Until Now (Part 7)
Title: Until Now
Chapter: 7
Pairing: Vincent Lecavalier / Ben Clymer
Disclaimer: We don't own these boys...we just wish we did. What follows is a work of complete fiction.
Notes: Takes place during the Tampa Bay Lightning's 1999-2000 season
Written by:
hockey_joy and
ovielove
Part 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6
The next morning I awoke to feel the sun warming my face, seeing the light even through closed eyes. I yawned and stretched my legs out luxuriously, feeling the effects of my little workout with Vinny. I smiled and reached over to where Vinny had been asleep, but my hands found nothing but air. Opening my eyes, I sat up and glanced around, stretching out my back. He must have gone back to his room, I thought, and swung my legs over the side of the bed. I had hoped we could have a repeat performance this morning, but there was plenty of time for that. I walked out into the living room and saw something moving on the balcony, then realized it was Vinny, his back to me. I grinned and snuck out the door, tiptoeing over to him and wrapping my arms around his bare waist before I noticed he was on the phone. “Who are you talking to?” I asked teasingly, trying to grab the phone away from his ear. He blushed and tried to move it out of reach but I was too fast for him. I tilted it slightly towards me so I could read the caller ID. It said [BRAD]. I felt my face start to burn with anger and I opened my mouth to say something to Vinny, but changed my mind and just walked back into the house, slamming the door behind me.
Fuck. My stomach fell and I felt instantly nauseous. “I gotta go, see you later.” I flipped the phone shut, walking into the apartment. “Ben?” I called out, looking in the kitchen and living room before noticing his bedroom door was shut. “Ben?” I knocked on the door softly, “Come on, open up.” I tried the handle but it was locked. “Ben! I need to talk to you!” I needed to explain why I had been talking to Brad, I knew what the impression he must have got from it but it wasn’t what he was thinking. “FUCK! BEN! OPEN THE FUCKING DOOR!” I pounded on it with my fist and knew if I was completely healed I could put my shoulder into it and bust the cheap thing down.
I sat on the edge of my bed, listening to him pound away, the anxiety level in his voice rising each time his fist connected with the door. “Vinny, knock it off!” I yelled. When he didn’t stop I slid off the bed and walked over to the door, flinging it open and glaring into Vinny’s surprised face. “Fuck you, Vinny! And fuck your little boyfriend, too. You want to go back to him, be his little punching bag, that’s fine. I’m not going to wait around for you to make up your fucking mind, and I certainly won’t just sit by while you cheat on me. Get your shit and get out of my house!” He jerked back as though he’d been punched and I continued to glare at him, my chest heaving with anger as I grabbed the door and prepared to slam it in his face.
Ben’s words hit me like a ton of bricks in my chest and I felt my breath catch in my lungs. “What? No. Fuck, Benny, why would you think that?” I put my hand on the door as he started to close it and stepped towards him. “Ben, I’m not going back to him. I’m not, I swear, please Benny, listen to me, let me in.” He shook his head, his lips tight together, his eyes flashing with anger. I squeezed my body into the room, pushing against the door and him, knocking him off balance. He stumbled a bit and I grabbed his arm to keep him upright, feeling his muscles clench as his hand curled into a fist, the same muscles that had held me last night so tenderly. I rubbed his arm, “Sorry. You okay?”
“Get off me,” I growled, shaking his hand off my arm. “You think I don’t know what’s going on? I know, I’ve seen it before - the secret phone conversations, all of it, and I won’t go through that again.” He took a step towards me but I placed my hands on his chest and pushed him away, causing him to stumble a bit. Catching himself he shook his head and opened his mouth to speak. I put my hand up to stop him and turned away, my anger slowly being washed away by sadness. I didn’t want him to go, but I couldn’t allow myself to give in again, go through the heartache a second time. And this time, the feelings were even stronger - I wasn’t sure I could survive another round. I walked over to the window and stared out at nothing, not wanting to turn around and face him as I struggled to fight back the tears that were threatening to spill down my cheeks. “Just go,” I said softly.
I was shocked at Ben’s revelation and everything that had just happened clicked into place as I realized what the implications of what I had done must have made him feel. I approached him slowly so that I was standing next to him at the window. “Benny...” My voice was soft as I let out his name in a sigh, reaching out to run a finger down his spine. “When I woke up this morning, seeing you beside me...” I shook my head gently, “I thought I was dreaming but then when I realized you were really there... I knew I didn’t want to be anywhere else so yeah, I got up to call Br- him to see when I could get my stuff from the house. That’s all, I swear to you.” I moved a bit closer to Ben, trying to catch his eyes. He shifted slightly away but not before I saw a tear roll down his cheek. I raised my hand, wiping the drop away with my thumb, the last thing I wanted to do was make him cry.
I wasn’t sure whether to believe him, but I wanted to. When he brushed away my tear the gesture was so tender, so intimate that I softened. I continued to avoid his gaze and shook my head slightly, wiping my face with the back of my hand before meeting his eyes. As soon as I did, the tears began to flow freely. “Vinny, I need you...” I broke off, my voice cracking. Vinny folded me in his long arms and held me close, letting my tears soak his shirt as all the pain and frustration of past relationships flowed out of me. Suddenly he was comforting me like I had done for him so many months ago, a strange feeling at first, but I gradually relaxed in his protective embrace and clung to him tightly. It felt like we stood there for hours, Vinny calming me as he held me against his broad chest, until I finally pulled back. “I told you from the start what I needed and you promised,” I said, holding his gaze. “I’m taking you at your word. Please don’t make me regret it.”