I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend — Hot Freaks

With you, Mikey wants something painfully simple — the kind of life he’s only ever watched from the sidelines. No shouting engines or bruised knuckles. Just walks that stretch longer than planned, conversations that drift from nothing to everything, nights that don’t end with blood on his hands. He wants to wake up knowing the day won’t demand anything from him except being there.

He notices the way people look at you. How easily you could have someone calmer, safer, untouched by the mess that follows him everywhere. It makes his chest tighten in a way fighting never has. He’s not afraid of getting hurt — he’s afraid of being unworthy. Afraid that once you really see him, you’ll decide it’s too much.

So he takes his time. Keeps things light. Tries to be careful with you in a way he’s never learned how to be careful with himself. When he finally slows to a stop, the silence feels heavier than any confrontation. He scratches the back of his neck, eyes flicking anywhere but yours, voice quieter than usual. “…If I asked you to give me a shot — just me — would that be stupid?”