Jin: Yup, but I remember your mothers
Niko: -laughing emoji-
Bash: hahahahaha
Arlo: Dude…
Harrison: The lake isn’t haunted
Jett looked up from his phone and saw Harrison grinning at him. He flushed at getting caught, but he meant what he said.
“Am I boring you?” Harrison asked, cool blue eyes shimmering.
“No.” Jett picked up a slice of his forgotten pizza and shoved it in his mouth. He had to chew and swallow before speaking again. “I was just riling them up. They’re all alone because they’re single, so I’m keeping them company.”
Arlo: That’s vague as shit, Harrison. The lake isn’t haunted, but that creepy house is. That shit is like…100 years old
Niko: Does anyone want my land?
Jin: ME
Bash: You’d have to drag me to Nova Scotia kicking and screaming
Arlo: Unless you’re retiring early…which you SHOULD…you’ll be coming here once the new team becomes official
Bash: -vomiting emoji-
“What is his deal with Nova Scotia?” Jett asked, frowning at his phone.
“Nothing is wrong with our province,” said Harrison. “Blanchard is a prime example of what happens when you take too many pucks to the head.” He paused, then said, “And when you’re from Montreal.”
Jett couldn’t argue with him there because Sébastien made losing teeth look like a hobby. His dentistshadto be rich.
“Is the pizza good?”
Jett glanced at his boyfriend, immediately noticing his apprehension. It wasn’t because he thought Jett didn’t like his cooking—he had seen the pictures in the laundry room.
“Your family’s Christmas tradition?” he guessed.
The softness in Harrison’s expression made him want to crawl into his lap and hold on to him until the pain ebbed away.
In fact, there was no reason why he couldn’t do just that.
Jett put his plate down and went to the recliner, ignoring the weird looks he was getting as he awkwardly climbed onto the chair, knocking the breath from Harrison’s lungs when he slipped and smacked into his chest.
Harrison had his arms lifted in the air to keep Jett from tipping the food off his plate. “The chair is going to fall backwards.”
“Don’t care,” said Jett. “I want a hug, and maybe a kiss.”
He rose and fell with Harrison’s long sigh. There was a clanking sound as Harrison set his food on the side table, and then big arms wrapped around his shoulders, hands ruffling his hair.
“You’re ridiculous.”
Jett grinned and burrowed his face deeper into the softness of Harrison’s woollen sweater. The fire had made the room acceptably warm, but now that he had his man to cuddle, it wasperfect.
Harrison alternated between rubbing his back and playing with his hair. It was pure bliss, and Jett couldn’t think of any other place he would want to be right now.
“I love you,” said Harrison, his rumbling voice a purr in Jett’s ears.
