"Hi, Luke" I greeted, entering his apartment, which, luckily, was just above his coffee shop. Harry was following behind me and surprised both, Luke and I, when he engulfed Luke's slim body in a very masculine bro hug. "Thanks, mate." Harry said, after letting him go. "Yeah, anytime, man." Luke awkwardly nodded.
All three of us made our way to his living room and, as soon as we reached his couch, it was my turn to give Luke a tight hug. "Thank you so much, you have no idea how much this means to me." I thanked and he returned by wrapping his long arms around my waist and lifting me off the ground.
"It's okay, little girl." Luke smiled, after putting me down, using a nickname that he hadn't used in a very long time. He started calling me 'little girl' after we both hit puberty and he got almost a foot taller in matter of a few months, while I was still the same height. Although I lost a bunch of weight, giving the illusion that I was a bit taller, I actually hadn't gained a single inch.
"I'm sorry about the coffee shop, though." I said, sitting down next to Harry on the couch and he immediately wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me closer. Luke sat on the chair across from us and smiled at Harry's sweet gesture. "It's fine, Mel. I can see now how important he is to you, I couldn't go through with that." He shook his head, before continuing.
"I can't believe I almost trade our friendship for money. Fuck, I almost threw an innocent person on jail for money, I don't know what I was thinking, I'm really sorry, to the both of you." He looked down, in shame, resting his elbows on his knees and intertwining his fingers.
"Hey, it's fine, Luke, at the end of the day you didn't do that, it's all good now. I knew you would come around eventually." I winked and scooted closer to the edge of the couch, reaching out to grab his hands and giving him a reassuringly squeeze. He gave me a shy smile and looked at Harry. "It really is fine, we both understand where you were coming from. I'm just glad you changed your mind." Harry said and chuckled.
"Anyways, we came here to help you clean up the mess." I smiled shyly and Harry scratched the back of his neck. "That's really not necessary, guys. I've already put you through enough." I got up and pulled Harry from his seat. "Don't be silly, Lucas." Luke laughed at the nickname I knew he hated. "Yeah, I mean, it's partially my fault, so... It's the least I can do." Harry smiled and held my hand.
"Yeah, okay, I could you some help." Luke was interrupted by his ringtone. "Just hang out around here for now, I need to take this, it's my mom." He rolled his eyes, before exiting to the kitchen. "Tell Liz I said hi!" I shouted and he murmured an 'okay'.
I was looking forward to spend the day with both of my favourite people. It would help me clear my mind and forget about everything for a few hours. I guessed Harry knew that when he suggested that we made a visit to Luke to thank him. I was in desperate need of a distraction and that was the perfect way of helping me getting over everything.
"Good news, guys!" Luke chimed from the kitchen. "Apparently, my mom still has a college fund for Ben and, well... since he isn't going to use it, she'll lend me the money to fix the shop and I can pay her back whenever... I'll still try to negotiate with the people from the insurance, though, at least see if they can cover some of the loss." He blurted out, putting a smile on Harry's face and a sad one on Luke and I's.
"That's actually great!" Harry grinned. "Who's Ben?" There it was. I was hoping Harry would let that go, but if I were on his shoes I don't think I would, too.
When we were both 10, Liz got pregnant with Ben. We were all really excited because she was trying to have another baby for years. She already had Luke and Jack, but she really wanted another boy and when they all found out that it was, indeed, another baby boy, they threw a party to celebrate.
On her 7th month of pregnancy, Liz started having some really painful, what seemed to be, contractions, so she went to the doctors and they told her she was actually in labour. The thing was, the baby wasn't completely developed so they couldn't be sure if he was going to make it. At the end, she lost the little boy, before he was even born.
During those years of trying, Liz and Andrew started a college fund for the unborn baby, just like they had done to Luke and Jack. But since they lost him, they didn't even get the chance to use the money properly, so they never touched it after that.
"Ben was my brother." Luke said, looking down, but not before I caught how glistened his eyes were. He didn't have to say anything else; I knew exactly how he was feeling, for I felt the exact same way whenever someone brought Ben up. I wrapped my arms around his shaking figure. He sobbed in my shoulder, before pulling away and getting himself together.
"It's just so unfair, you know? He didn't even get the chance to see the world, even less going to college and I'll use the money that was supposed to be his just like that." Harry and I nodded, not finding the right words to say. "I'm really sorry, man." Harry petted his shoulder.
After cleaning the whole shop up and throwing away all the broken pieces of the shattered dishes, we sat down on the clean floor as we sipped the beers Luke brought us. "I've been thinking about something since, uhm... everything happened and I wanted you guys to be the first ones I tell." I smiled, hoping they would support my decision.
Luke and Harry nodded, waiting for me to elaborate as Harry laid his head on my lap and I used my free hand that wasn't holding the bottle, to twirl his curls on my fingers, to which he sighed and closed his eyes. "I've been thinking about dropping out of med school and starting a major in arts." I shrugged as if it was nothing much and Harry shot his eyes open, as Luke widened his.
"I know it's stupid and all, but I've realised that I'm only becoming a doctor because it was my mom's dream for me to follow her steps, but I've actually never really wanted to, you know? I've just kind of always low-key dreamed about having a career in art and, you actually know about this, right, Luke? I used to paint and draw when I was younger, but grew out of it once high school started and I had to work and save up for med school and after I got in, it started to get even worse, because now I don't have time for barely any hobbies, so I decided I don't want this to become just a hobby, I want this to become my job and my life, I think being an art curator or working in a gallery is really nice, right?" I rambled and by the time I finished, I was breathless and panting.
"Wow, Mel, I always knew you liked art and stuff, but never thought you were so passionate about it." Luke smiled. "I think that if you're sure that this is what you really want, then you should go for it." He said nonchalantly and got up from the floor, picking up the empty bottles to throw them away, as Harry kept his thoughts to himself.
"So... you haven't said anything. You think I'm crazy, right?" I asked him, after Luke was gone. Harry looked at me and shook his head vigorously. "Absolutely not, Mel. I think it makes perfect sense. I just want to know if med school is actually something you're willing to give up so easily. I mean, you've dedicated years of your life now, to become a doctor and just as you're about to graduate you'll give everything up?" Harry asked and tried to put some sense in my head.
"I know how hard it's been, believe me, I've been living through it, but it's not something I'm one hundred percent passionate about, I'm just doing this because of my mother and I think it's really unfair that I have to do this and not follow my dreams, you know?" Harry nodded and sat up in front of me.
"If being an artist is going to make you happy or if being a doctor is going to make you happy, either way, I don't care which one you choose, I'll be with you no matter what, okay? Hell, I'll even buy your first painting! I'll be your number one fan. I just want to see you happy, babe." He grabbed my hands and leaned in to plant a gentle kiss on my lips.
"I'll give it some days to really think about this, before making a permanent decision." Harry nodded and kissed my lips again. "It's a drastic decision, so take as much time as you need and if you want any help to enroll in your classes or anything really, count me in, okay?" I grinned and grabbed his face between my hands, giving him a passionate kiss.
It's been a while since we kissed like that. I was so happy to finally be doing something I was really happy about. I was relieved that Niall was in jail and I didn't need to see or speak to him ever again. I was proud of who Harry had become and how supportive he was. I was glad Luke found a way to refurbish the shop and endorsed my decision. And I was absolutely thrilled to finally follow what I've always dreamt about.
I poured all of my feelings into our kiss. I wanted to show Harry that I was not as broken as everyone thought I was or treated me like I was. I needed him to know that I wasn't giving up, that I was going to be strong and get over whatever I was going through. I knew how frustrated he was feeling after every attempt we had of being intimate completely failed, since I started to overthink everything and remembering that horrible night, right as we were about to do it.
I really wanted to prove him that I could do this, both changing my future drastically and being intimate with him again, but just as everything got more heated between our kiss, memories of Niall's touch and words flashed through my mind and I pulled away, feeling tears starting to form in the corners of my eyes. Harry saw how upset I was, for he grabbed my hands in his and pulled me to his chest. "It's okay, I'll wait for as long as you need, I don't want to rush you into anything."
Just as I was about to answer him and apologise, Luke got back and sat on his previous spot. I mouthed Harry an apology, to which he mouthed 'don't be silly.' And we kept talking until late hours of the night. "I think we should go now." I told Harry, who got up from the floor and grabbed my hands to aid me up.
"Thank you guys so much for the help." Luke grinned and got up. "Just wait here for a sec, okay? I want to give you something." He turned around and disappeared behind the counter.
Harry wrapped his arms around my waist from behind me and laid his hands on my stomach. "Can't wait to go home and cuddle." He whispered in my ear, before nibbling my earlobe. I gave him a gentle kiss on his cheek, after he put his head on my shoulder and giggled.
Luke came back from the kitchen with a cup on his hands, handing it to me. "I know it's stupid, but this is the only one that's left, so I thought you would want to have it, you know, for memories." He shrugged.
"That's actually really nice, Luks, thank you." I stepped out of Harrys arms and planted a kiss on Luke's cheek, before giving him one last hug and looking down at the cup on my hands, dusting off the small, red, logo on the side of it and remembering Luke and I's first nights here, when we found out how horribly bad I was at making coffees, so he decided to put me on register duties. I smiled at the memories, glad that they weren't at all tainted by the worst night of my life, that took place there.
I don't think Luke actually realised it, but, for me, that cup represented a part of my life that was now on my past, just as all the dishes and furniture of the shop. In a weird way, I was that shop; broken inside, yet ready to be refurbished and redecorated, ready to start brand new, but having one last cup to remember how I used to be and how important it was for me to change and chase my dreams.
What did you guys think of that little 5SOS/1D inception I did there?
Just to make everything clear, Luke's brother Jack, is not the same Jack as in Mel's ex Jack. The names are just pure coincidental.
Please, vote and comment,
Let's try and reach at least 5 votes, maybe?
See you next chapter!