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MitchThe going away party they held for Jack went about how they'd planned it to go. Golf, food, drinks and of course, watching Jack's favourite movie, Happy Gilmore. It was one last hoorah for the Leaf's team that they had built together. He would be lying if he said he wasn't nervous for Jack's parting.Jack wasn't the perfect goalie, though the team managed to make some good things happen with him behind them. The two of them had gotten really close and Mitch would really miss having Jack to turn to. Mitch makes his way to the kitchen to refill his cup when he spots Jack playing with Zeus. Mitch of course offered to hold the party at his house, it's a sick place."Hey Soup," he greets, bending down to be at Jack's level."Hi buds, what's going on?""Just wanted to see what you're up to over here. Don't you wanna join the guys? Brods might be on his sixth shot," Mitch replied remembering the face of a plastered Brodie."Oh, is he okay? Maybe I should join them and check up on him," Jack has a worried look across his face that makes Mitch smile."Don't worry about him, Mo's got a lot of water on standby.""That's good, wouldn't want him getting hurt. We need him strong out there, defending me," he laughs but his smile fades as he remembers his destiny with the Oilers.Now Mitch is the one with the worried expression. He's used to seeing Jack beat himself up over things but this is a new situation to navigate. He puts his hand on Jack's knee and squeezes lightly."Bud it's gonna be alright, no matter where you go, you'll always be Jack. No one can take away you're souperman saves."That gets a smile out of Jack. Mitch pulls him into a hug and it crushes him that he won't be able to be around for him like this. He feels Jack shake and it breaks something in him, though someone stumbling into the doorway stops his train of thought."I've had enough water, I need some fuckin' Gatorade at least," TJ says, as he makes his attempt into the kitchen, "oh are we hugging? Let's hug."Less then a second later TJ wraps them in a messy hug, probably drooling on Mitch's shoulder, though he tries not to think about it. He forgot how wild Brodes gets when he's drunk."Okay buds, how about we get some lighter liquids in you," Jack says as we pulls out of the embrace."Weird way to put it Soupy," Brodes giggles as he gets seated on one of the stools.Jack blushes but it's not surprising as he blushes at most things."Christ, this is the guy people think could be mayor," Mitch states as Jack puts the Gatorade in front of him."The night is still young for Mayor Brodie!" Which he yells the last bit basically falling off the stool, making his way back to the guys. Luckily, he takes the drink with him."He's right, I shouldn't be in here sulking. I wanna spend my last party here with all my buds," Jack says with the most genuine tone."You know this won't be the last party with us?" Mitch can't help but worry."Mitchy I know. Let's just have fun, c'mon I don't wanna think about it," he grabs Mitch by the arm and pulls him to where Brodie left them.Ouch. Mitch reaches at his pounding head even before opening his eyes. The drinking after Jack and him joined the guys definitely didn't forget about him. When his eyes start to adjust, he checks his phone to see it's only 8:47 am. He refuses to wake up that early after the night he had, so he closes his eyes and readjusts on his couch. There seems to be an obstacle stopping him because when he tries to move his legs, all he feels is them being crushed.Sighing, his eyes open for what he swears will be the last time before at least 10, and his eyes catch on the floppy brown haired man at the end of his couch."Jesus John, when'd you get so heavy," he whispers as he tries to get himself out from under John's massive back. How did John even manage to sleep like this?He pushes John's shoulder up and frees himself from the prison that John kept him in."Hmmpf, Mitchy?" John stammers out, starting to get up."Just grabbing some water, go back to sleep Johnny it's too early, even for you," Mitch pushes him back into the couch and tossles the other man's hair. He's satisfied when John's light snoring continues.On the way to his kitchen, he avoids stepping on any teammates who've resorted to sleeping on the floor. That's gonna be a bitch to deal with when they get up.Holding onto his head, he makes his way to his sink, grabs a cup, and pours himself a glass of water. He's not fussy about tap water, leave him be. The water feels refreshing as it goes down his throat. After gulping down the remaining water, he remembers the previous night and decides to check on Jack.Having trouble navigating his own home, he knocks into a few walls, whispering Jack's name, as to not wake the others. Mitch is really having a horrible time with walking already but it makes it worse when the screen door to his backyard loudly opens."What the fuck is wrong with you?" Mitch asks a confused Auston, walking through the door, "I thought you were Jack." Kudos to him for attempting to be mildly quiet as he closed the door."He's gone," Auston states simply."What do you mean he's gone?" Mitch asks dumbfounded."I've looked for him everywhere. Nowhere to be seen."Willy wanders into the room, sharing Mitch's symptoms."Can you guys calm down, they could probably hear you in Sweden," he jokes, managing a smile."Soup's gone, he's not here," Auston tells him."He can't be gone, maybe he went to get Tim's or maybe he went upstairs," Mitch tries to convince himself. What other reason could he be gone?"After last night I'd be more worried he left the house at all," Willy mentions as he makes his way to a chair. Auston stares at Mitch."What?""Don't you think you should check upstairs, idiot?" Auston replies like it's the most obvious thing."Dude, I thought you checked everywhere.""I can't believe you'd think of me as the type of guest to go through your room. Just look, I'll try calling him," he sighs, "Again."Mitch turns and make his way for the stairs. And because apparently nothing can go right, he bumps into something. No, someone. John."Woah, there," John steadies him with his hand on Mitch's shoulder, "slow down, what's up?" John asks."Jack's gone, we can't find him, I'm checking for him in my room.""What? Why would Jack be in your room?" John thinks. Mitch laughs at that typical concentrated John look."Who knows, but I'd better check before Auston gets even more pissy," Mitch adds as he pushes past John."You want me to check with you?" John asks. Mitch almost says yes but by the way John got dizzy just by turning around to look at him, it's not a good idea."No, but thanks Johnny. Auston and Willy are in the kitchen, they'll tell you about it. And drink water." Mitch commands as he holds onto the railing extra tight.He looks in the bathrooms which holds no one except maybe a spider he got too freaked out to kill the other day. Checking all the rooms seemed to be meaningless as he found no Jack in any of them. He looks at his bedroom door actually hoping there might be Jack, snooping through his things. It's no surprise when he finds nothing and right when he turns to leave the room, he notices something that wasn't there before.A note lays on his dirty socks he left on the ground. He picks it up and confusion hits him as he reads."You sucked with me in net, imagine how much worse you'll be without. -J"Mitch could not be more stunned. He feels a shiver down his spine because that does not sound like Jack at all. But who else with the "J" initial who played in net for the Leafs is leaving messages for Mitch. He stuffs the note in his pocket and makes his way downstairs.All eyes are on him as he entered the kitchen. A few of the other guys seemed to have joined them with coffee brewing in the pot."He wasn't up there," he states plainly. That note was weird, maybe it was some sick joke but he didn't need it to mess with anyone's head. Not because it had already messed with his own. Definitely not."Hasn't answers the phone either, even when Muzzy called," Willy says as Jake looks down worriedly."I mean I'm sure he'll turn up. Maybe he left early, he still had a few things to pack for Edmonton," John says as he tries to reassure the group."I'll call Ashley, she'll tell us if she's heard from him," Jake says as he leaves the room."You'd think he'd at least say bye," Auston says as he pours himself some coffee."Maybe it was too hard for him, we all know how he's a sensitive guy," Mo adds.Mitch thinks about how these are all rational ideas but that note is really bugging him. He should have brought it up earlier but it's weird if he tells them now. He meets John's suspicions eye and Mitch knows John knows when something's up. It could be a captain thing or just a John thing.Muzzin walks back into the room with a strange look on his face."They left. To Edmonton. They're on the plane right now.""What the hell, why isn't she on airplane mode? They could crash," Willy wonders."You can use your phone on some planes, Willy," Mo sighs."Jack left for Edmonton without saying goodbye. Are you guys not hearing this?" Jake exclaims."Not really something you like to hear," Auston looks away. The room gets quiet."Well did Ashley say anything else?" John asks, breaking the silence."Just that Jack's sad and couldn't face us," Jake grumbles as he sits, "like I get it but c'mon man."Jack loved them like family. It makes no sense for him to write something like that. That note is something Jack would get mad at someone for joking about. Unless maybe he couldn't face Mitch after telling him how he truly felt. He feels sick."We all love Jack but we can't dwell on how he left us. Obviously he cares a lot and didn't want to deal with saying goodbye to this group. Next time we see him it'll be better but for now we need to give him space," Jake doesn't look convinced but he listens to John's words, "we have a season starting soon, we don't have time for distractions if we're gonna be the cup contenders I know we are," John finishes.John's captain speech does seem to help raise moral. The guys start nodding in agreement and changing the conversation topic. Mitch smiles at John which the other reciprocates as he makes his way to the window. He can trust John, everything will be alright.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
JohnOctober 30The walk back to the dressing room is quiet after the OT loss to Anaheim. Some may say it's comforting that the team is blowing 3-1 leads again but to the team, it's a bad sign. John may have had some looks but he wasn't able to pull through in the end.He ducks his head as he gets to his stall, still panting from his last shift. It's not like this game was one that stood out or even that it was important to win, but they could have easily had an easy win. When putting his gear away, John notices a small piece of a paper tucked in the side of his cubby. Looking around suspiciously, he returns his gaze to the folded up note.It reads, "Better luck next time! Different year, same shitty player. -J""What the hell," John whispers under his breath.Auston looks over, obviously concerned, "you alright there, Johnny?"Quickly, John crumbles the note and tosses it back into his stall. "Yeah, just thinking of what we could've done better."Before Auston could question his response, Keefe enters the room ready to question what the fuck happened out there. John is usually the person paying the most attention, ready to get better with each loss but he keeps rereading those words in his head. Who the hell would write that? The "J" initial didn't help much either considering Justin Holl was the only guy around tonight with that initial and he seems to be down on himself enough to be worrying about John. John's not a shitty player, he knows that. But someone obviously believes it enough to tell him."Right John?" Sheldon interrupts."Uh yeah, yeah right," John adds hoping that answer pleases his coach."Alright so next game we're all gonna stand on our heads and play pin the tail on the fuckin' donkey, right boys? Keep your focus here, anything else doesn't matter when we're in this building. We all know you guys can do better and you will once you all remove your heads from your asses," Keefe continues as he gives John a stern look to which he nods at. That wasn't the answer Keefe was looking for apparently.It feels like getting yelled at by someone who usually sees the best of you and it's shaken John up quite a bit. Most of the guys are stunned as Sheldon leave the room but he can hear a few hidden chuckles at that big display. He sighs and looks up only to be met by a staring Mitch. He looks like he's concentrating or maybe he believes if he stares at John long enough, he'll explode. Possibly both. John shakes his head at Mitch in confusion to which Mitch catches himself and looks away.John's ready for this night to be over as he grabs his things to leave. He makes sure to tuck the folded note into his pocket as he leaves the room.
AustonThe training facility is quiet after tonight's game. That's why Auston thought it would be the perfect time to get some extra work in to really focus on his game. He walks to the weights and starts to set his preferred plates on the sides. He places himself underneath the bar and gets ready for his first set. Though as he gets settled under the weights, he feels the bar wobbling and gets up to check the equipment.Before he even gets the chance, the bar comes falling down over the headrest, hitting the ground with a bang. Auston's stunned into a silence to which he doesn't believe what had just happened. He reaches for his neck, feeling for where he could've been killed just a minute ago. Almost as if he's on autopilot, he picks up the plates and starts returning them to their spot.He debates whether to call one of the staff but decides against it because of the time of day. He decides to leave a note by the equipment that explains the mess.When he reaches the desk he automatically reaches for the pen left on the table and pulls the notepad towards him. Instead of the blank note he was used to seeing, he's greeted with handwriting he's unfamiliar with."Next time, it'll be your head. -J""What the fuck," Auston says.Auston starts breathing heavily as he turns to see if anyone's watching him. Without thinking, he picks up his phone to call the first person he sees. The lucky person seems to be Willy. He clicks his contact and immediately is greeted with the dial tone. Thankfully it doesn't take long to get an answer."Hey Tone, it's been a while, how are you?" An upbeat William jokes."Where are you? I need you to come to our training facility," he states without explanation."I'm in the garage, what's all this about?" Willy complains but Auston is glad to hear the sound of him exiting his car and locking it."I think someone tried to kill me. Like full on decapitate me with weights," Auston whispers blankly."Are you serious man, what the fuck," Willy's steps quicken."I mean I don't know for sure but it seems probable," Willy goes quiet, "it's not like someone tried to stab me or anything, like there's no killer here but— fuck can you just come here," Auston pleads."I'm going as quick as I can, don't worry, I'll be there soon, bye," Willy says, trying to end the call."Please don't hang up," he sounds pathetic, "I'm just kinda freaked out is all.""I'm here, I won't leave," Willy says and Auston believes him.
WilliamWhen William finally gets to the facility, he takes a pause to catch his breath. He really was moving quickly. Once he sees Auston sitting against the wall on the ground, he hangs up the phone.His steps seem to grab Auston's attention as the other man stands up. He fidgets as Willy gets closer which is something rare to see from the man."Hey buddy, how're you holding up?" Willy asks with his hand rested on the taller man's shoulder. Though Auston has a few inches on Willy, he leans into the touch, exhaling like he hasn't let down his guard since the "incident"."I don't know man, I've been kinda freaking out too much to think about it," Auston mumbles. After a while he turns and leads Willy to the bench."What the hell happened here? Faulty equipment? We need to invest in sturdier bars I guess but I doubt any staff would do this on purpose," Willy responds. Maybe Auston was being dramatic. It was a scary thing, sure, but no one tried to murder him.Auston shakes his head as he rolls his eyes, staring at the ceiling. He takes out a notepad from within his pocket and pushes it towards Willy's chest. Willy scrunches his face at Auston because he has no idea why he's acting like this. Though as he reads the words "Next time, it'll be your head. -J", his eyes widen."Oh no you're right maybe they just wanted to give me a little head massage," Auston says not even trying to hide his sly smirk at Willy."This is fucking insane, I don't know how you can still be sarcastic after that," Willy says. He can't even be mad at Auston for that. He should thank Auston for not punching him because if the roles were reversed Willy might struggle with a peaceful response."Who the hell would write that? I thought I could've misunderstood something but that note had to have been left for me," Auston debates."I mean, we call the cops right? What else is there to do?" Willy responds."I guess but how will they even find the guy?" Auston asks."Cameras. And whoever did this was stupid enough to leave a letter to go by so whoever "J" is won't last long," Willy answers quickly."Will, think of how many people have the first letter as "J" in their name. Not sure it's the quickest way to finding someone," Auston says, looking at Willy like he just said the dumbest thing.Willy just waves him off. They could go all night, back and forth with their ideas but in the end, they should really stop dragging this out. Willy is a little nervous calling the police for this. What if they can't find the guy and he tries again? It's a sickening thought as Willy tries to shake it off.His phone is staring back at him as he typed in the three digits. Auston peers over his shoulder, waiting for his next move. Willy doesn't know when it was agreed upon that he was going to be the one calling but he doesn't want to put this on Auston after the night he had.Just when he gets the courage to press the call button, a text stops him. The lack of a number catches him off guard as he clicks the message. William's eyes trail over the words:"Call them and I'll let the world know who's to blame for a certain goalie tampering. -J"After reading those words, Willy pulls the screen to his chest as quickly as he can. The thoughts that run through his mind are of guilt and regret. Who is this "J" dude and how do they know this. He tries to remember the times he talked himself down after his decision to run Soup out of town. It sounds horrible when he thinks it and it's getting more difficult to remember his reasons.When he looks up to meet Auston's eyes, the other man's half opened mouth and contorted eyebrows give away that he's found out. He tries to find the words which might help explain himself but his dry mouth and rapid heart rate aren't helping his case.Auston breaks the silence with a raspy voice, "Willy what are they talking about? Please tell me it's not what I think it is." He looks to Willy as if pleading for an answer he knows he won't get.Willy debates lying though what would be the use? He just wants the look Auston's giving him to stop but that's one wish he won't get. Willy sighs as he slides his back down the wall to sit on the ground. Auston joins him at his side, peering over to look at his face. Willy's eyes stay glued to the floor.There's rumblings on what comes next for the leafs and their goalie issue. After having Jack Campbell to rely on for the last couple of years, could change improve or worsen their situation?Players are always told to stay out of signings and focus on their game. But even as Willy tried to enjoy his time off, his brain kept wondering back to how they'll get through the new season. He has faith in his buds and knows how they can pull through no matter their situation. But thinking back on this past season leaves Willy's heart racing more than usual. He doesn't want to go back to always out scoring their problems. Their problems. His stomach turns when he sees a flash of Jack in his head. The man's all smiles, showing off his kind features.He feels horrible for worrying about one of his greatest friends returning to the leaf's net next season. Keeping the group together should be something that bonds the group up a greater point. Even though Willy would kill for that guy, he might also kill to not have him in net.As Willy sits on his couch in his Swedish home, he presses his palms over his closed eyes. He knows from asking around that Jack's manager is hoping to get about $5 AAV. He knows Jack would take less to stay but his management doesn’t care about that. Not only is that amount unreasonably high, but that could mess up other postseason signings. He shakes his head. Fuck, why is he so worked up about this?Enough is enough. Willy isn't one to wait around for problems to solve themselves. He opens his laptop and debates his next steps. When he opens gmail, he's faced with an email different to his. He looks to the email to see Jack's email logged in. It takes him a moment to remember the time Jack asked him to borrow his laptop to email his grandmother. His kind and questioning gaze floating in his mind is enough for Willy to almost throw his laptop across the room. Though the way Jack's still signed in, convinces himself that this is a sign.It takes him a minute, but after figuring out who could be the most desperate team, Willy decides on the oilers. At least he could have Zach and be playing with some great players like McDavid and Draisaitl. That thought makes it easier for Willy to start the next step. Finding an annoying oilers insider was pretty simple and the one he landed on also had a big mouth. He opens a draft for his email. Let's keep it short and sweet."Looking for $5 AAV please I'm good"Willy didn't excel in English class so he struggles to find the words. Though, he can tell that won't cut it. He deletes the characters and tries again."I'm looking for $5 AAV from a good team and that seems like the oilers."Ugh. Sounds too much like a dating profile. Plus he hates complimenting the oilers. One last try, this shouldn't be hard."Hi, just putting it out there that I'm looking for $5 AAV. Would love to experience a new hockey market:) -J"That sounds like Jack. He sends it before being able to think twice. Before he closed the tab, he deleted the sent message, hoping to hide his secret. This is for the good of the team, Willy reminds himself as he screams into a pillow."Why would you do that?" Auston asks looking at Willy. Willy's eyes are staring at his shoes because he hasn't found the courage to look at Auston yet."I thought I was helping. Thought it'd help the team," Willy tried but he can't seem to truthfully defend himself. He doesn't know if he himself is still on his side.Auston shakes Willy's forearm to get his attention. Willy finally looks up and is met with Austin's face with an expression that he can't read. When Auston starts to move, Willy braces himself for a hit or any sort of retort for what he has just admitted to. But instead, Auston pulls Willy into his arms and Willy lets out tears he didn't know were threatening to come out.They sit like that for a while. When Willy's breathing slows, he's embarrassed to look back into Auston's eyes. But when he meets them, Auston gives him a pitied look. And when Auston's lips press against Willy's cheek, he loses the plot completely.Willy can't help the blush that's crept up onto his face when he asks with a confused smile, "What was that for?""It's a European thing, no? Thought it'd make you feel better," Auston says. a little embarrassed, somehow managing to say it like it's the most obvious thing.Willy bursts out laughing, which encourages Auston to join in."You're so fucking dumb," he manages as he holds his ribs.That earns him a light punch in the shoulder, "Now I know not to be a caring teammate."Willy rolls his eyes but they have admiration in them, "I appreciate it, it was sweet. I do feel better."Now Auston's the one to blush and shakes his head before the conversation can continue."Look I get why you cared but I cannot believe you sent that email, almost selling Jack like a hooker or something," Auston smiles."Okay, stop I don't feel good about it," he remembers the message that he worked so hard to perfect, "oh fuck.""What's wrong now?" Auston questions, concern replacing his happy features."There's something that can't be a coincidence between the email I sent, the note you got," Auston goes stiff at the reminder, "and the message I got. All signed by J. We both know who I was imitating by using that letter.""And we know who would have a reason to be mad at you and the team but Jack wouldn't try to kill me," Auston replies."Who else could it be? Who else would know?"The room turns silent as the two men can't come up with another idea."Well I guess calling the police is out of the question," Auston says, changing the subject.Willy gives Auston a small smile. Auston could have easily still called the cops and have had Willy's secret come out. But, at times like these, he remembers how close the team is and he knows he’ll need to repay Auston for this.Though it's a scary thought that this person knows his secrets and can blackmail them into not reporting an almost murder. It freaks Willy out but he'd rather not return Auston to his freaked out state.Willy places a hand on Auston's knee, meeting his gaze, "let's get outta this place."Auston nods as he gets up first, offering a hand to Willy next. Willy offers to drive Auston home if he was nervous to be alone but he declined. The truth is, is that Willy was the one who ended up more frightened that night.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
MitchNovember 11Today’s an important game. They play to honour these legends that came before them. Nerves are expected as he shakes his head of any negative thoughts.He's been playing well, though not everyone seems to believe that. Right now, all that matters is the game at hand. When he's putting on his gear, he feels something itching at his hip. He reaches to feel what's wrong with his gear, to feel a small piece of paper. With apprehension, he unfolds the paper to read;"Playing in front of all these legends. Maybe they'll be proud of the game you play or maybe they'll be disappointed… just like your dad. -J"Mitch's forehead creases with the amount of disgust he feels. But that feeling is better than the embarrassment that creeps up on him. He has almost forgotten that letter which he received early in the summer. Why wait so many months just to come back and harass him? Attacking him about his dad was a low blow too. The ceremony's going to start soon. This asshole can't mess him up, not again. This time, he throws the letter in the trash and starts walking out of the dressing room. But not without John following his movements with rising concern.
JohnMitch catches John's eye in a stranger way than normal. His usual cheery attitude was replaced with a deer caught in headlights sort of look. John thinks of himself as a pretty perceptive guy, but he still prides himself with the fact that he noticed Mitch with a note. No need to be worried about the fact that Mitch read a note, but the way his face changed as he threw away the paper made John worry. He didn't want to invade his teammates privacy, but would he be a good captain if he didn't find out what was upsetting Mitch? It could affect his game. This is the right thing.When John gets to the trash can, he winced as he thinks about his hand going in there. He sucks it up and rummages a bit until he sees a small crumpled up note. He pulls it out, proud of himself for his scavenging efforts. Before he can read the note, he notices someone in front of him to which he looks up to see Pierre. He's sporting the most judging, disgusted face he could muster up."Why are you in the trash?" Engvall asks him, pouting."Oh I was just putting this in the recycling, you know, gotta save the planet!" He musters up."I didn't know dumpster diving was a Canadian classic," Pierre states with a straight face."Ha. Ha," John smiles, "you'll be thanking me in twenty years when the seasons still change.""And thanks to you, the water'll still be pure! Wash your hands cap, we have a big game," he pats John on the back with a smile and heads off.John laughs and does as suggested. Only after does he remember the reason he traumatized Pierre with his raccoon behaviour. Poor guy. Anyway, he pulled the note from where he stashed it in his pocket to read those words.His mouth is agape and eyes wide when he registers the "J" signed at the bottom of the note. John doesn't know what to think first. Mitch must be so upset about the mention of his father. He doesn't mention the man very often and when he does it's usually with sarcasm or in passing. He had told John a bit about his relationship with his father in the past, but John didn't push for more information, not wanting to overstep. The letter underneath the words mock him as he remembers his past note. Why is this person bothering both him and Mitch? What do they have against them and how do they know all these things?Wait. If Mitch read that note, then saw John staring, what if he thought John wrote that? Now John was stressing. Maybe John was the only one Mitch told about his dad and that "J" initial doesn't help his case. He rubs his hands over his hair as he stares at the note. Mitch probably hates him. He has got to talk to him and soon.
WillyThe ceremony for these hockey legends is so inspiring. All these players that William has looked up to standing together in front of Willy is incredible. Borje Salming especially inspires Willy as a fellow Swede with everything he's done for Swedish players. He feels starstruck and amazed with how much he has affected him and those around him. Willy even noticed Pierre getting teary eyed during his introduction, and he's a rock. He smiles, turning back to Borje and enjoys the rest of the ceremony.The first period starts off alright. He's happy for his boy Zach for the goal against his old team to which always happens against the leafs. It's nice for the opposite to happen. But late in the second, Malkin scores. All Willy can do is sigh. Not a bad goal but those late goals are always annoying. Lowers moral going into the second.When he gets to the locker room after the first, he sits down and removes his helmet. He looks over to Källgren, where he sits kind of slumped over. He decides to walk over and nudges Källy on the shoulder. When the other Swede looks up, Willy gives him a small smile."Calm down. It's only one goal, we'll get it back," when he looks unconvinced, Willy continues, "I know you look up to a lot of those guys here tonight and I promise they're gonna be happy for you no matter the performance. Especially Borje, imagine how proud he is to have a Swede starting for his old team."That makes Erik smile and it warms Willy's heart. He pats his goalie once more on the head and moves back to his stall. The guy’s too hard on himself and he doesn't deserve all this pressure.
The second period is almost starting and Willy returns to his stall to grab his helmet when he sees a piece of paper sitting in it. He picks it up to read;"I'm glad that one goalie gets these pep talks. I wonder if you'll try to get rid of him just like me. -J"Willy's heart races. No way that's not from Jack. The goalie talk, the fact that he knows about what he did with Jack's contract. His mind jumps back to the time when Auston
called him nervously. That has to be the same person, right? But it just doesn't make sense to him. How is did he deliver the note and hear what happened with Källy. He doesn't have time for this. Not now. He pushes the note behind some equipment in his cubby and follows the guys out.After the second period, they're still tied, but only after a sick goal from himself. Take that, Jack, or whoever you are. The note fuelled his passion, now let's hope this doesn't anger him.The third period starts with a weak one going in. His heart hurts for Källy but if the guys work together, they could still win this.No matter their efforts or lack of, a loss comes their way with Pittsburgh getting the empty netter. They walk to the dressing room, unhappy with themselves. Keefe tries to muster up some encouraging words near the end of his spiel which only helps somewhat. The guys are tired and they all just want to go home. Willy strips as he's normally the first to get out of his gear. He reaches for the note he had, hoping to store it in his pockets for after his shower. He needs to share this with Auston. But now's not the time as Auston looks pretty defeated right now. When he has the note, he feels it thicker than before. Upon further investigation, he realizes there's a second note placed with the other."Tell Källgren about how horrible he played tonight and make it hurt. Otherwise "the Jack thing" gets spilled, starting with Dubas. Don't test me. -J"Fuck, fuck, fuck. Willy puts the notes in his pants pocket and walks to the showers. He hit the door frame as he enters. This psycho is controlling his life. He can't do that, not to Källy. But it'll be worse if he ends up kicked off the team or even out of the NHL for what he's done. He shakes his head as he gets under the warm water. He's fucked. No matter what he does, he's a horrible person. Willy turns off the tap and wraps a towel around his waist. Before he can get out of the showers, he bumps into just who he didn't want to see.Källy and his sweet, innocent face stares back at him. Even though Erik's the same age as him, he's always felt protective over the other man."Thank you, for before I mean, sorry I couldn't play well enough," Erik says, almost about to turn."I'm glad you noticed that you played like shit," Willy's venomous words clearly alarm Erik with his reaction."We can't always out score this sad excuse for goaltending, and if we can't win the important ones what can we win?" Willy keeps going, "With Borje and all these legends in the building you couldn't pull through? You're an AHL goalie and that's all you'll ever be," Willy spits, feeling tears welling up.Källy beats him to it, as his tears escape and he leans with his head in his hands against the wall. William's left standing in front of him stunned. Willy turns around to see Gio standing behind him, stunned."What the hell is your problem? Just cause you scored once makes you the big man around here? Get the hell out of here!" Gio spits, looking disgusted with Willy. Källy looks up, clearly feeling at fault for the situation. But Gio just wraps his arms around him and tries to calm him down. Willy walks out feeling like he needs another shower or maybe to just get out of his skin.He looks up to Gio so much and to have him believe Willy meant those words is like a punch in the gut. And Kally's face, fuck. He might never forget it. He changes quickly hoping to avoid Erik and Gio. But he's still too slow when he sees Gio's hard stare at him when he walks in with Källy. The air is tense and the room can feel it. Some of the others look around and question this but before Willy could be involved, he runs out.AustonHe decides to follow Willy out of the room after that display in the locker room, wondering what's going on. With the way Gio's face looked at Willy, he must have really messed up. To get Gio mad, especially at Willy, was a tough job and somehow Willy excelled at that tonight. Auston sees Willy exiting towards the parking lot to which he follows.He catches up to the Swede, grabbing his shoulder so he's facing him. Willy's eyes are red and he looks tired. It catches Auston off guard, not expecting to find him so defeated."You ran outta there so fast I barley caught up," Auston says trying to break the ice."Yeah, just needed some air."Auston's puzzled by his closed off response. He stays quiet not wanting to upset Willy more than he already is."Were you gonna say something? Cause if not I'm heading home," Willy adds, looking for a reaction in Auston's face.Auston's eyebrows knit together, "no!" He clears his throat, "I mean I just wanted to talk, uh wanna come to my house?"He decides to invite him in a quick thought but something's up with Willy and he needs to find out what's going on. Though he feels embarrassed when Willy's slow to answer."C'mon, obviously somethings up," he switches his know-it-all tone to a softer one, "you should really talk it out.""Fine, but I'll take my own car, you drive like a maniac," Willy responds, fighting a smile.When both cars are parked in Auston's garage, he leads them inside his house. Willy hasn't been to his place since some team bonding activities they did during summer, it's nice to have him back."Do you want anything to drink?" Auston asks casually as Willy sits on a bar stool."Just water's fine," Willy says, "thanks."He nods his head and grabs a glass for both of them, adding ice cubes before pouring the water. He gives the water to Willy and gestures for them to head to his living room. It's a nice room with a grand sofa that they sit on. Willy takes a sip of water and places the cup on the coffee table."Hey, hey, hey," he puts a coaster under the glass, "what're you, an animal?" Auston asks, sarcastically.It gets a laugh out of Willy and he shakes his head a little, letting his hair flow behind his head. Auston looks at him, thinking about what he wants to say. But as he opens his mouth, Willy beats him to it."I got another message.""What from-""Yeah, signed by "J" or whoever," he looks to Auston who has his mouth agape, "tonight I mean. At first it was just a weird jab about how I tried to encourage Källy and quote," he takes out a note form his pocket, "wonder if you'll try to get rid of him just like me.""They're talking like they're Jack, that doesn't make sense," to which Willy just shakes his head.Auston hasn't gotten any other messages since the Anaheim game a few weeks ago. Willy hasn't told him anything so he assumes prior to today, he hasn't either. It makes him uneasy to think that this person is back. He has tried for the past while to put that on the back burner but it messed with him."You said at first, what changed after that note?" Auston questions."That one was after the second period. After we lost, I found another one saying that I had to hurt Källgren or else they'll tell Dubas about the Jack thing,” he says with air quotations."So that's why Gio looked like you put maggots in his skates.""Uh sure I mean that's one way to put it," Willy says will a judging look, "I mean I didn't want to but imagine what would happen if Kyle knew."Auston leans back into the couch. They're in a tough spot. He thought it could've been a one off freak incident but now this really could be a problem."You should've seen his face man. I can't get it outta my head, I betrayed him," Willy looks devastated, “I can’t even tell you what I said cause you’ll never look at me the same.”"Will," Auston moves closer to rest his hand on Willy's thigh, "you had no choice, it's for the good of the team. What would we do if you weren't around?"Willy's eyes skip over Auston's hand for just a second before looking away. Auston grabs the side of his face to look at him."Look, whoever this he, she, they, asshole, person is, they're not getting away with it. We'll find out who's doing this but for now, we have to be stronger," he pauses, "And we're in this together. We can fix this and you'll make it up to Källy, I promise."Willy doesn't look convinced, which makes Auston pull his hand away. In the process, Willy's arms wrap around Auston's shoulders to which he returns the hug. He feels Willy tighten his grip which makes his heart hurt. Finally, when they pull apart, Willy hesitantly presses his lips to Auston's cheek. Auston's wide-eyed as he meets Willy's blue eyes."It's a European thing, don't worry about it," Willy says slyly.Auston laughs shaking his head as he punches Willy lightly on the arm.With all the stress from tonight, what he'll remember the most is how the night ended with Willy smiling brightly across from him on his couch. They can figure out this "J" issue later but for now, the two of them are stronger together.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
MitchNovember 12On a back to back, it's important to get all the rest you can get. Most of the time, Mitch follows through with that, preparing for the game later that night. Usually his day wouldn't start with multiple ringing sounds from his doorbell. He reluctantly makes his way down the stairs to see who's decided to bother him this early. Before opening the door, he checks the peephole just incase there's a killer lurking behind it. Maybe he's been more paranoid than normal. A wave of confusion is met with a sigh of relief when he sees John on the other side, not so patiently waiting.He opens the door while rubbing the sleep from his eyes. John's eyebrows go up when he sees Mitch as if he was the one at his door at 7:30am. John's eyes survey Mitch up and down before meeting Mitch's confused stare which seemed to bring him back to reality."Good morning," John says brightly, "I didn't mean to wake you," he quickly adds."Where'd you get the impression I was sleeping from?" Mitch asks looking at his red flannel pyjama pants and his old London knights shirt he threw on before walking down the stairs."It was just pretty urgent and I couldn't wait any longer," John adds sincerely, clearly looking embarrassed for his early arrival.Mitch moves out of the way to let John in. "No, it's fine, I know how you'd rather wait till the morning than tell me at night."John nods at that comment, a small smile returning to his face. Mitch walks them over to his kitchen as John sits by the island. He turns on the coffee machine, "want any?" he directs towards John."Yeah, sure, that'd be great," John replies."So what's so important that made you make the trek over here so early?" Mitch asks facing the older man.John twiddles his thumbs and stands to face Mitch. He looks like he's calculating his next words carefully."We're a close team, don't you think?" John asks Mitch."Course we are," Mitch states matter of factly. He doesn't even have to think about it. They're a close group of guys. John only nods at first."And we trust each other, of course," he adds."Yes, John where are you going with this?" Mitch wonders, losing the plot."That means we can tell each other if something's wrong," he doesn't wait for any response, "as your captain and teammate, it's important to be truthful."Mitch nods wondering where JT's going with his ramble."Look, you know we're boys and I would never do anything to hurt you," John says, his eyes serious as they look into Mitch's."I know that Johnny, are you alright bud?" Mitch asks as his hand lays on John's shoulder. John shakes his head a bit and looks down."Yesterday, I uh saw that note you threw in the trash," he looks out the window, "I wasn't trying to be nosy or anything and I know it was weird to go through the trash, Pierre already gave me that talk but-"."Hey hey hey, slow down Johnny," Mitch raises his hand to cup John's cheek. The other man's cheeks heat up a bit as he meets Mitch's eyes but Mitch doesn't think anything of it. "I know you, you're not some stalker, freak you were just looking out for me I'm sure."Mitch tries to reassure the other man but he feels exposed at the fact that the note had been read. It's not like it's a secret that him and his dad don't have the greatest relationship but for some reason embarrassment is taking over him."I know you and your dad have a shaky relationship but-""John can we please not talk about this," Mitch pleads turning back to the coffee machine."Yeah, sorry I don't mean to overstep."Mitch nods as he hands John a mug and gestures towards the milk and sugar. John sits back down as Mitch stirs his own drink."You don't know who wrote it do you?" John asks timidly."No, and you don't need to pity me either. Believe it or not I'm a big boy, I can handle this," John laughs a bit at the end there."I know you can, I was kinda nervous you might've thought I wrote it by the way I stared you down," John adds, taking a sip of his drink."Never, you'd never do something like that Johnny I know that," he pauses, "so you admit to watching me a little too much yesterday, huh?"John laughs as he scratches the back of his neck, "Yeah but I uh, need to tell you why."Mitch's heart starts to race. Why could John have been staring at him, for what reason? It's not like he hasn't noticed how John keeps a close eye on him but he would never bring it up."The other day I got a note signed by "J" in the locker room," oh, "so when I saw you with a note, I thought maybe I wasn't the only one.""That's very... rational," Mitch says. It's not much of a reaction but it's his first thought. Before John can question him, he follows up with, "what did it say?"John tenses up, "nothing too important," he sips his coffee."C'mon you got to know mine, embarrassment and all, lemme hear yours.""Mitchy, it wasn't embarrassing."Mitch waves his hand, "doesn't matter just tell me.""Fine umm, it was something along the lines of how it's a new season but I'm still the same shitty player as last," John looks down."Who the hell would write something like that?""I was hoping you would know. But from reading both of our notes it sounds like they're trying to get in our heads. Break the team from the inside out," Mitch thinks about the first letter he received as he presses his palms into his face, "what's the matter Mitchy?""I didn't tell anyone earlier because I thought it'd do more harm than good but you should probably know now," Mitch leaves the room to ruffle through a drawer in his living room. His hand shakes as he reaches the faded paper from that summer which seems like forever ago now. He walks back to the kitchen to be met by a confused John. Instead of delaying the inevitable, Mitch shoves the note in front of John. He watches as his eyebrows crease in a way he's never seen."You suck with me in net? J? That? No that can’t be Jack, no way. When did you get this one?""The morning after Jack's goodbye party.""July?? Fuck, Mitchy, you kept this a secret for that long?" John asks as he starts to pace."What was I supposed to say? Oh yeah, our good friend Jack decided to get all two-faced with me?""I don't know, I- ugh," John closes his eyes and takes a breath, "so if this is really Jack, how is he sending these notes, he's in Edmonton."That's a good point. The first one, sure he could've left it before he took off. But these past ones before games? There's no way Jack could've started his calligraphy hobby and hand delivering these notes to them."This is too complicated I just want to focus on playing hockey," Mitch finally replies.John ignores the comment as he continues, "we can't be the only ones, right? Or maybe they're only targeting us for some reason?""That's enough for now John. We have enough on our plates as it is. Tonight we honour Borje Salming and we can't embarrass ourselves again.""You're right. This can wait, hockey always comes first. But we're coming back to this."
WilliamThe first period against Vancouver is tough. The two goals Källgren let in weren't great for them but they still have two periods to go. Willy looks for Källy in the room but he notices how the other Swede avoids his gaze. He can't blame him for acting coldly after what Willy said to him the other day. It was a dick move and he cringes as he remembers his words. Maybe it was his own words that messed with him for this game. They have to win this one, Erik may not recover after all this. Borje needs to see what this team is truly about.The energy from the boys is going up after Auston scores on the power play. He's thankful to have such a sick player by his side. The energy only goes up after Pierre ties it. That one's for the Swedes.After the last two periods, they end up winning 3-2. Everyone's excited to win an important game like that one and you can feel it in the room. All Willy said to Kally was a quick "good game" and head pat. He isn't sure how he should approach the situation with him but maybe he needs some time now.Willy decides to wait by Auston's car on his way home. He's hoping to talk to him and get a ride since he took the subway there, he was planning ahead. Finally, Auston strolls out, into the parking garage with a confused look on his face."And I thought I took long to get ready," Willy says, making his way to the passenger side."Dude, don't think I didn't notice how fast you got outta there, that's on you," Willy waves him off, "what're you even doing here?""I thought you could drive me home," Willy states."What am I, your personal chauffeur?" Auston asks sarcastically but he still unlocks his car."Think of it as helping a friend in need," Willy tries as he gets comfortable in Auston's car."And what is it you need this time?" he starts the engine."I need you help with a plan."On Monday, Willy waits patiently on Auston's couch. His knee bounces, hoping for a distraction to calm his nerves. He remembers how genius he thought this simple plan was. Though Willy wouldn't pride himself as an honest guy, in this case honesty may be the best policy. It's only Källy and in the privacy of Auston's home, he's not too worried about the threat. He feels his pockets for the notes and feels better once his hand touches the paper. In not too long, everything should be okay.William turns his head to the sound of the door unlocking. Auston opens the door with a quick nod as he moves out of the way for Erik to come in. After abandoning their jackets, Auston leads them to his living room where Erik spots Willy. A disappointed look crossed Erik's face as he folds his arms."What is this?" the other Swede asks Auston."Look, you guys need to talk this out, he fucked up, he's an idiot," Willy makes a face, this wasn't part of his script, "but listen to what he has to say."Auston's confident demeanour and hand on Erik's shoulder work together to break his shell as he sits across from William. Auston gives him an encouraging smile as he turns to leave. He almost wishes the other man could stay but he knows he has already asked too much of him.They sit silently for a minute, neither of them daring to make the first move. Willy knows he has to start first but he doesn't want to mess up."I'm sorry for being a complete dick to you, it was messed up," he starts though Erik can't meet his eye.He continues, "there's actually an explanation for that outburst."Willy reaches into his pockets and he notices Erik looking to see what he's up to. He pulls out the folded note and hands it to Källy. The other man scrunches up his nose."What's your problem Willy?" He says throwing the note at him."What do you—" you've got to be kidding. The note reads;"I hate goalies.""No, no, no!" Willy exclaims trying to laugh it off. "That was just a dumb joke meant to show how dumb I am. Too soon.”Källy just shakes his head."Please Källy, I don't know what was wrong with me, I'm an idiot and the true explanation is that I'm a dumbass and I don't know what got into me. I know how much pressure you put on yourself and I was really horrible to you. And you don't deserve to be in the crossfire of my mood swings. And I'm sorry, again," Willy blushes as he scratches the back of his neck."You are an idiot," Willy looks away, "but I appreciate the apology. I don't know why you said those things because it really didn't sound like you but I can tell you're sincere."Willy pushes him in for a hug which is reciprocated. They pull away and Willy's beaming."Thank you for hearing me out man, you're the best.""Thank Auston. After we beat the Canucks he was convincing me to talk to you and hear you out. He's a hard guy to say no to."Willy smiles. That explains why Auston was so slow to get out the other day. He definitely owes him big for that one. Without Willy even asking he had his back."Earth to Willy? Why are you so smiley?"Willy awakes from his trance, "just glad we're talking y'know. Speaking of last nights game, you were sick!"After Källy left, William helps Auston clean up his living room with thrown blankets, pillows, controllers and drinks. His ribs hurt from laughing so much, he loves hanging out with those guys. Willy straightens out the last pillow on the couch and sighs as his hands fall to his hips."Thanks for staying, appreciate it," Auston says, moving to his front door as Willy follows."Yeah it's the least I could do after everything you've done.""It's whatever," Auston replies but Willy swears that a faint blush has risen to his cheeks."Erik told me about your talk on Saturday," Willy says as he sits down to put on his shoes."Oh yeah," he looks away, "just asked him to take it easy on you, with everything going on and the game's emotional.""What a nice guy you are," Willy lightly punches Auston."Shut up," Auston replies with a smile, "I'm just glad he knows the truth and there's no drama.""About that," Willy starts.He hasn't had the chance to tell Auston how the plan went awol because they hadn't had a moment alone. As much as he wants to forget it, it was really strange to find a whole different note in his pocket, when did it even get in there?"I never got to tell him what happened.""What, I thought that was the main part of your plan?" Auston questions."It was and I was going to, until," he passes the note to Auston."I hate goalies. Dude, what the hell is wrong with you?""Hey! I didn't write that! That's the whole point, I reached in my pocket for the note and I ended up handing him that.""You didn't check what you were giving him?" He flicks Willy lightly."Okay I didn't expect for a new note to magically appear in my pants."Just as he thinks Auston will continue to argue with him, the other man bursts out laughing. Willy stands there, confused."Fuck, I'd pay good money to see you handing him that note," he laughs, "how did he not punch you?""It's probably a goalie thing, very patient," he can't help but laugh."You really do seem to be a goalie hater, we gotta get you outta this rep," Auston shakes his head."Yeah, most of me is freaked out but a part of me is just shocked at the material," he says, pulling on his jacket. Before he can grab the doorknob, he gets a text.When he pulls out his phone he reads the message aloud;"Not taking me seriously? You won't be laughing after the consequences. -J"Willy's eyes meet Auston's worried expression and though he can't read minds, he knows they're both scared that they're being watched.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
John
November 18
Seated on his leather armchair, John picks at the logs in the fireplace. Though it's only about 6 o'clock, the sun's down, creating a warm ambiance in his living room. He checks the grandfather clock that's ticking to his left as he awaits Mitch. The two of them had planned to go over the mess they're in and now after losing to the devils, letting their win streak continue, there's no better time to make things worse.John puts the poker down and moves to the kitchen where he put a lasagna in the oven. Even thought he knows Mitch would rather not have vegetables, he prepares a healthy side. As he cuts a carrot, he wonders if they even need to have this talk, it's been quite a while since the last note. But he remembers what this "J" person knew about Mitch and it freaks him out. Why would anyone say these things and what are they gonna do with the information? He knows there are a few things he would rather keep secret but no one could know about it anyway.John almost slices his finger at the surprise of the doorbell, waking him up from his trance. He puts down the knife and rinses his hands before running them through his hair. His steps on the hardwood floor are quiet when he finally reaches the door. Before unlocking the door, he looks through the peephole which gets him a jump-scare to Mitch's eye staring back at him.Turning the doorknob, he says, "Jesus Christ Mitch, you almost gave me a heart attack."He steps aside to let Mitch in, "cant blame me for that one with how long you took.""I answered in like thirty seconds.""Sure, after the third ring, I was starting to think you ditched me in your own house."He must've spaced out more than he thought to have ignored Mitch's ringing. Shaking his head, he waits for Mitch to take off his shoes and coat then leads them to the kitchen."Mmm smells good. Not living with my mom anymore makes me miss this stuff. Whatcha making?""I thought I'd make lasagna. But don't think that I skipped out on the greens.""At least grill them to make 'em a bit more tolerable," Mitch says making a face.John's used to Mitch telling it as it is now that they've known each other for so long. So, he smiles and grabs the kitchen grill.Once the food's on the table, they get to business."You haven't gotten any more notes right?" John asks with Mitch’s face stuffed."Nope," he responds swallowing."Good, that's good,""You haven't either then?""No, no. It's been a while. Still makes me nervous cause think of how long it was between your first one and the next," John says.The room's quiet. It's true, they can't celebrate anything because of the unpredictability of the situation. John can tell that Mitch is reluctant to discuss the situation so John tries to push ahead."Y'know I've been trying to think about who it could be," John continues."Yeah?," Mitch days looking up from his plate."It's hard to think of a teammate doing this, or knowing all this. I just wanted to ask," he looks down rethinking his next question, "did you tell Jack about the stuff with your dad?"John looks a up to meet Mitch's face which has tensed up. He uses his fork to play with the carrot on his plate, avoiding John's eye."A little," he says after a minute, "I mean not as much as you know but he knew the gist of it."John nods. Part of him feels bad for feeling relieved that Mitch told him more then he told Jack. But most of all, he feels trusted and it's a good feeling."It's weird y'know, things that you never knew you wanted to keep a secret being held above your head like that. Have you every felt like that?" Mitch asks, vulnerability in his voice.Just as John opens his mouth to reply, a text catches his attention. He clicks the notification to see a frosted over photo from outside the window of himself and Mitch.The text underneath reads;"Bet you wish it was a real date -J"Before
John pushes into the booth next to Mitch where he's talking to Mo and Jack. He maybe had a few too many to drink and slides to Mitch's side."Woah there Johnny, you okay?" Mitch asks with a light chuckle."I'm great, let me buy a round for us," John says patting Mitch's thigh. His hand lingers as his head isn't in the right place but Mitch doesn't seem to care or at least doesn't voice his opinion."Okay bud that's enough for you," Soup says, sliding from his side, gesturing for John to stand up, "I'll drive you home.""Mitchy offered me his guest bed for the night, it's no worries soupy," he says dragging out the last part. He'd prefer not to leave Mitch's side right now as he's gotten used to the comfort."Aryne's gonna be worried, you'll drink some water on the way home," Soup says, sounding serious enough for John to listen.That's right. Aryne. The thought of her makes him feel guilty enough not to turn around and say bye as he separates himself from Mitch.Jack hands John a bottle of water as he sits in the passenger seat. He chugged half the bottle not even realizing how thirsty he'd been. Usually, John would never get this drunk. Or drink at all really, but his mind's been too loud for him recently. He looks over to Jack who has a worried expression on his face."What's wrong?" John questions."You need to tell her," Jack says slowly. John opens his mouth to protest whatever Jack has in mind but he gets cut off. "It's not fair to you or Aryne.""What does this have to do with anything. I love Aryne," John replies, trying to convince himself more than Jack."You might love her but are you in love with her?""I-" he sighs, "I know I used to be. I don't know how everything's changed so much. But I want to be in love with her, I do.""Maybe it's somebody else who turned your head?"John knits his eyebrows together after that, "no. There's no one else for me. I would never do that to her. I don't know why you're saying all this," John holds his head as the alcohol is still strong in his system."Okay," Jack says knowingly, "just be truthful is all. You and Aryne used to be great together and if that can continue you should let it. But if it's a lost cause don't waste anyone's time," Jack says, as he starts to drive.John only nods because if he does much more he could puke."Johnny are you okay?""Huh?""I said are you okay, you kinda zoned out for a second," Mitch says as he gets up from the table to crouch beside John.He thinks for a second about what he could tell Mitch. That message definitely cannot be seen but Mitch needs to know they're being watched. So he clicks the photo and turns his phone to Mitch."What the fuck," Mitch tries to grab the phone but John pulls it back.The other man looks almost hurt by this action but he brushes it off as he stands back up."Did it say anything?""Nope, no, just a J at the end," John lies."They're outside the house right now, as we're talking what the fuck," Mitch starts to freaks out as he paces.John stands up to close the blinds. Once they're closed he guides Mitch to the living room, abandoning the few scraps left on their plates."Hey listen to my voice, you're okay," John starts, "I'm here, no one's gonna hurt us."He doesn't know if he believes anything he's saying but calming Mitch down is the number one priority."You remember when you asked if I've ever felt that way, about a secret?" Mitch nods, trying to calm his breathing while looking into John's eyes. He scrambles to answer the topic he, himself brought up. "I have before."Mitch watches him patiently."There was this bar, while I was still with Aryne," Mitch looks concerned when he meets John's eyes, "I don't know what I wanted, I was drunk. But I have a memory, I was all over this person. We didn't do anything but I remember being lonely. It was Jack actually who knew and I was embarrassed and kinda shut him down. I still feel bad about the whole situation."Mitch looks at him with pity in his face which John is ready to shut down. The knock on the door seems to make Mitch forget anything he wanted to say as his eyes went wide."Fuck Johnny, should we call the police?""No, you stay here, I'll open the door," John says, making his way to the door.Mitch grabs his wrist to stop him from moving, "you're not going alone, John."John smiles at him and when the two of them get to the door, he grabs a hockey stick that was leaning in the closet and holds it in his hand defensively. Even with the scary situation, John hears Mitch snickering behind him at the fact that he’s a parody of himself. He went to grab the doorknob but Mitch points towards the peephole first. He's relieved to see an impatient Willy and Auston at the door.He opens the door to the two of them, lowering his stick.After giving John a confused look, Willy says, "look I can explain, I promise, can we come in?"
Auston
After receiving a call from a freaked out Willy, Auston meets him in front of John's house. At first, while they stand at the door, he believes John won't answer. But he's proved wrong when the door opens to John with Mitch. They walk into his home with a confused look at the stick in John's hand. He knows better than to question it with the way Willy's nerves are getting to him.Before the four of them could get far, John stops them by the closet. They take off their jackets and shoes but when they push forward, John lifts his hand for them to stay where they are."You can explain now," John says cooly. Mitch only stands behind him, looking between the two of them."Look I don't don't how much they told you, but I can explain the Jack thing and I promise there's a reason for everything," Willy starts."I find it hard to believe that there's a reason you're peeping through the windows," Mitch says, gaining some confidence.Auston looks to Willy with a confused look, "peeping through the windows, who's looking through the windows?""I don't know what you two think this is, but it's not a joke," John starts, taking a step forward, "I just want to know how you know these things.""And why you're doing some freaky cosplay of Jack," Mitch adds."What? I don't- I only emailed that for the good of the team. We needed a change of goaltending and you have to admit after Murr's injury he's been great for us same with Sammy," Willy says.The look John and Mitch give each other is one filled with confusion and impatience. Mitch is about to follow with a contort, but John stops him."Okay, you said you didn't know how much they told us, who's they," John asks drawing out the they.Auston gives Willy a nudge and when his blue eyes meet Auston's he gives him a lost look.Willy holds up his phone to the other two men to a message that reads;"Ready for your punishment? Maybe if you go to John's house now, you can make it before he tells Kyle. -J""J," Mitch says to his captain."They're bothering you too," John says more like a statement than a question, "I knew we couldn't be the only ones.""You two are getting messages from J too?" Willy asks.They compare notes that they've received while Auston stays quiet, listening intently. They moved to the living room where John passed around some drinks."Why am I the only one to actually be almost murdered?" Auston asks, angrily, "not that I want you guys to be murdered but even though they haven't said anything to me since doesn't ease the attempted murder part.""It's messed up, but seeing as this is the same person, sooner or later that'll be all of us," Mitch says."So what, we just live with it?""No but we seem to not know anymore than you two do," John adds."Well who're your suspects?" Willy asks which gets him all three of them groaning and rolling their eyes. "C'mon it's a good question. I'll start, Jack.""That's an option for sure but he's in Edmonton, couldn't have given the notes," Mitch says."Think about who else would know about these secrets," Auston says."Hard to think about someone so close to us also trying to kill you," Willy replies."Maybe they weren't trying to actually kill you," John adds."What.""I mean, what if it was just to scare you," John tries more unsure of himself."Well it definitely worked," Auston whispers.Auston's worried that the only thing he's heard from that freak is at the gym that night. He knows he should feel lucky that they haven't attacked him about any secrets but he's nervous they have the material. There isn't a lack of things he'd prefer to keep secret."Let's just call it a night. There's nothing else we can do about it now," Auston says standing up.John stands up to follow him while Willy and Mitch stay back to talk. When they reach the door, John gives him his captain look. He engulfs him in a strong hug which Auston melts into."I don't want you to think I was dismissing what happened to you," John starts, "you’re really strong to play like you do even with all of this."Auston smiles when he pulls back, "don't worry about it, it made me feel a little better."At least if they're trying to scare him, he isn't dying so that's a plus. Willy meets them at the door with Mitch and the three of them get ready. He doesn't miss the nervous way John looks out the door after they walk out before closing it.
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JohnNovember 21Games against the islanders are always ones that John looks forward to in a weird way. The passion within him seems to sprout out every time the two teams go head to head. This game is no different. Though they're down 1-0 in the first, a pass from Mitch let's John have a go at a snap shot which reaches the back of the net. By the end of the second it's in their favour, 2-1.But of course, in typical Leaf's fashion, the game heads to overtime which they've been struggling with, leading to the loss. It was an embarrassing OT on their end but the way the islander looked like he won the cup after he scored really got to John. Anyway, a point's a point and they played well overall.Keefe says something about playing well together as a team. He mentions something about being dogshit at 3v3 which he knows will plague their next few practises.The guys are mid-changing when the door to the locker room bursts open to Anders Lee accompanied by some other former teammates pouring water and champagne over John, jumping with enthusiasm. John kept in contact with some of the guys but he doesn't get what's going on at the moment. Looking over at Mitch who might've just gotten an elbow to the head and Auston who doesn't look too amused being soaked after he already buttoned up his shirt. Muffled, "congrats" are heard and John has to calm them down."What're we celebrating boys?"With a smile, Anders replies, "not everyday you're former captain gets engaged and takes this long to tell us. Thought Aryne would've told Grace at least," while nudging John's shoulder.He looks around to see the faces of his teammates who've lost the plot. Liljegren is seen giving a questioning look to Sandin who answers with a shrug."I'm not engaged, who told you that?" John asked, perplexed at the accusation especially after it's been almost a year since the breakup."The fuck, speedball isn't the source I thought he was," Lee says as he flicks Josh Bailey's head."Hey, hey don't blame me," he digs his hand into his pocket to reveal a note, "quote, finally ready to tie the knot, forgot to tell you guys but you're invited to the big day -J," Bailey says folding his arms."I don't know what to say I didn't write that, Aryne and I broke up a while back," John says looking at Mitch who just looks down.Anders scratches the back of his neck, "Well shit. We bribed the supplies guy for the champagne for what? Sorry about that buddy," he slowly backs up, "boys," with a quick nod to the rest of the Leafs."Bye Johnny," Bailey says while tripping over himself, leaving the room. They hear some back and forth between the guys ending with laughing.The room slowly starts to get back to what they were doing as Bunts says, "thought I was gonna have to fight someone there at first.""Too bad we can't call penalties in here," Mitchy says, reminiscing the elbow on his face."Yeah but that was weird, were you messing with them?" Gio asks across the room."What do you mean," John says as he looks to the older defender."Did you send the note? It was from J, eh?"John only now remembers how the rest of the locker room also heard that message. It was an odd one. No threats, just an awkward encounter. It would've caused some trouble if Keefe witnessed it, but luckily they avoided that. Still, it makes him nervous that there might be an ulterior motive."No, no, no clue what that's all about.""Alright boys, who's fessing up?" Kerfy asks with a smile.The room's silent. Only four of them know there's no one to speak up about it. John looks at Willy across the room who has a pitiful look on his face. Pity's the last thing he needs but he appreciates not having this secret all on his own. Kerfy shares a confused but amused look to Gio, but before he could say anything, Auston speaks up."That's a problem for another day, I'm ready to head home." The boys seems to agree as they continue with their previous debate about the best coffee maker on the team.John looks to Mitch but he seems too focused on getting his shoes tied to notice John. So he decides to wait for him outside the locker room. Before he can complain about his sore back, Mitch gets to the hallway. He seems surprised to see John waiting there."Hey Johnny, you're waiting out here for me?" Mitch says, surprisingly playful."Yeah you didn't seem too chatty in there."There's a pause in Mitch's face and he gestures for them to start walking. He's hoping Mitch isn't hiding any pains to his face from his former teammates. That's one he couldn't forgive them for."I guess it was a little awkward seeing Lee and those guys come in there, so friendly with you," Mitch quietly voices, avoiding John's eye."Oh, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable—""No, no, not uncomfortable—""It's okay if you were, I get it, it's kinda weird—" John's rambling gets cutoff."Jealous! I-I guess," Mitch's voice echos through the hall.Oh. That's, well."Oh," is all about escapes John's mouth.The blush on Mitch's cheeks is painfully visible which John would laugh at but he thinks Mitch might explode if he did."That's okay too," John reassures, bending his head a little to try to get the other man's eyes on him.It works but Mitch can't help but look away again. He nudges him to keep on walking. Mitch hums a bit, like he has something he's trying to figure out how to voice. He starts slowly."Not in like, a weird way y'know. Just like you're our teammate, our friend, our captain and they acted like they were still so close to you. You're a Leaf forever and my robot captain," a beat goes by, "our robot captain," Mitch corrects.John can't help but shake his head, trying to ignore the heat rising to his face. He knows the team loves him but to hear Mitch sound so possessive over him causes a lot of conflicting emotions."But moving on from that," thank god, "I wanted to know how you're feeling about J sending that to your
former teammates," Mitch asks.John sighs, "it's weird that it's not only targeting us, but bringing outside people into now. Especially it being those guys, I find it so confusing.""Right, it's not like it changed anything for anyone so what was the point of it?""That's what I'm worried about. There has to be a catch, right?" John asks Mitch as they head closer to their cars.Mitch lightly bumps into John, "maybe they're just trying to make you overthink. Get in your head, like they did with my dad."John's heart pains for Mitch but he shakes the thought when he remembers Mitch wouldn't want him feeling sorry for him. Hopefully his winger is right about this one. The only way to find out is to let time go by.
MitchOn the ride home, Mitch tries to forget his encounter with John. He cringes when he remembers how he was a little too honest to the other man. Sure, it was true but John doesn't need to know all that. Though it wasn't only the islanders who freaked him out. Bringing up John's ex had also made his stomach turn. It was such a weird invasion of John's life, he must've felt so uncomfortable. They broke up forever ago, why is this still being talked about.? His hands grip the steering wheel harder than before.What's done is done. All he has to focus on now is relaxing at home. That was the plan at least. It changes when he gets a text from Auston. He keeps his eyes on the road as the message is played aloud. "I'm in your driveway""I got a text from you know who"Mitch groans knowing that can't be good. He continues his drive home to where he spots Auston's car in his driveway and parks next to it. It takes him a second to get out of his car, preparing himself for a shit-show.Auston's leaning against his front door, "took you long enough.""It's not like I knew someone was waiting on me," Mitch rolls his eyes as he uses his shoulder to push Auston over for better access to the door."I didn't get a warning that it was my turn so don't blame me," Auston says, walking into the house and closing the door behind him.Mitch makes a noise of acceptance while talking off his shoes. He thinks that Auston could've just spoken to Willy about this but he doesn't question it. Of course Auston's his boy and he'll be here for him no matter what. Only he'd prefer for a different scenario.Once everything has been hung up, Mitch walks them to the kitchen where Auston takes a seat on one of the stools. Mitch wastes no time getting drinks for the two of them then joining his teammate on his left."So, what was the text?" Mitch starts, curious to what could've been said now.Auston turns his phone to Mitch;"Willy's hair looked nice tonight! Cut it off. -J""Tell me you don't have a fistful of Willy's hair in your pocket," Mitch pleads.Auston looks at him offendedly, "no idiot, that's why I came here. I don't know what to do I can't cut of his hair that's psycho."Auston looks at Mitch, full of vulnerability. Mitch wants to give him advice, but he doesn't think he has anything helpful to say."What're you gonna do then?""Pshhh, not like I can cut his hair, the guy worships it," Auston smiles."I mean, to be fair," Mitch raises his eyebrows, "they didn't say anything would happen if you don't cut it."Auston rolls his eyes, "such a dumb fucking thing," while shaking his head."Seems like they don't know any of your secrets," Auston looks at him confused, "like yours are more focused on killing you and dares."Auston only nods. Mitch finds it sweet. That Auston doesn't even think of it as an option to cut Willy's luscious locks. Those two have a close bond that's different to the other guys. Kind of like him and John."Are you gonna tell him about it?" Mitch asks out of curiosity."I don't know if I should. I wouldn't want him to consider it or to feel bad, y'know.""You're a good guy," Mitch says, patting Auston's back, while standing to stretch, "sorry we couldn't resolve anything.""It's fine, I just knew I could talk to you about this, you're a good listener," Auston replies getting up.Mitch walks him to the door, trying to offer his place for the night but gets turned down. He hugs Auston, whispering some small encouragements. Through his window, he sees Auston backing up and turning out of his driveway.The stairs creak as he makes his way upstairs. He sighs as he tries to get his mind relaxed after it's been everywhere tonight. He's hoping the next few days will calm down.
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Auston
Nov 24
Sheldon Keefe silences the locker room after the announcement of Borje Salming's passing. Auston feels a pit in his stomach when he remembers seeing the man not long ago in Toronto. Tears are seen from a few of the guys along with others comforting them. Auston looks over to Willy who has Källy by his side as they whisper to each other. He's glad the two of them are okay again but he wishes he were the one by Willy's side. They haven't spoken much since he received the text. Not that he's avoiding him, but he's worried if he gets too close, things will get worse.It's been radio silence from "J" since then which puts him more on edge than normal. Of course he doesn't want to know what'll happen if he disobeys but the what if is killing him.After the morning practise in Minnesota, he heads out of the building to figure out what he'll do with his day. Just as the fresh breeze hits his face, he feels a buzz in his pocket. When pulling out his phone, he's relieved to see it was a text from John.JT: Hey Tone
Meet me at this coffee shop
I have something to show youThere's a link to a map which shows the location of a small local brewery. It's only about a ten minute walk. He finds it odd that John wouldn't mention this to him at practise but he brushes it off and messages him back.Auston: Be there in 10The walk is just what he needed to clear his mind, he thinks as he removes his AirPods before entering the shop. He's stopped in his tracks when he notices not only John, but Willy and Mitch, seated in a cosy corner with vintage couches. Before he can fully turn around and walk out, he makes eye contact with John who keeps him in place.Auston gives a quick nod to the barista and moves towards the nook. Something he can't miss is the cardboard box sitting on the coffee table in between them. Mitch looks agitated next to John who looks as if he's got his mind elsewhere. Of course there's an empty seat next to a nervous Willy. Before he sits, he decides to speak."Hey boys, Johnny, is this what you wanted to show me?," gesturing at the box in between them, "I didn't know anyone else was coming."There's silence before John speaks up, "I didn't know anyone else would be here either."Auston's face gives off a confused look but he takes a seat next to Willy who’s sporting tired eyes."We were all messaged by this asshole pretending to be each other," Mitch starts, "if you didn't take your sweet time getting here, you'd know already.""Woah why are you so sassy," he directs the next question to John, "why is he so sassy?"John sighs as he stands up, grabbing a letter that was sitting on top of the box. He hands it to Auston who just looks at him a second too long before grabbing it. It has all four of their names on it and when he opens it, it reads;"You can thank Auston for this one! -J"Auston bites his lip at that. It's caught up to him and now it's here to bite everyone in the ass. He's almost offended Mitch is mad at him for this after he confided in him with his dilemma."You're not blaming me are you?""No," Mitch puts his head in his hands, "I'm not it's just that this box is too big and we've been waiting for you so we can open it."Auston nods, "was it just here when you guys came in?"Willy, who's been quiet so far, answers, "I came in first, the barista asked me what my name was and when I told her, she said it was delivered with a note saying to give it to a William with pretty blonde hair. Her quote not mine," he smiled a bit at the end.That one's a jab at Auston. There wouldn't be anymore pretty blonde hair if he had just chopped it off. But now, they're all paying the price. He's lucky no one asked him what the note was referencing yet, but he thinks it's only a matter of time."Now that I'm here, let's open it I guess," Auston replies after the anticipation is starting to get to him.John pulls out an exacto knife from his pocket, because of course he carries an exacto knife with him. He then cuts the tape at the edges as the four of them crowd around the top of the box. Mitch rips open the top to reveal three plush hockey player toys. Willy reaches for the blonde one to reveal his last name on the back. Mitch picks up his own and Auston reaches for one but ends up handing it to John after reading "Tavares" on the back. He pushes around the bubble wrap but there seems to be nothing else in there."What the fuck are these?" Willy asks, studying the features on his doll."The nhl sells them, just little player plushies I guess," John answers, "I don't really get what's the point of sending them though."Mitch analyzes his doll and sees a small string hidden at the collar of the jersey. He pulls it and it startles them all when they hear;"Talk to a reporter about your fantastic dad or I'll tell them about how you got your contract," a voice says in a sort of chipmunk voice."Whaat the fuck," Mitch says, dragging out the "what"."Hey, hey, how'd you do that?" Willy asks. Mitch then points towards the string on Willy's replica to which he pulls;"Spread your Jack gossip to a leafs goalie of your choice or I'll spread it to the whole team," the squeaky voices exclaims to Willy.Auston's heart drops for him, he's already dealt with so much because of that one mistake. He gets that it was a big one, but it seems as if he'll never get rid of it.John ends up pulling his last with some hesitance;"Invite Aryne to your game tomorrow, I always thought you two should get back together," the voice tells John and it seems like Mitch is just as upset about that one.Auston doesn't dwell on it for long when John asks, "I don't get it, Auston where's yours?"The three of them look at him and Auston's at a loss for words. It's true that he is also confused why he didn't get a plush but he feels worse since he caused this pain only for his friends. He doesn't know if he should fess up about Willy because maybe cutting his hair wasn't a big deal in comparison to this. It might only make things worse. Lies have only made their lives worse so far. So Auston takes a deep breath."A while ago, I got uh, a text from J," he's cut off by Willy."Why didn't you tell me?"With a sorry expression, he continues, "it said something about how nice your hair looked and that I had to cut it off."Willy looks at him with a pained look. He starts laughing a little which is nice to see after his face has been tear stricken all day. Though Auston is a bit worried it could be insanity and judging by the other guys faces, they think the same."You've been avoiding me cause you wanted to save my hair," he rubs his face, "I'm glad you decided to keep my best feature. You could've told me though. I think I would've let you. Cut it, I mean," Willy adds.Willy's still smiling and it makes him doubt that his best feature is his hair."Next time," he says but when implying there's a next time the mood dims."This is probably your punishment," Mitch speaks up, "they're trying to make you feel worse for not doing what they said.""I would've just cut your hair," John says, towards Willy.They all break into laughter at that. He shakes his head laughing because he can't get over how insane this situation is. Johnny’s always been someone he's happy to have around. Though people see him as too serious, around his guys, he really opens up."But seriously, we have to help each other out, and be around for everyone. If we don't want more issues, for now, we have to follow what they want even though I know it's hard to," John states.The guys nod and Mitch says, "okay I'm taking my coffee and leaving, maybe draft up something I can say about my dad."John stands up with him as they say goodbye and leave with the dolls in their hands."Wanna walk back with me?" Willy asks him."Sure. I'm just gonna order something real quick, just wait outside."Willy says okay, then walks out holding his doll and Auston watches him until the door closes. He picks up the box and walks towards where the barista is standing, eying a crossword puzzle.He clears his throat, "hi, uh I was wondering if you saw who dropped this box off here?""Oh it was a tall man with dark hair," this is promising but that could be anyone, "he wore a fedex shirt with a visor over the hat which was odd."And there goes his hope."Okay thanks I was just wondering, uh can I leave this box here actually," he'd rather not carry this stupid reminder that nothing can go right."Sure pretty boy, wouldn't want you spraining your wrist," she jokes but Auston's offended. He's easily capable of carrying that, leave him alone.He musters up a thank you as he meets Willy who's leaning against the brick wall outside."You didn't order anything?" Willy asks as Auston completely forgot he used ordering as an excuse."Oh yeah, wasn't feeling anything," Auston lies, but it's a white lie so it doesn't matter, "I'm sorry by the way. For not telling you and about Salming, you definitely didn't need anything else on your back today."Willy waves him off, "no it's whatever y'know. I appreciate you wanting to keep me out of it, it was sweet," a blush creeps onto Auston's face as he looks away, "but I'm just glad Borje came back to Toronto one more time and we won for him for the last one."Auston makes a noise of understanding as they walk. He recalls Willy talking to him excitedly about the return of his Swedish idol. The memories themselves are enough to give Auston a bittersweet feeling. The two continue to talk on their way back to the hotel. They part in the lobby when Willy says he needs to speak with Rasmus and Auston leaves to him room.At his door, he used the keycard to enter and locks the door behind him. He stretches his neck after he puts his bag on the chair near the door. The room is shared with Mitch but it looks like he hasn't arrived back yet. After removing his hat, he walks towards his bed and just before he can rest, he notices something that wasn't there before. His eyes narrow at the doll laying on his bed and his heart lurches.He feels bad for being happy not to receive one but it looks like it was part of the plan to mess with him even more. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he picks up the plush doll and stared at it for a moment. If he doesn't pull on the string, life will go on and he'll never know what it says. But remembering how it only gets worse when he strays off the path "J" wants for them, he reluctantly pulls the string."Why let Willy have all the fun? Speak to Dubas about trading one of your beloved teammates," that damn voice says.Auston can't help it when he throws the toy across the room, hitting the window, "fuuuck!”The man lays on the bed in silence, just listening to the quiet rustling of leaves. Maybe if he stays still just a little longer, he'll wake up to this being one big nightmare. Or a prank show. He wouldn't mind John
Quinones appearing out of nowhere to reveal what terrible people they are.Steps approaching the door wake him from his trance and he runs to the other side of the room to grab the doll. He throws it in his suitcase and tries to sit as casually as possible when Mitch walks by him.
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WilliamGoalies are a touchy subject for the leafs. For the past while, they haven't had the greatest luck. Other than Freddie, they haven't had a solid guy back there and though they loved Jack, he wasn't always reliable.To say that Willy was nervous to tell his secret to a goalie was an understatement. He can't tell Källgren, they're already treading on rough waters as it is. Samsonov is clawing his way back from an injury and he doesn't want to mess with his recovery. Willy was thinking of Matt Murray who just got back and he's been playing an insane game for the boys.A door opening awakens Willy from his trance as he comes to a stop from his pacing. Murray gives him a confused look and he's starting to realize it wasn't a good idea to debate this while outside the goaltender's room."Willy? Are you doing okay?" Matt asks, arms crossed as he leans on the doorframe."I was just gonna ask you if you wanted to go fishing with me?" Willy stumbles out.He regrets it immediately but it's the first thing he thinks of. The memory of Matt telling him about his fishing trip in Muskoka, fresh in his brain prompted his question.Of course Matt's off put by this, "what? Do you even like fishing?""Haven't done much of it but I was hoping you could teach me, team bonding and all.""You realize it's like zero degrees and we're in Minnesota playing a game tomorrow," he questions, looking for any mistake he's made."Fun fact, Minnesota's known for fishing," Murray doesn't looks convinced, "c'mon, loosen up," he says as he takes him by the shoulder and shakes.Matt laughs and pushes him away, "okay okay, fine. I'm starting to see what people warned me about. Wait here I need to get ready.""Wait what did they warn you about?" But the door's shut in his face before he could get an answer. All he can hear is a low chuckle from the goalie.Okay, you can definitely say Willy didn't think this one through completely. The two of them ubered to the nearest fishing site google maps showed him. The Swede stays back as Matt talks to the workers to rent all the equipment plus the boat. He only comes forward when it's time to pay because that was one of the promises he made Matt.The first struggle is getting into the boat. Matt kindly
offers for Willy to get in first. Maybe it's the addition of the life jacket, but he has trouble finding the courage to get in. They must've been a sight. Two grown athletes almost fighting each other, getting into a small little boat. After a lot of clinging onto Matt and some arguing back and forth, he's finally in the canoe. Matt gets in with ease, sporting a cocky little grin on his face as he tosses Willy an ore."What's wrong with fishing right by here?" The boardwalk, where it was safer, Willy avoids adding."You're the one who suggested a boat, we're not wasting it by just floating by the shore. Get rowing," Matt answers already staring to move the boat.Right, maybe it was his idea to get the boat. But when they arrived, there were more people than he thought there’d be going fishing in the cold and he didn't want to have this conversation with all these ears around. That’s when Willy suggested the boat. Now hopefully Matt won't push him off of it.When they get to a place Matt finds acceptable to stop, Willy has to catch his breath. Matt takes off the life jacket, saying something about how it messes with his ability to fish so Willy loosens his. It's especially difficult to focus on the matter at hand when the view is so breathtaking. Who would've thought Minnesota was this beautiful? The water was so still and the view of the mountain surrounding them created a gorgeous ambiance. He couldn't help but take out his phone for a photo of the view. He then pans his phone to Matt who starts laughing."This must be the real reason you wanted to come here, it's incredible," Matt says, sharing his astonishment."See, all that was worth it to make it here," but Matt winces remembering the trouble."I only wish you could've avoiding digging your elbow into my stomach, that one hurt," Matt feels his stomach, probably hoping to not feel a bruise."Yeah sorry for that one, anyway let's get to why I brought you here for," reluctantly, Willy needs to discuss what he came here for."Right, lets start with baiting up our hooks," oh fuck no.Matt opens the dirty little metal container to a bunch of worms. Willy can't help but make a face as Matt seems unfazed when he picks up one of them and stabs it into the hook."This is the easiest part, so got ahead and grab one," Matt looks up to Willy who just sits with his mouth agape."Maybe you can start this one for me, as a first timer I need to see how it's done," perfect excuse."You just saw me do it. This is an important step c'mon Willy loosen up," Matt uses air quotes for that last bit, remembering Willy's words. He casts his rod into the water while watching him patiently.Willy rolls his eyes but slowly starts to moves his hand towards the bin. He picks up one of those weird little creatures and holds the hook close, finally stabbing it. The sensation makes him sick but he throws the rod into the water."Okay enough of this gross fishing shit!" Willy gets Matt's attention from the stunned goalie.The other man looks between Willy and the floating rod, staring at him like he's gone mad."Will, why did you really bring me out here?"His heart clenches a little with a sudden feeling of guilt towards the other man. Dragging him out here, only to be so difficult and insult a hobby of his to now tell him what could be his worst secret, it's evil. He reaches out to grab the thrown rod because he doesn't need that to worry about as he speaks."Look, I really did want to bond with you and just hang out and I wanted you to be comfortable by doing something you like. But to grow this bond I need to tell you something. Something pretty bad."Matt looks nervous, "you're not gonna kill me are you?" He says trying to lighten the mood which makes Willy laugh."That might actually be easier. But warning, this might change you're whole impression of me and I get it if you just wanna row out and not help me get out of the boat," Willy adds, hands starting to get clammy around the base of the rod."Okay so basically during the summer I heard what deal Jack's agent was looking for and I used his email to email some Oilers insider about the news which eventually led to him being signed there and basically I was the one to blame for the tampering," he sighs after he realized how he rambled.Matt's silence doesn't help the feeling in Willy's stomach. Matt opens his mouth but quickly closes it after, rethinking or maybe processing the information Willy dumped on him."You- you wanted Campbell off the team?" Matt finally asks, crickets filling the quiet surrounding them."It's not that I didn't love the guy, but I thought it was for the best of the team.""That's makes sense, I guess," Matt starts, "you can't really blame yourself. Did the organization even want to give him close to that amount?"Willy shrugs."Sure it's kinda fucked up what you did, but I probably wouldn't have been signed if not for it and I'm happy here. I know my dad would be proud of me playing for this team and it's a dream that I won't give up," Matt looks up, "so I'm not gonna push you off the boat of whatever but I'm glad you decided to tell me."Willy doesn't know whether to feel like a worse person after that or to cry because of the relief. It can't be denied that Matt has the passion. He move forward to engulf Matt into a hug and he feels relieved when it's reciprocated.He pulls back, "thanks Matt and your dad's not the only one who's proud of you but all of us on the team. We see how you're fighting for us. I really appreciate everything and I'm sorry for insulting fishing," Willy sincerely adds.Matt smiles and he's about to say something but a tugging on Willy's rod which he's almost forgotten about, pulls them back into the moment."Fuck yeah, I got one, I got one!""Reel it in," Matt answers with just as much enthusiasm.The process is long and tougher than he imagined it but after handing it to Matt, he feels accomplished. He's definitely isn't much of a fisher but at least now he won't have to do that again. It turns out to be what Willy can only guess as some sort of trout maybe. They take it in the boat and Matt holds up his hand which Willy meets for a high-five. After that, they agree to go back to shore because if they wait any longer Willy might freeze out here.Once they're back at the hotel it's about seven o'clock. William walks Matt to his room where they say goodbye. He's always sensed that Matt was a good guy but after their fishing trip and the way Willy held back tears laughing on the Uber back, he knows the two will be great buds. He turns away from the goalie's room and makes his way to his own.Before he goes to his own room, he decides to take a pit stop at Auston's. He knocks on the door and it's only a few seconds before the door opens. Auston stands there with his hair disheveled like he's just awoken from a nap. In his line of sight, he gets a view of Auston's knuckles turning white from gripping the door."Can I come in?" Willy asks politely but with a hint of a smile."Er, yeah of course," opening the door he speeds into the room and Willy can hear some ruffling.He closes the door behind him and sits on the edge of the man's bed. Auston sits next to him but far enough so they can face each other. He uses his hands to calm his hair down."Why do you smell like the ocean, and fish?" Auston asks, nose crinkled."Don't worry it's just the lake, I went fishing with Murray.""What? Fishing? Why?""Yeah no it was partly horrible, but I ended up getting my doll deed done," Willy proudly states."Woah you told him? How'd he react?""It went a lot better than I thought, it's like a small weight lifted off my shoulders."Auston smiles at him. Before Willy can break the silence, the other man tucks a stray piece of hair behind Willy's ear. He feels his cheeks warm slightly. He doesn't know what's compelling him to feel this way but he keeps a smile on his lips as Auston speaks again, lower this time."I'm happy it worked out well for you. There's no way Matt could ever stay mad at you," he says admiring Willy's features as his hand drops from his hair to his jaw.Willy licks his lips but the moments gone just as quick as it came when Auston pulls his hand back. There's no answer to why he feels disappointed as he was only being friendly."Man that would've been a sight to see, you out there catching fish? Cant even imagine it.""What, I'm totally the fishing type," Willy argues, "I even have proof," he turns behind him to the bag he brought it and shoved the fish at Auston.The other man moves back in disgust, "oh my God you sick fuckin' freak, get that outta here!"Willy's holding his stomach as he pulls the fish back. He promised Matt he'd keep it in good condition, maybe he'll freeze it and cook it. Probably not though."Caught that while fearing that Matt would push me in the water to get eaton by piranhas after I were to tell him about Jack," Willy exclaims with his arms crossed, proudly."Piranhas, where do you get this from?""I'm not the ocean expert I'll admit. But I'm feeling great, about getting that task done and tomorrow's game. I'm pumped," standing up he jumps up and down a little to show his energy."You're cute," Auston says quietly with a smirk, shaking his head a little.There's a lag in Willy's response due to his lack of words suddenly but he's interrupted by Mitch walking into the room."Hey guys, what's up?" Mitch asks the two of them as he makes his way to his bed.The three of them end up hanging out for a while until the fish smell gets too much for even Willy. He ops for a shower and a lot of reflection time.
JohnMeditation has always been something suggested to him to help regulate his tendency to overthink, especially related to hockey. This time, as he lays on his back on the hotel bed, he's trying to find the words of what to say to Aryne. They haven't spoken in a long time. It's not like they ended on a bad note but it was agreed that they weren't meant to be. With John focussing on hockey his mind was always elsewhere and Aryne had her own things to focus on.Outside the window, the sun's already set but he still lays in the dark. He finds it more calming as he sits up and take one more look at the moon before turning on his phone. He has to scroll quite a while before seeing her name come up. Clicking on their message makes him remember how they never texted since the breakup.All he knows is that this has to be done soon otherwise something worse might happen if he can't invite her. One saving grace is that he doubts she'll show up. She has a job to focus on and her own life, why would she fly to Minnesota for her ex's game? He really doesn't want to do this.John: Hey Aryne. I know we haven't spoken in a while but I was wondering if you'd want to come to Minnesota to watch our game tomorrow?John tried to shake away the uncomfortable and embarrassing feeling he's left with.Aryne: Are you drunk??John: No, but it's been so long and I was hoping to see you thereAryne: I have work so I can't make it, but when you're back in Toronto I'd be up to meetingJohn: Sounds good!Good news is, she's not coming to the game. The bad news is that he'll have to talk to her sooner or later and about what? He doesn't even know.Aryne likes the message and doesn't respond from there. Shutting off his phone, he puts it on his bedside table. The theme of Aryne coming up this past little while makes him uncomfortable. Their relationship was over and he was good with that. Bringing up this part of his past is messing with him and the team.Last time it was brought up, Mitch felt pretty awkward about it. They spoke about what John planned to do on the way back from the coffee shop.
Earlier that day
The two of them walk side by side back to the hotel. Neither of them comment when the swaying of their arms cause their hands to brush. John can tell that Mitch wants to say something."What's on your mind?""Just everything y'know. It's a weird step from notes or texts to gifts," Mitch answers with air quotes around gifts."For sure, but it was the creepy little voice that really got me," John remembers that horrid voice."Right? At least get a nice voice changer, make it sound like the rock or something," Mitch laughs as John tries to stop himself from laughing at that stupid comment but fails."That'd be a step up for sure," Mitch nods, "something else is bothering you though," John states, eyebrows knotted."Why do you say that?" Mitch avoids the other man's eye."Just this certain look on your face, and you kinda brush off the questions I ask you," it's pretty easy to notice these quirks.Mitch rolls his eyes but sighs defeatedly, "you read me too well," a beat, "I don't know. Don't you find it weird that this is like the second time your ex was brought into this?"He thinks for a moment before answering, "well I guess so, but J seems to bring up things from the past that we don't want to think about or feel guilty about. Seems kind of like a typical torture thing.""Oh, I guess that makes sense. But are you actually gonna ask Aryne to come to the game?""I don't think I have a choice.""You always have a choice," Mitch rebuts."Sure but I'd rather not find out what happens if I don't. And I know it'll be hard for you to do yours but I'd rather have you not take chances by ugh, weird word choice but disobeying.""Well yeah I wouldn't want to deal with something worse later but I don't know what they want to come of these threats which freaks me out," Mitch sighs, looking down.The conversation didn't help but he feels like Mitch isn't being completely honest. Could easily be due to the fact that he's nervous about what he'll say about his dad.Both of them are more afraid of the consequences after they do their task. He wasn't afraid of asking Aryne to the game, it was mainly what would come up after it. Trying to find a way to get his mind off the situation, his mind drifts elsewhere. The only distraction he can find comes after he gets more comfortable in the dark of his hotel room.Laying back on his bed, John's hand moves to the waistband of his shorts. He lets himself slowly move his hand into his boxers, teasing the base. Without thinking, his eyes flutter closed and he imagines someone in between his legs, head bobbing slowly. Guilt hits him when he looks down at the figure of him imagination with eyes too familiar.Piercing blue eyes that could only belong to Mitch get him hooked and he can't stop. The man's mouth moves to the rhythm of John's hand gradually speeding up. The delusion of not acknowledging that he's fantasizing about his right winger finally releases with his body, into his hand. It's not like anyone will find out.As soon as he's done, there's shame written all over his face. The part of him that just wants to stay in bed and disappear leaves as he hears footsteps in the hall and he remembers life's still continuing.He grabs a tissue from the side of his bed and wipes himself down. After throwing the tissue away, he hears his phone ping, but ignores it as he walks to the washroom. A shower is what he needs, to wash away the guilt and the dirt he feels growing on himself. Though no matter how much he scrubs, the memory doesn't wash away with the suds down the drain.Wrapping his towel around his waist, he shakes his head in disbelief. The thought of how he's going to face Mitch without blushing or saying something stupid gets stuck in his mind. Thinking about a teammate like that is like a break of trust. This is a guy who he shares the locker room with and gets in many vulnerable positions with. You have to trust these people and have them trust you. How can that continue if someone spends their time jerking off, thinking about them.After pulling his shorts up and shirt over his head, he avoids his bed. He stands, facing the window, looking out at the city. Everything out there's still the same. The only thing that's changed is him.
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MitchNovember 25-postgamePacing in the locker room isn't the best idea when you're bumping into guys with every other step. He gets looks that say, ‘what the hell are you doing?’ or ‘slow down there bud.’ But Mitch's mind is set on bringing up his dad during media. He doesn't know what his dad would have to do with this game and is struggling with how to make it about him.It's not like Mitch has the worst relationship with his father. But, some memories from his childhood still make him wince thinking about it. In the end, he pushes it aside because of where he is now and without his father, he might've not made it here.Mitch debates whether or not he can talk to someone, maybe bounce some ideas off of them. The first person he thinks of is John. What stops him is how the man has been avoiding his gaze all day. During the game, John's his usual focused self but other then that he's been abundantly quiet. Even now, as they're all in the locker room together after a win, John's focused on himself. Whatever, it's not like he wants to hear his worried voice and practical demeanour. Definitely wouldn't help him now nor would it calm his nerves. Definitely not.He's snapped out of his head when he's being called for media. Stretching his neck, he turns to the door for the interview. Basic questions are asked, about the game, about his teammates and himself in general."Mitch, your goal tonight has allowed you to continue your point streak to fifteen, already beating your own record of thirteen. Do you think you'll be able to pass the record of legend, Darryl Sittler?" a woman asks, microphones surrounding his face."Oh wow fifteen already, I didn't know that, that's cool," possible segue, "to have my name up there with these iconic players really means a lot to me and uh my dad. I'll have to let him know, he's gonna be real happy," he laughs a bit at the end.They thank him for his time, and he heads out of the room feeling accomplished. That wasn't so bad, and no lies were told. His dad would be ecstatic about him breaking a Maple Leaf record but he might not like jinxing the idea. Anyway that's that mess out of the way and he doesn't have to think about it, at least for a while. Their game tomorrow against Pittsburgh should keep his mind busy enough.Late flights aren't his favourite things after games, just because you're kinda sore and just want to rest. But he enjoys the quiet ambiance tonight. Though, this is finally his opportunity to sit next to John.So of course he moves to the seat next to John, who looks a bit startled when he sits. Mitch ignores the reaction and smiles at him with a light nudge. John returns the smile but also returns his eyes to the window."Guess what," Mitch starts."Hm?" John asks, gaze still elsewhere."I did the interview, about my dad."John turns his head to Mitch, momentarily unaware with how close they are, "oh really? That's great. How'd that go?" Realizing the situation, John turns his head slightly away from him."Not that bad actually, it started with the point streak and I just said something about how I need to tell my dad and he'll be happy.""Good segue," John comments."Hey, that's what I thought," Mitch laughs.They fall into what seems to be a comfortable silence which is normal for them. But Mitch is itching to talk to him. Luckily, John breaks the silence first."I did mine too," John has his eyes glued to his lap, "I invited Aryne to the game," Mitch's eyes grow wide and John, almost sensing Mitch's discomfort answers quickly with, "she wasn't there of course."Mitch's heart starts to beat at a regular pace again. He doesn't know why the idea bother him so much, he's never had anything against Aryne. Hell, he'd even say that he liked the woman. But there was something that made his gut twist just thinking of the two talking again."But uh, when we get back to Toronto, her and I are gonna talk or something.""Or something?" Mitch prompts.John rubs his fingers over his eyes, "I don't know, I had to agree to it. I just invited her to a game and if I say no to meeting up, it's gonna sound weird.""Wait, meeting up?""Yes, Mitch meeting up. Why are you so concerned about this?""What? I'm not! It’s just— whatever," Mitch crosses his arms and turns away from the other man. He doesn't get it himself so there's no way to tell John the truth. His face is heating up with embarrassment for the way John called him out. There's an uncomfortable feeling in Mitch's chest and all of a sudden he doesn't feel so proud."Hey, I didn't mean to accuse you of anything, I'm sorry," Mitch still can't turn his head back around, "I'm proud of you for uh, what you said about your dad. Takes guts to bring him up.""Thanks Johnny," he whispers, hating himself for how his words made him forget he was annoyed. Closing his eyes, he dozes off.When they land in Pittsburg, he checks his phone to find a notification from his dad. Of course he's seen the interview. His words read;"You played very well. But don't jinx it yet, there's no reason to be proud yet."He knows his dad probably thinks nothing of his words. That doesn't change the harsh nature to his tone. Mitch doesn't live to please his dad anymore but there's something in him that just wants to prove that he can do it. The pressure's up but he can't stop now.
AustonNovember 30thThe reverse retro jerseys this year are sick and Auston's glad to get to wear them again. The passion must've awoken in him for his second period tip-in. He's proud for his boy, Hollowell's first point. Overall it was a good night for the boys.Mitch decided to wait till the last minute or so to continue his point streak to tie the all time record of eighteen. The boys are all over him when he walks in the room. Water flowing from all directions, from injured guys and goalies, there's a bond in that group that can't be broken.He's talking to Mitch while they walk through the halls."Fuck that was nerve racking," he says with a smile, "of course I knew you could do it but Jesus, you stressed me out.""You think you were stressed? I was practically begging Keefe to put me out every second, imagine it ended when I was so close," Mitch reminisces, with a contagious smile."It's insane. Hope you can continue it, that'd be cool," Auston adds."Yeah, I mean I could just imagine what my dad would say," he clears his throat, "you've got the record eh champ?"Auston laughs, "maybe some more excitement but I can see it," a beat, "hey I've gotta talk to Dubas, I'll see you later.""Dubas huh?""Yeah, just about how we're doing y'know, nothing serious.""Alright man, catch you later," Mitch wraps his arms around Auston, patting him on the back. He turns to find Kyle while Mitch continues on his path.It's been a while since he's been told by that dumb doll to tell Dubas to trade someone. What kind of request was that? Plus how much power do they think he has?He hopes that he hasn't waited too long to finally do his task but he was hoping to get it done once they were back home. There's not a big window since they're back on the road soon, so he's gotta get it done.Auston reaches the room he suspects Dubas is in and sees Sammy leaving his office. His eyes go wide when he sees Auston. The man's grip is tight on the book he's holding."Hey Sammy, Kyle in there?"Stammering, he answers, "yes he is in there. Not for long. Seemed busy for me."The response is strange but Auston can blame it on the Russian to English barrier. Also the fact that goalies seem to be about ten times weirder than the average player."What're you holding there so tight?" he asks."Nothing, just a book," Samsonov simply states."Look I'm not gonna make fun of you for uh," Auston narrows his eyes at the book, "keeping a diary," he says playfully.Sammy smiles, "yeah, yeah, make fun all you want. Go talk to Kyle before he too tired to deal with you," he responds, patting Auston on the back before walking away."Bye Sammy," Auston calls out with a smile before knocking on the door.He hears a muffled "come in" before he turns the doorknob. He shuts the door behind him as he walks towards the general manager sitting at his desk."Auston! What's up?" Dubas asks, clearly in a good mood."Just wanted to talk about the team y'know.""Oh really, about Mitch's point streak?" He gestures for Auston to take a seat across from him, so he does, getting comfortable."No, not that. Though that's pretty incredible," Auston remembers the joy he felt as he watched the puck go into the back of the net."That's an understatement. What about then?" Kyle says seriously."Uh I just thought we might be due for some change."Kyle's silence ops for Auston to continue with his idea. He's thought long and hard for who he's gonna throw under the bus. Every idea made him feel worse and just the realization that he has to suggest this makes him sick."I'll just cut to the chase," he sighs, "y'know I love Malgy, but uh, I'm just not sure if he's a good fit on this team. The other guys just seem to work better right now is all. So maybe we should look elsewhere for another player."Auston fiddles his thumbs nervously. Dubas stares at him, fingers stroking his chin. He feels stuck, sitting across from the other man like he doesn't belong there. If he could book it right now he would."I see where your concern is coming from, but I don't want you to worry about this stuff. You need to focus on your game and I'll make sure to make the moves I need to behind the scenes so that everything runs smoothly. Why did you feel the need to tell me this, Auston?""Just uh, looking out for the team. Of course I know you'll do what's best for the team, it was only a suggestion, definitely no need to take it," Auston adds quickly."I appreciate the passion you have to improve the team, but there's no need to even think about that. If there's something that needs to be fixed I have your backs," Dubas says nodding."Mhm, yeah, sounds-sounds good," Auston says and he can't stop nodding. He just wants to show Kyle that he agrees and hopefully he'll get out of this soon."Now go home, rest. I don't know how much longer I can stay upward. You played great and it was a great night but you need to be ready for the next game, got it?""Got it, thanks, I appreciate it," Auston gives an award winning smile and doesn't look back when he leaves the room.That might have been the most embarrassing interaction but he tries to block it out on the way to his car. He turns the music high so unwanted thoughts can't intrude. Predictably, he winds up thinking about that night with the dolls. The only comforting thing is that he doesn't have to think about those creepy ass dolls again. He honestly preferred the notes, why was there a voice now?Just when he let out a breath, he gets a text that reads;"Wow, you're a worse guy than I thought, throwing the new guy under the bus -J"
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JohnDecember 3rdMitch didn't waste any time breaking the Maple Leaf franchise record for having the most games with registering a point in a row. The boys are buzzing and John's cheeks hurt from smiling. Somehow, he doesn't have that memory at the hotel room looming over his head. At this moment, he's proud of his friend and if anyone deserves to sit all alone up there with that record, it's him.The loss only stings a little because of the reminder of how round one went last season. But, they got a point so they just have to move forward and keep working. More importantly, it's time to celebrate this incredible achievement. Even Keefer can't keep his post-game ramble all serious after cracking a joke about Mitch's record.As he peels off his under armour, he gets a look at Mitch who's talking to Auston with the biggest smile on his face. It's pure joy and it's enough to make John smile to himself. Though when Mitch starts removing his gear, something else starts stirring and that's when John knows it's time to look away.After somewhat avoiding Mitch for a while, John believes it's time to get back to normal with him. Before he leaves the dressing room, he asks Mitch if he's up to doing anything after the game. The rejection only just starts to sting before Mitch offers for John to come to his place. John agrees embarrassingly quick and makes his way to his car.He drives with the radio on in the back, feeling calm. When he pulls into Mitch's driveway, the other man hasn't arrived yet. He waits in the car, checking his phone for for the final scores of the other games. Seeing the Oilers win doesn't make him happy but it makes him relieved that they can still win for Jack. But that goes away when he realized he wasn't in net.A knock at his car window, startles him as he drops his phone to the floor by his feet. Mitch with a half apologetic half trying not to laugh face, holds up his hands in surrender. John opens the door before reaching down to grab his phone. Mitch's eyes move from down, back to his eyes in a quick manner, making John smirk."You like what you see?" John asks with a burst of confidence he didn't know he had.Stammering, Mitch answers, "uh, what no," but John's laughing makes him pause and join him, "I can see the work you're putting on the quads," he continues raising his eyebrows."Glad you noticed," John adds as he follows Mitch to his front door, standing close behind as he unlocks it. What is he doing? This is a strictly friends hangout."What a night."John toes off his shoes, "it's insane what you can do, like of course I know you'd do it but still, great to watch."Mitch looks a little pink from that after he quietly responds, "thanks Johnny."Walking behind Mitch, he brings them to his kitchen where he brings out some containers which were pre-prepped by Margaret, their dietitian. The winger asks if John wants any which he says yes while Mitch heats up their respective plates."It's been a while huh?" Mitch asks, facing away from John.John plays dumb, "a while since what?""We've hung out, outside the rink.""Eh, I guess, maybe a week but sure," John huffs.Mitch faces John, rolling his eyes playfully, "you know what I mean, you've been kinda distant, I don't know," he brings a plate in front of John with some utensils.It's a hard topic to tiptoe around. He tries not to remember the cause of what made John stay away from Mitch because he doesn't need to deal with having a hard-on while sitting in Mitch's kitchen. But, he can come up with something that resembles part of the truth at least."Just a lotta stress I guess. That's why I wanted to hang out today, I know we all celebrated more yesterday but I wanted it to just be us."A smile appears on Mitch's face as he grabs his own food and sits next to John on the barstool, "I'm glad Johnny, y'know I love talking to you."There's a feeling in John's stomach that feels so warm and wrong at the same time. Acting so domestic when he knows it can't be real hurts."I saw you uh, checking the Oilers game," a beat, "before you dropped your phone.""That's on you, you're lucky I have a good case," John comments, ignoring Mitch's suspicion."It makes me feel bad, seeing him playing like that. I just know he feels horrible."John's eyes soften. Even though they're not teammates anymore, there's still love for Soupy and none of them wanted him to play like this, even after leaving."I've wondered if he would've been doing better if he was still here," John confesses, "but thinking about everything that's been going down with the notes—""But that's not even Jack, it's some psycho stalker. I wish the answer to our problems could be that easy, but it's not," Mitch spits.Johns quiet. He wasn't trying to say Jack was the one bothering them. He doesn't even know what he was trying to say. Though he can't blame Mitch for lashing out at him with the way he treated him before, he has no right to call him out for his quick response. So instead of saying anything, he just nods and brings another fork full of food to his mouth."Sorry," Mitch's cold hand lands just above John's knee, "I know you weren't saying anything bad.""It's okay, Mitchy, I get it," John says, looking at Mitch.His hand rubs against the fabric of John's sweats as Mitch's eyes stay glued to that spot. He tests the waters when his hand moves higher and he squeezes John's thigh gently. John's mouth hangs open as he watches in disbelief. Stopping the heat from rushing to his groin is hard, literally, but a knock on the door, makes Mitch awaken from his trance and move to the door without looking back.After taking several deep breaths, John mirrors his hand to where Mitch's was and felt empty. He gets up to see where Mitch went but is stopped when the other man was already on his way back, a box in hand."I didn't know packages delivered that late," John breaks the silence, clearing his throat.Mitch is quiet for a moment but then tilts the box so it's facing John, "it's from my dad."A surprised look crosses John's face, "that was quick. Nice of him to think of you I guess," he continues trying to make Mitch feel better.The look on his face doesn't look like he's buying it. He moves swiftly across the kitchen, coming back with scissors to cut through the tape. The box opens with ease and Mitch pulls out some sort of metal bracelet. John looks for a reaction in Mitch's face when he doesn't know what's going on."It's not from my dad," Mitch lays the bracelet in the table, biting his lip."What, how do you know?""Fuck, I threw this out I swear. It's," he sighs, "it was a gift from Babcock."John looks over to the seemingly regular bracelet on the table and furrows his eyebrows. An odd gift from their previous coach, but none the less, if Mitch threw it out, and it's here now, there's one person who could've gotten it back.Mitch looks at how John studies the accessory from afar and picks it up, turning it around to words written into he back. "Pride. Honour. Courage." That makes more sense."It was forever ago. When Babs told me to make that list. It was really tough on me but later as a sort of apology, he gave that to me. The words kinda mocked me at first, I wasn't feeling any of that," Mitch pauses, "but I kept wearing it. Finally threw it out when he was fired, wanted a clean slate."John remembers hearing about the list Babcock told Mitch to make about the hardest and least hardest working teammates. It’s wild to hear that he actually made him do that."I can see why you threw it out. No good memories tied to it," John pushes the box towards Mitch, "was there any note?""No, nothing but it's probably J trying to bring down my mood is all," Mitch replies, taking one last look at the empty box."Are you gonna toss it again?""I'll leave it for now, maybe it'll be useful later, lemme just put it upstairs."He leaves John in his kitchen as he takes the box and bracelet out of the room. Everything Mitch has been bugged about have been things he's tried to forget from his past. He deserves a break and to not have some stranger sticking their head in his business.A buzz is heard from Mitch's phone beside him. At first he doesn't react. But curiosity gets the best of him as he reaches for his phone. It's from Mitch's dad."I saw you had company so I left your gift on the porch. Knew you had it in you. Decided to return the bracelet because it represents everything Babcock taught you, resilience and passion."John squints at the message on his screen. He debates whether or not to clear the message but he knows he would only be delaying the inevitable. It wasn't J who sent the bracelet but Mitch's dad. Before he could get too wrapped up in his own thoughts, footsteps grab his attention. He quickly sets Mitch's phone back down, eyeing the door carefully.Mitch narrows his eyes at John who evidently is looking a little suspicious. He realized that he won't be able to play it cool so he hands the phone to Mitch."You got a message," he states blankly.He looks up at John for a moment before turning his eyes to the screen where the message from his dad would be. After a moment, Mitch speaks up."I actually don't know if that's worse or not."Mitch turns to walk to his living room with John silently following his lead. He sits carefully next to him trying not to move a muscle as if any move could cause the other man harm.Slowly, as if not to upset him, John asks, "you said you threw it out, where?"Mitch leans back into the couch and is quiet for a moment. A look crosses over his face like he remembered something, "my parents place. I thought there'd be a better chance I wouldn't go back for it if it was there."That makes sense, but it obviously hadn't worked out that way. John doesn't know if there's anything he could say that would be comforting to Mitch. So instead of speaking and getting into some captain ramble, he waits for Mitch to speak. It takes a while but he finally starts."I love my dad, I do. But we've never had that close relationship where I could talk about anything or vent about hockey or school. He's just stuck in his ways I guess but I'm used to it. That's why I don't know why everything's been bothering me so much lately.""There's a third party interfering with your usual life, it's bound to make things worse. It stings to have things you thought you were over, brought up," John says, having his own experience with that. Mitch bites his lip, nodding knowingly."It's typical that a night like this would get ruined," Mitch starts clearly wanting to move on, "wanna play chel?"John laughs at the quick change of pace but agrees. He knows Mitch'll turn it into a contest and beat him horribly, which will end with Mitch's obnoxious bad winner attitude that John loves. This is what they need to get their minds off of their troubles. It helps John remember how normal things used to be with Mitch and he's glad to be back to it.
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WilliamDec 8Those games where everything seems to be going right are Willy's favourites. Except for the bullshit one of the Kings pulled on Pierre to get him that mad to get ejected. Did he bat him in the head with his stick? Yes, but he argues it wasn't very aggressively and he dove for sure. Anyway, the barn was electric and the boys had energy tonight.Keefer's pretty happy with the game when he gives his speech. The boys are giving it to Pierre a little because of the fact that he rarely gets riled up. Bunts is ready to defend him but not without laughing about the consequences he'll have to face. The two end up in a wrestling match that Willy has to manoeuvre his way around to talk to Auston."Fun night huh?" Willy adjusts the cap on his head as he faces Auston."We were in it tonight, especially thanks to Sammy," Auston raises his voice at the goalies name which draws a quick stunned reaction which quickly turns into a smile."You have any plans for tonight?""I think I'm just gonna head home, rest up for the night," Auston replies.Willy tries not to look disappointed but he doesn't press to change Auston's mind. He was hoping they could get something to eat, maybe play chel. It's been quiet on the ‘J’ front for a while and he just wants to enjoy it with his buddy."Cool, cool, same. I'm just gonna talk to Pierre but I'll see you," Willy explains.Auston grabs his bag and says bye with a small smile before making his way out. A lot of the guys have left by now and he looks around for Engvall but it looks like he left for a second. The fact that his bag is still sitting there makes him sit back down to wait.He gets lost in twitter but snaps out of it when he hears a bag being unzipped. Expecting to see Pierre when he turns his head, he's caught off guard when he sees Timmy slip a piece of paper in the duffel.Willy's staring must've given him away when Liljegren looks startled that he had an audience. Willy narrows his eyes and opens his mouth but just as Timmy looks like he might explain himself, Pierre walks back into the room with his hair in a perfect quaff.He looks at them suspiciously hovering around his bag, "what did you guys do to it?"The giraffe is eyeing his bag while looking between the two of them who look very guilty surrounding the Swede's locker. Willy looks at Timothy patiently, raising his eyebrows to prompt an answer."Nothing, just admiring the fabric."Willy narrows his eyes, what kind of answer is that?“Sure, as long as you guys didn't fill it with glue or put a bomb in there, I don't care," Pierre responds, shaking his head as he picks up the bag, "you coming Timmy?""Yeah, bye Willy," he says quickly, trying to match the pace of Pierre and his long legs.The door shuts to leave William sitting alone. What the fuck just happened? He completely disregarded the fact that he wanted to talk to Pierre about the misconduct because of the note Liljegren left. What other note could he have given and looked so guilty about it? Does that mean Pierre's been getting notes too? And why Timmy?He needs to tell someone about this. Obviously Auston is the first person to cross his mind so he does the rational thing and drives to his house.What he was hoping not to happen was for none of the lights in the house to be on. For some reason Auston really did want to call it an early night. He parks his car in the driveway and walks to the door. Just before knocking he realizes there's no way he'll hear him. Pulling out his phone, he calls him. A few rings later..."What," a groggy voice greets him."Sorry were you sleeping?" He dumbly asks."No shit, Willy why are you calling?""I'm outside your house let me in."Silence on the other end makes Willy think he fell asleep on him or maybe he was done with Willy's spontaneous visit and just hung up. But after hearing some sighing and rustling, he hears a quiet "okay" from the other man before hanging up.Willy waits not so patiently, leaning against the door. That was a bad idea because when the door opens, he stumbles a bit before a hand goes to his chest to steady him. He tries to hide the blush as he meets Auston's tired eyes with his warm palm still on his chest. Auston moves the hand away to rest it on his own hip.Looking back at the other man, he notices his bare chest with flannel pyjama bottoms clinging loosely to his hips. Any lower and they'd be revealing a lot more. When he looks back at Auston, his eyebrows are raised, clearly wondering why Willy awoke him from his slumber."Mind if I come in?" He asks simply."Why not?" Auston states extravagantly, raising his shoulders.Willy has a small smile on his lips because he likes to bother Auston like this and he also doesn't mind the clothing arrangement. He closes the door behind him and Auston now has his arms crossed."What are you doing here Willy?""Yeah that, so I actually didn't come here just to mess with your sleep schedule but uh," he stops himself mid-sentence, "do you mind turning on a light? Can’t see a thing," to be fair he's stumbling a bit, trying to hang up his coat.Instead of answering, Auston pulls him by his forearm to guide him to his living room. The feeling of being yanked through the darkness where his eyes haven't adjusted yet is a little worrying but Auston gets him there in one piece. Just when he thinks they'll stay in the dark forever, Auston turns on a side table lamp. He makes himself comfortable on the recliner chair while Willy sits next to him on the couch."Please make this be worth all this movement," Auston pleads."Okay," he sits at the edge of the couch inching closer to Auston, "I have a lead on J."This seems to alert Auston as he too, sits on the edge of the chair, un-reclining it, "and?""I think it's Timmy."This does not seems to satisfy Auston. First he rolls his eyes with disbelief in his face, then he starts laughing. Like full body shaking kinda laughing. It's not that funny c'mon."You're joking. You think Timothy fucking Liljegren is the person fucking with us," he shakes his head with a smile, "that's a joke.""Maybe you should listen to the proof I have before laughing, this is real I swear," Willy starts, a little angry that Auston isn't believing him but he's excited to prove it."Sure go on, why do you think Timmy is J?""Remember when I said I would talk to Pierre before you left?"Auston nods."So he wasn't there at first so I just waited. Then, out for the corner of my eye," he starts a dramatic reading of the events, "I see someone putting a note into Pierre's bag and guess who it was?""Timothy Liljegren," they say at the same time but with different excitement levels."Exactly!" Willy exclaims."Did you read this supposed note?""No I didn't get the chance, but he saw that I saw him and he looked guilty," Willy remembers the expression on the Swede's face."Willy are you sure he wasn't just helping him out, maybe he asked him to put like, I don't know a doctors note in there.""A doctor's note?""I don't know, it was just an example," Auston replies."Your example doesn’t make sense but mine could still be a possibility.""Fine but why would he do that right in front of you? And why would he be sending these notes to us?"Willy sighs, "sure, I don't have all the answers, but it's our first real lead so we should investigate it."Auston closes his eyes. After thinking for a moment he opens his mouth, "okay, tomorrow. We'll go to Pierre's and ask him about the note.""Wait really? You're on board, I thought-""You seem really stuck on this idea and why not explore all possibilities. Plus I'm so fucking tired you could get be to agree to just about anything," Auston stands up to stretch.Willy rises from the couch and pulls Auston into a hug. The gasp from the other man's throat shows that he wasn't expecting it but his arms go around his waist anyway, "thank you.""Yeah, it's nothing," Auston answers, avoiding Willy's eye."Do you mind if I grab a coffee before I go?" Willy asks.He doesn't know if he'll be able to stay awake the whole drive home without one."Sure, but I'm going to bed, you know where it is?"Willy nods, "goodnight.""Night Willy," Auston replies, making his way out of the room.Willy has a smile on his face as he gets to the kitchen. He's feeling excited, everything could be back to normal soon. Now he just needs to make his coffee, and head home.Or he could fall asleep on Auston's couch. That part he only remembers as a hand shakes him awake. The first thing he feels is a slight pain in his back. Then embarrassment hits him as he looks up into Auston's eyes."Rise and shine," Auston says with a smirk.Willy sits up and stretches his back and neck. How did he end up here? He looks at the half drunken mug sitting on the coffee table and he has no recollection of what happened after Auston left."What time is it?""Only 9:40."Not bad."Did you let me stay over?"Auston grabs the mug from the table, "if I let you stay over you would've been sleeping in a bed, I don't make my guests sleep in their jeans on the couch."Willy looks down at the clothes that he had worn the night prior and regrets most of his decisions. Auston makes a gesture to follow him and it takes him a while to get up, but he follows him to his kitchen."The coffee really that bad?" Auston asks, emptying the mug in the sink."I couldn't even tell you," Willy replies with a yawn."Why don't you go upstairs and take a shower, borrow some of my clothes. After we'll see Pierre," he states casually, his back to Willy."Sounds good, thanks."He turns to the stairs and makes his way up. He makes the decision to shower in Auston's bedroom shower, assuming it has the better supplies.The warm water relaxes his muscles and he wants to stay in there forever. But he does get out eventually, not wanting to wreck Auston's water bill. It's not like he needs to be careful of that anyway. He wraps a towel around his waist as he gets into Auston's room.Now that he takes the time to look at it, the bed is messily made and he has some clothes laid out for Willy. He must've came up here to help him with his options. Fuck, hopefully he‘a not mad he used his shower.He picks up the white t-shirt that was left out for him and chooses a blue, drew hoodie from the pile. Black sweatpants seem like the safe option, so he puts those on even though they're a little looser on him than they are on Auston. It takes everything in him not to bury his nose in the hoodie but he straightens his head and grabs his own clothes which he threw on the floor.When he walks downstairs, Auston's eyes are already on him. His mouth is a little hung open but he quickly changes it into a smile."You ready?""Yeah, thanks again, y'know. I didn't mean to stay over," he says with a little guilt. Maybe he overstepped."Don't worry about it, we can figure this out earlier now," they put their shoes on at the door, "we'll stop at Tim's on the way."Willy nods and makes a mental note to pay. It's the least he can do after all of Auston’s hospitality. They take Auston's car and he ends up with a coffee and a breakfast sandwich. Not the best for his diet, but he'll make up for it. The two of them make it to Pierre's building and greet the receptionist.On the elevator ride, Auston breaks the silence, "so what're we gonna say?""Just follow my lead, I'm gonna wing it," Willy answers confidently.He leads the two of them to Pierre's door and knocks a little aggressively. After a couple minutes of hard knocking, he finally hears the locker being rattled.Pierre greets them with a confused look. He has a towel draped over his bare shoulder and Nike shorts on. He’s covered in sweat, most likely from an early workout and only one AirPod in his ear. This guy never stops the grind."Yes?"Okay rude."What, you aren't glad to see us?" Willy asks."Just confused, why didn't you call?""I'm getting déjà vu," Auston states and Willy shoves him."Can we come in?""Okay," Pierre answers slowly, moving to the side so they can step in.His place is neat and very Pierre. Everything has its place and it looks like it was made to be there. He guides them to sit at the barstool while he returns to what looks like a smoothie."I guess that's why you didn't hear us," Auston says looking at the green mixture."Oh, I guess so," Pierre answers with a shrug, "what's up?""Let's get straight to the point, I saw you got a note last night. What did it say?" Willy asks."What are you talking about?""There was a note, I saw it, did you?""I don't know what you're talking about, there wasn't a note in my bag," Pierre says, taking a sip from his smoothie."Willy maybe there wasn't-" Auston gets cut off."I didn't say the note was in your bag," Willy says.Pierre puts down his drink, looking down, "What's it to you?""What did it say?""It's a crime to get a note now, what is this for?" Pierre starts to get frustrated."You're acting really guarded but you don't have to," he tries to explain."Why are you being so nosey?" Pierre says with a sound of distaste in his voice."Listen," Auston speaks up, "we've gotten some notes too and we think maybe they're the same kind, from the same person.""I seriously doubt that," Pierre replies.Willy gives Auston a look. What does that mean? The tensions are high in this room and things aren't looking good. He wants to press for more but he just needs to be careful."And why do you say that?""I can't tell," Pierre lays his arms on the counter and places his head in them."We aren't supposed to tell either, but it does make it easier. We're not just your teammates but your friends," Willy tries slowly."But, he's my friend too," Pierre sounds hurt."Timmy?" Auston asks.Pierre's head shoots up. His eyes look red into Auston's, "how did you know?""I saw him put the note in your bag," Willy answers.Pierre walks out of the room. Auston gets up to follow but Willy stops him because he feels like this is going somewhere. The giraffe walks back with a folded note in his hand."You can't tell.""We promise," Willy says and looks to Auston as he nods.He unfolds the note and shoves it into the two men’s direction. He looks away as the two crowd around the handwritten note."oavsett vad, jag är med dig""What does it mean?" Auston asks."No matter what, I'm with you. Why, what does that mean, actually?"Auston and Willy both wear a similar expression. They look to the taller man who usually holds so much confidence but instead is twiddling his thumbs."I was driving Timmy home yesterday and I can't even remember why but I had to grab something from my bag. That note fell out and I tried to hide it. He told me to read it. That wasn't the first note I received but when I read it I looked up at him and I just knew it."The room's quiet."I asked him if he was wrote them and he said yes. They were usually kind encouragements about the game but sometimes compliments and sweet words. He looked at me with so much hope, fuck," a tear slips through his eye, "I told him not to say that and to pretend this never happened. He left the car and I didn't even look up, I just let him leave.”Willy's heart hurts and he looks down into his own hands."I didn't know what to say. I love my girlfriend and Timmy's one of my best friends. He was probably so hurt and maybe he even hates me now. I don't fucking know," Pierre looks away but his sniffling doesn't stop.Auston only focuses on the door. He feels horrible. They just forced Pierre to tell Timmy's secret for nothing. He's not J, he's just in love. And to make it worse Pierre isn't in love with him. He gets up and hugs Pierre slowly. The taller Swede's head is buried in his shoulder, making cutoff noises. Once his breathing slows, he pulls away and Pierre almost looks embarrassed.Auston speaks up first, "Timmy could never hate you. From what we've seen, I don't think he could. But you've gotta make it better, you can't run out on him."Pierre nods, wiping a stray tear brim his cheek. He takes a deep breath, "you guys said you got notes too?""No um, like in the past I got some secret notes, I just wanted you to know we could help," Willy answers."Oh, thanks."They stay for a little while after that to first calm him down and then discuss Pierre's punishment after yesterday.Willy and Auston get back to the car feeling defeated."That was sad," Auston said."Yeah, poor guy and to not get any answers either.""That too but it must suck to love someone that much and they don't feel the same way," Auston thinks out loud."That would definitely be bad," a beat, a buzz.Auston pulls out his phone."You're getting colder -J" he reads aloud.
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JohnDec 10It's a gritty win, but it's still a win. Murray struggled a bit but none of them were helping him out that much to be fair. John goes through his regular postgame schedule, but in the back of his mind he remembers the plans he had made with Aryne.They planned to meet tomorrow for coffee mid morning. Initially, it was going to be lunch but the plan changed because that's too much of a commitment. It's not that he doesn't want to talk to Aryne. Alright maybe he doesn't want to, but it has nothing to do with her. Just some memories he'd rather not bring up.Mitch has been vocal about him being against the meeting. He says that he shouldn't feel pressured because of J. It's a nice thought but him and Aryne should really catch up. Maybe just to put an end to that part of his life. That's the mature adult in him thinking.Waiting in the car, he taps his fingers on the steering wheel. Part of him hopes she doesn't show up. The plans were at eleven and he's in the parking lot at 10:38 rethinking his past life choices. Would it be less awkward if he was already in there when she showed up?John fixes his hair quickly in his side mirror before heading to the shop. He's not looking to impress her anymore but he doesn't want her thinking he's a slob. The bell goes off once he opens the door and he smiles at the barista. He studies the interior to find a suitable place to sit. Dark corner? No, too secluded. Front of the store? No, too many people walking in and out. Quiet window in the back next to Aryne? Oh, looks like Aryne is still her punctual self.He gathers up all the courage he has as he makes his way to her table. She has two cups of coffee in front of her as she scrolls through her phone. When his steps seem to get louder, she finally looks up to meet his eyes. He's surprised when he's met with a bright smile. She gets up and pulls him in for a hug which takes him a while to process. It's quick but he still manages to smell the perfume she used to wear all the time lingering."Hey John, I'm glad you reached out!" She starts, sitting back down.John sits across from her, "yeah, it's definitely been a while.""So, how've your been?" She asks genuinely, pushing the other cup of coffee in front of John."Not bad, seasons been good so far. We've been playing well-""Sure, but how are you?"How does he answer that? He's himself, he's fine. As long as hockey's good he's good. It takes him a while to get his footing back, but he continues."I've been good. Feeling all healed up from a while back. Been fine, really," John says, looking back at her.She just nods for a second before looking down at her coffee, "I ask because I care y'know," she meets his eye, "you just reached out, kind of out of nowhere and I was worried something was wrong.""Oh that's nice of you! But I really did just wanna catch up," John explains."You weren't drinking, were you?""No-no, it's not-""Cause I know before we broke up, you were drinking more than you normally would, which isn’t much at all and-""No, it's—no. It wasn't a big thing then and I'm not overusing now," he tries to convince her.It was never that serious in John's eyes. Just sometimes a little whiskey would smooth down his thoughts. Never before games or anything but when he needed it. He was usually alone, but Aryne saw him a few times and was alarmed by it. She helped him through it but it didn't stop their relationship from ending."Okay. I believe you, John. I truly want you to be doing well," John can tell she's being sincere."Thanks but I shouldn't be taking up the conversation so rudely, what have you been up to?"This leads to John learning about how her business has been going and her new intern who's way too clumsy for the job. She asks about his family and they share some new stories."My mom's still acting the same way as she used to with new boyfriends," she starts."Oh.""Yeah, Chris. He's been sweet to me.""I'm glad, you deserve a good man," John adds, though he feels jealous that she has found someone new and he's still alone."You do too," John's eyebrows raise, "you know what I mean. Unless you're already seeing someone?"He pauses, "no, no one.""Hm. How's Mitch doing?"Weird, "he's fine, why?""Is he seeing anyone?" She asks, ignoring his question."Not that I know of," he replies slowly."I only ask out of curiosity. He just hasn't dated in a while and-""What, you're tracking his dating history now?""John, calm down," she gives him a stern look while smirking, "it's just an observation."He scoffs. This is getting to a level he doesn't want it to reach. He looks at his phone to see the time is 11:47."I think I should get going now," he starts to stand."Wait please. Just sit for a minute," she pleads.Sitting, he meets her eyes again to which she actually looks regretful."I didn't mean to upset you or make you think something you don't want to think. I just think you guys have always been close and he's been a good friend. You need people like him around you, okay?""Okay.""It really was nice seeing you, even after I got nosey," she smiles."You're right, it was nice to catch up. I'm glad you're doing well Aryne," meeting her smile, turns and heads for the door.He's left with a weird feeling when the cool Toronto air hits his face. Breathing in, he shakes off the shiver. When he gets in his car, he turns on the heat and rests his head in his arms over the steering wheel. John tries to convince himself it was a good meeting but the end kind of messed with him.Running his hands through his hair, he turns on the radio hoping to drown out his thoughts. Before he starts moving, he gets a message on his phone.Mitch: Are you busy later today?John stares at the message and then at the time. It's basically noon and he doesn't have much planned for today. Before he could answer, he gets another message.Mitch: We can chill at my place or go outWhatever you want:))A smile creeps upon his lips which he has to fight off. It's just a stupid smiley face but it's typical Mitch so of course it makes him smile. Maybe that's the reason he shouldn't answer.Maybe that's the reason he puts his phone down and drives off.At home, he debates going through his liquor cabinet but he doesn't want to prove Aryne right even though she would never know. He opts for kombucha instead and catches up on some texts he hasn't answered.Moving past Mitch, he answers Gio about a restaurant they've been wanting to try and then Mo about about how he's in love with Tessa. Before he can answer his dad about his new snowblower, he gets a call from Sammy. It surprises him to see the goalie reaching out to him randomly but he doesn't think too much of it as he answers."Hey," John starts."Hi, Johnny. How are you?""I'm doing alright Sammy. You okay?" He rests the phone down and puts it on speaker phone as he washes his cup."I'm doing good. But I call to ask you something," an ominous Ilya answers."Ask away.""How was your date with Aryne?"John almost drops the glass. Did he just hear that right?"What- how did you?""Mitchy told me," he can hear the smile in the goalie's voice.Of course he did. Mitch and his love for goalies strikes again."It wasn't a date," he rolls his eyes, "but it was fine, not eventful. But why did he tell you?""He say you dumb for doing things you don't want to do.""Okay lay it all on me why don't ya," a little blunt but he gets Mitch's side."You want to know, I tell you how it is. But I think it's good. Gives you closure, maybe some answers."John nods even though Sammy can't see him. For being so young, it's a surprise that he knows so much. It's a good thing for sure but still a little unexpected."But maybe talk to Mitch. He seems," a pause, "worried."Worried? There's nothing to be worried about. Mitch is dealing with the same things as him so he should understand the feeling. Maybe he should've texted Mitch back earlier and reassure him that he's fine."Yeah, I know- I guess. I'll talk to him soon.""You can talk to him today. Go out and do something fun. Team bonding," John scoffs."Sure today.""Be good, bye Johnny," and just after John says bye the call has ended.'Be good', sometimes John's lost to what's going on in that guy's head but he just assumes some things are lost in translation.John ends up falling asleep but he wakes up, a little frantic and unaware at about 8. He sits up and stretches his back before reaching for his phone. Instead of answering Mitch, he decides to click on a group chat between Auston, Willy and Mitch. He texts something along the lines of going out to a downtown bar.They deserve a fun night out to just let loose. And when he gets energetic messages from Willy and Auston along with Mitch liking his message, he grabs his keys.
Mitch
The bar is loud. Loud enough that no one seems to notice Mitch and Willy working the pool table. Even though Mitch is losing now, he has confidence he'll get back in the game. Right when he lines up the perfect shot, Willy yells across the room messing up his rhythm. The ball misses the one he was going for and shoots off in a completely different direction."Hey! That's interference, I should get to go again," he argues.But Willy's too busy greeting Auston and John who have just walked in. So he leaves the table and follows the Swede to where the other two are standing and takes in the atmosphere. Mitch is a little salty that John didn't answer his message and he debates holding it against him and ignoring the captain for the night. But the bar lighting seems to be hitting him in such a way that it doesn't seem possible."Boys, we ready for some drinks?" Mitchy directs towards the guys.They each grab a stool and start with shots. They don't normally get a chance to drink like this during the season but no one seems to object to letting loose tonight.Except John, "just don't go too hard tonight eh?" His captain tone is loud and clear."Says the guy who invited us out," Auston rebukes before the shot is raised to his lips.John seems to see the irony in that and shrugs it off. He leans over to Mitch and the susurration in his voice makes the hair on Mitch's neck stand up. It was something simple like asking if Mitch wanted nachos. And of course he did but for some reason he said no.When John orders it anyway, he doesn't make a comment when Mitch reaches over to help himself. He ends up pushing the nachos closer to Mitch. No words were exchanged but Mitch smiles at the casualty of it.They end up having a few more drinks and switching between playing pool and darts. It's a simple night and they're so buzzed they might not remember it tomorrow.Mitch ends up suggesting the go for a walk to get some fresh air. He's the one who ends up behind the others, not being able to walk straight. John falls behind with him to make sure he's doing alright.He ends up leaning against John as they walked. He's surprised when John doesn't have a comment but he enjoys the warmth of his body. The cold air leaves Mitch's cheeks flushed. He moves his hands to his cheeks to warm them up but he ends up forgetting how to balance. Before he could fall, John grabs a hold of his bicep, steadily. That part's nice. And funny. Because right now, Mitch is in the mood to laugh apparently. John joins him and Mitch feels accomplished for sparking that in him.That's the last bit he fully remembers.Light peaks through his eyelids before he gets the courage to open them. It's a more difficult task then he remembers but he still manages to rub the sleep out of his eyes as he sits up. Turns out he's moving too quickly for his hungover brain to manage as his hand immediately goes to his head. Finally taking a moment to look around, with his hand still on his head, he looks at the unfamiliar room he's in.It's not completely unrecognizable but it takes him a minute. He stretches his arms but pulls them back when he hits something. No someone. Auston lays in the unfamiliar bed next to him. He scoffs at how Auston hogs the bed and lowers his feet to the ground.The room is clean, a guest bedroom most likely, because it doesn't seem to have a personal flair. Slowly, he reaches for the door handle, trying to be quiet as he leaves the room. He doesn't remember how they got there but seeing as his keys and phone lie out neatly on the dresser, he feels fine. When Mitch closes the door behind him, he sees a just as nice hallway.It all starts to make sense when Pierre pokes his head into the hallway and narrows his eyes at Mitch."Look who's finally up," he states crossing his arms as he leans against the doorway."How did we even get here?""No clue, you guys came knocking in the middle of the night. I thought you were thieves when the doorknob was rattling but turns out it was just Willy. Anyway, I saw you guys were hammered and looked horrible so I let you in."Looked horrible? Rude."I don't even remember that, sorry for waking you up," Mitch says, rubbing his fingers to his temples.Pierre pauses, "follow me, I'll get you some aspirin."Mitch is thankful for the hospitality. He admires Engvall's design choices as he follows him through his place."You hungry?""Starving," Mitch answers."Lucky for you my bed and breakfast is still open," he says sarcastically, moving around in the kitchen.Mitch laughs and leans against the counter, enjoying not having to do anything."Where's Johnny and Willy?""My room," Mitch gives him a look, "I walked away to get you guys water for one minute and they took over. You guys probably needed it more then I did.""Hmm.""Why were you guys so drunk anyway, you know we have a game tomorrow," he asks, in a responsible fashion."It just got out of hand is all. Was just supposed to be a fun night out."Pierre hums as he plugs in the blender. When he's done, he sets the meal and drink in front of him with the aspirin laying beside it."Thanks Pierre."He waves his hand in response. From the outside, you wouldn't expect him to be such a caring guy, but he's really come out of his shell for the boys which Mitch is really glad about.Pierre keeps him company while he eats. It's just a casual conversation but every time he's asked about last night, he blanks. There's an odd feeling to not be able to recall your own memory.Willy soon stumbles into the kitchen, barely standing straight. The taller Swede sighs as he helps him to the couch while he grabs a plate. He hears a quiet 'thanks dad' which Pierre tries his best to ignore but he's not the best at hiding his disgust.Mitch gets up and decides he needs to talk to Willy. He first puts his plate by the sink because he's not that bad of a houseguest. Speeding into the living room, he plops next to Willy, which he regrets because of his headache which is still not fully gone yet."How're you feeling?""Great, can't you tell?" He responds slowly, "quick question though. Why are we here?""No idea. I mean we were drunk—""That part I know," Willy adds."Okay, smartass," he rolls his eyes, "anyway I'm pretty sure you were the one to bring us here and Pierre let us stay the night.""I can't even remember anything that happened last night.""Same, it's freaky. It might make things worse but I have a hypothesis," Mitch starts."Big word. I'm impressed," says Willy with a grin.Mitch is gonna choose to ignore that. Just because he can struggle grammatically at times, doesn't mean he doesn't know big words."What if J had something to do with this?"Willy's quiet for a beat, "wait, like we were drugged?""You guys got drugged?"Mitch's head cranes quickly to the side to see Pierre strolling in with a plate. The two of them are quiet when he places the plate in front of Willy and stands with his hands on his hips. Willy stammers trying to find the words.Mitch decides to interrupt, "no not in that way. Um it was just how Tone kept ordering us shots. It gave that affect like he drugged us y'know."Believable enough."I didn't drug anybody," Auston says standing at the door, rubbing his eyes."Fucking Christ," he whispers. He has to stop his urge to either punch Auston or rip out his own hair."Johnny called for most of the shots," Auston continues.And just like clockwork, "what about the shots?""How you drugged them," Pierre adds with a smirk because of course he does."Drugged? What's going on?" John asks, directing the question to Mitch.Things seem to be going downhill very quickly like they're hiding something. It was just supposed to be a 'what if' kind of thing and now it's gone overboard."Can’t a guy make a simile these days?" Mitch whines."Maybe more like an analogy," John points out and Willy starts laughing.He sticks his tongue out at him."Am i the only one who doesn't remember how we got here?" Auston questions.This is gonna be a long morning.They all leave the Giraffe's place together. After some judgy looks, they were able to escape Engvall's curiosity but it was better to get out of there before they messed up their story. Even after promising to pay for every meal he ate, it still didn't feel like enough for Pierre's help.John pointed them towards a cafe to be able to regroup. They sit at an outdoor table which isn't the warmest place, but it feels like a good wake up call."Do you really think J had something to do with last night?" asks Auston.Mitch exhales, "I don't know, maybe, it was a dumb theory. I just thought there could be a reason we were all blackout drunk.""There's no way all of us could've been this bad," John responds."I mean it's not like we did anything. We just hung out at a bar and then walked," Willy says.He's right. There's no reason to think that anything bad really happened. All that happened was the four of them had a crazy night out. Nothing more. It's hard to remember weird things could happen on their own without a third party interfering. Mitch rubs his hands together and starts to feel a bit more relaxed.It doesn't last long. The four of them get a text at the same time. Eying each other suspiciously, they look at the message;"What a night! Are you ready to have some fun? -J"Mitch looks over John's shoulder to see the same message and judging by the looks on Auston and Willy's faces, they're all in the same boat.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Auston
Dec 19
Auston shows up to the optional morning practise just to make sure he's feeling good for tomorrow's game. They do some skating drills and they're coming along pretty well. Murray and Sammy stay on the ice longer than the others as per usual, so he gives them some head pats before making his way off the ice.After taking off his gear, he gets a quick workout in. The memory of his night in the gym only crowds his mind a little as he's grinding on the bikes with Brodie.He takes his time in the shower, letting the hot water burn his skin slightly. His fingers brush through his hair and he wants to stay in there forever. But his fingers are getting pruny which he can't stand, leading him to turn off the water and wrap a towel around his waist.The locker room is empty when he gets in so he takes his time. Auston pulls a hoodie over his head after putting on sweats and just sits for a minute to check his phone.A creak from the door catches his gaze. It's Kämpfer, with a towel over his shoulders who looks like he just got back from an intense workout."Hey bud," he greets.David smiles and gives a small nod but he's still too out of breath to answer. Auston looks back to his phone while the Czech stretches by his stall. He's never minded the quiet. Especially with Kämpf where it's more peaceful than uncomfortable.It's about noon and Auston thinks it's about time to head out. A minute later Kämpf speaks up, "did you see the trade?""Trade? What trade?" Auston's a little taken aback because he hadn't expected a change happening right now."Makes sense, it was only announced a few minutes ago," he pauses as he peels off his shirt which Auston would be more annoyed at if he wasn't so impressed by his borderline eight pack, "it's Malgy. For, what's his name... Dryden Hunt, yeah."Auston's heart stops. Not because he was close with the guy or that he was a big part of the team. But his conversation with Dubas makes his stomach turn. He can't help but feel responsible for that trade. Just when he was having a good morning, something he's almost forgot that J make him do comes back to bite him in the ass."Are you okay? You look pale," Auston hears."Yeah, just wasn't expecting it I guess," he responds."Poor guy. Sad how hard he worked to get here and prove himself and now this. I'm sure he'll be fine, anyway I'm off to shower," David walks off.Now he feels about thirty times worse. He didn't need to pity the guy more than he already did. Kämpfer probably didn't even realize what he was doing but it still stings to hear that.Finally he decides to stop moping and go home. But when he leaves the room, his legs take him to the door of his gm's office. He holds his fist up to the door hesitantly but ends up swallowing his pride and knocking. This could end up really badly.No longer than a second after his first knock, could he hear Dubas calling him in. Slowly, he reaches for the doorknob and twists it. Apparently he's moving slower than he thought and the confusion shows on Kyle's face. Auston closes the door behind him quietly and gives a tight smile to the man sitting in front of him.Kyle gestures to the seat in front of him and he sinks into it, feeling some deja vu from his last time in this room.He looks down at the papers covering the desk and reconsiders his visit. It's too late to go back now even if he's bothering Kyle."Hey um," he pauses, "I just wanted to ask you about something.""I have a feeling I know where this is going," his gm states patiently.Looking back down, he readjusts himself in the chair and finds the courage to look back up, "I heard about the Malgin trade and I was just gonna say that I hope I didn't sway you into doing something you didn't want to do.""Hmm. You wanted to ask me something?" Dubas persists."I didn't force your hand or anything right? Cause I didn't mean to push or be in your business or whatever," Auston continues, feeling anxious."Auston, you have a big influence on this team. But if I believed that we were benefiting from having Malgin here then I wouldn't have made the deal. Sure having a core guy say what you said made me think about it a little more but it's my job to deal with this stuff, so I did."Sighing, he feels relieved. But there's also a feeling of embarrassment of thinking he had this much control over Kyle. The man does what he wants and he's good at it."I believe we're a better team after the trade. Everyone benefits. But if my big impact players are needing some changes, I'll sense it," Dubas adds."Right. Yeah thank you and sorry for bothering you like this," Auston gets out of the chair.Dubas waves his hand, "it just shows you care. But no need to step on my toes anymore, I don't need you coming for my job."Auston smiles, shaking his head, "I'd never be able to do what you can do. See you around."He turns around and shuts the door behind him. It feels better to know that Kyle believes what happened is for the best, but he still made him question the chemistry which hurts. Thoughts are running through his mind so aggressively that when he turns the corner, he bumps into someone.Holding onto his head to ease the pain, he sees Willy across from him doing the same."Jesus, fuck," Willy says through an easy laugh."I didn't even see you, sorry man," he squeezes the other man's shoulder, "I don't know what's up with me.""You wanna tell me about it?"He stops at the suggestion. On one hand, it would help him process his thoughts but that would also mean fessing up to getting a doll of his own. Plus, he promised not to hide things anymore. He's cursing his past self for making these dilemmas for him."It's nothing really."Willy pauses, studying his face like he'll grow a third eye or something. He gestures for Auston to walk with him. As they walk, Willy speaks up again."What were you doing in Dubas' office?""Just about Malgin.""Poor guy, he worked so hard to get here—""God, why does everyone keep saying that?" but he was supposed to ask that in his head."What you don't think so?"Auston sighs, "it's not that. It's just— hard to say.""Just tell me, I won't judge," Willy responds, looking to meet Auston's gaze."Okay um," Auston looks around and sees a door which leads to a supply closet.He grabs Willy's wrist and pulls him into the room, closing the door behind them. He flicks on the lights and looks around at all the spare sticks from the team. Only after a few seconds of looking around does he notices his hand caressing Willy's wrist. Letting go, he clears his throat and tries to find the words. They're standing close in the tight, dimly lit room."I should've told you a long time ago but I didn't know how to say it," Willy nods encouragingly, "fuck why is it so hard to say?"Thoughts like, 'I broke the promise that I wouldn't lie' or 'I'm the reason Malgin was traded' maybe even 'do you think I'm a horrible person?' cross his mind."I think I get what you're talking about," Willy says with susurration. He wouldn't have been able to hear
it if they weren't standing so close.It catches Auston off guard, "really?"Before he can react properly, Willy's lips chase to meet Auston's as the Swede's fingers tangle in his hair. His lips were soft when they parted slightly. Their bodies pressed together and Auston was nervous Willy could feel his heart beating out. His hands rested on Willy's hips, not remembering when he put them there.Instinctively, he pushes Willy's hips back, missing the warmth from his lips. The other man looks flushed as he stares back, wide eyed."I lied."It slips out just as quickly as he felt Willy's tongue slip into his parted mouth. But instead of a feeling of passion and excitement he felt ashamed. He licks his lips hoping to be able to taste the chapstick from William's mouth."What?" he asks clearly confused."What I wanted to tell you. I got a doll. Back in Minnesota, in my hotel room.""That's uh— that's what you wanted to tell me?" Willy asked."Yeah, I felt bad for lying but I thought it was for the better. ""Okay. Okay," he turns around and reaches for the door handle."Hey wait!" Auston calls out but Willy's already speeding away.He jogs up to try to reach Willy but he's on a mission not to be reached."Willy c'mon, where are you going?"Finally he stops, "look, you wanted to tell me about how you lied. There. Done, I know. That's all you wanted and that's all that happened. Right?"Auston's at a loss for words so he just stays quiet and bites his lip as he looks down. William turns around and continues walking away.Well he definitely fucked that up.
—
It's about seven when Auston finds himself parked outside Willy's place with sushi in his passenger seat. He needs something convincing so that William won't abruptly shut the door in his face.Knocking on the door is the easy part. The waiting is what gets to him. What if he just peeps through, sees Auston and never answers? That's why he finds himself doing something totally normal. And continuous knocking on the door seems to work as he hears an, “I'm coming, Jesus" from inside.When William finally opens the door, he's struck with a guarded look."Auston, what are you doing here?""I was hoping to talk," and when that gets him an unsure look he continues, "I brought sushi."As he's let in, he thinks about how sushi previously ended with William but he pushes past that because he knows the love he has for it. Even if it isn't his own preferred meal, he doesn't mind it.William has already abandoned Auston at the door after taking the takeout bag. This leaves Auston tripping over his shoes as he takes them off to follow the blonde. He's already sat in the living room when he walks in and he takes a careful seat on the other side of the couch.He looks over at William's blue hoodie and grey sweats and finds himself admiring how effortlessly pretty he looks. The man opposite of him catches his starting and shrugs as if he's waiting for some answers."Look, I know you're probably really mad at me but I just want to explain. J wanted me to talk to Dubas about trading someone."William sits up, "wait. That's what you talked to him about today? Who'd you say?""No this was the aftermath—ugh fuck," he's having some chopstick troubles but he carries on, "I'm the reason Malgin was traded."There's silence in the room. Auston's feeling bad about himself again and William's taking in what an awful person he is."Why wouldn't you just tell me?""I didn't wanna bring you into it again.""I'm already in it!" William exclaims with a hurt expression."The only reason that was what the note said was because of the Jack thing. I didn't wanna make you feel worse I guess!""Well, I'm feeling pretty fucking bad now."This isn’t turning out the way he was hoping for. At this rate he should just abandon ship and figure this out another time."Maybe I should go," he says, getting up."C'mon don't leave now!" but Auston's already moving to the hallway.William turns Auston around with his fists stuffed in his hoodie, against the wall. He'd be lying if he said there wasn't a growing warmth in his groin."What about today huh?" he doesn't wait for an answer, "I don't care about you lying to me again anymore but what about today?""I don't regret it if you don't," Auston says with a whisper.William loosens his grip and gives him a little more room. He misses the closeness but then he starts speaking."Why didn't you say anything?""I don't know Willy. There isn't much to say."That's when Auston presses Willy to the wall and is quick to connect their lips. It isn't rushed like the first one. He deepens the kiss when his tongue slipped softly into Willy's mouth like a question. It's answered with a desperate noise at the back of Willy throat. Even with the Swede's hands gripped firmly on his waist, he doesn't protest.They pull apart and this time there isn't another topic to get in the way. They pant into each other's mouths, catching their breath."Confession. I like you," Auston whispers, looking into his deep blue eyes.Willy smiles. God he missed that smile, "I think I like you too," and then he gets to hear that laugh.To win a prize he didn't know he was playing for.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
WilliamDec 31A well deserved win for the boys tonight as they won in Colorado 6-2. The buds are all over Murray for a well-played game. Marns gets the belt from Järny and they're buzzing. It's a great way to end the year off.Willy gets out of his gear even quicker than usual as the guys rented a penthouse for their new years party. Plus, this will give him the chance to talk to Auston. They haven't spoken much about what happened between the two of them but Willy knows where his head lies.They split into cars and Willy ends up with the Swedes. He's a bit disappointed he couldn't go with Auston but as Sandy was pushing him in the backseat he felt like he couldn't say no. Maybe some space is good because all that’s on his mind is Auston. It gets to the point where he asks himself how he's the only one dying to be around him.The car ride would've been great if there wasn't some underlying tension between Timmy and Pierre. He's surprised they haven't spoken about it at this point. But with Pierre driving and Willy sandwiched between Timmy and Sandy, at least Willy can be helpful enough to steer the conversation clear of anything too serious.Finally the ride seems to be coming to an end once they get to the parking garage. Even the Colorado weather didn't stop Willy from overheating in the middle seat. He still doesn't know how it ended up that way.Most of the guys are already in the penthouse when they get there. The music's loud and the bartender's already pouring drinks. Willy can feel the headache he's gonna have to deal with tomorrow in advance. He sits at the bar debating if he wants to go through with it when someone slides up next to him.And because Willy seems to be winning a lot lately, it's Auston."Hey, crazy running into you here," Auston starts with a sly smile."Oh it's been too long, for sure," Willy says with his eyes creased."I hope you're not sober for the night, are you?""I don't know, I was thinking about it. Maybe I could be the one who holds the fort down.""Will, drunk or not you would not be the one to hold the fort down," Auston smiles while using air quotes.Willy laughs as Auston watches him. He ends up calling for two drinks."You should've been in that car Aus, you would've thought Pierre killed Timmy's parents by the way they were acting.""What, they fought?""Not even. Just the silent treatment. I could never go that long without talking."Auston laughs, "that I know. It's good I wasn't there though I wouldn't know what to say. I feel for them.""Yeah, it must suck to confess that to someone and they don't feel the same way. How do you get past that?"Auston leans in closer, his lips almost brushing against Willy's ear, "I'm glad we don't have that problem."Willy's face heats up immediately as he beams at Auston."Do you wanna go somewhere quieter?" Auston asks."This close to midnight?" Willy can't even believe that's what he's thinking about right now."Well I was hoping we could still have a midnight kiss even if it's not directly at midnight," Auston whispers."Okay how about I meet you on the balcony in a few?""I'll be waiting."Willy watches Auston walk away and it's an even better view than he remembered. Finishing his drink, he's about to follow Auston outside but something stops him. A message."Make a new year's toast that turns into you publicly rejecting Auston and you better not spoil the surprise. Unless you want this out in the world-J"Below is a photo of Auston, Mitch, John and himself sporting Oilers jerseys in what looks like a Sportchek. That has to be photoshopped. Only it's not. When Willy looks up close he realizes the photo is from their night out when they couldn't remember a thing. Fuck, why do things always have to be so difficult?Willy turns his head to where Auston disappeared to. Maybe he can somehow soften the blow. How did J even find out about the two of them? Whatever. Now's not the time. He braces himself for the cool Colorado air when he walks to where Auston admires the view.Standing a few feet back, Willy speaks, "hey."Auston turns around with a spark in his eyes. He walks towards Willy engulfing him in a kiss, hands tangling in his blonde hair. Willy buries his fists under Auston's shirt, feeling his warmth. He makes a quiet noise of protest but his lips continue to move. It's a bit messy and uncoordinated, but it that’s the way they are.When Willy pulls away, breaking the kiss, Auston opens his eyes again."That's one hell of a new year's kiss."Willy smiles without meaning to. He shouldn't smile. Not with what he's gonna have to do. He considers not going through with it for a second. Maybe it isn't a big deal. But they'd be the laughing stock of the league if people saw them wearing another team's jersey, it's embarrassing. Let alone what Dubas or Keefe might do. A buzz in his pocket makes him check his phone again."Tick-tock, William. Your time is running out. Better do what I say, or suffer the consequences -J"Sighing, he looks at the time on his phone. It's about five minutes till twelve.Auston has his hands on Willy's waist as he waits for Willy to speak, "we should go inside."Auston nods and gives Willy a quick peck on the cheek before following him back inside. What should be a warm and comforting feeling turns into a hot and suffocating atmosphere.Grabbing a glass of champagne, Willy bites his lip as he stands in front of the television that plays the countdown. He picks up a fork from the coffee table and starts clinking the side of the glass. All eyes are on him as he stands in front of his teammates. Maybe he should have prepared what he was going to say. His palms started to clam up as he holds them together, hoping not to show how shaky he is."Hey guys," he grips his trembling hands, "I just wanted to say happy new year and I love you guys. And uh Matts—"Fuck, that hurts.A heavy body has him slammed against the wall."I love you too buddy," Murray says, clearly suffering the consequences of alcohol. His arms are wrapped around Willy."I meant Matthews," he struggles pushing the six foot five goalie off of him. Not to say he isn't amused because a drunk Murray is definitely entertaining but he has more important things in his mind.But just before he knows it, the countdown is over. He's almost stuck in the moment with everyone cheering around him. Willy raised his hand at the television like he could stop time from moving if he tried hard enough. The guys around him cheer and hug each other. Auston is screaming something at Mitch that Willy's too far gone to hear. Timmy and Sandy do some handshake. Pierre watches Timmy while Mo seems enthusiastic about whatever he's on about. JT and Gio seem to be having a good laugh. Järny shakes Willy excitedly but Willy looks to where Murray seems to be out of it while Sammy helps him stand up straight, whispering in his ear.He could punch him but he knows he's not to blame.The time ticked down and now all he can do is wait for them to be humiliated. Stupid fucking picture, stupid fucking night. God he regrets it all.Willy shakes his head, trying to steady himself. Once he's back into reality the music is loud in his ears again and he can hear the last words Järny mumbles in Swedish before running off to Kämpfer. Sitting on the couch, he watches the announcer's excitedly rambling and the people in the crowd kissing and enjoying themselves. Movement to his left startles him. Thankfully, it’s just John."Hey Willy, you alright?""Pfff, I don't know.""Just looked like you hit your head pretty hard back there," John says, taking a sip of kombucha."Yeah, Murr’s pretty out of it but I'm okay," he laughs at the stupidity of it."I mean, he was definitely acting it."Willy stops at that."What do you mean?""Matt wasn't drinking tonight. Not that I noticed anyway. He doesn't usually. I think he likes it better when he's in control," John says offhandedly.Willy stares at the corner that he was shoved against just a few minutes prior. The warmth of Murray's body interrupting his speech. I guess he couldn't smell any aggressive alcohol on him but the whole room seemed scented. He stands up and John says something that he can't hear. Willy looks into some empty bedrooms before finding a door that wasn't closed completely.Gazing into the room, he sees Murray sitting on the edge of the bed with his head in his hands. Sammy is crouched in front of him, seemingly in hopes to get a good look at the other goalie's face. He tries to focus in on any words that the two might say. Staying quiet is easy except for when John almost blows his cover when he appears behind him. He gives Willy a confused look but Willy ignores it. He might be onto something."Fuck, I wasn't thinking," Matt whispers, "I just couldn't do it.""We talked about this!" Ilya answers in a louder but still whispered response."I know but it just got too far now."Willy's heart races probably ten times faster than ever before. Even more than any playoff game or when he tried to beat Pierre in a race. Fine, maybe not quicker than that day.They could be talking about anything. But to be sure, he has to be quiet. And that's not a problem for him for once. But it seems to be hard for someone else."What're you guys doing here?" Auston asks, way too loud to keep up the cover. Mitch is behind him looking amused.When Willy turns his head back to the door, Matt has his head up and Ilya is stood to face the door. Willy sighs giving Auston a death glare which he looks hurt about.He decided to get it over with and push open the door. Willy stands straight, looking embarrassed about how he was caught. Then he straightens his posture because why should he be the one feeling bad in this situation. John stands close behind him, still slightly confused about everything that's going on. Mitch and Auston have no idea.Sammy puts his hands in his pockets, "hey what are you guys up to?"Willy raises his eyebrows, "what are we up to? What are you two up to?"Matt doesn't look up from where he's sitting. John gives him a 'what the hell is wrong with you look' but he just shrugs him off."Just enjoying some quiet space," Sammy takes a step forward.Willy doesn't believe it for a second, "and you Matt" he takes a few steps towards Murray, "You feeling alright?"But Sammy's ready in front of him, a hand over Willy's chest like a warning. Willy backs up."Willy, just stop.""Yeah why're you acting like this?" Auston asks.Willy turns to face Auston, "maybe because Matt's a liar and so is Sammy by association."They stare at the goalies in front of them, still not understanding. Sammy stands protectively in front of Matt while he has guilt written all over his face."So admit it," he moves around Sammy to get a better look at Matt, "admit that you've been threatening us all season, making me shit-talk Källgren, giving us those dolls—""No way Matt would do that!" Mitch defends."What about what happened tonight with the picture? The night we got drunk and didn't remember a thing? I was 'dared' tonight to do something— that doesn't matter anymore before midnight and guess who stops me...Matt. But he was blazed right so who could blame him? Except he wasn't and now I hear that he feels bad. What's that all about? C'mon at least face what you did!"Matt stands. It intimidates Willy, the way he towers over him. He can tell the goalie is breathing heavy and maybe Willy should step back but his adrenaline is keeping him going."Constantly watching and creeping," he grins, "Do you get off on that?"Suddenly, Willy stumbles back into John who catches him. This so the second time he's being manhandled by a goalie tonight. He looks up at Samsonov who has his fists curled, glaring at the Swede."Fucking watch yourself, Willy!"Auston moves forward but Willy pulls him back."And what, you knew this whole time too? Just stood by and watched or did you help?""I don't know what you're talking about."John speaks up, "is that why so many of the notes were goalie centred. We hurt your feelings or something?""You guys don't get it," Murray finally says."Don't get what? That you guys are so sick to terrorize us all season?""Terrorize," Samsonov scoffs."So you admit it.""It's not what you think," Murray continues."No no of course not. You just stalked and messed with us all season. Isn't it kinda weird to write an anonymous letter telling me to tell the truth about Jack that you already knew?""Nothing you got wasn't deserved!" Samsonov states.The room is quiet."I'm only surprised that it was you who finally found out."No matter the situation, Willy will always be the airhead. It stings a bit but even Samsonov looks like he regrets it. He just scoffs and looks down."What did I do, for you guys to try and kill me?" Auston speaks up.That catches them off guard."Kill you?" Murray asks."In the gym that one night, there was a note. 'Next time it'll be your head' it’s not something I could forget ," Auston spits.Murray and Samsonov share a look."That wasn't us," Murray says."Okay," Auston replies quickly, not believing a word."Can you just hear us out?"Mitch looks really hurt. Willy looks between the guys. He needs to know why or even how any of this happened. No matter how bad it is, they deserve the truth. And just as Willy is about to say just that..."Is this where all the fun is?" Kerf asks as he stumbles into the room.They all turn to stare at Kerfoot."No, no. The party's over," Mitch says as he pushes past Kerf to leave. John follows quickly after and Kerf is drunk enough that he just walks away.With one last look at the two goalies, Willy turns around too. He could tell that between he two of them, they were too conflicted to get anything resolved. Willy's tired and just wants to forget everything about tonight.He should’ve drank more tonight.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
JohnJan 3rdThings are fine. They kick around a soccer ball, Mitch still pumps up the boys before the game and John's ready to play in St. Louis. That bit's all fine and dandy. Things are different when he ignores Samsonov and Murray before the game, ignoring their gaze and conversation starters. It's hard to ignore them during warmups when he has to shoot a few at Samsonov but he manages.To say he didn't want to hear their side out was a lie. He was normally a straight to the point kind of guy but this is different. Things could change and he isn't ready for that complication yet. Hearing the goalies not deny what Willy accused them of caught him off guard. Sure, he thought a guy on the team would make the most sense but it being true changes his mindset completely.Predictably, they end up losing in a shootout. It can be hard to trust your goalie in net when they've been messing with you behind your back. But there's no excuse for him to leave the game pointless. He leaves the ice without giving them a second look. Judging by how Mitch was the first one off the ice when he's usually last to give props to their goalies shows where his head's at too. Twitter will have a field day with that one.Keefe gives them a talk and he nods along. Nothing he says is wrong. Even he can feel the disconnect and tension between the team. He sits at his stall, still in blue and white, feeling the sweat start to cling to his skin.It takes him a minute to decide to get up again. John walks to the showers and just stands under the water like that'll be enough to get clean. He finally finds the motivation to wash up remembering that he doesn't have to sulk at the arena but in the comfort of his home.When he gets back into the locker room, he's surprised to see Bunts still in there, fully clothed at his stall. The Scarborough native looks up when he walks in."What're you still doing here Bunts?"The winger stands up and takes a few steps closer to him, "I was just waiting for you."John scrunches his eyebrows as he starts to towel dry his hair, "oh what's up?""What makes you think something's up?""You're not bouncing off the walls like you normally are for one. And you're not one to stay in this sweaty room longer than you have to."Michael nods taking his thoughts into consideration, "you've got a good read on me Johnny."He's stalling. This is okay for now while he puts on his pants but soon he's going to get impatient. After pulling the shirt over his head he speaks, "are you gonna talk or...""A gentleman waits for you to be dressed before having a conversation, has no one taught you any manners?"John gives him a look.Bunts laughs, "okay okay, I'll get to it," he looks around before looking back at him, "what's wrong with you?""What?""Like you're weird lately. And not normal John weird where I'm like, okay yeah that's John but more like, this guys acting like a fucking weirdo."John doesn't know why he's being insulted but he's too tired to argue, "I'm just off my game is all."Bunts looks at him with an unconvinced look. He bites his lip and sighs as he stares at his captain. It must be really bad if even Michael Bunting can be put off by all this."It's not really you're game but the way you are. More quiet, less talkative or...controlling! Well not controlling but you get what I mean.""I guess so.""Look I get it if you don't want to talk about it and it's personal or whatever. But it's affecting the team. And we care about you Johnny so if we need to figure something out, let us know and we fucking deal with it."John's taken aback with how he takes Bunts' words to heart. He can actually be a really great speaker when he wants to be. Not enough people get to know that side of Michael."You're right. I need to push it aside and not let it effect our performance—""Don't push it aside man. You, Aus, Mitch, Sammy, Murr and don't get me started on Willy, he's been kinda odd all season. There's something going on there and it's like this weird hole in the team is left here. If none of you talk soon I'm gonna lock you in my parent's basement until you figure it out."And with that, Michael leaves the room. Looks like he's ran out of all his inspirational ideas. John's left standing there with the eerie quiet surrounding him.He's right. They need to talk but they also need more time. Samsonov already isn't much of a talker but the fact that Bunts notices his mindset shifting is big.
It's been radio silence since New Years. There have been times during practice where he'll feel Murray staring, maybe thinking of something to say. But it shouldn't be him trying to talk to them. They can figure it out and have enough courage to bring it up themselves.John grabs his bag and leaves the room.Jan 5Deja vu. Another night where everyone's minds are elsewhere. Murray had it tough in net. Bad defence for sure but you could tell he wasn't totally in it either. John scored the only goal in the game ending it 5-1 so there's no celebrating that. He's a mess, the team's a mess and he can't avoid Bunting's stare for much longer.Moral's low in the locker room and it's John's job to fix that. He gives a quick speech before Keefe about minimizing chances and working harder in the corners but he needs a real plan. They have a practise tomorrow and that's where he needs to air everything out.But it doesn't go to plan. The next day at their training facility, Keefe has got them working extra drills and faster pace scenarios. Surprisingly the boys are working pretty well together but no one is too happy about it. When Keefe says it's time to go, there's a relieved look plastered on everyone's faces along with some cheering. They do a few more skating drills after that. This time when Keefe announces they're done, no one makes the mistake of being too joyous.Once they're finally done, John gets Auston, Willy and Mitch to meet him in the sauna. They're cranky and tired but he gives his best captain look which makes them know he means business. What gives him more of a challenge is getting Samsonov and Murray in there. He puts his hand on Murray's shoulder from behind which seems to gives him a scare. The goalie looks back at him a little tense like he's bracing for a hit."I think we should relax in the sauna," John says."What?” Murray asks, looking bemused."Just meet me there. And bring Samsonov."Murray almost grimaces at the use of Samsonov's full name rather than a nickname but he only nods and turns to his other goalie while John goes to wait by the sauna door.He taps his fingers on the side of his thigh while he waits. It's only been a minute but he's already worrying that they won't show up. But just before his train of thought could send him down a rabbit hole, the two goalies show up, side by side. John opens the door and lets them in before himself so he can block the door incase of runners.Auston, Willy and Mitch sit with towels wrapped around their waists. They look like they're enjoying some small talk while trying to let the heat mend any aches. John is about to ruin all of it.Auston is the first to look up from where he's seated, "no, what is this Johnny?" he asks straight away."Just hear me out—""Are you crazy putting us in here with them?" Willy questions, standing up."Hey we don't want to be here just as much as you!" Samsonov answers, arms crossed over his chest.There's a lot of talking over each other and it's getting out of hand quickly. Murray runs to defend whatever Auston starts spewing at Samsonov and Willy tries to push his way out of the room. John stands strong in front of it as Mitch pulls him back."Okay! Can we just hear him out?" Mitch calls out.John gives him a grateful look. They quiet down and the boys separate, sitting on opposite sides of the sauna."We need to figure this out," John starts."I don't wanna hear anymore bullshit lies come out of their mouths," Auston spits which gets him a glare from Samsonov."Look I'm just as mad as you. But it's not for the sake of us but the sake of the team. It wouldn't kill us to just hear them out," John finishes.The six of them sit quietly, looking at the ground waiting for someone to make a move. John is about to pull it together and start himself but his thoughts get interrupted."It wasn't supposed to be this big thing at first," Murray says, breaking the silence.Murray looks straight ahead, blacking out the situation completely. Samsonov catches his gaze and John isn't able to tell whether it was a look of encouragement or a look telling him to shut the fuck up.He continues, "but y'know people talk. Especially goalies."Willy looks up at that. Auston looks like he's about to ask something but Willy holds him back, clearly wanting to know more."When you're on a new team, you wanna know what you're getting into. Best way to do that is to talk to the guys here before. Campbell seemed hurt, maybe a bit relieved. It was hard to get a story straight from him."Surprisingly, Samsonov continues, "that's when he gave us a book. He said everything we need to know is in there. At first, I think the guy's shitting us. But he was serious. It had stories of all of you guys, secrets."Murray adds on, "I don't know how he knew so much but it sounded like he knew you guys well. It started like a journal about what a great team this was and he would write down special things about you guys, little things he found out. Near the end it got messed up. Talking about betrayal, and some stuff you guys would do or say.""What did we do to him?" Auston speaks up."Looks, whispers, maybe he feel left out," Samsonov answers.John looks over to Mitch who looks hurt. He had always been the one to praise their goalies and appreciate them no matter what kind of game they had."How did the notes start?" John asks.Murray sighs and presses his palms to his forehead, "Campbell's last entry was saying that he wished he would've stuck up for himself, or got you guys back.""So you tortured us, great to know, "Auston nods, "y'know I thought you were a good guy, I actually really liked you.""It was not Matt who started it! I did. I know what it's like to deal with asshole teammates who blame and yell and hit," Samsonov begins, "so yes, I wanted to show that you cannot get away with that."Samsonov's fists curl up beside him, but he seems to control himself pretty well. There are so many thoughts going through John's mind he doesn't know where to start.Jack had some kind of book with secrets and his feelings. Murray and Samsonov read them and thought we were terrible people. Jack wishes he did something about it, they "avenged" him.Blame and yell and hit. John's stuck on that part. He remembers hearing about Ovechkin yelling at Samsonov after he let in a bad goal or something. His first thought was that it's just Ovechkin being his hotheaded self."What do you mean hit," John asks, not able to stop his captainly worry from slipping through."You know player of the game? There was the opposite for loss. Nothing you can do but take it. I don't need pity but it will not happen again."The room is quiet and the heat is really starting to get to him. He can't imagine what went on in the Capital's dressing room but it makes him sick just thinking about it. John adjusts his towel and thinks about what to say next."Was it only us four who he complained about?" Mitch asks softly."There was some stuff on everyone. But I think because he loves you guys the most, it hurt the most when everything happened. Y'know all is fair in love and war kinda shit," Murray explains."So how did you guys give me that first note?""Hmm?" Murray asks."The first one you guys wrote," Mitch prompts.Murray looks at Samsonov who looks just as confused, "Campbell mentioned the issues with your dad a lot we know it was a low blow but—""No the first one in the summer.""We did not send one in the summer. John got the first one about being shitty player," John shoots him a look, "sorry."That's a start."That wasn't the first one. You said how I sucked with you in net and how I'll be worse without. Or sucked with Jack in net. Confusing for no reason.""We didn't even get the book in the summer.""What...how..." Mitch looks dumbfounded.John looks up at Mitch, "what if it really was from Jack?"Mitch only looked down. He probably doesn't want to think of that possibility again. Mitch is a big boy, he just needs to deal with this first."Fine, maybe you didn't send that one. But what about in the gym when you almost murdered me?" Auston asks, eyes focused on their Russian goalie."Murder? Notes were harmless, we never actually hurt you. I already said what happened in Washington why would we do that to you?""So you didn't mess with any equipment and then threaten Willy about the tampering?""No we didn't mess with equipment! What the fuck we're not insane!" a 'debatable' is heard from one of the guys but Murray continues, "we sent something about the tampering yeah but that was because for some reason you were already calling the police and the John thing wasn't that serious. Sure we went far with the tampering, abuse, exes and crushes but it was never like that," he sounded serious."How can we even believe anything that comes out of your mouths?" Auston asks."I guess you can't.""Why lie now? You know we did all this but there's no reason to take responsibility for something we did not do. Believe us or not, doesn't matter. We're not liars, you are," Samsonov finishes, making his way towards the door.John should stop him, probably. But this conversation isn't looking up from here so they might as well take in this new information first. Samsonov barley left before Murray follows."Sammy, c'mon," he hears the other goalie say as the door closes.It's hot and sticky. Instead of soothing his muscles, he only feels uncomfortable and like he can't breathe."I don't get it," Willy states."Are we saying we believe them?" Auston asks."I don't think they're lying," Mitch says, looking frustrated."I thought we had it figured out. But I think the not trying to kill Auston part was probably better than it being them," John considers.The boys nod at that. Though they're left with more questions than they started with, for some reason John doesn't feel like they're the enemy. Even with the aggressive nature from Samso—Sammy, he can't shake the feeling that Sammy's hurting too."So they wrote the notes, but not all of them. We never got a straight reason why, really. And I mean they seem apologetic?" John says trying to be the voice of reason."We can just talk to them later but if they weren't tryna kill me before, staying in here any longer just might," Auston stretches as he walks towards the door.He holds the door open while they all file out. Maybe having that conversation in a pressure cooker wasn't the best idea but they got some important stuff out.A cold shower is just what he needed. Every time he turns the water colder, he feels electrified. Almost like a weight was taken off his shoulders. Not completely obviously, there are still the marks and bruises but the main issue is gone. He walks back into the dressing room and changes into come comfortable clothes.John doesn't need to look over his shoulder to know Mitch is patiently waiting for him across the room. He smiles when he meets Mitch's gaze which he ducks his head at as they walk out.They grab containers with their food already prepped before they head out. Mitch takes an extra container of spaghetti while John opts for more veggies. Mitch makes a face and gives an offhanded comment on John's healthy lifestyle but he says it with admiration.John drives them to his house because Mitch had gotten a ride with Kerf there. He also missed having normal hangouts with Mitch, lately there has been so much chaos that they can't catch their breath. Mitch hums quietly to the music on the radio. Normally he'd complain about the song or dance until the car shakes but he seems pretty tame today. It's obvious something's bothering him and John can't blame him. But he'll wait until they get to his house before getting into it.He pulls into his driveway and Mitch is already racing to the front door for John to unlock. Balancing his bag, the food and turning the key is proven to be difficult but he does it without complaints. Mitch takes the food once the door is open and brings it to the kitchen, leaving his shoes in the middle of the hallway.John watches Mitch grabbing the cups and utensils like it's second nature to him. He and Mitch had a conversation a long time ago about the usage of plastic forks. Mitch wondered why John was always carrying around his reusable utensils but he's just environmentally conscious. But after that, Mitch used reusable utensils even though he complained that the wood ones felt weird. John starting bringing extra for Mitch and it just became a thing. It's a small detail that John admires but stuff like that doesn't go unnoticed to him.He straightens out Mitch's shoes by the door and hangs up their jackets so that they won't wrinkle. When he walks into the kitchen, Mitch is playing with his food.Mitch looks up, "finally, I thought you'd never get in here."John pulls out his chair, "you didn't have to wait for me.""I wanted to."John's eyes light up, "that's really nice of you."The winger shakes away a smile like he doesn't think anything of it. He begins on his spaghetti when John gets started on the chicken breast."Today was interesting," John states, testing the waters."Yeah, pretty weird.""I hope I didn't make things worse. For anyone, y'know with springing it on you guys.""No, John you didn't do anything wrong," Mitch responds.John hums, "I really appreciate you hearing me out back there."Mitch looks up, "well with Willy and Auston yapping away we weren't getting anywhere. I don't know if I would've been the one to get us all talking. It's just weird I guess. How they know so much about us and what they could do."John looks at his plate knowingly. He doesn't think either goalie would continue this sick game but he also doesn't know enough to make that assumption."What did you think about what they said?" Mitch asks."They seemed genuine. Murray for sure. Sammy's harder to crack but he always has been. But it kind of makes sense. They've been around to send the messages, they have reasons to do this."Mitch scoffs at that last part."Goalies are weird, their reasons don't have to make much sense," John counters."I want to know more about that book. Jack's journal or whatever. Was it just about us or was it a regular journal or whatever that we ended up being in a lot?"The journal was an interesting part. Does Jack even know what has been going on? You'd think he would but also he's never been one to hold a grudge. John doesn't want to bring it up because he thinks it'll only upset Mitch more. But there's still something he wants to talk about."Yeah, I found that odd too. I wanted to ask, about the first note you got...""It is what it is," Mitch stuffs another forkful of spaghetti into his mouth, "I mean my first though when I read it was that it was Jack.""That doesn't change the fact that it hurts."Mitch shrugs, "I get it. We could've been more supportive after what happened round one. Can't blame him for finally saying something.""You guys were close. I mean we were all close with him, obviously because he seemed to know so much. I don't know why he would send that and disappear. You haven't spoken to him since, have you?""A text here and there. The messages made things weird but he never mentioned anything about it. It's mostly just asking how he's doing, surface level stuff."John nods. Mitch obviously still cares for Jack and even though he wasn't sending all these messages, he still had these thoughts and never brought it up to Mitch.Mitch seems to notices John's train of thought getting out of hand as he places a hand over his forearm, "Johnny, don't worry about it. I'm not that sensitive."He knows Mitch is strong but he also notices the front that he puts up. John hums and forces himself to look away from Mitch's gaze. He can't help but worry about how he's holding up. Instead of carrying on the conversation, he notices the empty containers between the two of them and stands to clear them up.The water is already filling up the sink when John feels Mitch's presence behind him. He turns around with an eyebrow raised."Do you want to sit on the back porch?"John scrunches his face, it's probably about zero degrees outside. But instead of fighting it John grabs the hand towel and wipes down his hands. Mitch flashes him a smile and says something about being responsible and doing the dishes later as he leads them towards the back door.Mitch puts on a pair of John's slides and grabs his flannel jacket that's hung by the back door ready for anytime he doesn't have the energy to walk to the front. He seems so comfortable going through John's things but John doesn't mind especially because he likes the way the red jacket looks against Mitch's skin. John ends up following behind with a Maple Leafs hoodie that was left on the rack along with another pair of slides. He's lucky that he takes pride in comfortable shoes.The cool air hits him as Mitch slides the door open and John is quick to close it behind him. He doesn't need the heating bill to rack up. Not that he needs to worry about heating bills. Mitch sits down on the love seat and brings his legs up on the coffee table. John sits next to him, legs spread as he enjoys the relaxing nature of his backyard. He doesn't miss the way Mitch scoots closer. Already the couch doesn't leave much breathing room with two fully grown hockey players sitting on it but now they're definitely pushing it."A little colder than I expected," Mitch says."Imagine how I feel after you took my jacket," John huffs."Hey you should've gotten there first. Finders keepers, losers weepers and all that crap," Mitch responds with a proud look on his face.John rolls his eyes at that stupid saying. What he wants to say is that you can't find something that he never lost but there's no use. Especially with Mitch really closing in on his personal space."Fine, I'll share the warmth," he says laying his head over John's shoulder.His breath hitches and he has to remind himself to breathe like a normal person. The sudden proximity was certainly surprising to John as his normally calm exterior is being broken down.John can only hope that his heartbeat isn't as noticeable to Mitch as it is to him. He has to keep himself from jumping when a hand ends up on his thigh."Calm down, John," Mitch says, steadying his thigh which he hadn't even noticed was shaking.Mitch didn't look up but John nodded like he could see him. Mitch's hand stayed on his leg as a calming gesture which John was used to it being the other way around. Mitch moves his legs from the coffee table to be curled up even closer to John. The world almost stopped for a moment. He didn't want to think about what was happening because then he'd be too scared to miss a single detail. The soft brown hair that was getting too long by Mitch's neck, just the way he likes it or the pale hand moving so carefully on his thigh.He feels Mitch moving and tries to come to terms that it's over. Whatever they're doing here is going to end. But Mitch only turns his head towards John's neck and breathes in."You smell so good," Mitch whispers and if John wasn't painfully aware of everything going on right now he wouldn't have heard it."Yeah?" John asks not trusting himself with any more words.The only response he gets is Mitch pushing his face further into John's neck. He shivers at the sensation of Mitch's lips brushing over his skin. Mitch's hand trails over his leg as he continues to try to get closer to John even though John doesn't think that could be possible.It went almost unnoticed but the kiss of Mitch's lips started at the bottom of his neck. He needed to say something. This isn't smart. But when Mitch continues kissing his neck he can't find a reason why this needs to stop. John opts for steadying Mitch by holding his waist as he tried to get a better angle on John. The cool breeze and John's heavy breathing were filling his senses. The fact that he's painfully aware of what Mitch does to him makes him feel l embarrassed but also painfully hot.Mitch makes it to his jaw where his stubble is coming back and John's grip tightens on his waist which makes a quiet whine come out of Mitch's mouth. John still has yet to find the courage to look at Mitch but he'll have to face him soon with how dangerously close Mitch's hand is getting to his hardening groin."Wait, Mitchy," John manages to get out but Mitch hums in response making his breathing even more ragged.John puts his hand over Mitch's that was threatening to move higher which causes Mitch to look up. His other hand being firmly clung to the couch must've kept it cold because it really got Mitch's attention. Looking into the winger's eyes for the first time out here has put him at a loss for words. Mitch seems to have a similar reaction with each passing second his face gets redder.He can sense the uncertainty on Mitch's face and he sits up a little further from John. John let's his hand fall from Mitch's waist and pulls his other hand back, immediately missing the warmth. Mitch seems to take the sign and embarrassment fills his demeanour.John decides it would be best to speak up but before he can't get a word out Mitch says, "can we just forget this happened?"He's surprised by the sudden change in Mitch's confident act but he knows it's his own fault."Mitch—""Please," Mitch pleads, clearly wanting this to be over with. Maybe he even regrets it."Sure, whatever you want," John answers, hoping to not make things worse.With that answer, Mitch gives him a tight nod and heads to the door. Even though John feels like he's stuck in his seat, he pushes himself to get up and follow him to the door.Mitch turns around and looks like he wants to say it isn't necessary but something stops him. John doesn't press him about it.Mitch hangs up the coat and puts the slides gently on the rack. John doesn't say anything about it. He watches Mitch put on his jacket and grab his things. When Mitch looks him in the eyes, he turns his gaze to the floor for a second. After he realizes how childish that is, he turns back but Mitch is already opening the door. John watches him stuff his hands in his pockets as he makes his way down the steps.The thought about how Mitch would get home definitely crossed his mind. But the cowardly part of him ignored the worry that would normally overtake him. He's sure Mitch wouldn't want to spend the drive to his house with someone who just treated him like that anyway.They have so many things on their minds already, the last thing they need is more complications. The thought that this is for the best keeps coming back to his mind but at this rate he doesn't remember what the best is.Finally he snaps out of his trance and shuts the door. John makes his way to the couch and takes a long look at the wood stacked in the fireplace. He definitely didn't dislike what happened with Mitchy. But there's still a part of him that isn't ready to accept it yet.And just as he feels he might be drifting off, strictly from the roller coaster of emotions he has just went though, Murphy's law strikes again. The buzz from his phone pulls him away from his sleep. John's eyes are tired when he reads the message on the screen."You thought this was over? -J"
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AustonJan 9Staring at the wall can be fun when you don't want to do anything you actually have to do. That's how Auston finds himself the day after a 6-2 win versus the Flyers. The hotel bed is surprisingly comfy as he sits in his sweats and Leafs hoodie, laying on a couple of pillows against the headboard. He’s been staring at this painting on the wall, trying to figure out what it is. His best guess is a cactus on a farm, with sharks riding horses. The more he squints the more he changes his mind.Auston doesn't look away when he hears someone unlocking the door. Willy walks in and takes off his shoes, before he looks up at Auston, "hey, the flight’s delayed so we're spending the day here."Great, stuck in Philadelphia. He nods his head.Willy sits next to Auston on the bed, studying his features, "are you okay?"Auston only narrows his eyes at the painting, lost in thought. Willy averts his gaze to the painting and back at Auston.Without looking away, Auston asks, "what does that look like to you?""Are you high?""What? No, c'mon what do you see?"Willy sighs and looks back at the art, "hmm, maybe elephants wearing pants in a meadow."This time Auston looks over to Willy with his face scrunched, "really?"Willy nods and Auston decides it's for the best to leave this mystery unsolved. He leans his head back and looks at Willy. The Swede gives him an easy smile and Auston can't help but feel a smirk tugging at his lips. Him and Willy haven't really spoken about what they're doing. They were friends before and now they're still friends but friends who make out. He's definitely happy with that and he doesn't want to push anything."Are you up for doing something today?"Auston bites his lip, "I don't know. Things have been a lot lately."Willy nods. Tensions have only started to subside but he still has trouble trusting Murray and Samsonov. That and how Johnny mentioned another text. From what he knows, his captain hasn't spoken to the goalies about it but it's weird. Why would they continue to send messages after their conversation?Auston feels Willy's hand squeeze his forearm, "what're you thinking about?""The text Johnny got. I just don't get it," Auston’s quiet for a moment, "maybe we can talk to them.""We can... or we can do something else?"Auston puts his hand over Willy's, "listen, we get this over with fast and then we can do whatever you want after."For a second, Auston doesn't think Willy will agree, "fine but you better make this quick."Auston smiles as he gets out of bed. Sure it's not the most fun thing to do, but it'll take away one hurdle in his mind. He'll go crazy if he doesn't start getting rid of these issues. Next thing you know he's going to be talking to the paintings instead of staring at them.He leads the two of them to where the goalies share their hotel room. It's still early enough where there's a chance that the two might be in there. Auston doesn't hesitate when knocking but ends up being antsy while they wait for an answer.Even though Murray's only about two inches taller than him, he still feels like he towers over him. The goalie looks surprised to see them but he opens the door fully nonetheless."Hey, what's up? " Murray slowly asks."Willy and I were gonna go get Philly cheesesteaks. Y'know, why not get a Philly delicacy while we're around," Murray nods and Auston remembers he hasn't asked them anything yet, "we thought you and uh Sammy might wanna come?"Using Sammy like he once did feels foreign. But he should get used to their nicknames again, especially if everything's just a misunderstanding."Oh, I mean I would but I was gonna head to the rink for some extra practise," he gestures to the duffel bag sitting by the door, "but Sammy might want to go."Part of him wanted to back out. Sammy's always been quiet, focused. But he seemed to have less remorse when they last spoke and Matt seems to be more of an easygoing guy.Instead of inviting them in, Matt pushes the door halfway shut and walks to where Auston assumes the other goalie would be. He hears a quiet conversation that he can't completely understand but he feels like Samsonov might be opposed to going. Matt mentions something about an olive branch that Sammy questions but he hears footsteps getting closer. Him and Willy take a step back from the door to avoid the idea that they were eavesdropping."He'd be happy to join you," Matt says as he pushes Sammy out.Sammy gives them a tight smile but Auston doesn't miss the way Matt winces at Sammy's finger pinching his arm.Matt leaves the three of them on their own. There's a place not far from them with about three stars but Auston doesn't care to look too deeply into it because the walk there will be hard enough in the five minutes.Willy tries to string along a polite conversation. He keeps it light and Auston admires his willingness to go along with him. Auston leads them into the restaurant and they get to studying the menu. It may not be the best fit for their diets but they deserve something different once in a while. Sammy seems to have the intent on paying for them but Auston insists. Sammy nods his head and moves out of the way as Auston pulls out his card.A few minutes later, they get their order and move to sit at a booth. He and Willy end up sitting together while Sammy is opposite to them. The only sound between them is from the radio and slight chewing noises. Auston almost feels bad for Sammy across from him. He looks unsure and uncomfortable like he doesn't feel like he belongs here. Auston might make that a lot worse with what he wants to bring up but that was the whole point of this excursion."So, how're things?"Sammy meets his eye, "fine." Auston hums, "you can ask what you want to ask."Auston looks down at how obvious he must have been. He looks over to Willy who raises his eyebrows to prompt him to keep going."Okay, yeah. Did Johnny talk to you at all recently?""Not really.""Okay well he got a text. Signed by 'J'. So was that you or what's going on?"Sammy puts down his food, "when was this?""Maybe about a week ago," he looks to Willy for confirmation who nods."I send last text before New Years. Not possible," Sammy looks like he doesn't believe it himself.This time Willy speaks up, "could it have been Matt?"Sammy looks offended at the suggestion, "no, Matt feels too guilty. He would not do that again."Auston nods. Sure Sammy's saying this but how does he know he's being honest. It doesn't sound like he's lying though he also knows he's not the most perceptive guy."Well if it wasn't you guys, who could it be?""Who else are you guys pissing off these days?"Willy's the first to laugh and Auston tries to hide his own but he can't help that Willy's laugh makes him happy. Sammy looks a little less tense in front of him but he could just be imagining it."Yeah, maybe we should just mind our own business for once," Willy adds.Sammy huffs out a laugh but Auston speaks up with a smile, "hey, you can't laugh with what you've been doing all season." He continues to eat his cheesesteak without another comment.Auston feels lighter. Things are calming down. He doesn't have to feel this intense heartburn every second he's around Sammy or Matt anymore. Maybe it has something to do with Willy's thigh pressed against his that eases the tension or just clearing the air. Either way, he can't help but smile to himself.They finish their food and actually have a real conversation on the way back. They avoid the topic of 'J' but at this point, there's no need to bring up something everyone would rather ignore. Sammy leaves to go meet Matt at the training facility in Philly and Auston's excited to spend some more time with Willy."You're all smiles, what's up?"Willy beams as they walk and even though Auston has a confused look on his face, he can't help but admire him."Just excited to hang out," Willy says, still smiling. "Wait," Willy says, "Can we go back to the hotel first? I wanna grab my wallet.""I have mine," Auston says.Willy wave him off, "it's okay, lemme get mine."Auston doesn't push it because it's not that big of a deal. It's not that surprising that they'd need money for their plans, they almost always do.They make it to the hotel. Before they can make it to the elevator, Pierre waves him over. Willy gives Auston a look that says he'll just grab his wallet and come back down. Auston nods and heads over to where Pierre is seated. He has a serious look on his face and Auston's confused but he sits across from him in the hotel's leather chairs. They're nicer than you'd expect."Do we have a problem?"Auston stops for a second, racking his mind, "not that I know of... do we?""Then why would you give me that? Can't even say it to my face?" He adds sternly but quietly as he doesn't want the whole hotel hearing."Give you what-""Don't act dumb," Pierre states with an annoyed tone.Auston gives Pierre the most confused look he could muster up. If he couldn't tell Auston was confused before, you can see the cogs turning in his head.Pierre rolls his eyes but pulls out a sheet of paper from his pocket. It's folded up neatly of course because it's Pierre. Auston opens it to see the words:"You're dragging the team down with your constant pouting. Make up or make out with Timmy or else I'll make sure you get benched. -Auston""I didn't send this," Auston says offhandedly.In no reality would Auston ever say that to a teammate. Sure, Pierre's been a little out of it as of recently, but he can't blame him. Timmy avoids him at every chance and the guy refuses to clear things up. Auston knows this has to be the handiwork of 'J' but it's not like he can tell that to Pierre."Bullshit," Pierre says through gritted teeth, "you and Willy are the only ones who know about," a pause, "about what happened.""Okay, I know how bad this looks. But you've gotta believe me when I say I'd never do that shit!"Just then, he gets a text. He braces himself for whatever 'J' might say but it's only Willy. He gives Pierre an apologetic look before looking down at his message:Willy: Get up here nowAuston looks up at Pierre, "hold on Willy needs me. We're not done this conversation but just wait for me to explain," he calls out to Pierre who looks bewildered at his sudden escape.He rides the elevator pretty nervously for some reason. When the doors finally open he walks to their shared room and opens the already unlocked door. Willy looks up from where he's sitting on the edge of the bed. With his eyebrows contorted, he waves over Auston who looks over his shoulder. Willy has a sheet of paper in his hand with what looks like an email printed out.It doesn't take him long to register what the email from his agent is getting at."This isn't real right?" Willy asks, looking up at Auston.He wants to lie. Push it under the bed until no one knows about it or speaks about it ever again. But as he looks at the email of his agent trying to find more info on franchises who might want to sign him in the future, he can't find the words. Looking back into Willy's eyes and remembering their past promises of telling each other the truth makes it more difficult."It looks worse than it is," he starts quietly."Auston," Willy says shocked."It's not what it looks like exactly but it's also not-""You don’t want to be a Leaf?" Willy raises his voice."Keep your voice down," Auston whispers as he sits down next to Willy.But Willy's already standing, "c'mon man! Why do you wanna leave? And without telling me?""No! My agent just wanted to see what else was out there. See who else is interested in me y'know. It's not like I'm planning on going anywhere, it's just to see!"But Willy has hurt in his eyes. Auston reaches out to touch his hand but Willy moves away."I'm gonna go clear my head," he says shaking his head as he leaves Auston sitting alone on the bed. He flinches at the sound of the door shutting.He knows the next text before it comes. So it doesn't surprise him when he takes out his phone and sees the message:"You play stupid games, you win stupid prizes. -J"
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MitchJan 11Mitch has always wanted to impress. No matter if it was someone he has known for years or someone he just met, he wants to prove himself. So he plays hard. If he can prove to others that he's worth it, maybe he'll finally prove it to himself.This philosophy is especially true with him and his dad. It means even more on their dad's trip. Not only does he have to worry about playing his game well, but playing it in front of his dad who seems to always have his own thoughts. His dad has cooled down a bit since he was a kid, but that doesn't change his mindset on what he believes Mitch should be doing.The trip overall isn't bad. It starts off with a 2-1 win in Nashville with both him and John scoring. Of course that gets him a pat on the back from his dad and he'd be lying if he said it didn't mean something to him. After Keefe's speech he manages to push his dad over to meet the others so he can have some time to himself. He watches as his dad walks over to Bunt's dad, who seems to make a lasting impression just like his son.Mitch smiles to himself before trying to rub the tension from his head. No matter how hard he tries, he never seems to have a moment where nothing is wrong. His last interaction with John had just been a tap on his helmet since his visit to John's house. That's the way they are. Something happens, no communication, make up and the cycle continues. The weird thing is, is that John can usually get his thoughts across pretty easily. Mitch reminds himself that this situation isn't a normal one.Right, this situation was Mitch overstepping boundaries and messing things up. As per usual. Though Mitch would rather just forget about it and continue his regular friendship with John, he knows he has to talk to him. Soon. But not too soon hopefully."You good Marns?"Kerfoot stands in front of him, Gatorade in hand. Mitch only jumps a little at the reminder that he's still sitting in the dressing room. His mind might be elsewhere but he needs to stay on top of things."Yeah, yeah. All good," he responds, giving Kerf a believable smile.The other man walks off and Mitch decides it's time to take a shower.He doesn't take long and before he knows it, he's buttoning up his pants around his hips. Before they head to Detroit for the next half of their dad's trip, the plan was to go out for a late dinner. Keefe wasn't too happy initially with messing up their schedules but he decided to push those beliefs aside.Mitch likes to count his blessings and a major one is that his dad is carpooling with a few others to the restaurant. That lets him take his time as he walks through the halls, AirPods in as he listens to music. Turning a corner, he sees Murray staring at some frames on the wall.He debates whether or not he should talk to him or just go about his day to the restaurant. But, he wants to make an effort to show that they can still work together. Even if Mitch still wants to scream every time he remembers what they did.Slowly, he makes his way to the goalies side, and looks at what made him stop. He looks at the records of past Leafs along with stats and photos. When Mitch first got to see this, he probably stood there for a good hour before they had to force him out. He's still proud to be on this team. He's especially proud that he holds a record that will get him a place up there."It's still cool for me y'know?" Matt says, eyes never leaving the wall."It's not everyday you can live a childhood dream," Mitch answers, smiling at the callback.Matt huffs, "yeah. I just wish..." he pauses like he's going to continue.Mitch looks at him expectantly. Matt turns to him for a moment and gives him a shy smile before shrugging. He wants to be patient but he's never been good at that. In this case, it doesn't look like Matt wants to continue but he's curious."C'mon you wish what?" Mitch asks, bumping his shoulder against Matt who doesn't budge. Mitch is very aware of Murray standing at 6'5 next to his barely 6' self but he tries to ignore it.The goalie sighs, "it's really fucking dumb," he says with a smile."Look I won't make fun of you," Mitch says playfully, "unless I do, but you can't hold it against me."Murray rolls his eyes. He looks down before speaking up again, "I just feel like I'm not my best self here. Like not just that I'm fucking up with you guys but I just wish my best years could've been here. To prove myself.""You've won two Stanley Cups bud, I don't think you need to prove yourself anymore," Mitch tells him, putting his hands on his hips."Sure but that was in Pittsburgh, this is different. This chance that I have means so much to me and I haven't been doing enough."Mitch gets that Murray's had bad injury luck recently, but that's something he can't control. When he's himself, that insane goalie is still there. Mitch doesn't get why he's so worried about this but he wants to help somehow."You played great today Matt. You won us that game. All you. You have to realize that right?"Murray smiles at him but he looks sad, "thanks, it's a team effort," he returns his gaze to the picture frames then whispers, "I just don't wanna disappoint my dad."Then it clicks. Mitch's heart sinks as he looks up to the goalie next to him. He remembers the interviews Murray had when he was first traded. He spoke about how him and his dad were huge Leafs fans and he also spoke about his death."Matt," Mitch starts."You don't need to say anything," Matt breathes out, "just thinking he'd be disappointed would be the worst. And it's this dad's trip that's stirred up all this shit for me I guess.""There's no way he'd be disappointed," Mitch says seriously, "it's your dad, he'd love you no matter what."He doesn't know why his heart clenched when he said that. But it made him wonder if the same would be true about his own dad.Without warning, Matt engulfs Mitch into a hug. Mitch has never been one to turn down hugs, especially from goalies, so he hugs him tight. He hopes it'll show that the guys are here for Murray. Even after that bullshit with the messages, they're the Leafs, they're too close for something like this to stop them from caring."Thanks Mitch. I don't deserve you being so cool," Matt says pulling away."We're good," Mitch insists.Something in him is pushing him to not hold a grudge. Whether it's his quick forgiving nature or his inability to stay mad at goalies, he wants to move on. Just thinking about J makes his stomach knot so putting this behind him is necessary. If that's even possible with the way they freaked him out."You okay?" Matt asks after Mitch hadn't realized he spaced out."All good bud, let's head out."The restaurant is a tough one to get into. It's secluded, and filled with people with too much money to care about how much the food is. Though Mitch likes the dimly lit room and warm atmosphere in contrast to the cold outside. It doesn't take him long to find their table. The loud laughter from the long, crowded table draws him in.Mitch scans the table for a place to sit. His dad spots him before he could see him and waves him over to the seat he has saved across from him. His dad gives him a quick pat before he makes his way to the empty seat. After pushing past a couple guys, accidentally elbowing Liljegren in the head before apologizing and maneuvering past Bunting's finger poking into his side, he finally gets to the empty chair.Only now does he have time to take everything in. Most troubling is that his seat is miraculously seated next to John. Less importantly but still a major fact, there are appetizers on the table. Before sitting, he already reaches for this meat contraption in front of him. Pulling out his chair, John's attention is immediately on him, looking a little bewildered. With his mouth stuffed, he gives John a frantic smile but feels lucky that he has an excuse to be quiet.That doesn't stop John from speaking to him first, "I almost didn't think you were going to show up."Mitch swallowed before answering, finally meeting John's gaze, "no yeah, I just got caught up. Wasn't gonna miss the food, y'know?"John smiles at him knowingly, "of course not."He might be imagining it, but there's a certain heat in his gaze. That's what makes him look away, clearing his throat before reaching for the water.Mitch easily gets dragged into a conversation with a couple of the guys. His dad doesn't fail to add his own commentary on whatever situation but he's used to it. None of the other guys are bothered so he chooses to ignore it.Navigating the menu proves to be an issue for Mitch when every meal seems to be described in more confusing terms than whatever language the names are written in. He's never been good at hiding his emotions and it must show even in the loud but dark restaurant.John leans over and speaks right by Mitch's ear, "this one's just spaghetti with garlic, olive oil and parsley... I think. You'd probably like it," he finishes, pointing at the name of a dish.Mitch has to stop himself from physically shivering at the warm breath on his ear. He nods to the other man who goes back to looking for his own choice.With a rush of adrenaline he leans into John's space, "and this one?"John scrunches his eyes then moves his face back to Mitch's. His beard brushes against Mitch's jaw which makes his breathing hitch. Mitch feels John's heavy gaze on him after that so he tries to steady his breathing like he wasn't effected.A little more carefully this time, John speaks up, "this one has eggplant and mushrooms.""Not a big fan of that. I'll go with the first one," he says to John who hums."Mitch!"His attention is taken off of John and back to his dad's steady voice across from him."What's up?" Mitch answers."You can't read the menu yourself?" his dad says in a playful tone but Mitch can't help being bothered by it, "you've gotta start figuring things out on your own, son."Before he can clench his fists anymore than they already are, he feels a grip on his knee. He knows who it's from but he doesn't need an excuse to look over at John. The older man's focus is ahead of him and Mitch looks down again. John's thumb moves from side to side right above his knee. Mitch opens his mouth for a moment before the grip tightens and he's left quiet again.He lets out a quiet laugh, "yep, you're right dad. I've gotta be more independent.""That's my boy," his dad says before turning back to the conversation next to him.Mitch let's out the breath he's been holding only to realize the hand still hasn't moved from his leg. It's settled down in an almost natural position for John. Except Mitch is freaking out. He doesn't know where they stand after John's house. Maybe it was because he was embarrassed or maybe he was too scared but John seems more into it then he thought before. Unless this is just a friendly gesture to him.As if he can hear Mitch's thoughts running wild, John's finger starts to rub circles by his inner thigh. Mitch has to force his way into Bunting's conversation just to give himself a distraction from the sensation stirring within him.The rest of the dinner goes about the same. He realizes why people likes Michael's dad so much, he appreciated the simple pasta dish and he had a semi-enjoyable conversation with his dad all while John's hand rested on his thigh.But it eventually was time to go and he knew it would happen sooner or later but he still felt the disappointment when the heat from John's hand left him. Mitch tucked in his chair and walked with the other guys to the front of the restaurant to say his goodbyes. He even gives John a little wave that John laughs at him for, but he's feeling better.Once Mitch gets in his car, he turns up the heat before connecting his phone to his car speaker. He shuffles his liked songs playlist and "Acid Eyes" comes on. He just sits and listens to the first verse before putting on his seatbelt and driving home.He gets into his house and empties his pockets. Mitch doesn't waste time removing his suit as he switches into sweatpants and a t-shirt. It's late and he needs to sleep. Before he can turn of the light, he hears the doorbell ring.Walking to the window, he's a little nervous. Who's ringing doorbell at this time? On one hand, he thinks it's just someone at the wrong house, on the other he guesses there's a small chance it could be J. He shakes his head at that thought, it's over now. He pushes the corner of the curtain over to see John standing on his porch.John must be able to hear his stomping down the steps. If not, he could tell by his panting after he opened the door."Hey," Mitch says before John could say anything."Hey," a beat, "can I come in?""Yeah," Mitch moves out of the way for John to squeeze past him.The only sound between them is the lock clicking. Mitch didn't take the time to turn on the lights but he can still see John's face, unsure of what to do. This time it's different though. John took the step to come here and show that he's making an effort. Effort for what? Mitch wants to find out.Mitch doesn't have the courage to kiss him just yet. But he somehow has the courage to move to his knees. He stares through his eyelashes at the man above him who has his mouth hung open in a way that makes Mitch bite the side of his cheek.He turns to the matter at hand. His shaking hands fumble for the button on John's dress pants. John still being in his suit while Mitch is dressed down adds something to the moment. He slowly pulls his zipper down and ghosts his breath over John's hardening bulge. John sucks in a breath that encourages Mitch to keep going.He's never done thus before but John seems to be enjoying himself. So when John finally comes, Mitch is the only name he breathes out.
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JohnJan 27As a captain, it's John's job to keep tabs on his teammates. So when something seems off, he'll know. And he's not talking about Mitch. Not the fact that him and Mitch haven't spoken about that night a couple of weeks ago but they also haven't exactly avoided each other, leaving an awkward ambiance. No, not that. He refuses to even let his mind think about how he wouldn't mind that happening again. It's not important just yet.But this time it's with a goalie. John thinks about a time when there wasn't any problems involving goalies but he has trouble remembering. Murray sits at his stall with his hands feeling his ankle. He has a perplexed look on his face which encourages Sammy to crouch in front of him to take a look. John tries to listen in to their conversation but Bunts and Auston seem to be having a great time on his right which blocks his hearing.Keefe ends up walking over to them and shoos Samsonov away as he asks something to Murray. Before John can walk over and try to get the information straight from the source, a hand on his shoulder stops him."Hey, what're you looking at?" Mitch asks, seemingly too normal for them.John can't help the way his cheeks turn a bit pink, "oh, just that Murr doesn't seem a hundred percent."John misses the heat from where Mitch's hand leaves his shoulder to follow John's gaze. He studies the goalie and their coach talking for a moment before saying, "I hope he's alright, he just has the worst luck."He hums and Mitch opens his mouth as if he has something to say. But before any words could come out, Mitch gets called over by an overly excited Holl. Mitch looks back to give John one last smile before walking away.John feels disappointed but shakes it off to focus on the game ahead of them against the Senators. While he was thinking about Mitch, he must've missed Dubas in the locker room talking to Keefe about something. John then gets caught staring and clears his throat, turning to his skates. Dubas only ushers Keefe outside the room to continue their conversation.Murray ends up leading them to the ice. John assumes he should be alright. Though not long after he takes his place between the posts, he grimaces after a shot on him. Murray walks to the bench and it doesn't look too good for him. He first looks to Keefe who's whispering to their staff and then his eyes shift to where Mitch skated over to Murray by the bench.
As John stretches, he can't help but admire Mitchy. He should talk to him, seriously. He needs to for sure but he needs to find the willpower first.Jan 291000 games is big. John isn't always into individual milestones and awards but this one he can recognize as special.
He remembers how Simmonds' 1000th game celebration went. There was a tribute video, his whole family, wife, kids, the stick, the mini sticks for the kids and the flowers were all there. It's a big accomplishment and he was really happy for Simmer.Now here he stands, centre ice with his parents and Dubas heading the crowd cheer. His smile faltered a bit realizing that he didn't have that special person with him. Part of him felt like something was missing. But when Mitchy came up to bring flowers to his parents with Mo, he stopped by John to give him as tight of a hug as possible in their gear. John exhales as he squeezes the other man back whispering a 'thank you' after Mitch's, 'you're the greatest, congrats Johnny' which meant everything to him.The arena is buzzing and he feels proud. Ovechkin shakes his hand and congratulates him with his big grin. Yeah, he's ready to play tonight.John finishes the game with two assists. Getting off the ice is exciting after their 5-1 win over the Capitals. The boys are excited for him and Keefe's speech involves something about spending John's money tonight which John is all smiles about. Mitch especially seems to like that part.When it's time to hand off the belt, Timmy stands as the last one to receive it, "Sammy good job, Mo, good fucking goal. It's going to my boy, G."The snickering around the room tells John this isn't over. Liljegren hands the belt to Gio as he opens with mouth with a shit-eating grin, "boys...," the room is filled with laughter, "just fucking kidding, Johnny's right here."Gio hugs John before handing him the belt. It's big that the guys recognize his accomplishments and efforts. It's not just the belt but the environment that they built as a team.
The guys change then take some pictures with Johnny and the belt. Some of the guys deal with the media, including John, while the others decide on where to eat.To John's surprise, they didn't choose the most expensive option they could have. It's more of a bar and grill, with televisions on the walls which says everything about it that own would need to know. But John has no complaints.John sits between Gio and Mo as they guess each other's favourite Adam Sandler movies. Dumb conversation, sure, but they're having fun. John chows down on his wings, enjoying the break from his diet."Woah, are the bones gonna make it outta there alright, bud?" Mo asks with a smile."Not likely," John manages, while trying not to spit out any wing residue.The night goes pretty nicely. John has to pay a pretty hefty bill by the end of the night but he doesn't mind.
He gets a few pats from the guys as they go separate ways. John puts his jacket on as he gets ready to leave. Then, as he normally does, Mitch enters his vision with a smile.John can't help but reciprocate it. Mitch looks really pretty tonight."Do you wanna sit outside for a bit? I saw one of those coffee table campfires outside," Mitch suggests."Yeah, sure. Lead the way," John agrees.He feels his pockets for his phone, wallet and keys before following Mitch outside to a quieter part of the establishment. There isn't anyone else out there who decided to sit outside on a cold, January night. But, it's more intimate like this and John thinks that's what he likes about it.Mitch sits first on the couch. John sits next to him and it's much comfier than the outdoor couch he was expecting. Mitch is fidgety but John has to stop himself from reaching over and touching him. John doesn't know where they stand but he'd rather not test the boundaries yet.
Mitch takes out his phone and wallet from his pockets and sets them on the table. He unzips his jacket half way before unzipping the whole thing.Once Mitch finally gets comfortable in a position that John thinks no one else would be comfortable in, he looks timid. Almost nervous but not in a scared way.
"It's incredible. You— I mean," Mitch says, still meeting his gaze."Thanks Mitchy, it means a lot."John can tell that Mitch is struggling to find his next words. He's spoken to him before about wanting to find the right way to say what he truly means. So John decides to wait patiently.Mitch speaks up, "I think at this point you know how much you mean to me... and the team but y'know, me specifically."John feels his cheeks heat up. Before he could speak, Mitch cuts him off."And you obviously mean so fucking much to me and I don't know if I messed things up the other day or if you're uncomfortable—""Uncomfortable? If anything I thought I was making you uncomfortable," he's more quiet with his next words, "but after you had my dick in your mouth I thought we might be on the same page."Mitch averts his gaze as he gives John a soft punch on the arm.John cups Mitch's jaw, "so no, you didn't mess anything up."Mitch hums, "do you think this is a bad idea?"John thinks for a moment before leaning in. The kiss is soft and chaste but it's enough. He whispers with his face centimetres apart from Mitch, "doesn't matter right now."Mitch grabs the sides of John's face and pulls him back to his lips. This time it's needier, the way Mitch pulls on the hair at the back of his neck that has grown out a little too much. John likes the way Mitch groans when he slips his tongue just past his lips.They disconnect after hearing police sirens on the street, pulling them out of their moment.John huffs at Mitch's fingers that ghost over where John's lips were. John gives him a quick peck on his rosy cheek before standing up. He holds out a hand that Mitch grabs as he pulls him up. Before John can turn away, Mitch holds him back. John looks at the other man who is now focused on John's hair, combing through the pieces he was pulling."Can't have you walking out, looking like you've been jumped," Mitch's says with a smile."Haven't I?" John says before grabbing Mitch's abandoned phone and wallet from the table.He hands them over to Mitch who gives his phone a quick glance before shoving his wallet in his pocket. Mitch does a double take at his phone and stares at it again."What's wrong?" John asks.Mitch reads out the message on his screen, "a little less tonsil tennis and a little more practise would do you two some good, J."John looks around but there's no one to be seen.A message from John's phone gets his attention again. He reads it out, "remember what happened to Murray before you make any important decisions, J.""Fuck," Mitch whispers, running his fingers through his hair.It's not Murray this time meaning they can probably cross off Samsonov too. But there has to be a connection somewhere. This can't go on any longer.
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AustonFeb 18Auston's in the facility when Ryan O'Reilly and Noel Acciari get to Toronto. He's excited about the belief that Dubas has in their group. This trade proves that they're in it to win it this year.Firstly, he needs to make a good impression. Auston wants to show the kind of close group they have here with the Leafs. After all the ups and downs he's had this season, this is something that he can do with certainty to strengthen the team.Plus, he has enough on his plate with teammates not trusting him. He's already been trying to convince Pierre that he never sent him any note. Auston gets why Pierre doesn't believe him, the note was signed with his name after all.The next issue is with Willy who doesn't want to talk anything other than hockey with him. Auston's agent poking around other teams may have looked bad, but he was convinced it was the smart thing to do. Auston would never want to stop being a Maple Leaf. He'd never want to leave Willy. Plus, he can feel how close they are to a cup. Auston wants to be a winner with the Leafs.Ryan and Noel get out of the car together. They already have so many people to greet but Auston makes sure to get their attention. He gives them a warm welcome before Dubas takes control to give them a tour of the facility. Auston trudges behind for a while, adding his own comments and answering questions where he can.It's no surprise that the new guys are impressed with the vast amount of dedication put into everything about the franchise. Auston feels like a proud son showing off his amazingly successful family. He rolls his eyes at the thought, only half listening to Kyle's ramblings now.Just when he thinks he might sneak off to get something to drink, Dubas steps aside to talk to Shanahan. Before he leaves, he gives Auston a look that says something like, 'entertain the new guys'."How're you guys feeling so far?"Ryan answers, "it's been a crazy last 24 hours. Obviously it's great just to dive right in here but my head's still spinning."Noel adds, "sure it's wild but I'd much rather be playing on this side than against."Auston laughs, "we're in it to win it this year for sure."Auston's eyes move to where Ryan casually knocks on wood. Huh, interesting."When we were talking to Kyle, he was really convincing about what this team could do, great leadership and all," Acciari adds.Kyle's always had a way with people. That has always been important to making the big moves. Johnny might not have even been here without Kyle.Ryan goes on to bug Noel about how he's so different off ice versus on ice which leads to Auston finding out about Noel's nickname, 'Cookie'.Auston feels a buzz in his pocket but he knows when it's rude to check his phone so he avoids it. Only after the fifth buzz and his fidgeting, Ryan notices."You can get that, man. No need to stay here entertaining us if it's important."Auston's face goes a little pink at Ryan's words."I'll just be a minute," Auston says, stepping to the side.Though he hopes for it to be Willy, it's not. The unknown number stands out clearly on his phone. Auston clicks the conversation which reads:Have you ever heard of a yes man?Well it's about to be you!Impress your new teammates with your politeness and maybe you'll still get a shot at a contract extension.And if you fail?You don't want to test me -J"Fuck," he whispers under his breath.Auston looks to the new members of the Leafs over his right shoulder. The two look to be impressed by the high walls from the gestures they seem to be making. But Auston shakes that off because no one notices the small things. He likes to think he does though.In retrospect, this could be worse. What could really go wrong with agreeing with his new teammates. He really wants that contract extension and he doesn't know what J can do to stop that from happening but he won't let it happen.Briefly, he wishes that Matt and Sammy were still sending the messages so he could give them a quick smack on the head instead of letting his anger boil within him.Auston slides his phone into his back pocket as he walks back to where the men stand."Sorry about that," he tells them."You're a busy guy, I get it," Ryan answers with a hint of insincerity.Auston brushes it off as him being hyper-aware of their interaction."We need to get our gear ready, you wanna show us the ropes around here?" Noel asks.Although Auston wants to inform him about how he can't miss his pregame nap, the thought of the text gets him to nod.A little too eagerly, he replies, "yeah, sounds great! I'd love to."He then proceeds to follow them as they get their gear in order, skates, sticks and helmets are just the start."Factor loves to rock the no visor look," Acciari teases as O'Reilly gets his helmet measured."I'm just too used to it. Superstitious maybe," he pauses, "I'm sure Auston likes the look of it, eh?"Auston shakes his head with a smile, "uh yeah, looks great."Truly, he couldn't care less about who wears a visor or not. Auston thinks it looks horrible, for sure— but this is something he doesn't have a problem with lying about.It starts small. With one of the guys asking for little favours like handing them tape of sharpening their skates. Normally he'd respond by insulting them, calling them lazy or just ignoring their stupidity. But this time he goes along with it. Each time, biting his tongue and moving along.He gets angry at their pregame meal. Auston just got his spaghetti on his plate before Ryan interrupts him."Hey, can I take this? I just need to get eating so I can prepare before the game."Auston wonders if O'Reilly can see the steam coming off of him as he hands the plate over, "of course, take it," he says a hint too aggressively.Ryan smiles happily, taking the food to his seat. Sure it's his first game as a Leaf and against the Habs nonetheless but this feels unnecessary. Auston sits angrily for the next little while.In the locker room, Auston ties his skates a little too tight for comfort. He assures himself that the pain will make him feel better.The embarrassment of not being able to make his own decisions makes his skin crawl. They were so close to finally having everything together when they found out about Murray and Sammy. Now they're back to square one feeling as bad as ever.It can't get worse. But it does.Ryan calls over to him from across the dressing room, "Auston you wanna help me tie my skates?"Auston knits his eyebrows together, looking for the joke, "c'mon don't look at me like that! You've been acting like my bitch all day I thought you might want to."That's when Auston cracks, "the fuck did you just call me?"Auston meets Ryan at his stall, using his height to his advantage. The quiet room snaps out of its shock, pulling the two away from each other."You're putting up some façade," Ryan says with a sick smile, "but I can see right through it."John tries to settle down the situation, his strict words cutting into the tense air but Auston has more to say. After he releases himself from Mitch's grasp he glares at O'Reilly."All I've done is try to make you feel welcome but you're so fucking paranoid that you can't take it!"Ryan sits back down, "they were right about there being a diva problem in Toronto."Auston is about to take a step forward when a hand pulls him back. He turns to see Willy holding him and shaking his head. Willy guides him away from the dressing room. As they walk, he sees John pull Ryan to the side with his stern captain look.He doesn't get what is problem is. The second Ryan got here he was already acting off. It's almost like J wanted him to poke the bear. Auston doesn't see how this can go well for the rest of the season."The hell was that back there?" Willy asks him in a quiet hallway.Crossing his arms, Auston replies, "what, you're talking to me now?"Willy ignores him, "look I know you aren't going around pissing off the new guys on purpose so what happened?"Auston leans against the wall, "it's J like it normally is. They wanted me to say yes to everything Ryan and Noel said. Ryan just doesn't like me very much.""Of course it was J. What the fuck is Ryan's problem? Maybe we can talk to Dubas—""No one's talking to Dubas! We just traded for him there's nothing else he can do now."Willy paces, "well we can't live like this anymore, what was J holding over you?""A contract extension. I don't know how they could stop that from happening but my guess has something to do with that email. But believe it or not, I want to stay here. We wouldn't be in this position if I didn't."Nodding, Willy takes a step towards Auston, "try to smooth things out with O'Reilly, yeah?"Auston hums before Willy gives him a small smile, walking back into the dressing room.—They win 5-1. He's glad they managed that win after all the drama throughout the team. Auston thinks that having the calm presence of Woll in net who is so out of the loop that it's calming really helped. Walking out in the dressing room he makes his way straight to O'Reilly."Can we call a truce? I know I was fucked before."Ryan thinks for a second, "truce," he sticks out his hand for Auston to shake and they share a quick nod before parting.The former Blues captain isn't stupid. He knows it would be stupid to have these tensions with a big player during his first game with the team. He knows what it takes to win and they need to have a strong team. Auston knows they won't be friends, not after what happened. But his goal is to win and Ryan knows how to do that. It's what's best for the team.Auston lifts his jersey over his head before he removes the rest of his gear. His shower does wonders for clearing his mind.When he gets dressed, he knows it's time to clear things up with Pierre. So he walks over to the insanely built Swede and asks him to go to the lounge. He nods in agreement, gathering his things before following Auston. They walk in silence shoulders barley brushing until they sit down."I need you to know it wasn't me," Auston says, getting comfortable on the couch, "I saw how distraught you guys were after what happened I don't want to mess you up more."Pierre rubs his hands together, "I believe you," he sighs, "part of me thinks Timmy could've wrote it, but I think I'm an asshole for thinking that.""He wouldn't do that.""I know," Pierre says looking down, "he's my best friend and look how we've been acting recently. I wish I never found out the notes were from him.""I'm sure at this point he wishes he hadn't said anything either," Auston looks up, "I'm sure he feels like he messed up more than you.""It's all so fucked," Pierre says, closing his eyes."You've gotta talk to him at some point. Straighten things out, just the two of you. You don't wanna freak him out."Pierre looks into Auston's eyes, almost searching them for any signs of lies. That is until someone clearing their throat grabs their attention."Sorry to break this up but can I speak with you, Auston?" Dubas asks, standing in the doorway."Yeah, course!" Auston gets up but pats Pierre on the knee before saying, "think about it."He follows Kyle to his office, thinking about anything they could be discussing. Recently it hasn't turned out well each time he's met up with his general manager.Kyle takes his seat as does Auston across from him."Auston I need you to be honest with me.""Okay, yeah," Auston says starting to feel more nervous than he had before.Tapping his finger briefly, Kyle continues, "I've received notice that you might be thinking of signing elsewhere, is that correct?"Auston's mouth hangs open, shutting it quickly before starting, "it wasn't serious. I want to sign here, Toronto's where I want to be.""But you see how this doesn't look good, right?""I'm aware," Auston whispers, looking down."We'll continue contract negotiations but it's going to be more complicated if you're looking at different franchises. I can't promise you anything.""I know, I just want another chance. I'll show you how serious I am about being a Leaf and then I'm sure we can negotiate something fair," Auston pleads."I hope you're right, Auston. Things are becoming a lot more complicated. Did you and O'Reilly sort out your problem or did Sheldon make it sound like a bigger deal than it was?""It's sorted, we're good. It was just a misunderstanding," Auston tells, trying to sound as convincing as he can."Good we don't need anymore drama in that dressing room. Let's focus on hockey, alright?""You've got it," Auston says a little too enthusiastically.Kyle let's him leave and he can finally let out the breath he's been holding.The drive home is quiet. Even with the music trying to drown out his thoughts, he seems to have his focus elsewhere. J wasn't joking when they said they'd mess with his contract. He doesn't want to lose this chance. Auston wants to win as a Maple Leaf, he wants to be the saviour who brings the cup to Toronto.Nothing is going to get in his way any longer. He'll play J's stupid game for now. But he won't let them win.
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MitchFeb 28It feels good to have John's hair in between his fingers. Mitch invited him to hang out in his hotel room in Seattle. They don't always need to speak. That's why John can just lay his head on Mitch's thigh, dozing off while Mitch can pretend he works at a hair salon.Moments like this keep him going. His phone is abandoned across the room but he doesn't have the urge to reach for it like he's used to. Right now, his focus is on the way his captain's breaths have calmed and the quiet hum escaping his mouth.John stirs over his lap, "mmm, we should get ready for practise."Mitch slows his hand over John's head, reluctantly letting the other man sit up. It's not that he doesn't want to go to practise, but the calm energy with John and no outside distractions make him feel okay. And okay can be a lot to ask for recently.John stands up, his shirt lifting a little above his waist as he stretches. Mitch gets distracted for a second before meeting his gaze. John smirks before speaking, "you know I wish we could stay here longer but we have to go.""Yeah I know," Mitch answers standing up, "doesn't hurt to imagine though," he continues brushing past John purposefully before moving to the dresser.He tosses everything in his duffel bag without caring for it fitting properly. He hears John wince at the disregard for his things. Mitch never claimed to be a good packer, just the opposite actually. John lingers behind him before he gives Mitch a light kiss on his head. Without a word, he walks out.They haven't exactly spoken about where they stand. It's pretty obvious how they feel about each other though Mitch feels like talking about it might complicate things more. They know they can't handle one more thing on their plate especially balancing a stalker on the side of the already brutal Toronto pressure.Mitch combs a hand through his hair before checking himself out in the mirror. His cheeks are slightly red but he can blame that on the cold. He just reaches the doorknob before remembering his phone that he left across the room. Right, let's not forget that.As his hand grips onto his phone, he feels a buzz. His most recent message is from John telling him to hurry up. Ha. Ha. But a message from ten minutes ago catches his attention."Your on ice cardio can't go on for much longer. Step it up because your line mates have already expressed their concerns with you... you don't want to disappoint them just like your father. If you don't lay everything you've got out on the ice, the only place you'll be laying is in a hospital bed with a broken leg. I'm not all bark. -J"Practise might not be great todayMitch is tense when they get to practise. Sure, he's confident in himself that he can be better. But with the threat of an injury and the mentions of his dad, he can't help but feel chills as he steps onto the ice."Pull it together, Marner," he whispers to himself, shaking his head.John leads warmups. He tries to concentrate on his stretches, using anything as an anchor. John looks at him a little confused but Mitch smiles at him, hoping to assure him that he's doing fine. Mitch knows himself well enough that he knows he'll end up talking to John about it later today. They're at a point where he feels comfortable sharing almost anything, even if it makes him nervous.They start skating but something's wrong. Shortly after everyone is settled in, Pierre and Rasmus get pulled off the ice. Mitch stops along the boards to see what's happened. He gets more curious once he sees them talking to Dubas.It's not long until they find out about the trades.Without caring about what they get back, him and the other guys rush off the ice to say their goodbyes. He watches Willy comforting Sandy, whispering something too quiet to hear. Liljegren stands further back from the guys, watching as Mo looks extra sad as he speaks to Pierre. Something has been going on between them and Mitch knows Lily would regret not saying bye.Mitch makes his way over to the defenceman, bumping their shoulders together to get his attention, "he's your best friend, man. I think he'd want to talk to you, no matter what happened between you guys."Timothy looks at him with his sad eyes, "I fucked up."It hurts to see Timmy like this. He knows how close the two were and he may not know what went on but he can tell there's a lot of love between the Swedes.Mitch lays his hands on his shoulders, "it doesn't matter right now. He needs his bud."Liljegren looks at him like he wants to say something else but when he looks up, he locks eyes with Engvall. Mitch pulls away and nudges Timmy forward. He watches as the defender slowly makes his way to the taller Swede. Mitch thinks he might lose his nerve before Pierre takes control and pulls him into an embrace.Pierre holds him extra tight, looking like he just needed his friend back as Timmy buries his face into Pierre's shoulder.He doesn't even notice when his captain stands behind him, "look at that! You got the Swedes back together own last time," John looks him in the eyes, "that was sweet."Mitch smiles at John before walking over to the Swedes to say his goodbyes. It's always sad to see teammates leave, especially ones who've made an impression like those two have. No matter how much their team could improve from this, it hurts.Practise goes on, it has to.The team's a lot more glum than they were at the start of practise but they push through.On the plane, Mitch doesn't sit with Mo and makes his move to sit next to John. He gives Mitch a weird look, unsure of why Mitch who's full of energy would want to sit with John who's happy sitting quietly."Sad day."John gives Mitch a small smile, "yeah it sucks. Luke Shenn should be cool though.""Yeah," Mitch sighs, "went from watching him as a Leaf before and now playing with him. I heard Gusstafsson's been good this year.""Hmm," John's quiet for a moment, "I feel like we have a lot of defencemen.""Right!" Mitch agrees, "but uh, I got another message.""What'd it say?" John asks, looking concerned.Mitch relays the message, feeling a little embarrassed for some reason. John looks mad though. He looks hot too but mostly mad."I feel like we've made no progress with this. I just don't see how this could end at this point," Mitch explains."We have to talk to Jack once we get to Edmonton."Mitch's eyebrows shoot up, "oh Johnny, I don't know if we should. If it really is him, imagine what he'd do!""Look, we know Jack. The Jack we know was all sweet and wouldn't hurt a fly. But the dots connect a little too much with him and all he knows. It's best just to ask him about it."Mitch still isn't convinced. Partially, it's because he's hurt that someone who he considered to be a good friend is capable of hurting them. He also just doesn't want to ruin whatever good image he hold of Jack in his head. Part of him hopes he knows nothing about it. The other part of him needs to get this over with."Fuck it, it's a plan."
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WilliamMar 1They try to meet up with Jack before the game. He tells them he's busy. Willy doesn't think he believes that but he's hoping to get a chance to speak to him before the game. Jack isn't starting tonight so they'll face Skinner. Willy's unsure about how he feels about that.They go out for warmups, but Jack stays far enough by the Oilers' net so he can't get a word in. In the dressing room, Willy finds his way to Murray."You get a chance to talk to Jack yet?"Murray looks at him confused, "you know him and I don't actually talk, right?"Willy considers this, "I just assumed you would after doing his bidding."Sure, it's a low blow but Willy can't help having that thought roaming in the back of his mind. He can forgive Murray but he won't forget. He probably will forget, his mind is always elsewhere but not this season."Ouch," Matt pretends to feel an ache in his heart, "I deserved that."Willy smiles. Him and Matt were close before and he just wants to get back to that place again. He leaves the goalie alone before the game, walking over to Järny.The Oilers are up 3-1 after the first. The only words he hears from their starter, Sammy, is when he mutters something about Connor McDavid. After his two goals it's not looking like he'll stop anytime soon.Willy's having a rough night. Not many shots on goal, bad defensive plays and just an overall bad effort. It's not just him though. Timmy has been noticeably absent on the ice tonight, not in good positioning, less focused and more agitated. Sammy is struggling but the rest of the team isn't doing anything to help him.They lose 5-2. It's not a surprise but it still doesn't feel good.After getting changed he gets a text."Do you consider yourself a top 50 player? You shouldn't. Maybe if you weren't so focused on goaltending, you could rack up a few points yourself. -J"Willy just turns off his phone and moves on. He doesn't want to think about this right now. They have a game tomorrow in Calgary. Sure, they lost. Now all he can do is look forward and do better. Plus, this goaltending situation needs to stop being held over his head, he's working on it.Once they get off the bus in Calgary, Willy can't help but watch the way Liljegren sulks. Willy knows how hard he took Pierre and Sandy getting traded. It hurts him too, but Lily's played with these guys forever and him and Pierre had a complicated thing going on.So as they get their bags from the bus, Willy goes up to the defenceman, "hey Timmy, you wanna talk when we get inside?"Timmy looks at him with a look Willy can't quite explain, "I don't know, I'm pretty tired."Willy hums, understanding but also knowing that he needs to talk about this. He thinks back to how it was always Timmy and Rasmus or Pierre sharing a room. Now he's staying with Gio, who's fully taken the younger defenceman under his wing. Part of him knows Gio can handle this himself, but maybe if he shows Lily that he still has people around him, he might feel better."It won't be long, just come to my room after you drop your stuff off," Willy says as a statement.He doesn't wait for Liljegren to answer, but he grabs Auston and pulls him into the hotel. Auston and Mitch are rooming together after the tensions between him and Auston. It's calmed down but they haven't actually hung out properly since. He misses him.They get to Willy's room and he pulls Auston inside. The first thing he does is grab Auston's face and pull it towards himself. The kiss is fast and he can't really get anything going even as Auston tries to connect their lips again."I believe you. I know you love being on this team I just didn't want to lose you," Auston smiles, "and I just want you to know that I care.""I know you care," Auston brushes a fallen piece of Willy's hair behind his ear."Good. And I need you help with Timmy. He's not doing too good. I was thinking of bringing John and Mitchy with us to talk to him."Auston's convinced, "okay, I'll get them."Willy smiles, letting the centre leave the room. He washes his face while he waits, getting a start on his bedtime routine. It's not long before he hears the door open with some heavy footsteps and Mitch's loud voice. For a second he hears Bunts yelling something down the hall but the sound from the door closing quiets the room.Walking out of the washroom, he meets the guys, "okay, here's the plan."Willy focuses on wanting Timmy to know they're here for him and that he can't let these outside factors affect his current game. Johnny's on board and Mitch nods along. A part of Willy regrets inviting John and Mitch just because they don't know about Timmy and Pierre and that's definitely something Willy would want to bring up. But Auston stands bedside him reassuringly so he doesn't dwell on it.Just a few minutes later, Willy hears a knock on the door. He sighs before opening the door, being greeted with Timmy. He moves out of the way to let the defender in, closing the door behind him.Timmy looks startled, "what're you guys doing here?""We just want to talk to you about what's going on," John starts."No! I didn't— I'm going," Timmy tries to leave but bumps into Willy on his way.Studying his features, Timmy looks alarmed. Willy hasn't ever seen him look like this, so caught off guard. Almost like a deer in headlights, but the car already swerved out of the way and the deer is still stuck."Timmy calm down, we just want to talk," Willy tries, calmly."I don't want to talk, there's nothing to say!" Timmy tries pushing past Willy again.Mitch looks confused and Willy doesn't know what to say. This isn't like him. Timmy has always been a strong force in their locker room, taking time to understand his emotions and he's always been able to control himself really well. Something is seriously wrong."Timmy, what the fuck is going on?""We're your friends, we just wanna help you!" Auston chimes in."Well you shouldn't! I don't deserve your pity," Timmy puts his head in his hands, looking unsteady.Willy puts a hand on his shoulder but the younger defenceman flinches. Slowly, he guides him to the bed, hoping to get a coherent response from him."What are you talking about?" Mitch asks, kneeling beside him."I didn't have a choice," he whispers.Auston looks over at Willy before looking back at Timmy, "you didn't have a choice in what?""I didn't want to send the messages, I promise," a tear falls from the Swede's face.Willy's heart drops. No, not like this, not again. Finding out his goalies were harassing them was bad enough but if sweet, loyal Liljegren is the mastermind behind all of this, Willy doesn't know if he could handle this."Timmy please tell me I'm not thinking about the right thing," John sighs, looking defeated.Timothy bites his lip, avoiding the gaze of his captain. That look speaks a thousand words. Willy takes a step back, shaking his head. Timmy starts to sob uncontrollably after that. None of them have any comforting words to say."I promise I didn't want to," Lily forces out through his heavy breathing, "I didn't have a choice but it was all for nothing now! Fuck I didn't want to! You have to believe me," Timothy pleads.It's a sad view. Lily looks really messed up and normally Willy would want nothing more but to engulf him in a hug. But right now he has more questions than energy to care about his tears."What do you mean you didn't have a choice? You chose to send us these texts, you knew things you shouldn't know about us and the threats?" Willy says."I didn't want to," Lily repeats, "I didn't want to..." he whispers, trying to convince himself more than the four people around him."You have to explain more than that," John says strictly.Mitch sits back now, leaning his head on his knees, looking as frustrated as the rest of them. He looks up at the defender, hoping to get a proper answer from him."I got Jack's book. And a letter telling me what I had to do," Timmy sniffles, "I was confused but the note threatened to bench me. I ignored it but then it actually happened and now they were threatening to injure me too. Later it would say things about getting rid of Sandy if I didn't follow through. Then they mentioned Pierre. Obviously it didn't matter in the end," he trails off."You got a note?" Willy asks.Wiping his eyes, Timmy continues, "yeah, I didn't take it seriously at first but they knew about uh," he looks at Mitch and John before looking down, "how I felt about Pierre. I thought it could've been you or Auston but you guys wouldn't do something like that."Willy nods. He thought the same thing about a lot of people on the team. Turns out three of them went behind his back anyway."I didn't follow the plan completely. I was supposed to get Willy tangled up on the ice, just enough to hurt you a bit. It just became too much, I didn't want to hurt you!"They're quiet while they let Timmy regroup and continue his story."Then there were no more notes. But when Pierre and Rasmus were traded, I got the message loud and clear," Timothy sighs, still shaking, "you guys have to believe I'd never want to mess you guys up, right?"Willy looks away before meeting his eyes again, "yeah... I guess."John shuffles his feet a bit before speaking up, "so you knew about Murr and Sammy?"Timmy let's put a breath, "sort of? I was told to sort of pick up where they left off. But again, I only knew after the new year."At least that clears the younger Swede from being the one who could've killed Auston in their training facility. He looks over to the centre who Willy thinks might be thinking the same thing. Taking a step back, he thinks. There's someone above their goalies, and above Timmy, pulling the strings. But when Matt and Ilya started the notes, they did it themselves. So between then and new years, someone decided they didn't want the notes to end."So you have no idea who sent you the notes?" John asks, prompting the conversation to be more productive."Well, I've thought what everyone's thinking... it has it be Jack.""Too bad he's been avoiding us constantly, otherwise we would've got to him already," Mitch says, digging the palms of his hands into is eyes. John pulls his hands lower. It's almost, tender."It could also be multiple people," Auston suggests, "y'know Jack got Murray, Sammy and Timmy to do his bidding, maybe there's more?""Hey, are we just assuming it's for sure Jack?" Willy asks, feeling unsure."Well we don't have a better lead. Plus with all that he knows, he might be able to pull some strings to get things moving," Johnny suggests.Timmy makes himself known again, "for him to have control over Rasmus and Pierre makes me think it's something like when Willy tampered with Jack going to Edmonton."Willy's first reaction is to scowl or to roll his eyes because of course Timmy knows about the Jack thing. But it does make sense. Maybe in a way to get back at Willy he's trying to do something similar. A thought interrupts his train of thought."Timmy, you said in the messages they said something about injuring you, I don't think it's happened yet, obviously, but I think it's something we should be cautious about," John suggests.Liljegren visibly tenses at the reminder. Whoever is doing this isn't one to pull their punches. An equal ratio of bark and bite."Just keep your head up," Willy tries, "y'know we've talked a lot tonight so let's call it a night.""Yeah... it's been interesting, let's get some rest," John says ushering for Timmy to come with him, "c'mon Mitchy.""Night," Mitch nods to Willy and Auston, shutting the door behind their captain and Timmy.Auston bumps their shoulders together before sitting on the end of the bed, "didn't quite go to plan, huh?"Willy just groans, covering his face. He felt bad for Timmy. He wanted to help him. He believes Timothy when he said he didn't want to send the messages but it still stings. Willy gets that hockey players are no where near being perfect people, but are they bad enough to have to deal with this? There's definitely players who deserve it more."C'mon Will, sit here," Auston says, patting the spot beside him.He obliges, taking the seat next to the other man."It's a lot. Especially because you guys are so close, must be tough.""Is it bad that I kind of get it? Like, he was threatened too. But then I think of how I didn't feel sympathy for Sammy and Murray and I feel worse.""I think it's different. They chose to mess with us on their own. Timmy didn't really have a choice. And I feel like even if he hadn't sent the messages, he would've been a mess after the trade deadline. I think it was more of a coincidence that they were traded than something targeted."That doesn't seem impossible. Maybe that part was situational. Either way, two of Timmy's closest friends getting traded must have sucked."So," Auston starts, "you don't think Sammy or Matt could still be part of this, do you?""No! Not after talking to Sammy back in Philly. And every since really, they've been on their best behaviour, trying to make up for what they started," Willy says, believing his words."You're right," Auston traces circles on Willy's thigh, "after everything we've been through, I don't see them going back to that. At least I hope not.""Hope is all we can have at this point," Willy smiles at how stupidly philosophical he sounds.Auston must've liked it too from the way he's smiling at Willy. Willy presses a his lips onto the centre's, smiling through it. It's only a couple of seconds but he's still giddy from it.A part of him feels dumb to still manage to be happy even when the world around him falls apart. But he can't blame himself. He'll just blame Auston's pretty brown eyes for now.
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AustonMar 8At practise, Auston is more frustrated than he normally would be. He's not skating well, his shots keep hitting the crossbar and O'Rielly manages to trip him. This time it might've been Auston's fault as he seems to be too focused on his losses to skate properly. To be fair, the new guy seemed surprisingly sorry. Maybe their bad start was just a bad start and things will be okay now. He can only hope.The only thing that cheered him up was seeing Bunting's name taped over his helmet. Willy has been cracking up all morning and there's nothing like his laugh.In the dressing room, Auston is ready to leave. He's mid conversation with Mikey and Mitch so he waits for Mikey's story to die down and Mitch's laugh to quiet down before excusing himself. But Bunting catches up to him."Hey, don't leave now! What're you doing after?"Auston thinks of the plans he had for the day. He wanted to catch up with Timmy. He'd been benched the last two games more out of stressing about a possible injury than him actually being hurt. The other day, their initial plan was to comfort the Swede, but that went out the window after they found out about his connection to J. Auston still believes it'd be nice to check up on him. He also might want to see if he has any more information."Uhh," Auston scratches the back of his neck, "I was gonna check on Lily. But it might be better if I just go home—""No, let's go see Timmy. He's been messed up recently, no two better people to cheer him up," Michael says, guiding Auston out of the locker room."Oh that's okay, I was just gonna go alone...""What and hog the Swede all to yourself? You already do that with one of them," Michael says, a mischievous look on his face.Auston makes a face of disproval, about to question Michael's comment before Michael continues."Look, I really don't give a fuck. Let's just go see Timmy," Michael says, dragging Auston out the door.Auston decides not to push, and lets himself be dragged by Bunting.The energetic vibe from Bunts is able to calm him down as they drive through the city. Even when traffic gets tough, Michael manages to keep his mind off of how little they're moving."Should we have told him we're coming over?" Auston asks the winger as they stand outside of Liljegren's door.Michael makes a considering face, "eh, he'll be fine. This way he can't avoid us."Auston hums in agreement. In a different circumstance he'd feel worse but that's not the case. So he raises his hand to the door and knocks.Bunting puts his head to the door after a while, obviously being impatient. He then starts knocking himself except this time it's consistent and he doesn't stop until he finally gets an answer. Even after the doorknob turns and the Swede opens the door, Michael is almost left knocking the air where the door once was.Looking between the two of them, Timothy speaks, "what're you guys doing here?"He doesn't look great. There are bags under his eyes and his beard has grown longer than he'd normally let it. Auston doesn't miss the way that Timmy's hand is still on the doorknob, guarding the entrance."You haven't been around," Michael starts, "we just wanted to see what's up."Timmy looks at Auston who nods."Well now you see, so—" the Swede starts to close the door.Bunting's too quick, "uh, uh, uh," he pushes the door back open, letting himself in, "not getting rid of us that quickly, bud."Timothy accepts defeat as Michael wonders in with Auston close behind, shutting the door behind him. His place doesn't seem that bad. But they obviously woke him up from lazing on the couch and watching television. The blinds are closed and there's some discarded clothes on the ground. Auston sympathizes with him."Christ, what the hell's going on in here?" Bunting asks.Auston hits him, giving him a glare and whispering, "real subtle.""He's not a kid," Michael whispers back.Timothy sighs, "I've just been tired."He tries to gather his clothes from the ground but he just ends up piling them in another corner."I get it, just not used to you being a mess I guess," Bunting says.Timothy leans against the back of his couch, "so are you guys here to stare at me or can you leave me and Schwarzenegger in peace."Auston looks up to the paused Terminator on the screen and huffs. He can't be mad at the guy for wanting to watch that masterpiece instead of dealing with dumb and dumber barging in on him."We miss you at practise. I get why you don't wanna play right now but—""He was scratched, of course he wants to play. Look at him, the guy just wants to get back in the lineup!" Michael insists.Right, the other guys don't know about why Timothy really isn't playing. They managed to work something out with Keefe but he's suspicious. This can't go on much longer."Yeah, scratched," Auston looks at Timothy carefully, "but—""Well no need to rub it in his face more," Bunting blabs."Okay, shut up," Auston says to Bunting. He doesn't miss Timmy stifling a grin, "I get it. I've felt similarly but," before Michael can interrupt, Auston already has his hand over the other man's mouth, "you can't let it control you. I think you should try to come back. We need you out there.""Of course I want to play. I guess I'm just scared. Call me a coward, whatever.""Even with everything that's happened, you need to know we're still here for you. Whatever happens we've got your back," Auston says."And most importantly," Bunting starts, "I don't think Mr. Arnold would appreciate you laying around, all cowardly and not getting up and achieving your goals."Bunting looks way too proud of his pep talk. Auston'll give it to him, it was a good one.Timothy looks at the robotic man on his screen, "you're right. I've been so stupid and using Pierre and Rasmus as excuses but they're moving on and doing just fine. Why should I suffer?" he asks himself more than he asks either of them."Right so let's barge into Keefe's office and demand he puts Timmy back in the lineup!" Bunting excitedly explains."Okay, maybe not that," Auston answers.Bunting looks disappointed but pays attention when Timmy speaks up, "I'm sorry for letting you guys down and for being a mess," his attention focuses on Auston, "truly, I'm sorry for everything. You know I love you guys."Auston doesn't want to hold a grudge. Of course he's upset but he's more upset that J took advantage of one of his favourite guys.He moves to the Swede and engulfs him in a hug. The Swede smiles into it, holding him tightly. Bunting laughs as he joins their hug, "we're so back, hasta la vista, baby!""I don't think that means what you think it means," Auston says, laughing."Something along the lines of, let's fucking go baby!"
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Mar 11They're playing a home game against the Oilers. As they warm up from Liljegren stretching with Järny to Murray facing shots from Bunts and McCabe, they're starting to get back into the swing of things.Once again, they see Jack stretching next to Skinner who's starting tonight's game. Mitch itches to say something to him but John mouths, "not now" to him. Auston avoids eye contact with the goalie who he doesn't want to imagine could want to hurt them though Jack makes it easy, focusing on his own team. Willy's focused. He's ready to win this game and get to their plan.Winning is easier said than done but that's besides the point. The first period starts off pretty rough. Murray looks upset at himself for letting in two not so great goals but Sammy says something to him that seems to calm him down. They really get their game going during the second. First Mitch, then Willy, next John twice, almost daring the Oilers to put Jack in net. In the third, Auston scores and by the end of the game, they've won 7-4.In the dressing room, Sammy hands off the belt to Acciari who scored the first and last goal of the game. They congratulate him but Mitch is itching to get out of there. Just as he's about done tying his shoes, Murray crouches in front of him."You sure you don't want Sammy and I to go with you guys to talk to Jack?"Mitch shakes his head, "it's okay, bud. We have a lot to catch up on but we don't want it to look like an ambush."Murray frowns, "I just don't like the idea of you guys talking to the guy who might be behind all of this," he leans closer to Mitch as he whispers, "especially if he was behind the gym with Matty."For a moment Mitch remembers when Murr and Sammy were the ones to watch out for. It's interesting to see how the dynamic has changed so much throughout the season. But Matt is truly looking out for them. He appreciates this but Mitch thinks it's important for the four of them to talk to Jack alone. Especially if Jack doesn't know anything about this."Aww, you worried about us Murrdawg?" Murray doesn't laugh, "hey, don't worry about us. It'll be fine and we'll text you if anything, alright?""Yeah, that's fine. Just… be careful," Murray stands up but waits for a response."We always are," Mitch says before the goalie walks away.Mitch crosses the room to John who just finished saying something to Mo, "you ready?"Nodding, Mitch brushes their shoulders together in passing. John smiles, it's nice."You talked to Muzzy?" Mitch asks."Yep, it's all set up," John replies confidently."He didn't question it?""Of course he did," John says knowingly, "but he cares more about the well-being of Jack than whatever plan we've got."Mitch hums. He hopes Jack will get something positive out of this little meeting. But a part of him knows it won't be that simple."One sec," John says to Mitch, squeezing his arm and letting it linger a bit before moving to Auston's stall where the forward is sat."You've got the address, right?"Auston nods, "yeah I remember, we've been over a few times. He gave you the key right?""After some convincing, yes. I booked a suite for Muzz plus his wife and kids. It'll all be worth it if our plan works."John thinks about the pretty penny he spent on that suite but it's the least he could do for kicking Jake Muzzin out of his own home in hopes to trick Jack into meeting them. He doesn't take pride in tricking his former goaltender but if there was an easier way, they would have done that."By the way, how's Willy doing? I don't know where he went after the showers.""Last I checked he was laying on a couch in the lounge. Seemed pretty chill to me but I think he's just trying to calm his nerves.""If he's stressed, he's pretty good at hiding it," John says, "anyway, let's get to Muzzy's house. We don't need to be meeting Jack outside on the porch."Auston agrees, standing up and saying goodbye to his teammates. He fist bumps Kämpfer before locking eyes with Liljegren. The Swede mouths 'good luck' and Auston nods, wanting all the luck he can get.As he drives to Muzzin's house, Auston taps his fingers on the wheel, nervously."Hey, you're shaking the whole car, it's gonna be fine Auston," Willy reassures from the passenger seat."I don't get how you're so cool about this.""The way I see it is you're stressed out enough for the both of us," Willy answers.Auston doesn’t usually have bad nerves. But it’s something about J knowing so much about them and having the chance to kill him that has him on edge. Whatever they learn tonight could change everything forever.Willy must sense his overthinking when he reaches over, palm resting on his thigh."I'm freaked out too. But it's better to know than to continue living in fear and questioning our every move," Willy pauses, "I don't wanna live in fear anymore."Taking a breath, he already feels better, "you're right. I don't want to be scared anymore."Once the four boys are at the door, John grabs the key from his pocket. They watch as he struggles to unlock the door. To be fair, unlocking a new door can be complicated."You need some help there?" Willy asks."I'm almost there," John says, huffing.After a couple more turns, the door is finally unlocked. The boys applaud and John rolls his eyes before bowing, mockingly. They walk in, taking their shoes off at the door.Willy's surprised Jack agreed to come over at such a late time. But him and Muzzy were always close so maybe he just misses his friend. Jack’s going to be disappointed tonight.Mitch paces. John drinks a glass of water with a lot of focus. Auston counts each time Mitch turns back around. Willy hums along to a song in his head.Things are tense. They get worse once the doorbell rings. There's a clear alarm going off in John's mind because he feels unprepared. Maybe they should’ve went over what they were going to do once Jack reached the door a few more times.Mitch is glad they parked further from Muzzy's house so that Jack couldn't run away before he reached the door.They look at each other, each one of them not wanting to be the one to answer the door. Of course as the captain, John ends up leading the boys to the front door.John takes a deep breath before turning the doorknob.Jack's eyes widen as he meets four of his past teammates. His hair is shorter than it once was. It makes him look older but that could also be the stress of being a goalie in front of Edmonton's defence. All of him looks like he wants to retreat but his shoes are glued to the ground."Hey, Jack. It's been a while," John starts.Jack huffs politely, still looking unsure but not upset."We'd like it if you came in," Mitch tries, in hopes of not leaving his captain to do all the talking."Sure bud," Jack answers.Mitch feels relieved at that statement, stepping back to give the goalie more room. It's quiet as Jack removes his shoes and jacket. No one comments on how uncomfortable they are.As the person standing furthest to the hallway into the house, Auston makes the executive decision to walk them to Jake's dining room rather than his living room. He feels like that might be too comfortable of a setting for this conversation.The other boys look confused but Auston ignores them as he sits at the head of the table. John sits next to Willy while Mitch uncomfortably sits next to Jack.Auston clears his throat, "so, how're you liking Edmonton?""Uh, it's okay. Pretty cold but I don't mind.""Hmm," Auston nods, "and you have Hyman there. It's nice to have a friend around.""Yeah," Jack adjusts himself in his chair, most likely feeling uncomfortable in his suit that he's yet to change out of."I'm surprised you didn't forget about him, like you did us," Mitch speaks up."I didn't forget about you guys, I could never," Jack says seriously."Right. Because if you forgot about us you wouldn't want to send us anonymous messages," Willy tries.The guilty look on Jack's face speaks a thousand words.He turns to Mitch, "I know it was mean. I hate what I've done but that's why I couldn't face you."Mitch is so disappointed. He really wanted to be wrong about this situation. But to hear Jack's excuses hurts him more."I get that in the beginning this can be blamed on Murray and Samsonov but for you to continue it afterwards with Timmy? I don't know who you have contact with to get this done but it's fucked.""What does this have to do with Murray and Sammy? I gave them the book sure but what— and how does Timmy fit into this?"John answers quickly, "the book and you wanting revenge started their plan. Going after Lily was low though, he wasn't apart of this."Mitch tried to understand why Liljegren would be a target for Jack but he has trouble coming up with something. Instead, he studies his previous goaltender's features and the way they contort."I don't know what you guys are talking about I-"Auston's getting tired of him pushing this away, "okay so what do you know?"Jack sighs, staring at his twiddling fingers, "at the last party of the summer. I left a note for Mitch. It was childish and stupid but I was angry and drunk. I wrote about it in my journal. At first I didn't feel bad. It actually felt good to feel like I was standing up for myself. It didn't last long though.""And then..." Auston prompts."And then I left for Edmonton. I ended up mailing the journal to Samsonov. Him, Murray and I spoke a bit but that's about it. I just wanted a fresh start at that point.""And that's it? That's where your involvement with us ends?" Auston clenches his jaw."I swear! I don't know what Samsonov or Murray did since and I definitely don't know how Timmy's involved in all of this," Jack tries, convincingly.Somehow this doesn't make Mitch feel much better. He looks over to John who looks embarrassed then he looks to an annoyed Auston and a fidgeting Willy.John clears his throat, "well uh, we're sorry for dragging you out here.""No, no. It's okay, it was actually kinda nice to see you guys again. Even under the circumstances," Jack smiles looking down, "I'm sorry for ghosting you guys. Just after everything happened— I don't know."Willy can't meet the goaltender's eyes.Auston speaks up, "you don't need to apologize, Soup. Everything's just been fucked over here, you can probably tell.""Hasn't been much better in Edmonton. At least you guys are together. Whatever's going on with Timmy, Murray and Samsonov, you guys seem to have gotten out stronger," Jack says.He's not entirely wrong. Having each other to trust and fall back on throughout the stress of the season and J has made things a lot more tolerable."We should probably go," Willy says to no one in particular.Willy's upset. What seemed to be the most obvious but also unlikely choice ended up being incorrect. He was ready for this to all be done. Now what happens next? Do the messages continue during the playoffs? Do things get so bad that half the team gets injured? Willy doesn't want to think about it but he also doesn't want to waste anymore time blaming Jack.He's the first to excuse himself from the table but the others follow shortly afterwards. Jack and Mitch share some quiet small talk while they put on their shoes. Auston and John look like they're trying to come up with their next move.While Willy's still in his head, Jack walks over to him."Hey, bud. Can we talk?""Oh, uh sure," Willy answers.The other boys already have the door open, starting to walk out."We'll be out in a few," Willy says to them. Auston looks like he wants to say something but Mitch urges him to follow himself and John outside.The door shuts and Willy is left standing alone with Jack. Willy doesn't know what to say so he waits for Jack to make the first move."Listen—""No Soup, I fucked up. I should never have written that email I was an asshole. It wasn't like me but I didn't know what I was thinking and I know you were a great goalie for us but," he sighs, "fuck. When I think about it, all of this is really my fault."Jack's eyes soften, "Willy, I don't blame you. My agent wanted more for me anyway. So yeah, it hurt when I found out it was you who sent out the email but it was gonna happen either way. And no one blames you, you've seen how I'm playing in Edmonton. Your current goaltending is an improvement."There he goes. Last season they tried to get Jack to stop putting himself down. It worked for a while but that's just another thing Willy messed up."Don't talk like that. You just need to find you game again. But I was more talking about our situation. I won't say much but we've been getting these anonymous messages signed J. We thought you sent them because a lot of the stuff is shit only you'd know.""Wow, that's insane. You didn't call the police?""There were reasons not to," Willy thinks of the countless times he wished he would've been able to hand this over to the police and not worry about it anymore."Okay, but how did they hurt Timmy?""Blackmail. Threatening him with injuries and trades. Like Pierre and Rasmus."Jack looks perplexed, "huh, must have a lot of power."Willy shrugs, not thinking much of it."How did you think I could have managed to trade Sandy and Pierre?"Willy shakes his head. He doesn't want to explain their stupid theories. Now that they know Jack had no involvement he feels dumb for some of the things he considered."If I were you guys, I'd think about someone who knows a lot. Someone who's always around. But most importantly, someone with influence.""If only it were that easy."Jack squeezes his shoulder, "I know you guys can figure this out. If you want to ask me anything else I promise to answer your texts."Willy smiles and pulls the goalie into his arms. He misses the way Jack hugs, all soft and protective. They pull apart and leave Jake's house. John is stood leaning against the railing with the key in his hand. Mitch hugs Jack tightly before saying something to make the goalie smile. He locks the door and they say their goodbyes.Willy gets in the car with Auston. He's quiet listening to the radio while looking out of the window.They've had a lot of theories. Some of them had some truth to them but most of them fell through. Willy finds it hard to think of someone with all the traits Jack mentioned. They must also be smart, cunning and unsuspected.Someone who has always been around on the sidelines, lurking just enough to make it seem normal. Somebody they trust, somebody respected, somebody who must have a dark side.Somebody who—Willy's been wrong before.But something in him tells him he isn't this time.Something in him tells Auston what address to drive through."Wait why are we going to—""I have a hunch."He texts John and Mitch to meet them there.He doesn't want to get his hopes up. This could be bad if he's wrong. But everything seems to be clicking. So when him and Auston drive to the front of a beautiful, large home he knows what he needs to say.John and Mitch have been conspiring for the last few minutes before Auston and Willy arrived. They tried to connect the dots themselves but it didn't seem probable. Sure, there's some connections there but everything could change if it's true. Everything could be a lie.Auston and Willy exit the car, meeting John and Mitch outside of the house."Is this too soon? We just talked to Jack," Mitch says."It's Jack who made me think about it. Look, we've just got to stick together," Willy tries to convince the two other men."He's probably sleeping, we should just talk to him in the morning," John tries."We can't wait any longer. Maybe he'll be too delirious to deny it," Willy explains, pushing through Johns and Mitch to the front door."I have a bad feeling," Auston whispers as he follows Willy to the porch.Willy takes a deep breath before he knocks on the door. Even with the cold weather, his palms are sweaty. He wipes them on his pants before knocking again."He might not be home yet," Mitch suggests, scratching the back of his neck."He has to be, he tries to get home quick during home games cause his kids stay up for him," Willy explains.Who knew that he would know so much about the person who has been hiding behind these messages.Auston tries to peak through the windows but he's only met with curtains."Knock harder," John suggests even though he's feeling like a bother.If Willy's right about him being J, this is the least they should be doing to bother him."Fuck, I'm trying not to make his family think we're murderers," Willy explains.He knocks a few more times before being greeted with the man of the hour.Putting his glasses over his eyes and rubbing a hand through his hair, he looks annoyed. Kyle puts his hands on his hips, giving them a sort of, disappointed teacher look."What the hell are you guys doing here? Do you know what time it is?"Mitch picks up his jaw from the ground, starting to feel a lot more nervous than he once was before seeing their general manager who they're accusing of tormenting them standing right in front of them.Mitch looks for comfort through the yellow street lamps. All he can hear is the wind and Auston picking at the sleeve of his jacket. He looks to Willy to guide the conversation.Willy clears his throat, "we know it was you."Less subtle than he was thinking but he didn't come up with a solid plan beforehand."What're you boys on about? Is this serious? Otherwise I need to get to bed and so should you guys," Dubas says, running out of patience."I'd say this is really important," Willy starts."Fine, I'll bite," Kyle closes his door behind him and sits on the couch on his porch.The boys slowly move to the seating area, not feeling hyper to sit down. But even now, the look Kyle shoots them pressures them to sit by him."I would've never guessed. I guess that's why it makes so much sense that it's you," Willy looks at a confused Kyle, "we know you're J."Dubas looks into Willy's eyes, almost searching for something he can't quiet find. He looks very calculated in the way that he looks between the boys.Mitch can't stand the silence, "so is it true? I- I mean you're not denying it."John slightly nudges Mitch, not wanting to test the situation."I'm only taking my time so that you boys don't get the wrong idea," Kyle continues carefully.Auston takes in a deep breath, preparing himself for whatever's to come next. At this rate, he's thinking that the odds of a new contract seem pretty low. He bites the inside of his cheek in an attempt to calm himself down.Kyle's voice is even when he speaks, "I am not 'J'," he says using finger quotes, "because 'J' does not exist, it's an idea."It's uncomfortably quiet on their general manager's porch."So you—" Willy gets cut off."I know you have a lot to say, but I assure you, you'll have time to speak at the end," Kyle continues."No!" Willy retorts, "you don't get to do that anymore! It's you who was behind all this bullshit, targeting us for what fucking reason?!""Shut the fuck up William," Kyle looks serious, "I know you boys don't have families to go home to but mine's asleep."The boys stiffen. Being yelled at by their general manager isn't the worst but knowing what he's capable of created this new dynamic. They wait for him to continue without further argument."You know, all season you believed there was their big, bad guy coming for you guys when really it benefited you all!"They look at each other, alarmed and feeling uncomfortable."Don't make that face. Listen, capturing the innocence this team had and watching as that light went out was brilliant. This team was missing something. There wasn't a connection, there wasn't a spark. Now look at you. All four of you standing together, tough guys coming to your general manager’s door who could leave you with no job at any moment. It's... new… it’s exhilarating.”John scratches his arm uncomfortably, "you put this team together, if something was missing you could've fixed it.""Except I knew you had the potential. Getting you, John, is what I thought would do it initially. Mitch was obsessed with you the second you walked in and Auston and Willy hung onto your every word. But there was no fire. I had to light one."Mitch's cheeks turn pink. Of course Kyle knows everything about their relationship but was he that obvious?Auston speaks up, "I don't get it. Matt and Sammy came up with J all on their own. They never mentioned you.""I guess you have them to thank," Kyle smiles, "but I saw what they did. Execution was creative but I knew I needed to stop it. That is until I saw the way you confided in each other. That wasn't enough but there was an improvement on ice. That's what got me. When it was over, I needed to keep it going, give you guys something to fight for."Things are starting to add up for John. He feels gross. He feels violated. John understands that a good general manager should know a lot about their players but this is too far. Especially with the way he used their personal life."Getting Timmy involved was cruel, I'll admit," Kyle says, putting his hands up in surrender, "but I thought with his thing with Pierre, you guys would never figure it out. I guess it's my bad the team got too close. But I dealt with it properly, thanks to Engvall and Sandin going. A bit sad to see so many Swedes go, sorry Willy."Willy's jaw clenches. The additions to the team have been pretty sweet but for his friends to be traded due to this hurts a lot more.This doesn't explain everything."Did you have anything to do with the weights?" Auston asks.Kyle smiles, "okay, that wasn't my best work. I'll admit I was angry. Our contract conversations were going rough and you started the season slow. I just loosened things a bit, I knew there was no true harm. But I couldn't leave just any message. I caught wind of J and thought I could always blame our goalie tandem.""Un-fucking believable," Auston whispers under his breath."Now that you guys know, I hope you can trust I've told the truth and continue to play hard. It wasn't easy getting some of those trade deadline moves. And I obviously won't continue the messages, there'd be no point," Kyle says, stretching his neck."What?" Mitch asks, "you expect us to continue like normal? After everything you did?""You don't have a choice," Kyle breathes out, "I don't want to play this card but I can make all of you never play another game again."The boys are stunned to silence. They're back once again to being controlled without having any choice as to what to do next.Willy smiles. Kyle gives him a questioning look."This isn't over. Far from it. Sure, you've made us stronger but you're gonna regret it when it comes back to bite you."Kyle smiles, "Don’t look at me like that, that shit you pulled with Jack started everything. And as for your threat… heh, you’re not smart enough for that, Willy."Auston's heard enough. He stands up, catching Kyle off guard. He grabs Kyle by the collar and pulls him up, fist alarmingly close to his face. John protests and Mitch is saying something incoherent that even Willy can't understand.The front door opens, "what the hell is going on?"Kyle looks towards his wife standing at the door. Auston lets go of him unwillingly and Kyle straightens out his clothing."Nothing, the boys are just really passionate about the game."His wife doesn't look impressed, "I think this can wait then. The kids are waking up and I need their dad to help.""Yeah, of course," John says, plastering on the most people pleasing smile.Kyle lowers his voice to speak to them one last time, "I hope we understand each other."They watch as Kyle disappears into his home.He has a family. A life. Kyle Dubas is a father, a husband and someone who's greatly relied on. They’ve learned that he is also a manipulator, a liar and someone who has a dark side.The door is closed and he can go on and live his regular life. Nothing from the outside matters in there because he's loved.The four of them stand outside, not being able to close a door to get away from this drama. They were stalked and violated by someone they trusted, hell, someone they liked.They start to walk away from the home to the short walk to their cars."You're smarter than people give you credit for," John says to Willy."You know he's crazy if he doesn't see that," Auston adds.It's quiet."What do we do now?" Mitch asks, "I mean who knows if the guy is still gonna stalk us."For once, John's at a loss for words. He doesn't have the perfect response that he usually has on the back of his mind. There's nothing."All we can do is play," Auston says, looking annoyed, "I have to continue to play hockey for a guy who tried to kill me.""At least this is over. I don't care if he's listening to me sing in the shower, at least he won't try to blackmail us over this shit," Willy says."I can't believe that's it. I know we forgave Matt and Sammy but I can't forgive Dubas," Auston says.John speaks up, "I can't either. It's just too weird. As a captain, I wanna say to block out all the background stuff.""And as you?" Mitch asks."I really wanted Auston to punch him."They laugh. It's a good feeling. They are closer, it's a fact. But they got to that place together, not because of Kyle or anyone else. And that's how he knows they'll get out of this."He won't get away with this," Willy starts, "I don't know how or when but I know it's coming. Whatever happens this postseason, I guarantee we'll have an effect. I don't care if he tells the world about Auston and I or whatever. He will not be forever, here."John nods along and grabs Mitch's hand, "I'm with you. This isn't over."John and Mitch turn away. Auston grins at Willy as they get into the car.It's cheesy, but the four of them can handle whatever comes at them. In whatever future, if pigs fly, if Connor McDavid played for the Leafs, they will get their deserved ending.This isn't over. Far from it. They have to play the rest of the season and postseason. They feel like this year is their year. So by the end of it, guarantee that Kyle Fucking Dubas will be far away from this organization.And Mitch, Willy, John and Auston will still be together.So when Brad Treliving walked into the general manager’s office instead of Kyle Dubas, you now know the reasoning behind it. You know the four people who set things straight.This season will be different.