“I have absolutely no idea what Tristan said about Holt.”
They lean back up against me and change the subject, taking care to whisper quietly enough not to perturb Qi and reignite any more making-out conversations.
As much as I kind of want to huff and be petulant, I simply can’t at the moment. Qiang curled against me is just too much of a happyplace for me to stay grumbly. Besides, I caved just as hard as they did, so it’s not even fair.
“It means the NFL team in Miami wanted him, so he’s flying out first thing tomorrow morning to join the team.”
Qiang twists around a bit to look at me with a confused expression on their face. “But that’s good news, right? Like that’s what you’re hoping happens to you, so why is it wild?”
“It’s how it happened. Usually, you have to hit the draft in April for a shot at the NFL. It’s not very often that they contact a university mid-season to pluck a player off their roster. It doesn’t make much sense to do that because Holt won’t touch the turf until next season anyway, but they must have needed a body, or something, and already had eyes on him.”
Qiang nods slowly, still looking confused. “So it’s not that he was signed, it’s that it’s rare to be signed like he was?”
Qi lets out an indignant huff, most likely getting aggravated that we’re talking during his movie. Not that he can possibly be missing much, since the kid in the movie is just holding a scepter and saying a bunch of random-ass words.
“It’s the difference between lipstick with lipliner and lipstick without lipliner. One can pull off a perfect lip without the liner, but it’s excessively rare,” Qi points out.
“Got it,” Qiang says with confidence before nuzzling their head back against my chest.
Find ways to explain football things to Qiang using makeup analogies, duly noted.
Everybody refocuses on the movie as a random shiver runs through Qiang’s body. I tighten the blanket around them before running my hand down their arm, and they just curl deeper into me, making my chest purr with contentment.
Wild is really the best word to describe the last few days, though. Going from single to having the only one I’ve ever wanted nestled so snuggly against me notwithstanding, there’s also going from having Holt absolutely own Saturday’s game to knowing he’s getting ready to head out first thing tomorrow morning.
Saturday’s game was one of the best I’ve ever seen played in my life. It would have been a shame that I never got to step foot on the field during that game if it weren’t for knowing that I didn’t because Holt was an absolute beast. That gamebelongedto him, and as much as I love stealing the spotlight on the field, I was more than happy to stay on the bench and watch him shine.
But for the sudden, random signing, Miami had to have been watching him for a while leading up to that game. It’s the only explanation as to how it could have happened so fast. Whatever it was they’ve been waiting for, that game must have just been the final hook for them to snag him.
Tristan waves to get my attention, then points to his phone. I grab mine and find a message waiting for me, so he can talk to me without disturbing Qi’s movie. Leave it to Tristan to find ridiculous ways to be a simp.
“Are we going to do anything before he goes?”
“I haven’t heard back from Holt or Gio since I heard the news, but I texted Cade, and he said he’s arranging for the frat bros to say goodbye when he leaves the house for the airport in the morning. I figured we’d just show up then. Cade heavily implied Holt will be busy up until then.”
Tristan nods while typing something.
“I imagine it would be hard for him to get everything together in time if he spends all his remaining time wrapped up with too many goodbyes. It’s not like he won’t be back to see us later.”
I simply upnod in his direction at that because Holt has never confirmed a damn thing, which means they aren’t out as a couple, but I’m pretty sure he and Gio are together. I know if I were in Holt’s shoes, I’d be spending every last moment in my love’s arms before Ihad to leave for an unknown amount of time. But I keep the thought to myself and curl my arm tighter around Qiang’s shoulders.
“What is this movie again?” I whisper into Qiang’s ear to get my mind off sad things.
“Little Nemo: Adventures of Slumberland, this is like the fourth time I’ve told you that,” they remind me.
“To be fair, it’s a bit of a mouthful.”
“I know something else that’s a mouthful,” Qiang mutters under their breath.
The mixture of their words and their body pressed against mine has my temperature spiking and my dick stirring.
“Not nice to tease,” I mutter back, just loud enough for Qiang to hear.
A sly smile drifts across their face as their fingers start to crawl down my inner thigh, dangerously close to my balls. A shallow sigh escapes my mouth as my head falls against the back of the couch.
“He’s alright, just tired,” Qiang says, and I realize I must have sighed loud enough to grab the other two’s attention.
With Qiang’s fingers still tracing circles that are getting closer and closer to my balls with each pass they make, I can’t really care less if they heard or not at this point.
