Title: Never
Fandom: The Faculty
Characters: Zeke Tyler, Casey Connor
Rating: PG13
Length: 839 words
Written for Challenge #5: Five things
Summary: Never give up hope even if life tells you something different


Five things Zeke Tyler thought would never happen.

He would never have a family. No one who cared about him. He was used to it that no one did. Already his parents had never shown any interest in him. Had left it to nannies and much too young au-pairs to nurture him. Had thought, that money would make up for missed parent-children days at school, birthdays, Christmas, vacation fun.
He had learned quickly to play the cool one and not to show how much it did hurt.

He would never trust anyone again. He did before; at boarding school, he had thought for a while that he had found his soulmate. Today he knew better. He had only fooled himself. The fall was deep, the impact hard. It was the last time that he cried.

He would never graduate. Of course, he could, he was smart, maybe even brilliant. But he just didn't care. He preferred to play the wild rebel at school; the dealer from the parking lot who did sell just everything: faked ID's, porn movies and Scat, his homemade drug. The other students envied him for his boldness and freedom; the teachers had long given up hope that he would ever change.

He would never fall in love. Love was the most stupid thing he could imagine. Fleetingly one-night-stands, yes, quick, sometimes rough sex without any other expectations. Often enough he didn't even remember the girl's name afterward. It didn't matter anyway because it was all just one big show.

Everything just to prevent that someone would find out the truth. That the sex with a girl was okay, but couldn't give him much more than just a fleetingly moment of relief. Because secretly he was dreaming about something different. Zeke Tyler together with a guy; the big coming out? Never!

:::

Five things Casey Connor thought would never happen.

He would never be a popular guy. His parents loved him, oh yes, they did, but he would always be the outsider without many friends. At kindergarten, school, highschool; he would go to college soon, but he knew it wouldn't be different there. The teachers would love him because he was a smart and willing student. The other students would ignore him. Or tease him; with a bit of luck at least the bullying would stop at college. Maybe.

He would never live his biggest dream. Working as a photographer one day, for a popular magazine. Nature or traveling, not celebrities and for sure not sports. Maybe he could earn the publicizer prize, like Mr. Brown, his art teacher had told him one day, slightly laughing. But also this would never come true. His parents did accept his hobby, though they couldn't understand his love for art and never realized that he was only happy behind his camera.

He would never be able to disappoint his parents. He knew well enough that his father secretly had dreamed about it that he would follow his footsteps until he finally had to accept it, that Casey would never turn into a good architect. But at least a great scientist, he would go to MIT or to Columbia, the first one of the big Connor family who would go this way. His parents were so proud of him, and he had never had the heart to tell them that he would prefer to go to photo school.

Casey was almost seventeen now, and he had never dated a girl. Marie from his art course sometimes flirted with him; he liked her, she was smart and funny and not as smugly as the girls from the cheerleader group. But he also knew, that there would never be more than just friendship. Maybe he would marry one day; a girl like Marie, he would hopefully be able to love. But at the moment he didn't feel ready for it.

Because of his secret dreams. Scaring, disturbing. Dreams of a guy, holding him, in a way a guy should not hold another guy. Kissing him. Making love. Deep inside he knew the truth, but this would never ever someone get to know. He would learn to live with his secret.

:::

When Zeke Tyler and Casey Connor met first, two worlds collided and everything changed.

:::

„Have you ever thought that we could make it?“

Zeke smiled down at Casey.
„You? Sure! You are the most brilliant photographer I know, and I'm not surprised that every popular magazine tries to get you under contract.“

Casey chuckled.
„How many photographers do you know?“

„Only one of importance.“
Zeke grabbed for his hand before he continued.
„Me? I was on the best way to throw my future away.“

„And now you will work for NASA soon. I'm proud of you.“

Zeke pulled him closer, not caring about the other people around. Students, teachers, parents, and friends; all of them here for the final ceremony at Columbia. Never he had thought that he would stand here one day, surrounded by friends and his new family. And, of course...

„I love you,“ he whispered.

Casey tiptoed and kissed him gently.
„Love you more.“


THE END