Closed Under My Skin

[Caleb Thorne]

Caleb wasn't sure why he liked it so much out here by the lake. But he found himself out there more often than not when he felt restless, like his bones were too big for his body and if he didn't start walking he would explode. They used to have a pond in their backyard in the house back in London. It was a fraction of the size of the lake and was obviously man made and was more of a fountain than a pond if he was being completely honest. But he always liked to look at the water. Watching the calm surface seemed to quiet his racing thoughts, even if it was just for a few minutes. The adjustment from home to school was always one he had felt rather strongly but this year it seemed worse than ever. He couldn't stop thinking about how after this year he would be the only one of his siblings at school. He hadn't thought much about it when Simon graduated but Lila had always been an anchor of sorts and looked after him no matter how much he fought her. He wasn't sure who he was supposed to be on his own. Everything felt like it was coming at him too fast and he reached down and picked up a rock before skipping it across the surface. He took a deep breath and let it go as he watched the surface of the water ripple outwards.

 

[Professor Louis Alcott]

Louis had to catch up with many different people at the start of the semester, a side effect of being so popular and well-liked, but he hadn't really had the chance to talk to Caleb or René much yet, which was a shame. He was looking for them now, checking a few of their usual hangout places. Caleb was out at the lake a lot, Louis knew, and he wasn't too surprised to find him there. He looked kind of mopey, so Louis made sure to mess up his hair as he came up behind him. "What has you looking so sad now?" He asked him teasingly before sitting down next to him. "Bet I can beat you at that." He said, nodding at the lake to indicate the stone Caleb had just skipped over the water.

 

[Caleb Thorne]

Caleb had been so wrapped up in his head that he didn't even notice Louis until he was on top of him. He jumped when he felt someone ruffle his hair but relaxed and let out a chuckle when he recognized his friend. "Because I was missing you." he teased in a sickly sweet voice. "Oh yeah? Good luck." he said dryly and waited expectantly for him to back up such a statement. That was until Caleb noticed prefect's badge on Louis' chest. He groaned dramatically and looked up at the sky. "Not you." he groaned. "Are you going to bust me for breaking the rules now?" he asked sarcastically, as if Louis wasn't with him half the time he was up to something.

 

[Professor Louis Alcott]

Louis laughed as Caleb said he had been sad because he was missing him. He leaned in a bit and tucked a strand of his hair behind his ear before speaking in an equally sweet voice. "I'm here now, no need to be upset anymore." He said, before grinning. Louis picked up a stone to show Caleb how it was done but was distracted by his reaction to his prefect badge. He grinned. "Of course not, I'll give you patrol schedules if you're nice." He said, leaning back a bit. "Easy to avoid trouble when you're on the inside."

 

[Caleb Thorne]

Caleb held his breath as Louis leaned forward and brushed some hair out of his face. He didn't dare move but he felt a twinge of disappointment when his friend pulled away. "You've cured me." he said dryly before smirking. He watched expectantly as Louis tried to show off his rock skipping skills. He was pleased when he faltered but rolled his eyes when Louis grinned at him. He liked the idea of knowing how to dodge patrols. He had a few close calls in the past and would like an advantage. "Don't let Kingsley hear you." he joked. "Or you might hold the record for shortest time with a badge."

 

[Professor Louis Alcott]

Louis was a little sad Caleb seemed to drop their fake flirting bit. It had felt kind of nice to touch Caleb's face, and he wondered if he could think of another excuse. He scooted a bit closer to him, wondering vaguely how he'd react if he just kissed him. He paused. "Kingsley isn't here." He said quietly. "I'm only telling you that because I trust you, you know?" He added, trying for a casual tone. He then ran out of things to say, looking at Caleb a little hopefully. He mostly hoped the Slytherin wouldn't ruin the moment. Would it be smart to kiss him first? But what if he hated it?