A Gift To You

Cracks in the mask |Mike

Everyone hides their true self behind a mask. Some hide it better than others while some fold under pressure. Time sands away everything,including ones patient and Mike's patient had just about ran out.

The blond often thought of himself as a relaxed type of character,someone who was understanding of other predicaments and illnesses or shortcomings. After all no one was perfect! The people whome he was trapped with,they weren't good people. Most of them has shitty personalitys or anger issues or worse, him included.But he let it all slide,after all it didn't matter to him what these people did.

Until it came to you.

He remembered vividly when you quietly came back from a match and briskly hopped into his bed while he was shifting powders.

"Hey" he said absent-mindedly as he sewd up another black bomb.

"M-mike, you don't think I'm useless do you?"

He carefully finished the black bomb up once he heard the whimper in your voice,"___,what's wro-" ...oh Hell no,"___! Sunshine, what happened!?"  You smelled like catfish and salt water, you had pieces of seaweed and sand in your hair and cloths.

"I was-" you let out several hiccups,"I ki-kiting on the big ship and I got  knocked into the water," you were sobbing horriblely at this point,"we los-lost cause everyone ha-had to try and get me out the water" you should probably get out of his bed,"I need to shower" you muttered, wiping the tears out of your eyes.

"____,Who did this?" He put a hand on you arm.

"....I wanna shower Mikey" you hiccuped and pulled away,closing the bathroom behind you.

It was then that the usual happy-go-lucky persona shattered and a irritated sneer grew across his face. Put on his gloves and stepped intot the hall way,he'd get to the bottom of this. Nobody made you cry and got away with it,nobody.

It was a swift walk to the entertainment room. He was going to get the bottom of this shit. This was the third time you'd come back from a match bawling your eyes out. He knew that whatever was going on you wouldn't actively try convay your emotions and how you felt about something or other. He had the same problem, he used to be a people pleaser, ready to throw his back out over some applause. He'd grown since then and he wasn't about to let you jump through hoops for some unattainable goal.

Whe he stepped into the room he raised his voice slightly above average for a moment," Memory! Are you in here?"

Some people glanced over at him then back at whatever they were doing.

"Here! Ah! Thanks,"Emma had helped the girl scoot past everyone,"yes?"

"Can you go hang out with Robbie for a bit please? The grown ups need to talk privately for moment" now that had caught everyone's ear, just what information did the acrobat have?

"But I'm a grown up too!"

Mike smiled and crouched down to her level,"Its not fun grown up stuff,it shouldn't take long I promise"

"Aw,ok"

"Kevin could you take her please?" The cowboy looked up from his sweet tea.

"Mhm" he grunted,"All aboard the Kevin train!" He scooped her up in a pile of giggles and put her on his shoulders. The two left in bundle of laughs and 'Choo Choos!'

When he was sure they far away he slammed the door shut and looked at the few people before him.

"Which one of you fuckers made,____, cry?" No body responded and that pissed him off,"I ASKED A GOD DAMN QUESTION AND I EXPECT A FUCKING ANSWER"

"___, was crying?" Patricia asked,unphased by his sudden outburst.

"Yeah so does anyone want to tell me why the fuck did she come back covered in sea water!?" He was beyond pissed.

"Yes that did happen, " she remembered being surprised when Percy knocked you over the edge like that,"She's lucky someone went out and got her"

"And you didn't think to come tell me!?"

"You aren't my responsibility, Morton"

"Its your job as team mates to look out for each other" he countered, seething on the inside,"who else was on that team?" No one answered so he tried again, "I don't think you all heard me I said which one of your pond scum pieces of shit was on her team?"

"Who are you calling pond scum?" Vera Leeder at him.

"There's a reason no body fucking likes you," he hissed,"You've got a shit personality like everyone here!"

Ganji let out an annoyed sigh, "Listen, are you sure that's what even got her worked up? You know she's sensitive" he felt bad for you. Some one like you didn't belong here.

"You calling me a liar? You genuinely think,___ would PURPOSEFUL make something up?"

"Stop putting words in my mouth" he stood up.

"Oooh scary!" Mike himself wasn't a violent person but right now his blood was itching to spill.

"Hey that's enough you two," Servaius called out," you can't start fighting over unimportant things!"

"Unimportant he says, fine I'll figure it eventually," he turned to the crowd of suspects,"I dont want any of you low lives near her,so kindly fuck off" and thats all he had to say.

He didn't bother looking back at any of them  as he left the room. It was only when Kevin came back with Memory and Robbie sitting on his shoulders did he say something.

"Kevin?"

"Yeah,ok you two,hop on down,yah killing this old man's back!" He gently put the two down and they ran off together.

"Thank you Mr.Alonso!"

"Yah thanks!"

"What happened? Was it something important I missed?" He rubbed his back.

"Kevin,Watch over ____,When I'm not around ok?" Kevin was the only person he trusted not to hurt her. The man was just as fiercely protective as he was.

"Yeah,I'll keep an eye on her,don't worry"

"Thanks" they gave each other a small backhand fistbump and left to attend their own duties. When Mike got back to his room you were already buried under his sheets,still sniffling but you'd managed to calm down.

"____"

"Mikey please,I don't want to talk about it"

He sighed,if you really didn't want too then he wouldn't pressure you. So he kicked his shoes off and climbed into bed with you.

Your skin was still damp and warm from the  shower. He pulled you closer to keep you warm.

"You know you can tell me when you're ready, right sunshine?" He said into your hair.

"Mhm,I just don't want to talk right now" you ran mindless little shapes on his back.

"You're mine,I'm not letting anyone else get their hands on you,understand?" He wouldn't let something like this happen again.

You smiled into his chest and nodded. It always felt nice to be needed,to be wanted and loved. Maybe you'd tell him,after you worked up the courage that is.