The game and love

33

He never thought it would be like this. His agent Miss Dyanna Corona had a tough time keeping her cool. They had been in contract negotiations for 3 weeks and they had just hit a snag big enough to rip anyone's soul to shreds. As she stared at the photos and back at her client, her eyes said everything. "Drake don't say anything, this isn't the end yet."
Poor Draco however was mortally pale. 'How could this happen?' He mulled it over in his croweded 21 year-old head.

"You should understand we do these investigations to protect ourselves financialy. We'd be investing alot in you and we have to be sure what kind of guy we're getting." The man noted Draco's sunken face and white sick look. "Needless to say, we were very shocked when this came up." He chose his next words carefully. "Look Mr. Malfoy, we are not saying that this will prevent you from joining our team, your sexual orientation doesn't affect your skills on the field. We do however have a request?"

Draco looked up from the spot he'd been staring at in the long conference table. "We don't care about your personal life, but prefessonal life, that's our money on the line and we don't think fans will support a gay player, let alone a whole league. We just ask that you keep this under wraps. If you can meet that requirement, we have no problem offering you this deal. It is a strange request the way you hammered this deal out, Mrs. Corona." She shifted in her seat. "You know I try." She smiled. Send it to my office and he should be signed by this afternoon." He walked over to shake Draco and Her hands. "Will do. See you at the afternoon Session Draco." He said the first words he could say after twenty or so minutes of uncertain future. "Thank you Mr. Ruskell, I look forward to many years in Seattle."

"This is Adam Schefter with NFL Network. Word has just come our way that Draco Malfoy has signed a deal with the Seattle Seahawks. It is an awkwardly constructed deal, perhaps due to how many pro Quarterbacks don't make it in the league. The deal states that he will recieve 8 million gaurenteed with a total of 12 million possible over 3 years. Now here's the odd part. If at anytime during those three years the team can enact an option for a 10 year 115 million dollar deal with a with 23 million gaurenteed. This is a landmark deal making Draco about 10 million a year over 13 years. Maybe he can buy me a car. This is Adam Schefter with NFL Network, back to you guys in the studio."

Draco sat in the cafateria and eyed all of the players. He was terrified this was like freshman year of highschool all over again. He sat quietly eating his meal when Lofa came up to him and slapped his shoulder causing him to spit out his food. "You know, it makes a bad impression on the other guys when rookies eat by themselves." Lofa Smiled at him. He understood Draco's situation, but he knew that because Draco was a QB he needed to get into commanding attetion from vets and people he'd be ordering around in the future.

Lofa tried to find the easiest person to introduce Draco to as he looked around. "Ah!" He picked Draco up not hearing the man's groan of protest and lugged him over to a table that seemed wrapped in excitement. Several players looked to be cheering a rather large young man to eat hotdogs. Lofa lauged to himself. "What the hell is going on here guys?" He laughed lightly still holding Draco under the arm. The large young man spoke, mouth stuffed to the point of exploding. "Eating contest, I am trying to make five bucks by out eating the offensive line." Draco started to laugh. Lofa took his opportunity. "This is Cruz Corona, Drake, 3rd round out of UW three years ago. Cruz realized there was no way he could shake Draco's hand presently, so he located the rookie nearest him and wiped his hands on the unsuspecting kid. "Hi." He said simply firmly grasping Draco's hand. "Well are you going to sit down or not?" Draco could tell at least for the moment that his time here would be easier by knowing this guy.

Harry had been in the studio for 8 hours doing vocals, this was starting to get annoying. He had asked Draco to loan him the money to open the studio and now it seemed like he was directionless. He'd spent the last two months testing the range of his voice and trying to do some tracks that he felt would give him a demo to turn in to a big record label. This producer Harry had found turned out to know less about music than Harry did and Harry was more and more frusterated with the fact that he was so obviously wasting his time.
"It doesn't really matter where it all began, all I know is, I got covered in Darkness, covered in Darkness." Harry hummed the lyrics to himself while he stood in the booth waiting to be told where his career would lead.

Draco was in the huddle calling the play, it was nerve-wracking. Coach Holmgren had yelled at him 5 times already just for not moving fast enough. "34 X whipout Z post, F spot." He broke the huddle. "No No NO, Damn it!" It was the coach again and Draco cringed, he wasn't doing to well. "Jim, take him and work with him, I gotta get something done here." Draco felt terrible, he was supposed to help no hurt the team. As he walked over to where Jim Zorn the QB Coach was standing with the other QBs He realized he was still just a rookie and it was hard for him to realize he just wasn't that good yet. That was the key word. Yet.

"Hey Coach." Draco said, sounding more than a little disappointed, more so than he meant to. The coach put his arm around him. "Hey listen, you're new at this don't beat yourself up already. Coach Holmgren is tough, but you know what, he has made many Hall-of-fame QBs in his time, so he knows what he wants. Just don't get frustrated you'll be fine. Now let's work on some accuracy and throwing motion." Draco followed Coach Zorn to an open spot on the field where they worked and shared stories of being QBs in school.

Harry and Draco lay in bed together and talked tiredly about their day. "I just don't know if this is just a dumb impossible dream." Harry Sighed. Draco stroked his hair. "I hope not baby, you have a great voice." Harry smiled and curled into Draco's chest. Rest was something both of them could seek solitude in their paths were more different now than Draco had ever expected and as he listened to Harry breathe he wondered if he would be able to handle the stress of his life and be able to love Harry the way Harry needed to be loved, but before his thoughts could expand any further, he fell asleep.

~~~~

End chapter 33

A/N I'm back! Are you ready?