The Forgotten Gilmore

Chapter Sixty-Six: Burgers and Bruises

Moe's was packed, the post-game rush filling the place with noise, but the hockey team had staked out the big booth in the back, crowding in, elbows bumping over plates of greasy fries and burgers. The smell of the food was making Riley's stomach growl as he leaned back in the booth, stretching his legs under the table, the noise from his teammates washing over him like static.

"Dude, you seriously going to finish all that?" Leo asked, eyeing the pile of fries Beau had just stolen from Riley's plate.

Beau shrugged, stuffing another one in his mouth. "Carbs, man. Fuel for champions."

"You barely broke a sweat," Quinn shot back, tearing into his burger.

"And yet I still carried the team," Beau replied, grinning, as Riley snorted into his drink.

Across from them, Avery was pushing his food around on his plate, not really eating. The guy still looked like he was catching his breath from the game. Every once in a while, he'd roll his shoulder, wincing a little, but when Quinn gave him a sharp look, Avery just waved him off. "Relax, man. I'm fine."

"Fine?" Quinn raised an eyebrow. "You were a one-man punching bag out there."

Avery let out a small laugh, shaking his head. "Nothing I haven't dealt with before." He didn't elaborate, just kept poking at his food, but there was something in the way he said it, like he'd been through worse.

Leo was too busy reliving his favorite hits of the game to notice. "Did you see that guy from the Hawks when I took the puck from him? Dude looked like he'd just seen a ghost." He made a dramatic face, puffing out his cheeks, and everyone cracked up.

"I think he was just terrified of your hair," Beau teased, pointing at Leo's mess of curls that looked like it was trying to escape his head. "It's an untamed mess."

"Hey, don't knock the hair," Leo retorted, running a hand through it proudly. "It's part of my whole vibe. You should try it sometime, Hastings. Maybe a little more volume?"

Riley glanced at him with a dry smile. "My hair's fine, thanks. Besides you wouldn't want the competition."

Quinn laughed. "Nah, he's got the whole 'stoic tough guy' thing going too much hair would ruin it."

"I'm not stoic," Riley replied, deadpan, taking a sip of his drink.

"Case in point," Beau said, smirking as he nudged Riley under the table with his knee, their little game of 'let's see how close we can sit without anyone noticing' still going strong. The casual touches felt like a secret in the midst of all the chaos around them.

Meanwhile, Avery had finally started eating his burger, quiet as usual, though he perked up a little when Leo started talking about the Hawks again.

"Seriously, though, Avery, you're fast as hell out there. You move like you're on skates with rocket boosters," Leo said, clearly impressed.

Avery shrugged, chewing thoughtfully before replying. "Figure skating background. Helps with balance."

Riley raised an eyebrow at that, surprised. "Figure skating? No wonder you can dodge those hits like that."

Avery nodded, a slight grin forming. "Yeah, I used to compete. Switched to hockey a while back, but some of it stuck."

"You're basically a ninja," Beau commented, leaning forward, interested. "You could probably skate circles around us."

Avery's grin widened just a little. "I could, but where's the fun in that?"

Leo let out a laugh. "We need to get you doing some spins during the next game, throw the other team off."

"I'll save it for when we're really desperate," Avery replied, his tone light but still understated, the way he always was.

Riley caught Beau's eye again, and they exchanged a quick smile-no words needed. Riley could tell Beau was enjoying Avery opening up a bit, even if it was just through small comments. There was a lot more going on with Avery than he let on, that much was clear.

"Okay, but real talk," Quinn said, wiping his hands on a napkin. "Next game, if they try pulling that same stunt again with Avery, we're shutting it down early. No more of that crap."

"Damn straight," Leo agreed, his voice serious for a change.

Beau, ever the instigator, leaned back with a dramatic sigh. "Quinn, man, you really know how to kill a vibe. We're supposed to be celebrating, and here you are talking strategy."

Quinn rolled his eyes. "I'm just saying, they were asking for it."

"Yeah, yeah, and you gave it to them," Riley added with a smirk, remembering Quinn shoving that Hawks player into the boards earlier. "Pretty sure you left an imprint of that guy's face on the glass."

"Art," Quinn said simply, popping a fry into his mouth.

The laughter picked up again, the mood lightening as the team settled back into easy conversation. Avery was still quiet, but every now and then, a small smile tugged at his lips when the jokes flew around the table. It was clear that, even if he wasn't the loudest voice in the group, he belonged here.

Riley caught Beau's eye again, and for a second, it felt like the rest of the world faded out. Beau's smile was soft, a little mischievous, and it made Riley's chest tighten just a bit in a way that had nothing to do with the game they'd just played. There was a certain chemistry between them, something that didn't need to be said out loud for both of them to feel it.

But then, like always, Beau broke the moment with a laugh. "You know, Hastings, I'm starting to think you only come to these dinners for the fries."

Riley shrugged, deadpan. "I come for the Fries. The company's just a bonus."

Beau's laughed, his knee brushing against Riley's under the table again.

Across the table, Quinn was still talking about their next game strategy, Leo was arguing with the waiter about how many jalapenos he wanted on his nachos, and Avery was quietly finishing his burger, the night rolling on with the kind of ease that only came after a hard-fought win.

And Riley, sitting there with Beau by his side, couldn't help but feel like, for now, everything was exactly how it should be.