Page 95 of Trade Deadline

His eyes sparkle when he smiles. “Can we watch the fireworks?”

“Of course.” I nod, taking his hand when I stand. Leading him down the hallway, we enter my bedroom just as the first firework lights up the sky over the lake. I pull him into my arms and cradle his face with my hand, sliding my lips over his.

“Happy New Year, baby,” I murmur against his lips.

“Happy New Year!” He wraps his arms around my neck. “This is gonna be our year.”

He’s right, and I lose myself in him as we make love for the first time while the night sky turns technicolor.

Hours later,I wake up to the sound of my apartment door slamming, followed by the sound of my brother’s voice. My eyes flicker open, quickly checking it didn’t wake Alex up, but thankfully he’s still sound asleep, and I watch the soft rise and fall of his chest and the slight parting of his lips.

Those dark blond lashes resting on the top of his cheek.

My heart swells in my chest at how fucking gorgeous he is.

The door swings open, and my brother appears holding a white paper bag from our favorite sandwich shop. “Good morning, twinny! We’ve bought bagels—whoa” Elliot sighs dramatically. “Blaine, what have I told you about having your dick out? You know I bring bagels on non-game day Sunday’s.”

“Shush,” I whisper.

I carefully slip out of bed, trying not to jostle Alex, and pull on my pajama pants before leading Elliot out into the hall, closing my bedroom door behind me.

Zach’s in the kitchen sorting through different-flavored Nespresso pods, and raises his chin in greeting as I walk in.

“You guys need to be quiet; Alex is still sleeping.”

“Sorry, bud, we didn’t know he would be here." Elliot knocks my shoulder with his fist, then his eyes widen in alarm. “Shit, I don’t have a bagel for him. What would he like, and I’ll go grab one.”

I smile at my brother. He’s such a good guy.

“He’d probably like the same as us.”

“You got it.” He fires finger guns at me. “Reid, get that coffee brewing for when I come back.”

Zach gives another grunt, finally choosing a pod and shoving it into the machine.

Elliot jogs out the door, and I take a seat at the breakfast bar. I watch the tightness in Zach’s shoulders as he scoops the unused coffee pods back into the glass jar I keep them in and how his lip curls in discomfort whenever he moves his right shoulder. He took another nasty hit into the boards during our game last night against Miami.

“Is your shoulder still hurting?” I ask.

He turns to face me, and nods, raising his left hand to run through his shaggy, dark hair. “Yeah, I slept like shit, too, because no matter what position I tried, there was pain shooting through it.”

“What did Joe say?” Referring to our trainer.

“I saw him again this morning and he said I’ve pulled a muscle. Joe’s worked on it but I think he’s a bit concerned.”

As the coffee machine finishes one cup, he hands the mug over to me before putting another pod in and starting it again.

I lift my head to the sound of soft footsteps coming from the hall. Alex appears, looking all sleepy and disoriented, his hair disheveled and sticking all over the place, a clear sign of what we got up to last night. He's wearing a pair of my sweats and one of my t-shirts, which looks huge on him.

Fuck, I feel so overwhelmed with emotions.

Happiness because of the sight of him and the fact he was here when I got home so I could ring in the New Year with him. But there’s also fear.

An all-encompassing fear because of how hard I’m falling for him and how I want him to be here permanently scares the shit out of me.

Is there an accurate timeline you have to follow when it feels right in your gut?

“Morning, gorgeous.” I smile brightly.

---