#zeke ready to beat football boys ass anytine he wants to go in the beginning

[jacqcrisis]

Idk why but I wondered what a human, non magic AU of Left Turn would be and I figured you'd still have a lot of the same shit (Caleb's in college, Zekes a line cook, there's internalized homophobia, a lot of the same story beats) but enough is different it interests me. The biggest is that with a different upbringing by being the special football boy in the family, Caleb would be a massive jackass on the surface and Zeke, not bogged down by needing to be neutral and non-aggressive in order to stay out of trouble due his changeling nature, would have a snappy ass tongue, be more self destructive, and no fear in fighting someone like Caleb.

So idea under the read more:

So Caleb is in college at a religious university and is in their pretty famous football team as a QB and has a good chance of going pro. It's his only ambition in life and he's barely taking any real classes save for stuff to meet requirements for a Business degree, on top of having a holier than thou attitude from being the Big Cool Guy all his life. His family is ultra evangelical conservative and severely homophobic which of course is why he's the most repressed bisexual ever with a long term girlfriend he's probably going to propose to within the next year.

In comes a bartending job in between seasons for some extra cash and he meets the scrawny, weaselly looking line cook who clocks his repressed ass so goddamn fast. Zeke, a high school drop out and someone who escaped a cult at a young age, is quick to call out Caleb's vague homophobia and his lingering glances, actively being a sarcastic little shit to him and knocking him down from his high horse any chance he gets. It frustrates Caleb to no end this gay ass mother fucker is living rent free in his brain and every day at the bar, there's a lot of passive aggressive behavior and sniping and back talk and everyone who works there is taking bets on whether they'll fuck or fight first.

It culminates one night closing together, Zeke makes a jab that Caleb takes very badly, he starts pushing Zeke around, Zeke pushes back, and Caleb kisses him hard enough to break his lip open. Zeke gets the angriest blow job of his life, but he's not complaining and after, Caleb's adamant he's not gay and absconds and Zeke figures that's the end of that and waits for either the sexual harassment claim or for Caleb to actually try to beat the fuck out of him.

Neither happen and Caleb acts like nothing has changed except their sniping has a definite flirting edge to it. They fight more, obviously hook up more, Caleb's kind of a bitch about it even if he initiates most of the time, but he steadily gets better and, when alone, they are friendly toward each other. Even when Caleb quits, he gets Zeke's number from Ashley and they continue as thus with Caleb inviting Zeke to his dorm room a few times to 'chill' where he is extremely torn over how he feels for the guy.

At one point, as Caleb is becoming a better person and getting more comfortable with his sexuality, he sleeps with a random guy at a party, and gets caught with video evidence. Rumors fly, his girlfriend breaks up with him, his family disowns him, and he has to drop out of college without their support, thus no more glamorous football career. After going on a bender, Zeke pulls him out before he gets too far in, becomes his genuine friend, helps him get a new support network, and turn his life around.

They move in together as strictly just friends, he goes back to work at the bar till he can qualify for student loans, and once he feels above water, he wants to do a reset with Zeke. He invites him out for a night on the town together one fine evening and it's nice and cozy and Zeke feels like he's going a little nuts thinking Caleb is being close to him. At one point, while walking in the park, Caleb kisses him and Zeke, taken aback at the semi-public display of affection after months of Caleb barely even touching him platonically, asks if this is a date.

Caleb fumbles it, retracts it, doubles down on it, and ends with a 'it is if you want it to be'. Zeke tells him yeah, he absolutely does, and they get a happy ending.