Wrapped Around Your Finger\\M.C.

<<<eight>>>

<<<Michael>>>

She leads him down to the ocean, the ground becoming soft as the trail ends and they enter the outskirts of the small empty beach, illuminated brightly by the large full moon overhead. Her dark brown hair blows gently in the light wind, grazing over her shoulders before she turns slightly to him, tucking her hair behind her ear and gaze up at him through her thick full lashes. He swallows as he stares into her dark green almond shaped eyes, mesmerized as the light of moon displays them fully to him. A dark brown, like coffee, bleeds from her pupil into the deep forest green of her iris before it fades to a golden yellow color that is then banded by a navy blue limbal ring.

He's never seen so many colors in someone's eye before and he takes them in, captivated by their unique beauty as he makes a large step to walk next to her. Her cheeks flush under her delicate freckles on her beige skin and she looks away, a small smile curling on her small rounded red lips. The corner of his mouth lifts too, liking her reaction to his intense gawking before he looks around.

"It's peaceful out here," he says, looking out into the infinite sea that blends into the sky, only the silver crest of waves rolling in setting them apart.

"When my parents were unbearable, Lexi would bring me out here just to watch the waves. And we could pretend we didn't hear our parents yelling for us," she smiles as she remembers walking further away with Lexi, hoods up against the moist wind as they laughed, their backs to their father who repeatedly called for them to come back.

"You don't like your parents?" Michael asks, as he wonders what she is thinking about.

"They're fine people," she glances up at him before she looks down at the toe of her converse swirling in the sand. "They are just," she chokes, "cold."

Michael watches her, waiting for her to explain so he can understand why they make her so emotional, so hurt, still dying to know everything about this brunette beauty. He just has to know why she is hurting so bad so he can fix it. He doesn't know how he would possibly do that, but he would fucking try. She looks up at him again, gauging his silence before she continues.

"They had our lives planned out before we were even born," she rolls her eyes before she smiles at the moon, "But Lexi was always a wild child, making up her own rules and living the life she wanted. It drove my parents crazy. Especially when I followed Lexi's rules and not theirs."

"But now you follow theirs since she's gone?" Michael asks, wondering why she's following a dream that isn't hers and for people who have caused her so much pain.

"What?" her face snaps to his, "I'm not."

"Then why are you going to a different country to pursue a career you don't want?"

Michael's skin prickles as her brows pinch together, her nose flaring while her eyes begin to squint before her face slowly relaxes and she swallows. Her eyes stay staring deep into his as her lashes start fluttering and she looks away, out into the crashing waves. His chest tightens as he fights the urge to hold her or even touch her, wanting to wipe away the grief seeping out of her. Her jaw trembles before she swallows again, willing herself not to cry so she can tell him the truth.

"You don't understand Mike, I need their financial support."

"Why?"

"So I can be a whole other country away from them," she sighs, sitting down in frustration.

"To go to a school you don't want to?" he asks, lowering down to the sand, too, watching her intently as he tries desperately to understand, wanting to help; wanting her to be happy.

"I guess so," she whispers, realizing how shitty it actually is.

"But why?" he asks confused.

"Because I don't have any other choice," she huffs, waving her hand out and her voice breaks, surprising him.

She puts her head on her knees as she takes deep shaky breaths, begging herself not to cry in front of him although she's not afraid for him to see her, she's afraid to feel this turmoil. She's managed to repress it this whole time, only breaking once in the beginning after the funeral when her parents sat her down later that day to discuss colleges like they hadn't just put their first born in the ground that morning.

Sensing her despair and trauma, Mikey scoots closer to her and gently places his hand on her back, slowly rubbing between her shoulder blades. Her body shudders as the sob he was trying to prevent rakes through her small frame, hurting his own heart. Concerned he drapes his arm around her before she turns and flings onto him, shocking him as she wraps her arms around his neck and quietly cries into his shoulder.

Her small body shakes against him and he hugs her, pressing his cheek into her hair as he holds her to him with his long arms. He rubs her shoulder as her sobs begin to die down and she just hiccups. Her breath returns to her, comforted by his presence and kind touch, as she relaxes into him and soaks in his warmth.

"I miss her so much," she whispers.

"I'm sorry," he says genuinely and somehow she knows he means it with all his heart, making her eyes water.

"She protected me from them," she hiccups, "From their control and stone like hearts. She was the most loving person I had in my life. And now she's gone."

"I'm so sorry," he says again, not able to even fathom the loss she feels.

"I was going to move in with her after graduation," she tells him, her voice becoming still but very quiet, remembering a world lost to her, "and then we were going to run away to London. She always wanted to live in London."

"It's amazing," he shares, "But it rains a shit ton."

She laughs and pulls away, sitting back on her heels between his legs as she wipes her eyes. He smiles as her laughter floats down his ear canal, vibrating his whole body with the melodic sound. She sniffles as she smiles back at him, so comfortable and... safe with him. She freezes as his hand moves to her face and his thumb gently removes a smear of mascara from under her long lower lashes, before his fingers tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear. His fingers slip down her neck before they fade away during his retraction and he bends his knee up, leaning on it as he watches her, exposing a tattoo she hadn't noticed on his bicep.

"Lexi liked the rain," she tells him, looking deep into his eyes and smiles before she looks down at her hands in her lap. "Thank you. I haven't let myself feel her loss like that. I mean I feel sad, all the time, but I either sleep or stare at the wall. I was afraid if I started crying I would never stop."

"You did," Michael jests with a smile.

"Only because of you," she says quietly before she looks at him through her lashes again, making his heart thump.

"I want to take your pain away," he confesses just as quiet.

"Why?" she whispers as her eyes turn down.

"I don't know," he whispers back, "I just have to."

"Okay," she smiles as the breeze blows thin strands of her brunette hair across her face, "Then tonight I'm all yours."