badlands ✄ ot4

12. california never felt like home.

michael's pov
—

we walked through town, blank faced.
we had shaped shifted to look like the people around us, grey shirt, grey pants and a jacket.
the boys kept looking at me, then looking away.
luke hesitantly reaches out for my hand, i reach back out and hold his hand tightly.
ashton gets us food and water, since he's the only one without crippling anxiety.
surprisingly, we have gone throughout town getting everything we needed without being stopped. and as soon as we came into town, we ran back to the border.
"michael, are we really doing this?" calum says, staring out at the desert.
"i...i guess..." i say, packing up some blankets for the night when it got cold.
"they're looking for us." ashton says.
"i know." i sigh.
luke as been silent, up until now. i hear him softly crying, and i immediately turn into a big softie.
"oh lukey, baby boy." i pick him up and hold him as close as i can. "shh, shh its okay sweetie."
he cries into my neck and curls up his arms on my chest. "m-mikey, im so s-scared."
i rub his back gently, "my little angel, we will make it, we will push through and we'll finally find the happiness we all deserve. it may hurt, but the longer you feel the hurt and keep going, the more wonderful the outcome will be. okay, angel?"
he sniffs and looks at me with those big, blue doe eyes, "y-you mean that?"
i kiss his nose, "i promise it, baby boy."
luke smiles and snuggles into my shoulder, "i love you, mikey mouse."
"i love you too, lukey pookey."
i sit down with him in my lap and we wait for it to get dark. we play some cards, laugh about kylo and his misshapes back at training.
luke sleeps in my arms, his hand on my heart. he's been doing that a lot lately, making sure that my heart is still beating and that im still here to protect him.
the sun is setting and i can see the watch towers lights by the border turning on.
ashton whispers, "cmon, lets go."
i get up and carry luke to the edge.
the sign says, "welcome to the badlands! hope you enjoy your stay. please be careful, once you step in, you cannot leave."
—
dun dun dun