i. Invitation
Michael doesn't want to go.
This is what he tells himself when he turns Dwight done in front of the whole office.
He shouldn't have to go.
This is what he tells himself when he invites Jim after work and Jim says he thought Michael was hanging out with Dwight tonight.
And Michael says no, no, ew, no, as though Dwight isn't right next to him.
But after Oscar and Stanley and Pam and Daryl and practically everyone else in the office (except Toby, because no one wants to hang out with him when they don't have to) turn him down with pointed looks in Dwight's direction, Michael grudgingly calls the salesman into his office.
"So listen Dwight, I was wondering if you'd want to go out with me after work today?"
Dwight's eyes light up and he reminds Michael of a young Guatemalan who used to work here.
How can he say no?
ii. Home
Michael isn't sure how they ended up here.
He must have drunk more than he thought. But he does tend to do stupid things after two appletinis.
Dwight gives him the tour, showing Michael everything from the stuffed squirrel collection to the creepy pictures of his weird family. But as freaky as the farm is, Michael kind of likes it because it feels like a home and Dwight laughs at all of the jokes he makes about the house.
They're in the kitchen when Michael starts to hear the noise. A low moaning sound that still echoes in Michael's head when it stops. Dwight hears it to, pausing in the middle of his speech on the beet wine.
"Is it a ghost?" Michael whispers
Dwight shakes his head, "I'll take care of it." Michael swears he sees Dwight blush and when he hurries out of the room, Michael follows, curious to see what could make Dwight embarrassed.
It's a guy. Dressed in clothes like the pictures, he's crying on the floor of a bedroom and Dwight scolds him in a language Michael decides must be Amish or something.
He feels bad for the crying man, and feeling compelled by an invisible force, Michael walks into the room and crouches next to him. Dwight stops talking and stares dumbfounded at his boss.
"There, there." Michael pats his back, and even though the man says nothing, when he looks at Michael, there's gratitude in his eyes.
"This is my cousin Mose." Dwight introduces
iii. Friends
Michael tries to deny it at first.
But it's hard to when Dwight refuses to let him forget.
So after awhile, Michael stops denying it. And Dwight starts coming in his office more often. And it doesn't seem so bad to go out with the salesman after work (although he still asks other people first).
They hang out at Dwight's farm, sometimes with Mose, sometimes not. Dwight says it's not that Mose dislikes Michael because he likes him a lot, but sometimes he likes to play hide-and-seek with himself.
Other times they go out, and Michael's surprised to find that Dwight's not a half-bad wingman and has a way with the ladies that Michael just doesn't get.
And before he knows it, he invites Dwight over to his place for New Year's before he asks Jim or Daryl. And Dwight seems to know it to, because a smile spreads across his face, bigger than Michael's ever seen it and asks if Michael wants him to bring the movie because he just rented Armageddon
A/N- Found this on my computer while cleaning out old documents. Can't remember when I wrote it or why, but I like it.
Let's say it's in honor of Steve Carell leaving the office.
I guess it takes place somewhere between seasons 2-3? I'm a little rusty on my Office timeline.