Behind the Net: Across the Distance (A Sequel) - Chapter 25
Title: Behind the Net: Across the Distance (A Sequel)
Author: shmorgenheigen
Chapter: Twenty Five
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Pierre/David
Word Count: 3383
Summary: The continuation of the story Behind the Net, picking up right where the original story left off. David and Pierre explore their new relationship while navigating a long distance relationship. While Pierre is in Anchorage in his first year of college and playing college hockey, David is stuck back in Juneau to finish his senior year of high school. When an unlikely person from David’s past shows up and forces their way back into David’s life, things take a turn for the dramatic. Will David and Pierre be able to maintain their love for each other while separated and stave off those pesky feelings of loneliness, jealousy, and depression?
Disclaimer: Don't know, don't own, didn't happen!
Author's Note: When I started to re-write Behind the Net from Pierre’s perspective, I started to think about how much story there would be to tell when Pierre went off to college, leaving David alone in Juneau. I became obsessed with the idea of writing the next chapter in their story and now that it’s finished, I am absolutely in love with how it turned out and the original characters I added into the story! If anyone reads this, leave me a comment and let me know!
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
The time leading up to Pierre’s hockey game was spent the same way that it had been the last time David had come to see him. Pierre gave David an extra jersey of his to wear, which David wore in the same way with the sleeves rolled up over a hoodie. He skipped the hat this time, feeling that he would be too hot as they were nearing the beginning of spring and the weather had turned a little warmer. Pierre couldn’t get over how cute David looked wearing his jersey and he couldn’t stop himself from randomly grabbing his hand or kissing his temple, despite the fact that they were out on campus and could be seen by anyone. He truly didn’t care what anyone thought of his relationship with David or if anyone would dislike him because of it. Especially after what had happened in December with Hunter, Pierre didn’t want to waste even a second of their time together.
When Olivia met up with them, David was still surprised at the way she hugged him so excitedly, though he supposed he should have expected it after the last time they had seen each other. He found it easier to fall into conversation with her now, but he was still quieter and more shy than he would usually be around Pierre, finding her intimidatingly charming and beautiful. He had never asked her age but he had a feeling she was older than Pierre was, giving off the vibe of an upperclassman; there was just something so comfortable and casual about her that made him think she wasn’t in her freshman year like Pierre was.
When it was time for Pierre to head to the rink to get ready and start warming up, he pulled David into a kiss with his hands on his face. David blushed as he kissed him back with his hands grabbing the taller boy’s sides, unable to keep part of his mind from being embarrassed about the fact that Olivia was right there. Pierre was entirely unphased and pulled back, smiling sweetly down at him before turning and heading off on his own. It was with pink cheeks and a sheepish expression that David turned back to Olivia, embarrassed despite knowing there was no reason to be. Olivia had set up Pierre’s room back in November for the sole purpose of Pierre and David having sex for the first time, after all. She was clearly more than aware that they kissed.
She just smiled and started talking, something which David was grateful for as it allowed him to push his feelings of embarrassment away and relax back into interacting with her. Just as they had last time, they went to get dinner together in the cafeteria. Again, David followed after her and just picked out the same thing as her, feeling awkward and out of place as he paid for his food and went to sit down. He listened to her talk, smiling and nodding where appropriate, glad that she tended to carry the conversation.
“So Pierre never told me, how did you guys meet?” she asked him randomly, catching David entirely off guard.
His eyes widened and the pink color returned to his face as he wondered immediately how much he should tell her about their history together. Was there a reason Pierre had never told her before? Was he ashamed of who he had been and hadn’t wanted to tell her? Suddenly David was nervous and he wished Pierre was around to answer for himself. “We met as little kids, actually,” David said hesitantly. “I was six and he was seven the first time we met. We didn’t start dating each other until about a year ago, though.”
“You guys have known each other that long?” Olivia asked, her eyes glimmering over the detail. “That’s so cute! Were you friends?”
“Uhhh… No…” David responded, the pitch of his voice rising a little in his awkward discomfort.
“Ohhh, so it was an enemies to lovers situation?” she asked, wiggling her eyebrows at him with a sly smile.
David laughed a little and nodded, his eyes going down to his dinner as a distraction. “That’s a good way to put it,” he replied with a smile. “We hated each other until all of a sudden… we didn’t.”
“I love that so much, how cute!” she told him; he thought it sounded like she was doing her best to hold back a squeal.
“It was a long, dramatic road to get here but… we ended up in the right place in the end,” he explained vaguely.
“Pierre? Dramatic?” she asked, bringing David’s eyes back up to hers and seeing she looked truly baffled at the idea. “I honestly can’t even picture that.”
David laughed again and nodded slowly. “Well, I’m the first guy he’s ever been with so it was a pretty big adjustment for him even just getting himself comfortable with the idea,” he explained slowly.
“Yeah, I’m not gonna lie, I was pretty surprised when he told me he had a boyfriend,” Olivia told him. “I was flirting with him, actually, but he told me right away about you, literally the first time we ever met.” David blushed a little as he looked at her; Pierre had never told him that before. “Sorry,” she threw in quickly, but David smiled and shook his head.
“Don’t worry about it, I get it,” David told her quickly, offering a kind smile. “He’s really hot and he definitely doesn’t seem like someone who would be dating someone like me,” he trailed off, smiling a little and looking back at his food.
“Do you think you’re not good enough for him or something?” she asked, surprising him again.
He looked over at her, his cheeks flushing and his eyes widening. He was reminded immediately of the conversation he had with Jenny and the way she had told him he thought too little of himself. “I don’t know,” he responded thoughtfully. “I think it’s more that… Well, look at him, he could have anybody... but for some reason he keeps choosing me. I don’t really get it if I’m being honest.” He was quiet for a second as he thought, looking back down at his plate in front of him. “Before me, he dated the same girl since seventh grade and she was everything a guy could ever want. She was blond and beautiful and popular and rich… But even though he was still dating her he fell in love with me. I just don’t get it,” he continued, his brow furrowing a little.
“Well there’s a lot more to loving someone than just them being blond and beautiful,” Olivia pointed out. When he looked back up at her, David saw that she was smiling at him kindly and he felt a little embarrassed that he had said so much. “Maybe you should try looking at yourself through Pierre’s eyes, because he really sees the whole world when he looks at you. I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone so in love before as he is with you.”
David blushed harder and gave an awkward smile before looking back at his piece of pizza and taking a bite. Again he got the distinct impression that she was at least a year older than Pierre, if not more; there was a cool maturity to her that made him feel young and a little inferior. He didn’t know how he felt after hearing that she had flirted with Pierre the first time they had met and Pierre had in turn told her he had a boyfriend. Her intimidating beauty and coolness again pressed down on him, but more than that he found himself wondering why Pierre continued to choose him when he could have anyone. How was it that David was somehow more appealing than Chrissy had been, or Olivia? He thought if he was placed in between the two of them, he would all but disappear next to how beautiful and bright they both were. They shined outwardly while he hid inside of himself, meek and trying to go unnoticed. It truly baffled him.
Two other people approached the table and David was suddenly glad for the distraction. He recognized them as the guys that had gone to the games with them when he had been visiting last and he smiled, exchanging pleasant greetings but ultimately listening as the conversation took off between them and Olivia. He watched them with interest, noticing that the guy he recognized as Adam flirted very obviously with Olivia. David found it easier engaging in conversation with Pierre’s friends now that this was his third time hanging out with them and he was able to speak more often, to allow his voice to be a little louder and more confident, to even throw in the occasional joke. He supposed all the socializing at school he’d been forcing himself through was helping him be able to more naturally converse with people he didn’t know well, though as these were Pierre’s actual friends he felt more invested in building a relationship with them.
Before he knew it they were up and heading toward the game, surrounded by many other students who were moving in that same direction in their own groups, all wearing school hats and sweaters and jerseys. David smiled a little as he looked around, feeling he was getting a taste of what his next year was going to be like. He wondered if he would eventually feel like a natural part of this group of friends or if he would always be a bit of a quiet presence hanging just on the outskirts of every conversation. He couldn’t help but think of the way he had been able to so comfortably integrate into Hunter’s friends even though they were rowdy and loud and liked to wrestle and play fight with each other which was about as opposite his own personality as he could imagine. They had always made him feel at ease, however, and just like with Hunter, David had never felt the need to alter his personality or try to be something he wasn’t with Ezra, Noah, or Ben. With a slight sinking feeling in his stomach he realized that he missed hanging out with them but he pushed it away and looked back to those around him.
When they got into the arena and sat down in the bleachers, they were in the front row right behind the plexiglass and David was excited to see Pierre on the ice, skating around and warming up with his teammates. Not so long ago he wouldn’t have looked twice at a hockey player but there was something about seeing Pierre in all of his pads and uniform now that made him feel warm and tingly in all the right places. He gave a flirtatious smile as he watched his boyfriend, the apples of his cheeks flushing a little as he thought of what they were going to get up to in his dorm later that night.
“Hey!” a male voice called and David turned to see Jay walking up to where they were sitting. He sat on the other side of David, giving him a pat on the shoulder in greeting. “Long time no see!” Jay said with a warm smile.
“Good to see you,” David responded quietly, giving a shy smile and a nod.
“I’m glad I found you guys. I meant to meet up with you earlier but I had to run back to the dorm to get a few things I forgot for the weekend,” Jay explained, then he elbowed David suggestively and raised his eyebrows with a smile. “It’s all yours the rest of the weekend, you guys can get up to whatever you want.”
David’s eyes widened and he blushed hard, hearing a ‘Heeeeey’ and an ‘Oooooh’ from Pierre’s friends behind him.
“Thanks,” he responded stiffly, trying to smile but wanting to crawl in a hole and never come out. He heard laughter behind him and turned to look, seeing Olivia, Adam, and Pierre’s other friend Chad laughing and snickering and making suggestive faces. David covered his face with his hands, able to feel how red his face was without having to look.
He heard a knocking sound on the plexiglass in front of them and he looked up suddenly, seeing Pierre standing there with his face guard pushed up and smiling at him. David dropped his hands and smiled back, wiggling his fingers in a little wave. Pierre directed his attention to all of his friends in turn and pointed between his eyes and theirs before very loudly saying, “Don’t tease him.” Everyone around gave their own innocent smiles and David couldn’t help the way the corners of his lips turned up, even more so when Pierre gave him a wink and skated off.
A dreamy look took over David’s features as he watched Pierre skate away. He heard one of the guys to his side mutter, “Uh oh, we got in trouble with dad…” David looked over at them, laughing now with them and feeling his embarrassment draining.
Just like the last time he had gone to a game, David felt exhilarated to be a part of the crowd. He stood and cheered any time Pierre’s team made a goal, doing so especially loudly when it was Pierre who had made the shot. At one point Pierre playfully bounced the puck off of his hockey stick like a hacky sack and sent it up and over the goalie into the net behind him. It was easy to see how much fun he was having and David found it thoroughly enjoyable to watch, wishing he could have gone to every game his boyfriend played. David thought this was the best he had ever seen Pierre play.
Just like the last time David had come to his game, Pierre felt alive and connected to the game in a much stronger way than usual. Knowing that David was in the stands watching made him play harder and more confidently, and he found himself having more fun than he usually did. Everything felt easier somehow, like David’s presence made it all more natural and brought out his boyish tendency to show off for his boyfriend. He would steal glances over at David whenever he could, feeling a warm glow inside of himself to see him standing and cheering alongside his friends, occasionally holding hands with Olivia or jumping up and down with her. It was all the motivation he needed to give everything he had to give. He felt he skated faster, he passed and shot more accurately, and he more easily recovered and stole the puck. Everything about having David around just felt better.
By the time the game was finished his team had won by their largest margin yet and again Pierre had been responsible for scoring over half of the goals. He felt like he was walking on clouds when he came out of the arena and jogged up to the small group that was waiting outside for him. This time David saw him coming and remembering the last time when Pierre had surprised him and picked him up, he backed up and tried to evade Pierre’s arms, the two playing their own flirtatious game of tag in a large circle around Pierre’s group of friends. Eventually Pierre was able to grab him from behind and he hugged him tight, earning a squeak and loud giggling from David at finally being caught.
Rather than splitting off immediately, the six of them went to a diner that stayed open late, some getting snacks, Pierre needing a full meal after the game he’d just played. Jay, who had clearly smoked or ingested quite a bit of weed, ordered a whole sampler platter appetizer though he insisted on everyone sharing it with him. With Pierre around David found it even easier to be a part of the group and the conversations around him, brightening up in a way that he wouldn’t recognize in himself, becoming talkative and energized in the aftermath of the game’s excitement. Pierre occasionally watched David with a soft look on his face, loving how alive and happy he seemed and glad that he was finally coming out of his shell enough so that his friends would be able to get a glimpse of the boy that he knew and loved.
At one point Pierre caught Olivia’s eye and she was giving him a knowing smile which he returned before glancing away quickly. Seeing David in this environment was like seeing a whole new version of his boyfriend and he was filled with an overwhelming and deep sense of love for him. As he looked back at him, seeing the way his bright hazel eyes were shining and his smile was wide and genuine, Pierre was struck with a thought that ran through his mind without even meaning to think it. I’m gonna marry you. David glanced over at Pierre, seeing the gentlest look in his big brown eyes that he had possibly ever seen and he gave him a skeptical smile, wondering what the look was about. Pierre just wrapped an arm around David’s waist and smiled for a second longer before turning back to the conversation around them, feeling a new kind of warmth and lightness inside of himself. Though he had known it in the back of his mind for quite a while and he hadn’t been able to picture a time in his future without David, he felt a new kind of certainty now that David was the one for him, the person he was going to be with until he died, the one he was going to marry. It was quite possibly the best feeling he’d ever experienced.
When they all split in their own directions and David and Pierre were alone again, David thought he felt something different about Pierre. He kept looking over at him, giving him curious smiles but not asking what he was thinking about. There was something new in Pierre’s eyes and in the way he kept grabbing David’s hand and kissing the back of it, or pulling him close and simply hugging him. He was making David feel nervous in the best kind of way, a little uncertain and excited, like the feeling of going on a first date, and by the time they were back in Pierre’s dorm and the door was locked behind them, the way Pierre was holding and kissing him also felt new and different and exhilarating. He just kept staring into his eyes, looking like he was saying a million words without saying anything at all. It made David blush and smile shyly at him, and though he wasn’t sure what exactly was happening he knew it was good.
As they laid in Pierre’s way too small bed that night, Pierre nuzzled his face in David’s neck and wrapped his arms around his middle, causing David once again to be the big spoon which he was entirely unused to but he found that he enjoyed. He wrapped his arms around Pierre’s shoulders and held him close, his eyes falling closed as he leaned his head to the side against the top of Pierre’s head and breathed him in. Though he wasn’t sure what had come over his boyfriend or what he was thinking, he could feel a deep outpouring of love from him and he let it wash over and through him, filling his senses like a warm perfume that made him feel calm and happy, secure and loved. Before long they were both asleep, still wrapped in each other’s arms and enveloped by the fuzzy feelings that the night had brought upon them. If there was anything that was certain, it was that David had never been so happy to be dating someone with such poor impulse control. Pierre flying him out to Anchorage on a whim had been the best thing that had happened to him in months, and he was immensely grateful for it.
Author: shmorgenheigen
Chapter: Twenty Five
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Pierre/David
Word Count: 3383
Summary: The continuation of the story Behind the Net, picking up right where the original story left off. David and Pierre explore their new relationship while navigating a long distance relationship. While Pierre is in Anchorage in his first year of college and playing college hockey, David is stuck back in Juneau to finish his senior year of high school. When an unlikely person from David’s past shows up and forces their way back into David’s life, things take a turn for the dramatic. Will David and Pierre be able to maintain their love for each other while separated and stave off those pesky feelings of loneliness, jealousy, and depression?
Disclaimer: Don't know, don't own, didn't happen!
Author's Note: When I started to re-write Behind the Net from Pierre’s perspective, I started to think about how much story there would be to tell when Pierre went off to college, leaving David alone in Juneau. I became obsessed with the idea of writing the next chapter in their story and now that it’s finished, I am absolutely in love with how it turned out and the original characters I added into the story! If anyone reads this, leave me a comment and let me know!
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
The time leading up to Pierre’s hockey game was spent the same way that it had been the last time David had come to see him. Pierre gave David an extra jersey of his to wear, which David wore in the same way with the sleeves rolled up over a hoodie. He skipped the hat this time, feeling that he would be too hot as they were nearing the beginning of spring and the weather had turned a little warmer. Pierre couldn’t get over how cute David looked wearing his jersey and he couldn’t stop himself from randomly grabbing his hand or kissing his temple, despite the fact that they were out on campus and could be seen by anyone. He truly didn’t care what anyone thought of his relationship with David or if anyone would dislike him because of it. Especially after what had happened in December with Hunter, Pierre didn’t want to waste even a second of their time together.
When Olivia met up with them, David was still surprised at the way she hugged him so excitedly, though he supposed he should have expected it after the last time they had seen each other. He found it easier to fall into conversation with her now, but he was still quieter and more shy than he would usually be around Pierre, finding her intimidatingly charming and beautiful. He had never asked her age but he had a feeling she was older than Pierre was, giving off the vibe of an upperclassman; there was just something so comfortable and casual about her that made him think she wasn’t in her freshman year like Pierre was.
When it was time for Pierre to head to the rink to get ready and start warming up, he pulled David into a kiss with his hands on his face. David blushed as he kissed him back with his hands grabbing the taller boy’s sides, unable to keep part of his mind from being embarrassed about the fact that Olivia was right there. Pierre was entirely unphased and pulled back, smiling sweetly down at him before turning and heading off on his own. It was with pink cheeks and a sheepish expression that David turned back to Olivia, embarrassed despite knowing there was no reason to be. Olivia had set up Pierre’s room back in November for the sole purpose of Pierre and David having sex for the first time, after all. She was clearly more than aware that they kissed.
She just smiled and started talking, something which David was grateful for as it allowed him to push his feelings of embarrassment away and relax back into interacting with her. Just as they had last time, they went to get dinner together in the cafeteria. Again, David followed after her and just picked out the same thing as her, feeling awkward and out of place as he paid for his food and went to sit down. He listened to her talk, smiling and nodding where appropriate, glad that she tended to carry the conversation.
“So Pierre never told me, how did you guys meet?” she asked him randomly, catching David entirely off guard.
His eyes widened and the pink color returned to his face as he wondered immediately how much he should tell her about their history together. Was there a reason Pierre had never told her before? Was he ashamed of who he had been and hadn’t wanted to tell her? Suddenly David was nervous and he wished Pierre was around to answer for himself. “We met as little kids, actually,” David said hesitantly. “I was six and he was seven the first time we met. We didn’t start dating each other until about a year ago, though.”
“You guys have known each other that long?” Olivia asked, her eyes glimmering over the detail. “That’s so cute! Were you friends?”
“Uhhh… No…” David responded, the pitch of his voice rising a little in his awkward discomfort.
“Ohhh, so it was an enemies to lovers situation?” she asked, wiggling her eyebrows at him with a sly smile.
David laughed a little and nodded, his eyes going down to his dinner as a distraction. “That’s a good way to put it,” he replied with a smile. “We hated each other until all of a sudden… we didn’t.”
“I love that so much, how cute!” she told him; he thought it sounded like she was doing her best to hold back a squeal.
“It was a long, dramatic road to get here but… we ended up in the right place in the end,” he explained vaguely.
“Pierre? Dramatic?” she asked, bringing David’s eyes back up to hers and seeing she looked truly baffled at the idea. “I honestly can’t even picture that.”
David laughed again and nodded slowly. “Well, I’m the first guy he’s ever been with so it was a pretty big adjustment for him even just getting himself comfortable with the idea,” he explained slowly.
“Yeah, I’m not gonna lie, I was pretty surprised when he told me he had a boyfriend,” Olivia told him. “I was flirting with him, actually, but he told me right away about you, literally the first time we ever met.” David blushed a little as he looked at her; Pierre had never told him that before. “Sorry,” she threw in quickly, but David smiled and shook his head.
“Don’t worry about it, I get it,” David told her quickly, offering a kind smile. “He’s really hot and he definitely doesn’t seem like someone who would be dating someone like me,” he trailed off, smiling a little and looking back at his food.
“Do you think you’re not good enough for him or something?” she asked, surprising him again.
He looked over at her, his cheeks flushing and his eyes widening. He was reminded immediately of the conversation he had with Jenny and the way she had told him he thought too little of himself. “I don’t know,” he responded thoughtfully. “I think it’s more that… Well, look at him, he could have anybody... but for some reason he keeps choosing me. I don’t really get it if I’m being honest.” He was quiet for a second as he thought, looking back down at his plate in front of him. “Before me, he dated the same girl since seventh grade and she was everything a guy could ever want. She was blond and beautiful and popular and rich… But even though he was still dating her he fell in love with me. I just don’t get it,” he continued, his brow furrowing a little.
“Well there’s a lot more to loving someone than just them being blond and beautiful,” Olivia pointed out. When he looked back up at her, David saw that she was smiling at him kindly and he felt a little embarrassed that he had said so much. “Maybe you should try looking at yourself through Pierre’s eyes, because he really sees the whole world when he looks at you. I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone so in love before as he is with you.”
David blushed harder and gave an awkward smile before looking back at his piece of pizza and taking a bite. Again he got the distinct impression that she was at least a year older than Pierre, if not more; there was a cool maturity to her that made him feel young and a little inferior. He didn’t know how he felt after hearing that she had flirted with Pierre the first time they had met and Pierre had in turn told her he had a boyfriend. Her intimidating beauty and coolness again pressed down on him, but more than that he found himself wondering why Pierre continued to choose him when he could have anyone. How was it that David was somehow more appealing than Chrissy had been, or Olivia? He thought if he was placed in between the two of them, he would all but disappear next to how beautiful and bright they both were. They shined outwardly while he hid inside of himself, meek and trying to go unnoticed. It truly baffled him.
Two other people approached the table and David was suddenly glad for the distraction. He recognized them as the guys that had gone to the games with them when he had been visiting last and he smiled, exchanging pleasant greetings but ultimately listening as the conversation took off between them and Olivia. He watched them with interest, noticing that the guy he recognized as Adam flirted very obviously with Olivia. David found it easier engaging in conversation with Pierre’s friends now that this was his third time hanging out with them and he was able to speak more often, to allow his voice to be a little louder and more confident, to even throw in the occasional joke. He supposed all the socializing at school he’d been forcing himself through was helping him be able to more naturally converse with people he didn’t know well, though as these were Pierre’s actual friends he felt more invested in building a relationship with them.
Before he knew it they were up and heading toward the game, surrounded by many other students who were moving in that same direction in their own groups, all wearing school hats and sweaters and jerseys. David smiled a little as he looked around, feeling he was getting a taste of what his next year was going to be like. He wondered if he would eventually feel like a natural part of this group of friends or if he would always be a bit of a quiet presence hanging just on the outskirts of every conversation. He couldn’t help but think of the way he had been able to so comfortably integrate into Hunter’s friends even though they were rowdy and loud and liked to wrestle and play fight with each other which was about as opposite his own personality as he could imagine. They had always made him feel at ease, however, and just like with Hunter, David had never felt the need to alter his personality or try to be something he wasn’t with Ezra, Noah, or Ben. With a slight sinking feeling in his stomach he realized that he missed hanging out with them but he pushed it away and looked back to those around him.
When they got into the arena and sat down in the bleachers, they were in the front row right behind the plexiglass and David was excited to see Pierre on the ice, skating around and warming up with his teammates. Not so long ago he wouldn’t have looked twice at a hockey player but there was something about seeing Pierre in all of his pads and uniform now that made him feel warm and tingly in all the right places. He gave a flirtatious smile as he watched his boyfriend, the apples of his cheeks flushing a little as he thought of what they were going to get up to in his dorm later that night.
“Hey!” a male voice called and David turned to see Jay walking up to where they were sitting. He sat on the other side of David, giving him a pat on the shoulder in greeting. “Long time no see!” Jay said with a warm smile.
“Good to see you,” David responded quietly, giving a shy smile and a nod.
“I’m glad I found you guys. I meant to meet up with you earlier but I had to run back to the dorm to get a few things I forgot for the weekend,” Jay explained, then he elbowed David suggestively and raised his eyebrows with a smile. “It’s all yours the rest of the weekend, you guys can get up to whatever you want.”
David’s eyes widened and he blushed hard, hearing a ‘Heeeeey’ and an ‘Oooooh’ from Pierre’s friends behind him.
“Thanks,” he responded stiffly, trying to smile but wanting to crawl in a hole and never come out. He heard laughter behind him and turned to look, seeing Olivia, Adam, and Pierre’s other friend Chad laughing and snickering and making suggestive faces. David covered his face with his hands, able to feel how red his face was without having to look.
He heard a knocking sound on the plexiglass in front of them and he looked up suddenly, seeing Pierre standing there with his face guard pushed up and smiling at him. David dropped his hands and smiled back, wiggling his fingers in a little wave. Pierre directed his attention to all of his friends in turn and pointed between his eyes and theirs before very loudly saying, “Don’t tease him.” Everyone around gave their own innocent smiles and David couldn’t help the way the corners of his lips turned up, even more so when Pierre gave him a wink and skated off.
A dreamy look took over David’s features as he watched Pierre skate away. He heard one of the guys to his side mutter, “Uh oh, we got in trouble with dad…” David looked over at them, laughing now with them and feeling his embarrassment draining.
Just like the last time he had gone to a game, David felt exhilarated to be a part of the crowd. He stood and cheered any time Pierre’s team made a goal, doing so especially loudly when it was Pierre who had made the shot. At one point Pierre playfully bounced the puck off of his hockey stick like a hacky sack and sent it up and over the goalie into the net behind him. It was easy to see how much fun he was having and David found it thoroughly enjoyable to watch, wishing he could have gone to every game his boyfriend played. David thought this was the best he had ever seen Pierre play.
Just like the last time David had come to his game, Pierre felt alive and connected to the game in a much stronger way than usual. Knowing that David was in the stands watching made him play harder and more confidently, and he found himself having more fun than he usually did. Everything felt easier somehow, like David’s presence made it all more natural and brought out his boyish tendency to show off for his boyfriend. He would steal glances over at David whenever he could, feeling a warm glow inside of himself to see him standing and cheering alongside his friends, occasionally holding hands with Olivia or jumping up and down with her. It was all the motivation he needed to give everything he had to give. He felt he skated faster, he passed and shot more accurately, and he more easily recovered and stole the puck. Everything about having David around just felt better.
By the time the game was finished his team had won by their largest margin yet and again Pierre had been responsible for scoring over half of the goals. He felt like he was walking on clouds when he came out of the arena and jogged up to the small group that was waiting outside for him. This time David saw him coming and remembering the last time when Pierre had surprised him and picked him up, he backed up and tried to evade Pierre’s arms, the two playing their own flirtatious game of tag in a large circle around Pierre’s group of friends. Eventually Pierre was able to grab him from behind and he hugged him tight, earning a squeak and loud giggling from David at finally being caught.
Rather than splitting off immediately, the six of them went to a diner that stayed open late, some getting snacks, Pierre needing a full meal after the game he’d just played. Jay, who had clearly smoked or ingested quite a bit of weed, ordered a whole sampler platter appetizer though he insisted on everyone sharing it with him. With Pierre around David found it even easier to be a part of the group and the conversations around him, brightening up in a way that he wouldn’t recognize in himself, becoming talkative and energized in the aftermath of the game’s excitement. Pierre occasionally watched David with a soft look on his face, loving how alive and happy he seemed and glad that he was finally coming out of his shell enough so that his friends would be able to get a glimpse of the boy that he knew and loved.
At one point Pierre caught Olivia’s eye and she was giving him a knowing smile which he returned before glancing away quickly. Seeing David in this environment was like seeing a whole new version of his boyfriend and he was filled with an overwhelming and deep sense of love for him. As he looked back at him, seeing the way his bright hazel eyes were shining and his smile was wide and genuine, Pierre was struck with a thought that ran through his mind without even meaning to think it. I’m gonna marry you. David glanced over at Pierre, seeing the gentlest look in his big brown eyes that he had possibly ever seen and he gave him a skeptical smile, wondering what the look was about. Pierre just wrapped an arm around David’s waist and smiled for a second longer before turning back to the conversation around them, feeling a new kind of warmth and lightness inside of himself. Though he had known it in the back of his mind for quite a while and he hadn’t been able to picture a time in his future without David, he felt a new kind of certainty now that David was the one for him, the person he was going to be with until he died, the one he was going to marry. It was quite possibly the best feeling he’d ever experienced.
When they all split in their own directions and David and Pierre were alone again, David thought he felt something different about Pierre. He kept looking over at him, giving him curious smiles but not asking what he was thinking about. There was something new in Pierre’s eyes and in the way he kept grabbing David’s hand and kissing the back of it, or pulling him close and simply hugging him. He was making David feel nervous in the best kind of way, a little uncertain and excited, like the feeling of going on a first date, and by the time they were back in Pierre’s dorm and the door was locked behind them, the way Pierre was holding and kissing him also felt new and different and exhilarating. He just kept staring into his eyes, looking like he was saying a million words without saying anything at all. It made David blush and smile shyly at him, and though he wasn’t sure what exactly was happening he knew it was good.
As they laid in Pierre’s way too small bed that night, Pierre nuzzled his face in David’s neck and wrapped his arms around his middle, causing David once again to be the big spoon which he was entirely unused to but he found that he enjoyed. He wrapped his arms around Pierre’s shoulders and held him close, his eyes falling closed as he leaned his head to the side against the top of Pierre’s head and breathed him in. Though he wasn’t sure what had come over his boyfriend or what he was thinking, he could feel a deep outpouring of love from him and he let it wash over and through him, filling his senses like a warm perfume that made him feel calm and happy, secure and loved. Before long they were both asleep, still wrapped in each other’s arms and enveloped by the fuzzy feelings that the night had brought upon them. If there was anything that was certain, it was that David had never been so happy to be dating someone with such poor impulse control. Pierre flying him out to Anchorage on a whim had been the best thing that had happened to him in months, and he was immensely grateful for it.