36
Will wished he’d dated someone before now. Even for just a few weeks so he wouldn’t be going into this with Gabriel blind. Gabriel seemed happy that he was Will’s first boyfriend and even told him that was better, since that meant he’d get to be the one to have all of Will’s firsts. Which had excited Will but also brought up the fact that he wouldn’t get to have any of Gabriel’s first times. It didn’t bother him as much as he thought it would. Having Gabriel know what he was doing was reassuring. The same way Nicolas’s instructions during warm-up were reassuring. Because Nicolas knew what he was doing, and Will could follow his lead. Will knew that wasn’t a good mindset to have in a relationship, but he felt like he needed to stop getting stuck in his head when he was with Gabriel. Letting Gabriel take the lead let him do that.
“Don’t be nervous,” Nicolas said. “You’ll be fine. Just do what you’ve been practicing in training, no need to overthink it.”
Will lifted his gaze from the floor. The under-eighteens team was waiting on the sidelines for their turn to play. It was only a few minutes until Will would play his first match ever for the Irish team. “Yes, sir.” Will nodded his head, pretending he’d been thinking about the game and not his boyfriend. Just thinking the word made him smile. He propped his elbow on his knee and casually covered his mouth. He’d rather his team didn’t find him weird.
“And if you have any trouble with your chest or breathing, don’t try to bear it. Let me know,” Nicolas continued.
“Yes, sir.”
“And if you—”
Vinny appeared at Nicolas’ shoulder and pat his back. “He’s played matches before. Don’t psyche him out.”
Nicolas let out a nervous breath and bounced on the balls of his feet. Vinny noticed Will watching him and pat Nicolas’s back again. “Why don’t you go make sure there’s enough water?”
Will raised an eyebrow when Nicolas nodded and left. “I thought the Coach was meant to be the one telling the players what to do?”
Vinny sat next to Will on the bench. He was dressed in casual clothes since he wouldn’t be playing today. “Nicolas gets more nervous than the players do. It’s good that he’s invested, but it can be unnerving when you aren’t used to it.”
“I’m not unnerved.”
“No.” Vinny looked him over. “You look calm. You aren’t nervous at all?”
“I am. But I’m more excited.” Will may have been wildly off-base with his confidence, but he felt as though he could do this. Like he could keep up with the other guys and be part of the team without dragging them down.
Dune and Cassie were across the gym, seated and watching. And somewhere else in the mix of faces was Leah. He hadn’t told Jack about the match. They weren’t exactly talking much these days. A few months ago, that fact alone would have sent Will into a downward spiral, but now he was okay with it. Hanging out with Cassie at school never left him crippled with anxiety, and neither did chatting with Dune.
The only person missing from the stands was Gabriel. If it weren’t for Leah, he would have come, but Will had to dissuade him. It wasn’t worth the confrontation and accusations his presence would lead to.
A whistle blew, indicating the end of the match in front of them. Will rose with the rest of the team.
Vinny called out a last bit of advice: “Pace yourself, and just play like you always do.”
Will flashed him a smile and joined his team on the court.
*
“I thought I already was part of the team?” Will said, confused. After the matches had ended, Nicolas brought Will back to the gym and into his office. Vinny and Leah were sitting on the couch a few feet away while Nicolas and Will were opposite each other around a desk. Will only glanced at the papers that Nicolas had laid in front of him because honestly, he was too tired to even focus on the words. Three matches and he was utterly spent. “And I already gave you consent forms.”
“This is a contract.” Nicolas reached across to Leah and handed her a copy. “It’s more than just having a spot on the team. Think of it as a sports program. We’d be doing more than just train you twice a week. There will be exercises and schedules to follow throughout the week. I’ll be helping to monitor your fluid and calorie intake, and basically everything that could impact your performances in matches will be overseen and managed by me and a team of specialists.”
“You want to control what he eats?” Leah frowned.
“I’m not going to tell you to suddenly cut out pizza or fast food,” Nicolas reassured Will, “but I will optimize your diet so you’re getting all the nutrients you need to keep up with the training program.”
“Okay.” Will flicked through the contract.
“That contract comes with a lot of perks. You’ll play for me, and I’ll be making sure you’ll have access to any colleges you want through the sports departments. A weekly allowance will be offered to you. Our department will cover the trips overseas to play international teams, and every facility we have will be available to you,” Nicolas continued.
Will thought of his mom’s warning when Nicolas brought up the point about colleges. “What if I get injured?” he asked.
“Page seven covers injuries.” Nicolas nodded toward the contract. “But it’ll depend on the type. No matter what, insurance will cover the cost of recovery regardless of how long that may be. If you can return to the team, nothing will change. If you can’t, there are support systems in place to help you with the transition.”
Will frowned. What did that—
Vinny spoke up, “If you bomb your exams but get injured before you get to college, they’ll still help you get in.”
Leah glanced up and gave Will a warning look. “That doesn’t mean you can bomb them on purpose.”
“I won’t.” Will shrugged her off. “I need a parent’s signature for this?” he asked Nicolas.
“Before that, there are a few things you’ll have to give up,” Nicolas said. “I’m going to be giving you exercises to do during the week and playing for two other teams with trainings thrown in on top won’t work. If you sign this, it means you’ll be agreeing to play exclusively for the Irish national team. I’m not against a training session now and then as long as you take it easy.”
Will sat back. He’d have to give up his teams back home? Volleyball he didn’t mind. He’d skipped it all Christmas anyway, and he couldn’t picture himself going back to them and playing comfortably. But soccer? All the guys had been there for him and supporting him the past few weeks. He didn’t like the idea of just calling it quits on them.
“Take the contract home, read it over, and discuss it with your family,” Nicolas said. “And Will? I hope you decide to join us.” He smiled warmly at him when they left.
They climbed into the car, this time with Leah driving—Will could hardly keep his eyes open he was so exhausted, and he’d learned his lesson about driving when he was tired. Leah didn’t start the engine straight away. She was staring at the gym in front of them, and Will could see the gear ticking behind her eyes and braced himself for an argument.
“You should do it,” Leah said, surprising him.
Will blinked. “You really think that?”
“It’s a great opportunity.” She nodded. “I know you don’t want to leave the teams back home, but looking at what you’ll get out of this—it’s worth it.” Her voice became surer as she went on. “It’s more than worth it. Just think how much stress will be taken off of you for the exams. The only pressure will be your sports performance, but you’re good at that.”
“You don’t need to convince me,” Will said with a smile.
Leah scanned his face. “Good. Because you looked like you wanted to say no.”
Will looked away from her. “Mom had a talk with me about joining this team. I thought you would say the same things she had.”
Leah went quiet, only offering him a quiet “I’m sorry” when they were halfway home.
*
“This is fantastic.” Gabriel was reading through the contract as Will worked on the English assignment he had to hand up at school next week. All the work he’d been given over Christmas had been ignored, and now he was playing catch-up. In his boyfriend’s house. With his boyfriend’s help. Will turned his body away from Gabriel, fighting to keep the blush off his face. “You have to sign it. Sports is a huge industry, and this is getting your foot in the door before you’ve even left school.”
“Why does everyone think they need to convince me to sign it?” Will wondered.
Gabriel gave him a questioning look.
“Leah, Dune, even my volleyball coach here gave me a lecture about my future and why I needed to do it,” Will explained.
Gabriel looked curiously between the contract and Will. “I’m just excited for you,” he said. “I don’t actually believe you need to be convinced. I’m just happy your hard work is getting acknowledged. Just imagine.” Gabriel’s smile spread as he shuffled closer to Will, draping his arm over his shoulders. “The next time the Olympics come around, you’ll be one of the athletes on screen.”
Will laughed. “You’re jumping ahead, don’t you think?”
“My boyfriend’s going to be in the Olympics,” Gabriel sighed. “I can’t wait.”
The smile Will had been fighting came back full force. Heat spread through his cheeks, his neck—even his ears burned. It wasn’t just the use of the word boyfriend that warmed him. It was the implication that when the next Olympics came around, they’d still be together. And that made the future feel like something to look forward to.
“What will that be like?” Will flipped his book closed and leaned into Gabriel.
Gabriel adjusted his arm so it could fit around his waist easier and smiled down at him. “You’ll play in the stadium in Tokyo—”
“No, not that part.” Will shook his head. “Where will you be? In the stands with me? Or watching on the TV?”
“The stands,” Gabriel answered without hesitating.
“And after I win my gold medal—”
Gabriel’s smile grew.
“—what then?” Will rested his hand on Gabriel’s thigh, tracing little circles as he inched it closer to his body.
Gabriel’s attention wavered between Will and where his hand was. Will felt his chest moving quicker and his breathing speed up.
“Will we go back to the hotel together?” Will asked softly, his hand reaching the top of Gabriel’s thigh. “And celebrate?” He slipped it inwards.
With a sharp inhale, Gabriel caught his wrist. His cheeks were red, and his eyes were dark, filled with want. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“Why not?” Will asked. He wasn’t being sarcastic or playing coy. He wanted to know. “We both want each other. So what’s stopping us?” He leaned forward and pressed his lips to Gabriel’s ear. “Why can’t I have you?” he murmured. As his weight shifted forward, he found that Gabriel’s grip had gone slack.
Gabriel turned his face toward Will. “Wait,” he whispered.
“I don’t want to wait any longer,” Will objected lightly.
Gabriel’s breaths were heavy, and he stood up abruptly, dislodging Will.
There was something tormented about the look Gabriel gave him. Will felt just a little bad. “Kidding,” Will said lightly.
Gabriel let out this heated breath and sat back down on the arm of the couch.
“You mad?”
“About being tortured?” Gabriel asked, and Will knew it was alright because there was nothing sharp at all in his voice.
“I’m serious though,” Will said. “It’s a few months, and we’re already dating, so why does it matter? It’s not like I’m going to suddenly become someone different on my birthday.”
“It matters to me, Will,” Gabriel answered him. “So that I don’t feel like I’m taking advantage, and I don’t feel like there’s something bad about our relationship going forward. I understand why you think differently, but it’s important to me that we don’t cross that line.”
Will was sure his disappointment was plain to see. He let out a sigh. But if Gabriel was saying it was important to him, how was Will meant to argue about it? “I should have picked someone with zero morals,” he said with a huff.
Gabriel snorted.
“Don’t you feel bad about how frustrated your boyfriend is?”
And when Will said that, touching near his own thigh, Gabriel gave him that tormented look again. Will grinned.
Gabriel got up from the couch, going to the kitchen. “I can’t believe I ever thought you were a saint,” he called behind him.
Will leaned on the back of the couch, watching the way Gabriel was moving, obviously making food to distract himself from Will. “What about phone sex?” Will suggested.
“That still counts.”
“How about you send me a picture?” Will crossed his arms, resting his chin on them. There was something delightful in the way Gabriel stopped moving at all to look at Will like he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “And,” Will continued, “I’ll send you one.”
“That is worse, just, do your homework.” Gabriel waved him off, his face red.
“You thinking about it?”
“I’m not.”
“Wondering what pose I’d be in?”
“I’m not .”
“I’d be—”
“Next weekend, how about a date?” Gabriel cut him off. “I can meet you up in Dublin after your training, and we can spend some time together. Go out for dinner and a few drinks?”
“Really?” Will straightened up.
“Really. So long as you stop teasing me, and do that work,” Gabriel fired back.
Will thought about it. “We’d have to stay the night somewhere if we’re going drinking.”
“I’ll rent us a room. Two beds, of course.”
“One bed.”
“Two.”
“One!”
“Two, because you’ve proven that you’re not to be trusted.”
“One, and no sex,” Will said. “And I won’t try anything. I promise. And I’ll stop teasing you.”
Gabriel was thinking about it.
“It’s not like we haven’t shared a bed before, and we didn’t have sex that time either. I’ll behave,” Will insisted.
“Okay…” Gabriel conceded.
Will sat properly on the sofa once more, happy to turn his attention back to his homework.
In the meantime, Gabriel went to the bathroom and splashed water over his face.
Will’s smile was firmly in place when Gabriel came back.