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Michael sat on Jeremy’s bed as Jeremy pulled up the game on his laptop, it was a silly dating sim that Jeremy had been waiting to play, one he knew would get a crack out of Michael.
The game starts up, Jeremy’s macbook immediately making a vrrrrr sound as it heats up. The game's logo draws a little chuckle from Michael.
‘LOVE~LOVE PARADISE !’ it showed in bright yellow letters, with animated hearts swinging around the letters.
“So what’s this about?” Michael leans towards the screen while Jeremy clicks ‘new game’.
“Gotta find out, man.”
“They don’t even let you put in your own name?”
A buff looking man slides onto the screen, “Ello, love.” It starts a fit of laughter from Michael.
“Dude-” Jeremy snickered, “Shut up we’re gonna miss it.”
“Alright bruv- just let me chug this bot-ol of wo-ah” Michael says, pressing the skip button multiple times until the game starts.
The game overall is slow-paced, they spend about forty minutes introducing the characters almost excruciatingly slow.
“Dude, when does this game get fucking good,” Michael glares at the game, repeatedly hitting skip, “My moms gonna call me home for dinner in like half an hour.”
Jeremy shushes him as a group of characters pop up in colorful animated poses.
Michael points at a girl with glasses, tan skin and short hair.
“Hey, she’s your type right there,” Michael grins.
“Are you saying you’re my type?” Jeremy tuts, “Narcissist.”
“I meant Christine but…” Michael stretches out the ‘u’ with a shrug, “If we’re going there, every girl you’ve been in love with is a little like me.”
“Psh- no,” Jeremy pushes Michael with a hand, “I mean I get Christine but not any of the other girls I’ve liked.”
Michael gives him a doubting look before counting on his fingers.
“Well let’s see, before Christine there was Alyssa, an avid fan of video games.”
“Every guy has liked a girl who likes video games, it’s like a passage!” Michael laughs at him.
“Okay then, before Alyssa there was Michaela, who you’ve accidentally called Michael on multiple occasions.”
“That doesn’t mean anything, you’d mistake it too if you had a friend named… Jeremy-a.”
“Okay, what about the fact she was a huge fan of Bob Marley?”
Jeremy doesn’t have much to say to that, sucking the air through his teeth; He turns to the screen and starts skipping through dialogue while Michael laughs at him.
“Hey man, how do I know those letters for Christine weren’t secretly for me?” Michael flutters his eyes sarcastically while putting his hands under his face.
“Okay, fine. What about Madeline then? I had a crush on her.”
“Hey, there’s an outlier for almost every statistic, not my fault she’s an asshole and I’m a human angel.”
“Yeah, okay dream boat.” Jeremy pokes his cheek.
“Face it, Jeremy, I’m your dream girl, I’ve got the personality, the hair, the glasses…”
“The ass,” Jeremy continues.
“Mhm,” Michael smirks, “maybe you are in love with me.”
“Shut up man,” but it comes out a bit more awkward than Jeremy wanted it to be, making Michael grin a little more.
“Just sayin’,” Michael puts his hands up in surrender.
They turn back to the game where the characters are all lined up at the bar, they laugh at the bartender who is, coincidentally, a very pale and scrawny character.
“That’s your type right there,” Jeremy points at the bartender.
Michael hums before looking at him again, Jeremy feels a bit sweatier than he usually does, discreetly wiping his palms on the blankets.
“Maybe it is,” Michael’s eyes are half lidded and relaxed and Jeremy thinks his face is a little closer than it was before.
The moment is rudely interrupted by a loud ringtone, Michael snaps up, eyes widening and picks up the phone, looking in any other direction.
“Mhm, be right home, yes- yes- okay bye mom!” Michael quickly ran through the conversation, hanging up.
“I- uh gotta go home for dinner.” Michael said, shoving things into his backpack, briefly glaring at the ‘riends’.
“Right! Yeah no- totally totally… I’ll walk you out.”
“Cool, cool, cool…” Michael says before opening the door.
After a very brief and awkward goodbye to Jeremy’s dad, who is starting an episode of some law show on company time, they’re standing outside Jeremy’s front door.
“Right,” Michael said, as if he was double checking his thoughts before he spoke. His hand rested on Jeremy’s arm longer than it usually did, “Bye.”
“ Yes , see you… later,” Jeremy inwardly cringed as Michael walked to his car. Michael sped off after a brief wave from inside the car, one Jeremy reciprocated with an arm that felt like jelly.
He stared at Michaels receding car in the distance until he was called back inside.