CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
When the analysis switched to a commercial break a few minutes later, Luke glanced over at Sebastian.
He was slouched in his seat, his gaze fixed on the TV.
He looked different today and Luke couldn’t put his finger on it until he realized that Sebastian wasn’t wearing a jersey. Not that Luke hadn’t seen him out of a jersey during Harper’s day with the team and at the arts and crafts thing.
But now he had on soft-looking orange-y brown trousers, an off-white sweater, and a brown suede jacket-shirt combo thing. He looked nice, like he’d planned to do more than get high and watch hockey today.
“Hey. What were you planning before I messaged you?” Luke asked.
Sebastian glanced over. “I dunno. I was thinking I’d chill a little bit, smoke some weed, listen to records, then go out to dinner later maybe. Check out a bar. Try to meet people.”
“You don’t have friends in Boston?”
“Nah, they’re all back in New York. Haven’t had time to meet anyone.”
Luke grunted. “So you usually smoke?”
“Just depends. Sometimes I go for edibles.”
Luke let out a sigh. “Honestly, I prefer to smoke. There’s nothing like kicking back on the deck here at night and smoking a joint but … hockey. Wasn’t so bad when I was younger but I’m starting to notice it in my lungs more now. Fuckin’ sucks.”
“Yeah, makes sense.”
“So, records, huh? Seems like that whole corner of your apartment is set up for that.”
“Pretty much.” Sebastian chuckled. “I’m a big fan of that whole seventies lounge vibe.”
“Man, you’d love some of the places out in Vegas,” Luke said. “There are some great mid-century mod homes with sunken living rooms.”
Sebastian laughed. “I fuckin’ love those.”
“I know a guy who plays for the team out there,” Luke said. “He’s got a covered patio with a huge-ass fireplace, sunken lounge space, and a hot tub in the middle.”
“That’s the fuckin’ dream,” Sebastian said.
Luke grinned. “The pool is right nearby too. It’s a pretty sweet setup.”
“I bet. If it was private enough, it sounds like a place made for skinny dipping.”
“Yeah, they’re on the edge of the desert. They could totally do that if they wanted. I’ve thought about doing a hot tub and firepit in the backyard here,” Luke admitted. “I don’t think it’s private enough for that though.”
Sebastian laughed. “Not unless you were planning to give your upper-floor neighbors in the apartment building next door a show.”
“I wouldn’t care if they saw me. But I’m not about to fucking get arrested for indecent exposure, you know?”
“So you’re super private about your personal life, but willing to flash strangers?”
Luke barked out a laugh. “Yeah, I guess so.”
“Well, let me know when you get the hot tub and the heated stairs put in.”
Luke grinned. “Will do.”
But Sebastian frowned.
“That night,” he said, suddenly sounding all earnest. “When we were in your backyard. I really didn’t mean anything by my comment.”
“Yeah, I get that now,” Luke said gruffly.
“I was just … I dunno. I’ve had … for a while I had some hookups or whatever who really didn’t seem to fucking get it that it wasn’t going to turn into more.
And they kept angling to come over more and spend the night and they didn’t fucking listen to me telling them it wasn’t going to happen, you know? ”
“That wasn’t what—”
“I know,” Luke said, because he really did. He’d felt like shit that night and he’d fucking lashed out but he believed Sebastian that he hadn’t been angling for more. “You’re just a nerd about flowers.”
Sebastian laughed. “Now that I’ll admit.”
Luke grinned back.
“I had no idea you’d be at the arts and crafts thing either. That was all about Harper, I swear.”
“I know that too.”
“So we’re okay?” Sebastian asked.
“I fucking invited you over to watch hockey and fed you weed brownies, what more do you want, dude?”
Sebastian laughed again and it was a good look on him. He seemed a lot mellower now. More relaxed. Less stressed.
Sebastian held up his hands. “Nothing. I’m good. This is nice. I still think you’re a dick on the ice, but I don’t mind this today.”
“Yeah,” Luke agreed. “I still think you’re a dick during games, but this has been pretty okay for me too so far.”
“High praise, coming from you, I think.”
Luke chuckled. Sebastian had no fucking idea how true that was.
The second period began and Luke let himself sink back into the mellow haze of his high, the clack of sticks and the thud of pucks against the boards a familiar and comforting soundtrack.
Time slipped away as he got lost in the way the guys moved up and down the ice. The flow of it making the tension seep out of his shoulders and turning every limb heavy.
His cock felt heavy too, not like he needed to come, but like maybe some part of him was already thinking about getting his mouth on Sebastian and seeing what kind of noises he could pull from him.
Luke shifted, adjusting his dick under the soft, silky fabric of his shorts. Sometimes he liked to jerk off while he watched hockey, combining two of his favorite things into one.
The rise in intensity of the announcer’s voice pulled his attention toward the game again and he watched Shane Hurst drive toward the net, only to have a Norwegian defenseman get in the way, the fired shot banking wide and slapping against the boards.
Luke groaned. The game was still fucking scoreless as it went to a commercial break.
Sebastian shifted on the couch, drawing Luke’s attention away from the screen.
Sebastian had his thighs spread a little and he absently rubbed his palm up and down one, back and forth like he liked the feel of the fabric.
“Hey, c’mere,” Luke rasped. He’d been half-hard for a while now, and he suddenly needed to feel Sebastian’s skin against his. Touching him would be better than jerking off, that was for damn sure.
Sebastian glanced over. “What?”
“I said, c’mere.” Crawford grabbed his leg just above the knee and tugged.
Laughing, Sebastian tipped against his shoulder, his hand landing on Luke’s thigh to brace himself. “What are you—”
Luke kissed him and Sebastian let out a low groan. He shifted until the sides of their thighs were pressed together, twisting at the waist, his hand coming up to land on Luke’s upper arm and kneading the muscle there.
Yeah, that’s better, Luke thought hazily as he slid his tongue between Sebastian’s lips. He reached out, stroking his palm against Sebastian’s leg. His calluses caught on the soft fabric, but it did feel nice as they made out.
Dimly, in the background, Luke could hear the game resume, but he suddenly didn’t care, didn’t want anything but Sebastian’s tongue in his mouth, his hand gripping Luke’s shoulder, his thigh flexing under Luke’s palm.
Luke slid a hand a little higher, gently cupping Sebastian’s dick and massaging it. “This okay?” he rasped.
“Yeah. Thought we were waiting to see who won though,” Sebastian said, sounding breathless as he pulled back.
“Doesn’t hurt to get hard now,” Luke countered.
“I’m already fucking hard.” Sebastian leaned in, his breath warm against Luke’s neck as he pressed damp kisses along it.
“Yeah, sorry. This strain of weed tends to do that,” Luke admitted, squeezing Sebastian’s dick. It was solid under his palm, and he traced along the length. “Probably should have warned you.”
Sebastian shuddered and tugged at Luke’s hair a little. “I didn’t say I was mad about it.”
Luke chuckled, cupping Sebastian’s chin and guiding him to bring their mouths together again. He tried to work open Sebastian’s fly with his left hand, but it was awkward at this angle, and Sebastian pulled away from the kiss to help him get his cock out.
He sighed against Luke’s mouth when Luke wrapped a hand around him and for a few moments, they made out while Luke stroked him, smoothing a thumb across the damp, sticky head.
The sound of a goal horn tore Luke’s attention away and he glanced over at the TV, groaning when he saw the Nordic team had scored. He groaned again when he saw the replay, and that it was Rasmussen who’d scored it.
“Damn it,” he muttered.
Sebastian laughed. “Fucking told you.”
He reached out and fumbled for Luke’s waistband, tugging at it. “Get your cock out. Let’s watch the game while we stroke each other.”
Luke considered the idea. It would be like jerking off while watching hockey but better because it would be someone else doing it.
He nearly groaned aloud as he imagined it.
Fuck yes, that sounded so goddamn good already.
He lifted his hips, pulling his shorts down.
He hadn’t worn any underwear underneath, and he was glad of it now as he tossed the shorts onto the pillow beside him.
When Luke let go of Sebastian’s cock, he made a soft sound of protest, but Luke ignored him, turning and reaching for the bottle of lube he kept in the drawer of the end table. He held it out and Sebastian raised an eyebrow at him.
“Chafing’s a bitch, dude.”
But Sebastian wasn’t complaining a few moments later when Luke wrapped a slick hand around him and began to stroke.
“Fuck.” Sebastian slicked his hand too. “Yeah, yeah, good call.”
It was a little tough to coordinate their movements sitting side by side, hands wrapped around each other’s dicks, but after a little while, they got into the rhythm of it. Slow, steady tugs that spread across Luke’s body in heated waves.
He felt like his brain was melting as he settled back, his strokes slow and easy as they watched this game.
“Goddamn. This is fuckin’ perfect,” he said with a sigh.
Luke had never really felt great about the idea of getting high around someone he was hooking up with before. But he figured by this point, if Sebastian was going to out him or dick him over, he’d have done it by now.
And adding hockey to the mix really did make it so much fucking better.
“Yeah,” Sebastian said, sounding hoarse. “Fuck.”
Luke gripped Sebastian’s dick a little tighter as the pace of the game picked up, Team USA pressuring them hard, Tanner darting around the ice like a little water bug.