It's not that Michael wanted a new partner to forget about his messy past relationship, the one he had just gotten out of. He was a mess, an outright nerve wreck, and he just wanted someone who loved him the way he knew he could love. Even if he would sometimes call them his ex name...

The fact that he got a new date and a new partner was exciting. Like getting into a new book, like getting to know someone from scratch. And things were going well. Really well, he could say. Everything was going fine, and he could even forget his partner was one of his ex's friends!

Until he started acting like an idiot. As always.

And then, his new partner would say something that hit too close home. Say a joke he had heard before. Talk in a way he'd been talked to before. A certain nickname, a certain attitude. Something that reminded him of...

"Hey, Trix!" He said with a big grin, approaching his lover, an arm wrapped around their shoulders. Everything seemed fine, but something was off. His partner was off. "Something's wrong, babe?"

And he was oblivious. He didn't mean to, it was obvious. But for some reason, when he looked into his lover's eyes, he could only see hers.