Black And White

Sixteen

After lunch, Scott held the door open for Mitch on their walk out of the restaurant.

Mitch was giggling about something, Scott just watching him with a fond smile.

Mitch grabbed Scott's hand as they walked to Scott's car. "The waitress was so stunned, she didn't even know what to think."

"Not many people think I'm gay, I guess."

"Clearly!" Mitch giggled again, a little quieter. "You didn't have to give her attitude though."

"I said no thank you. Then she didn't go away, so I tried a different tone. I was just trying to make her go away quickly, so you wouldn't be uncomfortable."

Mitch looked up at him then, as they neared Scott's car. "I'm not uncomfortable when people hit on you. I know you're sexy as Hell, but I also know that you're mine, and not theirs. So... It's never really bothered me."

"Huh. Interesting. I'll keep that in mind." He opened Mitch's car door for him, before walking around to his own side of the car.

As Mitch sat in his seat, his phone began to ring. As he grabbed it, he frowned, before holding it up to his ear. "Hi."

Scott closed his door, before putting his seatbelt on. He watched Mitch on the phone for a second, before reaching across him to grab Mitch's seatbelt to lock it in for him.

Mitch gave him a smile. "Yes, Mother. Whenever you'd like."

Scott smiled at him, and mouthed the word 'okay?' to him.

Mitch nodded, though he continued to speak to his mom. "That is correct, Ma'am. I can be back tomorrow morning if you'd like."

Scott started the car, hoping it wouldn't be too loud, and then started messing with the air conditioning.

Mitch suddenly grabbed one of Scott's arms, meeting his eyes as he spoke. "Oh? Father saw Scott today?" He paused as she responded. "At the store? Oh, that's nice."

Scott kept a stoic face. "Ask him if I looked good."

Mitch shook his head once. "That's wonderful. I'll see you tomorrow, Mother." And then he hung up. "Scott, I'm sure you looked just fine, I'm not going to ask him that."

Scott shrugged, and then reached over to place his hand on the side of Mitch's seat to back out of the parking space. "Whatever. I just want to be pretty, Mitch."

Mitch giggled, tucking his phone into his front pocket. "You're always pretty."

When Scott moved to take his arm off of Mitch's seat, he hit Mitch's arm a little. "Oop-- Sorry." After his hand was back on the steering wheel, he met Mitch's eyes. "You okay?"

Mitch simply nodded, as he hadn't thought it was that big of a deal.

Scott stopped backing out of the space completely. "Mitch?"

Mitch glanced over. "Yeah?"

"Are you okay?"

"Yes..? Why wouldn't I be?"

"I'm just making sure, babe." And then he continued leaving the parking lot.

Mitch stared at him for an extra second. "You're so weird. But it's kind of cute."

"Cute?" Scott hummed, and then pulled into a small shopping center, before finding a drive-thru.

Mitch didn't say anything at all, as he wasn't really sure where he was.

When Scott got up to the window, he ordered two large smoothies, both strawberry flavored. As he waited for that, he struck up a conversation with the person standing there, until he was given the smoothies.

Scott then turned to hand one to Mitch. "Here you go, babe. My treat."

Mitch took it, but raised en eyebrow. "There's something you're not telling me. What are you buttering me up for?"

Scott paid, and thanked the worker, before driving away while taking a sip of his own drink. "Nothing. I just... It's warm outside, and we're already out and about, so..."

Mitch dropped his suspicion, in account of the fact that Scott's always been like that. "Fine. You win. Anywhere else you want to go?"

"Well... I'd like to go shopping with you again, because I had fun watching you try shit on. And I'd like to take you to an arcade up the road, here. But I'd also like to just go home and keep you all to myself."

"Seems like you're in quite a predicament. Which will you choose?"

Scott just shrugged. "I'll know when I see it. But first, I gotta stop by the bank. Is that okay?"

"Of all the places you just listed, you want to ask me if taking me to a bank is okay?"

Scott paused, unsure of the question. "Uh.. Yeah."

Mitch shook his head slowly. "No, I don't mind if you go to your bank." He turned to his phone when Scott pulled up to the machine, just so he didn't feel creepy watching him type in his passwords and stuff.

Mitch just so happened to glance over to see a large number on the screen, that made him lean forward in his seat to be sure he was reading it right. "Wait, that's yours?!"

Scott glanced back. "Uh... Yeah. What's the question, exactly?"

"Is this your account, or your father's?"

"Mine. Why?"

"Holy shit! That's a lot of money!"

Scott shrugged, taking the money given to him by the machine to tuck away in his wallet, before he began to drive away. "Yeah, I guess. There was more last Christmas, but I accidently went a little nuts with Avi's present, so."

"Wow... I can't even believe that. Does your dad have money like that too?"

"Yeah. That's why he goes on those trips all the time. Too much money, I guess."

"But how is that even possible? You don't have a job. What does he do for a living?"

Scott squinted at him a little, but smirked a second after. "Someone's feeling nosy."

"I'm sorry, it's just-- That's a lot of money, Scott. Are you royalty or something?"

Scott laughed, as he continued to drive. "No. That would be cool though. My parents both had government jobs before the split. Dad lost his job, but she kept it. And since she has to send money down every now and then to support me or whatever..."

"I still don't quite... I mean... He doesn't have a job right now. So how..?"

"I've been saving up money since I was a kid, Mitch. It's all just piling up, that's all. And he leaves me tons of shit when he goes on these adventures, which I keep as well. I'm sure we've had this conversation before."

"But... But... Why don't you live in a mansion or something? With like.. Six hundred cars?"

"I'm not the president, Mitch. Why would we need a big house if only two of us live there?"

"I don't know. That's what rich people do."

"I'm not rich."

Mitch laughed once. "Are you sure? Because from where I'm sitting--"

"Well now that you know I've got money, does that mean you'll let me take you shopping again?"

Mitch leaned back a little in his seat, pausing for a moment. "No... Just because you're well off, doesn't mean you should be spending it on me."

"What else am I gonna do with it?"

"Save it for the future or something."

"Okay, well... What if you are my future?"

Mitch paused again, having to actually remind himself to breathe. "Well... You got me there."

*