Direct Confusion - 20. Chapter 20

Making love to Erin is about the best experience of my entire life. After he shows off his excellent cock sucking skills, I fuck him with ruthless, joyful, abandon. I won the match, I trained my team well and it showed, and then my boyfriend tops it off by kneeling up on the edge of my bed, turning to look over his shoulder and asking.

“Is this OK?”

Erin apparently likes getting screwed just as much as he likes to be the one doing the screwing, and I wonder at some point how it was that the universe conspired to bring us together is such a wonderfully harmonious partnership. We sleep after a short, practical but romantic shower, wrapped around each other like cats in a nest, the sheets rumpled around our legs, keeping warm on each other’s heartbeats.

I wake into the comforting knowledge that I am not alone, and the heat spreading down my chest is from Erin’s smooth skin, and for a while I hover on the edge of falling back into a blissful sort of slumber. And then I crack open one eye to look at him. It’s sometime in the very early morning when no one in their correct mind is actually conscious, and Erin looks soft and pliable in the gentle shadows cast by my curtains. The deep shadows between his lips are especially tempting. I brush a strand of hair away from his face with a knuckle, tasting his breath as he exhales. I kiss him gently in between heartbeats and he wakes slowly, murmuring wordlessly against my lips.

We touch each other without speaking, laying warm hands against warmer skin, kissing each other in a sleepy opened mouthed manner which brings my cock back to quivering attention – the only one of my muscles which wants to be anything other than sleepy and lax. Erin moans against my lips as my hips press into him, and gently he spreads his legs, allowing me access to his delightful ass. I kiss him as my hands bring him closer, our legs getting intertwined as my cock seeks out the tight bud of his entrance. We are both too tired to rush, but too horny to stop.

“Luke…” Erin breathes my name against my neck. I place a wet kiss at his clavicle, and we moan in unison as my nudging erection finally taps against him. There doesn’t seem to be an end to his sentence, and I use a hand to guide myself into the wet, constricting heat of his body.

We move in and out of each other with infinite slowness, kissing constantly, watching each other as the pleasure builds. Erin’s lips form symbols of love and adoration in the air between us, and I trust into is body softly and unhurried. I have never had sex like this before, and as my orgasm comes closer, teasing me with its ecstatic nearness, I realise what everyone is talking about when they refer to making love. Even in my head I could never use ‘fucking’ to describe what we’re doing. The next time he kisses me, it is enough to put me over the edge, and I come inside him, panting and shaking with pleasure in the darkness.

“Luke,” I reached down to touch Erin, but his cock is still unflagging. “Can I…?”

I don’t even need him to finish the sentence, and within minutes our positions are reversed, and I am full of delicious pleasurable aftershocks as Erin pushes himself into me. He whispers my name against my lips, and floods me with liquid heat.

We drift off almost instantly, but I remain awake long enough to hear him whisper that he loves me. It’s a good sound to fall asleep to.

*

We have a weekend filled with laughter and silliness. I spend most of Saturday at the Parker house, ostensibly helping Jameson with another history report, and the both of us do our very best to distract Erin while he cooks. Kisses are rewarded with Dutch caramel biscuits and soft smiles whenever Jameson isn’t looking. Erin grabs at my ass with floury hands and I spend ages trying to conceal the fact that my navy Dockers have a faded handprint on the back when Erin’s father comes in to see what we are up too. Jameson sends him away with baked goods and big smiles; and I realise what I thought was Jameson’s flirty manner is just the way he is with everyone.

I spend most of Sunday catching up academically and looking at colleges which have sports programs I like the look of but also run the kinds of sports science medicine departments that might intrigue Erin. My brain keeps trying to tell me it’s way too early to be thinking about the future, but he’s fighting a losing battle with the rest of my body. Erin is the best thing in my life, and already I don’t want to give him up.

Derrick comes over Sunday evening to distract me from the fact I’m spending a whole day apart from my boyfriend, and on returning from the bathroom I find him with my phone in hand, smirking.

“Dude!”

“Oh Luke, you are a cheeky little thing.” Derrick grins, spooling through my messages. “I had no idea you were so kinky.”

“Fuck you.” I go to grab my phone, but Derrick is stronger, bigger and quicker. “Der!”

“‘Looking at my speedo collection and thinking of you.’” Derrick reads from my text message. “‘Which ones do you want me to wear on Monday?’ Your boy really does have a bit of a thing for that doesn’t he?”

“Derrick, please…”

Derrick hands my phone back with a smug grin. “Dude, you’re whipped.” He looks ridiculously happy about this. “Welcome to the club.”

“Huh?” I blink at my best friend. Somehow, Derrick never ceases to amaze me, and sometimes I think that despite all the clichés to the contrary, he must be the most tolerant guy on earth.

“You love that running back of mine, its plain as day.” Derricks grins. “It’s a fuckin’ scary thing isn’t it, being this head over heels?”

I let out a long breathe I hadn’t realised I had been holding.

“God yes. My brain keeps telling me I can’t expect it to last forever-”

“-but you can’t think about life without him.” Derrick finishes for me. “It’s wonderful and maddening, eh? I’ve got my dad giving me a headache over Cherrie nearly every day. He says I need to focus on my future, graduate and go to college, and stop thinking about what life might be like if we stay together. And I can’t think past how beautiful she’s gonna look at homecoming, and how much I wanna love her for the rest of my life. Even if it meant giving up football and college and everything else in my life I love.” Derrick smiles softly. “I love ya man, but if I had to, I’d give up you too.”

“You got it bad.” I give Derrick a one-armed half-hug quickly.

“Not as bad as you.” Derrick arches an eyebrow. “You really let him fuck you in that speedo you bought last weekend?”

My blush is enough to confirm Derrick’s question.

“Erin’s kinky too then? You guys are a good match for each other.” He clears his throat. “So is he er… what was it? Versatile? Like you?”

I blink at Derrick’s forwardness.

“Um, yeah. You sure you wanna talk about this?”

“Yeah, sure.” He sounds more confident with every word. “You listen to me talk about Cherrie all the time, right?”

I hug my friend properly, and Derrick hugs me back hard enough to make my ribs creak.

“You’re a good friend Derrick. Do I ever tell you that?”

His cocky smile returns.

“Not often enough, Luke. Not often enough.”

*

Monday morning I arrive at school early and excited. Erin’s morning text promised kisses and surprises at his locker, and I am eager to grab my gear for the day and head over there in order to receive my morning dose of love and snuggles. We sat up texting until gone midnight, and I am desperate to see him again and taste his apple-sweet lips.

But there is an envelope in my locker, and this one looks rather more official than the note coach left in there the other week. As I read the letter, my hands shake, and as I reach the end, reading the world’s most hypocritical use of the word ‘sincerely’, I shred the school-headed paper into a dozen pieces. My good mood is entirely ruined, and I turn, slam my locker, and stride to the sports department, and Coach’s office. No one gets in my way.

“WHAT the FUCK is this?” I throw the crumpled pieces of the letter at him. “Is this supposed to be some sort of joke?

“Mr. McBride, please, sit down.”

“No.” I have wrapped my fist in the strap of my bag, scared by myself and my rage, and my desire to hit the man who sits in front of me. His calm demeanour makes my blood boil. “Explain!”

“It was as the letter stated. Your inappropriate behaviour at Friday’s game has generated worry within the team, and I have supported this claim. I haven’t removed you as Captain nor am I dropping you from the team. But you may not use the school showers or changing rooms before or after practice.”

I take a deep, steadying breath. It doesn’t help.

“What ‘inappropriate behaviour’ are we talking about? You might have forgotten but my team won that fucking game.”

“It involved Erin Parker.”

I very nearly throw my rucksack at him across the desk.

“It was a kiss! He’s my boyfriend!”

The Coach nods gently, but his eyes are hard.

“A parent of one of your teammates complained. They feel it is unacceptable for the school to force their son to shower in a potentially hazardous atmosphere.”

“Hazardous?” My voice is flat, because now I’ve heard it all. “Hazardous? When have I ever been hazardous to any of my teammates? I don’t actually fancy every guy I meet you know, I actually have standards. You do realise that you can’t actually stop me?” I stare him down from the other side of the desk. “It’s against the law. You can’t discriminate against me based upon my sexuality. How many of those press cameras do think will have a field day when this gets out?”

“McBride…” The Coach’s tone is full of warning.

“No! Don’t you dare! I am the only openly gay soccer player in the entire league. I’m practically famous whether I want it or not. And how do you think it will look when the star player of the championship team quits very publically because of your prehistoric attitude?” The coach looks stunned at my rather calm outburst. “Did Erin get sent one of these?”

“Yes.”

“You spineless shit!” I glare at him for a second longer before turning and running from the room.

I sprint all the way to Erin’s locker on the other side of the school, growling at anyone who doesn’t move out of the way quickly enough. I’m too late though, and Erin and leaning against the bank of lockers looking like he’s about to burst into tears, and Jameson is scanning the body of the letter, his body visibly tensing with rage at every line. I reach him just as his clenched fist is about to slam into the lockers, and I wrap my hand around his quickly.

“Don’t, you’ll break a knuckle.”

“Luke!”

I wrap my arms around Erin as he launches himself at me, and inhale the apply scent of his hair. My heart rate drops considerably.

“Oh Luke! It’s horrible.” Jameson is still pissed, but upset too. “How did this happen? I thought this school was supposed to be tolerant.”

“I thought so too.” I find my fingers stroking the back of Erin’s head and neck gently, in just the way I know he likes. “I already went to speak to coach, I’ll sort it out.”

“How Luke?” Erin pulls away from me slightly, and the sight of his eyes red-rimmed with tears makes my heart hurt in a physical way I didn’t know it could. “When my parents find out about this they’re going to freak. They’ll want us to switch schools.”

“It won’t get that far.” I try to smile at him. “They know there’s nothing they can actually do. It’s illegal.”

“But… at training...”

“I threatened to quit. They’ll change they’re minds.” I take his chin in my fingers and kiss his lips gently. Erin kisses me back, though it’s not the good morning kiss I had hoped for.

“You can’t quit Luke.” Jameson is frowning at me. “I thought you needed a full scholarship to get into college?”

“But they don’t know that.” I reach out and grab Jameson into our hug, and for a moment the three of us actually need the physical support of the others. When we break apart Jameson nods and smiles and tells me he’ll see me later before hugging his twin a last time. We watch him go, with our arms around each other. “So what was my surprise?”

“Oh.” Erin sniffs and drags his hand over his eyes. “Here. I made you breakfast.” Erin pulls a plastic container from his open locker and hands it to me with a fork. Inside are thick Belgium style waffles. Drawn neatly on top in chopped strawberries and chocolate syrup, are a pair of speedos with a heart on the crotch.

I laugh, and kiss him hard.

“Just when I thought you were being romantic…”

“Hey! That is romantic.”

I grab my boyfriend and whisper in his ear.

“And also fuckin’ kinky as hell, you bad thing. I’m gonna be thinkin’ about that all day now.”

Erin’s smile lights up his eyes as I take my first bite, and it’s the look I should’ve seen first thing this morning. I hate waking up without him.

“Well that was the intention.”

Our next kiss is practically X-rated.

*

For the first time since I came out three years ago, I dread the walk to the locker rooms. During first period, I filled Jim and Derrick in on my unpleasant morning, and Jim got quiet while Derrick got loud – so much so that he had to be sent into the corridor to go and cool down. There’s now a section of wall near our homeroom with a fist shaped dent in the plaster board. Derrick has already told the Principal he’ll pay for the repairs.

I left study hall early, so I could be here before anyone else, but Coach is waiting for me outside the double doors emblazed with the school colours.

“McBride.”

“You’re not seriously going to try and stop me?” I clench one fist unconsciously.

“While I recognise you could potentially beat me to a pulp, I’m betting you won’t. Your parents raised you well Luke, you’re too polite and sensible to endanger your future by beating up a teacher.”

Right at that moment, I wish he was wrong.

“Hey Coach.” The doors behind the coach open to reveal most of the football and soccer teams, most of whom are still dressed in their school clothes, others half undressed, shirtless with bare feet. “What’s going on?”

“That’s none of your concern.”

“All due respect sir,” I am shocked to hear Mitch’s voice speaking up. “If it involves our captain, then it involves us.” His tone makes it abundantly clear Derrick has filled everyone in on this morning’s events. “Hi Erin.”

Erin’s hand on my waist is warm for a moment before his fingers wrap around mine. I’m incredibly glad that he’s here, because I am balancing between rage and hurt and I don’t really want to fall publicly in either direction. I’m hoping for another magical third option.

“This is not my decision boys.” Coach is trying to dispel the general animosity in the air. “A complaint was made and I have to take it seriously.”

“It was a kiss.” Derrick’s tone is like that of an adult explaining something very simple to an obstinate child. “Get over it.”

“Well if Luke and Erin are gonna have to get changed out here, I guess we all will.” Porter grins. “Seems fair.”

“Whoa, lads, hang on.” The Coach is starting to look like a man on the wrong side of a losing battle. “You’ve not done anything which warrants that.”

“Oh yeah?” Porter steps forwards, pulling my top defender Bruno with him. Bruno grins and puts his arms around Porter’s huge shoulders. Shooting me a smile, they kiss. It’s not a passionate kiss or anything, but it’s a kiss with fully body contact sure enough, and when they break away, both of them look proud. “Have now.” Porter finishes.

“Wait…”

When Mitch and Potenski kiss, I’m barely surprised. They’re not gay, none of them, but they support us enough to do this. The sight makes my heart soar as they part.

“Oh. My. God.” Heather and her cheerleaders are standing behind us, freshly arrived from changing. “Why is it we always miss the best bits?”

“So Coach?” I grin. “Can I go get changed and drill my team now?”

His gaze drops, and he steps aside, defeated. Erin stops me from walking in, and pulls me around to reward the cheerleaders with the sight of us making out. They all shriek and giggle, the teams cheer, and Derrick is the loudest.

It’s awesome.