Ladybugs Must Render You Catatonic

“I don’t think it’s very fair,” Baljeet seethes, hands clenched in useless fists at his sides, “that you get to dictate my life and I have no say, no say, in yours.”

Buford looks up from where he is tinkering with his laptop with a confused look on his face. “Is this about the football game again?”

Baljeet huffs, stomps over to Buford’s bed, and flops onto his back, arms still crossed. “It’s not just about this one game. It’s about you, not listening to me, or your doctor, or your mother.” He emphasizes the last word with a glare and a pout. “And it’s about the fact that you’ve ignored every one of us since freshman year.”

“No pain, no gain, Baljeet. You know that.” He spins around in his computer chair, tossing a worn football in a lazy spiral up and down.

“No brain, no game.”

It’s his favorite catchphrase when Buford gets his (almost) semi-annual concussion. He’s heard it a hundred times, in a hundred different tones, but the same speech follows it every time.

“For four years, Buford, I’ve worried. I sat in those bleachers and chewed my fingernails off watching you take hit after hit and wondering if this is the time you aren’t going to get up.” 

Buford sighs, sets the football down, and bites his lip against the angry reply he usually gives to this. Instead, he stretches out next to Baljeet in bed, tucks his boyfriend’s face into his neck, and just holds him for a second. He feels Baljeet nose under his chin and press a light kiss to his favorite spot on Buford’s neck. “I don’t dictate your life,” he grumbles, pulling him as close as possible. 

“I know,” Baljeet mumbles. “I was just angry.” Buford knows he’s not admitting to being scared, too, but he doesn’t have to; Buford has always known that.

“I won’t play.” 

“Buford-” Baljeet starts, leaning up to look him in the eye. 

“Shut up, just for this game. If we make it to State, no promises.” 

Baljeet leans forward to kiss him, and then rests their foreheads together, eyes bright and too close to be in focus. “Thank you.”

Buford thinks it’s worth it.