Feel the Fire (Hotshots 3)

“Twist my arm.” Luis’s heated look contained a reminder of all the tasting they had done the other night and made Tucker temporarily forget they weren’t alone in the stands. “Back soon.”

“Hmm.” Heidi made a thoughtful noise after Luis was out of hearing distance. “I sure hope you know what you’re doing.”

“What?” Playing dumb seemed like the smarter option as he did not want to get into a discussion on the state of his and Luis’s friendship right there, especially with an audience.

“What indeed.” She arched an elegant eyebrow. “I’m just worried—”

“Don’t be.” Making a dismissive gesture, he gave her what he hoped was a firm look.

She crossed her arms. “I just don’t want you hurt.”

“Let me worry about that.” He couldn’t lie and tell her he wasn’t going to be hurt. That much was already a given. Luis leaving was going to suck, but he’d lived a lot of years without the sort of connection he felt with Luis. He’d make it through. And unlike when Luis left before, he was an adult who could see this coming and could brace for its impact. At least he hoped.

However, that conviction wavered as the game progressed. Luis returned with food, and their fingers kept brushing as they shared the flaky sweet treat along with some fries. That one look aside, they weren’t particularly flirty, but there was something about having Luis there that fed him on a deep, almost cellular level. It was cozy, but more than that, it was something he’d been yearning for without even realizing how much. They simply fit. And Luis fit here too, joking with Isaac and cheering with Angelica and sneaking more bites from Tucker’s plate. He seemed far from miserable, relaxed even with plenty of easy smiles.

Maybe... Tucker’s brain knew better, but his heart still painted a pretty picture where this was a regular occurrence, where summer turned fall and fire season gave way to football and Luis was still here. A few years ago, he could have scarcely imagined such a universe, but if Rain and Garrick were managing to make a life here, then maybe... It wasn’t like relations with Tucker’s family could get more frosty. We could be...

“Go Wade!” Heidi and Luis yelled in concert, Angelica and Isaac whooping as Wade ran with the ball. Not a touchdown, but close and the crowd roared.

A partnership. That was what he wanted, his most private desire, the one he didn’t let himself look at very often. But wanting that, seeing the potential here, wasn’t the same as getting it. Even if Luis wasn’t leaving, there was still the not-so-small matter of his heart not necessarily being up for grabs. He was still grieving his losses, and Tucker couldn’t blame him for being wary of a new relationship.

Not happening. Enjoy what you’ve got, he lectured himself as Wade’s team finally delivered that touchdown. The game stayed close, fun to watch and a good sign for the upcoming season, the way the kids worked together.

“Do you worry?” Luis asked him as Walker’s team completed a particularly vicious tackle.

“About?” It took Tucker a moment to realize Luis probably meant football, not all the questions and wants churning through him. A better question would be what he didn’t worry about.

“The risks... I mean, it’s a dangerous sport.” Luis frowned as the tackled kid’s teammates helped him up.

“We work in a dangerous occupation,” Tucker pointed out. “But, yeah, I know what you mean. My heart stops every time one of them hits the grass.”

“I can imagine. Makes me glad my brothers were more into baseball.”

“We had those years too. Wade took a ball to the helmet in little league. Talk about worry. Anyway, we had a long talk when they first started to play football, but they both wanted to make the team so badly. Not gonna lie, it’s hard as a parent though.”

“Yeah.” Luis discreetly tapped his foot against Tucker’s. “I feel you.”

“But at a certain point, I realized I wasn’t going to be able to keep them safe forever. And that sucks. Watching them drive away the first time...football tackles...it’s all hell on my nerves but they’re going to fly whether I’m ready or not.”

“Truth.” Gaze still intent, Luis studied the game, thoughts somewhere Tucker couldn’t follow.

He wasn’t going to sugarcoat it. Worry about the kids was the hardest part of parenting, but he wouldn’t trade all the sleepless nights and trembling hands for anything. Love was worth it, and he wished he had an easy way of sharing that certainty with Luis. Loss undoubtedly changed things, tinged the way Luis saw the world, and Tucker would do anything to shoulder even a small part of his burdens.

The game came down to the final play, Tucker back to holding his breath as Wade caught the ball and made a mad dash for the end zone.