Starstruck (the Idea of Always)

Zondag 14:37

"Oh, shit." Lucas pulled back and moved the whisk back over the bowl, his other hand reaching up to hold Jens's shoulder. Milan chuckled at him and took the whisk, stepping back from the stove and bringing it to his mouth to lick it.

"You guys are worse than Robbe and Sander," Aaron said, sitting at the table next to Ralph.

"What?" Robbe said, offended. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well, you two can barely keep your hands off each other." Aaron gestured to Jens and Lucas, where Jens had his head in the crook of Lucas's neck, gently kissing him before realizing what Aaron was talking about and pulling away. He turned, the small of his back to the edge of the counter, and leaned so his back was pressed to Lucas's chest. Lucas wrapped his arms around him.

"Yeah, says you," Robbe replied haughtily. He hopped up onto the table, sitting between Ralph and Aaron.

"Yeah, you and Amber are insufferable," Moyo added as he took off his jacket and leaned against the wall.

"Hey!" Aaron's jaw dropped. They all laughed.

"You guys are cute together, though," Lucas said when it got quieter, remembering seeing them dancing at the New Years' party. It really was cute. They seemed very happy together.

"Cuter than you guys," Aaron retorted, looking at Jens and then Lucas.

"Ohhh."

Everyone in the room laughed and Lucas wrapped his arms around Jens, pulling him closer and pressing his face cheek to Jens's. Jens brought his arms up, grabbing Lucas's.

"You wish!" they said simultaneously, giggling as Lucas peppered kisses across Jens's face and the back of his neck, and the boys laughed louder.

"They said it at the same time!"

"That's so cute!"

- - -

Lucas's phone buzzed on the counter next to him. He took another glance around the room, at boys eating their afternoon pancakes, Jens still standing between his legs, and slid his right hand off of Jens's shoulder to grab his phone.

Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to
what is good. Romans 12:9

Oh.

Lucas's smile dipped.

He didn't know how to respond. How to respond to a message that made him wonder about how much he was loved, if at all. He swallowed, reading the verse again.

Hate what is evil.

People hated people like Lucas. Hated Lucas.

Was Lucas evil?

His hands shook slightly as he turned his phone off, still staring at the screen. His breath caught in his throat. He couldn't hear the guys speaking anymore, the noise of the room, the scraping of forks on plates, quiet chuckles, blurred together into a watery white noise.

"Hey."

Lucas looked up, realizing his lips were pursed and relaxed his face as best he could. Jens's brows were turned upward, worried.

"I said your name like three times. What's up?"

Lucas scanned his face, his mouth turning down, and shook his head. Jens kissed him softly, gently placing his hands on Lucas's hips.

"You okay?"

"Mhmm." Lucas touched his face, forgetting there were other people in the room. "Are you?" he asked, changing the subject. "Has your dad called again?"

Jens sighed, sliding his hands down Lucas's thighs and rubbing his thumbs back and forth. He shook his head.

"Hm."

"Hm." Jens paused, squeezing Lucas's legs for a second. "What's wrong?"

Lucas kissed him.

"I'll tell you later."

"Okay."

They kissed again, deeper than before, Lucas biting Jens's lip slightly. Jens slid his hands around Lucas, pulling him closer by the small of his back. Jens hummed against his mouth, smiling.

"Will you please stop making out?" Aaron asked loudly, and Jens and Lucas broke apart momentarily, laughing, before pressing their smiles back together.