Chapter Nine #2
“Things have changed since we’ve revealed out identities to each other,” Gem started.
Changed in the best way possible. Luka didn’t have to hide anything from Gem. Gem knew literally everything. There was no secret that Luka was keeping from Gem. And that was the most freeing feeling in the world. Gem knew how Luka was and still wanted him.
“Are you happy with the changes? I’m sorry that I haven’t asked before this. I should have reopened the lines of communication.”
“I’m happy,” Luka whispered. He was so happy that sometimes he woke up in the middle of the night spooned around his Dom and just watched Gem sleep.
“I’m happy too,” Gem replied.
Luka stared into Gem’s eyes, waiting for the but that he knew was coming.
“I’m sorry that I didn’t get your permission before I joked around with Nix. Whether he believed me or not, that wasn’t fair to you.”
“No,” Luka said. “I was worried that you didn’t want to tell anyone about us. That with Nix in town, I’d have to go back to my apartment. I don’t want to go back there. I like sleeping with you every night.”
“I like sleeping with you too. And of course I want to tell people. Whenever you’re ready.”
“Are you ready?” Luka questioned.
Gem nodded. “I’d at least like to tell my family. My brothers. And my mom and dad are going to love you. I won’t rush you though. We can move at your timeline.”
“I don’t want to hide you either,” Luka said. “I just don’t have anyone to tell. I mean I have some friends like Vin and Evan, but once your brothers know, I doubt it would be long until they told their partners.”
“That is very true. What about your family?”
“They don’t matter,” Luka said.
“Of course they do,” Gem insisted.
Luka shook his head. “They know that I’m gay. They just don’t talk about it. Sometimes my mom will ask if I’m seeing anyone and I’ll tell her no. She always seems relieved.”
“Okay. What about the team?” Gem asked. “Tomas, of course, already suspects. I’m not sure if anyone else has caught on.”
“Bryan, maybe,” Luka shared. “I’ve caught him watching us a few times.”
Gem nodded. “He’s observant. But if it comes out, is that okay with you?”
“I don’t care who knows,” Luka told him. And he meant it. “I just really don’t want to be hidden anymore.”
“Baby, I don’t want to hide you. Ever.”
Taking a chance, Luka shifted closer to Gem’s side. “Really?”
“I’m so proud that you’re my boy. Our beginning might not have been conventional, but no one needs to know that except us,” Gem said.
“So I get to meet Nix tonight?” Luka asked.
“You never finished reading my messages. According to Nix, he’s done with my bullshit and said he’d ask Evan to invite you to dinner with us,” Gem said. “You might have a message from Evan. Or he’s too busy reminding my brother who Nix should be focusing on.”
Luka chuckled. “Either might be possible.”
“Feel better?” Gem questioned as he rubbed Luka’s back.
“Yes.” Well mostly. “So, we are out. Like together. People can know?”
“Everyone can know,” Gem replied. “I’ll kiss you in the middle of center ice if that is what you want.”
“Uh.” Luka frowned. “I don’t need that much attention.”
“Good.” Gem patted his back. “Me either. I’d still do it for you.”
Luka went to respond but his stomach took that moment to growl loudly. Reminding them both that they had been discussing food.
“It’s time for me to feed my boy,” Gem said. “I’ve been too busy with you to get to the grocery store. We’ll go together tomorrow so I can make sure to stock all your favorites. I’ll order lunch to be delivered.”
Luka leaned his head against Gem’s shoulder as Gem pulled up the delivery app on his phone. “I wanted to make you food for once. Really, all you have is drawers full of grapes.”
“They make a good snack,” Gem commented.
“You know that the entire league is aware of Aries’s obsession with apples, right?” Luka asked. “Some of the visiting teams even put apples in the locker room, hoping that Aries will eat so many that he might be slower.”
Gem laughed loudly. “I bet that drives Vin crazy. Vin is always having to monitor how many apples Aries eats so Aries doesn’t make himself sick.”
Luka nodded. “The other teams decided if they can’t out-skate Aries, maybe they could make him overindulge on apples. And it’s also as known that Nix loves everything pumpkin.”
Gem groaned.
“Using that logic and what I have found when researching fruit bat shifters, I’m going to say that your fruit obsession is grapes,” Luka said.
“Your research?” Gem repeated. “When did you research fruit bat shifters?”
“That isn’t the point,” Luka responded, realizing that he didn’t really want to answer that. It might have been before Luka and Gem had even met as Beelz and Ty.
Gem chuckled. “Okay, boy.”
“Which means you’re obsessed with grapes,” Luka stated.
“I’m obsessed with you and your ass,” Gem quipped, pinching Luka’s ass.
Luka grinned. “And grapes.”
Gem sighed. “And grapes. Purple grapes.”
Wait! That was new information. Luka hadn’t even thought about the fact that there were different types of grapes. But yeah, Gem’s fridge was full of purple grapes. “Cool.” Luka was already wondering what he could get Gem to agree to for grapes. It could be like his own bribe for his Dom.
“What do you want for lunch?” Gem asked.
“I don’t care,” Luka replied truthfully. Food was food.
“Do you want me to pick for you?” Gem asked.
“Yes, sir.” Stretching out, Luka placed his head in Gem’s lap. “When is Nix getting to town?”
“They arrived this morning,” Gem replied as he typed on his phone. “They’re staying the night, so we’ll meet for dinner after the game, if that’s okay with you.”
“Sounds good.” Luka did want to see Evan. It had been a few months since they’d talked. Maybe they’d exchanged greetings at Christmas? It was hard to remember.
“Nix is going to annoy the shit out of you,” Gem teased. “Or he might be starstruck and not say a word. It’s sort of a toss-up.”
Rolling over, Luka hid his grin against Gem’s knee. He loved how Gem talked about his brothers. The close relationship that the triplets shared. And he was a little jealous. Luka gave his siblings everything and they couldn’t even bother to send a message or call to ask how he was doing.
“I see that smile.” Gem smacked Luka’s ass. “You think it’s funny now but wait until he’s texting you twenty-four-seven, asking the most ridiculous questions.”
“Sounds perfect to me.” Luka lifted his head. Brother should annoy each other. And he liked that even though Nix drove Gem crazy, Gem was protective over his brother. No one would get away with fucking with Nix. Not when Gem was around. Probably not when Gem was across the country.
“I do have one more question for you,” Gem said. He was palming and squeezing Luka’s ass over and over.
“What’s that?” In Luka’s mind, everything was worked out.
They were together. Like together where the whole world would know that Gem was the man that Luka was in love with.
Okay, maybe Luka wasn’t ready to make that confession quite yet.
Maybe soon. Or he’d chicken out and wait for Gem to say the words first. Yeah, that seemed like the best plan.
“Just how small are these speedos going to be if I bring you to Hawaii?”
Laughing hard, Luka nearly rolled off the couch. He’d forgotten that promise. And that was a promise that he was one-hundred-percent going to keep.
* * * * *
Gem
“Good game.” Evan offered his hand.
Gem grinned, placing his palm in Evan’s. “Thanks. You too.” They’d won. While Boston had only managed to score one goal on Evan, that one goal meant everything. And Gem’s boy had been credited with the assist. He’d be rewarding Luka for that later.
“Damn shutout,” Nix mumbled.
He might still be a little sore about Gem’s team beating his. Nix’s messages started an hour before the game, talking all kinds of smack and promising that Florida would be ending Boston’s season. Gem had ignored the messages. He had faith in his team. And that faith had paid off.
“What was that, brat?” Gem asked in amusement. Just to pour salt into the open wound. Nix really was a sore loser.
It didn’t help that Aries was firmly on Gem’s side, excited that all their teams had made the playoffs.
Aries had messaged both Gem and Nix in a group chat during the drive to the restaurant. Gem hadn’t been able to respond since he’d been driving but Nix was full of whining and complaining. Luka had read Gem the messages, also amused by Nix’s foul mood.
Evan elbowed Nix.
Nix rolled his eyes. “Good game.”
“Thank you,” Gem said with a wide grin.
Nix glared back.
Oh! Was that how Nix wanted to play this? Gem had something to take his brother’s mind off the loss. He was a true hero like that!
“Hey!” Gem’s smile widened. “Have you met Luka Kotov? You know the hockey player that you had the biggest crush on as a teenager. The man that you swore when you were fourteen that you were going to marry. Remember how his poster was directly over your bed so you could—”
“Okay!” Nix said loudly. “None of that needed to be said!”
Reaching back, Gem grabbed Luka’s wrist and pulled him forward. Luka’s face was as red as Nix’s. This was going to be so much fun. He could tease his boy while torturing his brother with old stories about Nix and his obsession with Luka when Luka played in the NHL.
Evan chuckled as he wrapped his fingers around Nix’s wrists, tugging him back against Evan’s chest.
Gem was pretty sure that Nix had been about to tackle him. Or try. Nix didn’t care if they were in front of a restaurant with people walking by. He had terrible impulse control. Gem was amused to see that Evan was aware of that as well.
“Should we go inside?” Evan asked. “I’m starving.”