What Now ⇔ Muke ✓

[13] You're beautiful

double update bc why not

MICHAEL

I wake up to overwhelmingly bright sunlight and the sound of Luke's deep voice calling to me, somewhere in the near distance.

I sit up slightly, and open my eyes, revealing the colorful world in front of me. The fire Luke had prepared last night has disintegrated into ashes and dust, all warmth that had previously been exerted from the flames gone. The woods are alive though- birds calling to one another and a breeze drifting through the air, ruffling a few ferns and bushes beside me.

"Michael, wake up!" I hear Luke yell, his voice thick with excitement. My mouth stretches into a yawn before I stand up, rubbing my sore shoulders as I turn toward the direction of the blonde boy's voice. I smile to myself. I can't wrap my brain around the extreme happiness that waking up with someone else brings. It's so different than waking up on the cold white sheets of my bed at home, nothing but the blank walls to accompany me.

"I'm awake!" I say, only slighting raising my voice, knowing that the breeze will carry my words over to Luke. I see the boy standing fervently in the distance, practically posing beside a wall made of pure rock. I groan slightly and move away from the camp we had set up, walking carefully over the twigs and thorns. I will myself to wake up as I let the sunlight beat down on my pale skin, rubbing my eyes as I arrive in front of Luke and the, apparently very interesting, rock wall.

"Look." Luke says, pointing to the wall. So I look at it. I can't seem to figure out what's so special about it, stone climbing up the side of a mountain. I touch it, and it is cool under my skin. It is a generally insignificant rock wall, but Luke stares at it as though it is made of gold.

"And?" I say, and Luke's smile grows, his blue eyes widening as well as he returns his gaze back to the wall.

"And, don't you know what caves are made of?"

I feel my shoulders sag in realization, and I lift my hands to press my palms against the rock, feeling the rough texture of it. I let a smile overtake my face, and Luke follows me as I hurry down the path. Caves are made of rock! My bones tremble with exhilaration as we rush over sticks and dirt. Luke hurries beside me, occasionally falling slightly behind when he trips over his feet.

The rock trails along the walls of the mountains, and it doesn't take long until we come across small gapes in the rock wall. They are tiny, certainly not our cave, but it makes my heart pick up in speed. When I turn to Luke, his smile lights up the world, blue eyes boring into mine as he surveys the scenery in front of him. We communicate in an unknown language as we both dart forward, following the series of tiny caves until they get deeper and deeper.

The caves are cut off by a thick cluster of trees, and we rush into the forest-like area without one hesitation. By mind is driven by some uncontrollable desire to get to that cave, the one place I feel like I might be safe from the dangers and the devils of the world, dancing with the broken shadow of my former self as I live this hidden life with Luke. My vision is cute short as bright light from the sun blinds me, leading to the other side of the rock wall.

There, sitting like a cure to my endless number of problems, is the cave.

I know it's mine by the way a piece of the rock wall protrudes in the upper right corner and the way ivy wraps around the entry of the cave. Light penetrates the darkness that sits inside, revealing the empty space. It seems to go pretty far back, growing darker as it goes. I turn to look at Luke, who's beautiful ocean blue eyes are staring at the cave, his lips parted in awe. He feels my gaze on him and turns to look at me, his lips perking up into a smile.

"This is it." he says, and I nod happily, my mind a whirlpool of emotions.

"This is it." I repeat, my breathing quickening in my chest as Luke comes up to me, placing his hand on my back and urging us both forward. Grass crumples under our worn down converse as we step closer and closer to the cave, feeling the coolness spark goose bumps over our skin, so satisfyingly different from the exhausting heat of the woods.