𝙼𝚢 𝚛𝚊𝚗𝚍𝟶𝚖 𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚜 // 𝙱𝚈: 𝚂𝙺𝚈𝙶𝟷𝚈𝚄

[03] // Short story: // friend group :]

Mike couldn't take it any more. He had watched it play out in countless dramas, sitcoms, and comedies, but he never thought it would affect him. 

Not at least this soon. He could see it in his own group of friends. Jayden and Samantha were getting closer. He knew what that meant. He was losing Sam. 

He couldn't let that happen. Especially to someone as shallow as Jayden. He had to do something.

He hatched the perfect plan. He'd tell his secret to Sam. Then she'd have to reject them both, and the whole group would be balanced again.

He found Sam alone in the library, buried in a book. He made sure they were in view of everyone. Mike swallowed hard and summoned his courage.

"Sam." His voice sounded shaky and weak. He cleared his throat and tried to sound more confident.

"I have something to tell you." He paused, his heartbeat in his ears.

Then he spoke the words he had been practicing, the words he had kept to himself for so long. There was a weight at the back of his throat.

"I'm... I'm gay."

Sam was stunned. Had her feelings for Jayden affected her so much that she couldn't see the truth about Mike? But that's not all that had happened. Mike kept speaking.

"I've been in love with you for so long, but I never had the courage to tell you."

Sam was shocked, but she wasn't thinking about Mike or Jayden right at that moment. The whole group's dynamics were changing right before their very eyes.

"You... you're gay?" She asked, still processing the news.

Mike nodded. "I couldn't let Jay steal you from me. I just... I couldn't." Mike's voice was wavering and tense.

Sam was still processing everything, but she was starting to understand Mike's reasoning.

"So you've liked me the whole time?" She asked, taking a step towards Mike.

Mike gulped and nodded once more. "The whole time. And... and I thought no one would ever understand. But... I couldn't bear to watch you with Jay. That selfish jerk." 

Sam finally made sense of what Mike was saying. He was in love with her, and the whole gay thing was just a coverup. She knew what she had to do.

Mike gulped again as Sam stepped towards him, but this time with a smile on her face. Not a smile directed towards the group dynamics, but towards him.

Sam put her arm around Mike's shoulder. "You idiot. Do you really think I'd go after someone like him?"

She leaned in for a kiss. Mike flinched, but the smile on his face said it all.

Then the two shared their first kiss, and the whole library was silent, apart from Mike's soft murmur of "I love you."

They were happy after that. It was a bit awkward within the group at first, but they got over it. Mike and Sam had become the group's unofficial couple.

This was the ending Mike had dreamed about. Of course, the drama of the whole situation could be a story of it's own, but sometimes, Mike and Sam would just sit in a quiet corner. 

[time skip]

Just the two of them. Mike would hold Sam in his arms, caress her hair, and just listen to her talk about her day. He finally had the person he had loved for so long. 

The person he didn't want to lose. And for the first time in his life, Mike felt like he was exactly where he had always meant to be.

Mike held Sam close. Her head rested on his chest, and he gently stroked her hair. The two were sitting in front of the fireplace in Mike's home. The wood-paneled walls surrounded them, and the dim light created an intimate atmosphere.

Mike had worked hard to make their home as cozy as he could. He wanted Sam to feel comfortable here. It was their space, their first home together.

Their place away from the world and all its expectations. And most importantly, it was their sanctuary, where no one could take Sam away from him.

In the dim light of the fire, Sam leaned in and kissed Mike on the cheek. She wanted to express her appreciation. Of their home. Of their relationship. Of everything Mike had done for her.

"I'm happy." It was a simple and short sentence, but her words carried so much weight. So much happiness.

Mike smiled. "Me too. Don't ever forget that."

Mike and Sam just sat in each other's arms for a while. They listened to the crackle of the fire and the sounds of the night animals outside their windows. 

They heard the wind blowing throughout the forest, gently whistling as it carried with it the scents of nature. It all melted away in the warmth of their embrace. The two were completely wrapped up in each other's love.

Mike leaned in and whispered a single word. "Always."

Sam wrapped herself even more tightly around Mike with a soft smile on her lips. "Always."

The two held each other close as the night outside became dark and still. The fire was still crackling, but the warmth was beginning to fade away.

Mike turned to face Sam. "I don't think this night could have been any more perfect." He spoke softly, only to her.

Sam chuckled. "I don't think any night could be more perfect than this one."

The two shared a quiet laugh and then gazed into each other's eyes. "I love you." Mike whispered.

Sam smiled. "I love you too, Mike."

Mike leaned in and kissed Sam gently. The two were surrounded by the warmth they had 

created together. Their hearts were beating in tandem.

"I don't want this night to end." Sam said.

Mike sighed. "I don't either. But the stars are already beginning to fade."

Sam looked up at the sky. "I know. But as long as I'm here with you, it will never be dark."

Mike felt the chill of the night surrounding him. But it didn't seem to affect Sam in the slightest. Maybe she wasn't just filled with love, but also warmth that made her immune to the cold.

Mike held Sam close. "We'll get through this night like we got through every one before. Together."

Sam put her head on his chest, and as she listened to the beating of Mike's heart, she drifted off to sleep.

It was going to be an uneventful night. A night of sleep and silent relaxation. And they deserved it.

-The end

~// that's all loveys I hope y'all liked it If u did maybe vote this story or give me a follow!

- 1000+ words