fic: And the loving is easy when youâre with me
Jackâs alarm goes off way too early.
It wouldnât be early if this were an ordinary day during the season, one with scheduled workouts or games or travel. But itâs early May, the first day of Jackâs off-season, and the last thing he wants to do is get up before dawn to catch a flight.
But Bittle ⌠Well, Jack loves Bittle, and Bittle loves his family, so if Bittle has to fly to Atlanta to be a groomsman in his cousin Cooperâs wedding, Jack will be the supportive boyfriend who goes along with him. Even if it means getting up before dawn on the first day off the off-season.
If heâs being honest with himself, being knocked out of the playoffs this year had come as almost a relief. He wonât be hoisting the Cup this year, and for the first time in a long time, heâs okay with that. Maybe itâs a sign of maturity. Or, maybe itâs just the growing realization that heâs almost 31, his body doesnât bounce back from the stresses of the job quite as quickly as it used to, and hockey is no longer the most important thing in his life. (The most important thing in his life is asleep next to him, lightly snoring.) He knows he still has a few good years left in him, but lately retirement has become less of a hypothetical if and more of a when.Â
âBits. Hey, Bits,â he says. He gives him a gentle poke in the ribs because by now Bittleâs trained himself to sleep through Jackâs alarm. âWe have to get up. Flight leaves in a few hours.â
Bittle grumbles a little and buries his face in his pillow.Â
âBittle. We have to get to the airport.â Jack scoots closer until his head rests on the same pillow. He drops a kiss onto his boyfriendâs nose.
Bittle opens his eyes. For a minute, they just stare at each other, blue eyes locked onto brown. Jack can feel his eyes cross a little.Â
âHow longâve you been staring at me like that, Sweetpea?â
âTell me again why Iâm up at 5 a.m. to go to a wedding for people Iâve never met.âÂ
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