Daisy (lashton)

Chapter 27

The car ride back to Luke's apartment was filled with the worst type of silence, the type that raised the hairs on your arms and left and unsettled feeling in your stomach. His stomach was in knots and he actually had to stop the car twice because he felt like he was about to upheave his lunch. By the time he made it back home his chest felt heavy and he just wanted to make it through the apartment and to his room before Michael or Crystal could ask any questions.

But of course, just like the rest of the week, life was not on Luke's side.

"Well would you look at that, a total hour and a half since you left." Michael's teasing voice rang out from the living room as Luke closed the front door and he groaned, letting his head rest against the door with a 'bang'.

"Honestly Michael I'm not in the mood for it right now. Bother me all you want tomorrow just... not now." Michael was taken aback by the resigned sound of his voice. He'd expected Luke to come back annoyed, but the dejected way his voice broke was not something the older boy had been expecting.

"Luke, fuck, what happened?" The moment Michael took one look at Luke the teasing smile on his face fell away.

"You're right, Mike. I do like him. Fuck, I didn't realize how much I actually liked him until I saw the heartbroken look on his face when he kicked me out. I fucked up. Majorly. Jesus Christ, why am I such a fuck up?"

Michael followed after Luke as the younger boy made his way into his bedroom and immediately fell into his bed, cocooning himself in his comforter. Michael took a seat on his bed and immediately began running his hand through Luke's hair in the way he knew the blonde loved.

"What happened, Lu?"

Luke could feel the swell of tears build up behind his eyes and he buried his face in Michael's lap. It was moments like these when Luke was being soft and emotional that reminded Michael that behind the young boy's rebel facade, he truly was one of the most vulnerable people Michael had ever known. Ever since Drew, Luke had closed himself off to being emotionally intimate with anyone, but Michael really believed that Ashton was changing that. He had been worried about how Luke could hurt Ashton, but he'd forgotten to think about the possibility of his friend getting hurt.

"Lu, baby, talk to me please. What happened?" Michael scratched behind Luke's ear with one hand and let his other rub soothing circles on his back. He kept his voice low, reminiscent of the days when Luke would spend hours curled up in his lap after the Drew fiasco of 2017.

"You were right all along, Mikey," Luke sniffed as he rubbed angrily at his eyes. "I thought we were on the same page but we weren't and I ignored all the signs and it's my fault and god he's never going to speak to me again I-"

"Lu, sweetheart, take a deep breath, okay? We don't need you falling into another panic attack." Michael pressed his palm against the center of Luke's chest to help him slower his breathing. It was a technique he'd picked up after Drew and Luke's split when Luke would slip into panic attacks the first few weeks. "Okay, now tell me exactly what happened."

"I-I went over there thinking I'd just apologize for ghosting him and then we'd make up and have a great weekend and seeing him again would make me forget all that shit you made me worry about but then I-I got there and he was so upset and I felt so bad for ignoring his messages and he called me immature and irresponsible and I got annoyed and started arguing but before I could go on Jason called."

Michael's lips pursed in sympathy as Luke burrowed his face in his blankets. "Please tell me you didn't answer Luke."

Luke groaned as he rolled over so that he was facing the ceiling and rubbed harshly at his face. "Of course I did because I'm an absolute idiot."