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Luke had spent the better part of the evening loudly insisting that he was "the STRAIGHTEST guy in the house" after someone joked that he and Callum kept ending up sitting next to each other. The accusations themself were dismissed with enough confidence that everyone had just rolled their eyes and moved on with the round, skipping the vote as the Mafia had not killed, nor had any EMP's gone off.
Now, he was hiding behind the kitchen counter in the Sorority. It thudded so loudly against his ribs that, for one completely irrational moment, Luke became convinced the Mafia would somehow hear him, stroll into the kitchen, and find him immediately.
At least this wouldn't kill him in real life. please get the reference.
Until he heard a whisper of a voice sound from right next to him..
"....you good?"
A strangled noise escaped him before he could stop it as he jolted upward, his head almost colliding with the underside of the countertop. Callum's voice was so close to him he nearly jumped out his skin, launching himself into the ceiling. Killing himself for the Mafia.
Speaking of, there has been no kill yet.
He did, however, slightly scream. Luke clasped his hands over his mouth and closed his eyes, cringing a bit. Muttering a very slight, and very quiet "oh my god."
"I-yeah.. I'm.. fine.."
"You just basically screamed. I find that hard to believe." Callum replied. He was crouched beside him, barely visible in the darkness beyond the counter. The faint lighting leaking in from the hallway outlined just enough of his face for Luke to recognize the amused expression already beginning to form.
"I did not." Luke argued, completely flat-toned.
"You atleast squeaked."
Speaking of which, Luke was the janitor. A laughing stock. Yeah. His grand responsibility consisted of wandering around the map cleaning banana peels that people had dropped whenever he had the guts to go out, because apparently slipping hazards were a bigger concern than organized murder. It wasn't exactly the heroic career path he'd imagined for himself. I mean for fucks sake, his old job was selling newspaper.
Now he cleaned fruit off the floor. Character development, apparently.
Luke heard a shot rang out, but around 10 seconds later no thud was announced towards the room. Meaning they were probably revived.
"..huh," Callum murmured.
Luke barely registered it. Discussion returned almost immediately afterward. Nobody had actually stayed dead, there were still plenty of Town members alive, and after another minute of people talking over one another, everyone collectively shrugged.
Luke couldn't have repeated a single thing anyone had said during discussion.
His attention kept drifting somewhere else. His heart had been racing ever since Callum startled him in the kitchen, and for some reason it hadn't slowed down. Every time he looked over, caught the other man adjusting his position or quietly watching outside of the opened door, making sure no one was coming, his pulse kicked all over again.
Maybe if he and Callum are in the same hiding spot again, he'll search Callum for any signs of him being Mafia. Yeah. That's perfect. Nothing weird about wanting to search another man because your heartbeat inexplicably turned into a jackhammer every time he sat within arm's reach.
The night found Luke considerably less confident in his “perfect logical plan.” It had sounded alright in his head during discussion.
Stick with Callum, watch him carefully, search him if he got the chance. See if he’s Mafia.
Instead, discussion intersected back into the usual mess of accusations that went nowhere. Someone insisted the Vigilante was lying. Someone else accused the person who downed because "that's exactly what Mafia would want." Two people argued over who had left a banana peel in the middle of the lounge.
Luke contributed approximately three words before his attention wandered toward the opposite side of the circle. Callum caught him looking. Smiled slightly. Luke immediately looked away. Focus.
Night fell and players scattered throughout the Sorority once more, darting into bedrooms, closets, and behind furniture. Luke hurried upstairs this time, figuring the bathrooms usually went ignored for at least a little while.
He slipped inside one of them and crouched beside the sinks.
"..again..?"
Luke nearly swallowed his tongue. "....jesus christ..!" He yelled, slightly hushed.
Callum stood in the doorway.
"You really have to stop doing that."
"I've done it twice."
"That's two times too many!" Callum chuckled quietly before stepping inside and easing the bathroom door mostly shut behind him.
"I think you're following me." Luke hushed, still slightly yelling.
"I think you're following me." Callum stated, almost sounding convincing.
"Impossible."
"You literally just walked into my hiding spot."
"I was already planning on hiding here."
"Liar."
"Prove it."
Luke opened his mouth only to discover he can not, in fact, prove it.
So he closed it. "....I can't.."
"Exactly."
Before Luke could think of another comeback....
Footsteps that were not running. They were trying to be discreet and quiet. Walking, slowly. Definitely with the intention of checking rooms and killing someone. And they were definitely coming their way.
Luke's stomach dropped. Callum reacted before he did. Without warning, Callum grabbed the front of Luke's collar of his suit, and yanked him sideways.
"Wha--" A hand clamped lightly over Luke's mouth. Whatever protest he’d been about to blurt out died into nothing more than a muffled, confused noise against Callum’s palm as the other man grabbed a fistful of his overcoat with his free hand. Not even enough time to process what was happening, just a blur of a firm shove, Luke stumbling backwards.
His shoulder clipped the metal divider before the backs of his knees bumped against the toilet. Forcing him another step into the cramped stall. Before regaining his footing, Callum slid into the stall after him. Reaching back just enough to pull the stall door shut without letting it slam.
The latch clicked softly, drowned out by the sound of the lights outside still buzzing. Annoying.
Both of them stared at each other without saying anything. Luke’s body started warming up, the tips of his ears red. Thankfully there was no way to tell.
The stall suddenly felt as though it had been designed for one person and one person only. Luke found himself pressed awkwardly against the back wall, one shoulder brushing the cold metal partition while Callum occupied nearly everything else in front of him. Their shoes nearly touched. If either of them shifted more than an inch, they were going to bump into each other. Callum still hadn't moved his hand. And Luke felt like licking his hand to move it, but that would’ve led to a reaction. So he just let the tanking of his dignity happen.
His palm rested lightly over Luke's mouth, he understood exactly what he was asking; don't make a sound. Luke's heartbeat picked that exact moment to become painfully obvious.
Not because he was trapped in a bathroom stall with Callum. Absolutely not.
Because somebody else was upstairs. Right?! The Mafia!
The bathroom door creaked open. ominous ass. for WHAT
Both of them froze, a pair of footsteps echoed sharply against the tile floor, each one sounding louder than the last in the quiet building. They weren't in a hurry. They weren't wandering aimlessly either.
Luke watched Callum's expression change almost imperceptibly. The joking smile from a moment ago vanished. His shoulders squared just enough to shield Luke from the narrow gap beneath the stall door, and his eyes flicked downward, tracking the moving shadow outside.
One pair of shoes.
Black. Stopping. Starting. Stopping again. Luke swallowed instinctively. The movement caught in his throat, and for one horrifying second he thought the sound had echoed throughout the entire bathroom. The footsteps stopped, right outside the row of stalls.
Without looking away from the stall door, he gave the tiniest shake of his head before gently pressing his hand just a fraction closer against Luke's mouth, a silent reminder. he's flirting awww.
Quiet. Luke squeezed his eyes shut for barely a second before forcing himself to look forward again. The first stall door rattled. Metal scraped against the cold, concrete floor.. It swung open. Nothing. Closed. The set of footsteps again walking, closer now. The shadow beneath their stall grew darker.
Luke could practically feel the Mafia player standing on the opposite side of the door now. His pulse slammed against his ribs so hard it almost hurt. Please don't open it.
In the corner of his eye he saw Callum’s pupil going crazy. But didn’t think much of it.
The handle twitched. Just once. Barely enough to make the latch click. Luke's entire body went rigid. Callum didn't move, it didn't even honestly look like he flinched. The handle stopped moving.
Silence stretched on for what felt like several minutes, though it couldn't have been more than six or seven seconds. Then footsteps walking away.
The bathroom door opened, and then closed. Silence returned. Neither of them reacted immediately.
Luke wasn't convinced the Mafia player had actually left. For all he knew, they were standing outside waiting for someone to get impatient enough to leave their hiding spot.
Callum seemed to think the same thing, he stayed exactly where he was, head tilted ever so slightly as if listening for movement beyond the door.
Only after another several long seconds of nothing did his shoulders finally loosen.
"..They're gone," he whispered, voice barely louder than breathing.... a very quiet shth sound coming out. Like a knife grinding on stone. Or being sheathed. He looked down at Luke with pity, Saw his face for once, everything. He was frightened. Deciding to put away his knife and spare him.
Even then, when he knew the mafia member was gone, he didn't pull away immediately.
Luke hadn't realized how still he'd forced himself to remain until the tension started melting out of his muscles all at once. His legs suddenly felt shaky from crouching in the awkward position, and he let out a slow breath through his nose.
Callum blinked. “...oh."
He glanced down. His hand. It was still covering Luke's mouth.
The realization hit him instantly. "Oh.. sorry."
He withdrew it so quickly that the motion almost looked embarrassed, taking half a step back out of instinct before immediately bumping into the stall door behind him.
"..Didn't even realize I still—"
Thunk. Luke fell down from the anxiety, his entire body shaking. The adrenaline in his body combined with the feeling that was not at all just “fear.”
Callum stared at him, and for about two seconds, neither of them said anything. Then Luke quietly snorted. Luke laughed, trying to play it off, too hard to suppress. But he was also on the verge of tears. Were they looking for him specifically? And.. What was that feeling he felt? He never felt that before, and especially not with a woman.
"You shoved me in here like we were in an action movie." He laughed as the lights turned on, looking down to hide the immense fear.
"You would've stood there like an idiot." Callum objected, just now realizing how weird the situation was. His ears reddening,
"I would've hidden!” Luke shot back, looking up now that he was slightly more composed.
"You would've stared."
"I would've hidden eventually."
"You looked terrified.”
Callum couldn't help smiling again. Before Luke or Callum could fire another argument, they were called for another meeting and then familiar chime echoed through the Sorority. Night has ended.
....meanwhile dead chat was going crazy
“OHHHH MY GODDD????? GAY GAY GAYGAYGA” - please delete this before I publish omg
Both of them instinctively looked around the upstairs hallway before heading for the staircase. The house, moments ago cloaked in tense silence, was suddenly alive again with players spilling from bedrooms, closets, and every hiding place imaginable. A few people sprinted downstairs immediately, eager to hear the night's results.
Luke followed at a slower pace, Callum falling into step beside him. "So...." Callum said quietly.
"So?"
"You screamed."
Luke sighed. "I did not scream."
"You made a noise."
"I made a.. deceptive... noise."
Callum looked at him. "A deceptive noise."
"It distracted the Mafia."
"I don't think they even heard you."
"....exactly. It distracted us from the Mafia."
Callum laughed under his breath, shaking his head as they entered the foyer. The discussion timer appeared.
Someone announced that someone had died from a knife wound. The room immediately erupted.
"What?!"
"Who died?"
"Wait, they actually got somebody?"
"It wasn't me for once."
Luke's eyes flicked toward the player list. One name had gone gray, it would disappear after discussion.
".....damn," someone muttered. "There goes our Detective."
A chorus of groans followed. "Oh, we're cooked!"
"How did the Detective die this early?"
"Did they claim it to someone?"
"Probably."
The accusations began almost instantly.
"I saw someone upstairs."
"It was definitely near library."
"No, I was in the library."
"I literally watched you disappear."
"You didn't watch anything."
Luke listened for a few moments, leaning against one of the walls as the conversation spiraled into overlapping voices. Being different.
Half the lobby was talking over each other. The other half was insisting everyone else was lying. The usual.
"....Callum." He started.
"Hm?"
Luke lowered his voice. "We should probably clear each other."
Callum glanced over. "You sure?"
"I was with you basically the whole night."
"So were you." Luke nodded.
"If either of us was Mafia.." Luke gestured vaguely, sighing when he didnt understand what he meant. "...the other would've been dead."
Callum smiled slightly. "Fair point."
Someone across the room called out, "Anybody got clears?"
Callum raised his voice just enough to be heard. "I can clear Luke."
The chatter dipped. A few players looked over.
"He was with me almost the entire night upstairs."
Luke nodded without hesitation. "And I can clear Callum."
"You two were together?"
"Bathroom upstairs," Luke answered. "We hid from someone checking stalls."
A couple people chuckled.
"Lucky."
"Actually terrifying."
"I hate hiding upstairs."
One player frowned. "....Could've been partners."
Luke shrugged. "If either of us was Mafia, there would've been literally no reason to leave the other alive. And if we’re both Mafia, like you suggest, Liberty. It would be stupid for two Mafia to be in the same place, yeah? Or it would be incredibly suspicious why there was no kill."
Callum folded his arms. "We spent the entire night hiding together."
"..and arguing," Luke added.
"...mostly arguing."
Someone laughed.
"Honestly that sounds believable."
Another player nodded. "They've been together like.... every round."
"Yeah, if they were Mafia together they'd probably be coordinating better than that."
Luke looked at Callum. "...rude."
Callum grinned. "They're right."
The suspicion shifted elsewhere almost immediately. Names started getting thrown around again. Someone accused the Doctor. The Doctor accused the Vigilante.
The Vigilante accused three different people in the span of ten seconds.
Luke let the noise wash over him without paying much attention. For the first time all game, he wasn't particularly worried about defending himself. Having one person confidently vouch for him was.... surprisingly reassuring.
He glanced sideways. Callum happened to look over at the exact same moment. Neither of them said anything. Callum just gave the smallest nod, as if to silently say, You're good.
Luke returned it before looking back toward the increasingly chaotic discussion.
At least neither of them had to worry about accusing each other anymore. They'd spent enough time shoulder-to-shoulder in a bathroom stall to know one thing with absolute certainty.
At the end of the voting phase, they had gotten one of the Mafia out. Turns out Liberty, the one who had accused Luke and Callum earlier, was a Mafia. Now there were 2 more, with a Witch left.
The world dimmed as the Sorority was swallowed by the night as players scattered almost immediately.
Luke barely waited for the timer to disappear before jogging toward the basement stairs. He'd sworn off the kitchen after nearly dying. The upstairs bathroom had become a little too.. memorable. That left the basement.
The wooden steps beneath his feet loud out a.. woody.. sound as he descended into the dimly lit lower level of the Sorority. The air felt cooler down here, carrying that permanent dampness old houses always seemed to have. Exposed pipes ran along the ceiling, occasionally dripping into shallow puddles scattered across the concrete floor.
Toward the back was the sewer access. A narrow brick corridor with ankle-deep water running sluggishly through a channel carved into the center. Rusted metal grates lined parts of the walls, and a single flickering bulb overhead cast wavering reflections across the water's surface.
It wasn't exactly comfortable. Which meant almost nobody would hide here, which means Mafia wouldn’t look here. Perfect.
Luke stepped carefully across the narrow walkway bordering the channel before crouching behind one of the thick support pillars jutting out from the brickwork.
"....you know."
Luke let out the longest sigh imaginable. "...I don't even have to look, do I?"
"Nope."
"................hi, Callum."
"Hi, Luke."
Luke turned his head just enough to see him making his way down the narrow path, boots splashing softly through the thin layer of water before stepping onto the dry concrete beside him.
He settled beside Luke, his shoulder resting lightly against the cool brick wall. Compared to the bathroom stall, there was plenty of room between them now, though the corridor was still narrow enough that if either of them stretched their legs too far, they'd bump into the other.
For a while, neither of them spoke.
Water trickled quietly through the channel.
Somewhere above them, footsteps crossed the first floor.
Muted voices filtered faintly through the ceiling before disappearing again.
Luke rested his elbows on his knees. "...think anyone actually checks down here?"
"Sometimes." Callum faced Luke, turning his head slightly as he smiled very softly.
"...that's reassuring. I guess."
"They usually don't stay long." Callum quickly adds.
"Oh."
"They hate getting lost."
Luke let out a quick, and quiet laugh "....fair."
Another comfortable silence settled over them. The flickering bulb overhead buzzed softly before dimming for a moment, then brightening again. Luke found himself watching the rippling reflections dance across the brick walls.
".....can I.. tell you something?" Callum's voice was quiet enough that Luke almost mistook it for the sound of the water.
He glanced over. "....sure."
Callum was already looking at him. Not in the distracted way people usually looked during night phases. Actually looking.
His green eyes caught the uneven light from above, muted by the basement's gloom but still striking against the gray surroundings. Luke had noticed them before, of course. It would've been difficult not to. He just hadn't realized Callum was studying him in return.
"....your eyes are beautiful."
Luke blinked. "...What?"
"They are." Callum didn't laugh.
Didn't try to brush it off. He simply continued, as though he were stating something obvious.
"They're light brown most of the time."
Luke frowned slightly. "...Yeah."
"But when the light hits them..." Callum glanced toward the flickering bulb overhead. "...They change."
Luke instinctively looked away. "They don't."
"They do."
"They're brown."
"They're golden."
Luke gave a quiet huff. "No, they're not." He let his head fall into his lap, hands tanging in his hair.
Callum smiled faintly. "They're not bright gold or anything."
He searched for the right words. "They're... warm." The compliment hung in the damp air between them.
"The first time I noticed," Callum admitted, "was during one of the discussion phases."
Luke looked back at him.
"You were standing near one of the front windows."
"....really?"
"Mhm."
"The sun hit your face for like... five seconds."
He shrugged.
"And suddenly your eyes weren't brown anymore."
Luke stared.
"They looked..." Callum smiled to himself. "....like honey?"
Luke's heart lurched. "...that's rather oddly specific."
"I had time to think about it."
"You... thought about it?"
Callum chuckled under his breath. ".....More than once."
Luke forgot about the basement. Forgot about the Mafia. Forgot about the fact they were hiding beneath a murder mystery game while someone somewhere was probably being chased through the Sorority.
All he could focus on was Callum. On the easy certainty in his voice, on the fact that none of this sounded rehearsed.
He looked at Callum's green eyes, impossibly vivid even beneath a flickering basement light, and suddenly every strange moment over the last few rounds assembled itself into a picture he could no longer ignore.
Sitting beside Callum in the damp basement sewer, with water quietly running through the channel beside them and the old light buzzing overhead, there wasn't really another explanation left. They'd been for the person who somehow kept finding him in every hiding spot.
Water trickled lazily through the narrow channel, disturbed every now and then by a slow drip from one of the rusted pipes overhead. The single lightbulb buzzed faintly, threatening to burn out every few seconds before stubbornly remaining alive.
Luke was still thinking about honey. What kind of person compares someone's eyes to honey? Apparently Callum did.
He'd spent the better part of the last five minutes staring at the shallow stream running through the basement because every time he looked back at Callum, that stupid warmth settled in his chest all over again.
Callum noticed the quiet and asked why he was so silent.
“Thinking.” Luke replied with. It was flat.
“What’re you thinking about?” Callum nudged him slightly, and Luke looked back up.
“You don’t want to know the answer.”
“I asked.”
“And you’ll regret asking if I tell you.” Luke looked back down, red was starting to appear in the water. Has someone died?
His reflection stared back in the red, distorted whenever condensation dripped back into the water.
“I.. I think..” He hesitated a bit, the words catching in his throat.
“I…. think… I like you..”
The kiss lingered long after it had ended.
Callum had already leaned back, his hand falling away from Luke's face as naturally as it had found it, but the warmth of it refused to leave. It seemed to cling stubbornly to his skin, settling somewhere beneath his ribs until every heartbeat reminded him that it had happened at all.
The sewer was as damp and unpleasant as ever. Murky water slipped sluggishly through the narrow channel carved into the center of the corridor, disturbed only by the occasional drip from a leaking pipe overhead. The basement lights flickered every so often, casting fractured reflections that danced across the moss-darkened brick walls. It smelled of rust, and stagnant water, and yet Luke doubted he would ever be able to think of the place as anything other than where Callum had kissed him.
He couldn't bring himself to meet Callum's eyes immediately.
His own remained fixed on the water instead, watching the distorted image of himself stretch and fracture with every ripple. His reflection looked no different than it had fifteen minutes ago. Same unruly hair. Same hoodie. Same light brown eyes that Callum had somehow managed to describe as beautiful; as honey when the light found them.
The compliment alone had been enough to unravel something inside him. The kiss had finished the job. There was no denying it anymore. Luke finally looked up.
Green eyes met brown.
".....I think I've been trying to convince myself this whole time that I was just caught up in everything. The hiding. The close calls. The excitement." A faint smile tugged at one corner of his mouth, disappearing almost as quickly as it came. "Turns out I was just looking for excuses."
He rubbed the back of his neck.
“What happens… after this game ends? Like, how do we just.. respawn?”
Callum sighed, “the same thing that always happens. We go through the same cycle. Different roles. Different places. Same concept..”
Callum's expression shifted almost imperceptibly. He lowered his eyes briefly, as though weighing something against every possible consequence before finally speaking.
"....there is something you should know."
Luke waited. Callum drew in a slow breath.
"I'm Mafia."
The words hung in the damp air. For a heartbeat, the sewer seemed impossibly still. Even the dripping water faded into the background. Luke blinked once as he searched Callum's face instinctively, looking for some indication that this was another joke, another tease meant to catch him off guard.
There wasn't one. Callum looked almost...... apologetic.
Luke's mind immediately replayed the last several nights. Every hallway, every hiding spot, every discussion, every opportunity.
Callum had known the entire time. He'd known where Luke hid. He'd known when they were alone. He'd stood inches away from him in a bathroom stall while another Mafia member searched the room. He'd had more chances than Luke could count. Even the flick of his pupils made sense, he was probably telling his teammate to kill someone else!
Luke was still alive. Despite Callum being mafia.
Understanding settled over him with surprising ease. A small laugh escaped him before he could stop it.
Callum looked up, confusion flickering across his face.
Luke shook his head, smiling to himself. ".....you thought I'd care."
Callum didn't answer. The uncertainty written across his features was answer enough.
Luke leaned back against the cool brick wall, feeling moisture seep faintly through the fabric of his hoodie.
"We're here," he said quietly, gesturing vaguely around the sewer, "because we all signed up to play Mafia."
His voice remained calm. "The point is for somebody to be Mafia."
Callum watched him carefully.
"You didn't choose me because you wanted to trick me." Luke's smile softened. "You got assigned a role."
"I got assigned one too." Lukes fingers idly skimmed across the damp stone beside him. "When this round ends, somebody wins, somebody loses, and we all walk back into the lobby."
His eyes met Callum's again. "The role stays here." The words weren't naive.
Luke understood perfectly well that Callum might still have to kill him if the opportunity arose. He understood that winning mattered, that everyone in the manor was trying to outplay everyone else.
But none of that changed what had happened between them. None of it erased the look in Callum's eyes when he'd called his own beautiful. None of it erased the kiss.
None of it erased the fact that, despite holding every advantage the Mafia role had given him, Callum had spent each night protecting the one person he should have eliminated first.
Luke's smile returned, smaller this time, quieter. ".....I like Callum."
His gaze drifted toward the water before returning. Callums shoulders rested a bit more, as a kill rang out and “Mafia Won” was announced to everyone. Immediately, everyone on the Mafia team yelled at Callum for not doing anything.
He didn’t care, though
His eyes were already on someone else.
art I made for the fic down below;
