Theodore Jameson, who had always been affectionately called Theo while being ready to eviscerate anyone who called him Ted or Teddy, looked out over the bustling campus of University of Michigan. He and his best friend, Howard Owen Petersen III, who had always gone by Hop, were starting their senior year together. They had been best friends for as long as Theo could remember. Their families were incredibly close and had lived next to each other in a nice middle-class neighborhood all through school. In fact, they still lived right next to each other back in their home town and it was expected that both boys would take part in holidays at both homes because Hop was almost never without Theo and vice versa.
Theo stood at five foot ten and was decently muscled though he was much leaner than his best friend was because most of his sports needed long, lean muscle instead of trying to bulk up. He had naturally tanned skin due to his hispanic heritage from his dad, who was originally from Puerto Rico before his Abuelo and Abuelita brought him over to the mainland.
Despite the Latino side though, his hair had just never had much in the way of pigment his entire life. He had been made fun of a lot as a kid until he met Hop, who thought his platinum colored hair was cool and said as much out loud in fourth grade in front of others. It had made the other kids stop making fun of him, because most people wanted to look cool in front of Hop, though it was still commented on how odd it was. Nowadays, Theo kept it shaggy and almost always had the tips dyed some sort of bright color and he would change which color it was every time he got a haircut.
On top of the platinum hair, he had strikingly ice blue colored eyes that all the girls, and quite a few of the boys, had thought were gorgeous. He knew his parents had fought about his looks as a kid and his dad had demanded a paternity test, but the results came back that his dad was indeed his dad. The bigger he got, the more the rest of his looks started showing his Latino roots, and he was practically a clone of his dad other than the color of his eyes and hair now.
Theo turned to look over at where Hop was tying one of his shoes again. Even with how tall Theo was, Hop felt like a giant to him. He was six foot five inches tall, and incredibly physically imposing even when he didn't mean to be. He had broad shoulders and was well built. He was a football and hockey player, so he was shaped like one. In football season, which it was now, Hop bulked up a lot more and then he would stop bulking as football came to an end and hockey began.
Hop's dark hair was cut short and stylish, and had facial hair that Theo always joked was Hop's impression of Tony Stark. He had stormy gray eyes that Theo wanted to get lost in, but he kept himself in check because that wasn't something he wanted people to know about. Hop almost always had a farmer's tan and he was almost always in jeans and a t-shirt with a flannel shirt when it was cooler.
People were always a little intimidated by Hop, but he was the nicest guy Theo had ever met. That was really only part of why Theo had been desperately in love with his best friend since late middle school, but he was so deeply in the closet that even admitting that out loud was impossible to do anywhere near Hop. Hop was also intelligent, thoughtful, had a great sense of humor, and was always trying to help others, whether it be a classmate or a teammate. The gentle giant and giant teddy bear tropes fit him well.
Right then, Hop was wearing a well-fitted pair of jeans that showed off his ass perfectly and a blue superman t-shirt that was barely containing his broad chest and muscled arms. Theo got so lost in his thoughts about his best friend that he forgot to regulate how long he watched him. Every once in a while, Hop would catch him gazing or staring, but Theo was pretty good at playing it off as just fixating on something random when he was lost in thought and not because he was staring. Theo was gazing at Hop's chest when he looked up to see Hop looking at him.
Theo ducked his head to hide his blush as he mumbled, "I feel like one good flex is going to ruin that shirt, you know. Or do girls like Elise like it when that happens?"
"I'm not sure even girls like Elise know what they like until social media tells them," Hop said. He always delivered everything deadpan, so it was hard to tell if he was joking or serious unless you knew him really well.
"Yet you've been dating the soulless demon...I mean, the...woman...for six months now," Theo replied. It wasn't exactly a secret that he didn't like his best friend's girlfriend. She hadn't made it a secret that she disliked him too, which was what started Theo's initial displeasure of her. "Maybe you're a glutton for punishment. You aren't seriously considering marrying this one, are you?"
Hop barked a short laugh. "I'm 21, Theddy, not stupid. If she sticks around long enough I might, but it won't be any time soon."
Theo pursed his lips together at the name Hop used but knew better than to complain about it. Knowing his best friend wasn't going to rush down the aisle with her helped ease some of the pressure in his chest at the very idea of it. He was about to say something sarcastic back when he felt an arm go around his shoulders and turned to find Trevor Oxlar, one of his swim team buddies.
Trevor was one of the only openly gay men that Theo knew well. He was living proof that someone could be a jock and openly gay on campus. Just about everyone adored Trevor, and most of the jocks would go to war with anyone who wanted to harm him. Theo didn't think that same treatment would be given to him; not because he was unlikeable but because Trevor felt like a special exception to the rule.
Trevor gave a small nod of his head in one direction and Theo turned to see Elise Morton, current head cheerleader and girlfriend of Hop, as she walked up to them. Theo managed to keep the wince off his face but probably only because Trevor was holding onto him to remind him to.
Elise came up and kissed Hop. "I missed you over the summer. I'm so glad we're back at school and I can have you all to myself again."
"You mean you and the entire football and hockey teams," Theo added.
Elise looked over at where Theo was. "I don't remember asking you, Ted."
"Fight nice, children," Hop said, again in his usual deadpan. Theo knew he meant it as a joking statement but by the scowl on her face, Elise didn't know Hop as well as she thought.
Theo felt Trevor's fingers dig into his shoulder for a brief flash before his arm was gone. Trevor was generally a pretty affectionate person but he toned it down around Elise because she would get snippy at them, alluding to Theo liking it more than he let on and Trevor knew Theo didn't like that kind of attention.
"As much as I would love to see who actually is going to win this little war between you two, you promised me you'd take some laps around the track with me, right?" Trevor said to Theo.
Theo looked at his watch. "Fine, but I have a class in an hour. I'll see you at home later, Hop."
The two of them walked away, talking to each other in a low tone as they left. Elise turned to Hop and put her hands on her hips. "I know he's your best friend and everything, but he really gets under my skin. It's like he's constantly trying to be the number one person in your life at all times. Though at least Trevor might be a nice outlet for those gay thoughts of his."
Hop didn't even look at her, he just continued walking, tossing a "Stop. Homophobia looks terrible on you," over his shoulder as she hurried to catch up.
"I don't care if he's gay," Elise argued as she ran after him. "I just care that he's so obviously gay for you. Haven't you noticed the way he looks at you?"
"What does it matter if he's attracted to me? You don't seem to care if other women find me attractive, in fact I think you like it. Why do you find him so threatening?" Hop asked her, still not really stopping to talk with her.
Elise fell silent for a moment as she mulled that over. She twirled her long blonde hair in her fingers thoughtfully. The reality was that Theo was threatening because Hop made him his priority too, but that was difficult to say. "Because you don't give other women the time of day, but if Theo was upset, you'd drop everything for him."
