Take a chance | mikey

19

The hospital room had a quiet warmth to it, despite the sterile white walls and the faint scent of disinfectant lingering in the air. Emma was chatting away with Draken, filling the space with her usual bubbly energy.

I sat beside Mikey, the distance between us feeling comfortable. It's been three days since the hug. Three days since he let his guard down and I saw that softer side of him. The side he kept hidden from everyone. It was strange, though. After something so intimate, you'd think things would get awkward. But instead, we hadn't spoken about it at all. There was no need to.

The conversation in the hospital room continued. Emma recounting some funny story to Draken as his lips quirked up ever so slightly in response. Draken, as usual, wasn't overly affectionate, but there was a tenderness in the way he listened to her.
These two were making me feel like a third wheel despite not even being a couple.

As Emma continued her lively story, I stifled a yawn, my body feeling the exhaustion of the day. It wasn't long before I felt the gentle weight of a soft blanket being placed over my shoulders. I blinked, looking to my right, and there was Mikey, his hand still holding the edge of the blanket as he pulled it around me.

"Getting cold?" he asked, his voice as nonchalant as ever, but there was a warmth to the way he said it.

I nodded, too flustered to speak. I pulled the blanket tighter around myself, sneaking a glance at Mikey from the corner of my eye. His attention was back on Draken, but every once in a while, I noticed him flick his gaze toward me, like he was checking if I was still cold.
After a while, I decided it was time for me to leave. The day had been long, and the hospital's fluorescent lights were starting to feel too bright.

"I think I'll head out now," I said, standing up and stretching.

Mikey's eyes shifted toward me, and I could tell he was debating something in his head. Before I could even process what he was thinking, he stood up too.

"I'll walk you to the station," he declared.

I blinked, surprised, but nodded. "Okay, sure."

Emma smiled knowingly, but said nothing, continuing her conversation with Draken as Mikey and I made our way to the exit.

The hospital doors opened with a soft whoosh, and the cold night air hit us immediately. I hadn't realized how stuffy it had been inside until the fresh air enveloped me. We stepped outside, and everything seemed peaceful—until I noticed the sky.

Dark clouds rolled in, thick and heavy, and the unmistakable scent of rain lingered in the air. Mikey tilted his head slightly, glancing at the sky with mild concern.

"We should hurry before it starts raining," I said, already walking ahead, hoping we'd make it before the inevitable downpour.

After a while of walking, the rain came suddenly—big, fat drops splattering down onto the pavement, drenching us within seconds. I let out a small yelp as we were caught off guard, and Mikey cursed softly under his breath.

"Well, that's just great," I muttered, wiping the water off my face. 

Mikey didn't seem too bothered, but he looked around quickly, spotting a small, abandoned awning across the street. "Come on," he said, grabbing my wrist gently and pulling me toward it.

We dashed through the rain, barely making it under the shelter as the downpour intensified. The space was small, just enough to shield us from the rain, but it was dry—and that was all that mattered.

I shook my head, trying to wring out the water from my hair, when I noticed Mikey watching me with the faintest hint of amusement on his face. "At least we found a spot to take cover," he said, leaning casually against the wall. His eyes flicked over me, and I saw his smirk falter, his expression changing in an instant.