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Sure, I’d woken him that same night with a nightmare I hadn’t had in months. The same one I’d had for years after my accident, where Blake was the one getting hit in the face instead of me. But that didn’t stop me from getting back to the ice that next morning. Or the one after that. Or, well, you get it. Eventually, I was able to go on my own and the nightmare never came back.
“Are you nervous?”
Blake tangled our fingers together and tugged to pull me toward the living room. We had a brand-new couch, still covered in plastic, waiting for us, and he laughed as I pushed him down on the cushions to blanket him with my body. The soft crinkle of plastic radiated around the room.
I nodded. “A little.” I had stopped hiding things from him. I told him everything, no matter how scared I was. And in return, he did the same.
“You’re going to be amazing, Gretzky. I’m so proud of you,” Blake assured me as he combed his fingers through my hair.
I tucked my head in against his neck and inhaled his familiar scent. Clean like the laundry detergent we used, sweet like his body wash, and spicy like his deodorant. Home. That’s what Blake smelled like.
“What about you, Bug? Another number one album.”
Mulligan Downtown had recorded a new album at Killian’s house. Blake, Killian, Maverick, and Dean had all written the lyrics and the music. Together. And had enjoyed every single minute of it. The album was a huge success, and they were scheduled to do their first ever online concert this Saturday night. The band had stuck to their guns about touring, instead they did everything virtually. The fans didn’t seem to mind. They enjoyed the intimacy, the chance to see their favorite band up close and personal. To see them laughing and smiling, teasing one another like they were the best of friends. Answering questions and being themselves. I enjoyed it, too. Seeing my fiancé happy and blossoming.
“We’re not talking about me right now.” Blake blushed.
I sucked a hickey against his skin before I spoke again. “We should be.”
“It’s okay if you’re scared. I’m going to be there, sitting with the guys, and cheering you on. Watching you get your shutout in your first game back.” He hummed happily.
Right. That. I was going to be starting goalie for the Carolina Panthers, thanks to my big brother. It was totally unexpected, and I had turned Jackson down more than once. He kept asking, bringing it up, and even though I came up with every excuse in the book, he’d never given up on me.
Wasn’t there someone else more qualified than I was? Didn’t he want to see if someone else wanted the job?
In the end, Blake had sat me down so he could talk to me about it. The pros and cons of getting my career back on track. I missed the sport terribly, and as hard as I pushed, Blake shoved harder. Reminded me how good I was. How this had always been my dream. That didn’t mean I wasn’t terrified. What if I had a panic attack on the ice? What if the second someone came near me, I froze up and forgot to stop the puck? Everyone would hate me.
“You’re going to wear my jersey, right?” I pushed the blond hair from his forehead.
Blake shrugged. “I don’t know. I thought maybe I would wear one of Wyatt’s.” He barked out a laugh when I ticked his sides. “Yeah, Tommy, I’ll wear your jersey.”
It was a special moment for me, too. To have the number forty-one. It had been my number in high school. I wasn’t able to wear it when I was first drafted to Arizona, but now it was mine, and I wanted to make sure teenage Tommy Olson had the dream he always wanted. A successful hockey career, and the boy he loved by his side.
The sound of the doorbell had me dropping my face into Blake’s neck. “Can we ignore it? Maybe they’ll go away.”
“You know we can’t,” Blake reminded me.
I sighed and sat up. “What if we were fucking right now? Then what? We’d just answer it and let them in? Let them see your pretty hole while I stretch and fill you? Fuck you until you come screaming my name.”
“Tommy.” Blake gripped the back of my head and climbed up into my lap. “You can’t say things like that right now.”
I slanted our lips together. “I can. You’re mine, remember?”
The doorbell rang again, followed by insistent knocking. “Come on, assholes, we know you’re in there!” Killian shouted. “Don’t make me break in. I don’t want to see your naked asses.” He cackled with laughter.
Blake’s body shook with laughter. “Yours, always yours,” he murmured as our mouths collided again.
Always mine.
Epilogue
Blake
The sound of laughter, drums, and guitar chords filled the air when I stepped into the recording studio. Killian was sitting on a chair holding his microphone with Dean next to him, his guitar slung across his chest, and Maverick was behind them on his drums. I took a moment to soak it in, the happiness and love that radiated around the room. These were my best friends. The boys I had chased my dreams with, grown with, and discovered life with.
The recording studio that Killian had built at his home had started off small but had turned into something much more. He’d added a small stage for when we went live, a seating area for us, and for when our partners and friends came to listen. It was all dark wood paneling and state-of-the-art. Comfortable and homey. I loved coming over here.
“It’s about time you got here, Blakey.” Killian winked when I stepped into the room to make my presence known.
