#kaylawrites

PART 2 - Find Part 1 here

22:52

Strangely enough, Eliott doesn’t think that Chloe would show up in his dreams. Moreover, he doesn’t think Yann would make a surprise entrance as well. He’s usually used to the presence of Lucas swirling in his head. Unless…

Eliott enters consciousness, viewing the odd sight of Chloe and Yann sitting near him. Chloe makes herself comfortable sitting on Yann’s lap, turning her body to Eliott but addressing the boy sitting on him. Lucas still thinks that Eliott is fast asleep, so he doesn’t mind having a full conversation with Chloe. They’re somehow civil with each other? Lucas is surprised that things are easy between them. It’s probably because Yann is the mediator between the two.

There wouldn’t be any harm when Lucas’ best friend is watching his girlfriend and Lucas converse about school, games, and life. Eliott remains quiet in this scene, watching over Lucas, looking for signs of discomfort or hesitance. Looking for a cue to distract his boyfriend and bring him closer to his chest to end their conversation. Eliott’s never been Chloe’s biggest fan, that was pretty much clear to the both of them. But, he wouldn’t stop at creating boundaries between her and Lucas, because he could tell Chloe always finds Lucas attractive.

In the middle of their conversation, Chloe laughs at a remark Lucas makes and reaches for his arm, tapping it for gratitude of cracking her up.

The audacity of this woman!

Of course it’s not a big deal, but anything remotely related to Chloe gets Eliott’s blood boiling. Eliott rises from the couch, pretending to wake from his sleep. He zeroes in on Lucas’ neck, peppering it with kisses to get his attention.

Alas, it doesn’t have the effect he was hoping for. Lucas turns to Eliott, petting his hair, then quickly turning back to Chloe and continuing their conversation. Yann and Basile are conversing in low voices about some other topics, and Arthur is dead-set on winning the game, ignoring the bunch.

Eliott rolls his eyes, nudging his boyfriend to get up so he could stretch his legs and move around a bit. Eliott doesn’t mean to antagonize Chloe. It’s just that their past interactions have left Eliott feeling hopeless and wanting of Lucas – as Lucas was unsure of his sexuality and his desire for Eliott, using Chloe as a beard in the past, aggravating Eliott to no end.

Once he departs from the living room, he goes to the kitchen to grab a glass of water to cure his dry mouth. Halfway to downing his glass, Basile enters the kitchen, somberly opening the fridge and looking for some leftover dessert. He finds a half-eaten chocolate muffin and eagerly grabs it to satisfy his taste buds while also catching Eliott’s irritated look.

“You okay there, mate?”

“Yeah, I’m okay, just a bit tired,” Eliott replies. “And you?”

“Bettuh naw,” Basile makes out as he stuffs the chocolate muffin in his mouth.

Eliott sneaks a look in the living room and is just a little shocked to find Chloe’s legs spread across Lucas’, with her upper body cushioned by Yann.

Eliott frowns, turning around to harshly place the empty cup on the counter and to depart to the nearest bedroom for solace. His nerves aren’t responding well to Chloe’s presence, so he prefers to ease his mind with some quiet.

PART 1

After the mini conversation with Imane, Lucas decided to take action and fix things between him and Eliott. He was going to surprise his boyfriend with a treat. Things have been very strained between them since Idriss caught Lucas’ attention. The history between Eliott and Idriss worried and agitated Lucas, doubting his current relationship and the trust he put into his boyfriend. But the tension is behind him, and he needs to prove it to Eliott before things go south.

6:43PM

By God’s mercy and Lucas’ luck, Mika and Lisa are out of the house. Mika supposedly said that there was a nearby arcade that opened next to a local bar, and that was a recipe for Mika’s entertainment and Lisa’s attempt to have fun out of the apartment. When Lucas arrives minutes after the duo departed, the flat is quite messy. It takes time out of his preparation for Eliott’s surprise to clean up the hazard that Mika obviously created.

6:58 PM

Eliott said he’d arrive at 7 PM, but knowing him well enough, Eliott never arrives on time. So, Lucas isn’t worried as he picks up the grocery bag and unpacks cheap champagne and Italian ham. It’s become tradition for them to have these kind of dinners together, but Lucas wanted to spice things up for a change. He unpacked to-go jars of mustard and mayonnaise, a loaf of sandwich bread, and a big bag of chips. Luckily, Arthur knew the state of Eliott and Lucas’s relationship wasn’t the best, so he slipped a bag of weed in Lucas’ front pocket of his backpack, that Lucas found later in the day. He unpacks the bag and places it on the counter next to the groceries. With the condiments and ham ready, Lucas unravels his expertise to make acceptable sandwiches for him and his boyfriend. 6 sandwiches later filled with too much ham and mustard to taste the bread, Lucas exhales and walks away from the counter. He finds his phone on the couch he left it on, and finds a text from Eliott: “Be there in 10” – sent 4 minutes ago.

So… Lucas has less time than expected to fix up the atmosphere. Lucas runs to the TV room, and moves the magazines and board games, making space for the food to place on the table in the middle of the room. Rubbing his hands on his jeans, he runs back to the kitchen to pick up two glasses and the champagne bottle and calmly places them on the table. Then, he lights some scented candles he spotted in Mika’s room a while back and puts them at the center of the table, illuminating the couch and the wall behind it. As a finishing touch, he quickly rolls two joints and hides them between the candles, hoping the candles’ scents will mask the strong cannabis smell.

Part 1

A day like this was needed after the stress of bac exams looming over Lucas. Eliott could tell Lucas hasn’t been doing well with school ruling his life at the moment, so he decided to plan out a small outing, without the girls and boys. They haven’t had much time to just relax and cuddle in silence and peace, so what better place was there to jumpstart a good time other than the park?

Eliott and Lucas arrive, holding hands, Eliott’s other hand holding a small basket of various cheeses and cheap wine. While they walk on the grass, Lucas surveys the park, looking for the perfect place to lie down. And his luck couldn’t have been better. A few yards ahead of them, down a small hill, they spotted an empty canoe.

“Eliott,” Lucas says, “look over there.” Lucas points over at the canoe and looks at Eliott, finding a mischievous smile painted on his face. Eliott looks at Lucas then detaches their intertwined fingers, provoking a confused look from Lucas. “Race you,” Eliott says, before running like the wind towards the canoe. Lucas takes a second to process what just happened before running after his boyfriend. With no surprise, Eliott arrives first, whooping loudly and putting his tongue out at Lucas.

“Hey, you cheated! I could have won had you waited for me to run with you.” “Uh, huh, or I could have just walked over here and still have you behind me.” Lucas scoffs as a response, turning his back to Eliott, ready to walk back up the hill. Eliott quickly puts his arms around Lucas and lifting him, moving them both closer the canoe.

“Come on, I’ll soften your ego by letting you relax while I row the boat. How does that sound?” Eliott asks. “Lying down and watching your strong arms move us around. Hmmmm, let me think that over.” Eliott smiles, carefully placing his boyfriend on the boat before grabbing their basket and getting in. Eliott pushes them off the dirt and into the water. The boys try taking small, soft steps so as to not tip them over. Eliott sees Lucas’ difficulty with trying to sit without wobbling, so being the playful partner he is, he stomped his foot on the edge of the boat, making Lucas stumble, halfway to falling in the water.

“ELIOTT!”

Eliott laughs hard, quickly apologizing before stabilizing the boat and grabbing one of the row sticks. They settle down and sit in front of each other, Lucas watching Eliott move them someplace private. They sit in silence for a few minutes before Eliott stops rowing, suspending them in the middle of the lake.

I’m Kayla — writer, creator, and the heart behind KLJ Publishing.

This space is where my books, my journals, my coloring books, my healing, and my creativity come together.

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