luke knocked on the apartment door, and nervously waited for michael to open it.
he knew everything was gonna be ruined between them.
the door opened quickly, and michael's eyes widened when he saw luke with carson asleep on his shoulder.
"luke? why the hell are you bleeding?" michael asked quickly.
"you should see the other guy..." luke nervously laughed, and michael's eyes darkened.
"god so help me if you got in a fight while carson was th-"
"michael, let me go put him to bed, and then i'll explain ev-"
"no. just let me have him. i'll do it." michael said, and took the little boy, quickly walking to his room.
luke sighed and stepped in, shutting the door behind him.
he looked up when he saw michael walking back into the living room.
"michael, listen-"
"no, you listen! after everything, you're still too irresponsible with carson! i can't believe you-"
"if you would let me explain-"
"you don't have to! you're just lucky carson didn't get hurt!" michael whisper yelled to not wake carson up.
"michael-"
"shut the hell up, luke! i can't believe you at all! i finally start to trust you again with the most important thing in my life, and you screw up again! you say you love him, but you really put him in danger tonight, luke! i don't want to see you, and i don't want you in carson's life anymore. i don't even want you in my mom's life anymore. just go back to perth and sell drugs or something because apparently that's all you can do right!" michael said, and luke didn't want to get mad at michael yet.
michael was just a protective dad, and he needed to calm down before luke tried explaining anything.
after a couple seconds of awkward silence, they heard a door open.
they both looked back, and saw carson walking into the living room too.
"dad, will you sleep in my room tonight? i'm scared." he said, and michael felt like screaming at luke after carson said that.
"of course, buddy." michael said, and carson wiped his tired eyes.
"i would ask you to sleep in my room too, luke, but i know you don't spend the night anymore." carson said, and walked over, hugging luke's legs.
"that's alright, buddy." luke whispered.
"thank you for saving me, even though you did get hurt." carson said, and luke kneeled down, kissing carson's forehead.
"i'd never let anybody hurt you."
carson smiled before turning and running back to his room.
"saving him?" michael whispered.
"are you done yelling at me so i can tell you what happened?" luke asked, his hands in his pockets.
"i- um. yeah." michael said softly, and sat down.
"we were at the cafe, and carson accidentally called me dad. he got so upset, and i guess he thought i was gonna be mad at him. he got up, and ran out, and i tried chasing after him but the door caught my jacket and it took me a second to get it off before i was able to run after him. when i finally found him this man had him by the arm, and said he was carson's dad. he kept grabbing carson and pushing him, and i got really mad. he started walking away with him really fast, and i tackled him, and started hitting him. he got me a couple times before a couple guys broke us up. i know me hitting the guy probably scared carson a bit, but i had to get him away from carson. i was- i was so scared, and so mad, and- i'm sorry for everything, michael." luke said, finally realizing what almost happened.
he had tears in his blue eyes, and it was all just too scary to think about.
"luke, i'm sorry-"
"don't, michael. i'm sorry. you trusted me with him, and i messed up again. i'll leave you all alone if you really want me to. i never meant to hurt anybody. i just thought for some reason that it was gonna be the three of us, you know? i love you and carson more than anything in the whole world, and i don't know why i thought i was good enough for either of you. i keep screwing up, and i can't explain to you how sorry i am." luke cried, and michael could see his shoulders shaking.
"you saved him, luke." michael said softly, but luke was still trying to not start sobbing in front of michael.
he didn't think he deserved to cry.
"i'm sorry for everything i said. i was just so mad at what i assumed happened. you're scared." michael whispered, and luke nodded, letting michael hold him, his head buried in the older boy's neck.
"cry it out, baby. i know you're scared." michael whispered, pulling luke down onto the couch with him.
luke was laying across michael's lap, trying his best just to curl into michael and feel safe again.
"you saved him, luke. you put all of your fears behind you, and you put yourself in harms way just to save my son. i trust you with carson, and i don't want you to leave us alone. i'm sorry, luke. i'm so happy you're safe." michael whispered, and luke dried his eyes on michael's shirt.
"i- i'm just really shaken up right now. i'm gonna go-"
"stay the night." michael whispered, and luke looked up.
"you mean that?"
"of course i do..." michael whispered, and luke hugged michael's waist. "...i should've known this whole time that you had carson's best interest at heart, but you understand why i wanted to distance him, right?"
"of course. you always have to think of your kid first. i completely understand." luke said softly as michael ran his fingers through luke's hair.
michael picked luke up, and carried him towards carson's room.
they went in quietly because carson was already fast asleep again.
michael gently laid luke on one side of carson before he laid on the other. they both reached over, holding eachother, and snuggling carson between them.
"you're so beautiful." michael whispered, looking at luke who was lit up by the tv screen.
"and so are you."
