Dou you mind, Mike?

Awekened together

Sam settled comfortably on the couch, careful of the bandage on her knee. "How about we watch something?" she asked as she turned on the TV.

Mike, packing away the board game, glanced up with a grin. "Sure!" He picked up the game box and headed toward the bookshelf but stopped short, scanning the shelves uncertainly. "Uh, Sam, where does this go?"

Without looking, Sam waved the remote in a general direction. "Just put it over there, that's fine."

As Mike placed the game on the shelf, Sam resumed browsing through the streaming options, her expression shifting from hopeful to bored within minutes. Mike dropped onto the couch beside her, leaving just enough distance to avoid seeming too close, yet near enough to feel her presence.

"Honestly, I feel like I've already watched everything—even the stuff I'd normally never consider," Sam muttered, scrolling through the endless list, her brow furrowed in frustration.

"There! Stop!" Mike called out suddenly, excitement lighting up his voice, and Sam paused.

 "Big Lebowski?" Sam's face lit up, her eyes sparkling as she looked over at Mike. "You like The Big Lebowski?"

Mike grinned, dropping his voice in a playful attempt. "That rug really tied the room together."

Sam burst out laughing, her laughter filling the room like sunlight breaking through clouds. "It's one of my all-time favorites, Mike! I love it."

"Well, that makes two of us!" Mike nodded with satisfaction and settled in beside her. As the movie started, familiar jokes brought out easy laughter, and soon, the room was filled with lighthearted warmth.

Sam couldn't help herself—she kept commenting on every scene, repeatedly praising Lebowski's laid-back attitude. "He's just so impossibly cool," she declared more than once. Mike watched her, captivated by her excitement, the way she got lost in each scene. Every laugh and remark seemed to bring a warmth to his chest, and he found himself wishing he could keep her like this—happy, laughing, far away from everything else.

After a while, Sam pulled her knees up to her chest, shivering slightly. "Seriously, it's freezing in here," she mumbled,  leaning over Mike to grab the blanket at the far end of the couch.

Mike's heart skipped a beat as her scent filled his senses, her warmth brushing against him. For a moment, time seemed to slow. The closeness, the soft touch of her hair against his cheek—everything felt charged with a subtle tension he couldn't ignore.

"Sorry," Sam said, settling back and wrapping herself up in the blanket.

She turned to Mike, her lips curving into a mischievous smile, and lifted the edge of the blanket. "You know, I'm really selfless... happy to share if you're feeling cold."

Mike fought to keep a straight face, but a smile tugged at his lips. "Sharing a blanket with you?" he asked teasingly, before adding in a quieter, deeper voice, "Anytime."

Sam's cheeks flushed, and she quickly hid her face behind the blanket to mask her reaction. "Okay, just get over here before I change my mind," she said softly, her voice laced with playful warmth.

Slowly, Mike moved closer, sliding under the blanket next to her. Their shoulders brushed, the closeness between them creating an electric tension. The movie continued, but for them, it felt like the rest of the world had slowed down, leaving only the two of them under the blanket.

Sam laughed at each joke, sometimes leaning into Mike as she lost herself in the humor. Every time she leaned into Mike, he felt his heart beat a little faster, and when she rested her head on his shoulder, he took a deep breath, savoring the warmth of her presence.