"Rich, can I please have my jacket back?"

The tall boy looked down at the shorter boy who was currently buried in a red letter jacket.

"It's warm and it smells like you..." Rich muttered.

"What?" Jake asked, unable to hear his mutter over the autumn wind.

"I SAID IT'S WORN AND IT SMELLS LIKE PUKE." Rich hid his red cheeks under the collar of the jacket.

"Okay, Rich," Jake conceded, continuing to walk despite the goosebumps forming on his mostly-bare arms.

"What are we even doing?" Rich asked, his muffled voice a bit louder than the mutter from before.

"Michael wants us to meet that Jeremy guy he always hangs out with," Jake explained.

"The nervous, fidgety one?"

"Yeah, dude, but don't go saying that shit around Michael."

Rich snorted. "Alright, whatever you say, man."

~~~

Jeremy felt slight dread fill his stomach as he sat on one of the picnic tables outside the school. Michael sat next to him, but he was on his phone, very concentrated on his Leaf Green emulator.

"Is Koga supposed to be this badass?" He placed his phone down with a groan after his eighth attempt.

"Isn't he like the fifth gym?" A grin escaped Jeremy involuntarily.

"Shut uuuup," Michael responded in frustration.

"Gee, how's having a team centered around bug and grass type treating you?" Jeremy prodded further.

"Jeremiah Heere, you are cruel," Michael said into the sleeve of his hoodie. "And besides!" His head shot up. "Bug types are so unappreciated. My playthrough will change that." He vowed this confidently, causing Jeremy to giggle.

Jeremy had been a little concerned. Ever since their meet-up with Brooke and Chloe, Michael had seemed distant, almost as if he was embarrassed. Jeremy knew it was baseless to assume anything, but he couldn't help but wonder if Michael had finally realized the gap in their social standings.

He shook his head. I trust Michael, and he assured me that wasn't it. Jeremy smiled. Somehow it was much easier to convince himself of this when he was around Michael once more, joking about video games and laughing together. A blush crawled to his cheeks when he noticed he had been staring at Michael, not quite listening to his rant about the glories of grass and bug pokémon.

"-ould be here soon. Jeremy? You good?" Jeremy snapped back to attention.

"Oh, yeah, sorry," he apologized quickly. He thought he saw a pink dusting across Michael's face, but Michael turned away suddenly, unlocking his phone seemingly for no immediate reason.

Jeremy's breath caught suddenly. Had Michael noticed his feelings? He felt his stomach twist tightly. Is that why they hadn't talked much lately? His breaths got a bit rushed as the air got harder to breathe. He recognized this as an oncoming anxiety attack, but this only increased his panic, remembering he was supposed to be meeting Rich and Jake today.

Suddenly, he felt a hand rub circles into his back, and he felt his breathing steady slowly.

"You alright? It's Jeremy, right?"

Jeremy's vision cleared to see a short boy in a letter jacket standing to his side, a sad and knowing smile on his lips.

"Whoa, Jere, what happened?" Jeremy turned to see Michael, a worried look locked onto his face. "Did I do something? Oh God I-"

"N-No, sorry, Michael," Jeremy started. "I'm alright, I just... let some thoughts get the better of me..." Jeremy turned back to the other boy. "Th-thanks, though... er..."

"Rich," the boy offered.

"Right," Jeremy responded a bit awkwardly. He couldn't help but notice that the other boy had had a slight lisp when he spoke.

"Guess this is a weird time to be doing introductions, but hey, I'm Jake."

Jeremy turned to this new voice and had to lift his head this time in contrast to looking levelly at Rich.

He didn't quite recognize Jake at first without his signature letter jacket on.

"Oh, hi I'm... well... I guess you already know who I am," Jeremy stumbled awkwardly.

Rich snickered slightly. "Dude, you're totally tense. Jake could give you a massage if you want."

"Oh no I couldn't-" Jeremy started.

But Jake had already moved to stand behind him. Jeremy felt warm fingers begin to knead at his cold shoulders. He yelped, feeling himself tense more.

"Well I can't do much if you don't relax," Jake chuckled.

Michael, who had until then been quiet, got up and grabbed Jake's arm, muttering an, "I can do it."

Jake and Rich glanced at each other, knowing smiles spreading across their faces.

Jeremy's face warmed significantly when Michael began massaging. It was clumsy, but it was Michael, and that was enough to have his mind in overdrive.

"So," Rich commented, gaining back some of Jeremy's focus. "You guys gonna start dating, or what?"

"What?!" Michael and Jeremy burst out in unison. Michael's arms had stopped what they were doing as he stepped back.

Jeremy felt his heart begin to fall. Did he react like that because he doesn't see me that way?

Meanwhile, Michael was asking himself the same thing. He had only just figured out his feelings for Jeremy; he didn't want it to end so soon.

"Why would you ask that? For one, I don't even know if he likes...." Michael rambled, slowing as he realized Jeremy had begun muttering something similar.

".... me back," Jeremy finished.

The two stared at each other as Rich tried to contain his laughter.

"You..." Michael started.

"Like me?" Jeremy answered.

Michael began to laugh lightly. "Shit, man... I was so scared... I thought for sure..."

Jeremy was attempting to process this new information. Michael... likes me back.

"Whoa hey, are you okay?" Jake commented, frowning at Jeremy who seemed to be frozen in place.

"I... I um..." Jeremy stuttered, feeling tears well up in the corners of his eyes.

Michael sat next to him quickly, holding him in concern. "Jere, are you alright?"

Jeremy shook his head. "I'm- sorry it's just... it's been five years."

Michael blinked. "Jeremiah Heere, you are not about to tell me that you liked me for five years and kept that in the entire time."

Jeremy shrugged, smiling through a tear that slipped down his cheek.

Michael clutched his hair in one hand as he looked around, trying to comprehend this. He locked eyes with Rich and Jake.

Rich winked and finger-gunned at him, and Jake gave as encouraging a smile as he could muster as they both turned to walk away and give the two some space.

Michael's face burned as his gaze fell back down. Jeremy was fidgeting slightly, unsure of how he should respond - or if he should even respond at all.

Michael took a shaky breath. "Do you want to... start over?"

Jeremy cocked his head to one side, not quite understanding what Michael had meant.

"Jeremy... um, this is embarrassing, to be honest." He chuckled. "I only realized this like last week with Brooke and Chloe."

Jeremy's gaze was confused, but held a very serious expression. Michael gulped as he continued. "I- Jeremy I think... I love you..." He rushed out the last part, but Jeremy was just able to make it out.

He blinked as the confession settled in. "O-oh," he responded, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Oh...?" Michael questioned, a mixture of hope and desperation in his tone.

"I didn't expect... that..." Jeremy held his hands up to his face, wincing at the cool feeling of his hands contrasting with his warm cheeks.

"Was... was it a good thing...?" Michael continued. He wasn't sure if he had done the right thing. Jeremy had developed anxiety when his mother left, and Michael had spent the next few months learning ways he could help Jeremy through it. He tried to recall something that might help him now. Wait.. Did I like him this whole time...?

Michael shook off this thought, bringing himself back to the problem at hand. He wanted to be sure he hadn't stepped too far into Jeremy's comfort zone. He reached out his hand but stopped, instead lightly brushing Jeremy's arm, letting him know he was still there.

Jeremy took a deep breath, lowering his hands when he felt Michael's on his arm. "I'm s-sorry, I just... needed to think. I never expected something like this... I-I've looked up to you since sixth grade, so... it's kind of more than I was ready to handle."

"If you need more time to respond, that's totally fine, I'm sorry it was so abrupt-"

Jeremy interrupted him by holding the hand next to him and squeezing. "No I... I want to give you a response. I-If I'm honest, all I want to do right now is hide, but... I-I love you, Michael..." Jeremy went silent, looking down and shutting his eyes tightly as he fought every nerve in his body to stay put.

He suddenly felt warm, hesitant arms wrap around him in a hug. He attempted to return the hug, but his arms were frozen in place.

"Thank you for waiting for me, Jeremy. I'm sorry it took me so long. I love you," Michael whispered into Jeremy's hair.

"Promise?" Jeremy asked shakily, tears inevitably slipping down his cheeks.

Michael tightened the hug, rubbing Jeremy's back soothingly. "I promise."

"Even if I'm not popular? Even if I'm just a drag on your reputation? Even if-?"

Michael chuckled. "Jeremy, I love you for you, not what other people have to say about you. Like I said, you're you, and I'm me. I love you, and it sounds like you love me. Even if there was nothing special about you - though I could name a million things right now - I'd still love you. You don't have to be special for me to love you. Because you're Jeremiah Heere, and that's more than enough for me."

DONE! DONE! I FINISHED IT!!! HOW LONG HAS IT BEEN?!? IM SO SORRY!!!

Writers block hit hARD WITH THIS CHAPTER. I feel so bad.

BUT I FINISHED! IM SO GLAD. I LOVED THIS BOOK AND I WILL LOVE IT EVEN WHEN NO ONE ELSE LOVES IT ANYMORE.

Thank you all for reading!!! You guys are honestly the best. You're too nice to us ;~;

I hope you enjoyed You Don't Have to be Special! (OUR NEXT BOOK WILL BE AN AU BECCA AND I HAVE BEEN DEVELOPING FOR MONTHS. MONTHS!!!)

Thank you all again so much for reading, and just know we love you all!!! <3

-May

P.S. THANKS FOR LIKE ALMOST(?) 700 FOLLOWERS GOSH DIGGITY DANG!!