Page 12 of Scoring Slater
He stopped by the window. On the street four stories down, people hurried through the blustery cold evening. The cold was one thing he still hadn't gotten used to in Buffalo. So different from LA. But Buffalo had Slater, and he'd never thought they would've been lucky enough to end up on the same team.
But they had. And now he was here. One room away from Slater. And he had no idea what to say or do.
Wandering the room, he reorganized random objects. He'd woken up that morning to find the mug of tea waiting for him in the kitchen, and Slater's watchful gaze, darkened by shadows that mirrored Noah's, on him as they drove to and from the rink and throughout practice. He'd cut off all chance of talking about what had transpired and filled every second with chatter about nonsense topics and offhand observances on everything from their teammates to the places they passed on their commute to the new blends of tea he wanted to try.
He'd talked so much, his throat was still dry, even after multiple cups of tea. Intent of a refill, he left his room, ears pricked for sounds of Slater.
In the living room, Slater sprawled across one half of the sectional, phone in hand, and gaze glued to the screen. His phone pinged with notifications, and he chuckled as his thumbs tapped out responses across the keypad. His red T-shirt sported a superhero logo and his black sweatpants spelled out Frenzy down one long leg.
Nerves ticking through his system, Noah crossed the floor and leaned on the opposite end of the couch. He could be normal around Slater, and not a rambling idiot. "The last time you wore those sweatpants outside of the apartment, you caught hell for it. Are you attempting it again?"
Slater lifted his gaze. "I'm not going out in this. But now I want to try it again to see if my explanation of supporting Leo's brother's team makes the critics ease off this time."
"Doubt it. The fans here are just as passionate as the ones in Philly, whether we’re talking football or hockey." Conscious of Slater's scrutiny, he glanced down at his plaid pajama bottoms and a long-sleeved T-shirt, then remembered the empty mug in his hand. "I'm making tea."
"Kelsey just sent me the link to our apartment tour video. If we give the okay, they want to run it tomorrow, since it’s the last game before the All Star break and we’re both All Stars. She said she knows it’s short notice, but the spot they were supposed to run had to be pushed back for some reason. Want to watch it now?"
"Let me get a refill first. Want anything?"
Slater shook his head and pointed to the water bottle on the coffee table.
"Oh. Right. I'll be back." He padded into the kitchen, made some tea laced with bourbon, and carefully carried the full mug back to the couch.
Slater sat up and turned his phone horizontally. "Ready?"
He'd need to sit next to Slater to see the video. Noah set the mug on the coffee table and claimed the cushion beside Slater. Up close, he could see the faint sprinkling of freckles and the way Slater's breathing changed. The shape of his lips… "Um, ready."
The screen came to life. How close he and Slater stood jumped out at him right away, as did the touches of a hand to a shoulder or back, the arms draped across shoulders, and the smiles they shared. There weren't any close ups on objects in his bedroom, or anything else that he could call out as being manipulated, not that he'd actually doubted Kelsey.
He grinned at the part with him and Slater in his bedroom, laughing together.The Odd Coupletheme song played during side by side pans of their bedrooms and closets. In the last frame of the video, the way that Slater pulled him close with an arm draped across Noah's shoulders, they looked way too cozy. Warmth washed through his chest.
Beside him, Slater shifted closer and leaned in. His thigh pressed against Noah's leg, all heat and hard muscle, and the scent of shampoo from his shower wafted like a summer sea breeze. "We look good."
"We do." For as stiff and uncomfortable as he'd felt during the experience, the editing didn't show any of that. "I'd forgotten that your room looked like a small tornado had torn through. Did you do that deliberately?"
Slater's mouth twisted and he lifted a shoulder. "I figured you would see it and be so surprised that you'd forget about the camera and be able to relax."
Gaping at him, Noah laid a hand on his arm. Part of him couldn't believe it, but another part could. Slater would cheerfully fall on a sword to save one of his friends. "You did that for me?"
"And now all of the Bedlam fans are going to think I'm a slob." But Slater was smiling as though the thought didn't bother him too much. "I'm twenty-three, not three. I know how to clean a room. I'll have to fix their opinion somehow."
"You're a good friend."
Slater looked at him with an intensity that stole his breath. "I try to be."
"You succeed." The friendship was amazing… and gave him glimpses of how Slater would be if they were more than that. Yearning, sharp and sweet, swept through him. Noah dragged a hand through his hand and picked up his mug. "I guess we can tell Kelsey the video is fine."
"I'll text her." Thumbs flew across the keypad, and a moment later, Slater lowered his phone. "Done."
"Are you, uh, heading out tonight?" He hadn't heard Slater make plans, but then again, he hadn't let the man get a word in edgewise all day.
"I think I'll stay in. Maybe get started on that book." He nudged his foot against the thick hardcover novel on the floor.
"Really?"
"We have a big game tomorrow. It's the last one before the All Star break. I can't have Coach yelling at me for showing up hungover or sleep deprived. He did that enough during the first half of my rookie season. Can't let him think I'm slipping back into my old, bad ways. Besides, getting through this book is going to take every spare minute I have." The resentment on his face couldn't be missed.
The last thing Noah wanted was to make Slater feel badly. He should have chosen something else, a different book, something that couldn't also double as a brick or cinderblock. Regret tumbled through him, cooling the warming effects of his drink. He dodged back to his room and picked up his copy of the book, then returned to the living room and settled on the opposite side of the sectional. "I'll join you."
