#laurent king x oscar whelan | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

slytherin-puffskein · 4 years

Text

don’t cry, snowman.

Don't cry, snowman, not in front of me Who'll catch your tears if you can't catch me, darling If you can't catch me, darling Don't cry, snowman, don't leave me this way A puddle of water can't hold me close, baby Can't hold me close, baby

summary: Instead of celebrating Christmas at Hogwarts as he usually does, Laurent King decides to help out at his aunt’s bakery. A surprise comes to him, hilarious for many, despicable to him. Oscar Whelan is here to give him support, but Laurent realizes that he might be the one to give support instead.

notes: Merry Christmas, you guys!!! Here is a mix of fluff and angst!

- - -

Hey Laurent.

Are you having a good time at Hogwarts? I sure hope so. I can’t say I’ve been having a lot of fun, honestly: Exams, studying, exams, studying. Oh, wait, I forgot something else. Exams again. There you go. Now you can understand what I have to deal with.

But let’s turn these frowns upside down! I often say that, huh? And you seem to hate it an awful lot, judging by the way you roll your eyes whenever I say it. Heh! What are cousins supposed to do, besides annoying each other? Anyway, I’m getting off topic. Christmas holidays are coming! Are you staying at Hogwarts, or coming home to your dad’s? I’m not twisting your arm or anything, but if I’m honest, the bakery could really, really use your help. We’re about to face the Christmas rush, after all… but fear not! We have an idea to deal with it. And believe me, it’s going to be really, really fun. You like fun, don’t you? So think about it, please! Mum, Dad and I will greet you with open arms. How about you spend Christmas with us as well? Your old man doesn’t seem to appreciate the holiday as much as he used to… anyway. Write me back!

Love,

Cyril.

Laurent should have expected that his cousin was manipulating him as soon as he had read the words ‘it’s going to be really, really fun’. Of course such sentence would be used to catch his attention, how had he been so blind? I promise you, Cyril had said as soon as he had set foot into the bakery, coat still on and heavy luggage numbing his fingers, it’s going to be a blast. Like a fool, Laurent had believed him, because hey, it’s Christmas. No one gets tricked on Christmas, right?

Newsflash: Laurent has been extremely, terribly, badly wrong. He has been, as unlikely as it sounded, tricked, and the fact that it was coming from Cyril came across as a huge punch on his pride. Since when was he able to do such thing? Wasn’t he, like, too earnest to pull this sort of thing? Decidedly, Laurent didn’t really know his cousin. If at all.

As he pulled out the Christmas Elf costume out of a fancy, shiny bag, Laurent went quite close to grab his stuff and leave. “You’ve got to be kidding me.” Somehow, his brain had done all the equations needed, and he had exactly figured out what was about to happen. Remnants of memories came to him, ones of a conversation he had overheard between his aunt and uncle:

The holidays are always a good time to promote our bakery. Just what could we do, hm? Organize some kind of event, perhaps?

He had paid little thought to these words, but, Merlin, he should have. Maybe then, he would have answered differently to Cyril’s letter.

“I’m dead serious, Lau. Mum got the best of the best of ideas! I swear, let--stop walking away, let me tell you, sit down and have a croissant and just listen!” Reluctantly, Laurent did so, but took himself a macaron instead. “Now, what do kids like, huh? Sugar! Of course they like that! And what does our bakery sells, you ask?”

“Cyril.” A sigh heaved from Laurent’s lips as he titled his head, half annoyed, half fearful. “Just tell me what I have to do… though I think I have it figured out by now.”

A smile came to grace his cousin’s features. What a handsome man! anyone would have said. What a prick, Laurent was currently thinking. He knows exactly what he is doing. Oh Merlin, I should have stayed at Hogwarts. I could have been sipping hot cocoa with Barnaby. BARNABY! And now-- “Well,” Cyril spoke again, brandishing the costume proudly. “We made a deal with the local mall, we’re gonna host a Meet Santa stand! Isn’t that, like, the best idea ever? I’m tellin’ you so! Dad’s gonna dress as Santa, Mum’s gonna be Santa’s wife. And I will be the kind man offering free pastries to children to encourage them, and their parents, to visit our bakery! Which leaves you--”

“As the lovely Christmas Elf.” Despite how disarrayed he seemed, a smile curved his lips, because even he had to admit it: the situation was hilarious. Anyone would have laughed at Laurent, so why not do the same, huh? Maybe it will help me deal with this. Just… smile and laugh, my guy. Smile and laugh.

“The lovely Christmas Elf indeed! You’ll take pictures of the kids when they sit on Dad’s— Santa’s lap. You’re going to be great!”

Smile and laugh. Smile and laugh.

* * *

Smile and laugh. Smile and laugh. Despite repeating himself these words like a mantra, shame kept blossoming inside his chest, spreading through his entire body until it even reached his fingertips. I. Look. Ridiculous. This is the day I die, most definitely. Oh Merlin. Wait a second. Do people from my middle school come to this mall…? Oh NO, they definitely fucking DO, this is the fucking local fucking mall. Dear Merlin, this is it. Leave orchids on my grave. My life is over. And it’s going to end with me wearing shorts and thighs.

Striped thighs with the colors reminiscent of a candy cane, along with a bright green shirt and shorts as well as a ridiculous hat. To top it off, he had to wear pointy shoes… and fake elf ears. Not to mention the glitter his aunt insisted to put on his cheeks.

My, you look lovely, she had said while combing his hair with her fingers, trying (and failing) to make them look more proper. Your mother would be proud. You know, she had quite the Christmas spirit! She wanted to name you Noel, but eventually settled on Laurent. Laurent hadn’t said anything, had simply forced a smile, but only one comment only floated over his mind: she wouldn’t have been proud to see me wear such a ridiculous outfit, believe me.

Prideful, much?

Seeing the kids happily yelling at the sight of who they believed to be Santa Claus made all of this somewhat worthy, however. After photographing kid after kid sitting on his uncle’s lap while listing to him the gifts they wanted, he had almost, almost forgotten about his ridiculous outfit. Hell, he even became sort of playful; chatting with children and pretending to be an actual Elf from the North Pole. They were mesmerized, needless to say, and none of them had seemed to notice just how fake his ears were. Well, I’m making them dream. That’s good. Dreaming is the best thing to do.

He had forgotten about one tiny, tiny thing, however. The day before, he had been… well, no need to sugarcoat it: he had been horrified at the thought of looking so ridiculous. And so, in the depths of his despair, he had called his best friend Oscar Whelan and had… well, ranted quite a lot. And made sure to apologize at the end of the conversation once he realized how had been acting. God, I must seem like the biggest drama queen, huh? You’re not seeing it right now, but I’m blushing like hell. He had heard Oscar’s laugh, then his voice. Come on Lau, I called you to whine when I lost my favorite book. I was almost crying. Tell me who is overreacting, now? Alright, maybe still you because it was an amazing book, but you get my drift.

That had made him laugh. Oscar always made him laugh. But as he showed up near the stand, his little sister propped up on his hip, Laurent wasn’t laughing at all. In fact, he was pretty sure his features had gone white. Oh. My. God. Of course he would show up, his sister loves Santa Claus! The thought of hiding behind one of the fake Christmas trees crossed his mind, but he ultimately shoved it away. No, come on. I can do this. I handled kids seeing me like this, why not Oscar? Why should I be embarrassed? Ignoring his heart that was hammering against his ribs, he made a step towards the lineup only to notice Oscar had vanished… and had, actually, made his way over the fake snow to him.

“Hey—”

Laurent cut him, however. Since they were standing a few steps from Santa’s chair, he immediately grabbed Oscar’s wrist and pulled him away so that people won’t think he was thinking of cutting the line.

And as they were far enough, Laurent’s burning cheeks came to hit him full force. “Why are—”

Oscar’s smile was already present, and wasn’t about to leave, Laurent was quite sure of it. As opposed to Cyril’s smile, however, it wasn’t annoying him. Not at all. In fact, it warmed him up, and made him believe that, hey, maybe Oscar seeing me in that costume isn’t that bad after all.

“Aw come on, you exaggerated on the phone! You’re adorable!”

Nevermind. Laurent playfully smacked Oscar’s arms, a smile on his lips. “Don’t say that! I look like a huge idiot, have you seen my hat? The glitter?”

“When Aine begged me to go see Santa at the mall, I firstly knew I couldn’t resist to her smile. And then, it dawned on me: I had to accept anyway, I couldn’t miss the opportunity of seeing such an adorable elf~”

At the mention of ‘elf’, Aine finally pulled her face away from her brother’s shoulder, landing her gaze on Laurent. Immediately he got ready to put on his Christmas Elf act, but was most surprised when the girl blew a raspberry, clearly unimpressed.

“You aren’t a real elf! You’re Laurent, Oscar’s friend! I know, because, because he tells me a lot about you and--”

“And suddenly you aren’t tired anymore, little one?” Oscar piped up. Laurent was so busy shoving back his embarrassment as far as possible, he had made no notice of his friend’s blushing cheeks. “Shall I assume that you pretended to be so that Big Brother Oscar would carry you? Hmmm?”

Little Aine giggled, and began grabbing at Oscar’s hair. As messy as always, just like Lau’s. “Sorryyyyyyyyy.” And then she shifted her attention back to Laurent, staring with wonder at him. “You’re really cute!”

“Isn’t he?” Oscar commented. “Look at that costume. Makes me want to pinch his cheeks.”

“Oscaaaar!” Aine suddenly exclaimed. “We need to get in line! I don’t wanna miss Santa!” Her excited expression just made Laurent realize how adorable children were. Maybe he could have one, someday.

If he ever finds someone to love. Right now, he has very little hope, but that was surely stemming from typical teenage angst, to think you aren’t made for anyone.

Oscar pretended to let out an exasperated sigh, but never did his smile leave his lips. Aine giggled, then yelped as Oscar put her on his shoulders. “Alright, kiddo, let’s go meet your idol. Do you think he accepts autographs? I’ve got a friend, she loves Santa and would love an autograph… what d’ya think, Lau?”

Aine’s giggle only became greater, and Laurent couldn’t help but play along, scratching his chin. “Mhm, that’s a good question, Oscar. I am no true Elf, so I cannot say for sure since I do not know Santa that well… but I’m certain he’d be glad to.” And he winked.

Oscar winked back. “Got it. See ya, cutie.”

Laurent’s reply was instant: “I’m not cute! Not in this costume! I’m ridiculous!”

"Hmm, alright, Ridiculous.” Oscar titled his head, and while many would have told him to shut up, Laurent was too busy admiring the glitter of joy in his eyes. And after all, despite how he was acting, he wasn’t annoyed at all. Oscar would never do anything to truly annoy him, he knew very well of his boundaries. “No, I don’t like that nickname. Nuh-uh. What can I call you, I wonder? How about Elf Man? Got a nice ring to it if you want my opinion. Alright then. Elf Man it is!”

Laurent’s reaction came so suddenly, it even took him by surprise. One minute he was smiling, the other he was roaring with laughter, hands on his ribs and eyes squeezing shut. Oscar Whelan truly was able to make him feel happy, wasn’t he? He tip toed to ruffle his hair, then, with a flick of the hand, gestured him to go. “Go, now! My lunch break’s soon, how about we all grab something together?”

Oscar’s smile was the softest thing he had ever seen. “I’d love that.”

* * *

Right, they didn’t immediately eat. Oscar’s little sister was so excited about the fact that she had finally met Santa Claus that they had to tire her a little before they could sit in peace, and so they had visited some of the many, many shops that the mall held… while Laurent was still in his costume. He has been so enthusiastic about spending time with Oscar, the thought of changing clothes hadn’t even brushed his mind.

Another thought did, however, but he quickly shoved it away: the desire to tell Oscar everything. About himself. About his friends. About his school. About what was, basically, his secret life. The life he was hiding from his best friend. Maybe we can just sit there, and, after we eat, I tell him everything. Hey, Oscar. I’m a wizard. I’m a wizard and I go to a school for wizards. My friends are wizards. Oh Merlin, I’m saying the word ‘wizard’ an awful lot, am I? Anyway. Please accept me. Please remain my friend. Please don’t be freaked out. And don’t tell anyone. I know you won’t do such thing, but still.

The bitter truth, the one that he cannot tell him anything, quickly hit him, tightening his chest and making him stop in his tracks to breathe deeply, thus birthing Oscar’s concerns. Are you ok, Lau?

Yes I am. Don’t worry about me. He remained still for a moment, shoved all of his fears aside, and kept on walking. In order to make him laugh, as they visited a toy store, Oscar decided to joke around with a teddy bear, holding it and talking with a ridiculous voice. It worked, and even Aine began to laugh as well, and eventually got hungry. They all finally sat down to eat at the food court, savoring the delicious pizzas they bought. Dessert came fairly quickly, and while Oscar paid Aine a delicious chocolate milkshake, he and Laurent found themselves enjoying a bowl of candy cane flavored ice cream. Each holding a spoon they happily ate, and conversation came soon enough.

“How are things with Alyssa?”

Alyssa Buckley, known to Laurent as Oscar’s girlfriend. According to his letters they have been dating for two months, but Laurent had never gotten the opportunity to ask questions about her. After all, he would rather talk of this girl with Oscar while face to face… and that was exactly what he was doing at the moment.

Unexpectedly, his friend’s smile wavered, and he took himself a spoonful of ice cream. “We broke up. About a week ago. I got so caught him in the Christmas craze, getting gifts for everyone, that I forgot to tell you… sorry.”

Oh Merlin. I fucked up. Now he’s going to be sad over his breakup. Stupid Laurent, stupid Laurent! An apology immediately came, but he was surprised to see Oscar shrug.

“I’m not… I’m not as hurt as I think I am supposed to be, oddly enough.” He took himself some more ice cream, but didn’t eat it immediately. He simply stared at his spoon, the usual sparkle in his eyes flickering, threatening to die down. “I must sound like a jerk, no? I just… I had the feeling it will end up like this. I had time to prepare myself for it. After all, it always ends up like this with people I date.” That last sentence held great bitterness, and Laurent could only helplessly stare. He had never dated. Never kissed. How could he possibly be of help? “No matter how hard I try,” Oscar spoke again, lowering his spoon and looking down at his hands. “My… My mind always turns back to the same person. Every time. Even though I know I have no chance.”

Now, he had to say something. The words naturally came, without him having to think them through: “You don’t know that, Oscar.” To punctuate his words he reached for his hand, intertwining their fingers slowly.

Oscar took a brief look to their linked fingers, sighing. “Believe me, I do.” His gaze went to meet his, and Laurent’s heart bled with disarray as he saw the look in his eyes.

The joy had vanished, giving way to pure despair coupled with a silver of acceptance. He was heartbroken, but willing to endure it, to give up on his love, as if he felt he wasn’t worthy enough. How painful, Laurent told himself. I can’t imagine how that must feel...

A horrible silence, caused by Oscar’s sadness, settled in and Laurent knew one and one thing only: he could in no way handle seeing his best friend like this. I need to cheer him up. That’s what I gotta do! I’m his best friend, it’s time to fucking deliver! His mischievousness provided him with an idea, and he was quick to take a spoonful of ice cream. He moved as if to eat it… but then suddenly pressed it against Oscar’s nose. “Y’know, if your nose gets red because of the cold, you could be Rudolph for the Meet Santa stand~”

Merlin. It’s a terrible joke. Fuck. He had feared his plan wouldn’t work, but his shoulders relaxed as Oscar began to laugh softly, previously flickering lights of joy steadily going back to life in his eyes as he reached for his own spoon. “You want to play that game, King? I’m sure you will look adorable covered with ice cream~”

He inched closer and Laurent raised his arms to protect himself, pure laughter shaking his shoulders. “Ack, no! You’re gonna ruin my makeup, Whelan! And the costuuuuume!”

“Don’t worry, I won’t ruin your amazing costume.” Oscar giggled, moving his spoon towards Laurent. “I insist however, you take it, I’m not that hungry.”

Laurent was fairly quick to eat the ice cream. After all, how could he possibly miss such opportunity? He gave Oscar a smile, one that, he hoped, conveyed all the love he held for him.

“Keep hope, Oscar.” He said. “You’re an amazing man, anyone would be lucky to date you. I’m sure the girl— or guy that you like reciprocates your feelings. If not, they’re an idiot.”

Silence clung to the air again, but it was a comfortable one. At last Oscar turned to his sister, who was drowsing on her chair. “Well, I guess I have to bring this kiddo back home. How bad do you think my mum will kill me if she learns I let her drink that monstrous amount of milkshake?”

“Really bad. I’ll bring flowers to your funeral.”

“You better.”

They stood up and while Laurent expected Oscar to pick up his sister, he instead stepped forward to pull him into a hug. Right, it’s true, we always do that before we leave. But this hug… it’s… It was the most loving hug he had gotten from Oscar Whelan. Right, all of his hugs were loving, but that one’s love felt stronger. Much stronger, and Laurent allowed himself to sink into that love by hugging him as tight as possible. They swayed together for a while, just a little.

I love him so much. He’s the greatest friend.

As they pulled away, Oscar pressed a kiss on Laurent’s forehead, then carefully picked up his sister. “See you, Lau.”

#my writing #laurent king x oscar whelan #oc: oscar whelan #laurent king

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