Micah (bxb)

Protective instincts

(Landon)

My phone pinged, and I took it up to see who it was.

I glanced at Micah to make sure the noise hadn’t woken him, then took a deep breath and opened the message.

My eyes narrowed when I noticed that it was a text from Arlo. How the heck did that little shit know these things?

— Landon I can sense that Micah is unhappy! Chop, chop.

I threw my phone on the bed and grabbed my dick, shielding myself from whatever destruction that was to come.

But, when nothing happened, I breathed a sigh of relief and took up back my phone so that I could reply to his message.

— Remember that time when we all went out and that lady was insulting gays? Well, something similar happened to Micah and me at the pool earlier. He's okay, just a bit stressed because of it. He's also sleeping now, so as soon as he wakes up I'll let him call you.

Knowing Arlo, he was probably thinking of ways to hurt those who had wronged his best friend.

As I stared at the screen, waiting for his response, I couldn't help but glance over at Micah again.

He was curled up on the bed, his breathing steady and calm. Seeing him like this made me feel protective, even more so after what happened at the pool.

I wanted to keep him safe from everything, from the jerks who couldn't keep their mouths shut, from the pain they caused him, and from my worries that I wasn't enough to make it all go away.

My phone pinged again, pulling me out of my thoughts. I swiped the screen and read Arlo's reply:

— Those assholes. Tell me who they were. They won't know what hit them.

I rolled my eyes, a small smirk tugging at the corner of my lips. Typical Arlo. Always ready to throw down for Micah, no matter the situation.

It was comforting in a way, knowing that Micah had someone like him in his corner. But right now, what Micah needed was peace, not more drama.

— Relax, Arlo. I’ve got this. We handled it, and they’re not worth your time. Besides, Micah needs to rest. I’ll take care of him.

As soon as I sent the message, I tossed the phone aside again and leaned back against the headboard, running a hand through my hair.

My mind kept drifting back to the pool, to the way Micah's expression had changed when those idiots started in on us.

At first, I thought he was just going to ignore them like we usually do. But then I noticed that look in his eyes like he was shrinking in on himself like he was scared all over again.

That killed me inside. Seeing him like that, after everything we’d been through, made me want to punch something. Or someone.

Instead, I just pulled him closer to me, trying to remind him that he was safe with me and that I’d never let anyone hurt him.

Micah had tried to brush it off, telling me he was fine, that it was nothing. But I knew better.

I could feel it in the way he clung to me afterward, the way he seemed to hold back his emotions until we got back to the room, and he just collapsed into bed, exhausted.

My phone buzzed again, but I ignored it this time. I didn’t need Arlo stirring things up any more than they already were. Right now, the only thing that mattered was Micah.

I reached over, gently running my fingers through his curls.

He shifted slightly in his sleep, murmuring something under his breath that I couldn’t quite catch.

I leaned down, pressing a soft kiss to his forehead, hoping that in his dreams, he was somewhere safe and happy, far away from the bullshit of the real world.

Lying back down beside him, I wrapped my arms around him, pulling him close. I could feel his heartbeat against my chest, steady and strong, and it reassured me that at least for now, he was okay.

“I’ve got you, baby,” I whispered, even though I knew he couldn’t hear me.

“No matter what, I’ve always got you.”

As I closed my eyes, I felt the tension in my body start to fade.

He was my responsibility, and I was going to make sure he was never unhappy again.

Even if it meant taking down every single person who dared to hurt him.