Faker | Muke

Chapter Nine

[Three Years ago]

"Michael!" Luke whined pitifully, jutting out his bottom lip as his bottom rested on the cold icy floor of the skating rink. "Laughing your ass off is not helping this situation mister."

Michael has seen Luke fall at least seven times and they just started skating not even ten minutes ago. It was hilarious to the older of the two. When he asked Luke on their very first date he wasn't sure where would be the best destination, but when he remembered the ice rink downtown with the small carnival that's just across the street for when they are done with the ice, it sounded like the best idea for the most cliche date he could think of. The only problem was Michael didn't think to ask Luke if he even knew how to ice skate beforehand.

"The things I do for you Hemmings." Michael laughed, shaking his head at the smaller blond boy still sitting spread out on the ice below. Offering Luke both his hands which he took almost instantly, Michael hauled Luke up into a standing position right in front of him. "Now don't let go."

Luke smiled sheepishly at their position. "Didn't plan on it."

Michael gripped Luke's hands and started to slowly skate backwards with a stumbling blond boy attached to him. Even with the extra help Luke couldn't find it in himself to stand up straight or move as effortless as his best friend in front of him. Huffing, Luke attempted to move his feet against the ice once again, but sadly his legs gave out and he went tumbling down. But not before Michael managed to wrap his arms around Luke's waist, holding him flush against his chest.

"Are you okay?" Michael asked worriedly this time around. Luke looked absolutely terrified that he almost face planted the ground. Nodding, Luke swallowed down the fear rising up his throat before looking at Michael's face and truly seeing how worried he was for Luke's wellbeing.

"Would it be terrible of me to suggest we leave the ice rink so soon?" Luke breathed. His face a few mere inches away from Michael's. Luke could see Michael's features soften as he spoke. He was already so whipped for the blond boy.

"The carnival is beckoning for us. And all those stuffed penguin waiting to be won by yours truly for yours truly."

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"You're telling me that it's impossible to win that huge ass penguin stuffed animal?" Michael rose an eyebrow, staring Luke down while waiting for the blond to give him an answer. Luke has been going on about how Michael could never win it and Michael is determined to prove him wrong.

"That's what I said." Luke challenged.

"What if I win it? What do I get from you?"

Luke blushed, thousands of possibilities running through his mind but one stuck out the most. It was something he was determined to receive from Michael tonight. It was their first together after all. "Uh, you could kiss me...? or something totally not that, like, I don't want to make you kiss me. That would be rude. But, you could? if you wanted... Yeah..."

"Shut up, Luke." Michael flashed him a smile, grabbing one of the baseballs sitting on the table in front of him. "I'm going to win that penguin for you and in return I'll give you a night you'll never forget." Michael winked at the flustered blond. The older woman running the booth watched the two with amusement.

Tossing the baseball lightly in the air , Michael looked toward his target. Six aluminum cans sat stacked into a pyramid. Winding his arm and throwing the ball with as much force as he could muster, Michael knocked them all down with one throw. He shocked himself with the outcome, but he couldn't help but feel smug. Luke stood towards the side with a gaping expression. "I told I could do it, Hemmings."

The older woman thanked him for participating before she handed off a penguin to a blushing Luke. It practically swallowed up his smaller frame.

"This is as big as me." Luke giggled, holding the stuffed penguin closer to him. "Thank you."

Michael smiled softly at the blond. Years of being hopelessly in love with his best friend and going through everything together over the years to get to this very moment was worth it. "Anything for you. Now, do you think this will fit on the ferris wheel with us?"

Luke shook his head no in response. The penguin was much too big and he definitely didn't want a stuffed penguin to be the third wheel.

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"Sydney is a lot prettier from up here." Luke mumbled, looking up at the night sky and the cityscape etched across the skyline. It was absolutely breathtaking and Luke had never experienced anything like it before. Michael wanted to agree with his words but he wasn't even looking the same way Luke was. His gaze was locked on the beautiful boy sat beside him.

Michael took in everything. The slop of his nose, the slight plumpness of his cheeks, the light freckles on the tip of his nose, the way his eyes glistened in the moonlight. Michael wanted to soak in every inch of Luke's features, but there wasn't enough time in the world to do so. Every day Luke seemed to grow taller and broader, looking more like his older brothers. Michael wasn't ready to accept the fact that one day Luke would no longer be the little spoon, where Michael could wrap his whole body around him and protect him from the world.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Luke turned to look Michael in the eyes before he not so subtly glanced at Michael's plump red lips.

"Like what?"

"Like I'm the only thing that matters... There's a whole city out there to be admired from up and here and you haven't glanced at it once."

Michael smiled a toothy grin, placing his hand ever so gently against Luke's cheek. "You are the only thing that matters." Michael moved his hand from his cheek to the nape of Luke's neck and pulled him close, ending the night with a kiss neither of them will want to forget.

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so much fluff I'm in heaven.

Sorry this took longer than usual I just could find the right way to put this chapter. But all thanks to malumdictionary for the idea for where they'd go on their date.😌

Let me know your thoughts and if you like the balance between the past and the present to show you the different side of things and why Michael is having such a hard time with everything.

and hopefully ill see you sooner than later on the next chapter. Thanks for reading cuties!