Oh, Cruel Fate (Enemies to Lovers AU)
Ch. 15
ao3 link
[special thanks to @sharetheskamlove for this cute af idea!]
The Demaurys and the Lallemants had been enemies for over one hundred years. And when Lucas first meets Eliott, he hates him with his whole heart even without knowing him, blaming him and his family for his life which is slowly falling apart. But when they are forced to live alongside in the same surrounding, something is changing between them. And this scares Lucas more than anything else.
Lucas was woken up by the sun shining on his face. He stretched a bit, the fabric of the bedsheets caressing his skin. He turned around, snuggling into the blanket and the pillow beside him.
The empty pillow beside him.
Lucas slowly opened his eyes, blinking against the bright sunlight. He needed some seconds to gather his thoughts, to recall what happened and to recognize where he even was. He hadn’t seen this room by daylight, only in the dim hours before dawn turned into night. And suddenly a smile spread on his face.
Eliott.
Eliott happened.
Lucas buried his face in the empty pillow beside him, grinning as the scent from Eliott wrapped itself around him.
Lucas never felt so many things and emotions in one night. And he shivered, thinking about Eliott’s hands on his body and his kisses on every part of his skin. They haven’t really talked about everything, but this night was like a promise: They could make it. And they would. Lucas wouldn’t let go of Eliott, not after this night, not after their whispered words in the darkness.
Just then, the realization that Eliott was actually not beside him hit him. And suddenly, all the warm feelings inside of Lucas disappeared and some kind of panic rose inside him. Eliott didn’t left him. He surely was somewhere in this big house, doing breakfast or something like that. He would not… run away again. Lucas made it clear that he won’t leave Eliott alone anymore and he would hold his promise, if Eliott wanted or not.
Suddenly, Lucas heard something in the garden. He frowned and stood up, putting on his underwear and Eliott’s hoodie. He walked to the window, his feet naked and his hair messy as always. He pulled the yellow curtain aside, looking out into the garden and his heart skipped a bit.
All the panic faded away as he saw Eliott crouching in front of a tall hedge. He was only wearing his underwear too, apparently looking at something very interesting in or on the hedge.
Eliott didn’t run away.
He was still there and he wouldn’t leave.
Stop panicking, Lucas. Everything is okay.
Lucas was faster downstairs than he expected him and walked out in the garden, the grass under his naked feet tickling him, the sun warming his bare legs. The garden from the Demaurys was huge. Even bigger than Lucas’ own and his garden was already nearly a whole park. But Lucas had no interest in looking at the beautiful flowers or the tall trees. He only had eyes for the tall boy, kneeling on the grass, his arms outstretched in front of him.
“What are you actually doing here?”, asked Lucas while laughing quietly, slowly approaching him.
Eliott looked over his shoulder, his eyes widening as he took in the other boy. Something like realization could be seen on Eliott’s face, his eyes drifting to Lucas’ messy hair before looking back to the hedge in front of him again.
“Lucas! Come here, quickly!”
Lucas frowned and was next to Eliott in two strides.
“What is it? Did something happen? Are you okay?”
Lucas was immediately worried, maybe his illness affected him in some kind of way Lucas couldn’t see. But Eliott shook is head, Lucas taking a deep breath.
“Look. Look, who I found.”
Lucas crouched down next to Eliott, squinting his eyes in the direction where Eliott pointed. And then Lucas saw it – a little hedgehog was stuck in the fence behind the hedge, desperately trying to get out of there.
“We need to help him”, said Lucas quietly, his heart breaking for the little animal.
Eliott nodded, kissing Lucas’ cheek casually. Lucas blushed – this was so normal, like a teenager relationship should be. He pushed the thoughts of their still ongoing feud aside, only caring and living for the here and now.
Eliott was now stretching out his arms, slowly and very carefully wrapping his fingers around the hedgehog, trying not the hurt the animal and himself. He pulled slightly on the body of the little creature, freeing him in this way and getting him out of danger. Lucas and Eliott simultaneously started to smile, Eliott setting down the little guy in front of them and turning his head to Lucas. Lucas was still looking at the hedgehog, driving a hand through his hair absentminded.
“You know what?”, Eliott suddenly said quietly, both of them still in their happy and little space where they just saved a life.
“Hm?”
Lucas now looked at Eliott, being surprised how much he felt for the other boy. How his heart started to race whenever Eliott looked into Lucas’ soul with these beautiful eyes and—
“This hedgehog looks like you.”
Lucas stared at him, not quite believing if he understood him right.
“What the actually…”
“No, Lucas! Look.”
Eliott was now beaming, the little animal in front of them still too afraid to move away.
“The spikes look exactly like your hair”, said Eliott, grinning like a little boy. He touched Lucas’ hair, taking a strand of Lucas’ messy hair and slightly pulling on it. “They are sticking out the same way the spikes from the hedgehog stick out.”
Lucas couldn’t help himself. He burst into laughter.
“Are you really comparing me to a… hedgehog?”
“These guys are cute! Look at their tiny noses”, Eliott protested, joining into Lucas’ laughter. The hedgehog now had enough, disappearing into the hedge and Eliott made some sound of disapproving.
“You scared him. You scared Lucas, the hedgehog.”
“Lucas the hedgehog? Are you for real?” Lucas laughed, raising his eyebrows at Eliott who was pulling Lucas into his arms now while still laughing. It was music in Lucas’ ears. They were falling back to the ground together, laying in the grass now. Lucas was hovering over Eliott while Eliott started to play with Lucas’ hair, both of them grinning the whole time.
“I’m only gonna call you little hedgehog from now on.”
“No fucking way.”
“You will not stop me”, Eliott said while wriggling his eyebrows at Lucas and if Lucas wouldn’t be in love already, he would be by now.
“Oh, dear god. Just promise me that you won’t use this nickname in front of people.”
“I’m gonna shout it from the rooftop”, Eliott said, laying his head back into the grass, looking up into the sky.
“LUCAS LALLEMANT IS MY HEDGEHOG!”, screamed Eliott suddenly and Lucas stared at him, his mouth open while he tried not to laugh out loud. The whole neighborhood must have heard this and there were times where Lucas would care about this.
But these times were over.
Eliott started to breath in again, ready to scream these words into the world again, but Lucas’ laid his hand over Eliott’s mouth, silencing him in this way.
“Oh my fucking god, Eliott. Are you crazy?”
Lucas laughed but he stilled, when he saw the light fading from Eliott’s eyes.
And just then he realized what he said.
“Eliott…”
Lucas was sitting up, driving his hands through his hair. He felt shame inside of him, turning his cheeks red.
“I am sorry. I… I didn’t—”
“Forget it, Lucas. You didn’t mean it that way.”
Lucas only nodded but he felt guilty for saying these words nevertheless. There were some moments of silence between them, the light and peaceful situation destroyed by Lucas again.
“Lucas… I wanted to tell you… about my illness. I really wanted to”
Lucas played with a blade of grass, his thoughts swirling around, as Eliott suddenly addressed him. He didn’t expect him to break the silence this soon, especially not with this subject. Lucas would lie if he would say that he hadn’t thought about Eliott’s illness and what all of this was about. But he swore himself not to push Eliott, not to interrogate him. If Eliott wanted to talk, then he would.
And now was apparently the time.
“It’s okay, Eliott. Really.”
“No, it’s not. Just… let me explain it to you”, said Eliott quietly, looking down on his hands as if being afraid to look into Lucas’ eyes while telling his story. “I can be… dangerous. Dangerous for myself and for my surroundings. Dangerous for people… that I love.” Eliott was now looking up, Lucas feeling some kind of warmth rising inside of him.
“It’s a personality disorder. My moods change rapidly, I tend to say and do things without me even realizing what I do or what I say. I have days, where everything is okay. Like today.”
Lucas was now taking Eliott’s hands, the other boy having really cold hands. He was nervous.
“But then… then, there are days, where everything sucks. Where I cannot do anything. Where getting up is even too much. Where existing is even too much.”
Eliott’s eyes suddenly where wet and Lucas’ heart broke for Eliott.
“I… I know. This sounds like hell on earth. And I am sorry for not telling you about it. It was selfish of me. Selfish to hide this only because I thought… I thought that I would lose you to 100 percent when I would tell you about it.”
“But I am still here”, said Lucas quietly, a tear rolling down Eliott’s cheek.
“I am still here. And you… you were the best thing that could have happened to me. And if your selfish self hadn’t insisted on approaching me again and again and again while my stupid self was always rejecting you, I wouldn’t be who I am now. I wouldn’t be ready to fight my whole family. I wouldn’t be ready to fight for you. And now I am here – in your garden after saving a little hedgehog.”
Eliott’s lips where now forming into a tiny smile.
“And if we could save this little creature – then we can also save our lives and the lives of future generations. And if you think that I deserve better… Then you’re mistaken, Eliott.”
Lucas was brushing the tear away who was leaving a wet trace on Eliott’s beautiful face.
“You have bad days? Okay. But as you mentioned, you also have good days. And we will live these good days, every hour, minute and second. We will make the best out of it.”
Lucas laid his forehead against Eliott’s, closing his eyes for a second.
“You are not alone, Eliott. You never were and you never will be.”
Eliott was now wrapping his arms around Lucas, pulling him close. He snuggled his face into Lucas’ neck and Lucas was smiling, happily and content with his life after a long time of not being able to look into a brighter future.
They could do everything.
Together.
Lucas didn’t know how and he didn’t know when – but he there was one thing he knew: Eliott was worth it.
“And if you scream at me, then I will just… scream back.”
Lucas was grinning and finally, finally he could feel Eliott laughing, his breath tickling the soft skin on Lucas’ neck.