colleges *a Luke Hemmings fic*

squad goals

15 minutes later and everyone in atlas and arts apartment has a beer. music was playing softly behind their talking. atlas was in the kitchen and luke was standing in the corner, smiling softly at michael loudly telling set the story of how they all became friends, making hand gestures as his beer sloshed precariously in its glass. luke jumped slightly as atlas began talking next to him. "squad goals." she giggled, leaning up on his toes to lean her elbow on lukes shoulder. "oh so we're a squad now?" he asked, raising an eyebrow and twisting his head to look at her. "yep." she nodded, and a comfortable silence fell over the two, but luke had always hated silence so he opened his mouth and said the first thing that came to mind. "sooo," he looked back over to the 3 in front of him. "come here often?" it took a total of two seconds for him to realize what he said, and a total of four for atlas to tip her head back with laugher. "well you see," she began once her laughter had died down but it started up against almost instantly. luke sighed and nodded, closing his eyes. "okay, okay, laugh it up." he shrugged her arm off his shoulder. "im sorry, im sorry." she giggled, wiping at the tears under her eyes with her thumb. "well i live here, so im pretty sure that im here often." she grinned at him and he put on his bed surprised face. "oh jeez you live here? i had no clue wow that's such great stuff to know." "oh oh yeah, definitely." atlas giggled once more and luke beamed, straightening up slightly. only then did he notice that the small group in front of them had stopped talking and were staring at them. his cheeks flushed pink. "lame!" michael and art yelled at the same time. luke rolled his eyes and ran his hand through his hair. atlas flicked them off and luke grinned. "well that was quite rude." he laughed. atlas shrugged. "they're quite rude." she brought her watch to her wrist and checked the time. "it's only 4 in the afternoon and im bored." luke reached over and snatched her watch, glancing at the time. "by george you're right!" he exclaimed, snapping his fingers. atlas rolled her eyes and snorted. "fucking nerd." she shook her head and walked over to art. "park?" she asked. art nodded. "park." she confirmed.

10 minutes and lots of arguing later, they were on their way to the park. "why did i think of this?" atlas groaned 5 minutes into the walk. "i hate exerting energy." art rolled her eyes at atlas' complaining. "want a piggy back ride?" she asked. atlas shook her head, slouching forward as she walked. "you're too weak." she sighed, letting out a loud groan. luke laughed and stepped in front of her. "get on my back." he said, bending down slightly. "twerk twerk twerk!" art yelled as atlas shook her head. "no way." luke rolled his eyes. "come on, i don't want to listen to you complain the whole way." he motioned with his hands. "and my thighs are starting to hurt so get the hell on." he heard atlas sigh before he felt her jump on his back. he stumbled slightly before standing up and placing his hands under her thighs. she wrapped her arms around his neck, fingers curling into lukes band shirt and ankles crossing over his belly button. "giddy up horsie." he felt atlas slap at his chest and he rolled his eyes and glanced at the rest of their little group. "ready, set, race!" he yelled before he began running towards the park, following atlas' directions that she told him through her loud laughs. he slowed down once the park was in sight before he noticed a pool placed next to the playground. "i didn't know there was a pool." he stated. he felt atlas shrug before he bent down and allowed her to climb off. "did you enjoy your ride?" he asked, walking over to the pool. she followed after him. "I did very much, thank you." luke shrugged and took off his jacket, dropping it on the chair. he noticed her standing at the edge of the pool. he smirked and stood up, beginning to walk over to her. she turned around, but lukes hands were already on her and it was too late for her to save herself. she did have time to grab lukes wrist, pulling him in with her. luke pushed to the surface, coughing up water. he ran a hand over his face and pushed it through his hair, pushing it back so he could see atlas struggling to stay afloat, one hand wrapped around her chest and the other pushing her slowly towards the edge. only then did luke notice she was wearing a white shirt. he blushed and swam over to the edge, pulling himself up and shaking his hair out. he walked over to the chair he was just sitting at and grabbed his jacket, walking over to where atlas was just as she began pulling herself up and out of the water, using the pool ledge as leverage. he shut his eyes and held the jacket out to her, and he noticed a seconds hesitation before it was taken out of his hands. "you can look now." atlas stated and luke opened his eyes, looking at the red faced atlas in front of him. "im super sorry, i thought it would be cute and funny." he brushed his hand through the back of his hair, a habit he had was playing with his hair when he was nervous or had nothing to say. "it's okay." atlas reached a hand up to brush some hair away from her face and luke smiled awkwardly. "but uh, you can keep the jacket." he said, wrapping his arms around himself. wet skinny jeans was definitely not a comfortable thing to be wearing. there seemed to a pause in conversation, atlas looking up at him shyly and luke felt his stomach twist before atlas cleared her throat and stood up properly. "that's twice that you ran into me and caused me physical damage, im gonna need to start suing you." she stated in a mock professional voice. "what?! that did not cause you physical harm, you're just whining." he waved his arm, brushing the previous situation away as if had never happened. "i am not whining, i could have died! what if i had hit the pool ledge and went unconscious and drowned?" she asked, folding her arms across her chest. "okay but you didn't." luke stated, poking her cheek. "but i could have." atlas pointed out, slapping his hand away from her face. "but you didn't!" luke exclaimed, throwing his arms out in exasperation. before atlas could respond, the rest of the group ran into the pool area. "jesus," calum began, taking in his soaking wet friends. "we were gone for five minutes, the hell happened?" he asked, walking over to luke and ruffling a hand through the boys dripping hair. luke pushed his hand away. "mistakes were made." he stated with a shrug before he grabbed calum from around his waist and tossed him into the pool. "pool party!" michael screamed, shoving art into the pool before jumping in with her. "see?" atlas moved to stand beside luke, grinning as she watched her friends squeal and splash at each other. luke turned his head to look at her, raising his eyebrow. she stood up on her toes to drop her arm on his shoulder. she looked up at him, eyes twinkling as she grinned. "total squad goals."