Page 111 of Scoring Position

“I want you,” he said. Nico arched an eyebrow and smirked. “Not like—okay, yes, obviously like that, but also in all the other ways too. I want to date you and be with you, but uh, as previously demonstrated, I have no idea how to do that.” He took a deep breath.

Nico shook his head and stepped closer. “Idiot. You did just fine in Indianapolis. You’re an excellent boyfriend.” He bumped their foreheads together. “When you’re not overthinking and panicking.”

“Yeah?” Ryan huffed.

“Yeah. I mean, what is a boyfriend other than a best friend, a roommate, and a lover? You’re very good at being all those things.”

Ryan’s heart hammered against his ribs and his knees went a little watery. “And you clearly have the romantic declarations down pat.”

Nico grinned and snuck a kiss to his nose. “Thanks.” He tugged Ryan forward and they kept walking along the bridge. They still had plenty of time, so Ryan kept the pace slow, not wanting the moment to end. “So when you say you want to do this, what are you thinking?”

Ryan considered the question. “Well, to start, I know there could be a very real difference between what I want and what I can get.”

“What do you mean?”

“What I want is to spend the next ten years living with you and playing with you, but I’m pretty sure that’s not going to happen.”

Nico shot him an amused look. “Maybe not. So what’s your best-case scenario for September?”

“For September? I get my number one choice for signing teams and stay in Vancouver after the off-season.”

The look of suppressed amusement blossomed into delight. “Yeah?”

“Yeah. Diane already knows that I’ll take a pay cut in Vancouver if—if that’s where you are and if you want me to.”

“I don’t want you to take a pay cut—”

“Nico.”

“Don’t tell the Orcas that—”

“Diane is not an idiot.” He rolled his eyes. “And she’s good at her job. Not to mention she gets paid when I do.”

“Okay, but I don’t want you to turn your back on something good because of me. I don’t want you to regret anything.”

Clearly Nico was missing the point. Ryan was going to have to spell it out for him. “Nico. Don’t you get it?” He stopped walking. Nico did too and turned automatically to face him. “Youarethe something good. Every relationship requires sacrifice—”

Nico cut him off with his lips. His kiss was as passionate, desperate, ferocious as his hands were gentle when he cupped Ryan’s cheeks. Ryan anchored his hands on Nico’s hips and held on, opening his mouth to Nico’s tongue, unable to resist.

“What was that for?” Ryan asked when Nico pulled away at last. Well, Nico released his mouth—he was still crowded close and holding his face. He swiped his thumbs over Ryan’s cheekbones.

“I could tell you, but you might stop breathing.” He kissed him again, softer, slower, closed-mouthed. “But if you even think about lowballing yourself right now, I’ll never forgive you. God, you just won gold. You’re going to get paid.”

Ryan hummed. Maybe he would, but it wasn’t his first priority. He stepped back and continued to lead Nico across the bridge.

“Hey, Ryan?”

“Yeah?”

“What’s door number two?”

“That’s the one where we do long-distance for nine months of the year and suffer through phone sex.”

“Suffer, huh?”

“Well, maybe enjoy phone sex and suffer the lack of snuggling.”

“Yeah. That’s not my favorite,” Nico agreed.

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