Heavy.
Like, elephant in a canoe heavy.
�I don�t think so, Lij.� Orlando�s face was a frozen, unreadable mask. �I�thanks, though.� Orlando flashed something that was supposed to be a smile and turned away.
Elijah watched Orlando throw his towel in the bin with a snap and walk through the locker room door.
I don�t�think so? Elijah turned slowly towards his own locker, trying to make those four words mean something, anything other than the painful dismissal he was imagining.
Trying to make them seem less real. Less�horrible.
Elijah leaned forward, eyes open, forehead resting against the cool metal of his locker shelf. His fingers tightened around the bent edge of metal door.
Stupid, stupid, stupid, Wood.
What did you think was going to happen?
That he was going to�to hold your hand? Give you his class ring? Just leap out of the closet after a quick hand-job in a bar and one night in the cab of his truck?
Elijah straightened abruptly and slammed his locker.
Maybe he doesn�t like going to the movies.
�Hey, Lijah, what�s with the �tude?�
Elijah ignored the greeting, walking towards the door as he slung his backpack over his shoulder. He stopped when he felt a hand on his arm.
Elijah turned to look into the soft green eyes.
Billy smiled gently and squeezed Elijah�s arm, his voice lower. �You ok, Lijah?�
Elijah shrugged a shoulder and looked away, resisting the urge to vent about the tangle of emotions that had been running through his brain since last night.
It had been past midnight when Orlando stopped the truck in front of Elijah�s house.
Slowly, Elijah sat up from where he�d been leaning against Orlando�s shoulder.
Orlando cleared his throat and lifted his hand from where it had been resting on Elijah�s knee.
Elijah slid his finger out of Orlando�s belt loop.
They sat in silence, each wondering what the other was thinking.
Eventually, Elijah scooted across the cab, opened the door and climbed out.
�Lij, I��
Elijah stopped halfway up his sidewalk, turning back to the truck with a hitch in his breath. He balanced on the balls of his feet, waiting for�something.
Orlando�s hand curled over the open window, his knuckles white. The truck�s engine was still running.
A dog barked in the distance.
Orlando ran a hand through his hair, looking away from Elijah. �See you tomorrow at practice?�
Elijah nodded jerkily.
Orlando lifted his hand in something like a wave and drove away.
Elijah had watched the dark street long after the truck�s taillights disappeared around the corner.
And Billy wanted to know if anything was wrong.
��M fine, Bills. Really.� Elijah managed something close to a smile.
Billy frowned, but let him go. He didn�t jump when Dom laid his chin on his shoulder.
They both watched Elijah push the locker room door open with more force than necessary.
Dom turned to look at Billy. �Think they�ve figured it out yet?�
Billy frowned, leaning back unconsciously into Dom. �I dunno.� He turned to look at his friend, his frown fading to a smile. �If I had to guess, I�d say they figured it out sooner than either one of them is comfortable with.�
Dom grinned.
Billy spun around abruptly and smacked at Dom�s wandering hand, hissing under his breath. �Not in the locker room, you jerk. I thought you said never at school.�
Dom grinned, stalking towards Billy with a leering grin. �Technically, school�s out for the day��
Billy backed slowly towards the showers. �Oh, no you don�t. I don�t want to get expelled because you couldn�t keep your di��
�Billy! Hush. You never know who could be listening.� Dom grinned and lifted the hand he�d clamped over Billy�s mouth.
�Exactly my point, Dommfff��
Dom smiled. �Then you�ll just have to be quiet, won�t you?� He replaced his hand with his mouth.
Billy didn�t make a sound.
+
Orlando tried to lose himself in the steady slap of rubber soles on pavement, the sound of his deep breathing overlapping the repetitive lift-push-pound of his feet hitting the deserted road.
He changed rhythms, moving out of the easy jog into a long limbed run, each yard of melted asphalt passing smooth and quick in the dusk.
He tried to run out the hurt look in those amazing eyes.
Run out the tightening of those soft, candy lips.
Run out the feeling he�d just sucker-punched a friend.
Run out the terror Elijah�s question had sent racing through his body.
There�s a new movie at the Cineplex. Do you want to go on Friday after the game?
The Cineplex was the only theater in town. Everyone went to opening night of a movie after a game. It would be dark. He�d be sitting next to Elijah.
Tempted to touch him.
Just as he was tempted to touch him so many times a day.
Just as he�d touched him, and been touched by him the last two nights.
But there, in the false blackness of the movie he might forget. Forget they weren�t alone. Forget it was wrong. Forget he was supposed to be�supposed to be�
Orlando was gasping for breath.
It was just�making out. Guys do it all the time. It was just�just�
Just touching and being touched by Lij.
A weird, wonderful, mind altering, amazing thing. A sensation like thousands of tiny feathers were brushing along the inside of his skin, like a hundred butterflies let loose under his ribs, like flying over the edge of a perfect powder bowl, knowing your board was going to land smooth and clean, but letting gravity and wind take you for a ride.
Orlando laughed through his gasps, arms flopping in the air as he stumbled to a halt in the middle of the road, bent in half, struggling for breath. He grabbed his knees, arms locked and holding up his torso as he sucked in lungs full of air.
Christ, I sound like I�m in love.
He choked on a chuckle, one hand flying up to cover his face. He straightened, rubbing hard at his face and hair with both hands, standing on a deserted road, long after dark, wondering at�everything.
+
�Lij.�
Elijah didn�t turn around.
�Lij, wait up��
Elijah walked a little faster, making a sharp turn around another row of cars in the half-empty lot. He ignored the sound of pounding feet behind him, the low curse.
He froze when he felt the warm hand on his shoulder tugging him around.
Orlando released him abruptly, shoving one hand into a pocket, tightening the other on the strap of his backpack, hitching it higher on a shoulder. �I�I tried to catch you after practice yesterday, but you�d already��
�I had plans.� Elijah�s voice was flat. Unemotional. He stared at a point just over Orlando�s shoulder.
Orlando took a small step back. �Oh.�
Elijah sighed, impatient. �What do you want, Orlando?�
Orlando frowned and tilted his head. When he spoke, his voice trembled slightly. �I don�t want to go to the movies with you b��
Elijah made a sound that started life as a snort and ended as something that made Orlando�s guts twist. �Thanks, but you made that pretty fucking clear on Monday.� Elijah turned around.
Orlando grabbed Elijah�s arm and gently stopped him. �You didn�t let me finish.�
Elijah looked off to the side, refusing to meet Orlando�s gaze. �Fine. Finish.�
�Hey, Bloom! See you at practice tomorrow!� Orlando jumped at the voice, abruptly releasing Elijah�s arm. He waved awkwardly to his teammate, calling a greeting in return.
He turned back to Elijah, his cheeks tinged with color.
Elijah crossed his arms over his chest.
Orlando cleared his throat. �I�m not�I�m new at�fuck, Lij.� He dragged a hand through his hair. �I don�t want to screw this up.�
Elijah felt a burning wave of hope surge in his chest and had to bite his lip to keep from screaming at Orlando to just stop before he fell completely and risked everything, because this beautiful, kind, creature of a man sounded like he was just as tormented as a scared, barely eighteen, slightly more experienced novice to the whole I-think-I�m-in-love-with-another-man thing.
Elijah made the mistake of meeting Orlando�s gaze.
The dark eyes were wide and pleading.
Elijah took an unconscious step closer. Orlando bent his head, keeping his hands wrapped firmly around the strap of his backpack. �I don�t really know what this is, and I�m not ready to�� Orlando took a deep breath ��tell anyone, or be�out, or whatever, where everyone would�know.�
Elijah released the breath he�d been holding, the hope in his chest morphing into an ache. �I understand.� He took a half step back, then jerked in surprise.
Orlando caught the inside of Elijah�s open jacket with a light grip, his fingers still. Gently he tugged Elijah back within reach. He caught his lower lip between his teeth, resisting the urge to look around before he slipped his hand inside the navy jacket, laying the back of his fingers lightly against Elijah�s chest. �I want to�be with you. But I�m new at this and I need time�to get used to it. This. Us. Ok?�
Elijah swallowed, his heart thumping bang thump bang under the long fingers. He leaned closer to Orlando. �Ok.�
Orlando leaned forward until their foreheads almost touched. He ran the backs of his fingers down the warm cotton of Elijah�s t-shirt until he felt the wrinkled denim waistband of Elijah�s jeans. �Ok.�
Blue eyes stared hard into brown, searching.
Elijah smiled.
Orlando tightened his grip on the edge of Elijah�s jacket briefly before releasing it. He hitched his backpack up and took a small step back. Then another. He breathed. �Rain check.�
Elijah tilted his head, a half smile still caressing his lips. �For what?�
Orlando flushed, his smile making Elijah�s breath catch. He hitched up one shoulder self-consciously and breathed another whisper. �That kiss.�
Elijah ordered his feet to stay planted on the ground. He frowned, his expression seriously considering. �When?�
Orlando snorted, the tips of his ears glowing. �Fri��
�Orlando! Glad I caught you��
Orlando visibly cringed at the voice behind him.
Elijah took a conscious step away, clearing his throat. The two men watched Buffy jog lightly across the parking lot.
�Baby, I can�t go with you to Austin on Saturday. I have cheerleading Regionals.� Buffy scraped her hair off her face and into a clip. �Hey, maybe Elijah could go with you instead?� Buffy nodded, encouraging.
Orlando was silent, looking sideways at Elijah from under his lashes.
�Seriously, you don�t mind, do you Elijah? It�s just that he has an exam and doesn�t like to go all the way to the city by himself.�
Orlando rolled his eyes. �The folks don�t like me to go all the way to��
�I�ll go.� Elijah hitched a shoulder, pretending not to care. �If you want.�
Orlando swallowed. �Ok.�
Buffy smiled, pleased. �Fab. Catch you two tomorrow at practice.� She patted Orlando�s cheek lightly, waved at Elijah and spun towards her car, pulling her cell phone from an inside pocket.
Elijah stared after Buffy. �No �B� in subtle, is there?�
�Hmm�what?� Orlando looked distracted, staring into nowhere.
�Nothing.�
They stood there for a few seconds, the silence not quite comfortable, but not quite awkward.
And definitely not empty.
�So�� Orlando made a slow move towards his truck. �Guess I�ll�see you tomorrow.�
Elijah nodded and took a few steps backwards, in the direction of his own car. �Sure.�
They both caught the other looking twice before getting in their cars and driving out of the lot.
+
Elijah spent an extra twenty minutes cleaning up the equipment room because after all, tomorrow was game day.
He told himself the towels needed to be folded tonight because after all, tomorrow was game day.
It had nothing to do with the fact that Orlando stayed after practice with one of the physical trainers for some shoulder work. And it certainly had nothing to do with the fact that Orlando always showered after practice.
And it had nothing to do with that � there � the sudden sound of water on the other side of the wall�
Elijah twitched the end of a towel into place and slowly walked out of the equipment room. He carefully turned off the light and locked the door behind him.
The locker room was deserted.
Crossing fifteen feet of laminate floor took nearly a full minute.
The steam coming from the far shower column made the hair curl at Elijah�s temples. He stepped slowly into the huge, dimly lit room, sneakers silent on the damp floor.
Carefully, he put his hands behind his back, leaning against the tile, just barely inside open door. He let his head fall back and focused his gaze on the tall figure shrouded in watery mist.
Where are you?
What?
Where do you usually do it?
In the shower�
Elijah swallowed hard and opened his palms flat against the wet wall.
Orlando stood head down in the hot spray, one hand braced against the tile, the other occasionally wiping water from his face as he let the liquid heat pour over his sore shoulder. He sighed and felt a ripple of awareness crawl up his spine.
Slowly, he backed out of the spray and turned the upper half of his body to face the door.
He froze when he saw the fully clothed figure leaning against the wall, the blue stare addictive and tempting. Right there. Just across the room.
Elijah tensed slightly when Orlando turned around, but he didn�t move.
Orlando stared at him.
It was late afternoon. There could still be teammates in the locker room. A coach could walk in any minute. Other athletic teams used the showers and could come in at any time.
Janitors, everywhere.
Orlando didn�t care.
So slowly, Elijah could have measured the seconds, Orlando turned to face him, hot water naked.
Elijah�s nostrils flared, his eyes caressing first down, then up. By the time he met Orlando�s eyes again, Orlando was half way across the room.
Elijah had just enough time to brace himself against the tile before wet shower naked Orlando slid warm slick hands against the back of his neck and parted mouth met mouth with wet slick open tongue-push moan.
Lips caught and slid off and over and caught again, tongues first hard lick then slow firm soft stroke, then hard again. Kissing. Kissing slow and deep. Slow and deep and wet and sexy like nothing�s ever been that sexy before.
Wet and naked.
Clothed and watching.
Orlando�s hands wound around Elijah�s neck, turning his head sideways into the caress of mouth against mouth, trying to get closer. He moaned soft and low in the back of his throat.
Elijah�s fingers slipped over the wet skin of a broad back and narrow waist, down to drag fingertips along naked, slender hips pushing hard into his, and he growled low and rumbling in his chest.
Elijah�s shirt and jeans were instantly soaked, better at transmitting the wet heat and faint trembling rub of the long bare muscular body against his.
Orlando breathed deeply and pulled back, rubbed his lips against Elijah�s once. Twice. Untangled an arm. Moved back a fraction. �Couldn�t wait until Friday for that.� He dragged still wet hands through Elijah�s hair, each pass of long fingers through spiky silk requiring another light drag of mouth over mouth.
Finally he ran his fingers down the back of Elijah�s neck and clasped his shoulders. Another sigh and Orlando rocked back, leaving Elijah wet and cooling in the still steamy shower.
Elijah swayed for a second before suddenly grabbing the back of the long neck and dragging Orlando down again for a last, hard, open-mouthed taste.
Elijah licked his lips and smiled crooked and dazed before letting go. He turned and only tripped once stepping around the corner.
Orlando chuckled low, then swallowed a yelp as he turned, slipped and staggered moving back under the spray.
He felt kind of�dizzy.
In a good way.
