Y O U T H (scomiche)

mi(tch)nnie

a/n: Boy-oh-boy do I love gluten free cheesecake. I also love you for reading this.

Once the beach started getting too crowded, we decided to head back to the hotel and order room service for dinner. An hour and two bowls of ice cream later, we were watching The Office reruns and scrolling through social media. I was sprawled over his stomach and sideways.

"Um, Mitch?" Scott said uncomfortably.

"Yeah?"

"Look at this."

Scott showed me his phone screen. On it was a picture of us, from earlier, in front of the bean. It wasn't the photo from my phone, but a photo someone from the sidewalk took and posted on Twitter, because they thought we were cute.

"That's kinda weird. I mean, I'm flattered they think we're cute, but, like, y'know?"

"Yeah, I don't really know how to feel about it. I'm just gonna retweet it and leave it alone."

"How many retweets does it have?"

"Ten thousand."

"Oh my god!"

"We're famous, Mitchy." I rolled my eyes.

"If that ends up on Facebook pages, our parents could see it."

"Oh shit, you're right."

"But if it's already that popular, people have totally saved it to their phones and everything."

"I'll just report it and hope it doesn't circulate." I took a deep breath.

"You've gotta admit, though, we're pretty cute." I said.

"Yeah, I'll give you that one." He replied. I laughed and locked my phone. I sat up and set it on the nightstand, and turned around to look at him. He closed the app and set his phone next to mine.

"C'mere." He said, sitting up. I put my legs around his hips and he wrapped me in a hug. I locked my arms around his neck and kissed the spot where his neck met his shoulder. He snuck his hands under my shirt to feel the bare skin.

"I love that you know just the right amount of touch I need." I said.

"I know that, with anxious people, having something to satisfy all five senses tends to calm them."

"How do you know I'm an anxious person?"

"Um, closeted gay teen whose parents sent him to a straight camp. I can't imagine."

"Okay, you make a point." He laughed.

"Wait, is that why you wear cologne all the time? 'Cause, for as long as I can remember, you've always worn the same one."

"It's why I wear a cologne I know you like."

"How do you know I like it?"

"Well, remember that time we were in the mall with our parents? We were probably, like, thirteen, and we started smelling different colognes because we were bored. And there was one you sniffed and said it "smells like a man you'd want to marry." So I got a tester of it and wore it every day I knew I would see you. My parents still buy me a new bottle every christmas."

"Awwwhh?"

"Shut uup."

"You had a crush on meeeeeee."

"Still do, to be honest."

"Well, I would hope so." We sat together in silence over the sound of one of Michaels antics on TV.

Spending two weeks with Scott was as amazing as it sounds. We never knew how accepting our classmates were of us. A lot of them actually came up to us and told us how happy they are for us, or that they wish us the best of luck in the future. I don't think either of us stopped smiling for two straight weeks, and we loved every minute of it.

The plane ride home was a little bit stressful, though. Just because we both realized that we hadn't left each others side for more than ten minutes in the past two weeks, and we'd have to be at our separate houses for a whole week. My parents still weren't wholly on board with me going to Los Angeles with Scott. They've wanted me to go to University of Texas since I was born, so I guess I can understand.

"One more week." I said, holding his hand. He brought it to his lips and kissed my knuckles.

"Until?"

"Everything." I put my head on his shoulder. He had the aisle seat this time.

"My parents get the whole motherload that day. I kind of don't want to wait, just because I don't want to hide it anymore. At least if I tell them now, then they'll have a week to react and see me. They can ask all of the uncomfortable questions and then come to terms with it or not come to terms with it."

"It's up to you, really. The pros and cons of each ones benefit different people, so it's a weird decision to have to make."

"Yeah. I think I'll just go for it. Spill the beans right out for them."

"All of the beans?"

"Oh would you quit it, it's a metaphor." Scott giggled.

The students took a bus back to the high school after the flight. We found Scott's car in its normal spot, with an empty Starbucks cup in the cup holder, shriveled from the heat. He started the car and his a/c started working after about five minutes. He drove me to my house and walked me inside. My parents were still at work for another hour, so we had a little bit of time to say our goodbyes.

"So, you think you're gonna tell them?" Scott asked.

"Yeah, I'll do it at dinner tonight. What about you?"

"Same. We should text about it."

"I feel like yours is going to be a lot shorter than mine, I'm gonna be met with an interrogation."

"I believe in you. You've got tough skin."

"Not according to those hickeys you give me."

"Well, that's a different story." He laughed and pulled me into a kiss.

"I think it's so awesome that we can do it now." I said.

"Do what?" Scott teased, playing a game with me.

"Like, do it." I said, playing along.

"Do what?"

"Like, do that thing."

"Ooohh, you mean have sex."

"Ssshhh, or jesus might hear you." I whispered, pointing to the cross above the door.

"If god created humans, then wouldn't he have known they were gonna have sex? Like, that's how we repopulate, so why is it a deadly sin?"

"Maybe it's just gay sex. Because it doesn't repopulate, and we do it just for our own pure enjoyment. Is that greed or lust?"

"Maybe both. I, honestly, couldn't tell you about half of the things they tell us in church. I used to play on my tomagotchi before my family decided to sit in a middle pew instead of the back pew."

"Remember that time you and I snuck out to the church basement and-"

"Yess, I remember verrry well." He interrupted and pulled me into another lonnngg kiss.