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Birkholtz almost misses the puck when it's shot across the ice to him during a last minute practice before their next big game, and he only just manages to pass it off to Shitty. His mind is evidently elsewhere, and he grunts in frustration at letting what he's thinking about (other than hockey, damn it) distract him to this extent. It's not fa—
"Hey, what is up with you today, eh?" That's Zimmermann, a scolding tone in his voice, and Birkholtz can hardly blame the captain. It's inexcusable, really.
"Sorry, man, I'll do better." He doesn't want to admit that his mind is still stuck in the previous night's events. Of what he did with Oluransi. He wonders if anyone else knows.
Jack seems to pause, before shaking his head, motioning to the only half of Samwell Men's Hockey defense that's on the ice at the moment. "No, I think that's enough for today. I need to help Bittle, anyway."
And just like that, he's been dismissed.
Adam can't bring himself to be unhappy about it, though, and he skates off the rink to go change in the locker room and then return to the Haus. Once he gets there, he'll shower. Yes, that'll help get his mind off of things.
Except, when he gets there, Justin is right there in the living room with his laptop open on his lap and books scattered all over the coffee table, having skipped out on practice to study for his next big test. Zimmermann had allowed it, of course, knowing as well as Birkholtz the extent of Oluransi's test period anxiety.
"Oh, hey, man. How was practice?" Justin doesn't bother to look up, and Adam feels a little bit awkward. Usually they greet each other (quite eagerly) with a hug, but Adam puts the mellow greeting down to Justin being distracted with his studying.
"Hey, Rans," he tries to keep his voice level, forcing a smile. He's never had to force one before, not with Justin, but ever since they'd—. "It was okay."
"Just okay?" And now Justin looks up, a frown pinching his eyebrows inwards, as if he can sense that his best friend is lying.
Damn it.
"Yep! I've gotta shower, then I can help you study, if you want?" Adam is like a shot up the stairs, before Justin can argue or answer or say anything.
Oluransi stares at his laptop screen, hands hovering over the keyboard, as if that will magically make words appear. It should, but he somehow can't force himself to do anything. Studying for the past couple of hours had. . .not exactly been filled with that, per se, not when he'd instead found his thoughts drifting back to the party from the night before.
Brief flashes of Adam's lips pressed firmly against his own, and their bodies flush together, as well as a steady and keen hand slipping between his legs in a way that has him flushing now, had him unbearably distracted the whole time. They'd been awfully drunk when it had occurred, but Justin can't deny that he'd enjoyed it. Maybe a little too much, if his scattered thoughts of every single topic but that one is anything to go by.
Sighing heavily and willing his sudden half erection away before Adam returns downstairs to help him study (and if that idea doesn't make him feel a slight sense of despair...), Justin leans back against the couch to stretch both his arms and back after hunching in such an uncomfortable position for so long. He could really do with a massage.
A throat clears behind him, and before he even turns around to smile distractedly, he already knows who it is.
"Hey, bro." He's glad to see Adam's smile in return, feeling slightly more relaxed.
Until he remembers the very hard problem between his legs, and he tries to subtly slide a cushion over his lap to cover it. An awkward silence settles between them then, and Justin tries not to draw up his shoulders.
The shower had helped Adam to relax, but it all seems to have been pointless when the silence settles between them. There's nobody else in the Haus right now, and he has to resist the temptation to rock to and fro on the balls of his feet. He's always fidgety when he's nervous, and Justin probably knows that better than anybody else.
The nervous feeling in the pit of Adam's stomach prompts him to move himself around so he can take a seat next to his best friend. His best friend who he kissed the night before, and did more with. He rakes a hand through his hair before putting his glasses on and motioning between the books and laptop.
"What did you need help with?"
"Studying is useless." Justin sounds as if he just expelled a long rush of air he was witholding.
Adam blinks a few times, trying not to laugh nervously at the random outburst. "Jack would beg to differ. Shitty, maybe not so much."
"No," Justin waves a hand before covering his face with both, groaning low into them. His voice is muffled. "I mean, yeah, your observations are correct. But I mean, right now. I haven't been able to study."
Adam frowns softly and lifts both of his hands to pry Justin's own from covering his face. When their gazes meet, Adam swears he shivers with the intensity of it. "What, this whole time?"
"Yeah. Can we talk?"
"We're talking right now, man." Adam almost chirps him, barely resisting, but then he sees the troubled look on his best buddy's face. Oh. "What do you want to talk about?"
"Us." The words are out of Justin's mouth before he can rethink his strategy. But maybe it would be best if he was just straight up. Honesty, and all that.
Adam doesn't say anything, seemingly freezing up for a few tentative seconds.
"More specifically, about what happened last night."
Adam looks like he's about to protest, mouth opening, before evidently thinking better of it and pressing his lips tight together. He looks uncomfortable, and Justin suddenly wants nothing more than to press his fingers to his jawline and help relax the muscles there. When he nods, signalling that Oluransi can elaborate, the slightly shorter man does.
"Usually I think back on the stuff I've done whilst drunk as no more than mistakes, whether they're big or small, but," he pauses, as if bracing himself for whatever reaction may come in the aftermath of his admission. "I don't regret it. What we did."
"I feel awkward." Adam ducks his head a little, trying to make himself seem smaller. He's one of the tallest guys on the team, but he tends to do that when he's self conscious. There's a flush spreading across his cheeks, too. "I kept getting distracted by it during practice."
"Seriously?" It almost sounds like yet another chirp, but then Justin is laughing and wiping a hand over his face.
"What's so funny, man?" Adam pouts, and oh no, Justin wants to kiss it off him until he's smiling and they're both laughing and everything is fine between them again, like before.
"Nothing, I just." He shrugs. "I got distracted, too. I haven't been able to study at all."
There's a bang, a clutter, and a chorus of hollering from the hallway that lets them know some of the team are back, and Justin starts tidying up the books.
"Let's move upstairs and talk some more. I hate," Adam wets his lips and shrugs, not even knowing what he was going to say. "It's quieter."
"Yeah, okay. Good idea, man."
Justin seems a bit more relaxed now, and the 'I don't regret it' resounds in Adam's head as they do just that. It's something to go on.
Justin dumps his laptop and textbooks on the bottom bunk they share, turning to face Adam once they're alone again. A tension settles in the pit of his stomach, but he can't pinpoint what the cause of it is. There's an intensity between them that causes Adam to step closer, pushing his glasses up across the bridge of his nose again.
He wants to say something, but words seem to escape him, until Justin reaches out and grabs his hand to pull him even closer. Their chests barely have any room between them, and Adam worries his lower lip with his teeth, before their gazes meet again.
And nothing needs to be said, then.
Their lips meet and it's completely different to the way it happened at the party; this time it's softer and not half as desperate, tender in a way that has both their hearts beating faster, and Justin brings his free hand up to cup Adam's cheek. They smile together, and it's Adam who pulls away briefly only to say, "I don't regret it, either."
Justin grins and kisses him breathless.
~
"It's complicated, eh?" Jack glances back between both Adam and Justin, who are sat next to each other on the coach ride to another game.
Adam blushes and Justin laughs, both of them taking the chirps from Shitty and even Bittle as they come, neither regretting setting that as their relationship status on Facebook due to the nature of it — some sort of Friends With Benefits situation that they were both completely fine with.