𝐑𝐄𝐃 𝐃𝐄𝐒𝐄𝐑𝐓 𝐂𝐔𝐋𝐓⁰²ʰᵉᵐᵐⁱⁿᵍˢ

ㅤㅤㅤ ix ──the bug

asari

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"Where'd you get that?"

Mike pointed his chin at the new jacket fresh on my wearing, his cocked brow revealing his curiosity.

I'd gotten out from the bathroom to meet him in the hall, and as we walked to where our meeting would be, he was by my side just noticing the denim jacket.

"You didn't just find that in the bathroom, did you?" He said - a joke, suggested by the smile he pulled afterwards.

I faked a gag and shook my head at him, bumping my shoulder with his. "Eugh, that's weird. No," I shuddered at the thought of picking up some jacket in a bathroom. "I bumped into a guy on the way here and he saw I was cold, so he gave his jacket to me,"

When I looked up to Mike, expecting a joking expression to find that I in fact did not pick the jacket up at the bathroom, all I saw instead was a face of satisfied surprise - perhaps something about the detail of the guy.

"Some guy?" He echoed, his expression now more wary than surprised.

We turned the corner and I followed as he led me to another, much larger, hallway adorned with picture frames as though I'd just entered a family home.

"Yeah. Luke. D'you know him?" I asked as I stole several glances at the photos we passed by, noticing that, while I was under the impression that most of the people here would be strangers to each other, the people in the photos hugged and smiled as though they were blood-related. Arms around each other's shoulders or captured in a moment where they'd been gardening together. None of them looked like they'd only met each other. For the most part, they genuinely seemed like a tight-knit family.

Was this what group therapy could be?

Mike scoffed at my question, not answering.

When I looked at him to ask what the matter was, we came to enter the very room our presence was meant to be in.

"Mikey boy!" A jovial tone called for him and Mike's face immediately lit up into a grin, eyes and all. "How are you, man?" An older man greeted him in, his arm wounding round Mike's body in a bear hug as he patted his back a few times.

He was a much taller man of a stout build, combed back blond hair, and a beard of at least 3 inches. Everything about him screamed friendly, just huggable and welcoming, even as his voice boomed over others.

"Good! I'm good," Mike answered in a similar lifted tone before turning and gesturing at me. "Ase, this is Friedrich. He's in the group as well,"

I gave a timid wave at Friedrich, eyes widening as a chest-ensued guffaw took to the air. "Welcome!" He moved to me, taking me into a hug, my face buried into his chest as he pats me the same as he did Mike.

With each pat of his much larger hand, some phlegm in my lungs must've come off, my breath stunting as he laughed and shook me as well.

Jesus christ what the fuck is happening, the confused thought popped up in my mind. I grabbed Luke's jacket closer to myself for comfort.

"Jana! Zuzi!" He called once he finally separated from me, his attention pulled to some other people in the room. "Come meet Ase!"

The whole ordeal reminded me of the photos i saw in the hallway. They're just really welcoming, I noted, feeling some weight lift itself off my chest. At least I didn't have to fear the scene of being shunned by the members since it was clear that they just weren't the kind to do so.