Chapter 3
Inexplicably, Finn's eyes are drawn to Alexei's knees, to his calves, to his socked feet.
Alexei looks for all the world like he's worshipping Finn like this.
He wonders, half out of his mind, if Alexei loves him.
If Alexei loves him the same way Finn loves him.
Finn gasps, eyebrows furrowed as he keeps his gaze locked on Alexei.
His hands tighten around Alexei's curls as his balls draw up, breath stuttering out of him.
Love you.
Love you.
Love you
"I'm gonna come.
Kurov, fuck,
Alexei groans, mouth full of cock, and swallows him down.
With a wounded, animal noise, Finn comes.
His eyes nearly roll back when his cockhead hits the back of Alexei's throat, feeling himself shoot ropes of come
Alexei swallows around him, cheeks hollowed, and takes every drop.
He doesn't stop, not till Finn's orgasm has fully crested.
He smooths his hands over Finn's trembling thigh, only pulling off after he's wrung the last drop out of him.
Finn looks down at him.
Alexei looks a little wrecked, but so unbelievably satisfied with himself.
He's so beautiful like this, mouth slick with come and spit, eyes a little wet from burying Finn's dick in his throat, a proud smile pulling at his lips.
Finn drops to his knees.
Alexei looks confused, but makes space for him.
He captures Alexei's mouth in a searing kiss, hoping the collision of their mouths does something to soothe the giant, pulsing thing in him that demands he tells Alexei everything he feels, everything he's been feeling, everything he's been far too scared to say out loud.
Alexei kisses him back enthusiastically, tongue slipping into Finn's mouth.
He can taste himself on Alexei's tongue.
He moans, knocking Alexei onto his back, suddenly so grateful for how large of a kitchen he requested when he'd had the place built.
He crawls atop his lap, kissing him hard and heated, and Alexei just lets him.
They make out lazily, Finn's softening cock grinding against Alexei's aching, hard cock that's only covered by soft, worn-in sweatpants.
Eventually, after several minutes of grinding, Finn is hard and ready to go again, but Alexei pulls him back by his hair, dragging his lips across the day-old stubble on Finn's jaw.
"I have to check stew."
Finn whines.
"You said—" A huff of a breath.
His chest heaves with the expansion of his lungs.
He hadn't even realised he'd been holding his breath.
"It cooks slow."
Alexei smiles against his cheek, pecking it.
"Yes, but I must check it, Merrick.
You can make me come later."
That feels—weird.
Couple-y almost.
Like he doesn't even care about getting off, even though it's clear he's so unbelievably hard.
Finn pulls back, still straddling Alexei's hips, knees digging into the hard tile beneath.
"You're sure?"
Alexei kisses the corner of his mouth, a soft, barely there thing.
"Yes.
I am sure I will fuck you over your couch later."
"Something heavy like stew is gonna put me to sleep, Kurov."
Alexei lifts a shoulder in a half-shrug.
"Then we will sleep."
They don't have sex again that night.
Finn gets tired after they finish the dishes, just as he had warned he would, and ends up nuzzling his face against Alexei's neck in the kitchen.
Alexei guides Finn to bed, palm resting lightly on the small of his back, but as Alexei goes to leave and sleep in the guest room again, Finn tugs him forward, Alexei's knees knocking against the edge of the mattress.
Alexei looks at him, questioning and unsure.
Finn tugs again wordlessly.
Don't make me ask
, he thinks,
I don't think I'm brave enough to ask yet
Alexei doesn't make him ask.
He pulls his hoodie off and lets it crumple onto the floor beside Finn's bed, and crawls in beside him.
Finn, warm, sleepy and content, pulls Alexei into his arms and wraps around him, his stomach, chest and legs moulding around the back of Alexei's body.
Sleepily, Finn thinks,
like a little backpack.
He's not sure who falls asleep first.
It's the best sleep he's had in years.
24th of December
In the morning, Alexei abandons his post of perching on a barstool to take a phone call, excusing himself quickly and stepping out of the room.
Finn continues working on breakfast, pointedly not dwelling on or even thinking about how domestic it feels—cooking for the both of them, moving around the kitchen while Alexei dawdles like this is normal.
Like this is something that could be normal for them.
Moments later, Alexei returns, phone grasped in his left hand.
"Who was that?" Finn asks.
"Car Rental Company.
Confirming payment.
Is fine." Alexei hopped back onto the barstool, grabbing a nut from the little bowl of them on the kitchen counter and cracking it open between his fingers.
Finn's brows scrunch.
"You didn't book it in advance?"
"I did not think I would need car." Alexei ducks his head, but not quick enough to hide the way his cheeks colour.
Unfortunately for Alexei, Finn catches a glimpse of the apples of his cheeks flushing with warmth.
"You rented a car to come see me," Finn says, a grin tugging at his lips.
The simple thought of Alexei last-minute coordinating some stupid sports car so that he can come spend a few days with Finn strikes him in a way he hadn't expected—he feels warm inside, something tingly, bright and buoyant blooming in the cavern of his chest.
Finn turns back to the stove before Alexei can see how wide his smile has gotten.
He takes his time flipping the eggs, buying himself a second to breathe through the way his chest feels alight with colour, like a firework is exploding within the confines of his ribcage.
"Is not crazy," Alexei says.
"It is long drive to your weird, secluded cottage, Merrick.
It is not like I was going to take GoCab."
"Didn't have to get a Lamborghini."
"I am surprised you know what Lamborghini looks like."
"You're such an asshole."
Suddenly, there are hands on his hips, and a mouth against the back of his neck, brushing against the sensitive skin there.
He hadn't even heard Alexei stand.
know
I am worst."
A lingering kiss against the middle vertebrae of his neck, warm and tender.
Alexei's fingertips slip under Finn's shirt, settling against the skin just above his waistband.
Finn shivers.
"You are," he breathes, the words more unsteady than he intends for them to be.
Alexei hums, stepping impossibly closer.
His nose bumps the back of Finn's neck, hips connecting with Finn's ass.
Finn tips his head back, and Alexei's head tilts to the side, mouth grazing the side of his neck.
The hands on his hips tighten possessively, and heat pools in Finn's gut, warmth flooding his face.
Alexei, against the skin of his throat, whispers, "You are burning the eggs."
"Fuck!" Finn startles, eyes flying open, shifting the pan off the burner.
The eggs are not burned.
He shoots Alexei a scathing look.
"Like I said—you're an asshole."
laughs,
shoulders shaking.
He looks beautiful, and Finn can't find it in himself to resent him for it.
Alexei wears joy like he was born to feel it.
"You are easy to prank," Alexei tells him, still grinning boyishly.
Finn looks away so Alexei doesn't see how stupidly, inadvisably, fond he is of him.
"Whatever," he says, and Alexei tuts.
"Don't be sore loser," Alexei says.
Finn's about to protest when Alexei announces, "I need to piss.
I will be back."
Finn shoots him an unimpressed look.
"Have a good piss."
"I will," Alexei sing-songs, walking backwards toward the hall.
"Don't eat eggs without me."
"I will," he threatens.
Alexei ignores him.
He resumes cooking them—then plates them up on rye toast, his own unbuttered.
He waits patiently for Alexei to return before even taking a single bite.
When he does return, neither of them says anything.
They eat in companionable silence, and Finn only spares a second thinking about the fact that they've never eaten breakfast together before.
Never woken up in the same place.
Never spent a morning together like this.
His chest twists.
He pushes it down, taking another bite.
When he looks up, he catches Alexei's eyes.
Alexei smiles at him, small and secretive.
It reminds Finn of their first year together as rookies, catching each other's eyes across the ice before they had learned to smile without following it with ribbing– but there had always been something private in the way they looked at each other then, too.
An almost-smile.
When Alexei tells him he's taking a shower, Finn pulls his phone out of his pocket.
Hey, mom.
I'm bringing a friend to Christmas dinner, but you have to promise not to freak out.
MOM:
Why would I freak out?
Is it one of your teammates?
You know our table is always open.
It's Alexei.
MOM
Who?
Kurov.
Your friend Alexei Kurov.
Okay.
Are you okay?
Yes, mom.
Not being held hostage?
I would tell you if I was being held hostage.
Just checking.
Let Alexei know he's welcome.
Will do.