Love Thy Neighbor ✓

six

SIX | LATE APRIL

IT WAS WHILE he was painting that a soccer ball bounced off of his bedroom window. Frowning, Luca set his brush down and sauntered over to the other side of his room, lifting his window with paint-blotted hands, splatters of color blooming from his skin like flowers, blues and reds morphing like the space between the sun and moon.

"Mason!" He called, sticking his head out and peering down into the Collins' backyard. "I thought we were over this!"

Since his encounter with Blake, Mason hadn't purposely kicked or thrown anything over to Luca at all. In fact, his exhaustingly argumentative attitude had mellowed out massively and he was more respectful than he'd ever been. Whenever he crossed paths with Luca lately, he usually offered a funny little wave or a brisk greeting. Occasionally, he teased as he found new enjoyment in embarrassing Luca by asking when he and Blake were going to 'finally settle down' and 'get serious about things', but Luca would take what he could get.

Now, he was standing in his yard with his soccer ball tucked under his arm, against his hip, gazing up at Luca. "Blake said answer your phone!" Mason called back, jutting the thumb of his free hand further down the garden, which was obscured from Luca's sight.

"Oh," Luca replied with a sheepish grin. "I didn't know he'd called me."

"No shit!" Mason yelled.

"Watch your mouth, Mason," Blake scolded, his voice quick and stern, as he came out of the house. Luca could tell by the sound of their sliding door slamming shut.

Luca craned his neck and shuffled forward, leaning slightly out of the window, in an attempt to catch a better glimpse of him, but his attempt was futile. Luckily, it didn't matter, because Blake came down the decking stairs and walked to where Mason was standing.

"Call me back!" He called, beaming at Luca.

"I will, I will!" Luca grinned. For a brief minute, he stayed to listen to the sound of Mason kicking his soccer ball around the garden and grinned when he heard the sound of it splashing into the pool.

"Fuck!" Mason yelled immediately afterwards.

"Mason!" Blake snapped. "Cut that shit out!"

"I wonder where he gets it from!" Luca called down to them. In unison, they turned to look at him. Mason pulled a face at Blake; Blake kissed his middle finger and held it up to Luca and then, without even looking, gave it to Mason, who only frowned and made his way towards the pool.

Laughing, Luca retreated into his room and picked his phone up off of his bed, turning the screen on. He had three missed calls from Blake over the past hour. Discreetly slipping back to his window, he closed it firmly and called back. It rang for about ten seconds and then—

"Hey," Blake greeted, bright and teasing. Luca could hear the sliding doors of his patio shutting again as he slipped back into the house. "Didn't expect a call from you today."

"Shut up," Luca beamed, falling back onto his bed, his phone pressed against his ear. "My phone is on silent or do not disturb all the time. You know that."

"That's useful," he replied dryly, his silvery voice rising up and down. "You know, since the main purpose of a phone is for communication."