“Built up an appetite I see?”she says, scanning us both.
“Went for a run,” I say, keeping it light.
“Before or after sex?”She wriggles her eyebrow at us.
“Don’t answer that, it’s a trap,” I say to AJ.
“So, it was before.Good.Don’t be hyperextending something before the final, though.”She winks at us.AJ goes bright red and ducks his head down, tucking into his food.
“Trish, there’s something I need to talk to you about,” I say, my tone has gone from playful to stern.Her face snaps to me, eyes slightly wider, but she does not give the game away that she seems a little worried.
“If it’s about the jokes.I’m not going to stop.You knew pretty quickly what I’m like and I’m not changing.I—”
I put my hand up to stop her.“It’s not about that at all.”
“Oh, good,” she says, adjusting herself on the kitchen stool.
“I want to give you a raise.You do so much around here and I want you to know how much I appreciate you.”
Her eyes go wide.
The sunlight breaches the blinds and stretches its golden heat over the kitchen, basking us in a wonderful warm glow.
“You don’t have to do that,” she says, seemingly struggling for words.
“But I want to, and I’m going to.I’ll draw up a new contract and you can get people to look it over.You’re an important person in my…” I look over to AJ, “in our life, and I want you to be looked after like you look after us.”
Trish, quite clearly overwhelmed with emotion, stands up and gives me a hug, which is out of character.Old me would have stayed rigid, but new me, the one that AJ has helped create, hugs her back.
“And you,” I say, turning to AJ, “here, I want you to have this.”I take out a key from my wallet and place it in his hand.“This is your home too, if you want it?If you want me?”
AJ grips my hand with the key and squeezes gently before kissing me tenderly on the lips.“Baby, I’ve wanted you for as long as I can remember.You are my home.”He kisses me again and looks me in the eyes.“And no, I don’t care how cheesy that sounded, because I love you.I love you so fucking much and I’m not going to hide it anymore.Kyle, I’ve loved you for as long as I can remember.You’re my world and my days are better because you’re in it.”He kisses me again firmly on the mouth.Trish clears her throat, making us separate.
“You are both adorable.But sickening.”
“AJ, I love you too.More than I’m willing to admit.”I turn to Trish, “I love you too.Not in the same way I love AJ, but there’s not many people I love, so take that as a compliment.”
“He’s right.I’ve never heard him say it to anyone else before.Looks like Mr.Cranky Pants is softening,” AJ says, nudging my arm.
“I can always take my words back,” I say with a growl.
“Meh, but you won’t, Mr.Softy Pants.”AJ kisses the top of my head, and I swear if he wasn’t so bloody perfect, he would be annoying.
“Okay, enough niceties, I’m sure after breakfast, Trish, is going to insist on us doing a fuck load of burpees in preparation for training again tomorrow.”
“You bet your perky little ass it is,” she says, downing the rest of her drink.We follow her lead and then head upstairs to get ready.
Training back with the team, and I’m feeling it in my glutes today.Partly from the burpees and partly from AJ.I push through, though.The final is in sight, and I need to keep focused.One more game and history beckons either way.I sprint up and down the training pitch with the ball at my feet, weaving in and out of the cones like they’re defenders.I do it over and over until my lungs start to burn.I hear the assistant manager say I broke my personal best, and that makes me smile.
“Run like that in the final and they’ll have no chance,” Colten says from his defenders’ training setup, “and I’m once again thankful we’re on the same team.”
“We’re lucky to have ‘The Wall’ on the team too,” I say to him, and pat him on the back as I stride off to the ice bath.It’s been noted I’m in a ‘happier mood’ as of late, and I don’t even want to tell them to fuck themselves in response.I’m growing!
Back in the locker room, I wrap a towel around me and sit on the bench in my usual space by the door.“Okay, everyone, fall in,” my manager says, beckoning everyone with his hands.We form a semi-circle around him, all in various stages of exhaustion from the session, and in various stages of dress.
“We fly out to Portugal tomorrow and we’ll have our final training session before the Cup Final.Whatever happens, know that we are a team and we will win together, support each other, and fight for each other.”
Something in my stomach twitches.I try to push it down, but I know I need to say something.I raise my hand, everyone turns to me, and my manager, with a baffled look on his face, gestures to me to speak.
