Heart of Man

Anna Trovato

My phone vibrated. I chose to ignore it, until it was no longer bearable. Reaching onto the glass table next to the couch, I hit the green button, holding it to my ear. “Anna, wake up.”

Simon’s voice poured through the other end, as I rubbed my face. What the fuck happened last night? “Ugh, what do you need?”

“Wake up. You need to hear this.”

“What is it?”

“All players develop differently but Trovato, Gagne and Malone are all, elite blue chip talents. Both Gagne and Malone didn't look much better or worse last season than Trovato did, at the same stage, this season. Trovato is the type of player who, in one fail swoop, the wicked wrister, can change the complexion of a game.”

“I’ll see you on the plane, Gagne.” I clicked my phone off, ignoring the man who disrupted my sleep. Sitting up, I looked around the house, and then to the fish tank. Two little pygmies swam around.

“Dana...”

“Anna, I’ve never seen you like this. Yes, you used to be pretty reserved on the ice, but recently, you’ve overcome that. You are adjusting, and by the time next season gets here, you’ll be perfect. Right now, though, off the ice, your personality is nothing I’ve ever seen before. Be honest with me, what’s going on?”

“Nothing’s wrong.”

“You never back off. What is the deal?”

“Dana, listen to me. I used to be honestly impulsive. I’m just sitting back and watching the show right now. Is that so wrong?”

“Why the change?”

“I need to learn to have more control. It’s gotten the best of me more than it ever has, and that’s not how I play.”

“Anna, when you first came to our team, I was honestly not sure about you. You could dangle like no other; your hands were like magic, your skates hardly made a sound on the ice. That confidence you built up these past few years, is gone. That playmaker that fucking blew their mind in Russia is gone. That dangler I watched win bronze in Vancouver is gone. Anna, you have so much to be proud of.”

“Dana, just let it go, alright? I didn’t deserve any of that, and I certainly don’t want it now.”

“You’re living in this fucking world, moping around until you can fly back to wherever you lived in Russia. No one bothered you there, so you spent your breaks by yourself, cooped up in that house. You’re so used to it just being you, so fuck the rest of us for interfering. You should have no problem adjusting from the KHL to here. None whatsoever and you know this. You are so fearless sometimes, that you don’t know when to quit. But when you shouldn’t quit, you do, and I don’t understand that. Alexander Semin is a fucking challenge to you, and at first you stood up to it, but now, you’re backing off like some scared school girl. You’re weak on the ice, and I can promise you I’m not the only one who can see it.”

I ignored him. I was tired of the lying.

“You have the most amazing comebacks after injuries. Within an hour of a career-halting injury, it seems, you’re back and skating, and then push yourself after our own practices, to the point of where I want to lock you in my closet and keep you there until you regain your strength. When will you learn, that we care about you, and are here for you? Please put a goddamn smile on your face, and just leave it all behind you. Be fearless.”

“Stop being a romantic.”

“Now what were you planning on doing tonight? We play Washington tomorrow. Ew, they are already here. No matter, we just won’t go into town near where they are staying.” I cocked an eyebrow at Dana’s speaking,

“I was planning on staying in bed and dying tonight.”

“Well, too bad. We’re going out, so find some fucking clothes and get ready.”

I could have slapped myself, as the night’s events took place in my head again. My brain could be so daft sometimes, to the point of where I wanted to punch myself. I had probably used ever chance of ever being with him.

Alexander Semin

My phone hummed from its spot on the counter, charging. Stepping over the pile of laundry I tried to do, Ovechkin plucked it up quickly. He spoke quick words in Russian, before tossing the phone at me. "What do they want at this hour?"

I just wanted to sleep. Her name flashed across the screen, making me smile, but panic also. Why was she calling me so late? What happened? Was something wrong?

~

Anna swayed back and forth in the car, mumbling random things. For being drunk silly, she was awfully quiet. Besides her first comment, it was relatively quiet. I wasn't even sure why I agreed to go to the pet store this early in the morning either. Parking the car, I stepped out and closed the door, before walking around to her side.

Opening the latch, she grinned sleepily at me. Smirking for another reason unknown to me, I turned and kneeled, allowing her to wrap her arms around my neck comfortably.

~

My chest felt tight, as I held Anna's hair back from getting into the toilet basin, as she regurgitated everything. Kneeling behind her, I wanted nothing more than to just hold her until she felt better. She collapsed against the wall for a moment, as I wringed out one of the towels, and placed it on her head. She'd be the death of me.

Within seconds, she was trying to get past me, and into her room, mumbling random things. I followed her into her room, where she was trying to close her pillow into one of her doors. Pulling it out, I shoved the drawer closed. "Anna, stop it."

She blinked, obviously starting to slowly think clearer, before mumbling more. She had been doing it all night, and as adorable as it was, I needed to hear her. She headed into her closet randomly, and I pulled a set of clean clothes out for her, before eventually getting her to go change.

Slipping into the hallway where the team resided on, I continued my path to the person’s door who I knew could answer my questions. Knocking quietly, I couldn’t help but hope they were already awake.

Within seconds, the door was opened in my face, where a tired Semyon Varlamov stood. “What do you need, Sasha? It’s not time to be up yet.”

“I need to talk to you.” Keeping our voices hushed, he stepped back, allowing me to slide into the room, and him to lock the door behind me. Looking over, I watched Erika lay in her bed, the sheets and pillows a mess. Turning back to Semyon, he sat in one of the chairs, leaving me to take a spot on the bed.

“Where were you last night?”

I shook my head, anxious to get past the awkward. No one except Ovechkin knew I had left. “How long have you-..”

“I saw you leave.” He interrupted me, leaning onto his arm that sat against the small table. He smirked, as one of Erika’s pillows fell off of the bed behind us. Sighing and ignoring his childish antics, I continued.

“Semyon, how long have-..”

“Where you with Anna?”

“HOW LONG HAVE YOU KNOWN ANNA?!” Freezing at the sound of sheets being moved around, we both looked over to Erika’s bed, where she tossed around. A small groan became audible for a few seconds, but she remained asleep, luckily for us. “How long have you known Anna?”

He chuckled quietly, before righting himself. “We met in Sweden, the last year she was eligible for U20 Worlds. She stayed with Malkin, who came to watch his friends on the Russia team go to finals, and we met. Why?”

“What can you tell me about her?”

Anna Trovato

“The new jerseys are fucking ugly.”

“Shut up, no one asked your opinion. I happen to like them.”

“Yeah, well no one asked you, WO-man.”

“All of you, pay attention.” Looking to Boucher’s direction, I quickly pushed Ryan before turning to face him. “You guys have been letting them control you in these games, and we can’t afford to let them keep dominating us this early on, especially if we want to walk home tonight with a win.”

He stepped out of the room, obviously not giving us time to fuck around before we had to be back out there for the puck drop.

“Take it easy, sunshine. You can’t push yourself like this.”

“Just..”

“Just ‘what’ what?”

“Don’t tell me what I can’t do.”

“Ryan, you need to shave. Playoff beards to not suit you.”

~

Victor rammed into Harper oddly, shortly before the goal buzzer rang out in the Verizon Centre. Our guys came back solemnly, as I slid onto the boards with Steven and Ryan, readied for our shift. Hedman stepped through the door Mike held open, when I tapped my glove against his shoulder.

“Watch the head hits, Victor.”

He nodded, before smiling and taking his seat. Tossing him a water bottle, we left the bench, as Washington was still celebrating Backstrom’s first goal of the playoffs. It was well overdue. Most of them, including Harper and Ovechkin, tackled him to the ice in a sublime happiness.

~

I leaned against Ryan, as I waiting for him to climb through the door, before Boucher’s voice shouted out across the bench. “Take over, Anna.”

Snapping my attention to him and raising an eyebrow, I didn’t climb over the step. Skating to the front of the bench, Adam and Dana climbed over, leaving Blair in his spot. His face was pale and sickly, as the trainer tended to him.

Looking over at the Capitals’ bench, despite the cheers for our opponents, one of them was not afraid to voice his displeasure. Matt Bradley was talking harshly to Brooks Laich, before turning to look at what I could figure as Alex. He looked back to his teammate, before turning his attention to our bench.

His eyes met mine, before a grimace set on his face. Laich looked over, before rolling his eyes, and shoving Bradley onto the ice. I watched his retreating form take their position. Rarely playing against him, I frowned. I would be against him for the moment.

“Don’t do it, Anna.” Glancing over at Dana, to my side, I shook my head.

~

Bradley retrieved the puck from an overwhelmed Boyd Gordon, due to Adam keeping him busy. Skating up the right side of the ice, he looked over his shoulder, probably for Hendricks.

Watching him hesitate, it made my blood boil. Pushing my body, I backed up around the net, as Washington was pressing in towards center. They were catching up to Bradley, and quickly. Keeping the momentum going, I rushed towards him. He still had not turned back around, as my skates grinded into the ice, playing he wouldn’t dump.

Turning to my side, I leaned forward. My body collided with his, the hip check hitting its target as he fell over me, and onto the ice. Immediately, there were shouts and jeers filling the centre, as he was ripping himself up within the blink of an eye. His gloves joined his stick on the ice, as he gripped my collar, face flushed red from anger.

“What the fuck are you playing at?” Staring at him, the anger that left when I checked him came searing back. Tossing my gloves, I shoved against his shoulders, knocking me free.

Trying to breathe and calm down, I tried tuning him out. This wasn’t the time to be angry. “Back off.”

The referee stood back, obviously giving us a few moments to go at it. He growled, shoving me again. “You back off, Trovato. I’m sick of you playing his game, so stop distracting Semin.”

Was he mocking me? Was he mocking Alex? I grinded my teeth, the anger making me think in the wrong direction. “Stop being a little bitch.”

Within seconds, my helmet hit the ice, as he rammed me down onto the frozen water. The referee stepped in, taking him off of me, another one gripping my arm as I stood, regaining my footing.

Shaking my head, I unclasped my helmet completely and pulled it off, my bun soaked in sweat already. Squishing my gloves in them, my fingers reached around, rubbing my neck where the jersey cut against my skin. Pulling my hand back, there was a slight burning sensation, and blood on my fingertips.

Hearing the penalty call against both Bradley and myself, I was directed to the penalty box. Stepping in, I grabbed one of the wet towels, and cooled the burning. Quickly tossing it into the bin, I sighed, before resting my arms on my knees, shaking my head.

“The hell is wrong with you, Anna?”

~

Despite the cheers for their Captain returning to the bench, the energy never faltered. Stepping out of the penalty box, I immediately made my way over to Boucher, as the Caps had their next line change. After two more shifts, he finally said what was on his mind.

“Nice to see you again, Anna.” He grinned, before shaking his head. “Ryan, you and Dana go with her. Close out the period.”

And with that, we found ourselves looking at the clock. Twenty seconds left, and if we could score, we’d go into overtime. I looked back down the line, at the faces of my teammates. We didn’t come this far to lose.

~

Johansson forced the dump, as Victor retrieved it, before passing it up to Ryan. My arm bumped into Arnott’s, causing my eyes to peek at the taller man. “Sorry.”

We were on edge. Shoving off, Ryan pressed forward, Arnott and Chimera on our tails. There was no way we could pull off a goal in the 11 or so seconds remaining. Schultz came at me full speed, as I dangled the puck between his legs.

Catching it on the other side, he darted in the new direction. Dana was open on the right hand side of the net, I noticed, as Neuvirth’s attention was on us. Keeping track of his other side, I lunged, sliding out of the way of Johansson coming our way.

Dana snatched it up, as I grinded the ice behind him, spraying it onto the glass as I went behind him. As soon as the young Swede saw, he backed off, as Collins, who was quite the young one also, pressed Dana. He maturely knocked it past him against the boards.

Glancing up at the clock, there were five seconds left. Hoping to not have wasted a second, I scooted up closer to the net. Reaching out with my stick to grab the curving puck, I gripped the shaft of the blade, bringing it around as fast as I could.

Neuvirth saw the action, and immediately turned his body to face me. His blocker extended, as I flicked it right between the post, and under his arm, across the line.

~

I could feel the adrenaline pumping through my body, as we prepared for the first overtime. We had tied the game with 3 seconds to spare, so we had another period to try and get a goal in. Roloson had done unbelievable, so it was only a matter of time until we could tip the game in our favour.

Yes, we had been playing for an hour, technically speaking, already, but after that goal, it seemed to ignite a fire into everyone. No one sat around moping, but was anticipating the challenge.

~

“Are you fucking kidding me?” I groaned in the foreign tongue, as the buzzer rang out, indicating the end of the first overtime period. Nothing was said as we filed into the locker room, Boucher watching us all from the center of the room.

“We’ve come far. I’m not going to stand here, and lecture you on how to do your jobs. If this is the end of the road, then,” He paused, looking at me for a moment, before continuing around the room. “I think it’s a good place to take our final stance. We’ve played a good game, a good series, and a good season, and I am very proud of how far we’ve come. When we go out there, I want all of you to enjoy it, but most importantly, think about this: this might be the last time you ever play with the same roster. Never again will we be this team. This might be the last time you play with your teammates, your friends, so make the best of it.”

And then we went back out.

Ryan, Stammer in the center this time, and I went out first. I think, deep down, we knew that something would happen tonight. Steven occupied himself at center ice, but Ryan came to my wing, a smile on his face. He didn’t say anything, but wrapped me in a hug.

I guess you never really know what might happen.

~

Stepping back onto the benches from my shift, I could feel my body aching. It wasn’t terrible, but it was starting to take effect. If we lost, and I ended up making it to Slovakia, it would be a bitch to play. As soon as I would land, we’d play the Russia national team in a matter of hours. Talk about no sleep.

Johansson and Arnott rushed the net, the latter actually reaching his means. Before we knew it, we were passing through the line, and filing into the locker room. That’s how much we realized that it was actually over.

“They’ve got the puck! Alzner knocks the puck up to Johansson, clearing it deep into the Tampa zone. He turns, passes over to Arnott. Arnott shoots, HE SCORES! ”

Maybe we had accepted it this past period. Maybe we had accepted it when we won the series against Pittsburgh. Maybe we had accepted it when we stepped foot on the ice.

~

The entire team celebrated in joy, as the fans erupted into cheers of exclamation, as their team was going to the conference finals. I watched Harper go to several of her teammates, hugging and smiling at them all, before averting my attention.

He caught my eye, and slipped away for a second, into my direction. His smile stayed on his face, as he approached Washington’s bench boards that I sat on. “Anna.”

“Alex.” I silently prayed that my voice didn’t reflect how nervous he was making me. His gloves and helmet joined mine on the ice, his stick lost somewhere amoungst his teammates. “I’m sorry for last night. I wasn’t thinking clearly, and was just a total mess. Please don’t take anything I said to heart.”

He only shook his head, as I played with my fingers, nervous as heck. His hands slipped into mine, before he entwined our fingers. Squeezing lightly, he let go, before coming even closer. “Anna, it’s alright. Trust me.”

I couldn’t help but return his smile, the one that simply melted every moral fiber of my being. Without thinking, I wrapped my arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. He returned the hug, both of us ignoring everything around us, as his arms tightened around my waist. “Thank you.”

“Good luck in Slovakia.”