The Echo Fanfic: The Red Parade
Love is the key.
Sydney took a deep breath, inhaling TJ's scent. His heart wasn't on fire, it was more like a warm current, like a water bottle spreading heat in his chest. More than anything he wanted to embrace his boyfriend, hold him tight against his chest and listen to his purrs vibrating in his sternum, joining with his heart beat as he told him how much he loved him, how much he was the light to his shadow, the fire to the cold depths of the lake.
But he didn't feel worthy of that.
After Chase nearly drowned him and accused him of killing his own father, Sydney had broken down in tears and confessed. The rest of the afternoon was dominated by shouting, screaming, venting, pointing fingers and inevitably all of the children crying together, hugging. Sydney apologised to TJ, and for the first time in his life he felt unravelled, like a veil had been taken off.
From then on, Sydney stopped bullying him. At first he simply ignored him, then began to talk and engage and apologise. Gradually, this paved the way for a supportive friendship, Sydney periodically stopping his asshattery towards the others to hang out with TJ, make sure he was alright, get him drinks and snacks and going hiking with him. He hated hiking, but seeing the lynx happy was beginning to become a massive reward in and of itself. Sometimes he questioned to himself if he was being this nice because he feared what Chase might do, but he scoffed. Chase was a little bitch, he only got lucky once and especially not now that he was working out. And besides, TJ was so kind and honest that he deserved to have some extra slack cut.
Sydney came to apreciate big breasts and went on reccord that the only women he would never dream banging were Jenna ("pure boner acid") and his own mother ("dumb fucking cunt"). But he loved guys and how sweaty and smelly they could be - comes with being a wrestling fan after all - and along with Flynn he always teased Leo and Chase, claiming that want the otter's booty. He meant it, and once managed to have something of a hate fuck on the gym, but otherwise he had eyes only for one man.
How it happened, Sydney didn't fully remember. Maybe it was at that Dia de los Muertos, where he took off TJ's ghost sheet and kissed him on the lips, full of worry and anger at how the inoccent lynx had been treated. It should be a clear memory, but it felt blurry. Regardless, they didn't proceed further until Flynn got in a jealousy spell and just told him to fuck TJ. This prompted Sydney to grab TJ after class and confess to him, and to his endless joy they kissed again. They didn't bother to tell their friends about this new developments, letting them fill in the blanks as they PDA throught the next day, Sydney grinning at his friends and vocally lamenting how unfortunate they were for never having his sexy body for themselves. Leo was quick to point that he'd given up on Chase's booty like the coward he is, and Sydney conceded gracefully.
Rge following years were heaven for Syd. And and TJ were pratically joined at the hip, sleeping at each other's houses whenever they saw fit - TJ's parents were supportve if somewhat wary, Sydney's mother was too drunk to care. They didn't have many interests in common, but TJ's vanilla flicks were tolerable and he could put up with Sydney's pirate and horror flicks, head buried in his lover's chest and volume low as to hear his heartbeat over the screams. Slowly TJ got more confident and proud in himself, and Sydney more caring and affectionate. Sure, TJ could stand to not help Janice clean up her piss jar collection and Sydney could stand to not be such a fedora tipper, but they were quick to compromise and playfully rib on each other.
In spite of Jenna's accusations of grooming and abuse and Flynn's slut shaming, neither of them fully had sex during their teenage years. Sydney didn't pressure TJ, but both eventually came to like to hang out in their briefs while watching more or playing games together, TJ feeling Sydney's muscles as he proudly flexed them. They slept together, and both of them had nightmares: TJ of Sydney's bullying him as a child and Sydney of his own inadequacies and guilt. Both usually woke crying, before comforting each other back to sleep.
Eventually, it came time for TJ to graduate and for Syd to pursue his wrestler career. They kept in touch daily, constantly sending each other pet names and emojis through their phones. They met during the holidays, and by their second summer break Sydney was beginning to consider proposing to TJ.
Then came the steroids and the drugs, and Sydney began to grow more and more ashamed. Texting slowly decreased, until almost near the end of their three year Echo Exodus they ceased altogether. Sydney cried himself to sleep, feeling TJ's absence and knowing he'd never be able to face him. He wondered if TJ was worried, and it only made him fall harder on the drugs. He began to hang out with Flynn again in Payton, who reminded him of what an utter moron he was and how he shouldn't be such a pussy and let TJ back in his life.
That moment came when Chase returned to Echo for his project, and Leo insisted everyone should be present. Syd was the last to arrive at the motel, his blue irises surrounded by red veins, and he could barely bring himself to wave at TJ, ashamed and heart broken as he was.
A kiss, a heart-to-heart and a group hug later, Sydney held TJ strongly against his chest, tear stains on his boyfriend's fur as they laid together on the motel bed. He didn't feel worthy of him, and it was his turn to lack a spine.
"Syd?" TJ asked, throat his sore from sobbing.
"Yes babe?" Syd said, nuzzling a little onto TJ's head.
"Will you come live with me? I-I think there's a wrestling scene in my campus, no steroids there obviously".
"Sure sweety, wrestling or no wrestling" Syd said weakly, kissing TJ's forehead.
TJ purred, but then disegaged from the embrace, much to Sydney's worry. He bent down to take something out of his bag, a small black box with a white trim. He took a deep breath, and opened it.
"Sydney Bronson, w-will you.... marry me?"
Sydney smilled the widest he'd ever smile, and kissed TJ on the lips. It seemed to last forever, the best moment of their entire lives.
Then a time portal opened and William shot them both in order to maintain the cycle of reincarnation.
Now they're both in hell being raped by demons with barbed corkscrews for penises, boys and girls!
Amen.