ever ask—and he wasn’t sure if anything
would happen anyway.
“Forget about that. I want to know when
you’re going to do it,” Callum pressed.
Alexei was perfectly aware Callum wasn’t
referring to his little surprise for Mike that night, but another gift altogether.
“I don’t know. Not Christmas Eve Eve or whatever tonight is called.”
“But Christmas?” Rupert asked, so
enthusiastically he sounded as if the gift were for him .
Alexei frowned and rubbed his chin
thoughtfully. “In Russia, the big holiday for gifts is New Year’s Day. Maybe
I’ll wait until then.”
This had the desired impact. Rupert looked
like he might die if he had to wait that long. Callum didn’t look much better. Alexei
could barely hold in his laughter.
“But that’s more than a week away ,”
Rupert whined.
Alexei did laugh now. “You sound like
Oliver.”
Rupert’s expression made it clear what he
thought of the comparison to his five-year-old brother, whom Rupert and Callum
were raising.
Before Alexei could tease him further, Callum
cleared his throat loudly. And really fucking obviously.
Alexei refused to turn around. He had no
doubt Mike was coming out of the shower room. He cast a baleful look at his
ridiculous friends and their innocent expressions.
Mike stared into his locker until he was
sure he could contain his grin, then calmly went about the business of getting
dressed and ready to head out. If Alexei didn’t hurry up, he’d be left behind. They’d
played a good game that night, and Mike was tired and really looking forward to
getting home.
The schedule had worked out well this year—their
last game before the Christmas break was not only at home, but against Erik Larsson’s
team. This meant that they finally had a chance to have Erik, their friend and
Alexei’s ex, over for dinner. Usually they were lucky if they managed to sneak
in a drink together before Erik or they were on the road again.
Mike wasn’t going to leave their guest
lingering in the hallway outside their locker room all afternoon just because
Alexei was gossiping about Christmas presents with Rupert and Callum.
Mike had to bite his lips to keep from
laughing when another bout of furious whispering broke out on the other side of
the room.
He’d seen the three of them standing with
their heads together from the shower room and purposely hung back, hoping
they’d wrap it up before the rest of the team started to wonder what the hell
Mike was doing. He had no desire to ruin any surprises he had coming his way.
In fact, he had a big one of his own up his
sleeve. It was going to be an interesting Christmas.
Glancing down at his bag, Mike checked that
the front pocket was still zipped shut. As security measures went, it wasn’t
great, but he knew that Alexei wouldn’t find it there.
Mike didn’t want Alexei to have any clue of
what Mike had gotten him until he opened it on Christmas morning. He wished
that was because Alexei was going to be so delighted, but Mike didn’t have any
such delusions. There was a very real chance Alexei would balk when he saw
Mike’s gift. And Mike was fully prepared to out-stubborn him about it.
Alexei might not want to admit it, but Mike
knew in his heart this was a perfect gift for Alexei. And once he was done
arguing about it and Mike got his way, Alexei was going to love it.
By the time Mike was fully dressed, Alexei
was just stripping off the last of his gear. Mike peeked out the door when one
of the guys left, shouting “Merry Christmas” as he went. Erik hovered just
outside in the hallway.
Mike went over to Alexei’s stall. “Erik’s
already waiting.”
No one would think anything of it—how close
he was, or that they spoke quietly. Everyone knew they were best friends. And
most knew they lived together—though they likely assumed Mike had his own room.
As far as Mike and Alexei knew, no one had figured out that they had been
lovers for years. Though, as Mike caught Tim
would happen anyway.
“Forget about that. I want to know when
you’re going to do it,” Callum pressed.
Alexei was perfectly aware Callum wasn’t
referring to his little surprise for Mike that night, but another gift altogether.
“I don’t know. Not Christmas Eve Eve or whatever tonight is called.”
“But Christmas?” Rupert asked, so
enthusiastically he sounded as if the gift were for him .
Alexei frowned and rubbed his chin
thoughtfully. “In Russia, the big holiday for gifts is New Year’s Day. Maybe
I’ll wait until then.”
This had the desired impact. Rupert looked
like he might die if he had to wait that long. Callum didn’t look much better. Alexei
could barely hold in his laughter.
“But that’s more than a week away ,”
Rupert whined.
Alexei did laugh now. “You sound like
Oliver.”
Rupert’s expression made it clear what he
thought of the comparison to his five-year-old brother, whom Rupert and Callum
were raising.
Before Alexei could tease him further, Callum
cleared his throat loudly. And really fucking obviously.
Alexei refused to turn around. He had no
doubt Mike was coming out of the shower room. He cast a baleful look at his
ridiculous friends and their innocent expressions.
Mike stared into his locker until he was
sure he could contain his grin, then calmly went about the business of getting
dressed and ready to head out. If Alexei didn’t hurry up, he’d be left behind. They’d
played a good game that night, and Mike was tired and really looking forward to
getting home.
The schedule had worked out well this year—their
last game before the Christmas break was not only at home, but against Erik Larsson’s
team. This meant that they finally had a chance to have Erik, their friend and
Alexei’s ex, over for dinner. Usually they were lucky if they managed to sneak
in a drink together before Erik or they were on the road again.
Mike wasn’t going to leave their guest
lingering in the hallway outside their locker room all afternoon just because
Alexei was gossiping about Christmas presents with Rupert and Callum.
Mike had to bite his lips to keep from
laughing when another bout of furious whispering broke out on the other side of
the room.
He’d seen the three of them standing with
their heads together from the shower room and purposely hung back, hoping
they’d wrap it up before the rest of the team started to wonder what the hell
Mike was doing. He had no desire to ruin any surprises he had coming his way.
In fact, he had a big one of his own up his
sleeve. It was going to be an interesting Christmas.
Glancing down at his bag, Mike checked that
the front pocket was still zipped shut. As security measures went, it wasn’t
great, but he knew that Alexei wouldn’t find it there.
Mike didn’t want Alexei to have any clue of
what Mike had gotten him until he opened it on Christmas morning. He wished
that was because Alexei was going to be so delighted, but Mike didn’t have any
such delusions. There was a very real chance Alexei would balk when he saw
Mike’s gift. And Mike was fully prepared to out-stubborn him about it.
Alexei might not want to admit it, but Mike
knew in his heart this was a perfect gift for Alexei. And once he was done
arguing about it and Mike got his way, Alexei was going to love it.
By the time Mike was fully dressed, Alexei
was just stripping off the last of his gear. Mike peeked out the door when one
of the guys left, shouting “Merry Christmas” as he went. Erik hovered just
outside in the hallway.
Mike went over to Alexei’s stall. “Erik’s
already waiting.”
No one would think anything of it—how close
he was, or that they spoke quietly. Everyone knew they were best friends. And
most knew they lived together—though they likely assumed Mike had his own room.
As far as Mike and Alexei knew, no one had figured out that they had been
lovers for years. Though, as Mike caught Tim
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