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seasidesandstarscapes · 14 days ago

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Like a Prayer - Chapter 1

Summary: Don Hume is only a little nervous when he arrives at the shell house for his first day of rowing practice. All he has to do is say a prayer and work hard, and he'll get through it just fine. And then he meets Bobby Moch, and suddenly, Don can't stop thinking about him.

Chapter Rating: G-T

Genre: Modern AU, First Meetings, Getting Together, Falling in Love, Crisis of Faith, Religious Themes, Coming Out, Eventual Smut, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Friendship, Team Dynamics

Words: 4602

C/W: Internalized Homophobia

A/N: I HOPE YALL ARE READY FOR THIS

@strangethings-everywhere and I were chatting, one thing led to another and this fic happened!!!

I haven’t written a fic with someone else in yearsss, but this has seriously been so much fun!!! Big ups to Anna for putting up with all my typos and my “he sat down because he wanted to sit” first drafts 😂

AO3

The sun was hot and Don was nervous. Granted, he was always nervous, but his anxiety had spiked to a new high since he moved into his dorm room that morning. As he stood in front of the shellhouse, gripping a duffel bag in one hand and his cross necklace in the other, he forced himself to take a deep breath. It was just college sports, the first big event of his college career, a way to make friends.

Oh god, making friends. He’d never been good at making friends.

The sun was hot, Don was nervous, and there were a lot of people in the shellhouse. Five minutes and a million deep breaths later, he finally worked up the courage to walk inside.

Don had done sports in high school, but he’d gone to a very small Christian school, the kind with only sixty kids in his graduating class. Playing football for a small school full of kids he’d known since preschool was a lot less terrifying than going to a massive state school with about 50,000 students (it totally wasn’t a big deal but he did look it up) and representing them in a sport. He’d been proud of himself at first; rowing was something he genuinely enjoyed and he was good at it, he really was. Don was good at putting all of himself into something, whether it was schoolwork, sports, or his daily devotionals. He worked hard and it paid off because somehow he made the JV boat as their stroke.

As he walked inside, he started to wonder if sports were a good idea.

“HEY!” The shout hit Don like a truck and he gripped the cross even harder. “ARE YOU HUME?” With another deep breath, he turned towards the sound.

The perpetrator had a grin that screamed trouble, blonde hair, and blue eyes that were full of mischief. He was a little shorter than Don, which wasn’t abnormal, and there was a confidence to him, something he seemed well aware of as he walked over in only shorts and a pair of dirty socks. “Are you Don Hume?”

“Y-Yeah.”

The stranger’s face brightened. “Awesome!” He turned to the gaggle of boys behind him. “GUYS! THE STROKE IS HERE!”

“Jesus Chuck, don’t scare him.”

“Oh shut up Johnny!” Chuck shot back. “You’re the last one to arrive, but no worries! We’ve all been excited to meet you, apparently Ulbrickson thinks you’re super talented or whatever. Well, that’s what Bobby says but he talks a lot of shit sometimes so who fucking knows. Did you just get to campus today? Isn’t Joe your roommate? He’s over here if you wanna meet him, or do you want your locker first? Probably your locker. Follow me!”

Don couldn’t find any words to reply as Chuck dragged him into the locker room by his arm. No one had ever welcomed him with such excitement before and it was… nice? Weird, but nice. Despite his nerves, it felt good to see his name plastered on a locker. Maybe it wouldn’t be as scary as he thought. Maybe Chuck would be a nice friend for him. Maybe he would be fine. His mouth was often stuck in a perpetual frown, but he smiled just a little as he opened the door and shoved his bag inside.

“Do you need to get changed?” Don shook his head. He’d been very thorough in figuring out exactly what he needed to wear. “Are… are you gonna wear your necklace the whole time?”

Don glanced down at the cross peeking out from his tank top. If he was honest, he couldn’t remember the last time he’d taken it off. It had been a gift for him when he got baptized and it had quickly turned into a comfort item, something to hold onto whenever he got nervous or to ground him when he felt like he needed to pray. Why would he take it off for practice? “Why?”

“Nothing, just… might be uncomfortable.” Chuck shrugged. “Ulbrickson and Bobby work us pretty hard out there.” He smirked as he maneuvered Don out of the locker room. “You’ll meet Bobby in a little bit, whenever Coach decides to free him from the office.”

Don cast a glance towards the upstairs office. He could see a few figures milling about, but no clear faces. He swallowed, his fear beginning to spill over.

It wasn’t that Chuck was awful, in fact, Don was beginning to feel grateful that Chuck was being so friendly. Don couldn’t remember the last time he had someone claim him like this.

Chuck continued to talk about any little thing, mainly rowing, while they made their way down to the docks. The other boys were clustered together, some in deep conversation, while a few looked out at the water.

“Joe! Come meet your roommate!” Chuck waved.

Again, Don froze up. A part of this was too much, too fast. He was still catching up with Chuck’s last paragraph and now he had to do the proper hello and handshake.

“Hey,” Joe nodded with a small smile and held out his hand.

Don managed to copy his expression and squeezed his hand firmly, before realizing he hadn’t said his name. “Don. Hume.”

“I figured,” Joe let out a laugh. “Otherwise I’d be worried.”

A blush crept up on Don’s face but neither of the other boys seemed to notice as Chuck picked up right where he left off.

“—course, that was before he got pulled from varsity, but that’s another story. There’s Gordy over there. Tall lanky guy? Pretty quiet like yourself but he can be the life of the party, let me tell you. ”

All the names scattered in Don’s mind and his frown deepened. He was going to have to learn eight names fast and he just got here.

“Alright, line up!”

A new voice cut in and Don watched as everyone scrambled into place. Lost in the shuffle, Don remained where he was until Joe grabbed him by the arms and pushed him at the end of the line. Joe smiled with a nod taking his place next to Don, before holding his hands behind his back. Deciding to copy Joe, Don did the same and watched as two older men along with a boy near his age stood in front of the crew.

He recognized the coaches right away from both crew tryouts. Coach Bolles looked happy to see them while Coach Ulbrickson looked indifferent, scanning the crew with a frown. If he wasn’t so nervous, he might’ve laughed. UW strokes and frowning seemed to span generations. He could feel Ulbrickson’s eyes analyzing him and he had to remind himself to breathe.

The final stranger had to be Bobby. He was small, easily the smallest boy in the shell house, but he made up for it with his broad shoulders, strong arms, and overly confident expression. His eyes were blue, summer sky iceberg ocean water blue, and suddenly those eyes were on him. Bobby looked him up and down over and over again until Don felt like he might choke. He hated being stared at like a zoo animal; he hated being stared at all. What on earth was so interesting about him? He was just… Don. He prayed that Bobby was a good guy, otherwise all the extra attention could equal a whole year of teasing and bullying.

“You are all here because Coach Bolles and I decided that you were the best.” Ulbrickson began, pacing back and forth in front of the crew. “Most of you have never rowed before, but that’s expected out of a JV boat; you have time to learn. However, this is not an easy sport. Eight-man crew is one of the most difficult sports in the world, something you hopefully realized during tryouts. If not, well…” He shrugged. “I hope you’re prepared.”

He reminded them of their places in the boat, everyone staring down at him when Don was announced as their stroke. Once they were in the boat, feet strapped in, Ulbrickson finally motioned to Bobby. “This is Bobby Moch, your coxswain. He’s here to keep you in line, call out commands, and execute the strategy created by Coach Bolles and myself. You listen to him and everything should turn out just fine.”

“Fellas.” Bobby grinned. He playfully leaned over to hit Chuck and Jim (right? Yes, that was definitely Jim) as he walked by and then suddenly he was in the boat and staring at Don.

“Don, right?”

His gaze was piercing, stripping Don down to his most vulnerable. If it wasn’t for his grip on the oar, Don was sure he’d be burying his face in his hands. He managed to nod, then his eyes darted down to the bottom of the shell.

“Nope,” Bobby leaned forward and tapped Don’s leg. “I need your eyes on me.”

Bobby motioned with his fingers and Don followed them, obedient and a little bit terrified. While Bobby’s stare still sent a chill down Don’s spine, the edges had softened.

“No matter what, Don,” Bobby began again. “Eyes on me. If I’m not in your head and you’re not in mine, this won’t work.”

Don struggled to breathe, his mind twisting about. Here they were, complete strangers, and already Bobby was asking the impossible. He wasn’t unaware of the connection between a coxswain and stroke but to have it sitting in front of him, the slow realization of what was to come, Don wasn’t ready. He wasn’t sure he ever would be.

There was no time to wallow in his panic as they paddled out onto open water and practice began. While the speakers held their own, Bobby’s voice rang in Don’s ears and he did his best to follow. Light on the feather. In. Through. Eyes up.

Don looked up at Bobby then, his lungs bursting, limbs aching. How long he had been staring at his feet, he didn’t know, but Bobby glared at him, arched a brow. “With us, Hume?”

Don bit his lip, a fire burning low in his gut. This time, he matched Bobby’s intensity, not tearing his eyes away for a moment. If this is what Bobby wanted, this is what he’d get.

“That’s it, baby,” Bobby called into the mic. “Come on, fellas. Find Hume.”

The little bit of praise swirled around Don. Never in his life had he been called “baby” and despite the initial disgust in his mind, Don was aching to hear Bobby call him that again. He suddenly seized up, his guilt crashing into him. He was thinking nonsense, letting his adrenaline take over. The boat came to a jolting stop and the mixture of groans hit Don right in the middle of his chest.

“Alright, alright,” Bobby attempted to calm the boys down.

Turning off the mic, Bobby scooted as close as he could to Don, keeping his voice low.

“What’s the problem?”

Don shook his head, an excuse far from his mind. Bobby tsked at this, his mouth forming a thin line as the coaches’ boat puttered beside them.

“Bobby?” Ulbrickson asked, brow raised.

“Noticed there was something going on with Hume’s oar lock,” Bobby lied. “Just wanted to make sure it wasn’t going to pop out.”

Ulbrickson wasn’t convinced even as Bobby made a show to climb over to the oar lock and fiddle with it. All Don could do was stare at the water, wishing he was anywhere else.

“We’re good,” Bobby beamed at Ulbrickson, though the smile was forced at best.

Before Ulbrickson could protest, Bobby turned on the mic and readied the boys again. Don spent the rest of practice staring just over Bobby’s left shoulder and reminding himself to breathe. Considering that the boat consisted mostly of freshmen, it went better than expected. Ulbrickson only looked mildly disappointed, but Don was pretty sure he always looked like that. Bolles seemed pleased and so did Bobby, even giving Don a friendly slap on the arm as he climbed back onto the dock. It felt like belonging, a feeling he cherished whenever he could get it.

He hated changing in a locker room, so he just grabbed his bag and started for the door. The more time he spent in the rowdy locker room, the more his confidence began to falter. He’d never been good at camaraderie, the joking and the laughter. His brother said he was overthinking it but… well, maybe Dale was right. Don shook his head and kept walking.

“Don! Wait up!” He froze as Joe jogged over to him, hair wet from the showers. “We’re roommates, let's walk together.”

“O-Okay.” Don shoved his hands in his pockets, eyes fixed on the sidewalk.

Both JV and varsity boats shared a floor of the dorm building closest to the shellhouse. There were five rooms on each side of a long hallway, four rooms with two boys each and a single room for the coxswains. It was only a ten-minute walk to their room at most, but it felt like an eternity in his mind. What would he even say? He didn’t know Joe very well, what on earth could they talk about? They had texted maybe a handful of times over the summer, but that was it.

“You’re from Olympia right?” Joe jumped right in, glancing over at Don as they walked.

“Yeah.”

“I meant to get over there so we could hang out before school started, but I wasn’t able to. Sorry about that.” Joe shrugged. “My dad kinda fucked up my summer plans, but that happens.” Don only nodded. Asking Joe about his dad seemed like a bad idea. “You don’t talk much, do you?”

“Not much to say.” Don finally glanced over at Joe and was surprised to see him smiling.

“Okay… what’s your major?”

“Engineering. Wait… we texted about that.” Don raised an eyebrow and Joe’s smile grew. “You knew that already.”

“Yeah, but it got you to say more than three words.” Joe laughed. “You were pretty good out there on the water.”

Don blushed and looked away. He wasn’t good with compliments. “Thanks.”

“I’m serious! It’s like you were made to row.” Joe nudged his shoulder. “I think Bobby was impressed with you.” Finally at the building, he scanned his student ID and they went inside to the elevator. They were on the fifth floor. “Apparently that’s a hard thing to do.”

“How come?”

“Bobby’s a picky guy according to Chuck, a bit of a perfectionist. It makes sense though, he’s supposed to make us perfect.”

Bobby appeared in his mind again, with his vibrant blue eyes and commanding voice, and Don shuddered. What was it about their coxswain that made him so nervous? Don couldn’t hide from Bobby, not the way he was used to hiding from everyone else. He just wanted to go about his days unseen, doing his schoolwork and saying his prayers in between rowing practice. He glanced over to the right as Joe unlocked their door; they were right next to Bobby’s room.

Their room was small, but had enough room for two of everything: twin beds, desks, dressers, and closets. Don’s parents were kind enough to supply him with a small TV and they got to work setting it up and connecting it to Joe’s well-loved Xbox. As they worked on the room, Joe kept talking.

“Did you bring any movies or anything? We can store them with the TV.”

“I don’t… I wasn’t…” Don couldn’t find the words. “I don’t know a lot of movies.” He felt silly. In the Hume household, there hadn’t been much allowance for any mainstream media that hadn’t been rigorously vetted by his parents.

“You don’t have to look so horrified, I’m not judging you.” Joe just shrugged and moved on to his other belongings. “You go to church, right? I saw your necklace.”

Don’s hand shot to his cross. “Yeah. Do you?”

“Not for a long time.” Joe shook his head. “But if you’re into it, then it’s cool.”

Don couldn’t help but smile. “Thanks.”

“So apparently we’re supposed to meet the other guys at a bonfire tonight to celebrate our first JV practice. You wanna come?”

Don’s first instinct was to say no. He never went to any parties in high school, not even for church-sanctioned events. He didn’t like large crowds, he never knew what to say, and he always ended up just sitting in a corner until it felt appropriate to leave. Joe seemed to sense this about him.

“It’s just us JV guys and apparently Bobby is providing beer since he’s over twenty-one.” When Don didn’t reply, he tried again. “You can shadow me the whole night if you need to, but I think you should go. Team bonding and shit.”

Joe had a point but still, Don grappled with himself. Now alcohol was involved and the thought of the crew getting rowdy, or worse, pressuring Don to drink, tore at his mind. If the hour got too late, then Don would be at the whims of temptation, the whispers of sin creeping up on him.

Joe waited with the patience of a saint, turning to organize his bed while waiting for Don to say something. Anything. Don’s finger traced along the cross and his mind turned to Bobby. He’d probably chew Don out for not being there, a scowl lit up by the fire. His face would be bathed in orange and red hues, then he’d brush a few strands of hair away from his forehead in annoyance.

“I’ll go.”

Don didn’t need the ire of Bobby and really, he had to get out there at some point. This was college now, a chance to grow and figure out himself. While he was sure of his faith, his future plans, he wouldn’t be there in an instant. He’d need a solid foundation to get there and maybe it started with the rowing crew.

“Great!” Joe beamed and gave Don’s arm a playful punch. “Honestly, I don’t want to stay out late either, so we can probably make our excuses after an hour or so.”

Relief washed over Don and he gave a small smile, a short nod. There was no harm in trying, just to see if maybe this time, he might enjoy himself. At the very least, Joe held some of the same sentiments and that was a comfort all its own.

They kept on tidying the room to pass the time, Joe asking a few questions, letting Don be with his short, sometimes one-word answers. On occasion, Joe would skirt around an issue and Don knew better than to even raise a brow. Soon, the place was starting to show its personality and both boys flopped down on their respective beds.

“What do you think of the crew so far?” Joe asked, tucking an arm behind his head.

“Fine?” Don frowned.

It had only been the first day after all. Just keeping everyone’s name straight was a challenge in itself, let alone figuring out if he even liked any of the guys.

Joe sighed and turned on his side, propping his head up on his hand. “I guess I meant, what do you think about Bobby?”

At this, Don swallowed. He stared at the ceiling, boring holes into the textured white panels. In all honesty, Bobby terrified him. While wanting his praise, Don also hated the feeling of Bobby’s eyes on him, watching, judging every move. Don could only hope he wouldn’t become self-conscious of his breathing next.

“He’s…fine.”

Joe snorted. “Just fine?”

“He’s… I dunno, he’s a little scary.” He winced, mentally preparing for the inevitable judgment.

“Yeah, he is.” Joe sat up with a grin. “But hey, if he gets too annoying we could just pick him up and toss him overboard.”

Don laughed. “Yeah I guess so.”

They spent the next few hours talking, Don slowly talking more and more. By the time they had changed and made their way downstairs, he felt comfortable around Joe, even fond of him. He was grateful to have Joe as his roommate; Joe didn’t expect anything more than what Don was comfortable with.

Evenings were still warm in August, so Don had chosen a pair of cargo shorts, a white t-shirt, and an orange short-sleeved button-up that he kept open. His hair was long enough to pull into a small bun so he did; as much as he liked his hair, it could get annoying in the summer. After much inner deliberation, he tucked his necklace under his shirt. Sometimes the cross attracted unwanted questions and Don wanted to spend one evening without being super anxious.

Chuck and Johnny had started the bonfire behind the shellhouse and set up nine camping chairs, a pile of junk food, and a bluetooth speaker. Don didn’t recognize the music but Joe did, nodding his head to the beat as he made his way to a chair. Don quickly sat next to him.

The rest of the boys wandered over. Gordy took the chair on his other side with a shy smile which Don returned.

“So we’re all here-”

“Where the fuck is Bobby?” Jim looked around. “Of course he’s late.”

“You talking shit about me McMillin?” Bobby seemed to appear out of nowhere, a case of beer in each hand. “I’m fashionably late and I brought alcohol, be thankful.” He placed the beer by the pile of junk food and took the seat directly across from Don. He looked over at him and raised his eyebrows in surprise. “It’s nice to see you all here.” Don wanted to die. Stop looking at me. “Now let’s drink and be fucking merry.”

An hour later, the bonfire had turned into a very loud affair. Don was the only one without a beer in his hand and everyone was either joking around or singing along to the music. He was content to sip on his soda and listen.

“Bobby, you have no right to give me relationship advice.” Don didn’t mean to eavesdrop on Chuck’s conversation but the topic piqued his curiosity.

“Alright fuck you! I’m a great boyfriend!” Bobby was on his third beer and practically yelling. “Name one time I’ve been the problem. You can’t, can you?”

“I feel like Mikey would disagree dude. And Tyler. And… well, not Mark, but he was an asshole.”

Mikey. Tyler. Mark. Those were boy names. Don’s eyes widened and he started nervously fidgeting with his necklace. Bobby was… gay? Don wasn’t a fool, he knew that going to a public university meant that he would encounter groups of people he never had before but he didn’t really know what to do. His mother had given him an entire speech before he left about finding the right kind of friends and looking for people to ‘keep him on the straight and narrow path’.

Bobby was his coxswain. He was the stroke. They had to be ridiculously connected or else the boat would fail. Oh my god oh my god oh my god. They’d need to be friends. Bobby had said that they needed to be in each other's heads. What did that even mean? Would knowing Bobby’s sexuality mess that up? Don was starting to panic. He’d never been friends with a gay person before, he never thought he would be. Oh my god. What would his parents think?

“Don? Don!” Bobby’s voice broke through and he glanced up, eyes wide. “You okay? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

“Y-Yeah.” Don’s voice cracked. Crap. “Just tired.”

Bobby stared at him for a moment, then stood. With a grin, he walked over and held out a beer. “Here. Let loose a little, you look super nervous.”

Don felt like he was going to burst into flames. His face had to be bright red. “I’ve… I’ve never had beer before.”

Bobby shrugged and then raised the bottle to his lips. He stuck it just far enough into his mouth to grip the bottle cap with his teeth and the bottle opened with a hiss. Bobby spit the bottle cap into his hand and held the beer out again. “There’s a first time for everything. No pressure though, I promise.”

An explosion erupted in Don’s gut as he stared at Bobby, eyes wide. He’d never seen someone do that before; why was it making him feel lightheaded? His head was swimming and he hadn’t even had any alcohol yet. Screw it. He reached out with a shaky hand and took the bottle.

“Hell yeah, Donny.” Bobby cheered, clapping him on the shoulder. A few of the boys whooped and hollered. Don tried to smile and took a big gulp.

Oh god, beer was awful. He couldn’t keep himself from making a disgusted face, coughing a little at the taste. Bobby just laughed, squeezed his arm, and went back to his seat. The ghost of Bobby’s hand burned on his skin and he took another drink. He was even more nervous.

“You don’t have to drink the whole thing.” Joe chuckled. “It tastes gross, doesn’t it?”

“It’s awful.” Don grimaced. “Why do you guys like it?”

“Honestly? I have no idea.” Joe glanced down at the bottle in his hand. “You’re ready to head back, aren’t you?”

“Absolutely.”

A few hours later, it was midnight and Don was wide awake. Joe had fallen asleep as soon as he’d hit the bed but Don couldn’t get his mind to calm down. On a good day, he’d get five hours of sleep at most, but his insomnia got worse when he was anxious and Bobby made him anxious.

Suddenly, he could hear voices from the other side of his wall, Bobby’s voice and someone he didn’t recognize. There was a clatter, something thumped against the wall, and then there was… a whine? Oh god, he must share a wall with Bobby’s bed.

“Shit shit shit, stay over here.” Bobby’s voice was muffled but out of breath, like he was running a marathon. “Shirt off, now.” Another thud, and then Bobby’s bed creaked. Shuffling and shuffling, barely audible moans, the soft murmur of words that Don couldn’t understand. He wanted to curl up and die. Bobby was having sex. Their wall was thin enough for Don to hear Bobby having sex. He pulled his blanket over his head in a desperate attempt to drown it out, but it wasn’t working. “C’mon, faster… oh fuck, you - shit- feels so good.”

Don had never heard something so filthy in his life. He wasn’t allowed to watch movies with sex scenes and he’d never watched porn, something he knew the rest of the high school football team was doing. The noises coming from Bobby’s room were sinful, downright pornographic. He shouldn’t be listening, he should grab his earbuds, but… his curiosity had always been his downfall. The bed was creaking faster and Bobby was getting louder. “‘M so close, please. Oh my god oh my god, I’m gonna-.” He finally cried out and Don shoved his hands over his ears. He was so hot, he was pretty sure he had sweated through his shirt. He was frozen to his bed, a tornado of butterflies in his stomach and a strange foreign feeling. He felt dirty, like he’d been the sinner just for listening.

Sharing a wall with Bobby just might kill him and the semester hadn’t even started yet. How was he supposed to look Bobby in the eye? They had practice in seven hours.

He was going to die.

#coxstroke #bobby moch #don hume #bobby moch x don hume #salix’s sideblog escapades #strangethings-everywhere #our church don AU

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