Pretty Boys // cashton + muke \\

8

Chapter 8 (edited May 2021)

Calum giggled along with Luke as they blew bubbles into the setting sky. The street was getting darker and Calum was getting a bit cold. He blew another bubble, trying to go slow so it would get really big. Luke ran up to him and popped the bubble, laughing as it splashed in their faces.

"You popped my bubble!" Calum exclaimed, not being able to hold the wide smile on his face.

"What are you gonna do about it?" Luke teased as he slowly started backing up. Calum smiled as he started running after Luke, laughing as Luke ran away from him. Calum chased the blonde around canopies and people sitting in chairs. Children ran around them, chasing each other in a giant, messy game of tag. Calum was tapped by a small girl who giggled and ran away from him. Calum ran after Luke, tapping his shoulder before running away like all the other children. Luke ended up tagging a small five year old boy who continued the game with his friends as Luke and Calum sat on the curb trying to catch their breath.

"I need to start working out," Calum giggled as he leaned his head on Luke's shoulder. The blonde laughed, handing Calum a bottle of water that he had gotten from one of the coolers.

"Come running with me tomorrow morning. I go every morning, I can take it slow if you want to start coming with me," Luke shrugged lightly as to not hurt Calum's head.

"I think that'd be a good idea," Calum said. Ashton walked up to the two boys, Calum's head lifting from Luke's shoulder as the man stopped in front of him.

"Mind if I steal him?" He asked Luke with a smile.

"He's all yours," Luke smiled. The blonde watched as Ashton helped Calum up from the curb and wrapped a blanket around the boy, curling his arms around his shoulder as they walked away. Luke sighed, resting his chin on his knee as he watched the small children play with fireworks.

He wished he was little again. When he didn't care about how he dressed and he didn't have to beat himself up mentally every day about the choices he makes. Luke was smart. He knew he was smart, he worked for a law firm after all, but when it came to personal decisions Luke was a deer in the headlights. He could never concentrate properly when it came to choices about his love life or sex. It was easy to sit back and spew your opinion on a relationship that wasn't your own but when it actually came down to living out the consequences of those decisions, Luke got paralyzed with fear.

Michael, for example, Luke would jump in bed with the man without a second thought but when it came to waking up next to the man or seeing him at work chatting up some other girl and guy, Luke couldn't handle it. He couldn't count the amount of negative thoughts that filled his head when he thought about the things he did with Michael. A small drop of jealousy spilled into his veins would have Luke running to Michael, praying that he would be enough for one more day. Maybe he's not supposed to be in an actual relationship with Michael. Maybe Michael would be that one person who disappears from your life and somehow makes every future relationship complicated. Luke hated that Michael had that kind of power.

As if he could hear Luke's thoughts, the man himself sat himself on the curb beside Luke, holding a beer out to the blonde. Luke stared at the corona for a second before taking it and taking a sip.

"They're cute," Michael said, pointing the top of his beer in the direction of Calum and Ashton who were laughing together. Luke stared for a moment, a mix of envy and adoration in his eyes before he averted his gaze towards his shoes, fiddling with the laces.