High | Muke

One

Luke heard the creaking of the bathroom door as he turned off the shower. He could hear Michael turn on the faucet, wetting his toothbrush and popping the toothpaste open. The silence between them was heavy, it was as if Michael didn't even know Luke was in there with him. He had simply chosen to ignore it. Luke pulled the towel that hung over the glass door of their shower, drying off his legs and torso. He ran the towel through his hair as he stepped out of the box, his eyes meeting Michael's briefly through the slightly steamy mirror before he looked away.

"You going to work today?" Luke asked, his voice small as he fished out his lotion from the bathroom counter.

"Got some important tenders coming in today. Why else would I be up at six in the morning on a Saturday?" Luke shrugged as he rubbed his coconut scented lotion over his legs. He knew Michael hated it when he took his time with his morning routine, but he had made no comment about it yet. "We're running low on toilet paper."

"I know." Luke mumbled, followed by a sigh. "I'm stopping by at IGA before heading to the gallery."

Michael watched as Luke propped his leg on the closed toilet seat, leaning forward to spread the Victoria's Secret lotion down his calves. It had been ten years, but Michael was always taken aback by how breathtakingly beautiful Luke was. He had always been skinny yet with prominent muscles in his back that Michael loved admiring when Luke was on all fours for him. Michael loved Luke's hair once he got out of the shower, dripping wet and stuck to his forehead, and how his hands would graze up his legs so delicately every morning as he did the same routine. Routine. That was what they had fallen into. It seemed to Michael that the more they fell into that routine, the more he fell out of love with Luke.

"Is that all you're doing today?" Michael asked hesitantly, forcing himself to look away from Luke. They had been so distant lately, he was afraid of even reaching out for the blond man.

"Mhm." Luke hummed in response, wrapping the towel around his waist and heading out of the bathroom.

Michael sighed as he ran a hand through his hair, the trace of coconut scent that always radiated off Luke lingering in the large bathroom. Michael felt like crying; he had no idea where his relationship with Luke was going and all he wanted was answers. With every day that passed since it happened, the two men had only grown further apart, the space between them on the bed increasing with every single night. He shook his head, trying to think of something else, anything else, like the tenders coming in. That would determine what happened next in Michael's career in the oil industry. He had waited years for the promotion and he could feel it was right around the corner.

By the time Michael came out of the shower and dressed himself up in his suit, he could smell the bacon being cooked downstairs. He took his time as he walked down the stairs, thinking back to the day Luke and him first came into the house for a visit. Luke had loved the stairs so much, it made Michael laugh when the (back then) twenty three year old squealed in excitement, tugging at Michael's sleeve to look at the beautiful light wood steps. They were so happy back then, only three years prior. Now, at twenty seven, Michael couldn't imagine Luke getting excited about anything like he did on that day. It was like the life had been drained from his partner.

"I'm going to need you to run by the store and pick up some more plates." Luke spoke as he brought a full plate to Michael. He sat down at the table, looking down at the eggs, bacon and toasts Luke had set for him. There was a time the blond boy would've placed everything in a way that turned the toast into a smiley face; eggs as its eyes and bacon as its smile. Now they were simply sitting there, randomly tossed onto his plate.

"Why can't you do it?" Michael asked, taking a bite off his toast. Even without the cute smiley faces, Luke was still an outstanding cook. Michael couldn't imagine starting one of his mornings without Luke's food. "I don't know how soon I'll be out of the office."

"Michael, please." Luke sighed, rubbing his forehead. "All I'm asking is for one thing, Pottery Barn is right next to the office, I don't have time to go there and we've only got two plates left."

"You work in Perth City too." Michael remarked, raising his eyebrows at his partner. "You're an artist, you don't work by the clock. Just leave the gallery for twenty minutes and get your plates."

Luke let out a huff, dropping the pan he had used to make Michael's breakfast into the sink dramatically. The sudden din of metal against metal made Michael jump, his eyes following his boyfriend as he exited the kitchen. Michael's eyes trailed down Luke's body, smiling softly as he recognised the jeans he was wearing. He owned those jeans for years now, Michael remembering spending hours with Luke at Levi's trying to find the perfect pair of jeans on their first trip to Melbourne. That had been eight years prior when Luke was freshly out of high school, Michael taking him for their first ever romantic trip he had been saving up for since the beginning of that year. He had been planning on spoiling Luke until he ran out of the money he had earned working at the record shop. That was exactly what he had done.

"I'll get the plates." Michael mumbled, taking his now empty plate and placing it in the dishwasher. He knew Luke would have his head on a stick if he left it in the sink.

Just as he took his briefcase from the couch in their living room, he could hear the sound of Luke's steps down the stairs. He turned around, his boyfriend standing there in his black jeans, a baby blue sweater and black Converse. Michael loved how Luke was now bearing his twenty seventh birthday, yet he still dressed as he did when he was seventeen. But the youth had been drained from his face since what happened and it pained Michael.

There were a million things he loved about Luke, but he didn't know if he loved Luke himself.

~~~

this is one of my favourite stories i've ever written. i hope you love it too :-)