varsity | blosner

x

They'd been together for six months and Mat still hadn't been to a single sports event that Mike was to partake in. Not a singe basketball game or track meet. Mat had seen small bits of one or two practices, courtesy of the fact that Mike was Mat's ride on most days, but that was it. Even then, it was only a couple minutes of Mike running around, not doing anything too special. Mat was starting to get worried that Mike was hiding something, but his suspicions were eradicated when Mike finally invited him to attend a relatively important track meet. Mat was over the moon, enthusiastically accepting the invitation and expressing his excitement repeatedly. When the day of the meet finally arrived, Mat was a little bit more than excited, to say the very least.

"I love you," May repeated for what must've been the fiftieth time as he and Mike walked to the field. Mike chuckled and wrapped an arm around Mat's waist, pulling him close.

"You've said," he teased, pressing a sloppy kiss to Mat's temple. The track was buzzing with people when they walked over, students warming up in every way imaginable, teachers and coaches running about, the works. Mike walked Mat over to the bleachers and smiled when he spotted Snooze and TJ, climbing up the bleachers to meet them. Mat exchanged a quick hello with his brother, then turned to Snooze. They quickly got caught up in a conversation about a new album recently released by an artist they both liked and both TJ and Mike stared at the two of them in awe, goofy smiles pulling at their lips. Mike eventually averted his eyes and patted TJ's shoulder, turning to look at the field. Mike sighed, rubbing his face. He was never nervous for these kinds of events. Why was he suddenly nervous?

When Mike turned his attention back to Mat, the younger boy had sat down beside Snooze and was mindlessly playing on his phone. Mike knelt down in front of Mat, careful not to disturb the spectators sat on the level behind him, and placed a hand on Mat's knee.

"I feel like I probably should've told you this earlier, but if you could like, not yell or cheer or be especially loud, well, I'd really love that. It'll also probably help with you not getting removed or something." Mike spoke in a teasing tone and Mat knew he was mostly joking, but his shoulders still slumped a bit as he nodded.

"Mkay," Mat responded, turning his attention back to his phone. Mike sighed.

"What was that?" he asked, gently plucking Mat's phone from his hands. Mat made a grab for the device, but fell short when Mike held it away from him. Mat huffed and looked down at his lap.

"I understand, Daddy," he mumbled. Mike held Mat's phone in front of him and Mat quickly swiped it, holding it close to himself. Mike placed a quick kiss to Mat's forehead then walked off, leaving Mat to stare fondly at his blank phone screen.

____

An hour and a half later and the meet had finally come to an end. Mike and TJ had done amazingly, as anyone could've predicted, but they still walked over to Mat and Snooze like they'd won Olympic gold medals. The other two boys had migrated to the area behind the bleachers where there was practically no one. Mat sat down on the grass, sprawling out to stretch his limbs after sitting for such an extended period of time. Snooze followed suit, pulling his knees to his chest and looping his arms around his legs to hold his phone out in front of him. The two relaxed in silence for a good amount of time before TJ and Mike appeared, red-faced and smiling proudly. Mat looked at Mike and his eyes twinkled, brightness and joy reflecting in his expression. The athletes came and sat down in the shade, each letting out a sigh of relief as they did so. Mat turned and smiled at Mike, then at TJ, and said, "You guys did great."

"You'll be hearing about us on the announcements tomorrow, yes you will," TJ bragged, a southern drawl lilting his voice. Snooze laughed and moved closer to TJ, causing TJ to wrap an arm around his boyfriend's waist.

His boyfriend.

Mat was still getting used to that. It was weird, seeing his brother with another man, especially weird with that man being Snooze, but Mat supposed he would get over it. If someone as stubborn as Christian could wrap his head around that idea of Mat and Mike, Mat was sure he could do the same with TJ and Snooze.

After a while of talking, teasing, and all around relaxation from the three boys, Mike decided it was time to head home.

"I think I'm gonna go," Mike said, and the end of the sentence trailed off into a yawn. If it were anyone else that was yawning at 5 p.m., Mat would be worried, but he knew that Mike had overworked himself with an hour of basketball practice then the meet. He watched as Mike stood up and stretched, his back cracking audibly.

"Let's go, old man," Mat teased and he, too, stood up.

"Oh, so you just decided that you're coming with me?" Mike asked, his tone equally teasing. Mat wrapped his arms around Mike from behind and pressed his forehead in between Mike's shoulder blades.

"You wouldn't have it any other way."

____

Settled and sated in Mike's ridiculously-sized bed after their time at the meet, Mat sighed and rolled his eyes as Mike watched him intently. He flinched under Mike's gaze, not used to being scrutinized so closely.

"What's on your mind?" Mat asked. He reached out and dragged his fingertips along Mike's jawline. Mike smiled and took Mat's hand in his own, gently kissing his knuckles.

"Just thinking 'bout how I'm gonna marry you someday," Mike answered simply. Mat felt his face redden and he hid it in a pillow.

"You're such a dork."

"You love it."

Mat smiled into the pillow.

"Yeah, I do."