Michael
"Broccoli!" He shouted his pups name for the fifth time but after he was nowhere to be seen.
That only meant one thing.
Michael walked down the stairs to the vet clinic and saw the dog sleeping on his back next to the reception desk. Next to Luke.
"I guess you don't want to go on a walk, huh?" Michael said and surprised both of them.
Broccoli who of course didn't understand most of what Michael had said could understand and hear two words even in his deepest sleep.
Walk and food.
The dog freaked out. Started barking and jumping around his owner who had a leash in his hand.
Luke, on the other hand, didn't seem to understand anything and just looked at the older man confused.
"I'm sorry," Michael laughed. "I'll just never get over how happy he gets about the simple things in life."
Luke smiled widely and stretched his arms. "I get him. I'd kill for a walk right now."
"What are you doing?" Michael asked and make sure he didn't use his usual Luke voice. His - you broke my trust and never said you were sorry - voice.
"No clients means doing schoolwork or paperwork and both are boring to do on such a beautiful day."
"Come with us." He offered. "I'm sure dad won't mind."
"I can't." Luke pouted like he actually wanted to go. "If a client comes in..."
"A bell will ring and my dad will come. We'll be in the neighborhood so I'm sure it's okay. Right, dad?"
He said the last words louder because he knew like always doctor Clifford was eavesdropping. His favorite thing to do.
"Yeah! Go and get some fresh air. Bring me some donuts!"
Michael and Luke smiled at each other and Luke gave up. He stood up, got his jacket and followed behind him.
Luke
Luke was ecstatic.
Him. Michael. And Broccoli on a walk.
Together.
His every dream came true at one with one minor detail.
Michael didn't like him.
Another detail.
Luke knew his apology was a shitty one and that the older man had every right to still be mad at him over what happened. Even if it was over a year ago.
He had a billion different apologizes prepared but none of them as a response to Michael being nice to him.
And he'd say something, he really wanted to but Luke was only talkative when either drunk or really pissed off. On occasions like this one, he didn't know how to even start a conversation.
"Are we cool?"
Luke wanted to exhale as loudly as possible from the relief of Michael speaking up first.
"About what exactly?" He asked because Michael wasn't as clear as Luke wanted him to be.
The older man wasn't looking at him as they were speaking but he wasn't offended. He'd probably start to blush. Instead, he kept throwing the ball to Broccoli who always came back with it and waited for him to do it again.
"Everything I guess... Look I'm not good at being mad at people and while we can't change the past, I think we could try and be friends."
Luke didn't know what to say. The reason was he presumed Michael would still demand answers for the missing keys or the kiss.
His silence was understood as a no to Michael.
"But if you don't feel comfortable being friends with me, I understand."
"No, no. It's not that." Luke found his voice. "I just, I still didn't apologize to you. For everything."
"Please don't." This time Michael did look at him. Luke had never seen him like this, not confident or sure in himself.
"Michael I can talk to your dad, I have to do something to make things right."
"That's exactly what I don't want you to do, Luke. I and dad are finally close to fine and I don't want to bring the past back."
And that killed Luke. Knowing that something he did, even if it wasn't on purpose caused pain to the boy he wanted to always smile.
"Okay. But I suck at making friends."
That made Michael laugh. "I'm pretty good at it, so I'm sure we'll work something out."
Luke smiled widely. Like his jaw hurt and he was happy. Maybe being friends with Michael was the answer to the hole inside his chest. Not being with him romantically, he just needed to be around him.
Stay close to people who feel like sunshine, was ringing in his head because that's what he thought it felt being around Michael and he was proved right.
"Actually," Luke spoke up. "I didn't have the chance to ask Erin. How did you end up tutoring her?"
He really didn't because all Erin wanted to talk about was his love life.
Michael shrugged his shoulders. "I've been tutoring in different schools for a while. I didn't know she was your sisters."
"Obviously." Luke smiled. His sister was a different race, not that she couldn't be his biological sister but there was no way Michael could guess it.
"Then once I saw her last name on her notebook and I asked her. She's a really smart girl."
He nodded. "I just wish she would have come to me when she realized she had trouble with studying."
"Luke, I'm pretty sure she knows as well as I do that you don't have time."
"I'd make time for her. She's my sister."
Michael smiled an called his dog so they could turn around and go back. "You're a good brother."
A car drove by and the woman behind the wheel beeped at them. Michael waved after her.
"I presume she was saying hi to you." Luke didn't recognize the car.
"It's my neighbor. She throws wild parties, I always get drunk in record time because of her strong cocktails."
"So, you drunk kiss her too?" It was meant as a salty joke but by the way, Michael laughed Luke realized he was the only one hurt by it.
He felt angry at himself immediately after saying it.
"I'll invite you to the next party." Was all the older man said.
When they came back Luke had to go to work immediately and felt to void inside of him the moment, he didn't see his perfect smile.
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I wanted to apologize for this being a filler chapter but MICHAEL AND LUKE WENT ON A WALK WITH BROCCOLI.
Thoughts on this chapter?
Michael asking Luke to come on the walk with them?
Him wanting to be friends?
Luke feeling uwu around Michael?
↠ ↞
WE'RE NOT VOTING DIFFERENTLY THIS TIME!
We're picking up the title and some plots for this story!
STILL, MAKE SURE TO ↠ vote on this chapter ↠ leave feedback on this chapter
AND CHECK THE NEXT CHAPTER TO LET ME KNOW YOUR IDEAS.
Love, Lucija ♡