A/N Scott’s song that he plays is the piano version of Forever & Always by Taylor Swift. I can honestly just hear him singing it and feeling it ... so I embedded the vid so check it out :) 

_______________ 

After Mitch left, Scott stayed behind there in that room. He took a seat again, fingers moving of their own accord, the slow melody altering his mood.

It felt so much harder now without Mitch and his confidence, his belief in him.  

He just kept playing until a familiar chord progression broke through and he began to sing. All the sorrow, the hurt, the pain he’d been living through, it all rushed forward.

More and more it flowed from his heart, his voice projecting the emotion around the words he was singing. The tears began to fall. Every word punctuated just how broken he really was. 

The more he felt, the more he cried until eventually he couldn’t keep playing. He stood, needing some air. He felt like he was suffocating.

He wanted all of that pain to go away. Months of hurt and anguish had suddenly clawed its way to the forefront and it sat like a ton weight on his chest. 

He just wanted it to end. 

He knew if he went home there was a good chance he would fall into darkness. He just knew he was in no state to be alone. 

But he didn’t really want to see anyone. 

Except… Mitch. 

He slowly made his way back to the office, wiping his tears on his shirt sleeve. He searched for Mitch’s file and made a copy of it, quickly stuffing it into the pocket of his jeans. 

He grabbed the coat that had kept him from running back into a bad situation. It would at least be SOME form of an excuse for just showing up out of nowhere. 

He felt rushed as he hurried down the street. He was sure that with the traffic he could make it there quicker on foot. 

He just needed to see him. 

He had to talk to someone. Everyone else had wanted him to talk, and he hadn’t been ready, but now he was. He needed to talk to someone. He NEEDED that feeling that came over him whenever Mitch was around. He couldn’t define it, but he craved it. 

Why did it seem like he was getting nowhere? 

Scott was too emotional, too upset. He took off running. 

He just had to get there. He had to.

When he finally found the place he was sure it was a mistake. He double checked the paper as he crossed the street to the abandoned building. 

No one could live there. Mitch must have made a mistake. It looked like there had been a fire and it just hadn’t ever been cleaned up or demolished. The house was in shambles, the windows boarded up. He moved closer.

He shouldn’t be here, it probably wasn’t safe. 

But Mitch…

How was he going to find him now?!

He closed his eyes as he could feel that warmth seep through him. He looked around but the boy was nowhere to be found. 

He sighed as he crossed the street. The disappointment at not finding the boy was massive. He was completely distracted, and he heard the car before he saw it. The loud beep sounded, but it was moving too fast. 

His eyes widened as he braced himself for impact.

Then only darkness. 

~

He woke with a yawn and looked around. He was at his own apartment on the couch. 

What the hell? 

The last thing he remembered was... 

I should be dead. 

He sat up and looked around. There was no way he just dreamed that! It was too real. He held his fingers out in front of him, counting them to make sure he had the correct amount. He'd read somewhere that when you're in a dream world you have the wrong amount of fingers. It sounds stupid, but he just felt like he needed to be sure. 

Alright, that's it. You've finally done it. You've lost your mind. 

He sighed and stood up, stretching his arms to the ceiling. His body felt like he'd been cramped up on that couch for hours. But how had he even gotten home? His eyes widened as he looked at the clock.  9:37 pm.

How had he lost time?! 

He needed a shower. Hopefully it would help clear the cobwebs.

So if the building had been a dream, then how much had he dreamt? Had he really spent all day with Mitch? Had Alex's creepy reappearance been imagined? 

He walked into the bathroom and started to strip down, but a piece of paper in his pants pocket caused him to pause. 

A copy of Mitch's file.

_______

The next day when he heard the door click open he really wanted to ask him outright. He needed clarity. He wanted to just blurt out... 'So, any chance we spent all of yesterday singing for no reason? Oh and um, you don't happen to live in a gross, completely charred, abandoned building do you?'

He stared at the paperwork in front of him for a bit, trying to figure out a way to get answers without sounding like a crazy person. He finally looked over and saw Mitch sitting in the chair across from him.

He was folding the post-it notes into little tiny origami cranes and swans. 

He wasn't sure what to say to the other boy. He was confused and he'd been up half of the night trying to sort it all out, but he at least needed a starting point. 

"Yesterday was fun." Mitch stated, almost as if he'd been reading his mind. "You should sing more." 

So he had spent all day with Mitch. At least that part was real. He smiled.

"Yeah, it was really fun actually. Oh, that reminds me. I kinda wanted to ask you if...you would... maybe... be... ok with me booking a couple of sessions?"

Mitch actually smiled, but he'd misunderstood. "Yeah, of course. I'm sure everyone would be happier to be learning from you anyway. I don't mind."  He held up one of his birds by the tail and examined it. He still hadn't looked at Scott.

 "Wait, what? No. I don't mean taking your clients, I mean..." he hesitated. Mitch was probably going to laugh at him. "I meant me booking a couple of sessions ... with you."

Mitch stopped and looked at Scott in confusion. "Why? I mean, you're amazing." 

Scott couldn't stop his blush. "I want to learn. I want to be better. I want you to teach me." 

I want to spend more time with you.

 Wow, his insides were muddled, but the thought had been honest. 

Mitch looked straight into his eyes, brain apparently working over words to say. He tilted his head as he regarded Scott. 

"Of course." He sent the crane flying gracefully through the air and it landed right in front of Scott who laughed. 

He picked it up. "How did you make this out of that tiny piece of paper." 

That beautiful laugh echoed off of the walls and Scott found himself with a smile that threatened to split his face in half.

"Just naturally skilled with my hands." 

Scott blushed, but Mitch and his knowing grin were facing the paper he was currently folding.

He took the moment to let himself just watch the other boy. He began to really look over Mitch for the first time, taking in everything. 

Mitch was gorgeous. Everything about him was beautiful, including his weird tendencies. It made things unpredictable. Not that things for Scott had been predictable as of late, but still. Mitch was interesting, and sweet and eccentric. Forget that voice... and that laugh... and that smile... 

His mind wandered back again to the building and the car. He finally convinced himself he was just under too much stress. It had to have been a dream.

“I think I’m going crazy, Mitch.” 

Mitch burst out laughing in response. 

“You’re not crazy.” 

“I am, or I feel like I am.” 

Mitch’s laughter died down, and he chewed on his lip while he lined up his origami animals.

“I think you should stay away from that guy.” 

Scott saw that serious look again. He hated when Mitch got serious. He much more enjoyed Mitch’s smile and the cute little indentations it made in his cheeks. 

"What guy?!" 

"That guy from yesterday. The one that makes you sad."

“Will it make you smile if I do?” He hadn't meant to let the words leave his lips, but they did and he couldn't take them back now. 

Mitch’s blush seemed immediate, but the smile crept up his lips as he looked away from Scott shyly. 

It made Scott grin in return. The happy fuzzy feelings Mitch gave him were worth every bit of confusion he'd been experiencing.  “You seem really concerned.” 

Mitch nodded. “I am, honestly. He’s bad news, I can tell.” He grabbed a pair of scissors, folding the post its and cutting them into snowflakes, keeping his eyes on his work.

Scott could tell that he was genuinely concerned, and concern on Mitch was pretty adorable. 

What about him ISN'T adorable. 

“I still love him.” 

“No you don’t.” Mitch’s reply came without hesitation, and it mildly shook Scott. He had seemed so sure. Maybe he was right. 

He gave Mitch a look, but the boys eyes were still averted. Still, Mitch answered.

“I know you don’t. You just miss having someone. You don’t love him, you love the idea of him.” 

Scott blinked at the outspoken boy. 

“I miss him.” 

Mitch shook his head unconvinced. “You just don’t like being lonely. You just need to find someone else to fill that space and you’ll be fine. You don’t need an asshole like him. You’re too good for that. He‘ll only drag you down” 

He felt all of the horrible emotions that were linked to Alex rushing to the surface again. 

“But, I can’t even trust anyone anymore. Everything he ever told me was a lie.” 

Mitch bit his lip and suddenly looked remorseful, although Scott couldn't figure out why. 

“You can’t ruin yourself just because one jerkoff lied to you. Yeah, he left you, but that’s his loss. He only came back because he’s realizing that. You don’t need him. You just have to stay away from him.” 

It didn’t even dawn on Scott that it was slightly unusual for Mitch to know this much about him. 

“What about you.” 

Mitch blinked, and those enchanting eyes finally met his again waiting for Scott to elaborate. “What about me?” 

Scott knew that what was about to come out of his mouth was going to sound certifiable, but if Mitch could be left of center then so could he.

“I'm looking for a roommate. I just mean, you should. Move in with me, that is." 

Mitch was completely stunned into silence for once. 

“Just... hear me out. You said it yourself, I hate being alone. I need a roommate and I can’t stand anyone else but you right now. So by process of elimination you should move in with me.” 

Mitch looked so incredibly conflicted. The question had obviously thrown him for a loop.  

“I can’t…” 

“Why not?” 

“Because, I just can't.” 

“Then, maybe I’ll just go back to Alex…” 

Mitch just rolled his eyes aware that Scott was baiting him.

The brunette had something he was hiding and Scott had to find out what it was. There were too many smoke and mirrors in his life currently and he hated it. Mitch was the only person he trusted and he was probably the one person who was hiding the most. It was so strange how much he trusted this guy, but he did. There was just something about him that felt....   right.

“Scott, we can’t live together.” 

“Give me one good reason.” 

“Because.” 

Scott gave him a look. 

“Seriously? You’re going with because? You’re kidding, right?” 

“Just because.” He opened up a paper snowflake and put it down next to his other paper creations, before grabbing a new post it.

“Any other reason?”

“Do you realize how strange you sound asking someone you barely know to just up and move in with you?” 

 "Says the boy who is making a rainbow paper menagerie on my desk."

Mitch blushed at that and Scott smiled.

It was quiet for a few brief moments.

“Mitch” 

“Yeah?” 

“I really want you to.” 

“I know. If I could I would, in a heartbeat. But there’s some things about me that …” 

He seemed sad. More than sad, Mitch looked hopeless. Mitch wasn’t supposed to look that way. 

“You can tell me.” 

Mitch looked at him with a tiny laugh at the irony. “I actually really can’t.”

Scott could see that he wanted to. He watched the conflict play out on his face.

“I need you to tell me. I need someone to be truthful with me.” 

First Alex, now Mitch. Why couldn’t anyone just be honest with him. Was it honestly THAT hard? 

“Scott, I’m not normal.” There was a tiny look of surprise as he glanced up and the boy pressed those full lips together in apparent frustration.

Scott followed Mitch’s line of sight, trying to find the source of his shock. He was watching the tears that had begun to fall down his own cheeks. He hadn't even noticed. He wiped them away, annoyed at himself for being so emotional. 

“I don’t care if you’re weird, I just want you to talk to me. I mean, obviously I'm not normal if I'm randomly asking you to move in with me and crying because you won't tell me something that is obviously really personal. God, I'm so messed up.” 

"No, you're human, Scott. It's OK. I don't think you're abnormal, you're just a bit emotionally disoriented. In truth I think you're amazing and smart. You're funny and kind. You're a crazy amazing singer and way too good looking for that loser if you ask me. You're strong, way stronger than you even realize. Things seem tough now, but it will get better. I promise. You're a survivor - and if you start singing Destiny's Child right now I may cut you." 

Scott couldn't look away from those eyes that spoke earnestly into his own. He laughed a bit unsure of how to respond to all of the wonderful words. 

Mitch's head turned to the clock on the wall. "I have to go." 

"Wait, please..." 

"I'm already late." He smiled and stood up, sliding the chair back quietly.

"I'll see you later Scott." He smiled before reaching out a closed hand and laying something on the desk right in front of the blonde before he left. 

Scott smiled, picking up the tiniest paper swallowtail butterfly and holding it in his hand. 

That boy... was a complete mystery.