Chapter 6

"Please let me in, Arthur. I promise we weren't making fun of just you. I'll show you my notebook! I draw everyone like that. I would have shown you sooner, but I thought you'd say my comics were a waste of time," Alfred explained to the unyielding door. With the weather being so pretty outside, the dorm hall was practically deserted. There was a long moment of silence (one of many, as Alfred had been apologizing to the door for nearly ten minutes now) but then the creaking of the door hinges brought a happy smile to Alfred's face.

"Prove it," Arthur said crisply, as he snatched the sketchbook out of Alfred's hands. The door closed again, but Alfred knew Arthur's resolve to stay mad was weakening. Prepared to wait awhile, Alfred sat outside the door, unaware that Arthur mirrored his pose on the other side. If he strained his ears, he could hear Arthur flipping the pages slowly.

There was a muffled chuckle of amusement.

"Mathew writes the dialogue and I draw the pictures. You're laughing at the one where the coach mistook Francis for a girl, aren't you?"

"That was rather hilarious," Arthur replied. There was a long pause and then, "I wouldn't have thought your art was a waste of time. Honestly, I think you're quite good. You shouldn't hide your true talents, Alfred."

"Geez, it's not a talent. Don't get so serious on me! They're just little doodles. Even if you don't think they're a waste of time, everyone else does."

"Everyone except Matthew. Why…why did you show him, but not me?" Arthur asked, finally getting to the heart of the matter. Alfred shifted a bit uncomfortably in the hallway, glancing a bit nervously to the right and left.

"Can I come in first?" The door opened a few seconds later, and Arthur admitted him with a blushing face. He meekly handed him the sketchbook as he closed the door behind the taller boy.

"You don't have to tell me why. I shouldn't pry. I don't really care anyway," Arthur said. Alfred smiled at the very obvious attempt to make himself sound tougher after admitting his feelings were hurt.

"I only suggested the comic idea to Matthew so that we'd have something we could do together. He's not really into video games or sports, and it makes him feel invisible since guys our age don't really know how to talk to him. He's good at storytelling, though, and he's funny if you give him a chance to open up."

Arthur stared up at him intensely for a moment before finally offering him a small, proud smile.

"You keep surprising me, Jones."

"Does that mean you're not mad at me anymore?" Alfred asked hopefully. Arthur sighed, but smiled.

"I'm not mad anymore…but my eyebrows are not that bad."

"So what if they're a little thick? They give your face character. I happen to like them," Alfred said with a lighthearted smile. Arthur blushed, and crossed the room to his bed where he picked up one of his favorite novels.

"Well, I'd like to read your comics…if you want to share them, that is. I'll work some time for you to practice your drawing into your schedule."

Alfred laughed as he plopped onto his own bed in a messy sprawl of too-long limbs. "Is there time in my schedule to go see the super-secret announcement?"

"It's hardly a secret. It's just the official hand-out saying we all have to join extracurricular activities. Recruiting week starts tomorrow."

"What's recruiting week?" Alfred asked, obviously excited. Arthur glanced up from his book at his clueless roommate.

"I guess you wouldn't know. My three older brothers graduated from World Academy so I know most of the traditions. Recruiting week is when the school clubs advertise what they do and try to convince freshman to join. You'll get loads of free things, and the upperclassmen will be really nice to you, as club budgets are determined by the number of members. It's all reversed next week, during club initiation."

"Reversed?"

"I believe you call it 'hazing' in America. Basically, after buttering you up to get you to join, you then have to do all the shit work for the upperclassmen to prove your worthy of being a member. Some clubs are worse about it than others."

"Huh, that sounds fun! How many clubs can you join? Can we start our own?"

"Don't tell me you still want to form that silly Hero Club of yours! Really, it's a terrible idea, Alfred. But to answer your earlier question, I think the maximum number of clubs you can join is five. Nobody does that, though. The academics program here is too rigorous to have time for five clubs."

"Why do you think the Hero Club would be such a bad idea?"

"Alright, I'll humor you. You want to create a club for the sole purpose of solving other people's problems?"

"Yeah! I bet we'd make lots of friends that way, just like how I became friends with Matthew and Toris," Alfred explained happily. Arthur gave him an assessing look.

"You shouldn't have to do something for someone before they see your value as a person, Alfred. Besides, people should solve their own problems. It builds character."

"There's no shame or weakness in asking a friend for help. That's what friends are for! Your problem is that you just don't trust anybody," Alfred said. Having already returned to his book, Arthur looked up sharply at the strangely perceptive comment from his roommate. Up until that moment, he'd just assumed he was right in the argument and that Alfred was just being naïve, but was it possible Alfred was at least partially right, too? Oblivious to the effect his simple observation had upon his roommate, Alfred pressed for more information.

"So what would I need to start a club?" Alfred asked.

"Technically, if you had four members, one of whom is an upperclassman, and a professor to sponsor it, you could form your own club…but why don't you try joining a pre-existing club first, though? If your only aim is to make friends, you might find starting your own club is unnecessary. World Academy has a very prestigious art club," Arthur suggested. Alfred, however, scoffed at the idea.

"I told you to lay off about my stupid doodles already. I'm not some fancy artist! I'll definitely sign up for some clubs, but I haven't given up on the Hero Club idea yet."

With a shake of his head, Arthur focused solely on his book, tuning out the random ramblings of his roommate. His thoughts, however, strayed into dangerous territory.

'I trust others just fine. Alfred just doesn't know what he's talking about, as usual.' Comforted by his own reassurances, Arthur returned to his tales of Merlin.

USUK

Matthew hastily put away his diary as his roommate re-entered their shared room. Francis looked more unkempt than usual, with his shirt rumpled and his hair out of place. For a moment, Matthew thought Francis was trying to gauge his reaction, but Matthew soon convinced himself he was imagining things.

"D-d-did you and Madeline have a fun time?" he asked in shaky French. Francis loosened his school tie and sat elegantly on his bed.

"We made out. She's not a bad kisser, but she uses her teeth a bit too much. Kissing should be soft, no?" Francis replied, a teasing note to his smooth voice. Matthew hugged his pillow tightly against his chest, blushing behind his curly bangs.

"I w-wouldn't know. I've never kissed anyone."

"There's no harm in waiting, but don't wait too long, my friend. I plan on getting as much practice as I can. It's the duty of every young French man to study this particular subject with devotion!" Francis abandoned his bed and crossed to the window, where he stared out over the setting sun. "Tell me, Matthew, are you saving your first kiss for someone special?"

"I d-dunno. I just haven't been kissed yet, that's all."

"Well, if you ever want to practice, I could help you out. I probably know more about it than most boys in our year."

Matthew blushed deeply and squeezed his pillow a little tighter. He closed his eyes tightly, and he was horrified to hear his voice squeak when he replied.

"O-okay!"

Smiling at him knowingly, Francis suddenly crossed the room and had a knee on Matthew's bed. He leaned forward and rested his hand on Matthew's knee. Unable to hold Francis's intent yet playful gaze, Matthew cracked and pulled the pillow over his face. His words were mumbled behind the fabric, but very clear.

"I didn't mean right now! I'm not ready!"

Francis shifted to the side and let out a soft chuckle. His voice sounded deep and a little rough already, despite the fact he had only turned fifteen that past July.

"You shouldn't flirt if you aren't ready for where it leads. I will come straight to the point. As long as you play your game with the American, I will find companionship elsewhere. When you are ready, you know where to find me. Do not try to make me jealous, Matthew. I refuse to compete with the likes of Alfred Jones. It's a joke to even suggest such a thing."

Too mortified to continue the conversation, Matthew slipped past Francis and darted for the door. Once in the hallway, he hesitated only a second before running a few doors down and knocking on Alfred's door. For a moment he feared Alfred would be gone due to his earlier spat with Arthur, but thankfully the door opened a few moments later and Alfred stared quizzically out at him.

"Hey Matty, what's up?" Not even able to explain, Matthew slipped into the room and shut the door. It was only then that Alfred noticed his bright red face.

"Francis…he…he…"

"Did he grope you? It would be just like that pervert! Do you know he showed me a dirty magazine when I was ten? My mum caught us with it and that little bastard said it was mine. That's how I found out about sex—my mum interrogating me on where I'd gotten such dirty filth! It wouldn't surprise me at all if he was being lewd," Arthur said, tossing his book and his restraint aside. Matthew scrambled for words, shaking his head desperately.

Glancing uneasily at Arthur, clearly a little uncomfortable with the situation, Alfred gently wrapped his arm around Matthew's shoulders and guided him to the small couch that sat between the two beds.

"Just take your time telling us what happened. You're not hurt, are you?" Alfred asked.

"I'm not h-h-hurt…just embarrassed! It was awful! I acted like such a baby!" To further this claim, big fat tears began to roll down Matthew's cheeks. Looking even more alarmed, Alfred shot a desperate look at Arthur over Matthew's head. Arthur shrugged helplessly.

"I have to admit something really stupid I've been doing to you, Alfred," Matthew said, hiccupping a little between his tears. "It was really dumb, and it just blew up in my face. I feel like such an idiot now!"

"Err…what's going on? I'm really confused, Matty," Alfred said weakly.

"I was using you to t-try and m-make Francis jealous, but h-he realized what I was d-doing and now he's going to make out with everyone in school just to prove how d-dumb I am for trying to make him jealous. T-then he said he'd kiss me, b-but I freaked out and panicked and just ran away!"

"Wait, how were you using me to make Francis jealous?" Alfred asked oblivious. From his spot on the bed, Arthur felt a rush of vindication. At Matthew's confession, Arthur finally felt his resentment towards the other boy fade harmlessly away. Now Alfred would see what he'd warned him about all along—this was what came of getting tangled up in other people's affairs. Arthur just couldn't resist the 'I-told-you-so-moment.'

"See? I told you two weeks ago to clarify things between you and him. Instead, you let the whole school think something that wasn't true, and now Francis is being a twat because of it," Arthur accused, directing the comment pointedly at Alfred. The other boy looked sheepish and confused simultaneously while he tried to sort it out in his head.

He still had his arm wrapped around Matthew's shoulders, and Arthur settled his glare on the offending arm, wondering why Alfred wasn't reaching the same conclusion he had—Matthew hadn't been sincere all along. Why was Alfred still being so friendly with him?

"I was t-too shy to flirt with Francis, so I flirted with you. At first it seemed to be working, since he finally noticed me, but now it's all gone wrong. I'm sorry, Alfred."

"Hey, no worries, Matty! So what if you flirted with me a bit? I honestly didn't notice. But Francis is right…I'm not much of a threat. Even Ivan said so. Maybe if you flirt with Arthur, he'll take it more seriously?" Alfred suggested. Arthur blushed.

"Alfred, you're being utterly daft! Matthew used you—what part of that confession do you not comprehend?"

Matthew looked even more chastised at Arthur's outburst, and sniffled pathetically.

"Geez, Arthur, take it easy. So Matty got a bit confused. When you really like someone, it's hard to know what the right thing is to do in every situation. It's easy to get all tongue tied. I'm sure we can figure out how to patch things up between you and Francis, if that's what you want, Matthew."

"I don't think even you can fix this, Alfred. What fifteen year old hasn't even been kissed yet? I freaked out over something so minor…now Francis will never take me seriously."

"So the fact that you've never been kissed is what's got you all nervous?" Alfred asked, having trouble following the conversation.

"Have you ever been kissed?" Matthew asked Alfred softly. Arthur could practically feel the atmosphere changing in the room, and he didn't like it, not one bit. Not exactly understanding why he suddenly felt compelled to remind the other two boys he was present, Arthur said the first thing that popped into his head.

"This sounds like a job for the Hero Club, huh? Get Matthew his first kiss from Francis. After all, Matthew, that is who you want your first kiss from, right? It wouldn't be satisfactory if it was from anyone else."

A little startled, Matthew broke the gaze he'd been sharing with Alfred.

"Huh? Oh, y-yes. Of course, but I couldn't possibly now…I'm too embarrassed to even talk to him!"

Predictably, Alfred's eyes lit with fiery determination.

"Glad you're finally understanding why the Hero Club is so important, Arthur! Okay, you two, meet me in the library in twenty minutes. I'll round up the other club members and we'll get this problem solved in no time!"

Matthew looked torn between embarrassment and amusement, and finally settled on seeing the humor in the situation.

"I can't believe I'm going along with this, but I'm too nervous to say anything to Francis now. Will you guys really help me?" Matthew said. Alfred gave him a huge, reassuring grin, while Arthur merely grimaced.

"Of course! The heroes of Hero Club never disappoint!"

Off like a racing horse, Alfred disappeared to track down his meek friend Toris, and his intimidating boyfriend Ivan. Arthur and Matthew were left standing together in a rather tense, awkward silence.

"As much as it pains me to say this…I agree with the frog. If you don't genuinely like Alfred, don't flirt with him."

"You know, something else Francis said to me is starting to make sense. He said you liked Alfred."

"Of course I like him…as much as any roommate can tolerate his assigned companion."

"And that's why you're always glaring at me when I laugh with Alfred and you're not in on the joke, or when you get annoyed with him for spending time with me instead of you. I was trying to make Francis jealous, but somehow you got jealous, too," Matthew concluded wisely.

"Preposterous! Just because you're gay doesn't mean everyone else wants to be! I'll stop glaring at you when you start being honest and sincere with Alfred. He's so desperate to make friends that he'd tolerate just about anything, but you shouldn't take advantage of his…his…Alfred-ness," Arthur concluded ridiculously.

Matthew grinned a bit at Arthur's strange phrasing, but after a moment he extended his hand. Arthur stared at it unsurely. Almost reluctantly, he briefly touched his hand to Matthew's and gave a slight shake.

"From now on, I promise to be upfront with Alfred. I won't use him knowingly ever again, for any reason."

"See that you don't," Arthur started to say, but Matthew continued.

"And in return for that promise, you won't make Alfred feel like you're the only friend he's allowed to have."

At first, Arthur's expression was angry, but it quickly morphed into one of self-reflection. The shorter boy nodded a bit hesitantly.

"Agreed."

"Then we'll both back off a bit…and maybe even we could be friends, too?" Matthew asked unsurely. Arthur didn't share the other boy's cautious optimism, but he nodded again.

"We certainly seemed to get off on the wrong foot. I can let bygones be bygones if you can."

"Good. We should probably go find Alfred before he starts telling Ivan, of all people, about my little problem," Matthew said, suggesting by his tone that he knew Ivan's response would be far from pleasant.

The two boys made their way to the library, where they instantly spotted Alfred sitting at a table with Toris and Ivan.

"Uh-oh, he's already found him," Matthew observed.

"All we can do now is hope to minimize the damage. Come on," Arthur said. They approached the table to find the conversation had already started.

"—so he wants to get a kiss from Francis. It's the next mission of the unofficial Hero Club!"

"Vy zapazdyvayushchim," Ivan retorted in Russian.

"Ivan, be nice. If Alfred had not helped me, you and I would not have had our first kiss," Toris said gently. The Russian boy's demeanor suddenly altered, and Alfred and Torris realized he was smiling sweetly at the approach of Matthew and Arthur. It was alarming (and a little creepy) how the hulking teen could morph so quickly from threatening expressions to childish ones.

"I hear you have a little problem, teddy bear," Ivan said grinning. Matthew blushed darkly, and sat reluctantly at the table, firmly opposite Ivan's large, grinning frame.

"Hey, don't call him that, Ivan. It's not nice," Alfred said. For a moment, Ivan's gaze met Alfred's challengingly, despite Ivan's happy smile, but whatever he saw in the smaller American only made his gleeful grin widen. Arthur swallowed thickly, wishing he could hit Alfred over the head for making such a dangerous acquaintance. While appearing rather serene on the surface, Toris kept darting glances between Ivan and Matthew with a slightly nervous air.

"You're v-very…eh…experienced, right? I suppose you think it's s-silly to be nervous about a first kiss," Matthew said softly. Ivan's bright grin dimmed somewhat and he glanced at Toris, with an expression that could almost be considered fond.

"If your French roommate were more of a man, he would simply take what is his to claim. He is playing word games. It is only because he is just as nervous as you."

Matthew was clearly startled by that, and he glanced to Arthur for his opinion. Arthur just looked uncomfortable.

"Don't look at me. You lot are the ones obsessed with dating and kissing and," he flashed a brief glance at Ivan's grin, "God-only-knows-what-else," he finished awkwardly.

"I think Ivan could be on to something! Maybe Francis is nervous, too. Since you weren't flirting with him, maybe he's not sure where he stands and wants you to make the first move," Alfred suggested.

"Y-you mean, me kiss him? But I c-can't do that!"

"This is ridiculous. What exactly did Francis say?" Arthur asked, as if he were about to step into the role of Sherlock Holmes.

"He said…he'd kiss other people until I was done playing games with Alfred. But I don't want him to kiss other people! I just want him to kiss me…but I'm not ready yet."

"He is not a true man. He has no loyalty to what he has claimed," Ivan declared.

"Typical of Francis, though. He is the sort of asshole that would tell someone who liked him that he wouldn't wait for them," Arthur mused.

"I don't think Francis is a bad guy, he's just…horny. I think we should focus on making Matty feel confident about kissing. I thought you two could give him some tips," Alfred suggested. Toris glanced up in surprise, a light blush dusting his cheeks.

"Would that help you, Matthew?" Toris asked gently. Matthew seemed simultaneously embarrassed and curious at the same time. Arthur, feigning disinterest, began to flip through a book abandoned on their table, but he was carefully listening all the same.

"I think it just might, actually," Matthew replied shyly.

"Kissing can be really fun. I didn't think it would be at first, but when it's soft and gentle, it can be very nice."

"It should be strong and possessive. If you feel like you've just kissed your grandmother when it's over, move on to a real man," Ivan butted in.

"Well, that's true, too. So I guess, there are different ways to kiss, but for a first kiss, I think a little softer and more romantic is best. There are some really nice spots around campus. Why don't you ask him to go to one with you? It helps if there's a mood set," Toris advised.

During this talk of kissing, Ivan's hand had managed to intertwine with Toris's, and the older boy was looking intensely at the silky strands of hair tucked around the curve of Toris's ear.

"We are done studying. Let's go," Ivan said demandingly. Toris flashed an apologetic, bashful smile but hastily began to pack up their things.

"I enjoyed the meeting, but we really do need to get back to our rooms," Toris let out a little sqeak, and Arthur suspected it had something to do with Ivan's hand, which was out of sight behind Toris.

Alfred looked confused at their abrupt departure, but smiled good-naturedly.

"Well, thanks for talking to Matty! I guess we'll see you guys at lunch tomorrow. Bye!" Alfred said. Arthur's eyes widened in alarm. Surely Alfred hadn't asked Ivan to sit with them at lunch. Of all the stupid, foolish things to do…

"Lunch, da, whatever. Let's go already!" Ivan pressed, grabbing Toris's arm a bit roughly. The soft-spoken boy was all but dragged off, in such a hurry that he didn't even have time to grab Ivan's book bag for him.

"Huh. Wonder why they had to go so soon?" Alfred said. Arthur rolled his eyes.

"All that talk of kissing got your friend Ivan a little hot under the collar," Arthur informed. Alfred's baby blue eyes went wide with realization. His blush almost rivaled Matty's. He hastily tried to change the subject.

"Err…did that help at all, Matty?"

"W-well, I don't think Toris would lie. If he thinks it's enjoyable, I'm sure it is," Matthew replied.

"You still shouldn't let Francis pressure you into doing something you're not ready to do. Let him kiss whoever he bloody well pleases. He's the one who'll end up with an STD, mark my words," Arthur said.

"M-maybe I'm not ready because Francis isn't the right one for me…" Matthew pondered. Arthur's green eyes widened in alarm and flashed to Alfred's oblivious look of polite concern. He knew where Matthew's thoughts were going even if his stupidly oblivious roommate didn't get it.

"But, of c-course, Francis has his…g-good points," Arthur forced out. His smile was utterly unconvincing. Catching onto Arthur's worries, Matthew grinned.

"Don't worry, Arthur. I won't flirt with either of you anymore. I know it probably makes you both uncomfortable…what with you being straight and all," Matthew said. Arthur's cheeks were very pink, but he looked relieved.

"Wait, you were flirting with Arthur, too? When was all this flirting happening? How the hell do you flirt, anyway? Now I'm confused. We should have asked Toris and Ivan more questions," Alfred said glumly, slumping over in defeat.

Matthew gave Alfred a gentle smile and patted his back.

"That's okay, Alfred. You helped me out—really! I think…I think I just need to talk to Francis, now that I'm not so embarrassed. When I am ready for my first kiss, this talk will help me feel more prepared, I'm sure of it. You're a good friend, Alfred…you too, Arthur. I'll see you guys later," Matty said.

Looking distracted, though he smiled and waved at Matty as he left, Alfred collected Ivan's school bag.

"I guess I'll take this back to him," Alfred said. Still blushing, Arthur snatched the bag.

"I have my first class with him in the morning. I'll see that he gets it. Right now he probably wouldn't appreciate the interruption," Arthur said. Alfred's eyes went large in realization.

"Oh, heh heh, yeah…guess not," he said. There was a long moment of silence between them as they returned to the dorms at a leisurely pace, both of them reflecting on the afternoon's events.

"Arthur…you've been kissed before, right?"

"A gentleman doesn't talk of such things," Arthur responded quickly and primly.

"Oh…that's probably a yes. I bet all the girls where you come from can't get enough of you. Every girl wants to be a princess. Maybe after I join a sports team some of the girls will notice me. I tried talking to that girl in our science lab yesterday. She told me my face was gross." Arthur winced, not at all understanding why so many of their classmates were cruel to Alfred. His mother had warned him high school would be difficult, because even well-raised children were immature at times, but Alfred always seemed to get the worst of it.

"She's just trying to make herself feel better by putting someone else down. It's certainly not the behavior of a lady. Trust me, Alfred, you're better off without her. Why do you want a girlfriend so badly anyway? It seems like a waste of time to me," Arthur said.

Alfred shrugged his gangly shoulders. "It would make my parents proud of me, my mom especially."

"Your parents again, hmm? It really matters to you what they think, doesn't it?"

"Of course. Don't you care what your parents think?"

"Honestly, I haven't given much thought to it. My parents aren't the type to tell me what sort of person I should be. They taught me values, of course, and I would never go looking for trouble, but my father doesn't care that I prefer embroidery over soccer or anything like that."

"That sounds kinda nice, actually. Ya know, I've never really told anyone this…but there's a pretty dumb reason for why I always liked superhero comics so much. When I was little, I thought my dad was a secret superhero," Alfred glanced at Arthur's reaction (a small smile) and chuckled at himself. "I know, I know…it was dumb of me, but I once saw this red thing in his closet when I was six or so, and I became convinced he was saving the world when he was away on so-called business trips. I guess…it made it easier for me to deal with him not being home much. Later, I realized it was just one of my mother's formal gowns…not a superhero cape, after all. It was the same year I finally wised up about Santa Clause. Kind of a depressing year, actually," Alfred said, though his tone was amused.

"Yeah, fourteen was hard for me, too," Arthur replied cheekily. Laughing, Alfred cuffed the shorter boy lightly.

"Shut up, jerk! I wasn't fourteen. I was, like, nine or something. Geez…serves me right for pouring out my heart to you. You're so mean to me," Alfred pouted. Grinning, Arthur spun on the stairs so that he was looking down at his roommate for once, a teasing glint in his eye.

"Well, you know I'm quite handy with a needle. I could make you your very own superhero cape. You'll need one if you keep on insisting on this Hero Club idea of yours," Arthur said. He'd meant it as a joke, but Alfred's eyes became as wide as saucers.

"Would you really? That would be so awesome! I could wear it this Halloween!"

"Are you serious? You'd really wear something I made for you?" Arthur asked. While his parents didn't care about his needlework, his older brothers teased him a bit for it. Nobody had ever wanted him to make something for them…certainly not with just hopeful joy in their eyes.

"Hell yeah I would! You're not just teasing, right? You'll really make me a cape? Like a real one?"

Arthur shook his head a bit fondly at his dorky roommate.

"Sure, Alfred. I'll make you the coolest superhero cape you've ever seen," he promised.

Overjoyed, Alfred hurried up the steps and slung his arm around Arthur's shoulders excitedly.

"You are the coolest roommate ever, dude!"

Under the weight of Alfred's arm and his energetic, happy grin, Arthur felt a bright smile echo on his own face, and a warm feeling spread all through his chest.

AN: A nice, long chapter for you guys. So, the story is moving kinda slow, but I'm really enjoying writing it. I guess it would be safer to say this part of the story is pre-slash, as I have a firmer idea of how it's all going to play out now. I admit I'm struggling a bit to keep it age-appropriate. It's tricky writing young teenagers, because experience level covers such a wide range. However, because Alfred is dorky, I think it's safe to say he could be much older before he gets his first kiss. If anything seems off about it, please let me know. I'm using my younger cousin as a reference point for this, as he's a super nerdy (but fairly good looking) 17 year old who just now started getting into the whole 'i-have-a-girlfriend' phase. He has no idea I'm using him in such a way, and it would probably horrify him if he knew a fictional gay character was partly based off him, lol. On the other hand, I know it's also fairly common for kids/teens to get flirty without directly kissing, so I have lots of plans to slowly torture you guys with that. :P