Page 122 of Ethan

He just wasn’t sure why Hank had chosen this moment to talk about it.

“Yeah?”

Hank’s hand tightened on his leg. He let out a breath, like he was expelling the rest of the ugly thoughts. The ones that screamedfailureandnever gonna make itandloser.

“Told him just how lucky I am. My boyfriend’s fucking amazing,” Hank murmured, the words almost lost in Ethan’s hair. But they were clear enough that Ethan couldn’t miss them. “And that was even before today. Tonight.”

Ethan smiled against Hank’s broad shoulder. “Yeah, he seems like a really great guy.”

“Don’t push it,” Hank said, clearly amused.

“You should knowyour boyfriendwell enough to know that he loves to push it,” Ethan teased.

He swore he could feel Hank smile against his head. “Yeah, kinda hope he never stops, actually.”

“Well, he’s not gonna,” Ethan promised. Reached over, and with his hand found Hank’s. Intertwined their fingers together.

“We’re gonna be okay, aren’t we?”

It wasn’t even false bravado or overconfidence when Ethan said, seriously, “I know it. No matter what happens, we’re gonna have each other.”

“Yeah,” Hank agreed.

For a long moment, they just sat there, in a companionable silence. But then Ethan broke it. “How’s Bo doing?”

Hank chuckled, deep in his chest. Ethan couldfeelit. “Still in Syracuse, as you know. Still celibate. Still addicted to those stupid meditations. He was telling me that they couldn’t get anyone else to room with him.”

“Itiskinda a miracle you were able to tolerate it for so long.”

“Honestly? I didn’t mind it but I kinda miss him. Bo. He’s an interesting guy. A good friend.”

“He’s still playing well. Maybe he’ll end up in New York, too,” Ethan said. “Trade deadline’s in a few months. He could get called up after that, before the playoffs.”

Hank squeezed his hand. “Yeah, he could. Of course, if he did, you know who he’d end up rooming with again.”

“We’d figure something out,” Ethan said. He never wanted Hank to just havehim; he wanted Hank to have all the people he liked around him. He wondered if that was really what love was. Wanting the person you cared so much about to be happy, no matter what.

“Maybe.” Hank didn’t sound convinced though.

“I bet,” Ethan said slyly, “I could pretty easily convince Charlie to crash with Max.”

“Eth,” Hank warned, sounding a little too much like Avery for Ethan’s liking.

“I’m serious, they probably want to anyway. They did, for ages, before their entry-level contracts were up.”

Hank sighed. “If they’re gonna do it, they’d have done it already.”

“You don’t know that,” Ethan argued, even though he wasn’t sure he disagreed with Hank’s assessment of the situation. Charlie and Max weren’t stupid. They justactedstupid.

Hard to say which was worse, really.

“I guess in a few months we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it,” Hank said. The pilot announced then that they’d just made it to cruising altitude and they’d be landing in a little over an hour.

“Come on,” Hank added, body relaxing further. “Let’s get a nap in before we land.”

And Hank didn’t have to ask him twice, Ethan drifting off before he could even respond.

Chapter 17