#blind michael

Today’s shitpost is brought to you by @kevinobsessed‘s AU where Michael goes blind in the house fire. 

This is the third October Daye series installment. I'm not sure why this one broke me emotionally but it did. Maybe it was the theme of kids being taken, or maybe it was the idea of family and belonging, but it did.

That being said, this is the most intricate plot so far, and it comes complete with more endings that LOTR Return of the King. Everything seem resolved? Nope. So hang on if you can. I think perhaps one of the reasons this hits more viscerally is that it is an active evil, a known villian, rather than speculative one so the danger is much more *present*. Blind Michael reminded me of Killgrave from Jessica Jones in that respect.

I'm still excited to read the rest of the series, but I will definitely need some space before I begin the next book.

  I sat in the optometrist office alone. My mom had brought me but I asked her to stay in the car. I had told Y/N that I was hanging out with the guys and I told the guys I was spending the day with Y/N. I knew it was only a matter of time before they began to figure it out but hopefully I would be finished here before then. Today was important and as much as I wanted to share it with everyone I didn't want to get their hopes up either.

  I began to fidget as I waited for my name to be called wondering if this was going to be a step towards a new journey in my life or if it was just going to be another disappointment. My hand  wandered into my pocket that carried a pair of my old glasses. What I would give to be able to only need glasses. I hear an argument between what sounds to be a child and their mother going on in the left of the room.

"But mom I don't want glasses! Alexander has glasses and he is the lamest kid in class and no one likes him. I don't wanna be like Alexander."

"First of all you should be nicer to people. Second of all you heard what the doctor said if you don't get glasses you could go blind. You don't want that do you?"

"I don't care as long as I don't have glasses!"

I knew it wasn't my place but I decided to say something  anyway.

"Hey buddy. I know you don't want glasses now but glasses are so much better than being blind. I would know I am blind. Plus not everyone with glasses is lame. To my understanding one of my best friends wear glasses and all the girls swoon. If you pick out the right pair you could be the coolest kid in class."

"Is that true? Or are you lying to me?"

"I wouldn't lie to you. Why don't you go in  the glasses room and pick out the nicest pair."

I heard him run in the direction of all the glasses and someone sat next to me and placed their hand on my arm.

"Thank you for that." It was his mother. "As appreciative as I am for you talking my son into glasses and not blindness I don't believe we are going to be able to afford the types of glasses he is looking at. Any advice on how to change his mind?"

"Don't worry about it. Go look at glasses with your kid. He sounds excited about a pair."

She stood and I heard her walk towards the room with her son. I then stood to make my way to the check out. As I finished giving the clerk  my payment information so that the little could have any glasses had his heart set on the doctor called my name.

I stood unmoving for a moment and took a deep breath turning towards the voice of the doctor. As I turned I felt someone who I assuming was the doctor take  my arm and begin to lead me down the hall way to a room. Once we were in the room and I was seated in a very comfortable chair the doctor introduced herself. "Hello my name is Doctor Dore or you can refer to me as Doctor Emily if you prefer and I am very pleased to meet you today Mr. Clifford. I have always been a big fan of your music. Now enough with the chit chat. lets discuss your options for regaining your eye sight."

We sat in that office for 3 hours. We discussed the options. We discussed pros and cons of each option. We discussed risks or lack of. We discussed how it would effect those around me. After all that discussion I think I have finally made my decision.

"So Michael, have you made a decision or would you like a few days to discuss it with your loved ones?"

"I have made my decision. I want to start the shots. As soon as possible."

"Well, I can give you the prep shot in both of your eyes tomorrow morning then it takes 4 hours for the shot to set within the eye and I will be able to begin the first cycle of one shot in each eye six times a week for six weeks and then 4 weeks of rest and the cycles will continue like that until you are down to one shot a week and by then you hopefully, if all goes as it should, will have regained the majority of your sight. You will need a renewal shot every six months and you will still need to wear glasses , you probably will not be able to see more than shapes and light without them, but with the aid of the glasses you should see perfectly."

"That sounds perfect. So how many weeks is that Doctor? All together that is."

"All  together, it will be exactly a year."

"That's absolutely perfect. Thank you Doctor. I will see you tomorrow bright and early. Now if you wouldn't mind showing me out?"

"Of course Mr. Clifford, right this way."

She walked me out to the car and opened the passengers side door. My mother had gone home to make a sandwich while I was inside, I can smell condiments in the car still. As she drove me home my mom and I talked about the decision I had made and what it will entail then we talked about another decision I was about to make, one that was almost as important. As the car came to a stop I checked my pockets again. One still held the glasses from my past, when I was only a child and began to loose my sight, the other held an object of my future.

I made my way up the steps to my home. I didn't need anyone to guide me here, I know every inch of these steps, every centimeter of my porch. It will be amazing to finally see it all. I walked though the threshold of the house and called out for my beloved.

"Y/N! Y/N! Where are you?"

"I'm in the living room Mikey, be careful I just waxed the kitchen floor so you shouldn't go through there."

I walked into the room so excited I could hardly stand it. I was about to ask her to come in front of me when her voice came out in a harsh tone. 

"Where were you?"

"I told you I was with the boys."

"Oh really? The boys called me an hour ago and asked if they could talk to you because you weren't answering your phone. Apparently they were under the impression that you were with me."

"I can explain I really can but I need you to come over here and hold my hands." She walked over to me, grabbed my hands and shrugged her shoulders.

"Okay what is this all about I have no idea how this..." Before she could finish her sentence I began to kneel down onto the floor. I let go of her right hand and began to reach into my future pocket. I pulled out the box and opening it.

"I know that I have not been the perfect boyfriend. I know that I am annoying and stupid and weird and a lot of my qualities are bad. But I have loved you from the moment you pulled me down that hall in the middle of my cousin and your best friends wedding and we got wasted during the ceremony and you missed you maid of honor speech during the reception because I told you it was a better idea to make her think you forgot then letter know how drunk you were. Then when we kissed that night as we danced to the last song while the last few people were shuffling out and my cousin and her groom were long gone to their hotel room, that exact moment was the moment I decided I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you. There have been so many bad days that you have picked me up from and so many more good days that you have caused. I just want it to be like that until the day I die. So would you please do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

At this point I knew she was crying, I was crying too. I also knew she was nodding her head yes because no matter how long we have been together she often seems to forget I'm blind and can't see.

"Yes Michael of course."

I slid the ring onto her finger and stood up to hug her close.

"I even have a date picked."

"What made you so sure I was going to say yes?"

"I know you like the back of my hand."

"Alright so when is it?"

"A year and two days from now"

"That's pretty specific, why that day?"

"I just like that day. Now you better go call your family."

As she raced up the stairs to go make phone calls to every person she has ever known I began to make some phone calls of my own to announce the big news.

The next morning I had my prep shot and that afternoon I started the first cycle.

364 Days and 6 cycle completions later

I sat in my hotel room with my 3 best friends. Tomorrow was my wedding and I was so excited to be marrying the women of my dreams and to see her face for the first time. Her friends and her were having a bridal party but from what I understand from Ashton all the girls just bought her lingerie and are playing games that are meant to be used to reveal each others sex lives. She has no idea about the shots I have been taking to be able to see her standing at the alter with me. All night the boys have been encouraging me to take these bandages off and go out and party with them but I refuse. I don't want the first thing I see to be a bar or a pool table. I want it to be Y/N.

The next morning I start to get ready for my wedding. In one pocket of my blazer I put the last pair of glasses I wore before I lost my sight, then in the other I put the pair I will wear now that I have gained it back.

I stood at the alter waiting for my bride when I heard the bridal processional I stood a little taller and waited for her to reach the end and take my hands. When she did I began to shake a little, the nerves just piling up. The ceremony went on, we said our vow, we laughed people cried and we exchanged our rings. Now came the moment everyone had been waiting for, the kiss. As the officiant said "You may now kiss the bride." I leaned in then pulled away.

I released Y/N's hand and I began to removed my sunglasses I had been using to block out the sunlight and then came my bandages. I then placed in front of my eyes my new glasses and I looked at my bride for the first time. I started to cry and I leaned back in and kissed her with so much passion and love that every women watching turned to their significant other and simultaneously asked 'Why don't you ever kiss me like that?" I pulled away and began kissing every inch of her face that I could find while she laughed. When I finally pulled away and we walked back up the isle I cried because in that moment I knew I had married the most beautiful women in the entire world and I couldn't be happier to finally see her face.

The reception came and people danced and laughed and all I could do no matter where I was or who I was talking to was stare at Y/N. Her beauty amazed me and she seemed to grow more beautiful the longer I looked.

It was time for speeches and I planned on giving one, not normally something a groom does but our relationship is far from normal.

"So I want to tell a little story. A little over a year ago I was having one of my bad days where I felt like the blindness was controlling me. I was sulking in bed thinking about all the things I would miss seeing in my life because of being blind. That day Y/N pulled me out of bed and made me a sandwich and played video games with me all day.It doesn't seem like a lot but that was the day I made my decision. I took her best friend out with me to find her a ring and I made and appointment with an optometrist to begin the process of bringing back my eyesight and then that same day I proposed to the love of my life. Lucky for me she said yes because I don't know what I would do without her in my life. I love you the the moon and back."

I walked over to my wife and she stood to hug me. "I love you twice that."