Title: Itemized

Pairing: Travis/Robbie

Series/Sequel: part 4 of the 'Edenverse'

Rating: PG (no seriously, it's PG)

Notes: Robbie: "Don't look at me like that guys, Waller's making me write down every frown I turn into a smile" Travis: "He made you make a chart?" Robbie: "No... the chart was my idea" –This Just In

Notes2: for Neut because she loves me, because England is 'Radio Free' at the moment (*snicker* /lame history joke) and because she is SO damn British. (favourite, I love that), and because she is one of the last great Trobbie shippers.

Thanks to: my überbeta Courtney, who patiently deleted those commas and ritually refilled the insulin syringes.

Disclaimer: If they belonged to me I'd pack Lily off to Siberia and the boys would never wear shirts. Who am I kidding, they'd never wear ANYTHING!

Nothing was different. He looked and looked and looked, but Robbie couldn't find anything different in his reflection. Everything else had changed, why hadn't that? There weren't any new nuances that would tell any one, nothing about his face screamed "I'm Gay, Ask Me How," and he didn't know if that made him feel relieved or disappointed. And really, the whole "ask me how" idea is ludicrous, because he doesn't know how. Yesterday he was a regular guy, and now... he likes Travis, *like that*. He tries to imagine walking up to Travis today and kissing him, in front of everyone, and whatever happy, twitchy feeling he might get in his pants at the thought of Travis' lips is rapidly killed by the mad terror the thought of such a public display of gayness evokes.

Oh god. He said it. Gay, he's gay, Travis is gay, they're gay together. Well, not really together yet because they haven't done anything... oh god. What if Travis expects to... do that... to him? Robbie stares at himself in the mirror some more, waiting for his hands to stop trembling so he can brush his teeth. They do, finally, and Robbie decides to save the deep thought for until after he's had something to eat. His Rice Krispies don't have any answers however, and he only barely manages to choke them down. He finishes his morning absolutions and despite his stupor, catches the bus.

No one seemed to notice his near fugue and Robbie was able to dodge everyone all day. The thought of running into Travis had him in a near blind panic, he knew Ray would notice something was wrong and didn't want to have to lie to him, Lily would grill him non-stop until he told her *exactly* what was the matter and even Ed and Ted were out as far as conversation went. He wasn't completely sure what Ted had been talking to Travis about, but he got the vague picture and wasn't interested in getting the idea in full Technicolor.

The library was the most obvious option. Lily rarely came in here unless she had a report to do, Ray probably wasn't even aware this building HAD books in it, and Travis seemed to be 'above' the conventional wisdom of books. So he hid out in the library because... there was a report due in History in about a month and it never hurt to get a head start. He wasn't hiding from Travis, he was being a good student. So, history book open, glasses firmly perched on his nose, Robbie prepared to do some serious studying.

Which didn't explain why he couldn't stop thinking about Travis, about his mouth and his smile and the way he... argh, think of all of the bad things Travis does. Think of the way he smirks at every dumb thing everyone does and the way he's always spouting some fortune cookie nonsense, and how he's always quoting from old books, because he reads a lot and he's really smart and kind of sexy and... this wasn't helping.

"Fine!" Robbie thinks as he pulls out his spiral notebook and opens it to a blank page. "I can at least be organized about this. Just a list of Travis' good and bad traits... just for perspective." Robbie doesn't even notice how much time and how many sheets of paper have gone by until he feels a hand on his shoulder. He jumps a little and whirls around.

Travis is standing behind him, grin in place, his hand not moving from its position on Robbie's shoulder. He tries not to think about it, tries not to let the *heat* that pours off of Travis through this small point of contact preoccupy him from saying something witty and intelligent, something that will take that near-smirk right off Travis' face.

"...uh.."

"Oh, smooth McGrath, that'll teach him," Robbie thinks to himself bitterly. Travis breaks the awkward silence that follows before it becomes too oppressive.

"Can I sit down?" he asks, gesturing towards the seat next to Robbie.

For a second Robbie's tempted to tell him no. He wants to turn away from him and ignore him and teach him a lesson for making Robbie feel this way, for turning him into... something he wasn't before. But he doesn't want Travis to go, he wants him to stay, he wants Travis to talk to him, tell him it's okay to feel this way, that there isn't anything wrong with him. So he nods and looks down at his notebook. The notebook with what he's decided to call 'The Travis Project'. He hastily tries to push everything into his backpack, which results in all of it falling to the floor. Travis, of course, goes to help (#36 on the positive list: Travis is considerate).

"Umm, Robbie?" Travis says, laughter clearly evident in his voice "What are these?" He holds up a few pages of the 'project' and Robbie has to groan.

"It was just something to help me figure out a few things...you know, smallabout us/small," Robbie replies, whispering the last. "I thought it might be helpful, you know, organize my thoughts..." Robbie trails off, glad his skin is too dark to show his blush.

"Robbie, I hold in my hand a very detailed point-by-point analysis of my various personality traits, and... is this a bar graph?" Travis laughs slightly as Robbie makes a grab for the papers. "It's color-coded, blues are for my positive traits and reds are for the negative ones... Jesus Robbie," Travis says, all laughter gone from his face as he turns towards him, "If you were having that much of a problem with this," and he breaks off to indicate the two of them, "you should have talked to me about it. I mean, yeah, I'm kind of biased in regards to the issue, but you're my friend first and I want you to always feel comfortable talking to me. We are friends still, right?" Travis' face as he asks is so open, so earnest, it's all Robbie can do not to kiss him. Not to lean forward and capture that beautiful mouth with his, tongue darting inside to *taste* and...Travis is talking, words are coming out of his mouth and they probably mean something.

"...then I don't want this to go any further, I haven't been able to make many friends and your friendship means more to me than anything..." (#17 on the positive list: Travis is one of his best friends, #21 on the negative list: Travis is one of his best friends) It doesn't really matter though, when Travis looks up from the floor where he's picking up the pieces of 'The Travis Project' and into Robbie's eyes.

"Just say you want to stay friends and we will, no pressure, no awkwardness, no questions asked," Travis says. Robbie's looking down at him and the position is eerily similar to the one in his dream last night. So similar in fact, that Robbie lets out a gasp when Travis' hand reaches up towards his face to... push his glasses back up from where they'd fallen to the end of his nose. It isn't quite as hot as his dream, but it's so fucking *intimate* and they've always been this way. Travis has always touched him so freely and openly; it's a wonder he didn't realize all of this before. It wasn't as if Travis was hiding it very well and Robbie likes to think that he's a *relatively* bright boy, but apparently he isn't because this has been the mother of all pink elephants and they've gone several months without mentioning it.

And Travis is still looking up at him, waiting for his answer, and Robbie just wants to kiss him long and hard and maybe never stop. It doesn't look like anyone's around and it really doesn't matter at this point so Robbie moves forward and tangles his hand in Travis' short, spiky hair. When their mouths meet, it's like fireworks. All the raw passion of yesterday afternoon is still present only this time Robbie knows what's going on and is actively participating. Tongues duel and teeth knock together slightly and when Robbie pulls back, he has to stare at Travis' mouth. It's so *red* and *swollen* so he kisses it again. It only lasts a few seconds this time, because a group of students walk by and Robbie nearly gives himself whiplash he pulls away so quickly.

Travis is still looking at him though, with shock in his eyes, mouth open, lips slightly parted and Robbie has to remind himself of the group of kids not ten feet from where he sits in order to keep from kissing him again. Travis reaches a hand up to his own face and touches his lips, a smile tugging across his features.

"So does this mean...brrrrrring" Travis begins, only to be cut off by the bell. Robbie looks at him for a second, before collecting his books and 'The Travis Project'.

"Yeah," he softly states, "I think it does." He stands up then and walks towards the door. he can feel Travis' eyes on him and he doesn't mind.

Classes go by in almost a blur and before he knows it, it's 4:00 and he's at the station. It's the first he's seen of Travis since the library and he smiles at him, shyly. When it's time for his question of the day, he's fairly certain what he wants to talk about.

"I'm Question Mark and I'm wondering... what do you look for when you get into a relationship? How do you decide if they're worth the possible heartache? Any thoughts Shady?" Robbie asked, looking at Lily.

"Well, I'd like to be able to hold a conversation with them and also be able to go to a movie with them and not spend an hour arguing over what to see, so I guess I look for some one I can be friends with. And then decide if I want them as a friend... or more." She replies, looking a little confused.

"What's with the sudden interest in the dating game Question Mark?" Ray asks. "who's the lucky lady?"

"Maybe Question Mark is just trying to strike up a discussion, Pronto, where people call in and give their opinion, it isn't unheard of..." Lily counters.

"You know how to make a decision like that?" Travis cuts in, before Lily and Ray could get too worked up.

"No, Smog, please enlighten us," Ray answers, not a little sourly.

"Venn diagrams," Travis replies and when Robbie looks up at him... he's smirking. "Some people like to go with bar graphs, but in my opinion, they're just complicating the task. A Venn diagram is easier to make and gives the pertinent information just as well." Ray and Lily are staring at Travis like he's gone insane and Robbie just laughs.

(#8 on the negative list, Travis is a sarcastic little bastard) Travis smirks at him from his little booth, and maybe Robbie's just being a sap, but it feels like a kiss.