Page 137 of The Waiting Game

Jonah lifted out the tissue paper and smiled at the sight of the gift.

Well, that was really fucking cute. It was a plush succulent.

The body was shaped like a pot and made of soft-looking gray wool with a small stitched on smile and bright black eyes made of beads. Little corduroy feet dangled below the pot and the velvety green succulent stuck up like spiky hair.

“You got me an azulita,” Jonah murmured under his breath. It was a small echeveria succulent. He had several in his apartment and he loved them.

Felix grinned at him, crowding close, clearly not caring if their teammates saw. “You like it?”

“It’s adorable.” Jonah hugged it tightly against his chest, touched by the gesture. “Thank you.”

“I thought maybe it was time I added to your collection.” He nodded at Jonah’s bag where the bear was tucked away.

“What is it?” Matty asked, leaning in, nosy as always. “Aww, it’s a stuffed plant. I mean, you guys are gross but that’s a really fucking cute gift.”

Felix grinned broadly. “What can I say? I know my guy.”

And Jonah’s chest fluttered at Felix calling him that.

Maybe the words were just for show. But the warm light in his eyes certainly wasn’t.

Felix squeezed Jonah’s waist, pressing a kiss to his temple. “Have a good game,” he murmured.

“You too,” Jonah managed.

Felix shifted his attention to dressing for the game so Jonah did the same. Maybe he couldn’t compartmentalize who Felix was to him. Maybe whatever they did off-ice was going to impact their performance on-ice.

That didn’t have to be a bad thing.

Yes, Jonah had to focus on the game and not think about how good Felix looked in his uniform. But he could also carry the warm glow of Felix’s gift with him. It was small. Nothing fancy or expensive, but it was sweet and thoughtful.

Something Felix knew he’d like. Something that was a nod to the first gift Felix had ever gotten him.

And Jonah would treasure it.

The game was a good one. Montreal was sluggish and the Fisher Cats got three goals in before Montreal responded with one of their own.

Despite Jensen getting a slash to the wrist that had him going down the tunnel for treatment and leaving them short a top line forward, they got two more goals in the net to Montreal’s one. The third period was chippy as Montreal finally responded with some urgency but Makarov stood tall, blocking shots and making an incredible diving save that was sure to make the highlight reels.

The game ended with a 5-2 win for the Cats.

The team was jubilant on the flight home. Two wins wasn’t a guarantee of anything but it was a good start, especially on the road.

Everyone was cheerful, the flight was smooth, and Jonah was grateful for both things as he played cards, laughing at Matty’s shenanigans.

Jonah lost as much money as he won but it was better than sitting in his usual seat beside Felix. Jonah didn’t trust either of them to keep their hands to themselves tonight. Felix had a wicked streak a mile wide, especially when he was in a certain mood.

And Jonah had seen that glint in his eyes that spelled trouble far too many times in his life.

He wasn’t about to get pulled into another one of Felix’s schemes, especially on a plane in front of his teammates, coaches, and numerous members of the head office.

Not to mention Kate. Jonah shuddered at that thought.

“Where to?” Felix asked a while later as they loaded their bags into the trunk of Jonah’s Maserati. “Our building or Grandma Ji-min’s place?”

“Would you mind going Grandma’s?” Jonah asked. “I know it’s only been a few days and I’ve talked to her numerous times on video chat but I won’t really relax until I see her with my own eyes.”

“Of course I don’t mind.” Felix threw him a confused look. “It’s late though. Are you sure she’ll be up?”

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