60

Naturally, there's a party after the game.

Winston lingers in the hallways outside the home team's changing room, heart having finally calmed down and breaths steady. His hands are no longer clammy (a bathroom visit took care of both that and his bladder) and his grip on his phone is solid.

Waiting for Jason is no hardship, and even Gary leaving for his own bathroom break (and probably also to get something to eat, his stomach was grumbling the last time Winston saw him) doesn't change this. Winston is perfectly content to lean on the wall and fiddle with his phone, looking up occasionally to check on Ryder. But Ryder, too, seems perfectly content with his book.

He eyes Ryder over the edge of his phone, observing the concentrated furrow of his eyebrows and the way he nearly seems to be glaring at his book. His hands are holding tight to the hardback, fingers long. Looking away, Winston's eyes drop back down to his phone.

They're not alone in the hallway; there are some other families and loved ones trawling through the halls. Winston stays out of their way; he doesn't know them, doesn't recognize them (although one old man look suspiciously like Clyde) and he's not particularly interested in interacting with them.

He doesn't think he could stomach it, in fact.

His phone vibrates with an incoming message, and Winston rubs his eye as he reads it. It's Gary--predictably--announces that there's a line in the cafeteria and he's going to be awhile.

Winston snorts. Thought so, he sends back, pulling in his stomach so that the clump of people passing by don't bump into him. One of them get uncomfortably close, and he frowns at their back. When the horde of people travel, others in the hallway get dragged along with them.

In hindsight, some of those people might have been on the basketball team with Jason.

The hallway is much emptier without them, though not deserted. The blaring white walls and the cold light from the ceilings aren't very welcoming and the lights are unnecessarily bright, too. Winston's not sure how Jason can stand this place; even he's getting a bit of a headache in here.

"The game was good," Ryder says out of the blue, startling Winston so badly he very nearly drops his phone. It starts sliding out of his hand, but he manages to catch it before it's entirely gone, heart in his throat.

"Yeah," he agrees, turning the phone around to check it's health. When he's sure it's safe (it's only a week old), Winston raises his gaze to Ryder and adds, "Jason was incredible."n v

Ryder laughs. It seems to surprise him, considering how quickly he then schools his expression back into something unknowable. "He was," Ryder agrees, and says, "Jason has always enjoyed basketball."

"Even as a kid?"

"Oh yes, even then," Ryder's face has, if one tilts their head and squints, sort of a thoughtful expression. He adds, "When he was six, Jason once ran away from home to pursue a career as a 'basketballer' in his words. He didn't get very far, of course, but by the time I'd found him he'd managed to convince a college basketball team to play with him."

Ryder's smile softens. "When I came to pick him up, he tried to run away again. The team boxed him in so I could grab him and the look on his face..." Ryder laughs, softly, shaking his head. "I'd never seen an expression of such profound betrayal before."

Ryder gets his own expression back under control, and his gaze focuses on Winston. He says, "He's very happy you're here, you know."

"I do," Winston says, eyes drifting to stare over Ryder's shoulder.

Ryder huffs. It's a very dignified sort of huff, very refined, and he says, "I mean it. Jay knows you're not an expert on basketball, and he appreciates you being here for him regardless. He would been very sad if you missed this game."

Winston licks his lips. "I know," he repeats, thinking back to Jason's excitement every time Winston attends one of his practice games, even if the only thing Winston does is watch movies on his phone or listen to podcasts. Somehow, just him being there is enough for Jason, and Winston still isn't sure how to reckon with that.

It's not the same, with Gary. He and Gary enjoy largely the same things, do largely the same things, are drawn to largely the same things. With Jason, the differences outnumber the similarities, and Winston has no reference for that.

Glancing at Ryder, he's startled to spot the gentle amusement in his eyes; it's identical to Jason's which is probably the only reason he even recognizes this.

Ryder says, "I'm staying in town for two more days before I head back for work. I hope you and Jason can join me for dinner sometime?"

"Of course," says Winston. Another clump of people are emerging form the changing rooms, the door striking the wall in a loud smack and Winston flinches, drawing back from Ryder and glancing around.

The guys are laughing, hanging off each other and talking over one another, and Winston spots Jason in the middle of them nearly instantly, body relaxing as he watches Jay grin and hang off Clyde as he approaches.

Jason spots him, too, and the smile he bestows upon Winston is blinding; a personal attack that Winston is only a too willing victim of.

Clyde spots him, too, and waves wildly. "Boyfriend!" he grins, pulling free of Jason and hurrying closer, Jason trying and failing to catch him.

Winston hides his smile and has gotten himself properly pulled together when Clyde reaches them and promptly skids to a stop. "Hey, boyfriend," Clyde drawls and wiggles his eyebrows, not stopping even when Jason tries to shove his hands in front of Clyde's mouth.

Clyde doesn't relent, avoiding Jason's grip seamlessly and leering at Ryder. "And this must be the famous brother. Ryder, is it?" Clyde holds out his hand while Jason facepalms behind him.

Ryder though, does, in fact, shake Clyde's hand. While they're distracted, Winston sidles up to Jason and peers up at him. They haven't had time to properly talk yet, and while Jason's expression is still one of joy (he's smiling nearly constantly and his eyes glitter every time Winston's looking at him) Winston still asks, "How are you feeling?"

"Fucking fantastic," Jason swears, grinning from ear to ear, and then he hugs Winston. Holds him tight, lifting him off his feet for a second, Winston's hands scrambling for purchase on Jason's shoulder. Jason repeats, "Fantastic," into his shoulder.

Winston's chest is flurry mess, and his breathing hitches in his throat. When he's let go, he smoothly transitions into holding Jason's hand, and the answering smile he receives is---heavenly.