Carry Me Home // cake

ten

The next day, Luke barely exchanged two words with Calum before leaving for work. He felt hurt that Calum had pushed him away, but also confused. It had been going just fine, in his opinion...

Luke sighed. This was his own fault. This is what he gets.

He worked half-heartedly that day, doing mindless busy-work, editing articles that really didn't need the scrutiny.

Mia popped her head past their divider a few times, but wasn't able to snap Luke out of his zombie-like trance. At lunch, she had to physically drag him out of his seat and to the break room, but even then, he just stood against the wall, sipping at his cup of coffee.

"So, you told him."

Luke simply nodded, not answering her.

With a sigh, Mia shook her head. "Why?"

That's when Luke finally got back to Earth. He shook his head again, before saying, "No, I didn't tell him. I just kissed him."

"What?!" Mia exclaimed, causing the few people in the room with them to look over in confusion, before turning back to their conversation.

"He kissed back!" Luke defended. "I asked him to kiss me, and then he did!"

"So then? Why are you acting like someone just pulled you out of the grave?"

"He- He pulled away and said, "I can't kiss you anymore"."

""I can't"? What does that mean?" Mia asked, frowning slightly. "He can't, or he doesn't want to?"

"He said can't."

"That's a weird word..." She then sighed. "I'm sorry it didn't work out, Luke. But I did tell you it's a bit soon. Maybe that's why. You should've... I dunno. Tried to woo him first, win him over."

"I know, Mia."

"Okay, well..."

And that's where the conversation had ended. The two friends got back to work, Mia still checking in on the blond a few times before she decided to call it a day, around 6pm.

"You should leave soon, too, Luke," she suggested as she stood by his cubicle, a thin red scarf loosely wrapped around her neck and her big brown purse hanging off her shoulder. "It's getting late."

Luke hummed, not turning around to look at her. "Yeah. Eventually."

"Luke."

"Mia, I'm okay." He turned around, gave her a weak smile, and turned back around. "Get home safe, yeah?"

"Thanks, you too," she murmured, and he heard her walk away.

----

He was definitely one of the last ones left in the office when he finally decided to go home. He grabbed his stuff, shoved it all in his bag, and headed out. He walked slowly, deciding not to take the subway but rather the bus, which would take him a little bit longer to reach his destination.

As he sat, staring out of the window, he tried not to think about the awkward tension that inevitably awaited him at home.

When he finally reached, there was no note on the table, and Calum's scruffy red Converses were thrown by the door, clearly signifying that he was home. Luke kicked off his shoes as well and left his bag on the table, and walked over to the bedroom. Stepping in, he noticed Calum lying in bed. He immediately grew nervous at the sight of him, but upon closer inspection, realised that the brunet was asleep.

Luke then frowned. Calum was still wearing his skinny jeans and a black t-shirt with grey sleeves, but he was completely asleep. He then looked over near Calum's legs, where a leather-bound journal was left open, along with a weird looking bronze amulet.

Luke figured he may as well move the stuff onto Calum's dresser, so that Calum didn't roll onto it in his sleep or whatnot. However, as he picked up the journal, he couldn't help but pick out his name in the midst of Calum's scrawled writing. He frowned, eyes flicking over to Calum to make sure he's asleep, and kept reading.

Luke kissed me today. I let him, only so he could figure out his sexuality. Nothing else.

I know he's not feeling well, but nothing's going to happen today, thank god. I can just sleep.

"Nothing's going to happen today?" Luke repeated to himself, and flipped back through the pages.

Luke's going on a date today, but from what I can see, he's going to get into an accident before reaching the restaurant. I can't let that happen. What do I do?

I used a mouse as distraction. I think I sold it, but it might have been a bit too dramatic. I made sure we didn't walk too far or on the streets.

Luke was simply confused. He used the mouse? Why didn't Calum want him to go on that date? He didn't understand anything. He sat down on his own bed and flipped right to the beginning of the journal in hopes of understanding something or the other.

Luke's 20 now, obviously. This is why I'm writing in this journal. He's still in college, so I do not think I will meet him very soon.

Ashton is a good friend for him. He keeps him from getting hurt. It makes my job easier. Luke is so clumsy, it's hard to decide on what to let happen.

He flipped through some more pages.

Luke broke his leg today. I don't know if I should have stopped it or not, but I didn't. It's not great for him right now, but it's better than what could have happened instead.

Luke was beginning to get scared. Calum knew him since he was 20? Calum's known him for 5 years now? Or has he known him longer, longer than the journal existed?

He wanted to wake Calum, to demand answers. He wanted to tell Mia about his findings.

But he did neither of those things. Instead, he closed the journal and put it on his dresser, beside the amulet which he now had no interest in. He then left the bedroom and sat on the couch, trying to work out what he had just read on his own. Was Calum a stalker? How could he not have noticed the brunet his entire life? He couldn't be a stalker. It didn't make sense. It would take a lot of work to know everything that Calum had described in his journal.

Luke wasn't panicking. He wasn't freaking out. He was just scared and confused, trying to explain it all before actually starting to worry.

He must've been mulling over it for a while, because the next thing he knew, the bedroom door was opening, and his breath got caught in his chest as he heard Calum's footsteps approaching him.

"Hey." Calum's voice was gruff, and his hair was messy, and Luke had to resist biting his lip at the sight. "You okay? You look really pale."

"Calum." Luke's voice was quiet, in fear of it wavering as he spoke. "I think- There's something- You owe me an explanation."

Calum frowned, pushing his curls off of his forehead. "What?"

Luke got up from the couch, walked past Calum, back into the bedroom, and picked up the journal that was still lying where Luke had left it. "You left this on your bed. Admittedly, yes, it was wrong of me to read it... But I think you owe me an explanation as to what the hell this is."

Calum's eyes widened, and he cleared his throat. "You need to ask me directly."

"What?" Luke didn't understand. "Ask you what?"

"Ask me for an explanation."

Luke's eyebrows raised, anger starting to build up. "Oh, okay. So you're gonna write all this stuff about my life and then you're gonna expect me to be nice abo-"

"No, Luke." Calum approached him, taking him by the shoulders. "I need you to ask - or demand - what exactly you want."

Luke still didn't understand, but at the sight of Calum's intense gaze, he asked, "Calum, tell me the truth. I want you to tell me who you are, and what this journal is."

Calum then let him go, taking a few steps back. "You're going to think I'm crazy."

"I already think you're crazy."

"I'm your guardian angel."