Kip sat on Scott’s bed and watched him pack for his road trip. He was wearing his own jeans and one of Scott’s New York Admirals hoodies. It was too big for him, but he loved wearing it.
“Can I hold on to this?” he asked, tugging at the strings of the hoodie. “While you’re gone?”
“Of course,” Scott said, tossing some underwear into his suitcase. “As long as you think about me while you’re wearing it.”
“I’ll be thinking about you no matter what I’m wearing.”
Scott smiled and kissed him. He would need to leave by two this afternoon to catch the team bus to the airport. That only gave them another couple of hours together before they’d be apart for nine days.
“I was thinking,” Scott said, “that maybe you could stay here while I’m gone.”
Kip hadn’t been expecting that. He didn’t know what to say.
“Not the whole time, if you don’t want,” Scott said quickly. “I mean, you don’t have to at all, obviously. I just thought—”
“Really? You want me to?”
“Yeah. I do. I like the idea of you being here while I’m gone. At least sometimes. Plus, it would be easier for you to get to work, right?”
What Scott was polite enough not to say was that this apartment was a grown-up place to live, and not Kip’s parents’ house.
“If you’re sure you don’t mind, yeah. That would be great,” Kip said.
“I don’t mind. I can think about you sleeping in my bed while I’m in some lonely hotel rooms.”
“You’ll have your roommate,” Kip pointed out.
“Not the same.”
“And if you ever find yourself without a roommate, we could...”
Scott smirked. “Believe me, I’ll be calling you. Every chance I get.”
He held up the blue socks Kip had given him on Valentine’s Day and placed them in the suitcase. Kip grinned.
“So,” Scott said, “I’m back on a Monday. And I’ll be in town for a week after that. How should we celebrate my return?”
“Well...” Kip said, “I kind of have plans that night.”
“Oh.”
“Yeah, I mean, it’s no big deal, but...that Monday is my birthday. I’m just going out with some friends for a drink or whatever. But after that we could—”
Scott froze. “It’s your birthday?”
“Yeah, but it’s fine. Twenty-six isn’t exactly a milestone. And, besides, why would you know when my birthday is?”
“Because I should have asked!”
“Well...you can remember it next year.” Kip realized as he said it what his words implied. He glanced shyly at Scott, but Scott only reacted with a heartbreakingly happy smile.
“I will,” he said.
Kip flushed a little. He fiddled with the strings on the hoodie, trying to distract himself from all these damn feelings.
He was in love. There was no question. He was head over heels in love with Scott Hunter. It was absurd, but it was real.
“So,” he said unsteadily, “where will this trip take you?”
Scott sighed. “Too many places. Columbus first. Then Detroit, Toronto, Winnipeg, Ottawa, and Montreal. Short flights, at least.”
“Yeah? That’s good,” Kip said. Then, for no particular reason, he added, “I’ve never been on a plane.”
“Seriously?”
“I’m serious. Never had anywhere to go, really.”
“Oh, Kip! And you studied history—there’s so much you should see!”
Kip shrugged. “Figure I’ll get around to it someday.”
“I’d love to take you somewhere,” Scott said.
“What, like, Winnipeg? Or Detroit?”
“All right, fuck off.”
“Yes, sir.”
Then Scott was on him. He’d knocked Kip backward onto the mattress and was covering him, all in one swift move. “Are you mocking me, Grady?”
“Of course not.” Kip smirked. “Hunter.”
Scott growled and kissed him, fierce and challenging. “I’m going to miss you. So. Fucking. Much.” He moved his mouth down Kip’s neck, teeth scraping.
“Give me something,” Kip stammered out. “Gimme something to remember you by.”
Scott sucked in a breath and pressed his hardening cock into Kip’s hip. Then he sealed his mouth to the tender flesh just above Kip’s clavicle and sucked hard. Kip squirmed happily under Scott’s weight as he held him down and marked him.
Scott pulled away slowly, admiring his work. “That should last,” he said. “Maybe even until I get back.”
“I hope so,” Kip said weakly.
Scott ran his thumb over the mark. His eyes were wild with lust.
“What do we have time for?” Kip asked.
“Anything. Fuck, let me—I don’t know.”
“Let me fuck you. I know you don’t want any marks, but I can make you feel me, at least for a little while.”
“Yeah. Fuck, yes. But just like this. Me on top of you.”
“Fucking finally.” Kip grinned.
Scott yanked off all of his clothing in a frantic whirlwind. Kip pulled off the hoodie and his T-shirt together, then hauled his pants and underwear off. They were naked in seconds, and Scott had already grabbed the lube.
They didn’t have a lot of time for foreplay, so Scott got himself ready as quickly as possible. He tossed Kip the lube and a condom.
Kip slicked himself up, moaning a little as he slowly stroked himself. When Scott lowered himself onto his dick, it felt so fucking good. He was still so tight, and Kip could see in his face that it was hurting a bit, but Scott sank down carefully until Kip was deep inside him.
He sat there for a moment, which gave Kip a chance to admire him. He was all chiseled muscle and faded battle scars. Thick thighs, deep-cut abs and massive, solid pecs. His big hands stroked Kip’s own chest, fingers tracing through his chest hair.
“You’re so beautiful,” Scott said, his voice quiet and reverent.
“You’re perfect,” Kip breathed. He brushed his fingers across Scott’s cheek. “Unreal. All of you. Can’t believe how lucky I am.”
Scott smiled and started moving, pulling himself up and slamming back down. They both cried out, and Kip grinned up at him because this was fucking incredible.
He just enjoyed the show, watching all that muscle bounce on his dick. Watching Scott’s face twist and relax, sweat forming on flushed skin. And Scott was riding him so hard, so relentlessly, that Kip could feel himself racing to the finish line without doing anything.
Scott’s cock bounced in front of him, huge and hard. Kip reached for it, hands still slick from the lube he’d used on himself.
“Yesss...” Scott hissed.
Kip jerked him off, hard and fast to keep with Scott’s rhythm. Scott threw his head back, and planted one hand firmly in the middle of Kip’s chest. “Oh my god. Oh my god, Kip! I’m gonna... Fuck, I’m close...”
“Me too. I’m right there, Scott. I’m... Come on, sweetheart. Give it to me.”
Scott cried out, and a second later Kip was being showered in his release. Scott clenched and fluttered around his cock, and that was it for Kip. He came inside him with a silent scream, so hard his ears felt like they’d burst.
“Kip...” Scott gasped. “Fuck. Holy...”
Kip lay panting on the bed, trying to return to himself. “Yeah. Yeah, Scott. Come here.”
Scott pulled off him and fell beside him on the bed. Kip grabbed his face and kissed him giddily. He couldn’t stop smiling. He felt unhinged. He felt...like a man who was very much in love.
Scott brushed his fingers over the mark he’d made on Kip’s skin at the base of his neck. “Was that too much?” he asked. “It’s bigger than I thought it would be—”
“No,” Kip said, covering his hand. “It’s perfect. Thank you.”
“You haven’t even seen it yet,” Scott said affectionately.
“I don’t care. I love it.” I love you.
Scott kissed him again, and then sighed. “I need to finish packing.”
“Can’t you call in sick?” Kip teased.
“Yeah, yeah. All right, Grady.”
He rolled off the bed and went into the bathroom, leaving Kip alone to stare at the ceiling. Before Scott left for nine days, should Kip just...tell him how he felt?
He shook his head. What if it was too much? It had to be too much, right? If he told Scott he was in love with him now, Scott would have a week away from him to think about how weird that was. Kip could imagine Scott returning from his trip to tell him that it wasn’t going to work out between them. It was devastatingly realistic in his mind.
Not fucking worth it.
He traded places with Scott in the bathroom and got himself cleaned up. He inspected the mark Scott had left on him. Scott hadn’t been kidding about how big it was, but Kip was very happy with it.
He returned to the bedroom, where Scott was already wearing most of a striking gray suit.
“I do appreciate the NHL’s dress code for team travel,” Kip said, admiring the way the perfect tailoring showed off Scott’s broad shoulders and trim waist.
“That makes one of us,” Scott grumbled. He tied a Windsor knot with the ease of someone who had done it countless times since childhood.
As Kip retrieved his underwear from the floor, Scott said, “You said last night that you know some good clubs.”
“Yeah,” Kip said. Scott had once again said something he had not expected at all. “I do.”
“I was just thinking. Do you...go to clubs often?”
“No, not really. Not for a while now.”
Scott seemed to relax a little, which was weird. “Oh. Okay. It’s nothing, anyway. Forget I said anything.”
“Scott,” Kip said. “Are you trying to ask me if I’ve been hooking up with other guys while we’ve been...?”
“No!” Scott said, way too quickly. “I mean. I guess. Yes. But not because—I’m not going to tell you not to. I know I’m not always available.”
“Scott,” Kip said again. He walked up behind him and wrapped his arms around Scott’s ridiculous chest.
“I’m sorry,” Scott said. “I’m not...jealous. I just... I don’t know how these things work.”
“There aren’t any rules,” Kip said. “Unless we set some. But I don’t need any.”
“Okay.”
“I haven’t been with anyone since we met. Just for the record.”
“Me neither.”
Kip laughed. “Yeah, no shit.”
Scott laughed too, then he turned and kissed Kip.
“You’re enough for me,” Kip said. “More than enough. I have no problem waiting for you.”
“I know it’s dumb, but I’m really happy to hear that,” Scott said.
“It’s not dumb. And to be honest, I think I’m developing an addiction to reunion sex.”
Kip let Scott finish packing while he got dressed. At five minutes to two, Scott was kissing Kip goodbye at the door.
“Text me whenever you want,” Scott said, “and I’ll call as much as I can. Video. I’m bringing my iPad. We can Skype. Maybe even—”
“Yeah. I’d like that.” Kip pulled him into another kiss. It was so hard to let him go. Harder than it had been before.
“Okay,” Scott said finally, picking up his suitcase. “I’ll see you. Nine days.”
“Nine days.”
“Bye.”
“Bye.”
Scott left quickly before either of them could reach for the other again. Kip blew out a breath and leaned back against the wall. Actual tears prickled his eyes, which was embarrassing. It wasn’t like Scott was going to war.
He was surprised when, a few minutes later, the door clicked and opened. Scott slipped inside, looking a little lost.
“I, uh,” he started. His face was pure anguish. He didn’t have his suitcase. He must have gone to the car and come back. “I was thinking... Planes, y’know? And anything can happen...”
“Scott?”
“I love you,” he said. “I just wanted to say that. Before I left.”
Kip’s jaw hit the floor.
“I don’t expect you to, y’know, say it too or anything. I know it’s probably a ridiculous thing to say or feel right now, but I am in love with you. And I wanted you to know that.”
The tears that had been prickling were now flooding Kip’s eyes. He was no longer embarrassed about them.
“Kip?”
Kip pressed his lips together and shook his head, trying to gather himself. “Sorry,” he said, finally. “I just... I thought I was the only one who felt that way.”
Scott’s face lit up. All of the agony was gone instantly.
“You’re not.” He closed the distance between them and held Kip’s face, brushing away tears with his thumbs. Scott’s eyes were wet too.
“I wanted to tell you,” Kip said.
“Tell me now.”
“I love you. Scott, I’m...completely in love with you.”
Scott beamed and kissed him, still holding his face. Kip reached up and did the same.
“Fuck,” Scott breathed. “Now I really do have to go.”
“I know.”
“I’m glad I told you.”
“I’m glad too.”
“But it’s really fucking hard to leave now.”
Kip sniffed. “Yeah.”
Scott kissed him one more time. “I’ll call you,” he said as he headed back to the door. “Tonight. I love you.”
Kip laughed wetly. “I love you too. Go win six hockey games.”
“You got it.”
And with that, he was gone. But this time, when Kip leaned back against the wall, he was grinning from ear to ear.
* * *
Scott had decided to sit with his newest teammate, Matti Jalo, during the flight to Columbus. Even with the extra-wide leather seats on their private plane, it was a squeeze fitting his own large body next to Jalo’s massive frame. It didn’t help his comfort level that his ass was still sore from fucking himself on Kip earlier that afternoon.
Not that he minded.
Carter was sitting across the aisle from them. “You know what I call this trip? The bullshit trip. Six games in eight days and all of them in cold, miserable cities.”
“The cold doesn’t bother me,” Jalo said cheerfully. “I’m Finnish. Ice runs in our veins!”
“Looks like big fucking ice in those biceps, son,” Carter said.
Jalo laughed. “Where are you from, Carter? That you fear the cold?”
“I don’t fear anything. I’m from all over. Bounced around, y’know? Military family. But I spent a lot of years in North Dakota. That’s why I’m a brother who plays hockey.”
Jalo smiled, maybe understanding what Carter was saying.
“Do you even have Black people in Finland?” Carter asked.
“Yes,” Jalo said. “Have you not been to Finland?”
“Haven’t had the pleasure. Is it like Sweden? I’ve been to Sweden.”
“No,” Jalo said, suddenly serious.
Carter laughed.
“Bit of a rivalry, then, I take it?” Scott asked.
Jalo looked at him hard. “Finland is better than Sweden.”
Scott put his hands up in surrender. “Got it.”
The flight was a short one, which was good given how uncomfortable Scott was, wedged between Jalo and the window. The truth was he normally wouldn’t have minded being pressed against all that muscle. Jalo was, in a word, blindingly hot. Taller even than Scott by at least a couple of inches, and probably outweighing him by twenty or so pounds of muscle, with piercing blue eyes, white-blond hair that he wore combed back off his face, and ever-present stubble. He was definitely a walking fantasy.
But Scott’s mind wasn’t on the hunk filling the seat next to him; it was on the secret boyfriend that he’d left behind. The secret boyfriend he loved.
He smiled to himself. He couldn’t believe he had actually said it. And that Kip had said it back! Scott felt light-headed, and completely giddy.
The team was scheduled to meet in the hotel restaurant for dinner as soon as they had checked into their rooms. Scott was rooming with Jalo tonight, then Jalo would be rooming with his new defense linemate for the rest of the trip.
Spirits were high as the team enjoyed a meal together. Everyone was excited to have a superstar defenseman like Jalo on board. It helped that Jalo was a lot of fun. He was jovial and loud and loved to tell stories with his booming voice and lilting Finnish accent. He liked to drink beer and buy rounds (though Scott made sure there were only two rounds tonight, since they had a practice in the morning). Scott liked him. Everyone liked him. He was the opposite of Zullo in pretty much every way.
When the meal was over, Jalo was obviously in no hurry to return to the room. Instead, he held court with a group of younger players, who were hanging, starstruck, on his every word.
“I’m gonna head up,” Scott said. “Don’t let these guys stay up too late.” He said it with a teasing tone, so he wouldn’t sound like such a dad. But he knew his role on this team. He wasn’t Jalo. He was the boring, responsible one.
The boring, responsible one who was going to call his fucking boyfriend right now!
Scott had hit call on his phone before the hotel room door had even clicked shut behind him. It was nearly ten o’clock.
“Hey,” Kip said when he answered. His voice was quiet.
“Are you at my place?”
“No, I’m home. I’m gonna stay here tonight. Maybe your place tomorrow night.”
“Are your parents going to... Will they be wondering where you are?”
“Are you asking if I’ve told them about us?”
“No!”
“I haven’t. But I’m a grown man and they can probably guess why I don’t come home some nights.”
“Right. Yeah.”
“Hey,” Kip said shyly. “I love you.”
Scott smiled and sat on the bed, any tension he had picked up that day leaving him. “I love you too. I’ve never said that to anyone before. Besides my mom.”
“Me neither. Except Elena sometimes, but that’s different.”
“It feels good to say it to you.”
“Yeah,” Kip said. “It does.”
Scott grinned stupidly at his phone and imagined Kip doing the same thing.
“So...” Kip said. “How’s Jalo?”
“Jalo is great. Everyone loves him.”
“I’ll bet. I saw him being interviewed on ESPN. He’s kind of bonkers hot.”
“Off the record? Yes. He is.”
Kip laughed. “I’m pretty jealous of your job. Just hanging out in locker rooms with ripped, sweaty men.”
“Well, you’re not gonna like this: Jalo’s my roommate tonight.”
“Okay, now I really am jealous.”
“You have nothing to be jealous of.”
“Maybe I should hop a flight to Columbus. See if you and Jalo wanna make a sandwich outta me.”
“Oh my god. Kip, stop.” Scott was turning beet red in his hotel room. Jalo was his teammate! And now he was picturing the three of them—
“Jesus,” Kip said. “Now that’s all I can think about. I might have to wrap this call up. Unless you—”
“No. He’ll be back any minute. I can’t. Not tonight.”
“Your loss,” Kip said in a low voice that went right to Scott’s dick.
“Knock it off,” Scott said. “Soon. I promise.”
“I’ll be watching the game tomorrow night. Call me after?”
“I’m getting on a plane to Detroit immediately after the game. But the Detroit game is in the afternoon. I can call you after that.”
“Such a long wait,” Kip sighed.
“I’ll text you tomorrow.”
“I miss you already. Send me a photo after we hang up, okay?”
“All right. You too.”
They said goodbye and hung up. Scott snapped a quick selfie of himself lying back on the bed. He tried to make it a little sexy. He sent it to Kip and got an immediate reply.
Kip: I meant of Jalo.
Scott laughed.
Scott: Fuck you.
He got a cute photo of Kip back, relaxing on his own bed and wearing Scott’s hoodie.
Scott smiled at it. He loved him so much.
Scott: Thank you. I love you.
Kip: I love you too.
* * *
“So,” Carter said, coming to a stop that sprayed Scott’s shins with snow, “tell me about your girl.”
Scott rolled his eyes. “Nothing to tell, Vaughan.”
They were lingering on the ice at the end of their morning practice. Scott was watching a couple of rookies gather up the pucks.
“Bullshit, Scott. You’ve been floating around with a dumb smile on your face, humming ‘How Sweet It Is’ all over the place. You got it bad.”
Scott kicked at the ice. “No comment.”
“Don’t know why a girl who looks like that wants to be seen with your ugly ass, but—”
“All right.”
Carter looked at him seriously. “I am happy for you, Scott. Even if you don’t want to talk about her.”
Scott turned his gaze to the ice, considering. He couldn’t talk to Carter about Kip, but he could talk to Carter about “Elena.”
He chose his words carefully.
“I’ve never felt this way about anyone,” Scott said. “It’s just very new. That’s all.”
Carter slapped him on his heavily padded shoulder. “There you go!”
“We’ve been seeing each other for a few weeks and it’s nice. I’m happy. But we want to keep it private, y’know?”
“My lips are sealed.”
“Your lips are never sealed.”
“Well, they’re sealed about this.”
“Thanks.” Scott glanced at his teammate, his friend, and wondered if he could maybe tell him the truth. Not right that second, obviously, but soon? Carter was probably his best friend, and he’d always seemed accepting and open-minded. He was never overtly homophobic, anyway, which put him ahead of a lot of NHL players.
Scott would really like to tell him. He’d like to tell Huff and Bennett too. Hell, he’d like to tell the whole world, but...
“Come on,” Carter said. “Let’s go rest up before we fuck up Columbus tonight.”
* * *
“I like him,” Elena said. The words were out of her mouth as soon as he sat down with her at the Thai restaurant.
“Yeah?” Kip asked.
“Yeah. And he’s head over heels for you.”
“I know.” Kip smiled. “He told me.”
“Told you what?”
“He told me—” he leaned in “—that he loves me.”
If Elena was surprised, her face didn’t show it. “Did he?”
“He did!” Kip said, and proceeded to tell her the whole romantic story.
“Wow,” she said when he had finished. “That’s a big deal.”
“I know!”
The server came and took their orders. After he left, Elena said, “Have you told Scott about your potential new job?”
“I will. If they offer it.”
“And what if they don’t offer it?”
“Then there’s no reason to mention it?”
Elena rolled her eyes. “I mean what are you going to do if you don’t get that job?”
“I don’t know! Keep working at fucking Straw+Berry, I guess.”
“You’re wasting your talents there.”
“No,” Kip said irritably. “I’m earning money there.”
“So you’re not going to quit and live off your millionaire boyfriend who is in love with you?”
“Of course not! You know I would never do that. I feel bad enough that I have to depend on my parents’ generosity. I know he’s got money, but...”
Elena didn’t say anything for a moment, but she looked at Kip approvingly. “I know you wouldn’t throw your life, or your dignity, away for a guy,” she said, “but I don’t like seeing you selling yourself short either.”
“I’ll figure something out,” he grumbled.
Later, when they were finishing their meals, Kip asked, “Did you dance with anyone interesting at the gala?”
“You mean besides your charming boyfriend?”
“Yes, and I was not jealous at all, by the way.”
She smiled. “I did, actually.” She leaned in and whispered the name of a somewhat famous young actor.
“Whoa! Good dancer?”
“Mm. He was good at sex too.”
Kip nearly choked on his water. “I figured you’d be going home with someone that night.”
“Oh yeah. Took me a while to round it down to my top five, but I think I made the right choice.”
“You gonna see him again?”
Elena made a face and shook her head.
Kip laughed. He had always been deeply envious of Elena’s game. She was just so cool about sex.
“Do you think it’s weird?” he asked later, after they had stepped outside into the cold night.
“What?”
“That he told me that he loves me. That I told him that I love him. I know it’s only been a few weeks.”
“Are you in love with him?”
“Yes.”
“Then it’s not weird.” She looped her arm through his and tugged him against her. “Come on. Let’s go watch your man play hockey.”