This One's For Us
Title: This One’s For Us
Pairing: Thomas Vanek/Derek Roy (Buffalo Sabres)
Rating: PG; a little language (like, one word).
Summary: Written from the previous matchup against the Senators before today's - November 21st. Thomas Vanek knows he's not playing well, but there's a certain someone that cheers him up with one little goal.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything. The Sabres, Thomas Vanek, and Derek Roy belong to themselves.
Goal celebrations haven’t been my thing this season. It doesn’t help that I’ve only scored four goals so far, and we’re quite a few games into this year already. I want to do so much for the team, and we can’t even get a decent run going. With the way I’ve been playing…yeah, I really think I need to step it up.
The only thing - or person, for that matter - that can really get my mind off of these types of things is Derek. My little Roysie has so much unbelievable faith in me that sometimes I wonder if he’s crazy or not. I appreciate the fact that he does believe in me, because he’s everything I have right now. When I go home, he’s there. He’s there to comfort me whenever I get on my own back about my recent play, and he always finds a way to calm me down. If I didn’t have that man with me - if he were with someone else, like Max - I think I might just end up going crazy one of these days.
I sit on the bench, and stare out at the white sheet of ice laid out in front of us. I then look up at the mass of fans taking up the seats in the arena, and I crack a smile. I love playing at home, because even though you occasionally have Sabres fans at away games, there’s just no place like playing in Buffalo. The atmosphere is amazing here, even for the players. I know I’m not the only one who enjoys it.
The lines change up, and I’m out there in a flash with Staff, and Derek. I take a quick glance at the ribbon scoreboard around the arena, and check the score. Two to zero so far in the first; us leading. There’s only about a minute left on the clock, and I focus intently onto the faceoff circle. My eyes glance upward at the beauty of my Roysie, and I see his darker blue eyes flicker slightly as he watches the ref to see when he’ll drop the puck. He’s so amazingly beautiful when he’s determined, though…I always think he looks amazing.
Derek wins the faceoff, and I’m immediately off towards the Senators’ side of the rink. My head turns to see Staff with the puck, and he passes it towards me. It connects to my stick, and I move forward with it, towards Emery. Thinking I’m going to make a move with it, he shifts out of his position - and that’s when I pass it back, because I just know he’s going to be there…
I have the tendency to know and have a good feeling whether or not one of the guys are going to be behind me when I’m going to the net. Derek and I just have this connection better than I do with anyone else. I have no idea if it’s because we’re in love or just because we’ve played together since we were in Rochester, but either way, it’s nice to have that connection when you’re playing in an important match.
My skates automatically stop when the red light flashes above the net; as if they knew what was coming next. I mean, I had never expected any huge hugs from my teammates if I ever helped them score a goal, or regardless of that fact. I’m not the hugging type of person; definitely more of a cuddler, especially when I feel my Roysie rub his head against my chest when he’s sleeping against me during the night. I never tell him this, but…there are times when I wake up in the middle of the night, and I just watch him sleep. I watch his body rise and fall with his steady breath, and I listen to him murmur out words that make absolutely no sense. Those are the moments I love the most because he’s so perfect while he’s asleep. I don’t think I’ve ever seen something more beautiful.
My body slowly turns to see if he was the one that did indeed score, and I see him flying towards me with his arms open. Derek jumps into my arms as I hear the siren blaring throughout the air, and god, I just want to bring him closer to me, and let him nuzzle his head against my chest just like those late nights in the house we share - but I don’t. I look up to see Max come towards us, and I realize that Staff must’ve got off the ice before Derek had scored the goal. I don’t frown when I see him, but I don’t give him a smile either. As I receive a pat on the head from him, I realize something - he will probably never receive this sort of ‘Thank you.’ from Derek if he had helped him out on scoring a goal for a team. That might make me selfish, yes, but that thought alone helps me begin to believe that I really have nothing to worry about when it comes to Max. He tells me ‘Good work.’ and I reply back with a smile; ‘Thanks, Max.’ I receive a warm smile in return, and I suddenly feel warm breath hit my neck - at least, the lower half of it, since Derek is so small.
“I told you so - it was only a matter of time.” That’s when my heart melts. I turn my head, and stare into his eyes, and all I want to do is lean down and capture those tender lips with my own. All I want to do is kiss him like there’s no one else on this planet, and caress the back of his neck with my rough hands. I just want to whisper ‘You’re my entire world, my Roysie…’ onto his lips forever and ever, and never let him go. With these thoughts running through my head, I actually lean forward a bit before I realize what the hell I’m doing. I watch him lean in a bit too, and he bites his lower lip. He knows we can’t kiss in public; especially not here. What I wouldn’t give to be able to…I think to myself, and suddenly, words just roll out of my mouth: “I did it for us, Derek - because I know how much you believe in me. You scoring just seals the fact that you and I have an unbelievable connection.” I see wetness gather up in his eyes, and I want to wipe them away. Damn these gloves.
That’s when I see him mouth those words, before he let’s me go and skates away. I follow him, slowly but surely, and take my place on the bench. The image of him mouthing those words to me is still so clear in my mind…and I begin to shake, slightly. When I feel a glove placed on top of mine, I don’t even have to look at its owner - I know it’s Derek reassuring me that I’ll only get better with time.
After mouthing to me ‘I love you’, I can’t help it but believe that he might just be right.
Pairing: Thomas Vanek/Derek Roy (Buffalo Sabres)
Rating: PG; a little language (like, one word).
Summary: Written from the previous matchup against the Senators before today's - November 21st. Thomas Vanek knows he's not playing well, but there's a certain someone that cheers him up with one little goal.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything. The Sabres, Thomas Vanek, and Derek Roy belong to themselves.
Goal celebrations haven’t been my thing this season. It doesn’t help that I’ve only scored four goals so far, and we’re quite a few games into this year already. I want to do so much for the team, and we can’t even get a decent run going. With the way I’ve been playing…yeah, I really think I need to step it up.
The only thing - or person, for that matter - that can really get my mind off of these types of things is Derek. My little Roysie has so much unbelievable faith in me that sometimes I wonder if he’s crazy or not. I appreciate the fact that he does believe in me, because he’s everything I have right now. When I go home, he’s there. He’s there to comfort me whenever I get on my own back about my recent play, and he always finds a way to calm me down. If I didn’t have that man with me - if he were with someone else, like Max - I think I might just end up going crazy one of these days.
I sit on the bench, and stare out at the white sheet of ice laid out in front of us. I then look up at the mass of fans taking up the seats in the arena, and I crack a smile. I love playing at home, because even though you occasionally have Sabres fans at away games, there’s just no place like playing in Buffalo. The atmosphere is amazing here, even for the players. I know I’m not the only one who enjoys it.
The lines change up, and I’m out there in a flash with Staff, and Derek. I take a quick glance at the ribbon scoreboard around the arena, and check the score. Two to zero so far in the first; us leading. There’s only about a minute left on the clock, and I focus intently onto the faceoff circle. My eyes glance upward at the beauty of my Roysie, and I see his darker blue eyes flicker slightly as he watches the ref to see when he’ll drop the puck. He’s so amazingly beautiful when he’s determined, though…I always think he looks amazing.
Derek wins the faceoff, and I’m immediately off towards the Senators’ side of the rink. My head turns to see Staff with the puck, and he passes it towards me. It connects to my stick, and I move forward with it, towards Emery. Thinking I’m going to make a move with it, he shifts out of his position - and that’s when I pass it back, because I just know he’s going to be there…
I have the tendency to know and have a good feeling whether or not one of the guys are going to be behind me when I’m going to the net. Derek and I just have this connection better than I do with anyone else. I have no idea if it’s because we’re in love or just because we’ve played together since we were in Rochester, but either way, it’s nice to have that connection when you’re playing in an important match.
My skates automatically stop when the red light flashes above the net; as if they knew what was coming next. I mean, I had never expected any huge hugs from my teammates if I ever helped them score a goal, or regardless of that fact. I’m not the hugging type of person; definitely more of a cuddler, especially when I feel my Roysie rub his head against my chest when he’s sleeping against me during the night. I never tell him this, but…there are times when I wake up in the middle of the night, and I just watch him sleep. I watch his body rise and fall with his steady breath, and I listen to him murmur out words that make absolutely no sense. Those are the moments I love the most because he’s so perfect while he’s asleep. I don’t think I’ve ever seen something more beautiful.
My body slowly turns to see if he was the one that did indeed score, and I see him flying towards me with his arms open. Derek jumps into my arms as I hear the siren blaring throughout the air, and god, I just want to bring him closer to me, and let him nuzzle his head against my chest just like those late nights in the house we share - but I don’t. I look up to see Max come towards us, and I realize that Staff must’ve got off the ice before Derek had scored the goal. I don’t frown when I see him, but I don’t give him a smile either. As I receive a pat on the head from him, I realize something - he will probably never receive this sort of ‘Thank you.’ from Derek if he had helped him out on scoring a goal for a team. That might make me selfish, yes, but that thought alone helps me begin to believe that I really have nothing to worry about when it comes to Max. He tells me ‘Good work.’ and I reply back with a smile; ‘Thanks, Max.’ I receive a warm smile in return, and I suddenly feel warm breath hit my neck - at least, the lower half of it, since Derek is so small.
“I told you so - it was only a matter of time.” That’s when my heart melts. I turn my head, and stare into his eyes, and all I want to do is lean down and capture those tender lips with my own. All I want to do is kiss him like there’s no one else on this planet, and caress the back of his neck with my rough hands. I just want to whisper ‘You’re my entire world, my Roysie…’ onto his lips forever and ever, and never let him go. With these thoughts running through my head, I actually lean forward a bit before I realize what the hell I’m doing. I watch him lean in a bit too, and he bites his lower lip. He knows we can’t kiss in public; especially not here. What I wouldn’t give to be able to…I think to myself, and suddenly, words just roll out of my mouth: “I did it for us, Derek - because I know how much you believe in me. You scoring just seals the fact that you and I have an unbelievable connection.” I see wetness gather up in his eyes, and I want to wipe them away. Damn these gloves.
That’s when I see him mouth those words, before he let’s me go and skates away. I follow him, slowly but surely, and take my place on the bench. The image of him mouthing those words to me is still so clear in my mind…and I begin to shake, slightly. When I feel a glove placed on top of mine, I don’t even have to look at its owner - I know it’s Derek reassuring me that I’ll only get better with time.
After mouthing to me ‘I love you’, I can’t help it but believe that he might just be right.