-1Story by: Kassie King

Title: They Wanted

Category: Romance

Rated: T

Summary: BARE: A POP OPERA Peter/Jason- Beginning of Sophomore year, P/J first kiss.

Back to school, another year, another hopelessly long, dull year. Jason thought as he stumbled through the doors of his new room, 243. His suitcase was as big as he was and he knew Nadia still had more of his stuff in her room, but Jason had left it there seeming a little anxious to be in his own space. It wasn't that he didn't love Nadia or love being with her, most of the time she was the only thing he had, but an entire summer of biting comments and sarcastic remarks got a little tiring.

He threw his suitcase to the ground and crashed to his bed without further speculation. There was just something about St. Cecilia's School that felt like home to him.

"Hey there stranger," he heard a familiar male voice call from above him.

He hadn't even noticed Peter in the room, but sure enough as Jason looked up from his bare mattress Peter stood in the corner with a half folded striped blue polo in his hand. He looked the same. Same brown hair, maybe a little longer, same brown eyes, maybe a little kinder, and same naive smile. Jason and Peter had roomed together for the first time the previous year, freshman year. They had become good friends over that time, but summer brought absence and they hadn't talked much other than to confirm that they would continue to be roommates.

"Peter!" he exclaimed, jumping up to hug his friend. He clapped him on the back, but perhaps held on just a bit too long.

They were both slightly startled as they pulled away, but awkwardly Peter stumbled out a further greeting.

"Summer- How was your summer? I didn't hear much about it,"

"Lame, well fine, but it was just Nadia and I bumming around. Lucas came up for about a week, which was fun, I don't remember much of it, but I'm guessing that meant it was fun."

"Ha, right, yeah I'm sure you had a good time with Lucas." Peter had a habit of trailing off and finishing sentences lamely.

"What about you- you had a summer, how was it?" Jason had a habit of rectifying awkward situations and pulling conversations back together.

"Good. Kind of long. It was me and my computer most of the time, but I got to see my Nana a lot and my mom was happy that I was home."

"Nothing from your dad?"

"Saw him once I think. How about yours?"

"I think he was there, can't really remember though," he joked although his father's disconnection wasn't really funny.

"Is that all you brought?" Peter asked motioning towards Jason's one suitcase.

"No, there's more in Nadia's room, but I don't want to go get it."

"I'll go with you when I finish unpacking," Peter offered lightly.

"Alright, thanks man." Jason said smiling at Peter who slowly grinned back.

Later on that day the students all met in the courtyard to hear the Dean read off their Code of Conduct (which was not followed) and to hear the Priest speak about their religious teachings that would commence during the next year. As friends saw each other they fell into groups on the brick pathway between the Church, the dorms, and the classrooms. Lucas, Ivy, Rory, and Matt came to them first. Lucas was laughing loudly as Matt saw Ivy's face upon greeting Jason. Lucas clapped Peter on the shoulder and Matt shook his hand. Rory sort of ignored he was there, but said 'hi' in a small voice. Ivy hugged him tightly and kissed his cheek. They greeted Jason as well in similar ways, except for Rory who was perhaps a little happier to see Jason than Peter. Soon Nadia joined them.

"Hey guys," she proclaimed loudly, yelling as she walked through the courtyard towards them, "Guess how I know that I'm rooming with Ivy again?" No one answered, "The room is full of toddler-sized clothes and it smells like sex in a bottle." She snipped.

"You wouldn't know how sex smelled, Nadia. No guy would get that close to you." Ivy shot back without missing a beat.

"How about my two favorite girls just chill. Huh?" Jason said wrapping his left arm around Nadia's shoulders and his right around Ivy's. Peter felt a hint of jealousy at the sight for no apparent reason.

It was true that Peter had... thought of Jason like that before, but he chose not to acknowledge it. After all, the Bible was very clear that those feelings, thoughts, were wrong and should be ignored. Peter was a good Catholic; he wouldn't break the Bible's teachings. Besides as he looked at Jason holding Ivy's shoulders there was no doubt in his mind that Jason was very, very straight.

"Dude, Peter, unless you're falling in love with Jason and you two plan on moving to Massachusetts stop staring at him like that man." Lucas said slapping Peter over the side of the head, who laughed awkwardly mumbling out denials.

Everyone dismissed the comment, Peter was the type to zone out randomly anyway, but he did attempt to acknowledge his surroundings better.

Soon the Dean joined them and the same old rules were announced; "Wear appropriate clothing, no drugs or alcohol, no violence, follow the teachings of God..." it was all very predictable. Their priest explained to them why it was so important to exemplify the word of the Lord and that they could always feel free to talk to him. Blah, Blah, Blah.

As the gathering ended Ivy announced that she hadn't finished unpacking and therefore needed to go unless there were other plans. They all agreed that they still needed to spend some quality time adjusting to their rooms. Matt and Lucas hobbled off to their room (one floor below Jason and Peter), Ivy flounced off to her room followed by a crabby Nadia, and Jason and Peter went up to their own room.

Entering 243, Jason once again lunged for the mattress, though not quite as obliviously as before. Peter sighed as he walked to his bed where Jason had sprawled all of his stuff from Nadia's room that was yet to be unpacked. He threw Jason's bed sheets to him wordlessly, and pushed a few towels off the foot of his bed so he could lie down as well.

"God, it's good to be home huh?" Jason asked rolling on his side to face Peter who was on the other bed, laying on his back staring at the ceiling.

"Yes it is."

"Still glad to be roomies?" Jason asked with just a hint of too much curiosity.

"Well, I mean you're not exactly Lucas who always smells faintly of something illegal or Matt who doesn't shut up about Ivy, but I suppose you're alright." Peter said sarcastically with a slight grin.

"Yeah? Well who said you were world's best roommate either? It's not like you clean the room, do the laundry, or sneak me food on the Sundays when I don't go to Mass." Jason was also joking.

The truth was they both enjoyed rooming together, far too much, for far too guilty reasons, but in the hands of Catholicism the truth didn't mean much. For quite a while Jason had become a bit too lost in Peter's voice and Peter had stared a bit too long at Jason. They had learned to ignore it, if they ever really acknowledged that it was there. So many things between Jason and Peter were unspoken.

Around 6:00 Lucas called Jason's cell phone inviting Peter and him to a 'fun night' in his room. They both agreed. After all, the only way to start a new term was to get wasted, or in Lucas' case getting wasted was the only way to start, finish, or maintain a term.

Slipping out of their dorm they took the staircase down, stairwells were generally empty, the lazy students preferred elevators most of the time.

Stepping through the door of Lucas's room Jason and Peter were pulled into the circle of some drinking game. No one was trying very hard to win, they let the alcohol sting their throats as it went down and they got distant looks in their eyes, loving the oblivion they had been thrown into.

Peter and Matt were probably the most intolerant to the affects of the alcohol. Even after several shots Lucas looked and sounded no different than normal, alcohol didn't have much effect on him anymore. Ivy got a bit drunk, not enough to truly lose her self control. Nadia got toasted enough to make her meaner and snippier towards Ivy if that was possible. Jason did drink quite a bit, but it seemed impossible for him to get drunk. The rest of them simply drank until they couldn't see straight.

Eventually Matt started throwing up and they all flew from the room. In the hallway Peter laughed much too loud at things that were not funny. Jason was afraid that he would wake up the entire floor and he attempted to shut him up, throwing his hand over Peter's mouth. Just like a child Peter flicked his tongue out to lick Jason's hand. Jason didn't move his hand and his eyes softened as he watched a very intoxicated Peter squirming.

And then very softly Jason felt something was not expecting on his hand. A kiss on his palm.

And then looking at Jason's panicked, but aroused face Peter began laughing loudly. Jason sighed pulling Peter along the pathway to their room.

When they finally entered Jason pushed Peter to his bed and told him to go to sleep. He then went to their bathroom filling a Dixie cup with water and grabbed two aspirin from their medicine cabinet. He entered their room again, but Peter wasn't in his bed anymore. For a fleeting second Jason panicked, but then he heard a snicker and he realized that Peter had moved to Jason's bed instead. With a confused look he placed the water and aspirin on his bedside table.

"Uh, that's my bed." No shit dumb ass he thought to himself.

"It smells like you," Peter said peacefully, settling into the sheets which he had put on Jason's bed himself.

"That makes sense- it's my bed,"

"Do you want me to move?" Peter said half suggestively, half pitiably. Jason hesitated before answering.

"No, whatever. It's fine. That aspirin and water is for you. You should take it."

"Thanks," there was a slightly more reasonable sound to Peter's voice and Jason wondered if he could have a coherent conversation or not. He looked over to Peter who promptly spilt the water all over his front and Jason's comforter.

Yeah, probably not.

"Sorry," Peter mumbled.

"It's fine," Jason said standing up to find a towel that Peter could use.

"Why are you mad?" There was such an innocent tone in Peter's voice that Jason smiled despite himself.

"I'm not,"

"Then why aren't we talking?"

"Because you're wasted." It was such a simple statement, but both of them knew it wasn't the answer.

"No, the best conversations happen when people are wasted. Think about it. You could get me to answer anything right now; I have no sense of judgment." Jason sat at the foot of his bed, close to where Peter's feet lay.

"Appealing, but I would rather you just go to sleep." Jason tried hard to dismiss Peter, to just get him to stop pressing.

"I'm not tired," Peter said sitting up.

"You'll feel better in the morning if you sleep now."

"Morning's going to suck either way with the hangover." Peter's drunken reasoning was surprisingly accurate. Jason sighed.

"Alright Peter, what do you want to talk about?" Jason's voice was exhausted and impatient, but Peter did not recognize it, like a three-year-old trying to recognize sarcasm.

"I'm the intoxicated one; you should probably choose the topic."

"Okay, how about classes this year?" Jason suggested, feeling that it was probably safe to discuss.

"Boring. Next subject."

"God, Peter just go to sleep! I promise we'll talk tomorrow."

"Oh, I have a question." He said brightly, ignoring Jason.

"Great..." Jason grumbled.

"Why did you look so weird tonight in the hallway, when I was trying to get your hand off my mouth?"

"Peter..." he trailed off, refusing to make eye contact. He heard Peter shift on his bed and crawl towards him.

"Please? I just wanna know." Peter's voice was so innocent and cute that Jason couldn't lie.

"You kissed me."

"No I didn't."

"You kissed my hand."

"So?"

"That's why I was acting weird." Explaining himself so in depth was not something Jason enjoyed.

"You know I was just joking right?" A new awareness had entered Peter's eyes, as if he was a bit more aware of what he was saying.

"I don't know Peter... sometimes I wonder."

"Jason... I... I don't know what to tell you. I mean- I mean I'm straight. I wasn't like kissing you; I was trying to gross you out." Peter's voice was slurred, but nervous at the same time.

"Are you sure?" Jason knew there was something in Peter that felt the same attraction he did. Even if Peter didn't want to admit it and Jason fully intended to make Peter admit it.

Even in Peter's drunken stupor he still knew the look in Jason's eye. It was pure determination. Peter wasn't good at lying when he was sober, much less when he was drunk. He took in a big breath of air preparing to defend himself.

"Yes of course-"

Peter however was cut off as he felt Jason's mouth crash upon his own. Time slowed for both of them. The kiss wasn't soft, it was deliberate. Jason controlled Peter so easily, moving one of his own hands to Peter's chest pushing him backwards onto the pillows. Peter melted into the kiss closing his eyes and moved one of his hands to Jason's jaw line. Jason was pleased to feel Peter responding, and he knew that it wasn't just the alcohol.

He let his hands wander lower, down Peter's stomach and felt Peter's arousal clearly against his own leg. Desperately he opened his mouth further, slipping his tongue into Peter's mouth. When it was clear that Peter needed to breathe he separated their mouths, instead kissing down Peter's jaw and to his neck.

"What are you doing?" Peter fumbled out nervously gripping his hands to the back of Jason's head and moaning his name as Jason nipped at his sensitive skin.

"I'm kissing you." Jason mumbled into Peter.

"Why?" Was all Peter managed.

"Because I knew you'd kiss me back." Jason said before lifting himself up a bit so that he could look Peter in the eye.

Peter lost himself in Jason's eyes. He could feel his erection becoming more desperate, but also saw a considerable bulge in Jason's jeans. Peter wanted to feel Jason again, harder this time. He wanted to touch him and he wanted to be touched. But that was so wrong, he knew it was wrong, God knew it was wrong and yet it was Peter who found himself lacing his fingers around Jason's neck and pulling him down into another kiss.

And just like that both of them knew. They knew all those things unspoken; they understood all the awkward silences, all the slightly-too-long hugs, all the staring. They knew that they wanted each other and they knew that they could make it okay. As strange as that attraction was, as different as they were they could make themselves work. They wanted to be together. And so they were.

A/N

Bare is new for me. I'm not sure if my characterization is dead on, but it's decent. The musical is just so beautiful and I had to try my hand at it. Please review. Please?

-Kassie