Clyde's arm tightened around Micah's waist, the motion slow but unmistakably protective. He drew him closer until Micah's back rested fully against his chest, the warmth of his body a steady presence behind him. Clyde leaned forward slightly, lowering his chin to rest against Micah's shoulder. His breath brushed the side of Micah's neck, warm, faintly uneven, lingering there longer than necessary.
"I told him what you wanted," Clyde said quietly. "But… do you really have to take this kind of risk?"
The concern in his voice was impossible to miss.
Micah paused his scrolling, thumb hovering over the screen. He could feel the tension in Clyde's body, the stiffness in his shoulders, the way his arm around Micah was firm but not restrictive, as if he were holding himself back from pulling Micah away from this plan entirely.
