"We will be on strike tomorrow, so there will be no class and all the services of the university will remain closed".
And with that, the teacher went out of the classroom. Luke had heard rumours about a strike, but he hoped they weren't true. It seemed that some teachers were going to be fired due to budget cuts, and the atmosphere was very tense.
He didn't want to be home all day with nothing to do but study, so he thought about making plans with some friends, to go somewhere, anywhere... but he didn't say anything. He knew that all of them had girlfriends, and they would probably spend that unexpected free day with them.
After a few hours in the library, he got home crestfallen. There, he found professor Layton sitting in the kitchen table, reading.
"Hi..."
"Hello, Luke. Have they told you about tomorrow's strike?"
"Yeah..." a sudden thought crossed his mind. "Where's Clive?"
"He must be sleeping already. He said he was very tired from work and went directly to his room."
Luke's voice was almost a whisper.
"Tomorrow... will you support the strike?"
"Yes. I believe there must be a way to..."
"So, we'll be... alone" interrupted Luke, looking to the kitchen doorway from time to time, making sure Clive wasn't listening.
"I will go to the university in the morning to talk to the chancellor. But in the afternoon... yes, I will be here."
Luke's smile lit up the whole place. It had been so many weeks since Layton had seen it, he was mesmerized. He had almost forgotten how handsome his boy was when he smiled.
Luke couldn't restrain himself. In the blink of an eye, he was passionately kissing his dear professor. But in a few seconds that kiss was over, ending as unexpectedly as it had begun.
"Cool" said Luke, walking out of the kitchen.
No more words were necessary; they both were thinking the same. After so many weeks, they would finally be alone. Layton felt the colour rising to his cheeks and smiled, although he felt bad about it. One part of his mind told him this wasn't good, that the best for Luke would be to meet somebody else... but, on the other hand, he was happy. He was glad that Luke still wanted to be with him. Those two beasts had been fighting inside of him since the day he accepted Luke's feelings, and a new form of love woke within him. And the fighting never seemed to come to an end.
In his dim lighted room, Luke was ecstatic. He sat down on his bed, then was up again, walking around, grabbing his notes, throwing them at the desk again... The impatience made him feel like a caged animal. In his mind, he could only picture his professor, everything he wanted to do to Layton, everything he wanted Layton to do to him, his lips, his hair, his chest, his arms...
Luke didn't know how he had been able to stay away from him during those weeks. Only the thought of being together again had lit up a sparkle in the burn out ashes. Now, the flame was alive once more, bright and warm.
It was well past midnight when sleep took him. In his dreams there was only room for his professor, like almost every time he dreamt. When he woke up next morning, he found himself alone in the house. He didn't know why, but he felt strangely nervous, a similar feeling he had during the first times Layton (willingly) made love with him. He smiled then, under the shower, remembering their very first time: so aggressive, so hard, so painful... for Layton. He wasn't proud of it, but he couldn't avoid enjoying the memory.
Early that afternoon, Luke heard the main door open and close. He was in Layton's room, lying in his bed, waiting. When he heard the noise, he went to the top of the stairs and said:
"Hi?"
"Hello" answered a voice from the kitchen.
It was him. Professor Layton was home.
"Umm... I'm upstairs..."
Layton didn't answer or, if he did, Luke didn't hear him. He decided to go to the kitchen and there he was, preparing tea. Luke was starting to grow impatient.
"Don't you have anything better to do this afternoon?" he said, trying to sound playful instead of annoyed.
"Luke... I think this is not a good idea" Layton answered, turning to face him.
Luke froze on the spot. After a few seconds that seemed an eternity, he managed to say:
"W-What...?"
"Do you remember what I told you before Clive came? That this was your chance to grow apart from me? If we... go on with this... What I mean is..."
Layton didn't know how to explain himself. It felt awkward, as this didn't happen very often, so he kept averting his eyes from his boy, as if looking for the words he needed in the kitchen. Finally, the right words came to his head:
"Luke, I want you to enjoy a normal life. With a boy or a girl, I do not care, but with someone closer to your age. I am way too old for you, I should not have agreed to this in the first place, this is my fault, you..."
Luke didn't allow him to finish. He threw himself at Layton and kissed him furiously, angrily, embracing him with all his strength while caressing his hair, letting his old hat fall to the floor. When their lips parted to get air, Layton tried to separate himself from the boy, saying:
"Luke..."
"Shut up and fuck me."
