Tinder Boy » [cake] √

0.2

Luke hadn't seen Calum again after that; he thought maybe the boy was only interested in something casual. Someone who shagged that well had to be doing it often. So Luke was too embarrassed to message him, and Calum never messaged either, and so they hadn't seen each other since. When Luke went home for their usual Wednesday night family dinner all those months later, he had not expected his big brother to bring home a new boyfriend.

"Ben's fucking late again," Luke groaned looking long-fully toward his plate.

"He said he had to pick up his new boyfriend for dinner," His mother chided, though her eyes searched her plate longingly as well.

"New boyfriend?" Luke asked.

"Yes only been together a few weeks, so be nice," She said giving him a stern look.

"A few weeks? Why's he bringing him here then? Bit soon to meet the family I reckon," Luke scoffed.

"I ran into them at the grocery store a few days ago; I asked them both if he was coming and he said yes right then and there,"

He sighed, "Of course he said yes you had him cornered,"

Before his mother could defend herself they could hear the 'vrrrr' of key teeth meeting lock from the next room, and she left in a flurry of demands, 'be nice', 'don't talk politics', 'make sure you leave enough food for him to have seconds too'. The three men already seated at the table rolled their eyes and sat quietly waiting for Ben.

"Hey guys, this is my boyfriend Calum," Ben said gesturing to a short, Polynesian looking boy beside him. Luke's stomach dropped, it was the boy. The Calum he had met all those months ago standing in his dining room holding his brother's hand.

His dad and brother waved back slightly awkwardly, but the silence didn't last, "Calum dear you sit across from Luke and Ben you sit across from Jack. Don't want your father giving him a hard time so instead, you can sit near me, dear," she smiled warmly at Calum and directed him to the seat opposite Luke.

"Oh yes because you're the less scary option mum," Luke said rolling his eyes. His father and brother are joined in, and his mother gave him a look.

Luke's stomach was a pit of butterflies, but as often happens in moments of anxiety they changed from hopeful fluttering to dead and back very quickly. Calum didn't want to reach out and start a relationship with Luke, but he was happy to with Ben? Had they met the way he and Calum had met? Maybe he wasn't ready for a relationship two months ago, he told himself.

Maybe he was waiting for him to reach out, and Luke hadn't, and now Calum hated hi- "Luke was it? Could you pass me the salt?" Calum asked offering Luke a soft smile.

Luke nodded and passed Calum the salt that had been next to Jack's plate. Calum chatted with Luke's mother, and Luke's brothers chatted with their father. Luke, though didn't really eat much or talk much, all his energy was in his thoughts.

"Luke dear, you've barely touched your plate." His mother stated, brows furrowed.

Jack (un)helpfully chimed in, "You know Luke, he's probably too busy pining to eat or drink. So who is she?" a clank of fork hitting plate interrupted his bother from saying anything else.

Everyone looked to Calum who had been the source of the noise, "Sorry my hand cramped, please continue, tell us about her Luke?" Calum smiled at Luke; his eyes though showed sympathy.

"I'm not pining you lot," he rolled his eyes, "I was hungry at seven when we were meant to have dinner, but now the hunger's passed," he sassed with an eye-roll, Ben and the others laughed, Calum did not.

After dinner they all split up, Calum and Luke's father arguing over who would help his mother do the dishes and the brother's into the lounge room.

"So have you really only been together a few weeks? Or is that just what you're telling mum?" Jack asked.

"Yeah no it's only been two weeks, but mum cornered us, and Calum said yes because he didn't want to make a bad impression so soon. We aren't very serious, but when mum has you cornered, she's got you cornered." Ben chuckled.

Luke and Jack shared a laughing knowing that Luke had been right, "Have you at least tested out the merchandise?" Luke asked chuckling, but his stomach was flopping and tumbling too much for him to say anymore.

"Nah, said he doesn't like to have sex right away, which is fair enough ya know," Ben shrugged.

The omission didn't help his stomach at all. Everyone forwarded out of the house and Luke made sure he was last, so his desire to leave was not so apparent. Once everyone had gone, he didn't know what to do, or more specifically what he was supposed to do. Did this development require further discussion, Luke was pretty sure it was clear to Calum that he was not out to his family.

Maybe, it wasn't a discussion that was in order; just a thank you.

Luke only had contact to Calum through Tinder and wondered if the boy deemed his relationship with Luke's brother serious enough to delete his profile. When Luke opened up his DM's his and Calum's were there, so he hadn't unmatched or deactivated, they weren't serious. Or Calum planned to cheat on his brother.

New Message

Thank you for not saying anything.

Luke headed home almost immediately after he sent that message and only opened his phone again to check his train platform. When he was snuggled up in bed that night, he wondered if Calum would even see the message.

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Dedicated to little-cal for being one of my few readers xx