Chapter Six #2
Finn took his hands and led Robbie in a chase around the ice, which included a gliding lift where Robbie swung Finn past his hip, both feet out, and then back to stand before him.
At that point, Finn spun Robbie in a circle and leaned back for a dip.
Robbie might be the one supporting him, but he couldn’t claim he was leading.
As the music came to a close, the crowd cheered and Robbie let himself look toward the stands for his kid. Sawyer was on his feet, cheering.
While the judges conferred, Robbie and Finn were dragged off the ice to talk with the host. Another thing Robbie was used to—post-game interviews.
For a hysterical moment, he wondered if he could tell Michelle that the plan was to keep training and playing his game and to come back out again next week to do his best again for the fans.
Maybe not.
Then it was time to hear from the judges.
Their feedback washed over Robbie’s buzzing mind, all meaningless jargon, but the last judge’s comment was all too easy to focus on.
He was the hardass, the grumpy one who had high standards. The crowd went quiet as he shuffled his notes and cleared his throat.
“When they told me we’d have our first same-gendered pair on the show, I raised my eyebrows.
People all over the country have been talking this past week, and it seems everyone and their dog has an opinion about whether this was a good idea.
I think, gentlemen, you’ve put the debate to rest.” The arena held its breath.
“That was fun, swinging, and enjoyable. The naysayers can shut up.”—the crowd started cheering—“Pairing the two of you together was a fantastic idea. Well done.” The last was drowned out by the roar of the crowd.
Robbie and Finn hugged with relief and then—
Oh. Wow. There were rainbows and signs and shit. Robbie was not going to cry.
At least, not until they got away from the cameras.
Time blurred, and suddenly Robbie and Finn were back in “their” dressing room, slouching onto the benches. Robbie wanted to take his skates off, but he didn’t think he could move. “Jesus.” He tilted his head back against the cinderblock wall. “Is it always like this?”
Finn huffed. “Uh, kinda? But also, no.”
Robbie gathered the wherewithal to raise an eyebrow.
“On a show like this, yeah, sure. You do your thing, you stick around for your criticism, and then the energy crash hits. In an actual competition, you might be skating your long program later, so there’s no time to crash.
You just get your scores and then have to get right back in the mindset for the next part of the competition. ”
Robbie blew out a breath, imagining that. Sounded terrible. “And then when the whole thing is over?”
“Puppet with cut strings.” Finn gave a smile, sweaty and pink-cheeked, and pulled up a leg to unlace his skate.
“But like, the whole rainbows-and-signs thing is pretty new. I mean you’ll get the odd fan with a sign, and people bring stuffed animals and flowers sometimes, but it’s not usually so overwhelming.
” The first skate fell to the ground, and he pulled his other leg up to undo that one.
Robbie’s feet twinged in jealousy, and he leaned over to get his own laces.
Before he could do more than untie the knot, Finn asked, “Are you, uh, good? I mean it’s not like you’ve been outed, but it kind of is. We can ask security not to allow signs if you’re feeling weird about it.”
Robbie blinked at his skate. His fingers continued unlacing without his conscious input, and he raised his eyes.
“Actually it’s kind of nice. Most of it’s been supportive.
It’s like….” He didn’t quite know how to phrase it.
“A weight off, maybe? Because the world’s got a lot of Chads in it.
But it’s got more Finns and Georges and Gails and Imogens and Sawyers. ”
“And Robbies and Hollys and Sophias and Emilys.” Finn rested his chin on his knee.
Robbie returned his gaze to his laces. It felt like too much to look at Finn right now, while he worked through that. While he worked through a lot of things.
The right skate loosened. Robbie pried his foot free and flexed his toes, moved on to the left. Peripherally, he was aware of Finn a few feet away, peeling off his skate costume.
The second skate released Robbie’s foot.
And then it was like something released in his mind too—something that had been holding back.
Only a heartbeat passed in the dressing room, but Robbie was in a series of memories: Finn explaining how Sawyer and Imogen crashed his movie nights and stole his snacks; laughing sheepishly when he admitted he’d forgotten Sawyer’s deadname; smiling like a shit disturber and instructing the kids on how to boo the cops.
His waist under Robbie’s palms, his hand in Robbie’s, his body pressed close. His weight on Robbie’s thighs, the scent of his sweat after a workout.
His tiny little shorts that suggested someone should eat his ass.
The lightness in Robbie’s chest when Finn grinned at him. The triple-time beat of his heart.
The way Stef had chastised Finn half a dozen times during their last dress rehearsal because he kept smiling too much when he was supposed to be playing hard to get.
When the heartbeat passed, Robbie was standing, having crossed the few feet between them.
Finn had taken his shirt off, and he had his back to Robbie and the room, but he must’ve heard Robbie coming, because he turned around when they were just half a foot apart.
Robbie could almost taste the salt of his sweat in the air.
Thump, thump, thump went Robbie’s heart.
Oh, went Robbie’s brain.
He swallowed. “Finn….”
Finn’s chest hitched visibly on a breath. His eyes went dark.
He licked his lips.
Was Robbie doing this? Was this the heat of the moment? Was this a real connection, or just a side effect of their dancing?
Finn took a half step closer.
Robbie raised his hand to touch the side of his face.
And then the dressing room door burst open and Sawyer flew in, shouting.
“Holy shit! You guys!” Despite what ought to have been years of experience, Sawyer had never met an awkward moment.
He flung himself at Robbie. Through sheer force of physics, Finn and Robbie broke apart.
“You totally ate and left no crumbs! Am I a genius or what?”
Robbie caught him and peeled him back to arm’s length. Sawyer could thank him later. “Oh, sorry, were you the one dancing and twirling and posing on national television? I can’t believe I missed it.”
With an eye roll, Sawyer smacked Robbie’s arm. “Give me my flowers for signing you up for this, old man.” Then he rounded on Finn. “And you! Oh my God! Finn! That was so cool! I can’t believe you tried to tell me and Imogen you were rusty, you lying liar who lies.”
Finn submitted to the hug for a few seconds and then shoved Sawyer away with a ruffle of his hair. “I had a couple weeks to oil up, kid.”
Sawyer made a horrified face. “Gross.”
“You’re the one who barged in on us half-naked, bud,” Robbie pointed out. “You could’ve at least closed the door.”
Because now, looking back, he could see George, Gail, and Imogen in the doorway, waving awkwardly. “Sawyer,” Gail said, a laugh in her voice if not on her face, “why don’t you give Finn and Robbie some time to shower before you start the inquisition?”
“Ughhhhhh,” Sawyer said to the ceiling, but he stomped back out of the dressing room.
Gail met Robbie’s eyes with an amused look of commiseration, then gave them both a little finger wave and closed the door.
Suddenly Robbie wanted Sawyer back. It was actually less awkward with Sawyer there.
Then Finn turned to face him again, still shirtless. Robbie took a brief second to be thankful for the sheer amount of time he’d spent in locker rooms, becoming desensitized to anything that might be even remotely sexy by way of exposure to hockey stink.
Finn ran a hand through his hair. “I, uh, I should probably mention that we’re like, kind of not allowed to ‘fraternize.’ It’s in my contract.”
Robbie’s heart clenched. Of all things, he hadn’t expected that—hadn’t been braced for rejection.
He’d been sure Finn wanted his attention as much as Robbie wanted to give it.
“Right.” He cleared his throat and stepped back.
“That’s—yeah, of course, that makes sense.
” Obviously the show wanted to keep things professional, lest it result in lawsuits or whatever.
Before he could take another step, Finn closed his hand around Robbie’s wrist. “Holly, like, made it really super clear that we’re definitely not allowed to date.
” He met Robbie’s eyes, his gaze intense, like he was trying to convey something other than what he was saying.
“She said she’d better not hear anything about it until the show’s wrapped. ”
Oh. Oh. Robbie’s heart started beating again. “What size earplugs does she wear?”
Finn laughed and rubbed his chin. “Sadly, I don’t think earplugs would be enough plausible deniability to satisfy Holly.”
“Well, we wouldn’t want anyone to be left unsatisfied.” Robbie’s heart thumped once again with the promise of more Finn in the future.
“Never that.”
“My kid is waiting outside and we need to shower and we’re drunk with adrenaline.”
“Yeah.”
“Shall we… pick this up tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow,” Finn agreed, and it sounded like a promise.
“Tomorrow.”
The following morning Finn woke up to a clear head and a hard-on. He smacked dry lips, considered the state of his body—slightly achy muscles and warm blood—and debated what he wanted to do next.
Now that the high of their performance had waned, he could be sure of one thing—he still wanted Robbie, and he was ready to risk weeks of sneaking around to be with him. To find out if they were as compatible romantically and sexually as they were on the ice.
He rolled over and grabbed his phone off the nightstand. No time like the present. When he unlocked it, he found a text from Robbie already waiting.
Good morning. I still want to kiss you. Just so you know.
Finn snorted. God, Robbie was a dork. How’d he manage words that read all respectful and PG and felt like a sext?
Morning. Good. I still want you to.
The response came immediately. Good. And then, Fell asleep thinking about you. Woke up thinking about you. Can’t wait to see you.
Finn looked down at his semi.
Me too. Woke up thinking about you so hard.
The bubble appeared. Disappeared. Appeared again. Then two texts came in quick succession:
Fuck
Finn
He grinned and typed back, Yes?
I want you. I want to date you. Not just fuck you.
We can’t date in public, Finn reminded him.
I know :(
Finn bit his lip and considered. In the meantime, though… doesn’t mean we can’t have fun in private, right?
Finn… are you asking me if I’m willing to fuck you silly on the down-low?
Finn grunted and reached down to palm his dick. Yes please.
Your place or mine?
I have a roommate. Who’s wfh today.
Fuck. I have a kid on summer vacation. Damn it.
Finn groaned. Fuck. Okay. They could totally wait until one of them had an empty house. Sawyer would probably spend most of his summer vacation with Imogen. They would surely have empty houses at some point. Before Finn could console them both with that fact, Robbie texted an image.
It was a screenshot of a booking confirmation.
Laughing even as his dick grew harder, Finn fumbled to text back and then thought, fuck it and hit Call.
“Did you just book us a hotel room so you could fuck me without waiting for your kid to leave the house?”
“I booked a hotel so I can fuck you stupid without having to worry about my kid coming home and hearing you scream.”
Finn whined and his hips rose off the bed without his say-so.
“You like the sound of that, cutie?”
“Yeah. Fuck. What time?”
“Can’t check in until three, sweetheart, so you’ll have to wait like a good boy.”
Finn whimpered. Good God, Robbie was perfect. Finn’s head was buzzing and his knees were jelly. He clutched his now rock-hard dick. “Robbie.”
“Stop touching yourself.”
Finn gasped and dropped his hand. “How—”
“Lucky guess,” Robbie said almost meanly. “But you don’t come today until I say so.”
Finn slumped onto his mattress and groaned. “Sadist.”
Robbie chuckled. “Hedonist. Who wants to see your pretty cock and face when you finally come. Will you come while I fuck you, sweetheart? On my cock?”
If Robbie kept talking to him like that, Finn wasn’t sure he wouldn’t come right now.
Robbie laughed. “Be a good boy and I’ll see you at three fifteen. Give me time to get checked in.”
Finn could be so good. Robbie would soon see how good he could be.