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When Norton went out to ‘get some fresh air’, he didn’t mean ‘finding Mike on the floor drunk out of his mind’.
The blond’s cheeks were rosy from the intoxication, and when Norton crouched down to check on him, he opened his eyes slightly only to close them again and let out a woozy sigh.
Norton knew Mike went to parties a lot. he often saw him around at parties held by mutual friends, mingling around with a grin on his face and a cup held loosely between three slender fingers. This one was no different, with his sister, Margaretha as the host, except for the fact that he looked like he was about to pass out or throw up simultaneously.
sure, Mike was rowdy, but Norton had never seen him more than a little tipsy. even then, he was as articulate as ever, chatting away at everything and anything with the closest crowd he could find. remarkably, he was surprised when he saw the petite figure on the ground, clutching a half-empty bottle of rosé.
‘Mike? you good?’ Norton pushed his curly locks out of the way, brushing against a sweaty forehead. he reflexively jerked away when a shaky hand grabbed his wrist, but felt guilty as he was hit with a stare of disorientation.
‘Nooorr...toonnn?’ Mike’s words were slurred as he struggled to focus on the man in front of him. Norton’s heart skipped a beat; he cursed himself for getting distracted by how innocent Mike looked at that moment. but he never saw him like this, looking so vulnerable and oblivious. gone was the endearingly loud demeanour and bad jokes, leaving space for himself to be actually seen as a person with feelings and problems.
Norton knew; he knew it all along—Mike put up a cheerful, jokester facade so people saw him no more than a social butterfly. he was insecure; when they left the crowd heading to the bar one night and his shit-eating grin disappeared the second they stepped away, when he stayed silent in the lift ride instead of cracking another of his jokes, when he would always slip away at times and appear before his eyes again. Norton knew that there was something deeper to him than just a moodmaker.
‘are you okay?’ Norton asked. Mike sighed, his breath sweet from the aftertaste of alcohol. Norton gulped, suddenly aware of their proximity and the hand still clutching at his wrist.
‘yyeeeesss,’ Mike didn’t sound very convincing. Norton cocked a brow.
‘let’s get you up first. hup hup,’ he hoisted Mike up slowly, the blond reluctantly standing up and leaning into him, the bottle of rosé still in his hand.
‘smells..nnnice…’ Mike sniffed, his head half-buried in Norton’s chest. Norton stiffened, not used to casual affection. he didn’t like physical contact unless he initiated it, the skin-to-skin uncomfortable for him. but he let Mike stay there. probably because he was drunk and had no idea what he was doing, but also because he was—well, Mike.
‘i’ll hold that for ya, okay?’ Norton tried prying the bottle out of Mike’s grasp. he was surprisingly insistent about holding onto the bottle, but with a few coaxes, Norton managed to win him over.
setting the bottle aside, he walked down the hallway, his hand on Mike’s waist to prevent him from tripping over air every two steps they took. it wasn’t that hard, considering how Mike wasn’t heavy at all. Norton could even feel his ribs prodding out from under his skin. had he been eating enough? when they hung out with friends, he always prioritised chitchat over food, often leaving his plate half-eaten, or worse, virtually untouched. he figured it wasn’t wise to ask a drunk person so many questions.
‘do you have your keys?’
Mike looked down, confused. he patted on his pockets, then looked up at Norton. was he asking him to look for him? Norton awkwardly rummaged through them and found nothing.
‘i’ll drop you off at Marg’s bedroom then?’
Mike shook his head, his locks rubbing against the thin fabric of Norton’s shirt as he did so. he probably didn’t want her to see him like this.
‘where else…’ Norton didn’t want Mike staying at the party and drinking again.
his flat? it didn’t seem like a good idea. what if it made him seem like he was taking advantage of him?
Mike choked and suddenly started coughing, doubling over as they wracked his body. Norton panicked, all his worries wiped away as he patted the blond on his back to soothe the coughs.
‘sleep…’ Mike suddenly muttered, his face red from the sudden outburst. Norton’s heart softened and he hooked his arm under Mike’s once again, letting him lean against his chest as he took out his phone to let Margaretha know that Mike would be leaving early.
‘alright. my place then.’