Page 37 of Speak in Fever
Rath grabs a change of clothes and escapes to the bathroom to shower and get ready for the team meeting. The bathroom is spacious and well-appointed, all marble surfaces and gleaming fixtures, the kind of place where he can take a few minutes to collect himself and figure out how to handle the next three days without losing his mind.
The shower helps, hot water washing away travel fatigue and giving him a space to think without Percy's presence scrambling his brain. He stands under the spray longer than necessary, letting the heat work out the tension in his shoulders while he tries to formulate a plan for surviving this situation with his sanity intact.
Professional distance. That's what he needs. Treat Percy like any other roommate, focus on hockey and team obligations, avoid any situation that might lead to a repeat of whatever happened during that phone call. Simple, straightforward, completely doable.
By the time he emerges, wrapped in one of the hotel's plush towels, he's almost convinced himself that this is going to be fine.
Then he walks back into the room and finds Percy stretched out on the bed in just sweatpants and a t-shirt, reading glasses perched on his nose, looking comfortable and domestic in a way that makes Rath's chest tight with want.
Percy's changed clothes while Rath was in the shower, trading his jeans and sweater for clothes that are clearly meant for lounging. The sweatpants are gray and well-worn, soft-looking in a way that suggests they're favorites, and his t-shirt is navy blue and fitted just enough to hint at the shape of his torso underneath.
His hair is slightly messed up, like he's run his hands through it, and he's propped against the pillows in a way that looks effortlessly attractive. He's got one ankle crossed over the other, and he's holding his book with one hand while the other rests on his stomach, fingers drumming a quiet rhythm against his ribs.
Percy glances up when Rath emerges from the bathroom, and Rath catches the way his eyes briefly take in Rath's appearance—the expanse of bare legs, his bare chest—before returning to his book. There's something in Percy's expression, a flicker of heat that reminds Rath exactly why they're in this awkward situation in the first place.
"Bathroom's all yours," Rath says unnecessarily.
"Thanks," Percy replies, and his voice is definitely rougher than usual, like maybe seeing Rath in nothing but a towel is bringing back memories of that phone call, of the things they said to each other in the dark.
Rath changes quickly into his pre-meeting clothes, hyperaware that Percy is just a few feet away and could theoretically see him if he happened to look up from his book. The knowledge makes every movement feel charged with possibility, especially given what happened the last time they were alone and talking in low voices. Percy has seen him undressed before in locker room contexts, but this feels different—more intimate, more loaded with the memory of Percy's voice telling him exactly what he wanted to do to Rath's body.
Rath pulls on dress pants and a button-down shirt, the same professional attire he wears to all team functions, but somehowgetting dressed feels different with Percy in the room. More intentional, more aware of how he looks and whether his clothes fit well and if Percy might notice.
When Percy disappears into the bathroom for his own shower, Rath finally allows himself to breathe normally. The sound of running water gives him a few minutes to process the situation without Percy's presence making it impossible to think clearly.
Rath is so screwed.
His phone buzzes with a text from JP:How's the room?
Rath stares at the message for a long moment, trying to figure out how to respond. JP knows him better than almost anyone, would probably pick up on any weirdness in his response, but there's no way Rath can explain the current situation without revealing feelings he's not ready to discuss.
Great,he sends back.Sharing with Percy. Everything's totally normal and fine.
JP's response comes immediately:Sharing? That's unusual. You okay with that?
And that's the question, isn't it? Is Rath okay with this? Because on one level, the rational professional level, it should be fine. Percy is his captain, his teammate, someone he respects and works well with. Sharing accommodations should be a minor inconvenience, not a source of existential crisis.
But on every other level, the levels that involve Rath's increasingly complicated feelings about Percy and that mysterious phone call and the way his heart races every time Percy looks at him with those dark, serious eyes—on those levels, Rath is definitely not okay.
Yeah,he texts back.All good. See you at the meeting.
The shower shuts off, and Rath quickly busies himself with checking his phone and reviewing the team schedule, anything to avoid thinking about Percy toweling off in the bathroom or what he might be wearing when he emerges.
When Percy does come out, he's fully dressed in his pre-meeting attire—charcoal dress pants and a crisp white button-down that somehow makes him look even more attractive than the casual clothes had. His hair is slightly damp and he's flushed from the hot water, and the scent of his soap and shampoo fills the room in a way that makes Rath want to inhale deeply.
Percy moves around the room, gathering his wallet and room key, checking his phone for messages. He's put his reading glasses away and transformed back into Captain Percy, all business and professional competence.
"Ready?" Percy asks, checking his watch with the kind of precision that suggests they have exactly the right amount of time to get to the meeting without being early or late.
"Yeah," Rath says, grabbing his room key and following Percy toward the door.
As they walk down the hallway together, Rath catches their reflection in the mirrored wall and is struck by how they look—like two people who belong together, who are comfortable in each other's space. It's an illusion, obviously, but for just a moment Rath allows himself to imagine what it would be like if it were real.
The elevator ride is quiet, both of them lost in their own thoughts, but Rath is hyperaware of Percy's presence beside him. The subtle scent of his cologne, the way he stands with perfect posture even in casual moments, the quiet confidence he projects without effort.
"Rath," Percy says as they reach the lobby, and the use of his first name makes Rath's attention snap to him immediately.
"Yeah?"
