"You Jerk..." Michael Afton x Reader

Chapter 6. Toronto Maple Leafs

His damp hair stuck to his forehead, some beads of water were still dripping down his body. He unlocks the bathroom door and walks to his bedroom, carelessly leaving wet foot prints on the wood floor along the way.

He takes the towel off his waist and uses it to dry his hair, tousling it in the towel quickly. He tossed the damp towel towards his laundry hamper lazily, and grabs some boxers from his closet, alongside some black basketball shorts.

He could hear Y/N and his siblings downstairs, along with the TV. He couldn't make out what they were saying, but he could hear the laughter of his little sister echo throughout the house.

Y/N and the children were downstairs with the TV on, they were playing with some toys on the staircase. More specifically, toy cars. Small wooden cars that seemed to be hand painted, they would travel across the step, or even travel down the step if Evan pushed them to hard. He would run down the stairs and grab the car, only to loose control of it again. It made Elizabeth laugh, Evan too. Even he knew when to laugh at himself.

Michael sighs and bites the inside of his cheek. It's true he gets easily annoyed at most people, his siblings included, he tries to keep his cool...usually.
He has a temper, as most teenage boys do. It was something he can't control, most the time he says things without thinking. When it gets too loud, or chaotic, or irritating, he snaps. And yelling seems to be the only way to make it stop. However, he would be lying if he said he didn't sometimes enjoy being the asshole he knew he was.

His bedroom door flung open much to his surprise, it was Elizabeth. Michael widens his eyes, "Oi! I told you to fucking stay out!" The words fell off his tongue faster than he could see who was at the door. The little girl was bouncing on her feet excitedly.
"Bubby! Bubby! Do you wanna play with us? We're having so so so so so much fun-" he cuts her off.
"Oh my god shut the hell up." He spat, "No I don't wanna play with you and your stupid babysitter."

Y/N heard confrontation from upstairs and noticed Elizabeth missing. She perks her head up slightly and looks towards the upstairs hallway, unsurprisingly Elizabeth was just a short distance away at Michaels bedroom door.

She stands up and fast walks towards the girl, remembering what Michael said about leaving him alone. She definitely didn't need to give him another reason to be irritated.
"Hi Michael!" She stands behind Elizabeth in the doorway and placed her hands on her shoulders. "I'm so sorry, she snuck away from me. It won't happen again." She apologizes quickly. At first she didn't even notice he was still shirtless, only his black basketball shorts.
"Oh- Elizabeth he's changing!" She blushes quickly, "Give your brother a minute before you barge in, alright?"

"Whatever, bubbys just a jerk anyway who can't have fun!" The little girl sticks her tongue out at Michael and runs pass Y/N to go play again. Michael narrows his eyes, "Fucking brat," he grumbles and looks down at the ground before looking back up at Y/N, who was still standing in the doorway awkwardly.

"Hey dumbass," he calls to her while he grabs a t-shirt from his closet, Y/N widens her eyes, "Dumbass?-"
"Yeah you. I was almost done changing anyway." He slips the white graphic t-shirt over his head, it had the logo of his favorite hockey team on it. The Toronto Maple Leafs.

"Oh, uhm- I'm sorry? I'm really sorry, I just remembered what you said earlier about-" he cuts Y/N off.
"Do you ever stop talking?" He gives a small smirk, this made Y/N raise her eyebrows in shock.
"Hey..! I was just doing what you asked." She crossed her arms, getting slightly defensive. "You said you didn't want the kids in the bathroom or your room, and I tried keeping them away."

Michael bites the inside of his cheek and sits on the corner of his bed. "I was joking. Chill out."
Y/N softens her look slightly and lets out a short breath. Trying to collect her cool she takes moment to calm down.

She looks around Michael's room to see various grungy band posters, and a few hockey posters plastered on his walls. A hamper of overflowing dirty laundry was shoved in the left corner of the room, along with a backpack, and a skateboard.

After awhile of silence Y/N breaks the now awkward atmosphere.
"Do you like Hockey..?"
Michael gives a deadpanned expression at her out-of-the-blue question, "How could you ever guess?" He throws his hands up sarcastically.

She forces a short laugh, trying to get on his good side again. "Lucky guess, what can I say? What team is that on your shirt?"
He doesn't answer right away though, he takes a moment to stare at her.

He didn't understand why every time he talked to her, she was so determined to know about him. His hobbies, now his favorite hockey team. He felt like it was none of her business, and quite frankly was suspicious of her. Every time he was a jerk to her she would snap back to normal, as if nothing happened. She didn't seem effected by his attitude, even if she was.
"The Toronto Maple Leafs...they play for Canada." He finally spoke.

"Oh cool. I don't know much about hockey, I never watch it when it's on TV." She smiles awkwardly and shifts her weight on her other foot. Michael still doesn't say anything, he keeps staring. It started to make Y/N squirm under his gaze.
The uncomfortable stare went on for what seemed to be forever, until Michael finally looks down at the floor; making Y/N give a discrete sigh of relief.

Michael stares down at his shirt, then at a hockey poster on his wall.
"You should watch it." is all he said before suddenly standing up to go to the kitchen. He needed some space. Space from his siblings, space from Y/N, he just wanted to be alone. He pushes Y/N out of his way gently as he goes through the doorway.

Y/N stumbles a bit but catches herself on his doorframe. She watches him make his way down the stairs. She couldn't tell if the confrontation she had with him was good or bad. Or if she was getting through to him at all. She just held onto the hope that one day, he'd warm up to her.