All The Stars We See // muke

chapter sixteen

"I apologize." Michael repeated for what felt like the millionth time as he took a deep breath and looked at Luke across from the table.

"I-I don't want to think about it." He murmured as he looked at his plate. His appetite was gone, but he still forced the pasta into his mouth and his jaw to chew. "Don't talk about it."

"I put you in danger -"

"- I said," he rose his voice a little louder, catching the attention of people around them. "- don't mention it right now."

"Okay." He whispered and Luke sighed as he stared at Michael, watching him slowly fork his vegetables into his mouth.

He hung his head low before nodding. "Okay, okay, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell at you. I just... I'm sorry, I am."

"I know." He replied. "You're frightened. I can see it."

Luke picked up glass of water up before taking a small drink. "This isn't how a normal... date goes. We don't yell at each other or feel guilty." He told him after he swallowed.

Michael seemed to like the change of conversation, and he nodded. "How does your courting rituals work?"

"The first one is usually awkward, and there's a lot of small talk about work, families, embarrassing moments to make the other laugh." He made a hand motion that not even he understood. "So uh, work?"

Michael copied him by grabbing his drink, obviously nervous and unsure of himself. "You know, I told you. I'm a soldier, born and raised for war and then groomed to take the throne."

"Did you ever get to go on dates?" Luke asked and Michael shifted in his seat.

"I never went on a-a date, no." He answered. "I never had time. I was training! My father never gave me a day off to be like the others."

"Your mother didn't tell him to ease off?" He gasped and Michael's eyebrows furrowed. "To let you be like others." He corrected.

Michael shrugged. "Women aren't allowed in war, so she stayed where it was safe with other other females and the too elderly. She didn't know. She doesn't even know if I'm alive."

Luke's heart ached. "You can't send letters?"

"Communication to their bunkers are dangerous. All ties are cut until the end of the war." He explained and Luke thought it was bullshit, but he could understand why it would be so dangerous.

Just like how contacting your, clearly out of this world's knowledge, home-planet on a, less than merciful, planet of strangers was dangerous, but - stop.

Luke mentally scolded himself.

"How did you start educating?" Michael asked and the blond snapped out of his daze as he cleared his throat.

"Oh, um, my father wants me to take over the school when he retires, so to take control I have to know how it functions." He told him while using his fork to stab at a piece of chicken. "Teaching is temporary. I might be working with engineers next year, or conducting experiments, or even working the shipping yard."

"You don't like it?"

"It's bareable." He offered and Michael nodded. "I don't necessarily like the idea but... but I have to. He doesn't have another kid to give it to."

"I seen a picture of you two in your room." Michael said as he set his fork down. "He doesn't look like you."

"I look more like my mother, but I can't really remember her well." Luke sighed as he ran a hand through his hair. "I get painful headaches when I try, so I just forget it all together."