Work Text:
A/N: My attempt at something a little more realistic than the fantasy romance story I tend to write.
Dedication: For Featherypillow
As he gazed at the little group that was playing, he wondered how he had been dragged into it. Though he was fairly certain that the large amount of alcohol he had consumed had something to do with it. He was also sure that he'd have the hangover from hell in the morning. It seemed that Michael was the only sensible one among them, as he had not drunk anything.
In fact he felt quite sorry for Michael. They were sitting close together, as they were playing in a team, and he probably reeked of the beer he had been drinking. He groaned as one of the teams of girls decided to choose him and his partner.
"Okay, Michael and Nick, it's your turn. Truth or dare?" After a brief discussion they decided on,
"Dare."
The girls looked way too happy about the fact they had chosen dare. There was a moment of consideration before Sandy issued the dare.
"Right, you two have to kiss, and we want to see tongues."
Michael looked up at Sandy and glared at her. He had confided in the brunette, she knew he was deeply attracted to Nick. He had also told her that he was *not* going to tell Nick. Because he knew that the other man was definitely straight and he did not want to risk losing his friendship.
Nick looked almost frightened when Michael winked at him. However he needn't have worried, for Michael simply poked his tongue out at the girls before proceeding to kiss him on the cheek.
A few hours later the girls had left. Nick hadn't because he had drunk way too much and the other man had refused to let him leave, insisting that he stayed in the spare room. Which is where he was now.
Michael watched him from the doorway. He knew what Sandy had meant to do earlier; she'd wanted to give him a taste of the one thing he wanted most. But instead he had passed up the opportunity. But if it meant keeping his best friend as his friend then that is what he would do.
He smiled wistfully at the figure on the bed before going off to his own. It was human nature, he reflected, to want what you couldn't have. And it was sod's law to be in love with someone that you knew would never love you back.
FIN