A/N: Why hang one mistletoe when you can have 12? Just to, you know, have more chances
_
Mitch didn't really want to do this. Scott has been insisting on hanging mistletoes around the house for a whole week now, Mitch didn't see a point in it since it was just the two of them, but Scott wouldn't stop begging.
"Please. It'll be fun!" Scott followed Mitch around the house as he was trying to escape.
"Do you really wanna kiss me so bad?" Mitch turned around, facing his best friend. "It's gonna end up being us, because, if you didn't notice, we're the only ones living here!"
"We literally have a party every night, there's always a lot of people over," he argued. Mitch sighed and rolled his eyes.
"You won't give in, will you?"
The blonde boy shook his head, a smile showing on his lips although he was trying really hard to suppress it.
"Fine."
"What?" He raised his eyebrows, not sure if he understood that right.
"I said fine. But you hang them, I'm going to take a bubble bath. Oh, and one more thing: If it's us, we won't kiss."
Scott pouted. "Why not? It's a tradition to kiss under the mistletoe."
"We can't risk that, Scott, and you know it. You know what happened when we were kids..."
"Yeah..." He bit his lip, looking away from Mitch. He knew exactly what happened. As if he would ever forget his first, and probably biggest heartbreak.
Scott kept kissing Mitch like he was everything, because he was. Scott was absolutely, head over heels in love with him, but somehow Mitch wasn't reciprocating the kisses as passionately, and suddenly, he put his hands on Scott's bare chest, pushing him away, his brown eyes not meeting Scott's blue ones.
"Scotty..."
"What? Are you okay?"
"Yes... I mean, no. I mean..." He sighed, not knowing how to phrase it. "I'm sorry..."
"What is it?"
Scott's heart already started breaking, because for some reason, he already knew what was going to happen. He felt it. He knew that Mitch didn't feel the same way about him as he did. But he was selfish enough to take what he got for as long as it lasted.
"Let's... just... go back to being friends. I don't want to lie to you."
This was the first time that Scott's heart broke completely, and up to this day, nine years later, he still doesn't feel like he managed to put it back together. He was still in love with Mitch. Probably even more than he was when they were seventeen and hooking up in his mustang.
After this day, they didn't speak for half a year.
"See? Scott... I wouldn't mind kissing you. But there's too much at risk."
In fact, Mitch wouldn't only not mind kissing Scott, to be completely honest he would absolutely love it. But he didn't know if him and Scott were on the same page. Nine years passed since, there was no way Scott still had feelings for him. He sighed, plopping down on the couch. It was all just stupid wishful thinking. He said he was okay with being friendzoned, and what other option did Mitch have other than to believe him?
He was scared of kissing Scott. Scared he would get too attached with just a simple kiss, wanting more but not being able to get it. Mitch knows Scott's been through hell and back because he broke his heart. Two years after their break up he sang a song for him. Back then he was still in love.
Mitch only realized Scott had left when he came back with a bag full of mistletoes - there were at least a dozen that Scott was carrying.
"Where the hell did you get those so quickly?"
Scott just shrugged. "I already bought them last week. We have a huge house, only one is boring, so I bought twelve."
Mitch rolled his eyes but couldn't contain a chuckle. "Yeah, right. Why?"
"As I said, one is boring. Besides, our house is huge, we need more possibilities."
"Of course." He hesitated, before he added, "Want me to help you?"
***
Scott decided to throw a party, and Mitch was all for it, at least at first, but that was before his anxiety kicked in. The crowd suddenly became overwhelming, he heard every sound ten times as loud, and he just couldn't stand it. He quickly emptied his cup and decided to make his way downstairs into his bedroom, hoping that no one was hooking up in there and he would actually be able to escape from this social situation.
As he hurried down the stairs, Scott spotted him, a concerned frown on his face.
"Mitchy?"
But he didn't hear him over the loud music blaring from the speakers. Scott put down his cup and ran after Mitch just to check if he was alright, if he was tired, or anxious, and if he needed anything. Scott would ask everyone to leave in the blink of an eye if anyone was making Mitch uncomfortable.
"Mitchy!"
Mitch was about to close his door and lock it but Scott finally caught up.
"Mitch."
"Scott? What-?"
"I saw you go downstairs and I was worried. Are you okay?"
Mitch shrugged. "Just anxious."
"Want me to end the party?"
He shook his head. "No. It's okay, you're enjoying yourself."
"Not if you're uncomfortable."
He bit his lip. "I don't want to be a buzzkill."
"You're not being a buzzkill. I love you. You're my best friend, and you're my top priority."
Mitch smiled softly, his cheeks blushing. "That's so sweet of you. And the same goes to you, big boy."
Scott smiled back. "How are you, baby?"
"I'm... better now that you're here."
"Want me to stay with you?" He offered, catching Mitch off-guard. He didn't want to keep his best friend from partying.
"I mean... If you want to?" He looked at Scott, and after a few moments, he defeatedly added, "Actually, please do."
"It'd be my pleasure." Scott said with a big smile, closing the door behind them. That's when he noticed something hanging above the two.
"Oh..."
Mitch raised his eyebrows in question, but in that exact moment, he noticed, too.
"Oh..."
"Yeah..." Scott bit his lip, looking to the floor. "I know you don't want to, I mean-"
"No, I- Let's... We can do it? I mean, no pressure, if you don't want to that's cool-"
"Do you want to? I wouldn't mind-"
Mitch nodded. "I... Want to."
Scott's blue eyes met Mitch's brown ones as he placed his hand on the other boy's cheek carefully. "You sure?" he whispered, only having Mitch nod in response. He closed his eyes, leaning in, waiting, giving Mitch a few moments to move away just in case he changed his mind, but he stayed there, his one hand cupping Scott's cheek and his other one on his neck. So, Scott finally closed the distance between them, experiencing the best kiss of his entire life.
It wasn't passionate, it wasn't heated, it was cute. He just lingered his lips on Mitch's for a few seconds, not really moving, just enjoying the moment and burning it into his mind to keep it forever. He wanted to remember this when he was old, reminiscing about the most exciting moments in his life. He held Mitch by his waist, keeping him close, feeling the smaller boy against him. When they parted after a few seconds, Scott leaned back in to place one last quick peck on Mitch's lips before he looked at him again.
"I- uh... I'm gonna ask them all to go home," Scott began after a while of silence. "Want me to sleep over?"
"Please."
