ENG - My best friend's sister ᵐᶦᵏᵉʸ ˣ ᵒᶜ

18

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Meiyo POV


I lie down and pull the blanket over my head when I hear the door slam shut. I bury my face in my hands and bite my lips to keep from screaming out loud.
"Oh my god, how stupid are you Meiyo," I scold myself, holding back my tears so I don't burst right into tears.
I take a deep breath and press the pillow to my face. I feel like banging my head against the wall to punish my stupidity. Where did I get the idea to give him a kiss on the cheek? The fever must have really destroyed my last brain cell. Annoyed, I groan and pull the blanket away from my head again, was getting warm under there after all. I turn around and look out the window. The rain is getting heavier and literally slams against my window.
"I hope there's no thunderstorm coming," I mutter and close my eyes. I am so tired and really just want to sleep.

Just before I fall asleep completely, a loud crack startles me awake. I turn my head and see lightning flashing through the window. I hear the rumble of thunder and then the sound of rain pounding against the window. I see silent flashes of lightning that are shortly followed by a loud rumble of thunder. I feel alone and vulnerable in my room while the thunderstorm rages outside. Without being able to control it, I start crying and cover my ears. I'm insanely afraid of thunderstorms, it's been that way since I was a kid. It's just scary how a storm develops and punishes the earth with lightning. I know not to be afraid of thunderstorms and that I'm safe in here. But every single thunder makes me cringe and more tears escape.

Like a reflex, I get up and swaying, with my ears covered, I go into the living room. I feel like a little child seeking shelter. When I see Mikey, I feel relieved to have someone with me.
"Are you okay?", Mikey asks me immediately when he notices me. But since I cover my ears, I only understand what he says in a muffled way. I shake my head and try really hard not to just start bawling. Usually when there's a thunderstorm, I always go to my brother and if he wasn't there, I'd go to one of the women here at the brothel, but he's just not there and Mikey is. Honestly? Right now I don't care who's there as long as I'm not alone.
"I hate thunderstorms," I whisper softly.
"It reminds me of the storm when the other kids locked me out that time on the class trip. The sounds and the thunder.... ", I want to explain to him, but at that moment I am interrupted by a loud thunder and I cry out briefly. Faster than I thought, I walk up to him and bury my face in his top and just cry. Mikey holds me tight and gently strokes my back as I cling to him, trying to calm down.
I continue to sob and feel my muscles slowly relax. The warmth of Mikey's body helps me calm down. After a while, I let go of him and look at him. I'm about to thank him when another bolt of lightning strikes somewhere nearby and I immediately flinch again. When the thunderclap sounds, my gaze falls on the window and I just keep pressing against him and let my tears run silently.

Again and again a deafening thunderclap sounds and I cry out in fear. I feel as if the ground is shaking beneath me and my knees give way. I fall to the ground and cover my ears. Then I notice Mikey following me to the ground and now we are both sitting on the ground as he silently holds my trembling body in his arms. The rain is still pelting against the windows and the storm seems to have no end. I feel his warmth and his touch slowly calming me. I feel safe in his arms and let my tears run free. Mikey holds me close and gently strokes my back as I cling to him, trying to calm down.
"You don't have to be scared, you're safe here," he says softly, continuing to stroke my back as I just nod without words. But now I don't feel so alone. Mikey's presence makes me feel safe and secure.
"Thank you for being with me," I whisper softly, feeling him hold me even tighter.

At some point I break away from him and look at him, but I can't really see much because my vision is blurry from my tears. But when he puts his hand on my face and wipes away my tears, I can't help but cry even more.
"I'm surprised there are any tears coming out at all, as much as you cried today," he whispers to me and I can't suppress a soft laugh.
"And I'm surprised you haven't laughed at me yet," I return quietly, wincing again as the next thunder sounds.
"I would never laugh at someone who's scared," Mikey says, standing up. He takes my hands and pulls me to my feet before leading me to the couch and wrapping me in a blanket. Then he sits down next to me and pulls me into his arms.
I just let it happen and look towards the TV, which has been on the whole time but I didn't notice until now. Mikey turns the TV up a little louder to drown out the noise from outside. We lie there in silence for a while, watching a reality show as the thunderstorm outside slowly subsides. I can feel Mikey's heartbeat and his steady breaths, slowly calming me madly.
"Thanks for being here," I say softly after a while.
"If it wasn't for you, I probably would have lost it," I add, sinking further into his arms. Soon after, I fall asleep as the thunderstorm calms down and silence falls outside.

I wake up eventually as my stomach growls loudly. I take a look at the clock on the wall and realize it's only 9am. I didn't get home until about 2am and have no idea what time I fell asleep. Sighing, I slowly get up and sneeze, which makes my circulation even worse. I really shouldn't have been running through the rain. As my vision clears, I look around and realize I'm in the living room. Then I suddenly remember what happened during the night and look to the side, startled. There lies a sleeping Mikey and I feel myself blush abruptly.

Quietly I get up and go to the kitchen. I turn on the kettle for some instant noodles. It might not be the best dish to make when you're sick and especially not when you've just woken up, but it's better than nothing I'd say. I pick out the noodles and get everything ready ahead of time so all I have to do is add the water. I keep sneezing and I'm also incredibly cold. I lean against the kitchen counter, rubbing my arms and waiting for the kettle to finish. When it finally does, I pick it up, hold the pasta can with my other hand so it doesn't slip away, and pour the hot water into it.
"Will you make me one too?" asks Mikey tiredly from the side. This makes me wince so hard that I spill the boiling water next to it and over my hand, which is actually holding the pasta can. In pain, I drop the kettle in my hand, and the water spreads onto my bare feet as well.
I squeak out and stumble back. Before I land on the floor, I feel two hands on my arms. It burns so bad that I have to start crying because it just hurts so damn bad.
"Oh dear, I didn't mean to do that now. I'm sorry," speaks the blond-haired man who saved me from falling.

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