For the Love of the Game

Chapter 1

Danny rounded the corner into the visiting locker room. He got held up on the field talking to another Texas Tech alum. He hurried over to his locker taking note of his missing boyfriend who occupied the locker next to him. He glanced over his shoulder. Some of the team was already showered and dressed. He wondered if he should skip showering as coach hated when anyone was dragging behind for the team buses as they were always on a tight schedule. It's not like he was even dirty or sweaty. It was a fairly cool night for August in the Carolina's and he'd only seen the field for 11 snaps during this preseason meeting with the Panthers; 1 reception for 25 yards and that was it.

He worked his pads over his shoulders and his under shirt off. He felt a brush on his shoulder and glanced over it. Tom was walking by, fully dressed, just returning from his post-game interview "Good game Dola"

Danny smiled and nodded, deciding at that point to skip a shower. He rolled some deodorant on and pulled his t-shirt from his locker, pulling it over his head.

He sat down on the folding chair adjacent to his locker. He pulled his pants down and his cleats off.

"Hey handsome" he heard the hushed whisper as Julian appeared back at his locker

Danny glanced up, Julian's cool blue eyes grinning down at him as his hands fumbled in his locker. Danny could only smile in return. Julian always took his breath away. They had started dating months ago and he still gave him butterflies.

Julian looked away, focusing his attention on gathering his personal belongings within his locker.

Danny stood up, grabbing his jeans from his locker and putting them on. He threw the few things in his locker into his duffle and sat back down, working on his sneakers.

"Where'd you disappear to?" Danny wondered

Julian zipped up his duffle bag and turned around leaning back against his locker.

"They pulled me for a short presser right after Tom" Julian noted

Danny glanced up as he finished tieing his sneakers.

Julian was smirking at him again, his arms crossed in front of his chest.

Danny rolled his eyes this time, turning his attention back to his sneakers "I'm starving!"

"Dola" Josh came up behind the two
Danny finished tieing his sneaker and sat up, turning slightly to their offensive coordinator

"Hey Josh" Danny stated

"Bill wants to see you for a sec." Josh advised

Danny nodded "Okay"

Josh smiled, patting him on the shoulder "Nice routes today, way to grind"

He watched the slightly older man turn and walk away. He stood up, turning back to the questioning eyes of his boyfriend. The smirk was gone and now his face was full of questions.

"Wonder what coach wants" Julian stated

Danny shrugged nonchalantly, making sure all his things were in his duffle bag and zippering it up "I'll be back a in few"

Danny made his way down the locker room, brushing past one of the team coordinators who yelled out to the team that they had 10 minutes until the bus left. He rounded the corner into a very small corridor as he came to a stop in front of the visiting coaches office just inside the door of the entrace to the visitors clubhouse. He tapped lightly on the glass before pushing it open.

Bill glanced up from his tablet, nodding at the younger man.
Danny walked into the small room and closed the door.

"Take a seat Danny" Bill stated