Page 135 of Breaking the Ice

Zach laughed.

“Hey, we’re not Elliott and Mal, at least,” Brody protested.

“Yeah,” Elliott crowed, “you’re not fucking us!”

In the last minute of the game, the opposing team pulled their goalie, even though they were down four goals, and that was the only way they managed to slip one right by Finn.

Still, it was a great game and a great score, and there was plenty worth celebrating about.

Gavin leaned in and said to Zach as they were watching the guys shed their equipment, “Okay. Maybe you were right. Maybe we just had to wait out the slump. Maybe I fucked this up when I tried to switch it up.”

“Yeah, huh, maybe you did,” Zach said, trying not to grin too broadly.

“Ugh, don’t be smug about it,” Gavin muttered.

“But youlikeit when I’m smug,” Zach argued, unable to hold back his smile any longer.

“Yeah, yeah. You wanna help me tell Mal?”

“Sure,” Zach said. He stopped by Mal’s stall, let him know he and Coach wanted to see him. Mal just nodded his dark head.

Nobody was surprised that when he showed up at Gavin’s office thirty minutes later, Elliott was also with him.

“Maybe better that you’re both here,” Gavin said. “I told you both this was an experiment we were going to try.”

“Shitty experiment,” Elliott mumbled under his breath and Malcolm elbowed him in the side.

“I said it was something we were gonna try,” Gavin started again, “but I’m thinking that maybe it might be better to go back to our regular power play units.”

“Good,” Elliott said, tilting his chin up.

“No,” Malcolm said bluntly.

Gavin’s eyebrows crept up. “No?”

“With all due respect, sir,” Mal said, proving again just how completely opposite of Elliott he was, “I don’t think it’s a good idea to switch back.”

“Mal!” Elliott exclaimed sharply, shooting him a glare. “What are you saying? Of course you need to come back to our power play unit.”

“No,” Mal repeated firmly. “Those guys have to get better, and nobody’s gonna do it if I don’t.”

“It’s notyourjob,” Elliott argued.

Zach opened his mouth to say something, but Gavin nudged him hard.

“I’m a leader on this team, and an A, so yeah, it sure is my job. And I get it now, Coach.” Mal slid a look over towards Gavin. “I didn’t at first, but you didn’t move me because I let you down.”

“No,” Gavin agreed.

“You moved me because those guys need someone to force them to get their shit together.”

Gavin nodded.

Mal turned back to Elliott. They were a very touchy-feely couple, despite the many lectures they’d been given about PDA, but Zach realized it was more often Elliott touching Mal than Mal touching Elliott. But Malcolm touched Elliott now, on the shoulder, sliding his hand across to his neck and squeezing. “But Ell, you gotta know. We might not always play together, all the time.”

Elliott sulked. “I know.”

“We gotta get used to it in case—”