𝒄𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒂 𝒅𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒎𝒊𝒏' ≛ m. kelso ✔

≛ chapter sixteen

AUGUST 1978

"Man, I haven't done this in way too long," Michael giggled after taking a long drag from the sloppily rolled joint Lucy had produced from her "bag of surprises".

"Me neither, interestingly enough," Juniper sighed.

Michael, Lucy, Donna, and June sat around the table in the kitchen of the closed cafe, surrounded by towering mountains of leftover pastries.

Donna picked a blueberry scone out of a pile. "Archie isn't joining us?"

"Nah, he doesn't really smoke too often," Lucy dismissed, reaching over to grab a piece before her hand could get swatted away.

"And we broke up," June giggled.

Lucy choked on her- well, Donna's scone. "You what?"

"Oh, come on, you knew it was coming."

"How can you be so... so indifferent about it?"

"I think..." Michael drawled, sending a tower toppling onto the table after choosing the pastry at the very bottom. "I think she's baked out of her mind. Baked... like this cinnamon roll!" This was apparently the most hilarious thing he had ever heard in his life, as he immediately began to laugh uncontrollably.

"It wasn't bad, was it?" Lucy asked pleadingly, ignoring his comment.

"It wasn't," Juniper shrugged. "We both still want to be friends with each other, and we agreed to not hold grudges or anything like that."

"Wow," said Donna. "That's... healthy. Can't relate."

The door swung open and Michael shot up from his seat, stumbling to block as much as he could from the intruder's sight.

Archie glanced down at him, resisting the sneer of repulsion that threatened to appear on his face. He almost wanted to punch him, or throw out an insult, or act cold toward him and June. He couldn't, though, could he? He knew she wasn't faithful. It was his fault he didn't end everything sooner.

Michael hadn't moved from the doorway.

"Hey, man, could you... let me in?" Archie prodded.

The brunette silently stood back and closed the door behind him.

"What are we talking about?" Arch asked as he wedged himself between Lucy and June.

"You," Lucy said dryly.

"Oh," he flushed. "Pass me the joint?"

Juniper doubled over into a fit of giggles, for... whatever reason. Archie couldn't help but grin at her, and he glanced across the table to find Michael doing the same. At that moment, the two men weren't against each other, weren't competitors, weren't enemies. They understood each other. They understood why the other had fallen in love with a girl like her. If not for their situation, they could've been close.

Screw the situation, Archie thought as he puffed out a cloud of smoke. "Hey, Kelso," he cut into June's laughter.

"Huh?" Michael blinked.

Archie smirked. "Want to be friends?"

A moment of silence passed before he answered. "'Course I do!"

"Cool."

"Yeah," Michael chuckled. "Cool."

≛

Juniper strummed idly at her ukelele as Michael flipped through a book of poems on her nightstand.

"These don't make sense. 'Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul?' That isn't hope, it's a bird! Stupid poets."

"It's a metaphor, sweet," June explained softly, not lifting her eyes from the frets on her instrument.

"Whatever," he scoffed in frustration. "People are complicated."

June laughed shortly. "Ain't it the truth."

Michael pursed his lips. "Is this okay? That we're still together?"

"Yeah, it is."

"You don't feel guilty about it or anything? 'Cause I don't want to make you feel that way-"

She met his gaze. "I promise it's okay. I mean, sure, it's a little awkward with Arch, and I was a bitch for doing what I did, but I think it'll be alright in the end."

Michael nodded silently. She exhaled and set her ukelele to the side. "C'mere."

"What-"

He was cut off by her lips pressed firmly against his. She pulled away before he could react. "I love you, and that hasn't changed because of the breakup. Do you understand that?"

He nodded.

"Good."

"I love you, too," he said.

A small smile tugged at the corners of her lips. "I know." She suddenly yawned. "God, today was a tiring day."

"You didn't do anything."

"Well, I'm still sleepy."

"Yeah? I'll sing you to sleep," Michael teased.

"Please don't," Juniper replied quickly, as she had already had the unfortunate chance to listen to his singing.

He kissed her temple. "Just offering."

"Thanks."

"Yeah. How does that one Ella Fitzgerald song go? The one you showed me a week or two ago?"

Juniper thought back for a moment. "'Angel Eyes'?"

"No, a different one."

"Could you hum it?"

He smirked down at her. "I thought you didn't want me to sing."

"Shut it," she said sheepishly.

"It's sort of like..." he hummed a tune quietly. "Something about nightgowns?"

"Oh," June laughed. "No, it goes, 'Say nightie-night and kiss me.'"

"Well, if you insist..." Michael joked before pulling her lips to his. Her hand snaked up around his neck and she twirled with the hair at the nape of his neck around her finger before pulling away gently.

"Nightie-night," he whispered, almost like a child pretending to be asleep at bedtime.

Juniper shook her head fondly with a small smile and turned to snuggle deeper into his arms.

"What was that song called?" he mumbled as she closed her eyes.

"'Dream A Little Dream Of Me.'"

"Ah. I will, Buggy."

And he did.

≛

(not) brought to you by me desperately trying to end this on a high note LMAO

(not) brought to you by saying nightie-night and kissing people

(not) brought to you by dream a little dream of me - the mamas & the papas (although i also LOVE ella fitzgerald's/louis armstrong's version)

brought to you by lissy <3