Micah (bxb)

Against all odds

(Landon)

I couldn’t stop smiling as we got ready to head out while staring at the ring now on Micah’s finger.

I had done it. He’d said yes. My heart was still racing from the moment, the disbelief that someone as perfect as Micah could want to spend the rest of his life with me.

I felt like I was on top of the world, and I wanted to do something special, something to mark the occasion.

“We should celebrate,” I said, watching as Micah adjusted his shirt in the mirror, with a small smile on his lips.

“Celebrate?” He raised an eyebrow, but there was a playful glint in his eyes.

“What did you have in mind?” I grinned when he said that.

“Dinner. Someplace nice. You know, to celebrate our engagement.” He chuckled, shaking his head, but I could see the excitement in his expression.

“You don’t waste any time, do you?” He asked.

“Not when it comes to you,” I said, pulling him into a quick kiss before grabbing my jacket.

“Come on, I know just the place.” We headed out, the air warm with the remnants of the day’s sunlight.

I couldn’t keep my hands off Micah, constantly holding his hand or brushing my fingers against his arm. It was like I needed to remind myself that this was real, that he was mine now in every sense of the word.

We arrived at the restaurant, a cozy little spot with dim lighting and soft music playing in the background. It was the kind of place where couples came to share intimate moments, and it felt perfect for us tonight.

Micah’s eyes lit up when we were seated while looking around.

“This is nice, Landon,” he said, his voice soft and full of affection.

I reached across the table, taking his hand.

“Only the best for you.” We ordered our food, and everything felt perfect.

I couldn’t stop staring at the ring on his finger, and every time I caught Micah looking at it too, I felt happy. This was everything I’d ever wanted.

But just as our food arrived, my mood soured when I spotted someone at a nearby table.

I didn't care if he had apologized to Micah, I was a petty asshole and wasn't afraid of admitting it.

“Landon,” Micah said softly, noticing the shift in my expression.

“Don’t.” But it was too late.

The idiot spotted us too, and before I could say anything, he was walking over, his hands shoved into his pockets, looking more awkward than anything else.

“Hey,” he said, his voice low.

“Micah, right?” I glared at him, my fists clenching under the table. What the hell did he want now?

Micah tensed beside me but gave a small nod.

“Yeah.” The dickhead scratched the back of his head, looking genuinely uncomfortable as he looked at me.

“Listen, about before… I just wanted to apologize. I shouldn’t have said what I did. It was out of line; I already apologized to Micah; I just felt like it was only fair to do the same with you.” I wanted to snap at him, I felt my temper spiraling out of control and wasn't able to control it.

“And you think that just makes everything okay?” I snapped, standing up from my seat.

I could feel the anger boiling inside me, and all I wanted to do was wipe that smug look off his face.

“Landon!” Micah hissed, standing up too and grabbing my arm, but I shook him off, stepping closer to the idiot.

“You don’t get to just apologize and walk away like nothing happened,” I growled.

“You humiliated him. You made him feel like...” I started to say.

“I know, alright?” He interrupted, holding up his hands in surrender.

“I get it. I was a jerk. But I’m trying to make it right.” I still did not believe him.

“Landon, please,” Micah’s voice cut through my rage, and I turned to look at him. His face was flushed, his eyes wide with a mixture of anger and hurt.

“Don’t do this. Not tonight.” I felt the weight of his words hit me like a ton of bricks.

I’d promised myself that tonight would be perfect, that nothing would ruin our engagement.

And yet here I was, ready to throw it all away because of some idiot who didn’t even matter.

“Micah…” I started, but he shook his head.

“No,” he said, his voice firmer now.

“I’m not going to let you ruin this. Not for him. Not for anyone.” I stood there, frozen, watching as he turned back to the asshole.

“Thank you for apologizing to Landon as well,” he said, his voice cold.

“But I’d appreciate it if you left us alone now.” He nodded quickly, clearly relieved to be off the hook.

“Yeah, of course. Sorry again.” He turned and practically bolted back to his table.

I stood there, feeling like a complete idiot as Micah sat back down, his shoulders tense.

I took a deep breath, sinking back into my seat.

“Micah…” He didn’t look at me, staring down at his plate.

“Why do you always have to do this?” he muttered, his voice barely above a whisper.

“Do what?” I asked.

“Try to fight every battle for me.” He finally looked up, his eyes full of frustration.

“I don’t need you to protect me all the time, Landon. I can handle myself.” I would have scoffed if he said that any other time.

“I wasn’t trying to...” Micah cut me off before I could say anything else.

“Yes, you were!” he snapped.

“I get it, okay? You want to take care of me, and I love that about you. But sometimes… sometimes I just want us to have a moment without you turning it into a fight.” I opened my mouth to argue, but the words wouldn’t come.

He was right. I’d been so wrapped up in my need to defend him, to prove that I could protect him, that I hadn’t even stopped to think about what he wanted.

“I’m sorry,” I said quietly, reaching for his hand across the table.

“I didn’t mean to ruin the night,” I replied, hating the way I made Micah feel.

As we sat there, the tension eased a bit. I knew I would have to work harder to make sure that I didn't let my temper get the better of me again.

Micah was worth more than that.

We were worth more than that.