22. Brandon #2
They watched contestants fight their way through challenges, both physical and interpersonal, and none of it entered Brandon’s brain.
He was too focused on the way Gabe’s body felt against his.
He got up the courage to run his fingers through Gabe’s hair, and he sighed quietly, tipping his head onto Brandon’s chest. It looked like it would be hard to see the TV this way, but he still cuddled into Brandon’s side.
Brandon kept playing with his hair, then let his hand explore lower, rubbing his back.
He didn’t notice the exact moment Gabe fell asleep, but he realized it before the end of the episode and sat there, dreading the roll of the credits.
He didn’t want any reason to wake him back up and separate the two of them again.
Even if he would see him tomorrow because of the hockey miracle they were currently living in.
Jackson peeked over at them when the episode ended, primed to loudly ask if they wanted to watch another episode, and saw what was going on.
He looked at them like they were a pile of kittens and poked Ryan to look over at them, too.
Jackson gave him a conspiratorial smile and let the next episode play.
Gabe yawned and stirred a bit, eyes flicking up to Brandon like he was surprised, but ecstatic to see him, before putting his head back on Brandon’s chest and closing his eyes again. He was the most tired boy in the world.
Brandon wished he could stay the night. He thought of the nights Gabe had spent in Iowa, and how Brandon had been too chickenshit to instigate anything after getting his attempted kiss rejected. It wasn’t a feeling he was eager to relive.
He couldn’t stop himself from taking a selfie of the two of them, though, knowing that Jackson and Ryan wouldn’t make fun of him for it.
When it was finally time for Jackson and Ryan to go to bed, Brandon had to face the music.
He had a game tomorrow, and even though the organization was planning on him staying up for the rest of the season, he still wanted to make a good impression.
Work hard. Earn his place. On a two-way contract, he could always get sent down again.
Ryan headed upstairs to collect Lola for her last potty break of the day, and Jackson told Gabe in no uncertain terms that he expected to see him a lot through the end of the season and that he was always welcome over.
Brandon hugged him so tight Gabe let out a little oof before he let go, and because he was feeling good and felt like he could get away with it, he pressed a kiss to Gabe’s forehead.
“You’re sure you don’t want to stay?”
“Shoveling shift in the morning. My house is so much closer. Plus, it’s starting to snow, and it’s only going to get worse by the time I have to wake up. The Prius doesn’t have all-wheel drive. ”
“All right,” Brandon said, watching the heavy flakes fall outside. It was really coming down. “Drive safe. Text when you make it home.”
“Duh,” Gabe said, but he continued to linger in the foyer for a minute He let out one last long yawn, then zipped his coat up and finally disappeared out the door.
A half hour passed. Forty minutes. An hour. Brandon watched his phone, inert on his side table, waiting for the text from Gabe.
He was worrying over nothing. Gabe was just too tired to remember to text him.
It was late now, past midnight, and Brandon didn’t know what to do.
He didn’t want to call him and wake him up if he was already asleep.
Showing up at his house would be…unhinged.
He imagined himself throwing pebbles at Gabe’s window to make sure he’d made it there safe.
There was too much restless energy in Brandon’s body to stay in bed. He climbed out from under the covers and grabbed his phone, heading to the living room for a change of scenery. He couldn’t wait any longer. He dialed Gabe.
Nothing. It rang to voicemail.
Gabe was just asleep. He was the most tired boy in the world. He was just asleep , he told himself, heart racing.
Absently, he thumbed open Instagram and went to his DMs. If Gabe was active, it would say so. He wasn’t.
“Can’t sleep?” Ryan asked from behind him, making him jump.
“Fuck,” Brandon said, wiping a hand down his face. Ryan took a spot next to him on the couch. “Sorry. I just haven’t heard from Gabe, and I’m worried. Not sure what to do. I’m sure he’s fine and just fell asleep before calling me.”
Ryan nodded. “Yeah, if I didn’t have Jack accounted for, I would also be on edge.”
“What should I do?”
“Let’s just drive over. We can verify that Prius is where it should be. You won’t even have to wake him up.”
“It’s forty minutes round trip.”
Ryan shrugged. “I’m going to tell Jack we’re headed out and put some clothes on.”
Brandon followed suit. The plan was good, and it was soothing to put clothes on, knowing he was going to verify Gabe was okay.
He met Ryan down in the kitchen and felt his phone buzz.
The immediate relief of getting a response from Gabe died before it could fully bloom over him.
It wasn’t a message from Gabe. It was an Instagram message from Gabe’s roommate Parker.
Parker
Hey, so Gabe is okay, but he crashed the Prius on the way home. Again, he’s going to be fine! But I’m heading to the hospital. Figured I’d share the details if you want to come.
Brandon couldn’t feel his body. The terror of his shock sliced over him like a thousand icicles. He showed Ryan the message, and Ryan typed the hospital name into his maps app and hustled Brandon out the door.
Brandon had been to the ER closest to his parents’ house over a dozen times, and it never got easier, but he knew the drill. This time, he was going into a strange ER, not sure what he would be walking into.
“It’s my fault,” he said, trying to keep the tremble out of his voice as Ryan drove. “I shouldn’t have let him leave. I should have driven him home. I knew it was snowy out. I knew he was tired.”
“He’s an adult and made his own assessment. It’s not your fault. Remember that he’s okay.”
He knew Ryan was trying to be kind, but Brandon knew the truth. He could have prevented this. Plus, he didn’t know what “okay” meant in this context.
Ryan didn’t bother trying to find parking first. He pulled up to the front entry of the ER and let Brandon bolt out of his car and into the building.