"i mean- honestly, i could just tweet the picture and laugh it off like a joke. it doesn't even look real, does it?" michael asked, and luke shrugged from his cozy spot on the couch.
"it looks like a picture from the pretty real date we had." luke said, and michael sighed.
"you know what i mean. it just looks like our hands brushed, right? that's believable." michael said, and luke shrugged, looking back at his book.
"i knew we shouldn't have gone out, luke."
"yeah we should've just had a date here for our anniversary. you know, to celebrate two years worth of dates behind closed doors." luke said sarcastically, and michael rolled his eyes a little.
"luke, stop that." michael said and the younger boy looked up.
"stop what? everyone knows you're gay. i'm not out to the public, but i'm ready to be. why are you making this such a big deal?" luke asked, and michael just huffed, looking back down at the photo that was trending.
"we just shouldn't have gone out." michael muttered.
"yeah, how awful that people have to see us together, right?" luke said, using sarcasm once again.
"luke, stop, okay?!"
"i just don't understand.." luke mumbled.
"what?"
"why you were fine being pictured with your exes, but when one photo of us on a date shows up you start freaking out. i mean, it was our anniversary and you were trying to hide us the whole time." luke said, looking up at him.
"i just- just forget about it. i'll take care of it." michael muttered.
"how are you gonna do that?"
"i'm just gonna try to get it taken down as much as possible. i-"
"oh.."
michael looked down at luke, and saw tears in his blue eyes. he was trying to make it look like he wasn't gonna cry, but michael knew he was going to.
"luke.." michael sighed.
the blond boy got up, and quickly walked to their bedroom, leaving michael in the living room.
he turned his phone off, and walked to the room, needing to hold luke.
he opened the door, and saw luke looking in the mirror.
"just tell me it's embarrassing to be dating me. i get it." luke cried, and turned around.
"baby, no..." michael whispered, and hugged his weak body. "..i didn't mean to hurt you like this, sweetheart."
he picked luke up, and laid him down on the bed, slowly laying beside him.
"i promise you, i am so proud to be able to call you mine. i'm just scared because when you get pulled into the media, there's so much drama, and i don't want that with you. i will show you off so much if you want me to." michael told him, wiping his cheek.
"you mean that?" luke asked.
"of course. i just want what we have to get better. i didn't care to be pictured with other boys because i knew it wasn't gonna last long anyway. i never had a future with them. i'm gonna marry you one day, and i don't want anything someone could write in a magazine to get in the way of that." michael said, and luke smiled.
"it won't, i promise." luke said, and michael kissed his nose.
"you're sure that you want to be public?" michael asked.
"only if you are." luke said, and michael nodded.
michael pulled out his phone, and wrapped his arm around luke. he snuggled into michael's shoulder, and looked at the camera shot when michael snapped a picture of them.
"i love you." michael said, and turned to look at luke before he posted it.
"i love you, and i know it's not gonna be so easy sometimes, but i'm happy i get to tell everyone that you're mine."
