the boss ➟ muke ✓

twenty eight

a/n ; same luke

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michael couldn't control his trembling body; it was like he was one of those mexican jumping beans that kids used to bring in to school for show-and-tell. he couldn't stop pacing back and forth in the dressing room, taking glances at his reflection, and getting nervous all over again. the suit he was wearing just added onto his anxiety, so he tried to keep his eyes off his reflection.

"michael, honey, be ready in ten!" jamie, brooks' mum, called out politely from outside the door. michael tried to calm down his increasing heartbeat and took a seat in the chair behind him, rubbing his temples and pulling out his phone to check his messages.

nothing from luke, just like usual.

"mikey, can i come in?" his best friend asked from outside, making michael inhale shakily before standing up on legs that felt like jelly and opening the door. calum stood outside dressed in his best suit, and he quickly entered the room and shut the tall door behind him.

"how're you holding up? excited?" calum asked, giving michael a wide smile. technically, he wasn't allowed in michael's dressing room, but this was his best friend we're talking about so michael didn't mind much. he gave calum a nervous grin, revealing the fact that his teeth were chattering.

"terrified, b-but that's a-an understatement," michael admitted, his green eyes closing briefly as he tried to gather himself together. brooks was probably already ready inside the chapel and michael was still in his dressing room scared as fuck.

"look, michael, if you're this nervous then maybe you're not marrying the right person," calum said softly, running some fingers through his dark hair before placing both hands on michael's shoulders, "have you heard anything from you-know-who?"

"n-nothing," michael stuttered, feeling as if he was about to burst into tears at the confession, "i-it's like h-he d-doesn't e-even love m-me like h-he told me..."

"michael, shh, calm down," calum said soothingly, rubbing circles into michael's shoulders, "i think ashton mentioned that he and luke drove here together. that means he's here, now... do you want to go talk to him? maybe he's just been too scared to talk to you all this time."

"n-no, i-i'll look pathetic," michael whispered, pulling calum in for a tight hug, "i-i guess i-i just h-have to f-face the fact th-that he d-doesn't love m-me like h-he used to. i-i'm marrying brooks."

"michael?" the sound of his mother's voice at the door made michael glance up from calum's embrace and quickly pull away. his mum came up to him and cupped his face in her hands, wiping away the tears that were threatening to fall down his smooth cheeks.

"remember, you can back out at any time," she reminded him, having to look up at him since michael had gotten taller than her the past few years. michael nodded and sniffled a little, trying to pull himself together as he pulled out of his mum's grip.

"i-i'm fine," michael insisted, "c-can you tell jamie th-that i'll b-be right out?" his mum nodded hesitantly before leaving the dressing room quietly, making sure to shut the door behind her. michael turned back to calum and gave him a despairing look.

"everything's gonna be okay, mike," calum assured, adjusting the collar on his suit, "whatever happens, happens. don't stress out over this so much, please. it's not really healthy to be so stressed out over something like this, yeah?"