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Luca's ideal romance has always been the friends to lovers type. He doesn't believe in love at first sight. He doesn't believe it when Ed Sheeran once sang “the club isn't the best place to find a lover so the bar is where I go.” because can people really find their true love over a couple of drinks while sharing a plate of stale nachos while some football enthusiasts scream in front of a large TV?
His ideal romance is waiting for his friend to arrive at the airport even when he is dead tired himself and all his body wants is for him to go straight to his BnB. It's giving his friend a big hug, offering to pull his luggage in tow since all Luca really brings is a backpack.
It's sleeping the moment the taxi leaves the airport and Luca is shaken awake nearly an hour later, his head apparently resting on his friend's shoulder. He wakes up and the first thing he sees is a gentle smile that has come to haunt him whenever he closes his eyes.
It's them not living under one room for the next three weeks, but they managed to rent rooms on top of the other in the same building. It's Luca finally passing out on the bed after telling his friend to wake him up by 5pm for a scheduled dinner with their other friends who are already in the area. And if he can't wake up after calling his phone, here you can get my spare keycard and push me off the bed or something.
It's Luca waking up half an hour before the intended time, so he takes a quick shower to wash off the grime from flying, combing his hair and spritzing a bit of perfume. If he's doing it for his friend, no one has to know.
It's taking the elevator to the second floor of the building by 5pm to be greeted by his friend, wearing the tan coat Luca recommended to him over a black long-sleeved turtleneck, sleep still permeating his eyes.
“Can we pass by a cafe before going to dinner? I need my caffeine.”
They still have time to spare, anyway.
It's Luca sitting across from his friend at a random cafe they found a few blocks from their BnB. He isn't a coffee type of guy, but his friend loves his iced Americano.
“... and hot chocolate for him, please,” his friend tells the barista. “Can I also have a slice of cheesecake? Thanks.”
It's his friend knowing he doesn't drink coffee, much more something as strong and as bitter as an Americano, and is why Luca always gets hot chocolate.
It's wanting to capture the moment and freeze time as he listens to his friend talk about watching all Shrek movies because somehow, the flight entertainment has all.
And so Luca does just that, snapping a photo on his phone and catching his friend mid laugh while recollecting the memory of the toddler seated beside him on the plane, watching the Shrek movies with him and how the mother was so grateful her baby got distracted she gave him a bag of chips to munch on.
It's Luca laughing as he keeps his phone out of reach from his friend while his friend demands he deletes the picture.
It's watching his friend walk in front of him after they finish their drinks, framed by the changing colors of the leaves from green to red, oranges and yellows.
He's lovely like this, Luca thinks.
He was lovely in white when they were throwing snowballs at each other some months ago.
He was lovely surrounded by hues of pink when they watched delicate flower petals dance around the air and along the spring breeze.
Bated in sunlight and bated in the booming colors of fireworks painting the summer night sky.
Luca brings his phone out and takes a picture once again just as a red leaf falls on Shu’s head. He takes another picture when Shu holds the fallen leaf by its stem, adoring its bright color.
“Hey, Shu!”
Shu turns to face Luca just as Luca takes one last picture.
“Stop it!” Shu huffs, shaking his head and rolling his eyes. “Why do you keep taking pictures of me, anyway?”
Because he’s lovely in whatever color nature paints him in.
Because Luca wants to preserve quiet moments like this with his friend, ones he can look back on when he goes back to Australia and they are once again separated oceans apart.
“Dilson was asking if we’re on our way and I was just sending proof.”
Shu looks unconvinced but lets it slide. Instead, a mischievous grin appears on his face.
“The last one to the restaurant sucks balls!” He says before he starts running. Luca yells after him, caught off guard. It doesn’t take long until he catches up, grabbing Shu by his wrist and pulls him.
It’s moments like this, catching their breaths from the laughter and the exertion as they greet their friends who are already seated inside the restaurant, that Luca knows.
That he is in love with his best friend.