Man Up

"No."

"Oh, but Connor–"

"I'm sorry, Nabulungi, but I can't possibly–"

"It's for a good cause!" Nabulungi insists, eyes wide, hands clasped pleadingly in front of her, the very image of innocence. Although, Connor thinks wryly, her request is anything but.

"I can't man a kissing booth," the redhead weakly argues, despite feeling his resolve crumbling at the sight of her imploring pout.

"Please? You won't even have to stay that long. I swear–half an hour, tops."

Be strong, McKinley! Stand your ground! "Just–just half an hour?"

Dammit, Connor!

"Uh-huh! I'm sure I can get Schrader or Davis to fill in. Ooh, and maybe Zelder...he's really cute..."

"Right..."

"And I've got Arnold asking Price."

P-Price? As in, Kevin Price?

"O-oh," Connor stammers, trying (and failing) to play nonchalant. But there's no way he can hide the blush that settles on his pale cheeks at the thought of the very handsome straight-A student. "Is Price...gonna be manning the booth, too?"

"Yeah, silly," Nabulungi laughs, rolling her eyes at him as if the answer is super obvious. Which it is. "Everybody wants a kiss from the one and only Kevin Price."

No duh, Connor thinks. Or maybe says. He's not sure.

He's too busy thinking about Kevin's soft-looking lips and how nice they must feel against his own.

The annual School Fair is a coveted event that makes up for the general crapiness of high school life for the rest of the year. It lasts for three glorious days, all of which consist of absolutely no classes and a lot of free food. Each night, the drama department puts on a different musical (Connor's part of all three) with an audience of almost the entire school.

The football field is practically unrecognizable covered in rows and rows of various booths and carnival games. People are everywhere—students, teachers, and parents alike. There're even a handful of children and grandparents; practically anybody is invited.

With the smell of popcorn and cotton candy in the air, you'd think Connor would be more excited. But no. He's got a job to do.

Nabulungi has them in shifts; first is Chris Thomas, then Oliver Davis, then Kevin, then him, then Nathan Zelder, and finally Eric Schrader.

Neely and Michaels are in charge of attracting potential clients but they disappeared about ten minutes into the fair, much to Nabulungi's irritation. Connor isn't due to show up until the afternoon, but he figures he's got nothing else better to do, so why not help out early? So Naba makes him the security guard there to make sure none of the boys gets totally violated.

"Because you're always the group leader!" she said. "There's something about you that's so..."

"Authoritative?"

"Yes! Exactly!"

(That and well, he kinda maybe wants a kiss from a certain bright-eyed Orlando-obsessed brunet. But don't tell anyone that. Mainly because they probably already know. Because Connor isn't good at hiding his obvious attraction for Kevin, who is absolutely perfect and the most incredible creature to ever roam the earth. Uhm. Or so Connor's been told.)

Chris Thomas is an adorable little thing, a little over five-feet and Connor's best friend. It's no surprise that Nabulungi assigned him the first shift.

Normally kissing booths have a hard time starting off, considering how nerve-wracking it is to come up to a complete stranger and pay for a kiss in front of hundreds of other strangers. But Chris is so innocent-looking and just plain cute that a few girls come running up almost as soon as their booth opens.

Each kiss is a dollar. And according to the rules they've placed on the table in huge, bold print, there is to be absolutely no tongue and no teeth. Just a simple close-mouthed affair.

Chris can't help but blush in embarrassment through the first few kisses. Connor recognizes most of the girls from his classes and a couple upperclassmen. After a while, he gets bored watching his best friend smack lips with the majority of their female classmates (ugh, girls) and just as he decides to slip away to grab a churro or something, James Church hops into line.

Connor raises an eyebrow, slightly surprised. From his seat behind the booth, it's obvious Chris doesn't see the newcomer. Connor considers warning him but thinks better of it; besides, he thinks in amusement, this might be a learning experience.

After exchanging a passionate kiss with Kevin Price's younger sister (who obviously hadn't bothered to read rule number one: no biting), Chris comes face-to-face with none other than James Church. Blushing profusely, he can only sit there in shock as the taller male smirks and slides over a one. Chris barely has time to fist the dollar in his hand before a pair of warm lips claim his own and yeah, this time, he can ignore the rules, too.

James runs back in line several times through Chris's shift, to the enjoyment of both parties. Nabulungi has no qualms; the day's barely started and they've already earned more than she expected.

"You're done now, Chris," she chirps after witnessing James practically suck Chris's tongue out of his mouth. She dismisses them with a wave, and the two head off together, hands intertwined. Connor inwardly swoons at the romantic display.

Oliver Davis is yet another attractive boy. The same girls who paid for Chris's kisses return, and noticeably more males. Connor doesn't say anything and Oliver takes everything in stride, hardly batting an eyelash.

Unlike Chris, Oliver is a bit more lax with the rules and doesn't panic when more than a handful of tongues try to invade his mouth. He only rolls his eyes when someone nips on his lower lip and barely complains when a couple people get grabby. Connor doesn't pay him much attention.

Mainly because Kevin Price has showed up.

Kevin watches Oliver with interest, his eyes flickering over to the rules on the table before moving to the small line in front of the booth. He lets his gaze linger on each face, as if assessing the kind of client he might get.

Price looks as confident as ever, head held eye, back straight, charming smile in place. Despite the density of the crowd and the amount of visiting boys on campus, it's obvious he's the most handsome thing for miles. Connor finds himself flustered and lightheaded, a common side effect of Kevin exposure. His heart starts to hammer in his chest, palms start to sweat embarrassingly. He stands there for a solid five minutes trying to decide the best way to approach Kevin without looking like a total creep when he feels a nudge on his shoulder.

Cue drooling...now.

"Oh! Hi, Kevin," he says lamely, fighting the urge to add "love of my life" at the end of that greeting. Kevin flashes him that perfect smile of his. His teeth are so white that Connor feels slightly blinded.

Kevin then gives him a sympathetic look. "Arnold roped you in, too?"

Connor shakes his head, sighing. "Nabulungi."

"I'm sorry."

"'S okay."

"It doesn't look that bad," Kevin muses thoughtfully, which Connor feels is unfairly sexy. He glances at the kissing booth briefly (Oliver's shift is just about over) before returning his gaze to Connor's face. His eyes soften a fraction. "I'm stuck for at least three hours."

Connor's jaw drops. "Three? Why are you signed up for three hours?"

"I didn't sign up for anything," laughs Kevin, though he looks decidedly more annoyed at the thought. "Arnold, remember? Anyway, it might be more than that. Apparently it's up to Nabulungi."

"I'm so sorry."

"Don't be." Kevin gives him a friendly squeeze on the shoulder that leaves Connor more flustered than appropriate for such a platonic gesture. He tries not to lean into the touch and bites his lip to keep from whining when Kevin withdraws his hand. "Oh, shoot. I think Davis is about done. Are you gonna stand here and watch or something?"

"Uhm...kind of," Connor replies with a shrug, still recovering from that unexpected touch. At Kevin's inquisitive look, he adds, "I'm supposed to make sure everybody plays clean."

"Oh. Got it." Kevin suddenly grins, and it literally takes all of Connor's willpower not to jump his bones then and there. "I'm glad you've got my back, Connor."

"Sure. What are friends for?"

There's a flash of something that looks like disappointment in Kevin's eyes, but it goes away almost as soon as it comes.

"Yeah. Wish me luck." With a wink, Kevin walks off as if ready to charge head-first into a battlefield. Connor tries not to run after him.

It's painfully annoying to see what looks like the entire school line up for a chance to kiss Kevin Price.

Connor grits his teeth. He knows for a fact that the same eight girls haven't left the line since Kevin's shift started over an hour ago. If only that had been a violation of the rules...

But then again, who can blame them? It's Kevin Price. Kevin who looks like Prince Charming, possibly even better. Kevin who is the sweetest thing in the universe, despite being a little (read: extremely) full of himself. Kevin who loves Orlando and is actually really innocent and a people-pleaser. Kevin who has been lately always on Connor's mind and stars frequently in his (sometimes obscene) fantasies.

Kevin who is currently kissing over a hundred strangers and racking up more money than Nabulungi knows what to do with.

"JACK! WHAT THE HELL?"

Connor looks up sharply at Kevin's horrified voice. There's a flash of something bright and then a gleeful cheer as a figure whizzes by him, holding what suspiciously looks like a camera. It doesn't take a genius to put two and two together.

Kevin looks sullen when Connor approaches him. "You okay?"

"No," the younger male replies miserably, turning around briefly to share a kiss with a shy-looking freshman girl. He places the new dollar in Nabulungi's money case, still pouting. "Jack took a picture of me kissing some senior."

"And...?"

"My parents don't really want me kissing boys, Connor," says Kevin dryly, his expression turning sour. Connor nods in understanding, though inwardly relieved his own parents are much more accepting. Kevin motions the next person in line to step up and Connor has to marvel how quickly he can throw on a cheerful smile in a split second. After that exchange, he turns to Connor with a tired look.

"Do you want me to get his camera?" is out of Connor's mouth before he realizes what he's offered. Kevin blinks in surprise before a small smile forms.

"Don't worry 'bout it. Jack isn't gonna show them; I think he just wants revenge over this stupid thing I did when I was five."

"What did you do?"

Kevin snorts. "I got him grounded for two weeks. Don't ask why."

"Alright."

For a moment, Kevin just stares at him, calculating. Connor self-consciously straightens his position, biting his lip. Kevin's eyes are so, so pretty... Will it be really weird if he just–say, grabs Kevin by the collar and slam their mouths together, moaning his name and declaring his undying love for him? Because Connor doesn't think that'll be weird at all.

Someone clears their throat, snapping him out of his dangerous thoughts.

Oops. Connor mentally curses at having almost forgotten the huge line of students right beside them, waiting for a Kevin kiss...

Join the club, he thinks moodily.

"I hate all of you," Connor snaps at Eric Schrader, Vince Michaels, and Noah Neely the moment they approach him, giggling from just sampling Kevin's lips. They're a bunch of idiots, the redhead decides with as much certainty as someone declaring the sun bright and the sky blue. He tries not to let his irritation show at the fact that everybody besides him has kissed his crush today. "Seriously. You guys suck."

"Can't," breezily replies Eric, taking a bite out of his cotton candy. "Naba says only kissing–hey now!"

Connor throws another handful of popcorn at him. "Grow. Up."

"If you want a kiss so badly, why don't you just step in line?" Noah wonders, shoving Eric away when he tries to hide behind him.

"Yeah, Connor," Vince adds thoughtfully, "you've got an excuse now. Go for it!"

Connor huffs, arms crossed. "Maybe I don't want one."

He receives three equally as pointed looks for that.

"Yeah."

"Okay."

"Whatever you say, Connor."

"Connor, do you think Nabulungi would get mad if I bail on my shift?"

"Why? What happened?" Connor asks around a mouthful of candy apple. He shifts in his seat (which Arnold was nice enough to get for him) and looks up at the timid face of Nathan Zelder. The line for the booth is longer than ever and he's pretty much been eating the entire time to ignore the fact that he'll never be able to kiss Kevin Price. The thought itself warrants another miserable bite.

Nathan smiles guiltily, rubbing the back of his neck. "I uhm...met someone...and I kinda...have a date with him now...?"

Connor resists the urge to face-palm. Of course. "Oh. Well, in that case...I guess she won't."

"You think?"

"Do you see how much she's made with Kevin alone?" Because Connor sees. He sees more than he wants to. "You'll be fine."

"Okay, if you say so..."

"Who is it anyway?" the redhead ventures, licking his caramel-soaked lips. Nathan's one of those really quiet, really shy guys. Connor can't help but wonder who got the boy's attention. In response, Nathan blushes and looks down.

"He's a senior...uhm...I think you know him. You're part of the show tonight, right?"

"Yeah...?"

"He, uh...he plays the piano..."

"Oh...OH!" Connor's eyes widen, apple momentarily forgotten. "Wow, okay."

Face bright red, Nathan nods and stammers a goodbye before disappearing into the crowd.

Love is everywhere it seems...

Just not wherever Connor is.

"What happened to Nate?" Vince demands of him a few moments later. Connor recounts his conversation with Nathan but is abruptly interrupted when Vince snarls and stomps off.

What?

"I need mouthwash and Chapstick," Kevin whines, his sudden appearance and close proximity startling poor Connor, whose mouth is full of corndog. He almost chokes on it and swallows his first bite without chewing. What an attractive sight he must be. "Oh, shoot. Sorry, Connor. Did I scare you?"

"Kinda," coughs the other male, wiping at his mouth with a napkin. "Sixteen-years-old and I still can't eat solid foods," he jokes in a light-hearted tone, relieved when Kevin actually laughs.

"My mom cut my food for me till I was like, ten."

"Nice," Connor giggles, imagining a pouty ten-year-old Kevin Price being handed a plate of cut-up hotdogs by his mother (and who hopefully one day might be Connor's mother-in-law). He chooses not to voice that wish, however, so Kevin doesn't think he's crazy.

"Yeah..." The brunet rolls his eyes, making vague motions to the kissing booth that he's momentarily abandoned. "You know, I wish people wouldn't eat chili dogs before they try to french me."

Connor sputters. "Huh?"

"I've got this nasty taste in the back of my mouth I can't get rid of."

"Oh. Uhm... Here–" Connor thrusts his half-eaten corndog at Kevin's startled face. He's not doing a very good job protecting the kissers if they're getting frenched without consent by chili-dog lovers. Maybe he should sit closer to the booth...

"You sure?" Kevin asks, ignoring the way his stomach growls for some much needed nutrients.

"Yes. Now eat up before I make you," Connor threatens jokingly. His breath hitches when he sees Kevin's eyes narrow at the challenge, his lips curving into a delicious smirk as they wrap around the snack...

Connor shivers.

What he would give to be that corndog.

"Why are Nathan and Vince fighting?" Nabulungi questions him the moment he's within earshot. Connor takes a moment to swallow his ice-cream sandwich before opening his mouth to reply.

He pauses.

"You know what, I have no idea."

"Hi again, Connor!"

"Hey, Arnold."

"Ooh, are those doughnuts? Can I have some?"

"Sure."

"'Anks. Wha choo bhump't?"

"Arnold Cunningham..."

"Sorry. I asked what you've been up to."

"Oh, you know..." Pining after your best friend, who probably isn't the slightest bit interested in me considering how happy he is to kiss a thousand strangers not including me because he doesn't want me because he isn't gay like me and the only reason he's only kissing boys is because of stupid kissing booth and...

"...I just said all that out loud, didn't I?"

Arnold's laughter makes his ears ring.

Finally after four hours, Kevin is excused. His lips feel numb from all the kisses and if he never sees lipstick/gloss again it'll be too soon. He doesn't know how much money he's raised only that Nabulungi is very, very pleased with him.

He's a bit wary of all the notifications he's bound to receive when all those girls post various selfies featuring their one dollar kiss. Hopefully they don't do it all at once; he might have to silence his phone for a few days.

"Alright?" inquires a soft voice above him. He leans back in his chair and looks up at the smiling, angelic face of Connor McKinley.

"Now I am..." he murmurs quietly, overcome with an urge to touch Connor that he barely suppresses.

"What was that, Kevin?"

He sighs. "Nothing. I'm tired."

"Oh..." Connor pulls a confused face before suddenly turning grim. "Well, lucky you, it's my turn now."

For a moment, Kevin can't speak. He just sits there, gaping at Connor with a blank expression. This whole time, he's been distracted with fulfilling his own quota that he completely forgot the redhead has to go through the same thing, too. And the idea that hundreds of lips would touch Connor's before his is enough to make his skin crawl.

He helplessly runs a hand through his perfectly-styled hair, looking anywhere but Connor, who has no idea why Kevin isn't moving from his seat so that he can get this over with and pretend everything is okay.

"Hey, Kevin? Can you move please? I'd like to get my half-hour done as soon as possible."

That catches Price's attention. "Half-hour?"

"Yeah. I'm only committed to thirty minutes maximum," Connor admits in an apologetic tone; it's not really fair that he's only doing an eighth of Kevin's time.

"That's..." Fantastic. Perfect. Thank you, Heavenly Father. "...cool."

"Uh-huh. Now, my seat please?"

"What? Oh!" Kevin laughs nervously and hops up as if electrocuted. He almost trips over the chair as he makes a hasty escape, waving blindly to Connor and yelling out, "Good luck!"

Connor bites his lip. Heart sinking, he buries his face in his hands. That's it. His time with Kevin is over. The boy's probably off doing whatever with whoever, not giving him a single thought now that his shift is finished. Connor just wants him to stay and maybe protect him from over-zealous kissers, but he knows Kevin has no obligation to him.

And what more, now that he's manning the booth, nobody wants to come and get a kiss. What an ego boost.

Three minutes...twenty-seven to go...

He hears his name and looks up hopefully. Nobody's in line, but he sees a group of boys standing off to the side, throwing him pointed looks. Connor squints his eyes, trying to make out the face of the guy in the middle.

O. M. Gosh.

His old crush.

Steve Blade.

Connor ducks his head, wondering if he can make a break for it. The last thing he needs is for Steve to kiss him and try to rekindle old feelings because Steve isn't Kevin Price and Connor really wants Kevin Price. Plus, it's just extremely awkward being around past crushes in general.

Oh, look, he's coming this way.

Crap.

CrapcrapcrapCRAPCRAP–

SLAM.

Connor's mouth drops open as he takes in the panting figure in front of him. Kevin's face is flushed and there's a hint of possessiveness in his eyes when they meet Connor's. His hand is sprawled on the table where he's slammed what looks like a dollar bill on the surface.

It takes him a moment.

"Uhm...Kevin...?"

"This is a kissing booth, right?" Kevin begins in a surprisingly steady tone, the calm in his voice not quite matching the anxiousness in his features.

"Yes..." Connor clears his throat. It's a miracle he hasn't started hyperventilating yet. He wills himself to keep staring at Kevin's piercing gaze, even if his own begins to well with terrified tears.

"Good."

And suddenly he finds himself kissing Kevin Price, whose lips are still plump and red from his four hour shift. Eyes fluttering closed, he leans forward eagerly, throwing his arms around the other's neck, pulling him close and smiling when he's not pushed away. There isn't any tongue or teeth (Kevin is such a gentleman), just the gentle press of lips against his own and oh, does that feel absolutely divine. Connor forgets they're at school and within seeing range of the whole student body; he forgets that there are people around him; he forgets the fair, forgets Nabulungi and her "good cause", forgets everything that isn't Kevin Price.

He breathes in and almost moans at the distinct smell of Kevin–mint, coffee, a bit of cologne that only works for him–and pulls him closer.

They try to prolong the kiss as long as possible, but Kevin's back is starting to hurt and Connor can't keep craning his neck all day. With much reluctance, they part, faces flushed, wearing the same goofy smile.

"Wow," breathes Connor, as the world falls perfectly into place around them.

"Yeah. Something incredible," Kevin agrees, the universe suddenly very clear.

"Awesome job, Kevin."

"Thanks. You too, Connor. I don't know what you ate–"

"Everything–"

"But it tasted really good–"

"When you're done," a dry voice cuts from behind, rudely interrupting the couple's special moment. "I believe it's my turn."

"Actually," Kevin cuts in, his tone polite but suggesting that he isn't afraid to punch Steve in the face if he keeps on talking, "it's still mine."

"What?"

"Connor, how much did I give you?"

"You gave me–" Connor looks at the bill on the table and lets out a loud gasp. No. Freaking. Way. He did not.

"A hundred?" Steve demands angrily, glaring daggers at both of them. While Connor's still gaping like a lost fish, Kevin nods happily.

"Yep! Now, I believe Mr. McKinley here owes me oh, what, ninety-nine more?"

"Uh...r-right..."

Thinking that they're full of it, Steve scoffs and walks away. Kevin mentally flips off his retreating back before turning to the dazed Connor in his arms with that perfect grin of his.

"Where were we?"

"I'm so happy with you boys!" Nabulungi squeals happily when she sees them buying churros a few hours later. It's already nearing dusk and most of the non-food booths are already closed. Eric Schrader managed to attract a decent-sized crowd before his shift ended (Oliver Davis made sure he got the last kiss...and then some).

She gushes about how proud she is that they raised more money than the majority of the other booths. When she makes a comment about the hundred dollar bill, Connor just giggles while Kevin pretends to look surprised.

Nabulungi suddenly stops, noticing their locked hands. She exchanges a secret glance with Arnold before they excuse themselves to grab some food. Arnold winks conspiratorially at Kevin as he passes, earning him a playful shove on the back.

"When's your show start?" Kevin asks his new boyfriend as they maneuver around throngs of students buying greasy junk food. A few of his 'customers' smile flirtingly at him before realizing whose hand he's holding; then they just huff and look away, much to Kevin's relief.

Connor waits until they manage to successfully escape the crowded football field before he responds. "They want me up there by seven."

"We'll need to go early if I want front-row seats."

"What do you need front-row seats for, Kevin?"

Kevin doesn't reply right away. Instead, he bends down to kiss his boyfriend, smiling at the taste of sugar on the other boy's lips from the churro. "I heard there's gonna be a really cute redhead performing and I can't miss that."

Connor laughs. "Alright. But lemme warn you; the pianist is taken."

A/N: First time writing for this fandom! It seems I have a fondness for High School AUs...

Sue me.

I didn't come up with most of the names; everybody pretty much just names Elder McKinley Connor anyway. But for the other elders, I'm going off the names used by pastries and turtlenecks ("The Other Team") and Elder Schraderham ("Magic to Do").

OKAY BUT NATHAN ZELDER IS TOTALLY ON ME. THAT'S MY NAME FOR HIM. BECAUSE JUSTIN BOHON IS ADORABLE AND I LOVE HIM. (DOES ANYBODY GET WHY I MADE HIM DATE A PIANO-PLAYING SENIOR?)

DISCLAIMER: The Book of Mormon is owned by the awesomeness that is Trey Parker, Robert Lopez, and Matt Stone.