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.Brandon's arms flew around Jake's neck, and he held on tight, joining the kiss desperately, inside chanting Thank you God, thank you God, thank you God, thank you God."Don't ever run from me again,” Jake pleaded.Brandon nodded his head earnestly.“I promise,” he said.“Fuck, Jake.I love you so much it hurts.""I'm sorry,” Jake responded as he pressed his forehead to Brandon's and held the other man's face between his hands."Just please, don't ever leave me behind,” Brandon asked, voice cracking."You're mine,” Jake answered with a shake of his head.“You won't be left behind."Brandon tilted his head to kiss him again, one arm around his neck, one around his waist as Jake kept him smashed against the wall.It felt perfect, but that didn't stop him from flinching and choking in surprise when the screen door opened and someone walked in."Hey, Jake, I came to help with the.tro.phies.” Troy's voice trailed off as his eyes got big, blinking at what he saw as if he couldn't believe it.Jake didn't move, closing his eyes as he kept his forehead pressed to Brandon's.“The trophies are fucked,” he answered calmly.He was shocked, actually, by how calm he was.But he had no intention of acting guilty for kissing his lover in his own house.Troy blinked again, hard, and then tilted his head.He looked startled.“Brandon?” he asked, voice rising at the end.The man was practically hidden under Jake's body, they were so close.Jake finally pushed away from the wall, meeting Brandon's eyes with something like fear.The changeable eyes looking back at him glimmered with emotion and a promise.Jake turned and looked at Troy silently, waiting for him to say something else.The blond man looked back and forth between them for a long moment before suddenly breaking into a huge grin.“Jonathan owes me fifty bucks!” he crowed.Brandon's jaw dropped.For once Jake was stunned, and it showed.“What?” he asked in a hoarse voice."Heh heh heh,” Troy chortled.“I told him.I told him you two had to be together.Had to be.He was like ‘no way'—kid's too straight for his own good.” His eyes were dancing.“This is so great.” Jake was struck speechless.He just shook his head and let his mouth fall open."What?” Troy asked.“You've been in too damn good of a mood since spring break.That was when I first knew something was up, when you didn't take Brandon's head off after that shitstorm with Misty.” Troy looked awfully proud of himself.Brandon shifted off the wall to stand behind Jake, looking over his shoulder at the gleeful man.“He seems inordinately happy about this,” he murmured."I think he's high,” Jake responded in a stage whisper.“Maybe he won't remember this tomorrow."Troy snickered.“Dream on, butterfingers.” He shoved his hands in his pockets and rolled back on his heels.“So, I'm right, right? You're a couple? I mean, not just fucking around, but together.""Awful lucid for being high,” Brandon said doubtfully relaxing, though he still looked at Troy like he was off his rocker.It surely wasn't the kind of response he'd expected if one of their fellow coaches discovered his relationship with Jake."Are you okay with this?” Jake asked his oldest friend, hope and disbelief warring in his voice."Hell, Jake.I'm just glad to see you happy and with someone, man,” Troy said seriously.Then his eyes twinkled as he glanced up at Brandon.“Even if it is with a nerd."Brandon choked on a curse and moved to come around Jake.“I'll show you nerd!” he threatened.Jake reached out and snagged Brandon's collar with a muttered, “Down, boy.” Troy just cackled when Brandon struggled a little only to get pulled back into Jake's arms."Jake, I'll just hurt him a little bit,” Brandon whined, his eyes shooting daggers at the blond.The bigger man held him close and petted his head distractedly as he met Troy's eyes.This was one outcome Jake had never even considered a possibility.He was shocked and touched, and it showed in his dark eyes as he smiled and mouthed a silent ‘Thank you.'Although Troy was outwardly ragging on Brandon, his eyes were full of warmth and acceptance, and he nodded to his longtime friend and smiled.Brandon huffed and leaned back against Jake to pout, which made Troy break into laughter again.“Do you find that look gets you anything you want from Jake?” he asked.Brandon stuck his tongue out at him.Jake's hand soon followed, clapping over Brandon's mouth.Brandon retaliated by licking Jake's palm.Troy grinned.“Well.I suppose being a friend and all, I don't need to collect that money from Jonathan.I'll just expect a favor sometime down the road.We will be seeing you two at the banquet tonight?""Ugh,” Jake answered with a roll of his eyes, thinking about the trophies as he wiped his hand absently on Brandon's shirt.“Come look at these damn things,” he muttered as he pointed at the kitchen.The science teacher chuckled and stepped aside to let Jake past him, and they all walked into the kitchen to look.“Jake, why the hell did you even bring these home? You should have chucked them back at them at the store,” Brandon said, making a face at one of the pony-tailed statuettes."They were boxed,” Jake answered defensively [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]