Carpe Diem - Chapter 2 - Uthizaar (2024)

Chapter Text

Asher tapped his fingers against the steering wheel, humming along to the music that spilled from the speakers on either side of him. He was waiting for the lights to change when the screen of his phone lit up, an incoming call from his father. Asher sighed to himself, hand hovering over the volume dial before he committed and twisted the sound down low, using his other hand to tap the screen and accept the call. “What?”

“You left earlier than usual this morning.”

“It’s the same time I leave every day.” He replied irritably. “If you actually got up at a reasonable hour, you’d know that.”

“I needed you to take me to the airport.”

“Then call a cab.” Asher snapped at the phone, gunning the engine of his Corvette once the lights turned green. “I’m at the school, I need to go.”

“Asher,” His father paused, a heavy sigh before he continued. “Asher, I won’t be back for a few days, I have…I’m chasing some leads, ok? We’ll figure everything out.”

“Yeah, sure, we can talk when you get back.” Asher muttered. “I don’t suppose you’ll be back in time for my game?”

“Err, um, I don’t-”

“It’s fine.” He cut the man off. Not like I expected you to be there anyway. “I really have to go.”

“I understand, son, see you in a few days.”

“Mmh.” Asher grunted and ended the call, reaching over to spin the volume back up, loud music washing away the bitterness of the conversation as he pulled into the school campus. He dismissed the thoughts that threatened to poison his day ahead, concentrating instead on scanning the gathered students outside the main building for Jordan and the others. Asher smirked to himself as he spotted his best friend getting out of Coach’s car along with his sister. Hmm, no car of his own today? Maybe it’s still in the shop after that puncture last week.

He drove carefully around to the parking lot and reversed into the space he almost always took. Asher felt his lips twitch as a couple of Freshmen slowed down to look at his car. Remind me to thank Uncle Ray for getting me this sweet ride! Everyone has been staring ever since I got it, might be something to do with the orange paintjob, but hey, maybe if that’s all they’re seeing, then maybe they won’t notice anything else. He smiled to himself and killed the engine, seeing his phone light up again.

This time it was Jordan, the usual cryptic message to meet him by the edge of the football field. It was vague enough not to arouse suspicion if anyone read it or were snooping through his phone, but Asher knew what it meant. His stomach clenched and excitement thrummed through his body, fattening his co*ck into raging hardness. Asher quickly got out and locked his car, swinging his bookbag over one shoulder before he set off past the still-gawking Freshmen.

A few minutes later he was at the chosen location and Asher leaned casually against the corner of the school building’s wall, casting his eyes out across the freshly cut grass of the common areas between the football field and locker room. Approaching footsteps made him turn and grin at Jordan. “Hey.”

“Hey, Ash.” Jordan smiled at him, glancing around cautiously before he leaned in and kissed Asher. “Mmh.”

“Hmm.” Asher broke the kiss and smiled wider at him. This was a new development in their hooking up; Jordan had caught him off-guard last weekend, finishing on his abs as usual, and then leaned forward to crush his lips against Asher’s own. He reached out and ran his hands up Jordan’s arms, raising his eyes to find the deep chocolate orbs of his…friend watching him. “C’mon, we don’t have much time until homeroom.”

“You always say that.”

“Yeah, I’m mostly right, I never have enough time to do what I want!” Asher replied with a wink as Jordan wetted his lips and followed him towards the locker room. “You sure it’s clear this time?”

“I swear I didn’t notice JJ was there until he left the showers.” Jordan groaned. “He didn’t see anything, you know that guy can’t keep anything to himself! He would’ve told everyone!”

“Right,” Asher nodded, pushing open the door. “Have you seen Layla?”

“She was talking to Mr Ryder, something about Homecoming, I think.” Jordan answered as Asher ran around the lockers, quickly verifying that they were alone. Once he received the nod, Jordan pulled off his sweatshirt and t-shirt in one smooth motion. “What?”

“Are you sure you want to get naked?”

“Complaining?”

“Never!” Asher smirked back at him, following Jordan’s lead, shirtless in a few seconds. “I like looking at your body.”

“Hmm, well, I…” Jordan hesitated before unbuckling his pants. “I guess you need to have a motivation to keeping doing this; checking me out is a pretty good perk, huh?”

“I, yeah.” Asher muttered, hating the way his chest ached at Jordan’s dismissal. But he knew that attaching feelings to their hooking up was pointless; for all that Jordan enjoyed-or seemed to enjoy- their time together, Asher was almost certain that it was just sex to the quarterback. Falling for my best friend? Damn, can I become anymore of a gay cliché?

“You ok, Ash?”

“Fine.” Asher grunted, getting down on his knees in front of Jordan as the other guy backed up against the lockers, his pants falling to the ground, neon blue briefs bulging with his thick dick. Pushing the thoughts from his mind and focusing instead on the hard co*ck in front of him, Asher wetted his lips and tilted his head forward, lips kissing the fabric around the outline of the flaring head. “Mmh.”

Jordan rolled his head backwards, enjoying Asher’s ministrations. He could feel Asher mouthing against the thin fabric that concealed his dick, his hands resting on broad thighs, the hot breath from his best friend's eagerness when Asher replaced his mouth with fingers, caressing and massaging Jordan's dick. "Ahh, yeah!" He groaned long and low when Ash's hand hooked inside the waistband and pulled his briefs down just enough to let Jordan's thick dick slip out. Asher laughed quietly when the head glanced against his cheek with a wet splish, his lips taking a brief tour of Jordan's co*ck head before allowing his hands to start working up and down the shaft.

Asher moved with practiced ease and Jordan closed his eyes, letting the other guy jerk him off as he always did. The pattern of their morning hook-ups was established now; Jordan always finding some way to dodge his sister, their friends, the Coach. Asher had it easier in a way, all he had to do was avoid Layla noticing that he had arrived early. Jordan had noticed that despite the fact they had continued to grow apart from each other, Layla still spent much of her time with Asher. It wasn't like he was jealous of Layla, Jordan always told himself, more that she couldn’t give Asher the same thing that he could.

“Ah!” Jordan blinked, pulled out of his thoughts when Asher swallowed his co*ck, sliding deep along the shaft until his cheeks bulged outwards obscenely. The view made Jordan’s balls ache longingly and his chest tighten in a way that had been happening more and more around Asher lately. He reached down and carded his hands through Asher’s short hair, closing his eyes before they could match gazes. Instead, Jordan remembered the sensation of sinking his co*ck into Asher’s ass, the willingness of his hole to take his thickness, the hard musculature of his body responding to Jordan’s errant touches, the soft heat of Asher’s tanned skin when Jordan planted a row of kisses down Asher’s neck in the height of their passions. I love that-

“Mmmh!” Jordan gasped, opening his eyes again. His heart was pounding, a sheen of sweat covering his upper lip as breathing came hard, Asher close to getting him off. f*ck! I love this feeling, but it’s not like I’m falling for Ash or anything, I’m not gay. Even in his mind the words rang hollow and Jordan tried to stop thinking about it. He looked down to see that Asher had mostly pulled off his co*ck, just licking the head and jerking him off. “f*ck, dude, that feels so good!”

“Meh, becoming a pro, huh?!” Asher smirked and dropped his free hand to stroke his own co*ck, the hard member sticking out of his pants, precum making the head and shaft slick and wet. “And thanks for taking your shirt off, you were right, it sure is one of the perks, well, other than sucking on this monster!”

“Ugh!”

“Haha, close aren’t ya?” Asher grinned and then wrapped his lips around Jordan’s bulbous head again, slurping noisily at the copious precum that leaked from his slit.

“Ahh, f*ck, Ash! I’m gonna cum!” Jordan gasped, his org*sm creeping up and suddenly overwhelming him without warning. He glanced down to see Asher pulling away enough to get splattered in the face with his cream. The sight was almost hotter than having Ash blow him off in the first place and Jordan groaned loudly as his balls emptied out onto his best friend’s cheeks, coating his lips and dribbling onto his chin. Jordan let his gaze drift lower, a lazy smile spreading across his cheeks when he saw that Asher had shot as well, a puddle forming on the tiles under them. I shouldn’t be the only one enjoying this after all! “f*ck, dude, that was hot!”

“Yeah.” Asher replied softly, leaning back to grab a handful of tissues from the dispenser on the wall. He mopped up their spilled cum and washed his face clean as Jordan pulled his clothes back on and tucked his half-hard co*ck back into his briefs.

“Hey, Ash?”

“Yeah?”

“C’mere.” Jordan stood behind him, looking over Asher’s head at the mirror, seeing the abrupt coolness in his best friend’s eyes that was a painfully familiar sight after their sessions lately. Asher turned to look at him, expression guarded, but Jordan leaned in, hands drifting down to rest on Asher’s hips, his head tilting as their lips touched. For a few seconds, the kiss was hesitant, awkward, as it had been on their first time, Jordan being unused to the action. But as they both relaxed, Jordan felt Asher’s lips part and the electric burn of their tongues connecting fired down his chest, diverting to push his heart into overdrive, ultimately reigniting his hardon. “Mmh!”

“Ahh!” Asher groaned into his mouth, his hand raised and resting on Jordan’s neck, caressing the smooth skin until eventually Asher forced himself back. “Damn, dude, what was that for?”

“Uh, thanks, I guess.” Jordan replied awkwardly. Oh my god, that felt so good. It felt like he actually…like I-

“We need to leave.” Asher interrupted his thoughts and gestured at the clock above the gym. “The bell is going to go in like two minutes.”

“Yeah, alright.” Jordan nodded and followed Asher outside, the fresh air cooling his skin and the sight of the football field reminding him of where they were. “Go to homeroom then?”

“Uh huh.” Asher grunted, weaving his way through the stragglers to reach the building ahead of Jordan, a familiar tactic to make it seem like they didn’t arrive together. JJ waved at them and Layla smiled tightly at Asher, the guy nodding and waiting for her to join him. Jordan watched them leave with a strange tightness filling his chest, but he shook his head and dismissed the feeling, half-listening to JJ even as his eyes focused on Asher’s face. Yeah, no, I enjoy what we do together, but it’s not like I have feelings for him, right? No, no way, it’s just sex. He breathed a sigh of relief as the bell finally rang. “About time.”

“How come drills are harder when Coach isn’t here?” Asher grumbled as he walked into the locker room behind JJ and Jordan, his skin covered in sweat and dirt. “Do you know why your Dad wasn’t running practice?”

“No idea.” Jordan shrugged and pushed open the door, letting Asher walk in ahead of him. “He didn’t say, but it’s probably a meeting or something.”

“Hmm, I’m hitting the showers.”

“Yeah, me too.” JJ agreed, dumping his gear and stripping naked. The guy had no concept of body consciousness at all, not that he needed to. JJ’s skin was tanned from long days by the pool, smooth enough to see every muscle across his well-built body, boyish grin and good looks that turned every female head in any room, and some of the male ones too. “Jordan, you coming?”

“Ugh, I’ll shower at home.”

“Ok.” Asher shrugged as though he didn’t care and stripped off next to his own locker, before grabbing a towel and following JJ into the clouds of steam. He tried not to be obvious when checking JJ out, but Asher always found it hard not to look when the glistening body was just displayed so overtly in front of him. Asher swallowed hard, pulling his eyes away when JJ soaped up his pumped biceps and broad chest. It wasn’t as hot as when Jordan was inside him, his perfect skin slick with the sweat from the exertions of their activity, but it was close.

“Hey, Ash?”

“Yeah?” He blinked, angry with himself for so easily getting lost in his thoughts. Probably the worst place to zone out, knowing my luck, I’ll end up staring at that dickhe*d Alphie… “What is it, J?”

“Layla’s party on Friday,” The other jock walked over to him, suds not quite obscuring the long, thick, but limp, dick that hung between JJ’s legs. “Everyone is going, right? Including the twins?”

“Morgan and Jennifer?” Asher shrugged, desperately staring at the facet in front of him. Think of something nasty, don’t get hard! Don’t get hard! Uh, car crashes! No, uh, that green algae sh*t that grows on your pool if you don’t clean it! Oh, f*ck, um. “Yeah, they’ll be there.” He managed to croak out after JJ turned away to yell something at Alphie. Asher looked at his friend, his eyes automatically dropping to check out JJ’s ass. Well, sh*t, that’s jerk off material for a week right there!

“Ash!” Jordan’s voice cut through his aroused thoughts and he pivoted away from JJ to look through the steam.

“I’ll be done in a minute!”

“Good, I need you to drive me home, Olivia already got a lift!”

“Anything for the captain!” Asher replied in a long-suffering tone, getting a few laughs from the other guys. He smirked disarmingly and finished washing the shower gel from his chest and armpits. Asher grabbed his towel at the entrance, darting to one side when JJ tried to slap his ass with the edge of his own towel. “Hey! Take this!”

“Ow!” JJ howled, backing off after Asher’s retaliation whipped across his butt cheek. “Ok, ok, you win!”

“Damn right!” Asher smirked and shrugged when Jordan rolled his eyes at him. “Five minutes, ok?”

“Yeah.”

Asher dried himself off, changing quickly as the team continued to banter and mess around with each other. He didn’t join in with their playful exchanges after every practice, just enough to make the team think he was still one of them and not a…not secretly hooking up with their QB and captain. No one suspected anything though, and even if they did, everyone knew that Asher had a girlfriend who, even to his apathetic eye, was smoking hot.

“You finally ready?” Jordan asked once Asher finished brushing his hair and grabbed his bag from the locker.

“Yeah, sure, c’mon.” Asher raised his hand to the guys in farewell and walked out beside Jordan.

“Do you need to call Layla or anything?”

“I’ll do it in the car.” He shrugged when Jordan glanced at him. “Don’t worry, she probably has something going on anyway, planning for Homecoming, I think. Besides, I actually have a decent excuse for once; you don’t have a car.”

“It’ll be repaired by this evening, tire needed to be realigned, or some bs.” Jordan replied, slowing down to take in Asher’s Corvette. “Oooh, damn, bro, I still can’t believe you drive this thing.”

“Why? It was pretty cheap, not even a hundred-k.” Asher smirked as Jordan pursed his lips at him. “Look, my parents got me that Camaro ZL1 last year, right? But that thing had endless problems, and with the divorce neither of them wanted to replace it until the dust settled. I guess you could say that my uncle took pity and got me the Stingray.”

“I kinda wish I had your uncle.” Jordan muttered, sliding into the passenger seat.

“Don’t, he’s an asshole.” Asher replied, joining him in the driver’s seat. “Sure, he’s got money and he’s generous, but he’s also like the biggest donor to that right-wing ‘church’ that’s been set up in the Valley. Bunch of hom*ophobic and racist pricks.”

“Ugh, right.” Jordan glanced at Asher’s angry expression. “Guess you have him fooled too.”

“It seems to be what I’m good at.” He muttered darkly and turned the car on. “Let’s go.”

“Hmm,” Jordan grunted when he noticed that they were slowing down, pulling into a sleepy side-street near the back of one of the large gated communities that made up that part of the city. “You ok?”

“Yeah, I just thought we could take a moment for ourselves, well,” Asher flashed a bright grin at him and killed the engine. “Well, more for you than me!”

“Mmh, I like where this is going!” Jordan grinned as Asher crossed over the central console and straddled Jordan’s lap. He tilted his head to one side when Asher started to kiss his neck, lips brushing along his jaw, fingers hooking into the v-line of his t-shirt. Asher’s hands were eager, and Jordan smirked, pushing the other guy back for a moment, long enough to hunch forward and peel off his t-shirt, settling back onto the seat as Asher grinned at him. "What? It's getting hot!"

"Yeah, it is!" Asher growled, his hands now free to rub across Jordan's broad chest and hard pecs. He flicked the tips of his fingers against the hard nubs of sensitive flesh and Jordan gasped, arching up into him. Asher could feel Jordan's co*ck, as hard as ever, straining against his pants and he grinned wider.

"What are you doing?"

"What does it look like?"

"It looks like you are taking off your pants!" Jordan arched a brow at Asher as the jock managed to push his trousers down and reveal his own bulging underwear. "You seriously want to f*ck here?"

"Tinted windows, dude, no one can see in." Asher reached down and massaged Jordan's dick through the fabric, causing him to moan. "C'mon, it'll be good; hard and fast and you'll be begging me for more once your thick co*ck is buried in my tight ass!"

"f*ck, Ash!" Jordan moaned again, his mind racing as Asher continued to stroke his raging hardon through his trousers. It was probably a stupid idea, but Jordan dismissed his fears, he was too horny to care, too horny to stop. "Alright."

"Awesome!" Asher grinned wider, his eyes twinkling with delight. He let Jordan struggle with his zipper while he reached down to the storage compartment in the central console, opening it and grabbing the small bottle of lube and a condom. When he turned back, Jordan's co*ck was standing straight up, precum flowing freely down the head. f*ck! That's gonna feel so good!

"Damn, Ash, do you always carry lube in your car?" Jordan arched a brow at him as Asher shrugged. "Ok, give me the condom and-" He stopped speaking as his phone rang loudly in the cramped space. “Gah!”

"f*ck."

"Yeah, that's my Mom. I gotta get this, Ash."

"Hmm, major boner killer." Asher muttered, leaning back from the jock and resting against the dashboard.

“Yeah, I know, Mom, no, I said I’ll be there. No, just hanging out with Asher.” Jordan rolled his eyes as Asher absently played with the condom’s foil wrapper, waiting for the call to finish. “Yeah…I’ll get him to drop me off, yeah, ok, ok, bye.”

“Problems?”

“I have to go home.” Jordan sighed. “Like, right now, we have this family dinner tonight, and apparently my Dad has big news, so…”

“No hooking up.” Asher nodded slowly, bending over to replace the condom and lube. “It’s cool. You’ll be at Layla’s party, right?”

“Yeah, but that’s not until the end of the week,” Jordan grumbled, his hands squeezing Asher’s firm ass. “I mean, not like I need this or anything, it’s just for fun, right?”

“Uh, yeah.” Asher frowned quizzically at him and slid back into the driver’s seat, pulling his pants back up as Jordan grabbed his t-shirt from the floor. “We’ll find some time at the party for sure, she’ll be so busy playing the hostess, we can just slip away.”

“Hmm, fine.” Jordan sighed again, brows furrowing a little at the mention of Asher’s girlfriend. “You better just drive me home, we’ll play Madden tomorrow, yeah?”

“Of course.”

Asher hummed to the song under his breath as he waited for the lights to change, an almost perfect replica of the day before, though without the interruption of his father calling him. He smirked to himself as the traffic began to move, turning off the multi-lane road and onto a quieter boulevard, warm sun filtering through the tinted glass of his sports car to sink comfortably into his sleeveless arms. Asher glanced at the display on his phone, brows furrowing when he noticed that he was six minutes later than normal, Jordan’s daily cyphered message waiting for his attention. “Damn, won’t have enough time this morning, well, maybe, better make it fast.”

He turned into the school parking lot and crawled through the traffic and students, grunting in irritation when he saw that his normal parking spot had been taken by bulky Ford Raptor. “Ugh, what the hell is that? This is LA, not Utah…” Asher growled and swung around, parking in the bay across from the offending off-roader. He reached over and quickly texted his apology to Jordan. Be there in a minute, babe… Asher blinked, cheeks flushing when he realized what he just typed, deleting it furiously. “That was weird, as if Jordan would be my-”

Another beep from his phone made Asher look down, relieved to see that Jordan had replied with the digital equivalent of a shrug and told him to hurry up. “Ok, already at the locker rooms? Well, I guess we never got to finish yesterday, he’s probably pent up.”

“There you are!” Jordan groaned, his voice needier than he would have liked. He bit his lower lip as Asher shrugged and muttered something about the traffic. “C’mon, we have like five minutes.”

“I know.” Asher approached him, holding Jordan’s gaze even as he reached out and slid his hand down the QB’s torso and into his trousers, not stopping until he was able to cup the straining bulge of Jordan’s dick. “Pretty sure I can make you cum in four!”

“co*cky, huh?” Jordan panted, unable to resist bucking into Asher’s grasp. He ignored the voice in his mind telling him to pull back, be more reserved, not so eager, but right now Jordan didn’t care about how it looked, or that they were so exposed, thrust up against his locker, or even that he was about to have double Biology with Layla as his lab partner. All he cared about was leaning forward and catching Asher’s lips with his own, of recreating that fusion burn of pleasure that lit up his entire body when they kissed. “Mmph!”

“Ah!” Asher kissed him back with the same force, lips parting and tongues sliding over the other, a powerful tension singing in the air between them, increasing the potency of every touch, every trailing finger, every inch of skin pressing on skin. “f*ck…”

“Mmh, yeah!” Jordan reached down and pushed his hands aggressively into Asher’s ass, gripping the cheeks hard and pulling his best friend deeper into his kiss, harder against his body. It didn’t matter that there were clothes in the way, that they couldn’t be free and open with their passion around anyone else, this was enough, this was perfect. Jordan continued to hump against Asher’s crotch, harder and faster, their kiss broken as each started to pant and moan. “Ahh, Asher!”

“Mmh!” Asher bowed his head, feeling Jordan’s aroused groans whisper across the nape of his neck. He tilted his face towards the jock’s jaw line and kissed and sucked the sweet flesh at just the right angle, grinning to himself when he heard the increased pleasure in Jordan’s gasps. “You’re close.”

“f*ck, yeah!” Jordan groaned again, suddenly bucking hard into Asher’s crotch as his org*sm crashed over him in a wave of pleasure. He gripped the other guy’s ass hard enough to leave marks and grunted as his co*ck pulsed and unloaded messily into his briefs. “f*ck!”

“Mmh, ah!” Asher blinked when Jordan pushed him away unexpectedly. “Huh?”

“I, uh, I need to clean up.” Jordan avoided Asher’s eyes, looking instead at the obvious boner that was still tenting Asher’s pants. “Um, you can…I’ll be…uh-”

“Just go.” Asher’s tone was cold, and he shrugged, turning to leave himself. “You obviously got what you came here for.”

“Ash-”

“I’ll see you in class.”

“f*ck.” Jordan muttered to himself after Asher had walked out. Real smooth, Jordan, it’s not like you would have gotten down on your knees and sucked him off, right? Oh, wait! That’s exactly what you wanted to do! At least once… He glared at his reflection in a nearby mirror as the taunting voice echoed through his mind. “I’m not…it’s not like that, Asher could’ve finished himself off if he wanted to, not like this is the first time it’s happened.” The words sounded empty and Jordan sighed as he stepped inside a cubicle, unzipping his pants to wipe away the cum from their encounter. “I never even got the chance to tell him about Spencer.”

Jordan nodded at Asher and JJ as they met up with Layla and the rest of their friends, “I’ll join you guys in a minute.”

“Sure.” Asher shrugged and walked on. “We’ll be at the steps.”

“Yup.” Jordan muttered to himself, eyes lingering on Asher when he and Layla briefly embraced and then pulled away quickly. God, it’s so obvious that they don’t belong together…Well, not like I belong with him. The uncomfortable thought flashed in front of his mind and Jordan adjusted the strap of his backpack, eyes scanning the quad for the new guy in a vain attempt to ignore his own thoughts. “Ah, there he is.”

Jordan moved forward, catching Olivia’s eye as she turned away from gesturing at the main building. "You must be Spencer. Jordan Baker, QB, team captain." He raised his fist, connecting it with Spencer's, a soft knock.

"Baker? So, you must be-"

"Yeah...Coach is my Dad, well," He paused and smirked at his sister. "Our Dad, I'll take it from here, Olivia. C’mon, I'll introduce you to the team."

“Cool.” Spencer replied and walked alongside him.

“Hmm.” Jordan didn’t say anything else, idly watching Spencer as he looked left and right, taking in the sprawling complex of buildings and playing fields that made up the campus. A few minutes later, they arrived at the steps where Asher and the others were waiting. "Meet the crew!" Jordan said, a hint of smugness in his voice as he made the introductions. "This is Hadley, Layla, and up top, Lucy, JJ, and Asher."

“Hey guys.”

Jordan settled down next to Hadley, leaning back enough that he could still see Asher, catching the other guy’s careful glance. He swallowed hard as an unexpected thrill zapped down his spine and into his crotch, his co*ck thickening against his briefs as his asshole tingled. The second sensation was different, but strangely pleasurable and Jordan took a deep breath as he tried to focus less on Asher and more on making Spencer feel like part of the team. He watched as the new guy leaned forward to awkwardly shake everyone’s hands. “Hey, um, I think you and Asher play the same position."

"Oh, receiver, huh?" Spencer looked up at him.

"Yeah, that's me. Broke the school record for receptions last year." Asher replied proudly.

"Ah, me too."

Really? So, add no modesty to that irritating grin. Asher pressed his lips together, ignoring Spencer's response to Layla's question, his eyes narrowing when he noticed the way he was looking at her, the all too obvious signs of mutual interest unfolding in front of his eyes. He maintained his annoyed expression even as the kernel of an idea began to unfurl in his mind. Mutual interest…hmm, I wonder what would it take for me to move that interest along? I can’t break up with Layla, of course, I don’t want the questions, but if she were to find someone else, if she broke up with me…that’s going to take some planning.

Layla shifted uncomfortably when Asher placed his hand on her shoulder, his eyes flicking up to see Spencer’s gaze shift back towards him. “So, Crenshaw, huh?”

“Yeah?”

“So, lay it on me, Crips or Bloods?” Asher smirked as he took a drink of water, feeling the tension arch upwards at his words.

“Excuse me?” Spencer looked sharply at him.

“Hmm, been dying to check out a Crip-walk for real, only seen one on YouTube.” Asher glanced at Jordan, seeing him shake his head disparagingly.

"He's a joker, Spencer, ignore him."

"Hah, Ash, you wouldn't know a Crip-walk if it bit you in the damn white ass!" JJ snigg*red, shoving Asher playfully.

"Nah, it don't sound like a joke to me." Spencer stood up quickly.

"Don't be so sensitive," Asher smirked again, seeing Spencer's emotions boil to the surface.

"Sensitive?!"

Jordan narrowed his eyes at Spencer and then glanced at Asher, seeing the same twist of his lips his best friend used whenever he was trying to manipulate something or someone. Gee, Asher, did you have to sound like such a f*cking jerk just to get a reaction? “Um, Spencer-”

"Hey y'all, thanks for the welcome." Spencer grabbed his bag and stalked away. “See y’all at practice.”

"Asher!" Layla hissed at him, clearly pissed off.

"What?" He played innocent, grinning on the inside when he saw her grab her things and go after Spencer. "I was making conversation!"

"No, you were being an ass!"

Jordan moved backwards again, lying on his elbows and he quirked a brow at Asher, but the other jock wasn’t looking at him. He could see Asher’s calculating eyes locked on Layla instead, watching her try and mend their introduction to Spencer. Jordan was vaguely aware of Hadley flicking her hair back and trying to catch his attention, but he kept his gaze on Asher’s handsome face for as long as he could, averting his eyes only when JJ glanced at him. “We’ll see what he’s like on the field, guys, my Dad thinks he’s got potential.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

Asher smirked at Jordan as they jogged out onto the football field, warm sun shining down from the ever-azure sky over Los Angeles. His best friend smiled back and gestured for him to follow the rest of the offensive line over to where Coach was standing next to Spencer. Asher grumbled under his breath, his good mood vanishing as he pulled his helmet down over his face. Hmm, better come off cruise-control today, make sure that Spencer realizes who he’s up against!

Unlike most days, when Asher could pass the time by checking out Jordan’s clenching abs under his short vest and armor combo, or catch the free eyefuls of JJ’s tanned, glistening shirtless body, today Asher found that he needed to concentrate. There was a pressure in the air, Spencer’s integration nothing close to seamless. Asher gnashed his teeth as the new guy intercepted Jordan’s throw, catching the ball that was meant for him. “What the hell?!”

“Haha!”

Asher shook his head and gestured for Jordan to reset the play again. However, after the fourth time Spencer interrupted them to steal the ball from Asher, the receiver was out of patience. “Jordan!”

“Err, yeah?” Jordan glanced at Asher as he stalked over, fury in his eyes. Spencer was on the other side of the field, making a fool out of himself with an endzone dance.

"What the hell, man?"

"I got it." Jordan pushed Asher back gently, his hand grazing against a firm pec, Asher's loose shirt damp to the touch. "Calm down, Ash. Hey! Yo, you're running the wrong plays." He called out to Spencer, beckoning him over.

“I’m catching the ball, man, scoring. What’s the big deal?” Spencer smirked at them and tossed the ball back to Jordan.

“Idiot.” Jordan huffed irritably, glancing back at Asher. “He’s beginning to piss me off.”

“Beginning?” Asher growled, his tolerances broken. “This guy is a f*ck-”

"Alright, boys, bring it in!" Coach called out, cutting across Asher and directing them to gather around him in a loose circle. “C’mon.”

Asher followed Jordan over, standing slightly closer to him than he intended, though Asher didn’t move away when his forearm touched against the flushed skin of Jordan’s biceps. He blinked as memories of the seemingly endless summer days they had enjoyed over the break; not just the sex-which was always great-but the proximity was almost as good. It had always felt right, always felt as though they were forming a deeper bond than best friends. But Asher knew that was just his emotions projecting onto Jordan, the guy was only using him to get off; best friends was about as close as Asher was going to get to ‘something more.’

“Dude.” Jordan nudged him, breaking Asher from his thoughts.

"Ok, we're gonna mix it up a bit." Coach Baker said, looking at the new guy. "Spencer, you ever play safety?"

"No."

"Well, give it a try, now-"

"Man, I don't play defense!" Spencer replied stubbornly.

"You play what I tell you to play." Coach glared at him as Spencer squared off against him. “Is that going to be a problem?”

“I…”

“You get in position or you get on the side-lines!” Coach Baker shouted in response to Spencer’s aggressive posturing.

Asher smirked as he watched the new guy shake his head and stomp off towards the side of the field. “Hey, Jordan, let’s show him how it’s done, huh?!”

“Sure, Ash.” He nodded and returned to the offensive line, catching the ball when it was funnelled to him, the work of a moment to find Asher and pass the ball to him. Jordan watched with satisfaction as the ball sailed through the air and landed in Asher’s safe hands, the play singing a sweet note of victory as Asher ran into the endzone. “Nice!”

“Yeah!” Asher grinned and returned to him, both jumping into the air at the same time to bounce their shoulders off the other. The familiar buzz from their contact made him grin wider even as Coach clapped and nodded approvingly.

“That’s how it’s done, boys!”

“Hah,” Asher smirked at Spencer as he pulled his helmet off, sweat glistening across his brow. The new guy was sitting on his own helmet, despondent. "Better get comfortable there." No way are you taking my position!

“C’mon, dude, don’t you have anything other than Madden?” Asher sighed as Jordan looked over his shoulder at him, standing in front of the wall mounted TV.

“Well, yeah, but you’d have to be at home to play COD with me.” Jordan shrugged when Asher didn’t reply, sitting next to him again. “Besides, I thought you had some tips for how to improve my progression in Career Mode?”

“Yeah, I guess.” Asher settled back onto the couch, rolling his head towards the ceiling. He could hear the soft typing of Olivia at her laptop in the kitchen behind them and the motions of the Bakers’ housekeeper as she walked from room to room. Asher shifted closer to Jordan, feeling him go still and glance questioningly at him.

“What?”

“Nothing, just want to get started.” Asher smiled and glanced around carefully, before dropping his left hand onto Jordan’s lap, moving his forearm up his best friend’s thigh until it hit Jordan’s suddenly straining bulge. “I suppose I just wondering if you needed to get that other controller from your room?”

“Uh…” Jordan swallowed hard, looking into Asher’s confident eyes. He swallowed hard and almost jumped as the front door opened and closed. Asher quickly moved his hand away and Jordan pulled the front of his sweater out over his hardon. “Nope, we’re good, Ash.”

“Ok, cool.”

“Hey guys!”

“Hey, Mom.” Jordan glanced at her as she walked into the kitchen.

“Mrs Baker.” Asher replied innocently, smiling at her as she looked his way. “Are you home early or did I lose track of time?”

“It is almost six, were you driving around after practice again?”

“Yeah.” Jordan nodded, focusing on his game and avoiding Asher’s knowing eyes. “Putting Asher’s car through its paces, you know. It’s the new Stingray, beast of an engine.”

“Hmm.” She tutted softly. “So that’s what’s that is, very shiny.”

“Ugh, I should go, though.” Asher stood up abruptly, replacing his controller on the coffee table even as Jordan looked at him in confusion.

“Really? We just got started.”

“Yeah, but I have work to do and dinner to make. My Dad is out of town on business.” He added to Mrs Baker. “Plus, you know how crazy traffic gets around Sunset Strip this time of night.”

“Yeah, but-” Jordan cut himself off when he noticed that Olivia was watching them a little too earnestly. “I mean, sure, whatever, bro, I’ll see you at school tomorrow.”

“Okay.” Asher grabbed his bag from the end of the couch and looked at him, gesturing with a quick tilt of his head for Jordan to follow him outside. Once they had stepped into the warm evening air, Asher frowned at him, “Are you ok? You went super-straight just now.”

“Yeah, fine, I just…we actually did spend this afternoon driving, but it still felt like I was lying to her.” Jordan folded his arms as Asher unlocked his car. “I want to…um, you know.”

“Relieve the pressure before the big game?” He smirked and nodded. “Layla’s party is in a few days, I told you that we’ll have the time then. Plus, you never know, we might be able to slip away tomorrow when the team are chilling here.”

“That’s super-risky, Asher.”

“As risky as this?” Asher grinned again, inspired by a bold impulse and leaned forwards, kissing Jordan hard. He was prepared to dance back immediately, but the QB grabbed his arms and pulled him deeper, that same thrum of passion that made Asher’s stomach swoop like the most insane roller coaster ride. “Mmh.”

“Yeah, risky.” Jordan whispered when they finally broke apart, smirking at him. He looked up as headlights heralded the arrival of his father and shook his head at Asher. “f*ck, you’re so damn lucky!”

“So it would seem.” Asher climbed into his car, raising his hand in brief farewell as the Coach waited for him to reverse out the drive. That was close! I need to be more careful, I can’t get caught, especially not by Coach…sure, there’s been gay football players, but not any good ones.

Jordan waited for his Dad to pull in and waved at Asher’s car as he roared down the street. “Hey, Dad.”

"Ash get off ok?"

"Yep." He walked back inside, picking up his controller again and unpausing his game.

"So, it wasn't really working out too well out there this afternoon?"

"Hehe, yeah, the new guy wasn't really a team player, was he?" Jordan smirked and glanced at his father.

"Mmh, he'll get there." Coach sat next to him. "In the meantime, could you do me a solid, and take Spencer under your wing?"

“Um,” Jordan paused his game and repressed an internal sigh. Asher won't like that... “Ok, I guess so. He’s not exactly friendly though.”

“Just do this for me, Jordan.”

“I will, but…why do you care about this kid so much?” Jordan asked, seeing his father’s brows furrow, silence stretching before the Coach answered him.

“You know that I came from Crenshaw, same as Spencer. There were so many ways to screw up, but I got my shot, my chance to get out of there, and I took it.” He patted Jordan’s knee affectionately. “I want to give Spencer that same chance, ok?”

“Ok.”

“It’s dinnertime.”

Jordan turned to see his Mom beckoning them up from the couch. “Coming.”

“Asher didn’t want to stay for dinner?”

“Um, no, I’ll, uh, I mean, he probably should…you know, Layla and everything.” Jordan mumbled, catching another appraising look from Olivia. He shrugged it off and turned to his Mom as they sat down. “So, how was your day?”

Jordan glanced at his phone as he rolled down the street in Crenshaw, easing off the gas when he spotted the number on the house that corresponded to the address his father had given him that morning. It had been the first time since school had restarted that Jordan hadn’t been able to meet Asher for what had become an almost daily ritual of getting blown off. But this was important, he had to at least make an attempt to integrate Spencer into the team, even if the new guy hadn’t made the best impression during practice the day before. Jordan parked outside Spencer’s house and sent him a text to come out.

He tapped his fingers on the leather trim of the steering wheel, his music spilling out of the convertible’s open compartment to dance through the hot, dry air. Jordan wetted his lips, tension twisting in his stomach as Asher’s gang-related jib at Spencer the day before came back to his thoughts. He hadn’t been in this part of the city before and it was a far cry from the smooth, clean lines that dominated Beverly Hills’ manicured residential and shopping districts. Jordan looked over his shoulder anxiously when there was a loud bang down the street, his attention pulled back towards Spencer’s house as the front door opened with a screech from the metal grate. “Finally.” Jordan muttered, his outward expression somehow managing to remain composed.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Spencer snapped at him as he hopped into Jordan’s car.

"I'm picking you up."

"In your red car?! In your red hat?!" Spencer snatched the cap off his head and threw it in the back. "You're like a Bloods' poster boy, man, you gonna get your head blown off!"

“Uh,” Jordan gulped and glanced to one side, seeing two tough looking guys watching him. But then he heard a laugh and turned to see Spencer cracking up. “What-”

"I'm just playin, I'm just playin! Damn, just drive, bro."

“Hmm.” Jordan forced a grin and gunned the engine, speeding them away from the neighbourhood and into the wealthier side of the city. He let the music on the stereo do the talking for them, but it didn’t appear that Spencer wanted to chat anyway; the other guy was too busy watching the passing streets and the transition from bustling promenades to tree-lined boulevards. Jordan slowed down again, finger tapping the lever for his turn signal. “We’re almost there.”

“Damn! This your house?” Spencer gestured at the large building and spacious driveway, perched on a generous expanse of gardens at the end of a row of houses that looked out over the rest of the city. “On a coach’s salary?!”

“Ah, well, my Mom is an attorney,” Jordan explained and parked next to Asher’s gleaming Stingray, the metalwork shining in the hot afternoon sun. “Oh, and um, Spencer?”

“Yeah?”

“I should warn you, she’s a hugger!”

“Um, ok, man.”

“Let’s go inside, pretty sure everyone is already out back.” Jordan turned off the engine and waved for Spencer to go ahead of him. “You’re wearing your swimming shorts, right?”

“Yeah, yeah, man, I got that part of your message.” He smirked and waited for Jordan to open the front door. “I wasn’t sure what you were suggesting though.”

“Uh huh.” Jordan blinked and then frowned at the back of Spencer’s head. What the hell does that mean? Does he know? Did he…no, no, he couldn’t know about me and Asher. He pushed the paranoid thoughts away and walked inside. “C’mon, let’s hit the pool.”

Jordan grinned as he watched JJ cannonball into the pool, nearly dislodging Spencer from his inflatable. He sipped his can of soda and allowed his eyes to drift away from the pool. Tilting his head as though to catch more sunlight, Jordan directed his gaze towards Asher and Layla who were reclining together nearby on one of the big loungers. Layla had sat up and Jordan reluctantly avoided looking at Asher to make sure that his girlfriend wasn’t aware that he was being scoped out.

Huh, she’s definitely watching Spencer. Jordan smirked and flicked his eyes back towards Asher now that it was safe. He swallowed hard, throat suddenly dry as he was finally able to look at Asher. The other jock was lying fully back, his face angled at the sun, eyes closed, brows still slightly furrowed, but Jordan knew that his face muscles almost never relaxed unless Asher was asleep. One arm was thrown above him, pulling his pectoral muscle taut and giving his bicep an inviting pump that made Jordan wish he was able to run his hand along that smooth, hard bundle of muscle. Asher's chest was mostly smooth, save for a trimmed trail of brown hair that led the eye downwards into his board shorts, rising and falling slowly in time to his breathing.

Jordan took another long draught of his soda, pressing the warm metal rim against his lips in a futile attempt to distract his body from reacting to Asher’s. His own shorts suddenly felt constrained and Jordan looked away from Asher completely, driving the heel of his palm into his aroused co*ck, generating a moment of relief. Ahh, f*ck, missing this morning's session is really screwing me up right now.

He glanced at Layla as he cast his eyes over Asher’s body once more, but she was still distracted by Spencer, her gaze lingering on the new guy as he pulled himself from the pool. Jordan smirked to himself, watching when Layla rose from her place next to Asher, leaving Jordan’s view of his best friend unobstructed. Mmmh, damn, he does look hot, well, muscular, I mean. He works out a lot, of course. I think he’s still dozing though.

Jordan reached down for another soda, his fingers finding only ice in the bucket kept in the shade of his lounger. Hmm, I wanted to offer that to Asher, make it less weird than if I just sat next to him. Might as well take Layla’s place, it’s not as if she even cares about him; look at her flirting with Spencer! I could…I am a better friend to him, what he needs. A friend. Yeah. The word rang hollow in his mind and Jordan stood up, grabbing his jacket. He pulled the garment on, using it more to hide his still half-hard co*ck and the bulge in his shorts than to relieve any chill.

“Hey, Jordan!” Hadley simpered at him and gestured for him to join her at the edge of the pool.

“Uh, sorry, soda run.” He smiled apologetically, relief surging through his chest when he saw Alphie take the place, coming onto Hadley strong. Phew, hopefully that gets her off my back, I don’t need a Layla-sized complication to make things even more difficult. Jordan paused at the sliding door into the kitchen, using his vantage point to skim another glance across Asher's torso and crotch, before reluctantly turning away and heading into the house. He zipped his hoodie half up, tugging the hem down to hide his resurgent hardon. Crap.

“Ok, soda is in the sideboard…” Jordan muttered to himself, kneeling down to open the doors when he heard his father’s voice carrying from the conservatory at the other end of the living room. “Huh?”

“Look, look, don’t worry about it, this Spencer kid is going to be worth the risk.” Coach Baker gestured with one hand, the other holding a phone to his ear. “I recruited him because I want to win! He’s the guy who is going to do that for us.”

Hmm, maybe? Spencer isn’t half bad when he’s not bucking the rules. Jordan thought to himself as he straightened up, cans of soda gathered under his arm. He was about to leave when his father spoke again, the words slamming into Jordan as though he had been punched in the gut.

“No, no, you don’t get it; I would not have recruited him if anyone on the squad had half of his potential!" Coach Baker turned on his heel and paced back and forth in front of the doorway, looking out the window, clearly unaware he was being listened to. “All we need to do is swing this ‘smart kid permit’ by the administrators and we’ll have a championship this season…ok, look, bring the boosters down on Saturday and you’ll see what I’m talking about.”

Asher looked up when Jordan sank onto his lounger, dumping cans of soda into the nearby bucket. “You ok?”

“Um, not really.” Jordan grunted, moving to stand up again.

“Where are you going?” Asher patted the space where Jordan had just been. “Sit next to me.”

“Oh, thanks.”

“Uh huh.” Asher blinked at the strange twang of emotion in Jordan’s voice, before dismissing it as he nodded at Layla and Spencer swimming next to each other. The team is here and I’m already catching concerned looks from JJ, it’s obvious that Spencer is moving in on Layla, I guess I should look like I care. Though maybe the suddenly overbearing, jealous boyfriend will be exactly what I need to push them together… "You seeing this?"

"Mmmh." Jordan muttered, keeping his voice low. "My parents are in the house, my sister is in her room, Ash, but downstairs bathroom is free.”

"We agreed Layla's party, right?" Ash glanced at him, his voice even and smooth. It took effort to keep himself relaxed when Jordan’s eyes met his own. He broke the intense gaze, glancing down Jordan’s open jacket at his muscular torso. Oh yeah, cause that’s not going to make me harder.

“I know, but we didn’t get to do anything this morning, and-”

"This is a good distraction,” Asher turned his attention back to Layla and Spencer. “But she's being so open about it, I can't just let it happen. A guy like everyone thinks I am wouldn’t.”

"What are you talking about?"

"I have to at least look like I care, like I don't want Spencer making a move on her."

"It looks like she's the one making the moves." Jordan observed. "Besides, we're all being manipulated.”

"Huh?" Asher frowned at him, seeing his best friend abruptly look away. “Jordan?”

"I'll tell you later but know that Spencer isn't just a threat to your...girlfriend, he's a threat to the team." Jordan replied after an awkward pause. "Especially to you."

"We need to get rid of him."

"Yeah." Jordan agreed slowly. “Did you have something in mind? I mean, I assume you’re not talking about murder, right?!”

“Haha!” Asher grinned at him and playfully shoved Jordan. “I think we both already have enough to hide without adding that to our worries. No, I was thinking that the best way to get rid of Spencer will be to show Coach that he’s not the hotshot he’s meant to be.”

“Hmm, that actually lines up pretty well with what I was going to tell you.” Jordan leaned in closer, their shoulders rubbing together in a way that made Asher’s dick twitch. “My Dad wants to have the boosters come down on Saturday to watch our scrimmage, and that’s the night after Layla’s party…”

“Ah, I like how you think.” Asher smirked, looking back across the pool at where the duo were now chatting. “A few drinks to loosen himself up and a few more to get into the party humor, then some shots to top off the night, haha, by the time we’re done, he’ll still be drunk when we’re on the field the next day!”

“Mmh, do you think you can get Layla to invite him?”

“Sure, we got off on the wrong foot yesterday, I can just say that I want to make things right between us. A social event would make that easier.” Asher replied confidently, seeing Jordan’s worried frown. “Relax, I lie to her all the time, well, she lies to me just as much, the only difference is that I’m actually good at it.”

“Uh huh.”

“Chill, dude, Spencer is as good as gone.” Asher reclined on the lounger again. “And don’t worry, with him hammered and Layla occupied, we’ll have the time we need to, uh, de-stress.”

“Yeah, stress…” Jordan’s tone was weird, and Asher co*cked a brow at him, but the QB’s eyes were faraway.

“Anything else on your mind?”

“No, it’s nothing.” He shrugged, smile returning to his face. “I’m gonna see about snacks, talk to you later, man.”

“See you.” Asher mumbled, watching Jordan stand up and walk away. Wish you could just stay here, but you don’t want it to look weird, do you?

Asher glanced at Jordan when he felt an elbow nudge him in the ribs. “Huh?”

“He actually came.” Jordan was looking towards the entrance, eyes on Spencer as the new guy sauntered in, hoodie zipped up, jacket open. “I wasn’t sure if he would.”

“That’s not regret in your voice, is it?” Asher murmured, pressing himself against Jordan’s body a little too much as he moved past the QB towards the drinks lined up on the sideboard. “We have to do this, he’s too much of a threat.”

“To you and Layla?”

Asher paused with the vodka bottle half-raised and looked over his shoulder when Jordan joined him, pushing a glass towards his own. He shrugged and filled them both, adding a splash of mixer while Jordan chewed on his lower lip. “Appearances are important, Jordan.”

“I know, but-”

“Besides, he’s much more of a threat on the field, we don’t need any more disruptions.” Asher gestured for them to walk over to one of the abstract paintings on the opposite wall, the position giving them line of sight on the whole room and patio out towards the pool. “He’s coming after my position, Jordan, not yours.”

“Right.” Jordan nodded and sipped his drink, foot tapping along to the music playing in the background. “You know, we’re going to have a problem if he doesn’t want to join in.”

“Hmm? Oh.” Asher flicked his gaze away from Jordan’s face and locked onto to Spencer’s half smirk, the guy’s judging expression sweeping over the other revellers, a group doing shots and hits from a bong on Layla’s couch, another few teenagers cutting white powder openly by the piano. “Yeah, he’s already made up his mind about us, probably thinks we’re the rich assholes that match all the stereotypes he thinks he knows. Just another example of why he doesn’t belong here.”

“You don’t have to make it personal, Asher…” Jordan hesitated, his brows furrowing and then he shook his head. “Well, actually, no, you’re right, this is personal.”

“What do you mean?”

“Something I overheard my Dad saying yesterday, I wasn’t going to tell you, but you know.”

“You can tell me anything.” Asher replied earnestly, before swallowing hard, realizing how that would’ve sounded to Jordan. sh*t, vodka must be hitting me faster than I thought. “Uh, I mean, as a friend, anything you want to tell me as a friend, bro.”

“Right,” If Jordan was thrown by Asher’s deflection, he didn’t show it. “My Dad was saying that Spencer is exactly what we need for the team, in order to win, that the rest of us weren’t worth a damn.”

“Oh.” Asher blinked, surprised by the vehemence in Jordan’s voice. His words were spoken faster than normal, a mix of looseness from the alcohol and anger that must have been building all day. “That sucks.”

“Yeah, he also said something about fudging the details to even get Spencer here; ‘smart kid permit,’ is the term he used.” Jordan took another drink and glowered in Spencer’s direction. “We have to get him out.”

“Of course.” Asher whispered, eyes slipping past Spencer to glide across JJ’s smooth, wet body fresh from the pool. The other guy was wearing nothing but a pair of tight fitting trunks that showed off his firm butt and shapely bulge. If he’s showing, why not look? Mmh.

“So, how do we get Spencer to talk to us, he just brushed JJ off.”

“I wouldn’t worry about that too much.” Asher caught the edge of Jordan’s glare when he glanced back. “What?”

“It’s…nothing.”

“JJ is shameless, what’s the harm?” Asher arched his brows. “And why do you even care?”

“You,” Jordan paused, seeming to struggle with his words before he just shook his head. “You’re a different person when you drink, that’s all. You act like you’re actually…you know.”

“It’s easier to blame being honest on being drunk,” Asher shrugged, looking back over at their half-naked team-mate. “Besides, you’re the only one who’s actually paying enough attention to notice what I’m interested in.” He felt the tips of his ears burn as the words spilled from his mouth, Jordan’s lips parting as though he wanted to reply, but Asher cut any response off quickly by gesturing towards the balcony. “Our problems are solved; remember how I told Layla I wanted to make a better impression on Spencer this time around? No way is she going to let him leave without us talking. So, you apply that QB charm of yours, and we’re in business.”

“I…Ash,” Jordan reached out for him, before thinking better of the action, his fingers grazing against Asher’s arm. “I am paying attention to you.”

Asher didn’t reply, just downed the rest of his drink. “Knock that back, we’re going dry for the rest of the night, well, do the first shot with Spencer, then fake it out.”

“Ok, I gotcha.”

“Hey, Hadley!” Asher called out as he left his cup on a nearby counter, “Come dance with us! Jordan is smooth as anything, but his moves on the floor will be better if he has someone to contrast to!”

“Sure.” She grinned at him, but Asher caught the irritated glare that Jordan shot his way.

Haha, sorry Jordan, but two guys dancing looks wrong when there’s a bunch of cheerleaders and other girls around, have to make everything look normal. Asher smirked at Layla as she passed, guiding a protesting Spencer towards her own group of friends. Looks like he needs more time to get acclimated, though five minutes should be enough for Jordan to go and “rescue” him!

Asher returned to Hadley and Jordan, dancing alongside the duo, his eyes sweeping the room, making sure that he didn’t lose sight of Spencer. It became harder than expected as JJ came over to join them, still in his wet trunks, his smooth, tanned body like that of a Greek god. You have got to be kidding me… He could feel his dick harden in his pants and Asher groaned internally, regretting that he hadn’t been able to hook up with Jordan since that Wednesday morning in the locker room. Twenty minutes on the phone with my Dad this morning only for him to say he wasn’t going to be at the game next week.

“Uh, just a sec, Hadley.” Jordan said, pulling Asher back to reality. The QB broke away from their group and walked quickly across the room, intercepting Spencer before he could leave. “C’mon, man, you’re not leaving already, are you?”

“Yeah, man, this isn’t really my scene-”

“Nah, nah, nah, you just haven’t met the right people yet.” Jordan gripped Spencer’s shoulders and pivoted him around, directing him towards the nearby hot tub, two cheerleaders smirking and waving shyly at them. “This is Lucy and Sara, they’re on the cheer squad, ready to, uh, give you a sample of the support we get at games!”

“Smooth.” Asher drawled at Jordan when the QB walked over to where he was waiting by the drinks counter. “Did you get that from your 1950s misogyny handbook?”

“What?”

“Uh, never mind.” Asher huffed, “Just get Spencer over here, he’s meant to be talking to us, remember?”

“Yeah, but he was going to leave.” Jordan shrugged. “Don’t worry, Ash, he has to relax before he can start drinking with the rest of us.”

“Hmm, maybe.” He folded his arms across his chest, leaning back against the counter. Jordan walked away, heading towards one of Layla’s bathrooms, leaving Asher to continue sweeping the room. He felt warm, the pleasing heat from the vodka washing through his body and making the room float ever so slightly, Asher knew that he was almost at the state where he was just buzzed enough to finally relax and yet not so drunk that he started talking and rambling about things he’d later regret.

“Hey, Ash!” JJ sidled up next to him, a half-empty bottle of champagne clutched in his hand. “You want a drink?”

“I’m good for now.” Asher smiled at him. “You lose your pants and your shirt?”

“Haha, yeah, though no poker tonight, that pool is dope though.” The guy was a little closer than Asher would have been comfortable with if it wasn’t JJ, but the heat rising from the other jock’s body mixed with JJ’s strong cologne and the scent snaked into his nostrils with a burst of arousal that caught Asher off-guard. “I know we got practice tomorrow, so this is all I’m drinking tonight.”

“Mmh.” Asher wetted his lips, eyes travelling up and down JJ’s body, before flicking back to meet his friend’s unfocused gaze. “You’ll have one with me and Jordan and Spencer, right? Induct him into the team for real?”

“Aw, yeah! Totally, Ash!” JJ grinned and slapped Asher on the shoulder with his free hand. “Let me grab him and you line up the shots!”

Perfect. Asher nodded, smiling wider as Jordan and Layla joined them. “Hey, I was just saying to JJ that we need some shots to celebrate Spencer joining us.”

“Cool.” Jordan agreed.

“I’m down for that.” Layla moved past him and stood next to Asher, preparing the glasses. “Tequila?”

“Nothing better!” Asher cheerfully replied, reaching for the bottle. “Hey Spencer!”

“Hey.” The guy had returned with JJ, his expression still guarded. “Uh, you guys are drinking a lot, huh?”

“Yeah, well, end of the week.” Asher handed out the shots. “Plus, we got a new teammate, that doesn’t happen often, well, not one with your skills.”

“Uh huh, ok.” Spencer seemed to take him at his word, but shook his head when Asher offered him the last glass. “Nah, man, we got training tomorrow.”

“Ah, don’t worry, Spencer.” Jordan reassured him. "It's only Saturday practice, just drills, trust me."

“Oh, ok, I guess one wouldn’t hurt.” Spencer tipped his shot into his mouth at the same time as Layla and JJ. Asher smirked at Jordan and knocked his back in one go, wincing as he did so, catching sight of the QB carefully emptying his glass without drinking it. “Gah!”

“Nasty!” Jordan agreed with a shake of his head. “Need another one to wash that one down, huh?!”

“Uh, no-”

“No, no, no, c’mon, c’mon!” Asher urged Spencer along, finding that JJ had already poured them a fresh shot each. This time both Asher and Jordan tipped theirs on the ground, but Spencer pounded his back. “More!”

“I think that was successful,” Asher whispered to Jordan as they stood at the entrance to the hallway that led to the rest of the house. JJ was still talking to some of the team, his words slurred and veering into gibberish, while Layla and Spencer were sitting opposite each other on the sofas, their eyes unfocused and drunk, each slowly falling asleep. “Good job.”

“You too.” Jordan muttered back, pulling away from him and rolling his shoulders. “I got about an hour until curfew.”

“That sucks.”

“Mmh, plus, you need to get some sleep too, Ash.”

“I will.”

“Ok.”

There was an awkward pause between them as Jordan ran his eyes over Asher’s handsome features, his gaze darting down to rest on the receiver’s ass. He bit his lip and took a deep breath, feeling his chest expand as butterflies rushed through his stomach. Jordan reached out and gently cupped Asher’s ass, leaning forward to whisper into his ear. “Could really use that stress-buster right now.”

“Hmm.” Asher smirked and felt his co*ck instantly harden. He nodded, turning around and gesturing towards the end of the hallway. “Guest bedroom is the last door on the end, cleaner comes in every morning, and after a party like this…well, Layla never cares who hooks up in the bedrooms.”

“Unless it’s her boyfriend and the QB…” Jordan whispered at him, backing down the hall when Asher co*cked a brow at him. “C’mon! Been looking forward to this all week, um, as a-”

“I know what you mean.” Asher answered him quickly, not letting Jordan quantify his words.

I don’t think you do. Jordan sighed to himself as they entered the room, Asher locking it and turning on the lamps. A quick bj or handjob is one thing, that is stress relief. But this is different, better, real.

“You gonna stay in your head all night or you getting undressed?” Asher called out, jolting Jordan from his thoughts. “I know you need twenty minutes to get home, so let’s do this!”

“Charming as ever, Asher, why don’t I just leave the Benjamin on the counter too?”

“Pfft! I am so worth more than that!” Asher snorted as he pulled his pants down, already shirtless, his bulge pushing his trunks outwards.

That’s for sure, I don’t think there is a price for you. Jordan blinked as an unexpected wave of emotion swept through him. He stripped out of his shirt and unbuckled his belt. Not that I can tell you that, of course…stupid, I shouldn’t have drunk this much. Asher was right; this is when the unprotected truth comes spilling out. Jordan looked towards the bed as Asher opened his wallet and pulled out a condom and a small, travel-sized packet of lube.

“Always prepared!” He grinned and gestured at the bed. Asher waited for Jordan to stand in front of him before reaching out and running a hand across his stomach. “Hmm, can you clench your abs, yeah, just like that.”

Jordan placed his hands on Asher’s waist, mirroring his best friend as they slid each other’s underwear off. He smirked when Asher’s co*ck slipped out, standing horizontal, his own dick escaping with more force, slapping against his smooth naval with a wet splat. Jordan wrapped a hand around his co*ck, the other grasping Asher’s, and slowly jerked them both off. It was an inversion of what usually happened, Asher seeming content to let Jordan do this.

They didn’t speak other than to moan in pleasure, Jordan’s eyes locked on Asher’s body and their co*cks, precum slicking up his hands. He blinked when Asher moved suddenly forward, dropping his hands away and allowing their co*cks to slide against each other, a shiver of pleasure that arced from the leaking tip to his heavy balls and then up through his heaving stomach towards his chest. “Ah, Ash!”

“You want me to…” He trailed off, beginning to sink onto his knees, but Jordan reached out quickly and gripped his shoulders.

“No, I don’t want that, not now.” Jordan swallowed hard when Asher looked at him, a momentary vulnerability that vanished a second later, replaced by the careful gaze he knew so well. “Get on the bed, but stay on your knees, I want you to face me as I slide into you!”

“Mmh, sure, you know I love bouncing on your dick!”

Not as much as I love hearing you say it! Jordan swallowed excess salvia in his mouth as he watched Asher climb onto the middle of the bed, facing away from him, his firm, muscular ass cheeks clenching and unclenching. He tugged on his co*ck again, keeping himself fully erect even as his free hand searched the bed blindly for the condom. Asher had picked up the packet of lube and was busily coating his fingers, knees sliding further apart as he prepared to slick himself up.

Jordan inched closer, his eyes locked onto the way that Asher squatted down, his ass cheeks spread apart with one hand, his smooth valley exposed and the deep red of his hole just visible before his other hand obstructed the view. He licked his lips eagerly, the concerns of a few minutes ago forgotten as Jordan focused on the motions of Asher’s fingers when they pushed inside his own ass, the lubed digits slipping in with only a grunt of familiar pain mixed with pleasure. Jordan continued to stroke his co*ck, rolling the condom down his shaft as Asher’s second finger entered, leaving a glistening trail of lube along his butt cheek. It was only when he pulled his eyes upwards that Jordan realized Asher was looking at him over his shoulder.

“Enjoying the view?”

“For sure,” Jordan smirked at him and got onto the bed, crawling up to the top. “But I think this view might be better.”

“You sure? You’ve never wanted to do it this way before.”

“Yeah, but…” Jordan trailed off and then he shrugged. “It doesn’t matter, just get over here, you look ready.”

“Hmm, hard to get ready for a thick co*ck!” Asher grinned at him and knee-walked across the bed, pulling his fingers free. “But that’s the point, right? Your big dick plunging into my tight hole?!”

“Mmh, yeah!” Jordan groaned at Asher’s description, his hands reaching forwards to grasp the other guy’s waist, his fingers splaying out to feel the shiver of Asher’s ab muscles as Jordan’s co*ck brushed against his firm ass. Asher reached back and lined them up, nodding at Jordan.

“I’m ready.”

“Ok,” He took a breath, wanting to stretch this moment out. There was always something so perfect about the tension between them here, not just the casual pressure from his co*ck about to push into Asher’s ass, but something else. It was almost as though this was the closest they got to real feelings, when pleasure and anticipation clashed together and Jordan could actually say the things that ran through his mind every time he saw Asher, every time they kissed, every time they hooked up. But he never did, because Asher always had that guarded look in his eyes, that distance that kept them apart. Jordan saw him frown in confusion and the moment was over. “Now!”

“AH!” Asher cried out, his teeth clenching as he tried to hold back the sound, making Jordan suddenly conscious of where they were. But the explosion of pleasure that came from Asher leaning back and forcing his ass to accept all of Jordan’s inches at once was enough to blast any concerns from his mind. “Oh yeah!”

“f*ck, dude!” Jordan hissed, gripping the duvet and going still as Asher hunched forward, a superior smirk on his face. “Can you take all that?”

“Heh, I like being on top!” Asher grinned more naturally and braced himself on Jordan’s hard pecs, using his leverage to lift his ass off Jordan’s thick co*ck until he could feel the flared head widening his rim. Then he plunged down with the same energy as before, impaling his ass on Jordan’s co*ck while the QB panted and arched into him. “Oh, yeah, Jordan!”

“Mmh, f*cking ride me, Ash!” Jordan whispered, one hand gripping Asher’s hip and reaching back towards a firm ass cheek, while the other hand grasped Asher’s wrist, feeling his pulse hammer hard under his fingers. “Uh, yeah!”

Asher started moving faster and faster, lifting up, his ass clenching around Jordan’s thick dick, before reaching the apex and letting gravity slam him back down, each time drawing louder moans from Jordan and a deeper pleasure for Asher. He grinned at Jordan’s expression, hole tightening around his co*ck as Asher pulled one hand from the QB’s chest to focus on jerking himself off. “f*ck, dude, are you close?”

“I’ve never been this aroused before!” Jordan gasped, reaching both hands back to grasp Asher’s ass. He pulled the cheeks wider, rewarded with a groan from Asher, and then bucked up into the hot tightness that enclosed his dick. They were both sweating now, Asher’s rounded shoulders and smooth chest glistening in the soft light from the lamps around the room. Jordan felt his balls tingle and pleasure flood through his body in a crash of released chemicals. “You? You nearly there, Ash?”

“Yeah, yeah,” Asher nodded. “But you cum first and then I can roll off and jerk off until I shoot.”

“Nah, dude, don’t!” Jordan felt a surge of bravery as he said something he’d wanted for months. “Can you cum on me? Like cum all over my chest? That’d be so hot!”

“Sure.” Asher didn’t stop to think the request over, Jordan’s dick quivering in his ass, the guy’s expression turning from hungry arousal into bliss. I know that look. “Aw, yeah, cum for me, Jordan!”

“Ah, Ash! Ah, Ash! Ah, Ash! Ash!” Jordan moaned low and long, clenching his abs and giving one final thrust into Asher’s ass as he felt himself shoot in an explosion of pleasure. “Awwww, yeah!”

“I’m there too, man!” Asher whispered, jerking off furiously as soon as he felt Jordan start to fill the condom. He focused on Jordan’s muscular body, smooth dark skin covered in a sheen of sweat that highlighted his physique, his handsome face and eyes were suddenly enough to make Asher lose control. "Ah!" He grunted, the org*sm slamming through his body, cum erupting from his co*ck in a thick arc, splattering across Jordan's collarbone. The remaining ropes fired out onto his pecs, abs, and naval, a creamy mess that made Asher pant and Jordan groan. He was caught off-guard when Jordan reached up and grasped the back of his neck, pulling Asher's mouth down onto his own, their lips crashing together in a frenzy of unrestrained passion. “Mmh!”

Asher finished cleaning himself off with a tissue and tossed it onto the pile on the bed. Jordan was sitting on the edge, pants already on, his shirt in his hands. “You ok? You haven’t said much since we finished.”

“Yeah, I guess.” Jordan glanced up at him. “Maybe we went too far, Ash, tricking Spencer, I mean. He looked pretty out of it when we left earlier.”

“So?” He shrugged. “We never forced him to drink that much, it was his choice about whether to keep going after that second one.”

“I guess.”

“It’s almost one, don’t you have curfew?” Asher slipped on his shoes and gestured for Jordan to get up. “We don’t want to sabotage ourselves either, huh? A good night’s sleep will make us look even better compared to Spencer!”

"You staying here?" Jordan asked as he stood up and searched for his socks.

"Nah, I sleep better in my own bed." He walked over to the door, unlocking it and cracking it open. “Coast is clear, I’ll leave first, you come out in a few minutes.”

“Sure, and Ash?”

“Yeah?”

“Thanks.” Jordan replied simply. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Yeah.” Asher nodded, slipping out and closing the door behind him. He walked into the living room, soft music rolling through the small group who were still partying by the pool. Layla had crashed, sleeping fitfully on one of the couches. Spencer was gone too, probably catching a cab back to Crenshaw. But as he made to leave, JJ dropped a heavy arm onto Asher’s shoulder and veered drunkenly into his face.

“Leaving already, dude?!”

“Uh, yeah, JJ.” He glanced down at the empty champagne bottle by JJ’s feet, knocked over as the other guy stumbled away from him. Asher sighed, but reached out and steered JJ back towards him, wrapping his arm securely around his waist, open shirt damp from water, sweat, and spilled booze. “C’mon, I’ll drop you home.”

“Thanks, Asher!”

“Just don’t throw up over my upholstery.” Asher muttered to him as they half-walked, half-stumbled down Layla’s driveway. “You’re not so hot that I’d forgive you.”

“Huh?” JJ looked drunkenly at him.

“Nothing, bro, nearly there.” Asher gently pushed JJ away from him in order to open his passenger door. “C’mere, get in, let me buckle you up.” He knelt down, suddenly conscious that he was really close to JJ, his muscular torso in reach, the guy’s pants lost somewhere in Layla’s party so his bulge was just there. Asher swallowed hard, and then reached in, grabbing the seatbelt and drawing it across JJ’s body, securing it with a click. “Ok.”

JJ just smiled at him and Asher turned away, hiding his boner, before he hurried back around to the driver’s side. His mind was clear even as a small voice screamed at him to take advantage of the situation, after all it wouldn’t have been much different from how Jordan used his mouth and hands every morning at school, right? Asher shook his head. JJ might be crazy hot, and I’d love the chance to hook up with him, but I’m not taking advantage of him while he’s drunk, that’s just a sh*tty thing to do to one of my best friends. And Jordan is…I don’t expect anything more from Jordan than his dick.

The morning sun was hot on his face as Jordan finished his warm-up, Asher arriving beside him, fiddling with one of the straps of his helmet. “You good?”

“Better than him.” Asher smirked, nodding over at Spencer as he crouched down next to JJ. “You ready to kick ass?”

“Yup, I can see the boosters too.” Jordan nodded when his Dad passed by, moving to welcome the group. “Let’s smash this, Asher, when I get the ball, be in the right place so I can feed you the play, ok?”

“Don’t sweat it, I got your back.” Asher sprinted out onto the field, pushing his mouthguard into place and pulling his helmet down. “You ok, Spencer?”

“Ugh…” The other guy groaned, limping towards the starting line.

“Uh huh, scrimmage day, boys!” Asher shouted out, banging on the side of his helmet. The whistle screamed a moment later and he dashed forward, twisting around Spencer’s slow-moving form and catching the ball deftly when Jordan flicked it through the air at him. “Nice!”

They reformed and Asher was again able to duck around Spencer’s efforts to catch him, Jordan funnelling him the ball. After the third time, Spencer shook his head in Asher’s direction, breathing hard, hands on his knees. “Damn.”

“C’mon, Spencer, get your head in the game!” Asher called out, careful to keep his tone light and encouraging, the boosters watching their every move. “Next play!” He squared up against Spencer again, rocking from side to side as he tried to throw off his opponent, before dashing right and pulling away from Spencer cleanly, arms open to catch the ball. Jordan’s throw was perfect, and Asher grunted as the ball landed snuggly into his grip. A quick dash to the left caused Spencer’s supposed interception to crash out, the other guy falling heavily onto the ground.

The whistle blew again, and Jordan signalled for them to move off the field. Asher jogged past Spencer, pulling off his helmet and spitting out his mouth guard. "Pull it together man, you smell like a party bus!"

"More like Tequila and regret!" Jordan smirked at Asher, his abs clenching and visible, drawing Asher’s eye. They stood next to each other, exchanging a grin as their deception became exposed.

"Hold up," Spencer moved slowly towards them, betrayal on his face. "Last night, I thought that-"

"Thought what?" Asher cut across him viciously. "That we were a team? That we were friends? The only reason you were at that party was because we asked Layla to invite you!"

"To what? You wanted to haze me? Make me look bad? Hey, you got me confused with somebody else, brah."

"Hey, go back to Crenshaw." Asher sneered, as Spencer threw his helmet down aggressively.

"What you say?!" Spencer charged forward, but Jordan pulled Asher back towards him protectively. "Say that again!"

“Alright, I-” Asher’s words were cut off when Coach appeared between them, shoving Spencer away from him. Jordan’s hands were all over Asher’s biceps and shoulder, hauling him backwards towards the rest of the team.

“What?! What?!” Spencer growled, resisting Coach Baker’s attempts to diffuse the situation. “Say that again, bro!”

“I will not let you blow this! One fight and you’re out! Game over.” The Coach hissed, pointing towards the locker rooms. “Go on, go, take a walk.” He turned back towards Asher and Jordan, an accusing finger directed at Jordan. “And you, you should know better than this!"

"No, don't put this on me, Dad, it was all a lie just to get this guy here! Even the permit to have him transfer was a lie!" Jordan fired back, his father looking away from him, frustrated. "A lie to save yourself. Hey, Spencer? You think he cares about you? He's just using you to save his job, that's what matters, not you. You don't matter! You don’t-”

"Jordan, enough." Coach managed to shut him up. "Enough."

Jordan glared at his father, remaining silent, before he stalked away, sitting down heavily on the benches. He glanced up when Asher joined him. “Don’t say anything.”

“Wasn’t going to.” Asher settled back, a subtle smile playing around his features. That should have been enough to push him off our team, and even if it wasn’t, no way Spencer will want to stay here with us. This is a victory.

This is not a victory. Asher scowled as he paced up and down on the side-lines, waiting for their chance to move onto the field. Standing nearby was Spencer, the other player seemingly ignoring him and watching the crowd instead.

“Ash!”

“Huh?” He turned towards Jordan and followed his wave out onto the field.

“You ok?”

“Fine, let’s do this.” Asher nodded, moving into his position. The whistle blew and the game began, driving all concerns about Spencer from his mind. Chatsworth were an aggressive opponent, catching their defensive line off-guard and slamming in two touch-downs, their kicker’s accuracy resulting in the Eagles going down hard by the end of the first quarter. Asher saw Jordan talking to the Coach and nodded when they switched playstyles, the new tactics allowing them to pull some manoeuvres that led to an evening of the score, before Chatsworth pulled ahead again. Asher scooped up the ball and then found himself crashing into the ground, the ball spinning from his grasp. “Ow.”

The whistle sounded and he rolled over, climbing to his feet as the lines reset, preparing for the next play. He nodded his thanks at Jordan as the QB dusted him off. Asher glanced over at the scoreboard and grimaced. “Quarter four, we only got a minute here, Jordan.”

“We can do it, don’t-oh, Coach wants you.”

“Got it.” Asher moved away and jogged over to the side-lines, ignoring Spencer’s presence next to them. "What's up, Coach?"

"Spencer is going in, good stuff, good stuff." He tapped Asher's helmet and looked at the new guy. "Get in there."

“What? But…” Asher trailed off, his protests lost as Coach Baker moved around him and Spencer sprinted out onto the field. He grunted irritably and pulled his helmet off, using the hem of his jersey to wipe sweat from his brow. I can’t believe this.

Jordan glanced at Spencer, brows furrowed when he saw the guy take Asher’s position to his left in the huddle. "We're all going to be right this time, you got it?" Jordan said, preparing to make the play. "Alright, next pick, you roll left, on one, on one, you ready?!" They clapped and broke apart, returning to their positions.

"Here we go, here we go! Fifty-two! Watch fifty-two!" Jordan called out, pointing towards the player Spencer had identified as injured. “Hike!” The ball was passed quickly into his hands and Jordan danced backwards, his eyes scanning the field for Spencer. Nice! He cheered internally when Spencer managed to block fifty-two, smashing him into the ground and enabling Jordan to sprint through the opening.

“Touchdown!”

“Yeah!” Asher shouted, jumping into air, pumping his fists as the home crowd erupted with deafening cheers. He ran out onto the field alongside the rest of the team, unrestrained exuberance causing him to hug Jordan, their embrace fleeting as the others patted Jordan on the back. Asher grinned at him, turning away before anyone suspected anything other than two friends congratulating each other. “Awesome play, dude!”

“Thanks, Ash!” Jordan smiled back at him, regret pulling at him when Asher stepped away abruptly. Victory of a sort, wish I could celebrate with you for real though. He wrenched his eyes away as Layla and her friends approached, cheering for Asher, his best friend’s relaxed posture becoming tense again. Instead, Jordan walked towards where his father was helping Spencer to stand, hearing their exchange.

“Are you alright? I may have to keep you on defense after a takedown like that!” Coach Baker joked, guiding Spencer towards the side-line.

“Ah, no, Coach, I’m too pretty for defense!”

“Haha!” He laughed good-naturedly and patted Spencer on the back. "I'm proud of you, son."

The words that should have been his, stolen. Asher’s glory, snatched away by this new guy. Who does he think he is? He made one play and now he’s the golden boy? Nah, this won’t stand. Jordan stopped moving, glaring after their retreating backs, the win suddenly feeling hollow. He looked back towards Asher, seeing that he had avoided Layla and was now talking and joking with JJ.

“Good game, dude.” The Chatsworth QB called out to him, passing by.

"Hey man, can I talk to you for a second?" Jordan said, gesturing for the other quarterback to move closer. “You liked our block, huh?”

“Yeah, receivers don’t usually hit that hard.”

“Uh huh, you should tell your coach that, uh, that Spencer James’ transfer isn’t legit.” Jordan said, a twist of dark satisfaction curling through his chest. The other guy gave him a suspicious look, but then nodded.

“Sure, I’ll do that, thanks.”

“Yeah.” Jordan turned away, walking towards the locker room, catching sight of Layla congratulating Spencer while Olivia hung back. Huh, don’t know why I didn’t notice that before; Olivia’s totally into him. I wonder where Asher went, we should still acknowledge this victory even if it was because of Spencer… He looked around, not seeing his best friend anywhere. “Hey, JJ, you see Asher?”

“Oh, no, he said he had to leave, didn’t want to celebrate with us.”

“Huh, he did get replaced right at the end.” Jordan muttered, seeing JJ nod before turning away, making plans with the rest of the team. I’ll call him later.

Asher tossed his keys onto the counter, dropping his gym bag and gear on the floor next to the washing machine. The house was dark, his father still not back from the extended trip, not that Asher was expecting him to actually be at his game or even care enough to call to see how it went. “All he cares about is appearances after all, we won, great. It still should have been my moment, my play, f*ck it.” He grumbled, flicking on the lights.

Walking out towards the patio at the rear of the house, views across the city towards the ocean, Asher paused next to the liquor collection that was perched on top of the sideboard. His eyes lingered on the bottles, a gnawing desire slinking into his stomach, a thirst that couldn't be quenched by what was in front of him, no matter how often he tried. “No.” Asher pulled himself away from the alcohol, resisting temptation. “Not today.” He walked quickly towards his bedroom, feeling his phone vibrate with a message from Jordan. “Saved again, for another night at least.”

Jordan gripped Asher’s hair tight, feeling himself cum hard, thick ropes of ji*zz splattering into his best friend’s mouth, the other guy holding his position for a second more before getting up and spitting the contents down the sink. “Sorry, it just happened suddenly, I meant to warn you.”

“It’s fine.” Asher wiped his chin with the back of his hand. “I have mouthwash in my locker, toss it over, will you?”

“Here.” Jordan threw the bottle to his friend and then rested his head against the cool metal. “Do you want to jerk off?”

“Not right now, I have a history test, want to look over my notes.” Asher was avoiding his eyes, his tone indifferent.

“Ash?” Jordan stood up, tucking his co*ck back into his trousers and walked over to stand next to him. “Are we ok?”

Asher continued to swirl his mouth clean before spitting again. “Yeah, Jordan, of course we are.”

“Really? Because it doesn’t sound like it.” Jordan leaned against the countertop so he could catch Asher’s gaze. “What’s up?”

“I…” Asher paused, looking at his reflection in the mirror, his expression unreadable. “You know what, it doesn’t matter, and I’m already late.” He shrugged and pulled away when Jordan reached for him. “See ya at lunch.”

“Sure, but-” Jordan let his words die as Asher walked out the door. “f*ck, is he…I mean, it’s just sex, so…I don’t…” He sighed, his denials feeling more forced than normal. Jordan looked at his reflection, echoing Asher a moment before. “I know, it’s more than that, think he feels the same, but I can’t say anything.”

“Anything about what?” His father’s voice carried across the open space between the locker room and the Coach’s office. “What are you even doing here?”

“Oh, just forgot something last night.” Jordan shrugged and then hurriedly grabbed his bag. “I’m going to class.”

“Ok, tell Spencer I need to see him.”

“Sure.” Jordan nodded, tension treading through his stomach as he noticed the furrow across his Dad’s brows. Guess Chatsworth acted on that bit of information.

Jordan sighed as he parked his car in the driveway that evening, Asher had been friendly all day, but there still felt like there was a tension hanging between them, weighed down by the mass of unsaid words. How can I say anything to him when I can’t even admit it to myself? It’s hopeless. He turned off the engine and climbed out, frowning in confusion as soon as he spotted his Mom pacing back and forth in front of the couch, phone in one hand. “Hey, Mom, what’s going on?”

“I’ve already told your sister,” She started, turning towards him. “Apparently Chatsworth are contesting Spencer’s transfer papers, and your father has come up with a solution.”

“Oh?” Jordan swallowed hard as a feeling of dread started flooding through his stomach. “What sort of solution?”

“Spencer is going to be staying with us-during the week. That’ll allow him to continue playing with the football team, since he’ll be legitimately in the area.” She frowned at him as Jordan grunted and looked away. “Your father has made his decision and they should be here shortly. We have plenty of guestrooms, so it should be…”

Jordan let his mother’s words flow over him, walking numbly across the living room to sink into the couch. Oh, he’s decided, has he? No consultation, no asking us for our opinion? Just taking Spencer in after everything that happened at the party and I’m supposed to make nice with him? Asher is gonna be so pissed.

He pulled out his phone and quickly texted his best friend, filling him on what had happened. A moment later, his phone buzzed, and Jordan glanced down, a smile pulling at his lips despite everything.

Playing at being a good boyfriend, date night sucks. But thanks for the info, looks like neither of our plans were successful.

Date night? And you’re playing with your phone?

Yeah, so is Layla, on Instagram, I think. The waiter keeps coming over and she’s flirting hardcore. IDK why though, he’s not that hot.

Jordan coughed, stifling his laugh as his Mom glanced over at him. He looked back to his phone. She still doesn’t suspect anything, huh?

Why would she? Lying is pretty natural for us at this point, and we’re both doing this for the appearance. Hey, maybe Spencer staying might actually be a good thing, allow her leave without too much drama.

Hah, he’s not staying in YOUR house! Jordan huffed, locking his phone when he heard the front door open and his father calling out that they had arrived. “Alright.” He stood up, feeling empowered from his brief conversation with Asher, his best friend’s ability to live two completely separate lives was always something Jordan envied. “Hey.”

“Hi.”

Jordan held out his hand to Spencer. “Welcome.” The other guy nodded while Coach Baker grinned, his relief obvious that there wasn’t any lingering bad blood between them. “Um, c’mon, I’ll show you to your room, my sister is finishing up her yoga, she’ll be out soon.”

“Cool.”

Jordan had finished giving Spencer the tour when Olivia swung by. “Hey, um, can you show him the bathroom, you know how the temperature control is so fiddly on that shower.”

“Yeah, sure.”

“See ya in the morning.” Jordan left them to it and walked down the hall to his room. It was next to Olivia’s and near enough to the guest room that he could still hear their voices until he shut the door with a click. He pulled out his phone, checking his messages, relief firing through his veins when saw one from Asher.

Date is finally finished, made excuse that I have a paper to work on, she didn’t even protest or anything! But nvm, how are you? You want to talk or… There was a winky face and an eggplant emoji that made him laugh.

Hmm, tempting…but, Jordan paused, suddenly realizing that he didn’t want to have sex with Asher, well, not just sex. “How insane is it that while I was showing Spencer everything, I kept thinking about Layla just ignoring you?” Jordan spoke to his phone softly, seeing the screen blacken, his reply unfinished. “That I wanted to be her, that I wanted to be with you? And Spencer, he’s in my f*cking house, as if my Dad getting an upgraded son on the football field wasn’t enough.”

He sighed and sat down heavily on his bed, fingers shaking as he deleted the words he had started, composing a different message. It was somehow easier to type than to say, probably helped by the fact he couldn’t see Asher’s reaction when he read it. Ash, I really like what we do together, but I want more. Not more hooking up, more from both of us.

That’s really cryptic, dude. Jordan grunted when he read Asher’s reply, his heart sinking until another message came through quickly. Unless you’re asking for us to stop just being FWB and actually be together as a couple? I’m down for that, if we keep it a secret.

“Heh,” Jordan stared at his phone, re-reading the message over and over as if his eyes were lying. “I can’t believe it.” He replied quickly with an affirmation, his heart beating faster as Asher’s final message came back with a heart eyes emoji.

See you tomorrow, boyfriend…