Page 96 of Two for Holding
A real grin stole across Tom’s face.“I will not.They’re kids.”
“Ooh, he likes them better than us already!”
Shaking his head ruefully, Tom turned back to the reporters.“It’s a wonderful program, and I’m so proud of Jax for doing something so good with our platform.And, uh, Breezy, of course.Chris.”Tom’s eyes darted over to Jax, and Jax couldn’t take it.
He ducked into the shower and spent about twenty minutes trying to boil his skin off.Tom was proud of him.Tom thought he was doing the right thing.Even now, with Jax fucking him over by leaving a very personal gift in the middle of the locker room, Tom wasproudof him.
Maybe Jax did need to get traded again.Staying here might kill him.
By the time he got out from under the water, the locker room had emptied.No one remained except Tom, sitting in his stall right by Jax’s, softly petting the fucking sweaters.
“Where is everyone?”
“Headed out.Breezy called some bar in the Marina.Everyone’s on their way over there now.”
“Ugh, that’s so far away.”
Tom laughed at him.“Careful, you’re sounding like one of the old guys.”
Jax finished toweling off his hair and pulled on a pair of athletic shorts before sitting down on the bench next to Tom.How much of a mindfuck would being naked around his ex multiple times per week be?He guessed monumental.He’d had reasons for not sleeping with hockey players.They’d been good reasons, too.Just not as good as Tom.
“I’m sorry about the sweaters.I wasn’t thinking.I got them this morning, and I was going to return them or something, but…”
“I’m glad you didn’t.”
“I shouldn’t have put them in the locker room.I was upset, and I wasn’t thinking, and I guess I really am an impulsive idiot, and—”
“Jax, stop.”
Jax swallowed hard and forced himself to stop.
Tom picked up the cream sweater and held it against his skin.“It’s not stupid or impulsive to buy a thoughtful gift for someone you care about.”
Unable to stand the sight of Tom holding his present so tenderly, Jax examined his hands, braced on the locker room bench.“I care about you so much,” he admitted.“I don’t know how to turn it off.”
Carefully, gently, Tom placed his hand on top of Jax’s, right there in the locker room.
“Don’t.”
nineteen
Spotted around town: Tom Crowler on a night out with his teammates, wearing a cream cashmere sweater from Prada’s new winter collection.The SF Sea Lions’ forward usually dons team merch or black game-day suits, and we think the change really works for him!Has a new leading lady upgraded your style, Tom?
Top comments:
SFCLions: Mystery woman’s taste is terrible!Tom, you can get the same sweater for 100$ at an outlet mall, and I can do things to you she never could!
sealionsfan82: If it gets him two hat tricks in a season, Crowler could wear a pink tutu for all I care
(From: “Talk around Town” on hockeygossip.net, posted on 12/15/2024)
Tom’s heart thundered in his rib cage.His hand, resting on Jax’s, was sweaty.Anyone could walk in, one of the equipment guys or a teammate who had forgotten something.For Jax, Tom could learn not to care.
“You haven’t come out yet,” Tom observed.He’d watched Jax’s media appearance before the game closely.Eyes on the ostentatious box in his stall, he’d waited for Jax to say it.The gift, he’d thought, was a goodbye, an unnecessary apology for Jax choosing himself over Tom.
He’d stood by, expecting the moment to come, understanding all the while that it was so, so stupid of him to force Jax into making the choice.
And then Jax didn’t.
