Beautifully Backed

by Charity Parkerson

  Damon snorted. “I’m sure. Too bad for you, I like staying where I’m not wanted.”

  Even though Tobin knew Damon was joking, he felt too bad to be anything less than serious. He might not have much longer. Tobin couldn’t live with there being any chance Damon really believed that. “You’re wanted.” Even Tobin heard the sudden panic in his voice.

  Damon sat at Tobin’s hip so fast, it was like the man’s knees gave out. He brushed his finger down Tobin’s nose, as if trying to comfort him. “I know.” He took an audible breath. “Do I need to call your mom?”

  Tobin shook his head. “I don’t want her missing work just to watch me sleep. I’m fine.” They both knew it was a lie, but Tobin fully intended to pass out the second he was alone. Tobin’s phone vibrated on the nightstand.

  Damon grabbed the device and passed it Tobin’s way. “Here. Call me if you need anything. I’m right downstairs. You know you’re not putting me out. Okay?”

  Tobin nodded.

  Damon kissed his forehead and left Tobin alone with his phone. Tobin glanced at the face. He had a text from an unfamiliar number. As Tobin unlocked the device, a smile stretched his lips.

  310-555-0987: This is Sergio. I snagged your number from Valor. I stopped by your place, but you weren’t home. Damon said you were probably out making deliveries, so sorry if I’m bugging you at work. Anyway, I hope I’m not making a huge fool of myself, but I’d like to see you again. If you just wanted one night of fun, that’s cool.

  Even though Tobin knew it was a mistake, he saved Sergio’s number to his phone. He likely wouldn’t use it, but it was nice knowing he hadn’t only been a one-night stand. The phone buzzed in his hand again before he could set it aside.

  Sergio: On second thought, it’s not cool. I really like you. I haven’t really liked anyone nice in a long time. So, I hope you text me back. I’d love to take you on a real date.

  A smile stretched Tobin’s lips. Some of the heaviness in his chest lifted as he rolled to his side and cuddled with his phone. Sergio wanted to take him on a proper date. Tobin’s eyes fell closed with that happy thought in his head. His breaths deepened. He liked Sergio too. A little too much. It was nice to be liked back. He let that dream carry him away until sleep claimed him and there was nothing anymore.

  Sergio stared at his phone, hoping Tobin returned his text before he left. He knew he should leave, but he also kind of hoped Tobin would come home while he waited. Sergio didn’t know what kind of car Tobin drove. The only cars in the private lot behind the bar were the same ones that had been there the other night. An old work van, a Harley, and now Sergio’s Porsche. Sergio stared so hard at his phone that his vision blurred. A knock on his window startled Sergio’s heart into his throat.

  He tried to play off the way he had jumped as he rolled down his window. The guy from the bar, Damon, stood patiently waiting for Sergio’s attention. Sergio felt the need to explain why he was still sitting there like a stalker in the guy’s parking lot.

  “Sorry, man. I’ll be gone in a second, but I don’t text and drive.”

  Even though Damon smiled, Sergio got the impression that Damon had his number and knew exactly why he hadn’t budged. “Don’t apologize. I’m glad you’re still here. I have a question.”

  Sergio was confused, but he was sitting in the dude’s parking lot like a creeper, so he rolled with it. “All right.”

  Damon hesitated, as if having second thoughts. Then he jumped right in. “What are your intentions with Tobin?”

  As much as Sergio wanted to point out that Damon wasn’t Tobin’s dad... at least, he didn’t think Damon was Tobin’s dad, Sergio was kind of glad someone was looking out for Tobin. “I intend to be part of his life.” Sergio didn’t have to think about it. He had always been the type to know what he wanted, and he always went hard at pursuing his dreams. Tobin seemed like a good guy and Sergio needed to see what was there with them.

  Damon gave him a sharp nod. “Then you should know, he has cancer.”

  It was like getting punched in the chest. All Sergio could do was stare at Damon as Damon went down on one knee beside his car so he wouldn’t have to stay bent at the waist. He held Sergio’s stare and let him have it.

  “This is the second time and it’s hitting him much harder than last time. He’s tired and doesn’t want anyone suffering along with him. If not for Reid shoving his way into his life, and me being right here all the time, he wouldn’t let anyone do anything for him. You need to really think about if this is what you want, because this is no joke. Tobin doesn’t need a player in his life right now. He needs steady people who aren’t afraid to fight for him because he’s exhausted. I don’t know if he’ll make it.”

  Sergio had nothing. He hadn’t expected this. There was a small part of him that screamed for him to drive away now. Cancer was some heavy shit. After all, he had watched his mom die from it. Then again, he had watched his mom fight and he had fought with her, so he wasn’t blindly falling into a mess he didn’t understand. He knew his opponent and he wasn’t the type to back down. If nothing else, Tobin felt like a friend. He had stood still and listened to Sergio complain about his problems, even though they barely knew each other. Tobin wasn’t like everyone else in Sergio’s life, and Sergio wasn’t a bitch. He didn’t ditch his friends when times were tough.

  “What kind of cancer?”

  Damon’s light blue gaze never wavered from Sergio. “Leukemia. He’s just started treatment this week, so it’s really kicking his ass.”

  Sergio nodded. He thought about how tired Tobin had looked when Sergio left him the other day. “What can I do to help?”

  A hint of a smile touched Damon’s lips. “Don’t toy with his feelings. Either be here or don’t come back. Like I said, you should take some time to think about it.”

  This dude didn’t know Sergio. “Okay. I’ve thought about it. What can I do to help?”

  Damon’s smile turned blinding. His eyes crinkled in the corners. He shook his head. “Come on. I’ll let you in. He’s probably asleep by now.”

  “You mean he’s here?” Sergio didn’t mean to sound so offended, but Tobin hadn’t answered the door and Damon had told him Tobin wasn’t home.

  Damon nodded. “Word of warning, though, he won’t make it easy for you to invade his life. He’s pretty determined to go this alone.”

  Sergio rolled up his window and stepped from the car. “Yeah, well, I’m pretty much a pain in everyone’s ass. He’ll get used to me refusing to budge.” He dipped back inside when he realized he forgot Tobin’s flowers. When he straightened, Sergio found Damon eyeing him strangely with his hardened stare—like the man had seen too many bad things. Sergio felt exposed. “What?”

  Damon shook his head. “Just surprised, I guess. You seem to have a lot of substance for a professional athlete. Other than Reid, most of the famous people who find their way here are shallow assholes.”

  “I wasn’t aware you knew me.” Another thought hit before he got too offended. “Do you have a lot of famous people finding their way here?”

  Damon shrugged. “You’d be surprised.”

  Before he could stop it, a snort escaped Sergio. “It’s weird when people call me famous. I don’t really think of myself that way, and Tobin one hundred percent has no idea who I am.”

  Damon laughed. “Oh, yeah. He wouldn’t. Tobin hates watching sports. If I have it on in the bar, he’ll go upstairs—like that’s his cue to find something else to do.” Damon led Sergio inside through the bar and behind the counter through a door that hid a different stairway. He motioned toward the door at the top. “It’s unlocked. Like I said, he’s probably asleep.”

  Sergio gave Damon a sharp nod and tried to make sure his hair wasn’t standing on end—like it had a tendency to do. “Thanks, man. I’ll find a way to repay you.”

  Damon shook his head. “Nope. Just treat my boy good so I don’t have to break your legs and end your career and we’ll be even.”

&n
bsp; Even though Damon smiled through the entire threat, he didn’t doubt Damon meant every word. Sergio dipped his chin and accepted the warning before heading up the stairs. He got threatened all the time. That came with getting paid to compete. People took their sports pretty damn seriously. In this case, though, Damon’s words were no threat. Sergio wasn’t weak.

  The apartment was completely silent as Sergio came through the door. Sergio headed straight for the bedroom. There was a lump in Tobin’s bed. Sergio moved to that side of the bed and set Tobin’s roses on the nightstand. He toed off his shoes and peeled off his overshirt. After tossing the button down aside, Sergio climbed into bed next to Tobin. Tobin immediately rolled into his arms and snuggled his face against the crook of Sergio’s neck.

  “Thank you for the flowers. Is it wrong that I find it sexy that you’ve taken up breaking and entering for me?” He sounded so weak and tired that Sergio’s heart twisted in his chest.

  Sergio chuckled as he pressed his lips to Tobin’s temple. “What can I say? I’ll go pretty far when I want something.”

  Tobin took an audible breath. “You always smell good.”

  “Go back to sleep, mi alma. I just came to hold you.”

  Judging by Tobin’s steady breathing, he didn’t need to be told. Sergio wasn’t the least bit tired, but he settled in for the long haul. While he understood Damon’s need to threaten him, no one really knew him. Sergio knew what it was like to suffer alone. He was a survivor. The things he had done to stay alive would shock people if they knew. Good people deserved good things, but life seemed to only give the best people nothing but shit. Sergio was only one person and he couldn’t make a huge difference in the world, but he could do this. He had met a nice guy and he wasn’t walking away. Lots of people had given up on him over the years, but he owed it to the ones who hadn’t to be a good man. He would be here when Tobin woke up. He would help however he could, and maybe—just maybe—Sergio would hate his life a little less afterward. Sergio believed. After all, he already felt a million times better while just holding Tobin. They had been meant to meet. For once, Sergio had no doubts.

  Three

  Sergio had fantastic lips. Tobin spent much longer than necessary staring at them. When Sergio had climbed into bed with him, Tobin had been so out of his head with exhaustion that he hadn’t known if Sergio was real. Now, here he was, sleeping peacefully at Tobin’s side.

  Tobin wanted to kiss him and bite a path down his body until Sergio cried his name. Sergio looked too peaceful to be disturbed. To save himself from temptation and to keep from overthinking things, Tobin slipped from the bed. He eyed the gorgeous roses on the nightstand. Why did Sergio have to be so nice? Damn it. Tobin wanted to kick him out, but not really. He was confused as hell. His good sense warred with his heart. The type of man who brought roses after what anyone else would have accepted as a one-night stand wasn’t someone Tobin could just kick out. Fuck. He needed to make them even.

  After a trip to the bathroom, Tobin slipped from the room, trying to be as quiet as possible. It was close to seven and the small market next door closed at eight. Tobin didn’t have time to make himself presentable. He grabbed his shoes and headed out. Tobin needed to be quick. He didn’t want Sergio to wake up alone and think he had been abandoned. That wasn’t the path to making them even so he could shut Sergio from his life guilt free. Tobin would grab a few steaks and cook the guy a nice dinner. Then it would be adios with no hard feelings. Shit. Why did Sergio have to be fucking perfect?

  Inside the small family-owned market next door, Tobin smiled at the older woman who worked most nights. He grabbed a hand basket and started making an internal list. Since Sergio could be vegan for all Tobin knew, he would grab some veggies too. Potatoes, for sure. Everyone liked those, right? He cut through the cereal aisle to get to the meat section faster. An orange box caught his eye as he passed. Tobin barely focused on it as he walked by. Then his feet froze to the floor. No. Tobin took two steps back. His gaze locked on to the box and didn’t budge. It couldn’t be. He grabbed the package from the shelf and stared harder at the image. In a red and black uniform, Sergio held a soccer ball between his hands, looking fierce. Tobin gaze slid to the signature in the corner. Sergio Costa. The room went hazy, making Tobin realize he had been holding his breath. He sucked air. Holy fucking shit. There was a guy, so famous that he was on a goddamn cereal box, in Tobin’s bed. Tobin put the box back on the shelf. There was no way. Seriously, there was no goddamn way. There had to be two Sergios with the same last name and who looked exactly alike.

  Tobin shopped while trapped in a haze. He fought the urge to go back down the cereal aisle and check again. Surely he hadn’t seen correctly. Tobin tried to reason with himself. After all, he knew other famous people. Reid was a movie star. There was that one model who came into the bar sometimes. He was pretty sure there were a couple of guys who worked in porn that frequented that one coffee shop he went to occasionally. Tobin hadn’t fucked any of those people. Jesus Christ. What was happening? No famous soccer player could possibly want him. Tobin was as average as could be. He wasn’t buff or even cut. Tobin was just... Tobin. He was a regular guy. He was short as hell, for fuck’s sake. Tobin had to use a step stool to reach his salt in the upper cabinets. His hair was always a mess and he had a fairly nice ass, but that was it. This couldn’t be happening.

  After making the barest minimum of small talk with the cashier, Tobin carried his groceries home in a fog of confusion. Sergio’s car still sat parked in the lot. The apartment was still silent as he came through the door. Tobin set everything he had bought for dinner on the counter while trapped in his thoughts. It was possible he deserved this shock. Tobin purposely hadn’t asked any actual questions about Sergio’s life. He hadn’t wanted to know. If Tobin asked about Sergio’s life, then that would make them more than a good time. More than a good time meant strings. Strings meant Sergio was part of Tobin’s fucked-up life. Goddamn it. It was too late. He had seen that stupid box. Tobin bent at the waist and set his forehead on his crossed arms on top of the counter. He stared at the kitchen floor as he sucked air and tried clearing his mind.

  A second shadow stretched across the floor. Sergio’s hands settled on Tobin’s waist. He urged Tobin up and back until Tobin found himself wrapped in Sergio’s embrace. Tobin’s back fit perfectly against Sergio’s chest—like they snapped together to make one piece. Sergio’s lips brushed the shell of Tobin’s ear. Goosebumps rose on Tobin’s skin. Sergio moved from Tobin’s ear to his neck, kissing a path to his shoulder. Tobin’s body stirred to life.

  “I just saw you on a cereal box.”

  Sergio froze with his lips pressed to Tobin’s shoulder. He set his chin on Tobin’s shoulder. “Is that why you were bent over in here, looking like you were having a panic attack? Are you freaking out about me, or are you still tired from starting your cancer treatment?”

  Touché. “A little of both, I suppose.”

  “Okay. Come on, gorgeous. You’re going back to bed and I’m cooking.”

  Tobin didn’t budge. “You don’t want this.”

  Sergio snorted. “What? I love steak. I’m an awesome cook too. You’ll see.”

  “You know that’s not what I meant.” Tobin refused to back down. This was too important. “You’re young, and—no doubt—active as hell. I’m sure you have a ton of friends and like to do a fuck ton of things I can’t do right now. You don’t want to be trapped with this. Please take the free pass I’m giving you and go live your life. I’m okay with knowing I had you for one night. Please don’t do this to yourself.”

  To his surprise, Sergio held him tighter. Tobin’s eyes filled with tears as Sergio pressed his face against Tobin’s neck and kissed him. “I’m not okay with being a one-night stand.”

  “You’re an idiot.” The words came out in a choked whisper. He didn’t understand why Sergio would choose to stay.

  “So I’ve been told, but I’m also your friend. What would you do if th
e shoe was on the other foot?”

  Tobin wanted to say he would run as fast as could in the opposite direction just so Sergio would leave, but he couldn’t. Tobin had fought this beast once before. He would never abandon anyone suffering from the same thing.

  “That’s what I thought.”

  Tobin’s shoulders fell in defeat at Sergio’s boast. He couldn’t live with Sergio not having an out, though. “When you get tired, I won’t hate you when you stop coming around. I’m your friend too. That means wanting you to be happy. No matter what. Even if I’m not in the picture.”

  Sergio held Tobin’s waist and penguin-walked him toward the bedroom. “Don’t get me wrong. Like, we’ll be good pals and all, but I still plan to touch your dick. I hope you’re not thinking I’m gonna be just some guy. We’re still more than all that. You can count on me for other things than kicking it together—like I’ll touch your naughty places and whatever.”

  Despite everything, a laugh burst from Tobin. He had no idea where this guy had come from. They barely knew each other and here Sergio was, talking about hanging in there through the worst time of Tobin’s life and still wanting to be more. The guy really was an idiot. Tobin didn’t even want to be with Tobin right now. Damn. He didn’t know how to say no to Sergio. Tobin also didn’t know if he wanted to.

  After making Tobin get back in bed, Sergio stood in the kitchen staring at the food Tobin had bought. Tobin had gone out shopping for a meal for Sergio, even though he could barely function. That generosity of heart had Sergio claiming to be a fantastic cook, which wasn’t true on any level. Now he genuinely didn’t know what to do or where to start. His brain was kind of frozen.

  “Are you okay?”

  Exasperation nearly choked Sergio as Tobin reappeared in the kitchen. “Didn’t I just put you to bed? Why are you up?”

  Tobin’s eyebrows rose. “Why are you staring at that food like you don’t know where to start?”