tw for self harm, magic au. jeremy's family can control water, michael's family can control fire. 

Age 6

    "You are never to speak with that boy Michael again, alright?" His mother told him on one knee, holding the little boy in front of hers shoulders. 

    "B-But why not?" Jeremy whimpered, twiddling his thumbs in his hands as they stood outside the familiar nursery school.

   "He comes from a family of fire, we are water. They simply don't mix." She smiled, getting up and motioning Jeremy to follow after her. Jeremy followed, looking back to a small Michael with a large frown evident on his lips.

   The next day, Jeremy was quick to tumble back over to Michael. He had almost forgotten what his mother had told him the day before, and he could care less as he admired the others bright red shirt.

   "It's so cool!"

    "It's just a shirt..." Michael giggled, tugging at his shirt a little.

   "But it's red! I don't own anything red..." Jeremy said, noticing how his family only dressed in shades of blue and greys, not recalling any red hues on his closet racks.

   "Well... I have another just like it! I'll bring it in tomorrow and you can have it!" Jeremy's mouth fell open, then hugging Michael.

    "Thank you!" He squealed, jumping up and down on the colorful carpet. 

    Anger wasn't a word strong enough to describe Jeremy's mothers emotion when she saw her son come home wearing a red shirt.

    "Did that boy give this to you?"

    "Huh?"

    "You know who I'm talking about! The Mell boy!"

    "I-I..."

    "Give me that right now." She growled, taking the shirt from the hands of a trembling Jeremy. She threw him a blue shirt from his closet, frowning.

    "I told you no more of Michael." Were the last words she uttered before leaving the room. Jeremy heard his parents fighting in the next room over, whimpering and crying silent tears through the rest of the night.

Age 12

    "My parents screamed at me again." Michael chuckled, showing a few burn marks on his body.

    "A-Are you okay?"

    "They don't hurt, just... The mental stuff is bad." Jeremy reached to hug him tightly, the floor of the abandoned house creaking beneath them. They came here almost every night, it was the half way point between their houses, and it was hidden off by trees and caution tape. A small drip came from above, and Jeremy perked up as he shaped it with his hands.

   "Dude! You didn't tell me your powers had gotten that strong." Michael's eyes shined, remembering only the other day that Jeremy had just barely been able to lift up a bit of a puddle, and now he was shaping a drop into a little heart. He splashed it onto Michael's face, giggling a little.

   "It's whatever."

   "I-I can only light a match right now..." Michael laughed nervously, staring at his fingers that glowed a soft orange and gold. 

    "That's still super cool." Jeremy added in quickly, trying to support the other however he could.

   "I don't know... I don't know if we should meet anymore, Jer." He finally murmured, looking at the ground as another drip splashed.

   "What? W-Why not?"

   "It's not safe..." Michael didn't want Jeremy to get hurt. He would do anything to protecting his friend, and if that meant keeping away from him, he would.

   "We can make it work- We'll move locations... W-We can-" Jeremy had the same silent tears streaming down his face, and when Michael looked up to him he started crying too.

   "I-I just can't..." He trailed off as he choked on his tears, feeling himself engulfed in another hug.

   "We're gonna make it work." Jeremy whispered, and Michael collapsed into the other boys grasp.

Age 18

    "I love you." Jeremy muttered simply, leaning his head on Michael's as they sat together outside on the porch of the old house they had learned to love so much.

   "Once school is over, we can move out together. We'll get a home in Japan... I've always wanted to go there." Michael whispered as he held Jeremy's hand, bringing it to his lips to kiss it.

   "And I love you too." He added, nearly feeling Jeremy smile weakly.

   "I hate pretending... I hate pretending that I despise you." Jeremy spat out, conjuring up a puddle amount of water and crushing it aggressively. 

   "I do too... I almost... I almost lit you on fire the other day." Michael hadn't meant to, but when fire sparked on his finger tips and he had been pointing to Jeremy it nearly caught on his clothing. Whenever they "fought", Michael would imagine his parents talking badly about Jeremy and he would get upset enough that incredibly hot flames sparked on his fingers.

   "Don't worry about it. I'm just glad you're here... And you're mine... And I'm yours..." Jeremy trailed on with a small laugh, tracing little shapes onto Michael's lap. 

    A loud sound came from outside, it sounded almost like something exploding. Then soft crackles as heat started raising in the building. 

   "W-What was that..." Jeremy whimpered, starting to shake as he gripped onto Michael. Michael snarled, his body lighting up in colors. Michael's eyes flashed in pain, pulling Jeremy by the collar and into a deep kiss before furrowing his brows together and pulling away harshly.

   "They're here. We have to go. Now." Michael stood up quickly, holding his hand out to Jeremy and feeling the other take it as they trekked to the staircase. It was already engulfed in flames and Jeremy whimpered, thinking quickly and summoning water to start shooting at the flames.

    "I don't know how long I can hold it for..." Jeremy whimpered, trying to make his way shakily down the falling stairs and screaming as one fell beneath him. Michael caught him by the shoulders, then letting go as Jeremy let out another scream. Michael was on fire. He was engulfed in bright blue flames, but seemed otherwise completely fine. All that he knew is he had to get out before he hurt Jeremy. 

    And that is why he ran down the stairs and out of the burning house, leaving a small trail of flames behind him as he ran down the street. Leaving Jeremy alone, in the midst of the burning. 

    Jeremy made it out alive, collapsing into his mothers arms and wheezing deeply. 

    "Thank you. They needed it." Jeremy's mother said to Michael's mother, both exchanging a quick glance and nod as they walked their separate ways.

    "H-He ran away..." 

   "I know, I know... He's a horrible boy from a horrible family. He probably started the fire when you weren't looking then left you to be killed."

   "No-"

   "Yes, he did." Her voice was stern, summoning some more water to put on the clothes that lay over Jeremy's body.

   "I left him, Mom... I left him."

   "For the better, honey. You did the right thing, he didn't deserve to be saved."

   "No-"

   "Yes. It's better this way." Michael's mom nearly hissed, bringing him a bowl of hot soup.

   For the rest of high school, both of the boys families had moved far away from each other. Jeremy cried everyday, disintegrating all the photos of him in Michael in water. Michael burned everything that reminded him of Jeremy, and he started to burn his arms more. It didn't hurt, but the designs helped him calm down, or at least he supposed they did.

   Jeremy didn't think he could ever fall in love again. Michael didn't think he could fall out of love with Jeremy. They were right.

Age 19

   "N-No... It's not..." Jeremy went pale as he saw a familiar red shirted boy, but now the shirt had turned into a hoodie that fell over his arms.

   "J-Jeremy I-" Michael was engulfed in a hug, followed by tears and then nothing.

   "You left me to die."

   "I didn't mean-"

   "I thought we meant something..."

   "We do! I would have killed you if I didn't run!" He yelled back, earning a few stares from people nearby in the park. Jeremy had traveled to New York City for vacation with his family, and managed to get out to Central Park to spend a few hours alone.

   "You..."

   "I was blue. W-Water longs for fire... It sensed more than one water presence a-and it got aggressive. I didn't want your spirit to be drawn to mine and... And..." Michael choked on his words, feeling Jeremy's hands in his own and breaking out into sobs. Jeremy pulled both of them into an alleyway, tears falling down his cheeks as he pulled Michael into a long and needed kiss. He brushed the hair from his eyes, taking in as much of Michael as he could.

   "Y-You saved me... I never believed what they said! I never... I knew it couldn't be true." Jeremy choked on his tears, falling into Michael's arms.

   "They told me it was for the better... But how is it for the better if I can't be with you?" He murmured, kissing the top of Jeremy's head.

   "Remember that stupid thing w-when we wanted to move away together?"

   "Y-Yeah?"

   "Let's do it. Right now. Let's take the next plane out of here and go anywhere." Jeremy breathed deeply, anxious for Michael's response. Michael looked shocked, but nodded slowly.

   "Yes. I have enough... Together we should have enough. But we're taking the train. I don't trust myself with something I could-" In a matter of moments, both of them were suddenly much closer to each other. Neither could explain it, the walls hadn't moved closer and they certainly didn't have another person near them.

   Now adorned on Michael's back were an almost water like pair of wings, while Jeremy had flaming wings on his.

   "I-I think that means..."

   "That whoever's out there... I-Is okay with us." Michael said through a laugh, bringing in Jeremy for another kiss.

   "Let's go?"

   "Let's go." Their hands connected as they shot up into the sky together, laughing at the world below them.

    This is what love was.

//

a.n: okay next part is gOnna be smthng y'all are thirsty for (and i mean im thirsty for it too but,,) hnng