Turning The Page

by Sam Elswit

  "Don't tell me you're sorry, go tell Guy."

  "Over my dead body."

  "Maybe over his!" Michael marched over to the door and swung it open. "Get out!"

  Without another word, Terrence slunk out of the condo and disappeared. Michael slammed the door shut behind him, and started to cry.

  Chapter 11

  In some respects, the next few weeks were like being at training camp again.

  Michael was back to pretending he wasn't desperately in love with Terrence. In fact, since he had shut Terrence out, Michael had pretty much retreated back into the closet entirely. He had tried to go out a few times on his own, but the San Fran social scene was intimidating for a small-town bumpkin like him, even when he went out with Chad or one of his neighbors. Besides that, Michael was, at heart, a monogamist, and even though he was furious with Terrence, he still loved the man. He was trying to be stubborn and keep away from him for as long as possible, but already Michael's resolve was weakening. He missed his lover, he missed stealing secret kisses and trading whispers around the team; he missed doing romantic couples things like walking in the park and going to dinner, and of course, he missed the sex. He'd hold out for as long as he could, but Michael knew it was only a matter of time before he asked Terrence to come back.

  But their lovers' spat had one dramatic positive side: Michael's mind in turmoil meant that he would throw himself into his sport again to escape his feelings. And it was a good thing, since they had to make up for the loss of one of their star running backs. But between Michael and the coach and the rest of the team, they soon had a handful of picks that they were whipping into shape for the end of the season, and, in the meantime, the team kept winning in spite of everything. Game after game they trounced the opposition, and spirits ran high as they closed out the regular league games with thirteen wins out of sixteen games played.

  Guy healed and was out of the hospital a few weeks after the incident, but his football playing days were over. The doctors warned that the concussion was severe enough that another one— even a small one— had the potential to cause long-lasting, or even permanent, damage. His lung healed all right but the ankle was slow to mend, so that he was still limping a little bit by the end of the season.

  Michael, out of his guilt, had spent quite a bit of time with Guy as he convalesced. He'd even come dangerously close to flirting with him. There was something sort of seductive to Michael about Guy being in such a vulnerable, weakened state— and without Terrence around to distract him, Michael was sorely tempted. But he resisted. And Guy, for whatever reason, never made another move on Michael again. Michael wondered if Guy knew that the whole thing had been orchestrated by Terrence, but he never screwed up the courage to ask.

  Terrence, meanwhile, kept to himself for the rest of the season. He grew quiet and somewhat withdrawn and the guys wondered "what was up," but Terrence wasn't telling, and neither was Michael. Michael almost felt bad for him... well, as the weeks wore on, Michael did begin to feel bad, even though he knew he shouldn't feel bad, because Terrence had done an awful thing to their teammate. But as time passed and the rawness of the incident faded, Michael's yearning for his lover intensified.

  The team made it to the Super Bowl. Just a few months ago, they would have all declared such a thing impossible, but against impossible odds, they had made it! And they were gonna win. Everyone was sure of it.

  Well, everyone on the 49ers was sure of it. The rest of the world had their doubts, because the other team that made it to the Super Bowl that years was the Green Bay Packers. The 49ers were the under dog, and it was all over the media. All anyone could talk about was the upcoming Packers-Niners game and how they couldn't wait to see the California pretty boys get their asses handed to them by the Cheeseheads.

  Michael Dwyer and Coach Ahren had other plans.

  ***

  The energy in the locker room the day of the Super Bowl was electric. To Michael, at least, there seemed to literally be a hum in the air, just below the range of human hearing, the result of the team's collective excitement. Secretly, Michael longed to be sharing this moment with Terrence, but he still wasn't ready to give in yet. Every time he looked around and didn't see Guy, he felt a pang of anger and resentment toward Terrence that reinforced his resolve not to speak to the man for a long, long time.

  They ran out on to the field to the deafening roar of seventy-five thousand screaming fans. The hair on the back of Michael's neck stood on end as they went through the opening ceremony, because he knew, to his core, that they were going to win this game and make history. He grinned as he imagined how many people had placed bets on them as the under dog and how many would lose money having bet against them!

  The first quarter was rough. Neither team scored for most of the round, because their defenses were so good, but plenty of the players got roughed up. The mood quickly went from jubilant to serious as they realized that they were going to win this game, but it was going to be a hard-won victory.

  Toward the end of the first quarter, Michael's team was close to scoring. There was about a minute left of the clock, and the defensive backs were right on top of him, so Michael couldn't throw without the ball being handily intercepted. He decided to make a run for it. He darted right, faked them out, then sprinted around the left, faster than he'd ever run in his life. It was a bit early in the game for such a desperate play— what Coach Ahren would later call "a rookie move," but at the moment, it seemed like the right thing to do. Unfortunately, Michael was wrong.

  He got a few yards closer to the goalpost before he was tackled enthusiastically by what felt like the entire Green Bay Packers defensive line. They crushed him, they battered him, and worst of all, they fucking twisted his ankle.

  Stars burst before his eyes as the pain was so intense when Michael tried to get up. No, no, no— not now, not today, not like this! My first Super Bowl and I'm out in the first quarter!? It's not fair! I'm gonna kill every single one of those rat bastards if it's the last thing I do and—

  Michael's vicious internal rant came to a screeching halt as the assistant coach helped him limp to the sideline. He saw Coach Ahren pointing and yelling at people and yelling at Terrence. This would be one of only a handful of games in which Terrence actually got field time, and the look on the older man's face was priceless. He was beaming. Michael's heart swelled at his lover's beautiful smile, and even though he was in tremendous pain and deeply disappointed, he had to feel at least a little bit happy for Terrence.

  Terrence Richmond was in rare form that day. It was like he'd been given new life as he took to the field like a duck to water, a seasoned veteran come home at last. Michael watched breathlessly from the sidelines as Terrence led them through the second quarter, keeping their plays vigorous but conservative, as they were only halfway through the game. A few points were scored by both teams, with the Packers having a slight edge by the end of the second, but Michael knew better than to be worried. He knew that Terrence wasn't done yet. The man was a goddamn beast, and he would wait until the fourth quarter to go fully unleashed.

  The halftime show was the most boring part of the whole event, in Michael's opinion. Some boring pop star took the field and did some insipid song and dance number that no one paid attention to because they were too busy getting the pep talk of a lifetime from the coach. The locker room was a chorus of primal screams and thumps on the back and high fives, and Terrence was at the fore of it all, looking so tall and proud.

  The third quarter went by in a trice, and, as Michael suspected, the offense was vicious in the fourth. Terrence was holding nothing back. Bodies collided and players ran for all their worth, the ball was pitched and kicked down the field and they scored— and scored— and scored. As the fourth quarter came to a close, the 49ers had such a huge lead that no one was holding their breath any longer. Finally the buzzer sounded, and finally the 49ers were officially declared the winners of the championship with a twelve-point lead.

 
Reporters and camera men streamed out on to the field as the players started hollering and laughing and celebrating. Microphones were thrust in Terrence's face, because he was a longtime star of the game and his being relegated to second string was huge news— even bigger was this surprise comeback! But Terrence didn't say a word to any of them just yet. Instead he ran over to the bench and grabbed Michael around the waist and carried him out on to the field over his shoulder like a sack of flour. Grinning, the tears leaking from his eyes and mingling with his sweat, Terrence finally addressed the bloodthirsty media.

  "I want to first thank our teammate who's not here tonight— Guy Patterson, we wouldn't be here if it weren't for you. You helped carry us through the early season and we thank you so much. And secondly, I gotta thank this guy—" he gave Michael's rear end a hearty slap, and Michael hollered and squirmed until Terrence put him down. Michael leaned on Terrence and beamed up at him in open admiration, forgetting that he was supposed to be mad at him.

  "Michael Dwyer carried this team all season. He's one of the most talented quarterbacks I've ever known— and one of the most amazing men."

  And then, in a move that would go down in the annals of history, Terrence Richmond, one of the worst closet cases Michael had ever known, kissed his teammate and lover. Not just a peck on the lips, either; it was a full-contact, tender, passionate kiss, given before dozens of cameras, reporters, thousands of fans, and God. Michael started crying and smiling so hard he thought his face would break in half, as he held on to Terrence, too stunned to respond to any of the people around him trying to get his attention. In that moment, there were only Terrence and Michael and the beating of their hearts.

  Chapter 12

  The media, unfortunately, did not get much further comment from Dwyer or Richmond.

  After the kiss that shook the world— both the world of sports and the world at large, Terrence and Michael extricated themselves from the whole situation as fast as they could. After all, it had been months since either of them had been laid, and after a game as exciting as that, and all the adrenaline and adulation, both men's blood was up, and there was only more thing to do.

  Terrence carried Michael up to his hotel room (in San Jose near the stadium) and flopped him down on the bed. He started shedding articles of clothing unceremoniously, as did Michael, until both men were naked, and Terrence pounced on the bed. He kissed Michael with frantic intensity, and Michael's dithering hands caressed Terrence's thick, muscular body all over. Their erect member brushed against each other as Terrence straddled his lover and petted his slightly narrower chest. He lowered his hips slightly to let Michael's member rest gently between his buttocks, grinning as Michael gasped and shivered at the sensation.

  "Fuck, I've had blue balls for months," Michael grunted.

  "White people always change color," Terrence teased, pressing his own organ against Michael's thigh. "Are you ready for this, baby face?"

  "Oh God, yes," Michael moaned, "please!"

  That was all the preamble that Terrence required. He peppered Michael's face and neck with kisses, and gently slid his hand around the younger man's narrow waist, then down between his buttocks to very lightly touch his rosebud. Michael whimpered with longing as Terrence pressed his finger tip against it, but did not penetrate the tight ring of muscle just yet. He teased Michael a little bit to help him relax, then reached into a duffel bag beside the bed to extract a bottle of lube, which he set aside.

  He gently guided Michael to turn over and lay on his stomach. Michael did as he was instructed, trembling and a little frightened, but also highly aroused and excited. He looked over his shoulder as Terrence began kissing and caressing his back, making his way down to his buttocks. He kissed the firm swell of each buttock before gently easing them apart to expose Michael's rosebud, which he petted again with his fingertip a couple of times before nuzzling Michael's left cheek and sliding his tongue along the rim.

  Michael moaned and trembled as Terrence licked his sensitive bud, then gently poked his tongue inside. Michael yelped in surprise.

  "You okay, babe?" Terrence asked, raising his head.

  "Y-yes, yeah, I'm g-good... don't stop!" Michael gasped.

  Terrence chuckled in a distinctly self-satisfied way, then nuzzled Michael's buttocks and went back to rimming him. The rim job lasted a few more minutes, with Michael whimpering inarticulately as Terrence's affections became wetter and less precise. Then Terrence grabbed the lube, and a condom. Panting, Michael looked over his shoulder, watching in slack-jawed, eager fascination as Terrence rolled the latex over his rock-hard member. Then the older man poured some lube into the palm of his hand. Michael kept watching for as long as he could, as Terrence rubbed the lube over his latex-clad cock, then slathered some in and around Michael's rosebud.

  The term pillow biter was about to take on a whole new meaning for Michael.

  He had to stop watching as Terrence pressed the tip of his cock against Michael's opening, because the sensation was so intense that he had to stifle himself in the pillow. Terrence went slowly, but slowness only counted for so much to an anal virgin. Terrence stretched and filled Michael, making the younger man moan into the pillow, his whole body stiffening as Terrence went deeper, and deeper, until he had penetrated to the root of himself. Michael literally bit the pillow as Terrence moved himself out, very slowly, then back in again. The pain was intense, but the only thing more intense was the pleasure, as Terrence's organ pressed against Michael's spot. It was the most wonderful, bewildering, perplexing combination of sensations Michael had ever known, as Terrence thrusted again, very slowly, then again, a bit faster. He settled into an easy rhythm, and tears spilled from Michael's eyes as Terrence fucked him. He wished both that the moment would never end, and that he could climax immediately, because the pleasure was so intense he felt it would split him apart.

  Terrence took his sweet time with Michael. The smaller man's organ was leaking a bit as Terrence came closer to climax. Michael cried out as Terrence reached around and wrapped a hand around his member, stroking him so that both men finished at almost the exact same moment.

  Michael collapsed into the bed almost immediately, followed closely by Terrence after the man disposed of the condom and cleaned himself off. Terrence laid down beside Michael and wrapped the younger man in his arms. They shared at least a dozen speechless, satisfied kisses, caressing and petting, before Terrence broke the silence.

  "So how was it?" he grinned.

  "Amazing," Michael sighed. "I wish we could do it again right now."

  "Oh, we'll do it again all right, don't worry about that," Terrence reassured him, giving his luscious buttock a squeeze. "So, uh... are you still mad at me?"

  "A little," Michael said with a shrug, "but... I think... if you fuck me like that again, I might be able to forgive you."

  Terrence laughed and kissed him. "I missed you, baby."

  "I missed you too!" Michael cried, burying his face in Terrence's chest. "Oh God, let's never be apart for that long again."

  "Agreed," said Terrence.

  "You kissed me on TV," Michael said, his tone slightly wheedling as he tweaked Terrence's earlobe. "Are you fucking crazy? What happened to your hetero-normativity, huh?"

  "I guess I just forgot about it because..."

  "Because what?"

  "Because I'm so in love with you," Terrence said, his grin fading. He cupped Michael's cheek, their eyes locked.

  "So you love me?" Michael prompted, trying not to sound as hopeful as he was.

  "Yeah," said Terrence.

  "Say it," Michael whispered, "please Terrence... please... I need to hear it from you."

  Terrence sighed, and rolled his eyes slightly. His lips curled in a mischievous grin, and he looked back at his beautiful young lover. "Fine. Michael Dwyer, I love you. I love the shit outta you. I love you so much I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

  "What!" Michael gasped. Terrence looked as surprised as Michael felt. "
What are you saying?"

  "I mean, uh... you know... when the time is right... if we still want to, and everything, we should, uh... get married. And stuff."

  "Really?" Michael's voice trembled with emotion. "Please don't tease me, Terrence, if you don't mean it tell me now."

  "I mean it," Terrence insisted. "Michael Dwyer, will you be my husband?"

  "Yes! Yes, of course," Michael said, stroking Terrence's cheek. "Only on one condition."

  "Anything for you, handsome."

  "You gotta kiss me on TV again next season," Michael laughed.

  The End