A/N: Thanks for the awesome reviews! I wanted to let you guys know that this story is now my most followed story and is about to become my most reviewed story, and is TEN chapters shorter than my second longest story (so far)! Wow. It's safe to say that I'm humbled by this. Seriously, thanks everyone!
Karia: Welcome aboard! Sorry you didn't realize it wasn't a completed story. We have a long way to go yet, but I think it would drive me insane not to finish it, so there's that. I also have to say that your family sounds AWESOME! Also, don't worry, I got the 'siriusly' reference. You may have noticed my name...I've been in love with Sirius Black forever! :)
Alec woke Magnus earlier than necessary the following day. He was nervous about his showdown with Jason's cousin, Brett. He hadn't had an opportunity to practice tumbling for a few weeks and he really didn't want to make a fool of himself in front of his new friends. Magnus, of course, told him he was being ridiculous, that he could practically tumble in his sleep - before snorting loudly and laughing when Alec blushed crimson at this comment.
But Alec's nerves were the reason they were standing in an enormous gymnasium over an hour before they were supposed to meet Tony and the guys. Tony had texted Alec the address and told him they would meet him and Magnus there the next day. Alec was thankful that they didn't need any special passcode or membership to enter the gym. Apparently, the gym was funded by property tax fees and free to anyone who wanted to use it.
He surveyed the area before him. To the right were various gymnastics apparatuses, including a large padded floor mat that he would be practicing on momentarily. Through a set of double doors, he spotted basketball hoops, where they would have their pickup game later. Through another set of doors, he could see various workout machines, several of which were currently in use. There was also an Olympic swimming pool outdoors that they passed on their way into the building.
His eyes drifted back to the gymnastic equipment. He hadn't used any of this equipment since he started high school, and had a strange twinge of longing as he stared at them. Magnus caught his eye.
"Do you miss it?" he asked, and Alec's eyes flashed to his, a small smile forming on his face.
Alec shrugged. "Yes and no." He walked over to the pommel horse, running his hand along the top of the apparatus and the hand grips. Then he gave it a gentle slap. "I don't miss this motherfucker. I hated this thing so much."
Alec caught Magnus's grin. "Why?" he asked innocently.
"Because it sucks."
"Show me," Magnus retorted, and Alec groaned. He'd known that was where the conversation was heading, but he really, really hated the pommel horse. Really. "Please?" The sweetness in Magnus's voice and the look on his face was the only thing that would get Alec on that stupid horse. Damn it.
Alec did a few stretches so he wouldn't injure himself, then hopped onto the pommel horse, swearing silently at the damn thing as he did. He hated it so much because he had to support his entire body weight on his arms and hands and swing his body around, not touching any part of the apparatus. It was not fun, and one of the reasons he decided not to continue with gymnastics.
He didn't perform for Magnus at competition level; it had been at least five years since he had been on a pommel horse. But he felt that he did fairly well, all things considered. His right thigh hit the hand grips a couple of times, knocking off his rhythm, but he nailed the dismount pretty well, and all in all was pleased with his performance. Evidently, Magnus was pleased as well, for he generously applauded and Alec took a bow, just for fun.
"Now, this," he said, walking over to the parallel rings dangling from a high support bar, and gazing at them with reverence, "I love these things."
Magnus raised an eyebrow at this, a clear invitation. "Why?"
Alec shrugged. "Power. These rings are just a demonstration of pure strength and power. You have to keep the rings steady and hold your position for a given amount of time. It's…awesome."
"Let's see it." Magnus took a few steps back and watched Alec eyeing the rings.
"I haven't done this in a really long time," he began, "and don't have gloves and such like I used to…" He shrugged again, and Magnus returned the gesture.
Alec leapt into the air and grasped the rings, holding himself as steady as possible until the rings stabilized. Then he swung his body up until he was positioned with his arms at his sides, bent at the waist with his legs extended in an 'L' shape in front of him. He held that position as long as he could without his arms starting to shake, but he didn't actually count the seconds. Then, he pushed the rings away from his body, holding himself perfectly straight in a 'T' shape. He could feel the muscles in his arms burning, begging for mercy, and at the last second before they started to shake, he pulled his legs up into a tuck, released the rings and dismounted.
Magnus cheered for him as he took another bow. That had not been anywhere near competition level performance. His 'routine' was entirely too short, and his form was off - toes not pointed, etc. - but it had been fun! He hadn't even realized how much he missed those rings until that moment, being on them again.
He shook out his arms as Magnus patted him on the back. "That was awesome!"
Alec grinned at his boyfriend. Magnus clearly didn't know much about gymnastics, but his praise meant a lot to Alec anyway. "Come on. I need to practice for this bet or I'm going to look foolish."
"Not a chance," Magnus said confidently, but he followed Alec to the padded floor mats anyway.
Alec spent the next thirty minutes doing his usual cheerleading warm-ups and several of the routines they had learned for competition. He was loose and confident and landing a complicated flip when an unfamiliar voice got his attention.
"You must be Alec," the voice said. The voice belonged to an attractive young guy with short blondish hair. He was easily a half a foot shorter than Alec, possibly more, and he wore a huge, easy grin.
"And you must be Brett," Alec replied. He crossed the room to shake hands with Brett as he confirmed that was his identity. Magnus joined them and a few moments later the rest of their party arrived.
Tony, Mark, Jason, and Dean greeted Alec, Magnus, and Brett jovially, a slight prickle of excitement rising up at the upcoming competitions. There was another unfamiliar face in the crowd, however. Brett introduced the other guy as Ian. He was about the same height as Brett, but his hair was darker and he was a little broader across the chest. He seemed nervous, for what reason Alec had no idea.
When Brett touched Ian's arm in a manner that indicated more than just friendship, and Ian pulled back, Alec thought he knew why Ian looked so uncomfortable. He thought perhaps Ian was worried about someone finding out he was gay. Alec nearly laughed at this, considering every person currently in the room was gay, but he didn't. Instead, he watched Brett frown in Ian's direction.
"Relax, would you?" Brett hissed at Ian. "We're all queers here."
The expressions on everyone's faces were comical. From raised eyebrows, to tight lips that appeared to be holding back grins or laughter, the entire group seemed to be struggling to keep straight faces. Ian, however, just looked embarrassed.
"Well, you could have told me that before!" he hissed back at Brett. And everyone else lost it. Laughter erupted throughout the crowd as Ian turned twelve shades of red.
When they finally settled down, Tony took control, deciding it was time to get this competition started. He announced that he and Magnus would be captains of their teams, and the teams were divided. Magnus, Alec, Jason, and Ian on one team. Tony, Mark, Brett and Dean on the other. Magnus protested a little at first, not knowing how good or bad the other guys were at basketball, but Tony told him to shut up because he was probably good enough to play all seven of them by himself and win. Magnus grinned sheepishly at this and stopped his protest. Then, each team chose to support the gymnast/cheerleader that was on their team already. With that decided, Alec just had one remaining question.
"Who's going to judge?" he asked to no one in particular. He knew that the other guys didn't know anything about tumbling, or how it was judged, and he seriously thought the judging part might be an issue.
To his surprise, Ian spoke up. "That's kind of why Brett invited me. I was a gymnast until I got injured. Now I judge amateur competitions."
Alec was impressed by this, but… "But you're on the opposing team."
"Don't worry," Brett assured him, "Ian's tougher on me than anyone else. He'll probably spot you a few points just to make me work harder!" Everyone laughed at this.
Brett and Alec spent several minutes mapping out their routines to make sure they did the same things. That way it would look the same to the other guys, who were all, technically, judges. Ian was just there in case there was a dispute. It all seemed a bit much for just a friendly competition, but then again, there was dinner riding on the outcome.
They flipped a coin, and Brett ended up going first. Alec had to admit he was stiff competition. He had great form, and his routine was nearly perfect. Suddenly, Alec felt a bit more nervous. He scolded himself for this, reminding himself it was just a friendly wager, just dinner. It wasn't the end of the world if he didn't win. Now if he fell on his face, that was another matter altogether…
He shook out his nerves as he stepped on the blue padded floor. He clearly heard Magnus's voice cheering for him, and took a moment to toss a sweet smile in his boyfriend's direction. Then, he was off, flipping through the air, doing cartwheels and handsprings and tucks. And landing perfectly. He knew he hadn't performed perfectly though. There were a couple of flips where his legs weren't perfectly together, his toes not pointed. Brett had definitely performed better than he had.
He jogged over to Magnus, who was grinning stupidly at him and clapping his hands. There was some deliberation amongst the groups, but it was eventually decided that Brett had won the competition. Alec had to agree, and stepped forward to congratulate him.
Next, they went onto the basketball court. Magnus's eyes ignited with passion, and any tension he'd been feeling visibly drained from his body. He was home, and everyone could see it. Mark clapped Tony on the shoulder and told him he was about to get his ass handed to him. Alec looked slightly alarmed at that, but relaxed when Mark pointed out how loose Magnus looked on the court. They knew he played basketball, they just didn't know who he was. And Alec and Magnus wanted to keep it that way.
The game was fun and easy-going for most of it. Tony and Magnus were definitely the most competitive of the group, and the most skilled. Tony hit some really great, off-balance shots, and if he managed to shake free from his defender, the resulting point was almost automatic. Magnus had a good game, too. He dropped a few long-range shots, blew past the defense a couple of times for a lay-up, and once managed to dunk right in Tony's face, much to his annoyance.
When it came down to the end of the game, the teams were tied at twenty. For the final point, Alec and the others silently agreed to let Magnus and Tony work it out on their own. Magnus had the ball in his hands, taking jutting steps toward Tony, looking for a weakness. Tony was on him, not giving him any space to move, but then Alec saw the familiar smirk on Magnus's face, and knew he'd found what he was looking for. Magnus started left, and Tony bit. Magnus was too fast for Tony, and by the time he had recovered from his mistake, Magnus was slamming the ball through the rim and winning the game for his team.
Before Alec stopped to think about it, he wrapped his arms around Magnus in a celebratory hug. To his surprise, Magnus didn't even flinch. Instead, he wrapped his sweaty arms tightly around Alec in return. At least, until someone behind them told them to get a room. They broke apart, exchanging a sheepish glance and a not-so-sheepish smile.
"Alright," Alec said, "so we owe you dinner, and you owe us drinks."
"Not so fast," Tony said, and received a multitude of confused looks. "You two," he added, pointing to Alec and Magnus, "how about a little game of HORSE?"
Alec shook his head. "You've got to be kidding. I'm not playing anything against you two!"
Tony chuckled. "Nope. Just you two." He gave Alec a challenging look that made Alec want to know what exactly he was up to. Tony winked at him and said, "For every point you win, Alec, Magnus has to kiss you…in public." There were cheers and wolf-whistles at this declaration.
Alec couldn't help grinning himself. "What about his points?" he said, jerking his thumb toward Magnus.
Tony's grin broadened, looking devilish. "That's for you to decide in the comfort of your own bedroom."
More wolf-whistles, and Alec felt his face flush brightly. Magnus kept his poker-face on, agreeing to the terms of this wager. Alec was a little surprised at the sexual innuendo dripping from Tony's voice, but when he caught his eye, Tony gave him a you'll-thank-me-later look, and Alec thought it likely that he would.
The first shot was a lay-up, which both Magnus and Alec had no trouble hitting. It all went to hell after that. Magnus quickly got his H, O, and R with various shots, while Alec missed all of his corresponding shots. That was three sexual favors he owed Magnus, not that he was going to complain about it. The next shot, however, was a relatively easy jump shot from the free throw line, and somehow, Magnus missed it. When Alec hit his, earning his H, Magnus rushed over to him, gathering him in his arms, bending him slightly backwards, and planting a sweet but thorough kiss on his lips. More cheers rang out over this display, as Alec melted against Magnus. That kiss threw him off enough that he didn't even get close to hitting the next two shots, and Magnus won the game.
Afterward, there was a five minute discussion about how each team was going to pay up. The discussion ended quickly when Alec offered the beach house as the site for the payments. This idea was agreed upon in record time. Then, everyone dispersed to get cleaned up and meet at the house later that evening.
Alec marked a few things off his list of favors he owed Magnus, most of which occurred in the shower they took to get cleaned up. There was just something about his soapy hand on Magnus's rigid cock, and his mouth causing a second orgasm before they even made it out of the shower. Magnus was nice enough to reciprocate, even though he had technically already fulfilled his duty by kissing him on the basketball court. When they were both spent, they curled against each other and slept the afternoon away.
Alec ordered barbeque ribs, pulled pork, and wings from a nearby restaurant, which arrived shortly after Tony and the others showed up with several cases of beer. Alec had a couple of coolers of ice waiting out by the pool, which the guys wasted no time filling with beer bottles. Tony handed out the chilled beverages to everyone as they passed through the line collecting their food.
Alec and Magnus had not spent much time in the back yard of the mansion where they were staying, so after everyone had stuffed their bellies, they spent some time exploring. As it turned out, there was an enormous pool, complete with diving board and slide, a hot tub, and an outdoor bar. Someone lit tiki torches with citronella in an effort to keep the bugs away. But the best part was the sound system. The entire back yard was enclosed in a high privacy fence, and was wired with a state-of-the-art stereo and surround sound. Someone tuned in an alternative rock station as everyone sank into the pool and sipped their beer.
This was the relaxing evening Alec was hoping for. He liked the clubbing and the fancy restaurants, going out with his boyfriend and their new friends. But he really just wanted a night of peace and lethargy, chilling in the pool, drinking beer (which he couldn't do in public because he's underage), and chatting with people he enjoyed spending time with.
He glanced frequently at Magnus, who appeared to be completely stress-free, just the way he liked him. He was laughing with Tony, Mark, and Ian, who were apparently praising his skill on the basketball court, and possibly ribbing Tony about losing. Alec had his arms draped over the edge of the pool, letting his feet move in the current as he drained his bottle, when Brett swam up to him, flinging water as he shook his head like a dog. Alec laughed.
"So," Brett said, "tell me how you became a cheerleader."
Alec delved into the story about starting off as a gymnast, but changing to cheerleading as he entered high school because he truly hated some of the apparatuses. Brett thought that was funny, but couldn't resist agreeing that some of the apparatuses were a nightmare. When Alec finished his story, he turned the tables on Brett.
"Oh," Brett began, "well, all my family members are short. So they decided when I was little that I would either be a gymnast or a jockey." He gave Alec a pointed look. "I hate horses." Alec laughed at this, and Brett shrugged. "I mostly enjoy gymnastics, so I stuck with it."
"Well, you are certainly good at it."
Brett grinned. "I qualified for the Olympics this season. Can't wait. Rio de Janeiro, baby!" He looked like a kid at Christmas.
Alec clapped him on the shoulder. "That's awesome! Congrats, man. I have a friend that is trying out for the Olympic swim team. He'll be here in a few weeks."
"Yeah? Well, I hope he makes it. It'll be cool to see a familiar face there."
After promising to introduce Austin when he and Cammie arrived, Alec narrowed his eyes at Tony, just before launching himself at his new friend. He caught Tony by surprise and easily dunked him. When Tony came up for air, spluttering the water he had inhaled, Alec pointed a finger at him accusingly.
"You cheated!" he said sternly, though the effect was ruined by his inability to keep a straight face.
"What did I do?"
"You put me up against an Olympian!" he said as indignantly as he could muster. Everyone laughed. "I'm just a college cheerleader! Brett's practically a professional!"
Tony seemed to have trouble recovering from his laughter, but when he finally did, he said, "What about him!" He pointed at Magnus. "He's a freak of nature on the court!"
"Yeah," Alec said, slightly guarded, "but you had a whole team to help you! What the fuck, man!" Alec was laughing as he said this to Tony, wanting to make sure he realized he was just teasing him, even though he did feel slightly indignant that his competition was a freaking Olympic athlete! But his eyes kept darting to Magnus, worried that the amount of alcohol they had consumed would somehow loosen Tony's tongue enough for him to spill the beans about who Magnus was. He didn't really want to deal with his boyfriend freaking out right now.
Magnus had a slightly wary look in his eyes, but Alec doubted anyone who didn't know him as well as he did would catch it. He covered it well, as only Magnus can, with laughter and by punching the air triumphantly. That started a round of good natured ribbing as everyone recounted the number of times Magnus got the better of Tony on the court. Tony pouted, blaming the fact that Magnus was still playing on his inability to keep up with his opponent during the game. Alec thought that was skating a little too close for comfort to revealing Magnus's true identity. He shot Tony a 'cool it' look, and Tony seemed to realize what he was saying. Fortunately, the other guys didn't seem to catch it, and the conversation dwindled into multiple smaller groups. Alec sighed with relief.
He turned in the direction Magnus had been in a moment before, but Magnus had moved…right up against Alec. He was startled to find his boyfriend so close to him, but melting against him when Magnus's arms snaked around his waist and pulled him closer. Their groins brushed against each other as Magnus said, "Dance with me," against Alec's ear.
Alec pulled away enough to look into his eyes. "Here? In the pool?"
"Mmm-hmm," Magnus replied with a nod of his head.
Alec studied him for a moment. He seemed to be alright, not at all concerned that Tony was hinting around the fact that Magnus was still playing basketball. Alec wondered if he was truly okay or if he was still just covering it, but the worry fled his mind when Magnus wiggled his hips and his crotch met Alec's again. Alec's eyes fluttered briefly before he tossed his head back, raised his arms in the air and attempted to dance with Magnus right there in the pool.
If dancing in a pool sounds difficult, that's because it is. But just because he couldn't get the exact groove he normally would have on a dance floor, didn't mean he wasn't having a great time trying. They laughed at each other's moves, hampered by the force of the water, and Alec completely forgot any apprehension he'd been feeling. Magnus's eyes were shining and dancing with happiness, and that was all Alec needed to fully relax and enjoy this time with him.
It didn't take long for their guests to figure out what they were doing and join them. The water was swirling and writhing with the motion of eight bodies dancing in the pool. The fact that they were club-dancing to the alternative rock station the stereo was tuned to earlier didn't seem to bother anyone. No one seemed to be able to hold a decent rhythm anyway because of the water, so the dancing pretty much culminated in ruckus laughter from everyone.
After awhile, Alec found himself slow dancing with Magnus, with his arms around his neck and Magnus's around his waist, to one of the slower songs by Stone Temple Pilots or Alice In Chains, he couldn't remember which. It didn't matter. He wasn't exactly paying attention to the song anyway. He couldn't honestly say that he was aware of anything but Magnus, and the loving look in his eyes, and the feel of his hands on his back, slowly rubbing circles against his skin. He couldn't break Magnus's stare, and he didn't want to. That look, the one that told him everything he needed to know, he wanted that look forever.
"I love you," he whispered softly. Magnus dipped his head in reply, his lips softly brushing against Alec's, and Alec leaned into him even more. Their bodies were just barely above water, the feeling of floating intensified by the kiss. They kissed slowly, lazily, not really wanting to embarrass themselves with full-on erections when they finally got out of the pool.
Alec had no idea how long they stayed like that, in each other's embrace, lips locked together, bodies wrapped around the other's. It could have been a few minutes or all of eternity. But eventually, someone cleared their throat, and the couple broke apart. They were shocked to discover that everyone else was out of the pool, the music was off, and someone was working on turning off the lights and blowing out the tiki torches. Alec felt himself blushing as he realized that he and Magnus must have been in their own little world for quite some time.
They swam to the steps leading out of the pool and caught the towels Tony tossed to them as they got out. As Alec toweled off his hair, he said, "You guys are welcome to stay the night. We have plenty of bedrooms."
After a brief discussion, they all agreed to stay. They had consumed a decent quantity of beer and, to Alec's surprise and amusement, it was well after one in the morning. He gave his guests a quick tour of the house and told them to make themselves at home. Then he and Magnus retired to their wild animal printed room to check off a few more of those favors Alec owed him from the game of HORSE.
A/N: Before you guys start asking, no, I am not reluctant to do the sex scenes now. Sometimes it fits the story better to just reference them instead of describe what's going on. There will be plenty more lovin' between these two. No worries. Besides, can you imagine how long this chapter would be if I had included them?!
