It takes a long time before anyone speaks, and when someone does, it's Daryl, and somehow I wish he didn't.
"Luke..." he starts, and I can already tell just by his tone of voice what he's going to talk about. And I think Michael can too, because he looks helplessly at me, before looking away. "Did your parents-... do your parents..." he gestures to his own cheek, obviously talking about the giant bruise, running along my cheekbone.
I don't know what to say for a second.
"No," I say, telling the truth. Daryl sends me a stern look, as if to say 'are you sure?' "My parents just hate me, but they don't hurt me,"
"But, why do they hate you Luke, you're a lovely lad," he says, wiping his mouth on his napkin.
"No, there's something I haven't really told you.." I take a deep breath. "my family, we've got a lot of money, and yeah, so my parents, and my brothers, they're smart and normal, you know, Ben's a doctor and jack is in law school; but I've always been the one with the tattoos and piercings, and I've always been different- and they hate that, they really do, and they just can't stand me," I shrug, my eyes glistening over, but I clench my jaw and stand up.
"I'm sorry, I'm tired, and do you mind?" I ask, bringing my hand to my lip only to fiddle with my lip ring out of nervous habit.
They both shake their heads.
With that, I head off into Michael's room, my hands trembling as I run them through my messy hair.
I sit down onto his bed only to sit back up and pace around.
After about five minutes, Michael cautiously walks in, knocking on the door even though it's his room.
He sits down on the bed, and I lay my head on his shoulder and close my eyes, trying to swallow back the lump in my throat.
That night, we fall asleep together, but he falls asleep first, and I think about tomorrow, the day of our date.
*
I knock at the door, the flowers in my hand, and my palms sweaty.
Shit. What if he doesn't like what I have planned? What if I say something wrong or do something wrong?
I bring my spare hand up to fiddle with my earring, and think about the piercing I've taken out.
I've kind of gone off most of my facial piercings apart from my lip one, in all honesty.
So I've removed my eye brow one, and my nose and now somehow, I feel more normal. But the kind of normal that I prefer, you know.
Soon enough, Michael answers the door, and he can't bring himself to look me in the eyes.
But I don't mind, because he looks beautiful. Stunning; and I know it's only from nerves.
On his head is a blue flower crown, baby blue, and he's got this cute sweater on with the rolling stones logo on it, and some white jeans, rolled up at the bottom, and some small toms on.
He's adorable, and I love it.
"Hey," I say, smiling, my voice quiet.
"h-hi," he replied, fiddling with his thumbs.
"These are for you," I breathe, handing out the purple flowers to him, and a ginat smile blooms on his pink, plump lips, just in time for his dad to walk up behind him, a grin on his face.
"You two are so cute," he says, smiling in adoration at his son in front of me. We both blush and look away. He squeals a manly squeal. I laugh. There's a warm silence as the sun fans onto my back. "You two better get going," he says and he pats both of our backs.
With that, we walk off his porch, and I hold out my hand, which he happily takes before we climb into my car and head towards the location, where our date will be held.
When we arrive there, I can't even deny the fact that the small smile on mikey's lips makes my heart melt.
"t-the z-zoo!" he squeals, in happiness, and I nod, squeezing his hand.
I jump out the car quickly making sure I get out in time to open the door for him, he grins sheepishly as he climbs out shakily.
As soon as we're out, a check my butt pocket for the tickets to get in, relieved when I find their still there, and then slip my fingers in with his, small stubby ones. When we finally pass through the long queues, Michael's smile is bigger, and it's killing me.
"Where'd you wanna go?" I ask, giving him a squeeze. He shrugs a bit, but I can see the excitement in his eyes, as they dart from one direction to another.
"O-Ohh! Let's go t-to the p-penguins!" he says, jumping up and down, and I cant help but hold back a laugh.
Soon, he's basically dragging me towards the penguin habitat.
"l-look at that o-one," he laughs, pointing to a chubby baby one, that's having trouble walking. His eyes widen like a five year old boy as he sees them dive into the water and do some cool things.
I don't even focus on the penguins, but only on him, and the enjoyment that's evidently clear on his small, pale face and cracked squishy lips.
After the penguins we go to the aquarium, and as soon as he sees the big blue tanks, and the lighting falling out of them, he's off like a big kid all over again.
"f-fish!" he says, smiling, as he runs his finger tips across the glass as he walks past; only stopping to look at the interesting ones. "T-tortoises a-are my f-favourite animals e-ever," he smiles fondly, staring into their tank.
I snake my arm over his shoulder patiently as he looks with enjoyment and love and care at the small animals.
"w-why is t-that one l-lonely?" he pouts. "He l-looks s-sad, and I d-don't like t-them b-being sad," he says, and for a second I think he's going to cry.
But he doesn't.
"All animals get sad mikey, that's just the way it is," I say, moving my hand up and down on his shoulder as I slowly ease him away from the tank, before he gets too sad.
When we're walking out the aquarium, into the setting sun, he begins to speak again after our comfortable silence.
"Why do we have to get sad, too?" he asks, readjusting his flower crown with his one spare hand.
I shake my head.
"I don't know mikey, I don't know." I stop, and I kiss his temple, just briefly. "But we're only human."
*
HEYO SORRY IT TOOK ME SO LONG TO UPDATE FIRST I WEN ON HOLIDAY AND DINT HAVE A CHANCE TO UPDATE AND THEN I HAD SCHOOL AND HOMEWORK AND THEN YESTERDAY (LAST NIGHT 2ND DECEMBER) I FUCKING SAW HEY VIOLET AND IT WAS FRICKIN INCREDIBLE AND THEN CASEY AND RENA SMILED AND ME AND THE NEW BASSIST WAS REALLY COOL AND YEAH
hope you're all doing well, stay strong because i love you and you're cute af
ps. you have awesome music taste.
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You & I~Muke
Fanfiction"You were his life line, when he was drowning in this world, and you let go," Or; The one about Michael, the quiet, painfully shy boy who stutters when he speaks and has just moved to Sydney High School, and Luke, the popular punk boy, who just wan...
