Perfect Hiders

part 12.

is anybody bothered by my idea of Avi writing a song (some songs) from the new album for Mitch? I know he didn't write all of them but it's a nice sentiment isn't it? I won't take any of the Scolex ones (Misbehavin' + New Years Day) out of respect
-

They had the apartment to themselves, but Avi sat on edge waiting for the silence to be broken by whomever came home first. He'd created a world in a bubble that consisted of the room they were in, and Mitch. He knew it would be popped eventually.

Mitch was happy, smiling more as he moved through the room, the hallway, the kitchen when he brought back popcorn and bottles of water.

"You could at least smile after that," Mitch said offhandedly as he set up the movie they were going to watch.

"You have a lot more people who live with you. At my apartment, we only had to worry about Kevin coming home early."

Mitch pressed the button on the DVD player. "Do you want me to tell you their schedules? Everyone has work except for Scott and Alex, and they go wherever the other does."

Avi relaxed a little. Mitch stood in front of him, and he smiled then. "I'm sorry."

Mitch reached out and lightly smacked his cheek. "Don't be."
   ***

"You really need to stop leaving your love songs all over the table, Kaplan."

Avi flushed, fumbled his phone, and glared up at Kevin, who was holding crumpled up papers along with some smoothed out ones.

"They aren't love songs."

"Oh, clearly," Kevin said sarcastically. He began to read from one and Avi blushed harder, throwing a pillow at him. "Don't hit me with things, you wrote these."

"They were just ideas!"

Kevin rolled his eyes and threw the papers at him. "You never finished telling me what happened."

"I told you everything."

He didn't tell him that Mitch's hands are really lovely to hold because they're small, almost dainty. Or that Mitch's voice isn't just high but it's low when he whispers and mumbles. How he's more than something pretty, he's got fears and worries and flaws and Avi's feeling something real close to love for him.

"I know Mitch," Kevin said. "He wouldn't take any of that so lightly."

Avi shrugged. "What do you want to hear?"

"Are you dating?"

"I don't know."

They never got to that. Avi said what he said and so did Mitch, but that was it. They were just with each other, and it was enough for them at that point. They didn't need anything else.

"You didn't cover that when you told him you want to be with him?"

Avi blushed again. "Technically, we were already dating."

Kevin groaned. "Why are you being so difficult? Since when is Mitch something you can hide away for yourself?"

"He's not, it's just a lot at once, Kev. I mean, jeez, three months ago I didn't even know I wanted to be with any guy, let alone Mitch!"

Kevin remained quiet and so did Avi. After a while, Kevin picked up the songs and put them back on the table. Then he sat down next to Avi.

"I'm sorry," he said. "For pushing."

"Don't worry about it," Avi said and they bumped their shoulders together. Everything was fine.
***

He should've expected it. Honestly, it'd been so long that he should've known it was coming. Kirstie got involved again.

Avi got the call from Mitch on a Friday afternoon, nothing special had been going on.

"Angel." He'd taken to calling Mitch that and Mitch had taken to accepting it.

"Avi, she did it again. She told Scott, and he's kind of throwing a fit. I don't know whether to laugh or scream."

Avi hung up the phone after he'd promised he'd be right over. He put his head in his hands. He loved Kirstie, really, but he was going to kill her.
/
When he got to Scott and Mitch's apartment, one of their other roommates let him in.

"Thank God," he said when he saw it was Avi.

He really didn't know what to expect.

Walking into their living room, he definitely didn't expect to see Scott curled up on the couch, leaning against Alex and sulking as Mitch tried to talk to him. Alex caught his eye first and grinned, rolling his eyes at his boyfriend and friend.

Then, Scott came back to life.

"Why?"

"Scott-" Avi tried, but Scott cut him off. Obviously Scott wasn't actually angry. Most of what he said consisted of how unfair it was to be the last to know, which all of them expected.

Kirstie texted him as Scott ranted.

Kirstie- I'm so sorry

Avi~ it's fine, it's just Scott

He looked at Mitch, but Mitch shook his head.

"You deal with it, Avi. I've been listening to it all day."

"Scott. No one was supposed to know. The only reason Kirstie knew was because we thought she'd keep a secret. She told Kevin, and then you. No one was meant to know, and it wasn't decided that you'd be the last to be told."

Scott deflated, his whole speech gone out of him, and he sat back down with Alex. Mitch beckoned Avi to follow him to his room.
/
Once they were there, Mitch shut the door and sighed.

"Are you okay?" Avi asked. "He's not actually mad, is he?"

Mitch shook his head. "Of course not. He's just dramatic."

Avi laughed. Mitch didn't.

"I want to kiss you," he said, but it sounded like a question.

"You can."
__________
I swear, when I say Mitch lightly smacked him, I mean lightly. like the lightest, softest, loveliest tap. I am not making Mitch an abusive partner