Author's Note: Thanks to all who reviewed! I really appreciate it.

Mark was a junior, and Roger was a senior. Mark was in the higher-level classes, and Roger was in the average-level classes. As a result, they had physics and pre-calc together, as well as gym, lunch, and photography. Photography was a complete joke class, as their teacher did nothing and generally the class sat around and talked. Mark and Roger were the only ones who used the darkroom and so it became their favorite class. Most days Mark would develop photos and Roger would play his guitar.

On this particular day, though, Roger was late to class. When he got there he was not surprised to find that Mark had gone into the darkroom without him. Without hesitation, Roger went through the darkroom portal, or the "dramatic entrance thinger" as Roger liked to call it, and struck a goofy pose. To his dismay, Mark had his back faced to him, hunched over an enlarger with headphones blaring music in his ears. Of course, this prompted Roger to come up with a mischievous idea.

He stealthily crept up behind Mark, and in one swift motion he pulled Mark backwards, one hand snaked around his waist and one covering his eyes. Mark yelped and thrashed about in spastic protest. In the process of all of this, his headphones fell off.

"Fuck, Rog. You're going to ruin my photo."

"No I'm not. Your photo's fine, see?" He moved his hand from Mark's eyes and placed it on his shoulder. He knew he should have just let go of Mark, but he didn't want to. He wanted to keep the contact for just a few seconds longer…

"You're such a liar. Look, it got all crooked. It's gonna be fucked up."

"Oh. Well, let's develop it anyway! I like to watch the images appear."

"I know you do. But…you kind of have to let go of me if you want me to move…"

"Heh. Whoops." Roger squeezed Mark's sides, earning him a gentle squeal from the younger boy, before reluctantly letting him go. His love of touching Mark, being close to Mark, talking to Mark, was all starting to worry him. Mark was beginning to be an obsession of sorts, as much as Roger tried to stop it. It was confusing. Roger liked to think it was just an affectionate thing: Mark was a great guy and an amazing friend, and Roger wanted to protect him and care for him like an older brother. But deep down, he knew that was all bullshit. When any mention of Mark's name brought a smile to his lips, when Mark paying the slightest bit of attention to him (which was several times a day) brought a slight blush to Roger's cheeks, when Mark was all Roger could think about when he jerked off, Roger knew it was utter bullshit. He was falling for Mark. He was falling for Mark and it scared him shitless.

Roger picked Mark's headphones up off the floor, causing Mark to snap backwards, falling on his ass as his walkman flung off his waist and onto the floor at Roger's feet, still intact.

"Oops." Roger chuckled, as he listened to the tape that was still playing after its dramatic leap. Must be a demonic tape, he thought. "Hey, this is my band!"

"Well, I'm glad you're happy." Mark stated sarcastically, standing up and rubbing his sore butt.

"Sorry. Want me to kiss it and make it better?"

Mark gave Roger a perplexed look. "Umm… you do know what you just asked, right?"

Roger was suddenly very happy that they were in the darkroom and that Mark, in fact, could not see him blushing profusely. He quickly recovered by nodding his head and saying, "Yeah! It is a very cute butt."

"Umm…thanks?"

And with that the bell rang, signifying the end of the period and the end of the school day.

"Any time." Roger said before slapping Mark's ass in what he hoped came off as a playful and humorous gesture, rather than it's actual purpose: the slaking of a desperate homoerotic desire to touch Mark's very adorable bottom. "Coming home with me?"

"Dirty, much?"

"Always."

"Yeah. No way am I taking the bus when I've got my own personal chauffer."

"You use me."

"You let me."

"Well, yeah." Roger shrugged, and they walked out to his car in the parking lot.

Mark excitedly came down the stairs in a hurry, camera in hand and a big goofy grin plastered on his face. Unfortunately, when he reached the bottom he bumped into Cindy, who got huffy because he'd put her newly manicured nails in danger.

"Where are you going?" She asked, her tone full of attitude and mock intrigue.

"Roger's picking me up."

Cindy made a face. "Mark, are you gay?" She asked bluntly.

"What! No, I'm not gay. Why would you even ask me that?"

"Well, you're always hanging out with that fag."

"Hey, don't say fag. It's an offensive term. And Roger's not gay. Just because he doesn't want sexual favors from a skank like you, doesn't make him homosexual. Not everyone wants to pound the town whore, Cindy."

For a second, Cindy actually looked upset, but then she brushed it off, completely ignoring that Mark had said much of anything. "He is so a fag. That's the rumor around the school, anyways. Roger Davis gives head to the underclassmen behind the school gym."

"What the fuck? I have gym with him."

"Exactly."

"Cindy, I'm not gay!" Mark yelled, exasperated.

"Well, a lot of people are saying Roger has a crush on you."

"Who's a lot of people? You and your skank best friend, Krista?"

"You're getting very defensive." Cindy observed.

"I…what? What do I have to be defensive about?"

"I don't know. But you never used to talk back to me like this. Clearly I've hit some sort of nerve."

"Did you ever think that maybe I'm just growing up and realize you're not all that much older than me, you're not smarter than me, and you're nobody special?"

Cindy just shrugged. "I still say he's a faggot."

"Cindy, don't say faggot. And I spend all of my time with Roger. If he were gay, don't you think I would know?"

Cindy seemed to be pondering some sort of intelligent response when the doorbell rang. "Well, Roger's here. Bye!" Mark yelled, sprinting out the door. He slammed it behind him and turned to Roger, trying to catch his breath. "Hey!"

"Hey. Listen, Mark?" Roger was quiet. He seemed upset.

"Yeah, Rog?"

"I… I'm not gay."

"You…what? How did you – "

"Open window." Roger said, gesturing towards it.

"Oh. So you heard that…"

"Entire conversation. Yup. Hey, thanks for sticking up for me."

"Of course. That's what friends are for."

"We, uh… We should probably get going."

"Rog, are you okay? Do you wanna talk about it?"

"No, I'm fine." He said, walking to his car and opening the door. And that was that.