Work Text:
"Orange."
Michael looked up from his phone where he was engaged in an intense game of Candy Crush to find Luke standing in front of him expectantly, as if that one word was supposed to mean something significant. "Uh, what?"
Luke rolled his eyes fondly, taking a seat beside Michael and bringing up a picture on his phone. "I think your next hair colour should be orange. Like, bright orange."
"Like Ron Weasley?" Michael teased, taking Luke's phone all the same to better study the picture of Hayley Williams that Luke was showing him. He grinned.
"More like… fire. Like your personality. Bright, fiery." Luke told him with a shrug, fidgeting with the snapback perched on his head. And if Michael's heart skipped a beat or two after Luke said that, no one had to know.
Michael looked up at Luke who was gazing at him hopefully, a small smile playing on his lips. Michael decided then and there that he'd probably do anything Luke asked him to if he looked at him that sincerely again, all wide blue eyes and innocent expression. Like, if he asked him to run away with him forever, or something more likely for Luke to ask, like getting his name tattooed on his butt. Michael would probably do it.
With a reluctant sigh (that may have been somewhat exaggerated) Michael gave in. "Fine, orange it is."
The smile that broke across Luke's face was totally worth it, Michael decided, as he jumped up in excitement and stuck his hand out for Michael to take. He did so, without hesitation, and Luke began to drag him to their hotel bathroom.
"Dude, we have to go get the dye first," Michael chuckled as Luke pushed him down to sit on the edge of the bathtub. He turned around then, and pulled a bag out from under the sink.
"I may have… already gotten it?" Luke admitted it with a guilty smile, but had a cheeky sparkle in his eye and Michael knew better than to believe his feigned innocence.
"You're a little shit Luke Hemmings." Luke giggled at this, even though Luke rarely giggled at anything. Unless Michael said it. "You knew I'd say yes to you," He scolded accusingly. Luke simply shrugged.
"You usually say yes to me."
Well, Michael couldn't argue with that.
After a few seconds of intense eye contact (that Michael would completely deny ever happened were anyone to ever ask), Luke began to empty the contents of the bag; a bowl, brush, and a red and orange hair dye. Michael looked at him questioningly.
"Was gonna mix them," Luke mumbled, focused on opening the first bottle of dye, "Make it look cooler."
Michael simply shrugged and shed his t shirt. He caught Luke glancing at him in the mirror and he totally didn't make a show of stretching his arms and running his fingers through his hair after that (he totally did).
Luke looked adorable, Michael thought, concentrating on mixing the dye. His tongue was poking out the side of his mouth as he stirred to liquid in the bowl so carefully, as if Michael's happiness depended on it. And well, it kind of did. Even though Michael knew all to well that even if Luke were to fuck up his hair, he'd love him all the same. It was Luke.
Once Luke was satisfied, he picked up the nearest towel to wrap around Michael's shoulders to avoid making a mess. Which they both knew was completely in vain. Everything was a mess with them.
Luke took hold of the small mixing bowl and brush and moved closer to Michael, so close that Michael could almost hear his heartbeat. He looked down at Michael and met his eyes. "Ready?" He asked, and Michael thought he'd like to hear Luke ask him that in a different situation, with a lot less clothing. He nodded, clearing his throat as if it would clear his thoughts.
Michael could practically feel the excitement radiating from Luke's body, even though he wasn't the one about to dye his hair bright fucking orange. Luke painted the first strip of dye onto Michael's head and giggled happily, which Michael rolled his eyes at, (even if it made him want to pull Luke closer and kiss him on the tip of the nose, rolling his eyes was a safer option).
A minute or so passed in which both boys were completely silent, the only noise being Luke scraping up more dye with the brush. Michael decided to break said silence because, well, that's what he does.
"You know usually the person doing the hair stands behind the other person," Michael observed as Luke scooped up more dye, stretching to reach the hair at the back of Michael's head. It was really cute.
"No, I'm okay. I'm trying to focus on your legendary fringe," Luke told him, punctuating his sentence with flick to Michaels forehead. He shook his head at the younger boy.
Michael became impatient soon after, fidgeting around and continually asking Luke when he'd be finished, ("Almost done," Luke would say, "Just perfecting it.")
When it finally was done, Luke stepped back to admire his handiwork, grinning like he'd just won a Nobel Prize or something. "It looks so good on you."
Michael stood up and stretched forward over the sink to examine his hair in the mirror, a mix of orangey red that contrasted brightly with his eyes and pale skin. Luke was right. Fiery was the way to describe it.
Feigning disinterest, Michael shrugged, pulling himself up to sit on the counter. "'S alright I guess."
Luke frowned, setting down the bowl of dye and moving into Michael's space, resting his hands on the older boys thighs and nuzzling at his neck, careful to avoid his hair.
"Be nice to me for once, I did a good job." Luke whispered grumpily, lips brushing against Michael's skin so tantalisingly that he couldn't help but inhale shakily before he spoke.
"Fine. You did a good job, Luke." Michael admitted, smirking. Luke pulled back and beamed at him, leaning so close that Michael almost passed out. Like, literally.
Luke pecked Michael on the nose, "I know," he replied, before leaving to retrieve his and Michael's phones from the other room. He came back a few minutes later with both of their phones and a red bull each, which Michael took happily, trying to ignore how domestic the whole affair seemed.
"Thanks honey," Michael told him, to which Luke replied, "Anytime sweetie," and caused them both the chuckle, smiling into their drinks like fifteen year olds on a first date. Michael shook his head.
One Keek and two Twitter follow sprees later, Luke announced that it was time to wash the dye out. "Bend over the sink," Luke told him, and Michael scoffed.
"You'd like that, wouldn't you?"
Michael grinned when he caught Luke's cheeks flush red.
"Shut up, just do it." The blonde boy said. Michael did so, muttering "Bossy," under his breath. Luke heard and punched his shoulder half heartedly.
Michael lent forward as Luke began to scrub at his head lightly, watching the colourful water run down the sink. Luke oh-so carefully ran his fingers through Michael's hair, threading conditioner through the strands gently.
"You know, you could never be a hairdresser," Michael commented, "You're way too gentle. The girls who work in salons practically rip your hair out."
Luke chuckled and continued to massage the other boys head, "I'm always gentle with you."
That phrase in itself struck at a nerve Michael often tried to avoid and made his mouth go dry. He tried to focus on Luke's fingers running through his hair, as if that would help. "Yeah, you are."
Luke turned the water off and wrapped Michael's hair up in a towel, the way girls did after a shower. After a few giggles and an Instagram picture, Luke sat Michael back down and plugged in the blowdryer while Michael pulled his shirt back on.
"I can do that myself, you know," Michael said, as Luke began drying his hair.
"I know," Luke shouted over the noise, "Just let me take care of you."
Michael would let Luke take care of him in more ways than one, he thought, but didn't dare voice it. He stayed quite as Luke styled his hair.
"Done!" Luke proclaimed once he'd shut the blowdryer off, helping Michael to stand up and move to the mirror.
Michael examined his new hair, tugging at his fringe. When he turned to look at Luke, he was chewing on his lip ring and looking at him expectantly.
"I love it," Michael said, and Luke grinned, launching forward to wrap his arms around Michael's waist. A bit of an exaggeration, yeah, but it was Luke. And Michael certainly wasn't complaining.
"Yay," Luke whispered after a few seconds, causing Michael to chuckle. He could feel Luke carding his fingers through his hair and pulled back slightly to look at him properly.
"Thank you,' Michael said quietly, not entirely sure why. It just seemed right. Luke lips tugged up at the sides and he leaned forward to press them to Michael's.
Yeah, they'd kissed before. Who hasn't kissed their best friend before, drunk and in the moment? Exactly. But this was different.
Michael thought his heart might actually be beating at an unhealthy speed, but he ignored it as he felt Luke stroke his thumb over his cheek. Michael opened for him, moaning almost involuntarily and pulling Luke forward until their bodies were as close as possible. The only thing his mind could properly process was LukeLukeLuke and he thought that, yeah, he could probably do this forever.
They both pulled back smiling like idiots, Michael leaning forward to nip once at Luke's neck.
"I kind of fucking love you, you know," Michael whispered, pulling Luke back to peck at his lips.
"Love you too Mikey," Luke mumbled, "And your next hair colour's gonna be light blue. It'd look nice with your skin."
Michael grinned and rested his forehead on Luke's, "Anything for you."