Work Text:
Luke and Calum had been friends since before either of them could remember. They were inseparable, even that one time they fought when they were five over some dumb thing that neither one could remember the details about. They were together through preschool, kindergarten and middle school. But starting high school was different. Like clockwork, Luke was freaking out about starting school again. So, Luke calls Calum, but Calum doesn't pick up. Luke leaves a message, and it takes Calum six hours to call back, in which, Luke has collected himself, for once all on his own. The call barely lasts five minutes, Luke telling Calum how he's not scared but worried about high school, the same thing Luke has told him every year, which Calum always sits through patiently, actually attentively listening for something different. But once Luke is done rambling Calum mumbles something about having a soccer thing and hangs up, promises they'll spend a whole day together before school starts up again. Luke puts down the phone and sighs. As happy as he is for Calum to actually have made the team, he really misses his best friend, but he's not sure he can say the same thing about Calum missing him. Calum seems to spend every moment with his teammates, even though they don't have all day practice. Luke calls Calum about their whole day thing aka the "Shit School's Starting Up Soon We Need To Actually Have A Story That Makes Us Sound Like We Aren't Total Losers" End Of Summer Day. When Calum picks up, it's obvious that he's with other people, with the laughter going on in the background. Calum tells him that he has practice, but will definitely spends the afternoon with him. Luke doesn't get his hopes up.
At 1 in the afternoon, Luke is sure that Calum has bailed on him and made other plans. By the time that Calum walks through the door at 1:15, Luke's almost in tears. But they spend the rest of the day at the pool, checking out the girls, acting like 5 year olds and Calum making fun of how pale Luke is. When they're walking home, Luke briefly mentions that he's going to start taking his singing seriously. Calum tells Luke how great he will be, and how Calum will always be his number one fan, no matter how famous Luke gets. Luke thinks that Calum's on drugs if he thinks that he has a chance at being famous, and Calum tells Luke that he absolutely, positively, has to go to the first home game, because It's only fair if Luke is his number one fan too. Luke walks into his house elated. He has a guaranteed number one fan, and he still has his best friend as well. Luke feels like he's floating for the rest of the day, and even posts a cover. Luke wants to feel like this for the rest of his life.
But, three days later, school started. To Luke's relief, Calum had a few classes with him, but not enough. They sat by each other in English and Science because of their names. All Luke has to do is turn around and his best friend is right there. Even better, Calum's "new friends" aren't in those classes. Luke feels elated, and for once, excited about school.
Over the next few weeks, Luke was less excited, less elated and definitely no longer relieved. Luke noticed the change in Calum the same way you can notice a change in seasons, it was subtle and then it hit you all at once. Calum was distancing himself from Luke at school, and Luke didn't know why. Calum was always standing against someone else's locker, talking with his teammates or flirting with the cheerleaders. Luke wasn't dumb, he could tell when he was invited to something and when he wasn't. The fact that Calum avoided even looking his direction was a clear signal that Calum was done with him.
So, with Calum rejecting Luke, Luke decided to turn the tables. Luke sunk into the shadows and didn't even try to associate with Calum. He stopped returning Calum's calls, replying to texts and became a professional at avoiding eye contact, even with Calum constantly staring at him. Luke won't even turn around to pass him papers. Of course, now he's paying attention to Luke. Luke kind of felt bad about ignoring Calum, but not as bad as Calum ignoring him made him feel.
Luke devoted himself to his music, and almost married his guitar. He posted a new cover, Jersey by Mayday Parade. Within minutes, Calum had texted, called and commented on the video. They all had the same message, "We need to talk." Luke deleted the text and voicemail, and reported the comment. Later on he started laughing to himself, "we need to talk" sounded like Calum was really desperate. But Calum didn't need him and that was clear.
Luke's song went viral, he had never had so many people, random people mostly, come up to him and tell him that he had a good voice. He laughed to himself reading some comments, he couldn't believe some of the things he was reading, these people actually liked him, his face and his voice. Calum watched the video everyday, trying to figure out why his best friend wouldn't acknowledge him at all. But now Calum had a plan, and Luke wouldn't be annoying him for much longer.
Luke had to stay late after school on a Friday, and nothing was more annoying. Everyone else had been all spirity for the soccer game tonight, and all Luke wanted was to go home. Calum had managed to follow Luke, inconspicuously, to the music room. Luke and the choir director were talking about something that Calum couldn't figure out from outside. Ages had passed for Calum, who didn't have anything to do, especially with the school empty. Calum wasn't sure if he was starting to dream or hallucinate when the door started to open and Luke walked out beaming. Calum knew he was awake when Luke's face fell and he started walking quickly the other way.
"Luke, wait up!" Calum cried out, jogging to catch up.
"Why? If I wanted to talk, I would have responded!" Luke yelled back, not turning around.
Luke started to slow down when Calum didn't reply, thinking he had given up. Luke eventually leaned against a locker, with his back to the rest of the hallway, trying to hold back tears. It hurt to reject Calum, it shouldn't be this way, Luke had decided to be the bigger person, and go apologize. He turned around and ran right into Calum. Calum screamed in fear first, Luke's sudden move scaring him but then in pain from running his head into Luke's. Luke rubbed his forehead and quietly moaned in pain.
"This is your fault. If you had let me talk, then we both wouldn't be in massive pain right now," Calum whined.
"Yeah, yeah, I know," Luke mumbled back.
"So," Calum said awkwardly, not sire if Luke was going to run away from him again.
"I guess I'll listen. That is, if you want to talk," Luke said, attempting to be aloof, but failing miserably.
"I miss you, Lukey," Calum sighed.
"You miss me? That's bullshit," Luke spat back.
"What?" Calum sputtered. "You can't tell me how I feel. And you've been ignoring me for how long now? I thought you were my best friend. I needed you and you weren't there for me!"
"I'm sure it was something that your team could help you out with. I mean it's not like you don't spend all your time with them. And for the record, you started ignoring me first. You were always with them, and you never, ever even tried to include me. You treated me like I was trash. Why?" Luke yelled back, sobbing.
Calum hugged Luke, and to his surprise, Luke didn't pull away. "I'm gay," Calum said so quietly that he didn't even hear himself but Luke thought he heard Calum say "It's okay."
"No it isn't."
"What?" Calum asked.
"You said, 'It's okay.' And I said, 'No it isn't.' Why is that hard to understand?"
Calum started laughing uncontrollably while Luke just stared at him. "You couldn't be more wrong about what I said. I said, I'm gay. That's what I needed to talk to you about. I know things have been shaky between us, but I wanted you to be one of the first people to find out, not find out through a rumor or someone else. I also, oh shit...um, you can hate me forever but I have to do one more thing."
Luke thought that Calum was going to humiliate him by pulling his pants down or something for a soccer initiation thing. But when Calum's hands cup Luke's face, he's worried that Calum is going to snap his neck. But then Calum's lips meet Luke and Luke is in shock. It's not like he hadn't thought about what it would be like to kiss his best friend, he was shocked at how it felt. Calum's lips were soft, so soft, and his hands were calloused, and the difference makes Luke thinks that he is dreaming. But Luke pulls away, opens his eyes and Calum's still there, but just to make sure, Luke runs his thumb over Calum's bottom lip. Calum's eye flutter closed, and Luke's sure that he's real and that this is really happening. So Luke pulls Calum back in by his jersey, and hears catcalls from down the hallway.
"Get some Calum!" The goalie, Michael yells at the pair. Luke opens his eyes, shrugs and then laughs when Calum flips off the boy.
"You're only allowed to do that to me," Luke growls in Calum's ear when Michael replies with a casual 'maybe later.' Calum looks so shocked that Luke can't try to act sultry anymore because he's laughing so hard.
"Come to the game. Please," Calum begs, even using his puppy dog eyes to get his way.
"God, I don't know Calum, I might have plans. I mean," Luke says sarcastically, which Calum takes seriously and starts looking like he might cry. "I mean, of course I'll be there. I wouldn't miss it for the world." Which causes Calum to beam, and Luke can't help but place a light kiss on his forehead.
"Listen, I know this is big for you Cal, but we really need you to be focused. Also, we kind of need you to be with the team. Because the game is going to start," the captain, Ashton calls out towards Calum.
"Shit," Calum mutters, untangling himself from Luke.
"I'll see you after the game. You'll do great, I know it," Luke said, giving Calum's hand a squeeze before releasing it.
"Today, Hood!" Ashton yelled.
Then the team walked into the locker room, and Calum was gone. "Wow," Luke mumbled, running fingers over his lips, shocked at how they still felt electric after kissing Calum. "I could get used to this."
Luke was sitting in the crowd, feeling invisible in the sea of people. He hadn't taken his eyes off of Calum, even when something interesting was going on somewhere else on the field. Well, maybe once, but that was to watch Ashton score after Calum had passed him the ball. And maybe to watch Michael dive after a ball, making a close save. Luke yelled louder than everyone else when Calum scored the first goal, he was sure of it. He knew that he gasped the loudest when Calum fell to the ground grabbing his leg. Luke felt his heart sink, but was relieved when he stood back up, seemingly fine. But never once had Luke made eye contact with Calum, and it should have annoyed him, but Luke was so involved in the game, he wasn't thinking of anything else. With one minute left in the game, and the score 2-2, Michael kicked the ball halfway down the field, Ashton dribbled the ball past multiple defenders then passed to Calum, Calum kicked the ball towards the upper left corner of the goal, and the ball slipped into the goal, just past the goalie's hand. The clock expired, and the whole student section rushed onto the field. Luke originally tried to find Calum, but got so caught up in the moment that he floated through the crowd, chanting and cheering and yelling and going with the flow. Eventually he ran into someone, and before he could apologize, Calum was hugging him.
"You did great," Luke yelled, trying to be heard over the noise that surrounded them.
"Thanks," Calum said, blushing and staring at the ground.
Luke tilted the other boy's chin up and leaned in to kiss him and soon, the rest of the crowd faded away. Calum took Luke's hand and led him towards his truck, not stopping to talk to the adoring fans who all gave compliments and congratulations on the game.
"Aren't you glad you were there?" Calum asked once they were inside the truck.
"I wouldn't have missed it. Remember, I'm your number one fan," Luke said smiling.
"And I'm yours. You're really amazing by the way. And I'm being completely serious. Your Jersey cover blew me away and you know how critical of that song I am."
It was Luke's turn to blush and stare at the ground. "I know, that's why I sang it. And thanks, it means a lot."
"What are we even?" Calum asked absentmindedly.
Luke thought about the question for a little while. He wasn't sure where this was going, or what this even was, but he knew he liked the feeling of Calum's lips on his. So he responded with the best way he could, "Perfect. We are perfect."
"I think that cheesy is a better word."
"I'm trying to be romantic," Luke said, leaning across the seat to kiss Calum. Then Luke realized what he really thought of this, that it was right. Kissing Calum felt right. And that assurance only caused Luke to kiss Calum harder, until they were the last people left in the parking lot, and their lips were swollen. Luke held Calum's hand the whole way home and sang along to the radio.
As months went by, Luke went to more soccer games, and some practices, enough to get to know the coach personally. Calum took him as his date to homecoming, in a group with the rest of the team. Luke spent time with Calum along with Michael and Ashton, getting to know them better. Luke was also becoming slowly famous, and even though he denied it, it was the best thing to happen. Well, second best, nothing could beat Calum. Ever.