Page 185 of Game Misconduct

There was food and liquor and electrolytes and water and laughter and music and Tanner couldn’t remember the last time he felt so good.

Sometimes, he felt a little guilty for abandoning Leif, for reminding him of his own loss.

Tanner wished he could share the celebration with Leif. He wished that he could have him on the float at the parade and kiss him in public, but he seemed happy hanging back, keptpromising Tanner that he was good just like this, kept reminding him to savor the moments.

So Tanner did his best.

He had vague memories of dancing in a fountain with Jesse and Kady, laughing until his ribs ached and he got the hiccups.

He remembered kissing Jesse on the cheek, over and over, big, sloppy wet kisses as he told him he was thebestest goalie in the whole wide worlduntil Connor pulled him off with a growl and planted a big kiss of his own on Jesse’s lips to claim him.

Tanner remembered seeing his family and waving to them in the crowd, so happy his heart felt like it wouldburst.

It was the happiest blur he’d ever experienced and when he finally came to, he was sprawled on the couch in the basement of Catherine and Declan O’Shea’s house, with his head in Leif’s lap. Leif was feeding him grapes and cheese.

Tanner sighed happily and looked up at him, smiling. “Hi, Princess.”

“Hi.” Leif smiled back. His nose was a little sunburned and Tanner realized his own face felt a little hot, like he’d gotten too much sun too. “How are you feeling?”

Tanner checked in with his body. He was tired and hungry and sore and a little hungover but mostly happy. “Good,” he said truthfully. “You?”

“Good.”

He certainlylookedgood. He was dressed in a nice blue linen button-down shirt and his hair looked very shiny and gold in thislight and Tanner felt a little dizzy thinking about the fact that he wasTanner’s.

At least, Tanner hoped so. The grapes and cheese were a good sign, right?

“Did I do anything stupid in the last few days?” he asked, suddenly worried.

Leif wound one of Tanner’s curls around his finger. “Yep. Lots of things.”

“Anything so stupid you don’t love me anymore?” Tanner whispered, rolling onto his side. He was kind of afraid that maybe he’d returned to his old ways and made out with random people or something.

“Never,” Leif said with a smile and the word came so quickly and easily that Tanner sighed with relief and burrowed against him, pressing his face against Leif’s flat stomach, the scent of his cologne and the feel of the fabric warmed by his skin so, so comforting.

“Did I do anything myagentis going to be pissed at?” Tanner asked when he pulled back, because he really wasn’t sure what he was going to find when he grabbed his phone.

If it was even charged. Although knowing Leif, he’d taken care of all that for him.

“Mmm, I don’t know that your agent is going to love that you put a coconut bra on, hung off a light pole screaming that you were a monkey and that someone needed to get you a banana, but otherwise, I think you’re okay,” Leif said with grin.

“Phew.” Tanner flopped onto his back again and Leif started petting his hair again. “That’s not so bad.”

Dakota walked by them carrying what looked like a Bloody Mary and smirked. “Youdidhit on your GM a few times, however.”

“What?” Tanner asked, alarmed. He sat up and looked at Dakota in horror. Half the team was sprawled out across the couches and chairs, and they looked more or less alive.

“He didnot,” Gavin said with a snort from where he was sprawled in a big armchair. He was wearing shorts and a short-sleeved shirt and sandals.Wild.He looked so much more relaxed than usual. “You were fine, Tanner. Don’t worry about it.”

“Don’t listen to Gav, Tanner. You kept telling him that you needed him to always work shirtless,” Dakota pointed out, laughing. “And begging Thad to take his shirt off too so you could prove they have identical abs.”

“Whoops,” Tanner said. “Uhh, sorry everyone?”

Connor snorted. He was propped up by pillows, and his arm was in a sling. He’d probably go in for surgery next week. Right now he looked tired but happy. “It’s still not as bad as what Jesse did with Toronto. You’re fine.”

“Yeah, but that got me tradedhere, didn’t it?” Jesse said with a laugh as he bent to give Connor an upside-down kiss. “So maybe you should be grateful.”

“True. Can’t be mad about that,” Connor agreed.