Page 5 of Aries (PAHL #1)

Vin

“Do you have something for me?” Aries bounced from foot to foot.

Vin laughed. The boy was so excited to get an assignment before Vin lay down for his afternoon nap. This was the third and final game of their away schedule for the week. They would be returning home by the end of the night. “I do.”

The first time in Seattle had been writing lines. The second time, in Pittsburg, Vin had found an adult coloring book at a CVS next to the hotel and grabbed it for him. Along with the postcard that Aries wanted. Each time Vin gave Aries something to do while he rested before games, he had Aries completely content and feeling floaty after. As Aries explained it.

He’d worried about the effect on the boy before the game, but Aries had played the last two games like a man on fire. Obviously, the boy bounced back quickly. Still, Vin would set his alarm for half an hour earlier than his usual time so he could bring Aries back to reality without having to rush.

“Can I color again?” Aries clapped his hands.

The adult coloring book had been a hit, although Aries had complained about there not being fun pictures. Still, it had served the purpose. Vin had already ordered some fun coloring books for Aries that he’d give the boy later.

“You can color, but this time is different. It will be fun and educational,” Vin told him.

Aries stopped jumping around. “Huh?”

This was going to be great! Vin finished opening the two adjoining doors then pulled what he’d made for Aries from his backpack. He was now carrying more things in that bag for Aries than he did for himself.

“You’ll see,” Vin said. “Did you talk to your brother?” It would be the first time that Aries was playing one of his brothers in the PAHL.

“Yeah, Nix is sad that we have to leave right after the game, but he said he’d catch me before I left.”

“I bet you’ll be happy to see him.” Vin set three bottles of water, an apple, and the thin-point markers on the desk.

“I’ll be happier to beat him tonight!”

Chuckling, Vin shook his head. He’d overheard a few conversations between Aries and one of his brothers. Gem was always concerned about Aries’s well-being and questioning every moment of Aries’s life. Phoenix was very different. He teased Aries, they argued, but the love was evident. Still, Aries was a cocky little shit to both men.

“What’s that?” Aries hovered by his side.

Vin pulled out the chair motioning to it. He unfolded the map he’d had the front desk clerk print for him. “Do you have your laptop?”

“Yep!” Aries said.

Vin lifted a brow.

Aries gulped. “I mean yes. It’s in my backpack.”

Looking around, Vin spotted Aries’s luggage on the floor by the door. Did the boy even try to stay organized? The garment bag holding his suits was crumpled under the backpack. Vin grabbed both.

He laid the garment bag out on the bed and set the backpack beside it. He dug through, coming up with numerous apple cores that he tossed in the trash. Empty juice bottles he also threw away. And finally, the laptop. His hand was sticky. The laptop was sticky.

Vin scrunched up his nose. Maybe he should carry anything important for Aries as well. He had more than enough space in his own backpack. He carried the computer over to the desk.

Aries was still leaning over the map, tilting his head left than right. The blank map of the United States shouldn’t confuse him that much. “I don’t get it.”

“You’re going to find the location of where every team currently plays in the PAHL.”

Aries’s eyes widened.

“You’ll mark where the team is in the state with a star before coloring the state to match the team colors.”

Aries groaned.

“Next time you’ll know where Pittsburg is,” Vin told him.

“They don’t even have a good team logo! Or mascot! Pittsburg Hockey Club! What kind of name is that?”

“And yet they’re always in the running for the championship,” Vin reminded.

“Choke in the first round,” Aries muttered.

“We just played there,” Vin said. “I showed you where it was when we landed, so that should be an easy one. And hopefully you know where we’re located. And your brothers. That’s four already.”

Aries sighed. “I guess.” He perked up. “If I get them all correct, can I have something other than chicken, rice, and vegetables for dinner?”

Vin might have also taken over Aries’s diet while they were on the road. He was already seeing improvement. It was little things that the more that Vin did for Aries, the better he felt. His purpose had returned. His love of hockey was back. Aries was giving Vin so much and Vin wanted to take care of the boy in return. To be the Daddy that Aries so desperately needed in his life. “No.”

Aries deflated.

“You can have ice cream after dinner.” A little treat wouldn’t hurt the boy.

“Ice cream!” Aries shouted.

“If you get them all right and don’t wake me up.”

“Yes!” Aries pumped his fist. He immediately picked up the black marker and correctly put a star where Pittsburg was located.

“Do a good job for me.” Vin patted his back.

Aries hummed quietly, already hard at work.

* * * * *

Vin

Where was his boy? Vin stalked down the deserted halls of the arena. They needed to board the bus to be taken to the plane. They were finally going home. It had been a long series of games, but everything had gone better than Vin could have hoped for. Up until he’d lost Aries. No one, not the captain, Shawn, or Zany had seen Aries since he’d showered.

It wasn’t like Aries to take off either.

The little shifter should be at his cubby, eating an apple while he waited to get on the bus for the airport. Except they were in Orlando, where Phoenix lived. Aries had to be with his brother. It was the only place that Vin could imagine Aries running off to.

Heading toward the home locker room, Vin hoped he was right.

Turning the corner, Vin came to an abrupt stop.

Two men had their arms wrapped around each other. He would recognize Aries anywhere. Even though the two men were the same size, Nix’s arms were more muscular where they held Aries tight. Vin could see that Aries’s little body was shaking. Could hear the soft sobs.

His heart ached for the boy.

Vin found himself rubbing his chest as Phoenix opened his eyes and looked past Aries’s shoulder. He lifted his hands up in the universal signal that he was not a threat.

Phoenix gave a short quick nod.

Vin snuck back around the corner to wait and give the brothers a couple more minutes alone. As soon as he heard quiet murmuring, Vin strode forward as if he hadn’t witnessed the heartwarming moment between the brothers. Phoenix was holding on hard to the back of Aries’s neck.

“There you are!” Vin said brightly.

Aries turned, all smiles, but the wet streaks and red eyes gave away that he’d been crying. “Hey, Vin.” He motioned to his brother. “This is Nix.”

Vin nodded to the brother. “Nice to meet you. Aries talks about you all the time.”

“Of course he does,” Nix said with a cocky grin. “I’m the best.”

“That’s not what the scoreboard said.” Aries stuck his finger in Nix’s stomach.

Phoenix scowled at him. “I swear you got faster. Not even sure how that could be possible.”

“Good food!” Aries quipped. “I’ve put on weight and gotten faster. More energy.”

Nix threw his head back with a loud laugh. “You don’t need more energy!”

“Do too!” Aries argued. “Vin said more balanced meals would help my stamina on ice and it has!”

That got Phoenix’s attention. Orange-brown eyes narrowed on Vin.

Huh, he hadn’t noticed that the two brothers had different color eyes. He’d suspected that the triplets would all have the same blue eyes Aries did.

“Vin said, did he?” Skepticism laced Nix’s words.

Vin would not be intimated by Aries’s brother. The kid also barely came to Vin’s shoulder. He closed the remaining distance.

“We need to get ready to leave,” he said quietly. He hated to break up the boys’ reunion.

“I know,” Aries replied sadly.

“Why don’t you go wash your face real quick,” Vin suggested. “There’s a bathroom right around the corner.” He didn’t want anyone else to see that his boy had been upset. Aries should have been happy, celebrating the only goal and the one to the zero score that had them winning.

Aries blushed but nodded. “Yeah.”

“I’ll wait here for you,” Nix told him. “Say goodbye one last time.”

“Okay!” Aries bounced off but Vin knew that Phoenix wasn’t done with him.

As soon as Aries was out of earshot, Phoenix turned on him. “Vin, is it?”

Vin snorted. “You know perfectly well who I am.” He had no doubt about that.

“I do,” Phoenix stressed. “Because you’re all my little brother talks about whenever he’s on the phone with me or Gem. Even our mom’s mentioned how taken Aries seems to be taken with you.”

He had a choice to make. Vin could pretend he didn’t know what Phoenix was implying, or he could tell the truth. Since he had no intention of hiding what Aries would eventually mean to him, Vin nodded. “I’ve been helping him.”

“Helping,” Phoenix repeated. “Is that what you call it?”

“Yes,” Vin hissed quietly. “You know damn well that Aries wasn’t doing well on his own. He thrived on the ice but off it he was struggling.”

Phoenix swallowed hard as his gaze darted away.

“He’s trying his hardest,” Vin told him. “Aries doesn’t want to be a bother to anyone. And he’s a good guy. He cares about his teammates, and they like him a lot, but that’s not the same as having his brothers with him.”

“It’s not easy on any of us,” Phoenix told him. “I really thought it wouldn’t be a big deal. We’d be busy. I didn’t realize how much downtime we would have.”

Vin heard the vulnerability in Nix’s tone. He reached out and grasped the shifter’s shoulder gently. “He’s doing good. These first away games have shown him what to expect. It’ll get easier.”

“I hope so.” Phoenix lifted his head. That stubborn look on his face that Vin recognized Aries had on the ice. “But your interest in my brother isn’t just as a mentor looking after the rookie.”

“It’s not. Your brother is a sweetheart. I like spending time with him. And I think he likes being around me too.”

“You’re hot,” Nix said with an eye roll. “That doesn’t mean that he’ll fall into bed with you. Don’t think you can fuck him and push him to the side. He isn’t like that.”

Vin grinned. “I know.”

It was hilarious to see Phoenix’s eyes widen. “He told you?”

“Yes,” Vin shared. “But that conversation is between me and your brother.”

“He tells me everything!” Nix said smugly.

“Maybe.” Vin shrugged. “Maybe not. That’s his business.”

“If you hurt him, I’ll come after you, vampire. I don’t care who you are or how old you are.”

Vin believed him. Phoenix might be as small as Aries, but he had rougher edges. “I have no intention of hurting Aries. I want to take care of him. To make sure he stays the same happy and lighthearted bo…young man he is now.”

Phoenix started to laugh. “Oh, this is going to be good!” He rubbed his hands together, reminding Vin of an evil villain in movies. “I’m going to give him so much shit.”

This time it was Vin narrowing his eyes. “You won’t.”

Phoenix grinned. “I totally will!”

There was a threat on the tip of his tongue when Vin felt Aries coming back down the hall toward him. He shifted to the side just as Aries and another man Vin knew turned the corner.

“Mules!” Phoenix crowed. “Stay away from the evil twin! You’re my goalie!”

Aries rolled his eyes. “I told you.”

Evan Mueller snorted. “I’m not sure if I should be worried about that or not.”

“What did you tell him?” Phoenix demanded.

Aries beamed at his brother. “Oh! Nothing much!”

Vin and Mules’ gazes met. Vin lifted a brow at his old friend. They’d played in the NHL together for years. Had been friends even before that. Both of them being the oldest of their kind.

Mules’ exasperated look toward Phoenix spoke volumes to Vin. His friend didn’t know what to do with the little fruit bats either.

Phoenix and Aries were hissing and whispering at each other then the shoving started. Vin smoothly slid between them as Mules grabbed the back of Phoenix’s neck.

“Do you still want a ride home?” Mules asked. “Or would you rather walk?”

Leaning around Vin, Aries smirked at his brother before sticking out his tongue.

Vin sighed. “Feel like writing some lines on the plane ride home?” he threatened softly.

Aries immediately straightened, arms going around his back, while shaking his head.

Phoenix was begging Mules not to abandon him. Like the bat shifter couldn’t order a car.

Vin’s watch beeped with his alarm. “We need to go.”

Aries nodded. He shuffled over to his brother, who opened his arms to embrace Aries close again. They hugged tightly as Vin stepped away to give them some privacy.

Mules bumped his shoulder. “Aries, huh?”

Vin couldn’t take his gaze off his boy. “He sort of snuck up on me.”

“Yeah,” Mules agreed. He was watching Nix with an intense dark gaze. “I just don’t know what to do with mine.”

“You always were good with the ropes,” Vin suggested. If anyone needed to see Mules’ dominant side, it was Phoenix. Just from the stories he’d heard ahead of the triplets coming to the PAHL, Phoenix was a handful.

Mules appeared intrigued. “I don’t date teammates.”

“That was a long time ago,” Vin advised. “You can’t let one asshole keep you from something, someone, that could make you happy.”

“He has a reputation,” Mules told him.

“You know how rumors work in this league.” Vin didn’t want to push too hard. “Besides, I don’t think he’s going to give you much of a choice.”

Even as Phoenix was hugging and speaking softly with his brother, his gaze hadn’t strayed from watching Mules.

Mules rubbed his hand roughly over his face. “I’m too old for this shit.”

“Preaching to the choir,” Vin muttered. “Come on, Aries, we need to go, little one.” The term of endearment slipped out.

Phoenix drew back, grinning. “Little one?”

Aries turned bright red.

“Enough, brat!” Mules snapped. “I’m leaving. If you want a ride still then it is time to leave.”

“Okay!” Nix whined. He kissed the top of Aries’s head. “Have a safe trip back.”

“Thanks.”

Vin had to be the bad guy and led Aries away from his brother and back toward their locker room. Aries would have kept putting it off until they really did miss the bus. Vin hated to be late for anything, so he was relieved when he caught the rest of the team barely exiting the locker room.

“You found him!” Shawn said with relief.

“I was saying goodbye to Nix,” Aries told his friend.

“You mean, you were rubbing it in that we beat him,” Shawn teased.

Aries’s smiled brightened. “That too! Man, he was so mad at first. Especially about that I scored against his goalie.”

This was his new life. Vin chose to pick the little fruit bat shifter. At least he was no longer bored with hockey. Or life.