Forever and Always - Scomiche One-Shots

New York pt. 2

It was only a little over two weeks after Scott and Mitch had returned from New York that they found themselves back in the city that now held so much meaning for them. It was for work again, but this time, it wasn't just the two of them. The rest of Pentatonix, along with Esther and Nicole, were there as well for an event they had blindly agreed to weeks ago. Scott was still wondering how the fuck they got roped into performing at a retirement party for a crayon.

Being back in the city so soon after their week together was strange, if Scott was being honest. They never got many chances to be away from everyone to be whatever they wanted to be, but when they did, it always took a while to go back to normal. It would take a day or two for Scott to remember that he couldn't just hold Mitch's hand as they walked down the street, and at least a week to remember that them cuddling in the bed couldn't mean anything more than what it was. And it was almost impossible to remember that they were simply best friends. For the time being, at least. He was finally just starting to readjust when suddenly he was thrust back into the city that held a secret piece of them. Scott's brain was struggling to remember that just because they were back in New York, it didn't mean they could go back to what they were. As much as he would love to, they weren't the only ones here and they couldn't get lost in each other again without raising suspicion.

The shared hotel room was not an option this time, if for no other reason than Esther had been the one to book the rooms and had been so used to getting them separate rooms that she didn't even think to question it. It was probably for the best anyway. Anything that kept them on the road back to normality had to be good, or at the very least, necessary.

Work related things kept them distracted and having other people about kept them from retreating into themselves. This event they had somehow found themselves in the middle of for Crayola was enough to keep them from moping about and pining for each other. But when everything had started to settle down and they were left to their own devices in their waiting area, Scott felt the need to be close to Mitch incessantly itching at him.

It felt all too natural to reach out and take a smaller hand in his. The band and their crew were immune to their inexplicable closeness by now, didn't even bat an eye when they would cuddle on the couch during arranging sessions and whisper and giggle like lovesick teens. This time, though, they were in public, and the confusion and alarm on Esther's face was justified. There were too many people about, but more importantly, there were too many cameras about. It would be all too easy for someone to snap a quick picture and have it uploaded and causing mayhem in the fandom by the time they had stepped off stage after their set. It was risky and stupid, and Scott hated it more than anything as he let go of Mitch and clasped his wandering hand in his other in front of his body, resisting all temptation to reach out again and touch what only he knew was his. Mitch's eyes flickered down to where his empty hand was left hanging uselessly between them and then up to Scott. Scott noted the exact moment that Mitch remembered they couldn't do this, not here, not now. The way his eyes dulled and his shoulders slumped, resignation settling in, wasn't something Scott wanted to see ever again.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to," Scott whispered when no one was paying attention to them.

"It's okay." Mitch shrugged noncommittally but they both knew it wasn't.

Scott brought a hand up to lay on Mitch's shoulder, hoping that it would both comfort him and look casual enough that no one would think anything more of it. Mitch sighed longingly, leaning into his touch subtly before sucking in a deep breath and pulling away all together, heading over to where the rest of the group was waiting at the side of the stage.