Michael doesn't spend a lot of time on Luke. No one really spends a lot of time on Luke, he realizes. They used to, they used to coddle him and give him all the attention he could possibly need, because he was the baby. He was the youngest, and he liked to make sure everyone knew it.
Now though, they've all got their own problems. Ashton's dealing with all his sexuality shit, Calum's got all his gender shit, and Michael's trying to keep up with both. He's paying special attention to them, because they need it. Ashton needs to work through his problems, and Calum needs to be more comfortable with himself. He's been so caught up in trying to help them, he forgot about Luke. They all forgot about Luke.
Calum shrugs when Michael mentions their Luke neglect. "He's a big boy, he can take care of himself."
"Yeah," Ashton agrees. "Besides, we've been busy. We still talk to him, it's not like we've cut him out."
"You're too busy for Luke?" Michael cocks an eyebrow curiously. Ashton pauses, frowning a bit when he realizes what he's said.
"I didn't mean-"
"No, I get it," Michael cuts him off. The last thing he needs is for Ashton to get stressed and have an emotional breakdown, or something. He runs a hand through Ashton's hair and kisses his head, then shoves off the couch to go off in search of Luke. There's not a lot of places he could be, really, a bus isn't that big. The bunks are all empty, as is the bathroom. Ashton and Calum are the only ones in the front, which kind of startles Michael for a second.
"We didn't leave Luke somewhere, did we?" He calls.
"Oh for fucks-" Luke yells in frustration from somewhere, before there's a thud and a groan of pain. Michael traces the noise to the back of the bus, where there's a small couch and a couple cabinets (mostly to store the alcohol they're not meant to have). Luke's laying on the ground, wrapped tightly in a heavy blanket, with the side of his face set against the ground. He glances up when Michael slides the door open and sighs, but makes no move to get up.
"I was angry and I fell," he mutters.
"Off the couch?" Michael slides the door closed again and turns to give Luke an incredulous glance. Luke nods and juts his bottom lip out in a pout. "Lukey," Michael says in a high pitched voice, the same one he uses to talk to dogs. Luke pouts even more. "Lukey, put the shelf away, I haven't got any knickknacks."
Luke snorts at that, swiping his blanket covered hand up to cover his mouth. His eyes flutter shut and his eyebrows tilt, smoothing his forehead free of wrinkles. "Shut the fuck up, grandma."
Michael rolls his eyes and drops to his knees carefully, then crawls forward until he gets to Luke. He sits back and reaches over to brush the fringe off Luke's forehead, cooing softly until Luke hisses at him. Luke bares his teeth in an attempt to look vicious, but Michael figures he resembles a baby bear.
"Lukey," he repeats in the same silly voice.
"Shut up, you thought you left me somewhere!" Luke mumbles, huffing slightly while Michael tucks the loose hair behind his ear. Luke buries his face further into the blankets until he's almost lost, with just his bright blue eyes and forehead sticking out. Michael can tell he's still scowling by the lines etched into his forehead again and the downwards tilt of his eyebrows.
Michael sets his hand on the pile of blankets that's probably on the side of Luke's face and presses the pad of his thumb against his left eyebrow, smoothing it out carefully. "Come on, Luke, you were quiet. You're never quiet, of course we thought we left you somewhere."
Luke makes a muffled harumph noise and wiggles his eyebrows up and down so Michael can't touch them anymore. Michael snorts and rolls his eyes, then starts rubbing his thumb across Luke's forehead, instead. "I just- I like attention," Luke mutters, relaxing his eyebrows and fluttering his eyelashes shut. Michael sets about smoothing down the lines set into his forehead while he talks. "You guys don't give me attention."
"I know," Michael hums. "I'm sorry, I know we kind of forgot about you for a while. I'm busy with Ash-"
"You're always busy with Ash," Luke mutters, forehead scrunching again. He instantly flushes at that, practically radiating heat from inside the blanket.
Michael smirks and slips the duvet down to press his palms flat against Luke's warm cheeks. "Hemmings, are you jealous?"
"No," Luke huffs and tries to roll away, but Michael keeps him in place by his cheeks.
"You are!" Michael teases, pinching at his cheeks and grinning. Luke whines and darts his hand out to land a wild punch, but only manages to just his thigh lightly. "Lukey, there's no reason to be jealous! There's enough of me to go around!" Michael assures him.
"It's not just you!" Luke protests. "It's everyone- like I get that you guys are busy, but I still exist. Just because I'm not going through an existential crisis doesn't mean I don't."
Michael hums in agreement and slips the blanket down even more so it's tucked under Luke's chin. He has to let go of Luke's cheeks while he wiggles around and flips into his stomach, holding his face just above Luke's with his elbows. "Kiss?" He asks gently.
Luke considers it, before turning his head forcefully and mumbling, "No, I don't like you."
"Luke," Michael whines, dragging his name out, just to annoy him. Luke huffs and opens his eyes again, mainly to fix Michael with a glare. He bats out with a blanket covered hand and catches Michael's nose, making his groan in pain.
"Oh, whoops," Luke's blanket paw comes out again to rest gently on his nose. "Sorry, I forgot you broke it."
"Me?" Michael scoffs. "I didn't break my own nose!" Luke rolls his eyes and starts rubbing little circles over Michael's nose with his first finger through the blanket.
After a few seconds, Michael presses his luck and smiles. "Kiss?"
"No, leave me alone," Luke scowls, ripping his hand away and letting it disappear back into the mound of blankets.
"You were just asking me for attention five minutes ago!" Michael points out. His nose hurts.
"Well, now I don't want it," Luke mutters petulantly. Before Michael can respond, the door flings open, clattering wildly while Calum practically rips it off its track. He trips his way into the room and slams the door back into place just as loudly, before turning around to face Michael and Luke.
"Hiya!" He says happily. Luke scowls at him, while Michael just rolls his eyes. "Ashton fell asleep, so I need someone to entertain me. He didn't even, like, fall asleep on me so I could take a cute boyfriends selfie, it was very rude."
Michael wants to make a snarky comment about how it's almost like Ashton is a fully functioning human being who needs sleep to live. Before he can even open his mouth, Luke tucks the blanket under his chin with his blanket paw and hums. "Is that what you are? Boyfriends?"
Calum shrugs. "I mean, I guess. Partners is a nice, gender neutral term, isn't it?" Luke nods in agreement. "Well, I guess we're partners."
"Just you and Ash?" Michael raises an eyebrow skeptically. Calum scoffs and walks over, standing right in between Michael and Luke before plopping himself down in Michael's lap unceremoniously. Michael groans in pain, but brings his hands up and grabs Calum's waist to steady him.
"No, you knob," Calum twists and wiggles until he situated himself sideways, with his legs hanging over Michael's thigh and his bicep brushing against Michael's chest. "All of us, we're all- you know! Partners!"
He's just so excited about the announcement, Michael can't help but smile. "Kiss?"
Calum agrees easily and clambers forward to press their mouths together. Luke whines at being forgotten again, so Calum leans down to give him a kiss, too.
"I'd kiss you, Lukey, but you said you didn't like me before," Michael hums. Luke's bottom lip juts out immediately, and Calum coos at him.
"Don't be mean," Calum scolds, wriggling around again so his back is pressed to Michael's chest. "Little Lukey is your official partner, so you have to kiss them." Luke gets a pleased look on his face when he notices Calum's changed his pronouns up. Michael usually tends to use he pronouns with Luke, but he'd stop in a second if Luke asked.
Michael makes a big show about grumbling and mumbling in annoyance, but he leans around Calum and ducks down to give Luke a kiss. Calum seems thrilled.
"We're so goals," he says softly.
"Goals as fuck," Luke agrees, ducking back under his blankets to hide his smile. Calum lunges forward to try to tickle him out again and Michael smiles fondly.
((Question: (I can't remember if we've had this one or not yet) who's your fav and why??
Answer: Michael could grow to be eight feet tall and I'd still call him my little cinnamon bunny baby because he's just so soft and precious and woke I love him omg *\(^o^)/*
-Mel))