Luke ran to Michael when he came through the door.
It was 11 p.m. when Michael returned home from work. He has had to work so much over time lately, but it will all be worth it when he gets that check at the end of the month.
"Michael! I missed you all day! How was work?" Luke asked excitedly, holding onto Michael.
"Exhausting. Is it okay if I go on up to bed? I've worked non stop for fourteen hours." Michael said, running his hand through Luke's pretty hair.
"Wanna come watch a movie with me?" Luke asked.
"Maybe this weekend, okay?" Michael asked, so Luke nodded. He placed a kiss on Luke's forehead, and proceeded to walk up the stairs.
Michael smiled when he saw his bed filled with stuffed animals. 'Friends' was still playing on the tv, and an unfinished game of solitaire was spread out on the bed.
His smile faded a little bit when he realized how lonely Luke was.
He walked out of the room, and quietly walked down the stairs when he heard little sniffles coming from the kitchen.
"Hey, lets go to bed, okay?" Michael whispered, and Luke wiped his eyes.
He didn't even have to ask Luke what was wrong because he already knew. He got to see Luke for about 30 minutes everyday. He got home around 11, and left around 7. Luke always tried to wake up really early to see Michael before he left, but it wasn't for very long at all.
Luke walked towards Michael, and the older boy hugged him tight before he could walk past him.
"It's not always going to be like this." Michael whispered.
"I know. I just hate to be by myself." Luke mumbled.
"Everything's going to be okay."
Michael sighed as Luke ran up the stairs.
"Luke, baby. Talk to me." Michael said, chasing after him.
Luke jumped onto the bed and held onto his big teddy bear. He ran to it for comforting because recently that's been the only thing there to hold him.
"I'm here now, Luke. Talk to me." Michael said, devastated that Luke had to feel this way.
"I did something, Michael. Something you're not gonna like." Luke cried, not showing Michael his face.
"What did you do, baby?" Michael asked.
Michael sat on the bed very gently, and ran his hand up and down Luke's back. He was so fragile.
Luke crawled onto Michael's lap, and looked at his face.
Luke grabbed Michael's hand, and led it to his thigh.
Michael felt through the thin material of Luke's leggings and felt little texturized stripes. He knew exactly what Luke had done.
Luke would never cut his wrists. He doesn't want people to see, but a long time ago when Luke was really hurting, he would mutilate his thighs, and nobody would ever notice.
"You are always gone. I felt like I wasn't important to you, and I felt like I wasn't even here anymore- like you couldn't see me or something. I was reminded that I was alive every time I cut, and I was reminded you were just choosing to not be here with me." Luke whispered, and Michael wiped his eyes.
The older boy ran his thumb over the cuts through Luke's leggings, and let his own tears fall out of his eyes.
Michael laid his head on Luke's shoulder, and just cried.
"Luke, I'm so sorry." Michael whispered, squeezing Luke's hip. "I never wanted you to feel like this again."
"I hate being alone." Luke whispered, also laying his head down on the other boys shoulder. "You have no idea how much I need you here. If you leave me one day, I'll have to figure out how to do it myself, but while you're here with me, while you're still mine, please don't leave me by myself."
Michael held Luke's face.
"I'm so in love with you Luke, and I hate that you did this. I hate that I made you do this-"
"You did not make me do anything, Michael. You did not hold the razor to my leg. You were working extra, for us, for me, and along the way I just got a little too sad. You did not make me do this." Luke whispered, also holding onto Michael's face.
"You're just so precious, Luke. I don't want you to hurt yourself like this anymore." Michael mumbled, kissing Luke's lips quickly. "I'm going to be here for you. I still have to work, of course, but I am going to call, and come home during my break, and come home on regular time, and I am going to hold you so tight and tell you I love you every single night because that is what you deserve."