Chapter Text
**I DO NOT OWN BOOK OF MORMON, THE PLOTLINE, OR ANY OF THE CHARACTERS -- THIS IS JUST A FUN WRITING CHALLENGE**
Kevin Price always wanted to go to Orlando for his mission. Now, he knew it was unlikely, but a boy could dream, right? Even if he didn't go to Orlando, he expected to go somewhere nice. As he stood and watched his fellow brothers find out their placements, his heart raced. They had decided to throw one big get-together for all of the missionaries in the temple to open their letters all at once. That had seemed like a great idea at the time. However, when Kevin opened his own letter and saw "UGANDA," he was mad at himself for being upset. He had just seen his fellow missionaries get called to serve in Norway, France, and Japan. Meanwhile, he was called to serve in a small--small--village in Uganda. He found it hard to not be disappointed. Maybe he could ask for a transfer? But what kind of prophet doesn't go to a village in need?
He decided he would study hard and learn the language the best he could given the amount of time he and his new companion had to get ready for their new lives. He needed to be able to talk to them about the Church if he was going to do something incredible. Despite his hard work and consistent praying, he still found himself struggling with the concept of living in Kitguli, Uganda. He knew almost nothing about the village and that terrified him. He tried so hard not to question Heavenly Father's ways, but that didn't stop the 19 year-old from having a rough night's rest.
The next morning, Kevin woke up at 3 and rushed to make sure everything he needed was packed. He had his clothes, garments, and a copy of every book he'd need for the next two years: the Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price. He needed his personal copies--the ones that had all of the notes and annotations attached. He also felt a sense of security with those four books in his bag. They had been used throughout his childhood and the idea of bringing some piece of home with him brought him peace. He walked downstairs and was met with a sight that brought tears to his eyes.
At the foot of the stairs, Kevin saw his entire family waiting for him--even his older brother, Jack, who had moved to Provo. His mom held a sign that said 'Make Him Proud' and his younger siblings cheered as he walked downstairs. His father pulled him into a hug and whispered, "Do something incredible, son."
"Thank you," Kevin said as his father pulled back, "Thank you all so much. Gosh, I'm going to miss you all."
Kevin's little sister, Ada, hugged him tight, "We're going to miss you, too, Kev! You'll write letters to us, right?"
Kevin smiled and nodded, not happy with the reminder he'd have very limited phone time with his family. "Of course I will. I better get them back." Ada nodded and pulled away after Kevin planted a kiss to the top of her head. Kevin took in a deep breath and turned to his father, nodding slightly.
His father nodded back and grabbed his keys. No turning back now, Kevin thought. "I love you all..."
That was the last sentence Kevin spoke to his family before his father took him to the airport. The drive up there was either silent or Kevin's dad giving him advice, "Remember to be careful. Not everyone will be open to listening to you. You kind of have to gauge those that are ready to hear what you have to say."
Kevin just nodded along, afraid that he'd throw up if he spoke. He didn't know much about his mission companion, just that he needed extra help at the training center. Kevin's dad did not walk him to the gate. In his words, this was time for Kevin to "start being a man." So, Kevin climbed out of the car and walked into the airport alone. He walked through crowds of people--many of whom smiled at him as they recognized his uniform--alone. He found his gate on his own. He found his companion--well, his companion found him.
"Elder Price!" A loud voice behind him sounded, "Over here!"
Kevin turned and saw a shorter boy with curly brown hair and thick framed glasses. He plastered a smile on as he approached the elder and his parents. "Elder Cunningham." He looked at the two adults next to Elder Cunningham. "You must be his parents. It's very nice to meet you."
"Oh, it's a pleasure to meet you, Elder. We've heard such great things about your family and how involved you are with the church," Mrs. Cunningham replied with a wide grin.
Kevin laughed lightheartedly, "Just doing my duties, ma'am."
"Now, Arnold," Kevin heard the older gentleman mumbling to his son, "You've got your little problem under control, right?"
"Yeah, of course," Elder Cunningham responded, "Everything will be a-ok!"
"What?" Kevin's brows furrowed, "What problem?"
"Oh, it's nothing," Mr. Cunningham said, "Arnold just has... a wild imagination--"
"I lie a lot!" Elder Cunningham exclaimed with a wide smile. "But don't worry, Elder Price, I have reigned it in for our mission. If I follow you, I'll have no reason to lie!"
Kevin blinked and stared at Elder Cunningham. "Oh... Okay. Um, as long as it won't be a problem..."
"It won't," Mr. and Elder Cunningham said at the same time.
Arnold was about to say something else, but he was cut off by the announcement that it was boarding time. Kevin plastered his perfect smile on his face again and grabbed his bag. "Well, I guess that means it's time, Elder Cunningham."
The two boys walked through security and onto the plane in silence. Kevin wasn't in the talkative mood. He hoped the silence would extend throughout the plane ride, but he was quickly proven otherwise.
"Okay, so, do you like Star Wars or Star Trek? I like Star Wars, but I can like Star Trek if you--"
"Elder," Kevin said and turned to Elder Cunningham, "I'm so happy that you're excited, but we need to focus. We are going out there to do something incredible, but we can only do that if you follow my lead."
Elder Cunningham nodded, "Right, right. Sorry, Elder Price. I'm just not used to being so close to someone. All of my friends have left me--but you can't!" He laughed, obviously hiding the pain that statement brought up. "Anyway, I'll be sure to follow you."
Kevin nodded, "Good, good. Because you and me, we're going to be a great team... as long as you just follow, yeah?"
"I'm a great follower!" Elder Cunningham agreed.
"That's great!" Kevin smiled, "I'm so glad we're eye to eye, Elder. We're going to do incredible things. Me and you, but mostly me."
A/N: I'm too lazy to edit this so sorry for any grammar mistakes! This is just a fun writing challenge for me to take a comedy and make it more serious (and, honestly, more gay).