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Car horns blared all around Michael as he sat in a taxi on his way to the pub. The whole team was going to be there because they had a tradition of going to the Harvest Inn the second day before shipping out for the Rugby Season. With traffic at a stand still he texted Robbo that he was going to be late.

Nikau had kept his promise on making both him and Robbo pay for spilling the beans about the aftermath of his eighteenth by promptly telling the team the aftermath of the dingo's and kelpie's date when they joined for practice. Paying most lip service to the scratches on Robbo's back which the team got a kick out of much to Michael's embarrassment. But Michael laughed along with the team despite it.

When he finally got to the pub he was greeted with cheers from the team. Most of them already tipsy bordering on drunk. Getting a drink at the bar he saw Ray holding two drinks and looking around confused.

"He needs to stop acting so eager," Coach WIlliams said from behind Michael as he nursed a dark stout. The stallion continued, "It makes him look desperate."

"I'm sure it's mainly just bad luck," Said Michael, tearing his gaze from the sad sight.

"So you met Robbo when he was a kid?" asked Michael.

"Oh, he told you about that?"

"Yeah, when I was over at his house on the weekend."

"You stayed at his place?" Coach asked with a serious face. He sipped his drink before asking, "Why?"

Michael froze, not knowing what to say. He was told that Coach already knew Robbo was gay and was okay with it. Why was he asking him that in that tone of voice? The stallion put a large hand on the kelpie's shoulder.

"You need to watch what you say and how you say it," he said, keeping the kelpie from freaking out.

The kelpie sat down on a stool and looked sadly into his drink saying, "Sorry, I'm not used to keeping stuff like this secret."

"It's alright," Coach said as he sat in a stool next to the kelpie. He turned to him, "But I needed to talk to you about it before we leave for the airport on Wednesday."

Michael finished his drink and ordered another and turned to the older stallion, "Is something wrong?"

"I need you to try and ignore any reporters and paparazzi who try to ask you anything."

"Why would they ask me anything?" asked Michael, confused, "I'm just a towel boy."

"There's a rumour floating around that one of the team has a secret lover," declared the stallion.

"I swear to God, I never told anyone about me and Robbo," Michael stammered, "My mother doesn't even know."

"I'm not saying that you did," assured Coach, "It could've been overheard by a fan or just some gossip blog throwing shit around that just happened to stick."

"But that's the problem, isn't it?" Michael asked rhetorically, "It stuck."

"Yes," confirmed Coach, "So watch what you say because a towel boy has a lot of potential information on a team. The kind of information that paparazzi would do anything to get a hold of."

The stallion then added, "And make sure no one sees or follows you if you decide to pay a visit to Robbo's hotel room."

With that and a pat on the back the older stallion left to join David. The grey kangaroo was trying to console the rejected and depressed border collie who had drunk the two drinks he had for himself and his flaky date. Finishing his drink Michael left the bar as well to join Robbo, Alex and Nikau in a booth but was intercepted by Charlie and Randal, the Loosehead and Tighthead Props. The bull and water buffalo pulled him aside to a table and sat him down.

Charlie slid Michael a glass of dark rum, the kelpie mentioning, "I've never had rum before."

"Oh, you chug it," said Charlie.

That didn't seem right to Michael and was proven right when Randal immediately punched the black bull in the arm.

"You sip it," corrected the water buffalo.

Michael took a sip and almost coughed it out. He choked it down and it burned all the way down his throat. Eyes streaming he finally allowed himself to cough, Charlie roughly patting him on the back.

When the kelpie stopped coughing the bull told him, "So Robbo fancies you."

Wiping the tears from his eyes Michael stated, "If you're going to warn me about hurting him. Nikau already gave me the shake down yesterday."

"We're not," assured Randal and he pointed to the bull, "Charlie just sucks at conversation."

The water buffalo continued, "You only ever hang out with Robbo, Nikau and Alex. Never with any of us."

"If you're going to stay as Robbo's squeaky toy then you're gonna have to hang out with all of us," said Charlie, sipping his own glass of rum.

Michael choked down another sip of rum and coughing a couple of times, "Fine, what do you guys do for fun?"

Charlie leant over with a smirk and pointed his thumb at the water buffalo, "Randal here likes playing with dolls."

Michael blinked at that, "What?"

Randal sighed and corrected the bull by saying, "I don't play with dolls I play tabletop war games."

"Do you make shooting sounds when you play?" smirked Michael, taking a sip of his rum and coughing a bit.

"He does actually," confided Charlie.

Randal clapped back with, "And you cried when your favourite soap opera character got cancer."

"She's been on the show since I was a kid," grumbled the bull, "It was a shock."

"A character gets cancer every damn year," scoffed the water buffalo, "At some point you have to realize that there's probably something in water."

"What kind of kid watches soap operas?" Asked Michael, confused as he took a sip. He was starting to enjoy the rum.

"I watch it with my Mum," said Charlie before he immediately regretted revealing that information and put his head in his hands. Michael and Randal started guffawing.

"You're a Mummy's boy?" Michael asked after finishing his rum.

"You told me you watched it because you liked the characters," said Randal. Wiping the tears away he caught a glimpse of the bar, his smile fading.

"Ah shit, Ray's been ghosted again," Randal stood up from the table, "Hopefully telling him about this little revelation might help cheer him up."

The water buffalo clapped the embarrassed bull on the shoulder on his way past who looked up from his hands at Michael.

"Don't look at me like that. You only have yourself to blame," chuckled the kelpie as he got up and made his way to Robbo and Nikau.

"What'd Charlie say?" enquired Robbo as Michael sat down, scooching close to him, "You and Rando seemed to find it hilarious."

"We found out that he's a Mummy's boy," answered Michael, squeaking a hiccough as he put a hand under the table.. He looked around, "Where's Alex?"

"At the bar getting us a round," Robbo said, clearing his throat before waving to get Alex's attention then pointing down at Michael and holding up a finger. Alex rolled his eyes then turned to the bartender to get a glass for the kelpie as well.

"What were you and Coach talking about?" enquired Nikau as Robbo put an arm around Michael,, "It seemed serious."

"He was warning me to avoid talking to reporters and watch what I say when we leave Wednesday," answered Michael.

Robbo added, "He doesn't normally warn us to avoid reporters altogether. Just to watch what we say."

"There's a rumour floating around that someone on the team is secretly dating." said Michael

That got the dingo and ram concerned, Robbo pulling his arm back from Michael before Michael assured them, "While technically true. It's just a rumour that some gossip blog spun to get clicks."

"That may be but we should tell the rest of the team this," Robbo said as he leant onto the table.

"Should tell the team what?" asked Alex as he arrived balancing the drinks. Nikau filled him in.

"Oh, no need," said Alex as he set the drinks down. He shoved Nikau with a foot further into the booth so he could sit down., "If Coach doesn't tell us tonight he'll just tell us when we're all together on the bus going to the airport."

Michael went to grab his drink when Robbo's hand stopped him.

"How many drinks have you had?"

"Three," answered Michael, "Why?"

The dingo's eyes flicked down and Michael's followed them seeing his own hand squeezing the dingo's thigh. His fingers brushing against a sizeable bulge in the dingo's pants. With cheeks burning and a laugh from the dingo he yanked his hand away and put it back on the table with his other hand. Nikau and Alex laughing when they realised what had happened. Michael grabbed his drink but Robbo stopped him again.

"You sure?" asked Robbo, "You know what happened last time."

"I'll be fine," claimed the kelpie, the dingo raising a unbelieving eyebrow.

"You know what? Fine," said Michael, "This'll be my last drink."

"Promise?"

"Promise," promised Michael as he took a swig.

Michael peeled his face from the pillow, his mouth feeling like it was stuffed with cotton. He looked around in the dark at Robbo's now familiar bedroom. His head aching but not as badly as it did the first time. Robbo must've made sure that he drank water before he was brought to his apartment. Said dingo rolled over in his sleep and brought an arm over the kelpie hugging him to his chest and spooning him. As Michael tried to settle back into sleep he saw a bright pink post-it note on the head board.

Told you so

"Fuck."

***

Robbo was smug all morning after they woke up having been proven right. Not remembering what happened after the fourth drink Michael had asked what happened the night prior. After his fourth drink the kelpie had started getting more handsy and bold with the dingo. Robbo eventually brought Michael to his apartment to sleep the alcohol off when he tried to drunkenly put his hand down the dingo's pants. That embarrassed Michael.

After treating his slight hangover he was snuck out the building and caught a taxi back home to pack a suitcase for the next morning. Usually he would just throw clothes haphazardly into his suitcase but his work had engrained the habit of folding clothes into his personal life and he neatly put his clothes into the suitcase, leaving more room in it than he's used to.

He spent the rest of the day meandering around his appointment and planning how to avoid reporters. Overtly avoiding them will confirm that there was a secret.If he hid among the team it would draw their attention. He decided to tail Coach and hope that the older stallion's position will over shadow his and draw the reporters away from him.

Eventually the morning came. He got up early and made his way to the stadium to help with the bus. The sun yet to rise. He was packing the last of the team's suitcases when Coach gave him his.

"Do you mind if I stick close to you?" asked Michael as he closed the luggage compartment, "So that reporters will get distracted by you."

"Clever," praised Coach as he boarded the bus, Michael following behind, "Yeah, just stay behind me and the reporters should ignore you."

The bus set off and Michael sat down in a spare seat next to Robbo. Before sitting down himself Coach told the team about the rumour floating around sports gossip blogs and to watch what they say.

"Told ya," Alex to Robbo from the seat behind them. He leaned around the seat and looked at Michael, "So, leaving Queensland for the first time. Nerves still eating at ya?"

"Yeah," confirmed Michael, "But I'll get used to it. I did with you guys. I can easily shoot the shit with you guys now."

"Aww," Alex mockingly crooned. He pulled the kelpie into a headlock, "So we're more than just your colleagues now?"

"Fuck off," whined Michael, squirming out of the headlock. He slapped Alex back into his seat, a smirk sneaking onto the kelpie's face despite his best attempts.

"Seeing the furthest you've been in the Gold Coast," stated Robbo before asking, "That mean this is your first time on a plane too?"

"Yeah, that too."

"You get motion sick?"

"Oh, nah."

"Then you should be fine."

They settled down and rode the rest of the way to the airport. Some of the team talked about game plans and others got a quick nap as the sun finally rose.

It was strange for Michael being on the other side of the security. He was used to seeing the team from the camera's view on TV not being among them. Only a few of the reporters asked about the rumour but all of the players asked dodged the questions well, even Robbo. Had he not have known him Michael never would've guessed that he was hiding anything. Sticking by Coach no one paid any mind to Michael.

He also wasn't used to how quickly they boarded the plane. He constantly heard stories of how long it took to board. But they breezed through it all. Taking off took a long while but there was plenty to entertain himself with in business class.

"Everything here is so much more expensive than I'm used to," Michael said as he sipped a pre-flight drink and looked at the menu for the in-flight meal.

"I'd say you get used to it but it still hits me from time to time," said Robbo looking out at the tarmac rolling by as the plane made its way to the strip.

"You seemed to have gotten used to expensive things like thirty dollar pillows," Michael quipped.

The dingo softly elbowed Michael, smiling. Laughing at each other they buckled their seatbelts when the seatbelt light flicked on and reclined their seats to enjoy the flight.