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the locker room buzzed with post practice energy, guys peeling off gear, chirping each other, towels whipping through the air, music thumping low from someone’s speaker. mack was sitting on the bench near his stall, half out of his jersey, laughing at something eklund had just said.
eklund, who was stretched out shirtless on the bench opposite him, his socked feet resting on mack’s shin pads like they were his personal ottoman.
“i’m serious,” eklund said, grinning. “he fell so hard. like, cartoon banana peel fall. i couldn’t even help him up, i was laughing too much.”
mack laughed, tipping his head back, and eklund nudged him with one foot, smirking like he’d just won something.
“you’re evil,” mack said, still grinning.
“you love it,” eklund said, nudging him again, this time closer to his thigh. “come on, admit it.”
“i’m not admitting anything,” mack muttered, shaking his head, but his cheeks were pink.
what he didn’t notice, what he couldn’t see from where he was sitting, was the way will had frozen in the doorway the second he stepped into the room.
he’d just finished his post skate recovery, a few minutes behind everyone else, expecting to walk in, towel around his neck, and maybe steal a kiss from mack if no one was looking.
instead, he saw mack laughing with eklund like he’d just told the best joke in the world, the two of them sitting way too close, mack’s knee brushing eklund’s shin, and eklund smirking like he knew something.
and maybe will knew it was innocent. maybe he knew mack loved him and not anyone else. but jealousy wasn’t rational. it was hot and tight and made his face go red.
he walked straight toward them.
“hey,” he said, too loud, voice cutting through the hum of the locker room.
mack looked up, surprised. “hey.”
eklund raised an eyebrow, smiling. “hey, smithy.”
will ignored that. he came to a stop right next to mack’s bench and dropped his towel over mack’s shoulders.
“you good?” he asked, like the answer mattered too much.
mack blinked up at him. “yeah. we were just talking.”
eklund didn’t move his feet. he gave will a lazy grin like he was enjoying this way too much.
“yeah, just telling mack here about the time bordy ate it in practice. he was howling.”
will gave him a tight smile. “yeah. sounds hilarious.”
then he bent down, a little too close, and kissed mack’s temple. right in front of everyone. slow. obvious.
mack stiffened for half a second in surprise, then relaxed. he reached up and tugged gently on will’s hoodie sleeve.
“you okay?” he asked, voice low.
will shrugged. “fine.”
eklund finally moved, standing up with a stretch that was too dramatic to be casual.
“alright, i’ll leave you lovebirds to it,” he said, grabbing his shirt from the hook and throwing it over his head. “try not to make out in the middle of the change room, yeah?”
mack rolled his eyes, but will didn’t say anything until eklund had disappeared toward the showers.
then he exhaled hard and flopped down next to mack.
mack looked at him sideways. “so.”
will looked back, all wide eyes and twitchy fingers. “what?”
“you gonna tell me what that was?” mack asked, pulling the towel off his shoulders and folding it in his lap.
will leaned forward, elbows on his knees. “i didn’t like how he was looking at you.”
“he was telling me a story.”
“yeah, a story with his feet in your lap and his shirt off and you laughing like he was the funniest guy alive.”
mack blinked. “are you jealous?”
“no,” will said quickly. then, after a beat: “okay. maybe.”
mack didn’t tease him. he just tilted his head, thoughtful. “you know i’m with you, right?”
will glanced over. “yeah. i know. i just—”
“but?”
“but sometimes i see people looking at you and it makes me wanna throw things.”
mack tried not to smile. “like towels?”
“like helmets,” will muttered.
mack bumped their knees together. “you could’ve just come over and said hi like a normal person.”
“i was going to,” will grumbled. “but then he touched your leg.”
mack laughed softly. “he’s dramatic. he touches everyone.”
“yeah, well, he doesn’t get to touch you.”
that made mack pause.
not because he disagreed. but because it was rare to hear will say things like that, out loud, unfiltered, possessive in that sweet, messy way. it tugged at something deep in his chest.
“you’re goofy,” mack said, voice warm and teasing.
will chuckled, nudging him. they sat in silence for a second, the room quieting as more guys headed out.
“i’m not gonna flirt with eklund,” mack said after a beat.
will looked at him. “i know.”
“and you can always come interrupt if you feel weird. i won’t mind.”
will reached over and laced their fingers together, palm warm against mack’s. “you didn’t even flinch when i kissed you in front of everyone.”
“why would i?” mack asked. “you’re my boyfriend.”
will blinked. “that’s the first time you’ve called me that out loud.”
mack looked confused. “really?”
“yeah,” will said. “like, in the locker room. around the guys.”
mack shrugged, a little bashful now. “guess it just felt like the right time.”
will’s heart did something strange and fluttery in his chest.
“you’re gonna kill me,” he said.
“not on purpose,” mack replied.
will laughed, low and breathless, and leaned in to kiss him again, this time softer, just a press of lips before they pulled apart.
“you’re mine,” he said into the space between them.
mack nodded. “always.”