Fandom: Dance Central Pairing: Mo/MacCoy Warning: FLUFFY MALE/MALE ROMANCE ABOUNDS. IF YOU'RE ALLERGIC TO FLUFFY MALE/MALE ROMANCE, PLEASE STEER CLEAR. REMEMBER HOW TO USE YOUR EYES.
Disclaimer: None of this is for monetary profit.
Story Commentary: Pre Dance Central. This was inspired by two anime series, Clannad and Angel Beats (thus, the title). The Clannad series inspired several events of this story, and MacCoy's role. Mo running towards MacCoy at one point was inspired by the Clannad anime. Gravi-Bunni3225's DC fanfiction also played a huge role in inspiring this.
Find me in full swing under PeorthMoon, on DeviantArt.
Their tale began in a park. Boyd Lake State Park, to be exact.
Mo was one half of the tale, and his family loved the park. Adventure was always found in one of Colorado's most beautiful realms. He and his family could explore open waters, dive into an underwater empire, or simply relax on emerald green shores. Boyd was one of Grandpa Jif's favorite places, because it made him feel young again. His grandfather always loved to take advantage of early morning serenity, strolling through a garden of smiles. He loved to barbeque in the park, even when the weather was at its worst.
On that particular morning, Mo and his grandfather were simply enjoying the park's crystal clear waters. Grandpa Jif's favorite fishing pole was in his hand, pulling in the hottest catches of the morning. It was a little on the windy side, but a beautiful morning nonetheless. Little Mo, no more than six years old, listened as the fisherman revealed a colorful, epic past. Jif was once a member of a revolutionary band, so he always had one or two stories to share.
For a while, everything was peaceful. Jif's grandson caught sight of a young blonde, flying a kite with his parents, but simply smiled. When that same kid burst into tears, though, Mo jumped to his feet. Grandpa Jif was close behind, wondering what had suddenly upset his partner-in-crime. He instantly had the wind knocked out of him, looking upon a blessing that was surely his age. The blonde kid was such a sweet, adorable little thing. His blue eyes were filled beyond their rims with tears. His little fists were pawing at his eyes, in another sure sign of distress.
The warm, affable Jif spoke to the kid's parents. Meanwhile, Mo got his own version of the story, straight from the horse's mouth.
"What's up?"
"M-m-my kiiiite...I didn't mean for it t'happen..."
The kid burst into tears all over again, still pawing at his eyes. However, his sobbing came to a quick end once Mo promised him something. In mere minutes, much to the rapture of his grandfather, the nimble little critter was up a tree. Retrieving a Batman kite that had been lodged in one of the park's many trees. Jif's grandson jumped down from the tree in a heartbeat, watched over by many eyes. The eyes of the kid's parents, his grandfather, and the wide, blue eyes of a living wonder. "Here y'go," he said merrily, returning the kite to its owner. Rosy delight lit up the blonde's cheeks, and blue eyes glistened with joy.
"Thank you! This is my most favorite thing EVER! Thank you!"
Resting underneath a windy blue sky, Mo watched as the child was lifted onto his father's strong arms. Laughing out of sheer relief, the blue-eyed wonder resumed flying his kite-but it would remain safe, from that point on.
Mo couldn't ignore the pangs he felt, watching the kid disappear.
"You're gonna be in my class? Too cool!"
Mo's heart was overflowing with relief. He thought he would never see the blue-eyed kid again, but three months later, they were meant to share the same school. The same class. And once again, he was able to see the kid smile. Some moronic ass holes had tried to stomp all over his newest treasure: an action figure. A Captain America figure, to be precise. The jackasses apparently pounced on him after he turned one of them down, not wanting to date any losers.
So. The blue-eyed wonder already had enough sense to pick the right guy. Even when they were only in elementary school. Totally awesome.
"Thank you thank you thank you so much! You saved my stuff once again, man! Thank you!"
"Thank you must be your two favorite words," Jif's little grandson said, eyes twinkling. Fondness laced every one of his syllables. "Don't worry about it, yo. Glad I c'n help!"
"M'name's MacCoy, but you c'n call me Coy if you wanna!"
"I'm Mo," MacCoy's hero said, pounding his chest with a fist. "Sometimes, people call me Momo! You c'n call me that too, if you wanna!"
Smiling, Mo watched as Coy shoved his Captain America inside of his Captain America backpack. "I gots some of Mum's brownies in here," the blonde declared, patting his backpack. "Gramma packed me some yummies too! She makes totally awesome zalvyne. Share lunch with me!"
Lil' Mo had no idea what zalvyne was, but he would sooner die than turn down MacCoy's invitation.
Later on, he found out that Gramma's zalvyne really was 'awesome'. And Coy had the cutest Captain America lunchpail.
"Smoothies are ready, you two! Enjoy!"
Humming with a set of radiant blue eyes, Chloe carried a tray of fruit smoothies to a table. The study buddies wanted to help out with the smoothie preparation, but she wouldn't have it. School projects demanded a lot of attention, after all. "Enjoy," a bright-eyed, smiling goddess said, filling the study area with her sunshine. Her son and his friend smiled, adding even more light to an already bright world.
"Thanks, Mum! You're the greatest!"
"Sorry for all the trouble, ma'am," her son's study buddy said. Chloe continued to smile, unbothered by the smoothie preparation or any other troubles. "Never you mind, dear," she sang, while her son guzzled down his study smoothie. "You c'n always count on me to help out my favorite boys! Besides, you've been friends with MacCoy for two years now! Which leads me to another point. Please stop calling me 'ma'am', Momo. You're a friend o'the family!"
In that house of light, Mo watched as MacCoy's mother cleaned up smoothie supplies. He watched Coy inhale the rest of his smoothie, blue eyes brimming with energy that could only be called 'magical'.
And in that house of light, two friends finished their History project.
"Thanks for walkin' me home. Really appreciate it, yo."
MacCoy had adopted one of Momo's mannerisms. He sometimes added 'yo' at the end of his sentences, and always did so with insanely adorable sweetness. "It's cool," the hoodie-wearing breakdancer said, throwing an arm about the blonde's shoulders. The night winds brushed against them, but Momo threw his coat about Coy's shoulders. He rarely ever walked about without a hoodie, but for his boy Coy, he made an exception.
"Don't want 'cha walkin' home all alone."
"I'm really gettin' better," the blue-eyed wonder said, eyes shining like moon-strewn stars. "I've been practicin' all the time! Before ya know it, I'll be on your team-and I'll kick major ass!"
"I know you're gonna kick major ass, Coy."
Sadness sprouted on the face of Flash Gordon's newest fan. "Sorry about the earlier trouble," he said softly, wrapping his arm around Mo's. "Y'know, you tryin' to get me into the team 'n all."
"Hey! Don't gimme that. I pulled that shit all on my own. I'm just sorry it didn't work out."
"It's cool! I'll get into the team all on my own! I'll show 'em, Mo! I'll become a baseball player they'll HAFTA be proud of!"
Arm in arm, Momo and MacCoy discussed the school's baseball team. They discussed how they had won the school's talent show, strutting their hot moves right on the school's stage. They discussed Mum's totally awesome brownies, her even-more-awesome smoothies, and her support of their friendship. Momo and MacCoy also discussed Grandpa Jif's upcoming feast.
Momo and MacCoy were thirteen years old.
Mo had held light so close to his heart, for so many years.
For years on end, that light transported him to another world. It uplifted him whenever he was sad, cold, lonely, or even just hungry. It filled him warmth, whenever the nights were cold. And that light always held MacCoy's smile.
But on that particular night, that precious smile was gone. It slipped through his fingers, leaving him worried and restless. On that particular night, he ran up the stairs that would lead him to his friend. He followed the sounds of heart-breaking tears, running on clouds. Hoping those clouds would soon lead him to the friend he loved, admired and treasured so much.
Something horrible had happened. Chloe wasn't anywhere to be found, and so many men were outside. Loud trucks with sirens had flooded the outside of MacCoy's house. The men's voices were firm but urgent, warning him of a tragic nightmare. A stretcher had been laid out, a familiar face struck Mo's heart like a bolt of lightning-
And MacCoy was crying.
Heart pounding, he threw open the door to parents' bedroom. He stopped, but only for a moment. Only long enough to catch his breath. He ran right over to a bawling Coy, who was clutching his mother's childhood toy. A fluffy brown teddy bear, with a pretty pink rose.
"M-M-Mo...Mum's...Mum's..."
Coy could no longer speak. Overwhelmed by tears, he cast his arms about the friend he had known for so long. Mo quickly wrapped his arms around the blonde, and held him close. He wouldn't have let him go for anything, even at the cost of his life. He didn't find out what happened to Chloe for another eight hours, but details weren't really all that important. Not when so much had been shattered.
Not when so much light had been lost.
His hoodie was soaked by millions of raindrops, but he didn't care. He rocked Coy back and forth, ignoring the sirens that stained the night's serenity. He rocked Coy back and forth, even when his father burst into the bedroom. Never shedding a tear, he rocked his best friend-and Coy held on for dear life, never wanting to let go.
Unfortunately, Dad wasn't keen on supporting their wishes. "Come with me," the older gentleman said, thoroughly shaken and battered by the night's horrid dream. He latched a hand on his son's arm, Mo gasped-
"Come with me, son."
"NO! I'm staying here, in Mom's room with Mo!"
"Mac-"
"NO! Don't EVER call me that! Don't EVER call my name again! You weren't here! You weren't EVER here! Go away! Don't take me away from Mo!"
Mo could only watch. He watched as Coy's father tried to pull him away, but the young blonde gave a powerful punch to his father's face. The tension rose to an unbearable pitch as the two men stared each other down-one with a piercing gaze full of white-hot, immeasurable hatred, the other's gaze filled with eternal resignation. The older blonde eventually withdrew from the bedroom, head bowed and heart even heavier.
Yes, it was true that MacCoy's father had gone missing. He was somewhat involved in his family's life, but in regards to being a true parent, he went missing after Coy's seventh birthday. Work consumed his every waking breath, taking him far away from a world he never should have stopped loving. But Grandpa Jif's partner couldn't believe MacCoy had chosen him over his father. His own father. It shouldn't have been that much of a surprise, though.
Twenty hours before Chloe's sudden death, MacCoy celebrated his sixteen birthday. He hadn't gotten a call from his father Lloyd in years.
But not a day went by without a call from Mo. And his true caretaker only allowed himself to cry once MacCoy had fallen asleep. He mourned for Chloe in the arms of his grandmother.
Right before he went to sleep, he pulled a blanket over a sleeping, tear-stained blonde. He then prayed, thanking all of the angels for giving him an incredible family-
And his best boy, MacCoy.
"Which one you wanna watch? Batman Returns or Batman Forever?"
"Let's go with Forever, man. Val kicks some major ass as the Caped Crusader!"
"Get it together, Mo! Clooney's in this one!"
"Who gives a flying fudge pop, yo? I don't spend all o' my time memorizing celebrity crap! I just watch 'em, 'n I know some guy named Val Kilmer kicked ass in one of 'em!"
"You're mean! George Clooney gives one of his most awesome performances in this, 'n you don't even care!"
"Hey! Let's diss Batman all together 'n watch the Ninja Turtles! They wrote the book on awesome!"
"Okay! What'cha wanna watch, the show or the movies?"
Smiling on the inside and outside, Mo expressed a wish to watch the Ninja Turtle series. Not the cartoon one, but the live action one. MacCoy had already played the cartoon series a bazillion times. The blue-eyed blonde could practically recite the script! And he was infatuated with Michaelangelo, the heroic turtle in the orange bandana. Makes sense, Momo thought to himself, thinking of his friend's increasing infatuation with that particular turtle.
They both chug pizza like there's no tomorrow, and they're apeshit crazy when it comes to energy. Neither one of 'em can stop bouncin' off the walls!
Smiling, Mo watched MacCoy hook the show up on tv. His heart skipped a beat as he noticed the energy within bright, shining blue eyes. The Ninja Turtles were just another bunch of heroes, but to MacCoy, they were the greatest heroes on Earth. The greatest legends of all time. Besides Batman, the heroes of the Fantastic Four, and Flash Gordon, of course.
When it came right down to the wire, though, Mo was the greatest hero of them all.
MacCoy had turned eighteen a week ago, but he still had his love for super heroes. He still said 'good morning' to his grandmother, still loved her zalvyne, and still loved her. Just as passionately as a child loved cookies. He looked after Gramma Frannie, Gramma Frannie looked after him-
And begged Mo to always remain by her grandson's side, no matter what. Coy had been through so much, and really needed the friend he loved so much. He still couldn't cope with his mother's passing, or what his father had done to their family. "No sweat," the B-Boy said, giving her the thumbs up. Mo really needed no pushes when it came to his boy Coy. He had already decided to take care of MacCoy for the rest of his life-
Or, at least, for as long as Coy would let him.
He couldn't see into the future, though, so he knew nothing of what lingered in store. He knew nothing of how his feelings towards Coy would intensify.
He knew nothing of the nightmare that would change his life, and fan the flames he carried for a certain blue-eyed beauty.
