Nothing But Net (boy x boy)

I want to be with you (Kaiden)

"Good shot, Isaak!" Coach Carsten shouted.

Isaak ran back down the court, ready to play defense. Kaiden trailed him with his eyes, conscious of every little movement. Isaak looked so natural, playing like he always played, and he couldn't help but wonder if the other boy was feeling effected at all.

When they'd first seen each other before practice, Kaiden's whole world had been rocked for the second time that day. It finally set in that, not only had he kissed Isaak, but he'd liked it so absurdly much. There was no way, absolutely no way, that he wasn't gay. There was no going back.

The realization had quieted him completely, so much he hadn't had the strength to say hi to Isaak, or even really look at him. Undoubtedly, this had left Isaak with some questions. Kaiden dreaded answering them later.

Did Isaak want to date him? The very idea sped his heart up to a steady, aggressive pounding.

But that would mean coming out, and not just to a couple of friends. Isaak was not scared of who he was. He embraced his sexuality, had experience Kaiden could only dream of having. It would be wrong to ask him to have their relationship in secret, right? But what if it was only for a little while, until Kaiden got everything set, and came out to his parents?

With these questions rattling around his head all practice, his play was horrendous. Isaak played fine, further proving he wasn't impossibly confused by his feelings.

About two-thirds of the way through practice, Isaak grabbed one of his fingers and announced it was bleeding. He turned to Kaiden, who he happened to be standing next to, and said imploringly, "Hey, can you come help me bandage it up?"

Without waiting for an answer, Isaak started walking towards the training room, and Kaiden had no choice but to follow. If Coach Carsten minded them leaving in the middle of a drill, he didn't show it.

"Shut the door," Isaak commanded after Kaiden made his way into the room. Kaiden did as he was told, and then turned to grab the alcohol swabs and bandages.

"You're not bleeding," he muttered dumbly upon inspection of Isaak's hand.

"No, I'm not bleeding!" Isaak snorted. "I was just making up an excuse so we could talk about earlier!"

Kaiden's head snapped around the room, paranoid that someone would hear their conversation.

"It's fine," Isaak reassured him. "The trainer's out on vacation right now, in Jamaica or something. This is a safe place for us to talk."

Kaiden sighed in relief. "I'm sorry, I'm just not ready for everyone to know yet. I've got stuff to work out, people I want to tell first, and I don't want any rumors floating around."

"It's okay, I just want you to be comfortable with yourself, and move at your own pace," Isaak said, placing a gentle hand on Kaiden's upper arm. The contact grounded him, allowed him to catch a couple of deep breaths. "And that's what I wanted to talk about, actually. You seemed kinda out of it at practice, and I wanted to make sure it wasn't because of me."

How did he ever get so lucky? Kaiden could've cried at how sweet and kind Isaak was. He didn't, of course, because he didn't cry over emotional nonsense.

"No!" Kaiden's knee jerk reaction instantly spilled past his lips, but he caught himself before he could make more vehement denials. He didn't want Isaak to feel bad, but Callie had actually been right earlier. The truth was the best option. "Well, yeah, I've been distracted thinking about the kiss this morning. The truth is, I'm not ready to be out yet."

Isaak's shoulders slumped a bit, but his hand never left Kaiden's shoulder. "Oh. That's okay. If you need, I can give you some space."

"No!" Isaak's eyes widened in surprise and amusement. "I want to be with you! I just need time when it comes to everyone else. And I know I can't ask you to be my secret or anything like that, it's unfair. But if you're willing to wait, I know I can get there."

A grin broke over the other boy's face. "Of course I can wait. I'll be right here whenever you're ready," he said. "I'm glad we talked about this. Waiting until after practice would've killed me."

"Same," Kaiden admitted. He wasn't usually so forthright with his feelings, but something about Isaak drew the truth right out of him. He was scared, he realized, of what miscommunication could do to them. This- whatever they were- was far too precious to be destroyed by stupid lies. "We should probably get back out there."

"Good idea," Isaak agreed, walking past Kaiden towards the door. Before he could open it and leave, Kaiden caught his hand and pulled him gently back.

The kiss was soft and calm, nothing like the wild making out they'd done that morning. Kaiden open his lips a fraction, hoping to deepen the kiss, but Isaak didn't rise to the bait. He gave Kaiden on more gentle peck before pulling back and looking affectionately into his eyes.

Kaiden was so far gone, he even found Isaak's restraint attractive.

"What was that for?" Isaak asked, eyes shimmering with affection.

"You're the kindest, most understanding person in the whole world," Kaiden murmured. "And it makes me want to kiss you." They grinned at each other, smiles soft in the faded half-light of the training room.

Isaak's right hand rested on the side of Kaiden's face, gently cupping his jaw and cheekbone. In a precise movement, he ran his thumb reverently along Kaiden's bottom lip.

"You have the most beautiful lips I've ever seen."

The words on his lips, the thoughts in his head, all evaporated. Kaiden stood, frozen, still processing Isaak's declaration. The second his brain and body got on the same page, he pulled Isaak in for another kiss.

This time, Isaak answered with matching enthusiasm.

A couple of minutes later they pulled apart, both panting. Kaiden tried to regulate his breathing, while Isaak did his best to fix his hair. Kaiden had done quite a number on it with his hands, making it stick up in every conceivable direction.

Standing side by side, Kaiden knew Isaak looked much more disheveled than him. His chocolate skin and stoic demeanor allowed him to look calm and collected even when he had just finished making out with the most attractive guy he'd ever met. Isaak, on the other hand, was as red as a tomato.

They waited for a few more quiet minutes before walking back out on the court, trading silent glances between them. None of their teammates seemed bothered by their sudden disappearance and reappearance. None except JJ.

JJ glanced at the pair with an amused expression, as if he'd guessed exactly what they'd been up to.

Of course JJ knew, Kaiden realized, giving his best friend an embarrassed smile. If Callie knows something, then so does JJ. Those two traded secrets almost as much as they swapped spit.

Naturally, JJ couldn't just leave well enough alone. "Where's the bandage you went to get?" he asked, pointing to Isaak's clearly uninjured finger. "Where's the cut?"

Isaak went white as a sheet, and Kaiden could hardly hold back his laughter. Maybe, just maybe, this whole dating Isaak thing would work out alright.

A/N: Hey guys! I am so sorry for that unscheduled hiatus. I had finals and basketball coming right at me, and I just couldn't seem to get this chapter done. It's here now, and my semester is finally over, so updates should become regular again!

Kaiden and Isaak are such goofs! I'm a sucker for stoic characters being emotionally vulnerable, so Kaiden was putty in Isaak's hands during this chapter. He'd do anything to make that boy happy! And how about that trainer being on vacation again? She sure seems to take a lot of conveniently timed breaks...

I hope you liked the chapter! Let me know what you wanna see in future chapters down in the comments, and I'll see what I can include. (Like, where should the boys go for their first real date???)

See you next week!

-C