Stupid Love || Michael Afton x Reader

fifty three - new job

Light depressive themes!

Michael's POV:

September 2nd 1993.

I got the job. As much as Y/N begged me not to.

I'm definitely going to regret this later but I'm doing this only for Elizabeth. I need to find where she is. She sent her letter seven years ago. Seven years! I need to find her... whether she's dead or not.

---

I was having a hard time concentrating on the road, watching as cars swerved passed me; the streetlights blurring occasionally in my vision. I was beyond exhausted, I was working half the day and now I'm working again. A sweet tune played on the radio in the background, almost making my head hit the wheel. If it wasn't for Y/N, I would of drove straight into a ditch.

"You shouldn't have taken the job Michael." Y/N said sternly. Her gaze was full of concern and empathy, well that's how it looked in the rear view mirror of course. "You work unhuman hours, it's almost worse than mine."

"I have nothing better to do with my life." I replied flatly. "Except for, you know, spending time with you."

"Can you at least let me drive? Please, you're tired and need rest. It's still another fifteen minutes until Hurricane." Y/N said softly, her hand landing on my thigh and forcing my eyes straight open.

The way she said Hurricane; she sounded just as guilty as I was. I didn't want to return, I swore to myself years I ago I would never come back to this cursed town. But here I was, driving through these empty and dull roads; the street signs flashing before my eyes, the trees almost closing in on me. Oh just the thought of coming here again, it was making my stomach churn.

"You're tired too. You have a shift tomorrow don't you?" I responded softly, leaning back in my chair in effort to relax; holding the wheel with one hand as I tried my best to stay cool for Y/N. "I'm not letting you drive, it's already risky having to leave you spending the night alone."

"I'm not going back to St. George alone with you in this damned town Michael, I'm already terrified as fuck; don't scare me even more."

I sighed heavily and placed my hand on her thigh gently, rubbing it reassuringly. "Y/N... just listen to me, I'll be fine, go home and get sleep." I didn't realise I pressed the pedal harder, accidentally going a couple miles over the speed limit. My foot was stuck, I couldn't release the pedal; Jesus my nerves were acting up today.

"I'll refuse until the day I die." She crossed her arms with a smart scoff. "You've already scared me enough, at this point I'm convinced you're trying to kill yourself - and don't you dare try to hide anything from me, you're speaking with a nurse not a tumbleweed."

I laughed softly. "I never said you were a tumbleweed."

"You probably called me one in your head."

Our silence was interrupted by 'Every Breath You Take' on the radio, just hearing the song made my heart sting in pain. God these songs, this town, the memories: sometimes I wish I could erase it from my mind so I didn't have to torture myself with my past mistakes.

Hurricane came closer and closer and suddenly I was gripping Y/N's thigh for dear life, my chest tightening, the air in the car suddenly becoming difficult to breathe in. That can't be good.

Y/N took my hand into hers and squeezed it as the entrance for Hurricane approached us rapidly. Welcome to Hurricane! I never wanted to see those words again, never.

"You nervous?" She asked softly, playing around with one of the rings on my finger. I shook my head slowly, trying my hardest to swallow the agonising lump in my throat. Her fingers intertwined with mine and small sigh left her lips. "You are, and that's okay; you're really tense, you can't hide that from me Afton."