Lights Out

Giggles (Muke/Cashton)

5 Seconds Of Summer had been together awhile. Calum called them brothers and Michael vehemently denied that claim every time.

Michael just felt weird about it. He couldn't articulate very precisely, or really at all for that matter, why he found it weird. He just thought the relationship they all had, or at least some of them did, wasn't brotherly. Something different.

It's during a performance in the Meet You There tour that it hits him. Luke giggled. As mentioned, the band had been together a while, so this obviously isn't the first time Michael has heard Luke giggle. Michael came to a startling epiphany on stage. When Luke giggled -his eyes crinkling, making his gold sparkles shine and catch the light and his body bend forward slightly as he clings onto his microphone stand and tries to hide his red cheeks- Michael thought to himself: fuck.

That feeling when you think someone's kinda cute but in a totally non romantic way and then whilst you keep repeating to yourself that you do not like them, your crush for said person is actually building in the background without you even realising and then all of a sudden: fuck. Michael felt attacked by this feeling when on stage. It seems that damn giggle of Luke's was the straw that broke the camel's back.

The boy with fairy-floss coloured hair had no idea what to do next. Maybe Calum could help him out.

*****

It didn't happen every night, they didn't have the stamina for it at this point in the career, but sometimes 5 Seconds of Summer liked to go out on the town after their shows. It was a fun way to explore the city they were in, but also a quick way to get mobbed if they weren't careful.

When they did go out they, as mentioned, needed to be careful. That 'carefulness' would be how they found themselves in this city's equivalent of a 20's Manhattan speakeasy. They walked in the door of a shop, appearing to sell art, and were led down a narrow staircase with questionable lighting before they found themselves in one of the trendiest bars they'd ever seen.

The lighting was low, but you wouldn't have trouble seeing, and it was full but not crowded. They were assured that this is the place for privacy, people mind their own business -unless you go to the dance floor, where the signal is that you're welcoming of socialisation- and paparazzi won't find this place till after hell freezes over. It was exactly what these four young Sydney men needed.

The group of friends sat on a lounge setting around a small table and before they knew it they had a waiter coming up to take their order. This was the place they needed. Luke ordered a glass of shiraz, Ashton ordered a passion fruit mojito, Calum copied Ashton and Michael ordered a Cuba Libre. None of them were straying at all out of their comfort zone.

They chatted and drunk in peace and, given their drink was a much higher alcohol content, Calum and Ashton felt ready for the dance floor. Luke and Michael stayed put. Alcohol reduces your inhibitions and so it's not long before Michael feels the need escape and do something before that fuck thought he had the other day comes tumbling out. He knows not to say it, but he doesn't realise the counterproductive irony of trying to avoid it by sculling the rest of his dark alcohol.

His throat feels on fire. His head feels on fire. He needs to get away. He mumbles to Luke that he's going to get another drink and the taller boy just shrugs. Michael stumbles, because of his rush to get away rather than his alcohol, to the bar and asks for water. He sculls it and then decides to join Ashton and Calum. He's not sure if what he finds is the most painful or helpful thing he's ever seen.

Ashton and Calum are seeming already on their third cocktail each in the span of half an hour and so don't seem at all bothered by the sharing of each other's drink. It's not a usual 'have a try of my drink friend' kind of sharing, more of a 'stare into my big eyes while I pout and seductively drink from this straw' kind of sharing. Michael isn't sure what to do.

Regardless, he approaches them and then just as he's about to take their undivided attention away from each other -Ashton giggles. Calum freezes in his tracks and then suddenly starts giggling along. Then Ashton stares at Calum and before Michael can blink, they're kissing.

Despite what some might have you believe, these four friends had never done anything like this before. Nothing like this has ever happened.

Witnessing this kiss, which wasn't short and neither seemed to regret if the continuation of their flirty dancing straight after was any indication, made Michael's head spin. It made Luke impossible to get out of his brain.

He tried to look anywhere but his two friends that were impossibly close. Then he sees the couch where he was sitting, then he sees Luke. Sitting on the couch, drinking his red wine and looking devastatingly attractive. Turns out, funnily, that Michael did have a crush on Luke. He felt like there was nothing he could do about it.

*****

Calum and Ashton couldn't stop damn giggling. There was that one night at the underground club, it changed a lot. One thing is that now it seems that the only thing Calum or Ashton are interested in eating is each other. It was becoming a lot for everyone else on tour with them to handle.

Luke kept up his giggly, flirty ways and Michael kept trying to suppress his emotions to the point of trying to make them all just go away. He couldn't though. It had been awhile and the feelings seemed to be growing stronger and more unbearable with every passing day. Every passing day that he was determined to keep up his usual, casual and friendly, relationship with Luke.

Michael thought he should talk to Calum or Ashton but then he thinks that the alcohol was, not necessarily the reason it happened -otherwise it wouldn't have lasted-, certainly a major catalyst. Michael was starting to hurt. Michael went to Calum but it felt like a last resort.

Calum giggled. He found it hilarious that Michael could think Luke didn't reciprocate the feelings. Michael thought he had seen signs, but he also told himself he was hallucinating and that Luke would never actually think that way. He was just 'reading too much into things and finding things that weren't there' -he thought.

*****

That moment when it goes dark and the band tell the crowd they're 'going home'. That moment backstage when the four of them bounce so fast they feel electric. That moment when the crowd starts chanting for the final songs (that they realistically know they're getting because as if they would ignore their biggest hits?). That moment after the four boys, sweaty as anything, stand backstage grinning like clowns. This is what they loved to do.

Calum and Ashton kissed, predictably. Michael didn't know what else to do. He grabbed the collar of Luke's shirt and pulled their lips together as fast as he possibly could, trying the reduce the time before Luke realises what's going on and pulls back.

Luke does pull back. He smiles like never before and leans back in. Things feel right. Especially when Michael pulls back and lets out a shocked, but elated and relieved, breathy giggle.

A/N: this has a weird format idk, my new writing style??? Anywho. It came to my attention recently that Muke are hardcore married and it wouldn't be surprising if Cashton were, so here we are.

I'm working on things but idk if they'll end up being fanfiction because I'm trying to write more serious fiction, if so they may not be posted here. Sorry, but you'll probably still get fics occasionally.

Love you all, I do wanna write more 5SOS so feel free to send requests :)

-Grace Williams xo