… can this story just keep on being about Des and Clay's legendary bromance? Cause wow these two I can't even. Altair's just sort of a vehicle for their bromance at this point XD
103 hours
He showed up at the tutoring class after school for the chemistry tutoring, apparently it also counted as community service, and Desmond was still short his community service hours to get the Bright Future's scholarship. Which he really wanted since money was getting harder and harder to come by and while his dad made good money it wouldn't get him through the college he wanted without serious loans. He wanted to go to UM, because it was pretty much the second best school in the state, only after UF. Also it was near by and Desmond would still be a minor when he went to college for the first year, and his mom didn't want him going too far. She'd miss him. But he'd miss here so he'd suffer Miami to be able to stay close to the Keys, and his parents.
There were already a few people in the huge room, it supposedly was supposed to be a metal shop, or for auto, but KWH didn't have that. So the big garage had been remade as a science classroom where the main subject was biology. As it was the biggest classroom they had it was ideal for study groups as they could spread out and not get in each other's ways. There were three pairs already working, or probably, talking. He went up to Mr. B who was waiting behind the unfamiliar desk with his school issued laptop.
"Mr. B? I'm here," he announced.
The old man looked up, "Ah good to see you Desmond," and behind him the door opened. "And here are the rest of you, good, good," he went to his laptop and no doubt brought up the sheet for groups. Desmond glanced around at the three other kids who'd shown up and tried not to pale because one of them was Altair, looking grumpy and sullen, the hood of his ash gray hoodie pulled up and over his head. The other two he didn't know, a boy and a girl, the girl had looping, curly, red hair, and the boy had short black hair and wore a beanie and looked like he smoke too much weed. "Okay, Sofia, you're going to be with Ugo," and he motioned to the boy in the beanie.
"Okay," and she towed Ugo away who looked torn between staring at Sofia (who was hot) and being irritated about his life in being here.
Behind him Altair huffed irritably, "Do I have to be here Mr. B?" he groaned, "I'm going to miss practice."
"You're almost failing my class Altair. You know the rules with sports, so yes, you have to be here," Mr. B said calmly. "You two will be working together," he added. "Make sure he stays on task Desmond, he's a slacker."
"I'm Altair's tutor?" he actually squeaked and glanced at Altair who just looked put off by the entire world, Desmond included.
"Yes? Is that a problem?"
Yeap. Today was definitely a Wednesday. Only Wednesdays could be the awful and ruin Desmond's entire week so easily. He looked at Altair again, who wasn't looking at him. Oh joy, not only would he have to deal with Altair (who he'd had a one night stand with and still had his shirt and fuck he really didn't want to think of that right now) but he'd have to deal with a pissed off jock who didn't want to be here and thought the entire thing was stupid. Oh goodie. Desmond's favorite; dumb jocks. Fuck his life and fuck Wednesdays. Still, he was the only one and he wasn't getting out of this without a real reason. God fucking damnit.
"No, no problem," he said thickly and was glad his throat didn't crack. Then he left the desk and went to go sit down. He heard Altair follow a few seconds later with an intense sigh. Desmond sat, and Altair grabbed a chair and sat opposite him, sitting backwards in the chair and leaned on it, arms folded across the back, staring at him from under his hood.
"Miles," he said as his form of greeting.
"Altair," he said and swallowed and put his backpack on the table. He unzipped it to distract himself and pulled out the chemistry book and his notebook and a pencil. "So, where do you want to start?" he asked awkwardly.
"Not here that's for sure," and he looked down and pressed his forehead into his arms.
"Well you have to be here so you might as well make the best of it."
Altair sighed again, "Whatever," he muttered but looked up. Well this was awful in an entirely different reason then he was fearing would be awful. It wasn't that it was awkward because of last weekend, in fact it was weirdly not awkward. It was like it hadn't happened. Vaguely he wondered if Altair had been so drunk he'd just forgotten it. So that wasn't why this was awful. No it was awful because Altair was a fucking dick who was going to drag his feet through this and make his life difficult and just be annoying.
Desmond took a calming breathe, "Tell me what you need help in," he said.
Altair didn't say anything at first, and he couldn't see what he was thinking as his eyes were shadowed. "Everything," he said after a moment.
"Okay," Desmond said slowly. "Where do you want to start with 'everything'?"
"I'm really bad with the vocab," he said.
"Okay, we can start there," and he dug out his flashcards and a pair of scissors. He shoved the book at Altair, and cut two of the cards in half. "Write the words you have trouble with down," and he handed the cut cards to him, "and the definition. Though not the one in the back of the book," Altair scowled at him at that, "write one that makes sense to you."
"And what if I can't make heads or tails of this stupid shit?"
"Well, that's why I'm here, now vamos," and he flapped his hand at Altair. Altair muttered something to himself in Spanish, "What was that?" Desmond asked and enjoyed the look of surprise on Altair's face at Desmond's Spanish, even if it was slightly flawed. "Stop moping and get to, you only have to be here an hour."
"What are you, my drill sergeant?"
"No. I'm your tutor, which with me might as well be the same thing," and he flapped his hand at Altair again and went back to cutting the cards as Altair pulled a pen out of the pocket at the front of his hoodie and, starting at the front of the book, started to write definitions.
—
Clay lived in Smurf Village, so called because the houses were vaguely mushroom shaped and most of them blue in color. The roads in this part of the city were reminiscent of Old Town while not actually being in Old Town with trees covering the roads and the houses packed close together like sardines. But it was considered New Town because it wasn't Old Town, which made no sense to people who didn't live in Key West but to Conchs it made total sense. Also they lived in Florida and even living here for almost four years Desmond knew Florida was just sort of weird in general.
Clay and his dad lived in one of the blue, mushroom shaped houses under a thick canopy of old trees that actually weren't in any danger of landing on the house should a hurricane blow in. Desmond kicked down the kick stand when he got there and hopped off his bike and upstairs to the first floor. The Smurf houses had a standard two floors, ground, and then the first floor. Some of the ground floors had been converted into apartments or secondary houses, or just rooms downstairs for extra space, or an extra room for the family. Clay's downstairs was enclosed and it was his dad's workshop and office. His dad was an engineer, but was never actually home it seemed like except to yell at Clay for something he'd done wrong.
He knocked, loudly, and waited, rocking on the backs of his heels before the door opened. "Hey Lucy," he said when she got the door. He knew she'd be here, and he knew better then to show up at Clay's house unexpected now that he and Lucy were going out. Not that he never would, but he wasn't planning on it. She let him in and he snaked inside and they went back to Clay's bedroom which was in the back of the house. "Could you give us a second?" he asked Lucy before going in.
"Why?"
"Because I need to talk to my friend about some stuff."
"I can't hear?" she pouted at him.
"Uh… not that I don't love ya Luc, but no."
"Is it about you-know-who?" Clay called from inside his room.
"Voldemort?" Lucy asked and he and Clay laughed.
"Not nearly as scary," Clay said.
"And yes, it is about Voldemort," Desmond said and gave Clay a significant look.
"Is this like… the gay equivalent to girl talk?" Lucy asked, eyeing Desmond.
"Yes, exactly. So now Clay and I need to have a moment, if you please?"
She huffed and pretended to look annoyed, "Okay," and went back down the short hall. "Harold's not coming home till late," she threw over her shoulder, "I told Clay I'd make him dinner."
"Wow you're getting domestic already," and he dodged a magnet aimed at his head from where she'd pulled it off the fridge. Lucy had pretty good aim and almost beamed him. He should have known better then to tease the varsity softball first base-woman.
"Want to stay for dinner?"
"Sure!" he chirped cheerfully and then ducked into Clay's room and closed the door. Clay was on his bed, playing with his DS, he sat upright attentively when Desmond closed the door.
"So! Voldemort?" he asked sweetly and Desmond sat on his bed, "What's new with Voldemort?" and he grinned widely.
"He's the guy I'm tutoring in chemistry-
"NO FUCKING WAY!" Clay actually yelled.
"Will you shut up?" and he slapped his hand over Clay's mouth before he could keep yelling.
Clay pushed his hand away, "Okay and? What happened? Was it weird? Did he do anything? Did he touch you inappropriately Desmond? Cause I will kick his ass for you if you want."
Desmond chuckled, "No. Nothing even happened. He was just grumpy and didn't want to be there cause he was missing football practice." Clay looked like he was about to vibrate right out of his skin.
"So he didn't mention Friday at all?"
"Nope."
"Or Saturday?"
"Nope."
"Are you going to give him his shirt back?"
"Nope— no wait. Yes. No… I don't know," and Desmond rubbed his face.
"Did you take my advice?"
"And what advice was that again oh great sage of relationship knowledge?" and he did some mystical hand motions for effect.
"Did you flirt with him?"
"What? No. Are you crazy-
"We've covered that topic of conversation quite a bit-
"I didn't flirt with him. He looked like he was about to rip someone's head off nearly the whole time. He really didn't want to be there."
"Well it isn't all bad then."
"Mmmm?"
"You still going to look at his ass?"
There was a silence that almost stretched into uncomfortable, "Probably. It's really nice," he added, as if that was any sort of defense at all.
"Well, then maybe you should make him want to go to tutoring is all I'm saying."
"What do you mean and am I going to regret asking?"
"Well, tutoring sucks, no offense, but it does. And Altair's a proud guy and really isn't that stupid. He probably doesn't like going to this. So, make him want to go?"
"And how do I do that? And why should I?"
"I dunno you're the one who enjoys the view of him from behind, not me," Clay said with a shrug. "And you said it wasn't awkward, so… maybe he wouldn't mind-
"Stop. Just stop," and Desmond pressed his face into his hands. "Stop trying to hook us up. It isn't going to happen."
"But why not? I mean, you're interested in him."
"I think he's hot. I don't really know anything about him other then that and. Not exactly the best reason to get into a relationship."
"So? People get into physical relationships all the time. Fuck, at the least do it because you want him to do obscene things to you."
"And since when have relationships like that ever worked out from everyone?"
"Why are you so difficult about this? God you're acting like a girl-
"Sorry for wanting something more out of a relationship then just sex," Desmond grumbled and pouted at his friend. "Or even want a relationship with Voldemort in the first place!"
"Cause he has an amazing ass, remember? Also he isn't as much as a dick as you're pretending he is. He was seriously freaked out when he hit you in the face with that volleyball."
"Uuuhg, don't remind me of that," he groaned and rubbed his face.
"So I'm saying. Flirt with him, get to know him maybe? If all else fails go to another party he goes to and get him drunk again and get that fucking sexual tension out of you, it's nearly embarrassing knowing you."
"Oh fuck you," Desmond growled.
"If you want."
"Shut up!" Desmond cried even as he laughed, "Not happening. You have a girlfriend now make her do that."
"Yeah well she-
"Don't wanna know!" and now Clay laughed.
"Okay so you going to do anything about Voldemort?" he asked.
Desmond sighed and pulled his hand down his face, "Well we're only meeting on Wednesday for tutoring, he has practice all the rest of the week since the coach pushes practice on Wednesday back since it's a school wide thing and mandatory for some of his players. So-
"He also comes to volleyball," he put in, "Or he did last week. Not sure about this week. You coming to that tomorrow?"
"Can't, I have work earlier then usual."
"Damn. Okay," he nodded. "So, Voldemort?"
"I guess…" he chewed his bottom lip. "If I can get him to not be so moody during tutoring I might, might, flirt with him and oh my god get that fucking grin off your face I hate you!" and with that he rolled off the bed and Clay hopped off after him as Desmond left. "Luuucccy," Desmond whined as he went into the kitchen.
"What is it? Were you two playing nice?" she teased. On the stove a pot of water was boiling.
"Nooo, Clay's being mean to me," and he curled his arms around her waist and pressed against her back.
"Hey that isn't fair, going to my own girlfriend for help," Desmond just stuck his tongue out at Clay from over Lucy's shoulder when he came into the kitchen.
"You boys play nice," and she gave Desmond a pat on the cheek. "What was he doing?" she sent a look to Clay.
"Teasing me about my taste in men."
"Oh… well," and he and Clay laughed at the slightly uncomfortable and surprised look on Lucy's face. He gave her another squeeze before letting her go and they watched Lucy make them dinner.