It was after a session of PT, when the sky was darkening and it was just the two of them walking alone, that David saw his chance. Of course, his heart was pounding, and he was sweating for more than one reason. He tried to keep calm as he went over the words over and over in his head. 'Hey man, I'm gay.' 'Hope this isn't awkward or anything but I like guys and I hope you do too.' No that was stupid. Maybe he should kiss Jim? No, no bad plan.

Jim immediately took notice that David seemed less cheerful than normal. Jim bumped their shoulders together, getting David's attention. "What's wrong?" David looked discouraged, and downright exhausted. Before he replied he rubbed the back of his neck and walked to a nearby bench to sit. Jim joined him, and they both watched the stars pop up into the twilight sky. For a short time, they said nothing. A radio could be heard not far off, along with some crickets. David finally looked down and pulled his legs up.

"Jim, I have to get this off my chest." David sat with his elbows on his knees, staring down at the ground. "I can trust you, right?" he suddenly tensed up, and gave Jim a wary, sideways glance. Jim nodded solemnly and moved to sit closer to his troubled friend.

"What's up?" Jim half whispered and leaned his elbows on his knees to mirror David's posture. He put one hand on David's shoulder for good measure, trying to comfort him. He felt David take a shuddered breath, and exhale slowly.

"Jim?" David rubbed his hands together anxiously. "Jim, I'm gay."

It came out in a whisper, like David was afraid to admit it. But Jim wasn't that surprised. There'd been signs, more than enough. None of the girls caught his attention. If one tried flirting with him, David would be the polite country boy he was raised to be, but no more. That didn't keep the girls from trying, though. Jim could also recall the story he'd told about girls he had tried pursuing in the past. None of them had gotten very far with him. The conversation with his father on Jim's first day there, clicked into place. There was a sense of relief for Jim, knowing David trusted him enough to tell him his secret. Jim knew he didn't have the courage yet. Maybe Sam was right, and he was just shy. But he knew two things without a doubt, now. One, that he wanted to let David know he was supported. Two, he really really wanted to tell David he was gay, too. Realizing he had to think of something to say before too much time went by, he sighed. "Your secret's safe with me."

David turned his head. "You can't be too surprised. Your hand is still on my arm." He smiled. Jim rolled his eyes and nudged David's shoulder. David watched Jim as he stepped down from the table and put his hands in his pockets. Jim stretched and casually turned to keep walking toward the dorms.

"Yeah well," Jim yawned. "That would be pretty hypocritical of me." Looking over his shoulder, he smiled. "Wouldn't it?"

David immediately perked up. "What?" Jim just walked away a little faster, hearing David scrambling after him. "What?" he asked again as he caught up with Jim. But Jim smiled as the two of them walked back to the dorms.

The next few nights were torture. The thought of what Jim meant by those words haunted him. At first, he pretended like nothing was amiss. Still hung out at the same places, ate together, studied. But things were getting awkward. And he couldn't let it gnaw at him any longer.

Laying in his bed, David stared at the ceiling. He wanted to ask Jim all kinds of things. Was he messing around? Was he just saying he was a hypocrite because he had a friend who was gay? 'Enough!' He told himself. 'Just ask him, you coward.' He fidgeted before opening his mouth. "Jim?" a small grunt was his only response. "Jim. Are you gay?" he heard the younger man turn in his bed. "Did you hear me?" David leaned over the bed and saw Jim's sleeping face. "Jim."

The younger brunette groaned and stretched, opening an eye before closing it again. "Hm?"

"Jim, are you gay?" David whispered, a little harsher.

Jim scrunched his eyebrows before putting an arm under his head. "Mhmm." His turned head was settled into his pillow. David reached down and shook Jim's shoulder. He just had to know. Jim opened his eyes and saw David staring at him. Rubbing his face, he stretched. "What, man?"

"Are you awake?"

"Mm- yeah?"

"I asked you something."

"Yeah," he yawned. "You said you're gonna play. Okay, man. You told me." He started to drift off. David shook him again. "What, man? We have PT at 5." He whined.

"No," David hissed. "I asked you something."

"What, man?" Jim sat up and rubbed his eyes. David slid off his bed and sat onto Jim's. In return, he got a withered look. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong, I gotta ask you something." Jim groaned and fell back onto his pillow. "I'm serious, its important-"

"Well, I'm listening."

"About what you said earlier."

"What did I say earlier?" Jim looked up at David. A puzzled, sleepy look on his face.

"What did you mean when you said you'd be a hypocrite?" David rubbed his hands together. One of their roommates mumbled something in his sleep and rolled over. It caught both Jim and David's attention before they met each other's stares.

"I meant," Jim sat up, exposing his bare chest. He rubbed his face and gave David an open, unrelenting look. "That I'm gay, too." He whispered.

David's breath was caught in his lungs. All he could hear was his blood rushing in his ears and his heartbeat pounding away. "At first I thought," David breathed. "that maybe you had a friend..." Jim shook his head and tapped his earring.

"I got this ear pierced on purpose, ya know."

"I'm sorry," David whispered. "This may have been a weird way to ask. I just, had to know."

"Its weird that it had to be in the middle of the night," Jim smiled. "But honestly I figured you knew. And when you told me you were, I thought you were like, confessing your feelings or something." David noticed a tinge of blush on Jim's cheek. "When you didn't make a move, I figured it was just you confiding in a friend so..." Jim shrugged. "Thought it was obvious."

David shook his head and huffed a small laugh. "Jim," he laughed again. "How could anyone have figured that out?"

"Surprise?" Jim chuckled and shrugged. "Can we go back to sleep now?"

"Yeah!" David cleared his throat and climbed to his bunk. "Yeah- um. Yeah- good to know. 'Night."

Jim shook his head, smiling, and laid back down to sleep. He was just settling into a comfortable position, when he heard David's bunk creak, and saw a head poke down from above. "Did you, want me to confess my feelings to you?" This question earned him a slap in the face from Jim's pillow.

PT was brutal. Running the courses, doing the exercises, it was like a gym class from hell. Jumping jacks, modified push-ups, the whole kit and caboodle. David and Jim, though in separate groups, could see each other from their positions on the field. It was one of the hottest days of the year, but that meant nothing to their commanding officers.

"Alright boys, as pathetic as that was, you're somehow doing better than group C. But that doesn't mean shit. You've still got the run to do, and I want perfect formation, or we do it all over again." The commander blew a whistle, sending the cadets into a box formation on the track. From across the field, David's group watched and smiled. They were older, stronger, and in a higher class for field training. Instead of running in groups, they worked in teams. Shirtless teams, Jim noticed. Not that his team was wearing full uniform. They wore tank tops or were shirtless themselves. It was hot after all. Jim faintly heard a whistle blow and began running with his formation. But he couldn't take his eyes off David.

David and his friends watched Jim's group with smiling faces, breaking from their water station. The sun was beating down on them, which made David's tan clearer and darker. The muscles of his back were clearly defined, even down to those dimples just above the waistline of his shorts. They chalked up their hands, ready to do some lifting, when Jim's group was jogging by.

"Distracted, Hawkins?" One of David's friends called. It got David's head to turn and catch Jim's eye, before the young brunette blushed and turned his head back to his formation. The friend laughed, and David slapped his chest.

"Shut up man." He smiled. His team walked to the rope stations, where they prepared to lift stone blocks as a team. Grabbing his rope and getting in the correct stance, he waited for the command. A whistle was their signal, and together they began to pull on their ropes.

This was some kind of torture, Jim thought as he watched. David's arm muscles bulged and strained with the weight of the block. His chest was heaving with sweat dripping all the way down to-

"Keep it up!" his commander called. "Faster now!" he blew his whistle.

Jim shook the thoughts from his head. He focused on his breathing. In, and out. Deep breath, breathing into the run. He couldn't help but take one more, tiny, glance. David's arms were above his head, almost effortlessly pulling the block up to its final height. Jim watched for so long that he'd synced his breaths with David's: in and out. In and out. Steady and focused. He could think of a few things he'd like to see those arms do. At that thought, David caught his eye. Jim quickly looked away as he passed. 'Oh my god,' he thought. 'Oh no. Stop looking at him!' he looked up to the sky. 'He's going to think I'm gawking at him.'

"That Hawkins kid keeps looking at you." Freddy walked up to David at the water station. David poured water over his head and looked at Jim's group heading in. Indeed, Jim was hurrying to the locker room with a very red face. "I thought you guys were cool. What's up with that?"

"I'm not sure." David mused. His commanding officer blew a whistle.

"Showers in our building are down- gotta go with the freshmen." Some of the cadets groaned while others snickered. "Hop to it!"

The cold water was soothing on Jim's blushing face. Rubbing his neck, he avoided looking around the showers and tried to be quick.

"Oh my star, it was hot as anything out there. Thought it was gonna flay my skin."

"I'm sweating my balls off here."

"Not that there's much to sweat off, Xavixs." The group laughed.

"Har dee har."

WARNING- ATTEMPTED ASSAULT STARTS NOW

Jim washed his face and turned to feel the water on his back. He kept his eyes downcast as he shook his head, trying to get his bangs out of his face. The showers were always awkward for him. It wasn't easy to either keep your eye on just feet or just faces. So, Jim chose feet, and almost never made remarks like the other guys did. Unless, of course, there was someone to avoid. A particular set of feet came into the corner of his vision, and Jim stared at the ceiling, pretending to wash his face.

"All of you sucked out there." A snarky commenter spat. "Can't run worth a damn."

"Fuck off, Uriratha, you've got four legs!" One of the other alien cadets replied.

Jim made the mistake of not turning to face the wall, and instead found the smirking face of Almrez Uriratha right in front of him. "What's wrong, Hawkins? Why're you lookin' at the floor?" He reached out to slap Jim's forehead, but was dodged. "Looking for a good place to kneel?" His friends laughed before moving on. Jim just turned to his side, ignoring Almrez. But the alien was determined to hear himself talk. "I'm sure someone in here is desperate enough to get some," he snapped his fingers. "what's the term?" he looked around the room for help. "twink action?"

"Shut up, Uriratha." Both Jim and the alien turned at the voice. A cadet named Dint, who was washing his hair and scowling.

"Yeah, Ginsen?" Almrez reached the young man and punched him in the stomach. "You offering to take his place? Official rod polisher?" Almrez smiled and looked back at Jim. "Ginsen, you're too nice for your own good." He slapped Dint's back and found a shower for himself.

"Dint?" Jim called, blushing when he met the young man's stare. "I'm sorry, man. He's such a prick." Dint just rubbed his stomach and smiled.

"I know."

There was a small commotion as David's group came in, taking the place of some of the freshmen who started running off, trying to escape any harassment from their peers. One of them, the bow-legged alien Jim saw in the elevator, approached Jim's shower head. David went to an empty area a few showers down but watched the two.

"Hey." The alien leaned one arm on the brick beside Jim's head. Jim's nostrils flared at the sudden invasion and covered himself. The alien noticed, held his gaze on Jim's hands and tsked. "I was wondering, if you'd come visit my dorm sometime." He reached up and adjusted the nozzle to hit his hair and looked back down. "I saw you in the elevator, and" he dragged his gaze down Jim before putting a hand under Jim's chin. "thought maybe you'd..." Jim jerked away and moved to the side before the alien's free hand landed on his hip. "Hey, wait a minute."

"No. No thanks." Jim bit out the words and moved to leave. The alien's grip on Jim's hip, hardened. David wrapped his towel around himself before stomping over to the two of them. "Hey now, I just want some company."

"No." Jim insisted.

"Common, kid. I'm lonely here." He pressed in closer to Jim, a hands width from touching abdomens. A large hand grabbed the alien by the shoulder, pulling him back.

"He said no." David's voice was gruff, his face: furious. The alien scowled and pulled back from David's grip.

"What are you, his guard dog? I was just asking him-"

"I know what you were askin.'" David crossed his arms. "He said 'NO.'"

The alien tried a friendly, sympathetic smile. "Look, he's just shy, okay?" He leaned in, to whisper. "Just embarrassed in front of these guys-"

"He's my roommate. I've never seen you before." David glared. "Why don't you try finding a willing partner." He smiled. "Like yourself." The alien grunted and walked away. David watched the guy walk away, shaking his head. He turned his head to see Jim fumbling to wrap his towel around his waist. "Common." David nodded his head toward the exit, and the two of them quickly found their lockers. David pulled his shirt over his head and looked at Jim who was buttoning his pants. "Hey." Jim jerked his head up. "You okay?"

"Yeah."

"Did he," David cleared his throat. "He didn't…touch you, did he?"

"No." Jim was blushing again. "No he, he didn't." he looked up at David. "Thank you."

"No problem." David cleared his throat. "I hope I wasn't- I mean, I know its none of my business, but he seemed...too forward."

"No-" Jim stood and put his hands in his pockets. "No, his attention was definitely unwanted."

"Good." David smiled. "Let's get out of here."