Chapter 27
Thayer
“Thay–errr,” Ash beamed, smiling wider than I’d ever seen before…especially considering he was lying in a hospital bed.
The sight alone was nauseating, but his good spirits were helping, at least.
“Oh, they got you the good drugs then?” I chuckled softly, my stomach settling a little more at the sound of his laughter.
“Oh yeah,” he breathed, grinning and humming when I kissed his head. “Do more–my head hurts a lot,” he went on, humming and giggling when I kissed his head a few more times before taking a seat next to him.
Ash was all kinds of loopy, playing with my hand and trying to pull it under his collar because I wasn’t touching him enough–so he said.
Watching him throw a tantrum because the doctors made me leave the room to examine him was a good time, but his I sleep naked next to him every night–I don’t see the big deal was the real test of my maturity.
Ash was okay.
He was fine–they were releasing him in a few hours.
I kept repeating that in my head like a mantra, but none of it was enough to wipe the memory of him lying lifeless on that ice for a full minute.
Ash didn’t remember it–he swore he moved right away, but I watched it in seconds that felt like minutes.
Ash was okay.
He was fine.
“I’m sorry,” Ash mumbled, hugging my hand to his body groggily. “My leg hurt–I should let you pull me–”
“Stop it,” I said softly, almost cracking when he set his chin in my hand like he was looking for me to guide him, even now. “Your leg wasn’t–”
“Oh, no, it was,” he huffed, his pouty expression dissipating quickly. “That guy fell on me, but I went down so hard because my leg gave out.”
That didn’t make it his fault–he wasn’t wrong for telling me he was fine if he really believed he was…
But he’d also just confirmed my fears.
My fears about sending him back out that day all those months ago were that–that he was fine, but that one more good hit and he wouldn't be.
“You’re gonna be so bummed,” Ash babbled on, avoiding the sleep he definitely needed because I was there, but I also wasn’t leaving.
And just like that, giggly Ash was back.
“Why’s that?” I mused, a knock at the door catching a fraction of my attention.
“Because doc said I can’t resume normal activities for a week,” Ash dragged out, eyes wide and locked on me as the door opened. “I asked if that meant sex, and he said yes, so.” He stuck his tongue out and blew.
In walked Reed, snickering to himself as Ash finished his childish bit. Ash got tense, eyes going wide, and if Reed didn’t already know about us, Ash’s face would have given it away.
“Ash,” Reed hummed, smiling and nodding his head at him briefly. “Glad to see a concussion hasn’t broken your spirit.”
“You think he heard me talking about us having sex?” Ash whispered to me–only his whispering right now might as well have been normal talking.
“I think New York heard you, baby,” I chuckled, kissing his head again when he offered it to me.
It wasn’t an offer–it was a demand…
He was just so pretty that I wasn’t saying no.
“That’ll take some getting used to,” Reed huffed, taking the empty seat next to me with a heavy thud. “Not the gay thing–you know I’m okay with that. Just that, uh…Ash not acting like Ash thing–that’s new.”
Ash was still stiff, eyeing Reed like he was still trying to figure out if Reed was on to us. I put him out of his misery and just told him that Reed knew–only that started a new wave of dramatic questions that he didn’t know he was actually yelling.
Ash was a dramatic guy, even without the drugs.
“...and you can’t fire him–that would be wrong,” Ash babbled on, making us both laugh at how long it had been going on already.
“He’s the best coach I’ve ever had, and yeah, we’re dating, but like, that doesn’t affect his coaching or anything–we had a deal about that.
He loves me, and I love him, and he makes my insides all happy and–”
“And you’re not helping anymore,” I interrupted, covering his mouth and laughing with Reed anyway.
Ash’s brows furrowed, and I could feel his mouth form a pout under my hand. “Don’t pout,” I warned, removing my hand to find a pout very much stuck on his face anyway.
“You know,” Reed breathed, catching his breath from laughing. “Remember when I said that it was different for you and me–dating someone his age? I take it back.”
“Hey!” Ash yelled, wincing when it was too loud for even him. “It’s fine–we’re fine. He’s so in love with me–I could be way younger–”
“No, you could not–don’t say that again,” I scolded, earning another pout from the baby. “He’s just loopy right now.”
Reed just laughed, amused by this whole thing and confusing me deeply. I didn’t say anything when he first walked in, but that was mostly for Ash’s sake– I didn’t want to have the you fired discussion when Ash was all whiny and sad still.
“Are you here to fire me–I’m getting some mixed signals from you, sitting here like my friend,” I finally asked, petting Ash’s soft hair a few times like it was for his comfort.
“No,” Reed huffed, waving me off like that was a ridiculous notion. “Are you kidding? I mean, maybe, if it were any other player and you were any other coach, but come on.”
He leaned forward some, his face still amused but serious. “Ash isn’t fighting for first string, and you’re not some predator–you're thirty-four. I wouldn’t bat an eye at you two on the street–well, maybe I would because I know you two, and Ash has a loud mouth–”
“Fuck you–”
“Stop it,” I scolded, offering my hand to Ash to keep him busy.
He took it happily, moving it to his cheek and preening like it was all he needed. “So, you’re not…You’re not going to fire me, then what? Just giving me the chance to quit?”
My head refused to accept that he was here for any other reason. We may have been friends, but friendship didn’t mean blind loyalty when I was clearly crossing a moral, professional line.
“God, no,” Reed almost laughed, hand on his chest like he was actually scared.
“It took me five tries to get a coach Ash will actually listen to, and you have him trained like a dog now. I don’t really care how you did it–just keep it at home, and don’t you know…
force my hand–I don’t want to tell the dean this.
This is a nightmare on paper, you know that, right? ”
“And don’t be dragging him out with us either,” he went on, waving me off dismissively. “I see enough of the kid at practice.”
Ash was all happy and giddy, kissing the side of my hand like he had no cares in the world about Reed being there.
He was loopy from the drugs, sure, but I knew a lot of that was also me–he never had to worry about anything when I was around.
He’d never have to worry about anything again.
I’d make sure of it.