Pretend

College - Part 4

"C'mon Michael!" Rich yelled exasperatedly from about 5 feet away, running as fast as he could "We don't wanna be late for our firtht [first] day back!"

"I... try... to... come..." said a very out-of-breath Michael, who was trying his best to keep up with his boyfriend of about a year, "can't... do... this..."

Rich looked back at Michael, suddenly worried about his wellbeing. He stopped and let Michael stagger up to him, then put his arm around his shoulders and practically carried him to the nearest bench, where they both sat down with a grunt: Michael's arm still wrapped around Rich.

"We can be a little late," Rich said softly "I didn't realise how out of shape you were!" He teased.

"Well, you should!" Michael said with a slight blush, "You know my body more than anyone"

Rich laughed, pressing his face into Michael's, "I gueth [guess], and I love it even tho [so]!" He said fondly.

Things had been great ever since they went to prom together. It still makes Michael smile when he thinks about how Rich's promposal went down. Rich was still in hospital and Michael was visiting Jeremy. He was waiting for Jer to wake up when he suddenly heard a timid voice come from the other bed next to him.

"He'll be alright" Rich said shyly, "He'th in better thape [shape] than Jake anyways"

"Oh, yeah, I guess" Michael said, surprised that his bully was suddenly making polite small talk with him, "How're you feeling? Squip gone?"

"Yeah, long gone now. Thank you for doing what you did, it's like for the firtht time I can finally act the way I am"

"Don't mention it" Michael said with an easy smile.

They sat in silence for a while until Rich eventually spoke up again.

"Thoooo, prom is right around the corner" Rich said, his voice shaking nervously.

"Yep, almost forgot about that" Michael said, realising the pretty cute lisp Rich had been speaking in which he's certain he didn't have before.

"You going with anyone?" Rich said, trying hard to avoid eye contact

"No, a few girls have asked me but I've had to turn them down because... well, I don't really swing that way" Michael replied with a nervous chuckle.

"Okay, I'm going to athk [ask] thomething pretty dumb, and you're probably gonna laugh in my face, but it's worth a try" Rich said, suddenly determined to get this done.

"Uh, okay?" Michael said, confused.

Rich locked eyes with Michael and, despite being at least five feet away from each other, neither of them had ever felt so close.

"Would you, Michael Mell, like to go to prom with me?"

Michael let out an audible gasp: he really wasn't expecting that. "B-but all those years..."

"Mean nothing, it was my thquip, he told me that bullying you was the only way to get my romantic thoughts of you out of my head"

Michael looked up, feeling nothing but empathy towards him "Did it work?"

Rich felt a small smile form on his lips, "What do you think?"

Michael smiled back and said "To answer your previous question, Rich Goranski, yes I will go with you to the prom"

Rich now had a huge, dazzling grin on his face, one that Michael knew he'd never get tired of seeing "I promithe [promise] you won't regret this"

Michael was jerked out of his trip down memory lane by Jeremy, with Christine by his side, clicking his fingers in front of Michaels face. 

"Wakey wakey, sleeping beauty" Jeremy said with humour in his voice.

"Oh no, what time is it?!" Michael said with a frenzied panic.

"Relax" Rich said soothingly, "Our first period was cancelled."

"So, since you guys are free, do you wanna hang out with us in the common room for a bit?" Jeremy said, putting his arm around Christine.

Michael stood up, stretching "Only if we can play the latest instalment of 'Apocalypse of the Damned"

"You're on" Jeremy retorted, doing their handshake quickly before heading to the common room with Christine.

Michael smiled, holding Rich's hand and following them. He never had to pretend to be something he wasn't ever again.