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Good Enough--Chapter 27--The Poster

Damien knew that the spectacle in the gym would probably be well-known on campus but for now, there seemed to be no particular mention of it as he made his way to his English class. He entered the lecture hall and took his seat, joined a minute later by Anna. He looked over at her and smiled weakly. She smiled back.

"So, I heard about what happened with Thomas this Saturday," she said.

Damien frowned. "From who?"

"Well, I heard it from Roy, who heard it from Ozzy," she said. "Did Thomas really get into a fight?"

"Not a fight, just an... altercation," Damien supplied hesitantly. "He and a few members of the football team got into an argument and things just... exploded." Damien huffed miserably. "He quit the team."

"I thought he loved playing football," Anna gasped, mouth open in her surprise.

"He does," Damien remarked. "I feel horrible about it. I tried to ask the coach if he'd take Thomas back but... Anna, I feel like I should be fixing this."

"You can't fix everything he does," Anna said. "It's up to him to leave the team but--"

"It's my fault," Damien said in a whiny tone. He sniffled sadly. "If I hadn't gone with them to the gym, then none of this would've happened."

"What do you mean?" she asked suspiciously. "You didn't tell him to--"

"Welcome back," Professor Ross called from the front of the lecture hall. "I hope you've all enjoyed your time off, but we've a lot to get to so I ask that you either pay attention or remove yourselves from my class."

"We'll talk after class," Anna whispered.

---

"Oh, wow," Anna breathed in shock.

"Yeah," Damien grumbled. He had just told her what had happened at the gym on Saturday. "I keep thinking I shouldn't have interfered with his 'bro-time'. Maybe if I'd stayed in the dorm, it wouldn't have happened."

"I have a feeling it would've happened either way," Anna mentioned. She shifted nervously. "If they were really arguing that bad, I don't think they were really friends at all. Where's Thomas right now?"

"He wasn't feeling very good so he's back in our room. He's probably asleep."

"You should go check on him," Anna suggested. "He could probably use some comfort right now. Must be feeling lonely after leaving the team."

"Yeah, I'll--" Damien hesitated, feeling his phone vibrating suddenly in his pocket. He pulled it out, expecting it to be from Thomas. Instead, it was Warren calling. Anna peered over at it, intrigued as Damien answered the phone, putting it on speaker. "Hello?"

"Hey, you busy?!"

"Well, I was about to--"

"James and Roy and me are about to start a quick rehearsal to prepare for the Scream Park show," Warren interrupted, "and we've got a photographer."

"A photographer? For what?" Damien questioned. Anna frowned, unsure of how to react.

"Look, we're going to be handing out flyers and stuff for the show, a little bit of self-promotion," Warren explained. "Is Anna with you?"

"I'm here," she said. "Warren, do we have to do this now?"

"It's just one little picture," Warren insisted. "Please, just this one for us, for Loxosceles! Think of the publicity! We could get a huge turnout!"

"Well, can we do it later tonight? We have a new essay we need to work on."

"Just one picture and you guys can go to your essay!" Warren insisted. "I--What? Okay. Hold on, James wants to talk."

There was a brief lull in conversation as the phone was handed over. "Hey, guys," James greeted happily. "Sorry for Warren. He's just overexcited. If you guys are busy, we'll do the photo some other time, okay?"

"Just one picture?" Anna asked nervously.

"Just one," James assured them. "And you'll be free to go."

"Okay," Damien murmured. "I suppose we can take one picture."

"Yes, just one," Anna agreed.

"Alrighty, we'll be waiting for you here," James said and Damien could hear the happy tone in the otter's voice. "And can you wear black?"

---

"Tommy?" Damien called as he returned.

"Hmm?" Thomas grumbled where he lay, staring up at the ceiling, still with the blanket over him and probably still only wearing his briefs and tank top. He glanced over and smiled. "Hey, welcome back."

"Have you even gotten out of bed once?" Damien questioned suspiciously.

Thomas shrugged. "I was feeling really out-of-it, so I just figured I'd take the day off."

"No, you're getting up," Damien said, whipping the blanket away. Thomas hadn't even put on any clothes yet. "I'm not going to let you just be lazy."

"Okay, I'm up, I'm up," Thomas sighed, sitting upright and scowling.

"Thomas, remember you promised to apologize to Fred today," he said.

"You were serious about that?"

"Yes I was," Damien huffed. He frowned. "Did you think I was joking?"

"Kind of hoped you were," Thomas confessed, arms crossed in agitation. "What good's apologizing to him going to do? He's still going to be mad at me, he's still going to hate you and he's still going to be a gay-hating asshole."

"You could still at least try," Damien said. "I mean, don't you miss your friend?"

"He isn't my friend anymore," Thomas answered. "I can't be friends with someone who's constantly talking shit about my boyfriend."

"So... it is my fault."

"Your fault? What do you mean?"

"That all this happened... If I wasn't your boyfriend--"

"Wait, are you saying you don't want to be with me?" Thomas questioned.

"No, I do! Tommy, I really do love being your boyfriend," Damien assured him. He sat in Thomas's lap and kissed him lovingly. "I just feel bad that all of this happened because of me. I mean, if I hadn't been around, you'd probably still be the quarterback, still be dating a cheerleader, being the big cat on campus and--"

"Damien, stop," Thomas insisted, pulling him close. "Look, I get that you feel it's your fault, but it's not. I made the decision to hit him. I made the decision to quit the team. And I'm happier dating you than I was dating Torrie." He chuckled. "You and I at our worst is still better than her and me at our best."

"I feel like you're just saying that," Damien grumbled, but he was smiling. But his smile soon faded. "Tommy, I still want you to at least apologize to Fred."

"Assuming he'll even listen," Thomas said dismissively. "I mean, to be honest, he'd probably just want to punch me back for punching him."

"You shouldn't have punched him in the first place," Damien admonished. "I get that he tripped me, but that's no reason to resort to hitting him."

"How are you okay with him treating you like shit?" Thomas demanded, frowning. "I mean, seriously, are you okay with that?"

"Not at all," Damien confessed. "I hate it. James and Warren warned me about being openly gay, but I didn't think it'd be this bad. I didn't even think it was so obvious that I am gay." He sighed. "Honestly, being around those two is just scary."

"Then why do you want me to make up with them?" Thomas asked.

"I don't know," Damien said. "Maybe just something to make me feel better?"

Thomas rolled his eye. "Let me get my phone." Damien got off Thomas's lap and watched the panther cross the room to retrieve his cell phone. "I'm going to call Fred. Try to apologize."

"Okay. Can I listen in?"

"Yeah, I promised you could hear me apologize. Just be ready for some yelling."

"Okay..." Damien murmured nervously.

Thomas dialed the number and sat beside Damien on the bed. The line rang once, twice...

"The fuck do you want?!" Fred's angered voice demanded.

"Sorry."

"What?"

Thomas took a deep breath and exchanged a look of exasperation with Damien. "Look, Fred, I wanted to apologize for what happened Saturday. I overreacted and I shouldn't have hit you like that. It was a dick thing to do and I'm sorry."

For a moment, Damien was sure Fred was going to let out a stream of curses and shouting, but Fred's calm reply caught him off-guard and made his blood run cold. "Look, dude, just tell me why you're defending that faggy dog. I don't get it. You're not gay, are you?"

Thomas hesitated before answering. He looked at Damien, as though expecting an answer from the husky. "Whether or not he's gay doesn't matter. He's still my friend. My roommate."

Damien looked downward. Being called 'friend' and 'roommate' somehow made him feel smaller than when Thomas called him 'boyfriend' or 'lover'. Perhaps Thomas noticed, for he placed a soothing paw on Damien's thigh, smiling cheekily.

"Look, dude, you can get a new roommate. Maybe a new dorm," Fred was saying. "I mean, are you really going to choose him over your friends?"

"Why do I have to pick a side? Why are there sides?" Thomas asked incredulously. "Look, why don't you come to his band's performance on Halloween? It'll be a pretty fun night at the Scream Park."

"I'm having my costume party on Halloween," Fred reminded him, sounding offended that Thomas had forgotten.

"Oh, right. Sorry. Forgot."

"You're coming, right? Got a prize for best costume."

"No, I can't," Thomas said apologetically. "I already promised Damien I'd go to his band's show."

"Really? You're going to pick that faggot bitch over us? Come on, you can't be serious!"

"Why can't I be?!" Thomas blazed back. "He's my friend! Whether or not you like him, I like him!"

"Do you even hear yourself?! You're starting to sound gay."

"Maybe fucking I am!" Thomas raged and Damien was unable to stop a gasp from escaping his lips. "So what? At least he's not being a fucking asshole to people like you!"

"FUCK YOU, YOU--!"

Thomas hung up and took a moment to try to calm himself down. Damien's jaw hung open in amazement as he waited for his boyfriend to speak, if the panther would even speak at all. After several discomforting moments, Thomas spoke calmly, though visibly still tense.

"I think I just admitted to being gay," he murmured.

"I think you did," Damien agreed. "Are you okay?"

Thomas shrugged. "Yeah... I think I might be for now. Although this'll probably come back to bite me in the tail soon."

"If you like, you could play it off as you just joking or something," Damien offered. "If anyone asks, I'll say we're just roommates."

"Well... I don't know... Are you okay with that?" Thomas wondered. "I mean, really?"

"Yeah," Damien said halfheartedly.

"No, you're not," Thomas sighed, "and it's not fair to ask you to do that..."

"Tommy--"

"Well, do you want others to know I'm your boyfriend?"

"Well, kind of, but I don't want to advertise it on a billboard," Damien said. "I would just like to do couples stuff together in public. Hold paws. Maybe kiss..."

"I suppose," Thomas said grimly, "but... I'm sorry, I don't think I'm ready to be... fully out yet."

"I see," Damien murmured sadly.

"Damien, I'm sorry... I just... I don't want to be harassed or anything just for being gay," Thomas answered. He stood and began to pace. "I'd rather keep a low profile. I mean, I'm just... scared. I mean, you've heard of people getting beaten and killed just because they're gay! I don't want that to--"

There was a heavy knock on the door and Thomas silenced himself. Damien stood and opened the door just a crack and exhaled in relief--it was James. Damien opened the door wider.

"Hi, I just wanted to show you the flyers we're printing out for the performance," James said in his usual, cheery tone. He passed a paper to Damien who studied it in intrigue. He liked it. From the dark atmosphere in the poster, to the font of the letters and the large spider in the corner. Undoubtedly, it was a beautiful poster.

"I like it," Thomas said, looking over Damien's shoulder. "Think I'll try to get some people to go too."

"You don't have to do that," Damien said. "I thought you wanted to keep a low profile."

"Well, this isn't about me," Thomas said. "This is just me supporting one of my favorite bands."