Homecoming Hearts Series Collection

by HJ Welch

  He glanced over at Elion. He was grinning from ear to ear and gave him a nod of encouragement.

  This was living for today, seizing the moment. It would be no shock if his parents freaked out over this, but Blake wanted to try.

  “It’s a technical dance skill,” he said, snatching the shoes from Tyler and slinging them over his shoulder. “Gender doesn’t come into it. I’ll still be the best in the room.”

  Kala threw an air punch from behind the camera and one of the other P.A.s gave him a thumbs up. Tyler arched an eyebrow then swished away and pulled his own pair of heels from his bag.

  Blake had planned different choreography for the day, but it seemed Nessa and Tyler had been prepped to take the class. He’d show he could do anything they threw at him though. So he dropped into the chair beside Elion and set about swapping his boots for the heels.

  “Um,” said Elion scratching the back on his head and staring forwards. “So you know this is going to be super-hot, right?” He cleared his throat and shifted in his seat. “There’s a reason chicks wear heels; it does incredible things to your ass.”

  Blake smiled slowly at him. “Is this turning you on?”

  “Kind of,” said Elion, still staring straight ahead like he couldn’t cope with looking at Blake just then. “Also, the way you got all alpha reminding them who’s school this is.”

  Blake glanced at the camera, then back to Elion taking a detour to glance at his crotch. “Are we going to have to check certain things are working again later?”

  Elion froze. Maybe it wasn’t fair, flirting with him like this. But the less Blake overanalyzed it, the more he simply enjoyed it. If pressed by his dad he had the fallback of being able to say it was for the show. But in that moment, Blake knew it definitely wasn’t.

  He liked the way Elion was hot for him. Lola had been different, so cool and impressive. She’d not really been one to get fazed. But Elion wasn’t shy about showing how much he enjoyed sex, or how much he wanted Blake. It made it easier for Blake to want him back.

  “Go dance, you prick tease,” Elion growled. It was full of playfulness though, making Blake tingle with anticipation.

  The first few steps in the heels were a little strange. But thanks to Blake’s core strength and leg muscles he was able to keep his balance and get used to the sensation pretty quickly.

  Honestly, he thought he might look a bit of a fool in them. Like he was playing dress up with his mother’s wardrobe or he was an unfinished drag queen. But his all black ensemble and shock of blond hair made the look powerful, otherworldly. He almost wished he was wearing black eyeliner.

  Maybe next time, he thought with a smirk to himself. His dad would love that.

  Nessa took up the head of the class. He and Tyler were joined by the three other young women in their troupe; Maddie, Kim and Coral. They were all in their early twenties and had serious talent. That meant they came from neighboring towns and even Cincinnati, but it was worth it to get the caliber of dancers Blake had wanted in one place.

  Teaching was an amazing reward in itself. But there was nothing quite like dancing flat out with people who challenged him. Until today, there had been relatively little drama in their group. But of course Seth couldn’t let that last.

  Blake lost himself in the choreography. It was a lot of isolation and hip rolls, but he relished that. He was extremely conscious to keep the moves for the kids non-sexual. Now was a chance for him to let lose a little.

  It didn’t hurt that he knew Elion was watching him either. He wasn’t ashamed to admit he was showing off.

  That was, until his heel snapped away from the shoe taking his ankle along with it and sending him crashing to the floor.

  He cried out at the sharp stab of pain that shot up his leg and he immediately grabbed at it. His mind was already panicking, trying to establish if it was just a sprain, or a break, or-

  “Here, let me see.” Elion was already beside him before anyone else. He must have launched himself from his seat. His nimble fingers were undoing the strap, freeing the foot and touching gently at bones in his ankle.

  “I think it’s just a sprain,” Blake said through gritted teeth. “Nothing snapped.”

  “Except for this piece of shit,” Elion said, holding up the remains of the heel. He was right, it had broken clean off. Tyler threw his hands up in a ‘not guilty!’ sort of way, but Blake wasn’t so sure. He looked over at Kala, but she just shrugged at pointed back to Elion.

  Of course she wanted him to pay attention to his hot ‘boyfriend’ and not question what had happened. Fuckers. Absolute fuckers. If they’d messed with that shoe to injure him on purpose, if they’d ruined his career and his ability to dance just for a bit of drama, he’d kill them. He’d sue the shit out of them. He’d-

  “Hey, hey,” said Elion, cupping his face in his hands. “Take a breath. This is fine. Don’t worry. Although we do need ice, can someone-”

  “Here,” said Nessa breathlessly. She’d obviously sprinted to get one of those single-use ice packs. He and Elion both gave her similar incredulous looks, but she just dropped to her knees and peered at Blake’s foot. “It’s not swelling yet.”

  “No,” Elion agreed. He grabbed someone’s spare t-shirt lying near them and wrapped the ice in it before applying it to Blake’s ankle. “Is that where it’s hurting?”

  Blake nodded. “Thanks.”

  “What’s going on?” a shrill voice rang through the air, and Blake cringed. Of course his mom would show up at just this moment. Had Kala kept her waiting in the wings? He wanted to hit something.

  Instead, he grabbed onto Elion’s hand and held on tight. The cameras could loom over him all they liked. This was his actual fucking ankle and ability to dance on the line. He wasn’t going to act like it didn’t matter.

  But then, that’s probably what they wanted.

  “Blake – Blake!” she shrieked. The bystanders all stepped away aside from Nessa, but the crew remained. “What the hell have you done?”

  “The shoe broke. Mom,” he said.

  He watched with dread as he picked up the stiletto and then turned her gaze to his other foot still wearing its partner.

  “Why were you wearing women’s shoes?”

  Elion raised his hackles. Like an actual dog. “Because the show runners put them on him,” he hissed. “And one of the heels was obviously tampered with. Your son is injured here. Do you care about that?”

  “Of course I do,” his mom cried, clutching his chest. “Blake, what do you need?”

  “Ice, pain killers, elevation, compression,” snapped Elion. “Also rest, but that’s going to be tricky.” He rubbed Blake’s calf in a soothing manner. “This is fine, don’t worry.”

  “And are you a doctor as well as a barista now?” his mom sniped.

  Elion’s expression turned stony. “I’m first aid trained,” he said coldly. “Are you?”

  She pursed her lips. “Blake, why the hell were you on camera cross dressing?” she hissed.

  He’d been prepared to deal with that when he’d been fighting fit. But he was staring at his ankle and imagining the end of his career right there and then, all thanks to a fucking pair of shoes.

  “I don’t know,” he uttered.

  “Because they were all wearing them,” said Elion filmy. He jerked his head towards Nessa, Tyler and the others. “Only Blake’s were faulty. You can take him for an x-ray if you want, but it’s probably just a sprain and rest will be the only thing to heal it.”

  “I’m taking you to Urgent Care,” said his mom with a curled lip. “Honestly, what were you thinking? Some stunt this turned out to be. What if you’ve damaged your ankle for good?”

  Blake gritted his teeth. “It was just a new dance technique and an accident, Mom,” he said firmly. He knew full well what could be at stake.

  Elion’s stormy expression suggested he still thought there had been foul play, but they couldn’t really prove anything then. Blake just wanted to get
his ankle checked out.

  He looked at Elion. “Come with me?”

  His mom tutted. “I don’t think so,” she snarled. “I have this in hand.” She pushed Elion’s hand with the ice pack away and insisted Blake use her to stand.

  He wanted to protest. But he was under his parents’ insurance now he was living with them again and he was frightened of doing anything that would delay his treatment by even a minute.

  “I’ll text you as soon as I know anything,” he said. He grabbed for Elion’s hand. “Thank you.”

  “Sure baby,” he said.

  Baby. Blake bit his lip.

  No one had ever called him baby before.

  19

  Elion

  Blake kept his promise and texted as soon as he’d been examined at Urgent Care. Elion had been right, it was just a sprain. No broken bones or torn ligaments. The relief Elion had felt at hearing the news had been startlingly sharp. Whether he liked it or not, he cared deeply for Blake now and was invested in his wellbeing.

  As soon as Elion had finished his morning shift the next day he had driven over to the Jacksons’ place to see him. He doubted Blake’s mom or dad would want to let him in. That’s why he’d brought in reinforcements.

  “You alright?” Kala said as she met him in the driveway. It was just her today, as they were trying to keep things on the down low. She had a handheld camera with a shotgun mic attached to the top and a concerned look on her face.

  “Depends,” said Elion. The weather was a little more breezy today and he shoved his hands in his jacket pocket. “Did you tamper with that heel?”

  She blinked at him. “Did I fuck with the cash cow? Is that what you’re asking?” She tsked. “What do you think I am, an idiot? Yeah, the footage and drama were great. But only because he’s fine and going to be dancing again in a week or two.”

  Elion scrutinized her. He felt she was telling the truth, but he was pretty sure they couldn’t trust anybody involved with this show. No one said what they really meant.

  “Maybe it really was just a fluke break,” he said for the sake of making peace.

  She hummed at the back of her throat. “How about you keep your eyes open and your wits sharp, okay? You hear about those letters?”

  Elion raised his hands. “You’re going to have to be more specific,” he said.

  “Blake didn’t tell you?”

  That stung, but rather than let her get to him, he just crossed his arms. He realized she hadn’t wired him up yet and the camera cap was still over the lens. It wasn’t like her to miss a chance to capture something on film.

  “Okay, so Blake’s had a couple of old school stalker type letters,” she said practically, like they were discussing last night’s football game. “You know, like you see in the movies, where someone’s cut letters out of magazines.”

  “How delightfully creepy,” said Elion. Privately though he didn’t like the sound of that one bit. Why go to all the effort when a nasty tweet was a thousand times easier? “What did they say?”

  Kala bit her thumbnail and narrowed her eyes at him. Perhaps deciding whether or not to tell him. “That Blake and this person are ‘meant to be together, that no one else can love him, and now he’s been dragged down a peg or two there’s no stopping their love.’ Shit like that.”

  “What the fuck?” Elion’s throat went dry. “Did…did they threaten him?”

  She tilted her head in thought. “Things like ‘you’ll see’ and ‘it’s only a matter of time,’ but, no, no actual violent threats. Otherwise they’d have to go to the cops.”

  “They haven’t already?” Elion was stunned, he would have thought Mrs. Jackson would be all over that drama.

  Kala shrugged. “It seems your boy put his foot down. Doesn’t want to cause a fuss. He does get a lot of crazy flying around him; this isn’t much different.”

  Elion considered her a moment. Then why mention it to him at all if she didn’t think it was particularly anything to worry about?

  “Maybe I’ll bring it up with him?”

  She shrugged again and hoisted her camera up to get it rolling. She also fished out a mic set from her back pocket and handed it over. By now, he knew how to set the thing up himself.

  “It might be a good idea to talk it over, just so you’re in the loop.” The light started blinking to show the camera was recording. “Now, with his ankle. The important thing is that he’s already recovering.” She jerked her head towards the door. “You want to head on in? Our woman on the inside is expecting you.”

  Elion shook off his worries about the letters and smiled. At least there was one other member of the Jackson family who was on his side.

  Kala filmed him as he knocked lightly on the door. It opened almost immediately, but as usual he wasn’t given the chance to greet Jodi first. “Oh yes, good girl,” he cooed as he bent down to cuddle and stroke Watson, her long ears flapping around her head as she scrambled to say hello. She was on her best behavior though and didn’t bark or howl.

  “Hey dude,” said Jodi as she ushered him into the foyer. Elion still wasn’t getting over this place. This entire hall was probably half the size of his and his mom’s whole house.

  Jodi quickly hurried him upstairs with Kala in tow. Elion suspected they were going for a forbidden romance storyline for this episode, but he didn’t care. He’d play along so long as that meant he could keep seeing Blake.

  Urgh, he was pathetic.

  Jodi saw him to Blake’s bedroom door. “I’ll leave you to it,” she said. With a flick of her signature long ponytail she headed down the corridor, presumably to her own room. Watson stayed behind though, wagging her tail and looking up at Elion’s expectantly.

  Kala nodded towards the door. So Elion knocked.

  “Come in,” Blake’s voice sounded from the other side.

  Elion pushed the door open. Blake’s bedroom was large and looked like something out of a magazine. Varying shades of grey and metal finishes gave it a hyper-masculine feel and there were almost no personal touches to be seen in the decoration. A framed portrait of his family hung on the wall as well as an official shot of Below Zero winning their Grammy for best music video a few years ago.

  “It must be hard to jerk off with those guys all watching,” he said with a grin, pointing at both frames. It was easier to crack a joke than acknowledge how good it was to see Blake propped up in bed, fully washed and clothed, his left foot resting on three extra pillows. It was wrapped and Elion could see several discarded ice packs on the nightstand, so he was reassured that he was looking after it properly.

  Blake laughed at his joke and smiled warmly at him. “You made it,” he said. He patted the bed, encouraging Elion to come sit beside him.

  Although he was wearing sweatpants and a t-shirt, it still felt strangely intimate. Obviously, Kala and her camera were on hand to help diffuse any real tension they might have felt. She followed Elion, and another camera operator that had already been set up in the room rearranged themselves to point at Blake.

  “How are you feeling?” Elion asked. He rested his hand on Blake’s thigh. As annoying as having the camera there was, it also meant he could get away with flirting more.

  “Honestly alright,” said Blake, the relief clear in his voice. “It’s going to be fine. Oh, hey Wats!”

  He leaned down to pet Watson’s head. She had her front paws on the side of the bed and was obviously asking to get up. Elion was almost certain that wasn’t something Mrs. Jackson would allow, so when Blake reached over to pull her up, he immediately helped.

  Now happy she was not missing out, Watson circled once, then dropped between Blake and Elion so they could both pet her.

  “So you’ll be fine to dance again?” Elion asked.

  Blake’s relief became even more evident. “Absolutely. This ankle has gone before, so I know how to ease it back up to strength. I’ll wear a support for training and thank God it’s not my fouette foot.” Elion looked at him blankly. “You
know when I turn on one foot round and round with my other leg held straight out? That.”

  “Oh.” Elion nodded. That was a good thing then. That was one of Blake’s most impressive moves.

  He glanced over at Kala who gave him the smallest of nods.

  “Uh,” he said, feeling awkward. “So, um, I heard you got some letters. Like, creepy ones?”

  Blake sighed and stared daggers at Kala. “Did you now?” He didn’t seem mad at Elion though. Instead, he took his hand and held it tight. “They’re nothing, I didn’t want to worry you.”

  Elion looked at him, reading between the lines. “They’re just dumb letters, aren’t they? I mean, I don’t like the idea of someone threatening you. But they’re just stupid. Right?”

  “They don’t seem to like you very much,” Blake said heavily. He reached into one of the drawers by his bed and pulled out a couple of letters. “This one came this morning. I didn’t…I didn’t want to hurt your feelings.”

  You can do so much better than that fence-hopper spic.

  Baby we belong together. Don’t make me beg.

  Soon you’ll see. I’ve always loved you.

  “Well, she’s obviously not the whole nine yards, is she?” Elion said brightly, handing the letters back.

  Blake blinked at him. “You’re not upset?”

  Of course he was upset. There was a lump in his throat from the fact that even though he’d only been to Mexico once in his whole fucking life, people still called him and his mom names like that. He was enraged that some deluded woman out there was so angry at the idea of him and Elion being together that she’d wasted her time making these awful notes. It burned that everything he was feeling was unjustified, because after all, they weren’t really together.

  But the way Blake was looking at him with such concern made it better. The game wasn’t over yet. There was still a chance this could become something real.

  He smiled at Blake and rubbed his leg. “It’s not the first time someone’s called me names, believe it or not.”