Boys

“So. Boys.”

Odd looks up from his game at the sudden words, throwing a confused glance at Ulrich. “Boys?” he asks, cocking an eyebrow.

Ulrich nods gravely, in an exaggerated way like only he can manage. He sighs tiredly, and that may be the most Extra™ sound Odd has ever heard. “Boys.”

“Incredible. Groundbreaking. Amazing. Truly the discovery of your lifetime. Boys… they exist.”

“Shut up Odd.”

“No no I’m not done Ulrich. This is such an astonishing statement, I need to admire it. Boys. Just. Boys. Wow. Could it be… hold on for a second… that I am a boy? And you are one? I can barely believe it!”

Ulrich lets out a grating noise halfway between a tired sigh and an annoyed growl in response, one that Odd can’t help but take in with pride. Trolling Ulrich is a pastime he would never get tired of. “Are you done.”

“Now I am. Seriously though, what’s up?”

Ulrich stays silent for a few seconds. Odd is unsure if he’s pondering over the best way to word out his feelings or if he’s just being over-dramatic. “Boys are… kinda cute.”

Overdramatic then. “Man, I really don’t know how you manage to be this Extra in your everyday life. Did you take ‘broody teenager’ classes or-”

“I don’t know, Odd, did you take ‘annoying troll’ classes?” Odd snorts at the reply. Okay, that's a good one. “I didn’t mean it as in, boys are cute. I meant as in boys are cute. Boys look. Really good. Boys are. Kind of attractive. Kind of really attractive. Boys look pretty kissable.”

… okay wOW now that isn’t the sentences Odd was expecting to hear.

“Wow. That’s pretty gay, Ulrich.”

“I know.” He sighs. “I appear to be a lot gayer than I expected. Well, bi-er? I guess? I mean I still like girls.” He pauses for a second. “That’s not gonna be a problem right? I mean, you’re not gonna-”

“Nah I don’t care.” Odd quickly reassures. He shoots his trademark wide smile at Ulrich, though it’s lacking its usual smugness. “I’m pretty gay myself too.”

Now that gets a reaction out of him that didn’t give off a dark cloudy feeling of edginess. The taller boy raises both his brows, surprised. “Really?”

“Well duh.” Sure, Odd, never broadcasted out loud his attraction to men, but come on. Has he ever showed any kind of interest in a girl? Any at all? “Not to be crude but William is a snack.”

The noise he gets in answer is right in between a high-pitched kettle sound and a furious strangled cough. His eyes widen large as plate, and his poker-face crumbles into the textbook definition of offended. “Odd, what the fuck.”

“Oh come on don’t act as if you weren’t blatantly crushing on him too.” Has Odd really been the only person to notice that? Really? It had been obvious as the nose on the middle of the face, for god’s sake!

“I was… not…” Ulrich’s voice trails off as his brows furrow, thinking. “… Oh my god I was crushing on William.”

The utter disbelief in his voice makes the blonde snort. He truly had been the only one to notice! Oh, man, he's never letting this go. “It’s okay, buddy. He’s hot.”

“Can we please talk about something else.”

“Sure, sure.” Odd represses a smirk.  “So, what brought the whole boy epiphany up?”

“Oh. Erhm.” my my, is Ulrich embarrassed? Oh this is bound to be fun. “Kind of realized I was crushing on a boy.”

YOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

THAT’S SOME JUICY QUALITY BLACKMAIL MATERIAL RIGHT THERE

“Who is it? Is it someone I know? I mean of course it’s someone I know I know everyone in this school. But is it someone close to me?”

“Odd please.”

“Is it Jeremie? Oh man it sucks if it is, the guy is straighter than a pole.” He’s pretty sure the only things Jeremie has ever been attracted to are girls and computers.

“O D D.”

“Fine, fine, I’m stopping.” the blonde backs down. “Still sorry for you if it’s Jeremie though.”

“It’s not.”

Well there’s still hope then!! “Oh. Lucky then! Hopefully he is-”

“It’s you.”

…

…

…

There is a beat.

“Me?” He. He heard wrong, right?

Ulrich sets his brown eyes over him, gaze turning to steel, and replies: “Did I stutter.”

Oh.

Oh.

“Oh. Cool.”

Ulrich stares for a couple seconds. “Really Odd. Really. ‘oh cool.’ That’s your answer.”

“Oh cut me some slack. I’m not used to people confessing to me, mister ‘I’m hot and I put all my stats in charisma.’”Seriously, how could a thirteen-years old have such abs. “But I mean. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have a little crush on you, so. Let’s date?”

“Let’s.” Ulrich lets out a relieved sigh. “Well, that was easier than expected.”

“Yeah, normal people usually say outright what they want and then things go smoothly, unlike… whatever happened between you and Yumi.”

“Oh heck off.”

“Now that’s no way to speak to your boyfriend, Ulrich.”

They both stare at each other for a few seconds, then burst out laughing.

“Boyfriends. I like the sounds of that.”

Despite how calm and collected Ulrich sounds, Odd can spot his hand shaking hesitantly before moving to take his own.

“Me too, Ulrich. Me too.”

His lips are soft against his own, and the warmth spread all the way to his chest.

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