Luke.

"Luke, please stop bouncing your leg. You being nervous is making me nervous," October sighed, placing her hand on my knee and putting pressure against it.

I shrugged, my knee starting to bounce again. "Well can you blame me? What kind of person goes to the airport three hours before their flight actually leaves?"

"One that lives in New York. Now, stop it." She ran a hand through her hair and played with the passport in her hands.

"There's a rule about people who can't pass the border without a passport," I mutter, leaning my head down on her shoulder so she would look at me. "I'm letting you go so soon."

"Technically," Michael pointed out from the front seat after having a conversation with the taxi driver, "Not soon, really, her flight leaves at three. So, in theory, while you go back home, she will still be in the country."

"That's not what I meant."

"It's just a fact, Luke."

"Tobe, why're you taking him and not me?" I groaned, ignoring Michael's name calling as October raised her hands up and dropped them in defeat.

"Jesus Christ, it's like having two of my own children - exhausting." She rested her head against the hard side of the car and I pulled her back, letting her lean her head on my chest.

"I've had two of my own children once," the taxi driver added in, a toothpick sticking out from the corner of his mouth, "Stayed with my ex-wife who divorced me for some douche bag. She was a Victoria's Secret model, you see-"

"They must've been lovely, and I'm sorry for your loss," October sat up straight, grabbing my hand and smiling at the driver politely yet uncomfortably. "And to answer your question, Luke, I'll only be gone for four months, and my parents don't know you yet. Do you really want to fly all the way over to London? I don't want you to leave Ashton and Calum."

"And besides," Michael turned back to me and smiled, "Her parents love me. They even gave us money to buy a place to stay. Pretty neat-o, don't you think?"

"Baby," I whined, pointing at Michael accusingly, who was sticking his tongue out at me like a little child. "He's being unfair."

"I love you," she stated, kissing my lips and I forgot all about the problem and cupped her cheek, pulling her in for more. Michael gagged.

"We are here," the taxi driver announced, and I reached into my pocket to pay him, "Hey, can you wait up? For me? All I'm doing is dropping her off."

He flashed me a bright smile, waving me off. "Of course, bud, anything for young love."

Michael gagged again. I flicked him off.

We stepped out of the yellow vehicle as the taxi driver followed behind, fetching October's suitcase out of the trunk. I pulled it in for her, making sure I slowed my steps to stall time.

The three of us step through the automatic doors, and I release her luggage and roll it next to October, standing in front of her as I looked down at her frowning face. The tears were back. And now mine were coming up. Great.

"I guess this is were I stop," I mutter, after Michael nodded his head at me and walking over to another area and sitting himself on the ground with an innocent smile on his face. How typical.

"Yeah," she shrugged, dropping her head and I watched a tear fall from her eye. I place my finger underneath her chin, lifting it up as I lean down and connect our lips, careful of my actions - because I knew that once I started, it was going to be hard to stop.

"I'm going to miss you so much," she let out a small sob as I held onto her cheeks and wiped underneath her eyes, and doing the same to myself, as well.

"I'll try and last four months, but don't blame when you come back and I've already lost my mind."

"Call, text, Facetime everyday, okay?" She held onto my hand, the other gripping the v-neck I had on and pulling me closer to her, wrapping her arms around my neck tightly.

"Until next time, Winters," I chuckle into her hair, my hand tracing her back and I gave her bum a little squeeze. She squealed. I wasn't going to hear her voice for four months. I was probably going to go crazy.

Her arms loosened around me to re-adjust and tightened once again, as I lifted her off the ground, taking in one last whiff of her coconut scented hair. Then I put her down and kiss her sweet, honey-like lips once more, before she sniffed and wiped her tears, nodding towards Michael.

I laugh to myself before striding towards him and he got off the ground, enveloping me in one of his signature hugs; he always gave the best out of 5SOS.

We couldn't be 5SOS if there were only four of us. Now our group won't make sense.

"'M gonna miss you, man," I chuckle, pulling away as I sniffled. He brought his hand to his heart in awe.

"Those tears are for me?"

"Fuck off."

He laughed, patting me on the shoulder for another bro-hug. "Love you, man, take care of yourself."

Take care of yourself.

"Hold on, don't leave yet!" A voice called throughout the airport, Ashton and Calum appearing through the doors out of breath. "We- we took a taxi; we didn't get a proper goodbye."

I watched as October smiled, trotting towards them happily and bringing them into her arms. "I love you boys, don't cause my Luke any trouble, alright?"

Ashton grabbed me by the arm and positioned all five of us in a circle as we shared a group hug, filled with giggles and hot air and Michael's constant need to pull everyone back again just as we separated.

"Tobe's going to college. Let's not be sad, let's be proud," Calum announced, and I felt my spirits lift at the sight of all of my friends treating my girlfriend with utmost respect and loyalty.

It made me happy.

"I love you," I beamed, kissing her forehead and letting my lips linger. "Knock 'em dead for me, baby."

She nodded, giggling playfully as she linked her arm around Michael's and walked further into the airport, towards the passport and ticket checking area.

She was now officially out of my reach.

"It's okay, man," Ashton reassured, putting his arm around my shoulder and leading me out towards my taxi driver - who I found out was named Clyde.

"Took it well?" Clyde asked as we were in his field of vision, walking towards the driver's side and stepping in, while I took the front and Ashton and Calum took the backseat.

"I suppose," I shrug, buckling up glumly. I turn to watch the JFK entrance once more.

She didn't run out. She was gone. And I wouldn't see her for four months.

"Hey, son," Clyde turned to look at me after starting the engine. "She must've been really special, that girl. And I bet she left for a pretty good reason, yeah?"

I nodded, and he continued. "From the passed experience that I've gone through after my wife along with my two children left me, I learned one thing: correcting. As in, I was absolutely devastated when it happened, and now, look at me. A sad, old, taxi driver. But I wouldn't go back in time to repeat everything and replace everything I did wrong with the right."

Ashton and Calum were now listening in, as Clyde got all of our attentions. "I grew from that, you know? And maybe, now that she has a little time off to herself and her weird friend for whatever reason, now, you use this time to make yourself a better person. That way, you'll be repaired and fresh as ever once she returns. And even better, too, may I add."

Clyde didn't say anything else as he backed out of his small parking area, and I sat back, replaying every single moral and lesson I got today. And they all seemed to add up into one whole equation that were equivalent to one another.

And although my mind found it completely random, I fished out my phone from my front pocket and clicked on my contacts, scrolling down to the one number that I hadn't called in quite a long time.

I held the phone to my ear and listened t the buzz. I hope she was still awake. Even if it was around 3 a.m. where she was.

It was a miracle when the receiver had been picked up, a few shuffling was heard until her soft voice rang through my ears. "Hello?"

"Auntie Whitney?" I spoke quietly into my phone, and I heard her gasp slightly.

"Luke? Honey? Is that you? How are you, sweetie? Why haven't you called all this time?"

I laughed at her outburst of questions interrupting her as she rambled. "I know, I'm sorry that I've been missing in action for the past few years. Only now's when I realized that I shouldn't push people I care about the most away. M'sorry I woke you."

"It's alright, dear, I'm glad that you decided to call, or in general, even. How are things?"

My mind averted to October, a small smile along my lips at the thought of my beautiful girlfriend pursuing her dreams. "Good. Everything's peachy."

"That's nice to hear."

"How are... my brothers?" I ask hesitantly, biting on my thumbnail.

"They're well, they miss you a lot, you know."

I was shocked to hear that. "Really?"

"Yes, they told me, 'Man, it sucks not having Luke around. Kind of miss picking on a little brother. Haven't seen him in so long.' You should talk to them, you know. They really do miss you."

I fiddle with the hem of my shirt, chewing on my lip as I began to feel guilty how I didn't even try to contact my family members.

"Can I... Can I get their numbers, please? I don't have them."

"Of course, sweetheart." She listed down both of my brothers' numbers and I wrote them down on the back of my hand (while balancing the phone between my ear and my shoulder, using a spare pen that I asked Clyde for.

"Please call them soon, dear. Now, I'm going to head off. You called at a pretty late time." Aunt Whitney chuckled, and I bid her off with a quick 'I love you' before hanging up. That was when I felt a weight lift off of my shoulders, my back straightening as the corners of my lips twitched upwards.

Correcting, I thought to myself, staring at the two phone numbers on my hand. It may not have been much, but it was a start.

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DON'T FORGET TO FOLLOW MoI