thirty four +
Jack looks up from his spot on the couch as Luke walks in, using his own key. "Did you bring me snacks?" He asks.
"No, was I supposed to?" Luke closes the door behind him, locking it. He's so used to double-locking the door, it was fine until he accidentally locked Michael's roommate out of the place for the weekend.
Jack sighs as he crashes back into the pillows. "God, you're useless."
Michael peaks his head from his bedroom, "Hey! Be nice." He gets off of his bed, slipping on shorts and greeting his friend in the living room. "He's just being a brat because the school refuses to suspend him."
"I punched a teacher, Michael! What kind of prison are you sending me to?!" Jack wraps the velvet blanket closer around his shoulders. "Can you go fuck so that I can take out my earbuds before the new season of Orange is the New Black?"
"That's rude." Michael reaches over, helping Luke hang up his jacket and toss his overnight bag on the floor of the kitchen. "You're like 12."
Luke leans into Michael's side, trying to pull him back into the privacy of the second bedroom. Mike's bedroom door is closed behind the two as they settle on the bed.
"I just wanna talk," Luke says as he scoots closer to the pillows. The sheets smell of Michael. Luke can close his eyes and he feels so at peace, a type of peace that he's never felt before. It smells, it feels, like forever to Luke.
Michael sits on the end of his bed, tucking his feet underneath his body and looking at the man in front of him. "I'm good at talking."
"That's the problem, though," Luke responds, "you're not."
Mike lets out a little laugh, "I am!"
"You barely talk to me about important things. I don't even know where we are right now." Luke had everything planned out what he was going to say, but he looks up at Michael and he can't say any of it.
"We're friends," he responded, "I mean, not really. We're not just friends but we're not anything more. Does that make sense?"
"No." Luke curls up his knees to his chest, his arms wrapping around his legs. "Is it me? Am I not what you want in a relationship?" His insecurity is shining like the city outside. His pretty eyes show all of his fears.
"No, no, no," Michael quickly responds. He gets up on his knees, trying to pry himself between Luke's legs. "If I wanted to date someone, I would marry you." Luke rests his legs down on the mattress as Michael wraps his arms around Luke's back. He rests his head on his beating chest as he talks once more. "I care so much about you and I don't like caring about people."
"Why, though?" Luke fears that Michael's inconsistent emotions are ruining whatever they have. Luke doesn't want to grow to resent Michael.
"That's a talk for another night."
Luke sighs. He wants to yell, he wants to make Michael feel bad. He looks at the boy in his arms, holding onto Luke for his dear life. Michael needs a friend and it's not right for Luke to take that away.
"I'm holding you to that."
Michael smiles as he leans up, pressing a kiss to Luke's chin. "You've gotta shave," he changes topic. He sits up, pressing his hands to Luke's torso.
"That's not nice, I don't work until Tuesday, I don't want to shave."
Michael laughs as he leans in once more, his lips meeting Luke's instead. Luke wraps his arms around Mike's shoulders, his fingers guiding him closer and closer until their bodies meet.
Luke helps Michael with his shirt, taking it over his head and tossing it somewhere on the pile of dirty clothes stacking up on the ground. Luke loves Michael's body, it's the only skin he ever wants to touch, it's the only skin he ever needs.
Jack lays on the couch, his eyes staring up at the ceiling. He's counting the panels and trying to wash out the sound of his brother getting off. He stares out the window, watching shadows flash off of the fire escape.
He is in a city that never sleeps but all he wants to do is sleep.
Don't get him wrong, he's happy to be home. For once in his life, he's actually able to say he's happy. He gets to be home with his brother—his only family left.
No matter how much Michael bothers him here and there, Michael is his family. He's forevermore grateful for the older boy. Mike could have sent him to foster care, he could have treated him poorly.
Michael gave up so much for Jack.
Jack gets out of his bed—which is a couch—and pulls on a pair of sweatpants. He heads to the kitchen, making a disgusted face as he can still hear the bed frame shaking with every movement one of the other men make.
He doesn't want to think about that, he doesn't want to think about that at all.
He opens up the fridge, taking out the junkiest food he could possibly find. It's 2AM and he's ready to make a diabetes smoothie.
He starts with Nutella, adding in Oreos and bananas next. He opens up the pantry, questioning what would be terrible in the best way possible. He takes out the almonds that Michael keeps in the house for Luke, then taking the gummy bears Michael constantly snacks on.
Honestly, if anyone in this apartment is going to develop diabetes, it's going to be Michael.
He pauses, listening for a second to see if they were done. They weren't, Luke was definitely about to die and Jack definitely didn't want to hear that.
He closed the lid of the blender and set it on full power. He looked down at his fingers, picking the dirt underneath his finger.
Michael and Luke were both laughing as they finished each other off. Michael couldn't finish the hickey on Luke's chest due to his laughter.
He pulled out once he knew Luke was finished as well. He rolled off of him, laying next to Luke. "Jack!" He yelled, his breathing fast and forehead sweaty. "Are you serious?!"
"Luke sounds like a dying child, Michael! I don't want nightmares!" Jack yelled back. He turned off the blender, opening the lid and adding more milk, more chocolate milk, and more ice. He opened the freezer, trying to find some ice cream to go along with it.
"I'm going to murder him," Michael says underneath his breath.
Luke watched the younger man get out of bed, he watches his back muscles flex as he pulls on layers of clothes. "What're you doing?" Luke asks, pulling Mike's sheets up over his chest.
"Gonna spit in his ear."
"Michael!" Luke exclaimed with a laugh, "Don't do that."
He gave the blonde a smile before opening up the door to his bedroom. He headed down the hallway and sprinted into the kitchen. He tackled Jack before the teenager could know what's happening.
Jack is laughing and giggling and yelling about Michael sounding worse. Michael has him in a headlock as he tackles him onto the floor of their living room.
Luke comes out full dressed, confused at their weird brotherly bonding. He hasn't tackled his brothers since he was maybe 6-years-old.
He leans on the kitchen counter, opening up the blender and taking a taste of the sugary mess. Sugar mess, but surprisingly good.
Both Cliffords look up, Michael still has his arm around Jack's neck and Jack is still holding his fist to Michael's stomach. "Is that good?" Michael asks as Luke takes a spoonful.
"Not that bad."
"Really?" Jack squeezes himself from Michael's embrace, sitting down at the bar stools and getting himself a bite of his masterpiece.
Michael takes Luke's spoon, getting himself some. Luke makes a face of disgust, no longer wanting that spoon.
"It's not too bad, Jack," Michael says with a nod of approval.
"I used the last of your gummy bears."
"You asshole."
