The Sunday Football – Part 2: Penalty
Gay Stories·EN·2 min read·Published 2026-11-07, updated 2026-11-07·Part 2 of 2
The Sunday Lions reached the cup final in May.
It was an astonishing run, led by an astonishing goalkeeper. Aaron had trained on Wednesdays with Rui for six months, learning to come out, to read the angles, to shout. His voice had grown loud and confident. His reflexes were sharp. He was brown from the sun, and his cheeks were pink with joy.
The final went to penalties. Rui stood at the halfway line, hand over his mouth, as the opposing striker placed the ball. The crowd, a hundred strong, fell silent. Floodlights hummed. The ball flew, low and hard to the left, and Aaron dived, full stretch, and palmed it away.
The pitch exploded. Rui ran the length of it, arms in the air, and flung himself on Aaron in the penalty box. They rolled in the mud, shouting, laughing, tangled together.
"You saved it!"
"I saved it!"
"I knew you would!"
"You were shouting the whole time!"
"I was shouting positively!"
The Lions won the cup. They sang. They were doused in beer. In the small hours, when the pitch had emptied, Rui and Aaron lay on the grass in the centre circle under the floodlights, shirts muddy, boots off, staring at the sky.
"I never thought I would stay in Lisbon," said Aaron.
"Why did you?"
"A left-back."
Rui turned his head. His eyes were enormous and shy in the glow. For once, he said nothing.
"Can I ask you something?" said Aaron.
"Yes."
"May I kiss you, Rui? In the middle of the pitch?"
"Yes," said Rui, a hoarse whisper. "And if you say stop, you must be my goalkeeper for life."
"That isn't a punishment."
"No."
Aaron kissed him, muddy and gentle, a hand rising to his shaved head. Rui kissed him back with a fierce tender joy, tasting of beer and grass. The floodlights hummed. The ball lay forgotten in the net.
When they parted, both of them were smiling.
"Green?" asked Rui.
"Green," said Aaron. "Very green."
The Sunday Lions still lose sometimes. Their goalkeeper and left-back go home together on one scooter. They have stopped shouting. Mostly.
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