"It's going to be fine, you've seen them all since; you know they don't hate you," Luke said as he watched Calum's eyes search the room as if the toaster might provide an escape from the dinner.
Finding no answers in the room he finally sighed and spoke, "Yeah but the last time went to this dinner I was with Ben, it just feels weird,"
"it's been six months; Ben's seen other people he knows the whole story, they all do, they don't care,"
"If they don't care then I can just not go right?" a small mischevious smile found it's way onto Calum's face.
"You know that's not what I meant; they want to spend time with you, they know you're important to me," Luke paused, "not going was never an option,"
"Wishful thinking I guess?"
Luke rolled his eyes, "you'll be fine,"
They took the train out to Luke's parents that night and Luke took up Calum's hand and laid it across his own leg without a second thought, and he could feel eyes on them for a brief few seconds before they slipped over them and back to their phones and books and daydreaming behind glazed orbs. He let his thumb rub over the back of Calum's knuckles feeling the other boys nerves rattling through him, seeing it in the tension that was building in his shoulders.
He felt uneasiness at first in his own stomach not because he was afraid like Calum that his family was going to loathe them but the eyes that had only briefly glazed over them had made him nervous. They way Calum's hand tightened around his own as if to say 'Thank you I needed that,' filled him with a reassurance that even if the worst case scenario were to happen that night, they were on the same page.
And they made it the whole night, Ben was surprisingly chipper and asked all the right questions, avoiding the obvious, 'how'd you meet?' and 'how long have you known each other?'. His father was sceptical of Calum; it was clear he didn't want some yahoo messing with his boys' heads. He's a good dad. His mother was overcompensating, trying so hard to make sure that Calum knew he was welcome, more than welcome in their home and Jack. Jack made inappropriate jokes all evening, at first they created awkward silences and furtive glances trying to gauge each other's reactions. Once there had been two or three jokes though, and everyone had loosened up a bit they were met with giggles and 'Oh Jack really's' instead of uncomfortable silence.
Calum even sat in the living room to watch television with his brothers and father while Luke anxiously washed dishes in the kitchen with his mother. He knew the other men would be polite, but part of him still worried he would hear a ruckus and come out to find Calum leaving in a hurry and his family members shouting profanities at his disappearing figure. The night however continued without anything even remotely dramatic happening.
That was until Luke did go looking for Calum after he'd finished in the bathroom, a sense of dread running through him that maybe his worries from earlier were coming true when his mother quietly told him he'd seen Calum heading through the sliding back doors on his phone.
When Luke made his way through the doors as well and saw Calum nattering away on the phone, his back against the brick wall of the house and his bottom-placed firmly on the concrete verandah. Luke watched his boyfriend curiously.
"I love you too; I promise I'll come over soon. Yes, I have google flight alerts set. I'll ask him. Luke, his names Luke. Okay, yeah I love you too, bye."
"What are you going to ask me?"
"Oh shit, you scared me, I didn't hear you open the door. Was on the phone to my mum, she's moved over to New Zealand to look after my Taua since my Paua died. She really wants me to visit which isn't that expensive but still a decent amount of money; she wanted to me to ask you if you'd like to come, which just seems kind of ridiculous because-"
"I wanna go, we'll save and go. I mean if that's okay with you,"Luke slid down onto the concrete beside Calum his heart beating a little faster.
"I, uh, yeah, I mean if you want I just didn't think you would want to because we don't really, well we don't- I don't know what I'm trying to say," Calum was avoiding Luke's eyes as he spoke a soft blush coating his tan cheeks.
Luke shuffled impossibly closer, and searched to make eye contact with Calum, "But we do, I mean, I love you, I, I don't know about you, but I love you."
Calum didn't look up until the taller boy was silent, his mouth slightly agape and his eyes locked with Luke's, he was much closer than anticipated, but then a small smile found its way onto his lips, "I, yeah no, I, I love you too,"
A little sigh left Luke's mouth, and a smile found its way onto the same mouth before he leaned in and left a kiss on Calum's cheek wrapping a long arm around his shoulder and leaning back contentedly against the rough brick wall. Calum let his head loll onto Luke's shoulder, "yeah I love you." and Luke's smile got even bigger.
The End.
Dedicated to Emmylou_lou for being the reason this story exists! Love you all!
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Tinder Boy » [cake] √
FanfictionAfter a few fateful swipes Luke and Calum ended up hooking up from Tinder, then they went their separate ways... at least they tried to. [COMPLETED] |Cover by @nicockla|