The kiss catches him off guard.
So much so that at first, he doesn't even realize it's real—that it's actually happening—he's not having another vivid daydream. Mitch is honest to god pressing their mouths together.
Scott pulls away. He can hardly believe that now it's finally happening in reality, he's the one stopping it, but he is. He breaks the kiss, and he stares.
Mitch blinks back at him. His eyebrow shifts up a fraction, like he's asking seriously? really? but the smile curling the corners of his mouth is soft. He—he looks amused.
There's a sick swoop in Scott's belly. A horrible thought occurs.
"You're not laughing at me right now," he says, hating that he doesn't make it sound confident even to his own ears. "Are you?"
There's so much unsteadiness in the last two words, Scott wants to curl up with his hands over his face and never come out. Fuck, if Mitch hadn't been, he's sure to be laughing now.
Except he's not laughing. He's not even smiling anymore, his face going grave. Still kind of soft, though.
"No, babe, of course I'm not," Mitch says, voice gentle. He lifts a hand and smooths it over Scott's cheek, as gentle as his voice. Tender, even. His fingers are soft and cool and they—they sort of tremble just a little bit.
Oh, fuck.
"Oh my god," Scott breathes, a great rushing warmth rising in his chest. "This is really happening, oh my god."
Now Mitch does laugh, a quick huff of amusement, but there's nothing at all mean about it. Not even a bit. It's maybe the sweetest thing Scott's ever heard. He wants to go on hearing that exact sound forever. If they recorded it, they could sell every album ever, only Scott doesn't want to share.
"Yeah. Yeah, it's happening," Mitch says. He leans up, in—kisses Scott again, warm and slick and delicious, the faintest drag of his tongue across Scott's bottom lip at the end. His fingertips stroke along the line of Scott's jaw. "It's real, I promise."
"Oh, my god," Scott says again, and he's the one kissing Mitch now. His hands are cupping Mitch's face, running through his hair, settling on his shoulder and pulling him closer. "Oh my god, oh, oh god, oh my god."
Mitch lets him go on babbling against his mouth even though it keeps breaking the kiss, doesn't try to stop him. Kisses him back, all sweet and patient. Beautiful, so fucking perfect. So Mitch.
Scott breaks off on a sound that's half a gasp, half a sob, and presses their foreheads together. "I love you, oh my god I love you so much," he says, closing his eyes. He can't resist tilting his head in, angling his mouth for another kiss, even though he needs to breathe, needs to absorb this. Needs it to sink deep into his bones and never get back out. It's actually fucking happening. After so long, so very fucking long—
"Mitch. Mitchy. Don't stop, do not stop kissing me."
"I won't, I swear I won't," Mitch says, slotting their mouths back together as he slides his arms around Scott's shoulders, presses against him, and he hasn't said the words yet but Scott hears them anyway. Knows they're true.
I love you too.
