exercise for monday
More Olympic rps, slash implied.
PG-13, Lezak/Hansen just barely with guest Peirsol
8/18/2008 8:31 AM
"I Hope You're With Me When"
It didn’t hit Brendan until after the interviews were done. He pulled off his mike with the help of a technician, raised a hand to Jason and Aaron, and ducked into the men’s room, making it into a stall with his hand over his mouth.
Breakfast - or was it dinner? - he didn’t remember eating left his body so smoothly there wasn’t even time to be grossed out. After he flushed, cold water running on his hands from the sink, rinsing his mouth, and finally splashing on his face, felt something like a gift from God. He didn’t realize that Jason had come in until he looked up at the mirror.
“You okay, B?” A hand on his back rubbed soothingly in a small circle.
Brendan Hansen just nodded, still pale, working to find his game face somewhere. It wasn’t working out too well, probably because the words, it’s over, it’s over were still echoing in his head with a combination of regret and relief that almost left no room for the pleasure of winning that last relay.
He looked down at the water still running, and his hands, dripping into the sink, slightly shaking.
The door opened and a second figure joined Jason Lezak at his side.
“Man, give me a race to swim any day, in a pool full of Aussies, over this TV stuff,” Aaron Peirsol said with his signature engaging smile. That smile invited an observer to join in, but this time it was tempered, maybe with empathy, maybe concern.
Aaron exchanged looks with Lezak when Brendan just nodded a bit absently and allowed a brief laugh to come out, that ended with a throat-clearing cough. The hand on his back that had withdrawn when Piersol came in returned, settling on his spine above his hips.
Jason glanced over Brendan’s bowed head at Aaron and nodded at the door. It took just a moment for the California swimmer to step over and turn the latch, locking it, leaving the three of them alone, in a private space, if not a terribly comfortable one.
Brendan reached to turn off the water, only barely conscious of what Aaron had done as he returned. Hansen looked from one to the other of his teammates, not quite yet steady enough to feel embarrassment, though it was coming.
As his mouth opened, Aaron just shook his head. “Hey, no, man, no need to explain anything. Just try to relax, huh?”
Another shaky laugh emerged from Brendan’s lips unintended, a nervous reaction.
Lezak turned him away from the sink, gently but firmly.
“Brendan,” he said, not a question, but a statement, maybe with a hint of command, a summons for attention. By the time Hansen responded to it, Jason had both hands cupped around Brendan’s face and his mouth covered Brendan’s, ignoring eyes that widened in surprise. The taste was clean enough, with a hint of something under it that Jason ignored. Sometimes the only answer to the cracking edge of a breakdown was a mild shock. There wasn’t any way he was going to brutalize Brendan with a slap to the face!
A moment later, mouths parted with a soft sound of broken suction. Color flooded Brendan’s face, his eyes cutting to Peirsol before he could stop himself. Aaron’s mouth quirked to the side and the corners of blue eyes crinkled.
“What, you thought I didn’t know? B, man, get real.”
The pat on the back from Aaron was platonic but entirely lacked any hesitation or censure. The flush on Brendan’s face looked healthier than the drained paleness of moments before.
Hansen tried to stutter something, maybe a denial, maybe a confession, but Jason gathered him up, the hug genuine, but more intimate that it could have been outside the locked door. “Give over, we’re just concerned about ya.”
Brendan gave up and just nodded, relaxing in arms that were strong enough to bring down a boastful Frenchman, fend off a pursuing Aussie, and could certainly hold him up for a few moments.
Aaron exchanged another look with Jason over Brendan’s shoulder but the relaxation was a good sign. He patted Brendan again and then leaned back against the sink counter with his hip.
Jason felt the return of regular breathing and let his arms fall when Brendan raised his head. “Okay B?”
“Yeah,” Brendan said softly, his voice a little hoarse. He nodded and then glanced gratefully at Aaron, and then back to Lezak.
“Just… you know….
It’s finally over.”
8/18/2008 9:15 AM
PG-13, Lezak/Hansen just barely with guest Peirsol
8/18/2008 8:31 AM
"I Hope You're With Me When"
It didn’t hit Brendan until after the interviews were done. He pulled off his mike with the help of a technician, raised a hand to Jason and Aaron, and ducked into the men’s room, making it into a stall with his hand over his mouth.
Breakfast - or was it dinner? - he didn’t remember eating left his body so smoothly there wasn’t even time to be grossed out. After he flushed, cold water running on his hands from the sink, rinsing his mouth, and finally splashing on his face, felt something like a gift from God. He didn’t realize that Jason had come in until he looked up at the mirror.
“You okay, B?” A hand on his back rubbed soothingly in a small circle.
Brendan Hansen just nodded, still pale, working to find his game face somewhere. It wasn’t working out too well, probably because the words, it’s over, it’s over were still echoing in his head with a combination of regret and relief that almost left no room for the pleasure of winning that last relay.
He looked down at the water still running, and his hands, dripping into the sink, slightly shaking.
The door opened and a second figure joined Jason Lezak at his side.
“Man, give me a race to swim any day, in a pool full of Aussies, over this TV stuff,” Aaron Peirsol said with his signature engaging smile. That smile invited an observer to join in, but this time it was tempered, maybe with empathy, maybe concern.
Aaron exchanged looks with Lezak when Brendan just nodded a bit absently and allowed a brief laugh to come out, that ended with a throat-clearing cough. The hand on his back that had withdrawn when Piersol came in returned, settling on his spine above his hips.
Jason glanced over Brendan’s bowed head at Aaron and nodded at the door. It took just a moment for the California swimmer to step over and turn the latch, locking it, leaving the three of them alone, in a private space, if not a terribly comfortable one.
Brendan reached to turn off the water, only barely conscious of what Aaron had done as he returned. Hansen looked from one to the other of his teammates, not quite yet steady enough to feel embarrassment, though it was coming.
As his mouth opened, Aaron just shook his head. “Hey, no, man, no need to explain anything. Just try to relax, huh?”
Another shaky laugh emerged from Brendan’s lips unintended, a nervous reaction.
Lezak turned him away from the sink, gently but firmly.
“Brendan,” he said, not a question, but a statement, maybe with a hint of command, a summons for attention. By the time Hansen responded to it, Jason had both hands cupped around Brendan’s face and his mouth covered Brendan’s, ignoring eyes that widened in surprise. The taste was clean enough, with a hint of something under it that Jason ignored. Sometimes the only answer to the cracking edge of a breakdown was a mild shock. There wasn’t any way he was going to brutalize Brendan with a slap to the face!
A moment later, mouths parted with a soft sound of broken suction. Color flooded Brendan’s face, his eyes cutting to Peirsol before he could stop himself. Aaron’s mouth quirked to the side and the corners of blue eyes crinkled.
“What, you thought I didn’t know? B, man, get real.”
The pat on the back from Aaron was platonic but entirely lacked any hesitation or censure. The flush on Brendan’s face looked healthier than the drained paleness of moments before.
Hansen tried to stutter something, maybe a denial, maybe a confession, but Jason gathered him up, the hug genuine, but more intimate that it could have been outside the locked door. “Give over, we’re just concerned about ya.”
Brendan gave up and just nodded, relaxing in arms that were strong enough to bring down a boastful Frenchman, fend off a pursuing Aussie, and could certainly hold him up for a few moments.
Aaron exchanged another look with Jason over Brendan’s shoulder but the relaxation was a good sign. He patted Brendan again and then leaned back against the sink counter with his hip.
Jason felt the return of regular breathing and let his arms fall when Brendan raised his head. “Okay B?”
“Yeah,” Brendan said softly, his voice a little hoarse. He nodded and then glanced gratefully at Aaron, and then back to Lezak.
“Just… you know….
It’s finally over.”
8/18/2008 9:15 AM