The Treehouse [BxB]

eighteen

It was October, and as the weather grew colder, frost stretched itself across the window which overlooked the twinkling city below. Mickey was sitting in Fran's dorm, perched on the end of her bed, his eyes weary from staring at a laptop screen for so long. He was desperately trying to catch up on all his work from the past week - being a first year uni student, he had been too busy partying and nursing hangovers.

"You almost done?" Fran asked him from over her shoulder. Her concentration was fixed on the mirror as she braided her long blue hair.

He grumbled something indistinguishable in response, and when she stared at him questioningly, he glanced up, "Almost." He sighed, rapidly typing away.

"Well, hurry up, the party already started."

"I'll meet you down there."

Fran rolled her eyes, finishing off her plaits, "I'm not walking in there alone, I barely know anyone."

"Neither do I."

"You know that Grady kid."

"He's on my course." Mickey saved the document he was working on, shut his laptop, and rubbed his tired eyes, "Done!" He sung triumphantly.

Fran smiled. She was wearing blue eyeliner and pink lipgloss. She looked amazing. "Will you be my wingman tonight?"

"Of course."

She grinned, "Thanks, Mickey." She pulled off her t-shirt, revealing a lacy pink bra before she slipped on a plain black satin dress. She then turned to him, "People can't think we're a couple."

He scoffed, "They won't."

"Everyone here thinks we're a couple."

"Fran, it's fine." He laughed, stretching out his arms as he nudged her out of the way in order to catch a glimpse of his reflection in the mirror. He was wearing a loose stripy shirt, and a pair of beige cotton trousers. His hair was pulled back with a white headband, and he wore a small gold hoop in his ear. Since arriving at university, his style had evolved.

"I don't want all the cute lesbians to think I'm straight." Fran argued, "That's embarrassing as fuck."

"Most people think I'm gay anyway." Mickey tried to reassure her, "So they'll just assume we're friends. Which we are."

"Mickey." She tilted her head to the side contemplatively. Her dangly earrings jingled as she did so. "Are you...?"

"Am I what?"

"Gay."

He rose his brows, "You don't remember me dating one of your best friends? Riley Barnett? Remember her?"

She laughed, "Okay, well...bisexual?"

Mickey had been thinking about his sexuality a lot recently. He decided that nothing was set in stone. Things change, and people change. He thought back to the gay dating apps River used to use. The feeling in Mickey's stomach as they flicked through the countless pictures of shirtless men. Back then, he buried that feeling, and dismissed it as mere curiosity. But that meant that he had never let himself explore his own identity - he just blocked it all out and focused on his attraction to girls instead. Because it was easier. "Maybe." Was his response to Fran's question, "I never really thought about it much."

"You ever considered experimenting? Because uni is the perfect place to do it, you know?"

He shrugged, "Sure." Maybe it would help. Maybe it would put the question of his sexuality to rest so he wouldn't need to think about it anymore.

"Well, we're about to go to a party, and I'm sure there will be plenty of boys willing to help you out." She winked, looping her arm around his and steering him out of the room.