Sasquatch to the Moon

36: Nico and Rocket

"No, I just, I won't be able to keep that off my head the rest of the day."

"Good, I like the idea of you thinking about me," I try to pry his hand off my jersey. "I need to go, though."

"You're still acting weird."

"I understand."

"So you admit you're acting weird because of something?"

"Yes. You, you and all that." Not entirely, but that's not an issue right now. "Now Håkon I promise to give you an extra kiss when we get back together if you let me go."

"Why not now?" He pulls me back over to him.

"You know why the hell not now." his head is close to mine anyway, and to avoid the urge I have to kiss him, I kiss his nose, and then slip out of his grip while he's still flustered.

"Rocket-"

"I gotta go!" I start to make an attempt at running in gear but he's faster with less stuff on, and catches me an inch from the door. "Håkon, I, I'll literally write it down, 'you owe Håkon one good kiss' if you let me go back to practice."

"I just, yeah, fine, yeah," He lets me go, standing there, his fingers on his nose. I turn back around, take one stride up to him, grab the front of his jersey and kiss his cheek this time. Then, before I can make any more bad decisions, I pull my helmet back on and book it.

I leave him standing in the locker room and when I show back up to rink one, Fen and Paxton look up.

"What did Nico need you for?"

"Huh? Nothing, she had a couple questions," I pause and reposition some of my gear. "Fen, I've always had this question, but how the hell are you so chill with Nico being around all guys all the time."

He shrugs like it's an easy one. "I treat her the best I can possibly manage, and if she decides that it's not enough, then it's not enough, plus, I know she won't leave me."

"How so?"

"It's Nico. I know Nico front to back at this point. We've been dating close to a year and she won't give me up, I know that."

"How though. I hate to be annoying but-"

"No, I get it, everyone I know asks this, why would you let your girlfriend hang around 25 professional hockey players, we're all dickheads. I trust her, that's the easy answer, and the other one is that she's just straight up not like that." he shrugs. "Why, you got some relationship troubles? I'm not good at advice, but I can try to help."

I flop backwards onto the ice. "So there's this guy I like, except he's not exactly..."

"Gay too?" Fen offers.

"No, he's gay, he's definitely into guys." I laugh. "He's just not at all out. By that I mean he doesn't accept it about himself, and I told him I wouldn't date him until he figures it all out, because he'll probably fuck it up if he hates the part of him that likes me, but,"

"But you're into him and can't get him off your head?" Fen is stickhandling around me, keeping himself busy.

I nod. "You ever look at Nico and all you can do is stare because you're wondering how the hell all that is possible together? How utterly perfect it all is?"

"All the time," he laughs. "Every time I wake up with her, every time I see her coaching, every time I get to go back to bed with her, every time I see her."

"So you know the feeling?" He nods. "That's what I feel around him, and I fucking hate that he's not ready for it, because I can barely keep my wits about me around him."

"I get that. That's what all of last season was like. Staring at her and wanting her that bad, but she's just out of reach." He laughs. "That was hell."

"Right?" I snort. "That's what's going on right now and I fuuuucking hate it."

"Just go for it, that's the best thing I can tell you. Fuck it is always the best answer. That's how I got her."

"Yeah, I guess."

"Who is he, if you don't mind me asking?"

"I'm not allowed to say. I can't out him."

"Makes sense." Fen nods. "Alright, get in goal, loverboy."

"Right, right."

***

yeah I think i'd like to 

tie you in ways you can't undo

dinner in bed and korean food

say I love you just a little bit too soon

CVS - winnetka bowling league

***

yeah anyway