Not-So-Scary Basketball Boyfriend | Tyrus

7

When lunch finally rolled around, TJ found Cyrus sitting at a table in the cafeteria with Buffy. He watched them talk and laugh together, a soft smile on his face. Watched as Marty walked over, taking the seat next to Buffy and nudging her. Watched as they shared a smile before she slid a napkin over with what looked like with a couple of pickle slices on it. Watched as Cyrus' face slowly fell. Watched as his boyfriend grinned at the pair but still looked uncomfortable, as if he were a third wheel eating lunch with his own friends.

TJ couldn't bring himself to go over there knowing he wouldn't be able to be as cuddly as he wanted with his illegally adorable boyfriend. Not in the cafeteria with all of those eyes on him. These weren't just some basketball jerks he barely knew, these were his classmates. He'd been trying to be a little more comfortable with letting everyone know about him and Cyrus without making it too obvious. They held hands whenever they met up between classes now, and they went on what he'd consider to be dates, and they flirted all the time (if Buffy, Marty, and Reed were to be believed). It was just easier to get out of his head when Cyrus was next to him and not halfway across a crowded cafeteria. Being so far from his smile brought the judging eyes of their peers into much clearer focus.

He shook his head and sucked in a breath before making his way over to the table anyway and sitting across from Cyrus instead of next to him. The distance was safer, because it kept him from doing something dumb, like kissing his boyfriend's cheek for smiling at him like that or ruffling his hair for being so cute or...

"—eej?"

"TJ!?" called a voice, snapping him out of his musings and sending blood rushing to his cheeks.

"Er...yeah?"

"You burst your ketchup packets," said Marty pointing to where his hand sat in a red glob. When TJ lifted his hand from the table the gloopy aluminum packet was stuck to his palm

Buffy looked at him with her brow furrowed. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," he said standing quickly and wiping off his hand. "Just remembered I was supposed to be somewhere."

It was a lie and they all knew it. He had just sat down and Cyrus knew his schedule better than he did most days, but as he rushed from the cafeteria he caught sight of Reed and grabbed the guy's elbow to drag him along.

Reed looked between TJ and the table he was leaving behind. He made eye contact with Cyrus and waved with a smile before smirking at his friend.

"Cyrus is staring at us."

"So stop waving at him," TJ said, pulling him as far from the cafeteria as he could get.

"It's normal to wave at your friends."

"They're my friends. And Cyrus is my boyfriend. Stop waving at him."

"Well maybe your boyfriend is also my friend."

"Are you trying to piss me off?"

"No, I'm trying to figure out what's going on. You have free time and Cyrus is that way," he said using his free hand to thumb behind him.

Within a few steps, they'd made it to the quad that laid between the cafeteria and the gym. Seeing the trees and the grass and the distinct lack of other students helped to give TJ a clearer understanding of what he was feeling. It was an oncoming need to run or scream or shoot a few hoops to relieve the pressure that kept building behind his eyes.

"I'm freaking out," explained TJ, letting go of Reed's arm but knowing his friend well enough to know he'd follow him to the gym anyway.

"Hadn't noticed," his friend said from behind him, but it was like he could hear the eye roll in his voice. "I'm trying to figure out why you're freaking out."

"Cyrus is just..." TJ started, trying to find the best way to explain what he wanted to say. "He's just really cute."

"Tee," said Reed, stopping and forcing him to turn around and look at him. "What the actual fuck are you talking about?"

"Cyrus is—"

"We already know Cyrus is cute. You knew that before you started dating him. Why are you freaking out about this now?"

"Well, I—"

"And what does that have to do with anything?"

"We're dating and he's cute and...and I can't tell anybody."

TJ turned back to the building stomping off, the gym door slamming open and shut behind him. Reed blew out a tired breath then followed him onto the squeaky floors just as TJ picked up a ball from the rolling rack near the wall and made a shot.

The ball spun around the rim before falling through with a satisfying swish.

"Why can't you tell people?" asked Reed when TJ didn't look to be any more forthcoming with the reasoning behind his current freak out. He picked up the ball and tossed it to his friend while the boy tried to figure out what to say. "I didn't think you guys were keeping it a secret."

"We aren't really keeping it a secret, it's just..." TJ made another shot and caught the ball when Reed threw it back to him again. "I don't know. Some guys at the park said some stuff and it was fine because they're just some random basketball jerks, you know? But here at school I can't be with Cyrus all the time and what if people from school start messing with him? I wouldn't be able to help."

"Cyrus can take care of himself."

"Someone threw him in the dumpster on the first day of school for smiling and saying 'Good  Morning'," said TJ, sending the blond a straight faced look before shooting the ball again. Unlike the last time, it hit the backboard and bounced back into his hands. He shot again but the rim deflected it, sending it flying over his head. He sank to the ground and picked at a string on his hoodie before laying back and staring up at the ceiling. Reed came over and dropped the basketball onto his chest before sitting next to him.

"Are you scared?" Reed asked, his voice quiet in the big empty of the gym. TJ lolled his head over to look at Reed and sniffled. He hadn't realized he had started crying.

"Yeah."

Reed laid next to him on the shiny hardwood floors. "Of what?"

"I don't want them to hate him."

"Who?"

"Anyone," TJ said, facing his friend— his brother, all things considered —basketball clutched in his grip. "He doesn't deserve that."

"So tell him that. Don't run from him, man. Let him know what's going on in that big ol' basketball brain of yours." Reed stood up, stretching his back and reaching a hand out to help TJ up. The boy looked at the hand for a second before finally grabbing it with a new resolve and letting himself get pulled up.

He released his grip on Reed's hand and took another shot before the lunch period was due to end. He started walking out as the ball soared through the air. He didn't watch to see it bounce on the backboard or swirl around the rim, but as he and Reed walked from the building laughing over some goofy joke, he thought that maybe he heard the swish of the net behind them.

-&-

hey futher muckers

so funny thing is, when i said "sooner" the lie detector test determined that was a lie

here's the next chappie almost 2 months later, but as usual, my ever lovely rhea was able to help give me some much needed perspective and motivation

i write because i love it and because i like sharing with all of you so i shouldn't hold myself back because of some impossible standards or ideals that i set on myself

i love yall
& i love sharing my work with yall
and i hope yall enjoyed

much love
black lives matter ✊🏽✊🏾✊🏿

-- angel janeé xoxo 💋