𝔘𝔫𝔰𝔠𝔯𝔦𝔭𝔱𝔢𝔡. || 𝔗𝔯𝔦𝔭𝔭𝔦𝔢 ℜ𝔢𝔡𝔡

ℑ𝔤𝔫𝔦𝔱𝔦𝔫𝔤 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔉𝔩𝔞𝔪𝔢

Igniting the Flame

"You the flower that I gotta protect."

The evening air was cool, but inside his place, the warmth between us was unmistakable. I sat cross-legged on the couch, my legs brushing against his as we laughed over some old pictures he'd found on his phone. I couldn't remember the last time I'd felt so...light. The weight of everything seemed to slip away whenever I was around him.

Michael leaned back, his arm draped casually over the couch, but the smirk in his face told me he was planning something. His playful teasing had started the second we left the concert. Every word between us, every touch, felt electric. But there was somethin' different now—there was no hesitation, no second-guessing what this meant. We were past that.

"You really thought those shades was the shit, huh?" I nudged him, grinning. "I mean, the early 2000s were a wild time, but come on."

He chuckled, shaking his head. "Aye, I was the freshest kid on da block. None of y'all was ready for the drip."

I rolled mg eyes, but the smile on my face didn't waver. As he slid his phone aside, his gaze settled on me—warm and intense, like he was seeing me for the first time all over again. My heart skipped, the air between us shifting from playful to something heavier, charged.

"You know," he began, his voice low. "I been thinkin'."

My eyebrow raised. "Uh-oh. Should I be worried?"

"Maybe." He leaves closer, his hand resting just above my knee, fingers tracing small, lazy circles. "You ever notice how easy it is with us? Like..we don't have to try."

I swallowed, my pulse quickening under his touch. The distance between us disappearing—not just physically but in every way that mattered. I had stopped keeling him at arms length a while ago, but now it feels like I was opening myself to him completely. No walls, no fear, just...this.

"I did notice," I whispered, my eyes locked on his. "Feels different, thou."

"How so?"

"Like... we're not just playin' around anymore."

Michael's lips curled into a half-smile, his thumb brushing lightly over my skin. "Nah. We passed that a long time ago."

Without warning, he shifted, pulling me into his lap, my knees on either side of him. The sudden movement made me laugh, but the intensity in his eyes had me breathless. His hands settled at my waist, fingers pressing gently, and the heat between us grew.

I leaned in, my forehead resting against his. For the first time, I let myself fall—into him, into whatever this was. Our lips met, slow at first, testing the waters, but it quickly deepened, months of tension unraveling in an instant. His hand moved to the back of my neck, pulling me closer, and I lost myself in the feel of him, in the undeniable certainty that we were exactly where we were supposed to be.

When we finally pulled apart, both breathing heavily, Michael rested his forehead against mine, his voice a soft murmur. "You good?"

I smiled, my fingers brushing lightly through his hair. "Better than good."