Coming Home | muke au

05.

It takes three days for Michael to wake up. 

It takes four to get Michael to talk or eat. 

It takes five to get Luke to see Michael. And Michael isn't so happy to see him. Michael feels betrayed and hurt. 

The first thing Luke notices about Michael is he looks even paler than before. He looks deathly pale. He also wasn't wearing the beanie Luke had brought for him. It was across the room on the window seal. 

"Hey, babe." Luke says hesitantly. 

Michael only stares at him from the corner of his eye, not bothering to turn his head as it took too much energy. 

"What're you doing here?" Michael asks in a gentle raspy voice. 

"I-I came to see you." 

Michael chuckles, slowly taking his eyes off Luke to look back at the ceiling. "Why? Don't you have someone else to see?" 

"What? No." Luke says quickly, fidgeting in his spot before taking a few steps closer to Michael. 

"Luke, I'm not stupid. I still have my phone, I can -- I still get on Facebook." Michael's voice is hauntingly slow; Luke feels his heart pounding against his ribs. Of course, how could he forget? 

"Mich --"

Michael cuts Luke off when he's thrown into a coughing fit, his chest heaving and throat dry as tears spring to his eyes. Luke rushes forward, but Michael stops him.

"S-stay over there." He sounds exhausted."Is there someone else, Luke? Please don't lie to me." 

"No, Michael! I swear to you. Daniel is just a friend." 

Michael makes a noise deep into his throat like he doesn't believe the words spilling out of Luke's mouth. 

"Can -- can I come closer?" 

Michael doesn't say anything, so Luke comes closer, crouching down to give Michael a ghost kiss. 

"You reek of cigarettes." Michael's face scrunches up in disgust, inching away from Luke. "You started smoking again?" Hurt is laced in Michael's voice, and Luke thinks his ribs are going to break in any moment from how hard his heart is beating. 

"I...Michael. I'm sorry."

--

Luke stands in front of his bathroom mirror, staring at his reflection as he holds up hair clippers. His eyes go to his hair, raking over each part of his hair before he sighs, dropping the clippers onto the bathroom floor before leaving. 

He can't do it.