Michael finds himself waking up sometime later. He doesn't remember falling asleep, nor does he know where he is, exactly. He's on a bed, tangled in red silky sheets. It's nice and cool in the bedroom, and it feels really nice against his hot skin.

It's the door creaking open that makes him reopen his eyes, his heart nearly jumping out of his skin.

"You're awake." He says.

"Luke?" Michael shoots up, his heart hammering and his hands are clamming at the sight of Luke.

Luke sends him a gentle smile and it sends a chill down Michael's spine.

"I'm glad you're awake. I thought you'd be passed out for days."

"How long has it been?"

"It's almost midnight. You've been out for an entire day." Luke's voice is gentle and he's a different person.

Luke stares at Michael and Michael stares back and they just take each other in and this is the first time Michael actually looks at him.

"Are you hungry?"

And Michael follows Luke out the door, keeping a distance between them as he stares at his shirtless back.

"I didn't really take you for a silk guy."

Luke looks over his shoulder, momentarily confused before he laughs, his shoulders shaking as he does. "They're cool after a hot day."

Michael mentally agrees with him.

"I stitched up your arm. It was infected when I got there so I had to clean it out. It was pretty disgusting." Luke shrugs.

Michael sits at the table, watching Luke move around the kitchen. "Thank you." Luke doesn't say anything. Michael doesn't ask how Luke finds him, or why he bothered to help.

Luke's asking him something when a door slams from somewhere in the house. Michael's eyes widen, his head turning to look behind him and Luke is still talking.

"Michael --"

"Did you hear that?" He says fast, his head snapping back around to stare at Luke and he has this crazed look in his eyes.

It takes a minute for Luke to answer, and when he does he's slowly shaking his head, his attention on nothing but a shaking Michael. "No, I didn't hear anything." He says with little emotion, the words dripping out of his mouth as he keeps eye contact with Michael.

"Would you like to stay over?" Luke says.

Michael slowly nods. He's not really sure why he's agreeing to this, or why Luke didn't hear his door slam shut.

"You've changed." Michael blurts.

"Have I?"

"I didn't like you. You creeped me out." Michael continues, not bothering to acknowledge Luke's words. "I had this bad vibe about you, and then suddenly Ashton was hardly talking to me and it was all about you. I didn't...I hated you. You took my best friend and now i'm afraid of him." Michael's voice drops down to a whisper and it's so raw with emotion. Luke doesn't say anything for awhile, and when he does, he never gets the chance to actually say something.

Because Michael feels like he's on fire and he's scratching at his skin and digging into his arm with the stitches. He's pulling them out, the sound of flesh ripping and low murmurs is heard in the kitchen.

"Michael, what're you doing?" Luke asks calmly.

"B-bugs. There are bugs on me and they're going under my stitches. I-- I have to get them out." Michael's voice is shaky and scared and he doesn't sound sane.

"Mikey, you don't have bugs on you."

"Yes," Michael takes a deep breath as his fingers make their way under his skin, blood pouring out onto the table and staining his fingers red. "Yes I do."

"You're getting blood on my table."

But Michael keeps whispering about bugs crawling under his skin, saying he needs to get them out.

"Stop, Michael." Luke's voice is hard and cold and Michael freezes for a second before he continues again. "I said, stop!" Luke shouts, his voice echoing off the walls and it's enough for Michael to stop.

Blood is still pouring out of his arm and onto the table and the floor and all Luke does is sigh and shake his head.

"C'mon, it's time to sleep."

"B-but, I- bugs." He stutters, shaking his head as he watches his blood.

"I need to stitch you up, again." Luke sounds lazy and tired. "I need to clean up all this blood."

Luke helps Michael stand, who's body is shaking, and he helps him to the bathroom. Luke turns the water on, setting it to cold and then helps Michael strip out of his clothing and then into the tub.

Michael hisses, and suddenly he's crying, gripping Luke's shoulders and he's pulling him into the shower as well.

"Stay with me." Michael mumbles into Luke's chest, who just starts washing the blood off Michael's arm.

"This might sting." Luke whispers, continuing to wash his wound.

"I-i'm sorry for getting blood everywhere." Luke doesn't say anything. "I'm starting to lose my mind, Luke." Michael's voice cracks.

"When did I start going crazy?"

Luke isn't saying anything, and now he's just holding Michael as he cries.

"You've changed, Luke. I like this Luke better than the scarier Luke." Michael whispers, the words barely reaching Luke's ears, but they do.

"C'mon, lets go to bed."

Michael forced Luke to stay with him again, saying how he was scared to be left alone and somehow, somehow Luke made Michael feel safe and sane.

--

Filllerrrrrr but Muke.