Chapter 25

Kwan tapped his pencil against the desk as he stared across the table. His mind kept turning over how best to talk to Dash about the situation with Danny. He was positive that his teammate really cared for Danny. Why does he have to keep getting hung up on the stupid popular versus loser stereotype? Kwan thought with a frown.

"Hello?" someone whispered in his ear as a hand past before his eyes. Kwan jumped and turned to look at the man beside him. Skulker laughed. "What happened? You just kind of dozed off on me there."

"Huh? Oh, sorry." Kwan sighed as he leaned back in his chair. "I was just thinking about Dash and Danny. Dash is being such a dumbass."

"That blockhead rejected him?" Skulker growled, getting up from his seat, but Kwan grabbed his arm.

"I don't think having you talk to him will help," Kwan mumbled. "I think he would sooner punch you than listen to you." He shook his head as Skulker sat back down. "Why is he so dumb? Danny is totally in love with him, and he keeps pushing him away. And it's not just because you kissed Danny, though that is part of it. Dash can't get over the stereotypes. He thinks he can't even be nice to Danny because of his reputation. Urgh! He makes me so mad sometimes."

Skulker rubbed Kwan's tense shoulders as he listened. "We have to get that blockhead to open his eyes." He turned over thoughts in his head, but a moan threw off his thinking. He stared at Kwan, who rested his head on the table while Skulker continued massaging his shoulders and back. "You need to stop stressing yourself out." He laughed as he worked out a particularly bad knot that gained another moan from the jock.

"Where did you learn to do that?" Kwan sighed out, feeling the tension in his body melt away.

Skulker shrugged. "I learned from my family's maid when I was alive," he explained. "She was an amazing masseur. So between tutoring sessions, I would sneak off and have her teach me."

"Did you plan on becoming a masseur when you grew up?" Kwan wore an amused grin. He couldn't imagine the man taking up such a career.

Skulker pressed his knuckles hard into Kwan's back, making the man arch before groaning. "No, I just thought it would be an interesting skill to know." He grinned at the little moans that the man kept making. Before, he thought he truly felt something for the half ghost. A sad delusion, he realized. But hanging out with the jock, he found himself feeling something different. He chewed on the inside of his cheek before he leaned down and brushed his lips over the base of the man's neck.

Kwan jerked and sat up, staring with wide eyes at Skulker.

"Sorry," Skulker mumbled as he averted his gaze.

"No, it's – I thought you liked Danny." Kwan's brow creased as he frowned.

"I thought I did." Skulker glanced at the jock. "But it turns out I was just obsessing over him."

"Ha! So I was-" Kwan got cut off when a pair of lips crushed against his lips. His mind clicked off as his eyes slipped shut. When Skulker pulled away, Kwan forgot what he was about to say.

"We could always get them drunk and lock them in a room together," Skulker suggested as he leaned forward on the table.

Kwan stared at him. His mind tried to piece together what was going on. "Um… They're eighteen," he said dumbly. "They're not allowed to drink, and I don't think that's the best plan."

"Then what do you suggest, Mr. Genius?" Skulker asked, poking the jock in the side. He grinned as the other man squirmed.

"I don't know." Kwan sighed, hanging his head. "I guess all we really can do is to try to get them together to talk things out."

"When did you two become so buddy-buddy?" someone asked, making the two men look up to see Dash sit down across from them at the table. He sent a glare to Skulker before turning to his teammate.

"Since we're dating," Skulker told him with a smug smirk. He snaked an arm around Kwan's waist and dragged the jock into his lap.

"Hey! Don't tell him things like that," Kwan argued, punching Skulker's shoulder. "Just because you kissed me doesn't mean we're together."

Dash glared at Skulker. "Do you going around kissing everyone or something?"

"Only the guys I like," Skulker answered with his arms around Kwan's waist so the jock couldn't escape. "What do you want?"

Dash rolled his eyes. He rested his head on his hand as he looked off to the side. "I made a mistake with Danny, didn't I?"

"A big one," Kwan agreed, narrowing his eyes at his friend.

"He probably hates me now." Dash frowned, and Kwan could tell he was mentally kicking himself.

"Actually, as unbelievable as it is, the little nut still likes you," Skulker said. Part of him would have enjoyed watching the jock suffer in misery, but he didn't want to make Danny suffer as well.

"Apologize to him," Kwan offered. "He'll probably forgive you if you prove you're going to stop being a dumbass." He sighed when Dash glared at him. "Here's what you do," he said, explaining to his friend the best way he could think of to win Danny back.

"Why are you doing this?" Danny asked, sighing as Kwan led him somewhere. His friend came over to his house and made him get dressed up in nice clothes. After blindfolding Danny, Kwan dragged him off somewhere. Danny didn't really feel like hanging out anywhere.

He heard footsteps then the blindfold came off. Blinking, his brow knitted as he stared at the table set before him. The usual dirty picnic table had a nice tablecloth laid over it. A three prong candelabra sat between two covered platters.

"Kwan, what-" Danny started to ask as he turned and froze.

Dash offered a weak smile. He dropped his gaze as he absently folded the blindfold. "I'm probably the last person you expected to see," he mumbled.

Danny shifted awkwardly as he hugged his arms around his body. "I thought you hated me."

"Sit," Dash said, gesturing to the table with one hand. After hesitating for a moment, Danny sat at the table. Dash walked around to the other side of the table and sat. "I-" He stopped and took a deep breath. "I'm sorry for how treated you. It was wrong. We both have feelings for each other, but I acted like a fool. I've been clinging to this whole popular versus loser stereotype and the idea that I have this reputation that I need to keep." He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "It was completely stupid. I shouldn't care what they think about me since I've dated lots of guys already. But the main point is," he looked up to meet Danny's eyes, "I like you, and I almost threw away my chance with you because I'm an idiot."

Danny stared, almost not believing the words that came out of Dash's mouth. "Do you really mean all that or are you just saying it?"

"Danny, I wouldn't say all that if I didn't mean it." Dash reached over and took the other man's hand, brushing his thumb over the knuckles. "After I left you in the hallway, I thought about things, and I realized just how stupid I was being. You're so much different from the guys I've dated. Aside from Kwan, all the guys I've been in relationship with have mostly just used me. But you're not like them. You actually care." He shook his head, dropping his gaze. "You even saved me from that jerk Aaron."

"I couldn't let him hurt you like that," Danny whispered, feeling his cheeks burn. "If we're going to be in relationship though, you have to stop bullying me at school."

"I won't hurt you ever again," Dash promised. He leaned over the table and pressed his lips to Danny's lips.

In the end, I got the man of my dreams, Danny thought, grinning at Dash as the jock broke the kiss.