Worship in the Bedroom [Cake]

5

((The picture- me too Calum))

"Can we-"

Calum shrugs and nods his head, not even giving Luke a chance to finish his statement. Luke smiles a little at how well Calum knows him, then laces his fingers together and buries them in his lap, under the table.

Michael looks confused for all of three seconds, and Ashton's already got noodles hanging out of his mouth. Calum reaches over and smacks the back of his head, making his mouth open to protest, and all the noodles fall back into the bowl. He scowls for a second, but quickly notices even Michael isn't arguing with Luke's silent prayer.

Instead, he's watching the blonde's bowed head curiously. Calum frowns at him, kind of concerned that Michael isn't making sex noises or attempting to suck Ashton's face off at the dinner table. He's acting normal, actually, and it makes Calum nervous. Ashton's staring at him with raised eyebrows as well, probably mimicking Calum's expression of surprise and concern, but Michael doesn't seem to notice.

After a few seconds, Luke glances up and visibly startles when he finds the three of them have waited for him. Like he expected them to start eating. He meets Michael's eyes, automatically flinching and slouching down in his chair.

"Why did you ask?" Michael says finally, voice soft and quiet and careful, all the things Michael usually isn't.

Luke glances behind him before realizing Michael's addressing him. "Sorry, what?"

"You asked," Michael points out. "You asked if you could pray. You always do. Why?"

Luke shifts uncomfortably in his seat, looking at the plate of spaghetti in front of him. "I- I don't know? I don't want to make you guys uncomfortable, I guess."

"We make you uncomfortable all the time," Michael points out. "We literally had sex in front of you, and you still feel the need to ask to pray."

Luke flicks his eyes over to Calum almost frantically. Calum shrugs, because he has no fucking idea why Michael's decided to bring this up now, or why he even bothered pointing it out. Even Ashton looks skeptical.

"You don't need to ask, is all I'm saying," Michael finishes. He picks up his fork and sticks it into his bowl and twirls it, indicating that the conversation is over. Luke let's out a relieved sigh, looking over at Calum again with a startled expression. Calum hums gently and reaches over to pat Luke's thigh under the table, smiling quickly to show his support for whatever horrors like should face during this "Meet Calum's Prospective Boyfriend" Dinner, as Ashton had gracefully named it. Luke grabs his hand and laces their fingers together quickly.

"Anyway," Ashton says. Michael doesn't even look fazed by the fact that he's the only one eating. Calum grabs his fork to start, considering Luke still looks scared out of his mind and Ashton looks more interested in Luke than anything. "Luke, what's with the fancy car?"

"I wouldn't call it fancy, per say," Luke responds. "It's a Jaguar. My mom bought it for me."

"So you're spoiled," Michael concludes, finally glancing up from his bowl. Luke starts squirming as soon as they make eye contact.

"I wouldn't-" Luke cuts off and frowns a bit. "I mean, I guess. It's really the car that I have left, she's not- she's not exactly talking to me, at the moment."

Ashton and Michael simultaneously lean forward at the mention of family drama. Michael even sets his fork down in interest. Ashton raises an eyebrow and says, "Not to pry, but why isn't she talking to you?"

Luke slouches in his chair even more, pulling Calum's hand into his lap and yanking him halfway across the table in the process. He looks down, instantly flushing pink, and squirms even more.

"You're making him uncomfortable, eat your dinner," Calum demands. His arm is starting to hurt.

"We just want to talk," Ashton shrugs, flicking his eyes to Calum, then back to where Luke's trying to disappear under the table. "We have to make sure he's good enough for out little Cally."

"You're like our son," Michael nods in agreement, leaning forward to set his chin on the back of his hand, elbow perched on the table. Calum groans at them and starts eating his noodles as angrily as possible.

"No, I- it's okay," Luke says gently, even though his slouching indicates that it's definitely not okay. "She's, um- I told my mom I liked a boy, and," he shrugs, trailing off and letting them piece together the rest.

"What, she disowned you?" Michael chirps.

Calum gasps and looks up, throughly offended, even though he has no right to be. "Michael!"

Michael gives him a wide eyed innocent  look while Ashton seems unconcerned by the intrusive question. Luke, however, just shrugs. "I don't think so. She gave me a bible and asked me politely to leave, but I don't think that means I'm disowned."

"Huh," Ashton sits back again and resumes his eating. His shoulder jerks and Michael flinches before picking up his fork again. "That's kind of rude of her, isn't it?"

"We're god fearing people," Luke explains. He hasn't touched his food, but he looks a bit pale.

"That's my problem with you, Luke, man," Ashton points his fork at Luke and Michael perks up at the confrontation. Calum sighs and runs his free hand down his face, expecting the worst. "You like your religion, and I respect that, bro. Why do you have to fear your God, though? Is he scary? Will he smite you?"

"If you sin," Luke says quietly.

"That's a shit leader," Ashton shovels more noodles into his mouth and makes no move to finish chewing before he speaks. "Like, why can't he just let you do you, you know? Why does he have to come after you if you fuck up and, like, murder your neighbor?"

"Well, that's murder-" Calum amends, because he can see that. The retaliation for murder should exist in the form of jail and punishment, not being struck by lightning out of no where.

He's cut off by Luke huffing, though. "It's just a saying!"

Ashton raises his eyebrows at Luke's suddenly raised voice, but doesn't mention it. "You have to read into things instead of just repeating them, dude. Dig deep."

Luke pauses at that, seemingly processing the information before mumbling, "How deep?"

"Deeper than Cal can fuck you," Ashton replies casually.

"Ashton!" Calum yells, adding a loud groan of disappointment at the end.

"Hey, take a compliment," Ashton shrugs, stuffing more noodles into his mouth.

"Take a- you-!" Calum cuts himself off and just shoves his chair back, letting go of Luke so he can stand up. "Forget it, fuck you two, this dinner is over!" He grabs his bowl, then Luke's, and gestures for him to get up. Luke scrambles out of his chair and is quick to hide behind Calum.

"Aw, come on!" Michael whines. "We made cake for desert!"

Calum scoffs at that. "You bought cake!" He pauses, realizing that he actually does want some cake. He's not going to stick around for it, though, not with these assholes. "I'll come back for it!" He announces, then storms off to his room with Luke tripping at his heels.

They settle on the end of Calum's bed to eat in peace (after locking the door). Luke smiles softly and slurps at his noodles. Calum's so fond of him it hurts.

((OH GOD ITS BEEN A WHILE M8S

-Mel))