How To Fix a Mechanic (BoyxBoy)

8

A/N: Up above we got the gorgeous Yara Shahidi as Rosie!

It was Wednesday morning and Joe was seated in his history class next to his friend Rosie. They'd known each other since elementary school and she was one of the only people who had any inkling that Joe was anything other than your average straight high schooler. Joe had always thought Rosie was beautiful despite his sexuality, she had smooth dark skin and shiny black hair,

She rolled her shoulders as if the class was taking a lot out of her.
"Please tell me more than five minutes has passed since I last asked you the time." She groaned. Joe chuckled and pulled his phone out discreetly, checking the time.
"Ten forty. Come on, we can do this." He grins sarcastically. She rolls her eyes at his mock enthusiasm and rests her head on the table.

"The Cuban missile crisis will be the death of me." She sighed, then looked up at him expectantly. "Anything interesting happened in your life recently?" Images of Manny immediately flashed through his head. He didn't see the harm in telling Rosie but he'd never properly discussed the event that took place nine years ago with her. He was unsure if she even remembered it.

"I'm learning mechanics." He admitted finally, then allowed his mind to flash back nine years.

NINE YEARS AGO...

"Wanna play with me?" Joe looked up from the grassy ground of the school yard at the new boy, his blue eyes were full of hope. He considered the question for a moment, then nodded. He seemed okay, and Miss. Anderson had told everyone to be nice to the new kid, Zack. Joe got up and extended a hand, the way his father had taught him to when introducing himself.

"My names Joe." He announced, Zack stared at the hand for a few seconds then shook it.
"Zack." He replied. They strolled together to a corner of the yard where trees dotted the area.
"What do you wanna play?" Joe asked, coming to a halt.

Zack looked pensive, then replied.
"Mommies and daddies. It's my favourite game." He explained. Joe was confused, how would they play mommies and daddies when they were two boys? He voiced this concern.
"But we're both boys, you need girls to play that game."

Zack squinted at Joe, as though he didn't understand.
"No you don't, I have two daddies." He informed Joe. Joe's mouth fell open in shock, how was that possible?
"You're lying." He replied sceptically. Zack shook his head knowingly, as if he'd heard this before.

"Nope. I have a dad and a daddy." He elaborated. "My daddy says that if people ask me why I have two daddies, I should tell them they love each other the same as a mommy and daddy." Joe thought about this, it didn't seem too far fetched, after all, what was stopping two men loving each other?

"I guess that makes sense." He relented. "But how do you know if you're supposed to be with a boy or a girl?" The subject had intrigued Joe, he wanted to know more.
"My dad says sometimes you know when you're little and sometimes when you're old. He told me that some people find girls pretty and some people find boys pretty."

Joe mulled this over, who did he find pretty? He thought girls were icky, especially his sister Angie. He didn't want to play kiss chase with the girls like his other friends. However, he liked watching Seth Daniels from the blue table play football. He liked Seth a lot and always wanted to play with him. Seth had cool green eyes and freckles.

"I think Seth from blue table is pretty." Joe announced. Zack scrunched his nose up at this.
"Who's that?" Joe scanned the playground for Seth, then pointed him out to Zack. Seth was wearing his football jersey today and running around with the boys in their class.

"I guess he is pretty." Zack admitted, almost begrudgingly. There was a silence between the two boys as they let this sink in. Joe had another question about the game they were going to play.
"Am I the dad or the daddy?" Zack smiled at this, evidently glad Joe understood.
"You're the daddy, my daddy has blond hair and so do you."

Joe shrugged, this made sense.
"So you're the dad?"
"Mhm." The two went back to being quiet, kicking at the dirt beneath their feet.
"So what do daddies do?" Joe asked finally, still rather perplexed by the whole business.

"Well, my daddies make me breakfast, they make my lunch and they make dinner, though it's mostly daddy that does that because dad goes to work. They also watch movies and play football with me." Zack explained, waving his hands around enthusiastically as he explained. Joe nodded as he recounted the activities.
"That's pretty much the same as my mom and dad." He agreed. "But we need a baby."

Zack's eyes widened at the realisation that Joe was right.
"Do you have any other friends that could play?" He asked and Joe hurried over to where his friend Rosie was sitting with a book.
"Hey Rosie, wanna play mommies and daddies with me and Zack?" He offered. The girl stared up at him from her book quizzically.
"I don't like being the mommy." She objected.

"It's okay, me and Zack are the daddies." He explained, Rosie didn't appear phased by this and got up, following him over to where Zack was waiting. "Rosie is the baby." Joe announced and Zack clapped his hands enthusiastically.

The game progressed peacefully, the three having fun playing happy families, but then the time came to put baby Rosie to bed.
"Good night Rosie." Zack said, miming tucking her in.
"Sleep tight." Joe added. "We're going to sleep too now." The two moved to sit beside her in an imaginary bed.

She watched them expectantly.
"What?" Joe said.
"Aren't you going to kiss? Mommies and daddies kiss when they say goodnight." He asked and Zack nodded pensively.
"She's right."

Joe stared at the two in surprise, a little apprehensive at the new rule that had just been sprung upon him. It wasn't as though the idea was totally ridiculous, it was true, his own parents did the same. He considered it for a few moments longer, then finally gave in.
"Fine, but only a small one." He leant towards Zack, his eyes closed and aiming for his cheek.

He felt movement in front of his face, and when he kissed Zack, he felt his lips touch lips, not a cheek. He jerked back in surprise, his eyes flying open. Zack stood in front of him, smiling innocently. Joe had just had his first kiss.

Joe would forever remember that day and the implications it had on his life. He'd never felt as if he'd done something wrong, after all, most children didn't even know homosexuality existed. But Joe knew after that, he never wanted to kiss a girl.

"Joe?" He was snapped out of his reminiscent state when Rosie spoke.
"Sorry, I zoned out. What did you say?" He apologised. Rosie cocked an eyebrow but brushed it off.
"I asked how things were going at the mechanics." She repeated.
"Oh, it's good. I get on pretty well with the guy that's teaching me." He admitted. Rosie smiled, Joe could have sworn there was a hint of knowing in her eyes.
"That's great."