17. Bennett

Bennett

Pulling up to Xander"s house, it was obvious to me he'd paid more than our annual salary for it, but I was struck by its simple elegance. Sometimes, I forgot he'd inherited a hefty sum from his late grandfather. But if you talked to him, you'd never guess he was loaded. Xander was down to earth, practical, and didn't flaunt his wealth. He was just… Xander. And that's what made him so special.

When Xander admitted he'd never been on a real date, my brain had been in overdrive, trying to think of something special, something that would make his first date unforgettable. We didn't have a lot of free time between our home and away games, and I didn't have a ton of money to blow, but I wanted it to be perfect.

The idea hit me on my way home from practice one evening. Taking him to a park would be perfect for a simple yet memorable date.

Since the night we made love for the first time at my place, Xander had never left. Every time he stopped by his house to check that everything was okay, he'd bring some of his stuff over to my house. Now, I was happy to see his clothes next to mine in the closet, and I'd also reserved a drawer for him.

But for our first official date, we'd decided that he'd sleep at his place and I'd come over and pick him up. Like his boyfriend should.

I knocked on the door, my heart racing. Tonight had to be perfect. When he opened the door, his face lit up, and that familiar warmth spread through my chest.

This man's smile was literally my daily dose of happiness.

"Hey, Sunshine," I greeted, leaning in for a quick kiss. "Ready?"

His eyes sparkled with curiosity. "Absolutely. Where are we going?"

I smirked, enjoying the suspense. "It's a surprise."

"Hmph," Xander mock-pouted, his expression adorable.

"Trust me, you"re going to love it,"

We hopped into my car, and I navigated through the streets of LA.

As we drove, the busyness of the city faded into the background, replaced by a quieter, more serene landscape. After a short drive, we arrived at a secluded park. The area was quiet, but in the distance, you could hear faint laughter and conversations from other visitors. The late afternoon sun cast a golden glow, and the air was crisp but not too cold – perfect for a first date.

"Wow," Xander said, stepping out of the car. "It's beautiful. I've never been here before."

I felt a rush of pride, delighted that he'd never been to this spot. It made the surprise even better. "I thought you'd like it. Come on, I've got something planned."

I grabbed the picnic basket and blanket I'd hidden in the trunk, and we found a cozy spot under a magnolia tree that offered good shade.

"This is amazing," Xander said, helping me spread out the blanket. We settled down, and I began unpacking the basket.

"Sandwiches, chips, and hot chocolate," I said, handing him a thermos.

He laughed, a sound that made my heart skip. "You thought of everything."

"Only the best for you," I replied, brushing a strand of hair from his face.

"I made us a playlist." I pulled out my phone and opened it up.

Xander's eyes widened. "Really?"

"Yeah, don't act so shocked," I said, scrolling through the songs. "I put a lot of thought into it."

Xander chuckled, the sound warm and familiar. "Okay, okay. What's on it?"

"Some Orion Skye, of course." I selected a song and let it play. "And a few classics. ‘Wonderwall' by Oasis, ‘Yellow' by Coldplay... stuff like that."

Xander leaned his head on my shoulder, his hair brushing my cheek. "I love it. You're full of surprises, Ry."

"I try," I said with a smile. We sat shoulder to shoulder, munching on our sandwiches and talking about anything and everything. It was refreshing to spend some alone time with each other, the tension of hiding our relationship melting away.

Xander leaned back on his hands and gazed up at the sky. "Did you see that article about the latest LGBTQ+ rights march in New York?"

"Yeah," I replied, chewing thoughtfully. "Makes you think, you know?"

He smiled, nudging me with his shoulder. "You mean it makes you think that someday we could do that too?"

"Maybe." I felt the familiar twist of uncertainty in my gut. "It's just... we're in a tough spot. The league has had openly queer players for a while now, but coming out as a couple would be a big deal. Could change the team dynamics in one go."

"True." Xander"s tone softened. "But we can't hide forever, Ry. We deserve to be happy, to be ourselves."

I glanced at him, appreciating how loving and kind he was. "You ever think about what it would be like? Being out in the open, not worrying about who's watching?"

"All the time." A wistful smile played on his lips. "It's like... I want to shout from the rooftops that you're mine. But I know we have to be careful."

We"d been together for six weeks now, and I was falling for him hard. But were we ready to take that step, to come out as queer, and a couple?

Reaching over, I grabbed his hand and squeezed it gently. "We'll get there. One step at a time."

Xander chuckled, the sound warm and soothing. "You know, sometimes I forget that you're the grumpy one. You're always level-headed."

"Someone has to be." I rolled my eyes. "You're the dreamer."

"Guilty as charged." He laughed. "But you like me."

"Yeah, I do." My heart swelled with affection… and something more. I thought I knew what that "more" was, but I wasn't ready to say it out loud yet.

We sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes, just enjoying the moment.

Xander eventually broke the silence, his voice quieter. "Do you think the team would support us?"

Squeezing his hand again, I considered the question. "I'd like to think so. We've got a good bunch of guys. But it's hard to say. Some might be surprised, others might not care. It's a mixed bag."

He nodded, a thoughtful expression on his face. "I guess we'll cross that bridge when we get to it."

"Exactly." I leaned in to kiss his temple. "For now, let's just enjoy this. Our first date."

Xander"s eyes lit up with a grin. "I'm happy my first date is with you, Ry."

"Yeah?" Warmth spread through me. "Me too, Sunshine. Me too."

We lay back on the blanket, our heads touching and fingers intertwined. As the music played, we hummed along, letting the melodies fill the space between us.

"I've got something for you."

"What?" My curiosity was piqued.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, folded piece of paper. "I was going to wait until later, but..."

I took the paper, unfolding it carefully. My eyes scanned the words before reading them aloud, "I knew how this date would end from the very beginning. It was perfect."

I gazed at him. "I wanted today to be special. You deserve that."

He reached over, his fingers finding mine. "It's special. Because it's with you."

"Ry–"

He didn't let me finish as he leaned in, capturing my lips in a kiss. His palm rested on my cheek, fingers slightly rough but warm and comforting. The kiss deepened, and I felt like I was floating.

When we finally pulled away, breathless and grinning like idiots, Xander whispered, "Thank you."

"You don't have to thank me," I replied. "I'm just glad you're happy."

"I am," he said, his voice soft but firm. "Happier than I've ever been."

We lay there for a while longer, wrapped in each other's arms, watching the stars and listening to our favorite songs.

Yeah, everything turned out better than I expected. It wasn"t extravagant, but it was us. And it was perfect.

Eventually, we had to pack up and head back. The drive home was quiet, but it was the kind of silence filled with unspoken words of promise.

As we pulled up to Xander's house, I turned to him. "I had a great time."

"Me too," he replied, leaning in for one last kiss. "Goodnight, Berry."

"Goodnight, Sunshine."

Just before he went inside, he turned and waved. I waved back, feeling a warmth spread through my chest.

Driving home, I couldn't stop smiling.