22
Steve
“Find anything interesting in there?” James asked, coming up behind him in the living room. Steve jumped. He’d been looking around the room for more clues. He knew he shouldn’t have been, but he couldn’t help himself. As it was the living room, he figured he could do it without raising suspicion.
“Huh?” asked Steve, swallowing hard. He knew he should stop snooping, but the whole name thing gave him an itch he needed to scratch.
James paused before clarifying, “In the book box, did you find anything interesting?”
Steve cleared his throat. “Oh, I’m not much of a book person.” It was true. Books and Steve had never been friends.
Try as he may in school, he couldn’t concentrate. This only led to humiliation, as all the kids would make fun of him for it. So many times, he’d been sent to the principal’s office for lashing out against nerdy guys who’d made fun of him. He always felt like this was extremely unfair, as they started it. But that was what you got for being the jock instead of the nerd.
James stepped next to him and pulled a book out of one of the boxes. “No? You should be. A lot of doors can open up for you if you get better at school.”
He’d heard that lecture before from people and he was tired of hearing it. The last person he wanted to get it from was James.
“I figure I’ll get into the NBA or NFL or…” said Steve, shrugging.
It was his only hope of making something of himself. As delusional as it was, it was all that he had to hang on to. Until James came along, it had really been his only reason for getting up…well, that and keeping his brother safe. He wouldn’t end up like his father, working a job he hated for the rest of his life, totally miserable.
James exhaled, looking like he was choosing his next words very carefully. “Look, you’re a good athlete, damn good, and I’ll be there right by your side to coach you, but the average career of a professional athlete is—”
Steve sighed. He hoped he wasn’t saying that he needed to be realistic. He was tired of people saying that. If every athlete was told that, and listened, then there would be no athletes. He needed to take the risk if he was to achieve great things. That was how he had ended up being with James, after all.
Steve turned his back to James. “I know, I know.”
James put his hand on Steve’s shoulder and squeezed to get his attention. “You gotta be book smart. Business smart, too, just like all the greats.” He wrapped his arms around Steve, giving him an extra squeeze so he’d know that he was just showing him how much he cared. “And I want you to be great.”
“Yeah?” asked Steve with a little smile.
James wrapped his arms around Steve’s lower back and pulled him closer, so their bodies would touch. “I want to make that happen for you, be right by your side. I believe in you. I think you could be one of the greats.”
Steve blushed. He’d never had anyone tell him that they believed in him before. It was a sad truth, really, but it was one that he had learned to live with.
“I can get you into a better school. I even know a fraternity that I could get you into.”
Steve felt like crying. He tried to hold back, but the tears came anyway. The way that this beautiful man cared for him, wanting nothing but the best for his future, was too much to bear.
James kissed him softly at first, then more passionately. He wiped a tear away with his thumb. “Would you like that? You and me?”
“Yeah,” Steve said, smiling through his tears.
He took Steve’s face in his palms and looked him in the eyes. “You know, I’ve never met anyone that I had this much in common with. You remind me of myself not that long ago.”
“Yeah? What happened?” Steve asked, cracking a smile.
James whacked him on the rear end. “Smart ass. I’ll put something in that mouth of yours to keep it quiet.”
Ring! “Gotta get that. Turn the stove on simmer, will you?” said James.
“Yes, sir,” said Steve.
Maybe the whole name thing didn’t matter? Whatever his future held, he finally felt like one very important aspect of it was covered—the loving one. He finally had someone who cared enough to stick with him through thick and thin. If his career didn’t turn out the way he wanted, he’d at least always have that. Or so he hoped.