“Wait, how do you know?” Frederik spluttered.
“I found him in the forest last night. He was freezing and had a few drinks too many, so he couldn’t drive home,” I told him through my numb beak. “I offered him my couch, and I’ll give him a ride back to Veitsreuth later.”
Frederik made a disbelieving coo in the back of his throat. “You’re joking, Vee, right?”
“Frederik! You really think I would make this up? Nate Decker is next to me, and he’s fine.”
Four rounds in he was so full of my cum his stomach bulged, and then I rimmed him until he came again. Believe me, he’s fine.
Nate snatched the phone from my hand and sat up straight.
“Hi, Frederik? Hey there, Nate Decker speaking. Vee was nice enough to let me stay the night.” He met my eyes and winked at me.“I’m fine, sorry for the trouble.” He listened to my colleague for a minute.
“I asked Vee if I could hang around until I sobered up. It’s awful being in a car when I’m drunk. I end up getting sick, you know? That Bavarian beer really is something else.” He laughed then listened once more.
“Can you let my teammates know I’ll see them at practice on Monday? Appreciate it, man. Hit me up if you wanna catch a game sometime. I’ll get you tickets.” Gods, vulnerable bottoming Nate was hot but sure-of-himself Decks? He did funny things to my insides.
“My bad for causing a mess. Sure thing. Thanks again, you’re the best. Bye.”
Nate finished the call and gave me my smartphone back, his body trembling in my arm.
I tilted his chin up to see his face, worried he had cracked. It happened. When people found out they scared someone, or caused trouble.
Nate was a mess, but it was because he was laughing his ass off.
“Oh shit, I’m so sorry.” He giggled, and it was the most adorable sound ever. “Did you catch Bo saying he’d search the forest on his own?” His shoulders shook.
For a moment, I was irritated about that Bo guy.
Is he into Nate? I can relate.
Shit, it had happened to me before, when Linden… Nobody had known, of course, but…
Content Warning: Please proceed with caution. There is a graphic description of a fatal hockey accident ahead.
All the memories I’d kept at bay since last night crashed over me. They choked me, and I flung out a hand so I wouldn’t collapse on the counter.
For a moment, I was back in that rink. All that blood. Linden’s blood. His yellow eyes searching the faces around him and finding me in the players crowded around.
A gasped, wet, gurgling “Vee?” and then that fucking silence. The cold from the ice had seeped through my gear. So much blood.
I love you, Linden.
I’d whispered the words in his ear instinctively knowing it was the last chance I’d have. I would never know if he heard me.
His parents and younger brother had been in the stands that day. It had been such a big game for us. In my nightmares I sometimes heard his mother’s pained scream, saw his father’s face, and Beck dropping in the puddle of blood, tears running down his freckled face.
Nate stopped laughing.
“Hey, don’t worry, okay?” He reached for me but I backed away. I looked at him but saw Linden instead. He’d been just as tall as Nate with copper hair and those unusual yellow eyes.
“Vee, are you okay?” Nate sobered up. He cupped my cheeks and gave me a once-over. “I’ll take all the blame, okay?”
“That’s not it.” I cleared my throat and pushed his hands away from my face.
Before my inner eye, Linden went down again, his glove pressed on his throat. His face went pale as the ice turned red. I fell to my knees by his side again in a pool of blood, not giving a damn that it soaked into my shorts and protective gear. I’d held his hand until the spark faded.
The scene in my head changed, and it wasn’t Linden bleeding on the ice anymore, nor a pair of lifeless yellow eyes staring back. The sparrow’s wings looked dull in death.
