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rsadelleSummary: "That's why you're here," Jeff says, and it isn't a question. "You want to go overseas."
Notes: Lindsey and Megan are Mike and Jeff's real-life girlfriends. If you object to that sort of thing, you should skip this story. Implied infidelity. Mack and Miley are Megan's tiny dogs. Mike really did go to LA for a few days at the end of October; everything else is fiction.
Story on AO3
"It's not ending any time soon, is it?" Megan asks over dinner.
"No," Mike says when Jeff doesn't answer her, even though he knows Jeff reads the Players' Association emails just the same as he does. "I don't think so. They just keep canceling games."
There's something in Jeff's face that he doesn't like, and Megan must see it too, because she gets up from the table to fuss over Mack and Miley and shoos Mike and Jeff out onto the balcony.
"That's why you're here," Jeff says, and it isn't a question. "You want to go overseas."
Mike lifts one shoulder. "Skating a couple of days a week isn't getting it."
When he looks over, Jeff's hands are curled around the railing tight enough to turn his knuckles white.
"You don't want to go?"
"Megan," Jeff says, like that's an answer.
"You've done it before," Mike says. "All last season."
Jeff's jaw ticks, and then he says, "You don't know what it was like last season," and Mike's pretty sure the only reason Jeff's not yelling at him is that he's trying not to let his voice carry in to Megan. "You came here, and you were happy. I was in Columbus where we were losing and I was injured. And then I came here, and I like it here. The team is great, and California is great, and I want to play with you. But I'm not doing that to Megan again."
"If I go, I'm leaving Lindsey too," Mike says, and Jeff just shakes his head, jaw tight, and doesn't answer him.
Mike stops in the kitchen to say, "Thanks for dinner," and kiss Megan's cheek before he leaves.
*
Jeff rings his doorbell in the morning, two cups of coffee in his hands and Mack and Miley testing the length of their leashes to sniff around Mike's front door.
"I was going to take them down to the beach."
Mike takes his cup of coffee, slips on a pair of shoes, and locks the door behind him. "They're balls of fur," he says. "Can they make it that far?"
"They're tougher than they look."
They don't speak again until they're on the beach.
"There hasn't been anyone like this before," Jeff says. "Not for me. I'm going to marry her. Not now, but in a couple of years probably." He sips his coffee. "I've been faithful to her, for a long time. Two years."
Mike blinks, because he didn't know that.
"Yeah," Jeff says, "so don't tell me this is like you and Lindsey. Don't ask me to leave her."
Mike catches Jeff's sleeve, stops him from walking and tugs him around so he can look Jeff in the eye. Jeff's face is just as determined as his words.
"Okay," Mike says. "I won't."
*
"You're back," Lindsey says when she gets home. She leaves a trail of keys, coat, purse, shoes on her way into the apartment. "You and Jeff headed off to the glamorous world of European hockey?"
"I am, as soon as I can get a contract and work out the details. Jeff won't leave Megan."
Lindsey stops and closes her eyes. "You're such an asshole."
"I know." Mike doesn't allow himself the luxury of looking away from her hurt. He does love her, and he is an asshole.
"You're lucky you're really good in bed," Lindsey says. She opens her eyes and finishes crossing the space between them. "You can at least give me a couple of orgasms before you leave."
Mike kisses her, one hand on her jaw, one on her back. "As many as you can manage." It doesn't make up for anything, but they've always been good when they can just be together in the here and now.
Notes: Lindsey and Megan are Mike and Jeff's real-life girlfriends. If you object to that sort of thing, you should skip this story. Implied infidelity. Mack and Miley are Megan's tiny dogs. Mike really did go to LA for a few days at the end of October; everything else is fiction.
Story on AO3
"It's not ending any time soon, is it?" Megan asks over dinner.
"No," Mike says when Jeff doesn't answer her, even though he knows Jeff reads the Players' Association emails just the same as he does. "I don't think so. They just keep canceling games."
There's something in Jeff's face that he doesn't like, and Megan must see it too, because she gets up from the table to fuss over Mack and Miley and shoos Mike and Jeff out onto the balcony.
"That's why you're here," Jeff says, and it isn't a question. "You want to go overseas."
Mike lifts one shoulder. "Skating a couple of days a week isn't getting it."
When he looks over, Jeff's hands are curled around the railing tight enough to turn his knuckles white.
"You don't want to go?"
"Megan," Jeff says, like that's an answer.
"You've done it before," Mike says. "All last season."
Jeff's jaw ticks, and then he says, "You don't know what it was like last season," and Mike's pretty sure the only reason Jeff's not yelling at him is that he's trying not to let his voice carry in to Megan. "You came here, and you were happy. I was in Columbus where we were losing and I was injured. And then I came here, and I like it here. The team is great, and California is great, and I want to play with you. But I'm not doing that to Megan again."
"If I go, I'm leaving Lindsey too," Mike says, and Jeff just shakes his head, jaw tight, and doesn't answer him.
Mike stops in the kitchen to say, "Thanks for dinner," and kiss Megan's cheek before he leaves.
*
Jeff rings his doorbell in the morning, two cups of coffee in his hands and Mack and Miley testing the length of their leashes to sniff around Mike's front door.
"I was going to take them down to the beach."
Mike takes his cup of coffee, slips on a pair of shoes, and locks the door behind him. "They're balls of fur," he says. "Can they make it that far?"
"They're tougher than they look."
They don't speak again until they're on the beach.
"There hasn't been anyone like this before," Jeff says. "Not for me. I'm going to marry her. Not now, but in a couple of years probably." He sips his coffee. "I've been faithful to her, for a long time. Two years."
Mike blinks, because he didn't know that.
"Yeah," Jeff says, "so don't tell me this is like you and Lindsey. Don't ask me to leave her."
Mike catches Jeff's sleeve, stops him from walking and tugs him around so he can look Jeff in the eye. Jeff's face is just as determined as his words.
"Okay," Mike says. "I won't."
*
"You're back," Lindsey says when she gets home. She leaves a trail of keys, coat, purse, shoes on her way into the apartment. "You and Jeff headed off to the glamorous world of European hockey?"
"I am, as soon as I can get a contract and work out the details. Jeff won't leave Megan."
Lindsey stops and closes her eyes. "You're such an asshole."
"I know." Mike doesn't allow himself the luxury of looking away from her hurt. He does love her, and he is an asshole.
"You're lucky you're really good in bed," Lindsey says. She opens her eyes and finishes crossing the space between them. "You can at least give me a couple of orgasms before you leave."
Mike kisses her, one hand on her jaw, one on her back. "As many as you can manage." It doesn't make up for anything, but they've always been good when they can just be together in the here and now.