The Death of Our Innocence (Dead Plate Swap AU)

Summertime Sadness

A/N: Will I ever stop giving characters my own trauma? No, never!!
Also, thank you everyone sm for your support and all of your sweet comments! You don't know how much they mean to me♥
Just to let everyone know Nice is a city in France (just to avoid any confusion in case anyone isn't aware!) Rody and Vincent's hometown (in this story obv) is in Nice, while Rody's bistro and most of the story take place in Marseille.

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13 years ago. Nice, France.

It had only been a week after their high school graduation. At the onset of a starry summer night, Rody and all his friends sat by the beach side together, gathered around a small fire they had created for warmth to celebrate school being over.

They were adults now. Technically, at least. They had no idea that being a kid is ephemeral whilst being an adult lasts for the rest of one's life, till the day they die.

They'd never be kids again.

Vincent, having been born in autumn, was the only one who was still seventeen and his friends often teased him for being the youngest among them all, even by just a few months.

Rody was happy, still. Living under the illusion that these people would be his forever family.

Sat around the bonfire with his brethren, his skin smelling of seasalt as he strummed away at his guitar and sang along with everyone else; such simple, yet precious times. Vincent was sat by his side, like he always was, wearing the redhead's jacket because he had gotten cold. After sunset, the climate by the seaside was quite unforgiving, even during the summertime.

As they all sang along, slightly tipsy with liquor they had stolen from their parents, Vincent's attention was solely placed upon Rody. He couldn't help but admire his best friend, even though the newfound feelings within him frightened him so.

It wasn't lust. It wasn't exactly what one would call romantic love. It was something more profound. Rody was his soulmate, the only one he'd ever yearn for, and nothing would ever change that. Their souls had already been tied together. It was that simple.

"What is it?" Rody asked once their singing died down, his tone soft. He had noticed the way Vincent was just staring at him, without even saying a word.

Their friends' idle chatter was nothing but white static in the background for Vincent. All his senses were drawn in by the boy before him. His tanned skin, the slight sunburn decorating the apples of his freckled cheeks. The warm glow of the makeshift fire making the ring of his iris sparkle with a golden gleam. The way his torso is visible due to the unbuttoned short-sleeve he's clad with.

Nobody could ever be more beautiful.

"Nothing," Vincent replies, trying to look unbothered even as his heart trembles for him. "I'm just surprised you can actually sing. You have a nice voice.."

"I told you." Rody chuckles and Vincent melts into a puddle on the inside. "You okay? You look a bit drowsy. How much did you drink?"

"Uh.. not a lot."

Vincent scoffs a little at the look of reprimand he is given, trying to resist the urge to pout. His head feels heavy. Despite him being a lightweight, he always drank too much when presented with the opportunity because it felt like alcohol wouldn't affect him since he couldn't taste it.