p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"- Reader's P.O.V. -/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"I practically ran to the dining room, Mike in tow behind me. As soon as I a id="PXLINK_6_0_5" class="pxInta" style="outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; cursor: pointer; color: #1c7dff !important; text-decoration: underline !important; border-top-width: 0px !important; border-right-width: 0px !important; border-left-width: 0px !important; border-bottom-color: #1c7dff !important; display: inline !important; background-color: transparent !important; padding: 0px 0px 1px !important 0px;" href=" /works/3838924/chapters/11488006#"entered/a the room, Chica grabbed me in a bone breaking hug. br /"I'm so, so, so, so sorry, (y\n)!" she screeched. br /"Chica... Can't... Breathe," I gasped /She yelped and dropped me, a guilty expression a id="PXLINK_5_0_4" class="pxInta" style="outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; cursor: pointer; color: #1c7dff !important; text-decoration: underline !important; border-top-width: 0px !important; border-right-width: 0px !important; border-left-width: 0px !important; border-bottom-color: #1c7dff !important; display: inline !important; background-color: transparent !important; padding: 0px 0px 1px !important 0px;" href=" /works/3838924/chapters/11488006#"clear/a on her face. "S-sorry...," she /"Chica, it's OK," I reassured her. "Mike and I are both fine. I told you everything would be OK."br /"But it's not OK, is it...," Freddy murmured, his voice barely a /I creased my brow in confusion. "What do you mean?"br /"I mean it's not OK!" he shouted suddenly before breaking down in choked sobs. "I-i almost killed you guys," he cried, voice /"It's not just you though, Freddy. It's happening to all of you. And it's not your fault," I spoke, trying to calm /"I don't think it's just that, (y\n)," Goldie said quietly. "We know what's happening."br /"You do?!" we all gasped /"That's great!" I exclaimed. "That means we can finally a id="PXLINK_2_0_1" class="pxInta" style="outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; cursor: pointer; color: #1c7dff !important; text-decoration: underline !important; border-top-width: 0px !important; border-right-width: 0px !important; border-left-width: 0px !important; border-bottom-color: #1c7dff !important; display: inline !important; background-color: transparent !important; padding: 0px 0px 1px !important 0px;" href=" /works/3838924/chapters/11488006#"start/a getting to the bottom of things!"br /Goldie shook his head solemnly. "No, it's not great. There's not a positive aspect to it. It just proves that we're all doomed. Freddy and I know this, and once the others hear the truth, they'll know too."br /I gulped nervously but steeled myself, saying, "Well, at least tell us what it is."br /"I-it's the shadows," Freddy murmured. "T-they've been inhabiting our suits at night and controlling us."br /I frowned and sighed heavily. "It's just as I suspected," I /"Wait, you already knew about this?" Mike asked, /"I didn't know about it," I said. "I suspected it as a possibility. I'd heard of the shadows and figured that was the closest lead. I suppose tonight just proves it. But are you guys absolutely sure?"br /"We're positive, (y\n)," Goldie stated /"I-i saw him," Freddy whispered, shuddering. "He went inside of me! H-he just took control of me as if it was nothing!"br /Goldie wrapped an arm around Freddy and hugged him a id="PXLINK_1_0_0" class="pxInta" style="outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; cursor: pointer; color: #1c7dff !important; text-decoration: underline !important; border-top-width: 0px !important; border-right-width: 0px !important; border-left-width: 0px !important; border-bottom-color: #1c7dff !important; display: inline !important; background-color: transparent !important; padding: 0px 0px 1px !important 0px;" href=" /works/3838924/chapters/11488006#"close/a, patting his head gently. Freddy curled into Goldie's chest and sobbed quietly, oily tears streaming his /There's one thing I don't understand, though," muttered Marionette. "If there's only two of them, how are they able to control all of us? And why doesn't it happen during the day?"br /"I'm pretty sure I know that a id="PXLINK_4_0_3" class="pxInta" style="outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; cursor: pointer; color: #1c7dff !important; text-decoration: underline !important; border-top-width: 0px !important; border-right-width: 0px !important; border-left-width: 0px !important; border-bottom-color: #1c7dff !important; display: inline !important; background-color: transparent !important; padding: 0px 0px 1px !important 0px;" href=" /works/3838924/chapters/11488006#"answer/a," said Goldie. "Firstly, they're apparitions. They're not bodies like the rest of us. That means they're probably able to divide themselves and divvy control amongst more than one of us. Secondly, they're shadows. And everyone knows shadows work best in the darkness. So I imagine that daylight drains them. And besides, since when have the animatronics been known to hurt customers?"br /"Ye mean besides the bite o '87?" Foxy muttered /"Well, we know how the operate," I said, ignoring his comment. "Now how do we stop them?"br /"That's the thing," said Goldie. "You can't stop them. They're ghosts. You can't hurt them. You can't get rid of them. Owners have tried for years and none of them have succeeded."br /I shook my head and said, "Well, I'm going to have to try something tonight."br /"Tonight?!" Bonnie shrieked. "You can't honestly tell us you're planning on coming back! (Y\n), we'll kill you!"br /"Bonnie, I have to. I can't just ignore the problem and it's not like I can let someone else come in and take the beating. That's irresponsible of me and could mean someone innocent getting killed," I sighed in /"But what if you get hurt? Or what if we k-kill you? You know from experience that each night gets harder," whimpered /I nodded and said, "I do know that, Chica. But it's a risk I'll just have to take."br /"Why can't you do like last night?" pleaded Marion. "You said yourself that two sets of eyes are better than one."br /"Guys, I'm not asking Mike to stay another night. We made a deal. He kept his side of the bargain and now it's my turn to keep my side." I turned to Mike and said, "You're free to go. I won't keep you here any longer. You're welcome to come back tomorrow morning and we can discuss you moving to the a id="PXLINK_3_0_2" class="pxInta" style="outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; cursor: pointer; color: #1c7dff !important; text-decoration: underline !important; border-top-width: 0px !important; border-right-width: 0px !important; border-left-width: 0px !important; border-bottom-color: #1c7dff !important; display: inline !important; background-color: transparent !important; padding: 0px 0px 1px !important 0px;" href=" /works/3838924/chapters/11488006#"day shift/a. But you don't have to remain a night guard."br /He bit his lip and looked down, seeming as if he was contemplating something. I cocked to my head to the side in confusion. "Mike? You can go now."br /He shook his head and cursed under his breath before he looked up at me, determination in his eyes. "I'm not leaving," he stated /I creased my brow. "I don't understand."br /"I said I'm not leaving," he repeated a little louder. "I'm not just going to walk away and let you get yourself killed. (Y\n), this is obviously something you can't just deal with alone. You need someone to help you and at the moment, I'm the best person for the job. I agree with Mary, the best way to go about this for now is for us to work together."br /"But Mike, you could get yourself killed!" I argued stubbornly. "I can't let that happen. I'd never forgive myself if something happened to you."br /"Damn it, (y\n), I don't care! I love you and I'm staying here with you!" he shouted, face turning slightly /I blushed and gaped openly, mouth opening and closing a few times and weak stutters leaving my lips. Mike stood there a moment, breathing heavily, before his slip registered and he turned scarlet from embarrassment. "Gah! (Y\n), I didn't mean!... What meant was... It's just that... Uh...," he went silent again and hung his /"You... Love me?" I asked quietly, staring up at Mike with wide /"I... W-well i... Um... Ah, screw it," he growled before roughly grabbing my shoulders and pulling me toward him, smashing his lips against mine. I squeaked in surprise and blushed darkly, initially tensing up, before relaxing into the kiss. My eyes fluttered close and I found myself leaning into him, slowly kissing back. After a few moments, we released for air, panting slightly. "Does that answer your question?" he asked, a small smirk gracing his /I nodded slowly and dumbly replied, "U-uh huh..."br /He smiled and wrapped his arms around my waist, hugging my close together. Setting his chin on top of my head, he said, "We'll get through this together, OK? You don't have to do this alone. I'll be here for you and I'm going to do whatever I can to help you figure this out. I promise."br /I hugged him back and leaned my head against his chest. "Thank you, Mike," I murmured softly. "This really means a lot to me."br /Cue the animatronics. Freddy and Goldie both started whistling and Chica squealed, shrieking, "Omigosh I ship it so hard!"br /I blushed darkly and hid my face in Mike's shirt while Mike was blushing as well and trying to look at anything but the animatronics. Mary snickered and said, "Hey, Foxy, looks like you've got some competition."br /"We not be likin each other like that!" he shouted, glaring at Mary while I giggled. br /Mike nudged me and I saw him wearing a confused expression. "Competition?"br /I grinned and said, "The others always liked to poke fun at Foxy, saying he had a crush on me."br /I !wanted forward and whispered, "He doesn't really, does he?"br /I laughed and said, "Of course not, silly."br /While we were joking and laughing, I heard someone clear their throat. I looked up and noticed Candace standing there awkwardly, a few other employees shuffling by behind her. "Um... Am I interrupting something?"br /I quickly separated from Mike and smoothed my clothes. "Of course not. What do you need, dear?"br /"Well, the other entrances are locked and we're supposed to be getting supplies in today and you're the only one with the keys," she said /I nodded and quickly pulled the keys out of my pocket, tossing them to her. "Here, you know what to do." She nodded and headed on to unlock the /"(Y\n), would you mind if I make a suggestion?" asked /"Of course, Mike. Go ahead," I replied, smiling /"Why don't you take a day off today? I know you're tired. I certainly am. You need the rest and I'm sure you'll want some time too try and figure out what to do tonight."br /I bit my lip and looked away. "I don't know. I really don't feel comfortable just leaving on short notice."br /"Please, (y\n)? You need to sleep," Mike /"You haven't taken a day off since you started working here. You deserve it," added /"Not to mention it'll give you extra to e to get acquainted with your new boyfriend," snickered Mary, winking playfully. br /"I can cover for you!" shouted Candace from somewhere in the /I sighed in exasperation and said, "All right, all right, I'll go, OK? Happy now?"br /"Very," murmured Mike, nuzzling my hair. br /I blushed darkly and began pulling him toward the e trance to leave. "Behave, you guys! We'll be back at 11."br /"OK, (y\n)! See ya!" they /I chuckled and shook my head. Mike took my hand and I looked down at our intertwined fingers before gazing up at this smiling face. He kissed my forehead and said, "Let's go get some rest."br /I nodded and yawned. "Definitely. Your place or mine?"br /A look of panic crossed his face and he quickly responded, "Let's got to your place!"br /I snickered and said, "Typical bachelor pad, huh?"br /He grinned sheepishly and replied, "I guess you could say that."br /I laughed and shook my head, saying, "My place it is." We walked over to my car and climbed in, buckling ourselves into the seat. br /We drove in silence for a while when I noticed his eyes on me for a while. I glanced over self consciously and said, "What?"br /"You never responded, you know," he said /I creased my brow in confusion, "What do you mean? Respond to what?"br /"When I said I loved you," he clarified. "You never said if you love me back."br /I blushed darkly and mentally face palmed. "O-oh..." I went quiet for a few moments and I could sense Mike growing worried by the silence. I finally responded, "Yes, Mike, I do love you. A lot, really. I liked you the moment you walked through the door. You're sweet, kind, caring, a hard worker, and you help people. And I really appreciate that." I smiled at him and reached over, lacing my fingers with /He smiled back at me and kissed the back of my hand. "I'm so very happy to hear that, (y\n). You mean a lot to me."br /I went back to silence until we got to my place. I put the car in park and looked over at Mike. "Well, this is it."br /I smiled a little and said, "This is a nice little house you've got here."br /"Thanks," I responded before opening the door. Mike got out behind me and followed me into the house. "Can I get you anything? Something to eat or drink?"br /He shook his head and smiled. "I'm good, thanks. Honestly, I just want to get some sleep. I'm exhausted."br /I nodded and said, "You and me both. Well, I don't have a guest bedroom, but you're welcome to have my bed."br /Mike shook his head and quickly replied, "Don't be ridiculous, (y\n). I'm not going to take your bed. I'll just sleep on the couch. That's what I have at my apartment anyway."br /I stubbornly shook my head and growled, "Mike Schmidt, there is no way I am going to let you sleep on my couch. As long as you're here, you're going to get a decent rest."br /He crossed his arms stubbornly and asked, "Fine then. What do you propose?"br /I bit my lip in contemplation, a small blush rising to my cheeks. "Well,... We could share the bed, I guess..."br /He blushed a little too and said, "Oh... That works I suppose." He cleared his throat and extended his hand. "Shall we, milady?"br /I giggled and took his hand, leading him to my room. When we entered,I went and sat on the bed cross legged, facing him. I pointed and said, "There's a bathroom down the hall. You're welcome to shower. I'll was your clothes for you too, if you'd like. You saw the kitchen when we entered. You're more than welcome to get whatever you want from it."br /He nodded and came over, sitting beside me. He picked me up, causing a small yelp to escape my lips, and sat me on his lap, holding me against his chest. There was something oddly comforting about being held like this, as if nothing bad could happen. He nuzzled his face into my hair and sighed softly. Turning my face toward his, he kissed my lips gently and murmured, "Let's get some sleep."br /I gulped, my heart fluttering wildly, but nodded slowly. "O-ok."br /He smiled and pulled me down with him, his arm wrapped around my waist and my back pressed against him. Hugging me closer, he yawned a little and said, "Good night, (y\n)." br /I sighed contentedly and settled into the position, smiling softly. "Good night, Mike."br /So this is what love feels like./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"I practically ran to the dining room, Mike in tow behind me. As soon as I a id="PXLINK_6_0_5" class="pxInta" style="outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; cursor: pointer; color: #1c7dff !important; text-decoration: underline !important; border-top-width: 0px !important; border-right-width: 0px !important; border-left-width: 0px !important; border-bottom-color: #1c7dff !important; display: inline !important; background-color: transparent !important; padding: 0px 0px 1px !important 0px;" href=" /works/3838924/chapters/11488006#"entered/a the room, Chica grabbed me in a bone breaking hug. br /"I'm so, so, so, so sorry, (y\n)!" she screeched. br /"Chica... Can't... Breathe," I gasped /She yelped and dropped me, a guilty expression a id="PXLINK_5_0_4" class="pxInta" style="outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; cursor: pointer; color: #1c7dff !important; text-decoration: underline !important; border-top-width: 0px !important; border-right-width: 0px !important; border-left-width: 0px !important; border-bottom-color: #1c7dff !important; display: inline !important; background-color: transparent !important; padding: 0px 0px 1px !important 0px;" href=" /works/3838924/chapters/11488006#"clear/a on her face. "S-sorry...," she /"Chica, it's OK," I reassured her. "Mike and I are both fine. I told you everything would be OK."br /"But it's not OK, is it...," Freddy murmured, his voice barely a /I creased my brow in confusion. "What do you mean?"br /"I mean it's not OK!" he shouted suddenly before breaking down in choked sobs. "I-i almost killed you guys," he cried, voice /"It's not just you though, Freddy. It's happening to all of you. And it's not your fault," I spoke, trying to calm /"I don't think it's just that, (y\n)," Goldie said quietly. "We know what's happening."br /"You do?!" we all gasped /"That's great!" I exclaimed. "That means we can finally a id="PXLINK_2_0_1" class="pxInta" style="outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; cursor: pointer; color: #1c7dff !important; text-decoration: underline !important; border-top-width: 0px !important; border-right-width: 0px !important; border-left-width: 0px !important; border-bottom-color: #1c7dff !important; display: inline !important; background-color: transparent !important; padding: 0px 0px 1px !important 0px;" href=" /works/3838924/chapters/11488006#"start/a getting to the bottom of things!"br /Goldie shook his head solemnly. "No, it's not great. There's not a positive aspect to it. It just proves that we're all doomed. Freddy and I know this, and once the others hear the truth, they'll know too."br /I gulped nervously but steeled myself, saying, "Well, at least tell us what it is."br /"I-it's the shadows," Freddy murmured. "T-they've been inhabiting our suits at night and controlling us."br /I frowned and sighed heavily. "It's just as I suspected," I /"Wait, you already knew about this?" Mike asked, /"I didn't know about it," I said. "I suspected it as a possibility. I'd heard of the shadows and figured that was the closest lead. I suppose tonight just proves it. But are you guys absolutely sure?"br /"We're positive, (y\n)," Goldie stated /"I-i saw him," Freddy whispered, shuddering. "He went inside of me! H-he just took control of me as if it was nothing!"br /Goldie wrapped an arm around Freddy and hugged him a id="PXLINK_1_0_0" class="pxInta" style="outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; cursor: pointer; color: #1c7dff !important; text-decoration: underline !important; border-top-width: 0px !important; border-right-width: 0px !important; border-left-width: 0px !important; border-bottom-color: #1c7dff !important; display: inline !important; background-color: transparent !important; padding: 0px 0px 1px !important 0px;" href=" /works/3838924/chapters/11488006#"close/a, patting his head gently. Freddy curled into Goldie's chest and sobbed quietly, oily tears streaming his /There's one thing I don't understand, though," muttered Marionette. "If there's only two of them, how are they able to control all of us? And why doesn't it happen during the day?"br /"I'm pretty sure I know that a id="PXLINK_4_0_3" class="pxInta" style="outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; cursor: pointer; color: #1c7dff !important; text-decoration: underline !important; border-top-width: 0px !important; border-right-width: 0px !important; border-left-width: 0px !important; border-bottom-color: #1c7dff !important; display: inline !important; background-color: transparent !important; padding: 0px 0px 1px !important 0px;" href=" /works/3838924/chapters/11488006#"answer/a," said Goldie. "Firstly, they're apparitions. They're not bodies like the rest of us. That means they're probably able to divide themselves and divvy control amongst more than one of us. Secondly, they're shadows. And everyone knows shadows work best in the darkness. So I imagine that daylight drains them. And besides, since when have the animatronics been known to hurt customers?"br /"Ye mean besides the bite o '87?" Foxy muttered /"Well, we know how the operate," I said, ignoring his comment. "Now how do we stop them?"br /"That's the thing," said Goldie. "You can't stop them. They're ghosts. You can't hurt them. You can't get rid of them. Owners have tried for years and none of them have succeeded."br /I shook my head and said, "Well, I'm going to have to try something tonight."br /"Tonight?!" Bonnie shrieked. "You can't honestly tell us you're planning on coming back! (Y\n), we'll kill you!"br /"Bonnie, I have to. I can't just ignore the problem and it's not like I can let someone else come in and take the beating. That's irresponsible of me and could mean someone innocent getting killed," I sighed in /"But what if you get hurt? Or what if we k-kill you? You know from experience that each night gets harder," whimpered /I nodded and said, "I do know that, Chica. But it's a risk I'll just have to take."br /"Why can't you do like last night?" pleaded Marion. "You said yourself that two sets of eyes are better than one."br /"Guys, I'm not asking Mike to stay another night. We made a deal. He kept his side of the bargain and now it's my turn to keep my side." I turned to Mike and said, "You're free to go. I won't keep you here any longer. You're welcome to come back tomorrow morning and we can discuss you moving to the a id="PXLINK_3_0_2" class="pxInta" style="outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; cursor: pointer; color: #1c7dff !important; text-decoration: underline !important; border-top-width: 0px !important; border-right-width: 0px !important; border-left-width: 0px !important; border-bottom-color: #1c7dff !important; display: inline !important; background-color: transparent !important; padding: 0px 0px 1px !important 0px;" href=" /works/3838924/chapters/11488006#"day shift/a. But you don't have to remain a night guard."br /He bit his lip and looked down, seeming as if he was contemplating something. I cocked to my head to the side in confusion. "Mike? You can go now."br /He shook his head and cursed under his breath before he looked up at me, determination in his eyes. "I'm not leaving," he stated /I creased my brow. "I don't understand."br /"I said I'm not leaving," he repeated a little louder. "I'm not just going to walk away and let you get yourself killed. (Y\n), this is obviously something you can't just deal with alone. You need someone to help you and at the moment, I'm the best person for the job. I agree with Mary, the best way to go about this for now is for us to work together."br /"But Mike, you could get yourself killed!" I argued stubbornly. "I can't let that happen. I'd never forgive myself if something happened to you."br /"Damn it, (y\n), I don't care! I love you and I'm staying here with you!" he shouted, face turning slightly /I blushed and gaped openly, mouth opening and closing a few times and weak stutters leaving my lips. Mike stood there a moment, breathing heavily, before his slip registered and he turned scarlet from embarrassment. "Gah! (Y\n), I didn't mean!... What meant was... It's just that... Uh...," he went silent again and hung his /"You... Love me?" I asked quietly, staring up at Mike with wide /"I... W-well i... Um... Ah, screw it," he growled before roughly grabbing my shoulders and pulling me toward him, smashing his lips against mine. I squeaked in surprise and blushed darkly, initially tensing up, before relaxing into the kiss. My eyes fluttered close and I found myself leaning into him, slowly kissing back. After a few moments, we released for air, panting slightly. "Does that answer your question?" he asked, a small smirk gracing his /I nodded slowly and dumbly replied, "U-uh huh..."br /He smiled and wrapped his arms around my waist, hugging my close together. Setting his chin on top of my head, he said, "We'll get through this together, OK? You don't have to do this alone. I'll be here for you and I'm going to do whatever I can to help you figure this out. I promise."br /I hugged him back and leaned my head against his chest. "Thank you, Mike," I murmured softly. "This really means a lot to me."br /Cue the animatronics. Freddy and Goldie both started whistling and Chica squealed, shrieking, "Omigosh I ship it so hard!"br /I blushed darkly and hid my face in Mike's shirt while Mike was blushing as well and trying to look at anything but the animatronics. Mary snickered and said, "Hey, Foxy, looks like you've got some competition."br /"We not be likin each other like that!" he shouted, glaring at Mary while I giggled. br /Mike nudged me and I saw him wearing a confused expression. "Competition?"br /I grinned and said, "The others always liked to poke fun at Foxy, saying he had a crush on me."br /I !wanted forward and whispered, "He doesn't really, does he?"br /I laughed and said, "Of course not, silly."br /While we were joking and laughing, I heard someone clear their throat. I looked up and noticed Candace standing there awkwardly, a few other employees shuffling by behind her. "Um... Am I interrupting something?"br /I quickly separated from Mike and smoothed my clothes. "Of course not. What do you need, dear?"br /"Well, the other entrances are locked and we're supposed to be getting supplies in today and you're the only one with the keys," she said /I nodded and quickly pulled the keys out of my pocket, tossing them to her. "Here, you know what to do." She nodded and headed on to unlock the /"(Y\n), would you mind if I make a suggestion?" asked /"Of course, Mike. Go ahead," I replied, smiling /"Why don't you take a day off today? I know you're tired. I certainly am. You need the rest and I'm sure you'll want some time too try and figure out what to do tonight."br /I bit my lip and looked away. "I don't know. I really don't feel comfortable just leaving on short notice."br /"Please, (y\n)? You need to sleep," Mike /"You haven't taken a day off since you started working here. You deserve it," added /"Not to mention it'll give you extra to e to get acquainted with your new boyfriend," snickered Mary, winking playfully. br /"I can cover for you!" shouted Candace from somewhere in the /I sighed in exasperation and said, "All right, all right, I'll go, OK? Happy now?"br /"Very," murmured Mike, nuzzling my hair. br /I blushed darkly and began pulling him toward the e trance to leave. "Behave, you guys! We'll be back at 11."br /"OK, (y\n)! See ya!" they /I chuckled and shook my head. Mike took my hand and I looked down at our intertwined fingers before gazing up at this smiling face. He kissed my forehead and said, "Let's go get some rest."br /I nodded and yawned. "Definitely. Your place or mine?"br /A look of panic crossed his face and he quickly responded, "Let's got to your place!"br /I snickered and said, "Typical bachelor pad, huh?"br /He grinned sheepishly and replied, "I guess you could say that."br /I laughed and shook my head, saying, "My place it is." We walked over to my car and climbed in, buckling ourselves into the seat. br /We drove in silence for a while when I noticed his eyes on me for a while. I glanced over self consciously and said, "What?"br /"You never responded, you know," he said /I creased my brow in confusion, "What do you mean? Respond to what?"br /"When I said I loved you," he clarified. "You never said if you love me back."br /I blushed darkly and mentally face palmed. "O-oh..." I went quiet for a few moments and I could sense Mike growing worried by the silence. I finally responded, "Yes, Mike, I do love you. A lot, really. I liked you the moment you walked through the door. You're sweet, kind, caring, a hard worker, and you help people. And I really appreciate that." I smiled at him and reached over, lacing my fingers with /He smiled back at me and kissed the back of my hand. "I'm so very happy to hear that, (y\n). You mean a lot to me."br /I went back to silence until we got to my place. I put the car in park and looked over at Mike. "Well, this is it."br /I smiled a little and said, "This is a nice little house you've got here."br /"Thanks," I responded before opening the door. Mike got out behind me and followed me into the house. "Can I get you anything? Something to eat or drink?"br /He shook his head and smiled. "I'm good, thanks. Honestly, I just want to get some sleep. I'm exhausted."br /I nodded and said, "You and me both. Well, I don't have a guest bedroom, but you're welcome to have my bed."br /Mike shook his head and quickly replied, "Don't be ridiculous, (y\n). I'm not going to take your bed. I'll just sleep on the couch. That's what I have at my apartment anyway."br /I stubbornly shook my head and growled, "Mike Schmidt, there is no way I am going to let you sleep on my couch. As long as you're here, you're going to get a decent rest."br /He crossed his arms stubbornly and asked, "Fine then. What do you propose?"br /I bit my lip in contemplation, a small blush rising to my cheeks. "Well,... We could share the bed, I guess..."br /He blushed a little too and said, "Oh... That works I suppose." He cleared his throat and extended his hand. "Shall we, milady?"br /I giggled and took his hand, leading him to my room. When we entered,I went and sat on the bed cross legged, facing him. I pointed and said, "There's a bathroom down the hall. You're welcome to shower. I'll was your clothes for you too, if you'd like. You saw the kitchen when we entered. You're more than welcome to get whatever you want from it."br /He nodded and came over, sitting beside me. He picked me up, causing a small yelp to escape my lips, and sat me on his lap, holding me against his chest. There was something oddly comforting about being held like this, as if nothing bad could happen. He nuzzled his face into my hair and sighed softly. Turning my face toward his, he kissed my lips gently and murmured, "Let's get some sleep."br /I gulped, my heart fluttering wildly, but nodded slowly. "O-ok."br /He smiled and pulled me down with him, his arm wrapped around my waist and my back pressed against him. Hugging me closer, he yawned a little and said, "Good night, (y\n)." br /I sighed contentedly and settled into the position, smiling softly. "Good night, Mike."br /So this is what love feels like./p