forty four
Luke was sitting in the kitchen drinking his second cup of coffee as the clock neared closer and closer to 7am. Both sleeping boys were supposed to be away by now. Jack had to be in first period by 7:35, Michael had to drop him off by 7:30 then be at work (on the opposite side of town) by 8:30.
Luke had already gone for his morning run, picked up donuts, and gotten ready for the day. He made Jack and Michael their lunches, putting cat stickers on the brown bag in hope of embarrassing them. He soon realized, though, that Jack and Michael would be honored to show off the cat stickers.
A new rule in the Clifford family was that Michael had to drive Jack to school. Jack had to fight tooth and nail to be allowed to walk home after the day was up.
It was 7:02 when Michael came rushing out of his bedroom, yelling Jack's name. He opened up his brother's bedroom door, letting the light fall into the dark room. Michael walked back into his bedroom, quickly rushing his morning routine.
Luke watched Jack slug from his room, 2-day-old unbuttoned skinny jeans on his legs and a white shirt with a spaghetti stain on the collar over his lean body.
"Good morning," Luke said with a soft smile.
"Fuck off."
Luke nodded, "Right. Coffee?"
He shook his head and plopped himself at the barstool next to Luke. He rested his head on the cold countertop, closing his eyes. "I have a migraine."
"No, you don't."
"I have a headache."
"I maybe believe you." Luke looked down at the teenager, placing the back of his hand to his head. "You feel fine."
"Why can't you help fake my illness? Just one time, Luke, that's all I'm asking."
Luke smiled, patted his back, then got up. He grabbed Jack's bag, making sure his binders, unfinished homework, and lunch were all in there before zipping it up. He grabbed him a jacket from the closet and placed everything at Jack's feet.
He wrapped up Michael's work bag, trying to make his mess of files at least a little bit neat before shoving them into his briefcase. He placed Mike's bag, trench coat, and lunch on the couch.
Everything was a little less rushed when Luke was there.
They got into Michael's car and started heading down the busy streets of New York City. People who don't live in the state of New York (or have to commute into NYC) don't really understand what the traffic is like. It's like bumper-to-bumper rush hour multiplied by 15 at every hour of the day. Plus, there are maybe 2 gas stations every 75 blocks.
New Yorkers don't like to drive but Michael, once again, didn't trust his brother to get to school and stay there.
Mike's emo playlist was playing upon the speakers, Jack was dozing off in the back. Luke looked up at his boyfriend, simply admiring him. He found himself doing that a lot.
He couldn't stop looking at Michael. God, he was so in love. He watched Michael's lips moved as he mindlessly sang along to some Neck Deep song, he watched his eyes blink lowly as he was probably about to fall asleep.
Michael stopped at a red light. He placed his elbow on the door, his hand holding up his head. He looked out the window at the dark city. It was early in the morning and winter was nearing, sunlight didn't exist in New York.
His eyes were shining with the lights around them.
Michael turns his head, looking over at Luke. "What?" He asks, a chuckle on his lips.
Luke shrugs, "Nothing."
Michael giggles, "Stop staring at me. It's too early for that."
Luke reached out his hand, squishing Michael's cheeks together. "You're just so pretty."
The black-haired boy couldn't not laugh around Luke. He shook his head and turned back to the slow moving traffic.
Michael wanted to marry Luke, he knows this for sure. As they drop off Jack and start trying to figure out the country road route to work, he knows he wants to marry Luke.
Marriage has always been such a scary concept to Michael. Life has always been such a scary concept to Michael. He's been filled with this empty abyss of being constantly scared of everything leaving him, but Luke fills that void.
Luke makes him feel alive in the best way possible.
Michael knows to never put his happiness into someone else, but Luke makes everything feel so O.K.
