Off Sides

Luke pushed through the locker room doors, letting them slam shut behind him with a satisfying thunk that echoed off the tiled showers. Goddamn Gabe. Two weeks until playoffs, and his forward and supposed ace-in-the-hole player was letting his game slip. It was already Wednesday and Gabe probably hadn’t stepped foot on a soccer field all week. His gaze shot across the room at a burst of jeering laughter from the group gathered at the showers. s**t. The toughness that made Gabe Allister a killer on the field also made him dangerous to cross and a f*****g bully to the less skillful players on the team. In Gabe’s mind, that pretty much included everyone. Luke couldn’t see who the target was this time and skirted the upright lockers. Riley, his new left back, stood under a shower rinsing shampoo from his hair as if he couldn’t hear the vicious remarks being aimed at him. Luke groaned, not only for the harassment but also at the way his d**k jumped as he watched the white suds slide down a slim back towards a sweet little ass. He jerked his head up at Gabe’s words. “And the little queer can’t kick a ball more than ten feet. Don’t know why Coach Ackley let him on the team in the first place.” What the hell? Luke clenched his hands and stepped up to the group. “Shut it, Gabe.” Gabe gave him a startled look, a slow sneer crossing his ruddy face. “Or what? You know his playing sucks. As captain, I’d think you’d be happy to be rid of the faggot and his equally pathetic boyfriend.” “Jesus, Gabe. Shut that hole in your face already,” a voice called from the sink area. “Yeah, McKenzie? You want to come over here and make me, you fag lover?” Luke made a lunge for Gabe just as a bellow swiveled all eyes to the door. “What’s going on here? Allister, get your sorry ass to my office. The rest of you, five minutes to clear the locker room or I’ll suspend the lot of you.” “Sorry Coach,” Luke called, breathing hard while he fought the urge to kick Gabe’s ass anyway. Gabe scowled. “This isn’t over, Parsons,” he hissed to Luke as he brushed past him. Luke watched his retreating back, then looked at the guys milling around him, trying to gauge their reaction. Tim McKenzie nodded his red head but no one else met his gaze. Some stripped and quickly showered, but most simply threw on their clothes and left. Luke sighed. He’d worked all season to bring them together as a team, but he wasn’t sure how to deal with this new hurdle. He chewed his lips, working on the puzzle as he removed his sweat-drenched uniform and stepped under the shower. God, the water felt fantastic on his aching shoulders. He listened to the quiet murmurs behind him and the closing of the locker room doors. Thinking himself alone, he turned under the hot spray, surprised to see his new teammates sitting on the bench by their locker. For just an instant he allowed his hungry gaze to travel over them. Riley’s brown hair clung damply to his head, already curling on the ends. He’d dressed and was holding his socks while Austin spoke quietly to him. Riley’s shoulders slumped at something he said, and Austin touched his back, then drew Riley against his shoulder, his dark hair swinging down to brush Riley’s cheek. Luke held his breath, wondering if they’d kiss. God, he wanted to see them kiss. He’d caught them making out the other day behind the gym and had almost come at the sight of touching tongues and lips and roving hands. f*****g hot. Stifling a groan, he faced the green-tiled walls again, wondering how to hide his fat erection from their eyes. He couldn’t stay there forever. Maybe they’d leave soon. He remembered their kiss and suddenly ached to have those plump lips on him, on his mouth and d**k. Pain twisted through him and he put a fist against the wall, rested his head on his arm to let the hot shower spray run down his back. He couldn’t be attracted to those gorgeous guys. His parents wouldn’t accept it. His father sure as hell wouldn’t accept a gay son. He had only three quarters left of school after this one. He had to hang on and graduate. After that, well, he could f**k anyone he wanted. But until then, his old man held the purse strings and Luke had to dance to the straight-as-an-arrow path expected of him. The silence stretched out in the locker room. Had they left? He glanced over his shoulder and lost his breath. They stood with their arms around each other, both sets of pretty eyes on him. Tension built between them, thick and heavy in the humid air. His c**k throbbed in sympathy. Could they tell? Did they sense how hot he was for them? He faced the tiled wall again. “Go away,” he muttered, and hoped they took the gruffness in his voice for anger and not the aching lust that pulsed through him. He winced at Riley’s small gasp. Damn, he hadn’t meant to hurt him, not after Gabe’s cruelty. An apology was on the tip of his tongue, but the two guys were already heading across the locker room when he turned around. Austin opened the door for Riley and they strolled out without a backward glance. Probably for the best. He looked down at his c**k pointing toward the door they’d left by. “You and me both,” he murmured and ran a finger down the thick vein on the underside. He’d dated a few girls, for appearances, but it was a guy’s mouth he wanted on him, fantasized about for as long as he could remember. Which one would it be, though? He shivered suddenly. Could he have both of them? Shit. He wanted to grip his c**k, work out his frustration in a furious hand f**k. But at a rattle and the sound of voices at the door, he quickly turned off the water and wrapped a towel around his slim waist. Time to get to physics class anyway. Nodding to the guys he knew as the JV soccer team crowded in for practice, Luke dressed, not feeling safe until his inconvenient erection was tucked into faded jeans. Slinging his backpack over a shoulder, he checked his reflection in the small mirror he kept in his locker. Short blond hair, blue eyes, red tank top over a muscular chest. No body art. The clean-cut American boy. Sometimes he felt the image was strangling him. He shoved open the hefty locker room doors and stepped outside, squinting in the sudden sunlight. The weather had grown warm for spring and he puzzled out how to keep the team hydrated during the grueling playoff games. Water, for sure. Sunscreen. Maybe healthy snacks… The library clock chimed and Luke picked up his pace, cutting across the oak grove to save time. It was cool in the science building and Luke shivered at the change in temperature. The hallway was nearly deserted, but at least the door to the lecture hall hadn’t been locked. He carefully closed the heavy door behind him when he entered the room and took the nearest chair. His heart jumped when he realized he sat next to Riley. The pretty brunet glanced at him and smiled shyly, blushing when Luke impulsively smiled back. Luke sighed and opened his book, flipping through the pages to find the chapter the professor was covering that day. Riley had a sweetness to him that Luke found almost irresistible. How was he going to maintain his image as a straight shooter when all he wanted to do was pull Riley onto his lap and kiss those very kissable lips? He glanced up at a slight cough and caught Austin’s startling blue gaze on him as the guy leaned around Riley. Austin’s grin caught him off guard, a punch in the gut. He lost his breath as the blue eyes warmed. Luke tore his gaze back to his book and groaned silently, his d**k hard as a rock. Why now? He’d gotten through nearly twenty-one years of life without falling in love. What was so special about these two? Sure, they were lovely, but there were a lot of attractive people on campus. He bit his lip when Riley leaned toward him, breath warm on his cheek. “We’re on page a hundred ten. Second example. Take notes. Professor says it will be on the quiz.” “Thanks.” Luke flipped to the desired page, pretending Riley’s hand on his arm wasn’t making the blood pound through his veins. Riley’s hold tightened and Luke turned his head. His reluctance must have been obvious because Riley snatched his hand back, confusion sweeping his face. Austin put an arm across his shoulder. “Never mind, honey,” he said, loud enough for Luke to hear. “Guess he’s not interested in a couple of queers like us.” “But you said…” Austin met Luke’s gaze, questioning. Luke let his mask fall into place. Much as he ached to haul Austin from his chair, pin him to the wall, and ravage that sinful mouth, he couldn’t risk it. His heart twisted at the hurt in Austin’s eyes and the slight tremor in his voice when he spoke, “Guess I was wrong, baby.” Luke stared at his text book until the numbers blurred. It wasn’t fair! For an instant he was ready to throw it all away, his school career, his future dreams, everything, to snatch at the happiness the lovers offered him. But cold reality reminded him that without his father’s support it would be years before he could graduate. And without Father’s backing he would be hard pressed to get the position he wanted as a civil engineer in the city. s**t. Smothering a sigh, Luke set his lips in a firm line. He’d sacrificed a lot to get this far, a few more years of loneliness wouldn’t kill him. He picked up his pencil and tried to focus on the professor’s droning voice rather than Riley’s tempting presence at his side.