twelve

                                    

                                          
          
                          
twelve 
                          
	Luke sat on his front porch, waiting for the well-known headlights of Michael's truck to illuminate the dark night. 
                          
	It was only minutes past three in the morning, and Luke just wanted to go to sleep. He wanted to curl up in bed and not move for a week. He wanted to pretend that everything was normal. 
                          
	He was never really normal, though. 
                          
	Michael pulled up to the curve, putting his vehicle into park. "Yeah, Mom, I understand," he said into his phone. He watched Luke stand from their outside chairs, slowly and silently making his way down the driveway. 
                          
	"Go to bed, it's late there."
                          
	"It's like midnight where you are. Why aren't you asleep?"
                          
	"Because my stupid son called me," she sassed. 
                          
	Michael let out a chuckle. He unlocked the doors as Luke got closer. "Luke's here, I've gotta go."
                          
	"Why are you waking up that poor boy at this ungodly hour?"
                          
	"To tell him everything I just told you," he responded. He looked up, giving the tired blonde a soft smile. "Love you, I'll call you later."
                          
	Luke furrowed his eyebrows, mouthing a quick Who is it? before buckling his seatbelt. 
                          
	Michael mouthed Mom as he faked choking himself with his own hands. He got Luke to laugh at that, and it made his night better. 
                          
	"Oh, is that him? He sounds cute, aw." 
                          
	"Mom, I'm about to drive. Do you want me to get into a car accident?"
                          
	She tsked, knowing they had half their conversation upon cellphone while he was driving. "I'm disappointed in you—about all of this."
                          
	He shifted gears into drive as he responded, "Yeah, I know."
                          
	"Get some sleep, please."
                          
	"Bye, Mom." He tossed his phone at Luke, letting the younger boy hang up the phone for him.
                          
	"You're such a momma's boy," Luke commented once the phone call ended.
                          
	Mike smiled, "Whatever."
                          
	"When can I meet Mama Clifford?"
                          
	Michael bit onto his lower lip. "Well, that's kind of what I wanted to talk to you about." He turned on his turn signal as he stopped at a red light. He turned to face Luke, a nervous glow casting over both of their faces. "Let's run away."
                          
	"What?" Luke asked with a laugh.
                          
	"Listen, I don't think your parents will be too happy when they find out your mathematics teacher knocked you up," Michael began pulling onto the main road, flying down the pavement in the direction of his loft, "My parents are angry, but at me. They agreed to help us out with whatever until we figure how to legally make this all work."
                          
	Luke face forward again, his eyes watching the streetlights pass by. He could hear the words leaving Mike's mouth, but couldn't process them.
                          
	"I want this family," Michael said, "You'll be eighteen next month. We can leave on your birthday. Keep everything hidden for the next month, yeah?"
                          
	"I don't know, Mikey. What will my family think?" Luke loved his family. He didn't go through a teenage rebellion where he hated their existence. He couldn't fathom the thought of leaving them with no explanation. 
                          
	"It's going to be hard for a bit, but it will be okay in the end."
                          
	"You keep saying that, but I don't know if I should believe it."
                          
	Michael tapped upon his steering wheel, trying to come up with the right thing to say with Luke. There was usually only one chance with Luke: Either one persuades him or it doesn't happen. Luke loved to hold grudges, rarely forgiving anyone for their mistakes. 
                          
	"I don't mean that in a bad way," he continued, "I want to be a family with you."
                          
	Mike turned into his neighborhood. "Tell me what you want to do." He felt like he has used that line hundreds of times in the last few weeks. 
                          
	"I want to be with you."
                          
	"We can't stay here, Luke. Let's just leave for the summer, get away. Think of it as a vacation." Michael pulled into his complex, trying not to hit the BMWs lined in a row. He felt like everyone in his complex drove their luxury cars yet couldn't park to save their lives. "Mom and Dad are across the street from the beach, it could honestly be a vacation."
                          
	"But, what if my family finds out and hates me more for leaving? There's a chance they could be okay with us, with...," he paused, poking at his stomach, "It."
                          
	"Luke, their teenager is pregnant with a thirty-year-old's child. I don't think they're going to be okay with it." He turned off his ignition, putting his parking pass up on the dashboard. 
                          
	"You don't know that," he defended. Luke unbuckled himself, almost losing his balance as he jumped from the truck. Luke was short and the drop was tall. He almost fell into the smaller car parked next to Mike.
                          
	Michael came around, holding out his hand for Luke to take. He liked feeling their limbs entwined, he felt like he needed to hold Luke's hand. Something weird, something about Michael. "I guess you're right, you do know your parents better than me."
                          
	"I don't want to make you sad."	
                          
	Mike laughed. "Peach, you won't make me sad. This is a big part of your life and I don't want you to live it the wrong way."
                          
	Luke walked in front of him up the stairs, their hands dropping to their sides. He got to Michael's front door first, waiting for the older man to unlock it. The blonde leant against the wall, leaning his head to stare in Michael's direction. 
                          
	There was no doubt in Luke's mind that even if Mike wasn't the beauty he is, Luke would still be in love with him. But, having a physically attractive partner is a plus in Luke's mind. He liked the curve of Michael's nose, the rose of his cheeks. He liked the way his eyes glowed no matter how difficult their day seemed to be. It was his laugh that etched its way into Luke's mind. It was his giggle that drove Luke to happiness, no matter what their previous conversation was about. 
                          
	Mike held the door open, letting Luke in first again. Michael closed the door behind them, throwing his key into the bowl by the stairs. Luke was already in the bedroom, making his achy feet comfortable around the soft sheets. 
                          
	Michael followed his footsteps, collapsing on the bed next to him. "How're you feeling?"
                          
	"Not that bad, really."
                          
	"Are you still vomiting your existence up every morning?" Mike rolled onto his side, leaning his head on his hands. 
                          
	"The doctor lady said my symptoms would vary because I'm so small, so it really hasn't been bad." 
                          
	"We have another appointment next week, by the way."
                          
	Luke pouted out his bottom lip. "Mikey," he whined, "They're gonna stab me again."
                          
	Michael rolled on top of Luke, his legs between Luke's stretched out ones. He laid his heavy head on Luke's chest, his arms to the side of the younger boy. "You poor baby. Are you going to cry again?"
                          
	"Don't be a dick, it hurt."
 	"Luke, it was like half an ounce of blood." Michael chuckled, causing the blonde to wiggle beneath him. 
                          
	"It hurt."
                          
	"Baby," Mike teased.
                          
	"Dickwad."
                          
	"Princess," he dragged out the pet name. He put his chin up on Luke's chest, looking up at him. 
                          
	Luke looked up at the ceiling, a smile on his lips. "I love you."
                          
	Michael kissed the top of his collarbones before resting his head back on his lover.