thirty two
Michael spent the next few days alone. Wednesday passed, Thursday passed, now it was May. Saturday went by silently.
Mike showed up Sunday afternoon at Luke's door. He took a deep breath and knocked on the door three times.
Luke looked up at the locked wooden door as if he could suddenly see through walls and see who was knocking at his apartment. He stood up, pushing chip crumbs off of his maroon tee shirt.
A smile rose up his lips as he saw Michael, Mike made him happy. "Hey, come in."
Michael shook his head, "I have to pick up Jack at the airport and I don't want to go alone."
Luke leant against the door and ran a hand through his hair, "I mean, I'm in sweats right now. I can go if you give me a minute to change."
Michael nervously played with his fingers, pulling at a hangnail. "Yeah, that's fine. He lands in an hour, we have a few minutes to spare." He stepped into the familiar surroundings, taking a seat on his living room couch.
Luke headed to his bedroom, keeping the door opened so he could still hear the younger man. "What's this little dude like?"
"He's 14, not 4."
Luke rolled his eyes, "You get the point." He slid off his sweatpants, picking out a pair of skinny jeans instead.
"He acts like he's a college student, but at the same time he acts like he's in preschool."
"That sounds like you."
It was Michael's turn to roll his eyes and sigh. "He has really crude humor, he's probably gonna call you a slut or something."
"Okay, that's a little not like you."
Michael brought a hand up to his forehead, rubbing at the upcoming headache. He's been getting migraines ever since Jack has gotten expelled, it was all getting worse by the minute. "He's loud. I don't know if he doesn't have social cues or if he doesn't care, he likes embarrassing everyone. I don't know, maybe he just likes attention."
Luke loops his belt through his jeans and grabs a flannel laying on his desk table. "He doesn't sound too bad."
"I love him to death but he's a nuisance."
"He's a teenager." Luke got to his bathroom, brushing his teeth while putting on deodorant and cologne. He didn't necessarily want to make a good impression with the youngest Clifford, he just didn't want to make a bad one.
"I think of him as so much older, though. He's just one of the dudes in my mind and that's not good."
"Why?"
"Because he's 14! He's a child!"
Luke fixed his hair and left his bathroom. He grabbed his wallet and phone, shoving them into his pockets. "I'm ready to meet this legend."
Michael stood up, smiling. "I guess." He reached for Luke's hand once they were sat in his car. Michael took a deep breath before pulling into reverse and leaving the parking garage.
Luke rubbed his thumb over Michael's knuckles as he tried to calm the younger man with his own stories of his brothers.
They arrived at the airport, parking in yet another overpriced parking garage. Michael and Luke didn't talk on their way into JFK International Airport. Their hands were entwined, both men finding comfort in the small touch.
Luke and Michael dropped hands as they waited around carousel 15 for Jack. His flight from Denver was said to already have arrived, baggage coming soon.
Michael spotted him first. It was that brother-type thing, all he needed to see was a single strand of his half-black half-red hair to know that his brother was coming his way.
Mike pulled on Luke's arm, directing him towards the teenager. "That's him," Mike says, "that's my brother."
Luke nodded his head and smiled.
Jack looked up, tilting his head slightly to the left and giving his brother the biggest, cheesiest smile. He had an eyebrow raised, looking as if he were going to bring a shit storm with every step he took in his tied up Docs and ripped black skinny jeans.
He dumped his two carry-ons onto the clean, tiled ground as he got closer to his older brother. Both Cliffords held out their arms, taking the last few steps and gripping each other in a hug.
"I fucking hate you," Michael said first, "so much." He picked up his brother (who was barely shorter than him) and lifted him off the ground, squeezing his slim waist.
"I hate you more," Jack said with a laugh. He was put back on the ground as he looked at Luke.
Luke didn't get to say anything as Jack eyed him up and down—from his tied Coverse to his flannel from Target. "Wow, Michael, you've got a good bang right here."
Michael crossed his arms and rolled his eyes, "That's not appropriate, we talked about this."
"Hey, you said no slut-shaming. That wasn't slut-shaming."
Michael took a step forward, going behind his brother and covering Jack's mouth with his own hands. "It's still being a brat. I will send you to military school next."
Jack stuck out his tongue, licking over his brother's palm. "I dare you, bro, I dare you." He went to stand next to Luke, putting his arm around the older man's waist without saying anything. He hugged into his side, peaking out from his arms to smile at his brother.
Michael, once again, rolled his eyes. "How many bags do you have in baggage?"
"Four."
"Jesus, Jack."
"I have needs!"
Michael sighed, "You're a handful."
