byler oneshots

86 - never grow up :'(

•they are together•
•spring of sophomore year•
•mike pov•

I hate my birthday.

I've always hated my birthday.

It's just another reminder that everything is changing and that I'm growing up, and in a few years I'll be celebrating my birthday without all of my friends when I'm off at college.

I slowly get out of bed, waking up to the sound of pans hitting against each other and the smell of bacon sizzling in the kitchen. Nancy usually goes pretty all out for my birthdays. As much as we fight, I still have no idea what I would do without her.

I stumble out of bed and brush through my hair, trying to see if I look any older...I don't.

I open my door and walk down the stairs, turning into the kitchen to see my mom, Nancy, and Holly in the kitchen cooking pancakes and bacon like they do every year.

My dad had to go on a business trip and miss my birthday like he did with Holly's. Typical.

"Mike! Happy birthday!" my mom says, running over and wrapping her thin arms around me. I hug her back as she squeezes me tight, finally letting me go a few seconds later.

"Happy sweet sixteen Mikey!" Nancy teases, ruffling my hair before giving me a quick hug. Holly then comes running over holding a folded piece of paper.

"Here!" she says, giggling as she hands me the card. She drew a little picture of the family on the front and wrote HAPPY BIRTHDAY in her messy first-grade handwriting.

"Thanks Holly!" I say, sitting down at the table next to Nancy. My mom brings all the kids plates of bacon and pancakes piled with chocolate chips and whipped cream.

"Thanks for still doing this even though I'm already sixteen." I say graciously.

"Please don't remind me that my baby boy is already sixteen! I can't believe it!" she says teary eyed, hugging me in my seat.

~~~hours later~~~

I wait eagerly at the front door for Will to show up, tapping my fingertips together in a 1234321 pattern, noticing how bloody and raw the skin on my thumbs look because of how much I've picked at them today out of pure anxiety.

I instantly feel myself calm down when I see him pull up and park in the driveway, getting out of the car with a present in hand.

"Mike!" he says when I open the door, he walks quickly up to me, wrapping his arms around my back and burying his head in my shoulder.

"Happy birthday." he says softly into the collar of my shirt. I squeeze him a little tighter before taking his free hand and pulling him inside and up to my room, shutting the door behind us.

"Are you having a good birthday?" he asks, walking over to me and interlacing our fingers.

"...Yeah! It's been really good." I say, trying to fake the happiness as best as possible.

I feel his finger brush over the sides of my thumbs and he looks up at me.

"Mike, what's wrong?! You seem a little upset." he says, causing immediate tears to build in my eyes.

"It sounds stupid." I say, wiping my eyes and sitting on the bed. I hate acting emotional in front of people, especially him, because it makes me feel so much less tough.

"Come on, Mike. You can talk to me. Please just talk to me." he begs, sitting down next to me.

"I guess I'm just...scared of growing up. Birthdays are another reminder that an entire year of my life has passed again." I say, a few more tears trickling down my cheeks.

"Oh, Mike. I know how you feel. Two summers ago when the party was having all that drama about the girls, I felt like this more than ever. Instead it thinking about it that way, just think of birthdays as the start to another year of your life that's gonna be filled with even more fun things. We're gonna go on more adventures with the party, sunset bike rides together, and definitely more ice cream runs." he says, placing his hand on my leg.

"Thanks, Will. I love you so much." I say, hugging him from the side. Sometimes it's hard to think about all those years me and him went without dating. It seems impossible now that we've been together for a few months.

"I don't know what I'd do without you." I mumble, lifting my head up. He smiles as his cheeks flush pink.