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Daniel found Johnny at the basketball court. There was no one else there, allowing him room to skate all around it, and Daniel spent a few minutes just watching. Johnny had put his duffelbag and a bent traffic cone in front of one side of the fence as goal posts, and he cracked his hockey stick against handballs, aiming between them. He had about six balls. Two missed by a longhot and he cursed angrily. Three ended up getting lodged into the holes in the fence, and he smacked the stick hard against his last ball and it got lodged in a hole as well.
Johnny dropped his hockey stick and skated over and tried to pry one out but it was stuck. He tried another one and couldn't get that one out either. Grabbing onto the fence with both hands, he shook it roughly and screamed. Pushing himself away, he took his helmet off and threw it on the ground. He sat down and buried his hands his hair.
"Three out of six is pretty good," Daniel said, picking up one of the handballs and walking over to Johnny. "Wanna try again?"
Johnny's body tensed and he didn't look up. "What are you doing here?"
"Looking for you. You've been ignoring me."
Johnny snorted. "Yeah. No. Shit."
Sitting down against the fence, Daniel rolled the ball on the ground. "You missed three practices. Thought we agreed we wouldn't let this effect the team."
Finally looking at him, face red and puffy, Johnny said sharply, "The fucking. I agreed the fucking wouldn't effect the team. Didn't say a goddamn word about the break up."
Daniel clenched his jaw. "I'm sorry."
"No. You're not."
"I am. Sorry about everything. I didn't want..." He didn't know how to finish that sentence.
"You started it, man. Not me."
Daniel nodded. He was the one who kissed Johnny four months ago. They had both been drinking at Daniel's house and he'd leaned over on impulse. It had led to Daniel on his knees sucking him off in the bathroom.
Johnny sighed and, after taking his skates off, walked over and sat down next to Daniel. Their shoulders were touching.
"Are you quitting?" Daniel asked.
"I dunno." Johnny brought his knees up to his chest, hugging them, and Daniel was struck by how vunerable he looked. He wanted to wrap his arms around him and hold him tightly.
"There are other teams you could join, if you can't stand looking at me."
"My friends are on your team."
"Did you ever tell them?"
"That the coach was fucking me? No. Not their business. Bobby suspected I think."
Daniel plucked a piece of fuzz off his sweatpants. "Do you think he'd tell anyone?"
"Bobby? No way. I mean, who really cares if he did? I'm an adult."
"Sort of," Daniel replied playfully, and smiled when Johnny pushed without force.
"Shut up. I'm mature and shit. I drink beer."
"That's not a sign of maturity. And I know you started drinking in high school."
Johnny shrugged. "Legal for me now, man. Don't even need a fake ID anymore."
They sat in silence for a few minutes, listening to kids screaming in the park nearby.
"I got a girl pregnant," Johnny said, staring straight ahead.
Fist clenched around the handball, Daniel took several deep breaths. He knew he did not have the right to be angry or jealous.
"What's her name?"
"Shannon. She sells clothes or some shit."
"Is she your girlfriend?"
Johnny barked out a laugh. "Fuck no. I only banged her 'cause you dumped me."
"Oh. What are you gonna do? Did you tell your mom and stepdad?"
"Not sure yet. Mom was happy. Sid was... Sid."
Daniel knew what he meant. He'd had the misfortune of meeting him once, which was enough. He came to only one of Johnny's games at the community center and screamed at him outside after their team lost. Daniel had had to fight the urge to punch him in the face. Instead, he took Johnny to a motel and kissed him breathless while they fucked. He let him stay the night there while he went home to his wife.
"Why were you looking for me?" Johnny asked, and Daniel turned to him. "Were you just gonna ask me about the team or..." It might have been wishful thinking, but Daniel was sure he saw something in Johnny's eyes, like he was hoping Daniel would tell him something he wanted to hear.
Daniel nodded and took a breath. "Two nights ago, I told Amanda that I..." he trailed off, looking away from Johnny's piercing gaze.
"Was fucking a twenty-one year old?" Johnny offered.
"That I was in love with someone else."
"Is it... is it me?"
Daniel stared at him. "What?"
"That... that was a stupid question."
Daniel snorted. "Yeah."
"She got pissed I assume."
"Not as much as I thought. She said she already knew and was almost done being mad at me. Haven't said anything to the kids yet."
Johnny nodded. "Right. Where have you been staying?"
"Our motel."
Johnny took the handball from him. "How many nights do you have it for?" He spun the ball on the ground.
"A week. Why?"
"Well, it is a nice place. Soft bed. Hot shower."
Daniel smiled and turned his whole body toward him. "You forgiving me for being an asshole?"
"Haven't decided yet. Maybe a night or two there would help me decide."
"With me, right?"
"Now who's askin' a stupid question?"
Daniel rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Uhm. Maybe we could also go out? Together?"
Johnny hummed. "I would consider going to see a movie. If I forgive you." Johnny leaned forward and pressed their mouths together. Daniel cupped his face and deepened the kiss.
They kissed for awhile, Daniel wasn't sure how long. The sound of a ball bouncing against the ground made them pull apart; four teenagers were walking in, one of them with a basketball.
Daniel helped Johnny gather his stuff and he used the hockey stick to get the handballs out.
"My hero," Johnny said sarcastically.
Johnny tossed his stuff into the back of Daniel's car and jumped into the passenger seat. He could feel eyes on him as he buckled up. "What?"
Daniel shrugged. "Nothing. You're just really pretty."
Johnny blushed. "Am not. I'm a hottie."
"Yeah, I guess you are." He pecked Johnny's cheek and started the car.