He’ll take Angus and Squid instead. Works just as well.
“Yeah?” Evan says. “You sure?”
Blake scratches Squid’s head and his purrs get impossibly loud. “Yeah.”
“Thank you,” Evan says. He hesitates, looks around. “Blake?”
“Hm?”
“You know what Aunt Beth said, about the house, that it belongs to us and that we need to figure out what to do with it and… I don’t know, we need to decide what to do with everything and…”
“Yeah,” Blake says. He’s not looking forward to the part where they figure out who gets what. He doesn’t want any of it, not the money or the house or their grandma’s car.
“I don’t want to sell the house,” Evan says, almost timid.
Blake hadn’t even thought about selling the house, although he supposes that’s a thing that happens after somebody dies. He frowns at Evan. “You want it?”
“It’s just… our house,” Evan mumbles. “I can have it?”
“All yours,” Blake says.
“You can keep your room,” Evan says, and that’s probably the nicest thing he’s ever said to Blake.
Chapter Ten
Blake rejoins the Knights on the road, in Raleigh.
He tells Coach that he’s ready to play.
Coach puts him on the bench.
Blake gets it, was pretty much expecting it, so he lets the guys welcome him back, tries to talk to them, lets Mattie give him a hug, and lets Kells give him a hug, which is weird, because he’s pretty sure Kells only hugs people after goals and Mattie hugs the rookies when they need it.
Blake wasn’t the only one who was relieved that Mattie recovered from his concussion and re-signed with the Knights for another two seasons. He’s backing up for Blake now, which still seems weird, but Mattie was already talking about this years ago, always believing that Blake would one day be the Knights’ starter.
When they get back to New York, they immediately get back to it, this time with Blake in net, and they walk out of it with a win. In OT. It’s an optional practice the next morning and Blake is on the ice for it, because he did miss two games and it’s not that he feels guilty, but… maybe he does feel guilty. He knows it’s ridiculous, knows that no one’s blaming him, but he still sticks around for longer than strictly necessary with their rookie, Williamson, and their most recent call-up, Lehtinen.
Talking to the media after the game last night was daunting, and even though no one outright asked him why he was gone for a few days, he still got questions like, “Is it hard to get back on the ice after being away from the team?” Blake answered that one with a very simple, “No,” since they’d just won a game.
When Blake gets home after practice, he has a missed call from Noah. He hasn’t exactly been in touch, only sent Noah a quick text to tell him why he had to leave town and that he’d be in touch when he’s back.
He’s back now.
He still hasn’t called Noah.
Blake calls him back, on the couch, where Squid joins him no five seconds later, meowing at him before plopping down next to him, purring before Blake has even started petting him.
“Hey,” Noah says when he picks up.
“I’m sorry,” Blake greets him.
“Uhhh… what did you do?”
“I… I don’t know, I said I was gonna call and then I didn’t.”
“Don’t worry about it, honestly, you had… stuff… lots of stuff happening. Just wanted to ask if you want me to come over. I got out of practice like an hour ago and I don’t have plans. Figured I’d ask.”
“I…” Blake closes his eyes. “I don’t think I’d be very good company.”
“Okay.”
“Sorry.”
“It’s cool, Fish. But, for the record, I wasn’t, like, talking about me coming over for sex. Just… you know, I’d bring food and braid your hair and shit.”
“Oh,” Blake says. “We don’t really do that, though.”
The whole point of their arrangement, despite the friendship that has come out of it, is that they have someone they can get off with without risking anyone else finding out about either of them. They don’t cuddle. They don’t– They’re not boyfriends.
“What the fuck, dude. We hang out. You know, before or after the sex. Sometimes before and after the sex. We’re friends. Sex friends, yeah, but… What kinda food do you want me to bring?”
“Are you sure you want to come over?”
“Do I want to drive all the way there even though I’m not getting any dick in return… Well, Blake, I think I just offered, so tell me what the fuck you want to eat and stop being an idiot.”
Blake’s brain is capable of making that choice right now. “I…”
“Chinese.”
“Yeah.”
“I’ll text when I’m close.”
“Thank you,” Blake says.
They hang up and Blake stays on the couch, petting Squid. He seems to like Blake’s apartment and has found himself a spot he likes, but Angus mostly hides in the guest room and doesn’t interact with Blake. The way he brought them here probably wasn’t ideal, just put them in their carriers, put a cat tree and their litter box in the trunk, grabbed a bunch of food and here they are. He found someone to feed them while he was in Raleigh at the very last minute; a girl that Paulie recommended. He lives down the street with his girlfriend and they have a demonic tabby who’ll attack anyone who even so much as looks her way. Paulie loves her dearly.
Blake takes a nap and when he wakes up, Squid is still next to him, also taking
