HI I HAVE A NEW STORY CALLED "WE DON'T CARE" UP. IT'S TEACHER!MIKE AND STUDENT!LUKE SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO................,,,

eleven

Luke placed their dinner on the dining room table, letting Tab and Michael dig in as he sat down. He felt like he was walking on egg shells and he wasn't sure why.

"You okay?" Michael asked between bites of the main course.

Luke nodded, not looking him in the eyes. He reached over, spooning a few servings onto his own plate.

"What're you hiding?" Mike nudged at Luke's wrist which was reaching over Michael's plate.

Luke retracted his hand, dropping his fork onto his plate. Both pairs of hazel eyes looked up, staring at Luke breathing heavily. "Mom called today."

Michael stopped chewing on the food in his mouth as he turned to the seat next to him. "Your mother called?"

He nodded, feeling ashamed for something out of his control. "It was a fine chat."

"Why the hell did you answer?"

"It's my mother!"

Michael shook his head as a degrading laugh fell from his lips. He continued to eat, not sure what to say.

Luke looked up at his daughter, her eyes radiating confusion. "Your father doesn't like our parents."

"I thought it was mutual." Michael put down the silverware in his hand once more, rubbing his hand over his eyes like the skin being attached to him truly irritated him. "We ran away because they were awful."

"No, Michael, we ran away because I thought I was in love," he spat back.

Luke couldn't turn his head. He didn't want to see the look on his partner's face.

"Excuse me?"

"My family didn't do anything. They didn't use derogatory terms, they didn't force me out of their lives. They would have accepted us." Luke wasn't willing to lose this battle. Of all the years being at a civilized war with his partner, he wanted it over.

"They hated me! How could you love someone that didn't want us together?"

Michael and Luke continued to raise their voices without actually looking at one another. They both knew very well that if their eyes met in the middle that it would be over. They aren't good at staying mad.

"They would have gotten over it," he muttered, still stirring the mac and cheese on his plate around in circles. "We could have been fine."

"You know? I've always hated how you hold all these grudges. You never forgive anyone. That's probably the reason you've lost all your friends."

Luke stood up straight, his eyebrows raised as he finally looked at his husband with anger. "No, actually. You got sentenced and they were afraid. They were afraid of having connections with anyone in prison. Not just jail, Michael, prison. You ruined my life." His words burned like fire and he couldn't take them back. He heard himself yelling but couldn't feel it in his throat.

"That's real nice, Luke."

Luke stood up, clearing his plate. "Tab, Baby, why don't you get ready for bed? I'll be up there to tuck you in soon."

She nodded without a word, using any excuse to run up their grand staircase. Michael made sure she was far away before he continued.

"I thought you were better than that, Luke."

"Great, awesome, so cool." He grabbed his daughter's plate, bringing it to the kitchen sink as well.

He started to clean off the dishes and put leftovers in the fridge. Luke could feel Michael watching his every move. He turned around to see his husband leaning against the kitchen counters, his arms crossed over his torso.

"You had a choice to stay."

"Did I? Did I really?" Luke turned his back again, unloading the dishwasher in order to make room for dirty dishes. He reached up, trying to stack the nicer china carefully.

"Can you fucking look at me when you speak to me?"

"You don't own me."

Michael took steps forward, only a few until he was pressed against Luke. His hands burned into the pale skin as he turned Luke around. "I said fucking look at me," he snarled.

Luke was unamused. "I have a household to run." He put his hands to Michael's chest, pushing him back. He didn't budge. The taller, bigger man did not budge.

He let out a laugh. "Real nice try, Sweetheart."

"Can you, like, not patronize me for five minutes?" His voice became small as he looked at the fury between his partner's green eyes.

"What's that?" Michael took a step closer, his feet on either side of Luke's body. Luke was completely trapped by the other man, and fear started to rise in his pit.

"Michael, please," he begged. Luke didn't want to beg, he felt degraded for having to bug his husband to let him go.

"Fucking respect me."

Luke could feel Michael's breath on his nose. His cologne filled up Luke's personal space and suddenly Luke hated that smell. Suddenly, Luke hated Michael. "I can't if you have me pressed against the kitchen counter like this."

Michael's grip on Luke's side tightened. "We shouldn't still have problems. I thought we were better than this."

"You're the one trying to scare me!" He pointed out, his voice loud once more.

"Baby Boy," he snickered, his lips closer to Luke, "I don't need to try." Michael leant back, releasing his hands from Luke's side. He cracked his knuckles, his eyes trained on Luke. "Are you gonna try to go? I dare you."

Luke took a step forward, trying to sneak between Michael's right leg and the open dishwasher. He was pushed back, his lower torso slamming into the edge of the countertop as he let out a sudden screen of surprise and pain.

"Don't try me." Michael turned his back, leaving the room with a huff.

Luke stayed frozen in the kitchen until he hear the basement door open and close. As long as Tab was safe, then Luke didn't care. Luke didn't care about much anymore.

He took a step away from the countertops, his right hand going to the bump on his back that would definitely be a bruise for a few weeks. He bent down to unload the dishes, ignoring the pain rising through his veins.

He kept his promise to his daughter, tucking her in and turning off her light. He kissed her forehead as they exchanged quick "I love you"'s.

She didn't ask about Michael, she knew better.

Luke got himself into bed, falling asleep with the left side empty. It was normal, he was used to this. He lasted ten years without Michael by his side, he should be able to do one more night.

It was about three in the morning when Mike felt okay again. He felt like he could talk to Luke like a civilized human without wanting to push him around. Luke wasn't a rag doll.

Michael got upstairs, taking off the skinny jeans tight on his waist. He crawled in behind Luke, taking the blankets over his own body.

His eyes went down the bony back of his partner, tracing over the bumps of his spine until it ended at a purple bruise. Michael knew that was his doing, but he'd like to pretend it wasn't.

Michael reached out his strong arm, pulling Luke by the torso across the bed. Mike rested their bodies tight close together, he was able to feel every breath Luke took. He placed his head right behind Luke's, his nose resting carefully against the blonde boy's neck. His fingers ran circles over Luke's torso until he finally fell asleep.

Luke laid awake.