Max was in the zone. The gym was wild, everyone screaming, the game practically tied. He had the ball in his hands, sweating like crazy, heart pounding, but the only thing on his mind was getting that shot.
Then he saw Jaxon. Sitting in the bleachers, wearing his red-and-white basketball jacket. He was the only one Max cared about in that moment. The way Jaxon was clapping and cheering for him made his heart do a weird flip. It wasn’t just about winning anymore. It was about... him.
Max faked left, spun right, and threw the ball up—three-pointer. The buzzer rang as the ball sank into the hoop. The whole gym went nuts. Max didn’t even care about the cheers or his teammates. All he cared about was looking up and seeing Jaxon standing up, clapping, smiling at him.
Max ran off the court, grinning like an idiot, and went straight for Jaxon. He didn’t even need to think about it.
“Dude, you were amazing out there!” Jaxon said, a proud smile on his face, still wearing Max’s jacket like it was his own. Max pulled him into a hug without thinking.
Jaxon chuckled, his voice kind of shaky. “I just wore your jacket, man.”
“Yeah, you’re part of this win too,” Max grinned, pulling away. He had to catch his breath. “You, uh, want to go grab something after?”
Before Jaxon could answer, Ryan and his crew walked over. Max felt his stomach drop. Ryan’s smirk was already giving him that familiar feeling.
“Look at this, Max,” Ryan said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “Is this what you’re into now? Really? You gonna kiss him or something? Show everyone what you’ve been hiding?”
Max felt his jaw tighten, but he wasn’t letting Ryan get to him. He glanced at Jaxon, who was just standing there, looking uncomfortable, like he didn’t know what to do. Max knew right then. He wasn’t letting Ryan win this. Not today.
Max looked at Jaxon, then at Ryan, and just pulled Jaxon in for a kiss. It wasn’t slow. It wasn’t soft. It was quick, messy, and everything Ryan didn’t want to see. Max didn’t care if anyone was watching. He didn’t care if Ryan was standing there being an asshole. This was his moment, and he wasn’t holding back.
When he pulled away, Jaxon was still frozen for a second, looking up at him with wide eyes. Max felt his heart pounding in his chest. He didn’t know what was coming next.
Ryan just stood there, looking like he’d seen a ghost. Finally, he sneered and turned to his friends. “Whatever, man. It’s not my problem.”
Max just shrugged, his pulse still racing. He couldn’t help but smile, even if the whole gym had gone dead silent.
“You know what, Ryan? It’s really not,” Max muttered, shaking his head.
Jaxon looked up at him, a small, shy smile pulling at his lips. “Well... that was... bold.”
Max chuckled. “Yeah, I’ve been told I can be bold.” He didn’t care about what anyone else thought anymore. Not now, not after that.
Jaxon smiled a little more, shrugging. “Guess I’ll get used to you surprising me.”
Max grinned, feeling like he’d just done something right for once. He looked back at Jaxon. “So... after the game? You still down to hang?”
Jaxon’s smile was all Max needed to know. “Yeah. Let’s go.”
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