A/N: School starts this week and I have to finish a bunch of homework, so sorry this chapter is a little shorter than normal. -Chip

Michael laughed, covering his mouth when he snorted a little. "Dude, come on. We are in public!" He said, biting his lip.

"You know I can't help it! Besides dude, you caused it when you had to bend over and pick up that ten dollar bill! There is like nobody here, so you know you could just help me." Jeremy said with a small smirk.

"And why would I? You have nobody to blame but yourself. It was your thought process that led to that." He giggled.

"But your the only one who can help me. I don't wanna go clean myself up in the bathroom." Jeremy laughed.

"Fine! You owe me one though!" Michael laughed.

"When we get home I will repay you for your service or whatever-"

Suddenly the two were interrupted by a senior, Jared Kleinman, leaning over from the booth behind them. "You two realize how incredibly sexual and gay thay conversation sounds, right? Just wipe that stupid ice cream off his face." The boy laughed, finally seeing what was happening.

Jeremy and Michael had gotten pizza, and on their way home found 10 dollars. Jeremy suggested they stop to get ice cream, and with his coordination, managed to get sprinkles in his eye. The boy had no idea where half the ice cream splattered across his face was, so he asked Michael to wipe it off sor him. Now, Jared returned to his seat, giggling to himself muttering, "oh my god that was pathetic..." under his chuckle.

The two blushed, looking at each other and bursting into laughter. "Okay, yeah, that was not what I meant by repaying you, so don't get excited on me, Mell." Jeremy joked, leaning forward as the tan boy cleaned off his face.

"That was the last thing on my mind, Jer-bear." Michael lied.

As the two walked home, Jeremy no longer wearing his dessert, Michael remembered he had been waiting for a good time to tell Jeremy about what Miss Schuyler had pulled him aside to congratulate him on after class that day

"Dude, this like totally slipped my mind, but remember that fictional literature short story I wrote about a future with no labels or genders? I wrote it a few months back," Michael asked.

How could Jeremy forget? Michael had asked him to proof read it after all and it was the best essay Michael had ever written in Jeremy's opinion. His closeted bi ass wished that it could of been a reality, that way there would be no such thing as coming out, and more of a casual, 'So do you think Alex is cute, or the blonde beside him more your taste?'

"Yeah! It was insanely amazing dude, why, what happened?" Jeremy asked.

Michael blushed a bit, looking down at his feet. "Aww, thanks Jer... um, I just found out that she submitted it to an LGBTQ+ writing competition... I actually won... like a real scholarship too. 2000..."

Jeremy's eyes widened. "Woah, dude, that's fucking amazing!" He said, grabbing the boy by his wrist and pulling him in. On accident their lips almost collided, but instead swiftly turned his head to the side, smashing into a tight hug and blushing.

Michael turned a bright pink, pretending it didn't happen as he giggled, hugging. "Thank you, dude." He smiled, pulling back. "And, might I add, that was smooth."

"We don't speak of my clumsiness." Jeremy blushed as Michael slugged an arm around his shoulder. He smirked down at the boy with a big tourchuring smile.

"Yes like how you fell on me in the 7th grade and accidentally planted one dead on my lips." he reminded Jeremy.

"Oh shut up! I am not the one who kissed back!" Jeremy smirked through his blush upon seeing how red Michael was now.

Now, for one of the few times in his life, Michael stuttered. "I-I-I- oh, w-well...that was, was right when I was figur-figuring out my sexuality and, and, and, I didn't know, and if was I just-"

"Holy shit Micael! I'm just messing with you dude. I know you were just figuring yourself out, and besides it's not like your in love with me or anything, so it's totally fine. Now calm yourself." Jeremy giggled at his bright red friend.

"Oh yeah..." Michael blushed more with a shy smile. Definitely not head over heels in love with my best friend of 12 years, totally not. I promise I don't think of that kiss almost everyday with the memory of how sweet your lips were stuck in my head. It's not like I snuck into your bag and found out what kind of lip balm you use so I can put in on every once and a while and taste the flavor of your lips. I most certainly have never gotten a bit too excited when you whisper a secret in my ear because of your hot breath on my neck. That one time I almost walked in during 'Jeremy time' I totally didn't want to finish the job for you and it isn't like I thought about it that night when I had 'Michael time'. Looking at you totally doesn't tie my stomach up in knots. When don't watch you sleep when I can't fall asleep myself, just to see the near angelic peacefully look on your face, or listen to the mumbles under your breath. I don't fantasize about our future together if we fell in love in college and shared a dorm room. I never think about when we graduate college moving into a cozy apartment in New York, you working on broadway with me as tech crew writing novels in my spare time when we aren't going on date nights that I researched and preplanned in my secret journal that I hide under the fake bottom of my desk drawer or cuddling at home watching a movie with our pet fish (Elder Cunningham because your obsessed with that musical) three puppies (Retro, Twink, and Macbook Pro Hard Drive ((Mac HD for short)) ) because you're allergic to cats and I don't trust you with a kid-

"That is, unless you have something you need to tell me." Jeremy winked jokingly.

"Yes, Jeremy, actually, I am in love with you and daydream about us getting married and having a fish and three dogs." The words came out dripping with sarcasm, although there was nothing truly sarcastic about it.

Jeremy laughed lightly to himself, rolling his eyes at the boy as they walked into Michael's house, immediately greeted by the sight of Michael's moms trying to bake cupcakes in the kitchen. The only odd thing was from the view of the door to the kitchen, not a single mother could be spotted.

Jeremy and Michael proceeded with caution after exchanging a confused glance. When they peaked around the corner, The both giggled at the sight. Naomi covered head to toe in white flour and kim with egg in her hair as they shared a sweet kiss.

They broke away at the sound of the boys giggles, Naomi shyly smiling. "Whoops... things got a bit messy in here, sorry boys. Looks like it's chinese or pizza."

"We just ate, but if you end up getting those ingredients in the oven instead of eachother, I'm sure I have room for a cupcake, mum." Michael smirked.

Kim dismissed the boys with a smile and eye roll. They stumbled down to Michael's basement, smiling uncontrollably. "Video games?"

"I will skill kick your ass in mario kart, Heere. Don't test me."

"Never, Your going down." Jeremy smirked as they both flopped onto the couch. Jeremy selected yoshi, that being his clear favorite character,

Michael flipped through a few, settling on baby mario because why the hell not.

"Remember when we dressed up as Mario and Luigi for halloween? Freshman year, at that god awful party Jake threw. The one where half the people there were drunk and 14 years old." Michael laughed.

"You mean the one where you pretended to throw up in the bathroom and got your moms to pick us up to save me from having to play 7 minutes in heaven with that girl, Zoe. I didn't want my first real kiss with her when Christine was at the party." Jeremy asked. "Which, by the way, I still totally owe you for." He smiled.

"Yeah, that party, and you don't owe me shit." He replied with a new eerie dryness to his voice.

Jeremy perked up, looking at him in near shock. "Wh- what do you mean by that?" he asked, turning to Michael and immediately figuring he had screwed up in some way.Was it something he said? A slip of the tongue at just the wrong time?

Michael looked at the panic on his friend's face, immediately realizing a few things. One was that with most people a snarky comment would go unnoticed, but with him it would tear the boy to shreds. Jeremy was more sensitive than most boys his age, and although he wasn't a whimp or anything, his shy and awkward traits did make him vulnerable, so the tone that Michael, as his best and only close friend, had provided would immediately send him into fear. For another, the boy was still especially paranoid recently with all the momma drama going on and Jeremy's developing worse abandonment issues. And finally, it wouldn't be fair for him to be upset over who he liked, considering Michael was a prime example that you couldn't choose love, it chooses you.

Besides, Jeremy didn't like Christine anymore. He didn't like anyone. This was Michael being salty over a past crush.him and Jeremy had talked it out about Christine after she came out. The first time he heard he said it was difficult, having feelings that could never be reciprocated. He told Michael the whole truth, no matter how embarrassing. That he still wanted to hold her and kiss her. How he now would feel guilty thinking about her in any sort of sexual way, although before he wouldn't bat an eye.

This dawned upon Michael as a new understanding of his best friend. At that moment, he felt the same way Michael felt about him, except he felt it for Christine. Jeremy was crying. It was hard, and Michael understood. Jeremy was straight... or at least 99%... 93%... okay, a solid 80% to Michael's knowledge. The only thing that made the boys different was that Jeremy moved on. Michael didin't.

What if Michael never moved on? What if he was the best man at Jeremy's wedding, still hopelessly in love but not the groom?

"Nevermind, sorry Jer, just got a little frustrated, slipping into thought. I really hate parties." He said with a convincing enough smile.

Jeremy sighed with relief, tension officially cut. "Oh, okay." The boy smiled.

Michael looked at Jeremy's smile, with one thought.

That adorable son of a bitch is going down in mario kart...