Chapter Text
“Alec, it’s so good to have you with us here today! You’re possibly the biggest name in the American archery scene right now, how does that feel?”
Alec was sat in an uncomfortable chair just off to the side of his usual training ground with a camera and microphone pointed in his face. He really hated giving interviews, but understood that he had to sometimes. He just never knew what to say.
“Uh, well it’s great you know. I’m really thankful to my coach for pushing me as hard as he does so I can give my absolute best performance,”
“Your coach is Hodge Starkweather, right? Former archery world champion?”
“Yes that’s right, it’s an honour to train under him,”
“So are you all prepared for the Olympics later this year? You’re pegged as medal material for sure,”
“Prepared? I don’t know about that! I’m training hard with my partner, Raj Mayhew, but we’ll have to wait and see how well it goes at the time,”
“Well we’re all rooting for you here at The Target Magazine!”
“Thank you very much,”
“And, if you don’t mind me asking, you’re a handsome guy you know and a lot of our readers want to know how available you are,” The interviewer wiggled his eyebrows a little.
Alec faltered, “Um…” He hated questions like these.
“There have been rumours about you and a certain gymnast, Lydia Branwell?” The interviewer prompted and Alec’s cheeks heated up.
“Yes, there have been,” Alec knew his answer was too vague.
“Would you like to put those rumours to rest today? Is there anything between you two?”
“Uh…Lydia’s great. We’ve known each other for a long time,” Before the interviewer could get too disappointed and press for more, the interview was called to end and wrapped up.
Alec was highly relieved about that. He knew his mother wouldn’t be happy with this interview, but it would have to do. He was supposed to say that he and Lydia were dating and were a perfectly happy couple.
But they weren’t.
And they never would be. Alec was gay and he had learnt to accept that about himself. Unfortunately his mother had not and firmly believed that if he ever outed himself then it would ruin their family and any chance he would ever have at being a world famous archer.
His family meant everything to him, so if keeping a part of himself hidden away made his mother happy, then he’d do it. But he couldn’t make himself lie and drag Lydia down with him.
All he needed to do was focus on his archery and winning at the Olympics. He didn’t need a boyfriend or a girlfriend to be able to do that.