Faker | Muke

Chapter Two

[Four years ago]

"Michael!" Luke squealed, flailing his arms around as he tried to escape the hold of his best friend. "Stop!"

"Never in a million years, Hemmings." Michael grinned. He pinched at Luke's sides a few more time before the blond went limp in his hold. "Do you give up yet?"

Luke let out a long sigh, turning around in Michael's hold. They were closer than before, making Luke's already flushed face even darker, but Michael didn't seem to notice or react the same way. "Giving up is letting you win. I can't let you win this war. You'll tell Ashton and Calum and they'll never let me forget." Luke pouted, shoving at Michael's arms for him to release him, but Michael wouldn't budge.

"You're just so small." Michael cooed. Not realizing what he said could affect Luke as much as it did. Luke wouldn't look him in the eye as he spoke. "They'd never believe that won. You always lose at tickle wars."

Luke wiggled away from Michael, a triumphant smile and fist pump to the air showed Michael he was proud of the small accomplishment. Something as small of escaping Michael's grip always excited Luke, even though Michael let him free, he'd never tell Luke that. Michael always wanted to see that smile on his face.

Luke changed the direction of the conversation, bringing up the one topic they've avoided talking about much lately. "We're starting our last first day of high school tomorrow. Are you excited?"

"Do you even know me? I've been waiting for this day since I was born."

"I do know this." Luke giggled. 

"I still can't believe our schedules are basically the same. Whoever put them together clearly doesn't know what happens when we're in the same room." Michael shook his head, a small smile gracing his lips. 

Luke around the small space of Michael's extremely messy room. The blond collapsed on the twin size bed and buried his face in Michael's pillow and patted the space next to him where Michael soon joined him, pulling him close to cuddle. 

Luke felt so confused around his best friend lately and he kept telling himself he was simply being hormonal about everything. You're not supposed to see people you're close to differently in such a short amount of time. They've been best friends for years and suddenly seeing Michael as this person he wants to spend the rest of his life with was not something to expect and it scared Luke. He wanted to avoid the topic and never bring it up to Michael. Luke didn't want to be laughed at for something he wasn't 100% sure about at the moment. He was going to avoid the situation at all costs.

That's how Luke ended up ignoring Michael for the first half of their senior year.

And that's how Michael thought his world was ending. Luke held him together and kept him at peace and suddenly he wasn't there anymore and his world started to slowly fall apart.

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"Hey did Luke tell you about the YouTube channel he started?" Ashton sat down next to brunet, a bowl of popcorn in one hand and the dvd remote in the other. 

Michael's hand froze over the bowl before he placed it back on his lap. "No. Why would he?"

"Are you two still not talking? Its been four months, just talk to him already."

Michael stared blankly at the TV screen in front of them. The movie not even catching his attention at the moment. Luke was the only thing on his mind anymore, not much has changed there. "No, he hates me now. He told me so at the beginning of the year. You and Cal were there. I don't get why you keep bringing it back up. Besides," Michael ran his fingers through his hair to fix his fringe. "You still talk to him regularly, why don't you ask him why he hates me so much?"