1. Saturday Night
Claude knew the kiss had been what caused this whole mess. Among other things, of course, but the kiss last Friday night had been the tipping point for a shocking turn of events. He knew it the moment he took Lorenz's face in his hands in that driveway, brushed his fingers over those incredible cheekbones and met his lips only to hear the front door open. He knew it when he watched Lorenz's shoulders rise, jerking away from him and then turning to hurry inside at his father's call.
Claude knew everything had been his fault. And yet he couldn't find it in himself to regret any choice he made. Until he heard that Lorenz was going away.
Senior year was finally over, and college was in their futures, so it wasn't like a busy summer was news to anyone; but he and his boyfriend had plans. They were going to go on trips, spend weekends together, really live up the last of their time before Lorenz inevitably left to study law at Stanford.
But now, with the announcement from Marianne – shockingly the first to be told of the change in plans – that Lorenz was being taken on a summer-long family-exclusive trip, that was all ruined. Lorenz would be gone all summer, and then move away to go to a school he didn't want to go to.
Claude hated every bit of that thought. He despised how his already shortened time left with his boyfriend was suddenly stolen from him.
So, he made a plan to steal it back, just like the good-for-nothing Lorenz's father always tried to illustrate him as. He was wrong about so many things, but for this evening, Claude tipped his hat to the man.
That plan was exactly what led him to be throwing a tennis ball at Lorenz's window at 10:38 pm on a Saturday night, the evening before Lorenz was about to leave.
He rolled his shoulder and wound his arm back, preparing to pitch the tennis ball one more time, when the window slid open and Lorenz poked his head out, light brown hair cascading down from his shoulder. His dark blue eyes, almost violet in their depths (which Claude had stared into countless times),were red-rimmed and betrayed how exhausted he seemed. Claude's heart clenched even as a relieved, sheepish smile split his face.
"Claude?" Lorenz called down quietly, surprised. "What are you doing here of all places, and – and hurling a tennis ball at my window, no less?"
"Do you really think I'm just gonna let my boyfriend disappear without saying goodbye?" Claude bounced on his heels, grinning up as Lorenz raised an eyebrow. The gesture was doubtful, but prodded him to continue all the same. "I take it you're all packed for tomorrow, huh?"
Lorenz glanced aside, his face falling miserably. "No to the first inquiry, yes to the second. Thank you for coming, Claude, it's sweet of you but… I'm afraid there is nothing to be done. You shouldn't stay too long, lest the neighbours see you."
Claude pouted. "Oh, boo-hoo. Look at you, acting all Shakespearean with your woe-is-me soliloquys." He suddenly gasped, hand flying to cover his mouth. "And you've got me rhyming now, Gloucester! What have you done?"
Lorenz chuckled quietly, mirthful yet tinged with sadness. "This is just how I speak, you know that." The sound trailed off as he folded his arms on the windowsill, propping his chin in his hand. The smile on his face lingered, but it was hollow and forlorn. "I truly am going to miss you. I suppose… well, this is an awkward time to do it, but we never discussed what to do next. You know… where this is going?"
The pang through Claude's heart would have been staggering if that had not been the exact type of lead-in he was waiting for. He grinned mischievously through the sting and folded his hands behind his head. "Well, if you toss me your bags and get your butt down here, I can show you exactly where this is going."
Lorenz went red, putting a hand to his forehead. "Claude, this is really not the best time to-"
"Lo, come on." Claude moved closer to the side of the house, forced to crane his neck further to keep his boyfriend's gaze. His emerald eyes shone brightly despite the shadows on his warm brown skin. He whispered his next words, audible enough but playful in their delivery "Hilda and Marianne are waiting in the car."
"What?" Perplexed, Lorenz's dark, slender brows drew together. "Claude, what are you on about?"
"I'm stealing you away. But you've gotta get moving, or they might ditch us." Claude's gaze was actually pleading, and raised his arm against the siding of the house; as if he reached high enough, he would be able to take hold of Lorenz's hand himself. "Please, Lorenz? This isn't over. It was never going to be. But you've got to trust me."
"As if you're truly one for trust," Lorenz snorted, but knew that accusation was long overused. It had been ever since they started dating the previous year. He brushed his hair back behind his ear, looking down sceptically. His eyes dragged over each one of Claude's features, seeing them in earnest. He met those striking green eyes and bit his lip anxiously. "You're asking me to abandon my family trip?"
Following a smirk, the responding question came with an answer already in mind. "Did you ever want it?"
"… No."
"Then come on, already!" Claude exclaimed with a laugh, and then cringed when Lorenz shushed him hurriedly. "Toss me your bags and then meet me around that stupid hedge next to your driveway."
"The hedge is not stupid, it's refined and gives us privacy!" Nevertheless, Lorenz disappeared into his room, returning moments later with a dark blue suitcase. He held it out the window and looked down uncertainly. "Are you expecting to catch it?"
"Yeah, send her down!" Claude bent his knees and held his arms out in a readying stance.
Lorenz exhaled slowly before tossing the suitcase down to him. "Oh – Christ." It hit Claude square in the chest, sending him staggering backwards until he fell to sit on the ground. He grunted and pushed the suitcase off himself and used it as an anchor when he stood, dusting off his mustard-yellow shorts with the palms of his hands.
"Are you okay?" Lorenz asked more out of courtesy than actual concern; things like this always happened to Claude as a result of his ridiculous logic. Not exactly waiting for the response, which ended up being a casual thumbs-up, he swung a backpack down onto the ground beside Claude, caring not for the safety of its contents. Adrenaline began to rush into Lorenz's movements, frightening and exhilarating all at once.
He was running away from home. He didn't even know for how long. He just knew that when his father came upstairs for the reason of his son's delay, he would find nothing but an empty room. And Lorenz himself would be off somewhere with his boyfriend and two best friends. It was unbelievable. It was insane.
After one last sweep for any necessities, he poked his head back out the window. "I have to go out the back, but I'll meet you past the hedge, alright?" Claude nodded up at him, and his beam was infectious. Lorenz felt his chest warmed at the sight as he tugged on an actual set of clothing in favour of pajamas.
He crept past his parents' bedroom, thankful for the hideous shag carpet that rest over the creaky floorboards, but avoided those spots all the same. He tiptoed down the stairs, cringing at every noise made, until finally he made it past the landing and down onto the main floor. Lorenz carried his shoes in one hand, from the low shelf by the front door all across the house until he made it to the back. This door was loud, but unlocked since the yard remained fenced. The front was heavier, and louder still, so this was the more preferable option.
Lorenz slipped on his shoes, one after the other as quietly as he could, and reached forward to ease the door open. At merely a turn of the handle, its hinges squealed hideously. Lorenz froze, listening.
The blood rushing in his ears was deafening, and he couldn't hear if there were footsteps upstairs or not. After holding his breath, he gently tried to nudge the door open further. It erupted in sounds again, louder than before. Lorenz froze again.
Finally, he thought he heard shuffling upstairs, and he bolted. He shoved past the door, ignoring the squeals – no matter how much WD-40 was ever put on them – and ran to the backyard. He let the wooden garden gate clack noisily behind him, and something about all this disturbance in the peaceful night felt utterly liberating.
For once, Lorenz felt defiant. But not in the hidden ways, the ones he lied about and avoided with wandering eyes and unspoken words. Not like the way he hid Claude from his parents for so long. This was loud, honest, unavoidable. This defiance was undeniable, and for a moment… for a moment, nothing in his life had ever felt better.
Claude waited behind the hedge with Lorenz's bag over his shoulder and his suitcase in hand. He opened his mouth, smiling in greeting and words just about to leave his lips, when Lorenz pushed him.
"Go, go Claude. I think they're awake," the brunette spoke with urgency, but there was a smile on his face and laughter ghosted in his voice. His eyes sparkled in the streetlights, bright and clear.
Claude almost couldn't process what he said, taken aback by the liberating expression on Lorenz's face. How stunning he looked, so happy and handsome. Shaking his head, Claude wrenched himself back to his senses. "They're up?"
"Yes! Now hurry, I thought you were stealing me." Lorenz grabbed his spare hand, intertwining their fingers as he tugged his boyfriend forward. Claude lurched into a jog, which turned into a sprint as he and Lorenz dashed down the street. Their laughter echoed off the neighbouring houses, fancier on this end of town. A small part of each of them almost wished to wake the street.
Soon enough, Claude had taken the lead. He turned back to smile at Lorenz as he ran, bronze skin glowing a warm, melted caramel in the golden radiance of the streetlights. He guided them a few blocks away, finally coming to a stop on a darkened corner.
Lorenz chuckled through his breathless attempts at slowing his heartrate, adrenaline still fogging his mind to the possibility of worry. "My father will be absolutely murderous if we get caught."
"Worry not, dearest Lorenz, love of my life," Claude spoke with mock elegance, a tone he often used in jest. "We will take the consequences in stride with the aid of my fearless Aunt Judith upon our return."
Rolling those dark blue eyes, Lorenz briefly cupped Claude's chin in his hand. "We will indeed, once this exhausting escapade has finished." He pressed a chaste kiss to Claude's lips before smirking slightly and pulling back. "Now where are we going, exactly?"
Claude pouted in protest. "That's a surprise. For now, just around the corner." And something stirred in Lorenz when he said those words, like they applied to so much more than just a few steps. "I wanted a moment with you before we found the girls. Come on." He kept Lorenz's hand held tightly in his own and dragged him to the next street over, where the lively purr of Hilda's '74 Cadillac Eldorado filled the silence of the summer street.
Marianne sat in the front, her pale blond hair in a low bun and her body wrapped in a comfortable blanket, despite the night not being too cold at all. Hilda had sunglasses on despite the shadow of the alley she was parked in, and tore them off to throw on the dash as she saw them approach. She bounced up to sit on the back of her seat, the poptop of her convertible down to enjoy the pleasant evening air.
"Lorenz! About time you two slowpokes showed! Come on, we've gotta bogey!" She laughed and hugged Lorenz over the edge of her car door, smelling like sweet, flowery perfumes and faintly like strawberries. Lorenz made sure to hug her tightly, gratefully, as Claude haphazardly threw his luggage beside theirs in the trunk, before allowing himself to be dragged into the backseat of the Caddy by his boyfriend.
Claude leaned over to rest his head on Lorenz's shoulder as Hilda pulled out of the alley and sped off through the neighbourhood. The rumble of the car was soothing, but the further away they got, the more jitters began to rise in Lorenz's chest. He grabbed Claude's hand and squeezed. Claude looked up at him with tender eyes and squeezed back.
"Where are we actually going? You never fully informed me…" Lorenz spoke aloud to no one in particular, seeking an answer from any of his three friends.
"We're going to visit my big brother Holst!" Hilda called back, her long strawberry-ginger hair whipping in the breeze and hitting Lorenz in the face. He tched lovingly and tucked it forward behind her seat, then froze.
"Wait… Holst? We're visiting him? But that means…" Lorenz flushed red, leaning forward excitedly, disbelief widening his eyes. "We're going to Hollywood?"
"Yeah, baby!" Claude laughed raucously and cheerfully, planting a sloppy kiss on Lorenz's cheek. "Surprise!"
Marianne spoke up, her voice barely audible above the sound of the wind and the car's engine, "H-Hilda's taking us somewhere else, first… we're going to spend at least a week together."
"We've gotta lose any chances that your folks are gonna follow us, Lorie. We told my parents that we're going straight to Hollywood, but Holst won't be back for a couple days, so we're gonna take our sweet time, m'kay?" Hilda beamed and winked in the rearview mirror, easily hitting the highway south and cruising, and Lorenz sat back in his seat.
As soon as he relaxed against the cushy leather, Claude clambered back by his side, cuddling so close he was almost on top of him. His hand found Lorenz's hair and he grinned, kissing his cheek and staying there even as he and Hilda began to belt the lyrics to Hot Child in the City. Those two sang as if they were in Hollywood already. Lorenz didn't know all the words yet since the song had only been released a few weeks prior, but it seemed as though when anything new came along, Hilda had first copies and she and Claude made sure to know every word. Everything that came on the radio, they sang out together as if they could hit every note on perfect pitch – and they sure as hell could not.
The other two, despite their resistance, were dragged into singing along as more and more of their favourite songs came on and the road began to wind on beautiful cliffsides overlooking the ocean far below. Waves crashed as the four sang of love and fun and heartbreak, and the Caddy purred deeply along as their drone. Time passed by as each song carried them on, and for a moment, Lorenz's nerves were steadied even as they got farther and farther away from their hometown.
At last, they arrived at an oceanfront hotel, the sign flashing a bright neon blue that hurt to look at for too long. Hilda had called it "Just as swanky as we need, just as janky as we deserve," as she hauled her and Marianne's luggage out of the trunk. Claude took his bags in his arms and handed Lorenz his own, as they followed the girls inside.
Hilda shuffled up to the front desk on the far-right side of the dim, lime-green lobby, and smiled, charming the young man behind the reception in an instant and requesting a room. "Just one, two beds for the four of us." She giggled and reached behind her to grab Claude, tugging him close to her side, and he obediently put a hand on her waist while flashing a grin. Lorenz took a step closer to Marianne, defaulting to their fake couples as they often did when going out.
"Alright, Miss Holst… here are your roomkeys. Thanks for staying with us." The young man smiled tiredly as he handed her the two golden keys. Lorenz subtly rolled his eyes at Hilda using her brother's name as a faux surname yet again; although, it had always proven to be good cover, so he needn't complain.
Tossing her long hair, Hilda turned to leave, before getting a cute, up-to-no-good grin. She turned back to the receptionist and batted her eyelashes, leaning on the counter. "Actually, we're celebrating something… You know, end of the school year, onto a bigger and better life and all. D'you think you could hook us up with something fun, like some champagne? It would really mean a lot, sugar…"
The man reddened considerably and laughed awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck. "Would you like to charge that as room service, Miss? I… think I can squeeze it by, but only if you give up cash for it."
"Oh, for sure!" Hilda slapped another couple bills on the table, the depths of her flowery wallet seemingly endless. And considering her wealthy family and film-star brother, all who spoiled her rotten, that wasn't a far-fetched assumption. "Will you send it up as soon as you can?"
"Of course! Have fun, you riot."
The four chimed in their 'thank you's, all with varying degrees of energy as Hilda triumphantly led them up the stairs to the fourth floor of five in the hotel. She managed to get them a balcony room, overlooking the ocean and beach below, and swung open the door proudly as if she had designed the place herself.
"Voilà, our palace welcomes us!" She proclaimed, flopping on the far bed as her magnificent hair furled around her. The walls of the room were the same bright green as the lobby downstairs, adorned with tropical flower wallpaper. Lorenz sighed quietly, satisfied at least to be in a room as he set his things down, relaxing onto the opposite bed himself.
"Nice touch with the champagne, Hilda. Your charm never ceases to amaze me. If it weren't for Gloucester here, I may be smitten myself!" Claude chuckled and sat himself right down in Lorenz's lap, pecking a kiss onto the tip of his nose. Lorenz rolled his eyes and huffed in protest, but Hilda was Hilda, so he understood that Claude only joked.
"Don't say that while my sweetheart Marianne is here, Claude! We are friends, partners-in-crime, besties through and through. But Mari is the babe in my heart." She tugged her girlfriend down onto the bed beside her, eliciting an airy giggle as she began to tickle her.
"H-Hilda, s-stop!" Marianne's smile was rare in school, but infectious and sweet whenever one was lucky enough to catch a glimpse. Nevertheless, it seemed a staple when Hilda was around. "I-I'm gonna pee!"
"Never!" Hilda defiantly clambered on top of her and continued to tickle her mercilessly, peppering her cheeks with kisses before finally releasing her. Marianne was breathless with laughter, holding her gut and scooting away for safety. Hilda pouted.
Claude turned and smiled at Lorenz, tucking his hair behind his ear. "Aren't they cute?" As the girls resumed their shenanigans, he continued to speak, more privately and gently. "How are you feeling? I know we swept you away on this great adventure, but… you know. It was a surprise. Are you okay, baby?" Tenderly, he cupped his cheek. Claude's hands were rough and calloused from work in his aunt's car garage, but Lorenz never flinched from his touch. He pressed into it, raising a hand to hold Claude's palm against his face.
"I'm feeling alright, but I suppose that could be due to the fact that it hasn't fully settled in yet," Lorenz shrugged all the same. "Although, I would much rather be here with you and… face consequences later, than never get to see you again."
Claude pouted softly, but not light-heartedly. "You can always go to Judith's if things get bad at home. You know that."
"And I have for years," Lorenz gently kissed Claude's forehead, earning a happier hum in response. "Even before we were together. I thank you for that."
"But Lorenz won't need to worry about that, because he'll have you, Claude, to protect him all the way, right?" Hilda suddenly interjected, sitting on the edge of the other bed and pulling Marianne into her lap. The latter squeaked nervously and blushed brightly, but held on all the same.
"Well, yeah, but-"
Lorenz spared him, expression falling slightly glum. "It will be challenging when we are roughly 300 miles away from each other. I will be quite busy with my studies and I hope Claude will be likewise." The distance between Stanford and UCLA was a condemning number, one that Lorenz had poured over many, many times, as if the more routes he planned, the shorter distance it would become. It had been challenging throughout high school already to live even streets away from each other, from the wealthy side of town to the humbler side. But 300 miles…
At his mused expression, Claude frowned and cupped Lorenz's face in his hands once more, this time the grip firm and demanding his attention. "Lorenz, I'll drive up to see you every time I can, if you go to that school. If. Because you don't have to."
There was a light knock on their hotel room's door, and Hilda jumped up, a grin now spreading on her previously worried face. She skipped over and opened the door, grinning at whomever had brought up their champagne, and closed the door with a nudge from her butt while she displayed the bottle with flourishing gestures. "Champagne, anyone? This is still a celebration!"
Lorenz brushed his brunette hair over his shoulder again, accepting a glass from Hilda and sipping the bubbly drink lightly. He tried to steer the conversation from himself, "We've talked enough of my plans, what of you three? Any new developments?"
Hilda plopped down on the floor, leaning her head back against Marianne's legs. "I got accepted for that paid internship at a smaller studio near where Holst works! So, I'll be busy starting at the end of July…" She pouted. "I wish they would take my advice and not make me do so much work, but I guess I'm no good at makeup and costume design if I can't show them what I want. And I can't have them messing up my sketches." Sighing wistfully, she shrugged. "So, I guess Labour Hilda is born on July 27."
"Ah, they'll come to their senses and boot you out after the first week when they realise the truth and what a Lazy Susan you are," Claude chuckled, then yelped when a pillow met his face and caused him to spill champagne on himself and Lorenz as well. He gasped, affronted behind his laughter even as Lorenz made a noise of offence. "Hilda!"
"You deserved it! Well, not you Lorenz, sorry! For the champagne, and for dating an absolute goof." Hilda cackled and finished her own glass for safety purposes, setting it down on the nightstand. Lorenz and Marianne were more refined in their laughter, but found it hilarious even so.
"I – I'm still going into the veterinary program at UCLA… Claude and I are trying to find a way to have dorms near each other…" Marianne blushed slightly, fidgeting with her hands. The very hands that were so tender, so skilled in calming animals and healing them alike. Her volunteer work at a dog shelter sophomore year had sparked a lasting interest in following her passion for a career, and the whole group was proud of her for it. Such a gentle soul, they adored her through and through. She was always embarrassed by it.
"And you know me, Lo," Claude leaned in close, breath on the skin of his neck. Lorenz held him close, momentarily overwhelmed by how much he treasured his boyfriend, and how dearly he would miss him. Claude's voice rumbled deeply in his chest as he continued, content to stay there. "Writing away. Hopefully those journalism and English classes will be of good use, or I might just have to go out on my own."
"Oh dear, please do not go freelancing as your first job. Get an income, I cannot stand for you to starve." Lorenz put a hand to his forehead, teasing even as his heart clenched painfully. Hearing his friends talk of their futures, all different but at least close to each other… He felt hopeless. "You all have been such wonderful friends to me, over the past four years… I will miss you dearly when I go to Stanford. But perhaps we can reconnect afterwards, who can be certain?"
The girls nodded, supportive but glum all the same, but sensed the building tension and shifted topics to something lighter. Claude's lovely green eyes often shifted back to Lorenz, a frown tugging at his lips when his charming grin wasn't in its place. He didn't like one bit of the attitude Lorenz was taking on, bending to his father's will to go off to a school he didn't want to go to, to study a thing he wasn't interested in.
When subsequent hours of gossip had passed and the girls were fast asleep, curled against one another in the opposite bed, Lorenz recognised in the dark how exhausted he was. He turned on his side, fluffing up the pillow in an attempt to get more comfortable, when he felt Claude's arm tighten around his waist. Lorenz rolled his eyes as the motion was followed with a soft kiss being pressed to the back of his neck, and he turned over to face his boyfriend instead.
"You really don't have to go to Stanford, you know," Claude's voice was deeper when he was sleepy, even as a whisper, and Lorenz loved it. But he didn't love what that voice was saying.
"I do, my father is paying tuition. He has the accounts, so he has the final say. Plus… It won't be all terrible," Lorenz knew it was a lie even as he said it. He hated the entire dull idea of wasting hours whittling away at law textbooks instead of doing what he loved; writing for the screen. Directing. Designing. Everything in between that he had practiced in his spare time. There was a film studies major awaiting him at UCLA, along with his friends and a city he loved. But he knew what the ownership of the lavish Gloucester bank accounts entailed.
Claude frowned, dark brows furrowing. "Right, you'll be away from me doing something you hate because a man you dislike and I despise told you so. Baby…" Under the covers, one hand went to Lorenz's hip and squeezed gently. "College is supposed to be a chance for you to try new things, to build your own life. It's supposed to be scary, but… you're also supposed to leave home. You're supposed to live for yourself."
"I know. And I will. I'll just have to find it along the way." Lorenz closed his eyes as he pressed a kiss to the dark mocha skin of Claude's forehead. He couldn't bear to maintain eye contact, because he knew that beautiful gaze would break him, shatter the resolve he'd been forcing himself for months to build lest it drive him mad. "Now, go to sleep. It's nearly four."
"I mean it, Lo. I do." Claude protested in words but conceded in action, snuggling against Lorenz and resting his head on his chest. Claude was so soft in some ways, such as how he so easily fell asleep to the sound of Lorenz's heartbeat when they had the chance to spend nights together. He closed his eyes. "I know you got accepted to my school. Our school. Judith is friends with the mailman." He yawned. "I'll change your mind, Gloucester. You'll see…"
"Claude, to sleep." Lorenz huffed affectionately, even as those words sent a jolt through his pulse that his boyfriend would most certainly feel. "You are exhausting."
Claude only hummed in response as sleep indeed overcame him, and Lorenz stayed awake much longer to thread his fingers through soft hair, so dark it was almost black. He fell asleep with his hand on the back of Claude's head, holding him close as the early morning sun fought against the flimsy curtains, but the four dear friends were undisturbed in their slumber.
Author's Note: Hi! Welcome to my new fic!
Quick few announcements:
Since this is an AU in the 70's, I have taken liberties with the hair colours of our characters. Don't be mad! It needed to fit.
Secondly, in this story, some real people appear. These people are plot relevant, and I do not claim to know their behaviour, ideals, opinions or personalities! This is completely my own characterisation for the sake of the story.
Anyways, I hope you all enjoy! Leave a review, or feel free to hit me up on Tumblr aegir-emblem.