Running

10- g r e a t

Writes note: Hey, I'm Sam and this is my first time publishing a LGBTQ+ book, so I figured it was about time. I will try to keep it as updated as possible but it might be a bit hard with my schedule. Be welcome to comment any suggestions or thoughts, as I will make sure to read them.

WARNING: THIS BOOK MAY CONTAIN SLURS, STRONG LANGUAGE AND TRIGGERING MESSAGES

Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN ANY BRANDS/COMPANIES MENTIONED IN THIS BOOK

~to my dear olivia rosetta ikonen, thank you for being my redd~

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⋆𝕝𝕦𝕔𝕒𝕤 ⋆
Buzz. Buzz.
I wake up to a buzzing sound coming from my window sill. I yank my covers off my chest and leap up. My feet are cold on the hard wood floor, I should switch the heater up.
"Hello?" I ask into the phone.
"Lu! How are you man?" Says a voice that I instantly recognise as Håkons.
"I'm alright. Why'd you call?" I answer.
"Eva, Marie, Fred, me. We going bowling tonight." He says.
"Fred?"
"A friend of mine from marines. Marie and Eva are inviting Lena too." He explains.
"What time?" I say abruptly.
"Eight o'clock. Be there of be the circle!"
He says.
"I think it's be there or be square." I explain, laughing lightly.
"Agh. Same, same." He laughs too.
"Okay,okay. I will see you at 8." I tell him.
"Actually could you meet at mine for 7:30? I want to go as group." He says.
"Okay right, that's fine." I agree.
"See you tonight Lucas." He repeats before hanging up the phone.
It's Monday, and I've never been more glad for it to be a long weekend.
I throw a shirt over my head and hop down the stairs and I can already hear Steve Wright's Sunday Love songs playing and mother singing along.
"Morning dear!" Mother greets me at the breakfast bar.
"Morning Mother." I reply, grabbing a jar of jam out of the cupboard.
I spread it carefully on my toast before sitting down in front of the television.
"So, I'm going fishing in a couple hours Lucas and I was wondering if you wanted to come?" My father says excitedly.
"I'm not sure, I might be going out with friends today." I tell him.
"Oh come on, we haven't gone in years together!" He replies quickly.
"That's right love, and besides, you and your father need to spend more time together." Mother agrees. I groan deeply.
"I don't even eat fish!" I exclaim and stand up.
"I don't care, you're going. Go and get changed." Mother adds yet again. Why does she always have to get involved.
I stomp up to my room in a huff and grab my phone off my desk. I see a text message from Adam.
«hey!! I only just woke up lmao soz. I was thinkin we could meet at lunch? x»
it reads.
«Father is making me go fishing 😞😞 going bowling 2nite with mates if u wanna come tho?» I text back quickly.

«maybe, what time?» he responds

«8? we meeting @ Håkons place @ 730 tho, so maybe we could meet @ bridge just before then and we can walk together? xx» I tap away hoping he will come.

«k, see u then» he sends back. K?? did i say something wrong?? oh god I hope I didn't. I always mess this shit up.

"Have you got your Wellington boots on?" I hear father shout from dow the stairs.
"Just a minute!" I holler back.
I open the closet door wide and begin to rake around for my boots. After a couple minutes I finally see a flash of yellow at the back of my cupboard, I pull them out and throw them into a hefty duffel bag. I quickly scan my cupboard to find my waterproofs too.
I grab the bag and haul it over my shoulder and rush downstairs.
"Your fathers already in the car, have a good time Lucas Alexander." Mother says kissing my cheek softly.
"I'll try." I respond with a smirk.

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"And this son, is the great outdoors!" Father says getting out of the jeep. I look around at the dirt and bushes.
"Don't look so disgusted." Father remarks at my obvious confusion at his love for this.
"You see that?" He says with his hands on his hips and nodding towards a small bridge ahead.
"Yeah. It's a bridge." I say, already fed up with this.
"Yes Lucas. But it is not just a bridge. It happens to have been right here since when I was a child and my grandfather would take me here." He explains this to me with such interest it baffles me.
"Oh.. really?... that's so.. cool" I make a half ass attempt at caring.
He smiles and starts walking towards it.
"Carry this son." He says handing me a large cooler. I grip it from he underneath and my arms sag. "What is in here?" I ask.
"Bait." Father says simply.
"Why the.. why is it so heavy then?" I ask dodging any unchristian words.
"Ice" he replies like it is the most obvious thing in the world, which it probably is to anyone who's seen a fish before. But not to me. I nod slowly to show him that I (sort of) care.

We walk further out until the woods until I'm sure we can't go any further. I see a vast lake ahead of us. To many, it's deep blue is comforting but not to I. Tens of thousands have died in the Earths waters, from oil leakages, storms, it's deadly creatures, you name it. As a child I couldn't even go to the beach without screaming  and crying but now it's just the ocean I can't do.

"Hop in then!" Father says holding the rope to the boat securely on the post beside him.
I step one foot in the boat and it rocks slowly and a wave of panic floods through me.
"It's okay. Just go slowly." Father says holding my arm securely.

We row out into the pool of blue further and my arms are aching already.
"You know Lucas.." father begins one of his rants yet again.
"The reason I wanted to invite you out here was to have a real man to man chat." He continues and I want to die. Ive never had a man to man chat before but if it's anything like in the movies, I am right in being scared.
"So. Females." He says and I am already bored.
"What about them?" I ask him. I know fine well what he's asking but I don't give a shit.
"How do you feel about them?" He asks and how I would describe my reaction at the current moment would be something like that of a deer in headlights.
"Uh. They're girls." I point out, very wisely.
"Well done. And how do you feel about them?" He asks again.
"Oh. That. They're okay I guess."- very Straight Man™, I know.
"Great. Another amazing father-son bonding moment in which you will remember for decades and pass on to your children." He says sarcastically.

g r e a t