The Treehouse [BxB]

thirty two

February ended and the snow slowly melted as the seasons trudged on. March arrived, and with it, sunshine and breezy days. River was sitting in his bedroom in Axminster, staring at the treehouse through the window. The branches that encased the wooden structure were starting to grow back their leaves, though the process was long, and the trees still trembled in the wind.

His eyes flicked to the road when he heard a car pull up outside Mickey's house. River leant up against the windowsill, crossing his arms over his chest as he watched Mickey's Father exit the vehicle, and walk up to the house. He knocked, and a moment later, Audre appeared, and they both got in the car, and drove away.

River remembered Mickey telling him that he hadn't seen his Father in a long time. He didn't like talking about him — River understood that. The last he had heard, Mickey's Father had had a baby with his younger wife. River could see how that would make Mickey angry — it made him angry, too.

He watched the car disappear out of the neighbourhood, and River collapsed onto his bed. He was wearing one of Mickey's hoodies — Mickey had given it to him when River had visited him at university for Valentine's Day. That was a good weekend. They spent their time cuddling, napping, getting drunk in the evenings with Mickey's flatmates, and ordering takeaway to the dorm. River thought that visiting a university would upset him — to see the life he could have had, but missed out on — but it didn't make him feel anything. It didn't make him sad or angry or frustrated that he had wasted so many opportunities. No, all he felt was pride, for Mickey. His boyfriend.

He pulled the collar of the hoodie up to his nose and breathed in Mickey's sweet smell. He missed him every day. He knew that Mickey missed him, too. They loved each other. And River didn't think it was possible for him to ever love anyone in the same way again.

It was going to be hard to say goodbye. But he had to do what was best for him, and that wasn't Axminster.

His phone vibrated, and River picked it up to see an incoming video call from Mickey. He smiled, and answered the call, "Hey." He leant back against his headboard, absentmindedly tugging at the drawstring of his hoodie.

"Hi, River." Mickey grinned. He was wearing makeup. Smudged eyeliner blurred under his eyes, and a subtle layer of mascara. River thought he looked amazing; like a grungy model from a music video. "What do you think?" Mickey leant back from the camera, biting his lip.

"You look great." River told him honestly, "I love it."

"Good." Mickey was sitting at his desk, wearing a cropped black vest and a couple of silver chains around his neck. A headband was holding his frizzy curls out of his honey eyes. "Fran has been teaching me. She wants me to go full out, but I like this how it is. Still subtle, you know?"

"It looks really good, Mickey." River reassured him. He was so proud of how far Mickey had come. He had transformed from a skater boy who wore exclusively baggy clothes, into someone who felt completely free to express themselves. With makeup, accessories, nail polish, and tight clothes which looked so good on his toned body. He had grown into his sexuality, and continued to evolve everyday. "You look beautiful." River added.

"Stop, you're making me blush." Mickey teased, chuckling under his breath. "You look tired." He continued, resting his elbows on his desk, "You sleeping okay?"

River nodded, "Sure."

Mickey watched him skeptically through the phone screen, "You got something on your mind?"

"Yeah, a lot." River smiled to mask the truth, "Don't worry. I'm doing good."

"Did you talk to your therapist about switching meds?"