eyeing them, he did wonder if
there were some who were starting to suspect.
It was remarkable how little that bothered
Mike.
Callum and Rupert were gay, and so far out
of the closet that their wedding had appeared in People Magazine . For
the most part, though, their coming out hadn’t caused nearly as much of a stir
within the team or the league as Mike would have predicted beforehand.
Of course, that didn’t mean he and Alexei
could come out. Or would. Being players was different than being an owner, like
Callum, or even the manager, like Rupert.
“I’ll be ready in ten minutes,” Alexei
promised, grabbing his stuff for the shower. He stopped to look at Mike
carefully. “Are you okay keeping him company until I’m done?”
Mike smiled. He and Erik hadn’t exactly
gotten off on the right foot when they’d first met a few years back. They’d
both logged quite a few minutes in the penalty box that night thanks to Erik attempting
to get Alexei’s attention, and Mike making it very, very clear that Alexei was
no longer on the market.
“Sure, I can hang with your ex for a while.
Maybe we’ll trade stories,” Mike said quietly, but with a mischievous wink.
Alexei rolled his eyes. “If you didn’t
share them all when you got drunk together last season, I don’t think they’re
going to come out now.”
“We’ll see,” Mike murmured, bumping
Alexei’s shoulder on his way to the door. “You might want to hurry up, just in
case,” he called back a moment before the door shut.
Erik gave him a curious look. “Should I
ask?”
Mike shook his head and pulled Erik in for
a quick hug. “Probably not.”
For all that Alexei had been playing it
cool, he somehow managed to get his ass out to the hallway in under seven
minutes. Mike didn’t even try to hide his laughter.
Alexei didn’t really have anything to worry
about. Mike liked Erik just fine, and now that Erik had made it clear he
respected their relationships and boundaries, Mike had no beef with him. That
Erik had been dumb enough to walk away from Alexei made Mike almost feel sorry
for him.
But then, that was to Mike’s benefit in the
end, so he also felt grateful Erik was that stupid. Mike couldn’t stand going
even a few days without seeing Alexei. The idea of leaving him forever made his
stomach hurt.
The ride home was quick with Alexei
driving. Mike sat in the back seat of the huge pick-up and let Erik ride
shotgun, mostly so Erik got a good view as they pulled up before the huge
rolling doors to what appeared to be a slightly run-down, unassuming warehouse.
With a press of a button, the doors parted before them.
“What the fuck is this place?” Erik
whispered in awe.
“Home,” Mike said with a smile.
Alexei parked inside the huge, empty first
floor and Mike jumped from the truck and grabbed their bags. He noticed that Callum’s
car wasn’t there, and wondered where their neighbors had gone off to for the
night.
Shrugging, he led Erik to the elevator,
chatting about how Alexei had bought the building years ago and the plans they
had in the works. He knew he was being a dork, talking about it so
enthusiastically, but he loved giving tours of their unusual space. He
shamelessly let his pride in Alexei’s cleverness and their combined hard work
show while their guest looked around in wonder.
He continued the tour when they got to the
fourth floor, waving at Callum and Rupert’s door before leading Erik to theirs,
the only other unit on the floor.
He threw open the door with enough of a
flourish that Alexei smiled, his hand warm and comforting at the small of
Mike’s back.
“You’re showing off,” Alexei admonished,
though Mike could see he didn’t really mean it as a rebuke.
“I am. I can’t help it.”
Alexei moved in closer, subtly pinning Mike
to the doorframe while Erik moved into the apartment and exclaimed over the
high ceilings and brightly lit kitchen.
A shiver worked down Mike’s spine.
“You aren’t
there were some who were starting to suspect.
It was remarkable how little that bothered
Mike.
Callum and Rupert were gay, and so far out
of the closet that their wedding had appeared in People Magazine . For
the most part, though, their coming out hadn’t caused nearly as much of a stir
within the team or the league as Mike would have predicted beforehand.
Of course, that didn’t mean he and Alexei
could come out. Or would. Being players was different than being an owner, like
Callum, or even the manager, like Rupert.
“I’ll be ready in ten minutes,” Alexei
promised, grabbing his stuff for the shower. He stopped to look at Mike
carefully. “Are you okay keeping him company until I’m done?”
Mike smiled. He and Erik hadn’t exactly
gotten off on the right foot when they’d first met a few years back. They’d
both logged quite a few minutes in the penalty box that night thanks to Erik attempting
to get Alexei’s attention, and Mike making it very, very clear that Alexei was
no longer on the market.
“Sure, I can hang with your ex for a while.
Maybe we’ll trade stories,” Mike said quietly, but with a mischievous wink.
Alexei rolled his eyes. “If you didn’t
share them all when you got drunk together last season, I don’t think they’re
going to come out now.”
“We’ll see,” Mike murmured, bumping
Alexei’s shoulder on his way to the door. “You might want to hurry up, just in
case,” he called back a moment before the door shut.
Erik gave him a curious look. “Should I
ask?”
Mike shook his head and pulled Erik in for
a quick hug. “Probably not.”
For all that Alexei had been playing it
cool, he somehow managed to get his ass out to the hallway in under seven
minutes. Mike didn’t even try to hide his laughter.
Alexei didn’t really have anything to worry
about. Mike liked Erik just fine, and now that Erik had made it clear he
respected their relationships and boundaries, Mike had no beef with him. That
Erik had been dumb enough to walk away from Alexei made Mike almost feel sorry
for him.
But then, that was to Mike’s benefit in the
end, so he also felt grateful Erik was that stupid. Mike couldn’t stand going
even a few days without seeing Alexei. The idea of leaving him forever made his
stomach hurt.
The ride home was quick with Alexei
driving. Mike sat in the back seat of the huge pick-up and let Erik ride
shotgun, mostly so Erik got a good view as they pulled up before the huge
rolling doors to what appeared to be a slightly run-down, unassuming warehouse.
With a press of a button, the doors parted before them.
“What the fuck is this place?” Erik
whispered in awe.
“Home,” Mike said with a smile.
Alexei parked inside the huge, empty first
floor and Mike jumped from the truck and grabbed their bags. He noticed that Callum’s
car wasn’t there, and wondered where their neighbors had gone off to for the
night.
Shrugging, he led Erik to the elevator,
chatting about how Alexei had bought the building years ago and the plans they
had in the works. He knew he was being a dork, talking about it so
enthusiastically, but he loved giving tours of their unusual space. He
shamelessly let his pride in Alexei’s cleverness and their combined hard work
show while their guest looked around in wonder.
He continued the tour when they got to the
fourth floor, waving at Callum and Rupert’s door before leading Erik to theirs,
the only other unit on the floor.
He threw open the door with enough of a
flourish that Alexei smiled, his hand warm and comforting at the small of
Mike’s back.
“You’re showing off,” Alexei admonished,
though Mike could see he didn’t really mean it as a rebuke.
“I am. I can’t help it.”
Alexei moved in closer, subtly pinning Mike
to the doorframe while Erik moved into the apartment and exclaimed over the
high ceilings and brightly lit kitchen.
A shiver worked down Mike’s spine.
“You aren’t
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