Work Text:
Matthias huddled over his binder as he walked down the halls of his school. The school was very prestigious. Only the kids of very wealthy parents got to come here. Unfortunately, this didn’t clear them of the usual bullies.
He tripped over an extended foot, toppling to the ground, items spilling out over the ground. A loud high pitched laugh rang out from above him. Matthias scowled at the heeled boot that appeared in front of him. The owner leaned down, blue eye not hidden behind red bangs staring condescendingly at him, with a smug smirk accompanying it.
“Whoops. Didn’t see you there. Oh, wait, you’re invisible!” She cackled, standing back up. Matthias’ girlfriend, Autumn, rushed over, extending a hand to help him up, glaring at the other girl.
Naomi Kurtzberg, head bully of the school. Her dad was insanely rich. Even with her bangs covering one eye, she surveyed everything happening in this place. Maybe he could make a poetic statement about how her high ponytail reflected her high status, but he didn’t really care.
It was all of a relief when she finally transferred away.
---
Naomi Nathaniel stared out the window of the car, on her his way to his new school. Upon further reflection of his actions at his previous school, Nathaniel concluded one thing.
He was a fucking bitch.
Key word being ‘was’ because he was sure as hell going to try and become better.
Why had he even bullied people besides his internalized dysphoria? With a side glance towards his father driving the car, he remembered.
Nathaniel had wanted to stand out. He needed the attention from his classmates. Needed the attention he never got from his parents.
Maybe it was some form of self harm to willingly deprive himself of attention. Nathaniel liked to think of it as karma. Karma for bullying others for that same lack of presence in a room.
He never wants to go back to that life.
---
During a date with Autumn, Matthias squinted at the group traveling down the street, specifically at the boy with red hair and bangs covering his left eye.
...That wasn't a boy.
He approached the group, "Naomi?"
Naomi turned around, along with the other people.
"Oh, do you two know each other?" A perky blonde girl chirped.
Naomi rubbed her arm, "Um, I go by Nathaniel now." She smiled at him, "He/him pronouns.”
Matthias scowled, “What? You think pretending you’re a boy will suddenly erase everything you did?”
Naomi flinched, backing into the crowd of students who were edging her behind them.
“Hey, don’t talk to Nathaniel like that!”
“Nathaniel?!” Matthias shouted, “Please, her name is Naomi! And a huge bully is what she is!”
A transphobic slur escaped Autumn’s mouth that made the entire group gasp, not including Matthias.
She deserved it. After everything she did to them, this was simply revenge. Naomi couldn’t seriously expect them to go along with her boy illusion after all the bullying.
An androgynous figure walked to the front of the crowd, standing in front of Matthias and Autumn. “Leave,” They growled.
Both teens scoffed, turning away and removing themselves from the situation.
---
Marc turned back to Nathaniel, who seemed to be trying to sink into his jacket, arms wrapped around himself. He walked up to his boyfriend, brushing away his bangs, “Are you okay?”
Nathaniel mumbled a small noise, before leaning forward and burying his face in Marc’s chest, hugging him, letting the writer run his hands through his hair. The class stood there, awkwardly, not quite knowing what to do. Eventually, they all ended up in one giant group hug.
As they separated, Kim spoke up, “What was that about being a bully?”
Nathaniel bit his lip, “Um. I used to be like Chloe at my old school. Bullying included.” That statement was met with several shocked stares. “I’m different now I swear!” He scowled at the ground. “I’m never going to be like that again.”
Marc smiled, holding Nathaniel’s hands and rubbing the back of them with his thumbs, “For the record, I think you’re doing a great job.”
Nathaniel rolled his eyes, but a fond smile was on his face, “You’re just saying that because you’re my boyfriend.”
“But it’s true!”
The class relaxed as the two boyfriends bantered lovingly. It was good that Nathaniel felt better from the insults thrown his way.
---
Almost an entire decade had passed since that moment, and the memory was almost erased from Matthias and Autumn’s minds.
The couple, if you could even call them that, were arguing in the streets.
“Oh, please! You wouldn’t be able to find anyone half as good as me!”
“Oh, really?! Well, watch me!” Autumn snapped back, stomping down the streets. She eventually locked eyes onto a tall man with muscle, red hair styled with an undercut. Autumn could already feel herself drooling at this absolute masterpiece of a man.
The woman strolled up to him, twisting her hair around her finger, “Hello! What’s your name, hot stuff?” The man turned to her, revealing another girl in his vicinity. Autumn smiled, drawing small circles on his biceps, “You know, you could do so much better than her. Why not come home with me tonight?”
“I’m not even a girl-”
“Autumn?”
Autumn froze, looking up. “You know me?”
Those sea blue eyes turned icy, “How could I forget the person who called me a slur in the middle of the street?”
Autumn felt her mouth go dry.
“Naomi?!” Matthias yelled in shock, from his spot a few feet away.
“Nathaniel,” With a cold smirk, he turned away, “And you actually thought I’d be interested in you. What a joke.”
The girl he was with flipped them both off before attaching her hand to the other’s.
Autumn and Matthias scowled from where they were frozen in place.
There was no way that guy was Naomi.
---
“Did they think you were a girl?” Nathaniel asked, swinging their connected hands together.
Marc giggled at how sappy his boyfriend still was, ten years into their relationship, “I think so.”
“That’s crazy.”
“I’ll personally take it as a compliment myself.”
They both laughed as they continued on their date.