The Treehouse [BxB]

twenty eight

The boys spent New Year's Eve with Mickey's family. They ordered takeaway, drank champagne, listened to music, and when the clock struck midnight, they all cheered. Mickey wanted to kiss River, but he didn't. He waited until everyone else had gone to bed, and the house was silent. And then, he kissed him like the world was about to end.

River had a job interview a couple of days later. It was for a bartending position at a local pub. He got the job - with his experience, they could hardly say no.

He had his first therapy session the next day. When it was over, he called Mickey to come and meet him. He waited outside the plain grey building, beneath the plain grey January sky.

When Mickey arrived, wrapped up in a thick coat, a beanie pulled over his frizzy curls, he asked River how it went. River shrugged, "It wasn't easy." He replied honestly, "I never like to talk about what happened." He admitted, but Mickey already knew that. "So, talking about it to a stranger for an hour straight was..." He trailed off.

Mickey ran his fingers through River's hair, "I'm sorry." He mumbled, "It will get better. I promise you."

"When?"

Mickey wasn't expecting that question. He hesitated, "I don't know."

"He said I have PTSD." River continued, "I already knew that, but...but I guess being told it is different. Harder."

"Did he prescribe you anything?"

River nodded, "Antidepressants."

Mickey sighed, "C'mon, I'll take you to breakfast."

"What, like a date?" River rose his brows.

Mickey laughed, "Doesn't have to be." He brushed it off, "It can just be two people getting breakfast."

"What if I want it to be a date?"

"Do you?"

"Yeah."

Mickey grinned, "Okay, let me take you on a breakfast date then."

They walked to a diner around the corner, sat down in a corner booth, and ordered a couple of coffees while they scanned the menu. After a minute of comfortable silence, River asked, "What's it like being on antidepressants?"

Mickey placed the menu down on the table, leaning back against the cushy seat, "You'll probably be quite tired for the first couple of weeks." He told him, "I was, anyway. I slept all the time."

A waiter came over with their coffees, interrupting their conversation. Mickey ordered for the both of them, and when the waiter walked away again, River placed his elbows on the table, and rested his face in his hands, "We were such happy kids." He murmured, "And now we're both in therapy."

"There's nothing wrong with that." Mickey told him.

"I know." River bit his lip, "I just miss it. Being a kid."

"Me too."

"I used to want to grow up so badly. I would dream about it. About finally being an adult, making my own choices, doing whatever I wanted." River tucked a blond curl behind his ear, "But being an adult is awful. I hate it."

"Me too." Mickey repeated.

"There's so much shit in this world. You don't see it when you're little, even though it's all around you." He sighed sadly, "I see it now, though."

Mickey watched him, his head tilted to the side, "I hate seeing you like this."

River's brows twitched into a frown, "Like what?"