maybe mike's sitting a little too close to will while he's excitedly showing him his newest Pokémon team. very animated as he explains why he went for this setup and talking about how excited he is to record his videos for the playthrough. he's practically glowing, and then he looks over at will and the realization of just how close they are clicks and maybe he even steals a little lip glance before he gets all flustered and starts stumbling over his words and forgets what he was saying. wyd will......
TRUTHFULLY , YOU COULD NEVER TIRE OF HEARING MIKE TALK ABOUT HIS PASSIONS . from the way his freckled features bloom to life with a renewed sense of vigor , a sparkling excitement glinting within those warm brown eyes and going on to ramble endlessly in an impassioned monologue that speaks true to how deeply mike cares about things : it is you and you alone who gets to see this side of mike wheeler so openly . you've noticed how he tends to close his shell around others , shying away from the enthusiasm his collection of games brings him in lieu of keeping up with feigned nonchalance . but here , when it's just the two of you nestled into the corner couch of his apartment in the dead of winter , the heat cranked up to maximum and the blankets draped over your legs and feeling far too warm beneath its woolen comfort , he's free to be wholly himself --- and you let him .
you don't even realize you're staring until his features falter the moment his attention flicks back to you and your gazes finally meet . having been so engrossed in what mike had been previously explaining , you could hardly mask your own intrigue ( and far more obvious affection , though you try your hardest to bury that notion beneath the many fragmented layers protecting your heart ) you're nearly grasping onto the next few words to tumble from his mouth , but to no avail , he seems to have thoroughly lost his place . the silence that follows seems to shake away the hazy trance you've been under , and you're finally beginning to realize why he had suddenly paused in the first place .
the warmth encompassing the slope of your cheeks is by your own volition ; taking note of the sheer closeness of your bodies as you're unconsciously huddling even closer in search of warmth . if you were so much to flick your wrist , your hand may brush so fleetingly against his own , and maybe a part of you wishes that he would just take it . the thought leaves you momentarily stunned , swallowing down the truth before it had a chance to fester within the open wound carved from your chest . you're lonely , after all . your deadbeat drug addict ex - boyfriend is finally gone , and you're just reaping the consequences of it , that's all ( how else must you think when you don't deserve someone as beautiful inside and out as mike wheeler ? you are a mere broken toy awaiting to be fixed , and you don't want to paint your best friend's hands those damning shades of blue ) .
fingers curl into themselves as you retreat entwined hands back into the safety of your lap , away from the powerful temptation that is michael wheeler ; however , you don't dare to shift otherwise . your knees stay brushed beneath the blankets , stuck in this strung out limbo of wanting to give him space but being way too selfish to give it up so quickly . maybe everything about this is wrong why doesn't it ever feel wrong ? or maybe those long since buried feelings no longer hold any traction after james then why can't i forget you ? but no matter how murky the waters get , you know that this much is certain : no one can ever replace mike wheeler . and you wouldn't ever dare to try .
“ what were you , um . . . saying , mike ? ” a timid whisper , the sharp arc of your brows knitting together in mild curiosity . his gaze drops to somewhere below your nose and suddenly your stomach swims with a feeling that's both sweet and syrupy , churning beneath your ribcage in earnest as your own mouth parts despite yourself . no matter how hard you fight yourself on it , you can't stop the light flush from staining your skin an even darker shade of pink . with your cheek resting up against the couch and averting your gaze towards the switch in his hand , you let out a quiet breath before tugging the blanket even closer to you ( and maybe , just maybe , he didn't notice the way your own gaze flickered down to his mouth too ) . “ it was something about the playthrough i think . . . ”