Melodramatic plot bunny/snippet: Danny+Claude+Sid (700 words, Teen)
Melodrama: I reread parts of both of the Danny and Claude with a baby girl stories, and now I want a story where Sylvie and her new husband get pregnant, and Danny can't handle it. He's on the road with the Penguins (uh, I really want all the fic about him signing with the Pens, as unlikely as that probably is) and calls Claude. He's been drinking and he spills to Claude that back when things were good, he and Sylvie used to talk about having more kids once the boys were older/Danny got closer to retirement. Now she's having more kids and he isn't, and he loves Misha, but while she's fine with the boys, she's not particularly maternal and doesn't want more kids.
It's a lot of shit Claude never knew. They're close, but Danny's never talked to him much about his divorce. He's also worried about how hard Danny's taking this, so once he and Danny are done talking, he finds Crosby's number and calls him.
"Giroux," Crosby says. "What do you want?"
That's when Claude's doorbell rings, because what he forgot in the midst of this is that he invited some of the boys over to hang out since Ryanne's in Ottawa this week.
"Shit," Claude says. "Fuck, sorry, hang on a minute." He goes downstairs to answer the door and waves Scotty, Jake, and Schenner in. "Sorry," he says to them. "I have to take care of this." He takes the phone into his room and shuts the door. "Sorry," he says to Crosby, kind of surprised Crosby hasn't hung up on him yet.
"What do you want?"
"I need you to go stay with Danny."
After a second, Crosby asks, "What?"
"He's upset," Claude says, "and I don't think he should be alone. Can you just make sure he doesn't drink the whole minibar?"
"Why are you calling me?" Crosby asks.
"Because you're his captain now," Claude snaps. "If you can't do it, find someone else who can. I don't know your team well enough to pick someone."
"Fine," Crosby says, and then he does hang up on Claude.
Claude takes a deep breath, and then drinks down half the beer Scotty hands him when he joins the boys in the living room. Jake and Schenner are already playing ping pong, beer bottles on the edges of the table.
"Problems?" Scotty asks.
"Fucking shit," Claude says, and he drinks more of his beer. "I've got winner."
Before he can take his turn, his phone rings. The screen tells him it's Crosby. Claude gets up and says, "Yeah," as he takes his phone to his room.
"He won't let me in."
Claude swears in two languages, hangs up, and calls Danny.
"Let Crosby in," Claude says as soon as Danny picks up.
"What?"
"I called him," Claude says. "Let him in."
"You hate him," Danny says, sounding confused and significantly more drunk than he did when Claude last talked to him fifteen minutes ago.
"Yes," Claude says, "but I love you more and I don't think you should be alone."
There's a sound like Danny might actually be crying, and then the clack of a lock, and then Crosby says, "He gave the phone to me."
"Fucking fuck," Claude says. "Just keep an eye on him." He hangs up and goes to finish his beer and grab another one.
"What's that all about?" Schenner asks.
Claude shakes his head. He doesn't think Danny would appreciate him spreading his problems around. "Just dealing with shit," he says. "Who won the last round?"
A couple of hours later he gets a text from Crosby that says, This isn't the kind of captain stuff I'm good at.
Then find someone who is, Claude sends back. I can only do so much from here.
And then the next time Danny's in town, spending thirty-six hours in Haddonfield with the boys, Claude goes over to have dinner and hang out with them. After the boys are in bed, Danny and Claude sit on the couch with a couple of beers and Danny thanks Claude for making Sid keep an eye on him and Claude does the best friend kind of stuff he can do when they're in the same place that's so much harder to do from far away. Fucking Holmgren.
It's a lot of shit Claude never knew. They're close, but Danny's never talked to him much about his divorce. He's also worried about how hard Danny's taking this, so once he and Danny are done talking, he finds Crosby's number and calls him.
"Giroux," Crosby says. "What do you want?"
That's when Claude's doorbell rings, because what he forgot in the midst of this is that he invited some of the boys over to hang out since Ryanne's in Ottawa this week.
"Shit," Claude says. "Fuck, sorry, hang on a minute." He goes downstairs to answer the door and waves Scotty, Jake, and Schenner in. "Sorry," he says to them. "I have to take care of this." He takes the phone into his room and shuts the door. "Sorry," he says to Crosby, kind of surprised Crosby hasn't hung up on him yet.
"What do you want?"
"I need you to go stay with Danny."
After a second, Crosby asks, "What?"
"He's upset," Claude says, "and I don't think he should be alone. Can you just make sure he doesn't drink the whole minibar?"
"Why are you calling me?" Crosby asks.
"Because you're his captain now," Claude snaps. "If you can't do it, find someone else who can. I don't know your team well enough to pick someone."
"Fine," Crosby says, and then he does hang up on Claude.
Claude takes a deep breath, and then drinks down half the beer Scotty hands him when he joins the boys in the living room. Jake and Schenner are already playing ping pong, beer bottles on the edges of the table.
"Problems?" Scotty asks.
"Fucking shit," Claude says, and he drinks more of his beer. "I've got winner."
Before he can take his turn, his phone rings. The screen tells him it's Crosby. Claude gets up and says, "Yeah," as he takes his phone to his room.
"He won't let me in."
Claude swears in two languages, hangs up, and calls Danny.
"Let Crosby in," Claude says as soon as Danny picks up.
"What?"
"I called him," Claude says. "Let him in."
"You hate him," Danny says, sounding confused and significantly more drunk than he did when Claude last talked to him fifteen minutes ago.
"Yes," Claude says, "but I love you more and I don't think you should be alone."
There's a sound like Danny might actually be crying, and then the clack of a lock, and then Crosby says, "He gave the phone to me."
"Fucking fuck," Claude says. "Just keep an eye on him." He hangs up and goes to finish his beer and grab another one.
"What's that all about?" Schenner asks.
Claude shakes his head. He doesn't think Danny would appreciate him spreading his problems around. "Just dealing with shit," he says. "Who won the last round?"
A couple of hours later he gets a text from Crosby that says, This isn't the kind of captain stuff I'm good at.
Then find someone who is, Claude sends back. I can only do so much from here.
And then the next time Danny's in town, spending thirty-six hours in Haddonfield with the boys, Claude goes over to have dinner and hang out with them. After the boys are in bed, Danny and Claude sit on the couch with a couple of beers and Danny thanks Claude for making Sid keep an eye on him and Claude does the best friend kind of stuff he can do when they're in the same place that's so much harder to do from far away. Fucking Holmgren.