Black Coffee, Red Lipstick, and Cigarette Smoke

Chapter Twenty

Hercules had started to realize things, and he hated himself for it. It was little silly things, things he was surprised to just now notice. He should have noticed them before and he knew that.

He noticed how Lafayette's noise crinkled up when they laughed. He noticed their smell, recognized their touch almost immediately. He could hear their laughter everywhere.

He noticed the way Lafayette only cursed in French. He noticed the way they never understood puns, but they laughed anyway. He noticed their excitement by the little things in life, usually butterflies.

Hercules began to notice things about himself too. The first realization was his laughter. He laughed all the time with Lafayette. It wasn't just little chuckles. He would throw his head back, barely able to contain his chuckles.

He noticed that he felt lonely when he wasn't with Lafayette. When his phone wasn't buzzing with texts, when his friend wasn't beside him, he was alone. It was an awful feeling in the pit of his stomach, one he didn't want to inflict on anyone else.

Hercules noticed another thing, probably the silliest of them all. When Lafayette wasn't around, his hands grew cold. They were frigid, nothing but Lafayette's touch able to warm them. He longed for their hand to hold his, to never leave his grasp.

The barrier which once sustained them was nothing more than a mere idea. They had no gap, no space that was too personal. They were committed to each other, trusting and accepting to the fullest of extents.

Hercules always pertained a certain air of sophistication around Angelica. Everything had to be perfect and stereotypical. He wanted the perfect timing for everything. He wanted thought out and planned kisses, her stealing his jacket at just the right time.

He didn't want that with Lafayette.

He wanted imperfections and messes. He wanted everything to be sporadic and unplanned. There was no precomposed standard to follow. Hercules just wanted to embark on adventure with Lafayette, whether it be going to the ocean, or just trying new foods together. He didn't care how they kissed, as long as it was with Lafayette.

He watched a friendship dissolve before his eyes and as a Phoenix rises from the flames, his love for Lafayette grew. There was no feasible way that he could continue in a manner any less than a romantic relationship.

The feelings overwhelmed him, hitting him so suddenly he had no room to think. He was overtaken by feelings of vanity and fear, only Lafayette on his mind.

It didn't seem fair to rush Laf. Hercules' feelings for Angelica had just subsided. He didn't want for Lafayette to seem like a rebound, a back up for the current time.

He couldn't calm the fire in his heart or the thoughts racing through his head. He had to see Lafayette, had to tell them he loved them.

Lafayette had begged all week for Hercules to go Christmas shopping with them. It was only a week before Christmas, and they had misplaced all their ornaments.

They had promised Hercules cookies and a good time, which of course was what swayed his decision. He was only going for the cookies, not because he was in love or anything.

The store was more quiet than expected. The only noise Hercules could hear was Lafayette's small giggles as they tugged him through the store.

The Christmas decorations were scattered throughout the back of the store. Most of them had already been picked through.

Lafayette had a grasp on Hercules' wrist, tugging him throughout the store. They led, him everywhere, turning around every so often to smile deviously at Hercules.

"Let's look at the trees!" Lafayette urged, pulling Hercules towards the trees. He thought about making a fuss, but the excited look on their face persuaded him otherwise.

The trees all already had lights placed on them for display. They twinkled, lighting up Lafayette's eyes.

The two walked through the rows twice, Lafayette swaying slowly to the music played on the overhead speaker. Hercules didn't recognize the song, and he didn't care to either.

"Let's dance." Lafayette joked, grabbing onto Hercules' arm. He laughed, moving back and forth.

Lafayette threw their head back in laughter. "Non, mon Cher, you're doing it all wrong." They started pulling Hercules in one direction, counting out the steps.

"Un, deux, trois, quatre. Now take four steps back." They would say. "Now to the left."

Hercules hardly listened, only occasionally glancing at his feet. Otherwise, his eyes were gazing straight into Lafayette's glistening ones.

The music slowed, coming to an end. "Now you would spin me." Lafayette explained and Hercules did as he was told.

The music ended along with the spin, and Lafayette was wrapped protectively in his arms.

What happened next was a bit of a blur to both of them. Hercules wasn't sure who leaned in first, who initiated the kiss, but soon enough, Lafayette's lips were against his.

It was short, too short for Hercules taste. It was sweet though, words that long since hadn't been spoken. It was a promise to both that this was the beginning of something great.

Lafayette felt butterflies dancing in their stomach, fairies dancing in the pit of their soul.  It was like snowflakes on their lips. Hercules smooth lips touching gently against Lafayette's chapped ones.

Lafayette knew that no kiss would ever match this one. They knew that even if their kisses were treated as a currency, even if they became the most frequent of necessities, Lafayette would never grow tired of it. They couldn't grow tired of it.

They were both hesitant to speak, neither feeling like they had the words to discuss the situation. They were both out of breath, even through they had wasted next to none on the kiss.

Hercules finally spoke first. "I'm so stupid for not realizing sooner, but I think I love you."

Lafayette smiled a toothy grin, their noise crinkling at the same time. "Oh, je t'aime. I've always loved you too!"

They laughed, not even sure why. They wanted to yell for joy, but no more noise would escape from their throat. They wanted Hercules to hold them and never let go. They wanted to scream from the rooftop that they were finally loved in return.

Instead, they kissed Hercules one last time, lingering a little longer in the moment. "Let's go get coffee, oui?"

Hercules nodded. "Yeah, sure."

A/N I'M SO SORRY!!!! I should have updated sooner, I've just been ridiculously busy. The election preoccupied a lot of my time, discussion, and Facebook posts. Also, my boyfriend has been over every day and I just ran out of time to update. Figured I'd post this before I started studying for these midterm finals. Please shoot me. Anyway, thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed.