Epilogue
A sea of maroon and gold lines the stadium.
Hornets versus Ravens.
The air is electric. One single spark and the entire stadium would be galvanized. That’s all it takes.
Mason knows who can be the one to do it, and he’s sure that he will.
His hands thrum with excitement and anxiety.
His hands tremble for Callum.
He wants him to win. He desperately hopes that he gets drafted.
Being drafted means Callum can start his life.
Mason isn’t sure if he will ever be in his future. What will they have in common anymore? He’s just a writer for the college newspaper, not a reporter for sports news.
For the rest of his life, he’ll be in libraries and labs tinkering at the unknowns of life with his physics. Even if Callum does get everything he wants, will Mason ever be able to fit?
Everyone’s eyes are on them, and he can’t be the one to jeopardize Callum finally being happy.
Maybe their kingdom isn’t meant for prying eyes.
“I don’t think I can keep still,” Jenna says, as she sits on her hands next to him, her pink scarf wrapped fully over her mouth, so Mason almost doesn’t understand what she says.
His cheeks are flushed from the January cold as well, but he knows how to keep himself warm still.
“They’re going to win. They always do.”
“Except for that one game in November.”
“Okay, except for that one game in November.”
Mason rubs his mittened hands together and takes a sip of his hot chocolate, trying to calm his nerves and the air that seemingly gets colder with every passing minute.
Snowflakes start to fall onto his mittens. He looks up. It’s only a few flurries, but it could start pelting snow at any minute.
The crowd goes crazy all of a sudden, and as the light dims for a moment, Callum appears on the Jumbotron. Like every game.
He has his game face on.
Surly. Concentrated. Like he’s about to pounce.
Mason’s chest soars as he looks into Callum’s Technicolor eyes.
The crowd erupts and cheers. People are covered in maroon and gold. The final game is a home game, and the bleachers are bursting at the seams with excitement and school spirit.
The team runs onto the field, and Mason’s breath catches in his throat, standing up to his full height as he looks for Callum.
“Let’s go Callum, let’s go!” the cheerleaders below cheer, clapping in between each chant.
Callum runs along the sidelines and Mason’s heart stops as they meet eyes almost immediately, like Callum is a heat-seeking missile and Mason’s eyes are the target.
Like Mason’s the Earth’s atmosphere and Callum’s the rocket achieving escape velocity to break into space.
Callum gives a singular nod to Mason. Not a smile. Not a wave. Just a nod.
They’re supposed to keep things quiet between them. Only close friends and family know what relationship they really have.
They spent Christmas dinner together at the Fannings, and that was enough for him.
Callum could get drafted and Mason was reporting on him. It would be bad optics.
Callum nods and puts his helmet back on. He hits it hard twice and goes back to the team.
The game starts with the most verve and excitement Mason’s ever witnessed for a game, and he watches more intently than he ever has.
The entire game is close. It’s not a landslide win for Montgomery like it usually is. It’s neck and neck.
Callum already knows how important this game is. He doesn’t have his dad yelling expletives at him. He can just be himself.
The third quarter ends, and Callum runs to get some water.
Callum’s staring at Mason. The roar of the crowd seems to die off.
It’s just the two of them.
Mason’s eyes water. It’s the reality of their situation. They will never be together in the way they want. He wishes Callum could blow him a kiss. Mason wishes he could yell to Callum that he loves him to keep him going.
But there will always be people watching. People judging. Wanting to separate them.
It’s just how things are. They can’t always have everything.
Callum balls one of his fists and taps his chest twice and then lifts a hand to Mason.
Mason freezes, warmth pooling in his chest.
“Oh my God, Mase. He just did that for you. In front of everyone!” Jenna squeals.
A whistle blows and Callum’s already back on the field.
What did that gesture mean? Why did he do that in front of everyone? Surely people will know that display was for Mason?
He looks around and curious eyes meet his. Some people whisper and glance at him. His cheeks burn and he looks back at the field.
He’s tired of the eyes and the chatter. He’s tired of the judgment.
He just wants it to be he and Callum.
“Touchdown by Steven Mansfield, player five for The Ravens!” the commentator booms as the crowd collectively sighs in disappointment.
The Ravens just got a touchdown that brought them to an even score.
The rest of the final quarter passes by in a blur, with neither team getting another touchdown.
There’s ten seconds left in the game, and the teams are still tied.
Everyone’s standing up. The crowd bubbles, cheers waxing and waning.
Mason’s only staring at Callum. He’s played an insane game, completely on point and making great calls. It doesn’t even matter if they lose, the scouts will surely want him.
It’s one final play, and the ball is Callum’s to throw. Callum seems to relax, and he has this knowing stance about him. Confidence oozes out of him as he throws the ball across the field.
Time slows down and he sees the ball somersault in the air like the projectiles in his practice problems.
It’s all just projectile motion. A simple mechanics problem, but it means so much more in this one moment.
It lands in the hands of Craig, who catches the ball and lands with both feet in the end zone.
Mason knows what happens by Callum’s reaction.
Callum jumps in the air and pumps his fist, and the entire team goes wild. The crowd goes ballistic.
Everyone jumps around like maniacs.
Jenna hugs him and they both jump up and down, their foggy breaths intermingling and the roar of the crows piercing his ears.
They won. Callum won. He won the championship.
Mason stands up, clapping, watching as the team piles on top of each other, laughing and screaming.
“That’s my boyfriend!” Jenna screams to the field.
Mason stops jumping and gasps as he faces Jenna, who covers her mouth with her hand, her eyebrows lifted.
“What—”
“I—”
“Craig, he’s—he’s your—”
“Boyfriend. Yes.”
Mason jumps in the air. “I knew it!”
Jenna blushes. Mason snorts and claps as he focuses back on the field.
“I could tell by the way you spent the whole night with Craig at Callum’s Christmas party.”
Jenna chuckles in embarrassment. “Shut up. We’ll talk about this later.”
Mason smirks at Jenna. “Fine.”
Callum pats all of his teammates’ backs. Craig and Callum do their special handshake that Mason still hasn’t learned.
Callum spins around and looks at the crowd.
He runs along the sidelines, thrusting his hands in the air, begging the crowd to cheer louder and they do.
It’s electrifying. It’s an electric current running through everyone.
Callum stops right in front of Mason and Jenna.
He grins the biggest smile Mason’s ever seen him give, and he runs to the steps of the bleachers.
“What the…” Jenna says.
Mason’s frozen as Callum runs up the stands and goes straight for him.
Callum grabs Mason and hoists him up, squeezing him.
“I did it!” Callum says.
“Callum what are you doing?” Mason asks in disbelief, noticing that everyone’s eyes are on them.
“I’m claiming my trophy,” Callum says with such confidence, squeezing him harder.
Callum lets Mason down gently and plants his big hands on Mason’s shoulders.
“Callum, you can’t—”
“I love you, Mason Fanning.”
Mason’s jaw drops. Jenna’s jaw drops. Some gasps come from behind him.
Callum looks around, his eyes wide and disposition proud. He opens his arms to the crowd. “Yep! You heard me! I love Mason Fanning! This guy right here!” He points at Mason, running his finger up and down dramatically.
“Callum!” Mason exclaims, his eyes wide.
Mason feels everyone’s gaze burning into them.
What is he doing? He just won the championship and he’s suddenly admitting his love for Mason?
Callum looks down at Mason with a sheepish grin. “It’s about time I gave you a public display of affection, you absolutely beautiful brainiac.”
Mason scoffs, his smile widening. “What?”
Callum grins. “This whole time I’ve been running from you and running toward what I want.
But this whole time I should have seen that I can run towards what I want with you right there next to me, cheering me on.
All those words. All that writing. Typing.
Editing. You’ve cheered me on for months.
Believing in me. Now it’s time for me to return the favor. ”
Callum grabs Mason’s face and thrusts his mouth against Mason.
It’s electrifying. It’s breathtaking. It’s earth-shattering. It’s magnetic. It’s untouchable.
It’s everything.
The crowd erupts into cheers.
Callum grabs Mason’s hand and lifts it in the air like they both won the game together. Maybe they did.
Callum lowers his hand and turns to Mason, his wicked grin back and in full force. “How about we give them what they’ve been waiting for?”
Mason’s cheeks flush.
He looks at everyone’s eyes on him. Before, he was terrified of everyone knowing about him.
About being seen. Being judged.
Some people murmur. Some people frown at them. Some are indifferent. Some people smile and have their hands on their hearts.
He could focus on the frowns and spiral, but he doesn’t care what they are thinking.
He’s with Callum.
He’s being himself. Unapologetically himself.
He’s being Mason.
Callum motions to The Goldberg photographer and he takes Mason’s face again and kisses him.
The camera flashes and memorializes the moment, sealing their moment forever.
They pull apart and it feels unreal.
They did it. They overcame the years of orbiting each other and finally came to meet.
They aren’t meant to spend any more time apart. They aren’t meant to spend any more time hiding themselves.
They escaped the expectations that pulled them down like gravity.
They aren’t enemies. They aren’t polar opposites.
They are Mason and Callum.
And they are going to make their own rules.