Chapter Text
21:42 | ♟️: hey quick question while im sitting in the bathroom stalling
21:42 | im at a squad hangout rn and my friend stepped outside onto the balcony alone
21:43 | should i go out there and talk to him or leave him alone ?
21:45 | M: go outside
it's polite
21:46 | ♟️: okay but its freezing out there!! like actually zero degrees
21:46 | if i freeze to death u owe me a hot chocolate
21:47 | what if he went out there specifically to get away from everyone including me ??
21:50 | M: u overthink everything
just go
he probably went outside for some air
he won't mind u
i hope
21:52 | ♟️: alr going
The heavy bass of a Drake track hummed through the velvet-lined walls of the private suite, vibrating through the plush carpet underfoot. Inside, Phonzy and Aleks were taking turns screaming lyrics into a karaoke mic near the main projector screen, while Dayot and Tom were mid-match on a heated FIFA setup across the room, shouting over every near-miss goal.
Jamal washed his hands, dried them on a towel, and slipped out of the bathroom. Before heading back into the noisy lounge, he grabbed Michael’s oversized black designer zip-up off the back of the sofa and shoved his arms into the sleeves.
He pushed the heavy glass door open and stepped out onto the balcony. A wave of sharp, biting autumn air hit his cheeks instantly. Michael was standing near the stone railing, his glass resting on the ledge, looking out over the glittering Munich skyline. He looked entirely peaceful away from the indoor chaos, his sharp profile silhouetted against the night lights. Hearing the door slide open, Michael turned his head slightly, his dark eyes instantly landing on Jamal wrapped tightly in his jacket.
A soft, amused smirk touched Michael’s lips. "Bro stealing my clothes again?"
"It's freezing out here, Mike," Jamal grumbled, shivering as he walked over to stand right next to him at the railing. "And I'm keeping you company so you don't look lonely."
"I wasn't lonely," Michael said smoothly, his voice low and calm. But as a cold gust of wind blew past the terrace, Michael reached out, his thumb casually catching the edge of Jamal’s oversized zipper, pulling it up all the way to Jamal’s chin to block the wind.
His knuckles lightly brushed against the underside of Jamal’s jaw - a touch that sent a sudden heat straight down Jamal's spine.
Michael stepped half an inch closer, leaning his hip casually against the stone ledge right beside Jamal, shielding him from the harshest part of the breeze.
"Better?" Michael murmured, looking down at him through the dark.
"Yep," Jamal whispered, his fingers tightening in the deep pockets of Michael’s jacket. He looked out toward the city lights, terrified that if he looked Michael in the eye, his pounding heart would betray him. They stood there side-by-side in comfortable, easy silence for a long time. Every few seconds, Jamal's arm brushed against Michael's shoulder.
He's just being nice, Jamal kept repeating in his head like a mental mantra. He lets everyone borrow his stuff. That's all.
And yet, as Michael subtly leaned his shoulder against his, staying close in the freezing air just to keep him warm, Jamal felt a heavy, terrifying realization settle in his chest: he was falling way deeper than he was ever supposed to.
01:15 | ♟️: okay im back home now
01:20 | M: how was it
did yall talk
01:22 | ♟️: yep we did
it was weird
different actually
01:22 | M: wdym weird
ur scaring me
01:23 | ♟️: i dont know
i mean at some point
his hand brushed my chin for like a second and im actually losing my mind rn
01:27 | M: oh
woah that was unexpected?
01:29 | ♟️: yeah…
01:29 | it was jst so quiet and nice yk
01:30 | we didnt even talk that much
01:30 | js stood there together
01:31 | but my heart was beating so fast the entire time i thought he could hear it lol
01:32 | i wish i wasnt so scared to tell him how much i like having him around
01:35 | M: u don't have to be scared
01:36 | they notice more than u think
01:38 | ♟️: u think he notices
01:39 | what if he just thinks im needy or annoying for wearing his stuff ??
01:42 | M: trust me
he doesn't think u are annoying
ur not im telling u
01:45 | ♟️: u always know what to say to make me feel better
01:46 | how are things with ur coworker anyway
u havent talked about him tonight
01:49 | M: he's fine
01:50 | we were together js a few hrs ago
01:53 | ♟️: awwhh so sweet
01:54 | bro u need to tell him u like him fr
01:54 | at least one of us will be successful lmaoo
01:57 | M: ehh
working on it
get some rest
02:00 | ♟️: goodnight M
02:01 | thanks for telling me to go outside on the balcony earlier
02:04 | u give the best advice fr
02:04 | talk tmr!!
02:07 | M: goodnight