marlowemuses | ❥ sometimes it's meant to be

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❥ sometimes it's meant to be

Charterhouse was one of the most elite, exclusive schools in England.

It housed only boys. Boys of all ages, from ones first learning to button their pants on their own to the ones that couldn't seem to keep their pants on when in interesting company. With a campus that covered more than 27,000 acres, the schools had plenty of room to be spread across. Rich, green grass and old fashioned cobblestone streets—it was the pride of the academic world. Rich in history and pedigree, only the cream of the crop could even glance at an application, much less apply and attend. It was a school for future politicians, royalty, and celebrities. The men bred from Charterhouse were said to be the most cultivated in the world.

And, naturally, the richest. Only those from a well-to-do family could attend Charterhouse. Which was why one Richard Campbell Gansey the Third was one among the golden—like his father before him, and his father before him. The Ganseys were internationally known. Mrs. Gansey: a popular and well-known politician in the United States of America. Mr. Gansey (the Second): an ambitious and clever member parliament. Helen Gansey: fashion entrepreneur and lawyer, likely to end up going into politics once she tired of running the runway.

Richard Gansey the Third: one could only wonder what the future POTUS would do. On the campus of Charterhouse he was a golden boy. Popular—captain of the crew team yet also quite an intellectual, spending a great deal of time involved in the expansion of the library and archiving old, important texts. He was the man that everyone liked and talked to. The laughs of Ganseyboy were oft heard throughout the marble halls of the College campus. Handsome—he was more American than most of his peers, having a presidential and charming look about him, with a perfectly golden sun-kissed tan. Thick brown hair swept back neatly almost always, a square build, gentle olive eyes, and a straight nose. The sort of man that entranced those who spoke to him; that wasn't even taking the velvety, almost magical quality of his voice into account.

What the members of his crew team could never figure out was why Richard Campbell Gansey "Ganseyboy" the Third was always single. Never spoke about his sexual conquests, never brought a girl along to parties (when he attended, reluctantly), never even so much as mentioned being interested in anyone. It boggled their minds. The man spent his time with his nose in dusty old books and wandering around old buildings so often that they had grown concerned; the guy should get laid. As friends, as bros, as fellow eventual members of congress of what-have-you, it was their duty to see their beloved Ganseyboy paired off. Or, at least, getting some kind of action in his youth.

Which was why there was a plan. A plan, and a bet that eventually formed because of that plan. A bet in which a lot of money was placed. For, the subject of their little game (along with good old Ganseyboy) was the iciest, coldest, most shut off of all the students. What was the point if there was no challenge? No doubt, among the boys involved in the bet, there were a few that had been spurned by the ice prince, too. Revenge was a sweet thing. Two birds with one stone: they got Ganseyboy laid and they burned the ice prince that had burned them. Or three—someone was bound to make a tidy profit.

When one of the boys approached the ice prince's brother about setting him up with the charming golden boy on campus, the man had launched at the opportunity—for the happiness of his brother, no doubt, and he was not told about the bet.

That was how it would begin. It was a Wednesday, around 4 in the afternoon, when one of the boys dragged Gansey toward the library. The rest of the boys had made sure it was empty. The one dragging him—Charles Defonte the Second—had begged Gansey for some tutoring in history. It was agreed with Laurent's brother that he would also manage to bring Laurent to the library somehow—and the two of them would be left there together to formally acquaint.

There was no tutoring. Charles shoved Gansey into the library in front of him and then shut the door behind him and locked it. "Oh no," the boy faked a gasp, "the door has gone and locked itself, Ganseyboy! A ghost, it's gotta be. I'll go get the janitor. Be back as soon as I have lunch and then find him!" Leaving a very confused Gansey staring at the door and trying to push it open, to no avail. Locked.

"Do you really think it's a ghost?" he said to no one, because Charles had run off to tell the boys that he'd done his part.

There was another door on the other side of the library that was left for the same to happen to Laurent. Unbeknownst to Gansey, who took a seat at one of the tables and glanced around, quickly. A curious time for there to be no one else in the library.

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Gansey blinked twice at the notion of Laurent being jealous. It wasn't something he was unfamiliar with; Ronan often expressed jealousy whenever Gansey made a new friend, but this was different. Grabbing his car keys, he followed, grabbing another sweater just in case it was cool from having rained so much the night before.

"We can stop in town and pick some stuff up from 7-11." They had excellent drinks, and he was fond of their snacks. "I've already got some stuff in the trunk. Backpack, boots, a spare change of clothes, but no food." Exploring was one of his favorite things to do, and one never knew when he was going to end up floating in a lake.

Outside, he was a bit cool, though not enough to make Gansey pull on the extra sweater he grabbed. Making his way to the Pig, he slapped his palm against the roof and gave it a quick look over. As usual, another habit.

"Or we can swing by the cafeteria. There's bound to be something we can grab and go with. We might run into people who'll want to tag along, however." Somehow, whenever he went somewhere social, he always ended up with a few stragglers sticking to him and vying for his attention.

"Let's do the 7-11," Laurent said, sliding into the car and smirking a little. He felt fonder of the vehicle today, because it was so very Gansey. "I don't want anyone to tag along with us, and if they try I might have to drive them off with icy jealousy, and then you would realize what a very unpleasant person you're dating."

He gave Gansey a wry smirk, having no illusions of what the student body thought of him. He used that icy unpleasantness as a defense. Gansey, somehow, wanted to be with him despite that. "It's probably inevitable, but I'd prefer to have the one day with you as my boyfriend before you realize I'm not worth the trouble."

He was more than happy to skip dealing with the other boys. Selfishly, Gansey wanted Laurent all to himself. Anyone else intruding on their date would be a pain.

Gansey's eyebrows furrowed slightly when Laurent spoke so poorly of himself. True, he wasn't upbeat and friendly with their schoolmates, and had his quirks, but that didn't mean he wasn't worth being with. So after he kicked the Pig to life, instead of pulling into drive, Gansey reached across to catch Laurent's chin. Closing the rest of the gap, he tenderly pressed his lips against his boyfriend's forehead.

"You're worth every kind of trouble."

Smoothly sitting back in his seat and finally easing the car out of its spot, he made for the little road that lead off campus. Cheerfully he asked, "What's your favorite snack? I'm fond of beef jerky, myself."

Laurent's eyes widened and his lips parted, stunned by the gesture and the words. Gansey's faith in him felt incredible, even though Laurent still thought it must be misguided. It meant the world to him to be so valued, so adored, and Laurent a wave of affection and devotion.

"I've got a weakness for anything salty. Beef jerky's good. Turkey jerky's better." Laurent smiled, resting his head back against the seat and watching Gansey with shy affection. "Kind of in the mood for ice cream right now. Oh, anything barbeque flavored. Not ice cream."

"Then that's not everything," Gansey laughed, thoroughly amused. "Barbecue is great. So is ice cream. We can grab some barbecue chips for later, and some ice cream for now? We already had breakfast and it'd be a shame for it to melt."

The Pig pulled onto the long road to town happily, growling as he pressed his foot down on the gas. Road completely clear, it was just them and the long stretch in front of them. It was a beautiful sight, Gansey thought, with sunlight breaking through trees wet with raindrops. Little rainbows broke through, sparkling among boughs and bushes.

"I love the way the forest look after it rains. It's beautiful." Leaning back in the driver's seat, Gansey relaxed, enjoying the drive.

"It makes me miss Ireland."

"Barbeque chips and a bunch of other stuff," Laurent said with a grin. "So we don't have to worry about lunch. And if we get lost."

He grinned as he watched Gansey driving, liking the way he looked behind the wheel. Confident. Handsome. Ready for any challenge. Some of which might be provided by his own car.

"I like the way you look behind a wheel," Laurent said, relaxing enough to be flirtatious. "You're not Irish. When were you in Ireland?"

"I spent some time going across Europe. Ireland, Italy, Wales, France, England of course... I'd rather spend my time traveling than being forced to attend fundraising events." Glancing at his new boyfriend, Gansey smiled, still liking very much the way Laurent looked in the Pig. More so, while wearing his school sweater. The urge to kiss him now was intense; just lean over and catch him by the lips.

But he was driving. Chances are that'd cause them to veer off the road.

"That was... about two years ago. That's when that whole moving flower patch business happened. Sadly, I didn't meet any fae, but maybe next time." Eyes rapt on the road again, "Maybe we could go together."

"I don't know if I would want to meet any fairies," Laurent said, "even if they are real. I do know that you're not allowed to meet any fairies without me. I will fight anyone who tries to steal you away, regardless of whether these are literal or metaphorical fairies."

Content in Gansey's company, Laurent chewed on his lower lip, thinking of what it would be like to kiss him. "I'd like very much to travel with you. We can go anywhere we please. I'd like to to go to Turkey and visit ruins. Or Libya. Once we've learned Carthaginian."

He was flattered to hear that Laurent would fight fairies for him. Not that he thought he'd be swept away anytime soon; a fairy wasn't likely to turn his head when Laurent was nearby. There was a low chance of any fairy having such an interest in language, history, and running around in the rain during a storm.

"I've never had the chance to go to either. That sounds fantastic. I'd also like to go to Egypt, but not to dig up a mummy bride, as my sister apparently thinks. I'd like to see the pyramids, and they apparently have some excellent libraries there."

Glancing at Laurent again, he asked, "Have you ever been to the United States?"

"We could go visit the new Library of Alexandria," Laurent said, with a grin. "And I'm also willing to fight any mummies who try for you."

Lounging comfortably in his seat, Laurent stretched out his long legs. "I've never been to the United States. I look forward to it. We're going to have to conduct a fairly public romance, which means I should be seen at parties and public events where you make an appearance with your family. And you'll need to be seen in Vere. Once word gets out, my people will be very curious. Are you okay with all that?"

"I'm okay with it," he said mildly, turning the wheel as they neared town. "It's not something I'm completely unused to. I've been making appearances like that since I was born—for different reasons, mind you, but it doesn't make me nervous. And I'd like to see Vere." It was simply another fact of life, being in the public eye. The only new element for Gansey was the romantic aspect of it.

"My mother would be delighted to have you attend her fundraisers and events. Overall, I think that as far as public appearances, we'll have no issues. I was thinking more... there are a few spots in that United States that I love. I'd like to show you, one day."

A small, quiet town where sunflowers bloomed across a great expanse of hills. One of the most stunning forests he'd ever seen, with a great white oak. A lighthouse that had been long abandoned but still lit every night for ships out at sea.

"I'd like that," Laurent said, smiling. "We can travel the world together. On our breaks. Go to Paris just for the weekend. Visit Turkey over the Christmas holiday."

When Gansey parked in front of the convenience store, Laurent leaned over to kiss his cheek, smiling with the pleasure of being able to do that whenever he wanted. Then he got out, waiting for Gansey and shyly linking their hands.

Laurent's hand was cool, a perfect temperature to be linked with Gansey's, which was on the slightly warmer side. The kisses to his cheek made his heart flutter but when their hands slipped together, his throat felt warm, knots in his belly flopping. It was what he wanted. Someone to hold hands with while they shopped in a 7-11. No loud Ehhh Ganseyboy or backslapping. No pretense. No need to act like anything other than themselves.

Gansey head the way into the store, not letting go of Laurent's hand even when it may have been convenient to do so. The guy flipping a magazine at the register didn't even look up. Grabbing a small plastic basket, first he headed down the snack aisles. They were small so it wouldn't take long to grab what they liked.

"Jerky—beef and turkey—chips, pretzels... we can grab extra, anything left over can be saved for next time. Or my room, always nice to have snacks." He bent to leave the basket on the floor so there was no need to part hands, dropping in some items.

"Ooh. Poptarts. I like those. I never toast them, though." He dropped a box of the strawberry poptarts in there.

Laurent chose a couple varieties of chips that he liked, along with a couple of candy bars and a box of granola bars to be somewhat sensible. When he was mostly satisfied with their selection of everything else, he pulled Gansey over to the ice cream case, selecting a chocolate-covered ice cream bar for himself.

Gansey's hand felt warm in his, and Laurent couldn't stop smiling. He knew that the man behind the counter was eyeing them, but that didn't matter. With Gansey, he was untouchable.

He let Gansey pay, letting go of his hand briefly so that he could. While he did, Laurent opened up his ice cream bar and started nibbling at it, catching pieces of chocolate with his fingers as the coating cracked and slipped away from the ice cream. He licked his fingers clean between bites, eyes lingering on Gansey and letting Gansey open doors for him as they made their way back out to the car.

Gansey chose an ice cream sandwich, classic Klondike, when they were over by the ice cream. Overall they looked like a couple of kids playing hookey and likely to get really high with the amount of food they'd bought. Paying with his credit card, Gansey flashed an award winning smile to the kid behind the register, which got a startled look and a blush, before he swept up the bag with their stuff and headed out with Laurent.

As they walked, Gansey fished his ice cream out of the bag so that he could break it open. Tossing the rest of their stuff into the back seat as he dropped into the driver's seat, he licked the edge of his Klondike bar before taking a hefty bite. He'd gotten the vanilla side first.

Swallowing the chunk and licking his lips, he glanced at Laurent and grinned, "Good?" Ice cream in the morning was pretty hard to beat.

"Very good," Laurent said, grinning at him in return. Gansey looked so utterly endearing as he licked and bit at his chocolate bar that Laurent's heart swelled with warmth. On impulse, he slid over, catching Gansey's face with one hand and giving him a sweet, chocolate-and-vanilla kiss. It was brief, and chaste, but Laurent couldn't help but give him an adoring smile for a moment as it broke.

Blushing happily, Laurent slid back to his own seat and belted himself in. He didn't mention that it had been his first kiss, but for him it felt perfect, a perfect memory of skipping school and eating ice cream with his boyfriend.

Gansey was surprised when Laurent closed the gap between them like that—his lips were cold from ice cream and sweet from the taste of chocolate. Brief, just long enough for Gansey to close his eyes with a slight crease in his brow, and then it's over far too quickly.

As Laurent belted himself in, Gansey licked his lips, as though contemplating something. "I think," he said, slowly, "I may have to beg one more of those off of you." With his free hand he touched Laurent's chin to gently guide it back to face him as he leaned over, pressing his lips against the other boy's. A little bit longer than the last though just as chaste, soft and adoring, warm, with the taste of ice cream.

Satisfied, Gansey slid back into his seat to buckle in and pull the Pig into reverse and then drive, biting happily into his Klondike bar now that he'd gotten that urge settled. "So, where are these ruins?" he asked, thoroughly ready to get some exploring done. "We can get as close as possible in the Pig and walk the rest of the way if they're far in the woods."

Laurent wanted to melt into the kiss, to tangle himself up in Gansey's arms and stay there forever. Blushing happily, he licked his lower lip, tasting Gansey on his mouth.

"I have no idea. I could probably find it on a map, but I don't know how to give you driving directions. I've never been off campus unless it was with either Auguste or a Veretian guard and driver. I walked there from school."

He felt warm and slightly dizzy with pleasure. Gansey had kissed him. Gansey wanted to be his boyfriend.

And Gansey would very much like to kiss him again. Only, making out would probably distract them from getting to the ruins, and they should at least make an attempt to get to their destination first.

"All right. We'll head back to campus and then figure it out from there. It's not a bad morning for a walk." They could hold hands as they walked. That would be nice. And there was very little chance of running into anyone else, so early in the morning.

Turning the wheel, he headed back along the road now that they'd gotten everything they needed from town.

"When did you find them?"

"A few weeks back, on a weekend. I wanted to escape from everyone at school and Auguste was being irritating--he thinks I need to be more social--so I packed my lunch and headed out into the woods for the day. I didn't get back until well after dark, and Auguste was livid, because he'd been worried. We won't be gone so long, now that I know where we're going."

Laurent finished off his ice cream, licking the last remnants from the stick and then tucking it back into the wrapper, setting it tidily in the well between the seats to be dealt with later. "We should get a map of the area, if we want to keep exploring. I know there are ruins of an old castle near here, and a monastery. I've heard there's a circle of standing stones--or the remains of one--about twenty miles to the southwest."

Gansey couldn't quite blame Auguste for being livid. If Laurent disappeared without warning for a whole day, he would be beside himself, sick with worry until he came back. Which was a bit startling to realize—even if he was a worrier, he normally didn't tangle himself up in his friends' business like that. But, reminding himself, Laurent was no longer just a friend. Any boyfriend—lover—would worry.

Klondike bar stuffed in his mouth, Gansey licked it thoughtfully. A map sounded like a good idea. No doubt they would want to explore more. Breaking off a piece of ice cream, he held the bar out to Laurent, offering him a bite since he'd finished his.

"Good idea. I'm sure we'll want to keep looking, right? I'd have looked into it sooner if I knew there were interesting things to see. I guess I spent so much time thinking about ruins out in the world, I never considered what might be under my own nose. Charterhouse doesn't fall along a leyline. I wonder what the standing stones were for? Very interesting. I think I'd want to see the castle ruins first, though."

Laurent shrugged. "There are standing stones all over England, especially in the south. Normandy, too. Way more than people think. And most of them are--well, a normal person could stumble into a ring of stones and not even realize it was anything other than some boulders on a hill, if they weren't looking. Most rings aren't, well, Stonehenge." It wasn't a topic of especial interest for him, but Laurent loved all history and ruins, and the standing stones intrigued him. He wanted to know about the culture that had built them.

"We should have stopped in town to get a map." Laurent grinned, accepting the bite and licking his lips. As soon as they stopped, he climbed out, coming around to help Gansey with their things. "I can fetch my backpack, if it won't all fit in yours."

Gansey finished the bar after Laurent took a bite, licking his fingers clean of melted chocolate. "You're right. I do have maps in my room... not that it helps us now." Maybe he would have planned better if he weren't so utterly distracted by his new boyfriend. Really, it was difficult to think about proper planning when he could hardly keep himself from thinking about strolling through the forest while holding hands.

Following suit, Gansey hopped out of the Pig and gathered their stuff. "It should be okay," he figured, stuffing most of what they bought into his bookbag, along with his books. They didn't need to bring the poptarts. "It's got a good amount of room."

Slinging the bag over his shoulder once it was stuffed, he closed the door and locked the Pig. Sliding his hand with Laurent's once more, he offered a lopsided smile, "Lead the way, then? We'll just have to map another day." There would be plenty of time, or so he hoped.

Laurent gave his hand a squeeze. He earnestly wanted to steal another kiss, maybe a deeper kiss, but they were standing in the parking lot, and he couldn't yet cope with the thought that someone might see. Not because he didn't want to be seen with Gansey, because he did, but because he didn't want to draw attention and heckling from the ther students.

Glancing back at the school, he walked a little faster, tugging Gansey along. He didn't fear getting caught, since Charterhouse was fairly lax about attending class as long as students kept their grades to a strict standard, but he feared that his life before Gansey would intrude upon him, stealing away these beautiful moments.

Gansey followed as Laurent led on, also taking a quick look back at Charterhouse. He also didn't want to be seen—but only because he didn't want to have to deal with other people. Once he was spotted on campus he was always dragged into some conversation he didn't want to be a part of. Especially now. But luckily it seemed that the rain had kept the students either snug in their beds, or at the very least, reluctant to go outside. Not wanting to stain their new leather shoes, no doubt.

There was always the risk of running into the drug addicts smoking in the woods, but likely they'd be too high to care about Laurent and Gansey. Drug addicts they were, they were usually the most relaxed, zoinked out students on campus.

He followed Laurent into the woods, breathing in the fresh air, enjoying the way it cooled his body. The scent of leaves and fresh earth was addictive. Lifting their joined hands, he gently brushed his lips against Laurent's knuckles, lightly kissing each one.

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