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“Alright I think it’s…Jermey’s turn!” One of your many good childhood friends, Sandra, looked around the circle of your shared friends sitting on her apartment floor. It was spring break, all of the old gang agreeing to come home from their respected college to visit each other and have a week long party. Staying up till the wee hours of the morning, everyone laughing, dancing and reminiscing on old times in school together. It was a nice break from reality for everyone, the looming dread of adulthood ahead of everyone was forgotten by all. You could feel the swell of happiness in your brain as you sat between your favorite reading buddy, Mick, who was chuckling down the neck of his beer bottle as he looked at Jeremy’s nervous face. On your right, Ludwig sat silently, smiling ear to ear as he’d just finished his 7 Minutes in Heaven, with Misah, Which everyone had hoped and prayed would finally happen. They’d both been pining for each other since 8th grade, neither one of them having the courage to say anything. No one could really figure out why, but you reckon maybe it had something to do with their vastly different career choices, or with how things were when it came to queer people back home. But you quickly push that horrid thought aside and look across the circle at your best friend, Jeremy, who held the beer bottle in his hand, looking at it as if it would calm his nerves somehow.
“So uh…You just spin it right?” He asked as his eyes darted around the circle for an answer, Sandra and Pauling giggling at how nervous he had suddenly become. He was normally the most confident and prideful one amongst your friends, but you knew, truly, most of it was just a mask he wore. You’d spent years learning his woes and deepest insecurities, normally spoken through slurred speech or spoken softly after a quick basketball game after school. You two were always so close, both enjoying a lot of the same things and your sense of humor being on the same wavelength. You’d both been lucky enough to get accepted into the same college, which was mostly you following him when he received a full ride for playing Baseball, but regardless you were happy he was still so close. But even with your best friend with you at college, nothing could match the feeling of being with him and all of your shared friends, especially when he was squirming on the floor, full of nerves. Dork.
“Jeremy, for the 8th time, yes! Spin it, and whoever it lands on you have to go in the closet with.” Sandra laughed as she glanced towards her coat closet behind her. Your best friend nodded, doing that nervous half smile you always laughed at. He finally placed the dark brown beer bottle on the floor, turning his wrist and spinning it, the speed rather fast. The room was quiet, besides the soft whirring sound of the bottle spinning on the hardwood floor. As you watched it, you’d hoped it would land on Pauling. Jeremy had liked her since at least 2nd grade, spending all of primary school trying and trying to confess his interest in her, but ultimately chickening out at the last second every time. You’d given him so many pep talks and you knew you weren’t the only one to do so. It was kind of a well known fact among everyone, even Pauling, that he had the crush, but she never really acted upon it. She wanted him to say it and everyone knew that wouldn't happen. So maybe if they were forced to be in an enclosed space with peer pressure adding to the equation, maybe he would finally do it, after so many years. Another hope pinged in your mind as Mick handed you the half smoked joint that had been passed around, watching him let out a sigh as smoke billowed from his mouth. Hopefully it would land on Mick, if not Pauling. Jeremy had confided in you your sophomore year that he had a crush on Mick, which in all honestly slapped you in the face when he told you. They were so different, Jeremy was loud and proud, letting everyone know he was in the room. While Mick was quiet and normally kept to himself, and a whole hell of a lot level headed when it came to being angry. But that old saying popped into your mind, opposites attract.
As your eyes follow the bottle’s neck, you take a drag from the joint, the smoke warming your lungs, making you cough a bit before passing it over to Ludwig. You smile, as you sigh out the smoke, at the thought of your best friend getting to have this opportunity with either one of his crushes as the bottle begins to slow its spin. For a heartbeat you thought it would land on Pauling, but it ticked closer to Mick. The bottle comes to an agonizingly slow halt, ticking from Mick, and finally landing on…
Uh oh…
There’s a shared gasp amongst your friends. You look up into Jeremy’s sharp baby blues, your heart pounding against your rib cage before it plummets into your stomach on the way to your asshole. His eyes were wide and almost terrified as he looked at him, his mouth parted open in shock. You could assume you were mirroring his expression. You don’t know if it was your nerves or the weed starting to seep into your brain, but you were reeling, your stomach in knots. You could feel Mick looking at you, Ludwig laughing slightly at your expression, Sandra and Pauling giggling to each other. This wasn’t supposed to happen, this was supposed to be his chance with his crushes but fate chose you? What the fuck man.
“Uh…we get respins right?” Jeremy softly asked as his eyes broke from yours.
“Um No dummy! You and Y/N, got 7 Minutes!” Sandra smiled ear to ear as she hopped up from the floor, and opened the closet with the cheerful glee of a child on christmas morning. Oh she was loving this. She’d always teased you about how close you two were, suggesting your after school basketball games and weekends spent at each other's houses was spent in some secret love affair. That girl was creative, you’d give her that.
Mick nudged your side, breaking you from your nervous breakdown at the thought of being in that closest with Jeremy. You look from the Australian back up to Sandra before nodding and standing, walking through the circle to make it over to the closet. Jeremy follows behind you, glancing back over your shared friends before walking over to stand next to you. A very comforting, familiar present of your best friend was nothing but a bunch of knotting nerves to you at this moment. Did you two really have to do this? Did it always have to end with something happening? You could just lie to everyone and say something happened right? Surely that's what you two would do.
“Sandra…Come on why the hell we doin’ this anyway? We ain’t kids anymore.” Jeremy protested as he nervously wrigned his hands, barely able to glance over at you for some backup. You glanced at him, barely for a moment before nodding up at Sandra.
“Y-Yeah I mean…why don’t we quit this shit and just go play darts with Jane and Pyro. This blows.” You could feel Jeremy relax a bit next to you, thankful for your protest, but Sandra laughs loudly and shakes her head, winking at you.
“Oh no no no, you two arn’t getting out of this one. Everyone before you went in so you do too.” Sandra grabs onto your arm, guiding you into the closet before she pushes Jeremy inside. His boney shoulder bumps in between your shoulder blades as you try to maneuver yourself in between a raincoat and a furry winter coat. Before you could even turn around, the door was slammed shut and everything went black. The smell of old leather and Christmas wrapping fills your nose, the muffled sound of Sandra laughing outside the door and Jeramy’s breathing is all you hear in the enclosed space. You two had been close many times, you’d put bandaids on his face plenty of times. He helped you tie your shoe a few times when you had a broken leg, reaching over you in the car to help you roll down his shitty window. But that was completely different from right now.
You could feel the warmth of his chest just inches from yours, almost being able to tell when he inhales and exhales. You can smell the familiar waft of his cologne he’d worn since 7th grade, along with the sharp twinge of Bonk on his breath, which was pretty normal. You didn’t dare move, afraid to bump into something you shouldn’t or somehow making yourself get closer to him. He chuckles softly.
“Man…out of all the people it had to be you huh? Fate can be a bitch can’t she?” You laugh softly with him, letting out a soft sigh as you nod, regardless of the dark.
“Yeah no kidding, couldn't have been Pauling or Mick could it? Could have even landed on Ludwig.” You two share another laugh.
“I wouldn’t come in here with that quack. He might try to take my kidney or somethin’.” Another shared laugh that quickly goes silent, the air becoming thick and awkward again. There was soft chatter outside the door, you tried to make out what was being said, trying to distract yourself from the person in front of you, but you couldn't make out anything. You clench onto your pants softly, trying to calm the anxiety growing in your stomach. Were you two just gonna stand here in silence for 7 minutes? You could at least talk. Say some stupid jokes back and forth, talk about the Baseball game that comes on tomorrow. But nope, you just listened to his breathing and the soft chatter outside the door.
“6 Minutes left!” It had only been a fucking minute? Longest 60 seconds of your entire existence.
Courage begins to stir in your belly, like come on, this is your best friend you’re talking about. He’s seen you at your worst and your best, you went through puberty together. All of a sudden you’re scared of him cuz his body is super close to yours? Get a grip. You swallow the dry lump in your throat before speaking.
“So uh..how you thinks gonna win to-”
“I know this sounds real weird but…I neva noticed how good you smell. Jesus, that does sound super weird don’t it?”
I’m sorry…what?
Did he just say you smelled good?
You blink a few times, glancing up at what you think would be his eyes, and you can kind of make them out a bit if you squint hard enough. You build up the courage to speak again, not wanting the comment to hang in the air too long before he becomes embarrassed.
“It does sound kinda weird but I…I’m just wearing the same shit I always do. You’ve never noticed it before?” It is a bit odd to think about, You know exactly what his cologne smells like, it even reminds you of him when you get a whiff of it out at the grocery store or in the library randomly. But he didn’t even notice you wore anything? It wasn’t much of a surprise, Jeremy was only observant when he wanted to be. You could practically hear him fidgeting in front of you.
“Nah I uh…guess I never have. It’s um….nice though. Suits ya pretty well I think.”
What the fuck was he even saying?
You two had complimented each other numerous times, friends lifted each other up any chance they could get. Whether it was saying how sick a trick shot was, congratulating him on a new personal best or even saying he looked good in a new outfit, you were never shy about complimenting Jeremy. But you were like that with everyone else. You idly remembered you practically gushing over Tavish’s new hair style for the first 10 minutes you saw him. Or how well Mick looked with his slowly growing beard. You wanted your friends to know that you noticed changes and how great they looked, and Jeremy was no different.
But he was a lot shyer about things like that, you rarely getting a compliment from him outside the basketball court or your 2 man games of Baseball for him to get some extra practice in. You vaguely remember a compliment he threw your way when everyone was going to prom on your senior year, but everyone was complimenting each other, it was arguably the best you’d ever seen your friends. And you had to admit, Jeremy looked stunning that night, You’d almost dropped your jaw at the sight of him. But it was a…friendly stunning, like that you were amazed by how good he looked and hoped he could at least catch someone's eye. Your brain was quickly brought back to the present as you felt your friend breath out a sigh and ever so slightly move closer to you.
“Ya-Ya know…Y/N I’ve uh…been thinkin’...like a lot.”
Uh oh…Oh shit.
“You’ve always and I mean like freakin’ always been there for me. Through a whole load of shit and…I know it’s what friends do and I’ve tried to do the same for you and I don’t really know if I have, I feel like I have. You can of course argue that if you wanted. And if that’s the case he could talk about that lata’.” Shit he’s rambling now. Just like when he talks to Pauling…
Your stomach tightens even more and that lump in your throat grows larger.
“5 Minutes!”
You feel him pause as he glances at the door, continuing on his rambling after a breath.
“B-But I’m not tryin’ ta ramble. I just…I really appreciate all you’ve done for me over the years and…I just wanted to say it to ya…so you know I appreciate ya. You know I ain’t good with that type of shit. So I guess it's as good a time as any to say it. Seeing as we’re being held against our will here and all.” You wouldn’t say against your will, with the soft flutter in your heart and heat coming to your face, you were fully willing to be here.
What was this feeling? Softly thumping in your chest? Blossoming joy across your brain like a beautiful spring meadow.
Surely it was the weed kicking in right?
Pheraps.
Or something else?
You hold your breath before speaking, a smile in your voice.
“I appreciate you too Jeremy, and you don’t have to tell me you do. I know you do…like you said it’s what friends are for ya know?” You shrug your shoulders in the dark, a ping of other words floating around in your head. How would you even say what you wanted to? How could you?
Jeremy laughs very softly, using it as a spacer in conversation no less.
“Well yeah I know but I…I just wanted to. You deserve to be told…You’re so damn…nice ya know? Too nice for your own good sometimes. I mean you ran half way across campus last week to get me my essay and made yourself late for class for Christ sake. And who else would do that for me?” You could name maybe…uh well actually maybe you couldn’t. Not at the moment anyway, your brain was going a mile a minute as you took in Jeremy’s soft and sincere voice. Of course you’d heard that phrase before, from Jermey himself no doubt, but it was always nice to hear your friends notice your kindness towards them.
“Well I mean…I just wanna help you anyway I can and…We both know you need help dude.” You share a laugh together and it goes quiet once again. Your stomach clenches.
“Yeah you’re right. And you go out of your way to make sure I’m in order…always have. Don’t know where I’d be without ya, Y/N.” Your heart pounded. The lump grew larger. Those words were so damn powerful for some stupid reason, even though it had been said time and time again. You’d heard it loads of times before, why is right now any different? Well…maybe because you were chest to chest with him, nothing but each other’s company in the darkness of this coat closet. You were so close. Closer than you’d ever been before.
“Wow…Thanks Jeremy…I mean I know you’ve said it before but…It’s really nice to hear it this time.” Your voice is low and full of nerves, why was your chest pounding so hard? Was his words really affecting you this much? The space you were sharing felt smaller and smaller.
“Hey…no problem. It…feels nice to praise ya. Neva’ do it much, think I should start, don't ya think?” That sounded lovely. Your breath held in your throat as you went to speak.
“I…think I’d like that. Be nice to have the shoe on the other foot for once.” Another shared laugh and another flurry in your stomach. His laugh catches you off guard this time. You’ve heard it more than you think you've heard your own laugh, but this one makes your stomach twist into a knot and your face flourish with warmth.
What the fuck was happening?
“4 Minutes!”
“There’s uh…something else I really…need to tell ya. Been holding it in for too long I think.”
Uh oh. Oh shit. Oh fuck. No fucking way.
“I’ve spent a whole hell of a lot of time with ya. Couldn’t even begin to imagine a life where I don’t have you there with me and…and when I think about…After college and me going to the big league I…I see you there with me…just like always.” Your heart flutters again, and you let out a soft laugh.
“Well yeah I’m gonna be there with ya dummy. You think Imma just pack it in after you make it? Nah I put my years in, I’m getting a box for free.” You share a laugh again, this time it's a bit longer and you relish in the infectious sound of his.
“Course you’d get a box from me, ya dope. But I don’t mean just like a call away…I meant a bit…closer at hand I guess.” You feel him lean in even more, the heat from his body radiating onto yours. Your skin pricks with goosebumps and you clench onto your pants even tighter.
Was he saying what you think he was saying? That he wanted you there, beside him. All the time? As…more than a friend?
Your mind races, all the times you’d held him while he cried over another failed attempt at him courting Pauling. All the stray thoughts he told you he had about Mick. All the words of affirmation and reassurance that things would work out for him with either of them if he gave it time. It was like second nature at this point to think about him kissing Pauling on the cheek or see him and Mick shyly hold hands as they walked out in public together. It just didn’t make sense.That spot had been reserved for years by 2 others and now all of a sudden he wanted you in it? It didn’t make ANY sense.
As your eyes try to find something, anything to focus on in the dark to try and calm your mind just a bit, Jeremy clears his throat a bit. How long had you been standing there silently freaking the fuck out?
You gather up your courage, slowly but surely, looking up to meet Jeremy’s eyes in the dark, full of nervousness and…something else?
“You mean like…me living with you? I could do that for a few years out of college I’m sure.” Maybe that’s what he meant? The thought of not having your best friend around all the time scared you too if you really sat there and thought about it. Maybe he wasn’t ready to let you go just yet.
“No I don’t…well I mean yeah I want you to live with me…but not as roommates like we have been. I mean more of like…being togetha’. Like a couple.” He barely whispered out the last two words and your heart plummeted into your heels.
He wanted to…be with you?
“3 Minutes!”
Your mind raced again and you couldn't help your mouth from moving before your brain could catch up.
“B-But what about Pauling? And Mick? I-I mean you’ve liked Pauling since we were fucking 7! Now all of a sudden you like me too? Jeremy that doesn't…it doesn't make sense to me.” He was so down bad for Pauling it was embarrassing sometimes. Mick was a close second to that, just not nearly as much. How could that be turned onto you of all people?
“Well I mean I still do like them…a lot but I….I like you a whole hell of a lot more Y/N. Like…It’s kinda insane to think about how much I care about ya. I’ve just been such a pussy I neva’ had the courage to say it. You’ve…helped me be a better person Y/N. Better than I ever thought I could be and…that ain't something I can say about anyone else out there.” You could have sworn your heart exploded in your chest.
“So I…I wanna spend…a whole lot more time with ya…hell maybe even till I kick the bucket. Which is like way to fast to think about I know, but it’s a nice thought and I think…If you want. We should give this a go.” He somehow finds your hand clenching onto your pants, the sweat on both of your nervous palms making the gesture a bit more wet then you would have liked, but it makes your body ache for more. He holds your hand so softly, gently rubbing the top of your hand with his thumb and you lance your fingers between his.
When you feel his sincere gesture of holding your hand, your heart pounds, warmth blossoming across your body as it hits you like a freight train.
You wanted this, You’ve been wanting it for a long long time.
Your free hand slowly goes out to grab his shoulder, then up his neck to cup his sharp jawline. You feel the muscles on his face move up into a wide smile as you lean in closer to him.
“Jeremy I…” You can’t finish, you can feel his lips only inches from yours, the sensation scrambling your brain. All use of communication seems futile, as you simply lean up into him.
Your lips meet and for a moment in time, you swear your floating. The thumping of your heart in your ears and the pure bliss thundering through you makes you want to cry in pure joy. But you stay close to Jeremy, your chests meeting, your hands going to wrap around his neck, his hand in the small of your back. This was Heaven.
Your lips part for just a moment, your gazes meet in the darkness only for a moment before he leans down and kisses you again, this time deeper and with a bit more hunger. He pushes against you gently, leading you deeper into the closet, your back now against the wall and the sleeve of some sort of windbreaker. His lips ache for yours, his body moving as close as he possibly could with yours. You feel his tongue against your bottom lip and glide across your teeth, your immediate thought going to the taste of beer and weed in your mouth couldn't be the best taste in the world. But Jeremy doesn't falter, he honestly couldn’t give a shit. He just wanted to kiss you. His arms wrapped around you, one around the small of your back the other on the back of your neck, softly rubbing at the sensitive skin as his mouth attacked yours. You clenched onto the shoulder of his baseball jersey for dear life, while your other hand traveled across the back of his neck and up into his short hair. Your body ached for more of him, you wanted every possible inch of your body against his, feeling his warmth, his soft touches and the radiating appreciation he had for you. But as Sandra called out the 2 minute mark, you almost fully came crashing back down to earth. Almost.
Your lips finally parted, both of you breathing heavily, taking in each other's breath before Jeremy leans his head down again, placing soft kisses across your neck. It manages to make a soft moan crawl out of your throat, which Jeremy replies with his own soft noise prickling on your ears. As he places kisses and soft nibbles on your neck, his hands rub down the side of your torso, stopping to hold your hip, you try to clear your mind enough to speak as he loves on you.
“J-Jeremy…I-I wish I…would have said something sooner too…” You moan out the last word as Jeremy suckles on the skin above your collarbone, his free hand working to unbutton the top two buttons of your shirt. He pulls away just for a moment.
“Just means we godda make up for lost time…” He breathed before going back to kissing your neck for just a moment or 2 before your lips clashed together again. He cups your face with his free hand, as the other begins to travel around your hip to your ass, your body tensing up from the sudden rush of his hands on you. You can feel something push against your stomach as he man handles you and you think you could explode at this very minute.
A blinding light pulls you away from Jeremy’s lips, you close your eyes tightly for a few seconds before you even dare to open them even just a bit. You hear Jeremy let out a groan of frustration and surprise as he pulls away from you only slightly, the light blinding him like a flash bang. There’s soft murmurs you can hear, along with a few gasps and even a cheer or two, one of them definitely coming from Tavish. Then it hits you.
The fucking closet is open.
With your hands still clenched to Jeremy like he was a life preserver and you were out in the middle of the ocean, you glanced out into the bright room, your circle of closest friends looking in and ogling you like some kind of animal at the zoo. A wave of embarrassment washed over you like a typhoon and you quickly released yourself from Jeremy, who did the same, standing up straight and looking away like nothing happened.
“Holy fucking shit…” Sandra spoke first, most of their friends slack jawed and silent, stunned silent by shock. Tavish smiled brightly as he leaned over the back of the couch where he had passed out earlier.
“About bloody time you two!” He cheered out making your face even more like a heater then it already was. Pauling’s hand covered her mouth as she looked between the two of you, Mick actually looked surprised for once, a very rare occasion. Ludwig and Misha shared a loving glance, a newly set example of what 7 minutes in Heaven could really do. And it sure lived up to it’s name.
You clear your throat and slowly step out of the closet with Jeremy, who reaches forward and grabs your hand, lacing his fingers in between yours as you walk. Sandra begins to laugh in triumph, tapping her feet on the floor and clapping happily.
“Dude I’m 2 for 4? I’m like cupid right now! Okay next spin! I’m on a damn roll!” Sandra takes her place back in the circle quickly, Jeremy and you sharing an eye roll as you lead him into the kitchen, you really needed some water after all that. The kitchen was littered with food containers and loads of different alcohol bottles, but it was quiet and away from everyone else. And you needed a drink, Bad. You grabbed a semi looking clean cup, pouring some water from the tap in it and spilling it out before actually filling the cup to take a long drink. After downing half the cup in 3 big gulps you pull back with a breath, feeling a bit better as you breathe. Jeremy stands next to you with a soft smile on his face, sticking his hand out, asking for some too. You hand the cup to him and he finishes it off quickly, letting out a similar breath of relief as you did. He places the cup on the counter and you two stand there in silence as the party continues in the other rooms. Your brain was still trying to process what had happened in those 7 minutes, 7 minutes that would probably change the trajectory of your whole life.
“So uh..” Jeremy speaks up finally, his thumbs tapping against the counter top.
“When we get back to Campus uh…do you wanna go out for a date? Heard there’s this really good place just a few blocks from campus, real romantic and such.” He was still so nervous, even after his tongue was down your throat. Dork.
“I’d like nothing more.” You two share a smile, his hand softly reaching to hold onto yours as you stand at the counter. You stare at him for a long while, his all too familiar face shining brightly with a new beautiful glow. Your heart fluttered, a feeling you’d hoped would never go away. He smiles that goofy smile back down at you and laughs a bit.
“Quit starin’ at me like that, makes me antsy.”
“Well I like lookin’ at ya.”
“Guess I’ll let it slide this time…” He leans over and kisses you softly, only for a moment, but it’s one of your favorite moments you’ve ever had in your life.
“We should uh…probably get back in there…don’t wanna miss out on all the fun.” Jeremy shrugged his shoulders as he pulled away from you, but his hand stays clenched around yours.
“I mean I think we had more fun than anyone in this whole building.” You giggle and he joins you, that goofy smile crossing his face again. You're heart melting in your chest.
Grabbing 2 beers from the fridge the both of you walk back into the living room, Mick and Pauling standing as Sandra goes to get the closet door for them.
“Mick and Pauling, get on in there you two, I’m making magic happen tonight.”
You share a quick glance with Jeremy, who’s a bit dumbfounded at the situation. But as the closet door closes he simply smiles at you and you both take a seat on the floor again, holding each other’s hands as you enjoy your time with your friends. Together.