Rose & Thorn|M.A. x Reader !!!ON HIATUS TIL AUGUST 10 2024!!!

Chapter 13| Could it be I'm falling in love

2 days until the party...

Greif was an interesting thing. 

The weight of grief felt heavier and more suffocating. It was a strange and overwhelming sensation, as if every cell in your body was revolting against you. Your chest felt tight and constricted, as if your lungs were struggling to expand and contract with each breath. The pain in your stomach was like a constant, gnawing hunger that would never be satisfied. Every nerve in your body felt raw and exposed, as if the slightest touch could cause excruciating agony. 

The waves of grief came crashing down upon you like a violent storm, each one more intense and detailed than the last. You wanted nothing more than to escape the pain, to rip out your eyes and cut off your nerves so that you couldn't feel anything anymore. The death of someone so close to you felt like a betrayal, as if the universe had conspired to tear apart your very being. 

You held yourself tightly, afraid that if you let go even for a moment, you would fall apart completely. 

And yet, even as you clung to yourself, you felt empty and hollow. It was as if a part of you had been ripped away, leaving nothing but a void in its place and the time stretched on, each minute feeling like an eternity, as you struggled to come to terms with the reality of your loss.

This was how Y/N was feeling. She lay in Michael's bed as he hummed a gentle tune and strummed his guitar lightly. The vinyl on the record player was turned down a great deal, making it hard to hear over the loud heartbeat in Y/N's ears.

"Michael?" That was the first word she'd said in a long while.

"Yes, doll?" He looked up at her with sympathy in his electric blue, almost silver eyes.

"Could you turn it up?" Her voice was barely a whisper, lost in the wind, drowned out by everything else. 

He smiled at her. "Of course." Then he did something slightly unexpected. He rolled in his chair over to Y/N and took her hand gently. "Will ya dance with me Y/N?" 

Her brain, lungs, stomach, and body screamed no, and to pull back.

But her heart said yes.

"Yes... I'd love to." She stood up slowly, almost falling, but luckily she caught herself.

Michael turned up the player louder and restarted the song. He looked in her direction. His eyes sparkled as he took Y/N's hands and guided them around his neck. She put her hands around her waist in a position they were both comfortable with. They gently swayed, back and forth, left and right, side to side.

The music scratched slightly, but overall it was an amazing song. Michael began to softly sing the lyrics with the voice that Y/N had grown to love.

"Since I met you, I've begun to feel so strange
Every time I speak your name
That's funny, you say that you
Are so helpless too
That you don't know what to do
Each night I pray there will never come a day
When you up and take your love away
Say you feel the same way too
And I wonder what
It is I feel for you..."

Y/N sang the soft melody in the background quietly, as she buried her head in the crook of Michael's neck.

"Could it be I'm falling in love?"

"With you, baby...."

"Could it be I'm falling in love, Could it be I'm falling in love?"

"With you
With you
With you..."

Now you and Michael sang together, opposite voices in perfect harmony.

"I don't need all those things that used to bring me joy
You've made me such a happy boy
And honey, you'll always be
The only for me
Meeting you was my destiny
You can be sure I will never let you down
When you need me I'll be around
And darling you'll always be
The only for me
Heaven made you specially
Could it be I'm falling in love
With you, baby
Could it be I'm falling in love
Could it be I'm falling in love
With you
With you
With you
With you
And darling you'll always be
The only for me
Heaven made you specially
Could it be I'm falling in love
With you, baby
Could it be I'm falling in love
I want to know now, baby
Could it be I'm falling in love
With you
With you
With you
With you
I walk around with my heart in my hands, hey
I walk the street as long as I can, baby
I used to sing Fa-fa-fa-fa
But right now I feel so good, I sing la-la-la-la
Once you get me up, won't let me down
Just let this feeling carry me on
Skip the beats with my heart girl...."

Y/N and Michael dragged out the last harmonization as the song ended and the vinyl needle gently scraped against the ridges in the black disc. You looked into each other's eyes. Y/N could almost see the electric sparks as they stared each other down.

Michael began to lean in gently, cupping her cheeks with his hand and nearly breathing the same air as her.

He tucked some hair behind her ear. His hold on her was gentle and completely enticing. His hands were warm against her face and surprisingly soft. She could feel the callouses from the guitar on his fingertips that grazed her S/C skin. He leaned in closer, noses almost touching.

"May I?"

She panicked in the dim room and just in time, William knocked on the door. Michael pulled away reluctantly and Y/N sat back down on his full-size bed, her cold legs hanging off. She shivered as the warmness Michael provided to her melted away, replaced with a dry and dull feeling. She felt exposed again.

"Come in!" Michael called. William stepped in with a small Liz poking out from behind his legs. She saw Y/N and immediately ran into her arms, bursting into tears. 

"Y/N! Y/N! He's gone how could he do this to me? I miss him so much I want him so bad..." Liz sobbed into Y/N's chest and clutched her tightly. William gently picked up Liz and held his daughter, much smaller compared to the 6'3 man holding the 4'6 child. "Now, now, Eliza, I know, I know it's hard." He swayed her gently.

"Dinner's downstairs. Also, Michael, you left Evan at the diner yesterday completely unattended. He bumped his head pretty hard. He and Fredbear are downstairs eating sweets, erm, candy." William whispered as Liz continued to cry.

Y/N gasped lightly. "Oh, Mr. Afton! I'm so so sorry! So sorry!" William chuckled. "No worries, Love, you're dealing with stuff." Y/N thanked him and moved out of the room oddly slowly to Michael's judgement. 

"Last thing before you go downstairs Michael, he just got back after retrieving his Fredbear, and he's really shaken up for some reason. Some little twats were bulling him as he was walking home. Also said Fredbear was teleporting everywhere. I think the poor boy's gone mental..."

Michael nodded and went downstairs, tailing after Y/N

Evan was already in her lap laughing animatedly as Y/N giggled softly along with him. She was crying but Evan didn't notice. 

Michael was slightly jealous that Y/n was loving on Evan so much. He knew it was wrong and was a tad bit ashamed about it. He needed to release some stress. He hadn't smoked or drank in a while.

"Y/N I'll be in the back if you know what I mean." She nodded. "I'll be there soon." Michael recovered his secret stash and went off to his spot.

It seemed like such a nice and peaceful day. It was unfair. Why does everyone else get to keep living and leading a normal life when Y/N couldn't? She was the sweetest, prettiest, kindest, and most loyal person he knew.

Without a doubt, he was starting to like this girl.