"You're just here for my banana," Michael replied, smiling around the kiss until he's chuckling so much over the double entendre he has to break the contact to breathe. Not wanting to discount Eli's words, though, Michael pulls him closer and pecks his lips again. "I'm glad you do, Eli, because I really like you, too. A lot."

It was a little more than that - more than he'd ever felt in his life - but he wasn't about to scare Eli off with too much too soon. There was no need to rush anyhing; neither of them were going anywhere.