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Luke wasn’t exactly a ‘friendship’ person. He’s had friends, sure, but he never felt the deep, inexplicable connection everyone else had supposedly felt. He’d meet people, he’d wander around in their life like a ghost- barely visible and adding nothing but opening cabinets and shutting doors- and then he’d disappear.
It was as if no one paid any attention to him. And he didn’t necessarily dislike that, either. He liked being alone. He could listen to music, scroll mindlessly through apps on his phone, do homework, sleep. Those are all perfectly normal things to do. It was fine to be alone. He was at peace with that.
But he’d be lying if he didn’t find himself longing for some kind of connection. His heart was akin to a tree, its roots stretching throughout his body, filling his ears and each fingertip, begging to latch onto someone, anyone.
Then there’s Warren Graham. He’s funny, nice, easy to talk to. People like being around him. Luke’s seen him from afar, talking in groups of people, all with smiles plastered on their faces like an ad for teeth whitener. Luke wonders what it would be like to be so… easy.
They were friends. Or, at least, what Luke would consider friends. He knows his name, he gets sent bad memes from his number sometimes, and he flashes a smile his way in the hallway. For Luke, that was like third base for friendships.
It helped that Warren was cute.
Luke’s known he’d liked guys for what feels like forever. Girls are cool too, sure, but guys are where it’s at for him. If he had to guess, at the present moment, he’s sitting at a good 4:1 ratio with his interest in guys versus girls.
No one but him and his folks knew about his thing for men. Who did he have to tell? It’s not like potential suitors were exactly falling out of the sky for him in Arcadia Bay. If it wasn’t enough that the population of men who like men in the town was close to zero, the guys at Blackwell would sooner kill a man than kiss one.
Does this qualify as a crush? He’s not sure. He’d like to go on a date with him, that much is for certain. He’s a nice guy, and he’s smart, which is a major plus. Bad memes aside, he can be funny too. And maybe he could teach him how to be more enjoyable. Ew, that sounds so pitiful. Scratch that.
But Warren might just be the straightest guy he’s ever met. He’s borderline obsessed with girls, and everyone and their mother knows he’s got it bad for Max Caulfield. So asking him out was a no-go. It appears as if it was just destiny that Luke would go his whole academic experience without love.
Which is exactly why it was so shocking when Warren stood at his locker one day, appearing like an apparition as Luke closed the door.
“Hey, Luke, you got a minute?” He had asked, looking uncertain about something, like he still hadn’t decided on saying what he wanted to.
Luke swallowed, running his tongue along the backs of his teeth for a moment of comforting stimulation. He glanced down at Warren’s shirt, telling himself he was just interested in the pun-of-the-day he was wearing (in actuality, he just wanted an excuse to look at his chest). “Um. Yeah?” Did that sound too cold? Everyone’s always saying I’m cold.
Warren followed Luke’s eyes, looking down at himself before pulling his shirt out so that it was flat. “Do you get it?” He asked. It read ‘All the good chemistry jokes’, followed by the element ‘Ar”. Argon. Har har. “Argon? Like are gone? Eh? Eh?”
Luke forced the smallest of smiles. “Yeah. It’s funny. You were saying?” If he was going to keep saying bad puns, he might not be able to make it through this conversation, crush be damned.
“Oh! Yeah,” he began, dropping his shirt and looking up at the ceiling. He averted eye contact often, which was rough considering Luke thrived off of it. “There’s a movie… thing. A drive-in. I haven’t seen the movie, but a friend recommended it to me, he said it was pretty good, but he also has some pretty bad takes on sci-fi, so-”
“You’re asking me?” Luke asked, maybe a tad bit too judgmentally.
Warren’s eyes went wide, flickering to Luke’s. “Oh. Uh, yeah, I am, I guess.”
There was a pause between the two as Luke’s brain rushed to catch up. His sorta-crush was asking him to go see a movie with him?
“I-I, well, you see,” he backtracked. “I asked two other people, but they were busy, so, um, yeah.”
The brightness in Luke’s eyes dimmed. “Oh.”
He must have sensed the disappointment, because Warren quickly backtracked on top of his previous backtrack, raising his hands comfortingly. “No, no! You weren’t like, my third choice or anything! I was just worried you’d say no, since you don’t really do anything- Wait! I didn’t mean that! Not in that way-”
Luke took a breath. He understood what he meant. It’s true, he didn’t really do anything. “It’s fine, man. I’ll go. What time is it?”
Warren smiled, which could have lit up the whole room like a supernova. He was so warm. “It’s at seven. I’ll swing by your room and pick you up then, yeah?”
He ran his finger along the edge of his backpack straps while nodding. “Sounds good. I’ll see you then,” he responded before turning and heading to his next class. His knees threatened to buckle under the weight of the interaction. Being asked to do something with someone. It’s scary. A good kind of scary. The kind that sent adrenaline coursing through his veins and made him feel awake. He liked it.
ooo
A school day and a shower later, Luke was just about ready for his ‘hangout’, as much as it pained him to call it that. He longed to call it a date, if not just for the fact that he’d be able to say he’d been on one.
He pulled up his black jeans, put on his dark gray Blackwell crewneck (yay for school spirit?), and, of course, took his favorite hat off his nightstand and plopped it onto his head.
He glanced at the clock. 6:59… 7:00. Just as the clock changed over to the hour, there was a knock at the door. Luke quickly tugged on the back of his sneakers to allow his heels to enter, before making his way to the door.
“What’s the password?” He asked, peering into the peephole to see Warren sigh and roll his eyes with a smile.
“Uh… Muffin?”
“Muffin?”
“I don’t know! I see you eat them sometimes. I just assumed they were your favorite food or something.”
Luke paused. “You watch me eat lunch?” He asked aloud, before he even realized he was speaking.
“Ew, you make it sound creepy!” Warren protested. “I’m not watching you like that, I just-... See you. Sometimes.”
He thought about it for a moment, a smile creeping up onto his face without thinking. He opened the door, smirking at the brunet. “Well, that’s the password now. Ding ding ding.”
Warren beamed, patting himself on the back. He wore the same thing as earlier. Dumb punny shirt over a long-sleeve and jeans. “Okay, no more wasting time,” he said, returning the playful smirk Luke wore. “We need to go now if we’re gonna see the trailers.”
“Trailers at a drive-in?” He replied, locking his dorm room door before pocketing the key and joining Warren.
Warren chuckled. “Some hate it, but I think it’s necessary for the movie experience. Besides, if there’s no trailers, when are you gonna eat all the popcorn?”
Luke snorted. He didn’t laugh often, which was becoming more and more of an untruth as he hung out with Warren.
He watched him as he laughed as well, brushing his hair back with his eyes screwed shut as his chest rose and fell rapidly with each chortle. He had a nice side profile. His nose had a slight slope to it, and his lips, while not exactly the fullest, weren’t thin lines. They looked soft and pillowy. Clearly he was a fan of chapstick.
ooo
The drive to the movie itself was relatively quiet for the most part. They traded songs back and forth, some of which were particularly groan-inducing on Warren’s part. While their tastes in music were semi-compatible, a handful made Luke physically wince. When he heard the guy actually play Fireflies by Owl City, he considered jumping out of the car. In 2013, no less? He couldn’t believe it.
But eventually, as he often did, Warren broke the conversational silence.
“So… you do photography, right?” He asked, tapping a finger on the steering wheel.
Luke looked over without turning his head. “I mean, I’m in the class.” He glanced back out at the window, watching passing orange trees. “My stuff isn’t that good.”
“What? No, I’m sure your stuff is great,” he said with a cocky smirk, not taking his eyes off the road. Responsible.
“No, no, it’s cool,” Luke replied, leaving his perch at the window to look at the other boy. “I don’t even wanna be a photographer, it’s just a little hobby.”
Warren turned his head, but not his eyes, to show he was listening. “Oh yeah? What do you wanna do?”
Luke huffed. “It’s a little stupid, but… I guess I’m kinda into engineering? Like, the way cameras themselves work. My dad was a photographer, and I always got into his office as a kid and started taking his cameras apart.” He mimed the action with his hands, looking down at them with nostalgic fondness. “He said it was fine, as long as I put them back together. So… I learned how to do that.”
Warren nodded with a smile. “Wow. That’s amazing, to have a passion at such a young age.” He giggled, now turning and looking at Luke. “That makes me sound old, huh?” He looked back at the road, eyes squinting as he thought longer about it. “Luke Parker: World famous camera maker. How’s that sound?”
Now it was Luke’s turn to laugh. “Maybe not that far. I don’t know, it’s kinda weird. Is there really a demand for camera makers?” He doesn’t know how this became a discussion about his fears regarding his future, but he’s afraid to stop it.
“Maybe not,” he frankly states, the blunt honesty catching Luke off-guard. “But with one as smart as you, I’m sure all the camera-making companies will be fighting over you.”
He doesn’t look his way, but Luke is staring dumbfounded at the brunet. His hand is slowly brought to his face, feeling the slight warmth of the blush he’s been afflicted with. The hand covers his mouth as he turns back to the window, hiding the gleeful smile underneath. How could he sit there and drive, not even looking at him, as he completely and effortlessly invalidates all his fears in one sentence?
“Why, you’re welcome for the inspiring mantra, Luke. Since you asked so politely, I’m interested in chemistry,” he said snarkily, smiling at his own stupid humor.
“Shit- Sorry. Thanks…” he sheepishly rushed out, silently cursing himself for the accidental rudeness.
Warren laughed again. He liked the sound. “It’s okay! I’m just joking.” He waved a hand as if to ward away any of his worries. “But, really though, I’m a chem guy.”
“I assumed so,” Luke said as he motioned towards Warren’s shirt. “Science puns are, uh, kinda your thing.”
“That’s my reputation? Hell yeah!” He said, grinning happily at the newfound, yet obvious, information. “I’m the science nerd, and you’re…” He paused, his smile disappearing as he thought. “You don’t really have a reputation. You’re just a…”
“Loser,” Luke finished.
“I was going to say lone wolf,” Warren corrected. “And as far as I’m concerned, that’s a good thing. Sometimes I wish I could be more independent.”
“Really? …I wish I could be more dependent,” the black-haired boy said with a heavy exhale.
“Huh,” Warren said. “We both want each other-” What?! “-‘s experiences.” Oh. Okay.
“I guess so,” he mused. “I see you talking to people, and you just look so… relaxed. Like it’s easy for you. I want to be like that, I think.”
“Easy? Dude, you’re crazy. I’m running on all cylinders talking to people. Especially people I like. Like, like like.”
Luke froze up and felt a little sick. “Let me guess. Caulfield?”
There was a pause, and Luke assumed it was because Warren was just so shocked that he knew his crush.
“Why does everyone think that?” Warren questioned aloud. “I mean, I liked her for a bit when we first met, but… she’s more like an older sister to me now.”
His heart thumped for a moment. “So you like someone who isn’t Max?”
“Uh… Sorta. Kinda. I don’t know. I’ve not really figured it out yet.” He shook his head. “Not important. What is important is that it’s good to be a lone wolf! Though, if this is a good estimate, anyone would be lucky to be your friend.”
The silence fell once again as Warren turned the music back up to its previous volume. He wasn’t looking for a thank-you this time.
Luke let his head fall back onto the seat as he studied the roof of the car.
Huh.
Lucky.
ooo
The movie was alright, at least so far. The sun was nestled against the horizon, a low orange glow on the bits of grass not trampled by cars in the parking lot. The sky was quickly darkening, which was better for the movie’s lighting.
As the movie’s audio hummed through the radio, Luke absentmindedly chomped away at popcorn. Sure enough, most of it was devoured through their shared sheer boredom during the trailers.
He had tried to get really into it, but the plot was a bit lost on him. Something about needing to leave Earth, a random group of people selected to try and inhabit another planet, blah blah blah, insert nerdy plot point here. But Warren, on the other hand, was way into it. Jutting in with factoids Luke would most likely forget then randomly remember months later, interrupting with several ‘What would you do if that happened?’s and ‘That’s insane!’s, and laughing and gasping so loud that he was sure other patrons could hear it. If it wasn’t as endearing as it was, Luke would be mildly irritated.
But the two went quiet when a scene played a little over halfway into the movie. Two of the male participants were alone in a room, and an argument quickly advanced into a rather steamy make-out session.
Luke’s blood ran cold, and his eyes went wide. His heart beat against its boney cage as he felt his face grow warm once again. It felt like a secret was being revealed to Warren, like the movie was a direct projection of his mind.
His eyes darted over to Warren, who had a similar face. Except, the fear was replaced by a non-negative form of surprise. If anything, it looked more like intrigue.
Once the scene had ended, he laughed. Or tried to, at least. It was like a series of short, breathy exhales. “Weird, right?” He asked, his voice shaky.
“Uh. Not that weird,” Luke mumbled, his palms clammy.
“I guess,” Warren replied, before slowly turning to Luke. His movements were jittery, like an old robot. He, once again, looked nervous and unsure about speaking. “Hey, Luke?”
He looked at Warren, looking at his eyes even though they didn’t return his gaze. “Yeah?” The air felt thick with unspoken words. Maybe that's why he struggled to breathe.
“Have… you ever thought about that?” He closed his eyes for a bit too long to be considered a blink, his right thumb tracing over his knuckles. “Like… kissing other guys?”
“Yeah,” Luke answered, maybe too quickly. He swallowed in an attempt to wet his dry mouth. “I mean, I think it’s normal to be… kinda curious.”
Warren’s leg bounced anxiously, and it didn’t seem like a conscious action. “Have you ever… tried it?”
Luke’s breath-rate increased, and he hoped it was quiet and subtle enough that he didn’t notice. “No,” his voice responded rather desperately. Without realizing, he’d already leaned a few inches closer to the other.
Warren pushed air out of his nose, a weak attempt at a laugh. “Would you… want to-?”
“Yes,” he said, not even hiding the ravenous desperation, his eyes glassy with the romantic desire to smash his face against Warren’s. His eyes couldn’t decide between resting on the other’s brown eyes or pink lips, so they simply danced around the two.
He couldn’t believe his eyes as Warren leaned in, his eyes closing and lips just barely parting. Then, he couldn’t believe his lips.
The taste of ginger and vanilla ran through his mouth, the subtle smell of sugar clouding his senses as Warren wrapped himself around his bottom lip, planting a shy kiss. For a moment, the other broke away, before he felt Warren’s surefire return. If the first was a test-run, this one was a conscious, wanting choice.
He felt a hand run up the back of his head, fingers traversing below the back of his hat, the force knocking it to the ground. He didn’t care.
Luke’s hand, in turn, traveled over the brunet’s shoulder and down his back, slowly scratching the space between his shoulder blades. He felt Warren’s second hand rest lazily behind his neck as the other similarly played with Luke’s short hair. It pushed against his head slightly, as to beg Luke to stay in the world of the kiss.
It was sweet. It wasn’t the most experienced kiss, though that’s as he’d expected. He knows he’s never kissed anyone, and he’s certain Warren’s at least never kissed another boy. But it was so perfect, a perfect first kiss he wanted to last forever.
His head tilted a bit to the right, his cold nose nestled next to Warren’s as they continued. The sounds he elicited from Warren, the quiet gasps for air and happy peeps he picked up on only because they were so close, were electrifying.
He let out a low sound, a groan akin to a sound you’d make as you collapse into bed after a long day. Warren’s pillowy lips were his bed, his momentary relief after a long life.
The two finally broke away, both breathless, giggling messes. Warren brushed hair out of his face as Luke fished through the dark floor of the car for his hat.
Sometime during the what felt like eons-long kiss, the sun had retreated below the horizon line. Bent over, he could look up and see the sky. Maybe it was cheesy, but suddenly all those once-stupid poems and songs about stars and love made sense to him.
He leaned back up, making sure to adjust his hat so it fit normally once again. He and Warren looked at each other, both smiling like a couple of idiots. If he was looking at this from afar, he’d maybe just throw up at how lovey dovey this was.
“You’re… a good kisser,” Warren offered, his cheeks pink.
Luke smiled, small and shy. “You are too.”
“Would you ever… want to do this again sometime?” He traced his thumb once again, but this time on Luke’s hand.
“Yeah,” he replied, nodding four times for the perfect amount of emphasis. “I’d really like that.”