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At first, Isaac can't comprehend what he is seeing. Colin's phone is showing a text conversation with a 'Michael'. Isaac vaguely recognises the picture at the top of the conversation, it's 'the wingman'. Why would Colin be looking at this conversation in this moment ? Did he send pictures of girls to his wingman to pay him back ? No, that doesn't sound like his best friend.
Without thinking about it, Isaac scrolls up a little bit, and that's when he sees it. Not a picture of a random girl Colin took home, no. It's a selfie, taken and sent by Colin. Michael is also in it, and they both appear to be naked, and in bed. What ?
Isaac has met the guy once and had never heard his name before, but this Michael was having sleepovers with his best friend ? What ?
Colin and Isaac had slept in a bed together before, it wasn't that unusual. Except, Isaac doesn't know this guy, and Isaac knows everyone in Colin's life. It's kind of sad, really, but Colin doesn't talk to anyone except his family and people from the club.
Isaac knows them all.
In the picture, Colin looks happy. There's something different about it. Isaac's never seen his best friend look like that.
And then it clicks. Colin is looking at Michael exactly like Roy looks at Keeley.
Holly shit. Colin is in love with his wingman.
Except, Michael looks at Colin with a soft smile, and Isaac just knows. He knows Michael was never Colin's pal, never Colin's wingman.
Were they boyfriends ? Was Colin secretly dating someone ? Was Colin secretly dating a man ? How did Isaac not know about this ? Colin's his best friend, he knows everything about him.
Well, he thought he did.
Isaac doesn't look at any other photo. This is the most intimate thing he'd find in Colin's phone anyway. He just nods, and hands it back to Colin.
Colin's his best friend. Or is he ? Has he been lying all this time, about everything ? Isaac can't deal with this. He just, he walks back to the locker room, grabs his stuff and goes to his car. When he gets out, Colin's still sitting there, hands gripping his phone, eyes lost into space.
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Isaac sits down, seeing some of the guys slowly making their ways to their cars and leaving one by one. If they see him, sitting motionless in the driver seat, no one tries to talk to him.
Isaac doesn't think about Keeley anymore. He doesn't think about the pictures he didn't finish deleting from his phone. He thinks about Colin, sitting alone on this white couch in his green hoodie. He thinks about all the guys who just walked out, and probably didn't even realize Colin was there. Even without his camouflage jacket, Colin was sometimes really easy to miss.
Or was Isaac just not seeing him from the start ?
How much does it say about Isaac, that his best friend could -had to?- keep such an important part of him a secret ?
Does everyone else know ? No, Colin was obviously trying to hide it. Did no one know ? Was Colin so scared he had to hide his happiness behind lies ?
Because that's what Isaac saw. Happiness. In Colin's eyes.
And Isaac's happy. Oh he's mad. He's so fucking mad, at Colin, at himself, at the entire world. But he's so damn happy to see that Colin's not alone. That kind, smart, deserving Colin has some kind of love outside of just the team.
When he thinks about that night at the restaurant, he remembers Michael as a funny, nice guy. Maybe he could be the one.
Isaac would have to properly meet him, before he tells Colin he was okay with their relationship. He has to make sure he's not taking advantage of this dumb rich footballer (although, if it was the case, he would probably have chosen any other player).
Isaac takes a deep breath, gets ready to start the car, and changes his mind.
Ok, Colin likes a guy. Colin likes guys. Isaac has a feeling that Colin's doesn't like girls. He doesn't need to think about it any longer, Isaac needs to get to his best friend. He needs to hug him, and to try to make the world a better place for him. Also, he needs to meet this boyfriend of his.
When he gets through the doors, Colin's not on the couch he was before. He's not in the locker room either. His bag is gone too. Isaac knows Colin's terrible car is still in the parking lot, but he could have left with any of the guys.
Isaac sighs, turns around, gets in his own car, drives home, and tries calling Colin. When he doesn't pick up, he tries again, and again. He's not letting his best friend go through any other day thinking he's alone.