Until Now (Part 1)
Written by:
ovielove and
hockey_joy
Title: Until Now
Chapter: 1
Pairing: Vincent Lecavalier / Ben Clymer
Disclaimer: We don't own these boys...we just wish we did. What follows is a work of complete fiction.
Notes: Takes place during the Tampa Bay Lightning's 1999-2000 season; work in progress...
I sat quietly in the corner of the Tampa Bay locker room, soaking up the excitement of my new teammates as they celebrated our most recent victory. I was still getting comfortable here with my first NHL team, and I didn't really know anyone all that well yet. As I stood to remove my equipment, my eyes scanned the room lazily before they came to rest on Vinny Lecavalier and Brad Richards, who were sitting on the opposite side of the room. Their heads were bent close together and I watched as Vinny whispered something in Brad's ear, who smiled and rubbed Vinny's leg in response.
Shaking my head, I lowered myself back down to the bench and removed my socks, trying to keep my eyes focused on the carpet in front of me. My gaze kept being drawn back over to the two of them, though, and I felt my eyes narrow. Did they have to carry on like that in front of everyone? That's what bedrooms are for, I thought to myself. I continued to stare, the muscles in my shoulders tensing angrily.
I felt like someone was watching me and lifted my head to see the new guy shooting daggers in my direction. I nodded to him and turned back to Brad. "Hey, what's with Clymer?" Brad shrugged and continued to take off his gear. I glanced back across the room to see that the new guy had headed to the showers. I bent down to untie my skates, looping my fingers in the laces, loosening them up.
When the coach had announced the signing of Clymer, I wondered why, what could he add to the team? With me, and Brad and Marty playing so well, I wasn't sure how Clymer would fit in to the team. I stood after slipping my equipment off, grabbing my towel and soap from the locker. I put a hand on Brad's shoulder, "I'm headed for the shower, you coming?" Brad looked up at me with a grin I hadn't seen in a long time. "That's what I thought," I ruffled his hair, "I'll see you there." I threw a glance at Brad over my shoulder as I walked across the room, laughing as he watched me.
Walking to the shower, I felt my face flush with embarrassment at having been caught staring. I couldn't help it, though. What the hell were those two playing at? Moments like that, so intimate, should be kept between the two of them... besides, it just reminded me of the fact that I was alone. The adjustment to a new city and new teammates was hard enough without having that rubbed in my face every day.
I removed my towel and stepped under the hot stream of water, washing the sweat and embarrassment and annoyance away and letting my mind wander. Reaching for the shampoo, I saw Vinny approaching out of the corner of my eye. I tried to ignore the sweat that was still glistening on his broad shoulders and the towel that was knotted just a little too loosely around his waist. I turned away, pretending to be fascinated by the instructions on my shampoo bottle as Vinny turned on the shower next to me. Moments later, Brad strolled into the room, his towel draped around his shoulders and a sly grin on his face as he made a beeline for Vinny.
I felt Brad's hand slip across my waist, leaning into his touch. The hot water streaming over my body was relaxing, the heat easing the tension in my back. What I really needed though was Brad to give me a massage and I wiggled my shoulders, hoping the he would get the hint but he just moved past me. I sighed, what else was new, he seemed to never get the hint of what I wanted for a change, it seemed like he was only thinking about what he needed. I squinted through the spray of the water to notice that Clymer had his back to me as he rinsed off.
I took a moment under the cover of the water to run my eyes over my new teammate's body, lingering on the way his broad back tapered at his waist. I shook my head, shaking away any thoughts that shouldn't be there and flung my hair out of my eyes, turning to look at Brad who had moved to the shower beside me, "Hey, where do you want to go for supper tonight?" Brad shrugged, "I don't care, up to you." I rolled my eyes, he was always so indecisive, glancing back at Clymer who was drying himself off. "Hey, Clymes, you want to come with us for dinner? We can take you out on the town, show you around the city, we can be your personal tour guides."
I started at the sound of my name and swung my head around to face Vinny. Dinner? With the lovebirds? "Oh, uh... tonight? You know what, I actually have plans. But thanks." I continued to dry himself off, running the towel over my hair before wrapping it around my waist and managed a meek smile before hurrying off to get dressed. Maybe I had been a little rude, but I could think of a million things I'd rather be doing than hanging out with two teenagers and their puppy love. They couldn't even have a beer yet, for crying out loud.
Rubbing my hand across the back of my neck I sighed, dreading the return to that empty apartment that was devoid of furniture and the phone that rarely rang. It occurred to me that while I could think of many things I'd rather do, I actually had nothing to do. I briefly reconsidered accepting Vinny's offer, but then remembering my empty bed sent a fresh rush of annoyance through my body as images of the comfortable intimacy between Vinny and Brad flashed in my mind. "Shit," I muttered to myself. Heaving my bag over my shoulder, I crossed the now empty room and walked out the building into the warm Florida night.
I turned the shower off and frowned as Ben left. I was just trying to be nice, offering to help the guy out, I knew if I was new in town, I would want someone to show me around. Why was it so hard for Ben to accept it? I thought about the rest of the guys on the team, the ones who would have jumped at the chance to go out for dinner with me. I knew it was a bit of cockiness on my part, but I knew I was a natural born leader, people always listened to me, except Brad on the odd occasion. It had been that way in Rimouski, one of the reasons that had drawn Brad to me when we were kids. Not everyone could handle being looked up to, but I could, I could handle anything, at least that's what I told myself, knowing it was a lie. I was stronger than everyone and probably smarter.
I smirked at my reflection in the mirror as I dried myself off, I was definitely better looking too. I shook my head, who was I kidding. "Hurry up, eh? I'm hungry." I turned at the sound of Brad's voice to see him leaning against the door way, waiting for him. I sighed inwardly, I loved him and was happy that we were experiencing our NHL dream together but our relationship was changing and not for the better. Five years together meant no more surprises, no more excitement. I headed towards the locker room, pulling Brad with me, pushing aside those thoughts, pushing aside the vision of Ben's muscled back.
ovielove and
hockey_joy
Title: Until Now
Chapter: 1
Pairing: Vincent Lecavalier / Ben Clymer
Disclaimer: We don't own these boys...we just wish we did. What follows is a work of complete fiction.
Notes: Takes place during the Tampa Bay Lightning's 1999-2000 season; work in progress...
I sat quietly in the corner of the Tampa Bay locker room, soaking up the excitement of my new teammates as they celebrated our most recent victory. I was still getting comfortable here with my first NHL team, and I didn't really know anyone all that well yet. As I stood to remove my equipment, my eyes scanned the room lazily before they came to rest on Vinny Lecavalier and Brad Richards, who were sitting on the opposite side of the room. Their heads were bent close together and I watched as Vinny whispered something in Brad's ear, who smiled and rubbed Vinny's leg in response.
Shaking my head, I lowered myself back down to the bench and removed my socks, trying to keep my eyes focused on the carpet in front of me. My gaze kept being drawn back over to the two of them, though, and I felt my eyes narrow. Did they have to carry on like that in front of everyone? That's what bedrooms are for, I thought to myself. I continued to stare, the muscles in my shoulders tensing angrily.
I felt like someone was watching me and lifted my head to see the new guy shooting daggers in my direction. I nodded to him and turned back to Brad. "Hey, what's with Clymer?" Brad shrugged and continued to take off his gear. I glanced back across the room to see that the new guy had headed to the showers. I bent down to untie my skates, looping my fingers in the laces, loosening them up.
When the coach had announced the signing of Clymer, I wondered why, what could he add to the team? With me, and Brad and Marty playing so well, I wasn't sure how Clymer would fit in to the team. I stood after slipping my equipment off, grabbing my towel and soap from the locker. I put a hand on Brad's shoulder, "I'm headed for the shower, you coming?" Brad looked up at me with a grin I hadn't seen in a long time. "That's what I thought," I ruffled his hair, "I'll see you there." I threw a glance at Brad over my shoulder as I walked across the room, laughing as he watched me.
Walking to the shower, I felt my face flush with embarrassment at having been caught staring. I couldn't help it, though. What the hell were those two playing at? Moments like that, so intimate, should be kept between the two of them... besides, it just reminded me of the fact that I was alone. The adjustment to a new city and new teammates was hard enough without having that rubbed in my face every day.
I removed my towel and stepped under the hot stream of water, washing the sweat and embarrassment and annoyance away and letting my mind wander. Reaching for the shampoo, I saw Vinny approaching out of the corner of my eye. I tried to ignore the sweat that was still glistening on his broad shoulders and the towel that was knotted just a little too loosely around his waist. I turned away, pretending to be fascinated by the instructions on my shampoo bottle as Vinny turned on the shower next to me. Moments later, Brad strolled into the room, his towel draped around his shoulders and a sly grin on his face as he made a beeline for Vinny.
I felt Brad's hand slip across my waist, leaning into his touch. The hot water streaming over my body was relaxing, the heat easing the tension in my back. What I really needed though was Brad to give me a massage and I wiggled my shoulders, hoping the he would get the hint but he just moved past me. I sighed, what else was new, he seemed to never get the hint of what I wanted for a change, it seemed like he was only thinking about what he needed. I squinted through the spray of the water to notice that Clymer had his back to me as he rinsed off.
I took a moment under the cover of the water to run my eyes over my new teammate's body, lingering on the way his broad back tapered at his waist. I shook my head, shaking away any thoughts that shouldn't be there and flung my hair out of my eyes, turning to look at Brad who had moved to the shower beside me, "Hey, where do you want to go for supper tonight?" Brad shrugged, "I don't care, up to you." I rolled my eyes, he was always so indecisive, glancing back at Clymer who was drying himself off. "Hey, Clymes, you want to come with us for dinner? We can take you out on the town, show you around the city, we can be your personal tour guides."
I started at the sound of my name and swung my head around to face Vinny. Dinner? With the lovebirds? "Oh, uh... tonight? You know what, I actually have plans. But thanks." I continued to dry himself off, running the towel over my hair before wrapping it around my waist and managed a meek smile before hurrying off to get dressed. Maybe I had been a little rude, but I could think of a million things I'd rather be doing than hanging out with two teenagers and their puppy love. They couldn't even have a beer yet, for crying out loud.
Rubbing my hand across the back of my neck I sighed, dreading the return to that empty apartment that was devoid of furniture and the phone that rarely rang. It occurred to me that while I could think of many things I'd rather do, I actually had nothing to do. I briefly reconsidered accepting Vinny's offer, but then remembering my empty bed sent a fresh rush of annoyance through my body as images of the comfortable intimacy between Vinny and Brad flashed in my mind. "Shit," I muttered to myself. Heaving my bag over my shoulder, I crossed the now empty room and walked out the building into the warm Florida night.
I turned the shower off and frowned as Ben left. I was just trying to be nice, offering to help the guy out, I knew if I was new in town, I would want someone to show me around. Why was it so hard for Ben to accept it? I thought about the rest of the guys on the team, the ones who would have jumped at the chance to go out for dinner with me. I knew it was a bit of cockiness on my part, but I knew I was a natural born leader, people always listened to me, except Brad on the odd occasion. It had been that way in Rimouski, one of the reasons that had drawn Brad to me when we were kids. Not everyone could handle being looked up to, but I could, I could handle anything, at least that's what I told myself, knowing it was a lie. I was stronger than everyone and probably smarter.
I smirked at my reflection in the mirror as I dried myself off, I was definitely better looking too. I shook my head, who was I kidding. "Hurry up, eh? I'm hungry." I turned at the sound of Brad's voice to see him leaning against the door way, waiting for him. I sighed inwardly, I loved him and was happy that we were experiencing our NHL dream together but our relationship was changing and not for the better. Five years together meant no more surprises, no more excitement. I headed towards the locker room, pulling Brad with me, pushing aside those thoughts, pushing aside the vision of Ben's muscled back.