Making Stars

kiss it better

[ COMPLETED 02/26/23 ] Prompt: A heavy punch to the face results in Mikey standing at Raeni's door near midnight—she isn't complaining (a lot), though. (Taking place after "Her for the Win")

Song Inspo: Wish You Were Mine - The Manhattans; Fire & Desire - Rick James & Teena Marie

~

It should come to no surprise that the typical college student needs a break from time to time—from everyone and everything. Raeni was a perfect example of said student, and after a long week of sitting in a cubicle on the phone, skimming through assignments, boring lecture halls, hikes to the library for hours-long study time, she needed a break.

Saturday was spent entirely with herself, her AirPods and a big delivery of lemon pepper wings with ranch sauce. She'd kept her braids tucked neatly beneath a silk bonnet the entire day, along with a T-shirt, shorts and fuzzy socks that came as a birthday gift from her mother. Life was good in that moment, and Raeni would be taking full advantage of the freedom to relax while it existed.

Weekends had become her holy grail for alone time, meaning time to unwind, disconnect and indulge in her own likes. It made sacrificing weekdays worth the treatment. By nightfall, the girl had tucked herself into bed and browsed through shopping apps as a playlist emitted soft, familiar tunes from the bedroom TV.

She was preparing to glance through some local eateries to check out the following day when a sudden knocking at the door startled her. Raeni shared an apartment with three other female students, and she recalled them discussing plans to go out and not come back till much later. A second round of knocks ensued, followed by a call of her name.

Upon pulling the door open, the girl found her suitemate who stayed across the hall. Her hair was a slight jumbled mess along with the alcohol scent wafting from her breath. Raeni forced herself to keep a neutral look. "Hey Maddy, what's up?"

"Hey girl," Maddy replied immediately, slightly cutting her off. "Um, I'm so...sorry I'm bothering this late...but there's...um, what was I saying? Sorry, I'm not all the way here if you can tell. Anyways, someone's here to see you at the door."

Of all things any of her suitemates said or done in her presence that seemed rather jarring, this was a new one. "Someone here this late?" she asked cautiously, glancing back to the clock on her nightstand.

"He looks a little familiar," Maddy commented just before releasing a hiccup. "I um...he's really tall. You can come look to see if you know him."

Him? The implications of the unannounced visitor being male now further confused the young woman. Raeni adjusted her bonnet and joined her suitemate at the main door, curious as to who was making an entrance past twelve in the morning. She'd gotten to her tiptoes to look through the peephole and immediately groaned.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing, nothing." Raeni dismissed the question with a wave of her hand. "Thank you for telling me though, Maddy. I know who this is." She waited for her suitemate to walk away before pulling the door back. "Michael, what are you doing here? You don't live on this floor or on this side of the building."

The athlete smacked his lips before cracking a smile. "Damn, no hey, how are you?" When she remained stoic, Mikey cleared his throat and stuffed his hands in his pockets. "I need your help with something."

The young woman raised a brow. "What kind of help?"

"Not whatever you're thinking that's making you make that face, Rae. Can I come in first, please? It's cold out here." Raeni glared at the boy a moment longer before releasing an annoyed sigh. She left the front door open and trudged to her room, trusting Mikey was smart enough to close and lock it.