Chapter Five #3
He was sort of glad that Hartley had called Gem out about his ribs. It was just so obvious even if Gem had played one hell of a game that Gem was more injured than he was letting on.
* * * * *
Camped out on the couch of the hotel lobby, Luka was starting to worry about his goalie, Dom, whatever. He’d been forced to shower and load up on the bus to the hotel without Gem coming along.
Apparently, Gem wasn’t as good at hiding his injury as he thought. Not only had Luka noticed but so had the coaches and trainers.
Gem had been sent to the hospital with the trainer for X-rays. That was two hours ago.
The adrenaline dump had hit Luka hard as the high from winning that he’d been riding had slowly bled away. Now all he could do was wait while replaying his interaction with Gem on the ice.
After messaging Gem on the plane and getting immediate responses, Luka was one-hundred-percent sure that Gem and Beelz were the same person.
It had been quite fascinating to witness Gem responding to the messages from Ty. Luka had been more flirty than before, emboldened by the smile that Gem had worn while typing. The peek into Gem’s side of things showed Luka that Gem really did enjoy talking to him.
And Luka had barely been able to remain in his seat.
He’d so wanted to climb into the seat next to Gem and lay his head in Gem’s lap. It would have been the perfect way to get through the flight. Luka wasn’t sure he’d ever be brave enough to follow through on that dream. Especially in front of the rest of the team.
Arriving at the hotel, Luka had headed upstairs to take a proper shower and change into sweatpants and a hoodie. With a baseball cap low on his forehead, Luka tried to keep from being recognized as he waited for Gem’s arrival.
Not that Dallas was a big hockey city. They had a professional football and baseball team as well. The Dallas Hawks were just the only shifter sports team in the area. That brought them more attention than if they played for the NHL team.
Luka checked the messaging app on his phone where he’d reached out right after he’d gone down to the lobby. He didn’t blame Gem, or Beelz, for not answering. He’d just hoped that once Gem was settled in whatever he was doing at the hospital, he might have time to message Ty.
Nothing.
Luka bounced his knee. It was getting late. What if Gem was hurt worse than Luka had suspected?
He should have said something to the trainer before the game had even started. Gem could have injured himself worse and it was all Luka’s fault for not saying anything.
The automatic doors opened with a swish and Luka leapt to his feet as Gem and Bryan walked in.
Bryan glanced over at him and frowned. “Everything okay, Luka?”
Sliding his hands into the pockets of his sweats, Luka shrugged. “That’s what I was wondering.”
Bryan looked from Luka to Gem. “Uh…”
“Don’t worry about it,” Gem said before stomping off toward the elevator.
Luka flashed a small smile at Bryan before he hurried after Gem. He hadn’t waited for more than half the night to be ignored. And he wouldn’t be able to sleep until he knew what the doctors had said.
Gem pressed the button for the elevator three times in quick succession. “I don’t need company,” he said without looking at Luka.
“What did the doctors say?” Luka asked.
“None of your business,” Gem snapped.
The elevator doors opened and Gem stepped inside.
Luka slipped in before the doors closed.
Gem hit the button for the sixth floor. “What floor?”
“Six,” Luka replied even though he was on the tenth floor.
Grunting, Gem leaned against the mirror on the back of the elevator and closed his eyes.
“Are you okay?” Luka asked quietly.
“Fine.” Gem didn’t even open his eyes.
Fuck! Now what did Luka do? He’d been prepared to joke and laugh and share the funny story of them being internet friends but now he was at a loss. The elevator dinged, reaching the sixth floor before Luka had worked it out.
Pushing off the back of the elevator wall, Gem slowly exited. Luka fell into step behind him.
Halfway down the hall, Gem stopped walking and sighed. “Your room in not on this floor, is it?”
“No,” Luka whispered.
“Fine.” Gem didn’t say anything else before pulling a keycard from his pocket. He pressed the card against the security pad and the lights flashed green. Pushing the door open, Gem waved at Luka to enter first.
Carefully, Luka entered the room.
Suite really.
It was a nice hotel with big rooms that came with a seating area, master bedroom, and bathroom. Luka’s own room was a near duplicate to Gem’s. Luka stopped at the back of the couch and turned.
Gem followed, only stopping to set the key on the table he passed.
“How did you get checked in already?” Luka asked, noticing a suitcase and hockey bag beside the open bedroom doorway.
“Nosy, aren’t you?” Gem retorted.
Luka shrugged. It really wasn’t his business. Gem probably should be suspicious since as far as he knew, Luka was just a new teammate and nothing more. It was stupid to even have followed Gem in there. Yet, here he was. He needed to make sure that Gem was okay.
“The team took care of it,” Gem told him.
“And your ribs?” If Gem was answering, then Luka would keep asking his questions. He didn’t know how long he had until Gem kicked him out. And he still hadn’t figured out how to share what might be happening between them.
“Bruised not broken. I’ll be fine,” Gem said.
“Bruised,” Luka repeated. That was not good. “If they’re still bruised now, then they were probably—”
“Broken,” Gem finished.
“And you still played! What were you thinking?” Luka shouted.
Lifting his head, Gem met Luka’s gaze with his violet eyes that had dark circles under them. He looked exhausted. Just utterly done for. “I have heard enough from the trainers and coach. I don’t need to hear your shit too.”
“I’m sorry,” Luka said sincerely. “Can I get you anything?”
Gem shook his head. “What do you want, Kotov?”
Kotov. Gem called him by his last name like most of his other teammates. Gem wasn’t like his teammates though. What Luka and Gem had was special. Intimate. He hated hearing his last name coming from Gem’s lips.
“Call me Luka,” Luka said.
“Luka,” Gem repeated. “What do you want, Luka?”
“I just wanted to check on you,” Luka confessed. A half-truth, but now Luka wasn’t sure if he shouldn’t leave Gem alone and try again another day.
“You’ve checked on me,” Gem pointed out. “Anything else?”
So much more. Biting his lip, Luka nodded.
“I need to sit down. The pain meds that the hospital gave me messed with my head a little,” Gem told him.
“Oh! Should I…maybe I should—” Luka shifted from foot to foot. Damn. He should have thought about that.
Gem waved him off before sitting on the couch. “You have something to say, so say it.”
Just like that? When Gem had taken drugs.
This felt wrong. Like Luka shouldn’t be there.
However, Ty would be welcome. Luka knew that in his heart.
And Luka was Ty, so it didn’t feel right leaving Gem alone.
He didn’t have to say anything about their connection.
Luka could just be looking after a teammate.
“Are you sure I can’t get you anything? Water? Something to eat? Have you eaten?”
“Sure. Grab me a water from the mini fridge please.”
Luka was already moving toward the mini fridge in the corner before Gem was done with his sentence. “Do you want ice? I could run to the machine and get you some.”
“Just a bottle of water is fine,” Gem responded.
Water. Luka could handle getting Gem water. Even if he felt like he should be doing more. “Food?”
Gem shook his head, placing a hand on his stomach. “No food.”
Ah, Luka also got nauseous from pain meds. They were strong as they were made for shifters and he’d never been able to tolerate them. Pulling a bottle of water from the back of the fridge, Luka hoped that he’d grabbed the coldest one.
He closed the door to the mini fridge and turned.
Gem had his head back on the couch with his eyes closed again. He was so still. Not asleep but maybe drifting.
As quietly as he could, Luka crossed the room to stand before Gem, just peering down at him. Gem looked so small and…sweet almost. Luka was a big guy yet when he was with Beelz, the power dynamic between the two of them was huge.
“Are you just going to stare at me like a creep?” Gem asked quietly with his eyes still closed.
Luka didn’t respond. Couldn’t. His throat closed up. Gem was close enough to touch and yet Luka was scared.
Gem opened his eyes. “Luka?”
The water bottle fell from Luka’s fingers and he slowly sank to the floor on his knees in front of the couch. In front of his Dom.
“What are you doing?” Gem sat up quickly, winced, and grabbed his side.
“You don’t have to call me Luka,” he said softly.
Gem frowned. “What?”
“I didn’t believe it at first,” Luka started to explain. “I knew the trade was coming. I’d hoped, as the hours passed that maybe just maybe, that I’d be fine. That I’d still end up in Seattle. They traded me though. Sent me to Boston. To you.”
Gem shook his head. “I don’t… I’m not following.”
“I didn’t reach out, because I was scared,” Luka confessed. “Scared of change. I hate change.”
“Most people do,” Gem replied, using a gentle tone.
A tone that Luka was intimately familiar with. A tone that Luka knew. His Dom. The quiet confidence that allowed Luka to soak up being a brave boy. “Then you were there. You but not you.”
“Luka, you’re not making sense,” Gem said.
“But it all made sense in the end. Everything made sense when I finally saw it,” Luka told him.
“Saw what?”
Luka swallowed hard. He didn’t want to answer that. There was one sure way that Luka could convince Gem. One that was important to Luka. “You don’t have to call me Luka, actually.”
“I don’t?”
“No.” Luka smiled. Staring into Gem’s violet eyes gave him the strength to get the rest of the words out. “You can call me Ty if you still want to. That’s my middle name and what my family calls me. Or…”
“Or?” Gem choked out.
“Call me boy. Your boy. That’s my favorite,” Luka confessed.
Gem’s entire body jerked. He stared at Luka as his eyes widened.
Luka nodded. Using his eyes, he implored Gem to believe him. To know how to move forward from here. Holding in this secret had nearly sent Luka back to spiraling.
Very slowly, Gem rose from the couch.
Luka had to tilt his head back as Gem leaned over him. Gem wasn’t saying anything. Why wasn’t he saying anything? Luka’s nerves grew and he licked his lips as his mouth went dry as a desert.
Gem grabbed his hair hard and yanked Luka’s head back.
Luka winced but didn’t fight the hold. At least Gem was touching him. Close. Luka wanted him so much closer. Gem traced Luka’s lips with the fingers on his left hand as he tightened the hold on Luka’s hair and yanked again.
Pain shot from Luka’s scalp as tingles started in all the places that Gem caressed.
“Ty,” Gem said softly.
“Yes, sir,” Luka whispered.
Gem yanked his hands away and took a step back. “What the fuck!”