quarante

Luke pulled up outside the pizza shop, he put his car into park but didn't make a move to get out. He looked at the store—the red paint bright, the glass door gleaming—and realized it was such an icon. In his mind, it was something he would never forget. It was where he finally found his happiness.

He got out, locking the doors then checking twice. He walked across the cracked pavement, knowing Ms. Clifford would let him in even if they didn't open of another half hour.

Luke knew he loved the entire Clifford family if he was willing to be awake before noon on his last day of summer. That's true love.

His lovers' mother greeted him at the door, unlocking it quickly and letting him in. She greeted him in a hug, squeezing his torso. "You're growing every day!"
Luke awkwardly laughed, rubbing the back of his neck. "I guess so."

"When I met you, you were this big," she held her hand to her shoulder, extremely exaggerating. She walked in the back, knowing Luke was sure to follow.

"I don't quite think that's accurate, but alright." Luke followed her to the back office where both Clifford men had their feet up on the dark oak desk. Michael was looking at a packet of papers, many number scrawled across.

He gladly dumped it when he saw Luke arrived. Ms. Clifford took another seat next to Michael, letting Luke sit on the opposite side. "I didn't know you were coming this morning," Michael said. He leant over, kissing the corner of Luke's mouth. "How're you?"

"Tired. I'm trying to pretend I don't have to go back to West Hills tomorrow and see everyone I hate."

Michael tsked, "Once a posh, always a posh."

His mother softly hit her sons shoulder. "At least he's a high school graduate."

"Not yet, Mom, not yet." Michael stood up, tossing the papers back at his father. "We're gonna go waste out lives away." He held Luke's hand, helping him stand up before dragging him away.

"Why do we pay him?" His father asked as the duo began to leave.

Michael leant into Luke, kissing him properly once away from his parents. Luke leant into him, pulling at his bottom lip. "Do you wanna go get breakfast?"

"I don't trust your driving,"

Luke dug through his back pocket and pulled out his wallet. He dug through until he found the keyless fob. He tossed it at Michael as he started to walk towards the exit. "You can drive, I want bagels."

Michael rolled his eyes as he followed after his lover. Mike hated driving Luke's car. The leather steering wheel and plush seats made him feel out of place. Yet, the second seat setting was indeed set for Michael's body since Luke refused to drive a lot.

Luke sat in the passenger seat, playing with the radio until he found a station he liked. "Anyways, I don't have any school supplies and school starts in less than twenty-four hours."

"Drop out," Michael encouraged as he pulled out of the parking lot.

Luke laughed. "I'm on a roll of not disappointing my parents, I'd like to keep it that way."

Michael looked over at him as he stopped at a red light. He smiled at his forever. "I'm proud of you, in case you wanted to know."

Luke blushed, a shade of pink spreading through his cheeks. "Thanks, Mikey. I'm proud of me, too." Luke never realized how good it felt to be okay. When he wasn't content with much, he figured the feeling of okay wasn't anything real. It was a simple get-high-or-die. There wasn't much more.

The thought of being sober used to kill him, now it's keeping him alive.

"You are my bravery," Michael complimented.

"Now you're just being cheesy."

Mike let a chuckle leave from his lips and Luke loved it. Luke loved when Michael laughed, it was like one million suns were brightening his day—in a good way. "I'm serious. You continued your life when you didn't want to, and you made the best out of it."

Luke stared at Michael's profile, admiring everything about him.

Michael held out his hand, letting Luke's fingers slide between his. "You know what, West Hills, you make me question why I ever thought I'd be better off alone."

THE END

(a/n) epilogue next chapter