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“Michael, are you sure this is a good idea?” Mike asked, looking around the diner warily. “I mean, we know a lot of people who come in here.”
“Yer the one who wanted biscuits and gravy,” Michael countered, waving to Latif as he guided Mike to a booth in the back corner. “Latif’s are the best an’ we both know that. And it ain’t like he don’ know about all the time travel nonsense goin’ on. He works in Oldbrush Valley, darlin’. Every staff member comes here at least once, Latif definitely knows what’s up.”
Mike looked around again, not spotting anyone from Base but still feeling on edge. “Just because he knows doesn’t mean he– or anyone else who might see us– will be okay with us being on a–” The word ‘date’ stayed locked in Mike’s throat, the very thought of it almost too much for him to handle. He sighed, looking down at his hands; Michael grabbed it, running a thumb soothingly across Mike’s skin. “I just don’t want us to get in trouble.”
Michael snorted at that, only letting go of Mike’s hand as Latif brought over two plates of biscuits and gravy for them. “We’re grown ass adults, sweetheart. We cain’t get in trouble, least of all for this. The only one who could get us ‘in trouble’ is Edgar, but he knows what we’re doin’. He’s known what we’re doin’ this whole time.” Mike blushed at that, thinking back to the drunken conversation with Edgar that led to a much more sober night of passion with Michael while Edgar watched from the side. The three of them had a good thing going, and it had been Edgar who encouraged Mike to go on an actual date with Michael.
He just didn’t think they’d end up in Oldbrush Valley for it.
“Hey, come back to me, darlin’,” Michael said, taking Mike’s hand again. “No one’s gonna care, sweetheart. An’ if they do, I’ll be mighty quick to shut them up.”
“I know you would be,” Mike said, a small smile creeping onto his face. “I just. I don’t wanna deal with the comments, you know?”
Michael got up at that, sliding into the booth next to Mike and pressing a kiss to his forehead. “Mikey’ll keep his damn mouth shut if he knows what’s good fer him. An’ the rest of Base? They ain’t gonna care, sweetheart. They got more important things to focus on, trust me. E’eryone knows that the Tys are fuckin’. And they’re pretty sure there’s some sorta hate sex thing happenin’ with Old Man and Tex. We’ll be okay, darlin’. I promise.”
Cuddled into Michael’s side, Mike felt no choice but to believe him. He leaned over and kissed Michael at the corner of his mouth, the cowboy then turning and capturing his lips for real. They were both grinning by the time they pulled away, the hesitation leaving Mike’s body just as quickly as it came. “Come on, cowboy. Eat your biscuits before they get cold– I still wanna get to the hike part of our date.” The word ‘date’ rolled off his tongue much more naturally and more excitedly now. He was on a date with his favorite cowboy, who was pressing another kiss to his forehead before taking his original seat and winking at him as he started to eat his biscuits.
And if Mike noticed Mikey’s scandalized face out of the corner of his eye when they were leaving, well– at least the younger iteration had been smart enough not to say anything that would’ve gotten him punched.