Chapter Text
“Once upon a time, a while ago, blah blah blah…”
“There lived a coin and… I don’t really know what you are, actually. A meteor?”
“It’s in the name, doofus.”
“Okay, okay, okay! There lived a coin and a fireball. Now, they didn’t know it yet, but they were about to be…”
Blown away.
Fireball doodled away on his desk, not doing any of his work as his English teacher drones on and on about William Shakespear, or something stupid like that. He didn’t hate the class, certainly as much as math. It was fairly easy - but he didn’t particularly like it. It was boring.
Pound, however, had been placed with him in it - one of the only classes they shared - which made it much less boring. He didn’t know why, but for some reason, Pound did that to every room they were both in.
He caught himself staring every once in a while. Staring.
I mean, come on - who does that?
I mean… Sure, he can be rather… Captivating. And pleasant, yes. And sure, his smile literally blinds me. And maybe I like that little hand thing he does when he’s nervous. And maybe I think it’s… Cute… Nope! No I don’t. It’s completely normal. I am most certainly normal about this equally normal guy.
“Fireball,” the teacher called, snapping him out of his thoughts. He sat up straighter, trying to fix his posture.
“What is the meaning of a synonym?”
“Uhhh…” Fireball stared at the board, on which was an example essay that he did not know was important.
The teacher pinched the bridge of her nonexistent nose, disappointed.
“How about Boulder?”
Everybody turned to Boulder, who froze like he was turned to stone (pun intended). He sank in his seat, uncomfortable in the spotlight. The teacher sighed, irritated.
“Glitchy?”
Glitchy levitated through the window and out of the building.
“NO!” They yelled as they floated elsewhere.
The teacher was just about to give up, when Pound nervously raised his hand.
“Pound?”
Lowering his hand again ever-so-slightly, he replied;
“I, er, think that it means that, uh, when two different words mean the same thing?” He stuttered out, his voice shrinking with every word.
“At least somebody in this classroom actually pays attention! Thank you, Pound.” The teacher praised him, and he blushed slightly from embarrassment as everybody’s eyes turned to him.
The teacher resumed the lesson, and Pound sank in his seat as he stuffed his face into his worksheet.
The bell rang, and the teacher told the class about the homework that about half of them were not going to do.
Fireball stepped out and waited by the door for Pound.
“Hi, Fireball!” Pound greeted happily.
“Hey Pound,” Fireball returned.
“So, uh, did anything happen in science with you-know-who?” Pound asked, concern in his voice. Fireball groaned, frustrated at the mention of him.
“Dude, Beer Keg is actually so annoying! It’s always ‘Princess Hat’ or how manly he is. I’m honestly this close to just burning him alive.” Fireball pinched his fingers together.
“And on top of that, he’s forcing me to do the entire group project by myself so he can go flirt with her.” Fireball added, rolling his eyes.
“But doesn’t she already have a boyfriend?”
“Exactly! He knows, but he thinks it’s just okay to do that???”
“Oof. I’m sorry that happened, Fireball. Do you want me to help?” Pound offered, brows furrowed.
“...Yeah, actually. That’d be nice.” Fireball answered. Pound smiled.
“So, when are we doing this thing?” He asked.
“How about… Is Saturday good?”
“Uh, sure. Your place?”
“Yeah,” Fireball agreed.
A loud tune played on the intercom, causing everybody in the hallways to stop in their tracks.
The booming voice of their principal, Vasey, had started an announcement.
“HELLO CHAMPION HIGH!!! TONIGHT, OUR SCHOOL WILL BE HOSTING A PROM FOR ALL SENIORS TO ATTEND TO AS THE REWARD FOR OUR ANNUAL FUNDRAISER LAST MONTH. YOU DON’T HAVE TO COME, BUT IT WILL BE FUN! WITH THAT, I AM SIGNING OFF. STAY CHAMPIONS!” Vasey finished, before the tune played once more and the intercom went quiet.
Fireball crossed his arms, unamused.
“A Prom night? Seriously? All anybody does is dance and make out,” Fireball stated, raising a brow.
“Well, I think it’d be fun!” Pound exclaimed, smiling brightly.
“Dude, I just told you why we shouldn’t go.”
“Oh, well, it’s just that… I’m not really invited to too many parties.” Pound confessed, face flushing red with shame.
“Dude, what? You’re like, kind of awesome??? I don’t see why you wouldn’t be invited to anything?” Pound went tomato red, averting his eyes to the ground. He fiddled with his hands, something he typically did whenever he was feeling flustered.
“Well, I, er, don’t really think much of it, but, uh, I think it’ll be nice?” Pound stammered, struggling to keep his face under control.
He clearly wasn’t used to compliments like that.
Fireball shrugged, uninterested.
“Okay. Tell me how it went when you get back.”
“Wait, you aren’t going?”
“Nah. Seems boring.”
“Oh.” Pound rubbed his arm, gaze dropping disappointedly.
“What’s up?” Fireball asked.
“I-it’s nothing,” Pound replied, before muttering under his breath; “I just thought it’d be fun if you were there too.”
Fireball, who had heard, felt himself going red. How was he supposed to say no to that???
“Well, I, er, guess if you… Want me there, I can… Go… With you…” Fireball mumbled, his face getting hotter and hotter by the second. Pound instantly blushed, with the corners of his lips turning upwards.
“Wait, wait, wait, wait!”
“Yeah?”
“Did they get married in the end?”
“Well, I can’t tell you that!”
“But I want to knowww!!!”
“You’ll know once we actually get to the end.”
“Okay…”
The bell rang, and Fireball turned around, when Pound called out to him.
“I’ll see you there!” And with a dorky wink, he was off.
Fireball stood there, a blushing mess, as other students narrowed their eyes at him suspiciously before they passed him by.
His first thought?
Holy sh-
“FIREBALL!!!”
“What?”
“Don’t. You. Dare.”
“Fine.”
“Thank yo-”
“Fuck.”
“FIREBALL I SWEAR-”