rags and riches ; muke (completed)

13

Kinda intense chapter, worked hard on it to make it detailed and good

"I have to talk to you."

"What do you need to talk to me about?" He asked, holding Madison. "Well, I need to talk to you later, can I come by when you get off work?" He asked. Michael nodded, "Yeah, uh, sure. I get off at 9, come by at about 9:30 and we'll talk." Michael said. Luke nodded and smiled a little.

"Madison, tell Daddy bye." He said, knowing the hassel of having a little kid with you while working. Madison made grabby hands at Luke. Luke picked her up and she waved at Michael. "Bye bye, daddy." She smiled. Michael smiled in adoration, coming closer and kissing her forehead. "Bye baby, I'll see you later."

-

It was 9:34 and Luke was prancing around the living room when he heard the door open. He immediately turned and walked towards the door. "Is Madison asleep?" He asked as soon as he saw Luke. "Has been for an hour." Luke nodded.

Michael closed the door and took off his shoes. "What about my mother? Is Alex and Tori here?" He asked. "I don't know where your mother is...but Alex and Tori are in their room." He said.

Michael nodded and sat on the couch. "What did you want to talk about?" He asked. Luke sighed and sat beside him, rubbing his eyes. "Listen...I-I uh...I don't want you to live here anymore..." Luke said lowly.

Michael laughed nervously and shook his head. "Luke, I cant run away. You know this. I got Tori and Alex and my mom and Madison. How will they get by without me?" Michael asked, rolling uo his sleeve of his dirty work shirt.

"No...I-I didn't mean- that came out wrong. You can still live here, I just don't want you busting your ass with lousy diners and being a gay strip-" "I never said I was a gay stripper." He cut Luke off, "The female doms really get a hoot outta me."

Luke scoffed, feeling a bit of jealousy. "That's not my point, princess." Luke snarled, refurring to the name on the back of the colorful materials. Michael wasn't going to lie, that name turned him on a bit. "My point is this is crazy. You're about to turn nineteen and you're already working two jobs and have a four year old. Your mother and her boy toy are hurting you and taking advantage of you and I don't want to keep seeing you walk into class late with dark bags under your beautiful green eyes because you didn't sleep the night before! Does your mother even try to help you?!" Luke asked loudly, no standing infront of Michael.

Michael kept his gaze at the floor, his arms crossed as he pressed them to his thighs. He didn't want to talk. He wanted to go upstairs and shower and change and sleep until his shift tomorrow. That's what he always did on Saturdays.

"No, she doesn't! She sits around and drinks and slaps you and calls you worthless and compares you to Kyra!" Luke shouted, running his hands through his hair, fire evident in his eyes. Michael slowly looked up at him shocked. "How do you know about that? About her?" He asked carefully, like he was trying to not talk loud enough for anyone else to hear him apart from Luke. "I over heard last time your mom had that outburst..." He muttered.

Michael slowly stood up, walking overnto the kitchen to get a glass of water to calm himself down. "Luke, please just- stop, okay? I have work tomorrow and I need to get to bed." Michael told him. "Quit it, Michael. Stop saying you're ok-" Michael slammed the glass down, cutting his hand. "No you stop! Stop putting your goddamn head in my business! I can handle myself and my family, I don't need you or your money!" He yelled, although he and Luke both knew he was just trying to convince himself.

By this time, Michael was crying. His hand had glass shards in it and he felt overwhelmed with emotions and the sudden pain. "Fuck..." Michael whispered once he let go of the glass. Luke eyes softened as he looked at the damage on Michael's right hand. "Come on, Mikey..." He whispered, taking his other hand and walking to the bathroom and instructing the tub.

"Do you have tweezers and peroxide?" Luke asked, opening the medicine cabinet. When he got no response, he asked again, "Any tweezers and peroxide?" This time, he just got a choked sob in response.

He immediately turned around, looking at the mess of a boy. They boy he made fun of only months before, calling him a hobo. The boy who sacrificed his life for years just to make sure his family had what they needed. The boy who worked as an underage  stripper on no doubt the wrong side of town. The boy who was never really a teenager, but had to quickly transform into a man before he even knew how to shave.

This boy, who had been so strong for so long, was finally breaking.

"Mikey..." Luke whispered, walking close to him and sitting beside him. "I-I'm sorry Luke. I
t-try so h-hard to make every-everything p-perfect and it-it n-never is." He sobbed out, round tears cascading down his pale cheeks. Luke shook his head, pulling his head into his chest and rocking his body.

"Mikey, it isn't your fault. You try so hard, and you don't have to. You're so fucking strong and kind hearted. It's your mother and father's faults for doing this and putting you, Alex, Tori, and Madison through all this. You're so- god...you're so beautiful on the inside and out, and people are so ugly on the inside and out, they don't understand how hard this is and they take advantage of you..." He whispered as Michael continued crying, ultimately soaking Luke's navy blue shirt.

"I-I-It hurts, L-Luke..." Michael cried. Luke nodded and glanced at Michael's hand, suddenly remembering why they were in a tub. "Mikey...How about after I fix your hand, we talk, okay?" He asked. Michael nodded, still crying and sniffling, and let go of his shirt.

Luke smiled sadly, ignoring how his shurt stuck to his chest, and found the tweezers and peroxide in the medicine cabinet. He poured some peroxide and watched as it fizzed. Michael whimpered and gripped Luke's other hand as he felt the strong tingling pain spread over his hand.

Luke done this 3 times then began picking out the shards of glass. "Ow! Shit..." Michael whined, wanting to pull away but knowing it wouldn't do any good. "Sorry, but you know I have to do this..." Luke mumbled, "Hold my thigh so I can use my other hand to hold your wrist. You're moving a lot." Michael sat his hand on Luke's thigh, them both deciding to ignore the small sexual tension.

Luke held onto Michael's wrist as he dug into Michael's tissue to get a small piece. "Ouch!" Michael whimpered, his grip tightening dramatically on the younger lad's thigh. "Shh...All done." Luke smiled.

Michael looked at his hand; all bloody and wounded. "How am I supposed to work tomorrow?" He asked. "Just ask Rosie to help you." Luke said as he out away the peroxide and cleaned off the tweezers before putting them back.

"That's uh...not where I'm working tomorrow..." Michael whispered, looking down at his hand resting in his lap, throbbing. Luke stopped. "Michael, I want you to quit working there." Luke said briefly.

"Why?" Michael asked, looking at him. Luke didn't say anything st firdt, but slowly opening his mouth, only looking at Michael through his reflection.

"Because I want to be the only person that sees you in those shorts."