two +
Michael placed the pasta and hot dogs on the table, reaching over Joey to cut the meat for her into tinier pieces. "I'm twelve, I can do this myself," she nudged Michael out of the way.
"Don't be mean, he made you food," Calum shot back at her, sitting down at the head of the table. "If it were up to me, you'd be eating frozen food with juice boxes."
"I would be so okay with that," Juli said, "I love your food, too, Mikey."
He sat down at the opposite end of the table, giving the two girls and Calum a bright smile. "Where's June?"
"Refusing to come downstairs," Calum responded. Michael could hear the slight tone of anger underneath the words he spoke.
"Did she have a bad day at school?" He asked, concerned for the littlest of the Hood family.
"You know her," he sighed. The younger man swallowed a forkful of the hot meal before continuing. "Every day seems to be a bad day."
Michael knew that Calum loved his three girls endlessly. They had a tight bond, even if Calum grew annoyed with them most of the time.
Mike pushed out his chair, wiping a napkin as his mouth. "Let me go talk to her."
"She won't talk to you, Mike, she barely talks to me."
He walked away from the table. "Just let me try." Michael walked up the stairs, taking the steps two at a time.
He was already in sweats and a sweater even though it was barely five o'clock. He had tendencies to leave clothes over at Calum's house due to pure laziness. Michael spent most of his days (and nights) over at the Hoods anyways.
Michael turned right at the stairs, going to June's bedroom. The door was cracked open, letting the hallway light in. June was scared of the dark.
"Sweetie, can I come in?" Mike didn't dare step into June's personal space. He didn't want her feeling like he was taking away the only thing she really had—her own space.
A small figure appeared in the shadows, opening the door wider and letting the older man in. She went back to her unmade bed, sitting between the layers of sheets and her pillow.
Michael looked around the room, books were strewn on the floor, paper and pens were in a mess on her desk. Clothes were piled around the open closet doors, her mirror was smudged and in need of cleaning.
He took a seat on the edge of her bed, giving her most of the room on the twin sized mattress. "Just wanted to come up and make sure you were okay," he said quietly.
She was like a baby deer and he didn't want to spook her.
June nodded, looking everywhere except at Michael.
"I used to know someone a lot like you." Michael put his feet underneath his own body, curling himself closer to the violet walls. "His name was Luke." This name meant nothing to the six-year-old, but everything to Michael.
"Where is he?" She asked. Those three words were most likely in the first dozen words she ever spoke to Michael. June didn't speak much.
"Well, Luke grew up and he got more comfortable in his life. He was able to go out and talk to people and make friends. He lives in a really big city with his own family now."
June looked back at the wall opposite of Michael, not willing to look at the calming man.
"When I first met him, he didn't talk at all. If you didn't look him in the eyes and spoke directly at him, then he didn't say a word. He was scared of talking, he was scared of school, he was scared of leaving the house the first few months I knew him."
"What happened?"
"I let him know that it was okay to be scared. Being scared is just part of life. We've all gotta live it, though." Michael's voice stayed quiet as he spoke the words June needed to hear. Michael didn't want her to continue her childhood being scared of her own family.
"Are you scared?"
"I'm scared of a lot of things. I'm scared when you're up here all alone. I don't like when you take yourself out like this. I like it when you're happy."
June looked up at Michael, the dark shadows on her face made it hard to see her strong features. She looked down at her lap and shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know."
"Let's go downstairs, yeah?" Michael stood up slowly and reached out his hand, letting her smaller hand wrap around his fingers.
He led her down the stairs and to the dining room table. They tried not to make a big deal out of how amazing Michael truly was. Calum wasn't sure how he ever survived without the oversized kitten sitting across from him, giving him cocky smiles.
Hours later, deep in the city of New York, Matty had his hands underneath Luke's shirt, his hands rubbing over his chest. Luke closed his eyes, opening his legs more to let Matty in between the space.
The curly-haired lover leant down, leaving a kiss on Luke's chin, then the corner of his mouth, then the tip of his nose. His warm touch traveled down, Luke letting out a breathy groan.
Matty shushed him, reminding him that their child is a thin, plaster wall away. His lips headed down, leaving wet kisses on his warm skin. He reached his hips, biting down to leave bruises in the shape of his lips.
"So good to me," Luke sighed, his hands reaching down to guide his husband where he wanted him most.
Matty's hand was under the waist band of Luke's boxers when a wailing came from the room over. It was as if Nolan wanted to ruin the few hours Luke and Matty actually had together. Which wasn't much of a surprise—this is how it usually went.
"Just let him cry, he'll go back to sleep," Matty whispered. He locked his elbows, his back broad as he looked up at Luke.
"I can't do that, I'll start to cry, too."
Matty rolled over with a sigh, grabbing their grey sheets and pulling them closer to his bare body. "Okay, Mama Luke, go get the baby." He gave his husband a smile, watching him get up from bed and round the corner to the second bedroom.
Luke went into Nolan's room, keeping the bedroom light off in hopes he'd go back to sleep. He picked up their baby—his cheeks red and puffy. Luke and Nolan went over to the rocking chair by the window, Luke trying to calm him down.
He kissed the baby's forehead, shushing him softly and rocking him slowly. "Your daddy and I really wanna go to bed, can you please quiet down?" He whispered, "Just for, like, two hours. That's all I'm asking."
He knew the baby couldn't respond yet, but it was still worth trying.
"Daddy has a flight in four hours, so we'll both be up with you then. Sleep for now, okay?" Luke looked at their baby boy, his dark hair in his face. He had Luke's nose, a point to the tip. He was usually so happy and full of life, but at night he was the opposite.
Their baby didn't want to sleep, and he didn't want his fathers to sleep, either.
Slowly, though, the one-year-old fell into a rhythm, his eyes closed, his breathing slow. Luke carefully lifted him up, slowly putting him back in his push crib.
Nolan was Luke's miracle, he was Luke's happiness and sunshine. His love for Matty and Nolan grew every day.
Luke walked back to their own bedroom, finding Matty already curled into the sheets, his phone screen lit up. "You come here often?" Matty jokingly asked as Luke crawled back to bed.
"I believe I was promised a blow job."
Matty locked his phone, tossing it to the ground. He rolled on top of his husband, like the soft laughter falling form his throat.
Michael kissed Calum quickly before leaning down to grab his bag and jacket. "I'll see you bright in early at 7:30," he whispered from the foyer, hoping not to wake any of the girls.
Calum pulled at his sleeves, leaning in to kiss him once more. "I love you," he stated proudly.
Mike smiled. He hasn't heard those words in over a decade—unless it was coming from his mother. "Yeah?" He pecked Calum's plump lips once more. "I love you more." He turned around, opening the front door and going into the night.
He turned around once more, knowing Calum was watching to make sure he got across the street safely.
Mike looked down at his phone, refreshing his email page.
From / Luke Healy
Hey, it's been a while.
Are you doing well?
Michael almost dropped his phone into the sewer drains—another thing June was afraid of—as he read through the message. He tripped over the curb, but caught himself in time.
I'm still in New York, working for the record company Matty was signed to a few years back. My main priority is Nolan, though. I hope you can meet him soon.
Michael opened up his front door, making sure it locked behind him. He dropped his bag and jacket at the floor as he headed up the stairs, his eyes still trained on his bright screen.
Mike sat down on his bed, a weird feeling in his chest made him feel as though he was about to pass out. He wasn't sure if he was ever going to hear from Luke after missing his wedding and baby shower and everything else Luke tried to add him to.
Michael collapsed onto his bed, closing his eyes tight. "Fuck," he swore to himself.