Snippet: AGally/Prusty kneeling AU (Hockey, Alex Galchenyuk/Brandon Prust, 500 words, Teen)
If you're not familiar with kneeling AUs, it's a universe where part of the NHL structure is that rookies kneel for veterans.
Brandon is sitting down, putting on his socks after the game, when he looks up and Gally is standing in front of him.
"Can I kneel for you?" Gally asks. That's not exactly how this is supposed to work - he's supposed to be kneeling for Gorges - but the point of kneeling is to support them.
"Yes," Brandon says, and only after Gally is kneeling does he look up and catch Gorges' eye.
Gorges shrugs at him and looks across the room at Markov.
It hasn't escaped Brandon's notice that Gally's kneeling a little to the side, enough to make space for someone else next to him.
Markov shrugs at him too, so when Chucky wanders his way over and stands silently in front of Brandon, Brandon nods at him and says, "You want to kneel too?"
Chucky folds down to his knees. Gally's easier, relaxes down so he's curved over, forehead resting on Brandon's thigh, way before Alex loses even the first of the stiffness in his shoulders.
Gally gets up earlier too, finishes getting dressed so he can go home with Gorges.
"We gave Chucky a ride," Gorges says.
Alex shifts like he's going to stand up. Brandon runs a hand through his hair. He tells Gorges and Gally, "I'll take him home," and tells Alex, "It's okay. You just stay there as long as you need."
He keeps petting Alex's hair, and Alex settles eventually, exhaling a long sigh and leaning against Brandon's leg.
Brandon walks Alex to the door when he takes him home, hugs him tightly before he sends him inside.
*
They take to kneeling for him, sometimes in the locker room, more often coming to knock on his door on road trips. Gally always leads the way. Sometimes he comes to Brandon's door alone and Alex shows up later.
Brandon has quiet conversations with Gorges and Markov, and Gio and Therrien, to make sure it's okay with all of them and isn't going to mess with team dynamics too much. He also asks Gally, eventually, "Did you kneel for me because you knew Chucky wanted to?"
"I like it too," Gally tells him. "But, yeah, it's easier for him if it's both of us. And I think he probably needs it more."
The way Brandon feels the first time Alex comes to his door alone must be what it's like getting a stray cat to let you pet it for the first time.
*
"Do you need to kneel?" Brandon asks when Alex comes to see him alone. "Or do you want to try something else?"
Alex shrugs.
"All right," Brandon says. "Let's try this. Come lie down with me."
Brandon gets them cuddled together on his bed, Alex lying half on top of him, head down on Brandon's chest. Brandon strokes Alex's hair like he usually does, trying to soothe Alex down into relaxing.
"I spent a lot of time on my knees my first year in the league," Brandon says after a while.
Alex twists his head to look at him. "You did?"
"Mmmhmm. I'd been in the AHL, but this is a different speed. It was good to know I didn't have to take responsibility for everything. That we were a team, and there were other guys looking out for me too."
Alex goes totally loose and tucks his face against Brandon's shoulder.
Brandon kisses the top of his head and lets Alex just lie with him.
Brandon is sitting down, putting on his socks after the game, when he looks up and Gally is standing in front of him.
"Can I kneel for you?" Gally asks. That's not exactly how this is supposed to work - he's supposed to be kneeling for Gorges - but the point of kneeling is to support them.
"Yes," Brandon says, and only after Gally is kneeling does he look up and catch Gorges' eye.
Gorges shrugs at him and looks across the room at Markov.
It hasn't escaped Brandon's notice that Gally's kneeling a little to the side, enough to make space for someone else next to him.
Markov shrugs at him too, so when Chucky wanders his way over and stands silently in front of Brandon, Brandon nods at him and says, "You want to kneel too?"
Chucky folds down to his knees. Gally's easier, relaxes down so he's curved over, forehead resting on Brandon's thigh, way before Alex loses even the first of the stiffness in his shoulders.
Gally gets up earlier too, finishes getting dressed so he can go home with Gorges.
"We gave Chucky a ride," Gorges says.
Alex shifts like he's going to stand up. Brandon runs a hand through his hair. He tells Gorges and Gally, "I'll take him home," and tells Alex, "It's okay. You just stay there as long as you need."
He keeps petting Alex's hair, and Alex settles eventually, exhaling a long sigh and leaning against Brandon's leg.
Brandon walks Alex to the door when he takes him home, hugs him tightly before he sends him inside.
*
They take to kneeling for him, sometimes in the locker room, more often coming to knock on his door on road trips. Gally always leads the way. Sometimes he comes to Brandon's door alone and Alex shows up later.
Brandon has quiet conversations with Gorges and Markov, and Gio and Therrien, to make sure it's okay with all of them and isn't going to mess with team dynamics too much. He also asks Gally, eventually, "Did you kneel for me because you knew Chucky wanted to?"
"I like it too," Gally tells him. "But, yeah, it's easier for him if it's both of us. And I think he probably needs it more."
The way Brandon feels the first time Alex comes to his door alone must be what it's like getting a stray cat to let you pet it for the first time.
*
"Do you need to kneel?" Brandon asks when Alex comes to see him alone. "Or do you want to try something else?"
Alex shrugs.
"All right," Brandon says. "Let's try this. Come lie down with me."
Brandon gets them cuddled together on his bed, Alex lying half on top of him, head down on Brandon's chest. Brandon strokes Alex's hair like he usually does, trying to soothe Alex down into relaxing.
"I spent a lot of time on my knees my first year in the league," Brandon says after a while.
Alex twists his head to look at him. "You did?"
"Mmmhmm. I'd been in the AHL, but this is a different speed. It was good to know I didn't have to take responsibility for everything. That we were a team, and there were other guys looking out for me too."
Alex goes totally loose and tucks his face against Brandon's shoulder.
Brandon kisses the top of his head and lets Alex just lie with him.