Tonight And Forever [Cookleta] [PG]
[title] Tonight And Forever
[author] Lire Casander
[beta] tinkertoo. Any remaining mistakes are my own fault.
[pairing] David Cook/David Archuleta
[rating] PG
[word count] 1425
[summary] And he keeps his promise - what kind of person would he be if he didn't? - so when he climbs down the stairs he faces Cook sitting on a couch, a long and single lily in his hand, grazing his dress shirt.
[disclaimer] I don't own nor have ever met David Cook nor David Archuleta. Everything about them is completely fiction, and any similarity with reality is a mere coincidence.
[warnings] High School!AU. Some angst. Some fluff. Foul language.
[author's notes] Written for soverignthorn's birthday. She asked for au! high school cookleta. Happy belated birthday, honey! Also written for ficforhope and for prompt #68 ~ shirt from my 100_prompts prompt table.
When Archie had first set foot in his new high school, he'd been four years younger and a lot more naive than he actually is. He'd come from Murray High, a place where he'd been the freak who sang at odd times - the freak who wouldn't admit to his feelings for other guys - to Tulsa, Oklahoma, hometown of the best music he'd ever listened to, and a very friendly town if he might say so. However, his shyness prevented him from making many friends during his first summer there, right after his mother divorced his father but a good two months before school started. He'd spent that time trying hard to find his true self so he'd had something to offer when the first school day came - only to see all of his efforts go down the drain when his awkwardness kicked in. Archie still blushes whenever he remembers how stupidly he almost fell on his face, stumbling on the stairs. He would have hit the ground hadn't it been for a strong hand holding him in place. When he'd looked up, he'd seen green eyes edging on hazel and a Royals cap.
To say Archie had fallen instantly would have been a big understatement.
Four years later, Archie is grateful that the owner of those impossible eyes is still his best friend, but he'd like to kill him sometimes. And one of them is exactly the very moment when his best friend announces that he's asked Kim Caldwell to the prom.
"Okay, Cook," he says after his friend repeats for the third time in a row what he's going to do with Kim. "I got the gist of it the first time, the second was funny, but this third time I'm about to blow something up."
"I told you to ask Allison," Cook suggests as he snatches Archie's cheese stick from his plate.
"Hey, that was mine!" Archie protests, even though he knows it's a lost battle. "And you know I won't ask Allison."
"Well, the Mister Perfect you're waiting for hasn't shown up yet, now has he?" Cook inquires; he doesn't mean anything offensive with his statement, and Archie knows that, but it still hurts because Archie wants to look straight into Cook's eyes and tell him you are my mister perfect, Cook, you oblivious git, but he doesn't - he doesn't swear and gosh, he'd make a fool of himself because he's sure Cook doesn't swing that way, and definitely not for him.
"I don't want Alli to think I'm asking her out of pity."
"Too late," says a voice at their back. Archie sighs. While an amazing person with a powerful voice, Allison Iraheta is also really obnoxious with her red hair and her colorful attires. Archie always feels at a disadvantage in her presence.
"Alli!" he greets. He doesn't even have to fake cheerfulness, since he likes her - it's just that he doesn't feel comfortable under her scrutinizing gaze.
"Cook asked me on your behalf," she says as she sits down across Archie. "And I said yes!"
"Cook!"
"What did you want me to do? Sit around and wait for you to make the mistake of going to our prom dateless?" Cook pulls a horrified face. "No way! I love you too much to let you do that!"
Archie's heartbeat doesn't speed up at Cook's words. Archie's just-nervous about the prospect of spending a whole evening with Allison as his date. Nothing to do with his alleged feelings for his best friend.
Allison knows better, though, and she just fixes her staring gaze on him with a glint of sadness in her beautiful eyes. Archie shakes his head almost imperceptibly.
"Anyway, I'm more than able to find myself a date without your help," Archie retorts. "So, can we already decide on a time and place to meet on Saturday?"
They spend the rest of their lunch break planning the perfect prom dance of their lives, even if Archie finds it quite difficult to concentrate since he's easily distracted by Cook's fingers tapping on the table. When they reach a time and place that everyone agrees on, Archie sighs in relief. Sometimes he has a hard time holding everything he feels to himself.
Saturday comes by really quickly for Archie's taste. He isn't ready to face the world with Allison while Cook makes puppy eyes to Kim. He might want to kill something. But when, a couple of hours before the time they're supposed to meet, his mother knocks on Archie's door and tells him that Cook is waiting in the living room, Archie can't believe it. "Is he alone?" he asks his mother.
"Yes, why wouldn't he be?"
"Because it's our prom night, mom, he's got a date!" Archie wants to smack his mother, but he knows better.
"Well, I think he's come here to straighten that up," his mother says mysteriously. Archie sighs. He hates when his mother gets like this, because he knows he made a mistake telling her he's in love with his best friend - Lupe Archuleta has no problem with her son being gay, but Archie knows she doesn't want him to be hurt.
"I'll be down in a sec," Archie promises. And he keeps his promise - what kind of person would he be if he didn't? - so when he climbs down the stairs he faces Cook sitting on a couch, a long and single lily in his hand, grazing his dress shirt. "Hey," he greets.
Archie is taken aback when Cook lifts his eyes and there's pain in both his gaze and his voice when he says, "Hey yourself."
"What's wrong?" Archie asks as he rushes to his friend's side.
"Nothing."
"You can't lie, Cook," Archie sighs, already grasping his friend's arm. "It shows in your eyes. Tell me."
"Why are you going to the ball with Alli?" And if Archie hadn't been worried before, he must surely be worried by now.
"You arranged that date," he reminds Cook. "You know, you did that. Don't you remember?" And gosh, if Cook doesn't then they have a problem - what with Adam being sick in the head, maybe it's genetic - but Archie doesn't want to fret right now.
"You were supposed to refuse," Cook mumbles. "You were supposed to say no."
"Why? You already had a date," Archie tries to explain when it dawns on him. And isn't it a painful thought he's having right now. "You didn't want me to go to the ball."
"What?"
"For whatever the reason, you don't want me at the prom," Archie says with his eyes wide open. "Cook?"
"Fucking hell," Cook swears. "This is all so wrong."
"Care to explain?"
Cook sets the flower aside and breathes deep. He then takes one of Archie's hands in between his and smiles. "You were supposed to refuse, Arch. You were supposed to tell Alli you couldn't go with her because you had to try and make Kim and I break up. You were meant to choose me, but I guess I was too subtle about it."
Archie can only stare agape at Cook as the truth unravels in front of him. This is all he ever wanted, but he's having a hard time believing it.
"Now would be a great moment to say something," Cook mutters, his tie askew as his fingers play with it. But Archie can't find any words, they're all gone, and he's secretly thankful that he's not the songwriter out of the two of them - he feels like he's going to remain this tongue tied for the rest of his life.
Instead, he has to move forward because that's what his body aches for; he has to show Cook, since he can't talk, with a boldness he didn't know he had in him. And Cook is just standing there, all nervous and insecure, so Archie has to kiss those worried wrinkles away.
And maybe it isn't perfect, and maybe his world doesn't shatter under his feet with that first kiss he's initiated, but Archie trembles at the strength of his feelings and at the way Cook kisses back - raw passion unfolding and wrapping around them both.
There was a time when Archie thought he'd never be happy. But now, at seventeen, walking hand in hand with the only person he's ever fallen for as they enter the venue where the prom is being held, Archie knows what happiness is made of - kisses and moonlight and a smile so big and bright that it lights the world at night.
[author] Lire Casander
[beta] tinkertoo. Any remaining mistakes are my own fault.
[pairing] David Cook/David Archuleta
[rating] PG
[word count] 1425
[summary] And he keeps his promise - what kind of person would he be if he didn't? - so when he climbs down the stairs he faces Cook sitting on a couch, a long and single lily in his hand, grazing his dress shirt.
[disclaimer] I don't own nor have ever met David Cook nor David Archuleta. Everything about them is completely fiction, and any similarity with reality is a mere coincidence.
[warnings] High School!AU. Some angst. Some fluff. Foul language.
[author's notes] Written for soverignthorn's birthday. She asked for au! high school cookleta. Happy belated birthday, honey! Also written for ficforhope and for prompt #68 ~ shirt from my 100_prompts prompt table.
When Archie had first set foot in his new high school, he'd been four years younger and a lot more naive than he actually is. He'd come from Murray High, a place where he'd been the freak who sang at odd times - the freak who wouldn't admit to his feelings for other guys - to Tulsa, Oklahoma, hometown of the best music he'd ever listened to, and a very friendly town if he might say so. However, his shyness prevented him from making many friends during his first summer there, right after his mother divorced his father but a good two months before school started. He'd spent that time trying hard to find his true self so he'd had something to offer when the first school day came - only to see all of his efforts go down the drain when his awkwardness kicked in. Archie still blushes whenever he remembers how stupidly he almost fell on his face, stumbling on the stairs. He would have hit the ground hadn't it been for a strong hand holding him in place. When he'd looked up, he'd seen green eyes edging on hazel and a Royals cap.
To say Archie had fallen instantly would have been a big understatement.
Four years later, Archie is grateful that the owner of those impossible eyes is still his best friend, but he'd like to kill him sometimes. And one of them is exactly the very moment when his best friend announces that he's asked Kim Caldwell to the prom.
"Okay, Cook," he says after his friend repeats for the third time in a row what he's going to do with Kim. "I got the gist of it the first time, the second was funny, but this third time I'm about to blow something up."
"I told you to ask Allison," Cook suggests as he snatches Archie's cheese stick from his plate.
"Hey, that was mine!" Archie protests, even though he knows it's a lost battle. "And you know I won't ask Allison."
"Well, the Mister Perfect you're waiting for hasn't shown up yet, now has he?" Cook inquires; he doesn't mean anything offensive with his statement, and Archie knows that, but it still hurts because Archie wants to look straight into Cook's eyes and tell him you are my mister perfect, Cook, you oblivious git, but he doesn't - he doesn't swear and gosh, he'd make a fool of himself because he's sure Cook doesn't swing that way, and definitely not for him.
"I don't want Alli to think I'm asking her out of pity."
"Too late," says a voice at their back. Archie sighs. While an amazing person with a powerful voice, Allison Iraheta is also really obnoxious with her red hair and her colorful attires. Archie always feels at a disadvantage in her presence.
"Alli!" he greets. He doesn't even have to fake cheerfulness, since he likes her - it's just that he doesn't feel comfortable under her scrutinizing gaze.
"Cook asked me on your behalf," she says as she sits down across Archie. "And I said yes!"
"Cook!"
"What did you want me to do? Sit around and wait for you to make the mistake of going to our prom dateless?" Cook pulls a horrified face. "No way! I love you too much to let you do that!"
Archie's heartbeat doesn't speed up at Cook's words. Archie's just-nervous about the prospect of spending a whole evening with Allison as his date. Nothing to do with his alleged feelings for his best friend.
Allison knows better, though, and she just fixes her staring gaze on him with a glint of sadness in her beautiful eyes. Archie shakes his head almost imperceptibly.
"Anyway, I'm more than able to find myself a date without your help," Archie retorts. "So, can we already decide on a time and place to meet on Saturday?"
They spend the rest of their lunch break planning the perfect prom dance of their lives, even if Archie finds it quite difficult to concentrate since he's easily distracted by Cook's fingers tapping on the table. When they reach a time and place that everyone agrees on, Archie sighs in relief. Sometimes he has a hard time holding everything he feels to himself.
Saturday comes by really quickly for Archie's taste. He isn't ready to face the world with Allison while Cook makes puppy eyes to Kim. He might want to kill something. But when, a couple of hours before the time they're supposed to meet, his mother knocks on Archie's door and tells him that Cook is waiting in the living room, Archie can't believe it. "Is he alone?" he asks his mother.
"Yes, why wouldn't he be?"
"Because it's our prom night, mom, he's got a date!" Archie wants to smack his mother, but he knows better.
"Well, I think he's come here to straighten that up," his mother says mysteriously. Archie sighs. He hates when his mother gets like this, because he knows he made a mistake telling her he's in love with his best friend - Lupe Archuleta has no problem with her son being gay, but Archie knows she doesn't want him to be hurt.
"I'll be down in a sec," Archie promises. And he keeps his promise - what kind of person would he be if he didn't? - so when he climbs down the stairs he faces Cook sitting on a couch, a long and single lily in his hand, grazing his dress shirt. "Hey," he greets.
Archie is taken aback when Cook lifts his eyes and there's pain in both his gaze and his voice when he says, "Hey yourself."
"What's wrong?" Archie asks as he rushes to his friend's side.
"Nothing."
"You can't lie, Cook," Archie sighs, already grasping his friend's arm. "It shows in your eyes. Tell me."
"Why are you going to the ball with Alli?" And if Archie hadn't been worried before, he must surely be worried by now.
"You arranged that date," he reminds Cook. "You know, you did that. Don't you remember?" And gosh, if Cook doesn't then they have a problem - what with Adam being sick in the head, maybe it's genetic - but Archie doesn't want to fret right now.
"You were supposed to refuse," Cook mumbles. "You were supposed to say no."
"Why? You already had a date," Archie tries to explain when it dawns on him. And isn't it a painful thought he's having right now. "You didn't want me to go to the ball."
"What?"
"For whatever the reason, you don't want me at the prom," Archie says with his eyes wide open. "Cook?"
"Fucking hell," Cook swears. "This is all so wrong."
"Care to explain?"
Cook sets the flower aside and breathes deep. He then takes one of Archie's hands in between his and smiles. "You were supposed to refuse, Arch. You were supposed to tell Alli you couldn't go with her because you had to try and make Kim and I break up. You were meant to choose me, but I guess I was too subtle about it."
Archie can only stare agape at Cook as the truth unravels in front of him. This is all he ever wanted, but he's having a hard time believing it.
"Now would be a great moment to say something," Cook mutters, his tie askew as his fingers play with it. But Archie can't find any words, they're all gone, and he's secretly thankful that he's not the songwriter out of the two of them - he feels like he's going to remain this tongue tied for the rest of his life.
Instead, he has to move forward because that's what his body aches for; he has to show Cook, since he can't talk, with a boldness he didn't know he had in him. And Cook is just standing there, all nervous and insecure, so Archie has to kiss those worried wrinkles away.
And maybe it isn't perfect, and maybe his world doesn't shatter under his feet with that first kiss he's initiated, but Archie trembles at the strength of his feelings and at the way Cook kisses back - raw passion unfolding and wrapping around them both.
There was a time when Archie thought he'd never be happy. But now, at seventeen, walking hand in hand with the only person he's ever fallen for as they enter the venue where the prom is being held, Archie knows what happiness is made of - kisses and moonlight and a smile so big and bright that it lights the world at night.