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Team, Then Alone

Author: Skygirl
last update publish date: 2026-05-29 22:59:37

Sal’s Diner looked like a postcard from some other decade, cracked vinyl booths, greasy garlic air, a jukebox gathering dust, and menus with corners gone yellow from who knows how many lamination jobs. The guys had grabbed a cluster of tables in the back, and honestly, you’d think they owned the place the way their voices filled the space.

Marcus didn’t give anyone a chance to choose; he’d already ordered before half the team even sat down.

Tyler made a face. “You chose for us?”

“Relax," Marcus
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  • Boys Don’t Play Fair   The Thing We Don't Say

    Monday rolled in cold and gray.The city felt hungover, still groggy from the weekend. Streets sat quiet, sidewalks glazed with leftover frost. Joe moved through it, hands shoved deep in his pockets, his breath slipping out in little clouds. His body walked, but his mind was somewhere else.He hadn't really slept. The whole weekend was just a mess of thoughts Liam's voice, Liam's hand around his wrist, the taste of his mouth. The way he said “I missed you,” like it hurt him to admit. And how Joe kissed him back without even thinking.He shook his head, kept his feet moving.At the corner, Noah waited. Always did. Bike chained to the rack, bag slung over one shoulder, two coffees in hand."You look like hell," Noah said, passing one over."I’m aware," Joe said, taking the cup."You sleep?"Joe hesitated. "Sort of.""How much is sort of?"He sipped the coffee. Hot. Bitter. Perfect."Enough."Noah didn’t press. He never did. Just fell in step with him, and together they headed toward sch

  • Boys Don’t Play Fair   WHAT COMES NEXT

    Saturday morning slid in, quiet and gray. The kind of dull light that makes everything softer, a little blurry around the edges.Noah woke with Jay’s arm still draped over him, the heat of Jay’s body pressed against his back. Their legs tangled under the old comforter. The rhythm of Jay’s slow, even breaths brushed against Noah’s neck warm air hitting cool skin. The curtains kept the room dim, but just enough light leaked in from under the door to paint a pale line on the carpet by the closet.Noah stayed perfectly still. He didn’t want to mess up the moment, didn’t want to lose even a second of how safe and good it felt. He listened to Jay breathe, felt the weight and movement of his chest, the gentle squeeze of his arm tightening and loosening with each exhale. Memories from last night flooded back neon lights in the arcade, their faces smashed together inside a photo booth, Jay’s soft laugh in the dark. Little flashes and feelings that made Noah’s heart kick up and his cheeks g

  • Boys Don’t Play Fair   Tonight, We Had Everything

    The car was a little oasis of heat, humming quietly against the ugly slap of February cold. When Noah slid into the passenger seat, he could almost melt into the upholstery fingers tingling as the vents blasted his face and hands. His bag slumped against the floor, sneakers kicked halfway off. He unzipped his jacket, trying to let the warmth soak straight into his bones. For once, his brain wasn’t racing it was like someone had pressed pause on all the noise inside his head."I don’t want to think," Noah mumbled, barely moving his lips.Jay shot him a sidelong look. "About what?""Anything. Seriously—everything. Exams. The future. Figuring out what I’m supposed to do with my life." He tipped his head back, eyelids drifting shut. "I just want to exist for a bit.""That’s pretty philosophical," Jay said, even though he was grinning.Noah cracked an eye open, unamused. "I’m very philosophical. And also very tired."Jay just snorted, shifting the car into drive. "At least you know yoursel

  • Boys Don’t Play Fair   Exam's Mood

    Monday morning came in cold and grey.Noah woke up before his alarm. The room was dark, the curtains drawn, the only light coming from the crack beneath his door. He lay there for a moment, staring at the ceiling, letting the weight of the day settle over him.Exam day.He'd studied. He'd prepared. He'd done everything he was supposed to do. But the knot in his stomach was still there, tight and familiar, the way it always was before something important.He got up. Showered. Dressed. Ate breakfast standing at the counter, the same way he always did. His mom was already at work she'd left a note on the counter, her handwriting familiar: Good luck today. I believe in you. Love, Mom.Noah folded the note. Put it in his pocket.Grabbed his bag. Left for school.The hallways were different on exam day.Quieter. More focused. Students moved through the corridors with their heads down, notebooks clutched to their chests, the weight of the next few hours pressing down on them. No one laughed.

  • Boys Don’t Play Fair   I Need Time

    The car was warm.Noah settled into the passenger seat, the heat from the vents washing over him, chasing away the cold. Jay slid into the driver's seat. Started the engine. Didn't pull away immediately."You okay?" Jay asked.Noah looked at him. "I should be asking you that.""Why?""Because you invited Liam. And then you didn't. And then he showed up anyway."Jay's jaw tightened. "I thought about inviting him. For like a second. I just.... want them to talk. But I guess—" He stopped. "I guess he knew I was thinking about it."Noah reached over. His hand found Jay's on the console."He came," Noah said. "That's what matters.""I don't know if it matters. Joe was upset.""Joe will be okay."Jay looked at him. "You sure?"Noah thought about it. About Joe's face in the hallway. About the way he'd said I can't do this like he meant it and didn't mean it at the same time."Yeah," Noah said. "I'm sure."Jay squeezed his hand.They sat there for a moment. The engine hummed. The heat blew. T

  • Boys Don’t Play Fair   Movie Night

    The theater was on Main Street, tucked between a bookstore and a coffee shop that had been there since before anyone could remember. The neon sign flickered in the February dark red and blue, casting pale light across the sidewalk.Jay pulled up at 7:55.Noah was already there, standing near the entrance, his hands in his pockets, his breath clouding in the cold air. Jay got out of the car. Walked toward him."You're early," Noah said."So are you.""I got here five minutes ago.""I got here ten minutes ago."Noah looked at him. "You were waiting in your car?""I was listening to music.""For ten minutes?"Jay didn't answer.Noah shook his head. But he was smiling.They walked toward the theater together. The line was short Friday night, but early enough that the crowd hadn't arrived yet. Jay stepped up to the window."Four tickets," he said.The woman behind the counter didn't blink. She printed them out. Jay paid.Noah looked at him. "Four?""Yeah.""Who's the fourth?"Jay pocketed

  • Boys Don’t Play Fair   No More Ghosts

    The rink was cold.Not the usual cold the kind that settled into your bones before you even stepped onto the ice. The kind that meant the building had been empty for hours, the cooling system working overtime, the air sharp and clean.Jay laced up his skates in the quiet locker room. The team was s

  • Boys Don’t Play Fair   What Can't Be Fixed

    The afternoon was cold and grey.Joe walked through the side gate of the school, his bag over his shoulder, his jacket zipped against the wind. The parking lot was half-empty most of the students had already gone home, the late buses had come and gone, and the only people left were the ones with pr

  • Boys Don’t Play Fair   We were happy

    Thursday morning came in grey and heavy.Noah walked into English at 8:15. The room was the same as always the desks in rows, the whiteboard covered in notes, the faint smell of coffee from Mrs. Paterson's mug.He sat down. Didn't look at anyone."Today," Mrs. Paterson said, "we're going to talk ab

  • Boys Don’t Play Fair   The Door

    Wednesday evening.Noah was at his desk, calc notebook open, pen in his hand, the problems blurring together after an hour of staring at them. The room was quiet. His lamp was on. Outside his window, the city had settled into its evening rhythm cars passing, someone's music drifting down from above

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