Page 50 of Offside

Yeah, because his boyfriend broke his ankle and had to be seen by medical staff the last few hours.

“That sucks,” I sighed, settling in deeper into the cushions as he came back over with some chips. “Well, now I can bug you all day until he’s home–”

“He?” Landon asked, making my body tense up suddenly.

“I just meant,” I trailed off, watching the color drain from his face and panic start to cross those pretty blue eyes. “I’m sorry…you just always used gender neutral terms…I figured the same thing you did–”

“Right,” he mumbled, nodding once as he looked away from me. “I just, uh…I’ve never actually said it to anyone before–”

“And you wouldn’t have to now–it was an honest mistake,” I said quickly, sitting up.

Landon looked uncomfortable next to me, suddenly fidgeting in place and avoiding looking at me. I wanted to take it back–I didn’t mean to say it at all, but it just slipped out.

Anyone else would have never said it, but I knew for a damn fact why he was being neutral.

“No,” he breathed, closing his eyes. “I should…I really do love him, and he’s already made one comment about me technically being in the closet, so I know it’s coming soon–it’s just a little…scary–I guess. I don’t know. I’ve known I was gay since I was born, pretty much, but actually telling my friend is the scary part for some reason.”

“Lando–”

“No,” he insisted, putting a hand up to me as he finally looked over at my face. “I’m not really sure when we became actual friends, Sam, but we are. My parents already know this about me, and my boyfriend obviously knows, but this will technically make you the first person I’ve come out to in the last decade.”

Fuck–I was so proud of him.

I was never going to make him come out or anything–I didn’t care if he wanted to or not. I didn’t care if we stayed private our whole careers–I just wanted him happy.

I just wanted to be with him and make him happy.

But there was no denying how proud I was of him right now.

And also no denying that this was officially the hardest it had ever been to not be able to kiss him.

Maybe just one kiss between friends…

“Thank you for telling me,” I sighed, settling on not treading the moral grey area of making him cheat on me with me.

“Thank you for listening–I guess,” he half-chuckled, shaking his head. “What a weird day it's been.”

You're telling me.

Chapter 23

Landon

“You would have more time for me now that I’m back at work,” I teased, holding my phone between my shoulder and head while carrying my gear up to my apartment.

“Well, now you know how I felt knowing you were at home and bored all the time while I was working,” Metal scoffed back, filling my chest with all the warm feelings I’d become accustomed to.

That had become a requirement for my daily routine.

Metal was so tightly woven into my life now that the idea of missing even one of these phone calls was so disorienting. I’d miss one by accident and feel completely off-kilter until he realigned me again, followed by making me feel so good that I’d started just telling him I loved him when I came.

Yes, I understood that it was still my hand doing it, but you don’t get it–the noises he’d make and the things he’d say to me?

They did ninety percent of the work for me.

Two more weeks.

Two more weeks, and I could hear them all in person, see that pretty face twist for me when I made him cum. Two more weeks and I could just touch him–hear his actual voice and keep a hand on him at all times, like he wasn’t real–like he’d go away if I let go.