semi-hiatus

"You know he's gay, right?"

The question catches Kevin by surprise. Andrew isn't one for gossip (at least, not with him), but Kevin quickly grasps the situation. The plane is about to take off, and Andrew can't smoke. Besides, when they get to Palmetto, Neil will be there. Neil, who lied again.

Normally, Kevin wouldn't indulge Andrew by fueling the gossip, but he understands the need for distractions. That's one of the roles of a teammate for the Ravens… even if he isn't one anymore.

"Of course I know. Everyone knows," he answers calmly.

Andrew doesn't say anything for a while, but there's a glimmer of curiosity in his slightly raised eyebrow.

"What did I miss?"

"A gay orgy with cocaine. His brother committed suicide that same night. He was supposed to be in his care."

There's no point in hiding it. Jeremy was press fodder for months, especially because of who his family was. He barely made it through damage control.

Andrew snorts, surprised.

"We Foxes never get invited to the best parties."

The plane takes off. They start running down the jetway. Kevin spots Andrew's white knuckles on the armrest.

"Doesn't his reputation fuel Moreau's?" he asks.

Kevin wonders if Andrew is trying to distract himself or pass his nervousness on to Kevin. He gets the latter.

"Maybe. But it's also an opportunity for Jean. Their situations have twisted similarities. And it's working. I've never… seen Jean look so good. I guess that says a lot about how he was before."

The plane takes off. This is the most awkward part. Of course, Andrew has saved the worst for last.

"Knox doesn't notice Moreau," he says. "He doesn't notice him like one of the flirts he attracts with a lighter at a party. He doesn't try to attract Moreau like that."

Kevin disagrees. He's no expert at spotting these things, but he's sure Jeremy is noticing Jean, and Jean… well, Jean is about as subtle as taking a rock to the teeth, but the fight with Jeremy's brother was also surprising to him.

"Jeremy likes him," Kevin says, as if he wants to protect Jean from the possibility that Jeremy might not like him.

Actually, that's what happens. Kevin refuses to let Jean not have things he likes. He's had enough of that.

Andrew lets out another snort of annoyance, as if the idea seems ridiculous.

"Of course he likes him. He likes your French boy so much that he doesn't want to screw up, that's why he doesn't offer him the lighter. He respects him too much to try to force him into his own pigsty."

Kevin stares at Andrew as the plane stabilizes in the sky. Calm returns, like his apparent indifference. Andrew doesn't want to say more, but Kevin doesn't want to let it go.

"The voice of experience?" he asks. Andrew stares out the window, ignoring him, but Kevin knows he's listening. "It worked out once. It'll work out again. Wanna bet against it?"

"Don't be ridiculous."

Kevin calms down as if he's fallen into bed for the first time after 10 days without sleep.

His brother does.

His brother calls him, forgetting that Ilya went no-contact with him. Ilya's silent on the phone, listening to Alexei's wife softly explain it to him and take the phone.

He texts Ilya, asking when where he is. Asking who he's playing next game.

Ilya's been retired for over 20 years.

He knows Shane wants to say something, but he never does. He's just quietly supportive.

One day, it's Alexei's wife that calls him. She apologizes for calling. She tells him Alexei doesn't remember her anymore. Or their daughter. He only asks about Ilya and their parents. She offers to delete Ilya's number from his phone.

Ilya declines.

After that, he starts answering the phone. And talking.

Alexei asks where he is. Ilya tells him he's coming home soon. That seems to make Alexei happy.

Alexei asks who Ilya is playing. Ilya says Montreal. Alexei tells him to win or papa will be angry.

Alexei tells him mama made him soup. Ilya tells him that was his daughter. Alexei laughs, he doesn't have a daughter.

He doesn't remember how cruel he was to Ilya. He doesn't remember how much he loved drugs and drinking.

He was so much like Ilya's Alexei, before he started taking after their father. Before he let his anger at their mother consume him. Before he caught Ilya and Sasha and allowed his fear for his little brother to turn into anger and disgust.

One day Ilya offers his wife, Natalia, to have them visit. Their daughter has visited more than once, even stayed with them for a summer after high school. His and Shane's kids tried to teach her hockey.

Natalia regretfully tells him Alexei is not well enough to travel.

Ilya can't travel to them, not while he's married to Shane.

But their phone calls are enough.

About once a week, he gets to speak to a version of his brother than he had dearly missed. He gets to talk about his mama like she's still live, not dead for over 50 years. He gets to talk about the rink he and Alexei used to play hockey at. To talk about the stray cat he and Alexei once hid in their bedroom for a week.

He finds himself looking forward to the phone calls.