undeveloped film

split my knuckles, break your heart

SAM HAD NEVER BEEN IN A LONG-DISTANCE RELATIONSHIP BEFORE. In all fairness, he never had been in a relationship that was that serious before anyway. It figured that the first time he was going to try to keep something together longer than a couple months, was a long-distance relationship with his soulmate. The man he could actually see himself marrying, if they decided that.

For a child born from a shambled wreck of a marriage, that meant something.

The last few weeks of summer were spent in a haze, each moment golden nectar he savoured on his tongue. Every moment he had with Lachlan he treasured, that had always been true. But now, there was a whole new value to their every interaction. An extra weight behind every glance, every plan, every shared laugh.

Lachlan was his best friend. He was also Sam's boyfriend.

Boyfriend. What an odd word; one Sam never thought he would use for himself yet wouldn't want any other way. Figuring out he was bisexual was so much easier than he thought it could be. Though again, anything Lachlan was involved in was always easy.

Despite that, the threat of the added distance between them weighed heavily on them both.

"Of all the times for us to figure our shit out," Lachlan murmured into Sam's collarbone one of their last days together before Sam had to move hours away for university. "We really had to pick now."

Sam smiled as he felt Lachlan's frustrated little huff on his bare skin. The moment Lachlan had marched into his room, he unceremoniously sprawled onto Sam's bed, and subsequently Sam himself, and refused to move since.

"Never claimed to be smart, babe," Sam quipped back, maneuvering to give Lachlan's head of curls a decisive peck. "That's all you."

"Says the guy going to university to get a science degree."

Sam playfully pinched the skin under Lachlan's ribs, taking his boyfriend's laughter as an opportunity to flip them over. "Shut up. Now, what are you doing here? I thought we were having dinner at your place?"

Lachlan groaned, flopping his head back. "Don't even get me started. I just want to avoid my family asking nosy questions for as long as possible. Now that you've stopped trying to set me up, they seem to have taken the mantle from you."

"It would be odd for me to try and set up my boyfriend with someone else, I think," Sam stated off-handedly, before he narrowed his eyes, catching on to what Lachlan said. "Wait. Have you not told them about us yet?"

Lachlan winced. "No?" His eyes were earnest as he rushed to explain, "Home has been kind of peaceful lately, and I don't to interrupt it by my parents reacting in whatever way they will. But yeah. You're not my dirty little secret, I promise."

Sam bit his lip, trying his best to push back a smile. He truly didn't mind even if he was, but it was cute to watch Lachlan fumble for an explanation for something Sam wasn't even offended by. "Good," he chose to say instead, wiggling his eyebrows. "I'm anything but little.-"

"Samuel Latour," Lachlan groaned, rolling his eyes. "Get off."

"What?" Sam defended as he pushed himself to his feet, offering Lachlan a hand as well. "'Anything but little', like-"

"I know what you mean," Lachlan tiredly explained, though a small smile was fighting for control of his lips. "You're not exactly subtle, Sam."

Sam's mouth dropped open. "How could you, Lach? Betrayed by my own beloved boyfriend."

"You'll survive," Lachlan snarked, squeezing Sam's hand and tugging him along. "Now c'mon, I want a snack."

"Why look for a snack when you got a whole damn meal in front of you-"