Author's Note: I have discovered the secret to posting quickly. Don't reread what you write to edit it or improve it. So this chapter is going to be really rough, but it's up, and that's three new posts in a row for me! I will finish this story by the end of the year! Thanks for the reviews! Glad you're all enjoying.
"So Mikey, what happened last night with you and Paige?" Johnny asks as they sit in a van together listening in on Briggs whose in undercover with a small time local drug dealer. Neither Johnny or Mike are expecting much action today, and frankly Mike's surprised it's taken Johnny this long to ask.
"I don't want to talk about it, man." Mike says, listening closely to his headset.
"Well too bad, because it's all anyone else in the house wants to talk about. Even Jakes is curious." Johnny says bluntly.
"You guys put money on it didn't you?" Mike asked dryly.
"Son, we've had money riding on you two shacking up since that first campfire. You should see how you look at her. It's so obvious. It's just a matter of what month." Johnny rolls his eyes and kicks his feet up, trying to get comfortable in the cramped back of the van.
"Who has this month?" Mike asks nonchalantly.
"Pshhh, none of us thought it would take this long. Wait, why? Did something happen this month? You did get laid last night! I knew it!" Johnny asks,
"Christ Johnny no! Nothing happened. You saw her. She mixed her pain pills with alcohol. I just put her to bed. I didn't even sleep in the bed with her. I was on the floor." Mike snaps.
"Yeah, and hopefully if you got laid you'd be a lot less grumpy." Johnny pouts. "Wait. So if nothing happened last night, why are you asking about this month?"
"I'm going to talk to her tonight." Mike says resolutely.
"Wait, like seriously?" Johnny asks, leaning forward.
"Yeah."
"What are you going to say?"
"What do you think Johnny?" Mike rolls his eyes grumpily. Mike doesn't like talking about himself, especially about Paige. It feels like what happens between him and Paige should be private, even though he knows it never will be in this house.
"Like you're going to talk to her about the two of you getting together?" Johnny asks, sounding dumbfounded.
"Yeah. Something like that." Mike mutters, looking down at his shoes. Talking about this is making him even more nervous about it. Johnny seems to think this is a really big deal, and maybe it is. Suddenly Mike is incredibly anxious as the gravity of the situation hits him. Up until now he was just thinking he would go home, grab some food, and chat with Paige like normal. Now he feels like he may have a panic attack.
"Woah." Johnny says, for once speechless.
"Any idea on how to do it?" Mike asks, embarrassed he's asking for advice, but Johnny has known Paige a lot longer than he has. He needs tonight to go well.
"With any other woman, I'd say romance her with flowers, champagne, serenades, the whole show.. But with Paige? I don't know... P's cool. Buy her a beer and let her kick your ass at pool and then just throw her down on the pool table and go at it." Johnny shrugged.
"I don't want a one night stand Johnny. I want to actually date her." Mike clarified.
"Dude, what is up with you and the always wanting to be tied down?"
"It's who I am Johnny. I don't want anyone else. I just want Paige."
"Well, just so y'know Paige is not that kind of girl. She's never had a boyfriend that I know of that's not undercover. I mean a few, but they were bad news and didn't last. She's much more of a hanging out and hooking up type."
"We already live together, Johnny. If we do this, it's going to be serious."
"Yo, maybe you shouldn't do this. Dont get me wrong. I love you both, and I understand you two have some weird thing going on between you, but dude if you two break up, it's gonna tear this house apart."
"Yeah, I've thought about that."
"I'm sorry man, I don't mean to be a downer, it's just, maybe it's not worth it. You're both awesome and I'm not saying either of you could do better or anything, it's just you two fight. Like a lot for the two of you. I mean, do you fight with anyone like you do her? And if you fight I don't want to have to choose between you two. You guys are my family."
"I don't know what else to do." Mike says, "I've gotta talk to her man. I have to figure out what's going on between us. I mean, I'm not crazy right? There's something there."
"No, I know. You two are both awesome, and I want you both to be happy, but have you looked around? I mean, there's gorgeous women everywhere. Maybe you're just into Paige because you see her every day. Let's go out more. We'll hit some bars, you can get it out of your system and-"
"She's not something I can just get over Johnny. Believe me I tried. I know that as far as complicated relationships go, I've chosen maybe the worst girl possible to fall for, but I just can't-"
"Woah, fallen for?" Johnny asks, "Mike are you saying you're in love with Paige?"
Mike immediately regrets his choice of words. Instead of answering Johnny he just remains silent and turns away from Johnny's stare shutting his eyes tight in frustration. He doesn't want to think of it in terms of whether he's in love or not, he just knows that this day is dragging on forever and all he wants is to get back home to her.
"Look you two have been through a lot recently, especially her. I don't know if she can handle that sort of thing right now." Johnny says gently. "She's not as tough as she wants everyone to think."
"Well what would you have me do?" Mike slams down the headphones he's been listening to Briggs with. "Because it's only been three hours away from her and she's all I can think about. I don't even know what drug it is Briggs is supposed to be buying right now!"
"Alright. I hate this, but I'll tell you what. Tonight, I'll get everyone out of your hair. Jakes is never there, but I'll takes Briggs and Charlie out to the bars. You and Paige can have the whole house to yourselves, and you can do whatever romancing thing it is you do. Now I can give you some pointers, but keep in mind, you may not be able to pull off my advanced love moves. I got game son." Johnny says. As worried as Johnny is about drama between his two favorite housemates, he can't stand to see Mike looking this upset.
"I was going to grab some chinese food for dinner, and maybe a bottle of wine and then just tell her how I feel." Mike says matter of factly.
"Which is what?" Johnny prompts.
"I'll just say how I feel. I haven't rehearsed or anything."
"Well you should! How do you feel?"
"I don't feel comfortable talking about this man." Mike says hesitantly.
"C'mon. Practice on me. Pretend I'm Paige." Johnny grins wickedly.
"No." Mike says flat out.
"Come on dude, you want to do this right, let's practice. I'm Paige."
"Johnny this is really messed up. I got it ok? I don't need to practice. I've known Paige for months. I know how to talk to her." Mike rolls his eyes. Johnny's so ridiculous sometimes.
"Dude, if you knew how to talk to Paige, do you think you would have spent last night on the floor?" Johnny asks. Mike has to admit he has a point. Pushing aside how ridiculous he feels, he sits up straight and clears his throat.
"Alright… Paige… I have something we need to talk about, and I probably should have told you this a long time ago, but I… I like you. A lot. And I think that maybe we should… ummm..."
"What are you in second grade?" Johnny is severely unimpressed with Mike's speech. "That was terrible!"
"You're making me nervous! I feel stupid doing this."
"Oh, I'm sorry. You feel nervous and stupid now? Yeah, well I'm sure it'll be much better when you're sweating bullets trying to express yourself with her green eyes staring you down." Johnny gives Mike a challenging look, and Mike knows he's right. Somehow Paige always seems to get under his skin and make him dumb.
"Alright, alright. Let me try again."
"Ok, but I better swoon this time."
Mike tries to think of Paige instead of Johnny's smart ass. What the hell does he want to say to her? How do you ask someone who is already the closest friend you have, the person you share everything with, including a bed, that you want to take things to the next level? What even was the next level for them?
"Fine! Who are we kidding? We're perfect together. There's going to be challenges but I don't care. Let's give this a shot, because I don't want to live another minute without making love to you." The words come spilling out of Mike's mouth as he almost shouts them at Johnny.
"Well I can't say I'm entirely surprised. You and Johnny would make an adorable couple. Congrats to you both." Briggs says in a dry voice, as he opens the van doors, back from his assignment.
The two men stare at Briggs open mouthed, before both talking over each other in an attempt to explain the situation.
"This isn't-"
"We were just-"
"Johnny had this idea-"
"Dude, I was doing you a favor-"
"It's really not at all what it sounded like-"
"No guys, no apologies needed I support you. Red states be damned, I always knew you two would work something out." Briggs says, giving both boys an amused smirk. "I'll just close the door and drive us back to the bureau. I know Mikey here doesn't want to waste another minute not making love to you John-boy. I'll give you two some privacy."
As the doors close, Johnny turns his attention back to Mike. "Yeah dude. You're no good at this talking thing. I think your best move is just to throw her up against a wall and kiss the crap out of her."
"Fuck. How am I going to do this?" Mike hangs his head in his hands.
What formerly seemed like the longest four hours every before he could be reunited with Paige had suddenly turned into only four short hours for him to come up with the most important speech of his life.