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“It’s a park?” Tan question as Sven parks the car
“Basketball court” Sven corrects him. “I like to play basketball here sometimes but I haven’t been in awhile. I thought maybe you and I can play for a little bit”
“You want me to play basketball? Sven, I can’t even hold a ball longer than 30 seconds without it somehow falling through my hands, look at my hands!” He holds them out
Sven smiles “they’re cute”
“They’re small” he puts them down.
Sven gets out of the car and opens the back seat grabbing his ball, “come on Tan” he says to Tan who’s still sitting in the car.
“I’m gonna embarrass you” Tan walks behind him
“There’s no one else on the court so we’re good”
“You’re gonna regret those words.”
They both walk on the court and Sven pulls Tan to where the hoop is, “how about we start with just some free throws that’s pretty easy.” He hands Tan the ball standing him a small distance away from the basket
“I don’t know what that means”
Sven laughs “just make some shots Tan that’s all it is.”
“You seem to have forgotten all the after school days in your driveway, I was the worst at basketball then and I still am now.”
“I remember” he smiles “you’re not that bad anymore just try to align your hands with the basket”
“That’s all gibberish to me but ok.” Tan brings his hands up and throws the ball towards the basket, but the ball takes a left turn missing the basket completely.
“That’s ok” Sven gets the ball “try again”
“Why don’t you make the baskets like you always do, and I go stand over there and gawk at you like I always do.” Tan tries to not embarrass himself any further
“That hurts I’m not a piece of meat, you know”
“You’re not are you sure?” Tan jokes
Sven laughs about to answer but they hear “Beck! You’re back?” They turn around to see a couple of boys walking towards them on the court.
“Hey guys” he goes to them and they excitedly stand around him “what’s up RJ, Noah?” He greets them
“Where have you been Beck? you haven’t played here in like a month” Noah asks
“Yeah basketball season, but it’s done now so I’m gonna be around more”
“We heard you got creamed by Sunnydale” they make fun of him
“Oh yeah, my brother goes to Sunnydale he talks about that game a lot” RJ adds.
“Sunnydale was trash and they only won because they got lucky, any other day we could take those fools.” Tan stands watching as he trash talks with the boys, Sven looks over at him “guys I want you to meet someone.” Walking them over to Tan “RJ, Noah this is my friend Tan” he introduces them
“Hi” Tan greets
“Nice to meet you” they wave at Tan
“You too” Tan smiles “how do you know them, Sven?”
“I play here a lot with my friends, and some of the kids from the middle school down the street like to come here and play after school too.”
“Beck is trash at basketball,” RJ says and they laugh
“Excuse me I don’t remember ever losing to you”
“Then play us” Noah challenge
“Get ready to lose” he replies then turns to Tan “can I? Do you mind?”
Tan smiles at Sven asking for permission “no I’ll go watch from over there” handing Tan his keys and phone Sven walks to the court, and Tan walks to a bench sitting down.
Watching from the bench Tan takes his phone out, getting snaps of Sven playing basketball with the boys, and adding them to his story. Once in awhile, Sven would look over at him smiling and winking, he makes Tan feel so different like he has this way of just staring at Tan making him weak and under Sven’s spell.
Tan has always known Sven was the one, but times like this reminds him, how much fun he’s able to have with those kids, and he’s just so kind and open to everyone.
As he’s playing Sven runs over to Tan “how you doing?” he asks smiling out of breath and very sweaty
“Good, you look good out there”
“Yeah? Wanna join?”
“I’m good watching you” Tan flirts
Sven chuckles “you’re cute” then runs back to the court.
After a few games, Sven finally says bye to Rj and Noah and walks to Tan who’s waiting. “Had fun?” Tan asks handing back his keys and phone
“Yeah did you?”
“Oh I had so much fun”
They get in Sven’s car and he drives away “wanna get something to eat I’m starving?”
“Sure.”
After dinner Sven takes Tan back home “how’d you know that was my favorite diner?” Tan asks as they walk to his door
“You used to talk about their milkshakes a lot” Sven replies “like so much”
“I did not!” Tan jokingly shoves him. They’re in the house barely away from the front door when the joking demeanor changes to a more serious stare. Tan wraps his arms around Sven’s neck and Sven holds his back “I really like spending time with you”
“Me too thanks for being a bad influence” he laughs
“I am not”
“oh yeah, mister skip school and spend the day with me?”
“I thought I was gonna have to beg”
Sven gasps with a grin “you were gonna beg if I said no?”
“I was prepared to”
“Kinda wanna see that now”
“Too late buddy” Tan kisses him and Sven kisses back. Their bodies rub against each other and moans leave Tan’s mouth as his lips are unable to pull away from Sven’s.
It’s night now, Sven and Tan hide in Tan’s room as his parents get home. “I know you chose to spend the night but I should warn you” Tan whispers as they lay in his bed, “Shiela and Scott fight a lot about absolutely anything, I usually ignore it so if you hear them just try to too. It’s also completely ok if you want to run away, I’ve tried multiple times trust me.”
Sven waits for him to stop talking then says “don’t worry I won’t run away, and you’re not alone tonight” and for the first time, Tan felt that to be true. Every night he has spent here stuck between these walls listening to his parents tear each other apart drove Tan crazy. He always had to deal with it alone and it wasn’t easy, but Sven being here tonight he knows it’s true.
They quietly kiss and caress each other as Tan plays loud music to drown out the sound of his parents.
Time passes and Tan stares at Sven “what?” he asks smiling
“I have to tell you something”
“Okay”
Tan sits up and Sven does the same, they sit facing each other and Tan plays with his fingers scared of what he’s about to say. “I got into Northwestern” he looks away to avoid Sven’s reaction “I was going to tell you but you’ve been so sad about the game and not getting any scholarship offers, I didn’t want it to seem like I was bragging.”
“Of course it’s not bragging I’m so proud of you. Northwestern just accepted the best, that’s fucking awesome Tan!” he gets excited “you’re gonna kill it there” more excited than Tan really
“You think so?”
“I know so you’re amazing” they move closer to each other chuckling.
They fall asleep together and the next morning Tan slowly wakes up as he feels the weight of Sven’s arms around his body. They didn’t fall asleep in that position but in the middle of the night, Sven pulled Tan to him laying behind him, wrapping his arms around Tan’s waist. Turning to face Sven Tan slowly caresses his face waking him up “hmm?” Sven groans still asleep but can feel Tan’s touch
“Wake up” Tan whispers still caressing him
“but it feels so early” He replies with eyes still shut.
Tan smiles at how cute Sven’s sleeping face looks “it is” they whisper back to each other. “My parents are getting ready to leave for work”
“Good, wake me up when they’re gone” he holds Tan tight trying to go back to sleep.
As they lay there Shiela walks up to Tan’s door knocking on it “Tan?” Both Tan and Sven jump up surprised “You awake?” she continues to knock
“Uh yeah mom I’m up” he replies as he signals Sven to stay quiet
“You’re dad and I are leaving for work”
“Okay have fun” he tries to get rid of her.
“So listen we can talk about this tonight but I want you to think about something while we’re gone. I’m getting in touch with a great therapist your father and I were recommended-“
“Wow” Tan is actually surprised “good for you guys”
“Tanner I’m not done, if I can get us an appointment for tomorrow would you want to go?” Both Sven and Tan hear the question and look at each other
“what? NO!” He goes to the door completely forgetting about Sven. He walks out of his room shutting the door behind him before his mom see Sven, “I thought we talked about this, why would I need to go?”
“It’s a family therapist Tanner you have to be there”
“But I’m not the problem! You guys are!”
“Tanner Milton if I get an appointment we’re going do you hear me?” Everything inside him is telling him to yell at her but he knows that wouldn’t be right, he can’t let Sven hear how bad it actually gets
“Fine” he groans annoyed “you win Shiela I’ll go to therapy.” He walks back into his room without saying goodbye shutting the door in her face.
It’s awkward between Sven and Tan as they sit on opposite sides of the bed away from each other listening to his parents leave, he knows he should say something. “I warned you” he looks over at Sven who’s on his phone
Sven puts his phone down looking at Tan “there’s nothing wrong with therapy Tan, at least they’re trying, right?”
“Yeah you think that”
Sven moves to him giving him a hug “it’s gonna be fine maybe this is what you guys need.” Tan quietly panics at the thought of going to therapy with his parents, just another person that’s going to know how dysfunctional their home actually is. “Let’s make breakfast, how does that sound?” Sven asks Tan
“Sure.” He gets up walking away.
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