(AN: Came out a little bit later than I'd like but hey, at least we got another chapter done before January ended! Anyway, time for more Transfer! I'm very happy to see all the reception to last chapter, as it was one of my favorite chapters to write in terms of what it contained. So, let's continue as we find out who that mystery prisoner was! And what will this do with our favorite reptiles? Who knows!
I should mention this now, but if you recall my talks about writing plans, I mentioned that I worked 4 days a week, 10 hour days. However, I moved to the same schedule my older brother has, meaning I have 2 days off, 5 day work weeks but 8 hours from sunrise to early afternoon, which means that at most, I can get 13k words done per week should I not be lazy (which is something I failed to do last week bc I was busy cleaning my room... oops!). But hey, I'm happy with how many chapters came out this month alone, so I'm not gonna falter! Anyway, enough with life updates, you want your Vecpio cake? Well here it is sisters.)
Espio blinked.
Was this man… talking to him? Of all people to talk to in this place, this lion chose… him?
"Are you to-talking to me?" Espio replied in English.
"Well, you're the only boy I see in the entire volunteer staff," the brown-red lion responded, scooping up gelatin from a metal tub into a cup and topping it off with whipped cream before handing it to the person in line.
"It ain't hard to tell that you're a new one," the lion continued. "Lemme guess, DUI? Got caught shoplifting? Heh, I was doing that and more when I was your age."
Espio still continued to stay silent. He wasn't really sure what to say. It was just like when he saw Judge Regina weeks ago, unable to read anything from the lion. He was definitely a prisoner, something that Officer Wachowski warned Espio to not treat lightly, and yet his aura was… friendly and inviting?
"You're a criminal and you don't speak too?" the lion continued. "Man, better make sure you don't end up on Prison Island then. The people there will turn your ass into grass like there's no tomorro-"
Suddenly, the lion was interrupted by a zone police officer coming up to him and fiercely slamming the counter by him.
"Hey, we didn't assign you community service to just chit chat like it's nothing!" he said. "You want your probation revoked? We don't see an issue keeping you in Prison Island indefinitely, lion!"
The lion glared at the zone officer as he put his head down. Espio looked up at the man as an older, disheveled hedgehog tapped the glass separating the servers and the people of the soup kitchen.
"Am I going to get served?..." he asked with sadness in his voice. "I've been freezing my ass off all day collecting bottles and I haven't had anything to eat…"
Espio nodded, preparing a salad just like he had been doing for the last hour. This continued for quite some time, a task that was easy to do for the chameleon but that soon became very monotonous. Thankfully, his years of training his mind and body has gotten him used to performing what people would consider mindless tasks, so serving salad over and over didn't numb his mind.
...even if he did wish he was watching Vector's game.
After almost three hours straight of serving, the chameleon was given a break and something to eat: a simple noodle soup with bread and the same gelatin that the lion served. As Espio slurped his soup with a plastic spoon, glad to finally relax after the busy last couple of hours, someone suddenly sat in front of him.
"There we go. Maybe now I can ask you again instead of having those guards on my ass."
It was the lion from earlier, who also had his own tray just like the chameleon. Espio stared at the man as he looked behind him, seeing another zone police officer looking VERY closely at the two.
"Where are you from, boy?" he asked. "Unless kids your age started some new fashion style since I've been locked up, I've never seen someone dress like that before."
Espio still was surprised at how… casual this man was. Here he was, being treated with suspicion by the police as if any sudden movement would get him tackled, just like what happened to Sleuth weeks ago. And here he was just wanting to talk. Still, Espio questioned the man's judgement internally, not sure why he was asking so many questions about him.
"Why do you… k-know?" he asked, looking at the lion. He held up his hands.
"Whoa, hey there, no need to be aggressive. Frankly, you wouldn't want to make me mad, kid. Do that and I'll make sure you remember to never act out again and be around people like me, got it?"
Espio continued to stare at the lion.
"I get it, I don't exactly look like the FRIENDLIEST person on the planet. But people always told me I tend to have natural charisma, it's why they tend to use me for those scared straight programs for those kids in juvie. Heh, you should see some of their reactions when they see me. I'll come in all pissed off looking and make those little shits fear the idea of even continuing to be bad. Lemme tell you, being stuck in the system changes a man. I've just… coped, in many ways. But one of those ways is just wanting to know others. Prisoners like me, we all lead complex lives at one point or another. Not all of us are born inherently evil, nor are we deserving to be treated like garbage. I've made genuine friends while in the system… but also natural enemies."
The lion was a very verbose person from what Espio could tell, but… he still continued to maintain his aura from before. Intimidating at first… but kind as he talked. In a way, it reminded him of… as if it was a shocker to the chameleon at this point, Vector. Still, familiarizing yourself with criminals was something the Shinobi Clan warned against, so Espio decided that while he should be friendly, it was better to take the lion's questions one step at a time.
"I am… I am here because… ko-court," Espio replied.
"Court ordered, huh? What'd you do?" the lion asked as he took a bite from a tortilla chip.
"I run from po… polise,"
The lion clicked his tongue, shaking his head. "Ah ah ah, that was your first mistake. Thinking you can outrun the cops is a recipe for disaster. Those guys are like wolves. They'll come outta nowhere and pounce on you. Maybe you'll get lucky rarely, but those pigs work like a group. Lemme guess, I was right in suggesting that you're here cause of a DUI?"
"I do not know what that is."
The lion raised a brow. "...well, lemme ask again, mind telling me where you're from?"
Espio knew better than to tell a random stranger about the Historic District, so it was easier to go with…
"Yurashia."
"Yurashia?" the lion questioned. "And you haven't heard of DUI? What are they teaching you there?"
He shook his head again, his mane bouncing.
"Heh, you're a strange one, kid. The type that definitely would get targeted the second you stepped foot where I'm at. That's not a bad thing, though. You have humanity to you still. Whether or not it comes from being as young as ya are, well, I dunno. It's been ages since I was in my late teens, early twenties, however old you are. Mind if I get a name?"
"Why do I te-tell?"
"Trust me, times like these are the only times I get to interact with a world outside Prison Island. I've gotten used to it, but… when you see the same people 24/7, every day for years and years, you long to see something new. I had to beg the court to let me volunteer here while I'm on probation since I'm just doing graffiti cleaning and litter pick up every other day."
Espio looked up at the lion. He could tell just on his face, his eyes that while there was a friendly look to them, there was a sense of… tiredness to them too. How long had this man been in jail? Could Espio have ended up like him too?
It felt conflicting. All his life, from watching his father or mother sentence criminals back in Gojo, he had assumed that criminals were no good, evil scum deserving of what they got. Whether it was forced labor… or… or execution. But as Espio looked more at the lion… he didn't seem like the type to deserve such a fate, not especially with how friendly he had been with the chameleon. One thing was for sure, though he may not have looked like it, this man may have just been the friendliest criminal he met in his life.
Just then, there was the sound of a loud whistle as everyone turned their attention towards a zone officer.
"Alright, first break people, your time is up! Come on, take over the kitchen and serving station so the others can take a break! Come on, come on, move your asses!" they said towards the other prisoners. The lion sighed, biting his lip.
"Damn, and I wanted more time to interact with ya. Well, it looks like we're back to work then," he said as he got up, each of the officers separating the prisoners so that a single fight couldn't break out. Just then, another zone officer walked up to the chameleon.
"We get that you're not with them, but that includes you too, kid!" he said towards Espio. The transfer student looked over at his tray then back at the officer, who got into Espio's face.
"I get that you likely can't hear me, so I'll repeat it again for you: MOVE YOUR ASS!"
Espio's brow lowered as suddenly, the lion who talked to Espio earlier walked in front of the chameleon.
"Hey, the kid here's from Yurashia. Doesn't seem to speak English very well. Maybe you wanna yell at him less?" he said, arms crossed.
"You're crossing the fucking line, Smithy. Don't think we haven't been noticing your behavior over the last couple of days. There's a reason you're here, you know…"
"You said it yourself, he's not like me. Give him a break, okay?"
With that, the lion seemingly named Smithy turned around and went to go wash his hands before putting on his protective gear. The officer glared at Espio as the chameleon knew not to make the man any more angry than he already was. As such, Espio quickly finished his piece of bread, wiped his hands and put them together, a quick 'Gochisosama deshita" before grabbing his tray and quickly following what the other prisoners were doing.
As the clock on the wall hit 10:30 P.M, Espio, who was in the middle of being instructed how to wash dishes, had his shoulder tapped by the zone officer who yelled at him earlier.
"Let me take care of him here, he has to go," he said. Espio took off the gloves he wore and rolled down his haori and kimono back to how they were supposed to be (though they were still dripping with water), then followed the officer out of the kitchen. As he walked past the other prisoners who stared at him, a voice called out.
"Hey, boy!"
It was the same voice he heard earlier: that of the brown-red lion mobian. He had moved to serving soup and stood in front of multiple pots, looking down at Espio.
"Are you leaving now?"
"Smithy, what did I tell you, keep working! I don't give a shit if you're done in thirty, that isn't an excuse to slack off!" the officer shot back.
"Can't I at least say bye to my new friend here? After all, I won't see him 'till next week."
The officer grumbled, mumbling, 'One minute… that's all'.
Espio turned back to the lion. "I have to go," he said.
"Yeah, I can tell. Been fun to meet you, kid. Normally, youngin's like you who enter the system think they're hot shit but soon falter to reality of who they're cellmates with. You definitely got your head on your shoulders. Shame I won't be seeing you until a week from now," the lion gave a toothy smile. "By the by, you never did tell me your name."
Espio looked back at the lion, a feeling of mutual trust between the two. When he first met this man, Espio was VERY wary, especially after what Officer Wachowski told him on the way. But interacting with this man named Smithy changed his mind, showed him that a criminal was not always inherently evil. With that…
"Espio," replied the chameleon.
"Espio, is it?" replied the large feline. "A unique name for a unique kid like you. Nice to meet you. The name's-
"Su-Smi… smith… e?"
"Close, but no cigar. Smithy. Smithy Lion. Here's hoping this is the start of a go-"
"Alright, your minute's up! Come on, get goin', get goin'!" the zone cop said as he started to drag Espio away from the lion. He looked at the chameleon as Espio turned around from where he was being dragged. Smithy held up a hand as if to say goodbye as Espio wondered when would be the next time he would meet the lion.
Soon, the zone officers alongside Officer Wachowski, who was waiting in the main lobby, had Espio sign a time card certifying how long he did his volunteer work, where he would sign it after every session and count until he reached the 130 hour mark.
Once that was signed, the officer drove Espio back to Mobius U, the chameleon still thinking about the lion man. The Overlander officer turned his eyes to the chameleon as he stared out the window of the brightly lit city.
"Now did you see the benefit of doing community service?" Officer Wachowski asked. "You're not only keeping yourself out of trouble, you're doing something for society instead of getting into constant trouble. We'll be meeting around a little later tomorrow and Sunday as well, so don't see this as a Friday only thing. Remember, it's weekend community service for a reason."
Espio exhaled from his nostrils, knowing that the same process of serving food to others would be done hour after hour and would happen until his time was up. And plus, he was still unable to leave campus, so heaven knew what was happening to Vector at that moment…
"For my sake… please win…" he thought to himself.
Soon after, Officer Wachowski led Espio back to the A building and watched him off as the chameleon climbed up the stairs of the empty building and towards West Hall. After passing by the connecting hallway and into the halls of the dorms, Espio got out his ID and scanned it on the lock, the door unlocking as the chameleon walked inside. As he did, Espio could hear and see that his LED fountain was on, soft lights rotating around the room as in the darkness, the lights illuminated a large figure laying on the lower bunk. It was easy to tell with those very familiar red spikes who it was.
As Espio removed his geta and walked by the desk, he stopped as he noticed something on it. Getting a closer look, it appeared to be a packaged rectangular shape, the words " Chocola Chao" written across it and a symbol of a brown chao in between the words. By the object, a note sat atop it, which Espio grabbed and read.
"Hey," it began. "I'm hoping your first day of community service goes well. I'll be in bed when you return, but we won tonight's game! There's only five more teams in the run-ups and we're playing our next game next Wednesday! That means you can watch it! We're gonna do our best to make sure we'll win this year's bowl like we did last year! To celebrate, me and some of the guys on the team dined at the most fancy of places after: that's right; the gas station, and I got you this! Here's hoping it makes you feel better after I'm sure a boring night of service
· Vector :)"
Espio proceeded to grab the object, seeing that it was wrapped and tried his best to open it. The chameleon grunted, trying his best to tear it, pull on it, whatever, but it wouldn't open.
"It's times like these I wish I had my kunai!" Espio complained mentally, before managing to finally tear a vertical part of the wrapper. The transfer student's eyes widened as he slowly began to rip more and more of the wrapper, a smell beginning to wafer around in the air. As Espio got a scent of the smell, it smelled… good! REALLY good in fact! Not just that, it was a scent that was very familiar to him.
"Is this chocolate?!" he asked himself. It had been a very long time since he had some, the last time being… during Halloween. Espio sighed, reminiscing on last October. How different things were, when he didn't know English as well, when he and Vector were only just friends, when Jewel didn't like him, and when he hadn't gotten arrested at some point. It was longing for a time just months ago, before so many complex events in his life occurred. In fact, as Espio took his first bite of the chocolate, he smiled as he tasted how sweet it was, reminded of when he first got to taste chocolate with… with Vector.
"And now he left this for me too…" he thought to himself, watching the crocodile he yearned for so much, chest rising up and down in his bed. An occasional soft snore came from him too as Espio ate his chocolate from bar to nothing.
"You're still too nice…" Espio thought to himself, slowly sneaking over by the crocodile's bed and standing over him. He watched over Vector as he continued to sleep, wanting nothing more than to stroke his face and ensure that he had nothing but good dreams tonight.
He thought back to what happened earlier today at that moment, the truth he told to Mark, as well as where he went afterwards. It was odd… normally this would be the point he would woefully return back to bed, angsting mentally about how he could never tell anyone about who he truly was or how broken he was. But tonight… that wasn't the case. Because as Espio left the dorm room to brush his teeth, returned and changed out of his kimono and hakama into his night robe, he didn't get into bed immediately.
Instead, he grabbed the brochure that he got from Nicky and Razor earlier that day and climbed into bed with it, turning on his phone as he used it as a light source. Laying across the top bunk as he hid under the covers just in case the crocodile woke up at some point, Espio once again read the title.
"So you just found out you're LGBTQA..."
It was that word again, the one that he saw not just at that room but when he looked up why he felt such a way towards men after coming home from Gojo. Espio's eyes lowered as his head slightly tilted, his shaking hands slowly and softly opening up the brochure. Like all his books, this was also written from left to right, something he thankfully had gotten used to as he stayed in the Outside World. His eyes began to follow the first few sentences, beginning to read.
"...and you likely have a lot of questions," the brochure began. "Why am I LGBT? What am I going to do? Is my life over? What will my parents, my community, my church, etc, think?"
"The most important thing you can do right now is to calm down. Take a deep breath and try to relax. Your life isn't over, you aren't damaged or broken, and there is nothing wrong with you. If you're reading this, you likely are looking for advice from fellow members of the LGBT community for any sort of answer, which this brochure will be happy to guide you through as you begin to learn more about yourself."
Espio couldn't help but reread that line again. ' Your life isn't over, you aren't damaged or broken, and… and there is nothing wrong with you.'
The people of that organization… believed this? In fact, he remembered how Razor said something about how many of them understood Espio's plight. Had… had he been wrong? Had the people of that organization actually understood what the chameleon had been through all along? Espio continued reading.
"Since you have many questions, it's important that we answer all of them for ease of mind. First…"
"WHAT IS LGBT?
LGBT is an acronym that stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender. Each part has its own meaning…"
As words were listed at the bottom half of the brochure, Espio realized that these were the EXACT same words he remembered seeing on that website earlier in the month. And once he had reached that second word, everything clicked.
"GAY
While often used in context of two men, being gay means you are attracted to anyone of the same sex and ONLY of the same sex. This can be attraction on levels outside of sexual, including romantic, physical, emotional, and how you express desires not just internally but externally (as mentioned above with Lesbian)..."
That word again… gay… It was pronounced just like the katakana he saw. So… that's what it meant. Gay… what an interesting word.
For minutes upon minutes, Espio spent all that time in bed reading the rest of the brochure. He read about what different sexualities and identities were, he learned about what to do if you think you're LGBT, what resources there were available at the LGBTQ League, debunked rumors, so much information that Espio felt like he was in one of his classes.
As he almost finished reading the entire brochure, there was one thing towards the end that made Espio open his eyes wide as he finished up reading.
"COMING OUT
One of the most important things about being LGBT is deciding whether it's important to come out to others. There's pros and cons to doing so, which is discussed below. However, before reading, understand that coming out is of YOUR choice and your choice alone. It's a big decision, and some people in your life will react differently to the news than others. Remember these as you begin your process to come out (if you're able to do so safely):"
After that, there were many recommendations, from "Trusting your gut", to "Have a support system", to "Let go of expectations", among many others. But with each entry, there was something in common with what each of them said.
Telling others is a personal choice, a choice that's scary at first. It's not something you do once and get it over with, it's something you have to tell others constantly. And… to think about what was right for you and you alone.
Something like this would have been regarded as selfish by society back home. But Espio wanted to tell others without the fear of losing the friends he'd made in the Outside World. He wanted to be honest with them, to stop all this lying. After all, if Mark reacted positively to him revealing the truth about his feelings towards Vector, what about the others?
Espio sighed. While he knew what he had to do, it felt hard to just… bring up tomorrow out of the blue. And there was still Vector too… what would he think? The brochure talked about how not everyone will always react positively, how some may express disappointment or a negative emotion of some kind. What if… what if Vector was like that? If all his friends were okay with it, but Vector no… the chameleon wouldn't know HOW to react-
The transfer student shook his head. "No, no stop thinking that," he thought to himself. "Vector has been nothing but supportive to me. If he's defended me against the likes of Connery… why would he want to stop associating with me if he learned the truth about my same gender love?"
He tried to assure himself mentally, but it didn't mean that Espio was in any rush to tell Vector. After all, it's like the brochure said: taking it slow and easy is the best option.
"Still… this… this really is me…"
Espio pulled the covers off of him and raised his torso, looking at his hand. He could recall just days ago how much turmoil he was in about his same gender love, and now… he's found a name for what he's been feeling, assurance that he wasn't any different no matter what. He was… he was gay. And that's just how things were.
The chameleon yawned. He was incredibly tired after all the work he did that night, and soon collapsed back onto the bed. Almost as soon as he did, Espio closed his eyes. As his sight filled with pure darkness, he thought about his future. Valdez was right, how WOULD affect this future with his suitor period? How would this affect his future friendship with Vector? These questions lay unanswered as Espio's mind also drifted away to sleep like he did, a surprising thing happening that night.
He didn't dream or have a nightmare once.
THE NEXT MORNING
It was currently breakfast time on Saturday, and Vector, Espio, Knuckles, Mighty, Thrash, Rudy, and Rotor all sat together in the dining hall as they waited for the other Badniks members to arrive and sit with them as they did every meal time period. With two ham, egg, and cheese bagels and two apples on Vector's plate as well as milk, the crocodile bit down on one of his apples, completely chomping it in half in one bite.
"Hey, Vec, you got time later today?" Knuckles asked. "Class for me got canceled cause my professor's tire blew out. Figured we could get some early work outs in the I building before the next round of the bowl."
"Oh shit, really?" Thrash asked in the middle of his granola oatmeal. "Sign me up too! I could use a checker!"
"Still trying to squat 320?" replied Rudy as he wiped his mouth.
"Almost there too! You should have seen coach's face when I did two sets of thirty at 275!"
"Damn, lookatcha, Thrash!" Vector complimented. "Keep that up and yeh might be givin' me a run fer mah money!"
"Good luck though, 320 isn't an easy feat," Mighty said. "I managed it… mmm… about… thhhhhhhhhhhree-ish months ago?"
Thrash widened his eyes. "G-Geez, alright bragging, huh Mighty?"
"You're lucky," Rotor replied. "I've only managed about the mid-100s. I really need to work on my upper body."
"Well why don't we all get together, then? I'm def down for… what time did you wanna leave?"
"Wanna make it around 11-ish?" Knuckles asked. At that moment, Vector shook his head.
"Yeah, sorry dude," he replied. "I got class 'round that time. I did also workout this mornin' too even though."
"I dunno how you manage to wake up so early," Rotor said, yawning. "You could never catch me doing that…"
"Better make sure Coach or AD Sommersby doesn't hear that. Yer gonna be in deep hell if so."
Just then, Knuckles turned towards Espio. "Say, what about you, Espio? We haven't worked out together in some time!" he said. "Plus, I figure it could get you out of… whatever funk you've been in for the past few weeks!"
Vector turned to the chameleon who sat to his left, Espio looking up from a bowl of corn flakes.
"Didja hear Knux, Espio?" he asked, shoulder bumping the chameleon. "He wants to know if you're free at 11 to workout! Sorry, I won't be there 'cause I got class at that time but I promise I'll come by and join yeh after class!"
Espio shook his hand. "Ah… thank you… but I have c… cl-class," he replied.
"Aw shit… that sucks," Vector's face fell. "I forgot, was it public speaking? Yeh told me a few of yer friends are in that class."
Espio nodded as he returned to his corn flakes, mindlessly eating his breakfast. As Vector stared at the transfer student, there was something about Espio's demeanor that seemed unusually odd this morning.
It had not fallen on deaf ears to Vector that since Espio's return to Gojo, the chameleon had not only given Vector the silent treatment, but as well as the rest of his friends. No longer was Espio adding to conversations to the best of his abilities, smiling alongside friends as they told stories or talked about their day, doing his hobbies after doing assignments or even training and meditating, the like. It was like Espio changed overnight, becoming much more depressed, unwilling to open up about what happened, among so many other occurrences.
...which felt freaky, as the same could not be said about how Espio was acting right now.
Espio seemed to be in a much better mood, not really sulking during meals and he even was interacting with the others too! It made Vector happy to see that Espio's mental health was improving after the stress of the trial, but it just happened so fast… was there something that he was missing? Not that he didn't want to see Espio depressed, something that hurt his heart every time he saw...
Just as Vector was about to reach over towards Espio's side, someone came by the table where the two reptiles sat. Someone the crocodile didn't expect to see.
"Oh, morning, Espio!" Mark said, holding a tray with a chicken biscuit, hash browns, a banana and a hot chocolate. Vector could see the chameleon notably perk up seeing his tapir friend.
"Ah, Mark!" he said. "Good morning to y-you."
"You're looking a lot better today, Espio. I was gonna sit by myself somewhere, but I wanted to check up on you after what happened yesterday. Are you doing okay? How do you feel?"
Vector stopped when he heard that. Watching Mark from the corner of his eye, he felt his last bit of apple at the back of his throat. What did the tapir mean, 'what happened yesterday'?
"Better. Thank you, Mark," Espio replied in rather good English.
"That's great!" Mark had already sat down next to the chameleon, not paying any mind that he was around a bunch of athletes. "Hey, so to congratulate you, I figured you wouldn't be too in the mood to discuss-"
Mark turned towards Vector, the crocodile quickly moving his eyes away to pretend like he wasn't listening in.
"Hey Vector," Mark added. "Sorry, is it fine if I can sit here?"
"O-Oh… ye-yeah, sure. We dun mind," the quarterback replied. "Say Mar-"
"Okay, thanks! Anyway, I have for you a new manga that I think is relevant to your interests and more what you'd be into. Take a look!"
Vector continued to watch from the corner of his eye as Mark reached over his bag and opened it up, pulling out another one of his mangas for the chameleon to borrow. This one however looked far more different than others he's seen, as this one had a cover depicting a muscular Overlander with a large, dragon tattoo scrawled across his back in a monotone color. He watched as Espio picked it up, looking over it.
"Ryu ga gotoku…?" he said softly, opening it up.
"Like a Dragon really blew up a few years ago here, but I knew about the series before it exploded in popularity!" the tapir explained. "I figured you'd like it since it's really martial arts heavy, and has…"
Mark locked eyes with Vector for a brief second before turning back to Espio.
"...other things you might like!"
…
Now Vector was starting to get suspicious. First of all, he STILL was being vague about what happened yesterday. Second, calling this manga, 'something relevant to his interests' made sense if he looked at it from the martial arts point of view, but… it felt like that wasn't the case. And third… the times that Mark was just looking at him… was he trying to tell the crocodile something?
In fact, as Vector looked around the table, the others were deep in conversation, all except for Rotor, who had been looking at Espio and Mark. When he caught eyes with Vector, the walrus jumped as he quickly pretended to be invested in conversation with Thrash and Rudy.
There was something he was being left out of. And the thing he couldn't figure out is… could it be-
"Naw, yer lookin' too deep into this, Vec," he thought to himself. "Yeh'd go this far to try and find any reason to claim Espio has feelin's fer ya too, all 'cause ya know yeh couldn't handle him rejectin' ya…"
It was almost pathetic how much Vector had been pinning for Espio to feel the same as him, no, how much he had been LONGING for the chameleon. Every single moment he had spent with Espio since his return from Christmas break, he felt like a lovestruck idiot and even in spite of Sally's advice, it was one thing to recognize your feelings for your roommate. It was another to go up to them and tell them the truth, especially when the person in question was behind about 100 years society wise. But everytime the chameleon was just there… whether it was looking at his ankle monitor, doing assignments or studying, no, ANYTHING…
Has anyone in this world fallen more in love than he did with Espio?
Before he could answer his own question mentally, a group of voices called out.
"Morning boysss!~"
Vector looked up to see a few familiar girls from the cheer squad and some of the sorority girls, namely a few he recognized during the after-playoffs championship party. Mina, Mindy, Ellie, Perci and Staci the bandicoot twins, and Honey stood in front of the table, looking at everyone at the table. To Vector's left, he could hear Mark murmur, " Oh my goodness…"
"How's our favorite boys today?" Staci asked, the purple bandicoot putting her hands on the table.
"You pick us over the rest of the team? Wow, I feel special!" Rudy said.
"Oh that's right, not everyone's here!" Honey said, looking around. "Aw, and I don't have much time before class too so I can't stay around for too long…"
"Come on, Honey, babe," Thrash said, eyes lowering. "Stay as long as ya can! It's no chip off our block if you stay,"
"Oh my gosh, Vector!" Ellie suddenly said, walking around the table. "Your roommate's here!"
The eagle girl rushed behind the chameleon and hugged him from behind, Espio looking surprised at the sudden movement as the remainder of the girls all circled around the chameleon.
"Wh… what…?" Mark questioned, completely unaware of how Espio got such an audience.
"Damn… you all got upstaged by Espio," Knuckles said as they watched the circle of girls get excited over the transfer student.
"Oh my gosh, how have you been?"
"It's so good to see you after so long!"
"When are you gonna hang out with us again? You were so fun to be with at the party last month!"
"You're looking super great today!"
The chameleon looked back and forth as he looked surprised at the clamor over him. Vector however, felt his grip on his cup of milk tighten as he began to feel his heart beat faster. He felt his eyes dilate, staring at his crush and the circle of girls, noting how they were almost treating him like he was an object of their affection.
"Hey, I saw you on the news earlier this week!" Mindy said, hands together. "They talked about how you went to trial. I'm happy to see you got off, but… is it true? You know… what they said about your monitoring?"
Espio slowly nodded his head, turning around in place as he pulled up his hakama. As he showed off his ankle monitor to the girls, there was a sea of "Ooh!" and "Oh my gosh!"s.
"Does it hurt? I've only ever seen these in movies!" Perci asked.
"No, it does not," Espio replied.
The girls were completely surprised at how much the chameleon didn't mind that he had a monitor attached to him 24/7.
"Wow, you must be so strong to not even mind that!" Honey said.
"Yeah, you're just like the guys on the team!" Staci added.
"She does know we're right here right?" Vector heard Thrash ask to his right.
Just then, the crocodile watched as Ellie hugged the chameleon. His breathing hitched as Espio too looked surprised at the action.
"You really are the coolest, Espio!" the cheerleader eagle said. "I'm super happy Vector got to introduce us to you. And… whoa, girls, feel these clothes! They're… so soft!"
Suddenly, the group of girls began to feel around the chameleon's hakama and kimono, geeking out over the material the fabric was made from.
"I want this as a bathrobe!" Mina said.
"I haven't even done much with anything like this in my classes!" Honey added. "What fabric is this?"
As Vector watched all the attention Espio was receiving, he felt his heart cry out in pain as his hands began to shake. It was clear not only were the girls all clamoring over him, it was clear that some were… flirting with him.
"Hey, Vec…" Knuckles asked. "You alright? You've been… staring at them for the last couple of minutes."
That's when some of the girls turned their attention to the crocodile.
"Oh, what's up, Vector?" asked Mindy. "Say, thanks for bringing Espio again for us!" added Ellie. "We told him that we really wanted to see him again but he hasn't shown up to any of our games…"
"He… he's on probation…" Vector murmured, trying to pretend like what was going on didn't affect him.
"Probation? Aw, that sucks! He was the life of the stadium when he was at the semifinals," Mina said. "And why wouldn't he be? I'd want such a cutie displaying a trophy like that in front of the whole world!"
There it was again, that feeling he was getting again. His chest began to tighten as he watched what was going on as Honey put her hand on Espio's.
"Hey, I need to head out to class now, who wants to join along?" she asked. "Say, why don't you come with me, Espio? Y'know, as long as Vector or your friend here doesn't mind!"
"Me?..." Espio questioned.
"Yeah! I sure wanna get to know a handsome guy like you more!" she smiled. "And besides, nothing wrong with having more friends, right?"
Espio seemed to look back at the yellow cat as a look of uncertainty appeared on his face. "We-well…"
"Hey, don't be hogging him all to yourself, Honey!" Ellie whined. "We all want our turn with him!"
"You and me too?!"
Vector felt butterflies in his stomach as he heard the girl's talk grow more heated, all of them debating who would be the lucky girl to walk with Espio to class. It almost reminded him of the Halloween party months ago, only now the object of the girl's affection was now the roommate he had a major crush on.
"Well I think he's the cutest, so I think he should go with me!" Staci said. "He's such a pretty guy, and that voice of his too…"
"Okay, I'll give you that, he's so cute when he talks! I also kinda wish more guys were open to dressing like he does. It really brings out his eyes-"
Vector suddenly stood up, listening to the girls list the physical aspects of the transfer student that HE loved. His breathing heavy, the group of girls as well as his friends looked at the crocodile.
"V… Vector?" asked Mindy.
"I-I forgot! I didn't workout today!" he quickly said, grabbing his bag.
"Wait, what do you mean?!" Knuckles questioned. "Didn't you just tell us that you did your morning ru-"
"Oh, look at the time! I gotta hurry and get somethin' in before class!" Vector looked at his right wrist, a watch very clearly not on there as he began to speed walk away from the table.
"Vector… wait, Vector…!" Mighty called back as the crocodile disappeared into the crowd. Everyone at the table blinked, looking at each other in confusion.
"Vector…?" Ellie questioned, tilting her head.
Vector grit his teeth as he seethed to himself walking out of the K building. He really had just made an ass out of himself, getting… seriously getting JEALOUS like some child?! Damn his feelings, damn EVERYTHING about them!
"Why does he gotta make mah life hard?!" Vector thought to himself as he was feet away from the doors out to the K building. "Why did those gals gotta… gotta remind me 'bout everythin' I love 'bout this guy…"
Vector burst through the doors of the K building, not even caring that he had just slammed the door in someone's face. Even as he heard the shrill shrieks of that bastard Jet going, "Watch it you fucking dick!", the crocodile ignored him as he walked through the crowd of students. Forget everything, forget breakfast, all of that, Vector needed something to distract his mind off everything, to forget how much of a colossal failure he was as a person.
"How is ONE person doin' this to me?!" he questioned mentally. "How have I somehow crushed on someone harder than I ever have before… all while STILL lookin' and actin' like a total ass…"
He reminded himself of what happened all those years ago in high school with Julie-Su at prom. Even back then when he had Knuckles and Mighty supporting him, it seems that nothing had really changed from all those years. He was the same loser crocodile who just was only popular because he was team captain of his football team, completely messing up any romantic relationship or possibility thereof.
Shaking his head, he looked up at the I building. No… he was going to stop this self-deprecation. He still harbored his feelings for Espio, but he had already done his time shedding tears over the parts he didn't like about himself. As he put his hands on the cold door handle of the I building, he just needed to focus on his prime distraction; preparing for the game this Wednesday.
Thankfully, the butterfly machine was free to use, and after doing some stretches, Vector increased the weight to about 160, placing his hands on the handles of the machine as he began to pump his chest. His brows lowered as his headphones exploded with the sounds of heavy rock music, trying to ignore the world around him, trying to ignore just how much of a fool he was.
"Yer a lovestruck idiot…" one part of his mind said as Vector continued to workout. "Yeh know ya can't have him. Yeh even wanted Mark to be talkin' 'bout some sort of feelin's Espio has towards yeh."
"It ain't true!" another part of his mind told him. "Dun listen to him, what happened to, 'What's the worst that can happen'? Surely Espio has met another gay person on campus before and isn't as ignorant as yeh think he is! Besides, even if he ain't from modern society, he can adapt well to it! He ain't stupid, just tell him already!"
His inner thoughts of 'Tell him!', 'Don't tell him!' only seemed to come back full force. And yet, Vector tried everything he could to stamp them out of his mind as he could feel the muscle under his scaly skin going back and forth with each pump.
"Yeh can take rejection. Yeh can understand if Espio's confused. So what if Espio likes girls?"
But there was still that thing Mark had said before. What on Mobius did he mean by what happened yesterday? He kicked himself mentally over not asking, something he put in his mind to remember to ask the tapir. It was like he was trying to tell him something, even in spite of Mark's avoidance of what he was talking about.
"Come on, Vector," he continued mentally as he moved on to leg presses. "Just gotta focus more on this than yer dumb, stupid feelin's." He pushed his legs back and forth, pushing the heavy weight with his feet. But even in spite of what he wanted…
A flash of Espio appeared in his mind.
Vector winced, feeling sweat fall from in between his eyes. It seems no matter what, his mind wanted to remind him how much of a lovestruck idiot he was.
It could have been anyone. It could have LITERALLY been any person he fell in love with. And it was Espio.
And the worst part was that Vector couldn't deny it like he could his feelings for the chameleon: he wouldn't want it any other way.
"But how do I tell him?" Vector thought to himself. "Sally's advice ain't enough… I need another person who can help me…"
That person was quite the surprise to the crocodile. That person was there in the I building by pure coincidence.
As Vector packed up, ready to head out of the I building as he wiped the sweat with his running jacket now that he was done with his second workout for the day, he turned his head to look at the various students in the building. There were students he didn't recognize, and others he did like Bow who was already in the secondary room holding a bow. But there was one person running on the treadmill that Vector hadn't seen ONCE before in the I building, one person he hadn't seen since yesterday.
"Rouge? Yer here?"
The white bat, dressed in surprisingly unfitting clothes for the winter, had her earbuds at top volume as she continued to run. Ignoring Vector, the crocodile moved around the treadmill, watching as Rouge's body moved with each step on the machine.
Finally, the bat turned her head to the right, noticing the sweaty crocodile by her side.
"Well, look who it is!" she said as she lowered the speed of the treadmill, both hands on the handle as she grabbed her phone. She sighed, her sinewy torso rising up and down as she caught her breath. "Whew… were… were you just standing there the whole time?"
"I mean, I just got done and was about to leave. Guess it was ironic I ran into you,"
The bat smiled, stretching as sweat dripped down from her chest into her black sports bra.
"Easy for you.. to say, I was about to say hi but I saw how focused you were. Goodness, I don't think I've ever seen you workout that hard. Of course, I don't think I've seen you workout period."
Vector huffed. "Yeah, I'm still trainin' fer the next game. Doin' the same for volleyball?"
"Our tournament's next month. Sucks that its come to a close, this season was actually pretty good."
"Wish I couldda been there."
"Ha, oh I bet. What, when you were looking, did you see anything you liked?"
"Wow, didn't realize yer bein' flirty this early, Rouge. Besides, I think we're better off workin' together in solidarity as friends, although we could be workout buddies. We can call ourselves the Big Tit Gang. How's that?"
Before Vector could finish, Rouge howled loudly with laughter as she put her hand over her face, people around the two turning to stare at the two mobians.
"The Big Tit Gang?! Oh don't tempt me, I might actually consider that," Rouge sighed with happiness as wiped the sweat off her forehead with a rag on the treadmill. "Say, you about to head to class soon, hun? I need to go change in the locker room but if you wanna accompany me, I don't mind."
"Not really doin' much, so yeah sure. Besides… I… I guess I can have some company."
"Hm? What's up?"
"It's…" Vector looked away. "It's nothin'. C'mon, yeh shouldn't be late."
As Vector and Rouge walked down the hallways of the I building, passing by the indoor basketball/volleyball court and swimming pool and to the right down another hall, the two kept complete silence as Vector helped Rouge carry her bag.
"You're such a gentleman, Vector. You didn't need to do this," the bat said.
"Nah, dun worry 'bout it. It ain't a chip off mah block," Vector replied.
"Hey, by the by…" Rouge suddenly stopped as the two stood in the middle of the hallway with all the athletics heads' offices. "Tell me… are you okay?"
Vector looked down at the bat, a confused look on his face. "H… huh? Wha-whaddya mean?"
"As I watched you work out, you didn't seem too into it. It's like something's on your mind, something you're more focused on. So? What is it? It isn't like you."
"I-I ain't thinkin' 'bout anythin'! Where'd ya get that idea?!"
Rouge chuckled as she wiggled her finger. "Ah ah ah, I can read you better than you think, Vector. What, do you think I'm some sort of gossip spreading snitch?"
"Well… more like do yeh even see me as that big of a friend?"
Rouge's face softly changed. "Wow, that's rude."
"Sorry sorry… didn't mean fer it to come out that way. Y… yeah… yeah, somethin' is on mah mind."
"Well, it certainly isn't like you. I thought you put on your real jock personality when you exercised but for you to be thinking about something different… alright, tell me. I'm all ears."
Vector's eyes widened. He already talked about what happened with Sally but Rouge… Sure, he was FRIENDLY with the bat, but did he just want to openly discuss such a thing, especially in the middle of a hallway around every athletic staff member?
"Rouge… I'm sure yer worried 'bout me and that's fine but I ain't-"
"No ain'ts or buts, Vector," the bat shot back. "It isn't healthy keeping all that in. Eventually, you can only keep emotion within you so much, you collapse and break down. Just look at how Espio's been. Ever since he returned to campus, the poor guy's been so sad looking, just like he was when he first arrived here."
"That's the thing," Vector suddenly said, realizing Rouge read him better than he thought. "It… it is about Espio."
The bat's ears raised upwards. "Oh! Well… I didn't realize I was correct…"
"Yeh sure yeh dun wanna major in psychology? I think yeh'd be great there."
"No thanks, I have my heart set on other dreams. But I won't deny that I do read about that stuff from time to time."
"I could tell. But… yeah… this is 'bout Espio."
"How so? Is it about how he's been or-"
"Sorta… well… it's about us…"
Rouge looked at the crocodile as Vector looked around, making sure the hallway was empty.
"Rouge… yer like the type of gal that guys and I bet also girls fall head over heels over… whaddya know 'bout like… 'bout like pining fer someone yeh couldn't have?"
"Pining for someone? What, like a crush?"
"Yeah."
"I mean, I think it's likely that people at some point have a crush on someone they know they couldn't have. Just look at that knucklehead you're friends with. He's a prime example of what you mean. In my case, I… I can't really say I've experienced something like that before. Romance for me kinda came slow and steady in my past. Why? What's-"
Suddenly, Rouge stopped, putting two and two together as to why Vector asked what he did.
"Wait… you said… you and Espio… about you two…. D-Do… do you have a-?"
Vector looked down at the bat, a small frown on his face as he slowly nodded his head.
"Figured it out, huh?"
The volleyball player blinked. "Wow… no kidding, huh?"
"No joke."
"Sorry I… I kinda need that to sink in for a minute," Rouge held her finger up, took a deep breath, and looked back at Vector. "Okay, it sunk in. I mean… wow… I suppose I shouldn't be surprised because you two are like, beyond inseparable. I mean, I hear it from time to time, that Espio is like a clingy newborn hatched Chao to you. I just didn't think you were into guys."
"Yeah, I'm bi. But that's kinda besides the point-"
"So open about coming out…"
"I mean, I figure yeh dun give a shit."
Rouge shook her shoulders. "Yeah, not really. It's your life and truth so hey, congrats and everything. But anyway… still, to think Espio of all people…"
"Still hard to believe?"
"I mean, you have pretty much half the girls at this university wrapped around your fingers, and I guarantee a few guys have your pictures on thirst trap pages on Scrambler, and out of everyone here, you picked the transfer student that barely knows English. If anything, I'd say Espio should call himself lucky."
"That's the thing… I dun wanna tell him…"
"Why not?"
Vector put his right hand on his left arm, sighing. "I've learned a lot 'bout Espio since the first day we arrived here. The dude is as ancient and traditional as can be. He doesn't know 'bout gay people or anythin' like that. How would he react if I just told him outta the blue, 'Hey, I've got the hots fer ya, wanna be mah boyfriend?'"
"Are you really that open?"
"In the past, it wasn't that hard to ask girls out in like… middle school or high school. But this is just different. Espio is just so much of a different person that I dun think I can go 'bout it the usual way. I talked to Sally 'bout this and she told me I should just be open and upfront with him, to learn 'bout who I really am and to do it now more than ever since it's hard to make experiences like this outta college."
"I mean, she's partially right, but Acorn is frankly a cynicist. She always looks at things through the worst case lens. Now, if you were to ask ME…" Rouge put her hand on her cheek. "...I think I got an idea as to how you should do it."
The bat got closer to Vector. "Your big fear is that Espio wouldn't understand what being gay is because of where he was raised, right? But Acorn also told you that you should be upfront about your feelings for him. But what if you were to take things nice and slow?"
"Nice and slow?"
"Instead of flat out saying, 'Hey, be my boyfriend', maybe you should see if he would be more comfortable experimenting with stuff that you normally haven't done. Of course, I'm not saying put your dick in him day one, but try softer things. Maybe offer to… oh I don't know, have him sit on your lap in your dorm, maybe even sleep in the same bed. It's winter, I'm sure that it's hell for you two since you're reptiles."
"Stuff like that?"
"Find out where his boundaries are. If he doesn't object to it, as you do it more and more with stuff he's more comfortable with, then I think you can open the idea to him. But remember, don't go off the deep end already. Slowly make him more comfortable to the idea of thinking about that, which I think should be easy. Espio's smarter than people give him credit for. I think he'll catch on."
"Yeh think it'll work."
Rouge looked around, not as confident as she was before. "Yyyyyyeah… yeah, I think so!"
"...yeh aren't certain."
The bat sighed. "Not really… but hey, there's no harm in trying. Remember, take it nice and slow. It's true what Acorn said about being upfront with him, but first learn his boundaries. If he's okay with it, then I think slowly but surely you can open the idea to him, no?"
"Yeah… yeah, yer right! Dun make him uncomfortable…"
"...but show how good of 'friends' you are! There you go, I told you that you were a smart thirst trap!"
"Heh… thanks, Rouge. Yer a real pal… I mean it. A pal and a lifesaver."
"Well, here's hoping that it's better advice than what Acorn gave. But for real, don't put your dick in him day one. Wait until exam season. I think you BOTH are gonna need it."
"I'll think 'bout it when it ACTUALLY happens than think 'bout a hypothetical situation."
"Smart thirst trap, told ya so. Anyway, we spent far too long here. I really need to change."
"Dun worry, I still got this fer ya. I can wait."
Now smiling again, Vector followed Rouge to the girls locker room, where he gave her bag back to the bat and decided to part ways. As he left the I building, Vector looked up into the sunny sky, the wind chill hitting his face. Despite everything, his body pumped with adrenaline not just from his workout, but with his talk with Rouge.
"Take it nice and slow… huh…" Vector thought to himself. "I've never been that way with a girl before. I just told 'em straight up. But Espio's different… and that's okay. Maybe I can be the one to show him what it's like to be attracted to dudes… of course, that IS if he's okay with it…"
There were what felt like pros and cons to the situation at hand, but Vector had confidence in what he was going to do about his feelings. Maybe… maybe tonight after Espio got back from community service, they could… they could do something together before bed. Something small… like the chocolate bar he had given the chameleon the night before. He told Vector how good it was and how thankful he was for receiving it this morning, something that made the crocodile smile.
"Yeah, somethin' like that! Just go bigger each time, step by step!"
It was a new view that was offered to him by yet another unexpected source, and yet… one that he needed to hear. Starting today, he was going to stop with all this doubting, all this fear. After all… why angst about Espio if he didn't even want to TRY to make an attempt at showing that he had some affection for the chameleon, no matter how big or small? Stuff like the chocolate was just the start. Starting today, he was going to be a new Vector, a new Vector completely unafraid of rejection.
As he put his hand on the handle to the K building door, he hoped to see Espio back at the table, even though he had class in less than an hour. Plus, perhaps it was okay to grab a little something extra for a snack for later. Opening the door and walking into the building, Vector was instead surprised to see someone off in the distance that he very much recognized.
Carrying a standee thrice her size, Jewel struggled as she flapped her wings as fast as she could, not having much success in lifting whatever she was holding. It was then that the weight of the standee became much lighter as Vector had walked over to help the jewel beetle, lifting it with her.
"Need help?" Vector asked, Jewel looking over at the crocodile.
"Oh, Vector…! Y-Yeah… I do… my physical strength isn't the best and Harvey wanted me to put this up… even though I don't want to."
In fact, the quarterback had noticed that Jewel's signature crabby look was on her face. He knew that her and Espio were friends now, so what was causing her to look like this so early?
"Where's this gotta go?" Vector asked.
"Right by each of the doors. Ugh, I can't believe it though…"
"What's goin' on? Did somethin' happen?"
"It's what's on this! I can't believe the school thought it was okay to invite someone like that!"
As Vector helped Jewel place the standee in front of the other entrance to the K building, he turned around to look at it, seeing what was on display that made Jewel upset.
"CCOCC invites you!
Learn how you can help make Mobius U safe against potential criminals and protest against campus-enforced socialism and faux progressivism!
Where: Space Theatre located on Campus just across the N Building.
Time and date: Friday, February 5th, 8:00 PM
Will include speakers from CCOCC members as well others, including special guest Rep. Kodos Lion of the Conservative Party!
Tickets are currently available during CCOCC meet times at ST-217, visit mobiusu. edu/studentorgs/ccocc or the official CCOCC page on Friendspace and Scrambler for more information."
Vector looked at the standee, completely confused. Although, based on the wording, he had the SLIGHTEST guess who was involved with making this standee.
"They're actually gonna invite Kodos Lion?!" Jewel exclaimed, seemingly incensed.
"I dunno who that is," Vector replied, looking down at the beetle.
"Come on! Don't you know that he's that super anti-immigration politician who writes super heinous stuff on Scrambler?!"
"Not… really? I dun follow politics. It's a headache if ya ask me."
"Still though… I can't believe Harvey okayed this! There isn't going to be some speech about keeping this place safe! They're just gonna hurt innocent people under the guise of 'free speech'! It's how they all work!"
"Sounds rough. Still, I'm sure it ain't gonna be that bad."
"Don't you remember the LAST time CCOCC had speakers invited on campus? They had called the police on people protesting their 'Exposing Leftist Lies and Progressive Propaganda' speech which we did because they invited someone who defended book burning among so many skeletons in the other speakers' closets!"
"Also didn't hear about that one, but I think I was out with Knux and Mighty the day that happened. Just ignore 'em if they're that bad. I mean, I know that's Connery's little group but do what I do, forget the dude exists. Frankly, mah life's been easier since then."
"How do you even manage being on a football team with someone like Connery?"
Vector looked away from the beetle, not really sure how to explain to the insect about everything that had happened between him and the horse since Espio arrived. "...sometimes, I wish I knew too. Well, have fun I suppose. I gotta get ready fer class soon."
With that, Vector walked away, leaving Jewel to grumble as she continued to put up the remainder of the standees begrudgingly.
LATER
It was after classes for the day, and Espio didn't have long before he had to go to community service at 5:30. But before then, since he had an hour of downtime left, Alan was at the dorm for dulcimer practice. With his laptop on the desk open to all the tabs with his weekends assignments and reminders, the chameleon sat on the floor with the quail as he held his lute.
"Okay, now follow along as I play," said Alan. "I've been helpin' yeh over the last couple o' lessons, but this time, you gotta do it on yer own. D'yeh remember the chords?"
Espio looked up, nodding as he held the pick in his right hand and had his left hand on the A chord. He fixed his posture, looking down back at the dulcimer as he took a deep breath.
"Nervous?"
The chameleon nodded. "A… li-little."
"Well, this is yer first time on yer own without m' help. Just think what chords sounded roight when we played before. Fer real now, let's get started. One… two… three!"
With that, Alan strummed a chord on his lute as Espio followed suite, going from A to A# as the quail began to sing along with their playing
"Dres-din bridge is falling down
Falling down
Falling down
Dres-din bridge is falling down
My fair lady!"
Following everything that Alan had shown him over the last couple of lessons, Espio strummed alongside the quail as the two continued to repeat the same action again and again. He would strum a B, then to A, then G, F#, G, A, and the cycle continued from there on.
Once they were done, Alan ceased his playing. "Brilliant work, Espio!" he praised, smiling. "Yer a real natural at this! Y'sure yeh didn't play music back home?"
"Ah… no. Ja-just for villagers to pu-play," Espio replied. "We wo-watch and listen."
"Could 'ave fooled me, mate! Still, I'm proud of yeh! Alroight, we can move onto somethin' else. Dresdin Bridge is a pretty easy song, so we're gonna do one just a tad bit longer. D'yeh remember one o' the carols we sung back in December? Silent Night?"
"Which one?"
"Y'know!" Alan once again grabbed his lute as he began to play and sing. "Silent Night… holy night…"
"Oh, yes!"
"We can do that one next since it's the next step! Alroight, time fer the demonstration on m' lute, then on the dulcimer next!"
But before Alan could begin playing, there was a BEEP at the door. The quail and chameleon turned their heads towards the door as it swung open, revealing Vector as he walked inside and had his backpack over his right shoulder.
"I'm back, Espio!" the crocodile said, walking into the dorm. That's when he turned his head to the right by the nightstand and mini fridge. "And… oh, it's yeh, Alan! What's up, dude?"
"Nothin' much, just here teachin' Espio the dulcimer as usual! Gotta say though, Espio's looking mighty brilliant today! He's really into the lesson and doesn't seem as depressed as the last couple o' weeks. Y'know what's goin' on?" Alan asked.
"I wish I knew mahself, man. But I ain't complainin' as long as he's feelin' better. Hey, Espio. I know yeh gotta leave fer yer community service soon, didja make sure to finish that one page story Professor Longclaw told yeh to write?"
Espio nodded.
"Okay good, cause she got on mah ass the other day and told me I'm not challengin' ya enough. I can help yeh revise it before ya leave."
"Does Espio have to go now?" Alan asked.
"Yeah, 5:30 is when he has to be picked up by Officer Wachowski. Good thing yeh came by early."
"Aw, what a shame," the quail's face slightly fell. "Oh well, nothin' we can do 'bout it! That's 'oll for lessons today, Espio! I'll come by tomorrow fer the next song!"
With that, Alan started packing up as he got up, placed his shoes back on, and turned around to look at the two reptiles.
"You mates go on and have a good rest of the day!" he said. "And remember…"
Alan strummed his lute for the last time that day as he began to sing.
"Though our meeting was short,
We jolly lads achieved much like a sport!
For the Yurashian reptile,
Nothing was hard as he showed off in style!
And when the quail said cheers to the two bonny,
His last words were, 'And a-hey nonny nonny!'
With that, Alan raised up a hand and gave a big toothy smile. "Fer real now, cheers!" he said before walking off, his head plume bouncing with each walk. Vector watched as the quail walked down the hall of West Hall before shutting the door.
"I tell yeh, I dunno how he can sing on the spot like that," Vector said before turning his attention back to the chameleon. "Well, we still got time. Let's go and review yer one page assignment before Mr. Valdez takes yeh to community service."
With that, Espio watched as the crocodile put down his bags and walked over to the desk, sitting down as he made room for the chameleon. The chameleon put away the dulcimer and locked it up back in its case, walking to his bag and grabbing his ESOL notebook and sitting next to Vector. For the next couple of minutes, Vector, pencil in hand, reviewed Espio's handiwork.
"Okay, so what I've read makes legible sense from a distance. But there's still some work needed. See here?" the crocodile pointed at one of the error. "Yeh used the wrong they're. Ya used their. So let's go ahead and clean that up…"
Vector erased the mistake and fixed it for Espio.
"Homonyms always did trip ya up a lot. Professor Longclaw told me to help yeh with that since yeh didn't do too hot with them on yer ESOL midterm."
"Is it good now?" Espio asked.
"Well, there's still a few more mistakes I'd need to fix, but I dun think we have time fer me to fix it up and explain why yeh'd need to change it. It's less than twenty minutes before ya leave. Plus, I gotta start gettin' ready fer practice tonight mahself. Are ya sure yer gonna be okay?"
Espio nodded.
"Okay, good. I'm hopin' no one gives ya trouble there, cause if they do, they're gonna answer to me. And I dun care who it is."
Espio felt relieved that Vector was there to back him up as usual, something that always reminded the chameleon about himself. The crocodile could be just as loyal to his allies as he was. Maybe Vector becoming an honorary member of the Shinobi Clan wasn't the worst idea, provided his mother wouldn't kill him for finding out he interacted with the Outside World…
"But before we start packin' up…" Vector continued, turning to face the chameleon. "Say, Espio… I wanted to ask yeh somethin'."
Espio looked up, wondering why the face on the crocodile changed to that of one of confliction.
"D… D'ya mind if I pick ya up when ya get back?"
"What?"
"Y'know… I'm sure that yer able to get back to the dorm on yer own but I… I figured that yeh'd wanna see someone ya actually wanna see once yeh return back to campus," Espio could see Vector beginning to look away. "Plus-plus… uh… I uh… figured yeh'd wouldn't mind?"
Was… was the quarterback trying to imply that he wanted to personally walk the chameleon back to the dorm? Espio felt his scales warm up, the idea of Vector holding Espio's hand back to the dorm, the chameleon tired and exhausted from all that menial work but energized and happy when the one person he wanted to do so much with being there to personally greet him…
"You-you do not ha-have to…" Espio said.
"Y-Yeah… I know I don't. I just… I just figured ya wouldn't mind. Sorry sorry, it was a dumb question…"
Espio looked down, completely unaware that Vector had scooted just centimeters closer to the chameleon on the chair. Just then, there was a BEEP at the door, to which the two reptiles turned their heads as the door opened.
"Ah, you're here, Espio-kun," Valdez said. "And you too, Vector."
"Afternoon, Mr. Valdez," Vector replied. "Is it time for Espio to get goin'?"
"Yes, but also I came by early so I can close up my office as well as get his letter to his mother. I have to leave for Gojo as I always do every Sunday first thing in the morning."
"It's amazin' that yeh cross the border pretty much every week to head back to Espio's home."
"Trust me, myself and the Northern Mobius border guards are on a first name basis at this point. I don't have to beat around the bush with them, they know what I'm there for."
Just then, the blue chameleon turned towards Espio. "Now, Espio-kun, do you have your letter for your mother?"
Espio nodded as he got off the seat, handing his weekly message to Constant Vigil in Valdez's hands.
"It isn't long before you have to leave. However, I decided to pick you up early today to do some closing up. Once we're done, I'll take you to Officer Wachowski. Understand?"
Espio nodded and bowed. "Yes, I understand."
"I'll take care of things from here. You have a good rest of the day, Vector."
"No prob, Mr. Valdez! I gotta leave fer practice soon anyway. Thankfully, I'm almost done with all mah assignments fer the weekend! Just gotta turn in one last thing to Capsule."
"Make sure you don't forget it. I know Augustus is pushing you boys harder since you're… what was it again?"
"In the semi-finals of the College Bowl?"
"Right that, I forgot. Well, make sure you get back to the dorm safely."
With that, Valdez made his way towards the exit as he turned towards the chameleon. "Espio-kun, come along now."
With that, Espio put on his geta as he started to make his way out of the dorm, turning around to look at Vector. The crocodile gave one of his toothy smiles and a wink before Espio felt his chest flutter, a smile forming on his face as he melted seeing just how handsome Vector looked when he made that face.
Of course, Vector somehow always managed to look handsome no matter what…
Espio turned his head towards Valdez, the blue chameleon looking at him. Though he didn't say anything, now that Valdez knew about Espio's secret due to what happened yesterday during Psychology, it came to no surprise to him what he was doing. He simply put on an understanding face, but mouthed, "Are you coming or not?"
Espio nodded, and with that, soon followed after Valdez.
Vector continued to watch the doorframe as Espio had left, but once he heard the door to exit West Hall open and close, he slammed his hand on the desk, sucking his teeth.
"Fer fuck's sake…" he moaned to himself. "Did I really have to get nervous like that?!"
Vector groaned. He tried to follow Rouge's advice, but it seemed like this was going to be much harder than it looked like. Heaven knew how long he would have to go in order for Espio to get the hint, something that definitely seemed like it fell on deaf ears to the chameleon based on what happened earlier.
"It's yer first day, Vec. Dun expect perfection that fast," he told himself as a reminder. "Remember, the point is to get Espio slowly more comfortable to openin' up to new ideas. Find his boundaries, that's what Rouge said."
But it wasn't like he had time to ponder the psychology of his chameleon crush, because he really did have to start getting ready for practice. Sighing, Vector got off the chair and grabbed his duffle bag, opening it up to make sure everything he needed that wasn't already in his locker was in there. As he grabbed it and placed it over his shoulder, ready to call Knuckles out from his dorm so the two could walk there together, he stopped in the middle of the dorm.
"Huh…" he said to himself. "Is it just me, or has this dorm always been this cold?"
THAT NIGHT
Espio walked back to West Hall sometime after 11, the sound of his geta clacking on the tiled floor filling the quiet A building as he knew Officer Wachowski was watching him. It had been yet another day of the usual, only with new prisoners around him. Unfortunately, Smithy had not been one of them, and the closest thing to friendly he got was someone who apologized after stepping on Espio's tail. But for the most part, the other prisoner workers at the soup kitchen stared down Espio like he was prey, something that the chameleon could very easily tell.
Shaking his head, he just wanted to get back to bed and enjoy his Sunday. Thankfully, all he had was one more day of this and then he could go back to his usual schedule, albeit not being able to leave campus.
But that didn't matter, because Vector's next game was on a day that he wouldn't have community service, and he didn't want to miss it for the world. Espio smiled as he opened the doors to West Hall, hoping that Vector left another thoughtful gift for him on the desk. The chocolate was a lovely gift and very delicious, so he could only wonder what he would leave for him. Maybe a delicious meal that wasn't just whatever the soup kitchen had lying around? Maybe it was something bigger? Whatever it was, Espio couldn't wait to see what it was.
When he scanned his ID and opened the door however, the gift Espio received wasn't one that he was expecting: it was a cold room. A VERY cold room.
"What the?..." he questioned, wrapping his arms around himself, shivering. What happened? Why was the room so cold? Even in his kimono and haori, this wasn't normal. Vector usually had the heat to full blast during the night because of how cold it got at night.
In fact… Espio heard a shiver that didn't come from him, and looked up to see someone still awake. A shaking, shivering crocodile.
"E-Espio?"
The chameleon could see Vector, still awake as he had on one of his winter sweaters. Espio was surprised to see that the crocodile was still up, but felt bad seeing him shiver in such a way.
"What ha-happen, Vector?" he asked.
"Th-the damn heater went out!" Vector whined. "I dunno when it happened, bu-but it was sometime when I got ba-back from practice! I already let Sa-Sally know, and she said she'll get one of the te-technicians here tomorrow. Da-Damn… and when we're under a fr-freeze warnin' too…"
Espio quickly got into the dorm, closing the door and locking it as he took off his geta. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he could see that Vector had the blanket Munch gifted the chameleon over Christmas.
"That is Ma-Munch's gift," he said.
"Oh, this?" Vector held up the heavy blanket. "Sorry, even mah covers wasn't enough. I know it's yers, I can give it back. Dun worry, I practice in these kinda conditions anyway."
"No, no no I do not mi-mean that! It is okay."
"Are ya sure? Yer gonna freeze yer ass off, and I know the AC likes to blast air where yeh are."
"I am used to this."
"They trained yeh in Gojo even in this cold?"
Espio nodded as Vector hissed in response. "Wow, rough. Still, I'd feel bad if ya slept on yer own and I just took what's yers… It ain't fair to yeh."
"It is okay," Espio walked over as he began to unsash his kimono and took off his haori, folding it as he got ready to put on his night robe. But before he could do so…
"Erm… Espio… d'ya-" Vector said from his bunk.
"Hm?"
"D'ya mind if ya… if we can… y'know… sleep together tonight?"
Espio stopped, his heart racing. Did… did Vector just say?...
"No no, dun get that idea! I dun mean sleep in THAT way just… I figured since we're both dyin' cause we're cold-blooded, I figured that yeh'd wanna be as warm as possible and I still feel bad takin' yer blanket. I dun mind at all, I promise! I mean sure, I never really slept with someone fer warmth but… ya gotta make do with other options when yer heater is broken. Of-of course, if yer uncomfortable with it, I dun mind! It's a suggestion after all!"
Espio didn't know why Vector had become such a stammering mess, but perhaps the idea of sleeping together embarrassed him. In fact, the chameleon didn't know how to make sense of the situation. One thing was for sure though, the idea of getting to snuggle next to Vector, even if there was no romantic connection?
He wouldn't want to miss this opportunity more than anything.
And so, after getting ready for bed, Espio looked down at the bottom bunk as he was now dressed in his night robe. He knew what to do, just get onto the bed and slip under the covers next to Vector. There was just… one problem…
"Is everythin' okay, Espio?"
He wasn't sure if he could do it.
Now that he thought about it, even the chameleon wasn't sure if his mother and father slept in the same futon, which were only for one person. Of course, not that he wouldn't know, as he wasn't allowed to seldomly wander into his parents' quarters for no reason, especially once he had grown old enough to no longer sleep near his parents and was given his own quarters so many years ago.
But this was something completely different. Here he was, about to sleep next to someone for the first time in his life, and out of anyone it could have been… it was the one person Espio had been feeling so many conflicting emotions towards. He could feel himself getting cold feet.
"Are ya sure ya wanna do this?" Vector asked. "I told ya, it's completely fine if yer uncomfortable, I get that yer probably not used to somethin' like this."
"No no, I am co-cold too," Espio replied. "I…"
"Not used to sleepin' with someone? I get it. It ain't that big of a deal though, I promise. This is just fer tonight until our heater gets fixed. Besides, once yer nice and cozy in here, I'm sure yeh can forget yer next to a guy."
How could Espio forget something as wonderful as being in the same bed as Vector? Being so close to him during an eternal wonder such as sleep… it was something he would think about for weeks. With a deep sigh and knowing there was no going back, as well as a desire to not disappoint Vector, Espio raised one leg as he slowly crawled onto the bed, trying his best not to smoosh his hands on Vector's rough body as he guided himself over the crocodile. Getting on the other side, Espio flopped around as he was completely next to the quarterback, likely even closer to him than he had ever been. He could feel Vector's tail by his feet, his strong legs by his own.
"C'mon, get under the covers too. It's yer blanket. I dun wantcha to get too cold," Vector said.
Espio's eyes widened. Did… did Vector want to go even further?
"Is it okay?"
"I mean, yer already here. But if yer too uncomfortable…"
"No no… I a-understand."
With that, Vector pulled the heavy blanket from under Espio as he raised it above themselves, the chameleon now under both the blanket and Vector's regular covers. Espio could feel his face flush very warm, his back against Vector's.
"Comfy?" asked the crocodile.
"It is wa-warm," Espio replied.
"Good. I hoped it would be. Well, we gotta get to bed fer real. Night night, Espio…"
The chameleon could feel Vector's head flop onto the pillow as he began to shake. Here he was, so close to Vector like this, something he had dreamed about forever. It came out of nowhere too, Espio surprised that Vector was okay with such a thing. But here he was, his head above Espio's as he could feel the crocodile trying to fall asleep as best as he could. Espio closed his eyes, trying to get himself to relax.
"This is…" he thought to himself. "This is… nice. Is this how it's like to be close to someone like this?"
It felt like this was something done more in the Outside World, but… it was this sort of closeness that Espio loved. His nerves now starting to relax, the warmth of the covers and Vector's sturdy body began to daze the chameleon, and he began to slowly drift off to sleep. As he did, he could clearly smell the scent from the crocodile's bed, something he had loved to do since he had figured out his feelings for Vector.
"What… a lovely scent…" Espio thought, his placebo aphrodisiac calming him down as he felt his eyelids shut. Soon, the dorm would become filled with the slight noises from the sleeping Vector, warmth emanating from the two reptiles as they slept together.
THE NEXT MORNING
Vector's alarm had woken him up at his usual time, 5am, for his morning run and then workout before breakfast. The crocodile's eyes opened wide as he heard the sound of his alarm, shifting in his bed. However, he could feel that his body was much heavier than before.
"What the?"
That's when he saw him. Espio was cuddled up against the crocodile, at one point, grabbing his hand during the night. He was still asleep, completely unaware that not only had this occurred, but at one point, the transfer student had wrapped his tail around Vector's larger tail. The quarterback smiled at this, hearing the sound of his alarm from behind.
"How can a ninja be this sweet?" he thought to himself, smiling at the absolutely adorable sight. Part of him didn't even want to get out of bed, not wanting to miss this sight for anything in the world. But he knew that his alarm would wake Espio, and he wanted to let the chameleon rest after his previous night in community service. So, he grabbed his phone with his free arm, turned off his alarm, and felt Espio shift in bed.
"Naw naw, stay there, Espio. I gotta do mah mornin' run. Yeh dun have to come with me, I'm sure yer tired," Vector said. "Plus it's still cold as heck in here, but I gotta go out and train fer the semi-finals."
With that, as much as it pained him psychically, he let Espio's hand go from his own and slowly unwrapped Espio's tail from his own, climbing off bed as he yawned loudly. It was still very cold in the room as the sun still hadn't gone up, but being with the chameleon had warmed him up more than any heater could have in the world.
"We gotta do this again sometime…" Vector thought to himself, looking behind at the still sleeping chameleon as he got ready to get dressed for his morning workout, trying his best not to wake up Espio.
Espio wouldn't wake up until after 8:30, but when he did, he realized a few things. One, he was in Vector's bunk, two… he… he had really just slept with the crocodile.
The chameleon stared at his hand, completely surprised that such a thing occurred the previous night. What could he make of what happened? All he remembered was that it was cold, Vector suggested they sleep together for warmth, and then he woke up, alongside one other thing…
Instead of angsting like he would have before telling Mark the truth about his same gender love, the transfer student got out of bed, walked over to his bag and grabbed his dream journal. Opening up to a new entry, he began to write about the one thing he remembered from last night.
"一月 ニ十三日
I felt my soul leave my body, jumping out as I watched my physical self sleep with Vector. I panicked at first watching this, but the door to the dorm opened up, and in walked in a baku. However, it was dressed and looked exactly like Mark. As he walked in, he looked up at me and told me, 'It's okay, Espio. You're you. No one can change who you are, and what you're doing isn't something to worry over.' And then, he extended his trunk upwards and to my physical body's head, his trunk pulsating as he likely consumed all my negative dreams involving my fears and anxieties over my love for Vector. I watched as he consumed everything, soon leaving the room without a word.
This was the first dream I've had in weeks that I managed to wake up in peace, without deep insecurities or self-hatred."
END OF CHAPTER 28
