Not exactly when I was expecting to post. I thought it would be a little longer, but I got a text from Carlee after posting the last chapter that her friend emmakatherine over on AO3 had a birthday coming up. And I met her on my trip to Austin earlier this year, and she glared so hard at me the second she walked in the door. She was reading Children of Loss before I came to visit. But she fell in love with Luke, as we all probably did. So for her birthday, she wanted a Lukeros chapter. Here it is!

As a warning, there are two smut scenes in this chapter. I mean, it's Luke and Eros, so that should have been expected. I also apologize if I butchered the French. I am hoping I didn't misspell anything. I probably should have just copied and pasted from the translations I was handed from HimekoUchia, but it was late and drinking might have been involved at the time. There will be translations at the end for anyone who doesn't speak French, so don't worry. With that, I leave you with the update!

Chapter 5

"This isn't hard," Silena sighed. Apollo chuckled as he leaned back in his seat. "Just repeat after me: Tu es ravissant ce soir."

Looking between the two trying to teach him French, Luke frowned and narrowed his eyes. Why did they make this look easy? Why did Eros make this seem easy? The last didn't count as it was his native language. With a deep breath, Luke said, "Tu verras mes seins ce soir."

Apollo snorted. "Hey, I think he's getting the hang of it," he chuckled. Silena kicked him in the shin.

"Be nice," Silena chided him. She smiled at Luke, who huffed. "He's doing this for a very sweet reason." With a flip of her hair, she sat down on the arm of Luke's chair. "I don't see you learning Spanish for Leo."

"He rarely even speaks Spanish!"

"I just hope Leo and his mother talk shit about you whenever they are on the phone together," Silena muttered.

Standing up, Luke huffed. "Just forget it. This is hopeless. And pointless. This is stupid." He dealt with foreign people all the time, but Luke always just had to let his body do the talking. None of it involved actual words. The only time Luke could get the general gist of what Eros said in French was when they were having sex. It was usually pretty easy to gather what the Lost Boy was trying to say. "He's learning English, it's fine."

Giving him a raised brow, Silena just said, "If it didn't matter, you wouldn't have asked."

"Come on, dude," Apollo added. "I'm just picking at you. It takes practice. You're doing it for a really nice reason." He flashed Luke one of his brilliant smile. It only made Luke grumble more. "Eros will be really happy that you learned French for him."

"I'm not-" Luke began, but was cut off by Silena.

"We know," she sighed, "you're not doing this for him. You want to be able to understand him when he's yelling at you." Silena rolled her eyes, clearly not dissuaded by Luke's grumpy demeanor. "Whatever helps you sleep. We know know you're whipped by your little French boy toy."

"Boyfriend," Apollo coughed. He quickly looked away innocently when Luke glared at him.

Relenting, Luke sat back down. Silena smiled to herself and stood up, as did Apollo, to continue his French lessons. So maybe it was for Eros. Maybe it would make a nice birthday present for Eros' upcoming birthday. Not that Luke cared or anything.

Ever since they returned from France, though, Eros was worrying Luke. He drank more, ate less, and what he did eat usually didn't stay in his stomach. Eros was assigned to see a dentist to keep his teeth perfect, an order from Percy, and something Eros definitely did not appreciate. Their off nights, which usually involved going out, typically involved Luke carrying Eros over his shoulder by the end of the night. They might have gotten banned from a particular bar after Eros got drunk and started seducing another guy at the bar, and Luke had punched the guy so hard that the guy had to be taken to the hospital for a concussion. And then, of course, Eros still had his job, taking off his clothes and having sex with clients.

That last fact usually irritated Luke when he got back to their room after work and had to wait for Eros to come back. Because Eros was one of the most exquisite and beautiful things to walk the earth, and everyone wanted a piece of him. Not that Luke cared. Not that he noticed. It wasn't like he cared that Eros was in denial that he had problems.

After an hour, Silena declared the lesson over for the day. Luke went to the arcade, where Eros was supposed to be working. He found the short boy outside the laser tag room, watching the monitor that showed the kids inside shooting at each other. He twirled the instructor's gun around his finger with a grin on his face.

Luke walked straight up to him and took hold of Eros' chin. Eros blinked, wide-eyed, at him. Eyes dull, Luke checked Eros' mouth over and made sure to smell. "Hello to you, too," Eros grumbled as he brushed Luke's hand away. His brow furrowed as he took in the image of Luke. "Why do you look so aggressive and irritated?" His eyes flashed back to the monitor. "If you're horny, it'll have to wait until after work."

Smirking, Luke just said, "We both know that, if I were, you wouldn't make me wait until after you got off." That brought a wicked grin to Eros' face.

He wrapped an arm around Luke's neck and Luke relented, leaning in for a kiss. One that quickly had his tongue inside Eros' mouth and the shorter boy up against the wall. Lou Ellen cleared her throat behind him. Neither of them even tried to look ashamed. But Eros pulled back and chuckled, waving to his friend. "You heard Lou, no fraternizing at work."

It didn't stop Luke. His hand snaked around to grope Eros' ass, and Eros leaned into Luke, biting down on his lip to suppress a moan. Leaning in, Luke whispered, "How about you do a lousy job at your other job tonight, and you get to bed early."

Rolling his eyes, Eros said, "Not that I would be getting any sleep." His hand patted gently at Luke's chest. "Not with your libido."

"Like yours is any better," Luke retorted.

The door swung open beside them and Eros stepped away from Luke. He smiled as Luke gave him a dark look. Stupid kids getting in the way of Luke getting Eros' perfect ass. He strongly debated making it the lock screen for his phone. There might have been at least twenty or thirty pictures of Eros' ass on Luke's phone. Perhaps a few while Luke was inside said ass, or while Eros had Luke inside his mouth.

After the kids cleared out, Eros pulled Luke down by the collar and whispered in his ear, "I have a few minutes to clean up in there." He nodded towards the door the kids had just left. "If you would like some attention." Thankfully, Lou was no longer paying them any attention to notice that Eros' hand was now gripping Luke's crotch. "It shouldn't need any real straightening up."

Luke shoved Eros into the room. Before he went in, he made sure to turn off the monitor. The door closed behind him and he watched as Eros went deep into the dark room, his teeth illuminated in neon lights as he chuckled.

The music was booming, but if the door opened, light would shine into the room. And Eros picked a spot by a base that was out of camera shot. He pushed Luke into the corner, right next to the mirror wall, and got down on his knees. Biting down on his lip, Eros undid Luke's pants and slid Luke's erection out of his pants.

There was not a better spot. Not only could Luke watch from above as Eros took Luke's dick into his mouth, but he could also watch it from the side via the mirror. But watching it from above was so much hotter, because Eros would make sure to look up at Luke as he sucked. Luke's fingers curled into Eros' hair as he took all of Luke into his mouth.

It was hard to say if there was anything better than letting Eros work with his mouth. His tongue was beyond any normal skill. Eros ran his hand down Luke's chest as he worked, humming lightly around Luke's erection. Swinging his leg around a bit, Luke positioned Eros, so that the shorter boy's back was to the wall. A wide-eyed look appeared in Eros' eyes right before Luke began to thrust into his mouth.

Even so, Eros still managed to work magic with his tongue as Luke put his hands to the mirror and thrust into Eros' mouth. The tongue swirled around Luke's head and Eros let out a moan so loud that Luke could hear it over the music. "Do you take this much enjoyment out of sucking everyone's dick?" Luke asked.

Mischief flashed through Eros' eyes and Luke hissed when teeth grazed against his dick. "Jealousy should not pass those fine lips when your cock is in someone's mouth," he said, pulling back to smirk at Luke. A kiss was pressed to Luke's hipbone. "If you must know, your dick is my favorite. I do keep coming back to it."

Before he had found himself at the Lotus Hotel, Luke had never imagined himself being anything other than monogamous. After, he didn't even think he would be in a relationship again. So it left Luke with a weird taste in his mouth now. He mostly blamed the twerp for that, bringing back stupid emotions from a life that Luke no longer had. Because some part of Luke's mind would never fully be okay with sharing Eros with others.

Luke was pulled from his thoughts as his erection was engulfed in Eros' mouth once again. His head fell back in a moan and he ran a hand through his short blond hair. He slid all the way into Eros' mouth and pressed his head back against the mirror. Eros' eyes were beginning to water as Luke remained still.

"You don't have any lube on you, do you?" Luke asked.

Leaning to the side and sliding Luke out of his mouth, Eros took a second to catch his breath. He wiped a hand across his mouth and said, "I really can't be in here a long time. I'll get in trouble."

Luke narrowed his eyes. "You have some, don't you?"

Groaning, Eros reached into his pocket and pulled out a small bottle of lube. "It has to be quick. I don't need Lou coming in here and yelling at us." Even though his words are hesitant, he gave the bottle over to Luke and began to undo his pants. With a wink, he said, "Guess you better fuck me pretty hard then."

Before Eros even had his pants off, Luke had him on his back and his ankles up in the air. Luke took hold of the boy's pants, which were dangling around his ankles, while he prepared Eros' entrance. Eros' mouth fell open and his eyes scrunched shut as Luke skipped two fingers and went to three. With his other hand, Luke coated his arousal and lined it up with Eros' entrance.

Luke slid his head between Eros' legs, the pants pressing to the back of his neck. He slid into Eros and drew out the most intoxicating noise from those hot lips. With a firm grip around Eros, Luke picked Eros up and shoved him against the wall. Bless Eros' body for being so flexible. Their lips met and Luke wasted no time in devouring Eros' mouth, taking a firm grip of the brunet's wavy hair.

Luke took Eros' legs and held them together with Eros' hands above his head. Eros let out a very loud moan as Luke slammed into him. "Fuck!" Eros cried out, his head falling back against the wall.

Another reason that he didn't want to share Eros: Luke did not want Eros to ever lose the tightness to his ass. It perfect in shape, completely smooth, and by God it was unbelievably tight. Luke prided himself on his stamina, but even he wondered how it was possible that anyone lasted more than just a few minutes inside Eros' tight hole.

Luke stilled immediately when light filled the room. He took Eros in his arms and moved them behind a small barricade. It was primarily used for anyone that just wanted to sit and watch a game going on. Luke made sure to put Eros down on the ground as gently as he could, kicking the door to the spectator booth closed. The only way someone could see them was if they peered over the wall, which was roughly three-to-four feet tall.

Lou's voice rang out into the room. "Just remember to play fair. No cheating, and no rough play. Respect the rules."

Eros smirked up at Luke. "Looks like I was gone too long."

"Guess there isn't a huge rush to finish," Luke retorted.

Reaching up, Eros maneuvered his legs to reach into his pants and pull out his phone. "You have at least fifteen minutes," he assessed after looking at the time. "Vas-y bien fort, mon chéri.."

Luke didn't know what Eros said, but he had a rough idea of what was said. The sound of many kids screaming and shooting each other soon joined the loud music as Luke began to thrust into Eros again. Luke lifted Eros' shirt to enjoy Eros' smooth and slim body. Lost Kids had to shave their bodies and stay smooth, but Luke had to wonder if Eros even had body hair before that.

It was probably something they would get in trouble for. Like Percy would probably have a laugh about it after he punished them for doing it, but it did not stop Luke from fucking Eros right then and there, with kids playing laser tag on the other side of the small wall that put them out of sight.

Leaning down, Luke nipped at Eros' neck. One of Eros' legs got free of his pants, but the other had them hanging oddly. A firm grip was placed on Eros' hips and Luke pounded hard into the boy on the floor. Even with the laughter of kids and the blaring music, Eros was still being loud with his moans. Luke clamped a hand over Eros' mouth to help with that. His other hand was busy groping Eros' nice ass as he slammed into it. If they didn't have to keep it down, Luke probably would have been smacking it. He also would have had Eros on his hands and knees and pulling Eros' hair.

Eros' arms wrapped around Luke's neck as Luke drilled into him. He bit down on his lip and Luke pulled his hand away. Leaning down again, Luke trailed his lips and tongue across Eros' torso. Eros let out a squeak when Luke nipped at Eros' nipple.

As the game began nearing its end, so was Luke. He finally just grabbed both of Eros' legs and set himself in a hard, fast pace as he slammed himself into Eros. However, when Eros tried to cover his face with his arm, Luke reached down and pinned it above his head. He grabbed the other one as well when Eros tried to touch himself. That wouldn't do at all. It was not the first time that Luke got Eros off while not letting the other touch himself, and he took so much more enjoyment out of watching Eros finish this way.

And, judging by the look on Eros' face, it would not be much longer before it happened.

In fact, no sooner had Luke thought it that Eros' toes curled and his head fell back, body arching off the ground. Luke's hand shot out to cover Eros' mouth when there was a loud bang against the wall from a kid running into it. The kid didn't bother looking over the wall, though, and just ran off to join the fray again.

Eros tightened around Luke and the blond let out a moan. Sure enough, Eros quickly came across his own stomach. Even in the darkness, Luke could see the flush on Eros' face. He was so fucking hot. Seeing him like that, Luke slammed a final time into Eros and came deep within him.

Smirking as he watched Eros lay there and recover, Luke reached down and coated his fingers in the warm, white, and sticky substance that covered Eros' stomach. Luke brought his hand up to Eros' mouth and Eros opened it in such a seductive manner that Luke almost came a second time. As the robotic announcer announced that the game was over, Luke watched as Eros cleaned each of Luke's fingers.

Luke slowly pulled out and Eros sat up with a small hiss. With a lazy smirk, Eros pulled Luke in for a searing kiss. "Lou is so going to chew me out," he chuckled.

Kissing him again, Luke nibbled at Eros' bottom lip before pulling back. "Worth it." He sighed and leaned back to do his pants back up. Eros peered over the wall to make sure that all of the kids had left before standing up and moving to pull up his pants. Thankfully, he was facing away from Luke, so Luke got a great view of Eros' ass when he bent over. Luke also used the opportunity to kiss and bite at Eros' right cheek, eliciting a squeak from the other Lost Boy.

When they both stood up, they made their way out of the door. Eros rubbed the back of his neck and chuckled innocently when Lou glared in their direction. She mouth, "Later," at Eros.

Ignoring her, Eros turned back to Luke. "I have a break between shifts, if you wanted to get dinner later." Luke just nodded, already grabbing at Eros' shirt to pull him in for another kiss. Eros just smirked and placed a hand on the back of Luke's head as their mouths met yet again. "And, after that performance, I might consider trying to get off early tonight... on the condition you take me somewhere nice to dinner outside the hotel."

Rolling his eyes, Luke said, "You get free food here." Eros just smirked and Luke grunted. "Fine. Whatever. I'll have something figured out by the time you're off."

With that, he gave Eros a final searing kiss and let him get back to work. On the way out, Lou gave Luke a glare, but Luke could have cared less. Having sex with Eros would always be worth any trouble he got in.

Two months went by pretty fast and things were pretty boring around the hotel this week. As Nico was on spring break, Percy had taken the twerp to the Scottish countryside for the week. And the beginning of spring meant that Eros' birthday was weeks away. Not that it was a problem. Luke was finally able to pick up French, at least some of it. Not getting irritated whenever Eros insulted him in French was the hard part. He had to wonder just how many times Eros had insulted him in French.

Luke, who was sat on the couch and trying to watch TV, rolled his eyes as Eros rushed to get ready for work. "You didn't have to keep me so long," Eros hissed as he put some concealer on his neck to hide the hickey that Luke had left him not long ago. Luke ignored the glare that was shot in his direction from the mirror on the wall that Eros was using. "Si je commence à boiter, je te jure que tu ne me toucheras pas pendant une semaine."

It was a lot of effort on Luke's part not to yell back that Eros couldn't hold out that long. Instead, his eye twitched and he worked his hardest to keep his focus on the TV. However, focus failed him when Eros suddenly became illuminated. Luke felt his mouth go dry as he looked over at Eros, who was barely clad in any clothing. But wrapped around his torso, arms, and legs were red lights. He had on the tightest shorts that Luke had probably ever seen, cupping Eros' already perfect ass.

Catching Luke watching him, Eros turned around with a grin. "Do not get any funny ideas. This is for work. Perhaps for a lucky client."

The hell it was. Luke got up and had Eros pinned against the wall before the shorter Lost Boy could even react. Eros swallowed a lump in his throat as he looked up at Luke, who looked down at Eros with a hungry look in his eyes.

Squirming a little, Eros mumbled, "We literally just had sex."

"Yeah... but you weren't wearing that."

Eros stuck out his tongue and pushed Luke off him. "Too bad. I have to get to work." He just smiled happily as Luke glared at him. A jacket was slipped over his bare torso and he picked up some clean shorts from a basket on top of their drier. Clothes did not belong on Eros' body. As he went to the door, Eros grabbed Luke by the shirt and pulled him down for a short kiss. "See you later."

Later would not do. Luke ended up going to see the others perform later that night. Mainly to watch Eros. And it was totally worth it. When Eros finally got on stage, Luke had to restrain himself from dragging the boy off the stage. Not only was he clad in only the tight underwear and lights, but he had painted a blue star around his eye and had sprayed spots of blue across his upper body. The lights had been brought down to illuminate the different color lights that Eros and two other Lost Kids were using to perform.

"Stare any harder and he might catch fire," Cecil snickered as he placed some drinks down at the table that Luke was sat at with Will and Juniper. Luke rolled his eyes as he watched Cecil and Will stare at each other. At least he was getting some. Those two would probably dance around each other for years.

Juniper smiled as she lifted her drink to her lips. "Don't mind him, Luke. I think it's sweet."

Luke let out a sigh. Why couldn't he have his bad ass cred back? People left him alone. His eyes went back to the stage, where he lazily watched Eros finish up his performance. There was not an inch of Eros' body that was not alluring to stare at. The shape of his back, his long legs, his slender fingers, and even his nose. Spending so much time with Eros' naked body also taught Luke that the best spot to tease Eros with was straight down his spine. Every time that Luke ran a finger down it the right way, Eros would convulse on the bed.

While the next performance got ready, Luke went to take a drink, but had it removed from his hand. He grumbled as Eros plopped down in his lap and lifted the drink to his lips, grinning down at Luke. He smirked and leaned in, sharing some of the drink as they kissed. It really was not appropriate for any Lost Kids seeing each other to do things like this in front of customers, it was also not Luke that was initiating it.

The lights were still wrapped around Eros' body, but they were turned off. "You should keep that on," Luke mumbled as he reached around and slipped a hand down the back of Eros' underwear, cupping the perky ass underneath.

"Unfortunately for you, they will be coming off," Eros replied.

"Then put them back on after work."

Will made a face. "Do you two ever not have sex?"

"Maybe you should actually get some," Luke shot back, glancing between Will and Cecil. Both boys coughed and looked away from each other. "Thought so."

Eros just smiled and wrapped an arm around Luke's neck as he enjoyed his break. He let Luke keep his hand on his ass and Luke let him finish off the rest of his drink. He shifted his weight and Luke huffed, as Eros moved to lay his back against Luke's chest. It meant he could no longer feel Eros' ass, but it also meant that the ass was now pressed against Luke's crotch. His arms wrapped around Eros' waist and head fell against Eros' back.

Part of him hated the twerp for ever mentioning having feelings for Eros. It was clearly Nico's fault. Saying something made it happen. Eros hummed lightly as Luke's hands rubbed his stomach underneath the lights.

It was hard to deny feelings at this point. He was learning a language for Eros. He liked being close to the stupid French idiot. Luke got jealous, something he had not experienced since he was still living with his parents. And it was hard to deny the ache in his chest when Eros' break was over and he had to get out of Luke's lap.

After watching Eros go, Luke grabbed a new drink that Cecil had brought him, downed it, and walked over to where Grover was dealing with customers. Grover nearly fell out of his seat when Luke slammed a hand down on the table.

"Dude!" Grover said. "Don't do that!"

"Make it where Eros doesn't have clients tonight."

Looking down at his tablet, Grover arched a brow. "Man, I can't do that. I just got this job. I don't wanna mess it up." He shook his head. "No can do. You'll have to just deal with it."

Pulling out his wallet, Luke slapped down his debit card. "Fine. I'll pay. Give him the rest of the night off."

Grover just looked up at him in awe. "You... You want to pay to have time with Eros... the guy you're basically dating..." His eyes darted around the room before he leaned in and motioned for Luke to lean closer. "I'm not supposed to, but Percy let me give Juniper some time off last month. So, as long as you don't go spreading it around, I can work something out for you." He tapped on his tablet a few times before arching a brow up at Luke. "But, dude, you really should just make it official if you've got it this bad for him."

After getting that sorted and waiting for Eros to finish up backstage, Luke sighed as he waited. Eros came out, clearly confused. He had a slight pout, eyebrows furrowed. "I am confused," he said as he stepped up to Luke, "nobody wanted to spend time with me tonight."

Yeah, and it was going to cost Luke at least half of his paycheck. "Guess they thought you looked ugly." Eros pouted at Luke's words and it brought a smirk to Luke's lips. He peeled back the jacket that Eros had on. "I see you put the lights back on."

Eros smacked the hand away and ignored the knowing look that Luke gave him. "Yeah. Well, I knew you wanted to see me in them."

Luke leaned in and whispered in Eros' ear, "Preferably without the underwear."

The second the door shut to their suite, Luke had Eros' clothes off except for the underwear and the lights. He had the brown haired boy down on the couch with his legs wrapped around Luke's waist. Luke only pulled back to turn the lights off, and Eros took that as the cue to turn the lights wrapped around his body on. The underwear was yanked down Eros' hips and off his legs, ending up somewhere over Luke's shoulder.

Unfortunately, Luke had to leave the sight before him one final time to get lube. He chucked his clothes off on the way back to Eros, nearly falling on his face while getting his pants off. Eros was pressed into the couch as Luke wasted no time in looming over him and putting lube on his arousal. Since they had sex only hours before, Luke didn't bother stretching Eros out.

Eros' back arched as Luke slid into him. Seeing that lithe body move in the dark, only illuminated by the red lights around his body, Luke felt intoxicated. Red highlighted Eros' euphoric expression as Luke slowly moved in and out of him.

Luke flipped Eros over and moved them to the side of the couch, bending Eros over the arm. He shoved the French boy's face into the seat and grabbed a string of lights that was hanging just above the sweet ass that Luke loved so much. Eros let out a gasp when Luke thrust straight into him. While he had him there, Luke grabbed a handful of hair and pulled Eros' head back. The boy had his eyes closed and mouthed open, emitting soundless moans.

Another hand clamped down on Eros' shoulder and Luke used it to pull Eros back onto his dick. Red was the only thing that he could see, and it showed Luke only the best view. But he needed more. So he put Eros on his back once again and watched as the red lights danced off of Eros' face as he stared back at Luke.

"Oh putain. Oui. Continue. Comme ça," Eros breathed out. And, lucky for him, Luke actually understood most of it.

So he gave Eros just what he wanted.

Eros' head fell back and he grabbed at the couch as Luke quickly sped up the pace. Some of the lights became unraveled around Eros' legs, but Luke quickly found a use for them. He tied them together and put them under Eros' head, thereby making sure that Eros' legs stayed perfectly in the air.

The scene might have been a little too good to pass up. Luke reached over and grabbed his phone from the coffee table, quickly snapping a picture of Eros taking his dick and then throwing the phone onto the couch beside Eros.

If Luke had a say in the matter, this would definitely not be the last time these lights made an appearance in their bedroom activities.

When it was over, Luke stood there and stared down at Eros for a moment. The Lost Boy laid there with both his and Luke's come on him, all of it cast in red. Eros' hair was clinging to his face, the rest of his body covered in sweat. Reaching beside the boy, Luke checked the clock on his phone. Damn. They had actually gone for an hour and a half. Eros' legs dropped the second Luke undid the strand of lights that he had put behind Eros' head. He looked exhausted and spent.

Reaching down, Luke helped him up. Eros yawned and wrapped his arms around Luke's sweaty body. The blond glared at the top of Eros' head when their bodies pressed together. Now they would both need a shower.

"Carry me," Eros mumbled into Luke's shoulder.

Shaking his head with a sigh, Luke scooped the boy up and moved to the bathroom. He put Eros down for a second and turned on the shower before ushering Eros inside. Eros smiled lazily once Luke was inside and he could press their bodies together again. Kissing along Eros' jaw, Luke washed the evidence of their nightly activity away from both of their torsos.

Fingers grazed against ribs and Luke frowned. But he said nothing as he pulled Eros into him and washed away the lube that was still coated on Eros' ass. Arms still wrapped around Luke's neck, Eros had his head on Luke's shoulder. He mumbled, "You are very sweet in private."

"Don't get used to it," Luke grumbled. He felt Eros smile into his shoulder. It made Luke's heart hammer in his chest, and there was no way that Eros didn't hear it. Luke squeezed out the soap in the shower sponge across Eros' back and watched as the water washed it down his back and across Eros' ass. Eros touched at Luke's cheek and maneuvered Luke's face so that their lips met. "You know you look perfect, right?"

Eros blinked in surprise at hearing Luke. "You really are soft tonight." He smirked and kissed Luke again. Spinning around, he leaned into Luke's chest and let the blond scrub at his chest and stomach.

Maybe he did have feelings for Eros, but it only made it hurt more to know that Eros did not properly nourish himself. His fingers softly drifted across Eros' stomach. Eros seemed content, unaware of the turmoil that had brewed inside of Luke as they stood there in the shower.

The day finally came. It was Eros' birthday. Thankfully, both Luke and Eros had the full day off. It was very, very hard to keep the French lessons hidden after he was about as ready as Silena could get him. He was just not sure when he wanted to let Eros know. Luke let out a sigh. He had to be the biggest sap there was. What happened to him? He used to be so hard and rough, and now here he was, arranging to have the best dinner made and brought to their room later. He just had to keep Eros out of the room all day, while a few of their friends set everything up.

They had gone into the city to get lunch at Eros' place. Luke sat there, idly twisting his fork in his food, as he watched Eros smile happily and eat his food. He tried to contemplate whether he was happier now or before, and it didn't seem like much of a contest. It was like time had stood still before they had met, and suddenly began the day Luke had first encountered Eros in Gaea's office.

"Do you not like your food?"

Luke blinked and looked up at Eros, who had his head tilted to the side. "Sorry. Just thinking." He went back to eating and soon Eros did the same. He didn't want to Eros to worry on his special day.

Eros pouted and said, "Nobody asked me to do anything tonight."

That was because Luke had threatened their lives. He didn't want Eros busy tonight, at least not until after dinner. He had already worked it out with Cecil and Lou to do something after that. All he could say was, "Maybe they are busy."

The news brought a brief pout from Eros, who quickly recovered and smiled so warmly. Why was he such a ray of sunshine? "That's okay. You'll still be taking me out to dinner tonight?"

In that moment, with the expectant look in Eros' eyes, Luke would do anything that Eros asked of him. When words failed him, Luke just nodded. Eros' eyes closed in a cheerful smile, and Luke's heart did a somersault in his chest. Literally, Luke would rip out his own heart and hand it over to Eros if he asked for it. No regrets.

With any other guy or girl, Luke might have been more concerned. But Eros didn't seem like someone that wanted to hurt Luke. Even if Luke got jealous, he knew that the smiles that Eros always gave him were different than those others got.

As they ate, Luke caught sight of someone that seemed oddly familiar staring at them from across the street. His eyes narrowed as the guy ended his call and began to cross the street. But he just could not place where he knew the guy. Something about his facial features. As he neared, the man came straight for their table, and Luke got a look at those eyes. He had seen similar ones before.

Eros dropped his spoon. "Phobos," he squeaked. His eyes had bulged open wide as he stared up at the man that bore the same eyes and similar facial features to Deimos, Eros' brother. "Wh-What are you doing in Berlin?"

Phobos slowly patted the back of his phone into his palm. "On a business trip." His eyes shot over to Luke, sizing him up. "Mother mentioned she ran into you in France." Those lips tilted down as he took in Eros' image, picking at his shirt and inspecting Eros' hair. "You look fine, better than I thought you might."

"I've been taken care of," Eros mumbled. His spoon had been long forgotten and his napkin was now covering his bowl of soup. Great, Luke thought, just what Eros needed. The last time that Eros had seen his family, he had barely eaten for a week.

This needed to end before Eros became too damaged. Luke put his fork down and stood up, glaring daggers at Phobos, who did not seem bothered in the least. He gave Luke a dull look and kept his attention on Eros. Luke grunted, "You should probably go. He doesn't need any more problems."

"You must have met our mother," Phobos chuckled. He shook his head and looked down at Eros' bowl of soup. "Eros... are you still not eating?"

The words brought Luke to a dead halt. He... actually sounded concerned. Eros just frowned down at the table. Wait, was there a decent member in Eros' family? The phone rang in Phobos' hand, but he ignored it.

Finally, Phobos wheeled on Luke. "How has his diet been lately?" he asked. Eros opened his mouth to whine, but Phobos held up a finger. "You should not listen to Mother and Father, or Deimos. There is nothing wrong with the way you look, Eros. You," he pointed at Luke, "has he been to therapy for his eating disorder?"

"I'm not-" Luke frowned down at Eros. Maybe they should have Eros taken to therapy. The cold look that Eros shot him let Luke know that it would not go well if anyone tried. "I'm not his parent."

"Boyfriend?"

"I-" Luke felt his throat dry up. He could basically hear everyone screaming at him that they were a couple. "Something like that." A corner of Eros' mouth tilted up. "Why'd you let your family talk to him like they did, if you don't agree with them?"

Phobos scoffed and said, "We were kids. Eros suffered from that mental abuse for a long time." His face contorted into frustration as he silenced his phone when it rang again. "And when the day came that I was old enough and could fight for custody of him, Eros had run away from home." He let out a sigh as he placed a hand on Eros' shoulder, the younger brother staring up at Phobos in shock. He, apparently, did not know that bit of news. "I tried."

"You should have told me what you were doing," Eros mumbled.

"Maybe. I just didn't want you getting angry at our parents and yelling that at them before I had everything taken care of." Phobos shook his head sadly. "Maybe I should have just taken you out of there and dealt with legal means later."

"Yeah," Luke agreed, "you should have."

With a whine, Eros reached out and took Luke's hand, which caught the blond by surprise. Phobos raised a brow at this exchange. "No," Eros quickly said. "I don't regret meeting you. And I wouldn't have if I had been in Phobos' care."

Slowly, Phobos smiled. He slid his hand through Eros' hair and rubbed his back. "You know, when I saw you sitting here, I thought about taking you with me. I mean, you're old enough to be independent now, but I wanted to make sure you are taken care of." His eyes darted to Luke. "But I think you're in good hands." Then he turned to fully face Luke and his smile melted away, growing stern and a glare overtook his eyes. "Don't hurt my brother. He's been through enough. I'm going to give him my number, and if he ever tells me that you stepped out of line, I will come find you."

Luke just stood there as Phobos inserted his number into Eros' phone, who smiled brightly. Honestly, Luke wasn't scared of the guy. He had been in too many fights and he had the perk of being best friends with Percy. And it wasn't like he had a reason to be worried. Luke had no plan to hurt Eros.

Before he left, Phobos grabbed Eros and pointed at his face. "The next time I see you, I better hear that you're eating healthy again. And I don't mean just healthy food. Eat some damn junk food. There is nothing wrong with your body and you should not punish it because of anything our family put in your head." Then his other hand pointed at Eros, who Eros frowned at. "And do not fight him if he's trying to help you eat better. Don't get mad for someone caring about you."

Taking in a deep breath, Eros stuck up his nose and then stuck out his tongue. Phobos just rolled his eyes and then pulled Eros into a hug, causing the thin boy to squeak. Phobos whispered something to Eros, which Luke did not manage to catch. It did cause Eros' shoulders to relax. Luke slowly sat back down. Phobos gave him a nod, pressed parting kisses onto each of his brother's cheeks, shook Luke's hand, and then picked up his phone and headed back across the street.

Eros grinned across the table. "My brother will totally beat you up."

"I'm quivering with fear," Luke mumbled sarcastically.

The day slowly passed and Luke had put the finishing touches on the dinner. The food had just been delivered, Silena had dropped off some candles, Clarisse had helped him move the small dining table in the suite onto the small balcony, and the Stolls had gotten their hands on the best wine that the hotel carried. Luke frowned as he looked at the balcony, all illuminated in candles. It looked like he was going to propose. This was stupid.

None of that mattered, though. He heard voices outside the door and Luke quickly darted over to shut the curtains of the balcony. Eros opened the door and waved at Cecil and Lou, who had been preoccupying Eros while Luke worked on everything else.

The brunet stared at him curiously as he shut the door behind him. One look at the balcony told Luke that Eros already suspected something. "Bon, c'est évident que tu machines quelque chose." There was a glint in Eros' eyes as he analyzed Luke for any weak point he might find in the armor. True, Luke was up to something, but Eros did not know that Luke could understand him and thought he could get away with any scheming by speaking French. Eros just smiled and said, "Uh, hi there. Have you been standing there waiting for me?"

"Yes. No... Uh, no." Luke frowned and moved to take hold of Eros' shoulders, guiding him towards the balcony. "I was just preparing this."

He literally felt Eros tense under his fingers. "You-" When Eros turned to face Luke, he had his eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Who helped you do this?"

Luke rolled his eyes. Of course Eros knew. "I had some help. But, in my defense, it was my idea." That and more. His smirk went unnoticed as he guided Eros into a chair. "I can be... uh, romantic."

"Sure, sure. Whatever you say to comfort yourself."

It was hard not to roll his eyes yet again. Instead, Luke unveiled the French cuisine that he had the kitchen make for tonight. Eros fought to purse his lips as he leaned over to inhale the aroma. The warm smile told Luke that it had been the right choice. Which, technically, he owed to Lou for recommending it as Eros' favorite meal from back home.

And what a good choice it was.

Literally, it was beyond fascinating to watch Eros eat without thought. He made warm noises of approval and ate unabashedly. He had never seen Eros eat this much in a day. "You know," Luke began without meaning to, "you can always order that whenever you want."

Perhaps that had been the wrong thing to say. Eros' fork froze right in front of his mouth, brows furrowed. It was hard to tell if this realization had just hit him or if it actually upset him. Luke was going to go with the second option.

"I haven't eaten this in a long time," Eros muttered, spinning his fork in the middle of his plate. "My grandmother used to cook it. She was nice. Mom never wanted to learn how to make it, and then my grandmother died. And, well, I never got it after that." A small pout overtook Eros' mouth. Luke wanted him to look up. "At least not homemade. No one really made it like my grandmother." He gave Luke a sad smile as he indicated to the food with his fork. "But this is pretty good. It makes me think of weekends that I would spend with her."

Ever since he had met Eros, Luke thought he was losing his mind. He still was. It was out of control. And there probably was nothing he could do to stop that. Stopping it meant that he would have to give up the drug that was Eros. Really, all that Luke wanted was to see Eros smile always. It was an odd feeling, one that brought back very old emotions. And it all came through that stupid door that the twerp had opened the day he had crash landed on their doorstep back in Los Angeles.

There was barely a moment that Luke had to blink before he saw Eros' eyes brim with tears. Fuck! What had he done wrong? Luke looked down at the table. Was it the food? Maybe it should have been something else? Maybe he had been too mushy. This wasn't his style, was it? Maybe Eros could sense it. He had clearly screwed up somehow.

While Luke was so caught up in everything, he did not see Eros get up. He did not come out of his thoughts until weight shifted in his lap and Eros had their lips pressed together. Tears had streamed down his cheeks and he held onto Luke like it was his last lifeline.

He had those warm hands on both of Luke's cheeks and kept pressing kisses to Luke's lips and cheeks. Okay, maybe he hadn't screwed up. This was good, right? Tears of happiness? Luke just didn't do well with tears in general. But he let Eros continue to kiss him.

And then Eros just began to ramble, but entirely in French and Luke was not sure if he meant to speak it like that or if he just got caught up with his emotions. Either way, Luke understood all of it.

"C'était trop gentil. Tu as été tellement patient avec moi, et mes problèmes de merde. Pourquoi es-tu avec moi? Tu es magnifique et tu baises bien. Non mais vraiment, ta bite est enorme. La meilleure de celles que j'ai rencontrées dans ma vie," he rambled. Luke actually blushed, something he really did not do that often. Eros never complimented him like this. Probably because he knew it would go to Luke's head. Probably true. "Et je ne mérite simplement pas quelqu'un comme toi." Eros sniffled and wiped at his nose, chuckling a little to himself. "C'est probablement mieux que tu ne puisses pas me comprendre." He gently pat Luke on the cheek, smiling softly. "T'es vraiment incroyable. Ce dîner était incroyable. Je suis tellement heureux de t'avoir trouvé, ma moitié."

Luke had literally become a statue. Eros got up and wiped at his face like everything was fine. He probably thought it was. But there was not a single word in any of that which Luke had missed. Eros called him beautiful. Eros didn't think he deserved Luke. The compliments about how good Luke was in bed were deserved and Luke already knew, but he was still pleased to hear. But the last part. He had called Luke...

"You think I'm your other half?"

For a moment, Eros just stared down at him in confusion. Then, slowly, red overtook his face. His eyes went wide as he gawked at Luke, covering his mouth with his shirt. "You... No... You can't..." Both of their faces were like two tomatoes. "Tu me comprends? "

Luke slowly nodded and Eros let out a squeak, shooting up onto his toes. Without another word, Eros scampered back inside. Luke just sat there, stunned. He massaged his temple and filled his glass with more wine, instantly tossing it back. Why was he sober? This thought only had another glass of wine going down Luke's throat, soon followed by a third. This had not exactly been how he planned to show Eros that he had learned French.

Taking in a deep breath, Luke grabbed the bottle and went inside. He found Eros pacing by the couch. He just gave Eros a dull look and placed the wine bottle on the small kitchen island. Eros picked it up and knocked it back. He was fidgeting. When he began to bounce on his heels, Luke took the initiative of grabbing hold of the smaller Lost Boy.

"You-" Eros stared up at him with those wide green eyes. Eyes that quickly grew heated and narrowed. "Why didn't you tell me that you knew French?"

"It was supposed to be a surprise for your birthday!"

"How long have you been able to understand me?" He yelped and covered his face with his shirt again. "What have I said that you could understand?" With a groan, he collapsed onto the couch.

Luke just sighed and took the bottle to set at the other end of the couch. He took a long swig of the wine. Neither of them needed to be sober for this conversation. It wasn't like Luke was going to judge Eros for anything he said. Luke had his own embarrassing emotions.

Taking in a deep breath, Luke mumbled, "Je pensais que ça te ferais plaisir si je pouvais parler ta langue maternelle. "

With a pout, Eros sat up and looked at Luke. He snatched the wine bottle out of his hand and downed the rest of it. He inhaled and looked Luke dead in the eye and said, "It is really nice." Legs were pulled up to his chest and he scooted a few inches closer to Luke. He looked like a child. "I didn't mean for you to hear that yet."

"Yet?" Luke demanded. "When were you going to say that where you thought I would understand it? How many times have you said things like that?"

"Uh... a few times?" Eros cringed and rubbed his nose, still sniffling. "I was going to tell you... eventually. I just wanted to make sure you wouldn't freak out and end this..." he motioned at the space between them, "whatever it is, between us."

Luke's brow furrowed as he put an arm on the back of the couch and leaned towards Eros. "Do you... Do you love me?" This brought a sharp intake of breath from Eros. Was he really scared Luke would end things if it got too involved? "You know, ever since I found myself on the streets, I never thought I'd let myself get close to anyone again. There was my brother and my friends, then the twerp came along." Eros smiled at that. "And I somehow found myself happy again. With you. You make me happy."

Those wide eyes only made Eros look more like a child. "I do?"

"Well I would hope so," Luke mumbled, "I'm pretty sure I love you." A noise so strange came from Eros, and it had Luke groan and massage his temple. Why was he doing this? Things were so much easier when it was just about the sex. But there was such a look of happiness on Eros' face, literally all of it. So, Luke said it again, this time in French. "Je t'aime."

Eros shot across the couch and enveloped Luke in a tight hug. "I do love you. I just want to be with you."

Nothing else was said before Luke got up from the couch and went to the fridge. Eros stared curiously after him. When he returned, Luke brought back a knife and a small cake, two plates tucked underneath. He even had some candles. "I wanted to make sure you got to blow out your candles," Luke mumbled as he lit them.

Tears had filled Eros' eyes again, and Luke's heart did that flip thing again. He knew it wasn't tears of sadness. After the candles were lit, Eros leaned forward and closed his eyes, and then blew each of the candles out. He smirked and said, "Don't even think about asking me what I wished for. It's a secret."

"Probably to have great sex," Luke sighed.

"Close," Eros smirked as he straddled Luke's lap. "But you see, now that I know you love me, you'll have to ask me to be your boyfriend to get that again."

"I- What?" Luke startled on the couch. "Like a... couple? I'll never hear the end of it!"

Eros huffed and cut a piece of cake. The hand shot up and smeared a chunk of it into Luke's face. "Too bad." He stuck his tongue out as Luke glared, wiping at his eyes. "You'll just have to suffer, as I have to suffer putting up with you."

Honestly, Luke would have made a snarky remark, but instead he froze. Eros ate the frosting off his fingers before cutting himself a real piece of cake. After a bite, he noticed Luke staring at him. His brows furrowed and took another bite. "What?"

"Nothing."

Luke shook his head and got his own piece. He didn't want to jinx anything. Instead, he smiled and ate his cake. It might have been Eros' birthday, but Luke was the one that got the best present. He watched, with much fascination, as Eros ate that whole slice and decided to go for a second one. Luke pulled Eros back against him, having the brunet lay across his torso. Maybe there wasn't anything to regret.

Translations:

Tu es ravissant ce soir: [You look ravishing this evening]

Tu verras mes seins ce soir. [You will see my breast tonight]

Vas-y bien fort, mon chéri. [Go at it hard, my darling]

Si je commence à boiter, je te jure que tu ne me toucheras pas pendant une semaine. [If I end up with a limp, I swear I will not let you in my pants again for a week]

Oh putain. Oui. Continue. Comme ça. [Fuck yes. Keep going. Just like that]

Bon, c'est évident que tu machines quelque chose. [Well I know you are up to something]

C'était trop gentil. Tu as été tellement patient avec moi, et mes problèmes de merde. Pourquoi es-tu avec moi? Tu es magnifique et tu baises bien. Non mais vraiment, ta bite est enorme. La meilleure de toutes celles que j'ai rencontrées dans ma vie. [ This was so fucking nice. And you've been so patient with me, and my fucked up problems. Why are you with me? You're really beautiful and fantastic in bed. No but really, your dick is huge and the best I've had]

Et je ne mérite simplement pas quelqu'un comme toi. [And I just don't deserve someone like you]

C'est probablement mieux que tu ne puisses pas me comprendre. [It's probably for the best that you cannot understand any of this]

T'es vraiment incroyable. Ce dîner était incroyable. Je suis tellement heureux de t'avoir trouvé, ma moitié. [You are really amazing. This dinner is amazing. And I'm really glad I found you, my other half]

Tu me comprends? [Can you understand me?]

Je pensais que ça te ferais plaisir si je pouvais parler ta langue maternelle. [I thought you might like it if I could speak your first language]

Je t'aime. [I love you]

Right... So there's that. I have had these parts planned before I even finished the main fic. I was originally going to separate them to their own chapters, but I think this made for a good birthday present. I am hoping it really didn't feel like I was trying to rush working things out with Eros' eating disorder. Just keep in mind that this took place probably a year or two after chapter 59. And definitely a few months after running into Eros' mother. And it'll still be worked on in future chapters, but this is just where Eros kind of starts wanting change. So I will probably include him slowly developing a more healthy diet in the future updates.

On another note, I have a plan for finishing this fic. Not sure when that will be or how many chapters, but I know how I want it to end. It will be the only chapter that takes place after chapter 60 of the main fic. While writing this and the past Lukeros chapters, I realized I boxed myself into a corner with how I ended it for them, and while writing Luke had just kind of been shoving me towards making something happen. So that will happen at the end.

I really hope you all enjoyed the update. And I especially hope that Emma enjoyed her present! Her, along with Carlee, will be making a road trip to see me next month. Get to see them twice in a year! Hopefully this made up for all the torment I put her through with Children of Loss. But I am going to go. I have to do my dailies on Final Fantasy 14 before I have to go play D&D(or as I keep getting corrected, Pathfinder). I will see you all with my next update.