Page 33 of Two for Charging

Something was wrong with Breezy.

No, wait.

There were many things wrong with Breezy, starting with the fact that he called himself “Breezy,” through his insistence on believing himself to be Italian, and ending somewhere around how attractive Luca found him.

But ever since the illuminating lunch with Tom Crowler a few days ago, he’d been acting oddly. Luca hoped against hope it had nothing to do with his sexuality. Breezy assured him he had no problems with Luca being bisexual, and apparently Breezy’s support of the gay agenda extended to witnessing Phil Easton’s wedding to Ben. He was also respectful enough about it to keep not one but two queer relationships on the team secret for months at a time.

Luca did get the distinct impression Breezy wanted them to remain secret, which he didn’t know how to feel about.

He hadn’t contemplated coming out to Breezy before he’d done it. This was largely because he hadn’t contemplated coming out to anyone besides his family until he no longer played hockey for a living. Having done it now, Luca was both relieved and more tense than he’d ever been in his life.

The relief was natural, he supposed, the feeling one expected to have about a secret coming to light with no negative consequences.

But surely now that he knew Luca liked men, Breezy would realize Luca harbored more-than-friendly feelings toward him. No one took their platonic roommate out for planned dates or rubbed them down with arnica gel. Breezy’s new awkwardness must be due to suspicion. The smart thing would be to cancel his next planned outing, scheduled for the team’s week at home and before the season started with an away game on Saturday.

Luca looked down at his phone and considered calling off the appointment.

But suspicious or no, Breezy deserved to know Luca appreciated him, and he deserved nice things. What was the worst that could happen if Breezy found out his true motivations?

Breezy could ask him to move out and never speak to him again.

With a sigh, Luca went to knock on Breezy’s door. Breezy would no more do that than he would take down the stupid “pastas of Italy” map. The only way to discover what was bothering Breezy was to talk to him like a grown-up.

Breezy opened the door, his phone in one hand a few centimeters from his ear.

“I’m sorry he said that,” he said as he gestured for Luca to come inside. “That’s messed up.”

Breezy’s room consisted of only a bed and the closet. He had a second TV on the wall opposite his bed, and Luca knew he sprawled out with his back against the headboard watching his dumb romantic comedies on free evenings when he wasn’t in the living room with Luca. There weren’t any chairs, not surprising given the gargantuan bed. Luca took a seat at its edge.

“Mhm.” Breezy rolled his eyes at Luca. “Yeah. Well…I mean, have you tried telling him how you feel?”

Breezy paused to listen to the response on the other end of the line.

It must have been unsatisfying. He collapsed onto the bed next to Luca.

“Uh-huh. Yeah, I know how he gets. But I don’t think antagonizing him more—”

Breezy closed his eyes when a loud voice interrupted on the other end, and he slumped into Luca. Unthinking, Luca caught his weight, impressive though it was, and wrapped an arm around his shoulder. Breezy nosed his way into Luca’s collarbone.

Luca’s heart pounded.

“Yeah, Mom. Whatever you say. You know him best; you married the guy.”

Christ, his mother. He always got a little down after those phone calls. With his free hand, Luca carded through Breezy’s hair.

Breezy pushed up into the touch, and Luca lost his balance, both of them toppling onto the sheets with Breezy’s head resting against Luca’s shoulder. Surrounded on all sides by Breezy’s scent, Luca could do nothing but continue to stroke his hair and wish desperately he could kiss this better.

“Uh-huh. Yeah. Do you want me to talk to Matty about it?”

Luca tugged a little at Breezy’s hair. He nuzzled closer into Luca’s skin.

“I know they’re a lot alike. I can try anyway, if you want.”

The conversation seemed to be winding down. Breezy made a series of listening sounds and then said, “Okay, I will. I love you. No, I still don’t want to meet anyone. No, not even if she’s Italian. Bye.”

He dropped his phone onto the bed with an exhausted sigh.

Luca wondered if he should say something.