A/N: short drabble type thing bc yolo
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Calum, Ashton and Michael were all at Calum's apartment the first time he noticed it. Michael and he had been playing against each other at Fifa while Ashton watched on intently when suddenly, loud barking made itself heard.
The three boys jumped in surprise, and Michael turned to Calum. "You didn't tell me you had a dog."
However, before Calum could respond, Ashton rolled his eyes and said, "It came from upstairs, genius."
"Oh," Michael grumbled, turning back to the game.
Calum silently wondered when his upstairs neighbour had moved in, because last time he checked, there was no one above him.
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This went on for a few months before Calum decided to make a move.
One Wednesday, after class, Calum came home to the sound of furious scratching above him, and he knew that he couldn't deal with this any longer. So, without even putting his bag down or taking off his leather jacket, he locked his door again and made his way upstairs.
In front of his neighbour's door, he took a breath before putting on a determined face, and raised his hand to knock on the door. At the sound, the dog barked, and Calum heard a "Shush, Molly!" from the other side.
Within a few moments the door swung open to reveal a guy about his age, slightly taller than him, with a blond quiff and a lip ring. He was wearing a red flannel over a black tank top, and black skinny jeans, much like Calum's.
"Yes?" the blue eyed boy asked, and Calum was temporarily caught off guard at the sound of his voice.
"Oh, uh, hi. Sorry, um, I live below you and I hear your dog running around a lot, and I was just-"
"I'm really sorry!" the boy cut him off, a little awkwardly, but he looked like he was ready to panic. "I'm trying to train her, but she's not used to being in an apartment, and- I'm sorry, she's a little loud. I'll try to keep it down."
Calum frowned, feeling confused. "No, that's not why I'm here, actually."
"Oh?" The boy asked, raising an eyebrow. His face now mirrored the confusion on the other boy's face.
"Yeah, I just- I really like dogs but I've never had one of my own and I wanted to come and pet yours."
The blond gave Calum an amused face, trying to make out whether this was a joke or not. When he deemed Calum's expression sincere, he stuck his hand out. "Well, alright. But I can't invite you in without introducing myself. I'm Luke."
"I'm Calum," the brunet smiled, shaking his hand eagerly.
Luke moved aside to let Calum in, and immediately, a black dog bounded over, eagerly jumping up to greet Calum.
"Hey!" Calum cooed, crouching down to scratch the dog's head as Luke closed the door behind them. "Aw, you're such a cutie!"
"Her name is Molly," Luke informed him, smiling sweetly at the two of them. "Would you like a cup of tea while you're at it?"
"I wouldn't mind," Calum smiled up at the blond briefly before turning back to the dog, who had rolled over onto her back and was begging for stomach rubs. With a laugh, Calum complied, unknowing that this was the very strange start to Luke and his long relationship.
