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Mikey uses his thumbs to answer. He's groggy, and the first lyrics that come to mind are i want ur ugly i want ur disease.

On the other end, Pete seems to pause. Then he answers, gaga rly?

Mikey laughs to himself and rolls over on his back, holding the phone up over him. it fits at 1am

did i wake u up? Pete sends.

its ok. wasnt sleeping well anyway, Mikey texts.

nightmares? Pete asks, and Mikey feels the sympathy in the word.

sometimes Mikey sends.

u and me could write a bad romance Pete sends, and Mikey smiles.

i dont think u want my drama Mikey texts.

how do u know that? Pete sends back right away. maybe i do

Mikey feels a thrill run through his tired body. He thinks of Pete's eyes and his smile, and the way his jaw sets just so. Mikey likes him, even if he did spill sloppy joe all over his shirt. He was sweet about it afterward.

hows my hoodie? Pete sends.

The hoodie is on Mikey's bed, next to his pillow. Mikey grabs and sniffs it, glad no one can see him. It smells good, especially the hood, like hair product and light sweat.

i'm taking good care of it Mikey texts. r u sure u dont want it back?

keep it i like knowing u have it Pete sends.

Mikey grins and rubs the soft inner fabric of the hoodie. It's not his style and definitely not his color, but he thinks it makes a good pillow cover. Plus it smells like Pete, which isn't a bad thing.

He turns over on his side again and texts ur good company in the middle of the night before he can think better of it.

Pete sends right back, so r u. i like u, mikeway.

Lots of people like Mikey. But for some reason, hearing it from Pete makes him feel giddy and excited, like no one else has made him feel before.

i dont want to be friends Pete sends before Mikey can think of what to say. Mikey's not sure if he's serious or if he's quoting Gaga again. Maybe both.

Mikey swallows and texts, u want my bad romance?

yeah Pete sends. if u want

u dont even know me Mikey sends, even though he's thrilled.

i know i like u.

Mikey notices the period that up until now, Pete hasn't used. It looks so final, like that's the last word. He likes him, period.

have u ever had a bf before? Mikey asks. He's biting his lip so hard it's getting sore. He's usually calm and collected, but Pete shakes that up in him.

never wanted one before u Pete texts.

It's so surreal, and Mikey looks at the clock again, wide awake now. It's one-thirty, and the moonlight is streaming into his bedroom, across his bed.

call me

Less than a minute later, Mikey's phone is buzzing in his hand, and the display reads Incoming Call.

“Pete?” Mikey says when he answers. He tries to keep the breathless tone out of his voice.

“Yeah. So are you interested?” Pete asks right away.

“I've never had a boyfriend before, either,” Mikey says. “I've kissed a couple of guys, but that's all.”

“I want to kiss you,” Pete says quietly, the words blurred together. “I think you're awesome.”

Mikey sucks on his lip where he's been biting it. He's been called awesome before, sure, but usually by Gee or his friends. Never by a potential boyfriend, a senior in high school with wicked good looks and a wide, eager-for-the-world smile.

“I guess. I mean. I think I want to try,” Mikey says. “Being boyfriends, I mean.”

Pete laughs, soft like he's trying to keep from waking anyone up. It sounds carefree and happy, like he's really thrilled that Mikey said yes. “Awesome,” he says.

“Yeah,” Mikey says quietly. “I think it is.”

“So I want to take you out on a date,” Pete says.

“Okay,” Mikey says, feeling another thrill rise up in him again.

“Or … I really want to make you dinner,” Pete says, and it's weird, but that's Pete for you. Mikey is starting to get used to the weirdness.

“You could do that,” Mikey says.

“Do you like peanut butter and jelly?” Pete asks.

Mikey laughs into the phone and relaxes back against his hoodie-covered pillow. “Yeah, I do.”

“Awesome,” Pete says. “Maybe after we eat we can go to Sin.”

“I love a good party,” Mikey admits.

“I DJ there sometimes,” Pete says. “When they let me.”

“Cool,” Mikey says. “What kind of music do you like?”

“Oh, everything,” Pete says. “I love hardcore but pop is cool, too. Pop-punk is really my thing when I'm DJing.”

“Awesome,” Mikey says, and starts talking about his favorite bands.

Pete talks back, and they move on from music to favorite childhood books to celebrity crushes and back to music again. They talk about tattoos and robots and zombies and cartoons.

The light coming through the window surprises Mikey, and when he looks at the clock he sees that it's morning. He's been talking to Pete for hours and hours, and the time flew by. Yeah, Pete's definitely cool.

“I have to get ready for school,” Mikey says after awhile. “I'll see you at lunch?”

“If not before,” Pete says. “Hey, Mikey?”

“What?” Mikey asks.

“So, we're boyfriends now?”

Mikey smiles and rolls out of bed with the phone, hunting up a clean shirt. “Yeah.”

“Cool,” Pete says. “Bye.”

Pete hangs up before Mikey can say it back, and then Mikey sits on the edge of his bed, smiling at nothing.


End

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