Page 93 of Full Body Hit: Part 2
The team had to get adjusted to Chase’s scent, too, especially on the ice where he didn’t have the mind space to concentrate on reeling it in.
The more Chase practiced, the better it got, though, and it helped to have Auston there, a sturdy support beam lifting all of the other shit away from Chase’s head.
It was a couple of weeks after they’d been back when Chase finally asked. They were in Chase’s closet-nest, Austonhilariously large for the space, forcing them to smoosh up against each other. The place smelt so much like them that Chase was sure the landlord would need a professional to scrub the scent out.
It was impossible to hide anything from Auston for long, pheromones giving him away. “You good?” Auston asked, running fingers through Chase’s hair, eyebrow raised.
“Yeah. I was actually thinking…what do you think of us moving in together?”
The hand paused. Started up again. “Would you want that?”
“I asked you first.”
Auston chuckled. “I mean…yeah. I’d love us to live together. But we don’t have to just because we’re mated—if you want your own space—”
“I do want to. Live together, I mean,” Chase cut in, not wanting Auston to go into another one of his ‘I don’t want to take advantage of your youth’ spirals. “We spend all day together anyway.”
“Yeah, but, you know, if you everdidneed space—”
“I’ll go to Sammy’s. But if you want to slow down or whatever—”
Auston laughed for real this time, although the sound had a little bit of an edge. “That’s not the problem. It fucking scares me how much Idon’twant to slow down.”
Irritation clawed through Chase. He should probably say something comforting. Something understanding. But… “You need to get over this.”
Auston blinked at him.
“I’m in this with you. The whole…‘Oh my God, I’m guilty of this terrible sin’ thing is kind of annoying. I get it. You’re older. But Iaman adult, and Iammaking my own decisions, so. You need to start treating me like I know what I’m doing instead of just being influenced by you. You’re not that influential.”
A beat of silence. Two. And then Auston barked out a laugh, face splitting in a grin. “Oh-kay. Sorry for worrying,” he said sarcastically, but the smile remained.
“I’m just saying! We can’t do this song and dance every time we wanna take a step forwards. We mated. It’s done. Let’s just…fucking do this,” Chase said, frustration turning into bravery.
“Okay,” Auston said, softer this time, pressing over Chase and kissing his neck.
Chase could hear his heartbeat, and out of that pulsing sound—
“I love you.”
Chase froze. Had he imagined that? “What?”
Auston didn’t lift his head. “I love you,” he repeated, a little quieter this time.
A second of stillness, and Chase sprung to life, wrapping his arms around Auston. “I-I love you too,” he said, the words tripping in his mouth, strange but not foreign, they’d lived at the back of his throat so long.
Auston finally untucked his face from Chase’s neck, eyes glowing darkly. He raised his hands, resting them on Chase’s cheeks, thumb rubbing there. “I honestly don’t know how I got so lucky.”
Chase spluttered. “I’mthe one who got lucky,” he argued.
“Nope.”
“Yep.”
“Nope.”
“Ye—” Chase shouted as Auston’s fingers tucked into his ribs, tickling him. He kicked out, wiggling madly, laughing and shouting. “Daddy! Stop!”
Auston did, catching him in a kiss right after, laughing into each other’s mouths, fairy lights glittering over them as they kissed.
