somebody else. ❀ lrh

we're getting drunk.

AVERY.

"Luke- what?" my words were quickly lost between Luke's ears as the blonde let out a frustrated sigh, quickly turning on his heel and disappearing down the hall. It took a moment for me to blink into the reality of the situation, myself frozen in Calum's office before I began to follow him.

But, I was too late.

Luke had already managed to smash more than half of the framed photos that were previously hung on the wall behind his desk. I watch in disbelief as he effortlessly tossed the lounge chairs across the room, a prominent angry vein sticking out from his neck, face reddened with rage.

My lips parted in shock as I watched him, pushing chaotic, sweaty strands of blonde hair from his forehead as he focused his anger on another random object in the room. Beside the small couch off to the left, he grabbed the lamp, promptly smashing the glass shade against the marble floor.

"Luke!" I gasp out, weaving through the blonde's path of destruction, hesitantly approaching him as glass sickly crunched beneath my feet. Luke's chest heaved as his eyes fixated on the scattered shards, the metal base still in his palms.

"He can't.." Luke strains out, tone wavering, "He can't take the company, Avery, not when I've worked so fucking hard-"

"He won't," I interrupt, keeping my voice soft in attempts to soothe the boy. "We won't let him, okay? We'll figure it out."

I slowly reach for the metal between his fingers, warily watching as he reluctantly let it go. I tossed it beside us on the couch, just as Luke slumps to his knees, no regard for the rigid fragments littering the floor.

His worried blue eyes peered up at me, tears brimming them. My heart ached at the sight, wishing nothing more than to alleviate his pain right then and there. "I can't do this, Ave."

"Yes you can," I reassure him, reaching forward to run my fingers delicately through his messy locks, "We're gonna do everything we can, okay?"

I wasn't sure if there was anything I could do, to be completely honest. I have absolutely zero insight into what all exactly Michael was accusing Luke of, or how he could even attempt to take the company in the first place.

What was the point? Petty revenge? Or was there something worse that Luke didn't want to tell me?

Luke's hand snakes around the back of my leg, pulling me closer to him and resting his head on my hip. "We?" he then asks quietly, sniffling a tad.

"Of course, I'll be right there with you, Luke. I promise."

"Thank you, Avery." he feebly mumbles against the fabric of my leggings, his eyes falling shut as I continued weaving my fingers throughout his hair.

"And we are gonna start by cleaning up this mess."

Luke just groans weakly in response.

~

Two hours had passed before we finished, Luke insisted that he take care of the glass so that I didn't accidentally cut myself. That ended quite poorly for the blonde when he managed to nick his palms a few times, resulting in a trip to the utility closet downstairs in search of some bandaids.

I didn't necessarily want to go home and leave Luke at his apartment in such a state, so vulnerable and on the verge of angry tears every time a bit of silence consumed us. I told Calum I'd be home a little later, I needed to get Luke out of his head for a little while.

And the only way I could think of was by cuddling the fuck out of him.

For such a tall, broad man, he absolutely loves being the little spoon.