WARNING:  THIS STORY CONTAINS SEXUAL ATTRACTION/ROMANTIC FEELINGS BETWEEN TWO BOYS.  IF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT, YOU DO NOT HAVE TO READ THIS.  I WILL NOT BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR YOUR OWN DISCOMFORT OR UNHAPPINESS.

Brandon was over this whole asking someone to homecoming thing. Not because he didn't want to ask anyone, but because people kept pestering him about it. He was getting fed up with people coming up to him and asking if he had asked anyone yet, or who he was going to ask, or how he'd do it. He was also 97.65% sure people were talking behind his back about which girl they thought he'd ask.

There lie the problem.

Brandon wasn't going to ask a girl. He was going to ask a boy. And not just any boy, he was going to ask Sam.

It had been over a year since Sam had confronted him in the band room about his behavior. Brandon had avoided and acted irritated and wound up around Sam and the rest of the band for a while before the teen had taken the opportunity on a 90 minute delay to figure out what was up. One thing led to another, and Brandon had confessed that he liked the slightly taller teen. Sam not only took it well, he had told Brandon that he felt the same way.

Just the fact that they had managed to keep this under wraps for that long was kind of impressive. Of course, they weren't actually dating. They'd gone out on dates, but mostly they just hung out like they always did. They had talked about being boyfriends, but there was always one thing that stopped that from going any further. They went to a Catholic high school.

Don't get me wrong, there were plenty of non straight people at the school, especially in the band, but not many of them dated. As open as some people were about their sexuality, not many of them had public relationships. Nobody was quite certain what the school would do, or even if anyone would intervene at all. Some people speculated that Campus Ministry would have a 'talk' with them, but most people just thought nothing would come of it. Regardless of what people thought, no one really risked it.

And right there, in a nutshell, was why homecoming was two weeks away and Brandon had yet to ask Sam.

\/(._.)\/

It was Wednesday afternoon. School had just let out about ten minutes ago and Brandon was heading out to his car. The band didn't practice on Wednesdays so there was no reason to stay. Some people would stay and hang out together for a bit or get help on various items of homework before parents showed up or siblings were ready to leave, but mostly people just left.

And that's what Brandon had had in mind. Until he was called into the band room on his way through the back hallway.

"Hey, Brandon! Come here."

Brandon inwardly sighed, really just wanting to go home. He had to figure out how to ask Sam, or even if he really wanted to risk doing it. Sam could say no. Either because he wouldn't want to go, or because he was going to ask someone else, or because he didn't want to risk it either.

"What's up?" Brandon asked, walking towards the group of teens just inside the the room. There were about five or so people there who were looking at him.

"Before the dance, we're all going to meet up and have dinner together, like one big double date. Come with?"

Brandon wasn't sure that was a good idea. If he ever got around to asking Sam, he still wasn't sure what they'd do or where they'd go. Oh jeez...maybe he should just agree... Then again, if he agreed but didn't ask Sam or if Sam said no, then Brandon would be feel obligated to go and he'd be there by himself, surrounded by couples...

"Sure." Brandon said before he even realized it. He cringed mentally. This probably wouldn't end well.

\/(._.)\/

Brandon sat on his bed, staring at his phone. The screen showed Sam's contact along with the option to call or text him.

Should he...? No. He had to ask in person. But then again...maybe he could set up a time...

Game night.

Every Saturday, the two of them had game night where they would stay up until at least one a.m. playing video games. Once, they had played a bunch of ridiculous board games when the power went out. (The game of Monopoly had gone on for somewhere around three hours or so.)

But that was three days from now...

'Crap...' Brandon thought to himself. The brunette hit the call button and put the phone up to his ear. As he waited for Sam to pick up, he realized just how dark his bedroom had gotten.

When he had come in here around four, it hadn't been dark enough to warrant turning on the light. Brandon glanced over at his clock. It was flashing 7:54 p.m. How was it already eight?

"Hello?"

"Hey, Sam. What's up?" Brandon wanted to smack himself. 'Really? You couldn't think of anything better?'

"Just homework. You?"

"Uhh...nothing..." 'Jeezis...'

"You sure?"

"Actually, I need to talk to you about something...tomorrow morning..."

"But...not now?"

"Well, we could. I would just rather we not...okay?"

"Yeah...sure."

Brandon breathed a quiet sigh of relief. Little did he know that Sam had heard it.

"Brandon?" The door opened slightly and Brandon's mom stuck her head in the room. "Dinner's been ready for a while, sweetheart. Have you eaten?"

"Not yet, Mom. I will in a minute."

"Okay." she left and closed the door behind her, leaving Brandon alone again.

"I have to go, Sam. See you later."

"See ya."

Brandon hung up and went downstairs to eat before his mother started thinking there was something wrong. Not that there technically wasn't something wrong, but still, he didn't feel like having that conversation.

*~*~*

"Hey, Brandon."

The teen turned to see Sam coming into the small, secluded hallway just behind the cafeteria and gym from outside, his backpack slung over his shoulder. His hair was damp from the rain that was pouring down just outside the doors.

"What did you want to talk about?" Sam asked, setting his backpack down by the closed (and locked) band room door.

Brandon looked towards the cafeteria door, silently praying no one would come back here for a few minutes. (Not likely, since the band kids just sort of migrate towards the band room and wait on the ramp for the door to be unlocked. This makes it very hard to get through the hallway sometimes in the morning.)

Deciding that he probably only had a few seconds before people flocked into the small area, Brandon took Sam's wrist and pulled him up the ramp into the little nook outside the percussion/stage door.

"Bran-?"

"Will you go to homecoming with me?"

The cramped space was filled with silence. It was darker up there than it had been in the hallway, but both boys could see just fine. Brandon watched Sam carefully as the slightly taller trumpet player stood there, not saying a word.

Just when Brandon was thinking he'd made a mistake, Sam spoke.

"Yes, I will."

Brandon smiled and hugged him, and Sam hugged back.

"Took you long enough." Sam mumbled into Brandon's shoulder.