Electron + Proton = Attraction

Author: degrassi

Type: Slash. M/M.

Pairing: Marco Del Rossi/Craig Manning.

Rating: PG-13.

Genre: Angst/Romance/Drama.
Characters: Are in tenth grade. Emma & Co. a year behind.

Chapter: This is just a phase, right? I think so. Okay maybe it's not.

VIII. Face it, you're changing

The silence during the car ride back home was a bit unsettling. (At least, to Craig's stomach). Joey and him usually didn't have silences like this. Unless he was in trouble, then there would be silence, and a bit of the glaring. Yet his step-father insisted on watching the road, with his shades down, concealing his eyes. From what Craig could see, he didn't look angry. Just a little confused. Craig knew that Joey wasn't expecting to get such a statement dumped on his shoulders. It might have seemed to be little, but in the duo's mind it was quite a large thing.

A straight male never told his step-father that he had a crush on another teenage boy. Craig, fighting an internal battle against this, was crumbling slowly. That was the reason he had said something to Joey in the first place. Who else did he have to talk to about such a sensitive issue?

The car came to a halt in front of the Jeremiah household, and Joey paused before he took his keys out of the ignition. Twirling them around his finger, he turned to eye Craig, who seemed to be frozen in his seat.


"Come on. We'll talk more inside."

The teenager nodded almost sheepishly, pushing the door to the car open, and rising to his feet. Stretching his arms over his head, one fell behind his neck. Watching Joey cross from the street back onto the sidewalk, he followed him up the small walkway and up to the front door. Another realization dawned in Craig's mind. Where was his backpack? He didn't see his step-father pull it out of the car. The worry within him, was fleeting, of course. Like he had been about his treasured possession, his camera. Craig knew that there must've been something very wrong going on with him.

Hearing the door unlock, he briskly followed inside the house, instantly wandering into the small living room. He tossed himself comfortably on the plush couch, hugging a small, scarlet, pillow that had been on the armrest. Absentmindedly, he listened to the door shut quietly, then the sound of footsteps. Joey stood looking down at him with both brows arched.

"Now, can you kindly repeat what you just said to me in the car?" Not angry, just stunned.

Craig sat up, keeping the pillow in his lap. "I told you. I'm not supposed to feel this way, right? Joey, I'm supposed to be straight. A straight person isn't supposed to develop some sort of weird crush on somebody of the same gender."

Joey waved a hand, signaling him to stop talking. He moved away from the back of the couch, retorting to standing in front of him. "Whoa, whoa. Craig, calm down. Have you ever thought of this as some sort of phase? Maybe you're just curious. It's not unnatural."

The teenager raised a brow. "Phase? A phase wouldn't cause my mind to obsess over the fact. What do you mean it's not unnatural?"

"You're a teenager. Face it, you're changing. You're going to start exploring more and more. I've seen the way you are around the girls. Trust me. You take after me. It's probably just a phase you're going through."

Craig slowly rose to his feet. "You're probably right. I shouldn't worry, right? It's normal to be a little curious… I guess." A short laugh escaped his lips, Joey nodded, smiling calmly.

"Why don't you head upstairs and take a nap. You've had a hard day. It's only half past noon. The idea of sleeping while everyone else is in math class sounds appealing to me." This caused Craig to grin, and nod.

The boy tossed the pillow back on the couch, and departed from the living room, heading for the staircase. Joey watched his step-son with a curious stare. A sigh escaped from the adult. He honestly didn't know what to think about this whole thing. It could certainly be a phase, or it could be a full blown crush.

He needed to drown the issue with a bowl of ice cream, same way Craig wanted to turn off his mind by sleeping.

---------------

It was about three o'clock in the afternoon when the sun finally reached its peak, piercing through the blinds of the bedroom, shining directly into the veiled eyes of Craig Manning, who had been napping since a little after noon. He turned uncomfortably, trying to escape the sun, but finally gave up. There was also a faint pounding in his head that wasn't going to leave him alone.

Untangling himself from his bed sheets, he scrambled onto his feet, only to have his left foot get entangled in his bedspread. He tripped himself, toppling to the carpet with a small thud.

"Ow. Major rug burn.." He whispered feebly, sitting up to briefly rub at his exposed knee. The pounding begun to get louder, now that he was awake, and more alert. Jumping back onto his feet, he rubbed the remaining sleep from his eyes.

Opening up his bedroom door, and poking his head into the hallway, he looked towards the stairwell, hearing the pounding a bit more clearly.

"Joey?" He called, but got no reply.

Am I loosing my mind? Craig thought bitterly.

He begun down the staircase, only to see a shadow lurking behind his front door. A short shadow, and now he knew that the so called 'pounding' had been light knocking. Perking up, and heading towards the front door, Craig flicked the hair out of his groggy eyes.

Unlocking the top lock, he opened the door, leaning against the frame, looking a bit bored. Yet the figure standing there was the current subject of his thoughts. Craig swallowed thickly, straightening up instantly.

Indeed, there in his doorway, stood Marco Del Rossi. In his left hand, was Craig's camera. In his right, was the boy's backpack.

"The nurse made me put these in my locker, to hold for you. I figured you'd want them back right away. So I came by after school to see how you were feeling, and to return them."

Craig stood, staring openly at the dark haired boy, before he nodded repeatedly, reaching out to take his camera by the yellow shoulder strap, as well as his backpack. "Yeah… yeah. Thanks. That's great. Listen, I don't think Joey's home. So… you want to come in for a little while?"

His companion smiled, tilting his head to the side. "Sure." he briefly eyed the taller boy, taking note of the boxer shorts he was clad in, as well as his red knees. Craig seemed to notice this, for he looked down at himself quickly.

"Oh, oh…" He said, his cheeks flushing a rose color. "You can make yourself at home in the living room. Let me go get changed. I was taking a nap." He begun to back up, before he turned and made his way up the staircase with his things.

Marco slid his hands into his pockets, plopping down on the couch as he listened to a door on the second floor slam shut. Looking around awkwardly for a few moments, he heard that same door re-open, and a pair of rushed footsteps trample their way down the staircase.

Craig re-appeared in the living room, still looking a bit flustered. In a black t-shirt, and a pair of baggy, faded blue jeans. "Sorry about that." He said a bit briskly.

The other boy stared at him in amusement. "No problem."

There was an odd silence. Craig was getting tired of these silences. The taller teenager disappeared briefly into the kitchen, to grab two cans of Pepsi from the fridge, noticing a note that had been left for him.

Craig --

Went to Angela's after school workshop.

Be back at six.

Pizza money on the counter.

-- Joey.

He smiled, sauntering back into the living room, tossing the shorter boy a can of Pepsi. "Joey's staying late at Angela's school." He said, trying to sound bored.

"Ah. I see. So how are you feeling?" Marco said, sipping at his soda.

Craig bit his lip. "To tell you the truth, I could be better."

"Oh? How so?"

"…My head hurts."

Marco begun to rise. "Maybe I should let you go rest."

Craig quickly placed a hand out, waving in protest. "No, no… Marco… I want to ask you something."

"Craig. What's wrong?"

"--How did you first know… that you were attracted to…?"