Author: Pirate Turner
Thanks and Dedication To: My beloved Jack for talking this fic through with me; Henry Winkler for first breathing life into the wonderful character that is the Fonz; and the talented, hard-working Peja who issued the improv challenge this fic dares to answer using the terms "men's toilet", "friends", "enjoyed company", "make love", "kiss it", and "going steady"
Rating: R
Summary: Rich is in trouble again. Will Fonzie be on time to save him, and if he is, will he be able to control his feelings?
Warnings: Slash
Disclaimer: Rich "Richie" Cunningham, Fonz/Fonzie, and Happy Days are & TM their rightful owners, not the author. Everything else is & TM the author. The author makes absolutely no profit off of this work of fan fiction, and no copyright infringement is intended.
He knew he was in trouble the moment they entered the men's bathroom. Their eyes fixed on him the second they walked in, and they sauntered immediately up to stand on either side of him. Their large forms flanking him made him feel even smaller, and a lump rose in his throat. Richie tried to swallow the lump and finish his business, but he quickly heard the first sign of his doom in the scoffing sound the taller boy made in the back of his throat.
Rich blushed, turning a deep shade of red, as he felt their eyes boring down into his small member. As the shorter boy chuckled softly, he carefully tucked his boy back into his pants and turned to leave. The taller of the two whirled after him and clasped his thin shoulder with a strong hand. "Where ya going to so fast, shortie?" When Richie tried to pull away, his hand clenched him so tightly that Rich felt as though his circulation was being cut off.
"B-Back to class," he managed to stutter.
"Aw, ain't that sweet?" The taller boy cast a smirk at his buddy. "Well, we ain't through here, Cunningsham."
"Thr-Through with wh-what, M-Marco?" Richie hated himself for stuttering and for allowing his fear to show so clearly. He wet his lips nervously and then swallowed hard, his racing mind going to the image of his hero. Being friends with the Fonz had taught him a great deal, yet, when caught alone with his pants literally down, he was still the same old, little Richie Cunningham.
"Come on," the leader said with a beguiling smile that reminded Richie of a smile he'd once seen on a villain from his little sister's cartoons. "You can tell us. Just how tiny is that thing?"
Richie focused his eyes on the bathroom door that lay in wait dead ahead. Not only were his cheeks burning now; his whole face, from the tip of his ears down through his neck, was beet red and steadily turning darker. "I-I don't know what you're talking about."
"'Course ya do, sonny boy," Marco returned with a teasing grin. "What's a matter, Rich? What's got you so nervous? We're just talking about your little boy here . . . " He reached out and thumped the redhead hard between the legs.
Pain shot through Rich so that his knees nearly buckled. He fought to keep standing, his stinging eyes focusing on the door and praying for a way out. He wasn't sure whether to be thankful that Some One was listening or to be mortified that he would see him like this when the bathroom door swung open and the Fonz strode in.
Marco immediately changed his position. His hold on Richie relaxed for just a moment as he threw his arm around his shoulders instead, but his fingers clamping on to Rich's skin through the thin fabric of his shirt warned him silently that he'd better not say a word of truth about their conversation to Fonzie. He drummed his fingers against his shoulder a second later, chuckling softly and nervously. "That's so funny, Rich! Tell me: What did she do?"
Fonzie glanced at the two of them as he sauntered around them to stand before his favorite mirror. He took out his comb and started to run it through his short, black hair, but his eyes remained upon his best friend's slightly trembling form wrapped in the arm of the school bully. "Marco," he called, "you wouldn't be bothering by buddy now, would you?"
Marco rubbed his arm along Richie's shoulder, his chuckle sounding even more nervous than it had before. It was his turn to stutter in fright as he spoke again, "C-Course not, Fonzie. Any buddy of yours is a buddy of ours." He turned to flash an innocent grin at Fonz, bringing Richie with him. "A-Ain't that r-right, Rich?"
Fonzie cocked a single brow at the redhead. The boy had stilled on the outside, but Fonz could feel his inside trembling from where he stood several feet away. He had first come to like Richie as only enjoyed company with the first male companion he'd ever cared to hang out with, but the bond between them had grown far tighter over the last couple of years. He could now read Richie like a book, and anger poured into his being at the way these two bullies had undoubtedly been treating him and the plans they must have had for his best friend. He hid his fury well, however, not giving off so much as the tiniest hint of it, as he waited to see if Rich would tell him the truth.
Richie swallowed hard and glanced between the two bullies. If he told Fonzie the truth and they ever caught him again without Fonz around, they'd surely kill him. His heart sank as he imagined how Fonzie would react; he'd lose all respect in the eyes of the only man who meant even more to him than his own father! If he didn't tell him and went along with Marco's story, however, he'd be lying to his dearest friend in all the world. He closed his eyes briefly, swallowing another hard lump of nerves.
Fonzie saw the fear in Rich's thin, freckled face and decided not to dawdle a second longer. Rich wanted to tell him, and he was sure that he was about to despite his fear of Marco and his sidekick. That was enough for him. He ran his comb a final time through his hair as his eyes glanced meaningfully at Marco's unzipped pants which his member still hung slightly out of and his sidekick's dropped pants. "You know, boys, I'd hate to think you were having other thoughts of my boy there."
"We weren't, Fonz! Honest, we weren't!"
Danger glimmered in Fonzie's dark eyes as he slid his comb into his pocket and turned in one swift, smooth move to face the two culprits. "We're all friends here," he spoke with nonchalance, "so you boys can go along and proceed with what you were about to do."
Marco shared a wary glance with his friend who was trying desperately to find a way to blend into the wall. He wet his lips and swallowed hard before forcing his gaze to return back to Fonzie's piercing eyes with a feigned look of innocence. "Wh-What we were about to do?"
Fonzie laughed. No one dared laugh with him as his brief chuckle echoed through the bathroom. He strode over, hooked an arm around Marco's quivering shoulders, and looked him dead in the eye. "You don't have to keep the act up, Marco. It's okay. You're among friends here. Go ahead . . . " Fonz chose that moment to quickly unwrap his arm from around Richie's scared stiff shoulders and pushed Marco toward his shorter companion. " . . . and kiss it."
The smaller guy's jaw dropped open, but he didn't dare speak. His leader, however, turned to whirl on Fonzie, his shout of protest bellowing through the bathroom. "WHAT!?" At the dark and dangerous look that flickered over Fonzie's face, his voice immediately dropped, his demanding, angry face turning to a desperate plea. "B-Bu-But we-we're not that way, Fonzie!"
"You are now," the great Fonz replied. He jerked a thumb towards the other boy's dangling member. "Kiss it."
"But -- "
His voice was laced with fury as he commanded, "Now."
"But -- " Marco was now trembling even more than Richie had been moments before.
"I'm not known for my patience, Marco," Fonz replied loftily. He hooked his own arm around Richie's shoulders and gave him a gentle, reassuring squeeze even as he appeared to study his fingernails with boredom. "One . . . Two . . . " His eyes flicked up at the bullies, both of which had been reduced to quivering heaps of cowardice. "Three!" His fist popped a nearby stall door.
The sound of the impact sent both boys to their knees. Marco did not try to fight off his friend as his lips went straight for his dick. He brushed his mouth against it, and as soon as he started to pull away, Marco hurriedly pressed a kiss to his. Fonzie chuckled, but there was no amusement in his laughter. "Now get out of here," he told them, "and don't ever come back into my office!"
"But . . . But, Fonz," Marco struggled to protest as he got shakingly back onto his feet, "wh-wh-where are we . . . gonna . . . gonna . . . "
"Make love?" Fonz shot at him even though he knew very well that that wasn't what the coward meant. "Use the girls' toilet."
Marco knew better than to argue with Fonzie and fell silent as he and his friend hurried from the bathroom. Fonz released his hold on Richie as the two stumbled pass and pressed a swift kick to each rear end, throwing them the rest of the way out of his office. As he did so, Richie walked away.
When they were alone again, Fonzie turned imploring eyes to his friend's paled face. The poor boy looked as though he was about to be sick as he leaned over the sink. One hand pressed against either side of the sink for support as his shoulders sagged and his head hung low. "Are you okay?" His tone was in complete contrast to the one he had used just seconds before. His caring concern was now clearly evident as his eyes swept over the image of his best friend and he thought angrily how he should have done much more to those bullies.
Rich swallowed hard and nodded meekly. "Y-Yeah, Fonz. Th-Thanks. I just . . . I just wish you hadn't seen that."
Fonzie strode up behind him and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. "It's okay, Rich."
"No . . . No, it's not!" Richie exclaimed, his voice full of disgust that Fonz coiled back from in surprise. His small fist hit the sink in anger. "I should have been stronger! I should have been braver!"
"You're braver than you think, stronger too." His words came with a surprising gentility, and he cast a look around to make certain they were alone.
Richie's gaze finally lifted to Fonzie's face, and Fonz's heart ached to see him so close to tears. "How can you say that after . . . "
Fonz took a deep breath, calling upon every last bit of nerve he possessed, and stroked Richie's shoulder. How could he ever tell him how he truly felt? How could he ever tell him the truth about the great Fonz who he respected and admired so much? "Because you're you," he finally said. "You're little Richie Cunningham, smart enough to know you're nowhere near as strong as those boys back there but brave enough to always stand up for what you believe in and to be you. You don't hide, Richie. You never hide not even from me back when we first met."
Rich looked closer at Fonzie. He had grown so close to him over the time they'd known each other that he had become the one person in all the world who truly understood Fonz, who could tell when there was more bothering him than he was letting on to, when he was nervous, and when he was scared. "Fonzie?"
"You don't hide, Richie. As long as I've known you, you've never hid the real you."
"Fonzie, what are you talking about?"
Fonzie meant to take a deep breath to still his nerves, but as he gazed into the redhead's beautiful eyes, he suddenly forgot how to breathe. Richie turned around so that he could face him. The two were standing so close that Fonz could feel just the slightest hint of his little fellow, and he thought for a moment that he should remind Rich that his barn door was open. He could make light of the situation that way and, hopefully, find a way to worm out of the hole he'd unexpectedly found himself in.
"Fonz, what's wrong? You can tell me. I won't tell anybody. You know that." When he remained silent, frozen to the spot, Rich pressed, "What's wrong, Fonzie?"
"Nothing's wrong, Richie; we're together." The soft words that slipped from his mouth came unbidden, and he winced the very moment he realized he'd spoken his private thoughts out loud.
"F-Fonz?" Richie breathed shakingly, suddenly realizing how close they were. Fonzie's words had shot straight to his heart, and he ached to be able to believe that everything was as perfect for his secret love as it was for him whenever they were together.
Fonzie's eyes traveled over Rich's handsome face before returning again to his shining eyes. The tears were gone now, replaced with uncertainty and . . . Fonz's heart again skipped a beat. Was that hope he saw shining in his boy's eyes? "Rich . . . " His throat suddenly felt so dry that he found it difficult to speak. If he moved on him now, he could lose him forever, but if he didn't, he might never be able to summon the courage to do the one thing he really wanted to do.
He was the great Fonz, Fonzie reminded himself. He wasn't supposed to be afraid of anything! He was supposed to do what he wanted when he wanted, and the rest of the world had better either learn to adhere to his way of living or get the Hell out of his way! People looked to him as a role model of how to be strong, brave, and free, but it was all only an image he cast out as long as he remained living in fear.
He was tired of living in fear. He was tired of drawing away from the flame that beckoned him like a moth. He was tired of running away from doing the one thing he'd wanted to do more than any other for a long time now. He was tired of living a lie and beyond ready to take back the mantle that was rightfully his, the mantle that said he was the bravest and most daring soul to ever ride the streets of Milwaukee, if not the whole darned United States of America.
His eyes searched the blue orbs of his best friend as he fought to summon every inch of strength and bold nerves he possessed, and then, not daring to breathe, to speak, or to think any further about what he was doing, he leaned in. His lips softly brushed Richie's, his eyes never leaving his. Surprise shot into those blue eyes. Fonzie started to pull away, but then, as delight filled Rich's eyes, the younger man quickly recaptured his lips.
Rich's sweet lips eagerly pressing against his melted away all of Fonzie's inhibitions, and his tongue drove boldly into the redhead's mouth as he kissed him with all the pent-up love he'd been struggling to keep hidden for so long that it felt to both guys like an eternity. He kissed him long and deep, and that sweet, passionate kiss was only the first of many as they've been going steady ever since.
The End