Leah cleared her throat, suddenly very aware of the three pairs of eyes locked onto her like she was the final contestant on some family-judgment game show. She stepped forward, slipped her hand into Mike's firmly, and tugged him toward the door.
"Okay, we're going now," she announced, trying to sound casual rather than desperately seeking escape.
Sue smiled, warm and approving. "Have a good time, you two."
Harry stood up half an inch straighter, arms folding in a way that was supposed to look relaxed but radiated pure dad-level threat. "Be back before ten."
Leah didn't even acknowledge him. She simply opened the door wider and pulled Mike halfway through it.
Before she could drag him the rest of the way to freedom, Mike twisted back, lifting a hand in a polite wave. "Bye, Mrs. Clearwater! Seth! Mr. Clearwater…"
His gaze landed on Harry last, and he somehow managed a nervous, earnest smile. "And, uh… don't worry. I'll bring your daughter back early."
Harry narrowed his eyes, ignoring the sharp elbow Sue immediately dug into his ribs. "I'll hold you to that," he said gruffly.
Sue shot him a look that said "What did we discuss?" But Harry pretended not to notice.
Then Leah tugged Mike fully out the door, shutting it behind them with a decisive click, as though sealing off any further parental commentary.
Outside, the cool air hit them, and Mike let out the breath he'd apparently been holding.
Leah sighed and finally released his hand. Then she turned to him with an unimpressed look, arms crossing lightly over her chest.
"You're early," she said. "I told you six, Mike. Six. I wasn't even half ready when you showed up, I had to throw on the first thing I found."
Mike blinked at her, confused for half a second, then his face softened into pure sincerity.
"I couldn't wait," he admitted. "I was too excited."
Leah's expression faltered just slightly, just enough for him to notice before she smoothed it back into something calmer.
"And," Mike added, rubbing the back of his neck, "you really don't have to worry about what you're wearing. Seriously. You look perfect like this."
Leah stared at him, caught off guard. A slow, reluctant smile tugged at the corner of her mouth, like she was trying very hard not to let it happen and failing anyway.
"Idiot," she muttered, but it didn't have any bite. In fact, it almost sounded pleased.
She nudged his arm with her shoulder. "Come on. Let's go before my dad finds a reason to drag you back inside."
They got into Mike's mountaineer. Leah buckled in, settling comfortably, while Mike tried very hard to act like he wasn't internally combusting from having her in the passenger seat.
Once they pulled onto the road, Mike cleared his throat. "Uh, mind if I put some music on?"
Leah shrugged. "Go ahead."
He flicked on the radio and switched to his playlist. A second later, the opening piano notes of A Thousand Miles filled the car.
Mike lit up. "Oh yes. I love this song."
Leah turned her head slowly, giving him the most unimpressed look known to mankind. "White Chicks? Really?"
Mike grinned, completely unashamed. "Come on," he said, leaning slightly toward her. "Sing with me. Turututurututun~" He tapped the steering wheel dramatically. "And I need you… turututurututun~and I miss you…"
Leah tried, really tried, to keep a straight face, but the corner of her mouth betrayed her. Then the rest followed, soft at first, then louder.
"And now I wonder…"
Mike shot her a triumphant smile, and she rolled her eyes but didn't stop singing.
For the first time since leaving the driveway, the tension of her parents' scrutiny melted away. The car filled with music, laughter, and the kind of easy warmth that made an hour-long drive feel like five minutes.
…
They pulled into the Port Angeles theater parking lot just as the sun dipped behind the buildings, leaving everything in that soft blue pre-evening glow. Mike hopped out quickly, maybe a little too quickly, and jogged around to open Leah's door for her.
She raised an eyebrow as she stepped out. "Fancy."
"I try," he said, trying very hard not to trip over air.
Inside, the lobby smelled like butter, sugar, and questionable carpeting. Posters lined the walls, and a few families milled around. Leah wandered toward the display of movie listings while Mike pretended he wasn't watching her more than the board.
"Hm," she said, scanning the showtimes. "We've got options."
Mike followed her gaze, and nearly choked when he spotted the familiar title.
"Hitch!" he blurted, pointing at it with all the subtlety of a foghorn. "We have to watch that. Trust me, you're gonna love it."
Leah blinked at him. "You've seen it already?"
His brain helpfully supplied: 'Yes, like a thousand times in my other life. I could recite half the script if legally allowed.'
But obviously he couldn't say that.
So he shrugged with practiced innocence. "Nope. But it's Will Smith. Do you need any other reason?"
Leah stared at him for a second, then slowly lifted her shoulders in a conceding shrug. "Fair enough."
Mike grinned, probably too widely, but he couldn't help it. This date was already going better than any date had the right to.
"Alright then," Leah said, stepping toward the ticket counter. "Let's see if your taste in movies is actually good."
"Oh, my taste is impeccable," Mike declared.
She gave him a sideways look. "You listen to A Thousand Miles unironically."
"And that," Mike said proudly, "is exactly why you can trust me."
Leah snorted.
And with that, they went to get their tickets.
…
The lobby concession stand was buzzing with the usual pre-movie chaos, kids begging for candy, someone dropping a cup, the smell of freshly popped popcorn wafting like a trap meant specifically for Mike.
He stepped up to the counter with the confidence of a man about to commit financial irresponsibility.
"One giant caramel popcorn," he said.
Then he paused.
"Actually… make that two."
The teenage cashier stared at him like he'd just declared war on his own insulin levels. Leah stared at him even harder.
"And a large cola," Mike added before turning to her with a smile. "Okay, your turn. What do you want?"
Leah pointed at the two monster-sized tubs next to him. "Didn't you already choose for me?"
Mike blinked. "What? No. Those are mine."
"…Both of them?"
"Yeah," he said, completely serious. "Trust me, this isn't even enough to fill between my teeth."
The cashier snorted. Leah shook her head slowly, like she was reevaluating every decision that had brought her to this exact moment.
"Fine," she said, stepping up. "One giant caramel popcorn, and a large Pepsi."
Mike made a strangled, offended noise. "Pepsi? Pepsi? When there's cola?"
"Yes," Leah said flatly. "Because Pepsi is better."
"Heresy," Mike whispered dramatically. "Absolute heresy."
"Cry about it."
They bickered the entire walk to the theater doors, Mike defending Coca-Cola like it was a religion, Leah mocking him for having "the palate of a Victorian chimney sweep."
By the time they found their auditorium, Mike was laughing and Leah was rolling her eyes with a smile she couldn't hide.
They found two seats near the back, close enough for privacy, not so far back they'd look like teenagers making out during a Pixar movie.
Leah settled into her seat, setting her soda in the cupholder and her popcorn in her lap.
Mike tried to do the same… and failed. His arms were too long, his legs too cramped, and two massive buckets of popcorn were not ergonomically compatible with a normal human seat.
He finally managed to put his soda in the cupholder and one bucket on the floor between his legs.
Leah glanced at him, smirked, and whispered, "Comfy?"
Mike stared down at his popcorn. "…This is my life now."
Leah snickered, nudged his arm with hers, and the lights dimmed.
The movie was about to start.
…
They watched the opening of the movie quietly at first, the glow of the screen washing over them as the theater settled into that soft hush of collective anticipation. The intro played, the narration rolled, and then…
Albert Brennaman appeared.
Clumsy, nervous, dropping things like gravity was personally out to get him.
Leah snorted loudly.
She leaned toward Mike and whispered, "Wow. They really captured your essence."
Mike didn't even pretend to be offended. He just nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah. He looks like a good guy, doesn't he?"
Leah blinked at him like she hadn't expected that answer. Then she smiled.
The movie rolled on, and eventually it reached that scene, the one where Hitch dangled his keys and urged Albert to "show him the magic." On-screen Albert panicked, overthought, and then, in an act of pure chaotic instinct, kissed Hitch right on the lips. Leah burst out laughing mid-bite.
A puff of popcorn shot out of her mouth like confetti. She covered her face, mortified but still laughing, and turned to Mike. "I could totally see you doing something that stupid."
Mike gasped dramatically. "Would that be a bad thing? I mean, that's Will Smith, right there. The man who saved us from aliens. I would be honored to give him a kiss."
Leah shook her head, still grinning. "You're unbelievable."
The rest of the movie was an easy rhythm, laughing at the same jokes, nudging each other when something ridiculous happened, sharing both giant buckets of popcorn until Mike somehow, impossibly, demolished both of his and half of hers without realizing it.
When the credits finally rolled and the lights came back up, Leah stretched her arms over her head.
"That was really good," she said as they stepped into the hallway. "You were right."
Mike looked smug. "I usually am."
She ignored that. "Seriously, though. I can't believe you actually put away all that popcorn."
Mike opened his mouth to reply, but she cut him off, pointing accusingly at him.
"And you ate half of mine!"
He looked down at his hands like the evidence might still be there. "…In my defense, I'm growing. Like… aggressively."
Leah rolled her eyes. "You're a menace."
"A hungry menace."
She shook her head, but her smile was soft and warm. The kind that told him he wasn't actually in trouble.
And that the date was going very, very well.
…
Outside the theater, the night air was cool and a little damp, the sidewalks buzzing with people drifting between stores and restaurants. Mike and Leah walked side-by-side, letting the post-movie glow settle in.
Then Leah's stomach growled loudly.
She stopped walking, deadpan. "…That was not me."
Mike snorted. "Oh yeah? Then who was it?"
She glared half-seriously. "You ate half my popcorn. This is your fault."
"Fair," he said, nodding solemnly. "Then I shall right my wrongs. Pizza?"
Her expression softened into a smirk. "You're paying."
"Yes, ma'am."
They ended up at a nearby pizza place with fluorescent lights and the smell of melted cheese practically radiating from the walls. When the food arrived, Leah watched in both awe and mild horror as Mike demolished two extra-large pizzas like they were warm-up snacks.
To survive the spectacle, she focused on her own order, a family-sized pizza, which was still pretty big. Mike reached across the table, hand sneaking toward her plate like a shameless thief.
She smacked his knuckles.
He yelped quietly. "I was just testing the waters!"
"Test the waters again and I'll break your fingers."
He withdrew dramatically and sulked like a kid. "meanie."
A few minutes later, she looked up to find him staring at her last slice like it was the Holy Grail. Absolutely tragic puppy-dog eyes. If he'd had a tail, it would've been wagging at Mach speed.
Leah sighed and slid the slice toward him with one finger. "Fine. Here. Before you start whining."
Mike lit up like someone who had won the lottery. "You're the best."
"I know."
After their feast, they sat for a few minutes letting the food settle. The place was quieter now, the evening crowd thinning out. Leah was relaxed, arms crossed on the table, when she saw Mike stiffen and glance at his watch.
His eyes widened. "Oh crap."
"What?" she asked, alarmed.
"It's almost ten. We have to go."
She blinked at him. "Why?"
"Your dad said to bring you back before ten. I promised I'd bring you back early and we're already late."
Leah stared for a moment… then burst out laughing. "Mike, you can ignore him. He just likes pretending he's intimidating. No one actually listens to my dad."
Mike was already getting up, shaking his head. "A man's word is sacred."
"That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard."
"I stand by it."
She groaned, but she was smiling as she followed him out. "Fine. But if he gives you attitude when we get there, I'm not helping you."
Mike flashed her a grin. "Worth it."
And together, they hurried toward the car.
…
When they pulled up to Leah's house, the porch light was still on, casting a warm circle over the front steps. They got out of the car together, walking toward the door in a comfortable silence broken only by the crunch of gravel under their shoes.
Leah turned back to him, hands slipping into her jacket pockets.
"Thanks, Mike," she said softly. "I really had fun."
Mike opened his mouth, maybe to say something smooth, maybe to say something awkward, but instead he fumbled for his car keys and started spinning them between his fingers. His foot tapped. His shoulders tensed. He looked at her, hopeful and shy at the same time.
Leah watched him for two seconds before snorting.
"Oh my God… you're really doing that?"
Mike straightened. "Doing what?"
"The… key trick. That's supposed to be the girl's move, Mike."
He deflated. "Worth a shot."
He barely had time for embarrassment before Leah grabbed a fistful of his collar and yanked him down into a kiss.
Behind the window, her family froze.
Sue practically glowed, hands pressed together beneath her chin, happy her daughter had finally moved on from her heartbreak.
Seth gagged loudly enough that Sue elbowed him.
And Harry Clearwater looked like he was seconds away from ascending to the spirit world out of sheer stress.
Outside, Leah and Mike finally broke apart. Mike blinked like someone who had just been struck by divine lightning; slow, dazzled, a little wobbly. Leah couldn't help but smile at him, cheeks warm with a pink blush.
"That was…" Mike breathed. "Woah."
Leah rolled her eyes, though her smile didn't fade. "Come on, Romeo."
She opened the door, and inside the house her family scrambled from the window to the couches, striking the most suspiciously casual poses in history. The TV wasn't even turned on.
Mike stepped inside, raising a hand respectfully toward Harry.
"Sorry for bringin' Leah back late, Mr. Clearwater."
Harry looked at the clock. It wasn't even eleven. His face relaxed into something fatherly and shockingly not murderous.
"Don't worry, son," he said. "I was just kidding."
Sue and his kids whipped around to stare at him like he'd just declared Mike his new heir.
Mike lit up. You'd think Harry had handed him the keys to the tribe.
"Well, uh, goodnight then. It's late, so I should get going."
He gave Leah one last dazed, happy smile before heading out the door, humming under his breath like he couldn't help it.
…
(Writing this chapter made me giddy for some reason and I had a hard time falling asleep afterwards. Did you like it? Please share your thoughts and show support if you did. Store your power stones here, I'm gonna keep them safe for you 🐢)