Five Times the Team Found Out (Evgeni Nabokov/Douglas Murray)

[revuko]

Title: Five Times the Team Found Out
Author: sherlockelly& revuko
Pairing: Evgeni Nabokov / Douglas Murray; San Jose Sharks
Rating: Mostly PG-13, mentions of sex.
Disclaimer: Real people, fake story.
Summary: Same as title.
A/N: Same as this universe. And be aware of the fluff.



He was used to college. Not surprising, since he’d been looking forward to it for so long. The freedom from lying was a big change for Douglas, but a welcome one. It wasn’t like he wore a sign or anything, but he also didn’t feel the need to pretend. So when he caught one of the boys in his economics class giving him the once over with a half-smile that Dougie knows all about, he doesn’t just pretend it didn’t happen.

The relationship with Eric was very brief, but the fact that it was open and honest and not a secret made it incredibly important. Douglas wasn’t looking to go back after that luxury. In the minors, it wasn’t an issue. No one cared what he did, or who he did it with, but there were the arched brows and whispers of, “it won’t be like that in the NHL,” which made Douglas think that wouldn’t always be the case.

But, when he’s called up to the Sharks, it comes so natural to him, this not-lying thing, that when he finds himself on the spot after a few months of just saying nothing, it seems normal.

He’s had some sort of spark with Evgeni from the very beginning. That little half-smile the goaltender threw his way around day three had all but done him in. The little half-smile that meant ‘I’m watching,’ that meant Douglas had a reason to strip all the way down before walking to the showers, that meant there was always another pair of eyes on him. The Russian is far too tongue tied to do more than look, but Dougie is fluent in seduction.

Ryane Clowe has been on his case for weeks to go out with the guys. Most of them are either too young or too married to barhop with him, but Douglas seems to have a target on his chest.

“Just come out with us!” Ryane is starting up again before either of them has even unlaced their skates. “Plenty of girls for the three of us! You been here, what, three months and you haven’t even seen the nightlife?”

“I’ve seen it.” Douglas is over being pestered by this kid. He can feel Evgeni’s eyes on him as his skates come off, one by one, his breezers dropping to the floor around his ankles. He starts to unhook his jock and looks up to catch the man’s eye. Evgeni blushes nearly purple as he darts his eyes away.

Like he said; he knows this game.

“When?” Ryane is indignant. “Not with me you didn’t!”

“Went alone.”

“You need a wingman, Doug! Come with us and I swear we’ll triple your intake.”

Douglas finally looks at the kid like he’s crazy. But he’s not, really. He’s just young and on his own, away from home, from everything familiar. Like Dougie in college, he can get that. But the last place he wants to be is a bar with his teammates, watching as they attract women like flies and expect him to do the same. He is over the lying thing.

“I dun’ need help.”

“Sure as hell right you don’t, but it’ll still be fun! Cheech knows this great bar; fucking ton of hot girls there, eh Cheech?” Cheechoo grunts in agreement, his eyebrows waggling.

“Fuckin’ ladies night, Doug! They’ll all want you!” He chimes in, trying to help Ryane’s cause.

“Dun’ want them.”

He can feel the second pair of eyes on him again as his hands fall to the waist of his underwear. He doesn’t look back, just enjoys the feel of it, and lets Evgeni watch.

“Don’t you care about those poor girls, Doug? Depriving them like that?” Ryane’s trying for humor, but the nagging is really starting to piss Douglas off.

“Not about them; not about any of them.”

“Fine, I get it. You’re not interested in havin’ competition.” Ryane smirks, feigning indifference, but Douglas sees right through it.

“No. Ya dun' get it.” He drops his underwear; the eyes are eating him alive and he thrives on this, almost hates to cover himself with the towel.

But once he is, Douglas looks over to Evgeni, who this time isn’t looking away. Douglas knows that he can understand his conversation; he can see that the man is interested to see where he’s going with it. They hold each other’s gaze.

“‘M not interested in the girls.” Ryane doesn’t respond, and Douglas can’t see his face to know if he comprehends. “Any of ‘em.”

Ryane inhales a little as the realization comes to him. “Oh.”

Evgeni looks down at his pads, pretends to fiddle with the buckles, and Douglas notices the pink rising in his cheeks; he understands.

Dougie’s not worried about backlash, not worried about being outcast or judged or mocked. Fuck, he knows his neck is thicker than most of the other guys’ thighs, they wouldn’t dream of making fun of him. But, truthfully, he didn’t care all that much about what they thought anyway.

He looks back to Ryane, who is knitting his eyebrows in apology. “Sorry man, I-I didn’t realize. Y-you can still come, though. I, uh, I won’t force ‘em on your anything. I mean, if that’s the only reason that you don’t want to come with us.” He’s stuttering and looking to Cheech for help. “Fuck, I feel like an ass.”

“Dun’ worry,” Douglas shrugs it off. He considers making Ryane sweat out his answer, but decides the better of it. “Ya jus’ didn’ know is all. I’ll go with you. S’not a big deal.”

And he catches the goaltender’s eyes again as he walks to the showers, and Evgeni gives him a very shy, very private half-smile through his veil of timidity, and this is exactly what Douglas wanted all along.

He didn't do lying; and Evgeni's shy glances didn't either.

It’s not lying only because Evgeni doesn’t want anyone to know. Douglas is fairly sure that everyone already does, but he can’t bring himself to shatter Evgeni’s sense of privacy.

They’re together all the time, in San Jose and on the road. They’re always sharing looks, and Douglas’ road roommate has to wonder where he goes almost every night, sometimes all night.

The team has to have noticed the purpling bruises on Evgeni’s collarbone, circular marks on his hips. Douglas has seen Ryane notice the scratches down his own back, shoulders; the half-moon nail bites on his chest.

At first, he’d stared awkwardly, but then laughed and smiled, “looks like a keeper.” And Douglas had agreed. He saw Ryane eyeing the goaltender from the corner of his vision. If they don’t know, they’ve guessed, wondered. Even assumed.

But after a point, even not mentioning it feels like lying. But for the sake of Evgeni, he ignores this.

After a practice at the rink, Ryane speaks up, trying to get a crew together to go out. A few guys commit, even some of the guys who regularly turn him down agree to come by, so Douglas knows the invitation is coming.

“Comin’ out with us tonight, Doug?”

“Nah. Can’t tonight. Got plans.” And he’s had them for weeks. It seems silly, a six-month anniversary, but he’s never been with anyone this long, let alone a guy. It’s a cause for celebration, and he’s been really looking forward to this time away from the guys, just him and Evgeni. No curfews, no questioning looks, no lying.

“Break ‘em! Last hurrah before the big trip east. Ya can’t pass this up!”

“‘M afraid that I’m gunna.”

“You got somewhere better ta be?”

Douglas just smiles. He really, truly does.

“Well, come out with us before. We’ll be there a while. You could even stop by after! What time is this… thing you got?”

He’s not going to play this game tonight, bartering for team time.

“S’not a thing. S’an anniversary dinner.”

“A date?” Ryane guffaws and a few of the other guys turn to look. Maybe it was an exaggeration to think they all knew. Even Ryane seems surprised.

“Bit more than just a date.”

“Well, if ya can’t blow it off, can ya at least come over after? We never even met the guy, mus’ not be that special. What is it, a week? A month?”

“It's six.” He has to force himself not to look over at Evgeni.

“Whatever!”

“Fuck you.” It doesn’t come out too harsh, Douglas hopes.

“Fine, fine!” Ryane throws his hands up in defeat. “What’ve ya got, like a reservation time or something? We can work around it.”

Why can’t they just take no for an answer? He’s not that interesting, he swears.

Ryane continues to pry, not willing to give up. “S’it an early dinner? Late? What? If it’ll getcha there, ‘m willing to be flexible.”

“He’s not ghoing to go out drinking before dhinner! We’re eating at eight, and he’s ahlready said no!” Evgeni’s curt interjection brings the room to a hush. Even Douglas is sure his jaw is about to the floor.

Evgeni’s face turns a beet red when he realizes his words, and he hides his head in his hands.

“Wait…” Ryane’s brow knits in confusion.

“Ya heard ‘im, man. S’our night. ‘M not going.” Dougie can’t break his stare from his embarrassed boyfriend to save his life, and he’s sure that his proud smile is about to break loose from his face.

“Happy Anniversary,” Patty smiles from the corner of the locker room, and it isn’t until Douglas looks over that he realizes he said it to Evgeni. No more assumptions.

No more lying.

“I think Iya left the bedroom light on,” Evgeni mentioned to Douglas one day at practice, but at the time, no one thought anything of it.

Douglas paused and contemplated the words before shaking his head. “No... I was the last one in there, ‘member? ‘Cause I had to go back and get my wallet.”

And Evgeni made a noise of revelation in the back of his throat, his lips pursing as he nodded his head vigorously. “Ah, that's right.”

Little things like that pass between the two, but nothing more. No one can say exactly when it started, though the little comments would always cause a moment a silence to fall over the locker room, everyone curious as to why they were so interested in something so mundane.

It was never anything interesting (though when it was, it was something that the team was too embarrassed to really hear), so it was a shared mystery as to why everyone cares as much as they all did.

It's after a particular trying practice that it finally comes out.

Evgeni was scampering around the locker room, his things hung up in their proper place, his pads thrown into a giant pile for the equipment crew to take care of. His eyes were darting everywhere, as if he were in the crease, searching frantically for the puck. Quick hands grope under the benches, in hopes of finding the thing that was lost.

“Whatcha doin’, baby?” Douglas asked before anyone else could voice their confusion.

The worried expression was shot in Dougie's direction before turning away again. Evgeni hovered at the other's side after another sweep of the room. “Iya can't... I-I lost them!”

“Yer keys?” Douglas just laughs, his large hands bringing the man in close as he pulls them to the exit. “Ya don’t have ‘em. We took my car, babe.” he reminded the smaller man, the smile in his voice evident.

“Bhut I have the house khey on there!” He taps his pockets again, looking to hear the jingle. “We are ghoing to be lhocked out!”

Douglas holds up his own keys, and Evgeni blinks owlishly until his face washes over with relief, chuckling somewhat sheepishly at the idea of not remembering such a thing. “Iya forgot yhou had a key.”

There were brief good-byes before the two left together, Douglas holding the door open for Evgeni when they reached the exit.

There was a murmur that passed though the room, and they come to an agreement. It was then the team realized that Douglas and Evgeni were living together, and had been for a while.

Douglas and Evgeni have been whispering in the corner for a while, and Patty is almost worried. Should he go talk to them? It’s not really any of his business, but he is the captain. They usually don’t need his intervention, but there have been times that he’s stepped in to diffuse a situation. He knows the drill, especially after a loss. The tempers are up and it’s easy to pick a fight with anyone, especially someone you’re close to. He’s done it with Christina more times than he’d care to admit.

But these seem like a different type of whisper, like a secret. Secrets make him uncomfortable; even his own.

He watches their expressions for a while; like any good captain he can read emotion and body language. Christina thinks it’s strange when he can tell what she’s feeling before she says it, but he knows it makes him better at leading a team. It’s not all about on-ice presence and a loud, booming voice.

Douglas seems anxious, he’s gesturing with his hands emphatically and Evgeni is furrowing his brow, trying to calm the other man. But still, neither of them seems angry. Evgeni is smiling a bit, his eyes sparkling like they are apt to do after a win. Douglas just looks excited, and only mildly concerned.

A quick glance around tells Patty that no one else has noticed at all. He’s not surprised.

And he’s not surprised until he hears Evgeni’s voice, clear and determined if not a little bit giddy, silencing the rest of the room in two decisive words.

“We’re enghaged!”

Douglas sighs and smiles a defeated smile; Patty can tell by the way his hands drop to his sides that he had planned to tell everyone in a different way. But he can also tell by the way that the two of them lace their fingers together and share a secret, private smile that they are elated with each other.

And Patty has never captained a married couple before, be he thinks he’s up for it.

Douglas and Evgeni have been acting odd lately, the entire team has noticed. It is strange, because it doesn’t seem like they’re fighting, and it doesn’t seem like anything is wrong at all. Evgeni’s actually been more cheery lately: slapping the hands of fans as he exits the locker room hallway, laughing during interviews, even hugging his husband unabashedly on the ice after a spectacular win at home.

Something is off between the two, but neither man is showing any sign of distress. The team couldn’t figure out what it is that’s putting the rest of them on edge.

There’s a bet going on between the guys who aren’t new enough to get into trouble and who aren’t too old to care, besides Jeremy, who started the little club. This small group, including Ryane, Luko, and Cheech, hasn’t come up with a logical solution to the disconnection, so they’ve just been creating the most obscene reasons; see who could come up with the best one.

As of now, the best idea belongs to Boosh, but Rob hasn’t heard what it is, and no one seems keen on repeating it to him.

He tries to stay detached from the gossip and the whisperings and the team drama as best he can, because he, at the cusp of forty, is certainly one who is really too old to care. But when it comes to the resident golden couple, he just can’t help it; and since he is never more than a few strides away from either of them on the ice, his curiosity is bound to perk.

So it is to his surprise (and secret delight) that Evgeni takes the empty plane seat next to Rob on the next road-trip.

“Um...” Evgeni’s soft voice trails off, just barely audible over the hum of his teammates as they file into the plane, ready to set off to the East Coast.

Rob turns to look at the star goaltender expectantly, hoping that he doesn’t look too eager to listen to what the other has to say. He doesn’t want to appear as interested in the couple’s recent behavior as the others have, but in truth, he really wants to know.

The first thing that comes to mind as he sees the uncertainty in the younger man’s face and the fact that Evgeni isn’t seeking out an empty pair of seats for his husband and himself is that something must be wrong.

“You all right?” Rob asks in a rush, scolding himself for treating the situation as if it were the latest Hollywood scandal. “You two okay?”

Evgeni looks taken aback, blinking at the sudden questions that catch him off guard. Douglas walks by and gives the man a quick glance; he hesitates in his long strides, but continues down the aisle. Something wordless is passed between them, a look of such adoration and love that Rob is reassured before Evgeni starts talking again.

“Ehverything’s great,” he says quietly, his eyes flickering to stare at the fingers twisting in his lap. He is at a loss for words, and in the silence around them, Rob can tell that his teammates have paused their conversations to listen.

“Yhou have a kid.”

The statement is so abrupt that Rob doesn’t know if he heard right. But Evgeni flushes a bright pink and Rob knows he did; he’s certainly not that old yet. “...Yes?” he phrases it as a question, even though he knows for a fact that he has a son; it’s not much of an indecisive issue. Rob doesn’t see him as much as he would like, with the travel and all, but he definitely exists.

Evgeni swallows so loud that Rob can hear it over the hum of the cabin, the man wringing his hands together. Rob starts to feel awkward himself, feeling the eyes of his teammates watching their every move; though the other man is oblivious, he isn’t.

“How... how did yhou know you were rheady to be a father?” Evgeni asks slowly after a few minutes of popping his knuckles and studying a snag on his dress slacks.

It’s an odd question, but Rob has thought long and hard about this before, he still does. When was he ready? When did he really feel old enough, prepared enough, to actually be expected to take care of someone else, someone far more helpless.

The answer is rolling off his tongue before he can even process why. “I was never ready; it’s pretty hard t’imagine even now, raising a kid. Seems damn near impossible. Hell, I barely think of myself as older’n twenty. ‘M still getting used to that.”

The imploring shine in Evgeni’s blue eyes dim at the words, but Rob isn’t exactly done explaining the feeling.

“I don’t think anyone can be ready for such a responsibility. But, I couldn’t be any happier to be a dad,” he pauses, and wonders about the question for the first time. “S’best thing that’s ever happened to me, regardless of how prepared for it I was. Why?”

The other man fidgets in his spot again, a hand running through his dirty blond hair. He looks uncomfortable all of a sudden, words tumbling out of his mouth with little coherency. “I jhust, I mean, Dougie and I-the papers went through so fast and Iya wasn’t expecting-! I thought I could, but Iya am so worried now. And it’s nhot like there’s a coach or a team to back yhou up. I don’t know what to do! Well, Iya do, but... Yhou’re such a good father, jhust a natural at it. And I... Iya want that, too." He finishes with an exasperated groan, his shoulders slumping in defeat.

Rob doesn’t know what to say. Doesn’t exactly know what he just heard.

Evgeni huffs and stills his jittery body. With strict finality in his voice, he begins to speak again; “We’re adhopting a baby.” Instantly, his face lights up at the thought, a smile cutting through the weary expression that he was wearing moments ago. “And it’s coming no mhatter if I’m rheady for him-o-or her-or nhot.” He looks to Rob, who almost certainly has a look of dumbstruck awe on his face, and any doubt in Evgeni’s mind seems gone in an instant. “Bhut… maybe I don’t have to be rheady.” His lips turn upward slightly and his brow smoothes.

“Thank yhou,” Evgeni sighs with sincerity, a boyish smile growing on his face and his eyes twinkling with such unrestrained happiness that it’s hard to imagine that the same man was so morose just seconds ago.

Wait... what did he even do?

Rob just stares, not expecting that to be the reason for the two’s strange behavior. He doesn’t think that was anyone’s bet from Jeremy’s secret group, either.

Standing to move from his temporary seat, Evgeni just about floats to the back of the plane, greeting his husband with a hug tight enough to make the larger man gasp for air. A rush of noise fills the plane like a crashing wave; cheers and claps and whistles bombard the goaltender and defenseman, their teammates joining in on the celebration. Rob doesn’t realize until now that he’s smiling.

Evgeni and Douglas are going to be parents. The thought makes fatherly pride swell within him. They are going to spoil that child rotten.