Title: Vibes, Both Good and Bad
Fandom: Detentionaire
Pairing: Steve/Ned
Summary: How did the star quarterback from A. Nigma High start dating one of the most new-aged skaters in the school? Why are vibes so important? And why is a Grade 10 smoking cigarettes?
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Ever wondered how the school's first homosexual couple got together? Especially when one of them was the school's quarterback and the other was the resident new-aged, hippie skater.
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It was a cold Tuesday in November when Steve parked his car. He was a little early for school – enough time to torment some nerds. But that wasn't what interested him, what did was one of the skaters doing sitting on the hood of a car.
Smoking a cigarette. Wasn't the kid a Grade 10? Maybe, the nerds could wait – this skater would be even more fun.
"Yo, skater brat, what ya doing?"
The blond flinched, his eyes widening. "What is it to you?" He mumbled his voice wistful as he released another breath of smoke.
The quarterback laughed. "A little thing like you? Just making sure you aren't doing anything dangerous."
The skater nodded, taking another drag. "I know who you are."
"So does the rest of the school."
"I know what you're trying to do."
"And what would that be?" The football player leered, pushing the skater right against the hood of the car.
The skater gulped. "You want to hurt me, manipulate me." He mumbled trying to scoot farther away from the tall, imposing boy.
The football player ran his hand down the blond's face "but why would I do that. You're nothing special."
Whimpering the skater tried to pull away. But the football player held him in place. "Absolutely nothing special, so why would I bother with you?"
A lone tear slid down the blond's face, unobstructed by the goggles. "Just let me go. If I don't matter just let me go."
The football player looked up and down the skater. And then he released him. The blond grabbed his bag and skateboard and then bolted towards the school.
Periods later Ned was sitting in the cafeteria with the other skaters. He was still shaken up; he'd never been bullied before. His brother was the biggest bully in school – no one dared bully his family.
What he'd done, he'd told the other skaters, well he was telling the other skaters. "…the vibes were like so low, man. I'd never felt more scared."
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The other guys nodded, "what do you do to clear the air, again."
"Burn sage." Ned mumbled, adjusting his goggles and rolling the wheel on his skateboard. "I've got some at home, just need to make it to the end of the day."
"Lucky you," Ted mumbled, stuffing a burger into his face. The chorus of agreement following.
The end of the day couldn't come soon enough; Ned practically rushed out of the school, muttering about cleansing. "The vibes have gone bad. Sage will fix bad vibes. Football players bring bad omens. Meditation, sage and rest, need to meditate burn sage and rest…"
He didn't even notice Steve until it was too late. As the blond skater ran smack into his chest. The burly football player cracked his knuckles, growling at the slight boy who was standing against his chest.
"Well. Well. Well. What do we have here?" Steve yelled, looking down at the skater.
The skater moaned, pouting. "Look, Steve. Please just let me go home. I'm not feeling well."
Laughing the quarterback said, "nope."
"Please," the skater mumbled.
"And why would I do that." Steve whispered running his large hand across the skater's face. "We're having so much fun."
Ned looked up, blue eyes tinted by the yellow goggles. "No we're not. You said I wasn't worth it." He growled pulling away.
Steve pulled him away, pushing him against Steve's truck. "Skater boy, we're having so much fun, why would you want to go?"
Trying his hardest to push the quarterback off of him, the skater pouted. "You don't even know my name. How are we having fun?"
Steve backed up a little bit. "I know your name. Zed, right?" Shake of the head. "Ted, right?" Another shake. "Ed, then?"
"Okay, I don't know your name."
"Already knew that. The vibes surrounding you are so negative."
Steve raised his eyebrow, "vibes?"
"Yes, vibes. Yours are negative. Please let me go home."
"Tell me your name."
"Ned. Ned Goldstein."
"Okay Ned. We're going to spend some more time together. But not tonight, you do look rough. But" he paused, pressing his lips to the skaters. "You aren't feeling well and I don't want you to get sick."
The skater nodded, hand reaching up to touch his lip.
"Tomorrow, then?" Steve asked. He stepped back to allow Ned to pass.
"I guess so."
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"…Then he kissed me. I just don't know what to do – I mean the vibes were so dark, so depressing. And then suddenly the vibes were like harmonious." Ned explained to his older sister. His sister's long, blonde hair being braided quickly as she listened – hissing and sighing loudly.
"Oh my god! He sounds like a huge bitch!" Avalon muttered, grabbing a bright colored elastic, and putting it into her hair.
Ned nodded, taking a drag of his cigarette, blowing the smoke out of the window. "I know, but it felt so…" he paused tapping his cigarette. "so…" and then he smiled "perfect."
His sister sighed, stealing a puff from the cigarette. "He's a year older than you. He's a jock, you're a skater. He's bullied you. He's dating Kimmie." She paused squeezing her brother's hand. "It won't end well."
"I know. But the vibes are too strong to abjure."
The next day, when Avalon drove Ned into school, so he could smoke in the car. "You know, you don't have to talk to him."
"I know," Ned nodded.
"Then don't seek him out. If he wants to talk to you – let him do all the work."
Ned nodded stepping out of the convertible.
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It was twenty minutes before last bell when Steve finally tracked down Ned. The skater was on his free period, and had been quietly walking towards the parking lot, when he was stopped by the football quarterback.
"Well, well, well. What've we got here?" Steve called looking down at the skater.
Silence.
"Cat got your tongue, Goldstein?"
Silence.
"Ned? Are you alright?" Steve asked, dropping onto one knee so he could see the blond skater's face.
The blond skater just kept looking straight forward.
"Ned, talk to me."
"What" the skater hissed.
"Don't you start this, you were just ignoring me."
The skater struggled in the quarterback's large arms "let me go."
"No."
"Please let me go."
"Not until we talk about yesterday."
"What is there to discuss."
"I kissed you."
"That is true."
"I want to kiss you again."
"If you say so."
"What if I wanted to date you?"
"The vibes aren't right."
"What?"
The skater pulled away from the quarterback. "Your words don't ring true."
"Well they are."
"You'll have to prove that-" pressing his lips forcefully to the skater the football player silenced all his mumbo jumbo.
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And that brings us back to the present. Steve and Ned were talking as they got out of Steve's old pickup truck. Where Steve was grabbing his boyfriend's smaller hand in his, as he pulled him into A. Nigma High, to face yet another day.