Time After Time

Fresh Plans

"Why does Scott need to know where I am?" Mitch asked, frowning slightly at Kirstie. They were sitting on the long haired woman's couch, with the TV providing pointless background noise.
“Because he’ll be worried – you know how he gets,” Kirstie responded, glancing up from her phone to look straight into her friend’s red-rimmed eyes. Mitch sighed in response, dropping his gaze to his hands, which were sitting awkwardly in his lap. He fiddled with his fingers as his friend’s eyes moved back to her phone. After a couple of seconds, she tossed her phone down to her right side, and looked back to her left. Mitch glanced to his right and bit his lip nervously.

“I've fucked up, haven’t I?” he muttered, mostly to himself. Frowning, Kirstie shook her head.
“Why do you think that?”
“I read something personal, private,” Mitch began, “He probably wants to kill me, doesn't he?”
“He’s not mad, okay? He’s just very confused right now.”
“Why?” the countertenor questioned, visibly perplexed.
“You saw his list, Mitchell. He cares about you and he’s terrified to see you get hurt time after time,” Kirstie explained, a stern edge to her voice. Mitch dropped his gaze back to his hands at the sound of his full first name.
“Why does he care so much? All I do is hurt him... he deserves so much better than me... I’m pathetic and he’s amazing and I keep hurting him. Why doesn't he leave, Kirst? Why does he stay?” Mitch’s eyes began to well up again.
“He stays because he cares, honey. We all do,” the small woman wrapped her arms around her friend and held him.
“I don’t want to hurt him, Kirst, but I don’t know how to talk to him,” he murmured, tears dripping from his brown eyes, “I don’t want him to cry because of me... I want him to be happy, but all I do is make him unhappy. I’m the problem, aren't I? It’s all my fau-” Kirstie cut him off, tears forming in her own eyes.
“Don’t say that! Don’t let me ever hear you say that, Mitch! It’s not your fault; it’s never your fault, okay? Look at me,” she gently reached for her friend’s chin and pulled his face around so that she could make eye contact with the countertenor, “It’s never your fault,” The pair held one another as they cried. The long haired woman was suddenly terrified of letting her friend go – a fear she hadn't felt for a few years. This must be how Scott feels constantly, she realized as the pair of dark haired singers began to separate, their tears slowing.
“I’m sorry,” Mitch murmured, watching his friend, “your make-up’s smudged,” he said, smiling ever so slightly. Kirstie noticed that the corners of her friend’s mouth had turned upwards and she found herself smiling.
“You can fix it, if you want? Do my make-up?” she offered. Grateful for the distraction, Mitch nodded and the pair headed to the bathroom.

“I’m going to make you look beautiful, girl!” Mitch said with a genuine smile. His face still showed the effects of the tears he’d shed, but Kirstie was relieved to see the countertenor smiling. They spent the next couple of hours trying out various new styles, and falling against one another as they laughed. The small woman was glad to be able to help drag Mitch away from the hellish mess in his mind, even it was only a temporary pain relief. After snapping a selfie with the brunette man, she promptly sent it to Scott with a message Got him smiling :) as she knew that the blonde would still be worried.

“Kirstie? Can we watch something on the TV?” Mitch called from the living room, snatching her from her phone’s screen.
“Sure,” the woman replied, strolling into the room and joining her friend on the couch, “Ooh, Spongebob’s on!”
“I don’t feel like watching that,” Mitch sighed. Understanding the countertenor’s thoughts, Kirstie nodded.
“Reminds you of Scott?” she asked.
“Yeah... “ Kirstie flicked through the channels and, eventually, the pair settled on watching Frozen for about the hundredth time already.
“This still kind of reminds me of Scott,”
“We can change it, if you’d like?”
“There’s no point now; we’re halfway through,” Mitch said with a small smile. Kirstie shrugged in response, and the pair focused their attention back to the television screen. When the movie ended, Mitch spoke up once again.
“I should probably head home soon, it’s getting late,”
“I’ll give you a ride, okay?” They spent the car journey singing along to various songs, adding their own ridiculous touches to the tunes with wide smiles on their faces. When they pulled up to Mitch’s apartment, the carefree mood faded instantly, and Kirstie looked directly at her friend, “Speak to him, okay? Or at least try and spend some time with him? He misses you,” Nodding dumbly in response, he left the car and waved goodbye to the long haired woman before making his way back into his apartment. As soon as he opened the apartment door, he was pulled into a tight hug by a blonde blur.

“I’m glad you’re home,” Scott whispered into his ear before he pulled back. Mitch burst into tears once again, but Scott’s arms were around him in an instant, pulling the brunette tight to the taller man’s chest. Neither spoke, they just stood there, sobbing, as they held one another in a tight, protective embrace.