𝘚𝘜𝘗𝘌𝘙𝘚𝘛𝘈𝘙 .•* 𝘔𝘐𝘊𝘏𝘈𝘌𝘓 𝘈𝘍𝘛𝘖𝘕

ＮＩＧＨＴ ＴＨＲＥＥ

Security Guard

1988

A lot happened in the last two years.  You and Michael were each other's first everything - your first dates, your first (and only) prom date, your first love, and even first roommate.  You had your ups and downs, but you did your best to communicate and work things out.  Neither of you could imagine yourself without the other.  Your lives, for better or for worse, were completely intertwined.

Not long after graduating high school, the two of you managed to save up enough money to buy a small house. You went to community college, not yet sure what you wanted your life to be, and Michael took up self defense classes before becoming a night guard.  He knew, had always known, his job.  It was a shame that, for the most part, neither of your schedules really aligned.  But the times they did, neither of you could get enough of the other.

Michael would gladly listen to you talk about your day, even the most mundane parts.  He would come home to a fresh breakfast, as you would to dinner, and you two would just talk.  He was a little more secretive, never wanting to worry you, but you always wanted to hear about him.  You were his favorite topic.

In a way, you two were obsessed with each other.  Any time Michael wanted to quit, he thought of you, and how much you believed in his cause.  When he was the most scared, he would think of how nice it would be to come home to you, and remember he would be okay.  That's what he told himself, anyway.

You, meanwhile, would have to force yourself not to think of him.  Whether it was at school (he was a distraction), with friends (he was a distraction), or just at a community gathering (which you'd usually go to with him, but still, he was a distraction), he was your favorite topic.  Him, and the ecological repercussions of economic growth.

Michael had been a night guard at the newly opened 'Circus Baby's Pizza' for less than a week now and already he looked worn.  He would come home in the mornings, dead tired, and as the nights went on, he had more and more bruises.  From what, really, you didn't know, but it worried you regardless.

Still, he always had this glint in his eye.  Like he was calculated in his own destruction.

One evening, after you had gotten home from your classes and before Michael had to leave for work, the two of you sat down to watch 'The Immortal and the Restless'. Michael had made a large bowl of popcorn for the two of you, putting toppings (whether that be butter, salt, or caramel) onto it just how you liked.

He wrapped an arm around your shoulders, pulling you close to him. Softly, he gripped your arm as though he was afraid to let go. You leaned your head on his chest, feeling his firm body against yours. He leaned over to kiss the top of your head.

"I sure do love a man in uniform," you commented, referring to his purple button up and jeans. His hair was parted nicely to the side and you loved how official he looked.

"I'm not sure 'security guard' is the uniform of anyone's dreams," Michael laughed. You could feel his chest vibrate as he spoke.

"It is in mine," you said. "Sometimes it feels like I'm still dreaming."

"Oh, don't say that," Michael said bashfully, rubbing up and down your arm. "I'm just Michael."

"Right, just Michael, who cares about his family and who risks his life every night to make things right."

"I'm not risking my-"