Rainbow Connection, AFTG ✔️

2.12

CHAPTER TWELVE
PORTER

Porter didn't like the press. People with cameras were normally incredibly insensitive, invasive, and rude. The one thing he liked was the dressing up. Porter and James both looked good in the suit jackets provided for them; he sported gray, and James' was blue.

Porter also liked kissing Kevin. It was becoming frequent, very frequent, but Porter still didn't see it coming when Kevin slid into the room and kissed him. James and Nicky had only just left to go find a water fountain, but Kevin had never been one to waste time. It was short, and Kevin pulled back and put space between them by the time Andrew and Neil walked in.

"Don't say anything Neil would say," Andrew offered, and Porter wondered if that was encouragement.

"My responses are the least of my worries," Porter muttered. He turned to look in the mirror, scrunching up his nose, "It's the questions I'm worried about."

Andrew mused for a second, then guessed, "The brother?"

Porter snapped his head towards Andrew with a sharp glare, "You're one to talk."

James and Nicky returned just before an ESPN employee signaled them that the show was about to begin filming. The other Foxes drifted out to sit on the set, and James and Porter were left to wait for their segment.

"You need to relax," James advised. It was ironic that he would give Porter such advice, considering James was leaning on one of the dressers and glaring at his own reflection. "You shouldn't go out there that tense."

"They're going to ask about Vincent," Porter tapped his foot anxiously. Though he was attempting to take deep breaths, it wasn't helping him much. He crossed his arms over his chest and said, "James, I don't know how to answer questions like that!"

"Calmly," James emphasized, and his tone came out sharp. He stopped glaring at himself when he backed away from the dresser, but he kept his eyes on the mirror and tussled his hair around. Both he and Porter had longer hair than they'd been allowed in the nest at this point -- Porter would've wondered more about James' actions if James hadn't gone back to snappily explaining things to him. He said, "Falsely. Never tell the truth in an interview. It's in the Bible."

"No, it isn't," Porter had done enough coloring sheets of bible verses to know that.

"Yes, it is," James insisted, "Reread Deuteronomy. It will tell you exactly what I'm telling you right now."

With an obnoxiously loud sigh, Porter sat on the green room couch and placed his head in his hands. "I hate everything," He muttered.

"Porter, listen," James stopped looking in the mirror and walked over. The couch dipped beside him, but Porter didn't look up until James pried his right hand off of his face and squeezed it, "We're doing this together, so we can either both be terrified, or we can both pretend to be calm. And personally, I am going to fake it until I make it."

"Alright," Porter nodded along with his words, "I'm overthinking. Betsy says I have anxiety."

"Porter," James stood up and dropped his hand, "You were waterboarded during puberty. Yes, you have anxiety, I could have told you that."

Rolling his eyes, Porter retorted, "You phrase your words so eloquently." He subtly celebrated using some of the words that Nicky had taught him the meanings of. James scoffed but smiled.

A stagehand dressed in black and wearing a headset came for them eventually. She led them through the bland hallways of the building and onto the stage, where multiple cameras pointed to a hybrid ESPN meets late-night show set up. The Foxes, Hayden, and two of Hayden's vixen friends had come with Wymack and Abby, and they waved when they saw the pair. James' gaze lingered on Hayden's bandaged face, and Porter wondered how the two had talked that incident out. He'd ask later, once his heart had stopped pounding.