Zack looked up at him. He had been scribbling something in a notebook on his lap. "The nurse said I couldn't have anymore visitors." He told the taller boy.
All Mikey offered in return was a dismissive shrug and the words "I needed to talk to you."
Zack refused to say anything after that. It could all very well be a trap. "Zack, you're damn smart," Mikey sat down on the hospital bed next to him, "And when the dude you work with that had the white-boy fro asked you what you were thinking and you said you didn't know… That was a lie. You wanted to say something, I could tell."
With scared innocence, Zack looked up at the older man. "It was never supposed to get bad. I knew what I was doing every time, this whole time. I was thinking that maybe… one out of ten people with eating disorders are male. That's 1,000,000 men in the United Sates. Bulimia causes liver disease, esophagus erosion, and tooth enamel decay. I was thinking that maybe that wouldn't happen to me…"
Mikey shook his head and took Zack's hand. Immediately after, he released it. "Sorry," He let the pale hand go, "That's probably really awkward for you since that time senior year…"
Zack felt so at ease with Mikey sitting next to him. He could feel the boy's body warmth through Mikey's jeans and the heavy hospital blanket that covered his lower half. He felt so normal that he speak without being viewed as a freak, he felt so… happy. Zack spoke in sentences he knew wouldn't confuse anyone. "That was my first kiss." He said.
Mikey nodded. "Mine, too."
Choking back tears, the genius actually took Mikey's hand. As of late he was getting less and less awkward in social situations. Maybe it was his time at the lab surrounded by people. Maybe it was Naomi from Paleontology. But none of that mattered. "I'm sorry that I out all of you through all of this."
Mikey nodded, unsure of what to do. He bent down a little and caught Zack's lips with his.
A voice sounded at the door that broke the kiss apart, "Zack, Hodgins finally told me what happened—" She stopped at the sight in front of her. "I'll come back in in three minutes. Make sure you two… disconnected by then."