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The bus hits a particularly big lump in the road, jostling everything in the bus so that something out in the lounge tumbles to the ground with a loud bang. Luke starts, biting into his bottom lip to suppress a scream. He knew he shouldn’t have let the guys persuade him to watch that awful film– what was it again? The Conjuring, that’s it. Luke hated that he was so scared, but. The movie just affected him, was sat stock still in utter terror for almost two hours while Michael, Calum, and Ashton all sipped bears and made jokes about the characters the whole time. It was so intense, is the thing. To Luke, anyway. It could be real. Who knows? Strange occurrences happen all the time and no one can explain them, who’s to say ghosts and possession don’t happen? They might. And it is that thought that has Luke shaking in his bunk on the tour bus, flinching and gasping at anything that goes bump in the night.
He’s trying so hard to sleep, they’ve got an early day tomorrow, interview at 9am, more promo things and a meet and greet, and then more travel. He’ll be exhausted if he doesn’t fall asleep right now, the bright screen of his phone signaling that it has just gone 3am. The fans will notice and worry, not to mention what his mum would say if she saw pictures of him with dark circles under his eyes. But when he closes his eyes he sees wicked eyes, bloody scissors, and can almost hear screams. He’s clutching his duvet with a death grip, back pressed hard against the wall of the bus, eyes wide open and breath coming in heavy pants.
“God, shut up Luke.” Groans Michael, his voice like glass breaking to Luke’s ears, making him fold into himself, spooked even though the rational part of his brain is telling him it’s just Michael. He whimpers despite himself.
“Hey,” Calum speaks up next. “You can come in the bunk with me if you want.” Yes. Luke sits up so fast his head spins a little. He kicks the covers off his long legs and pushes the curtains of the bunk open, balancing on his elbows as he throws his legs over the side, trying to be quick but avoid any unnecessary bruises.
He’s just about to reach out to pull back the curtains to Calum’s bunk when he pauses. He can cuddle Calum and fall asleep feeling safe, or… Well Luke’s just thinking, like, fuck Michael. He wants to be a dick, fine. If Luke is suffering, then so is Michael. He sneaks over to Michaels bunk, putting his feet on the one below it and ripping the curtains back, clambering rather ungracefully in the bed with the older boy.
Michael lets out an indignant squawk, hissing out, “Fuck, Luke!” when Luke accidently elbows him in the head. Luke wiggles around until he’s got his back up against the wall of the bus again and tangles their legs together, throws an arm around Michael’s waist. Michael has gone really tense; Luke can feel his heart beating fast but doesn’t feel his chest rise or fall. So he’s nervous about something.
He presses closer, tucking his face in Michael’s warm neck, trails his hand down lower to dip a pinky just below the hem of his briefs, only– Well. His face flushes hot and there’s a tingling in his stomach that he knows isn’t fear. He feels Michael swallow thickly where his lips are pressed to the pale boy’s jugular. He lets out a puff of air, shocked. Michael can’t be serious. “Are you– fuck, are you naked? He whispers. He wants to be quiet, not all too keen on the other boys listening to this particular conversation.
Michael shrugs against him, but he’s not pushing Luke away so he’ll count that as a win. Luke’s really glad he made this decision, he’s not thinking about the movie at all anymore. Now he’s more or less trying to decide between laughing at this ridiculous situation he’s been presented with or being mildly turned on. With the smirk curling his lips and the slight twitch his dick gave when he brushed Michael’s with his knee, he’s gonna go with a bit of both.
It’s quiet on the bus, and what Luke took as a comfortable silence, Michael apparently found it unsettling. “Say something.”
Luke blanks. What is he supposed to say? ‘Oh it’s all good mate, I’m actually a little hard right now with just the knowledge that you’re naked lying right next to me.’ Like, no. This is a bit weird, and Luke doesn’t want it to be, but he doesn’t know what he can say that will make it all okay. So he pulls his shirt over his head, shimmying out of his sleep shorts and briefs and tosses the discarded clothes at the bottom of the bunk. He cuddles back into Michael’s side and it must have worked, because Michael lets out a soft sigh, turning over to wrap Luke up in his arms properly.
Luke smiles as he presses his face into the older boy’s shoulder, hooking a leg over his waist and wrapping a hand in his soft, purple hair. “Are you still scared?” Michael murmurs, nudging the side of Luke’s cheek with his nose.
He bumps Michael’s nose back with his own, smiling despite himself. He loves it when Michael is sweet to him. “Nah,” he says, pulling at the strands clutched in his fist.
Michael nips at the tip of his nose and Luke giggles, unable to help himself. Michael pulls him in closer from the grip he has on his waist and presses a kiss to Luke’s lips. Luke sighs happily and Michael kisses him again, lingering a beat longer than before. He coaxes a few more out of Michael until he’s satisfied, for now, and let’s his eyes drift shut, sleep creeping slow and steady.
They sort of never sleep without each other after that. Luke’s really glad he didn’t settle for Calum.