Life's a Game but it's not Fair

Holly stood there utterly stunned at what had just happened. Never in their five years of being best friends had Holly and Viktor so much as disagreed on anything let alone had they yelled at each other. It startled her to the point that she was shaking. Holly followed closely behind Viktor as he stormed out of the bedroom. She was shocked; completely shocked at his outburst. Yes, it was the first time he had ever shouted at her like that, but the look of complete anger in his face scared her. The fact that he had stormed out and left her...well...it didn’t sit well with Holly. “What’s that supposed to mean?” She questioned with tears in her eyes as she made her way into the living room after the man that had always been her best friend, but now had become increasingly more to her. Viktor was at the door putting his shoes on so that he could get the hell out of there and Tyler was sitting back taking it all in, trying to figure out what exactly had just happened. “Viktor?!”

“Nothing, Holly. Nothing!” He exclaimed out of frustration.

“I don’t have any fucking idea about what?” She asked; her own anger starting to rise now as Viktor still had yet to face her. “VIKTOR!” She screamed as his hand grasped the brass doorknob.

“Leave me alone, Holly.”

“Where are you going?!” She questioned, frantically, as he pulled the door open.

“Out.” He stated simply before exiting the apartment, closing the door behind him. Viktor needed a breather. These strange, unexpected feelings for Holly showed up out of nowhere and they were really freaking him out. He needed them to go away. He needed to not think this way about his best friend because it was going to ruin everything. He couldn’t tell her that what he was talking about was the fact that he now found himself checking her out. He couldn’t help it that his eyes wandered over every inch of exposed skin. He couldn’t tell her that whenever she smiled at him he wanted to kiss her just like they had done in his room just after she had arrived in Toronto. This time, however, he wanted that kiss to go much farther. He couldn’t tell her that the thought of her with another man drove him insane with jealousy. He just couldn’t tell her any of that. He wouldn’t risk losing her, and he was sure that telling her all of this would push her away. Viktor physically needed to get away from Holly until he could figure out a way to save the friendship they had. He was not going to be the reason she was no longer in his life.

“Viktor!” Holly screamed as the door to the apartment slammed shut with a loud thud. She began across the room, determined to find out what was going on with him when Tyler spoke up.

“You know,” He stated as he stood from the couch and turned to face the petite, frazzled looking blonde. “You don’t need to go after him.” Holly wiped the tears from her cheeks as she sent Tyler a confused glance. “I know exactly what he’s talking about. I know exactly what’s wrong with him.”

“I don’t care what the fuck is up his ass,” Holly mumbled angrily as she marched back towards Viktor’s bedroom. “but he’s starting to fucking piss me off.”

“He’s just confused, Holly!”

“Confused?!” Holly spat venomously as she whirled around. “What the hell does he have to be confused about?!”

“Come on, Holly! You’re a smart girl. Open your eyes!” Holly stood there completely lost. She had no idea what had been going on with her best friend. She used to know him inside and out but since she showed up in Toronto...things seemed slightly off. She was starting to think that maybe she didn’t know Viktor like she used to. “You really don’t see it, do you?” Tyler questioned, truly surprised that Holly was oblivious. How could she not see that his teammate was absolutely head over heels for her?

“What the hell are you talking about, Tyler?!” She asked, frustrated beyond belief.

“He’s crazy about you!” Tyler confessed for his teammate. “He’s confused because he’s..”

“You have no idea what you’re talking about.” Holly argued, remembering the night that she had kissed Viktor and he had turned her down. Sure she had been drunk, but the truth of it was that she wanted that so bad. She wanted nothing more than to be with him that night and every other night since. His feelings for her hadn’t changed, though. He still thought of her as his best friend.

“Come on, Holly! The guy is nuts about you! He has you living here, sleeping in his bed while he’s on the couch, he jumps to your rescue at the drop of a hat, and he looks at you like there’s no other woman in the world! Trust me, I know exactly what I’m talking about.” Holly sat down, trying to take in everything that Tyler was telling her. She had noticed that Viktor was different around her than he was back at UVM. Could it be true that Viktor reciprocated the feelings that she felt for him?

“And if I’m not mistaken,” Tyler continued. “I think you’re crazy about him too.” Holly’s eyes met Tyler’s and he knew that it was true. He could see just how much this was hurting her. “Why don’t you just tell him?!”

“Because, Tyler! How am I supposed to tell him that I’ve got stronger feelings for him?! It’s going to ruin our whole friendship!”

“No it won’t! It won’t, Holly.” Tyler tried his best to reassure her.

“How could it not?!”

“The two of you feel the same way about each other. I think you owe it to yourselves to give it a try. Why would you continue to be just friends with each other when you’re both crazy about each other? It doesn’t make any sense to me.” He told her as he stood up and began leaving the room. “It’s something you have to decide for yourself, but now you know everything.”
---
As he sat hunched over the cherry wood bar in a rundown pub a few blocks from his apartment, Viktor couldn’t help but pity himself. He raised the thick glass to his lips and downed the remainder of his ninth Tanqueray on the rocks. Or was it his tenth? He wasn’t quite sure, but that didn’t matter. He had achieved what he had come there to do; drink himself stupid in the effort of forgetting her. Viktor was a beer guy, but gin was what he turned to when he needed a little extra pick me up. Tonight, however, it was just bringing him down.

“Rough night, stud?” Viktor glanced up from his empty glass to the dark haired woman on the other side of the bar. She was staring back at him with lust in her eyes and he knew right away what she wanted.

“I guess you could say that.” He replied, focusing on his glass once more.

“Well...I’m closing up now,” she began. “but if you want to move this party elsewhere I just live around the corner.” Her eyes narrowed as she awaited his answer. Viktor’s eyes traveled over her curvy body until they settled on her eyes once more.

“Sure. Why not?” He answered monotonously. The bartender smiled, pleased that she had gotten the answer she had wanted, and picked up a bottle of tequila. She poured two shots and set on in front of Viktor.

“On the house.” She told him. He picked the shot up and downed it, much to her approval. She did the same and then shut the lights out. “Alright. Let’s get this show on the road.”

Viktor stood up, receiving a massive head rush as he did so, and followed the woman out of the bar. Surprisingly he felt nothing. No excitement, to anxiousness, no regret or guilt for what he was about to do. He just felt numb.
---
Holly had paced the floor of Viktor and Tyler’s apartment about a million times waiting for Viktor to come home. Her mind had been racing with all the possibilities. Where could he be?! He wasn’t answering his phone, he wasn’t returning her texts, and his voicemail was now full of the messages she had been leaving him since ten p.m. When two in the morning rolled around Holly began to panic. It was now nearing five in the morning and she was frantic. She had walked up and down the street the apartment building was on, she had stared out the window on end for hours just hoping that he would get out of one of the passing cabs. To top it all off, Holly was exhausted. She was physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausted. She just needed Viktor to come home. She needed to know that he was okay.

As Holly picked up the phone to try his cell phone once more the front door swung open rather loudly. Holly jumped to her feet and ran towards the door. She was finally able to breathe when she saw Viktor trying to take his shoes off in the hallway. It was clear from the way he was stumbling and the sloppiness in his movements that he was drunk. As she got closer she could smell the booze on him and knew that he had quite a bit to drink. “Vik?” Viktor whirled around, losing his balance, as he heard her voice. Luckily the wall was close enough to him that he didn’t fall down on his ass.

“Hi Hols!” Viktor said with a smile. He couldn’t help but smile when he was looking at her stunning face. He took a step towards her and, again, lost his balance.

“Easy!” Holly said as she grabbed a hold of him. “God, Vik! You reek! Where have you been?!”

“I dunno.” He mumbled as she began leading him towards the bedroom.

“Come on! Let’s get you to bed.”

“I love you, Hols.” He told her as he pulled her into a tight head lock and kissed the side of her face. “I love you so much.”