HEAT

Chapter 2:Tanghalian

“How’d the first practice go?”

Mike Zacharius shrugs, scooting over a little to make room for Erwin. They’ve been assigned lunch duty together again, and he’s happy about that on multiple levels: for one, Erwin is his best friend, and has been for going on five years now. For two, all Erwin has to do is lift his head and cast a steely, disappointed gaze around the lunch room, and all but the rowdiest of students settle down and go back to peacefully eating their lunch. For those rowdy ones, all Mike has to do is sit up straight and flex his shoulders, and they usually calm down too. On very rare occasions, one or both of them might have to stand up.

The admin is very clearly grooming Erwin for a future principalship, which Mike thinks he’d be very good at. He’s also self-aware enough to not be offended that the admins prefer Erwin over himself; he knows he doesn’t have the people skills to smooth over problems the way Erwin does, and is perfectly content to only knock heads together in the classroom and not the teacher’s office.

“Went okay.” Mike pokes forlornly at the bright orange glop on his tray and sighs; this is what he gets for eating his real lunch, the one he brought from home, around 10 AM. With a slight smile, Erwin reaches into his vest pocket and pulls out a granola bar, then slides it across the table to Mike. He falls on it greedily; sometimes, a man gets too hungry to be proud. “I think the newcomers might cause a little friction.”

“Really?” Erwin lifts his gaze and peruses the cafeteria, and without looking over his shoulder, Mike knows exactly what he’s seeing: Marcel Galliard, in the middle of a little gaggle of girls, holding court and smiling benevolently as he bestows his favors. They’re going to have to keep an eye on that one, or they’ll be fishing girls out of his car by Homecoming. “I wouldn’t have guessed.”

“Not the older one. He’s fine.” More than fine, really; Marcel fit in very naturally with the team, having gained that smooth, easy confidence that some Army kids get, that ability to mold himself into any social setting.

“Ah.” Erwin’s eyes crinkle at the corners as he looks back at Mike and pulls an apple out of his lunch bag. “The younger one?”

“That’s the kid.”

Erwin nods thoughtfully as he crunches into his apple. Mike unwraps his granola bar, knowing that Erwin is going to take a few moments to think this over, and phrase things properly. It’s one of the things he admires about him, and what makes him such a valuable asset to the school.

“He’s in my third period class,” Erwin announces, after he’s swallowed the bite he had in his mouth. “Along with the Braun boy.” He chuckles quietly. “Three days in and they’re already at each other’s throats.”

Mike nods. “Same thing at practice. If they get to be too shitty in your class, just let me know.”

He doubts Reiner would ever get shitty, per se, especially not with Erwin, but stranger things have happened. Who knows what the Galliard boy could goad him into?

Erwin waves one hand dismissively. “No, it’s not like that. They’re not being disruptive.”

“So what are they doing?”

“They both have… very strong opinions.” Erwin shrugs. “The Galliard boy seems the type to fight a battle just to keep himself entertained, and Reiner hasn’t realized yet that he’s being baited.”

“Ah.” Yes, that sounds about right. That’s almost exactly what’s happening during practice, and Mike sighs. There’s something else going on here, he knows, and he’s glad that Erwin is also aware of everything that went on this last summer. Mike had asked Reiner if it was okay to tell Erwin, even though the two of them aren’t close, because of Erwin’s connections in administration. Reiner had agreed, so Erwin will understand what Mike is about to ask without any prompting.

Although who knows, Erwin would probably have figured it out anyway, without any prompting or intel from Mike or Reiner. He probably knew Reiner’s secret before Reiner did.

“Do you think it has anything to do with what happened over the summer?”

Mike wants Erwin to shake his head; he wants Erwin’s reassurance that no, it’s definitely not related to all that mess in the slightest; this is just two headstrong teenager butting heads, and they’ll just have to be patient until Reiner and Porco realize how much they have in common and sort it out on their own. Reiner could use a friend as lively as he is, after all; he and Bertolt balance each other quite nicely, but Mike has also noticed Bertolt’s infatuation with Annie Leonhardt, and who knows where that might lead. Marcel Galliard might not be the only one with a car full of girls by the time Homecoming rolls around.

But Erwin thinks about it for a moment, then lifts his gaze from his lunch to look Mike dead in the eye and nod his head. “It very well might.”

“Dammit.”

Erwin reaches across the table and pats Mike’s arm. “It’s okay. They’ll sort it out, or they won’t. I’m sure Reiner is smart enough to not cause any issues for himself.”

Mike nods, but he isn’t so sure. In a town this small, where everyone is in everyone else’s business and the social atmosphere hasn’t changed much since the 1950s—oh heavens, those dreadful Klansmen don’t come around much anymore, even though my grandfather was one and he was the kindest man you’d ever expect to meet, when he wasn’t lynching black men—we don’t call the folks from south of the border nasty names anymore but can you imagine if one was dating your son? or your daughter?—bless your heart, you know you’re not really one of those dreadful people who date their own kind, those people only live in cities up north, you’ll fall in love with the right person sooner or later, and that person will be the opposite gender and you’ll have an enormous family or you’ll just break my heart—being different is a liability, and Reiner’s type of different is one of the worst kinds. Being black or Hispanic is one thing; everyone recognizes, on some level, that that isn’t something you can change, and you’re not responsible for accidents of your birth. But being gay? That’s still viewed as a suspicious, deviant choice, as something not understood and therefore to be feared, and Reiner is going to have a difficult time convincing anyone in the town otherwise. He’d known that from the very beginning, when he’d turned up on Mike’s doorstep, distraught and almost in tears, terrified that he’d be scorned and pushed away.

Mike would never do that. He might not fully understand the gay thing, but Reiner is like a son to him, and if he can help make the boy’s last two years of high school easier by keeping his secret, then so be it. As far as he knows, only Bertolt, Erwin, and himself know about Reiner’s discovery this summer.

Erwin smiles then, and Mike realizes he’s gotten lost in his thoughts. He shakes his head a little, and devotes his attention back to his friend.

“I wouldn’t worry about it too much. You know how kids are, and how fast these things come and go. Just keep an eye on it, and we’ll intervene if it looks like it’s going to erupt.”

Mike nods, grateful, as always, for Erwin’s council. “Yeah, that’s a good idea. Thanks.”

“Of course.” Erwin pulls a carefully-portioned salad out of his lunch bag and starts shaking the little bottle of dressing that he brought for it. “Besides, you have your own issues to deal with right now.”

“Huh?” Before Mike can ask what the hell Erwin is talking about, he hears a soft voice over his shoulder, and gets a whiff of light, fruity perfume that might actually just be the lingering scent of body lotion, and his heart picks up in his chest.

“Is this seat taken?”

“Not at all, Miss Nanaba!” Erwin announces grandly, and kicks Mike’s ankle under the table. “Please join us!”

(๑♡⌓♡๑).       ←(>▽<)ﾉ.    (◕ᴗ◕✿)       

Notes:

Erwin ships it.

📝"1395words"