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"Focus, Nolan."
The teen rolled his eyes but got into position anyway. Nolan made an aborted attempt to dash to one side but when he saw Brett blocking the path, he changed routes at the last second and twirled around the taller boy to make a run for the goal. He was close enough to shoot when Brett slammed into his side (again) and he hit the ground with an irritated groan.
"Okay, this is unfair," Nolan fumed as he let Brett help him up from the grass, "You're way taller than me. And you can easily outrun me with your freakishly long legs."
"I have amazing legs, thank you for noticing," Brett retorted, which made Nolan avert his eyes with a huff, "But more importantly, this is what you'll have to face on the field next week. Consider me your reality check."
"This is stupid."
"No, your whining is," Brett spat, taking a step forward as if he wasn't already towering over Nolan. "The other teams will have guys both taller and stronger than you. And what are you gonna do then, Mr Co-captain? Throw in the towel? Say it's unfair and hope that the referee will take pity on you?"
"No, it's just..." Nolan shook his head, jaw rigid with tension, "Look, I'm thankful for your help, but we both know that I won't be co-captain for long either way."
"They'll listen to you," Brett insisted, like he truly believed it.
"Sure," Nolan gave a bitter smile, "They'll listen to the guy who terrorized the whole student body, turned against his own peers and then bailed on the group of hunters he swore loyalty to." Nolan held Brett's eyes just to dare him to challenge the truth. "I'm not exactly the embodiment of a devoted leader."
"But you can be," Brett persisted, "We'll just practice more, and then you'll show everyone what their captain is capable of-"
"I already did!"
Nolan turned around and trudged to where his bag lay abandoned on the ground. He was done pretending that any of this extra effort would be fruitful when the problem wasn't his skills, it was him.
"Lacrosse is a team game," Nolan said now that Brett finally dropped his motivational speech, "The team needs someone who will unite, not divide."
Nolan zipped his bag up in silence, but eventually, his curiosity won out and he turned back to a strangely quiet Brett. The calculating look he found on Brett's handsome face then was more than unsettling.
"What?"
Brett smiled at him, dangerous and foreboding in a way even Monroe would consider impressive. "I think I have an alternative solution for you."
"This is ridiculous."
Nolan darted his eyes towards his teammates where they were filtering out onto the field in groups of three or four. Among the crowd, he caught Liam's dumbfounded look for a moment, and he had to turn his back on all of them lest they saw the creeping heat on his cheeks. He didn't like this plan.
"I don't like this plan."
"It will work," Brett reassured, his eyes flitting to the others perfunctorily before returning to Nolan. "If you don't mess up like your practice."
"Thanks for the boost of confidence."
Nolan pressed his lips into a thin line as he threw an intrigued glance over his shoulders, and yep, the team was definitely watching them now. Nolan couldn't imagine what sight they must have made - Brett sitting on the bleachers with his hands comfortably on Nolan's hips and a nonchalant air around him while the smaller boy stood awkwardly between his legs, face flushed from a mix of embarrassment and nerves. If anything, his team's respect for Nolan would only plummet after this lame-ass PDA.
"Just don't forget," Brett whispered against his cheek, and how the other managed to sound so calm remained a mystery to Nolan, "There are three werewolves on your team."
Nolan swallowed, body taut like a bow. He knew that Brett was just trying to point out that he should pay attention to what he was saying while being within hearing distance, but the other boy certainly didn't have to look so smug while doing it. And although Nolan could control the words that left his mouth, he sure as hell couldn't put a rein on his heart that was currently jackrabbitting away in his chest. His teammates were noticeably whispering among themselves, and Nolan's stomach clenched uneasily at the prospect of getting called out, or worse, humiliated.
He was so worked up, he barely registered the gentle fingers guiding his chin away from the field and onto a pair of soft lips. Nolan blamed the temporary shock for forgetting to close his eyes when Brett - Brett! - was kissing him in front of the whole team, with his hands gripping Nolan's slim waist and his tongue teasing over Nolan's still bottom lip. Evidently, Brett wasn't too bothered by the other boy not kissing back, he took on the responsibility to make the kiss as passionate as he could without bordering on public indecency with no demand for participation.
Nolan was so glad his teammates couldn't see his face now.
"Holloway, what the fuck are you doing?" Coach's harsh voice interrupted their impromptu makeout session, right before his whistle went off as well, "Lacrosse first, sucking faces with your boyfriend later. Now get your ass over here!"
Nolan leaned away, head swimming pleasantly and surprised by how much he wished the kiss could have lasted a little longer. They had discussed this, of course... but wow.
"Get 'em, tiger," Brett mumbled against his lips before suddenly turning Nolan around and giving a light shove to his back. Nolan barely managed to avoid faceplanting into the mud, and he made sure to glare very hard at Brett, whose smirk unfortunately only widened at his reaction.
Nolan was aware of all the eyes being trained on him through the whole walk up the field - some with understandable shock, some with mild incredulity and some with a tentative kind of appreciation. Liam's eyebrows, meanwhile, were reaching for his hairline, but Nolan simply ignored his wordless question as he took in his teammates.
"Are we ready to play or what?"
Despite sounding a bit breathless, the team still erupted into a round of enthusiastic hollers with Coach soon within their circle giving instructions. For some reason, Nolan felt like he was doped up on adrenaline the whole practice through, and he zigzagged past defenders and planted balls in nets with such ease that hardly ever came so smoothly to him. He had a hunch that his outstanding performance had something to do with the boy watching him from the sidelines, but Nolan wouldn't admit out loud that he just wanted to make Brett proud. Especially not to Brett himself.
"Not bad, Holloway," Brett teased once Nolan received the last of compliments from his teammates and jogged over to the boy with a beaming smile.
Nolan was still riding the high of validation, but Brett's words were the ones that brought the most warmth and happiness to him. He wiped his sweaty locks out of his face with a bashful look, just in time to see Brett drag appreciative eyes up and down his body. "You do know how to make a boyfriend proud."
It was mostly pretence, some of his teammates were still lingering around, talking to Coach just off to the side or getting some extra practice. Still, Brett's fingers felt purposeful as they trailed up his sides to pull him closer and back to his previous place between the boy's spread thighs, and for a moment, Nolan was saddened that he would never get the time to familiarize himself with Brett's touch. His mind couldn't be occupied with disheartening thoughts like that for long, because Brett was leaning in again with determination in his eyes, and this time, every fibre in Nolan's body was ready to be kissed. He even closed his eyes!
But because Brett liked to keep him guessing, he straight-on by-passed Nolan's lips, and instead, tilted his head down until his nose was brushing against the juncture of Nolan's neck and shoulder. He then took a long sniff, which was throughoutly weird and electrifying, and Nolan abruptly remembered the reason they were doing this in the first place: to prove that Nolan was on the werewolves' side, too.
The light scenting was to showcase that Nolan was in no way in opposition to the supernatural, but how could he be against any of this when the contact made Nolan's nerves buzz with excitement and his skin grow too hot under his uniform? Brett inhaled deeply against his neck, undoubtedly smelling every emotion that Nolan was currently experiencing, even the ones he wasn't aware of. There was a soft rumble from the werewolf as his hands tightened around Nolan's waist, and it only grew in volume when the touch elicited a short gasp from the smaller boy. Nolan wasn't conscious of his rising hands, but the next minute, his fingers were carding through Brett's hair and pressing the other boy even closer, instinctually baring his neck in a voiceless encouragement. Brett made a sound similar to a satisfied purr before dragging his nose all the way up the line of Nolan's exposed neck, snuggling into the damp skin there and licking over the salty liquid as it languidly trickled down. It was entirely natural for Nolan, after that, to just moan his unconcealable agreement to everything Brett was presently doing.
"You smell good."
If there was any need for proof that Brett's voice alone could make Nolan's knees buckle, then now he had it.
"For some reason, I find that hard to believe." Nolan scoffed, aiming for an easy distraction before Brett could notice just how strongly his ministrations were getting to him.
Brett let out a small growl, which probably changed Nolan's complete view of himself in a matter of seconds. Brett pulled the other boy towards himself until their fronts were touching, but Nolan's sanity was still more or less intact until Brett decided to sneak his hands under Nolan's uniform and caress the small of his back. Seriously, a teenage boy shouldn't be expected to handle this much touching in such a short time.
"Did you know that werewolves are very territorial?"
Brett started nibbling on his ear, which meant that it took almost a minute for Nolan to answer.
"Really? Shocking."
Brett chuckled, then delivered a small bite to Nolan's jawline, letting his the tips of his fangs scrape over the smaller boy's skin. It was infuriating how violently that minute change in sensation made Nolan shudder.
"It means we're protective of the things that we consider ours," Brett explained, completely unnecessaryly, and most likely with the intent to drive Nolan to the edge of madness. As if Brett's mouth wasn't doing a great job at that while licking over Nolan's Adam's apple and collecting the sweat with his tongue there.
"Am I yours?"
Nolan's brain might have been delusional with desire and longing, but Brett's behaviour warranted his question. The other boy seemingly agreed, drawing back to look properly at Nolan and owning up to the clear want written in the flash of golden eyes.
"Do you want to be?"
Nolan carried his gaze over the other's hopeful look, all the while massaging Brett's scalp and smiling when the werewolf leaned into his caress. "Was it always part of your ploy?"
Brett closed his eyes, claws tickling the skin over Nolan's ribs. "I'm a predator. It was worth a try."
Nolan grinned then, feeling confident enough with the answer to plant a quick kiss against Brett's self-satisfied smile.
"And who wins?"
"If you'll be mine for real," Brett said, eyes flashing playfully up at him, "Both of us."
Nolan felt giddy as he rubbed their noses together, his breath fanning over Brett's alluring lips before claiming the other's mouth in a heated kiss.
"I like that plan."