The Penalty Box

They made their way down the hall, quiet, deliberate. Elias’s heart pounded, a frantic beat against his ribs. Liam’s hand was warm in his, solid. Real.

In the bedroom, they came together again, slower this time. Hands exploring, mapping new territory. Clothes fell away, piece by piece, until it was just skin on skin, heat on heat.

Liam kissed him like he was trying to memorize him, like Elias was a puzzle he was determined to solve. Elias arched into him, helpless, wanting.

They tipped onto the bed, a tangle of limbs. Elias’s knee twinged, a sharp reminder, and Liam pulled back, a question in his eyes.

“I’m good,” Elias breathed, pulling him back down. “Don’t stop.”

Liam smiled against his mouth, then resumed his exploration. His hands were everywhere, tracing the lines of Elias’s body, the dip of his waist, the jut of his hipbones. He worked his way down, kissing a path along Elias’s jaw, his throat, his collarbone.

“Liam,” Elias gasped, his fingers digging into Liam’s shoulders.

“Right here.” Liam’s voice was a low rumble against Elias’s skin. He kept going, lower, lower, until he reached the straining fly of Elias’s sweatpants.

He looked up, met Elias’s eyes, a silent question.

Elias nodded, his breath catching in his throat.

Liam tugged the waistband down, freeing Elias’s cock. It stood rigid against his belly, leaking at the tip. Liam wrapped a hand around it, stroking slow, root to tip.

“Fuck.” Elias’s head fell back, his eyes squeezing shut. “Liam, god.”

Liam chuckled, the sound wicked and warm. Then his mouth closed over the tip, hot and wet, and Elias’s hips bucked, a ragged moan tearing from his throat.

Liam worked him over, slow and dirty, his tongue swirling around the head, his hand following the movement. He took him deep, again and again, until Elias was a writhing mess beneath him, babbling nonsense, begging.

“Liam, please,” he panted, his fingers twisting in the sheets. “I need…fuck, I need…”

Liam pulled off, his lips swollen and shiny. “What do you need, baby? Tell me.”

Elias whined, high and desperate. “You. I need you. Inside me.”

Liam’s eyes darkened, his pupils swallowing the blue. He reached for the bedside table, fumbling for the bottle of lube he’d left there weeks ago, half-joking, half-hoping.

He slicked his fingers, pressing one inside. Elias bore down, greedy, wanting more. Liam worked him open, slow and careful, adding fingers one by one. He found Elias’s prostate, rubbed over it, again and again, until Elias was sobbing, begging, incoherent.

“Please,” he gasped, his head tossing on the pillow. “Liam, fuck, please.”

Liam pulled his fingers out, wiped his hand on the sheet. He slicked his cock, giving it a few quick strokes. Then he lined up, the blunt head pressing against Elias’s hole.

“Ready?” he murmured, his voice rough with want.

Elias nodded frantically. “Yes, fuck, yes.”

Liam pushed in, slow and steady, not stopping until he was buried to the hilt. They both groaned, the sound loud in the quiet room.

Liam dropped his forehead to Elias’s shoulder, breathing hard. “Okay?”

“So good,” Elias breathed, his hands scrabbling at Liam’s back. “Move. Please, move.”

Liam did. He pulled back, nearly all the way out, then thrust back in, hard enough to make Elias gasp. He set a rhythm, slow at first, then faster, harder, chasing his own pleasure.

Elias met him thrust for thrust, canting his hips to take him deeper. He felt full, stretched, perfect. Liam’s cock hit his prostate with every thrust, sparks dancing behind his eyes.

“Liam,” he gasped, his hand finding his own cock, stripping it hard. “Close, I’m so close.”

Liam growled, low in his chest. “Come for me. Wanna feel you.”

He shifted, changing the angle, and Elias saw stars. His rhythm faltered, his hand on his cock stuttering. “Liam!”

He came with a shout, his release striping his chest, his belly. His hole clamped down on Liam’s cock, pulsing, fluttering.

“Fuck,” Liam gritted out, his hips stuttering. “Elias, fuck!”

He followed Elias over, his cock jerking inside him, filling him with heat. He collapsed onto Elias’s chest, breathing hard, his face buried in Elias’s neck.

They lay like that for a long time, sticky and sated, catching their breath. Liam’s weight was solid, grounding. Elias carded his fingers through Liam’s hair, soft and slow.

Liam hummed, low and happy. “Good?”

“So good,” Elias murmured, his eyes drifting shut. “Perfect.”

Liam propped himself up on his elbows, a soft smile on his face. “Stay?”

The question was quiet, tentative. Elias’s heart clenched. “Yeah,” he said, his voice rough. “I’ll stay.”

Liam’s smile widened. He leaned in, pressed a soft kiss to Elias’s lips. “Good.”

He rolled to the side, dealing with the condom, wiping them both down with a corner of the sheet. Then he pulled Elias into his arms, Elias’s back to his chest, his arm draped over Elias’s waist.

Elias closed his eyes, letting the warmth of Liam’s body seep into his bones. The last thing he remembered before sleep pulled him under was the soft brush of Liam’s lips against the nape of his neck, and the quiet murmur of his voice.

“Sleep, baby. I’ve got you.”

He did. Elias fell asleep with a smile on his face, safe in the arms of his rival. His…something else. His something new.

The weeks blurred into rehab and Liam’s steady presence. Their relationship deepened, turned solid. Love.

Game day arrived. Elias’s comeback against Liam’s team.

The arena roared. Elias stood on the ice, knee aching. He found Liam’s eyes across the rink.

Liam nodded, a small smile. ‘You’ve got this.’

The puck dropped. Fast and physical, the game Elias loved. He moved on instinct.

Liam barreled into Montreal’s zone, puck on his stick. Elias braced.

*Flashback: Their first meeting as rookies. Liam’s grin. “Nice save, Petrov.” Elias, wary. “Thanks.” Liam’s clap on his shoulder. “See you around, Wall.”*

Liam wound up, shot. Elias pushed off his good leg, kicked out with the injured one. The puck thumped against his pad, deflected into the corner.

The crowd roared. Teammates mobbed Elias. He looked up, found Liam watching.

Liam tapped his stick on the ice. Elias nodded back, grinning.

Montreal won by one goal. Elias’s goal.

Handshakes were quick. Elias and Liam met at center ice.

Liam held out his hand, smirking. “Good game, Wall.”

Elias shook it. “You too, Lion.”

Their eyes met. A thousand unspoken words.

Elias’s Montreal apartment felt empty after Liam’s space. He dropped his bag, looked around. Late, but he was wired.

His phone buzzed. A text from Liam. ‘You awake?’

Elias smiled. ‘Yeah.’

His phone rang. “Hey.”

“Hey.” Liam’s voice warm. “Nice game.”

“Thanks. You too.”

A pause. “Miss you.”

Elias’s heart clenched. “Miss you too.”

Another pause. “My place feels too big without you. And yours feels pretty empty right about now.”

Elias huffed a laugh. “Yeah. It does.”

“So…what if we made it not so empty? What if we…traded? You come here, I come there. Or…we find somewhere new. Together.”

Elias’s breath caught. “You mean…?”

“I mean I love you, Elias Petrov.” Liam’s voice soft, sure. “I want to be where you are. Even if that means leaving Toronto.”

Elias closed his eyes. “I love you too.”

“So…is that a yes?”

Elias laughed. “Yeah, Thorne. That’s a hell yes.”

They talked longer, making plans. Elias hung up, looked around his apartment with new eyes.

It was nice. But not home.

Home was Liam.

Home.