“No kidding,” said August. “Wouldn’t have guessed that from your reaction at all.”
Haas started cackling, and August imagined Niko’s blush was bright enough to light the basement more effectively than their lamps and flashlights could.
He was glad that the two youngest Vancouver players were in good enough spirits to joke around. August had been worried that the team would fracture after losing their captain for the season in such a brutal way, but if anything, it had fueled the Bigfoots and led to one of their biggest winning streaks yet.
August hoped the magic would continue tonight after he was back on the line, but with Niko now wearing the A on his sweater, he was certain they wouldn’t be slowing down anytime soon.
“Do you have any idea what area you might have buried it?” Niko asked once he was finally brave enough to put his feet on the ground again. “You said there were two fucking rooms with dirt floors—could you at least narrow the search area down?”
August wanted to, but every time he tried to recall the dream in better detail, his head started to hurt, and his nose bled. Quinn hadsuggested relying on instinct once he was there, but nothing was standing out to him yet.
And August knew Quinn was probably losing his mind—and probably pacing through the floor in a worried circle, but August convinced him to stay with the girls. He didn’t want to—
“Alright, let’s find this fucking treasure box full of filth.”
Niko screamed and jumped onto August again, and this time hedidfall on his ass. Quinn appeared with a shovel in his hands and a smile on his face, raising an eyebrow at Niko’s reaction.
“Quinn, what—”
“Una has the girls,” said Quinn before August could work himself into a panic. “They’re having a nap, and then they’ll be visiting Eren. I have time to spare, and I didn’t want you to do this without me.”
Niko pushed himself up and retreated next to Haas, shooting scowls at Quinn as he slammed his shovel into the earth.
“Ignore him,” said August. “I think it’s past Niko’s nap time as well.”
Niko flipped him off, and Haas chuckled, tapping Niko on the ass with the wooden part of his shovel.
Quinn smirked and offered August a hand, pulling him onto his feet with surprising strength. “How big was the object?” he asked. “Close your eyes and try to picture it.”
August did what he was told and did his best to envision himself holding it. “Not big. Maybe lunchbox-sized. My father kept weird things in those old-school tin lunch boxes, and that’s sort of what I’m picturing.”
Quinn walked past him and picked a spot near the corner. “Okay, it won’t be deep then, so let’s focus on moving about two feet of dirt from the surface so we don’t waste time. I already ordered a metal detector, and it should be here in an hour.”
Haas gasped and cupped his face, smearing dirt on his cheeks. “Oh, a metal detector…why didn’t we think of that?”
Quinn stabbed his shovel into the dirt and gave the rookie a sympathetic frown. “You know what I’m going to say, but I’ll keep my comments to myself because you’re adorable and I don’t want to hurt your feelings.”
Niko laughed. “That’s never stopped you from saying shit to me.”
August went back to digging, so he wasn’t standing in place like an idiot to prove Quinn’s point.
“Well, I’ve never said you were adorable, have I?” said Quinn. “Nollan is cute, and you’re moody, and I don’t know why he likes you, but opposites attract, I guess.”
“The cuddles are top-notch,” said Haas. “Logan and Simon only let me use them as pillows during travel time, but Neeks is always down for head scratches and handholding at the movies.”
Niko scooped up a clump of dirt and tossed it at the rookie. “Dude, shut the fuck up.”
Haas stuck his tongue out at Niko, and August had never felt so old in his life.
“You’re still mad at me for falling asleep with my head on Dax’s lap, aren’t you?”
Quinn moved closer as the two younger ones began bickering, distracting August from having to suffer through their lovers’ spat. “Does he just like…cuddle everyone? And don’t you fucking tell me that goalies are weird and not give an actual explanation.”
August shrugged because he wasn’t sure there was one. “A lot of guys are affectionate—mostly the younger generation from what I’ve seen, but there’s nothing wrong with napping on a buddy’s shoulder during a long flight.”
Quinn hummed, and August subconsciously reached for the laces that hadn’t once left his hand over the past two weeks. He didn’t know if he could keep them on during the game later that night, but he was going to try.
“Using shibari like that for stress is a really good idea,” said Haas, eyeing the black string around August’s hand. “It shows how much you trust Quinn, too. I’m envious.”
