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    LitLover
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Stories posted in this category are works of fiction. Names, places, characters, events, and incidents are created by the authors' imaginations or are used fictitiously. Any resemblances to actual persons (living or dead), organizations, companies, events, or locales are entirely coincidental.
Note: While authors are asked to place warnings on their stories for some moderated content, everyone has different thresholds, and it is your responsibility as a reader to avoid stories or stop reading if something bothers you. 

Unforgivable - 10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

 

Jason had woken up Saturday morning feeling muscles he’d forgotten existed. It’d been years since he’d played ball, and his body was letting him know about it. Sitting in the grass, he stretched out the tightness. They had two games today, with one being against Corey’s ex’s team. After the altercation last night, Jason had asked around, and it was confirmed Zach was playing in the tournament. When he’d let Corey know, the brunette shrugged as if it was no big deal, but Jason noticed the tension in his shoulders.

He looked up when a shadow fell over him. “I see you survived,” Jack said, smirking.

Jason chuckled as he stood and dusted off his pants. “Yeah, but I’m not sure about some of the others. They were still hitting it pretty hard when I left.”

Sure enough, a few of the latecomers looked a little worse for wear as they straggled onto the field. Jason smiled when he remembered Corey sporting a pair of dark sunglasses when he’d arrived earlier. The brunette didn’t drink very much, but he seemed to be feeling the effects this morning.

Leaving the coach’s side, he grabbed a water bottle from the cooler and held it out to his friend, who was leaning against the backstop. “Here.” Corey shot him a questioning look. “Rehydrate. It helps.”

Corey scoffed, but his eyes lit up with amusement. He took the water and drank half before setting in on the bench and running out onto the field with his bat. “Come on, old man,” the brunette yelled over his shoulder. “I want to practice my fielding.”

Jason grinned and grabbed a ball from a smirking teammate. “Hey, who are you calling old?”

 

Their first game was against a team of firefighters and police officers. It was a lot of fun with a constant stream of back and forth wisecracks. The view of some of the players wasn’t too hard on the eyes either, as Corey teased later. They were closely matched, and the game ended in a tie, even under threat of speeding tickets and impounded cars. Jason was jogging back to the dugout when he stepped on a clod of overturned turf. The pain was only a twinge, but was sharp enough to make him stumble.

“What’s wrong?” Corey appeared at his side, sounding concerned.

“Just my ankle,” he replied, with reassuring smile. Jason took a tentative step, and was pleased to feel only a dull throb. “I stepped on a divot. It should be fine in a second.”

“Let me look at it.” Corey followed him to the bench, and pulled Jason’s foot onto his lap. The brunette’s touch was light as he skimmed across the injured area. Jason felt his body start to respond as he watched the lightly tanned fingers glide over his skin. Appalled, he closed his eyes and hoped his jock would be enough to hide his untimely reaction.

“It looks okay,” the younger man finally spoke, with a pat on Jason’s shin. “You should elevate and ice it before the game though.”

Jason nodded, not trusting his voice. Grabbing some ice from one of the coolers, Corey wrapped it in a towel from his bag and handed it to his patient. “Here, you can use this.”

Taking the compress with a quiet thank you, Jason slipped on his sock and shoe and walked gingerly to the stands. As he sat, he noticed Zach out of the corner of his eye staring at the bench where Corey was gathering their belongings. The man didn’t look angry, but he didn’t seem pleased to see the brunette either. When Corey finally spotted his ex, he gave the man a slow nod before looking away again. Leaving their bags beside the fence surrounding the diamond, he joined Jason on the bleachers.

“Think he’ll cause any problems?” Jason motioned towards Zach, who was now heading for the dugout.

“Nah,” Corey denied. He took the ice from Jason and maneuvered his foot onto another folded towel. Soon Jason’s shoe and sock were removed and the chilled cloth was soothing any residual ache. Their team had a by this round so he had time to rest before playing again. “He can be a stupid drunk, but he won’t do anything when he’s sober.” The younger man grimaced. “His behaviour at the wedding and the bar was pretty unusual… even for him.”

Corey seemed confident, so Jason let it go for the time being. Zach’s team was playing in the next game, so they had front row seats to watch. Jason hated to admit it, but the burly blonde was good. Very good. He made some plays that would have made the pros take notice. They were going to get a run for their money.

Over the next couple of hours they quietly analyzed their competition… especially the pitching and gaps they noticed in the outfield. Finally, Corey checked Jason’s ankle and proclaimed the blonde ready to play. During warmups, Corey had him doing stretching exercises to check his range of motion. As a precaution, the physiotherapist insisted Jason wrap the ankle to provide some protection. With the determined look in the Corey’s eyes, he knew better than to argue.

The game started well, with excellent plays made by both sides. He was especially impressed with Corey’s standing double in the third inning. Although he remained wary of Zach, the other man hadn’t attempted to talk to or approach his ex-boyfriend. It should have made Jason feel better, but he’d caught the assistant coach staring at Corey with a strange look on his face on more than one occasion.

At the top of the ninth, they were ahead by two runs. One of their opposition’s best hitters was up, with Zach on first and one out. Jason heard the crack of the bat and watched as the ball dropped between first and second base. Tanner fielded it easily and threw to Corey on second, trying to beat Zach to the bag. Jason watched as Zach slid, almost in slow motion, right into Corey’s legs. The brunette managed to fire the ball to first base before the big body took him down, hard. Corey had barely hit the dirt before Jason was racing from right field… not caring if they got the batter at first.

With his heart in his throat, he quickly made it to Corey’s side. He’d been hit like that before and it blew out his knee for months. The brunette sat up and dusted himself off, grimacing as he rubbed his hip.

 

“Are you ok?” Jason was surprised how out of breath he sounded.

“I’m fine,” Corey said with a pained chuckle. “Might have a bruise on my ass, but nothing major.”

Jason turned on Zach, who hovered nearby. “What the fuck is wrong with you?” he yelled. “You could have seriously hurt him!”

“Jase….”

“I....” Zach scowled at the slightly shorter blonde. “I did my job and slid into base. I wasn’t trying to hurt anyone.”

Jason didn’t believe the man for a second. The slide was late and he'd come in high. From the rumblings around them, no one else believed Zach either.

A hand touched Jason’s arm. “Jase, it’s okay. I’m fine.”

“He could have really hurt you.” Jason turned and placed his hands on Corey’s shoulders. “You’re sure you’re all right?”

“Yes,” the shorter man said with a crooked smile. “I got out of the way; it’s the end of the game… we won.”

After assessing Corey for another moment, Jason turned to Zach again, who was now flanked by concerned looking teammates. “You’re lucky he wasn’t seriously injured. It’s a charity game for fuck’s sake.”

Jason felt a pull on his arm, and allowed Corey to drag him over to their group, while the other team hauled Zach to the dugout. The celebration was a little subdued, but they congratulated each other on their win. With the points tallied, Jack gave them the good news they would be playing in the championship game the next day. This loss dropped Zach’s team into the consolation game. Jason was grateful they wouldn’t have to play each other again. He wasn’t sure if he could get through it without punching the asshole.

Leaving the diamond, they walked as a group to the tented area set up for the barbecue. Grabbing hamburgers and drinks, they commandeered one of the long tables. People walking by called out congratulations to Corey on the great double play and sympathies about the slide, causing the brunette to flush with embarrassment.

“It was a good play,” Jason whispered as he nudged the other man’s shoulder. “Even if you did bruise your ass.”

“Asshole,” Corey grumbled with an eye-roll.

“You bruised that too? Ouch.” The bad joke earned Jason a punch in the shoulder, and a snorted laugh.

Everyone at the table talked and joked as they ate, enjoying the warm mid-afternoon breeze. By all accounts, it was a successful event. Sara could be seen flitting from table to table and around, making sure everyone had everything they needed. Jason knew what Corey meant when he’d described her as tireless.

“You two coming out to James’ place?” Kevin said, sitting beside Jason. “He’s got a pool, and invited everyone over.”

Jason was tired, but it would be nice to get to know everyone better without the noise of a bar drowning out voices... and a swim sounded great after all of the humidity this weekend. “A dip sounds good to me.”

Corey grinned. “Sounds great, Kev.” He nodded at the other man. “He still lives on Pembroke?”

“Yep.”

“I’ll be there.” The brunette confirmed. After both men agreed, Kevin said his goodbyes, saying he was heading home to change.

“So where is this place?” Jason asked, as they threw away their trash and headed for the parking lot.

“It’s only a couple of streets over from you.”

“Really?” Jason stopped beside Corey’s car, and leaned against the door. “Well why don’t you come over to my place and leave your car in my driveway? We can walk over together. If the whole team’s going to be there, the street will be crowded enough… and if you have to take a cab home, you’ll know your car is somewhere safe.” Corey quickly agreed and left with a promise to see him in an hour.

Jason was pulling on a pair of shorts when he heard his doorbell. Grabbing a towel and throwing it over his shoulder, he opened the door to find Corey grinning at him in the sunshine.

“You ready?”

“Yep,” he answered, putting on his sunglasses. “Let’s go.”

The walk was warm, but the tree-lined streets gave them plenty of shade. James’ home was an older building that was restored beautifully. Having had the man introduced to him as a carpenter, Jason wasn’t surprised at the fine detail work. Knocking on the door they were greeted by Kevin, who invited them inside, gave them each a cold beer and led them to the back yard.

“Make yourself at home guys. I’m just going to grab more snacks.”

The space was dominated by a large concrete deck and pool, with what appeared to be a small shed tucked into a back corner. Privacy was assured by a tall hedge surrounding the property. There were already several members of the team sitting in lounge chairs, or splashing in the water. Several shouts of greeting met them as they were noticed.

Corey gave Jason a crooked grin before dropping his towel onto a nearby chair, stripping down to his shorts, and jumping into the water. Chuckling, he followed the other man’s lead and placed his things on an adjacent chair, making his way more sedately to the stairs on the far side of the pool.

“Come on, old man!” Corey teased. “Get your butt in here.”

“Old man my ass.” Jason snorted a laugh before dunking himself under. The water was refreshing, and he could feel some of the tension he carried from the Zach incident drain away. The level of worry he’d felt for Corey surprised him, and he still fought the desire to hunt Zach down. His protective instincts were resurfacing quickly, it seemed.

A couple of hours later, he was sitting in a lounge chair, chatting with their third baseman, Al, when a cute brunette sat beside him. She was Kevin’s teen daughter… Allie, if he remembered correctly.

“Hi,” she said cheerfully as she settled back in the seat. “You’re new to area, right?”

“Yes I am.” He smiled at the girl. “I’ve only been here for a few months.”

“Dad said you were from Toronto?”

Jason’s brow furrowed, trying to figure out where she was going with her questions. “Yes,” he answered slowly.

The girl grinned at him. “Awesome! Could you please tell my dad that Toronto is a great place? I keep trying to convince him to let me go to Ryerson when I graduate next year, but he’s dragging his feet. He hates big cities.”

Jason snickered. “Toronto can take some getting used to, especially if you don’t visit often.”

Allie rolled her eyes and sighed dramatically. “Tell me about it.”

“Hey Jase, could you throw me my towel?” He watched as Corey climbed out of the pool, dripping onto the deck. Jason grabbed a towel and tossed it over. The younger man smiled widely before scrubbing the water droplets from his chest. “Thanks!”

“So are you and Mr. Smyth an item now?”

Jason nearly choked on his beer at the question. “What?” he gasped, trying to catch his breath. “No, why would you think that?”

“You watch him a lot… like my dad watches my mom when he thinks she’s not looking.” The girl shrugged indifferently. “So can you talk to my dad for me?”

“Sure,” Jason answered, still stunned.

“Great,” she beamed at him before bounding off into the house, waving before she disappeared.

“This was a great idea,” Corey said as he lowered himself into the seat Allie vacated.

Jason watched as Corey’s hand absently scratch his muscular, lightly furred chest. He swallowed hard. Shit, he cursed mentally as his cock started to press against the fabric of his shorts. This wasn’t the first time his body had reacted to the handsome man… and now he was ogling Corey? He couldn’t… wouldn’t allow himself to have this kind of reaction. Corey had only just started to accept him back into his life, and he didn’t want to screw it up because he missed sex. Taking a deep breath and turning his attention to the pool, he willed himself to calm down. It was okay. Corey didn’t notice anything. It was fine… they were fine. Tilting his head to the side, he gave his friend what he hoped was a convincing smile. “Yeah, it was a great idea. I needed this.”

Thank you to my wonderful mentor/editor, Gary, and thank you to all of you who read and support this story.
Copyright © 2016 LitLover; All Rights Reserved.
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Stories posted in this category are works of fiction. Names, places, characters, events, and incidents are created by the authors' imaginations or are used fictitiously. Any resemblances to actual persons (living or dead), organizations, companies, events, or locales are entirely coincidental.
Note: While authors are asked to place warnings on their stories for some moderated content, everyone has different thresholds, and it is your responsibility as a reader to avoid stories or stop reading if something bothers you. 
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Jason's reaction to Zach could partially be seen as residual "big brother" protectiveness leftover from when they were kids. While it makes him uncomfortable his physical attraction to Corey is reasonably expected. Corey is an attractive guy and they've a history of friendship, they like one another as people. You have too feel for him, he's so worried about messing up. Especially since others are beginning to notice his behavior. Still think Zach is gonna cause trouble of some sort.
While I'm anxious to see the two of them together as a couple, I like the pace and development of the story. You're doing a really nice job.

I almost feel as if I could cut and paste my comments from Gary's latest chapter - men are such idiots :) I do feel I understand the slow and steady approach J is taking, he does need to re-establish his friendship before anything else might happen.
If a young girl he has just met is noticing the glances Jason is throwing Corey's way, everyone will be noticing it. Except Corey :P
Those boners are not from missing sex, J is reacting that way because he is in luuuurrrrv :)
Nicely done - I'm looking forward to the next chapter

Jason's reaction to Corey is both a sign of how he's changed and a signal that he's got yo reflect on the way he's feeling. Perhaps Jason will be able to act on the knowledge that honesty with himself and with Corey is better than any amount of artful dodging and hiding. This was a great chapter, and perfect that Zach did nothing more than excite Jason's protective spirit.

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These two are so perfect for each other and it's fun watching them rebuild that strong friendship again into something stronger. I always find it funny when others see the romantic interest we have in someone when we think we are hiding it or not even fully conscious of it ourselves. Jason's feelings seem much more intense than Corey's at this point. Corey is still thinking friendship and Jason is on track for serious romance. The question is, when will they get in sync?

Is Jason sure Corey didn't notice anything? I don't think there's much he wouldn't notice now. Once again we get to compare a gentleman to a douche, and it's time Corey stopped letting Zach off the hook, because I want to see Jason throw Zach against a wall or something... nothing too violent, but....
Another great chapter, my friend. These guys belong together, and Corey has to soon see that... Jason is a different man... a good man. Cheers... Gary....

I'm gonna laugh so hard if it turns out Corey did notice Jason's predicament. :lol:

 

It's interesting to see how Jason rationalizes his arousal: "missing sex" rather than "staring at Corey." Then again, he may just be trying to ignore the latter for the sake if his recently restarted friendship with Corey. What is also interesting is what would Corey's reaction be? Personally, I don't see him taking it badly. Honestly, I can see him being a bit embarrassed, flattered, and stunned that he was the reason behind Jason's arousal.

 


Speaking of "staring at Corey," I wonder how many of their teammates also noticed? :gikkle:

 

Finally, the weekly Zach rant: I'm hoping for the day either Corey or Jason deck him. :yes: That idiot has it coming, lol.

 


Thank you so much for another fantastic chapter, Lit! :hug:

On 06/22/2016 11:24 PM, dughlas said:

Jason's reaction to Zach could partially be seen as residual "big brother" protectiveness leftover from when they were kids. While it makes him uncomfortable his physical attraction to Corey is reasonably expected. Corey is an attractive guy and they've a history of friendship, they like one another as people. You have too feel for him, he's so worried about messing up. Especially since others are beginning to notice his behavior. Still think Zach is gonna cause trouble of some sort.

While I'm anxious to see the two of them together as a couple, I like the pace and development of the story. You're doing a really nice job.

Thank you for the vote of confidence, Dugh. Jason is really afraid to mess up and lose what he's managed to rebuilt with Corey. Others noticing his behaviour would naturally spook him because he knows what he lost before.

 

Thank you for your review and your support, Dugh. :hug:

On 06/22/2016 11:26 PM, Bucket1 said:

I almost feel as if I could cut and paste my comments from Gary's latest chapter - men are such idiots :) I do feel I understand the slow and steady approach J is taking, he does need to re-establish his friendship before anything else might happen.

If a young girl he has just met is noticing the glances Jason is throwing Corey's way, everyone will be noticing it. Except Corey :P

Those boners are not from missing sex, J is reacting that way because he is in luuuurrrrv :)

Nicely done - I'm looking forward to the next chapter

:lol: He may be in luuuurrrrv... but I don't think he's ready to even contemplate that possibility right now. Sometimes outsiders notice things that we don't see ourselves. I think that's what happened in this case. What will that knowledge do to Jason's behaviour? That is yet to be seen.

 

Thank you for your review and your support, B. :hug:

On 06/22/2016 11:46 PM, Parker Owens said:

Jason's reaction to Corey is both a sign of how he's changed and a signal that he's got yo reflect on the way he's feeling. Perhaps Jason will be able to act on the knowledge that honesty with himself and with Corey is better than any amount of artful dodging and hiding. This was a great chapter, and perfect that Zach did nothing more than excite Jason's protective spirit.

Maybe having someone else notice the looks he gives Corey will force him to face how he's feeling? He doesn't want to spook his friend, but the more time they spend together, the more obvious its likely to become.

 

Thank you for your review and your support, Parker. :)

On 06/22/2016 11:54 PM, drpaladin said:

These two are so perfect for each other and it's fun watching them rebuild that strong friendship again into something stronger. I always find it funny when others see the romantic interest we have in someone when we think we are hiding it or not even fully conscious of it ourselves. Jason's feelings seem much more intense than Corey's at this point. Corey is still thinking friendship and Jason is on track for serious romance. The question is, when will they get in sync?

No one is as stealthy as they think they are... especially when in comes to feelings. Funny how the people directly involved are sometimes the last to know ;)

 

Jason's feelings may be more intense right now, but I think that Corey has even considered Jason romantically since he came back into his life.

 

Thank you for your review and your support, Dr.P. :)

Out of the mouths of babes, huh...? LOL Jason needs to realise his interest in Corey is not as secret as he likes to think. He won't be able to contain his growing feelings (yes, feelings! Get your minds out of the gutter!) much longer. I just hope he doesn't spring everything on Corey. That could go wrong, if Corey gets spooked and starts to think about their past again.

 

So, steady as she goes, Jason...

NMH :yes:

 

Poor Jason! He simultaneously has his strong feelings of big bro protectiveness resurface big time, right along with his newfound (suppressed?) attraction to Corey coming out all at once. Poor guy doesn't know up from down or what the heck to do right now. One thing is for certain, it's not just cause he hasn't gotten laid in a while.

 

One thing that strikes me as interesting, we haven't seen how Corey feels about Jason's protectiveness. Does he like that attribute about Jason, or does he feel like Jason is thinking he can't take care of himself?

 

Anyway, thanks for this LL, I absolutely loved this chapter.

On 06/23/2016 03:14 AM, Headstall said:

Is Jason sure Corey didn't notice anything? I don't think there's much he wouldn't notice now. Once again we get to compare a gentleman to a douche, and it's time Corey stopped letting Zach off the hook, because I want to see Jason throw Zach against a wall or something... nothing too violent, but....

Another great chapter, my friend. These guys belong together, and Corey has to soon see that... Jason is a different man... a good man. Cheers... Gary....

I think Jason is so worried about Corey's reaction that he's hoping Corey didn't notice. I think if Zach persists you're not going to have to worry wait for him to be thrown against a wall or something. I think Jason's lost his patience with the guy. ;)

 

Thank you for another great review and all of your support, Gary. :hug:

On 06/23/2016 04:10 AM, Drew Espinosa said:

I'm gonna laugh so hard if it turns out Corey did notice Jason's predicament. :lol:

 

It's interesting to see how Jason rationalizes his arousal: "missing sex" rather than "staring at Corey." Then again, he may just be trying to ignore the latter for the sake if his recently restarted friendship with Corey. What is also interesting is what would Corey's reaction be? Personally, I don't see him taking it badly. Honestly, I can see him being a bit embarrassed, flattered, and stunned that he was the reason behind Jason's arousal.

 

 

Speaking of "staring at Corey," I wonder how many of their teammates also noticed? :gikkle:

 

Finally, the weekly Zach rant: I'm hoping for the day either Corey or Jason deck him. :yes: That idiot has it coming, lol.

 

 

Thank you so much for another fantastic chapter, Lit! :hug:

I think Jason wants to believe his reaction is just because he's missing sex. Anything else, in his mind, would complicate things, and potentially send Corey out of his life again. Corey's reaction would be interesting to know though ;)

 

I wouldn't be surprised if a lot more people noticed Jason's

On 06/23/2016 05:56 AM, Puppilull said:

Out of the mouths of babes, huh...? LOL Jason needs to realise his interest in Corey is not as secret as he likes to think. He won't be able to contain his growing feelings (yes, feelings! Get your minds out of the gutter!) much longer. I just hope he doesn't spring everything on Corey. That could go wrong, if Corey gets spooked and starts to think about their past again.

 

So, steady as she goes, Jason...

hehehe well feelings wasn't the first thing that came to mind, I must admit :lol: I think Jason realizes he has to tread carefully, but he's also going to have to figure out how to trust himself and his instincts where Corey is concerned.

 

Thank you for your review and your support, Puppi. :)

On 06/23/2016 10:51 AM, spikey582 said:

NMH :yes:

 

Poor Jason! He simultaneously has his strong feelings of big bro protectiveness resurface big time, right along with his newfound (suppressed?) attraction to Corey coming out all at once. Poor guy doesn't know up from down or what the heck to do right now. One thing is for certain, it's not just cause he hasn't gotten laid in a while.

 

One thing that strikes me as interesting, we haven't seen how Corey feels about Jason's protectiveness. Does he like that attribute about Jason, or does he feel like Jason is thinking he can't take care of himself?

 

Anyway, thanks for this LL, I absolutely loved this chapter.

I think blaming this on 'not getting laid' in a while is a convenient explanation for Jason. He might not want to examine those potentially disastrous (in his mind) attraction to his friend.

 

Corey notices the protectiveness (eg at the bar), and he hasn't seemed overly bothered by it, but that might also be because Jason has tried to let Corey deal with Zach on his own terms.

 

Thank you for your review and your support, spikey. Oh and that song is still stuck in my head!

Aw, Jason... This was funny though. The kid pretty much blew his theories of why he was so turned on by Corey.. I mean she noticed, who else does? Does Zach? Which is why he may be extra assholy to Corey.. Does Corey and we don't know yet? Or will he be blindsided by his like reaction when he does notice? Oh the possibilities.. I can't wait to get there. In the meantime, I don't envy Jason the task of trying to keep it together.

 

Also, I love the growing friendship. It feels very organic to me..

 

So well done Lit..

Corey seems completely clueless so far, and I hope Jason can hide his growing attraction for a while longer. I'm not sure whether it will be easier now he's aware of his feelings (although not the romantic part) and can be on guard. It might make him act strangely and Corey will soon pick up on matters getting awkward. Not knowing why might make him suspicious when it's Jase we're talking about. The contrast with Zack is interesting, here Corey seems to be forgiving and oblivious to the point of naïvity.

I cracked up when Jason almost choked on his drink! So if this teenager can pick up on how he looks at Corey (and she's only seen him that one time, right?), then can his teammates see it also? And Zach? Is that why Zach is always being an asshole, or is that his normal MO? lol

 

Does Jason know that Corey had a crush on him way back when?

 

Great chapter, Lit! :) As usual, you always leave me wanting more! :yes:


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