wolfieswords: 1 | 2 “So. We’re doing this today.” “We agree it’s best
wolfieswords:1 | 2“So. We’re doing this today.”“Weagree it’s best time. Everybody here and happy, maybe little bitdrunk.” Geno’s smile fadees, just a little, as he looks over atSidney. “You change your mind?”“No! I want to tell people.” He tucks his tongue in his cheek, givingGeno a quick once-over as they skate past the net, where every kidold enough to hold a hockey stick is trying to score on Flower. “Andif I still want to after seeing you in that sweater, I figure thismust really be something that’s gonna stick.”“Istradition!” Geno protests, smoothing a protective hand down thefront of the garment in question: bright red and green, with apenguin that ends with its shoulders at the sweater’s collar. Thescarf around its neck—and, by extension, around Geno's—is aseparate, stitched-on piece, as are the fuzzy mittens on itsflippers. “Look around, everyone else has ugly sweater, too. Everyone but you. Ugly sweater is part of Christmas spirit, Sid.”“Wellthen, you must have more spirit than anyone else.”“Shouldget you Grinch sweater,” Geno teases, and it’s the exact same tonehe uses at home right before his hands start to wander. “OrScrooge.”“Bahhumbug.” The words come out a little breathless, and Geno’s pouttransforms into a smirk that has Sidney’s face heating. “Oh, shutup.”“So. If you want to tell, what’s problem?” Geno asks, getting them backon-topic. “Nervous?”“No. Well, yeah. Just—how do we doit?”“StealDuper’s baby?” Geno grins at Lola, snoozing in Sidney’s arms, andreaches out to tug gently at the sleeve of her tiny coat. “Theycan’t guess after that, is their own fault.”“I’mnot announcing our relationship by stealing a baby,” Sidney hisses,then hesitates. “Carole-Lyne would kill us.”“Hmm.” Geno acknowledges that with a tilt of his head. “We think ofsomething.”“Sid,thank you,” Duper says, sounding a little ragged around the edgeswhen they make their way off of the ice, clomping back to the areawhere all of the non-skaters have gathered around the food. Kody iswrapped up in his arms, still hiccuping wetly against his father’sshoulder. “Once more than two of them get going at once, it’s toomuch for us away from home.”“Happyto help.” He cuddles Lola just a little bit closer. “How’sZoe?”“Carole-Lyneis off calming her down. You don’t mind holding the little one awhile longer, do you?”“Itake if Sid gets tired,” Geno offers, looking like he’s fightingthe urge to snatch her away immediately. “I watch them on ice,make sure Sid’s not drop her.”“Iwasn’t going to drop her!”“Shh,you make her upset.” He shakes his head when Lola stirs brieflybefore smushing her face into Sidney’s neck again. “Here, I take. She like me best, anyway.”“Shedoes not. Go away,you’re gonna wake her up.”“Maeva,”Duper interrupts, dry as the Sahara, “take your sister, please, before these two try to steal her. Sidney, hand my daughter over.”Hewants to protest, but Maeva’s already moving away from the desserttable and reaching up with wide, serious eyes, so what can he do butbend down to carefully transfer Lola into her arms. She stirs again,fussing for a moment, but Maeva runs a soothing hand over hersister’s back, murmuring softly in French, and she settles quicklyenough.“Comeon,” Geno says quietly, a hand at the small of Sidney’s back as heleads him away. “We get something to eat.”“Okay.” Sidney feels too cool without the furnace of Lola’s tiny bodysettled against him, but he doesn’t argue. “She’s a good baby.”“Maybewe babysit sometime,” Geno suggests, and Sidney brightens.“Maybe,yeah.” He grabs a plate off the end of the buffet and startsloading it up. “Carole-Lyne was saying they were having troublefinding a new sitter. Think I could put Taylor down as a reference?”“Don’tthink she remembers you watching her when she’s baby, Sid.”“Yeah,but I feel like they’d believe her more than my mom. She at leasttries not to embarrass me; Taylor lives for it.”“Movedown,” Geno says, bumping Sidney’s hip lightly with his until heedges away from the fruit. “Or we just get our own,” he suggestslightly, plucking a bunch of grapes from the platter. “Not have toborrow from team.”“Thatwould be a hell of a way to break the news about us,” Sidneylaughs, the terrible honking giggle he can never seem to controlaround Geno. “It would save us an awkward conversation, I guess.”“Biggesture,” Geno agrees, and nudges Sidney down again. “No talkthat way, no wonder you like.”“You’renot a lot better,” Sidney reminds him. He’s about to take anotherstep and go for some of the pasta salad when one of Geno’s handscloses over his hip, too low to be just a buddies move. “Uh. G?”“Lookup, Sid,” he murmurs, and Sidney barely has time to do so beforethe catcalls start.They’rethe fourth pair to be caught under the mistletoe since the partybegan—Kadar and his wife were the last one, and they must havemoved it sometime after their kiss. Geno is already leaning down,his hand sliding around to Sidney’s back, and the kiss is soft atfirst, almost hesitant, a clear question in the press of Geno’s lipsagainst his. Sidney kisses back without hesitation, though, andthat’s when Geno really goes for it, coaxing Sidney’s mouth open totake the kiss hot and deep like they’re not standing in the middle ofa room full of people, like there aren’t kidswatching, Jesus.It’squiet when they finally pull apart, and Sidney’s lips feel swollenwhen his tongue darts out to lick at them. He clears his throat.“So.” He does it again, because this is definitely not the time or placefor his voice to sound like that. “G and I, uh. We’re dating?”Heisn’t sure who laughs first, but the room is loud and boisterousagain in no time, and as people come up to congratulate them, Sidneyfinally feels like he can breathe easy. Geno has an arm slung lowaround his waist, and Sidney lets himself lean into it, smiling sowide it almost hurts.Maybehe can wear an ugly sweater for Geno after all. Next year. -- source link
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