★ Paranoia

Chapter 57

(Wrote this in a single day meanwhile the chapter before this took from February to June, where the hell did this motivation come from)

After Mikey gave permission, the doctor left, and she gave a report to the leader that she was trying something, and to hold off JJ's apparent planned punishment until then. He'd irritably agreed, surprisingly, but it was really because he didn't have the energy to enact his plan on that particular day.

The entire time Mikey had been on the medicine, he hadn't been able to remember close to anything unless he was vaguely reminded, then which all of the memories came back to him. If there were no reminders, one would remember everything again with time, but it would be quite a while before they did. For JJ, he too didn't remember anything yet, so Mikey decided to only share certain information with him. He sat with him for hours, talking and laughing with him as he reminded JJ only of their lives up until the end of the world and the killer clowns. Mikey recalled moments from their video-making, and once JJ's memory was properly jogged, he also spoke of good memories they made together.

Mikey wanted to talk to him forever. JJ was finally speaking normally, instead of having that weird, admittedly creepy whispery tone to his voice that he'd had ever since they'd gotten to B1. Mikey had helped tidy up his hair a little bit, and his eyes were still free from how they once looked; feral with stress and danger.

JJ was truly himself again at this very moment. It caused Mikey to constantly have his fingers intertwined with JJ's, and he refused to let go. After everything, there wasn't a chance he was going to spend a single moment away from JJ now that he was finally back.

JJ had inquired about Mikey's bite marks at one point, but he'd dismissed them. He didn't want JJ to remember how obsessive and dangerous he'd been towards him, and the way he'd hurt everyone else. In Mikey's mind, it would be better if the two just forgot about everything and moved on completely. Mikey was willing to forget absolutely everything JJ had done to him, because he was "mentally ill and unable to control himself." At least, that was how Mikey viewed it.

"Hey, Mikey?" JJ asked, yawning shortly after. He was still noticeably tired, but that was all. At this very moment, they'd just finished a conversation and had been moving closer to each other, and now their shoulders were touching. Mikey beamed at the way JJ didn't use any of the weird petnames he'd been calling him throughout their time in B1. "Can I kiss you?"

"Hm?" Mikey blinked in surprise. "You're... asking me?"

"I know that's not usually what people do," JJ admitted, smiling a little in embarrassment. Mikey found it cute, and smiled in turn as he heard him out. "But I'm a little tired right now, and I'm not sure if I'm able to detect social cues as easily when I'm like this. I just want to be sure."

"Of course you can, JJ." Mikey permitted, and JJ wasted no time. Just as Mikey was hoping, he was so gentle that when compared to how JJ used to do this, it felt underwhelming, but in the best possible way. Before he realized it, Mikey's hands rushed to JJ's waist, squeezing him a little more tightly than he intended to out of excitement and relief. JJ let out an amused, muffled laugh against Mikey's lips, making Mikey shiver a little. JJ pulled away for a brief moment.

"It's okay." He assured. "I'm not going anywhere, buddy. Wherever I've been, or whatever happened that caused me to go away... it's over now. I'm here, and I won't let myself be separated from you ever again."

"I've never wanted something to be more true in my entire life." Mikey said passionately, although his voice wobbled with emotion. "There were times I thought you'd be gone forever. Please don't ever, ever leave..."

They then hugged, and Mikey decided that nothing felt better than this moment. In the hours that they'd talked, that was the first time JJ had kissed him - Mikey knew the old JJ would've kissed him at least fifteen times within that span, no exaggeration. Mikey wanted to freeze this moment so it could last forever.