Reid POV:
I'd gotten to see a lot of sides of Adam since we met at Connor's graduation party. There was the closed off quiet version that I saw whenever there was a lot of people around. The defensive and blunt side that tended to show when he was around people he didn't know. Then I'd seen him when he could put the wall down a bit and let himself really show. That side usually only came out when he was with someone one on one.
But there was a side I'd never seen and that was what I was witnessing now. The fun carefree Adam that came out when he was around only the people he seemed to care about the most. Part of me wanted to be someone that brought that out of him only just to be able to witness this side of him more often.
Because I swear the sound of his laugh was doing something to me that I hadn't expected. And well I didn't care that it was his best friend Jake bringing that laugh out. I just cared that I was here to be able to hear it.
"This is why I didn't want to come." Evan groaned as Adam jumped high catching the football before it could reach Evan.
"No this is why you were a QB and not a receiver." Adam laughed tossing the ball back to Jake.
"Well a receiver is only as good as his quarterback and right now mine sucks." Evan glared at his boyfriend.
We'd been running around throwing the football around for about an hour. The majority of that hour consisted of Jake and Evan teasing each other and then trying to out do the other. Adam had warned me about their antics and well I could see what he meant when he said this whole thing might just turn into a weird form of foreplay for them.
"I'd like to see you try to do better." Jake grinned widely.
"Can we just admit that you both equally suck and move on?" Adam complained.
"No way Jake sucks way more than I do." Evan eyed his boyfriend and yeah this was definitely foreplay for them.
"Say the word and I'll prove it to you." Jake smiled.
"Guys please stop being gross, you know I didn't mean it like that." Adam told his friends.
"Reid you're back in." Jake called out and then sat himself down grabbing his water bottle to rehydrate.
I took one last drink and then joined Adam where he stood waiting for Evan to throw the pass.
"You ready?" Adam asked.
"Yeah." I nodded letting myself get back into the headspace.
I'd ran routes all of high school. Up and down that football field preparing myself to catch the ball regardless of how good the defense was covering me. I was ready and it didn't matter that it'd been years since I was on that field. I wasn't going to make this easy on Adam.
I turned my attention to Evan and he gave me a quick nod. It was time and so I ran.
I let my body do the work and my legs brought me right where I needed them to. I cut left and when I looked over my shoulder the ball was soaring straight to me.
I could feel Adam right behind me but I pulled back at the last second and that was all I needed. It created just enough space and when I jumped the ball hit my hands and I brought it into my chest.
It was like muscle memory at this point. I'd done it so many times in high school. I'd missed the feeling of just running around and having fun with the game. Being here with Adam and his friends made me feel like I was back there. I was in high school running around throwing the ball with Connor.
I felt a little like me again, like the Reid I was before my fight with Connor, before Tiffany left.
"And that's how you throw a football." Evan cheered rubbing it in the face of Jake.
"I know how to throw a football I just wasn't throwing it to you." Jake laughed.
"But I was your receiver! You cheated." Evan walked over to his boyfriend looking annoyed.
"Just ignore them, I'm convinced they don't know how to act like normal human beings." Adam told me.
I turned to look at him a smile on my face. After running around all afternoon somehow he still looked good. That lightly tanned skin seemed to shine in the afternoon light. His blond hair was slicked with sweat and a few strands were stuck down on his forehead.
"Thank you for this."
I didn't have the words to describe my gratitude. I'd missed this so much. I'd missed the game and I didn't feel like I had the right to ask Connor to relive those years with me. My good memories of us playing football together were tainted by all the bad he had to go through.
He worked hard to crawl out of that space he'd been in as a result of those years. I wasn't going to be the one to remind him of that abuse.
But here today I was able to have fun again and find that part of myself. I was able to enjoy the game without any of the guilt I had tied into those years.
"You said you missed football." Adam shrugged.
It dawned on me then. There was a thought in my brain that maybe this had been all for me. That Adam had set this up just to give me this but he hadn't said the words. He didn't say it and I'd brushed the thought aside because I wasn't ready to admit that he had listened and wanted to do this for me. But now standing here I couldn't deny it.
Adam had set this up for me. Had wanted to give me this because I'd told him I missed football. He was so kind sometimes it clashed against most of what came out of his mouth.
It was both sides of him though. The kind and thoughtful Adam that was shown in his actions and then the blunt and closed off Adam. Both made up the man in front of me and I couldn't help but like everything I saw.
It was all those feelings flooding my brain that made me say the words. I felt that pull towards him and for the first time since we'd sat in front of Connor's house and shared a kiss I let myself act on that pull.
"Can I kiss you?" I asked him.
Adam stared at me not saying a word. I watched his eyes bounce all over my face. He was hesitating and I was ready for the rejection. I felt it coming but I couldn't get myself out to regret asking.
And as I braced for rejection I found myself surprised by Adam instead. The rejection didn't come because instead his lips pressed against mine. I was stunned by the kiss just like I was that first time but this time I made myself recover quicker.
I let my lips move against his allowing Adam to take the kiss at his own pace. He took it slow, his hand coming up to cradle the back of my neck and keeping me pressed right against him. This was better than the other two kisses.
This was better than anything else I'd experienced before.
When Adam finally pulled away I knew his smile was just a reflection of my own. I wasn't going to be able to wipe it off my face even if I tried.
"And he complains about us." I heard Evan laugh.
Adam lean forward again pressing his forehead lightly against my own. I did everything I could to keep myself from closing that last few inches and kissing him again.
"I hate them." Adam sighed softly.
"Stop making out it's time to get some food!" Jake yelled at us.
"I think I hate them too." I joked.
And when Adam let out a soft laugh I felt something in me burst. He laughed and this time that laugh was just for me.
A/n:
Nico being the token straight boy takes me out every time I think about it.
Anyway thank you all for being so patient. I wanted to try to get two chapters out this week but this has been a really hard week. I had to put my dog down and I wasn't ready to try to write anything this week. I'm still just trying to get through it but I'll try my best to have consistent updates for you all.
I hope you enjoyed this chapter!
-Cora Leigh