Alright so... The Phantom Pain dropped and is really good!(despite the FOB system being completely single-player hostile)
Be warned! This next chapter is going to deal with the bully again and possibly some fluff and practically nothing to do with the game.

7:15 am, January 1st, 2014

I stepped out of the shower and toweled off in a slightly angrier mood then usual, the nausea that I had felt had swiftly been replaced with what I will admit as being a slightly bratty sense of entitlement and rage.

I was just mad at the fact that I had been rejected, because god forbid the world's greatest mercenary and soldier have such a thing as standards.

I stomped into my room and started to throw on some clothes, I still had two weeks before school was back and even then, there was usually another week after that because of the high amount of snow.

As I dressed, I looked over to the bedside table for my phone and spied the PSP sitting there on the side.

Its suddenly offensive presence disgusted me, prompting me to shove it off the side of the table, it hitting the floor with a muted thump due to my carpet.

Under it was the slip of paper that Shaun had written his number on. Seeing the paper filled me with happiness, I had almost completely forgotten that he had given me his number.

Smiling to myself, I reached over and grabbed my phone and typed his number into my contacts before sending him a text

Hey, it's James, I was wondering if you wanted to go do something today?

I sent off the text, putting on the Peace Walker boots as I waited anticipatedly for the reply. Luckily I didn't have to wait long.

Sure, I'm free. Did you have anything in mind?

I felt giddy, to be honest. I'd never been on a date before, much less so with another guy, and the concept excited me.

I thought about what we could do for a first date. Movies seemed a bit presumptuous considering that I heard most people go on movie dates just to make out.

And wow I just realised that could be a thing I could get to do now. I blushed just at the thought of being able to kiss Shaun.

I shook my head violently, this was no time to be getting all blushy and red!

Looking over at my clock, I saw that it was going to be lunchtime soon, and figured that was a safe choice.

I thought I might take you out for lunch, maybe walk around for a bit. Sound good to you?

I walked over to my dresser and looked for a decent shirt, I settled on a dark red long sleeve and figured my jeans were decent enough. As I finished dressing my phone buzzed.

Yeah! Where did you want to go?

I took a moment to think about it and figured that a simple burger joint would be okay.

There's this burger place just around the corner from the school, one of the best in town, I'll meet you in front of the school and I can show you.

The reply came near instantly.

Alright, I'll see you soon ;)

I smiled for possibly the hundredth time that morning as I turned and grabbed my new coat off my door.

When I rounded the door I saw my mom in the kitchen, clutching a mug of what smelled like coffee and looking under the weather, most likely a hangover from last nights New Years party.

"Hey Mom, I'm heading out to see a friend for lunch, you gonna be okay?"

I decided she shouldn't know that I was going on a date just yet, considering I hadn't even told her I was gay yet.

She looked up and smiled meekly.

"Don't worry about me," she said in a low voice, so as not to disturb her headache. "I've been through much worse, especially at your age. Go have fun, be safe, yadda yadda yadda."

She flapped her hand at me in a dismissive motion, so I turned around and left out the front door, making sure I closed the door softly for her.

I realized that it was still incredibly cold the moment I got outside, I quickly threw on the gloves that I kept in my coat and wrapped a scarf around the lower half of my face before pulling my hood up and starting to walk towards the school.

I reached the school front first, but I didn't have to wait long before Shaun showed up. He was easy to spot with his long black coat against the new snow that was just starting to lightly fall again.

He waved to me and I waved back, pulling my scarf down so he could see my smile and I could talk.

"Hey James." He said, coming to a stop in front of me. "How're you doing? Did your Christmas go well?"

"I'm alright, thanks. It was okay despite spending it hospitalized. How was yours?" I shifted onto my good leg, as the pains seemed to swell at the mention of the hospital.

"Pretty good, I got a few new things, games and the like. Plus, I got to give my number to someone."

He smiled and winked at me and I blushed, damn he was good at this. I suddenly became very fixated on his shoes.

"Oh yeah, how is your leg anyway?" He said, suddenly changing from flirtatious to concerned.

"Oh," I looked down at the appendage "it's okay, it aches, but I have full range." I then swung my leg about, showing that I wasn't impeded by the old break.

"Oh good, I was afraid I would have to carry you to this little rendezvous of ours." He chuckled, leaning over and poking me in the nose with his finger.

I frowned down at my nose before smirking back at him.

"Don't test your luck, day's not over yet." I swung around and started walking. "Come on, it's just over here."

I didn't hear him sneak up behind me and pick me up by my legs before throwing me over his shoulder and started to jog. I yelped in surprise.

"Ahh! Hey, put me down! Not funny!" I tried to sound mad but started laughing anyway, halfheartedly thumping on his back.

"Hey, wouldn't want to get hurt on the way, would we?" I could hear the smile all the way through his sarcasm.

"Come on, really!? I hope you trip, jackass!" I was still giggling as he slowed to a stop and gently placed me back on the ground.

"Yeah I don't actually know where this place is, so?" He made a sweeping motion with his arm leading in the direction he was going.

I smiled, walking past him towards the end of the street. "Just around the corner, come on."

We got to the restaurant and went inside. It was a relatively small place as it didn't get too much business, especially this time of year.

As we got up to the counter, the chipper girl behind it began to greet us.

"Welcome!, What can I get you two?" She practically bled sunshine, she was that chipper, I wondered what it must feel like to be so grossly incandescent.

"Hi, I'll just have a cheeseburger and a lemonade," I turned to Shaun. "and what do you want?"

He looked up at the menu before shrugging his shoulders. "I dunno, what do you recommend?"

I thought for a second before deciding what he might like. "You should order the menu item that makes this place legendary."

He looked confusedly at me "What would that be?"

I smiled at him before turning back to the counter girl. "He'll have the Special and a coke."

"Okay, that'll be ready soon." I paid and she gave us our drinks and we sat down at a nearby table.

Shaun drummed his fingers on the side of his cup, sipping out of it every so often before looking at me again.

"So, what did you order me?"

I smiled as I began to talk. "I got you the first thing I ever ordered here, I don't know what the guy in the back does to the patty or what, but it's like the best thing I've ever eaten."

Shaun looked vaguely impressed as he glanced through the back window to the kitchens.

Soon after our meal showed up and I looked at Shaun to see his reaction.

He was inspecting it at first, checking each of the toppings for something out of the ordinary.

"Looks like a regular burger." he said shrugging his shoulders. Then he picked it up and proceeded to take a bite.

It was like seeing a man witness the coming of Christ.

He was stunned, placing the burger back down and almost having an existential crisis into it.

"I...Wh-...It-...How!? Just how!?" He gestured wildly at the burger.

"Good shit, right?" I smirked.

"Uh-huh." He said as he took another bite.

The rest of the meal consisted mostly of small talk about school and home life punctuated by pauses to allow for actual eating. After we finished we began to leave.

"That was good, I'm gonna have to come here a lot now" said Shaun.

"Indeed, I enjoy it extremely." I replied.

We exited the door and began walking down the road as it seemed my first date was drawing to its inevitable conclusion.

I stretched my arms above my head and sighed. "Well I guess it's time for me to go home, right?"

Shaun shrugged. "I suppose so, would you like me to walk you home?" he asked.

I smiled softly. "Yeah, that sounds nice, thanks."

He turned and offered his hand to me and I took it and we walked hand in hand up the street towards my house.

As we rounded a corner, however, I spotted a familiar face walking up the road, that being the face of the dickbag who hospitalized me almost a month ago along with what I assumed were his friends.

I tried to hide behind Shaun and just hoped he wouldn't see me, but Shaun must've noticed my change in mood.

"What's wrong?" He whispered.

"That's him," I replied quietly "That's the guy who put me in the hospital."

Shaun's face darkened as he realized who the kid in the red hood was.

I tried my best to hide myself but I was still spotted by the giant red lout.

"Oh look!" he shouted almost as if he were playing to a crowd. "It's the little fag who I put in his place a month ago! Nice to see that a busted leg didn't hurt your ability to take it up the ass!" His friends started to laugh and I shied away, I hated the abuse but there was nothing I could do. Then I felt Shaun step forward.

"Hey!" He shouted, louder than I thought he could. "How about you just shut up and leave."

"No, Shaun, don't!" I hurriedly whispered.

"Don't worry about me, I got it." He whispered back.

"Ooooh," teased the bully "And I suppose you're his boyfriend?"

Shaun took a couple steps forward. "Yep."

Part of me was touched, another part screaming at him that I'd rather enjoy this with him in one piece.

The bully scoffed. "So, what? You gonna kick my ass, tiny?"

Shaun stood in the road, staring straight at him. "Yep."

The bully smiled. "Good, cause after I whoop your ass, I'm gonna put the fag over there back in the hospital for good this time."

Shaun opened his arms, "Try."

The bully walked forward briskly and moved to punch Shaun, but just as he swung, Shaun stepped under the punch and delivered a blow to the bully's stomach with his left hand before punching his jaw with his right, dazing him. Shaun then swept around to his back, grabbed the bully around his neck, kicked out his leg and forced him to the ground in a move that seemed vaguely familiar.

Suddenly the bully pulled a knife with his free hand from behind his back and moved to stab Shaun, but Shaun saw him draw and blocked the strike before disarming the bully and pressing the knife to the bully's shoulder.

"Hey, what's your name?" said Shaun, slightly out of breath.

"Fuck off!" said the bully before he tried to struggle out of Shaun's grip.

"I said what," growled Shaun, applying pressure to the knife, drawing blood. "is your name?"

"Ahh! It-It's Micheal! Why?!" He screamed as the knife tip sunk into his skin.

"Hi, Micheal, I'm Shaun. I just thought we should know each others' names, but also it's because if you ever hurt James again, rest assured the last person to see you alive will be me, and you will die with my name on your tongue, capisce?" Shaun growled. When Micheal didn't answer he growled again, pushing a little harder on the knife. "Capisce?"

Micheal yelped "Ow! Will one of you two hit him already!?"

Shaun raised Micheal's head before slamming it into the sidewalk, knocking him out, before standing and turning towards his two friends who were now rushing him.

Shaun threw the knife away before rushing them as well, he grabbed the first boy by his throat, lifting him off the ground before slamming him to the floor. He then turned to the other boy, striking his face before turning his head down, lifting him up by his torso, and throwing him to the ground as well. This left them both dazed but awake.

"You two better clean up your friend and get him inside." Shaun ordered. "Hypothermia is a terrible way to die."

As the two dazedly made their way over to Micheal, Shaun turned back around and looked at me.

I started, not realizing that I had frozen up when the fighting started. All I could really do was hug Shaun.

He hugged me back, rubbing circles into the small of my back before leaning over and whispering in my ear.

"Do you want me to take you home now?"

I nodded and placed my hand back in his before leading him up to my house a little ways up the road.

As we reached my porch I turned and looked at him. "Are you gonna be alright walking home alone? Do you wanna stay a bit?"

He smiled but shook his head. "No, I should be getting home too, but I'll be alright" He waved a bit before saying goodbye, as he stepped of the porch, I spun him back around and kissed him, it was short but sweet, to be cliche, despite both our chapped lips and the fact that he had just taken out three guys and threatened one at knife-point, but sweet nonetheless. Then I hugged him and buried my face in his chest.

"I really love you, Shaun." I said muffledly into his shirt.

"I really love you too, James. I'll text you when I get home." He replied before backing away and kissing me again, then he turned and left.

I smiled after him as he turned around and waved when I was going back inside.

I headed back up to my room and flopped onto my bed after taking off my coat and boots. It was only around 5 o'clock but the sun was already setting and I decided to turn in early that night, but not before I got Shaun's message telling me he got home okay.

I smiled into my pillow as I began to fall asleep, I was so happy that Shaun loved me just as much as I loved him.

...and the thought occurs to me that his fighting looks a lot like CQC...

I'd ask him tomorrow.

So...yeah... can I get some feedback on this in particular? Cause I don't know if i write fluff well... or action... or anything.

Props to Griewer.