Help Me

Honesty

Mikey

When he woke up, the first thing Mikey realised was that he was in bed... How the hell had he got there? His head was too foggy, too stuffed up right now to think straight. Wincing, he curled himself tighter into his covers as a bolt of pain hit his knee. He froze when the covers seemed to pull him tighter. Or was that an arm?
Blearily opening his eyes, he found himself face to face with a chest, and as his eyes travelled upwards be saw Rye completely passed out beneath him. He had dark bags beneath his eyes, his face pale and drawn, stress lines across his forehead that hadn't been there before.

Mikey had done that to him. Mikey had affected him this way. It was all his fault.

But he couldn't not see the peaceful expression to his despite everything, how soft puffs of air escaped his lips, how Mikey felt Rye's steady heartbeat beneath his ear, how his chest slightly moved up and down with each breath.
Rye's arms encircled his whole body, pulling him even closer, and Mikey slumped down when he saw that he was lying literally on top of Rye.

What had even happened?

And then it all came back to him in a rush that gave him a headache.

The feeling of being attacked all over again.
The nausea, and actually being sick multiple times.
The pain, the white hot pain that seemed to dissolve everything around him.
Rye... Letting Rye into the bathroom... His breakdown...

Mikey let out a gasp, already feeling his heart rate pick up. Why was he so weak? He burried his face further into Rye's chest, not wanting anyone to see his panicked expression.
After what happened earlier Mikey didn't want to face the boys. Rye knew everything... And he knew that the boys had heard his breakdown too.
Why did it always have to be him?

And then Rye's hand began to slowly trace circles into his side, and Mikey felt himself slowly relax, his heart rate returning to normal, the panic and helplessness dissipating into the air. It was almost as if Rye was draining these emotions from him, but Mikey didn't know what to think about it.
He was thankful, oh so thankful, but how did Rye have this effect on him... And why? Why did Rye have this effect on him? Why did Rye even choose to help him?

Mikey didn't know anything.

And then three distinct voices in the background, probably in the kitchen. Mikey sighed... He wasn't in any danger of discovery yet.
Unconsciously Mikey moved his hand to grip Rye's shirt, his other somehow stuck beneath Rye's body. In response Rye squeezed him softly.

Then the boys came back in.

"So Roadies... You can see here that Rykey got close and intimate last night." Andy paused with a laugh, but Mikey could hear the edge to his voice as he spoke. Not many people would pick up on it, but Mikey picked up on those less obvious things.
Despite this thought he pressed his face into Rye's chest, wanting to hide his smile from the boys. He didn't want them to know he was awake yet.

He didn't know if he could face them.

"I want you to screen record and screen shot this, wait I'm gonna zoom in for you... There we go... Awww look." Jack spoke.
Mikey could guess why. Rye had pulled him even further onto him, and Mikey had tightned his grip on Rye again.
He hadn't thought they could be any closer than they already were.
"Aren't they little cuties?" Andy whispered. Mikey suppressed a chuckle.
"Anyway, the three of us are about to head off to he gym, because we haven't done a lot of that over the last few weeks for... Obvious... Reasons, but yeah. Mikey still needs the rest and whatnot-"
"-No he's just being lazy." Brooklyn called from in the kitchen, interrupting Jack.

Mikey froze again. He still don't know the true extent of how much the boys had missed and pushed back for him. He knew Brook was joking, deep down he knew that, and that Brook was just trying to make the situation more approachable...
But there was something deep in Mikey that believed every word Brook said, afterall he was lazy. Since that morning, Mikey had done nothing but sleep, stay still, and cause problems in the band, whether it be between him and Rye, or through the general stress levels that he could feel had risen.