Devil's Impact

Group Effort

Mike Shinoda waited anxiously outside Jason's Seattle apartment door for it to open. It was just after seven in the morning on Saturday, and the thought crossed his mind as he stood there that maybe this impulsive trip to Seattle at the last minute had been a mistake. That maybe Jason was still sleeping and hadn't heard him knock from the second floor. That he should have called, or texted, or even had Ryan let Jason know he was coming.

He thought of Chester's sad face as they said goodbye in L.A. just a few hours earlier, and pressed his lips together as he knocked a second time. Mike had made a promise - he'd be home in less than 48 hours - and he needed Jason to open the door so he could show the other man just how sorry he was about everything, and get home to Chester on time. It wasn't a promise that Mike was willing to break, and he reached to pull his phone from his pocket. If Jason didn't open the door in the next ten seconds, Mike was going to have to call him.

Inside the apartment, Jason was on his way down the stairs when he heard a second knock on the door. He was grumpy about it, wondering who would be so insistent at seven in the morning on a Saturday. He didn't typically sleep past seven, and this morning he'd decided to lay in bed and read instead of getting right up and getting his day started. But the heavy knock on his door had gotten him out of the warm blankets and headed downstairs, cursing himself for not taking time to find socks. His feet were bare on the cold floors, and Jason shivered as he reached the door and looked out the little peep hole into the hallway.

He couldn't contain his gasp when it was Mike on the other side of the door. It was hard to comprehend such an unexpected visit so early in the morning, and the mix of emotions that slammed his insides instantly. Part of Jason wanted to throw the door open and pull Mike into his arms, the other part wanted to walk right back up the stairs and ignore him. He pulled back from the peep hole and took a breath, pressing his hands to his cheeks to feel the sudden flush there. All of his emotions felt mixed up as he opened the door, just enough to see that it really was Mike Shinoda on the other side, looking disheveled and a little scared, with one hand on his backpack strap and his phone in the other.

"What are you doing here?" Jason asked, making no move to let Mike in as they stared at each other. "It's seven in the morning."

Mike slid his phone into his pocket and shrugged sheepishly. His heart was pounding and he could hear it in his ears as he tried to come up with something clever to say. "I didn't think Facetime was good enough," he finally said. "I wanted to see you."

Jason huffed out a disbelieving breath. "And you just flew up here on a whim? What if I was still sleeping?" He shook his head. "Flights are expensive, I could have just not opened the door."

"I was hoping you would," Mike said before he hung his head and stared at Jason's bare feet. "I know this was an expensive gamble. Ryan bought the ticket," he admitted. He didn't look up, and Jason didn't say anything. "Can I come in? I'd hate to have to tell Ryan he wasted all that money and you still won't talk to me." He peeked up at Jason through his hair. "And aren't your feet cold?"

Jason rolled his eyes as he stepped back from the door, making space for Mike to enter the apartment. "Don't tell him that," Jason said as Mike walked past him, and he closed and locked the door. "Just sit down while I go get some socks," he ordered, gesturing toward the couch. "I can't believe you came all the way up here," he muttered, shaking his head again.

He left Mike downstairs while he moved around the bedroom, putting on socks and using the toilet, then brushing his teeth. Jason glanced in the mirror before he stepped back out to the bedroom. It didn't bother him to keep Mike waiting while he took his time making the bed, trying to think through what he even wanted to say now that Mike was in his place. Being face to face after almost three weeks without having a choice in the matter was frustrating, and he grabbed his phone and fired off a text to Ryan. After all, Ryan was the one who had taken that choice away, even if he'd done so from a well-meaning place.