I'm finally posting all the oneshots I've had on my computer since forever (seriously, I wrote this before I'd ever gotten drunk - editing this was pretty entertaining). I have a few more oneshots for this pairing that should fit into a series (sort of following them as they get older and more sexually adventurous~) so I suppose if you are one of the five people who ship this you should stick around!
He and Franz had been roommates for years by then. They'd always been close – as two of the Alpha stream's most dismal students, they'd stuck together almost out of necessity. They'd been through many unintended adventures; it was no wonder they'd grown close.
It was that day, when Nigel was thirteen, when he thought he might lose his father for a second time. Franz had taken him back to the room – skipping class and risking detention. Somewhere after Nigel had stopped crying he realized that his head was on Franz's shoulder. Franz was holding Nigel's glasses in one hand, and with his other he was gently rubbing the smaller boy's back. He was murmuring something that sounded comforting in German. That was when Nigel's crush started.
He started to really pay attention to Franz. He found the German boy's obsession with food to be a little endearing and his accent downright cute. Then there was the fact that of all the many people in Nigel's life, Franz was one of the few who was never rude or unkind to him. He never seemed disappointed in Nigel, even when Nigel maybe deserved it. And he always appreciated Nigel and his company, even when Nigel just thought he was a bother.
As the years passed, Nigel grew to a measly height of five foot three, firmly placing him as the shortest member of their little group. Meanwhile, Franz shot up to tower over him next to Wing (except that Wing remained thin while Franz never lost an ounce of his baby fat). Nigel kind of liked the way Franz looked. Yes, he looked very silly in the H.I.V.E. jumpsuits, but Nigel saw him nightly in pajamas and he cut a rather classic figure then.
Nigel's crush started at thirteen, but it was quite a while later that he finally worked up the nerve to say something, and even then he had to have a few first.
It was Shelby's fault, really. Well, maybe it was Otto's. Or maybe it was Franz's.
After some goading from Otto, Shelby took it upon herself to go steal something from Ms. Leon's quarters. Once a world-renowned thief, Shelby's skills had only improved at H.I.V.E. so that she managed to go out and return undetected (although Nigel suspected that Shelby's roommate might have conspired with HIVEmind so there was no electronic evidence of the theft). What Shelby stole was a bottle of Schnapps. But Franz and Nigel didn't know this at the time.
The two of them just happened to walk by the four friends in the accommodation block and overheard.
"Won't she notice that it's gone?" Wing asked as Shelby opened the bottle.
"I doubt it. It was in a cupboard all covered in dust. It's not like she can drink any, I don't even know why she had it."
Laura appeared with a handful of stacked plastic cups. "You guys are so lucky I'm like this with HIVEmind," she held up her two crossed fingers to indicate, "or we'd be in so much trouble right now."
"Please drink responsibly," HIVEmind's voice issued from her Black Box.
Nigel was thinking this might be one conversation that he and Franz would walk away from. Their four friends had a predisposition for getting into trouble and this was one adventure he'd rather not stumble into.
Apparently, Franz didn't feel the same. "You guys are wanting to drink Schnapps, ja? What flavor?"
"Green Apple," Shelby poured a small amount into one of Laura's cups. "It sounds tasty enough."
"Ah, apple I am not trying that flavor yet I think."
"You've had Schnapps before?"
"Ja, my father is letting me have a sip from his Schnapps since I am a little boy."
Nigel heard Shelby snicker and whisper to Laura, "That could explain a few things." Nigel's ears burned as Laura shushed her friend quietly.
Meanwhile Wing had given Franz a drink and Franz downed it in a second. "Nigel!" He said, "This is being the best tasting Schnapps I've have ever been drinking! You should be trying some too."
All it took was one look at Franz's brown eyes glittering with excitement, for Nigel to submit to peer pressure.
None of them would later say that they drank responsibly, but they certainly didn't get up to much trouble – they didn't even wake anyone else on the block, not even when Wing started singing.
Nigel thought that getting drunk was kind of fun. He felt tingly and happy. More carefree than he'd ever felt. Although maybe he was a little too carefree, maybe … maybe he made a fool of himself. He told Laura he thought redheads were prettier than blondes and whispered quite loudly to Otto that he and Wing should date. Franz didn't get drunk and Nigel commented quite offhandedly that it was probably because of his size.
Franz's face turned pink at that, and unfortunately, not in the adorably excited way. Usually Franz was so shameless, perhaps he really was drunk, but it had the reverse affect that it did on Nigel. Either way Nigel bit his tongue and proceeded to go into great depth about how he thought Franz was great.
"You say what you want and you just don't care and I think… I think you're wonderful! You are so much cooler than people give you credit for. I'm sorry about the weight thing – I was just saying it to be scientific and I wasn't paying attention and I didn't mean it that way. Actually I think you have… you have a chubby charm. It's cute. You're cute. You're really cute! And I like your accent."
Shelby and Laura laughed almost continuously from start to finish of Nigel's speech. Wing just hummed and leaned against Otto, who was red-faced up to his white hairline. "Maybe," Otto said, "we should call it a night."
In their room, Nigel and Franz made ready for bed. Occasionally Nigel would stumble into a wall or have to support himself on the bed as the room swam. After he finished brushing his teeth, however, Nigel's legs refused to work. He might have tried to crawl across the floor (he was in such a state that this seemed like a perfectly natural solution).
Franz knelt down and gently helped him to his feet and sat him on the bed. Nigel leant into him and remembered that day years ago when Franz had held him so tenderly. But then he started to pull away! Panicking, he grabbed onto the sleeves of Franz's pajamas.
Franz looked surprised at first, then smiled confusedly. And expectantly. Oh, God, he'd grabbed him. Nigel was going to have to say something!
He licked his lips. Say something! Make something up! His mind was too foggy to conjure anything clever. "Franz," he said, "I like you." Oh no…
Franz smiled, his dimples standing out against his flushed cheeks. "I am liking you too, Nigel," he said.
He tried to pull away again but Nigel didn't let go of his sleeve. "No!" Nigel said, perhaps a little too loudly. Somewhere he realized that this was his opportunity to walk away from his confession, but it suddenly seemed like the absolute most perfect thing to do, and he couldn't keep it all from tumbling out of him. "I like you like you. I like you a whole lot Franz."
"Like like? Maybe you are having too much to drink, Nigel." His face was concerned, his tone kindly. Guh, he was perfect.
Franz tried to gently push Nigel onto the bed but the smaller boy wouldn't have it. "I know what I'm saying, I'm not too drunk, Franz. I like you, I've liked you since second year!"
Nigel watched as the light blush on Franz face blossomed into a rosy-red color. He licked his lips and his eyes swung around the room before finally settling on Nigel once more. His eyes were sparkling again. "Are you meaning this Nigel?" He asked hesitantly. "You are liking me?"
"Ja! So much 'ja'!" Nigel in his drunken state couldn't believe how hard it was to convince Franz of such a simple fact.
Confronted with Franz's flushed, embarrassed face the smaller boy sobered a little. His mind muddled over the thought that perhaps he should have kept his mouth shut?
"This is making me very happy," Franz said suddenly.
Nigel's eyes went wide behind his glasses.
"You see, I am liking you too." He smiled, his cheeks a deep red. "I am liking you a lot too, Nigel."
Perhaps it was the alcohol, perhaps Nigel was just delirious (or maybe tearing up a little), but at that moment, Franz's eyes just looked like two glittering stars. They suddenly disappeared behind closed eyelids but Nigel didn't have time to feel sad as Franz leaned in and their lips met.
Part of Nigel's mind was exploding in fireworks and cheers; the other part was lost in the contact of lips on lips. Franz's kiss felt warm and soft and sort of wet and very, very wonderful. Nigel felt himself leaning in, humming his approval.
Franz cupped his jaw gently so that his thumb caressed Nigel's cheek and his fingers curled over his hairless scalp in a way that felt amazing.
Nigel brought his hand up to cup Franz's jaw as well. His fingers brushed into soft blonde hair as Franz licked his lower lip. Nigel gasped, it was too much too soon and he wanted it too bad.
Franz pulled away then, looking concerned. "Are you being okay?"
"Yeah," Nigel breathed as he slowly opened his eyes. "That was… that was very nice."
"Yes," Franz blushed, "I am liking it too."
Nigel just blinked up at the taller boy. He hadn't thought it possible, but being a good kisser had suddenly made Franz seem even more attractive.
"But you should be going to bed now, we are having classes tomorrow and you will be having a hangover, I know."
The illusion dissolved as Nigel groaned in despair. He'd much rather stay awake and kiss some more.
"We can be discussing this more tomorrow when you are being sober." He leaned down once more and gave Nigel a quick, chaste kiss on the lips. "Good?"
"Good," Nigel murmured, distracted by the kiss.
Franz slipped out of his grasp then. He turned off the lights and then Nigel heard him more than saw him slip into his bed on the other side of the room.
The next day would undoubtedly be highlighted by hangover troubles and mortified conversations with Franz to ensure that 'yes, yes he wanted a relationship' but for the moment Nigel could only think happily of the boy in the bed next to him.