All The Stars We See // muke

chapter twenty-six

Michael had taken the leather jacket off, it's weight holding him back and restricting his movements while throwing fist after bone-shatteringly strong fist. Luke kind of wished he had kept it on though, because even as his wound was clearly closing with just passing seconds, he could see the smeared blood on both the grey t-shirt he had on and his exposed arm. It almost looked like he got shot in the arm with the finger sized holes in his skin.

He was weak, tired, and he could see it in his eyes as his father held a stolen gun from one of the knocked out officer's at their feet.

"What is your connection with this thing, Luke?" He snapped and Luke looked up at the man. "Why are you fighting for it?"

"His name is Michael." Luke snapped and he felt a hand on his arm. "No, his name is Michaela, and he means more than the world to me."

"You'd fight your own father for an alien?" He sneered and Luke threw an arm across Michael's chest.

"You are not my father, and he has a name." Luke corrected him as he clenched his jaw. "You raised me, but you are nothing a father should be."

"I took you in when everyone else paid you dust." The adult sneered. "I made you into the man you are today. I made you."

"I hate the man I am today!"

"You think I wanted some weak, pathetic kid handling the business I raised from the ground up?" He asked as he pulled the hammer back. "I made you the way you are so you can take over for me, so you have a future to look forward to. This could have been yours. This whole facility could have been your's and the people would have bowed to your feet if you asked."

Luke shook his head. "I don't want it."

His father laughed. "You had nothing, Luke. You had no one. I gave you a home, a family, a good education, a job, and so much more. I gave you everything you never had in that orphanage."

"You took me from my family and made me an adult at sixteen years old. I was supposed to have friends, relationships, and yet all I got was college courses and anxiety." Luke shouted at him and he felt Michael hold on to his side. "You never once treated me like a son. I was always just your good little second in command to wind up as you wished."

His father walked up to him and he felt Michael take a step back. "And I didn't suffer? I lost my wife, my son, and now you? You're leaving me too, after everything I did for you? You want to choose this-this alien over me?"

"Michael." Luke stressed and he stepped forward. "His name is Michael. Stop calling him that."

"I built my reputation from ash as the head of the best astronomical school, the head of the best education after Ivy League. You could have taken my spot, made me proud -"

"- You've never been proud of me." Luke shook his head as he felt tears build in his eyes. "I've never been good enough for you. And you think trying to put on shoes I could never fit will change your mind? You're setting yourself up for failure."

His father dropped his aim and stared at him with sad eyes. "You've always made me proud, Luke."

The blond snorted. "You've never showed it."

"I had to make you cold. I had to show you the rough paths because once you get through them everything else seems easy in comparison. I wanted this to be easy for you." He explained and Luke bit his lip. "You're my son, I wanted you to know the hardships while I can still help you."