chapter eleven

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Michael was reading when Luke came back from work, and the blond smiled softly at him as he lifted the blue novel to his gaze. "I'm confused." The being stated bluntly as soon as he stepped through the doorframe.

"Yes?" He asked as he set his book bag on the recliner and his coat on the stand beside the door. "What's the question?"

"So... he falls in love with her without actually communicating or knowing her?" He asked and Luke nodded as he read the title on the front. "That doesn't make sense. Can humans love someone they don't know?"

"I'm not sure." Luke replied as he plugged his phone in to charge by the television. "I've never been in love, so I can't tell you. But I assume some people have the capability to want someone in their life forever from first glance, though we don't normally come out and admit it."

Michael looked even more confused. "You've never been in love?"

Luke recalled the moments he used to spend with Ashton, but he reassured himself that he never actually loved the man when they were an item all those years ago. They were young and careless, it was infatuation at best he held because fifteen year olds don't understand the complexity and depth of love. The only thing he loved with him was the thrill of sneaking off of campus at unimaginable hours of the night and going on adventures together around the desert and the beach where he taught him how to drive and ride a motorcycle. The only people he loves was his family, and even then sometimes he wondered if it was love or the dependency for their stability.

He vividly remembers those beach nights, the ones where he'd fall asleep on the ride to and from because it was out of their way to go. The one where they made wishes on shooting stars that were probably just airplanes but like he said before, fifteen year olds don't know any better.

Luke smiled to himself as he shook his head, reminding himself that the man was awaiting an answer. "Never. Have you?"

"I have no time for mates. I'm a warrior." Michael replied and Luke agreed as he sat down. "But I want to."

"I think everyone wants to."

It was an awkward conversation. Luke didn't know what to say and he didn't know if Michael intended on adding anything else on the subject. He couldn't explain what love felt like even if he tried, and he hoped that Michael wouldn't ask. He couldn't explain why his heart never pumped for someone else, or why he never got to experience the rush and spark people write, sing, and talk about all the time. He supposes love feels the same regardless of species, but he wasn't positive. Maybe people on other planets experienced it differently.

"If I complete my mission," Michael spoke up and Luke looked at him as he collapsed on the couch. "- if I survive my war, I will be Prince. I will marry a Prince."

Luke was surprised. Prince?

"Not a Princess?" He blurted out and Michael furrowed his eyebrows as he parted his lips.

"Princess? There are none on Astellea. Only Princes." He answered. "Women aren't courted by men. Women approach a male they wish to spend eternity with."

Luke wonders for a brief moment if it's just humans that like seeing one another suffer. If extraterrestrial royalty can get through a man marrying a man, why couldn't the average person just turn their attention elsewhere?

"Why don't you have women rulers?" Luke asked curiously, wanting to learn more about Michael's home planet.

It's only fair Michael gets to talk about it to him, he decided. He's surrounded by Earth and absolutely nothing of his own home, the least Luke can do is listen to his customs, his stories, and how their civilizations and societies work.

Michael turned to face him completely, and he pushed his hair out of his face as he began explaining their biggest societal beliefs to him. There was once a Goddess, a woman proclaimed to be so beautiful that any man would fall putty in her hands, and Luke joked it was Angelina Jolie even if Michael didn't know who she was. She apparently was strong, fearless, a mother to four daughters and a wife to an even stronger God whom was second in command. Her daughters ruled the planet in four sections, immortality leaving them everlasting and Michael explained that people didn't like that. They revolted the Princesses, and the daughters were forced to the sky where only their sons were left to rule.

"So... they're sexist?" Was all Luke could manage, and Michael furrowed his eyebrows.

"It's said all women were born from the Goddess and hold her abilities, and instead of princesses, the daughters of our Kings become faces of worship to apologize to the ones chased away to the sky." He corrected him, and Luke nodded. "It's why many believe our world is in chaos."

Luke felt like he was in the fourth grade and reading about Greek mythology for the first time. He was lured in, his brain captured with his imagination of devine beings and royalty with Michael's same exact birthmarks and pointed ears, eyes glowing with fire behind them. Curiosity peaked, interest grabbed, he had a movie playing in his head of some epic battle that maybe meant he watched too many movies.

"Does your King have a daughter?" Luke asked.

"She is but a child." He bowed his head. "Protected in the temple hidden behind a dormant volcano, she is safe until the war is over."

Luke's heart broke for the man in front of him. He could feel the emotion roll off of him in waves, and the glow of his skin dulled into a murky blue that almost looked grey. If it reflected his soul, his emotions and his being, and his knowledge on colors was correct, he was sad.

Luke didn't know how to comfort people when they were upset, so he just sat silently as he watched Michael get lost in his own thought. He didn't know how bad his situation was, and thankfully he never would, so he knew whatever he could say wouldn't help him. They were from two different worlds and two different backgrounds, there wasn't a single thing that linked them together in anyway for him to comfort him. They'd all be made up guesses, and empty words never helped.

Until Luke remembered one thing they had in common, and he quietly stood up to walk away. He knew Michael was watching him leave, he could feel his gaze linger on his frame, but he was coming back so he didn't feel bad. He didn't have it in him to when he grabbed the ball of star shaped holes and then came back to the room.

Michael's ears twitched as Luke shut the black out curtains in his living room, and he rolled the nightlight towards Michael before shutting off the light. Moments passed, but soon golden rays were spinning around the room like something of a child's dream.

"I miss my home."

"I know."

What could he do? What he came for was expensive, and as rich as Luke's father was he himself didn't have the money to keep buying him the deep blue jewels he needed. It wasn't like they could just dig and find them, not with laws and legal actions in place with strict punishments for violators.

So he settles for laying on the floor beside Michael and letting him talk about the people there and the constellations he sees on nights when the smoke and ash settles. He listens to his words, imagining it all in his head and hanging on to every last syllable. Anything he could do to pry himself from his reality he'd take, and if he enjoyed it then it's an added bonus.

And if he got to see Michael grin that million dollar smile, well, how could he turn down that chance?


1352 words

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