Fic: Happily Ever After… Almost
Title: Happily Ever After… Almost
Fandom: Faculty FPS
Pairing: Zeke/Casey, Casey/OMC
Rating: PG
Summary: After Marybeth, things seemed to return to normal, or better for the two of them, or that was what Casey thought.
AN: Written for addie71 for help_japan and her birthday! \o/ My greatest thanks to moit for the beta.
Casey still blushed every time he remembered the night after they defeated Marybeth. How embarrassing it was to go back to release Zeke only to black out from exhaustion and his wounds, and finding out later that Zeke must have been carrying him out of the locker room to wait for the ambulance to come.
But he didn’t mind that, really, and was pleasantly surprised when he woke up at the hospital with Zeke falling asleep in the chair next to his bed and their hands intertwined with one another. He’d felt warmth seep into his chest, though deep in his heart, he was still wondering what all this meant. Casey always knew he had eyes for both girls and boys--mostly boys, though--but he had no idea about Zeke. The boy had looked so fierce and solid during the showdown, reliable to everyone counting on him and always watching over them, which was exactly why Casey wasn’t sure if Zeke had something going on with him or he merely felt responsible after watching Casey keel over before him.
On the days that followed Casey’s fear of Zeke being, well, just Zeke, slightly eased as things stayed the same between them. Zeke still spent a great deal of time with him despite his days being full with football practice and the additional classes he had to take if he wanted to graduate the same year as Casey. He was always there for Casey, ate lunch with him on the stadium bench, and drove Casey to and from school.
Only, that was all about it. He said nothing, did nothing, that gave Casey any signs that he wanted something more than just a friendship. Days, weeks, and months trickled by, and still, Zeke never uttered a single word about any chance of them being together--as boyfriends.
And now Casey felt so embarrassed when that word crossed his mind. All this time he had flattered himself, nursing the idea of him and Zeke being that way, living in his own fantasy, while Zeke’s motivation of spending a lot of time with him was just because they were both survivals of a traumatic episode. Casey decided to distance himself from Zeke. Perhaps Zeke wouldn’t even realize it.
So today marked a new phase in Casey’s life. He was once prey for bullies, then he survived Marybeth, killing her and becoming a hero. If that didn't prove his fortitude, Casey didn’t know what could. He didn’t need Zeke. He could do anything on his own. So when Zeke told him he’d be glad to go with Casey to the principal’s office to talk about some misunderstanding, Casey said that it wouldn’t be necessary. He could do that himself, although Zeke’s frown and questioning eyes almost made Casey’s resolve crumble and he nearly took his words back.
Step by step, Casey withdrew from Zeke’s life. He didn’t need Zeke anymore. He could make his own friends. One of them was Kevin, their school swimming club star that happened to share science class with Casey, something he just realized. Kevin was fun, and soon Casey saw how often Kevin stopped and just stared at his eyes as he stared back.
~~~
Casey’s cell phone rang. He got anxious at the name displayed on screen. It was Zeke.
“Z-zeke?” Casey hated the way his voice squeaked.
“We need to talk,” Zeke said curtly. Short and straight to the point, no hello whatsoever.
Casey gulped. What did Zeke want? “I’m busy, Zeke.” He forced himself to calm down.
“Yeah, I can see that. You’re always busy with that Kevin guy.”
Casey felt resigned. He took a deep breath. “What do you want, Zeke?”
But Zeke only replied, coldly, “After school. I'll wait for you at the gate. Be there, Casey.”
~~~
It felt stuffy in Zeke’s GTO, although every window was rolled down. Neither one of them spoke during the ride. Casey wanted to ask where they were going, but since they would arrive there eventually, he didn’t see the point of asking. So he kept quiet.
His brow creased as he noticed that Herrington was behind them now. Zeke pulled up at the first diner they came across. Casey followed him out of the car and jogged a little so as to catch up with Zeke, who had wandered into the place. Zeke was staring out of the window as Casey seated himself across the table from him. No words came out of Zeke’s mouth for quite a while. It made Casey feel uneasy.
“You said you want to talk-”
“Why Kevin?” Zeke cut in.
Casey’s jaw fell open. “What--what’s that supposed to mean?”
“Do you like him, Case?”
Casey shrugged. “He’s okay.”
“Are you serious with him?”
Again, Zeke’s words threw him off balance. He couldn’t say anything for some time. Zeke leaned forward, arms folded on the table.
“Tell me, and I’ll leave you alone.”
“I--I don’t . . .”
“Are you gonna order something, boys?” A waitress with too-red lipstick startled them both.
“Uh, I’ll just have a burger and a coke,” Zeke said.
“Same with me.”
She left them, forcing Casey to face his predicament. To his surprise, Zeke’s voice softened as he averted his eyes to the table.
“Look, Casey. I just want you to be happy. I want to make sure if it’s really what you want. Kevin--”
Casey knew he should feel upset. It wasn’t Zeke’s business if Casey liked anyone. But he just couldn’t--feel upset, that is. Casey looked down, too.
“Why do you care?” he said. His voice was small.
Zeke took him by his chin and lifted it up, searching his eyes. “You know why,” he said. A small smile ghosted over his face but then his eyes looked troubled. “Because I want you--I want you more than anything I’ve ever wanted.”
“You never said anything. I thought . . .”
Zeke released his hold on Casey’s jaw and ran his fingers through his hair. “I know. I’m sorry. Hey, wait.” He gazed sharply at Casey. “Is that why you’ve been avoiding me? You do that because you think I don’t care about you.”
Guilt filled Casey’s chest. “I just don’t want to force you, Zeke.”
“And this whole time you’ve had a crush on me. Fuck, I’m so sorry.”
“That’s not a problem. Really.”
“No.” Zeke cupped Casey’s face and pulled him closer. “No, that’s not ‘not a problem,’ and that’s not okay. I was such a coward.” Then he smiled. “But not anymore.” And he kissed Casey gently, so gently it left Casey speechless.
Someone cleared her throat above them and they broke their kiss. Zeke wiped his, while Casey was unable to move.
“Your burgers, boys.” The waitress giggled before she left them again.
Zeke thumbed Casey’s swollen lower lip, which was still wet with saliva, making him shudder. Tingles ran down his spine. Zeke nuzzled into his neck, murmuring low in his ear.
“No more Kevin, okay? You’re mine now.”
Casey didn’t mind a bit.
~~~
Fandom: Faculty FPS
Pairing: Zeke/Casey, Casey/OMC
Rating: PG
Summary: After Marybeth, things seemed to return to normal, or better for the two of them, or that was what Casey thought.
AN: Written for addie71 for help_japan and her birthday! \o/ My greatest thanks to moit for the beta.
Casey still blushed every time he remembered the night after they defeated Marybeth. How embarrassing it was to go back to release Zeke only to black out from exhaustion and his wounds, and finding out later that Zeke must have been carrying him out of the locker room to wait for the ambulance to come.
But he didn’t mind that, really, and was pleasantly surprised when he woke up at the hospital with Zeke falling asleep in the chair next to his bed and their hands intertwined with one another. He’d felt warmth seep into his chest, though deep in his heart, he was still wondering what all this meant. Casey always knew he had eyes for both girls and boys--mostly boys, though--but he had no idea about Zeke. The boy had looked so fierce and solid during the showdown, reliable to everyone counting on him and always watching over them, which was exactly why Casey wasn’t sure if Zeke had something going on with him or he merely felt responsible after watching Casey keel over before him.
On the days that followed Casey’s fear of Zeke being, well, just Zeke, slightly eased as things stayed the same between them. Zeke still spent a great deal of time with him despite his days being full with football practice and the additional classes he had to take if he wanted to graduate the same year as Casey. He was always there for Casey, ate lunch with him on the stadium bench, and drove Casey to and from school.
Only, that was all about it. He said nothing, did nothing, that gave Casey any signs that he wanted something more than just a friendship. Days, weeks, and months trickled by, and still, Zeke never uttered a single word about any chance of them being together--as boyfriends.
And now Casey felt so embarrassed when that word crossed his mind. All this time he had flattered himself, nursing the idea of him and Zeke being that way, living in his own fantasy, while Zeke’s motivation of spending a lot of time with him was just because they were both survivals of a traumatic episode. Casey decided to distance himself from Zeke. Perhaps Zeke wouldn’t even realize it.
So today marked a new phase in Casey’s life. He was once prey for bullies, then he survived Marybeth, killing her and becoming a hero. If that didn't prove his fortitude, Casey didn’t know what could. He didn’t need Zeke. He could do anything on his own. So when Zeke told him he’d be glad to go with Casey to the principal’s office to talk about some misunderstanding, Casey said that it wouldn’t be necessary. He could do that himself, although Zeke’s frown and questioning eyes almost made Casey’s resolve crumble and he nearly took his words back.
Step by step, Casey withdrew from Zeke’s life. He didn’t need Zeke anymore. He could make his own friends. One of them was Kevin, their school swimming club star that happened to share science class with Casey, something he just realized. Kevin was fun, and soon Casey saw how often Kevin stopped and just stared at his eyes as he stared back.
~~~
Casey’s cell phone rang. He got anxious at the name displayed on screen. It was Zeke.
“Z-zeke?” Casey hated the way his voice squeaked.
“We need to talk,” Zeke said curtly. Short and straight to the point, no hello whatsoever.
Casey gulped. What did Zeke want? “I’m busy, Zeke.” He forced himself to calm down.
“Yeah, I can see that. You’re always busy with that Kevin guy.”
Casey felt resigned. He took a deep breath. “What do you want, Zeke?”
But Zeke only replied, coldly, “After school. I'll wait for you at the gate. Be there, Casey.”
~~~
It felt stuffy in Zeke’s GTO, although every window was rolled down. Neither one of them spoke during the ride. Casey wanted to ask where they were going, but since they would arrive there eventually, he didn’t see the point of asking. So he kept quiet.
His brow creased as he noticed that Herrington was behind them now. Zeke pulled up at the first diner they came across. Casey followed him out of the car and jogged a little so as to catch up with Zeke, who had wandered into the place. Zeke was staring out of the window as Casey seated himself across the table from him. No words came out of Zeke’s mouth for quite a while. It made Casey feel uneasy.
“You said you want to talk-”
“Why Kevin?” Zeke cut in.
Casey’s jaw fell open. “What--what’s that supposed to mean?”
“Do you like him, Case?”
Casey shrugged. “He’s okay.”
“Are you serious with him?”
Again, Zeke’s words threw him off balance. He couldn’t say anything for some time. Zeke leaned forward, arms folded on the table.
“Tell me, and I’ll leave you alone.”
“I--I don’t . . .”
“Are you gonna order something, boys?” A waitress with too-red lipstick startled them both.
“Uh, I’ll just have a burger and a coke,” Zeke said.
“Same with me.”
She left them, forcing Casey to face his predicament. To his surprise, Zeke’s voice softened as he averted his eyes to the table.
“Look, Casey. I just want you to be happy. I want to make sure if it’s really what you want. Kevin--”
Casey knew he should feel upset. It wasn’t Zeke’s business if Casey liked anyone. But he just couldn’t--feel upset, that is. Casey looked down, too.
“Why do you care?” he said. His voice was small.
Zeke took him by his chin and lifted it up, searching his eyes. “You know why,” he said. A small smile ghosted over his face but then his eyes looked troubled. “Because I want you--I want you more than anything I’ve ever wanted.”
“You never said anything. I thought . . .”
Zeke released his hold on Casey’s jaw and ran his fingers through his hair. “I know. I’m sorry. Hey, wait.” He gazed sharply at Casey. “Is that why you’ve been avoiding me? You do that because you think I don’t care about you.”
Guilt filled Casey’s chest. “I just don’t want to force you, Zeke.”
“And this whole time you’ve had a crush on me. Fuck, I’m so sorry.”
“That’s not a problem. Really.”
“No.” Zeke cupped Casey’s face and pulled him closer. “No, that’s not ‘not a problem,’ and that’s not okay. I was such a coward.” Then he smiled. “But not anymore.” And he kissed Casey gently, so gently it left Casey speechless.
Someone cleared her throat above them and they broke their kiss. Zeke wiped his, while Casey was unable to move.
“Your burgers, boys.” The waitress giggled before she left them again.
Zeke thumbed Casey’s swollen lower lip, which was still wet with saliva, making him shudder. Tingles ran down his spine. Zeke nuzzled into his neck, murmuring low in his ear.
“No more Kevin, okay? You’re mine now.”
Casey didn’t mind a bit.
~~~