Rating:

Teen And Up Audiences

Archive Warning:

No Archive Warnings Apply

Category:

M/M

Fandoms:

Game Changers Series - Rachel Reid, Game Changers | Heated Rivalry - All Media Types

Relationships:

Kip Grady/Scott Hunter, Scott Hunter & Carter Vaughn, George Grady & Scott Hunter, Kip Grady & Elena Rygg, Eric Bennett & Scott Hunter, Greg Huff & Scott Hunter, Scott Hunter & Elena Rygg

Characters:

Scott Hunter (Game Changers), Kip Grady, Elena Rygg, George Grady, Margaret Grady, Carter Vaughn, Eric Bennett, Greg Huff

Additional Tags:

Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Car Accidents, Hospitals, Scott's mother haunts the narrative, Childhood Trauma, we're in for a doozy y'all, Carter Vaughn is a great friend, Coming Out, george grady is the best dad ever, George and Margaret adopt Scott so quickly, that's their second son, Scott Hunter Loves Kip Grady, Kip Grady loves Scott Hunter, set after their failed date at the Met, Book 1: Game Changer (Game Changers), Scott Hunter Needs a Hug (Game Changers), I'm Bad at Tagging

Language:

English

Stats:

Published: 2026-02-08 Completed: 2026-06-01 Words: 28,185 Chapters: 8/8

twenty stitches in a hospital room (when the sun came up, i was looking at you)

Summary

He answered the phone, pressing it tight against his ear even as he maneuvered his way through the locker room and toward the hallway. “Hey. Is everything all right?”

There was a moment of silence, shaky and stiff that worried Scott more than the five separate calls did. Scott’s frown deepened, pulse beginning to hammer beneath his skin. He threw caution to the wind, unable to think clearly over the nausea beginning to roil in his gut. “Kip? What’s wrong?”

“Is this Scott?” An unfamiliar voice filtered through the speaker and into Scott’s ear, doing nothing to calm the anxiety slowly ratcheting up higher and higher within him.

Scott paused for a moment in the doorway, not caring if his teammates noticed him. “Who is this? What’s going on?”

“This is Kip’s dad.” Scott braced himself against the doorframe, stomach clawing its way up his throat.

Chapter 1

Chapter Notes

I know the absolute bare minimum about hockey—no matter how much you try Peperle—and only barely more about professional sports in general so take what I say with a grain of salt. But that's why this isn't about hockey. It's about Scott and Kip. With plenty of Carter Vaughn and Elena Rygg along the way.

Get ready, it's gonna be a doozy! Set in March after their failed date at the Met—meaning we're leaning on book canon here, but for watchers of the show it should be fairly clear too! After Kip's birthday, after the Equinox Gala, before their breakup. Have fun!

For the first time in a long time, Scott Hunter had hope. This season was going better than any before—the Admirals finally had a real chance at the Cup this year—and his relationship with Kip was on steady ground. He felt more comfortable in his own skin than he had been since he was fourteen with his mother at his side.

Of course, it made him nervous knowing how good things were for him. It meant he was just waiting for the other shoe to drop. But until it did, Scott was determined to enjoy it. Life didn’t often work out like this for him.

He had a home game tonight and an off day tomorrow, which meant he could actually spend the day with Kip, curled up together in that gentle domesticity they had begun to build together. He had come so close to losing Kip, had almost allowed fear to fully push away the one person who had ever truly seen him for who he was. But Scott was done running. He would pull Kip closer whenever he got the chance, reveling in his touch and his laugh and his soft words. He wasn’t ready to share this with the world, not when getting spotted together at the Met had been enough to send him into a spiral. But Kip wasn’t pushing him farther than he could go, and wasn’t that enough for now? All Kip had to do was hang on a little longer.

Until then, he just had to get through morning practice. It wouldn’t be hard, not when hockey felt good again and their team was finally coming together, especially after Zullo was arrested. Playoffs would start next week which meant Scott had to dedicate all of his energy to the game, focusing on bringing his team forward and to the end goal that had illuded them for so long. It was in sight after so long. They could do this. He could do this.

Scott focused on pulling his practice gear into place, allowing his thoughts to wander as autopilot took over. He likely would have made it out to the rink without processing a thing around him if not for Bennett’s hissed warning. Scott looked up, brows pulling together as he searched for Eric in the locker room. He was standing with Huff and a few of the older guys, their heads together as they discussed something on Huff’s phone. Eric winced when he saw he’d gotten Scott’s attention, waving Scott’s questioning look off. Scott glanced around for answers, but no one seemed to have caught the interaction.

No one except for Vaughn, of course.

Carter caught up to Scott right as he left the locker room, draping one of his arms around his captain’s shoulders. “Don’t worry about them,” Carter said. “Bennett’s really bad at being discrete.”

“Something I should know?”

Carter made a face somewhere between nonchalant and sad. “Not really. There was a bad car accident out in Astoria. Drunk driver, the news is saying. No one we know, but I think Eric’s just trying to be sensitive.”

Scott felt his jaw clench, memories of his mother coming back to him unbidden. He appreciated his teammates trying their best to be cognizant of his own history, but it was worse this way, the tiptoeing around and trying to shelter him fourteen years after her death. Sarah Hunter was dead. People died in car accidents every day. It wasn’t anything new.

“It sucks,” he finally settled on. “Hope everyone involved s’okay.”

“Yeah man.” Carter sighed. “Traffic’s going to be a bitch.”

“Why do you still live in Astoria, anyway? You can afford a place downtown.”

“I hate living in the city, you know that.”

“Vaughn, Astoria is still New York City.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

Scott snorted, bumping his fist against Carter’s back. He was grateful to his friend. His best friend, if he really thought about it. God, but how fucked was it that Carter was the person he was closest too outside of Kip and yet Carter didn’t know anything about his personal life? The private life that started and stopped from the moment he stepped across his threshold, spending stolen hours with Kip as if it could possibly make up for the fucked situation Scott was putting them both in. Secrets were easier kept when no one else knew. It couldn’t leak that way. But god, it was miserable.

Practice was fine. The boys gossiped worse than any stereotype created by men about women, but they were all kept too busy by drills to talk much about the car crash or other equally morbid accidents. Living in New York, he supposed it wasn’t very surprising that they had all developed a more callous outlook. Add in professional hockey players who regularly got head injuries and skipped the birth of their children to play ten minutes in a game, and it really did make sense. Still.

Scott wished he could have pushed himself harder, thrown himself into each pass and drive and drill until he was gasping for breath and barely able to stand and no longer was reminded of crumpling metal with each hit against the boards. But morning practice before a game was never that strenuous, just enough to get their blood pumping and make sure everyone was gameday ready. Besides, he reasoned with himself as they trekked back to the locker room, he had to save some of his energy for Kip tomorrow.

He clapped Bennett on the shoulder as he passed the goalie already at his stall. Eric flashed him a smile, grateful in the quiet moment they shared within the loud locker room. Scott considered Carter his closest friend on the team, but Eric had always been his rock, steady and open and strong. He wondered if that was what having an older brother was like.

The boys chattered about the game tonight, already throwing taunts and chirps around to drag Montreal as they got excited. Scott couldn’t help but join, excitement thrumming in his veins at the thought of playing a good game of hockey. Shane Hollander was the best player in the league—there was no denying that—which meant that Scott had to be on top of his game whenever they played the Voyaguers. It challenged him, pushed him to think quicker, act faster, skate harder. And now that Scott was out of his slump, he was looking forward to it. It was going to be fun.

Scott let the banter of the room wash over him, Carter and Huff pulling him in until he was teasing them back, ribbing the rookies and veterans alike as they all changed out and washed the sweat of practice from their skin. It was the lightest he’d felt prior to a game in a long time, and Scott wanted to live in this feeling, bottle it for a gray and rainy day when his doubt and shame grew too loud again.

Of course, that was when it all came crashing down on him.

“Scott,” Gillis called, drawing Scott’s attention from where he stood by their adjoining stalls. Scott stepped away from Wagner and Breezy, dragging a hand through his damp hair as he joined Gillis at their stalls.

“What’s up, kid?”

Gillis nodded towards Scott’s stall. “Your phone keeps ringing. I wasn’t trying to pry, but I’m pretty sure it’s been the same person a few times in a row. Thought it might be important.”

Scott frowned, racking his brain to try and figure out who might be calling him. Todd, maybe? Had Scott forgotten about a meeting or something? Todd wasn’t usually so persistent. His apartment building? A random stalker who had somehow found his number?

No, he knew exactly who it had to be. The only person it could be. Scott didn’t want to think about why Kip might be calling him when he knew he was at practice. Everything was fine. There was no point in jumping to conclusions.

Scott checked his phone in time to see four missed calls from Kip within the last ten minutes. Scott’s mouth went dry even as the phone started to buzz in his hand yet again, Kip’s name flashing over the screen. For once in his life, he didn’t hesitate. He never would have forgiven himself if he had.

He answered the phone, pressing it tight against his ear even as he maneuvered his way through the locker room and toward the hallway. “Hey. Is everything all right?”

There was a moment of silence, shaky and stiff that worried Scott more than the five separate calls did. Scott’s frown deepened, pulse beginning to hammer beneath his skin. He threw caution to the wind, unable to think clearly over the nausea beginning to roil in his gut. “Kip? What’s wrong?”

“Is this Scott?” An unfamiliar voice filtered through the speaker and into Scott’s ear, doing nothing to calm the anxiety slowly ratcheting up higher and higher within him.

Scott paused for a moment in the doorway, not caring if his teammates noticed him. “Who is this? What’s going on?”

“This is Kip’s dad.” Scott braced himself against the doorframe, stomach clawing its way up his throat. Distantly, he heard voices drifting past him from the locker room, their words meaningless even as their concern made it through.

Scott forced himself forward, made himself leave the locker room behind as he searched for a private place instead, somewhere he could fall apart without worry. “What’s wrong?” he choked out, drawing on all of his strength as captain to keep his voice as steady as possible.

“Kip’s fine,” Mr. Grady said quickly, his words a knife slicing through the steel bands that had wrapped around Scott’s heart. Scott didn’t let himself relax fully—there was a reason Mr. Grady was calling in the first place—but he was able to breathe again. He sank down onto a bench in the hall, left hand trembling as he dragged it through his hair. “He’s going to be okay.”

“Going to be?” Scott repeated, hating how the words sounded in his mouth.

Mr. Grady cleared his throat. Scott heard his own fear and worry reflected back through the phone. “Kip and Elena were in an accident. Their car was hit. They’re both—the doctors say they’re going to be okay.”

“The accident in Astoria?” Scott scarcely recognized his own voice.

“Yeah,” Mr. Grady agreed. “We haven’t seen them yet, and maybe I’m reading far too much into what Kip means to you, but… I wanted you to know.”

Scott didn’t care how Kip’s father knew about them at all. He didn’t care about anything other than Kip Grady, the only other person he’d ever loved beyond his mother. And now, just like Mom, Kip had been hit by a car. He was in the hospital, hurt and alone, and for all intents and purposes Scott shouldn’t even know. He would have gone home after practice and not found Kip there, would have called him and gotten no response for hours or even days, would have spiraled into fear and worst-case scenarios. He didn’t care how Mr. Grady had found out about them. He could only be grateful that Mr. Grady had known to contact him at all.

“No, I… thank you. Thank you for telling me.” Scott pressed his hand to his eyes, reliving the moment when the police officer knocked on his door, fourteen-years-old when his world fell apart. “Fuck. Where—where is he?”

“Methodist. In Brooklyn.”

“Okay. Okay.” Scott pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to keep his breathing steady with all of the techniques he had come to rely on over the years. “I’ll, uh, I’ll be there when I can. Could you, I mean, would you text me any updates you get? For both of them.”

“I will,” Mr. Grady promised. “And look, Scott. Kip is going to be just fine. The doctors wouldn’t have said so otherwise. I don’t know what’s going on with you and my son, and it’s none of my business. But I know you have a game tonight—”

“It doesn’t matter,” Scott interrupted. “I’ll figure it out. I… I’ll be there.”

“All right.” There was something in Mr. Grady’s tone that Scott couldn’t quite figure out. He was too worried and upset to put much effort in. “Margaret and I are in the waiting room until we hear more. He’s not alone. Don’t worry about that.”

Scott huffed out a tight laugh. “I’ll have everything else to worry about instead.” Scott cursed again. “I’ll, I’ll let you know when I’m on my way. We can… I’ll explain—”

“You don’t owe us an explanation,” Mr. Grady said softly. “You love him, don’t you?”

“Yes,” Scott said, not even a heartbeat’s worth of hesitation before his answer. Scott hadn’t realized how much he had to lose by making Kip keep his secret. If something had happened, if something still managed to go wrong, Kip could have died and no one would have known to tell Scott. No one would have known that Scott’s heart would have died along him. Fuck, he couldn’t be thinking about this. Not when Kip was all right and everything was going to be okay. It would be okay.

Kip would be okay.

“Then that’s all the explanation we need,” Mr. Grady finished. “It’s all right, son. Just do what you have to do.”

Scott swallowed, his composure on the verge of breaking. “Thank you, sir,” he whispered. Then he ended the call and dropped his phone to his lap before burying his face in his hands. His throat burned, his eyes hurt, his chest ached. He had to pull himself together. There were only a few hours between now and when he had to be back at the stadium for the game later, and if he was going to make it out to Brooklyn and back with time to spare then he really had to start moving now. Hadn’t Carter said that traffic was going to be bad because of the accident? The car accident in Astoria that Kip and Elena had been involved in, a car accident that had tried to take another person Scott cared about away from him—

“Scott.” There was a hand on his shoulder, heavy and grounding. He leaned into the touch, forcing himself to breathe. It was going to be okay. Kip was okay. Elena was okay. They would be okay.

“Get Coach,” the same voice said in a soft murmur. Scott recognized it a moment later. Eric. “Huff’s grabbing Coach,” Eric said a little louder, squeezing Scott’s shoulder.

Someone sank onto the bench next to him, leaning his weight against Scott’s side. “We got you, Scott.” That was Carter. His friends, the ones who knew him best. They wouldn’t judge Scott, they wouldn’t whisper behind his back about what was going on, they wouldn’t speculate about who Scott had been talking to. Fuck, had he said Kip’s name? He’d certainly made it clear he was talking about a guy. Scott didn’t have the energy to care. Let them wonder.

He tried to find the words currently evading him. He tried to speak past the lump in his throat. He got a half-hearted sound out before Carter leaned in closer. “It’s all right, Scotty. You don’t have to tell us anything.”

“What can we do?” Eric asked. Scott finally managed to lift his head, vision swimming. Bennett knelt in front of him, expression open and concerned. He smiled a bit as their eyes met, giving Scott’s shoulder another squeeze.

“This is good,” Scott rasped. He cleared his throat several times, leaning back to stare up at the ceiling as he tried to contain the fear threatening to drown him. “The… fuck.” He dragged a hand through his hair. Carter and Eric waited patiently. “The accident. Car crash. I…” He sucked in another shaky breath, pushing down the words that desperately wanted to leap out. My boyfriend and his best friend were hit before anyone even knew how much I loved him.

“I know them,” he settled on lamely. “Two of them, they’re… they’re my friends. My friends. He said they’ll be fine but they’re—” Scott shook his head, closing his eyes as if that could block out the memories. He shook his head. “Fuck. I, I have to get to Brooklyn, have to see them before the game—”

“What’s this about the game?” Scott blinked hard, looking down the hall to see Coach Murdock and Huff approaching. Coach stopped a few feet away, large arms crossed over his chest.

Scott tried to answer, but Coach was already answering his own question. “Because you’re in no state to be on the ice tonight, Hunter.”

“I’ll be fine,” Scott replied automatically. “I’ve played while feeling worse, Coach, I’ll put myself together. I won’t let the team down.”

“You would be a liability on the ice if you tried to skate like this,” Coach said sternly. “Better to play without you at all then having you be a distracted mess on center ice.”

“Wouldn’t play any worse than during my slump,” he tried to joke. It came out forced and awkward.

“You’re benched tonight, Hunter, and that’s final. I won’t risk you winding up in the hospital because you didn’t see a hit coming.”

Scott swallowed, unwilling to keep arguing. Coach was right, of course. He always was. It didn’t make it any easier to hear. Scott was failing in his duty as captain if he abandoned the team tonight when he was still able to skate and play. They needed him if they wanted to put up a good fight against Montreal and Shane Hollander.

But he would never forgive himself if he put off visiting Kip in the hospital just so he could play a game of hockey that didn’t matter at all. How many times had he made Kip wonder if hockey was more important to him than him? Scott had been a shitty boyfriend on so many fronts. He had asked Kip to give so much of himself while barely giving anything in return. This he could do. He would do. And he would deal with the consequences later.

“Yes, Coach,” Scott finally said. “Thank you.”

“We’ll tell the boys,” Huff said, as serious as Scott had ever seen him.

Eric squeezed Scott’s shoulder again, rising to his feet with a groan. “You just do what you have to do, all right, Scotty?”

Scott nodded, allowing Bennett to help him stand. “I’ll. I’ll explain tomorrow. I promise.”

Coach Murdock just shook his head. “There’s nothing you need to explain, Hunter. Seems pretty self-explanatory to me. Vaughn, team’s counting on you to step up tonight.” And then he turned and walked away, likely to reexamine their entire strategy for tonight. Scott didn’t care, not right now.

Carter rose at Scott’s side. “Come on, Scott. Let’s get you to Methodist.” He clapped Scott’s shoulder, grabbing Scott’s phone from the bench before guiding him out toward the exit. Some part of Scott wanted to argue, wanted to tell Carter that he didn’t need to come with him. The logical part of him knew that it was better this way. Scott didn’t trust himself to not disassociate completely.

“Have I said recently how great you are?” Scott said, voice still drained and stiff.

Carter grinned, fishing his own phone out of his pocket to call a car. “You can’t say it enough.” Carter bumped his shoulder against Scott’s. “It’s going to be all right, Scott. I know this is scary and fucked and probably bringing up a lot of bad things, but they’re okay, right?”

“Right,” Scott agreed. He wished Carter could understand just how much Kip meant to him. He wished Carter knew exactly why Scott was falling apart so badly. He wished Kip and Elena had never been in that goddamn car. For now, he would simply lean on his friend, trust Carter to get him to Kip.

And everything would be okay.

Chapter End Notes

I love angst too much. The first time I wrote Skip they were cute and slightly bittersweet and I immediately decided I had to put them through hell the next time to make up for it. Whoops. Hope y'all are ready for this :D

Get ready for lots of Scott and George/Margaret content. Those are his new parents and they love him—even if they haven't met him properly yet.

Let me know what y'all thought! Until next time ;)

Chapter 2

Chapter Notes

George Grady had been at this very hospital countless times throughout his life. He’d been born here, as had his younger brothers. He’d sat in the ER for hours after he broke his arm, when his best friend in high school had had an allergic reaction, when he’d stepped on a piece of glass out in Sheepshead Bay. It was where Megan had been born, and then Christopher a few years later. George and Margaret had brought the kids here countless times throughout the years, because they were stupid kids growing up in Brooklyn in the nineties and were always getting into trouble.

But this was a first for him. His heart still hadn’t slowed yet, hadn’t settled from the violent hammering that had begun when he first answered the phone to hear Margaret trying her best not to cry. George himself had been desperately keeping his own tears at bay as he drove toward Methodist Hospital, Margaret’s repeated words playing over and over in his mind. Kip and Elena were in an accident. They’re going to the hospital.

George didn’t breathe properly until he was standing in the waiting room, Margaret held against his side as one of the nurses came to find them. He thanked God that Elena had put Margaret as her emergency contact after Kip; it was the only reason why the nurses were able to share her status with them.

Christopher is just heading into surgery, the nurse had said, giving them a small smile as if to reassure them. She likely had a great deal of practice with worried loved ones, after all. He fractured his wrist pretty badly, and the doctors suspect a grade 2 or higher concussion. He’s got some pretty bad bruising on his chest, possibly some bruised ribs, so we’ll want to keep an eye on him for signs of internal bleeding.

As for Elena, she fractured a few of her ribs and dislocated her shoulder. We’re doing imaging now to determine the extent of the dislocation, but she shouldn’t need surgery. Internal bleeding and a grade 2 concussion are also a concern for her, so we’ll be monitoring them both closely. It’ll still be a few hours before Christopher is out of surgery and they’re both settled in rooms, but we’ll be keeping you updated. Just hang in there for a little longer, all right?

It wasn’t all right, not really, not when his boy was in surgery and the girl he’d known for most of her life was in pain. But the nurses and the doctors were doing all they could for his kids. They were going to be okay. All George and Margaret could do was wait.

The police had come to talk to them maybe an hour later, sharing all of the details they had. Elena and Kip had been in the back of an Uber when a drunk driver had T-boned the car, running a stoplight and crashing straight into the backseat. Kip had been closest to the car while Elena had been slammed against the opposite door. The other driver thankfully hadn’t been going as fast as he could have been—they could have been having this discussion in the morgue rather than the emergency room.

They had hadn’t much else to share with the Gradys beyond a promise to keep them updated regarding charges pressed and the like. And then they were handing over the personal belongings recovered from the back of the vehicle, Kip’s messenger bag and Elena’s purse and George’s Scouts hat that Elena had stolen this morning despite Kip’s newfound love for the Admirals.

Thinking of Kip, thinking of the Admirals, it was enough to make the gears in George’s head begin to turn. He dug through Kip’s bag, chewing on the inside of his cheek as he searched for his son’s phone. There was every possibility that it was still in the back of the car or broken or even in Kip’s back pocket but—

George’s fingers closed around the phone a moment later, much to his relief. He pulled it out, turning the device over to inspect for cracks or damage. Finding none, George realized he didn’t exactly know what he was planning next.

He should call Straw+Berry to let them know Kip wouldn’t be in for his next shift—whenever it was—but he could do that from his own phone. Elena’s work also should be contacted, but she had until Monday to figure that out. No, there was one specific reason George had wanted to find Kip’s phone.

There was a text waiting for him from three hours ago, just before the crash. It was from a Scott. Have fun with Elena! It wasn’t a telling text. It was something friends would send each other. But Kip had never mentioned any Scott before. No Scott except for Scott Hunter, captain of the New York Admirals.

George tried not to speculate about Kip’s love life, especially when he wasn’t sharing any information. But he’d known Kip for twenty-six years. He was well attuned to picking up the small pieces and puzzling them together, trying to learn everything he could about his son when he so often shared so much and yet nothing at all.

There had been the sudden interest in hockey—in the Admirals no less, when George had always been a staunch Scouts fan. The almost obsession with Captain Scott Hunter, waved off as interest after the man had come into Kip’s work several times as part of his new routine. And then there had been the games. George didn’t know any professional athlete who gave their smoothie barista their seats. He might have been able to ignore one game, might have chalked it up to hockey players and their odd superstitions. But one game had turned into two into three into four, and then George was sitting in some of the best seats in the house with his son.

Hunter’s injury at that game had been the final piece to the puzzle, Kip’s worry plain in his voice and his face, the way he’d run out of the house later that night talking about ice pack and x-rays. It didn’t take a genius to figure it all out, even with the lying and pretending nothing was happening.

Which left George staring down at Kip’s phone, at the text from Scott, as he grappled with the question of what to do next. Was it crossing a line? There was a reason the boys had been keeping this secret. He couldn’t imagine the backlash that would follow if an NHL player was outed as gay. Besides, maybe George was really just reading too far into it.

He remembered Kip’s face after Hunter had taken a puck to the stomach. He remembered his own worry after Margaret had broken her wrist. And he made his decision.

“George?” Margaret asked, hand on his elbow as she watched him type in Kip’s passcode. He’d picked up Kip and Margaret’s codes simply through proximity over the years, even Elena’s. He’d never thought he’d have a reason to need it. “Everything all right?”

George lifted his shoulder in a shrug as he pressed call on Scott’s contact, lifting the phone to his ear. As it rang, he flashed his wife a tight smile. “I’ll explain if I get an answer. Have you told Megan?”

Margaret bit her lip, guiding George back to their seats near the swinging double doors. “Not yet. I was waiting for something more definitive.”

The line went to voicemail. This is Scott Hunter, the familiar voice echoed through George’s ear. Sorry I missed your call. George hung up before the message finished, looking down at the phone in his hand. Well. There was no denying it now.

“You should call her,” he said. “Or I can. She’s not going to be happy if she finds out we didn’t tell her right away.”

Margaret sighed. “I suppose you’re right. I’ll call her and share what the nurse told us.” She shot George another look as he called again. “Who are you calling?”

He wouldn’t say the man’s name, not here in the middle of a crowded ER waiting room on a Saturday afternoon. But he leaned closer, letting her hear the automated voicemail message when it came through. She blinked hard, staring back at him as if trying to make sense of it. “I’m thinking of the wrong person, right?”

George shook his head, trying a third time. He should just leave a voicemail, but until he knew the actual scope of whatever their relationship was, he wouldn’t risk leaving that sort of information on Scott Hunter’s phone. Besides, this wasn’t the sort of information one wanted to find out through a voicemail. “No. I’m making a lot of guesses, but I’m pretty sure he’s who Kip’s been seeing a lot of.”

“Well.” Margaret rubbed at her chest, clenching her necklace between her fingers. “That’s certainly… well. I suppose we’ll have some questions for Kip.”

George snorted. “I’ll say. But we shouldn’t jump to conclusions. Especially considering who he is.”

Margaret nodded, squeezing the arm she still held. She tucked Elena’s purse onto the seat next to her before pulling out her own phone to call Megan, leaving George to keep trying Scott Hunter’s phone. He gave it a few minutes before trying a fourth time and once again receiving no response. He chewed the inside of his cheek, debating the best course of action. He’d try one more time, and then he would leave a text asking Scott to call him back. It was entirely possible Hunter was at practice or preparing for the game against the Voyageurs tonight. There was no use in calling endlessly.

He’d gotten so used to the answering machine that George was actually shocked when there was someone on the other end of the line. “Hey. Is everything all right?” George didn’t know how to respond, suddenly struck by the absurdity of this situation. He just blinked stupidly. The voice grew more concerned. “Kip? What’s wrong?”

Kip. This man knew his son, knew and likely cared for him. The worry in his voice was real. George had shared it just hours ago when Margaret called him with the same news. That alone was enough to confirm his suspicions. George squared his shoulders and pressed Kip’s phone closer to his ear. “Is this Scott?”

Carter didn’t say anything to Scott the entire drive, no matter that it took over an hour for the car to go out of the way over the Brooklyn Bridge to avoid the traffic still piled up. Their driver had chatted about the accident for a while, complaining about how fucked up the tunnel was because of it. Scott felt his shoulders grow tenser with each passing minute, knee bouncing uncontrollably, until Vaughn had finally leaned forward and distracted the driver with questions about his personal life.

Scott didn’t thank Carter enough for everything he did for him. How he dropped everything to help Scott, no questions asked, giving up his afternoon just to make sure Scott could make it across town without falling apart. He hadn’t pushed Scott for more information, hadn’t even tried to ask where he’d met these friends, friends that were not hockey players to otherwise tied up in this world.

After all of this settled down, he knew Carter and Bennett and Huff would all be pressing him for details. But they were respecting him now, giving him the space to work through everything until he could come up for air. He loved his friends. So much like brothers after all of these years.

The car had barely rolled to a stop outside of the emergency department at NYP Methodist before Scott was unbuckling and opening the door. He heard Carter thanking their driver behind him, but Scott was fully focused on getting into the building and finding Kip. Carter caught up with him before he got to the doors, pressing a hand to Scott’s back in a sign of comfort.

Scott had a moment to think about the fact that he should have grabbed a hat or sunglasses or something before striding into the ER of a Brooklyn hospital to find his boyfriend’s parents. He brushed off the fear a moment later. It didn’t matter. Let people point and stare and whisper, let them speculate and spread pictures online. Nothing mattered as much as Kip, not his sponsors, not the Cup, not hockey. He just wished it hadn’t taken a car accident to make him realize that.

Scott clenched his phone in his hand, letting Carter guide him further in. The front desk sat in front of them, lines of people waiting in front of the various stations. No one even looked over at them, too consumed with their own concerns. Carter led them past the lines and toward the waiting room. Had Vaughn been here before? Maybe Scott would remember to ask him one day.

“Do you see them?” Carter murmured as they stood in the entryway to the busy waiting room. Children, older adults, parents, college students, there was a vast assortment of people either waiting for loved ones or waiting to be called back. It was overwhelming in the way Madison Square Garden could be after a game.

Scott faltered, glancing down at the phone hidden in his large hand. “I’ve never…” he started, unsure of how best to end that sentence. Never met them? Never let their son tell them about me?

Carter didn’t seem to judge him for that unfinished statement. He just pressed closer to Scott’s shoulder, scanning the room. George Grady hadn’t texted Scott anything new, just sending him his number and his wife Margaret’s just in case. Scott tried to remember that was a good thing. He could send them a message now, let them know that he was here, but—

“There,” Carter said suddenly, pushing Scott forward and toward the far wall, right by the double doors to the rest of the emergency wing. Scott spotted them a moment later, the middle-aged man and woman rising to their feet by the doors, looking in their direction with drawn faces.

Scott saw Kip in the crease between Margaret’s brows, in the set of George’s shoulders, in the open love they held each other with. Scott inhaled shakily, suddenly grateful that Carter had insisted on coming with him. He didn’t know how he would have managed this on his own. Fuck, he owed Carter, like, a house or something.

“Mr. and Mrs. Grady?” Scott asked cautiously as they approached, trying to draw upon his networking personality from all of the charity events he had attended. It failed him almost immediately, nerves and worry competing for control instead.

Mr. Grady nodded, stretching out his hand. Scott shook it firmly, glad he could do that well at least. “Call me George.”

“Margaret,” Kip’s mom introduced herself, shaking Scott’s hand next.

Scott gave them a tight smile. “It’s nice to finally meet you. I’m Scott.” He cleared his throat, gesturing toward Vaughn at his side. “And this is my friend, Carter.”

Carter shook their hands next. “I’d say it’s a pleasure,” he said wryly, “but these aren’t the best situations, are they?”

George shook his head. “Not quite,” he replied, corner of his mouth curling up in an approximation of a smile.

“How are they?” Scott asked, also shocked for a moment to realize that that he really was as concerned about Elena as he was for Kip. Well, maybe not completely the same levels of worried.

Margaret glanced toward the doors. “We haven’t heard anything new. Last we heard, Elena was getting imaging done and Kip was going into surgery.”

“He fractured his wrist,” George hurried to say, perhaps sensing the way Scott’s heart dropped out of his ass. “He’s all right. It’s just a waiting game now.”

“Those are the worst,” Carter said. He glanced at Scott as if trying to read him. “Elena and Kip. Are they your kids?”

Margaret gestured toward the seats, pulling two empty ones closer so the four of them could sit. “No,” she said fondly. “We’ve known Elena most of her life, though, and once her parents moved out of the city she’s spent a lot more time with us. She’s Kip’s best friend from childhood. He is our son.”

“Kip,” Carter repeated, smiling around the name that he repeated again. “Kip. That’s adorable.”

“Short for Christopher,” Scott murmured, thinking of hazel eyes and calloused hands and shy smiles. “I never understood why. He doesn’t explain it very well.”

Margaret laughed slightly, sliding her hand into George’s. “To be honest, we’ve never really known why either. I had a great-uncle Christian who went by Kip, so we thought it translated. Very adorable.” She nodded to Carter, tired smile brightening her face.

Carter continued to chat with Margaret and George, drawing them into conversation as they sat in the waiting room. Scott should be doing the same. He should be trying to get to know his boyfriend’s parents, should be doing more than sitting here dumbly, staring at the doors that swung open often with the passage of nurses and discharged patients. But he couldn’t, not when his whole mind was overwhelmed by worry. He wouldn’t be all right until he saw Kip. He wouldn’t be able to breathe until he was at Kip’s side, positive he was safe and awake and alive.

Come on, Kip, he thought. I’m here. Be okay.

Scott wasn’t sure if he believed in God. His faith had been tested the day his mother died. But he knew he believed in Kip Grady. And that would have to be enough.

Chapter End Notes

Am I being very self-indulgent and making it so that Kip and I were born at the same hospital? Yes, because we're both March Pisces and I love him. So there.

George Grady i would die for you. More bonding with him and Margaret with their future son-in-law coming soon, never you worry. We just had to get through a bit more of the angst and foundational aspects first :D

Let me know what y'all thought! Until next time <3

Chapter 3

Chapter Notes

Scott blinked when Margaret leaned over and placed her hand on his forearm. He flushed when he realized she’d already said his name a few times. “Sorry.”

Margaret just smiled at him, squeezing his arm. “George is going to grab coffee. Would you like some?”

Scott looked up, finding George and Carter both standing from their chairs. Carter flashed him a reassuring smile. “That would be great. Thank you, sir.”

“Anything in it?”

“Nah,” Carter answered for him. “Scotty drinks it black. Weirdo.”

“Not my fault you can’t handle it,” Scott attempted to tease back, knowing his tone fell flat.

Carter just grinned. “Careful, Cap. You might get back and find I’ve launched a mutiny against you.”

“Good luck.” As always, Scott was thankful for Carter somehow always knowing what he needed. How did he do it?

Carter glanced down at his watch. “Speaking of, I really have to hit the road if I want to make it back before gameday traffic clogs up Manhattan. Listen, if any of you need anything at all, just give me a call, all right? I don’t live too far from here, so don’t hesitate. I’m happy to help.”

Scott pushed himself to his feet. He hesitated for a moment before reaching out to pull Carter into a hug. Carter squeezed him back just as tight, clapping him on the back. “You better win tonight,” Scott said.

“Against the Voyageurs? No question. Come on, Hunter, have a little more faith in your team.” Carter winked, holding Scott’s shoulder and searching his face for a long moment. “Benny’s also not too far from here, okay? And Huff won’t mind a call. Whatever’s going on, we’re here for you.”

“I know.” Scott swallowed past the lump in his throat. He’d been too scared to tell anyone that he was gay, not even his three closest friends on his team of ten years. Yet here they were, dropping everything to help him without a single question. No judgement, just support. Maybe there really hadn’t been a need to keep this secret so close to his chest for years and years. After this, he would sit down with them, no matter what else happened.

Carter turned, shaking the Gradys’ hands again. “It was great meeting you. I’m hoping for a quick recovery for Kip and Elena.”

“Thank you,” George said. He glanced to Scott, looking as if he wanted to say something. He held his tongue instead, simply nodding to Vaughn. “Can I grab you coffee or something for the road?”

Carter shook his head, smiling slightly. “Oh, no, I try not to have caffeine this close to a game. Gets me too jittery.” And with that, he waved to Scott and the Gradys before pulling out his phone and walking out of the waiting room, ignoring the stares of bored patients and families.

Mr. Grady followed in Carter’s wake, heading toward the coffee station on the far wall. Scott sat back down after a moment, bouncing his leg as he watched the double doors with the same intensity he usually reserved for the ice.

“He’s a nice man,” Margaret said, interrupting the spiral of Scott’s thoughts. “Have you known each other for a long time?”

She was definitely a mother used to reassuring anxious adult children. It worked, albeit only slightly. Focusing on Carter Vaughn helped to loosen the tension in Scott’s shoulders enough that he could lean back in his seat and meet her gaze instead of watching the nurses and doctors. “Yes, ma’am. Best friend I’ve ever had. We’ve been playing with each other for a while now.”

“So he’s like your Elena?” She wasn’t trying to pry, Scott knew that. She was simply trying to draw him out of his head and keep him in the present while also attempting to get to know the man who was with her son. Scott just wished it wasn’t so public. He couldn’t ignore the phones pointed his direction every other time he looked around.

Scott shrugged slightly. “Yes. But I… well. There’s a lot more we haven’t talked about than things we have.”

Margaret searched his face, eyes soft and warm. The wave of grief rising up within Scott was nearly enough to knock him to the floor. He wanted his mom. He wished she was there. “I understand.”

George chose that moment to return, three steaming cups of black coffee held within his hands. Scott rose to help him, passing Margaret hers before taking his own cup with quiet thanks. George sank back into his seat next to his wife, fixing Scott with a look, seeming as if he was ready to address what he had held back in front of Carter. “Are you not leaving with Vaughn?”

Scott tried for a smile, holding his hot coffee between his hands. “Coach benched me from the game today.” He tried to pitch his voice down, not trusting gossip not to spread from whatever he said here in this very public waiting room. “Said I’d be a liability on the ice if I tried to play.” He shrugged, taking a sip and nearly burning the roof of his mouth. “He’s probably right.”

“I’m surprised he permitted that.” George leaned back in his chair, studying Scott with a level of scrutiny he couldn’t remember since scouting days in high school. “Everything I know about your type is that you play no matter what.”

Scott snorted, taking another sip of coffee. “I’ve played with the flu before,” he agreed. “Bruised ribs, low grade concussion, sprained wrist, you name it. I’ve got a pretty high pain tolerance if it means I can keep playing. But, uh.” He cleared his throat, leaning in slightly as if it could prevent anyone else from hearing his vulnerability.

“I don’t know what you know about me, and I know how hard I’ve made it for—for you to learn much.” Scott faltered, Kip’s name or masculine pronouns sticking in his throat. Shame tried to bubble up within him, but Scott managed to push it down. No matter how open he wanted to be with the Gradys, he wouldn’t risk doing so in such a public place. He hoped they would understand.

“My, uh, my mom was killed in a car accident.” Scott looked down at his hands, unable to meet Margaret’s eyes as he spoke. “It was a long time ago, and really, I’m fine, it doesn’t bother me anymore but.” He lifted a shoulder in a small shrug. “I… didn’t have a great reaction to finding out that someone else I—”

There was a firm hand on his shoulder. Scott lifted his head, finding George looking right back. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize how difficult this was for you.”

Scott attempted a small smile. It failed almost immediately. “It was a long time ago,” Scott repeated. “It just… I wasn’t expecting something like that to ever come back. But it’s fine. Kip—Kip and Elena are good. They’re alive.”

“They’re alive,” Margaret agreed, laying her own hand on Scott’s knee. She squeezed slightly, giving him a smile. And—no wonder Kip had turned out so wonderful and compassionate and open to love. How could he be anything but with parents like his?

“Mr. and Mrs. Grady?”

The three of them were pulled from the moment as a nurse stepped into the waiting room, tablet in hand as she called out their names. Margaret was quick to rise to her feet, George and Scott only a pace behind her. The nurse nodded before turning back through the doors, motioning for them to follow. Scott hesitated for a moment, wondering if perhaps it would be best for him to wait until Kip asked to see him or he was actually invited back by—

George Grady looked over his shoulder, holding the door open for Scott. And with a deep breath, Scott followed.

The nurse led the three of them down the winding halls of the ED, not even batting an eye at Scott’s addition. She stopped in front of another set of double doors, the sign on the wall marked Recovery. “Christopher is out of surgery,” she said, glancing at her tablet before meeting their eyes, gaze traveling from one worried face to the next. “It went smoothly, no complications. He’s in the recovery room now as he comes out of anesthesia.”

“And Elena?” Margaret asked. “How is she?”

“Also doing fine. She’s already been set up in a room in general, they’ll both remain here for a few days under observation.” She glanced at Scott briefly. “We only allow immediate family or emergency contacts into the recovery room. I can take you up to see Elena in the meantime.”

Scott nodded. He’d only met her once, but he liked Elena, especially with how much Kip had told him about her throughout their weeks together. And it would give him time to talk all of this through with her; he desperately needed some advice here. He looked to the Gradys. “I can keep her company, let her know what’s going on with Kip.”

They looked cautious at first, obviously torn between joining their son and checking in on the woman they’d all but adopted. Scott gave them a reassuring smile, hoping it looked better than he felt. “He’s going to want to see you both.”

George blew out a breath before he nodded. “You’re right. Thank you. Tell Elena we’ll see her soon.”

The nurse tucked her tablet under her arm. “If you don’t mind waiting right here,” she said to Scott, “I’ll take you both to Christopher.”

Scott stood outside the ward, shifting his weight from foot to foot. He fought the urge to check his phone, knowing there would be messages from his team asking if he was all right or why the hell wasn’t he playing tonight? He also didn’t want to think about how long he had been here, how long since Kip and Elena had been hit, how long he had been spiraling and letting the terror build up and up and—

The nurse came back out by herself, flashing him a tired smile. “All right, if you’ll follow me, Mr. Hunter.”

It was only after they had gone a few paces that Scott realized he had never introduced himself to her. Here was yet another person who had recognized him, who knew that he was here at the hospital for Kip—and Elena. He didn’t need to spiral about what this might mean for his public perception. He wouldn’t allow himself to wonder what the tabloids would be saying about him. Hospital staff had privacy laws they had to abide by; this nurse wouldn’t start gossiping about him. He had to remember that.

Scott didn’t bother trying to remember the path she led him on. Hospitals were always far too convoluted for their own good. He just followed in her footsteps, keeping his head down and trying to avoid the gaze of the staff and visitors they passed. And then she was stopping in front of an open door, knocking on the doorframe and peaking her head around the curtain. “Hi, Ms. Elena. Are you feeling up to visitors?”

There was a distant response, muffled enough that Scott couldn’t make out her words. But the nurse pushed the curtain open slightly and nodded to Scott. “If you need us for anything, just use the call button, we’re right outside.”

Then she was gone, and Scott was left standing outside the door to Elena’s room. Doubt washed through his stomach, sickeningly strong and thick. He took a deep breath, attempting to shake those nerves away. It was visiting a friend in the hospital, nothing else. There was nothing odd or scary about this.

Scott stepped into Elena’s room, broad shoulders catching the edge of the curtain. Fixing that distracted him for a moment, pulling the fabric back over until it touched the opposite wall. And then he faced the room, lights dimmed and curtains drawn. Elena lay on the bed in the center of the room, head of the bed raised and pillows propped beneath her. Her right shoulder was in an immobilizer, forearm positioned across her stomach. Butterfly sutures were littered across her forehead, other scrapes and bruises scattered over her skin. Scott thought he saw ice packs pressed against her side and beneath the thin sheet pulled up over her lap.

Elena was frowning at him, the expression pulling at her sutures. “Scott?”

Scott gave her a small smile, crossing the room until he stood next to her bed. “Hi, Elena.”

Elena turned her head, resting her cheek against the pillows. “I must have hit my head harder than I thought. Cause there’s no way you’re here.”

He looked down at the floor, feet shifting slightly. Then he met her gaze again, smile still strained. “How are you?”

She snorted, then winced immediately. “How do you think?” Then Elena sighed, patting the bed by her thigh. “Come on, sit down. Hovering is making me anxious.”

Scott hesitated for a moment before lowering himself onto the edge of the bed by her legs. He watched her expression for any sign of pain or discomfort as his weight settled on the hospital bed, but she just turned to face him fully. Elena stared at him for a long time, eyes slightly unfocused. Scott tried for a smile again. “They got you on the good stuff, huh?”

“I dunno,” she said. “I don’t think I’d still feel like shit if that was the case.” She sighed, trying to brush her hair away from her face. The pulse monitor on her finger and the IV line in her forearm got in the way, and she made a soft sound of protest.

Scott shifted up the mattress until he was sitting by her hip, moving her arm into her lap. “Let me,” he murmured, taking care to pull her hair away from her sweat-soaked skin. His fingers felt thick and bulky, muscle memory coming back in slow waves. As he worked to untangle her long hair, he spoke quietly, feeling the need to cover the sound of the machinery around them.

“Kip’s all right, I think. His parents are with him. He just got out of surgery for a fractured wrist. I told them I’d come keep you company. They’re worried about you. You’re both really lucky, to have people who care about you that much. And they’re really great, they’re wonderful. It’s not hard to see how Kip became the man he is.”

As Scott rambled, he attempted to braid her hair back. His mom had always kept her hair short, but she’d still taught him the basics. He hadn’t had any reason to practice since 2003, and it was reflected in the loose braid that barely looked recognizable, but he hoped it was better than letting it get in her face.

It also meant that she couldn’t look at him properly, just out of the corner of her eyes. He focused on the long dark strands instead of the way she was looking at him. “But why are you here?” she finally asked, voice quiet to keep it from filtering out of the open door. “he didn’t make you his emergency contact, did he?”

“No,” Scott said softly, ignoring the pang of guilt twisting his stomach into knots. He loved this man so fucking much and he couldn’t even let him rely on him in emergencies. It wasn’t fair. It was all just so fucked. “George called me. I don’t… I don’t know how he figured us out, but I… I’m glad he did. I’m really fucking glad he did.”

He let her hair drop as he reached the end, the braid immediately unraveling as it laid against the raised head of the bed. But it remained pulled back away from her face, so he considered it a win. Besides, if it had been too tight, that probably would have hurt her head more, right? He shifted back slightly, still close to her but finally allowing her to look at him properly again.

Elena was studying him again with an intensity that made him want to duck his head. “I’m surprised you came,” she said, blunt and yet gentle. “After all the energy you’ve put into hiding.”

“I never would have forgiven myself.” Scott shook his head, fingers digging into his thighs. “It… it’s helped put a lot of things in perspective. God, that’s a shitty thing to say, isn’t it?”

“I don’t think so.” Elena stretched her hand out, placing her palm over his. She squeezed his hand slightly. “I never would have forgiven you either. And if all it took for you to get your shit together was for me to get banged up a bit, I’d do it again.”

Scott smiled slightly. “Let’s not, though.”

“Yeah, probably not.” Elena groaned, settling back against the mattress. She kept holding his hand, either for support or comfort. Scott turned his hand over, interlacing their fingers together. “I’m gonna kill the asshole who did this. And then Kip. Why’s he so big? Fucking crushed me against the door, that idiot. Never let me go on the teacup ride with him. Fuck, don’t let me go on it with you either. I think you’d kill me.”

Scott found himself laughing for the first time in hours. “I’m glad you’re okay.” He swallowed past the lump rising up in his throat, unable to ignore how tears prickled at the corners of his eyes. “I was… really fucking scared.”

Elena squeezed his hand again. “Going to take more than that to lay us out,” Elena said. Scott wasn’t sure what she knew about him, but the gentleness in her eyes made him think she probably knew exactly why this car accident had fucked him up so badly. “Besides, it’s giving us a chance to talk. That’s what you should be scared of.”

Scott laughed again, the sound tight and full of the emotion he couldn’t let himself process. “I want to know you better,” he said honestly. “I think we could be really great friends.”

“I keep my circle small,” she warned, smile playing on her lips. “Watch out. It’s an intense process with several rounds of interviews. You’ll need a good resumé and several references.”

“I’ve never applied to a job before.”

“Must be nice, Mr. Pro Athlete. Didn’t you go to college? And have to apply for those?”

Scott shrugged with a smile. “They wanted me for their hockey teams. I never really had to try.”

“Oh, look at you. Someone’s cocky.”

“Is it cocky or is it confident?”

Elena laughed, and then she winced, pressing a hand to her side. “Don’t make me laugh. That hurts.”

“You know,” he said, “I’ve never dislocated my shoulder. Gotten a lot of injuries, but never that one. So congrats, you beat me there.”

“You can take it,” she groaned. “I don’t want it.”

He laughed, shifting his weight on the bed to bring his thigh up fully. “I can’t miss more games. Missing tonight is bad enough.”

“You’re missing the game?” She frowned. “That’s going to be hard to explain.”

Scott just shook his head. “Doesn’t matter. Being here is more important.”

Elena stared at him for a long moment, eyes searching his. Then she smiled, closing her eyes and settling back against the pillows. “Talk to me, Scott,” she murmured. “Tell me why I should trust you with my Kip.”

And Scott did as she asked.

Chapter End Notes

Can you tell that it's my physical disabilities semester in grad school? Whoops. Sorry I will be making everything about occupational therapy if I can.

Scott and Elena are such a good duo and it's criminal that we haven't seen more of them. So I had to fix that. Obviously.

Scott and Kip coming next chapter don't worry :D I'll stop dragging this out eventually.

Hope y'all enjoyed! Let me know what you thought :) See you next time!

Chapter 4

Chapter Notes

Kip came awake to the sound of machinery beeping and whirring all around him, the feel of something tight against his left arm and scratchy sheets covering his legs, the taste of the worst cotton mouth he’d ever had in his life mixed with iron and something sharp. He groaned slightly, turning his head as if he could escape the various sensations overwhelming him. They crashed together, swirling tighter and tighter until all he knew was a dull ache radiating all over his body.

“Hey, baby.” Kip cracked an eye open, blinking hard as his vision swam. A hand touched his cheek, thumb rubbing softly over his cheekbone.

“Mom?” he rasped.

Mom sat on the bed next to him, touch gentle as she stroked his face. “How are you feeling?” she murmured, scooching a little closer as her other hand came to rest on his thigh, rubbing small circles into his tense and bruised muscles. Kip felt himself melt a little further into the bed, closing his eyes again. “Any headache?”

Kip started to shake his head, immediately wincing at the spike of pain in his skull. Mom made a soft sound. “I think that answered my question.” She kept her voice soft, fingers dancing gently over his skin as she avoided sore spots. “I’ll let the nurse know you’re awake. I think they want to do a check now that you’re not so loopy,” she teased.

The memory filtered back to Kip then, fuzzy around the edges but clear in the center. He’d woken up earlier, tired and barely able to focus. Mom had been there. Dad too. They’d walked with him as the staff had transported him from that room to the one he was in now. He’d asked them about Elena.

Speaking of. “Elena?” he asked, voice louder than he intended. Mom shushed him gently, looking across the room for a moment with a soft smile. Kip didn’t have the energy to decipher that. “Is she okay?” Kip asked in something closer to a whisper.

“She’s all right,” Mom soothed, hand combing lightly through his hair. “Dad’s with her now. Neither of you should be out of bed right now, but maybe tomorrow they’ll let you see each other.”

Kip nodded slowly, ignoring the ache in the back of his head. He shifted on the mattress, frowning when his legs felt heavy and trapped beneath the sheet. He couldn’t remember much between being in the ambulance and right now, most of those moments distorted with pain and medications, but more of what he and his parents had talked about after he’d gotten out of surgery was beginning to come back to him.

I need my phone, Kip had groaned, fighting to get the words out through the heavy fatigue and the dryness in his mouth. I have to… I have to tell…

He knows, Dad had answered, hand steady on Kip’s shin. Don’t worry, I told him.

I was supposed to see him. He’s gonna worry.

It’s okay, buddy. He knows you’re okay.

That memory replayed in his mind as he looked down the bed to find the source of what was pinning his legs in place. Kip’s breath caught in his throat, and not even the sight of the bandages wrapped around his left arm was enough to tear his eyes away. Mom squeezed his thigh gently. “Poor thing,” she whispered, wearing the same fond smile she typically only reserved for Megan or Kip. “He’s been worried sick since your dad called him. I think he exhausted himself stressing over you.”

Kip swallowed, corners of his eyes prickling. Scott sat at Kip’s right side, arms folded on the bed by his legs and head turned toward Kip. His brows were furrowed, hand stretched just barely toward Kip’s. He was wearing his Admirals hoodie that he always wore after morning practice, hair mussed and mouth slightly open. Scott was here, here in Kip’s hospital room looking smaller than he ever had before, waiting for Kip to wake-up, desperate to know if he was okay.

“He’s gotta get to his game,” Kip murmured, hand twitching on top of the sheets with the urge to reach out and touch his boyfriend. “He’s gonna be late.”

“Oh, sweetie.” Mom cradled his cheek, making him look at her. “He’s not going. He’s staying here with you.” Kip swallowed hard again, deciding to blame the drugs and adrenaline still coursing through his system for the way his vision started to blur. Mom tilted his head, pressing a kiss to his forehead. “I’ll let him explain. It’s getting late, so we’ll probably have to head out soon. I’ll ask the nurses if they can wait until after we leave, all right?”

Kip nodded slightly, eyes already drifting back to Scott. Mom rose to her feet with that same small smile. “I love you,” he said, looking at Scott but knowing that his mom understood it was for her.

“I love you, sweetheart.” He glanced at the door, watching as she moved the curtain and left the two of them alone. He could hear sounds drifting in from the open door, a reminder that they didn’t have the privacy they wanted for whatever conversation came next. Then again, Scott was here. In public. Asleep at Kip’s bedside. There were platonic explanations for everything, of course, but Scott’s fear was usually too strong to listen to reason.

Yet here he was.

Kip slid his hand down the mattress until he could put his hand over Scott’s. He shifted his legs at the same time, jostling his boyfriend just slightly. “Hey,” Kip said, voice still a thick rasp through his Brooklyn accent and fatigue. “Scott.”

Scott made a soft sound of protest, that same quiet noise he would make when Kip kissed him goodbye at ungodly hours before work. He lifted his head, eyes blinking blearily at Kip as his thoughts spun and reminded him of what was going on. Kip smiled down at him, squeezing Scott’s hand gently enough to not disturb the IV line connected to the back of his own hand. “Morning, Sleeping Beauty,” he teased, fondness and exhaustion combining in a way that almost made his words slur together.

Scott blinked at him once more before his expression shifted all at once. He grabbed Kip’s hand, overly cautious of the lines and bandages littered over Kip’s body. There was that serious intensity, emotion playing out on every inch of his face. Scott opened his mouth as if to speak, but the words stalled in his throat.

Kip blinked back tears, squeezing Scott’s hand tightly. “I’m okay,” he whispered, understanding just how much Scott needed that reassurance in this moment. “I’m okay, Scott.”

“Kip.” Scott’s voice caught, as wrecked as Kip had ever heard him. He pulled his chair closer, both of his large hands wrapping around Kip’s. “I was… I mean. Fuck.” His face crumbled the longer he looked at Kip, the weight of the last day finally crashing over him. Scott dropped his head, squeezing Kip’s hand harder than Kip expected. “You’re okay?”

“I’m okay,” Kip agreed, trying to cup Scott’s face with his left hand. He didn’t make it very far before pain shot up his arm. He made a sound somewhere between a groan and a whine, lowering his arm back to the mattress and biting his lower lip. Scott tensed, head lifting just enough to take in Kip’s entire body. “I’m okay,” Kip said again, trying to hide the aching discomfort that was beginning to spread all throughout his limbs.

Scott didn’t seem to buy it. His eyes searched Kip’s face, hands loosening their hold. Kip couldn’t let the quiet stretch between them any longer, not when Scott looked moments away from breaking apart completely. “All right. I willbe okay. You know that.”

“I know,” Scott whispered, somehow pressing even closer while keeping a distance between them as if to keep from causing Kip more pain. “It’s not like I haven’t ended up in the hospital too.”

“Now you know how I feel,” Kip said, turning his hand slightly so he could rub his thumb against Scott’s. “You’re getting a taste of what the WAGs go through.”

Scott tried to respond with a smile, tried to be brave for Kip. He tried so hard. But tears began to well in his eyes, chin wavering and brows pinching together. Kip squeezed his hand, trying to convey every ounce of his love for Scott into that one gesture. Scott’s breath hitched, and then he sagged forward, head dropping into Kip’s lap as his shoulders began to shake.

Kip laid his hand on the back of Scott’s head, fingers tangling in his hair in an attempt to ground Scott. Scott trembled, arm wrapping around Kip’s thighs to hold him in place. He was gentle, as if scared one wrong touch would hurt Kip more than he was already. As if Scott could ever hurt Kip in any way that could scar.

“I’m sorry,” Scott whispered, voice muffled and choked with grief. “I’m sorry, I’m just… I was so fucking scared. Kip—”

Kip just shushed him, continuing to card his fingers through Scott’s hair. He sniffed, wincing as tears slipped down his face and stung in open scrapes. He found he didn’t mind, not when the alternative could have been so much worse.

Scott shook apart in Kip’s lap for long moments, fingers twisting tight in the sheets as he held Kip close without holding him too firmly. Kip kept his hand in Scott’s hair, the other resting over Scott’s hand on the mattress. His left forearm and wrist were wrapped tightly in bandages and gauze, an external fixator holding his wrist in place. He was pretty sure it was broken. His ribs ached every time he breathed in too deeply, his head pounded so hard he thought his eyes might pop from the pressure, and his entire left side felt bruised and raw.

But as shitty as he felt, as horrible a situation as this was, Kip couldn’t help the thrill of having Scott in his arms, here in the hospital with Kip, uncaring of who saw them together. Scott had met his parents. Holy shit. Dad had called Scott, had figured them out somehow and called Scott to tell him what was going on, and Scott had come. Scott was missing his game. He was here, missing his game and waiting with Kip’s parents, trying not to cry as he held him.

Fuck. Kip loved this man. He loved him more than anything. And after so long of worrying and struggling with doubt and shame, he finally knew for certain that Scott loved him more than anything too.

That all-encompassing love. It was a heady sensation. Intense enough that Kip’s chest tightened even more, bruised ribs unable to hold back the love pouring into and out of his heart in a confusing storm too big to contain within himself.

He sucked in a breath, trying to keep it shallow enough not to hurt. Kip laid his head against the back of the mattress, fingers combing through Scott’s hair as his boyfriend started to settle back into himself. Scott shifted, turning his head slightly so it was no longer completely buried in Kip’s lap. His cheek ended up pressed against Kip’s thigh, eyes red-rimmed and sheepish.

Kip just smiled down at him, so unbelievable fond that the pain didn’t matter much anymore. “I love you,” he whispered, voice so quiet he might as well have just mouthed the words.

Scott slid his hand into Kip’s again, squeezing gently. “I love you too,” he murmured, words curling around Kip’s aches and pains and soothing his heated skin. “Sorry. I’m supposed to be the one comforting you.”

Kip bounced his thigh slightly just to jostle Scott and make him smile. “That’s the trauma response, sweetheart. It doesn’t make sense.”

Scott snorted slightly, turning his head so he could press a kiss against the crux of Kip’s thigh. Then he pushed himself back up, his right arm still draped across Kip’s legs. He tried for a wry smile, this time with a little more success than before. “I guess not. I’ve been… it’s been a lot. Waiting to see you.”

“While I’ve just been sleeping for hours,” Kip said with a dramatic sigh. “What a bad boyfriend I am.”

“Don’t,” Scott whispered, thumb rubbing circles into Kip’s thigh. “I’ve been worse. If your dad hadn’t figured us out, I would’ve had no idea what happened to you and you would’ve been here alone and—”

“You’re here,” Kip interrupted, gaze locked on Scott’s. Kip thought he had seen most of Scott’s moods by now, two months into this thing of theirs that had been anything but normal. This one, the guilt and shame and self-frustration mixing with the intense love that was uniquely Scott’s, it was reminiscent of how Scott had felt after their failed date at the Met. It was just so much stronger. “Stop that. We can talk about everything later, okay? But you’re here. You came. And that’s everything, okay?”

“Okay.” Scott kept searching Kip’s face, shy and unsure and still so, so scared.

Kip smiled gently, wishing he could cradle Scott’s cheek or kiss him or let him tuck Kip against his side until all of his fear of losing Kip melted away. He settled for shifting his weight on the mattress, squeezing Scott’s hand again and ignoring the ache in his bones. “When did—when did my dad call you?”

“Right after practice,” Scott murmured. “Haven’t really talked to them about it. There’s, uh, not been a good opportunity, really.”

“I wonder why,” Kip said with a teasing smile. He gestured around the hospital room with his left hand, cursing a moment later as pain shot up his arm. Scott tensed, glancing toward the door as if considering calling out for the nursing staff. “Hey, I’m fine.”

“You’re not, though,” Scott argued, shoulders growing tight and eyes starting to gain that faraway look once again. “Maybe I should—"

“Scott.” Kip tried to be firm, knowing that his exhaustion and pain weakened the strength of his voice. Scott relaxed all the same, pressing his hand against Kip’s opposite hip as if he could wrap himself entirely around Kip.

“I’m sorry,” Scott whispered, shifting his chair even closer so he could lean forward and press his forehead to Kip’s right arm, being careful not to put weight against Kip’s ribs. “I don’t know what to do.”

Kip ran his fingers through Scott’s hair once again. “You’re here,” he said simply. “That’s… that’s more than I expected.”

Scott sucked in a shuddering breath. “I don’t care anymore. I don’t care if the whole fucking world finds out. Not being able to tell Coach or my friends why I was so—they saw me falling apart and—” He took a sharp breath, resetting himself. Then he sat up, still as close as he could be. “I want to tell them. The people that matter. Everyone. I want to be your emergency contact. I want to know your parents. I want to know your friends. I want to be a part of your life, Kip, not forcing you to hide in mine.”

Kip swallowed hard, eyes prickling as Scott stared at him with those intense blue eyes that always saw more than Kip expected. His head hurt too much to cry, his chest ached too much to contain the swelling of his heart. “My mom’s always been my emergency contact,” he teased, voice too thick to sound anything but pathetically infatuated. “You’ll have to fight her for that.”

“Margaret would win,” Scott said softly, thumbs rubbing gentle circles into Kip’s skin.

“Yeah.” Kip swallowed again, wishing he could fold himself into Scott’s arms without his entire body revolting. “I want that too,” he finally said. “I want to meet your friends. Want people to know that I'm yours."

"And I'm yours," Scott agreed. "Only ever yours."

"Fuck, don't make me cry right now.”

Scott raised his hand, brushing his fingertips across Kip’s cheek. Kip leaned into the touch, kissing the thumb that traced his bottom lip.

There was a knock at the door that interrupted them before they could get any further than that. Scott jerked back, hands dropping away from Kip as he looked toward the curtain covering the open doorway. It didn’t sting Kip like it might’ve a week ago. Not after all they’d talked about. Not when Kip felt that they were finally on the same page.

The curtain was pulled away slightly, and then Kip’s parents were peeking in. Dad smiled in relief when he saw Kip. “Hey, buddy. How’re you feeling?”

“Like shit,” Kip answered.

“Elena said the same,” Scott said with a smile. He glanced at Kip’s parents. “Out of time, then?”

“Yeah,” Mom said regretfully. She and Dad came further into the room, Mom leaning down to press a kiss to Kip’s forehead. “Visiting hours are up. We’ve got to go, sweetie, but we’ll be back in the morning, okay?”

“Okay.” Dad traded places with Mom so he could put a hand on Kip’s shoulder, squeezing lightly. Kip smiled up at him, closing his eyes against the bright lights. “Thanks for taking care of me.”

“Any time, buddy. That’s what we’re here for.”

And then Scott was rising to his feet at Kip’s other side, towering over everyone else in the room. He’d always had that presence that made Kip unable to look anywhere else. “You’ll be all right?” he asked, voice gentle as it caressed Kip’s skin.

“I’ll be all right,” Kip agreed. “Sorry. I ruined your day off tomorrow.”

Scott shook his head, reaching down to take Kip’s hand again. Kip couldn’t ignore the thrill it sent down his arm, Scott doing this in front of his parents. In front of absolutely anyone at all. “I’ll be spending it with you,” Scott said simply. “That’s all that matters.”

Kip smiled, feeling loopy in a way that he was certain had nothing to do with the drugs. “Get out of here. I’ll see you tomorrow..”

Scott nodded. He didn’t let go of Kip’s hand. He stared down, thoughts whirring behind his eyes. Kip squeezed his hand tight, understanding all of the words that Scott couldn’t say.

But then he did say it. “I love you,” he said, gaze intent on Kip’s face. He didn’t shout it, but he didn’t dampen his tone either. The thin curtain wouldn’t hide his words from anyone in the hall. And Scott had said it anyway.

A smile spread slowly across Kip’s face, disbelief and adoration splitting his expression in two. “I love you too,” he said, reveling in the sensation of getting to say those words aloud in a space that was not Scott’s apartment.

Scott laughed slightly, eyes wide and small smile breaking through as if he couldn’t believe it either. Kip bit his lip, trying to keep back the infatuated giggle that threatened to break out. He squeezed Scott’s hand tight. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Hunter.”

“Tomorrow,” Scott agreed. His cheeks flushed as he looked up and found Kip’s parents watching them, Dad hiding a smile and Mom’s eyes bright. Scott let go of Kip’s hand for the last time, finally taking a step back.

“Bye,” Kip called to the three of them, turning his head to watch them go. He always did like watching Scott walk away, but he wasn’t going to admit that in front of his parents.

“Get some rest, sweetheart,” Mom said in return. “We love you.”

“Love you.” Kip stared at the curtains even after they were all gone, letting the lovesick smile remain on his face until a nurse came in, kind and reassuring as she checked on him and filled him in on everything he’d been too tired to process earlier. Even then, Kip couldn’t stop his mind from staying on Scott, the one bright moment in this hellish day. God, he loved that man. He loved him more than he thought humanely possible.

Things had been hard. They’d been getting more difficult for Kip to pretend like it didn’t bother him to hide. But here was Scott showing that he loved him Kip more than he feared retaliation from the public. And that was everything. They could figure out everything else later.

For now, Kip fell asleep to reassurances that Elena was just fine and the memory of Scott holding his hand, a smile warm on his lips.

Chapter End Notes

School got so hard out of nowhere so sorry this update took me a while, but I had to do them justice :D

SCOTT AND KIP! Finally them together <3 They mean so much to me, I can't stand it. Hopefully y'all love them as much as I do <33

I don't know how long this fic will be, but rest assured updates will keep coming, even if it takes longer than I want.

Let me know what y'all thought! Until next time <33

Chapter 5

Chapter Notes

Scott followed George and Maragret out of the hospital, fighting the urge to duck his head or pull his hood up as they passed staff and other leaving visitors. There had been a shift change while Scott had slept at Kip’s bedside, and now new faces and phones were turning toward him. He tried to ignore it. He didn’t do a great job of it, shoulders creeping up higher the longer they walked.

But then Margaret was there, hanging back a pace so she could press herself along Scott’s side, incorporating him into their family rather than let him trail behind. She wasn’t a tall woman, but her presence at his side was enough to give him strength. George mirrored his wife after a moment, the pair of them flanking Scott as they walked.

“I’m sorry,” Scott murmured. “This isn’t fair to either of you.”

Margaret wrapped her hand around Scott’s, almost leaning on him for support. “It’s not a contest,” she replied. “It’s a hospital, not a public arena.”

Scott swallowed back the words that longed to pour out. This is why I’ve kept Kip a secret. He’ll never know peace. He deserves more. This is why I make him hide away. It’s not fair. It’s never been fair. But this is my life.

It had always been easier to simply not have a private life rather than attempt to hide it from the public eye. He had his getaways to Europe, but nothing else about his life was just his. Nothing until Kip, anyway. And now for the first time… now he was finally beginning to consider just how much it may be worth it to let go of that secrecy, to subject himself to the focus of the public so long as it meant loving his boyfriend without having to hide.

It wasn’t a thought for today, not when his heart still ached in his chest and his head couldn’t yet acknowledge the fact that Kip—and Elena—were okay. He had always been controlled by fear, had always lived his life by the standards the hockey world had put in place. He’d just never expected to find something he feared even more than losing hockey.

And then they made it outside, Margaret’s arm still wrapped around Scott’s as George led them further outside into the cold Brooklyn night. Scott let out a shuddering breath, slipping a hand into his back pocket to find his phone. He swiped away notifications about the Admirals game. He didn’t want to know the score during the second period. He would just guilt himself further for not being there.

“Do you have a ride?” Scott asked, watching his breath billow out in opaque clouds. “I can call you a car, it’s the least I can do.”

“That’s all right, son,” George said with an odd smile on his face. “I drove here. We’ll be fine.”

Margaret released Scott’s arm, stepping slightly in front of him to look at him properly. The three of them stood beneath the light of a streetlamp on the sidewalk by NYP Methodist, the city moving on all around them. Scott shoved his hands in his pockets, trying not to shiver as the cold wind wormed its way around his neckline and across his skin.

“And what about you, Scott?” Margaret crossed her arms, shoulders hunching against the chill.

Scott frowned. “I’ll call a car. It’s early enough, I should be able to beat most of the game-day traffic.” He took a deep breath, rolling his shoulders and burying himself further in his hoodie. “Visiting hours open at eight, right? I’ll see you both then.”

George and Margaret exchanged a look, one that Scott had no idea how to read. The casual intimacy of decades spent together. Scott envied them more than he realized. “Your friend Carter said he lives nearby, didn’t he?” George said slowly. “Might be easier than going all the way back to Manhattan.”

Scott just shook his head. “There’s still a few hours until he’ll get home after the game. I’ll just head back to my apartment. It’s fine, really. Worth it. For him. Them.” He flushed slightly at the stilted words stumbling out of him. “Don’t worry about me, ma’am,” he finished lamely.

“Oh, honey.” Margaret looked one moment away from putting her hand on his arm again. “Of course I’m going to worry about you. Especially after the day we’ve all had. I don’t like the thought of you being alone.”

Scott felt a lump rising in his throat, uncertain how to process these emotions battling within his chest. She barely knew him, had only spent the latter half of the day sitting with him in a hospital where he was terrible at conversation and falling apart at the seams. And yet…

“I’m used to it,” he said, soft words evaporating into the night in a billow of heated air. He tried to give Kip’s parents a tight smile. He didn’t think he did a great job.

Margaret and George shared another look. George cleared his throat, gesturing toward the parking garage at the end of the block. “I’ll, uh, I’ll go get the car.”

“Let me pay your parking,” Scott said instinctively. “It’s the least I can do. After everything you’ve done for me today.”

Margaret tilted her head, looking up at him with a glint in her eyes that Scott had seen multiple times before. That was the same look Kip got before he dug his heels in and became stubborn about something. When he was determined to argue with Scott, to make him see sense despite the fucked up walls he’d built up around himself.

“Come home with us.” Scott blinked. Of all of the things he’d expected her to say, that was not one. Margaret gave him a smile. “We’re all coming back here in the morning. It would save you time. And it would give us time to get to know each other a little better, don’t you think?”

She made a good point. Scott couldn’t deny that. He felt himself wavering, wanting to give in to Kip’s mother who so obviously wanted to comfort him. But he’d spent so long alone, and it would probably be awkward being in their home without Kip there, and what if the boys wanted to stop by after the game—

George made the decision for him. “Only way I’ll let you pay for our parking is if you come back with us,” he said, corner of his mouth twitching. “Up to you.”

New York was the city that never slept, but out here in Brooklyn it felt like more of an eternal twilight, suburbs full of normal lives disconnected from the mayhem just a few miles away.

His team was playing those few miles away. Scott didn’t want to think about his teammates, the guys he was abandoning tonight to be here at his boyfriend’s parents’ house. Selfish. He was being so incredibly selfish. Then again, didn’t he deserve it after so much of his life given up to this game?

Scott hovered in the kitchen, unsure of what to do with himself as Margaret and George moved around, settling back into their home after a long day of stress and worry and pain. He tried not to gawk, to not stare and take in every detail of the home as he could. But there were pieces of Kip everywhere, and Scott wanted to inhale them all. He was beginning to realize just how much Kip had been holding himself back in Scott’s apartment.

“We’ve got some leftovers from the other night,” Margaret said, drawing Scott’s attention. He blinked, looking at Margaret as she looked back at him, question in her eyes. She stood in front of the open fridge, obviously waiting for his opinion. Scott blinked again.

“Oh,” he said lamely. “I’m… I’m all right. Thank you.”

Margaret stared at him for a moment longer before she turned back to the fridge and started pulling out glass containers. Scott started to protest again but she just pointed her finger at him. “We’ve all been at that hospital for hours, and I know for a fact you haven’t had anything but coffee since you arrived. You don’t have to eat much, but you do have to eat something.”

“Rules of the house,” George agreed, stepping around his wife easily with a touch against her back. “There’s chicken parm, meatloaf, or some pasta salad Kip and Elena made last night.” He pushed a container toward Scott with a knowing look. Scott picked up the pasta salad, stomach twisting into knots. Margaret grabbed him a bowl while George began to heat up his own dinner.

Scott followed Kip’s parents to the small table shoved into the corner of the kitchen, four chairs squeezed in around two of the sides. He was fairly certain they had a dining room, almost positive he had glimpsed one past the living room, but he was glad for the informality of the kitchen. It reminded him of nights with his mother, doing homework at the table while she cooked for him before she was off to work. She’d always done so much for him. Scott wished he had been able to do the same for her.

Dinner was quiet but not awkward. George and Margaret talked, soft words about Kip or his sister Megan who was apparently texting every hour for updates or whether they should call Elena’s parents or wait until the morning. Scott was content to sit against the wall, enjoying the pasta salad that Kip refused to share the recipe for and soaking up every bit of the Gradys that he could.

“You came right from practice today, right?” George asked, breaking through Scott’s quiet.

He cleared his throat, setting his fork down. “Yes, sir. That’s why I missed your first few calls. Only noticed when one of the kids pointed out that my phone was ringing.”

“One of the kids?” Margaret watched him, warm focus so overwhelming that Scott nearly had to look away.

“Rookies,” Scott explained. This he could do. He was used to explaining the lingo and tricks of his trade to those who only had a peripheral understanding of hockey. None of those people had ever looked at him so earnestly, though. “Sometimes we get some real young kids, eighteen or nineteen. Rare that they’re that young, though.”

She braced her forearms on the table as she leaned closer, eyes sharing that bright look that Kip got when Scott finally opened up. “You weren’t that young when you joined, right?”

Scott shook his head. “No, ma’am, I was drafted after college. Been playing for the Admirals ever since.”

“And somehow you met Kip along the way.”

Scott felt the corner of his mouth curve up in a small smile. “Yes,” he said, so much love in that single word. “I stopped in at Straw+Berry after a run. He was asleep behind the counter.” And then he was beaming down into his pasta salad, unable to hold it back. “I kept coming back.”

George was watching Scott with an understanding look. Scott blushed, suddenly shy. Here he was, sitting in his boyfriend’s parent’s kitchen, talking to them—talking to someone that wasn’t Kip or Elena—about how he’d met Kip all those weeks ago. About how much he loved Kip. It was a heady sensation. Why had he been scared of this for so very long? How could he have denied Kip this?

Maybe it couldn’t be that surprising when Scott had never gotten this himself. Never got the chance to tell his mom who he really was; he hadn’t figured it out himself until after she was gone. Had never told anyone beyond his few partners in Europe and Kip. But here he was. And the world hadn’t ended.

Not yet, anyway.

“We won’t pry,” George said after a heartbeat, smiling softly as he shared yet another look with Margaret. “Probably a conversation you’ll want to have with Kip here, yeah?”

Scott nodded, face still feeling hot. But for once he didn’t take the easy out. “I love him,” Scott murmured, the words loud and right in Kip’s childhood home. “I haven’t always done right by him. I know that. I won’t make excuses. But… he gives me strength. Courage. And thinking I could have lost him today, that was more terrifying that everything else I’ve been afraid of. I want to love him out loud.”

Margaret’s eyes were bright as she placed her hand over his. She didn’t say a word, just squeezed Scott’s hand hard before she rose to her feet, collecting dishes to carry to the sink. George rose a moment later with a nod to Scott. It felt like encouragement, like Kip’s parents were accepting of his relationship with their son. Like they were ready to welcome him into their family with open arms.

Scott remained at the table for a few moments longer, trying to collect himself and not fall to pieces in the Gradys’ kitchen after what was truly nothing more than simple kindness. They barely knew him—Scott had seen to that—but they weren’t fazed by his presence for a moment. They took it all in stride. He would need to find a way to repay them someday.

For now he rose to his feet, feeling overly large and out of place. Margaret came to stand in front of him, examining his face as if looking for something only she knew. And then, moving slowly enough that he could pull away if he wanted to, Margaret pulled Scott into a hug. It was quick, no more than a few seconds. Scott’s skin burned and prickled as he let himself hug her back. She smelled like the hospital and faintly of something floral. Sarah had always smelled of pine and the supermarket. It wasn’t similar, not at all, but it sent him back in time all the same. Back to when he’d had a mother of his own to hold him when everything got to be too much.

“I’m glad to have met you, Scott,” she said into his neck, breath warm enough to send a chill down his spine. “And I’m glad Kip has someone like you.” Margaret was good enough not to comment on the shine in his eyes as she stepped back. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Goodnight.” Scott dipped his head, swallowing hard against the wave of words and tangled emotions that threatened to spill out of his throat.

George remained behind as his wife disappeared further into the house. He studied Scott in a way that made him almost feel small in his Admirals hoodie. “You can sleep on the couch if you’re more comfortable with that,” George finally said. “But Kip’s room is just upstairs.”

Scott didn’t know what to say. So he nodded instead. George returned the nod before turning and gesturing for Scott to follow him. Scott trailed behind him through the dark house, taking in what pieces of Kip and his family that he could. The stairs creaked underfoot, not loud but familiar somehow. At the top of the stairs, George pointed down the hall at two sets of doors. “Kip’s on the left. Bathroom’s down by our room. There should be a light on in there so you can find it.”

George smiled slightly. “I’d offer you a change of clothes, but I don’t think we have anything that would fit you.”

Scott snorted. “That’s all right, sir. I’ll make do. Thank you.”

George clapped Scott on the shoulder. “Get some rest, son. It’s been a hard day for all of us.”

“Yes sir.”

Scott watched George depart down the opposite side of the hallway. Then he squared his shoulders and turned toward the door to Kip’s room.

From the old band posters on the wall to the books shoved into every spare corner to the college diploma tossed carelessly on the cheap desk, the entire room screamed Kip in ways that Scott hadn’t even known about. His hungry eyes swept across the room, learning so much more about the man he loved just from standing in his childhood bedroom.

His bones and his muscles carried the weary exhaustion of the day, but his mind was still too frazzled to calm down. Scott sighed, slowly sinking onto the edge of the small twin bed pushed against the wall. It creaked as his weight settled. And then the silence became oppressive, Scott sitting alone in Kip’s bedroom, his boyfriend several miles away laid up in the hospital.

Kip should be here. He should be pointing out all of the knick-knacks in his room and where he’d gotten them. He should be complaining about the small bed even as Scott pushed him into the mattress and kissed him until the bedframe creaked obnoxiously loud and neither of them could stifle their laughter. He should be running his hands through Scott’s hair and whispering stories from his childhood while Scott laid his head on Kip’s chest and listened to his heart beat.

Images of Kip in that hospital room flashed through his mind, limp and pale beneath white sheets, wrist bound tightly by thick bandages and a brace, face littered with small sutures and bruises. His unsteady gaze and tired expression. Elena’s right side covered by that immobilizer. Sitting with the Gradys for hours in that sterile waiting room. Elena’s cautious surprise that he’d even shown up. Pressing his forehead to the mattress by Kip’s unconscious body, silently begging for him to wake up and just look at him.

Kip’s tight grip on Scott’s hand. The comforting strength of his legs as he pulled Scott closer. Elena’s warm assessment as she watched him ramble. Her teasing tone and soft eyes. Kip’s delighted smile when they said they loved each other. Scott let those memories wash away the lingering fear and tension, focusing on the brightness and warmth Kip and Elena had helped him find again.

Four counts in, six counts out. Scott counted as he breathed, trying to steady himself as he braced his head in his hands. He sat there for a long time, remembering how to breathe without that anxiety knotting his chest into a solid mass. Kip was okay. Elena was okay. They would both make a full recovery. They were okay.

Figuring he already felt shitty enough, Scott fished out his phone from his back pocket. Turning his phone off of silent, he watched as notifications poured in. Some were from his teammates, wondering where the hell he was and hoping he wouldn’t be out for long if he wanted the Admirals to have a good chance in the playoffs soon. He ignored emails from Todd, not wanting to deal with his agent tonight. Most of the alerts were about the game against Montreal; the Admirals had lost 3-6 after a hat trick from Hollander and several well-timed assists from Pike.

Scott tried not to let the guilt roiling in his stomach completely overwhelm him. He was one man. He wasn’t responsible for how his team performed, not entirely. Maybe he would have made a difference tonight, but Scott had a sneaking suspicion that he probably would’ve fucked up enough that the margin they’d lost by would’ve been worse.

He shook his head, trying to shake those thoughts away. Spiraling wouldn’t change anything. He hadn’t been with his team tonight, but he’d been with Kip. He couldn’t feel bad about that. He wouldn’t.

Scott sighed again, falling back so he lay flat on Kip’s bed, holding his phone above his head as he scrolled through his messages in search of the right thread. He was so tired, just wanted to forget the stress of the day. But he had a duty to see to first.

He didn’t have a group chat with Carter, Eric, and Greg—they saw each other often enough that they never really saw the need to text outside of hockey. He’d reach out to Bennett and Huff tomorrow to thank them for their help today and maybe to see how much Carter had told them about the Gradys. But they both had families waiting for them at home, and Scott didn’t feel like bearing his fragile thoughts to more than one person tonight. So he found Carter’s contact instead, thankful that his friends seemed to be waiting for him to reach out first.

Scott [10:29 PM]
Good game. Wish I’d been there.

Carter Vaughn (Admirals) [10:30 PM]
Shut up
It was a hard game Hollander was
on one tonight
Is it just me or has he been playing
different since AS???
No one blames you dude and if they
do ill deal with them myself
Are u home???

Scott [10:32 PM]
You’re right, he seems a lot more
comfortable in his own skin. Wonder
what his secret is

Carter Vaughn (Admirals) [10:32 PM]
Think hell share if we ask???

Scott [10:33 PM]
Not a chance
Tell Huff he’s a fucking menace
But that pass in the third period was
a mess it’s like he hasn’t won 4 cups
before
I know he hasn’t centered in a while
but if he keeps fumbling assists like
that I’ll make sure he never does again

Carter Vaughn (Admirals) [10:35 PM]
fuck man now I owe Benny $50

Scott [10:36 PM]
I thought Gloria told you to stop
making shit bets you can’t win

Carter Vaughn (Admirals) [10:36 PM]
Shes across the country filming some
movie with rose landry she wont know
But seriously dude are u home?
Ur not still at the hospital
right?????

Scott [10:37 PM]
No, I’m not at the hospital still.
Not at home though, George and
Margaret told me to stay with them
tonight since we’re all going back
tomorrow
I’ll be back for Boston don’t worry

Carter Vaughn (Admirals) [10:38 PM]
Im not worried about any of that shit man
Take care of yourself
Elena and Kip good??

Scott [10:38 PM]
Yeah. They’re good.
I know you probably have a lot of
questions
I’ll explain everything, promise.

Carter Vaughn (Admirals) [10:40 PM]
U dont owe us anything scotty
Do what u gotta
Call us tmrw if u need anything okay?

Scott [10:40 PM]
Thanks Carter. You’re a great friend

Carter Vaughn (Admirals) [10:40 PM]
Damn straight. Now get some sleep
old man

Scott [10:40 PM]
Fuck off we’re the same age

Carter Vaughn (Admirals) [10:40 PM]
But its past ur bedtime

Scott [10:41 PM]
Goodnight Carter

Scott couldn’t help the smile finally washing away the cold that had settled over him since sitting in Kip’s room alone. He could always count on Carter to make him relax, if only because Vaughn knew him almost better than anyone and therefore knew exactly what buttons to push to get that tension to slide away.

He thought about Carter today in the waiting room with him and the Gradys, patient and comfortable and steady. He hadn’t really talked to Carter about it, hadn’t really had the time or the mental capacity, but he was fairly certain that Carter knew he was dating someone hurt in that car accident. He was also pretty sure that Carter thought that someone was Elena and not Kip.

He’d figure that mess out later. He would figure out a lot later. For now, all he wanted to do was sleep.

Scott placed his phone on the nightstand before rolling out of bed with a groan. He felt odd showering even if he didn’t really want to sleep with the hospital still on him. He was a stranger in this house, and despite Margaret and George’s insistence, he wasn’t quite comfortable with making himself at home. Not without Kip here too.

It didn’t stop him from rifling through Kip’s closet in search of a change of clothes. Kip was smaller than Scott, but he was still a fairly big man himself, tall and lean but strong and muscled in all the right places that drove Scott wild. It meant that Scott was easily able to find something of Kip’s to sleep in, a NYU shirt that was a little tight across the shoulders and baggy sweatpants that were only an inch or two shorter than he liked.

It was comforting having Kip with him even if the man himself wasn’t here. Maybe Scott would see if Kip wanted to keep his Admirals hoodie while he stayed in the hospital. He always stole it on lazy mornings anyway.

Wearing his boyfriend’s clothes, Scott slipped down the hall to find the bathroom George had mentioned. He splashed his face with cold water and settled for rinsing his mouth out in lieu of properly washing the day’s events off. He didn’t look at himself in the mirror. He wasn’t sure what he’d find there. He was less sure he would like it.

He didn’t waste much more time in padding back to Kip’s room and slipping under the covers. Light filtered in from the window, dim streetlamps and faint sounds a change from the sirens and bright lights that typically reached his penthouse. It was nice, he thought. Maybe Greg and Eric were onto something in living outside of the city.

But try as he might, sleep eluded him. He tossed and turned, body subconsciously searching for the man who was supposed to be at his side. He hadn’t slept in a twin bed since his college days, and all it did was bring him back to lonely nights trying to pretend like hiding his sexuality didn’t drain him daily. The bed was too cold, somehow too big and too small all at the same time.

How was Kip? Was he able to sleep in that hospital room, machines beeping and constant lights in the hall? Kip always preferred quiet at night, anything louder than the air conditioning or the distant sounds of the city keeping him up no matter how tired he was. Scott hoped Kip was able to sleep. He needed it to heal.

Groaning, Scott rolled over and grabbed his phone again, knowing he was doomed to a late night. He thought about searching his name on Google to see what sports outlets were saying about him or something that would similarly make him spiral until he passed out, but he was distracted by a chain of texts from a number he didn’t recognize. He frowned, not even recognizing the area code. But as he read through the half-dozen texts, a soft warmth started to settle the anxiety churning in his gut.

Unknown Number [11:18 PM]
Hey, hope everything’s okay.
Heard you’re in the hospital, but
no one’s saying anything solid.

Unknown Number [11:32 PM]
Vaughn gave me your number,
I didn’t just get it randomly.

Unknown Number [11:45 PM]
It’s Shane, by the way.

Unknown Number [11:46 PM]
Hollander.
From Montreal.

Unknown Number [11:50 PM]
Fuck, sorry, you probably
guessed that.
Sorry, I was going to come see
you but Vaughn made it seem like
a bad idea? He didn’t say much
so I can’t tell if things are really
bad or not that serious but I just
wanted to check in anyway

Scott couldn’t help a small smile as he added the Canadian to his contacts, Hollander’s rambling well wishes a gentle salve against the thoughts in his head. He hadn’t changed much in the years since they’d met. He was typically more confident though, not quite so flustered. Maybe he felt awkward texting Scott out of the blue for a situation that he had no explanation for. Shit, Scott had no idea what the Admirals team was putting out to explain his absence. That would be yet another tomorrow issue.

Scott [12:02 AM]
Relax, Shane. You should be out
celebrating, not blowing up my
phone.
I’m all right, just dealing with
personal stuff. Thanks for
reaching out
Even if you only won tonight
cause I wasn’t there.

Shane Hollander (Voyageurs) [12:04 AM]
Keep telling yourself that.
And of course. Just doing what
any visiting captain would do.
I don’t know what’s going on,
but I hope you’re back soon.

There was a brief pause, those three dots disappearing and reappearing more than once. Scott waited, almost positive that Hollander wanted to chirp at him but wasn’t sure if that was appropriate for someone he thought was in the hospital.

Shane Hollander (Voyageurs) [12:05 AM]
Otherwise Boston is gonna kick
New York’s ass.
And then who would Montreal beat
in the playoffs?

Scott [12:05 AM]
In your dreams, kid.

Scott grinned, turning his phone off once again and chucking it onto the nightstand. He saw so much of himself in Shane. They’d never interacted in any setting that wasn’t related to hockey, but Scott had always liked the younger man, even if he was far too much like Rozanov in acting like the three years Scott had on him made him ancient. He wouldn’t be surprised if Rozanov asked him if missed the game because he broke his hip or something similarly annoying.

He rolled over, trying to get comfortable. He needed his rest if he was going to be dealing with Ilya Rozanov in a few days. More than that, he knew he’d have to handle the fallout from missing tonight’s game and explain himself to his teammates while also spending his entire day off in the hospital at Kip and Elena’s sides. With his friends.

Scott fell asleep with thoughts of Kip drifting in his mind, memories filling all of the cold spaces that had threatened to drown him. He wouldn’t feel whole until Kip was in his arms again. But with Kip’s clothes on his back and Kip’s blankets tucked around him, it was almost enough.

Chapter End Notes

I love celebrating my birthday each year by posting fics. Last year was CodyWan. This year it's Skip. What else could a girl want?

Thanks for your patience for this next chapter! Grad school got crazy busy as always, but these two losers kept me going. I have more plans, it's definitely not over yet. But hopefully it won't be nearly a month between updates again whoops

Hope y'all enjoyed! Let me know what you thought <3

Chapter 6

Chapter Notes

Kip had to get out of this hospital. He’d only been there for a day, unconscious for most of it, and he was already itching to leave. He needed to work, needed to stay busy so his mind wouldn’t spiral and focus on the negatives, broken wrist and grad school and a boyfriend deep in the closet. He hadn’t lazed around this long in years—unless he counted the hours spent curled up with Scott, but even then they’d always been… busy.

The only benefit was having all of the people he loved in one place, Scott at his side and his parents flitting from his room to Elena’s. Scott sat in a chair by the wall, letting Kip talk and talk and talk. They had so much more to discuss, but they’d seemed to agree to wait until Kip was home and not in such a public space anymore. And in a way, it was nice to just sit and talk to Scott, nothing of consequence passing between them.

Mom and Dad had stepped out a while ago, right after the doctor had confirmed to both Kip and Elena that they would be able to go home tomorrow. Mom was stressing herself out about making sure Megan’s room was made up for Elena and Dad was stressed about making their comfort foods while they were home. Kip had kicked them out, promising that he would go to Elena’s room for a spell and that Scott would keep them company.

He wouldn’t admit it, but he was glad for the break. His parents loved him so much, and he loved his parents just as much, but right now all he wanted to do was bitch with Elena and sit with Scott, the three of them the only people who had known about this relationship from the start. It was less stressful that way.

There had been a steady stream of care professionals coming by his room all morning, nurses and doctors and physical therapy and occupational therapy. She’d assured Kip that he and Elena would be seeing a lot of occupational therapy in the next few weeks. If she could get him back to work, Kip would work as hard as he needed to in therapy with the same dedication he gave everything else.

And now he finally had a moment to himself, door closed with just him and Scott in the room. He needed to get out of this place, all of the people and sounds and complete lack of privacy. For now, he would take what he could get.

The therapists had helped him dress earlier, making sure he could still do it with the cast and bruised ribs and pounding head. Now he was swimming in Scott’s Admirals hoodie, smelling like home in more ways than he knew. Scott hovered at his side as they walked through the unit to Elena’s room just a few doors down, Kip fighting the urge to curl himself into Scott’s side. There were too many people around, far too many eyes lingering on Scott Hunter for Kip to touch his boyfriend. He didn’t like it, but it wasn’t the same tension between them as it had been at the Met. There was an end in sight. They were on the same page. He could get through this.

Scott pushed aside the curtain to Elena’s room, letting Kip go ahead while he stopped by the nurses’ station so they knew where Kip had gone. It was also to give Kip and Elena time together if only for a few moments. Kip never ceased to be amazed at how often Scott knew exactly what he needed without Kip having to tell him. Their communication wasn’t perfect, but it was getting there. That was all Kip could ask for.

“Hey, handsome.” Elena sat up in bed, wearing some of Megan’s old clothes that Mom had grabbed from home with an old paperback tossed on the sheets next to her. If anyone had worse of a work ethic than Scott or Kip, it was Elena. Sitting here doing nothing had to be killing her just as much as it was killing him.

“Glad you’re still alive,” Kip said with a tight smile, eyes focusing on the brace she wore to hold her right shoulder in place.

Elena pat the bed next to her, scooching over to the side so there was room. Kip came to join her, settling in next to his best friend with more caution than he typically used. He supposed it was good that they’d hurt opposite arms; it meant that she was able to rest her head on his right shoulder, letting out a deep sigh. “Well. I’d say we’ve been in worse shit shows than this before, but this might take the cake.”

Kip snorted, his breath ruffling her hair. “No way. Do you remember end of senior year? When we got so drunk at Blake’s party that—”

“We agreed to never talk about that again,” Elena muttered, smacking his thigh lightly.

“Which means it was worse.”

“Shut up.”

“Make me.”

“I thought that was my job.” Scott ducked into Elena’s room, small grin on his face and cheeks slightly flushed. Kip let out a delighted laugh even as Elena rolled her eyes. “Mind if I join you?”

Elena gestured toward the end of the bed, pulling her feet out of the way. “Get your ass over here, Hunter.”

Kip watched as Scott sat down at the edge of the bed, pulling his leg up beneath him. There was a pang in Kip’s chest for all of a moment, wishing it was Scott at his side instead of Elena. Or, better yet, both of them. The two most important people in his universe. He would do anything to keep them with him.

Scott crossed his arms over his chest. Kip stared, unable to help himself. Since he’d given Kip his hoodie, Scott was just wearing his compression shirt from yesterday. The shirt that hugged Scott’s muscled chest in all the right places, highlighting the bulge of his biceps and the broad line of his shoulders.

Elena groaned, poking Kip’s thigh. “Wait until I’m not in the room before bringing out the ‘fuck me’ eyes, huh?”

“Can you blame me?” Kip drawled, looking his boyfriend up and down with a hungry gaze. Scott flushed, arms tightening in a way that made his chest stand out even more. He wasn’t even doing it on purpose. Kip was going to devour this man when they got home.

Home. When had Scott’s penthouse become home for Kip? He spent enough time there. He’d all but moved in with Scott a couple weeks into this relationship. If Maria knew, she’d be making all of the U-Haul lesbian jokes and Kip would have no defense.

Maria. Shit, Kip needed to call work. He wouldn’t be able to make any of his shifts this week. And likely next week too. Kip didn’t even want to think about what it would mean if it took him any longer to get back to Straw+Berry. Especially not with all of these medical bills piling up. Fuck, there went all of his savings and then some. He would have to put his student loans in deferment. He’d likely have to pick up another job, or at the very least work as much as he could just to stay afloat. No more nights out at the Kingfisher or going out with Elena or gifts for Scott, not until he had more than a few hundred dollars to spare.

There was a hand on his ankle, breaking him from his spiral. He found Scott and Elena both watching him, Scott’s intense gaze sweeping over him and Elena squeezing his hand. “What’s going on in your head, Grady?” Scott murmured, thumb rubbing small circles against his ankle bone.

Kip shook his head, wincing as his head pounded in time with his pulse. “Nothing.”

“Don’t give us that,” Elena said, poking him gently in the side. Kip flinched anyway, bruised ribs hot beneath his hoodie. Elena laid her hand on his thigh in apology, pressing in tight. “Take a breath, Christopher. And let us in.”

Scott squeezed Kip’s ankle again. “I’ll do my best not to overstep. I know it’s not my place and that’s not what you want. But I do want to help. Let me help?”

Kip let out a shaky breath, shaking his head slowly and staring at the sheets. “Just… anxious. Stressed. I really can’t afford this.” He held his left arm up to forestall any words from Scott. “I don’t want to get into it right now, okay?”

Elena raised her brows, glancing between the two of them. She always could tell more than he wanted her to. But she just smirked. “If Hunter wants to pay my medical bills, you won’t catch me complaining about it.”

Kip huffed out a harsh sigh. “Elena—”

“We won’t get into it,” Scott interrupted, tips of his fingers sliding beneath the hem of Kip’s sweatpants. Kip let himself sink into the touch, allowing Scott to pull all of the anxious stress out of his body through that firm touch. “I want to respect your boundaries, Kip. Even if I don’t always understand it.”

Scott had grown up poor, Kip knew. A single mom who saved every penny to get him gear and into classes and on teams. He’d had to fend for himself long before his mom had died. So maybe he understood more than most could. But even still…

“Thank you,” Kip said softly. “The offer is more than enough, Scott, honestly.”

Scott didn’t say anything, just gave him a small nod. Elena made a soft sound, shifting on the bed so she could put her feet in Scott’s lap and keep her head on Kip’s shoulder. Scott took it all in stride, making space for her. Kip loved him so much.

Then Scott was frowning, twisting to pull his phone out of his back pocket. “Eric’s calling,” he said almost apologetically. “I should probably take this.”

He started to get up, but Elena held him in place with the foot on his lap. “Stay. I want to talk to this friend of yours.”

Scott stared at Kip and Elena, worrying his lip between his teeth. Kip gave him a reassuring smile. He wouldn’t push him to do something he was uncomfortable with, but he would take any part of Scott’s life that he was willing to share. But then Scott was nodding once, raising the phone to his ear and settling down on the hospital bed. “Hey, Benny.”

Kip watched Scott, trying to get a read on the man as he engaged in small talk with his teammate. Of his three closest friends on the Admirals, Scott talked the most about Carter. But that didn’t mean he hadn’t also shared a lot about Eric Bennett, the soft-spoken goalie who had always been a rock in the storm, steady and calm and kind. Scott had never said as much and likely never would, but Kip was fairly certain the relationship he had with Eric was much the same as what Kip had with Megan.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m back at the hospital,” Scott was saying, large hand curling protectively around Kip’s ankle. Kip wanted those hands all over him, combing through his hair, stroking up his spine, cradling his body close. He wanted them elsewhere too, but he would save those thoughts for when they were home. “I’m with them now, yeah. What did Carter tell you?”

Scott’s leg was bouncing, anxiety hidden from his voice but showing clearly in his body. Kip wished his ribs didn’t hurt each time he moved slightly wrong, otherwise he would lean down and take Scott’s hand in his, show him that there was nothing to be worried about, not here with them, not when it came to his best friends on his team.

Elena instead shifted her socked foot, pressing down on Scott’s knee in a demand for his attention. Scott stilled, meeting her eyes as he continued talking to Eric. “Yeah. I’m sorry I wasn’t there last night. You had some pretty good saves though.”

Elena rolled her eyes with huff. “Stop talking shop,” she said loudly enough that Bennett probably heard it through the phone. “Come on. Hand it over.”

Scott’s eyes flicked to Kip for a brief moment. “Hey, man, they uh. They want to talk to you, if that’s okay?” There was a pause as Scott chewed on the inside of his cheek. “Okay. I’m gonna put you on speaker, hold on.” Scott pulled his phone away from his ear, clicking the screen before placing it on the mattress between the three of them. “Can you hear me?”

“I hear you.” The voice echoing out of the speaker was deep and soothing. Solid yet somehow shy. Kip liked him immediately.

Scott stood to close the door, giving them slightly more privacy. Kip leaned closer to Elena, heart in his throat. “They don’t know,” he whispered.

“Obviously,” Elena hissed back. Then she straightened, frowning down at Scott’s phone. “Hi. This is Eric, right?”

“Correct. Would that make you Elena?”

“Glad my reputation precedes me.” Elena’s lip twitched in a smile. “Kip’s here too. Say hello, Christopher.”

“Hello,” Kip said. He thought he did a pretty good job of sounding normal and not absolutely terrified. Maybe they didn’t know what he was to Scott, but Kip was actually, finally meeting one of Scott’s friends. And that was everything.

“Nice to meet you both,” Eric said, polite to a fault. “Even under the circumstances.”

Scott settled back on the mattress, hospital bed creaking with their combined weight. Kip bit his lip, glancing at the closed door once before extending his hand toward his boyfriend. Scott didn’t hesitate, sliding closer so their fingers intertwined. It was awkward, left arm held against his body in the unflinching cast and right side supporting Elena while reaching toward Scott. But he had his two favorite people at his side. He could push through a little discomfort.

“Thank you,” Kip blurted out, “for taking care of Scott yesterday.” Scott tensed slightly, and Kip cursed himself. He hadn’t meant to say that, not when Scott’s friends still didn’t know the truth. But he meant it. Scott would have pulled himself together yesterday, but it would have been so much harder without the support from his teammates. Hell, his parents too. Kip would have to thank them for that later.

Eric was quiet for a beat. Scott almost looked queasy at the other end of the mattress. He didn’t let go of Kip’s hand, though. “Of course,” Eric finally said, soft voice somehow still full of strength. “We’d do anything for Scott. He’s done more than enough for the three of us over the years.”

“Not that he’d ever admit that,” Kip said dryly, squeezing Scott’s hand.

Eric chuckled. “Seems you’re familiar with Scotty’s martyr complex.”

Kip and Scott stared at each other, both unsure of where to go from there, but Elena interrupted their spiraling with a loud laugh. “We haven’t know each other long, but I’ve definitely picked that up.”

“I can’t tell if I should be offended right now or not.”

Kip smiled, a lazy thing that wanted to promise so much more. When they were home. There was so much Kip wanted to do to this man once they were home. “Don’t be offended,” he said, trying his best to not let all his fond devotion color his words. “It just means we know you.”

“You’re an open book, Hunter.” Eric didn’t have to hide his own fondness for his friend. Kip had never been more jealous of a hockey player before.

Elena shifted forward, bracing her good arm on her thigh. “Listen, Eric, while we’re talking about Hunter, I gotta ask. You live nearby, right? Scott is in desperate need of a phone charger and a change of clothes. Probably a shower too.”

“Elena!”

Scott laughed at Kip’s scandalized tone, and that was enough to loosen all of the tension lingering in his bones. He melted back against the head of the bed, dragging Scott forward with him so the man was draped awkwardly across the mattress between him and Elena. Scott didn’t complain, just shifted into a position slightly more comfortable.

“I’m sure he’s been stressed,” Eric said. Kip could almost hear the smile in his voice. “I’m on Long Island so not as close as Carter, but I could come out. Holly’s out tonight with some of her girlfriends, so I’ve got nothing going on. Scott, did you want me to stop by?”

Scott hadn’t looked away from Kip, elbow braced on the bed by Kip’s hip with his free hand drawing circles on Kip’s opposite thigh. Kip stared back at him, ignoring the discomfort in his body and the ache in his head. He just wanted to stay in this moment, pretending his wrist wasn’t broken and his ribs weren’t bruised and his head wasn’t concussed. It was just him and Scott.

Scott dragged his hand up Kip’s thigh, expression unreadable. Kip didn’t know what was going on in his head. It was unfortunately an expression he had become more and more acquainted with in recent days, especially after their day at the Met.

But instead of pulling back, Scott leaned in. He picked up his phone, pressing it to his ear. “You don’t need to come to the hospital, Eric. But, um. You said you’re free tonight?”

Kip frowned, trying to understand what Scott was doing. He was still touching Kip, eyes still locked on his. Scott’s gaze flicked between Kip and Elena as he swallowed hard. “I know it’s last minute, um, but would you want to come over tonight? Carter and Greg too if they’re not busy. I, uh, I know I owe you all an explanation.

“No.” Scott shook his head, gaze laser focused on Kip’s. Kip almost forgot how to breathe under the intensity of his stare. “There’s something I want to talk to you guys about. If you’re free.”

Kip couldn’t hear Eric’s answer over the blood rushing through his ears. He knew what this meant. The only reason Scott would ask his friends to talk tonight. Kip hadn’t thought… well, he’d secretly hoped for it. Dreamed about what it would be like to love Scott and be loved out loud, rather than hidden like a dirty secret. But he hadn’t expected it to come this quickly. A dark part of him had half-expected to be miserable for months or years more until Scott finally found the courage to brave the homophobic reality of his profession.

But here Scott was. Making plans to come out to his closest friends tonight. Showing Kip for the third time this weekend that he really did matter more than hockey. That this thing between them was stronger than all of the fear he had let control him his entire life. That maybe they really were forever.

“Okay. All right. Yeah. Thanks, Eric. I’ll see you tonight. Thanks, man. Really.” And then Scott ended the call, sliding his phone back into his pocket as he let out a breath that seemed to lift the weight from his shoulders. They stared at each other, the only noise breaking the silence that of the machinery behind them and the sounds from the hall.

Elena finally broke the quiet tension. “Well. Eric seems nice.”

Kip couldn’t focus on anything else but the reality of what Scott was about to do. “Holy shit,” Kip whispered, hand twisting in Scott’s shirt. “Are you really doing this?”

“I’m doing this,” Scott agreed, eyes sparkling bright in the dim room. Kip tugged Scott closer, wishing more than anything that he could properly show Scott how absolutely insane he was about him. How proud he was of Scott for having the bravery to do this incredibly scary thing. For showing up for him when it would have been far easier to stay away.

Scott seemed to have the same need. He laughed breathlessly, glancing back at the closed door. “Sorry, Elena,” he said, not even looking at her. And then he was pushing forward, supporting himself over Kip as he pressed a kiss to Kip’s mouth. It was chaste and quick, respectful of Kip’s best friend not even a foot away.

It was somehow the most romantic kiss they’d ever shared.

Chapter End Notes

They're making progress! THEY'RE DOING IT!! And of course more bonding between this sunshine trio that I love so very very much.

I'm sure no one can guess where we're going next chapter ;)

Let me know what y'all thought! Hope you enjoyed it <3

Chapter 7

Chapter Notes

Once he made the choice to come out, to tell the truth to his friends and no longer hide himself or Kip away, everything felt easier. His heart hadn’t stopped racing since he’d ended the call with Eric, and he kept wiping his sweaty palms on his thighs as he paced laps around his apartment. But Elena had squeezed his hand as he left her room, and Margaret and George had both hugged him when he left, making him promise to come over Sunday night for dinner.

And Kip… Kip hadn’t let go of his hand the entire time they remained in Elena’s room. And when therapy had come to visit Elena, and Kip and Scott had returned to his room, Kip had pulled him down onto the bed, fingers of his good hand carding through Scott’s hair and trying to drag him down against him. Scott had laughed, holding himself up to keep from crushing Kip’s bruised ribs and fractured wrist. Kip had grumbled and settled for stretching up and kissing Scott in that way that always promised more.

You’re so brave, Kip had whispered later, Scott curled around him and rubbing circles over Kip’s hip. And as soon as I can move without my head hurting, I’m going to show you how fucking wild that makes me.

No strenuous activities, Grady, Scott had teased, pressing a kiss to his neck. I need you to heal. I’ll take care of you until then.

Kip had groaned, wincing as he shifted on the bed. Stop saying things like that when I can’t do what I really want to do to you.

Scott had tugged Kip’s hair. I mean it. I have time to make up for. I want to take care of you.

Kip had kissed him, and Scott had held him close, warm hand settling on Kip’s waist until the nurse knocked on the door and Scott had forced himself to roll away and stand, pretending like his lips weren’t swollen and hair not mused. Scott had kept that warmth of Kip’s body and his hands and his love, tucked it into his chest next to his pounding heart to draw strength from.

And now he held onto that strength, remembering how Kip breathed and ran his fingers through Scott’s hair and whispered sweet nothings into his skin. The man was so brave, strong and steady and reassuring. Scott wished Kip was here to squeeze his hand and greet his friends as they knocked on his door, to hold his gaze with a small smile as those life-changing words left his mouth. He’d never actually come out to anyone in his life before. Was it always this terrifying?

Scott sucked in a breath as a loud knock rang through the silent apartment. He wiped his hands on his thighs again, steeling himself like he was about to play a playoff game. This wasn’t a fight on the ice. This wasn’t standing before the firing squad. These were his teammates. His best friends. They were hockey players, but none of them had ever been overtly homophobic. They cared about him more than who he was sleeping with. It would be okay.

Carter had a key which he usually used to just plow into Scott’s space, but it seemed like Bennett was making him be respectful this time and wait until Scott let them in. It would’ve been easier if they’d just forced their way in. Then he wouldn’t have to go to the door and choose to let them in. God, why was this so hard?

He thought of Sarah Hunter then, his mother coming to the forefront of his mind more and more this weekend. Breathe, Scott. Her hand running soft strokes along his spine, kiss ghosting across his temple. You’re in charge, not the nerves.

With the memory of his mother’s words loud in his ears, Scott took that step forward.

All three of his friends crowded in front of his door. Eric had picked the others up on his way in from Long Island, so now Carter held up a pack of beer in lieu of greeting. “Hey, Scotty. Figured we could all use a good drink tonight.”

“What makes you say that?” Scott aimed for a dry response. He was fairly certain it fell flat, especially judging by the look on Huff’s face.

Huff shouldered his way inside, clapping Scott on the back as he passed. “We’re in between games with the Voyageurs and the Bears. We all deserve to get blasted.”

“Hunter’s back tomorrow,” Carter shot back, giving Scott a brief questioning glance before following Greg into Scott’s apartment. “Not even Ilya Rozanov can stop us.”

“Don’t jinx us! Last night was bad enough.”

“That’s because you suck in center.”

“Maybe be a better fucking lineman.”

Eric heaved a sigh as he stepped in, letting Scott lock the door behind him. “It’s been this. All night.”

“What else is new, Benny?” Scott smiled slightly, all of his nerves making his hands tremble.

Eric scanned his face, searching for something Scott couldn’t explain. Then the goalie placed his hands on Scott’s arms, strong and dependable as ever. “Are you all right, Scott?”

“I’m all right,” Scott promised. It was true. He just also simultaneously felt like he was going to throw up. So really nothing new.

Bennett didn’t look convinced. “Is that why you brought us here? To talk about whatever’s bothering you?”

Scott huffed out a laugh. “How do you always know?”

“I’m a goalie, Hunter. I notice things.”

“One day you’ll have to give a better explanation than that.”

Eric chuckled. Scott led his friend further into the apartment. Vaughn and Huff had already made themselves at home in the living room, cold beers scattered across the coffee table like they’d been here for hours already. Carter grinned up at Scott, long legs sprawled across the couch. Scott rolled his eyes, focusing on his ridiculous friends rather than the anxiety that had been ratcheting up in his gut ever since he’d left Kip behind at the hospital.

“You couldn’t have gotten a good brand at least?” Scott griped, grabbing a can just to have something to hold and hide how much his hands shook. The chirps were familiar, banter that kept them a breath apart from getting to the actual emotions.

“Fuck you, Hunter.”

“Yeah, fuck you, Hunter,” Greg jumped in, scowling at Scott from across the room. “Vaughn told me what you said last night."

Scott scoffed, settling on the arm of a chair rather than sitting down entirely. He felt like the walls were closing in. Had his penthouse always been this stuffy? “And I meant every word of it, Huff. Play better tomorrow otherwise I’m telling the press you’re the reason we lost.”

“If you have any room to answer a question not about where you were yesterday,” Eric interrupted, forever the voice of reason. Eric sat himself down next to Huff, grabbing a beer of his own while watching Scott in that overly observant way of his that had always made him a great goalie. Scott hated when it was turned on him.

The mood changed fairly quickly. Carter leaned forward, gaze suddenly intent on Scott’s face. “How’re you doing, Scotty? You look a lot better.”

Scott nodded slowly, rolling the beer in his hands to avoid having to look at his teammates. “Yeah, I’m… I’m better. They’re okay, I spent the last two days with them, and that’s helped, I guess. It’s all just… It was a lot. Thank you. All of you. For helping me yesterday.”

Huff waved him off. “Don’t mention it. How are your friends doing?”

Scott took a deep breath. “They’re good. It wasn’t as bad as I thought it was, so that helped. Broken wrist, fractured ribs, concussions, dislocated shoulders.” He shrugged, trying for a smile. “Nothing out of the ordinary for us.”

Carter laughed, relaxing against the couch and stretching his arm out over the back. “Now you know how she felt when you get hit. Which, speaking of, when the hell were you going to tell us about your girlfriend, Scotty? You’ve been single forever, this should’ve made front page news.”

And there it was. An easy out. Scott could take it, could let that simple lie sit heavy on his tongue and slowly turn his heart to black sludge while Kip drifted farther and farther away. He would be miserable for the rest of his life. If he didn’t find the courage now, he never would.

“They both seemed nice,” Bennett said, drawing the attention away from the ‘girlfriend’ situation and back to just ‘Hunter’s friends.’ Scott could kiss him for that. “How’d you meet?”

“I didn’t realize you had time to meet girls,” Huff teased. “You always said hockey was more than enough.”

They weren’t letting go of this. Weren’t making it easy for him. Of course they weren’t. Scott squared his shoulders like he was preparing for a face-off against Rozanov. “I met Elena at the Equinox Gala a few weeks back,” he started slowly, toeing the water to see how deep it might be. “She’s Kip’s best friend.”

Carter raised his brow. “And you’re not jealous of that?” Scott frowned. Carter elaborated with exaggerated gestures as if explaining something overly simple. “Most guys aren’t jazzed when their girl is that close with another guy.”

Scott swallowed, setting his beer to the side so he could dry his palms on his jeans. Eric was still watching him, giving him strength with his silent support. “No. No, uh, they’ve been friends since elementary school. And. Um. Kip’s gay, actually.”

There was a moment of silence in which Scott thought he might actually die. They hadn’t given him any reason to doubt but if somehow they turned out secretly homophobic—

It didn’t matter. Scott couldn’t keep this inside any longer. What happened would happen. “And so I am,” he blurted in a rush. “Gay, I mean. I’m not with Elena. I’m dating Kip.”

Scott’s pulse thundered in his ears, drowning out nearly everything else. He forced himself after a long painful moment to lift his gaze from the floor, terrified for the rejection he was almost certain was coming. Instead he saw Eric smiling slightly, eyes glassy. Huff was staring at him, not in disgust but with a new understanding. And Carter… Scott couldn’t figure out what was going on in Carter’s head.

“I’m sorry I never told you,” Scott rambled, desperate to make Carter understand. “I wanted to, for so long, but I’ve been so scared of what people would say, but these last two days have fucking killed me, not being able to tell anyone why I was so fucked up by this, and—”

“Scott,” Vaughn interrupted, gentle but firm. “I love you, man. Shut up. I’m processing this, and then I’m going to hug you.”

Scott choked on a helpless laugh, relief so strong in his veins that it nearly knocked him over. Carter surged to his feet, leaving his beer on the coffee table as he reached out and pulled Scott to him, arms tight and sure around him. Greg and Eric joined them a moment later, his teammates wrapping each other in a hug, and Scott nearly melted.

They separated after a moment, Scott wiping at his eyes and not bothering to hide how overwhelmed he was by his friends’ simple show of support. “I’m sorry I lied for so long. But thank you.”

“Thank you for what?” Huff asked, arms crossed. “For not reacting like douches? You like men, so what? Laura’s brother is gay, and he’s probably my favorite in-law. You’re still our captain. Things just make a lot more sense now.”

Eric still wore that soft smile. “Thank you for trusting us, Scott.” And of his three friends, Eric really did seem to understand the most just how much it meant for Scott to come out to them, to finally share this integral part of him that had always been locked away. Eric Bennett. What would Scott ever do without him?

Carter sank back down onto the couch with an exaggerated sigh, shaking his head slightly. “Shit, man, I can’t believe you’ve been dealing with this on your own these last couple days. You’re doing better than any of us, I can promise you that.”

Scott snorted, sitting down again and finally cracking open his beer. He deserved it. “You saw me at the hospital, Vaughn, I really wasn’t handling it well.”

“You said they’re okay, though?” Huff asked.

“Yeah, they get discharged tomorrow. They’ll stay with Kip’s parents for a couple weeks, I think.”

Huff was still studying Scott, teasing grin starting to split his face. “What I said still applies, you know. You’re too busy to meet guys, then. So how’d you meet him?”

Scott couldn’t help his smile, love-sick and fond. Carter barked out a laugh. “Oh you are down bad, dude. Holy shit. I can’t believe we didn’t notice.”

Scott ducked his head, face flushing hot even as he bit his lip. “Yeah, I… I really love him.”

Huff whooped and Bennett grinned, throwing a pillow at Scott. Scott dodged, laughing at his friends’ antics even as they warmed him down to his very core. “Hunter’s not a virgin!” Vaughn cheered like an idiot. Scott grabbed the pillow Eric had chucked and aimed it right at Carter’s head. Carter slumped back on the couch with a dramatic sigh, hand over his heart. “I’m expressing my excitement that you’re finally getting laid, and this is how you respond.”

“Shut the fuck up,” Scott said fondly, cheeks on fire. “I’ve had sex before, idiot. I just don’t flaunt it in the locker room like you do.”

Eric whistled and Greg whooped again. Scott hid his face in his hands, unable to stop grinning. Why had he ever thought this might turn out any different? “Fuck all of you.”

Carter leaned forward, mischievous glint in his eyes. “Okay, but real question, which one of us would you pick if you had to choose?”

“You’re not my type, Vaughn,” Scott said dryly. Carter spluttered out offended noises  even as Huff laughed. Eric rolled his eyes.

Huff pointed his finger at Scott. “You haven’t answered the question, Hunter. How’d you meet this boy of yours?”

Scott had never blushed this much in his life. “He, uh, works in a smoothie shop that I stopped in after a run. We won our game that night so I just… kept going back.”

“That’s why you’ve been playing better? Because of Kip?” Eric was still smiling, still so fond and steady. “That’s cute.”

“I’m doing better in so many ways because of Kip.” Scott swallowed a mouthful of cheap beer, remembering how they had danced together in the living room the night of the Equinox Gala, holding each other close and imagining a future where they wouldn’t have to hide. He’d only met Kip maybe two months ago, and yet here he was, upending his entire life just to ensure that Kip could stay there at his side.

“He’s made me brave,” Scott murmured. “I planned on staying in the closet… forever, I guess. Not until retirement at least. But he’s worth it. Maybe I’ll lose sponsors or respect or my career. I don’t care, not anymore. I can’t lose him. I thought I did and… fuck, it’s the worst I’ve ever felt. I don’t want to go through that again.”

“That shit’s hard,” Huff agreed. “Laura’s been in the hospital several times while we’ve been cross-country or in the middle of a game. Not being there for her sucks, even when I know she’s all right. Can’t imagine not being able to tell anyone how stressed I was.”

“I think hiding the happy moments was worse, somehow.” Scott shrugged, downing the rest of his beer. “But yeah. The last few months have been… Well. You’re all in relationships. You know how it is. I’m going to come out. After the playoffs.”

Carter grinned at him, warm and familiar. “And we’ll support you, Scotty. If anyone on the team tries anything, you best believe I’ll sick Huff on them.”

Greg flipped Carter off. Eric ignored their antics, instead bracing his forearms on his knees as he leaned forward. “Few months? How long have you been with Kip, anyway?”

Carter narrowed his eyes at Scott. “You started that win streak only in January. That’s more like a few weeks than a few months.”

Scott rubbed the back of his neck, face flushing yet again. “Oh. Um, well. You know. We met January 17^th. Started going out at the beginning of February. It just… feels right. Neither of us saw a point in going slow, I guess.”

Vaughn barked out a laugh, delight shining in his eyes. “Single your whole life and then you fall in love in just a few weeks? Decide to upend your whole life for a guy you met this year? Shit, man, you’re crazier than I thought.”

“I need to meet this man that’s got you so whipped,” Huff decided, reaching for a second can of beer. “He needs to tell us his secrets.”

“Something magic in the smoothies,” Eric agreed, smile bright.

“Fuck off.” Scott was going to be blushing for the rest of the night at this rate. He found he didn’t care that much, not when his friends had jumped right into ribbing him and giving each other a hard time just like they always had. Nothing had changed between them.

Yet everything had changed so completely. And for the first time in a good, long while, Scott wasn’t scared at all.

Chapter End Notes

Scott and his teammates mean so much to me. Scott "But I'll miss you" Hunter loves his friends so so much and it's so important that he has such a great support network in them.

I don't know how much more is left here, but not too much more I don't think ;( Which is bittersweet since I LOVE writing these two more than anything. But we'll enjoy what else is still to come <3

Let me know what y'all think! Until next time <33

Chapter 8

Chapter Notes

Kip’s childhood bedroom was certainly not meant for two grown men to use, especially when one of those men was in a cast and the other was a hulking hockey player who seemed to take up more and more space every time Kip looked. He tried not to be embarrassed about the small space or the cramped house, especially when Scott never once commented on it beyond a wistful dream about wishing he could bring Kip to the place he had grown up too, wondering how much love and comfort could have been packed into the house. Kip had tucked himself closer against Scott after that.

His squeaky twin bed wasn’t the most comfortable to share, but Kip wouldn’t complain, not when Scott was in his parents’ house nearly half the nights a week. Not when he got to fall asleep with Scott curled around his back or with Scott heavy and grounding on his chest, hearts beating in tandem. Maybe not the best thing right after bruising the hell out of his ribs, but Kip wasn’t going to complain. If he ever complained about a hulking, 6’3” gorgeous man with the biggest doe eyes pressing him into a mattress, Maria would assume he had been drugged. She’d probably be right, too.

He’d grown so used to having Scott there at his side that waking up alone almost made his chest hurt worse than the ache in his ribs. But Scott was gone on a road trip on the West coast, miles apart and hours behind, and Kip was slowly sorting through the pieces. He didn’t know how to make them all fit, not when something had bent or shifted when the car slammed into their taxi.

Kip was lucky they’d gotten as much time together as they had. Scott had been gone for a day or two at a time, but he’d mainly been in New York, coming home at night to Kip, sitting at the dinner table with Kip and Elena and Kip’s parents, laughing over coffee in the morning with Scott’s legs over Kip’s lap or a thumb rubbing circles into Kip’s ankle.

His parents had grown used to having Scott around too. Mom had made far too much for dinner that first night, Dad setting the table for five rather than four. It made Kip all warm and fuzzy inside, knowing how quickly they had taken Scott in and made him feel at home. Mom even watched a handful of Scott’s games while he was away, asking questions the entire time that made Kip huff and roll his eyes but that Dad answered with a smile. There was a reason Kip didn’t watch new movies with his mom anymore. He let Dad handle that.

And Elena. God bless his best friend. They were both going a little stir crazy shut up in the Gradys’ house, even if Elena was able to work from home on her laptop. She wasn’t supposed to, still on concussion protocol, but that had never stopped her. Scott’s disapproving look certainly wasn’t enough, even if it worked on with embarrassing ease on Kip. Kip hadn’t scrolled Instagram in days. He saved up his screentime to watch Scott’s games nearly every night instead.

As it stood, Kip and Elena spent a good chunk of their time in his parents’ living room, Kip attempting to read one handed and Elena loudly complaining about how little would be getting done in the office while she was out. Kip would ignore her until she flipped him off and called him an ass for ignoring her in her time of need. He would throw a pillow at her head. She would call him sexist. He would call her a bitch just to make her snip about how he was proving her point. God, he loved her.

He loved her so much that having to spend yet another day with no one but Elena for company was going to make his head explode. Which, when his concussion was finally starting to fade, was not how Kip wanted to go out. And he loved spending time with his parents too, more time with them than he had spent over the last few months, but they were also going to drive him insane. He missed being alone.

He missed being alone with Scott. That was likely more accurate. Kip sighed, allowing himself to be dramatic today. His boyfriend hadn’t been able to call him yesterday due to rooming with one of the rookies and a late game on the West Coast, and Kip was trying not to sulk about it. He was a grown man. Scott had only been gone for nine days, and he was supposed to fly back early tomorrow after his game tonight. It would still be another 4 or 5 weeks before Kip’s ribs were completely healed and even longer until his wrist was back to normal, but he hoped Scott would at least let Kip straddle him and make-out until they were both breathless. Scott might be patient and too good of a nurse to allow Kip to touch him like he wanted until his injuries weren’t a concern, but Kip didn’t feel like waiting any longer. Not when teasing Scott and pushing his buttons until he snapped was just too much fun.

“Earth to Kip.” Kip blinked at the nudge to his thigh, right over one of his fading bruises. He scowled at Maria. His friend just beamed, nudging him again and wriggling her way onto the couch next to him. “I’ve been missing you for three weeks, dude. And now when I finally have a day off after covering your shifts, you’re stuck in dreamland.”

Kip winced. “Sorry.”

She bumped his shoulder, tucking her leg underneath herself. “Don’t apologize, idiot. I’m glad you’re both all right. I’ve missed you, is all.”

“I missed you too.” Kip shifted on the couch, adjusting his left arm on the arm rest. The splint was annoying, but he knew it served a purpose. Just a few more weeks until he could take it off. A few more weeks until he could go back to work. Well, if it was only his broken wrist he had to worry about, he would’ve been back days ago. But the bruised ribs and his fading concussion made standing around and focusing for long hours unbearable, doubly so if he added on the loud-ass blenders.

It wasn’t like he missed Straw+Berry. He really couldn’t care less about that place. It was just a means to an end, but he really couldn’t afford to stay away for much longer. Not when his savings would definitely be nearly drained by the time he would be cleared for work.

Not for the first time, that nagging voice in the back of his head whispered that he should have just taken the check Scott offered. He wouldn’t be as stressed without his student loans to worry about. But he would never be able to feel like an equal in their relationship if he let Scott do that. Yes, his boyfriend had money, and yes, he knew that Scott was just trying to help because he had the option and had never gotten to spend on someone he loved, but it still made Kip feel gross inside to even consider it. He refused to be a kept man. And he didn’t want to feel like he owed his partner for the rest of their relationship.

Kip knew he couldn’t be stubborn forever. He would have to let Scott pay for some things, he knew that. But he wouldn’t budge on the big things. His debt was his debt, and Kip would figure it out. He might just be miserable in the meantime.

Maria nudged him again. “Where’d you go?” she teased. “Off in boyfriend land?”

I don’t have a boyfriend. That had always been his knee-jerk response, every time Maria or Shawn or any of his other friends had tried to comment on his infatuation with Scott. He hadn’t been subtle about it, sure, but he had always denied it. Scott had always been too anxious of the truth leaking, and Kip loved most of his friends enough to know that they would never be able to keep such a secret, no matter how hard they tried. It was easier just to pretend it wasn’t true.

But Scott had told his friends. He was planning to come out after the season. And Kip had invited Maria over today with the sole intention to finally tell her the truth. Yet now that she was here… he almost wasn’t ready to say it. The words stuck in his throat despite how desperately he wanted to share them.

He deflected instead. “Thinking about how many shifts I’ll have to pick up to stay afloat. Maybe Shawn has more catering gigs I could help at.”

Elena scoffed. “People keep offering to help and you keep denying them, so stop complaining.”

Maria ignored her, shifting so she could face Kip head-on. “The issue isn’t picking up more shifts. The issue is our job pays like shit compared to what you need. Straw+Berry is easy, sure, and they let you work as much as you want, but with your work ethic and dedication you could probably be making twice as much for half the hours somewhere else.”

Kip frowned, wincing as he leaned the wrong way and his ribs shouted at him. “I can’t just get a new job.”

“And why not?” Maria gestured wildly with her arms, coming dangerously close to swatting Kip in the shoulder several times. “You can’t work right now anyway. Quit Straw+Berry and look for something better! You have time to look while you heal up, and then you can start a new job without being burnt out for the first time in literal years.”

“She’s got a point,” Elena said. “This could be a fresh start for you.”

“Thank you, peanut gallery,” Kip muttered. Elena flipped him off. “I know. You don’t have to tell me.”

“Apparently we do.” Maria shifted again to bring both of her legs up onto the couch, tucking her feet under Kip’s thigh. “Idiot,” she said fondly.

“Love you too.”

Elena sighed, grunting softly as she rolled onto her side, right shoulder still immobilized. She never complained about the orthosis and was religious about wearing it, which made her a better patient than Kip, something his parents never failed to give him a hard time about. “Glad you could come around, Maria. I needed someone else with common sense to talk to during the day.”

“You’re both the worst.”

“Oh, you love us.”

“Sometimes, maybe.”

“Fuck off.” Maria laughed. Kip couldn’t help but smile, resting his head back against the couch as he took in the two women he’d long considered his best friends. He could trust them. They’d always wanted the best for him, after all. And they weren’t afraid to tell him like it was.

Elena looked over at the pair of them, intent clear in her dark eyes. “Maria, would you be an angel and grab me some water? I need to drug myself again.”

Maria laughed again, patting Kip on the knee before pushing herself up. “Anything for you, babe.”

“If you ever get tired of being let down by men, you should call me up,” Elena called after her.

“As if you’re not as straight as I am!” Maria’s voice echoed from the hall as she disappeared into the kitchen.

Elean leaned forward, snapping to make sure Kip was looking at her. “Fucking tell her already,” she hissed. “She set you up perfectly and you just passed it up.”

Kip huffed, dragging his free hand through his hair. He really needed to wash it. Doing it one-handed was such a pain, though. “I know,” he sighed. “I just… froze up. I dunno, can’t explain it. Like all I’ve wanted is to tell people, but now that I have the chance—”

“Chance to what?” Maria stepped back into the living room, glass of water in her hand. She set it down on the end table next to Elena, pulling her painkillers closer too so Elena wouldn’t have to lean too far. Elena grabbed her hand and kissed it loudly as she passed. Maria swatted her with a grin before returning her gaze to Kip. “What aren’t you telling me?”

Kip glanced between the two women again, Maria waiting patiently as she sat next to Elena and Elena trying to use her mind to make him talk. Elena was right. He was being ridiculous. And he wanted Maria to know.

He squared his shoulders. Then he immediately sagged back against the couch as his ribs made their opinion about that position known. “There’s, uh, something I’ve been meaning to tell you. Not a lot of people know, but I want you to, and I know you can keep a secret so—”

Her eyes sparkled. “Oh my god. Is this about your hockey boyfriend? Are you finally official?”

Kip blinked. “I… What?”

Maria leaned forward, her elbows braced on her knees as she gave him an almost patronizing look. “Kip. I may not be as obsessive over hockey as you suddenly are, but I’ve started picking some things up. And I know that Scott Hunter missed his game the same night as the accident. Don’t try and lie to me and say that’s just a coincidence. I’m onto you, girl.”

Kip sighed dramatically, turning his face into the couch even as a grin overtook him. “Damnit, Maria. I’ve been waiting to talk to you in person for weeks and you come and figure it out without me.”

“Not your fault she’s smarter than you,” Elena muttered. “Then again, most of us are.”

Kip threw a pillow at her with his good hand.

“You have to tell me everything,” Maria gushed, eyes bright and tone giddy. “Jesus, Kip, you fucking asshole. You’ve been getting laid by an absolute adonis and haven’t been giving me every single detail?”

“Not in the last few weeks,” Kip moaned, laying down dramatically. “These stupid ribs. He says he doesn’t want me to hurt myself more but, like, it would totally be worth it.”

“Totally,” Maria agreed. “Now spill, bitch. What changed? How did it happen? I saw you two absolutely flirting at the shop but nothing since then, so come on. What’s he like? Do we like him or are we mad at him for keeping you a secret?”

“Not anymore,” Elena interrupted, sweeping her gaze over Kip with something appraising in her expression. “Oh, it’s not like I didn’t understand where he was coming from. But I was ready to tear him a new one until he showed up at the hospital and waited hours to see Kip. He’s good. He just needed that little push forward to get his head out of his ass.”

Kip smiled fondly, the memory of Scott at his bedside so much warmer than it probably should have been. “He told his friends. And he’s gonna come out soon. He has a plan and everything.”

“You lucky bitch.”

Maria continued to press him for details. It didn’t take much for Kip to let the whole story spill out, every intimate detail and gooey feeling that had been building up within him for months now. Was this how it had felt for Scott when he told his teammates? It was… it was a relief, to not have to lie. To bring yet another person into their circle who wasn’t related to him. He wanted to tell everyone. Fuck, he’d forgotten how good it had felt to not worry about who he talked to about his boyfriend.

He would never blame Scott for his situation. He knew just how hard it was going to be for him to come out into probably the straightest, macho man sport there was. But Kip had chafed under the rules and secrecy. If it had continued any longer, he probably would have resented Scott for practically forcing him back into the closet, no matter how much he understood. Kip was glad it had never come to that. But he was beyond relieved to let go of that shadow he’d been hiding behind for so long and finally show everyone just how much he was in love with this man. He couldn’t wait until the entire world knew the truth.

Scott Hunter was his, dammit. No one would ever take him from Kip’s side.

They talked for hours. Not just about Kip and Scott, although that did eat up a great deal of the afternoon. By the time his parents came home, the three of them were throwing out random ideas of places for Kip to work, each suggestion more ridiculous than the last. They were laughing so hard Kip almost didn’t hear the knock at the door.

He frowned, waving Maria away as she started to rise. “I got it.” He groaned as he stood, body sore from staying on the couch for probably too long. “Were you expecting anyone?” he called up the stairs to his parents. Mom shouted back a negative just as Kip reached the door and undid the lock.

His heart nearly dropped out of his ass when he pulled open the door and saw the man standing there. “You’re supposed to be in San Francisco,” Kip blurted out even as he surged forward and threw his arms around Scott’s neck.

Scott laughed right in his ear, sending butterflies down to Kip’s toes. “I missed you,” he murmured, pressing a kiss to Kip’s neck even as he dropped his duffel to properly sweep Kip into his arms. For the first time in weeks, he wasn’t gentle as he squeezed Kip against him, arms tight bands around his back and waist. Kip melted into the embrace, barely feeling the ache in his ribs as he rose up onto the balls of his feet and buried his face in Scott’s neck.

“The game was canceled,” Scott said, breath tickling Kip’s ear. “Issue with the stadium. A/C wasn’t working, ice was melting, just a mess. So we came home early.”

“I’m certainly not complaining.” Kip pulled away just enough that Scott looked at him, and then he was tugging Scott’s head down to kiss him soundly. Scott pulled him closer so they were flush against each other. They separated after a long few moments, both breathless and dizzy. Here they were, kissing on Kip’s doorstep for all the world to see. He never could have imagined this just a month ago.

A honk from the street dragged them both into reality. Kip flinched, hiding his face in Scott’s chest as if that could keep someone from recognizing him. But Scott stayed loose and warm, arm looped around Kip’s waist even as he turned slightly. “Give me a minute,” he called, voice fond and annoyed all at once.

Kip risked looking up and found a car idling on the street in front of Kip’s house. Familiar faces leaned out the windows, Carter Vaughn most recognizable as he wolf whistled at the pair of them. Kip flushed, but he risked waving at the three hockey players fifty feet away.

Scott chuckled, pulling at Kip’s right hand so he could slide his palm into Kip’s. “Sorry about them.” Scott tugged Kip’s hips closer again as if they could somehow merge into the same body and soul. “But they were hoping… I mean, I’m sorry to spring this on you, and I probably should have called, but—”

“Scott Hunter,” Kip teased, running his thumb across the back of Scott’s hand. “Are you asking me to spend the night with you and your friends?”

Scott flushed slightly, eyes bright in the fading sunlight. “Maybe I am,” he said. “Eric’s invited us all to his place. I’d really like you to get to know them.”

“Is that Scott Hunter?” Elena’s voice filtered out from the open door behind them. Kip turned slightly to see Elena and Maria peering around the hallway. Maria looked like she was about to vibrate out of her skin while Elena was frowning just to hide her own smile. “The hell are you doing here right now?”

Kip looked back up at Scott, squeezing his hand even as his heart thumped happily in his chest. “Does Eric have room for two more?”

“I’m sure we could make it work.” Scott only had eyes for Kip, his large hand curled around Kip’s hip. “I’ll drop my bag off in your room and then we’ll head out? Do you need to change?”

Kip shook his head slowly. “Why don’t you bring your stuff with you? It’s… been a while since we’ve stayed at your place.”

“I’m onto you, Grady,” Scott murmured, pressing a chaste kiss to his lips. “I haven’t forgotten about your ribs. But… I would like that. A lot.”

Kip grinned, pushing up onto his toes to kiss Scott yet again. “Let me tell my parents. Go on with your friends. We’ll call a cab, meet you there.”

Scott dipped to grab his bag, never letting go of Kip’s hand. “As if I’m letting you take a cab again. I’ll call a car and say hi to your parents.”

As he turned to share the plan with the hockey players waiting on the street, Kip grinned at Elena and Maria. “What do you say? Wanna come meet Scott’s friends with me?”

“Hell fucking yeah.” Elena didn’t even hesitate. Maria’s eyes just sparkled, expression full of glee and pure disbelief.

Kip heard Bennett’s car drive off. He heard Elena and Maria disappear back into the house. He even heard his parents coming down the stairs, asking what the commotion was. But Kip just had eyes for Scott. “I fucking love you,” he said, pushing down on his urge to devour Scott’s mouth right here. If Kip got his way—which he often did when it came to Scott in the bedroom, even if Scott didn’t know it—he’d get the chance to do just that later.

“I love you so fucking much,” Scott whispered, lifting their joined hands to press a kiss to each of Kip’s knuckles. “I know this was sudden, but thank you for agreeing. They really want to meet you. And I’m excited to meet Maria. But really, we don’t have to stay for long. I know you’re still healing, so let me know. Whatever you want.”

Kip beamed up at his boyfriend. “Scott. Truly, this is everything. I mean it. Everything I’ve ever wanted, you’ve given it to me.”

“Not yet,” Scott said, kissing his hand again. “Give me a few months. And then I’ll give you the world.”

“I don’t need the world,” Kip whispered. “I already have you.”

Chapter End Notes

Happy Pride Month! I wrote 2/3s of this chapter today. The gays really got me today wow.

Surprise! I wasn't sure when this fic might end, but as I wrote it, I knew this would be the perfect ending for them. We've caught up a bit to the true book canon, so assume everything else happens as it did in the book (Scott kissing Kip after winning the Cup, etc.). But maybe Elena doesn't move to the West Coast. Who knows. I want her to stick around with Kip and Scott, I'm selfish.

Thank you to everyone for sticking around for this fic! Maybe in the future I'll add a true epilogue or bonus chapter of everyone together, maybe a dinner at Scott's penthouse, but for now I believe this is where our story ends. All of my love to each and every one of you, and I hope these characters were able to bring you so happiness and light.

Let me know what y'all thought! Thank you for reading <33