First chapter of my new story, hoping for an upload 1-2 times a week with it; As always locations and people are fictional and will always appreciate and comments and feedback
The last of the afternoon light slips behind the Tentryis mountain range as the floodlights kick in, but training is over for the day, and the team walks into the shed all at their own paces and do their usual routines to clean up and head out for the night.
22-year-old Hudson Barnett sits on the bench towards the back as he packs his bag meticulously, as he always does with a set routine every single time he does it, because each bit of equipment still has its own place, and whilst Hudson wouldn’t necessarily call himself superstitious, his bag being packed the right way has become a tradition.
Finishing off his packing, as he always does, Hudson puts his towel at the top and then puts on his grey Under Armour T-shirt. He sits there as he watches the main group of the team, all standing down the other end, laughing and joking with Billy Chesters, the centre of attention as always.
Standing up, Hudson looks into the mirror, where all 220 pounds of perfect and hard-earned muscle is showcased in the shirt, and his big arms flex as he fixes his hair, which is a bit longer than a buzz cut but is pretty much fuss-free. Fixing himself up, Hudson notices his phone buzzing on the wooden bench next to him as he smiles, as it would probably be a text from his best friend and girlfriend, Ally.
Looking around, most of the noise has gone with the central part of the team heading off for some party or somewhere that Hudson doesn’t care about, because whilst there isn’t animosity between him and others in the team, he’s not in their social circle as he hears them leave. The entire locker room feels silent without their cacophony of noise.
Sitting back down, Hudson takes another swig of his water bottle as he picks up his phone and sees Ally texting him, “Hey, I’m gonna be home tonight if you wanna come over”.
Hudson sits there thinking he’s alone as the coaches have already left, as he hears footsteps and looks up from his phone, having not yet replied to Ally’s text about coming over. Looking up, he sees the captain, Billy Chesters, walking over with his 6’4 frame and 230lbs of muscle coming towards him.
Billy is probably the human equivalent of perfection; he has the charisma and swagger of someone untouchable, with everyone clinging to him and his personality. The body is a temple that many would worship, muscles built up that looked as if they were chiselled out of marble, each ab cut with perfection, a ‘V’ that would melt so many girls. That, combined with the most perfect blonde hair you could imagine and tanned skin.
Standing there in his Nike singlet top and black pants, the Rolex noticeable on his wrist, Hudson couldn’t imagine what Billy wanted because they didn’t tend to socialise much outside of the team.
“That Ally texting you?” Billy asks as he looks over Hudson, who nods. The relationship that Hudson and Ally have is a complete contrast to the one that Billy has with his girlfriend, Vanessa. Ally is an art student in the Art program, someone who is quieter and a bit more eccentric, someone who would rather be in the background, going to indie gigs held in a warehouse or listening to acoustic performances at the coffee shop.
Vanessa and Billy, on the flip side, are all about show; Vanessa Hart is the undisputed queen of the school and the cheerleading squad, both at the college and nationally. Coming from a wealthy family, Vanessa is a princess who gets whatever she wants. With over 200,000 Instagram followers, Beauty Pageant trophies lining her room, and numerous commercial deals, she has it all.
Billy sits down next to Hudson “So Barnett, you skipping out on the boys for Ally again? Jeez, you’re whipped,” Billy says as Hudson looks at him with a glare.
Sitting there, looking at him, Hudson says, “Probably, I mean, I came to the club with you guys last week and we had a good time.” He doesn't need to explain himself to Billy, but still feels as if he has to anyway.
The reaction though from Billy surprises Hud “That’s cool man, appreciate you coming along with us but what I wanted to say man, was glad to have someone like you on the team, the speed out there is just pure gold for your size and knowing I’ve got a guy like you to throw the ball to and know I’m more likely to get a catch than not is so good”.
Hudson nods his head. “Your spirals are pretty special, always good to know that I can just grab a pass right on my chest,” he says, as Billy nods and pats Hudson on the back. The conversation, although not typical between the pair, isn’t too unusual because when it comes to the team and game, Billy has pretty good focus and loves to spread the recognition among the team rather than take it all himself.
“Talking with coach before, he’s keen on putting that play on next week when we play Gately College, reckons they won’t pick it especially considering most of the plays we start with go me to Chris” Billy says focusing on Football for a bit longer as Hud nods.
The pair talks tactics for a few more minutes, even though he frustrates him occasionally. Hudson has to admit that Billy is a tactical genius, reading what is going to happen way before it does and flipping the tactics book on its head.
Hudson puts his silver chain on as he looks down at his phone, as Billy gets up, “You sure you aren’t coming to the club tonight?” Billy asks once more as Hudson shakes his head.
Billy stands up and looks at Hudson’s thick thighs, noticing the stubble and razor burn on them “You just shave them, man?” Billy says as the comment throws Hud, but thinks of it just as a random conversation.“Never been lasered? Would make a hell of a difference to those thighs and legs, stops the razor burn and not have to worry about ingrown hairs,” Billy continues as Hudson shakes his head.
Hudson laughs and rubs his hand over his thighs. “Nah… just shave them, it’s not great, but they’ll do with the strapping,” he says as Billy leans back and folds his arms, his persona more friendly, and the conversation really catches Hudson off-guard.
“Hit up Zen Day Spa and ask for Jody, she’s got a laser and moisturising set-up that is brilliant, you know… Zaps the hair, no more razor burn, it takes like a few sessions but makes it all smooth as hell”.
Billy lifts his pant leg to show it, and Hudson notices how pristine and smooth Billy’s legs look with no trace of stubble or any irritation on them, and it intrigues Hudson a bit.
Hudson sits there, confused about this side of Billy. It’s chatty, it’s chill, definitely not the Billy that Hudson has gotten to know at all in the past few years. “Never pegged you for the spa-type Chesters”, he says with a teasing edge, though still wary about what is going on.
“I don’t know if I’ve got the money for it, I mean, I’m not exactly flush with cash like you… What’s the cost?” Billy laughs unfazed, as the idea of money being an issue has never been a problem for you.
Billy laughs, “It’s not that expensive, Hud. They cut deals for the athletes at college, and if you ask for Jody and tell her I sent you, she’ll hook you up. First session’s quick, like 20 minutes or so, stings a bit, but you’re built and can handle a little bit of pain, right?” Billy says, patting Hudson’s chest.
“I’ll think about it… not sure that’s really me, feels more like you, no offence”, Hudson says as Billy grins. “I’ll tell ya that Ally will probably love it, you know, Chicks dig the clean look, trust me, you’ll feel better when you’re not hacking at your legs with a razor every few days”
Billy smirks, “They do other spots too, if you’re feeling brave”, adding a wink to his comment, suggesting that his laser treatments are very in-depth.
Hudson laughs, shaking his head, “Yeah… think I might pass on that part, Billy”.
The conversation is venturing into uncharted territory for Hudson, let alone with Billy, who now has a calm and open vibe that feels like a friend and someone normal, unlike Billy Chesters' usual demeanour.
A head pops back through the door. “Yo, Chesters… Vibe Room or Command Centre,” the voice calls out as Billy calls back for them to pick somewhere for a change. He’ll probably catch them up, as he wants to change at home.
Billy heads down to pick up his bag, but as the voices down the corridor disappear, Hudson looks up from his half-written text to Ally and sees Billy coming back to sit down next to him, bag over his shoulder.
“How’s your head at man? You’ve been killing it on the field, just as we talked about, but you seem, I don’t know, a bit different, man… I dunno, chilled out. Everything good?”
Hudson, surprised by the question, nods, as the first thought in his head is that he should have asked that question about Billy tonight.
“Yeah, just tired, you know, back-to-back classes and then you know three games in a week catching up”, he says, sitting there leaning back. “I’m probably gonna just head to Ally’s and order some dinner and relax, you know”
Billy nods, leaning forward, “Nice man, I get that, everyone wants you to do something, but you gotta just… unplug and shut the world out, right? The guys and I get way too caught up in the hype of that party scene… It’s important to do your own thing right?”
Hudson sits there, listening to Billy, and starts to wonder if this is a cry for help or something else, given the conversation's tendency to veer into weird and unexpected areas, which is consistent with Billy's desire to chat.
“Yeah, that’s what’s good about me and Ally, she’s solid, you know, we get each other pretty well and are just there, you know, it’s chill between us”.
Billy checks the time on his Rolex “Nice man, that’s the vibe right… look, I probably should head, but I meant what I said before, your speed and hands are legit man, keep it up and they’ll be wanting you”, he says, patting Hudson’s shoulder as he gets up.
“You know if you ever wanna talk plays or whatever, hit me up, man… I know I’m always a bit cocky and loud, but I’m always around, alright?”
Hudson nods as Billy puts out his fist for a bump, which Hud replies to. “Appreciate it, Billy. Genuinely, I’ll catch up with you here in a couple of days.
Picking up his phone, Hudson’s mind is perplexed because the conversation he had seemed real. In the three years he knew Billy Chesters, he had never seen this side of him; it had always been about showing off and being the popular Teflon guy that everyone wanted to be.
Hudson stands up, puts his phone in his pocket, and starts walking to the car when he hears the locker room door open again. Billy is standing there, his white Nike singlet showcasing his muscles, the Rolex gleaming under the LED light, and $250 sneakers standing beside him.
There is a sense of nervousness about Billy as he stands there, his never broken confidence for once actually broken as he sits across from Hudson and runs his hand through his perfect hair before leaning down and looking at the floor.
“Look, Hud…” he says before pausing as Hudson looks up at him, curious about what’s going on and everything. “Wanna Skip going to the club and do something… like… I don’t know,” he hesitates and pauses as a weird mix of vulnerability and nerves alongside confidence.
“I just get this vibe from you… Basically, do you wanna fuck?”
Hudson freezes with his hand on the handle of his bag as he thinks that he totally misheard what he just said. The silence in the locker room is overwhelming except for the buzzing of the air vents in the roof as Hudson expects that he misheard.
Billy is exuding this confident vibe right now, but for Hudson, the confusion is as plain as Billy’s question replays slowly in his head. Hudson’s jaw tightens as not just the question rolls around in his brain, but it came from Billy. The captain of the Football team, the guy with everything, just asked him for sex as he wondered if it was some sort of prank, was he real, but why him?
The overwhelming thought was that it was one of Billy’s cruel pranks he had played on people in the past.
“Uhh…” Hudson manages to say that he has had fleeting thoughts, mere slight curiosity, vague what-ifs that have never stuck or any real sort of attraction other than a recognition of whether a guy is hot or not.
Billy’s smile falters at Hudson’s lukewarm reaction as he sighs, looking down and running a hand through his hair again as his blue eyes meet with Hudson’s. “I don’t know, man…” he says, looking directly at Hudson.
“But there’s something about you that just gives me this vibe, you know? Like… I don’t know, a gay vibe or something… like me.” Billy pauses after he says it, swallowing hard as his charm cracks to reveal something more genuine, cracking through the perfect veneer to reveal something vulnerable, raw and honest. “I’m not messin’ with you, Hud, I swear. Just… felt it… thought I’d say it to”.
Hudson’s eyes narrow as his shock mingles with recognition of what Billy is trying to say. He knows Billy’s history well; it’s filled with dismissive comments to people Billy sees as lesser than him, as well as nasty tricks and mind games with individuals both on the team and in the college as a whole.
For Hudson, the situation is viewed differently; there’s no smirk, no laughing, and no gloating. Instead, there is a sense of genuine vulnerability, as his face flushes red, and the silence feels like an eternity between the last of Billy’s words and Hudson’s reaction.
Hudson’s confusion lingers, still trying to work through Billy’s words before even his own reaction. “Uhh, well…” the hesitancy in his voice apparent “, I mean… yeah”.
The words slip out, almost surprising himself with a tentative approval that he doesn’t fully understand, nor does he even realise whether his comments were saying yes to having a fuck with Billy or just an acknowledgment.
The pair sit there as Hudson looks at Billy before the practicalities of the situation hit him, “We can’t exactly use my place or yours, I’m guessing… or the locker room.”
Billy’s nervous smirk softens into something steadier as he grows a bit of confidence in his voice. “How about a hotel for the night? Some pretty nice ones around town are discreet and no questions asked… if you want”
The pair get up and head out of the locker room to the carpark, filled with only the Grey Van of the Stadium curator making sure things are all perfect for the Soccer game tomorrow night, parked by the gates to the gardening stuff, Hud’s Black Ford Ranger and Billy’s 2024 Red Audi TT parked close to the doors.
As the pair walk out, Hudson looks at Billy and they stop “How’d you… know? Or what sort of vibe did you get?” he asks Billy, laced with confusion, still reeling from the locker room moment and the hesitant but not definite agreement, especially after having an emotional conversation.
Billy unlocks his car and carefully puts his bag into the back as he turns around and then looks directly at Hudson. “Just… a vibe, I guess… You never showed nothin’ to give it away like there was nothing obvious, but…” he pauses as this is all so new to Billy as well, because even though he has held these feelings for a long time and told them to himself, saying it to someone is entirely different.
Swallowing hard and looking around in fear that someone might hear him, he looks down at the ground before looking up and deep into Hudson’s eyes. “You’re just… fuck…” Billy takes a deep breath as Hudson stands there, uncertain what Billy is going to say. He knows that Billy has been honest, but something still waits for the cruel joke.
“You’re just sexy as fuck, so damn cute, the way you move out there on the field, the way you don’t even try to be someone other than yourself… I’ve been watching you all season, man, growing into this hot person. I’ve tried so hard not to, and told myself not to, but I can’t help it. I want you… want you inside me”.
The words hang in the cooling night air, heavy with the feeling that it’s been there for a long time as Billy leans against his Audi. “I don’t know how to explain it, Hud”, he continues, terrified that Hudson will throw everything back in his face. “You’re this quiet storm? I mean, all that strength, speed, and that body, but you’re so chill, so real. It’s driving me crazy, man. I see you just being so good, laughing with the guys, talking about Ally, and it makes me jealous, if that makes sense?”
Billy looks at Hudson, “I’ve been hiding this shit forever, man, but especially this year since we got to work together more on the team and watching you grow, man, into the amazing person you are… nobody else knows about this, Hud. But with you… I don’t know, I just felt it, felt you”.
Hudson stands frozen, his green eyes wide, his heart pounding as Billy’s confession washes over him. The parking lot quiet other than the distant sound of talkback radio coming from the curator’s truck on the other side as it feels like the world has just shrunk to the two of them as Billy’s raw hunger and honest cut through the air and sit with Hud as a whirlwind of shock, curiosity and something else he can’t quite work out as Billy stands there leaning against his car.
