The walk had been longer than it was to Luke’s house, but Luke wasn’t complaining. How could he when his fingers were gently laced around those of Clive’s. For some reason Luke felt he really needed this, like really.
It calmed his nerves but at the same time excited him.
The both of them had finally made it to Clive’s place. Once inside, Clive led Luke straight to his bedroom. ‘Oh‘ Luke had thought.
He sat Luke down and stood there awkwardly as he cleared his throat. Luke was confused at first but soon realised he was still holding onto Clive’s hand.
A blush threatened to creep onto his face as he retrieved his hand from Clive’s. But Clive saved him the embarrassment by walking straight out the door calling out asking how Luke had his tea.
Luke shortly followed after, he didn’t want to be alone in Clive’s room, that’d just make him feel like more of a creep than he already was.
Clive had the kettle on and was rummaging through one of the cabinets. Luke knew his way around the kitchen, thanks to Sarah who had dragged him into the magical world of cooking.
“Let me,” he mumbled as he gently shoved Clive to the left.
Clive was beyond thankful, he hadn’t the first clue about making tea, well other than putting the kettle on.
He placed himself against the counter a good metre away from Luke and observed the boy.
‘Fuck he’s pretty’ he thought as he continued to stare on.
The way Luke looked while he gently stirred away at his cup had Clive in a trance.
Luke looked up and smiled as he gingerly took hold of the cup.
“We’re sharing,” he stated.
“What?” Clive replied, totally out of it.
Luke just chuckled more to himself as he thought back to their time in the park when Clive had more or less imposed his ice cream on Luke. It hadn’t even been a week since then but it felt like Luke and Clive had been friends forever now.
Clive’s eyes suddenly widened. “Hold up.” he said. sprinting out of the room.
Luke didn’t follow, he simply sipped his tea and looked around the kitchen.
Clive had made it to his bedroom, he was now planted in front of his wardrobe rummaging through his clothes trying to look for something that Luke could borrow.
He found the clothes Luke had lent him and laughed to himself.
‘Pfft these are mine now.’
He finally pulled out a decent pair of tracks along with a baggy hoodie that he hoped would fit Luke. He made his way back to the kitchen after getting into some comfortable clothes first, only to find Luke in the living room, looking at a family portrait.
“Older Brother?”
“Christopher.”
“Like him?”
“Left to London without me.”
“Ouch.”
Clive only replied with an expression of mock hurt which he soon laughed off.
•••
Luke was done changing into the clothes that Clive had ever so kindly lent to him. They had actually decided to get some school work done which wasn’t exactly a bad idea. Clive had ordered take out and once it arrived they abandoned their books to chit chat.
“You’re an only child?” Clive asked, pointing the fork toward Luke.
Luke simply nodded.
Clive soon learnt quite a lot about Luke like how growing up his only friends were his rather rowdy cousins Will and Sam and how his parents were super protective of him.
So far everything Clive had heard from Luke was plain adorable from how much he loved his parents to how he babysat his neighbour’s kid Charlie every now and then.
But Clive was burning to ask the real question. The question that really mattered.
“Do you like cats?”
“They’re alright?”
There was a short pause.
“Have you ever…kicked a kitten? Maybe?”
Luke sent him an amused smile and Clive was sure that one was a truly false rumour.
“I do recall one such incident actually”
Clive felt betrayed.
Luke tried to defend himself by blaming his cousin Sam who had made him do it and besides he was a 11 year old boy who wanted to fit in. Will and Sam were the real bastards.
“I’m not a horrible person, honest!” He tried to convince Clive but couldn’t resist the laughter.
Clive seized this opportunity to finally get to know what kind of a person Luke truly was.
“No? ‘Cause you seem like a right sod” he said, challenging Luke.
Luke shook his head from left to right, a faint smile still present from the good laugh he had earlier.
“I don’t know what you’ve heard and whatever it is it may be true about my brothers but not me.” it was true, Luke had his name dragged in the mud only because he was always around his cousins back in secondary school, it sort of stuck with him even after he left for sixth form where he currently was.
Clive was sceptical about this but he couldn’t just not believe Luke when he looked all sad and misunderstood.
“So…you don’t deal drugs to school kids or sleep with girls only to break their heart the morning after?” He asked
“No I don’t deal drugs to school kids or sleep with girls just to-” Luke paused.
“Where do you get this?” He asked as he broke out into another fit of laughter.
Clive felt silly. He could tell just by the way Luke was laughing that his theories had been wrong and straight up ludicrous.
“You’re a catch either way, I mean the bad boy persona is totally hot and everything but the fact that you’re super sweet in reality works quite well too” Clive had rambled. Where was he even going with this? Was there even a clear point?
“You think I’m sweet?” Luke had genuinely asked, not like some who’d ask fishing for compliments.
“Absolutely! You’re the kindest person I’ve ever met, you’re soft spoken and so collected. It’s what I admire most about you!” Clive had rambled yet again but he didn’t care. He wanted Luke to know how Clive looked up to him and thought of him as one deserving all good things in life.
Luke was stunned. No one had ever described him as kind even though he had done nothing to prove it, it just wasn’t the adjective used while talking about him.
“…thanks” he said to Clive, barely audible.
Clive wasn’t sure what to make of this, had he hit a nerve? Luke seemed pensive and it was all his fault. So he tried to reassure Luke.
“Don’t let others make you think otherwise, they don’t know you like you do yourself and you deserve happiness just as much as the next person. In the end it doesn’t really matter what they choose to believe, you know you’re a good person and for what it’s worth so do I and that’s what matters the most”
‘Oh it was worth everything.’ Luke was touched. Clive had found his way into Luke’s heart and had done nothing but make the boy feel safe.
‘He always knows what to say.’ Luke was in one of his dizzy states wondering how someone managed to be so perfect.
People would have to pay to be able to breathe the same air as Clive, it only seemed fair.
Not knowing how to channel his gratitude through words, Luke placed his food on the table as he made his way to a confused Clive who hadn’t a clue what was about to happen.
He snatched Clive’s food from him and set it aside on the table. ‘Rude‘ Clive thought.
Clive was soon engulfed in a warm embrace, he wasn’t processing but once he did he wrapped his arms around Luke who may or may not have been on the verge of tears.
Clive gently patted his back as Luke kept mumbling incoherent ‘thank you’s.
Clive’s heart ached for the boy, just a few truthful words from Clive’s mouth had caused this much of a reaction?Â
‘Did no one tell him how much of a fucking gem he is?’
Clive would tell him everyday. He’d make it a habit to remind Luke just how much he means to him.
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