Chapter Text
Clown flopped onto the bed, fourth hotel he’d been in all month. That was still crazy to him, they were in the finale. Chance to win the entire competition. Heart high had competed two years before, both times they made it to the third week, not the final.
All the teams were on fire this year, and Clown was especially doing great, in the competition too but mostly in his private life.
Getting stuck in different hotel rooms for two weeks with his new boyfriend~
Now that was fun.
Clown was usually barely alive by the end of the third week but something was so energizing about coming back to Branzy.
“Hmmmm which bed do you want?” Clown teased as Branzy set down his bags.
“We’re both just going to sleep in the bed closest to the air conditioning.” Branzy rolled his eyes.
“Hmm yes but I want to know whether I’m sleeping in your bed or if you’re sleeping in mine.”
Branzy laughed, double checking that the door was locked before coming over into Clown’s arms. Clown happily yanked his mask down and pulled Branzy into an open mouthed kiss, sliding his hand up under Branzy’s shirt.
“Seriously, why do people bother kissing with their mouths closed when they are already dating?” Branzy asked when he pulled himself out of Clown’s mouth.
“I think it’s because it’s more appropriate in public? Or maybe it gets more appealing once you’re out of the honeymoon phase?” Clown shrugged.
“Eh, guess we’ll find out eventually.” Branzy replied looking at his phone. “The game’s got delayed two days due to rain.” He smiled.
“Yes! That means more time alone with you.”
“My friends are probably going to want to do something.” Branzy commented. “How unfortunate they shoved me into a closet last week.”
Clown laughed hard.
“How long are you going to give them the cold shoulder?” He asked.
“Until I have full access to prank them. So once we’re back home.”
“You are one petty man.” He commented.
Branzy stretched out in Clowns lap.
“Yes, yes I am.” He laid down on Clowns chest. Clown was content to just lay there for a while.
“Is it to early to think about the future when we’ve only been dating for a week?” Branzy eventually asked.
“Depends on what you’re thinking about.”
“College mostly.”
“Well, that’s only a year away, so yeah. That’s pretty reasonable. What were you thinking?
“Weeelllll… you’ve already received college recruitment letters for colleges right? Like Rek?”
“Yeah, I have a few.”
“So you’re probably going to go to one of those colleges right?”
“Yeah… was planning on it.” Clown was playing with Branzy’s hair, he was staring to understand what he was getting at.
“So uh… how many of those have good engineering programs?”
“Honestly- I think most of them do. Most Schools who offer fencing scholarships are fancy, and good engineering schools are fancy.”
“That’s good…”
“Hmmmm?”
“Now the question is, can I get into those schools.”
Clown moved a little too get a better look at Branzy.
“Branzy you are the single most intelligent person I’ve ever met. You make crazy engineering stuff in your spare time because you’re bored. I think you’ll be fine.”
Branzy giggled snuggling into Clowns chest.
“I think the biggest threat to this relationship is the fact that we both suck at communication.” Clown admitted.
“We are going to need to practice that.” Branzy chuckled.
Suddenly there was a knock on the door. Branzy got up and Clown put his mask back on, he was comfortable around Branzy, and no one else.
Branzy fixed his shirt and opened the door. It was Rek and Chief.
“Hey, did y’all see the weather report?” Rek asked.
“Yeah- got two days worth of free time.” Branzy replied.
“So we were thinking we could maybe go out-“
“Funny. Last time I “we went out” I got shoved in a closet for an hour and a half.”
Clown chuckled as he saw Rek and Chief’s face twist into guilt, and dread.
“You’re still mad about that huh?” Chief asked
“You left us in there for an hour and a half.” Branzy said glaring at him.
“And now you and Clown are talking again.” Rek replied.
Clown had to hold back a cackle. He had no idea how Branzy was holding a straight face.
“Yeah, we are. So I’m going to go talk to Clown.” Branzy smiled slamming the door in their faces.
“That was harsh.” Clown commented.
“Yeah probably. But I was comfortable and I don’t appreciate being interrupted.” Branzy replied sliding back into Clowns arms.
Clown laughed. “When are we going to tell everyone about us?”
“Dunno. When we feel like it.” Branzy responded.
_______________
Everyone was on the edge of their seats. The stadium was packed. Rek, Chief, And Branzy were huddled around each other. Clown was trying not to collapse from exhaustion.
He had performed in the single hardest fencing competition he had ever participated in.
He came in third overall.
The final fencing teams were brutal. Clown thought he was feeling the fact he was the only heart high fencer before, but this was an entirely different game.
He used to think Zam was a difficult opponent. He was wrong.
Heart high did good, but it was incredibly unclear which school had the most points. Except in track of course. Because Rek Rap is a psycho who blows anyone and everyone completely out of the water.
But track points could only get you so far, and now they were standing all grouped up, waiting for the winner to be announced.
“And the winner of this year’s Country Competitive Schooling Match is…” the announcer started.
“Everyone uses the acronym for a reason.” Clown thought. It’s such a dumb name. He looked over at Branzy to make sure he had his headphones on. He did.
“HEART HIGH!!!!!”
Clown wished he had headphones for how loud the crowd screamed.
Cheers from all directions erupted, an assault of applause and shouts at every angle.
Clown covered his ears when he walked with his school onto the stage. Every group got a trophy for the section they competed in.
Clown laughed as he got handed the fencing team trophy. There was a place on the bottom for the names of the team members. It just had his name engraved.
Photos were taken. Clown put his track jersey on over his fencing gear, it was very funny, he saw Branzy laughing in the corner holding up the mathematics trophy.
Then the interviews started.
The track team interview wasn’t so bad, Clown just stood in the back while the announcer asked Rek a million questions about his routine and what he’d recommend to new track athletes.
The fencing interview was worse.
Most of the questions were normal at least.
“How are you feeling?”
“Tired.”
“Is it true you started fencing at six years old?”
“Yes.”
“Who’s your greatest inspiration?”
“My mother.”
“What would you recommend to a new fencer?”
“Uhh… probably to get comfortable and familiar with your equipment.” Clown griped the fencing helmet in his hand.
Then the inevitable weird questions.
“So, why do you wear a mask?”
“So I don’t get hit in the face with a sword.” Clown tried dodging the question.
The interviewer laughed but persisted. “No, the half mask.”
“Ohhhhhhh, this thing?” Clown replied pointing at his normal mask.
“I started doing it to get used to the fencing helmet, and now it’s just my style.” He said, hoping that convinced her to stop.
“does that mean you’re willing to show your face?”
Clown glanced around, Branzy was over to his left, his own robotics interview was finishing. It gave Clown an idea.
“Weeelll… no. This face is reserved for someone special.” Clown replied. He saw Branzy glance over at him, he was trying to figure out if Clown was about to do what he thought he was about to do.
“Oh really? A romantic partner?” The interviewer asked.
Clown hummed. He gently grabbed Branzy’s shoulders. He carefully positioned his fencing mask between them and the camera and leaned forward.
He waited until his face was as close to Branzy’s as possible before yanking his half mask down and kissing his boyfriend.
Branzy’s face hiding Clowns from anyone standing at an angle the fencing mask didn’t cover.
Clown pulled out after a moment fitting his mask back in place before anyone could see his face.
“Why are you like this?” Branzy asked, he was clearly on the edge of laughter.
“Hmmmmmm~ because I can!” Clown chuckled walking away. He could already feel his phone vibrating in his pocket.
Short Branzy pov section ———>
Branzy was walking with a sputtering Rek and a shocked Chief like nothing just happened on live television.
“Wh- Wh- Whe-“ Rek’s mouth wasn’t cooperating with him.
“We made out in the closet.” Branzy replied as if he was just commenting on the weather. He just walked away not heading any mind to his friends failed attempts to gain control of their mouths.