A/N: Written for August 2018's Romance Awareness. All prompts and challenges are listed at the bottom.

Word Count: 669

falling leaves and new growth

Lorcan stepped out of the shower and stared blankly in the mirror as the tree tattoo which grew up his side, branches and roots wrapped around his torso, dropped a leaf. It slowly careened down his ribs and then rested just above his hip bone. Closing his eyes, he tried to pull himself together.

It had supposed to be a date night for them to catch up. Hugo had working late on the latest commission he'd been given. Every night, he came home smelling of paint thinner and barely making it to bed before he fell asleep. Similarly, Lorcan had been abroad on an assignment from the Unspeakables. They had started to feels like ships passing in the night, or two people who lived together and said the right things - the 'I love yous' out of habit - but without any meaning or feeling to the words.

"Not a good date, though — too stabby," he muttered to his reflection.

How the argument had started was inconsequential. All Lorcan knew that they had been fighting, that it had escalated into a duel and he had apparated away after Hugo had summoned several scalpels and flung them in his direction.

Lorcan didn't know what to do. Their relationship had always been fiery but as the soulmark had grown from a seed to a sapling, their love had grown deeper. Just like the roots which wrapped around their bodies, their tattoos perfectly mirroring each other.

He loved Hugo, but life was making it difficult for him to show it. He couldn't spend time with his partner in the same way as they had in school. Now there were bills to pay and so many things to worry about.

A crack of apparition made Lorcan frown, reaching for a towel to cover himself.

"Hello?"

Perhaps it was Lysander. His brother had always had a knack for knowing when he was brooding.

"Lorcan -" Hugo said, his face falling when he saw him. Lorcan noted the bottle in his boyfriend's hand and the way he couldn't seem to stand still and sighed slightly.

"What're you doing apparating whilst drunk?" he asked with a shake of his head. "You know that's dangerous. The last thing I need is for you to splinch yourself."

"M'sorry but I had to you see you. Had to see you," Hugo insisted as Lorcan crossed the room, taking the bottle away from him and leading him to the bed.

"Sit down."

"No! No, baby, I'm sorry. I love you. I love you so much and we'll make this work. I just… I love you so much and I saw the leaf and I…"

Hugo was crying and Lorcan pulled him towards him, both of them sitting on the edge of the bed. Hugo curled up tight, nearly in Lorcan's lap as he sobbed about how he was convinced he was destroying their relationship. No matter how many times Lorcan tried to tell him that he was wrong, Hugo seemed to only sob harder.

"We're just going through a rough patch but we're going to be okay," Lorcan said firmly. "I love you and I sent an owl to work to ask for next week. I'll help out with your project and then maybe we can take some time, go on that holiday to Paris that you keep wanting to take me on."

He wasn't sure Hugo would remember everything in the morning. Eventually, with sloppy kisses and murmurs of adoration, Hugo calmed down. Lorcan mentally made a note that they'd need to talk in the morning, to truly discuss everything that the pair of them were worried about. For now, he lay with his boyfriend who fell into a deep sleep, his arms wrapped around Lorcan. As Lorcan watched Hugo breathe, a new leaf slowly grew at the edge of a branch on his skin and Lorcan let himself breathe.

They were going to be okay.

A/N:

Romance Awareness: Day 11 - Soulmate marks that grow along with your relationship

Lyric Alley: 21. We are bursting through the barricades

Sophie's Shelf: 51. Hugo/Lorcan

Lo's Lowdown: D1. "Not a good date, though — too stabby."

Film Festival: 6. (plot point) Drunken love confessions

Love in Motion: Next Gen - Hugo/Lorcan