Summary: Seven short fics for the DenNor Christmas Week on Tumblr. Stars are not only up in the sky.
Pairing(s): DenNor.
Warning(s): Kirin and her weird ideas.
Notes: Not beta-ed, as always. Probably not the traditional stargazing fic that you expect, but this is what happens when you leave me alone with a one-word prompt.
Denmark is Matthias
Norway is Lukas
The first time Lukas met Matthias, he had to admit he was the most handsome man he had ever seen. He had this kind of strange presence, really outgoing and a bit goofy, and his eyes shimmered like they had tiny jewels embedded in them. He was tall, big, with a strong build and a slightly square jaw, and his voice was loud, but his touch was gentle. Sometimes it seemed to Lukas that he had some sort of ethereal look. Matthias instantly took an interest on him, Lukas knew it by the way he looked at him, and because he insisted on meeting, going out together, and he even visited him at his workplace. The Norwegian would have thought that nobody would let a loud stranger enter the IC unit at the hospital, but Matthias knew his ways with people and words. It didn't take long for him to notice that a lot of patients and their relatives felt better in his company and liked to talk to him, especially those in the pediatric ward.
The passing of months found them growing closer and closer, their relationship turning deeper, more intimate. Lukas started to notice that he was the only one who talked about his past, his family, his childhood, while Matthias only shared vague things. When confronted about it, the taller blonde said it was a complicated thing, but he'd share it with him when he was ready. Lukas waited.
He had probably seen it coming when that night, sitting on the still warm sand of the beach about a year ago, Matthias had revealed his deepest secret to Lukas. It wasn't like he had actively thought about it as a possibility, but he wasn't exactly surprised. Maybe a little amazed that he was talking to an actual star.
"No, not star as in 'rock star' or 'Hollywood star' or that kind of stars. Star as in… star," Matthias had explained as best as he could, pointing upwards with his index finger. Lukas had lifted his gaze to find the starry sky above them.
It had been difficult to believe at first, but then again Lukas had always believed in supernatural beings. He just didn't know stars could come down to Earth.
"Do you miss it?" he had asked after a short silence, "The sky, I mean. Or whatever you call it."
Matthias had smiled and looked up. For a moment, Lukas had thought he had seen a shiny tear in the corner of one of Matthias' blue eyes.
"Sometimes," he had answered, nostalgia printed in each syllable, "but I'm here for a reason. Stars are born to help. Have you ever heard about asking a star for a wish? Well, that's one of the things we're supposed to do. Grant wishes. Of course, there are some rules and all…" not wanting to go into much detail, Matthias had turned to Lukas, watching him intently as he took his turn to ask a question, "Do you actually believe me? I thought you'd think I'm crazy."
"I do think you're crazy, but not because of this," seeing Lukas smile had always been strangely calming for Matthias, and in that moment it had reassured him that everything would be alright. Their friendship wouldn't be damaged because of that. "I believe you."
After that talk, Lukas had started to feel much closer to Matthias. He finally understood a lot of things that were strange about the blonde, and he found him fascinating in an unusual way.
He had also accepted that he had a major crush on him. Now, lying on the same beach, Lukas wonders when exactly did that crush turn into love.
"Everything alright?" Matthias asks, noticing that Lukas is being quieter than usual.
"Yeah, just thinking."
" 'bout what?"
The shorter man's eyes finally unglue from the dark sky, and he focuses his attention on the star lying at his side instead. It's sort of weird, this tradition they have of coming to the beach on the first day of the year to freeze their asses off near the sea. They've been doing it for four years now, and Lukas doesn't intend to end it soon.
"You," he answers, no point in lying to Matthias.
"Oh. What about me?"
"About that day you told me that you're a star," his gaze shifts once again toward the sky, "It's been a year already."
Matthias turns to the sky as well, grinning so widely that Lukas can see it from the corner of his eye.
"It's our first anniversary!" he laughs, earning a kick from his friend, "Ow! Don't be so violent on our special day," Matthias turns to Lukas only to show him the most exaggerated pout he can manage to put on his lips, relaxing after the shorter blonde rolls his eyes and scoffs, trying to conceal a smile. "To be honest, I had always thought that, when I told someone about it, they'd be constantly asking me to grant them wishes. But you never asked me anything."
"That's because I understand that it's not so easy for you. Plus, the only thing I could ask for is health for Emil," Lukas adjusts the buttons of his coat, to keep the ocean breeze away from his neck, "I have everything else I want."
The star looks at his friend with suspicion, knowing that last sentence isn't completely true. Stars know those things. Also, Lukas sounded a little hesitant to say it.
"Oh, is that so?"
"It is."
"Well, I don't believe you. Even I have things I want, and I need help to get them," Matthias looks at the white puffs flowing out of his mouth with every word, just to keep his eyes on something that isn't Lukas, "It's okay to ask if you want something, I won't feel like you're taking advantage of me. Who knows, maybe I'm actually able to help."
Lukas appears to be considering the offer, but Matthias can only tell because of small hints in his tone of voice as he speaks next. His friend is otherwise unreadable.
"Would you ask me if you needed something?"
Matthias knows why Lukas is asking that, but he won't give anything away. He wants Lukas to say it first.
"If I thought you could help me, yes, I would," now he's looking at the stars, faint lights blinking at him, some bigger, some smaller. He can recognize each and every one. "Because I know you care for me as much as I do."
Lukas stays silent at that, but Matthias doesn't press the subject. It's not like he was expecting a clear reaction from his friend.
"Tell me about the stars," when Lukas isn't happy with how the talk is going, he changes the subject. It's always been like that, and Matthias has long since accepted that, when this happens, he'd better follow. "Show me the constellations you can recognize."
That's a trap, and the star knows it. Lukas asks him that because he's aware that Matthias has lots of things to say about constellations, given his nature. Oh well, the star thinks, he may as well please his companion.
"That's Polaris, the northern pole star," he points at the dark sky, specifically at a bright white dot fixed over their heads, "it's part of the constellation Ursa Minor. You can see it there, connecting Yildun, Urodelus, Ahfa, Anwar, Pherkad and Kochab," he points at each star as he mentions them by their names instead of their assigned letters. "But you already knew that, didn't you?" Matthias laughs from his throat and looks around the sky, "and there's Draco, like it's surrounding Ursa Minor. That's the head of the dragon, and if you connect those stars, you can imagine the tail. And that's—"
"That's Ursa Major, right?" Lukas interrupts, knowing he's correct. Matthias has mentioned all the constellations they can see more times than he can remember, and he's learned some of them.
"… yeah. I don't know why you're always asking me to point the stars for you, you could teach me by now," he smiles sideway, suddenly not caring much about the cold. He doesn't really want to go back home, because he doesn't want to part from Lukas.
"Because I like to hear it from a star. It's a privilege not many have," the blonde bends one knee, pushing his heel against the sand to bury it a little.
"Well, except maybe for the people I give tours at the Planetarium all the time," Matthias points out, trying to conceal a laugh.
"But they don't know what you are, so I'm still privileged," Lukas insists, and Matthias decides to leave it be, because he's actually right. A light silence settles between them after that, but when the star inches closer to his friend the atmosphere starts turning too intimate for Lukas' liking, so he hurriedly points to the sky, "Which one's that?"
Matthias frowns and tries to follow his friend's finger, but after some seconds he turns back at him.
"That's an empty patch in the sky."
"… or maybe you need glasses," Lukas scowls, huffing and dropping his hand, "There are a lot of stars up there, just tell me about one."
"Okay, okay, just don't get angry on the first day of the year," Matthias can't help but feel a little rejected, but at the same time knows his friend is just bad with dealing with body contact. It appears to make him nervous. "See that one? That's Shedir. It's part of a constellation that looks like a 'W', there," he props on his elbow, moving slightly closer. That doesn't go unnoticed by Lukas. "The constellation's name is Cassiopeia. It was named after the queen Cassiopeia, she was super beautiful according to the myth."
"Oh, now you're also an expert in Greek mythology?" the Norwegian scoffs, rolling his eyes in an attempt to lighten the situation and let Matthias know his proximity isn't affecting him in the least. Which is a blatant lie.
"Nah, I was just thinking about what you have in common with her."
Well, he wasn't expecting that.
"... are you hitting on me?"
"I'm just stating the truth," the star smiles with a glint of mischief in his eyes, and rests his cheek on his hand. Now that the conversation has deviated from the sky, he can ask what he really wants to know, "So, any wish to start the year, Lukey?"
Lukas doesn't look happy about the return of the topic he clearly stated he didn't want to touch. Huffing again, he crosses his arms over his chest.
"Is that necessary?"
That childish reaction makes Matthias smile warmly, laughing because of his friend's amusing behavior.
"I know you want something. I can feel it. And you're worried about it too," Matthias hunches over Lukas, just a little, but it's enough to look him in the eye. He can see Lukas' barriers crumbling and he likes that. He likes seeing this side of his friend that nobody else is allowed to see.
Lukas sighs, averting his gaze because the star's intense eyes are starting to make him feel nervous. He takes a moment to answer, knowing exactly what he wants to say but doubting his words.
"Don't leave me. Ever," he finally asks, sounding more like a demand, looking to his side at the now cold sand.
Matthias smiles knowingly, letting his head fall to the side to rest it on his palm, still looking intently at his friend. Stars always know people's deepest wishes, so he didn't really have to ask Lukas about it, but he wanted to hear it from his mouth.
"Is that why you keep asking me if I miss the sky?" the star's voice is understanding, and Lukas feels the tightness inside his chest slowly start to dissolve, "I'm not going anywhere, Lukey. Never. I don't care if that means permanently losing my status as a star. It's not that important now," he shrugs, smiling. Lukas can't help but smile back. "But is that all you wish for?"
The Norwegian's smile falters, disappearing as fast as it came to be replaced with a thoughtful expression. It's not, and he knows it, but how to put that in words? As far as he knows, there's only one good way to ask for what he wants. Looking directly into Matthias' starry eyes, he wonders if the blonde already knows.
"Kiss me," he whispers, never looking at any other direction. He's not going to show shyness now, staring directly into Matthias' eyes that look like entire galaxies right now. It's stunning.
Matthias smiles, taking only a second before leaning down without hesitation. He cups Lukas' cheek to keep him in place as he locks their lips together in a longing kiss that feels like 'finally'. They touch softly at first, as if they were afraid of rushing the moment, and their lips are cold but they start warming up once the kiss gets deeper and more passionate. Their warm breaths collide with the other's skin and at some point a cold nose tip brushes against a not-so-cold cheek. Lukas wraps his arms around the taller, pulling him closer, until he can almost feel the way Matthias' heart beats inside his ribcage. Or maybe it's his own heart.
"Looks like I'm not the only one who grants wishes here," Matthias whispers over Lukas' lips once they have parted. "That's what I've been wanting for years."
Lukas closes his eyes, taking in the feeling of Matthias' weight half over him, the warmth that radiates from his body, the sensation that nothing bad can happen to him while he's trapped between the star's strong arms. He doesn't want this to end.
"Don't be stupid," for some more seconds Lukas' eyes stay closed, concealing the dull purple irises behind pale eyelids. He's a reserved man, he doesn't like it when his feelings show easily, and he gets the sensation that all his secrets are going to reveal themselves to Matthias if he looks at him. Instead, he sighs and turns his head so his nose can make a trail along the star's jaw. "Anything else you wish for?"
Matthias sighs as well, almost purring in utter contempt because now it feels like a strong wall has been taken down between the two of them. They've just crossed a line, one that he never thought he'd cross when he first came down to Earth.
"Only more of you," he mutters, moving his face along with Lukas' and creating a kind of strange but also nice caress.
"I can give you that," Lukas finally opens his eyes, making some space between their faces so he can show Matthias a playful smirk, "But let's go to your house first, we're going to freeze here. Plus…" he looks away, staring at the sky, "I don't think I like the idea of millions of stars watching us."
Matthias smiles at that, taking Lukas' hand in his own and giving it a loving squeeze.
"It's okay, they won't tell anyone."
Lukas only laughs.
Fifth Prompt: Done! I'm posting everything delayed because these are complicated days for me, but the fics will come even if it's not on time!
Thank you everyone for your Favourites and Follows!