A/N: I wrote a high school AU, FML. What the hell can I even say about this? There's a handful of random pop culture references and stupid, clichéd teenager shit. Do kids even play truth or dare these days? Get off my lawn.

The album So Long, Astoria by The Ataris is heavily referenced in this story because it is one of my two favorite CDs and I am starting to read Fluri into everything no I don't have a problem shut up.

Fluri, smidges of Ristelle

Disclaimer: The characters and settings in this story are borrowed from Tales of Vesperia and do not belong to me.

Yuri's phone hissed and made a noise like a small explosion, pulling Flynn's attention away from the problem he'd been trying to solve.

"What was that?"

"Text from Judy." Yuri was already checking the message, glad to have a valid excuse not to be studying. Glancing at Flynn, he grinned. "I set it to make the creeper noise for her."

"Creeper noise?"

"They sneak up behind you and blow your shit up."

Flynn got it immediately. They had both taken karate classes with Judy. She was dangerous.

"Awesome! She says she's coming home for Estelle's birthday."

Judy was a freshman in college and the oldest of the Lowell-Heurassein children. She had moved into the dorms at Deidon U the past fall, and the separation bothered Yuri more than he would admit. Judy was a year older, tough-as-nails, and the best sister a guy could've asked for. They'd been inseparable hell raisers since Yuri was old enough to tag along after her and end up taking most of the blame for their escapades. The story about the flour bomb was still told with a mix of exasperation, amusement, and horror at every family reunion.

"It's been a while since I saw her. How's she doing?"

"Same as usual." He was distracted with his reply. After a moment, he added: "She says it's a surprise, so don't tell Estelle."

"I won't see her before you do." Yuri didn't respond.

Flynn turned back to his math homework. It didn't come as easily to him as the other subjects did, which was why he had asked Yuri over to study. Yuri was good at math, aggravatingly so, as he never seemed to actually crack a book outside of class. He was smarter than he let on, and if only he would apply himself, he could easily earn a scholarship to Zaphias, rather than settling for Deidon.

Yuri's phone did that hissing creeper thing again twice more over the next few minutes. When he checked Judy's third message, Yuri stood up and started shoving his things into his backpack.

"Gotta go. Meeting Judy at the coffee shop." He paused a moment, looked up to see Flynn staring at him, surprised. "You still coming over tonight? For the party?"

"Yeah, of course."

Yuri grinned, slung the bag over his shoulder, and took off. His boots pounded loudly down the stairs. Flynn could hear his younger brother Karol catch up to him on his way out. Karol adored Yuri, his big brother's best friend who called him 'boss' and treated him like an adult.

Left alone in his room, Flynn sighed. He hadn't expected Judy to call her brother away, but he couldn't very well ask Yuri to sacrifice time with her in favor of a study date—a study session! He'd meant to think of it as a study session.

Heaving another sigh, Flynn buried his face in his hands. His mind was going to get him in serious trouble one of these days if any of his increasingly common little bouts of wishful thinking escaped the confines of his thoughts and made it out his mouth.

He was pretty sure Judy had figured out long ago that he was having inappropriate thoughts about her younger brother. For a while, she had teased him about it but she did it in Judy-speak, which meant the jibes were so subtle, he still wasn't one hundred percent sure if she knew. Judy really was scary.

Well, in less than a year, it wouldn't matter so much anymore. Flynn was going to Zaphias. He'd have to live in the dorms since it was too far to commute. The way Yuri was headed, he'd end up at Deidon. They wouldn't see each other every day anymore. They'd grow up and grow apart. Maybe then that stupid, persistent crush on his best friend would just disappear.

College was going to suck.

It was almost a quarter 'till five. He still had the better part of an hour before he'd need to leave. Best to try and finish up that math on his own. He looked down at the problem, lost. He really needed Yuri.

"Surprise!"

"Judy!" Estelle launched herself at her sister, barely giving Yuri time to get out of the way. "I missed you!"

Smiling, Judy returned the hug. "You saw me only two weeks ago."

Estelle squeezed a little harder for a moment before letting go. "Mom, Judy's here!"

"I see that, dear." Irena Lowell wrapped an arm around Estelle's shoulders, pulling her away from the door as she beckoned Judy and Yuri inside. She kissed Judy's cheek and brushed a hand over her daughter's hair. She was used to the deep purple dye. The blue streak was new, though. "How's college life?"

"It's suiting me quite well."

"You're not staying up all night partying, are you?"

Judy just smiled and Irena shook her head, knowing there was nothing to do but trust her daughter wouldn't get into anything too troublesome.

Gerard Heurassein, Irena's second husband and Estelle's father, was sitting in his usual chair in the living room. Yuri and Judy took seats on the couch to either side of Estelle. The two Lowell siblings traded small talk with Gerard, pretended they were something like a family rather than near strangers, because it would make Irena and Estelle happy. Gerard played along, though Yuri still caught a disapproving look from his stepfather. He loved his mother and his sisters, but Gerard…. Oh, well. There was no such thing as the perfect family.

The guests for Estelle's birthday party started arriving a little before six. Unsurprisingly, Rita was the first to show up. She'd moved to town a few weeks after school had started. Short-tempered and hard to approach, Estelle was the only person who had really befriended her, and the two had become very close during the short time they'd known each other.

Sodia was the next of Estelle's friends to arrive, and Yuri had to wonder why his little sister attracted the kind of friends she did. Sodia was a year older than Estelle, and implacable when crossed. She was in ROTC with Flynn, who she idolized. She absolutely hated Yuri, ostensibly for some of the same reasons Gerard disapproved of him.

Flynn and Karol were the last to make it, pulling up almost at six on the dot. His punctuality was such an old joke at this point that Yuri didn't even bother teasing him when he welcomed them in. As they put their gifts on the kitchen table with the others, Flynn hefted his bag.

"I need your help with a couple problems."

Yuri rolled his eyes. "This is a party, Flynn. It's okay to pull the stick out."

"You're the one who cut our study session short."

"Judy's only back 'till tomorrow. What did you want me to do?"

"Yuri." The boys turned at the sound of Judy's voice. She was leaning against the doorframe, smiling. "Correct me f I'm wrong but, did you break a promise to Flynn to come see me?"

"Umm…not exactly…?"

She shifted her weight and both Flynn and Yuri gulped. They'd seen her take that stance before, usually shortly before she took one of them down in a match.

"It isn't good to break promises. You should make it up to him." The unspoken: or I will put you on the floor hung in the air between them. "Okay?"

"Tomorrow good for you, Flynn?"

"Tomorrow is perfect, thanks."

"Good. The party is this way, gentlemen."

Everyone was gathered in the living room, curled up on the couch or sprawled out on the floor. Karol grabbed Yuri and pulled him down to sit in front of the TV. Flynn took the spot to Yuri's other side. At some point, while the movie was being chosen and snacks were being passed around, Sodia ended up next to him.

They put in the Muppet version of The Wizard of Oz because it was weird and funny and they could treat it as background noise for the conversation. Gerard ordered pizza and the group talked and laughed and ate and MSTed the movie until Irena turned out the lights and carried in a cake topped with sixteen lit candles. They muted the TV and everyone gathered around to sing "Happy Birthday" and watch Estelle blow out the tiny flames.

She opened her gifts while everybody ate cake. As they chatted, the movie drew to a close, unnoticed. Before they knew it, it was getting late and Gerard was suggesting that it was time for the boys to leave. Estelle saw Flynn and Karol off with hugs and thanks, and Yuri walked them to the door.

On the porch, Flynn hesitated for a moment, then turned back to Yuri. "Did you want to come spend the night at my place?" They'd had sleepovers before, not so much lately, because it had been getting weird, what with his unvoiced crush on his best friend, but, double-edged sword that it was, Flynn liked being around Yuri, liked the fact that Yuri could send him reeling through half a dozen emotions in no time without a thought, just because he was Yuri.

"That's a great idea!" Karol exclaimed. "We can have a guys' night!"

Smiling crookedly, Yuri shook his head. "Sorry, boss. I'm gonna hang here with Judy. Another time, okay?"

"All right."

They did their secret handshake as Flynn watched, amused and disappointed and relieved and resigned all at once. At least Yuri would be coming by to study the next day. They'd have the rest of the school year to hang out together. After that…well, maybe Flynn would confess after graduation. Maybe it would change things.

He sorta doubted it.

The girls went to get changed into their PJs while Yuri and Judy helped their mother set up the foldout couch. As they finished and Judy went in search of more pillows, Gerard pulled Yuri aside.

"I don't want you spending the night out here with those girls."

Yuri wondered briefly if making Gerard think he was gay would change the way the man thought about him, decided that it would—in a bad way—and discarded the idea.

"I'm just gonna hang out for a bit while Judy's up."

Gerard still looked like he didn't trust him, but the girls were coming back and he didn't say anything more to Yuri. He kissed his daughter on the head, wished her a happy birthday, and said good night. Yuri relaxed once he had disappeared into the master bedroom with Irena.

"So who wants to play spin the bottle?" he asked immediately. He grinned, thinking Gerard would probably like him better if he didn't joke around about shit like that.

"Yuri!" Knowing he was kidding, Estelle covered a smile with her hand.

"Gross!" Sodia glared at him. "Why are you even still here, you perv?"

"What can I say? I exist to piss you off. It's my one true calling in life."

"Can you guys knock off the black rom crap long enough for Estelle to enjoy her birthday party?" When every person in the room turned to her in silent confusion, Rita realized what she had just said.

"What's black rom?"

Rita looked at Estelle, flailing. "Nothing! It's nothing. Never mind. Let's just play a game, okay?" She glared at Yuri. "Not spin the bottle."

"Jeez, can't anyone take a joke? Not like there's anyone here I'd wanna kiss anyway. Half of you guys are my sisters. Yuck." He stuck out his tongue and Estelle giggled.

"What about truth or dare?" Judy suggested.

"Where's the fun in that? You guys haven't played truth or dare 'till you've played it with Flynn. That game brings out his sadistic side."

Rita swatted at him. "Would you just shut up? Estelle, what do you wanna play?"

"I like Judy's idea. So, Rita, truth or dare?"

"Me? Um…truth. But nothing too personal, okay?"

Estelle leaned forward, eagerly. "There's someone you like, isn't there?"

"Wh-what? You can't…. No personal questions!"

"That would defeat the point. Besides, I think you've already answered the question." Knowing it would only annoy Rita further, Yuri smirked.

"Whatever! Sodia, truth or dare?"

"Truth."

"Did you agree to come to the party tonight because of Estelle, or because you knew Flynn would be here?"

"Of course not! I was happy to be invited. Thank you, Estelle."

"You're welcome."

Even uptight, Flynn-obsessed Sodia liked Estelle. Everyone did. It was hard not to.

"Back to you, Rita. Truth or dare?"

"Again? Fine, truth."

Sodia grinned wickedly. "Who's your secret crush?"

"You can't ask that!"

"Can and did. Spill."

"I changed my mind. I pick dare."

"All right." Suddenly, Sodia's smile was a whole lot sharper. "I dare you to kiss Estelle."

Spluttering, trying and failing to find words to protest, Rita turned red as a beet.

"That's not a very challenging dare," Estelle said. "Here, Rita." She leaned closer, tilting her head to offer her cheek for a kiss. Apparently, she was the only one in the room who hadn't understood what Sodia was getting at.

With no way to refuse, Rita went through with the dare. Her lips had barely touched Estelle's cheek before she pulled away, red-faced and scowling at the room at large. "Yuri," she barked. "Truth or dare?"

"Dare. And make it a good one."

"I dare you…" she glanced at Sodia, and was suddenly smirking. "I dare you to kiss Flynn, on the mouth, in the middle of the cafeteria at school on Monday."

If she had been trying to get back at Sodia, it worked. "You can't do that! Flynn isn't playing, so you can't use him as part of a dare!"

"Can and did."

"Maybe that isn't such a good idea," Judy put in.

"I'm up for it. I've never backed down from a dare, yet."

"You better not touch him, Lowell!"

"Yeah, right," Rita sneered. "I bet you chicken out."

"How much you wanna bet?"

"Twenty bucks."

"Done."

"I really don't think this is a good idea, Yuri."

He looked at Judy and shrugged. "I can't back out now. Besides, what's the worst that could happen? So. Truth or dare?"

Flynn, Yuri, and Estelle had carpooled to school ever since the boys had gotten their licenses. Monday was Yuri's turn to drive, which meant half the time conversation took a backseat to whichever band he was most into at the moment. Flynn recognized the CD as soon as he got into the car as one of Yuri's favorites and sighed in expectation of what was coming.

Yuri sang with more enthusiasm than skill, but that was okay since he wasn't so bad, really, and it worked for the type of music he preferred. He started in on what had to be one of his favorite songs, given how often Flynn heard it; something that started with the question: "If I died tomorrow, would this song live on forever?" When Flynn called it morbid, Yuri laughed and skipped a few tracks to a song about making out in bathrooms and falling asleep together in too-small apartments, and Flynn remembered that sometimes he kind of liked this band too, which was good since he heard it often enough that he was beginning to learn some of the lyrics.

It was a fifteen minute ride to the high school, during which no one could talk over Yuri belting out songs at the top of his lungs. "See you at lunch!" was the only thing Yuri actually said to Flynn that entire morning. They did share a lunch period at least, and two classes after that. Still, it was a little annoying that so many events lately had been conspiring to steal Yuri's attention. Flynn felt like he hadn't really had a chance to talk to his best friend in weeks.

The morning dragged by uneventfully, save for a brief run-in with Sodia between his first two classes. She caught him in the hall just after his AP English class and pulled him out of the flow of bodies.

"Stay away from Lowell today."

"Why?"

"Just…. He's planning something stupid. Eat lunch outside, or something."

Flynn smiled and told her not to be late for class. If Yuri was planning something, he wasn't going to miss it, even if he only ended up lecturing his friend afterward. When Yuri started making plans, things got interesting.

Senior lunch finally rolled around and Flynn shoved his books into his bag and took off eagerly for the cafeteria. Yuri was waiting for him just outside and he complained about his morning classes as they waited in line for what passed for food in the public school system.

Trays in hand, they set out across the room in search of a pair of free seats. Halfway across, Yuri stopped.

"Hey, would you say we're in the middle of the cafeteria?"

What sort of question was that? "Yeah, more or less. Why?"

"'Scuse me a sec." He set his tray down on the end of a table between the lunches of two other students. "Set your food down," he told Flynn.

"Why?" He did as he was told, ignoring the looks from the group whose space they were usurping.

Out of nowhere, Yuri grabbed Flynn's face, yanked him forward, and planted a kiss squarely on his lips.

The kiss lasted a good three seconds and left Flynn gaping like a fish when it was over. Yuri grinned and shrugged and said, by way of explanation into the silence that had filled the cafeteria: "Truth or dare."

Then, like it was nothing, like he hadn't just kissed his best friend in the world on the mouth in front of the entire senior class, he picked up his lunch tray and went about looking for someplace to sit down and eat. Flynn followed him, largely because he was too shocked to consider another option. People started talking again as they went. A few hooted, and Yuri spun around, grinning his widest, and pumped a fist into the air.

They found a spot near the back of the room. Yuri dropped into his seat and immediately began playing with his food, searching for an edible piece or two beneath the congealing gravy.

"What—" Flynn stopped, cleared his throat, tried again. "What the hell was that?"

"Huh?" Yuri looked up from his lunch. How could he focus on something so trivial after what he'd done?

"Why did you…?" He couldn't say it. He licked his lips and thought he could still taste Yuri. He couldn't remember if he'd brushed his teeth that morning.

"Oh. Rita dared me to." He started picking at his food again, as if that was all the explanation he needed and, because it was Yuri, it sort of was. Of course he wouldn't have considered not taking the dare. Of course he wouldn't think that maybe he shouldn't kiss Flynn in front of their entire class. Of course he wouldn't think that maybe it would be a bad idea to kiss someone who just might be harboring a years-long secret crush on him.

Stop picking at that slop, you asshole, and look at me! Fuck, fuck, fuck!

What Flynn actually said was: "Yuri, don't you think there's something more important than your food right now?"

"I don't think this is food. I'm pretty sure I saw a picture of this during the geology slideshow. If they'd left this buried a few more years, it would have finished turning into a fossil fuel."

He looked up, finally, when Flynn didn't respond to his joke. "Something wrong?"

"What do you think, Yuri?"

"It was just a dare. The kids at the table heard me. Don't worry about it. You catch any crap from anybody, send 'em to me and I'll set 'em straight." He cracked his knuckles, smirking.

"That's not—I'm not worried about what people will think, you idiot!"

"Then what's the problem?" He was honestly confused and starting to get angry about it. "Mr. Model Student suddenly too good to help me win a bet?"

"You made a bet about kissing me?"

"Won twenty bucks. Should I buy you dinner since I sullied your honor?" The sarcasm was so thick, Flynn was surprised he didn't choke on it.

"You know what? I'm not hungry." He picked up his tray and dumped the untouched food in the trash on his way out of the cafeteria.

"What the hell?" Yuri watched him leave, thinking maybe he didn't know Flynn as well as he'd thought. Maybe Flynn had changed. He used to love truth or dare.

With a shrug, Yuri turned his attention back to the plate of organic matter masquerading as food. He took a small bite, and immediately wondered what he had done to make the universe punish him.