(Mikey x Nerd Reader) The Gangster and the Nerd

Chapter 4

"(Y/n) I'm so sorry for breaking the news. I had no idea Mikey didn't tell you everything." Takemichi apologized the moment you set foot in class. You sweat drop not in the mood for nonsense so early in the morning. "Oh, that's ok. I would have reacted the same way either way if he told me himself." You stated. "I still feel pretty bad. It wasn't my place to reveal his personal information. I hope he wasn't upset with you." You shake your head, "he was indifferent about the whole thing." Takemichi sighs in relief. "Did you get to talk to him like you wanted?" You blush and nod.  "Thanks for helping me out. I was able to get the answer I was looking for." The blonde rubs his head sheepishly. "Oh, no problem." If it wasn't for the lad, you probably wouldn't have been able to have a heart to heart chat with Mikey to convey your feelings. Still, it was unclear what exactly is making your chest feel warm whenever Mikey was around. The fact that you took up his offer felt such a strain on your conscious that it left you paranoid.

About a week later, you've grown accoustom to your regular schedule without fear of being ambushed. There is nothing to keep you from returning to your work that is until you hear a rowdy commotion coming from the halls. The classroom is disrupted by the cries of pain coming from the hallway. "What the hell is going on?" You murmured. Takemichi who sat in front of you sweat drops having an idea of what's happening. "I may have a clue. This isn't the first time something like this occured." You tilt your head in question to what meant, but eventually you find out what caused such a ruckus. The door slides open revealing Mikey and Draken to be the reason. Mikey's smile never faultering as he sets foot in class. "Wh-what is the meaning of this?" The teacher barked. Mikey ignores the male as he searches for someone. "Oi, you here ya damn nerd?" It was then that it hits you. The entire commotion was a search party for you. You drop your pencil, stunned by the man's devotion. The drop of your pencil catches his eyes and soon you're forced to lock eyes.

"There you are nerd." He chirped. "What the hell are you doing?" He tilts his head quizzically, "looking for you of course." He diverts to his first division captain. "Oh, I see Takemitchy is in your class too. Nice work keeping her safe as her body guard." Both you and the boy are baffled by his obliviousness. "Come along, I don't have all day nerd. You too Takemitchy." There was no sense in defying him nor argue in public unless you wanted gossip to spread more than already given. You quickly gathered your belongings to avoid any further mayhem.

'This will definitely not look great on my application. What the hell was he thinking?'

As Mikey waits patiently, he hears a couple of boys whisper among his friends, tossing insults your way about how "ugly" you are to be with someone like him. As soon as you step out of the room, Mikey kicks the boy's desk, crushing his chest in a death defying way. "Say anything else about her again and I'll kill you. Got that?" The teen reluctanly nods for the sake of his life. Mikey's threat was a message to anyone daring to punch down on you.
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Outside in the courtyard, you began ranting in private to both Mikey and Draken. "What is wrong with you? You can't just take me out in the middle of class and cause a hubbub to reach me. It's school hours and unlike you, I'm trying to stick to the straight and narrow." You scolded. Mikey and Draken stare at you with the most bored expression ever. "That's going to be tough when you chose to hook up with Mikey, little lady." Draken informed. Takemichi gapes as the conversation continues. You on the other hand, are flustered by the term. "D-don't say it like that, please." You squeaked. "It sound so dirty." The two commanders burst out in laughter amused by your adorableness. "You are truly innocent, aren't you?" He pinches your cheek for a quick feel of how soft you are. You pull away from his touch still irritated. "That hurt! I'm being serious here, Mikey. You can't take me out whenever you please."

"But I missed you and school is so boring it keeps you busy even at night." He explained. "Like I said I'm trying to get ahead in life and I have to have a perfect record if I ever want to be-" Mikey sighs heavily as if having enough of you giving him a lecture. He takes your hand and drags you off campus. "Yeah, yeah I know what you're trying to do, but you have to loosen up a little. You want to experience life, right? Isn't that what you told me?" Now you're left speechless as he charismatically throws your own words against you. It's true that you agreed to commit to Mikey as an experiment and knowing him, he isn't the type to play by the rules or so you can guess by his status. An internal conflict between your dream goal or a project. Somehow the latter sounds better and instinctively you hold onto his hand."Fine. What do you want to do?"

"Isn't it obvious? We're going on our first date." Your face grows flustered but realize something. "Wait, why are Draken and Takemichi coming along?" You questioned. "That's rude. I wanted to say hi to you too, nerd." You suddenly feel bad, but you were expecting a private date. "Don't worry they're just escorting us. We'll spend some alone time when we get there."

"Go where?" You asked. "A bike ride." He chimed. "That's not fun at all, and I'm not dressed properly for a date." Mikey halts in his tracks and turns to you. "You look pretty to me." Both you and Takemichi are thrown back by his compliment. How on Earth is he capable of spouting something so easily? Regardless, it soothes your insecurity even a little. All that mattered is what your date thought and since it's Mikey, there is nothing to worry. "Ta-da! Bikes for us to ride in."

"Oh...they really are bicycles." You commented. "Really? You're making, (Y/n) do the same thing we did when you dragged me along on the first day? This is a terrible date!" Takemichi defended. You were glad you weren't the only one who thinks the same thing. "There is nothing wrong with some fresh air and sight seeing after a long day of school." Somehow you recognize exactly what your boyfriend is attempting to do and it was quite sweet. He's starting small so you don't have to think too hard after studying for so long. "No it's not great, but it's better than nothing." Mikey smiles, glad to have you on board. "That's the spirit. So why don't you take the reigns while I take the back seat?"

You couldn't believe the nerve coming from the blonde. "What? Shouldn't you be a gentleman and ride instead?" You growled. "Nah, I like riding in the back." He said bluntly. You sighed caving in to his childish demands.

'Unbelieveable! Am I dating a child?' You thought.

Embarrassingly enough, your assigned body guard had to hitch a ride with Draken since there are only two bicycles available. "Let's get going~!" Mikey cheered. On command, you follow his orders and take off to wherever the hell the destination is.
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During the cruise, you've taken the liberty to observe your boyfriend for future references. Thus far, the blonde has been carefree just as he has always presented himself whenever you met. It's a quite a refreshing sight to behold, alleviating all doubts about his status. You assumed being his partner also meant having a certain expectation such as being tough enough to be on the same level as Mikey. Although, he never made it clear as to how you're supposed to act, in the back of your mind you figured it's an obvious settlement. In any case, Mikey's standards are questionable given his unclear response as to how he's taken a liking. It's as though you made the decision for him to romanticize the term.

"You're thinking too hard, aren't you?" His voice breaks through your train of thought. "What?" You croaked. His bemused expression remains on you. "You were being quite. I noticed you space out when you think too hard." He informed. A light blush blemishes your cheeks. "O-oh I guess I was." You nervously laugh. "Is something bothering you?" The inquiry is enough for you to unveil your troubles. "Yeah there is, actually." You started. "Maybe I'm just overthinking? I'm sorry." The blonde tilts his head still puzzled. You switch the subject to a light-hearted one, "Is cycling all we're going to do? Why don't we head into the city for something more exciting?" Mikey has taken the bait because he eagerly accepted the suggestion. "Why don't we grab a bite to eat? I'm starving."

"Eh? You just ate two hours ago." Draken cried. "Yeah, but I want to eat with (Y/N). They say food tastes way better when you're surrounded with people you love." Your heart beats causing you to feel shy and swerve a little. "Oi, don't kill us!" Mikey complained. "S-sorry! I lost focus."

'Did he really just say that he loves me? I'm one of the things he loves? It's far too soon. What the hell is he thinking saying stuff like that?'

       A few blocks later, all four of you stop by an empty diner. Takemichi and Draken sat two seats parallel to give you and Mikey some privacy. Honestly, being alone with him made you all the more nervous having no idea what to talk about. All you could do was gawk at the blonde as he stares at the menu. "There are so many choices, but I still prefer a happy meal." You gape bewildered at the fact that this teen sitting across from you prefers kids meal over a decent one. "A-are you sure? There are other options." You advised. "Nope, I want the flag on my food. It makes it look cool."

"It's just a flag." You retorted.

"The flag is what keeps the plate whole." He argued. The amount of stupidity coming out of his mouth makes your eye twitch. "You're not going to change your mind are you." You said matter of fact. "I never do." The last part has you astonished by his tone of voice. It sounded stern as if exemplify how serious he is when it comes to decisions. "So you're stubborn?" You blurted out. "No, I would say I have faith in my choices and stand by them. If I don't my crew wouldn't have made it far as it is now." He stated. "Even so, sometimes you need to know when to bail for the sake of others or are your members just pawns?" His glare grows intense as if you've struck a nerve. The air around you suddenly feels cold making it hard to breath. "They're my family and you will do well not underestimate them. Slandering them is the ultimate insult." You grip your trembling arm in an attempt to keep from breaking eye contact. You've never felt scared to be around him than you do now. "S-sorry. I just thought that's how most gangs are when it comes to their followers."

"Not all of them." You hang your head unable to compete any longer. You slide out of your seat turning your back against the teen. "Excuse me, I have to use the restroom." With that, you exit down the hall. Mikey watches your frame starting to feel a bit bothered by your body language. As said before, you're quite obvious to him that he could sniff out a problem. As if on point, Draken hollers over to his commander. "Oi, what did you do to her?" The blonde nonchalantly says, "nothing. I just told her to watch her mouth about Toman." Draken lets out a heavy sigh as he pinches the bridge of his nose. "Seriously? You scared her away, didn't you? I told you to be lax about anything regarding Toman."

"If she's scared of me telling her off, then maybe she's not right for me." Mikey retorted. "Eh?" Draken's eye twitches as if his boss didn't care what he has to say. He playfully nudges the younger teen's head to reprimand him. "You shouldn't be picky. You don't have many options where you're headed. You should apologize when she gets back." Mikey whines as he attempts to pull away from Draken's strength.

      Meanwhile, you're splashing water on your face as if rinsing off everything for a clear mind. You nearly broke down, but refused to show him how distraught you are. If he was planning on being cold then you're better off not showing your heart on your sleeve. "I didn't mean to offend him. I hadn't considered gang members to be seen as families. After being attacked, all I could see is a bunch of no good pricks that will never amount to anything or the fact that they had no moral compass." You think back to your near rape encounter and hold yourself from shaking. "How could I even split the two apart after putting everyone around them in danger. Doing as they please for their own benefit because they think they're above everyone?" The more you ranted, the more you think about the long term investment you're getting into. "This isn't going to work, is it?" I've already ditched an entire day of school for him and he could give two shits about how I feel. He's one of them, and whether I like it or not it's the lousy truth. He's going to fuck me over. I should quit while I'm ahead." You wipe away your tears, put your glasses on and take a deep breath. As you stare into the mirror, one thought comes to mind, "I'm not pretty enough to be with him. He's just being nice."

You waltz out with that mental state, and as you approach the table to let Mikey down, he begins to speak, "welcome back. I'm sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable. The Toman family means a lot to me. They're all I have. Hearing you say they're pawns really ticked me off, but I forget not everyone sees things the same way." Mikey's gentle face soothes your inner thoughts forgetting what the big fuss was even about. "Next time you have question or want to talk about my friends, I'll try to be understanding, ok? So how about we forget what happened and eat?" You scoff first then burst out laughing. The blonde looks at you perplexed.

'What the hell was I worried about again?'

"Sure, let's get back to having something to eat, but I also want to apologize for making assumptions. I'll be practical and be careful too, but that still doesn't mean you're off the hook. You can't just drag me wherever or whenever you want. If we want this to work it has to go both ways, so ask for consent." You nagged. "Right." He sighed. "The thing is...I don't have your phone number and I know you're always attending school." He expressed. "So that's your excuse for making a ruckus? You couldn't have just waited until after school?" You barked. "Oh yeah, I guess I could have done that?" He said it as if it completely slipped his mind when school hours are over.
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After dinner, you rode back to your neighborhood astounding Takemichi. His jaw nearly touching the floor in exaggeration. "This is your house? It's so big! It's like a mansion. I bet you have a garden and an attic." He praised. "It's not as big as you may think. It's just a regular two story house." You corrected. "So are you someone famous or something?" Draken squeezes the boy's shoulder as a warning to back off. "No, my older sister is an EMT. She works hectic hours." Takemichi frowns starting to feel bad for assuming. "Oh, so you don't have any other family members?" You shake your head. "It must get lonely for you." You shrug callously about it. "I'm used to it." Draken's eyes shift to his boss starting to understand a little bit more about Mikey's appeal to you. Both of you are no stranger to being alone and having an older sibling as a provider. If anything, his silence is peculiar, but it might have to do with the fact that he isn't comfortable spilling his backstory to someone he barely knows. "Well, don't worry. Since I'm your  body guard I can always keep you company."

"I don't think that's a bright idea. You should have boundaries as her guard." Takemichi tilts his head, "I mean try not to get any funny ideas with the commander's girl." He whispered menacingly. "Wh-what are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about the time you cheated on your wifey." Draken clarified. "I keep telling you, I don't know how I got there." As Draken and Takemichi banter, Mikey hands you his phone number written on a piece of napkin. "Keep in touch, ok? If you ever need anything I'll be there." He said. "Why do you sound like you're going to be away for a long time?" You queried. "That's because I'll be busy with gang stuff." You raise your head at him. "H-how long does that take?" He in turn looks up at the pink sky. "Dunno. Sometimes it takes a week, three days or longer. I have to play things carefully so I try not to put others in danger." For some reason your heart sank learning that he will be distant for the sake of your safety. You refused to let disappointment show. "O-oh...ok. I guess I'll see you soon?"

Mikey could tell your distress though there is nothing he could do to soothe the pain. "Yeah, I'll see you soon." He agreed. You watch as the group begin to depart with Mikey once again being chauffeured by the first division captain. As the boys cycle away, Mikey waves farewell. "Bye, bye (Y/n)! Remember to smile and don't worry, we'll be fine." He assured. Your heart skips a beat, your cheeks turn rosy, and your eyes soften.

'He did it again. I feel so warm and happy. What is this feeling? It feels liberating'

"Mikey...are you effortlessly succeeding to woo me?"