XXX CHAPTER 40 XXX

The days following the Series were a blur of talk-show appearances, radio interviews, and pop-up parties with teammates. Emmett and his buddies couldn't seem to get enough of rehashing the highlights, and with the outcome decided, even the bloopers were now fair game.

Emmett looped in Edward with texts and photos as best he could, considering the guy had an actual day job. As Friday afternoon stretched into Friday evening, and evening turned to night, Emmett waffled between staying out with his friends and meeting up with Edward. Despite Edward's assurances that he was fine, Emmett couldn't help but feel guilty. Since August, when Edward started working, weekends had become much more precious to them both.

No worries. I have a stack of tests to grade.

Better get those done tonight so I can make up for lost time tomorrow.

Oh yeah? Will I be able to walk on Sunday?

Might be a little bow-legged but you'll get around.

Wonderful. Will you be up for a jog in the morning?

Sure.

Okay. Just call me if you can't.

You're not gonna let me get fat and lazy in the off-season, are you?

Hell no. You've got till Halloween before I started busting your ass. Have fun. See you in the morning.

XXX

Ragged from their run and elevator ride, Edward collapsed onto the nearest barstool. "This eight-to-four gig is kicking my ass. You might have to find yourself a new running coach."

Chuckling softly, Emmett slapped him on the back. "We just have to build up your stamina again." Emmett waggled his eyebrows, pulled off his shirt, and jerked his chin toward the bedroom.

"Is that your answer to everything?"

"Pretty much. Got a problem with my solution?"

"Not at all." Edward gave him a toothy grin and a juicy kiss. "Maybe I should try applying your methods to the Hodge conjecture. There's a seven-million-dollar prize for the solution."

"Damn, I love it when you math talk me." Dragging him off the stool, Emmett peeled off Edward's sweaty shirt and tossed it to the floor. They were reaching for each other's shorts when Emmett's phone rang. Deep in the moment, Emmett ignored the intrusion. It was Edward who pulled away first.

"You should get that. Might be a reporter."

"I'll call back . . . or not." Emmett nipped at Edward's neck, moving them both toward the bedroom.

"You don't want to get a reputation for being difficult, do you?"

"You're the one being difficult here, Professor." Emmett stopped cold when a firm hand landed on his chest. His boyfriend had a definite stubborn streak in him. "Seriously?"

"Just be polite and tell them you'll call back at a more convenient time."

"Ugh, I swear, you and your manners are gonna be the death of me—your manners and your ass. They're in a dead heat right now for first place." Emmett reached for his phone and answered while giving Edward an are-you-happy-now scowl. "Hello?"

"Well, hello there, Mr. MVP."

"Tammy." He made sure Edward heard the I-told-you-so in his voice.

"Congrats on the win!"

"Thank you."

"I was kind of hoping I might be able to take you out to celebrate."

"That's really sweet. I'd love to catch up. It would have to be during the workweek though. My weekends and nights are spoken for." Emmett shot Edward a wink.

"Oh. Sounds like your math teacher has taken you out of circulation."

Emmett's free hand wandered inside the elastic of Edward's running shorts. "You might say that."

"Bring him along. It's about time we met."

Emmett froze mid butt-cheek squeeze. "Um . . . I don't know about that."

Edward shot him a quizzical look, and Emmett pulled the phone away from his face.

"Tammy is inviting you to come out with the two of us."

Edward shrugged. "Your call."

He trusted them both implicitly. It was time for his best friend and his boyfriend to meet. What could go wrong?

"Sure, Tam. Let's do it."

"Excellent! I finally get to meet the mysterious tweeter. Think you two could drag your asses out of bed for lunch tomorrow?"

"Only for you, Tammy."

"El Colibri at noon?"

He and Edward had ventured out for a few harmless lunches in the city. With the added cover of a third guest, Emmett wasn't too worried. "We'll see you there."

Tugging away Edward's shorts and then his own, Emmett discarded the remainder of clothes and electronics as he pawed Edward all the way to his bedroom. "Sweaty sex or shower sex first?" he asked, knowing full well which his boyfriend would choose.

"Sweaty."

It was so much fun to make Edward say it, to raise that sweet blush on his cheeks.

Emmett chuckled into Edward's ear as he licked around the shell. "Damn, I've missed you."

XXX

Twenty-four hours weren't enough to catch up on all they'd missed in each other's lives over the past few days-the whirlwind of press and talk shows, the intimate conversations with teammates and coaches, the minute details of every day that Emmett had grown accustomed to sharing with his eager audience.

And the pieces of Edward's life that had slipped away unnoticed. What classroom drama had he managed? What amusing story about a co-worker? What wild adventure with his math team had Emmett failed to hear about?

Between screwing sessions that ranged from urgent to tender, from shower to furniture and floor, they catnapped with tangled limbs, stuffed their faces with restaurant deliveries, and fed each other's souls with stored-up stories. Day bled into night into morning until all they could manage was conversation.

Fingering the hard lines and curves of the naked body beside him, Emmett found himself wondering about what else he'd missed in Edward's life, as if the more he learned about Edward, the more he needed to know. "Tell me about your first time."

Edward leaned back into Emmett's chest, tipping his head back over his shoulder. "First time what?"

What, indeed? What was it Emmett was most curious about? The first time Edward had sex with a man? His first kiss? First blowjob? The first time his heart fluttered for someone else? Yes, yes, yes, and yes.

"All of it. Everything. Anything."

Edward sighed and shook his head. He flopped onto his back and folded his arms behind his head.

This is gonna be good, Emmett decided gleefully. He traced his fingertips across Edward's chest, met the hardened nipples with a light pinch, drawing a grin from his exhausted partner. "Just to help jog your memory," Emmett said with a smirk.

"Thanks." Edward regarded him quietly for a minute. "The summer before first grade, a new family moved onto our street."

"Oh my god, the boy next door. That is so you."

"Shh!"

"Sorry, continue." Emmett tweaked a nipple to get him talking again.

"The next day, my mom sent me over with a batch of chocolate chip cookies. His mother opened the door, and her face lit up when she saw me. She called Ben over to meet me."

"Lemme guess," Emmett interjected. "Athletic, outgoing, and adorable?"

Edward gave him a good-natured eye roll. "Nope. Actually, he was more like me than you—shy, insecure, kind of owly. He had the longest eyelashes I'd ever seen. I remember I couldn't stop staring when his mom introduced us."

Emmett brushed his palm across Edward's belly. "Butterflies?"

"I guess. I felt this pull to be with him. It didn't even matter what we were doing."

"What were you doing?"

"Mostly nothing," Edward said with a chuff. "This poor kid had four older sisters, and he was in dire need of some peace and quiet—"

"And testosterone!"

Edward chuckled. "Yes, well, as much as I had at age six."

"I'm sure you had plenty."

"Mmhmm. Anyway . . . he'd come knocking at our door just about every day. Sometimes, he'd bring a deck of cards or a ball of some sort. After Mom offered to turn on the sprinklers for us to run through, he'd show up in his bathing suit."

"Oh good god. Speedos?"

"No," Edward answered with a sidelong glance. "And I wasn't looking anyway."

"Huh, I bet he was."

Edward rolled his eyes. "Cut that shit out. We were kids!"

"Okay." Sealing his lips together, Emmett gave him a silent promise not to interrupt again. The truth was, Edward was treating him to the actual moment his virgin heart opened for the first time, and Emmett didn't want to miss a single beat.

"Ben's visits grew longer; he'd bring over his summer reading, and we'd hang out in my room after we'd exhausted ourselves outside. My mom is an awesome cook, as you know, but I honestly think Ben would've stayed for dinner if she'd served peanut butter and jelly. After a couple of weeks of this, my mom invited their whole family over. I guess she wanted his folks to see that we weren't axe murderers or something. Our moms must've made some kind of pact that night, because the next day, Ben had his first sleepover."

"Oh boy. I'm gonna need some details."

Edward shot him a shrewd grin. Yeah, he knew Emmett pretty well too.

"He started out in the guest bed, but at some point during the night, Ben woke me up and crawled into bed with me. I think he was a little homesick."

"Aww."

"I woke up with his chest snuggled against my back and his head resting on my shoulder. It was probably the best night's sleep I ever had. After that, we were inseparable, day and night."

"Do you think your parents knew how close you two were getting?"

"I don't know that they thought anything of it. I was happy."

"Please don't tell me that little kid broke your heart."

"No, but his parents did. His father was transferred to Dallas at the end of third grade. Never saw any of them again. Needless to say, I was a wreck."

"Ugh, you're killing me here." Emmett lay his head on Edward's chest, curling his fingers around Edward's hip. "Was he your first kiss?"

"Nope. We never actually got physical with each other. The whole thing was completely innocent . . . aside from a wee bit of 'I'll show you mine if you show me yours.'"

"No shit! Just looking? No touching?"

Edward chuckled, his chest vibrating under Emmett's ear. "Nah, we kept our hands in our own pajamas, but I do remember him with a fond tingle."

Emmett's heart nearly leapt out of his chest. Edward reached an arm around Emmett's back to pull him closer and riffle his hair.

"What about you? Who broke the seal on Emmett McCarty's heart?"

"You," Emmett answered without wasting a beat.

Edward thumped him on the back. "Before me."

Tilting his head to meet Edward's gaze, Emmett said, "My story is nowhere near as sweet or as innocent as yours."

"I can take it—now that we know your story has a happy ending." Edward could hardly contain his smile. And he wasn't letting Emmett off the hook.

"All right." Emmett wriggled out from under Edward's arm and tapped Edward's belly twice. Slumping onto his back with a dramatic sigh, he clasped his hands behind his head, mirroring Edward's pose. "Confession time."

Taking his cue like a champ, Edward rolled onto his side and propped his head up with his palm. "I'm listening."

"I had an unfortunate appetite for straight boys, which started at an early age and followed me through most of high school."

"Ugh, that's the worst."

"Tell me about it." Emmett rolled his eyes. "So, Garrett Healey. King of the Eisenhower playground. Ruler Supreme of the jungle gym. Master of the monkey bars."

"Oh, one of those."

"Yep, my own personal curse. Every day, I'd shove down my ham sandwich and Fritos and get my ass outside just to behold his perfection. Damn, he loved an audience, that kid. We'd line up three-deep just to watch the show. Even the adults were entranced. He was three years ahead of me, so I really watched him grow from scrawny—but extremely flexible—to muscular and confident. By the time Garrett hit sixth grade, I was old enough to understand that he owned my recess boner, not that I could do much with it besides try like hell to hide it."

Edward smiled and traced a line with his finger from Emmett's chin straight down to the recess boner. "Did Garrett have any idea what kind of havoc he was wreaking on you?"

"Not until I challenged him to a monkey bars contest one day."

"Uh oh."

"You can say that again." The memory was painful, even now, even with his lover's eyes offering sympathy and infinite admiration. "I was not the physical specimen you see before you today."

"Hard to imagine," Edward said with an almost straight face. "So, he agreed to this contest?"

"He lived for it. I'll never forget the way he looked me up and down, this cocky smirk appearing on his face, and he said, 'Loser is the winner's slave for a week.'"

"Damn! That's hot!"

Emmett chuffed, all kinds of fantasies rolling through his mind as he regarded his boyfriend. "It'd be hot now, with you. At eight years old, all I heard was either way, I was spending a week up close and personal with Garrett Healey. I shook his hand and sold my soul to the devil."

"Jesus, Em, what did that boy do to you?"

"We climbed onto the platform together, my poor heart was pounding so hard, I thought it might actually explode. Here I was with Garrett. He was talking to me, a third grader! Neither of us had a doubt in the world he was about to annihilate me, and I didn't even care. 'Challenger goes first,' he said. I reached for the first bar and realized I had no idea how to do this except for the time spent watching Garrett. Luckily, I had the strength in my right arm from pitching, so I was able to hold on and swing my weight forward. For a second, I thought maybe I had a chance, maybe I could outlast Garrett, even started thinking about what I might have him do as my slave."

"Oh, please share!"

Emmett smirked. "Considering I had all of half a second to contemplate before I fell into the dirt, I never got past imagining him sitting next to me in the cafeteria."

"Aww."

"Yeah, well, apparently, he had more time to think about it while he careened over me, flying across the bars at the speed of light."

"Asshole. I hate this kid."

Emmett nodded. "He flips around at the end and swings himself across to where I'm lying on my back. He dangles over me for a few seconds, taunting me, then drops right on top of my stomach and pins my arms over my head. It was easily the most humiliating moment of my short life, but I'd never been more excited!"

"You are a hot mess, Emmett McCarty." Edward climbed on top of Emmett, straddled his hips, leaned in, and kissed him. "So, what'd he make you do?"

"He had me carrying his books, fetching his lunch for him in the cafeteria, and even cleaning his room one day after school."

"You went to his house?"

"Yes. I had to make up some bullshit story for my parents."

"Did you still like him after the week was up?"

"I wanted him even more, and I hated his guts for it. Unfortunately, the want never went away. Thankfully, by the time we met up again in high school, I was already pretty popular, and I was getting all the head I could handle from the cheerleading squad."

"Girls?" Edward's eyes bugged out, making Emmett chuckle.

"Hey, when in Rome. Some of those girls gave really good head."

Edward rolled off to Emmett's side. "You're disgusting."

"I was horny and confused . . . and horny. They weren't asking for anything in return. It seemed like a pretty good deal to me."

"You didn't know you were gay?"

"I knew I was attracted to boys, but I couldn't make up my mind about girls. I knew I was supposed to like girls, and they were certainly an easier solution to my problem." Emmett reached for Edward's face, cupping his cheek. "I hope that doesn't make you think less of me. I'm just being honest."

"No, not at all. Just makes me feel a little sorry for you." Edward frowned, his gentle eyes exuding empathy. "Damn, why does love have to hurt so much?"

"It doesn't. Not when it's right. We'll never hurt each other."

"Everyone says that."

"Yeah. Listen, if we ever break up, please just don't get with another pitcher. That's all I ask."

Edward chuffed. "Okay, and you stay away from math teachers."

"Deal."

They sealed the agreement with a slow, deep kiss.

"So . . . all your firsts were with girls?"

Emmett chuckled, because of course, the professor's brain was still churning. "Most. First kiss, first blowjob, first fuck . . . yes."

Tugging Edward's face closer, Emmett closed his lips over the comical grimace. "Don't feel bad for me. All my important firsts happened with you." The deep green eyes staring back at him melted a little as Emmett elaborated. "First time holding hands with a man. First bareback. First time playing chess." They both grinned. "First time in love."

Even as Edward lowered his body on top of Emmett's, lining up lips and chests and thighs, Emmett knew Edward could not make the same claim. The realization might've soured his mood a tad more if not for the heavenly friction between his legs and the sweet taste of his lover's tongue. Edward's kisses grew urgent, as if he were frantic to communicate something. He pulled back suddenly from Emmett's mouth, still grinding their erections together with a wild desperation.

"You may not be my first love, Emmett McCarty, but you're the love of my life, and you will be my last."

Author's Note: Here's where I offer you a mild disclaimer, dear readers. As was very kindly, politely, graciously, and tactfully pointed out by my "staff", we have officially entered a section of slice-of-life chapters that have no lofty goal beyond moving you through a kind of day-in-the-life rhythm of our two lovers, bridging the World Series (October) to tee-ball season (March). Many of these "what-would-it-look-like-if-they-[talked about or did]-XYZ" scenes were prompted by reader suggestions, and the rest I will take the full blame or credit for, as you see fit. This particular scene was prompted by a reader curious to know about Edward's coming out experience. Since we know his parents were fully supportive, I decided this "first" scene would be more interesting for me to ponder, and then I wondered how Emmett's experiences would have differed, both because he's Emmett and because he chose to hide or deny who he was. I'd be very curious (and very happy) to hear what you thought of this but even more curious to hear how YOU imagined their firsts might've gone. Also, I recently read a thread on FB indicating that most people don't read authors' notes. That doesn't seem to be the case with you guys, but if I'm blabbing here needlessly, I guess I'd like to find that out too! Usually I try to offer some backstory or something relevant because I really love the reviews that are about the chapter and not about whatever nonsense is happening in my life.
XXX ~BOH

PS- Apologies to my prereaders for somewhat ignoring their warnings, and please don't look upon them with less respect for my desire to spend a bit more time with my boys and share the fruits of those discoveries with you.