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"Are you sure this is a good idea?"
"Absolutely!" Jesse chirped as he marched up to his front door. "Just, uh. Don't be sarcastic. Actually, maybe don't talk at all. Or move."
Lake groaned. "Please, Jesse, just let me sleep outside. It'll be way better than this." They squeezed their eyes shut. "It's mortifying."
"It won't be that bad! My parents are great! They just… might freak out a little bit." Jesse squeezed Lake's hand tighter. "Whatever, it doesn't matter! Just, uh… don't let go of my hand."
"Very reassuring," Lake muttered, but clung tighter to their friend's hand all they same. They weren't about to risk getting separated again. Not in a million years.
Oblivious to the drama happening around him, Nate jumped up and down as he swung Lake's other hand. "Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh! I've always wanted a robot friend!"
"I'm not a robot–"
"Do you know how to play Space Cowboys? Oh, can we play Space Cowboys?! We should play Space Cowboys!"
"...oh, never mind." Lake sighed, allowing Nate to tug them in a loose celebratory dance spin (which really ended up more like a bunch of clumsy jumping, but they didn't have the heart to tell him that.) "Sure, kid. We can play Space Cowboys."
Nate shrieked, tackling Lake around the waist and squeezing tight. "You're the bestest best friend Jesse has ever made! Can you stay friends forever?"
Jesse's grip tightened on Lake's hand, his shoulders tensing. Lake glanced at him, a smile tugging at their lips.
"Well, that's kind of the plan." Lake squeezed his hand back. I'm here, and I'm not going anywhere. "Unless someone gets themselves stuck on the train again." Just try and stop me.
Jesse threw his head back and laughed, rubbing an exhausted hand down his face. I know. I trust you. "Are you ever going to let that go? And, besides, I did it to find you!"
Lake's heartbeat stuttered, a blush brushing against their cheeks. "Which was extremely idiotic, Mr Heroic." They flicked his forehead, elicting a betrayed ow! from him. "What were you thinking, you dork? You could've gotten stuck forever!"
"Yeah, but I couldn't leave you behind!"
"Well–that's–that's dumb!"
"You're dumb!"
Lake wanted to scream.
Lake wanted to kiss him.
Lake wanted–
"Why are you fighting?"
Lake and Jesse turned to face Nate, who was staring up at them with a very confused expression.
They met each other's eyes.
Were they fighting?
Or was it more like… flirting?
Oh, Lake was nowhere near ready to think about that.
"It was… playful fighting! You know, how we tease each other! Lovingly!" Jesse wrapped his arm around Lake's shoulders, pulling them way too close to be platonic and this was not the time to be thinking about this. "Like… friends… do?"
"Way to go, Captain Obvious," Lake grumbled.
Jesse shushed them. "Well, what do you want me to say?!"
"I don't know, not that!"
"We haven't even talked about it ourselves, do you just want me to admit that I like you a lot to my brother before I can even say it to you–"
"You like me?"
Jesse spluttered, turning five shades of red. "I–I thought the feeling was mutual! Was that not implied? I thought that was obvious!"
"What–yes, idiot, I like you, too!"
"Okay, good!"
"Great!"
"WHY ARE YOU YELLING?!"
"BECAUSE YOU ARE!"
"YOU–"
Nate shook his head as he opened the front door. "You two are weird," he declared, then disappeared into the house.
Lake and Jesse stood there, stunned, on the now empty porch, with the door hanging wide open in front of them.
Just… waiting.
A whole new world.
A whole new life.
A whole new Lake.
They couldn't wait to see it all.
Jesse cleared his throat. "I guess… mirrored beings first?"
Lake rolled their eyes. "Real smooth, Romeo."
"I'm trying to be a gentleman."
"Yeah, well, you're failing." Lake flicked his forehead. "You're always a gentleman."
Jesse's jaw fell open, a million different emotions crossing his face, and Lake couldn't help but snicker.
"Last one inside gets to explain everything to your parents!" Lake crowed, racing inside.
"Wha– hey!" Jesse stumbled after them, laughter falling from his chest. "Get back here! Don't make me do it alone!"
Lake just laughed, sliding to a stop and tripping Jesse. He landed flat on his face, sprawling out over his living room floor.
And although they had been here for less than three seconds, although all of this was so new, although they were still unsure…
This felt right.
Lake and Jesse, cackling over nothing, teasing over memories, and them, them, them.
It felt like a real life.
And it was Lake's.
And it was perfect.
Jesse poked their arm, brow crinkled in concern. "Hey. Whatcha thinking about?"
Lake met his hopeful gaze, warmth sparking in their chest.
All of this is so new, you know, they wanted to say. You, me, us... this life... I never thought I could have it. Be free of fear, of doubt, of pain... but I am. And it's all because of you.
And it's perfect.
"Just how lucky I am to have met the most annoying boy in my life." Lake flicked his forehead. "Duh."
Jesse made a wounded sound. "Hey! I'm not annoying–"
Lake shook their head, grinning, and punched his shoulder. "You are, you definitely are."
"You are!" Nate piped up from the other room.
Lake laughed and Jesse threw his hands up to the sky. "Oh, come on–"
Yeah.
Lake could spend the rest of their life like this.
Even as Jesse's parents came into the room and screamed at the sight of them, it wasn't nearly as embarrassing when Jesse was bent over in giggles with them.
And as hard as it was, to adjust to everything so bright and new...
...with Jesse?
It was perfect.