Chapter Text
Wanted: Flatmate. Flat 10-minute walk from Kentish Town station, clean, quiet neighbours and good sized kitchen/bathroom. £500 a month. No drug dealers and/or weirdos, please. For more info email: [email protected]
From : [email protected]
To : [email protected]
Subject: Mystery Flat… too good to be true?
Hi,
Not a drug dealer or weirdo. Poor struggling paralegal. Forgive this message but £500 a month for a flat in Kentish? What’s the catch here?
Interested but at what cost?
Calum Hood
From: [email protected]
Subject: Re: Mystery Flat… too good to be true?
Hi Calum/Poor Struggling Paralegal,
So I’ll be upfront with you. It’s a one-bed flat. I also live here. HOWEVER before you delete this and think I’m a freak, I work nights so I wouldn’t be here anytime you would be. You can have the flat exclusively from 6 pm to 8 am, Saturday night and all day Sunday. Understand this sounds like a bit of a crazy arrangement but I could do with the cash, let me know what you think?
Luke Hemmings (Poor Struggling Children’s Nurse)
From: [email protected]
Subject: Can’t believe I’m responding to this
Hi Luke/Poor Struggling Children’s Nurse (much more impressive than me)
I am alarmed… but still interested. (Would we technically be sharing a bed?) Could we meet/can I have a look at that flat? Want to know what I’m potentially getting myself into
Calum
From: [email protected]
Subject: Re: Can’t believe I’m responding to this
Hi Calum
Saturday at 5 pm? Sorry for it being later on but I’ll be asleep till 4 at least. (Technically yes but not in practice)
Promise not to be a weirdo if you’re not. Have attached some photos of the flat.
Luke
From: [email protected]
Subject: I’m not a weirdo please don’t be a serial killer
Sounds good, Luke. See you then
Calum
⭑*⊱••✩••⊰•*⭑February⭑*⊱••✩••⊰•*⭑
Calum
“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me, Cal,” Ashton says, coffee mug halfway to his mouth. “That is not a solution.”
“Why not?” Calum says defensively. “It’s the perfect solution.”
Calum was anticipating this reaction from Ashton, he’d probably have the same one if his best friend had turned around to him and said he was planning on not only moving in with a stranger but also that it’s a one-bed flat. Oh, and that they’d be sharing the bed.
“You can’t share a bed with a stranger,” Ashton says disbelievingly. “You cannot be actually considering this.”
“It’s not like he’ll be there at the same time,” Calum says. “I told you, he works nights so he’s only in the flat eight till six, and I’m out from six in the morning and usually don’t get back until eleven.”
“But you’ll be in his bed!” Ashton protests. “Like, he’ll be sleeping there and then a few hours later you will be. Does that not freak you out?”
Calum tries to look unperturbed. He’s mulled this over already and the answer is yes, it freaks him out a little. But what else is he supposed to do?
He asks him as much. “What else am I supposed to do Ashton?”
“Stay living here with me!” Ashton says. “Kaykay won’t mind you on the sofa!”
Calum shakes his head, they’ve been over this more times than he can count. He’s lived with Ashton for the four months since his break-up but he can’t deny the fact that he’s outstayed his welcome. Sleeping on Ashton’s couch is fine in the short-term but now his girlfriend was actually moving in, and three people in the (stylish) shoe-box of his central London flat was definitely a push too far.
“You must be able to afford a different place,” Ashton says, giving up on trying to persuade Calum to keep living with him.
Calum snorts. “I’m a paralegal, Ashton. I earn eighteen thousand pounds a year.”
“But have you looked at what else you could get? An actual room in a flat?” Ashton implores.
“I’ve looked. The only places I can reasonably afford means I would be commuting for over an hour in and out of central. I can’t do that when I’m at work until eleven most nights and I have to be in for seven.”
“The way they work you is disgusting,” Ashton says, frowning.
“Oh, I know,” Calum says with a humourless laugh. “At least when I start my training contract I’ll actually be paid for the hours I work.”
Calum came to London out of his law degree, even though he hadn’t managed to secure a training contract, he knew this is where he needed to be. He’d taken out a loan to get him through the LPC, luckily managing to secure a role as a paralegal in a good firm, one who had offered him a training contract once he’d completed a year of experience as a paralegal. He’d lived with his boyfriend out of University for the year of his LPC and a few months after; until that relationship had ended. Calum winces, he tries not to think of Roy if he can help it, it had been very messy at the end. Calum’s not sure he’s actually over it yet, despite the months that had passed. He knows Roy’s over it if his Instagram is anything to go by, plastered with photos of his new relationship. (Ashton had made Calum block him after his last depressive spiral over it two months ago).
“It’s only six months,” Calum says. “I’ve already emailed the guy and he’s sent me the address and some photos. It’s in the perfect location, the flat looks nice from the pictures, and I’ll never have to see the guy.”
“Isn’t it, you know, illegal for him to sublet?” Ashton asks.
“Probably,” Calum sighs. He was hoping to avoid this part.
“You're a lawyer,” Ashton says flatly. “This could get fucked up so easily.”
“I’m not technically a lawyer yet,” Calum says uneasily. “I know I know. But it’s worth a shot.”
“I’m not happy about this,” Ashton says, sipping his coffee slowly with a frown. “I’m coming with you when you go to see it.”
“What, why?” Calum asks.
“Incase he turns out to be a serial killer,” Ashton says seriously.
“What are you going to do if he is?” Calum says with a smirk.
“I go to the gym more than you,” Ashton says. “I could take him.”
“He works in a children’s hospital,” Calum says bemusedly.
“Could be an elaborate front to lure you in,” Ashton says.
Calum shakes his head but knows he won’t get anywhere disagreeing with Ashton any more. “Fine, but you have to promise to be non-threatening,” Calum warns. “I need him to like me too, you know.”
“No promises,” Ashton says with a grin, and Calum shakes his head again.
Luke
“You did what?” Michael says.
“I put my flat on Gumtree,” Luke says, trying to sound more confident than he feels.
“But you live here?” Michael says.
“Yes but not at night,” Luke says, drinking his tea.
“What do you mean?” Michael says suspiciously.
“Well I’m never here at a time that a person with a normal job would want a flat,” Luke says levelly.
“Are you—” Michael gives Luke a disbelieving look. “Are you telling me that you’ve put your flat on Gumtree and you intend to live here too?!”
“It’s the perfect solution,” Luke says looking into his mug to avoid looking at Michael.
“To what problem?” Michael says with a wild look in his eyes.
“The one that I lost my second job so can no longer afford to live here but I’m tied into the lease because I’m a fucking idiot?” Luke says, raising his eyebrows at Michael.
“Ah yes. That one,” Michael says. “Well, I don’t know, get another second job?”
“The amount I’m having to stay late now I genuinely don’t think I’d manage it,” Luke says tiredly, running his hand through his curls. “I start at 7 pm and usually don’t leave until 8 am.”
“You should be paid more,” Michael says, frowning. “Why won’t you let me help you out?”
“No, Michael,” Luke shakes his head. They’ve been through this. Michael, as a semi-successful session guitarist, always tries to press money on Luke but even though they’ve been best friends since school, he never wants to take it. He’s also considered moving in with Michael, but he lives in a fancy part of Putney now, which is way too far to be commuting when he leaves work at nine in the morning.
“Well, what’s the plan for the weekends?” Michael asks.
“Was going to suggest splitting it,” Luke says. “I always end up staying with you on a Saturday and Sunday anyway.”
“This is bonkers,” Michael says, shaking his head. “No one is going to be interested in this.”
“I’ve already had a response,” Luke says.
“Luke, the kind of person who wants to sleep in your bed is not the kind of person you want to have in your flat.”
“No, I’ve had a none creepy response,” Luke continues. “He’s a paralegal, wants somewhere cheap.”
Michael looks suspicious so Luke hands his phone over to show him the emails from Calum, which Luke had found quite charming.
“Well he doesn’t sound like a creep,” Michael says and Luke smiles triumphantly. “But that doesn’t mean he isn't. Be careful okay?”
“I will Mikey,” Luke says, patting Michael’s shoulder.
“For the record, I don’t like this at all,” Michael says. “I’m gonna be here when he comes to look at it, just in case.”
Luke scoffs. “What exactly are you going to do if he turns out to be a murderer?”
“I could fight someone!” Michael says defensively. “I’m tall!”
“If anyone tried to take us on we’d lose immediately,” Luke says, clapping Michael on the shoulder again. “I’ve made my peace with that, so should you.”
Calum
Calum tries not to be nervous as he gets dressed. He’s exchanged a few more emails with “Luke” and he seems nice enough, even making a stupid Nickleback joke at one point which Calum appreciated. He’s also managed to get enough information (based off his emails) to be able to look him up on social media, which he spent most of last night doing. Luke doesn’t have a Facebook or Twitter by the looks of it but Calum’s pretty confident he’s found the right Luke Hemmings on Instagram, there can’t be many Luke Hemmings in North London who are nurses. The only problem is, is that this Luke Hemmings also seemed to be fucking gorgeous by the few poor quality photos that he featured in, tall with curly hair and a sweet grin often with his tongue between his teeth. The photos of him (rather than various parks in London or the occasional dog) often had his arm around another man with a long blonde fringe and glasses, and Calum decided it was none of his business to investigate if the fringe man is a boyfriend. Calum takes a couple of deep breaths before pulling on a beanie and going to see if Ashton’s ready to go.
x
“What if he’s catfishing you and it's actually an old woman or something,” Ashton says whilst they wait for their train.
“He’s not,” Calum says confidently, watching the train pull in.
“How would you know?” Ashton asks, narrowing his eyes as they get on the train. There’s a pause when they find a couple of seats next to each other and Calum steadfastly looks away from Ashton.
“Oh my god you looked him up on social media didn’t you?” Ashton asks as they sit down.
“I thought it would be a good idea!” Calum says defensively. “You know, to see if he looked like the weird serial killer type!”
“And did he?” Ashton asks, raising his eyebrows.
Calum coughs. “No.”
“What did he look like then?”
“Um.. you know. Normal. Tall. Curly hair,” Calum says evasively.
“He’s fit isn’t he?” Ashton says knowingly.
“I didn’t say that!” Calum protests, reddening.
“Didn’t have to mate,” Ashton says laughing. “I can read you like a book, Calum Hood.”
“He’s… objectively good looking,” Calum says, still red.
“Show me,” Ashton says.
“No!” Calum says. “That’s weird and inappropriate!”
“You’ve already looked, Cal,” Ashton says with a grin. “You might as well show me as well.”
Calum grumbles but pulls up Luke’s Instagram again (first on his search history) and thrusts his phone at Ashton.
Ashton quickly scrolls through and immediately starts laughing.
“He’s exactly your type,” Ashton says when he manages to get control of himself again. “Mate, you’re so fucked.”
“Shut up,” Calum says, snatching his phone back. “I’m never going to see him. It’s not going to be a problem.”
Calum nervously rings the buzzer with Ashton hovering behind him, looking around the street. A minute or two later the door swings open to reveal a man smiling at the two of them.
And... oh fuck. This is going to be a problem. The man smiling nervously back at Calum is fucking gorgeous. He knew he was from his Instagram but holy hell this was like. Like not normal gorgeous. Gorgeous fucking hot gorgeous. He’s in a grey sweatshirt which is just slipping over his hands, and dark blonde hair which is curling over his forehead and onto his neck in ringlets, and more importantly, the bluest eyes he’s ever seen on another human being, blinking at him from behind long lashes. His lips have spread into a small grin, dimples popping out on his cheeks and upturned nose scrunching slightly. And he’s fucking huge. Even with his shoulders curled over slightly and sleeves pulled down Calum reckons he’s several inches taller than him and looks about twice as broad, and his jean-clad legs stretch for fucking miles. Fuck fuck. Well, it’s a good job he’s not supposed to see his maybe new flatmate because he’s not sure what he would do if he had to watch this angelic being move about on a daily basis.
“Hi,” The angel (Luke, fuck, Luke) says. “Calum yeah?”
Calum flounders for a second, looking at the hand that Luke has held out to him, smaller than his own with short neat nails and delicate fingers. Ashton elbows him in the back when Calum continues to not say anything and sidesteps out from behind him.
“Hi, I’m Ashton, Calum’s mate,” Ashton says loudly, shaking Luke’s hand around Calum.
“Hi there,” Luke says, smiling, eyes flicking to Calum warily.
“Shit, sorry, hi,” Calum says, mentally slapping himself, before shaking Luke’s hand. “Yeah it’s Calum, Luke right?”
Luke laughs a little giggle that makes his nose scrunch up even more (fuck). “That’s me, you want to come in?”
“Yep, show us what you’ve got!” Calum says. Why did he say that? Why did he say anything? Why has he ever opened his mouth in his life?
Luckily angel Luke just giggles again and beckons them both in behind him. When Luke’s back is turned Ashton gives him a look that says “get your shit together” and Calum just shakes his head minutely before following Luke down the corridor.
Luke
Luke’s mind races as he heads up the stairs to his first-floor flat. He really wishes he’d taken Michael up on the offer of seeing Calum ahead of time now, he did wonder why Michael was smirking so much whilst waving his phone with Calum’s Instagram profile on. He’d said he didn’t want to look Calum up, it felt like an invasion of privacy but he wishes he had now, just so he could have been a bit more prepared for how fit he is. He’s probably Luke’s age, tall and muscular with brown curls poking out of the beanie he had on that Luke wants to run his hands through (shut up Luke you barely know this guy), tanned skin, gorgeous brown eyes and the nicest mouth Luke thinks he’s ever seen on a person (those lips). He’s casually dressed, like Luke, but his green hoodie and the way his jeans cling to his thighs is something Luke will be thinking about for the foreseeable future.
He opens his door to his flat and turns around to speak to the men over his shoulder.
“Oh, my friend Michael is here, probably for the same reason you are Ashton,” he says with a rueful smile.
He goes into the flat and lets the two men follow him in. Michael is leant against the kitchen counter in what Luke thinks is an attempt to look intimidating, but completely fails when next to Ashton and Calum who are equally tall, very broad, and have arms that look like they’ve been inside a gym more than three times in the last year.
“Hi, mate,” Ashton says with a grin approaching Michael and shaking his hand. Luke observes that Ashton seems to be the talker of the two of them, with Calum seeming to be a bit more reticent, with a quiet voice and warm glance. It makes him want to know more about Calum, to know what’s going on inside his head.
“Tea?” Luke asks when they’ve all stood around looking at each other for a suitably awkward length of time.
“Go on then,” Michael says, eyeing Calum.
“Milk, no sugar,” Calum says, looking at Michael nervously.
“Have you got any green tea?” Ashton says, peering into the kitchen and also looking Luke up and down.
“Erm, let me have a look,” Luke says, heading into the kitchen area of the main living space, giving Michael a look to tell him to be nice, and Ashton following him.
“So, Luke,” Ashton says as Luke puts the kettle on. Luke thinks he can see Calum roll his eyes out of the corner of his own and suppresses a smile. “Why are you looking to have Calum sleep in your bed?”
Calum makes a noise of protest and Luke huffs out a laugh whilst digging through his cupboard.
“Well, I’m sure Calum has told you, I’m a struggling student nurse,” Luke says, smiling ruefully. “I work nights and I had a second job at the cafe around the corner on a Saturday which meant I could afford this place when I started renting it.”
He pauses for a second to pull a box out of the cupboard. “Green tea with peppermint okay?”
“Great, thanks,” Ashton says.
Luke puts the bag in the cup and pours the water. “They wanted me to do longer hours and I said I couldn’t manage it because you know, I need to sleep.” He laughs. “So they said they would get someone else who can.”
“That’s not exactly a legal reason for dismissal,” Calum pipes up from the sofa.
“That’s what I said,” Michael contributes, nodding at Calum approvingly.
“Yeah well, they wanted me gone so,” Luke shrugs, poking at the teabags. “My hours are only getting longer at the hospital so I’m not sure I can manage another job and I can’t get out of the lease for another six months because of my contract.”
Luke sees Calum frown at that and then remembers, oh yeah. Paralegal.
“I’ve got a shitty contract,” Luke says with a shrug. “So basically, I thought I would give this a go instead.”
“It’s mad, I’ve told him that,” Michael says.
“It is,” Ashton agrees.
“Well Calum’s here, isn’t he?” Luke shrugs, passing around the tea. Calum jumps up to come and help him with his and Michael’s cups.
“Well Calum’s mad too,” Ashton grumbles, sipping his tea.
Luke and Calum sit down on the sofa and Ashton perches on a stool in the kitchen as Michael stays leaning against the wall.
“So, what’s the plan then?” Calum says carefully.
Luke takes a sip of his tea, a bit nervous by Calum’s presence. He also really wants this to work, Calum seemed very normal so far and the rest of the emails Luke’s received have been… less so.
“So, as I said, I work nights,” Luke says. “I leave around 7 pm and I get back at 8 am, so the flat would be all yours between those times.”
“What about weekends?” Ashton interjects.
“We can work something out,” Luke continues, looking at Calum. “But I work Friday nights so you could have that if I can come and sleep after my shift on Saturday. Saturday and Sunday nights I’m usually at Michael’s anyway so it's yours. I’ll come back on Monday during the day before my shift again.”
Calum nods at him, drinking some of his tea. “That seems reasonable. Are you sure you don’t want another weekend day here?”
Luke shakes his head. “No, as long as I can have Saturday during the day, I’m not bothered, I’m never normally here anyway.”
Luke catches Ashton giving Michael a look like “what the hell is happening here” and sees Michael shake his head and shrug in return. Luke knows that the idea was a bit out there. But he feels like it could work.
“Anyway, this is the flat,” Luke says. “You’re sitting in the kitchen slash dining room slash lounge slash event space.”
“Event space?” Calum asks with a laugh.
“You never know,” Luke says, shrugging. Michael shakes his head at him and Ashton just looks perplexed, but Luke is glad to see his particular (nervous) brand of comedy (stupidity) seems to land with Calum who is still grinning at Luke. “Shall I show you the rest?”
He stands up and Calum mimics the movement, putting his tea down on the coffee table. (Luke notices that he locates a coaster first which he thinks is kind of sweet considering the less-than-perfect condition of the flat.)
“So, through there is the bathroom.” Luke walks down the small hallway they entered through and opens a door to show Calum the bathroom which he at least remembered to clean before the men arrived. Calum nods but doesn’t say anything.
“And then this,” Luke leads them back down the hallway and indicates a door off the main living area. “is the bedroom.”
He feels kind of odd showing his bedroom to a stranger, but if everything went to plan Calum would actually be sleeping in that bed in a few weeks so Luke thinks he should probably get over himself.
“So this is where the magic happens?” Calum says, smirking at Luke a little bit.
Luke blushes. “Yeah, I mean. No,” he stutters out. “Like I wouldn’t. With you. Nevermind.”
“We’ll have to have some sort of ground rules about the bed,” Calum says with a knowing grin, and Luke blushes even more but just nods and closes the door again.
They sit back down on the sofa and Michael gives him a look, raising his eyebrows, and Luke just shakes his head, refocusing on Calum.
“So, when can I move in?” Calum says, picking up his tea again and relaxing back on the sofa. “I’m quiet and clean and work too much to have a social life, so I think I’m the perfect potential flatmate.”
Luke looks at him quickly, a smile growing over his face. Ashtons sighs into his green tea.
⭑*⊱••✩••⊰•*⭑March⭑*⊱••✩••⊰•*⭑
Calum
Calum moves in the next week. He enlists Ashton to help him, and Ashton offers to get his car from his hometown just outside London to help cart Calum’s stuff across London. He doesn’t have that much stuff, having basically sofa surfed for the last four months, but he’s got enough that transporting on the tube is more trouble than it's worth so he’s incredibly grateful to Ashton, as always.
“Fuck, I can’t believe how much you managed to get in here,” Ashton says disbelievingly as Calum extracts bathroom stuff from the cabinet and pulls shoes from underneath Ashton’s bed.
“This is why KayKay wants me gone, mate,” Calum says good-naturedly. KayKay is lovely, but having your boyfriend’s best mate sleeping on the sofa when you move in with him was definitely not the ideal situation. He wouldn’t want Calum around if he was her. Although that would also mean he was with Ashton, so he’d be questioning his tastes in other ways.
Ashton stops and looks at him for a second.
“Cal, mate,” he starts seriously. “you don’t have to do this, you know, you can absolutely stay here, we don’t mind. Kay doesn’t mind. Honestly.”
Calum smiles at Ashton and tries to look more confident about his upcoming arrangement than he feels.
“Ash, it’s fine,” he says. “I’m fine, I’ll be with you every Friday for the pub and collapse on your sofa anyway. It’ll be like I never left.”
Ashton looks at him steadily. “Well, if at any point it's too weird or you don’t fancy it, I’m here,” Ashton says. “I’m not going anywhere.”
Calum is filled with warmth at his best friend, who’s saved his arse more times than he can count, and pulls Ashton into a hug. He’s not sure where he would be without Ashton wiping him up off the floor after his break-up; giving him somewhere to go and piecing him back into a human being again. Ashton grumbles but clutches onto Calum just as tight.
“I’ll miss you, man,” Calum here’s Ashton mumble into his shoulder. “I liked having you here.”
“You won’t miss me by the time I’m gone,” Calum says cheekily, pulling back. “Think of all the sex you can have now I’m gone.”
“Well that’s true,” Ashton says, pretending to think. “Get the fuck out of here then.”
x
It takes them the whole day to move Calum’s stuff in and Calum ushers Ashton off as soon as they’ve unloaded it all so Calum can unpack. He stands in the kitchen of his new flat and tries to shake off the uncomfortable feeling that he’s not meant to be there; like he’s living in someone else’s space. Which it is. But it's also his now. Luke has kindly made some space for him in the various cupboards, but it's not like Calum had much kitchen or cleaning or home stuff to begin with. He hangs his suits and shirts in the wardrobe and squeezes his bathroom stuff into the cabinet then sits down, fingers twitching.
He decides to clean up a bit, thinking it would be a nice gesture to Luke. Half-way through he considers that it might seem a bit passive-aggressive but he’s got this far scrubbing the cooker so thinks he might as well finish the job. He resists doing the oven too, maybe he’ll do that when they’re a bit more used to each other in the same space. After he’s done he perches on the sofa and turns the TV on, trying to make himself feel a least a bit at home. He runs his hands over the sofa and cushions and tries to be at least grateful that he didn’t have to consider furnishing somewhere. Luke’s taste in stuff is fairly aligned with Calum’s, it’s a bit more cluttered than Calum would have it, but the addition of bright cushions, a few blankets and band posters on the wall does give the flat which otherwise would be a white box a bit of character. He thinks about Luke again, the man he’s now flatmates with but is unlikely to ever see and sighs, based on the couple of conversations they had managed to have with Ashton and Michael in the room he thinks that maybe he wishes he could see Luke a bit more. And not just because he’s really fit.
Luke
The first week of Luke and Calum’s arrangement is a bit awkward. Luke forgot that he would have to deal with a second set of stuff in his flat and tries not to be annoyed by the appearance of a load of new clothes in his wardrobe and soaps in his shower.
One thing he’s definitely not annoyed at is the appearance of Calum’s PS4, which is far superior to his old Xbox, which he stuffs in the hallway cupboard when its superior model shows up on the telly table. He doesn’t go as far as to play it (he doesn’t really have time for that anyway) but the thought that it’s there is nice.
Apart from that, it's not so bad. Calum wasn’t lying when he said he was clean and he often cleans up Luke’s things as well, which he’d feel guilty about if he wasn’t so tired all the time. Calum’s only vices seem to be always leaving the lids of things partly open instead of closing them tight and half-drunk cups of tea which he leaves littered around the flat on every available surface. He’s not sure the other man’s ever drunk a full cup in his life, with at least two left when Luke turns up in the morning, one usually luke-warm like an attempt has been made to drink it but he’s run out of time before he needs to leave.
They agree over text the side of the bed to sleep on, and at first, Luke considered changing the sheets every time he got in to make sure it was clean, but soon gave up when he feels as tired as he does when he gets back from work and just trusts that Calum sticks to his side. Calum smells nice which is a blessing and Luke can’t say he dislikes the spicy scent of his aftershave and citrus of his shampoo lingering in his sheets, although he feels decidedly creepy for thinking so. They also agree in a series of awkward messages that neither of them will have sex in the bed. Luke knows that based on his current success rate and free time that it’s not really a prospect for him regardless, but it’s nice to know Calum won’t bring someone back there either.
Apart from agreeing on those sort of things they don’t really communicate much, two completely separate lives, literally ships passing in the night. Apart from the fact that they live in the same place.
One morning Luke gets back after a particularly nasty shift, his favourite patient who’s been on his ward for months took a bad turn in the night and even though she had stabilised before he had to leave, it had still left him with a bad taste in his mouth and he can’t sleep, hands shaking and needless energy thrumming through his tired body. He bakes up a batch of brownies to keep his mind occupied, filling the flat with a chocolatey scent before he showers and falls into bed.
When he wakes up for work again he considers the brownies. He decides to make a friendly gesture to Calum now he’s been there a couple of weeks, so wraps up a couple of the brownies to sneak to Katie if she’s awake but leaves the rest on the side in the kitchen, and pulls a stack of post-its out of the drawer by the door.
Luke hastily scribbles down a note that predictably gets away from him. He swears when he sees the time and before he can second guess himself, sticks the note to the tub of brownies, shrugs on his coat and leaves the flat.
On a Tupperware of brownies left on the kitchen counter:
You will get to know this about me but I am a stress baker. Please enjoy brownies. Unless you’re vegan or lactose intolerant or whatever. Then maybe don’t eat these. Or allergic to nuts. Shit you need to tell me if you’re allergic to nuts can get rid of all the peanut butter. Don’t want you to go into anaphylaxis on account of me. Fuck going to be late just put the brownies in the bin if you don’t want them. Luke xx
On the clean Tupperware left on the draining board:
I’m not lactose intolerant or allergic to anything and also not vegan. Please don’t throw away the peanut butter how will I keep sneaking it for my toast? The brownies were delicious, I’m sorry I ate them all (although in my defence I did give some to my boss to make her like me). Calum xx
On a tea towel covered loaf of bread:
Please help yourself to bread although from professional perspective should be encouraging you to eat something other than toast for dinner (you don’t seem to buy any other food). Did brownies work to make boss like you? Luke xx
On a pack of eggs on the table:
I ate the last of your eggs with the bread (incredible, should have known) for what I think was an extremely nutritious dinner. I’m pretty sure my boss still hates me, maybe more brownies would work? (that was a joke) (unless…) Calum xx
After the last note, Luke might make more chilli than he knows he’ll eat, but he didn’t necessarily do it on purpose. He hesitates for a minute but then hastily writes the note before heading out to work.
On the fridge:
Flapjacks on the side for your boss. Hope these work better. Leftover chilli in the fridge is for you, please eat it. Take it as payment for cleaning the kitchen again (ran out of time). Luke xx
Luke doesn’t regret leaving Calum the food at all as soon as he gets back from work the next morning and sees the kitchen has been completely cleaned and there’s another note.
On top of a complete stack of clean dishes:
My boss still hates me but I think she smiled at me for the first time ever after a bite of one of your flapjacks, I think you might be magic? The chilli was also delicious, but I feel bad eating your food so I’ve made you a sandwich to take to work. I don’t actually know what you like so I’ve made you the same as mine (trusty BLT) I’ll continue to make you one if you want as I continue to eat your delicious dinners. Did you like the sandwich yes or no? Tick here: YES NO. Calum xx
On a multipack of Skips:
✓ YES Sandwich much better than hospital canteen food. Don’t know when you started buying Wotsits but have been eating those too so here are some Skips to return the favour. Making curry tomorrow do you like spicy food? Tick here: YES NO Luke xx
On top of more clean dishes:
✓ YES Very excited to come home to curry although it will have to be incredible to beat the risotto you made last week. Calum xx
Calum
Calum shakes his head as he munches his way through one of the best home-made curries he’s ever had the fortune of eating and wonders how he managed to get this lucky with a flatmate. He’d only explained his new living arrangement to a couple of the other paralegals at work, and they’d both given him weird enough looks that he hadn’t bothered trying to broach the subject with anyone else. He gets it, it should be weird, and it is a little, Luke’s presence permeating the space but never actually seeing the other man, but the notes were helping. By all accounts, Luke was a pretty good flatmate. What he lacked in cleanliness (not a huge issue), he made up for in fucking amazing cooking. And genuinely, Calum did not mind doing the washing up when provided with some of the best meals and treats he’s eaten since he lived with his mum.
He couldn’t deny enjoying getting snapshots of Luke through his notes, his writing voice feeling familiar, and Calum really did look forward to getting home and seeing what Luke might have left for him next.
It's a welcome distraction when work is kicking his arse. His boss only seems to get more disappointed the more work Caum tries to do, it's not even as if he can do something catastrophically wrong, but something about the way Calum works fundamentally gets on her nerves. He knows she’s the toughest partner in the firm, so he can do a good job with her then his future is set, but doing a good job didn’t seem to equate to anything with her.
He’s downing a fourth cup of coffee whilst hunching over his laptop, halfway through another fourteen hour day when the partner approaches his desk.
“Calum have you made copies of this contract?” Susan asks, surveying Calum over her glasses.
Calum looks up from where he’s researching for a case next week, trying desperately to get as much noted down as possible before he’s asked to do another menial job like filing for someone. That was the worst part of being a paralegal, all the responsibility possible for cases but still being the dogsbody asked to do the worst tasks like filing or stapling contracts together.
“No but I can do it now for you,” he says, already getting up, knowing that saying no and not moving would not be a sufficient response.
“How are we supposed to have a review meeting with the client if we don’t have enough copies of the contract for everyone?” Susan asks flatly.
Calum knows the question is rhetorical so just nods and gets up to go to the copier room.
“Try to plan ahead, Calum,” she says as she goes back to her office. Calum grinds his teeth and resists responding. He plans ahead. He plans ahead of the planning ahead, he just couldn’t read Susan’s fucking mind and he’s not sure how he’s supposed to. Last week she had said there was no point having printed copies if they had circulated it beforehand but apparently that was not the case this week.
He conscientiously makes detailed notes during the meeting with the client, types them up straight away and prints a copy, highlighting the key takeaways and actions agreed, sends a copy on email and then delivers the hard copy to her before she leaves for the day, along with a couple of Luke’s cookies (the last result of the baking that had been left to him). She just nods and waves a hand when Calum drops it on her desk, but when she leaves an hour or so later, she actually thanks Calum and heads out the door with a ghost of a smile on her face. Calum pumps his fist with a grin after she leaves the room.
Susan: 0 Luke’s baking: 2.
Luke
Their notes start migrating from just the kitchen throughout the flat and Luke can’t remember how it started or who left the first note, just that they’re going through Luke’s post-it notes like there’s no tomorrow.
On a stack of freshly washed towels:
I was going to wash my towels, then thought I would do the hand-towel and bath mat, and then it felt weirdly passive-aggressive to leave your towel out so I’ve washed them all. Hope you don’t think that’s weird and/or creepy. Calum xx
On the mirror in the bathroom:
NOT creepy, very much appreciated after shower this morning (desperately needed) (you don’t want to know). Used some of your shampoo today and decided it's better than mine so will be buying that only in future. Luke xx
On two new bottles of shampoo stacked on the edge of the bath:
I sometimes forget what your job is then gross myself out that we share a bed, although it’s good to know you’re a showerer before bed. I thought we should stock up on the shampoo, if I remember you correctly you have far more hair than is reasonable. Calum xx
Luke smiles at the latest note and unconsciously runs a hand through his hair. He’s contemplated cutting it off, back to having it short like when he was younger, but it was his one vanity as such. He liked his curls and even if it meant they were pulled back into a tiny ponytail or bun for most of his shift he couldn’t bring himself to cut them off again. He doesn't regret that decision as he washes his hair with Calum’s citrusy shampoo and decides to leave it down at least for the beginning of his shift.
x
“Luke!” Luke hears the familiar voice ring out over the ward as he comes in for his rounds that evening.
“Hi Katie,” Luke smiles as he goes to check the eleven-year old’s notes. “What have you been up to today?”
“I had to do school,” the blonde girl says, scrunching her nose and glaring behind her glasses. “What’s the point in nearly dying when you still have to do maths, Luke?”
Luke snorts, this was classic Katie, the driest sense of humour in an eleven-year-old he’d ever met.
“You’re going to need maths one day, Katie,” Luke says with a smile, checking her IV.
“Unlikely,” Katie scoffs. “Especially not if I’m gonna be here for another year.”
“You won’t be if I can help it,” Luke says with a gentle smile and watches Katie unwillingly give him a sad smile in return.
“Your hair looks nice today,” Katie says, indicating the curls uncharacteristically loose on Luke’s head.
“Thank you.” Luke smiles at her then whispers conspiratory. “I stole my flatmate’s shampoo.”
Katie fake gasps and grins back at Luke. “I didn't know you had a flatmate, Luke.”
“He’s only just moved in,” Luke says, changing the fluid bag connected to Katie’s arm.
“Is he nice? What’s his name? What does he do?” Katie asks in quick succession.
“Yes. Calum. And he’s a lawyer,” Luke responds, making a note on the clipboard and sliding it back into the end of Katie’s bed. “And that’s enough questions from you, I have to go.”
“Come back before you leave in the morning?” Katie asks. “I wanna hear more about Calum.”
“Maybe if you’re good,” Luke winks before moving to his next patient. “And go to sleep at a reasonable time and you might be awake before I leave.”
On the bathroom mirror:
Favourite patient said my hair looked nice today, then was extremely interested in my new flatmate. Think you’ve got a new fan. Luke xx
On the shower door:
What is favourite patient's name? Please pass on my regards. I’m sure your hair did look nice, my shampoo truly is excellent. Calum xx
On the bathroom door:
Her name’s Katie and she’s the nosiest eleven-year-old in the world. Thought she was going to burst with excitement that lawyer flatmate now knows her name. She won’t stop asking about you now. Luke xx
On the light switch:
Only tell her the good things, please! I’m already trying to get on the good side of this eleven-year-old I’ve never met. Calum xx
Luke laughs and shakes his head as he goes to have his evening shower, he genuinely has nothing bad he could even say about Calum.
⭑*⊱••✩••⊰•*⭑April⭑*⊱••✩••⊰•*⭑
Calum
Calum thinks that the cookies might have been the turning point in his and Susan’s relationship. She still glares at him a lot but sometimes she looks neutral rather than pissed off when Calum’s in her eye line, and best of all, she seems to now give all the worst tasks to the trainee in the property team rather than Calum. He feels sorry for Matt, he really does, but he can’t deny it feels good to hear Susan barking printing instructions to someone that’s not him.
Unfortunately, just as Calum starts to think he might be getting his shit together, that he might be getting somewhere with his job, getting himself known as being reliable for his work, something comes along to fuck it up. Something in the shape of Roy, his ex.
He gets back one night earlier than normal (only just ten) and he’s just getting through the door when his phone buzzes.
Hey Cal! It’s been a while! Heard you moved out of Ashton’s flat, didn’t think I’d hear the day when you’d be able to manage that! You finally doing well enough to strike out on your own then? I’ve been thinking about you lately, I think we should catch up. Let me know when you’re free, I miss you xxx
Calum’s stomach rolls at the message. It’s Roy all over, the barely veiled insult combined with just enough kindness to make Calum think about it. Roy never did think much of Calum’s job, he thought that as soon as Calum didn’t secure a training contract he should give up on law and do something else. That paying his own way through his LPC and being paid a pittance wasn’t worth it. Calum nearly did as well, until Ashton managed to talk some sense into him about what his ambitions really were. Even after that Roy had made his disdain for Calum doing paralegal work clear, and it had been one of the things that had driven the nail into the coffin of their relationship, that and his long hours to which Roy had always complained meant Calum wasn’t prioritising their relationship. Roy had broken up with him soon after the hundredth time they had this argument, and even though realistically Calum knew their relationship hadn’t been good for a while, there was still a part of him that was inexplicably attached to him. He still had that desire to please him, which even by Calum’s own measure was really fucked up. Calum thinks his remaining attachment to Roy might also be to do with the fact that he didn’t seem to have any hope of meeting anyone else whilst he worked in a law firm; his free time was close to nothing at this point.
Calum finds some pasta in the fridge from Luke with a short note which inexplicably settles him, and puts it in the microwave as he dials Ashton’s number.
“Hey man!” Ashton’s voice comes through the speaker.
“Roy text me,” Calum says, not beating around the bush.
“What?” Ashton says, contempt in his voice. Ashton was never Roy’s biggest fan.
Calum reads the message out to Ashton and Ashton makes a noise of disgust.
“He’s such a dick, I fucking swear to God,” Ashton says with distaste.
“How does he even know I’ve moved out of yours?” Calum asks.
“We still have some mutual friends I guess,” Ashton says. “I know Kay was out with a couple of people that still talk to him the other night.”
Calum groans frustratedly. “I hate this.”
“You’re not considering replying to him are you?” Ashton says carefully.
Calum pauses for a second too long, collecting his thoughts.
“Cal, come on man,” Ashton says, annoyance seeping into his tone. “Delete the message, block his number.”
“I just,” Calum starts, then gives up. “I don’t know.”
“I know you loved him,” Ashton says, a bit more gently, and Calum winces. “But he’s not doing you any good Cal.”
“I know,” Calum says. “But maybe we can be friends or something.”
Ashton makes a derisive noise. “Calum, you are better off without him in your life. Please trust me on that.”
Calum sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose. “I’m gonna go to bed, Ash.”
“Okay,” Ashton says. “You’re doing amazingly Calum, you don’t need him.”
“Bye, Ash,” Calum says, slightly unevenly.
“Love you, bye,” Ashton responds.
Calum sighs and looks at the text again. He apologises to Luke as he scrapes the pasta into the bin even though he can’t hear him.
x
He gets back the day after to a note from Luke which improves his day more than he would like to admit to.
On clean mugs:
You okay? Tea not even touched this morning and pasta from last night very much in the bin. (Not to be investigative just checking in) (saw the pasta when I threw my teabag away) (the pasta might have just tasted bad). Feel free to throw this note away too. Luke xx
On cupboard door:
I’m sure pasta was delicious, I’m sorry it ended up in the bin, it's me, not you etc etc. I got a message from my ex last night that he wants to see me again. I didn’t know what to say. I thought I didn’t care about him anymore but it made me feel a way I haven’t in months. I think this is oversharing but it feels easier to do on this note. I’m now canvassing opinions. Should I respond to him? YES NO Calum xx
On freezer door:
✓ NO Absolutely not. Am fundamentally against speaking to exes on principle. Have baked brookies (brownie cookie combo) and bought ice cream. Microwave brookie for 20 seconds for optimum eating experience and forget about ex. Luke xx
Calum smiles and follows instructions. It’s fucking incredible and does make him forget about Roy for at least an hour. Somehow Luke’s note had made him feel even more comforted than Ashton’s words had. He blocks Roy’s number, deletes the text and nods to himself.
Luke
Luke muses over the latest notes with Calum. He hadn’t considered that Calum could be in a relationship (which would have put quite a bit of pressure on their arrangement, he’s aware), and tries to imagine what his ex looks like. Difficult when he knows nothing about the man. Apart from the normal flatmate things like what his toothbrush looks like, what his favourite chocolate is and what side of the bed he sleeps on. Anyway. He feels a bit weird to have it confirmed to him that Calum’s gay, or at least likes men. It makes some of Luke’s shame-filled daydreams about his flatmate a bit more real and a bit more inappropriate. It’s also sure to fuel some more.
Luke hadn’t managed to maintain an adult relationship since he’d been at university, as soon as he qualified as a nurse and picked up the night shift it had killed his love life dead. He’d managed a few dates at the weekend and a few casual arrangements which soon fizzled out as time went on, but it’s supremely difficult to maintain a normal relationship with someone when you’re only ever awake when they’re asleep.
He spends a lot of time justifying his reasons to remain single to Michael, but the person he mainly spends time defending himself against is Katie.
“Any dates this week?” Katie says to him eagerly as he comes in on Monday evening. It’s how she often likes to greet him at the beginning of a week, always eager despite Luke’s perpetual negative response.
“No, Katie,” Luke shakes his head and smiles, despite himself.
“You deserve a nice boyfriend, Luke,” she says.
Ever since Luke had explained to her that he was not interested in going on dates with women after an awkward week of her trying to match-make him and her own mother (who’s single and objectively attractive, but also approximately ten years older than Luke and, you know, a woman), Katie had thrown a lot of her energy into trying to find Luke a man. Unfortunately, Katie’s pool of eligible bachelors was fairly small, and so Luke had to endure several excruciating discussions with various doctors about why this child wouldn’t stop talking about Luke when they were treating her.
“Thank you, Katie,” Luke says and slips her a biscuit wrapped in foil out of his pocket that he’d saved for her.
“You do!” Katie says. “You’re so nice and you bake lovely things and you have such pretty hair and eyes.”
She gasps with delight when she spots the foil package that can only mean one thing and eats it quickly before anyone can see her, she knows she’s not supposed to eat secret treats, but Luke makes sure he only does it very occasionally.
Luke laughs but feels his heart grown two sizes looking at the earnest girl in the bed in front of him. She was truly a treasure and deserved much more than the life that she’d been given. He really hoped she continued to improve the way she had been, so she could go and have a normal childhood.
“Do you give your biscuits to Calum too?” Katie asks.
“Yes I do, I leave them for him,” Luke says, adjusting Katie’s sheets slightly. “He takes them to his work.”
“Oh,” Katie says, frowning a bit at the idea Luke gives his baked goods to someone other than her. But she brightens quickly after thinking for a minute.
“Maybe you could go on a date with him?” she asks.
Luke tries not to choke on his own saliva. He tries to think of a way of killing this line of thought without explaining the intricacies of not getting involved with someone you live with, or telling the eleven-year-old that they share a bed.
“He has a normal job, Katie,” He responds. “He’s asleep when I’m working, we wouldn’t have time.”
“Hm,” Katie says thoughtfully, and Luke sighs. He definitely hasn’t heard the last of this one.
On the kettle:
Think favourite patient is jealous that I bake for you now and not just for her. You may have dropped in her estimations slightly. Luke xx
On the cutlery drawer:
Well I’m just going to have to fight Katie for your affections then aren’t I? I’m not sure I can live without your baked goods at this point. Calum xx
Calum
“How’s it going with Susan by the way?” Ashton asks Calum one Saturday morning when Calum is wrapped in a blanket on Ashton’s sofa after sleeping there after the pub on Friday night.
“It’s improving I think,” Calum says, taking a sip of coffee. “She hasn’t called me out for being lazy in any meetings lately.”
Ashton rolls his eyes expressively. “Everything I hear about this woman makes me like her less, I don’t know how you put up with her without saying something.”
“Saying something would only make my situation worse,” Calum points out. “But you’re right, I really have to bite my tongue sometimes.”
“Why do you let her speak to you like that?” Ashton asks over the rim of his mug.
“Because she’s my best shot at making sure I get the training contract,” Calum says, massaging his forehead.
“If they don’t give it to you I’m marching into the firm myself to tell them what I think,” Ashton says decisively.
Calum smiles gratefully at him.
“Hopefully that won’t be necessary,” Calum says. “If Luke’s baking continues at the same success rate she might even hire me herself at this point.”
Ashton gives him a look but when Calum asks what he’s looking at he just shakes his head. They continue drinking their coffee and eating toast in companionable silence, the only kind that can be achieved from spending hours and hours in each other’s company.
“On the risk of bringing him up again,” Ashton starts slowly after a few minutes. “Did you decide what to do about Roy?”
Calum pauses for a second, that already seemed like months ago despite it only being a couple of weeks. He shakes his head.
“I didn’t reply,” Calum says and Ashton smiles in satisfaction. “I deleted the text and his contact and I blocked his number.”
“Finally,” Ashton says, reaching out to clap Calum on the shoulder. “You made the right decision mate.”
“I think so too,” Calum says with a small smile.
“What forced you to do it in the end?” Ashton asked curiously.
“Oh, just something that Luke said to me,” Calum says, continuing to eat his toast.
Ashton pauses.
“You talk about Luke a lot,” He states.
“Do I?”
“Yes,” Ashton says, narrowing his eyes at Calum. “Is something going on there?”
Calum laughs. “How could it? I don’t ever see him.”
“Hm. Okay,” Ashton still looks suspicious but Calum just shrugs at him.
He thinks its probably best not to mention that maybe he’d like for something to be going on there.
Luke
Luke guiltily leaves a note for Calum in the bedroom as he heads out for work on Thursday.
On the chest of drawers:
Going to need to establish a firm system on who’s drawer is who’s here. Unrelated note, might have your pants on today. Have we finally crossed the line into weird and/or creepy? YES NO. Luke xx
On the second drawer of the chest of drawers
✓ YES … joking. But please wash them. I think I had your socks on today, they don’t feel right. Calum xx
Underneath first note:
Calum’s pants and socks, Luke stay out.
On a pile of washing on top of the chest of drawers:
Got horribly confused when you weren’t here on Saturday so washed everything. Now have no idea who’s is who’s. Please take what’s yours and I’ll just have the rest (know I’m a nightmare, will blame working nights). Luke xx
On top of the cleared chest of drawers:
You think I know my own pants in a sea of black pants? I spent all of 10 minutes trying to work it out then I decided I could use my time in so many other ways. I guess we’re sharing now. (you’re terrible but I’m eating meals for the first time in months so I can’t stay pissed) Calum xx P.S I’ve sorted a new system for the drawers
On the first drawer:
Pants
On the second drawer:
Socks
Luke laughs when he finds the note. He thinks in a strange way he and Calum are friends now, which is a nice thing to have with a flatmate, but he can’t deny how increasingly familiar they are becoming with each other, for two people that have only met once. (Definitely too familiar by anyone else’s standards at the fact he was currently wearing the man’s clothes.) He does feel guilty about mixing up all their underwear, that’ll teach him to try to be helpful. He’s going to leave the washing to Calum again from now on.
x
He’s doing the food shopping on a Friday evening before his shift at the local Lidl, absentmindedly adding things to the basket that he knows Calum likes; the chocolate that he finds wrappers in the bin from, and the ingredients for meals he gets the most enthusiastic responses for, when he stops in the alcohol section and has a thought.
On a bottle of dark rum on the counter:
An apology for the pants thing. Guessed on the type of alcohol to buy based on going through a much fuller booze cupboard than I ever remember having. Let me know what you think. Did you like the rum: YES NO Luke xx
On a bottle of tequila on the counter:
✓ YES. I drank way too much of that last night with Ashton. I also felt bad about you buying me drink as an apology so I bought you some tequila I know (think?) you like. In hindsight, I’ve put us in a never-ending cycle of buying alcohol that we could just be buying ourselves so I suggest we stop here. Calum xx
Luke picks up the tequila and shakes his head, this was nice tequila, not the shitty stuff he usually drinks, and puts it in his bag to take to Michael’s for the weekend.
x
On a plant in the corner:
This is our new pet. Rescued from the office at work. Hoping you will take joint custody and remember to water it when I forget (likely). Luke xx
On the plant moved to the windowsill:
I’ve always wanted to adopt! I’ve put our new child in the sunlight and I will endeavour to keep it alive. Calum xx
⭑*⊱••✩••⊰•*⭑May⭑*⊱••✩••⊰•*⭑
Luke
Luke is exhausted. He’s always exhausted, it comes with the territory of being a nurse and working nights to boot, but the kind of exhaustion he feels at the minute is deep in his bones, dragging him down and making all his movements feel slow and hazy.
He’s always wanted to be a nurse but it’s weeks like this which remind him why everyone had warned against it, why the number of people wanting to do it was dropping considerably with every year. Watching children who should be at school, should be playing with their friends, running and laughing get progressively more ill when most of the time Luke couldn’t do anything about it was incredibly difficult to accept.
It all culminates when one of his patients gets a bad infection and is rushed into surgery and then put in intensive care in an induced coma. He’s alive, but Luke doesn’t know what will happen during the hours when he’s not at the hospital, having to hand over to the day nurses as always. Luke drags himself home feeling numb and bakes up two batches of cupcakes just to avoid going to sleep and being with his own thoughts. He leaves them for Calum regardless, without the usual enthusiasm in his notes.
On one empty Tupperware:
You’re going to start making me fat. Those cupcakes were out of this world, my boss even said thank you today when I passed her some documents, how will I ever thank you enough. More baking makes me worried how stressed you might be. Are you doing okay? (feel free to tell me to fuck off if this is pushing it) Calum xx
Luke cracks a smile for the first time in what feels like days at Calum’s note. He feels a bit of comfort at having this man he’s only met once care about him enough to notice his change in demeanour.
On top of a stack of clean plates inside the cupboard:
You do my washing up for me that’s thanks enough. Making stir fry tonight. Can you get milk on your way back tomorrow? In desperate need of tea. Luke xx
On the box of teabags:
Everything just feels a lot right now you know? Like I’m going through the motions of my life but I’m only just holding it together when everything is so much. What am I doing it all for? This is way too existential for a note, feel free to ignore. Luke xx
Luke thinks that Calum might have ignored his second note, he can’t blame him, he probably would have done if presented with a note of that tone, but then he turns the light on in the bathroom to shower before he goes to bed and finds Calum’s notes.
On the bathroom mirror
You work way too hard. But you do it because you love it, because you love them and you want to help them. I don’t even know you that well and I know that. It’s tough right now and having a stranger in your flat probably isn’t helping. But I promise you you’re doing fine. You will be fine. Calum xx
Below the first note:
Amazing nurse and all-round person ->
Luke laughs and almost sniffles a bit at the arrow pointing towards him on the mirror. But that’s only because he’s exhausted.
Calum
Calum wishes he could do more for Luke than just write nice things on notes. He likes to think the two of them are friends now, not mentioning Calum’s only ever-growing attachment to the other man.
He’s out shopping with Ashton the next weekend when he gets an idea. A lamp catches his eye in the department store they’re in. He wanders over to have a look at it and smiles to himself, it’s going to mean he can’t afford the shirts he’s got in his hands currently but he reckons it's worth it. He leaves it on the bed when he heads out for work Monday morning and writes a note to go along with it.
On a daylight lamp
I saw this when I was out on Saturday and couldn’t resist. It’s a natural daylight lamp so it gradually lights up the room like the sun rising. I can’t do anything about what happens at work but I hope that this might make waking up for it a bit easier. Calum xx
Calum comes back that night to find the lamp in place on Luke’s bedside table and a note.
On the lamp:
I don’t even know what to say, thank you thank you. Will let you know how I get on with it tomorrow. Luke xx
On new travel mug on the table:
Daylight lamp was incredible. Had to do something to display my immense thanks so here. It’s not the same level but your tea is always half-drunk, thought maybe you could do with this. Luke xx
Calum laughs at the mug which says “You’re tea-rrific” with a picture of a teabag on it. He smiles wide even though he’s the only one in the room and his heart leaps in a strange way at the gift from Luke.
This prompts a round of gift buying that seems to have no end, some functional, some thoughtful and some just silly.
On a new Tupperware set:
I might have lost a few of these, here’s a new set. Calum xx
On a new plant in the corner:
You did such a good job of keeping our other child alive I thought we might be ready for another. Luke xx
On some new hair product in the bathroom cabinet:
I used this when my hair was longer, you like the shampoo so maybe give this a go? Calum xx
And so it continues. They get through almost a stack of post-its a week and Calum is constantly clearing them away. He doesn’t throw them away though, he keeps them tucked inside one of his law books where he knows Luke won’t find them. He’s not sure why.
x
On a pull-up bar in the bedroom:
What is this? You know we’re renting here please don’t cause damage. Luke xx
Also on the pull-up bar:
Your fault, I need more exercise than ever now you’re feeding me. (don’t worry, I will fill in holes when I leave) Calum xx
On the edge of the bed, on Calum’s side:
Weights under here that I use maybe once a month. Feel like you might get more use out of them so feel free. Luke xx
On the edge of the bed, on Luke’s side:
Not sure what you’re insinuating about my physique but I will take it as a compliment. I will use the weights, Ashton tells me I don’t go to the gym enough anymore. Calum xx
On the mirror in the bedroom:
Don’t listen to Ashton. From what I remember you look good fine. Luke xx
The good is scribbled out aggressively but Calum can still make it out slightly, and he grins to himself.
Luke
“What do you mean you’ve been chatting to Calum, I thought you didn't see him?” Michael asks suspiciously from around a mouthful of Chinese food.
He’s curled up on the other end of the sofa to Luke in Michael’s living room. It’s Sunday night and Luke has been there since Saturday evening, they’ve spent the weekend the way they normally do: playing Fortnite, watching movies and eating food. Having a friend like Michael who’s part nocturnal anyway makes living Luke’s life a lot easier, they’ll stay up until ridiculous hours in the morning before falling asleep on his sofa or crawling into his bed, and Luke will drag himself back to his flat on Monday afternoon and trying to get ready for the week again.
“I don’t see him,” Luke says slowly, becoming very interested in his duck pancake. “We just leave notes.”
“Notes?” Michael says disbelievingly. “About what?”
“What I’ve left for dinner,” Luke says quietly.
“You cook for him?!”
“Or to thank him for doing our washing,” Luke says hurriedly.
“Our washing?!” Michael interjects. “I’m sorry what kind of relationship are you having with your flatmate you never see?”
“It’s just. Convenient,” Luke says. “He does the washing and cleaning, I do the cooking. We leave each other notes about what needs getting from the shop, or whatever.”
Michael looks at him, frowning.
“Are you flirting with your flatmate through notes?” Michael asks.
Luke blushes. “No!”
“That wasn’t very convincing, Luke,” Michael says. “You know that’s a really terrible idea right?”
“I’m not flirting,” Luke protests. “He’s just... Nice.”
“How can you tell?” Michael asks, bemusedly.
“He does all the laundry, he does all the washing up from when I cook. He buys stuff without having to be asked,” Luke says. “He asks how I am. He bought me a lamp.”
Michael looks at Luke calculatingly. “You have a crush on a man you’ve only ever seen once.”
“Don’t say crush I’m nearly twenty-four,” Luke says, stuffing more egg fried rice into his mouth. “And I don’t.”
“You fancy him then,” Michael says rolling his eyes. “You want to kiss him, you want to suck his dick etcetera etcetera.”
“Fuck off, I didn’t say that,” Luke says grumpily.
“I saw the way you were eyeing him up when he came to see the flat, Lukey,” Michael says, poking him with a chopstick. “You know you shouldn’t shit where you eat.”
“Yeah well, I still never see him, so that won’t be a problem,” Luke says, glaring at Michael.
“Just keep leaving him notes and wanking off in the bed you share with him then,” Michael says with a grin.
“That’s enough from you,” Luke says, burning red and taking a large sip of beer. He decides not to tell Michael that he and Calum are also essentially sharing a wardrobe by this point, best not to add fuel to the fire.
⭑*⊱••✩••⊰•*⭑June⭑*⊱••✩••⊰•*⭑
Calum
Calum gets too drunk. Way too drunk for a Wednesday night. They closed a case and their boss in a strange streak of compassion decided to let them off early. She then decided to take them all out for food and drinks. This to some might be a trial, going out with a boss, but Calum knew that just meant that she was likely to buy them expensive steaks and get them all pissed on good champagne. And that she did. She’d gone home around midnight, paying their tab with a wave of her company card and he and the rest of his team were piled into a bar in Soho which Calum knew was way out of his price range. His last cognisant memory is thinking that he really must stop drinking.
x
Calum wakes up to a bright room and a terrible taste in his mouth. He stumbles out of bed quickly and checks his watch.
Shit. Fuck.
Shit.
He’s late. Well, not late by his contracted hours but late enough that his boss will not be happy. He starts to look for his suit before realising he can’t go to work like this, he stinks of cigarettes and alcohol. He quickly weighs up being an extra five minutes late and decides it's worth it, rushing to the bathroom and throwing open the door before he can clock that it's later than he usually showers, the water is already running in the bathroom and yes. That Luke is in here already. Showering. Showering naked. Which he supposes is to be expected but is a bit much for him to be dealing with at the moment.
Calum catches a glimpse of the expanse of pale skin through the glass shower door, ridiculously broad shoulders dusted with freckles tapering into a small waist, rivulets of water running from curly tendrils of his hair down his back and towards his… Calum inadvertently lets out a small noise and turns around quickly as Luke realises there’s someone else in the room with him.
“Fuck!” Calum hears him squeak.
“Oh my god, I’m so sorry oh my god,” Calum says.
“What the fuck?!” Luke shrieks.
“Oh my god,” Calum groans. “I’m leaving I just—”
He turns around slightly to locate the door.
“Stop!” Luke exclaims. “Close your eyes, Jesus Christ!”
Calum closes his eyes and starts feeling around for the door. He hears Luke huff out a sigh from somewhere next to him.
“Just,” Luke says. “Pass me my towel, please.”
Calum faces the other way and picks Luke’s towel off the rack, holding it out behind him for Luke to take.
“Okay, it’s safe,” Luke says.
Calum turns around to be met with Luke looking at him now with a towel wrapped around his waist, a blush on his cheeks and flushing down his chest, underneath the dusting of hair across the broadness of his—
Calum shakes himself and looks at Luke again, who’s own eyes are travelling down Calum’s chest and arms and. Oh yeah. Calum is just standing there in his boxers. Which might become a problem imminently with the way Luke is looking at him and the way Luke looks himself, water dripping from his hair.
“I’m so sorry,” Calum gets out again, trying to not look directly at Luke. “I overslept, I’m late I—”
“It’s fine,” Luke says, a little higher pitched than Calum remembers his voice sounding on their first meeting. “It’s all yours, I’m just going to—”
He doesn’t finish that sentence, just sidesteps Calum and leaves the bathroom, accidentally brushing Calum’s arm as he goes, slamming the door behind him.
Calum groans. He’s going to be more than five minutes later.
Luke
Luke pulls on a T-shirt and some joggers and possibly Calum’s pants (he’s still not sure) then dithers in the kitchen. He doesn’t know what to do. He can’t stay in the bedroom, Calum would need to go back in there to change, but staying in the kitchen and living space means that Calum has to walk through to get to the bedroom. He thinks about leaving the flat. Or the country maybe.
He shakes his head, flushing again at the thought of Calum seeing him naked, like fully naked, but also not being able to get the thought of Calum’s own body out of his mind. He’s fit, which he knew already, tanned and muscular and his tattoos. Luke didn’t know he had tattoos, having only seen him once in long sleeves, but he had ink wrapping up and down his arm and across his chest. The expanse of his chest. The rippling muscular expanse of his chest. And abs. Fuck. He needs to sit down. Luke decides to play it casually, the only way they would get through this stumbling block in their relationship and puts the kettle on.
He sits down with a cup of decaf tea and takes a couple of steadying breaths through his nose before he hears the shower cut off.
He watches Calum shuffle awkwardly into the room and tries not to look too hard at his chest again.
“I’m just going to—'' Calum gestures to the bedroom and quickly walks off again as Luke just sits there. He bangs his head on the table.
When Calum emerges again Luke’s managed a slice of toast and is brewing another cup of tea.
“I’m sorry,” Calum says, big brown eyes blinking remorsefully as his hair falls in his eyes. Luke’s lost his train of thought again now he’s seen Calum in a suit. God, will the misery ever end?
“I made you tea,” Luke bursts out, gesturing to Calum’s travel mug on the table.
“Oh,” Calum starts, before his face spreads into a grin, eyes creasing. “Thank you.”
They stand there smiling awkwardly at each other for a minute.
“Aren’t you late?” Luke asks, glancing at his phone.
“Fuck. Shit, yeah,” Calum says, grabbing the mug and his bag. “I’m going, bye, Luke.”
Luke falls into bed and screams into his pillow.
Calum
Calum:
Disaster of a morning.
Late for work.
Fucking hungover as shit.
Saw flatmate for the second time ever.
He was naked.
Ashton:
One of these things is not like the others
Call me at lunch fucker
“You know I don’t actually get a lunch break right?” Calum says as soon as Ashton picks up.
“What are you doing right now then?” Ashton asks.
“Professionally hiding in the photocopying room,” Calum says loftily.
“Well better hurry up then, what the fuck is going on with you and angel flatmate?”
Calum groans. “Overslept didn’t I, forgot that there might be someone in the shower when I burst in there.”
“Shit,” Ashton laughs. “So like properly naked then.”
“Just his back!” Calum says defensively.
“Did he have a good arse?” Ashton says interestedly. “I know you like a good arse.”
Calum makes a strangled noise.
“That good?” Ashton says with another laugh.
“Fuck off, please,” Calum says, resting his head against the photocopier. “What am I going to do?”
“The way I see it you’ve got two options.”
“And what are they?”
“You speak to him, call him or whatever, apologise and go back to leaving each other love-notes.”
“They aren’t love-notes— Nevermind, what’s the other option?”
“You actually do something about the fact your gagging for angel flatmate and fuck him.”
“I’m hanging up on you now.”
“Going with the first option then?”
Calum cuts Ashton off and groans again.
x
That night he decides to text Luke
Calum:
Are you about this weekend, should probably have a chat?
He wakes up to a response.
Luke:
Okay, I’ll hang around on Saturday?
Calum:
Cool see you then
The exchange feels horribly unfamiliar so he leaves Luke a note as well.
On tea caddy:
Tea was perfect, do you know my ideal tea or something? Calum xx
His stomach loosens a little when he comes back to find a container of pasta bake and a note on the fridge:
You always leave half-drunk mugs around here, would be able to nail the colour of your tea in my sleep. Luke xx
Luke
Luke:
Going to be seeing flatmate Calum this weekend
Michael:
How come?
Luke:
There may have been a situation
Michael:
???
Luke:
He walked in on me in the shower yesterday morning
Now he wants to have a chat
Michael:
!!! I’m in the studio so can’t talk right now but you will ring me when you finish your shift
x
He hears the knock on the door and goes to open it, looking at Calum confusedly.
“You live here, why did you knock?” He asks with a laugh.
“I thought it would be polite!” Calum says defensively, coming into the flat. “You’re never normally here!”
They stand looking at each other for a second and Luke internalises a groan, he was hoping Calum would have got less attractive than his brain was remembering but he had not. More if possible.
“Tea?” Luke asks quickly, shrugging slightly.
Calum laughs and Luke watches the way his eyes crease up and his teeth flash. “Tea,” je agrees with a sunny smile.
Luke boils the kettle as Calum leans up against the counter to watch him.
“So,” Calum starts.
“So,” Luke responds, pouring the water on the teabags.
“Uh, sorry for bursting in on you in the shower?” Calum asks, rubbing the back of his neck.
Luke blushes red and tries to hide it inside the fridge as he gets the milk out.
“It’s fine, honestly,” Luke says.
“No, I’m sorry,” Calum continues. “We have set times and I shouldn’t have been here.”
“I don’t mind you being here,” Luke says, then quickly turns to fish out the teabags. Why the fuck did he say that? “I just. Wasn’t expecting you.”
There’s a pause and Luke turns to hand Calum his tea to find Calum looking at him, biting his lip. He seems to come back to himself when Luke holds the mug out to him and shakes his head slightly.
Luke heads over to the sofa and Calum follows him.
“Can’t say I regretted being there.” Luke thinks he hears Calum mumble from behind him and looks up sharply as he sits on the sofa, curling his legs up beneath him.
Calum’s blushing but smirking slightly as he sits down opposite Luke.
“What?” Calum says, a smirk growing. “I said I was sorry but I can’t deny that I didn’t. Enjoy. You know.”
Luke goes even redder if that were possible. He can’t believe his fit flatmate that he’s been leaving notes for the past three months was now flirting with him. Openly, if a bit awkwardly.
“Shit, sorry,” Calum says when Luke leaves a pause a bit too long. “Forget I said that.”
“No, Calum it's fine,” Luke reaches out and puts a hand on Calum’s arm without thinking.
He hears Calum inhale then watches as he carefully slides Luke’s hand down to tangle with his fingers.
“Is?” Calum stops for a second. “Is that my T-shirt?”
Luke looks down at himself and realises, oh. Yes, it is. “Uh, maybe?”
Luke thinks Calum almost groans, tipping his head back to rest on the back of the sofa, his hand still linked with Luke. Luke stays still, heart beating fast, watching Calum.
Calum fixes Luke with a look and suddenly Luke can’t think of anything but Calum, his big warm hand in his, the scent of his aftershave and shampoo that normally lingers on the sheets clouding his senses, him cocking his head slightly at Luke with a small smile as if to ask “what do you want?”, and so Luke does the only thing that makes sense to answer the questioning look in Calum’s eyes. He leans forward and presses his lips to Calum’s.
It’s light at first, and Luke moves to pull away before Calum leans back towards him and kisses him more deeply, chasing Luke’s lips to move his own against them and a hand coming up to gently cradle Luke’s chin.
Luke makes an unintentional noise into Calum’s mouth and that seems to spur him into action, and before Luke knows it he’s in Calum’s lap, knees either side of his thighs with Calum's hands gripping his waist and his tongue running along Luke’s lips to get inside his mouth.
Luke sighs again and slides his hand up the back of Calum’s neck to thread his fingers into his hair. After kissing Calum hotly, Luke uses his hand in Calum’s hair to drag his head back so he can get to his neck, kissing and lightly biting up to his earlobe, sucking it into his mouth.
“Luke,” Calum groans, bringing his hands lower to curl around Luke’s hips, fingers dipping into the edge of his jeans.
“We probably shouldn’t be doing this, should we?” Luke whispers into Calum’s ear before kissing down his neck again.
“Definitely not,” Calum responds. He slides his hands up and across Luke’s chest. “Couldn’t stop thinking about you though.”
“Yeah?” Luke murmurs, biting along Calum’s jaw before kissing his lips again.
“Your chest, your shoulders, fuck,” Calum says, ghosting over Luke’s lips as his hands skate over where he’s talking about.
Luke kisses him hungrily again.
Calum drags his mouth away slightly. “This is not a good idea.” He leans back in for a few kisses.
“I know,” Luke sighs frustratedly and pulls away slightly, pouting at Calum but still in his lap; Calum’s breathing heavily, eyes sparkling and lips red and Luke can’t resist running his fingers through the hair that’s curled down onto Calum’s forehead and leaning in for another quick peck.
Calum reaches out to hold Luke’s face in his hands.
“Fuck, you’re so gorgeous,” Calum says, a smile spreading over his lips.
Luke blushes and looks down, but can’t turn away when his face is in Calum’s hands. He sighs and extracts himself from Calum’s lap and hands and collapses on the sofa next to him. Adrenaline is running through him, he’s not sure what he was thinking kissing Calum like that, but apparently, when presented with his fit and thoughtful flatmate within arm’s reach he was unable to control himself. Shit. His flatmate.
“Sorry,” Luke says, chewing on his lip.
“Don’t be sorry,” Calum says quickly. “It's just. We live together.”
“I know,” Luke groans. “It’s too messy.”
“But,” Calum says, and pauses a second for Luke to look at him again. “In a month’s time. We won’t?”
“What?”
“Well,” Calum says slowly. “Your lease is up, I’m being promoted, I’ve started looking for somewhere else to live.”
“Oh,” Luke says. He supposes Calum’s right, but feels something slide uncomfortably into his stomach at the idea of finding somewhere else to live, somewhere without Calum’s notes and presence.
“So maybe then,” Calum catches Luke’s eyes again. “We could go on a date?”
“Oh,” Luke says. He feels a grin start to overtake his face. “I better start flat hunting then.”
“So, friends for now?” Calum says, smiling back at Luke, and Luke can’t help but smile even more at Calum’s eyes scrunching up.
“Friends for now,” Luke nods, playfully punching Calum in the shoulder. “Wanna watch some bad reality TV and drink more tea, pal?”
“Would love nothing more, mate.”
⭑*⊱••✩••⊰•*⭑July⭑*⊱••✩••⊰•*⭑
Calum
This new dynamic he and Luke have is as exciting as it is torturous. Their notes turn flirtier than ever, they’re discussing the same stuff as before but it's heavy with an undercurrent of tension. They’re also trying to wind each other up as if it’s a game. And Calum is nothing if not competitive.
On top of the washing machine:
Swear I don’t know what’s mine anymore. Please remove your stuff from the washing to stop me wearing it (accidentally slept in your shirt last night) (made me think if you) Luke xx
Calum swears to himself. Well fuck. Luke clearly clocked onto the way that him wearing his clothes got to him that day and the bastard is using that knowledge. Well if the other man was going to play it like that Calum would too.
On the chest of drawers:
Wear what you want, they used to be my gym shirts but it's warm enough in here that I don’t really wear them when I’m doing a workout! Calum xx
Calum finds that note crumpled on the floor like it's been squeezed in a hand and dropped and smiles to himself as he slides it into his now bulging law textbook.
The two of them are still on their agreed schedules, but maybe Calum comes back a little earlier on a Saturday than he normally does and maybe Luke hangs around a bit longer before he goes to Michael’s and maybe they steal an hour or two of watching TV, catching up on their weeks and drinking tea.
x
“Hey,” Calum says, leaning against the door frame as Luke opens it.
“Hi,” Luke says, a bit breathlessly, and Calum can’t deny he feels the same way looking at Luke, eyes bluer than ever and curls escaping a small bun that he’s pulled his hair into. He’s also now got one of Calum’s hoodies on. Fuck’s sake.
“When you going to Michael’s?” Calum asks casually as he comes into the room, wandering into the kitchen to put the kettle on.
“Dunno yet,” Luke responds, following him in there. He comes right up behind Calum to reach over his head to open the cupboard with the tea in. Calum stills as Luke presses himself along Calum’s back, enveloped by the broadness of Luke’s chest.
“You don’t mind if I hang around for a bit right?” Luke murmurs into Calum’s ear as his warmth sinks into Calum’s skin. Luke lingers there a little too long before pulling away to drop the teabags into mugs and Calum can see by the small smile on his face that he knows what he’s doing.
“No, I don’t mind,” Calum says after a second of watching Luke. He goes to the fridge to get the milk out, sidestepping Luke but brushing his hand around his hip as he goes, it’s almost unconscious at this point, a desire to touch Luke when he’s this close to Calum, within touching distance and wrapped in Calum’s hoodie.
“How’s Katie doing?” Calum asks. He’d become strangely fond of the girl he’d never met through Luke’s notes.
Luke smiles, big and bright and Calum wants to kiss him.
“She’s good,” he says. “Don’t tell her but I think she might be able to go home soon.”
“I won't, I promise,” Calum says with a grin as he pours the water. “Want to play FIFA?”
“I bet I can beat you,” Luke says, fishing out a box of biscuits from the cupboard underneath the counter.
“I bet you can’t, mate,” Calum says with a grin, splashing milk in their teas. “Where did those come from?”
“Made them earlier this afternoon,” Luke says with a smile, heading over to the sofa.
Calum follows him over with the mugs and puts them on the coffee table, switching on the TV and PS4.
“What are they?” Calum asks as they wait for the PS4 to boot up.
“Chocolate dipped shortbreads,” Luke says, snapping open the box. “Want one?”
“When have I ever not wanted anything you’ve made?” Calum says with a laugh.
“True,” Luke says thoughtfully. He pulls out a biscuit and waves it in Calum’s face. “Here you go.”
Calum laughs at Luke but lets the other man feed him. It's silly and jokey until Calum uses his tongue to lick at the bit of chocolate left on Luke’s thumb. Calum hears Luke stifle a gasp and so closes his mouth around Luke’s thumb, sucking slightly before pulling off and smirking at Luke, who’s now flushed red and is staring at Calum’s mouth.
“You good, man?” Calum says, still smirking.
Luke seems to come back to himself, shaking his head and frowning at Calum.
“You don’t play fair,” he mumbles, picking up the second controller.
“Neither do you,” Calum says, tugging on the string of Calum’s hoodie that Luke’s wearing and raising his eyebrows at Luke. Luke just shrugs at him, doing that smile with his tongue between his teeth again, and all Calum wants to do is kiss it right off him.
Instead, he huffs and starts the game.
“I’m gonna thrash you, Luke Hemmings.”
“Bring it on, Mr Hood.”
Luke
On the mirror:
You look good today. I can’t see you but I know it’s true. I hope you have a good day at work. Say hi to Katie for me! Calum xx
Luke groans. Calum was driving him insane. Having his presence everywhere but not being able to do anything about it was slowly sending him crazy. He constantly left notes like this, but sometimes in the strangest of places, inside drawers, on the wall of the shower, inside pans, so that Luke would find them all throughout his day. Sometimes they just had stupid jokes on, sometimes it was compliments and sometimes it was genuine information.
Calum’s most annoying set though had to be the terrible chat-up lines Luke was now finding everywhere
On the first aid box in the bathroom:
Do you have a plaster? I scraped my knee falling for you
On Luke’s laptop on the coffee table:
Is your name google? Because you have everything I’ve been searching for.
On the block of cheese in the fridge:
You must be made of cheese. Because you're looking gouda right now
On the sock drawer:
If you and I were socks, we'd make a great pair
On Luke’s trainers in the hallway:
You must be exhausted. You've been running through my mind all day.
On the bowl by the door that they keep their keys in:
You don’t need keys to drive me crazy.
On the oven door:
Did you just come out of the oven? Because you’re hot.
Luke rips them all off with frustration but can’t help laughing at them. Calum must be doing some serious research and he can’t deny that they always send him off to work with a smile on his face, the cheesier they become.
x
“How’s Calum?” Katie pipes up as soon as he gets close to her bed.
“He’s good,” Luke says as he does his normal checks. “He told me to tell you hello from him.”
Luke watches as Katie almost wriggles with excitement. She was making huge improvements in the last few weeks and Luke didn’t want to get anyone’s hopes up but he really hoped that she might be able to go home soon.
“Did you see him?” she asks eagerly.
“Not today,” Luke says. “On one of his notes.”
“Have you seen him lately?” Katie asks and Luke shakes his head at how brazen children can be. Sometimes he wishes he could be as forthright as Katie is with him.
“I did at the weekend,” Luke says, busying himself with sorting out the medication that needs to go into her IV rather than looking her in the eye.
“Are you boyfriends yet?” Katie asks with an innocent look which shouldn’t seem so devious coming from an eleven-year-old in a hospital bed.
“Katie!” Luke exclaims.
“What?” Katie says. “I know you like him. You get all awkward when you talk about him to me. I can tell.”
“Your mum would tell you to stop being so nosy,” Luke says, trying not to blush.
“Well she’s not here so,” Katie says persistently. “Is Calum your boyfriend?”
“No, he’s not,” Luke says. Then, because he can’t resist, “Yet.”
He walks off towards his next patient as Katie makes a noise of protest behind him,
“You can’t just say that then walk away!”
Luke laughs. “Do your schoolwork, we’ll talk in the morning!”
Calum
“What the fuck are you doing with angel flatmate?” Ashton asks Calum at the pub one Friday night when Calum explains that he’s going to leave his early again to get back to the flat to catch Luke again.
“Nothing!” Calum says innocently. He hadn’t told Ashton about the kiss, he’d be way too smug and irritating about it.
“Well, you’re intentionally seeing him now?” Ashton says accusingly. “And you can’t stop blushing when you talk about him.”
“I don’t blush!” Calum protests, taking a large sip of beer.
“Seriously, man,” Ashton says, surveying Calum over his own pint. “What is going on?”
Calum takes another fortifying sip of his pint, but he knows Ashton won’t let it go this time, and Calum is so bad at lying to him.
“We might have kissed,” Calum says slowly, picking at his jeans.
“What, when?” Ashton asks.
“A few weeks ago?” Calum phrases it as a question and then winces.
“Calum, what the fuck?” Ashton says. “Why didn’t you say anything?”
Calum just shrugs.
“So, what happened?” Ashton prompts, frowning.
“It was when we had that chat about you know, me seeing him naked,” Calum says, blushing slightly.
“You said that conversation was ‘fine’ and you were ‘civil again’,” Ashton says, putting his pint down to do the quotation marks around his head.
“It was?” Calum hedges. “We decided to be friends.”
“What?” Ashton says. “You’re fucking nuts over this guy, mate.”
“Yeah but as you rightfully kept telling me, we live together,” Calum says, swiping a finger through the condensation on his glass. “We literally share a bed, it’s way too complicated.”
“Jesus Christ,” Ashton says, sighing. “So how did you leave it?”
“That I’ll ask him out when I move out,” Calum says.
“That’s so fucking backwards it’s funny,” Ashton says. “So why do you keep rushing back on a Saturday to see him?”
“Because we’re friends now,” Calum says. “And we’re… flirting.”
“Flirting?” Ashton asks in disbelief.
“Well, yeah,” Calum says. “Just because we agreed to be friends doesn’t mean I don’t want to—”
“Fuck his brains out?” Ashton finishes with a snort.
“Fuck off, don’t be crude,” Calum says, punching Ashton’s arm.
“I know that’s what you’re thinking about,” Ashton says. “You’re basically in the most extended foreplay ever.”
“It’s not just that,” Calum protests. “I think I actually—” Calum tails off.
Ashton blinks at him in surprise. Calum knows why; Calum hasn’t expressed a liking towards anyone since Roy and seemed unlikely to ever again.
“Are you telling me you’ve fallen for angel flatmate?” Ashton says disbelievingly.
Calum scoffs. “I’ve only known him for five months,” He says uneasily.
“Oh my god, you have,” Ashton says, starting to laugh.
“Fuck off,” Calum says.
“No mate, I’m happy for you,” Ashton says, clapping him on the shoulder. “Even if you now can’t do anything about it for another month.”
Calum groans and lets his head fall onto the sticky table with a thump.
Luke
Luke sighs as he looks through another page of spare rooms on his laptop. He knew moving into a room in a houseshare was the best and most economical decision to make, it meant he would actually be able to save a bit like he had been with Calum paying some extra money, and that he might be able to move to somewhere better eventually, but all of these options were seriously unappealing.
He tries to shake the thought that the reason that he’s finding them unappealing is the distinct lack of Calum, rather than due to their own merit, and reluctantly sends off some enquiries to some of the least terrible looking ones.
Whilst he’s checking his emails he looks at the most recent flats Calum has sent him to look at. As much as it pains him the idea of Calum living elsewhere, he finds it really sweet that Calum sends him flats he’s looking at so that Luke can give his opinion on them. He muses that he’s enjoying Calum’s house-hunt a lot more than his own as he looks through the latest selection and writes Calum a note rather than replying to the email.
On Calum’s laptop
I like the second one, it’s the best location-wise and the window in the bathroom is nice. Also a lovely kitchen space. You know. If anyone wanted to ever use it. Luke xx
x
“I’ve got a solution for your housing problem,” Michael announces as Luke arrives at his flat that weekend on Saturday evening.
“Hello to you too, Michael,” Luke says with a smile, coming into the flat and throwing himself onto the sofa.
“Yeah whatever,” Michael says, following him. “Do you want to hear the solution?”
“Go on then,” Luke says, rolling his eyes.
“You know Brian?” Michael asks.
“Crystal’s friend Brian?” Luke clarifies, frowning slightly.
“That’s the one,” Michael says. “His flatmate’s moving away and he’s looking for a new one, lives not far from Camden.”
“Oh?” Luke says, trying not to get his hopes up too high. Brian was actually very nice, and surprisingly normal for one of Michael’s friends. He also had a normal job at a bank which meant that Luke would probably never see him.
“Yeah, he wants someone to move in in the next month or so,” Michael says with a smug smile. “It’s perfect, and he says you can go and see it this weekend if you want to.”
Luke considers. It does sound pretty ideal, that was even closer to work than he was at the moment.
“Okay, I’ll go and look at it tomorrow,” Luke says. Michael beams.
“How did you find out about it anyway?” Luke asks.
“Was just talking to Crystal,” Michael says, and that would have been the end of it if he hadn’t turned scarlet.
“Mikey,” Luke says slowly. “Are you not telling me something?”
Michael shifts uncomfortably.
“Are you seeing Crystal?” Luke says, a smile growing on his face.
Michael turns even redder. “Maybe”
“Fucking finally,” Luke says with a laugh. “I thought you’d never pull your head out your arse there.”
“You’re one to talk!” Michael scoffs. “Enough about me, give me a Calum update.”
Luke punches Michael’s shoulder.
“There’s nothing to update,” Luke says.
“Both of you still being unnecessarily disgustingly flirty then?” Michael says, smirking.
“Shut up,” Luke says rolling his eyes and turning the TV on.
x
On Calum’s laptop
Definitely the second one. In other unrelated news, have found somewhere to live. (Might be around the corner from the second one). Luke xx
⭑*⊱••✩••⊰•*⭑August⭑*⊱••✩••⊰•*⭑
Calum
Calum gets his promotion confirmed at work, that he’s actually going to be a trainee next month and be paid a trainee salary. He’s starting off in property, and by the sly look Susan gives him, it’s not a coincidence. Over doubling his salary means he can confirm on one of the flat’s he was looking at, and if Calum’s honest he didn’t realise it would give him such a mixed feeling to be paying for somewhere bigger and better to live.
On one hand, this was everything he’d been waiting for, being paid actually what he was worth and being able to afford a one-bed flat by himself in North London was something at one point that seemed a dream very much out of reach, and now it was actually his life. On the other hand that meant leaving Luke’s flat. And although this might result in other benefits, he was extremely fond of his and Luke’s living dynamic, as frustrating as it currently was. He’s not sure how he’s going to live without Luke’s comforting notes, his perpetual mess and the scent of him on his sheets. He’d also become quite fond of the little flat itself, with the hot tap that took at least five minutes to warm up, the hallway cupboard with the handle that needed jerking in a very precise way to open it and Luke’s tea stash in the cupboard over the kettle.
He also felt guilty, him moving out meant Luke had to find another flat, and although it was good for him to get out of the contract he had found himself in, he wishes he didn’t have to go into another flat-share. Luke said he didn’t mind, he had cheekily written in a note that he would be grateful not to have to share his bed anymore, but Calum can’t help feeling bad about it. The only saving grace was that if things went well, Calum was secretly hoping that Luke wouldn’t have to live there for long, and Calum wouldn’t have to live in his own snazzy new flat on his own. (It also maybe wasn’t a coincidence that in the end, he chose the flat that Luke had said he liked the best.)
x
“You know I work nights right,” Luke says to him one Saturday, during their snatched few hour changeovers. Luke had been strangely quiet for most of their time together so far, and Calum had left it, hoping Luke would open up to him in his own time.
“I am familiar with that concept, yes,” Calum says amusedly, playing with the edge of one of Luke’s socks. “I don’t know if you realised but I’ve been living with you for five months.”
Luke’s got his legs in Calum’s lap whilst they binge a few episodes of The Office, they’re really trying to keep their relationship platonic but a few casual touches here and there are fair game with the amount they’re flirting through notes.
Luke blushes. “I just mean. If we do. This,” He gestures between the two of them. “I still won’t be around most of the time.”
Calum frowns at Luke. “I know,” He says, wrapping a hand around his ankle and running a thumb over the skin in the gap between Luke’s sock and the bottom of his joggers. “What’s the problem?”
“Just wanted to remind you,” Luke says, ducking his head. “I wouldn’t want you to get into something you don’t want.”
Calum frowns even deeper. He wants to know who’s given Luke the impression that the job he does is a problem that needs a warning. He tugs on Luke’s leg and drags him into his lap. This is generally a bit more than their loose platonic rules, but Calum doesn’t care at the moment.
“I don’t know if I need to tell you this but I will,” Calum starts as Luke blinks at him in surprise. “I like you. I like you and the job you do. I think it’s incredible.”
Luke blushes even deeper but smiles a bit, biting his lip. “I just—”
“No,” Calum says, shaking his head and holding onto Luke’s waist. “I know you work nights, I know we won’t see each other during the week. But I’ve got a stupid job that takes up a lot of time too, it’s not just you. We’ll figure it out. I’ll see you on the weekends, I’ll talk to you on the phone, I’ll finish work early to see you.”
It’s the most they’ve talked about this, whatever this is that they’re currently doing, but it seems to placate Luke a little, who’s looking at him intently with a gleam in his eyes.
“What?” Calum says self-consciously.
Luke just shakes his head a little and leans in to brush a kiss against his cheek before climbing off Calum’s lap.
“You’re something else, Calum Hood.”
Luke
Luke comes back to the flat and can’t help but sigh at all of Calum’s stuff disappearing from the space and most of his own things in boxes. He realises that Calum’s helped pack some of his stuff, recognising his handwriting along the boxes Luke had stacked in the corner for packing purposes.
He laughs at Calum’s scrawl along one of the boxes:
Tried to separate baking stuff vs normal kitchen stuff then realised that was way beyond my skill level so it’s now all thrown in together, sorry.
Luke starts packing up the rest of the stuff from the living space, smiling at the fact Calum seems to have taken one of their plants but left the other one for Luke. He’s just cleared the coasters away when he notices that Calum’s left a book on the coffee table. Luke frowns, it seems deliberate but he doesn’t know what Calum thinks he’s going to do with one of his law textbooks. He picks it up and feels that it’s bulging unnaturally inside the cover. Intrigued and confused, he opens it up and post-it notes start falling out of it onto the floor, escaping the cover.
Luke realises with a start that it’s their notes, and from the volume, every single one. He realised that Calum was clearing the notes when they stopped being layered on top of each other, but had just thought it was a part of Calum’s usual cleaning, not stopping to think that he’s never seen a single one in the bin.
He lets out a laugh that sounds a bit like a sob even to his own ears. Months of notes. Every interaction that he and Calum have ever had, tucked inside and kept safe in this book. He feels a surge of affection that’s been building for months, and God, Luke wants Calum, he wants this wonderful and caring man, half-drunk cups of tea and all.
He spends an hour sitting on the floor and picks through all the notes, watching their relationship literally build over time, before carefully sliding them all back into the book and tucking it inside one of his boxes.
He packs the rest of his stuff with a smile on his face and an indescribable feeling in his stomach that threatens to burst out of him any second in laughs or tears, he can't be sure.
It’s not until later on when he discovers two last notes that Calum’s left for him.
On the front door:
Think I’ve got all my stuff. Cleaned as best I could. Let me know if you want me to come back and do anymore.
Just below the first note:
Also do you want to go on a date with me? YES NO. Calum xx
Luke grabs a pen and ticks the box before writing his own note and sticking it on the door, then pulling out his phone to take a photo
Luke:
{Photo}
✓ YES
You free tonight?