All The Stars We See // muke

chapter fifteen

"You look particularly... happy, today. Why's that?" Luke heard and he shrugged as he looked up at his colleague, who seemed almost weary of him.

"You know, Mr. Hood, it is really none of your concern." He smiled as he handed him a notepad. "These are my lesson plans. Knock yourself out."

He heard a sound of surprise leave his mouth and Luke opened the door to the faculty refrigerator, peering in before grabbing a sandwich that definitely wasn't his. Was his lunch in there? No, of course not. Did he care? No, not when he already had a ham and cheese sandwich hanging from between his teeth.

"You're different today." Someone pointed out.

Luke rose an eyebrow at the man who's name he couldn't remember even if he cared enough to try. "Who are you again?"

"Alex? We've worked together for like... two years? I gave you your teaching credentials?" He told him and Luke nodded as he waved his hand.

"Were you the one who told me I had no potential or the one that said I was my father's lost pet?" He asked rhetorically before walking away. "See you around, professor Allen."

He walked out of the room and then found himself walking towards the engineers, who had the place barricaded down with tapes, metal doors, and everything that fell victim to Luke's all access pass and flexibility.

He wondered if they began experiments on the alien material of the ship, or if they were still working out power sources and translations. He assumed they were being careful of the once in a lifetime opportunity, but he wouldn't hold it against them to completely tear into it's working and main control system.

"Mr. Hemmings, you shouldn't be here." He heard an engineer and Luke rose an eyebrow at his full body hazmat suit.

"I shouldn't?" He asked as he walked the catwalk. "Why not?"

"The place is under quarantine for mysterious alien gases. Please don't go through that door. You risk all of out health." He told him and Luke peered out the window in the middle of the door to see scientists gathered around the vessel.

"Can I tell you something?" Luke asked and the man nodded. "Right now, I'm the happiest I've been in years."

"I'm h-happy to hear. Can you please step away from the door?"

"And I don't know what it is!" He chuckled as he looked at the sandwich in his hand. "I fell asleep on my couch with food all over me, but I wasn't mad."

"The door, Luke."

"Maybe it's because I didn't think I could ever enjoy wasting my time watching movies and eating junk food. I thought it was useless, but who knew?" He walked towards the man and then handed him the sandwich. "There's too much mayo in it."

"Sir, I -"

"- I have a class of freshmen to teach." Luke hummed as he fixed his jacket. "Who knows? Maybe they won't irritate me today."

Luke wouldn't tell anyone the real reason why he was in such a good mood, not that his confession was untrue. He did wake up on his couch with a strain in his spine and crumbs on his shirt, but he failed to mention Michael's body weight or head that was pressed against his chest and left side. He thought he'd hate having him on top of him, but to wake up to his purple hair scattered messily on his chest and his arms wrapped around his waist was almost like waking up completely energized. He didn't care if he had drool on his shirt or a kink in his arm from being bent through the night.

He ducked beneath yellow caution tape before grinning at passing students. "Good afternoon." He greeted before walking the familiar path to his classroom.