Day Seventeen - My Heart Stops 2/6 - M2 - PG
Title: My Heart Stops 2/6
Author: anyothergirl415
Characters/Pairing: CWRPS - Mike/Misha
Theme: Nano Table
Prompt: 13 - benefit
Rating: PG
Words: ~1,700
Summary: Mike is accustomed to people who do things only to benefit themselves, so shamelessly judging Misha? It can’t be helped.
Notes: Second part to the story. Part One is here.
After the entrance Mike made in his first class, he assumed the rest of his day was going to be the same quiet catastrophe. He had a piece of paper for each teacher to inform them of his situation and it was always interesting to watch the reactions, watched people try and figure out how to handle that information. Not being able to talk was something Mike had always been adjusted too and sometimes he forgot other people just weren’t prepared to handle it.
He’d probably never forget the look in Misha’s eyes because it wasn’t the mix of sympathy and curiosity most people had. Instead it was… Mike couldn’t name it. Like Misha wanted to suddenly grab Mike and hug him but not because he felt bad, maybe because he felt some weird pull to him.
It wasn’t like anything Mike was used to.
It was certainly a million times better than the circumstances that had led to his family uprooting from the town he’d grown up in and moving to this small town where he knew no one.
At lunch Mike slipped out of the cafeteria shortly after watching Misha initiate a food fight and came to a slightly disappointing conclusion. Misha was the school clown, the one to lead everyone he could into mischief. And that wasn't the path Mike wanted to walk. After all, being mute didn't mix well with attention seeking.
And maybe Mike had felt that unusual pull but Misha most likely had his own benefit in mind. Who better to tease than the boy that couldn't fight back?
So the next day, when Mike showed up school to find Misha waiting at his locker, his steps understandably faltered.
Misha smiled bright and warm at Mike and half waved as he approached. "Hey, you left so fast yesterday I didn't get to talk to you."
Frowning slightly Mike shrugged and slowly turned the lock. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Misha shift in place and when he looked back up the boy's smile had dimmed. Mike sighed and twisted his bag around, pulling out his iPad and the custom stylist.
Sorry. My mom was waiting.
"It's okay," Misha said quickly once he'd read the note and handed it back. "Do you wanna hang out at lunch?"
Frown still in place Mike considered the request then lifted his hand, sticking out his thumb and pinkie. The look on Misha’s face was only confusion and Mike huffed in an inaudible sigh. He pulled up the iPad once more and scribbled quickly, handing it back to Misha.
“Why?” Misha read aloud and Mike wondered if he was thinking about the way Mike had formed his hand. “I don’t know. ‘Cause I want to get to know you? We could talk… or well, I could talk and you could write. And we could get to know each other.” Misha’s smile was cautiously optimistic, his fingers tracing along the edge of the iPad.
Mike knew very well what it felt like to get burned by people who wanted to get to know him. Sure it sounded like a good idea to befriend someone with a disability but the novelty wore off pretty quickly and people tended to either pull away or use it against him and Mike was starting fresh, he didn’t want to go down that path again.
So what made him dip his head in a slow agreeing nod was beyond him. Maybe Mike was too nice and maybe that pull toward Misha made him want to give the boy a chance.
Misha grinned and handed the electronic pad back. "I'll meet you here at lunch."
Before Mike could nod Misha turned and shipped down the hall, a wave of laughter following him. Mike was pretty sure he was getting in over his head.
-=-=-=-
Sure enough, Misha was waiting for him in the same place come lunch. Mike was pleased even if he'd mildly been expecting the boy to not show.
"Let's go off campus, I've got a car." Misha grinned, stepping to the side so Mike could get in his locker.
As they walked out of school Mike scribbled on his iPad, frowning slightly and handing it to Misha. It probably wasn't nice to automatically think the worst of the boy but he had to be careful.
If you don't want to be seen with me you can just say. I'm used to it.
"That's not the case." Misha frowned over at him and dropped his arm over Mike as if to prove his point. "Just, if we eat here people will expect... just know that's not what I mean by taking you out okay?"
Mike slowly nodded, curious about what Misha wasn't saying. But he would wait to ask because they were at Misha’s Jeep and Mike had a thing about writing while driving. It took fifteen minutes to get to Burger King and get their food. Mike thought they would eat inside but Misha went through the drive-thru and took them to the park after, pulling into a spot in the lot and smiling as he turned his Jeep off.
Looking down, Mike wrote once more on the pad and handed it to Misha, busying himself with sorting through the food as Misha read and considered his answer.
Why do you do that? With the food fight and the water balloons. The class clown thing.
“I don’t know,” Misha finally said, sighing softly. “Guess I always have, and people just expect it now or something. You ever just get stuck a certain way?”
Mike arched his eyebrows and took a large bite of his burger. Like he really had to be asked that question.
Misha laughed and shook his head. “Yeah okay, I guess you do. I can’t imagine not talking, that would just… it must be really hard.”
Setting his burger down, Mike took the pad back and cleared the screen before writing more. It is. But then if you never knew an alternative, it doesn’t really matter as much.
“Good point. Probably would be worst to lose your voice later. And I suppose it could be worse. Not being able to see would really suck. Or hear, god. I can’t imagine.” Misha unwrapped his burger and looked up at Mike, pursing his lips. “Was that sort of an asshole thing to say? I didn’t mean it to be that way.”
Eyes widening, Mike cleared the screen once more and shook his head, silently laughing. He sort of hated his silent laughter, always so sure it made him look stupid, so he kept his eyes down and snatched his burger when Misha took the pad.
Not asshole. You just don’t know. It’s hard to understand things you don’t know a lot about. Why do you want to be friends with me?
Misha hummed softly and shoved the last of his burger into his mouth, crumbling up the ball and tossing it in the bag. “I like you. You’re cute, and kind of mysterious. And I guess there’s just something about you… makes me want to spend time with you.”
Crumbling the wrapper of his own burger, Mike slowly placed it in the bag before looking up once more. Misha was smiling at him, his bright blue eyes sparkling in the sunshine, and Mike felt something he had never felt before. A little flutter in his heart and the desire to lean forward and kiss that bright smile.
You think I’m cute?
“Very cute.” Misha murmured and popped some French fries in his mouth, still grinning at Mike. “Do you have a boyfriend? Or girlfriend?”
Choking on a drink of Coke, Mike flushed and looked up at Misha, shaking his head rapidly. Apparently Misha wasn’t beating around the bush, and apparently he had some things in mind that Mike hadn’t anticipated. Now that he was thinking about it though, it made heat crawl through Mike so fast it was almost painful.
Misha’s smile was soft now; maybe he was reading more into Mike’s blush than Mike really wanted him too. “Do you like boys?”
It was probably weird but Mike didn’t really think about that kind of stuff. Sure he thought about dating someone but he’d always imagined it would be in college, when people were a little less judgmental, and maybe he’d find someone who knew sign language so he wouldn’t have to write out everything. So, Mike had long since resigned himself to not dating in high school and Misha being interested now completely threw him.
“Do you not like boys?” Misha’s smile faded now and he blushed. “I’m sorry, that was really- shit, you probably feel all weird now ‘cause I’m just kind of-“
Mike interrupted him by smacking his arm. It wasn’t the best tactic but at least it got the boy to stop fumbling over back tracking. He silently laughed once more and scribbled on the pad, handing it over quickly.
I like boys. Just not used to people liking me. You’re kind of throwing off my norm.
“Oh.” Misha’s grin returned with full force as he looked up from the pad. “Good. God, I was worried. Sorry. I’m a bit of a spaz.”
That was certainly something Mike had already noticed. It also made the boy adorable but he’d kept that fact to himself.
“So, will you go out with me on Friday?” Misha asked softly, reaching out to lay a hand over Mike’s arm. “On a date.”
Mike stared down at the hand on his arm for a long moment before following it up the length of Misha’s arm, to his shoulder, and fixing on his face. He probably shouldn’t they were still trying to unpack and his mom was a little overprotective, but something about the genuine care in Misha’s eyes had him slowly nodding.
“Great. Friday it is. I’ll pick you up at seven. Now, grab that pad of yours and write down the Mike 411.” Misha pulled his hand back but Mike could still feel the pressure and warmth and that was enough to make him smile.
Part Three
Author: anyothergirl415
Characters/Pairing: CWRPS - Mike/Misha
Theme: Nano Table
Prompt: 13 - benefit
Rating: PG
Words: ~1,700
Summary: Mike is accustomed to people who do things only to benefit themselves, so shamelessly judging Misha? It can’t be helped.
Notes: Second part to the story. Part One is here.
After the entrance Mike made in his first class, he assumed the rest of his day was going to be the same quiet catastrophe. He had a piece of paper for each teacher to inform them of his situation and it was always interesting to watch the reactions, watched people try and figure out how to handle that information. Not being able to talk was something Mike had always been adjusted too and sometimes he forgot other people just weren’t prepared to handle it.
He’d probably never forget the look in Misha’s eyes because it wasn’t the mix of sympathy and curiosity most people had. Instead it was… Mike couldn’t name it. Like Misha wanted to suddenly grab Mike and hug him but not because he felt bad, maybe because he felt some weird pull to him.
It wasn’t like anything Mike was used to.
It was certainly a million times better than the circumstances that had led to his family uprooting from the town he’d grown up in and moving to this small town where he knew no one.
At lunch Mike slipped out of the cafeteria shortly after watching Misha initiate a food fight and came to a slightly disappointing conclusion. Misha was the school clown, the one to lead everyone he could into mischief. And that wasn't the path Mike wanted to walk. After all, being mute didn't mix well with attention seeking.
And maybe Mike had felt that unusual pull but Misha most likely had his own benefit in mind. Who better to tease than the boy that couldn't fight back?
So the next day, when Mike showed up school to find Misha waiting at his locker, his steps understandably faltered.
Misha smiled bright and warm at Mike and half waved as he approached. "Hey, you left so fast yesterday I didn't get to talk to you."
Frowning slightly Mike shrugged and slowly turned the lock. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Misha shift in place and when he looked back up the boy's smile had dimmed. Mike sighed and twisted his bag around, pulling out his iPad and the custom stylist.
Sorry. My mom was waiting.
"It's okay," Misha said quickly once he'd read the note and handed it back. "Do you wanna hang out at lunch?"
Frown still in place Mike considered the request then lifted his hand, sticking out his thumb and pinkie. The look on Misha’s face was only confusion and Mike huffed in an inaudible sigh. He pulled up the iPad once more and scribbled quickly, handing it back to Misha.
“Why?” Misha read aloud and Mike wondered if he was thinking about the way Mike had formed his hand. “I don’t know. ‘Cause I want to get to know you? We could talk… or well, I could talk and you could write. And we could get to know each other.” Misha’s smile was cautiously optimistic, his fingers tracing along the edge of the iPad.
Mike knew very well what it felt like to get burned by people who wanted to get to know him. Sure it sounded like a good idea to befriend someone with a disability but the novelty wore off pretty quickly and people tended to either pull away or use it against him and Mike was starting fresh, he didn’t want to go down that path again.
So what made him dip his head in a slow agreeing nod was beyond him. Maybe Mike was too nice and maybe that pull toward Misha made him want to give the boy a chance.
Misha grinned and handed the electronic pad back. "I'll meet you here at lunch."
Before Mike could nod Misha turned and shipped down the hall, a wave of laughter following him. Mike was pretty sure he was getting in over his head.
-=-=-=-
Sure enough, Misha was waiting for him in the same place come lunch. Mike was pleased even if he'd mildly been expecting the boy to not show.
"Let's go off campus, I've got a car." Misha grinned, stepping to the side so Mike could get in his locker.
As they walked out of school Mike scribbled on his iPad, frowning slightly and handing it to Misha. It probably wasn't nice to automatically think the worst of the boy but he had to be careful.
If you don't want to be seen with me you can just say. I'm used to it.
"That's not the case." Misha frowned over at him and dropped his arm over Mike as if to prove his point. "Just, if we eat here people will expect... just know that's not what I mean by taking you out okay?"
Mike slowly nodded, curious about what Misha wasn't saying. But he would wait to ask because they were at Misha’s Jeep and Mike had a thing about writing while driving. It took fifteen minutes to get to Burger King and get their food. Mike thought they would eat inside but Misha went through the drive-thru and took them to the park after, pulling into a spot in the lot and smiling as he turned his Jeep off.
Looking down, Mike wrote once more on the pad and handed it to Misha, busying himself with sorting through the food as Misha read and considered his answer.
Why do you do that? With the food fight and the water balloons. The class clown thing.
“I don’t know,” Misha finally said, sighing softly. “Guess I always have, and people just expect it now or something. You ever just get stuck a certain way?”
Mike arched his eyebrows and took a large bite of his burger. Like he really had to be asked that question.
Misha laughed and shook his head. “Yeah okay, I guess you do. I can’t imagine not talking, that would just… it must be really hard.”
Setting his burger down, Mike took the pad back and cleared the screen before writing more. It is. But then if you never knew an alternative, it doesn’t really matter as much.
“Good point. Probably would be worst to lose your voice later. And I suppose it could be worse. Not being able to see would really suck. Or hear, god. I can’t imagine.” Misha unwrapped his burger and looked up at Mike, pursing his lips. “Was that sort of an asshole thing to say? I didn’t mean it to be that way.”
Eyes widening, Mike cleared the screen once more and shook his head, silently laughing. He sort of hated his silent laughter, always so sure it made him look stupid, so he kept his eyes down and snatched his burger when Misha took the pad.
Not asshole. You just don’t know. It’s hard to understand things you don’t know a lot about. Why do you want to be friends with me?
Misha hummed softly and shoved the last of his burger into his mouth, crumbling up the ball and tossing it in the bag. “I like you. You’re cute, and kind of mysterious. And I guess there’s just something about you… makes me want to spend time with you.”
Crumbling the wrapper of his own burger, Mike slowly placed it in the bag before looking up once more. Misha was smiling at him, his bright blue eyes sparkling in the sunshine, and Mike felt something he had never felt before. A little flutter in his heart and the desire to lean forward and kiss that bright smile.
You think I’m cute?
“Very cute.” Misha murmured and popped some French fries in his mouth, still grinning at Mike. “Do you have a boyfriend? Or girlfriend?”
Choking on a drink of Coke, Mike flushed and looked up at Misha, shaking his head rapidly. Apparently Misha wasn’t beating around the bush, and apparently he had some things in mind that Mike hadn’t anticipated. Now that he was thinking about it though, it made heat crawl through Mike so fast it was almost painful.
Misha’s smile was soft now; maybe he was reading more into Mike’s blush than Mike really wanted him too. “Do you like boys?”
It was probably weird but Mike didn’t really think about that kind of stuff. Sure he thought about dating someone but he’d always imagined it would be in college, when people were a little less judgmental, and maybe he’d find someone who knew sign language so he wouldn’t have to write out everything. So, Mike had long since resigned himself to not dating in high school and Misha being interested now completely threw him.
“Do you not like boys?” Misha’s smile faded now and he blushed. “I’m sorry, that was really- shit, you probably feel all weird now ‘cause I’m just kind of-“
Mike interrupted him by smacking his arm. It wasn’t the best tactic but at least it got the boy to stop fumbling over back tracking. He silently laughed once more and scribbled on the pad, handing it over quickly.
I like boys. Just not used to people liking me. You’re kind of throwing off my norm.
“Oh.” Misha’s grin returned with full force as he looked up from the pad. “Good. God, I was worried. Sorry. I’m a bit of a spaz.”
That was certainly something Mike had already noticed. It also made the boy adorable but he’d kept that fact to himself.
“So, will you go out with me on Friday?” Misha asked softly, reaching out to lay a hand over Mike’s arm. “On a date.”
Mike stared down at the hand on his arm for a long moment before following it up the length of Misha’s arm, to his shoulder, and fixing on his face. He probably shouldn’t they were still trying to unpack and his mom was a little overprotective, but something about the genuine care in Misha’s eyes had him slowly nodding.
“Great. Friday it is. I’ll pick you up at seven. Now, grab that pad of yours and write down the Mike 411.” Misha pulled his hand back but Mike could still feel the pressure and warmth and that was enough to make him smile.
Part Three