"I apologize." Michael repeated for what felt like the millionth time as he took a deep breath and looked at Luke across from the table.

"I-I don't want to think about it." He murmured as he looked at his plate. His appetite was gone, but he still forced the pasta into his mouth and his jaw to chew. "Don't talk about it."

"I put you in danger -"

"- I said," he rose his voice a little louder, catching the attention of people around them. "- don't mention it right now."

"Okay." He whispered and Luke sighed as he stared at Michael, watching him slowly fork his vegetables into his mouth.

He hung his head low before nodding. "Okay, okay, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell at you. I just... I'm sorry, I am."

"I know." He replied. "You're frightened. I can see it."

Luke picked up glass of water up before taking a small drink. "This isn't how a normal... date goes. We don't yell at each other or feel guilty." He told him after he swallowed.

Michael seemed to like the change of conversation, and he nodded. "How does your courting rituals work?"

"The first one is usually awkward, and there's a lot of small talk about work, families, embarrassing moments to make the other laugh." He made a hand motion that not even he understood. "So uh, work?"

Michael copied him by grabbing his drink, obviously nervous and unsure of himself. "You know, I told you. I'm a soldier, born and raised for war and then groomed to take the throne."

"Did you ever get to go on dates?" Luke asked and Michael shifted in his seat.

"I never went on a-a date, no." He answered. "I never had time. I was training! My father never gave me a day off to be like the others."

"Your mother didn't tell him to ease off?" He gasped and Michael's eyebrows furrowed. "To let you be like others." He corrected.

Michael shrugged. "Women aren't allowed in war, so she stayed where it was safe with other other females and the too elderly. She didn't know. She doesn't even know if I'm alive."

Luke's heart ached. "You can't send letters?"

"Communication to their bunkers are dangerous. All ties are cut until the end of the war." He explained and Luke thought it was bullshit, but he could understand why it would be so dangerous.

Just like how contacting your, clearly out of this world's knowledge, home-planet on a, less than merciful, planet of strangers was dangerous, but - stop.

Luke mentally scolded himself.

"How did you start educating?" Michael asked and the blond snapped out of his daze as he cleared his throat.

"Oh, um, my father wants me to take over the school when he retires, so to take control I have to know how it functions." He told him while using his fork to stab at a piece of chicken. "Teaching is temporary. I might be working with engineers next year, or conducting experiments, or even working the shipping yard."

"You don't like it?"

"It's bareable." He offered and Michael nodded. "I don't necessarily like the idea but... but I have to. He doesn't have another kid to give it to."

"I seen a picture of you two in your room." Michael said as he set his fork down. "He doesn't look like you."

"I look more like my mother, but I can't really remember her well." Luke sighed as he ran a hand through his hair. "I get painful headaches when I try, so I just forget it all together."

"I can help you." He offered and Luke furrowed his eyebrows together. "I told myself I wouldn't after I angered you the first time, but if you wish to remember..."

"What?" He asked as he set his fork down. "What do you mean?"

Michael took his napkin before looking at Luke. "Mouth and lap." He told him and the man wiped his already clean mouth before crumbling the felt in his hand.

"When we first met, I told you that you were an educator and you got mad at me for reading you. I haven't done it since because I respect that it makes you uncomfortable, but if you want to remember I can tell you." He got quieter as he spoke, and Luke had to take a moment to think about what he said.

Did he mean when he basically read his mind and compared him to a textbook? He couldn't just read the surface, but he could dig in to find what he wanted?

He doesn't know how comfortable he is with Michael finding out things about him that he doesn't even know, but just thinking of it is making him antsy in his seat. It's like an itch, a child-like excitement that he could finally know why his dreams are filled with scenes he doesn't remember and why his father never brings up his mother or his brother, the ones that barely ring any bells in his head when he thinks about them. He knows they exist though.

But to have Michael dig into his head, he doesn't know if he's ready for that.

"You're hesitating. I'm sorry, I -"

"- No, don't apologize." He cut him off while reaching for his hand across the table. "Thank you for your offer, but not tonight. Let me think about it, okay?"

He nodded and Luke smiled as Michael met his eyes. "I like your eyes." The man said and Luke's face burned.

"You told me before."

"They remind me of my home planet's sun." He continued and Luke looked down at their hands.

It was slow, unsure, when Michael slowly began to turn his hand over and Luke felt his stomach jump and flutter as he pieced together what was going on. He lifted it his hand awkwardly until their palms were pressed flat against one another, and Luke made it his duty to thread his fingers in between Michael's before curling them into the back of his palm near his knuckles. He did the same after, and a jolt of electricity shot up us arm.

He turned his gaze to Michael, who's eyes were locked on to their intertwined fingers with a look of surprise. "Have you ever held hands with someone before?" Luke asked him and he turned to him.

"I-I um -"

A faint red glow was creeping up the neckline of Michael's sweater and Luke's eyes widened at the color. His eyes were no better, the green growing more vibrant and almost emitting their own kind of glow. It was cut to see him so flustered, but absolutely dangerous for him to be unable to control it in such a crowded room.

Luke pulled his hand away and Michael immediately seemed to snap out of his speechless state. "What? Why did you let go?" He asked and then met his eyes.

"You're glowing." He whispered and Michael looked down at himself. It only worsened. "We-We need to go."

"But you haven' fini-"

Luke threw down a sum of money far too much for their meal and then grabbed Michael's hand before pulling him towards the exit. "Luke, I don't believe this is -"

"- Luke? Hey, -"

The blond dodged the familiar face of his ex boyfriend that they came across and Michael bumped into him as they hit the door. He struggled to force it open, and when it finally pushed forward he stumbled while tugging Michael out.

When they disappeared from view, Michael laughed and then pulled his beanie down. "You're so nervous." He mused and Luke looked at Michael as his green eyes quite literally lit up the dark sky. "I'm the one who's never held someone's hand like this, shouldn't I be the nervous one?"

"I'm always nervous." Luke told him and then took a deep breath as Michael grinned. "You make me especially nervous."

"Why?"

"I don't know." He answered and Michael's glowing irises ran along his face.

"I um I have an urge." He whispered and Luke couldn't help the heat that spread on his face like fire.

Last time he said that, they ended up cuddled on a couch and falling asleep together. Now, he could only guess what his urge was and to say he was excited was an understatement.

"Do it." He acknowledged and then reached up with his free hand to push the purple hair from Michael's eyes.

He leaned forward and Luke met him half way, their lips pressing together momentarily before Michael jerked away. "Are you sure this is okay?"

Luke threaded his fingers into Michael's hair before looking into his eyes. "Just fucking kiss me, Mikey."

Michael immediately kissed him again and Luke laughed lightly as he felt his beanie slide from his head and saw green lights from behind his eyelids. "Close your eyes."

The lights went away, and Luke pulled him closer as he felt fire flood his veins and twist in his stomach. His heart was racing, beating faster than he ever thought possible, but as active as his body felt, he was calm. He felt at peace, like nothing could take this moment away from them no matter what happened. It didn't matter who came from where, or who looked like what.

Just two beings, two bodies, tangled in a mess of emotions that neither wanted to het out of, and that was enough for them.

"Does it always feel like this?" Michael whispered and Luke hummed as he grinned.

"Never."

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