All of Me

ii. hypnotize

Putting on his headphones, he began his journey; taking the subway, crossing through streets, and running across alleys. Upon turning right, there he saw the apartment, his uncle's apartment, standing out from the rest of the rooms, with his speakers blaring music and warm lights dancing around.

Uncle Aaron was lounging on his couch, relishing in the calm ambience. He took out his phone and saw a text from his nephew. He opened his inbox, seeing a photo of him with a caption "I'M WATCHIN' YOU!!" along with various stickers. He smirked good-naturedly, looking to where exactly Miles would be standing.

And there he was, standing right outside his window, pressing his face against it and making funny faces.

Half an hour of eating a meal together, the two find themselves talking as Uncle Aaron washed the dishes while Miles sparred with his uncle's punching bag, though not very competently. "What's up with school?" Aaron asked from the sink.

"Going great. Got tons of friends," Miles answered quickly, but Uncle Aaron could pick out the sarcasm from his reply. He wiped his hands on the towel and made his way over to the punching bag, holding it for Miles.

"You can't tell me it's all that bad there..." he said, "Smart girls is where it's at. Place must be full of 'em." He chuckled.

Miles let out a nonchalant chuckle. "No, there's no one. There's no one."

Except, of course, for the one he can't take his eyes off of.

Uncle Aaron strolled to the microwave to retrieve a bowl of popcorn. "Aye, but what 'bout that Y/n chick you've been kickin' it with? Anything happening there?"

"Y/n?" Miles echoed, his movement momentarily pausing as he processed the question. He chuckled softly, a hint of a blush dusting his cheeks. "Nah, she's just a friend, you know? We hang out, talk, nothing more than that." He shrugged, trying to play it cool, though his heart might have been racing just a bit.

"Yo, I cannot have a nephew of mine on the streets with no game."

"Hey, I got game!" The younger boy protested, wanting to prove to his uncle that he's got it covered. "Me and Y/n? We're cool, you know. We hang out all the time– aye, she even got me coffee this morning! And she took me up to the roof, like just the two of us. Maybe she's into me... or something," he concluded his rambling, easing onto the couch with a shrug. He picked up his sketchbook and doodled some pieces onto the page.

Aaron chuckled, clearly entertained by Miles' attempt to play it smooth. "Seems like she's diggin' you," he agreed, joining Miles on the couch and popping open the bag of popcorn. You know about the shoulder touch?"

He paused his drawing. "Of course I do!" Miles exclaimed, but then his voice softened. "But, uh, tell me anyway."

"Tomorrow... track down that girl, stroll up to her, and just be like..." He rested his hand on Miles' shoulder, tilting slightly with a sly look. His eyes half-lidded, and he raised an eyebrow with practiced finesse – the classic shoulder touch. "Hey."

Miles couldn't suppress a snort of amusement at the whole act. He playfully swatted Aaron's hand away. "You serious, Uncle Aaron?"

Aaron remained undeterred, a grin tugging at his lips. "I'm telling you, man. It's science."

He scoffed playfully, a glint of amusement in his eyes. "So, I should just walk up to her and be like..." He mimicked Aaron's move, but with a humorous twist. "Hey."

"No no no no...-like—" he tried again, adding a bit more flair. "Hey."

"Hey..."

Aaron chuckled at his effort. "No. Heyyy."