Noah snorted. “In your dreams, maybe.”
He didn’t bother to mention that Canada was not actually a state of the US, and therefore probably wouldn’t be participating in a US national competition. Jace was only trying to cheer him up, and Noah desperately wanted to be cheered up right now, even if it was by clinging to an impossibility.
“Oh, IknowI show up in your dreams.” Jace grinned. “I am a hot piece of ass, and it’s only natural that you should want me.”
“Jace, I’m gay. Notblind,” Noah teased. Jace was objectively hot, with a naturally muscular frame and soulful, kind eyes. All serious skaters had great asses and thighs, and he was no exception. He also had a great smile, and that was the thing Noah looked for most in a man. That didn’t mean he had to let Jace know that.
“Hurts, man. Hurts.” Jace shook his head, pretending to be wounded by the exchange. Noah was about to respond when the rest of the team started chantingKing of the Track.
Noah loved King of the Track, and he was good at it. The training game was simple: last man standing wins. Noah wasn’t the biggest guy on the team—he was arguably the smallest—but he was fast and nimble on his skates. He stood, throwing his phone back in his gear bag.
This was the perfect way to work out some of his frustration. That was why he was here tonight and not desperately searching for an apartment back home instead.
“Not as much as it’s gonna hurt when I beat the crap out of you.” Noah offered his hand to help Jace up. Jace took it, levering himself off the bench and straightening. Once Jace was standing, Noah fitted his mouth guard back in without another pause.
“Oh, it’s on, baby. It’son.” Jace grinned again, taking off toward the track, mouth guard still in hand. Noah took the opportunity to take one last look at Jace’s ass before following him, knowing this might be his last chance to claim the King of the Track title with this team. He could definitely use the free after-training drink that traditionally came with it.
The coach blew the whistle for them to start, and Noah went in no-holds-barred, body checking the first blocker who came at him and zipping out of the pack, leaving the rest of them to fight it out. If he let a few of them fight among themselves, he could come in at the end and take out whoever was left.
He rolled around the far side, taking his time as the remaining three blockers fought among themselves. As he swerved around the fourth turn, back to where they’d started from, Rafe rolled out of bounds, cursing and flailing before landing on his ass, legs out in front. He’d never mastered falling properly, but he was a good pivot, and that meant the whole team was happy to live with the penalty when he did fall.
Half the fun of roller derby was breaking the rules, anyway.
That only left Jace in the running, which was usually how it went. He and Noah might have been rivals under other circumstances, but roller derby was a friendly sport. Even the rivalries between teams were friendly, for the most part. It was nice to be involved in something where Noah didn’t feel as though he was at risk of having his throat cut from behind.
Web development shouldn’t have been as competitive and back-stabbing an industry as it was. They were all there to create great things. But considering he was sure he’d lost his job because of a few people who didn’t like him, Noah wasn’t feeling charitable about it right now.
Derby was his sanctuary. Bruises healed, people you knocked over forgave you, everyone understood the concept of being agood sport. Especially here, in this region. Noah was going to miss it as much as he would if he was leaving a limb behind.
He was so distracted by that thought that he skated directly into Jace’s very solid chest, without bracing himself for the impact. Before he could stop himself, he was falling, about to land flat on his ass.
Jace caught him by the arm, saving him a few inches from the ground. Noah frowned at him, confused. Jace wouldn’t pass up the opportunity to win a game.
Just as he was wondering what was going wrong, Jace turned them both around and set Noah down.
Out of bounds.
Of course. He wasn’t giving up the chance to win. He was just paying Noah back for the comment about not being blind.
Jace grinned broadly. It was really a pity he was straight, because while it was a bad idea to fuck your teammate—especially your derby husband—he was about to leave. Noah would have really liked to fuck Jace just once, to see what it was like.
“I’ll still buy you that drink,” Jace lisped around his mouth guard, then offered his hand again to help Noah up.
Noah was definitely going to need it. Everyone in his office would deserve it if he went in for his last day hungover.
“Good going, boys,” Coach Williams said. She’d retired from the women’s league, which made her the most qualified coach in the region, as far as Noah was concerned. Men’s roller derby was still incredibly young compared to women’s, so they needed all the help they could get. Coach Williams had been skating competitively since before there was a Men’s Roller Derby Association.
Noah still kind of wanted to grow up to be her. She’d made the Murderland Rollers what they were today. The team would go on without him, but it wouldn’t have gone on if she decided to quit.
That was what hurt the most, in some ways. The team would be fine without him, but he wouldn’t be fine without the team. He knew from the way he felt now that he really wouldn’t be fine.
“Hey, you comin’?” Jace shouted across the stadium.
“In a minute,” Noah replied. “One last lap.”
Jace nodded, understanding written all over his face. Noah took to the track one last time, Coach Williams watching him with interest. He skated around it once, and then glided off.
“I’m gonna miss this place,” he said to no one in particular.
