Anyone Else but You • byler

Here is the church and here is the steeple We sure are cute for two ugly people.

The nursery is perfectly decorated in Rachel's immaculate taste. There's an antique rocking chair sitting empty in the corner .

It ended with a chair.

The wall Rachel had said 'needed something.' now holds a framed note on the wall. It's a crumpled note handwritten on the back of a Jiffy Lube bill. The note's obviously Will's and it reads: "Rachel - If you're still in, I'm still in -Will:)."

Rachel lies in bed with a burp cloth draped over her shoulder, feeding the baby. For the first time ever, she looks disorganized, unshowered -and incredibly happy. There are formula bottles on the bedside table and a bassinet pushed close to the bed. Obviously, she hasn't been away from her daughter for a single moment.

Her daughter, Juno , reaches up and grabs her thumb. She glows with an expression of pure bliss.

Rachel whispers sweet nothings into her ear. The baby's eyes are closed, but Rachel can feel her little heartbeat against her chest.

⭑

It's a sparkling summer afternoon as Will wheels his bike out of the detached garage. He waves a goodbye to El, who's playing in the yard with her new girlfriend Ebony and the family dog, Chester. She looks almost as happy as Rachel did with the baby.

Will rides his bike speedily down the street. His guitar is slung over his shoulder in a gig bag. He's going to Maple street.

As boyfriends go, Mike Wheeler is totally boss. He's the paladin to my cleric. I know people are supposed to fall in love before they reproduce, but normalcy isn't really our style.

As he tears recklessly down the street on his bike, he passes the track team, still running in outrageously skimpy shorts and bandanas. He waves back at Lucas and one of the new found members, Dustin. He'd made his goal to be able to run in front of everyone next time someone in the party is in labor.

Will rides up to a garage where Mike's sitting, tuning his own guitar.

He finds his boyfriend sitting on the stoop and he smiles and takes out his guitar as he sits across from the raven haired boy and pulls the pick out of the strings.

"Ready?" Will asks, his boyfriend smiles at him and nods.

The brunette begins strumming his guitar and starts playing. Mike joins in, at first their playing is discordant, but suddenly it works.

"You're a part time lover and a full-time friend. The monkey on your back is the latest trend." Mike starts to sing, "I don't see what anyone can see, in anyone else but you." he stops as Will takes over the next lines.

"Here is the church and here is the steeple. We sure are cute for two ugly people. I don't see what anyone can see, in anyone else but you." They switch again.

"We both have shiny happy fits of rage. You want more fans, I want more stage. I don't see what anyone can see, in anyone else, but you." Mike sings, a smile prominent in his voice as he admires Will.

"You are always trying to keep it real. I'm in love with how you feel. I don't see what anyone can see, in anyone else, but you." Will laughs softly as Mike takes over again.

"I kiss you on the brain in the shadow of a train. I kiss you all starry- eyed, my body's swinging from side to side. I don't see what anyone can see, in anyone else, but you."

"The pebbles forgive me, the trees forgive me. So why can't you forgive me? I don't see what anyone can see, in anyone else but you." This time instead of switching, Mike joins in.

"Du du du du du du dudu. Du du du du du du dudu. " They harmonize simultaneously.

They exchange glances as they play, smiling ambiguously. Mike leans over and kisses the brunette on the cheek.

"I don't see what anyone can see, in anyone else," Mike sings to his lover and Will finishes the next lyric for him.

"But you."