Lucas and Vincent awoke the next morning wrapped together on the bed, Lucas' head buried in Vincent's neck. They hadn't done anything more than fall asleep together lulled by joint exasperation and longing for more, but in the morning light it felt dirty.
At least it did to Lucas. He was sleeping with a boy in his arms just a door away from his mother. What should happen if she were to poke her head in the room and come looking for him? What would she think? What would she do? Needless to say, Lucas had a suspicion that it wouldn't be good.. in fact he figured it be very bad. Still he was tangled up in Vincent too far down to let go and his neediness dictated that he stay in bed as close to the boy as possible, lest he disappear. No, Vincent couldn't fade out of existence like a fickle mirage if Lucas was holding tight, clutching on, never letting go. That, he supposed was a little more important than whatever his mother would do.
Vincent shifted slightly, letting out a satisfied groan, and Lucas tugged him deeper into the warmth of the covers. It wasn't often Lucas woke up first, and staring at Vincent as his chest rose and fell, eyes peacefully closed, Lucas decided he ought to attempt to be the first awake more often.
"We should be up before your mom." Vincent whispered, half asleep.
"Why?"
"It's easier to explain..." Vincent turned around so rather than facing the wall, he was facing Lucas' chest. "like... why I'm still here."
"But I don't have class until later..." Lucas kissed Vincent's cheek lightly. "Let's just stay here all day."
"Mhhm.. that's a nice idea." Vincent dug his face into the boy's shirt. "But we've got to go to class."
"Why?"
"Finals."
"Oh I see how it is. You just want me to become a doctor so I can pay for your whole existence, don't you?" Lucas suggested. "If I'm a doctor, then you'll never even need your degree."
"Be quiet." Vincent scolded. "I want my degree, and I want to work. You know that isn't how it is, right? You know I don't care what you do."
"I know you don't care what I do." Lucas stated sincerely. "But that doesn't mean you're free from me suspecting you just want me for my parent's money." He teased.
"Shut up." Vincent shook his head in annoyance. "I'd love you if you were living in a trailer park and begging for your food... the money's just a plus." He smiled.
"You hurt me!" Lucas feigned a pain in his chest.
Vincent swung his legs out of bed, and Lucas groaned, clutching closer to him, but Vincent broke the embrace and went over to the dresser to grab some clothes, intending to take a shower. He didn't have class until the evening that day, but he still wanted to get ready for the day. Lucas sat up on the bed, watching him from behind as he went.
"What are we going to do about your mom?" Vincent turned around. "You told her I went home last night. How are we going to explain me being here this morning?"
"Oh..." Lucas paused. "She usually wakes up a little later, but I can just distract her if she doesn't."
"Distract her, how?"
"I don't know, I'll think of something." Lucas flopped back down on the bed. "Just go shower. It's fine."
Vincent peaked out in the hallway to see that the light beneath Ms. Marshall's door was still dark and breathed a sigh of relief. She was still asleep, or at least still in bed with no intention of getting up anytime soon. He showered as quickly as possible, sliding back into the room dressed and ready. Lucas, despite his promise had fallen back asleep and lay on the bed snoring softly.
"Lucas?" Vincent shook him gently. "You need to get dressed."
"Nah!" Lucas groaned. "Don't wanna."
"Come on." Vincent pulled the covers off the boy. "Your mom will be up soon."
"Fine." Lucas mumbled. He dragged himself up from the bed, gathering clothes from the dresser and went to shower as Vincent had. Vincent, on the other had, sat in the room and busied himself with the textbook he'd cast off the prior night. It was a crazy life, he thought. A few weeks ago he never would have believed his best friend would become his boyfriend, and they'd be sharing a bed and talking about moving in together.
Just a few weeks ago he'd figured he'd spend his whole life alone.
Everything had changed so quickly, but it was a good change. The kind that made him feel all warm and fuzzy on the inside. The kind of change that made him feel like he'd made it to exactly where he was always meant to be.
After a while, Vincent bit the bullet and walked outside. Lucas was in the kitchen, prepping breakfast as had become a usual sight around the apartment, and he smiled when Vincent entered. There was a light on under the other bedroom door, but no mother about, so Vincent figured the coast was clear.
"A shower perked you right up." Vincent smiled, hugging Lucas from behind.
"Nah..." Lucas contradicted. "It just made it harder for you to tell.
"Alright Lucas, I want two eggs poached and-- Vincent? You're still here?" Lucas' mother exited the room, already dressed in her suit as if she was going somewhere formal. Luckily the boys had parted before she had seen.
"Um.. yes ma'am." Vinny mumbled. "I'm-"
"Vincent and I usually have breakfast together, he was just coming over from his dorm." Lucas lied.
"Oh, so you too must be close again? I'm sure your mother is thrilled Vincent. And I'm sure coming over here saves money on groceries."
"No- I" Vincent began.
"Don't worry about it dear, I was just teasing you. You always did need to toughen up, look at you, you look positively rattled." Lucas' mother sat down at the table. "So as I was saying, poached eggs and toast will be fine, Lucas."
"Coming right up."
"So tell me Vincent, what are you studying?" Ms. Marshall asked, a fake smile plastered on her face. She had Lucas' blonde hair and green eyes, yet Vincent still could hardly see them as related. Despite being in Lucas' life for years, he'd seen very little of her.
"I'm an English major." Vincent stated.
"Oh! How very liberal." She said condescendingly. "You know I was so glad when my Lucas said he wanted to study Biology, there's so much you can do with a biology degree, as you know. But English... I'm sure that's versatile too."
"Yes ma'am." Vincent frowned. "I'm-"
"So what exactly are you going to do with this degree? It isn't something like Finance or Business where it can just apply anywhere."
"Mom." Lucas said in a firm tone.
"I'm just asking, dear. You've know Vincent since you were children, I can't help but be a little curious." Ms. Marshall explained. "You know Lucas' father had a business degree, and he went into politics. That's a good degree. It helps him very much."
"I'm sure it does, Ma'am, but I wasn't planning on going into politics."
"No of course not, I wouldn't think you would. Perhaps Lucas' ought to have done that, he's so very good with people, but he just had to be a doctor, always helping people, that one." She smiled, and Vincent knew she had at least some hand in Lucas' choice. "Well, Lucas.. did you happen to hear any news about the Johnson family?"
"No." Lucas said plainly. He never really kept up on the various families his parents interacted with. They weren't really friends, they all just wanted something from each other.
"You remember Sydney, don't you? Gorgeous girl, and the two of you were so sweet on each other, it was just adorable. Well Sydney is studying to be an accountant, isn't that wonderful?"
"It's great." Lucas rolled his eyes. Vincent squirmed at the uncomfortable mention of Sydney, and Lucas' mom didn't seem to notice, or if she did she simply didn't care.
"She's at a college upstate, some very exclusive one. Going places, that girl. She's definitely going places. You two ought to make an appointment sometime to meet up? That would be just lovely, wouldn't it?"
"Sure." Lucas mumbled, setting the food in front of his mother.
"Oh Vincent, you know I heard your mother got a new job? It must pay well if she was able to send you to this school."
"I suppose..." Vincent mumbled. "I scored very well on the SATs."
"Well knowledge doesn't really get you very far these days. It's all money and minorities in our colleges now. You either have to be able to pay your way in or be any race besides white."
Vincent cringed at the comment and Lucas rolled his eyes.
"You know it's just ridiculous what some people we do in the country for these people, and it's still never enough. You remember how your mother used to be, all those causes and protests. I'm sure she's calmed down by now and agrees with the rest of us."
"No..." Vincent glared. "My mother has held very firm to her principles."
"I suppose that's good too. Modern society is so fickle that way. It's almost unexpected when something stays the same. I'll take her silly little activism as a much needed constant."
"You do that." Vincent rolled his eyes, but Ms. Marshall was too busy eating her eggs to notice.
"So... mother.. how long were you planning on staying?" Lucas changed the subject.
"What do you mean?"
"Well the championship is a few days from now... and then..."
"Your father's in Milan this year for the holidays, so I figured I might as well just stay here and have Christmas with you, wouldn't that be fun?" Lucas' mother beamed excitedly.
"Oh.. mom, we made plans to go up and see Vincent's mother for Christmas." Lucas interjected.
"I'm sure Vincent doesn't need you there. You don't mind going alone, Vincent do you?"
"I want to go with Vincent. We've spent nearly every holiday together since we were kids and..." Lucas trailed off.
"You didn't spend last year together."
"Mom, that was different." Lucas assured her.
"Of course, I'm just saying what's the difference." Lucas' mother shrugged. "If it's so important to you Lucas, then I'm sure Vincent can spend the holidays with us. You remember the service down at St. John's? It's just beautiful. I figured we could do that-"
"Vincent isn't going to St. John's. It's Baptist."
"And?" Lucas' mother looked up in confusion.
"Vincent isn't Baptist." Lucas said plainly.
"But we are."
"No, you are." Lucas rolled his eyes.
"So you're just not going to go at all?" Lucas' mother asked in confusion.
"If we were in New Hampshire we'd go to my mother's church, but if we stayed here... we'd probably go to Mary Queen of Angels on 5th." Vincent piped up timidly.
"A Catholic service? Oh honestly Lucas, now you're just being difficult."
"I'm not being difficult, you're being rude." Lucas' brow furrowed in anger.
"I don't like this attitude, young man."
"That makes two of us." Lucas stated angrily.
"Don't speak to me like that."
"Don't speak to Vincent like that." Lucas exclaimed.
"I was nothing but kind to Vincent."
"Bullshit." Lucas threw the towel down on the floor. "Absolute bullshit." He mumbled.
"Can you believe that?" Ms. Mashall turned to Vincent, talking as if Lucas was no longer there. "I hope you don't treat your poor mother that terribly. Is it so wrong that I want to go to St. John's? Really you'll love it, Vincent. It's just beautiful. Once you're in there, you'll forget all about whatever Catholic church you're from. I'm sure of it."
"I-" Vincent began, but Ms. Marshall went right on talking over him.
"Talk to him, Vincent, won't you?" She gestured to Lucas who was so angry he couldn't even look at her. "He'll listen to you. He always did. Tell him you don't mind going to St. John's. You can tell him a Baptist service sounds great, then I'm sure he'll go. You really will like it when you get there, and it's so much simpler than a Catholic service."
"I don't-"
"I mean I can't go to a Catholic service. I wouldn't dare, and it would just be foolish if we're spending the Holidays together to not all go to the same service. You understand don't you?"
"No Ma'am." Vincent stated firmly, and the woman's eyes furrowed in confusion. "I'm not going to St. John's. You're right, Lucas listens to me. That's why he'll go wherever I go, and not with you."
"Come on, Vincent." Lucas pulled Vincent towards the door. "Let's just go."
"Get back here." Ms. Marshall exclaimed. "Vincent Chance! Never in all my life have I known you to be so rude."
The pair ignored her and marched towards the door, pulling it shut behind them.
"I.. I'm sorry." Lucas pulled Vincent into a deep hug as soon as they left the door. "I can't believe she said those things to you."
"It's alright." Vincent attempted a smile. "It isn't your fault."
"No.. but she was doing it yesterday, and I didn't stop her... I'll never let her do that again, I promise. You shouldn't need to worry if my mom comes over... it just isn't right."
"Lucas, I'm fine." Vinny smiled, pressing his head deeper into the boy. "I'm completely alright. I don't want anymore drama then I've already caused."
"You haven't caused any drama." Lucas assured. "It was already there... she's like that with everyone. It's always there."
"I suppose..." Vincent trailed off. "So where do we go now? I don't have class until this afternoon."
"Me neither." Lucas smiled sheepishly. "Coffee?"
"It's date."