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Reid's POV

I waited outside for Dakota for quite a while. It was starting to get dark. I saw a guy come out, and I jumped out of the car.

"Have you seen Dakota?" I asked him. He frowned, looking around.

"No, he actually left before me weirdly enough... Do you want me to go in and look for him?" I contemplated it before nodding.

"Could you?" He smiled and patted my shoulder.

"You must be his boyfriend?" I nodded. "Well, of course I'll go." He turned around and just as he started walking, Dakota walked out of the building.

"Hey Ethan." He said smiling at him. His face was red, and I knew he'd just gotten out of practice, but it didn't sit well with me. But it was getting dark, so I couldn't see him well anyway. I just happened to get a glimpse because of the lights out.

"Hey." Ethan told him. Dakota smiled at me, seemingly nervous. I couldn't say anything until I knew for sure something happened to him.

"Ready to go?" I nodded quickly and took his equipment from him.

"Well, thanks man." I told Ethan, nodding towards him.

"No problem. Bye Dakota." Dakota waved and I put his things in the car. He got in after me and we began driving.

"How was practice?" I asked him.

"It was good." He told me. I took a quick look at him and he was staring out of the window. I reached over and grabbed his hand. I kissed it.

"Even if I don't know what's going on, I'll be here for you baby." He laughed a little, it sounded like a laugh of relief.

"Reid, you're the absolute cutest. Thank you, so much." I smiled.

"Here you go sweet talking me again." He laughed again.

"Practice was actually great. The team is nice to me and I'm doing great."

"That's great! So you're going to stay on the team?"

"Yeah, I think I will." I grinned and nodded.

"I can't wait to cheer you on Kota." He leaned over and kissed my cheek. He turned up the music and we began singing the rest of the way home.

We got out of the car and I got his bags out. Dakota opened the door to the house, his parents were still gone.

"What're you cooking baby?" He asked me as I put the equipment by the door.

"What do you want?" He shrugged and I turned the kitchen lights on.

"Chicken parm?" He asked, looking down at the mail.

"Alright, I'll start on it now." He nodded and finished looking at the mail. He turned to me and opened his mouth to start talking, but there it was. A bruise was forming on his eye. "Did a ball hit you in your eye?" I asked him. He looked at me confused and from there I knew it wasn't a ball.

"Uhh, y-yeah." He said, when he saw me getting angry.

"Kota. Who hit you?" I questioned him, trying to calm myself down. He shook his head.

"No one Reid, calm down." I slammed my hand on the counter.

"Don't tell me to calm down! Who is it? I'll beat their ass!" He sighed.

"This is the reason I didn't want to tell you."

"Don't start that bullshit. If someone's messing with you, they deserve an ass whooping." He looked away and bit his lip. I took a deep breath. Then I realized something. "It's someone on that team, isn't it?"

"W-what?" He asked, surprised. I nodded.

"You didn't have that when I dropped everything off Dakota! It's someone on that team! Are they bullying you?"

"No, they aren't. Reid, it's not-"

"I'm not going to let you be on that team!" His eyes widened and his face contorted in anger.

"You don't tell me what to do! I'm going to play on that team and you can't do anything about it!" He pushed me and ran up the stairs.

"Dakota, come back here!" I yelled but I heard his door slam. I slammed my fist on the counter, angry.

I took a deep breath and let it out, trying to calm down. I rubbed my face and turned the faucet on, splashing my face.

I began to cook, all the while thinking about the whole situation.

I was worried about him, going to those practices with someone there messing with him. I just wanted to make things better for him, and he didn't realize it.

Though, I should've known not to tell him I wouldn't allow him back. That was a big no for Dakota. He didn't like being told what to do.

On the other hand, I knew he was strong. I knew he could take care of himself if someone was doing something to him. But it didn't feel right for me to just be here doing nothing.

I groaned.

"Fuck." I mumbled to myself. I messed up. If I'd been calm about it, I could've just went to his practices with him and no one would mess with him.

But, now he was really going to deal with it on his own. I'm sure that three days deal just went down the drain.

I fixed two plates when I was done cooking. I put two sodas in my pockets and began walking up the stairs with the plates.

I realized I couldn't open the door, so I hit my head on it a couple of times.

"I have your food." I yelled to him. I heard his footsteps, then the door opened.

"Why do you have two plates? You can eat downstairs." I frowned at him.

"Come on Kota. I know, I was wrong in telling you you couldn't go back, but don't you understand I'm just worried? You haven't told me anything and you come home with a black eye." He sighed and opened the door fully. He took his food from my hand and a orange soda from my pocket.

We sat down on his bed and began to eat.

"The three day deal is off Reid." I sighed deeply.

"I thought so." I took a mouthful of food. "I just don't feel I should be punished for caring about you." He didn't say anything. He just kept eating his food. I sighed, I guess this is how it's going to go. I just won't find out and he'll keep having bruises, right?

~

Two weeks later was the next time I saw something on Dakota. He had a bruise on his cheek and his eye, along with his stomach.

"I'm not going to sit here for this anymore Dakota." He looked at me tiredly.

"Reid... I deal with enough." I sighed, feeling bad for him. I kneeled in front of him.

"I know you do baby. But you don't have to deal with it by yourself. I know I haven't had the balls to tell you I love you yet, but you know I care about you more than anything." He stared at me for a few seconds before his eyes began to water.

He threw himself into me and hugged me tightly.

"I'm just so tired Reid. When I was in high school I was bullied for being gay. For just loving someone who is the same sex as me! Now I come here and someone wants to bully me again? I can't catch a break! I just want to be me without someone looking at me weirdly. Why can't gay people be free? Is that too much to ask?" I held him tightly as he cried, feeling a bit sad myself. He was right, and it sucked that he had to go through that.

"No, it isn't. You're right." I mumbled, rubbing his back. "I'm so sorry baby."

"I don't want you to have to go through this for dating me Reid."

"I won't." I told him quietly. I was determined to get whoever this was to leave him alone.

The next day, I went to the baseball facility around the time of practice. I walked around, and a guy grabbed my arm.

"Hey, can I help you with something?" I looked at him.

"Who are you?" I asked.

"I'm the captain of this team." I nodded.

"Well, someone on this team is messing with my boyfriend. I don't know who I'm looking for, but someone is going to pay." He looked at me surprised.

"Who's your boyfriend?"

"Dakota." His eyes widened.

"Someone's messing with Dakota?" I nodded and saw someone coming out of the locker room. He looked oddly familiar. He looked at me and his eyes widened, then he glared at me.

I frowned, this was the guy who bumped into Dakota and called him a faggot. I walked over to him and he looked afraid for a second.

"What do you want?"

"Have you been messing with Dakota?" He grinned at me and I grabbed him by his shirt and threw him against the wall. "I'll teach you a lesson. You wanna put your hands on someone?" I punched him.

"You and your gay as boyfriend should stay off my field." I kneed him in his balls.

"Calm down man, I'll handle it." The mantold me, trying to get me off. I ignored him though, I punched the guy again.

"How about you leave my boyfriend alone!" I yelled at him.

"Reid? Reid, stop!" I heard Dakota say. He pulled me off of the guy and helped him up. The guy looked at him surprised and I did too. I looked around to see the whole team looking at me like I was crazy. "Reid, go."

"But Dakota, I-"

"Go. Please. I'll be ready at the usual time." He told me, pleading me with his eyes. I sighed and left the building.

I still didn't regret beating that guy's ass.

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