Apologise (Muke)

Ch. 5 - Belive Me Yet?!

"Oh Luke, Hun, why are you lying on the cold cement?!" Michael's mum asks in concern. I blink a few times, realising I had been asleep.

"I won't give up on him, he can't just push me away" I say, more-so to myself.

"Michael is going to cop it when I get inside" she mutters as she helps me to my feet. "How long have you been lying at the doorstep in the cold?" She asks as she unlocks the door.

"It wasn't all that cold when I got here... But probably since 2pm? Your car wasn't in the driveway, so when Michael slammed the door in my face, I thought I'd wait for you to get home... I guess I fell asleep" I explain, shivering slightly, as we walk inside.

It just had to be the middle of winter, didn't it?! Ugh.

"MICHAEL GORDON CLIFFORD!" His mum screams in anger.

"I'm not coming down, you sound mad at me!" Michael shouts from his room.

"Get your arse down here, now! And bring your blanket!" She shouts.

"Okay?!" He shouts back in confusion.

"I'm sorry about my son" she says calmly, turning to face me, "He's normally a really sweet guy".

Yeah, he is, but he's just trying to protect himself at the moment, I think to myself.

I hear Michael groan in annoyance, and look up to see him standing at the top of the staircase, wearing skinny jeans and a grey Harley-Davidson muscle shirt, a bunched up sheet in his hands.

"You let it in" Michael points out in annoyance as he slowly walks down the stairs.

"Yes, because you left him out in the cold" his mum scolds him.

"He could of gone home" Michael tells her. "Or freeze to death" he adds coldly, glancing at me as he offers the blanket to his mother. I just continue to shiver, trying to warm myself up with my arms that are crossed over my chest.

"Michael" she warns him. "Don't give it to me, wrap it around Luke!" She orders.

"What?!" Michael asks, his eyes widening.

"Make him warm, I don't care if you have to make hot chocolate and snuggle with him to do so, just make sure he's warm" she tells him.

I can see Michael's jaw tighten as he shakes the blanket out of the ball it was scrunched up into. He holds the blanket out across his chest as he walks around behind me. He presses up against me slightly as his arms- along with the blanket- wrap around me. I grab the blanket and pull it tighter around myself and he moves so his arms are wrapped around my waist.

"Now, go cuddle till he's warm again" she orders, pointing towards the lounge room before starting to walk up the stairs.

Michael leads me into the lounge room and we sit down together. He was about to pull me closer so we could cuddle... But I pushed him away.

"Don't touch me" I choke out quietly.

I see a flash of pain in his eyes before he looks down at his lap.

"I'm sorry" I say quietly, "I would rather cuddle with you than not... But I don't think you want to... So we don't have to, it's okay". I look down at my lap.

Michael sighs, and a few seconds later, his arms are wrapping around my waist and pulling me towards him. I take a moment to realise what is actually happening before quickly snuggling up to him, nuzzling my cold face against his warm neck.

This would be a ideal time to apologise... But he might shut me out again... And I'm not sure it's worth the risk at this point in time.