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After the departure of Heinz, Michael's personal space and time was slowing down like water building up in a well. For once, the yellings, smashings, coughing, and screamings outside the study had began to drift away from his hearing. True quietness and aloneness had never been so good. The type of aloneness that he always loved and spent hours on end. Recent days, the ropes had gone untied, so his hours without the company of anyone was unbearable. Like a bird travelling south through a vast ocean, longing for home, unbeknownst that the ocean was too large for his insignificance, and that he would either fall into the water and drown of exhaustion, or that a hawk, or hawks, would pick him into pieces, as he was helpless in the struggle. He desired a companion. Even if they weren't gonna do anything, just sitting right beside him as he did his stuff was alright. And he had got it. A squad. His squad. And now he wanted some time alone. What irony. 

But that didn't mean he didn't enjoy their companies. In fact, they were the ones who gave him the reason to be alone this time. They gave him safety, nurture and care. They made his time alone at ease. And perhaps more importantly, they were the reason why he was growing. It wasn't the training done by the vigilant and austere superiors of the Federations. It wasn't even the propaganda or the beliefs that he carried with him into the hellfire. It was compassion. It was care and nurture of everyone in this squad that gave him the strength to rise from his own misery. It was compassion that brought him up when the rest of the world wanted to shut him down and dissolve him into tiny particles for Mother Earth. And he would do anything, anything to pay them back, to protect them from harm caused by bickering politicians and kings and queens. But he had to start with himself first.

Time continued to pass, as Michael continued to go through the book he was given to by Heinz. Slowly, page by page, word by word, as he indulge in the true beauty of knowledge and science. The Imperials, whilst having a lot of ideological crap, did have a lot of technical stuff right. Like how they managed to design a car with engines so optimized the car's top speed in practice was out of an expert at the time's prediction. Or how they managed to reduce mortality rate and driving comfort so significantly with merely the introduction of a power steering wheel in their car. They had a lot that the Feds or other countries could learn from. A shame that this book was probably limited to this inn only. He probably should finish this, so he could continue to delve more in them. Just like old times in his father's study, but perhaps this time he would take it with more courage.

His concentration on the book was so significant that his sense also began to drift away in the air as well, as he failed to notice the girl coming from behind him. When he realized it, his response was a quick gasp and a short inhale. Then he realized it was Lucia. His muscles began to soften. He thought someone was about to murder him or something, that this was an Imperial conspiracy to eliminate the squad silently. But the softening was fairly short-lived. The Imps weren't gonna murder him, but she could murder him by suffocation if she continued to be hug so tight. 

[color=bf00ff]"Oh Lord, you too?"[/color] 

As her soft as pillow flesh met his, the alcohol in the breathe and on her body was getting thick. Lucia didn't seem to care all that much about Michael's remark as she continued to climb all over him again, but this time like she was glued onto him. All of that, it wouldn't be surprising if Michael's cheek began to glow. But thankfully nobody was there to see. Just like how his heart was beating like a war drum. Again, like a mold in the ribcages, it felt strange. Every time with her in recent days, his chest felt like he was being eaten, by his own breathe. Only her. Did he really...

[color=bf00ff]"Ok ok, I will."[/color] Michael instinctively followed her request, as he had her hands around her waist and belly. [color=bf00ff]"There, I'll be with you for now. You feel safe yet?"[/color]

If he could perhaps let her sleep for a while, it would serve to calm her down. She would probably not gonna have a good sleep, but how in the world was she gonna cut it until night comes. God...how much did she drink for this? Judging by her reaction, like ten glasses? 

His hugs did not cease up until he could feel her arms that were held up sideway began to fall down. Every pat of his palm assured her that he would never let her go. If that could ease her mind of the alcohol for a while, or of her painful trauma that she was still dealing with, he'd gladly hold her tight. But eventually, he was getting uncomfortable on his seat, now that he had doubled his weight with a girl on his lap. 

[color=bf00ff]"I'll be right nearby. I'm gonna put this back."[/color] He whispered to her. The lack of an audible response from her made it look like she was really sleeping. It was probably safe to shift, as Michael gently move her to sit right beside him on the same armchair, as it was pretty big for the two of them. He then quickly placed the book on the table, and then proceeded to push the other chair closer to Lucia where she's sitting. Placing the chair a little diagonal from her chair, he gently lifted her feet onto that chair. Then he let her head lay a little back. It wasn't the comfiest bed out there, but he couldn't really bring her to his room now. He could easily carry Lucia on Hill 58, but here his arm was torn, so he'd have to make do. 

He watched her petite body loose, defenseless and motionless on the armchair. It made him really wondered what had Middleton do to this young girl. He saw it. He may have been under trauma, but he could see it. The look that could easily become a weapon of destruction from her eyes the moment he was hurt, and then the moment he was changing in that room from that ruin. It wasn't just as simple as a short order to kill a friendly. What kind of a man, no a human, was he to stoop so low to that point? But then again, he was born one of him. He was capable of sinning. And he did that without a care. Michael hated that snake, but he wasn't a long thin piece of organism. He probably had a lot of reasons to sin. But whatever his reasons are, he did do it with a choice. He did have the choice whether or not to sin or not, the latter would probably end up a lot worse for him, but nevertheless he had chosen it. No matter what life put you through, losing your own morality is perhaps the most catastrophic, and the most cowardly. 

But the irony was, even though she seemed like the girl who needed protection the most, she was the one who protected him. The one who gave him a reason to continue when he was shot on that particular street. It occurred to Michael that she wasn't as weak as he initially think. In fact, she was perhaps stronger than anyone here was. And for that, he was grateful.

[color=bf00ff]"Thank you...for back then..."[/color] He inadvertently muttered. The mold continued to eat his chest once more. It felt...not uncomfortable, somewhat pleasant as well, yet he felt like he was going to suffocate. 

[color=bf00ff]"I don't know what I'm feeling right now, it feels strange."[/color] He continued. It was also his night of firsts. He definitely hadn't developed this behavior of talking to someone sleeping, but now for some reason... [color=bf00ff]"But I may have feelings for you."[/color] 

He wasn't certain, but when everything seemed to revolve around her, he could always deduce. She was probably it. And he wondered if she actually knew it too, or even what is it to begin with? 
[@LetMeDoStuff]