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Jeremy examines the aisle of products in front of him and runs a hand down his face, dragging it down as he stares with exhaustion. He was a little pissed off, internally, that his dad wasn’t responsible enough to do the grocery shopping. But at least it meant he wouldn’t get embarrassed when shopping for tissues and lotion.
Michael creeped up behind him, until his head was next to his right ear. Whispering in a ‘Jeremy’ voice, Michael mocked, “ If I get scented lotion will my dick smell better? ”
Of course, Jeremy’s dad not being here meant the embarrassment had to be in the form of his best friend.
“ Michael ,” Jeremy hissed, because yeah he had been thinking about that, but he didn’t need to be called out in the middle of Target.
Michael snickered and backed off, he was back with the cart that looked noticeably fuller since he left. Jeremy made an attempt to give Michael a list so he’d be distracted while Jeremy could get his more self indulgent items. But given that Michael had known where to look for Jeremy, he wasn’t as subtle as he thought he was.
The store started playing Carly Rae Jepsen, Jeremy ignored it in favor of looking at the cart.
“I don’t remember putting doritos on the list,” Jeremy raised an eyebrow at Michael. Michael was the only one who actually ate doritos, at least the nacho cheese kind.
“I don’t remember a gallon of lavender scented lotion being on the list either, but we’re all full of surprises today.” Michael swung the bottle back and forth before dropping it in the cart, moving before Jeremy could catch up.
“ Michael .” Jeremy groaned, cheeks heating up.
“Don’t dish what you can’t take, Jere,” Michael sang, “And anyways it’s not like your dad will notice, I’m over by your house too often for him to even know we got doritos.”
He’s right, in fact, the doritos will probably be gone by the time Jeremy’s dad inevitably interrupts them in his room. Michael loves to smash the doritos into tinier pieces by squishing the bag, and then shoveling them all in his mouth.
‘Disgusting ,’ Jeremy thought fondly.
“Do we need fabric softener?” Michael asked as Jeremy caught up with him, Michael pulled the cart into the next aisle full of laundry detergent.
“Probably not, but we needed it last time so maybe just in case?” Jeremy hazarded a guess.
Michael picked up a mini container of fabric softener, lavender scented. Michael pointed as he waggled his eyebrows.
“Ha-Ha” He knew Michael was gonna milk it for the rest of the trip, and the next day it would be replaced by another embarrassing thing Jeremy couldn’t help but do.
Truth be told, Jeremy’s not really offended by it. Michael’s the only person who could make fun of him and not raise Jeremy’s anxiousness. In fact, he’s probably the only guy who could do the opposite.
Whenever Michael jokes, he looks at Jeremy as if he’s totally in on it. It’s just in the way his eyes shine and his smile wrinkles. That look and smile is the reason Jeremy’s been staying awake at night, staring at his ceiling. And by extension, Michael’s the reason Jeremy put over the counter sleeping medications on the list.
“How much money did your dad give you?” Michael asked.
“Around three hundred,” Jeremy said.
Michael pulled out his phone and Jeremy watched his fingers go tap-tap on a screen he couldn’t see. He assumed it was the calculator and was proven right when Michael showed him.
“We’ve got enough money left, we could probably buy you a new shirt.” Michael said, pulling the cart away from the detergent and towards the clothing aisle.
“Are you sure?” The thought made Jeremy nervous, because he did need new clothes, but using grocery money felt a bit unnerving.
“Yeah, your dad doesn’t ask for a receipt or anything right? Just cares about if you got his food.” Which was sad, and bummed Jeremy out a little. But Michael had a point, and Jeremy would rather sneak behind his dads back to get a new shirt than come to school in a sweaty graphic tee he’s had since 8th grade.
Michael sent him a comforting smile as the store changed songs again to a song from The Smiths. Jeremy checked his phone, it was four o’clock on the dot, and the change in music might’ve been a sign of shift changes.
“I fuckin’ love this song,” Michael mumbled, grabbing a bit of fabric from Jeremy’s cardigan and using it to shake him around a little. Sometimes Michael got mad gigantic feelings about something, but it wasn’t socially acceptable to scream, so he’d take it out on the fabric of whatever clothes Jeremy was wearing that day.
“The Smiths? Way to stick with your 80’s cliche, man.” Michael blew a raspberry at him and pushed forwards as they scanned different shirts.
One shirt caught Jeremy’s eye, it was striped, and he could think of at least ten outfits he could wear it with. It was blue, and when Jeremy went to feel it, it didn’t feel like it would itch him, or smell bad if he sweated.
“Michael,” He called over, still feeling the shirt. When Michael regained his rightful place at Jeremy’s side. The Smiths' song that was playing slowly ended and faded into another.
“Feel it,” Jeremy pushed the shirt towards Michael and he rubbed his thumb across the fabric.
“This fucks, dude, get it.” Michael says seriously, and Jeremy knows Michael probably doesn’t care what Jeremy gets but he’s supportive like that.
Jeremy checked the tag, and his shoulders slumped in disappointment. Just two dollars too expensive, technically more, given tax.
“What, how much could it be?” Michael looked at the tag, leaning on Jeremy, “The fuck?”
“It’s fine,” It’s kind of not, because Jeremy got too excited over it and got his hopes up, like an idiot.
“I’ll be right back,” Michael perks up, like he’s got an idea, and puts the shirt in the cart, pushing it away. Jeremy isn’t sure if he should follow after him, but he decides against it just in case Michael’s idea is to actually steal the shirt.
He starts looking at other cheaper shirts, but he’s already kind of mentally committed, so it doesn’t do much until Michael slowly wheels back.
“I replaced some stuff, we’re good now.” Jeremy’s skeptical, but assumes it might be something like smaller portions. His dad won’t mind, he thinks unsure.
They go to the self checkout, because Jeremy would rather die than watch the emo chick at the register scan his massive bottle of lavender lotion. Another Smith’s song starts, and Jeremy wonders if he can guess which employee got control of the store playlist.
Jeremy starts scanning, starting with his new shirt, as he slowly goes through the items he notices that nothing really changed.
“Where’s your doritos?” Jeremy asks, as he looks for it. He likes to put all the snacks in the same bag.
Michael taps the shirt as understanding dawns on Jeremy.
“Seriously?” He says, almost softly.
“Yeah, man. It’s just Doritos, plus they were too expensive anyway.” Michael’s avoiding his gaze, suddenly really interested in the peanut butter serving sizes. The Smiths play in the background and Jeremy feels like his heart is pounding a little bit too fast for something as stupid as doritos.
‘And you never knew… how much I really liked you.’
Michael finally looks at him at the silent response, and Jeremy feels like he just got hit by a double decker bus, but in a good way.
‘Cause I never even told you…Oh, but I meant to.’
Jeremy focuses on the groceries, furiously scanning items as he ignores how red his face probably is. He’s almost finished with the remains of the cart so he starts pulling out his wallet with the money his dad gave him. His eyes drift off before it catches onto another customer.
“ Shit ,” Jeremy whisper-yells, quickly scanning the normal items in the cart.
“What is it?” Michael asks, brows furrowed.
Jeremy quietly gives a small point towards Jack Rachins, a guy in their year. Close friend of Jake Dillinger, and close enough to Jenna Rolan to destroy Jeremy on the inside if he told her anything about him.
“Okay? You’re just buying groceries, man.” Michael tries a logical stance, but Jeremy jerks his head towards the cart, where the lotion is one of the last things in the cart. Michael’s eyes light up in understanding and he can’t help himself as he dissolves into quiet laughter, held in by his hand.
“It’s not funny!” Jeremy’s voice cracks, which makes Michael’s shoulders shake harder.
“I got you man, relax,” Weirdly enough Jeremy’s embarrassment eased the strange tension they shared between them a moment ago. Michael positions himself so he’s covering the view Jack might have, so Jeremy quickly scans and aggressively shoves it in the emptiest bag.
He pays just as fast, shoving the dollar bills into the slot and throws the miniscule change in another bag. Michael helps him place the bags in the shopping cart and they speed walk out of there with the grace of two teenagers who need to run but don’t want to be accused of shoplifting
Jeremy loads the trunk with the bags as Michael sweet talks his PT Cruiser into starting.
“Don’t you think that like, if you need to suck up to your car for it to start, it’s time to get an upgrade?”
Michael glares at Jeremy as he pets the steering wheel lovingly, which makes Jeremy a little jealous, if he’s being honest.
“Don’t listen to him, he’s just being silly,” Michael coo’s as he attempts to start the engine, this time it works. He gives a victorious and shit eating grin to a pouty Jeremy and puts his seatbelt on. Jeremy climbs into the passenger seat as Michael plugs in his phone and hands it to Jeremy.
“Put on a Smith’s song, they’re stuck in my head now.” Michael pulls out of the parking lot as Jeremy puts on a random playlist he searched up.
As they drove home Jeremy felt haunted by a fucking 80’s band.
‘And you never knew… how much I really liked you.’
Jeremy brought up his thumb and forefinger and pinched his mouth, he snuck glances at Michael who seemed none the wiser.
‘Cause I never even told you…Oh, but I meant to.’
“You cool, buddy?” Michael said, keeping his eyes on the road but sneaking glances at Jeremy. He guesses Michael wasn’t actually none the wiser, as per usual.
“Nothing, just The Smiths giving me an internal crisis.” Jeremy says, waving his hand.
“So real,” Michael says like he understands.
The tortuous song finally ends and is replaced by another song that makes Jeremy’s hands itch. Makes him want to grab Michael’s face and do something he’ll regret.
They pull up to Jeremy’s house, and the music keeps playing as Michael puts the car into park.
“Is your dad not home?” Michael frowns at the driveway, which lacks his dad’s gray honda. The garage just has a bunch of storage in it, sometime’s Michael smokes in there.
“Guess not.” Jeremy says as he taps his fingers impatiently on his legs, he’s not really itching to get out. He’s just restless to do something he knows he shouldn’t do.
Michael flashes him a stupid smile that breaks all of Jeremy’s self control. Because apparently being crazy in love actually makes you crazy.
‘And if a double-decker bus…Crashes into us’
Jeremy mentally shoots himself before he grabs the sides of Michael’s face and just kisses him with the confidence and suaveness of someone who’s not Jeremy.
‘To die by your side…Is such a heavenly way to die’
It takes less than two seconds for Michael to kiss him back, which minorly shocks Jeremy, but he learns to cope as Michael’s hands run through his hair and down his neck towards his cardigan.
‘And if a ten-ton truck…Kills the both of us’
They pull back and Michael’s got a wide-eyed look that Jeremy’s never seen on him before. Jeremy probably matches it until Michael grins like he’s been waiting for that moment his entire life, and Jeremy matches that face too.
‘To die by your side… Well, the pleasure, the privilege is mine’