Sophomore Slump (Sam Gagner/Robert Nilsson)
Title: Sophomore Slump
Author:heartandmindxx
Pairing: Sam Gagner/Robert Nilsson [Edmonton Oilers]
Rating: PG
Summary: Sam is feeling the pressure
Notes: This is for voldemortistxx. I love you, Sammy.
Disclaimer: You know the deal. I don’t claim anything except the story. It’s fiction.
Sophomore Slump.
455 words.
Robert finds Sam face-down on a bed in the hotel room he shares with Andrew. The curtains are pulled shut and the room is littered with telling signs of what had taken place before Sam’s body, and mind, had given up.
There is a small dent in the wall next to the mirror. Robert follows an invisible trail down to the ground to see the smashed remains of the TV’s remote control. The lamp is tipped against the wall, the lampshade tilted awkwardly, and one of Sam’s hockey sticks is broken into three pieces next to the door to the bathroom.
Sam lies motionless on the bed, breathing lightly. Robert wants to make a joke, go up and pretend to check for a pulse, but decides that it’s not really the right time for joking.
“Please, dude, you have to go in there.” Andrew had pleaded. “You always make him feel better. He really lost it this time.”
Another day, another missed shot, another interview and another feature on the sophomore slump. Robert sighs- so is the life of Sam Gagner. Robert knew as well as anybody that it wasn’t fair- it was only 12 games into the season. There was no need for alarm quite yet. And as much as Sam would tell the media that it wasn’t the end of the world, Robert knows that it was the opposite of what he felt.
Robert sits down on the edge of the bed, next to Sam, and places a comforting hand on Sam’s back.
“Hey,” Robert says quietly. Sam is unresponsive, but Robert continues. “Det är jag, Robert. Lyssna.”
Sam stirs and turns his head to look at Robert. He makes no move to speak, but Robert knows he’s gotten his attention. He would always calm down when Robert spoke to him in Swedish.
“You’re better than this, Sammy. Don’t get down on yourself. No one on this team, no one who matters is getting down on you about this. Let the press say what they want- we know how good you are,” he pauses, rubbing slow circles between Sam’s shoulder blades. “I know how good you are. We will make it through this, as a team. We love you, okay?”
Sam sighs, turning his face back into the pillow- but Robert knows he’s gotten through. He smiles, standing to leave.
“You’ll pull through,” he says, bending to place a kiss on the top of Sam’s head. “Jag älskar dig,” he whispers into the mess of hair.
“I love you too,” he hears Sam whisper back as he turns to leave. “Stay?”
Robert smiles and turns back to lie down on the bed with Sam, wrapping an arm around him and pulling him close.
“Yes.”
---
I know, it's short and pointless, but that's ok. I just hope someone is actually telling this to Sam. Drop a line.
Author:heartandmindxx
Pairing: Sam Gagner/Robert Nilsson [Edmonton Oilers]
Rating: PG
Summary: Sam is feeling the pressure
Notes: This is for voldemortistxx. I love you, Sammy.
Disclaimer: You know the deal. I don’t claim anything except the story. It’s fiction.
Sophomore Slump.
455 words.
Robert finds Sam face-down on a bed in the hotel room he shares with Andrew. The curtains are pulled shut and the room is littered with telling signs of what had taken place before Sam’s body, and mind, had given up.
There is a small dent in the wall next to the mirror. Robert follows an invisible trail down to the ground to see the smashed remains of the TV’s remote control. The lamp is tipped against the wall, the lampshade tilted awkwardly, and one of Sam’s hockey sticks is broken into three pieces next to the door to the bathroom.
Sam lies motionless on the bed, breathing lightly. Robert wants to make a joke, go up and pretend to check for a pulse, but decides that it’s not really the right time for joking.
“Please, dude, you have to go in there.” Andrew had pleaded. “You always make him feel better. He really lost it this time.”
Another day, another missed shot, another interview and another feature on the sophomore slump. Robert sighs- so is the life of Sam Gagner. Robert knew as well as anybody that it wasn’t fair- it was only 12 games into the season. There was no need for alarm quite yet. And as much as Sam would tell the media that it wasn’t the end of the world, Robert knows that it was the opposite of what he felt.
Robert sits down on the edge of the bed, next to Sam, and places a comforting hand on Sam’s back.
“Hey,” Robert says quietly. Sam is unresponsive, but Robert continues. “Det är jag, Robert. Lyssna.”
Sam stirs and turns his head to look at Robert. He makes no move to speak, but Robert knows he’s gotten his attention. He would always calm down when Robert spoke to him in Swedish.
“You’re better than this, Sammy. Don’t get down on yourself. No one on this team, no one who matters is getting down on you about this. Let the press say what they want- we know how good you are,” he pauses, rubbing slow circles between Sam’s shoulder blades. “I know how good you are. We will make it through this, as a team. We love you, okay?”
Sam sighs, turning his face back into the pillow- but Robert knows he’s gotten through. He smiles, standing to leave.
“You’ll pull through,” he says, bending to place a kiss on the top of Sam’s head. “Jag älskar dig,” he whispers into the mess of hair.
“I love you too,” he hears Sam whisper back as he turns to leave. “Stay?”
Robert smiles and turns back to lie down on the bed with Sam, wrapping an arm around him and pulling him close.
“Yes.”
---
I know, it's short and pointless, but that's ok. I just hope someone is actually telling this to Sam. Drop a line.