fearless - muke

6; expectations

Luke should've guessed that Michael would choose to take him somewhere childish and silly.

They were still technically in the city, yet somehow also not - the grassland was free of buildings and despite being buried in what appeared to be a valley, the small, enclosed zoo stood out a mile away. To the front stood a large silver frame, a name written in cursive font on a wooden board that stretched across its width.

"Really?" Luke raised an eyebrow, trying to appear almost disappointed but a smile soon broke out on his face, because in truth he was very happy to be there.

Michael still had a hold of his arm, and refused to stop grinning as he lead him towards the entrance. "This is gonna be so much fun. Oh, and I'm under 18 so get in free, you gotta pay."

"Right," the blond laughed, fishing for his wallet in his back pocket. "So you decide to take me on a little trip, but it costs me money."

Michael shrugged, then nodded with a smirk. "It's your fault for being old. Anyways, it's not that much."

Luke handed over a note to a man in a ticket booth, passing through the turnstiles and making their way to the first enclosure. He yelped as a monkey swung over to the glass that separated them from the animals, sitting down directly in front of him and staring at the blond.

Michael watched on with an amused expression, standing just to Luke's side. "Looks like you made a friend."

"I guess I have."

Luke was fascinated by all the creatures - each one a different size, shape and colour - and was almost ashamed to admit this. He didn't have to, though, because Michael could tell. "Have you ever been to a zoo before?"

"When I was little," Luke hummed, smiling fondly to himself at the memories. "But I haven't been to one in years, I just never had the time."

"You have to find time for the small things, Luke. They make us, well, us. Just because society tells you that you're an adult and have to act like one, doesn't mean you can't enjoy what you used to love as a child."

"You're pretty grown up for 17. That's the best advice I think I've ever been given."

Michael sighed. "I had to grow up pretty quickly, but I know at heart, I'm still a kid. And I do whatever my heart tells me."

"I admire you for that."

"You do?"

"Yeah," Luke exhaled slowly, seeming cautious of what he said. "I don't exactly have the courage to follow in your footsteps, though, I'm just so used to... Well, following. I don't step out of line, I'm scared of being different. My whole life I've been so desperate to please people, I don't even think about me."

Michael offered him a small smile, but the older boy didn't seem to appreciate it all that much. "By pleasing people, do you mean the expectations you spoke about before?

Luke nodded. "I didn't want to end up working in an office, you know. Not that I hate my job, but sometimes I feel like I only ever do things because my parents want me to. They expect so much from me, my brothers both own businesses and I have a name to live up to."

Michael wasn't really sure how to reassure him, given as he'd never had any parents to boss him around. His dad had been laid back - fairly oblivious of what his sons were doing - spending at least one night a week locked away in a prison cell. Ashton wasn't much better.

His only expectations were his own, and he didn't have any.

So, he said the only thing that his brain could possibly come up with. "We gotta make the most of the time we have then, don't we?"

Luke smiled and nodded enthusiastically, following Michael to the next enclosure. When he looked into the glass, something familiar triggered inside of him. A feeling, one that he could remember having at an age as young as 4.

He was looking at penguins.

Michael noticed Luke's attention suddenly perked, and was glad. "Favourite animal?"

"Something like that, I guess. I used to love them, but when I started school I took this stuffed penguin toy I had in to show my friends, my parents said it was pathetic and I needed to stop acting like a child."

"But you were a child?"

"They didn't care about that," Luke scoffed, feeling almost resentful of his parents as the old memories surfaced. "They told me I'd get picked on by the other kids, but in truth I think they were just embarrassed of me."

Michael winced. "Sound like awful parents."

"They're not too bad, just frustrating sometimes. I guess they got better as I got older. Oh god, I'm so sorry - I've been going on and on and it's unfair for me to dump all of my problems on you."

"Don't worry about it," Michael assured. "I don't mind what you say, as long as it helps for you to say it. Besides, I can't exactly judge your life situations, given mine."

"I guess we're both just messed up, huh."

"You say that like it's a bad thing."

Luke listened, and like he did with most of what Michael said, he thought about it. Here he was, taking life advice from a kid three years younger than him, someone who had done more with his life in seventeen years than Luke thought he would ever manage.

What was even stranger, was that he'd know Michael for what, a couple of days? Yet he knew he had made a friend he could trust; it wasn't often that he spoke about his personal life and issues with anyone, let alone Michael, who was still practically a stranger to him. That said something.

"You want to get some ice cream and watch the sea lion show?" Michael asked, nudging the blond out of his trance. "If we hurry, we might get seats right at the front."

Luke laughed, linking his fingers with Michael's and heading to the nearest stand. "That sounds perfect."

To those in the queue behind them, Michael must've appeared no older than about twelve with the way he was acting. He really want mint choc chip ice cream, that was for sure.

So Luke ordered two, quickly paying for the treats and handing the bigger of the two cones to Michael. He watched and laughed as it began to melt and fall onto his fingers, turning his hands all sticky as it dried under the sun.

Luke couldn't have asked for a better day, even if he was scolded for being out too long by his mother the moment he got home.