AU-gust Day 31: Any two previous AUs
Roommates + Pretend Relationship
Modern AU. Damen/Laurent. Continuation of Roommates & Pretend Relationship
Of course, Ancel is sporting the finest clothes and jewellery money can buy. Of course, heâs engaged to a man almost ten years his senior. And of course, the said man simply happens to own a fleet of merchant ships. None of that comes as a surprise to Laurent (Ancel had always been looking for a sugar daddy who could provide him a lavish life). What comes as a bloody surprise, however, is running into Ancel and his fiancĂŠ in this goddamn wedding convention of all places.
âDamen, is it?â Ancel asks, looking Damen up and down appreciatively. âWhat are you studying again?â
âFitness,â Damen replies, guilelessly falling into Ancelâs sugary trap. âIâm looking at sports and related injuries.â
âOf course youâre,â says Ancel, flipping his ridiculously long hair over his shoulder, âAfter all, youâre Laurentâs type to a T.â
At that, Damen turns to Laurent, eyes wide with surprise. Whether Damenâs surprised that heâs Laurentâs type, or Laurent even has a type, Laurent doesnât know. He hadnât dated anyone â or even consideredâ in all the years heâd been Damenâs roommate.
In a bid to divert the topic and fend off the blush spreading across his cheeks, Laurent turns to Berenger for a conversation. âWhat did you think of the food and wine tonight?â
âAh! It was splendid!â Berenger beams. âThe coconut cake, especially. It was brilliant. Weâve even ordered it for our engagement party next weekend. Havenât we, Ancel?â
âYes, sweetie,â Ancel replies, accompanied by aâ surprisinglyâ genuine smile.
âIn fact.â Berenger grins at them. âYou two should come, too. Our estate is just an hourâs drive from here.â
âWe donât want to impose,â Laurent says.
âOh no, I insist. After all, itâs not every day that I run into Ancelâs childhood friend.â
Damen turns a questioning look at Laurent, as if to say: Iâm game if youâre.
Pretending to be engaged when theyâre best friends is dangerous. Theyâll be in a pickle if someone finds out; especially when Ancelâs and Laurentâs families run in similar circles. But Laurent doesnât want this to end. He doesnât want to stop this now; not when he knows what itâs like to be Damenâs boyfriend. What it's like to have all of Damenâs magnetic attention on him. What itâs like to have Damenâs heavy arm draped around his waist, Damenâs heat against his chest, and Damenâs breath whispering in his ear: What do you think, sweetheart?
Laurent wants it again. Even if itâs just for a weekend. Even if itâs all a pretence.
Laurent loops his arm around Damenâs and says, âIn that case, weâd love to.â