direct continuation from last chapter
luke slumped into the passenger seat of his car and slammed the door shut.
"i'm so sorry luke," ashton said sympathetically from the drivers seat.
"there's nothing you could have done," luke sighed, "can you take me to the hospital? i want to see him."
"are you sure?" ashton asked, not wanting to see his best friend more hurt than he already is.
"yes. please take me. i need to see him."
"okay," ashton simply replied before reversing out of the driveway.
++
"hi, how can i help you today?" the young woman at the reception desk asked.
"do you know what room michael clifford is in?" luke asked shakily, nervous to see his boyfriend in such terrible condition.
"are you family?" the woman asked while typing in michael's name.
"kinda..." luke paused, "i'm actually his boyfriend." the teen said quietly.
"oh. room 16, level 2. head on up," she smiled.
luke turned to ashton and smiled softly.
"well, let's go see him," luke said, trying to sound brave. on the inside, he was petrified. he didn't know what to expect. was michael going to be awake? how hurt was he?
"by the way, he isn't what he used to be," the receptionist warned the two teens.
"what do you mean?" luke asked.
"you'll see," she replied.
++
"here it is," ashton said, pointing to the room at had the number 16 stuck onto it, "you ready?"
"yeah, let's go see my boyfriend," luke smiled nervously. luke grabbed to cold metal handle and slowly opened the door. luke's heart was beating out of his chest and his mind was racing. he took a step into the boring white room and took in everything. he saw a figure laying limply on the hospital bed across the room from him.
"i'm going to wait out here," ashton said. luke thanked him for giving him some space.
the blonde walked slowly towards the bed where michael laid. he gasped when he saw how bad michael was. cuts and bruises covered his pale face, his left arm and leg were in casts, his right wrist was wrapped in bandages and he was wearing an oxygen mask. this sight was enough to make luke drop to his knee's and sob. seeing michael like this broke luke.
"michael?" luke quietly said to the sleeping boy, "can you hear me?"
luke didn't get an answer. "please!" he sobbed loudly, "michael please answer me!" all he wanted was for michael to be okay again. he wanted to hug and kiss him. he wanted to make memories. ashton came rushing into the room and ran to luke. he held him in his arms.
"ashton ohmygod it hurts," luke cried into ashton's chest, holding onto him for dear life as if he was leave too.
"i know, luke. i'm here, you're going to be okay," ashton softly comforted luke. the boys stayed like that for an hour, luke sobbing into ashton's already tear soaked shirt and ashton whispering comforting things to luke.
"i think i'm going to stay here tonight," luke announced as he sat up
from ashton's arms.
"okay, do you want me to say with you?"
"no, it's okay. i'll stay by myself."
"alright. i'm gonna go. if you need me, call me immediately."
"i will, i promise," luke smiled. ashton stood up the helped luke do the same. the two boys hugged as ashton whispered "good bye."
++
luke had slept at the hospital for three nights. michael hadn't woken up once and luke hadn't eaten. luke was already becoming pale, but his health was the least of his worries. luke was lost in his thoughts when he heard michael mumble. he immediately shot to his feet and rushed over to michael.
"michael?" luke quickly said, "ohmygod michael can you hear me?" michael looked over at luke and his eye's widened. he pulled his oxygen mask off and his mouth fell open.
"what the fuck are you doing in my room, cry baby?" he groaned. those words were enough to completely shatter luke's heart. he fell to his knee's once again and started sobbing into his hands.
"what are you doing?" michael asked confused. luke looked up at michael with bloodshot eye's.
"please. you've got to remember," luke begged after he rushed to michael's side.
"remember what?" michael asked, "get away from me or i'm calling the nurse," luke didn't move. he just placed his hand onto michael's.
"please," luke said as he looked into michael's confused eyes.
"okay that's it. i'm calling the nurse," michael said as he pressed the button that calls the nurse. in less that a minute a nurse rushed through the door. she smiled when she saw that michael was awake.
"michael, you're awake. how are you feeling?" she asked calmly.
"confused and annoyed."
"why's that?"
"i don't know why i'm here and i don't why he is here," michael said, motioning towards the small blonde next to him. the nurse sighed and walked to michael's side.
"michael, you were in a car accident."
"what?" he asked, not believing what he'd been told.
"you drove into on coming traffic on a busy highway."
"that can't be true. why would i be on a highway?" michael asked. "you still haven't told me about him."
"we're... we're dating." luke said causing michael to laugh loudly. "it's true!" luke defended himself.
"i'd never date you!" michael laughed.
"you did though. i can prove it!"
"alright then," michael said, feeling confident that he was right. luke pulled his phone out of his back pocket and unlocked it. he opened the photo's app and opened a folder called "me and babyboy 💘". the folder was filled with cute photo's and video's of the two teens. luke handed his phone to michael and the dark blonde scrolled through the list of photo's and video's. he stopped scrolling and opened one of luke's favourite video's of the night luke and michael snuck into the city pool. the video showed the two almost naked boys swimming around and kissing. once the video ended michael scrolled again and saw a photo that showed michael laid on the ground on his back with his arms and legs holding luke up in the air. michael's feet were on luke's stomach and his hands were holding luke's. they both looked extremely happy.
"wow," michael said.
"yeah," luke smiled.
"i'm sorry, i don't remember any of this."
"it's okay. i don't expect you too."
"were we-" michael paused, "were we in love?"
"yes. we were deeply in love. it was as if we were the only two people on earth," michael smiled at luke's response.
"hey luke?"
"yeah?"
"i'm not sure if i love you anymore.." michael trailed off.
"oh.. that's okay," luke said softly.
"i can try, though. i like the look of us being together."
"yes!" luke said excitedly, maybe a bit too excitedly. michael giggled.
"can we- kiss?" michael asked quietly.
"that would be nice," luke said before looking up to see if the nurse was still there, but she had left without the boys noticing. luke brought his hand to michael's bruised cheek and moved closer to his boyfriend. michael turned his head to luke as luke brought his lips to michael's split ones. their lips connected after what felt like years. luke smiled into the kiss as his tongue asked michael for entrance, which michael hesitantly granted. after they broke the kiss, the two teens smiled softly at each other.
"hey luke?"
"yeah michael?"
"that was cool," luke laughed softly at michael's comment.
"yeah, it was."
