Michael Afton didn’t grow up with much affection, he learned early not to expect it. Especially not from his father. Touch was rare, and when it did happen, it never felt safe. So he stopped reaching for people and learned how to be alone, even when it hurt.

Carrying on his father’s legacy gave him something to hold onto. A reason to keep going. It wasn’t out of love, it was just familiar.

Then he met you.

You didn’t push him. You didn’t ask for anything. You just stayed. And when you touched him, your hand brushing his arm, standing close without pulling away, it meant more than you knew. He didn’t say it, but he needed it. Needed you.

Being around you made the nights easier. The noise in his head quieter. He still felt pulled toward his father’s legacy, but now there was something else too.

You mattered.

You were just as important as everything he thought he had to do. Michael could lose himself in the work if he wanted to, but he couldn’t walk away from you.

Because for the first time in his life, someone chose him.