Here he was. At the biggest party of the fall in a room crowded with too many people yet, he’d never felt more alone. Evan Hansen stood stock still while people maneuvered around him as they went to meet up with friends and other people they knew. Some people didn’t even bother moving around him, instead just shoving by or bumping into him, which caused Evan to apologize profusely despite it not being his fault although he felt like it was. He didn’t even want to come to this stupid party in the first place. He only came because his friend- um scratch that, family friend Jared Kleinman, dragged him along. Parties weren’t Evan’s scene, and Jared knew that which made him wonder if the boy had done it on purpose.
  
  Jared wasn’t even here. He’d ditched Evan the moment they got there. In all honesty, the only reason he probably brought him along was because he didn’t want to show up at the coolest party alone. That wouldn’t bode well for the ‘Insanely Cool Jared Kleinman.’ Now here he was, completely alone in a crowd of people who he felt were judging him. His anxiety was shooting through the roof as he avoided eye contact with passersby. He kept his hands at his sides, tugging at the hem of his shirt nervously, hoping to distract himself from the noise around him. Maybe if he could just get to the wall with the other wallflowers he’d be ok until Jared came back and they could go home. If Jared even came back… Evan shook the thought out of his mind as he started to weave his way through the crowd. 
  
  “Watch where you’re going, dude," a person said as their shoulder collided with his. 
 
   “OhmyGod- I’m um, really sorry, I’m just trying to- oh, ok…” Evan didn’t bother finishing his sentence since the person didn’t seem to care, seeing as they had already moved on. He looked ahead again, seeing that his clear path to the wall was blocked now by more teenagers who had seemingly materialized. His heartbeat quickened, and breathing suddenly became very hard since the air seemed heavy. Evan knew he needed to get away before he had a full on anxiety attack in the midst of all of these people. He really didn’t feel like being laughed at. 

  As he scanned the room frantically, he caught sight of a door. It must be the bathroom or at least a bedroom. At this point Evan really didn’t seem to care which, he just needed an escape. He made his way to the door, not even thinking about knocking first seeing as it was closed. It took everything in him just to drag himself out of the crowd alive, his hands shaking as he tried the doorknob. Thankfully, it was open, and he pulled himself in quickly, shutting the door behind him. He was so focused on getting his heart rate back to normal that he didn’t even realize he wasn’t alone.

  Fellow loner Michael Mell had also attended this party, but for a much different reason. In a desperate attempt to regain a friendship he lost with Jeremy Heere--who was popular all of a sudden thanks to some stupid pill he took-- he'd done some research on the aforementioned pill. A S.Q.U.I.P. Short for Super Quantum Unit Intel Processor. But Michael, personally, liked to call it 'That Stupid Weeb Pill', since it was from Japan or whatever. At first, his mission seemed nearly impossible. There seemed to be nothing about 'That Stupid Weeb Pill' on any website he clicked. It was like it just… didn't exist. Michael nearly gave up, but he decided to bring his looking somewhere else; World of Warcraft. He asked around to a few friends online, and finally, finally, he found something.

  Well, what he found wasn't pleasant, so he went to Jeremy trying to explain to him, reason with him, tell him this wasn't safe and that he could get seriously hurt. Even though Jeremy had been ignoring him for months, there was still a part of him that was worried. That cared. But Jeremy wasn't having any of it. In fact, he pushed Michael away even more, ignoring everything he tried to tell him, having the nerve to accuse him of being jealous of his popularity. Michael just about laughed in his face at the absurdity of it all. But then… Jeremy called him a loser and walked off.
Which, okay, it wasn't even the loser thing that really got to him.

  It was the sound of the door slamming behind him, of footsteps slowly retreating until they were gone. It was the earth-shaking bass playing downstairs, of knowing everybody else had someone there with them and he was alone. It was suffocating and heavy and he had to face it now, knowing he had no one. The tears came fast, faster than he would have liked, and he wiped at them quickly, gasping for air, and he was alone, completely and utterly fucking alone… until he wasnt.

  The door flung open to reveal a boy, around his age, everything about him screaming 'I'm going to pass out in five seconds if I dont sit down right now.' He didn't even seem to notice Michael, who now seemed very adamant on making sure his face was tear-free. He took in a shaky breath, though his entire body wanted to fail on him and start hyperventilating, before addressing this stranger. "Are you okay?" He asked, his tone laced with concern.

  Evan nearly jumped out of his skin at the sound of another voice in the bathroom with him. He forced himself to look up, and he locked eyes for a moment with another boy who looked just as miserable, if not more, than he did. 

  “O-oh I’m so sorry I- I didn’t realize someone else was already in here.” He forced himself to speak despite the pressure he felt on his chest. Of course someone was here, at a party this big there was bound to be someone in the bathroom at all times. “I’ll just go… I um, I actually should go look for…” Jared’s name slipped his mind as he tried to avoid any strange looks this new stranger might be giving him. It was hard to focus on pretty much anything.

  Michael frowned as he considered this stranger. He looked like he was having a hard time even speaking to him, he wouldn't survive out there in the thick of all those hormonal, loud, scary teenagers. "No, it's okay," he reassured the boy, taking in a shaky breath to try and compose himself. "I… you look like you could use an escape from the party. You could… stay if you want to." He tried for his most convincing 'I haven't been crying, I don't know what you're talking about' smile.

  Evan was unsure about if the stranger was being genuine or not. It was really hard to tell, but then again, the boy didn’t look like he would be mean. In fact, he seemed… sad. After a moment’s hesitation, he slowly nodded. “O-ok… yeah. I think I’ll stay. Thank you.” He shuffled a little closer into the room, holding on to the sink for support as he slowly started catching his breath. 

  Being in a room with someone who didn’t even know him was still scary, but he welcomed it more than being outside. “What’s um- why are you in here anyways? Don’t like parties?” He asked trying to draw the attention away from himself. “Sorry- that’s probably a uh, rude question to ask.” The words rushed out of Evan before he could shut himself up.

  "Its okay," Michael reassured the stranger quickly, not wanting his anxiety to get even worse than it already was. If that was possible at this point. He chewed his lip, contemplating what details would be okay to share with this stranger. The SQUIP was a definite no-no. This guy would think he's out of his mind. He took in a shaky breath, which he seemed to be doing a lot, then finally spoke.

   "I… Yeah, parties aren't my cup of tea," he admitted, running a hand through his hair. "I came to see a friend, but it… didn't really go well. So. Yeah." He bit his lip, harder this time as he willed his tears not to fall. He didn't want to cry in front of someone he didn't know. "Or, well- God, I don't even know if he's a friend anymore. It's… complicated."

  Evan instantly felt bad for this boy. He could tell that whatever had happened may or may not have resulted in him losing the so-called friend. That must be rough in itself, and now here he was, interrupting his time to mourn. Or maybe it was a good thing he was here… “I’m so sorry… that sounds really rough. Friends are complicated. Heck, mine left me on my own at this stupid party despite me not even wanting to be here.” He sighed softly, not really wanting to make the situation about himself.

  “W-what I’m trying to get at here is just- you just never know what to expect from people. It takes a lot to know who your real friends are. Whoever left you… just know they’re probably missing out on an incredible friend. I-I’m sure you’re a good person.” He decided to stop talking now in case he was making things worse.

  Michael tried for a smile at the compliment, finding it sweet that this total stranger was trying to cheer him up. "Thanks…" he told him, leaning against the bathroom wall with a sigh. "I just… We'd been really close for, like… years. And now, it's like… I don't even exist now that he's all popular and shit." He frowned, then let out a gentle groan, taking off his glasses to wipe at his face before any tears fell. "I mean, I knew that he wanted to be cool or whatever, but I didn't think he'd cut me out of his life like that to be able to go through with it." 

  He blushed as he realized he was opening up so much to someone he literally just met. This kid was clearly going through stress of his own, he didn't need to listen to his sob story. "I- sorry, you don't have to listen to me rant. I'm just… not having a good night."

  "No no it's ok! It's uh- It's good for a person to rant. And… I'm here to listen. It might make you feel better. It usually helps so… rant away." Evan smiled, feeling better that he actually had a good idea to be helpful. He moved a little closer to the boy.

  Michael was appreciative of this guy being so willing to listen to him, despite the fact that he didn't even know his name. Oh! His name! He should probably get that so things wouldn't be awkward. "Thanks…" he said, smiling a little bit. "Um, by the way, my name is Michael. Just… I felt weird opening up to someone I'm not even on a first name basis with."

  "Oh, yeah definitely." Evan laughed a little. "My name's Evan. It's nice to meet you Michael. I think we both can agree that parties suck right?" He smiled a little, hoping that Michael felt a tad better knowing he could open up to someone.

  "Oh, God, one hundred percent." Michael chuckled gently, letting out a heavy sigh. "Getting into a fight with my ex-best-friend and having to barricade myself in Jake Dillingers bathroom was not how I would have liked to be spending Halloween, personally." Though this wasn't an ideal setting to be in… Michael felt a lot better having Evan here with him, willing to listen. It made this experience much more bearable.

  "I don't really know what I expected, honestly. I mean, Jeremy's wanted to be popular for forever. Why I thought he'd listen to me is beyond me," Michael said, running a hand through his hair, glaring down at the tiled floor. "I'm so fucking stupid."

  Evan frowned at that, shaking his head. "What? No no, don't say that… I'm sure that's not true. I know I don't really know who this Jeremy guy is but, whatever happened to him wasn't your fault, I'm sure. What matters is you tried to do something about it. I don't really know what it's like to be popular, b-but it's probably addicting… the fact that you tried proves you're a good friend." He paused. "And smart." 

  Michael let himself process Evan's words for a second, going silent as he chewed his lip in thought. He gave Evan a small smile, not able to stop his eyes from filling up with tears, just… really overwhelmed from everything that was happening. "Thanks.." he said, then quickly wiped at his eyes, letting out a laugh. "Oh, God, I'm sorry, I'm such a mess tonight." A few tears managed to escape despite his best efforts. "I'm like… the definition of pathetic right now. Crying to a stranger in a bathroom at a party about my friend problems." He sniffled and laughed again, hitting his head gently on the wall before staring up at the ceiling. "I haven't had a good cry in a while."

  Evan smiled sympathetically at the other boy, feeling sad for him at the same time. It sounded like he must've been really close to this Jeremy character. "It's ok… you can cry in front of me. I won't mind. I understand this must be um, a lot for you. If you need to let out some emotions you can, I won't judge." He looked down briefly. "U-unless you don't want to. That's fine too." 

  "I kind of need to, honestly," Michael admitted, still wiping at his face quickly, embarrassed that he let himself be this vulnerable with a stranger. Well, Evan wasn't really a stranger now he supposed. After a second of letting himself cry it out, he looked up at Evan. "I… thanks, seriously. I… I really appreciate you… being here when you could have just left. It… it means a lot.."

  Now that he was feeling a bit better, Michael decided to address why Evan was up here. "So, you said your friend ditched you at this party.." he began, smiling a bit. "Maybe I could give you a ride home? Just to save you the stress of having to look around for what's-his-face out there."

  "O-oh you really don't have to do that." Evan looked back at Michael quickly. "I'm sure that Jared- um that's his name, I'm sure he's probably out there looking for me as we speak." He honestly doubted that himself. Jared could probably care less about him at the moment. He'd probably already left, or was still partying. "Well… I would hope so. Either way, you don't have to do that. I mean, you barely know me." He laughed awkwardly, hoping Michael didn't take offense to that. 

  Michael shrugged. "I don't feel like I have to. I want to," he told Evan. "I mean, you did something nice for me, and you barely know me. I want to repay the favour." He looked Evan up and down quickly, only just now getting to appreciate the fact that this kid was pretty cute. He reasoned that his luck couldn't get any worse, a cheesy line or two wouldn't be the end of the world. "Besides, who am I to leave a cutie like you to rely on a ride from someone who couldn't even be bothered to spend time with you at the party he dragged you along to?"

  Evan's cheeks flared red as he listened to Michael's words. Did he just call him cute? He wasn't sure how to feel about that, let alone how to respond. "I-I um, well-" He took a moment to become less flustered. He was actually really happy that Michael actually wanted to take him home. He couldn't just reject the offer now. "Ok. A ride would be really nice in that case. Nice like you're being to me." He smiled. 

  Michael smiled back at Evan, appreciating the compliment. "Thanks! But you're the one that's been being nice. You're like… a total sweetheart." He told Evan, moving from his position against the wall to walk towards him. "The universe must have decided to go easy on me today, letting you burst into the bathroom instead of someone so drunk they can't even stand, or some asshole. Even though the circumstances were… messy, I'm glad I met you."

  Evan couldn't stop himself from smiling. Michael was being so nice to him, and everything he said made his heart flutter. He stood up a little straighter as well, hoping he didn't look as bad as he probably did before when he came in. "I'm really glad I met you tonight too… heh, thanks for not kicking me out. No one else probably would have let me stay." He laughed lightly.

  Without really knowing why, he felt the need to give Michael a hug. Maybe because he was grateful, maybe also because he knew the boy probably needed it. "Just- thank you." He moved closer, and after a moment's hesitation, hugged the boy.

  Michael was stunned for just a second at the sudden hug but certainly wasn't objecting to it. In fact, he welcomed it gratefully. He wrapped his arms around Evan hugging him back, a happy smile playing at his lips. "Mm, you're welcome Ev," he replied letting his eyes squeeze shut for a bit as he enjoyed the physical affection. Then after a bit he pulled away, even though he really didn't want to, kind of missing Evan being so close to him. "So… ready to brave the horror that is the world outside of the bathroom?"

  Evan tensed a little at the idea of leaving the comforting closed space. He also missed the nice feeling of hugging Michael. The other boy was an extremely good hugger. He took a breath, looking towards the door then back at Michael. "Not really… but I guess we have to if we ever want to get home." 

  Michael nodded, noticing how tense and nervous Evan was. He frowned, and placed a hand on his arm in a weak attempt at being comforting. "Just stay close to me and you'll be fine. Alright? We'll get out of the house as fast as we can, it'll be okay." he reassured Evan, giving him a small smile. Then he walked over to the door, placing a hand on the doorknob and hesitating a moment before turning it and swinging the door open. Thankfully, it wasn't too crowded up here. But Michael knew downstairs would be worse. "Okay, let's go."

  Somehow, feeling Michael's hand on him made Evan feel instantly better. He believed that everything really would be okay as long as he stayed by the boy's side. As soon as the door opened he felt like the crowd would suffocate him, but he kept Michael in sight and followed him as he began to weave his way through the crowd.

  The entire walk out of the house, Michael made sure Evan was in his field of vision, not wanting him to get lost in the sea of high schoolers. At some point, he wanted to grab his hand, like he would while crossing a busy street with a child, just to make sure he stayed by his side, but he refrained from doing so. Finally, they both made it outside and Michael took the fresh air in his lungs, inhaling gratefully. "Oh, thank God, I hated every second of that," he said, his words nearly a sigh of relief. 

  "Me too," Evan agreed, very glad to be out of the house. He felt slightly more free than before, no longer surrounded by wild teenagers. "Um, thank you for sticking with me." He turned to Michael, smiling gratefully. Honestly, it had taken everything in him not to take a hold of any part of Michael so he wouldn't lose him in the crowd back there. 

  Michael flashed a smile in Evan's direction. "No problem. Like I said, I couldn't just leave a cutie like you to fend for yourself at that party," he told him, pulling out his keys and starting to walk to his PT Cruiser, really hoping this kid wasn't straight. That would make this car ride a lot more awkward.

  Anddd Evan's face was red again. What was it about this kid that made him so flustered? "Pfft, me a cutie? You obviously must've been drinking something tonight pal." He giggled as he followed Michael towards his car. "I hope this doesn't jeopardize my ride home." He joked. What on Earth, was he actually attempting to work his way into flirt mode? Who even was he right now? If only Jared could see him now. Oh gosh, Jared was probably oblivious to his whereabouts. Or most likely passed out somewhere. That seemed like a safe bet. 

  Michael scoffed. "Excuse me, mister, I don't tolerate this negativity I'm hearing. I had like… a few sips of beer and that's it. The most sober human being on the planet would be able to realize how good looking you are," he told Evan as he unlocked the car doors, getting into the driver's seat. He could definitely see Evan was more comfortable now than he was in the bathroom. Their conversations were less awkward, and more playful banter that could almost come off as flirtatious. And Michael couldn't say he hated it.

  "Hm, well I don't see anyone lined up to get a date with the overly anxious me." Evan joked as he went to the passenger's side. "Can't say I blame em though. I can't even hold a conversation without hyperventilating." He buckled up, because safety, still not over the fact he was in a stranger's car. A stranger he was getting along very well with.

  "You seem to be holding a conversation with me fairly well, and you haven't hyperventilated yet." Michael countered with a grin in Evan's direction, buckling up as well. "And if it's a date you want? Sign me the hell up, I'm down." He pulled out of the driveway and drove away from Jake Dillinger's house. "Anywho, what's your address, cutie pie?"

  Evan nearly choked on air at that comment, his address suddenly slipping his mind. Holy shit, this kid totally wanted to take him out! Or he was kidding. People still make jokes Evan. He tried not to get too worked up about it. "Y-you make a good point." He stuttered a moment. "And I uh, wouldn't stop you if… if you're like, one to just- go for it." He laughed nervously. "You seem like a very heat of the moment guy. I like that. M-my um, my house isn't too far from here. Just take a right up ahead." He pointed, looking down in embarrassment.

  Michael couldn't tell if Evan's stammering was a good reaction to his comment. He wasn't really thinking when he said it, it just sort of… came out. Like Evan said, he's a very heat of the moment guy. And now he was worried he put this kid in an uncomfortable situation, so he tried to make things right. "Yeah, I kind of am.." he admitted, laughing a bit, almost sounding… embarrassed. "I gotta work on thinking before I speak, hah… We can just pretend I didn't say that if that was, like… weird." He turned when Evan told him to, his cheeks burning.

  Oh great, now look what you've done, Evan. You scared him off! No wonder it was difficult for anyone to actually like him. "What- oh no! You didn't do anything wrong! I um- I actually thought it was kind of sweet… just because no one's, well, no one's ever been so nice to me. You're really great. Amazing even. And kinda…" Good looking? Yes. Definitely. Absolutely. 

  Michael blinked a few times, his entire face feeling like it was on fire now from Evan's kind words. He thought he was amazing? That was… kind of a shock actually, seeing as he didn't view himself very highly. But Evan seemed to mean it. "Kinda…" He echoed, curious as to what else he wanted to say.

  "Hm? Oh just- kinda good looking. N-not that you would've been bad looking! That's not what I'm getting at! Oh geez, is it hot in here? Or just you? I mean-!" Get control of your words! No use. Evan kept rambling until he turned to look out the window, his face red. "I'm gonna crack the window here, get some air." He squeaked.

  Oh, my God, Michael was going to actually explode. As Evan kept rambling and rambling, he just became more and more attracted to him, feeling all tingly and happy, especially when he called him hot. That made him want to melt. He giggled, just… in awe of how precious this guy was. "Oh, my God, you're too cute, I can't!" He gushed, beaming. "You gotta stop being so adorable, you're making me blush!"

  "I am?" Evan peeked back at Michael unsure if he should believe him. Well, if he was blushing, that was a good sign right? That meant Michael actually was alright with him kinda playing the flirt game back! "I'm only being honest." He bit his lip slightly as he shrugged innocently. "I'm sorry I have no filter! I'm not used to cool, cute guys like you." There was no doubt about it, in the span of a few hours, he had a crush on this boy. 

  Michael grinned and bit his lip, his heart fluttering as this insanely attractive, absolutely adorable boy full-on flirted with him. It was a crazy thing to wrap his head around, but he… really liked it. Like, a lot. "Pssh, me? Cute and cool? You're the one that must have been drinking, Evan Whatever-Your-Last-Name-Is. I sure am glad I'm driving you home, you must be fricken wasted," he joked probably looking like an absolute dork, the biggest smile on his face, his cheeks a bright red.

  Evan giggled, kinda hating himself for it because what kind of a lame-o giggles in front of cute boys? "Ha, you're funny Michael Whatever-Your-Last-Name-Is. I don't drink. Rightly so, since I can barely act right sober." He grinned. "It's Hansen by the way. M-my last name." 

  "Oh, really?" Michael hummed, chuckling a bit. He really was having a lot of fun hanging out with Evan, talking to him and figuring out new ways to make him blush and turn him into a stammering mess. "Well, does your middle name happen to be cutie patootie?" He asked, glancing over at Evan quickly and shooting him a wink before bringing his gaze back to the road.

  Damn it. He was blushing yet again. Evan rolled his eyes, hoping to throw the attention off of himself. "Pfft, heh only if yours happens to be absolutely amazing." He felt his face heat up. Was it wrong he totally wasn't opposed to his middle name being that? He focused his attention back on the road a moment. "Take a left here and we'll be on my street…" 

  "Got it, Evan Cutie Patootie Hansen," Michael replied, turning left onto the boy's street. Good God, his heart had never pounded this fast before. But it was… a nice feeling. A nice rush. Evan made him feel all sorts of good feelings. "And, no, mine is not absolutely amazing. Its trash. Duh. Have you even met me?"

  "Oh my God, no! I have met you, and you're so beyond not trash." Evan shook his head. "In the brief moments I've been able to share with you, you've been more of a friend to me than my so called friends have ever been. You're unique! You're someone I really would want to be around more." He could go on and on about how he hated himself, but hearing others talk bad about themselves just wouldn't do.

  Michael blinked a few times, not expecting that sort of sincere response to his self-deprecating joke. "I… you actually see me that way?? Like, for real??" He asked, smiling a little and biting down on his lip gently, his heart fluttering all over again, feeling like he could melt into a Michael puddle.

  Evan was too bashful to even continue. He just kind of nodded, all shy now. It was too late, Michael had already figured out exactly the effect he had on him. "Of course I do." He finally spoke. "Meeting you tonight has been… one of the best things to happen to me in... awhile." 

  Well. Michael definitely wasn't expecting that response either. Meeting him was the best thing that's ever happened to Evan? Him?? Was he sure he wasn't mistaking him for someone better than him, someone cooler and more charming that would actually deserve to have these things said about them? "Oh.." he said, for a lack of a better response. He smiled shyly, hoping it wasn't too obvious how much he was eating up the boy's sweet words. "Meeting you was one of the best things that's happened to me in a while, too.." He cleared his throat, grinning like an idiot. "So, which one's your house?"

  Evan couldn't help but notice that Michael sounded genuinely surprised that he thought so nicely of him. He must not be used to earning such praise, at least not from someone other than Jeremy. Michael's smile was contagious however and Evan found himself beaming as well. He was so caught up in the moment he totally forgot they were taking him home. "Oh- right. Heh, um it's…" He looked out the window, forcing his eyes to be somewhere other than on Michael for a few seconds. "There it is right there." 

  Michael nodded and pulled into Evan's driveway, parking and smiling at the boy. He really didn't want the night to be over already, but he didn't want to bother Evan either or make him uncomfortable by trying to hang out with him longer. "Well…" He hesitated a moment before leaning in and giving him a quick peck on the cheek before he could talk himself out of it. His face burned as he looked down at his lap, his heart pounding. "I'll… I'll see you later, Evan Cutie Patootie Hansen." He gave the boy a shy glance, smiling a bit.

  Evan was completely shocked at the sudden gesture, staying frozen for a solid few seconds. He knew he was blushing since his face was on fire. Did that really just happen? His heart was pounding, but in a good way. "Uh, y-yeah! I'll see you around Michael…" He wasn't sure what compelled him to do it, maybe because he felt like it was ok? Either way before Evan knew it he had shifted closer to Michael and let his lips brush his cheek, soft and quick, almost like it never happened. "Michael the Absolutely Amazing." He sat back again, smiling shyly. Then it occurred to him. "I um, I-I never got your last name…" 

  Warmth crept up Michael's neck. He couldn't believe it, Evan actually seemed to like the advances he was making on him. And he kissed him too! Sort of! He grinned and giggled, covering his face in his hands for a second before getting a hold of himself and looking up at the boy, grabbing his hands as he leaned in a bit closer. "Mell." he told Evan, having the strong urge to kiss him again. But not on the cheek. "Michael the Absolutely Trashy Mell." He joked.

  Evan's face was on fire as he looked down at their hands together. Michael was closer to him now, and he wasn't opposed to it. In fact, he actually didn't mind how near they were. He was more nervous than anxious, but it was in a good way. He brought his eyes back up to meet Michael's. "I swear, Michael, I'm gonna have to find some way to make you stop calling yourself trash." He shook his head. 

  "Good luck. It's pretty hard getting me to shut up," Michael hummed, leaning in a bit closer to clue Evan in on what he wanted to do. He glanced down at his lips before looking at their hands. He squeezed Evan's gently before looking back into his eyes, his heart pounding so loud, he'd be surprised if the boy couldn't hear it. 

  Evan's heart was hammering just as loud. He could tell what Michael wanted, and he couldn't help but feel that longing within himself to want the same thing. He'd never felt this way before, what was it about this boy? "I think I can manage…" His voice came out soft. He looked at Michael's lips a moment before meeting his eyes, then he found himself leaning forward.

  Michael chuckled breathlessly, noticing Evan lean forward and taking that as an invitation. So, after a second of hesitation, he closed the gap between their lips, kissing him softly, slowly, sweetly. His mind was racing so fast, he couldn't even begin to comprehend the emotions he was feeling right now. All he knew was that this was so unreal, he wouldn't be surprised if he was dreaming. He'd never kissed anyone in his sixteen years of existence, and honestly, knowing how it felt to share this with Evan, he was glad he'd waited, even if there was that nervousness in the back of his mind, wondering whether or not he was doing this right or if he was totally ruining what should have been a perfect experience for Evan.

  Meanwhile, the same thoughts were racing through Evan's mind. He couldn't get over the fact that this was actually happening right now. He was kissing someone… and they were kissing back! He wasn't sure what to do with his hands, so he kept them connected with Michael's. As soon as the kiss happened, he had to pull away for air, and it was over all too soon. His face was dark red as he looked back at the other boy. "Well… d-did it work?" 

  "Huh?" It took a second for Michael, who was dazed and flushed, to understand what Evan meant, but when he did, he snorted, rolling his eyes playfully. "Oh- Yeah. Yeah, it did. For now," he told the boy, pecking his lips sweetly. As soon as Evan pulled away, Michael found himself craving more. The moment had gone by too quickly. But he definitely appreciated the little time he had to drown in that beautiful feeling he was now addicted to. "I… that was… I just… wow."

  "Was it… was it ok?" Evan asked nervously, biting his lip. What if Michael hadn't liked it? "If it wasn't that's totally fine! You've probably had better, and I don't really know what I'm doing-" He rambled on, not being able to shut himself up, convinced he'd managed to screw this wonderful thing up. 

  Michael shook his head quickly, chuckling a bit. The fact that Evan thought he had any experience kissing was so ridiculous, it was cute. "What? No, no, it was… it was great. I don't really know what I'm doing either, so don't worry. That was…" he smiled shyly, his cheeks burning. "That was, like… my first kiss… so like…"

  "Oh…" That shut Evan up real quick. "Well… you did amazing at it." He blushed. "I would have never guessed." He felt honored to be Michael's first kiss. He had never really thought himself to be first kiss worthy, but here he was. There were so many thoughts racing through his head about what everything leading up to this moment meant. The night had started out awful, but had morphed into something exciting, confusing, and fun at the same time.

  "Oh, yeah? It was that good?" Michael asked, grinning widely as he squeezed Evan's hands. The fact that this kid was as surprised as he was that this was Michael's first kiss gave him a little confidence boost. That must mean he did something right. "Well, I'm glad you enjoyed it." After a pause, Michael hesitantly let go of Evan's hands. "I'll see you later, Cutie Patootie."

  Evan took this as a cue for him to leave although he really didn't want to. He could stay here with Michael all night. There were so many things he wanted to ask him still, things he wanted to learn and perhaps things they could laugh about. But, it was late and Michael probably needed to get home. "I'll see you later Absolutely Amazing." He smiled reluctantly moving away from the boy.

  Michael watched as Evan exited the car, pulling out of the driveway after a moment. He waved goodbye to him, blowing him a kiss before putting his focus to the road, a huge grin on his face. He really did hope he'd see the boy again soon. It occurred to him that he had no way of contacting him. He stupidly forgot to ask for his phone number. "Damnit," he groaned, knowing it was too late to turn around and ask for it now. 

  Hopefully he had some sort of social media platform he could find him on. Or they went to the same school. I mean, they were both at Jake Dilinger's party, so there was a good chance of that. He wasn't going to think about that now, though. He had a really fun time with a guy he really liked, and he was going to appreciate the memories he had now.

  He turned up the radio, singing along to the music blasting in his PT Cruiser, bringing his good mood with him all the way to his house, and straight to his bed, where he passed out immediately, tired from a long and wonderful night.