Work Text:
Lovro’s thumbs move quickly over the screen of his phone, the light reflecting faintly across his face. The sound of the keyboard breaks the silence of the room.
“Damn, you type too fast,” Ivan says, lying on top of him, his head tucked into the crook of Lovro’s neck.
Lovro smiles and lets one hand drop from his phone to rest on his boyfriend’s back.
“Eva is telling me something,” Lovro whispers into his hair, like a secret, like they weren’t alone at Ivan’s. “About Nora and Vanessa.”
“What about them?” Ivan asks, his voice muffled, his cheeks pressed against Lovro’s skin.
“Boy drama,” Lovro replies, eyes still fixed on the glowing screen of his phone, pretending to ignore Ivan’s lips scattering kisses along his neck. A small smile curls on his mouth as Eva’s texts keep coming, one message after another, every detail.
Ivan pushes himself up and looks down at him from above the phone. His dark eyes shine, a soft smile resting on his reddened lips.
“For Loko?” he asks, one eyebrow arched.
A laugh slips out of Lovro.
“Roko,” he corrects gently.
His phone slides down beside them as he brings both hands up to Ivan’s shoulders, fingers squeezing his biceps. Ivan smiles at him, that smirk he always gets when he realizes he’s falling right into Lovro’s trap.
He knows exactly what Lovro is doing.
He just doesn’t seem to mind.
And Lovro is more than happy to get exactly what he wants.
“And no,” he adds, smiling up at him, “it’s not Roko.”
Lovro’s fingers sneak between Ivan’s warm skin and the sleeve of his T-shirt. Ivan’s eyes follow the movement, cheekiness behind them.
“We don’t know him, but…” Lovro tries to keep the conversation going, distracting himself from the warmth spreading low in his stomach.
Ivan shifts and settles more firmly on top of him, straddling him now, his thighs pressing against Lovro’s sides. Lovro hates how much he likes it. He’s not used to being the one pinned to the mattress. Usually it’s the other way around, him crawling all over Ivan like they weren’t both over 1.80 meters tall. Still, his head feels a little light, suddenly aware of every point where their bodies touch, the warmth building in his stomach.
Still, wisely, he finishes his sentence just when Ivan rocks his hips in a not-very-innocent way.
“It’s a friend of Vanessa’s sister.”
Ivan looks at him. The amusement is gone from his face, his lips pressed tightly together, and Lovro feels the tension in his arms.
“Who?” he asks.
Ivan moves again and suddenly the contact between them is gone. He gets off the bed and walks toward the door.
“Eva calls him ‘hot dude’, so I don’t know his name,” Lovro replies, a strange feeling replacing the warmth in the blink of an eye.
“I need to go to the bathroom,” Ivan says, already out of the bedroom, and Lovro can’t even check if this is a boner problem or something else.
He stays still for a moment, staring at the ceiling.
When Ivan comes back from the bathroom, Lovro is still lying there. The water stain on the ceiling didn’t give him any answers, and the sheets twisted between his fingers didn’t give him any comfort.
“Did you read the group chat?” Ivan asks, relaxed, ignoring the elephant in the room.
“Mmh?” Lovro says, slowly turning his head toward him.
“Jakov and Mario want to hang out,” Ivan explains.
Lovro looks at him. Jeans, a green T-shirt, soft light catching on his face. And he’s beautiful. Beautiful enough that Lovro takes a slow breath and pretends there’s nothing strange in the air between them.
“Here?” he asks, trying to pull a closed-lip smile.
“Mario’s,” Ivan says, his eyebrows bouncing up and down.
“With Tina?” Lovro moves again, finally lying on his side, his hand tucked under his face. His eyes stay on Ivan, who reaches for his fanny pack.
“I don’t think so,” Ivan says. “Do you want to go or should we stay? You look sleepy.”
Now he’s sitting on his drawing chair, and Lovro suddenly wishes he were on top of him again. What’s wrong now?
“Let’s go, but you’re carrying me out of this house,” Lovro says with a smile.
Ivan laughs and dives forward to hug him again, trying to lift him princess-style. They both quickly realize it’s a terrible idea if they don’t want bruises, and burst out laughing.
“Okay, champ,” Lovro says, getting up. “You clearly don’t know how to handle all this.” He gestures toward himself with one hand.
“Champ, that’s a new one,” Ivan repeats as he leaves a quick peck to his lips.
On Friday, Lovro is drunk. He knows it. He feels it in the numbness on his face, in the way his thoughts blur in and out, and in the fact that he’s seriously considering locking himself and Ivan inside Eva’s bathroom.
“No, you’re not doing that,” Eva says.
Lovro frowns, confused. Maybe he said it out loud?
“Tina invited Vanessa’s sister’s crew to the party,” Eva says, taking another sip from her beer and laughing as if she just said the funniest joke in the world.
Jakov looks at her, placing a hand on her arm to steady her as she laughs and moves erratically.
Lovro sinks deeper into his seat. Ivan’s lap.
Ivan is talking about motorcycles and basketball with Mario, but he’s still hugging him from behind, Lovro’s back pressed against his chest.
So the thought of strangers coming into the house party, added to the distant memory of that weird situation a few days ago at Ivan’s house, suddenly sobers Lovro up. He might tense because Ivan starts caressing his belly with his hand, trying to soothe him.
“Everything okay?” Ivan asks, dropping a quick kiss on his shoulder.
“Yup. I-I just need to stop drinking,” Lovro says. His head feels warm and the noise around him suddenly seems like too much.
Ivan’s hand keeps moving lower and lower, so slowly that it almost seems innocent at first, until it settles around his upper thigh.
And suddenly Lovro is standing up, pulling Ivan with him. Mario looks at him in surprise, but Lovro doesn’t care. The alcohol is blocking the part of his brain that would normally remind him that everyone in the circle knows he’s dragging his boyfriend away to make out in the bathroom.
“The bathroom? Really?” Ivan says with a smirk once Lovro closes the door behind them.
“You,” Lovro says, poking his chest accusingly, even as he enjoys the way Ivan is already cornering him against the door.
“Me?” Ivan asks, his eyes darker than ever. He looks at him with something like fire behind them, stepping closer, so close that Lovro can’t help but lean toward him.
At first, they kiss softly, lips brushing against lips, teasingly, filling the bathroom with the quiet sounds of breath and movement.
But it doesn’t stay like that for long.
The kiss deepens, urgency slowly taking over as Ivan’s hands slide to Lovro’s waist, pulling him even closer against him. Lovro shifts so Ivan can sneak a leg between his. A delirious friction makes Lovro seek more contact. A hand slips behind Ivan’s neck and their lips meet.
Lovro lets out a quiet breath against his mouth when Ivan kisses him again, longer this time, his hand sliding from Lovro’s waist to his hip.
“You started this,” Lovro murmurs against his lips, half teasing, half breathless.
Ivan only answers by kissing him again.
His mouth moves slower now, more deliberate, like he’s enjoying the way Lovro melts against him. Lovro’s hands slipping from Ivan’s neck to his shoulders as he pulls him closer.
For a moment, Lovro becomes acutely aware of how close their bodies are, and of how much he wants the man in front of him. Of how deeply he adores him, how easily he could let himself be kissed senseless. How he wouldn’t mind if this moment lasted forever.
“Fuck,” he breathes. “I love you,” Lovro says softly. “You’re so hot.”
Ivan pulls back just enough to look at him, their foreheads still touching, both a little breathless.
“I love you too,” Ivan says.
Inevitably, Eva knocks on the door and tells them to “stop swapping spit in the bathroom, Nix wants to see it too.” They pause mid-kiss to call out a quick “okay!”, which finally makes Eva stop banging on the poor door. Once they’ve both managed to relax and make sure their semi-boners aren’t too obvious, they open the door.
Lovro doesn’t notice them until Ivan grabs his hand and drags him into the kitchen. He shuts the door behind them like they’re being chased by zombies. Ivan looks pale and shaken, like someone who’s just seen a ghost. Like someone who’s just seen people they really didn’t want to see.
“Who are they?” Lovro asks, concern in his voice even though, deep down, he already knows the answer.
He remembers the conversation they had on that cursed bench months ago. He bites back the question forming on his tongue: Which one is him?
“M-my…” Ivan looks at the floor, then at the ceiling, like the answer might be written somewhere above them, and Lovro hates how sad he looks. It’s not panic, it’s not fear. It’s plain sadness.
“The blond one, that’s Mihael, my ex-something,” he confesses, breathless.
Lovro tries to stay still, keeping his best poker face even as his stomach sinks and a slow fire ignites in his chest. Jealousy, sharp and sudden, and he hates himself for feeling it right now.
“Things ended horribly with everyone. I wasn’t okay mentally, we weren’t compatible… everything went south,” Ivan explains, still breathless, words tripping over each other like he’s afraid Lovro might disappear if he stops talking.
Lovro wants to hug him. Tell him it’s okay. Tell him he’s here now.
But he stays where he is, hands useless at his sides, painfully aware that while Ivan is panicking, he’s jealous.
“They were my childhood friends,” Ivan continues, voice quieter now. “They even knew Sonja. But they still pushed me away when things got bad.”
Lovro is speechless, and surprised he hasn’t walked away from this conversation yet. He’s sure he would have a few months ago.
But now he just looks at Ivan and tries to nod.
“I ruin everything,” Ivan says, hands on his head. “I’m ruining this too.”
And that snaps something inside Lovro’s brain, dragging him back to reality.
“No, you aren’t,” he says, surprised at how soft he sounds sometimes. “Should we leave then?”
There it is. The Lovro he knows. The one who runs.
“No,” Ivan says quickly. “I don’t want to ruin the fun for you even more.”
And when Ivan mentions fun, a thought crosses Lovro’s mind. He knows to take it would be risky, but he doesn’t give a fuck anymore. He opens the refrigerator and takes a beer, Ivan still looks at him from his spot.
“You aren’t ruining anything, but let’s have fun then,” Lovro says, sipping from the bottle.
Outside the kitchen, he pretends not to catch sight of a certain blond man. So when they return to the circle of people they had abandoned to make out, Lovro sits on Ivan’s lap just like before. This time, though, he doesn’t lean back against Ivan’s chest. Instead, he settles sideways across Ivan’s lap, one shoulder pressed against him and his legs turned to the side. Ivan’s arm wraps around his waist, keeping him close, while Lovro keeps his back turned toward certain people in the room.
And instantly, he feels eyes boring into the back of his neck. The feeling of being watched isn’t unfamiliar or surprising to him, but it still pisses him off.
Tina stops by their spot, energetic as always, and disappears again just as quickly.
“Sorry bro, but Tina needs me,” Mario announces before running after his girlfriend.
For a moment, silence settles between them. Lovro drapes his arms around Ivan’s neck and pulls him closer, even though there’s barely any space left between them.
“Are we okay?” Ivan asks against his ear, the music suddenly feeling a bit too loud.
“Of course,” Lovro replies. The jealousy and the burning eyes on the back of his neck are driving him crazy, not Ivan.
Still, he pulls back just enough to look him in the eyes, and as they somehow always end up doing, he kisses him.
Their lips meet slowly at first, warm and lingering. Lovro’s hands slide along Ivan’s neck, fingers brushing his skin before settling on his cheeks, holding him there. He tilts his head and deepens the kiss, their mouths moving together more deliberately now, tongues brushing, teeth grazing softly.
The music pulsing through the room makes everything feel hotter, heavier, and Lovro can’t believe they’re kissing like this out in the open, with their friends only a few meters away.
Ivan’s breath catches against his mouth, and Lovro pulls him a little closer, savoring the moment before finally letting him go.
“Opa,” Ivan says once they finally pull apart, lips reddened and eyes glassy.
Lovro leans in again and drops one last quick kiss.
“That was hot,” Lovro says. “I’m a good kisser.”
Ivan arches an eyebrow and tilts his head, still holding his gaze.
“And me?” he asks, pouting.
Lovro stops himself from kissing him again.
“I haven’t decided yet,” he announces, his hand playing with the hair at the back of Ivan’s head.
“Liar,” Ivan says before leaning in again. This time, Lovro catches a glimpse of his tongue before he feels it against his own, and it makes his head spin.
Their lips move together in an easy, practiced rhythm, like they know each other’s timing by heart. Ivan kisses him the way he always does, slow at first and teasing, then deeper and more certain, like he knows exactly what makes Lovro melt.
Every movement sends a delirious spark through the rest of his body. Ivan’s hand slides up his back, fingers pressing warmly through his shirt as he pulls him closer. Lovro knows they should stop.
But Ivan keeps kissing him, slow and deep, his tongue sliding against Lovro’s until it makes his head spin.
A quiet moan slips out of him before he can stop it.
Lovro presses a hand against Ivan’s chest.
“We need to stop,” he says, a small smile on his face. His lips sting a little.
“Yes,” Ivan confirms.
Lovro exhales softly and leans his forehead against Ivan’s. And in that moment, he spots from the corner of his eye, a familiar silhouette staring at them: Jakov.
Jakov is already standing near the door, putting on his jacket.
“Are you two done making out?” he asks.
Lovro rolls his eyes.
“Shut up,” he says as he gets up from Ivan’s lap.
A few people are saying their goodbyes when Vanessa’s sister stops in front of Ivan. She gives him a quick hug.
“You know I love you, right?” she says softly. “And sorry for not always being there for you.”
Ivan nods, a small smile appearing on his face. A bit shocked.
Lovro wishes he was invisible.
“I-I now know. Thanks,” Ivan whispers, still looking a bit in shock by the sudden approach. Lovro wondered if he also felt the eyes' boring holes.
She pulls back and looks at Lovro for a moment.
“And you must be my sister’s friend.”
Lovro tilts his head slightly. “Yeah. Something like that.”
She laughs and waves them goodbye before leaving with the others. Lovro would be shocked by the uncanny resemblance with Vanessa if he wasn’t worried about Ivan.
Jakov pushes the door open.
“Alright, I’m going home before I fall asleep on the floor.”
“Text me when you get there,” Ivan says in a monotonous tone.
Jakov nods and heads down the street.
Lovro glances at Ivan.
“Are you okay?” he asks, noticing Ivan finally relax as the wind hits their faces.
Ivan sighs, tired but smiling.
“Yes. Surprised and tired,” Ivan says, the moonlight making him look like an angel.
Lovro smiles. He can fix that.
“My mom made you your favourite cake,” Lovro announces as they start walking toward his house.
“We need to buy a small double bed,” Ivan suggests in the morning as they lie on the floor. Lovro’s head rests on Ivan’s chest, one leg draped over his boyfriend’s torso so his own back doesn’t hurt as much as Ivan’s probably does.
“I need to get a job,” Lovro says, dropping a kiss on Ivan’s chest.
“You won’t,” Ivan says with a teasing tone. “Besides, your mom would hate me if you neglected your studies just to work and buy a bed to sleep with me.”
“I won’t do that,” Lovro says, getting up and offering Ivan a hand.
“You already have a job and you’re doing great at university,” Lovro adds as he plops down on his tiny single bed and pulls Ivan toward him.
They squeeze themselves into the tiny space, Ivan’s back against the mattress and Lovro on top of him, clinging like a koala to a tree. Too uncomfortable to sleep, but not to lay down.
“Supervising kids while they draw suns and little houses for two hours is not a job,” Ivan says, his fingers absentmindedly caressing Lovro’s hair.
“Tina’s little sister said you were her most handsome teacher, and teaching is a job. You’re their art teacher,” Lovro says.
“Why do you sound jealous of a six-year-old?” Ivan jokes.
Lovro tries to smile, but it doesn’t reach his eyes as the word reminds him of the night before. Just as he’s about to say something about the whole Mihael and Vanessa’s sister situation, there’s a knock on his door.
“Lovro, are you home?” his mom asks, behind the door. “An old lady gifted me a new tea you might want to try.”
Lovro opens the door. His mom is still wearing her pink silk pajamas. He smiles and moves aside so she can see who’s there too. Ivan smiles and waves from the bed just as she runs away from their sight, screaming, “LOVRO!”
Ivan laughs, shaking his head, as Lovro pulls him into another hug.
“She’s the best,” Lovro says, a smile on his face.
“Ivan, do you want your Earl Grey tea hot? Do you need something to eat?” she asks from the kitchen.
“Thanks, Ms. Ana. Yes, please,” Ivan says with a smile as he nudges them both up and reaches for his fanny pack. “Meds,” he adds, rolling his eyes while searching for them.
Lovro looks around for a clean pair of shorts until he finds one Ivan for got there a few months ago. His mom had washed them so he could give them back to his boyfriend, but he never did.
“Oh! I knew you had my Lakers shorts,” Ivan says, looking at him as Lovro innocently pulls them on.
“Opps,” Lovro replies, fake innocent smile on his face, as he’s already walking to the kitchen.
He doesn’t expect Vanessa’s sister’s friends to be at Nix’s birthday, but the first person he sees is Mihael. Mihael, with his blond hair and fierce black eyes.
He’s leaning against the wall, a cigarette between his fingers and a smirk on his face, like he’s been there for hours already. Like he knew they would show up.
A sense of dread grows in Lovro’s chest, spreading slowly until he wishes he could just turn around and ask Ivan if they can go home again. Instead, he exchanges a few words with a drunk Eva and, within minutes, takes a tequila shot with Tina.
Lovro laughs at something Tina says, Ivan’s arm wrapped around his shoulders, but he can still feel Mihael somewhere behind him, like a shadow. He doesn’t turn around. He doesn’t want to confirm that those black eyes are still on him.
Later, when the alcohol finally begins to kick in, Mario and Jakov arrive. Mario is frenetically talking about Formula 1’s latest race, waving his hands around as if he’s personally responsible for the pit strategy of a team he called “Hans,” or at least that’s what Lovro’s half-drunk brain understood.
Lovro nods at the right moments, but his only contribution to the conversation is the fact that Charles Leclerc is hot, which proves completely useless in a discussion about some Bearman guy’s tire degradation.
So he lets the words wash over him and drifts into his own thoughts.
Maybe he should go back to blond. No, he shouldn’t. Maybe another color. Not blond. Why blond?
He wants to smoke. No, he doesn’t. He should ask Ivan for the lollipop he bought if that’s the case.
Mihael. He should investigate this guy. What made him interesting enough for Ivan to date him.
Yeah, he should.
He loses Ivan to Mario, both of them suddenly very enthusiastic about playing table football in Nix’s garden.
“Hey,” Jakov says, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. “How are you? I saw your man outside with Mario. Who could have guessed table football could get so intense?” His best friend takes the beer from his hand and takes a sip.
“Mario can make playing chess intense,” Lovro replies. And when Jakov hugs him tighter, he lets him. He somehow needs it.
Suddenly, the kitchen is packed. Jakov is pushed against him and Lovro can’t see the person, but he hears a deep “Sorry, bro.”
“Asshole,” Jakov mutters, rubbing his stomach.
“Who was it?” Lovro asks, looking around.
“A blond dude. Tall, black eyes,” Jakov says.
And Lovro knows.
Lovro drags Jakov out of the kitchen and into an empty room. Once they’re inside, he starts talking about Mihael.
He pours everything out. The insecurity of knowing that guy once knew Ivan the way he knows him now, and how that could affect their relationship.
What if Ivan leaves me for him? he blurts out, only to be met with Jakov’s wide, incredulous eyes, like he’s just heard the dumbest thing in the world.
So Lovro keeps going. About the sadness that flooded Ivan in the kitchen and how it affects him too, because the last thing he wants is to see Ivan suffer. About the curiosity of wanting to know every detail, even the ones a boyfriend probably shouldn’t know about his boyfriend’s ex. About the anger rising in his chest when he thinks about those people who pushed Ivan away when he wasn’t doing okay.
“Maybe they were confused, just like you were,” Jakov interrupts. “Do you remember the whole ‘maybe I’m a hyperfixation’ situation?”
“Yeah, yeah, but they pushed him away,” Lovro says, fidgeting with the sleeves of his sweater.
“Why don’t you talk to him?” Jakov suggests. “You two are good at communicating. Which, respect,” he adds with a smile, and Lovro can’t help but smile back.
“I’ve seen you two go through hell together. Don’t lose your mind just because he has an ex who’s also a guy.”
“I’m not jealous,” Lovro lies.
Jakov raises an eyebrow and muffles a laugh against the neck of his beer bottle.
“I’m worried. What if I become Sonja? Trapping him in a relationship?” Lovro says, the anguish settling fully in his chest.
“That’s something only he can decide. But Ivan loves you, man,” Jakov says, already walking toward the door, hand on the handle. “Relax.”
He extends a hand to Lovro.
“I still didn’t like that Mika dude pushing me earlier.”
He doesn’t see Mihael when they leave the room. However, as they approach the garden, he spots him. Leaning against the table football, talking to Mario and Ivan.
Ivan’s eyes are fixed on the floor and he keeps nodding to whatever the guy is saying. Mario, on the other hand, looks frozen, visibly uncomfortable.
Jakov looks at Lovro, but Lovro is already walking.
Mihael notices him first. His eyes lift and that half smile appears on his face again.
“Oh,” he says, straightening a little. “So you’re Lovro.”
Lovro stops beside Ivan. Ivan doesn’t look up, but his shoulder brushes against Lovro’s arm.
Mihael watches the two of them for a moment, cigarette between his fingers.
“I was wondering when I’d meet you,” he says casually. “You’re kind of famous around here.”
Mario lets out an awkward laugh that dies almost immediately. Mihael keeps going, like he hasn’t noticed the tension at all.
“Vanessa’s sister mentioned you, Eva mentioned you, Sonja too,” he says. “And the other day I saw you at Vanessa’s place.”
Mario looks like he wants to disappear into the grass. Mihael tilts his head, almost amused.
“So yeah,” he says. “Nice to finally put a face to the infamous Lovro," humour in his voice.
Lovro's hands close in a fist.
“Alright,” Jakov says flatly. “That’s enough.”
Mihael blinks, confused.
“I’m just talking,” he replies, looking back at Lovro. “Well, I just wanted to meet you.”
Jakov exhales through his nose and gives him a small shove on the shoulder.
“Yeah,” he mutters. “I still don’t like you.”
Mihael stumbles half a step back, surprised.
“Hey,” he says, pushing Jakov back. “Relax.”
Mario immediately raises both hands. “Okay, okay, okay, boys.”
For a moment it looks like it might end there. Jakov is still breathing hard, Mihael rubbing his shoulder where he was shoved. And Lovro is surprised that they actually stopped.
Then someone from Mihael’s group steps forward, out of thin air, and pushes Jakov back.
“Hey,” he says sharply. “Don’t touch him again.”
Jakov pushes his hand away. “Then tell him to shut up.”
Lovro exhales through his nose and steps forward before he can stop himself.
“Jakov, just drop it,” he mumbles, trying to move between them.
But his eyes land on Mihael. And the smirk on his face.
Lovro reaches him in two steps and shoves him in the chest.
“Leave us alone!”
Mihael stumbles half a step back, clearly not expecting that.
“What the hell?” he says.
Before Lovro can say something back, someone from the side grabs his shirt.
“What’s your problem?”
Lovro barely turns his head when a fist connects with his face.
Pain explodes across his eye. He hears Jakov shout something but the words blur together. Lovro barely has time to steady himself before another punch lands, this time straight on his nose.
The world tilts.
Warm blood instantly runs over his lip.
“Hey! Stop!” Ivan appears out of nowhere, grabbing Lovro by the shoulders and pulling him backwards.
“Are you insane?” his boyfriend snaps, dragging him away from the mess.
Behind them, Jakov is still pushing someone, Mario trying to keep bodies apart.
“Jakov, stop!” Mario yells.
More voices join in, louder now. Lovro can barely see anything except Ivan’s chest as his boyfriend keeps him close and pulls him away from the mess.
“What the hell is going on?”
Vanessa and her sister push through the crowd.
“Guys!” Vanessa shouts. “Are you serious right now?”
Lovro can’t see, but the noise dies slowly down and catches Jakov and Mario finally stepping away.
Ivan drops Lovro in a chair. His hand gently grabs Lovro’s chin and tilts his face up.
“Fuck,” he murmurs.
Blood is already dripping down Lovro’s nose. He can’t feel his face and words get stuck on his throat.
Ivan wipes it quickly with the sleeve of his already blood drenched hoodie. Applying pressure to his nose.
“Come on,” he says softly, already guiding him off the chair. “Let’s go to the bathroom. You’re bleeding.”
Lovro barely has time to glance back at the garden before Ivan pulls him toward the house.
Jakov and Ivan part the crowd toward the bathroom like Moses with the sea. Lovro catches a glimpse of Nix among the people and immediately feels bad.
“Soggy,” he tries, extending a hand toward her, his swollen lip refusing to form sorry properly.
She shakes her head like everything is fine.
The next moment Ivan is opening the bathroom door and guiding him inside, pushing him gently down to sit on the toilet.
“Okay, let me see,” Ivan says, lifting Lovro’s face to inspect the damage.
“Ivan,” Lovro manages. It hurts to talk, but Ivan’s hands are covered in blood and his hoodie is probably ruined. Lovro grabs the fabric, tugging lightly until Ivan finally looks him in the eyes. “Soggy.”
“Nothing to be sorry about,” Ivan replies as he turns, grabbing something Jakov hands him. He presses a piece of wet fabric against Lovro’s face.
“Listen. It’s swollen. I’m going to clean it with alcohol and then we need to go to the hospital.”
“I’ll get us a car,” Jakov announces before disappearing down the hallway.
“Ivan,” Lovro says again.
Ivan looks at him and then lifts a bottle of pure alcohol and a cotton ball.
“I’m going to put this on,” he warns quietly. “It’s going to hurt, but we need to clean it.”
“Ouch,” Lovro hisses, flinching away from his boyfriend’s hands.
“Yeah, just one more,” Ivan says, pressing another cotton ball inside one of his nostrils. “Black eye, swollen nose and you’re still hot. Kind of unfair.”
Lovro tries to smile, but immediately the pain reminds him not to.
In the morning, Ivan wakes up before him, so when Lovro opens his eyes, his boyfriend is already handing him a glass of water and the medication the doctor prescribed for his nose. Lovro swallows the pills in one go and watches Ivan do the same with his own meds.
“Oh look at us, picking up hobbies together,” Ivan jokes. He leans in, trying to give Lovro a quick peck, but stops halfway.
“What have I done to deserve this curse,” he sighs dramatically, “that I can’t kiss you for a few days because your lip is swollen?”
Lovro snorts softly.
“I still haven’t decided if you’re a good kisser,” Lovro says, looking at Ivan’s lips and then back at his eyes. So attractive.
Ivan rolls his eyes, a smile on his face as he moves around the bedroom.
Later, when they’re finally having breakfast, Lovro can’t ignore the elephant in the room anymore.
“Okay, I need to say something,” Lovro breaks the ice.
“Shoot,” Ivan replies, mouth full of toast.
“I’m jealous,” Lovro admits, staring down at the table for a moment. He pauses, rubbing his thumb against the edge of his mug.
“I’m jealous of the relationship you had with Mihael. He was a brat, but I still made a mess because I was jealous.” Lovro exhales slowly, like the words are heavier than he expected.
“I’m worried you might find him more interesting now. He’s blond, he was brave enough to call me ‘infamous Lovro,’ to approach you, and he’s known you since childhood.”
He hesitates again, fidgeting with the sleeve of his sweater.
“And I’m scared you might start feeling trapped with me… and that we’ll end up like my parents.”
Another pause. This time he finally looks at Ivan.
“I don’t want that.”
Ivan listens quietly before answering. He stays silent for a moment, eyes on Lovro, like he’s making sure he understood every word.
“I understand it,” he says softly. “And it’s okay if you feel that way.” He pauses, rubbing his thumb against the edge of his toast before looking back at him.
“But I choose you.”
Another small pause.
“I don’t choose you over Mihael or Sonja. I choose you because you’re you.”
Ivan exhales, leaning a little closer over the table.
“I don’t want, need or even think about anyone else.”
He hesitates for a second, like he wants to make sure Lovro hears this part clearly.
“And I promise, and I hope you’ll do the same, that if I ever feel trapped in this relationship I’ll tell you.”
His voice softens. “But right now, in this moment… I’ve never felt so in love with someone.”
Ivan smiles faintly.
“And every day I’m grateful that you remind me you love me too. Especially when my mind goes a little cuckoo.”
Lovro smiles faintly.
“And Lovro,” Ivan continues softly, “you’re the most interesting person I’ve ever known. It’s not about getting bored of someone or finding someone else more interesting,” he pauses, “It’s about having these conversations. I love knowing what’s bothering you, what you’re feeling. Working together to be happy together, if possible.”
“Therapy is going well, I see,” Lovro jokes, a warm smile on his face.
Ivan smiles back, his eyes growing smaller as he nods.
Lovro feels as if a weight has lifted off his shoulders.
Minute per minute, he reminds himself.
“I like talking to you too,” Lovro adds. “And you know I’ll always try to be there, trying to be happy with you.”
“Love you,” Ivan says, biting into a piece of toast. “I think I’ll go to Vanessa’s later to talk with Zaira.”
“Love you too, but who’s Zaira?” Lovro asks, slowly drinking his tea.
“Her sister,” Ivan replies.
“Oh, right,” Lovro needs to hang out more with Vanessa. Maybe if Ivan starts hanging out with her sister, they can grow closer too.
There’s a moment of silence. Not awkward, just comfortable.
“I can go home and show my mom this,” Lovro gestures toward his bruised face, “let her spoil me.”
“You’re so spoiled,” Ivan whispers under his breath.
“I’d let her spoil me because my boyfriend can’t even kiss me and apparently can’t think of other ways,” Lovro says it, waiting for Ivan’s reaction.
Ivan looks at him with dark eyes and that smirk.
Challenge accepted.
“I’ll finish this toast. Finish your tea,” Ivan says, taking the last bite of bread.
Lovro almost burns his swollen lip trying to gulp down the reddish liquid.
Ivan stands up and slides his arms under him, one behind his back and the other under his thighs, lifting him bridal style.
“Ivan!” Lovro warns.
A moment later they reach the bed. Lovro falls back onto the mattress, watching his very attractive boyfriend pull his T-shirt over his head. Flexing his biceps and messing his hair.
Lovro stops himself from biting his already broken lip.
Ivan climbs over him and begins dropping slow kisses across his chest, warm and lingering, before trailing them down to his stomach. Lovro shivers under the touch, his breath catching as he watches him. Then, in one smooth movement, Ivan reaches down and unbuckles Lovro’s belt.
Fin