seventeen
Alex and Michael sat in an Uber on their way to Luke's apartment. It was that time of the year again; all the streets decorated with green and red, carolers bothering the shit out of Michael, snow piled up knee-deep. Usual December things.
"I can't believe you're making me do this," Alex said, looking over at his roommate.
Michael looked up from his phone. "Do what? The Christmas party?"
"I'm more bothered by the matching sweaters," he responded, looking down at the neon pink material clinging to his chest. "I'm skipping work for this, there better be good wine."
"I wanted to stand out." Mike looked up, recognizing Luke's block. He unbuckled his seatbelt, ready to thank their driver and leave.
"Are there gonna be any hot people? Boys, girls, non-binaries, I don't really care." Alex unbuckled his seatbelt, following his roommate out the car.
"Probably."
"Sugar Daddy material?"
"Probably not."
Alex sighed once more, "You're really starting to disappoint me."
Michael held the door open, messing up his roommate's hair as he walked in front of him.
"Is the guy you're fucking going to be here?"
"Which one?"
"That nurse."
Michael pressed the elevator button to Luke's floor and leant against the railing. "Matty? I'm not messing around with him anymore."
"Who was the guy that I met in the walk-of-shame?"
"That's Luke. This is his place." Michael picked at his nails, not looking at Alex. "Also, shaming someone for having consensual sex is fucking disgusting. It is 2016, how dare you still shame—."
"Michael, stop."
"It is always the right time for a feminist speech, Alexander."
Alex rolled his eyes and walked from the elevator, "Stop it."
Mike led him down the corridor, knowing the way to Luke's apartment by heart. It's a left, then a left, one more left, then his door is on the right.
The white door was open, chattering flowing out to the hallway. Michael walked in first, automatically being pulled into a hug by a pink-haired nurse gleaming with happiness.
Expensive wine and plates of food were resting around the spacious apartment. Luke was looked like a typical suburban housewife as he lounged on his couch leisurely with a glass of wine resting in his hands.
Michael loved/hated the workplace annual Christmas party. It was nice to see everyone, but he hated talking about work. He liked drinking, but hated not being able to get drunk. He liked having something to do on a Friday night, but he also wanted to change into pajamas and finish binge watching House of Cards.
Not a lot of things pleased Michael.
Mike dragged Alex around the entire night, introducing him to the most wealthy doctors he could possibly find.
It came as a surprise to him when Alex began getting cozy with Matty instead. Matt was a fine guy and a great nurse. He wasn't Alex's type though, Michael knew that.
Mike knew that Alex didn't go for lanky dudes with ink sketched into their skin. Alex didn't go for curly-haired boys who worked as an underpaid nurse at an Ob/Gyn practice.
Michael was hurt and angry, convinced that Alex was doing this to make Michael mad.
"You're about to tear your croissant into crumbs," Luke said, pointing to Mike's plate.
"Do you see them?" He asked, not looking up from the scene unfolding half a room away.
"Are you hallucinating?" Luke was genuinely concerned when he didn't see anything odd.
"Look at them," Mike said with his jaw clenched.
Luke turned his head, searching the room until he spotted Matty and Alex. Matt had his hand resting on Alex's thigh, both of them laughing at something that probably wasn't funny. "What's wrong with it?"
"I used to be with Matty."
"I thought you didn't do relationships."
"You're missing the point, Luke." Michael moved his plate aside as he watched the duo stand up, Matt's hand rested low on Alex's back. "Oh, my God. Are they leaving together?" His mesmerized green eyes watched them stand up and head towards the front door, Matt's hand going lower on Alex's hip, slipping underneath the neon pink sweater. "Luke, they're leaving together."
"Yeah, I have eyes, too." Luke watched them leave then turned to Mike, only seeing a crushed man. "Mike, it's fine. They're two adults able to make their own decisions."
"But that's my roommate and ex-fuck-buddy," Michael whispered. He started to feel the warm sensation of tears beginning to fill his eyes and he didn't know why. He didn't want to cry.
"Hey," Luke put his hand on Mike's shoulder, trying not to make a scene in front of all of their coworkers. "Let's go to my bedroom and talk about it there, alright?"
Michael nodded, wiping his eyes and hurrying out. He didn't make eye contact with anyone but made sure to grab an entire bottle of red wine on his way to the back of the apartment.
He sat down in a mess of Luke's bed, curling up in the sheets as only his head peaked out.
Luke closed the French doors of his bedroom behind the two, finding his bed in the complete dark. He sat down on the end, patting the sheets until he found a lump of Michael.
"You're cupping my ass," Michael sighed.
Luke nervously laughed and removed his hands, "Sorry." He pulled himself up the bed, spooning Mike's body and resting his head up on the pillows.
"Can you just let me drink some cough syrup and die in my sleep?"
"No," Luke whispered, trying to settle the situation. He wrapped his arms tighter around Michael's waist and snuggled his nose into the crook of his coworker's neck. "Not alone, at least."
Mike didn't cry, he simply didn't react.
There came a point in Michael's live where he began to realize how truly lonely he was. He had no one, he had almost no one. He hated being alone—the thought of dying alone scared him even more.
Luke stayed at the twenty-eight year old's side until he fell into a deep slumber. It was hard for the blonde to leave his side, but he had a party he needed finish hosting.
Michael didn't wake up when Luke slipped into bed a few hours later. Luke could feel him breathing, he could hear him snore. He fell asleep counting Mike's heartbeats.
Michael woke up around 10, Luke's hands rubbing at his back. Mike was laying on his stomach, Luke straddling his waist. "Good morning," the older man chirped, far too happy to be awake at 10 a.m.
Michael groaned out a response. "Your hands feel nice."
Luke smiled as he massaged deeper into Michael's sore muscles. "Are you feeling any better?"
"Don't talk, just massage me."
Luke laughed as he leant down, kissing Michael's shoulder blades. Michael brought out the best in Luke. "Okay, I went to the store earlier and got you gummy bears."
"Too good to me," Michael sighed, closing his eyes. "You're way too good for me."
