You Complete Me - 16. Chapter 16 - A Win and an Intervention

It was one of the best games of Jake’s career, if not the best. The weather was great, the crowd was cheering, and Jake was unstoppable.

Admittedly, LeValley High, which was an even younger team than Glendale, were average on a good day. Their lack of skill made the Titans as a whole look like professionals, but Jake was the star and everyone on the field knew it. He could practically sense the despair from LeValley every time he had the ball – which was often. Jake ended the first half with four tries under his belt, beating his record from last year.

He wasn’t carrying the team, either. Every player was doing their part: Amir’s backs had mastered quick passes and Jake’s forwards moved in perfect sync in every scrum. Even Kenny, the brand-new wingman, scored his first ever try early in the first half, darting around players twice his size as if they were standing still. Jake couldn’t believe how far they’d come in just a month; it was the first time he’d felt like he’d done something right this semester.

It was only the first game, but attendance was great – nowhere near football numbers, but approaching a hundred people. Even Ellie had shown up, looking more put-together than she had in a week as she beamed from the stands. Luke was filming on his phone and even occasionally jogging down the sidelines with him when Jake was on one of his frequent runs. Coach Reynolds looked prouder than Jake’s father had in years.

There was a sharp, but fleeting pang of regret that Samwell couldn’t - or wouldn’t - make this game, but Jake shoved it aside. There were five minutes left to this half and he had to keep his head in the game. They were on the defense, and LeValley had pushed them within a few meters of their try line, but Glendale was putting up a good fight.

LeValley had no way of winning – their score was a third of Glendale’s - but Jake’s competitive nature wouldn’t allow him to let them score in these last few minutes. He met most of the tackles, getting fairly beat up in the process, but his tactic to wear out the clock almost worked. LeValley’s scrumhalf saw that Glendale’s line of forwards were locked tight, so he eventually switched gears and got the ball out to the backs. Smart.

Jake was picking himself up in time to see LeValley’s winger snag the ball from the air and attack a hole over on the opposite side. Poor Kenny was the last line of defense over there, and though he tried his best – Jake saw an attempt at a tackle, at least – he was knocked easily to the side and LeValley got their first try of the second half. The sir called the game at that point, so it hardly mattered: Glendale had won by a mile.

Most of the team jogged to the center of the field for high-fives, but Kenny was still lying flat on his back in the grass, blinking up at the dark sky in a slightly dazed way. Amir was kneeling by him, and, concerned, Jake joined them. “You alright?”

Amir answered for Kenny. “Yeah, I think he just got the wind knocked out of him.”

Kenny had lifted his head at Jake’s voice. “Just admiring the stars. I almost had him, didn’t I?”

He wasn’t even remotely close, but Jake and Amir shared a look and nodded fervently. Jake straightened up and extended his hand. “We’ll work on tackling next week. You’ll get ’em next time.”

Kenny accepted the help with a groan and rubbed his shoulder. “Was he big at least? I didn’t get a good look at him.”

Amir clapped Kenny’s opposite shoulder and started to steer him towards the sidelines. “Big enough, I guess. Let’s go, you probably need some water.” He looked back at Jake, who had trailed after them. “And I think you need something stronger.”

As if Amir had signaled something, the rest of the team converged upon them in a mass of white and green. Jake hardly had time to register what was happening before the biggest of them – his fellow lock, Goldstein – wrapped him up in a bear hug and took him to ground. A half dozen or more sweaty bodies quickly joined the dog pile, with Jake at the bottom and struggling to breathe because he was laughing so hard.

“Alright, ease up,” a gruff voice bellowed over the cacophony. “We only have one of him, so be gentle.”

The Titans relinquished their hold slightly, enough for Jake to crawl to the surface and get up on his elbows. Reynolds was standing a few yards away, his lined face stretched into a grin, next to a man Jake had never seen before. Reynolds held up his phone. “Everyone, hold still for a picture and say, ‘first win.’”

Jake imagined he looked awful, but he didn’t care. He gave the camera his signature hundred-watt smile anyway, as a chorus of “First win!” thundered around him.

Reynolds gathered them into a huddle to congratulate everyone in his typical, monotone way, but Jake had known him long enough to tell that he was practically bursting at the seams. Everyone else could tell, too, and it was contagious: even Kenny had recovered from his knockout and was beaming.

When Reynolds let them break up to go to their families, Jake took a closer look at the unfamiliar man. He was wearing a jersey from a team Jake didn’t know, and had the middle-aged, grizzled look that Jake associated with referees. He wondered if this was the colleague Reynolds had mentioned bringing to a game. He grew more certain about this when his coach called to get his attention as Jake went to meet Ellie.

“Come find me in a few minutes,” he instructed, and didn’t give Jake a chance to inquire more. He motioned to his friend and walked away with him, the two of them speaking low voices.

Jake stared after them, his stomach turning with nervous energy. Ellie had to snap him out of it with a side hug. “I still don’t really know what I'm looking at, but everyone’s telling me you did good.”

“I’ve explained it to you a bunch of times,” Jake said, chuckling.

“You and I both know you’re not great at explaining things.” The arm that still clung to him squeezed affectionately. “But that’s alright, because obviously you know what you’re doing.”

Genuinely touched, Jake smiled down at her. “Thanks, El.”

She released him to fish her phone from her pocket. “I’ve got a little surprise for you, by the way.”

She handed him her phone, which still had a FaceTime call open. Jake blinked in surprise at a face he hadn’t seen in nearly a month. “...D-Dad?”

Samwell gave him a tired grin, his blue eyes crinkling at the edges. “Still kickin’, Bud.”

Jake sank to the grass in a cross-legged position, holding the phone at arm’s length while he self-consciously smoothed his unruly hair with the other hand. “Did you two plan this?” he asked, looking over at Ellie, who had knelt next to him.

“Kind of,” Ellie said. “Dad called this afternoon and told me not to tell you.”

“I knew you were down about me not being in town in time,” Samwell told him. “So, I figured this was the next best thing.”

“Did you see the whole game? What did you think?” Jake felt like a little kid again, vying for his father’s approval. Samwell hadn’t been to a game – in flesh or on video – in almost a year.

“The important parts. I had to sneak out of a meeting, so I can’t talk for long.”

Jake then noticed that Samwell appeared to be in front of an office window with bright sunlight filtering through the blinds. A small, petulant part of him was disappointed that he couldn’t get his father’s full, undivided attention just this once, but he swallowed it because he was glad that Samwell had bothered to watch at all. “I see.”

“You were a beast out there. You’re captain this year, right?”

“Yeah, I am,” Jake said, with a grin.

“Looks like you’ve taken it pretty seriously. You know, there are a lot of good programs out there for sports management – ”

“I really don’t want to think about college right now, Dad.”

“You’re a senior now; when are you going to start thinking about it? There are much more important things than playing ball and girls, Jake.”

Jake sighed, and Ellie came to his rescue. “Jake beat his own record for tries this game, Dad.”

Samwell frowned slightly at being interrupted, but he let it go. “Yeah, you may as well have set up housing over there,” he said to Jake, with a little chuckle at his own joke.

Jake rolled his eyes. “I’ll try that next time if they keep letting me.”

Samwell glanced off screen somewhere. “They’re calling for me. I’ll see you two next weekend, alright? Stay out of trouble.” He looked specifically at Jake when he said that, which he found ironic, and ended the call before either of them could say goodbye.

Jake kept looking at the blank screen for a moment, frowning. Ellie placed a hand on his back. “He was gushing over you during the game.”

“Yeah, he couldn’t stop talking about it just now,” Jake said dryly, handing over her phone.

“You know how he is.” She straightened up and dusted the grass off her knees. “Wish I could hang out for a bit, but my Uber will be here in five minutes and my phone is dying, thanks to you and Dad.”

“When is your shift over? I can pick you up.”

“You don’t have to.”

“I think I do,” Jake said firmly.

“No, go have fun,” Ellie said, just as firmly. “You’ve earned it. It’s a short shift and I can catch a ride back, no later than eleven. If you’re there by then, you can yell at me all you want if I'm late.”

“I won’t be out that late,” he assured her. Babysitting her was really putting a damper on his late nights out, but it wasn’t like there were lines of people itching to hang out with him anymore. “I finally get to look at Duende tomorrow morning, anyway.”

“Nerd,” Ellie mumbled as she walked away. “Don’t have too much fun.”

Jake lurched to his feet, wincing as he felt a twinge in his lower back. A salt bath sounded really good right now, so maybe it wouldn’t be that difficult to cut the night early after all. He headed towards the crowd of spectators and players from both teams, intending to find Luke, but he was quickly intercepted by Amir and his girlfriend, Rachel.

Amir was holding a large drink in a Styrofoam cup, which he shoved into Jake’s hands. “Drink up, Big Guy. You’ve earned it.”

After that brief talk with his father, Jake was no longer sure if he agreed with him. Samwell had that effect on him. Jake looked down at the drink with some suspicion since he doubted it was simply iced tea, but he took a healthy sip anyway. His tongue was quickly coated with sugar, almost but not quite masking the bite of alcohol. “Not bad. What’s in it?”

“Moonshine,” answered Rachel, with a grin that was a little too wide to be completely sober. She was the team bartender over the last semester that Amir had been dating her, and she took her job very seriously.

Jake took another swig, then allowed the couple to take him to the social that was developing on the field as parents began to leave. More of the spiked teas were discreetly being passed around and what few adults remained were pretending not to notice.

Right behind the game itself, socials were Jake’s second-favorite part of rugby. He rarely turned down a party, but between the bawdy songs and comradery between both teams, nothing was quite like a good social. As he began to ride on a pleasant buzz, he forgot that he was initially searching for Luke until his friend appeared behind him and tapped him on the shoulder.

“Dude!” Jake cried, draping an arm around him. “Guys, this is my good friend, Luke!”

Everyone cheered as if Luke was homecoming king, and Luke went a little pink from all the attention. He acknowledged them with an awkward wave, then plucked the cup out of Jake’s hand. “This isn’t just tea, is it?”

“Try it.” Jake pulled him a few steps away from the crowd so he wouldn’t have to shout.

Luke did, and his eyes fluttered. “You guys always get the good shit. What did Rachel put in this?”

Jake’s mind was already somewhere else. He had looked over Luke’s shoulder and did a double-take. The last person he would ever expect to show up to his game was here, sitting on the bleachers some distance away, and talking to Kenny of all people. And he looked amazing.

“Jake? You hear me?”

“It’s moonshine. What’s your cousin doing here?”

Luke followed his gaze and looked troubled for a moment. “Oh, yeah, Nic. He showed up with his friend Shiv during the second half. I think she got bored and dragged him out.”

“Oh.” Why did he almost feel disappointed that Nic didn’t come of his own accord? “Maybe I’ll go talk to him,” he muttered, half to himself.

Luke raised an eyebrow at him. “To Nic? Why?”

Jake blinked, realizing that he had said that out loud. “No, to Reynolds. He told me I needed to talk to him.” How did he forget? It couldn’t have been that long ago, or at least he hoped.

Luke noticed that Jake was starting to panic. “Uh...maybe you should drink some water first.”

“Yeah, I guess I should.” Luke ran off to get Jake’s water bottle, then sat with him for a while, showing Jake some videos he took during the game as they waited for him to sober up.

*** 

Nic and Shiv had arrived during the last few minutes of the game, where Nic had to admit that Shiv might have been onto something: it was nice watching fit guys wrestling around in the mud. Particularly one. Nic’s eyes were drawn to Jake right away – it was hard to miss him, since he seemed to always have the ball. He had this look on his face that was unusually focused for him – or at least it would have been unusual if Nic didn’t see it all the time when they were alone. His dark brows knitted together, strong jaw set, every well-defined muscle poised and taut. Even while clearly exhausted, he looked completely in his element.

Nic felt that warm feeling he often got whenever he thought about Jake for too long and swallowed hard. The damned wine. Shiv noticed his interest and playfully bumped against his shoulder. “It’s a good game, isn’t it?”

“Yeah,” Nic said faintly.

Shiv had been trying to explain rugby to him, but she was a little too far gone to make a lot a sense. However, the scoreboard was displayed above the field, so Nic didn’t have to know how the game was played to know that the Titans were dominating. LeValley managed to get one score at the end, though, and Nic winced when he saw Kenny get steamrolled by one of them. So much for avoiding contact, he thought, shaking his head in sympathy.

After the game ended, Nic watched Jake celebrate with his team. It felt like it had been ages since he’d seen him look that happy. He was so intent on the wholesome scene that it took several tries for Shiv to get his attention.

“He's cute, don’t you think?”

She was pointing her chin at a mohawked guy on LeValley’s team. Nic shrugged; he was starting to really appreciate less alternative guys these days. “I guess he’s alright.”

“Yo, what are you two doing here?”

Nic started slightly at the new voice, but he relaxed when he saw Luke approaching them. A goofy smile slid into place. “Showing school pride, obviously,” he drawled.

Luke quirked an eyebrow at him, then turned to Shiv. “You got him drunk, huh?”

Shiv snickered. “Hey, he got himself drunk. He’s a big boy.”

“We would have just been drunk at her place, but she insisted we come here.” Nic nudged her, and she responded by sticking her tongue out at him.

Luke shook his head, then took a seat on the bleachers next to them. “I don’t want to be a buzzkill, but can we talk about that text you sent me earlier?”

Nic stared at Shiv until she groaned and stood up. “Alright, I can take a hint. I guess I’ll go introduce myself to my future ex-husband.” She flounced off to LeValley’s side of the field, leaving Luke and Nic alone.

Luke was all business. “So, I guess if you’re here that means Joey’s alright for the night?”

Nic nodded. “Anus took off, so Joey is home with Mom.”

“What’s the plan when he comes back? You lead, I follow.”

Nic tried to think, but his brain was slow. He wanted to just curl up on Shiv’s fluffy couch and forget about the disaster waiting for him at home, but he knew that wasn’t an option. “Mom is staging an intervention for me when Amos comes back, I think. She wouldn’t listen when I tried to talk to her earlier, so I’ll just humor her and let her know tomorrow.”

“You mean you’re just going to spring it on her when you go back? I thought you were going to handle it more delicately than that.”

“I was, until that asshole escalated things.”

“What did he do this time?” Luke asked, in a tired tone that suggested he already knew he wasn’t going to like the answer.

Nic decided on the spot to omit the worst of it without really knowing why. “He was plastered, scared the shit out of Joey, and made a huge mess.”

“Shit.” Luke went silent for a moment, staring off at nothing as he thought. “Are you sure you don’t want me to bring my mom at least?”

“It...might be a good idea,” Nic admitted. Kathy probably wouldn’t fight him on it if he insisted on moving out, but convincing her to bring Joey along would be a different story. And asking his mother to join them just wasn’t going to happen. Suddenly stressed, Nic searched his pockets for a cigarette. “I’m worried about leaving her with him.”

“Maybe once you’re gone, she’ll finally realize how shitty he is. I bet she only stays with him because of you two, anyway.”

Nic glared at him. “That makes me feel so much better.” Over Luke’s shoulder, he saw Jake with a young woman that looked a lot like him – tall, tan, and attractive. He vaguely remembered Jake mentioning he had a sister once.

“I can meet you there first thing in the morning,” Luke said, bringing Nic back to the situation at hand.

“Yeah, I’ll text you.” Nic had finally located a cigarette and an accompanying lighter, but he just stared at the items in his lap. “She’s going to hate me.”

“No, she won’t. She might be mad, but getting out of that house is more important, right?”

“Yeah, it is.” Why did he feel so guilty, then? He didn’t feel like talking about it anymore, and Luke slowly realized that, too. He squeezed Nic’s shoulder in parting and left him alone.

Now that he was out of Shiv’s house and was starting to sober up a little, reality crashed down on Nic with a vengeance. He was dressed like he was coming back from a rave at a rugby game, and there were only hours separated him from confronting Amos again. He itched to do something as a distraction, so he looked around at the people nearby – families, athletes, fellow students. He could try to mingle just to feel less like a loser, but his ever-present anxiety stopped him. It was getting harder to ignore these days, and Nic wondered if he was due for another panic attack.

Nic closed his eyes and let out a steadying breath. Now was not the time to cause a scene.

He hadn’t always been allergic to social interactions. He used to go out, looking for new one-night-stands, partying, driving his mother crazy with his constant sneaking around. That scene often involved a lot of drug cocktails, which left him too numb or out of it to feel anxious. After taking it too far and nearly going into permanent sleep in Maine, those days were mostly over. And now he had being a nervous wreck as a trade-off.

Nic’s breathing exercise seemed to be working, though. He opened his eyes again and twirled the unused cigarette between his fingers. He was about to go find a quiet place to smoke when he saw Kenny walk by, and he called out to him.

Kenny did a double-take, stopping in his tracks. “Nic? Shit, I didn’t recognize you.”

“That’s the beauty of makeup,” Nic said. “You can be whoever you want to be.”

Kenny smiled in that way people did when they didn’t have a response. “Well, it looks nice on you. You going to some kind of party?”

“I wish. I was hanging out at my friend’s house and she wanted to come watch.”

Kenny brightened. “Oh, so did you see me score a try in the first half?”

“Eh, no. We only saw the last twenty or so minutes.” Kenny winced, so Nic quickly tried to reassure him. “You were brave to try to stop that one guy. No one else did.”

“Yeah, well.” Kenny blushed a little and looked away.

There was an awkward pause. Kenny seemed to be unwilling to move on, but also unsure of what to say to keep the conversation going. That wasn’t Nic’s strong suit, either. He motioned vaguely towards the rest of the Titans. “Well, I just wanted to say hi. Didn’t mean to pull you from the celebrating.”

“Oh, you weren’t. My parents just left and I don’t know really know anyone here. I was about to head out, too, actually.”

“That’s not how you get to know people,” Nic chided, fully aware that he was being a hypocrite.

Kenny shrugged, chuckling. “I know. But I don’t drink, so...” He shrugged again, biting his lip. Nic sensed he was working up the courage to say something. “I might grab something to eat, wannacomewith?”

The last part came out quite jumbled, so it took a moment for Nic’s wine-addled brain to decipher it. He blinked slowly at his friend and smirked. “Depends. Are you asking me out?”

Kenny instantly turned white as a ghost. “God, no! I mean, not that you’re not – fuck. I was just asking as a friend. If you want it to be that way, that is.”

Nic was trying to keep his smirk from turning into a full-on grin. Kenny seemed flustered enough. “Thanks, but I came with someone, so I shouldn’t abandon her.”

“Right, of course. Sorry.” Kenny folded his hands in front of him, looking contrite.

“I’m...going to go have a smoke.” Nic indicated his cigarette. “Good talk, though.” He heaved himself off the bleachers, and he instantly became a bit light-headed. He swayed precariously and might have fallen if Kenny didn’t grab his arm.

“You alright?”

Nic waved away his concern. “Yeah, I’m fine; thanks for the save. Some of us do drink.” He looked down at the hand that still connected them, noted that Kenny was standing much too close, and took a step back. “Catch you at school Monday. Good game.” Eager to escape the weirdness of the moment, he walked away from Kenny without waiting for a response.

***  

Jake was no longer as obviously inebriated by the time he finally sought out Reynolds and his companion, but he was still just buzzed enough to be self-conscious about it. The fact that the two older men had an austere air about them didn’t help matters. They both had their arms crossed over their chests, and the referee guy looked like he hadn’t smiled in decades. They had beckoned him to a secluded, poorly lit corner of the field, far from everyone else and behind the storage shed.

“Jake,” Reynolds started. “I’d like to introduce you to Mr. Darin Richards. He’s an old friend of mine from the University of Orrinshire.”

“Who are you calling old?” Darin growled, in a gruff English accent. He offered Jake his hand. “Pleasure to meet you, Jacob.”

“I go by Jake,” Jake corrected him. “And same to you.” He accepted the handshake, noting that Darin’s skin felt like beaten leather. He glanced at each of the men, waiting for someone to explain what the hell an Orrinshire was and why it was important.

“Alfred’s been bragging about you for the better part of a year, you know that?” Darin indicated Reynolds, who nodded in agreement. “I saw some amazing plays out there that I don’t normally see in high school rugby.”

Jake glanced down at his shoes to try to appear humble. “I watch a lot of Olympic rugby.”

“It shows. I wouldn’t be surprised to see you on TV someday. Do you plan on playing in uni?”

“In university – um, college? I’d love to, but my dad’s not a fan of the idea. See, I used to play football – not soccer, American football – and there are more scholarship opportunities for that, but – ” Jake cut himself off, realizing he was rambling, and blushed before trying again. “Anyway, not a lot of schools around here pay you to play rugby.”

A smile flashed across Darin’s face so briefly that Jake might have imagined it. “Well, there’s no shortage of that in the U.K. I’ve coached for Orrinshire’s team for the last decade. It’s not a big school, but we do have a program that you might be interested in.” He looked Jake up and down. “There are diversity grants available as well.”

Jake had an inkling that something like this was coming, but he still became a bit light-headed. “Oh…okay, wow,” he said dumbly.

“Do you see yourself going to school overseas?” Reynolds asked him.

“It’s crossed my mind, yeah, but I didn’t think I was good enough for – ”

“Nonsense,” Darin Richards interrupted brusquely. “In fact, I’ll send you a link to the program, you look over it, and tell me what you think.”

He took Jake’s contact information and even gave him a business card. As Jake studied it, Darin turned to Reynolds. “I’m going to head out, but I’ll catch you later for a pint, yeah?”

Reynolds nodded. “I’ll see you then.”

“Thanks, Mr. Richards,” Jake called after the man as he headed off to the parking lot. He held up the business card to Reynolds. “You think I should go for it?”

“Of course. You’re one of the most talented athletes I’ve worked with in years.” He clapped Jake on the back so firmly he stumbled forward a little. “Darin isn’t very easily impressed and he doesn’t dish out compliments.”

“No wonder you’re friends.”

Reynolds huffed. “Don’t mess this up, Jake.” With that heartfelt farewell, he left Jake alone with his thoughts.

Clutching the business card to his chest as if it were a prized love note, Jake leaned back against the wall and rolled his eyes up to the night sky with a sigh of contentment. This was the perfect end to an incredibly shitty week. Now all he had to do was keep his grades up for the scholarship and maybe Samwell could get off his back about college. He could leave Meg, everyone else under her thumb, and this entire, boring little town behind next year.

Just as he was about to return to the festivities, Jake froze when he saw Nic again. He was even further from the action than Jake was, smoking just outside the nearby gym doors. And he was watching him.

Jake glanced wistfully back to where his friends were, knowing that it was probably best to follow the established rules and avoid Nic outside of their designated hookup times. It wasn’t like the boy had come to see him. Still, Jake was curious, a little horny, and Nic must be receptive to talking to him if he was making eye contact. Shrugging inwardly, he decided to bite.

Nic’s raised an eyebrow as Jake approached, but he didn’t seem annoyed about it. “You look like you got some good news.”

Jake leaned his shoulder against the wall next to him. “You could say that. I impressed someone enough that he wants me to apply to a scholarship.”

There was an unrecognizable expression on Nic’s face, and it took Jake a moment to realize that he seemed genuinely happy for him. “That some news. Congrats.”

Trying not to think too hard about it, Jake smiled back. “Thanks. I’m glad your friend brought you out for this one.”

Nic tilted his head in that quizzical way of his. It made him look distinguished. “I guess Luke told you that,” he said, with a small frown.

“Yeah, why?”

“Asking about me, are you?”

Jake was getting better at telling when Nic was being playful, so he managed to avoid getting flustered. “You show up at my game unannounced after you said you’d pass and you’re dressed to the nines. Of course I’m going to ask about it.” He let his eyes rove up and down Nic’s body, pausing on the several inches of exposed torso. “You look hot, by the way.”

“So did you, out there.”

Jake blinked, taken aback. “I don’t think you’ve ever complimented me before.”

Just like that, Nic appeared to snap out it. “Your ego is big enough,” he grumbled, and dismissed him with another puff as he turned away.

Jake knew that this was probably his cue to make a dignified exit, but he didn’t want to. He’d gotten a taste of the nice version of Nic and he wanted more. He leaned towards him slightly, just enough to get Nic’s attention back on him. “Know what else is?”

Nic’s eyes widened, and Jake reveled at rendering him speechless. He took advantage of it by plucking the lit cigarette from between his fingers. Without breaking eye contact, Jake took a deep drag from it...

…And immediately went into a violent coughing fit. He hadn’t been prepared for the instant burn in his lungs, and it felt like ages before he eventually recovered. Wiping traces of tears from the corner of his eyes, he straightened up.

“Jesus Christ, how do you do stand that every day?”

Nic answered him with a kiss.

He tasted like smoke and wine, and while it was a bit sloppily executed, it instantly stopped all rational thought. Nic hadn’t initiated a kiss since the first time they fucked. Jake hesitated for only a moment out of pure shock, but by the time he started kissing him back, Nic was already moving away.

“Not here.” Nic pointed to the gym door next to them, which was slightly ajar. The bathrooms were in there, so it had remained unlocked after hours for the game.

Right, they were in a very public place. He’d completely forgotten. Jake nervously glanced around them, but they didn’t seem to be in anyone’s direct line of sight from the field. Someone could head this way looking for the restroom, though…

Cool fingers slipped between his own, distracting him from his fretting. Another first. Jake looked down at their joined hands and back up at the owner, who was pulling him almost urgently into the gym as he held the door open with his other hand. Nic looked at him expectantly, with some of that familiar irritation starting to come through.

Dumbfounded yet intrigued, Jake followed him into the dark interior of the gym. As soon as the door clicked shut behind them, Nic was on him again, and this time Jake was ready. Their mouths crashed together so frantically Jake felt the clink of teeth, but he was too far gone to care. Nic pressed into him like a second skin to make up for the height discrepancy, his hand twisting in the hair at the nape of Jake’s neck. Jake reached behind him to cup his ass through his tight jeans, all while fighting for control of the kiss.

At some point, Nic managed to get his free hand between them and fondled Jake’s hardon from outside his thick rugby shorts, which made the other groan. Jake broke away suddenly, grabbing Nic’s hand as he headed in the general direction of the locker rooms. “Let’s go. I’m going to fuck the shit out of you.”

Nic nodded dazedly and started following him for a few steps before he stopped. “Wait. Condoms?”

There was a short delay before Jake realized what he was asking. He had also stopped, still facing the empty hallway in front of them. “I don’t have one on me.” After they started meeting regularly, he typically kept one in his wallet, but all his belongings were still by the field in his gym bag. “Shit.”

“Yeah,” Nic said lamely. He hadn’t taken his hand back yet.

Jake wasn’t as easily dejected. He turned around and started kissing Nic again, less desperately this time. His tongue thrust into Nic’s mouth again and again, and he felt Nic make a noise that could have been a moan. Jake reached down and squeezed to be sure, and it was definitely a moan this time. Smiling wickedly, he began to drag his lips along Nic’s jawline, freeing his mouth to make more of those sounds.

“What are you doing?” he gasped.

“I’m tired of condoms, Nic,” Jake said, by way of answer.

“Hm,” Nic said noncommittally, which Jake found unacceptable. He started sucking on Nic’s neck to prompt him to say more. This was uncharted territory; Jake knew he was sensitive there, but apparently it was in a good way. Nic’s fists knotted Jake’s jersey against his back. “Jake…”

“If you were tested…” Jake began.

“I don’t know…”

More kissing, this time against a delicate Adam’s apple as Jake started to hook his fingers around Nic’s belt buckle. This was driving him crazy, too, but he was determined to maintain his self-control. “Say you’ll do it…” He trailed off, moving back up to flick his tongue against Nic’s parted mouth. “…And we won’t be in this situation again.”

“Fuck…fine. Fine! I’ll do it.”

Right on cue, the gym door burst open as a LeValley player walked in and Nic and Jake leapt apart from each other. Jake pressed his back against the nearest wall and lowered his eyes, trying to look casual as he prayed his erection wasn’t as visible as it felt. Nic walked a short distance away from him with his arms crossed, hiding his face. This was probably for the best, since he looked a lot more disheveled than Jake did.

The LeValley guy looked at them briefly and likely suspected that he had interrupted something, but he didn’t seem to care. “Good game,” he muttered as he walked by, on his way to the bathroom. As soon as the door closed, Jake let out a sigh of relief. If he wasn’t sober before, he definitely was now.

Now that the fire had been extinguished, the air between them became tense and awkward. Nic interrupted the silence by clearing throat. “I, uh, should get back. Shiv is probably looking for me.”

Jake dared a glance at him. Nic was smoothing his hair back into place and his makeup had remained intact, but he was flushed. He still wanted to finish what they started, condoms be damned, but it seemed that the opportunity had been lost. “Yeah. Don’t forget what you agreed to.”

Nic snorted, regaining some of his not-so-effortless composure. “You mean what you coerced me into?”

Jake rolled his eyes. “Whatever. You started it and you know you wanted it, too.”

Nic glared at him. “Don’t tell me what I want. It’s you that needs to work that out.”

They seemed to be back to normal. “Please,” Jake scoffed, folding his arms. “What’s that supposed to mean, anyway?”

The LeValley player returned from the bathroom, so whatever Nic was going to say went unsaid. He just gave Jake one last suspicious look and followed the guy back outside, leaving Jake to stand in the dark and mull over his last quip. They had been hooking up for weeks now, originally just so Jake could figure himself out, and he still hadn’t really accomplished that. What do I want from him?

*** 

Later that night, Nic had a fevered wine dream about running from a pot-bellied figure across a field, carrying a rugby ball that curiously seemed to have eyes the same color as his brother’s. He woke up with a start, rubbing sleep out of his eyes and dryly wondering what that was all about.

Rays of sunlight sprinkled about the lavish room, and the smell of bacon wafted from the kitchen behind him. Nic pushed away the ridiculously plush comforter he was under and sat up to look over the couch. Shiv stood at the stove top, surrounded by an assortment of ingredients.

“Morning, Sleeping Beauty,” she sang. “You look so innocent when you’re asleep.”

Nic decided to ignore that. He massaged his temple as he tried to shake off a mild hangover headache. “What time is it?”

“A little after eight. My parents are coming back around ten.”

“I’ll be long gone by then,” Nic muttered, lurching to his feet. He went to the guest bathroom to do his usual morning routine and survey the damage. Though he’d at least remembered to wash his face before passing out, the reflection that stared back at him looked haggard. His hair was a lost cause, so he just pulled the wavy mass into a low ponytail and went back to join Shiv.

Besides the bacon, Shiv had made waffles, a massive pile of scrambled eggs, and coffee. Nic chewed on a piece of bacon as he eyed the buffet. “Not that I’m complaining, but that’s a lot of food for the two of us.”

Shiv smirked at him. “Um…well.” Her eyes slid past Nic.

Nic twisted around and saw a figure across the room, standing in the entrance of the hallway that led to the bedrooms. Fortunately, Nic realized that this was no burglar before he leapt for the knife block. It was the mohawked guy from the losing team last night, wearing only his boxers and a sheepish smile.

“Nic, this is Chester. I invited him over after you passed out.”

“Charmed.”

The three of them settled down for breakfast, which was filled with awkward small talk between Nic and Chester whenever the other wasn’t making eyes with Shiv. He was still shirtless, so Nic assessed him with mild interest. Not bad, but Jake’s chest was nicer.

It wasn’t long before Nic got the sense that the new couple probably wanted a round two before the morning was over, so he wasted no time. After getting his fill, he grabbed his things and gave Shiv a cheesy grin and a thumbs up from behind Chester’s back on his way out.

Back in his Nissan, Nic texted his mother, letting her know that he would be home soon. He then texted Luke the same thing. He sighed and shook out some nerves before starting the car. No going back now.

He drove in something of a daze, arriving back in the parking lot of his apartment complex without much recollection of the trip there. Luke’s car still wasn’t there, and he lived closer to the complex than Shiv did. Nic wanted to wait for him, but Kathy and Joey were at the bottom of the steps and saw him arrive. Nic hammered out another text to his cousin – where are you? - and got out of the car to join his family.

Joey ran to meet him. “She wants me to get rid of Nic!” he cried.

Nic stared at him blankly for a moment before he noticed the Tupperware container in his brother’s hands. “Nic the Beetle?” The boy nodded, and Nic glowered at Kathy, who was sitting on the bottom steps. “Why can’t he keep it? It’s not bothering anyone.”

Kathy held up her hands. “Hey, don’t shoot the messenger. Amos said we have enough unwelcome six-legged house guests.”

Nic couldn’t really disagree with him there, but Joey was looking up at him with his pleading, about-to-cry look. He knew Nic was frequently the mediator in these situations. “But it’s for a school project.”

“Either he lets me pin it or he lets it go. Your choice, Joey.”

Nic really didn’t get what the big deal was. It wasn’t like Amos went into Joey’s room that often. A few years ago, Kathy would have joined her sons in keeping the beetle a secret for the rest of its natural life. She knew how much the kid wanted a pet, but lately it seemed like no one in the house was allowed a spark of joy if Amos had any say in the matter.

Nic took Joey’s hand. “You heard her, Joey.”

“No!”

The waterworks started then, but Nic quickly knelt to his level and made Joey look him in the eye. “It’s alright, munchkin. We’ll just take him back where we found him.” He emphasized the last part and added a wink.

Joey fisted tears from his bright red face, confused, but he nodded as if he understood. Nic took him by the hand again and led his brother further down the sidewalk.

They reached the flowering tree where Nic found the beetle yesterday. Nic took the plastic prison Joey was still holding and placed it behind the trunk where it wouldn’t be spotted by anyone just walking by. Joey watched with wide, wet eyes.

“What are you doing?”

Nic shook his head and made a “shh” gesture. “We’ll come back for it later. Pretend you’re still upset with Mom, though.”

Joey was either a disturbingly good actor or still genuinely upset. When they returned to their mother, Kathy tried to offer him a comforting hug, but he angrily shrugged her off. “I don’t want to talk to you!” he flung at her as he raced back up the stairs.

That left Nic and Kathy alone. She looked more well-rested today, though she was still wearing her housecoat and looked suspiciously as if she had just rolled out of bed. She was usually up at the crack of dawn even on weekends.

“Proud of yourself for crushing his dreams?” Nic grumbled.

Kathy reached up and smoothed an errant strand of hair from his forehead. “You look troubled,” she said, without answering him. “What’s wrong?”

“What’s right?” Nic moved away from her and marched up the stairs after Joey. “Let’s get this pointless thing over with.”

Inside the apartment, Joey was nowhere to be seen, likely sulking in his room. Amos was there, though, draped lazily on a chair at the head of the table as if it were a throne. Like Kathy, he also looked as if he had just gotten up, and Nic finally clued in on what must have happened between them that morning. Not only did that mean he was already at a disadvantage here, but...gross.

“You look like shit,” Amos greeted Nic, with a smug smile.

“Funny how I only ever do when you’re around,” Nic coolly returned, and Amos’s smile turned into a scowl.

Kathy came up behind him from outside and gestured towards the table. “Go on and have a seat, Nic.”

Nic sat at the opposite end of the table, as far from Amos as possible, leaving Kathy to sit between them. No one said anything at first. Nic flicked his gaze between his mother and Amos: Kathy was looking down at her clasped hands and Amos just continued glaring at him. This was supposed to be a civil “family” discussion, but Nic was starting to feel like he was in trouble for something. And he didn’t like it at all, so he didn’t waste any more time.

“Mom, this isn’t working,” he blurted out. “I want to move out.”

Kathy just stared blankly at him, and Nic waited for her to start questioning him, talk him out of it, or even get angry. Anything would have been better than what she did instead. Kathy recovered from her shock and smiled nervously as she reached over to place her hand over Amos’s. “I guess that makes this much easier. We were thinking that may be for the best, actually.”

Nic narrowed his eyes and glanced at Amos, who looked very pleased with himself. “‘We’?”

“I had to tell her what happened yesterday, Nic,” Amos said. His voice was low and soothing, fatherly, almost, but his eyes were out of sync. They were glittering with glee. “You need help, and we think you should stay with the Ensings’ for a while and talk to your aunt.”

Distantly, Nic felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. It was probably Luke, but Nic was beyond caring. He closed his eyes and took a deep, calming breath to control his rage. “What happened yesterday?” he asked, quietly.

Kathy reached towards him but seemed to think better of it. Her hand fell limply back on the table. “Amos said you made...an advance on him.”

“The fuck?” Nic burst out, but Kathy ignored him.

“He said you flew into a rage when he turned you down and trashed the place. He had no choice but to leave until you calmed down.”

“And you actually believe that shit?” Nic hissed.

She flinched but stood her ground. “I saw the hole in the wall, Nic.”

“I did that because of this asshole!” Nic pointed a rigid finger across the table without even looking at Amos.

“Hey! You’re out of line!” Amos shouted at him.

There was a flurry of movement, starting with Amos. He stood up suddenly, prompting Nic to do the same. He scrambled to his feet so quickly his chair tipped over. Kathy was the last to stand, her arms stretched out between them as if that would do anything.

A firm knock on the door cut the tension. The three of them exchanged glances, each expecting someone else to answer it. Nic wordlessly volunteered: he turned and stumbled over his overturned chair in his haste to get to the door. As expected, it was Luke behind it, and Nic became so dizzy with relief that he thought he might pass out from the emotional whiplash.

Luke grabbed his arm. “Whoa, you alright?”

“I’m fine,” Nic said compulsively, despite feeling anything but.

Kathy was walking over to the door. “Luke, I don’t think now is a great time – ” She cut herself off when she realized that Luke wasn’t alone. “April, what are you doing here?”

Luke’s mother moved around her son to invite herself in. She was only slightly taller than her sister, but her presence was far more imposing. She was dressed nicely, as if Luke had just dragged her out of Sunday service. “I’m not entirely sure, Kathy; why don’t you tell me?”

Kathy hesitated, so Nic spoke for her. “Amos told her that I tried to fuck him,” he said flatly.

Perhaps due to her training, April didn’t have much of a reaction to that. She merely blinked at him. Luke, however, who hadn’t heard the entire story, was floored. “What?” he mouthed at Nic.

“It’s not true,” Nic continued, in an emotionless tone. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Joey peeking out of his room. No going back now. “He’s a fucking liar. He waved his disgusting dick at me while I was in the shower and threw a tantrum when he couldn’t talk me into keeping it a secret. I don’t -” His voice started to break, so he swallowed to get control of himself and turned to his mother. “I can’t live with him anymore, and I don’t want Joey living here either. That’s why I asked Luke and Aunt April to talk to you.”

Luke tried to put his arm around his shoulder, but Nic didn’t want to be touched right now. He moved away to stand against the wall, and Luke didn’t try again.

Everyone except Nic looked at Amos then. He kept his eyes on the floor, but he still heard Amos attempt to defend himself in that same cajoling tone that he had used on Nic the day before. “Kathy, we talked about this. I told you he would try to spin the narrative.”

April piped up then. “I don’t think Nic would lie about something like this.”

Kathy opened her mouth, but Amos cut across her. “With all due respect, April, you haven’t been around for the last seven years, and I have. Nic is prone to the dramatics...”

Nic’s head snapped up. Amos noticed, and he kept talking, looking directly at Nic as addressed Kathy. “It's what he does. It’s always someone else’s fault, and he’s prone to telling stories because he’s always on something. That’s why we had to move, you know.”

“Shut up.” That was the first warning.

“He thinks everyone is out to get him, so he’s got such a temper. Constantly fighting, drinking, partying, and damn near put himself in a coma. I told you about that other night, remember, Kath?” He looked at his wife then, who had gone pale. “When he stormed out and was gone for hours. You were so worried.”

“Shut up,” Nic said again. Second warning.

And again, it went ignored. “I don’t have a problem with him being gay, but he can’t just flaunt it the way he does, you know? It’s not safe. You’d think he’d learned his lesson after he tried to flirt with the wrong guy and got – ”

Nic lunged at him.

He didn’t make it far, since Amos was on the other side of the room and Luke had quick reflexes. A strong arm across his chest cut him off so fast that it knocked the wind out of him. He wasn’t that easily deterred, though. He struggled wildly, and heard Luke grunt as his elbow made contact with something soft, but his grip only got tighter.

“See what I mean?” Amos scoffed.

“Nic, please!” Kathy shrieked, the first thing she’d said in many minutes.

“Get him out of here!” April said sharply to Luke.

It was easier said than done. Nic fought with everything he had to get to Amos and wipe that ugly smirk off his face, his vision was blurred with hot, angry tears and screaming every ugly thing he could think of at the man. Eventually, he managed to break free from Luke for just a second, and though it surprised them both, his cousin recovered first. Luke grabbed Nic again, this time pinning his arms to his sides, and roughly carried him back towards the door.

The last thing Nic saw before April slammed the door shut behind them was a glimpse of Joey’s terrified, white face floating in the shadows of the hallway.