(Jeremy POV)

    I woke up to my phone going haywire. I groaned picking up the call.

     "Hello?" I asked.

    "Hey Jer, come outside... and bring your bike!" Michael said excitedly from the other side of the phone. But there was an underlining sadness to his voice.

    "Michael we leave on Sunday, we should be trying to get our sleep schedule worked out." I complained.

    "Awwww, come on please." He begged. I sighed.

     "Fine, give me ten minutes." I aggred carving into my boyfriend's begging.

    "Thanks see you soon." He said guilty before hanging up. I got out of bed throwing on a pair of actual clothes before running into back yard to get my bike I haven't used since Junior year, before the Squip'inncedent. And walked out the gate in my back yard. Bringing the stuff to set up our bikes.

    "So why did you wake me up at 1:00 In the morning to ride our bikes?" I asked Michael as we rode down the street.

    "Well we can't do this tomorrow so I thought, why not tonight." Michael explained.

    "Or you couldn't sleep, because the thoughts are back?" I deadpanned.

    "Wow, way to call me out Jer." Michael mumbled, looking way from me.

    "Well is that what's happening?" I asked him a little more gently, beginning to feel guilty.

    "Well yeah.." Michael admitted.

    "Do you know why its happening?" I asked. If we can find out why its happening then we can stop it.

    "No." Michael replied blankly.

    "Have you had an argument with Rich, or Jake, Chloe-anyone?" I asked picking at straws.

    "No I haven't I've actually gotten along great with everyone recently." Michael informed me. I sighed frustrated. I thought about any other reason one came to mind.

     "What did you do today?" I asked him.

    "Uhh... nothing just sat around." Michael replied.

     "That's it. Just sitting around gives you time to ponder things ask the what ifs." I said. Michael let out a "hmmm".

    "If your bored call me, we can get together and talk ok?" I offered."Like I said always call me." I reminded him.

    "Yeah yeah I know why did you think I called you tonight?" Michael replied I caught on to where we were going.

    "Race you!" I challenged as I speed up.

    "Oh your on Heere!" Michael yelled back. We raced to the arcade it's a 24 hour arcade and Sonics is also 24 hours so there usually our go to places for things like this.

     After a bit we switched to Sonics we walked in walking up to the front counter.

    "Hey boys what can I get you?" Mr.Davis asked us.

    "The usual 3am." Michael replied.

    "It'll be right out!" Mr.Davis exclaimed walking to the back where the kitchen was.

     I watched as Michael slipped a 20 with a note into the tip jar. Michael and Mr.Davis have a game. Michael puts to much money in the tip jar Mr.Davis is humble but there both stubborn so Mr.Davis will try to give it back by giving money with the recite but Michael always tips back, he leaves notes to, so Mr.Davis will know who left it. It's really entertaining to watch.

     Me and Michael sat down.

    "Hey you rember when we used too do this?" Michael asked. I smiled softly at the memory.

    Me and Michael got bikes for Christmas during freshman year. We found out if we ride them during the day we'll get seen by people and made fun of so we went out at night. Sneaking out at ungodly hours like 12 or 2 and staying out till 5 only to go home sleep for 2 hours then have to wake up at 7 to get ready for school at 8:30.

    "Yeah." I replied smilingly fondly.

    "It was fun. To bad we haven't done it in a while." Michael said. I couldn't tell if he was joking or not.

    "We're doing it right now!" I laughed trowing a crumb from the not clean table at him. We always sit at the same table no matter what.

    "Ew..." Michael whined flicking the curmb back at me.

     "Sorry boys I'll get this." The only night shift worker said wiping down the table.

     "Its okay." Michael told them. Then Mr.Davis walked over with our food.

    Me and Michael always got the same. "3am" per say. I got coffee and Michael got tea with a bag of sugar. He usually used half of what is in the bag upon receiving. I don't know how he dosent throw up. We also get French fries.

     "Thank you Mr.Davis." Me and Michael said in unison. Mr.Davis nodded before walking back to the front desk. Me and Michael sat there making fun of the weird people who come in at 3am and at the end got back on our bikes.

    Michael led me though the neighborhood I didn't know where we were going but I followed Michael anyway.

     Michael began speeding up heading for a dead end that lead to a hill with a tree on top of it. I remember this place.

    I began speeding up with Michael. We approached the curb. What we do here is we speed up then jump up onto the curb and go up the hill like that the frist time we both failed but got the hang of it eventually.

    "Get ready Heere!" Michael yell at me over his shoulder. We both successfully jumped the curb making our way up the hill. We both circled around the tree getting off our bikes by throwing one leg over the jumping off we abandoned the bikes droping them next to the tree.

     The tree was a tall cherry blossom. It had initles carved into it all over. Every couple ever comes to this tree for a "romantic date" or whatever and signs there initles into it me and Michael come here all the time to just relax. We like to make fun of couples who have come here singed the tree then broke up. And do a lot of dumb shit.

    "Do you wanna get married?" I asked Michael. It was so sudden it even scared me a bit.

    "I don't know." Michael said blankly sitting down in the grass panting from the ride up the the hill admittedly I was to. I sat down next to Michael.

    "What do you mean?" I asked him.

    Michael was silent for a few moments just sitting there trying to catch his breath. He put his arm around me I let him, leaning into him.

    "I'm a mess and I do, but definitely not soon, and it's just scary. Like what if I become like my dad? What of I hurt you and- theres just a lot of anxiety and shit in the way." Michael ranted.

    "Your not gonna be your dad Michael" I reussered him.

    "Sure." Michael replied.

    "Your not." I decided pushing my self in to Michael.

     "Don't pusha meeee." Michael whined. I giggled pushing Michael again.

     "Noooo." Michael whined his hands tickling my stomach a little. I giggled again.

    "Nu!" I said pushing his hand away. Michael chuckled, continuing to do it.

    I fought back and eventually Michael and I were rough housing rolling around in the grass. Then we started tumbling. Michael cupped the he back of my head hugging me close as we fell down the hill.

     At the bottom Michael ended up over rop of me with his hands on either side of my head, in push up potion over me. I felt my face flush. I could feel the heat of Michael face next to mine the moon highlighted his face in the perfect way. Shining in his eyes glistening off his lip and the side of his glasses.

    Michael bean leaning in. Then he stopped.

    "Is this okay?" Michael asked. I couldn't help but burst into a fit of giggles covering my mouth with my hand.

    "What?" Michael asked pouting.

     "We've kissed before silly!" I reminded him cupping his cheeks. Michael let out a small.

    "Oh." As his face heated up more. "Oh! Yeah we-*snort* I guess we have!" Michael laughed pushing himself off me, so he was sitting down in the grass. I giggled with Michael some more.

     After we both calmed down we were just sitting next to each other. And the thick and heavey atmosphere was back. I stared at Michael and he stared at me. I leaned in slowly then got an idea.

    "Is this okay?" I mimicked Michael from a second ago, making my voice deeper in attempt to sound more dumb. Michael gently pushed me as the atmosphere switch back to happy and bubbly, as we both laughed again.

    "You ruined it!" Michael complained. I giggled at him.

    "A little." I joked. Michael rolled his eyes and huffed.

    "I wanna kissss." He whined.

    "Me tooo." I mimicked.

     "Oh my God." Michael said rolling his eyes (again) as he cupped my cheeks and gently closed the gap between our lips. I kissed back. The kiss was gentle and loving it reussered both of us we were gonna be okay.

     We pulled away, both just looking at each other. Before starting to giggle. Michael's giggle was adorable and I loved when it happened so I stared giggling more and then he started giggling more. So we sat there giggling messes for a couple of minutes with nothing but the moon to provide us light in the darkness of the night.

    "Come on let's go back to the top of the hill." Michael suggested onece we had (mostly) calmed down.

    "Okay." I agreed standing up. We began walking back to the top of the hill but Michael seemed kinda off. He had been this way all night I was kinda worried. We got to the top and sat down where we had been before.

     "Hey Jer, can you promise me something?" Michael asked.

    "I guess... what is it?" I asked.

    "I... I don't know how to explain it but I have a feeling. And I wanna make sure you'll always be by my side. No matter what. You can break up with me or whatever date someone else but just don't.. don- don't abandon me again...please." Michael begged.

     I felt guilt pool in my stomach. Michael's had abasement issues ever since the Squip'inncedent and it's my fault.

    "Of course Mikey, never again. Thoese were the worst month's of my life!" I exclimed. Michael smiled softly.

     "Thanks Jer-bear." Michael said nuzzling the side of my head happily. He wrapped both arms around me as I put one of my arms in front on his chest  resting the  elbow of my other arm on his shoulder as I kitted my fingers in his hair letting him shower me in his affection.

    "And Jer?" Michael asked.

    "Hmm?" I hummed.

     "In Last of Us theres a scene between Ellie and her best friend right after they both got bit. And her friend says to her "We keep fighting, for every second we get to spend with eachother, whether its two weeks or two seconds we keep fighting." I think we should go by that." Michael offered. I smiled.

   "Poetic." I replied.

   "Jeremy." Michael deadpanned. I giggled.

     "Yeah, that sounds amazing Micha." I replied he sighed as we fell back into a comfortable silence.

    I turned my head to the side and kissed his nose as he let out a closed mouth chuckle. I kissed all over his face he smiled letting me. Then there was a bright light.

    Me and Michael both stopped and looked out to see the sun rising. I guess we lost track of time.

    And we watched the sun rise, both aware of what can happen wondering what will, and having learned from what happened in the past. And knowing that tomorrow morning.

We'll be leaving for college.

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AN:Hi so another chapter! Sorry it's a little late, but Last of Us is a really good game check it out! It's about the zombie apocalypse and that's why Ellie and her best friend got "bit".

Word count:2021