30. let's talk future

THIRTY

let's talk future

Wednesday, April 30th

Isaiah and his teammates didn't end up winning the playoffs. But they made it to the finals—the farthest Magnolia High's baseball team had ever gotten—so that was enough for him.

Not just for him though. Apparently it was enough for scouts as well, because they started lining up for him, which quickly became overwhelming. It left him with tons of options, and Isaiah was only leaning toward three of them.

There was one in California, another in Washington, and then one a few hours away from his hometown. Isaiah didn't like living in Texas, but he wasn't fond of being so far away from his family and friends. He knew Marcus and Ashton were taking a year off before they decided to go back to school, Steve was heavily considering a university in New York, and Morgan was already dead set on starting off in community college. The only person he hadn't heard from was August.

Said boy was across from him, laid flat on his back, chin tucked into his chest. His laptop was resting on his stomach, eyes squinting against the bright light coming from the screen. He wasn't wearing any headphones, so Isaiah could hear the weird fighting noises anime characters made. He was invested in whatever he was watching, thumb pressed against his teeth, and Isaiah cracked a smile, amused.

"Aren't you supposed to be helping me?" Isaiah asked, reaching out to shove at his good-ish leg. In fact, it was getting better. Physical therapy was going well for August. "Exams are coming up."

August flapped his hand dismissively. "Wait," he murmured. "This episode is almost over."

Isaiah sighed. "August."

"Shh."

Isaiah huffed and set his notebook down before scooting over to August's side, plopping down beside him. He rested his head against his shoulder, frowning at the screen. "What's this one about?"

August smacked the space bar to pause it and glanced down at Isaiah, hand reaching out to play with his curls. "You don't actually wanna know, do you?" Isaiah grinned and shook his head, causing August to roll his eyes, but he was smiling.

"I know I want you to study with me," Isaiah mumbled, but he draped his arm over August's torso, adjusted his head on his chest. He wasn't making any move to get up or study, and August was trying his hardest not to laugh. "So we can pass."

August hummed. "You know," he said, ghosting his fingertips across the back of his neck. "I actually want to study, too."

Isaiah lifted his head, surprised. "Really?"

"Yeah." August slid his hand underneath Isaiah's shirt, traced the faint outline of his abdomen, slid his fingers up his chest, shirt dragging with it. "I heard Human Anatomy is a tricky subject. I should probably familiarize myself with it early."

"Oh my God."

August chuckled, replaced his laptop with Isaiah's hips. He hooked his fingers through his belt loops and lightly tugged, smiling a sultry smile. "I don't see you complaining."

Isaiah raised an eyebrow. "You don't see me not complaining either."

August let go. "Touché." He tucked his arms underneath his head, watched as Isaiah faltered, then reached for his arm. He pulled it back, used his free hand to lift the hem of his shirt up, and placed August's palm against his stomach.

"Okay," Isaiah whispered, cheeks warm. "I'm not complaining."

August kept his other arm under his head, using the other to tap the tip of his nose. "Where should I start?" he joked.

Isaiah lightly swatted his hand and exhaled the breath he'd been holding. "Just kiss me, stupid."

August laughed, but didn't hesitate to grip the back of Isaiah's neck and pull him down. He pressed their lips together, kissing with a newfound intensity. Isaiah felt his tongue slide against his, and his skin was so heated he thought he would melt. But the cool hand on his neck kept him steady.

The two had made out plenty of times. Hell, every chance they got. They'd touched below the waist a few times, left marks on each other's necks and thighs, and each moment seemed to be better than the last as they got more comfortable with one another. Or more specifically, one another's bodies. But Isaiah wasn't sure he'd ever get used to how gentle and passionate August was. It was so nice.

Isaiah let out a soft sigh, content, burying his face in the crook of his neck. August's hand slid to his back, where he moved it up and down, soothing, reminding Isaiah of how much he liked him. He liked him so much that it was suffocating.

August's chest rumbled with a silent laugh, and he moved his hand to his shoulders, rubbing the spot between them. Isaiah hummed, nudged his nose against August's jaw. "How do you feel?" August asked him, voice low, tone gentle.

"Good," Isaiah murmured.

"Fuck," August suddenly blurted, causing Isaiah to pull back slightly to give him a curious look. The blond ran a hand through his shoulder length hair, and the way he looked at Isaiah with those seafoam eyes set his heart on fire. "Isaiah. You're so fucking handsome, you know that? If I could, I'd take a picture of you right now and frame it in a museum. You..." He paused, tapped his finger underneath Isaiah's chin, then caressed the side of his face, fingertips lightly touching. "I could never get tired of seeing you like this."

Isaiah felt himself blushing again. "That, uh, that was random." He rubbed at his cheek, willing the heat to fade so he wouldn't feel like he was on the verge of literally fucking exploding.

August snorted. "You still can't handle my compliments," he joked. He placed his hand over Isaiah's, brushed his thumb across his knuckles.

"Well not when you say them like that."

August moved his hands over Isaiah's hips, holding him, then sliding them back to his waist. Isaiah slowly rested his body against his once again, and August continued to familarize himself with his human anatomy. Isaiah bit back an amused smile.

"Would you rather me compliment you?" August questioned, then let go completely. "Or not do anything at all?"

Isaiah lifted his head to glare. August started snickering, then placed his hands back to where they'd been before. He kissed Isaiah softly on then lips, then his chin, then his jaw. Isaiah could've sat there forever, in his arms, but—

"August!" shouted the blond's mother from downstairs. "Come help me with the groceries!"

August's grip on Isaiah slackened absently, and the boy sighed in disappointment. August gave him an apologetic look before getting up and moving away. He opened his bedroom door and called out, "Isaiah's here! Do I have to?"

"Yes!" she yelled back. "In fact, bring him down here, too. The more hands there are, the faster the groceries get put away."

August groaned and shut his door, walking back over to Isaiah, who was now sitting on the edge of the bed. He placed his hand on Isaiah's cheek, who leaned into his touch. "I'm getting war flashbacks," August grumbled. "To when Cody kept interrupting us every time I was trying to get you to grow the balls to kiss me first."

Isaiah pursed his lips. "Shut up."

"You don't have to help, you know," August told him, tapping the pad of his thumb against the tip of Isaiah's nose. "You can stay up here. Mom will probably try and ask you questions the whole time, and then we'll be there forever."

Isaiah shook his head, lacing their fingers together, admiring their clasped hands. "No, it's okay," he said. "I don't really want to get on my boyfriend's mom's bad side." He lifted his gaze to his then, and August revealed a soft smile that never failed to give Isaiah butterflies.

"You sure?" August asked, and then took a seat beside him, hand messing with his curls. "I'm tired, you're tired..."

Isaiah shook his head. "No," he whispered, cracking a grin. As much as he'd love to stay there and cuddle him (and 'study'), he also didn't want to piss his mom off.

August curled his fingers around Isaiah's hand and shook it. "Why not?" he asked, "she likes you. She wouldn't mind."

"I would mind."

"Hm." August didn't make any move to get up, simply traced the lines in Isaiah's palm, then lifted his hand to kiss each knuckle. Isaiah rolled his eyes. Cute.

"August, we have to go."

"August!"

Isaiah immediately stood up, shoving August as he did so. But lightly, of course. His mother's voice was much closer, and now that it was quiet, he could hear her footsteps trudging over to August's door. Soon enough she was knocking, voice stern.

"What the hell are you two doing? Get your lazy asses up and come help me," she scolded, knocking once more before leaving. Isaiah gave August an I-told-you-so look, but the other boy just looked annoyed.

August reluctantly got to his feet, and Isaiah followed after him, brushing their hands together to try and get him to not be so annoyed. And considering the subtle smile on his lips, it was working.

"Hi, Isaiah," August's mom greeted when she saw the two finally enter the kitchen. "How are you?"

"Um, I'm good. You?"

"I'm great," she replied, smiling. "August said your team made it to the finals? Said a bunch of scouts contacted you."

Isaiah's face heated up at the attention. He shrugged, helping her unpack the groceries. "Not a bunch. But a few, yeah. Um, I'm stuck between three options. Cali, Washington, and somewhere close to here."

"Oh, really?" She nodded in appreciation, then jerked her thumb at August. "He's looking at a college in—"

"Mom," August hissed.

The woman faltered, frowned a little. "What? Have you not told him?"

August shook his head, gaze focused on the plastic bags, avoiding the look on Isaiah's face. "No, he hasn't," Isaiah murmured, forcing himself to look away from his boyfriend.

The atmosphere was tense now, and August's mom seemed to notice, because she let out a sigh and said, "You two go talk." She took the empty bags from them and balled them up. "I'll finish up. Shoo."

August ran a hand through his hair, obviously frustrated, and left the kitchen, Isaiah hesitantly following behind. They made their way back upstairs in silence, and once the bedroom door was shut behind them, August blurted a quiet, "I'm sorry."

Isaiah shrugged and sunk down onto the beanbag at the foot of his bed. "You don't have to be sorry," Isaiah said, but he couldn't help the sad feeling he got. It was obvious August was looking at somewhere far away, and yeah it stung, but then again, Isaiah was looking, too. He had no right to be upset, did he?

August took a seat on the bed, legs dangling on either side of him. His fingers touched the top of Isaiah's head, down to his shoulders, squeezed gently. "But I do," he muttered. "You told me where you want to go, or are thinking of going. Yet I couldn't tell you my two choices because I was afraid of leaving you behind."

"Two choices?" Isaiah asked, and August sighed.

"Yeah. The main one I'm looking at is in Ohio," he admitted. "The other one is a community college here nearby. In case Ohio didn't accept me."

"But they both accepted you," Isaiah finished, hating how disappointed he felt. He didn't have the right to feel like this. He was considering out of state schools as well.

"Yeah, but I'm not as excited as I thought I'd be," August said honestly. "I want to leave Texas, to escape all the bad memories, but then I think of you. Of Morgan and the other guys. And I can't even comprehend the thought of being so far away from you guys."

"Do what's best for you," Isaiah told him, tilting his head back to look at him. August glanced down as well, met his eyes, smiled weakly.

"You are what's best for me," August said, sounding desperate. "I lo—I really fucking like you, Isaiah. So much that it hurts. And Morgan is my best friend, and you two are the ones that have kept my head above water this semester.

"I'm not saying I'm depending on you guys to make me happy. I'm not, but you two do make me feel safe. And Isaiah, I hate the thought of being far away and not being able to kiss you, touch you, and tell you out loud how much you mean to me. I'm sure long distance isn't so bad, but it is for me. When I like someone as much as I like you, it hurts to be unable to kiss you like this." August leaned down and kissed his forehead, resting his hand against his chin so he could reach his lips next.

"You're always on my mind," August whispered. "Which is why I'm hesitant about Ohio. I do have bad memories here, but I've also made ones that changed my life for the good too, and I don't want to be far away from them."

Isaiah slid his hand over August's, the one that was still resting against his skin. He dragged his thumb back and forth against his knuckles. "Whichever you think is best for you," Isaiah said. "I don't want your deciding factor to be me. I want it to be if the school is good for you."

"I think I'll start off here, in community college with Morgan," he eventually decided. "And if I still want Ohio, I can always transfer after two years."

Isaiah bit his lip to hold back the fast blooming smile. "Then there's my decision made, too. I was stuck, but you saying that made it so much easier."

"Awesome," August breathed.

Isaiah chuckled, chest no longer feeling so tight. "Do you have an idea for your major?"

August grinned. "I was thinking Anatomy."

Isaiah burst into laughter when August tugged on his hands and pulled him onto the bed. He tackled him against the mattress and muffled the amusing sounds coming from him, fingers poking and prodding at his sides.

___

Q: do you know what you would want to major in in college, if you're not there yet or not interested? and if you are, what did you choose? if you're already past that stage, the last question works for you as well.