A Game Night
#15 of Hockey Hunk Season 6
A Game Night
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Hello, and welcome to the Hockey Hunk! It's Friday, and it's another chapter, and we're on the roll! I am glad that Season 5 has come to such an interesting start, and I hope to keep providing, of course! Your feedback has been most pleasant and useful, too, so thank you for that - keep it coming! *chuckle* And as always, do remember that all votes, faves and watches will help others to find these stories to enjoy as well!
Have a fun read!
Cheers!
*
"Hej!"
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"Hej!"
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He was smiling when the door was opened and I stood there, and I was smiling too, wrapping my arm about his shoulder, giving it a small squeeze. Stayed close enough for a while that I smelled him, though not too long as to make it seem that I was crowding him. I stepped backwards and he stepped backwards too, making me room.
"Come on in!"
"Thanks!" I smiled, entering Mason's apartment with home-like familiarity. My bag was quickly dropped, my shoes shucked off and we were in the small living area, Mason flopping onto the couch and followed by me, landing on the old pillows.
"I watched a bit of the intro, hope you don't mind, we can go back to it if you like," he said.
"Sure, why not?" I said, smiling while he played around with the controller to recall the menu and start the intro sequence again.
"It looks so cool," he said, eyes gleaming in the light coming from the TV while the game restarted.
"I've seen some stuff on YouTube, it looks awesome," I said.
"Great!" he flicked his ears.
I settled onto the couch and watched him go through the menus and folders for a moment, letting myself relax. It was nice to be here again, just hanging around, no stress...chilling, yeah? That's what we were doing.
"Uh, you don't mind me going first do you?" he asked, suddenly.
"Course not," I smiled, patting his shoulder. Just quickly. No bothering him or his gaming or...him. "You're better at it any way, probably."
"Heh," his ears flicked.
"Besides," I said, folding my paws behind my neck and rolling my arms a bit, "this way I'll learn all the tricks by watching."
"Hah," his tail swished, paws moving over the X-Box controller again, eyes curious and on the game.
I watched mostly between him and the TV, just relaxing for now.
"Busy day?" he asked.
He didn't know half of it, and I wasn't going to tell him all of it, by all means.
"Well you know, that student club meeting and that lecture and then I went to the gym and the mall."
"Had fun?"
"Just chilled, didn't really buy anything," I said.
Didn't really get the chance to, with Jessica showing up. That was just awkward.
"Hah, good, considering your next month's allowance hasn't arrived," he said.
I flicked an ear at him and nudged his side again.
I did that a lot.
"Since when did you care about my allowance, dude?" I chuckled.
He shrugged, giving me only a quick look, since his eyes were busy with the game on TV. He was smiling, though.
"Well, all the fun usually happens at the beginning of the month when there's a lot of cash."
I chuckled.
"Yeah," I said, "thanks to mor and far."
"Lucky you," Mason rumbled, "I have to slave at the bookstore."
"I thought you liked the bookstore."
"Well it's okay," he said.
Okay.
"I'd gladly do something but I can't, you know ,"I said.
"Yeah, sure."
"Besides, your parents are awesome helping you pay the rent in this place," I patted the arm of the couch, "so much nicer than a dorm."
"Oh yeah," he nodded. "I'm really glad about that."
Made for nicer game nights like this, too. Just the two of us sitting here in semi-darkness and having fun. Guy stuff.
"Thanks for letting me stay over when I want to," I said, knowing I had made the same thanks many times before.
"No prob," he said.
"Heheh," I chuckled a little.
Now his avatar was walking down some kind of a corridor...futuristic, and stuff.
"It does look really nice," I said.
"Yeah, the graphics are awesome and the controls are pretty good," he sounded enthusiastic, his tail swapping the floor. "You'll love it when you try it out."
"I'll let you go for a bit yet," I chuckled. "Need to rest my paws a bit."
"Did a lot of reps?"
"The usual," I said, "feeling pretty good afterwards."
"I bet," he smiled.
It'd really be a perfect day if it wasn't for Jessica.
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*
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"I was just wondering...since...everything fine now...if we...if we...maybe went out some night, maybe?" Jessica questioned. "Just as friends...you know..."
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I could feel my lips tighten with my jaws pressing together. I felt tense, looking at her, my paw closing around my cup of coffee. She kept looking at me, obviously curious and interested, and I looked back.
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"I'm not sure that'd be a very good idea," I said, trying to be steady and calm as possible.
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I could see the hurt in her eyes.
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"It's because of Mason, isn't it?" she asked.
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'Of course it's because of Mason!' my brain screamed. But probably not for all the reasons she could think about...would be allowed to think about, because she didn't know everything there was to it, of course not. The fact that we'd gone for the same girl aside, my relationship with Mason was complicated enough without me going to date Jessica behind his back again.
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"What else?" I said aloud.
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Her ears moved back and forth, and she seemed uncomfortable. Rightly so, too, I thought. She obviously had no idea what was going on.
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"I...I presumed he's not really interested in me anymore...he...he never called back or anything..." she said.
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'_Of course he isn't interested in you if you go around screwing behind his best friend's back!' _ thought, wincing a little at the harshness of the ideas coursing through my head, not really in proportion with the issue at paw.
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"He's moved on," I said, knowing it sounded a bit more harsh, too, than I wanted it to be. Everyone had gotten hurt enough already.
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"Oh," she whispered.
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"He's got his eyes on a girl called Megan," I said.
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It was cruel. I wanted her to know that world didn't revolve around her.
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I wanted to tell Jessica Mason didn't need her anymore. I didn't need her anymore.
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I wasn't proud of saying that, simply for the pleasure of knowing that Jessica knew.
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I didn't really want to know it myself, but it was impossible to not to know, considering how much Mason kept going on about Megan and how she was just so awesome and hot and wonderful and how he was still gathering courage to ask her out.
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Jessica didn't have to know that it was still working in the potential.
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"Oh," she said again.
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I stirred my coffee and took a big sip. it didn't bring any comfort.
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"But...you are not seeing anyone?"
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I wondered if she was really that desperate for me, that forgiving, or just plain stupid. I was sure I didn't know her well enough to really decide. It felt bad. I did like her at one point, after all. Now it felt like I didn't know her. She just seemed pathetic. Not that I had any right to blame her, when it came to longing.
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"No, I'm not," I said.
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"So..."
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"Doesn't mean I still want to go out with you, Jessica," I stated as firmly as I could, trying to keep my voice from not becoming a growl.
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She looked like she'd been slapped.
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I was almost glad.
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"Sorry, I just don't think it's a good idea," I said. "At all."
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Jessica sniffled. I wondered if she was going to start to cry or something.
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"Hmmmm," she made a sound.
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"Sorry," I said.
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I must've looked as downcast as her did.
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*
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"Here we go...want me to try to sneak or...?"
I snapped out of it.
"I know you like going in with guns blazing," I chuckled, "got for it!"
"Aye, aye, sir!" his ears saluted me while he snuck behind a banister and down some staircase.
I chuckled a little. I felt guilty about keeping back the entire Jessica business from Mason, but I didn't want to spoil the night by just popping the news that she'd come back and seemingly wanting to hook up or something. It was extraordinary, and uncomfortable, and I didn't want Mason to have to go through that again. Things had been strained enough as they were.
I didn't want to lose this...with...through Jessica, or any other kind of wrong behavior on my part. I knew it could become so very fragile if I...slipped.
"So was your day alright?" I asked, not wanting to bother his gaming but I knew that Mason's multitasking skills were just fine.
"Sure," he mumbled from the corner of his eye while aiming down his sight on the game.
"Anything fun happen?"
"Well, Marge made Rory rub her footpaws."
"No way!"
"Uh huh," Mason sounded serious.
"What happened?"
"Well you know she's pregnant, right?"
"Sure, you've told me plenty of times."
"Well, so, she told Rory that soon her footpaws will be swollen like sausages, so she made Rory to rub them in the back room."
"Kinky," I said.
"Yeah, I guess," Mason mumbled, his words underlined with the sound of gunfire, "a bit weird."
"Well she likes hitting on guys and flirting with them," I said, "she's checked me out plenty of times."
"Oh I know, it's kinda embarrassing," Mason grumbled.
"I don't mind," I smirked.
Mason snorted.
"You don't mind anyone checking you out," he said.
That he didn't need to know.
"I'm sure my novelty will wear off soon enough."
Or maybe I hoped it wouldn't.
"Ha ha," Mason chuckled kindly.
"So how did Rory take it?" I asked, knowing what I knew about that lion and his private business.
"Well he did it."
"Brave man," I joked.
Mason flicked an ear at me.
"Flirted like mad, I bet," he said, "Rory likes doing that. Always calling her sweetie and stuff, even though she has a boyfriend."
"Guess it's harmless fun," I mused. If he'd only know how harmless exactly...
"Well it looks a bit weird sometimes," he said.
"I'm sure they know what they're doing," I continued.
So did Mason, it seemed, disposing of some mooks with ease with headshots while alarms blared.
"Fuck," he hissed.
"Up there on the balcony!" I told him.
"I got that."
It was fun to watch his face crunch with concentration while he kept playing, paws moving quickly over the controller. He was obviously enjoying himself a lot.
Bam, bam. No more danger from up the balcony. Mason was the boss.
"Cool," I said.
He was deep into the game now. He wouldn't mind when I put my arm across the backrest of the couch so that it was kinda touching his back, too. Of course he understood that it was just me getting cosy on the couch.
"Mind if I take my shirt off?" I said, "kinda hot in here."
"Sure," he said ,"take your pants off too if you like, lol."
I tensed a little, but smiled. I knew that he was joking. Still felt a bit blushed when I actually did tug on my T-shirt and took it off and dropped it onto the armrest of the couch before settling back onto the couch.
"Better now," I smiled, relaxing again onto the couch...and my arm, put where it was before.
"Looking good!" Mason grinned.
My ears perked.
"You think?" I almost gasped.
"Wish I had the patience to get a body like that," he snuffled.
It'd be yours if you only...
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"Well," I ruffled his neck furs, casually, easily, "just hit the gym with me more and we'll get you there!"
His fingers moved on the game pad again, and that was it.
*
Thank you for reading my story! I hope you had an interesting time, and I look forward to reading your feedback! Do remember that all votes, faves and watches will help others to find these stories to enjoy as well!
See you on Monday!
Cheerio!