Locker Room Distractions (Jake)

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Jackson was usually the first one out onto the court. He had a habit of arriving anywhere from an hour to a half hour before practice started. The telekinetic would like to boast that it was because he was just that dedicated to the sport, and if anyone asked, then that's the answer he would give. He'd go out and warm up, play a few 'imaginary' games where he was of course the all-star player of the year, surrounded by a deafening crowd all there to see him. It was great fun, for him.

Unfortunately, that wasn't truly the reason why he did it. The reason was the same one for why he was always the last one to leave as well, or at least tried to be. Was it silly that he was simply self-conscious? Of course he'd gotten glances and questions before, at the scarring around his belly and upper thighs. They were an unavoidable consequence of him needing to administer his medicine day in and day out. Every day. For the past 16 years. Never mind that despite being an athlete, there was a gentle layer of padding surrounding his abdomen that simply wouldn't go away. That girl....Bunny. She said she preferred it over the chiseled abs that most athletes had. Jackson thought she was crazy. Cute, but crazy. And a little stupid.

At least she knew how to bake a cake something incredible.

Anyway, practice had concluded once again, and after spending a decent amount of time winding down on the court practicing his free throws, Jackson determined that enough people had left for him to be comfortable going in to change out into his street clothes. Maybe rinse with a shower, if the locker rooms were empty enough.

As luck would have it, the locker room seemed completely empty(for the moment) when he entered from the court. And Jackson's first train of thought was....shower time! He kicked off his shoes, and pulled off his shirt, revealing the two silver bars he'd gotten pierced through his nubs this past summer, a nice addition to the one he already had adorning his ears, if he did say so himself. It was just as he'd wrapped a towel around his waist that he heard a door open to the locker room. He hitched his breath and closed his eyes. Be cool. Be casual. It's fine. He fiddled with his personal items, procrastinating now as he waited to see who the other person was.

[Jacob Tapper]

Coach blew his whistle, and the players came to a stop, most of them breathing heavily from that afternoon's exertions as they moved towards where the burly man was standing by the benches. "Alright, good effort today," he said, looking down at some notes he'd written on his clipboard while the boys had been playing a practice game. "Nice layup, Jackson. Smith, remember to keep your knees bent when you're guarding. Hunter, good block against Thorsen." He let the clipboard fall unceremoniously down onto the bench, looking up at the boys. "Alright now we got a game next week, so I want everyone to be in tip-top shape. That means don't go crazy this weekend, alright?" He scrolled his pointer finger accusingly across the assembled group. "Alright. Now hit the showers, get outta here."

As (most of) the boys made their way towards the stairs that led down to the locker room, coach called for Jacob Tapper to lay back. "Coach?" The boy asked, moving to stand in front of the older man.

Coach had picked his clipboard back up, and was now paging through it. "What's goin' on in, uh, math class, huh?" He asked quietly, to keep the conversation close to them.

Jacob sighed; word sure did move fast around Hammel. "I failed a test," he said, figuring there was no use in lying or playing dumb.

"You know you gotta keep those grades up if you wanna play, ya know?"

The brunet gulped. He knew the rules, but... coach wouldn't really bench him, would he? He was one of the best players. "Yeah, I know," he replied simply.

"Good. Study hard, we need you out on the court." He whacked the boy playfully on the arm with his clipboard. "And don't just get someone smart to do you homework for you; learn."

Actually, that first suggestion didn't sound like a bad idea, and Jake determined to explore it more deeply at a later date. "Alright coach," he said, making his way out of the gymnasium and down the hall. He was halfway back to his dorm when he realized, hell, he'd forgotten to shower. And to change. And all of his stuff in his locker. Idiot, He said, shaking his head as he turned around and walked his sweaty self back to where he'd just come from.

Heading down the stairs, he found the locker room very quiet, nearly everyone else having already left. Turning the corner to where his own locker was, he found Jackson nearby, looking like he'd just showered. "Oh hey," he said with a small smile, opening up his locker and taking out his towel so he could shower himself. "Nice layup, Jackson," he added, trying to mimic the voice of their coach, smile widening to a grin. He took his jersey off, shoving it into his locker. He really ought to wash it, but... another time. Jake wasn't self-conscious about his body, and he assumed Jackson had no reason to be, either.

[Deleted]

Not showered. Not quite yet. Though he was about to. Maybe. Jackson was already considering just changing right there into his street clothes and waiting until he got back to the dorms to shower in someplace a little more….private. Jackson scratched his head and sighed, scolding himself for being such a wimp. This wasn’t that big of a deal, what the heck was he getting all bent out of shape for.

So…the boy put on a smile and returned it to Jake, and older boy on the team, but a teammate nevertheless. “Thanks, man! Ha ha, I don’t know what was so nice about it though. It’s not like it was a slam dunk or anything, y’know?” He took a step back and pantomimed the action, as silly as it probably looked by a person with a towel wrapped around his waist. Jackson held his side and laughed, his face suddenly red from the stupid action. He’d kick himself later for that. “One of these days, Tapper, I’m gonna be taller than all of you!” he declared with a point toward his teammate. “And I’ll show you a real man’s game, right?” Ugh, kill him now, please, before he made a bigger fool of himself.

Jackson didn’t fail to notice, not for the first time, that tone that Jake had lining his arms, his chest, his torso….He forced himself to look away. No, he was not gay and he was sure Jake didn’t appreciate being ogled at by another guy. Jackson grabbed his supplies - a bar of soap and a washcloth - and slipped into his shower sandals. “You’re coming?” he asked Jake as he took a few steps down their line of lockers, jerking a thumb towards the shower area. He just wanted to know so he knew if he had to get this done quickly. Or maybe he just wanted another look, dammit Jackson! Keep your eyes forward! he ordered of himself.

[Jacob Tapper]

Jake laughed as well, all too familiar with Coach's ability to heap praise on someone who was having a good day - or, alternatively, totally tear someone apart in front of everyone if they'd messed up. The criticism made the compliments all the sweeter, but he didn't want to think too much about it, since it just reminded him of their little "talk" a few minutes ago about Jake's math grade. He really had to think of a way out of that mess.

The brunet smirked as the younger boy threatened to grow taller than the rest of the team and really teach them how to play. "You gonna come in wearing platform shoes, Jackson?" He retorted with another hearty laugh: Osiris was definitely shorter than a lot of the guys, though not objectively short. Certainly not as short as the little cheerleader Jake had met earlier in the week, at their last game. Lucky for Jackson, acting like a fool was usually how guys acted, so it didn't occur to Jake that the the other male might be overcompensating for something.

"Yeah, be right there," he replied when Jackson asked if he'd be showering. He let his shorts fall unceremoniously to the ground, kicking them off his feet as he grabbed his liquid soap out from his locker and, with that and his towel, made his way over to where the big shower area was. He was still wearing a pair of black and red plaid boxers, which he'd take off right before getting in the shower. And that's just what he did, grabbing the shower head not directly next to Jackson's, but one over from it, just to keep some space between the two guys as they were showering off. Bro Code and all that. The warm water felt pretty damn nice, and he got to work making himself feel clean after a long, tiring practice.

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Jake was right, their coach really did have a penchant for exaggerating, especially over dumb, meaningless stuff. Jackson had rolled his eyes on more than one occasion for the praise he’d give the other players when they’d made practically no contribution to the game. It wasn’t like with Jackson, where when he got a bite of praise it was (most of the time) actually warranted. He’d never say it out loud though. Being humble, keeping the pride down, and all that. Though…at least he could boast as to never needing the ‘your grades are slipping’ talk. While yes, his grades had fallen slightly this semester(overall A- as opposed to an A+), that wasn’t terrible. His worst seemed to be better than other people’s best, so why should he bother whining about it?

“I just might,” he declared. “Six inch platforms! And I’ll wear my hair up in one giant spike.” He teepeed his hands over his head to give Jake a good visual and grinned, amused at the ridiculous image he was giving himself. “That oughta give me at least another five inches, right?” He let his hands drop again to his sides, laughing like a dork now. No way would Jackson ever put himself through that kind of shame in real life. He wasn’t a moron, after all.

Jackson looked away, hopefully not too quickly, when Jake’s shorts fell and scurried to the showers without looking back. Yes, he realized there was nothing there to see…yet. Whatever, he wasn’t going to look, he wasn’t going to look, so what was the problem, there was no problem! Jackson chose the shower head closest to the farthest wall, keeping his back to the entryway to the shower room, and hanging his towel on a nearby hook. Even with his own shower going, he still heard when Jake came in and started his own. Jackson mentally scolded himself for being so hyper aware of Jake’s presence behind him. He was there. His back was tingling, he knew he was there and probably seeing things he didn’t care to see again. No, he wasn’t. Yes, he was. As he got himself clean, Jackson dared a glance over his shoulder to see what his teammate was doing….and maybe stared a little bit too long at things he shouldn’t have been staring at. His face was hot…but that was just from the hot water, right?

[Jacob Tapper]

Jake, like any guy really, was not immune to the occasional... curiosity about what other guys were packing. It was harmless and maybe a bit silly, but he sometimes felt the need to compare himself to his peers, to see how he "measured up," so to speak. There was also, of course, his own latent sexual interest in men, though that was something he had never acted on and only occasionally allowed himself to even entertain. All of this taken into account, he could perhaps be forgiven if he stole a quick glance or two Jackson's way while they were in the showers.

Since he was doing this, it didn't take him long at all to notice that Jackson was looking back at him. And as obvious as it may have been to someone more acutely aware, it actually didn't occur to Jake that Jackson might be looking at him for the same reason he was looking at Jackson. He just assumed Jackson was straight - wasn't he? Weren't all the guys on the team? - so he thought nothing of the look. In fact, he thought it more likely that Jackson was expecting him to say something, like to continue their conversation from before.

"So, uh..." the brunet started, racking his brain for subject matter as he squeezed out some soap from his bottle, lathering it up in his hands before beginning to soap up his torso. "Got any plans for the weekend?" He looked over at the younger guy again, expectant look on his face. It was Thursday, so it was a pretty ordinary question. Jake himself did not have plans yet - though something usually came up closer to Friday night - but he figured it was a good way to keep his mind from... whatever else it might otherwise be on.

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Sizing himself up, so to speak, against other guys was something that Jackson had gotten over a while ago....maybe. He had other insecurities to be thinking about, and that his manhood didn't measure up to average was not a complex he needed to entertain. What the other boys were equipped with held no interest for Jackson....or so he would claim. If he thought about it, then he'd realize that his denial had perpetuated since long before he ever met Rue, and that his awkward glances had always been a result of that... But no, Jackson was determined to get himself a girlfriend and be normal! And no guy with his shirt(and pants) off was going to deter him from that goal!

Even if....even if they caught Jackson's attention such that he couldn't quite force himself to look away. And that his imagination ran enough from it that he was visibly startled when Jake spoke up with his question.

"Huh?" he grunted with a wayward pitch in his voice. Shoot, did he see? Did he notice? Jackson turned his burning face away to face forward, returning all his concentration to getting himself clean instead of getting lost in foolish fantasies. "I, uh...maybe? I usually stay at a friend's place, sometimes, when there's nothing else going on, but otherwise not really, no..." Jackson spoke quickly and stiltedly. "I'll probably just spend the weekend studying or something, if nothing comes up. We have that math test coming up, y'know? I probably should prep for that instead of goof off somewhere, right?" Jackson laughed awkwardly, smoothing his hands over his shoulders and sides to rinse off.

[Jacob Tapper]

Jake listened with mild interest as Jackson went over what his weekend plans might or might not be. The trans-dimensionalist let the cascading water rinse off his chest and stomach. He next lathered up his crotch - hey, it had to be done - and had just finished that little chore when Jackson mentioned their upcoming math test.

"Ugh, don't even mention math to me," he groaned, moving to stand directly under the shower so that gravity could wash all the suds from his body, his hair flattening down from the weight of the water in the process. "Fuck Ms. Rivera," he added under his breath, though possibly loud enough for the other boy to overhear him. Of course, it wasn't their teacher's fault that Jake wasn't doing well in math. He just wasn't naturally gifted in the subject and not all that interested in improving; incompetence and apathy are a potent combination.

Which was when he remembered the coach's earlier non-suggestion, of getting someone else to do it for him. Obviously he couldn't have someone else take the actual test for him, but maybe Jackson was good enough in the class that he could help him study. Or tell him what would probably be on the test. "Uh, you know," he ventured, turning more fully towards the other male, one hand leaning against the wall, "studying's no fun alone. Do you got, like, a study buddy or something?" He tried to ask casually, like he didn't really care about the answer. But in truth, he sort of had a lot riding on getting some help - the concept of getting help from his teacher not occurring to him, at all.

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Jackson snorted at the hushed curse, and gave Jake a look. "You can fuck Ms. Rivera if that's what you're into. I got better things to do," he said, mumbling that last part. Older women weren't really Jackson's thing.

Jackson brushed his fingers through his bleached hair, slicking it back and no doubt showing off the dark roots that were starting to come in. He was pretty much done, he deemed, and reached forward to shut off the water. That's when he noticed that Jake was fully facing him, posing there like some play-girl model...no, he was just asking Jackson a question, what was it?

"Uh...sorta?" he replied as more of a question than a statement, panning his eyes away as he grabbed his towel to start drying, though not before Jackson had taken a full up-and-down body scan of his...of Jake. "I have a tutor, but I don't really need one, all he really does is make sure I don't look at youtube videos instead of actually studying, or fall asleep or....y'know? Stuff like that." That wasn't a casual suggestion he was making, was he? To study together? Jackson wasn't sure if he wanted to. After all, what was in it for him aside from spending time with someone might not care to waste his time with. Or maybe he did? "Are you...do you wanna, like, hook up or something...? For studying! I mean..." Why'd he use that term? Jackson, you're an idiot! He mentally face-palmed.

[Jacob Tapper]

Jake gave Jackson a look like he'd just seen a ghost. Did he actually misunderstand what he'd meant, or was that just another weird joke? Jake most certainly did not want to have sex with their math teacher... though it wasn't like a somewhat older woman didn't cross through the young brunet's mind every once in a while. He wasn't immune to the mating call of the New England Cougar.

He watched as Jackson turned off his shower head; Jake was also pretty much done showering, but he didn't turn off his own water just yet, since he liked how it felt running down his body. It was very relaxing. A complete waste of water, but relaxing. His heart sunk slightly when his teammate said he had a tutor - how much help could he be if he needed a tutor himself? - but then the younger boy's clarification made it seem like he actually didn't need one, so... now he was just confused.

It occurred to him, at this point, that now that they were both done with their actual showers, they only had a precious few moments until it became officially awkward that they were both just standing there naked. It was as he thought of this that Jake noticed - did he? No, he didn't think he could mistake it - Jackson's eyes running over his body. Whether that was some kind of sexual thing, or just adolescent curiosity, he couldn't be sure, but he definitely looked. And the quick clarification of "hooking up" just gave more credence to his suspicion. He still didn't think Jackson was gay, but maybe he was... curious. Jake knew what it was like to be curious.

There was a chance he would use that information to his advantage.

Turning off the water at last, he took a few steps towards Jackson in the direction of his own towel, head tilting to the side as water dripped off of him. "Hook up. To study. Yeah, we could do that." He repressed a shiver: he should really start drying himself off. "When are you free? To hook up? To study?" He looked Jackson right in the eyes, expressing a level of confidence he didn't quite have.

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It was a joke. Yes, a bit of a twisted joke, but….maybe Jackson should’ve just kept his mouth shut? He’d been snipping out stuff like that a lot lately….he attributed it to stress. Lots of it. Losing the only person who bothered to stick around for you had a tendency to do that…

Jackson reasoned he should probably get out of there before he said something else out of character. Something he might regret, though he couldn’t exactly think of what that might be. He dabbed his towel over his shoulders, his torso, and his legs….the droplets lingering made his body chill a little, but he was feeling a little hot anyway. Not just from the steam billowing from the hot water. Jake was, for all intents and purposes, the cause of most of it, flaunting that toned body of his around like he was. Like he was asking to be leered at. No…that wasn’t right, and Jackson knew it…but that certainly didn’t stop the boy from looking.

He almost wished he hadn’t though, or that he had more willpower to keep his eyes up and forward like a good boy. Did he notice? Did he see? Maybe if he just didn’t say anything, then he could pretend it didn’t happen? Better yet, maybe he should just leave? Good plan!

Jackson wrapped the towel around his waist again and moved to gather up his shower supplies, when Jake took those steps towards Jackson. A tickle shimmied down his neck as Jake spoke, repeating the words that Jackson had used earlier. “Um…” He licked his lips, trying to think of a response. He could feel the older boy’s eyes on him and Jackson dared a glance upwards only to meet with the boy’s strong gaze. “Saturday? Or would Sunday work better?” he asked, seeming to shrink a little bit at a time for every second Jake stared down upon him. As uncomfortable as it was…Jackson couldn’t find the will to look away. He felt an excitement bubble up from his stomach, similar to the one he’d get whenever he found himself trapped underneath Rue’s gaze. Wasn’t he supposed to be leaving now…? Jackson stood his ground instead and smiled. “I might be able to swing Friday night, if you can’t do either of those,” he added.

[Jacob Tapper]

In a way, Jake's staring directly at Jackson while they were both in this exposed state was primal: it was about dominance. In other words, it demonstrated that Jake wouldn't be intimidated by their situation and was completely in control. He was King of the Jungle. Not that anything all that exciting was happening, or that he was expecting anything to, but it was instinct for the young man to puff out his proverbial chest and demonstrate his preeminence. For this same reason, he was a little frustrated when Jackson met his gaze, seemingly just at ease as he was. Okay, maybe this really was in his head and they were just two guys talking in the locker room. But maybe they weren't, and that little doubt was enough to put Jake on alert.

"Sunday," he stated with a single nod. That would give him enough time to figure this out - if there was anything that needed figuring out - and back out if he realized he was being ridiculous. At the very least, he'd get a free math lesson out of it. "Sunday works." He finally grabbed his towel off the hook, wrapping it around his waist as though content to let himself air dry. "Come to my room," he added, and whether that was a request or a command wasn't entirely obvious in his even, emotionless voice. It was another power grab: Jackson could come to him.

Deciding everything that was going to get said at that moment had gotten said, Jake turned towards the lockers and made his way back to where his clothes were, picking up his boxers on the way. It wasn't a real exit, since the two of them both had to get dressed and their lockers were close to one another. But now that he was out of the showers, he felt a little more normal. Something about being naked made people weird.

[Deleted]

Whatever sort of dominance Jake was trying to impose over Jackson...well, it was working, though not in the way Jake probably expected. If he wanted to Jackson to blush and cower and turn meek under his gaze, then...well, Jackson could do that too, if Jake really wanted him to. But the act of someone else taking absolute control over the young telekinetic was one that sent shivers down his spine and tingles in his gut. It was a hook that Jake had baited him with, and Jackson was caught almost instantly. Willingly? Perhaps...

Jackson took a slow breath as he continued to lock their eyes and smiled. "Sunday, then." What was going on? Jake was totally straight, wasn't he? Jackson was less able to tell these things than some of his more observant friends. For all he knew, Jake was just being direct in asking for a favor. Jackson was just being ridiculous, swooning for a guy who probably didn't appreciate being fawned over by another dude. He needed to get his mind out of the gutter already....he blamed Rue completely for this, by the way.

It was the order that did it though. His fixed smile faltered and his lips parted slightly in his surprise upon hearing it. Jackson nodded, three or four quick movements, as he uttered out a casual "Okay." Finally, his eyes pulled away from looking up at Jake, seeming to ponder something in an effort to ease the tension he felt between them. That was just his imagination too, wasn't it?

Did he even remember where Jake's room was? Had he even been there before? Jackson raised his head again to ask, but by that time, Jake had already left the shower room, leaving Jackson standing there breathless and in a daze. What just happened? Jackson looked down, frowning at his 'response' to the situation hidden behind his towel. Well, fuck. Now he couldn't leave... Jackson sighed, grabbed his things, and headed to the toilet stalls, which were thankfully in the opposite direction of their lockers. Hopefully, Jake was gone before he came back out. Jackson didn't want to have to answer any unnecessary questions.