Faker | Muke

Chapter Twenty

When Michael woke up the next morning he was startled when he saw Calum's body on the right side of the bed. Having been so used to waking up alone he forgot what it was like to hear the soft snores, the extra body heat under the covers, the extra sense of comfort filling the air from someone else. Michael missed waking up with Luke tucked under his arm, the way he'd nuzzle his nose in Michael's chest when he was starting to wake up or the way Luke would run his fingers down Michael's back letting the faux blond to relax his muscle early in the morning when they should be rushing to get ready, but they were too wrapped up in their own little world that only consisted of them they didn't care about anything else.

If Michael could have one last thing in this world, it would be the chance to hold Luke in his arms one last time. When Jennifer set this all upon Michael, he didn't have a chance to say goodbye. He had to leave and never turn back for the sake of his love for Luke and doing everything to keep the blond happy enough to fulfill his dream in music whether Michael was beside him for the journey or not.

Michael only wanted what was best for Luke.

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"You're Calum, right?" Troye asked, Calum nodded in response to the brunet. Troye sat two cups of coffee down in front of Michael and Calum and moved around the kitchen table to place himself down next to Michael. Troye wasn't sure why Calum was in the apartment after Michael had told him about his friends hating him, but they must've found a mutual agreement or decided to keep peace for everyone around them. "What brings you to our humble abode?"

"He knows," Michael mumbled, burying his face into his hands. Michael rubbed furiously at his face, cause his skin to turn an angry red. "He knows and I still feel like shit."

"He knows?" Troye asked, confused on what Michael meant for a moment before it finally clicked for him. "Oh! He knows about that."

"Yeah I know and I want to know why our jackass manager is doing this? It pisses me off, like would it truly be the end of the world if Luke and Michael were seen together? Most of the fans ship them anyway so if they were together no one would complain. The only people who would be complaining would be the homophobic people who don't even like our band." Calum grumbled, taking a sip of his coffee before speaking again. "Even then it doesn't make much sense because Jennifer set Michael up with you, Troye. In the end it doesn't have anything to do with Michael liking dick, like some would assume. Does she want the band to fall apart? Is that what she wants? Because our contract ends soon and we can hightail our asses out of there and go somewhere else if that's what it takes."

Michael sat quietly while he started to process Calum's words. He was right about a lot and maybe this was just another thing to add to his ever-growing list of things he was right about. It made sense, Jennifer wanting their band to crumble till there's nothing left of what they started back when fame wasn't what they wanted. They wanted to create music together as best friends and share it with people who could relate. They didn't want people controlling them and forcing them to do things that'll risk their careers, but that's what has been thrown at them and there's nothing they can do about it now.

"Is there a way to get out of it sooner?" Michael asked quietly, staring at his best friend with tears in his eyes. It was taking a toll on his emotionally and everything has been off balance with him since the day he told Luke they were done for. It all crumbled down to the floor and there wasn't enough time in the world to pick up the pieces without getting stomped on.

Calum shrugged, "I honestly don't know. We can find someone to talk to about this, but as far as I know, it would cost us a lot to get out. I know your mental health and Luke's in all of this is more important than anything else, but we're not exactly rich. We may have an album out and a sold out tour, but that's it. That doesn't automatically make us millionaires even if people think it does."

"I know, " Michael sighed sadly, pushing his chair away from the table and standing up and looking away from the two sat at the table. "I'm going to go call my mom. Stay as long as you'd like, Calum."

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"Hey mom," Michael sniffed, clutched the phone closer to his ear. It was nearing close to 2 o'clock in the morning in Sydney, but Michael needed to hear his mother's voice, needed her guidance, he needed to tell her what was going on, but he didn't know how that would go. She'd probably find a way to get to L.A. by tomorrow if Michael asked her to and he's really debating it. "I'm sorry it's so late... I just really needed to talk to you."

"Hold on, I'm going to step out into the living room so I don't disturb your dad..." Michael heard shuffling and the faint sound of a door closing. Suddenly he was homesick and he just wanted to babied and curled up in his childhood bed. "Okay, now what seems to be the problem?" Her voice was soft and comforting, it was everything Michael needed right now. 

"I screwed up really bad mom, I don't have a way to fix it either. It's killing me..." Michael sniffled, rubbing away at his snotty nose. Tears were threatening to spill over, but he didn't know how much longer he could hold them back. 

"What happened, honey? Is Luke there? I want to make sure you're being taken care of."

Michael choked on a sob threatening to escape, "Luke... We're not together anymore... I-I-I screwed up and I love him so much. I'm only doing this to protect him... You have to understand, please," Michael begged, tears now spilling freely down his flushed cheeks. "Please understand, I can't have you be upset with me too..."

"Michael, what happened? I can't understand what's going on unless you tell me, honey." Michael was so thankful for his mom at a time like this, but he knew her momma bear mode would be out any moment once he tells her about Jennifer.

"There was pictures of Luke and I that got leaked. We were drunk, so drunk and he doesn't remember any of it, but management called me in the next day and now here I am crying to you two weeks later because I'm so lost." Michael tried his best to explain through the broken sobs. "Jennifer–you probably remember her–is actually the worst human to ever live. It was either Luke or the band. Mom, she made me choose, and I-I chose the band, but only for Luke so he could continue his dream because I love him so much and he deserves everything good in this world."

"She made you do what?" Michael heard the shrill in her voice and it made him shrink back into the comfort of his bed. "Does anyone else know about this?"

"Only Calum... To stay in the band I had to break up with Luke, but in a way where it looked like I cheated on him so they gave me this fake boyfriend to protect the bands "image" because apparently dating a band member is bad for your reputation. It was so heartbreaking to break up with him and keep a straight face, I saw every part of his shattering and it passed on to me." Michael murmured, he wanted his mother to be proud of him and support him, but everything about this made him seem like a terrible person. "I'm just so sad, Mom. I want Luke to know, but if I tell him or anyone about this they'll fire me because they'll know I said something. It took a lot of convincing to tell from Calum for me to even say anything to him.."

"You're coming home. You need to be surrounded by family and a familiar atmosphere right now. Being on your own through this is not going to help."

Michael let a long breath, clutching one of his pillows close to his chest while he listened to his mother's demands knowing all too well she was right and being in L.A. around everything that's made his life go down hill wasn't what he needed. He needed his family and the comfort of his own home and lots of alone time to think if he was going to make it out alive.

"Okay, I'll catch the next flight out."

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this is so long and i've cried one too many time writing this chapter.

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