ain't nothing more beautiful to be found...
*
From the beginning, Jamie liked Tyler more than was probably smart.
He'd always been told it wasn't a choice, when you found your mate, but Jamie could've stopped himself, made his wolf back off.
But from the first time he saw Tyler in his doorway, with his shoulders hunched, trying to make himself seem smaller and making sure his teeth weren't showing when he smiled, Jamie had been focused on Tyler, on making him laugh, making him happy.
And every time he had had a choice to stop, to find someone else, or to back off, Jamie always made the choice that kept him close to Tyler.
It was as simple as that.
*
There weren't a lot of wolves on the Stars, just him, Jordie, Tyler, Val and Kari, and Jamie was the only Alpha.
So when it started, hardly anyone realized what was going on.
Jamie always claimed the seat next to Tyler, got him a couple drinks, brought over food for him -french fries, wings, mostly bar food. He made sure to stay close in case Tyler needed him, but kept far enough away when Tyler wanted to wander around the bar.
When they were wolves, and they all went for a run as Pack, Jamie always got a rabbit or two and brought them to him, stood over him and preened when Tyler made pleased sounds and ate them, rubbed his muzzle against Jamie's in thanks.
See, I can provide for you, we can be good together, Jamie wanted to tell him whenever Tyler looked at him and smiled.
He couldn't find the words, though, had a hard time upsetting the easy balance that had sprung up between them.
So Jamie just let his actions speak for him and hoped Tyler would understand what he wanted.
*
It's no surprise that they light it up on ice, going on a shared points streak that the club hasn't seen in years, maybe ever.
They slot together seamlessly, easily reading each other and passing the puck back and forth like they've been on the same line for years.
It's one more thing that makes Jamie want.
*
Embarrassingly, it's after Christmas before Tyler even realized what was going on.
It wasn't until Jordie cornered him one afternoon after practice and demanded to know why he was jerking Jamie around that Tyler finally got a clue.
Jordie laughed for almost ten minutes and then called Val, who Tyler could hear laughing hysterically and saying, in mangled Russian and English, that he couldn't wait to tell Kari.
Once Jordie calmed down and put his phone away, he threw an arm around Tyler's shoulders. "Don't worry, dude, I've got you covered, come on."
*
Jamie got back from his run to an empty apartment, Jordie off to Val's for a movie, and stripped off most of his clothes before he realized Tyler was passed out in his bed, burrowed under his blankets.
And Jamie had known he was in deep, but for his wolf to not care about Tyler being in their den, in their bed; well, it made it clear that this was pretty much it for him.
Jamie took a shower and put on some shorts before he he padded over to the bed to wake up the other wolf.
He shook Tyler's shoulder and when Tyler turned his head to look at him blearly, Jamie let himself run his hand over Tyler's head.
Tyler pressed up into it, a happy rumble spilling from his throat that made Jamie grin.
"Hey, Ty, what's up?" Jamie asked warmly as he kept petting Tyler.
"Nothing, I just," Tyler took a breath and went on, "I talked to Jordie and he, uh, told me that I kind of, like, misunderstood what the rabbits and shit meant?"
Jamie went still, his wolf tensed inside him, unsure what Tyler was trying to say; he didn't sound mad or unhappy, but Jamie was still wary.
"And I didn't think you wanted that with me, I just thought you were trying to be a good Alpha," Tyler added, his voice hesitant. "But I -fuck, I'm really into you, dude, so I'm completely down with that."
While Jamie tried to work through all that, Tyler rolled over and simultaneously kicked the blankets down so he was sprawled out on his back, the shirt Tyler was wearing up around his chest so his stomach was bare and his head tilted to the side so his neck was showing.
Jamie inhaled sharply, his wolf pushing up against his skin, urging him to cover Tyler, take what their mate was offering. He growled when he noticed the C stamped on the shirt the other wolf was wearing.
Jamie braced himself above Tyler, one hand by his head and the other one on his hip. "Be sure, Ty. Please."
"I am, I'm so fucken sure," Tyler told him, his voice catching when Jamie leaned in and dragged his nose from Tyler's shoulder and up his neck, scenting him.
"Let me mark you," Jamie murmured as he settled his weight on top of Tyler. "I want everyone, even scent-blind humans, to know you're mine."
"Yes," Tyler said and urged Jamie's mouth against his neck. "Do it, come on."
Jamie growled as he set his teeth in the skin just below Tyler's ear.
"Jesus fuck," Tyler panted when Jamie finally moved away; he whined when Jamie pressed his thumb against the bruise that was already starting to come up.
"In my bed, wearing my shirt with my mark on you," Jamie told him, his eyes yellow and his canines already showing. "Fuck, Ty, you even smell like me. I don't know if I can control myself for long."
"Who wants you to?" Tyler scoffed before he he captured Jamie's mouth in a quick kiss; he nipped at Jamie's bottom lip before he went on, "I belong to you, eh? Prove it."
Jamie narrowed his eyes and pinned Tylers wrists above his head with one hand. "You're going to pay for that, Seguin."
"Bring it on, Benn," Tyler smirked before he relaxed back into the mattress and bared his throat again.
When Jordie finally came home and found them passed out on the hallway floor, he rolled his eyes and dumped a bucket full of cold water on them and told them to keep it out of the communal living areas.
He was grinning, though, and obviously happy for them, so they just waved him off and stumbled back into the room for another quick round.
*
By the time the rest of the team figured out what was going on, Tyler had already moved in and had taken to wearing Jamie's clothes whenever possible.
It's exactly what Jamie had wanted and was afraid he'd never get.