A/N: Hi y'all! This is going to be my second large multi-chapter story. I'm very happy to finally start publishing this one; I feel confident in how much I love this pairing and this alternate universe in which I've placed them. I will probably alternate publishing chapters of "On The Border" and this story. I hope everyone enjoys! I'm dedicating this chapter to all the readers who have favorited and reviewed my stories; I appreciate every single one of you, past, present, and future. Please keep sending the love and critique my way, it does truly help.

Warnings: slash, potential lemons, mentions of death, character depression, and depictions of sports injuries. Also scenes containing many shirtless athletes that could potentially cause the simultaneous combustion of the feels.

Chapter 1

Jasper Whitlock was upset. Actually, make that goddamned pissed.

"What in God's holy name was that?!" The student section, in apparent agreement with Jasper, was also conveying their disapproval with the situation rather vehemently.

The mammoth of a man who stood over him guffawed stupidly. "That was defense, 86!" The way his unsightly paunch rippled when he laughed was reminiscent of Jabba the Hutt.

Jasper snapped to his feet like a lightning bolt and pressed his facemask right up against the defensive lineman's. His eyes were on fire, sheer rage illuminating his jade green irises. "No, that was unnecessary roughness, asshole! You sucker punch me after the whistle like that again, and I swear on my grandpa's grave that you will not make it out of this stadium with both arms intact!"

The defensive player's face turned from a smirk into an ugly grimace. "You better watch your mouth, you fucking queer. Just because a faggot was named All-American doesn't mean I can't knock your faggoty ass all the way back to little league!"

Jasper's eyes got even brighter, but an eerie calm had settled on his face. He took a step back and shook his head. "Wrong answer, fat ass." The pudgy defender shouted something else, but he didn't hear it. Instead, he turned to trot back to the huddle. It was only then that he realized that the referee had blown the whistle after the play. He turned to see a yellow flag being picked up, and the field judge turned on his microphone. His nasal voice echoed throughout the stadium. "Unnecessary roughness, number 92, of the defense. Fifteen yard penalty, automatic first down." The crowd erupted in cheers as the referee motioned for a new set of downs with his arm, and the ball was placed even closer to the goal line.

The PA system at Kyle Field boomed with the voice of its excited announcer. "The fifteen yard penalty on number 92, Alec Evans, results in an Aggie first down!" Another extremely loud cheer resounded from the fans. Jasper pumped his fist in the air to show the crowd he was unscathed, which incited them to chants of "WHIT-LOCK! WHIT-LOCK!"

Damn, he loved playing here.

Four years ago, after an outstanding high school career (which saw Jasper hoist the first state championship trophy in his small-town Texas high school's history and earn the national title of Number Two Top Recruit), Signing Day had come around. Jasper had to choose between Ohio State, Oklahoma, LSU, and Texas A&M. The handsome Texas native had narrowed it down to OSU and A&M, but in the end it was loyalty to his father's alma mater that pushed him to don a maroon and white Aggie cap in front of a decent sized press conference that day. Looking back, he couldn't dream of picking any other place to play football. The 12th Man always had his back, the games were always exciting and full of tradition, and the fact that they hadn't had a losing record since he'd been there certainly didn't hurt. Hell, he even loved Reveille, the collie mascot that barked on the sideline during games... and he was allergic!

Now, during his senior year, the stars had aligned. Everything was coming up roses for the Aggieland faithful; they had marched through the season uncontested, dispatching every opponent with ease. The usually dominant SEC defensive strongholds were proving to be no match for the high-powered A&M offense; headed by their quarterback Riley O'Connor, and boosted by the sensational Charlie Clarendon at fullback, Jasper Whitlock was simply the emphatic capstone on an point-scoring powerhouse that ran on a potent octane of momentum, adrenaline, and an occasional dash of pure dumb luck.

His agility and handling skills were impressive, to say the least; he proved so elusive that poorly made bootleg t-shirts had been popping up featuring his likeness sloppily pasted onto the figure of a ghoul, with the slogan "Jasper the Speedy Ghost" accompanying the ridiculous image. Whenever he saw one on campus, he had to fight the urge to roll his eyes at the horrendous pun and/or rip the fashion crime right off the person's back. Luckily, ESPN had yet to pick up the moniker...

Now, with one game left until the bowl season, the undefeated Aggies had to overcome a significant obstacle in the University of Florida Gators. If they won, they'd be punching a ticket to the SEC Championship in New Orleans. If they lost now, they'd miss out on any chance to play in a major bowl game, and any shot at being remembered forever.

The scoreboard read 28-23 in favor of the Gators as the clock wound down to a mere minute left to play. O'Connor's cannon of a throwing arm had gotten them close, but their momentum had stalled near the 25-yard line, and they needed to make a play now or else risk running out of time; they had no timeouts, and their methodical, no-nonsense style didn't work so well in no-huddle situations. After trotting to a stop and having the ball sail well out of reach above his head, Jasper had been leveled out of nowhere by this asshole of a defender. Because of the penalty, Whitlock and Company found themselves at the 10, with one last chance to win the game.

Jasper took a deep breath.

... doesn't mean I can't knock that your faggoty ass all the way back to little league...

He needed to calm down, before he did something stupid to that Neanderthal and got himself suspended.

... you fucking queer...

The words themselves didn't hurt; it was the fact that many people in this day and age still thought that ridiculous prejudice could hurt that made him so very pissed off. To think that someone's sexual orientation had any significant bearing on their character, hobbies, or personality, was absurd. If any one person was evidence to back that up, it was Jasper Whitlock. Even though it was an integral part of who he was, he'd never let his sexuality define him.

Sure, the macho, showboat persona was accompanied by a pinch of flamboyancy, and since middle school he had made no efforts to quell the rumors that he was gay. But out of a rare stroke of humility he'd waited to explicitly come out until late into his freshman year of college. It came as no surprise to his (thankfully) progressive-minded parents. The media, however, had a field day. Being as good as he was, he was an easy target for sports talk shows and water cooler debates: can gays really play sports without either getting chased out, running away, or getting the shit beat out of them? His team had been incredibly supportive (if only because he was just that talented), but there were some other players around the country that said outright they would have refused to play if he'd been on their team. With the media firestorm threatening to spiral out of control, the NCAA had been forced to release a statement, underlining the importance of the league's non-discrimination policy and asserting the inclusion of LGBT athletes in it as well. It had been a huge deal, and a great milestone for gays in sports at every level, but for once Jasper hated the attention he got. He viewed it as one more reason for a guy to aim at your knees during a tackle or block, and he was relieved when the camera crews finally stopped parking outside his dorm.

Of course, none of this meant he wasn't proud of who he was, and it certainly didn't grant people the right to toss it around lightly or demean it with malicious insults.

This was why Alec Evans was going to be in for a world of hurt on the next play.

Jasper arrived at the huddle, greeted by multiple pats on the helmet by his teammates. "Damn, Whitlock, that was a nasty hit!" said the sophomore at right tackle whose last name was Redman. The new guy was a temporary replacement, a warm body that gave the starter a couple of downs to rest; Jasper had yet to actually learn his first name, and felt a slight twinge of guilt. He tried to be outgoing and genial to all, and was very good with names. He made a mental note to learn what it was later.

"Ah, it was alright. I give it a six-and-a-half out of ten; It lacked originality, and the performance failed to pack a punch. But I'd like to return the favor, if you don't mind. Perhaps a screen?" He looked knowingly at his team, who nodded in agreement. O'Connor had the final call as team captain, so Jasper turned to him for the go-ahead.

Riley shook his head and sighed sarcastically. "Why the fuck not? You pulled it off against Ole Miss. Gentlemen, let's do a 22 PA Sweep Screen, on five. Ready?"

"Break!" they shouted in unison as they jogged off to the line. Jasper took his place for the play they had run about a million times in practice. The fans were in true form and on their feet, yelling at the top of their lungs as their team made one final attempt to nab victory from the jaws of defeat. He could hear the linemen dig their heels into the turf, bracing themselves for the powerful blitz that was sure to come. He heard Riley scream the snap count over the noise, and on the fifth "hut", the play began.

Jasper knew what was going to happen even before the leather touched O'Connor's fingers. The defense was set up for a double linebacker blitz, and that meant Riley was going to have to pop the ball out quickly. Fortunately, that's what he did. The three wide outs had positioned themselves to the right of the pocket, with Jasper in the middle. While the other two ran ahead to block for him, he turned and waited for the ball to land in his arms. When it did, he had a clear alley to the goal line. Except, of course, for number 92, Alec Evans, the left defensive end. Having studied the defense meticulously for the entire game, Jasper knew that his adversary had a tendency to cheat outside and drop into coverage, meaning that when Riley dropped back to pass, everyone else down the field would either be blocked or too far to left field to catch up. Logically, this left Evans as the only player in position to make the tackle.

Obviously, Jasper was going to make good on his promise.

He saw the husky Evans foolishly straighten up into a more upright stance. This was perfect because all Jasper had to do was lower his shoulder and, with a burst of speed from his powerful legs, plow right through him. Evans raised his arms as if to slow down the freight train coming toward him, and Jasper heard a loud crack when his shoulder pad connected with Evans' left forearm. He would wait until later to laugh at the hilarious irony. He hadn't actually meant to break the bastard's arm, but it seemed like God was in a good mood today.

Having knocked the homophobe clear on his ass, Jasper waltzed into the end zone untouched. There was no time left on the clock. Final score: Aggies, 29, Gators, 28. He barely had time to catch his breath before being promptly swarmed by the student section, the cheerleaders, and his teammates. The band was playing the fight song. The players were waving their helmets in the air. Their opponents were limping off the field, shock and defeat apparent on their face. A dejected-looking Evans was nursing his now-bandaged arm, his head bowed in shame. As they reveled in their victory at midfield, Jasper made sure to take a picture with his mind.

"WHIT-LOCK! WHIT-LOCK!"

This was definitely one of the best moments of his life, and he wanted to remember it forever. The parties, congratulations, and many drinks afterward were mostly a blur, but he would always look back on that moment as the day he proved himself, the day he let everyone know that it was going to take a lot more than mere name-calling to get rid of Jasper Whitlock.

His plans for the future were still murky with doubt, but the adoration that came with being the team's super star? He was beginning to think it might just be worth it.

End of Chapter 1