Time Warp: Mini Space Doctors!

[Dr. Roman Tilford]

There were a few things fourteen year old Roman Tilford was looking forward to. His teachers had gone easy on them for the weekend, and the little bit of homework he had been assigned was long since finished. Which meant he was free to pester his best friend, and if he was lucky, James would agree to do something fun.

Practically bouncing, the teenager tore down the dormitory hallways, every two steps in danger of falling on his face. Cursed growth spurts. All he wanted was to find James and convince him that Friday night was a perfectly legitimate reason for them to do something fun. And try again to see if his friend would let him try alcohol. So far, he’d had no luck in that endeavour, but he wasn’t giving up.

“Jaaaaay!” Two steps from his friend’s dorm, he was already calling his name. Instead of knocking conventionally, he body slammed the door in his excitement, only then knocking his fist against it. “Jay! Open up! It’s FRIDAY!” As if that was all the explanation he really needed, he stopped knocking and instead jigged outside the door. James was cool, and Rome liked spending time with him. He was smart, and funny, and one day, he would let him drink. He was sure of it. “Hurry UP Jay!”

[Dr. James Campbell]

The past two years of Hammel had improved James Campbell's outlook on the school. He was still living in the dorm--which was weird enough, but they put him with other older students and they never bothered him--but he was going to be allowed to move to Pilot Ridge at the beginning on the next semester if he didn't run away again. And since James had been divorced for almost a full year now and Lucy was letting him talk to Ginny on the phone again, it wasn't likely.

He was going to be living in the cheap apartment above the bakery where he was working, and he was going to apply to the Ph.D. program at UVT. Everything was going well, plus he had a date tonight.

"It's unlocked, Rome! Come on in!" James might have been almost ten years older than the plant manipulator, but Roman was a good kid. He didn't seem to care that his older friend was inept at using his powers or that he was obviously a social failure. He didn't turn from the mirror and kept fiddling with his tie, debating whether to take it off entirely. (He'd never seen Ty wear one, but he only saw him when they were at work, and Ty spent all day cooking in the back room.) "And I know how calendars work. It is Friday."

[Dr. Roman Tilford]

Roman had never had any negative outlooks on the school. He loved Hammel, and if he could just figure out how to escape training without turning his thumbs green again (it was. Not. FUNNY.), he’d be having a great time. James really seemed to help. He liked having someone to gripe to about power training, and someone to assist him with stupid homework, particularly history. He never really questioned their friendship. All he knew was that James was old. And therefore, COOL.

Upon hearing it was unlocked, Rome grinned and twisted the knob, bounding into the room. “HI JAY!” Apparently fourteen year olds don’t come with volume controls. He grinned and took a running leap at James’ bed, rolling so that he was watching his friend upside down. “It’s FRIDAY which is awesome! So can we do something tonight? Something better than Scrabble or Battleship, like see a movie, or - ... are you wearing a tie?” He rolled the right way up again, scrutinizing his friend. “... You look old.”

[Dr. James Campbell]

Sometimes, Roman really reminded James of his little brother. Mikey Campbell was a good five years older than Rome, but when he'd been a young teenager, he'd thought his older brother was the coolest person ever. Since then, though, he claimed to have realized that James was a little too weird to be cool. It was nice to have someone looking up to him again.

"It still is Friday. That hasn't changed since the last time you said it." James was smiling though, partially because it was fun to tease Rome, and partially because of his nerves. He'd never been on a date like this before. His one girlfriend in high school was more of a good friend he did coupley friends with, and he and Lucy hadn't really had much of a chance to "date." But Ty was different.

"You can see a movie, if you want. Or we can play a quick round of something, but I'm going out tonight, as it is a Friday." Again, he adjusted his collar almost imperceptibly in the mirror, then turned to look at his younger friend. "And yes, I'm wearing a tie. I have a date tonight." Even the nerves couldn't disguise the smug look on his face.

[Dr. Roman Tilford]

In Rome’s eyes, James was the coolest person ever, and the chances of that ever changing were pretty slim in his teenage eyes. James was so cool that he went to university. For Rome, the older student was sort of like the big brother he’d always wanted but never had. He’d been ‘gifted’ with two sisters instead. Not that he didn’t love them, but with James around, he could at least pretend he had a brother.

The teenager stuck his tongue out at James in retort, not letting James’ teasing get the better of him. “So? It’s still Friday!” And Fridays usually meant doing something fun with James. Board games, watching movies. Brotherly things.

Brotherly things did not involve ties.

“Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?” Rome pulled himself up to a sit. He was grinning like a cat with cream as he started bouncing on the mattress. “Tell me! Is she pretty? Is she old like you? Did you ask her out or did she ask you?” The questions came rapid fire out of his mouth. “Can I meet her? Where are you taking her? Is she preeeeetty?” Yes, he was being a touch obnoxious about the whole thing, but that was his job. “... And she’s going to think the tie’s ugly. Just so you know.”

[Dr. James Campbell]

James ignored all the questions, and instead focused on the last comment. He spun back towards the mirror and tugged at the tie until it came loose, then slipped it off and nervously fixed his collar again. "Is this better? Should I go without it? The place we're going isn't really fancy, it's just a bar." He folded up the tie carefully, then put it on top of his dresser, only to open the top drawer and pull out a different one. "How about this? Does this look better?"

He kind of hated ties. They were just one more thing to worry about when he was getting ready.

"And no, you can't meet Ty. We're meeting up when the bakery closes for the night and then heading to the bar. We're not coming back here." James didn't turn again to look at Rome. Instead, he was trying to keep a straight face. Since the baker's assistant had been the one to ask him out, James didn't count him as the first person he'd voluntarily come out to.

He was going to tell Roman that Ty stood for Tyson. He really was. As soon as he was ready to say it out loud.

[Dr. Roman Tilford]

Roman watched in sheer amusement as James pulled off the tie. Armed with the knowledge that they were going to a bar of all places, he rolled his eyes. He’d seen enough television shows to know that the only people that wore ties to bars were either cops, or stuck up business people. As far as he knew, James was neither. Of course, the second one he grabbed made the teenager shake his head. “Dude, no ties, period. Not for a bar. How come I know that and you don’t? People. Don’t. Wear. Ties. At. Bars.” This was just sad.

Really, his only interest in meeting this Ty girl was that James was interested in her. If nothing else, he could tease James in front of her, like he did his with his sisters in front of their boyfriends. He pulled a face at James. “You’re no fun. I’d be nice!”

Of course, James would have to come back to the dorms at some point. He could just accost him for information then. But it wouldn’t be as fun as trying to make him squirmy before a date. “Ty’s a funny girl’s name. What’s it short for? Ty....” Okay, he couldn’t think of any girls’ names that had ‘Ty’ in them. Maybe it was just a nickname.

[Dr. James Campbell]

James stared at himself in the mirror, but he wasn't considering the tie anymore. "I am fun. That's why Ty asked me out. But I'm not going to bring someone back to a dorm. It'd be weird. We're adults." He put the folded tie in the top drawer, and finally turned to look at his friend.

He didn't even really remember the point where Roman had become his friend, instead of the kid who just followed him around sometimes. So what if he was nine years younger? He was a good kid, and he wasn't Catholic. That was enough for him to be the first to hear this.

"Ty.... Ty's short for Tyson. He's the assistant baker." Ty had figured it out on his own. He'd confessed it to Father Tim at the church. But other than that, James hadn't told anyone yet. (Dr. Neville probably knew, if he'd pulled it from his head on accident. He had been thinking about it when he'd confessed that Lucy was leaving him) "I'm gay, Rome."

It was the first time he'd said it to someone he knew.

[Dr. Roman Tilford]

“You aren’t,” Rome shot back. He was involved in ‘annoying brother mode’ now, and he wasn’t about to stop slinging the little insults. “You’re old and boring.” The look on his face completely defied the words. He was smiling while desperately trying not to. “Soooo are you going to her place then?” To do adult things Rome was just a touch too much of a prude to actually say.

Rome really wasn’t sure when he’d started to see James as more of a friend, and less of an older student he pestered for help with assignments, and hung around just because he was cool. But James was sort of like the older brother Rome had always wanted, and that was good enough to consider the two of them friends in his books.

He was idly rubbing his fingers, trying in vain to get the green color to go away when James finally spoke again. The younger boy was only half listening at first, but by the end, his chin snapped up. His eyes went slightly wider. Gay? James was gay?

For once, Roman was rendered speechless. He just sat there, paused in his attempt to rub the green tinge off, staring like a deer in the headlights.

Finally, he swallowed. “Tyson. And you’re gay. ... Okay.” This wasn’t going to change his opinions of the older boy. Not by a long shot. It was just... unexpected. “Okay,” he repeated. “... You’re not gonna start flirting with me, right?” Oh Rome. Not yet, honey.

[Dr. James Campbell]

James fiddled with his collar some more, and watched his friend in the mirror. The look on Rome's face as he processed the information. If Roman was the trial run for telling his family, this wasn't going well. The kid looked shocked, and he didn't respond right away. He didn't know what to say, and just waited.

Roman's response was just not what he was expecting.

"No!" James groaned and turned around. "Why the hell would I hit on a twelve-year-old, Rome?"

He sighed and sat on the edge of the desk, and raked his hand through his hair. He'd tried combing it down nicely, but now it was sticking up all over. "God, Rome, I'm the same guy I was two minutes ago. I barely flirt with anyone, let alone you." That wouldn't come until they were both older, and Rome was starting college. Then it had been fun to just tease him.

[Dr. Roman Tilford]

Rome didn’t mean to look so stunned. It was just... it wasn’t every day that your best friend came out of the closet to you with no warning. He knew James was still the same person. But it still gave him pause for a moment as he registered the information.

The teenager waited until James was finished with his explanation, biding him time. When it appeared James was actually done, he gazed at him levelly.

“You done?” He studied him before sliding around on the bed, his feet touching the floor again. He tried for a moment to look adult and serious.

“I know you’re the same. It’s just... I didn’t wake up today with the thought that ‘oh hey, my friend’s going to tell me he’s gay today.’ I still like you.” He shrugged, looking at the ceiling for a moment before shooting James a glare.

“And I’m fourteen. Not twelve!”

Yeah, he really wasn’t that hung up on James coming out of the closet now. He was much more upset over the fact his friend just called him twelve.

[Event !]

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