***

"Good morning, baby. How'd you sleep?" Scott asked as he approached Mitch. Mitch rolled his eyes at his best friend.

"Yeah, never call me that again." He laughed.

"Sorry...baby."
Mitch just rolled his eyes again.

******

"He baby, I have the urge to watch Mean Girls and I need my main hoe with me." Scott said. Mitch giggled and nodded, having to walk a little quicker then usual since Scott's long legs were a lot faster then Mitch's.

"Yes, of course. And don't call me baby." Scott just laughed.

"Anything for you, baby."

***

It went on for years. There wasn't a day that went by where Scott didn't call Mitch 'baby.' Mitch found it strange since when a boyfriend called him 'baby' or 'babe' he would actually gag. Pet names were a no no.

But, there was an exception for Scott.

Mitch tried to get Scott to stop calling him Baby for a few weeks, but then he just stopped caring and grew to the nickname.

"Hey, baby, guys what?" Scott said excitedly as he walked into the living room, his body shaking slightly. Mitch paused the television show that was playing and turned to him with a small smile.

"Hm?" Scott took a deep breath before announcing.

"I got a date with Alex!" He squealed. Mitch smiled excitedly.

"Oh my gosh, yes! That's so amazing!"
And he truly was happy for him. But reality started setting him.

Wait...I have to share him now?

Hold on, so Friday nights you're going out? Uh, excuse me!

Weeks passed with Scott and Alex going out. Mitch loved Alex, he was funny, caring, loving, grateful, selfless, and physically flawless. Just Scott's type.

But he couldn't help but be jealous. Scott was his best friend and it always hurt when he choose someone else over him. He just couldn't help it.

Although he was still content because Scott still called him Baby. So he could grip onto something, right?

***

"Alex, hey!" Mitch greeted with a grin as he gave a welcoming hug toward Alex. Alex hugged back with a large smile.
"Hey, Mitch! It's nice to see you again!"

He was still hurting. He had nothing against Alex, but he had something against them dating. He didn't think they were soulmates.

By because he was jealous, but because there was that...thing. When he met Jeremy, he knew immediately him and Kirstie were going to be in love forever.

When he met Tori, he knew her and Kevin were meant to be.

But he didn't get that feeling when he met Alex.

Scott, Alex and Mitch were eating dinner, talking and laughing about random things but mainly reality television shows.

But Mitch felt himself growing sadder and sadder every second. The way Scott would glance at Alex and the way Alex looked at Scott.

When they told Mitch a story but kept laughing because it was so funny.

That was Scott and Mitch.

Well, not anymore. Now it was Scott and Alex. Mitch was filling up with anger and jealousy but he contained himself.

It want until this happened when Mitch finally snapped.

Alex and Mitch were talking about allusive dreaming when Scott tapped Alex's arm. Alex turned slightly with a smile.

Mitch took the chance to drink some of his water as he pet Wyatt from under the table with his foot.

"Baby, can you pass the salad bowl please?" Alex smiled and reached over to the side and picked the bowl up, handing it to Scott.

Mitch completely froze. He felt all of his pent of anger and emotions from the past few months final spill over.

Mitch's eyes slowly welled up with tears and he put his cup down.
"Scott?" Mitch asked in slight disbelief.

Scott put the bowl down and knitted his 'eyebrows' together.

"Yeah? Whoa, are you okay? What's wrong?" Scott asked, concern clouding his eyes.

"B-but...t-that's my name." Mitch spoke softly, a tear spilling over his eye and falling into the table. Alex looked at him worriedly with slight confusion.

Scott, still concerned but also confused, didn't reply.

"Y-you...c-called.." Mitch took a deep breath.

"Mitch, what's wrong--oh no." Scott finally realized what he'd done. To anyone else, they wouldn't have cared.

Scott has a boyfriend, what's the big deal?

But it was THEIR thing. It was Mitch's nickname. It was a sacred name used only for Mitch.

"Oh no...I'm so sorry." Alex watched the interaction, still confused.

"W-why do you keep forgetting about me?" Mitch asked randomly. Alex felt the need to leave, he didn't want to invade their personal talk.

"I'll be outside." Alex quickly said, grabbing his phone and leaving the apartment in a quick manner.

"Huh?" Scott asked, guilt setting in.

"Y-you k-keep leaving me out and forg-getting about me and you c-called him Baby! T-that's me! Th-that's my name not his!"
Mitch said as he began crying like an actual baby.

Scott didn't realize how much the name actually meant to him, he thought he still hated it after all these years.

"Baby, I'm sorry! I didn't know you felt that way, I never meant to hurt your feelings!"
Scott even started tearing up at the thought of making Mitch upset.

"N-no, you can't call me that anymore." Mitch said firmly.

Scott frowned.
"I'm sorry, Baby-" Scott couldn't even help it, he couldn't even stop himself from calling him Baby. It was like it was rolling off his tongue without thinking.

"No, stop it. You've lost the privilege when you called him that."
Mitch replied, crossing his arms.

"But, baby-"

"I said no!"

"Baby-"

"Scott Richard Hoying I will lit-er-ally step on your face."

"Sorry... Baby."

Mitch rolled his eyes but couldn't help the small grin that came to his face.

***