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it started with small headaches, like ink bleeding on paper, small dots and mindless scribbles that ran along the sides. but then it grew, like a half empty cup of water was spilled onto the pages, spreading rapidly and painfully.
michael didnt want to stress over it, maybe it was too much stress that caused it, or maybe he had just caught a cold. it was fine, though he didn't feel fine, his head felt like it was splitting open, mind fuzzy, and lungs drowning in ice cold water that left him gasping for air and expelling out whatever he ate the night before into the porcelaine toilet bowl infront of him.
michael whimpered, his throat burning like blood was already spewing out of his mouth. he didn't feel the thick red liquid clogging his lungs yet, but he could feel the metallic taste lingering, biting his tongue, almost teasing him. the door of their bathroom was left unlocked, and michael could see a mess of golden curls and one of luke's arm dangling out from under the blankets. the only light that reached his eyes was the blinking alarm clock sitting on the wooden plank of their bed. in two hours, the sun would coruscate against every glass window, invading their homes without asking, waking the town up and letting them continue on with their arduous and incessant life. michael was yet to sleep, obvious by the purple vines running over his eyelids that slid close every few minutes, his breathing slowing down before he jolts awake.
four am.
michael sighed, letting his forehead rest at the edge of the bathtub, dried tears already streaking his face as his hands tugged his pyjama pants, running up his legs and onto his wrists, pinching the skin there and forcing himself to stop crying. the porcelain was cold on his bare skin, and he wanted nothing more than to smash his head into it over and over again. the cold of the room had already been nipping at his skin, and michael was drained of every ounce of life that threaded his eyes only days ago. he couldn't do anything but watch it slip away, as he spent most of his time sprawled on top of luke's lap, tears threatening to spill from the creases of his eyes while luke's hands held him, tracing his face gently and kissing the pain away.
michael can no longer taste luke's lips on his, the harsh mint of his chewing gum invading his mouth, or the soft lingering reminiscence of his morning coffee. there was no more time spent between the two of them, even though michael tried to go on walks, or sit through an entire movie, or just stay up and talk and make luke happy, he couldn't. he was just too tired, and it didn't take too long for sleep to take him under his wings, soft yawns escaping his lips.
maybe something was wrong, but it was easier to believe that it wasnt. he probably just needed to change his diet, or sleep at proper times. it'll be fine once these headaches had lived up their time, and everything will be back to normal.
he didn't want luke to worry, but even if he kept his mouth wired shut and blindfolded those ocean eyes, luke could feel the shift. the boy knew michael better than he knew himself, and everytime luke's eyes met his, he could already see the worry flooding his eyes, and the blue of his eyes that left the red head mesmerized was swarming in the rest of his veins.
maybe it was sadness when he knew that michael was in pain everytime a whimper slipped out, or perharps he was just shouldering michael's frustrations in silence. they didn't talk much anymore, the silence was more healing on the strenuous pain thrumming in his head.
perhaps.
five am.
the bed that michael's eyes swept over every few seconds felt more inviting than the cold tiles of the bathroom floor, and the plastic digging into his back. luke's arms were calling him home, so with a groan, he stood up, clutching the metal bars over his head, before letting his conscious lead the way to the bed, already half asleep and the flushing of water ringing in his ears before everything ceased into darkness.
the beeping of the alarm clock never came. six am. luke somehow knew that michael would stay awake all night without him, and had switched off the exasperating ringing, and opted to stay in bed and hold the boy that lay tangled in his arms. his skin was cold, and michael leaned in towards the warmth of luke's touch almost immediately. luke smiled softly, letting the small boy cling onto his bare skin, before nuzzling in his face inbetween his chin and the dips of his shoulders. luke's hands slowly crept up into the dark threads of michael's hair, brushing it back and offering the boy comfort in his sleep. time slipped by incredibly slow, and luke didn't move incase he woke the boy up, staying wide awake and counting every breath that escaped his lips with the rise of his chest, indicating that his heart was still beating, and he was safe and sound. he was here.
it didn't take too long for the searing pain to wake michael up, silent tears dampening the sheets under him as he hid his face under more blankets and pillows. he squeezed his eyes shut tightly, before reaching out and clutching onto luke's fingers even harder, using what little strength he had to push his body closer to his lover.
it still took a while for the blonde to coax michael into opening his eyes, the light spilling out of their window was too intense against his sensitive eyes, but seeing them was luke's favourite part of the day. waking up with the boy in his arms, and seeing his eyes the first thing in the morning, luminous and glazed emerald eyes that was like a blanket of safety for him. the light may have dimmed a little in the past few days, but he still found his home inside of them, and in those little golden specks that flickered and shone like glowing lanterns.
but today, his eyes seemed different. they were still the very same eyes that he had stared into a million seconds a day, and luke had memorized those virescent green eyes, so there was no mistaking that michael's eyes didn't turn to the side of his face like that, almost like he was cross eyed, and as luke slid his finger under the dip of his eyelid, he knew that the skin under his fingertips doesn't swell or protrude the way they did right now, with a hint of yellow trailing behind, the color of bruised skin.
maybe something was wrong, and something invisible was lurking inside the boy he loves, consuming him and spitting him out into a mess of blood and sweat. luke could feel his breath hitch at that, and his blood run cold in his hands. but it was only a chance.
