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The first thought Flux has when he looks at the notice board next to the office is ‘Crow’s going to kill me.’ The second thought he has is ‘I’m going to kill Saparata.’
Speak of the devil, he appears right beside Flux, already searching for his name near the top of the list. Flux sees the exact moment Saparata notices his name, and Flux’s below it, the shit-eating grin spreading wide across his face.
“Told you my scores would be higher than yours, Aculon.” The white-haired boy taunts, leaning into Flux’s personal space.
He rolls his eyes, stepping away from the other, “Whatever, Theria. My end of year scores will still be better than yours.”
“Oh, you wanna bet?” Saparata smirks, tilting his head in that specific way he always does, something that annoys Flux to the core.
“No. That’s childish.” He scoffs, already turning to get to his class. He has better things to do than arguing with Saparata Theria over their midterm scores. Besides, now he has even more motivation to go to classes, he can’t let Saparata take his number one spot again.
“Coward.”
The words are spoken quietly enough that only Flux hears the insult that the other boy had just thrown at him, but it’s enough to make him stop in his tracks. He turns back around, his smile polite in contrast to the glare directed at Saparata, “I’m sorry?”
“For what?” Saparata asks, matching his smile. As much as he irritates Fluixon, it is certainly impressive how easily he can keep up with him.
Flux huffs, crossing his arms, “Fine. I'll bet you I’ll come first for end of year exam scores.”
“Okay. What are the stakes? You can't have a bet with no stakes.” Saparata says, “It has to be something big…”
Flux rolls his eyes, “Come up with something, then tell me.”
Saparata raises an eyebrow, “You’re sure you want to let me decide, Flux?”
Flux shrugs in response. The entire thing is stupid anyway, he is only doing this because Saparata had insulted him to his face and he can’t possibly let that slide.
“Okay then! Whoever wins gets to dare the loser to do something. Loser can't say no.” Saparata grins, the kind Flux was sure he used to romance girls at shitty house parties.
“Yeah, that’s fine, whatever. I’m going to win anyway, get ready to do something embarrassing, Theria.” Flux replies, agreeing to the terms.
“Sure you will, Aculon. Anyway, when I win, I’m excited to see you dancing around in a pink tutu during our final P.E. lesson.” Saparata has the audacity to giggle at Flux’s horrified expression before skipping off to his lesson.
God, Flux can’t wait to wipe the stupid smirk off his face when he wins the bet.
“Rumor has it that you and Saps have a bet going on.” Rotation says as Flux sits down at their usual lunch table opposite him, Snowbird and Gotoga.
Flux sighs, “Yeah, so what?”
“Is it a bet we can bet on?” Gotoga asks, “Like, how much money will I win if I bet on you?”
“You would really bet on Flux?” Snowbird snickers, “I’d put all my money on Saps.”
“Do either of you even know what the bet is?” Seraphim questions as she sits down beside Flux, Thomas coming to sit on his other side.
“The bet is which one of us will come first in exam scores at the end of the year,” Flux explains, picking at the slightly unappetising school cafeteria chicken on his tray, “So, for the record, you should bet on me, because there’s no way in hell I’m letting Saparata Theria beat me again.”
Newkids appears as cryptically as usual, somehow having taken his spot next to Seraphim without anybody noticing, “I could deal with him if you needed me to.”
“In what sense?” Thomas hesitantly asks, looking over at him.
“Oh, you know. Whatever Flux needs.” Newkids shrugs, as if he would genuinely carry out murder if Flux (or any member of the Conspiracy) asked him to… maybe Flux should file this information away for later, it could always come in handy.
“You know, Saps has taken Flux’s top spot two terms in a row. I feel like we should be considering that when we bet.” Gotoga points out, but he’s quick to tack, “Not that I don’t believe in Flux or anything,” onto the end of his sentence.
“We do what we always do,” Thomas says, ever the rational one of their group, “Gather up as much money as we can, split it halfway and then whichever side wins gives back most of the betting pool to the Conspiracy.”
Flux, while usually supportive of this plan, is still mildly hurt that his friends wouldn’t place all their bets on him, but he sucks it up, going back to his lunch.
“Oh my god, Flux, stop sulking.” Snowbird scoffs, poking him with his foot, “Join my tetris game.”
There are many words Flux could use to describe his home life. They are all synonyms of the word “bad”.
He gets home as usual, in the back of Cynikka’s car after she picks him up on the way home from her college, tiptoes up the stairs to his room in an attempt to not piss off Crow while he’s working, throws his bag on his bed and starts studying. He awaits dinner time, where his parents will inevitably tell him to get his act together and remind him that neither of his older siblings ever had to compete for the top spot in their school’s exam ranks.
He bitterly thinks that neither of them had to compete with Saparata Theria, which is obviously an unfair disadvantage for him.
See, Flux had always been the top of his class until he and Saparata had met. He had even beaten Cynikka in her last year of middle school. In fact, his grades were so perfect throughout all of middle school that he had been invited to go to the prestigious Pandora Academy.
Flux had no issues with his school in his first term, but halfway through ninth grade Saparata Theria had transferred into their class. Suddenly, for the first time in his life, Flux was competing with somebody other than his older siblings. It was thrilling for a while, he and Saps were tentative friends until the other boy had scored better on their end of year exams. Since then, they had been fighting for that number one spot, always trying to prove that they were better than other.
Flux shakes his head, groaning. This stupid bet is ruining his ability to concentrate.
Dinner is tense, to say the least. His parents give him the usual spiel of comparing him to basically everyone in their family, they get into a huge argument, Flux slams his door. Pretty much like every other Aculon family dinner.
Cynikka walks into his room, makes small talk about something. Flux pretends to not hear Ender shouting with their parents downstairs about how unfair it is for them to always compare their kids. It’s fine. It’s home.
Flux spends the next months of his life studying obsessively. He hadn't exactly been the most social before, but he turns down any invitation he gets to hang out. Everything becomes about the exams.
He wishes it were as simple as just wanting to beat Saparata, but there's more to it. He needs to prove himself.
As he’s walking to his lesson, reading over his notes on the book they’ve been analysing in literature, he's stopped by a hand on his shoulder.
He barely manages to keep his scoff to himself, turning around to find Saparata behind him. Flux waits for him to speak, but he just opens and closes his mouth like a goldfish out of water.
“Did you have anything to say or can I go to my lesson?” Flux asks, fed up of waiting for Saparata to learn to connect his mouth to his brain.
“Wannacometomybirthdayparty?” Saparata forces out, the words meshing together with how quickly he says them.
“What?”
“Um. Do you want to come to my birthday party?”
Flux is surprised. He clearly doesn't respond for long enough that Saparata feels like he should say something, “It’s next Friday. Well, my birthday's on Wednesday actually, but the party is Friday night. I thought, maybe, you would want to come.”
“I know when your birthday is.” Flux finds himself saying, and he does know. March 30th. “Look, I’m sorry, but I’m really busy-”
“Yeah, that's why I’m inviting you, Flux.” Saps interjects, the usual confidence he carries himself with returning to his stance, “No offense, but you’ve been kind of a shut-in for the past two months.”
“Offense taken.” Flux retorts, “What would you know? It’s not like we hang out.”
“We totally- ugh, whatever. Even the Conspiracy have been saying you keep blowing them off to study,” He explains, crossing his arms, “Just… think about it, okay? I don't want you to go insane over your scores.”
Flux spends the next week agonising over Saparata’s birthday as well as his exam scores.
theria (do not call when drunk.)
fluuuuux
you coming tmr???
fluixon
we’ll see.
theria (do not call when drunk.)
get me a present ;)
‘Of course he’s operating on the assumption that I’m showing up’, Flux thinks, scoffing to himself. He puts his phone down, going back to highlighting his biology textbook.
On Friday, Flux goes to buy a present after his classes. He sneaks out of the house after dinner, texting Cynikka to cover for him if his parents ask about him. He walks through the suburbs, making his way to Saparata’s house.
The smell of cigarette smoke and weed wafts over from the garden, where Flux can already see the heads of people poking over the fence. The music echoes from the house, certainly keeping the Theria’s neighbours awake. There’s a girl crying on her friend’s shoulder as they sit on the front steps of the porch, “I just don't understand why he doesn't like me!”
Flux fights the urge to roll his eyes, deciding he already hates it here. He makes his way inside anyway.
Saparata isn’t hard to spot. He has a crown on his head and a “Happy Birthday!” sash. Their eyes find each other's, and Saparata visibly lights up, a grin spreading across his face.
“Flux! You actually showed up!” He shouts across the room, running to meet Flux halfway.
“Can’t say no to a friend, can I?”
Flux immediately cringes at calling Saparata a friend, but the white-haired boy’s grin just widens. “Is that a gift I see?”
Flux groans, but hands the bag over to Saparata, “Here. Don’t judge, the last time we had a conversation about what we liked was in 9th grade.”
“You remembered.” Saparata says, his voice uncharacteristically soft and barely audible over the music. In his hands he holds a necklace with a sunflower charm. He laughs, pulling Flux into a hug. “That’s the best gift I’ve gotten today.”
Flux freezes for a moment but smiles, freeing himself from the hug, “Happy birthday, Saps.”
Saps smiles back, gentle at first, but then his eyes flash mischievously, “Hey, let’s go get a drink!”
“Ugh, fine. Just because it’s your birthday, Theria.” Flux replies, letting himself be dragged along by Saps.
“Yippie! Yippie for the world!”
Flux does not remember much of that night. He thinks he and Snowbird ended up on a table at some point? There’s video evidence of Rotation and Gotoga beating Schpood’s ass in Just Dance. He’s pretty sure he saw Thomas making out with Saps’ twin brother, which is definitely an image he doesn't want to have in his head. He doesn't remember how he got home, (he vaguely thinks Jophiel might've decided to call a taxi for everybody after Cass nearly fell off the balcony), doesn't remember how he got to his bedroom without his parents hearing.
He also does not remember stealing Saparata Theria’s hoodie, but he is literally wearing the evidence. He groans, peeling the hoodie off and taking one of the painkillers he keeps in the drawer of his bedside table. He goes through his morning routine, electing to skip breakfast and throws himself straight into studying to make up for the time he lost yesterday.
At some point while he’s doing practice questions his phone screen lights up, the notification sound for his messages playing.
saps (best student fyi)
thanksfor comung
Flux sighs at the text. For his own sanity he doesn't acknowledge the change in Saps’ contact name.
fluixon
did the hangover kill your ability to spell?
saps (best student fyi)
shut up aculon
thanks for the gift
fluixon
you already said thank you
saps (best student fyi)
i didn't actually
i just said it was the best gift i’d gotten
fluixon
sorry, got my compliments mixed up
silly me
saps (best student fyi)
wait off-topic did you also see thomas and micro last night or was i just out of it.
fluixon
god please don't make me think about that. i can’t believe my best friend is into your twin.
He spends an hour of time where he could be studying texting Saps. For some reason, he finds he doesn't mind it.
On Monday, he walks into school and is greeted with the sight of Micro and Saps standing with his friend group. He pretends not to notice the hand Thomas has around Micro’s shoulders. He pretends not to notice the sunflower charm necklace replacing Saps’ uniform tie. He pretends not to notice his eyes flitting to Saps more than usual.
April passes by, as busy as ever. His teachers keep pressuring everyone about exams. Of course, Flux isn't actually worried about the exams. He has a projected 95% or higher in every subject, he excelled during their mock exams. He’s worried about the leaderboard. He’s also concerned about how his relationship with Saparata Theria is closer to how it used to be in the first year they knew each other. Luckily, he finds that studying obsessively is a great cure to thinking too much.
The first two weeks of May are pretty much the same as April. Teachers cram topics they haven't covered yet into lessons that definitely aren't long enough to discuss them. Somehow he ends up sitting next to Saps most lessons.
The next two weeks are his written exam period. Then two weeks of oral exams. Saps texts him after each one to ask how they went. Even the ones the other isn't taking.
saps (stupid white chud)
bio was today right??
how’d it go flux
fluixon
good
essay topic was insulin
i’ve never been more thankful
saps (stupid white chud)
YIPPIE!!
thomas says hi
fluixon
he’s at your house again??
how was physics btw
saps (stupid white chud)
easiest exam of my life
micro thinks he’s failed
fluixon
is that really that big of a surprise
saps (stupid white chud)
he’s lowk better than me in practicals
but i also don't remember the last time i saw him open a textbook
Flux rolls his eyes, but a small smile graces his face. He throws his phone onto his bed as he goes back to the last minute chemistry practice paper he’s been doing.
Exams end. Normally this time of year he spends holed up at home, stressing about whether he’d done good enough to beat Saps. This year he hangs out with his friends, going out practically every afternoon. His parents don't even stop him. He thinks it may have something to do with the unconditional offer he had received from the top medical school in the country.
The first thing Flux does when he walks into school is walk to the office. Unfortunately, everybody else has also had the same idea. He shoves his way between two girls who are excited that they’ve passed (seriously, were exams that hard for these people?) and looks up at the top section of the paper pinned to the notice board.
Saps appears next to him. They see the scores at the same time. Flux grins while Saps’ face falls.
“Told you so, Theria.”
“Shut up, Aculon.”
“So, ready to hear your dare, Saps?”
Two days later, Saps stands on a cafeteria table with a microphone in his hand that Gotoga had managed to hook up to the school sound system secretly. He is dressed as a hippie (well, kind of, Flux honestly thinks the costume could be more accurate) instead of wearing their school uniform. The music starts and their eyes lock.
Flux is confused. He’s supposed to be singing Hair. What he gets instead causes him about 20 internal crises. Saps’ voice never wavers as he sings the lyrics to Marry You by Bruno Mars, his gaze never pulling away from Flux’s.
Flux has about a million thoughts at once, including: ‘How dare he ruin my prank.’, ‘Why is he singing a love song?’ and ‘He’s such an idiot.’
Somehow the one that manages to overwhelm him is, ‘Oh. I love him.’
The kind of love that builds up slowly. The kind that only exists because Saps had never stopped trying to tear down Flux’s walls. The kind that means a steady presence beside him that he hadn’t even realised was there.
The song ends and Flux is still too stunned to speak. By the time he comes to his senses, the teachers in the room have already told Saps off, dragging him toward the office.
“Wow, I didn't know somebody could make Flux speechless.” Seraphim comments, causing the rest of the Conspiracy to giggle.
“Well, if it was going to be anybody it was obviously Saps.” Thomas adds.
“Hey, by the way, Flux, thanks for winning us that bet. We bet everything on you and made back quadruple what we put in. How much do you want?” Snowbird asks.
Flux doesn't reply. He can't. There’s nothing he can do right now but sit with the fact that he’s in love with Saps.
“Uh, hello? Earth to Fluixon?” Rotation says, waving a hand in front of his face.”
Flux swats it away, standing up. “I’ll be back. Or not. I don't know. Were you guys in on that?”
“Obviously,” Gotoga snorts, “I was the one you told to set up the music.”
Right. Obviously.
Thomas nudges him, “So, are you going to go collect Saps from the office or are you just planning to stand there awkwardly?”
“I hate all of you.” Flux elects to say, before practically running towards the office.
“Aw, he loves us so much, doesn't he?”
Flux sits in front of the office for an hour before Saps comes out. The annoyance on Saps’ face melts away when his gaze meets Flux’s, a small smile spreading instead. “So, uh… did you like it?”
“You know, I’m kind of pissed about my prank getting upstaged, Theria.”
“Oh, so you admit I upstaged you, Aculon?”
Flux scoffs, grabbing Saps by his stupid barely hippie shirt and dragging him into the nearest classroom.
“You are the single most annoying person I know.” He says as he sits down on one of the desks, “How the hell did you convince my friends to do that?”
Saps grins, locking the door behind them, “Thomas shares a surprising amount of dirt on his friends when he gets high with Micro. Also, I convinced them it’d be funnier to embarrass you rather than me.”
“Oh my god, you’re actually the worst.” He groans, rubbing his hands over his face.
Saps chuckles, coming to stand in front of Flux, his hands planting on either side of him on the desk. “So, your opinion on the song?”
“I hate you.” He says before promptly pulling Saps into a kiss.
Their first kiss barely constitutes one with how wide they both end up smiling into it, and it’s somehow everything Flux has ever wanted.
Flux sits on his boyfriend’s lap as they watch a movie, wearing the hoodie he had never given back to Saps. He and Thomas have fully invaded Theria sibling movie nights at this point.
Snowbird pipes up from where he’s sitting next to them, “Hey, I hope both of you know I’ve won so much money off of your relationship.”
“Pay attention to the movie, Snowbird!” They shout at the same time.