Hold My Heart (Scomiche AU)

15: Tipsy

Mitch was tipsy. It was three minutes past 11 PM, and he was out of the studio for the first time in a full week, feeling lighter than he had in a long time. He had--with Avi's help, once the two had finished with their apologies and catching up--finished the work he had to, and with time to spare, too. It was Monday night, and he had contacted everyone he had to and set up everything he had to so that he wouldn't have to go into work until the following Monday. He was free.

Unfortunately, at just the same time as Mitch's freedom came the daunting shadow of a rough work week ahead for Scott. In the days Mitch had spent locked in the studio, Scott had pushed his own work aside, instead devoting himself to ensuring that Mitch and Avi were both well fed and rested throughout the week. It had been unbelievably sweet, and had made Mitch's heart tug in a way he couldn't explain and wouldn't care to admit. However, when, on Sunday morning, Mitch had announced that the work on the album would be completed in less than one more day, Scott had reluctantly left Mitch and Avi to finish their work without him, kissing Mitch gently and apologizing profusely as he went.

So, on Monday night at three minutes past 11 PM, Mitch was curled up on Scott's couch, bottle of wine in hand, watching his boyfriend slowly work his way through grading the giant mass of final exams spread on the floor in front of him. Scott looked cute--even more so to Mitch in his tipsy state--with his blonde hair rumpled messily on his head, his badly-suppressed yawning, the fuzzy sweatpants that made him look so soft and warm, and the way he kept reaching up to rub at his tired eyes with long sleeves that fell past his hands.

Mitch knew Scott had to be exhausted--he'd been in his office all day, grading papers in between appointments with students begging him to raise their grades before the end of the semester, and then he'd driven straight to his parents' house for dinner. He'd returned at just past 10 PM, knocking on Mitch's door and begging the younger man to join him in his own apartment (not that the begging was really necessary--Mitch was sure he'd never even consider saying no to those blue eyes). However, after a few minutes--a few very good minutes that Mitch had hoped were heading somewhere even better--on the couch with Mitch, Scott had sprawled his long frame on the ground with his pile of papers, red pen in hand and apologetic smile on his face as Mitch opened the wine bottle and began to drink alone.

Maybe it was the alcohol catching up with him, or just his exhaustion from the past week finally hitting him, but Mitch felt tears spring into his eyes as he watched the blonde marking a paper furiously with his red pen. He missed Scott. Of course, it was ridiculous--Scott had been by his side for the past week, and Mitch had received no shortage of his attention or affection. Yet, somehow, he still missed Scott. Maybe it was just that they hadn't really spent any time together--that didn't involve one of them working or stressing--in quite a while. Mitch missed their wine nights, and hanging out with their friends and family. He missed just being with Scott.

"Mitchy? Are you crying?"

Mitch's snapped back to attention and scoffed lightly at himself when he realized that a few tears had escaped his eyes without his permission. "No, no," he denied, though he knew it was pointless, as Scott was already standing from his spot on the ground and making his way towards the couch, where Mitch sat.

"You are," he said, his face pulling in concern. "What's wrong?"

Mitch shook his head, though he didn't stop Scott when the older boy wrapped his arms around him; rather, he revelled in the comfort of Scott's warm body against his own. "You know how I get when I drink wine, babe," he joked weakly, "I'm just tired and emotional."

Scott's concerned expression didn't budge. "Come on, Mitchy," he coaxed, running a hand through Mitch's hair gently. "Tell me what's wrong."

Mitch sighed. "I just--I miss you," he said, groaning in frustration when he heard himself saying the words aloud. "It sounds so stupid, I know it does. But you had the anniversary party, and then I had a fight with Avi, and then you had the wedding, and then I had to finish the album, and now you have to grade papers, and I know that we both have jobs and lives and we have to do this stuff, but it's sh*t. I just miss you, and I know Avi knows about us, and Kevin, too--oh sh*t, I wasn't supposed to tell you that Kevin knew--I swear, I didn't tell him, he just knew when I talked to him--I'm sorry, I'm sorry. So, Avi and Kevin both know, but that's only two people, and I know that we wanted to keep it quiet, but I just--I miss when we hung out with Kirstie and Jeremy and Candice and Esther and everybody, but we just can't while we're hiding because I feel so guilty, and I can't lie to them, but I'm so bad at pretending. And I just--I don't even know. I don't know and--"

"I told my parents."

"What?"

Scott rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, looking sheepish. "I'm really sorry," he said softly. "I know I should've talked to you first, but it just came out, and then I couldn't take it back."

There was a brief pause. Then, "Why are we still hiding, Scott?" Scott stared back at Mitch, his apologetic expression morphing into a wide smile as he processed Mitch's words. "There's no point," Mitch continued. "Let's just tell everyone. I mean, we'll have to wait until Kirstie and Jeremy are back from their honeymoon to tell them, but everyone else. Avi and Kevin and your parents already know, and there's only a few other people who would kill us both if we didn't tell them ourselves. Let's just tell them the next time we see them."

Scott smiled stupidly wide, unable to control his own facial muscles as he looked at the brunette in his arms. "Go on a date with me tomorrow," he blurted, blushing red when Mitch looked back at him in amusement.

"You don't have any opinion on telling people?" Mitch teased.

Scott blushed again, sticking his tongue out at his boyfriend childishly. "Of course I want to, Mitchy. It's not even a question," he said. "Now, go on a date with me tomorrow. I don't have to have grades in until Friday, and there's plenty of time to finish everything before then. We can have a date day--just us, together, all day long. What do you say?"

Mitch smiled fondly at the blonde, craning his neck forward to place a kiss on his cheek. "I'd absolutely love that." He pushed Scott's shoulder playfully, disentangling himself from the taller boy. "Now, go finish your work up so we can cuddle."

Scott grinned, stealing one more kiss from Mitch before returning to his spot in front of his work papers. Mitch watched, affection bubbling in his chest as he took another sip of wine. Alcohol and sleep deprivation aside, Mitch had no doubts about his feelings for Scott as he watched the blonde work--Mitch was falling unbelievably hard and fast for the sweet, blue-eyed professor from next door, and there wasn't a single thing he could do to stop it.