Archive of Our Own ^beta

The Moonlight from Mike’s window brings a slight illumination to his room. The temperature is brisk but he doesn’t worry about becoming cold. He feels the warmth of his partner behind him. The steady rhythm of his breathing keeps Mike calm and adds a pleasant sound to the otherwise dead silent room. Paulo's arms are wrapped around Mike’s waist. The feeling of the other boy’s fur bringing a heavenly comfort against Mike’s own. The sadness all but completely drained replaced by the blissful feelings of two lonely souls embracing each other as one. Was this love? Was this what it felt like to be with someone who truly cared? Was this just him being stupid for the millionth time this week? Did he deserve to be held like this after being pitiful for months on end? He doesn’t know. All he knows is that he felt worlds different mere hours ago.
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One Hour. It took an entire hour before the phone finally fell silent. Dozens of text messages and call attempts from Sandy. He just sat there. Flat on his back. The only noise being the gentle hum of his ceiling fan. It was over. She cheated on him. She fucking avoided him for months. Left him in the dark. Left him alone. Left him with a dwindling sense of self-worth. His heart has been ripped violently from his stomach and dumped in the trash. Mike tried to force all those bad emotions away. Trying to simply feel numbness. He couldn’t afford to feel anything else. Not now. Stay down. Stay down. Failure. Certain people started coming back to the front of his mind.

Paulo.

Lucy.

Everyone.

*What the fuck is wrong with me?* He thought.

“Am I all alone?” He said out loud to no one. “..Oh god what have I done?” The tears started coming down again. He is surprised his reddened eyes had any left. *I’m a piece of shit. A stupid stupid bastard* All those times he lashed out at his own friends. All those moments of jackassery. He has been driving them away. Mike couldn't help but feel that he deserved this heart ache. “Haha….this is my life now...All alone” He turned over to his side. Maybe sleep will help. He closed his eyes. Maybe it will make this pain go away. These on the spot plans were suddenly interrupted by the sound of an incoming call.

Mike was about to cover his ears with his pillow when he realized it wasn’t Sandy calling. It was the custom ringtone set up for whenever Paulo calls. He wanted to just leave it for voice mail. Probably just him calling to copy his math homework answers. But he didn't do that. For some inexplicable reason Mike answered. And let everything out.

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Paulo wanted to apologize. He let his dumbass temper get the better of him. He has spent the Last year trying and failing to be more mindful of his own actions. Tonight was an undoubtable failure. He let out a sigh *Jesus Mike….* He rubbed his temples thinking *I really chewed him out didn’t I?*. Paulo didn’t feel like he was completely in the wrong but neither did he feel like he was in the right. Mike was having a tough time and, well, he needed a friend. Maybe even an intervention at this rate.

“Heh”. Paulo chuckled somberly. “ Just a friend?” His heart gave a thud at the thought. He had watched one of his oldest friends kill himself slowly for someone who barely gave him the time of day. And Paulo was right there more than willing to fill that void for Mike. And, against his better judgment, waiting to fill that void for Mike.

He shook his head. Now wasn’t the time for that. Now wasn’t the time to hope for better things. He was too damned overworked and still had an algebra test tomorrow. He just needs to phone in an apology before bed and hope he still has the friendship the next day. He picked up the phone and called him.

“Paulo?” Mike answered.

“Hey Mike…I just..uhhhh..wanted to say sorry for what happened”.

There was silence on the other end. With some anxiety Paulo interrupted it saying “ Mike listen I was just angry you know? Don’t make too much of a fuss over it but I-Mike?”
There was sobbing on the other end. *Shit is Mike crying?* Paulo thought.

“Paulo. It’s over.” His heart sank.

*No. No. NO!*

“For fuck sakes I wasn’t being serious with what I said earlier wh-”.

“What? No not you and me Paulo. Me and Sandy.”

Another silence across the line. What has Sandy done to his boy? “What the hell happened??!?! What did she do?!!?!?” There was no response other than a whimper and a plea “She found someone else…oh god Paulo you must hate me I’m so sorry!”. A determined look overtook Paulo’s face “Mike I’m coming over.”

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After convincing a suspicious Haley that they were just doing last minute studying Paulo made it into Mike’s room. As expected the place looked like a tornado hit it. Overturn furniture and papers spread everywhere. And right on the edge of the bed was a very sad looking cat.

Paulo in his infinite lack of wisdom said the first thing that came to his mind punctuated with a futile attempt at boyish charm “Mike ... .you look like shit”. Mike gave him a death glare. Time for a different approach. “Listen..” Paulo sat down next to him..”I know i’m kind of what jasmine once called “Immature” but even I know that you were too good for her..” Mike looked up at him . “I have never seen another guy so stupidly loyal to another person. You deserve someone who can give you the same kind of treatment”. Without a single word Mike slid down gently into Paulo’s lap. The siamese cat blushed but swallowed those feelings and focused on helping his friend. He began to pat Mike’s head.

“Paulo…I’m so stupid..”

Thinking about how life was going these past months Paulo said “That makes two of us”.

Mike began to weep again.

“It’s okay..It’s okay….I’m here.”

“You’ve always been there.” Mike said.

“What?”

“You’ve always been there for me Paulo. And I pushed you away.”

“I’m still here. You can’t get rid of me that easily.” Paulo said with a forced laugh.

“Heh.”

Mike then turned over and the two boys' eyes met. Paulo found himself not for the first time pulled into those handsome green eyes. Those beautiful eyes. For the longest time Paulo ignored or even pushed away the most innocent of admiration for Mike’s form. Every homeroom, every class project, and every party he would at least have one thought about how lovely his friend is. One moment of attraction or pining even if so small and easy to swallow down. How it hurts to want something you never could have. How it hurts to not fully be yourself.

After what felt like centuries of gazing into each other’s soul Mike leaned up and kissed him. Paulo could write entire books about the feeling of Mike’s lips on his own.Now words to describe the taste. No words to even describe the sensations it sparked inside of him. But he could write books about how this kiss opened up a door inside of him that he had spent so many times trying to close. A wave of heat overtook him by the time Mike pulled away. There wasn’t going to be a moment of silence after that. Paulo shot up from the bed, nearly tossing Mike onto the floor in the process. The reality of the situation has sat in.

“I can’t…I can’t fucking do this”.

“Paulo I’m sorry!”

“You better be! This isn’t god damn right Mike!”

Mike tries to grab Paulo’s arm to comfort him but he flinches back. “You aren’t even a fruitcake! Just on the rebound from that bitch!” Paulo grabbed his things and tried to head out. “Paulo!” Mike shouted loudly this time with an anger in his voice that stopped the other cat in his tracks.

“Do you…”He takes a deep breath. “Do you like me?”.

“.......”

Paulo didn’t know how to reply to that question. So many thoughts going through his head at once. Mike decided to pick up the slack. “Paulo, I've thought about this. I’ve thought about you before.” The siamese cat’s heart skipped a beat. “Despite how much of a jackass you can be, you've always had my back even when I didn’t deserve it”. Mike nervously stepped towards him. Faces close. Paulo has a conflicted look on his face. His eyes pointed away from Mike. “I don’t know what i’m doing and to be honest I’ve never thought of myself as into guys..but I’ve come to realize that I’m into you”.

Paulo's eyes meet Mike’s again. “Yes.” He said while giving a smirk.”I do like you. I like you a Lot.”

Then their lips meet again.

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During Mike’s pondering over the night’s event Paulo wakes up with a yawn. “Hey” Mike says with a blush and a dorky smile. “Hey there Babe~ had a good time?” Paulo says smugly. Mike snorts and laughs “Shut the hell up!” while cuddling his new boyfriend.

“Oh god…” The orange cat says while suddenly sitting up.

“What?” Mike said.

“We CANNOT tell Daisy about any of this.”