Carter leaned his head on top of Ethan’s. “We still have some things to hash out, you know. Like you thinking I would be done with you because you showed your temper. Or what we’re going to do the next time it happens. Do you do better having some space when you’re upset or should I try to be persistent about staying in your presence?”
Ethan considered that for a moment, as usually Chloe and Jeremy gave him some space to cool down, or talked him through it depending on who he was mad at. “Sometimes talking calmly helps. Honestly, I generally avoid the people who upset me to begin with, unless it’s my friends and then they either give me ten minutes or they tell me it’s time to cool it. I was planning to start therapy too…”
Carter nodded, “Therapy is good. It certainly helped me a lot. I should probably look into going back for some maintenance work, if how I reacted to thinking you were done with me is any indication. So, give you space for… no more than twenty minutes?”
“Yeah, or else I get into my head,” Ethan agreed.
“Okay,” Carter acknowledged, “and for my part I’ll try not to say anything inflammatory, but you may need to just ignore anything I may say that you don’t like for at least… half your cool-down period. I tend to run off at the mouth when I’m upset or unsure of what to say. It’s something I’ve tried working on in therapy before but my counselor told me after over a year of trying different techniques I should probably just avoid people until I had my filters back in place.”
“Okay, I can work on that,” Ethan said. “And I won’t go and put myself in danger anymore just because I’m upset and anxious.”
“Well thank Ryan Gosling because I was going to murder someone,” Chloe called out from where she was in the kitchen. “I even sent your parents’ address to Carter because I figured I’d murder them before he even got there.”
“Chloe, you are all of five foot nothing,” Ethan said back to her. “What exactly did you plan to do?”
“Ask my husband, I have my ways,” she replied.
“She watches ALL the crime documentaries. I’d believe her,” Wayne said without even looking outside the kitchen. Chloe smiled and gave him a kiss.
Ethan cleared his throat then, partly because he didn’t want to think of what Chloe was capable of, but also knowing that what he said next his friends might not want to let him do. “So, I was thinking. Considering I’m basically having to build my strength back up and can’t go back to work yet, I might as well use that time to my advantage.”
“Meaning?” Jeremy asked.
“I want to go see Carter play in the playoffs,” Ethan said simply.
“It’s in Connecticut,” Carter supplied helpfully.
“Which is only a few hours drive from here,” Ethan pointed out. “Even less by plane. And you know what’s cool? Hotels tend to have gyms where I can do my PT! And a fridge I can keep my antibiotics in!”
Chloe snorted. “You sound like you’re a twelve year old explaining why you so need to go to some concert of some teeny bopper idol you’re totally in love with. Oh! Because it kind of is the same thing, huh?”
“Ha, ha, ha, you’re hilarious,” Ethan replied flatly while Chloe giggled at him.
Carter looked between Jeremy and Chloe. “So what do you think Mom and Dad? Can Ethan come sleep over with me in Connecticut?”
Chloe laughed. “That depends, are you going to take his innocence? My little boy has never been fucked before after all.”
“Chloe!” Ethan chided.
Jeremy chuckled. “I don’t see a problem with it, per se, but I can’t exactly take more time off work right now. So you need to decide how you’re handling it then. You could fly back but I’d suggest you have them use a wheelchair, or take a cane. I think getting away would be good for you though, especially while we get the legal side really going. You likely would do better being out of state when he’s arrested and arraigned. Carter, are you going to drive him up then? A few hours in a car isn’t such a bad idea for you two.”
Carter sighed. “I suppose…” he said, smiling at Ethan to let him know he wasn’t serious.
Ethan grinned at that, glad that that had gone better than he’d hoped it would. He had actually been worried Carter would put up the biggest fight, especially since by the time they had to leave, he would only be half a week out from the hospital. Jeremy was right though that he wouldn’t want to be around when the fireworks started, and they would be starting soon.
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So for the next few days they were still in New York, Ethan used most of his time to either pack a bag, or work on his exercises in the living room or down in the basement, though Carter still complained of ducking down.
“So, what you’re saying is that whatever house you settle down in needs to be built for your giant frame,” Ethan said at some point.
“Yeah, like Shaq,” Carter said.
“You better get that NBA deal then, or are you expecting me to be your sugar daddy?” Ethan asked with a smirk. “I do expect the sugar.”
“More like a SplendaPapi, honestly,” Carter said.
Ethan looked offended, though Carter could see that normal humor in his eyes. “My net worth is far more than that. Besides, I bet you’d love watching me shirtless doing renovations for that house.”
“Only if you’re also sprinkling some Español in there,” Carter said.
“I mean, I do speak that, and French,” Ethan pointed out. “And enough swear words in German to make do.”
“Well, aren’t you fancy?” Carter joked.
“You like it,” Ethan replied, smirking at him.
Ethan went back to the ER two days before they were to leave so that he could be medically cleared for travel. It was mostly because Dr. Irving wanted to keep track of how he was doing, so he had told Ethan to just come to him. Dr. Irving was iffy about it but once Ethan explained more, he was willing to give him the permission to do it, with rules in place for how much he was to be allowed to do and that he needed at least a cane with him as well as enough of his medicine to last him the trip. He also, nervously, asked Dr. Irving to do a full test for STDs before he left. He was glad that Irving was willing to without much teasing about it.
By the time that Carter’s leave was coming to an end, and his coach was making sure that Carter would be at the hotel on time, Ethan had things figured out what he would do as far as traveling back home after the game. By the end of these last games, they could know if Carter’s career was staying where it was, or if he might be getting the contract he was hoping for.