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The morning seemed like it was going to turn out to be as normal as ever. Michael was leaning against the lockers, sipping away at a can of monster he picked up on his way to school. The music from his headphones that were hanging around his neck could be heard if you got close enough, but Jeremy was the only person who ever did. Speaking of Jeremy, he was animatedly explaining to his best friend why Animal Crossing was a top tier game.
Michael is about to call Jeremy a furry after his long monologue about how much he loved every single villager in the game, especially his dog girlfriend Isabelle, but someone is calling out for him.
“Mikey Mell!” comes from Rich, laugh booming through the hall as he quickly makes his way to the pair of geeks. Jeremy is suddenly on edge, and is to consumed in his thoughts to see the way his best friend’s face heats up slightly, pushing himself off the lockers with a strangled noise in the back of his throat.
“Had a lot of fun last night.” The shorter boy stated, much quieter than before. Michael just nods with an awkward smile that’s usually reserved for Jeremy, and he doesn’t flinch as Rich’s hand reaches out for a place on the other’s arm.
”I’d love to do it again sometime?” He continued, barely paying any mind to Jeremy, who’s face was twisted in mild discomfort and confusion.
“Uh,sure-- I mean, yeah. Yeah totally. And I’ll supply the weed next time.” Michael’s voice cracked during his response, but Rich just grinned.
There’s a laugh from Rich as he smacks Michael’s shoulder lightly. “Sounds like a plan. Y’know how to find me.” And with that the shorter boy spins on his heel and takes off to find his friend group.
Michael doesn’t watch him walk away, instead turns his attention back to his best friend, who seemed to have short circuited or some shit.
“Jer?” Michael huffed, frown coming to his face as he snapped his fingers next to his friend’s ear. “Earth to Jeremy?”
“You got high with Rich?” He says suddenly, and Michael just shrugs.
“Yep. In my basement and everything.” He rolled his eyes, and Jeremy felt his hands begin to shake as he clenched them into fists.
The next words from Jeremy’s mouth came out in a whine. “But that’s our thing.”
A laugh and another eye roll. “Pretty sure we don’t own the rights to that one buddy.”
“Yeah but, you did it. Without me.” Jeremy huffed, and Michael couldn’t help but think about how cute his best friend was when he got all pouty.
“Mmmmhmm.” Michael replied plainly, quickly downing the rest of his energy drink and slowly crushing the can in his hand.
“And with Rich, of all people.”
“You aren’t wrong.”
“Richard.”
“That’s him, Jer.”
“Richard Goran--”
“Dude, I definitely know the name of the guy whose dick I had in my mouth.”
Fuck, Michael totally said that too loud. His best friend’s face was completely red and his mouth hung open in shock, and the hall almost went silent at the confession. All that came from Jeremy in response was a few unintelligible noises. Michael could felt the familiar sensation of tears gathering up in his eyes, so with a soft ‘fuck this’, he swiftly made his way out of the school, feet stomping all too heavily on the floor.
Everyone picks up their conversations like nothing had even interrupted them. Above all the noise, you can hear Jake slapping his friend on the back with a smug “Nice one bro!”
Jeremey doesn’t see Michael for the rest of the day. He catches a ride home with Chloe, walks right past his dad without a ‘hello’ and flops on his bed, staring at his phone intensely. No texts from Michael. It’s nearing 9pm and there hasn’t even been a shitty meme tossed his way. Jeremy can feel anxiety bubbling up in his gut as he impulsively hits the call button by Michael’s contact name (it’s Player Gay; he would have laughed over it with the new found information if he didn’t feel like he was going to barf).
Surprisingly, Michael picks up.
There’s a hum on the other end of the phone and Jeremy starts rambling, vomiting up his words. “Michael, I’m so sorry I didn’t like say anything in the moment. I’m not homophobic-- you know that right? And I have no problem with you being gay obviously and you’re still my best friend, again obviously. I was just kinda jealous that you did our thing with Rich-- and I know he’s not the same guy now that the whole Squip thing is over but he still kinda sucks. And then I just wasn’t ready, again not because I’m like, homophobic or anything but because you’re my best pal and you didn’t tell me you liked dudes and then like, dude I find out via you telling me you sucked our exbully’s dick so I’m a little hurt that you didn’t feel like you could tell me before? It was just kinda wild and unexpected and I hate these like 8 hours I haven’t been talking to you and I don’t want you to hate me and shit because of a misunderstanding because like--”
“Jesus Christ, Jeremy, take a breath.” Michael interrupts his best friend, loudly sighing over the phone. “Don’t sweat it, I’m really not mad at you or anything. I honestly just went straight to panic mode after I blurted it out. Not at all how I planning on coming out.” He laughed, waiting a moment as he listened to Jeremy take a couple of deep breaths.
“I’m just-- Why’d Rich know before me?” Jeremy squeaked, and Michael could picture the nervousness washing over him. The way Jeremy’s face would go red. How he’d tug at his sleeves, pulling them over his hands. Shoulders bunched up, head tilted slightly down, lips tugged into an uneasy, quivering smile.
Michael shrugged as if the other could see him. “Dude just kinda came up to me like ‘so you like guys? Chill, I do too.’ and so I was like, since he already seems to know I guess I’ll tell him.”
“How’d you guys, uhm, you know, end up, uh doing, I mean….end up hooking up?” Jeremy stuttered out, confused as to why there was some level of anger mixing in with hs anxiety at the moment.
“Shared the look. You know, the one where it’s like ‘you’re hot enough that if willing I’d get with’? Ha, nevermind, of course you don’t know that look Jer!” Michael laughed loudly, and he could hear Jeremy pouting over the phone via the whiney ‘heeeeeeey not cool’.
There’s a long pause in which only the way Jeremy is shifting around in his bed can be heard.
“And you-- and you were willing? With Rich?” He mumbled, voice so soft that Micahel barely caught it.
“Jer, I’m just as honry as you are. Difference is that I don’t let it rule my life like some people.” This earned another whine from his best friend, and Michael was grinning.
“So you and Rich are like, dating now?” The idea made Jeremy’s blood boil. He’ll tell himself later that it’s just because he thinks his best friend could do better.
“Fuck, God no dude. Just vored his dick is all.” Michael said defensively as a strangled noise came from the other end of the line.
“Hey Michael do me a favor and never speak to me again.”
The both burst into a fit of laughter; Jeremy wiping the tears away from his eyes and Michael holding his gut in pain. When they both manage to calm down, they move on from talk of Rich and how Michael is gay to other things. And the topic isn’t brought up again.
That is, until about a week later when Jeremy finds himself in his usual beanbag chair in Michael’s basement.
His fingers aren’t moving fast enough on the controller and he can’t stay focused on the game. Jeremy’s eyes keep drifting over to where his best friend is sat, engrossed with what was happening on the screen. For some unknown reason, Jeremy couldn’t stop thinking about his best friend...and Rich. It’s been in the back of his mind since he first found out, and again, he’s not homophobic or anything-- no way, but it’s been grinding his gears.
He can heard his character die onscreen, and small laugh coming from Michael, but Jeremy couldn’t be bothered to care. He just kept staring at the other, his fingers automatically moving.
Jeremy doesn’t know what Rich is like when he’s high, but he knows how Michael is. His best friend’s hair would be more tousled, seeing as he had a tendency to play with it more when under the influence of pot. At first his voice would be more hoarse, but soon it would smooth out and Jeremy hates to admit how it makes his heart melt. Michael would say weird shit that only Jeremy ever found funny.
He’s sure Rich didn’t appreciate it like he does. He’s sure Rich probably brushed off anything that came out of his mouth. He’s sure Rich said something flirty that made Michael’s mouth go dry and his palms get sweaty. He’s sure Rich just gets in his best friend’s personal space and climbs into his lap. He’s sure Rich doesn’t notice how beautiful Michael’s eyes are, how expressive and big they are. He’s sure Rich is a better kisser than he’ll ever be. He’s sure Rich was able to find out just how to make Michael go crazy in a matter of seconds. He’s sure Rich got to hear all sorts of noises and groans and whimpers that Jeremy will never get to. He’s sure Rich kissed Michael’s neck, tugged at his hair and pressed himself against the other in ways that Jeremy never would. He’s sure that--
“Helllllllllloooo?” Michael’s voice snapped Jeremy right out of his thoughts. His face was red and his pants definitely weren’t as comfortable as they were at the start of the day and Michael was way too close to him and Jeremy’s fumbling with the controller and all words seems to be caught in his throat.
“You okay, man? You like, blacked out for a second.” His best friend’s tone is dripping with worry and Jeremy sinks into the beanbag chair a bit.
“Uh, yeah...yeah I’m fine, just-- just thinking.” He mumbled in response, and Michael's face softened. He knows his best friend’s brain can be pretty shit at times, so he’s ready to go into what they call ‘Double O-Mode’ aka Overbearing and Overprotective Mode.
And now Jeremy’s fucked because he’s a terrible liar and even if he wasn’t Michael would know he was lying and he’s totally sporting a slight hard on at the moment and oh God, his heart is racing and his knees feel like they are going to give out-- thank fucking God he’s sitting down.
So he has to be honest.
“You and Rich--”
“Christ, not this again Jer.” Michael huffed with a roll of his eyes but Jeremy keeps talking.
“Never hooked up again, did you?”
Silence. An intense stare between the pair. Michael briefly wonders if he could have suppressed it; liking boys that is. Maybe this newfound openness was throwing his best friend off, maybe he should have at least stayed more lowkey once he was out, maybe-- no, fuck that shit.
“No.” He said shortly.
“Why?”
“He hasn’t been free?” Michael shrugs, adding on in an attempt to lighten the mood. It’s kinda funny, I swear Jake has been making sure that Rich is always busy.”
It didn’t work. Jeremy looked just as serious as before.
“Would you? If he was free?”
“I dunno, probably? Dude, why the fuck do you even care so much?” Michael was getting anxious now, his hand were starting to shake and he could hear his heartbeat thumping in his chest, ready to break with Jeremy’s next words.
What comes flying out of Jeremy’s mouth isn’t what Michael expected though. Nor is it what Jeremy expected, he just blurted it out without thinking.
“I don’t want you hooking up with someone who isn’t me, Michael!”
Silence again. This time Jeremy is looking anywhere but his best friend, and Michael’s mind is blank.
Michael blinks once, then again, plus a few more times before a soft laugh escapes him. Jeremy’s about to cover his face with his hands but Michael quickly surges forward, pressing their lips together sweetly. Jeremy instantly throws his arms around his best friend. Michael has to squirm out of the taller boy’s grip for air, face flushed and a grin stretched across it.
Jeremy is about to say something, but Michael resumes the kiss, moving so he can straddle his best friend, who’s hands are on his hips. Michael threads his fingers through his friend’s hair as he moves his lips against his, earning a moan as he presses Jeremy further into the beanbag chair.
They break apart and Michael’s laugh is loud as Jeremy feels the tips of his ears go hot.
“Need me to vore your dick there, baby?” He snorts, and Jeremy makes a face, but pulls Michael back down anyways.