Work Text:
Nate was convinced this is what hell looked like, if it existed at all. He currently sat at his desk, staring helplessly at the list of meetings he’d managed to secure for all his clients. It wasn’t the number of meetings lined up that was bothering him, however, that was honestly the opposite of a problem. What did concern him was the fact that out of about 30 clients, only three of them had actually gone through the emails Nate had sent out and confirmed their meetings. That left 27 clients who hadn’t checked their email, and these meetings were tomorrow.
This wasn’t the first time this had happened, either. Each time Nate sent out emails, he had to personally call each of his clients up and tell them to check their emails and confirm their meeting, just so Nate had a clear record of things. Usually, the number of clients he had to call never really exceeded five, and it was easy enough to make those calls, but this was just ridiculous. There was no way he was going to be able to call 27 people in the span of, well, an hour, really, before he had to leave to meet with Mihael.
Mihael. The name itself caused his heart to skip several beats. It was kind of disgusting just how lovesick he was—not that he’d ever outwardly show it, of course—even though it had been four months since he’d started dating Mihael. It somehow still felt surreal, like any day now Nate would wake up and Mihael would suddenly decide he was done with Nate, and just like that, it would all be over. Mihael’s last relationship had lasted two months, so it wasn’t an unfounded worry for Nate to have. And just like that, the happy fluttering in his stomach morphed into something heavier, something unpleasant.
The sudden beeping of the phone on his desk was what shook him out of his depressing thoughts. Nate managed to clear his head long enough to answer the call, his voice neutral and not particularly welcoming. “LTA, this is Nate’s office. How can I help you?”
Nate heard a soft chuckle on the other line. A second later, Mihael’s amused voice came through. “Hey, Nate. How’s it going?”
Nate felt his cheeks heat up. “Mihael, I told you not to call my work phone for…personal chitchat. This line is specifically for clients.”
“Last time I checked, I was one of your clients too, Nate.”
Nate paused. Technically, that was still true. “What do you want, Mihael?” Nate sighed, using his free hand to twirl some of his hair around his fingers. “I’m kind of busy.”
“Aren’t you always,” Mihael muttered and Nate rolled his eyes. “Just so we’re clear, I did call you on your cellphone about a thousand times, but you didn’t answer. You drove me to this, Nate.”
“You’re being so dramatic right now,” Nate couldn’t help the small smile tugging at his lips, “why did you call?”
“Just wanted to make sure you were still coming over tonight, that’s all.”
Nate bit his lip, staring at the list of names he still had to call. He almost considered cancelling his plans with Mihael, but thought better of it. Technically, these were just going to be quick calls he’d be making, but he also needed to account for the fact that most of them wouldn’t answer his calls immediately, and he’d have to wait on them to return his calls, and that could most definitely be hours, give or take.
But then again, Mihael had planned this date for weeks now, and lately the two hadn’t gotten much time to spend together, what with Mihael being super busy with his album recording and L having piled Nate up with numerous clients to attend to daily. The promise of this dinner with Mihael had been Nate’s motivation to get through the week. There was no way he was going to give that up, not even for those 27 damn clients.
“Yes,” Nate answered finally, “I’m still coming over.”
“Great! I’ll see you in an hour!” Mihael exclaimed, and without another word, he hung up.
Nate stared at the receiver fondly before directing his gaze to the screen in front of him. Bracing himself, he finally began dialing the number of the first client on his list.
-x-
Two hours and 27 calls later, Nate was mentally exhausted. Luckily, he’d managed to get a hold of mostly everyone quickly enough. He’d only had to leave voice mails for around five of his clients, and they’d returned his calls soon enough. All in all, it had been a productive day and Nate was more than ready to leave his office and head straight for Mihael’s. So, he did just that.
Before L could burden him with more work—honestly, L had been dumping a lot of clients on him recently—he quickly packed up his stuff and hurried out of his office and down to the parking lot in record time. It was a wonder he hadn’t bumped into anyone on the way, but it wasn’t like he was complaining.
As he got into his car, he couldn’t help but take a moment to scroll through his cellphone. He’d had the presence of mind to text Mihael that he’d be late, and fortunately, Mihael had understood. ‘Just give me a call before you leave then, so I’m not in the bathroom or something when you arrive.’ He’d texted back. Nate smiled, eyes scanning the text once more before he dialed Mihael’s number. He only had to wait two rings before Mihael answered.
“Nate! What’s up?”
“I just got done with work. I’m in my car right now,” Nate answered, slouching a bit in his seat. “Do you need me to get something on my way?”
“Just bring yourself,” Mihael joked. “See you soon, Nate.”
Nate couldn’t help the slight blush at Mihael’s words. “Yeah, I’ll see you soon.” He mumbled before hanging up. It took him another moment before he started the engine of his car, driving out of the parking lot.
-x-
Nate had only been to Mihael’s apartment a handful of times. It was usually Mihael stopping by Nate’s house when the two wanted to spend some time together but Nate was too tired to go out anywhere, mostly because Mihael had picked up on Nate’s discomfort when it came to public displays of affection and Mihael’s apartment usually included Matt’s presence. It wasn’t that the two wanted to be alone so they could do things not meant for the public eye and more that Nate just wasn’t comfortable with a third person’s presence, especially when said person was your boyfriend’s closest friend, who loved teasing the two of them constantly. Being alone with Mihael in his own house put him at ease, and so Mihael had agreed easily to Nate’s requests.
However, today was an exception. It had started with Mihael informing Nate that Matt would be going out of town for a few days to attend some video game convention, and he’d have the apartment to himself. He’d then hesitantly asked Nate if he’d be okay coming over to his apartment instead, considering it’d just be the two of them. It’d just be a nice change from the usual, Mihael had said. Honestly, Nate had no reason to refuse. Besides, he wanted to get a feel of Mihael’s apartment, wanted to know if he’d feel just as much at ease there as Mihael did in his house, or if he’d feel like a stranger intruding.
Nate lifted a hand and knocked on the door. He knew he could’ve just twisted the knob and entered, he knew it wasn’t locked, but for some reason that didn’t feel right.
The door opened to reveal a smiling Mihael dressed in—thankfully, not leather—loose shorts and a tank top, his hair slightly damp. Now that Nate paid closer intention, he could see damp spots on Mihael’s shorts and his top, as if he’d just finished showering and shoved clothes on without drying himself. His lips twitched in amusement. “You had hours to take a shower, you know.”
Mihael’s smile turned into a frown as he stepped aside, gesturing for Nate to step in. Nate did, closing the door behind him. He quirked his brow at Mihael, awaiting a response. “It was an off day, I had nothing to do so sue me!” Mihael huffed.
Nate nodded his head in understanding, suppressing a smile. Mihael’s frown deepened and he walked further into the living room, throwing himself on the couch with an exaggerated sigh. Nate rolled his eyes and followed him, settling himself beside Mihael on the couch. Mihael looked at Nate then, a small smile tugging at his lips. There was no trace of his earlier frown. There was only the soft, affectionate look on his face now. Nate felt his heart flutter.
“Hey,” Mihael said softly, shifting closer to Nate.
“Hey,” Nate repeated, staying where he was. He did move one of his hands closer to Mihael’s, however. Mihael got the hint and took Nate’s hand in his, intertwining their fingers together.
“How was work?” Mihael asked, absentmindedly drawing circles on the back of Nate’s hand with his thumb.
Nate tried to keep his breathing under control, even though his heart was probably beating a mile a minute. “It was…” Nate trailed off, face souring as he recalled his long day at work. “It was exhausting.”
“You literally sit at a desk all day, Nate,” Mihael pointed out, a teasing smile on his face. “How is that exhausting?”
Nate glared at Mihael, squeezing their joined hands. “You of all people shouldn’t be asking me that.”
Mihael laughed, letting go of Nate’s hand. Nate almost whimpered at the loss of contact, but then Mihael wrapped his arm around Nate’s shoulders instead, pulling him close against his side, and all was right in the world. “I’m just pulling your leg,” Mihael whispered, leaning down to place a soft kiss behind Nate’s ear. Nate felt goosebumps erupt on his skin. “What happened?”
Nate snuggled closer against Mihael’s side, his left arm splaying itself across Mihael’s torso, the other wrapping itself around his waist. “It’s just the same old. Clients don’t check their damn emails and I have to call each of them personally, reminding them of their meetings. I feel more like a personal assistant than an agent.”
“You used to call me all the time, reminding me of my meetings,” Mihael pointed out, lips pressed to Nate’s hair. “You used to text me, too. I didn’t think you minded it so much.”
Nate felt his cheeks heat up in embarrassment. “You were…” he scrambled about for the right word, “different.”
“How so?”
There was a teasing edge to Mihael’s voice that Nate did not appreciate. Mihael knew Nate liked him, yet he often went out of his way to hear Nate say it. Weren’t Nate’s actions enough? Why did Mihael need words, then? It was stupid and embarrassing and Nate would much rather make out with him than actually say the words out loud.
Except, Nate wasn’t sure he could even initiate a kiss with Mihael, let alone a full-fledged make out session, not even after four months of being together. It was kind of pathetic, really.
Mihael was smirking at Nate now, and Nate couldn’t help but pout. “Your pouting is the reason I tease you so much, you know that, right?” Mihael said, placing a light kiss against Nate’s cheek. “It’s so easy to tease you.”
“Whatever,” Nate muttered halfheartedly.
Mihael laughingly brought his face closer to Nate’s, eyes briefly drifting to Nate’s lips. Nate got the hint and tilted his head to the side, inviting. Mihael closed the distance between their mouths, his arm dropping from Nate’s shoulders to his waist, his hold tightening as their lips moved against each other’s.
Nate couldn’t help but sigh into Mihael’s mouth, wrapping both of his arms around his neck, fingers tangling in his damp hair. Everything about Mihael was perfect, and Nate’s body was on fire, especially when Mihael broke apart long enough to push Nate on to his back, moving to straddle his hips. Nate was breathing hard, his hands trailing up and down Mihael’s torso, a dazed look on his face.
God, Mihael was beautiful. Everything about him, from his disheveled blond hair, to the sparkling blue of his eyes now darkened by desire, the softness of his lips, or the lean muscles Nate knew were hidden under his tank top, everything about him was perfect. Nate wasn’t sure just how he’d gotten so lucky. Mihael was his, to touch whenever he pleased, and god did Nate want to keep touching him, just to make sure he was here and he was real. What truly got to Nate, though, was how Mihael looked at him, like he was the lucky one. It was stupid and incomprehensible. There was nothing special about Nate, nothing remotely attractive.
A small part of Nate’s brain reminded him that this wasn’t permanent, that Mihael could still change his mind, that he’d leave Nate if he ever found something better, this wasn’t going to last and that Nate needed to make the most of what he had, because Mihael wasn’t going to always be there, straddling his hips, looking at him with unabashed longing and desire.
Nate did exactly that. In a sudden burst of desire, he forcefully pulled Mihael down to him and kissed him almost aggressively, his hands slipping underneath his top, fingers trailing over his skin. Mihael moaned into the kiss, his own hands tugging at Nate’s hair, not too rough, just enough for Nate to make a sound of his own, muffled by Mihael’s mouth.
Mihael was still holding back, Nate knew. He was going to let Nate take the lead, like he’d been doing for the past four months. He didn’t want to push Nate into any uncomfortable situations, and Nate couldn’t express in words just how much that meant to him. So, he didn’t, and instead he let his actions do the talking.
He tugged at the hem of Mihael’s tank top insistently and Mihael pulled away from the kiss, panting and eyes clouded with lust as he stared at Nate. “Are you sure?” He asked, trying to regain some control over his breathing.
Whatever hormonal confidence Nate had been functioning on suddenly left his system, leaving him fumbling and unsure of himself. His hands were still under Mihael’s tank top, resting on his hips.
Nate thought about it. Even when their make outs tended to escalate, it never reached a point without clothes, not even the removal of shirts. Nate had discovered that he liked to slide his hands underneath Mihael’s shirts and feel his heated skin, but he wasn’t quite sure he was ready to actually take off Mihael’s shirt. It had been something Mihael had picked up on, and thus, he’d never once tried to take off his shirt unless Nate wanted him to. Nate wasn’t even sure why he felt that way, Mihael was his goddamn boyfriend and boyfriends did much more than see each other shirtless. Maybe that was exactly why he’d been worried, worried that if he took Mihael’s shirt off, he’d have to do the same, and that was a thought that terrified him.
But Nate looked at Mihael now, his face a strange mix of lust and concern, and it undid something in him. Mihael had been so nice to Nate, always vocalizing how much he liked Nate and how much he meant to him, how accommodating he’d been towards Nate’s needs, recognizing his comforts and discomforts and making sure he was never once uncomfortable, not if he could help it. And what had Nate given him in return? He couldn’t even verbally express how much Mihael meant to him, not unless he was drunk, and it wasn’t particularly healthy for Nate to be drunk every time he needed to express his feelings to Mihael. He needed to fix this. It was time he gave something back.
“Yes,” Nate breathed, catching Mihael completely off-guard. He shot Nate a questioning gaze. Nate tugged impatiently at the hem of Mihael’s top again in emphasis. “Take it off.”
Mihael looked at him doubtfully for a second before finally complying, taking his top off in one quick motion and throwing it on the floor. He quirked his lips at Nate. “What next?”
Nate was rendered speechless. He simply stared at the half naked man currently sitting on top of him and all his brain functioning came to a sudden halt. If he’d thought Mihael was beautiful before, he had no words to describe how Mihael looked now. Nate continued staring in awe, and without thinking, began trailing his fingers up and down Mihael’s bare torso, enjoying the way Mihael’s body trembled above his. Surprisingly, what Nate felt now wasn’t as much lust as it was open amazement and adoration. “You’re…” Nate began, but trailed off. There weren’t words he could use to explain just what he thought of Mihael.
“Hot? Pretty? Average?” Mihael supplied, smirk intact.
Nate was in some sort of trance, and before he could stop himself, the words slipped out of his mouth, “God, I love you.”
It took approximately one second for the words to register for both Mihael and Nate. Mihael’s eyes went impossibly wide while Nate just wanted to drop dead right that instant. He felt his cheeks heat up and he abruptly sat up, nearly avoiding hitting his head against Mihael’s. He got off the couch, hurrying off to the attached kitchen, trying to find something to distract him. He found a pitcher of water with two glasses set out. He hurriedly grabbed one of the glasses and poured the water into it, grateful to have something occupying his hand.
Mihael still sat frozen on the couch, eyes still wide. “Nate—,”
“I’m hungry, can we eat? I’ve had a long day at work,” Nate interrupted, tentatively taking a seat on the far end of the couch with his glass of water, as far away from Mihael as was physically possible.
That seemed to have caught Mihael’s attention. He nodded dumbly, leaning down to grab his tank top. He haphazardly put it back on and Nate mentally heaved a sigh of relief. Mihael wasn’t going to push him to talk about his little slip.
“So,” Mihael began sheepishly, running his hand through his hair, “I did say I’d be making dinner, but I kind of…didn’t?”
Nate stared at him blankly. “Explain?”
“I wanted to cook Italian, and I’d bought all the ingredients too, but I misread a part of the recipe and it sort of turned out to be crap, so I threw it all out.”
Nate nodded slowly. “So…”
“I didn’t want to order food without asking you first, so…” Mihael trailed off, hoping Nate got the idea.
“I’m hungry, Mihael,” Nate pointed out, “you could’ve just…ordered something.”
“How does pizza sound?” Mihael asked hopefully, reaching for his phone from the kitchen counter.
“At this point? Fantastic.”
-x-
The two decided to open the bottle of wine while they waited patiently for the pizza to arrive. Nate was already on his second glass, against Mihael’s better judgment. He had no food in his system and the alcohol would get to him faster, but Nate didn’t particularly care. He was enjoying the buzz.
Mihael sat beside him on the couch, still on his first glass. They were sitting on the couch, thighs pressing against each other’s, one of Nate’s hands resting idly on Mihael’s knee. No one had brought up the incident from earlier, and Nate could not have been more grateful. They were just going to pretend it didn’t happen. It was honestly for the best. Nate wasn’t sure he was ready to have this discussion yet, especially since he was certain Mihael did not feel the same way. He wanted to delay his inevitable rejection for as long as he could.
“So, you never got around to telling me about your work,” Mihael said, slinging his arm around Nate’s shoulders once more. “Just how many clients do you have to call in a day?”
“Usually, not so many,” Nate answered, taking a sip from his wine. “Mostly I make phone calls to recording companies and clubs, you know? But lately, my clients have been slacking. They don’t respond to my emails immediately; some even forget they had a meeting at all. It’s honestly frustrating. They can’t expect me to baby them, can they? I mean, am I supposed to constantly call them up and check up on them, or am I supposed to call actual companies to get them meetings?”
“Why don’t you get some help?” Mihael suggested, fingers idly catching in Nate’s hair. “I mean, like an intern or something, you know? I’m sure kids would love to intern for LTA.”
“I don’t trust them,” Nate muttered, gulping down the rest of his wine. “What if they say something stupid to one of my important clients?”
“Don’t let them call any of your important clients, then. Just…the less important ones, you know?” Mihael smiled softly at Nate. “It’ll really lessen the amount of work you have to do.”
“All my clients are important.”
Mihael rolled his eyes. “Then just make sure you interview them extensively, until you’re personally satisfied with one. You’re hard to impress, you know.”
Nate shrugged, mumbling something about needing a third glass of wine. Before he could get up, however, Mihael tugged him back, keeping him pressed against his chest and wrapping an arm around his waist. “Take it slow. You haven’t eaten anything. At this rate, you’ll be wasted.” He murmured against Nate’s ear.
“It’s just you. I can be drunk with you, can’t I?” Nate countered, turning his head to look at Mihael.
Mihael flushed, tightening his hold on Nate’s waist. Before he could respond, his phone started buzzing. He abruptly let Nate go, standing up with an excited smile on his face. Nate looked at him in confusion.
Mihael gestured to his phone. “Pizza’s here.”
-x-
Despite his claims to being hungry, Nate had barely eaten two slices of pizza before declaring himself full. Mihael had called bullshit, but so as not to get into any sort of dumb arguments, he’d simply resigned himself to the fact that his boyfriend was weird.
The two sat opposite each other on the carpeted floor, open pizza box between them. Nate was making his way through a fourth glass of wine while Mihael was on his third. The two were tipsy enough, but still not quite that they didn’t know what they were saying.
“So, about earlier,” Mihael suddenly said, grabbing another slice of pizza and biting into it.
Nate simply hummed in response, clearly more interested in his glass of wine.
“About what you said,” Mihael added.
“I said a lot of things, Mihael. You need to be more specific.”
“You said you love me,” Mihael stated bluntly, not even trying for tact this time.
Nate stiffened, setting his glass down on the carpet beside him. What was he supposed to say to that? It was obviously too soon for them to be having this conversation, and Nate had fucked it all up in the heat of the moment. At least he now knew why he never wanted to see Mihael shirtless again. It did things to his brain, things that were beyond Nate’s control. It made Nate do stupid things, like saying ‘I love you’ to someone he’d only been dating for four months.
“I didn’t mean it,” Nate murmured, chancing a glance at Mihael’s face. “It just…slipped out.”
“You didn’t mean it?” If Nate wasn’t mistaken, there was a hint of disappointment in Mihael’s voice.
“I…” Nate had no answer. God, this was awkward. He didn’t want to do this. He just wanted to continue making out with Mihael and forget he’d ever even said anything.
“Would you ever…want to mean it, somewhere down the line?” Mihael asked hesitantly. “Because, you know, I feel the same way.”
Nate’s eyes widened. Was this Mihael’s indirect way of saying he loved Nate, too? No, there was no way. Mihael didn’t mean—
“I’ve been falling for you for a while now, Nate.”
And for the second time that night, Nate’s brain ceased its functioning. He just blinked owlishly at Mihael, lips parted in obvious shock.
“I mean, hell, I think I’m already there, but I can see why you’d be hesitant about saying anything, considering we’ve only been together for a few months and that’s not enough time to know if you’re in love with someone, but for some reason, I feel like I do and, uh, yeah. I guess, what I’m saying is, it’s alright if you love me. Because…I do, too.”
“Oh,” Nate said intelligibly.
“It’s just, I thought you were freaking out over it and that you were worried I’d leave you or something. So, this is just for me to reassure you that that’s not gonna happen.” Mihael explained.
There was a moment of awkward silence before Nate cleared his throat. “So,” he began awkwardly, fiddling with his fingers, “you really think I should hire an intern?”
Mihael let out a laugh, taking another bite of his pizza.
-x-
Mihael was definitely onto something with his offhanded suggestion about hiring an intern. After putting select candidates through extensive, rigorous interviews, Nate was starting to lose hope though, that he’d ever find someone reliable enough. No matter how desperate Nate was for help, he wasn’t going to settle for someone subpar. His career and reputation meant the world for him, and it was important that the help he hired added to his reputation, not take away from it.
That was, until, he interviewed a man named Stephen Gevanni.
It wasn’t just that Gevanni interviewed well—he really did—but it was also the fact that Gevanni actually delivered on his fancy promises. It was easy enough to brag about one’s talents at an interview, harder still to actually follow through with it once you were hired. Gevanni, amazingly, managed to do it.
In his first week as an intern, Gevanni had reduced the number of unconfirmed clients to basically zero. The minute Nate would forward him the email with the details, Gevanni would pick up the phone and call the client, instantly confirming their presence at the meeting. Not just that, but he also went one step further and promoted client gigs on every social media account owned by the agency, something, Nate could admit, he’d personally been slacking on.
In short, Gevanni was a goddamn gift and Nate didn’t have to think twice before promoting Gevanni to being his assistant, in just his third week at the agency. Impulsive decisions weren’t exactly Nate’s thing, and L had been more than surprised when Nate had mentioned wanting to promote Gevanni, but he’d trusted his judgment regardless. There was very little L didn’t trust Nate with, after all.
By the time Gevanni’s fourth week rolled around, and first as Nate’s assistant, Nate was in a relatively calmer state of mind, having effortlessly taken care of his pending work before the weekend. Which is why, when Mihael called him up, Nate could immediately answer.
“Hello,” he said, eyes scanning through the list of emails on his screen. Every single client had responded. Nate couldn’t help a tiny smile at that.
“Nate, what’s your plan for the holidays?”
Nate paused in his scanning, brows furrowing in confusion. “Holidays?”
“Christmas? New year’s?” Mihael explained, sounding mildly concerned. “Nate, please tell me you aren’t just planning to work on those days,” a momentary pause, then, “you are, aren’t you?”
Nate rolled his eyes, snorting. “No one works on those days, Mihael.”
“Knowing you, you’d probably find a way,” Mihael muttered. Before Nate could take offense to it, however, Mihael continued. “Since you obviously have no plans, I’ve taken the liberty to make plans for us!”
“Christmas is so far away, Mihael,” Nate pointed out.
“It’s literally in three days, Nate.”
Nate took a moment to consider that. He’d lost track of days again. Sighing, he said, “What’s your plan? I hope it’s not a big celebration. You know how I feel about crowds, don’t you?”
“I know,” Mihael said, “it’s just going to be you, me, Matt and Linda.”
“Mi—,”
“I promise Matt will behave,” Mihael interrupted before Nate could even try and vocalize his concerns, “and besides, Linda will be there. Matt’s gonna be obnoxiously romantic with her, so you won’t have to feel awkward about kissing me in front of them.”
Despite himself, Nate could feel his cheeks heat up. “I’m not kissing you in front of them, Mihael.”
“We’ll do it in private then,” Mihael teased and Nate could clearly hear the laughter in his voice. “Look, just come, alright? It’s going to be our first Christmas together, and I don’t know about you, but it’s kind of a big deal to me.”
It was a big deal to Nate, too. His last few Christmases had been spent at parties thrown by his then clients, and while in theory it didn’t sound bad, Nate had been surrounded by people he either didn’t know or knew and didn’t like. This would be the first Christmas Nate would be spending with someone he liked. Loved, even. “You know I’ll be there, Mihael.”
-x-
Having actual plans with actual people on Christmas meant Nate would have to get each of them presents. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to spend that much on presents for people, and more that he didn’t know what to get any of them. Okay no, that was a lie. He knew Matt was into gaming, and Linda was into art, so he’d already decided on what to get them.
His real challenge was getting something for Mihael. He’d briefly considered buying Mihael his dream guitar, that expensive electric one Mihael had claimed he couldn’t afford yet, but he’d instantly discarded the idea. It was something Mihael had said he wanted to work for, something he wanted to be able to earn. If Nate just…gave it to him, chances were, Mihael would misinterpret the gesture. The last thing Nate wanted was to get into a fight with Mihael on Christmas. No, he needed to get Mihael something different. Something that showed him just how much Nate valued him, not just as a client, but as a person. Nate needed to show how differently he thought of Mihael now, compared to when he’d just met him.
He wears leather, L, the words came unbidden to his mind, the words he’d used as a reason for not wanting Mihael as his client to begin with. And suddenly, Nate knew exactly what to get him. Chances were, Mihael wouldn’t understand the gesture, so Nate would need to try as best as he could to make Mihael understand.
Determined, Nate instantly set to work. This present would either be the most sentimental thing Nate has ever given anyone, or it’d be the most hilarious present someone’s ever received from him. Knowing Mihael, it could be either one. Nate would just have to hope for the best.
-x-
True to his word, Mihael hadn’t thrown a grand party. When Nate stepped into the apartment, he was surprised to see there was barely any decoration put up. He’d thought Mihael would end up decorating the entire apartment with Christmas lights, but the only festive decoration Nate could see was the small Christmas tree in the corner of the living room. Matt was lounging on the couch, a bottle of beer already in hand. He grinned up at Nate, lifting his hand in a slight wave.
“Yo!” He greeted cheerily.
“Hello, Matt,” Nate greeted, looking around the apartment curiously. “Where’s Mihael?”
“Room, getting dressed,” Matt answered, rolling his eyes. “Honestly, I told him not to bother, since it’s just us, but he won’t see reason.”
“No, he wouldn’t,” Nate mumbled, a small smile playing at his lips. He set the bags down on the floor and tiptoed to the room, and sure enough, there Mihael was, combing his hair rather aggressively. Nate couldn’t help but snort.
Mihael jumped, turning around and scowling. “What?”
“Who are you getting dressed up for?”
“For myself,” Mihael answered easily, “and my Instagram followers, obviously.”
“Oh, right,” Nate agreed, stepping further into the room. “You have to develop a loyal fan base, don’t you?”
“I already have a loyal fan base,” Mihael corrected, finally letting go of his hair and walking towards Nate. “You’re one of them, by the way.”
Nate raised an eyebrow. “Why would you think that?”
“For one,” Mihael smirked, “you still listen to my demo before you fall asleep. And two, you have this horribly love-struck look on your face right now.”
Nate sputtered, looking away. “I d-don’t!”
Instead of any sort of verbal rebuttal, Mihael simply cupped Nate’s cheeks, leaning down to kiss him softly on the lips. Almost instantaneously, Nate’s arms wrapped themselves around Mihael’s waist, pulling him closer and kissing him back.
Before things could really escalate, however, Mihael pulled away. Nate was a moment too late in opening his eyes. When had he closed them? Mihael was giving him an amused smile. “And you say you aren’t love struck.” He didn’t give Nate time to respond, instead walked out of the room, calling for Nate to follow him.
Nate couldn’t help but smile at his boyfriend’s receding back. “Yeah,” he whispered. “Maybe I am.”
-x-
Once Linda arrived, the party really kicked off. Well, as much as a get together between four friends could be called a party. For Nate, it was just surprising how easily he’d fit into the whole thing. The ease with which Nate found himself talking and joking around with Matt while they all sat to eat – mostly about Mihael’s unnatural obsession with leather and his need to wear it all the time, regardless of weather—or the way Nate could make conversation with Linda about her job, or the way Nate, Mihael and Linda all collectively targeted Matt and how obnoxiously drunk he got every damn time, despite claiming he wouldn’t get drunk, not this time, it almost felt like Nate had always belonged here. Sure, he’d been dating Mihael for four months now, but in those four months, Nate hadn’t exactly gotten a chance to spend time with Mihael's friends. Partly because of his stressful job, and partly because Nate hadn’t thought he’d fit in.
But now, as he sat on the couch, Mihael’s arm slung across his shoulders, a slight flush from the alcohol creeping onto his cheeks, watching Matt and Linda drunkenly dancing in the middle of the living room and Mihael laughing loudly in his ear, Nate realized he’d been worried for nothing. This…this felt nice. It felt comfortable.
“Hey,” Mihael whispered, pulling Nate out of his thoughts. “What are you smiling about?”
“Nothing,” Nate said, sinking further into the couch, his fourth? fifth? glass of wine nearly empty. “I’m just happy, I guess.”
Mihael leaned closer and placed a soft kiss to the shell of Nate’s ear. “I’m glad.”
Nate felt himself shiver at the gentle touch. Maybe it was the alcohol, or maybe it was simply just Nate finally feeling secure enough in his relationship, but he turned around slightly and pressed his lips to Mihael’s. By the way Mihael’s eyes widened, he was clearly not expecting it. Still, it wasn’t long before both their eyes slipped closed, simply kissing the other unhurriedly and tenderly.
It was Mihael who finally broke the kiss, resting his forehead against Nate’s and breathing in the other’s presence, a teasing smile on his face. “I thought you wouldn’t kiss me in front of Matt and Linda.”
Nate wrapped his arms around Mihael’s neck, fingers catching in the hair at his nape. “I changed my mind, I suppose. Or maybe I’m just drunk enough to do it.”
“The second option seems likely,” Mihael agreed, pulling away slightly.
Nate pulled back too, fidgeting in his seat. Yeah, he may have been comfortable enough to kiss Mihael in Matt and Linda’s presence, but he wasn’t sure he was comfortable enough to give Mihael his gift in front of the other two. “Mihael,” Nate said softly, tugging at his arm. Mihael simply looked at him questioningly. “I need to give you something.”
“We’re all exchanging presents tomorrow morning, Nate,” Mihael informed him, forehead creasing slightly.
“I know, but…” Damn. How was he supposed to say this? “I don’t want to give you mine in front of them. It’s kind of…personal.”
“Oh?”
Nate abruptly stood up, grabbing the package wrapped in shimmery black paper from under the Christmas tree. Matt and Linda were clearly too busy in each other to pay much attention to him. Once he had the package in hand, Nate stared at Mihael pointedly, then gestured to his room. Getting the hint, Mihael stood up and followed Nate to his room, gently shutting the door behind him.
“Want me to lock it, too?” Mihael asked, winking.
The implications of that weren’t lost on Nate. He turned a brilliant shade of red, nodding slowly, knowing exactly what this might seem like to Mihael.
Mihael’s eyes widened. “Nate, I was kidd—,”
“No, it’s not like that,” Nate abruptly cut in, “it’s just…I wanted absolute privacy.”
“I’m really curious now,” Mihael murmured, locking the door and sitting down on his bed. “What did you get me, Nate?’
Nate held the package out to Mihael. “See for yourself, I guess.” As soon as Mihael took the package from Nate and began unwrapping it, Nate started fidgeting in place. His fingers went up to his hair, ceaselessly twirling strands until they curled around his ear.
Mihael let out a bark of laughter when he pulled out a pair of leather pants. Nate tried not to get offended. It wasn’t like he hadn’t expected Mihael to laugh at that. Once he read the letter, it’d make sense. Hopefully. Shit, what if it didn’t make sense to Mihael? What if Mihael hated his attempt at sentimentality? What if—
“Nate, you okay?”
Nate was confused for a moment before realizing his hands were gripping his hair rather tightly, and his knees were trembling. Mihael held the letter in his hand, but he hadn’t opened it yet. He simply looked at Nate in concern, patting the spot on the bed beside him. Nate wordlessly sat down, shifting closer to him. Mihael’s steady, warm presence beside him was reassuring.
“Better?” Mihael asked him, lightly running his fingers through his hair. Nate nodded.
“Let’s read this together,” Mihael stated, finally opening the letter.
“I don’t need to read it, Mihael. I wrote it,” Nate pointed out.
“Ssshh, read it anyway,” Mihael said, eyes already glued to the words on the page. Nate couldn’t help reading along, too.
Dear Mello,
Yes. I’m about as surprised as you that I called you by that name. It just fits with the theme of what I’m trying to go for, here. You remember when you’d first introduced yourself, you told me I could call you ‘Mello’? And I never called you by that name? That was just my small form of rebellion against L, because he had practically forced me to sign you on as a client. I wasn’t happy about it. You were…you were something. I decided I’d be petty in the smallest of ways. And that included not calling you by that name. Besides, calling you by your nickname implied we had anything but a professional relationship.
You might be wondering about the leather pants. I don’t think I’ve ever vocalized this to you, but one of the reasons I didn’t want to sign you on as a client was because you wore leather. I thought no one would take you seriously if you didn’t even dress like a professional. I was…admittedly wrong, I suppose.
The point is, I want to apologize for all of that. My refusal to give you a chance for superficial reasons, like your attire, my refusal to try and be remotely cordial with you in the beginning because I was petty. I’d even thought you’d be the one to destroy my reputation. That isn’t what happened. If anything, signing you on as a client was a very good thing for my own career, too.
But…that’s not why I want to apologize. I see talent in you. So much of it. I genuinely enjoy your music, and I have seen how much you’ve grown in the months that we’ve known each other. I am sorry I ever underestimated you, Mihael. I’m sorry I didn’t even try to listen to you after that mess up with Halle Lidner. I’m just, sorry.
And also, thank you. Thank you for being with me. You make me happy. I know I’ve not been very vocal about my feelings, even denying you the simplest of things, like sharing a kiss in public, because it makes me uncomfortable. But, thank you for understanding. I truly appreciate it. And thank you for making me a part of your life, trusting me enough to introduce me to your friends and invite me to celebrate Christmas with people who very clearly mean so much to you.
And most of all, thank you for taking the time out to read this letter. I don’t know if I managed to convey all that I wanted to, but this is more than what I could have conveyed in person. Writing is just easier for me, I suppose. I’m glad you’re with me, Mello.
I love you.
Nate.
Now that Nate read it over, he couldn’t help but cringe. This was…too much, wasn’t it? It was probably too cheesy. Mihael was going to laugh at Nate’s attempted sappiness. Nate could feel his heart thudding in anticipation, waiting for Mihael to say something. He kept staring at the letter, eyes scanning the words over and over.
Finally, after what felt like ages, Mihael looked up at Nate. He wasn’t smiling, but he was frowning slightly. Shit, Nate knew this had been a mistake. “What do you have against my leather, man?” Mihael grumbled. The question caught Nate completely off-guard. He blinked at Mihael, not understanding. Mihael waved the letter in Nate’s face. “You said you didn’t want to sign me on because I wear leather. That’s discrimination, Nate.”
“I…” Nate was positively speechless. “I’m…sorry?”
“You said that already,” Mihael said, a small smile now playing at his lips. “Multiple times, actually.”
Nate looked down at his knees.
“Hey,” Mihael said, voice considerably softer. “Nate, look at me.”
Nate looked up at him. Mihael was smiling wide now. Nate felt the familiar fluttering in his stomach.
Mihael leaned forward, kissing his lips softly. When he pulled back, he whispered, “I love you, too.”
Nate couldn’t stop the smile that stretched across his lips even if he’d tried.
-x-
The following morning, after gifts were exchanged, when Matt noticed the significant lack of a gift from Nate to Mihael, he didn’t hesitate to point it out. “You literally gave me the best goddamn headset out there, and you gave Linda that drawing tablet, and we’re barely your friends, dude! What gives?”
Nate shifted around awkwardly, shrugging.
Matt stared at Mihael in utter bewilderment. “You’re okay with your own boyfriend not giving you a gift? Dude, you got mad at me that one time I didn’t get you a gift on your birthday!”
“Birthdays are different, Matt,” Mihael answered dismissively, slinging an arm around Nate’s shoulders. “Besides, Nate already gave me my present, last night.” He punctuated the last two words with a smirk and a wink.
It only took Matt a moment to understand. He laughed out loud, saying, “Oh, so that’s why the door was locked!” while Nate’s face went entirely red beside Mihael.
Later, when Matt and Linda had left the apartment to have their own little celebration at Linda’s, Mihael and Nate lounged around on the couch, Nate practically clinging to Mihael. “You know Matt thinks we had sex, don’t you?” He questioned, pressing his cheek against Mihael’s chest.
Mihael laughed and Nate could feel the vibrations through his chest. “I know,” he answered, tightening his hold around Nate. When Nate said nothing, Mihael looked down at his mop of hair. “Is that a problem for you? I could clear it up with him…”
Nate shook his head. “It’s fine. He’d probably think that anyway, considering we did lock the door and everything.”
“True.”
A moment of comfortable silence passed, where the two simply basked in the other’s presence. Then, “Mihael?” At Mihael’s hum, Nate continued, “Thanks for not laughing at me.”
“I was tempted to, honestly,” Mihael joked, kissing Nate’s head. Nate knew better than to take him seriously by now. Another beat of silence, then, “Hey, Nate?”
Nate looked up at Mihael curiously.
Mihael smiled softly. “I’m glad you’re with me, too.”