fic: And the loving is easy when you’re with me
Jack’s alarm goes off way too early.
It wouldn’t be early if this were an ordinary day during the season, one with scheduled workouts or games or travel. But it’s early May, the first day of Jack’s 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 Cooper’s 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 he’s being honest with himself, being knocked out of the playoffs this year had come as almost a relief. He won’t be hoisting the Cup this year, and for the first time in a long time, he’s okay with that. Maybe it’s a sign of maturity. Or, maybe it’s just the growing realization that he’s almost 31, his body doesn’t 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.
“Bits. Hey, Bits,” he says. He gives him a gentle poke in the ribs because by now Bittle’s trained himself to sleep through Jack’s alarm. “We have to get up. Flight leaves in a few hours.”
Bittle grumbles a little and buries his face in his pillow.
“Bittle. We have to get to the airport.” Jack scoots closer until his head rests on the same pillow. He drops a kiss onto his boyfriend’s 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.
“How long’ve you been staring at me like that, Sweetpea?”
“Tell me again why I’m up at 5 a.m. to go to a wedding for people I’ve never met.”
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