the true story of your death

A Deer and Fawn must embark on a journey through an abandoned world of the unknown to get home.

Josh looks at the sweatshirt, nostalgia threatening to overwhelm him. Jalen used to walk around their apartment back at Nova wearing this thing, before it was so threadbare, and it drove Josh crazy then too. Back when Jalen was even smaller, not so filled out, and it made Josh think of girlfriends always stealing his clothes.

“Josh,” Jalen says, voice low, and when Josh turns to him his breath catches at the knowing look in Jalen’s eyes.

“You always pick this one,” he says, a little off-beat, still half in the memories of nearly a decade ago.

“‘S my favorite,” he admits, and it sounds like he’s saying something else. Josh swallows hard.

Or: Josh thinks about Jalen, red wine, and the different meanings of a ring.

full 9.5k word fic is on ao3. snippet below:

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The thing about Jalen, Josh muses as he sips his glass, watching the ESPYs through half-lidded eyes from his couch, is that he’s kinda like a Bordeaux. Something heavy and full-bodied, like a nice bottle of Cab Sav. He’s thick, strong as hell, with heavy hips and that low center of gravity that makes him so dangerous on the court.

The league likes their players to be more like a Burgundy—light on their feet, smooth on the ground, always fresh and easy-bodied. They like guys like OG or Mikal, and if you’re big-bodied and strong you better be six foot eleven at the minimum. But Jalen has always been different, always been a pitbull in a sea of jaguars, the odd one out and he knows it, but there’s a beauty to it—to him—that has always struck Josh as sexy in that same way a rare red blend can be.

It’s well known by this point that Josh likes wine. He likes red wine specifically, although he will never say no to a nice crisp white if it’s offered to him. He likes them rich and strong, bold with tannins and a luxuriously long finish. He likes having a glass of wine in hand after a long game, muscles sore, the press eager for a soundbite and the rich taste of licorice and tobacco on his tongue.

He likes Jalen too, which is also well known. Likes to needle him, tease him about his big head, his stout body. Likes to make him blush during the pressers or cover his face and lose his train of thought.

He likes to corner him in the locker room when all the guys have left and get his mouth on him, watch as the near-permanent furrow between his eyebrows smooths out and that pout falls open around a gasp, powerful, compact body trembling all because of him. He likes holding that power in his hands, knowing he’s the only one that can break him open, the only one that can taste the rich plum of his moans, as good as a glass of an aged Amarone della Valpolicella, just as alluring, just as opulent.

Jalen back at Nova was a new bottle not yet ready to be uncorked. Brilliant, obviously, bossy and gritty with that champion’s mentality he’s always had. Josh drank cheap shit then—two buck chuck, watery beer. He didn’t appreciate the glory of letting a bottle age, just looking to drink whatever got him shit-faced the fastest. But now Josh enjoys the finer things—expensive watches that gleam in the sun, an aged bottle that luxuriates on the tongue. Jalen, older and sharper, shoulders filling out his tailored suit and an ass that won’t quit.

u look sexy, he texts before he can think better of it, licking his lips. He’s not even buzzed, just feeling warm and wanting as he stares at Jalen onscreen. Dangerous words when Jalen is sitting next to his wife but they’ve done worse.

dude stop texting me

but u look so cute everytime u gotta go onstage. captain sweep

The camera pans to Jalen just in time for Josh to see him roll his eyes while glancing down and Josh smirks.

cum over after. got a bottle of wine w ur name on it

thought u were still in miami?

nah just got in. u gonna cum over?

Jalen doesn’t answer but Josh isn’t worried, stretching languidly on his couch and sighing. Jalen doesn’t care about wine like he does, cheapskate that he is, but he does like it, and more importantly wine likes him. Wine-drunk Jalen is one of his favorite creatures, giggly and flushed and so handsy it drives Josh crazy. When they go out to dinners and Jalen starts staring at Josh with those big, wanting eyes and chewing on his purple-stained lips that’s when Josh has to take him home, away from prying eyes so Josh can give Jalen what he needs. He wants to see that now, reckless with it, thanking god Shannon stayed a day longer in Miami with the kids so the house is all his. His phone pings and he glances at it.

ur so annoying

He grins. c u later cap

dont call me that

Josh hears the Knicks being called up and picks his phone up again.

stop txtng me we won again n u g2g

He watches as the team all goes up onstage, rolling his eyes when Jalen says some shit about his invite being revoked.

not even there n u cant get my name out ur mouth

He watches as they all go back to their seats.

shut up

Yeah, Josh thinks smugly, having another sip of his wine. He’ll be seeing Jalen tonight.

***