Title: Not Somebody that I Used to Know
Pairing: Hotgear
Disclaimer: I do not own Static Shock. If I did, the show would be VERY different.
Warning: Boy Love – don't like? Don't read. I mean it.
Francis found Richie walking along the streets, near the alleyways near his apartment. Desperate for some information and some closure, he ran after him. As soon as Richie realized that someone was following him, Francis grabbed him by the arm and dragged him into an alley.
"What the hell do you want Hotstreak?" Richie spat.
"I want to know exactly why the hell you left me. Now and then I think of when we were together, like when you said you felt so happy you could die. Told myself that you were right for me. When the hell did that all change?" Francis replied
"Why do you care? You're Hotstreak, you can get anyone you want in your bed. I ended it because I didn't want to be with you anymore."
"But you didn't have to cut me off! Make out like it never happened and that we were nothing!" Francis practically pleaded.
"I didn't want to have any memories of you!" Richie yelled. "I wanted it to be over, all of it, even friendship."
"What did I ever do to deserve you ending a friendship with me? And you didn't have to stoop so low, have your friends collect your records and then change your number." Francis was glaring at this point.
"You said that you could let it go and I wouldn't catch you hung up on somebody that you used to know."
"But you didn't have to cut me off! How could I let something go when I don't even know why it happened? I'm only "hung up", as you put it, because I still had feelings for you when you broke it off. You may have felt nothing but it still hurts how you walked out on me."
"Oh, has big, bad F-stop fallen in love? Or at this point, know how it feels to be dumped?" an angry sneer was plastered on Richie's face.
"I understand being dumped! Its sucks and it hurts! But you treat me like a stranger and I feel so rough. After all of the memories we made together, why the hell would you want to get rid of all of them?"
"Oh get over yourself Hotstreak! It's not you."
"How the hell would you know what is or isn't me!? You didn't know that I went for guys, you didn't know that I went for YOU." Francis was down-right pissed.
"I know you enough that you shouldn't be hung up like this! Face it, you're just somebody that I used to know."
"Just explain why and I'll leave you alone dammit!"
*SMACK*
Francis awoke with a start. He sat there, wide-eyed, in a complete state of shock. He remembered that he should have been sleeping over at Richie's. His mother was on some divorced womens' retreat. He reached over to click on the light. Yep, he was in Richie's bed, in Richie's room, but with no Richie. He looked around the room, at the empty desk, at the closed closet. He strained his ears to hear if maybe the shower was running. Nothing. He knew that nothing should be wrong, considering he was in Richie's bed, but part of him couldn't help but worry. He remembered how Richie would go sit in his father's arm chair and read if he ever woke up in the middle of the night while Francis was there. He checked the nightstand for the blonde's book of the week and his glasses; they were gone. Please be in that chair, Richie. Please be there. He stood up, all tiredness gone from his body, wired from that slight twinge of panic. He opened the door, noticing a faint light coming from the far side of the living room. He quietly padded down the stairs. He reached the landing, taking a few more steps forward into the doorway of the living room.
There Richie sat, curled up in his father's armchair. Enthralled in his book, Richie barely heard Francis walk down the stairs, only looking up from his book as he caught sight of Francis in his peripheral vision. He noticed Francis was breathing rather hard, his eyes wide, a little red, and glossy. Something isn't right… Richie thought. He closed his book. He dropped it on the chair as he stood up to walk over to Francis.
"Frankie…what's-"
"Please tell me we are still together."
Richie froze, completely confused as to what was going on. "Wh-what?"
"Please. Just answer me."
"Of course we are still together. Why wouldn't-"
Francis silenced him with a searing kiss, pulling him in close. Francis kept the kiss strong and passionate, leaving his hands firmly on the blonde's hips. Richie brought his hands up, lacing his fingers together at the base of Francis' neck. Slowly, they broke the kiss.
Richie was the first to speak. "Please tell me what the hell is going on." He spoke softly.
"I had a dream, a very real nightmare. In the dream I was just somebody that you used to know and we got into a fight over our break up. Please, never let me listen to Gotye right before bed. This was not fun."
Richie smiled a little. "Trust me Frankie. You will never be somebody that I used to know. Even if we ever broke up, I promise you, I won't do that to you. Dread pirates deserve some acknowledgement even if the last encounter was dreadful."
Francis smiled at the comment. He leaned in and captured Richie's lips once again, only this time the kiss was soft and sweet. "Is my princess coming to bed anytime soon or are you going to keep reading?"
"I'm at a stopping point I think…" Richie said as he let out a great yawn. "Yeah, I think I'm going back to bed. Let me just grab my book."
Once Richie grabbed his book, the two bang babies disappeared behind Richie's door. The two slept peacefully into the following morning, when Richie woke up Francis and made sure he knew he wasn't going to be leaving him anytime soon.