Out

December 12, 2010, 3:10:27 PM

Disclaimer: I do not own the Winx Club.

Fore Note: This is a one-shot, with a hint of citrus.

It was the end of the year. A lot have things had changed since the school year started. The specialists were graduating. Riven, in particular, had finally broke up with Musa. They had dated for a few months before finally deciding that they just could not stand each other's arrogant presence.

Riven entered his room, followed by Helia. Both of them had started packing so that they could return home, but they were wont to do so. Helia closed the door and locked it as Riven loftily sat down on his bed.

The redhead combed a hand through his russet locks and then stretched his arms out, like a cat, to lie on his bed.

Helia silently sat on the edge of the bed. "That didn't go too badly…" he commented.

"Helia, they were expecting that from you," Riven said.

"A confession from me is normal?"

Riven rolled his eyes and turned over on his bed. Months' worth of anxiety had built up in him and it was still there. He thought that confessing would make him feel so much better. It did, a little, but there was still a well of worry inside of him.

"Helia, you look gay."

"Riven, I have long hair. I think it's a given that a guy with long hair is ambiguously gay," Helia said sarcastically.

"You act like a girl."

"I went to art school. I studied aesthetics. I can't help that I have a superior sense of style."

Riven snorted, and then smiled.

Helia bent over the man and studied his face. Part of his dark hair fell over his shoulders. "What's wrong, Riven?"

"I…"

"Riven, if you're scared about your friends treating you differently… Friends will accept you no matter what, or else they're not friends." Helia knew that he was throwing a disposable piece of advice, but it was good nonetheless.

"It's not that." Riven closed his eyes and wished that he could fall asleep. When he was asleep, he felt no emotions that would usually bother him. "Now that I've admitted it, am I supposed to feel different?"

"What? You mean 'gayer'?" Helia looked at Riven questioningly.

Riven did not reply, hoping that the artist would understand somehow.

"Look, if you going metrosexual on me, please, don't start asking to read my Esquire magazines. That is all I am asking."

"No, you dumbass!" Riven sat up and looked at the other man with incredulity.

A meaningless insult. Helia had been called worst. He could tell that Riven did not mean it. It was just a sign of the inner storm brewing in him.

Helia had found the redhead's vulgarity endearing at the beginning because Riven was a man with very little censorship and a brash open-mindedness. At the same time, he was so simple-minded and easy to understand since he was the product of society's darker schemes. With the dark past surrounding the man juxtaposed with his unsophistication, Helia felt compelled to wipe the dirt to reveal the surface. Beneath it all, he found a jewel of a person that he wanted to greedily possess.

"Then what is it, Riven?" Helia leaned forward and wrapped his arms around Riven.

Riven welcomed the embrace and leaned back into the headboard. "I don't know." He was floundering for something, like a purpose or a direction in life.

"Riven, are you worried about what everyone is thinking?"

Riven was exhaled deeply.

"Screw them, Riven. You broke up with Musa a long time ago. All that really matters is you. And me obviously, but it doesn't matter what they think at all. Friends will help you; good friends will help you move a body." More throwaway advice.

Helia turned to move and he felt Riven possessively tighten his grip on him. Helia won and repositioned himself so that he was sitting side to side with Riven.

Riven smirked. "So, if I asked you to help me move a body tomorrow morning, would you help me?"

"Of course, I'll even help you incinerate it or get you some cinder blocks to anchor it in the lake," he said with a hint of laughter in his voice.

Helia hooked his left arm around Riven's right and folded his hand into his. They were holding hands like a regular couple, their fingers intertwined.

Riven lifted their hands up to examine them. "So how does this work now?"

"Do you want it to stay where it is, or do you want a little more than this?"

Helia looked at Riven's face. He seemed to be debating with himself internally. Helia turned to face Riven, cupping his face with his free hand. He could feel the rough stubble growing already. He pressed his lips softly to his.

Riven greedily pulled Helia closer to savour the contact.

"You don't need to decide everything now," Helia said.

"What else am I supposed to do then?"

"Just don't think about the others. It's their problem if they can't accept you entirely. We're leaving soon anyways, so stop thinking about what just happened and think about the future. I'm in this with you. You don't need to hide anything anymore from them or me. You should be happy with what you have."

"I am happy."

"You don't look like it." Helia straddled Riven to look into his eyes.

"I'll show you happy." Riven pulled Helia against him and rocked his hips.

"Hmmm…I'd like some proof…"