Calum was the first to wake up the following morning, confused as to why Luke's bed was empty. Just as he was about to get the others up and suggest that something bad might have happened whilst they were all asleep, he found a note pinned to the back of the door.
"Gone out. Be back by 10," he read softly to himself, and despite never having seen Luke's handwriting before, knew that that the messily scribbled words could have been left by no one else.
Checking the clock beside Ashton's sleeping figure, he found that Luke would be back within half an hour, and therefore there was no reason to raise any alarms. Calum took the decision to try and keep the others unaware of the situation, especially Michael, as causing them any distress was the last thing he wanted to happen. There was nothing to worry about, he was sure Luke would explain it when he got back.
He wandered into the bathroom and stood hunched in front of the scratched hotel mirror, staring at himself for a few moments and hating everything he saw.
Calum's eyes were sunken in a way no amount of sleep could fix, and it made him appear physically unhealthy. Not even the push of his muscles against the hospital gown could convince him otherwise. He remembered a time when he had been athletic and worked tirelessly to tone his body, but it no longer meant anything.
Not even his own physical strength had kept him from hell, what chance did he have in the real world?
He'd escaped, and Calum knew he was free, but he just didn't feel like himself anymore. For years he had been a science experiment, treated more as a lab rat than a human being. He didn't even know how long they'd kept him in a coma, or why, and that was the part that scared him the most. They could have done anything in that time, what if he actually was different now?
Mentally, it was like he was an empty shell, and had no idea what was inside. Maybe nothing, maybe something. He just wish he knew.
One thing he did know, however, was that he was a mess, and the thought of facing everything he had run from terrified him right down to the bone. They weren't safe yet, they would never be safe, and Luke couldn't protect them all forever.
The stress was slowly breaking him too, and Calum could only guess what would be left if things continued the way they were currently going. Luke was only human, he couldn't be the hero they all so desperately needed and make it out in one piece.
They weren't strong enough together, let alone individually.
Calum sighed and leant over the sink, turning on the tap labelled 'cold' and cupping his hands together. He collected as much water as he could, before splashing it over his face and praying it would wash away not only the sweat that had built up on his skin over night, but all doubts that they couldn't make it.
Because they could. They would.
Drying his face quickly with a towel he found hung on a rack opposite the sink, Calum walked into the main room just as Luke arrived back, whistling a cheery tune softly to himself.
"Someone's in a good mood," Calum smiled at the blond, desperate to rebuild the relationship that the two had once shared.
Luke dumped a couple of full carrier bags on his bed, chuckling. "Yeah, I guess everything's sunk in a little better now. I got a few things from the supermarket down the road when I was out, by the way, and we should probably wake up the others so we can get going as soon as possible. We're not safe here."
"We're not safe anywhere," Calum scoffed, the last thing he wanted to be reminded of was that. But he nodded nonetheless, shaking Ashton awake whilst Luke did the same with Michael.
The two groaned a little and Ashton tried to push Calum away, gradually climbing out of their beds when the blond told them that they needed to leave.
"We can't go out like this," Ashton mumbled, motioning to the gown he was still wearing. "People keep looking at us like we don't belong, and I hate it. I refuse to go anywhere until I have a normal pair of clothes."
Luke didn't seem surprised by the comment, reaching for one of the bags he had earlier thrown down and pulling out two pairs of black jeans and plain white shirts. "It's good that I bought these then, isn't it."
"When did you get them?" Ashton asked curiously, taking one of the outfits and passing the other to Calum.
"This morning, I guess Calum was the only one who knew I'd gone out."
Calum shrugged, smiling weakly when Ashton glared at him for not telling, but also understanding why he did it as he would have done the same. They quickly changed into the clothes, not bothered by the fact that Luke and Michael were still present as they were all teenage boys.
Neither of the jeans were a perfect fit, but they would do for now. Ashton seemed a little more satisfied to be wearing something else, something normal, and laughed triumphantly as he threw the gown in the nearest bin, Calum following.
They had no belongings to pack up so left the room almost immediately afterwards, handing the key in at the reception desk before leaving the hotel through the front entrance. The street was emptier than it had be the previous day, and therefore not able to provide the comfort Luke had hoped they would gain from being around large numbers of people.
It didn't make that much of a difference, or at least not to the others, but Luke had learnt his lesson last time. Being out didn't mean staying out, and they had to stay alert for even the slightest hint of trouble.
They found an available taxi a couple of streets away, and thankfully Luke still had enough cash on him to pay the driver for taking him to his brothers' flat. Ashton called shotgun and climbed eagerly in the front, whilst the other three just managed to fit themselves in the row behind.
Michael seemed a little nervous to be in a car, the world was such a strange place compared to the small cell he had called home for so long and he wasn't sure if he would ever get used to it. Noticing this, Luke pulled Michael into his chest and linked their fingers, not speaking a single word but his actions being all the reassurance that both of them so badly craved.
So there they were, pushed up against one another in the back of a taxi, with their hands intertwined and seat belts a tangled mess.
Things couldn't have been any better, and all they could do was hope it stayed that way for just a little longer.
~~~~~~~
A/n: I've got a lot of school work at the moment so I know I'm not doing great with updates, I'm sorry
Buuuuut I really love what I have planned for the next couple of chapters so I hope you all love a good plot twist, I know I do *smirks*
I'm seeing 5sos in London tonight and then Brighton on Saturday and IM SO EXCITED!! Who else is going to slfl and if so when and where?
Thanks guys :) xx
YOU ARE READING
control - muke
Fanfiction"We need to get out of here, if we stay we'll be dead in a week." --- Where Luke is captured and thrown in with a boy who isn't quite what he seems.
