One-shots (boyxboy)

Serenade (Lorcan & Evan)

A/N: Contains some strong language (some words).

I promised @zeeadaj a short story and here you go. I wrote it in one go, without writing a draft first. It's very short and there's not much going on, but I still hope you like it. 

[Lorcan and Evan are characters from my book Blue Howard (and Evan was also in Love on the Radio).]

Green hair all over his face. 

After Lorcan took Evan's comment too literally, he looks like an actual merman - instead of red-blonde hair, there's a nest of green, and on this special occasion, he has lined his eyes with black pencil. "I look like a goth," he mutters, staring at his reflection in the mirror. 

"I think you look nice," Evan says and shrugs. "Although I wouldn't take you out to dinner with you looking like that. What would everyone say, right?" He laughs.

"Why are we doing this again?" Lorcan asks and turns around. Evan's spread out on the bed, sunlight dancing on his face. He looks like an angel, but Lorcan knows he's closer to a devil in this room. 

"Because it's Summer Solstice." Evan glances at Lorcan. "I've read a lot of books. It's when faeries come to dance." 

"And drink and fuck," Lorcan finishes. 

Evan gives a nod. "Yes, that too." He props himself up on his elbow and picks at the blanket as if it were grass. 

Lorcan shakes his head. "I could totally make glitter work, but not this black pencil," he says and rubs his neck. "I'm gonna remove it." He disappears to the bathroom, but the door is open, so Evan watches how the black gets smudged under Lorcan's eyes. 

Later that night they go out in the backyard and light a bonfire. They didn't invite anyone, it'll be a night for just the two of them, before Evan has to go back home. His parents miss him. He has been away for almost three weeks. 

They drink white sparkling wine and Evan tries to make flowercrowns for the both of them, but manages to finish only one. He gives it to Lorcan. "I want to say no to you so badly," Lorcan mumbles, sipping his wine, as Evan adjusts the flowercrown atop Lorcan's green hair. 

The sun is setting, creating beautiful colours across the sky - yellows and pinks and oranges. It's as if lighting the bonfire, they also lit up the sky.

Evan leans back in his chair and stares at his see-through cup. "What if there really were faeries?" It's fun to fantasize, but he knows that's not true. Although throughout the decades and centuries, people have reportedly seen such creatures. 

He shakes his head. School has managed to plant strange ideas into his head. 

"Then I wouldn't be having a wine with you," Lorcan replies with a smirk. "I'd be out there with them, having the time of my life." 

"I'd probably be stuck in a mundane life," Evan continues. "I probably wouldn't have any idea they existed." 

"But you have me," Lorcan says and gives a shrug. "And I look like a faerie."

"That's true," Evan agrees. "We're halfway there." 

"What do you mean halfway?" Lorcan frowns.

"Well," Evan starts. "You still have to seduce me. That's what faeries do, don't they?" 

Lorcan chuckles. He throws a twig into the bonfire. "I have a surprise or two in my sleeve." 

Evan's eyes spark up. "Stop teasing and get to it," he urges.

Lorcan looks at him and raises an eyebrow. "That would be no fun. And you know I'm a sucker for fun." 

Just a while ago (but it seems like forever ago) Lorcan was an ignorant guy. He was loudmouthed (which he still is) and he was cruel. He didn't really consider what the others were feeling. 

How did I manage to change him, Evan thinks, and was it me who changed him or did he change on his own.

They both end up dancing and running around the bonfire, singing and yelling and laughing. All Evan is thinking is that it would be damn fun to be a faerie, but it's cool as hell to be a human too. You don't need immortality to enjoy yourself with someone you love. 

Lorcan is skipping, and he throws his hands in the air, singing, "I don't care." 

Then he pulls Evan to him and they kiss as if it were the first time their lips touched. Lorcan wraps his arms around Evan and rests his forehead against Evan's. They sway to no music, but then Lorcan starts to hum. 

The sun is now lower on the horizon, warning of its disappearance. Soon, there'll be no sunlight, only darkness. 

"You know," Lorcan says quietly. "I wrote a song." 

Evan moves his head a little. "I didn't know that about you." 

"Wait here, don't open your eyes," he instructs. He used to bark order, back in the day, but now he's the sweetest person of all, and Evan is desperate to cling to him.

"You're not gonna just leave me here?" Evan asks just in case.

Lorcan snorts. "Silly. I would never leave you." 

Evan stands there for a while, the softest breeze caressing his hair, the gentlest rays of sunlight on his cheek. It is calm outside. This is what peace looks like. 

Lorcan returns. Evan knows this, because Lorcan touches his hand and then asks him to open his eyes. Evan blinks at the light and smiles at Lorcan. He notices a guitar, soft brown and covered in doodles. "I taught myself," he says. "But then I realized I sucked and took some lessons the week before you came here." 

"Lorcan Pintes, you amaze me every day," Evan breathes out.

"It's because I fucking love you," Lorcan mutters almost angrily. No - passionately. 

He starts playing and at first he's just humming. Evan assumes that's the song, just melody and no lyrics, but then Lorcan starts to sing and his voice is even better. 

Usually he was singing off-key just like Evan, always hiding his talent. For this. For this moment he kept it a secret. 

"I want to kiss you," Evan whispers. Lorcan smiles and shakes his head, not pausing this performance. If Evan were up on a balcony, and Lorcan in the yard, this could be considered an official serenading. But without this book-perfect scenario, it's still a serenade, and it's still perfect.

"I'm going to dye my hair orange for you," Evan tells. Orange, because it's Lorcan's favourite colour. But he's sure Lorcan will stop him. Maybe they could both dye their hair green again? Or maybe it was just a one of a kind thing. Yes, that must be it. 

It's a one of kind night. But they could make it into a tradition.

They fall asleep in their chairs, holding hands and smiling. But just before Evan falls into a dream, he lifts their entwined hands and plants a kiss on the back of Lorcan's hand.