(no subject)

[honeyandvinegar]

Title: Geek Out: Mars
Pairing(s)/Characters: C/Z, Stan/Stokes, Mr. and Mrs. C
Rating: NC-17
Disclaimer: Don't own!
Synopsis: Party's over.

Previous Parts: Central Force/ Solar Radii/ Magnification/ Nebula/ Pale Blue Dot/ Orbital Path/ Rosette/ Moonlight/ Interstellar/ M57/ Maria/ The Uncertainty Principle/ Black Hole/ Rings/ Gemini/ Deeds/ Dobsonian/ Mirror/ Grind/ Focal Length/ Baby Universes/ Recommendation/ Sirius/ Tidal Forces/ Demotion/ Stuff



“No, really… it’s okay.”

“C’mon, Zeke. The house is a disaster.”

Zeke pursed his lips and gave Stokely a meaningful look. “Stokely… it’s okay,” he said. “I’m tired.”

“I know, that’s why I’m staying to…” Stokely paused, then glanced to Casey who was busy filling the dishwasher. A knowing smile rose on her face and she put the garbage bag down. “Right. I get it.”

“Good,” Zeke said.

Stokely smiled and went to the living room where Stan had taken up the task of collecting cans, plates and whatever trash had been left behind. Zeke sighed and went over to Casey; leaning on the counter, he sighed and asked, “What time do you have to be home tomorrow?”

“One,” Casey said. He let out a yawn and closed the dishwasher’s door.

“Aw, no. No. Don’t you crap out on me,” Zeke said with warning. Casey grinned like an idiot as he stretched his arms above his head.

“I’ll stay up if I can have one more margarita…?” Casey said. Zeke rolled his eyes, but smiled and nodded in assent. The boy had only had two mixed drinks, hours ago. He’d only buzzed a bit--one more wouldn’t hurt. Casey hopped over to the counter holding the alcohol and gathered the drink items. “Um… shit. How’d Del make ‘em--”

“Silly boy, step aside.” Delilah stepped out of the pantry, where she’d been putting the uncountable bags of chips away. With a goofy grin, Casey stood off to the side and let the girl start mixing his drink. While slicing a lime, she looked between them. “So. I haven’t had much of a chance to talk to you two.”

“I know. I’m dying inside,” Zeke replied. This earned him a dark look as she continued.

“Have you decided when you’re going to buy your tickets?”

“Ah, prom again,” Casey said. “If we say we’re not going, what are you gonna do about it?”

“Yea, Del… what?”

The girl stood straighter and looked to Casey. “You know, I don’t have to make a margarita for you.”

“Hah! That all you got, girl?” Casey replied.

“No. Just give me the weekend. As long as I can focus, I can come up with some serious, serious evil,” she said.

“Yea, I’m so sure,” Casey sarcastically said. “Now make me my drink.”

Looking stern, Delilah did indeed put together an exquisite-looking, light-green concoction. Casey took the finished product, sipped and smacked his lips. “Mmm,” he hummed with pleasure.

“Well, I guess I’ll get going and let you get some action with each other,” she said.

“Right,” Zeke said.

Delilah smiled knowingly and grabbed her purse from the counter. “But seriously--you guys SHOULD go. It’s right up your alley.”

“Sorry, Del… the prom isn’t even on the map for me,” Zeke said.

“Me neither,” Casey added.

“Not even when the theme is ‘Starry Skies’, huh?” she said.

Zeke blinked and frowned a little. “Um, ‘Starry Skies’?” he said. At the girl’s nod, he scoffed a little. “Yea, well… it’s not like they’d get it right.”

“Get what right?” Delilah asked.

“The stars’ll be made of typical star shapes made out of foil, and paper-mache planets that are in no way representative of size, distance and mass,” Zeke said with a shit-eating grin. Casey snorted.

“Yea. They might even include Pluto. How stupid is that?”

“Oh, you didn’t…”

“No idea what you two are on about. Space-snobs. How gauche,” Delilah said. She slung her purse on her shoulder and smiled. “Great party, though. It was awesome, getting to tell on that little cunt, Trent.”

“Trey,” Zeke corrected.

“Whatever. See you guys later.” After sending them a few blown-kisses, she exited the kitchen, went down the hall and left the house.

“Prom. Stupid,” Casey muttered.

“Yea, no shit…”

“All right, guys, we’re gonna go,” Stan said, now coming into the kitchen and putting his jacket on. He walked over and gave Zeke a friendly hug, slaps on the back and all. “This was the best party, Zeke. Be proud.”

“Thanks, man,” Zeke said. Stan moved to Casey next, while Stokely looked rushed.

“C’mon, Stan. Let’s leave them… be,” she said.

“Yea, yea. Have fun, guys.”

“Yup,” was all Zeke could say, knowing that he was wearing a fierce blush. He was thankful when their chatter died, the door opened and it shut loudly behind them.

All was quiet for a few moments, until Casey made a loud, satisfied, “Ahh!”

“Good, huh?”

“Say what you will about Del--she makes great drinks. Never goes overboard on the booze, leaves it sweet. Good stuff,” Casey said.

“Right,” Zeke said. Now that they were alone, he didn’t want to talk about drinks, Delilah or anything that had gone on in the last five or six hours. He was more concerned with how cute Casey’s ass looked in the jeans he was wearing, how he preferred the boy’s hair looking slightly out of place and scattered about his ears, neck and forehead as it was now. When the boy turned to find Zeke staring at him, he made the sweetest giggle Zeke had ever heard.

“What?”

“Nothin’. Just looking.”

“At me?”

“At you.”

More giggles and shy expressions--devious-shy. He sidled up to Zeke, hummed low in his throat and slugged the rest of his drink down. “What do we do now? Party’s over.”

When Zeke slipped his hands around Casey’s waist to his back and felt how loosened up he was, he grinned. Perhaps the extra margarita wasn’t a bad idea at all. “There’s a party going on upstairs.”

“Oh yea? A surprise party?”

“Oh, yea. Yea,” Zeke said. “C’mon. Lemmee show you.”

Casey grinned, took the hand Zeke offered him and followed him to the stairs. With each step up, Zeke’s brain raced more and more; Casey was here for the night; they could stay up as late as they wanted; god, he looked good, so fucking good. By the time they’d reached his bedroom door, Zeke’s cock was straining against the denim of his jeans. He paused and turned to Casey. “Close your eyes,” he said.

“Ooh,” Casey said in a breathy voice. He followed the instruction and let Zeke lead him inside. He didn’t bother flipping the light-switch; though the moon wasn’t quite full yet, Zeke’s room faced the west, where it had just risen. It was bright enough to make Casey’s skin glow, his lashes dark black against the pale, blue sheen cast over his skin. For a moment, all Zeke could do was stare. Casey put on a nervous smile. “Can I open them now?” he asked.

“No,” Zeke murmured. His hands trembled their way up to cup Casey’s face and hold it. Casey’s grin faded as Zeke moved his thumbs up and down Casey’s cheeks. Without another word, Zeke inhaled deeply and put their lips together.

Zeke had never enjoyed kissing the same girl twice. First-times could be mind-blowing, but he always knew what to expect the second time around. Boring, the same, no variation… this was different, leagues different. Casey’s lips were soft and worthy of outright worship. They curved perfectly with every dip and turn of the head, pliable and eager-to-please. Right now, he was tangy lime, salt and the tiniest hint of cinnamon-sugar; a lovely mix that Zeke was falling in love with. It was as if Casey was a margarita, and with every lap of Zeke’s tongue he became more and more intoxicated. When he nearly bared his teeth to bite into the boy’s soft, lower lip, he pushed himself away, breathing fast. Casey’s eyes had stayed closed and he panted out halted, urgent breaths, making Zeke smile. “You can open them now,” he said.

“No. Kiss me,” Casey said, whimpering the words.

All too happy to oblige--and feeling immense heat in his loins, Zeke slipped a hand behind his neck, pulled him up roughly and gave in to the desire to kiss, suck and nip at Casey’s lips and tongue. Casey grew more and more pliant, sinking into Zeke with his back bowed to allow Zeke’s assault. Zeke’s knees were starting to strain in keeping Casey’s face level to his; he turned them towards the bed, took Casey’s waist and helped ease him onto his back. It was as if Zeke had turned into water, and all he wanted to do was wash all over Casey’s small, smooth body. Now prone, Casey put his hands on Zeke’s shoulders and squeezed. “I love you, Zeke,” he said.

Zeke’s heart all but melted as he leaned up to look at his boy’s face. “Love you too, baby,” he softly replied.

“Like it… with my eyes closed. I feel everything.”

“Uh huh…” Zeke said, biting his grin. “You’re buzzing.”

“I am. Mmm.” Casey sighed deeply and put his arms up above his head. “Take off my clothes. Strip me.”

Zeke was all too willing, of course. He lifted the hem of Casey’s shirt up, revealing the silky-smooth skin of his belly, up to his chest, then to Casey’s head and arms until he was free from clothing. The jeans came next, the sound of buttons and zipper being undone exciting Zeke even further. In standing and removing them, Zeke was treated to a lovely, beautiful sight. “These are… cute,” he said of the black bikini-style briefs Casey wore. Cute wasn’t the word, no… stunning, perhaps. Zeke didn’t bother trying to talk, as he felt incoherent with lust. He instead put his knees to the floor, parted Casey’s knees and placed his opened mouth over the dark fabric. Casey’s body went rigid and he moaned.

“Oh… god,” Casey said in panting breaths. His fingers laced into Zeke’s hair and pulled lightly, his thighs trembling against the sides of Zeke’s face. A hand running over the crease of Casey’s thigh and pelvis, along with his other hand making circles over one side of Casey’s chest made the boy stutter and groan. Zeke kept sucking, harder and hotter with every breath he made. “Wanna do… you, to you…”

Zeke bent his head up. “Want me to stop?”

“No. No.” Casey moved to sit, his eyes still closed, hands blindly reaching down to the button and zip of Zeke’s jeans. Zeke kneeled on the edge of the bed over Casey’s calves to allow it, staring at Casey as he worked. When the pants were lowered, Zeke helped the rest of the way, lifting his knees and tugging the fabric off of himself. This left him entirely bare from the waist down; not wanting anything between them, he pulled his shirt off with impatience then went to slide back down to Casey’s cock. The tip of it was exposed, making him feel hungry. “No…” Casey said again and grabbed Zeke’s shoulders to pull him back up. His eyes finally opened, making Zeke feel like he’d opened a present. Casey looked up, all wide-eyed sweetness. “On your back.”

“O… kay,” Zeke said. He was confused--he’d wanted to give Casey a good time first. When he’d turned his body to put his head on the pillows, he watched Casey remove the briefs and turn away. “Wait… what--” he went to say, but stopped dead when Casey lifted his leg to straddle Zeke’s chest while facing Zeke’s feet. Casey didn’t waste time; as soon as he was in position, he bent down, held Zeke’s knees and began sucking the head of Zeke’s cock. It gave Zeke the best view of Casey that he’d had so far; all he could do for a moment or two was stare at the curve of Casey’s ass in full.

“Suck me,” Casey said.

Zeke had to be careful; he wanted this to last, after all, and with what Casey was doing it could be over in seconds. With all the stamina he could muster, he took Casey’s hips and brought him down to begin sucking on his balls. Casey groaned loudly around Zeke’s shaft. ‘Last, last… no rush. No r-r-rush,’ his thoughts stammered. He concentrated on giving Casey pleasure, his hand closing around the boy’s cock as he licked over the loose, soft skin. Having the most support lying on his back, Zeke was able to slide a hand past Casey’s stomach to pinch a nipple. Casey sucked Zeke in deeper, while his body squirmed from the stimulation Zeke was giving it. A few flicks of his nail on the pebbled flesh had Casey squirm more, even squeal around Zeke’s cock. Perhaps Zeke wouldn’t be the first to lose it on this night. He decided to up the ante by taking his hand away from Casey’s chest, bringing it down and sucking three fingers. Still rubbing Casey’s cock, Zeke put two fingers on the dusky hole just over his face and made wet circles around it.

When Casey left Zeke’s cock to put his head back and groan, loud and long, Zeke was thankful for it. He wanted to make Casey crazy, long before he was brought to orgasm. He clamped his teeth on the back of Casey’s thigh, kissed it… nipped, kissed…

“Lick me,” Casey said with urgency. Zeke went to comply by sliding down to his sac again, but Casey grunted and moved to the end of the bed until he was lying on his chest, ass presented to Zeke, almost obscenely. “Lick me there.”

“You… sure?” Zeke asked.

“Yes,” Casey replied, his voice impatient and strained. “Please.”

“Yea?” Zeke said, going into teasing-mode. He knelt up and dipped down, just enough that his breath rolled over the small of Casey’s back. “Lick you… where?”

“God, stop. Just…”

“No. Tell me.”

“My ass. My hole. Fuckin’ lick it.”

Teasing over, Zeke took each side of Casey’s ass, parted the cheeks and put his mouth directly onto the hot center of flesh. Casey bucked forward once, then moved back again to push against Zeke’s face. Zeke hummed and extended his tongue to meet the puckered hole, then started a steady lapping against it. The boy below him was panting fast while making small, barely-noticeable jerks back and forth. Casey was enjoying this act, surprising Zeke. It was only weeks before now that Casey could barely stand the feel of his own come on his skin, never mind lips and tongue encompassing the most sensitive, private area of his body. ‘You’ve grown, haven’t you, boy?’ Zeke thought with elation. He took Casey’s cock again and stroked in time with the jabs he made with his tongue, then decided to mix things up; he stopped lapping to simply suck, while jerking Casey faster. He then switched gears, starting another round of licking while giving slow pulls to the boy’s rock-hard dick. This was starting to take effect and bring Casey to the edge, judging by his near-screaming moans and shaking. Before Zeke thought Casey was about to let go and climax, Casey suddenly pulled away and turned his back to the mattress. The look on his face made Zeke pause--it reminded him of something wild and feral.

“Fuck me, Zeke,” he said. He didn’t wait for Zeke to react; he lifted his legs up and put them around Zeke’s hips, all to pull him down to have Zeke’s cock meet his. One or two jerks and Zeke felt his shaft slide lower.

“Wait, wait…” Zeke said.

“No--”

“Condom, Casey.”

Casey swallowed and put his hands on Zeke’s shoulders. “I trust you. I want it like this.”

The idea was tempting; Zeke knew he was clean. But… “It’s not a safe practice, baby,” he said.

“Please…” Casey said in a whisper. He lifted his head to kiss Zeke’s collarbone. “I want you, just like this. Please.”

“All… all right,” Zeke said. He felt insecure about this decision, but Casey was right. While Casey trusted Zeke, Zeke trusted him. There was no reason not to. After soaking his hand with spit and slicking his cock, Zeke positioned and edged his way into Casey’s body. It was easier this time; Casey was stiff but knew what to expect. They were facing each other this time, making it feel more intimate. Once Zeke had made it halfway inside, he grabbed Casey’s ankles and put them over his shoulders. He wasn’t going to voice any concerns--‘tell me to stop if it hurts’--Casey was ready and more than willing. The boy’s eyes were set on Zeke’s, a determined expression on his face as Zeke pushed to the hilt. He let out one, strong breath and pulled back.

No concerns--none. Just making love, fuck, sex, no concerns. Zeke began steadily pumping in and out, forming a rhythm between them. “You like that?” he asked in a shaky voice.

“Yes,” Casey murmured.

“Like it when we fuck, huh? Lil’ sex kitten,” Zeke said, smiling shakily. Casey smiled back then parted his lips to moan. “Dunno how fuckin’ hot you a-are, Casey. You don’t.”

“F-Fast… harder…” Casey pleaded.

Being this close and exposed while inside of Casey was making Zeke shudder all over as he met Casey’s demands. Casey held onto his neck and pressed their cheeks together, sandwiching himself with his own legs; Zeke’s stomach rubbed against the exposed, hard shaft below, making Casey grunt and bite his lip. Sweat beaded on Zeke’s forehead and dripped to his temple, meeting Casey’s own damp skin. It was as if they were melded together, until Casey put his head back off the edge of the bed and began crying out in loud groans and gasps. Hot-wet splashed over their bellies and Casey outright howled, and as if that was Zeke’s cue, he too began reaching the precipice. The body below him went limp, allowing Zeke to make his last few thrusts harder and faster. His eyes crossed and he melted into orgasmic bliss, losing himself in shaky, booming moans. When he was through, he collapsed upon Casey. He hoisted one side up with his elbow to keep from crushing the boy. “Damn,” he finally managed to speak.

“Y-Yea,” Casey said.

Zeke put his head up; it felt like it was spinning as he dipped down to kiss Casey’s lips. Casey kissed back, making Zeke realize--no. He wouldn’t say anything. Casey didn’t need the reminder of where Zeke’s lips had been just minutes ago…

“Can I… go wash?”

“Sure, babe,” Zeke said. No afterglow tonight. He couldn’t blame Casey when he slipped out of him and felt how wet and sticky they were. “I think I want the same.”

“Together, then,” Casey said with a bright smile.

The two of them moved off the bed in small jerks. Zeke gave Casey his hand to help him stand up, then led him to the door. For the next hour it was quiet and still, with soft hands washing each other, light kisses and toweling-off. When they settled into bed, Zeke couldn’t have felt any better and more ready to dream.

~*~

When Casey woke the next morning, he needed a moment to get his bearings. While he had a headache, it wasn’t splitting enough to make him feel sick. He’d been light enough on the booze. Booze… party. He was at Zeke’s, though the other side of the bed was empty. Casey pulled his head up from the pillow and looked around. The clock on the bedside table read ten-forty a.m.--just over eight hours sleep, but he was still tired, of course. “Zeke?” he said in a croaking voice. He cleared his throat and sat up. “Zeke?” he called loudly; no answer. Grunting, groaning and sore, Casey managed to slide off the bed, stand and walk out of the room with some difficulty.

He really HAD gone a bit wild last night, hadn’t he? The buzz he’d ridden had been strong and left him loose, willing to do more than he’d done before. He rubbed his face while tromping down the stairs with heavy feet. Halfway down, he heard noises coming from the kitchen. Something light--fruit, maybe some toast, would do him good. The smell of something cooking made him wince a little. It had to be eggs, which was the last thing he craved. He passed through the living room, which was still a god-awful mess. Beer bottles littered the table, while the couch pillows and throw blankets were in disarray; even the rug was askew and folded up on one corner. Casey had a few more hours before he had to head home, so he planned on helping with the clean-up.

Now in the kitchen, he found Zeke standing over the stove, spatula in hand. He looked up and smiled at Casey. “Hey. Sleep good?”

“Yea, yea… wondered where you were,” Casey replied.

“Ah, got hungry. I would’ve woken you up, but you looked too peaceful. Didn’t have the heart,” Zeke said, smiling warmly. He then nodded to the pan he was taking off the flame. “Eggs?”

“God, no.”

“Mmm… hungover?”

“No, just… any fruit left?”

“Yea, in the fridge. It barely got touched,” Zeke said. “Crazy, since it was so good.”

Casey nodded and dug the fruit platter from the fridge. He ignored the cream cheese dip and began munching on plain cantaloupe, while Zeke filled a plate with eggs. They both sat at the small table and ate.

“You’ll never believe what I found on the back porch this morning,” Zeke said.

“Oh, god. I dunno if I wanna know.”

“Marty.”

Casey frowned. “Marty? Who’s… that?”

“Some guy, one of the ones from the party,” Zeke said.

“Wait, he was on the porch?”

“Yup.” Zeke chuckled while dipping toast into his egg. Casey winced and looked away, but felt a stirring in his belly unrelated to food. Zeke went on. “He said he’d gone for a walk with some friends, and when he came back alone the party was over and the door was locked. He was kinda wasted and his ride was gone, so he passed out on the porch couch. I woke him up, gave him some juice--he threw up once then cabbed it home.”

Insecurity began filling Casey’s brain and body. He squirmed into himself. “He didn’t--didn’t hear anything, did he?”

“What? Y’mean, us?” Zeke asked. “I doubt it. He didn’t say anything, anyway.”

“God. What if he did…” Casey trailed off. He put his elbow up on the table and rubbed his face again. “Y’know, I didn’t mean to get so crazy last night. I dunno, it was the margaritas, I think.”

Zeke smirked. “Whatever it was, do it again. I didn’t know you had a rimming kink ‘til you got some alcohol in ya.”

“Rimming?”

“Yea.”

“What’s that?”

With a loud burst of guffaws, Zeke shook his head. “Serious? C’mon. It’s when I sucked your ass.”

“Oh,” Casey said with embarrassment. Now his arms curled inwards and he frowned. “Don’t make fun of me. I don’t know everything, like you do.”

“S’okay. Sorry, but I gotta tease,” Zeke said. He pushed his plate aside and leaned in. “It was fuckin’ hot. Hot as goddamned hell, so don’t you regret it, boy.”

“It’s not regret. I’m just… embarrassed, I guess.”

“Don’t be.”

“Hah… easy for YOU to say. You weren’t putting your ass up and begging for… stuff.”

“Oh, I will. Someday.”

Casey had to smile. He had pleased Zeke with what he’d done. Choosing to leave the subject behind, he sighed and moved onto another one. “I wonder who Del’s gonna take to the prom.”

“I’ll bet money on Phil Burl, captain of the basketball team,” Zeke said. “She’s said that she’s grown out of the quarterback stage, but she still hangs on sports-boys.”

“Maybe. She’d better have a date, or all this bugging US is even more annoying,” Casey said.

“Yea. Stupid.”

Casey nodded, but couldn’t help thinking… no, the prom WAS stupid. He didn’t care about school dances, especially since he’d never been to one. Maybe he and Zeke could have a ‘club prom’, enjoying themselves in a familiar setting. They wouldn’t need to rent a tux or spend way too much money on a ticket, all to stand around feeling awkward around their fellow students. They’d get stared at, especially if they chose to dance. Casey picked a strawberry from the platter and sighed. “I’ll help you clean up.”

“Aw, c’mon. Let’s just enjoy the time you got left--I can take care of the mess.”

“That ain’t fair, though.”

“Hell, you cleaned Trey’s mess. That’s ‘gold star’ material,” Zeke replied.

“Hah, maybe,” Casey said.

“So…” Zeke said, but he paused to put a pensive expression on and take a bite of egg and chew it slowly. He finally looked to Casey, swallowed and pursed his lips. “Wanna… go?”

“To what?” Casey asked.

Zeke rolled his eyes and folded his arms on the table. “It is one of those ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ things, even if it’s stupid. I’m not talking tuxes and limos, but… we could go, have fun--”

“Wait, the prom again?”

“Yea.”

Casey chuckled. “Geez, like we said--it’s dumb.”

“Yea, but… you wanna go anyway?” Zeke asked again. The look in his eyes made Casey think hard. Did he really, really want to go, after all? A prom had never been in Casey’s future itinerary, seeing as he’d figured that after being the class dork since Kindergarten--who’d ask him, or who could HE ask without getting laughed at? Zeke then sniffed hard and picked up his plate. “Yea, never mind…”

“No. No, you wanna go?” Casey asked. Zeke’s shrug was nonchalant on purpose, but Casey could tell. He smiled and nodded. “Yea, let’s go. Shits and giggles and all.”

“Yea. Okay,” Zeke said, his smile widening.

~*~

Mrs. Connor’s jaw dropped. Had she heard her son correctly? “The prom??”

“Yea. We weren’t gonna go, cos’ we think it’s dumb, but--why not, right?” Casey replied.

“Oh, my. I hadn’t even--Casey, this is wonderful!” the woman exclaimed. Her son rolled his eyes, but she didn’t care. She stood up from her spot on the couch and hugged him close. “My little boy!”

“You keep SAYING that, geez,” Casey said, trying to act annoyed; his smile betrayed him however. He pulled away and gave her a hard look. “We’re not gonna go nuts. No tux, no limo, just a nice suit and the GTO.”

“Whatever you want, honey--that’s fine!”

“What’s going on?” Mr. Connor asked, walking into the living room with his grilled cheese and chips.

“Zeke asked Casey to prom!” Mrs. Connor exclaimed.

“Oh? Really?” Mr. Connor said. He nodded and sat down. “Sounds nice.”

“Are you going to get each other boutonnières? Please say you are! I think a nice red rose would go great with Zeke’s dark eyes and hair--”

“Mom,” Casey interrupted. “Like we said, we’re not making a big deal outta it.”

“I know, but you have to get SOME special things. Your father gave me a white rose to match my silver dress for our prom. I’ll never forget that,” she said, now beaming at her husband who was busy taking his first, giant bite of his lunch. “So you have to do that, at least. But you’re not going to rent a tux?”

“No, no. I’m just gonna wear a nice suit or something. I have that one left over from Cousin Dave’s wedding.”

“Dave’s wedding… that was over two years ago. You’ve probably outgrown it. No, we’ll go get you something nice at the mall.”

“Mom…”

“I’m not talking about something too fancy--no tux, like you said. It’ll just be simple, however you want it,” she said.

The boy corner-smiled. “All right.”

“You’re sure it’s gonna be okay?”

Frank’s question had both Mrs. Connor and Casey turn to him. Mrs. Connor blinked profusely. “What do you mean?”

Mr. Connor pursed his lips and put his half-eaten sandwich on the coffee table. “I mean… is a big school dance like this--I mean, it’s prom. You’re sure you’re going to be okay?”

“You mean ‘are you two going to get beat up in the bathrooms’, right?” Casey asked.

The acidic quality of Casey’s voice worried Mrs. Connor. ‘Not NOW, Frank…’ she thought. Fighting a smile on her face, she scoffed. “They’ll be fine. Everyone at school’s been accepting them, and it’s their right to go.”

“You should maybe check the rules, first,” Mr. Connor said.

This made the room go dead silent. Casey stared at the man with a blank expression. “Cos’ we’re gay, huh?”

“Yes, Casey. It wouldn’t be fair, but… things like that happen.”

The boy made a solemn nod, then headed to the stairs. Mrs. Connor watched him go, noticing how slow and sad his steps were. Once he was gone, she rounded on her husband. “Way to go, honey.”

“What? It’s only the truth--”

“So you stomp all over him, his hopes and dreams? Couldn’t you have faked a smile, congratulated him THEN told him to ‘be careful’? What a way to celebrate his going to prom,” she chided.

“I didn’t mean to do anything like that,” Mr. Connor said.

“But he’s down and out anyway.” Mrs. Connor shook her head and sighed, then grabbed her purse. “I need to get to work.”

“Huh? I thought you weren’t going in today?”

“No, Maritza called me this morning, asked if I could come fill-in for a call-out.”

“You could’ve told me that,” Mr. Connor said with a grumble.

Mrs. Connor narrowed her eyes at the man then went to leave. She didn’t feel like saying anything more, as an argument wouldn’t do any good. “Bye, honey,” she made sure to say.

“Love you,” Mr. Connor called back. No matter what, they never left angry--well, she was, but it was best not to voice it. She’d save it for her coworkers, per usual.

~*~

Casey felt that he’d betrayed his binoculars, after not using them for some time. He rectified this by digging them out from their spot on the back porch and going to the backyard, where he set it up, aiming it east. Sure enough, Mars sat just above the horizon, the darkening sky making it easy to see. He could almost make out its moon, Deimos, off to the top right, but barely. Phobos, however, was right below, ready to go into transit. Casey smiled, glad that he’d checked his charts and maps. He barely needed them nowadays, able to track every last little thing himself after years of concentration and studying.

It was then that a bright light came on from behind him, fuzzing the image of Mars. Casey immediately closed his eyes, hoping his night-vision wasn‘t ruined.

“Hey. Stargazing?”

Great. The reason he’d spent the day holed up in his room had seen it fit to come outside and see what he was up to. “Yea,” Casey blandly replied. “Can you shut off the light? It ruins the view.”

“Oh… sorry,” Mr. Connor replied. He reached through the porch doorway and flicked the lightswitch to ‘off’. “Didn’t think about that.”

“It’s okay.” Casey reopened his eyes and turned back to his binocs, while Mr. Connor sat down on a nearby folded chair. His presence made Casey fuss over adjustments and anything else that made him look inaccessible. Mr. Connor didn’t seem to notice however, as he began speaking.

“It must be nice, having a hobby like this. I wish I’d gotten into something like this,” he said.

“Never too late, if it’s what you want,” Casey said.

“Maybe. I was never good in science, though.”

This made Casey turn away from the binocs to the man, wearing a small frown. “Science? You don’t have to be good at science to look at stars.”

“You don’t? I’ve seen all your books though--the physics, stuff. I’m really good at math, but I couldn’t tell you what a star is made of,” Mr. Connor said.

“So? That still doesn’t matter,” Casey said. He stepped back from the binocs and waved a hand towards the sky. “Look out there. Tell me what looks different.”

“Different? Well…” Mr. Connor trailed off as he looked around. He finally settled his eyes on one spot and pointed. “Well, that star looks brighter, and--I dunno, it doesn’t shine like the others.”

“Okay, so what do you think it is?”

“A… planet?”

Casey nodded; he had to smile, just a little. “Yup. Mars. Other ones are even brighter, like Venus and Jupiter,” he said.

“Wow. I guess I can do something, huh?” Mr. Connor said with a smile.

“You could try,” Casey replied. He turned back to his binocs--conversation over--or so he thought.

“I didn’t mean, before--to make out like you and Zeke going to prom was wrong,” Mr. Connor said. “I’m just concerned. Going to school where there are teachers around and stuff, that’s one thing. A dance is different. Everyone’s gonna… stare.”

“So? That doesn’t mean that we don’t have the right to enjoy something like that. I mean yea, we think it’s a little stupid. But we’re gonna have SOME fun, and we know it.”

“I guess. But I did mean it when I said to check. I’d hate to think of you two buying tickets, getting ready, dressing up, all to be turned down at the door.”

Casey stood straight, crossed his arms and looked at the man. “I’d rather have it like that. I’d rather spend time and money on it then have some jerk try to tell us we can’t go in, instead of going to ask for permission, get turned down and act like it’s okay,” he said. “If we get to the door and someone tells us to go home, there’ll be a scene, even if me and Zeke don’t say anything. I’d take it so far as to call news stations.”

This seemed to make his father uncomfortable. “You got enough attention back when--what happened happened.”

“So I’d be noticeable for another reason. ‘The boys who couldn’t go to prom’… the headlines would make me smile,” Casey said. “And who cares if people would agree with something like that? I don’t.”

“I just want you to be careful. But I’m not gonna tell you not to go,” Mr. Connor said. “I wouldn’t do that. You have the right to go, just as much as anyone else. Anyway… despite my fears, I’m proud of you.”

Casey blinked fast. “For… what?”

“Well…” Mr. Connor took a deep sigh before sinking into his chair. “When I was in high school, I started dating this girl my junior year--Elaine Brummel. She was the sweetest thing ever, before your mother anyway.”

“Oh. Wait… Brummel? Was she related to the teacher?”

“Yes, she was her niece. While Mrs. B. was a stuffy, stoic woman, her niece wasn’t. She was sweet, quiet and kind to everyone. TOO kind,” Mr. Connor explained. “She let everyone walk all over her. They’d make fun of her constantly, saying that she did things like wear her aunt’s underwear and… whatever else immature kids go on about. She was one of the ‘dorky kids’, but I really liked her.”

“Yea?” Casey said.

“Yea. Problem was, I was on the football team, a popular boy that was expected to date popular girls. So I never told anyone, and asked HER not to tell. I gave some stupid reason to make her feel better about it, I can’t even remember what it was--when I just didn’t want anyone to know because I was embarrassed. To think--I liked this girl so much, she liked me, baked me cookies after school when we’d do homework… and man, could she kiss,” Mr. Connor said. His fond smile slipped away to give Casey a look of warning. “Don’t tell your mother that bit.”

“Okay. So--embarrassed.”

“Yep. Then one day, she and I met up behind the school at lunch at our usual meeting place. She started giving me some of her famous kisses, when three guys from the team came ‘round the corner and saw us.” Mr. Connor visibly shivered and squirmed in his seat. “I told them… that I did it on a dare. That someone bet me ten bucks that I wouldn’t do it. They didn’t even ask who’d bet me, they were too busy laughing. I’ll never forget the look on Elaine’s face. I wanted to die, watching her run away crying.”

Casey felt astounded. How could his father be so cruel? “That’s awful. You did that?” he asked.

“Yea, Casey, I did,” Mr. Connor said. “I tried apologizing to her later, but it was too late. She told me that if I couldn’t be proud to date her, to be seen with her, she’d find someone who would. A week later, she started dating this boy a year younger. They’d pass by in the halls, holding hands and laughing. She was happy… and as angry at myself as I was, I was glad to see it. She deserved someone better than me.”

“I’ll say. Wow. Way to be an a--a jerk,” Casey stopped himself, but Mr. Connor grinned.

“Oh, you can say it. ‘Asshole’, and I was,” he said with a chuckle. “Anyway. Your mother moved into Herrington that next year, and ended up being just as unpopular as Elaine, if not worse. But she was just as nice, too. She’d always help me in English, my worst subject, her best. By that time, I was quarterback with loads of status, but it didn’t stop me from asking her to the winter semi-formal. She wore the most beautiful red dress and when we showed up in my dad’s truck, people laughed at us. Even my friends and their typical cheerleader-girlfriends were mean about it, but I didn’t care. Meredith made me feel good… and y’know, Elaine would smile at me every time she saw us together. I think she’d forgiven me a little when she knew me and Miss Meredith Brooks were dating; like I was a changed man.”

“I’m glad for that. Obviously,” Casey said. “I must’ve gotten my geekiness from mom, huh?”

“Hmm. I’m glad for that, too,” Mr. Connor replied, smiling wide. “And I’m glad that you’re braver than me, and you’re willing to stand up for yourself and Zeke… and… I gotta say it. It makes me so, so happy that he sticks up for you, too. That he doesn’t hide you away like I did with Elaine. That’s something to be proud of, and I am proud, every single day--of you both.”

Casey wasn’t concerned with his sky-watching anymore. He chose instead to walk over, sit down next to his father and make a warm smile. “That means a lot, Dad,” he said.

“I mean every word, Son,” Mr. Connor said. He put a hand on Casey’s shoulder and squeezed it. “All I can picture is you graduating, going to college and becoming something great. Zeke, too.”

“I hope so, yea. He’s applied to Ohio State, at least. That acceptance letter’ll come any day now,” Casey replied.

“Whatever he does, he’s a good young man, and he’ll make something of himself. You’re both so intelligent, so it stands to reason,” Mr. Connor said.

Casey smiled even wider, then looked to the west. He then stood up quick. “Shoot, almost forgot…”

“Forgot what?”

Casey turned the binoculars and put it on Venus. “C’mon. Come look at Venus,” he said.

“Venus, really? They’re both out?” Mr. Connor said.

“Yea. C’mere… she’s gorgeous,” Casey replied. He watched his father focus in through the binocs, then gasp with delight. Perhaps the man would and could learn more, and they would and could do more together.

~*~