Page 4 of Cross the Line

Given how shameless Alec is that could either be sexual innuendo, or a plea for food but the only option Theo feels equipped to handle right now is the latter so he goes with that.

“We could go get tacos. Unless you’re sick of Mexican food?—”

“No one can be sick of Mexican food,” Alec interjects. “I could move to Mexico for the food alone. The land and the people are amazing too but the food. God the food—chilaquiles, enfrijoladas, chile relleno de queso, fresas con crema, and the atoles. I haven’t eaten so well since my abuela died.”

Of all the King brothers, Alec had taken the loss of his abuela the hardest. She’d passed during Alec’s junior year of high school, and it was the longest he’d seen him go without smiling.

“Antonio’s family always made sure to make meatless stuff for me too. I ate like a King.” He turns his gaze on Theo, waiting for appreciation of his pun, and Theo can’t help but laugh at his ridiculousness. “You know what, turn the car around and take me back.”

“I take it you had a good time then?” Theo grins.

Alec nods around a yawn. “Antonio’s family is really nice. We ate good food and played soccer with the kids in his small town all day. It was the best.”

Theo’s met Antonio a few times. As Alec’s teammate and best friend, he’s been invited to several King family events since he and Alec got close in their freshman year; apparently close enough for Antonio to invite Alec to his family's ranch in Mexico for a month. Theo feels a little foolish for not realizing what must be between them sooner.

“I’m sure they liked you too.”

“Hopefully,” Alec says.

“I’m sure it was nerve-wracking meeting your boyfriend's family for the first time.”

“My what?” Alec splutters.

“Your boyfriend, aren’t you and him—” but the rest of Theo’s sentence can’t be heard over Alec howling like a hyena.

“Oh my god, I’m telling Antonio when he gets home next week, this is great.” Alec continues to laugh maniacally. “Like I would date a fucking soccer boy, they’re annoying and difficult and?—”

“You’re a soccer player.”

“I’m an anomaly, obviously.”

“And I’m confused,” Theo admits.

It’s not until Alec has stopped laughing, which takes a solid three minutes—Theo times it—that he speaks.

“Antonio proposed to his longtime girlfriend right after we got there. He invited me for moral support and also to distract his family after the announcement. I don’t know if you’ve noticed but I’m pretty good at garnering attention.” Theo has definitely noticed but he remains quiet, pretty sure that was a rhetorical question.

“So you were a red herring.”

“I guess you could say that. Antonio gets a lot of pressure. His parents sacrificed a lot to get him here. But if you bring your really loud, gay best friend to be annoying then everything you do in comparison seems easier to handle.” Alec says it so offhandedly, his tone more serious than self-deprecating that Theo can’t help but respond.

“You’re not annoying, Alec.”

“I’m more than some people can handle but it’s cool. I did what I was supposed to and then, well—” Alec shrugs, falling silent.

Much as Theo wants to push the conversation it’s clear Alec is done, his eyes focused on something outside the window. He lets out a soft sigh before adjusting his seat as far back as it can go then reclining so he can stretch his legs on the dash. At five foot eight he’s a good five inches shorter than Theo and manages it easily.

“Comfortable?” Theo asks, merging into the exiting traffic lane. He tries to bite his tongue on his next words but can’t. “You know that if we got into an accident that would be very unsafe.”

“It’s cool I trust you to drive with all the care and safety befitting the precious cargo you have in the passenger seat.” He winks at Theo. “Besides, I need to stretch out my calves they’re killing me. You wouldn’t believe how cramped I was. I had the middle seat, Theo. The middle seat. Six hours sandwiched between two guys twice my size. Can you imagine?”

“That’s really not that hard to imagine,” Theo teases.

“Oh fuck you,” Alec snorts, folding his arms beneath his head. “Just because you and Jason are built like brick houses doesn’t mean I’m small. I’m just the perfect size to be underestimated.”

“I’m not built like a brick house,” Theo mumbles, unsure why the comment makes him blush. Alec has teased him about his size plenty of times. Between the two of them Jason is definitely built like a brick house—six foot five and big in every way. In comparison Theo’s six foot one frame is lankier, his bulk from high school football long gone. He’s still in pretty decent shape from his love of hiking but his body has softened with age. He’s less a brick house and more of a marshmallow one.

“Fine, Jason is built like a brick house. You’re more like—hmmm.” Alec reaches over, toying with the edge of Theo’s sweater. “You know it’s impossible to tell what you’re shaped like beneath these sweaters you always wear.”

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