Page 22 of Full Body Hit, Part 2 (Alpha Omega Hockey #6)

AUSTON

W hen Auston got his first real NHL contract and began earning what, at the time, had seemed like a fucking ridiculous amount of money, he’d thought that ostentatious was the only marker of expense.

Fancy dinners were held in large dining rooms covered in gold and white, the windows long and arched, chandeliers hanging from the ceiling.

Everything came in small portions. There was dry ice and mousses and plates that weren’t plates at all but slabs of wood or stained glass or cups of different shapes and sizes.

He was paying for an experience that was more show than substance.

He hadn’t known the difference back then.

Now, when he went out to eat, he wanted some good fucking food. A lack of flair was a sign of quality—there didn’t have to be any add-ons if the main event was good enough. The dishes didn’t have to be simple, but they should be true to the ingredients and the culture the recipe was from.

Chemin à la Mer was bougie enough to be on the fifth floor of a Four Seasons Hotel, but it was known for its fantastic seafood and spectacular view of the Mississippi River.

“Wow,” Chase said as they stepped into the dining room.

The vertically panelled walls were a rich green, leafy plants decorated the space, and deco chairs matched the walls.

The entire outside wall was made of glass, showing off the bruised sky already turning a deeper blue as the sun sank towards the horizon.

“You like seafood, right?” Auston checked as the host led them to their table.

“Um, yeah. Oh, thank you,” Chase said as Auston took his chair out for him.

Auston sat across from him, feeling a shivery, dark sort of pleasure watching Chase inspect his surroundings in awe. He took the Omega in, the dark-blue slacks and flowy white blouse that was almost see-through.

Auston wondered if Chase was wearing something pretty underneath, too.

“Wow, Auston. This is really nice.”

Auston smiled, eating him up with his gaze. “Glad you like it, baby.”

There was that blush again. Jesus . Auston really, really should enjoy how innocent he appeared right then, how fucking red his lips were, lashes blinking slowly as he peered out the window.

The waiter dropped off some menus and Chase opened his carefully, as if he didn’t want to stain the thick card with his fingers.

Auston took a sip of his water to wet his dry mouth. “Let me know if you want to share anything.”

“Oh, yeah, okay. I love sharing food.”

I know that. Back when they were just Charlie and Aunix , Chase had told him how much he loved the communal eating style.

Auston could guess his stories had starred Sammy and Noah, although the two had been nameless for a while.

Chase had said how fun it was to get a bunch of stuff and share—how nice it was to eat with other people.

Apparently, family dinners hadn’t really been a thing with his mom…probably because she was a frosty fucking bitch.

Auston didn’t share that observation, but he sure thought it real fucking hard.

Auston let Chase take the lead, nodding when Chase mentioned he liked a particular ingredient or that a dish looked good, until they’d ordered three appetisers and two mains to share.

“Maybe it’s too much,” Chase worried as the waiter walked away after taking their orders.

“We can just take the leftovers home.”

“I’m not sure seafood makes the best leftovers…”

Auston snorted. “Yeah, maybe you’re right. It’ll be fine, though. I’ve got some news, actually.”

Chase sat up straighter. “Oh?”

“I, uh…I officially told the team this is my last year.”

Auston had considered not telling him. Not because he didn’t want Chase to know, but because he didn’t want to fucking talk about it. If it had been any other relationship, he would have delayed it a little, let it sink in before having to discuss it.

But…that passive bullshit wasn’t gonna help him anymore.

Just thinking he had to do better wasn’t going to make him someone worthy of Chase.

Sure, he liked to tease the kid about his hero worship, enjoyed seeing Chase pampered by him, but Auston knew full well that he was the one who had to work in the relationship to be good enough.

Everything in Chase begged to be loved. To be had. To be touched. Auston could see it glow off him—how vulnerable he was. Auston knew how easy it would be to be a shitty partner, to take advantage of all that hero worship and get Chase’s love by default instead of earning it.

The very thought of that made him sick. Sure, it pumped up his ego to witness how much Chase liked Auston’s hockey. Auston had a rough time dividing himself as a person, and himself as a hockey player, and it was fucking nice to have someone who admired both sides of him.

But ‘Auston the person’ had a lot of fucking work to do to live up to Chase. The kid might not know it, was too young to ask for what he really deserved, but Auston was gonna make sure he got it. Auston wasn’t gonna lay back and be the person he’d been in past relationships.

He wanted to keep Chase for fucking ever, and the only way to do that was to be the person Chase thought he was.

Chase’s eyes went soft around the edges. “Oh. How’d the conversation go?”

Auston shrugged. “Good, honestly. Feels shit, but. It went well.”

Chase picked up his chair and crab-walked with it so that he was closer to Auston—beside him now instead of across.

Auston’s hand twitched as Chase grabbed it, but he didn’t hesitate to lace their fingers together, heart pumping behind his ribs as if it were begging to get out, to slide down his arm to where Chase was touching him.

Chase squeezed, a tender thumb running across his knuckles. “Sorry. I don’t know what to say, but…I know it’s sad, but I’m proud of you. Which is probably super silly, sorry, but—”

“No. It’s not silly.” Auston swallowed. “Thanks, baby.”

Chase gave him a wobbly smile. “One day, I’ll have to have that talk with someone too, and I just…all I want is to have had the career you do. That’s all I want in life. You’ve done everything I want to do, and I feel that’s pretty cool.”

Auston couldn’t help but mirror the expression, lips tilting up. There was a big balloon in his chest getting larger and larger.

Not everybody finished their careers proud of what they had done. Auston had that, though. Something solid to look back on and be happy to claim, I did that .

“Thanks, baby,” Auston said again.

They stayed seated side by side when the dishes arrived even though the lack of space made eating a little difficult. They made do, digging in hungrily, still starving from the rough practice earlier that day.

They ended up eating enough not to need to ask for leftovers, practically rolling out of the restaurant, heavy coats on against the chill as they took the rail to the Garden District to take a walk.

Auston wrapped an arm around Chase, keeping him close as they strolled slowly through the streets, working off the food that sat heavy in their bellies.

“Where are you taking me? Another movie?” Chase asked.

“No. There’s a jazz bar nearby we can pop into, but I thought we’d just walk a bit. Unless you want to see a movie.”

“No, this is nice.”

Auston hummed. “Did you enjoy that last one we saw, though? At the cinema? I don’t actually know what kind of movie you prefer.”

There was an odd pause. “Um…I don’t really remember much about the movie, but I bet it was nice?”

Auston tilted his head to look at Chase’s face, the Omega not meeting his eyes. “You don’t remember? It was like a week ago, babe.”

Chase buried his face into Auston’s side. “Whatever, I was just distracted. You were…holding my hand.”

It took a few beats to sink in that Chase had been so preoccupied with Auston holding his hand that he hadn’t been paying attention to the movie for two fucking hours.

Heat bubbled in his stomach, but there was something far more tender coating his heart, something that glowed with each pump of blood, spreading it through his body, lighting him up.

He stopped them in the middle of the sidewalk, glad there were barely any people to get in the way of. Chase startled to a halt, blinking up at him, face ruddy. Auston stroked his cheek and leaned in for a kiss, light and airy.

Chase’s eyelashes fluttered as Auston pulled away, his face still tilted up as if waiting for more.

Fuck , the things Auston could do to him.

Auston prompted Chase forwards again despite his mumbled protests. “So, favourite movie then? I’m surprised we haven’t talked about this.”

“ Hmm …probably Sunshine League .”

“Of course it’s a hockey film.” Auston mock-shook his head.

Chase bumped into him slightly even though he was already stuck to his side. “Well, yeah! What’s your favourite movie?”

“ The Sixth Sense .”

“What?” Chase started giggling uncontrollably.

“What?” Auston echoed defensively.

“That’s such a weird favourite movie.”

“Excuse me? It’s a masterpiece. It’s the great twist in cinema.”

Chase was still laughing. “I mean, I know it’s good, but I’ve just never heard of it being someone’s favourite movie. But I haven’t watched it, so.”

Auston huffed dramatically. “He’s laughing, and he hasn’t even watched it.”

Chase pressed into him, a bright grin in his voice. “I don’t have to watch it. Everyone knows that movie.”

“Exactly. Because it’s a great fucking movie.”

“When did you first watch it?”

Auston thought back. “Must have been like…ten?”

“Oh, my God. That’s way too young. Your favourite movie at ten years old was The Sixth Sense ?”

“Okay, I thought this was a safe space.”

Auston pretended to wiggle away even as they walked, but Chase clung on, making them stumble for a few steps. “No, I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I’ll be good. The Sixth Sense is a totally normal movie to love when you’re ten.”

“Okay, I’m leaving.”