James laughs. "Okay I should've guessed that one," he agrees. "Although wasn't the gym teacher being a dick about your binder or something?"

Wobbly hand gesture. "She did not want me exercising in it, which is reasonable, but she did want me exercising, which is also reasonable from a certain perspective. Just, you know, together it cashes out to why can't you just exercise with your tits out."

"Yeah I guess. What's the online wisdom about how to exercise while binding? Is it just 'yeah actually tits out or bust' or?"

"That or a sports bra. But binding qua binding does not go well with heavy breathing." He sighs. "I may actually end up just going nude. I am not as dysphoric as I could be about my chest, considering its size, and I do want to remain fit."

"That makes sense. You got a schedule on top surgery?"

"I must wait until I am eighteen, and even then I will need to save up some money, because the insurance will not cover it and my foster mother cannot really spare five thousand dollars. But I have been looking for part-time work so I can continue saving."

"Huh. Is there a medical reason to wait until you're eighteen or is it just people being... the way they are... about teenagers' ability to know what they want?"

He's asking for a friend. The friend is Tintin himself and the reason he's asking is that he can rewrite reality.

"The latter."

"That's dumb. I'm very sorry you have to go through this."

And very sure he won't have to go through this anymore after today.

"Thank you. Enough complaining about trans issues, though! Edmund! Tell me of your brother. I did not know you had one."

"He's... extremely good? It's difficult to describe someone you've known since you were born."

Wait.

Waaaaaait.

Wait?

Didn't Edmund say... yesterday, in the bacchanal world... about it being a family affair...

Wait?

...he'll. Ask? Later? Does he ask? How do you ask your boyfriend of ten minutes whom you've known for a day whether he has a crush on his brother.

Uh.

Let's focus on the now, yeah. "At the very least as socially savvy as you are, judging by the cupcakes," James says, nodding in the direction of the one he brought for lunch. "...also you have more siblings, don't you? You look like a middle child to me."

"Yes, actually - one sister a year older, Susan, and one two years younger, Lucy. I would protect Lucy with my life, and Susan cares enormously about everyone."

"I'll have to meet them sometime, they must be pretty great people too."

"Yeah - you know, given we're dating, I could in theory bring you home. If that wouldn't be moving too fast."

"We met yesterday and you fucked my face, I think how fast we're moving may be a thing we need to stop worrying about."

(Sporfle.)

"Okay, yes, admittedly we are already kind of ridiculous."

"Which is to say, yes, I'd love to meet your family, sure. I would extend the same invitation except I am not sure I want to inflict my mother on anyone else. My dad and my sister are lovely people, though."

"...well, I don't have any immediate family I wouldn't happily inflict on you, so I'm happy to bring you over."

"Cool, sounds like a plan."

The remainder of lunch passes without serious incident. A few minutes before the bell, Tintin makes his excuses and gathers his things so he can use the restroom.

"What a nice young man," Edmund says cheerfully as he leaves.

"Yep, and I am giving him a gift," says James, grabbing the handbook from his bag as soon as Tintin is sufficiently out of earshot.

"-uh?"

"As I said, it is very dumb that people gatekeep things like any sort of transitioning like that, especially when someone is our age. If you're four, sure, hold off on chopping off your nonexistent boobs, but come on."

Does the handbook have anything about gender or sexuality or whatever? Or maybe accommodations to students, he can probably find a way to make it work.