It's game day again, and it's a big one. We're playing against "The Dukes", whom Eric has always been troubled with one specific player. That player's contract was terminated for the amount of personal fouls against Eric, but they contracted with that player's cousin who has now made the old feud personal. Watching Eric get pushed and intercepted, even tripped, has my blood boiling, and I know he is too. The game is called for halftime, so I immediately go up to the couch and demand to talk to Eric. 

"You aren't supposed to be on the floor right now," The couch says as the team starts jogging over.

"Bite me. I need to talk to him; you know he's going to lose it soon so let me get in his head."

 He allows it, so we motion Eric over, I grab some papers and cover both sides of my face so others can't lip-read from the other team.

"I know how fucked up it is out there, but keep your head on straight. Dont do anything that'll get you foulded, and don't fuck up your streak. You've got this. Keep your cool and I'll allow you an entire bar if you want, just keep cool."

He nodded, rushing some water down his throat while he could. "You promise an entire bar?"

"I promise."

He grinned then took the two papers and moved them in front of his mouth. "You better start making some calls, because I'm gonna win this for us."

I nodded with a smile, then slapped his abs with the back of my hand and told him to go to TipOff. He pushed everything in my hands and ran back out to the midcourt line. I set his stuff down and watched anxiously as the ball was thrown in the middle, and they both jumped. His fingers wrapped around the bottom and threw it backward to his team. The clock started, the crowd cheered, and I knew he was determined.

"How'd you get him to look so fucking happy all of a sudden?" His coach asked me, watching intently.

"I promised him I'd rent out a bar for himself," I laugh. 

"Making him an alcoholic, I see?"

"Not at all, just letting him enjoy his youth while he has it."

--

"50 to 43, cut it close but you killed it out there Eric," I tell him as I drive us to the bar of his choosing. "As promised, I booked us the club all night. Want to invite anyone from the team?"

"Nah, I want to drink in peace and sanctuary."

I pull in and a valet is waiting, we step out. I hand over the keys and we step in. They only had a few staff present, so we immediately went to the bar, and both ordered a shot of foreign Mexican tequila. "I'm not gonna drink much. I'll have one to toast with you, then I'm driving us home at the end of the night. So, enjoy yourself."

He shrugged, "Fine by me," He said and picked up his glass. "Thanks for always being my biggest supporter."

"Thanks for not forgetting me when you became a star," I laugh and pick up mine, we toast and down the shots.

"I didn't become a star," He protested after the shots down. "I'm not anywhere near the greats."

"But you're getting there, very quickly might I add," I send my glass back and get water instead. "I'm the one that manages you're media, your sponsors, and commercials, don't tell me what your status is when I'm the one that manages it."

He laughed and apologized, downed another shot, and leaned his body into the bar.

"I think a lot about how it'd be if you continued to get taller. You'd probably start training professionally, get scouted, we'd play different teams, we'd lose each other."

"I wouldn't leave you," I start but he cuts me off.

"I wasn't finished," He points to a whiskey on the shelf, and the woman starts pouring him a glass. "Eventually we'd probably find each other again, but we wouldn't be as close as before, we wouldn't be brothers anymore. That thought terrifies me, losing you."

"Hey, are you already drunk?" My brows scrunch as I turn his head to look at me, he takes the whiskey down, keeping eye contact. "What with you all of a sudden?"

He puts the glass down and taps his fingers against the bar, they fill his glass.

"I'm so glad you stopped growing," He says, his eyes are serious, and he has the smallest smile. "I'm so happy you worked so hard to stay by my side regardless of your shitty life, and regardless of you not being able to go pro. I'm so happy you've worked so hard for me."

"Always," I grab his shoulder and give it a good squeeze. "I always will, and I know you will fight for me too."

He slowly gets plastered, drunk off his mind. I ask him the day, his name, his mother's name, and based on the slurs I can see he won't remember the morning. And I wonder, is tonight going to be another night? He gets flirtatious and grabby as we're leaving the club, I tip all the bartenders, the host, the valet, and all the other associates 100 dollars each, giving them my thanks and my apologies.

"Are we going home now?"

"Yes, Eric, I'm taking you home."

"Is Liam going to join me, or is he going to be a stubborn ass and leave me?" He wrapped his arm around my waist, pulling my back into him as close as possible.

I sighed and slapped my hand on his face as the call pulled up, The driver got out and gave a nod as he handed me the key. I take his hand off of me and push him to the passenger door, I help him get in and buckle, then walk around to the driver's side. I get in, buckle, turn on the car, and take off to his house. 

"Will you remember anything from tonight?"

"Hopefully," He shrugged, then reached over and grabbed my hand.

"So no, like usual. Fine then, I'll spend the night."

--

The moment the garage door starts to open he's pulling my head towards him and kissing my lips. I pull back, and he pushes forward. My instincts are screaming in every way, screaming to kiss back, screaming to wait until we get inside, screaming to be careful. I choose to be safe, I push his face away, and he takes my hand and starts kissing my palm and knuckles slowly. I carefully take us into the garage, turn off the car, and press the button. I unbuckle us, and he pulls me across the center console and locks his lips with mine, running his hand through my perfect hair, making it a mess. He kissed my cheek, my jaw, my neck, then back to my lips.

"Bed," he breaks the kiss to say, panting hard against my face, his hands exploring and lighting fire across my skin already. "Right now."

We both get out and meet in front of the car. He lifts me on top of it, allowing himself to kiss me comfortably and pick me up. We strip off each other's jackets on the way, then our shirts, and shoes, when we get to the bed he drops me down and catches his breath as he stares deep into my eyes. I watched him swallow, his drunk eyes glittering down my entire body. I laugh when I see his shaking excited hands undo his belt and pop the button.

"You too, pants off, now," He instructed then reached to the bedside drawer and grabbed condoms and lube.

"Dont worry about that, I need you now," I grab his waist with my legs and pull him towards me. 

He smiled down at me, then gently kissed my lips. "You'll hurt if I don't prep you, and you're stomach will hurt in the morning if I don't wrap. I'm not going to hurt you, ever."

I loved him so much, and it hurt that he never remembered anything else, but I always did. But I was scared that if he remembered, we'd stop everything, and I needed him in my life always. So I nodded and kissed him back. I let my hands circulate every part of him, stopping eventually on his scar. It was a small scar, on his collarbone he got from protecting me from my cracked-out parents when we were younger before my parents were arrested. I kissed it, every time we slept together I would kiss it, and let him know I loved him and I was thankful.

Please, don't ever remember any of this so we can keep it the way it's always been.