forty five
Months pass, time goes by. It's suddenly February and Luke and Michael haven't talked about their future. They haven't talked about how badly they both want to take the next leap into forever.
In defense, it's been busy. The west wing opened at the start of the new year, Luke and Michael were officially a few miles apart. It wasn't a big deal, but the office felt empty without the other one around.
Michael was sat up in bed, typing up a monthly report to send out to Ashton (because that man never retires fully).
Luke squeezed himself behind Michael's body, his lean legs on either side of Mike's. He rested his chin on Michael's shoulder, closing his eyes and letting his lips linger on the skin he loves too much.
Michael breathed in slowly, closing his eyes and pausing his work. "Hey, how was your day?" His voice was soft, barely above a whisper.
"Missed you."
Michael closed his laptop, pushing it to the end of their bed. He let Luke's hands crawl up his back before wrapping around his chest. Luke moved his lips to the back of Michael's neck, leaving pecks of kisses down the top of his spine.
"What's the office like without me?"
Luke rests his forehead on Michael's back, "Quiet. No one to eat the gummy bears."
"Does Ashton drop by every day?"
The blonde laughs, "Of course." Luke moves back towards the headboard, getting under their covers to hide himself from the cold.
Michael follows his moves, pulling the sheets to his own body and wrapping his arm around Luke. He pulls him until the older man's hipbones clash with Mike's. He holds him close, nuzzling his nose into Luke's neck. "You're so perfect."
"I am not."
Michael shakes his head, "Luke, I think I want to marry you."
Luke closes his eyes, finding bliss in listening to Michael speak. "Then do it."
Jack opens up his bedroom window, letting Calum crawl in. He closes the window behind them, not letting the bitter cold into the heated comfort.
Cal kicks off his shoes, pulling Jack into a hug and kissing the top of his head. "Good morning," he whispers.
"It's midnight, Idiot." Jack crawls back into his bed, getting comfortable in the sheets. He was ready to sleep but he'd always stay awake for Calum.
Cal sits on the end of his bed, his back leaning against the white walls. "How was your day?"
"I missed you at school. Why weren't you there?"
"I fell asleep around 4 am and Mom was too afraid to wake me." Calum crosses his arms over his chest and closes his eyes. He listens to the hum of the heater and the slow breathing of his friend.
"What's insomnia like?"
"I don't know."
"What do you mean?"
Calum sighs, "I don't know, Jack. I'm awake and I'm asleep, I'm usually not sure which is which. I'm afraid that one day I'm going to wake up for real and everything is going to be fake. Like, I dreamt the majority of my life away."
"Oh."
Calum shook his head, "You don't understand, do you?"
Jack gave him the smallest, quietest laugh, "Not at all."
The older boy lays down next to Jack, keeping a few inches between them. He lays on top of the sheets, his head resting on the extra pillow against the wall. "Reality doesn't always feel real with insomnia. I'm not sure who I am with insomnia. I'm not sure if I'm awake or if you're just a dream."
Jack rolls onto his side, facing Calum. "You're awake."
He smiles and rests his hand on Jack's face, rubbing his thumb over his cheekbone. "I'm glad."
