bit.
Of course, Elio almost immediately noticed and nuzzled his face into his boyfriend's shoulder before simply asking: “Now, what's bothering you?”
Luka sighed and got the toasted pieces of bread out of the pan before turning around to face the other man. He looked away for a split second, trying to convey his feelings into words.
“I… You deserve better than eggs and toast,” Luka sighed before averting his gaze again.
Elio pouted a bit at Luka’s worries before scooting closer and letting his hands gently rub his boyfriend's sides.
“Man, you're being too hard on yourself. It looks — and smells — super delicious!”
A small smile appeared on Luka’s face as Elio tried — and managed — to cheer him on. That small instance of insecurity soon turned into a soft moment in which Elio kept kissing and hugging his boyfriend to make sure there was not an ounce of doubt left in him.
“Not everyone is lucky enough to have a pretty boyfriend bothering to cook a tasty breakfast for them so early in the morning,” he reassured, not without placing a last kiss on Luka’s forehead. This made the later laugh, of course, but their sweet moment was cut out by another voice they had not noticed before.
“So are y’all gonna eat that egg and toast or are you gonna make out in front of me?” The voice was teasing and slightly amused and it only took a split second for the two men to recognize the person it belonged to…
“Dee?” Luka was the first to react while Elio remained dumfounded and unconsciously brought Luka’s waist closer to his.
Indeed Deja was here, looking a bit tired after her night out. She looked at Luka then at Elio before letting out an amused scoff.
“I’m too tired for this. You two have fun — but don’t make too much noise,” she said with a yawn. When the two men sheepishly nodded as an answer, Deja nodded and left — not without flicking her hair before disappearing into her room.
The two men stayed speechless for a few seconds before looking at each other and letting out a few embarrassed chuckles. They had been so engrossed in their lovey-dovey act that they had forgotten other people existed. Elio scratched the back of his head and gazed at his boyfriend with a sheepish but loving expression.
“Woah… We really got carried away, didn’t we?”
Luka could only laugh back and nodded before sighing a small “Yes, we did.” After that, the couple finally settled at the table and ate the delicious eggs and toast Luka had prepared before. The two of them had not been dating for long — one month and one week, Elio had already counted — but they both felt at peace with one another. Of course, they had so many things to discover about each other, being friends for a year did not mean they knew each other by heart. However, it was obvious that neither of them were scared of that thought, actually it made them excited — even though they were too shy to admit it out loud.
“What?” Luka’s words cut through the comfortable silence when he realized Elio was staring at him. This sudden question made the other man blink and straighten up a bit in embarrassment.
“Oh! Nothing. I was just lost in thoughts,” the man quickly recovered before digging back into his breakfast. “It’s really good by the way. Thank you, Lu.”
Luka stared at Elio for a split second before almost immediately looking away while assuring it “wasn’t a big deal”. The meal continued happily but Luka could not stop blushing. For a quick second, he could not help but imagine married life with the man sitting in front of him but he rapidly took a hold of himself: he did not want to be seen as creepy if that thought slipped out of his mouth. He thus shut his mouth and continued to eat silently. Yet, the thought of a married life would not leave his mind… And honestly? He was secretly hoping that simple thought would eventually become reality.