Abbot stands at the door and looks in either direction. He looks in either direction then Dr. Ellis quicksteps past him. "Hey Ellis, do you know if any patients are missing a kid?"

"A kid?" She backs up and looks in the room, "Definitely not. Should I get security?"

"Not yet. I'll find out more. Go ahead." He dismisses her and enters the room.

The girl hears his foot steps and looks up at him curiously. "Hi."

"Hi, I'm Dr. Abbot. What is your name, sweetie?"

"Miracle." She turns back to the fox on the wall.

"What a pretty name." He kneels down beside her on his good knee, "Are you here with your family?"

She shakes her head, "I'm here all by myself."

Abbot purses his lips in worry, "Oh yeah? How did you get here?"

"The elevator." She smiles, "I remember the fox from last time and came down all by myself."

"The elevator…" He thinks for a moment. He notices on her chest as a name tag. Similar to his badge was a photo of Miracle and the words PTMC childcare center. Miracle was not a patient or a child of one but a child of an employee at the hospital. He lets out a sigh of relief, "Well, this is a long way from where you belong isn't it?"

Miracle shrinks and clasps her hands together, "I didn't mean to."

"It's okay, sweetie but we'll need to take you back. Don't want your people to worry right?"

"Uh huh." She nods, "My mommy works in the hospital. She helps really sick people."

"You know, I do that too." He smiles, "Why don't we go sit somewhere and call your mommy? Let her know you are okay."

"Okay!"

Abbot stands up and holds out his hand for the girl to hold but she instead holds up both of her arms with the expectation of him to pick her up. He smiles and obliges, carrying her back to the main nurse's station. "I think I know where some stickers are that you can have. Do you like stickers?"

"Yeah!" She squeals.

Miracle had a smile that could melt the coldest hearts. As they walk, she rests her head on Abbot's shoulder. He tries to steel his resolve but his heart swells at the feeling of her little head on his shoulder.

"Oh my, who is this little one?" Lena smiles at the girl.

"This is Miracle. She is a long way from the daycare upstairs."

"Oh Geez. I heard the bathrooms are broke down on their floor so they have to go to a different one." Lena says, "No wonder this little lamb got lost." She pinches the little girl's cheeks. An infectious giggle comes from the girl as she squirms in Abbot's arms.

He sets her down on a stool and takes a look at her tag. It had her full name on it with a phone number underneath. He recognizes it as the ICU floor. He dials it on the office phone.

A soft woman's voice answers in a quiet tone, "ICU?"

"Hi, this is Dr. Abbot here in the ED. I have a sweet little girl named Miracle down here lost from the daycare."

"Oh my god." He can hear the woman panic. Faintly, she tells her colleague, "Thank you Dr. Abbot. I will be down in just a moment."

Before he can respond the line goes dead. It must have been Miracle's mother on the phone, "Good news, Miracle. Your mommy is on the way."

"What about my stickers?" Oh right…

He snaps and opens a random junk drawer and finds some stickers in the bottom. "Here you are."

She takes them from him and rips off one and places it back on his hand. He smiles down at the sticker.

Just a moment becomes a long while as Abbot and Miracle wait. Although young, Miracle was able to keep herself entertained at the desk. She ran out of stickers and Abbot's arms and face had run out of surface area. His staff laugh and take in the adorable sight of Abbot with the little girl.

"Miracle! Oh thank god, you're still here."

"Mommy!"

Abbot whips his head around and feels his heart leap out of his chest. You come flying down the stairs and jog over to the nurse's station. He can't take his eyes off of you as you come around and pick up your daughter.

"What were thinking coming down here all by yourself?"

"I wanted to play with this fox on the wall."

You shake your head and move your eyes to Abbot's sticker riddled body. "Hi… you must Dr. Abbot."

"You'd be correct." He holds his hands behind his back, "Miracle was keeping me company down here."

"I can see that," You giggle, "You have discovered her obsession with stickers. Sorry."

"Not a problem. Anything to keep her entertained."

"I appreciate it. I really do. She has gotten into this adventurous stage of wandering off and I can barely keep up. I'm glad you were able to keep her occupied." Your smile was just as criminal as Miracle's.

"She's welcome back anytime." He waves it off as he tries not to stutter under your sweet gaze.

"Alright then. Say bye to Dr. Abbot, Miracle."

"Bye Dr…. Abby." She giggles.

"Dr. Abby? You're so silly." You tickle her side then you look at him again, "Bye Dr. Abbot."

"Bye Dr. Abbot." Miracle waves as you carry her back up the stairs to the daycare center.

Abbot watches you go with a longing look. He looks down at his arms and chuckles before he starts to meticulously peel them off. It takes a few minutes to do, a few of the stickers leaving a mark.

He thought that would be the last time he would see you and Miracle. The next night, he looks in the Pedes room longingly before continuing on his way back to the hub.

He stops short just a few feet. Then backtracks and looks into the break room to find a familiar figure. Little Miracle was squatting down in front of the vending machine looking through the slot in the bottom.

"Hungry?" Abbot enters the room.

Miracle sheepishly withdraws from the machine and clasps her hands together. A tell that she did when she thought she was in trouble. She looks at the machine then back at Abbot.

"It's okay." He holds his hands out to her. She approaches him quickly and jumps into his arms. He lifts her and rest her on his hip. "It's a bit late for a sugary snack. How about… some goldfish?"

She nods quickly. He smiles at her and opens one of the pantries where some small snacks were available. He grabs out a package of goldfish and hand them to the little girl. Then he takes her back to the nurse's station.

"Little Lamb!" Lena smiles when she see the little girl then the smile turns shit-eating, "She's taking a liking to you, Abbot."

"She was just hungry. She probably saw the vending machine from the last time she was here." He sets Miracle down on a stool. "You are real sneaky, aren't you?"

Miracle shakes her head as she smirks. She continues to eat her crackers without a word. She was very cunning for her age. Able to get away from the daycare staff and get down to the ED without arousing suspicion of being alone. You must really have your hands full with her.

You were a single mother working as an ICU nurse. You transferred from an ICU clinic out of state due to your toxic ex, Miracle's dad. You had taken the job at the PTMC due to their 24 hour daycare program. You were able to spend time with your daughter during the day and without support at home, she would need to come to the hospital to sleep for the night. It was only a few nights a week so it was hard not to pass up.

Not that Abbot knew your situation. It wasn't like, after that night he met you, he asked one of the medical assistants about you during an ICU transfer.

He picks up the phone and dials the ICU line. "ICU?" It's you again. Speaking softly. A mental image pops up in his mind of you speaking that way to him in the morning.

"Uh, this is Dr. Abbot in the ED."

"Hi, are you looking for a bed?"

"No, actually, I have Miracle down here. She seems to have gotten away again."

"You're joking…" You grumble. You mutter to your coworker again. "i've gotta go… the ED… Miracle… yeah again… unbelievable i know…Are you still there Abbot?"

"I am."

"I'll be down in a minute. I am so sorry. See you soon." You say defeated.

"See you…" The line goes dead and Abbot turns his attention back to Miracle.

She spins on the stool without a care. She finished her goldfish while he was on the phone. He grabs an office chair and sits beside her, "Miracle, your mommy is on her way."

She beams at him, "Yay."

"Do you come down here because you like when you mommy comes to pick you up?"

Miracle shakes her head, "My mommy picks me up all the time. I like when you pick me up and we play."

He leans back, "I see. But Miracle, your mommy and I are busy working. We can't play all the time you know that, right? It's night time and you need rest. So while we work, you sleep."

"But I can only see you at night time. Mommy said so."

Abbot chuckles, "What did your mom say?"

"You work night time at the hospital so that means we can only see you at night time. We can't come in the day time."

"Do you ask to see me in the day time?"

She nods. "You are fun to play with."

"You are fun too." He boops her nose, "Do you like to draw?" She nods rapidly. "How about you draw something for us to put up back here?" He grabs some printer paper and some colored pens from the cup of supplies on the desk.

"You draw too." She hands a pen to him.

"I'd love to sweetie but remember what I said? I have to do my work. It's so I don't get in trouble. Ms. Lena will keep an eye on you."

Miracle pouts like a kicked puppy. It tears Abbot's heart to shreds to look at. He bites down on his bottom lip before looking away. Be strong, be strong, he repeats the mantra as he walks away.

It doesn't take long for him to return though and at the same time that he is back at the nurse's station you come jogging down the stairs. "Hello again," He smiles at you.

"Hi," You return the smile and look at Miracle, "She is going to become a permanent resident by the end of the week down here. C'mon little mama."

Miracle jumps from her stool and hides behind Abbot's legs. "No."

You let out a huff and smile awkwardly, "Heh, Miracle, sweetie it's time to say goodbye to Dr. Abbot."

"No." She grabs onto him. She touches a part of Abbot's prosthesis, she hesitates then moves to wrap both her hands around his other leg.

"God, this is so embarrassing." You mutter then you look up at Abbot, "I'm sorry, she is cranky at this point."

"That's okay." He chuckles, "How about I walk her with you to the daycare?"

"Oh, no it's fine. I'm sure they need you down here being the shift attending and all." You tighten your lips. You didn't mean to reveal that. You may or may not have asked a medical assistant about him during an ED transfer.

"It is not a problem. It's Lena that keeps this place running." He turns to Miracle, "If I come with you will you be good for your mommy?"

She nods rapidly and holds her hands up to him. He picks her up and smiles at you, "Shall we?"

"We shall." You lead them to the elevator. As you enter, you hear Miracle whisper to Abbot.

"What happened to your leg?" She cups his ear to whisper but she wasn't too discreet as you still heard her question.

"I got hurt in an accident. My leg was no good so they gave me a new one." He whispers back.

"Does it hurt?"

"Not anymore." He shakes his head, "I eat good and take care of myself to be big and strong." He tickles her side, making her giggle in his ear.

You can't help but smile. His patience with your daughter warmed your heart. It was something about him treating her like a small person and not a nuisance unlike someone you once knew. She was disrupting him at work but he didn't let it bother him. He seemed to enjoy it, actually.

As you walk back to the daycare, you notice Miracle has gone quiet. You look over and see she had fallen asleep on Abbot's shoulder. "That girl is something else." You shake your head.

"She gives you a run for your money." Abbot whispers.

"You have no idea." You sigh, "She has not been infatuated with anything ever until she met you. I've never heard her speak about someone so highly after meeting them once."

"So she says. She told me, she stays awake to play with me."

"All day, non-stop. 'Mommy, you should invite Dr. Abbot to our house to play.' 'Mommy, Is Dr. Abbot at the hospital yet?' 'I got a booboo, Dr. Abbot should help.'" You laugh at yourself then notice Abbot smiling at you. You avert your gaze and stop at the Pre-K door. "This is her." You scan your ID and open the door for Abbot.

He lays her on one of the cots with the other kids. You tuck her in and kiss her forehead. You apologize to the staff and they apologize too. The bathrooms should be finished by tomorrow so hopefully this is the last time Miracle elopes.

You walk with Abbot back to the elevator, "I really can't thank you enough, Dr. Abbot."

"Miracle is a sweetheart. Just as much as I left an impression on her she's left one on me." He holds his hands behind his back as he walks.

"Hopefully, this will be the last of her hijinks and my blood pressure will lower." You take a deep breath. Abbot purses his lips as his heart wilts. You stop in front of the elevator, "This is where we part ways. You've gotta go down and I've gotta go up." You hit the down button, "I'll take the stairs."

"I'll see you around?" He steps on to the elevator.

"At this rate? I'll be seeing you tomorrow." You joke.

You joke but Abbot hoped that it was a promise.

The next night, Miracle appears again. Abbot makes his rounds when he finds her curled up on the couch in the family room. He almost didn't catch her this time if it weren't for the door being propped open by the janitors. He enters the room quietly and sits beside her.

He rubs her back as he tries to rouse her from sleep. The little girl rises out of her ball like state and crawls into his lap and rests on his chest. He sighs and continues to rub her back and rocks her side to side. He pulls out his hospital phone and dials the ICU.

"ICU?" A firm voice speaks. It definitely wasn't you, "Hello?"

"Yes, hi, this is Abbot down in the ED. I've got Miracle down here and was wondering if her mother was available to pick her up."

"Uh…unfortunately she is unavailable at the moment. Are you able to keep an eye on her for some time? She is tending to a patient at the moment. I will pass along the message as soon as I can." There was a wobble of nervousness in the nurse's voice. It was always life or death in the ICU.

"Yeah, I can. Just let her know when you can." He hangs up the phone and continues to rock her. When he knows he has spent too much time he will carry her to the hub.

"Lena, occupy Central 6 for me." He points to the sleeping girl in his arms, "Her mom might take a minute."

"You got it." She opens a tablet and fills in some random information to occupy the room on the status board.

He lays Miracle on the gurney and tucks her under the covers. "Thank you for making me so special." He whispers to her then shuts out the lights and leaves the room closing the door. Through out the hour he keeps an eye on her.

You come down the stairs looking disheveled. Your eyes were puffy, it looked like you had been crying. Abbot approaches beside you and rests his hand on the center of your back, "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, sorry, where is Miracle?" You sniffle.

"Right in here." He leads you into Central 6. You lower the rail on one side of the gurney and pull up a chair to caress Miracle's face as she sleeps. He can see tears fall indiscriminately from your eyes. "Is everything okay?"

You let out a chuckle, "Is everything ever okay in our departments?" He sighs and pulls up another chair to be beside you. "Just before I come down here, every time, I've had to stabilize a patient, or at least try. A different person each time and afterward I'd come right down here and see the smile on my daughter's face like everything is okay. I have to act like I haven't just witnessed the scariest thing 5 minutes before coming to get her. I don't have to brave it when she's at daycare. In my mind, she seems worlds apart from the madness. Safe. I freak out thinking about her down here. What she might see. As if I didn't just watch someone die minutes ago." Abbot hears your voice waver as you speak but you laugh again, "But even still, with you, she is safe. She's so comfortable in your arms like she's known you her whole short life. You make it look so easy." You lean back in your chair and sniffle, "It makes me think I'm not cut out for this."

"Woah, that is a severe overstatement." He leans forward and takes your hand, "Had you not told me, I would have never known what you've done before coming down here. The first time you came down, you had this infectious smile on your face. And Miracle ran into your arms, you didn't falter for a second. Scooped her right in your arms. If you were scared you never showed it. You are her world. She knows you're there for her. You make it look effortless"

You look down at his hand on yours. He gives it an affirming squeeze. It's warm to the touch. "I bet you say that to all the single mothers." You bite back a smile and pull your hand away.

"Usually when they're here they are preoccupied with… you know an emergency?"

You giggle, "Really? None have made a move on you?"

"I fear that is day shift only. At this time of night, I only get the drunks playing grab ass." He sighs.

"Oh poor you," You rub his shoulder. "And here I thought you were like this dangerous and sexy combat medic that flirted with all the moms."

"Dangerous and sexy?"

"The other nurses on my floor say that, at least."

"So you talk about me to other people."

"I had to. I have to make sure the men in my daughter's life aren't dirt bags." You shrug, "They said you were a flirt too. Any defense?"

"I'm playful." He surrenders, "It's only to liven up this dreadful place."

"Right." You purse your lips into a thin smile, "Well, I should probably be taking her back to the daycare." You remove Miracle from the gurney and rest her on your hip, "You have a good rest of your night, Dr. Abbot."

He follows you out of the room, "I hope my playfulness hasn't scared you away from coming back to work."

"Only time will tell, I guess. Maybe I'll consider transferring to the ED and have some fun with you down here instead. " You shoot him a playful wink. He licks his bottom lip as he watches you walk to the elevator and back upstairs.

"She's got you whipped." Ellis shakes her head.

"Both of them do." Lena smirks, "Forget a work wife, he's got a whole work family."

"It's not like that." He waves them off, "Miracle is a troublemaker and her mom—"

"Is the hottest nurse you've ever laid your eyes on?" Ellis cocks an eyebrow, "You're not the only one with eyes, Abbot."

He averts his gaze to the status board, "Do you have anything better to do right now, Ellis? How does triage for the next hour sound?"

"Sounds like I should keep my mouth shut and get back to work." She leans over and mutters to Lena, "See how defensive he got. Whipped."

It had been a week since Miracle's escape attempts. The bathroom in the daycare was up and running again so there was no way for her to escape. Abbot stares at her drawing she had left behind. He missed that little rascal. He missed you too.

When things get slow enough, he decides to try and take a trip up to the daycare to check on Miracle. It was possible that she was sleeping but just seeing her would keep his spirits high. He tells Lena he's going to be out for a few minutes and hits the elevator button.

When the doors open his eyes widen in surprise. You stand there with a smile on your face and a look of surprise yourself. "Hey, I was just coming down to look for you."

"Oh? What for? Patient transfer?"

"No actually," You beckon him onto the elevator, "Miracle is having a hard time sleeping and misses her friend Dr. Abbot. I was wondering if I can steal you for a few minutes to put her to bed." You hit the button for the daycare floor, "Is that okay?"

"Uh yeah… I was actually going to head there."

"Felt a disturbance in the force, Jedi?" You chuckle.

"I just wanted to make sure she was alright."

"You've spoiled her." You say, "Now she can't live without you. It was inevitable, she's imprinted on you like a little duck. You are her mama now."

He laughs. It's a hearty laugh that warms your chest. You can't help but laugh too. The two of you walk out of the elevator side by side and enter the daycare. Miracle lays in her bed and beams when she sees the two of you from the window.

You both enter and sit beside her bed. "Okay, Miracle, this is a one time thing. Dr. Abbot can't come and go whenever you want while you're here." You explain as you tuck her in, "But he did say he missed you too."

She grins at him, "Do you still have my picture, Dr. Abbot?"

"I do. I look at it everyday." He grabs her hand and squeezes it tight.

"Maybe because you miss me we can play not in the hospital." She pouts.

You purse your lips and nod, "Maybe… But Dr. Abbot is super busy—"

"If your mommy says it's okay, I would be more than happy to."

You swivel your head at him in surprise, "You would?"

"Sure," He shrugs, "We can all play together outside of the hospital."

Your face is cooking as he speaks. Was he saying what you think he was saying?

"But that is for your mommy and I to talk about. You, little one, need to sleep." She nods and shuts her eyes. Your eyes are still on him. He notices and smiles, "Did you want to talk about that now?"

"Uh no I just… thought…"

"I was too sexy and dangerous? Or did you still believe I am too playful?"

You bow your head in defeat, "I guess I did."

After Miracle falls asleep the two of you leave. "I am going to be honest. I fully believed that this would be the last we saw of each other. We would go our separate ways, officially." You confess.

"I knew that wouldn't be the case after second time Miracle came to the ER." He chuckles, "I'd find a way to see you again."

"So were you the one sabotaging bathroom maintenance?" You giggle, "If you wanted to meet with me so bad you could have asked. Like you asked Edgar about me."

"You found out about that…" He winces.

"My good looks get me my way up there." You tease, "I'm kidding. When I asked about you he told me you had done the same. So I asked for more information."

"That's when you got the sexy and dangerous thing from."

"Yes, you are really stuck on that." You nudge him, "Don't believe it."

"I just like the way it sounds coming from you. You believe it."

"I do not."

"For a moment you did. In your mind, there was an image of me next to those words."

You cover your mouth as you refrain from laughing out loud, "Alright, what's it going to take for you to not bring that up anymore."

"When are you free?" He asks, "We can go somewhere and have breakfast after work? Or lunch? Go to the park for Miracle."

"Breakfast sounds good." You take out your personal phone, "How about you put in your number and I'll let you know."

"Promise?" He takes your phone and puts in his number

"If I don't you can put me on blast by calling the ICU and bug me. They all need something juicy to keep them entertained." You smile as he hands back your phone, "But I like you. So I won't keep you waiting too long. How does 10am tomorrow sound?"

"Sounds like a deal."

The two of you stop short of the elevator. You bite your lip before leaning in and kissing Abbot's cheek. "This is where we part ways." You hit the down button, "I'll take the stairs. See you at breakfast."

Abbot's cheeks burn as he watches you jog up the stairs. He tries to control his smile in the elevator as to not tip off the others to his glee. He didn't need them spoiling his fun just yet.

˖⋆࿐໋₊ ☆

thank you for reading! likes, comments, and reblogs always appreciated!

at a certain point, people—yourself included—eventually stopped questioning him. the nickname became something natural, something expected. whenever people heard bambi, it was instantly associated with you and michael rather than the 1942 animated film.

“like what?” you ask him.

weird, he wants to say. like you know something he isn’t quite ready to admit yet. like you’ve got him all figured out before he can figure himself it.

“i don’t know. like that.”

“whatever.”

you divert your attention back to the scene in front of you. you were initially watching a movie, but michael’s siblings were drowning out any sound that could’ve been coming from the tv. not like you were paying attention, anyway.

you were engrossed in the discussion they were currently having. it started with jackie boasting about his current girlfriend, then somehow snowballed into a full-blown conversation about the ins and outs of relationships, how to tell when someone likes you, and the ignorance that comes before said relationships.

that was what really caught your attention. they started arguing about who tends to be more oblivious during the courting stage—men or women. while you didn’t give a verbal input, the conversation had you deliberating.

you’ve been harboring a crush on michael for five months, now going on six. you deduced that michael was either heavily unaware or just pretending he didn’t know, with the latter being highly unlikely.

you tried to give him small, yet perceptible signs that you liked him. you didn’t want to be forthright and risk him not feeling the same way, thus ruining your friendship.

your hand would linger on his arm too long whenever he told a joke, you’d throw your legs haphazardly over his whenever you sat together, and you started to put tenfold more effort into your outfits whenever you saw him. you’d usually just put on whatever was comfortable for you, knowing you’d be surrounded by him and his family, whom you’ve known for years.

yet, all of your efforts seemed to go unnoticed. it was never anything more than michael’s eyes concentrating on you whenever your shorts rose too high, or his breath hitching when your hand stayed on him for too long. but it was never anything that directly confirmed his feelings for you.

“i mean, how do you really know when someone likes you back?” jermaine asks.

“when they make it obvious they care, duh.”

suddenly, multiple pairs of eyes are focused on you, michael included. it’s the first thing you’ve added to their conversation all night; it’s no wonder they’re suddenly so interested.

“what you mean?” jackie asks.

“like,” you pause before continuing your sentence, “when they take their time to learn the little things about you. like if someone was to know that my favorite disney movie is bambi.”

“your nickname is literally bambi, girl. that ain’t no secret,” jermaine adds.

you hate that his sentence drags a laugh out of you. you want to be serious to get your point across, but he wasn’t wrong. it definitely wasn’t a secret that one of your favorite movies was bambi, given the nickname that michal designated to you.

“boy, you know what i mean. it’s the little things that matter!”

you add no more to the conversation, having nothing else to say. you’ve verbalized how you feel about something, giving signs that they like you. the small, almost insignificant things mattered more to you than any extravagant declaration of love.

what you failed to notice was the way michael drank in every word of your sentence, intently listening. it was like he was making a mental note of everything that gave you clear indications that somebody liked you, that he liked you.

“d’you like these?”

michael held up a pair of tank tops—pink, teal, and white. you had recently complained to him that you felt like you had a sparse collection of tank tops, and you didn’t know what to do under the blazing heat of the summer sun.

you weren’t asking him anything; you simply needed to complain about your vacant wardrobe. you were planning to take a trip to the mall within the next few days, but by the looks of it, michael beat you to it.

“oh, i love them!”

you throw your arms around his neck, embracing him in a hug. you rock both of you back and forth until he’s laughing and telling you “alright, ma,” and pulling you away from him via your waist.

you’re quick to take the tank tops and hold them up to your frame in his full-body mirror, already envisioning how you’d style them. you were picturing outfits in your mind rapidly.

“mike, these are gonna be so cute!” you exclaim, still holding them up to your body.

“i’m glad you like ‘em. i remember you were telling me how you needed some.”

you throw the hangers carelessly onto michael’s bed. then, you fling your body towards where he’s sitting. he steadies you by your waist, but the two of you still fall backwards against the mattress.

you’re practically smothering him with a hug, your front pressed against his. the room is a mixture of your squeals and his laughter. it’s evident that you’re enjoying the gift and he’s enjoying how content you are with it.

“you’re the best ever. who else would buy me something ‘cause i mentioned it once?”

“i’m the best you’ll ever have, bambi, i know. now please get off me.”

he comes off like the weight of your body is the issue, but it’s not that. the way your breasts were smushed against his chest was distracting, truly. he wouldn’t be able to focus on another word coming out of your mouth if both of you stayed in this position.

you remove your body from his with a groan, sitting back on his bed. he releases a breath he wasn’t aware he was holding once the weight of your chest is lifted from his. this wasn’t the ideal situation for him to have a hard-on, especially when you were so close, and you’d undoubtedly feel it.

“‘m serious, mike. i know it seems small, but it means a lot to me.”

you sound so unalloyed, meaning everything you’re saying. while you did verbalize how much little things meant to you, this was his first time actually experiencing it.

“i got you. don’t worry.”

“turn around. ‘n close your eyes.”

if you didn’t know any better, you’d say that those are the exact words michael would say to you in bed. his arms resting on your hips or holding your arms behind your back as he pistoned into you from behind, ugh!

you do exactly what he says without questioning him. you trusted him more than you trusted anyone else. what’s the worst that could come out of him telling you to turn around and close your eyes?”

you feel a cool metal resting against your neck—a necklace, you presume.

your hands search for the pendant, yet you don’t recognize it. it’s not something as simple as a heart or a bow. it almost feels like an initial, but you’re not sure.

“open your eyes.”

once you do, you look down, and to your not-so-surprise, your necklace is adorned by your initial.

two weeks ago, your initial necklace clasp had broken, rendering it useless. you weren’t surprised because it was a cheap necklace, but you were sad about it nonetheless.

you hadn’t even told michael it was broken. you hadn’t complained as you did about your lack of tank tops. you simply stopped wearing the necklace and thought about when you’d feel like going to get another one.

“mike!” you squeal.

you hug him like you usually do when you’re this happy—arms around his neck and body pressed all the way into his. his arms wrap around your waist like it’s second nature.

“you always get me the best gifts ever,” you gush.

he pats your waist twice before responding. “‘course i do. you think i don’t pay attention?”

“i think you pay too much attention.”

you both laugh, but it wasn’t much of a joke. michael had a habit of noticing the most minuscule of things, sometimes even before you noticed them.

your mind drifts back to the conversation you had with jackie and jermaine. michael does the exact things you’d look for in a partner. it feels weird to think about your best friend in a romantic light, but he literally checks off all your metaphorical boxes when it comes to what you want in a partner.

he’s attentive, caring, and so gentle. ugh, you should not be thinking about your best friend like this! especially when there are no clear signs that he returns your feelings.

you’d either have to get over it or tell him how you felt. you were going with the former option until further notice.

“i’m always paying attention to you, bambi.”

maybe you weren’t going crazy.

maybe your suspicions, your theories, were being confirmed in real time.

maybe, just maybe, there was a chance that michael liked you back.

recently, you’ve been pondering his actions lately. you said it was the little things that matter to you, that made you know when someone actually liked you.

ever since that conversation, you feel like michael’s been noticing every little thing in your life. your lack of tank tops, when your necklace broke, hell, he even knows how you’re feeling before you do!

was this something you could pass off as platonic, or were your dreams coming true? did your best friend reciprocate your feelings after all?

there was only one real way for you to find out. although you refused to admit your feelings to him outwardly, you weren’t against beating around the bush to figure out a thing or two.

michael’s lying on his bed with you next to him. your legs and thrown over his lap and he’s rubbing his hands up and down them.

a movie’s playing, but neither of you are paying much attention to it. you’ve been too engrossed in the conversation you’ve been having to worry about what was playing on michael’s box television.

“i think i’m really bad at reading people at times.”

it’s not your everyday statement, but you and him are talking about a little bit of everything right now. topics have ranged from the film you’re watching—which should really be the main topic of discussion—plans for the summer, and how you’re not fond of people who don’t pick up social cues.

“what makes you say that?” he questions you.

“i dunno. like i don’t know how someone’s feeling unless they, like, directly tell me.”

michael’s silent for a long moment. you conclude that he needs time to fully articulate himself before giving you a verbal response.

“so you couldn’t guess how i’m feeling right now?”

“absolutely not,” your reply is instant, “you’re happy right now? i have no clue.”

“sounds about right. maybe you ain’t too bad at reading people,” he jests.

“it’s different ‘cause you’re my best friend and i’m with you all of the time.”

“yeah,” michael mutters. his voice is quiet, different from the noisy tone of voice he usually takes when speaking to you.

“what?” you ask him.

he suddenly got quiet after you called him your best friend and stated that you spent the majority of your time with him. quiet in an extremely unusual way—your michael was nothing less than loud.

“it’s nothin’.”

“don’t be weird, mike.”

he doesn’t look directly at you, still failing to respond to you.

“mike,” you nudge his shoulder with your hand, “stop bein’ weird.”

“i’m not being weird.”

“you are! we were jus’ talkin’ and then you went all quiet on me.”

“what else am i ‘posed to say when you call me your best friend?”

you’re unable to formulate a response for a long moment. if you weren’t mistaken, michael just inadvertently admitted that he didn’t like being referred to as your best friend, even if that’s what he is at the moment.

“what?”

“forget it.”

michael pushes your legs off his, moving to stand up from his sitting position on the bed. before he’s able to get far, you’re tugging him back down to sit beside you. you refused to let this conversation end abruptly and so awkwardly.

“i’m not forgettin’ shit, mike. talk to me like a normal person.”

“don’t cuss at me.”

you roll your eyes because of course, that’s what he cares about in the moment.

“what did you mean by that?” you ask him.

if you had to endure another moment of silence—michael taking far too long to respond to you—you’d be ripping your hair out from the scalp. you wanted to have a cohesive conversation without long moments of silence.

“i mean that i don’t jus’ wanna be your best friend. you talk about how the little things make it clear that somebody likes you back, but i do the little things, and nothing comes of it. forget i said anything—“

you place your hand on his thigh, dangerously high, to prevent him from speaking any further. his breath hitches, but he quickly regains his composure.

“i said all of that ‘cause i wanted you to notice.”

it felt like an invisible weight had been lifted from your shoulders. not only did michael confirm his feelings for you, but you were also able to express how you’ve been feeling for what feels like forever. but in reality it was half a year.

“believe when i tell you i noticed, bambi. the tank tops ‘n the necklace? i was a day away from buying you some versace.”

you slap his shoulder in chide, though it’s not nearly enough to hurt him. “why didn’t you tell me earlier?”

“‘cause there was always a chance you didn’t like me back. i didn’t wanna risk it and then lose you forever.”

“d’awhh, you’re so sweet. you could never lose me,” you smush your cheek against the side of his arm, gazing up at him through your lashes.

michael would be melting right now if he had no self-restraint. you’re the sweetest thing he’s ever seen, and he can’t believe he has you in his bedroom confessing your feelings to him.

he can’t help but think of everything else you could be doing in his room right now. he’s spent months, bordering on a year, thinking about what you’d look like underneath him.

writhing, whining out his name. he’d give you anything you’d ask for if you looked up at him through your eyelashes like you’re doing now. he’d go down on you for hours, or he would watch your facial expressions as you fell apart on his dick.

“‘cause i’d never allow myself to lose you, bambi,”

upon hearing his words, you sit on your knees to press a chaste kiss to his lips. the feeling of your mouth on his is gone as quickly as it came.

michael’s flushed, but not more than you. someone would assume you were doing far more lurid activities, given the bashful look on your face.

“what was that?” he asks you.

“a kiss. you didn’t like it?”

“i think i need another one to come to a conclusion.”

you lean up to press another fleeting kiss to michael’s lips, but his hand is holding your face and he’s forcing your lips open before you can fully comprehend. his tongue presses against yours, your hands fly up to his hair, tugging on a few strands.

the groan he lets out is the fuel you need to continue. without breaking the kiss, michael effortlessly moves you so that you’re sitting on his lap.

you’re the first to pull away, fearing you’d lose yourself when you and michael had just figured everything out.

“mike…”

“‘m sorry bambi, i couldn’t help myself,” he grins at you.

you couldn’t be mad at him even if you tried. you definitely weren’t expecting him to deepen the kiss, but his hands on your waist and his lips on yours were enough to erase any previous ire.

“we jus’ got together ‘n all, i don’t wanna move too fast. plus your whole family is downstairs right now.”

“i wouldn’t care if the entirety of california was downstairs right now. nothin’ matters if i get to have you.”

your head drops to his neck as if that would actually hide you from him. you feel like you could traverse the entire state and he’d still be able to locate you, no matter what.

“don’t be embarrassed, bambi. we won’t do anythin’ until you’re ready.”

you let out a sigh of relief, making the mistake of thinking anything michael said would permanently put your mind at ease.