A fic for Stoker and Vinnie, because something about those two are just so neat together.

Mice. Don't own them.

Teach Me?

Stoker had been in Vinnie's life for a long time. He'd found the kid when he was younger, with no dad and no role model. Stoker wasn't sure why, but he'd taken to the seven-year-old immediately.

Something about Vinnie had screamed 'Love me, cause I'm that damn cute… please?' Even as a kid, he had a cocky attitude, but also the insecure knowledge that he didn't have much to back it up with. It had touched Stoker for some reason, and he found himself taking the boy in. He taught the kid about just about everything he knew, weapons, motorcycles, racing. The kid was a fast learner too, but he had a tendency to try and jump ahead and make a fool out of himself.

Stoker thought it was cute that Vinnie was never deterred and always did his best to hit the stars.

It was the typical adult and child relationship. They got along, they argued. Stoker tried to teach him, and Vinnie would insist he could do better. The brat always insisted he'd be better than the old timer someday, and he'd tell the punk that it'd never happen, even under his expert tutelage. There were times even when hurtful things were said, but they always somehow moved past it.

People commented how much they acted alike, and Stoker imagined the similarities were intentional. It gave Stoker a warm feeling to know he had a sort of protégé, not that the kid would ever be the best. Not while he was still around.

Okay, Stoker knew when it came to his own ego, he was shallow, but at least he was deep enough to admit it.

When Vinnie had met Throttle and Modo, Stoker was overjoyed. Throttle was one of the most level headed mice that the general had ever seen, though his tail often got tied in knots whenever Carbine came around the house. Honestly, it was the funniest damn thing to see the young tan mouse crossing a room to talk to her, then promptly turn around half way and flee to his bros, only to have them shove the shy boy back in the proper direction.

And Modo was awfully polite for a kid, and at two years older, could keep an eye on his bros. Stoker had first wondered if the gray furred kid had a mean bone in his whole body, until he'd seen him go into a rapid mood swing when someone said something against his momma that he was always seen with. Even Stoker had winced at the other mouse's injuries.

The two balanced Vincent out well, always willing to handle him if he got too rambunctious. Stoker wasn't surprised that they were all such good friends.

Stoker was happy that he knew the kid was growing up so well, but nothing could have prepared him for having to give him "The Talk" though.

Vincent had started to look at girls, and Stoker knew, at twelve, he really needed to know about the opposite gender. He found himself putting it off, because somehow, he just couldn't brace himself for the thought of the kid going out and dating.

When he found the kid in his room, hidden underneath a blanket with one of Stoker's magazines and a flashlight, he quickly decided that a sit down was definitely in order. So was finding a better hiding spot for his 'reading materials' than the back of his closet.

"Am I in trouble?" the white furred mouse asked from where he sat on the couch in the living room, his ears drooped and looking down on the floor.

Stoker felt bad for him, understanding how embarrassing it could be to be 'caught'.

"No, you're not in trouble," he stated trying to sound calm, even as he paced. He'd spoken to Vinnie about everything else, why was the subject of girls so hard? "What you did is perfectly natural. It's common for boys your age."

"Really?" Vinnie looked relieved.

"Yes. But we do need to talk about it. There are some things you… need to understand."

Vinnie looked mortified, and Stoker felt about the same.

"Do we have to? I promise I'll never do it again!"

Stoker laughed. He couldn't help it.

"Kid, you couldn't keep that promise even if you wanted to," he replied and sat down on a chair. "Everyone does that kind of thing. It means your body is starting to… develop. It's not bad, but the whole affair is like doing a trick on a bike. You need to know certain things, or you could end up with something broken."

"It can break?" He looked terrified.

"No… well I guess maybe… Look, just listen okay?"

Gods, this wasn't going to be easy.

"At your age, you've started to notice girls, right?" The boy nodded. "All right, that's natural. Now, when two people really, really, really, really care about each other, they… act on their feelings."

"You mean like Throttle and Carbine?"

"God I hope not," Stoker muttered, though he knew it wasn't something to really worry about. As shy as Throttle was, he could barely wave at the girl without running away. Thank the gods. "No, I'm talking about adults. Throttle and Carbine are still children, and so are you. These changes your going through are going to take a long time, years. But when you are old enough, you're going to start having something called sex."

"Like doggy style?" Vinnie asked eagerly.

"Oh god kid!" he exclaimed as he stood up. "Just how long have you been reading my magazines?"

"A year."

"A year?" he repeated back weakly as he flumped back into his seat. He felt like the wind had been knocked out of him. His little Vinnie had been growing up in this aspect for a whole year and he hadn't noticed. He was a horrible parent.

"Is there anything you want to ask me?"

"Does falling in love hurt?"

Stoker had been expecting anything but that. All of a sudden Vinnie looked as shy and unsure of himself as the day he'd met the kid.

"Sometimes," he answered. "When someone doesn't return your feelings or changes their mind about it later on, yeah it can hurt. That's why it's important for you to wait until you're an adult. Right now, you aren't going to think straight, and it can lead to a lot of heartache. Even when you're my age, there are some risks involved."

"Is it worth it?" he asked.

"Is everything dangerous that I taught you worth it?" he replied with a wink. "Trust me, you're going to crash and burn a few times. It's unavoidable. But when that special person shares that experience with you for the first time, none of those other times matter."

"So it's really special?"

Stoker smiled and nodded. This was something that magazines didn't cover. All the letters and pictures never mentioned love, but it was just as important.

"Would you teach me?"

"Uh… what?"

"You know," Vinnie said. "Sex. You're the one who shows me how to do everything anyway. And I know I love you. You love me… right?"

"Oh kid," he said and he went over to pull the boy in a hug. "Of course I love you, but it's not the same thing. Romance and family love is different. Besides, we're both males."

"So? You said two adults. And there were some pictures with two girls. If girls can love each other, why can't boys?"

Stoker didn't know if this kid was naturally accepting or if he was just too young to understand the 'norm' but Stoker didn't disagree with him. Love was love, and sex was sex. That was the end of it.

But while there was nothing wrong in Stoker's mind with two men who cared that way about each other, Stoker could never forgive himself if he ever touched innocent little Vincent like that. He wasn't so much of a dog when it came to sex that'd he'd prey on a child.

"Like I said before, it's for adults," he told him.

"I meant when I was grown up anyway."

Sheesh, this kid was stubborn. But Stoker sighed. He'd probably forget what he'd asked in the years to come.

"We'll see," he lied.

It had been the end of the conversation, and Vinnie had seemed satisfied with the answer. It was the end of it, at least for the boy. Stoker would never admit it, but he'd been touched that his charge would offer him something so special as his virginity. Even if the kid hadn't known what he was saying, it said something about how much he must have cared for Stoker.

Years passed and Vinnie started to grow and chase any girl who didn't flat out tell him to get lost. Actually, there were only a few of those. The kid had a natural charm, and his pick up lines were rather clever. His ego sometimes got in the way, but more often than not girls would giggle whenever he tried to show off.

Stoker told himself that it was a relief, and firmly stomped on his feelings of regret that the kid had seemingly lost his interest in his the older man. It was just because of his ego, and nothing more. The flattery had been nice, but it had stemmed from the fact that Vinnie admired him as a teacher, not a lover. Stoker was not going down that path.

When the war started with Plutark, he quickly got sick of the army he was a part of. None of the orders made sense, and any time he complained, he just was told to shut up and would be stuck in some place that he knew there wasn't any action. It didn't take long for the general to get sick of it and quit. Luckily he had a few come with him. He thought Mace had been one of the best to follow, especially since he had such supreme knowledge on the communication equipment.

As a result to everything going on, he formed the Freedom Fighters, it was only natural that Vinnie became involved. He was still young in Stoker's opinion, but it had been one of the few arguments that they'd had that the brat had won. At sixteen he could fight, and there were others the same age jumping in.

Things were so scary then. At any time people could die, and it happened often. Stoker tried not to act scared, the others would see it if he showed weakness, but the thought of anyone coming back in a body bag terrified him. Throttle, Carbine, Modo…Vincent.

Gods, he didn't know what he'd do if he lost Vinnie.

It had been so much like the first time that Stoker caught Vinnie that it would have been funny if not for the embarrassment. He'd gone into the sleeping quarters, intending to yank the young man out of bed. It was well into breakfast and Throttle had told the leader that Vinnie just wasn't getting up. So the general had gone in there with the intention of dragging him out if he had to.

At least Vinnie was still using the safety of blankets, not that it does much when the other person sneaks in as quietly as possible in order to surprise the sleeping person when snatching it off of the bed.

Well, Vinnie had been surprised, and so had Stoker. He turned around and mumbled a fast apology, leaving as fast as he could while still keeping some of his dignity. The white mouse didn't come out for breakfast, and even when he finally did emerge, Stoker steadfastly ignored him out of shame.

He hated to admit it, but he'd been turned on by the sight of Vinnie laying there, member in his hand, flushed and naked. And he must have just finished too, judging from the mess that had coated his hand and stomach. Stoker clenched his eyes shut, but the image wouldn't leave him, in fact, it was only stronger when he didn't have something else too focus on.

The worst thing was, he didn't even feel bad. Yes, he felt guilty about walking in on him, but he it should have been for more reasons than that.

'Vinnie is a kid, remember?' he thought to himself harshly. 'You can't do this to a kid.'

But that was such a pathetic lie he couldn't even swallow it. Vincent wasn't a kid anymore. Fast approaching seventeen, he was an adult, and Stoker knew it.

He remembered falling asleep, alone in the storage room. He hadn't had anything to do there, he'd just wanted to be alone for a few minutes before calling it a night and going to bed. A few minutes had turned into ten, into a half-hour, into two hours. He had drifted off without even realizing he'd done it.

And he dreamt of Vinnie, in away he didn't feel so guilty about in his subconscious. He didn't even know he should feel guilty, or why. All that had mattered was the feel of it. No words were spoken, just soft kisses and lingering touches at first, and then somehow, in a way that only dreams could do, he was making love to him. Not just sex. It was too sweet for that, even in it's most wild moments.

He'd woken up with a jerk, sweating profusely and saw Vinnie looking down at him, shocked. The older mouse swallowed, painfully aware that he was hard from the dream, and that even his loose pants did not hide it.

"I was looking for you, since you didn't come to bed. Did… you know you talk in your sleep?" Vinnie asked awkwardly and Stoker paled, not even sure himself how many times he'd groaned the other mouse's name in his dream.

"I…" he started and trailed off. "Vinnie, I'm sorry. Really, I know I shouldn't think of you like that."

"You still willing to keep that promise?" he asked suddenly.

"Promise?" He said before he realized. "No, we can't do that. Vinnie, I'm too old for you. And you obviously aren't gay. There are girls who you could be with. Girls your own age. It wouldn't be anything more than a mistake for you."

"Scared I might be better than you, old timer?" Vinnie asked with a smirk and after a moment, Stoker chuckled. At least Vinnie understood, and it seemed to clear the air for them. "Well, guess it was a silly idea anyway. You're right. I've just been thinking about it a lot lately 'cause Throttle and Carbine finally got over the hump. Guess I've been curious."

"It's not fair to you," Stoker admitted. This kid should be dating right now, not fighting in a war. Was there nothing the fish hadn't ruined when they came here?

"I think I'll get to bed. You might want to take care of that."

The way Vinnie had suddenly wiggled his eyebrows at him made Stoker wonder if he really was an innocent little virgin.

Thankfully there was no awkwardness around them afterwards. And after a while, Harley had come along. A sweet thing in every right, Vinnie had immediately taken to her. So had Stoker unfortunately. He couldn't help it. She was beautiful and charming, and smart as a whip too. He didn't bother to hide his affection, but didn't push too hard.

Harley had thought it was out of respect for her, to keep from tying her down, and a part of it was. But another part of it was the fact that he wanted Vinnie to win a little bit. He deserved a good girl like her, and it was about as much as he could do. If Harley ever was to choose Stoker, well he wouldn't turn her down.

And it had all ended. Harley had been taken, he'd been captured a year later, and even after the war had been lost he'd been stuck in that lousy prison, beaten everyday for years, loosing his reflexes and stamina. He had gotten old, and he hated it. Being useless was not something he'd ever wanted, and he was more than glad when it had been suggested to him to teach the new recruits. He was the kind of guy that needed a purpose.

He didn't know what had possessed him to go see his three best students after a while. It was just a feeling in his gut that he wanted to do it. And Rimfire could always use the practice, so after a spectacular crash that had landed them in the scoreboard, visiting and reminiscing commenced. Root beers were passed around like water, and Charley ran out for hotdogs at least three times that he could remember.

It was late before anyone wanted to go to sleep, and even then Stoker stayed up, just sitting outside in stands, thinking. He saw Vinnie approaching and he waved him over.

"Hey old timer," he said as he sat down next to him. "Think your old bones can take this cold weather?"

"Ah, shut it punk," he muttered, comforting himself with the thought that he could still whip Vinnie's tail with ease.

"Glad you came," Vinnie said. "There's been something I've been meaning to talk to you about."

"Hmm, what's that?" he asked.

"It's about Charley-girl."

Oh god, no! He'd already had the talk with him when he'd been twelve! This wasn't fair!

"What is it," he said, glad he was able to stay calm on the outside.

"I finally told her about Harley."

That was it. In that simple sentence Stoker understood.

"You really think you don't have a chance with the girl?" Stoker asked.

"Think? I know. Besides, she's been pretty obvious that it wasn't going to work from the beginning. I'm not the only one with a spotty past when it concerns romance, and I think she isn't willing to try again with the egotistical type."

"Sorry for the bad luck."

He shrugged but the fact that he was smiling showed he wasn't too upset by all of it.

"Honestly, I think I told her partially because I wanted her to know I was okay with us being friends. If Harley had picked you, I would have stepped back to the side. I wanted Charley to know that I consider her friendship more important than the idea of sleeping with her."

Stoker nodded in understanding. Silence engulfed them for a few minutes, neither of them saying anything. They were just comfortable with the moment.

"You know I don't think you're really old, right?" Vincent asked suddenly, breaking the peaceful quiet.

"I know," he responded. "It's just like I call you a second rate punk with too big of a mouth and ego the size of Mars."

Well, maybe he resented it a little bit. He really didn't like getting older.

"Stoker?"

"Yeah?" he asked and turned his head to the side in time for Vinnie to kiss him.

It was chaste, and he broke away, leaving Stoker to just sit there and blink in surprise.

"I'm not too young, and your not too old," he sated, sounding so much like the little kid he had been so long ago, stating logic so simple it could only come from a child.

Stoker swallowed.

"Is this really what you want?" he asked tiredly. There hardly seemed a reason to argue, and he was finding himself flattered all over again that the kid still wanted him.

"Yes," he replied.

Stoker drug a hand through his bangs and smiled good naturally.

"All right, but you'll forgive me if I'm not the expert in this field that I am in all the others."

"I still want you to teach me."

"What, how to have sex?" he asked incredulously, knowing this kid was no virgin anymore.

"No, how to love someone," he stated and kissed him again.

Any other time, the corny comment would have been dying to made fun of, but as Stoker wove his hand around the young punk's neck, he figured he could let it go, just this once.

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Fluff fest. My last story for Vinnie was kind of angsty, so I wanted to write this cute little thing. I think my favorite part was the talk. Stoker would be a great dad I think, but there are some things even the best adults struggle with.

And before you ask, I don't know why I keep throwing Vinnie at other men. Maybe it's because there are so few females, and I'm so much of a Throttle/Charley fan that I just can't bring myself to write Vinnie/Charley.

On the other hand I hook Throttle up with Vinnie, so what am I saying there? Ugh.