Page 32 of Delay of Game

The next game was in Sunrise in two days, but because they were on the road the team was staying in Tampa that night and practicing the next morning. That was, at least, the reasoning behind going out after the win. The team wanted to celebrate, and it wouldn’t be at the expense of game play. Zach wanted to keep the winning streak going because they sure as hell weren’t going to make the playoffs, let alone win the Cup, if they kept up like they’d been going.

But there wasn’t any harm in team bonding. At least that was what Zach kept telling himself. He wasn’t drinking as much during the season as he’d been the year that he got traded, and he was definitely staying away from the rest of it, but he still liked—you know. Letting loose. There was a lot on his shoulders these days and it wasn’t like he was getting photographed doing anything stupid, except maybe sometimes singing karaoke at Ray’s. So as he finished up in the shower and got his shit together, that’s where he was planning to go.

That was a nasty goal, buddy, Jammer had texted him.

Zach texted him a thumbs-up emoji.not doing too bad yourself this season huh?Jammer led the Royal’s defensemen in both goals and points, which was an enviable status to have; Zach usually trailed Bee and Nate, because a lot of times it was easier to score as a winger, but he didn’t mind, as long as the line was putting up the points.

Helps 2b inspired bro. U should try it.

i don’t understand poetry and i do NOT want to understand it

Lmao. It’s not that deep, nothing to do w/ poetry.

sure buddy, guess it’s got everything 2 do w/ hot poets

Doesn’t hurt.

Zach slid the phone back into his pocket and decided he wasn’t going to ask about that further. The visitors’ locker room was starting to clear out by now, and the Cons’ group chat buzzed with chirps and plans. They’d let Netty take the lead because not only did he have an inborn talent for finding the best dive bars, but as with many of the cities they went to, he had a vast network of friends or relatives, either blood or by marriage, ready to either host them or let them know where the best places to party happened to be.

So by the time Zach made his way onto the road, Netty had already scoped out a spot with cheap drinks and was well on his own way to sloshed by the time the rest of the team showed up. Zach slid onto a barstool next to him. He accepted a shot of something clear that burned on the way down and a pat on the back that almost knocked him off the stool and onto the floor. Netty knew his own strength; he just didn’t care.

“Drink more,” Netty said severely, and so Zach did.

The nagging little voice in the back of his head told him it was a bad idea. That he wasn’t really drinking to celebrate. Zach attempted to drown the voice out with vodka, which worked, for a time. He was starting to feel it when he saw Nate and Sally come in, and the voice said,yeah, that’s why you’re drinking.

Zach thought:shut up.

The night went by. Mike was on his phone for most of it, probably texting Garcia, and Bee and Mäkelä were huddled in one of the corners—it seemed like she was passionately explaining something to him, her hands moving to emphasize her points. He had that small, fond half smile on his face that only seemed to show up around her, and Zach felt, for a strange, jealous moment, a twinge in his chest.

He wasn’tavoidingNate, exactly; he was just...keeping his distance. He was doing the right thing, being smart about it. He kept an eye on Nate, of course. It was just what he did, particularly because even around the team Nate was sometimes too introverted and shy and would try to sneak out too early. He seemed to be doing all right tonight, though. Lindy was taking it upon himself to make sure Nate was drunk enough to enjoy it, so Zach relaxed and went back to drinking and, you know.

Just keeping an eye on him.

At some point he got up to go to the bathroom. Alone, he closed his eyes, felt the piss and some of the tension flow out of him. Breathed a sigh of relief that it was almost over without incident.

As he was washing his hands, the door opened. Zach glanced up to catch sight of Nate in the mirror. Face flushed, the way it got when he was either embarrassed or drunk enough to forget some of his usual anxiety. He swayed a little and Zach fought the urge to go over there and slide his shoulder under Nate’s arm, the way he always did when they were out and one of them was a little worse for the wear.

“Uh, hey,” Nate mumbled, unable to quite meet Zach’s eyes. “Dude, are you—avoiding me? I thought after the game that... I don’t know...”

“No!” Zach definitely sounded way too fucking cheerful on that one, but it was out before he could stop it. That fake-bright, shiny smile of self-defense. “I, uh, no, I’m not avoiding you.”

“Okay, because you kind of—the entire night, you’ve been avoiding me.”

“No, I was just, the boys are all here, and I’ve just been talking to Netty.”

Nate took a step forward, into Zach’s personal space. That was usually a Zach move, and he didn’t really appreciate it being turned on him like that, especially when it made him feel so off balance. But then Nate’s teeth were pressing against his lower lip and Zach got distracted.

“It’s just I really don’t want you to feel like—you can’t—around me?”

“Nate, for being the smart one in this friendship, you’re kinda regressing here.”

One second Nate was staring at him with something like frustration or maybe stomach pain, and the next he’d lurched forward and shoved Zach back against the sink. Nate’s hands were on his face and Nate’s tongue was in his mouth.

Oh, we’re doing this, huh, Zach thought, for a second, andI was fucking trying, andI guess this is what’s going on in there when he drinks, and thenoh, this is a bad idea, before his brain shut off and his dick took over.

For someone without a lot of experience kissing different people, Nate had certainly picked up quickly enough on what Zach liked, or maybe it didn’t matter, because what Zach really liked was kissing Nate.

Nate had no technique at all, but there was something stupid vulnerable and enthusiastic in the way he did everything, the way his eyes immediately closed, the way he immediately opened his mouth under the press of Zach’s tongue, the way Zach could feel his abs tremble and the sharp intake of his breath when Zach took the lead and twisted his fingers in Nate’s hair, that was hotter than almost anything he could have imagined on his own.