The Broken People [Book 2]

Chapter Thirty-one: Reflector

"So, how long have you two been seeing each other? Since High School?! Is that whole article true?" Ronnie asked as he looked at Mark and Thomas.

"We did date in High School, but I broke it off when I got my first offer as a substitute," Thomas explained.

"And the whole article isn't true," Mark added with sharpness in his tone. Thomas glanced at him sideways and then cleared his throat.

"We hadn't seen each other for seven years and we started dating again shortly after the season started," Thomas went on.

"And yes, me getting an assignment to photograph your team for this season was completely random and I did contemplate not taking the offer, but then I decided against it," Mark said.

"You contemplated not taking the assignment?" Thomas asked, not remembering ever hearing this before. Mark shed him a look that told him 'not now' and then he looked back at Ronnie, who seemed skeptical.

Ronnie was about to open his mouth and say something when a knock on the door interrupted him and all three turned to it. They all shared a look and then Thomas stood up.

"It's probably Dean..." Mark muttered to him as Thomas looked through the peephole.

"It is Dean," Thomas replied and opened the door.

"Hey! How was..." Dean's voice came to a halt as he saw Ronnie opposite of Mark and quickly walked over there, not forgetting to greet Kenzie with a good head scratch. "What is going on?"

"Ronnie was suspicious after the article. And when he came earlier to ask me about it, Mark answered the door," Thomas quickly explained to him.

"Oh... well, that's one way to get an answer..." Dean said, making Mark smile to himself. "Why do you even give a shit?" he asked of Ronnie. All eyes turned to him.

"I consider Thomas my friend. I just wanted to be sure," Ronnie said.

"You see, this is what I don't get. If you're not attracted to him why the fuck do you care who he is attracted to? Or who he is seeing?" Dean asked, placing both hands on the back of the couch, behind where Mark sat.

"I care because I consider him my friend. I just want to know if he's normal," Ronnie replied making Thomas look away.

"He is normal," Mark growled, something dangerous lingering in his eyes. Ronnie pulled a little back and didn't hold Mark's gaze. He couldn't.

"So, all of you are... gay?" he asked looking from Dean to Thomas to Mark.

"Well," Dean started, "Thomas considers himself gay. Mark prefers the term queer. I identify as a panromantic demisexual and my fiancé is an effeminate homoromantic bisexual transgender man," he finished with a smug smile.

Ronnie looked as if he were about to implode. Mark had to muffle a chuckle and with a roll of his eyes, Thomas went, grabbed Ronnie by the forearm, and pulled him out to the balcony to talk alone. Without dropping his smile, Dean went and sat down by Mark, tugging on the rope that Kenzie offered him.

"Wow, that's one way to fry a homophobe's brain. I'm impressed and proud," Mark told Dean.

"I learned from the best," Dean mused and turned his gaze to Kenzie again.

"What do you think they are talking about?" Mark asked him, nodding toward Ronnie and Thomas.

Dean didn't turn to look instead, he cooed at Kenzie, knowing that Mark's question was rhetorical. He knew Thomas well, but he had no idea what he would have wanted to say to Ronnie privately.

"I need you to keep this a secret. If you consider yourself my friend, I need that from you," Thomas pleaded Ronnie.

"I just- I don't get it. How can you be gay and like soccer?" Ronnie asked, looking at Thomas with a frown.

"What does one thing have to do with the other? Soccer is a sport I have played ever since I could walk; it's something that I love to watch and play. And being gay is a part of who I am. Being gay doesn't cancel out my love for soccer," Thomas replied, trying to make Ronnie understand without letting his words affect him. The only reason Ronnie had the opinions he did was due to ignorance and toxic stereotypes, talking aggressively at him wouldn't change that. And besides, it wasn't like he was being that much damaging.

Ronnie took his eyes away from his friend and looked over at Mark and Dean. They were both playing around with Kenzie with smiles on their faces. It didn't escape him how at ease the puppy was with Mark. If Mark and Thomas were together since the start of the season, they had probably raised her together.

"Ronnie this can seriously damage my career. You need to keep this a secret," Thomas reminded him again. "Soccer means everything to me."

"More than Mark?" Ronnie at once asked, snapping his eyes at Thomas. Thomas held his gaze for a second and then he turned to look at Mark. Their eyes interlocked and Mark smiled warmly at him.

"I can't live without Mark, but I don't want to live without soccer," Thomas said back, looking back up at Ronnie. "You might not understand it, but Ronnie, I love him. I tried living without him once, and trust me when I tell you, I wouldn't have lasted much longer had I not seen him at the start of the season. I love him, and I've loved him for seven years and I doubt that that's going to change anytime soon."

Again, Ronnie frowned. He folded his arms before his chest and took in a deep breath, working over the stuff Thomas had told him. His mind was a mess; he hadn't expected this would have happened when he had shown up. Sure, he was suspicious about it, but he didn't actually believe that Thomas and Mark were dating. He opened his mouth to say something, but Thomas decided to speak up before he could.

"He's somebody I can lean on. Someone who understands and loves me. Someone who doesn't judge or use me. He's someone who no matter at the bullshit at the end of the day is there for me. It's not about sex. And you don't have to understand it. All I am asking of you is to not tell anyone about it," Thomas said.

***

Dean and Mark quieted down when they saw Thomas and Ronnie come back inside. Kenzie wagged her tail and ran up to them, going around their legs and pleading for pets. Thomas quickly went to his bedroom and returned with a piece of paper and a pen. Mark rose an eyebrow at that. They all stayed silent as Ronnie signed the paper and then left, only saying a quiet goodbye to all three.

"NDA?" Mark asked Thomas. Thomas nodded and left the paper aside as he went and sat next to Mark. He let out a heavy exhale and hid his face in his palms.

"Couldn't he have waited just another day?" Thomas said, his voice muffled by his hands.

"What will be different tomorrow?" Dean asked. Thomas pulled up, the fact that Dean was there having slipped his mind and shared a look with Mark.

"I'll tell you tomorrow," he replied with a small smile. Dean squinted at his friend and then looked at Mark, expecting some kind of hint from him. He let out a huff when he remembered that Mark was actually good with secrets.

"Well, whatever. Tomorrow we're meeting at one, so no sleeping in," Dean told them.

"Even jet-lagged I don't sleep in," Thomas replied.

"I know, I was talking to Mark," Dean said with a playful smile.

"Fuck you, I won't apologize for not being a freak that wakes up early," Mark snapped and folded his arms before his chest. Thomas couldn't help but laugh.

"You know, you'd wake up earlier if you didn't go to sleep so late at night," he told his boyfriend. Mark rolled his eyes at that.

"Nothing will ever make me change my sleep schedule permanently," Mark said.

"So, were his suspicions that kept you from scoring last night?" Dean asked Thomas, changing the subject.

"Primarily yes. I mean, you saw the game. I was trying, but it's hard when you aren't assisted well," Thomas started and drank some of his now cold coffee. "But I'm pretty sure that won't happen again after today..."