michael chang.

[ROSS BUTLER, CISMALE, HE/HIM] who’s that? oh it’s [MICHAEL CHANG III]. i hear they’re [20] and are known as [THE ISOLATO] around [NEW YORK CITY]. they’re also a [SOPHOMORE] at [COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY], and are part of [SARDI’S RESTAURANT (HOST)]. they’re known to be [CLEAR-HEADED and ORGANIZED] and [STIFF and INSENSITIVE]. some people say they remind them of [DETAILED BIOLOGY NOTES, SLEEPING IN ON SUNDAYS, and SANDALWOOD COLOGNE]. only one way to find out!

If there was one thing in the world that Otto Meeks hated, it was change. It was hard enough having to go through the motions of her day to day without her dad being in the household, but Otto had gotten used to keeping in touch through daily text messages and Facetime calls. Was she seriously ready to graduate from Michael’s best friend to his girlfriend? It was a huge change… but maybe it didn’t have to be. They’d already been acting like they were dating for at least the last month or two, so how was it going to be any different? It wasn’t. Part of her thanked Mrs. Chang for interrupting Michael’s big speech moment. It might have taken the wind out from beneath Michael’s wings, but it gave Otto a moment to think, breathe, and try to maintain her sanity for a little bit longer. She could be ready for this. It was Michael, after all. He had always been a beacon of light and a safe place for her to share her thoughts. As he laughed nervously and prepared himself for whatever words were about to leave his mouth, Otto took him in. He was handsome… like, the kind of teenage heartthrob handsome that Otto was always watching on the movie screens. He was understanding and loving and open with her. He was perfect boyfriend material, which was why whenever Michael finally asked her to be his girlfriend, she smiled. There was no other emotion other than happiness. Biting down on her bottom lip, Otto started nodding her head shallow and slow before she was locking her gaze on his. “I really think I’d like that,” she said with a soft laugh expelling from her body. Otto had had quite the big senior year, but obtaining her first boyfriend… and it being her best friend? It was almost too good to be true. Otto hardly cared if they could get interrupted or walked in on at any moment anymore - she needed to make sure that Michael knew that she was being serious. Without much else of a warning, Otto leaned in before she was kissing him with a lot more fervor than she had before. She could definitely get used to this. “So, should we like, tell your mom whenever she catches us making out or?” Otto laughed softly against his lips as she pulled herself closer to him.

Michael had never been a sentimental guy. There weren’t big moments in his life that he wanted to remember or hold onto. But as he sat there, staring into the eyes of the girl he’d had feelings for the majority of his life, he couldn’t help but think that this was finally a moment worth holding onto. There was a small bit of anxiety swirling around in the pit of his stomach, but he was pretty certain what her answer was going to be. For two people who were historically bad at expressing romantic feelings, it finally felt like maybe they were both on the same page. And they were both at the point where they could say what they felt. As the question left his lips, he immediately locked his eyes on her, a smile pixelating his lips as she started to nod her head. He noticed the lack of hesitation in her words and the way she laughed. She seemed sure. Sure of this, and sure of him. And that was really all he needed to know. It wasn’t news to him that this was going to be Otto’s first real relationship. She was his best friend. He knew everything about her, and so, it meant a lot to him that she would trust him enough to make that leap. There was no doubt in his mind that Otto was the perfect girl for him. She was beautiful and smart, and incredibly sweet in every way that he wasn’t. She balanced him out and never failed to bring a smile to his face. He smirked as she leaned in to kiss him. He was surprised, but complaint free once she immediately deepened the kiss. “Hm?” He breathed out at her question, pouting at the loss of contact. His mother had been the furthest thing from his mind. “We can go out there and tell her in a second,” he mumbled out before reconnecting their lips. As much as he didn’t want his mom to catch them, he wasn’t ready to stop just yet. Otto Meeks was officially his girlfriend and he wanted to celebrate that. After a few minutes, they finally pulled away. Michael immediately intertwined their fingers as they stood up from his bed and headed from his room into the living room where his mom was. If the hand holding wasn’t already obvious to her, Michael dropping the bomb as they settled next to each other on the couch was telling enough. She had a million questions, most of which, neither of them wanted to answer. But it was fine. He was sitting next to his girlfriend, Otto, holding on tightly to her hand. And everything in the world just felt right.

“I have to, at least, talk to my mom,” Otto explained before she was scratching at the top of her head with a nervous bout of laughter falling from her lips. “I checked my phone after school on Tuesday and I had 12 text messages from her asking what was going on between the two of us.” While it wasn’t the best thing to be admitting to Michael, she had always been open and honest with him - and that wasn’t about to start changing any time soon. Regardless of how uncomfortable Otto felt for this conversation (or how much she wanted to start ripping her hair out from the embarrassment her own backwards behavior was bringing her), she wasn’t stopping. It was now or never for something to be figured out. They both knew what they wanted but communicating that? It was growing impossible for Otto. It was like a band-aid and she terribly needed to rip it off. “Wait what?” Otto asked as she turned her eyes to be staring Michael down. “Did you just say boyfri-” Like clockwork, Mrs. Chang was coming into the room for a check-in. Thank goodness she had sat up a little bit more and hadn’t been caught cuddling into Michael’s side. Otto was as poised as she could be and smiling enough for the two of them while she made small talk with Michael’s mom. Once she finally left (door left open, of course), Otto made quick work before she was shutting Michael’s bedroom door with a soft click. She stared at the door for a moment before she was turning around and facing him. “Did you just…” A pause. Otto’s eyes landed on Michael’s and it’s like an instant wave of calmness overcame her. Things didn’t have to get complicated. Things didn’t have to change. They were still going to be Otto and Michael, even if the terms of ‘boyfriend and girlfriend’ were hanging over their heads. “Ask me.” The words came out softer before she was pushing herself off of the door and moving to sit at Michael’s side. “Ask me,” she repeated with a small smile before she was grabbing one of his hands. Whether it be for her own comfort or a silent encouraging act for Michael, she wasn’t sure. 

The last thing Michael wanted to do was talk to his mother. His mother’s incessant need to check in on him and Otto throughout the evening was definitely annoying him, but the fact that she’d managed to pop in at the most inopportune moment drove him nuts. He nodded his head along as they made conversation with Tina Chang, although Otto was the one doing most of the talking. His mind was still focused on the bomb he’d dropped and how she’d been unable to respond. He didn’t really know what Otto was going to say. She could have said she wasn’t ready for that type of step just yet, or maybe she was and his mother had come in and completely ruined the moment. A deep sigh left his lips as he mother finally left the room. His gaze stayed focused on Otto as he watched her step over and shut the door. Michael was completely aware of how he felt about Otto. There were no questions about it in his mind, but kicking his nerves and actually putting things into words was a struggle for him. Everyone had questions about them. Both of their families were completely in their business about what was going on between the two of them. And although, he wasn’t completely ready to involve any of them. He knew he was ready to say what he needed to say to Otto. But before he could speak up and say anything, she was already talking. His eyes locked with hers as he let out a deep breath. He followed her every move, the words “ask me” running through his mind. A smile crept onto his face as she lowered back down to sit next to him and took his hand in hers. It felt good. Great, even. To know that she wanted this too. A slightly nervous laugh left his mouth as he paused, trying to muster up the courage to just go for it. “Will you be my girlfriend?” He asked with a small hopeful smile.

“Oh,” Otto repeated with a gentle smile as she rested her chin on Michael’s chest. It really wasn’t the biggest of deals, especially since their entire outing to Candyland had quite literally gained the attention of JBI Jr. It was practically a well known fact at this point that the two were… well, whatever they were. “I could have guessed it was Sam though.” She loved the youngest Chang sibling a whole lot, but it didn’t come as a shocker that he had let the cat out of the bag. At Michael’s question, Otto paused for a moment. There were a lot of things that she hadn’t discussed with him, and they all revolved around Ophie and how Otto had talked to her about her thing with Michael. “Oph knows a little,” Otto deadpanned, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. If only he freakin’ knew how painful that whole conversation had gone. “My mom knows… something? But, I just kind of told her to let me blossom by myself.” The phrasing would be totally weird if Michael hadn’t been a staple in her life for as long as she could remember. The Meeks’ matriarch was always speaking in practical Hallmark movie terms, and Otto had unfortunately started catching onto things. “I think I’m going to though,” Otto paused before she was shrugging her shoulders and melting back into a cuddling position with him. “Like, you know, tell them that you’re like,” a pause as Otto knitted her eyebrows together and laughed softly at herself. “That we’re like, you know, a thing. Or something.” She could already feel her cheeks reddening at the difficulty in which these things were coming to her. Otto was an emotional person. She prided herself on feeling feelings well and not trying to repress them like a lot of people her age did. But whenever it came to feelings that mattered? With Michael’s eyes boring into her soul? It was hard. After a couple seconds, Otto sat up before she was staring at Michael’s bedroom door, almost willing his mom to come in and interrupt what she was about to say. “I like you. Like, I like this.” No Mrs. Chang yet, crap. Glancing back at Michael, Otto shrugged her shoulders before she was sighing. “I really like you, I think,” she whispered, her eyes meeting Michael’s before she was offering a small smile. Crappy, but she could work with it. 

While Michael would never be the type of person to care about the rumblings coming from the Muck or JBI Jr, he was always going to be mildly offended every time he was mentioned. Especially, if he was mentioned alongside Otto. He had a firm belief that everyone should stay out of his business and just because they were figuring out their feelings and being more public with how they felt about each other, didn’t mean Michael was ready to take out a full-page advertisement in the Muckraker. He nodded his as she confirmed who knew about them in her family and was slightly shocked when she admitted her mom was onto them. Clearly, neither one of them was all that good at keeping things under wraps when it came to their families. “You are?” He questioned at her saying she was going to tell her family. He was definitely surprised. They had both struggled with being forthcoming about their feelings these days, especially her, so he hadn’t been expecting her to be ready to start being honest with their families. “We’re a thing?” He teased with a slight smirk. He could tell just how nervous she was, and figured some light joking might help ease her nerves a bit. But this was Otto, and he knew once she was feeling nervous about something, it would be hard for her to shake that feeling. He kept his eyes on her, watching as she sat up and pulled away from him, a frown pulling across his face in response to the loss of contact. The frown didn’t last long as the next words from Otto’s mouth brought a slight smile to his lips. “You really like me?” He echoed, letting out a deep sigh of relief. “I really like you too,” he admitted, keeping his eyes on hers. He pulled his gaze away from hers for a moment, just to make sure they weren’t about to be interrupted again before bringing it back to fall on her. “If you want and if you’re ready for it...” He trailed off, as he paused to clear his throat. “You could tell your mom I’m your boyfriend. If that’s what you want. I mean, it’s what I want. I want to be your boyfriend.”

Over the course of the last couple weeks, Otto hadn’t noticed a lot of changes in her friendship with Michael. Sure, she knew all about the feelings that Michael was currently and had been harboring for her and they had progressed their friendship into a more… friends with benefits category? She wasn’t sure what to call it, but it had been nice. What hadn’t been nice was the obvious change in their friendship since Candyland. Michael was behaving per usual, but Otto felt like she was going crazy. Even as the two were sitting on his bed and trying to work their way through homework, she could feel her eyes glancing over to him a lot more often or thoughts of how long it had been since they kissed were ravaging her brain. It was exhausting. It was a lot. It was addictive. But that just meant she was in a world of her own, so whenever Michael started moving out of their usual homework position and into something more comfortable, Otto all but threw her books off the bed. “Same,” she answered with an excited smile before she was laying down next to him and immediately cuddling close. This was what she needed. Maybe it had been her actually telling Lemon about her feelings for Michael or maybe it was just her comfort level finally syncing up to a good place, but this felt natural. “Movie in a second,” she said as she grabbed the remote, setting it on Michael’s stomach before she was looking back at him. “Did you tell your mom about us?” It wasn’t that Otto would be upset about such a thing, but questions had to be asked after Mrs. Chang had nearly barged in 4 times over the course of the last half hour. It was sweet, really, but enough to leave Otto feeling like she could have an anxiety attack. She needed to figure herself out - and fast.

It was safe to say that Michael was consistently embarrassed by his family. Whether it was his mom trying to force family karaoke nights on them or his dad finding excuses to mention his dance moves at the dinner table. They were just embarrassing. But the way his mother kept finding ways to check in on him and Otto throughout the night had annoyed and embarrassed Michael more than usual. Especially since they were just studying, as per usual, and nothing out of the ordinary or overtly romantic was going on. However, he was sure his mom would pop in a few more times before Otto went home. It was easy to push those annoyed thoughts out of his head as she cuddled into his side. He was a little surprised when she didn’t jump at the chance to force him to watch a musical, immediately staring down at her with a confused look as she placed the remote down on his stomach. “Oh,” he breathed out, his mouth morphing into a quick awkward grimace. “She asked Sam who I was taking to Candyland and he snitched,” he chuckled out, shaking his head. His mother was the last person he would have come clean about their relationship to. In all honesty, Michael’s need for a label was just about the two of them. He wanted to be sure of her feelings. He didn’t want anyone else in their business. It wasn’t about fluffy Instagram posts or holding hands down the hallway. He just wanted to be sure that his feelings were reciprocated in full. “But I haven’t said anything to her. She’s just being extremely snoopy,” he teased as he sent her a small smile. “I haven’t given my family any details or anything. Have you?”

𝐖𝐇𝐎: michael chang iii & @ottomeeks​​​​

𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐍: friday, feb. 19 evening

𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄: chang household

Things with Otto hadn’t changed too much since Valentine’s Day. At least not for Michael. He still felt just as crazy about her as he did before. The only thing that changed was that over the course of their studying in his room, they both happened to steal a few kisses here and there. Michael, in particular, was having trouble focusing on his calculus homework because he just wanted to close the book and go back to making out, but his mom was making the rounds through the house and could have popped in at any moment. Or Sammy could have popped in and interrupted. Either way, it had never annoyed him more that he had the world’s nosiest family members. Rumors around his house had been swirling since Valentine’s Day that something was going on with Otto. Rumors, he was never going to forgive his brother for. But since then, his mother had stopped in to check on them a dozen times already throughout the course of the evening. After closing his calculus book, he leaned over from his bed and reached out to close the door, tired of the awkwardly planned intrusions. It wasn’t long before he was lying back on his bed and offering out his arm for Otto to cuddle up close to him. “I think I’m all studied out,” he sighed out with a soft chuckle. He used his free hand to reach over and grab his remote before passing it over to her. “You can pick a movie if you want,” he shrugged with a soft smile. “I will even sit through Mamma Mia again.”

Once they pulled into the Breadstix parking lot, Otto couldn’t help but feel some small anxieties about what their night was going to entail. She was sure everyone was going to have their questions, especially with how touchy the pair had begun. How was she supposed to answer questions that she didn’t even know the answers too? Did she like Michael? Of course. He had always been someone special in Otto’s life, but now that things had taken a turn for the romantic? She was scared. She wasn’t good at this sort of thing, and if she failed at this, she lost Michael. It was a high stakes situation, but wasn’t any relationship? She felt lucky whenever Michael began to speak, ripping her from her mental state of despair. She was making a mess of a beautiful moment - and possible relationship. What she hadn’t been expecting though, was the feeling of his lips on hers. Otto sighed against his lips as she brought her hand up to rest against the side of his neck, never wanting this moment to end. Things were so much easier without labels and intense conversations, but if it meant getting more of Michael in this way? How was she going to say no. “You can kiss me inside of the madness too,” she offered, knowing that her encouraging words weren’t helping with the whole confusion issue at hand. “She did say ‘tea’,” Otto admitted with a laugh before she was nodding her head in understanding. “I-I know though. I’m fine with that. People can,” she paused for a moment, trying to figure out just how high she was flying into this moment. “They can think whatever they please. I’m not going to act any differently because of that.” Why did things have to get messy and confusing if they just simply added a label onto what they were doing? It wasn’t a big deal. Just because ‘boyfriend’ seemed like a scary word didn’t mean that it had to be scary whenever Michael upgraded to that. He was special and he deserved to feel that too. “I don’t want to lose you?” The words came out of her mouth staged as a question before Otto was sitting back in her seat and trying to calm her nerve. “I like you and I don’t want things getting weird.” Maybe she was being overdramatic about her fears, but at least she was finally speaking them. Michael deserved that much.

The last place Michael wanted to have a heart to heart with anyone was the Breadstix parking lot. Well, the last thing Michael ever wanted to do was have a heart to heart in the first place. It just wasn’t something he was used to. But being open and honest with their feelings was something that both he and Otto kind of had a hard time with, especially when it came to being romantic. He wasn’t really a boyfriend type of guy. Every relationship he’d ever had, usually ended up with arguing about how he closed off he was, but he didn’t want that to be the case for them. Even if it wasn’t technically a relationship, he was trying to be more upfront with her. The idea of venturing into a relationship with her and making things official should have scared him more, but it didn’t. His heart had always belonged to her, and now it was just time for his head to catch up to that. He listened to her, letting out a sigh of relief as she voiced her concerns. ”You won’t lose me,” he spoke up, clearing his throat. “I don’t really know how things are going to go,” he admitted, dropping his gaze to their locked hands for a moment. He couldn’t really make any promises about how things would go if they took the plunge and made things official, but he knew that there wasn’t a chance he would ever not be a part of her life. “But you could never lose me, Otto. I’m never going anywhere,” he assured her before letting out a deep breath. “We don’t have to label anything,” he said with a slight shrug. “If that scares you then we don’t have to do it. We can call us whatever you want.” Otto was the most important person in his life, there was no arguing that, so he would do just about anything to make sure she was comfortable. “Come on,” he said with a slight nod, before releasing her hand, so they could both get out of the car. He reconnected their hands as he met her on the passenger side of the car, beginning to lead her to the entrance. He paused for a moment, before turning to her with a small smile. “Call me your boyfriend or your Michael, or whatever. It doesn’t matter. I’m all in and I’m not going anywhere,” he mumbled out, before pressing another small kiss against her lips and heading inside to join their friends.

Otto felt incredibly thankful whenever Michael was quick to whisk them away to his car. She knew her mother and the woman loved to talk in almost an unhealthy kind of way. It was even worse whenever her dad had been absent from home for a while. But once they were both settling into the car and a comfortable silence fell over them, Otto felt completely at ease once more. Regardless of the question mark hovering over the two of them, Michael was forever and always going to be a place of safety and comfort for her. “Mhmm,” Otto hummed out as she felt a flutter of nerves emerging inside of her stomach at his question. Maybe the question mark was going to turn into something a whole lot more recognizable sooner than she thought. It was always easy talking with Michael, especially considering how open and honest he was about his feelings and thoughts. They were the type that could talk for hours, and constantly did - and this moment was no different. She could tell how complicated and hard this subject matter was for him to talk about, which brought nothing but comfort for her own insecurities. “Yeah?” She offered weakly, trying to buy herself even a moment of time to try and figure out her course of action. It had become glaringly obvious over the last week that Michael’s feelings were mature enough to turn into something much greater than they ever had been before, and while Otto wasn’t entirely sure just how deep her emotions went for him, she wasn’t in the business of losing him. “You’re the first guy that’s ever made Valentine’s Day feel like it looks in the movies,” she said with a strong confidence emerging in her words. Regardless of confusions and complications (she had left without saying goodbye to Ophie for a reason), Otto knew that much was true. Michael was being far more charming than he ever had before. Without much else of a warning, Otto was reaching over and grabbing his free hand and lacing their fingers together before she was talking softer, “I’m really happy to be your valentine.”

The definition of their relationship may have been hanging over the two of them, but things with Otto were never awkward. That was impossible. He may have been an excited bundle of nerves, but she was always going to be his safe space. No matter what. Michael was always one to be honest when it was important. He wasn’t always willing to share his feelings at the drop of a hat, but he also knew exactly how Otto was. The two of them could avoid really talking about their feelings until the rest of the time. One of them had to step up to the plate and take the first swing. And for anyone else, he would have passed on being the one to do that. But for Otto? He would take the leap. “Yeah...” He confirmed with a nod of his head, still incredibly thankful that he couldn’t look directly at her, but he could still feel her eyes on him. Michael was ready and willing to take whatever next steps Otto wanted to take, but he wasn’t completely sure if she wanted to take any more steps. They were seniors. Maybe she was fine with just staying best friends who held hands and made out, but that was as far as she wanted to go with it. Once they graduated, they could go back to being just friends. The idea of it made his heartache. As much as he loved being Otto’s best friend, he was starting to get used to how soft her lips felt and how comfortably their hands fit together. “I’m really happy to be yours too,” he smirked as he pulled into the Breadstix parking lot. It didn’t take long to find them a space before putting the car in park and unbuckling his seatbelt with his free hand. He hadn’t let go of hers just yet. “Before we go in,” he mumbled out with a small smirk as he turned in his seat to face her. He leaned over and pressed a kiss to her lips before pulling away with a smile. “Just wanted to make sure I kissed you before the madness,” he joked as he let out a soft sigh, not wanting to lose his nerve. “We’re probably going to get a lot of questions tonight, you know? We’re here together and I sent you that valentine. I wasn’t there for that, but I’m certain Ruby said ‘tea’ when she delivered it, right?” He chuckled, before briefly pausing. “I meant what I said. I’m ready to step out of my comfort zone with you.”

TO: BIG BOI ;) 

FROM: YOUR FAVE

MESSAGE: this is for beating me in golf asshole!

After cheerios practice, Dylan linked up with Candy and made her way over to the gymnasium where the wrestling boys held their practices. When they entered, Michael sparring on the mat with Rocky Remington while their coach shouted commands at them. 

“Sorry, Coach?” Dylan said, a little too meekly, “can we have a second?” It was evident by the way no one looked their way that she’d failed to get their attention. She looked at Candy to take over. 

“HEY!” Candy shouted and clapped her hands in order to get everyone’s attention, before looking at the coach with a smile. “Sorry about that.” 

Now that they had everyone’s attention, Dylan skipped over to Michael and handed him a rose. “Hey big boy,” she greeted, a suggestive smile tugging at the corners of her lips, “this one’s from your favorite.” 

“And your message is ‘this is for beating me in golf… asshole’”.” Candy read from her paper, before stuffing it pack in her pocket and clearing her throat, and pointing at the band. “Hit it!” She yelled.

Once the music started, Candy took the first verse and Dylan took the second. They were joined in the gymnasium by the cheerios as soon as they reached the first chorus. They sang directly to Michael, dancing around him on the mat and making waves with the other wrestlers. 

When the song came to a close, Dylan smiled breathlessly and shrugged. “Happy Valentines Day, Michael Chang the third,” she said playfully before turning to Candy. 

Smiling over at Michael, Candy couldn’t help but to smile at everyone’s reactions in the gym, so she nodded. “Happy Valentine’s, Mikey! Hope you liked it.” She said, before blowing a kiss in his direction and walking off with Dylan to yet another day of serenading people in school.

The last thing Michael Chang wanted was a vocal valentine. And he definitely didn’t want one when he was wearing his practice unitard. When Dylan and Candy interrupted practice, he immediately started praying that he was not involved in this mess. He immediately rolled his eyes when clinger Hart popped over and handed him a rose. He scoffed out a chuckle when it became obvious that this valentine was from Renzo. Of course, he would do this shit to him. He frowned and crossed his arms over his chest, preparing himself for his worst nightmare.

Michael was sweet. He was probably one of the sweetest guys that Otto had ever met, which was confusing on most days. He had a certain reputation amongst their peers that had never really matched up with the way he behaved with her, but with every single nice thing that he said to her, Otto was starting to understand why that was. Tonight was no different. As Michael began talking more and more about his date plans for Candyland, Otto was starting to get the idea of where things were headed. It wasn’t until he was truly asking her to be his date that an infectious smile crossed over her lips as she nodded her head slowly. “I uh-,” she began, feeling a batch of butterflies rushing her body as her eyes rose to meet his. “I would actually love that.” It felt good. It felt nice getting to stand in front of him while he was looking at her with so much happiness. Without much else of a word, Otto was springing forward and wrapping her arms around his waist for a hug. Things felt right.

And they didn’t stop feeling right for the rest of the week. 

Candyland wasn’t the biggest event of the year, but it was definitely something important. Otto and her mom took a night after school to go shopping, trying to find the best outfit for her, while also single handedly trying to avoid any questions about who her date was. The Meeks’ had always been a fan of Michael, but adding the title of ‘date’ to her best friend? It would bring a lot of questions about the entire ‘open door policy’ being ignored whenever he had come over in the past. Regardless, things were going smoothly. It wasn’t until Otto was dressed and waiting for Michael to pick her up for Candyland that the nerves really started to set in. But soon enough, there was a knock on the door and Otto was rushing to open it before anyone else in her family could beat her to it. “Hey,” she said, a breathless laugh expelling from her lips as she took in the handsome man in front of her. “You look so good,” she giggled out, shaking her head as she bit down on her lower lip. Tonight felt like it was going to be a night to never forget, and she just hoped she was able to live up to his expectations.

😑

Michael didn’t think he would ever be excited or nervous to attend Candy’s freaking Candyland party, but he was definitely overwhelmed with a mixture of those emotions as he found himself getting ready to go pick up Otto. The only person he’d really talked to about all of this was Sammy. His parents would have been uncharacteristically annoying about all of this. Michael didn’t talk to them about girls anyway, and if he mentioned he was going on a date with Otto, it would have brought up way more questions than he really wanted to answer. So, he’d avoided all of that and had been able to sneak out of the house undetected and head to pick up his date. The pit of nerves he had in his stomach only worsened once he found himself walking up to her front door. He had done this a million times. He had knocked on that door more times than he could even remember, but he’d never really felt like this before. “Hey,” he greeted with a small smile once she swung the door open. “Yeah?” He questioned, before glancing down at his outfit. The way he looked was the least of what mattered to him. He glanced back up at her, silently kicking himself for ever taking his eyes off her in the first place. She looked incredible. “You look...” He trailed off, pausing to shake his head. “I never really know what to say anyway. But I’m struggling so much right now. You look amazing,” he breathed out as he reached for her hand. 

He knew Otto, and he knew the third degree that he was avoiding from his family was also something she was likely avoiding as well. So, he didn’t waste too much time suggesting that they head to the party. If her mom heard his voice then they’d be stuck there for another thirty minutes answering questions. He led them out to his car, making sure to open her door for her before sliding into the driver’s seat and heading off toward Breadstix. Michael wasn’t really one to open up or talk about his feelings, but things had always been different with her, and just because there was a burgeoning romance brewing between the two of them, it didn’t change the fact that he could open up to her about anything. “Can I admit something to you?” He offered up, glancing over at her before putting his attention back on the road. “I’ve never actually had a date for valentine’s day,” he shrugged as he made a right turn, knowing they already weren’t far from their destination. “Not with someone that I actually liked or whatever, you know?” He mumbled out, pausing to clear his throat. This was so hard for him, but he was thankful that they were in a car and he couldn’t look into her eyes. “You’re the first girl I’ve ever wanted to celebrate this whole thing with.”

SAMMY: DID YOU EAT THE LAST ITALIAN ICE CUP?!

SAMMY: I dibzed that one.

MICHAEL: since when do we mf dibs???

If there was one place that Otto always shined, it was on stage. Sure, she was in a place of frustration with the entire concept of the Glee club (only because of the insane rivalries that were in place) but that didn’t mean that she hadn’t given her all during their Regionals performance. She wanted to show up for her teammates… and maybe perform well enough to steal away Michael’s attention. While she wasn’t entirely sure what exactly was going on with her best friend anymore, if she could even call him just that nowadays? It was a confusing topic, but one that Otto stored back in the dark shadowy parts of her brain. Why hassle with the confusion when she could just simply live in the moment and adore every single second she was getting to spend with him? After saying her goodbyes, hitching a ride home, and changing into more appropriate clothes, Otto was more than happy to finally be in the presence of him once again. Dinner was great. The Meeks’ had always been large supporters of Breadstix, regardless of the reputation that the establishment had. However, it felt like the pivotal moment of the entire night was beginning to occur whenever they were leaving. It all started with Michael holding her hand. The blush that had appeared on her cheeks was almost ridiculous as she gave his hand a gentle squeeze. “I think you’re absolutely a show choir fan now,” she teased with a wide grin as she leaned over and rested her forehead against his shoulder for a moment. Once she straightened back up, it wasn’t lost on her how she was walking a whole lot closer to Michael. “But thank you. And thank you for always coming to support me. I don’t voice my appreciation about that enough.” Truth be told, Michael had always been the best and most supportive of his friends. While it would send her down a mental breakdown to realize just why that was, Otto was trying not to pinpoint that reason right now. Had she really been so daft to not notice his feelings all this time? “Have I thought about it?” Otto asked with her eyebrows raised before she was nodding her head gently. “I definitely want to go… I just am not sure how firm the whole ‘date required’ thing is,” she explained with a soft bout of laughter escaping her lips. “What about you? Have a hot date for it?” 

Michael’s feelings for Otto had always been there. Just like white noise. They always been there, just bubbling under the surface. They weren’t always obvious to him. It wasn’t immediately clear why she made him laugh and smile when literally no one else could. He didn’t immediately notice the way she made his heartbeat quicken or how those smiles she brought out of him were just so specifically reserved for her that it felt foreign to laugh around anyone else. As unexpected as they were, feelings for Otto just slipped into his life. And it didn’t stop surprising him that she felt the same way. The fact that they were currently on a date, or at least, what he considered to be a date, still had him reeling. He figured things would feel different now that things were technically different between them, but it didn’t. Everything felt normal. Just like they were hanging out as usual, but their fingers were intertwined. “You won’t see me rocking a New Directions t-shirt anytime soon,” he sighed out. “I’m just an Otto Meeks fan,” he teased with a small smile creeping onto his face. As she leaned onto him to thank him, he shook his head at her words and shrugged. “You don’t have to thank me. I guess...” He trailed off, pausing for a second as he tried to collect his words. “I like being in the audience for you. I like seeing your face when you win. I like being there for you.” And that was the truth. Even if he had to sit through show choir competitions, he really was Otto’s biggest fan. Sure, he preferred her videos more than having to hear show tunes, but he was always going to support her. “I think the whole date thing is a definite requirement. Candy’s insane,” he explained with another shrug of his shoulders. “I kind of have a hot date in mind. If she’s interested...” He mumbled out, followed but a bout of nervous laughter. “Valentine’s isn’t really my top holiday or anything. But I like the way things are going with us and I wouldn’t mind showing off my bad dance skills with you. Do you want to go together?”

“nice is boring,” gianna sighed as she continued to scroll through michael’s messages. when she came across another name, her finger paused over the screen. “rocky,” the name rolled off her tongue. “he’s cute, but he seems like his bark is bigger than his bite. what’s his story?” it was safe to say they were both well aware that gigi had no intention of pursuing rocky, chad, or any other bumbling fool that stumbled across the mckinley hallways. michael had been around long enough to know the ins-and-out of the davis goolsby saga, regardless of whether he wanted to or not, which meant he ultimately knew that every time gigi spiraled on about new boys, she almost always ended up back in davis’ arms. a vicious cycle that had no end in sight.  “i’m trying to be in your business,” gigi counterd, an annoyed sigh escaping her lips. “but you’re so damn boring it’s nearly impossible.” in a way, that was kinda why their friendship even worked in the first place. gigi was chaotic, nosey, and blunt to a fault… and michael’s quiet demeanor was a calming source, even if it wasn’t always welcomed. “we’re hanging out or whatever,” she mocked as she dropped his phone into the cup holder, a smirk spreading across her lips. “when are you gonna stop acting like you’re not the world’s biggest simp for her?” anyone could tell by one glance at michael and otto that there was more than ‘just hanging out’ going on. “if you don’t snatch her up, someone else will,” gigi was sure of that. “trace and i are going to candyland together,” she stated simply. “sang to me at the mall and everything.” the smile was still ever present on gigi’s lips as she turned to her friend. “you’re taking me to heidi’s, right?”

Michael rolled his eyes at Gi’s sentiment, but it didn’t mean he didn’t fully agree. Nice was boring, for the most part, especially nice dudes. That Forest Gump shit was really lame, but as someone who surrounded himself with nice girls, he had to admit that Otto and Jaz were pretty great. His face folded into another frown as she started talking about Rocky. The thought of them together made him roll his eyes once again. Gi was obviously hung up on hair gel Davis and he was pretty certain that Rocky was either hung up on annoying Sterling or hung up on crazy Nessa. Either way, there’s no way they would be anything but insufferable and fleeting together. “Why are you pretending to be into anyone other than the Carmel kid?” He teased, shaking his head. It wasn’t like Michael made it a point to learn the ins and outs of other people’s business, but Gianna liked to talk to him about shit. She was the loud one out of the two of them, and he was the listener. He kept his eyes on the road as he pondered her words. And although, he knew she was right about everything with Otto, he wasn’t about to give her the satisfaction of telling her that. “I’m not a simp,” he shot back with a sigh. Even he wasn’t buying that. “I’m the simp, but you’re going to Candyland with Tracy?” He questioned with a scoff. He sighed at her mention of Heidi. Nodding his head, he turned in the direction of Heidi’s house and glanced over at his friend before teasing her about Trace and Davis some more. The ride to Heidi’s house wasn’t a long one, and it definitely flew by as he and Gi kept talking the rest of the route. Well, she did most of the talking and he did most of the eye rolling and scoffing. Still, the conversation flowed all the way to Heidi’ house before he dropped her off and headed home to annoy Sammy.

Something had to be wrong – not only Michael had helped him get out of the bathroom, but he was actually being nice to Joey. He really couldn’t remember a time where something like that had happened, especially since his relationship with Michael consisted on Joey following him around school, trying to talk to him, only to be left behind while the other walked into some class. Even if he had tried a couple of times before, he had stopped doing it eventually since he didn’t want to annoy the other that much. “Are you like, Michael’s nice twin?” Joey asked quietly, as he looked over at him, not sure if he should trust him or not – maybe this would turn out to be Michael’s evil twin instead and he could be in trouble. However, when the other offered to walk with him to class, Joey couldn’t help but to smile as he nodded his head and started walking with the other. He thought that the walk would just be quiet all the way through, but once Michael started talking, Joey turned his head so he could look up at him. Nodding slowly, Joey smiled at Michael. “I think I’m good, I’m kind of used to getting locked in places… One time, I got stuck in the meat locker at Breadstix and that was way worse than a bathroom. It was also part of the reason why I’m not allowed back in there.” Joey said, remembering that time and how cold he was – maybe if he hadn’t thought that they kept ice cream in there in the first place, he wouldn’t have gotten stuck. “Why are you out of your class? Is it because it was boring? Because I do that a lot…” Joey said with a small shrug, as he pursed his lips as he waited for Michael to answer him. He wasn’t sure what else to talk to him, but he was happy to at least have small talk.

😑

Despite whatever his classmates thought of him, Michael didn’t consider himself a mean guy. Grumpy? Yes. But he didn’t set out to actually hurt anyone’s feelings. He just didn’t always regard other people’s feelings. Totally different. But he figured he could at least offer Joey some semblance of kindness. It was against his better judgment because he was sure that Joey was going to start to consider them friends after this, but the guy had just been stuck in a bathroom, Michael figured he could cut him some amount of slack. “Consider this, a free pass. I’ll be nice to you for the next twenty minutes,” he explained with a shrug of his shoulders, deciding not to acknowledge his nice twin question. It wasn’t on his list of priorities to indulge Joey’s stupidity. He could find that elsewhere if he really needed to. Michael wasn’t usually much of a talker, especially when he was stuck in the same vicinity as someone he didn’t really like, but once again, he felt bad for the kid. There was something about him. As annoying and as incredibly dumb as he was, Michael just felt bad for him. “You’ve been banned from Breadstix?” He questioned with a slight look of confusion. “How does this shit happen to you? Why do people let you go places alone?” He muttered out, before adding a light chuckle at the end, so Joey didn’t think he was bullying him or whatever. That was a conversation he never wanted to have again. “I just finished my science test and I needed to take a walk,” he explained with a shrug as they kept walking in the direction of Joey’s class. “Ruby finished like twenty minutes before me. Show off,” he shrugged, shaking his head. “Maybe you shouldn’t walk out of class just because it’s boring. You might, I don’t know, learn something.”