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Chapter 13

“Alyx?

“Hey, Alyx….”

Mick stared at the lump in the other bed, barely able to see it in the dim light coming through the tiny window. It didn’t move.

“I know you aren’t sleeping. Talk to me.”

The big lump rolled over with a sigh. “What do you want? It’s two in the morning.”

Mick grinned. He knew his long-time friend didn’t know what to do next. That much was clear over the past few weeks. Alyx liked Sam, but only Mick could tell. Sam liked Alyx, and it was completely obvious to everyone but Alyx. But Sam was never going to make a move because of their previous interactions. Mick couldn’t blame her. But that left it up to the brooding, dark-haired, hopelessly clueless Alyx. So that meant it was Mick’s job to encourage him, while he and Paxton arranged situations for Sam and Alyx to interact.

Now for the encouragement. “We have to move out.”

That got his attention, and Mick watched a dark blur sit straight up in bed and hiss, “What?”

“Hear me out.” There was a pointed silence before Alyx’s shadow nodded. “Me and Paxton are dating, but dating and living together this early is kind of weird.”

“So, why do I have to move out?”

Mick rolled his eyes, muttering in Spanish, then continued. “And you can’t ask Sam out until you aren’t living with her or it will go on your permanent record. So if you and I get an off-campus apartment, A- you can ask her out, B- She and Paxton can each have their own room. Don’t tell me it isn’t bothering you that she is sleeping in the same room as a guy, gay or not.” Alyx started to object, but Mick cut him off. “And when one of us has our cuties over for fun time, the other one can go to the other place. No one has to see or hear anything.”

Mick grinned, waiting for him to tell him that he was a genius.

“I’m not going to ask Sam out!”

Mick yawned, bored with Alyx’s objections. “Yes, you are.”

“Why would I do that?”

Mick sighed the sigh of a man explaining something for the hundredth time. “Because you like her.” Alyx more than liked her, Mick was pretty sure the sullen man was head over heels for her, and Sam would have him wrapped around her finger before she even tried.

Silence.

“But…” Mick heard Alyx take a deep breath. “How?”

Mick grinned. “Okay, so here’s the plan...”

Mission 1: get Sam to come apartment hunting.

Mick phrased his plans like the old missions they used to run, to make it more comfortable for Alyx.

It helped, but… Alyx could feel himself sweating through his undershirt. Sam was due home any minute, and he was wearing another button up and slacks, at Mick’s insistence. Tugging at the collar, despite it being unbuttoned a little, he stood in the kitchen ready to ‘act casual’ the moment she walked in.

The doorknob rattled, then turned, keys clinking, and then Sam was there.

“Oh, hi Sam, you’re home. Good timing. Busy this afternoon?” Alyx knew his.

voice was a little too loud, and he rushed his words, but it was the best he had as he acted like he was putting the bottle of orange juice back in the fridge.

Based on the look Sam gave him, she knew he was acting unusually. He fought the urge to itch at his neck and tried to look at her without staring at her. “Good timing for what?”

“Well…” Alyx glanced at the door to his and Mick’s room, wishing he could have practiced more. “Mick and I are going to look at some apartments. We want you to come.”

“You are moving out?” Sam’s eyes turned squinty and suspicious. “I thought we were okay?”

Alyx stuttered for a moment. This was not in any of the scenarios he had thought about, and had no idea how to respond. “We are… I just… Mick was thinking… And you’re a girl, so. Yeah.”

“I’m a girl.”

Alyx nodded, just as Mick rounded the open door and stopped, wincing when he realized he was late, and immediately plastered a smile on his face.

“Yes… For opinions on… the apartments.” Alyx mentally sent help signals to Mick, hoping Sam wasn’t getting any of his panic.

Mick stepped in with his typical charm. “Yeah, Sam, we value your opinion.” He winked over her head at Alyx when she wasn’t looking at him.

“But… Why are you moving out?” She glanced between the two of them in confusion.

“Oh, you know, more privacy, more space, and that way Paxton and I can date without living together.” Mick said it so casually that the last part sounded like it made sense, and Sam was slowly nodding. “So go change out of those dirty overalls and let’s go!”

Mission: Accomplished

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