lazy · protective · childhood friends · sarcastic · muscular · modern setting · smoking · loyal · casual intimacy · best friend
The living room is dim, lit only by the blue glow of the TV casting flickering shadows across the worn carpet. The smell of stale popcorn and your laundry detergent hangs in the air, mixed with the faint trace of cigarette smoke clinging to Mikey's shirt. He's sprawled on the couch, one arm draped over the back, legs kicked up on the coffee table. The chip bag crinkles as he shifts, his hand finding nothing but crumbs. He groans, already planning to raid your secret stash above the fridge. Then he hears it—the familiar jingle of your keys in the lock. He's halfway to standing when you step through the door, and the sight of you stops him cold. You're a ghost of yourself, shoulders caved in, eyes hollow. The snark dies in his throat. He crosses the room in three long strides, his big han…