Page 53 of After the Siren

Chapter Twenty-Six

Theo sat up and slid the slice of cucumber off his right eye.

Priya had arrived two days after his on-field kiss with Jake, and she’d wasted no time in booking them in for an afternoon at the kind of day spa that didn’t list their prices anywhere you could see them.

They’d had to put their phones in a box, and now they were lying on very comfortable massage tables in soft linen robes.

Kiara, their ‘wellness guide’, had left them with a platter of sliced fruit, a pot of green tea, and an instruction to ‘let go of all your worries and spend some quality time together’.

(Priya had booked them a couples package in order to get the bonus mud wrap.

Theo’s protests that he spent enough time covered in mud had been ignored.)

Jake had been a little disappointed that he wasn’t invited, but Theo had explained that it was mainly Priya’s stratagem for getting him away from Eva, his visiting parents, and his phone. Jake had accepted his lot, but had demanded that Theo bring him back ‘some bougie skin stuff’.

Theo exhaled. The spa was ridiculous, but he had to admit it was quite soothing.

The room had a fountain on one wall, and the soft sound of running water mingled with the sort of gentle music Theo associated with yoga classes.

It wa s nice to be in a space where he couldn’t reach for his phone every thirty seconds.

He didn’t regret what he and Jake had done, but there was a lot to deal with.

The Falcons had been able to keep things pretty locked down, taking a firm line that they weren’t going to say anything about anything until the season was done.

But there had been articles, and opinion pieces, and talk-back radio callers.

He and Jake had a dozen invitations each to be interviewed or appear on podcasts.

The team, taking their lead from Yelks, had been supportive, but Theo still felt a bit like he was white-water rafting towards the preliminary final, hoping his boat wasn’t going to smash into a boulder.

He peeled off the other cucumber slice and set them both down next to the tray of fruit. Hopefully he’d remember not to eat them. ‘“Wellness guide”?’ he asked. He supposed it could have been worse. He’d have drawn the line at wellness guru or wellness sherpa.

Priya sat up and removed her own cucumber slices. ‘I feel very effectively guided towards wellness.’ The face mask she’d chosen was a vibrant green. He’d gone for a lavender one.

‘Sure, Elphaba.’

She picked up an apple slice and munched on it thoughtfully. ‘So, where should we start? I feel like we need a meeting agenda.’

‘I’m surprised you didn’t prepare one.’

‘Trust me, I was tempted. But seriously, are you okay?’

Theo thought about it. ‘I mean, it’s a lot.

But I’m okay.’ He’d had a bit of a moment the day after the semi-final, but he’d been able to go and see Jenny, and they’d talked things through and come up with a plan.

A lot of the plan was about writing things down and setting them aside to deal with after the prelim.

‘Not to get all sappy, but it was a pretty awesome thing to do.’ Priya hadn’t been watching the game, but a mutual friend had called her and got her to switch on the TV in the minutes afterwards.

‘A lot of the coverage has been great.’ Priya had banned Theo from any googling, but she was collating an album of material he could look at once the finals were done.

She took a dainty bite out of a strawberry.

‘Things with your parents seem more relaxed.’

Theo nodded and poured tea for them both.

Genmaicha, from the nutty smell. ‘I think it’s been good that Eva had a heart-to-heart with them as well.

They’re definitely trying to be supportive with both of us.

And to at least ask questions to see where we’re coming from, rather than just making pronouncements.

I think it’s going to take a while, but at least they’re making an effort.

And maybe I was projecting some of my own insecurities and anxieties on to them. ’

Priya nodded. ‘And they like Jake?’

‘I think so.’ It was hard to tell, with his parents. Jake was nothing like either of his previous girlfriends. ‘I don’t think they really know what to make of him. But, again – it’s a start.’

‘Please invite me to the Cunningham and Bestavros family introduction when it happens. I want to see it, and I also want to meet Keeley properly.’ Priya and Keeley had joined Jake and Theo for a very lively FaceTime call; she and Keeley had immediately devised a social-media strategy for Jake, and had created a collaborative document to shortlist social media and marketing managers Jake could employ.

Theo snorted. ‘Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.’

‘Come on. You two are so revoltingly in love that I’m already planning my best-man speech. It’s going to be the highlight of your wedding.’

Anything Theo said in response to that was going to be either a lie or deeply incriminating. ‘Do you like him?’ he asked instead.

Priya took a sip of her tea. ‘Yeah, more than I thought I might, to be honest. I like the two of you together. He makes you smile, and he won’t let you take yourself too seriously. I wasn’t sure I’d be able to get beyond the socks-and-Crocs aesthetic, but I’m making an effort, just for you.’

‘That’s very generous of you.’

‘I know.’ Priya stretched. ‘I can’t wait for the massages – my lower back hates me.’

‘Whereas I’m all about the mud wrap, as you know.’ He put his cup down. ‘Thanks for coming to visit. Having you around makes everything feel more manageable. You know it means a lot.’

‘Let’s not get emotional,’ she said. ‘I don’t want my face mask to run.’

‘That face mask looks like concrete, I think it could survive anything.’

‘I don’t want Kiara to think we’re fighting.’

That made Theo laugh. ‘Still, thanks.’

‘There’s nowhere else I’d rather be,’ she told him. ‘More tea?’

‘Yes please.’

It was Priya, in the end, who accidentally ate one of the cucumber slices. Kiara walked in just as she threw the other one at Theo’s head.

Jake had thought he’d known what it was like to be the centre of attention.

It turned out that there was attention and then there was we are the first two out queer men’s footy players and we’re dating one another .

Jake was getting so many messages on social media that he was letting Keeley manage them.

Theo and Jake been photographed getting out of Jake’s car together in the club car park like Jake was a fucking Kardashian.

Some of the coverage had been ... not great.

Jake had expected that, of course. Tried to keep away from it.

But it was hard to be online at all and not catch glimpses of it.

There had, in fact, been a Full Forward skit.

He hadn’t watched it. Paddy had watched it, making a sound the whole time like a kettle on the boil.

A small, scared part of him had wondered if Theo would end up regretting it, even though after the game he’d said he didn’t.

But Theo seemed like a weight had come off his shoulders, too.

He laughed more easily, and he’d started to touch Jake casually in public; linking their fingers together or slipping a hand into Jake’s back pocket.

Jake was never wearing pants without back pockets again.

One downside was they’d had to attend a lot of meetings. Apparently the idea that two players might date was a real shock to management. And to Greg.

Greg had been very supportive, in a confused kind of way, and was working on a media release from the club.

Jake had heard on the grapevine that the club was hiring a consultant to help manage the social media.

That seemed wise. Greg couldn’t even keep track of what all the letters in LGBTQIA+ stood for.

Theo’s parents had tickets to the prelim final.

Jake had met them during the week, briefly, for dinner, and had done his best to make a good impression.

He’d worn a shirt with buttons and everything.

Jake thought it had gone pretty well, all things considered.

Coming out was one thing. Snogging your boyfriend on national TV was another.

Theo had obviously been nervous, but he’d given Jake an unimpressed look when Jake had joked that he wasn’t model-boyfriend material for serious, academic parents. All they should care about is that you make me happy, he’d said. And then they’d nearly been late for dinner.

They’d all had drinks together in the courtyard of Eva’s terrace.

Eva had pulled Jake into the kitchen to help with the salad to give Theo some time alone with his parents.

By the time they’d come back, Theo was laughing at something his mum was saying.

His dad had asked Jake some questions about football, and Jake thought he’d done a pretty good job overall.

It had been a bit awkward, but Jake didn’t know if meeting someone’s parents was ever not a bit awkward.

They’d been nicer than Kyle’s parents had ever been.

(Jake hadn’t been allowed to actually help with the salad. Not after Eva had seen him chop the first tomato.)

Jake sighed and shifted on the foam roller.

They had an hour or so before they needed to be warmed up.

It was going to be a rough game. You never knew your luck in the big city, but they’d lost Yelks, Tommy and Raze, and they were playing the Crocodiles, who were on a hot streak and almost untouched by injury.

Still, it was footy. Anything could happen, and if Jake had his way they’d be going to the granny.

‘Hey,’ Theo said, settling down beside him. ‘All good?’

‘All good.’

They’d driven in together, but Theo had gone off to lie on the grass and do whatever mindfulness stuff he did before games.

It had been fine in the locker room during the week. The main problem seemed to be everyone trying to work out how much shit they could dish out before it became homophobic. Paddy was leading the charge to find out.

Jake was assisting Theo with a hamstring stretch when Tenders walked in.

‘Jesus, at least save it until after the game,’ he said. But it was good natured. He came over to stretch with them. Tenders hadn’t said anything about any of it, but he’d taken to putting himself in their proximity, as though he could signal support with his physical presence.

The energy was high before the game, even if they were the underdogs by a country mile.

Nobody had thought they’d go deep into the finals this year, so it all felt like a bonus.

Yelks gave them a good gee-up before warm-ups, and then Jake put his headphones on and jogged an easy lap of the MCG, Theo running beside him.

The crowd was already filtering in and Jake stopped a couple of times to sign things.

He had a bet with Gabby about the reappearance of the snowflake signs, but there was no evidence of them yet.

He took shots on goal for a while, mucking around with Paddy like he always did. It felt absolutely normal, but also absolutely new. His first game as an out player.

He went back down the race a little earlier than usual, before the crowd had really filled up.

By the time they were ready to go, Jake was rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet, itching to be out there.

His favourite sound in the world was the roar of the crowd growing louder as he walked up the race.

The way that, as he got closer, he could hear individual voices, individual shouts.

The way people dangled scarves down like banners.

The blur of faces, shouting encouragement.

With Yelks and Raze benched, Sheds led them up as acting captain.

Jake exchanged his game-day fist bump with Xen and his game-day chest bump with Paddy.

Theo found a spot beside him. Jake knew he still got stressed about games – fuck, Jake was stressed about this one – but he was smiling all the same.

They set off up the race together, and Jake reached for Theo’s hand. They walked out into a wall of sound and Jake heard people yelling his name, yelling Theo’s name. The air was thick from the smoke machine, and there was the pop of fireworks as Sheds led them towards the banner.

They stepped out onto the grass together, and Jake froze.

The stands were always a sea of colour on game days.

This time, it was a sea of rainbows. There were rainbow flags everywhere: behind the Falcons’ goals, behind the Crocodiles’ goals, throughout the MCC.

People in both teams’ jumpers waving flags and scarves and rainbow cut-outs.

Kids being held up with rainbow face paint on.

The volume increased, and Jake realised he and Theo were up on the screen, both looking stunned.

It wasn’t everyone , but it was enough. More than enough.

The camera started to cut between people in the crowd: queer couples waving, queer families holding up their kids, someone with a rainbow mohawk, a group of friends in rainbow wings and glittery eyeshadow.

The Falcons mascot in a pride scarf. A group of fans each holding a rainbow letter to spell ‘Falcons’.

‘Wow,’ Theo said, softly. Like he was in a library, or in church.

‘Yeah.’

Jake realised he could do this. They could do this. He blew a kiss to the crowd, then stood on his tiptoes to kiss Theo on the cheek. That got him another roar of approval.

‘You boys ready?’ Tenders asked, coming up behind them to nudge them towards the banner. ‘Or are you going to smooch?’

‘Play now, smooch later,’ Jake confirmed.

They jogged forward to join the rest of the team, still holding hands, stepping into the smoke and sparks.

They ran through, together, between Xen and Paddy.

Jake looked up at the rippling strands of the banner as it disintegrated around the team, at the blue sky, at the swirl of rainbow all around the MCG.

‘I love you,’ he said to Theo, leaning close so Theo could hear him over the crowd. He wasn’t sure why he needed to say it now.

Theo grinned at him. ‘I get it. I’m pretty great.’

Jake grinned back. ‘Asshole.’

‘I love you too.’

‘Let’s play some footy?’

Theo nodded. ‘Let’s play some footy.’