Plot Bunny/Snippet: Danny/Claude, Danny/Sid hooker AU (800 words, Mature)
The original idea for this was that Danny is a hooker and both Sid and Claude are his clients. Somehow they find out about each other, and then they're forever competing with each other by giving Danny extravagant gifts or large tips or whatever. I only ever wrote the scene where Claude meets Danny's kids and notes about the scene after that. (The alternate version would be that without the structure of hockey, Danny and Sylvie don't get married as early/at all and Danny never has kids.)
Danny's supervising the pre-practice stretch when there's a commotion that ripples out from the parents and siblings on the bleachers and through his players. Danny turns toward the source of it. There are a couple of people coming toward the ice, and one of them is smiling at everyone like he does it every day. Which he does, because it's Claude Giroux.
It's not the first time Danny's run into a client, but it doesn't happen very often, and it hasn't happened in a long time. He doesn't travel in the same circles as most of his clients. With what Claude and Sid are paying him, including their extravagant attempts to outdo each other with tips and presents, he hasn't had very many clients recently. He knew that with all three boys playing hockey just outside Philadelphia, it was possible he'd run into Claude, but he was expecting that to be something he would know about beforehand. Something he could plan for.
He knows the moment Claude spots him, because Claude looks surprised for just a split second before he smiles, the one he usually gives Danny, for a moment, and then puts on the smile he was giving everyone else before.
Keith skates over to greet Claude while Danny does his best to keep his players focused on practice. It doesn't work any better than he expects it to, and he turns them over to Keith without hesitation.
Keith introduces Claude, not that he really needs to; all the kids know who he is. They run the usual drills and scrimmages, with Claude running some of them and offering encouragement and lessons from his career.
They run their two-on-one drill a couple of times through, so everyone gets a chance to play with Claude. When they get to the end of, it they have one more D-man left, and one of the kids calls, "Coach B, you do it." It's Joey Taylor, who is one of the ringleaders of the group, which means he gets half the team chanting, "Coach B, Coach B."
Danny sighs, but lines up with Claude to the sound of a triumphant cheer coming from the kids. Keith whistles them in, and Danny paces Claude and their D-man as best he can, accepting Claude's passes and sending his own back.
The D-man doesn't manage to get the puck away from them or block their shot, and Claude puts it past Eric Carlisle into the back of the net. There's a mix of cheers and jeers from the kids, and Claude skates in toward Danny.
Danny high-fives him, but doesn't let him get any closer than that.
Claude doesn't push, and he seamlessly slides into setting up the next drill.
Danny gets through the rest of practice without getting that close to Claude again. At the end of practice, he chats with Keith while Claude signs autographs for the kids before they shoo them all off to the showers.
"Thanks for coming," Keith says to Claude when the kids are headed to the locker rooms.
"No problem," Claude says. "It was fun."
"Did you get a chance to meet Danny?" Keith asks.
"Kind of," Claude says. There's a hint of a smirk in his smile when he shakes Danny's hand.
"The kids loved having you here," Danny says. "Thank you for coming."
Claude's smile stretches at that, and then he gets off the ice to sign things and take pictures while Danny gets to escape to the office the rink lets coaches use to check in with Keith about how their team is doing.
They're done before the kids are, and Danny goes out to the stands to wait with Cameron. Cameron is, of course, talking to Claude, who's sitting next to him, full attention on what Cameron's saying.
Danny sighs and resigns himself to dealing with Claude for at least a little longer.
"Claude Giroux is here!" Cameron says when Danny reaches them.
Danny has to smile at his enthusiasm. "I know." He nods at Claude.
"He could come to one of my practices," Cameron says. "They're on Monday and Wednesday," he informs Claude.
"Cameron," Danny says warningly.
Claude just grins at both of them and says, "I'll see what I can do, buddy."
Claude sticks around, chatting with Cameron and signing things for Caelan and Carson, and the rest of their teammates, when they're ready to go.
Danny doesn't want to ruin the experience for the boys based on how awkward it is for him, but he also isn't going to let them hang out with Claude all evening. "Boys, say goodbye to Claude, and let's go."
There's a wave of protest Danny stops with an upraised hand. "It's almost dinner time," he says, "And you all have homework."
The boys grumble at him for a moment, but he stands firm and they relent and say goodbye to Claude.
The boys are already turning away when Claude smiles at Danny and says, "Nice to skate with you, Coach B."
Danny nods at him and herds the boys into the car.
*
Danny already has his next appointment with Claude scheduled; he thinks about not showing up, but in the end decides whatever damage there might be has already been done, so he rings Claude's doorbell right on time.
[At one time I was going to write the rest of this scene too: Claude lets Danny in and then shoves him up against the door and blows him. He's super into having met Danny's kids (because the kids are awesome and Danny is awesome with them and also because it puts him one up over Sid) and he's super into Danny skating. Then he asks Danny about hockey and Danny tells him about whatever injury ended his hockey career. Claude finally puts it together that Danny's sometimes careful with that shoulder (or whatever). Clients sometimes notice and sometimes don't. Sid asked him about during their second appointment.]
Danny's supervising the pre-practice stretch when there's a commotion that ripples out from the parents and siblings on the bleachers and through his players. Danny turns toward the source of it. There are a couple of people coming toward the ice, and one of them is smiling at everyone like he does it every day. Which he does, because it's Claude Giroux.
It's not the first time Danny's run into a client, but it doesn't happen very often, and it hasn't happened in a long time. He doesn't travel in the same circles as most of his clients. With what Claude and Sid are paying him, including their extravagant attempts to outdo each other with tips and presents, he hasn't had very many clients recently. He knew that with all three boys playing hockey just outside Philadelphia, it was possible he'd run into Claude, but he was expecting that to be something he would know about beforehand. Something he could plan for.
He knows the moment Claude spots him, because Claude looks surprised for just a split second before he smiles, the one he usually gives Danny, for a moment, and then puts on the smile he was giving everyone else before.
Keith skates over to greet Claude while Danny does his best to keep his players focused on practice. It doesn't work any better than he expects it to, and he turns them over to Keith without hesitation.
Keith introduces Claude, not that he really needs to; all the kids know who he is. They run the usual drills and scrimmages, with Claude running some of them and offering encouragement and lessons from his career.
They run their two-on-one drill a couple of times through, so everyone gets a chance to play with Claude. When they get to the end of, it they have one more D-man left, and one of the kids calls, "Coach B, you do it." It's Joey Taylor, who is one of the ringleaders of the group, which means he gets half the team chanting, "Coach B, Coach B."
Danny sighs, but lines up with Claude to the sound of a triumphant cheer coming from the kids. Keith whistles them in, and Danny paces Claude and their D-man as best he can, accepting Claude's passes and sending his own back.
The D-man doesn't manage to get the puck away from them or block their shot, and Claude puts it past Eric Carlisle into the back of the net. There's a mix of cheers and jeers from the kids, and Claude skates in toward Danny.
Danny high-fives him, but doesn't let him get any closer than that.
Claude doesn't push, and he seamlessly slides into setting up the next drill.
Danny gets through the rest of practice without getting that close to Claude again. At the end of practice, he chats with Keith while Claude signs autographs for the kids before they shoo them all off to the showers.
"Thanks for coming," Keith says to Claude when the kids are headed to the locker rooms.
"No problem," Claude says. "It was fun."
"Did you get a chance to meet Danny?" Keith asks.
"Kind of," Claude says. There's a hint of a smirk in his smile when he shakes Danny's hand.
"The kids loved having you here," Danny says. "Thank you for coming."
Claude's smile stretches at that, and then he gets off the ice to sign things and take pictures while Danny gets to escape to the office the rink lets coaches use to check in with Keith about how their team is doing.
They're done before the kids are, and Danny goes out to the stands to wait with Cameron. Cameron is, of course, talking to Claude, who's sitting next to him, full attention on what Cameron's saying.
Danny sighs and resigns himself to dealing with Claude for at least a little longer.
"Claude Giroux is here!" Cameron says when Danny reaches them.
Danny has to smile at his enthusiasm. "I know." He nods at Claude.
"He could come to one of my practices," Cameron says. "They're on Monday and Wednesday," he informs Claude.
"Cameron," Danny says warningly.
Claude just grins at both of them and says, "I'll see what I can do, buddy."
Claude sticks around, chatting with Cameron and signing things for Caelan and Carson, and the rest of their teammates, when they're ready to go.
Danny doesn't want to ruin the experience for the boys based on how awkward it is for him, but he also isn't going to let them hang out with Claude all evening. "Boys, say goodbye to Claude, and let's go."
There's a wave of protest Danny stops with an upraised hand. "It's almost dinner time," he says, "And you all have homework."
The boys grumble at him for a moment, but he stands firm and they relent and say goodbye to Claude.
The boys are already turning away when Claude smiles at Danny and says, "Nice to skate with you, Coach B."
Danny nods at him and herds the boys into the car.
*
Danny already has his next appointment with Claude scheduled; he thinks about not showing up, but in the end decides whatever damage there might be has already been done, so he rings Claude's doorbell right on time.
[At one time I was going to write the rest of this scene too: Claude lets Danny in and then shoves him up against the door and blows him. He's super into having met Danny's kids (because the kids are awesome and Danny is awesome with them and also because it puts him one up over Sid) and he's super into Danny skating. Then he asks Danny about hockey and Danny tells him about whatever injury ended his hockey career. Claude finally puts it together that Danny's sometimes careful with that shoulder (or whatever). Clients sometimes notice and sometimes don't. Sid asked him about during their second appointment.]