On His Own: A Sing Fanfiction

The Fall List

Johnny and Mike turned up late to practice. For reasons obvious. Buster waited at the door for them. "You're late, guys," he grumbled as they approached.
"Yeah, screw off, Moon," Mike grumbled right back.
Johnny shot the mouse on his shoulder a glare, to which he shrugged as if nothing was wrong. Why is this just normal between those two? Johnny wondered to himself. "Hey, Buster. How are you?"
"I've got a nasty headache, and my performers can't arrive on time."
"There's a reason for that, sir. With all due respect, take an aspirin and get over it."
Buster smiled a bit at that. "That doesn't sound like you. You've had Mike over for too long. He's rubbing off on you."
Johnny briefly fought the urge to cough. "Yeah, I guess so." In more ways than one..
"You feelin' okay?" Mike spoke quietly into his ear. Johnny could feel Mike's warm breath on his ear. Jeez... He slowed down, and Buster looked back for a second. Even with that headache, the koala soon jogged up the stairs two by two.
"Without you breathing in my ear, I'd be doing fine," Johnny whispered aside to Mike.
"What are you talkin' about, man?"
Johnny suddenly pushed Mike into his cheek and nuzzled him. Mike chuckled, the somewhat reserved, yet sincere chuckle he had, as if someone was going to hear and point at him for having a heart. "I'm just..getting used to being able to have feelings for you," Johnny said warmly.
Mike began to blush a bit. How can he just say that stuff so easily? He loved to hear it, but it still embarrassed him. "J-um, let's get going, kid. The boss is waiting."
"Mhm."
Johnny made his way up to the loft, but Mike didn't part and go to his own rehearsal room. Johnny wasn't off-put. He loved to be around Mike. With only 2 weeks left until the first performance, Johnny wasn't nervous to perform for a friend.
At the top of the stairs, the pair met Buster and Ms. Crawly. "We've got an idea for you, Johnny," Buster said when they arrived. "Why don't you do.." Buster began rifling through a pocket, and eventually produced a folded piece of paper. "One of these?" he finished and handed the note to the gorilla, who was met with an entirely new list of songs to perform, several being Christmas songs, of all things.
"Um.. I have a few questions.." Johnny eventually said, looking back up to Buster.
"Christmas songs?" Mike butted in rather uncharmingly, raising a brow at the koala.
"I've already decided on a song, I can't just switch," Johnny put in, a tone of logic but also slight stress in his voice.
"No no, I don't need you to switch, I'm giving you a list for the holiday season."
Johnny soon realized it was near the start of fall, though it was still quite warm outside often.
"Do I get a list?" Mike asked. While Johnny seemed legitimately interested. Mike didn't even realize Moon figured he would have the same performers for another season. It was tough finding a reason to be upset with it, though, as he was getting paid. Unlike last time... Mike thought hotly. He didn't always like Moon or his ideas.
"Yes, Mike's list. I was gonna take it to you in your room, but this is much easier. Come to my office.
Johnny let Mike down onto the table, and he hopped down to where Buster waited and entered the office, the door closing behind them.
Mr. Moon hopped up into his office chair, spinning once, and stopping himself. Pulling open a desk drawer, he tossed the folded list over the desk to Mike. "Any questions?" he asked as Mike read it over.
"Nah, this looks good," Mike said absently, still reading the note.

Mike didn't hear Buster get down and step around his desk to meet him, so he jumped when he looked up.
"Mike."
"..Yeah?"
"I have a very important question for you."
"Gettin' right to the point, I see. Go on."
Buster shifted. "You and Johnny do seem... Significantly closer, after what happened last night. Um.." Mike was boring holes in his head.
"What's wrong with Johnny n' me?"
"Well, uh.." Buster coughed. "It wasn't my business until you had been staying at Johnny's house for quite a while. You do understand he lives in a garage by himself, right?"
"Uh, I figure I would if I've been holin' up there for what, three weeks now? I think that's right."
"Four."
"Stalker freak."
Buster's eyes narrowed. "Alright, I'll not mince words. Did you fool around with Johnny?"
Mike's face flushed. A feeling struck him between apallment and excitement. "So what if I did?"
"Oh lord.."
"I didn't. What does this have to do with anything?"
Buster cleared his throat.
"Just to be sure, you did not. Do anything uncouth. With Johnny. Right?"
Mike shifted his stance impatiently. "Has the thought ever occurred to you that I am a mouse and there is no way physically for me to make love to a gorilla? Let alone one of Johnny's size." Buster opened his mouth to retort, but soon sunk back. Mike was surprised that the koala even did that. But he crossed his arms. "Now, tell me what this has to do with this song list."
"...It doesn't."
Knew it. "Now, you're my boss, so I'm not gonna get mad at you for tryin' to get in my personal life, though I will tell you that is grossly unprofessional."
"Yeah, I know." Buster stood back up. "I just needed to know. For his sake."
That got Mike upset. "I'm sorry, what was that? Johnny's sake? He could throw me out at any second, heck, he could kill me with a single stomp if he wanted to! And yet, you think it's bad for me to be around him? You tryin' to protect him or something?"
"U-um, yes. I made him a promise to protect him if he needs it."
"Well, I don't think he needs it. While you, Buster Moon, are behind closed doors, asking underhanded things like you just did, Johnny is out there beating up a girl's stalker and doing more with himself at 18 than you ever did at 34."
"I got the theater for my 36th birthday."
"I don't care! The kid can take care of himself. End of story."
Mr. Moon fell silent. He looked out the window behind his desk, a hurt look briefly crossing his otherwise unmoved face. "Thank you for your time, Mike," he muttered and opened the door for the mouse.
"Pleasure," the mouse grumbled as he left.