the last brushstroke destroys the painting [muke af]

twenty seven

twenty seven

you knew it was coming. trigger warning : suicide/main character death

Michael sat in the hospital two days later. He sat in the hospital two days later on Lake Avenue because Luke swallowed seven gallons of bleach and seventy-four pills. He sat in the hospital two days later on Lake Avenue at 1:39 a.m. because Luke was dead.

He unfolded the tear-stained note, automatically recognizing Luke's handwriting.

I love you, don't forget that.

I forgot to address this to you, but, there are only so many people I've said those three words to the last ten years.

You're the only one.

I love you, Michael. This doesn't change anything. I love you with every inch of my body, even if I'm six feet underground.

You have to understand, I want to be dead. I'm happier dead than I will ever be alive. It's okay, don't worry. Take a deep breath for me, right now, okay?

Michael looked up, as if suddenly Luke would appear in front of him. He took a shaky breath, sobs starting again.

You impress me every day. You made me fall in love with you in less than four months. In another life, we were married. We had a few kids, probably. I was happy in that life, I'm sorry I wasn't in this life.

I want you to keep up all the amazing work I've seen. You're so good, Mikey, so, so good. At everything! I should have complimented your art more, but my time ran short.

Michael wanted to scream. He wanted to punch a hole in the wall because Luke's time wasn't cut short. Luke cut it short!

You're angry with me, and that's okay. We never had our first fight, kind of, so I guess now is a good time to have it. I'm not mad at you, though. I love everything about you.

I wanna talk about my love for you for a minute, okay? You deserve to feel loved even though I'm gone.

If you go into my bedroom, take all of my canvases. I want you to look at them and realize that you are beautiful. I didn't try to paint you, in just came along. Suddenly your figure was on the canvas and I didn't know why.

It was because I'm in love with you.

It's in your different colored eyes, it's in your high cheekbones, it's in your pale skin. I never want you to feel bad about your body or your personality.

I'm sorry I ended it.

I'm sorry you had to see the starting point for one of the saddest episodes in a life already rife with sad events. I will always be your little Van Gogh. (Pronounced like "cock" by the way).

The sadness will last forever.

You're gonna go far, Kid.

Xo, Luke

Michael folded the paper up, his hands going over the creases a few times. He looked up at Ashton, whom was slumped in the chair across from him. He had that dark-haired boy leant on his shoulder once more.

Jack and Alex had gone home. The always cheerful blue-haired boy was the one to find Luke first. Michael felt bad for him, he knew that man would never be the same.

Ash's eyes weren't able to focus on anything as they looked up at Michael. The brunette gave him a smile through the warm tears still falling down his face. "Hey," he said softly. His voice was hoarse, his throat dry.

"Hi," Michael responded.

"It'll be okay."

He shook his head and sucked in a breath. "Will it?"
"Just know that this is what Luke wanted. Luke wanted this. He's finally happy wherever he is now." Ash held up his fingers to his eyes, wiping away the tears.

Michael knew he was right. He knew Luke wouldn't be happy if he was scraping along, but Mike figured that one day he would be happy. That would make Michael happy.

Mike thought of the future with Luke often, and now it's over.