echo // hemmings [completed]

forty-one | always

—February 25th— 

Luke hated plane rides. He hated the way his ears rang as the plane ascended and the thought of being crammed next to strangers made him extremely uncomfortable. And not being able to see a fucking thing only made the experience worse for him. Flight attendants were there for him with every step he took and he couldn't help but wonder how the other passengers were looking at him. And as he got off the plane he felt relieved, but also unbelievably tired. He figured he must look like absolute shit at the moment, or at least that's probably what Michael would tell him.

And that is exactly what the lavender haired boy said when he saw his friend. Michael, Rowan, Calum, and Ashton had gathered together to welcome Luke home and the second Luke approached his friends, Ashton and Calum laughed at his disheveled state and Michael informed him of his ragged appearance. His hair was in his face and the edges of his clothes were wrinkled and Rowan wondered to herself how he could have possibly been comfortable on such a long plane ride while wearing skinny jeans.

For twenty days the four of them hadn't heard from Luke. He didn't text or call a single one of them and frankly it both worried and soothed them. The break they all had gave them each time to think and contemplate about everything that had happened in the last several months.

Ashton was finally getting his act together and started attending meetings to keep his drinking in check. He had also started to attend his classes and was trying to catch up with school. Rowan was assisting him in his studies and after being sober for a little more than two months now, him and Calum had started to communicate again. Calum even drove him to all of his meetings in support of his friend's change. 

Rowan started to apply for jobs. Even though Michael had been paying her for everything she had done, she hadn't spent a single dime of it. She just let the checks sit in a box under her bed. Between job interviews she helped at Calum's store and when she got bored she went to Michael's and they just sat and talked.

Michael had given himself a lot of "me time" recently. He went outdoors and got sunburnt, but also spent a lot of his time catching up on his sleep. And he found that running on more than four hours of sleep made him a lot more agreeable in the day.

Calum was still diligently working at the shop and he enjoyed the feeling of stepping back into his old routine. On busy days, Rowan would help on the cash register and he had become more willing to reach out when he needed help.

It was strange how the four of them had begun to rely on each other and it also made them realize how their troubles pulled them together. So when Luke hugged his friends that day, he was embracing people that were willing to change and better themselves, all because of him.

"I missed you guys," he warmly stated.

"How was San Francisco?" Rowan asked him, curious about how he managed without her.

"Kinda shitty, but okay. It was kind of hard getting around, but I found this service that would take me on tours and stuff and the guide would describe everything in detail. Still kinda boring though," he said with a laugh.

"What about the doctor? What'd she say?" Ashton questioned.

Luke pursed his lips when Ashton asked that. "She said I can do the operation in three weeks, don't worry about it. There's a plan."

"That's great," Calum told him before looking at the others. They now knew that three weeks was there timeframe to break the news to him. At first Michael was so confident that he could break the news to his friend, but when he looked at Luke's face again he just couldn't bring himself to say the words. To admit that the people Luke Hemmings trusted the most were all lying to him and had been putting on a charade the entire time.

So they let the fact that that time was running out sink in as they helped their exhausted friend get his luggage and go through customs. The group then assisted Luke into Michael's car and headed off to the lanky blonde's apartment.

The boys asked if Luke wanted help unpacking, but he said not to bother as he was too tired after the plane ride. He then drearily, but kindly requested for his three best friends to give him space to rest. Rowan was going to leave with the others, but before she went through the door Luke called Riley's name and she walked back over to him.

He awkwardly hugged her and she returned the warm gesture. But as he held her Rowan could feel a change in the air. He squeezed her harder than he ever did before and whispered into her ear.

"Thank you for being here," he said somberly. And before the girl could ask what was wrong he kissed her, as eagerly as she kissed him in San Francisco. "Thank you," he repeated, their lips still pressed together. She pulled away and reassured him that she would always be there for him.

"Always?" He asked.

"Always."

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a/n: i plan to finish this story within 2-4 chapters so look forward to that :)