Chapter Text
Ray wakes up in a cold sweat. His room is dark. It’s 4:47am on a Saturday morning. Since the sun is already beginning to rise, Ray sees no use in trying to sleep again. As he’s getting up and walking to the bathroom, it hits him. Everything about that night hits him like a brick. He dreamt about his high school friends killing him, and worst of all, he dreamt about boyfriend from his youth. His friends killed him in his dream, but why? What is the cause of this mess in Ray’s head? Ray hasn’t seen Frank, Gerard or Mikey in years. The last time he heard from them was over four years ago. Still, he is furious. If his friends would kill him in his sleep, that would mean that they are probably planning on doing it in real life too. Does he still like Mikey? No, that couldn't be true. He was cured from homosexuality years ago. He feels like he has to do something. He has to contact Mikey and make Frank and Gerard pay for what they did.
A strange feeling hit him after a while. His dream didn’t feel like it was his point of view. It felt like he was an outsider, watching the situation from a glass that he couldn’t break through. He knew that some of these things did happen. He feels determined to get to the bottom of this.
After hours of searching the internet, Ray finally obtains Mikey’s phone number. He knows what to do next. With fear and hesitation, he dials the number. All the memories of leaving Mikey and telling him hurtful things are coming back to Ray. It makes shivers go down his spine and it makes his heart ache.
“Hello?” Mikey answers the unknown number. “Hey Mikey... It’s-“
“Ray is that you?! I was just thinking about you a few days ago! How are you doing?”
Ray is very surprised at Mikey’s reaction. Just moments ago, he expected Mikey to cuss him out or just hang up. But Mikey’s reaction is completely the opposite. “I’m okay, how about you?” Ray lies.
“I’m doing great!” An awkward silence sweeps the line.
“Listen Mikey,” Ray starts. “I dreamt about you this night, and I think I’m still in love with you. My love didn’t fade a bit since the day I saw you in the school hallway almost a decade ago and-“
“Ray... I don’t- I can’t-“ Mikey cuts him off. “Come over,” Mikey adds in a softer tone.
He gives Ray the address and they hang up.
With adrenaline in his veins, Ray gets dressed, picks his keys up and gets into his car. He is driving so fast that he would’ve been sent to jail if the police stopped him. The forty minute drive seems like eternity.
Finally, he pulls up in front of Mikey’s house. He quickly looks into the mirror, making sure he looks perfect for his high school sweetheart. He sighs and gets out of his car. To his surprise, Mikey is already waiting for him by the front door. “Well hello there, handsome,” Mikey sarcastically says, pouting. Without a word, Ray pulls him into a tight hug. That’s what was missing from his life all these years. A warm hug from someone that he loved with every inch of his heart. Mikey’s head is resting on his shoulder, heavily breathing. To Ray, it almost seems like he was asleep. The emotions and the chemistry between the two didn’t fade a bit. After the long, tender hug, Mikey pulls away, his hands still on Ray’s shoulders. To Ray, this hug seemed way too short. They could be hugging until the end of time and to Ray, it still wouldn't be enough. “Come in,” Mikey whispers, breaking the silence between them. Ray comes in, taking Mikey’s hand and gently holding it. They are now on the couch, holding each other tight, almost cuddling. And they were sitting in the same position for hours, talking about their feelings, updating each other about their lives, and opening up about their childhood trauma. “How is Gerard doing?” asks Ray, trying to sound as sincere as possible.
“Oh, he’s good. He’s living with Frank just down the road from here. He was just here yesterday, actually. He figured out how to clone, apparently.”
“I knew that they would end up together,” Ray giggles genuinely. He is happy for Gerard and Frank for a moment. But then, he remembers all the unpleasant occurrences that happened in his dreams. The cloning was real. Does that mean everything else was real too?
“We should visit them sometime,” Ray smiles, thinking about his sneaky plan. He looks over at the love of his life and cups his cheek gently. Mikey catches on and closes his eyes, allowing Ray to lean in and close the gap between their lips.
They are soft and taste like sausages.
“Ray? Would you move in here, with me? We spent all these years apart, but I think moving in would make up for that,” Mikey says, blushing and looking down. Ray nods in approval. And then they fall asleep on the couch, in each other’s arms. They both had tears of joy in their eyes but were too afraid to admit it.