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Micheal pulled up to Jeremy’s house and sent him a text saying he was there to pick him up.
From Jeremy: coming out now
To Jeremy: I don’t know if there’s a need for that. I already know you’re bi. We’re dating.
From Jeremy: what the fuck are you talking about?
From Jeremy: wait...
From Jeremy: I’m leaving you, Micheal Mell
To Jeremy: Wait, Jer, no I’m sorry!
Jeremy smiled at his phone and opened the front door of his house and stepping out. He walked across the front lawn and hopped into Micheal’s car.
“Fine. I’ll stay. But only because I will admit that was actually pretty good,” Jeremy said starting to laugh. Micheal chuckled.
“Yeah, I know. Now buckle up.” Micheal said putting the car in gear.
“Geez, Micheal. What the hell did you do to your voice?” Jeremy will admit, he was being a bit dramatic. Micheal didn’t even sound that bad. In fact, if you didn’t talk to him every day, you wouldn’t even know the difference. But Jeremy could usually tell when something was wrong.
“What? Nothing! It’s fine!” Micheal said, keeping his eyes on the road ahead. Jeremy looked at Micheal’s face for an extra second before sighing and looking down at his hands in his lap.
_________________________
The mall was decently busy. Saturday afternoon generally was. It took Micheal five whole minutes just to find a parking spot. Okay maybe replace “decently” with “extremely”. The mall was extremely busy. Micheal and Jeremy were basically connected at the hip as they walked through the busy corridors of the mall and in and out of stores. Fingers strongly woven together and shoulders touching and barely left each other’s side.
“Honestly, Micheal. You need to make up your mind already. We’ve been standing here for twenty minutes!” Jeremy had abandoned Micheal’s hand in favor of crossing his arms across his chest in exasperation. Micheal continued examining the shelf of records.
“You really think picking between Exodus and Kaya is an easy thing to do?” Micheal asked, voice cracking as the pitch went up. Jeremy huffed.
“I’m just saying that maybe picking which Bob Marley record you’re gonna get shouldn’t take twenty fucki-“ Jeremy stopped short as a mother and a young girl (maybe six or seven) walked past, the mother glaring at Jeremy. “Freaking minutes.”
“This is important, Jeremy!” Micheal said dramatically pointing to the records. Jeremy groaned. Loudly. “And for the record, it’s only been ten minutes,” Micheal said indignantly.
“Yeah but it feels like forever! Just get the other record when we come back, or just buy them both!” Jeremy said getting impatient.
“Yeah, but then I’d have to pick which one I want into get now! And I don’t have enough money to get both,” Micheal said still being stubborn. Jeremy looked up into Micheal’s eyes and huffed. He grabbed both records and shoved one of them at Micheal.
“You get that one, and I’ll get this one. Okay?” Jeremy said already walking towards the cashier. Micheal blinked at Jeremy’s back.
“Wait what?” Micheal said, eyes practically sparkling. “Are you serious?”
“Yeah. Did you not hear me? Now come on, let’s go.” Micheal smiled so brightly at Jeremy and he was thoroughly reminded why he loved Micheal. Once they paid Micheal grabbed Jeremy’s hand and pulled him out of the small record shop. Once they were next to the glass window and out of the way of the door Micheal put his hand on Jeremy’s chin and lifted his head to kiss him on the lips. Jeremy blushed everywhere. From his neck to his ears he was bright red. That only fueled Micheal’s flame. He pecked Jeremy’s face in every single possible face. Jeremy laughed and tried to shove Micheal off. “Micheal, stop! People are staring at us!” Jeremy laughed. Micheal just kept kissing him, until his lips landed softly on Jeremy’s smooth forehead.
“Thank you,” Micheal said softly, a soft smiling playing across his lips.
“Don’t make me regret that, asshat,” Jeremy said shoving Micheal’s chest before grabbing his a hand and pulling him away. Both Jeremy and Micheal felt people looking at them with varying emotions, but neither of them cared. Not like they used to. Not like they cared before the SQUIP. Not like how they cared when they first starting dating.
The next hour or so when by smoothly, and it was obvious both boys were enjoying themselves and having fun. However, Jeremy didn’t miss how Micheal had begun slowing down. How he’d started looking more tired and talking quieter, and less. Jeremy also noticed how when he did talk, he winced slightly, and his voice was slowly dying.
“Hey, Jeremy. Let’s sit down for a sec. we’ve been walking around for a while,” Micheal said.
“Yeah. Okay...” Jeremy examined Micheal’s face. A small blush over his cheeks, and gloss over his eyes. They sat on a bench up against one of the tiled walls. Micheal put his head into his handsome and sighed. “You okay, Micheal?” Jeremy asked him. Micheal nodded.
“Yeah, I’m fine it’s jus-“ Micheal started. He was promptly cut off by a harsh coughing fit that seemingly ripped up his throat in the process.
“Micheal?” Jeremy asked. When Micheal stopped he looked up. He was taking slow, deep breaths. His eyes were teary and his face was red. “Micheal, what’s wrong?” Micheal groaned.
“Ugh, Jer,” Micheal whined.
“What? What’s wrong, Micheal?” Jeremy asked, worry swelling up in his chest.
“I’m jus’.” Micheal started, his voice low and rough. “I’m not feelin’ so good, Jer.”
“What happened?” Jeremy asked trying as best he could to make eye contact with Micheal.
“I-I dunno,” Micheal said pausing to cough harshly into his shoulder. “I guess I thought something was a little off before, but then a little while ago, I just started feeling... bad,” Micheal said cradling his head in his hands. He looked up at Jeremy, his eyes swelled with tears. That’s when Jeremy really started to panic. Seeing Micheal about to cry in the middle of the crowded mall.
“M-Micheal. Hey, it’s okay, man. D-don’t cry,” Jeremy said pulling Micheal into a hug. Micheal sniffed and pulled away swiping at his eye with the heel of his hand.
“Man, my throat hurts so bad, I can barely talk,” Micheal said slightly laughing around his muddled words. “Brought me to fuckin’ tears.” Micheal wiped his nose on his sleeve.
“Then stop talking, Jesus Christ,” Jeremy laughed. Micheal sighed and dropped his head on Jeremy’s shoulder. “Fuck, man you feel... really hot. Like, shit that’s one hell of a fever you’re running,” Jeremy said running his hand through Micheal’s hair. Micheal sighed in response.
“Well now I feel bad for kissing you so much earlier,” Micheal rasped, then turned his head and coughed into his shoulder. Jeremy winced at the sound. “Ugh it hurts,” Micheal whined.
“Stop talking if it hurts,” Jeremy scolded Micheal. Micheal just shrugged.
“Eh. I’m a talkative person. I can’t ju-“ Micheal’s voice cracked. Badly.
“Did you are gonna lose your voice completely if you keep doing this. It’s already mostly gone, you’re just gonna make it worse,” Jeremy said joking smacking Micheal on his head.
“Hey. Too late for that,” Micheal said, his voice diminished to a raspy squeak.
“Oh my god, you’re and idiot, Micheal Mell.” Micheal laughed at that. “Come on. We’re going home. And I’m driving,” Jeremy said pulling Micheal up by his hand. Micheal huffed but nodded in agreement. He wove his fingers into Jeremy’s and they walked into the mall parking lot.