(no subject)
Two Way Road 4/?
Elise
pg13ish
Buffalo Sabres
Steve Bernier/Ryan Miller
Leaning his head back against the wall, Steve sighed and said, “He hasn’t spoken to me in two days.”
“What did you say to him?” Derek whispered.
“Nothing!” Steve claimed, “I said nothing. I was good. Best behavior.”
Jason shrugged and said, “Well, you must’ve said something to annoy him. Or... maybe it’s nothing at all. Miller is a loner.”
“He’s really nice.” Steve said, his voice going quiet and a bit sad.
“I know that.” Jason said, “We all know that. We’ve played with him for years. I’m just saying, something changed this year. He’s just quieter... than usual.”
“He’s got things to work out, you know?” Derek said, “Don’t take it personally. It’s better to leave him alone.”
“I don’t want to leave him alone.” Steve said as he pushed himself from the wall, “I don’t want him to be alone at all.”
Jason chuckled, “I swear, we’re like a bunch of teenage girls, gossiping about the cute goalie.”
“Don’t remind me of teenage girls,” Steve moaned, “I’m never doing a highschool appearance again.”
“You chose to do that.” Derek said, laughing, “All on your own. Willingly threw yourself to the wolves.”
“No one told me that your fans act like this!” Steve said, laughing, “They were screaming, and one of them stole mine and Ryan’s coffee.”
“Get used to it,” Jason said, “You’re a celebrity here.”
“Yours and Ryan’s coffee?” Derek said, “Are you two sharing a drink? We’re there two straws.”
Steve threw his hands in the air and said, “Ok, enough. I don’t need to be teased.”
“Then do something. Ask him out, or the teasing continues.” Jason said, “And we’re ruthless. We never give up.”
Steve’s eyes lowered into slits, although his smirk betrayed him, “I don’t need this.”
“You need to step up and talk to him.” Derek said, his voice serious.
“I can’t. Not yet. He’s not ready.” Steve said quickly, “I just got him to smile at me.”
“He likes you.” Jason said, “I know he does.”
Steve scrunched his nose and shook his head in disbelief. “I don’t know...”
“Perhaps,” Derek said, “It’s you who isn’t ready.”
At that moment, Ryan walked into the conference room, bag in arms. He looked around, eyes sparking as he saw Steve and gave him a smile, before moving to the other side of the room. Steve gave a small wave, that wasn’t caught by the goalie. Jason shook his head and looked at Derek, “This is almost painful to watch.”
“I know what you mean.” Derek responded, rolling his eyes, “Maybe we should...”
“I’ll kill you.” Steve interrupted, “If you two play matchmaker, i’ll throw the entire series.”
Jason laughed and raised his hands in mock fear, “Oh... we got him mad, Roysie.”
Steve rolled his eyes and said, “I think i’m going to go talk to him.”
“Maybe you two can hold hands on the flight.” Derek said, “And then pointedly ignore each other and your feelings.”
Steve sighed, picking up his bag and flicked off his two friends, causing them to burst into more laughter. Making his way towards the empty seat by Ryan, Steve let out a deep breath. Ryan’s head was down, but Steve caught his eyes. He kept eye contact as he moved closer and sat beside him. “Hey...”
“Hey.” Ryan responded, leaning back.
“You ready?” Steve asked, implying the road trip.
With a shrug, Ryan said, “I don’t think too much on it. I try to focus on playing well. Not losing the game for us.”
Raising his eyebrows, Steve digested that information. He didn’t like the guilt complex the goalie had. He seemed to have a lot of pressure, and no where to release it. Steve blushed again and looked forward. “I don’t know. I’m a bit nervous. Planes aren’t my favorite thing in the entire world, but it’s a short plane, yes?”
“To boston? Yeah.” Ryan smiled, “Don’t worry. It’s all very safe.”
“Is there a super private Sabres jet?” Steve said, leaning a bit closer to Ryan, “And perhaps a private staff?”
“Absolutely,” Ryan said with a grin, “Escorts to the five star hotel and the complimentary massage as well.”
Steve smiled and leaned back, moaning softly, “I could use a massage. Do you think we’ll have free time? I could get one.”
Ryan visibly shuddered at the sound Steve made and nodded his head, “We’ll be there for a day or two.”
“Why haven’t we...” Steve trailed off a bit then continued, “You know... talked... what did I do?”
Ryan shrugged, falling into himself, “I don’t know. I was...”
“busy?” Steve said, “I mean, i thought we were getting along really well.”
“You don’t need me to be accepted here,” Ryan said, “I know you want the entire team to love you, and its true, they do. You’re fine.”
“That’s not what I need.” Steve said softly, a little taken aback by the implication that he was only here to gain popularity. “I talk to you because I want to. Not to be closer to the team.”
“Perhaps you should.” Ryan said, looking up, “These games are important, and you should focus on them.”
“I also don’t need to be told how to play the game.” Steve sighed.
Shrugging, Ryan looked forward and coldly said, “Then don’t ask.”
Steve’s heart dropped. He swallowed harshly and straightened up in his seat, looking ahead of him. Perhaps he had misread the goalie. Maybe Ryan really wanted to be alone.
James Patrick walked in, sheet of paper in hand. “OK guys, quiet down. Here are the rooming assignments and schedule. We get to Boston at 7 pm, into the hotel. We’ve got the morning for practice, so 5 am wake up calls. We have a group practice, with the Bruins, at three. We leave Boston for Atlanta the next day at 6 pm. When you leave today, grab one of the schedules, ok? No drinking tonight. You must stay in to get sleep. I mean it guys. No partying. Save it for the next day.”
The room moaned slightly at the wake up calls and curfew, but Steve didn’t hear them. He stared forward, Ryan’s tone washing over him. He wasn’t even listening as the names were being called. James continued, “...Roy and Pominville. Thibault and Tallinder. Stafford and Peters. Miller and Bernier. Ok? No room switches. let’s head out.”
Steve blinked his eyes a bit. He caught Derek high fiving Jason in the corner. Ryan cleared his throat and said, “Listen...Steve...”
Steve smiled weakly and stood up, grabbing his ticket and schedule, and walking out. Ryan stood motionless, watching after him.
Elise
pg13ish
Buffalo Sabres
Steve Bernier/Ryan Miller
Leaning his head back against the wall, Steve sighed and said, “He hasn’t spoken to me in two days.”
“What did you say to him?” Derek whispered.
“Nothing!” Steve claimed, “I said nothing. I was good. Best behavior.”
Jason shrugged and said, “Well, you must’ve said something to annoy him. Or... maybe it’s nothing at all. Miller is a loner.”
“He’s really nice.” Steve said, his voice going quiet and a bit sad.
“I know that.” Jason said, “We all know that. We’ve played with him for years. I’m just saying, something changed this year. He’s just quieter... than usual.”
“He’s got things to work out, you know?” Derek said, “Don’t take it personally. It’s better to leave him alone.”
“I don’t want to leave him alone.” Steve said as he pushed himself from the wall, “I don’t want him to be alone at all.”
Jason chuckled, “I swear, we’re like a bunch of teenage girls, gossiping about the cute goalie.”
“Don’t remind me of teenage girls,” Steve moaned, “I’m never doing a highschool appearance again.”
“You chose to do that.” Derek said, laughing, “All on your own. Willingly threw yourself to the wolves.”
“No one told me that your fans act like this!” Steve said, laughing, “They were screaming, and one of them stole mine and Ryan’s coffee.”
“Get used to it,” Jason said, “You’re a celebrity here.”
“Yours and Ryan’s coffee?” Derek said, “Are you two sharing a drink? We’re there two straws.”
Steve threw his hands in the air and said, “Ok, enough. I don’t need to be teased.”
“Then do something. Ask him out, or the teasing continues.” Jason said, “And we’re ruthless. We never give up.”
Steve’s eyes lowered into slits, although his smirk betrayed him, “I don’t need this.”
“You need to step up and talk to him.” Derek said, his voice serious.
“I can’t. Not yet. He’s not ready.” Steve said quickly, “I just got him to smile at me.”
“He likes you.” Jason said, “I know he does.”
Steve scrunched his nose and shook his head in disbelief. “I don’t know...”
“Perhaps,” Derek said, “It’s you who isn’t ready.”
At that moment, Ryan walked into the conference room, bag in arms. He looked around, eyes sparking as he saw Steve and gave him a smile, before moving to the other side of the room. Steve gave a small wave, that wasn’t caught by the goalie. Jason shook his head and looked at Derek, “This is almost painful to watch.”
“I know what you mean.” Derek responded, rolling his eyes, “Maybe we should...”
“I’ll kill you.” Steve interrupted, “If you two play matchmaker, i’ll throw the entire series.”
Jason laughed and raised his hands in mock fear, “Oh... we got him mad, Roysie.”
Steve rolled his eyes and said, “I think i’m going to go talk to him.”
“Maybe you two can hold hands on the flight.” Derek said, “And then pointedly ignore each other and your feelings.”
Steve sighed, picking up his bag and flicked off his two friends, causing them to burst into more laughter. Making his way towards the empty seat by Ryan, Steve let out a deep breath. Ryan’s head was down, but Steve caught his eyes. He kept eye contact as he moved closer and sat beside him. “Hey...”
“Hey.” Ryan responded, leaning back.
“You ready?” Steve asked, implying the road trip.
With a shrug, Ryan said, “I don’t think too much on it. I try to focus on playing well. Not losing the game for us.”
Raising his eyebrows, Steve digested that information. He didn’t like the guilt complex the goalie had. He seemed to have a lot of pressure, and no where to release it. Steve blushed again and looked forward. “I don’t know. I’m a bit nervous. Planes aren’t my favorite thing in the entire world, but it’s a short plane, yes?”
“To boston? Yeah.” Ryan smiled, “Don’t worry. It’s all very safe.”
“Is there a super private Sabres jet?” Steve said, leaning a bit closer to Ryan, “And perhaps a private staff?”
“Absolutely,” Ryan said with a grin, “Escorts to the five star hotel and the complimentary massage as well.”
Steve smiled and leaned back, moaning softly, “I could use a massage. Do you think we’ll have free time? I could get one.”
Ryan visibly shuddered at the sound Steve made and nodded his head, “We’ll be there for a day or two.”
“Why haven’t we...” Steve trailed off a bit then continued, “You know... talked... what did I do?”
Ryan shrugged, falling into himself, “I don’t know. I was...”
“busy?” Steve said, “I mean, i thought we were getting along really well.”
“You don’t need me to be accepted here,” Ryan said, “I know you want the entire team to love you, and its true, they do. You’re fine.”
“That’s not what I need.” Steve said softly, a little taken aback by the implication that he was only here to gain popularity. “I talk to you because I want to. Not to be closer to the team.”
“Perhaps you should.” Ryan said, looking up, “These games are important, and you should focus on them.”
“I also don’t need to be told how to play the game.” Steve sighed.
Shrugging, Ryan looked forward and coldly said, “Then don’t ask.”
Steve’s heart dropped. He swallowed harshly and straightened up in his seat, looking ahead of him. Perhaps he had misread the goalie. Maybe Ryan really wanted to be alone.
James Patrick walked in, sheet of paper in hand. “OK guys, quiet down. Here are the rooming assignments and schedule. We get to Boston at 7 pm, into the hotel. We’ve got the morning for practice, so 5 am wake up calls. We have a group practice, with the Bruins, at three. We leave Boston for Atlanta the next day at 6 pm. When you leave today, grab one of the schedules, ok? No drinking tonight. You must stay in to get sleep. I mean it guys. No partying. Save it for the next day.”
The room moaned slightly at the wake up calls and curfew, but Steve didn’t hear them. He stared forward, Ryan’s tone washing over him. He wasn’t even listening as the names were being called. James continued, “...Roy and Pominville. Thibault and Tallinder. Stafford and Peters. Miller and Bernier. Ok? No room switches. let’s head out.”
Steve blinked his eyes a bit. He caught Derek high fiving Jason in the corner. Ryan cleared his throat and said, “Listen...Steve...”
Steve smiled weakly and stood up, grabbing his ticket and schedule, and walking out. Ryan stood motionless, watching after him.