Paper Thin (muke)

06: love

Michael

Michael knew it. Luke was blonde.

He pictured an angel when Luke described what he looked like, the cherub kind with deep dimples and flushed cheeks. The blind man guessed he wasn't too far off in his image. After Luke finished, he'd insisted that Michael describe himself because, "It's only fair!" Michael knew with a pout that sounded that cute, he could never say no. He described himself as best as he could to Luke, reminding the blonde that he didn't know what he was wearing, but it was probably black. Luke laughed.

Michael's smile only widened the longer he listened to Luke talk. He couldn't remember the last time he'd smiled so much. It was well before his accident; he knew that for sure.

"Okay, okay," Michael sighed as he stopped laughing. "I give up, I suppose Juliet is dealing with the trauma from the house fire," It was ridiculous to Michael that he was arguing over his own book, but he loved it. He'd never had someone challenge him like this before.

"Thank you! That's all I've been saying,"

A thump vibrated the wall, and Michael laughed as Luke whispered a quiet 'ow'.

"I mean, how could she not? She literally watched her father burn to death! Talk about daddy issues. No wonder she can't admit her feelings for Nathan yet. Do you think they'll work things out by the next book?"

Michael loved the excitement he heard in Luke's voice.

"I don't know," Michael played with the loose string on the bottom of his sweater as he fought a smile. "We can hope."

He heard Luke sigh.

"I guess so. God, I wish I knew M.G May, I'd write her a letter and ask."

Michael snorted. "How do you know it's a she?"

Luke giggled and Michael's cheeks began to hurt from smiling so much.

"I guess I don't know M.G May is a woman, I just have a feeling, I mean the way they write about love it's just..."

"Love?" Michael's eyebrows furrowed, "What love?"

"Are you kidding me?" Luke screeched, and Michael heard his bed springs squeak as he sat up.

"No? They fuck and they fight... Nothing too romantic about that. It's more tragic than anything else."

"But that's the point, isn't it?"

And okay, now Michael was really confused. "What?"

Luke sighed and shifted around on his side of the wall. "Their love is so much deeper than all the lovey dovey shit Hallmark is always trying to sell, ya'know? They don't even know they're in love because they're not supposed to be in love. They can fuck and fight all they want, because at the end of the day, they understand each other in a way no one else does."

Michael's jaw was on the floor by the time Luke finished his rant. He had really never thought about it like that before. Love was never something Michael wanted to write about, but now he was looking at his books from a whole new perspective.

"Wow... if I didn't know any better, I'd say you were M.G May." Michael teased and his chest tingled as Luke laughed.

"Maybe I am M.G May."

Michael snorted and laid back in his bed. "Wouldn't that be the surprise of a lifetime, living next door to M.G May."

"Oh god, I could only wish. I swear, if I ever did meet them, they'd probably think I'm some sort of obsessive freak."