The Hardest Part - lee Michael, ler Phone Guy
Summary: After Sister Location, Michael tries to grasp a sense of normalcy. And yet, after everyone in his neighbourhood has shunned him, the strangest man still sticks by him. Can he cheer up Michael, or are his methods too silly and childish?
…
Michael looked at the man in disgust. What was wrong with him?
Though Scott had been afraid of Ennard, and hid away from him, now he came to talk to Michael like he was a normal person. Like Scott didn't see a difference between the living and the undead. Like the most unironic Halloween maniac he'd ever seen.
Scott just looked back at him with worry.
"Mike…? A-are you alright…?"
He looked away. Of course he wasn't alright! He'd not only lost all of his beauty but also his humanity in only seven days! How does one recover from that?! Yet when Michael looked at Scott again, he felt a rush of worried feelings. If Scott got too close to him, he'd probably catch some sort of disease! Even though Michael had used formaldehyde to preserve what remained of his body.
"Scott, please. Stay away."
Stopping, Scott looked at him sadly.
"Mike…" He tried. It was hard to think of what to say. What could he say that could help him, and not offend him after going through a situation like this? What could Scott possibly say to comfort him, when he didn't even know close to what it was like…? He looked down at his hands. How could he know the pain Michael was going through when he'd been rescued from Freddy's without a scratch? He knew pain and suffering but it didn't even come close to-
"Please Scott. Look at me…" Michael tried to make it known what Scott was doing with his eyes. If he had any expressions left. "Do not touch me. It-it is dangerous… At least, can you wear some sort of protective suit?"
Finally seeming to understand, Scott nodded.
…
Now they were on the couch; Michael wearing the clothing he always wore, a purple sweater and black pants. And Scott wearing his regular clothes, with a hazmat suit over it.
Scott had wrapped his arms around Michael in a hug.
It had felt strange to Michael. Someone showing him affection. He felt he deserved to be hated and despised, given how his father had treated him for most of his life. How his whole family had treated him.
He tried to enjoy the show on screen. But he kept thinking of the strange man beside him, which distracted him from the show. They sat in silence after it was complete. There was no more popcorn in the bowl.
Michael noticed Scott hugging him closer, and hugged back. As expected, Scott was a cuddlebug.
"You are so sweet." He said with a soft smile. "Why are you so sweet?"
He shook his head. Honestly he didn't know.
"I'm not sweet, Mike. I-I'm kind of scummy actually…"
Mike rolled his eyes.
"You really think that after all we've been through? After you saved the trapped souls, let alone me?"
He playfully pinched Scott's side.
"Eep!" Scott squeaked. Then he smirked. "Oh really, Michael~ You're really trying to tickle me, when I'm wearing this suit?"
The yellow hazmat suit was rather thick. Mike didn't think about the consequences of his actions and how Scott's suit would prevent him from retaliating. He laughed nervously.
"Ah! N-no hard feelings…?"
Scott pounced, wiggling his fingers all over Michael's sides.
"AHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAAA! NOT THERE!" He cried, squirming. He'd always been extremely ticklish, seeming to inherit both parents' tickle spots. It wasn't fair! "HAHAHAHAHAHHAHAAHAHHAHAAAA COME OHHOHOHON!"
"Awww, poor Michael! Way too ticklish for your own good~!"
He tickled up his ribs slowly, in a rhythmic up and down motion.
"HAHAHAHAHHHHAAHAHAHAHHAHAAHAHAAAHAHHAHAA!"
"Hmm, I wonder if your armpits are bad?" He carefully swirled double digits in both armpits at once.
"NAHAHAHAHHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAA! MEAN!"
"Am I really mean, if you were the one who thought up this technique…?" He questioned.
"HAAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAA! COME ON!"
Scott frowned, noticing he couldn't tickle Michael's stomach or bellybutton anymore. There were a few other things he wanted revenge for… But it didn't matter. Michael still had plenty of other spots! He gently skittered his fingers on the sides of his neck.
"EHEHEHEEHEHEEEEEE!" Michael scrunched his neck up, big grin on his face. Scott stopped for a bit, wondering where to go next. Michael caught his breath and waited in anticipation. It was always fun to see what Scott was planning.
"Hmm… Oh, I know!" He said with a breezy smile. And suddenly he was at his feet, taking his shoes and socks off.
"Hahahah, wait-wait-!" Michael begged, covering his face.
"Hmmmmm? I'm waiting…!" Scott teased.
"Hahahaha, you're so weird!" He laughed, holding his sides.
"You too," he said affectionately. And he wiggled his fingers over Mike's right arch.
"AHAHAHHAHAHAAHHAHAAA!" He doubled over in laughter. Scott continued to tickle there until Mike begged him to move to the other foot. He was more than happy to oblige, now tickling all over the left sole, and tickling between his toes. "AHAAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAA!"
"Hm. Isn't it strange that in English, we have individual names for our fingers, but not for our toes…? Mm. I don't think that's fair."
Michael giggled and laughed more, not liking where this was heading.
"I think we should name our toes too!" Scott said firmly. He wiggled Mike's pinky toe. "I think we should call this one Jeremiah!"
"Seriously?! Hahahaha!" Mike laughed.
"Yeah! And how about we call these ones Mike and Scott, after ourselves?" He wiggled the toes that were next in line. Mike giggled, still squirming. Scott thought for a bit more. "And how about… Uh…"
Mike got distracted a little and tried to tickle Scott's neck a little.
"Hey! Haha." He glared at him playfully. That was all the warning Mike got before Scott sat on his legs and skittered his fingers all over both soles at once.
"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHHAHAHAAAA! I'M SOHOHOHORRY!" He squealed, though he didn't feel sorry at all.
"As I was saying! I think the next toe should be called Clara. And the big toe is Vlad!"
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA! NOHOHOHOHOHOHOOOOOO!" Michael cried.
Finally, Scott got off of him and offered him a hand to help him up.
"Thank you…" Michael said, catching his breath. He pulled himself back onto the couch.
"Need some water?" Scott offered him. Mike shook his head.
"I-I'm just confused…"
"Hm…?"
"Those names you chose. They're from a TV show, aren't they?" He guessed. "Do-Do you watch The Immortal and the Restless too?"
Scott nodded with a grin. "It's my favourite show!"
He pulled himself onto the couch as well. Michael put an arm around him and flipped channels to find it. Perhaps they weren't so different after all.
(The End)
