A Sky Full of Stars // m.g.c. [COMPLETED]

'Cause in a sky

After finding out about Michael's newest alterations, Aeryn no longer scrambled to pick up her phone when it rang, or jumped whenever the door was knocked on.

She told herself she was over and done with him multiple times, but how could she believe her words when she continued to visit the playground every Monday, Thursday, and Saturday? It was a habit of hers since she was 8 years old, and she was never good at breaking habits.

He gave her so much to remember that it was impossible to forget it all, to forget all of him. The two weeks following Aeryn's encounters with Michael were flooded with tears.

Even so, something inside Aeryn kept wishing - expecting for him to show up and explain everything; that he was busy, that he wasn't ignoring Aeryn, that he still loved her.

As if their connection was still vivid and hadn't disappeared quite yet, that was exactly what Michael did Saturday night, but as everything was with Michael recently, it wasn't entirely what Aeryn hoped for.

She didn't expect him to be there at all, let alone knew what to do. So, when she went to the playground with her music set, she nearly dropped her phone—along with her heart—when she saw his shadow on the vacant spot.

Her voice got caught in her throat, confused and overjoyed all the same. He was wearing a black hoodie, the one he wore on multiple occasions, but not enough to be too often. The moon shone behind him, making his face a silhouette.

Aeryn wasn't quite sure if he was even looking at her, and she was stuck between calling his name, or letting him figure out her presence. It seemed he took matters into his own hand as he treaded over to Aeryn. The bottom half of his face became more visible with every step. With his hood on, his eye remained shaded.

"Michael," Aeryn breathed. She didn't receive a reply, but she didn't expect one either. "I - What are you doing here?"

She would have mistaken him for someone else with his silence, but the stubble surrounding his face and the shape of his nose and jaw were unmistakable.

"Michael," she demanded with more force, frustrated with his lack of answer.

It was almost scary how he kept staring with only half of his face perceptible. His words continued to go unspoken.

The weight burdened itself on Aeryn's shoulder. The encounter two weeks ago, his actions, and the words that went unsaid barreled at her, reminding her why they were acting more like strangers than anything else.

"This was all you," she whimpered. So soon, tears brimmed her eyes. "You, you left me. You do not get to come to our—" her lips quivered and her voice broke as she took shaky breaths, "the playground. You walked away from me, remember? You left... You left all of us behind. I don't know who you are anymore, but the Michael I knew didn't play such an asshole act."

She sobbed. Being so deprived from hugs and touches, she wouldn't have put much thought if Michael came over and hugged her right then and there.

As if mind readers were a thing, Michael did exactly that. He stepped towards her, taking his hood off to reveal sunken, bloodshot eyes, and enveloping her into a hug. Just as she pledged to herself, she held him tighter, sobbing into his shoulder with tight arms wrapped around her.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry," he chanted whispers into her hair, right above her ear.

"Why?" Her words were primitive, but they were all Aeryn was able to muster.

"I love you so much."

Aeryn choked on a sob, pushing Michael away. "Do you? Because I'm beginning to doubt that. You don't," she strangled to construct a coherent sentence, "just leave the ones you love. You don't walk away with their fucking heart and disappear fully intact."