My Best Love 1

He was way too drunk to drive home.

"Mike! Stop it!" He kept fighting me, insisting that he was alright. I wasn't about to let him go. The last time I let go, he fell straight forward onto the floor.

"I'm fine! I swear!" he yelled, pushing my arm away.

"I freakin hate you, you asshole."

I started to stomp away as I heard him laugh. "Ok, ok. I'm sorry!" He fell forward onto me and threw his arms around my neck, pulling me back towards him and holding onto me for support at the same time.

"You smell good." He said randomly, as he smelled my hair.

I couldn't help but laugh.

Mike was my best friend. People always thought there was something between the two of us, and I'd be lying if I said I never felt a thing for him. I did. But that was sort of a been there done that, kind of deal. It just wasn't like that for us... anymore. But once upon a time, the attraction was there... at least for me. But he was untouchable at the time. He was taken. And when I couldn't have him, I settled on being his friend. In the end, it wasn't settling. He was a wonderful friend, and he backed me up whenever I needed him. He was the greatest friend I could ever ask for. And he never asked for anything in return.

"Where'd everyone gooo?" He whined, noticing the empty house.

"Everyone went home, Mike. Party's over."

My parents were away for the weekend, so I took it upon myself to have a small house party. Mike was usually good with alcohol. He normally never drank so much. He was almost always the designated driver, just because he was responsible like that. So it was weird for me, needing to take care of his drunken stupor.

"Where're my keys?" He asked as I sat him down on the couch.

"You can't drive. You're too drunk. I hid them."

"Where at?!"

I hesitated. "In my room... MIKE!"

He was definitely more playful now that he was drunk. I ran around the house chasing him, trying to catch him before he finally made a mad dash to my bedroom.

"Get out! You're all dirty!" I whined, as he snuggled under the covers in my bedroom.

"Your bed is so comfy!"

"NO! seriously! Get out!" I begged him as I tugged on the leg of his pants.

He laughed as he fought against me, holding onto his pants, so they don't fall off.

"What are you doing woman!? Tryin to get into my pants?" He laughed.

I rolled my eyes and laughed in defeat. "Come on! Get out of those dirty jeans please, before you lay in my bed!"

Call it a pet peeve, if you will. I hated it when people would wear the same dirty clothes they wore outside in or on my clean bed sheets.

"Here!" I groaned, throwing him a pair of basketball shorts I had borrowed from him and a tshirt. I left the room for a bit to give him a chance to change, while I went to get him a glass of water, and to change myself.

I returned to see him standing at my dresser looking at the pictures around my mirror. I couldn't help but giggle. The clothes were a tad tight. The shorts he lent me must have been small, hence why he lent them to me. And the shirt was on the tight side, considering it was my shirt, and I was almost half his size standing at 5'2 and him at over 6 feet. He kept tugging at them uncomfortably almost as if he were trying to magically stretch them out.

"When was this?" He asked.

I walked over to stand next to him and take a peek at what he was looking at. An old group photo from two years ago.

"Oh, that was at Leah's birthday back in the day."

He remained silent, like he was trying to remember that night.

I remembered it. I remembered it well. That was the second time we had actually hung out together. I met him for the first time at a friend's house. We were casually introduced when he stopped by to pick something up from my friend's brother, but left straightaway. Then I got to know him some more a few weeks later when we all went camping. We talked casually, while I silently began to become attracted to him. We became friendly. He was ridiculously easy to talk to. He was sweet, funny and charming. And I was even more curious to get to know him even better.

I hadn't seen him in weeks, and I was certain that he was going to be at our friend Leah's birthday party.

He was there... but he wasn't alone.

He had a girlfriend.

She was nice.

I was heartbroken.

But that didn't stop him from coming over and saying hi to me. He still treated me the same as the last time we hung out, which opened the doorway for us to become better friends. I figured the miniscule flirtation was all in my head, since he treated me the same way, even though his girlfriend was there.

That was what made me remember Leah's birthday party. Because at the time, somehow when I wasn't looking, even though in the beginning I had hopes of us being together, in the end up until now I had forgotten all about that and he simply became my best friend. I loved him more than he ever knew, but in a way so far away from what I had originally planned. In fact, I hadn't even thought about Leah's party like that in a very long time.

He was really stern and silent, staring intently at the photo, in some what of a daze.

"Mike?" I asked.

"Oh yeah." He finally answered.

He turned toward my bed and climbed in.

"Seriously. Your bed is so comfortable." He sighed, burying his face in my pillow. I could hear him taking a deep breath.

I laughed and timidly sat on the bed next to him. We were best friends but he's never slept over before.

"What's wrong?" he asked, concerned.

This was the first time I had ever felt uncomfortable around him. Things were always so laid back and fun. I always acted like myself around him, and he was still my friend, never really judging me. One of the guys, I guess you could call me. We were buddies. But this was just weird.

I took a deep breath and lay next to him, but on top of the covers. I was still really nervous, but I tried my best to hide it.

"How you feeling?" I asked.

He yawned. "I'm good, yo." He laughed then messed up my hair, patting the top of my head like a dog.

"Stop! You're messin up my hair!" I laughed.

We lay there side by side for a few hours, simply talking. I could tell that he was beginning to sober up. His concentration was getting better, and his slurring was fading. We must have talked about almost everything, and it reached the most random topics. As we approached the wee hours of the night, I was definitely beginning to fall asleep.

"Have you spoken to Leah?" he asked.

That was the most random topic yet. Suddenly, I wasn't so sleepy anymore.

I hesitated. I wasn't sure how to approach this topic. "Not really. You are my best friend after all."

He remained silent. "I'm sorry." He whispered.

"For what?" I wondered.

"That you lost a friend."

"Shut up, Mike. You're my friend. And I'm on your team before anyone else in the world. I promise."

A small tear escaped from his eye, and it broke my heart. I'd seen him cry before, but this time it kind of hurt me too. This was the first time we had spoken about his ex. I knew it was healthy to talk about it, but I just couldn't bring it up. I wasn't sure if guys liked to talk about these things. The same Leah that we knew mutually. The same Leah's birthday party that we met at. Yes, Leah was his girlfriend.

I knew Leah for a few months before her party and she gushed about her new boyfriend. It was only at her birthday party that I found out her new boyfriend was my new crush. They were dating for 2 months by the time I had first met Mike. And then they just split up about a month ago after dating for two years. Leah cheated on him...twice. And he could never forgive her after the second time. He was definitely hurt by her. I could tell, but this was the first time he had ever opened up about it.

We were definitely close, but he wasn't the type to divulge his feelings. He was a guy after all.

I knew that was why he decided to have more than a few drinks tonight. Leah was quite a party animal, and he almost always had to take care of her. But now I blame the lack of Leah and a broken heart for the reason of his new hobby. He was free to be the irresponsible one for once.

"Are you alright?" I asked, reaching for him and wiping away his tear with my thumb. His long-ish wavy brown hair was falling into his hazel eyes.

"Thanks."

"For what?"

"For being such a great friend to me..." He trailed off.

"Anytime. I love you." I admitted to him; more like a Freudian slip.

He looked up at me, with a blank look. He definitely wasn't expecting that.

"You're my best friend." I quickly added.

"I know." He whispered. "But I couldn't even be half the friend that you've been to me."

I couldn't help but smile from his kind words. It was nice to know that he appreciated me as much as I did him.

He had finally fallen asleep, and I was wide awake thinking. Suddenly, I felt my heart fluttering, and breaking at the same time. The feeling I had repressed for so long was suddenly breaking through the barriers. I didn't just love him, but I realized that I was IN love with him. He was everything I loved and more. His pain was my pain, and there was nothing I wanted more than to appease that pain and make it go away. I wanted him to be happy. I realized that... I wanted to make him happy. I just wanted him to be happy with me. No one else would ever love him the way I did, and no one else would ever be good enough for him in my eyes. But I knew I couldn't let him know because that would ruin everything. Even if I couldn't love him the way I wanted to, I just couldn't lose him as a friend. That would shake me to the core.

"I can't help but think..." I heard him suddenly say.

I turned around onto my other side to face him. "You're awake."

"...about Leah's party." He continued.

"Wait, what? What party?"

"Her birthday party. From the picture."

"What about it?" I asked, curious, leaning my head closer to him.

He also shifted his body closer towards me. "If I wasn't with Leah, what would have happened between the two of us."

My heart sunk. I definitely wasn't expecting that.

"What do you mean?"

"You never thought about that?" He smiled a crooked smile that I did seem to love.

I didn't know how to answer him. I wasn't sure what the right thing to say was. All I could do was shrug my shoulders.

He just grinned. "You were adorable! I thought you were adorable even before we met. I remember going to Danny's place all the time, and how his stupid sister would be around all the time. Honestly, I have no idea how you were ever even friends with her..." He trailed off.

I couldn't help but laugh a little bit. I hadn't spoken to Danny's sister in a long while. I was probably more of Danny's friend now, than her. Lisa was her name. But if it weren't for her, I probably never would have met Mike. So I was quietly indebted to her.

He continued. "Then she would show me all these 'wild' pictures of her friends and her parties, and there you were; this adorable girl with a smile like the sun. Seemed like a really chill, laidback, easygoing kind of girl. Then we met, and I was right." He smiled.

I shook my head and laughed. "You're crazy you know that? We'll talk when you're not drunk anymore." I laughed nervously, then turned over onto my other side. I couldn't look at him. I was definitely feeling uneasy.

I felt him scoot closer to me, and his arms wrap around my body, the whole length of his body pressing against mine.

"I'm not drunk. I'm just happy that I'm finally free to do this." He whispered in my ear and held me close. My heart was beating out of my chest. What in the world was going on?! I unwrapped myself from his grasp and sat up to face him.

"What are you doing?"

He reached up and pulled me toward him and kissed me. At first I resisted him, then slowly my lips just began to freeze into shock. It was so sudden, but it just felt so good. It's been what I dreamed of for so long, but never admitted to anyone. Not even myself.

I pulled away and looked him in the eyes. "What just happened?" I whispered.

He put his hand on my cheek and smirked. "I love you. Maybe not in the way you think, but definitely more than you know."

He sat up and pushed me onto my back and lay on top of me, the weight and warmth overwhelming, yet pleasing. His gentle strokes against the side of my face, and this look he was giving me was making my heart melt. He's never looked at me this way. I've dreamt of this moment more than once, and it was never this incredible. But I just couldn't believe it.

His brows furrowed in frustration, seeing the doubt and confusion on my face. He held my face in his hands and forcefully pushed his lips onto mine, forcing my mouth open and tickling my tongue with his. Every time I'd try to break away, his mouth would follow. He never let go.

I couldn't believe he was doing this.

I couldn't believe this was happening.

I couldn't believe that he was really into me.

I couldn't believe that...

...he was SUCH a good kisser!

His lips worked furiously against mine with conviction, 'til I gave in and he felt me finally kissing him back. A mix of emotions coursing through my body. Then his kiss went from strong and passionate, to tender and caring. His mouth left mine, leaving a trail of kisses across my cheek, then finally nibbling on the spot beneath my ear. I moaned in delight, struggling to catch my breath, and he abruptly pulled away and looked at me.

"By the way, if you think I'm only doing this because I'm drunk, you're wrong. I'm not drunk. I've just woken up, and I finally see. My best friend..." He chuckled to himself, shaking his head unbelievably.

"You're it. You're the one. And it's taken me all this time to finally see it. And I'm sorry. I'm sorry I dragged you along for so long. I'm sorry I could never be that guy you wanted me to be. And I'm not saying that now because I'm single, and you're single, so now we can be together. I want you to know that I don't want to be with you just because I happen to be single. I want to be with you ... because I want to be with you. You're amazing. And you're beautiful. And you're everything I love, and I want you to know that. You're incredible, and any guy would be lucky to have you."

A stupid traitor of a tear escaped my eye. This had to be a dream. This couldn't be my best friend. This couldn't be the same guy I crushed on for so long. He was saying all the right things. And he was handling it all so well. It was like all my worries were bashed right then and there, that he only wanted to maybe be with me just because he was drunk and lonely, and I was there.

"Can I just ask you something?"

"What?" I wondered.

"Leah's party. The one in the picture. Were you mad when you found out that me and Leah were together?"

"What makes you think I was mad?"

"You wouldn't talk to me. And you treated me differently." He said matter of factly, with a sly grin.

"I did?" I asked. I wasn't aware that I was treating him any different. I guess that was my subconscious body language working.

He nodded. "Did you like me? Do you... still like me? Do you think you could learn to like me... and I mean not as a friend... as something more?"

All I could do was nod.

Finally I saw a smile upon his face, and he kissed me again then got up off me and stood up.

"Where are you going?" I asked abruptly, sitting up. I thought after all that, he'd start to begin making a move. While we were making out I wasn't completely unaware of that bulge growing in his shorts. I thought that his sexual drive would get the best of him and then I'd have to stop him to first make sure he's being serious, and isn't seeing me as a friend with benefits.

He must have read my mind.

"I don't want you to think that I'm thinking of you as just a friend with benefits. I want more. You're not just a rebound to me." He smiled then leaned and kissed me quickly again.

"But... I'm starting to get a little hot..." He paused and looked down with an embarrassed smile. "...and bothered, and I know that if I stay here, I'm gonna try and do something. But I respect you. And I want to do this the right way. So, I'm gonna go and sleep in the guestroom... to prove to you, that I'm serious." He sat down next to me and smiled. "I love you."

He kissed my forehead, stood up and looked at me with a smile. I couldn't help but smile back, biting down on my bottom lip. I heard him groan as he left my bedroom. This was the most chivalrous thing he has ever done, and it made me hot for him even more...

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my first story. any feedback is good feedback. thanks!