The Journey We Have (boyxboy) [completed]

Ever After

A/N: I'm sad to say that this will be the last chapter of this very long fanfic. This is also a time jump until the day of the final competition. I hope you guys enjoy this last chapter and until next time. xxxx

Luke's POV (time jump to the final competition)

The day had finally come. The competition was here and I wasn't going to let anything screw this up. My team had asked me to bring in the water cooler and I ran to the storage room to grab it quickly before the game started.

I received a text from Mikey just as I was heading downstairs.
Mikey: ill be the one on the right w/ the poster

I smiled and put my phone away, not pay attention to the person in front of me as I headed towards the closest.

"Sorry!" we both said at the same time.

I look up to see Calum and he gave me the same reaction I gave him. Just my luck, really. I stood back as he opened the closest door and brought out a cooler for me and then one for himself.

"Thanks," I said, taking the cooler and setting it down on the floor.

"Yeah, no problem. How have you been?" Calum asked, rubbing the back of his neck.

"I managing. It's been hard...not having you around," I said truthfully. I hadn't heard from Calum since the fight and I never had it in me to contact him either.

"Yeah, it's been hard," he said, shuffling his feet.

He didn't look as heartbroken as I thought he would be, but there was one question still on my mind. One question that I knew I would regret not asking. "Why didn't you call?"

The question stumped him. "Luke, I loved you. In some ways, I still do. I tried to force myself to call you so many times, but then I thought about all the times we fought and I couldn't bring myself to do it anymore."

"I felt the same way. It's just so hard not being with the person you love the most," I said, playing with the handle on the cooler.

Calum took a step towards me and looked me in the eyes. "The timing was never right. We were two college kids going into a relationship we both weren't ready for."

"As much as I would like to deny it, you're right. Our arguments were a symbol of something much deeper," I said, nodding. "We're just in different places now, I get it."

"Maybe in another life, in another time, we would have worked."

"Maybe," I laughed. "You know we were perfect together, in our own fucked up way."

Calum nodded, "We were." There was chanting in the background calling out for Calum. "Well, that's my cue. I gotta run, but good luck out there."

"Yeah, you too. Break a leg."

We stood together in silence, trying to get a feel of our last moments together.

"I'm going to miss you," I finally said, tears streaming down my face. I wiped the snot from my nose.

"Me too," he said, closing in for a hug.

I hugged him back. It wasn't a kiss, but somehow it felt more intimate like I was finally getting a look at the real Calum.

"Goodbye, Luke Hemmings," he said, smiling at me.

"Goodbye, Calum Hood," I said, sniffling.

We both walked away together with a smile on our stupid crying faces, our footsteps walking further and further away from each other until we were both too far to turn back.
That was it. Luke had become an ex, but to me, he would always be more than that. He was the only person I truly loved my entire life and someone I wouldn't forget. And at that moment, I didn't hate that we weren't together. I didn't resent Calum for leaving me on the most important day of my life.

In fact, I was sure we were going to meet again because we were Calum and Luke. I knew when we did meet, we would smile and remember all the perfect moments we had together. I could almost imagine it as I breathed in the fresh air that spring brought. For now, I had the game to worry about and I couldn't let down the one person in the crowd cheering for me.

A/N: Yes, Calum and Luke never got together in the end. Sometimes break ups can be ugly and spiteful. In this case, it was beautiful and healing. No matter how many "perfect" moments Calum and Luke had, their relationship was toxic. Despite how much they loved each other, their relationship was so draining and damaging to them both. It's just how life is sometimes and to those going through similar things, know that it does get better.
Thank you so much for 3K and I love you all and thank you for reading/voting/commenting. xx