Page 58 of Goaltender Interference

“Fair,” Matt murmured, and pressed his mouth against Aiden’s neck. It wasn’t really a kiss, just a light touch, a declaration of his presence. “You know you can read the article without reading the comments. It was a good one. Thoughtful. Circumspect about certain things. I know she was interested in the Montreal angle, andme, but she didn’t really go into it as much as I thought she would have.”

Aiden shivered anyway. “She probably got the juicier angle from me coming out. Either way, Iknow, but if the comments are there, it’s hard not to look. So I just avoid the whole thing altogether. Anyway—how’s camp?”

“Fucking weird, knowing it’s maybe the last one. Can only imagine what it was like for you.”

“I didn’t really know it was the last one at the time. I wasn’t... I was focusing on the things I could control.”

“Jesus, baby, you reallyhaven’tchanged.”

“I have, though, I came out—”

“You have, you have, I didn’t mean—fuck, Aidy, I’m sorry. Are you okay? With that.”

“I guess so. It’s kind of a relief, in a way, to...not have to tell anyone anymore because everyone will just know. But also I justreallyhate people paying that much attention to me for things that aren’t hockey.”

“Yeah,” Matt said. He nuzzled his face into Aiden’s neck again, and Aiden’s skin prickled at the sensation of Matt’s beard against it. He had to fight the urge to tip his head back, lean against the solid weight of Matt’s body. “Well, I’m proud of you. Anyway.”

“Thanks,” Aiden said, a weird, swooping feeling rushing through his stomach. The timer went off. “You should, uh, let go of me. I need to finish making the rotli.”

While he waited for Aiden to finish, Matt helped out by washing the accumulated dishes that had built up in the sink.Aiden thought, again, how nice it was to have this: working together in the kitchen, knowing where Matt was going to be so he could pivot around him. The synergy of not needing to tell Matt what to do to help or ask him to move out of the way. It was almost like being on the ice again, knowing where the defender would be waiting for the pass when Aiden scooped the puck up from behind the net. It was almost like it was years ago, but better, because it felt more grounded. Real.

And it was worse because it had to end so soon.

Aiden sighed. “It’s going to be weird going back to New York when—”

“What?” Matt cut him off, and his hands stilled where they had been scrubbing the sauté pan.

“Uh, when I go back to New York, when the season starts?”

Matt turned away from the sink to take Aiden’s arms in his hands, holding tight right above the elbow. His palms and fingers were still wet and soapy, and Aiden’s shirt slowly absorbed the water. The sensation was so uncomfortable against his skin that Aiden almost couldn’t pay attention to what Matt was saying, which was, “Why would you—why, do youwantto go back?”

“Wasn’t that the arrangement? I would come for the summer? Well...the offseason’s almost over.”

“No, you should stay, if you want to.”

Aiden stared at him. But Matt didn’t look like he was joking, his hands still digging into the muscle of Aiden’s arm. Aiden said, slowly, “I won’t have much to do when you go on the road. I’m just going to be in your condo, you know. Taking up space. You’re going to be busy with hockey, you won’t want me around.”

“Yeah, but I won’t be on the road the whole season, right? You’re still figuring your shit out, so there’s no rush—you don’t have to go, right?”

Aiden felt, for the first time in a long time, like maybe he was missing something. “I mean... I guess?”

“Okay. Okay.”

And then Matt’s mouth against his, the kiss insistent, the kind of fervor Aiden hadn’t been expecting at all after the quiet night in they’d been having. A surprised noise escaped before he could stop it, but as always, it was easy to give in, easy to allow himself to not think too hard or look too long at anything in front of him. Matt started tugging Aiden’s wet shirt over his head, and he forgot, for a moment, about dinner, about the fall, about anything else except Matt’s hands on him.

welcome to the club officially,Gabe said.it wasn’t a bad article right? allison’s been pretty cool to me too. so if u had to do it that was a good way to go.

Aiden was in bed, aggressively spooned by Matt, who was fast asleep, his hot breath condensed in the space between Aiden’s shoulder blades, half of his body folded on top of Aiden’s. The weight was comforting.Thanks, bud. I still haven’t read it. Probably won’t.

ur so weird. i love reading news abt myself.

That’s because you’re vain as hell.

i know it’s part of my charm. r u gonna be back in nyc anytime soon?

I don’t know.

i can get home opener tix for u. itd mean a lot to me if u could make it.

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