★   ˖   ⊹         𝑝𝑟𝑖𝑣𝑎𝑡𝑒   𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑟𝑡𝑒𝑟.       hockey  rink.                        ↳    𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐝    …     @texanheart 

Stepping over the threshold into the ice rink was very humbling. Grayson had been to hundreds of rinks in his life, and this was the first time he was honestly petrified. He was no longer Grayson Morgan, the power center of the Dallas Stars. He was now Grayson Morgan, the one who had it all and let it simply wash away. Perhaps the universe had predetermined this path for him and knew that the world of hockey, playing on the ice, might have inevitably killed him. The connection was still there, but not in the same way anymore. When he got the call from Bonnie, he was genuinely surprised. Someone still thought he had something to offer to the sport, and for that, he was grateful.

"Not a hot shot anymore, so I gotta put in the extra effort." He was used to women throwing themselves at him. The fame, the access, and success in the NHL brought an onslaught of highs and lows. Gaining the trust of another was as fragmented as it always had been since he was a child, so played around, but never took anything seriously. Yet, the hospital was a wake-up call. If he truly did have one life to live than he better get serious about it. There wasn't enough money in the world to reverse anything about that. "Oh, love, this is light work," he said taking ahold of the shot glass before raising it up to her and tossing it back down with ease. Not that it's something he should be proud about, but he was able to do that effortlessly by age twenty. "Alright now, come on and dance with me cowgirl," he said extending his hand out towards her and leading her into the crowd. He was sure to make a damn fool of himself no doubt, but at least he could blame it on the liquid courage.

"Three years, huh?" Did he have three years? Sure. Yet it took him a grueling ten years to get him to where he was, and it ended disastrously only ten years later. He knew he had to bounce back and figure out how to forge a path forward. Did he have the skills to run a whole business of his own? That was still to be determined. "Would you do anything different in that process? Something stark that in hindsight you're just like, damn?"

"Don't think we've met before, have we?" he asks, looking over the other, trying to run their face against whatever he could remember from the class yearbook. They weren't in his grade that he was sure of, but it didn't mean anything around here. People came and went all the time, and he was a prime example of that with the current state of things. "Contemplating life choices tonight?" It's what he came up to do for himself. Preferably alone, but things didn't simply occur, and maybe he was meant to meet them tonight. To learn, to listen, or to just be.

"A forever bachelor. If you end up on one of those dating shows at 60 finally wanting to settle down, you gotta let me pick your dating options." He wasn't surprised. It would take someone truly out of this world to get the Copeland to settle from what Grayson knows of the man. Whether that person was in Texas or not, time would only tell.

"Perfect. I can talk to dry wall if I have a few drinks in me, so we definitely have to hit the open bar." He knew himself. The three-drink limit was the new maximum for him, and he would make sure to pace so he could enjoy the night and see Gin work their magic. Not only that, but he was hoping to pick up a few tricks of his own for future purposes as well. "Hell no, don't take it easy on them. If they're an ass, wipe the fucking floor with them."

as selfish as it sounds, dallas feels lucky to have grayson back in willow glen, especially when the other drags him out into nature. he could spend an entire day indoors if given the opportunity. "still no regrets, g. plus, i trust her with everything i have, including my balls." he laughs, nudging the other slightly as they walk. "how've, uh, you been doing?"

"I love that for you, Lyons, truly. Your energy has shifted in the best of ways, you know?" It was cool to see his friend enter this new season of their lives. They were all evolving as it happened in life, some better than others. "Today's a better day. It comes and goes in waves." Grieving his former life and trying to figure out what would be next for him was something he was constantly battling with. "I'll get there, though…talking about someone to rebuild another team, so we'll see where that goes. What's new with you?"

"oh, so we're both getting special treatment with our lunch? hell yes," a smirk formed on her lips as she motioned for grayson to come follow her. they began to slowly walk through the hallways that lead to the staff lounge where they could sit and enjoy their feast. " .... how did that go? i mean, we don't have to talk about if you don't want to, but i am interested in hearing about it," she admitted. upon the mention of her patients for the day, aurora rolled her eyes. "shit, what would you rather know about first? the cute old lady who would't shut up or the creepy old man who said he wanted to marry me?"

"Nah, you're the one who is getting the special treatment. I'm just the messenger." Domingo had a huge crush on Aurora. There was no denying it. The entire time he was waiting for their food, the guy was asking about his sister. "Can't lie and say I wasn't a little butthurt he didn't ask me about how I was doing," he scoffs jokingly as he follows his sister to the break room. "Definitely the old man who wants to marry you! I gotta know who my future brother-in-law will be and if he's got a fullproof will!" Whoever Aurora ended up with in the future, he would be there to support her through it all as he'd done all their lives together. Thick as thieves. "He was just uh…apologetic for what happened. There's no future with me in the team in any capacity right now, but I have to live with that, you know?" It was a bitter pill to swallow, but it was reality.

Jasper had answered Grayson’s call at some godforsaken hour and somehow immediately knew when his nephew’s name popped up on the screen that he needed help. Jasper was never going to deny help, especially to his family and even more so knowing Grayson’s recent history.

"I'm sorry," he groans as he rolls to his side, reaching for the glass of water on the bedside table. It was a slippery slope, and he thought he was fine. Couldn't even walk in a damn straight line and knew he didn't need Willow Glen to be sparked by truth and not a rumor tied to his poor decision-making. He didn't want to bother Rory, couldn't disturb Evan, and with his dad, that was just a landmine waiting to implode. Jasper was the easy option. And Grayson was grateful for it in this moment.

"What? You can't see it written on my forehead?" Considering who his father was, it was only in his nature to carry on similar traits, if not amplify the worst ones, ten times as much. He'd like to think aversion was in his nature. It proved helpful until it wasn't. "Honestly? Don't think there's been a day in my entire existence that he hasn't been worried." All the shortcomings his father hoped to remove from his path, Grayson sought out anyhow. Taking a sip from his glass, he couldn't help but chuckle as she looked at his boots. "Look…I'm feeling a tad more confident than I have in the past month. Figured I'd shoot my shot to ask a beautiful woman in red boots to dance with me. I definitely will need the shot to keep up, that's for sure."

laughter falls at grayson's response -- so they agree . " a bachelor party HERE ? the budget must be tight . " brooks nods vehemently as grayson asks about his job , " no , yeah , i LOVE it . i like , like . . . crunching the numbers or whatever . . . " ' who fucking cares ? ' he thinks to himself , " but really , i like making good money . hard work and dedication pay off in my field ; it's not for everyone , but it works for me , " he shrugs , omitting the fact that he makes nearly half a million annually because of it . he accepts the blunt from his friend , ashing it and lifting it to his lips promptly after . he nods , agreeing with grayson's sentiment . " no , dude , it's kinda tight to be working at the local bar . like , im sure you make GREAT tips , see some crazy things , then get to leave work at work , y'know ? " brooks works from home , cant imagine being able to ' LEAVE ' work . he's taking a sharp breathe in , the cool night air soothing the joint's sharpness . " ah . . . i don't know , this girl from tinder . i can't remember if her name's emma , or emily . . . or something like that . . . " he shrugs again ; he really doesn't care about her , no matter how BAD it sounds -- he's just entertaining himself . " doesn't matter . couldn't really tell 'ya anything about her . what about you ? you seein' anyone ? "

"Hmmm," he nodded. "I can respect it." Don't think he would have the same outlook. Then again, if you were good at something and the dollar sign matched the effort, if not more, who would complain? That was the current debacle. What would he do next? If he so chose, he didn't have to lift a damn finger for the rest of his life. Yet, that route seemed so tragically boring and such a waste of life. "People like to speak the truth when they're drinking. It's a fascinating look at the human psyche that's for sure." It's probably why he found himself itching for another drink himself.

body winces because son's words are not erroneous but beneath the rancor is blue - eyed baby boy she used to carry on her hip at just nineteen, feverish, sleepy against her shoulder and now this is how he looks at her, with only self to truly pin blame on, but will continuously find some fault in the morgan bloodline for it. " that's not — that's not why i'm here. " mouth falls ajar then shuts again, knows he's right. cycle with his father and her ex - husband too predictable, something neither of them are able to quit, but their children wouldn't be privy to details of that, merely innocent bystanders. " i came here because you're my son . . . " urges, cannot help but to close distance in lobby then, trembling palms rising to cup the skin of his cheeks, " and god, gray. they told me they weren't sure if you'd make it. " hands hold him the way mothers should, hesitant digits against stubble she does not remember him growing. " . . . i — i tried to get here sooner, baby. "

The inner child within him just wanted to scream at this woman. What right did she have to call him 'her son'? She left without a care in the world, completely disregarding the ripple effects of her actions and the invisible scarring she left on him. He knew Aurora was just as indifferent towards the woman, but unlike him, she found her footing in the Morgna world. Grayson felt like he didn't belong to anyone willingly, but it was more platitudes than anything else to keep up the image of the family name.

"You don't have to convince me of anything; my lips remain sealed." What their notion of working at the country club was like wasn't anything he could comment much on. He'd go regularly growing up, but since adulthood, he only visited when a friend in town wanted to golf and grab a bite. He didn't really care for the schmucks who rubbed elbows there regularly, nor did he have the energy to entertain them either. "Where are you from?" he asks as he rises to stretch, nodding at the idea of a shot. "A shot sounds good. Are you any better at dancing?"