Jace headed into Noah’s apartment, noting that he clearly hadn’t even started packing yet, since everything was where he was used to seeing it. That seemed like a good sign. He hadn’t made his mind up, he wasn’t just humoring Jace or making an excuse to see him before he left.
“Are you not a hot date?” Jace teased. “I wouldn’t wanna start taking you for granted before we even tie the knot.”
“It’s not that kind of marriage.”
“It kind of is, though,” Jace said. He’d been thinking about this a lot, and his and Noah’s potential arrangement had a lot in common with a regular marriage. “I mean, I’m asking you because I want you to stick around. You’re my best friend. My life would suck without you. I just don’t wanna kiss you.”
“And here I was, starting to think you were about to confess to being secretly in love with me all this time.” Noah rolled his eyes. “I cooked, if that’s okay? I figured I needed to use up my groceries.”
Jace felt his heart sink again, but he took a deep breath and reminded himself that whatever happened, Noah would have to move, anyway. His apartment was what realtors generously called a ‘studio,’ as if that would fool people about living in a shoebox. In any case, it was a company deal, and his job was finished.
“How long do you have?”
“End of next week. When I will cease to meet my visa conditions and officially be in the country illegally. So I’m thinking I’d like to be gone before that, just so I don’t run into any trouble at the airport.”
“That’s so fast.” Jace moved to sit at the kitchen table, putting down the folder full of immigration forms he’d printed on his lunch break. God bless free staff printing.
His head spun with the knowledge that Noah could be gone in less than seven days.
Noah shrugged. “I knew it was coming, sort of. Well, no, that’s a lie. I’m still in shock. I justfeellike I should have known.”
“They went to all the trouble of bringing you out here. You’d think they’d keep you.”
“Everyone on a work visa got fired.” Noah shrugged. “I dunno. I guess they’re outsourcing or something. I was offered the same position as a freelancer today, but I still couldn’t have stayed. Besides, if I was going to freelance, I’d charge more and be pickier about my customers.”
“Well, if wedogo through with this, I have to promise to support you financially, so in theory you could be a househusband.”
“Yes, but then you’d divorce me. And I wouldn’t take advantage of you like that, anyway. You should get some benefit out of this. Since you’re not interested in unlimited blowjobs, having slightly more money is the best I can offer.”
“The benefit I get out of this is keeping the hope that we could win the nationals this year alive. Unlimited blowjobs though, huh? A man could see his way to being a little heteroflexible if that’s on the table.” Jace grinned. He was joking, but seeing the look on Noah’s face was priceless.
“Do not play gay chicken with me,” Noah said when he recovered. “I’m already gay.”
“Youknowhow hard I go to win. I could beat even a gay man at gay chicken. But you mentioned dinner?”
“Shit,” Noah got up, hurrying to the oven and switching it off. He opened the door and peered inside, then closed it again and grabbed oven mitts.
“It’s crispier than intended, but I like crispy cheese, so I figure it’s fine,” he said. Jace had never eaten Noah’s cooking before, so he had no idea what to expect.
He pulled out a cheese-topped, bubbling dish that smelled amazing. Probably because Jace hadn’t eaten anything but a protein cookie today, and he wouldn’t even have had time for that if one of the doctors hadn’t given it to him. Doctor Lee was easily his favorite resident, primarily because he handed out homemade baked goods. And because he listened to the nurses instead of treating them like they weren’t also qualified medical personnel.
Mostly because of the baked goods, though. Brian didn’t work on his ward, but Jace suspected he was a cool doctor, too. With a derby name like Dr. Love, he’d have to be.
“This is just a pasta bake, so don’t go expecting culinary genius,” Noah said as he brought the dish over. It was a little crispy on the edges, but the burnt bits were the best part as far as Jace was concerned.
“Dude, it’s a meal I didn’t have to make myself or pay for. It’s already the best one this week.”
“Well, if we did get married and I did go into freelancing, I could probably be persuaded to take care of most of the cooking.”
“You sure do know the way to a man’s heart,” Jace said, taking the plate Noah offered him.
“Directly through the rib cage,” Noah agreed. Jace chuckled, not entirely surprised by the answer. Noah wasn’t the biggest or meanest-looking guy, but he made up for it on the track. Jace had watched him straight-up body check dudes twice his size without flinching. That was why they called him Noah Way.
Noah’s real surname was Levesque, which Jace knew because he’d seen it on the team register. It was a pretty enough name, but not one Jace could see himself taking on. He wasn’t sure Noah would want Lewis, either.
They were modern men, though. They could each keep their own surnames if they did get married. That would make the most sense.
Noah served both of them dinner, then got two beers out of the fridge and sat down. Jace didn’t bother waiting for him to start eating, knowing that Noah wouldn’t care. They were comfortable with each other.
