Shutout

Chapter 14 - Logan

It's only around nine-thirty by the time we drive back home. However, it must be late enough because Kane has gotten suspiciously quiet in the passenger seat. When I glance over at him, the street lights illuminate his face enough to see his eyes closed behind his glasses and a tiny, soft smile settled on his lips. I can't tell if he's sleeping or just resting my eyes, but I keep the music low anyway and don't disturb his moment. 

We stay that way even when we pull into my driveway. The car was running, the heat was blowing, and I just stared at my date in the passenger seat of my car. 

Evidently, Kane is not asleep and notices that the car has stopped moving, so he opens his eyes and sits up straighter in the seat. He blinks rapidly, trying to rid the sleep from his eyes so I know it's time to say goodnight. 

He's already trying to climb out of the car when I round it to help him out. Again, I offer him my elbow, which he carefully takes. We slowly make our way to his door, where he fumbles with his keys to unlock it. I go inside just enough to help him take off his coat and slide his cane into the tall canister by the door with his other walking aids. 

Once that's all done, Kane bites his lip, "Um, do you want to come inside? I mean, like actually outside and not the front door."

I laugh, not paying attention to the way my hand fiddles with his sleeve, "I think we should say goodnight here. You look tired."

He smiles bashfully like I was caught in the act of something, "Sorry, it's not you, I promise. I really, really enjoyed tonight. I just didn't sleep well last night. I was up most of it thinking about...well, thinking about this, you know?"

I nod, having been in the same position, "Yeah. Yeah, I understand. But I'm glad you enjoyed yourself. Would you...is this something you would like to do again?"

"With you?" Kane purses his lips and looks to the side like he's genuinely thinking about whether he would go on another date with me. I must look as anxious as I feel because he laughs and rubs my arm, "I'm just kidding, Logan. I would be ecstatic to do something like this again...This is a spoiler, but I really like you."

I smile fondly at the way he whispers the last part as if protecting the words from being heard by anyone else, "I really like you too."

He grins before sweeping me off my feet with a kiss. I try to kiss back as well as he is, gripping his waist now, not ready to not be touching all of him. The way he lets out a little groan makes things downstairs shift in my pants unfairly. 

Eventually, we have to part for air. He's a real minx, acting and looking all innocent as if he hadn't just seduced me. The way he blinks his eyelashes makes it seem like he's never done anything wrong, but his lips are already starting to get pinker. I want to kiss him again, take his breath away again, touch him again. But this is supposed to be my first date, and I'm supposed to be a gentleman. 

So I press a soft kiss on his cheek and tell him to go to bed to sleep tight. He agrees in a daze before we part our ways. 

I didn't sleep well the night before, but there was no way I could go to sleep right now.

***

It's on the plane the next day that I'm informed I'll be playing. Porter has either the flu or horrible food poisoning and wasn't going to make it out of his bed. Therefore, not only am I buzzing about my night with Kane last night and what it might mean, but I now have the added adrenaline of playing tonight against Winnipeg tonight, one of the best teams in the division. 

Bac, observant as ever, must notice I'm nervous and starts to interrogate me on my date last night. I try not to tell too much, both because that's Kane's privacy too, and because they make a big fucking deal out of everything, but the boys still manage to tease me about the way I smile or blush when I talk about it. Bac congratulates me on being a real man or something, and Toi smiles knowingly. A part of me can't help but be grateful that Porter's sick and not with us right now. I can only imagine the faces he would make in reaction.