My first contribution for Sylorenz week, for the College AU prompt! For all of my Sylorenz week fics, I've picked out a song to go with them, and the song for this particular fic is The Only Exception by Paramore! Thanks for reading!
"C'mon babe! You won't learn how to skate if you never step on the ice!"
"That's easy for you to say…"
Lorenz pouted as Sylvain reached out to take his hands, winking as he tried tugging him forward. "It's not that hard. You're just being dramatic." Sylvain let go of Lorenz and skated a lap around the small outdoor rink, while Lorenz crossed his arms over his chest and watched. Of course Sylvain made skating look easy; he was one of the stars of Garrag Mach University's hockey team.
As Lorenz watched his boyfriend skate effortlessly around the rink, he couldn't stop a fond smile from crossing his face. It was still so surreal to him, how hard he had fallen for his once unwanted roommate. Lorenz and Sylvain had been randomly chosen to live together in the dorms at the beginning of their first year, and they had very much gotten off on the wrong foot.
They wouldn't go a day without fighting over something stupid, and at the time Lorenz couldn't wait to be rid of his insufferable roommate. However, a few late nights talking about their lives over a bottle of strong whiskey revealed that they had some common trauma, mostly involving family members not being very accepting of certain sexual orientations, especially their own. Thus, their mutual dislike of each other had shifted dramatically to the beginnings of a strong friendship.
By the time that Lorenz had realized that his feelings for Sylvain had grown far beyond mere friendship, he knew that he was far past the point of no return. As he tried to come up with a poem good enough to express his feelings to Sylvain, Lorenz was surprisingly beaten to the punch, as Sylvain had been the one to confess first. That was three months ago, and their relationship has been going great ever since.
As Sylvain returned to him, Lorenz snorted and turned up his nose. "Hmp, well I know you wouldn't think that skating is hard. You've been doing so since you were three years old." Sylvain barked out a laugh and rubbed at his neck.
"Ah, yeah, I guess that gives me a bit of an edge over you." He winked as he stopped in front of Lorenz, sending a shower of ice over his feet. Lorenz frowned and opened his mouth to protest, but he didn't get a chance to, because Sylvain reached out, grabbed his hands, and yanked Lorenz towards him.
As soon as Lorenz's skates hit the ice, he immediately lost his balance and flailed, clocking Sylvain in the chin with one hand and pulling on him hard with the other, sending them both crashing to the ice with a couple of yelps.
Lorenz ended up flat on his back, a bit dazed, while Sylvain fell on top of him, and he started laughing so hard that tears were soon falling down his face.
"See, I knew this would happen!" Lorenz groaned as he pushed himself up so that he was sitting on the cold ice, "Get off of me!"
"Ha, s-sorry babe." Sylvain cleared his throat as he regained his composure, but he stayed seated in Lorenz's lap, grinning as he cupped his face. "But really, there's no need to fall so hard for me. I already know how much you like me!"
Lorenz rolled his eyes and placed his hands on Sylvain's shoulders. "You are so insufferable, dear." Before Sylvain could respond, Lorenz moved a hand to the back of his neck and pulled him into a kiss. Even though he was freezing from his spot sitting on the ice, Lorenz still felt a warmth blossom in his chest when he felt Sylvain's lips curl up into a smile against his own.
"Hey, get a room!"
"You know you guys are in public, right?"
Lorenz looked over at the edge of the rink to find a grinning Claude and Hilda, while a very bundled-up Marianne hurried to catch up to them, shivering as she rubbed her gloved hands together.
"Aw man, you guys are interrupting our super romantic date!" Sylvain complained, pouting as he rubbed his cheek against Lorenz's. The latter flushed with embarrassment and pushed Sylvain's face away.
Claude laughed as he stepped onto the ice, reaching out to help Hilda follow suit, while Marianne took a seat on one of the makeshift log benches next to the rink. "If you don't want to be interrupted, then don't have your date out in public, duh," he said, winking as he and Hilda skated off across the ice.
"He does have a point," Lorenz said, and Sylvain chuckled as he got back to his feet. Steady on his skates, he then reached down and Lorenz placed his hand in Sylvain's, allowing him to pull him back up.
Lorenz started to lose his balance again, but Sylvain grabbed his arms this time to keep him from falling. "Careful now! Wouldn't want you to fall and bruise that pretty ass of yours!"
"...I hate you." Lorenz glowered at Sylvain, but did not resist when the latter grinned as pulled him close, placing a light kiss on his cheek.
"Love you too, babe!"
Sylvain took his time and led Lorenz around the rink by his arm, and before long, Lorenz managed to let go of him without immediately falling over. That was a vast improvement in Lorenz's opinion, and Sylvain beamed at him as he placed his hands on his own hips.
"Way to go, babe! You'll be a world class skater in no time!" Sylvain teased, and Lorenz chuckled as he shook his head.
"Somehow I doubt that-" Lorenz started, but he hit a bump in the ice and immediately flailed again, a wave of déjà vu coursing through him as he started to fall.
Fortunately, Sylvain was ready this time, so he was able to quickly catch Lorenz and cradle him in his arms. Lorenz's eyes widened as he wrapped his arms around Sylvain's neck, slightly worried that he might be dropped. However, Sylvain held him with ease and didn't even lose his balance even slightly; Lorenz sometimes forgot how strong his boyfriend was, and he felt his cheeks flush when Sylvain's arms tightened around him and he placed a kiss on his cheek.
"I just told you to be careful, Lorenz!" Sylvain laughed and shook his head. "You're lucky that you have such a strong, sexy, amazing boyfriend to catch you before you fall."
Lorenz laughed as well and flicked Sylvain's nose with his finger. "You may be all of those things, darling, but I may have to teach you how to be a bit more humble about it."
"Aw come on babe, those aren't even my best qualities." Sylvain leaned in close to Lorenz's face, and the latter's heart raced at the suddenly intense look that appeared in Sylvain's eyes. "I'm also...a really good kisser." As if to prove it, Sylvain placed a deep, tender kiss on Lorenz's lips, and he eagerly reciprocated. They had kissed many, many times before so Lorenz really didn't need a reminder, but he certainly wasn't going to complain about it either...
"Do I have to tell you to get a room again?" Hilda interrupted the passionate kiss as she skated past the two lovebirds.
"C'mon Hilda, don't be jealous of Lorenz here, getting to kiss me while being cradled in my big strong arms, or…" Sylvain raised a curious eyebrow. "Are you jealous of my strength?"
Hilda rolled her eyes and scoffed. "Oh please! I can out-lift you any day. Watch." Turning around, Hilda made a bee-line for Claude, and before he knew what hit him, she scooped him into her arms and skated right back to Sylvain and Lorenz.
"H-Hilda! What're you doing?" Claude tried to wriggle out of her grasp, but she had a tight hold on him, so he had to endure the laughter that erupted from Sylvain, and even Lorenz couldn't help but chuckle.
"It looks like you guys are having a good time!"
Lorenz flinched as he looked to find even more of their hall mates entering the rink. Dimitri and Dedue stepped onto the ice, followed by Felix and Leonie, and they all had hockey helmets on their heads and sticks in their hands.
Embarrassed to be seen in this position by so many people, Lorenz pouted as he struggled to get out of Sylvain's arms. "Let me down now, please."
"Alright, alright." Sylvain luckily humored him, and as soon as his arms were free, Felix shoved a helmet and stick at him.
"C'mon, let's play," he said, gesturing towards Dimitri and the others, who had already set up nets on either side of the rink. Sylvain opened his mouth to respond, but he frowned and turned to Lorenz instead.
"Is that okay, babe? I know we're supposed to be on a date…" he asked, and Lorenz smiled as he nodded.
"It's fine. I think I need a little break anyway." Lorenz let Sylvain help him get back to the edge of the rink without any problems, and Sylvain left him with a kiss on the cheek before he turned and joined the hockey game.
Lorenz smiled as he watched Sylvain skate off, before he walked over to the bench that Marianne was sitting on and sat down.
"Hi Lorenz," Marianne said, smiling as she rummaged through the backpack that she had brought with her, "Would you, um, like some hot chocolate? I have a thermos and some cups here…"
"Oh, I would love some." Lorenz gratefully accepted the cup that she had poured for him, and he sighed as the warmth seeped into his chilly hands. "Falling on the ice so much made me very cold, very fast."
Marianne giggled as she took a sip of her own drink. "Oh, but you looked like you were having fun! And you seem to be learning to skate pretty quickly too."
"Ah, yes. It's not as bad as I thought it would be. But, why are you sitting here instead of skating yourself?" Lorenz asked, and Marianne shrugged as she averted her gaze.
"Oh, um, I'm just...a bit scared. I wanted to watch Claude and Hilda skate first to see how it worked. I...think I might be able to try it out next time."
A small smile crossed Marianne's face as she spoke, and Lorenz hid his own smile as he took a drink of his hot chocolate. Marianne had come a long way since the day he had first met her. She had been very shy and barely spoken a word to anyone in their hall, with her roommate, Hilda, being the only exception to that. Lorenz had finally gotten to speak with her when they ran into each other at the equestrian club stables, and their mutual love of horse riding kicked off their deep friendship.
They watched the hockey match in silence for a while, during which Sylvain scored a goal against reluctant goalie Hilda, until Marianne spoke up, "So, um…I don't mean to pry, but how are you and Sylvain doing?" Lorenz chuckled and shook his head.
"Marianne, you're one of my best friends. Asking about my relationship is not prying by any means. You're also one of my few people who I feel most comfortable talking about anything with," he said, and Marianne blushed as she looked down at her hands.
"O-Oh, well thank you. I'm really glad that we're such great friends, Lorenz."
"Same here. But, to answer your question..." Lorenz paused as Sylvain skated by and blew him a kiss, causing his heart to flutter in his chest, "Sylvain and I are doing great. Far better than I could have imagined, honestly."
The smile fell from Lorenz's face, and Marianne watched him patiently. "When we first met, I would never have imagined ever falling for him, as much as we argued and fought and tried to avoid each other at all costs. But Sylvain...he's been through a lot, much like myself, and he really is a good man. I...sometimes wonder what he really sees in me though."
Lorenz blinked as his hand was flooded with warmth, he saw that Marianne had placed her hand over his. Lorenz smiled and took a deep breath before continuing; talking about his personal life was always a trying task, but Marianne was the most non-judgmental person he had ever met, and the only person besides Sylvain who really knew everything that he had been through before coming to Garrag Mach.
"It was hard when my mom died. My dad turned into a completely different person and basically ignored me except to provide me with the basic necessities to survive." Lorenz sighed and ran his free hand through his hair. "He had always made me feel inadequate, especially so when he found out that I liked men, but I think he was finally happy to have an excuse to kick me out for good. Even after I left and I didn't have to see him anymore, his words still haunted me. I never thought that I would find someone who wants me for who I truly am, but I guess Sylvain is the exception to that."
"I'm really glad you two found each other," Marianne said, giving Lorenz's hand a squeeze, "We all saw how you didn't get along at first, but now it's very obvious that you guys really care about each other."
"Ah, is it...really that obvious?"
"Yeah." Marianne giggled as Lorenz's face flushed a bright red. "You two are always so affectionate, it's a little bit nauseating at times…"
"Marianne, please…"
She dissolved into a full giggle fit and Lorenz pouted at her, but he soon found himself laughing as well. She was right, after all. It did seem like he and Sylvain couldn't keep their hands off each other no matter where they were. Lorenz really hadn't received a lot of affection growing up after his mom died, so being with someone who wasn't shy about his feelings really made Lorenz finally feel like he was truly loved.
"Marianne I...I really do love Sylvain," Lorenz said suddenly, and Marianne's eyes widened as she gasped.
"Love? You love him?" Marianne asked, her face lighting up as she took both of his hands in hers. "Oh, that's exciting! Have you told him that yet?"
"Ah, well, no…" Lorenz mumbled, a nervous feeling welling up within his gut, "I'm just...what if it's too soon? I don't want to make Sylvain feel like things are moving too fast…"
"Oh, I don't think that's a problem." Marianne smiled softly and gave his hands a squeeze. "You're a kind and caring person to everyone, Lorenz, and even more so to Sylvain. I have no doubt in my mind that he loves you too."
"I...thank you…" Lorenz's voice dropped to a whisper, and his eyes grew watery as Marianne gently hugged him. "I'm really lucky to have such a great friend as you."
"Oh, you're welcome!" Marianne pulled away and gave his arms a pat. "Well, whenever you do decide to tell Sylvain, I wish you luck." Lorenz was thankful for that, because he felt like he would need all of the luck in the world.
They watched the rest of their friends play their intense game of hockey, until Sylvain's team came out victorious and everyone decided to call it a day. It had been a fun one, but Lorenz was grateful to be back in his dorm room, with a trashy reality show playing on the TV while he cuddled up on his bed with the person that he cared about the most in the world.
"Need more marshmallows?" Sylvain asked as he dumped a handful of them into his own mug of steaming hot chocolate that was most definitely spiked with strong alcohol.
"Yes, please."
Lorenz smiled as Sylvain obliged and dropped a hefty scoop of marshmallows into his cup, following it up with a kiss on Lorenz's cheek. Lorenz let out a content sigh as he took a sip, the combination of hot chocolate and whiskey spreading a pleasant warm throughout his chest. He snuggled up closer to Sylvain, who in turn wrapped his free arm around him and rested his head on Lorenz's shoulder.
"Today was pretty fun! Er, sorry again for cutting our date short; I really can't say no to a good pickup hockey game." Sylvain said, a slight frown crossing his face as he glanced up at Lorenz with guilty eyes. Lorenz chuckled softly and brushed the back of his hand over Sylvain's cheek.
"No need to apologize. I always enjoy watching you play," Lorenz said, and he was relieved when a smile returned to Sylvain's face, "I did get a bit cold just sitting there, though. I'm glad Marianne had the good sense to bring a warm drink with her."
"Heh, well if you're still cold, I know a really good way to warm you up, babe." Sylvain's voice dropped low as he slipped his free hand under Lorenz's shirt, and the latter shivered as Sylvain caressed his chest.
"S-Stop, that tickles!" Lorenz complained, glowering as he held his mug over his head, "And I swear to God if you make me spill this on my bed, I'll kill you!"
Sylvain laughed and obliged, moving his hand away and throwing his arm over Lorenz's shoulder instead to pull him close. "I know, I know, I'm sorry." He sealed his apology by placing a tender kiss on Lorenz's lips, and Lorenz smiled as he savored the sweet taste of his lover. He really did love this man with all of his heart, and Lorenz knew that this was the right time to tell Sylvain that. When he broke the kiss, he finished off the rest of his hard hot chocolate to make use of that liquid courage.
"Sylvain," Lorenz said with a serious tone, and he paused to take in a deep breath, letting it out slowly, "I, um, need to talk to you about something."
Sylvain cringed and rubbed at the back of his head. "Uh oh, is this about that comment I made about your ass? Because really, I've definitely seen it bruised before and it looks just as beautiful-"
"What? No!" Lorenz interrupted, his face growing hot as he flicked Sylvain's nose with his finger, "Get your mind out of the gutter for two seconds, you degenerate! I'm...trying to be serious here."
Sylvain's eyes widened and he nodded, his head tilting to one side. "Oh, alright. What is it?" Lorenz took a deep breath and let it out slowly.
"I just...I've really enjoyed our time together-No, wait…" Lorenz cleared his throat as he stumbled over his words. "I, er, know we haven't been dating long, but...Um, I-I mean-"
"Just spit it out already!" Sylvain interrupted as a mischievous grin crossed his face, and Lorenz decided to do just that before Sylvain had a chance to follow that statement up with an inappropriate comment that Lorenz knew was coming.
"I love you, Sylvain!" Lorenz almost yelled it out in his nervous state, and he slapped his hands over his mouth, embarrassed. A few moments of agonizing silence ticked by as Sylvain just stared at him, before a smile slowly spread across his face.
"You...love me? Really?" he asked, and Lorenz felt his face flush a bright red as he nodded, his gaze dropping to the bed.
"Y-Yes, I really do. Er, but if this is too sudden, just pretend I didn't say anything-"
"Whoa, hold up there," Sylvain said, placing his hand over Lorenz's mouth to more effectively silence him. Lorenz's gaze locked with Sylvain's, and the amount of adoration that he saw in those beautiful hazel eyes gave Lorenz pause.
"I love you too, Lorenz," he continued, and Lorenz's jaw dropped with shock.
"R-Really?"
"Yes, really. Damn, it's just...you really are the most amazing person I've ever met, you know?" Sylvain's cheeks flushed a deep pink in color, and Lorenz couldn't resist the urge to reach out and cup his face, "I've told people that I've loved them before, but...what I feel for you is completely different, in the best way possible. I've never loved someone like I love you." Lorenz was completely floored at the sincerity in Sylvain's words, and he felt his eyes well up with tears.
"Ah jeez." Sylvain chuckled as he wrapped his arms around Lorenz and pulled him into his secure embrace, letting him cry against his chest. "You're not supposed to cry about that, dork."
"Shut up…" Lorenz mumbled, but he ended up laughing at Sylvain's teasing as the latter gently wiped away his tears, "It's just...I've never felt so loved before, Sylvain, and, well, just hearing you say that to me was a bit overwhelming."
"I meant every word I said, and knowing that the most amazing man I've ever met loves me too is the greatest thing that's ever happened to me," Sylvain said, his voice dropping to a whisper as he pressed his forehead against Lorenz's.
Lorenz chuckled and raised an eyebrow at him. "Aren't you being a bit dramatic?"
"Nope! If you didn't feel the same, I'd probably just up and die on the spot!"
"Oh please, and you're always saying that I'm the dramatic one in this relationship."
"You still are!"
Lorenz huffed as Sylvain stuck his tongue out at him, before they both burst out laughing and fell back onto the bed, their limbs tangling together as they settled into an intimate embrace.
"Love you, Lorenz," Sylvain said as he nuzzled his nose against Lorenz's cheek.
"I love you too, Sylvain." Lorenz gazed deeply into Sylvain's eyes for a moment, so beautiful and full of love, before he closed the distance between them and kissed Sylvain breathless. At one point, Lorenz had been scared that he would never be able to find someone who loved him as much as he did them, but luckily, Sylvain had become the only exception to that.