Colder Weather // Hemmings AU

rockin' around the (nonexistent) christmas tree

Luke could not contain the goofy smile that stretched across his face as he walked down the hallway to his apartment that evening. The subzero temperatures and biting wind were doing little to slow him down as he practically skipped through the corridor. His coat was wrapped tightly around his lanky frame and his converse were soaking wet from all the slush he had trudged through and he was pretty sure he couldn't feel his toes anymore but he just didn't care. He was going to dinner with one of the most beautiful girls he had ever seen. 

He fumbled through his pocket for his ring of keys, pulling them out and searching for the right one. His fingers were numb and he was having a hard time getting the key in the hole when the door down the hall opened and his neighbor, Michael, stepped out, cocooned in a puffy, marshmallow winter coat (he was pretty sure it was his girlfriend's) paired with a baggy pair of sweat pants tucked into a pair of snow boots that he had probably thrown on at the last second. His fire-engine red hair was the last thing Luke saw before he tumbled through the doorway, unknowingly having unlocked the door as his attention had been on the guy in the middle of the hallway. He steadied himself on the small wooden table and straightened himself out before his neighbor appeared.

"Luke," he huffed, his body racked with subtle shakes from the nippy wind whistling through the corridor. "I need to borrow a couple of eggs." 

"What for?" He asked as he set his keys down on the table and began unbuttoning his jacket. His long fingers fumbled with the first button for a couple of lingering seconds—he still couldn't feel his fingers— before Michael reached out and pushed Luke's hand away, undoing the buttons for him. When he was through, he pushed his way into the apartment and shut the door behind him, breathing a sigh of relief as soon as the toasty atmosphere of Luke's apartment wrapped around them welcomingly. Luke untangled his arms from the sleeves of his coat and hung it on the hook, thanking Michael for helping him. "What did you need those eggs for again?" Luke asked as he slipped out of his sopping sneakers, leaving them beside the shoe basket because he didn't want his other shoes to get all wet. After stripping the soaking socks, which took him a couple seconds longer than it usually did because they were practically glued to his feet, he led his friend to the kitchen.

"Sarah and I are making cookies and I forgot to buy more eggs. I thought I had some in my fridge, but I guess not." 

Sarah was Michael's girlfriend. She had jet black hair and lots of tattoos varnishing her porcelain skin. She was practically the girl version of Michael. They were both loud and loved to listen to music that gave Luke a headache and all they ever really ate was pizza and Ramen noodles—he only knew that because out of the all the times they had invited him over for dinner, that's what they ate. One time they even used the chicken flavored ramen noodles as a topping for the pizza. He didn't mind, though. He enjoyed their company and he was grateful when they invited him to hang out. He got along well with them and he always had fun playing Mario Kart with the three of them crammed on Michael's little green sofa. 

Luke opened his fridge and bent down so he could duck his head in. He pushed aside a half empty jar of pickle halves and week old cartons of Chinese take out until he finally spotted the carton of eggs shoved in the back corner of the fridge. He pulled it out and handed it to Michael. "Just bring back whatever you don't use." 

Michael's face lit up in delight as he accepted the box from him. "Thanks, Luke. I'll be sure to bring back some cookies for you." 

"You don't need to do that, I get enough from work," Luke laughed as he began to lead him to the door. He usually got his fair share of sweets from the bakery, he didn't need Michael wasting some of his cookies on Luke. "Thanks for offering, though."

He opened the door and smiled at him as he slipped out into the cold night. "Bye Michael!" Luke called as his red haired friend flitted down the hallway in a hurry, turning around momentarily to wave and shout a quick goodbye before slipping into his own apartment. Luke closed the door and drifted into the kitchen where he instantaneously set a pot of milk on the stove, turning the temperature to high so it would boil quicker. He dug through the cabinet and pulled down the box of hot chocolate and the bag of mini marshmallows.