#bp-mine

“Is okay, he stay, I’m not be distracted.”  Tater promised the trainer, laying back down against the slightly sloped table.

Kent sat in a nearby chair as the trainer finished his examination.  The moment the trainer cleared him for the night Kent was on his feet.

“How do you feel?”  He asked, straining on his toes to try and look at Tater’s head.

“I’m have small headache but trainer give me medicine.  I’m get better soon.”  Tater smiled, leaning over so Kent could see.  “Not even a bump.”  

“What happened?”  Kent asked quietly.  “Tell me the truth.  Did James do it on purpose?”

“No, you know he not do that.”  Tater frowned.  “I fall forward and he try to avoid me, can’t go to the wall or into Marty, and going too quick to stop.  He try jump over and catch me in the head with skate.  Complete accident.”  

“Okay.  I’m glad.”  Kent sighed, wanting nothing more than to just collapse into Tater.

“You not yell at him, did you?”  Tater frowned.

“What?  Oh, no.”  Kent picked up Tater’s hand and squeezed gently.  “I was pissed and scared, but I told him to talk to coach while I tried to figure things out with the ref.  After the game we talked and he said he didn’t do it on purpose, and he felt awful, and all that.  I was still really fucked up about it, but I just told him we’d work on control in practice.  I’ll apologize to him tomorrow.”  Kent rubbed at his forehead.

“I’m proud of you.  No yelling at teammates.”  Tater smiled, kissing Kent’s forehead gently.  “I’m have to talk to press a little before go home.  Trainer say is not good to drive, but I can get uber if you wanting go home now.”

“No, I can stay with you.”  Kent smiled.

“Look tired.  Go home and order food, get Netflix ready?  I’m not drink, but maybe wine if you want?”  Tater suggested.  “Might take a while, and I’m have to talk to captains and coach too.”

“Are you sure?”  Kent frowned, debating between setting up a nest of blankets and pillows for them to relax into and staying with Tater to make sure he was okay.

“If you stay much longer, press will think you dating me.”  Tater winked.

“Yeah...I guess you’re right.  I already looked really mad on the ice I think, so maybe I should go home…”  Kent put his thumb nail between his teeth.  “I mean, I don’t want to leave you here alone...What if your head gets worse?  Head injuries are so unpredictable!”

“I’m have trainer and coach and GM here.  Will be fine.  Ten minute uber ride not hurt me.”  Tater kissed Kent’s cheek.  “Go home.  I’m be there before you know.”

Kent reluctantly kissed Tater and gave a wave as he headed out the door to face the press.  Kent waited a safe amount of time before exiting the room as well and heading to the home team’s locker room.

“Parse!”  James jumped up as soon as Kent entered the room.  It looked like he was the only guy left.

“Woah, why are you still here?”  Kent raised an eyebrow.  James had been completely showered already when Kent had left to see Tater, so he should have been long gone by now.  

“I just...I wanted to say sorry again.  I really didn’t mean to, I promise.”  James’ eyebrows were furrowed in concern.

“It’s all good James, I know it wasn’t on purpose.  I’m not mad at you, and Tater’s not either.  It was an accident, and he’s fine.  You didn’t even get a penalty for it, so obviously even the refs didn’t think it was your fault.”  Kent put a hand on James’ shoulder.  “Thanks for apologizing though.  You’re a good guy.”

James smiled a little.  

“I’m really glad Mashkov’s okay.  I just still feel really bad.”  James frowned.

“It happens to everyone kiddo.  Hockey’s a dangerous sport.  Tater’s had worse before.  He’ll be fine, and you have nothing to worry about.”  Kent patted him on the back.  “I gotta go now, I’m in charge of getting dinner tonight so…”  Kent shrugged.

“Yeah, uh, have a good night.”  James nodded, waving a little.  

“Thanks you too.  Don’t let it keep you up bud.”  Kent waved back, stepping out the locker room door with his bag.  “Rest up tonight, we’ve got a roadie in two days.”

The drive home felt weird without Tater in the passenger seat.  Logically Kent knew he drove home from the arena all the time, but it still felt wrong enough that he seriously considered turning around to wait for Tater.

Kent pulled out his folder of takeout menus before settling on Tater’s favorite italian place.  He placed their usual order and added some cannolis to it since he figured Tater could use them, and the trainer would probably forgive him.

Kent flipped on the television and looked through netflix, finally settling on Gray’s Anatomy while he waited for Tater, and then Finding Dory for when he finally got back.

The takeout arrived maybe five minutes before Tater did.

Kent was laying it out on his coffee table when he heard the key turning in the lock.  He immediately put down the container of spaghetti and jogged to the front door, throwing his arms around Tater when he stepped in.  

“I’m fine kotehok.”  Tater smiled, wrapping his arms around Kent.  He kissed at Kent’s neck.

“I got us dinner, and I highly doubt it’s healthy for you to be having any kind of sexual interactions right now.”  Kent frowned, pulling back.  “Let’s eat.”

Tater whined a little but followed Kent to the couch.   “Is Finding Dory okay?”  Kent asked, before pausing.  “Wait, are you even allowed to be watching TV?  I know it’s bad for concussions…”

“Hmm I’m not sure.”  Tater shrugged.  “But trainer not say no, so I’m think is okay.  I’m tell you if it hurt and we turn off.”

“Okay…”  Kent was a little uneasy but pressed play.

“Cute fish.”  Tater mumbled through a mouthful of spaghetti.

“You’ve already seen Finding Nemo right?”  Kent asked skeptically.

“Yes, but Dory grown up in the other one.”  

“Okay, just making sure.  I didn’t want to ruin your Disney Pixar experience.”  Kent leaned his head on Tater’s shoulder, closing his eyes as he chewed at his food.  

“You look tired.  Maybe you take nap instead of dinner?”  Tater suggested.

“No, I’m fine...I want to stay up while you’re here.”  Kent insisted, yawning a little.  “I’m definitely less hungry than I thought I was though.  Take as much as you want.”  

Tater nodded and took a forkful of Kent’s lasagna.  

“Not as good as my spaghetti, but still okay.”  He nodded as Kent rolled his eyes.  

Kent put his head in Tater’s lap with a sigh.

“I was worried about you.  I’m glad you don’t have a concussion...when I was still a rookie we had a guy who retired because of a really bad concussion, and I...I love you and would love to be around you more often, but I know how much you love Providence and playing for the Falconers, and I know it would kill you to have to retire so early...I just didn’t want that to happen, and you were down on the ice for so long-”

“Kenny.  Kotehok.”  Tater dropped a cannoli into Kent’s mouth.   “I’m love you too, and glad you think about me, but is okay.  I’m okay, and you’re okay and we both still playing hockey.  That the important part.  I’m down on ice for long time because head hurt, not because I’m can not get up.  It just was hurting.  Didn’t even want to go see trainer about it.”  He promised.

“I know Alyosha.”  Kent sighed, pulling half the cannoli out of his mouth.  “These are good by the way.”  He finished chewing and set the other half of the cannoli on the coffee table.  “I just was scared.  I’m glad you’re okay.  Is your head still hurting?”

“It hurt less if we cuddle.”  Tater smiled, shifting onto his back on Kent’s giant couch.

Kent climbed on Tater’s chest and tucked his head under Tater’s chin.  

“Best pain reliever.”  Tater kissed Kent’s hair and closed his eyes, humming softly as he let his hand drift across Kent’s lower back, under his button up he was still wearing from press.  

“Yeah.”  Kent muttered drowsily.  “Well you’re going to have to cuddle me tomorrow when my eyes hurt because I left my contacts in overnight.”

“I’m make you take them off before we move to bed.”  Tater chuckled.  

“Best Boyfriend.”  Kent mumbled, smiling against Tater’s suit jacket.