I do not own Static Shock! And this came about because I'm a sucker for Hotgear. (One day, I will write a fanfic about HotGear and hotgear (ie, outfits) just to be punny).
On with the story!
Looking back on it, all they were glad for was that it had happened in civilian clothes. Dwayne had been hanging out with a therapist who was helping Dwayne counsel his powers. The annoying part was that Dwayne had invented his own cure- believing that the cure wouldn't work on himself.
Well, at least it was better than negating the cure for all meta humans.
"And then some intern giggled and said, 'don't think of Hotstreak kissing a cute guy- oooh, Foley's cute'. And all heck broke loose." Sharon mourned over the lost progress. Dwayne had been doing so wonderfully until that bimbo intern had opened her mouth.
Virgil shivered. Poor Richie. Hearing how the afternoon had come about from that morning was bad. Having to live through the afternoon must surely be another case of ick.
"So what happened at your end?" Sharon shot back.
"Well, we were at lunch…."
"Yo, Virgil, what's up?" Richie slide into the bench across from him. The school lunch wasn't all that bad, it just didn't offer the vitamins that a growing superhero sidekick needed. Thus why Richie had a packed salad with vinaigrette dressing.
"Eating enough greens today? You have got to eat more meat, man."
"Can't. I've started tracking my calories, and eating spinach is actually wonderful."
"Yuck. You mean the stuff that gets stuck between your teeth? Ew, gross."
Richie rolled his eyes and sipped his water. They talked tactics and when Daisy showed up, she received a scrambled message that Virgil and Rich were trying to figure out how to beat a boss in a video game.
She shrugged and slid in with them.
"I just hope that school ends soon. I still can't believe we have three more classes."
Richie paused.
"Three more? I thought it was the rest of this class and then two more."
"They added an extra study hall. Supposedly some Bang Babies who were cured need to start over in school, and the late school classes are the answer to it. Some teachers volunteered. Others are getting a fatter bonus."
Richie and Virgil traded looks. "Well, if they don't have their powers and aren't looking to start a fight, I don't see why not."
"Yo Foley."
Three heads whipped around to see Francis 'Hotstreak' Stone standing behind them.
"Come here."
Virgil sent Richie a surmising look, and saw Richie's completely blank 'what is going on here' look.
"I don't think he's going anywhere with you." Virgil stated, standing up.
Daisy blanched. Friends stopped friends from doing stupid stuff, but she was not jumping in between a Bang Baby and Virgil! Dropping low, she pulled out her cell and texted a teacher.
Hotstreak is on school grounds.
"Relax, he isn't going anywhere. I just want to see something." Hotstreak advanced.
Richie stood up. If he ran away, Hotstreak would have no trouble with his longer stride. Or he could trip on his saggy pants. On the other hand, Virgil might blow his cover, forgetting that one, school, and two, civilian.
"I don't suppose this could be something we all walk away from?" Richie squeaked out. Stepping in between them is not smart when you're the one on the receiving ends of Francis' attention.
"Oh, we can walk away all right- just after one little fact finding mission."
Virgil slid his stance wider, lowering his center of gravity. Richie meeped from behind him.
Daisy sneezed.
"I've called 911! You've got a minute to get out of here!"
Francis looked at her. "On what grounds? I haven't even threatened anyone, and this section isn't technically school grounds- you just can't trade drugs out here. Besides, I'll be gone in a minute. I just want a kiss."
"A whaaaaa?" Virgil echoed.
Richie decided that kissing Francis wasn't so bad if it meant he would leave. Stepping around Virgil, he snapped.
"Then have a god damn kiss and get out of here."
Francis sneered.
The teachers showed up to see Virgil in a tree and Daisy crying on the ground.
Francis and Richie were missing.
With a groan, Richie moved his head. "Where am I?"
The last thing he remembered was Francis leaning in without puckering up to slam their lips together. Uncomfortable, and undesirable, but if it would let Virgil out of a fight- alright then.
Except that when Francis got within distance to brush their mouths together, something had flung them away- unfortunately, not from each other.
Flipping over, Richie allowed his eyes to sweep the room. His own supercomputer noticed that there was a window behind him, but the set up looked like some hotel.
Richie shifted off the bed. The alcove with the sink and the door to the shower, the tucked in mini closet, the single bed and chair, the empty television stand….it looked like a middle class hotel room.
The neutral colors and the carpet weren't telling him if it was a chain hotel or a motel. With another groan, Richie pulled his brain to examine everything, to find details. There was no way that he had a concussion, or that Ebon had dropped him through a warp hole.
Standing up, Richie walked over to the window and threw the blinds open. White met him. Complete and utter white. Frowning, the young man moved to open the door and see if it was snow-
Only to realize that there was no door. The window was sealed and quite thick, too. Whirling, Richie started to look for air vents- there was one. Partially hidden by the nightstand, but there was a breeze. So someone hadn't thrown him into a sealed room to die of asphyxiation.
Richie strained his ears to see if there a sound he had missed. Faint breathing from the bed brought his attention to a muscle bound figure with red hair slinging an arm out to where he used to lay.
The rate Francis shot up at finding the bed empty had Richie wishing he wasn't in the same room as the decidedly certifiable Bang Baby.
"There you are, sweetie. Come back to bed."
Richie stared at him.
Francis stared back.
Richie opened his mouth, and then closed it.
Francis burst into laughter, clutching his sides.
"O-o-oho, man, you should have seen your face."
Richie grimaced. Well, at least he could rule out dimensional travel.
"Yes, because getting kidnapped with the guy trying to give you a chipped front tooth is very hilarious."
"Kidnapped?"
"I haven't found a door, and something tells me that window is fireproof."
Francis gave the white beyond the window a frantic, panicked stare, before a grin slide over his face.
"But maybe the walls aren't."
Ritchie ducked into the bathroom as Hotstreak threw a few fireballs at the walls. They burned, revealing the same white expanse.
Then the walls reconstructed, leaving everything as it was.
Francis stared for a long, hard moment as even the scorch marks faded away.
"Okay, that officially did not work."
"May I quote you on that, Professor?" Richie drawled from his hiding place. The glass enclosed shower was huge, and as Francis turned to glare at him, Richie ducked into the shower and turned the water on.
Hopefully, he could soak Francis somehow, ignoring one, that there were no buckets, and two, there wasn't enough room to trip Francis into the shower, and three, no way to lock him in. The only way to avoid being crisped would be to get in himself, but that would limit his movements.
"Let's hear your smart idea." Francis breathed from behind him. The warmth that radiated from him meant any closer, and Richie would start feeling uncomfortable and sweating. The current distance was pleasantly warm.
"Maybe a Bang Baby is messing with us. Maybe I'm hallucinating. Maybe you're having a wacked out dream. What was the last thing you remembered?"
Francis glowered.
"The last thing I remember is finding out my little sister couldn't go to our extended family. I was storming to the courthouse to demand legal custody- what?"
Richie was standing partway turned to him, sending him a sidelong look.
"Nothing, I just didn't think that you would know enough of the legal system to know how that works."
Francis sent him an ugly look.
Richie sighed. "Well, I've already found our first clue."
"Which is?"
"That the last thing you should remember is trying to kiss me at school. I don't think you even made it to the courthouse."
Francis stared at Richie.
"The hell would I want to kiss you."
"Some fact finding mission."
"And now someone's trying to keep me from kissing you? Who the hell said I was trying to kiss you in the first place? Same person who kept me from going to the Courthouse?"
"And I would know this because?" Richie trailed off.
Francis rumbled.
Richie found himself slammed into the open doorway and under the water. Francis followed.
"Uh, Francis, what-"
Wow. He had soft lips.
The world exploded.
"Argh! That was so wrong! He was too gentle, and the other one wasn't kissing back! Dwayne! Try again."
They were at the Community Center. There was a girl in her young twenties, with a pocket watch. Dwayne was sitting in a chair, holding something in his hands.
"Don't, Dwayne! This isn't right!" Richie yelped.
"Homosexuality is not a sin!" The woman snapped back.
"I'm not talking about that! Francis should kiss someone he wants to kiss. Not get duped into a kiss. What if that had been his first time?" Forget it being my first kiss…
Dwayne shook himself slightly, as though shaking off an irritating thought.
Francis' tongue trailed down Richie's neck, and to the blond's horror, the pyro was now kneeling on the floor, running his hands over Richie. Well, the hands were nearing a rather uncomfortable region given that Richie was standing upright.
Well, at least he was still wearing clothes.
"Dwayne, wake up on three! One, two, three!" Richie yelled.
What else could he try? He didn't know if the hypnotism was advanced enough to need a trigger word. He just needed Francis to stop before the friction was way too much.
Not to forget the muscles relaxing from the heat. Richie was nearly sitting on Francis was his knees buckled.
"Huh?"
"NO!"
The community center disappeared.
"And that's where we found them. It took Static's cling to get them apart, they were so involved with each other. Dwayne's scandalized, but he's getting even more counseling. The strayest thought about his powers returning, and no matter how far the cure has taken him, he's back to square one. They're trying meditation next, I hear."
Sharon nods. "Do you think that they're mentally scarred?"
"Well, other than the loss of their own will, I have no idea. When Richie tried to explain it, it sounds like a real trip. Francis got to meet the police officer in charge of his sister being shipped to his dad. Basically told the guy to look at how he turned out. His sister's headed back to the extended family." Virgil looked around the center. Dwayne had put most of it back, but there were still huge gaping holes in the wall.
"So how are they handling it?"
Virgil sat back in his chair.
"They're not talking about it."
Francis Hotstreak Stone sat down at his table, scrounged from the curb. Hey, it wasn't stealing. Across from him, Richie tinkered with a set of tools, fixing scratches and smoothing out dents.
"So, what next? I mean, you lost your first kiss to me."
"What makes you say that, Foley?"
"The fact Frieda always shot you down."
Francis was on his feet and Richie scrambled back.
"Why is it such a big deal to you?" came the calm voice of someone ready to snap your neck.
"Because it was my first one too, and it wasn't all that spectacular!"
Francis dropped back into his seat.
"That's what has you in a knot?"
"Hey! My first kiss was going to be with someone I loved- or at least had a crush on- or was physically attracted to." Richie sent Francis a sizing look.
Francis shut his mouth and let Richie look. Then he started to flex. Mostly because Richie had insinuated that Francis was an unsuitable partner for anyone, and his ego really wanted to put the nerd in his place. He continued to tighten and relax his muscles, displaying them in a very visible way under his muscle shirt. However, he wasn't about to do posturing. He wasn't going to put on some show for Richie to retract his statement and comment on how cool Francis was.
No.
He wanted Foley to understand that he was a very desirable man. Well, a man who was a convict. Didn't have a steady job. Or an actual lease on his apartment. And definitely didn't know if he would live out the next day.
But still, he was a man, and he was built. Foley wasn't. Although, that little voice in his head pointed out, Foley will probably have that job, that apartment, and know if he's living a life worth living. And most women are attracted to stability, not muscles.
So he'd have to get a woman who could provide for him. Easy enough. Some women were too vapid to realize that they were easy marks, and never went on groundbreaking journeys to discover their inner powers of self-assertion.
Francis looked back at Richie. Hell, the nerd didn't seem to have been on many self-empowering trips himself. He followed Virgil around like a dog, never wore revealing clothes, and Francis had never seen him argue with Virgil!
Now, Gear had a lot of self-confidence. The dude showed off his muscles, would argue with Static, and even headed off into fights on his own! Ignore the fact he rarely won on his own.
The point was, Richie was effeminate in the way some women didn't stand up for themselves. Hell, Francis had rarely seen a women put her foot down- right into a guy's gut and grind it there. It really was a shame.
Of course, usually it was the women getting eyed like a piece of meat, and not Francis. Then again, he was flaunting his body, and Richie seemed to be trying not to drool.
Francis moved on to isolating his stomach muscles, and Richie stepped towards him.
Careful, don't spook him…
Richie kept coming towards him, a hand half raised, a slight questioning look of 'if I touch you, will you bite me' in his face. The rest of his face was wrapped in awe of Francis. Francis didn't give him a grin, or a smirk, and just kept staring at him.
Contact.
Richie's fingertips grazed over his bicep, before trailing down his arm. Then they drifted across his stomach, feeling the dip between abs and trailing back up to dance on one of his defined clavicles. Then Richie flattened his hand, and he stood on tiptoe, trailing over the back of Francis' neck, to feel the delta plane that was his shoulder blade, and come back around his triceps to his biceps. Richie didn't realize that he was feeling with his right hand, trailing over Francis' heart until he could feel the heart beat under his fingers.
They stood there, wondering if the other would make a move.
"Where do we want to go from here?" Richie murmured.
Francis shrugged.
Chuckling, Richie burrowed into his side, smelling Francis. He smelled like a campfire, of burning air and sweat. Rather than be pungent or cloying, the scent stung Richie's nose, causing him to tear up.
Still, he buried his face into Francis. He liked that smell. It reminded him of when he burnt wood from hot metal when running a power saw.
Francis wondered for a moment why Richie was crying into him without sniveling or sniffling, and then realized that he must really smell.
"Ah, geez! You don't have to-"
"I like it. You smell nice, it's attractive."
"Then why the hell are your eyes watering?"
"I'm just getting used to you."
Richie's arms were around him- well, not wrapped around him, but holding onto him. With a sigh, that literally brought Richie to his toes from being pulled with the expanding chest, Francis dislodged his arms and returned the gesture.
Holding Richie, he marveled, was nice. Sure, the boy wore loose clothing, but Francis wasn't finding any love handles or anything. Richie was straight as a board.
Francis snorted.
"What's so funny?"
"Well, I was expecting you to have some fatty curves from your lose clothes, but your straight as a board- except not in your sexual preferences."
Womph.
The sound of Richie shoving Francis onto his rear filled the apartment.
Francis sat there, more stunned that Richie had thrown him than at the fact Richie could throw him.
"Wha?"
"I resent that. Just because I'm happy to be second place does not give you the right to subject me to your bias. I actually do more good where I am. I have my preferences. And if you don't like them, we are through."
Francis gaped up at Richie. Richie, who was glaring at him icily behind glasses that emphasized his face, with an angular chin and an earring, his blond hair falling over his forehead. Richie, threatening to end what had started before they even knew what was started.
"Baby, I wouldn't change a thing. You look so hot right now." Francis purred. He hooked a foot around Richie's leg and pulled, toppling the enraged teen into his lap.
"I've got my own preferences, and right now, they're running towards geeky blonds…."
Richie shivered as Francis breathed into his right ear, licking around the shell a little, just little flicks of his tongue.
Teasing.
Baiting.
Sampling.
Richie melted into Francis' arms, a content noise made in the back of his throat. Francis wrapped his arms around Richie.
"What I said earlier, I was trying to compliment you."
"Well, your compliments suck." Richie shot back.
A bit of advice super geniuses should consider- exposed necks on the right side with an alpha male and suggestive wording means he asked for the hickey. Clever retorts require a higher level of thought process, and the situation wasn't taking that into effect.
Hence when Francis all but attacked his neck with lips that sealed around the column of skin he was taken aback, before realizing that Francis was giving him a hickey. He really didn't care if Francis gave him a hickey. It felt nice, with the scraping of teeth and the sucking and the tongue that would firmly swipe across his skin. Rather than soothe the nipped redness, it was to gauge how big a hickey Francis could leave.
Then the thought of someone seeing Gear with the same hickey had Richie bolting upright.
"Oh dear God, Virgil is going to kill me! I'm going to walk up to him, and tell him you and I didn't figure out where we stood, and he's going to see the hickey!"
While Richie had his own personal melt down and freak out, Francis rumbled in disapproval of Richie pulling away from him.
"Tell him we're dating. That I'll do right by you. Tell him we're going on a few dates, then I'm meeting your parents, and then we'll see about forever. Also include that this can be broken off at any time you don't feel comfortable."
Richie's face swung back around to Francis.
God, he wanted to kiss that whole expression on Richie's face. The disbelief, astoundment, and sheer hope that bloomed there. Then the suspicion crept in.
"You bullied me most of the time you knew me. Why are you suddenly…?"
"I actually don't know. I'm just attracted to you, I guess. And besides, no one's ever really wanted to try a relationship with me, or was more crazy than actually relating, and I just want someone I can be possessive of and call mine and provide for without my every move getting controlled."
Richie nodded.
"What do you want?"
Richie squeaked.
"Me? I never really thought of that. I've always figured I'd always be friends with Virge, go through college or a University, get a degree, have a job and wait for someone to waltz into my life."
Francis snorted.
"Who the hell waltzes in this day?"
"I can!"
"Not the point. I mean, who's going to know a cutie like you was available the way you hung out with Hawkins? Of course, it should be much easier to tell now that you are unavailable, and that you are mine."
"I haven't agreed to anything yet."
Francis leaned down and nipped the hickey.
"Okay, okay! I'm yours!"
Francis smirked. "We'll work on that always and forever later. Don't you need to be going home? I presume someone's told your folks you've been kidnapped."
"Wouldn't be the first time." Richie muttered.
"You've been kidnapped before?"
"By Ebon. He saw me giving Static directions, and kidnapped me. Static had to come rescue me after my Dad and Mr. Hawkins found me."
Francis growled. The heat in the room began to smolder, increasing near Hotstreak as he made to get up from the floor.
"There's no need to go beat him up! Static's taken care of him, and I'm safe, see?"
Richie felt the heat swell before it began to fall away.
"Ebon ever goes after you while you're mine, there won't be enough of him left to cast a shadow." Francis growled into Richie's embrace.
"I got it. Let me call the center and pass along to Pops that I'm okay, then head on home."
"Pops?"
"Yeah, I'm sort of unofficially adopted into the Hawkins home. Virgil's like my actual brother."
Francis nodded. Well, if he really wanted Richie, he wasn't bolting at the first sign that he would have to put up with Virgil's wise cracking. Then again, having to be civil with Virgil while he ran his mouth because Francis didn't have such a hold in Richie's life yet would be trouble down the road.
"And I'll expect the two of you to be civil while I'm dating you."
…or Richie could see the potential break up split before Francis could get really worked up.
"I'll see you tomorrow by the school, okay? We'll trade phone numbers then."
"Bye."
"Bye."
Richie let himself out, and Francis snorted as he watched the blond nearly skip out of the neighborhood to the center.
Perhaps Richie's first kiss wouldn't be to someone he was just 'physically attracted to'.
A/N: 3,820 words and twelve pages. Jeez. And when I had writer's block this was only nine pages and 2,764 words. Yeah for breaking through! So this is only the first of many stories to be produced (glowers at the stack of ideas waiting to become stories, and other stories waiting for updates).
…does the ending look funny to anyone else?
EPILOGUE
"So, this one has a mail in rebate, with just calling and texting, but those Androids over there do so much more-"
"Foley, for the last time, just something I can call you on. And something that can be covered with Bang Baby insurance."
Richie gave him a puzzled look.
"I thought you only had your powers in the alternate reality Dwayne made?"
Francis scuffed his foot.
"Uhm, you see..."
Richie slapped his forehead.
"Dwayne imagined you with your powers. And now he can't unimagine you without them."
Francis gave a shaky smile.
Richie beamed at him.
"That's okay. I'll build your cell a flame retardent and heat resistant coating as well as Bag Baby insurance. That should work."
Francis slowly let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. Being Richie's boyfriend certainly gave him something to live for.
An aisle over, Virgil snorted. Francis was so whipped, and it hadn't even been a week.