Title: Natural
Fandom: Hoot (the movie)
Pairing: Roy/Mullet Fingers
Rating: tame and worksafe
Summary: It's not so much that Roy and Mullet Fingers are ever going to start dating, as that they'll eventually realize they already are dating. 444 words.
Disclaimer: Based on works by others.

Roy brushed a layer of wood chips off his textbook before turning the page. He was lying on his stomach, trying to read about the water cycle while a graphic explanation of it pattered on the roof of the beached boat in the form of a heavy rain. Mullet Fingers was leaning back against the headboard beside Roy, whittling a stick into a thinner stick and dropping sawdust onto Roy's pages while he babbled on.

"But seriously, Tex, Beatrice is so boring now that she has this boyfriend. He's all she ever talks about."

"He's all you ever talk about," Roy finally muttered, after trying to ignore Mullet Fingers' rant for the last chapter.

"I mean, what's the big deal about a boyfriend, anyway? What do you do with one?"

"Kiss." Roy wouldn't know from personal experience, but he was pretty sure that's what dating involved.

"I've never seen 'em kiss." Mullet Fingers frowned.

"Hang out all the time." Roy tried to think what else dating included.

"We hang out all the time." Mullet Fingers nodded decisively at that, though Roy wasn't quite sure what his point was.

"Talk about everything."

"We talk about everything."

"Do important stuff together," Roy continued, unabated by the tangent.

"We do important stuff together."

"They really like each other." This argument seemed to have run away from Roy, but he still tried to finish it.

"We really like each other."

Roy didn't know what to say. He'd never dated anyone, and he couldn't really explain what it meant. Mullet Fingers slid down and flopped over so he was lying on his stomach next to Roy, pushing aside the knife and stick and tangling his hands in front of his face. Roy turned his head, and Mullet Fingers' eyes were really close.

"Hey, Roy?" Mullet Fingers continued, and Roy's stomach did a slow flip. The rain pattering on the roof sounded even louder in the short pause. "Are we dating?"

Quicksilver fish swam in Roy's tummy. Mullet Fingers reached out and placed his hand over Roy's. "Do you want to be?" Roy asked.

"Would we get to kiss if we were? I'd want kisses if I was dating."

Roy leaned in even closer and kissed Mullet Fingers. He'd thought it would be weird, touching someone's lips with his own and sticking his tongue in their mouth, but it was good. Mullet Fingers' lips were soft, and a little salty, like the ocean. He seemed almost shy as he licked slowly into Roy's mouth. After a minute Roy pulled back.

"Dating's good."

"Yeah." Mullet Fingers leaned in and kissed him again. Roy thought it was really the best thing ever.