Chapter Text
Ray feels like he’s on fire as he sits next to Mikey on the Betas bed. He’s never sat next to Mikey like this before but he’s thought about being able to climb up on Mikey’s bed and sit close to him the way that Frank does whenever they hang out. Usually, Ray sits on the floor or Gerard’s desk chair. He’d always been a little bit jealous of the easy way that Frank would always join Mikey on his bed. But now he was here, Mikey had moved over to give him room when they’d come back to the brother’s room, and it didn’t really make sense for Ray to sit all the way across the room when it was just the two of them.
“So. Um.” Mikey says awkwardly, “Do you want something to drink?”
Ray shakes his head. He’s been in Mikey’s room plenty of times before, he’d even been alone in the room with him for short amounts of time when Gerard had to run out to do something, but this time felt different. Mikey’s parents were out and Gerard was off on a date, it made the situation feel so much more intimate than usual.
“I’m fine.” Ray says, internally cursing himself for the way that his voice shakes as he says it.
Say something he tells himself. “Um, how do you feel about Gerard and Frank?” He asked.
Mikey shrugged, “I’m happy for them.”
“Yeah. Me too.” Ray admits, “Have you…thought about asking anyone out like Frank did?” Mikey looks at him in surprise and Ray feels the urge to keep talking, “I mean like…I dunno. I’ve never been bold enough to ask someone out even if I liked them for a while.”
“Is there someone that you like?” Mikey asked, his gaze intense as he looked into Ray’s eyes.
“Um. Kinda.” Ray admits. He feels so on display right now. He has to look away. “But I don’t think they like me like that.” Mikey doesn’t know it, but Ray is talking about him.
Mikey scoffs, “That’s their loss then. If they can’t see how amazing you are then they’re blind.” Ray could laugh at Mikey’s words. He’s such a good friend, of course he’s hyping Ray up like this. Little does he know he’s the one Ray’s talking about.
“You don’t have to say that.” Ray says, “I know that I’m not as cute as someone like Frank.”
Mikey’s eyebrows knit together, “Don’t say that!” He says insistently, “Don’t talk badly about yourself. You’re amazing Ray.”
Ray scoffs, "Honestly, tell me to my face that you think I’m cute and I’ll believe it.”
“I do.” Mikey says, his gaze as intent as before. He goes as far as grabbing Ray’s hands, holding him tight. The contact makes Ray jolt internally, Mikey never touches him and he’s never seen Mikey initiate physical contact first. “Ray…there’s something I’ve been wanting to tell you for a while.”
Ray’s eyes go wide. “Mikey?” He questions. This can’t be going the way he thinks it is. Mikey can’t be confessing to him right now.
“Just listen, I promise that you can tell me whatever you want after, but just let me say this. Please.” He looks up at Ray so earnestly that Ray just has to nod and let him say whatever it is that he needs to get off his chest. The Omega’s heartbeat is pounding in his chest. He really hopes that this is going the way he thinks it is. “I think you’re amazing. I have for a while. I know that we’re just friends, but I really like you. I do think you’re cute, but I also think that you’re incredibly smart, and funny, and literally the kindest person I’ve ever met. Then there’s your skill when it comes to music, and the fact that you’ve never treated my brother like he’s different even though he’s a total weirdo.” Mikey is talking fast, but Ray catches every word. “And I know you just said you were interested in someone else, but I wanted to tell you how I felt. Frank suggested it, he did the same with Gerard and it worked for him so…I just thought you should know.”
Once he’s done, Ray is officially left speechless. He never believed that Mikey could feel the same way about him as he did.
Mikey mistakes his silence for a rejection. “I’m sorry if that made things weird, I just thought you should know.”
He lets go of Ray’s hand, but that won’t do. Ray wants his touch back, and leaps forward to grab Mikey’s hand in both of his, “No, Mikey!” He says, “I was talking about you!” Mikey’s eyes go wide. “Back at the mall, and earlier. You were the one I was talking about.” Ray admitted, “I didn’t know that you thought of me like that, I thought that you just saw me as your brother’s best friend.”
“You are. But you’re so much more than that to me. I’ve liked you for a long time now, Ray.” Mikey said, “Do you really like me back?”
“Yes!” Ray laughed as he said, “For so long now.”
That makes Mikey laugh, “Me too! I didn’t think you thought of me like that. I’ve felt so awkward each time you’ve been over since I thought it was one-sided!”
Soon they’re both laughing, collapsing into each other. The contact feels good, Ray never wants to get up from Mikey’s bed. Hell, maybe he doesn’t have to since Mikey likes him back.
He never thought that would be the case. It still doesn’t feel real. But Mikey feels real in his arms so Ray knows that it’s true.
Eventually Ray pulls back, “We’ve both been stupid.” He admitted, “but, do you want to take a page out of Gerard and Frank’s book and go out sometime?”
Mikey nodded eagerly, “Please.” He said, “I’ve wanted that for so long.” Ray smiles at him, glad that he’d finally gotten what he wanted for so long. He's even happier when Mikey asks, “Can I kiss you?”
As soon as he’s through with saying, “Yes!” Mikey’s lips are on his and Mikey’s arms are around his shoulder. It feels amazing, even better than all the times that Ray had daydreamed about having Mikey like this. Mikey’s lips are a little chapped, but they’re gentle as he kisses Ray. The Omega has never been kissed before, he’s never wanted to kiss anyone but Mikey. He likes the feeling though.
He feels like he’s floating as Mikey pulls back and smiles bigger than Ray had ever seen him smile before. As soon as they’ve parted lips, Ray decides that he doesn’t like that and leans back in to kiss Mikey again. They keep going like that, keeping things chaste for now, though Ray’s mind is already wandering to all the other things they could do now that they were…dating? He’s not actually sure what they are, but he finds that he doesn’t really care.
Eventually kissing somehow grows boring, but Ray is happy to just sit thigh-to-thigh with Mikey and rest his head on the Beta's shoulder as he keeps chattering.
“Can I call you my boyfriend?” Ray asks, still feeling floaty from how happy he was.
Mikey’s fingers brush over his hair, “Yeah, as long as I can call you mine.”
Ray nods, feeling the same silly smile he’s worn all day cross his face. “My mom is going to freak once I tell her.”
Mikey laughs, “I thought she liked me?”
“Yeah, but she also treats me like a baby.” Ray pointed out, “But I think she’ll be nicer to you than anyone else. She trusts you.”
“I promise not to send you home pregnant.” Mikey jokes.
Ray’s face burns as he playfully slaps at Mikey’s shoulder, “I never should have told you that!” he sputters, “Don’t say things like that or I’ll revoke your boyfriend status.”
Mikey laughs again, but leans over to press an apologetic kiss to Ray’s forehead, “Sorry, please don’t revoke my boyfriend rights.”
Ray’s too happy with the way things shook out to argue, so he instead just sits there and smiles. This really is the best way that things could have worked out, he thinks.
Eventually Mikey reclines on his bed and guides Ray to lie down on top of him with steady hands. Ray loves feeling Mikey’s touch on him. He thinks he wants Mikey to touch him all over, all the time. He likes laying on Mikey’s chest like this, with his head on the Betas chest in a way that lets him feel his heartbeat up close.
He can also smell Mikey when he’s close like this. His scent isn’t super strong since he’s a Beta, but Ray loves it regardless. “You smell good.” He comments, not feeling weird about it since they were dating now. “Cool. Grounding, like you.”
Mikey hums, his hand running through Ray’s curls again. “You smell good too. Ever since you presented, I've loved it. It’s warm and bright, like you.” Ray giggles at that. Mikey has a way of making him feel so silly and warm inside. He hopes that he makes Mikey feel the same way.
They must have lay there for longer than they realized, since soon enough they’re interrupted by Gerard storming back into the room - with Frank in tow for some reason?
Before Ray can question Frank’s addition, the two other boys take in Ray and Mikey’s close proximity. Their eyes go wide in a way that should be comical, Ray can’t help but roll his eyes.
“No way.” Gerard says, looking shocked. “Mikey did you?”
At the same time as he said that, Frank said, “Toro did you make a move?”
As soon as the words are out of their mouths, Gerard and Frank look at each other in shock. Ray has to stifle a giggle, he should have guessed that Gerard knew about Mikey’s feelings, but his reaction to finding them like this was funny. He should probably sit up to let Mikey up, but right now he really likes his home on Mikey’s chest.
“Wait, you knew?” Gerard questions Frank.
“Yeah, I just didn’t know that you knew.” Frank retorts. Once he’s done, he turns back to Mikey and Ray, “So who made the first move.”
“Mikey.” Ray admits, “But I think I gave him a bit of a push.”
“He did.” Mikey admits, “It took me too long to say something, but I finally did.”
Frank cheers for them, jumping up and hugging Gerard, who still looks shocked at the whole thing. “That’s awesome.” Frank said.
“Thanks, but also why are you in my house?” Mikey asks, sitting up and forcing Ray to sit up and leave his spot on the Beta’s chest.
“So, things went well.” Frank said, “And Gerard and I thought we should tell you, as in Mikey, that we’re a couple now. We didn’t know that Ray would be here but I guess it’s convenient since we only have to do the announcing thing once.” then with a giggle, “And I guess you guys don’t have to come up with a way to tell us since we kinda walked in on you.”
“Thanks for that, by the way.” Mikey rolled his eyes.
“I still can’t believe it.” Gerard said, eyes wide. “You’re dating my best friend!”
“And you’re dating mine!” Mikey shoots back.
Ray sighs, “Come on Gerard, if you can trust anyone with your brother shouldn’t it be me? You know me better than anyone.”
“It’s not that,” Gerard protested, turning to his brother, “I don’t know if I can trust my brother with you!”
That makes all three of the others laugh. “Gerard you’re an ass.” Mikey says. “For the record I’m going to treat him like royalty. Should I be doubting your relationship with Frank?”
“It’s not that!” Gerard protested again. “It’s just weird to think about!”
“How do you think I feel?” Mikey asked, Ray pats him on the shoulder.
“Calm down guys, this is a good thing, right?” Ray points out. “We’re all friends, we’re all happy. Shouldn’t this be the best comeout?” the others look at him, nodding as they do. “Besides, I don’t think this will change the dynamic of our group all that much so I’m happy.”
“Me too.” Frank smiled, “I’m glad I met you guys. Not even just Gerard, you’re all great friends and I feel really at home with you.”
“Yeah,” Ray looked around at his friends - and now - boyfriend. “Me too.”
They’ll have to tell their families eventually, and Ray knows that his brother and mom are going to have something to say about his decision to start dating, but he’s hopeful that things are going to go well. He trusts Mikey, and his mom knows and trusts him as well. He also trusts that Gerard is going to take good care of Frank. He knows that they’re all only in high school, but he thinks that the two couples make a pretty good match and he’s hopeful for what the future brings.