Passing to Payton
“Dude, did you see the looks on their faces after that touchdown?”
“I thought they were gonna cry.”
“I would too if I just lost the last game of the season.”
“Man, Tucker, you cry every time you watch WALL-E, so you can’t talk.”
Tucker shut his locker. “Aw, c’mon LeBron, you know that shit is sad, when you think he’s gonna die, and that girl robot is-”
“Ha!” Another player joined in from down the aisle. “Damn, I think I see a tear welling up right now.”
“Fuck you, Peterson!” Tucker shouted across the locker room aisle.
“Not even if you put on a dress and some makeup,” came Peterson’s reply.
“I dunno,” LeBron scratched his chin, giving the massive Tucker a glance over. “He might clean up pretty nice. If I had a few shots of Jack...”
“I’m sure Jamie would be after your dolled-up ass, Tucker!” Peterson laughed.
“Man,” LeBron reached across the aisle to slap Peterson upside the head. “Watch yourself. You know that shit ain’t funny.”
“It’s okay,” Jamie shrugged it off from a couple lockers down, like he always did. Daringly, he gave Tucker his own long look then shook his head. “Nope. Sorry Tucker, but I think you’re just too damn big for me. Peterson, however... I’m sure it’d be small enough for me to handle.”
“Oooooh, daaaaamn!” LeBron laughed with a little ‘ you got served ’ dance while Peterson muttered something about queers in locker rooms. LeBron hit him upside the head again. “Dude, grow a pair. You know Jamie has way better taste in men than what you’ve got to offer.”
“Whatever.” Peterson huffed, gathered the rest of his stuff then made his way out of the locker room.
LeBron sighed, shouldering his duffle bag and leaning back against the lockers between Jamie and Tucker. “You’d think after playing with a gay guy for two seasons, he’d get over himself.”
“Not a big deal,” Jamie shrugged again.
“It’s bullshit,” Tucker spat after tugging a clean t-shirt on over his bulky torso. “I mean... You do everything you possibly can to not give straight guys the wrong idea. Hell, you even let us shower first, which isn’t necessary.”
“It is,” Jamie smirked. “Coach’s rule.”
Tucker’s brow furrowed. “You also just won us another fucking game, man. I don’t care if you like sucking dick or eating pussy. You’ve always thrown a good game-”
“And LeBron caught a good game, and you defended a good game,” Jamie replied calmly. He’d gotten used to Tucker and LeBron jumping to his defense. They’d been doing it since that first practice, when the coach had a ‘sit down’ with everyone to explain how and why Oklahoma State had drafted a gay quarterback.
“It’s a team win, not my win,” Jamie continued.
“Uh-huh,” Tucker smirked. “And I bet those pro-ball scouts on the sidelines today were here to check out my fat ass.”
Jamie laughed. “Nah, they were here to check out LeBron’s chicken legs.”
“Man,” LeBron laughed. “These chicken legs just ran sixty yards for a touchdown that you threw and made a whole bunch of Wildcats cry.”
“Sucks to not be a Sooner,” Kyle Liang commented as he passed between them on his way out the door, then he stopped with a glance back. “Oh, you three coming to Payton’s birthday bash tonight?”
“Hell yeah!” Tucker cheered. “No way am I gonna miss getting Payton plastered! You hear that, Payton? You’re gonna get toasted tonight, boy!” Tucker looked around the nearly empty locker room. “Damn, guess he already left.”
Liang snorted. “Yeah, just you three lovebirds left.”
Tucker wiggled his eyebrows at the short-statured kicker. “Wanna make it a foursome?”
Liang shrugged and raised one eyebrow. “Ask me again tonight after I get wasted.”
LeBron chuckled as Liang left the locker room. “I’m still convinced that dude swings your way, Jamie.”
“Totally,” Tucker agreed
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