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Written by N8otter, revised by Mongoose Ink
1/23/14
Pre-Game
Luke Hirvonen (SAS, Cougar) stood in front of the door. Fist clenched, his knuckles hovered six inches from the nameplate emblazoned on the wooden frame. “ALAN FOSTER, HEAD COACH,” it read. In the time he had been with the Spectrums, Luke had always seen Coach Foster as not only his leader, but also as a close friend, which was odd, considering all the run-ins he had with Rolf Korber (LVG Head Coach, Doberman) during his short tenure on the Las Vegas Wildcards. But this was different. This wasn't discussing line-ups or boasting about their respective vinyl collections. This was personal. This was huge.
For the last six months, Luke and his teammate and pal, Crosby Sutters, had been secretly dating. What had started quite by accident in the beach house they'd shared in Florida over the summer had grown, both in depth and intensity, and they had decided that it was time to go public with their relationship.
Well, more like Crosby had decided, but the genet wasn't willing to out his best friend before he was ready. Luke had been waffling on the subject for a while, and as much as he feared living with the repercussions from the Spectrums organization, his family, his fans etc., what scared him most was the fear of potentially losing his best friend and the closest thing to an actual romantic relationship he'd ever had over some petty, unfounded fears. He hated himself a little more every time he saw that dejected look in the genet's eyes whenever he backed away from doing simple things other couples take for granted. Holding paws while out for a walk. A kiss at the movies, or flowers on a date. Those things hadn't been allowed out of fear that they would be discovered. He knew that Crosby shouldn't have to deal with that. No one should. With that, Luke swallowed the lump in his throat and knocked on the door.
It opened to reveal a short, smiling dingo. “Hey, Luke!” Foster cheerfully said as he looked up to his star point guard. “What can I do for ya?”
Words didn't come so easily to Luke as he walked in to Foster's office, taking a seat in the chair across from what had once been Jackson Price's old desk. “Hey coach, ummm......got a minute?” The words stuck in his mouth as if scared to come out.
The dingo's ears folded back in concern. "Everything alright, mate?" Foster asked in his quaint Australian accent.
Luke's throat tightened. He knew he shouldn't be nervous, but he couldn't help thinking what if it meant the end of his career, or if it would mean that he'd be traded once his contract is up. Or worse, what if he had to separate with Crosby? Clearing his throat, the cougar forced himself to speak. “Coach, I have something to tell you? I...” Luke stammered for a bit, trying to get his thoughts together.
"It's about you and Crosby, isn't it" Foster guessed while hauling himself up to sit in his own, slightly oversized chair behind the desk.
Luke's ears went up in shock, eyes going wide. "Huh?" was the only syllable he could manage.
“You and Crosby are an item, huh?” Foster nodded, looking entirely unfazed.
Luke didn't know what to say. How the hell could his coach know? They had been so careful to cover their tracks. Stammering, he let one paw rub over the knuckled of the other, “I.....um, yeah. Yeah, we are. How did you know?”
Alan Foster just smiled and leaned back into his cushy chair. “I've been around Crosby over three years now. The boy ain't as subtle as he thinks. He might not know it, but he'd hinted at it a few times. But honestly, I just kind of guessed.”
Luke's ears perked up a bit as he breathed a sigh of relief. “Just didn't know what to expect, you know, since we're teammates and all.”
To that, Foster shrugged, then leaned forward, elbows on his desk. “Well there's going to be a reaction, that much is for certain, Luke, but it ain't gonna be from me. I'm sure we'll get some blow back from overzealous religious groups, various media outlets, and well....I think we both know how Davis is going to take this, but I can handle him," he said. "But I want you to know, you have my blessing, and I'm sure the higher-ups will agree with me.”
A more serious look then came over the dingo's face as he continued, "However, Luke, I do have concerns, and they're ones you seriously need to think about, and talk with Crosby about. Your contract is up at the end of the season. Now, as much as I would love to keep you with the Spectrums, I'm certain that more than a few other teams will be gunning for you once you hit free agency, but Crosby's signed in here for several more years to come. You need to keep this in mind. Long distance relationships can be a nightmare, especially if they're mostly physical ones."
"It's not like that," Luke was quick to point out. "Mostly physical, that is. In fact, if anything it's mostly not physical, it's... real, I think."
"You better do more than just think it, boyo," Foster cautioned him, eyebrow raised. "That boy is very emotional. I can see the way he looks at you, and I've seen you looking back. If you're planning on telling the world you two are in love, you better be sure you really are."
"I am," Luke nodded.
"Good," Foster leaned back in his chair. "But still, bear in mind anything can happen, and even next week one or the other of you could wind up on the other side of the country. I can't control that, that's up to the GM."
Luke sulked, contemplating for a second what life on another team would be like. Going weeks, maybe a month or two without seeing each other, but he said nothing.
He didn't have to, as Foster piped back up, “That being said, I'm happy for you two. I should've figured something was up beyond you two just being pals."
Luke's face brightened once more. “Oh, and why is that?”
Foster grinned widely. “Well, Crosby's been showing a great deal of confidence lately, and you haven't been a brooding grouch.”
“Hey!” Luke yelled, half laughing. “Yeah, I guess it's been good for me, too. It wasn't what I expected, but in a way... it's better.” Luke stood up and reached out to shake Foster's paw. “Thanks for this, Coach. I can't tell you how much it means to me. I'll let you get back to your exciting paperwork.”
"The thrill never ends," Foster smirked. "But, you telling me this, I have to ask: is this public, now, or should I keep it mum?"
"Mum for now, Coach. I need to announce it myself, in my own way," Luke replied. Letting go of his coach's paw, he walked back down toward the locker room, feeling as if an enormous weight had been lifted from his shoulders.
1/23/14
Pre-Game
Luke Hirvonen (SAS, Cougar) stood in front of the door. Fist clenched, his knuckles hovered six inches from the nameplate emblazoned on the wooden frame. “ALAN FOSTER, HEAD COACH,” it read. In the time he had been with the Spectrums, Luke had always seen Coach Foster as not only his leader, but also as a close friend, which was odd, considering all the run-ins he had with Rolf Korber (LVG Head Coach, Doberman) during his short tenure on the Las Vegas Wildcards. But this was different. This wasn't discussing line-ups or boasting about their respective vinyl collections. This was personal. This was huge.
For the last six months, Luke and his teammate and pal, Crosby Sutters, had been secretly dating. What had started quite by accident in the beach house they'd shared in Florida over the summer had grown, both in depth and intensity, and they had decided that it was time to go public with their relationship.
Well, more like Crosby had decided, but the genet wasn't willing to out his best friend before he was ready. Luke had been waffling on the subject for a while, and as much as he feared living with the repercussions from the Spectrums organization, his family, his fans etc., what scared him most was the fear of potentially losing his best friend and the closest thing to an actual romantic relationship he'd ever had over some petty, unfounded fears. He hated himself a little more every time he saw that dejected look in the genet's eyes whenever he backed away from doing simple things other couples take for granted. Holding paws while out for a walk. A kiss at the movies, or flowers on a date. Those things hadn't been allowed out of fear that they would be discovered. He knew that Crosby shouldn't have to deal with that. No one should. With that, Luke swallowed the lump in his throat and knocked on the door.
It opened to reveal a short, smiling dingo. “Hey, Luke!” Foster cheerfully said as he looked up to his star point guard. “What can I do for ya?”
Words didn't come so easily to Luke as he walked in to Foster's office, taking a seat in the chair across from what had once been Jackson Price's old desk. “Hey coach, ummm......got a minute?” The words stuck in his mouth as if scared to come out.
The dingo's ears folded back in concern. "Everything alright, mate?" Foster asked in his quaint Australian accent.
Luke's throat tightened. He knew he shouldn't be nervous, but he couldn't help thinking what if it meant the end of his career, or if it would mean that he'd be traded once his contract is up. Or worse, what if he had to separate with Crosby? Clearing his throat, the cougar forced himself to speak. “Coach, I have something to tell you? I...” Luke stammered for a bit, trying to get his thoughts together.
"It's about you and Crosby, isn't it" Foster guessed while hauling himself up to sit in his own, slightly oversized chair behind the desk.
Luke's ears went up in shock, eyes going wide. "Huh?" was the only syllable he could manage.
“You and Crosby are an item, huh?” Foster nodded, looking entirely unfazed.
Luke didn't know what to say. How the hell could his coach know? They had been so careful to cover their tracks. Stammering, he let one paw rub over the knuckled of the other, “I.....um, yeah. Yeah, we are. How did you know?”
Alan Foster just smiled and leaned back into his cushy chair. “I've been around Crosby over three years now. The boy ain't as subtle as he thinks. He might not know it, but he'd hinted at it a few times. But honestly, I just kind of guessed.”
Luke's ears perked up a bit as he breathed a sigh of relief. “Just didn't know what to expect, you know, since we're teammates and all.”
To that, Foster shrugged, then leaned forward, elbows on his desk. “Well there's going to be a reaction, that much is for certain, Luke, but it ain't gonna be from me. I'm sure we'll get some blow back from overzealous religious groups, various media outlets, and well....I think we both know how Davis is going to take this, but I can handle him," he said. "But I want you to know, you have my blessing, and I'm sure the higher-ups will agree with me.”
A more serious look then came over the dingo's face as he continued, "However, Luke, I do have concerns, and they're ones you seriously need to think about, and talk with Crosby about. Your contract is up at the end of the season. Now, as much as I would love to keep you with the Spectrums, I'm certain that more than a few other teams will be gunning for you once you hit free agency, but Crosby's signed in here for several more years to come. You need to keep this in mind. Long distance relationships can be a nightmare, especially if they're mostly physical ones."
"It's not like that," Luke was quick to point out. "Mostly physical, that is. In fact, if anything it's mostly not physical, it's... real, I think."
"You better do more than just think it, boyo," Foster cautioned him, eyebrow raised. "That boy is very emotional. I can see the way he looks at you, and I've seen you looking back. If you're planning on telling the world you two are in love, you better be sure you really are."
"I am," Luke nodded.
"Good," Foster leaned back in his chair. "But still, bear in mind anything can happen, and even next week one or the other of you could wind up on the other side of the country. I can't control that, that's up to the GM."
Luke sulked, contemplating for a second what life on another team would be like. Going weeks, maybe a month or two without seeing each other, but he said nothing.
He didn't have to, as Foster piped back up, “That being said, I'm happy for you two. I should've figured something was up beyond you two just being pals."
Luke's face brightened once more. “Oh, and why is that?”
Foster grinned widely. “Well, Crosby's been showing a great deal of confidence lately, and you haven't been a brooding grouch.”
“Hey!” Luke yelled, half laughing. “Yeah, I guess it's been good for me, too. It wasn't what I expected, but in a way... it's better.” Luke stood up and reached out to shake Foster's paw. “Thanks for this, Coach. I can't tell you how much it means to me. I'll let you get back to your exciting paperwork.”
"The thrill never ends," Foster smirked. "But, you telling me this, I have to ask: is this public, now, or should I keep it mum?"
"Mum for now, Coach. I need to announce it myself, in my own way," Luke replied. Letting go of his coach's paw, he walked back down toward the locker room, feeling as if an enormous weight had been lifted from his shoulders.
Category Story / All
Species Cougar / Puma
Size 120 x 120px
File Size 29.5 kB
Nicely done, Mitch! Very simple and honest, and this story does a nice job reflecting the different personalities in the 3 characters involved. Also, I like how the tension is not from the relationship being gay, but from the relationship itself. This feels to me more honest to the FBA Universe where there are open gay relationships-- just not ones between two active athletes.
By Davis, did you mean Sterne Davids, the commissioner? Or is Healey Davis somehow involved with the Spectrums?
By Davis, did you mean Sterne Davids, the commissioner? Or is Healey Davis somehow involved with the Spectrums?
The credit for this story actually goes to N8otter. He wrote it, I just cleaned it up and added a bit more dialogue for Foster. And by Davis, they mean Joseph Davis, the ultra-conservative rookie center they drafted, this season.
The relationship between Luke and Crosby has been building for a long time, with N8 and I working out their friendship first, and then the development into a relationship from there. There is much more to come regarding this story, but N8otter is spearheading with writing on it so it can keep a focus on Luke, instead of me focusing on my characters by default.
The relationship between Luke and Crosby has been building for a long time, with N8 and I working out their friendship first, and then the development into a relationship from there. There is much more to come regarding this story, but N8otter is spearheading with writing on it so it can keep a focus on Luke, instead of me focusing on my characters by default.
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