INICIAR SESIÓNNathan was taller than Lukas remembered, broader in the shoulders, his hair shorter now and flecked with gray at the temples. The shadows in the hall softened nothing. His eyes still carried that same sharp edge, the one that used to cut Lukas wide open when he was younger and stupid enough to think it meant something. His smile was easy, practiced, but it only made Lukas’s chest tighten more.The shock hit him like a body check, a rush of old hurt slamming back. For a moment, his mouth went dry. He managed to croak, “What do you want?”Nathan’s smile widened. “I was just passing by, thought it might be nice to catch up.”“At midnight?” Lukas snapped, disbelief cracking through the fog of memory.Nathan only smirked, leaning casually against the doorframe like he belonged there.And then Aiden’s footsteps approached behind him. Lukas felt the shift before he heard the voice.“Nate?” Aiden’s voice was low and sharp. “Why are you here?”Lukas’s head whipped back, his stomach dropping. “
The hall outside the medical room was quiet, the muffled noise of voices and laughter fading behind them as the door swung shut. Mac leaned against the wall, arms folded, giving Lukas a once-over like he was about to check him into the boards.“You getting along with the doc any better?” Mac asked, tone casual but curious.Lukas snorted. “Yeah, thanks to you, meddling piece of shit.”Mac chuckled, unbothered. “You’re welcome. I figured he’d cut you a little more slack once you gave him something to sympathize with.”Lukas’s grin turned sharp. “Well, he was certainly a better fuck after a little bit of pity.”Mac rolled his eyes. “Great. Didn’t ask, but great.” He let the moment hang before asking, “You staying here tonight, or heading back to Crestwick?”Lukas shrugged. “Guess that’s up to the doc since he’s driving.”“Well, if you do stay, leave early,” Mac said. “You’ve got Ell’s baby shower tomorrow.”Lukas groaned loud enough to echo down the hall. “Oh, I see. She sent you to remi
The first few minutes were all sharp noise and the glare of cameras, but Aiden soon seemed to forget about the attention. His shoulders loosened, his posture no longer stiff as he leaned forward to follow the play. Lukas explained a few of the set-ups in his usual animated fashion, tossing in jokes about who skated like they had cement in their skates. Aiden looked like he was genuinely enjoying himself.It was comfortable. Fun. Almost like a date, if either of them were looking to date, which they weren’t. But still, Lukas found himself grinning as Aiden asked questions and offered wry comments of his own.Belmont's phone buzzed with calls here and there, until he stepped out to answer them, leaving small stretches of quiet between them. Lukas didn’t mind. The view was good, the company better than expected.As the game wound down, things remained uneventful until Ethan, their enforcer, hurled himself in front of a Reaper built like a bus, body slamming into him to protect a rookie o
Aiden drove, hands steady on the wheel of his fancy car, the leather interior still carrying the faint, sharp scent of polish.Lukas had made a face when it pulled into the lot that morning.He’d very graciously offered Dr. Fancy-Pants the chance to drive his vintage truck, but Aiden had clearly gone insane after a night of mind-blowing sex and claimed that it wouldn’t last five miles.So despite Lukas's begging, they barreled down the highway in a soulless box, listening to the boring hum of a 'healthy' engine. Lukas stretched out in the passenger seat, long legs shoved forward, sneakers braced against the dash, ignoring Aiden’s sharp looks.They had another hour ahead of them, but they were making good time.Mostly.Lukas insisted on a handful of snack breaks, regularly whining that he was starving and reminding Aiden that he was much better behaved with his "mouth stuffed full". Aiden didn’t argue, he just pulled off at every gas station they saw and let Lukas raid the shelves like
Lukas woke to the quiet rhythm of another person’s breathing, a sound so unfamiliar in his bed that it snapped him fully awake before the warmth of it sank in.He blinked against the soft morning light spilling through the blinds, his body heavy and sore in the best possible way. And there he was. Aiden. Stretched out beside him, sheets tangled low across his hips.It was surreal. Lukas couldn’t remember the last time he’d woken up with someone like this, still sharing the same pillows instead of pulling clothes on in the dark and disappearing before dawn.He turned his head, drinking him in.Aiden looked different in sleep. The hard lines of his face softened, the composure stripped away. His brow, usually furrowed with focus or tension, was smooth. Dark lashes brushed against his skin. His lips, still a little swollen from being kissed until they were raw, parted with slow exhales. Even his hands, capable, precise, always steady, rested loosely against the sheet, fingers curled with
Lukas’s rhythm faltered, his whole body locking up like his brain had hit a wall. Two weeks ago. Another man. The thought made his chest seize, jealousy and fury colliding until he wanted to put his fist through a wall.He should stop. Pull out, pull away, cool down before he said something stupid. But his body had other plans, grinding forward even as his pulse spiked hotter.“What’s his name?” Lukas rasped, the words tearing out of him before he could stop them.Aiden’s fingers dug hard into his back, sharp crescents of nail. “We’re done talking about it.”“The fuck we are,” Lukas shot back, breath ragged against Aiden’s mouth. He thrust harder, rougher, chasing something. “Tell me his name.”“No.”Lukas let out a broken laugh, dark and low. “What, you think I’m gonna track him down? Jesus, Doc—” He snapped his hips, drawing a strangled sound from Aiden’s throat. “—don’t tempt me.”The words stuck to his skin like fire. Why the hell was he this angry? He wasn’t Aiden’s boyfriend, n







