"So, aliens are real? You're best friends with an alien? Oh my God, Luke, that's so cool. Can I meet him? Is he cool? Does he like music? Is he green? I bet he's green." Ashton rambled and Luke rolled his eyes as he looked at his building was being evacuated. "Does he talk? Can he talk?"

Luke covered his mouth as he heard a sound, and he turned around to the alley behind him. Ashton continued ranting on how he didn't really want to believe but a part of him always told him they were real, and he managed to tune it out the best he could to focus on the shadows now in front of him.

Luke got off of his bike and he slowly began walking into the alleyway, and he held on to the brick wall as his eye began to throb. He immediately pressed his palm against it and he heard a rustling behind a few metal cans and black bags.

"Mike?" He called and he saw a figure slowly rise. His heart pounded against his chest. "Michael? Is that you?"

He walked up to him and he saw Michael was holding his own eye as well. "I took my things before they came. There's no trace." He whispered and Luke nodded. "I don't exactly have fingerprints either, so it's not traceable. It's okay. All they have is the satellite to use against you."

"Why are you holding your eye?" He asked and Michael slowly let go of it. "What's the matter?"

"I think I used my power too much and too soon." He told him with his eye closed. "It needs to heal. What about you? Are you okay? I told you to rest!"

"I found out I was adopted, my mom died, my dad was arrested, my ex boyfriend wasn't the bad guy, and my dad sent a team of investigators to ransack my house for proof of extra-terrestrial beings. So no, I'm not okay!" He hissed quietly and Michael stared behind him as Luke let go of his face. "What are you staring at? We need to go."

"Who is that?" He asked and Luke turned around to see Ashton standing right behind him with wide eyes.

"He's... human." Ashton tilted his head and Luke rolled his eyes. "You look human."

"He's... We're..." Luke struggled and then shook his head. "It doesn't matter. He's helping us — you. We need to get you out of here."

"I can't leave my ship." Michael told him. "I can't go too far from it."

"You have to if you want to live, Michael." He stressed and Michael grabbed his arm tightly.

"I am connected to my ship. I can't leave it." He whispered and Luke met his eyes. "If I'm going anywhere, Luke, it's back home. I need to help them.l

"But you can't leave yet." Luke told him and Michael was taken back. "There's still so much we have to do, for you to learn."

"What do you mean?"

Luke's eyes widened as he realized what he said and he immediately shook his head as he tried to find a way to make his selfish desires seem less selfish. But how was he supposed to tell Michael he needed him? That he was the only person who made him actually happy in so many years?

It was selfish to want him to stay, and there was no way to make it seem like it wasn't.

"Luke?" Michael pushed and then pulled his arm away. "Were you ever going to let me go home?"

"Yes! Yes, I was going to help you because we wouldn't be here if you hadn't stayed so long but you did. Now, I don't want you to go. I mean, I do, but you can't." He immediately answered and then hit himself in the temple. "That's... That's not what I meant. What's wrong with me? Why can't I just say it? Why can't I -"

A hand was pressed against his back, and he stumbled at the short force applied to tip him off his feet. Michael grabbed him by his shirt when he fell into him and he heard Ashton suspiciously mumble an, "Oops, my bad."

Luke couldn't stop the words from falling from his mouth.

"I love you."

Michael stared back at him and beneath the neckline of his shirt he could see a shade of pink glow brighter than it ever has. It almost shined through the dark fabric, and Luke felt the same as heat blossomed on his face like a wildfire. Embarrassment? No, not quite. He's not embarrassed of his feelings, just nervous, afraid, and anxiety was eating away at his insides as the seconds ticked by with silence between them.

He buried his face into Michael's chest and then felt finger's curl into the back of his shirt before he was pulled up and away. "We need to go, in case you two have forgotten." Ashton reminded them and Luke's legs felt like jelly as Michael stared at him. "Totally sick to meet you, alien. Is your name Michael? Sick. Anyways, we have to go."

"Yeah, yeah, we have to go." Luke agreed as he watched Michael stand up. "I'm going to get you to your ship. First, I need my father distracted from the school."

"Calum." Ashton answered and Luke furrowed his eyebrows. "Right, Mr. Hood is my left hand man, the reason I went to that shitty school, and he can help."

He scoffed. "Why would he help me? He hates me."

"He won't, he'll help me to help you and he doesn't even have to know." He replied and Luke eyed him suspiciously. "I'm the king of ruses, Luke. You know that. I can send them on a wild goose chase."

"This isn't petty theft from our local had station, Irwin. Our lives are at stake." Luke reminded him as Ashton pulled on his stupid fingerless gloves. "Your career is at stake."

"Oh, that? My bandmates will understand when I tell them it's for the sake of the world. Can you imagine the panic it'd cause to tell the world aliens were here? Think bigger, Luke." Ashton tapped his finger against his head. "Plus, this makes for a wicked song. So, here's the plan."

Luke felt a hand on his shoulder and he turned to face Michael, who was smiling at him with vibrant eyes before turning to face Ashton. He was still glowing, and Luke looked down at the floor as he mentally face palmed.

It's just like him to love someone he can't keep.

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