Arlo scoffed loudly while eyeing them. “No, can’t imagine why.” Then he paused and asked, “Park as inJin Park?You guys are friends?”
“Reluctantly,” said Harrison. “His captain begged us to distract him so he could get some peace.”
“Fuck, start up a group chat.” Arlo was already digging through his pockets for his phone. “I want to talk to him too, just to see if he’s a dick like everyone keeps saying he is.”
“I’ll save you the trouble,” said Jett. “He totally is, and I can’t imagine you with your temper would get along.”
“I don’t have a temper,” Arlo said in total seriousness. “Fucking add me, Fraser.”
Jett said something rude under his breath, but he did what Arlo asked. And that’s how Harrison found himself a part of a group chat with Park, Arlo and Jett, watching his cousin curse when Park did as they all knew he would and started insulting him.
After a particularly scathing remark about how Arlo was a clone that Harrison made to relive his glory years, they were all in agreement that Park was a total jackass.
“Fuck, if I were a top, he would be my type,” said Arlo, cackling despite Park’s next string of crude words describing the ugliness of his face. “So fucking pretty and violent. Kinda makes me want to shut him up with my—”
“Nope.” Harrison smacked his already empty glass onto the coffee table. “Can we talk about hockey? Hell, I’ll even shut up and watch anime at this point.”
That comment only succeeded in digging him into a deeper hole. Now that they knew Harrison didn’t want to participate, all the attention returned to him.
Jin: What’s Killinger like in bed? Is it actually good, or is it shit because he’s disabled?
Arlo cackled with delight. “Holy fuck, he really doesn’t hold back, does he?”
“I’m not fucking disabled,” Harrison muttered. He didn’t bother correcting Park because it would only make him double down harder and keep pushing.
Jett: It’s Earth-shattering, actually.
Arlo deflated a little bit.
Good, at least there was something they could agree on. Harrison was positive that his cousin didn’t want to think about his sex life, like he didn’t want to hear about Arlo’s.
Jin: Hey, Townsend. You played against the Vancouver team recently, right?
Jett and Harrison shot equally nervous glances at Arlo, but Arlo didn’t react to being called by the family name he hated.
Arlo: It’s Killinger now, but yes, I played against them. Why?
While they waited patiently for Jin’s reply, Arlo turned on an obnoxious and brightly coloured Anime that he and Jett had been gushing about.
“I would invite Max over to watch this with us, but I’m pretty sure Ryan is visiting him right now with Jason.” Jett took a handful of chips from the bag on his lap and shoved them into his mouth, ignoring Arlo when he glared at him. “Maybe we can all get together, get drunk and watch one of the classics.”
“How can you eat that processed shit?” Arlo asked, gesturing to the bag of bacon-flavoured chips Jett was eating. “It’s so unhealthy.”
“So is stressing over stupid shit like watching calories and eating healthy,” Jett shot back. “Life is too short, Arlo. Live a little.”
“I’ve been telling him that for years, but he doesn’t listen,” said Harrison. “It’s better to ignore his hysteria and pretend you’ve suddenly become deaf and missed the parts of the conversation where he bitches about it.”
Jin: Wow, you took Killinger’s last name? I can’t believe they let cousins get married in Canada. Good for you guys, but Jett must be heartbroken…
“Wow, this is a lot,” said Arlo. “I don’t even know how to respond.”
But Park’s next reply was already popping up in the conversation to distract them.
Jin: I’m asking because I’m curious how you feel about the Vancouver Bigfoots letting their mascot play.
“Really? They let their mascot play?” Jett looked very excited about this development for whatever reason. “That’s so cool. I want to play hockey with our mascot…”
When Harrison made eye contact with Arlo, he was glad to see the grin on his face, suggesting they were thinking along the same lines. He wrapped his arm around Jett’s shoulders and pulled him close so he could place a kiss on the top of his head.
