‘Maybe things did change, FOR THE BETTER!’ Luke thought as he lay in his bed the next morning securely tucked away into Clive’s chest as a little spoon.
He could feel the wavering throb in his head from all the drinking they had done the night before but it was all cancelled out with Clive holding onto him like that.
It was 8 AM on a Sunday morning and Luke had reached out immediately to turn the alarm off in fear of it waking Clive up, he wanted to spend the rest of day in this position with Clive’s arm around his waist and his warm breath fanning over Luke’s nape, but he knew that it wasn’t possible for the reason that his parents were probably expecting him for breakfast any minute now and the fact that his numbing hand ached for any sort of movement.
‘I’ll have to escape.’
As if on cue Clive tightened his hold on Luke and nuzzled further into his neck as he continued on with his steady breathing.
‘On second thought,’
Luke was very punctual and his parents knew this. Five minutes had passed and he was sure one of them was going to make an appearance to check on him.
He placed his hand over Clive’s which was faintly over Luke’s stomach and laced his fingers with those of Clive’s. He wanted to squeal. He wanted this everyday.
It seemed too far-fetched though when Clive fluttered his eyes open and took in their position which made him recoil from Luke in shock and pure terror.
“What’s wrong?” Luke drawled sweetly through clenched teeth. He wasn’t going to have Clive behave like this after last night.
Clive on the other hand wasn’t sure, in essence there was nothing wrong with cuddling a friend.
“Er…nothing?” He replied still conflicted.
‘That’s what I thought.’
Luke slightly raised his arm providing just enough space for Clive to slide right back into his rightful position as the big spoon.
And Clive did, he put his arms around Luke and pulled the boy back into his chest despite the embarrassing pace his heart was beating in.
Both of them let out a sign of relief as they could feel the other’s heart hammering as well.
Everything was bliss
Apart from the head splitting hangover that is.
‘This could work.’ They thought but only to themselves.
•••
Luke had made himself present in the kitchen whilst Clive took a shower.
“Good morning.” Luke called out to his parents as he went over to the sink for a tall glass (or maybe 3) of water.
His mum just shook her head fully aware that Luke had been drinking.
“You look properly buggered,” his dad said with zero hesitation.
Luke wished.
He took a seat and all eyes were on him.
“WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR FACE!” His mum almost yelled as she had only now got a good look at his face.
Luke was taken aback, kind of offended as well until he realised she was talking about the band aid on his chin and not his face in general.
“Had a fall.” He said simply
There was a silence.
“Clive’s upstairs.”
His parents looked at each other and back at him, “who?”. It was comical how his parents had thought Luke was having a date over when he had kicked them out so aggressively the day before.
“You actually had your friend over?” His mum asked, still in doubt.
“Yeah.” he shrugged as he poured some milk in a bowl of cereal for Clive.
“Well, bring him down here!”
Luke ran upstairs to find Clive drying his hair with a towel sitting at Luke’s desk.
“My parents are expecting you”
“Oh?” Clive turned to look over to Luke who placed the bowl in front of him.
“I’ll be a minute.” He said before heading towards the shower with his own set of clothes and towel.
What he didn’t expect to see when he was back in his room after his shower was for it to be empty with no sign of the boy or his breakfast.
When Luke made his way back to the kitchen he could hear his parents talking, he peeped in to find Clive sat at the table between his parents animatedly explaining yesterday’s events.
“…I had hardly got 7 pedals in when we crashed into the ground and Luke had somehow managed to get himself hurt, maybe it was the bike handle? Not sure but there we were.”
Luke stood at the entrance feeling like the guest Clive was supposed to be.
He wasn’t surprised though, Clive was generally a chatty individual and loved being surrounded by people, and in this case it looked like the people loved being around him as well.
A little smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as he watched Clive smiling and laughing with his parents.
Clive’s eyes caught his towering figure by the door and beckoned him to take a seat.
He beamed at Luke as the boy made his way toward the dining table.
“You should stay for lunch love, I didn’t know Luke had someone over hence the meagre breakfast” Luke’s mum said with a sad look on her face.
“Oh it’s okay miss! Plus I’m not sure if I can stay any longer. My parents are probably expecting me back by now.” he replied.
“You’re not staying longer?” Luke asked as his face fell.
“Can’t do mate,”
“Mate” Luke teased, except this time it wasn’t as funny as the last time when they hadn’t spent a whole night cuddling each other and exchanging soft kisses to foreheads.
Luke was right to think so because Clive’s cheeks started glowing a faint pink and Luke’s eyes shot open at how flustered Clive was.
Clive didn’t want to get his hopes up but he had an inkling that the word mate couldn’t exactly be used in context with whatever they had going on.
“Yeah! Clive can’t stay, let’s go Clive.” Luke said as he dragged Clive’s blushing self out of his parents’ sight.
“Uh…sorry I-, I don’t know what came over me.” Clive said once they had made it back to Luke’s room.
Luke panicked when he realised how Clive could have misunderstood this whole ordeal with Luke’s parents.
“I’m not hiding you or anything!” He exclaimed.
Neither of them knew what was happening.
“I-, no I didn’t…” Clive tried to explain but frankly didn’t even know what he was trying to explain.
‘You’re not dating Clive, what. Is. There. To. Hide.’ Luke couldn’t have embarrassed himself more.
“Fuck that, do you really have to go home?” Luke asked with pleading eyes.
“Luke. I was supposed to be home yesterday!”
Clive had made his point but he didn’t want to leave Luke, not with Luke looking at him with so much sadness and a very noticeable pout.
“How about you come over, like now? Mum wanted to see you.” Clive said, hoping Luke would comply.
Luke smiled smugly to himself, Clive’s mum loved him and always wanted to have him over; maybe even more than Clive did.
She never felt as though she hadn’t thanked him enough for when he ditched school to aid a sickly Clive.
“I’d love that.” Luke replied with a sincere smile.
“Your clothes are in the washer. I doubt you’ll be getting it back soon…or ever” Luke cheekily whispered the last bit.
Clive chuckled warmly and Luke felt the butterflies in his stomach flutter.
Luke made his way back to his parents, “oh good, you’re here. Let’s have that cake! Say did Clive leave?
“Mum, we are not having a caterpillar cake in front of Clive.” There was nothing to be ashamed of but Luke just wanted to be gone.
“I’ll be dropping Clive off, and uh, won’t be back…for long.”
He was out the door before any protests. Luke made his way toward the street where Clive was waiting for him with a Christmas wreath in hand.
“Guess we forgot to take this back in last night.” Clive said as he put it over Luke’s head and pinched his cheek.
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