the kink club • luke hemmings ✔️

01: the one where the boys leave early.

Michael chuckles. "What about circle cuts from aluminium cans?"

"Still no. And, I'm pretty sure forging coins is illegal," I raise an eyebrow. He then slaps his knee, looking defeated.

"Right. Forgot some things were illegal."

"Mhm," I hum, walking back into the kitchen to put some mugs and discarded plates into the dishwasher. After loading it with soap and enough water for a full cycle, I close it gently and make my way back out into the café.

Christmas is fast approaching, and it's evident in the way that Ashton's gone out of his way to decorate the entirety of the coffee shop. Vinyl snowflake stickers litter the walls and a giant Santa Clause claw machine is placed next to the self-serve counter, as well as each table adorning a small bowl of mini Christmas tree marshmallows. If it were up to me, I'd scrap the extra claw machine for a Keurig that isn't broken, but that's not going to happen.

"I'm telling you, dude," Michael's hushed whispers echo through the empty café as I come up to the cash register, hearing him before I see him. "She was crazy!"

"I'm sure she wasn't that bad," another voice, one that sounds familiar but one I can't quite place, whispers back.

"Bro, she was bad. Kept screaming and everything. It was like Cal was torturing her,"

"Well, he sort of was,"

"I know, but she should have seen it coming."

"Who should have seen it coming?" I pop up from the counter with no warning, causing both boys to scream and fall to the floor, hands clutching their chests. I cover my mouth with my own hand, stifling a giggle at the sight of my two best friends clawing their ways to get back up; failing and tripping over their own feet in desperate attempts to do so.

"Fucking hell, Soph." Luke groans from the floor, the corners of his eyes scrunching up as his hand takes the one I'd outstretched earlier on to help him get back up. I grin, biting my lip and trying to look away from the human embodiment of the word perfect. "Didn't think you'd be here."

"I work here," I say smartly, hands on my hips as I stare at both him and Michael. "What were you guys just talking about?"

After a slight pause, our red-headed friend leans forward, eyebrows raised as he cups his ear. "Huh?"

"Like, a second ago," I elaborate. "I heard you say something about someone going crazy?"

"What?" Luke echoes.

"You just said-"

"We were talking about a game," Michael interrupts. Confusion settles on my face, mirroring Luke's before his own turns blank once again. "A game we were playing. Last night."

"A game?"

"FIFA-"

"-Mario Kart," their words clash as they answer me in sync, Luke's cheeks taking on a light pink colour as my eyes narrow. "Fifa Kart." he mumbles in finality.

"Fifa Kart," I repeat. He hangs his head low. "Does that even exist?"

Michael nods. "Yeah, it does. Came out yesterday morning, and all the lads came around to the apartment last night to play it." he responds smoothly. I want to tell him that no, no they didn't, because they live right across the hall from me and I'm pretty sure they weren't even home last night; but I don't, the need to see how long they can keep up this pretence overtaking me.

"But Ashton hates FIFA," I state.

Luke laughs, somewhat uncertainly. "Soph, what are you talking about? Everyone likes FIFA,"