A/N: my comp is acting up!! *death aura* anyways, this is my long-awaited favorite part..... shoot the messenger when she's done. ^__^;;
Jim scratched the back of his head as he tried to figure out what time it was. Was he late? No, he must've been early. Nobody was making noise in the gym....
Was it even right now?
Jim was still a bit tired looking. His shirt was unbuttoned at the top, his belts and Shirley's carrier were all gone. He was also not wearing his orange scarf. He scratched his head again, a bit groggy from his short nap.
He sighed and pushed the red button to open the door to the gym. He was thinking of what he'd say if it was a prank. He didn't pay attention and--
WHAM!
"OW!"
Jim jumped and looked down....
Jesse was sitting there. He was wearing a powder blue dress. The top was off the shoulders, exposing his smooth skin. His arms were covered by beautiful silk sleeves. The main dress had white seams. It was only mid-thigh in length, but had frills all along the bottom. He wore knee-high stockings that were the same color as the dress. His shoes were high-heeled, white, Mary-Jane shoes. His hair was styled and had hair extensions. There was a white headband with a light blue bow with two long ends.
"Ow, ow, ow." Jesse was struggling to get back up. He just sat there, a tear in his eyes.
Atticus suddenly broke out in triumphant laughter. Zane punched Atticus square in the jaw. The two of them were wearing very elegant and masculine suites that were matching. Aster was wearing his usual gray suit, but had a longer coat tail.
Jaden, who had purposely pushed Jesse, was also wearing a dress. Unlike Jesse's simple, straight dress, Jaden was wearing a knee-length dress. It was bright red. It came quite low in the front and had a corset-like top. The sleeves came down to his knuckles. The skirt was slightly puffy from the petticoats and flared edges. His stockings went up to his knees and were red and black stripped. His shoes were like Jesse's, only black with a red bow at the ankles. Which commented the black bow in Jaden's hair.
Jim suddenly backed up a couple of steps, covering his mouth and nose with one hand. The other was used to stop himself from complete falling. He quickly turned away.
Jaden picked up Jesse. "Sorry. I was too excited!"
Jesse made a face and accepted Jaden's help. "That was still mean." He noticed Jim and his face flushed. "ACK! You didn't tell me--!"
Atticus smiled. "I said I was going to be evil. I didn't say how." Atticus still had a red mark from where Zane had punched him.
"Shoot me then." Jesse looked defeated. "Shoot me!" he yelled, shaking Jim.
"Why?!" Jim had to keep his eyes closed.
"Just shoot me already!" Jesse pleaded.
"Why?!" Jim said, his voice shaking slightly.
Jaden's light bulb went off. "Shoot him!" Jaden said happily.
"WHY?!"
"Shoot me, God--!"
"JESSE!" came a chorus. Jesse put his hands in front of him, holding the skirt down.
"Aren't you a cutie?" Atticus said, causing Jesse's face to turn brighter red.
Zane sighed and hit Atticus on the back of the head. "Shut up."
"Ow, that was mean." Atticus made a pouting face.
Jim, on the other hand, had to look again to make sure he wasn't imagining things.
Which turned fatal....
Jesse was being hugged by Jaden, who was also giving Jesse kisses on the cheek and nose. Jaden, at the moment Jim decided to look, had picked up Jesse, with help from Atticus, before they put him down.
The skirt had flung itself up just enough to make Jesse pull it down.
Zane held out a towel. "You might want to stop staring."
"How?!" Jim demanded, using the towel to wipe his hands first and then cover his face. "That's not funny, mate."
"It's not meant to be!" Atticus grabbed Jim's arm. "C'mon, dance with him. Jesse's been bored."
"I have--!"
Jaden covered Jesse's mouth. "Dance all the same!"
Jesse groaned and took a deep breath. His face was still pink from the fact that Jim had just discovered he had girly legs.... "Jim?"
The towel was slowly turning from white to red. "Mm?"
Jesse knelt down and put a hand on Jim's knee. "Don't worry." He noticed Jim was lowering the towel. He smiled. "I'm still Jesse.... mate." He'd quickly thrown it on the end, because he was trying to make Jim feel better about the "cross-dressing homo" sitting in front of him.
Jim sighed. "Give me a minute, mate."
"Okay." Jesse sat with him while the rest of the hall held their breath.
Aster snuck over to the radio and pushed the play button for the CD.
Jesse made an "eek" and looked over his shoulder. Jim was looking that direction.
It was a party mix.
Aster just shrugged. "Awkward pauses and silences need an ice breaker. Thought it might help."
Jaden grabbed Aster's arm. "Then dance with me!" He was leaning in close.
Aster smiled. "Fine."
Jim looked at Jesse, who was still looking in Aster's direction. The dark lights and multicolored lights gave Jesse a strange sense of beauty.
His angelic glow that Jim had grown used to wasn't present. But it had been replaced by the normal, simple, subtle image of the real Jesse.
He wasn't eccentric, like his personality. He wasn't loud, like his voice. He wasn't bright, like his smiles. But he was plain. Ordinary.
And yet....
Jesse touched Jim's hand. "Feel better? I would've chosen another costume, if I'd know you'd be here. C'mon, let's go outside. I dun wanna be in here."
Jim nodded. Was it his imagination, or did Jesse's hand tremble?
When they were outside, Jesse reached up and tugged on his hair. "Grawr! It feels weird...."
Jim smiled. "Ah, mate, it's fine."
"If ya say so." Jesse shrugged and pushed the hair over his shoulders, exposing them once more. "Jim?"
"Mm?" He was looking away, so as not to look.... in unnecessary places.
Jesse touched Jim's arm. He didn't speak.
Jim looked down. Jesse was looking down, but his hand clenched a fistful of Jim's sleeve. He started to shake again. "Jesse?!"
"Jim, do you...."
Jim watched a shimmer fall off Jesse's chin and realized the blue-haired, North Academy student was actually crying. "Jesse! Jesse, what's wrong?"
He held Jesse's face in his hands, gentle and kind as always. The moon from outside fell on Jesse's face. There was the gleam in Jesse's eyes, the tears on his face, and he bit his lower lip, sucking it into his mouth.
"Jesse, what's wrong?" he asked again, gentle and kind. He couldn't be harsh with Jesse. It was impossible. At least for Jim.
"Jim, you said you.... you'd go back ta Adrian. Why? I thought...."
Jim realized exactly what Jesse was saying. He laughed. "No, no, not like that. I went to ask him something." Jim brushed away the tears and kissed Jesse's forehead. "It's not like that at all. I really do want to make things perfect, for both of us. So, I needed closure from him."
Jesse fell into Jim's arms. "I wasn't.... I'm sorry."
"Don't be. Everyone sees something else, Jesse. It's not like we've got neon signs to tell what we're thinking, mate."
Jesse sighed and closed his eyes. "Right."
Jim and Jesse stood like that for, oh, only heaven knows how long, when--
"YE~EARRGH!"
Jesse stumbled and crashed Jim through one of the fake trees in the hallway.
"No more emoness from you!" Jaden was pointing the accusing finger at Jesse. "No emoness of you!"
Jesse was up on his knees, yelling at Jaden. Jim looked at the two as he got up. He reached out, without really thinking, and wrapped his arms around Jesse.
Which ceased the argument.
Jaden suddenly yelled over his shoulder. Jesse's face turned red faster than a stop light turning on. Jim gently pressed his chin into the back of Jesse's shoulder. He took a good whiff of Jesse's scent.
There was a sudden applause and the duo looked up.
Atticus, Zane, Aster, Jaden, Chazz, and Syrus were all applauding the duo. Jaden held out his hand to Jesse as Atticus and Zane helped Jim to his feet.
Jesse attached to Jim. "What's going on?"
Chazz answered that one. "We were waiting for you guys to be happy about putting it out. You know, coming out of the closet, as it were."
Jesse buried his face into Jim's arm. "Argh, I should've guessed! Aw, man...."
Chazz, having an idea, went back into the gym. Jaden had a different idea.
He took hold of the end of Jesse's skirt, from behind, and--
"Yeek!" Jesse grabbed the end and pulled it down. "Don't do that!" His face was so bright that he could've easily cooked an egg on his head.
Jim, by reaction, got Jaden in a choke-hold.
Aster shook his head. "Some boyfriend you are! You're looking at other men...." He pulled Jaden's nose. "Please release him."
Jim let go.
Aster took hold of Jaden's arm and twisted. He threw Jaden into the down tree. "What're you doing, you skank?! Are you trying to make me angry?! I don't much appreciate that you're ignoring me!"
Jaden scrambled to his feet and hugged Aster around the waist. "No~o! Don't be angry." He snuggled Aster. "I don't want to ignore you. I want to be your boyfriend. Don't leave."
Aster sighed and bopped Jaden on the head. "Let go." Jaden sadly let go. Aster picked Jaden up like a girl and walked off. "I have something to.... show you."
Jim looked down at Jesse, who was laughing so hard he couldn't stand up. He rubbed the tears out of his eyes and quickly composed himself. He got up and dusted off the dress. "Jesse, can I ask you something?"
"Mm?" He wiped another tear away.
"Is it just me, or is Atticus filming us?"
Jesse's face turned red again and Jim thought Jesse could easily be a stop light. "ATTICUS!"
"ACK! No, no, no! I want it for later! To show you how cute that dress makes you and Jim!"
---Jesse---
He kicked a rock. He watched it bounce down the path. What was he supposed to do now?
He'd managed to undress and redress in his old cloths. Only he couldn't find his vest.
Jesse hugged himself. He felt lonely and cold without Jim. Without his other self, his other side.
He felt tears in his eyes.
It wasn't because Jim wasn't there. It was because Jesse had been here before. He'd felt this way before. He'd felt loved, wanted, needed. But his boyfriend at the time had dropped him faster than led. Jesse had spent months trying to get over it.
But it wasn't because Jesse felt sad that he was crying.
He started laughing.
How strange. He was so in love that being away made him feel like there was a pull towards the Australian cowboy. Either that, or he was so detached that being away just made him feel closer....
"Jesse!"
He turned around much too fast. "Jim."
Jim stopped in front of Jesse and his eyes widened. "You're crying, mate!" There was a pause. Suddenly, Jim looked really angry and an evil aura was emitting off him. "Who made you cry? I'll crush them."
Jesse laughed and wiped his face. He waved a hand to get Jim's attention. "It's not that. Don't worry. I was just thinking about something. Don't kill anybody."
Jim smiled and it was like an evil bubble was popped around him. "I wanted to ask if you'd like a coat."
Jesse suddenly noticed Jim was wearing a heavy coat. "Nah, I'm not that cold. It's colder where I'm from."
"Really?" Jim seemed amazed. "Huh, Australia's warmer than this."
"Ah, well, the Americas and Europe are lots colder 'n this." Jesse smiled brightly. "So, wanna race back ta my dorm?"
The sun's last purple streak vanished over the horizon. There wasn't a nasty chill in the air. But there was a soft, warm rush in the air as if the atmosphere knew that tonight was a really good night.
It was going to be a good, really good night.