Breathe

I'm back! Thanks to this new pairing. This was inspired by the Collingwood loss to Sydney in the weekend. Enjoy :)



I think I'll go over to my sisters' for a day or two.

You're not coming home?

I don't think I'll be very good company for a while.

I don't care. I miss you.

You're in a good place right now. I don't want to ruin it.

I don't think there is any situation when I'd ever regret having you with me.

So you won't mind me moping around the house while you prepare for the Grand Final?

I hate this house without you in it. Come home. Please.

Okay.

Do you want me to come pick you up?

It's alright. You'll probably be busy won't you?

No. I'll come get you.

---

Sharrod looks so tired, so beaten that it takes all the restraint Buddy has not to fold him in his arms, to not kiss him and make him forget the hurt. But they have rules. About public places. Like they do about Twitter. For the rest of the world they're just close friends.  Buddy can't count the number of times he'd wanted to say 'fuck it' and kiss Sharrod on a sidewalk just to see people's reactions.  He hasn't yet. He wonders if there ever will be a time when he wouldn't care what the world thought of him anymore. He hopes so.

Sharrod smiles when he spots him. A gentle smile that doesn't take away the sadness in his eyes.  Buddy wraps an arm around him, taking Sharrod's bag in the same movement and slinging it over his shoulder. Sharrod sighs and rests his head against Buddy's shoulder for a moment.

"Hey," Buddy whispers to the dark mass of Sharrod's hair. Sharrod's fingers clench in Buddy's shirt as he takes a deep breath and draws back, out of Buddy's arms but staying close.

"Hi."

"Let's get you home," Buddy says and they head for the car.  "James and Quade are cooking up a feast."
Sharrod tenses a little beside him.

"But we don't have to do that today. The boys can come over some other time," Buddy says tentatively.

"No. It's fine," Sharrod says as they reach the car and Buddy throws the bag in the back seat and climbs in the driver's seat.

"I just didn't think it would hurt so much," Sharrod laughs in the passenger seat. There is no joy in the sound, just weary sadness.  "It's not even a Grand Final. Not like…"

Last year.

Buddy hears the unspoken words. Last year hurt. Had broken Sharrod's heart.  They had only begun to know each other and Buddy had taken some time to realise that Sharrod is not one to throw things, or scream or lash out when he's upset. Instead Sharrod barely said anything to anyone, barely ate and one day Buddy found him crying quietly in the bathroom and realised how much he was hurting.  He spirited Sharrod away up to Queensland, after Quade insisted and James has never known how to take 'no'  for an answer. It helped a little.  He even managed to get Sharrod to smile once in a while.  Of course getting away from the footy crazy Melbourne helped. And all the sunshine. And James. Buddy was only just beginning to understand that it is impossible to be unhappy when James is around.

Buddy eases them on to the freeway, always keeping an eye on Sharrod.  They don't speak the rest of the way. But when they reach home and Buddy kills the engine, Sharrod reaches out and grips his hand.

"Thank you," he says, voice quiet and sincere.  Buddy folds the hand in both of his' with a small smile.

"Anytime."

James jumps in to Sharrod's arms when he enters the house.

"Sharrod! Thank god you're back! Buddy is no fun at all when you're not around!" James exclaims, drawing a smile from Sharrod.

Quade nods a gentle ‘hello’ from where he is stirring something on the stove.  "Welcome back man."

"Thanks guys," Sharrod says, kissing James's golden hair. Buddy follows him to their bedroom, leans against the door frame and watches Sharrod sifting through his clothes. "I'm gonna go have a shower okay," Sharrod says, turning around to look at Buddy. He pauses, catching Buddy watching him and smiles softly.  He throws the clothes on the bed and walks towards Buddy. Sharrod touches Buddy's face with gentle fingers. Buddy automatically wraps both arms around him.

"I'll be fine," Sharrod whispers, catching Buddy's lips with his own for a light kiss.

"I know." Buddy pulls him closer for a longer kiss. A sudden clang from the kitchen and a loud yelp makes Sharrod draw back with a laugh.

"You better go and rescue our dinner," Sharrod says, picking up his clothes and heading towards the bathroom.

Buddy grins and yells back at the kitchen. "James, what the hell are you doing to my kitchen?"

---

Sharrod can't sleep. The dinner, despite James doing his best to burn it, turned out fairly well. Quade really is a great cook. It was nice to just sit with such close friends and relax.  And Buddy. He almost wishes Buddy doesn't care about him so much. Those green eyes constantly fixed on him, making sure the conversation never strayed close to football at all. But given the Grand Final is next week he doubts they can avoid the topic. Especially since Buddy will be playing in it. The whole week will be filled with breakfasts, parades, interviews and Sharrod is happy for him. He is. It's just every moment of that will be rubbing salt in to his wounds. He knows he's being unfair. That last year his team was responsible for knocking the Hawks out of the finals. And then they went on to lose the Grand Final. Buddy took such good care of him even if Sharrod was in a way responsible for one of the worst days of his life. So he hopes Buddy makes it. He never wants any heartache to touch Buddy. Always wants those green eyes lit of with joy and mischief. He gently traces the lines of ink running along Buddy's arm that is laying across his chest, his head nestled so close to Sharrod's that he can feel the air on his skin every time Buddy breathes. He closes his eyes and focusses on matching his breathing to Buddy's. When sleep claims him, he is smiling.

The End.

Crazy

Hi Blog. I'm sorry if it feels like I've neglected you lately :( But i've come with fic so hope you forgive me.

This is inspired by Buddy Franklin (of the Hawthorn AFL club) and Sharrod Wellingham (Collingwood AFL club) living together and being friends with James O'Connor and Quade Cooper. Also by them constantly tweeting photos of each other.

Sharrod sits at the edge of the bed and reaches down for his shirt, which was shucked on the floor. He generally takes more care with his clothes but last night he could only focus on one thing. As if called by Sharrod's thoughts, a hand trails down the length of his back. He smiles to himself and puts on his shirt. He can practically hear the pout.

"Do you have to leave so early?" a sleep laden voice asks. Sharrod turns. Buddy has taken over the whole bed now, head on Sharrod's pillow, watching him with slitted green eyes.

"I have a flight to catch at 1.30 and someone," Sharrod squints his eyes at Buddy in mock anger, "refused to drive me to the airport."

Buddy buries his face in the pillow.
"I drove you last week," Buddy mumbles.

"To the MCG and because you were coming to the game," Sharrod reminds him.

Buddy crawls over to where Sharrod is sitting and reaches out, grasping Sharrod's hand and pressing his lips to the palm.
"Don't leave," Buddy says, looking up at Sharrod with pleading green eyes, still holding on to Sharrod's hand.

Sharrod sighs and tries to suppress a smile. He leans down, cupping Buddy's face with his free hand and kisses him lightly on the lips.
"You have training today. Gibbo is coming to pick you up at 10, alright?" he kisses him again, "don't go back to sleep."

Buddy squeezes his eyes shut and curls around him, his long body folding around Sharrod.

"Hey," Sharrod gently runs a hand through Buddy's short cropped hair. Buddy opens his eyes. Sharrod has always loved this shade of green. "I love you."

Buddy smiles, slow and lovely, and ducks his head, forehead touching the bare skin of Sharrod’s thigh.

The doorbell rings and Sharrod just manages not to jump in surprise.

“That’d be James,” Sharrod says and stands up, gently dislodging Buddy’s tentacle arms and pulling on his jeans. “Lucky I have some friends who care about whether I get to the airport in time,” he says, walking towards the door.

“’m not a friend,” Buddy says, having migrated back to the middle of the bed, “ ‘m boyfriend.”

“That’s even worse,” he says, ducking the pillow Buddy throws at him with a laugh and makes his way to the front door.

He’s still grinning as he opens the door to find James O’Connor at his door.

“You look happy,” James comments, curiously looking in to the house as if looking for the source of the happiness. Sharrod shrugs. James tilts his head with a raised eyebrow. “I don’t think I want to know.”

Sharrod ignores the comment and picks up the bag he’s glad he remembered to pack yesterday.

“Ready to go?” James asks, pulling bag out of Sharrod’s hands and slinging it over his own shoulder. Sharrod glares at him and then gets distracted by Buddy entering the room clad only in his boxers. He hears James sighing beside him.

“Geez! I’ll be in the car. If you’re not there is five minutes, I’m leaving without you. Quade gets in at 12 and I promised him I’ll be there this time.”

“Okay,” Sharrod agrees absentmindedly and James shakes his head and walks down the stairs.

“Bye James!” Buddy yells, wrapping a long arm around Sharrod.

“Coming over after training?” James’ voice comes from below.

“Yeah!” Buddy shouts again. Sharrod turns in his arms to face him.

“Having fun without me?” he asks as Buddy leans down to kiss him.

“You’re the one flying off,” Buddy murmurs against his lips.

“I’ll be back on Sunday,” Sharrod says and laughs as James yells for him to hurry up. “I gotta go.”
Buddy nods, smile fading a little. Sharrod touches Buddy’s face with one hand, the other wrapping around his neck.

“I’ll call when I get there,” he says, leaning up and touching their lips together. James yells again and Sharrod steps out of Buddy’s arms and makes his way down the stairs. He looks up when he reaches the bottom and Buddy is there, framed in the door way, watching him. Even though they’d done this the whole season, flying off to play interstate, Sharrod still hasn’t gotten used to leaving like this. With Buddy watching him with sad eyes. He lifts a hand in farewell and Buddy smiles.

He enters the car with James muttering under his breath. Sharrod laughs.

“You’re sort of insane, you know that right?” He asks, putting on his seat belt as James races out of the driveway and in to traffic. “How can Quade spend so much time with you and not catch it?”
James diverts his attention momentarily from the road to glare at him.

“Unlike you, he loves me,” James replies haughtily.

Sharrod punches him in the arm.

“Looks like he caught it already then!”

James looks confused for a moment before understanding dawns and instead of yelling or punching Sharrod, James laughs, loud and happy.

“Maybe.”

Sharrod pulls his phone out of his jeans when it pings with a message.

I love you too.

Sharrod smiles and looks out the window. This is going to be a good week, he can tell.
 
The end.