31. âCan I kiss you?â
Jonas fiddles with the hem of his shirt, resolutely not looking up at Mikael. To face them now, after what he just said⌠Heâs kind of hoping for the floor to just swallow him whole to save him any further embarrassment in front of his crush and the second best person heâs ever known (the best being Even, of course).
âJonas, can you look at me?â Mikael asks, and Jonas tries, he really does. But he canât. So he shakes his head and hangs it lower, his chin practically hitting his chest.
âI didnât mean to say that.â
âDidnât mean to say what?â
âYou know, thatâŚthat I like you.â
Mikael rests a hand on Jonasâs leg, and Jonas looks away, off towards the window. A bird flys by and Jonas tries to tell what sort of bird it is, just by looking. âOf course you meant to say it. You asked to speak to me privately, brought me in here, said you had to tell me something, and then told me you liked me and that youâve liked me for a couple of months now. What part of that was accidental?â They tease, and Jonas feels his cheeks light on fire.
âOkay, I meant to say it,â he concedes, looking back down at his lap, where Mikaelâs hand is still resting. âBut I wouldnât have if Iâd known you didnât feel the same. I donâtâŚI donât want to make things weird between us. This friendship means more to me than anything, and Iâd rather have you in my life as my friend than not in my life at all. So, can you just promise me that nothing will change? Please?â
Mikaelâs hand moves, this time to Jonasâs jaw, right where his neck meets it. âJonas, look at me. Please.â When Jonas doesnât move, Mikael moves their hand to Jonasâs chin, lifting it and forcing the eye contact. Mikael is smiling, Jonas realizes, and butterflies erupt in his stomach. âCan I kiss you?â
Jonasâs brain short circuits. âCan you⌠Huh? Can you what?â
Mikael laughs, âCan I kiss you?â
Dumbly, Jonas nods, already leaning in. Mikael leans in too, and their noses bump together from their lack of experience in kissing each other, neither of them sure which way to go. But they figure it out, and Mikaelâs lips are so soft, and Jonas never wants to stop kissing them. He wants to stay in this exact position forever and a day.
Mikael pulls back first, running their thumb over Jonasâs bottom lip. âCan I kiss you again?â Jonas asks immediately, and the smile that crosses Mikaelâs face is so beautiful that Jonas could cry. (He makes a mental note to call Isak after this is over because holy shit, this is a religious experience, and itâs all thanks to Isak that he even agreed to tell Mikael about his feelings in the first place.)
âSure,â Mikael whispers. âAs long as you donât mind if I take you out for dinner tonight, too.â
âOkay,â Jonas nods, smiling so wide that his cheeks hurt. âNow kiss me again.â