Coming Up For Air

2.1

"But you're like the net under the ledge
When I go flying off the edge
You go flying off as well."
-OneRepublic, 'Something I Need'

⚑ Luke ⚐

When Luke got home, it was midnight and Calum was still awake.

"Cal?" He asked as he entered, setting his keys down on the kitchen counter. "Either you've suddenly become really into reruns of Doctor Who or something's wrong and you can't sleep. What happened?"

"Your dad called me." Calum said shortly.

"Why did he call you?" Luke asked, sitting down on the couch next to Calum. "Why didn't he call me? He has my number--"

"He doesn't want me living with you anymore." Calum said, his eyes still fixed on the TV. "He wants me out by Tuesday."

Luke felt like cheap cloth submerged in bleach; ripping and dissolving in hot poison.

"What?" Luke asked, but it wasn't really a question, more of a statement with all the feelings drained out of it. "Why?"

"I guess he called my mom and she told him I dropped out of university, and then he looked at your records and saw you didn't do A Levels this year," Calum said, "And then to top it off, he just got home to his place in New York and found the notice from when the hospital had to put those stitches in your elbow. He called to find out about it and they told him that you had brought in your friend who had alcohol poisoning and you banged your arm on the gurney when you set him down. They seemed to be very jovial about it. Told him you saved a life."

Calum laughed bitterly and Luke tried not to choke on it all.

"I--," Luke stopped and took a breath.

"Yeah. And he blames me. He told me I was a bad influence. And he doesn't want you to live with me anymore."

The room was oppressively quiet.

"Well," Luke said after a few tense seconds. "He can fuck himself."

"He's right, though." Calum said, and his voice cracked and he slumped forward like he didn't have the strength to hold himself up any longer and it broke Luke's heart in half. "You probably would have done your Upper A Levels if you hadn't had to get a job, and you wouldn't have had to if you lived in a smaller flat which you could afford on your dad's money. And Luke, I put you through hell with the alcohol, and God knows I shouldn't have dropped out of university because look how far I've gotten with music, right? A dive bar down the street? Not exactly going places."

"I don't want to live without you." Luke told him simply. "And I won't."

"You should."

"You are the only person who's every been there for me, Calum." Luke told him simply. "I don't give a damn what my dad has to say. We'll start packing tonight so we can both be out of here by Tuesday."

Calum started to cry, but he was smiling.

x

They packed everything, which wasn't much of anything, to be honest. Clothes were the bulk of the load, plus some guitars, a keyboard, bedding, Luke's favorite pillow, and their couch. Calum stayed up until 4:30 in the morning Saturday night looking for a flat, and they found a small one bedroom one with a closet they could use as a second bedroom above a bakery.

Sunday they put moved all their things and met their landlady, Martha, a little fifty-something blonde lady who talked fast and wore a big yellow bow in her hair because she had just gotten back from church.

"Two hundred and seventy pounds per month boys on time too I don't need none of your lateness I get enough if that from my employees I want you to be clean and quiet and I'll respect your privacy so don't worry about me snooping about in your things here are your keys are either of you in Uni?" She muttered at them without breathing.

"I'll be returning for a few classes spring trimester." Calum volunteered and Luke gaped at him for a moment. He shrugged and blushed.

"And I'll be starting on my Upper A Levels." Luke said. "If I'm allowed, that is."

Martha nodded. "Good boys you better do that you don't want to be out with no education you hear if you ever need help just call here's my number I better be going now have a lovely day."

"You too, Martha." Luke said, and Calum waved as she left.

"Uni?" Luke asked Calum.

"A Levels?" Calum asked back.

Luke grinned. "I don't want to be out with no education, you know. What about you? I thought you hated Uni?"

"I want to go to Uni because I choose to, not because I'm forced to." Calum told him. "And it's not like I'm going to pursue a degree. It's just a few classes."

Luke nodded and felt happier than he had in a long time.

x

"I'm going to the store. Do you want anything?" Calum asked Sunday night. Luke shook his head.

"I'm fine. Just get some food for breakfast, yeah?"

"Sure. Bye."

"Bye."

Luke sat in the darkness of the new flat for a moment. It didn't have any overhead lighting, so all the illumination came from the few lamps they owned. The dimness was nice, though. It was cozy.

Luke missed Ashton. He hadn't seen him for almost 24 hours, and as pathetic as it sounds, it was kind of tearing him apart.

So he called him.

"Hello?" Ashton's voice was groggy, like maybe he had been sleeping. Luke reveled in it for a second because it was gravely and slow and oh, God, he could wake up to that every day for the rest of his life. What?

"Hey. It's Luke." Luke said, smiling a little bit.

"Hello, Luke." Ashton said a little more clearly. "I fell asleep at 7:30."

"What kind of uni student are you?" Luke asked with mock disgust. "Shouldn't you be out partying?"

"Not on a Sunday night. Plus I don't party." Luke could hear Ashton moving a little bit it the background. It sounded like rusting sheets and Luke was suddenly transported back three nights when Ashton had spent the night in his bed.

"So what's up?" Ashton asked after the rustling stopped.

"I moved." Luke told him, glancing around at the new walls. "Do you wanna come see our new flat?"

"Still with Calum? Sure." Ashton responded. "Where?"

"About four blocks from you, actually. Above that bakery we went to...ButterFlower?"

"Seriously?" Ashton sounded excited. "Okay. I know exactly where. I'll be there in, like fifteen minutes. Just have to get dressed first."

"Okay." Luke smiled.

"Bye." Ashton didn't hang up.

"See you soon." Luke said.

"Okay." Ashton giggled.

Giggled.

Luke thought he might die.

-

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