Author's Note: I have some feelings I need to work out and some things to make right.

For JessiM92

"Kevin? Are you ready?"

Kevin looked up to see Nazz standing at their hotel room door.

"As I'll ever be."

She smiled as pushed off the door frame she was leaning on and left as a Secret Service agent came into the frame and blocked the space.

"Eddward?," Kevin called to his husband, who was in the bathroom.

"Yes?"

"They're ready for us."

Eddward stepped out of the bathroom, a blue tie slung over his shoulders.

"Help? Please?"

Kevin quickly tied his tie before giving him a kiss.

"You've got this," Kevin whispered to him as their new White House photographer started to take pictures around them.

"Because I've got you," Eddward grinned.

"You lucky bastard," Kevin quipped with a grin and Eddward rolled his eyes.

"Let's go," Eddward sighed as he took Kevin's hand and led him out the door.

The ride down the elevator was quiet. It was just them and their personal Secret Service agents. When they reached the lobby, Ang's daughter, ran towards them and Kevin was the first to swoop her up as Eddward went to give the Vice President Elect a hug.

Once their friends and family gathered around, plans were recited and everyone headed out to the presidential motorcade that was lined up out front.

"Congrats, Mr President!," a hotel clerk called out to them with a wave.

"Thank you," Eddward nodded.

It all started in eighth grade...

Eddy was keen on gaining popularity points with their classmates, so he decided that he should run for class treasurer as he had plans on how to spend their money. Eddward quickly saw that the only person who was going to be able to keep him in line was himself.

So he ran for class secretary. At least then, Eddy would have to directly report to him and answering to his best friend over how the funds were misused was the last thing the short nearly reformed con artist wanted to do.

But they both were so good at their jobs, that when their class president moved in the middle of the school year, Nazz, who was the student council's vice president, nominated Eddward for class president and Eddy as the VP.

They won by a landslide and The Eds were on top.

When it was time to represent their class at Peach Creek High, Eddy begged off his VP role and ran as class treasurer again, which he took with not much contention outside of the upper classmen at the school making sure that he knew that they were keeping an eye on him.

And Eddward was bit by the political bug.

His parents were a bit relieved and proud that he decided to follow in his mother's footsteps. They weren't too sure they if could handle him doing anything outside what they had known their entire lives. His mother was a state senator, spending weeks at a time in Charleston representing central West Virginia to the best of her ability. His father was a lobbyist for the teacher's union, so while education was important, they wanted their son to get involved in something that paid and didn't go too far over their heads.

If he had become a doctor or scientist, they were afraid of losing a sense of commonality with their boy. It was one thing to participate in such educational endeavors as a hobby, but they weren't too sure about making it a livelihood.

Their argument was always that there was never enough money in it and the stress of the job would be too high.

He always wondered if they ever saw the irony of how their work protecting education and serving the public would serve him well in the future if he turned that hobby into a livelihood.

But today, the irony rings loud as Eddward becomes the nation's top public servant.

President of the United States of America.

Eddward was their class president freshman and sophomore year. Then junior year, he became the student council president.

All while making captain of the freshman, JV, and then varsity swim teams, leading the debate and National Forensic League teams, putzing around chess club and the National Honor Society.

But Mathletes was just too much and to this day, Mr Jones, the team's sponsor, lets him know how he feels about that.

Also, there was the matter of Eddward's parents divorce because his father wouldn't let his mother put him out because he was gay sophomore year. And then Kevin moved in junior year because his parents did put him out.

And yet, Eddward trudged on.

He had big dreams and he was going to achieve them.

Kevin said he'd support him because that's what friends do.

It was senior year that that support became a bit more intimate and by spring break, Kevin saw the first bit of that dream start to crash and burn.

It wasn't that he wasn't trying in school anymore.

It was that he was declining invitations to some of the best schools in the country and no one could figure out why. Until Kevin got accepted to Virginia State and Eddward wanted to follow him.

Kevin was flattered, but he was also floored. And not in the good way.

"I can't support you if you don't go do what you're supposed to do, Edd," he told him as another expiration date to claim yet another scholarship and spot at a good school came and nearly went.

"You'd still support me, even if we weren't going to the same school?"

When Kevin looked him in the eyes, he saw a fear and rejection in them that he hadn't seen since they were kids.

"Always."

Eddward accepted Brown's offer thirty seconds later. He'd done it sooner, but he had to kiss his supportive boyfriend's face first.

First it was Brown.

Then Columbia for law school.

Kevin got his bachelor's in social work from Virginia State and promptly went to work as Eddward kept his nose in a book. Their apartment in New York was tiny despite Eddward's scholarships and Kevin's real job. Books and transportation is expensive and so is food. But they toughed it out.

After law school they moved to North Carolina where Eddward got on with a local law practice right outside of Fayetteville and Kevin worked for the state's foster children.

But Eddward kept dreaming.

He would take cases that helped immigrant families stay together, that helped transgendered and non binary students to have the accommodations they needed in the restrooms and gym, or women who were discriminated in the work place and not getting the help they needed out of the EEOC.

He took the city council head on in making sure that unionized janitorial staff members in city's buildings were being accommodated and that the non unionized members weren't shafted as well.

And he won.

The mayor took notice and when the deputy mayor stepped down under a tremendous amount of scandal, he called Eddward and told him to run in the run off election.

"We need you here, Eddward. Your city needs you."

He mulled it over and then sat Kevin down for a steak dinner.

The redhead didn't touch a bite of his food til he dragged the reason why Eddward had his favorite food in front of him on a Wednesday.

It took the redhead two hours and who knows how many reheatings of his steak before he called the mayor back.

"Your city needs you. Help them, Baby."

When the state decided that a series of ordinances that were to be carried out by every city and town in the state were needed to appease their conservative populace, Eddward led the charge in their tiny metro town to fight back.

The Governor told him that if he had a problem with how the laws and ordinances were made and carried out in the state, he should come to Raleigh and work to make them the way he wanted himself.

So he did.

The young man ran as an Independent for deputy mayor so as to keep the red/blue balance on the city council the way it had always been.

Even.

When he announced that he was making a run for Senator so the Governor would eat his words, every party in the state started to woo him, but his heart stayed with his Independent cohorts who got him into office in the first place.

But Kevin made some phone calls back home.

Eddward's father, Martin, called his lobbyist friends and Andrea, his father's girlfriend and a PR manager for one of the biggest lobbying firms in the state, called the press.

Two days later, Eddward Rockwell was heading up his first solid political campaign.

But not without some drama.

Between his mother and Kevin's parents, the tabloids had a field day with the way the young men's love affair began.

Lies became truth and truth became lies. But Eddward pressed on.

His state needed him.

And they welcomed him with open arms.

The move to the capital was swift, but Kevin didn't realize how lonely it could all be.

When they were in school, Eddward always had time to take breaks from class and studying. But the people do not wait.

Kevin knew every guard in the capital building by name after a month. They spent more meals in Eddward's office than at home or even out to dinner. And when the legislature wasn't in session, they were back in their small town to visit with constituents.

Kevin always thought that most legislatures putzed around during their time off, but Eddward Rockwell wasn't most legislators.

After six years in Charlotte, Eddward called Washington.

His state needed her country.

During their ride to the White House, Kevin can tell he's nervous.

They're holding hands, but Eddward's grip is nearly limp outside of his thumb rubbing Kevin's knuckles.

His left leg is bouncing slightly and he's drumming his fingers against his chin.

And he's muttering.

Kevin knows it's his speech for the inauguration, but he's stumbling over his words as he gazes out of the tinted window of the limo. And Eddward never stumbles over his speeches.

Unless he's nervous.

"Babe."

Eddward goes silent and blinks as if he's coming back from a daydream.

"Mhm?"

"Look at me."

Eddward turns his head and Kevin sees the terror in his eyes.

"You've got this."

"Because I've got you."

"You lucky bastard."

"Shut up, Barr."

"And he's back!," Kevin grinned and Eddward sighed as he rolled his eyes but he grinned, too.

But his grin vanished as the motorcade slowed and the gates of 1600 Pennsylvanian Avenue, Washington, DC came into view. Kevin gripped his hand and the look in his eyes grew scared.

"I'm right here."

Eddward nodded as the limo pulled in front of the front doors of America's House. Giving Kevin's hand and his eyes a hard squeeze, he took a breath as the door to the car opened.

"Mr President Elect, we're here," the agent said.

"Thank you, Austin."

"Sir."

Eddward stepped out of the car and gave his former political rival and his wife a warm smile before turning around and offering Kevin his hand.

The move to Washington wasn't without some drama.

His mother pitched a fit that her gay son was representing North Carolina. Kevin couldn't figure out if it was because Eddward was gay or because he didn't come back home and start his political career there.

Then Kevin's mother was killed in a car jacking.

But because she had disowned her son, he wasn't allowed to come to the funeral.

Eddward took him to Vermont for the weekend and the new senator was blasted for it.

"He should be working, not playing in Vermont with his boyfriend because he's got mommy issues!," was the conservative line he heard and ignored the most.

Two weeks later, they came back to Peach Creek for the first time in years and Kevin went and laid white and pink roses on the grave of the woman who gave him life and then kicked him out for daring to live his as his heart saw fit.

Father met son at the cemetery gates as Kevin and Eddward were leaving and Jameson Barr spit his Jameson in his son's face.

Eddward decked the man and the conservatives had a field day.

He came back to Washington with an assault charge, bruised hand and a mountain of work to climb. And Kevin had a restraining order against his father.

When Jameson told the court his version of what happened that day at the cemetery, sans Eddward in the room because he was busy working, he thought that he'd get off for assaulting his son.

But video is hard to hide.

And the North Carolina representative told Eddward's mother that he was their's now.

10 years later, Angela and Eddward sit down for a chat.

"We can do more."

"We need to do more."

"Then let's do more."

And it was over another steak dinner on a random Tuesday, that Eddward told Kevin his real dream.

He didn't want to be president because of the clout and esteem that came with the office. Ego strokes was Eddy's thing.

He wanted to help people.

This was the best way he could think of to do it.

A bit of payback for being helped so much growing up, even if some of it came later than he felt it should have. Especially when it came from unexpected places and unexpected people.

Like Kevin.

He hadn't meant to fall in love with the man, but because they gave each other a second chance to be friends and move forward in that, it made it easy to fall in love.

The heart wants what it wants.

Eddward's wanted to help his country and when Kevin came by his side to help him live out his dreams from the beginning, it wanted him, too.

One out of two ain't bad, right?

Right?!

Maybe, but Eddward isn't any ordinary helper.

Kevin called their friends and family together and volunteered to babysit Ang's daughter as the two long time friends decided to help their country.

It took everything in Kevin most days to not beg Eddward to drop out of the race and move to another country.

A gay white man and his old college buddy, a single black mom to a little girl she adopted out of foster care were like poster children for all that was right and wrong in America.

Why in the world was he gay?

Why was she a single mom?

Why weren't he and Kevin married because they could do that now?

Why wasn't she?

What was wrong with her that she couldn't find a man, or hell, a woman to have a family with?

Why didn't Kevin and Eddward adopt any of the kids Kevin was a social worker for? Isn't that what the gays did?!

They both were a pox on their race and should be ashamed of themselves for daring to live their lives the way they did.

The White House would be turned into a den of debauchery if they ever got a chance to move in.

Something something LINCOLN BEDROOM SHENANIGANS.

Yet, Eddward talked to the people and asked them what they needed. Just like he did when Kevin knocked on his door, busted up and alone. Even when Eddward was busting his ass in Raleigh, leaving Kevin to his own devices for days at a time, he never felt like he was alone. Eddward was there in spirit, just like he was going to be with his newest set of constituents, the American people.

Ang's Air Force helicopter medic training gave them a bit of the military vote, while the color of her skin and her reproductive parts picked up on minorities that are usually forgotten about in legislative offices.

Eddward's privileged upbringing didn't hold much weight with the lower classes, but his work did. Ang's scrappy life of poverty held together by faith and prayer made her relateable to an evangelical base that didn't want to admit that they could do better to help their fellow man and she was going to be the best to help them do just that.

They were a force to be reckoned with as they were America, today and tomorrow.

But the conservatives kicked back.

After they took their personal lives and values through the ringer, they went for Eddward's work in his state and the federal congress and Ang's lack of political acumen.

Eddward voting record was gone over with a fine tooth comb, Ang's military career dissected to pieces.

And then her grassroots work on helping with single parents get the resources to help their families popped back up like a jack-in-the-box.

After she graduated from law school, she moved back home to Kansas City to start her own nonprofit that would help families like the one she grew up in. Over time, more resources had become available, but weren't being used, so she decided to fix it.

As Eddward's political star rose, they would talk and he would give her pointers on how to use the laws to her advantage and in no time, she was being asked to implement similar programs all over the Midwest.

Then the South.

Then the East Coast.

She was in Henderson, Nevada, when Eddward called and said they needed to talk.

If all her work in helping America's most forgotten, yet most talked about families had taught her anything, it was how to be a politician without ever having to run for any office. She worked for the least of these because she wanted to. Who better to help Eddward live out his dream for his country?

But that didn't mean that they had the election in the bag.

Not by a long shot, because they were the long shot.

Eddward watched the results roll in with CNN on mute, music blasting in their hotel ballroom in Peach Creek to keep his mind off of what was scrolling at the bottom of the screen.

He played with his friend's kids, limply held Kevin's hands and as the electoral college vote rose higher and higher in his favor, he started muttering to himself.

At 1230AM EST, Eddward Marion Rockwell became America's next president.

Shock was in his eyes for a good three seconds before joy and determination shown through his tears as he kissed his husband.

They took a week off from the campaign trail after the last debate to get married. Win or lose, they were going to spend the week before Christmas on a honeymoon to Hawaii. Between the warmth, the place in America's heart as her own paradise and it's place in the fight for gay marriage, it was perfect. If a bit a bit cheesy.

But Kevin knew if Eddward was anything, he could be a bit cheesy.

And as Eddward gave his acceptance speech, Kevin never looked forward to a vacation more in his life.

In the weeks following the election, reality set in.

Eddward had a job to do and it would probably the hardest job he'd ever do.

He made his appointments, accepting resignations from the previous administration, denying others. He wanted a bipartisanship of helping hands, not an echo chamber.

But for every step they took forward, doubt would set in. He wasn't answering to his classmates, but to his country.

For every question, there was an answer. And Kevin was always there with the assurance that he had gotten the right one.

They had a brief tea with the outgoing First Family before heading to St Peter's for a blessing over the day, then they headed to the capital building so Eddward could make good on a promise to his 14 year old self.

To help people.

All people.

Kevin held the Bible his grandmother gave him after his confirmation when he was only 16 and Eddward swore before God and his country that he would promise to uphold her laws and values.

And he did the same for Angela, too.

They were in this together.

After they took on their new titles, Kevin gave his hand a squeeze and kissed his cheek and the crowd went wild. The First Couple exchanged a look that they shared from the day of Eddward's first speech to his classmates their senior year.

Supporter and supportee giving thanks for having him by his side.

Eddward cracked a grin as he went to the mic.

"Dear God, I love that man."

The noise from the crowd at his words was deafening, but it was all in good humor. Then he spoke the words Kevin had been hearing since the day after the election.

"My fellow Americans, we are gathered here today to not only bear witness to history, but to respect our past as we look to our future..."

As the speech went on, Kevin couldn't take his eyes off of his president. It took him back to when he first saw him this way; commanding and resolute, but open. They had only been living together a few weeks then and he had come to see his dorky neighbor in all sorts of ways.

There was quiet, but quirky Eddward at home.

Eddward the student at school.

The teammate in the pool.

The guy who liked guys and made it seem like it was as natural as Ed's love for buttered toast and gravy, because it was.

But Eddward the leader was new and he liked it.

He liked it a lot.

Drawing on his attraction to Eddward's ability to live his life, he started to live his own and came to the boy, now man, for help in doing it right.

"There is no right way to be gay," he had told him. "Just be you."

So he was, and because he was, they could be.

Becoming friends and supporters led to love.

Love and support led to sharing for dreams.

Sharing of dreams led to the sharing of a dream.

And now that dream was a reality.

When Kevin came back to reality, Eddward was asking for God's blessing over America and then he turned to him.

Blue met green and Kevin saw the flash of determination take hold in his irises and knew it'd be there for the next four years.

"You did it," he whispered into his shoulder as he hugged him.

"We did it."

Their first dance was to a song about nothing coming between love.

Their first night was spent in their private residence of America's House, but the ongoing joke about something something LINCOLN BEDROOM SHENANIGANS would never die. Kevin can't even go near the room now.

Kevin became the First Guy, because he was the first guy.

He took on the usual titles and role of all the women who held the position before him and found a dream of his own.

When Eddward is asked about what a guy like Kevin does as his spouse in the White House, he gives the proud toothy grin that Kevin loves as he answers.

"He helps America's children get a fighting chance to be like me."

There's a new ongoing joke now about the Rockwell-Jackson administration.

Something something First Guy BLT Housing Project

They don't mind, though.

It's not everyday that a supporter gets a chance to help people like they were helped with the full backing of the president to boot. And Kevin gets to lay next to the president every night knowing that kids in Peach Creek and soon around the country will have an open door when they need it.

And the BLT part of all this?

What can I say, sandwiches are delicious.

Just like the LBGTQ+ community.