a/n: this is one of my favourite tracks on the MTrench tbh
I raised an eyebrow at the sight of the blond standing in the kitchen. He was in town after a few months, and I had been waiting for him to show up. I knew he was going to come - it was Michael's birthday, for god's sake. He wouldn't pass this up.
"Don't you dare cause a scene," Ashton muttered from beside me. "You know Mikey just wants us all to get along."
I shrugged, sipping at my drink before pushing myself off the wall we were leaning against. "I'm not going to cause a scene. I'm going to go talk to him."
Ashton pulled me back by the arm, giving me a stern look. He was always the self-appointed older brother, making sure we didn't do anything too stupid, and I knew that look all too well. "Calum, I'm serious. We all know you and Luke are not exactly on the best terms. Think about Mikey."
"Dude, I know what I'm doing, okay?" I reassured him, pulling my arm away. I downed my drink, placing the cup down on a counter as I made my way to the kitchen.
There he was, standing in an oversized grey sweater and joking around with old friends, as if nothing had changed. But oh, so much had changed, and I was going to remind him of that. Fuck being civil, I wasn't here to let bygones be bygones. I was here to start a war, and more importantly, win it.
"Hey, Luke, fancy seeing you here!" I smiled politely, sliding up beside him with ease.
Surprise painted his features, but he seemed to just shrug it off when he answered, "Calum. So nice to see you here."
I smiled, nodding. "It's been - what? - half a year?" I knew exactly how long it had been. "How have you been?"
"Oh, I've been great!" he told me, accentuating his statement with a wide smile. "Things are going really well over there."
"Yeah? How's NYU treating you?" I asked, feigning curiosity. Luke had always been easy for me to decode, but now, I had no idea how sincere his words were. Maybe six months away really made a huge difference.
He just shrugged, the people he had been talking to ebbing away and diverting into their own conversations, leaving us alone. "Quite alright. I mean, the city's pretty crazy, nothing like back here... There's a huge bookstore near my dorm, and every time I go there, I think about how we used to go to the one near school, hide away when we skipped for the day..."
I forced a smile onto my face at the memory. Although the memory itself was quite fond, I didn't like him bringing it up. "Those were the days," I chuckled. "You know, they closed that bookstore. I'm not sure what's there now."
His eyes widened. "No way, seriously?! We had so many memories there!"
I just shrugged, leaning back against the kitchen counter and not missing the way his cheeks tinted pink at the sight. "Maybe it's symbolic. Anyways. I met your mum a few days ago, she's really happy that you're back here."
"Yeah, I'm happy to be back, too." Luke smiled fondly, sipping at his drink. "Now that I'm back, it feels like I've been away longer than I actually have... I guess you kinda forget all about small towns when you're in the midst of the hustle and bustle of a city."
"How was the adjustment?" I knew I was asking too many questions, seeming too invested in Luke's life. But that was exactly the plan. I needed him to know I still cared... Well, somewhat. I wanted a reaction, not just old friends reminiscing over old times.
He didn't notice. Nodding, his answer was a simple, polite one. "It wasn't easy, for sure. With the jetlag and the culture shock... It was a lot to take in."
