Prompt: Hi friends just here to remind you not to imagine your otp on a hammock together. Don't imagine Person B is asleep on Person A's chest and definitely don't imagine Person A with one foot on the floor so they can rock the hammock in hopes of keeping Person B asleep. – brainboxy (Google)
**Please note that I just skimmed over this, so I'm sorry if there are any mistakes**
Mike was sitting on the couch, waiting anxiously for that text he gets between 6 and 6:05 that tells him that his best friend, lover, and dweeb has lived through his morning shift. It doesn't help that today is a Friday – the worst day to work alone. But Jeremy insisted that Mike go home and get sleep so he has energy when the go to Jeremy's mom's house later today. Mike tried convincing him that he could sleep after the shift just like Jeremy was going too, but he refused, sending Mike home.
Mike didn't get an ounce of sleep that night, and now he sits, staring at his phone with so many horrible thoughts going through his mind. He was about to grab his phone and call Jeremy himself when his phone lit up with a text message.
Come pick me up :)
Mike sighed with relief and got up, heading out to go get Jeremy.
Jeremy was exhausted when he got home, just flopping down on the couch, not bothering to make the trip to the bedroom. Mike looked at him and raised an eyebrow.
"You're not even gonna go to the bedroom?" he asked. Jeremy shook his head and tried to get some shut eye before they had to leave.
"My mom w-wants us to be there by 8." He said. Mike mumbled "goddamn" before sighing and scratching the scars on his head.
"Alright, I'll wake you up in an hour." Mike barely got a nod in response. Mike put his shoes on and went out to clean his truck and make sure everything is running smoothly before they leave, because the last thing he wants is a Jeremy Fucksgerald that is close to tears because Mike's truck wouldn't work.
It's an hours later when Mike stalks back into the apartment to wake up Jeremy.
"Hey dork," he said in as gentle of a voice he could muster, shaking Jeremy's shoulder. "Time to get up." Jeremy groaned and smacked his hand away and tried to hide in the back of the couch.
"Doan wanna" he mumbled.
Mike groaned. "I know you don't want to, but you are gonna have my head if I don't wake you up now."
"Nu uh."
"Yes, you will. I'm not going through this shit again, Jeremy, so get up." Mike was losing patience fast, even though he wasn't trying to. He loved Jeremy to death, he really did, but even this dweeb can get on his nerves.
A minute passed and Jeremy thought that he was in the clear to fall back asleep, but he was so wrong. He felt himself get pulled into a sitting position, then he was thrown over Mike's shoulder.
"M-Mike!" he squeaked, hitting Mike's back with as much force as he could muster while he was still half asleep. It obviously has no effect as Mike kept walking to wherever he was taking Jeremy.
Mike opened the bedroom door and set Jeremy down in front of the closet door. "If you get ready in the next 10 minutes, we will still have time to get tea from your favorite coffee stand." This seemed to catch Jeremy's interest, as he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, then opened the closet to begin his morning routine.
Mike nodded his head and left feeling victorious. He left the room and went to grab a snack for him and Jeremy to enjoy on the 20-30-minute drive out to Ms. Fitzgerald's new house.
When Jeremy moved in with Mike about 1 year after they got together, she had enough money saved up to buy a new house that had a big lawn and plenty of trees for her to do as she pleases with gardening and such. Jeremy got her a puppy as a gift for her most recent birthday, because he didn't want her feeling too lonely in the big, empty house. Mike assured him that she would be fine, but Jeremy wouldn't listen.
Until she introduced them to her boyfriend who had moved in with her. The night guard was confused and a little irked that his mother hadn't told him about this man before he moved in, and Mike couldn't care any less. He was just happy that he could stop listening to Jeremy pout after every time he got off the phone with his mom. He could finally focus on some other important things, noises, like-
"Mike?" he heard Jeremy ask. Mike whipped around, glad that he could stop that train of thought.
Jeremy had on a pair of dark blue jeans and a black shirt that said "The book was better", with some converse and his normal hair that was too long, but Mike never forced him to cut it. He always made jokes and made fun, but never really pressured him.
"Y-You ready to go?" Mike nodded his head and threw a protein bar in Jeremy's direction, grabbing his own bar and car keys, heading out the door.
"Let's go, dweeb."
"I can't b-believe that she knew I didn't get enough sleep," grumbled Jeremy as they sat outside. Mike raised an eyebrow at Jeremy.
"When her son almost passes out when he just helps her bring something downstairs, I don't think it's that hard to figure out." Jeremy turned towards Mike with a not-very-cold glare.
"I did n-not almost pass out!" he huffed.
"You starting swaying, Jere. That is pretty close to passing out if I do say so myself." Jeremy rolled his eyes.
"What do you know about almost passing out?" Mike gained this smug look on his face as he curled his hand into a fist.
"You forget that I was the best boxer in the college. I have seen people pass out so much that it isn't even funny."
"T-That's an exaggeration and you know it, Mike." The smug look instantly turned into a cold one at the words that spilled out of Jeremy's mouth.
"Whatever," he scoffed. They went back to silence after that, just enjoying each other's company. It was a rare thing to have Mike this quiet and not be seething with anger, so Jeremy enjoys it while he can. It was a few minutes later when Mike decided to speak.
"You should really take a nap, though." Jeremy sighed and looked up at the sky.
"Yeah, I should…" He suddenly turned back to Mike with eyes that just screamed an idea. Mike didn't know if he should be afraid or curious. Maybe both.
"Let's take a nap on the hammock!" Mike stared at him with this look of pure confusion.
"Hammock?" he asked. Jeremy gave him a look of surprise, then smiled and stood up, grabbing Mike's hand.
"Come on, it's fun." Mike stood up and took his hand out of Jeremy's, but still followed close behind. They walked around the back of the house and down the path that Ms. Fitzgerald made, and followed it all the way a shaded area surrounded by trees. In the middle of the area was a hammock that was being held up by two trees. Mike gave one look at it, then gave Jeremy a look of disbelief.
"That will not hold me up," Mike said bluntly. Jeremy laughed.
"Of course it w-will, silly! It can handle children playing on it for long periods of time, it can handle a grown man lying on it." Mike gave another look to the hammock.
"Is there anywhere else you would like to take a nap?" Jeremy shook his head.
"Here or no nap." Mike growled and stared at the hammock more, thinking about his options. He knows that Jeremy is serious about not taking a nap anywhere else, and Mike can't help but wonder if it is worth the possibility that the hammock will give out under their weight – assuming that Jeremy wants them to take a nap together on this dangerous piece of string – for a simple afternoon nap.
After a long while thinking, and one last look to Jeremy, who the most hopeful look on his face, Mike gave in with a groan.
"Fine! We can sleep on the fucking death bed. But when it snaps under our weight and makes us come crashing down, possibly breaking something, I call bragging rights." Jeremy smiled and nodded his head. He walked towards the hammock, about to get on it, when a hand stopped him. He turned around and gave Mike a confused look.
"W-What?"
"If we are sleeping on the hammock, we are sleeping on it my way." Jeremy felt a small blush appear on his face when he finally realized that, yes, Mike was going to let them take a nap together, but listened to Mike non-the-less.
Mike let go of Jeremy's hand and got in the hammock, laying down and taking all the space. Jeremy gave him a confused look.
"W-where am I supposed to sit?" Mike smirked and opened his arms.
"Right here."
"Y-You expect me to lay down on top of you?" he asked, blushing. Mike nodded his head.
"Of course. It's not the first time you have laid on top of me." When Jeremy gave no answer, Mike continued. "What? Are you afraid I'm going to do something?" The smirk on his face grew larger. "There is nothing that I want to do that this hammock would be able to handle. It would definitely break under our weight then."
Jeremy's blush got brighter and he shyly walked closer to the hammock, still weary. He was afraid of his mom's boyfriend finding them, because it turns out that he still doesn't know that Mike and Jeremy were dating, and Jeremy would like to tell him before he catches them cuddling on a hammock, very close together.
While Jeremy stood there, Mike's smirk dropped as he got impatient. He grabbed Jeremy's hand and pulled him into his chest. Jeremy squeaked and huffed, finally getting the hint. He pushed off Mike's chest and climbed up fully.
Mike placed his foot on the ground to give Jeremy more room and to stabilize the hammock. Jeremy placed his head on Mike's chest and Mike placed his hand on Jeremy's back, rubbing circles.
"See, that wasn't so hard, was it?" Mike asked. Jeremy looked up and glared at him.
"I-It's embarrassing." Mike shrugged his shoulders and continued rubbing circles on his back.
"Whatever." They sat in silence for a bit, Jeremy holding Mike's other hand, playing with the fingers, when he suddenly yawned. Mike chuckled and placed a kiss on the top of Jeremy's head. "Go to sleep. If anyone tries waking you up, I'll punch them in the face."
Jeremy laughed, letting his eyes close and intertwining his hand with Mike's fully. He loved these moments when Mike wasn't anxious or angry. He wasn't trying to put up the tough guy disguise and lets himself just relax fully. Even in their apartment he doesn't relax like this unless he knows for a fact that no one can get Jeremy, which is rare since his nightmares usually make him feel like his apartment isn't safe enough for Jeremy.
This raises the question on why Mike feels much safer here. Jeremy feels like asking, but the hand on his back and the warmth coming off Mike is so soothing, he decides that he can ask later.
Mike rocks the hammock back and forth slowly, making sure that Jeremy stays asleep. He is watching the birds and squirrels run and fly through the trees, having the time of their lives. Mike thinks about how Jeremy's shift went that morning, and every time that Jeremy almost didn't make it back home to the security guard.
He held Jeremy closer to him at that though, and decided that he should take a nap too, or Jeremy is going to nag him to death when Mike tells him that he hasn't slept in more than 24 hours. He closes his eyes with a chuckle, wondering how the hell he got so lucky to have someone care about him and not be afraid of him.
With one last squeeze to Jeremy's hand, Mike falls into a nightmare-free sleep.
Sorry for the weak ending