Gabriel did not consider himself anxious.
Not until that moment.
After his curious request to Theodore, he imagined that the world would be cruel to him. Time had dragged on in such a way, feeding the anxiety to go train. During classes, he would carelessly move his cell phone until he came across the photo taken of Theodore sleeping in the library.
He had photographed on impulse, because he found the blonde very beautiful while he slept. Only it didn't make any sense to keep that photo, who would have the photo of his friend sleeping on his phone? However he did not want to delete, he wanted to keep it there to admire secretly.
Peeking out of the corner of his eyes, he saw Theodore wearing headphones while studying. He seemed as calm and focused as ever. Wasn't he as anxious as he was? Well, wasn't he the one who was curious about what it was like to kiss other boys...
Leaning his elbows on the table, Gabriel closed his eyes giving up his incessant escapes. Who would be deceiving? On the last pages of his notebook were pasted all the notes he had exchanged with Theodore since they met. And now he had taken a picture of him sleeping.
How long would he lie to himself?
He didn't care what it was like to kiss another boy.
He wanted to know what it was like to kiss Theodore.
He had to do that.
From the moment he almost did, Gabriel couldn't help but wonder what it would be like. What flavour would Theodore's lips have? Would he like your kiss?
Right... once they stayed, the doubts would be solved and their lives could go their normal way. One kiss and everything would go back to normal. After all, he just wanted to know what Theodore's kiss looked like. Then he wouldn't need more, would he?
They would continue to be friends, talk about the games and study together. Nothing to worry about.
― What is it, Gabi? It looks weird.
Blinking a few times, Gabriel opened his usual smile to the omega girl standing in front of his wallet.
― No big deal, so what were you talking about?
Sadie lifted her mouth in a smile, pulling the front chair to sit.
― I heard you were chosen to represent the team in the contest. Congratulations. I'll help you beat my brother.
Scratching the back of his neck being ashamed, Gabriel had completely forgotten the contest. Nor was it until the committee to know the details of that whole story. Much less wanted to participate seriously. Except everyone seemed a lot more excited about him.
― I do not want to win, I am only participating by free and spontaneous pressure from the team.
― Stop being silly, you have great chances to win. In addition you will not need to parade on a catwalk.
Strutting, the alpha crossed his arms on the table.
― Yeah? How do you know?
― You didn't know? I'm the chairman of the committee, it was my idea to do the contest.
— Yours? ― Laughing low, Gabriel came to the conclusion that it made sense to come from a girl like Sadie. ― But why a beauty contest? The boys on the team said they don't care about this kind of activity.
— I know you don't mind, actually our school never promoted events like this. But I needed to give an innovative idea, the faculty wanted something to make the team stay... How can I say... motivated?
― They got desperate.
― Well, don't be pessimistic. It'll be fun. Besides... This will be the last high school championship of Milles, I want it to be unforgettable for him.
Sadie's serene, familiar look was an anchor that reminded Gabriel that she was just a girl. Even if she tried to follow trends like any other, or acted like a little girl in teen movies, she was still a girl.
Although having Milles on the team, there will always be girls who will appear in the gyms to cheer for the team. Even if they go near him only to see the alpha blonde. However, Gabriel would not complain about Sadie's efforts to thrill her own brother.
In those moments he saw a sweet face in her.
Reaching out to stroke his head, the boy smiled at Sadie making his cheeks turn pink.
― Your brother will love this gift.
With the signal ending the break the students returned to their places when the teacher had entered the classroom. Noticing the emptiness in the wallet next to him, Gabriel paid attention in Theodore's absence. He checked the hours on his cell phone a while later, concluding that omega was, in fact, skipping a class.
Sweeping the room with his eyes, he had also found his captain's wallet empty. Would the two be skipping class together? Why? What would they be doing then?
Clenching his fingers, Gabriel closed his eyes when that strange and unsettling feeling spread inside him. He hated feeling that way, like he had enough strength to destroy the world. That always happened when those two were together somehow.
Why did he bother so much?
Why were he angry to know or see that Theodore and Nicolas were together?
Would Theodore have told about your request to the captain? If he had, Nicolas would have stopped them? Couldn't, right? It was none of his business, after all. Unless he were enjoying Theodore.
The strange sensation increased, bringing a bitter taste in his mouth. He spent the whole class wondering where the hell those two were, and what they might be doing. No idea was good enough, because knowing they were together was already annoying.
He was even angrier when the two guilty entered the classroom afterwards. Gabriel had peeked his eyes as the omega went to his wallet. Theodore looked tired and even yawned. When he sat in his wallet, he tried to lay his head looking like he was going to sleep.
Now this... If the two were together romantically, Theodore would be more excited, right? Or else Nicolas was nothing stimulating...
Watching the team captain also lay his head and sleep, Gabriel formed a light beak on his lips. How could those two be so sleepy like that? Although it was expected of Nicolas, but would not say the same of Theodore.
Anyway it was a real relief to have omega in your field of vision. Even if sleeping. Only in this way could Gabriel calm down and return to study.
With the end of the classes, Gabriel bad had had time to try to talk to Theodore. Waiting outside his class was Milles and Thunder, who dragged him to the sports court where they would have lunch and start training for the day. Being hugged by Milles, he realized that his new friend seemed to have returned to the routine mood, making his jokes and distributing smiles to the girls.
The day before the alpha had left stamped on his face how uncomfortable he was with Nicolas. A good night's sleep might have solved your problems? No, Gabriel didn't really feel like his friend was putting that issue aside.
Even while they were doing their first practice, he hadn't noticed anything strange about their friend. Until the moment the captain stepped on the panting court. Immediately the countenance of Milles had become serious without failing to shoot the little one.
― You all right, Milles?
― Something bothers me about him.
Gabriel adjusted the hem of the shirt inside the dark shorts while watching the captain follow to the dressing room.
― What? He seems normal to me, even spent his last classes sleeping as usual.
― There's no way I could have felt that way with a kiss from a beta. ― Milles whispered spinning the ball in his hands.
― Is he a beta?
― Alpha that is not.
Milles pushed the ball against Gabriel's chest and gave him his back to enter the court. He had never smelled anything coming from Nicolas, which made sense to think his class would be beta. But could a beta be interested in an omega?
Realizing the direction his concerns were going, Gabriel looked around without noticing the presence of a certain blonde omega. And even during training and lunch, he didn't see Theodore at the gym.
Since they exchanged tickets in the first classes the blonde simply disappeared from his sight. Would he have been frightened by your request? But he had agreed to help him. Did he feel pressured to say yes just for friendship, he said he liked the friendship they had.
No... Theodore was not the kind of person who would agree to do something under pressure. He could say no. Moreover, he would know that Gabriel would understand his refusal. After all, it was an unexpected cry for help.
So why haven't he looked at him since then? Always looking far away. As if running away... Wouldn't Theodore be in the marked place?
Nervousness and anxiety returned strongly. Gabriel counted the hours for the training to end, receiving the luck of the coach finish before time only to explain about the championship of the qualifiers that had been decided.
Even getting the new uniform and the novelty that would be a starter of the team Gabriel did not get excited. I mean, he was happy, of course, but it didn't compare to his willingness to run to a certain place where he would wait for a certain someone.
— Know that we will be the second match of the day, where we will play against two teams. So get plenty of rest, no sleeping in and ask your families to come and watch to cheer us on.
― Will we meet here at school?
— Yeah, we already booked a bus to take us to the gym where the match will take place. Ah, and before I forget, one match will be in the morning while the second will be later. We'll be out all day, so ― Coach look around scratching his head ― I'll talk to Moss so we can plan your diet, no coke and chips.
― I don't want to eat his cooking, professor!
― So get hungry, we're not forcing anything - Replied Nicolas.
― Always ready to defend his wife...
Nicolas had cast a sharp eye at Thunder, who had cowered toward Milles and Gabriel. Poking the blonde alpha's arm, he approached to whisper.
― You're not gonna say anything?
― Why should I?
Stuck up, Thunder was whining.
― Come on, you wouldn't miss the chance to say the same thing.
― Don't fuck around, Thunder.
— Have you finished discussing the relationship? ― Shredded the technician by crossing arms getting angry. ― If you do not want to eat the specific diet for athletes, then ask your parents to prepare. The scouts of official teams will take into account this bad habit of yours. Are we understood? Where is Moss? We need to decide this soon...
― You can let me talk to him later ― Nicolas warned.
― I'll leave you to it, Captain. Rest you kids.
The players stretched and went to the locker room, Gabriel checked the hours smiling pleased to be ahead of his small commitment. He had followed his team-mates to the locker room, but had not changed his clothes. He just grabbed his backpack and snuck out before anyone noticed his presence.