A/N: I am so, so sorry about the lateness of this chapter. Two whole weeks late... I hoped that would never happen.
I've had a lot going on recently, so between family problems and dealing with writer's block and a lack of motivation, I'm afraid Trust hit the back burner a little, and this chapter took a long time to work through.
Also, I faced a few difficulties specifically with what I wanted to happen in this chapter, mostly because of what I'd written in previous chapters. So in light of that I made some fairly large changes in the previous chapter (chapter 27), and a few minor ones in chapter 26. You may want to at least re-read the last chapter again before this one, although it will probably make sense even if you don't.
Anyway, hopefully from here on out I can get Trust back on track with weekly updates. Once again, I apologise, but I hope you enjoy the chapter.
Johnny didn't even need to open his eyes to know what was happening. He sniffed at the air, detecting the scents of coffee and bacon most prevalent in the air. The fact that there was no monster to cling to by his side only confirmed it. Randy was cooking breakfast.
He let out a large yawn and stretched out his body, scratching at his head as he sat up, finally opening his eyes slowly as they adjusted to the glare of the bright sunlight filling the room.
"Randy?" he called out, rubbing his eyes.
"Stay right there!" came the reply in an almost sing-song tone of voice. "Give me two minutes."
Johnny chuckled to himself, swinging his legs over the edge of the couch to recline in a sitting position. The TV had been turned on, he noted, so he decided to watch the news as he waited.
Randy entered the room a couple of minutes later, carrying two plates and two cups. He set the cups upon coasters on the table and handed Johnny a plate, sitting down next to him with his own.
The plate had on it a simple cooked meal; bacon, fried eggs and sausages, but there was enough there to ensure a good meal's worth. Johnny smiled as he turned to Randy who was taking his first bite.
"Thank you Randy," he said warmly, smiling wide.
"Oh, it's nothing much. You're welcome though," Randy replied upon finishing his mouthful.
"So how'd you sleep?" he asked before taking a bite of his own breakfast.
"Better than you. I had to move over there in the end," he said, gesturing to the other couch.
"O-Oh… Why?" Johnny was worried, wondering what he'd done to cause Randy to move.
"Well, you kept muttering in your sleep and twitching."
"And, uh… what was I muttering exactly?"
Randy shrugged. "I have no idea, I couldn't understand it. But you seemed really hurt by something. You were so… scared, and angry. You even punched out at one point."
Johnny gasped, dropping his fork. "I… didn't punch you, did I?"
Randy chuckled. "No, no, I'd already moved by then." He took another mouthful, but then frowned slightly. "Did you have a nightmare?"
"I honestly can't remember," he admitted. "But, well… it wouldn't surprise me."
"Why do you say that?"
Johnny gasped, quickly regretting what he said, and shook his head. "No, don't worry, it's nothing."
Randy only frowned more from concern but didn't ask anything further. The two finished their breakfast in silence, Randy watching the news whilst Johnny reflected on his thoughts from earlier that morning, and what bearing they might have had on whatever he'd been dreaming about.
Randy stood and held out a hand for Johnny's empty plate. Johnny didn't notice as he stared into space, prompting Randy to nudge him.
"O-Oh, sorry," Johnny muttered, handing his plate to the freshman. "Thanks."
"Are you OK?"
"Huh?" Johnny looked up, glazed eyes meeting curiously worried ones. "Oh yeah, I'm fine."
"Are you… crying?"
Johnny gasped, wiping his eyes to find that he had, in fact, been crying.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Randy asked, growing more concerned. "Was it about the nightmare?"
"No, no," Johnny said, waving him off. "It's fine… Just a lot on my mind, is all."
Randy huffed, placing his free hands on his hips. "You know you can tell me, right? I am your boyfriend, after all."
"I know," he said, nodding his head hesitantly. "But honestly, it's fine. It'll work out."
Randy took a moment to ponder the cryptic words, but figuring he would prize nothing else out of Johnny he dropped the subject, taking the plates into the kitchen. Johnny sighed, feeling even guiltier.
'I need to get a grip,' he thought. 'I've already done enough; I can't have him worrying now, too.'
Randy returned a moment later, sitting next to Johnny. He picked up his cup and took a sip. Johnny peered over curiously, seeing what it was Randy was drinking.
"Wait… is that… coffee?" he chuckled.
Randy shrugged. "Well, it's almost as though everyone on campus drinks it, so I might as well try and get used to it."
Johnny laughed even more. "So what, is this another popularity thing?" he teased.
"No, I just figured it'd be easier to get used to it now so I can drink more of it when I need to. Like when the next finals come around."
"Good point," he stated with a nod. "So… what do you want to do today? Assuming you don't already have plans, that is."
Randy looked at Johnny slightly incredulously. "Johnny, almost everyone on campus is already gone. What could I possibly have planned?" he snickered.
"Well, you're a pretty popular monster," he said with a laugh of his own, nudging Randy playfully. "I have to check these things."
Randy rolled his eyes. "Uh-huh, sure. Well no, I don't have any plans." He turned to Johnny with an amused smirk. "I assume you'll be changing that?"
"Well it depends what you want to do, really. Do you want to go off-campus, see if there's anything you want to do in downtown Monstropolis?"
"Johnny, it's already past noon. There's probably not a lot we could do in the small amount of time we'd have there."
"Past… noon?!" he exclaimed, glancing up at the clock. "But… I've never slept in that much!"
Randy laughed at the reaction. "Calm down, it's not like you've missed classes or anything. Besides, you did seem to have a rough night."
Johnny simply nodded. "Well, off-campus is out of the question then, I suppose." He stroked his chin in thought. "Well, I guess we could head to The Growl for lunch later. How does that sound?"
Randy almost squeaked with excitement. "Really? That'll be great! I've never been!"
Johnny cocked an eyebrow. "Wait, you've never been to The Growl? Not once in the whole semester?"
The freshman blushed slightly, looking down. "Well, uh… no. I sorta… can't afford it…" His voice grew quieter as he spoke, clearly embarrassed.
"Have you been anywhere besides the cafeteria?"
Randy slowly shook his head, blushing more. Johnny felt bad for him, not quite able to believe he'd never visited any of the different places on campus.
"Right!" the senior suddenly announced. "This is what we're going to do. I'm going to take you to a different place every day, starting with The Growl. My treat."
Randy gasped, looking up and smiling wide before blushing and looking away again. "But… I couldn't ask you to do that. It wouldn't be fair."
Johnny chuckled. "But I'm your boyfriend, aren't I? It should be my prerogative to want to spoil you."
"Well, yeah, but it's too much Johnny," Randy said, facing him again and growing a little sterner. "I can't let you pay for me to go to all those places, just because I can't afford it."
"Why not?" He continued chuckling, taking Randy's reaction as being polite.
"Because it's too much to ask for."
"But you're not asking, I'm offering."
"Still, I don't want you paying for all those places…"
"But I don't mind paying for it if it means you can go."
Randy narrowed his eyes. "Wait, so you think I'm too poor to be able to on my own?"
"I didn't say that! I just want to be able to treat you, is all."
"No, Johnny. It's too much, OK?"
"But I have more than enough money, so I could easily-"
"I said no, Johnny!" Randy snapped.
Johnny froze mid-sentence, taken aback by the reaction. He was about to snap back, irked by the freshman's change in attitude, before piecing together why Randy may have reacted the way he did. He was clearly used to getting by on his own, so Johnny figured spoiling him too much could prove to be an insult.
"I'm sorry," the senior said guiltily. "I didn't mean to offend you. I just… want to treat you, because you're special to me, that's all."
Randy sighed, calming himself down. "It's… it's fine. I'm sorry I snapped. I just-"
"Stop," Johnny cut in. "You don't need to explain. It was foolish of me and I shouldn't have done it. But at least indulge me the experience of being the first to take you to The Growl later today."
Randy's smile returned, being asked in such a way made him happier, and also made it harder to decline. "Sure, I'd like that. Thank you."
"No trouble, babe," Johnny said with a wink. He smiled wide, relieved that Randy had accepted at least that offer. "So what would you like to do in the meantime?"
Randy shrugged. "I honestly don't know. I didn't have any real plans for the break."
"How about a movie?"
"Sure, that sounds great," he smiled.
"Great, because I'll have you know we've got quite the collection," Johnny chuckled, beckoning Randy over to a shelf.
Randy moved from the couch to take a closer look at the shelf and, true to Johnny's word, it was stacked full of the largest movie collection he'd ever seen. "Wow," he gasped. "How do you even choose?"
Johnny laughed a little more. "Oh don't worry, we have all winter to get through them."
"This is nice…"
"Isn't it?"
Johnny basked in Randy's wonderment as they made their way through The Growl. Randy glanced this way and that, taking in all his surroundings from the bar, to the kitchen concealed behind, to even the billiards tables and booths scattered around. He couldn't help but note it had the feel of a traditional tavern crossed with a diner, but with the twist of a modern bar. It was both strange and comfortable.
"So what do you want?" Johnny asked.
Randy hadn't noticed they'd reached the bar until Johnny spoke up. "Oh, um, I uhh… I don't know what sort of food they serve here."
"Oh, of course, I'm sorry," he said. He took hold of a menu laid out on the counter and passed it to the freshman.
Randy looked it over and was quickly overwhelmed by the wide choice of foods listed. "Um… How about… uhh…"
Johnny chuckled as he watched Randy's eyes dart quickly between the choices and decided to put the freshman out of his misery. He carefully lifted the menu out of Randy's hands, earning himself a look of confusion from the younger monster, and set it back on the counter. "Well, I'm not usually one to suggest this, but how about I buy us both a burger? The biggest one they have. I'm not a great lover of fast food, but even I would admit it needs to be tried at least once here."
"Oh, yeah, that'd be great," Randy chuckled sheepishly. He felt slightly embarrassed by his indecision but was glad to have been saved from the predicament.
"OK, just a moment," he said before turning to the monster behind the bar, ordering the burgers and a couple of sodas. Within minutes he turned back to Randy, handing him one of the sodas and motioning towards the booths. "Does any particular seat take your fancy?"
"Not really," Randy shrugged, taking a sip of his soda. "Although I would like to sit next to a window."
"Let's take this one then," he said, pointing to the nearest booth. They both took a seat, sitting opposite each other.
Silence reigned as they awaited their food. The two monsters occasionally took a sip of their soda but did nothing more. Randy simply stared out of the window while Johnny directed his gaze between Randy and various areas of the building. The senior desperately wanted to say something, but with his thoughts dominated by what Randy had told him the previous night, he couldn't think of anything suitable to say.
Finally Johnny thought of something to say, though he was uncertain if it would divert away from the subject of Mike. Still, he felt he should ask it. "So Randy, have you seen your results yet? How did you do?"
Randy gasped as he turned to face Johnny. "I-I don't know! I completely forgot to check."
Johnny knew why, but didn't dare mention it. "Well perhaps you want to check after we're done here? I could come with you and we could see together."
Randy slowly nodded as he thought it through. "Sure, I'd… I'd like that," he said, finishing with a smile.
"You're not worried are you?"
"Um… not really, actually. Is that bad?"
Johnny chuckled and shook his head. "No, not bad at all. You have every right to be confident, your scare was the most impressive I saw that day."
Randy giggled and blushed slightly at the compliment. "Well, thanks. I hope I've done well."
"Oh, I'm sure you're probably top of the list," Johnny said with a smile.
"Really?"
"Definitely."
Randy smiled more as he realised just how much Johnny believed in him. As he was about to reply a plate was suddenly placed in front of him, another placed in front of Johnny. He looked down upon the food and gasped.
"What… is this?"
"The burger I mentioned earlier," Johnny said.
"But… but it's massive!" Randy exclaimed. "I-I can't eat all of this!"
Johnny laughed at his boyfriend's reaction. "Oh come now, Randy. Where's your sense of adventure?"
"Adventure?! This isn't an adventure! It's a mountain on a plate!"
Johnny only laughed more. "You don't have to eat it all. Just give it your best shot. It's delicious."
Johnny began tucking into his burger whilst Randy simply stared at his, turning the plate a few times.
"Where do I even start with this thing?" Randy chuckled.
"Just pick it up and take a bite," Johnny said upon finishing his mouthful.
Randy shrugged, picked up the burger and tentatively took a bite, placing the burger back on his plate and savouring the taste of it. "Wow, you were right… this is delicious!"
"Now when have I ever been wrong?" Johnny smirked.
Randy rolled his eyes, though with a smile, and chose to ignore the statement as he took another bite.
From there the day began running more smoothly. The two started talking and enjoying each other's company, as well as the food, and before they knew it they were ready to go.
"What did I tell you? Top of the list," Johnny chuckled.
Randy stared at the sheet posted outside Professor Knight's office. "I… I can't believe it…"
"Believe it, because it's there in black and white."
"I… I really am top of the class."
Johnny wrapped an arm around Randy. "Yes you are. I didn't doubt it for a moment."
"Not at all?" Randy asked with a smirk.
"Well, I, uhh…" Johnny stuttered, caught off-guard. "What I mean is… as soon as I learned about your ability…"
Randy placed a finger on Johnny's lips. "I'm just teasing, I know what you meant," he said with a warm smile before replacing his finger with his own lips.
Johnny kissed back, just a small, gentle kiss, before leading Randy away. "So tell me Randy, did you have a look around the house this morning?"
"Um, no. I've only seen the living area and the kitchen, and the hall near the entrance."
"Good. Then I have something to show you."
Randy looked up to Johnny with his brow raised in curiosity. "What is it?"
"You'll see…"
For the second time Randy found himself amazed. He gasped, taking in all that was around him. Johnny watched Randy's reaction with a proud smile.
"Do you like it?" the horned monster asked. "We call this the Hall of Scarers."
"It's… beautiful…" Randy whispered, looking at everything from the red and gold-trimmed carpet on the floor to the portraits adorning the walls.
The two began to walk along the hall and Randy looked at each portrait as they passed.
"Who are these monsters?" he asked gingerly, unsure if it was something he should already know.
"These are all the past presidents of Roar Omega Roar," Johnny answered with pride. "As you can see, we have quite the history." He gestured to the portraits as he spoke. "The fraternity has been around for as long as Monsters University has, and most of its members graduate with the highest grades and go on to lead a successful career in Scaring." He chuckled slightly, though his smile faltered. "Most..."
Randy could only assume he was referring to Sulley, though he didn't think it appropriate to bring it up. "Well, this is amazing Johnny. And look at all the trophies!" he exclaimed, gesturing to the trophy cabinet behind them.
Johnny chuckled. "Yes, our members do have a lot of achievements to display. But none more so than this."
They reached a large silver trophy set upon a lone pedestal, separate from the cabinet at the other side of the hall. Johnny carefully took hold of the cup, bringing it closer for Randy to see.
"The Scare Games trophy, given to the top fraternity or sorority on campus. Every year, this… This is what we strive for. It's not just a trophy, but a symbol of excellence. It shows that we are better than any other Scare student of MU."
Randy simply marvelled at the trophy, not responding to Johnny's words but listening intently. Johnny put the trophy back and turned to the freshman, a large smile on his face.
"You see, Roar Omega Roar is comprised of the most elite Scare students on campus. It is for that very reason this fraternity has been around as long as it has."
Randy gulped slightly and slowly nodded his head. He wasn't exactly sure why Johnny was explaining things the way he was, but it was starting to make him feel slightly uncomfortable. "So, uh, I guess this is why you feel so much pressure, huh?"
"Um, yes, I suppose so…" he said, hoping to brush over the point. If he was to succeed in his plan he didn't want Randy to have the slightest doubt before asking. "But the rewards are far greater! To be a part of this fraternity is to ensure success in your future."
"Why are you telling me this Johnny?" Randy asked, unable to hold the question in anymore.
Again Johnny was caught off-guard. He hadn't planned on Randy having any questions until he was finished. "Well, I just want to show you what it's like to be a part of ROR."
"But why?" he asked, growing slightly impatient. "It's all very impressive and I love the fact you're so proud of it, but why show me all this?"
"Well, because, uhh…" Johnny desperately wanted to ask Randy the question, but he still felt it was too soon to reveal his gambit. However, he struggled to think of an alternative explanation.
Randy sighed. "Look, this is great and all. No, better than that, it's amazing! But I don't know why you're showing me all of this. It's not like I'm going to be a part of ROR so there's really no point," he said, a hint of sadness entering his tone as he finished.
"But… but I…"
Randy planted a kiss on Johnny's cheek. "Thank you for today Johnny. The movie, the meal, everything. It's been great. But I think I'm gonna head back to the dorm now." He sighed again, looking down to the floor as he exited the hall.
Johnny simply stood still, watching the freshman leave. He desperately wanted to call out after him, but with his whole plan crumbling he couldn't bring himself to do anything. He did eventually attempt to give chase, reaching Randy as he was about to walk out of the main door. Johnny laid a hand on his shoulder, causing him to turn around, and he was met with a saddened look.
"I… I haven't upset you have I?" Johnny asked, his own tone expressing a little sadness.
Randy forced a smile. "No, no, you haven't upset me. I just… want to head back now. I'll see you again soon."
"S-Sure," was all Johnny could manage.
Randy turned and left, walking along the row with his head hung low. Johnny couldn't help but feel guilty yet again; he was afraid he'd made the whole situation worse. His plan had been to show all the positive aspects of being a member of ROR and then to ask Randy to join, but it seemed all Randy had focused on was the pressure and responsibility. Not to mention his own disbelief that he could ever be a member.
Johnny leant against the door frame, unable to bring himself to part his line of sight away from Randy's retreating form. He sighed heavily, noting that nothing he'd planned had seemed to go his way. He toyed with the idea that karma had finally decided to rear its ugly head and pay him back.
Whatever it was, Johnny knew he hadn't improved the situation any. He had to be smarter about this. He figured it was a good thing he had all of winter break to bring Randy to the right decision. He just hoped that would be enough.
