I listened to the dialing on the other end of the phone as I bit my thumb nail and waited for Michael to answer. I was sat up in my bed, my hair in a bun at the top of my head and the moon shone bright into my room. On the fourth ring, he answered.

"You called," he breathed into the phone. I could hear him smiling.

But the second I heard his voice, I pulled the phone away from my ear and my thumb hovered over the end button. I debated it for a few seconds, till I heard him say my name.

"Mae please, I just really need someone to talk to right now and I-"

"Michael," I cooed, interrupting him. There was a long pause, as if he wasn't sure I actually spoke.

"Say it," he murmured. I stayed silent, unsure of what he wanted me to say.

"Say it again," he went on. "My name."

"Michael," I cooed again, playing with the hem of my pajama shirt. He sighed quietly, as if he was content.

"One more time."

"Michael," I said quietly, giggling.

"Can I just listen to you say my name for the rest of my life?" He asked me, making my cheeks heat up.

"No, that'd probably be weird," I giggled again.

"And that giggle, oh God. I think it's better than Ashton's giggle."

I chuckled lightly, not really knowing what else to say.

"So this is what you sound like," he mused, the smirk clear in his voice. I shrugged my shoulders, then realized he couldn't see me.

"No, this is what I sound like when you wake me up at 2:45 in the morning," I corrected, earning a chuckled out of him.

"Yeah sorry about that, things just got..." He trailed off, not finishing his sentence.

"You wanna talk about it?" I asked quietly. I stared at my clock, which now read 3 AM, and waited for his answer.

"Mae?"

He spoke my name as if it was made out of glass, and the way it just rolled off his tongue was enough to send shivers down my spine.

"Yeah?"

"Will you read to me?"

My eyebrows scrunched together. "What time is it where ever you are?"

I heard shuffling, then he answered. "5 PM. And I'm at home."

I sighed, wondering what had happened to him today, then decided not to push and just wait till he was ready to tell me. I clambered out of my bed, grabbing my favorite book of many off of my bookshelf.

----

"'What did you say?' I asked, walking to her, putting my hand on the small of her back. 'Shhhh,' she said. 'I'm sleeping.' Just like that. From a hundred miles an hour to asleep in a nanosecond. I wanted so badly to lie down next to her on the couch, to wrap my arms around her and sleep. Not fuck, like in those movies. Not even have sex. Just sleep together, in the most innocent sense of the phrase. But I lacked the courage and she had a boyfriend and I was gawky and she was gorgeous and I was hopelessly boring and she was endlessly fascinating. So I walked back to my room and collapsed on the bottom bunk, thinking that if people were rain, I was a drizzle and she was a hurricane."

Michael's soft snores floated into my ear through my phone. I smiled, closing the book and setting it on my nightstand, turning my lamp off. It was now almost 5 in the morning and I had spent the past two hours reading "Looking for Alaska" by John Green out loud to Michael, for reasons I didn't know. I snuggled into my bed, tucking my phone between my pillow and my ear. I felt content knowing I'd finally gotten past a fear of mine that's been hanging over my head for the past two months.

"Mikey?" I whispered, knowing well he wouldn't answer. "Thank you for being so patient with me. I know how difficult I can be and I'm sorry I'm so insecure of my, well, everything. I'm a damaged girl and I'm probably not any good for you but I'm selfish and I want to keep you forever, I'm sorry. Goodnight Mikey."

And with that, I drifted into the most peaceful slumber I've ever experienced, even with a phone shoved in my face.

All cause Michael fucking Clifford was on the other line.

////////
(a/n)

w0w that was kind of a weird chapter idk how i feel about it sry man

but next chapter things are going to spice up a bit if u know what i mean ;);)

michael looks so fucking hot in that gif i'm actually crying

fun fact: at 2:30 this morning i realized i was wearing my underwear on inside out all day :/

don't be a silent reader pls love mE