Chapter Text
Scott and Kip’s second attempt at dating, post-Olympics, is going much better. That’s what happens, Kip supposes, when they don’t leap immediately through a bunch of relationship stages and take it a little slower instead of moving in together after the first sort of date.
They’re learning each other again, and also for the first time. It’s kind of a weird feeling.
One of the best parts of it is actually getting a better look at each other’s worlds and lives. Sure, they’d talked about their friends and family before and their jobs, and Kip had gone to some of Scott’s games and watched them, but there had still been a distance there, too, last time.
Scott is more open about talking about his teammates, who he’s close to and how they’re important to him. Kip hasn’t met any of them – definitely won’t meet any of them for a long time, and he gets and understands that, especially after hearing more about Scott’s earlier years as a hockey player. Coming out just isn’t an option for Scott right now, not even to his closest friends. Maybe someday, it will be safe for Scott to tell people. Until then, though, Kip is going to thoroughly enjoy hearing Scott relay Carter Vaughn’s latest antics in exasperated amusement.
Scott is also now going to meet some of Kip’s closest friends, under the assurance and agreement they’ll keep it quiet. They decide to do it at Elena’s apartment – it’s a relatively nice place, without being as intimidatingly nice as Scott’s apartment. Familiar territory for Kip’s friends.
Not so much familiar territory for Scott, Kip realizes as he glances over to see Scott carefully containing panic next to him as they stand outside Elena’s door.
“Hey. It’ll be okay. They’re all really good people, they won’t tell anyone.”
“I know that.” Scott said, breathing heavily. “It’s not that. Mostly not that.”
“Then what is it?”
“Well. I’ve never really had a partner serious enough for me to be meeting people in their life. Or to come out to, really.”
“Oh. Oh. We don’t have to do this now if you’re not ready.” Kip says.
“No, no, I’ve worked up the nerve, let’s do this.” Scott sets his shoulders.
Kip opens the door and as soon as it’s shut behind them, he cautiously reaches for Scott’s hand. Scott takes it, and Kip can feel the tremors running through him. He squeezes his hand tightly, and can feel Scott relax infinitesimally.
“Kip and boyfriend, come on in!” Maria yells from the living room.
“You’ve got this.” Kip says reassuringly.
“I’ve got this.” Scott repeats and takes a deep breath. They step forward into the living room.
The general chatter of Kip’s friends goes silent as they see exactly who is standing next to Kip.
“Holy shit!” Kyle yelps. “Kip, what the hell?”
“Oh my god!” Maria shouts. “I knew it!”
“Oh, so you did bag the hot hockey player. Nice!” Shawn says appreciatively.
“Hi, Scott.” Elena says, amused.
As one, the rest of them turn to stare at her. “You knew?!”
Elena grins, and everyone rolls their eyes affectionately before looking at Scott again. He shuffles under the scrutiny.
Maria’s eyes soften and she gets up and shakes his hand. “Hi Scott, I’m Maria. It’s nice to see you not in a smoothie shop flirting with Kip.”
“Are we that obvious?” Scott asks.
“Eh. If you know what you’re looking for, yeah, but most people don’t.”
“Good.” Scott says, looking relieved but not quite like he fully believes that.
“I’m Shawn, it’s nice to meet the guy Kip’s been saying he’s not mooning over for months.” Shawn says, shaking his hand enthusiastically.
“Oh, really?” Scott says.
“It’s been really annoying.” Shawn confirms.
“Hey!” Kip protests.
“I’m Kyle.” Kyle waves briskly, not getting up. Kip had figured that he’d be a little more guarded about this. “Nice to meet you.”
“Likewise.”
“So, do you score a lot of – what does hockey use? – runs, right? Or, no, it’s goals, isn’t it?” Shawn asks.
Scott opens his mouth and closes it, blinking rapidly.
“Oh, I got it, it’s touchdowns, right!?”
Scott makes a sound akin to a squeaky toy or perhaps a tea kettle. Maria stifles a laugh.
“It’s goals, Shawn.” Kip chuckles.
“Ahhhh.”
Scott makes another highly distressed noise, and Kyle snorts in amusement.
“I think you broke Kip’s boyfriend.”
“I’m not – okay, maybe a little.” Scott says ruefully. “Please never say I score touchdowns again.”
“Gotcha.” Shawn salutes with a grin, and the room dissolves into laughter. Scott smiles.
Things relax after that, and at the end of it, they were all getting along, and Kip couldn’t be more relieved that these two parts of his life could coexist.
What Kip really hadn’t expected is how much his dad and Scott get along. In retrospect, now, it makes sense that they clicked – they were both wonderful, kind people who loved Kip a lot and therefore had every reason to want to get along. Scott was so lonely, in many ways, especially when it came to parental figures. And George Grady was never one to turn away someone who needed care. So of course he’d be ready to welcome Scott with open arms. Scott had been so nervous leading up to meeting Dad, and is completely knocked off guard when Dad welcomes him with a hug not three steps inside the front door.
His wildly panicked look over Dad’s head is both funny and heartbreaking.
“Scott! So glad to meet you, dinner’s ready in the kitchen. Kip said your favorite is chicken alfredo?”
“Uh yeah, it is.” Scott stammers out, blinking rapidly as Dad disengages from the hug at pats his shoulder. He shoots Kip an alarmed glance as they follow Dad to the kitchen.
But he settles in for dinner well afterwards, and unwinds as dinner goes on and Dad shares an alarming number of stories about Kip’s childhood. A part of Kip aches that he’ll never get to sit at a table with Scott’s parents and hear the same kinds of stories of disastrous attempts to cut his own hair and first day of school stories and the like. He sets that feeling aside for now, and protests when Dad begins detailing Kip’s disastrous attempt at making breakfast in bed for Father’s Day at age ten. His protests are mostly joking, though, because Scott is laughing so hard tears are leaking from his eyes, and that far outweighs the embarrassment of anyone knowing how he set the kitchen on fire.
“Now you’re making me nervous that he cooks for me sometimes.” Scott giggles.
“I got better at it! I was ten!” Kip protests.
“You did.” Dad agrees amiably. “We’ve still got the soot stain on the ceiling, though.”
Scott looks up and bursts into laughter again when he spots the stain.
By the end of dinner, Scott is completely at ease and looks at home in Kip’s childhood home. Kip feels warm and fuzzy every time he looks over and sees Scott looking like he belongs here, in Kip’s life and family. When Dad hugs them both goodbye and tells Scott to stop by whenever, Scott actually melts into the contact.
After getting back to Scott’s place, their phones go off simultaneously. Scott checks his first and abruptly stops in the middle of the living room.
“What?” Kip asks.
Scott merely tilts his phone so that Kip can read it.
Grady Family Group Chat
George Grady: Let me know when you two are home safe.
George Grady: And Scott, good luck at your game tomorrow! I’ll be cheering for you. <3
“He added me to a family group chat.” Scott says, voice wobbly.
“He made a family group chat so he could add you to it, actually, it’s just been the two of us for so long.” Kip corrects him, touched at how quickly Dad is incorporating Scott into their little family of two.
“Oh.” Scott’s eyes tear up. “That’s really nice.”
He types and retypes a message for a long time before finally sending it. Kip watches it come in on his own phone.
Grady Family Group Chat
Scott: Got home safe. Thank you so much for everything, Mr. Grady.
Dad: Oh, please, call me George! 😊
Scott becomes a regular fixture within their little family quickly, and soon it feels odd to think that he was never not a part of the Gradys. When he’s not on the road, he’s at every Grady family dinner. He responds to every message in the group chat, talks about books with Dad, and has been roped into a couple of ambitious home improvement projects. Kip is deliriously happy about all of this. Scott’s melded perfectly into the Grady family, and Kip’s heart feels full every time he sees an example of it.
Dad and Kip can’t exactly openly meld themselves into Scott’s life, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be there in other ways.
Kip’s made it a sort of regular thing, when his work and school schedule lines up with Scott’s game schedule, to attend home games in Scott’s seats. Elena and Maria and Shawn and eventually Kyle come along pretty regularly for the other seat, but Kip is the most regular attendee. Today is the first time that Dad has been able to come along; the last home game of the regular season.
“Thanks for coming with me.” Kip says. It’s not the first hockey game Kip has watched with his dad, but it’s definitely one of the most special.
“Course! I’m glad to be here to support Scott.”
“I can tell.” Kip says wryly, glancing over at the Scott Hunter jersey Dad wears with pride. He’s been too cautious to do so himself.
On the ice, Scott circles around doing his warmups, and casually passes by do to his usual wave or nod of greeting. This time, he trips as his eyes catch on the two of them. He straightens up and gazes at the two of them with wide eyes.
Dad waves cheerfully.
Scott laughs. A tear trickles down Scott’s face as he notices the Scott Hunter jersey Dad wears.
The Admirals trounce the Toronto Guardians, 4-2. Kip and George cheer so much they lose their voices, and meet Scott at his apartment after he leaves the team celebration for dinner.
The post season is not kind to the Admirals. The New Jersey Demons beat them in 6 games in the first round. Scott is most definitely not sulking on the Grady’s couch the day after.
“You did a great job, son, it just didn’t work out this year.” Dad reassures him from the other end of the couch.
Scott looks up from where he is draped entirely across Kip and blushes. “Thanks, George.”
Maria, Shawn, Kyle, and Elena ware sprawled across the rest of the living room and make their own consoling noises. Scott relaxes, just slightly. It’s amazing that they are all here, crammed into the living room, for Scott. Months ago, when Scott first walked into Straw + Berry, Kip could never have predicted that almost seven months later, they’d all be here.
“Who do you think will win it this year?” Elena asks.
Scott grimaces. “As much as I really hate to say it, honestly, probably Boston. Rozanov’s been playing like someone lit a fire under him since the Olympics. Not sure anyone could beat the man this year except Hollander, but Montreal’s under the weather enough this season I don’t know if he can pull it off.”
“I don’t know what any of that means but good job at talking hockey.” Shawn says.
Scott shoots him a dry look. “Shawn.”
“Scott.” Shawn says innocently.
“Never mind.” Scott grumbles, fighting back a smile.
Kip shoots Shawn a look and he merely grins smugly. Kip still isn’t sure if Shawn is trolling Scott about hockey still or being genuine. Frankly, he’ll probably never know. Either way, it was nice to watch Scott relax from Shawn’s teasing.
Boston does win the cup, and Scott is cranky about it the whole time, but softens slightly when Rozanov yells something in Russian where the only discernable word is “mama”.
The end of Scott’s season opens up the summer for them. It’s the first time since they’ve known each other that Scott has actual free time. Quite frankly, they’re both not entirely sure what to do with that.
Kip already knew that Scott is a really driven, focused, dedicated person. It’s one of the first things that stood out about him, even before Kip found out he was a professional athlete. But it’s one thing to see that when he has a hockey season to focus on, and another to see that when he’s faced with months of free time without hockey.
Scott is, to put it kindly, spinning his wheels frantically trying to find some project or another to do. The Grady house has never been in as good of a shape as it is now, two weeks into Scott’s off-season. Dad is thrilled.
Kip would just like to have a lazy day with his boyfriend, who strongly resembles an anxious border collie at the moment.
“You good there?” He asks, watching Scott deep-clean the kitchen.
“. . . I’m honestly doing better than I usually do in the off season.” Scott admits sheepishly.
Kip blinks. “What?”
“I’ve got a lot more good things going on in my life than usual outside of hockey. I’m not desperate to get back to it in the way I usually am during the summer, I’m happy to spend time with you even if I’m a little wound up with not having much to do. Life is good.”
“Life is good.” Kip agrees warmly.