The Fragility of Hope (Mavi)

Chapter 10

Y'ALL IM GONNA GO SEE THE LAZER TEAM PREMIERE TONIGHT I AM SOOOO HYPED so have an early upload because I'm gonna be busy all night

(Also the only reason I picked Denver in this chapter is because that's where I was born and raised so I mean whatever)

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Avi decides that, okay, maybe he is bisexual.

He didn't think anything of it, until one specific meet and greet at a Denver show. The fan was very obviously gay, of course -- tight fitting jeans, long legs, carefully styled hair, the way he carried himself... Definitely a twink. And all Avi could think of when he was taking a picture with him was where he wanted to put his mouth, before he took it down 40 notches because woah. Where did that even come from?

He realized that maybe he was looking at men in the wrong light; maybe he was putting a label on an entire gender that didn't need a label. He wasn't attracted to every single female, so why on earth would he be attracted to every single male?

He did his research - very, awkward uncomfortable research - and found out that yeah, he had a type. It was a very select few, but they were there. He didn't want to go into detail, because every detail about every guy he found hot was crafted perfectly on Mitch's beautiful body.

Mitch was his type.

It only made the sickening feeling of self pity in his stomach get worse. He wanted to talk to Mitch. He really, really did -- but something was stopping him. The only thing he could guess was that it was because he actually liked Mitch in more than a friendly way, and the prospect of showing something that personal to someone he liked was frightening. So in that case, he couldn't approach Mitch about his sexuality, either. He considered Scott; he was nice enough. He could help Avi out.

He was about to start wallowing in his own self pity when he heard a quick rapping on his hotel door. As much as he didn't want to get up, he lifted himself from his bed with a groan and opened the door to the hallway anyway. He was... surprised, to say the least. Mitch was standing there, awkwardly looking at his phone like Avi knew he always did when he was nervous.

"Hey," Avi said, leaning against the doorframe. "What's up?" The first thought that ran through his head was that he must've missed some kind of important meeting, but then they would've texted him. So why...?

"Hey, um," Mitch said, crossing his arms over his chest. He blinked for a few seconds and then his stance changed, and Avi recognized the switch from Mitch Grassi the kind and delicate sweet heart to Mitch Grassi the rude sass master. The sassy, Superfruit version, that Avi only liked when it wasn't an obvious self defense mechanism. "Alex is tagging along with Scott and I really do not have the energy for them right now."

"And you have the energy for me?" He said, before scolding himself for letting it slip. Not only did it come off as extremely rude, but it let a little bit of his true thoughts of himself sneak its way in -- he only hoped that Mitch wouldn't catch on.

But his confident and sassy facade crumbled just a little bit, and Avi noted the subtle sag in his shoulders. "I mean... Yeah. I like being around you. You have a very chill vibe, and I want to be alone but I also really don't want to be alone, and I'm sorry I'm rambling I can just-"

"No, it's fine," Avi said, smiling softly. Every time he thinks that something can't be cute, Mitch does it, and then it becomes cute. Like rambling, for instance. "Come on in. We can be alone together."

Mitch's tiny smile was thankful and Avi knew that he'd made the right choice, even if it meant that he'd have to endure whatever awkward environment was about to develop. But he played it cool, and walked back to his bed and flopped on it like he was before. Only this time, he pulled out his phone, hoping that it would ease whatever anxiety he had about being around Mitch. He heard the tenor close the door quietly behind him, and to his surprise, he bounced on Avi's bed right next to him and pulled out his own phone.