"Larry, I don't know about this." Sal muttered.
"oh come on Sally, it's fine. besides, half the school practically knows." Larry replied.
"so? that doesn't make it any easier." Sal replied.
"look Sal, Todd and Neil have no problems." Larry said.
"Todd and Neil don't wear a prosthetic mask and don't get harassed constantly by the secretly overly gay, yet homophobic school bully." Sal replied. Larry pulled him closer.
"hey, look, no matter what happens, I love you. I will always love you. half the school already thinks we're gay, so this will shock no one and our friends already know." Larry murmured. Sal looked at him, though his mask was shifted.
"fine, now get off my mask." Sal muttered, pulling back to shift his mask back into place.
"get your mask off? I can do that." Larry smirked, unclipping the bottom strap, pushing the mask out of his way, and kissing him deeply. Sal huffed through his nose at Larry but pulled him closer. he pulled back from the kiss.
"thats not what I said an you know it." Sal muttered.
"eh, it still worked." Larry replied, pushing Sal's mask back down over his face. he strapped the mask back on, ignoring the glare his boyfriend was shooting him. "look Sally, it's alright, half the people in school think you're a flat chested girl." Larry snickered. Sal scold at him and smacked his hands off.
"thats not funny." Sal glared. Larry chuckled resting his forehead on Sal's mask.
"hey, I'm just teasing. lets just go to school okay?" Larry ask. Sal sighed but nodded and they walked to school.
Sal was, for once, thankful for his mask. no one could see how nervous he was, except Larry. his hand was sweaty, but he had a cool demeanor. Larry watched him though.
"you know, we don't have to do this if you're really that uncomfortable." Larry said.
"last time I showed a school anything, it was a the day after I was released from the hospital. I didn't have my mask yet. we had to move because kids are cruel." Sal sighed. "and if I had to move again, I wouldn't be able to live without you." Sal added.
"you won't have to. it's alright." Larry murmured, squeezing his hand gently. Sal sighed and nodded.
"fine come on." Sal muttered. they walked into the school.
"hey you guys realize you're still..." Ashley muttered, looking briefly at their hands.
"yeah it's Larry's idea." Sal muttered.
"come on Sally face, relax." Larry replied.
"yeah Larry face, fucking relax. I'm trying." Sal hissed. Larry rubbed his thumb gently over Sal's knuckles, pulling him off into one of the bathrooms. after checking to make sure all the stalls were empty, he pulled Sal to his chest, holding his hands tightly.
"Sal there's nothing to be afraid of. half of this school is gay." Larry murmured, resting his forehead against Sal's. "no one is going to judge us." Larry assured.
"thats not what I'm worried about." Sal muttered, laying his head against Larry's shoulder. Larry looked confused, but wrapped his arms around his smaller boyfriend.
"then what?" Larry ask.
"I'm so tired of being harassed and shoved around by Travis, it's just going to get worse." Sal muttered. Larry shook his head.
"it won't Sal, I promise. Travis is just a wimp. he's not brave enough to come after me and he shouldn't be stupid enough to attack you anymore." Larry said. "nothing will happen, I promise." Larry murmured, reassuringly.
"you can't promise that." Sal said.
"yes I can." Larry smiled, reaching around to unlatch the bottom of Sal's mask. he hands were pushed away quickly as Sal settled him with a dark look. "alright I'm sorry. I won't kiss you at school." Larry muttered.
"I don't want anyone to see my face." Sal muttered.
"I know. I'm sorry." Larry said softly. they stepped back and headed back out into a hall. Larry taking Sal's hand reassuringly. "it's fine Sal, just remember." Larry said. Sal nodded, letting out a soft sigh.
"right. no idiot in their right mind would mess with you." Sal muttered. Larry smirked.
"you know it!" Larry grinned. that had Sal relaxing.
"why do I love you?" Sal chuckled.
"because I'm awesome." Larry smirked. Sal rolled his eye's. everything was fine for now, but they had yet to see Travis.
Sal smiled slightly sitting with his friends, poking through his food. Larry plopped in beside him. he raised an eye brow when he felt a hand in his pocket, but rolled his eye's when he saw Sal stealing his cell phone.
"what are you doing?" Larry ask.
"Travis smashed my phone when I went to the bathroom, I'm texting my dad." Sal replied.
"well try and keep your hand out of my pockets." Larry muttered. Sal chuckled softly, handing him his phone back.
"there's probably better things you'd like him to do with his hands." Ashley laughed. Larry's face lit up bright red while Sal laughed.
"like what?" Chug ask curiously. the entire table burst into laughter, even Larry, whose face was still bright red. Chug sat curiously watching them, he was confused.
"don't worry about it Chug, you'll figure it out one day." Neil smirked. Sal snickered and reached over to take Larry's hand and smiled slightly.
"this day has actually gone a lot better than I thought it would." Sal smiled.
"told you." Larry smirked, poking at his food. he decided just to push it over to Chug. Sal smiled and pushed his mask up just enough to get a drink. the table looked away politely, but Larry watched him, even as Sal reached up to push him away.
"stop it Larry." Sal muttered, pulling his mask back down.
"it's not like I've never seen your face before." Larry muttered.
"guy's Travis is coming." Todd muttered quietly. he scooted closer to Neil. Neil frowned and patted his leg, knowing he'd be fine. Travis ignored them if Sal was around. Sal grunted as his face was suddenly pushed into his tray. thankfully it was pizza and mac'n'cheese day. Sal sat up and wiped off his mask, growling lowly.
"geez Travis what the hell is your problem?" Ashley hissed.
"you got something to say to me bitch?" Travis growled. Ashley huffed. Larry, for once, ignored the bully. he was too busy making sure Sal was okay. Sal smacked his hands away.
"stop it. I'm fine." Sal muttered, reaching up under his mask to wipe his eye's. Larry slammed his hands down hard and stood from the table quickly.
"who the fuck do you think you are?" Larry shouted, shoving Travis backwards.
"oh god please don't do this." Sal muttered, his face turning a bright red under his mask, as he pulled on his pigtails. "gross." Sal sighed, looking at his hands covered in cheese. "there's cheese in my hair." Sal muttered, looking defeated. Larry punched Travis hard across the face before pulling Sal out of the lunchroom and to the bathroom, locking the door.
"Sal are you okay?" Larry ask.
"just make sure that stupid door is locked." Sal muttered, taking his mask off. he washed his face and mask, then proceeded to try and clean the cheese out of his hair. "I'm going to have to go home. it won't come out Larry." Sal muttered.
"hold on." Larry muttered, walking over. he pulled Sal's hair out of his pony tails. he quickly helped Sal get the cheese out of his hair as someone started beating on the door. Sal grabbed his mask quickly, putting it on.
"open the door Johnson! you're dead!" Travis said. he kicked the door open.
"just, stay behind me Sal." Larry muttered quietly. Sal pulled at his hair hard, watching them. Travis pulled back and punched Larry hard across the face, knocking him over. he winced hitting his head on the wall, he gave a dizzy look towards Sal.
"hey! keep your fucking hands off him!" Sal shouted, punching Travis hard in the gut. when he doubled over Sal punched him in the face. he stepped back when Travis shouted and clutched his face. Travis stepped back quickly, slipping in a puddle of his own blood and landing on his ass. Sal walked over to Larry, offering him a hand. Larry laughed, holding his bloody lip and taking Sal's hand with his free one.
"I've never seen you angry like that before..." Larry said. Sal blushed darkly, under his mask. he blushed hard enough his ears and neck turned a bright red.
"h-heh. well he hurt you... and ruined my pony tails..." Sal muttered quietly, blushing darker. Larry laughed.
"he ruined your pigtails so you punched him?" Larry laughed.
"he also punched you, but yeah he ruined my pigtails." Sal muttered. Larry laughed and pulled him close. he nudges Sal's mask up just enough to kiss him. Sal pulls back quickly. "hey gross, I don't want your blood in my mouth." Sal muttered. he wiped his face and pulled his mask down quickly. he looked his face over, gently running his thumb over Larry's lip. "he shouldn't have punched you." Sal muttered.
"no Sal, it's fine. thanks." Larry smiled, hugging him tightly.
"hey pipsqueak! you're dead now!" Travis shouted getting up. his nose was at an odd angle and there was blood gushing down his face.
"I think he's already proven you're no match for him." Larry smirked, kicking Travis in the gut. the bully doubled over. "c'mon Sal." Larry murmured, taking his hand. they headed back to lunch, where Sal sat and Larry stood behind him fixing his hair.
"what are you doing Larry?" Todd ask.
"we had to take Sal's hair down to get the cheese out of it. so I'm putting it back up for him." Larry said. Sal's ears were turning a bright pink and it was growing down his neck as well. his face was getting hot with embarrassment.
"heh, Larry is the best." Sal muttered quietly.
"he punched the shit out of Travis because we had to take his pigtails down so we could clean the cheese from his hair." Larry said.
"he punched you first!" Sal shouted defensively, blushing darker. the table broke into giggles. "I will kill you all." Sal muttered, crossing his arms over his chest. Larry sat beside him and chuckled.
"yeah sure you will." Larry smiled, wrapping an arm around him.
"when we get back to the apartments and no one can hear you scream, I'm going to hurt you." Sal huffed, pouting under his mask.
"hey now, I don't want to hear about your bedroom habits." Neil said. Ashley choked, her drink came flying out of her nose.
"shit Neil!" Ashley laughed. Sal shook his head.
"I'm skipping the rest of school and going home to die of embarrassment." Sal muttered getting up. Larry got up with him.
"hey if you're leaving I'm going home with you." Larry said.
"be safe you two!" Ashley shouted as they walked off.
"I hate you guys sometimes." Sal muttered as they left.