(no subject)

[catlover2x.livejournal.com]

Title: The Incredibly True Adventures of Two Vulgar Little Beasties in Love
Author: Catlover2x
Pairings: Nick/Greg, other
Summary: AU. Don’t kill me, it’s a short chapter, but our geeks go to the football game. Nick is a hero and Greg gets his feelings hurt.
Rating: Chapter 8: PG
Chapters: 8/17
Disclaimer: So I was talking to Greg the other day and he assured me that this whole story is true, just as he told it to me. Okay, I wasn't really talking to him so call me a liar. Therefore this is all lies.
Beta'd by the extremely elegant Liriel and the divine Miss Kennedy
Dedicated to: mangojunkie



“You’re going to the football game?”

“Yes,” Greg said defensively. “Nick asked me to and I’m going. I’d like it a lot better if you came with me but I’ll go alone if I have to.”

Sara and Archie looked at each other. None of the three friends had ever attended a game in the three years they’d been at high school. It was terra incognita for geeks.

“Greg,” Sara began doubtfully, “Football is a different universe with painted savages who speak in gibberish and outlandish harlots who flaunt their bodies to incite the savages and hulking warriors who fight meaningless battles and wear stupid pants.”

Privately Greg thought the pants were kind of hot, especially on Nick. The way they clung to his ass…

“What she said,” Archie agreed. “We might not come out alive. Geeks don’t go to football games. It’s an unwritten taboo.”

“Think of it as boldly going where no geek has gone before,” Greg urged. “We’re beaming down to this planet–”

“No fair playing the Star Trek card,” Archie objected, “Besides one of us would have to wear a red shirt and die.”

“Huh?”

“You know, the bit player security guy they take to the planet,” Archie explained patiently. “The sacrificial guy who always dies to amp the suspense.”

“This whole Star Trek analogy isn’t working for me,” Sara announced, interrupting what promised to be a long conversation, which would most likely lead into some kind of countdown on how many redshirts had died in the first season as compared to the second or third. “I don’t see why we need to waste an afternoon because you want to watch Nick kick some stupid ball around.”

“He doesn’t kick it, he’s a flanker,” Greg started, but was interrupted by Catherine joining them.

“He wants company because it’s a social thing, Sara,” Catherine cut in, giggling at the blank look on Sara’s face. “You know, you get together with people you like being with and go to an event and enjoy it together.”

“Why can’t we just go to the library? Then we could enjoy being together and do something useful,” Sara stuck to her guns sturdily.

“Don’t you ever do something just for fun?” Catherine asked with pity.

“Going to the library is fun,” Sara said. “Getting ahead of the class is fun.”

Catherine sighed. “You need to get a life. Anyway, Greg, Warrick is coming to the game and he’ll sit with you.” She turned back to his friends. “And you’re both invited too. Come on, Sara. All you do is study. You can bring Melissa, I’ve got enough tickets.”

“Did you have to pay for them?” Archie asked, planning to offer her money.

“No, the cheerleaders all get freebies. I just scrounged a couple from some of the girls whose parents aren’t coming,” Catherine said casually. She turned to Sara. “Let me educate you a little. For your information, dancing in front of people is not the same as being a harlot. It’s not immoral to be a cheerleader, you know. You really need to get out a little more, you might learn something. There’s more to education than books.”

With a flip of her long red hair, Catherine marched down the hall. Greg looked after her admiringly; her head hadn’t actually spun around, she didn’t breathe fire and yet she still managed to get her point across. Sara was looking thoughtful, if not abashed.

“Maybe it would be interesting to see what she does out there,” she mused. “I’ve always wondered exactly what cheerleaders do. I mean, they don’t really affect the outcome of the game, so why are they there?”

“Oh, Sara,” Greg sighed despairingly. “I thought maybe your outfit for the dance convinced you everything doesn’t have to be merely utilitarian. The cheerleaders are… decorative.”

“Actually they’re great athletes themselves,” Archie said wisely. “You should see some of their routines. They do tumbling and stunts and did you realise when they go up in those pyramids, their shoes actually have these little divots for finger grips along the sides–”

Sara stared at him with her mouth open and Greg nudged her in the ribs. “Judy’s a cheerleader.”

“Oh. I thought maybe Archie was going wacko.”

“Nice, Sara.” Greg rolled his eyes. It amazed him that Sara had a girlfriend.

~*~

The day of the game was foggy and chilly. Greg dressed in layers, topping off with a bulky Norwegian Fair Isle sweater Papa Olaf had given him. It was grey, with the pattern knitted in white. The banding around the neckline and front closure had a little red woven through it and pewter clasps. He thought it looked great over his turtleneck and the Hawaiian shirt hanging out the bottom. He considered his mittens, but decided against them although he did take his knitted hat, jamming it into his pocket.

He wore his red sneakers as his only contribution to team spirit, seeing as the school colours were red and gold. His long shaggy hair and eye makeup were startlingly goth by comparison, but Greg had a reputation to keep up.

He heard the doorbell and ran down the stairs, opening the door to Archie.

“Hey.”

“Hey,” he answered as they headed for Sara’s to pick her up. “Were you going to the game anyway? You seem to know a lot about cheerleading all of a sudden.”

“Yeah, I’ve been hanging with Judy since the dance,” Archie admitted sheepishly. “I actually went to cheer practice one day to watch her. There’s a lot more to it than waving a pompom and screaming Go Team!”

Greg giggled inwardly, wondering if he was as transparent about Nick. Archie had it bad. “So are you two dating?”

“Yeah, kind of. We hang out.”

“Cool.”

“You and Nick?”

Greg blushed. “We hang out.”

“Cool,” Archie said as they mounted the stairs of Sara’s house.

Mrs. Fortunati opened the door and smiled at them. “It’s so nice you’re taking Sara to the game, boys. She studies too hard and nothing we say seems to convince her to take a break.”

Sara came down the stairs, warmly dressed with a navy watch cap pulled over her wavy hair. “I have to study. Besides, it’s interesting. I’m going to be a scientist and you have to have a good base for that.”

“Of course, dear,” Mrs. Fortunati said indulgently. She kissed Sara’s cheek. “Have a good time and don’t eat too much junk.”

“I never do, I don’t choose to pollute my body,” Sara said repressively.

Archie wondered at Mrs. Fortunati’s cheerful affection for his grumpy friend. Sometimes she wasn’t even gracious to her foster mother. But then Sara turned and gave her a quick hug. Maybe it was just that Mrs. Fortunati was used to her. You had to get used to Sara to be able to like her.

Warrick was waiting for them by the grandstands with the tickets.

“Hey!”

They all exchanged ‘heys’ and found their seats. Greg was astounded at how well their fellow students treated them when they were accompanied by the large black football player; he could feel his status rising by the minute. In fact, Kristy simpered over, asking to be introduced to Warrick, probably encouraged by the fact that Catherine was with the cheer squad, instead of right by her boyfriend’s side.

Warrick was gracious but kept his gaze fixed on Catherine and finally Kristy gave up, returning to her friends.

“You think you’ll win today?” Warrick asked Greg.

Sara looked blank, but Archie and Greg nodded. “Nick says it’ll be a no brainer.”

Warrick snorted with laughter. “Good thing, considering some of the former members of the team. If they’re anything to go by…”

The cheer squad came onto the field and led by Catherine and the male co-captain, went through an impressive routine, accompanied by the ever so slightly discordant school marching band.

Catherine was the lightest girl on the squad so she topped the pyramid. Sara stood up and shrieked in dismay when Catherine dropped off the top position, turning a somersault in the air before landing in the burly arms of her co-captain, who promptly placed her on her feet.

“Sara!” Archie tugged at her rain jacket. “Sit down! She’s okay, that was a stunt.”

“I thought she fell.” Sara sat with a blush spreading over her cheeks.

“You need to get out more, girl,” Warrick said, his lips twitching slightly.

“Everyone says that,” Sara responded automatically. “What’s Catherine’s grade point average?”

“3.8, 3.9, somewhere in there,” Warrick said with a puzzled expression.

“And she has time to do this too?” Sara looked thoughtful.

“You have to maintain your grades to stay on the squad, just like the team,” Archie explained.

“And Catherine is very competitive. She’d freak if she didn’t have the highest grades on the squad,” Warrick put in. “She studies hard.”

“Maybe I do need to get out more. How does she manage to have a social life and do all that?”

“She’s just good at managing stuff,” Greg said. “She always has been.”

Warrick smiled at Greg, pleased with the praise of his girlfriend. He thought Catherine was a pretty amazing woman, hot, intelligent, beautiful and passionate, even fiery at times, but it pleased him that Greg also had a high opinion of her. Greg was much younger then he but Warrick liked him and, what would have shocked Greg even more, respected him.

Greg knew Nick’s number; it was the only thing that enabled him to find his boyfriend on the field. He knew, because Nick had told him (several times), that he was playing flanker on the offensive team, so Greg knew that when the red guys had the ball, Nick would be out there.

Nick had also told him that back in Texas he’d played tight end, but because he transferred in the senior year, it was an honour that Coach O’Reilly even had him in the starting line up and as a flanker at that. It was a tribute to Nick’s athletic ability although Nick thought it was just a favour to his high school coach, who knew Coach O’Reilly and had called him when he found out he’d be losing Nick for his senior year.

Other than that, Greg had no clue what was going on down there. Sara seemed riveted by the cheerleaders. Archie thought she was rapidly acquiring a modicum of respect for them, realising there was a bit more to their attendance than mere decoration. They really did whip up the enthusiasm of the home crowd, which seemed to affect the players positively and depress the opposition.

Greg was desperate to know if Nick was doing well. Warrick noticed his concentration and very kindly began a running commentary, not explaining the game, just comments like, “Well done, Nick. Good catch, run with it, man.”

Archie took pity on his friend and began to ask questions with the result that both geekboys enjoyed the game more than they thought they would. Warrick had the gift of explaining just enough so they could follow the game without lecturing.

At half time, Sara and Archie took off to find popcorn and soda, while Greg stayed behind to talk to Warrick. He didn’t get much of a chance because the sports reporter from the high school paper came up to interview Warrick. Once again, Greg was pushed into the background. He watched wistfully, wondering what it must be like to be granted that level of respect without having to fight so hard to get people to take him seriously.

When Archie and Sara returned, he took his popcorn and ate it morosely, wishing he could have gone to see Nick. The band made it difficult to talk as they ripped through their rendition of Tusk. Greg scowled as they ruined the classic.

The team finally took the field again and he settled down to watch. He jumped when Warrick leaped to his feet, screaming, “No! No! Intercepted!”

“Is that bad?” Archie nudged Greg anxiously.

“I think so, Warrick doesn’t seem happy,” Greg answered cautiously.

The receiver from the blue team was running toward the end zone when one of the tackles hit him hard and he went down as the ball flew upward in a graceful arc. Nick was the closest member of the home team and he strained to catch the ball, juggling it in the air precariously for precious minutes. Finally he got the ball under control and tucked it in his arm, sprinting for the other end of the field, neatly avoiding the desperate tackles of the other team.

“Yes! Yes! YES!” Warrick screamed. Greg could feel the stands shaking under the strain as Warrick danced in a frenzy of joy. He was almost knocked on his ass when Warrick clapped him on the back.

“Go, my man! Go! And touchdown!” Warrick turned and swept Greg off his feet in an impassioned hug. “He’s the man!”

“What did he do?”

Greg gasped for air when Warrick set him on his feet again.

“The opposition intercepted the ball, see? They were running for the end zone to score. Our side tackled and broke the ball loose. Nick was right there, on the spot, he not only saved the ball for our side, preventing the turnover, he ran 63 yards for a touchdown. We’re ahead!”

Greg was beaming with pride as Warrick explained it as simply as he could. His boyfriend, his, was the hero of the game!

He was struck with a sudden wave of jealousy as he noticed the other guys on the team hugging Nick and patting his butt. Why was it that if he patted Nick’s butt in public, no, not just in public, right in front of a whole fucking stadium full of their peers, he would be called faggot and be taken out behind the bleachers to get his ass kicked, but everyone thought it was normal when they did it? It wasn’t fair.

Energized by the touchdown, the home team swept inexorably to victory, but the rest of the game was anticlimactic for Greg. The cheerleaders screamed themselves hoarse, the crowd bellowed their approval, their side scored two more touchdowns and the game was over.

“Let’s go, man,” Warrick nudged Greg.

“Where?”

“Down to the locker room. Don’t you want to tell Nick how great he was?”

Greg nodded, unable to whip up much enthusiasm. Surrounded by football players wasn’t where he wanted to be, especially after his run in with the Twists. It made him feel skinny and he didn’t like the feeling of vulnerability. But he knew Nick would appreciate it if he showed his pride in his performance.

Nick was grinning, his teammates still giving him a pat as they walked by when Warrick and Greg caught up with him outside the locker room. Nick smiled at Greg. Greg smiled back but didn’t speak, hanging back as Warrick knocked knuckles, grabbed Nick’s hand and pulled him into a manly straight boy sports hug.

“Great play, man! Your coach must have taught you some serious anticipation.”

Nick nodded. “Yeah, he always makes us look for chances to make the play, not wait for the play to come to us. Makes all the difference, man.”

“You could play college ball, man, you got the chops.”

“I’ve got a scholarship. I was planning to play ball to earn my way through college,” Nick said modestly.

“You better watch out, the pros will come sniffing around,” Warrick said, clapping his shoulder again.

Just then the reporter for the school paper came up and asked, “Can I get a shot of you two guys together? College hero congratulates high school hero on the play of the day?”

“Definitely,” Warrick answered, putting his arm around Nick’s shoulder.

Catherine came over to join Warrick, followed by several of her squad. The reporter turned to her and said, “Let me just get this shot and then maybe all of you could get in the shot too?”

“Sure,” she said easily. “Hey, Greg.” She nodded toward the younger boy.

He nodded back silently, feeling out of his element. He was pushed further away as other team members angled to get in the shot. The reporter directed Warrick and Nick to make a chair with their arms and hold Catherine up while he took the shot. Coach O’Reilly bustled over to give an interview and take credit for being smart enough to play Nick even though he was a recent transfer.

Greg imagined how in a better world, he would be standing next to Nick getting his picture taken so everyone would know that Nick was his boyfriend. He reached the limit of his patience when Kristy rushed in, demanding that the reporter take a shot of her in Nick’s arms. He didn’t even notice that Nick’s smile became strained as she threw herself against him because he just turned and walked away.

He saw Archie talking to Judy, still in her cheerleader outfit and noticed that she had very good legs. Apparently Archie had noticed too, he looked positively euphoric.

Feeling like a sack of shit that someone had just stomped on, Greg set off for home. He was freezing, despite his thick sweater. He pulled on his cap and dug his hands into his pockets.

“Hey.”

“Hey, Sara,” he responded moodily.

“Sucks, doesn’t it?” She fell into step with him.

“What?”

“That we have to hide,” she responded. “I can’t tell everyone Melissa’s with me. No one knows you’re Nick’s boyfriend. He gets his picture in the paper with Warrick and Catherine.”

“Thanks, Sara.”

“For what?”

“Just for being here.”

“You’re welcome.”


~*~

tbc