Epilogue - Cameron

" I can't believe Coach is making us start workouts already. We should at least get until spring break or something before we have to get back to it," Cruz grumbles from the recliner across the room.

We're all vegging at home after returning from winter break, enjoying our last bit of quiet before classes and practice pick up. Except Aiden, who for some reason needed to hit the library.

"That's what happens when you don't make it to the playoffs," Bennet says as he mashes buttons on the controller, trying to get his running back to dodge the computer's defense. He's still losing, though, despite him spamming the buttons. Sort of how our season went.

What started as promising, didn't end up that way—a few injuries to key players took their toll—so while we still went and won a bowl game, it wasn't the championship we had hoped for.

"Times like these, I'm glad I play club sports," Liam says from his perch on Cruz's lap. "All the fun without the grueling work. "

"That's why I'm hanging up the pads after college," I tell them. "I love the game, but I'm ready for some down time."

"What sort of down time do you think you'll have?" Jagger gives the thigh he's sitting on a playful pinch. "I worked hard to get you those muscles, you can't just kick your feet up and watch them wither away."

Seeing as how he loves them so much, I'd never let them go. I'll be happy to keep my workouts to lifting weights instead of doing wind springs, though.

"I won't turn into a couch potato, promise." I manage to keep our kiss PG, though my hand snakes up the leg of his shorts until it reaches his tip so I can rub his foreskin, which I'm sort of obsessed with. That silky patch of skin feels so soft against my fingers, I find myself reaching for it far too often. Fortunately, Jagger has no issue with my fascination, and while it tends to end with sex more often than not, when he's sated like he is right now, it makes him more content than aroused.

Since he's sitting sideways on my lap with his legs kicked over the armrest of the chair, facing the TV, our roommates can't see what I'm doing. Not that we're violating any of the house rules, nothing is out in the open, but we're probably operating in a gray area. I can't help myself, though. Now that I can touch him whenever I want, it's nearly impossible not to.

Jagger melts into me as my hand gently rubs him. "As long you'll still be my gym partner, I'm good."

"Pretty sure whatever team you're on is gonna give you one of those," I chuckle.

"But if you work for that team, I'll bet they'll let you work out with us too."

Jagger continues to insist he'll take me wherever he goes, as if he'll have clout as a rookie. But since it makes him happy to imagine me on the team with him, I figure there's no harm in letting him have that. Especially since his dreams no longer have any what ifs tied to them.

Instead of worrying about his future—shit like whether he'll end up like his dad, how hard he'll have to work to prove he's not his dad, and whether I'll be there with him—Jagger's looking forward to what comes next. Those questions are either a thing of the past, or they've been answered, and instead of trying to force himself to be positive he just is .

I love it.

"Whatever you say, Kitcat." I chuckle as he kisses my neck.

Bennet flops back onto the couch with a frustrated huff as he gets scored on. "Your PDA is breaking my concentration. You play." He holds the controller toward me.

"I'm good," I say.

He shakes the controller. "It's Madden."

"I know."

"You never turn down a chance to play Madden."

"Eh, not feeling it right now." I drag my forefinger over Jagger's tip, smiling when I feel him sigh. We've been fucking nonstop since getting back from winter break, seeing as he stayed with his mom and I stayed with my folks. We may have seen each other every day, but we weren't spending the night together like we've grown accustomed to. Hence, we've been making up for lost time. Enough so, I'm not sure either of us could get it up right now, but that's partially why I can enjoy my languid exploration.

I'm sort of zoned out, just enjoying the lazy afternoon with my boyfriend in my lap, when Liam casts us a sideways glance and says, "Um, are you playing with Jagger's dick, right now?

My hand stills. "Why do you ask?"

"I can see your hand moving under his shorts. "

In that case. "Then you already know the answer." I draw leisurely circles around Jagger's crown.

"What's the rule about that?" Bennet barks.

"My dick is still in my pants, he's just got his hand in there too," Jagger says. "Besides, you've seen it before so I don't know why we even have a rule about pants."

Bennet's brows pull together. "Seen what? Two guys jerking each other? I haven't, actually."

"He means you've seen his cock," I clarify.

"What makes you think I've seen his cock?"

"We get dressed in the same locker room," Jagger says with a shrug. "It's hard to miss."

"That doesn't mean we look at each other's dicks," Cruz says, coming to Bennet's defense.

"Yeah, there's this thing called privacy . Maybe you two want to practice that and go jerk each other off somewhere else." Bennet tips his head toward the stairs, giving us a not-so-subtle hint to get moving.

"He's not jerking me off. Just rubbing my foreskin. It'll probably put me to sleep."

"TMI, dude." Bennet shakes his head and looks to the ceiling, like he's fighting for his spot in heaven. "I don't want to watch you hooking up while I'm playing Madden."

Jagger leans toward me like he's going to whisper, but he speaks loud enough for everyone to hear. "This, coming from the guy who had his hand up a girl's skirt in the middle of a party just the other day." Jagger shakes his head like he's disappointed. "On New Year's."

"Last I checked, New Year's was about new beginnings not new orgasms," I say, feeding into his little game. Except, I know what we were doing on New Years, and I'm fairly certain it was much more sinful than finger-blasting a chick at a party .

"He's got you there." Liam gives Bennet a guilty look.

"That was a party. This is just… Sunday afternoon."

"That's why his dick's still in his shorts," I tell him. "I'm not trying to score, just giving him a little rub. It relaxes him."

Liam and Cruz exchange a look—they know what I'm talking about—but Bennet shuts that shit down right away.

"Seriously? It's bad enough we have to have a dicks stay in pants rule, do I have to add no hands inside pants to the list?"

"What if it's your own hand?" Cruz asks.

"Are you asking because you think that makes it better, or do you actually think that's an acceptable thing to do in public?" Bennet's starting to get red, which is sort of amusing since there's only a few things that can get him riled up. Losing, losing to his nemesis Damien, and his roommates getting handsy in front of him. That's it. Otherwise, his name might as well be Namaste.

Jagger and I have a theory about that last one, though, which is why we sometimes push his boundaries.

"I thought it was acceptable. Not jerking it, just holding it. And not at a restaurant or a game or anything, but in your living room, sure," Cruz insists.

"His grandpa's natural state is reclined on the chair with his hands down his pants," Liam tries to explain. "I've seen it many times."

"Grandpas are like, eighty," Bennet scoffs. "You make it to eighty, you can do whatever the fuck you want."

"Nah, he's been sitting like that his whole life," Cruz disproves Bennet's theory. "He always said it felt comfortable."

"It does," Jagger says almost sleepily.

"Jesus," Bennet mutters. "And here I thought you two were touchy-feely before you started dating. "

He's not wrong. Jagger and I were never shy about sitting on, wrestling with or even sleeping next to each other, which in hindsight might've been a clue that we'd end up where we are today, but I'm glad it took us as long as it did to get where we are.

The love was always there between us, but the intimacy we found after realizing how deep that love ran… I don't think there's a word or even a phrase that can encompass it. Soulmate, other half, life partner—even husband, which I assume he'll be one day—none of those do justice to what we have. They aren't big enough to fit what he means to me. Nor, what we are together.

And yeah, Jagger and I like to rile Bennet about how great dicks are by bragging about our sex life… It's mostly because we suspect he's harboring some curiosity that he isn't ready to admit to. But the truth is, the sex is only good because it's the two of us together. I don't think it has anything to do with us both being men. We're just so connected that anything we do feels incredible, even if it doesn't lead to sex.

Liam and Cruz get it. Hopefully one day, Bennet and Aiden will, too. Not together necessarily, but with someone.

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but at least keep some hand wipes out here so you can wipe your dick cooties off before you touch the controller," Bennet says.

"Fair," Jagger and I say together, and even though it's far from the first time we've spoken in unison, his knowing smile is so beautiful I have to kiss him and make the moment extra cheesy.

"Guess I'm still playing, then." Bennet reaches for the controller and cues up another game as a blast of cold air ripples through the room when Aiden opens the front door.

"Thank God," Bennet exclaims. "These four saps are too busy feeling each other up to play and I'm tired of going against the computer."

"You know I suck at Madden," Aiden hollers back.

"That's why I like playing you."

"No, thanks. But I met one of your new teammates at the library, and I bet he'd be up for a game." Aiden hangs up his coat and steps out of the foyer. And all at once, we get a clear view of the guy trailing behind him. "He just got picked up in the transfer portal. Guys, this is Damien."

Every last bit of color drains out of Bennet's face as he stares, seething, at our new teammate.

The silence is so thick, everyone seems to freeze in place, as if the temperature plummeted. I actually feel Jagger shudder on my lap as we all wait to see what Bennet and Damien will do.

Sensing Jagger has an opinion on this, my eyes shift to his.

Are you thinking what I'm thinking? He arches a brow.

Hell, yeah. I bob my head. This season is gonna be hella interesting.