WORDS

They weren't huge on public displays of affection, both found it hugely embarrassing and Booker in particular enjoyed the outside thinking that he was a hardass. However sometimes they'd hold hands when they were out together walking down the street if they were feeling particularly affectionate towards each other that day.

Today was a Saturday and the first day off that they'd had together in about a month and they planned to spend the day wondering lazily around just catching up, maybe they'd get some lunch and undoubtedly argue about who would pay the bill. Side by side they walked in comfortable silence with their hands joined swinging gently in-between them.

A man in his thirties walked past, tall and muscular with a long but groomed beard. His eyes flicked between the two and landed on their entwined hands and he outwardly grimaced. "Fags," he hissed at the two of them as he passed.

Hanson immediately froze and Booker glanced at him. Dennis had been openly bi since he was teen and he was used to the cruel prejudice of the world but Hanson…well he was shyer than Dennis had ever been and this was his first and only relationship with a man; words like this still cut through him like a hot blade.

Tommy let their hands drop and he walked on not looking at Dennis but Booker reached out and grabbed his upper arm swinging him round to face him. "Hey heyy, don't let that jerk ruin our day off. He's just an idiot who doesn't know any better." He lifted Tom's face gently up to look at him.

"I know that," Tom replied unhappily, "it's just – I can't stand it sometimes and I don't know why it affects me so much. I get so angry!"

"The world needs time that's all, one day we'll be able to walk down the street with no one even giving a second glance because they'll realise it's normal, that it's completely natural"

"But what about until then?"

"Until then, we have each other and it's only your opinion that I'll ever care about," Dennis replied before planting a small swift kiss to Hanson's hairline. "And, if anyone ever bothers you I'll beat them up before they ever do it again!"

Smiling Tommy pushed him away, "shut up! I can do that myself!"

Laughing Dennis re-joined their hands and started to pull his lover gently down the street.

GEEK AND JOCK AU

Dennis was the jerk quarterback at Chapel High School; Tom was not so beloved – straight-laced good kid who loved books and science much more than sport. When he was younger he'd had a hard time because he was smaller than the other kids and he was pretty. Now it's better because people simply ignore him. He had heard conversations from the girls sometimes about how he was good looking but how it was a shame he was such a geek because they could never go out with someone like that. Shallow idiots.

Booker and him had always gone to the same school all the way through from kindergarten to now, junior year. Dennis wasn't into beating kids up, that was more just his friends but their reputation tainted his and no one really took the time to realise he wasn't a violent thug – Tommy noticed though. Mostly because one time in middle school Dennis' friend Freddie had him in a headlock demanding his lunch money and while the rest of their despicable gang was laughing, Dennis was just standing there – a slight disapproving frown on his face. Their eyes had met and for a moment it felt like Dennis was apologising for his friend before he quickly averted his eyes.

Another thing that no one took the time to notice – both boys were gay. Dennis had known since forever; Tommy had taken longer. Dennis had also realised how much he fancied the dweeby geek Hanson way before the other found the feeling was mutual. Both had the same reaction though – panic. Immediately Dennis asked out Kimberly Greenberg, a girl who practically drooled when he was in a one mile radius of her but who had but two brain cells to rub together.

However, he didn't stop watching Tommy from afar and neither did Tommy stop noticing Dennis in return.

Then came along the science project. Dennis was failing chemistry rather spectacularly and so the kind teacher Mrs. Forsythe pulled him aside and said she was going to pair him up with Hanson.

"Please Miss, anyone else please; any other dweeb just not that one!" Dennis begged. She smiled back almost knowingly.

"Dennis, I think that this could be good for both of you."

Hanson's face burned furiously when he was told the news and burned even more furiously when he was face to face with the tall and handsome Dennis Booker. Booker decided to try and play his increasing anxiety down.

"Right little man, shall we try and get this over with."

"Don't call me that," Hanson barked "and also don't expect me to do all the work and just get you a free good grade. Other people might do it but I'm not about that."

"Wouldn't dream of expecting that little man," Dennis grumbled unhappily.

They met over at Tommy's house every day after school that week. Tom expected Dennis to work and he wasn't kidding. The first day was torture for Booker – so awkward and he felt dumb for how little he understood but surprisingly Hanson was patient. He didn't get angry when Dennis had a completely blank look on his face when he explained for the fifth time why the rate determining step in a reaction was the slow step; it just all seemed so counter intuitive.

Finally on the Thursday of that week he just got so frustrated with his lack of understanding he burst out, "Fuck I just hate it!" He lay down on the floor with his arm covering his eyes. "I'm just fucking stupid and I'm never gonna understand it so you might as well just give it up Hanson."

"I don't think you're stupid and you ARE going to understand this."

"Why do think that I could?"

"You only don't get chemistry because you spend the whole lesson messing about with your stupid friends."

Dennis almost smiled, "and why are they stupid and I'm not?"

Hanson flushed before floundering, "Uh well…"

Dennis raised an eyebrow at him teasingly.

"Forget I said anything."

"Ok little man, whatever you say."

The next week they handed in their project about investigating the kinetics of the reaction between bromide and bromate ions. Hanson had kept true to his word and by the end Dennis had understood everything and the actual project had been a complete joint effort. He'd never felt that proud about a piece of work before and he now understood the joy that the dweebs (not dweebs, he corrected), felt when they handed in work that they'd worked hard on.

An A - Dennis Booker got an A on a piece of work.

"Congratulations Dennis, it was a great piece of work and Tommy was telling me how much of it was your work!" Dennis flushed happily.

"He…er he was?" he tried to play it down and knew he was failing majestically.

"Yes he was," the teacher smiled fondly, "he seemed very proud!"

Dennis glanced over to wear Tom sat, their eyes met and Tom beamed at him and held up his own copy and pointed to the large red A importantly then stuck his thumb up. Dennis smiled back.

Later that day Booker cornered Hanson at the lockers,

"I want to thank you." Hanson reddened slightly and held up his hands.

"Oh that really isn't necessary I mean-"

Booker cut him off, "but I want to, so I'm gonna take you out this Saturday." He hoped he sounded confident because his heart was thumping through his chest and he worried that maybe Hanson could hear it.

This floored Hanson.

"Err…as like friends yeah?"

One more bold move today Booker c'mon, "maybe as more?"

Oh god please say that he hadn't read the signs wrong.

It took a moment but then Tommy smiled timidly, "I think, I'd like that very much."

"Great!" Dennis beamed.

Okay how about one more bold move then Book, Dennis felt the eyes of everyone in the corridor on him, including all of his friends. He swept down and planted a kiss on Tommy's cheek.

Ignoring the dumbfounded stares from around him he said, "I'll pick you up at 8 little man."