Page 19 of The Locker Room

---

the axis of the earth with a few wishes.

“I just need to be able to play,” he said helplessly, and Chris"s

look… dimmed a little, became fond, and Xander knew it had been the

wrong thing to say, but he couldn"t seem to find the right one.

“We can do that,” Chris said, and he nodded, and Xander became

acutely aware that they were up against a stranger"s house, their bodies

plastered together, their hands clenched like lovers.

“Can we—” Oh, God, he hated to ask. “We have to go, but can

we—” He needed it. Chris"s lips were swollen, and he"d tasted so… so

golden. So warm and sunshiney. Xander wanted to taste him again, to

make sure it hadn"t been a fever dream, a mirage, hatched in desperation

as he huddled under the stairwell by the dryer.

Chris"s mouth was on his again, and he let go of Chris"s hand and

wrapped his arms around that smaller, more slender body and pulled his

friend, his savior, deep into whatever haven he could give.Don"t leave

me, Chris. Don"t let me leave you. I need this. I need you. I"ll do

The Locker Room

17

anything, move the world, move out of my mom"s place, get an

apartment, pass all my classes,anything,just stay here, right here,

forever.

God… oh God… oh God… he tasted so sweet.

They pulled back, panting, and suddenly Chris"s hands were

smoothing his shirt and wiping the corners of his mouth, and Xander

found himself doing the same to Chris. They needed to straighten up, he

thought giddily. Couldn"t have the student body knowing that their two

basketball stars were swapping spit with eachother, now could they?

Oh, Jesus. No one could know.

Chris was staring at him, backing away, looking a little

embarrassed and a little mischievous and a little wonderful, and Xander

---