Seeing Red

//Anna Trovato’s POV//
/**In Russian**/

I was warm.

It wasn’t stifling or anything, but comfortable. Being tugged closer to the source of the warmth, my fingers gripped the fabric of the shirt Alex wore. One of his hands rubbed small circles into my back, letting me know that he was awake. “How’d you get here?”

“Couldn’t think about it, the nervousness. I just wanted to be here. Lena also gave me four Vicodin to take before I got on, so I slept through most of it.” Sighing, I rested my head against his shoulder and inhaled deeply. “Just don’t expect me to get on a plane in the next year, okay?”

He laughed, but it made me smile. Everything about everything was out of the way for the time being, and part of me hoped it stayed that way. Never having to deal with the press, a contract, tormented players, deceitful parents, all of it. My stomach growled and I was unable to contain the giggles as I tried to cover my face in his chest. “If you walk downstairs without help, dinner is on me.”

Tearing away, I couldn’t help but watch his face. Was he serious? Alex seemed to read my mind as he took my hand in his own, at sat up. He slid off the bed, grabbed my other hand as well, and drew me to the edge of where he just laid. Letting go for a moment, he gently reached under my knees, still clad in denim, and slowly guided them to the edge so I could stand. Taking my hands again, he stepped back and stood me up, but I applied all of the pressure on the right. “You can’t be serious. It’s too sudden, I can’t..”

Choking up, I tried to cover my face but he only hugged me tighter, holding me up entirely. It was a reality I couldn’t afford to face, but I knew it was there, blowing my house down and leaving only the Big Bad Wolf in its wake. “If you want to play like I know you do, then trust me. If it heals damaged, untrained, all work will be wasted. If you train while healing, you will appreciate the efforts more and save time.”

“Maybe.” Alex stepped away again, squeezing my fingers securely in his own as I took a step with my left foot. Taking the next with my right, the pain didn’t shoot up like last time, and with each one I felt more comfortable. Not confident, but comfortable that I wouldn’t fall over and break like glass. We were halfway down the stairs, him in front and facing me, when I stopped. He didn’t say anything for several moments, but I needed resolution. “I’m glad I don’t remember much. I probably wouldn’t be able to live with myself, had I woken up with the entire thing blaring in my mind. They were my teammates and I loved them very much. They all welcomed me and really made me feel at home. Their families opened their arms to me, Alex, teaching and guiding me, but I don’t want it any other way. I’d rather keep them in my mind as who I remembered them as, not as who they were in the accident.”

Sighing, I knew I was blabbing as another smile graced his face. Continuing down the stairs, he was the one who spoke this time. “Remember when Erskine injured you, and I had to damn near fight you to allow me to help you? When I asked you to let me help you?”

Some of my actions kept me up, embarrassing me to no end on why I did what I did, but I nodded anyways.

“Let me help you again.” We reached the bottom and before I knew it, he grabbed his keys and phone off the counter, and kneeled down. With his back towards me, I used the banister to balance myself as I wrapped my arms around his neck. He carefully placed his hands under my knees and stood up, carrying me gently through the front door.

“This is cheating, you know? I didn’t do it myself.” I felt Alex shake with laughter as he hit the unlock button on the white car. Freeing one hand, he opened the door and turned to allow me slide in. Facing me once more, I felt his hand cup my cheek.

“You trusted me by yourself.”

His phone chose to ring at that time as he closed my door. Reaching for my seatbelt as he climbed into the driver’s side and did his own, I could hear fast English on the other side. He fired up the ignition before handing me the phone, mumbling a quick ‘For you.’

“Hello?”

/**In English**/

“English, Anna, please.” Taking a deep breath at the sound of Steve Yzerman’s voice on the other end, I willed him to continue to buy myself some time. “How are you doing? They said you checked out of the hospital, but I couldn’t get a hold of you. I’d glad I tried all possible options. Is Semin taking care of you?”

“Yes.” The one word was bitter on my tongue, and I couldn’t understand why. I didn’t know what to say and I hoped he knew that. “I did not want to be there anymore. Too much.”

“That’s very understandable. I just wanted to make sure you arrived safely and were doing alright.” That’s not the only reason you called, Steve. Boucher set you up to this, didn’t he? “I also know that you are going to need medical rehab, physical therapy, what have you. We’d like to take care of you so that you can heal properly.”

I wanted to tell him that I had already driven from Moscow to Yaroslavl, attended two funerals, driven myself to the airport, walked down a flight of stairs, and was sitting in a car trying not to hyperventilate. I also knew that what Alex had just done for me, letting me set my own pace and no pressure, to hurry to be somewhere, giving me time to be comfortable; it was wonderful. It was sooner than I had wanted, but it, in a way, let me know how much I could accomplish. We pulled into a gas station and Alex got out and went inside, prepaying and clearly giving me privacy.

“If I do this, you want a signed contract. If I do this, you have to let me come back when I feel ready. If that means I feel better and am clearing on October 1st, you better let me play. I’m not going to sit back and play the victim here.” I don’t know where the aggression came from, but the idea of sitting out infuriated me. I wanted to play for my team, both the one whose crest I represent and wear, but another whom I lost.

“You know that if something happens during that one game where you feel good enough to play and something happens, I’ll bench you for the rest of the month?” He paused, but it meant my words got through to him. “One year. If the doctors say you aren’t 100%, you will not play. I don’t care what you say, I want you healthy above all.”

Smiling, I really was at his mercy. He didn’t have to call me, he didn’t have to ask anything. Alex knocked on the window as the gas began pumping, a questioning look on his face. “Don’t tell anyone, yeah? It can be a surprise.”

“Well, I think we can do that. Don’t worry about pre-season, but I want you here with the team on the 30th. It will give us some time to evaluate and do what we can. Try to see a physical therapist while you are up there, alright? Document all of your progress.” This couldn’t be happening. “Let me know tomorrow afternoon. I know you are going to want to spend some time with him and catch up.”

/**In Russian**/

After he had hung up, Alex got back into the car. It was sweet of him to have waited, but I didn’t feel right to hide it from him. I was being given a chance to play this season, something no other club had offered. Good ol’ Tampa, there to save the day. The streetlights that had flickered above us as we drove down the road eventually ceased as the car pulled to a stop and I couldn’t help but laugh. “Chicken nuggets, I presume?”

He playfully glared at me as I opened my own door. I had to take this step, even if I didn’t want to. Would it just be easier to hide from all the pain? To just run away, never to be found, escaping all of my problems and worries? He jogged around to my side, holding the door open, but made no move to help me up. Rising slowly to my feet and moving out of the way, Alex cracked a smile before shutting the door. Extending his arm to me, I wrapped my own around his as we began a slow, but steady pace into the McDonalds.
[img=http://img818.imageshack.us/img818/6222/1w7.png]
Collapsing on the bed, the groan that escaped me couldn’t be contained any longer. Alex had decided to let me walk from the McDonalds to the car by myself, though he did get the door for me. He also decided to ask me to check the mail, make myself a glass of orange juice and drink it all, and then climb up the stairs.

I know, first world problems, but holy fuck I was exhausted. Alex Semin was roaring with laughter as he dug in his dresser, looking for clothes. Sitting up to look at him, a red shirt was thrown in my face, along with a pair of black shorts that I recognized as my own. “Digging through my backpack now, are we?”

“Don’t leave it out in the open.” Grinning at me, I was tempted to wipe his expression off of his face before he disappeared into the bathroom to change. Eyeing the door, I pulled my shirt off as quickly as possible, doing my best to not irritate my ribs. The sports bra helped tremendously with keeping the bandage secure, but it had its pros and cons. Yanking the red shirt on, it was a little big but still fit, making me wonder.

Laying back on the bed, I considered myself a pro when it came to changing in this situation. Unbuttoning the jeans and kicking them off with my right foot, it was still hopeless as I wiggled into the shorts.

Energy = gone.

I’d have to work harder at this rate. Carefully picking up my dirty clothes, I took small steps to where my bag lay and set them on top. Hopefully I could take a shower in the morning when I had the strength to not move and simply fall asleep.

Crawling on the bed, the pain was more noticeable but the compression of the bandage helped contain it. Sinking into Alex’s side, I pulled the covers over and wrapped myself up in them, much like a burrito. At that moment, the owner of said side decided to make his return, standing in front of my covered face. Relenting as he only stood there, watching, I untangled myself and rolled onto the other half of the bed as he quite happily snuck into the covers. He hit the switch on the lamp, encasing the room in darkness.

Counting sheep until he finally fell asleep, I continued to watch the ceiling. I was alone, figuratively, for the first time since the accident. No one could see me, no one could hear me, and no one could understand how terrible I felt in that very moment. Hot tears fell uncontrollably down my face as I sniffed, trying to get myself under check.

Alex rolled over and in that moment, I knew I was fucked. He opened his arm to me, lying on his back, white t-shirt and plain boxers uncovered by the sheets. It was too hot in the house, but the AC couldn’t be sacrificed. If it broke, they’d be screwed. Scooting next to him, I tentatively rested my head on his shoulder as he enclosed his arm around me.

It was comforting, but at the same time, it all felt foreign. I didn’t want to wake up and it all be a dream. Tracing his collarbone with my finger, I felt my eyes grow heavy. “Anna?”

“Hmm?” Sleep was definitely coming, but I wanted to stay awake as long as Alex was up. It was only fair, after all. I arrived on his doorstep, technically-speaking, a perfect mess and he took me in as I was. He didn’t say anything, and if I wasn’t laying on him, I would have thought he had fallen asleep. “Thank you for coming to the hospital. It meant so much to me.”

“I’m glad you are here with me.” Humming in question, he kissed the top of my head and I instantly longed for something more from him. I could and would live with this friendship, however. It was safer, in many ways, but you can’t help how you feel. If it had been anyone else at the hospital, I would be questioning my mental stability right now. Alexander Semin was a constant in my life, taping me back together everywhere I fell.

Finally draping my arm over him, ready to succumb to sleep, did he begin to speak. “I wondered for a long time about what it would be like to fall asleep with you next to me.”

“You are a marshmallow.” My mind was working like overtime, but begged for sleep as I leaned up and kissed the corner of his mouth. “I like marshmallows.”