The sound of a locker slamming behind him alerted Bryce that Shay was done, and he quickly finished gathering up his things. Out of the corner of his eye, Bryce could see Shay shuffling about, clearly trying to work up the courage to ask him something. Bryce coughed to cover up his chuckle and kept himself busy with arranging his things, waiting patiently for Shay.
Shay finally cleared his throat and began to speak. “Do you want to go grab a bite to eat on the quad? You know ... if you aren't too busy?” Shay asked quietly, stumbling over his words.
Bryce gazed at the quiet, shy jock pushing his glasses up while staring at the ground, a gesture that had become so familiar. He smiled and answered without needing to think at all.
* * * *
The main cafeteria on the quad was busy with the dinner crowd. Shay smiled to himself as he wove through the tables. Bryce hadn't even hesitated before accepting his invitation; he'd just leveled one of those thousand watt smiles at him and said, “Sure,” like it was the best idea ever.
Okay, so it wasn't like it was a date or anything, but that knowledge didn't diminish the pleasure engulfing Shay's brain.
Their progress slowed somewhat when Bryce was stopped several times on the way to the counter.
"Yo, Bryce—level four, dude!"
"Bryce: A+! I owe you big time, man!"
"Bryce, you fuckin’ rock!"
Slowing but not stopping, Bryce took the time to respond to every greeting sent his way as he continued to follow Shay to the counter.
"What'll it be?” Shay picked up a tray and nodded toward the food on display behind the glass guard.
Bryce grinned. “I don't suppose a double cheeseburger is on the menu?"
"Not for you. Why don't you grab us a table, and I'll get some food that won't harden our arteries before we get out the door?” Shay shouldered Bryce aside with a laugh. The tremor of want that rushed through him when Bryce pouted theatrically was just embarrassing. Shay quickly turned away and pretended to be studying the food.
A few minutes later, tray loaded with pasta and salad, Shay grabbed two bottles of chilled water and handed his card to the cashier to pay for their meals. He turned and scanned the room, but it didn't take him long to zero in on Bryce—head and shoulders taller than most men—although Shay was pretty sure he was developing some kind of radar where Bryce was concerned. Some part of his brain seemed to be acutely attuned to the guy's presence.
As he approached the table near the window where Bryce waited, Shay's footsteps faltered when he saw another guy slide into the chair beside Bryce. A cold knot started to form low in Shay's stomach when the guy leaned close to Bryce, close enough that it could only be described as intimate. Feeling awkward, Shay stopped completely and shuffled his feet, unsure of how to continue.
Bryce's head turned then, and out of sight of his unexpected companion he rolled his eyes at Shay and smiled sheepishly. Uncertain of whether or not his company was still wanted, Shay held his place, stomach twisting uncomfortably with embarrassment.
"Shay, buddy, I'm starving to death over here.” Bryce gestured him over with enough enthusiasm to convince Shay he wasn't just being polite.
Shay moved forward again, but the pleasure of just a few minutes ago had dimmed a little. He set the tray down on the table and sat in the chair opposite Bryce, nodding briefly to the new guy.
"Man, this looks great; I'm hungry enough to eat a rabid skunk.” Bryce picked up his knife and fork and fell on his food like he hadn't eaten in a week. When his mouth was packed with food, Bryce raised his head and looked from Shay to the other man at the table. A soft blush colored Bryce's cheeks, and he chewed and swallowed with a speed that made Shay wince.
"Sorry, uh, Shay, this is Kris—we're working on that program I told you about, for the local school district. Kris, this is Shay, the one responsible for the vision of manly beauty you see before you.” Bryce smiled widely and shoveled more food into his face.
Shay nodded again and poked at the food on his plate. “Kris."
Kris leaned forward, pinning Shay with a pair of sharp blue eyes that left Shay cold. “So, Shay, what do you do?"
"I'm studying Phys. Ed. and I'm on the soccer team.” He bit into a piece of pasta and thought it might as well have been a lump of rubber for all the appetite he suddenly had.
Kris’ eyes narrowed fractionally, and Shay got the distinct impression that the man was laughing at him. “Wow, that's ... great. So, what will that translate to in, you know, the real world?"
Biting the inside of his lip, Shay fought the urge to stick his fork in the guy's fuckin’ head.
Bryce took a long gulp of water and pointed his fork at Shay while talking to Kris. “This guy has got some serious interest from several Major League Soccer teams—there's practically a bidding war going on to sign his talents—and he's also taking courses to get his coaching licenses."
Pushing his glasses up over his nose in an attempt to cover his face, Shay saw Kris’ eyes and mouth tighten fractionally.
"Cool.” Turning away from Shay, Kris focused his attention on Bryce. “So, do you want to come over tonight? Do some ... work?"
Shay didn't miss the slight pause, as he was sure was Kris’ intent, nor did he miss the way Kris’ hand dropped beneath the surface of the table.
A wave of nausea washed over Shay and he felt the sudden, overwhelming urge to get out. He pushed his plate away from him with more force than he'd intended and sprang to his feet.
"Shay? You okay?” Bryce looked at him from puzzled brown eyes, fork hovering between plate and mouth.
"Uh, yeah, I just ... I really should go. I have a paper to write.” He grabbed up his bag.
"Oh, okay, well I'll see you in the morning then?” For a second Shay thought Bryce looked a little disappointed, but that simply couldn't be possible.
"Sure, same time, same place.” Shay turned and left so quickly he almost fell over his own feet.
Idiot. Stupid fucking idiot. Letting himself think even for the briefest of moments that Bryce...
Anger at himself roiled through Shay. Here he was, on his way to start working on a paper that wasn't due for another two weeks because it would take his fuckin’ defective brain three times longer to get it done than anyone else, while Bryce would spend his evening working on a program that would be teaching school kids things that Shay probably couldn't begin to comprehend.
Yeah, talk about a match made in heaven.
Shoving through the cafeteria doors, Shay's mind shied away from the other things Bryce might spend his evening doing.
* * * *
As Bryce watched Shay cross the cafeteria and leave, he frowned. He wasn't completely sure why Shay had departed so suddenly, but he had a sneaking suspicion it had something to do with Kris.
Although he and Kris knew each other from class, Bryce wouldn't exactly call them friends. They had met freshman year when they found themselves bonding over a new definition of bored in their required introduction to programming class. Learning that Kris was also gay was a dangerous combination, and the reckless abandon of being a first-year student resulted in a wild make-out session after returning to Kris’ dorm room. While it had been fun at the time, Bryce quickly realized that he wasn't just looking for a quick fuck, and the connection he sought was not present with Kris in any way.
Several years of shared classes and a few joint projects had not dampened Kris’ desires in any way, despite the fact that Bryce never gave the man any encouragement or even a hint that he was interested. Bryce was starting to regret agreeing to work with Kris yet again, and whenever they were together all Bryce could think about was how much he would rather be spending time with Shay. Bryce had thought he would be able to fend off any advances from Kris, but that had proven to be harder than he had ever anticipated, and Kris had chosen the absolute worst time to stake a claim.
"What's his problem? And why the hell are you hanging out with him anyway?” asked Kris with barely disguised di
sdain.
"Shay's a great guy, man. He's really helping me get in shape for the FBI. I couldn't do it without him.” Bryce poked his fork into the pasta, not surprised to find he had lost his appetite.
Kris shook off the sneer that had been directed toward Shay's departing back and directed a wicked grin at Bryce, moving closer and slipping his arm over Bryce's shoulders. “You know you could have come to me if you wanted help. I know I could come up with some special workouts certain to make you break out in a sweat all over, and be far more ... pleasurable than lifting weights.” The wink was the final straw, and Bryce extracted himself out from under Kris’ arm.
"No thanks, I'll stick with Shay. Look man, I gotta go. I'll give you a call later about finishing up the program for the school district.” Bryce threw down his silverware, gathered up the tray, and walked toward the garbage can to dispose of the mostly uneaten meal.
As Bryce walked toward the exit, Kris easily slipped from his mind as his thoughts turned determinedly to Shay. Even though it might be true that he had a paper to work on, Bryce didn't want to wait any longer to talk to Shay. His pace quickened as he headed for Shay's dorm.
* * * *
Shay trudged up the stairs to his room on the top floor, glad not for the first time that he had managed to swing a single room for his senior year. The guys on the team were great, for the most part. A couple of them were jackasses who were clearly uncomfortable sharing a shower with a queer, but most of the guys had pretty quickly realized that Shay wasn't interested in checking out their dicks. However, sharing a dorm with a bunch of hairy-assed, smelly jocks for three years was enough for any man. Shay enjoyed the peace and quiet of his room, and appreciated no longer having to be quite so vigilant about hiding his intellectual shortcomings. The guys on the team would never be rocket scientists, but they were a bright bunch and Shay had no wish to be labeled the dumb jock.
In his room, Shay dumped his bag and fell back on the bed, arms thrown out to the sides, energy for nothing more than staring mindlessly at the ceiling.
He thought about the way Bryce had immediately sprung to his defense with that dick Kris, and an involuntary smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.
What Bryce had said was true enough; Shay did have a few MLS teams interested in signing him, most recently DC United. A flush of embarrassment heated Shay's face when he thought about the little fantasy he had spun around that offer. Bryce had told him that joining the FBI would mean being in a unit based at Quantico, within easy commuting distance of Washington. They could easily maintain a relationship and follow their career paths too.
Shay snorted in self-derision. Yeah, as if.
Tired of feeling sorry for himself, he pushed off the bed, shed his jacket and boots, and sat down at the desk in front of the window. He wasn't going to have any friggin’ career if he didn't graduate. Time to stop wishful thinking and get real.
He started up his laptop and opened the file he needed for his paper, but for ten minutes he just sat and stared blankly at the screen. Disgust tore a growl from his throat and he got up again to begin pacing the floor.
On his tenth circuit between the bed and the window, throwing a hateful glance at the computer on each pass, a knock at the door startled him. He thought about ignoring it. Some of the younger guys on the team had adopted Shay as their father figure/mentor/agony uncle, and while he usually didn't mind listening, today he really wasn't in the mood. But the thought of some kid getting a bleeding skull tattoo on his chest because Shay hadn't been there to slap him upside the head was enough to steer him to the door.
When he opened the door and saw Bryce standing on the other side, a small, nervous-looking smile playing on his lips, all Shay could do was stare. In an uncommon show of unease, Bryce moved his feet and hunched his shoulders, looking for all the world like an awkward teenager.
"So, uh, are you gonna invite me in?” He looked at Shay from under his bangs, and Shay had the strongest urge to ruffle his hair. But touching would be bad—he might not be able to stop at the hair.
"Sure, sure, come on in.” Shay stepped to the side, and as Bryce passed him, Shay's nostrils flared when he caught the man's scent. Jesus, he was so fuckin’ gone.
He took his time closing the door, and took a couple deep breaths before turning to Bryce with a smile he hoped didn't look too forced.
"Is everything okay?” Shay asked, concern touching him when he found Bryce looking distinctly uncomfortable.
Bryce shook his head. “No, not really, but maybe ... I don't know, it's...” He shook his head again and sighed.
Without thinking, Shay took a step forward, his hand raised to touch Bryce. At the last moment, he dropped it to his side. “What is it? What's wrong?"
"Nothing's wrong, exactly. I was thinking...” He paused and Shay could almost see Bryce's brain struggling to find the right words. It was so unlike Bryce that Shay felt utterly confused.
"Okay, here it is.” Bryce nodded and looked directly at Shay. “Do you want to go out with me? Like on a date?"
Shay's jaw actually dropped, his eyes widened, and when he spoke his voice croaked. “Date? You? Me?"
"You haven't thought about it?” Bryce looked so disappointed that Shay could offer him nothing but complete honesty.
"Yeah, I've thought about it ... a lot,” he whispered.
"But?” The air in the room felt thick with tension.
Shay crossed his arms over his chest and looked down at his socked feet. “I've thought about it a lot, but ... we're so different. You're so you, and I'm ... shit, I can barely read without moving my lips.” He shrugged and hated the sting at the back of his eyes.
"Do you love me?” Shay's head snapped up at Bryce's words, surprised to find Bryce standing barely a foot away from him.
"Do I...?” Shay didn't even recognize his own voice, it was so strained. His stomach felt like a hand had grabbed it and was twisting without mercy.
"Because if you did, that would be good. Great, even.” Bryce took another step forward until the toe of his sneaker was almost touching Shay's foot.
"Great? Wait, I...” Shay knew he wasn't the sharpest tack in the box, but he also knew he wasn't a complete moron. He narrowed his eyes and tilted his head to the side, desperately trying to ignore the warmth of hope blossoming in his chest. “Bryce ... do you love me?"
Twin spots of color touched Bryce's cheeks. “It's some pretty solid common ground, don't you think?"
The words bounced around Shay's brain like out-of-control fireworks, small explosions of colors and stars. His hands fell numbly to his side. “You love me?"
"Is that so incredible?” Bryce looked oddly annoyed.
"Incredible? Let me think about it for a second. Hell yeah, it's incredible!” Shay turned away and walked to the window, hands clenching and unclenching at his sides.
"Why?"
Shay turned to face Bryce. “You mean apart from the fact that you're like this genius with a brilliant future and you fuckin’ rock, and I'm this semi-literate shmuck who's only discernible talent is the ability to kick a fuckin’ ball?” His voice rose in pitch with every word he spoke, and the fireworks in his head were starting to feel more like the beginnings of a stroke.
"Shay...” Bryce moved toward him. Shay threw up a hand to keep him away, but Bryce just kept coming as panic flared in Shay.
* * * *
Shay loved him, he was sure of it. Unwilling to listen to Shay put himself down any more, Bryce realized there was only one thing left to do. He moved forward, and pushing aside the hand that Shay had thrown up to stop him, Bryce reached in and slid his free hand to the back of Shay's neck, feeling those soft curls brush against his skin. His gaze locked with Shay's, and after seeing his own emotions reflected within those blue-green eyes, Bryce leaned in the last few inches and placed his lips against Shay's.
When Shay didn't react or move a muscle, Bryce worried he had overstepped, moved too quickly. His eyes remain locked on Shay's, r
eluctant to close and lose that connection. But as Bryce watched, Shay's eyelids closed slowly and his head tipped gently to the side. Shay began to return Bryce's kiss, the intensity growing with each passing second. Bryce's eyes slid closed and he let himself fall into the kiss as their lips melded together. Tingles spread throughout his whole body and Bryce knew that he had been right.
This was love.
Their kiss deepened, and when Bryce felt Shay's tongue run along his lips asking for entrance and a hand move to the small of his back, Bryce couldn't suppress a soft moan. He parted his lips, and Shay took possession of his mouth, tongue exploring every inch.
A groan escaped Bryce when Shay ended the kiss and pulled back, placing his forehead against Bryce's. Both men were panting, desperately sucking in the air they had sacrificed.
"Why did you stop?” Bryce asked cautiously, not wanting to spook Shay and cause him to pull away.
"We shouldn't be doing this. We can't ... we aren't...” Shay seemed to be having difficulty finding the right words.
"We should. We can. We are. Shay, I love you. I mean it. I want to be with you.” Bryce desperately hoped he could get through to Shay, make him see, make him understand what his heart already knew.
"But you deserve so much—"
"I deserve you,” Bryce interrupted, moving his hands to the sides of Shay's face. “We deserve each other. I've fallen in love with you. You're strong and passionate and kind and funny, and what you see as faults, I see as small pieces of what makes you the best person I know. I love everything about you, and I am who I am now because of you. I deserve you."
* * * *
Shay's heart pounded within his chest with every word of Bryce's admission. He loves me. This beautiful, talented man standing before him had rocked his world, and Shay was swamped with a sudden determination to prove him right.
Shay pulled Bryce into his arms, holding him tight, feeling how well their bodies fit together. He ran his hands over Bryce's back, moving down to grab onto the ass that he had spent months admiring in secret. Shay heard a soft moan and smiled, determined to do everything he could to hear that sweet and sexy noise from Bryce over and over again.
Like Magnets, We Attract Page 9