Our Place || Muke ✔️

29

The much loved campus of their California college gradually disappeared in the distance as Luke and Michael boarded a plane bound for Colorado. It was finally time to leave. School work was out of sight, out of mind. The sky outside was painted with hues of orange and pink, a serene backdrop to the turmoil brewing in Luke's heart. Sitting side by side, the tension was insane and Michael was trying to keep his cool as much as Luke was.

Luke couldn't shake the dread that had taken hold of him. He had never been more afraid of a family visit in his life. He gazed out of the airplane window, his thoughts a whirlwind of anxiety and his jaw and palms clenched. The black-haired boy, attuned to Luke's unease, reached for his hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "You okay?" he whispered.

Luke turned to Michael, his eyes clouded with worry. "I'm just... I'm not ready to tell them yet, Michael." He admitted pathetically.

Michael, with a gentle smile, understood the weight of Luke's words. He nodded, offering the support that had become the bedrock of their relationship. "We'll do it when you're ready, Luke. No rush. Honestly."

"I just want to be honest with everyone about what's going on but I can just hear my dads voice right now. He's going to kick up a fuss about this whole thing." Luke continued.

Michael frowned. "He's not like, homophobic. Is he?" He asked hesitantly.

"I don't think so. We've never really talked about that kind of stuff before." Luke murmured, leaning in a little closer to Michael.

"Ah." Michael simply uttered.

Luke knew Michael was probably nervous too so the pair held hands for the duration of the entire flight. The plane eventually touched down in Colorado and the two disembarked, facing the unknown together. Luke couldn't help but feel the tension building within him as they made their way to the family home in an uber. Michael's eyes watched the meter and the higher the price went, the more he realised just how loaded Luke was.

"Jesus. How expensive is this trip going to be?" Michael muttered, eyeing the meter.

Luke did a double take. "Oh, don't worry about it. It's nothing." He said dismissively.

Michael threw him a look. "Dude. Seriously? This is expensive as hell."

Luke shrugged. "Technically my dads paying for it so we don't need to worry." He said to Michael, as if it was the most normal thing in the world. When Michael didn't reply, Luke laughed lightly and placed his hand on Michael's thigh. "Don't worry. My dad organised some moving company to drive my car down here so it should be here in a few days. Then we don't have to uber anywhere."

"Seriously?" Michael asked in surprise. "Somebody's just going to bring your Porsche here for you?"

"Yeah?" Luke replied hesitantly.

"And you think that's normal?" Michael asked with squinted eyes.

Luke bellowed out a laugh. "Probably not but it's best not to argue with my father. Trust me."

Eventually, the uber came to a stop. Luke's home was a magnificent estate nestled in the heart of the Rockies, a far cry from the humble origins Michael was accustomed to back home in England. As they approached the very large black front door, Luke's heart raced in his chest. They both dropped their bags on the floor and turned to each other. "You ready for this?" Michael asked with a raised eyebrow.

Luke shrugged. "As ready as i'll ever be. I'm sorry in advance it this doesn't go how we planned."

"I'm sure it'll be fine." Michael smiled. He knew he had to conceal their true relationship for now.