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The Monday after the Bar Incident would go down in Silver Guardian history as never being mentioned again.
After the fact, Wes insisted that they could’ve avoided all of this if they hadn’t been incommunicado all weekend, but Eric ignored him (it had nothing to do with the fact that the direct aftermath of the Bar Incident had been really awesome, because it definitely was not and they definitely did not spend the entire weekend in bed). Regardless of the status of their weekend, neither of them expected to walk in to cheering from all of the Silver Guardians.
Wes had blushed, but Eric was more concerned with the fact that they had banners and T-shirts proclaiming how wonderful it was that they were together. With his and Wes’s faces on them. How had they even managed that?
“I completely thought it would be next week!” one cadet whose name Eric wouldn’t remember until he had another month of service complained a hair too loudly.
“Shush, this is celebratory! There’s no whining in partying!” the older officer next to him- seriously, Eric thought Dunn had more common sense than this- barked, shoving his shoulder.
“I lost three week’s pay in the pot!”
“That’s gambling, rookie, now hold up your sign!”
By the Power.
“How long was this being planned for?” Wes asked, looking as if he was torn between laughing and cringing in horror.
After an awkward silence, one of the older Guardians- Chrenko- mumbled, “Since Boss broke up with Earhardt.”
Eric only barely managed to keep from rolling his eyes. He had no idea why he wound up designated “Boss,” while Wes was “Commander” and Mr. Collins was “CEO.” Wes insisted that was was because the boys could relate to and respect him easier, but that was a load of bull.
His relationship with Taylor had been...interesting. Both of them had been trying to resist the fact that they were bi (Taylor in particular, because DADT would have her thrown out of the military if anyone knew), and Eric knew himself enough to know that both of them were bull-headed and stubborn as fuck. Being with her had never been boring.
DADT was still wreaking hell in Taylor’s life; even though she was dating Alyssa, they both had to act straight in public (Alyssa’s teaching position would also likely be in jeopardy if anyone knew she was in love with a woman). Merrick and Cole (who were also dating, as were Danny and Max- had Wild Force had any straight people?) acted as their respective beards, even though both of them had needed hours of explaining homophobia (Cole’s blank expression had been priceless at first, but got really irritating when he just wouldn’t get it) and both resented that their friends couldn’t be happy and proud of their lovers because of idiots.
Eric still wasn’t sure how exactly Alyssa had talked Merrick out of dragging Zen-Aku with him in an attack upon the military in order to make them repeal DADT. Woman was a miracle worker.
Wes blinked at the boys. “That was three years ago.”
Chrenko coughed. “Yeah. It, um, kinda became an initiation rite.”
“Is that what happened to Kowalski?” Wes asked, his eyebrows rising.
Kowalski had been a green cadet two years ago, and Eric had noticed the way he’d glare and mumble and how he’d been reviled by most of the force.
Chrenko’s eyes darted to the ground and he shuffled. “...Maybe.”
“Chrenko.”
“We brought cake!” another green cadet piped up, holding up a cake container from that popular shop down in the mall.
What the hell.
“Um, Boss, Commander, the CEO wants to see you,” another cadet said from behind Wes and Eric. “Aw man, I thought we weren’t starting this until lunch!”
“Get your shirt and sign, cadet!” Dunn snapped.
Eric exchanged a glance with Wes and both of them took the escape that had been inadvertently offered.
“Dad?” Wes asked, going into Mr. Collins’s office before Eric. “What’s- why do you have one of those shirts?!”
A good look at Mr. Collins revealed that yes, he had one of the Guardians’ obnoxious T-Shirts on.
“Who do you think provided them?” Mr. Collins said, grinning jovially. “No, wait, I practiced for this.”
“Practiced?!” The look on Wes’s face would have been priceless if Eric wasn’t stuck in the same boat as him.
"Of course! I've known since you two started working together. I've had years to prepare! Hang on, let me get my notes."
Wes's jaw worked silently before he caught Eric's eye and shrugged helplessly.
"Now!" Mr. Collins had a sheaf of paper in his hands and he proceeded to clear his throat.
Wait. That looked like a speech. He had a speech.
"I have known you boys for many years-"
"Dad. Dad, stop."
"-and in that time I have seen both of you growing-"
Wes's cheeks were bright red, and Eric's were probably no better. "DAD."
Eric took his previous thoughts back. The celebrating Guardians were better than this. At least they caved under pressure.
"-and your partnership seems to have done you both well professionally and privately."
Wes's head went into his hands and Eric glanced around the room, hoping for some kind of emergency call that would permit them to leave right now.
"I am extremely glad that the two of you have made such a happy partnership, and- somehow I don't think either of you are listening."
Did that mean he was going to stop talking? Eric really hoped that meant he would stop talking.
"Why do you have a speech?" Wes asked, not looking up. "We did not need a speech."
"I need to show my acceptance," Mr. Collins said, and Eric immediately knew he'd gotten this idea from a book or pamphlet of some kind. They really should've been more discreet. "And you've finally made it public knowledge, so I need to show reciprocal trust."
"How did you find out?" Wes asked weakly, lifting his head from his hands.
"The boys were setting up a party. I overheard. Speaking of which, they should be done by now, and we should celebrate!" Mr. Collins clapped, thankfully forgetting his speech.
Eric watched wordlessly as Mr. Collins left, then exchanged another glance with Wes.
He would forever deny that, when Wes burst into hysterical laughter, Eric yielded to the fucking insanity of the entire day and just laughed along with him.