A single bullet // M.C ✔️

94

"Hey, beautiful, what are you doing here?" Michael opened his arms inviting me over to his lap as soon as he spotted me closing the tab down on his computer.

"I missed you." I placed myself on his lap, swinging my legs sideways and leaning into his chest, the craving for his touch being soothed almost instantly. This is what I needed.

"I missed you too, but I thought you had plans today with Kensie." His hand loosely and gently brushed over my knee, kissing the side of my head before sighing, looking at me with soft eyes.

"Never had plans with Kensie," I looked up at Michael through my mascara-coated lashes, smiling shyly over the small lie I told him this morning as I left. Granted, he was half asleep, so he didn't really ask any questions like he usually does. Just the simple questions of what are you doing? Let me know you're safe (an important one for both of us now recently), just update me on what's going on and when I can expect you home.

"I did wonder why I saw her earlier here, entering with Luke." He pinched at my skin, making me squirm into him, and he laughed. "Where were you?" There wasn't an inch of annoyance present, just slight concern and a bunch of caring factors. He was generally interested.

"I went to see Sharon." It was only then he seemed to notice the to-go cup of nearly empty matcha on his desk, nodding once and grabbing my hand.

"Did you see her?" He signalled to the cup as I never normally get to go cups. I love sitting down in the homely café, and the fact my laptop was beside his desk meant I was prepared to stay and waste my life away until Michael was done here.

"I did." My posture shifted as I felt it stiffen, looking up at him again. "Didn't really go well," his full attention was on me, soaking in every word like a sponge. It was weird. I wasn't used to this after how he reacted last time I told him what she was like.

"Oh." It was a short and snappy reply as he looked over at his computer, opening it back up to reveal he was reading over the plan, a few new annotations added showing he wasn't happy with some parts of it.

"But I'm not mad about it."

"Never said you were." My eyebrows were pulled inwards as I frowned, placing a hand under his chin and on the side of his jaw, pulling it so he was facing me. Chocolate brown eyes scanned over his face, seeing a few tension lines form on his features and forehead. Gently I reached out and rubbed my forefinger over them, soothing them down and seeing him relax for a moment before they sprung back up instantly. "Mikey-," this wasn't a reaction just from the fact I didn't have a good experience again with Sharon, the woman he loves like an extra mother; there was more to this.

"Speak to me," his lips parted before snapping shut again, shaking his head and flicking the emerald back over to his computer screen, making my own follow. "What's this?"

"The plan, they want to meet us at the end of the week alone, they said if they even see one of the other boys they'll shoot. They are on to us... said they have a secret weapon as well." Now that intrigued me as I shifted forward and looked at the plan, seeing how he edited any part of the plan including me, I was barely involved and the boys now couldn't go in shooting. It was all him and I arrive at the end, maybe still distract Noah but before even reaching the building. Times were scattered like a timeframe and a timeline narrowed down, perfect to each ten minutes.

"Are these actual times?" I scanned them, seeing how stupid some of them were, leaving the office, walking into a café.

"They are, Ashton had some of his team scout them as they don't know them. If we sent any of ours they would have known, we couldn't have that."

"And you trust all this information," Ashton - as little as I knew him, I trusted him because I knew Michael trusted him with his life, it's needed. Everyone else, however, I don't know, literally don't know. I didn't know if all of this was true, and some of the points seemed so pointless and unnecessary that they seemed like they were just thrown there. Why do we need to know Noah met a girl? Or that he went into a sketchy building late at night and left with another male... maybe that one we needed.

"I do, because I trust Ashton."

"I know you do, Mikey," I pressed my lips against his sighing softly. I wished the weight of the world would fall off my shoulders and leave me. Life was so much easier, but I wouldn't have it any other way. "I trust him to," he said, his eyes sparkling as he looked up at me. He wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling my flush against his chest. The fabric of his skirt brushing against my arm made goosebumps sprout to the surface.

"You okay?" He muttered, turning us away from the computer as I let my eyes close.

"Exhausted,"

"We can go home if you want," he said. The word 'home' sent butterflies through my stomach. Images flooded my mind of potential other homes – maybe one back in London, away from all the places they lead from, or where Michael leads from afar. The others don't have to come. "Don't fall asleep on me," he jerked his shoulder, causing me to whine softly and hit his chest.

"Rude," I pushed against his chest and stretched, grabbing my drink once again and stood up, hooking my bag over my shoulder. "Ready?"

Michael copied me, signing off his computer and standing up instantly, finding my own free hand and pulling me towards the door, letting me step through, and the door shut behind us.

"Hey... I love you." I wanted the Michael back that I had before this was all arranged, the stress-free Michael was needed before I started to flip out.

"I love you too."

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