Luke
Calum huffed as he dropped the cardboard box in the middle of the living room. "Man, do I need a beer." The tanned boy threw himself down on the worn couch, wiping away the small bit of sweat along his hairline.
"You moved like four boxes." Luke rolled his eyes as he maneuvered his way through the door, arms full of moving boxes. He sighed, shaking out his poor hands that had been weighed down all afternoon.
"Yeah, but I moved the biggest boxes! Your books are heavy as hell, I should be getting extra best friend points for lugging those up four flights of stairs! Plus I was the one who moved the furniture up yesterday and did all the assembly!" Calum argued as Luke sat down beside him. Calum fell into the taller boy's side. Luke sighed as he threw his arm around his friend and scanned the boxes that littered the floor.
Calum wasn't wrong. Luke's book collection was immense, and out of the fifteen or so boxes that spanned his living room, at least six of them were books. His foster mom had asked him multiple times if he was sure he wanted to bring them all, but Luke was adamant; it wouldn't be home without them.
"What happened to 'I can bench 220'?" Luke dropped his voice into his best impression of his best friend, and the Maori boy shoved him in the side.
"Oh, shut up." Calum grumbled into Luke's shoulder as the blonde laughed, pulling away so that he could tie up his hair. Luke ran his fingers through sweat tangled curls before pulling it all up in a bun. Of course, move in day was the hottest of the month and his apartment only had an old beat-up air conditioner in the living room window.
Luke found it hard to complain though, now that he was sitting on his own couch in his own apartment, he felt relief he hadn't in months. It wasn't anything fancy, a simple studio apartment on the far south side of Chicago, but it was his. All 645 square feet of it. Sure, the apartment building wasn't in the best part of town, and yeah, maybe there wasn't an elevator or hot water after 11 pm, but it was perfect for Luke.
Just as quickly as the peaceful smile appeared on Luke's face, it vanished when his phone buzzed in his pocket.
"It's Liam, isn't it?" Calum peered over Luke's shoulder as the blonde glanced at the cracked screen. His heart sank.
Calum's question was answered by the words Unknown Number.
"fucking dick." Calum mumbled as Luke stuffed his phone back in his pocket. "Dude, get a new number. How often does he call?"
Luke bit at his thumbnail.
"Luke," Calum grabbed Luke's chin and turned the younger boy so that he was looking into the large brown eyes of his best friend. "I can't help you if you're not honest with me." Luke stood up and walked over towards the window. He didn't want Calum to see the panic written on his face. His heart was pounding after the call and he could feel the adrenaline seeping into his skin.
"Almost every day." Luke mumbled, but Calum still heard it.
"Every day? Shit, Luke..."
Luke turned to see his best friend with his head held in his hands.
"It's okay, Cal."
"No Luke, it's not fucking ok!"
He cowered back at the biting tone and Calum sighed.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to raise my voice," Calum reached out towards Luke and hesitantly grabbed both of his wrists, pulling the boy back to sit next to him. "you know I can't help it when it comes to that asshole."
Luke fiddled with his fingers that were still held between Calum's large palms. One of Calum's hands moved to rub over the back of Luke's neck and down his arm.
"How are you really feeling about all this, Luke?"
"I'm..." Luke took a moment to think about it. How was he feeling?
"I'm not okay, Cal." He finally settled with. A lump began to form in his throat and hot tears burned behind his eyelids.
"Hell Lu, of course you're not." Cal sighed, pulling Luke in so that their foreheads were
pressed together. "No one expects you to be. But you're safe now, okay?"
Luke's heart rate began to settle as Calum's thumb rubbed circles into the dip of his collarbone. They were silent for a moment as Luke took deep breaths to calm down. He focused on the movement of Calum's fingers across his skin and the sound of their matched breathing.
"I'm sorry," He whispered. Calum clucked his tongue.
"Don't you dare apologize."
Luke twitched as Calum's thumb glided over the jagged scar that peaked out of his collar.
"I'm the one that should apologize."
"Cal, no-"
"Yes." Calum pressed down against the scar and Luke yelped. The Maori boy apologized before pulling Luke into his lap. "I should have been there." The words were a whisper against Luke's skin.
"Can we please change the subject?" Luke bit at the skin around his thumb. It was red and raw. A good distraction.
The sigh that left Calum's lips was heavy. "You promise to tell me the next time he calls?"
"Yeah, okay."
Calum burrowed his head into the blonde's neck. He kissed the puckered scar before pressing a kiss to the underside of Luke's jaw. "Then yes, we can change the subject."
Luke relaxed against Calum and intertwined their fingers in his lap. "So, are you gonna buy me dinner?"
Luke laughed as he ruffled Calum's hair. "Pizza or Thai?"
Calum's face screwed up as he considered the option. "Connie's?"
"Where else?" Luke reached out and fist bumped the kiwi boy.
"Okay, you order, and I'll run to the 7-Eleven." Calum lifted Luke from his lap and stood.
"So, I take it you finally got the new fake?" Luke asked as he got comfortable on the couch.
Calum patted his pocket. "Arrived this morning! Wish me luck, Sweet Cheeks." Calum squeezed Luke's thigh as he walked by to grab his keys off of the kitchen counter.
As the door closed behind Calum, Luke took some time to soak in the moment. This was his first time sitting alone in his apartment. It still made him giddy to think about; his own apartment. The smile that hadn't left Luke's lips since he woke up spread even wider, and he stretched out across the couch. The springs dug into Luke's back and the stains on the cushions were questionable, but to Luke it still felt like the most comfortable couch in the world.
As Luke let himself relax for the first time that day, he took in his new home. Cigarette smoke clung to the carpet. There was a fist shaped hole in the wall outside of the bathroom, and an unfinished vent in the living room. But none of it mattered, because he officially had his own apartment. After two years, he finally had a place of his own where he felt safe.
With a sigh, Luke pulled himself off of the couch and scrolled through his phone for the number of their favorite pizzeria. After ordering a large pizza (half meat lovers for Luke and half veggie for Cal) Luke decided he should begin the lengthy process of unpacking.
He started with his books. Excitement rippled through him as he opened up the first box and caught sight of some of his favorites. As if he was handling fine china, Luke plucked each book from the box. He didn't have any actual bookshelves yet; he'd have to make a run to Target with his next paycheck. Until then he was perfectly content placing them neatly in the corner of the room, away from all water, food, or anything Calum could spill on them.
Luke felt the same happiness from earlier wash over him as he removed his classic novels from the second box. He was especially careful as he handled the old spines. His copy of Wuthering Heights was practically bursting apart at the seams, but no matter how many new copies Calum tried to buy him, he refused to toss it out. Each book held a memory for him.
After organizing his Nabokov collection, Luke opened up the third box of books to find his favorite mystery novels. While the blonde loved all genres of books, he was a sucker for a good thriller. Nothing got his blood pumping like an M.G May novel. He didn't know what it was about the books that drew him in. Maybe it was the vibrant, and often graphic, details or the fact that the author herself was a complete mystery. Whatever it was, Luke was obsessed. She only had three published books, but Luke knew there was another in the works and he was of course first on the email list for the release date.
Luke made sure to stack those books closest to the couch, knowing that those would be the first books he (re)read in his new apartment. It would be the perfect way to welcome himself home, and suddenly he couldn't wait for tomorrow when he could just lay in bed and read.
"Honey I'm home!" Calum barged through the door with a six pack of Natty Light under his arm.
Luke blew a curl from his eye. "I thought the 7-Eleven was just down the block, where've you been? It's been like..." Luke glanced at his phone, "...20 minutes!"
Calum shrugged as he set the pack down on the kitchenette counter, "ran into your neighbor from across the hall downstairs. Her name's Sierra- super hot by the way." The Maori boy grinned as he popped open a can and guzzled it down.
"Great, I'll keep that in mind for when I turn straight. So, I take it the ID worked then?"
Calum winked as he threw a can to Luke. "Bottom's up, dude." He tipped his can towards Calum and took a sip.
"Plus, we both know I was referring to her hotness for my own benefit." Luke rolled his eyes as he went back to reorganizing his books.
"Please don't ruin my relationship with my neighbor before I even get the chance to meet her." Luke was only teasing, but at the same time, he knew how Calum could be when it involved pretty girls. Or pretty boys... pretty people in general, really.
"Relax, Lu," Calum made his way over to the couch and sprawled out. "She's hot but not my type."
"Not your type?" Luke's eyebrows shot up. "Since when do you have a type?"
Luke watched the blush climb Calum's neck and the kiwi boy turned his gaze down to the bottle tab on his beer can.
"I've always had a type." He mumbled before looking back up at the blonde. "So, did you order the pizzas yet or what?"
"I know you're just trying to change the subject and I'll allow it for now because I'm too exhausted to even ask. But to answer your question, yes." Luke laughed, freezing at the sound of a knock at the door. Suddenly he realized a major flaw in his independence plan and began to panic.
"C-Calum can you-"
"Don't even ask, Lu." Calum made his way to the door and Luke released the breath he'd been holding.
Calum paid for the pizzas with a few crumbled bills, telling the young worker to keep the change as he closed the door. "You didn't think about this, did you?" He sighed as he shut the door, looking over to find Luke staring guiltily at the floor. "Luke,"
"I know, I'm sorry I didn't think- my fault-"
"Lu, Baby," Calum dropped the pizza on the coffee table and wrapped his arms around his best friend. "I'm not mad, it's okay. You're okay." Luke tried to control his breathing as Calum soothingly ran his lips up and down his neck. "You don't need to apologize. You did nothing wrong. We'll work through this, yeah?"
"Okay." Luke's voice wobbled but he worked to pull himself together, eventually separating from Calum and taking a deep breath. "I'm okay. Thanks Cal." He glanced around before searching through the nearest box. When he didn't find what he was looking for, he reached for the next.
"Cal which box did you pack my laptop in?"
"Not in a box, it's in your backpack. Why?"
Luke huffed as he pulled his beat-up laptop from the backpack in the corner. He entered the password he had created so many years ago (lukecalum1996) and navigated towards the piracy site the boys lived off of.
"Well do you expect us to just sit in silence while we eat?"
Calum smiled as he sat down and grabbed a slice. "Whatever, just pick something good. Last time you picked the movie I ended up crying."
Luke sat down beside Calum, the opening credits of a movie already starting as he cuddled into the tan boy's side. Calum threw his arm around the boy's waist and pulled him into his side.
"How was I supposed to know it was going to be sad?"
"Luke! It was literally about a kidnapped woman and her child living in a room! Are you fucking kidding me?"
Just as Luke went to respond, a shuffling and the door closing from the other side of the wall echoed through the unfinished vent. They both jumped at the sudden noise.
"Jesus, can you hear everything through that vent? Dude, how are we supposed to have sex knowing your neighbor can hear everything? You'll have to bury your head in a pillow, Screamer."
"Calum, shut up!" A deep blush made its way over every inch of Luke's skin.
"Oh, c'mon Lu, I'm just messing with you," Calum wrapped his arms around Luke and nuzzled his face into his chest. "We all know you're more of a biter anyways."
"Calum! You said you'd stop bringing that up." The blush on Luke's face reddened if that was even possible, and the kiwi boy kissed the side of his head.
"Oh please, we all know I'm never going to let you live that down. I still have a scar on my shoulder from that night."
Luke remembered that night. Calum wasn't the only one that ended up with a scar once Liam had found out about it.
"Stop being such a baby, no you don't."
"Shh, it's starting."
Luke rolled his eyes, but settled into the couch anyways, pizza in one hand and the other settled around Calum's waist. He couldn't help but love how domestic it felt; to be sitting in his living room eating dinner with his best friend. A smile curled on Luke's lips as he cuddled into Calum's side.
At first Luke didn't recognize the feeling in his chest. He couldn't put his finger on the bubbling warmth that started in his stomach and radiated up through every inch of his body. But as Luke's eyelids grew heavy and he began falling asleep on Calum's shoulder with relative ease, he realized what that feeling was: safety.
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Welcome to my first ever Muke fic! The chapters will probably be shorter than what you're used to from me. Also, I know it's a bit of a slow start, but it's needed to set up the story :) Things will pick up soon, I promise! The chapters will alternate in perspective so next time it's Michael!
Please, please, please, vote comment and share if you liked this first chapter so that I know if it's worth it to keep working on! Love you all xoxo
-Emma