Keep Me Close- Chapter XXVII
Aug. 10th, 2009 12:10 am![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
revuko.livejournal.com posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
2minsforslashingTeam: San Jose Sharks
Pairing: Joe Thornton/Evgeni Nabokov
Rating: Hard R
Summary: Not all in San Jose is sunny as the path to the Stanley Cup proves to be as difficult as ever; falling in love might be the simplest task on this year’s agenda.
Editor:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
sherlockelly. Who I cannot thank enough for all the hard work she has put into this for you. Without her, this would be merely a shell of a story, as she has come up with some of the better tweaking to this chapter, as well as many others. Any mistakes are mine.
| Chapter I | Chapter II | Chapter III | Chapter IV | Chapter V | Chapter VI | Chapter VII | Chapter VIII | Chapter IX | Chapter X | Chapter XI | Chapter XII | Chapter XIII | Chapter XIV | Chapter XV | Chapter XVI Part one | Chapter XVI Part two | Chapter XVII part one | Chapter XVII part two | Chapter XVIII | Chapter XVIII | Chapter XIX | Chapter XX | Chapter XXI | Chapter XXII | Chapter XXIII | Chapter XXIV | Chapter XXV | Chapter XXVI |
Disclaimer: None of the San Jose Shark franchise belongs to me, and each individual involved in the story besides my own original characters are their own person and I am not assuming their sexual orientation, personalities or beliefs in real life, but am only twisting them for each to be beneficial to the plot.
-Chapter XXVII-
They found solace in each other, the harmony of them, together; maybe unnatural as teammates, but so, so right as just them. The titles were stripped away to nothing, because they weren’t important, not now; not in the ideal that this could be so much more, that it could bring so much more than any association could.
The ebb and flow of their movements were too good to be accidental, always swirling closer, but never pushing away. The waves grew in a flurry on motion, everywhere at once, hands pushing them closer and closer. And then they were at their peak, a spring tide within them, where the pent up desire was stretched to its extreme, the highest highs and the lowest lows. A hurricane brewing deep in their bellies until it threatened to overtake them completely, lapping at the sides of their control, spinning faster and faster until the storm finally hit, and it hit hard.
Their mouths were still searching each other’s after the release. Reluctant to let go, but both knew that their time would be short, never long enough.
Joe’s elbows were pressed into the mattress, his head bowed as he kissed a path down Evgeni’s neck when he was unfortunately shaken back to reality; a reality that didn’t know the needs of the two men wrapped around each other under the guise of teammates turned friends, when they both wanted it to be so much more.
Making reality mesh with their reality would take some time, and they knew this. But when Evgeni placed a chaste kiss to Joe’s temple and said that he loved watching Joe in the mirror, they knew that their reality was good enough for that night.
A reminder of a worried captain in the morning was the reluctant truth that sent Joe on his way. But it was Evgeni’s hold on his hand that was a moment longer than normal, and the extra touch of their lips which cemented the promise for more, and that maybe one day, they didn’t have to leave each other to bury the past afterward.
-----
Joe and Evgeni tried hard to keep their growing relationship a secret, though it was no mystery to the team that the center and the goaltender had grown close over the course of the season.
Thankfully, Joe knew his boundaries. Or at least, Evgeni thought he did.
-----
They were huddled together on Evgeni’s hotel bed, enjoying the exchange of body heat in the drafty room. That was when Joe overstepped his first boundary. Sort of.
“Happy New Year,” Joe whispered with a soft smile, brushing away the fringe that was resting on Evgeni's forehead. Leaning down, he tipped the man's head back to place a quick peck on the slightly parted lips.
Blinking in surprise, Evgeni slipped his tongue between his teeth, swiping over the still tingling skin where Joe kissed him as a blush bloomed on his cheeks. He furrowed his brow, glancing between Joe’s warm smile and the date on the newspaper he was currently reading. The small December 31, 2008 at the top was as right as it could be, but Evgeni only grew more confused when he checked the clock hanging on the wall opposite them.
“It’s only noon,” he said slowly, nuzzling in closer to the warm body as an arm slung itself around his shoulders. Setting the paper aside, he looked up, patiently awaiting his answer with a crooked eyebrow.
But Joe merely laughed, hugging Evgeni in close and placing another kiss on the top of Evgeni's head. “Here, maybe.”
Opening his mouth, Evgeni only shook his head and snapped his jaw shut. “Whatever.”
He huffed and settled into his spot curled against Joe if only for the warmth he provided; though he couldn't help but glance out the window to make sure it wasn't actually midnight. Judging by the bright, chilly afternoon sunshine, the clock was right. It didn't help quelling his curiosity in the least, unfortunately.
-----
The Sharks had lost in overtime that early evening game and Evgeni had every reason to mope, but he had barely a quick jet ride back from Minnesota to do so, as Jeremy had somehow managed to rearrange the jet’s schedule so that they could still make his team New Year’s party.
How Jeremy did these things, Evgeni would never know.
-----
Arriving a little late since he had to run home and put on a change of clothes, Evgeni shuffled on the front porch of the Roenick household, his nose burning in the twilight cold. He knocked lightly on the cherry wood door, twisting the neck of the champagne bottle in his hands as he waited for someone to let him inside. The door swung open, a gush of warm air and festivities hitting Evgeni in the face as Jeremy pulled the man into a one-armed hug.
“Good to see ya!” He rubbed Evgeni’s arm viciously, both stumbling as they headed inside. “Happy New Year's Eve, Nabs!”
Cracking a weary smile, Evgeni silently handed over the alcohol, not fooling himself into believing that he could escape the man's hold on his own.
“Shit man, you shouldn't have,” the happy veteran exclaimed upon seeing
the bottle, reaching for it gratefully. “Hey!” he yelled again, easily booming over the clatter of the party inside, “Enjoy yourself, get something to drink.” Extending the hand with the champagne, he uncurled his pointer finger and gestured toward the kitchen. “Joe brought cognac, put it on the counter. Good stuff, too.”
Hiding his blush by covering his mouth with a fake cough in his throat, Evgeni nodded and clapped Jeremy on the back. “Thanks,” he laughed, fighting the urge to roll his eyes at the seemingly unmotivated purchase.
Speaking of Joe, Evgeni waited for Jeremy to release his friendly embrace before he searched out for the man that had been nagging at the back of his head since he left the airpoirt. He found him laughing with Ryane and Danny; discarded wrapping paper littered the floor, while an open box sat on his lap. Joe pulled a Speedo out, holding it at arms length, chuckling as the teammates sitting next to him burst out laughing, tears in their eyes.
Eyeing the scant strip of swimwear with disdain, Evgeni strained his ears to hear what the three were talking about.
“Oh… look at that.” Joe’s voice was forced, but the smile on his face gave away his amusement.
“You're gonna have ta keep it tight down there; this thing works great!” Ryane choked out, nearly doubling over at the end.
Oh inside jokes; they were hilarious, Evgeni thought with a hint of sarcasm.
-----
“Did ya see what Clowie got me?” Joe laughed airily, Evgeni finally managing to pull him aside discreetly into the empty hallway. “Late Christmas present.”
“Charming,” he snapped back impatiently, crossing his arms over his sweater-clad chest as he tilted his chin up to meet Joe’s gaze. As interesting as the conversation was, that wasn't what he dragged the larger man out here for.
“Yes?” Joe asked, cocking his head to the side, his mirth receding into seriousness when he saw Evgeni’s set face.
“‘Happy New Yhear’,” he parroted, attempting to mimic Joe's deeper voice, ignoring the fact that he failed miserably, just glad that the other knew to not laugh at him. Good man. “Ust-Kamenogorsk time, that's cute,” he said shortly, secretly soaking in the happy smile that spread over Joe's face when he was found out.
Shifting in place, Joe shrugged his shoulders with an air of nonchalance, his hands stuffing themselves deep into his pockets. “I figured, well, since I couldn't kiss you at midnight here…” he trailed off, a coy glint in his eye when Evgeni clicked his tongue and let his hands fall to his side.
It was sweet that Joe went to the trouble of doing that for him, Evgeni had to admit. He had waved away the focused attention by wearing an affronted mask, trying to hide his embarrassment that someone cared enough to do that for him by acting out—quite childish when he thought back on it, really. But he couldn’t help it! He wasn’t good at taking complements. Maybe he could let that one slide.
“Whell… thanks,” Evgeni mumbled, closing the gap between them in one stride and enveloping Joe with a tight hug, his hands bunching tightly into the fabric of the cotton shirt. “M-means a lot.” It was nice that someone remembered the place of his childhood besides himself. His chest tightened at the thought of home, and he inhaled the heavy, indescribable scent that always clung to Joe's clothing with a faraway smile. Pulling away, Evgeni wiped at his face vigorously with the back of his sleeve and stared up into Joe's imploring eyes as he pulled himself together.
“So, ah, when is it twelve in Ontario?”
“Nine,” the Canadian said without hesitation.
Checking his watch, Evgeni lips curled into a smile, and he watched as Joe's face lit up with curiosity.
“Then I'll meet yhou here in five minutes.”
-----
They didn’t have a chance to kiss at California’s midnight, as Joe had predicted. Devin had made sure everyone was celebrating in the same room, to boost ‘team spirit,’ he had called it. Considering they lost that very day, it wasn’t likely that the goaltender’s moral could get any lower. Oh, but Devin managed to prove him wrong yet again. Being forced into counting down to midnight really hit the proverbial nail on the head of the lowest of the lows in Evgeni’s book.
Devin was always making Evgeni’s life harder in one way or another. At least Joe promised they could celebrate Hawaii’s New Year together when they got back to his place later. That, he was okay with.
-----
The next game didn’t go much better, but at least it was a win.
He groaned inwardly, but nodded along with the headbumps and muttered ‘good job’s. If he had done a good job, then there wouldn’t have been the need of the scramble at the end to secure the win.
And against the last in the league of all teams. At home. Fantastic.
Evgeni wanted to bury his head in his arms and forget about the last twenty minutes, as they certainly were not his proudest. As it turned out, he was still on the ice, and it didn’t seem appropriate to start moping with the fans watching. Devin gave him an encouraging pat on the head, a goofy grin spread over his face as if all was well. Stupid Devin and his stupid smiling. But then he said what Evgeni really didn’t ever need to hear to make his other bothering qualities minor annoyances.
“Cheer up, mister Grouchy Pants! You need to turn that frown upside-down!”
Really! Speaking to him as if he were a child. The thought made Evgeni wrinkle his nose and scowl with distaste.
Glaring heatedly into the retreating back clad in teal, Evgeni was startled when a gloved fist bumped him on the mask. Refocusing his eyes, Evgeni’s frayed nerves settled at the sight of Joe beaming down at him. The pink lips parted, still shaped into a smile, and Evgeni’s ears perked up to catch the words that were certainly more sophisticated than Devin’s.
“Aww look,” Joe cooed, cuffing the ear of Evgeni’s helmet a bit with his palm. “Yer pouting.”
Or not. Really, what was Evgeni expecting, these were his teammates after all. His immature teammates, who liked hearing themselves talk; minus a select few, of course. Grumbling, the line of said teammates finally diminished as they headed back into the locker room, Evgeni skating not far behind.
The thunder of the sold-out crowd rumbled in the hallway, bouncing off the walls and echoing in the large, rectangular room where many players were already stripped down to their underwear; Patrick slipping on some slacks, as he was the quickest at stripping off the gear on the team.
Averting his gaze modestly, Evgeni shuffled over to his seat and plopped down with a well deserved sigh. He rid himself of the dripping wet jersey, thankfully more from the water that he poured over his head than sweat, but it was thrown haphazardly into the hamper in the middle of the room nonetheless. Numb fingers fiddled with the straps on his chest guard as he trained his eyes on the clumsy work, careful as to not catch a glimpse of the undressing.
It was embarrassing, having become so shy of this after so many years of it not affecting him. He didn’t know if it was more embarrassing not to look, or the thought of being found out. Evgeni bit his bottom lip and shrugged off the chest guard. He didn’t want to chance finding that other men’s rippling hard bodies aroused him as much as Joe’s did just yet. And he didn’t even want to think about what would happen if he did actually see Joe completely bare when everyone was changing. Would he get hard at the sight? He wouldn’t be able to keep at ay the thoughts that came with the sight of that athletic body, that was for sure. He didn’t want to chance it just in case; so he kept his eyes glued on the ground as he finished removing his right leg pad.
-----
He looked down at his naked body with disdain, he looked so… unclean. Rolling his shoulders back, the air surrounding his joints strained until the satisfying pops were heard, and Evgeni slumped back into his tired posture. It was as if his poor play of the game was grime; it stuck to him as a constant reminder of how he slacked off in the last minutes. It was unnecessary, his lack of attentiveness, and it made each step heavier as he trudged toward the showers, knowing that the water would wash away the disappointment, along with the smell, that radiated from him.
Once again, he kept his vision down as he entered, pretending to scratch at an angry red spot on the inside of his arm. Different pairs of feet loomed in the corner of his eyes, each a couple yards apart as he measured the distance in his head. Finally, he found an empty space between two pairs of legs, and Evgeni hurried over to the vacant shower before it was taken.
The hot water cascaded down his weary body, and a pleased rumble shook through his chest as the spray pounded into it. Streams drew artful lines over his muscles, shining in the light that bounced off the gleaming white tiles, wiping his skin clear of the game. It didn’t matter what happened, because now it was truly over. The tentative smile on his face grew when Evgeni let his head drop forward, the water bouncing off his scalp, the steam filling his nose and circulating in his bloodstream, buzzing with life like a swarm of bees.
He stood like that until the last occupied shower had turned off. A yawned ‘seeya’ headed out the door and Evgeni lifted his hand behind him in an attempt of a polite goodbye. He hummed happily, knowing that he was the last one in the showers, alone to his thoughts, alone to clean and touch himself without the presence of someone else watching. He knew it was silly, they were his teammates after all, and he trusted every single one of them… but it just seemed too intimate for him now. His eyes slipped closed when the water dripped down over his ears, the knowledge that the water was consuming him in a protective heat easing him into a fog of security.
“Ya gonna stand there all day?”
Of course Joe didn’t leave, what was Evgeni thinking, being left alone for a minute’s rest—impossible! Although, he was strangely tickled at the fact that Joe was there with him, but mostly just ticked, honestly.
“I whas planning on moving, yes,” Evgeni shot back, urging on Joe’s playful banter despite his earlier sour mood.
“Oh, that’s good,” the taller man hummed, his words sounding peculiarly closer than earlier.
“Sure…?” Evgeni agreed with a raised eyebrow, not exactly sure where Joe was headed with the conversation but going along with it anyway… Oh god. Going along with it? What had this man turned him in to? He didn’t have long to find out anyway, at least.
“Then ya can do something when I do this.” Now he was definitely closer than he was when he first spoke up.
Strong, chilly arms wrapped themselves around Evgeni’s lean midsection, a squawk of surprise escaping his mouth before he could stop himself. Jumping in his spot from one foot to another nervously, the goaltender tried to turn around, but the grip around him was too tight, the hands settling on his lower stomach keeping him firmly in place.
That was when Joe overstepped his second line.
“Joeee,” he whined, mindful that his halfhearted struggles weren’t going to get him anywhere, also aware that his already hardening cock wasn’t going to help his case.
“Hmm?”
What an obnoxious reply, Evgeni thought as a nose pressed into the base of his hairline. Contentedness began to cloud over his exasperation as more touches covered his body, Joe’s front creeping up to press against his backside.
“You look blue.”
At least Joe had the sense to at least sound sympathetic, Evgeni admitted begrudgingly. Huffing, he crossed his arms over his chest and feigned ignorance; he didn’t have to give it all upfront after all, seeing as he wasn’t the only one who could play Joe’s little—albeit childish—cat and mouse game.
“Well…” Evgeni drifted off without an ounce of a thought of what he would say next, but Joe nudged him on with a kiss behind his ear. The way Joe hung on his every word more gratifying than the sweet gesture pleased Evgeni more than he cared to admit. “I whas…” Hands coaxed him on with light fingers, daintily skimming over Evgeni’s lower abdominal muscles, both men laughing huskily when they twitched with appreciation. “Bhut I’m feeling better now,” Evgeni whispered teasingly, pleased to feel the purr against his back, the primal need stirring in his belly for more than the simple contact that they were sharing at the moment.
“You are?” Joe breathed into Evgeni’s heavy, dampened locks.
“Iya hope yhou’re not expecting me to say that ‘it’s because yhou’re here’,” Evgeni said flatly, his hand reaching over his shoulder to let his fingers tip-toe up Joe’s neck, the backs of his knuckles rubbing against the scruffy underside of the jaw.
“Wouldn’t dream of it,” came the throaty growl as lips pressed up against his ear, making Evgeni shiver, his belly tying themselves into intricate knots.
A not so innocent touch down there made Evgeni’s face heat up faster than the time it took for him to effectively spin around in Joe’s loosened hold. “Joe!” he barked, his cheeks burning a furious pink. “This is hardly the place.” If only he could get his protesting body to agree with him.
“Oh…”
The smaller man blinked with surprise; he didn’t know that Joe was even capable of creating the self-depreciated look that had the same magnitude of a kicked puppy. It almost made Evgeni feel sorry for him. Though, it wasn’t like he was going around showers starting things that he really shouldn’t to begin with.
The pity didn’t last long, as a devilish grin spread over the thin lips.
“Never did say I was conventional.”
A rough palm traveled down his side, Evgeni’s muscles twitching as the hand inched lower, and took to massaging circles into the flesh of his thigh. When Joe raised his hand, Evgeni couldn’t find it within himself to stop it. So he watched, mesmerized, as Joe wrapped the long leg around his waist, Evgeni’s goaltender flexibility making the action effortless on his part. Swallowing dryly, he closed his eyes in time to feel the gentle press of lips against his own.
“And admit it,” Joe smirked into Evgeni’s mouth. “You like it.”
He wanted to roll his eyes. Really, it wasn’t a matter of not liking it, it was a matter of voyeurism.
Joe’s hands fell back into place, each perching themselves on the angular hipbones as he parted his lips and sucked Evgeni’s lower one between his teeth, efficiently stopping anymore negative thoughts from prodding at the man's brain.
Kneading the brawny shoulders in his hands, Evgeni pushed himself onto the ball of his foot, trusting his balancing skills to stay relatively stable as he began a full-fledged make out session with Joe in the showers.
There was a muted clatter, a ricocheting noise around the room. It was hard for Evgeni to place where it was coming from when his vision inhibited with steam so thick that had made it hard for him to even see past Joe’s thighs.
“Did yhou hear that?” Evgeni hissed, instantly locking up in Joe’s embrace, his nails digging without relent into the shoulders, his leg, perched high on the waist, pulling Joe in closer as he tightened up. He glanced about wildly, his eyes darting from one side to the other, trying to catch a glimpse of a solid form beyond a few feet, but Joe nuzzling his neck proved to be quite an effective distraction. He never knew that he had a tickling fetish, but here he was in a public shower, mortified, growing harder by the second the longer the shortly clipped beard grazed under his chin. Squinting, he mentally squeezed himself out of succumbing to the tingling sensation that was rapidly spreading through his body, but all he could see was the smoky white wisps swirling, like the inside of a cloud.
“Shampoo prob’ly fell, Yev,” Joe murmured into his slicked, wet skin; the lips forming the sickeningly sweet pet-name over his jugular, Evgeni shuddering with poorly hid delight. He wanted to struggle, but it was hard to admit when Joe said his name like that, he was couldn’t help but listen… and more, when his thoughts began traveling to dirtier places.
“Iya suppose,” he sighed, giving up on fueling his own pride by finding the need to argue as he usually did.
There was a brief pause in Joe’s nibbling and sucking, as if he was taken aback at Evgeni’s compliance as well, but the smaller man growled, his hips bucking as his body pleaded to be touched once more.
His arousal slipped against the other hardened length, the wary notion of being caught fading into the peripheral of Evgeni’s concerns when Joe pushed him back through the lukewarm spray and shoved him roughly up against the wall. Prickles of the icy cold traveled up and down his spine, goosebumps settling over his alabaster skin at the sudden impact, his nipples budding until they were so stiff that they hurt.
His right wrist was grasped firmly as Joe wound his fingers around the flesh and bone, pressing it firmly against the wall slightly above Evgeni’s head. The freed hand combed with nimble fingers thoughtlessly through the wild tresses of curly hair as Joe placed his kisses lower and lower. He traveled from the sensitive jaw, over the sharp collar bone, and down the muscular chest, until finally his husky breath puffed over one of Evgeni’s erect nipples, his own toes curling when the cords of desire tightened its iron grip around his insides.
Joe’s eyes flickered up, the hazel-brown just barely as thick as thread, lining his black pupils, so infinite that Evgeni found himself slowly engulfed by them; it was like a solar eclipse, and was just as beautiful. With a look like that, Evgeni was willing to let Joe have his way with him right there in the showers, anything to keep that gaze on him. All the focused attention made a humble blush seep down to his chest, as he normally shied away from prying eyes; they made him uncomfortable. But that look… it stole him completely. He was plummeting continuously into the bottomless pools, the fall itself making his heart beat faster like the crescendo drum, the adrenaline pouring from his chest in waves, rushing through his veins to fill him from that intoxicating look. His fingers twitched and his breaths came in ragged gasps, he was overflowing with the clash of want and need, hoping, yet secretly knowing, that Joe would fulfill both if it was asked of him.
Those eyes. They were nothing more than another newfound object of Evgeni’s affections which Joe had miraculously provided. He had never known he could have been looked at in that way if not for that very private moment that they were sharing together. They were making Evgeni melt into a sopping pile of mush. Collapsing into himself until he was no more than a shivering puddle at their feet, in danger of being carried away down the drain with the rest of the water still sprinkling onto the tiled floor.
Stupid eyes for luring him, baiting him until he was caught. Stupid Joe for pulling him under.
He didn’t like that Joe was making him feel so good, so full, so found, so lost, so appreciated. He didn’t like all of that colliding into him like a brick wall of powerful emotions at the same time.
It was terrifying that someone could do this to him.
It was electrifying that he did the same to Joe.
Evgeni knew that he had the same exact look in his eyes; the look that opened up his innermost desires, and that opened up himself. The fact that the fright and confusion, excitement and vulnerability were returned made Evgeni accept the clashing feelings a tiny bit more.
Urging the man on with a keening whimper of delight, Evgeni shuttered his eyes and dropped his head against the wall with a thud, arching closer to the warm body and away from the unbearably freezing wall. A warm chuckle flitted over his dusty-pink nipple like a teasing breeze, the hand at his wrist squeezing in reassurance before lips wrapped themselves around the pinched flesh.
A shrill squeal clattered around the room as Evgeni thrashed in place, his eyes raised toward the ceiling, blinking away the spots that danced across his vision as a tongue joined the prodding lips. The glossy organ swirled deftly around the nub, the motion sending jolts of please spiraling down to his groin, heating his belly, and spiraling ripples of pleasure all the way through his cock, leaving Evgeni’s knees weak and his lungs desperate for air.
He had ceased his affectionate pets to Joe’s mop of soaking hair, his fingers now wrenched tight in the strands to keep himself from buckling. His other hand clenched until his nails bit into his palm, looking for something to cling onto as well, but Joe’s grip on his wrist remained insistent.
He felt so helpless, caught between the wall and the hard, and very naked body, both pressing against him as an ever present reminder that he had nowhere run. His hands were left immobile, one caught in the talons of the predator, the other, making sure that Joe didn’t stop making him the prey.
He let go, and it was worth it.
When Evgeni finally collected himself and peered down, he noticed that the thick haze of steam had cleared. Through the dying mists, movement from the corner of his sight jolted Evgeni’s attention to the entrance of the room, as Devin emerged, sauntering into the showers.
It took all of three seconds for Devin to locate his currently occupied teammates, but when he did, Evgeni watched with wide-eyes as a multitude of emotions flashed across the young man’s face. Stalk-still in the hands of Joe, who still had no notion of the horrible invasion, Evgeni flinched noticeably when Devin had the nerve to actually start walking toward them. To make things worse, he had the stupidest grin stretched over his abnormally full lips. Evgeni just wanted to tear the damn, fucking, stupid thing off and stomp on it until it stopped smiling, but he couldn’t even find it within himself to move.
A strained whimper wavered though his lips as insistent teeth began to graze over his nipple, which was still inappropriately hard, as well as his dick, given the situation. Joe’s free hand joined his tongue’s eager caresses, choosing that wonderful time to start fondling Evgeni’s left pectoral, only succeeding in making Devin’s eyes grow round and Evgeni’s face flush a sure shade of crimson.
He had to be masochistic, he had to be. There was no other reason to explain why he was still watching the uninvited third party amble over to them, and why he still hadn’t barked at Joe to stop groping him in the public shower.
“Awesome!” The sophomore slapped a hand on Joe’s shoulder, winking down at him when the man was forcefully jolted to reality, a look of dumbstruck mixed with horror befalling his features when they locked eyes. “Awesome!” Devin repeated, perhaps even more vivaciously when he looked toward Evgeni. Then he raised both of his hands near his face, his double thumbs-up matching the crooked, toothy smile.
“Holy fuck,” Joe wheezed against Evgeni’s chest as Devin took to the shower next to them as if nothing was out of the ordinary.
“Ohmygod,” Evgeni mumbled, burying his face into his left hand, his right caught in the vice-like grip of Joe, who was frozen to the spot.
Neither man moved an inch from the time Devin came into the showers, both locked up with terror and humiliation. They were thrown encouraging looks telling them to continue from time to time, joined in with the occasionally muttered “awesome” and “don’t stop on my account!”. But Evgeni still hadn’t managed to pull his face away from his hand, and Joe up from his crouch.
The five minutes that it took Devin to wash off and shampoo his hair felt like an eternity of waiting. Evgeni didn’t know which was worse, the fact that someone was right there watching, or the fact that he was still stiff as a board. Joe concealed his face into the crook of Evgeni’s arm, trying to hide from the undeniably embarrassing situation. It was Devin of all people. Really.
The companion pitter-patter spray of the shower next to theirs ended abruptly, signaling that the unwelcome presence was one step closer to leaving the two of them alone. But the padding of feet only grew louder, definitely not the sound of one walking the opposite direction, much to Evgeni’s dismay.
“You shouldn’t be wasting water; we’re in a crisis, you know!”
It was hard to say if it was brashness, ignorance, or just plain perversion that led to Devin reaching between the statuesque bodies to push the shower handle lever into the ‘off’ position. Instantly, all other sounds besides Devin’s content humming and steps ended as he walked out the door. Spreading his forefinger and middle finger apart, Evgeni brought himself to watch the agonizingly slow retreat, groaning inwardly when the man paused, settling his hand on the door frame.
Turning around with that same stupid, stupid, stupid grin on his face, Devin nodded at Evgeni with a hint of satisfaction. “Keep it up, guys!” He gave another thumbs-up. “You just earned me fifty bucks and gloating rights!” Then he shot out the door before his words could sink in. “Suck it, Mitchell!” he yelled to no one in particular as he scampered down the hall, the slam of the locker room door bouncing through the entire lower level floor of the HP Pavilion.
“Maybe we should save this for another time…” Joe whispered hesitantly into Evgeni’s arm, as if testing to see if Devin didn’t come back with more prying eyes. Thankfully all was silent, taking pity on Joe and Evgeni’s already compromising situation.
“Joe. We’re naked,” Evgeni croaked, finally wrenching his hand away from the wall to indicate their bare lower halves, both hardened to full arousal.
Joe licked his lips nervously, stepping back to get a good look, eyeing the two glistening cocks hungrily; “Heh… so… ya liked it too?”
Smacking the broad chest with a snap of his wrist, Evgeni huffed crossly. Didn’t he understand that this was a serious matter?
“M’sorry,” Joe mumbled abashedly, bowing his head with a well-deserved blush, as he certainly didn’t need to go around suggestion such things. “Ah, well, a-at least he’s seen it all before, yeah?” he offered with a hopeful twitch of the lips, trying to catch Evgeni’s line of sight with his own eyes, but failing miserably as the man pinned up against the wall skillfully avoided him.
Evgeni groaned dejectedly and buried his face into Joe’s arm.
-----
To be Continued
-----
I just can’t make it easy for these two. Oh well. Review to see what happens next? Because seriously. You want what happens next if you are a true hockey slash fan. Just saying.
-Nabby loves his cognac and Joe knows that-
-Ryane Clowe bought Joe some speedos, as mentioned on Joe's facebook page-
Pairing: Joe Thornton/Evgeni Nabokov
Rating: Hard R
Summary: Not all in San Jose is sunny as the path to the Stanley Cup proves to be as difficult as ever; falling in love might be the simplest task on this year’s agenda.
Editor:
sherlockelly. Who I cannot thank enough for all the hard work she has put into this for you. Without her, this would be merely a shell of a story, as she has come up with some of the better tweaking to this chapter, as well as many others. Any mistakes are mine. | Chapter I | Chapter II | Chapter III | Chapter IV | Chapter V | Chapter VI | Chapter VII | Chapter VIII | Chapter IX | Chapter X | Chapter XI | Chapter XII | Chapter XIII | Chapter XIV | Chapter XV | Chapter XVI Part one | Chapter XVI Part two | Chapter XVII part one | Chapter XVII part two | Chapter XVIII | Chapter XVIII | Chapter XIX | Chapter XX | Chapter XXI | Chapter XXII | Chapter XXIII | Chapter XXIV | Chapter XXV | Chapter XXVI |
Disclaimer: None of the San Jose Shark franchise belongs to me, and each individual involved in the story besides my own original characters are their own person and I am not assuming their sexual orientation, personalities or beliefs in real life, but am only twisting them for each to be beneficial to the plot.
-Chapter XXVII-
They found solace in each other, the harmony of them, together; maybe unnatural as teammates, but so, so right as just them. The titles were stripped away to nothing, because they weren’t important, not now; not in the ideal that this could be so much more, that it could bring so much more than any association could.
The ebb and flow of their movements were too good to be accidental, always swirling closer, but never pushing away. The waves grew in a flurry on motion, everywhere at once, hands pushing them closer and closer. And then they were at their peak, a spring tide within them, where the pent up desire was stretched to its extreme, the highest highs and the lowest lows. A hurricane brewing deep in their bellies until it threatened to overtake them completely, lapping at the sides of their control, spinning faster and faster until the storm finally hit, and it hit hard.
Their mouths were still searching each other’s after the release. Reluctant to let go, but both knew that their time would be short, never long enough.
Joe’s elbows were pressed into the mattress, his head bowed as he kissed a path down Evgeni’s neck when he was unfortunately shaken back to reality; a reality that didn’t know the needs of the two men wrapped around each other under the guise of teammates turned friends, when they both wanted it to be so much more.
Making reality mesh with their reality would take some time, and they knew this. But when Evgeni placed a chaste kiss to Joe’s temple and said that he loved watching Joe in the mirror, they knew that their reality was good enough for that night.
A reminder of a worried captain in the morning was the reluctant truth that sent Joe on his way. But it was Evgeni’s hold on his hand that was a moment longer than normal, and the extra touch of their lips which cemented the promise for more, and that maybe one day, they didn’t have to leave each other to bury the past afterward.
-----
Joe and Evgeni tried hard to keep their growing relationship a secret, though it was no mystery to the team that the center and the goaltender had grown close over the course of the season.
Thankfully, Joe knew his boundaries. Or at least, Evgeni thought he did.
-----
They were huddled together on Evgeni’s hotel bed, enjoying the exchange of body heat in the drafty room. That was when Joe overstepped his first boundary. Sort of.
“Happy New Year,” Joe whispered with a soft smile, brushing away the fringe that was resting on Evgeni's forehead. Leaning down, he tipped the man's head back to place a quick peck on the slightly parted lips.
Blinking in surprise, Evgeni slipped his tongue between his teeth, swiping over the still tingling skin where Joe kissed him as a blush bloomed on his cheeks. He furrowed his brow, glancing between Joe’s warm smile and the date on the newspaper he was currently reading. The small December 31, 2008 at the top was as right as it could be, but Evgeni only grew more confused when he checked the clock hanging on the wall opposite them.
“It’s only noon,” he said slowly, nuzzling in closer to the warm body as an arm slung itself around his shoulders. Setting the paper aside, he looked up, patiently awaiting his answer with a crooked eyebrow.
But Joe merely laughed, hugging Evgeni in close and placing another kiss on the top of Evgeni's head. “Here, maybe.”
Opening his mouth, Evgeni only shook his head and snapped his jaw shut. “Whatever.”
He huffed and settled into his spot curled against Joe if only for the warmth he provided; though he couldn't help but glance out the window to make sure it wasn't actually midnight. Judging by the bright, chilly afternoon sunshine, the clock was right. It didn't help quelling his curiosity in the least, unfortunately.
-----
The Sharks had lost in overtime that early evening game and Evgeni had every reason to mope, but he had barely a quick jet ride back from Minnesota to do so, as Jeremy had somehow managed to rearrange the jet’s schedule so that they could still make his team New Year’s party.
How Jeremy did these things, Evgeni would never know.
-----
Arriving a little late since he had to run home and put on a change of clothes, Evgeni shuffled on the front porch of the Roenick household, his nose burning in the twilight cold. He knocked lightly on the cherry wood door, twisting the neck of the champagne bottle in his hands as he waited for someone to let him inside. The door swung open, a gush of warm air and festivities hitting Evgeni in the face as Jeremy pulled the man into a one-armed hug.
“Good to see ya!” He rubbed Evgeni’s arm viciously, both stumbling as they headed inside. “Happy New Year's Eve, Nabs!”
Cracking a weary smile, Evgeni silently handed over the alcohol, not fooling himself into believing that he could escape the man's hold on his own.
“Shit man, you shouldn't have,” the happy veteran exclaimed upon seeing
the bottle, reaching for it gratefully. “Hey!” he yelled again, easily booming over the clatter of the party inside, “Enjoy yourself, get something to drink.” Extending the hand with the champagne, he uncurled his pointer finger and gestured toward the kitchen. “Joe brought cognac, put it on the counter. Good stuff, too.”
Hiding his blush by covering his mouth with a fake cough in his throat, Evgeni nodded and clapped Jeremy on the back. “Thanks,” he laughed, fighting the urge to roll his eyes at the seemingly unmotivated purchase.
Speaking of Joe, Evgeni waited for Jeremy to release his friendly embrace before he searched out for the man that had been nagging at the back of his head since he left the airpoirt. He found him laughing with Ryane and Danny; discarded wrapping paper littered the floor, while an open box sat on his lap. Joe pulled a Speedo out, holding it at arms length, chuckling as the teammates sitting next to him burst out laughing, tears in their eyes.
Eyeing the scant strip of swimwear with disdain, Evgeni strained his ears to hear what the three were talking about.
“Oh… look at that.” Joe’s voice was forced, but the smile on his face gave away his amusement.
“You're gonna have ta keep it tight down there; this thing works great!” Ryane choked out, nearly doubling over at the end.
Oh inside jokes; they were hilarious, Evgeni thought with a hint of sarcasm.
-----
“Did ya see what Clowie got me?” Joe laughed airily, Evgeni finally managing to pull him aside discreetly into the empty hallway. “Late Christmas present.”
“Charming,” he snapped back impatiently, crossing his arms over his sweater-clad chest as he tilted his chin up to meet Joe’s gaze. As interesting as the conversation was, that wasn't what he dragged the larger man out here for.
“Yes?” Joe asked, cocking his head to the side, his mirth receding into seriousness when he saw Evgeni’s set face.
“‘Happy New Yhear’,” he parroted, attempting to mimic Joe's deeper voice, ignoring the fact that he failed miserably, just glad that the other knew to not laugh at him. Good man. “Ust-Kamenogorsk time, that's cute,” he said shortly, secretly soaking in the happy smile that spread over Joe's face when he was found out.
Shifting in place, Joe shrugged his shoulders with an air of nonchalance, his hands stuffing themselves deep into his pockets. “I figured, well, since I couldn't kiss you at midnight here…” he trailed off, a coy glint in his eye when Evgeni clicked his tongue and let his hands fall to his side.
It was sweet that Joe went to the trouble of doing that for him, Evgeni had to admit. He had waved away the focused attention by wearing an affronted mask, trying to hide his embarrassment that someone cared enough to do that for him by acting out—quite childish when he thought back on it, really. But he couldn’t help it! He wasn’t good at taking complements. Maybe he could let that one slide.
“Whell… thanks,” Evgeni mumbled, closing the gap between them in one stride and enveloping Joe with a tight hug, his hands bunching tightly into the fabric of the cotton shirt. “M-means a lot.” It was nice that someone remembered the place of his childhood besides himself. His chest tightened at the thought of home, and he inhaled the heavy, indescribable scent that always clung to Joe's clothing with a faraway smile. Pulling away, Evgeni wiped at his face vigorously with the back of his sleeve and stared up into Joe's imploring eyes as he pulled himself together.
“So, ah, when is it twelve in Ontario?”
“Nine,” the Canadian said without hesitation.
Checking his watch, Evgeni lips curled into a smile, and he watched as Joe's face lit up with curiosity.
“Then I'll meet yhou here in five minutes.”
-----
They didn’t have a chance to kiss at California’s midnight, as Joe had predicted. Devin had made sure everyone was celebrating in the same room, to boost ‘team spirit,’ he had called it. Considering they lost that very day, it wasn’t likely that the goaltender’s moral could get any lower. Oh, but Devin managed to prove him wrong yet again. Being forced into counting down to midnight really hit the proverbial nail on the head of the lowest of the lows in Evgeni’s book.
Devin was always making Evgeni’s life harder in one way or another. At least Joe promised they could celebrate Hawaii’s New Year together when they got back to his place later. That, he was okay with.
-----
The next game didn’t go much better, but at least it was a win.
He groaned inwardly, but nodded along with the headbumps and muttered ‘good job’s. If he had done a good job, then there wouldn’t have been the need of the scramble at the end to secure the win.
And against the last in the league of all teams. At home. Fantastic.
Evgeni wanted to bury his head in his arms and forget about the last twenty minutes, as they certainly were not his proudest. As it turned out, he was still on the ice, and it didn’t seem appropriate to start moping with the fans watching. Devin gave him an encouraging pat on the head, a goofy grin spread over his face as if all was well. Stupid Devin and his stupid smiling. But then he said what Evgeni really didn’t ever need to hear to make his other bothering qualities minor annoyances.
“Cheer up, mister Grouchy Pants! You need to turn that frown upside-down!”
Really! Speaking to him as if he were a child. The thought made Evgeni wrinkle his nose and scowl with distaste.
Glaring heatedly into the retreating back clad in teal, Evgeni was startled when a gloved fist bumped him on the mask. Refocusing his eyes, Evgeni’s frayed nerves settled at the sight of Joe beaming down at him. The pink lips parted, still shaped into a smile, and Evgeni’s ears perked up to catch the words that were certainly more sophisticated than Devin’s.
“Aww look,” Joe cooed, cuffing the ear of Evgeni’s helmet a bit with his palm. “Yer pouting.”
Or not. Really, what was Evgeni expecting, these were his teammates after all. His immature teammates, who liked hearing themselves talk; minus a select few, of course. Grumbling, the line of said teammates finally diminished as they headed back into the locker room, Evgeni skating not far behind.
The thunder of the sold-out crowd rumbled in the hallway, bouncing off the walls and echoing in the large, rectangular room where many players were already stripped down to their underwear; Patrick slipping on some slacks, as he was the quickest at stripping off the gear on the team.
Averting his gaze modestly, Evgeni shuffled over to his seat and plopped down with a well deserved sigh. He rid himself of the dripping wet jersey, thankfully more from the water that he poured over his head than sweat, but it was thrown haphazardly into the hamper in the middle of the room nonetheless. Numb fingers fiddled with the straps on his chest guard as he trained his eyes on the clumsy work, careful as to not catch a glimpse of the undressing.
It was embarrassing, having become so shy of this after so many years of it not affecting him. He didn’t know if it was more embarrassing not to look, or the thought of being found out. Evgeni bit his bottom lip and shrugged off the chest guard. He didn’t want to chance finding that other men’s rippling hard bodies aroused him as much as Joe’s did just yet. And he didn’t even want to think about what would happen if he did actually see Joe completely bare when everyone was changing. Would he get hard at the sight? He wouldn’t be able to keep at ay the thoughts that came with the sight of that athletic body, that was for sure. He didn’t want to chance it just in case; so he kept his eyes glued on the ground as he finished removing his right leg pad.
-----
He looked down at his naked body with disdain, he looked so… unclean. Rolling his shoulders back, the air surrounding his joints strained until the satisfying pops were heard, and Evgeni slumped back into his tired posture. It was as if his poor play of the game was grime; it stuck to him as a constant reminder of how he slacked off in the last minutes. It was unnecessary, his lack of attentiveness, and it made each step heavier as he trudged toward the showers, knowing that the water would wash away the disappointment, along with the smell, that radiated from him.
Once again, he kept his vision down as he entered, pretending to scratch at an angry red spot on the inside of his arm. Different pairs of feet loomed in the corner of his eyes, each a couple yards apart as he measured the distance in his head. Finally, he found an empty space between two pairs of legs, and Evgeni hurried over to the vacant shower before it was taken.
The hot water cascaded down his weary body, and a pleased rumble shook through his chest as the spray pounded into it. Streams drew artful lines over his muscles, shining in the light that bounced off the gleaming white tiles, wiping his skin clear of the game. It didn’t matter what happened, because now it was truly over. The tentative smile on his face grew when Evgeni let his head drop forward, the water bouncing off his scalp, the steam filling his nose and circulating in his bloodstream, buzzing with life like a swarm of bees.
He stood like that until the last occupied shower had turned off. A yawned ‘seeya’ headed out the door and Evgeni lifted his hand behind him in an attempt of a polite goodbye. He hummed happily, knowing that he was the last one in the showers, alone to his thoughts, alone to clean and touch himself without the presence of someone else watching. He knew it was silly, they were his teammates after all, and he trusted every single one of them… but it just seemed too intimate for him now. His eyes slipped closed when the water dripped down over his ears, the knowledge that the water was consuming him in a protective heat easing him into a fog of security.
“Ya gonna stand there all day?”
Of course Joe didn’t leave, what was Evgeni thinking, being left alone for a minute’s rest—impossible! Although, he was strangely tickled at the fact that Joe was there with him, but mostly just ticked, honestly.
“I whas planning on moving, yes,” Evgeni shot back, urging on Joe’s playful banter despite his earlier sour mood.
“Oh, that’s good,” the taller man hummed, his words sounding peculiarly closer than earlier.
“Sure…?” Evgeni agreed with a raised eyebrow, not exactly sure where Joe was headed with the conversation but going along with it anyway… Oh god. Going along with it? What had this man turned him in to? He didn’t have long to find out anyway, at least.
“Then ya can do something when I do this.” Now he was definitely closer than he was when he first spoke up.
Strong, chilly arms wrapped themselves around Evgeni’s lean midsection, a squawk of surprise escaping his mouth before he could stop himself. Jumping in his spot from one foot to another nervously, the goaltender tried to turn around, but the grip around him was too tight, the hands settling on his lower stomach keeping him firmly in place.
That was when Joe overstepped his second line.
“Joeee,” he whined, mindful that his halfhearted struggles weren’t going to get him anywhere, also aware that his already hardening cock wasn’t going to help his case.
“Hmm?”
What an obnoxious reply, Evgeni thought as a nose pressed into the base of his hairline. Contentedness began to cloud over his exasperation as more touches covered his body, Joe’s front creeping up to press against his backside.
“You look blue.”
At least Joe had the sense to at least sound sympathetic, Evgeni admitted begrudgingly. Huffing, he crossed his arms over his chest and feigned ignorance; he didn’t have to give it all upfront after all, seeing as he wasn’t the only one who could play Joe’s little—albeit childish—cat and mouse game.
“Well…” Evgeni drifted off without an ounce of a thought of what he would say next, but Joe nudged him on with a kiss behind his ear. The way Joe hung on his every word more gratifying than the sweet gesture pleased Evgeni more than he cared to admit. “I whas…” Hands coaxed him on with light fingers, daintily skimming over Evgeni’s lower abdominal muscles, both men laughing huskily when they twitched with appreciation. “Bhut I’m feeling better now,” Evgeni whispered teasingly, pleased to feel the purr against his back, the primal need stirring in his belly for more than the simple contact that they were sharing at the moment.
“You are?” Joe breathed into Evgeni’s heavy, dampened locks.
“Iya hope yhou’re not expecting me to say that ‘it’s because yhou’re here’,” Evgeni said flatly, his hand reaching over his shoulder to let his fingers tip-toe up Joe’s neck, the backs of his knuckles rubbing against the scruffy underside of the jaw.
“Wouldn’t dream of it,” came the throaty growl as lips pressed up against his ear, making Evgeni shiver, his belly tying themselves into intricate knots.
A not so innocent touch down there made Evgeni’s face heat up faster than the time it took for him to effectively spin around in Joe’s loosened hold. “Joe!” he barked, his cheeks burning a furious pink. “This is hardly the place.” If only he could get his protesting body to agree with him.
“Oh…”
The smaller man blinked with surprise; he didn’t know that Joe was even capable of creating the self-depreciated look that had the same magnitude of a kicked puppy. It almost made Evgeni feel sorry for him. Though, it wasn’t like he was going around showers starting things that he really shouldn’t to begin with.
The pity didn’t last long, as a devilish grin spread over the thin lips.
“Never did say I was conventional.”
A rough palm traveled down his side, Evgeni’s muscles twitching as the hand inched lower, and took to massaging circles into the flesh of his thigh. When Joe raised his hand, Evgeni couldn’t find it within himself to stop it. So he watched, mesmerized, as Joe wrapped the long leg around his waist, Evgeni’s goaltender flexibility making the action effortless on his part. Swallowing dryly, he closed his eyes in time to feel the gentle press of lips against his own.
“And admit it,” Joe smirked into Evgeni’s mouth. “You like it.”
He wanted to roll his eyes. Really, it wasn’t a matter of not liking it, it was a matter of voyeurism.
Joe’s hands fell back into place, each perching themselves on the angular hipbones as he parted his lips and sucked Evgeni’s lower one between his teeth, efficiently stopping anymore negative thoughts from prodding at the man's brain.
Kneading the brawny shoulders in his hands, Evgeni pushed himself onto the ball of his foot, trusting his balancing skills to stay relatively stable as he began a full-fledged make out session with Joe in the showers.
There was a muted clatter, a ricocheting noise around the room. It was hard for Evgeni to place where it was coming from when his vision inhibited with steam so thick that had made it hard for him to even see past Joe’s thighs.
“Did yhou hear that?” Evgeni hissed, instantly locking up in Joe’s embrace, his nails digging without relent into the shoulders, his leg, perched high on the waist, pulling Joe in closer as he tightened up. He glanced about wildly, his eyes darting from one side to the other, trying to catch a glimpse of a solid form beyond a few feet, but Joe nuzzling his neck proved to be quite an effective distraction. He never knew that he had a tickling fetish, but here he was in a public shower, mortified, growing harder by the second the longer the shortly clipped beard grazed under his chin. Squinting, he mentally squeezed himself out of succumbing to the tingling sensation that was rapidly spreading through his body, but all he could see was the smoky white wisps swirling, like the inside of a cloud.
“Shampoo prob’ly fell, Yev,” Joe murmured into his slicked, wet skin; the lips forming the sickeningly sweet pet-name over his jugular, Evgeni shuddering with poorly hid delight. He wanted to struggle, but it was hard to admit when Joe said his name like that, he was couldn’t help but listen… and more, when his thoughts began traveling to dirtier places.
“Iya suppose,” he sighed, giving up on fueling his own pride by finding the need to argue as he usually did.
There was a brief pause in Joe’s nibbling and sucking, as if he was taken aback at Evgeni’s compliance as well, but the smaller man growled, his hips bucking as his body pleaded to be touched once more.
His arousal slipped against the other hardened length, the wary notion of being caught fading into the peripheral of Evgeni’s concerns when Joe pushed him back through the lukewarm spray and shoved him roughly up against the wall. Prickles of the icy cold traveled up and down his spine, goosebumps settling over his alabaster skin at the sudden impact, his nipples budding until they were so stiff that they hurt.
His right wrist was grasped firmly as Joe wound his fingers around the flesh and bone, pressing it firmly against the wall slightly above Evgeni’s head. The freed hand combed with nimble fingers thoughtlessly through the wild tresses of curly hair as Joe placed his kisses lower and lower. He traveled from the sensitive jaw, over the sharp collar bone, and down the muscular chest, until finally his husky breath puffed over one of Evgeni’s erect nipples, his own toes curling when the cords of desire tightened its iron grip around his insides.
Joe’s eyes flickered up, the hazel-brown just barely as thick as thread, lining his black pupils, so infinite that Evgeni found himself slowly engulfed by them; it was like a solar eclipse, and was just as beautiful. With a look like that, Evgeni was willing to let Joe have his way with him right there in the showers, anything to keep that gaze on him. All the focused attention made a humble blush seep down to his chest, as he normally shied away from prying eyes; they made him uncomfortable. But that look… it stole him completely. He was plummeting continuously into the bottomless pools, the fall itself making his heart beat faster like the crescendo drum, the adrenaline pouring from his chest in waves, rushing through his veins to fill him from that intoxicating look. His fingers twitched and his breaths came in ragged gasps, he was overflowing with the clash of want and need, hoping, yet secretly knowing, that Joe would fulfill both if it was asked of him.
Those eyes. They were nothing more than another newfound object of Evgeni’s affections which Joe had miraculously provided. He had never known he could have been looked at in that way if not for that very private moment that they were sharing together. They were making Evgeni melt into a sopping pile of mush. Collapsing into himself until he was no more than a shivering puddle at their feet, in danger of being carried away down the drain with the rest of the water still sprinkling onto the tiled floor.
Stupid eyes for luring him, baiting him until he was caught. Stupid Joe for pulling him under.
He didn’t like that Joe was making him feel so good, so full, so found, so lost, so appreciated. He didn’t like all of that colliding into him like a brick wall of powerful emotions at the same time.
It was terrifying that someone could do this to him.
It was electrifying that he did the same to Joe.
Evgeni knew that he had the same exact look in his eyes; the look that opened up his innermost desires, and that opened up himself. The fact that the fright and confusion, excitement and vulnerability were returned made Evgeni accept the clashing feelings a tiny bit more.
Urging the man on with a keening whimper of delight, Evgeni shuttered his eyes and dropped his head against the wall with a thud, arching closer to the warm body and away from the unbearably freezing wall. A warm chuckle flitted over his dusty-pink nipple like a teasing breeze, the hand at his wrist squeezing in reassurance before lips wrapped themselves around the pinched flesh.
A shrill squeal clattered around the room as Evgeni thrashed in place, his eyes raised toward the ceiling, blinking away the spots that danced across his vision as a tongue joined the prodding lips. The glossy organ swirled deftly around the nub, the motion sending jolts of please spiraling down to his groin, heating his belly, and spiraling ripples of pleasure all the way through his cock, leaving Evgeni’s knees weak and his lungs desperate for air.
He had ceased his affectionate pets to Joe’s mop of soaking hair, his fingers now wrenched tight in the strands to keep himself from buckling. His other hand clenched until his nails bit into his palm, looking for something to cling onto as well, but Joe’s grip on his wrist remained insistent.
He felt so helpless, caught between the wall and the hard, and very naked body, both pressing against him as an ever present reminder that he had nowhere run. His hands were left immobile, one caught in the talons of the predator, the other, making sure that Joe didn’t stop making him the prey.
He let go, and it was worth it.
When Evgeni finally collected himself and peered down, he noticed that the thick haze of steam had cleared. Through the dying mists, movement from the corner of his sight jolted Evgeni’s attention to the entrance of the room, as Devin emerged, sauntering into the showers.
It took all of three seconds for Devin to locate his currently occupied teammates, but when he did, Evgeni watched with wide-eyes as a multitude of emotions flashed across the young man’s face. Stalk-still in the hands of Joe, who still had no notion of the horrible invasion, Evgeni flinched noticeably when Devin had the nerve to actually start walking toward them. To make things worse, he had the stupidest grin stretched over his abnormally full lips. Evgeni just wanted to tear the damn, fucking, stupid thing off and stomp on it until it stopped smiling, but he couldn’t even find it within himself to move.
A strained whimper wavered though his lips as insistent teeth began to graze over his nipple, which was still inappropriately hard, as well as his dick, given the situation. Joe’s free hand joined his tongue’s eager caresses, choosing that wonderful time to start fondling Evgeni’s left pectoral, only succeeding in making Devin’s eyes grow round and Evgeni’s face flush a sure shade of crimson.
He had to be masochistic, he had to be. There was no other reason to explain why he was still watching the uninvited third party amble over to them, and why he still hadn’t barked at Joe to stop groping him in the public shower.
“Awesome!” The sophomore slapped a hand on Joe’s shoulder, winking down at him when the man was forcefully jolted to reality, a look of dumbstruck mixed with horror befalling his features when they locked eyes. “Awesome!” Devin repeated, perhaps even more vivaciously when he looked toward Evgeni. Then he raised both of his hands near his face, his double thumbs-up matching the crooked, toothy smile.
“Holy fuck,” Joe wheezed against Evgeni’s chest as Devin took to the shower next to them as if nothing was out of the ordinary.
“Ohmygod,” Evgeni mumbled, burying his face into his left hand, his right caught in the vice-like grip of Joe, who was frozen to the spot.
Neither man moved an inch from the time Devin came into the showers, both locked up with terror and humiliation. They were thrown encouraging looks telling them to continue from time to time, joined in with the occasionally muttered “awesome” and “don’t stop on my account!”. But Evgeni still hadn’t managed to pull his face away from his hand, and Joe up from his crouch.
The five minutes that it took Devin to wash off and shampoo his hair felt like an eternity of waiting. Evgeni didn’t know which was worse, the fact that someone was right there watching, or the fact that he was still stiff as a board. Joe concealed his face into the crook of Evgeni’s arm, trying to hide from the undeniably embarrassing situation. It was Devin of all people. Really.
The companion pitter-patter spray of the shower next to theirs ended abruptly, signaling that the unwelcome presence was one step closer to leaving the two of them alone. But the padding of feet only grew louder, definitely not the sound of one walking the opposite direction, much to Evgeni’s dismay.
“You shouldn’t be wasting water; we’re in a crisis, you know!”
It was hard to say if it was brashness, ignorance, or just plain perversion that led to Devin reaching between the statuesque bodies to push the shower handle lever into the ‘off’ position. Instantly, all other sounds besides Devin’s content humming and steps ended as he walked out the door. Spreading his forefinger and middle finger apart, Evgeni brought himself to watch the agonizingly slow retreat, groaning inwardly when the man paused, settling his hand on the door frame.
Turning around with that same stupid, stupid, stupid grin on his face, Devin nodded at Evgeni with a hint of satisfaction. “Keep it up, guys!” He gave another thumbs-up. “You just earned me fifty bucks and gloating rights!” Then he shot out the door before his words could sink in. “Suck it, Mitchell!” he yelled to no one in particular as he scampered down the hall, the slam of the locker room door bouncing through the entire lower level floor of the HP Pavilion.
“Maybe we should save this for another time…” Joe whispered hesitantly into Evgeni’s arm, as if testing to see if Devin didn’t come back with more prying eyes. Thankfully all was silent, taking pity on Joe and Evgeni’s already compromising situation.
“Joe. We’re naked,” Evgeni croaked, finally wrenching his hand away from the wall to indicate their bare lower halves, both hardened to full arousal.
Joe licked his lips nervously, stepping back to get a good look, eyeing the two glistening cocks hungrily; “Heh… so… ya liked it too?”
Smacking the broad chest with a snap of his wrist, Evgeni huffed crossly. Didn’t he understand that this was a serious matter?
“M’sorry,” Joe mumbled abashedly, bowing his head with a well-deserved blush, as he certainly didn’t need to go around suggestion such things. “Ah, well, a-at least he’s seen it all before, yeah?” he offered with a hopeful twitch of the lips, trying to catch Evgeni’s line of sight with his own eyes, but failing miserably as the man pinned up against the wall skillfully avoided him.
Evgeni groaned dejectedly and buried his face into Joe’s arm.
-----
To be Continued
-----
I just can’t make it easy for these two. Oh well. Review to see what happens next? Because seriously. You want what happens next if you are a true hockey slash fan. Just saying.
-Nabby loves his cognac and Joe knows that-
-Ryane Clowe bought Joe some speedos, as mentioned on Joe's facebook page-
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}