personal enjoyment

liam inducing

Yanking away from Eli just in time, Corbin scrubbed his bare arm over his mouth and tried not to look ridiculously suspicious. Fortunately, Bry and Liam seemed lost in conversation, apparently about some girl who had been in the pool.

"She wanted me," Bry crowed.

"She didn't even notice you!" Liam retorted.

"She swam over to where I was."

"Yeah, to talk to her friend. Face it, dude, she didn't even register you."

"Whatever. You spent the whole time talking with Jaime. Fag."

Corbin visibly winced at the slur, and Eli went ashen. Even though Corbin knew he wasn't gay, it was obvious Eli was, and he felt a stab of sympathy for the guy. Mixed with a renewed determination to prove the label did not apply to himself.

"Can you two shut up for five minutes?" he asked, only half teasing as he headed back to the trundle and picked up his book.

Eli, who had been open and warm just moments before, during the illicit kiss, now somewhat curled around himself, almost protectively. Lacking Corbin's ability to fake banter, he simply picked up the Alaska Aces playing cards he had tossed on the nightstand and stared unseeingly at them.

Bry took his shower first, while Liam perched on the edge of his bed and continued to talk to no one in particular.

"It's not a bad pool. You guys should check it out tomorrow."

Corbin made a noncommittal noise as he read and re-read the same few sentences in his book again and again, trying not to look at Eli.

"All the swimming pools in Alaska must be indoor," Liam continued, drawing patterns on his arm with his fingertips. "I mean, it gets so cold here. I bet no one swims in lakes, or they'd freeze. A lake would be cool, though. Better than a pool. I mean, I like the pool, but it's just the chlorine tends to get to my nose." He sniffled, as if to prove it.

Corbin stole a glance at Eli and saw the center had turned a very cute shade of pink. Dumb shade of pink, Corbin automatically corrected himself. Instantly, an idea came to mind: this would be a great time to tease Eli, who seemed to have a thing for sneezing. Get him back for earlier, Corbin thought.

"Really?" Corbin asked. "Like, does it sting, or does it get you sneezy?"

"God, really sneezy. I think I sneezed a hundred times in the pool."

"Ew, you sneezed into the pool water?" Corbin laughed.

"No, asshole, I covered my mouth," Liam shot back, tossing a pillow at the dark-haired goalie. "Unlike some people, I always c... cuhh... Kissheww! Uh-KISHHh!"

True to his word, Liam did cover, turning his face into the crook of his arm. He was still dressed in his swim trunks, with his towel laid out underneath him so he didn't get the blanket wet on his bed. Liam's slightly-curly dark blond hair stuck to his face, brown eyes slowly opening after the second sneeze, lashes wet and clustered together.

"Bless you," Corbin offered.

"Dohh... don't... bless me... yet," Liam breathed. "Alwuhhh... uhhh... cuuhh come in th... uhh-KISSHeewwww!" He sniffled wetly. "Threes."

Tossing a glance at Eli once more, Corbin noticed his teammate was biting down so hard on his lower lip, it had turned white. Too much fun.

"Really? Me, too. Sometimes I have more, though, especially when I'm sick," Corbin explained.

"Me, too. Last year, I got this really bad cold right around Thanksgiving, and I literally could not stop sneezing. It was like sneezing every other breath," Liam described. "I think I got my cousin sick."