roommates ♢ muke ✔️

xxii

"i just remembered something," michael murmurs, tracing shapes on my bare back.

i snuggle up into his warm body and and rest my palms on his abs. my hands slowly slip down until they're massaging his v-line.

"what?" i ask, drowsily.

"you just moved to new york this july. before that, you lived in australia all your life." michael states absentmindedly.

"how'd you know that?" i ask, sitting up and staring at the beautiful boy lying down on my bunk.

"you ramble a lot," he answers.

"i never thought you were actually paying attention," i blush, feeling embarrassed.

"i'm always paying attention to you," michael tuts. "well anyways, you've never really left the university grounds. you don't even know how new york is."

"i never really got the chance in between my schoolwork and all this drama. also, i never found it important." i shrug nonchalantly.

"well it's important to me, go get dressed. i'm taking you out," michael states.

he slips out of my arms and throws clothing over his body. he walks into the washroom for a quick shower and to brush his teeth.

i sigh and roll myself out of my bed. i hop to my underwear drawer to quickly grab something clean to wear. then, i just wear black jeans and a cream coloured sweater. after some hesitation, i wrap a black scarf around my neck to cover up the hickeys that michael left behind.

"you look cute," michael compliments when he finally steps out the shower.

"honey, i always look cute." i roll my eyes, squeezing past him and entering the washroom.

i gather my things together and start brushing my teeth. the mirror is foggy from michael's steamy shower so i reach out and clear a patch so i can see myself.

i cringe at how bad i look and i regret clearing the glass; i should've left it steamy so i don't have to stare at my gross face.

not everyone's blessed with good looks.

-

"so where are we going? central park, i bet." i tease, knowing how most people will go to that particular park whenever the visit the great city of new york.

"don't be ridiculous," michael scoffs. "i'm not taking you to the most basic place in the world."

i simply shrug and take a sip of the scalding hot coffee michael bought for the two of us. it's delicious; bitter yet still sweet. he also bought me a muffin but i devoured the savoury treat a while ago.

i'm glad that i brought my scarf along with me, the weather's freezing cold. the wind nips at me painfully, it almost fells like little icy pellets shooting at me. luckily, michael's hot drink warms me up instead.

michael carefully intertwines our fingers. even though my hand is almost numb from the cold, his hand is like fire. it gives me a tingly sensation but he's still warm and the feeling is addicting.

as we walk down the street, i look at the rustic, old looking street. everything had a nice charm to it, old but comforting. across the road is a massive building, it's a mixture of modern and old. the white walls gleam and glitter, catching your attention, but even then, the place is chipping apart.

"that's the holden art museum," michael informs with awed expression. "oh gods, i absolutely love that place. surrounded by works of art and fellow artists. my biggest dream is to be able to granted an area of the space and be able to show off my own work."

"is that where we're going?" i ask curiously.

"no. i'm taking you somewhere else," michael shakes his head.

i take another sip of my coffee and remain silent. i admire the landscape and then look up at michael; he's the real beauty here.

i guess we finally reach our destination because michael stops. he pushes the dusty old door open and a bell jingles, alerting everyone of our presence. 

"i know you're an english major and all that so i thought you would appreciate some nice books. i know it's kinda lame and you probably hate it but-" michael rambles on awkwardly.

i cut him off with a kiss, a kiss so full with happiness that he doesn't react for a moment.

"you amazing boy, i fucking love it!" i beam, hopping around excitedly.

i look around, barely able to contain my thrill. it's an old book store, everything's covered with a thin layer of dust. that may turn some people off, but if anything, that only encourages me more. the smell of books is strong, i can easily breath in this scent all day. it's a close second to michael's musky smell. 

i bolt down an aisle, not sure which one. i'm awarded with old classics such as pride and prejudice and the outsiders. i grab a book that i haven't read before and skip to a little sitting area with a cosy fireplace and neutral coloured bean bags.

"i'm not leaving this place. ever." i state seriously when michael finally finds me.

"well you have to at seven pm. that's when it closes," michael chuckles.

"the store can close but they can't make me leave," i say.

"yes they can. they'll just ask you politely and you'll get up and go right away because you're too awkward to do anything else." michael rolls his eyes.

i fight back a smile when i realize that i would do exactly that. it pleases me to know how well michael actually knows me.

the feeling is better than words.