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Michael thanks their lucky stars every goddamn day that they met Luke outside of that venue on that late spring night. They thank the galaxy for bringing them together and bringing them memories and first kisses and holding hands even in the hot, sweaty summer heat because Michael loves Luke and loves their time with him. God, do they love him so fucking much.
They love Luke’s name. The sound of it that fits him so well while Luke’s standing in front of Michael with his short sandy hair and lipring that fits eerily perfect after Michael helped him resize. They love how it sounds coming out of their mouth when they call him on the phone and tell him that he puts the stars in the sky in the middle of the night.
Michael loves his smile, they love the dimples and teethy-ness of it all, they love Luke’s eyes and the way that everyone who knows him says that they’re so, so blue but you never really know until you see him. You never know what everyone means until by some miracle the world has placed you in front of this beautiful boy and his blue eyes are taking your breath away because they are so blue and it feels like he can see every single part of you. Michael loves Luke in baggy t-shirts, tight t-shirts and sweatpants. Michael loves Luke at three p.m. when the white of the clouds contrast with the pretty cerulean sky and the sun beams down like everything is okay. They love Luke at three a.m. when it is dark and the stars are not always enough and it feels like everything is not okay.
Michael loves Luke on days where they go venue hopping because Michael has made friends with what seems to be every security guard in the state – probably out of too – and he loves lining with them every day for four days straight when there are too many bands coming to town. Michael loves Luke on days when they are yelling and screaming and jumping up and down and running down the streets like they are absolutely wild with stars in their eyes. They love Luke on days when they drive around the city in Ashley’s car that Michael borrows too much. Michael loves Luke when he is with them and loves him when he is not.
And Michael loves Luke today, when he’s been at their (shitty) apartment for days now because he doesn’t want to go home, he can’t deal with his mom, and they really need to instacart some food because they’ve been living off cereal and frozen pizza. When they’re having a lazy, quiet day and the windows are open while the perfect light streams through the big window they stargaze out of and the weather is warm; perfect even. Michael has never been more content splayed out on their big bed with cloud blankets and Luke with his face on their chest with their fingers feathering through his hair in the afternoon.
They can feel the tip of Luke’s nose rubbing against their sternum occasionally and soft warm breath as their angel boy breathes in, out, in, out, in, out. Michael is getting lost in running their hands through Luke’s hair or drawing shapes on his back, so much to the point where he can’t tell if he’s just severely relaxed, about to fall asleep or lost in his train of thought. They’re lifted from their droopy-eyed daze when Luke gives an uncomfortable whine, scrunching his face up a bit.
Michael groans, taking a quick moment to rub his eyes with his palm, “You okay?”
“Yeah. Think I just need to take my binder off but I’m so tired, Mike.” Luke drags out the last words, eyes fluttering as he looks up momentarily trying to meet Michael’s gaze before nuzzling into their chest more.
“Do you need some help there?” Michael asks playfully but their meaning is serious and Luke knows.
“Can you just get the clasps? I wouldn’t ask but last time I wore this and tried taking it off by myself I almost broke my finger.” It’s been a solid two hundred and ninety-two days since their Against Me show and apparently not a thing has changed. Except now Luke thinks he can get his arms and head through all by himself, Michael’s boy is growing up so fast.
By some grace of God, or whoever, Michael can see over to Luke’s back if they crane their head just enough which is going to have to be good enough because Luke is just about cemented to this fucking bed. Luke’s lazy days sometimes turn into him having the mindset of “just let me just lay and rot in bed until the end of time”. Granted, it’s not the best, but it could be worse.
“Why do you wear this thing if you can’t get it off? You know that’s not safe.” Michael asks softly, sticking their tongue out for a minute as they fumble with the hooks and eyes before finally getting them all undone.
“’Cause my other ones in the wash so I can stop complaining that it smells like dead body since I wore it for, like, a week and a half. ‘N I thought I grabbed my other nice one when I was packing but…guess not. But, hey, it’s throwback Thursday over here or whatever.” Luke laughs a little and Michael swears angels are singing.
“Yeah. Except this time you’re not about to suffocate and die.” Michael moves their hands up to try to start shimming the binder because even though Luke says he’ll take it off himself they both know that’s not true. Luke is honestly melting into the bed right now and he’s just letting it happen. However Michael has absolutely no idea how to get this off of their boyfriend right now. “Luke, bud, you’re not gonna like this but we have to get up to get this the rest of the way off of you.”
Luke lets out a long whine before speaking, “Do I have to?”
“Unfortunately, yes.”
“Okay, alright, but you stay here. If I have to get up this cold, cruel world should at least pay me back by letting my partner say in bed.” Luke gets out of bed like the true grumpy teenager he is, hair all over the place and hazy, droopy eyes that don’t want to be open right now. Michael clocks that he’s been wearing the same Good Charlotte for a good three days so they reach over into their (clean) laundry basket and whip their red and black Harley tank across the room to Luke.
Luke’s back is to Michael when he gets his binder all the way off and finds the top at his feet with the sound of Michael’s lazy clapping filling up the room, “You got your binder off half-way all by yourself, my big boy.”
“Shut up.” Luke laughs, padding back to Michael looking fluffy and sweet as ever in boxers and their shirt and Michael thinks Luke’s going to rot them to the core. Michael closes their eyes for a moment and smiles widely when Luke comes over and lays on top of them and maybe they discretely choke a little because Luke’s hair got in their mouth (nothing can be actually flawless between the two of them apparently) but no one needs to know that.
A breeze comes through the windows and Luke’s sigh is laced with more content than ever. He can feel the breeze on the back of his legs and the cool blanket on his thighs. He feels so safe with his cheek squished up against Michael’s chest when he’s able to breathe them in and be so close to them. It feels like the planets are aligning and the sun is shining while the wind sings songs of well-being and wishes of long lives to them.
Michael’s hands go under Luke’s top, fingers rubbing at their sides and back to relieve the soreness from the binder. Michael loves Luke’s skin, Luke deserves to feel as comfortable as possible in it, deserves to feel like they’re made up of the cosmos and galaxies alike. They rub higher up on the side of Luke’s chest and Luke makes a noise.
“Shhh. You’re alright.” Michael says softly, “Is this okay?”
“Yeah, it’s good. Thank you.”
“Your body is so beautiful. Love my beautiful boy so much. My sweet handsome boy.” Michael can hear and feel Luke groan happily, watching a smile appear on his face. Luke cups Michael’s face, his hands coming in with soft tender touches, giggling and bringing them closer for a kiss that just wanted to be sweet but ends up with probably too much teeth and quiet laughter. “I can’t believe you’re mine. I have the most stunning boyfriend ever.”
“Michael.” Luke is turning a little bit red and he’s going all shy on Michael, which they think he has no reason to be.
“I love your skin. I love your body and you as you are. You are the most beautiful boy I have ever seen in my entire life.
“Love you too. So much.” They’re forehead to forehead and Michael thinks they’re about this close to crying some real tears of happiness. “Like, honestly though.”
Michael nods looking at Luke in his eyes before he diverts his gaze down and starts speaking again. “Thanks for everything, I really mean it. Before you I didn’t really have anybody, y’know? I just stayed home and locked myself away in my room and listened to mom yell on the phone about me. But now I can go to shows with you and hold your hand and I feel like I’ve found someone who cares about me? It’s kind of mind blowing and I’m just really grateful I just love you so much, okay?” Michael doesn’t realize it until Luke’s voice breaks a little bit but he’s so definitely crying.
“Sweetheart…” Michael starts, voice almost failing them. They place gentle kisses on Luke’s forehead and cheeks, “I love you so much too. I’m so glad we met even if it was out on some fucking dirty sidewalk at two in the morning. You deserve to be treated well. I’m lucky to have such a kind boy give me so much love.”
Luke wraps his arms around Michael, holding on tightly and nuzzling into them, “I’m just so glad you’re alive and in my life, okay?”
“Absolutely. Wouldn’t have it any other way, you’re always, always welcome in both my life and my sub-par apartment.”
Luke sniffles, watery laughs emitting from his mouth as he goes to wipe at his eyes, “This is so much, Michael, why are we like this? You know if Ashley was here she’d be telling us we’re “so extra” right now?”
“Oh my god, Luke. You’re so good at killing the moment, I love you.” Michael laughs and their head falls back and they start snorting which just makes the entire situation more intense and debatably worse. Luke doesn’t say anything for a while, just smiles at Michael like he’s love-drunk.
The room falls into a comfortable silence, only the faint sound of wind and passing cars and people outside until Luke speaks up quietly, “But okay. Do you remember when we were waiting for Billie Joe for literally twenty hours and we took a two minute break to get coffee and when we came back he was pulling away? We just looked at each other and screamed, right out in the city streets. In front of the public. Just two kids yelling.”
“Yes, holy shit. I don’t think I’ve bought a coffee while we’ve been out since. I remember when we were at All Time Low, it was our third or fourth show together and we hadn’t been doing anything as a fancy official couple because I wanted to give you space and options. But then they surprise played Six Feet Under The Stars and it was probably like some gross rom-com movie shit but I asked you, or tried to over the loud ass music, if I could kiss you. Which somehow ended up with you giving me the sweetest kiss and being totally called out by Jack and Alex.” Michael says it like it’s a special secret between the two of them as they grab one of Luke’s hands to interlace their fingers with. Everything between them is kind of a magic secret, Lynn is always teasing that they’re speaking in their own language with telekinesis or something.
“One minute I thought Alex Gaskarth would never know who I was then he’s calling us out at barricade, jokingly and kindly of course, for you almost having your tongue down my throat. Michael Clifford, you really do change people’s lives. But I’m going to lose it in both the best and worst way if they recognize us when we meet them in a couple months.”
“You never know…”
“Can we just do this always?” Luke looks up at Michael like they’re the most important thing in the world right now and, yeah, Michael’s heart is about to fall out if their ass.
“What? Lay around and cry and talk about shows and make plans to go to more shows?”
“Yeah. Just everything.”
Michael feels like Luke’s gotten closer to their face again, they’re looking each other right in the eyes and they both look like they have something up their sleeve, Michael’s sure of it. They nod and smile and they can almost feel Luke’s breath fan over their face so they pull Luke in for a kiss and then another one. They love being sometimes boyfriends and other times partners and giving kisses with too much teeth and lazy days and busy days. They tangle their hands in Luke’s hair and whisper to him that he is worthwhile as they trail kisses down his neck. Kissing Luke on a lazy day feels as relaxing as getting enough sleep and as exciting as when the lights go down at show and everything is so loud and quiet at the same time.
Michael can’t stop telling Luke how handsome and beautiful he is, they think they have an actual problem. An addiction to gushing over their boyfriend. Michael kisses all the way up to Luke’s lips again, taking hold of both his hands and placing gentle kisses on them. They want Luke to feel happy and safe and like he has the brightest light inside of him because it’s so, so true. Michael loves his boyfriend’s chest that isn’t flat and Michael loves everything Luke hates about himself and everything he loves too.
Michael loves Luke’s name, they love Luke’s smile, they love Luke’s skin. They love Luke’s presence and they just love Luke.