enchantedsleeper

Challenge #6 for the Snowflake Challenge is: In your own space, share a favourite piece of original canon (a show, a specific TV episode, a storyline, a book or series, a scene from a movie, etc) and explain why you love it so much.

For the FENCE Secret Santa last month I had the pleasure of writing Harvard/Aiden, my favourite ship in FENCE. Harvard/Aiden is a brilliant ship pairing the fencing team captain with the 'school playboy', which you can imagine is a very fun combination of personalities. Despite this, it doesn't really have much of a dedicated fandom - it's one of those ships that everyone is happy to ship but that kind of plays second fiddle to the main canon ship (Seiji/Nicholas), usually appearing as a side pairing in fanworks.

As part of canon review for my Secret Santa, I enjoyed re-reading Harvard and Aiden's interactions in the comics (they are also a canon pairing in the spin-off novels by Sarah Rees Brennan, but I'm not a fan of the books) and so for Challenge #6, I'm going to break down a scene that shows why I love Harvard/Aiden so much. I think this also works for Challenge #9, which is all about reccing a thing you love!

But first, who are our characters?

Harvard Lee is the captain of the fencing team at Kings Row boarding school (where the main part of the comics takes place) and a senior year student. When we're introduced to him, he's authoritative and responsible, but also has a mischievous side:

Three panels from the comic Fence. In the first, Harvard, a black older teen in a school uniform and tie, holds up his hands as two other boys look at him in the foreground. He says, Hey, hey. If you've got a problem with rooms, take it up with Coach in the morning. For tonight, make it work. In the second panel, Bobby, a shorter student in a femme uniform, asks, Did you really tell them to take it up with Coach? In the final panel, Harvard grins at Bobby with sparkles next to his head. Bobby thinks, The Captain shows no remorse.

(As it turns out, bothering the coach about your room assignment is punishable with 200 suicides. Harvard knows this extremely well, but Seiji and Nicholas here do not :D)

Harvard also doesn't hesitate to keep fellow members of the team in line (except for Aiden, but we'll get to that C:). We don't see as much of this side of Harvard as the comic goes on, as his character arc focuses more on him being too generous with his time and attention as a captain. He's definitely a softy once you get to know him, but I like this commanding side:

Harvard, dressed in fencing whites, calls Nicholas over to him. Nicholas says eagerly: Yes, Captain! Sternly, Harvard says, With a scholarship on the line, I expect more from you than to be late on your first day. A close-up on Harvard's face shows him looking fierce as he says, Go change and warm up - now! In the final panel, Nicholas is blushing as he replies, Yes, Captain.

I like to call this Harvard's "dom voice". Look, Nicholas is blushing :D

We're introduced to Aiden Kane early on in the comic without knowing who he is, but his first real introduction is this:

A full-length shot of Aiden, a blond Caucasian teen with longish hair, dressed in fencing whites. He is smirking and saying, Hi! Immediately, three students swarm around him, looking adoring and offering to carry his bag, offering him towels and paying him compliments. Aiden winks and says, thanks! with sparkles next to his head.

Complete with bishie sparkles! I love this as a way to clearly show that Aiden is the school playboy (he dumps people so often that saying "Aiden dumped me" is also punishable with suicides) before it's later spelled out in Nicholas' narration.

Aiden gets away with a lot, including constantly flaking out on fencing team competitions despite being a skilled fencer and longstanding member of the team. It helps when you've been friends with the team captain since you were five - and when said captain has a massive ~~blind~~ soft spot where you're concerned. There's definitely a reckoning coming over this in the comics, though it hasn't arrived yet.

The scene that really establishes the awesomeness of Harvard/Aiden is a moment where Harvard needs to lean on Aiden as he's having some anxiety about an upcoming match in the fencing team tryouts. So far, we've only seen Aiden being self-centred and frequently dismissive towards others, but in this moment, he instantly drops everything to be by Harvard's side:

A series of comic panels showing Aiden making out with another student when he receives a text. Without remorse, he interrupts the other boy paying him a compliment to check his phone. The text, from Harvard, says, Hey, are you around? Aiden is immediately shown ditching the other boy, saying, Something came up. Later, Harry. The boy angrily corrects him: It's Larry!

(Okay, he's still being dismissive, because it's Aiden xD)

In previous scenes, it's established that Aiden can use his words to cut other people down very effectively, even using them to unsettle Seiji Katayama, a fencing prodigy leagues above his own skill level. But here we see Aiden being genuine, reassuring and kind as he builds up Harvard's confidence about the upcoming match.

Aiden sits down next to Harvard on the bed, saying, You've never needed tricks. You're a great fencer. Harvard responds, You... really think I can win? The next panel has a close-up of Aiden's face as he smiles sincerely. He says: I think you're amazing, Harvard. I think you can do whatever you put your mind to.

And Aiden lies to Harvard in order to make sure he doesn't know Aiden bailed on a date (/make-out session) to be with him (something Harvard would probably be concerned about, but which clearly doesn't matter to Aiden), instead joking about being "stuck hanging out with your sorry self". It lets him play off going to Harvard's side like it's no big deal, even though it clearly is a big deal.

Harvard sits up on the bed, looking sheepish and saying, Thanks, Aiden. Aiden, lying back behind him, replies, What are friends for? In the next panel, Aiden is lying with his arms behind his head while Harvard twists around to look at him. He says, It's Saturday night. I thought you'd have a date. Aiden replies: Nope, stuck hanging out with your sorry self.

Aside from firmly launching the Good Ship Haiden, this scene is a great one to show the reader that Aiden has a softer side - he just reserves it for one person only ❤ It makes his character more likeable, plus we get to enjoy the contrast between Harvard, who spends all his time helping other people, but is reluctant to turn to anyone else for support; and Aiden, who refuses to do things for other people's benefit unless it's Harvard.

And then we get Harvard and Aiden chilling out and critiquing old swordfighting films and Aiden's hair in a bun <3

Aiden and Harvard are relaxing on a bed in their shared dorm, wearing sleeping clothes. Aiden is sitting up with his hair tied in a bun, his knee close to Harvard's back. Harvard is lying on his stomach on a pillow, his T-shirt riding up a little. Both are criticising the swordplay in a film that plays on a screen in front of them, which appears to be a Robin Hood adaptation.

If this has has got you interested in the hard working and reliable team captain/capricious playboy, you should totally check out FENCE by CS Pacat and Johanna the Mad! It's available on Amazon physically or in ebook form, it's got lots of cute idiotic guys, and it's super gay. I do also happen to have an 8.8k Harvard/Aiden fic that can be read without knowledge of canon because it's a fantasy AU! Okay, end plugging xD