30.

"I'm not so sure about this, Kade."

Atticus had gradually been slowing his pace while we were on our way to the locker room, probably thinking I didn't notice and now came to a full halt.

"If we're doin' this, we should start with your football team," I reminded him. "They're closest to this and to you."

Atticus pulled a face and seemed to shrink a few inches as he slumped. "I know."

"It's only a big deal if we're lettin' it be."

"Tell that to the rest of the guys."

"Come on." Putting my hand on Atticus' lower back, I gave him an encouraging little push.

I wished Dad would've been there in the locker rooms. The guys listened to him. It would help if he showed he didn't mind, but Dad usually wasn't before big games, having already gone over tactics and whatever football mojo they had to do before the guys went to get changed.

"Hey?" Corey was first to greet us, all puzzled when we walked through the door.

Atticus cleared his throat. He suddenly grew the few inches he'd shrunk outside as he straightened his back, his expression closing up and hardening to lemon-rind sour. Not a usual lemon, either. More like a green one that wasn't ripe yet, because there was absolutely nausea, too.

"I, uh, wanted to tell you guys something," he said.

Atticus faltered, so I stepped next to him, giving him a subtle nod when he looked at me. He had their attention now. All he had to do was exactly what we'd discussed before: not give a fuck and be open about how things really were.

"I'm dating Kade," Atticus finally pushed out. "Yes, my stepbrother. And yes, I don't know how there're thousands of students here and yet this happens."

We had a locker room full of football players staring at us, practically with question marks above their heads or doing double takes as they processed what Atticus was saying. Atticus' nightmare. Even I was nervous at the silence that followed.

Only Corey already knew, and he glanced around him at the reactions of the others.

"I mean, they didn't grow up together or anything," Corey offered, breaking the silence.

I shot him a grateful smile.

A shaggy brown-haired guy disagreed. "What the fuck? You don't think that's weird at all? That's fucking weird."

"Yeah, and your my little pony porn is also fucking weird," a red-head called out jokingly from the other side of the room, earning him a few chuckles.

"Fuck off!" the shaggy brown-haired guy retorted with a grin, and I figured I was missing some inside joke, but that was fine by me.

"Congratulations, I guess?" Another guy added.

"Yeah, make him get himself together, Kade," Corey called out only half-jokingly. "Bring him back in line."

That was a charged remark. I could feel the tension in the room rise.

Everyone on the team could tell Atticus hadn't been playing his best games lately. I was sure a few of them would've already told him that to his face, too. People had talked about benching Atticus for the next game.

I did my best to smile. "I'll do my best," I promised.

The worst part was over. One of the guys broke the ice by asking how the fuck this happened, and a brief discussion on dating step siblings in general followed. The shaggy-haired brunet assured us he wasn't seriously weirded out and we should just do what we wanted. He had our back, just like he had Atticus' back last year when he came out as gay.

Most other guys also gave Atticus a pat, nod, or quick 'see you on the field in a bit' as they left the locker room, until everyone was gone.

Atticus released a deep breath, letting himself drop on a bench. I smiled, taking a seat next to him, rubbing his arm.

"Well done. That wasn't so difficult after all, was it?"

Atticus shot me an incredulous look. "Speak for yourself. I still have to train after all that," he breathed, making me snicker.

I snickered. "Yeah sorry about that, but that's your own choice." I pressed a kiss to his cheek. "You go train and kick all their asses. Show them you're back. I'll come watch, later."

Atticus blinked. "Later?"

"Yeah, I have an idea on how to spread this to the rest of the school so we don't have to," I said.

***

I found my 'plan' sitting in the Student Council meeting, as every Wednesday afternoon.

"Mandy," I started, sitting down next to Mandy. "You're right, I have a boyfriend. But it's not Jonah. Atticus and I are boyfriends."

Mandy looked for confused only for a split second before her eyes lit up. "No way, really? That's so cute!" She gasped, then squealed. "And how brave of you to openly date, considering you're stepbrothers!"

"I know," I said with a smile before getting up again.

That was all that was needed. Mandy did her thing as the public announcement system of the school.

She did her thing better than the school newspaper and that old lady who read out the daily announcements every morning combined. They should both just quit and let Mandy take over now because her blooming career as a journalist was an inevitable fact. I was willing to bet big money I'd see her on television in a few years.

The jokes were still there. Of course, if you have a country accent and date your stepbrother, that was pretty much an open target. People would always joke about hillbillies. But it was with a completely different energy, and it was mostly Jonah, Becky, Mandy, and the boys on Atticus' football team saying it. Even Corey stopped worrying about it now Atticus wasn't so on-edge anymore and finally acted normal again during trainings.

Everyone else in the school didn't seem to care that much since we didn't care. That's how it seemed to lose its power - if you and your friends don't give a fuck yourselves.

Atticus even allowed me to joke about it, only looking slightly uncomfortable when I did.

"Did you know how our parents found out?" I asked a few days later at the lunch table, with a quick glance at Atticus to check if it was okay. His expression told me it was. Progress.

"They found my homoerotic, shirtless painting of Atticus in my room Yeah, I know. It wasn't smart of me to just leave that in the centre of my room."

Becky slapped a hand in front of her mouth, giggling. Jonah just let it out, throwing his head back with barking laughter.

"No wonder you couldn't focus on the field if you have your boyfriend distracting you like that at home," Jonah teased Atticus. "You better try a bit harder next weekend than last game, Atty. Because what the hell was that?"

Atticus rolled his eyes, but there was no real venom from either side. Ever since things were out in the open, Atticus was back to normal on the field. Jonah wouldn't tease Atticus if he was actually feeling down. Still, I jumped to Atticus' defence.

"Yeah, yeah. You're one to talk with your chicken arms," I shot back, poking Jonah's thin all-bones-no-meat arm. "You can't even throw a ball properly."

"Hey, I know how to handle balls alright," Jonah protested.

I snorted. "Sure you do. Brody's balls."

Underneath the table, Atticus reached for my hand. Then he stood and quietly asked me to walk with him by tugging on my hand. Becky and Jonah didn't say anything— they both understood I just wanted a moment alone.

"Hey, what's up?" I asked Atticus, once we were comfortably seated on the grass, wondering what he wanted to talk about in private.

Atticus shot me a small smile. "I was just thinking. I've spent a lot of time thinking up all these doom scenarios. First, what you would think of me if you knew I liked you that way. I figured you'd be grossed out. Then I found out you were gay and still figured you'd be grossed out."

I let out a short laugh.

"And when that doom scenario was gone, there were Mom and Paul, the football team and everyone else in school finding out," Atticus continued.

I made a popping sound with my lips. "Yeah, those doom scenarios did kind of come true. Oops."

"I guess." Atticus nodded. "It's like you said: the secrets weighed on me and made me anxious. Not being with you. Because you're one of those cool guys who can just not give a fuck and just jumps into things headfirst."

I snorted. "Yeah, but that trick doesn't always work." I reminded Atticus. "Remember what I told you about my old high school? I came out there, and I had to take care not to get cornered and beat up for it before every gym class. I think this worked for us because you're a football stud."

"Who got bullied for coming out as gay last year," Atticus pointed out.

"You know what? I'm gonna say it was a team effort," I said, pressing a kiss to Atticus' cheek and enjoy watching the skin flush my new favourite shade of red after the light touch. "Is that what you wanted to tell me?"

"No," Atticus said, frowning as he seemed to come up with a way to say what he wanted to. "I just wanted to say thanks. For convincing me to not be afraid."

"Of course, it was self interest too," I said with a grin, only moving an inch away. "But You're okay for real, right?" I pressed a brief kiss to his lips. "This is okay?"

"It's scandalous."

"What?" I frowned, sitting back to look at Atticus' face. When I did, I found his sea-green eyes sparkling brighter than Diamond Dust glitter paint. "You're my stepbrother, Kade. I couldn't possibly kiss you! That's like incest."

Before I even had a chance to laugh, Atticus had gently pushed me down in the grass and placed his lips on mine in a kiss most scandalous.

The End