Coming Up For Air

5.8

"Oh, love get me out of the cold
If I'd promise that I take you there with me
Would you go,
I found, in one step, I'll get closer to heaven than you'll ever know
You may never know."
-Mayday Parade, 'Even Robots Need Blankets'

⚑ Luke ⚐

Luke was home from school and Calum was at his college class. It was March 16th, and it had been 2 weeks since Ashton had called Luke, and Luke was dying. Metaphorically. Which seemed worse than figuratively or symbolically, and seemed almost worse than literally.

Luke was contemplating writing another verse to an ongoing ode about imploded stars-turned-black-holes he'd been working on when where was a careful kind of knock on his door--the kind of knock that only comes with either a complete stranger who isn't sure they have the right address, or someone who is award that the person on the other side of the door is very angry at them.

Luke was trying to be less angry at everything, so he opened the door, and immediately a body slumped onto him.

"What the fuck--," Luke yelled, shocked at the sudden weight of the tiny, gay British man in his arms.

"Shit--shit! Sorry, I'm kind of--," Zayn started, looking helplessly at Louis, who was clinging on to Luke in a loose way that made it seem like he really wanted to hug him but just couldn't quite find the strength. "Fuck, Luke. I have no idea what to do."

"Is he drunk?" Luke asked pointlessly.

"Yes." Zayn looked wide-eyed and terrified.

"Why the hell is Louis drunk at 4 in the afternoon?" Luke thought it was a reasonable question. Zayn shrugged.

"I don't know--I don't--I was at work, and my sister called me and said there was someone weird in front of our house, so I left and went home and he was sitting on my stairs, like this, and then he started talking about Harry and you and something about whale sharks--,"

"Whale sharks?"

"I don't know--anyway, so I called Michael and asked if he could drive us here, and now he's waiting in the car, and you know Louis better than I do and I can't, can't listen to him talk about Harry anymore, Luke, because I really like him and it sucks that he doesn't seem to feel the same, and I hate you for taking Ashton even though I understand that you didn't really, but I just really need you to make Louis better because I have no idea what to fucking do."

Zayn was hyperventilating at the end, but all Louis did was blearily look up at Luke and slur, "Whale sharks are the largest fish in the sea."

"Okay." Luke said after a long, confused moment he used to sigh and look around despairingly. "This is a really weird situation."

Zayn sobbed quietly.

"Go home, Zayn. Have Michael take you home." Luke told him, feeling more put together than he had in a while. He figured that probably came hand-in-hand with being the most obviously sane person in the vicinity.

"Are you sure? I mean, we're kind of together and--,"

"Zayn, I'm going to stick a toothbrush down his throat, try to sober him up a little, and then we're probably going to have a very long, emotional conversation about Harry." Luke said, trying to sound gentle but probably failing. "Do you really want to be here for that?"

Zayn swallowed and shook his head.

Luke scooped Louis into his arms. "Then have Michael drive you home, man. Don't make this worse for yourself than it has to be."