More than friends (Michael Afton x Reader)

15 - a kiss

"Dealing with things." I sighed, pulling away from him, walking backwards to my bed and falling back onto it. The feeling of having a boy, no, Michael in my room with a charmingly cute smile and those adorable eyes. It was so odd. A very private place, such as my room, and there he stood with his arms crossed and back against my wall. He looked at me, waiting for me to invite him onto my bed. His hair was a mess wild around him as if he didn't bother to brush it, annoying but not too much of an issue, and his clothes were very loose casual. His normal clothing. His blue eyes were on me with moments of him looking at other things around the room but jumped from time to time at me.

"I know it's hard to talk to someone about things that trouble us. I'm guilty of keeping things to myself, but I have a reason too. So, Do you want to cuddle?" Michael pushed himself off my wall and towards me, walking slowly and placing himself on my bed, in front of me. His mixed green-blue eyes glimmered within my bedside lamplight. Its warm glow made his eyes soft and I wanted to stay in his arms.

"Yes." I slightly lifted and threw myself into his arms, holding onto him as he held onto me with the loving warmness between us. He laid down with me onto him, but it was calming, with my head on his shoulder. His hand rested on my back, stroking me with a caring feeling to it. The moment made my heart sing louder, my stomach turned with excitement and my body nervously heated by having him so close to me. I felt so vulnerable, but I loved the care and affection he gave me.

"We don't have to speak. You don't need to say what's wrong if you don't feel like it." He spoke quietly, in that slowly warm voice of his. "I'm here for you if you do and what is said between us, stays between us."

"I'm tired. Been sleeping a lot but I feel just tired, I can't be bothered to do much." I hid my face into his chest, feeling too vulnerable telling him what was bothering me.

"Alex told me about your dad. I'm sorry for your loss. Death is hard to deal with even when it's been a while it will still hurt. You have to find ways to cope, healthy ways. Talk to me about it if it helps. I wouldn't pretend to know the closeness of you and your father or pretend that I know exactly how you're feeling because death sadly is complicated and affects everyone. However, I can only know how I felt when my brother died. I still haven't fully recovered from it, but over time it will get easier to cope." Michael was careful with his words, trying to make sure they wouldn't be hurtful.

"How did you cope?" I ask, feeling him shift to make me more comfortable. He placed his hands around me gently. He rested his arms around my waist to hold me closer.

"Rather not say." He awkwardly laughed. "It's kinda sad and embarrassing."

"Okay, but you can tell me. I won't tell anyone. Roselyn said she helped you, but I want to know did you learn to cope even without her?"

"She really can't keep her mouth closed about anything." His hand ruffled my hair, comforting me, rolling over so I lay on my bed and him looming over me. "Well, I'd rather not say. It's really embarrassing and Roselyn shouldn't have said anything about it."

"Sorry for bringing it up." I looked away.

"It's fine, you don't need to apologise. Speak away, I don't mind."

"I miss my dad... I miss seeing him and miss believing he would get better. He would always tell me and Fritz these stories of things being normal. I guess things have always been like this, him not really here and that isn't his fault but I wish I didn't get my hopes so high. It's been just me, Fritz and my mam, since Fritz was a baby. it's hard to get over his death." I sighed, looking up at Micheal, seeing him look at me with sympathy filled eyes. "He was the damsel in my games or the tickle monster. He'd always made every day so fun. He would get home from work, tired but still had the energy to help me. Bedtimes were always amazing. He would carry me in his arms, my mother followed alongside him and they both told me magical stories." A tear dripped down my cheek.