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“Ow. Bitch-ass,” Ishir complained.
Zee wrapped around him, rubbing his cheek against Ishir’s neck. “You smell like other people. You’re not allowed to go on any more road trips without me,” Zee grumbled.
Ishir let his head fall back, exposing more skin to be scented. “You’re so possessive.”
“You’re mine.” It was said jokingly, but the words still curled up in the pit of Ishir’s stomach, a hot coil.
Ishir didn’t reply. He just shut his eyes and hoped his scent wouldn’t give him away.
**********
As much attention and care as Ishir dedicated to Zee, hedidactually need some space to breathe, away from his best friend, especially as the team was in the midst of a losing streak.
He spent some time with Ollie and Orion in the sandwich place near the rink, watching the two of them interact. They had been the centres of the top two lines when the Cats had won the cups. A dynamic duo, the media called them, a one-two punch in the power play, anchoring the Cats in the midst of any storm that blew through them.
Ishir wanted to have that too. To be part of the core of a playoff-winning team. He didn’t like to think about the Gotham Hounds winning anything, but he saw a bright future ahead of Levy and Olive.
Ishir wanted to have the same premonition about Zee and him. Didn’t want everything muddled with uncertainty under the surface like it was now.
“You okay, kid?” Orion asked him, clearly noticing his mood.
“Yeah. Just, you know. Been a few losses. It’s fine, obviously—”
“Itisfine. Believe it or not, part of a good season is losing. I don’t know if you've noticed, but it’s rare for the team with the most points in the regular season to win the Cup.”
Ishir nodded. Everybody kind of knew that. It was one of those curious stats that didn’t have a good explanation.
Orion shrugged. “I’ve always thought it was because you need a little adversity to win it all. Getting to the end is a fucking battle. You need to know how to get up after a fall. So, don’t take this as a failure. Take this as a way to prove to yourself that you can get through anything.”
It was rare that pep talks had an effect on Ishir, but Orion’s words rang true, echoing softly inside him. “Yeah. Yeah, that makes sense.”
“We already have your boy moping about. You gotta hold it together, yeah?” Ollie joked.
Ishir snorted. “And you don’t even live with him.”
Orion laughed. “Oh, we can imagine.”
Ishir shrugged, thinking back to Zee stretched over him, confessing his insecurities into Ishir’s skin. “He’s all right.”
“Nah, we know,” Orion assured. “We’ve all been there.”
Ollie pointed his thumb at Orion. “This guy’s a fucking nightmare during injuries. At least now he’s got that hound taking care of him.”
Orion side-eyed him. “Stop calling Gabby that. He loves it. Fucking wants to be called The Hound. It’s embarrassing.”
“Even when you insult him, you’ve got heart eyes,” Ollie accused playfully.
They squabbled, Ishir finishing his food contently. It was good to be around teammates, but he found himself eager to get home and see how Zee was doing.
There was always going to be a pull between the two of them. Just because it wasn’t romantic didn’t mean it wasn’t meaningful. Friendship could be as bright and beautiful as any other type of love.
That truth slept in the same bed as the urge to be possessed by Zee. To smell and be marked by him.
But even if that were never possible, what Ishir had was enough.
It was Zee who had taught him that.
After Ishir had confessed that he was gay to Zee, and Zee had accepted it readily, Ishir had waited for the world to realign itself. Hockey and being gay didn’t mix, and he’d been waiting for his life to demulsify.
