Goose's Big Adventure
Chapter 5
Niklas was shaking in fear as he followed Natalie to the hospital room. He was scared he wasn’t going to see his best friend alive again. They had won the game for him as promised, but their minds had wandered to their captain instead of the game.
“I’m sure Hank is ok Nicky. He’s strong,” Natalie said. Niklas sighed.
“I know he is sis but you didn’t see the large bump on his head. And his eyes were closed and he looked…….” He couldn’t finish his sentence, but Natalie knew what he meant. She had been around and played hockey long enough to know what her brother was talking about.
“Come on. He’ll be okay. He wouldn’t leave you for anything you know that,” she whispered, squeezing his hand. Niklas half smiled and followed her into the room. Hank was sitting up in bed with an IV in his arm and a bandage around his head. There was a bruise under his eye where Crosby had hit him, but other than that he looked no worse for wear. Niklas, swallowing hard as his heart began to beat faster, walked over to bed and took his hand.
“Zetta? Can you hear me,” he asked shaking. Hank slowly raised his head and smiled.
“Kronner, I’m not dead. Of course I can hear you. Everything is fine as you can see,” he replied, absentmindedly brushing his thumb across the back of Niklas’s hand. Niklas blushed bright red.
“Zetta? I um………..I…………..I have something to tell you,” he said. Hank tilted his head at him.
“You’re nervous as heck Kronnie. What’s wrong?” Niklas blushed again and looked down.
“I’m scared to tell you,” he whispered. Hank gave him a soft but stern look.
“Hans Niklas Kronwall, you tell me right now what is going on. You’re starting to scare me.” Niklas finally looked him in the eyes.
“Zetta, I…………I’m in love with you,” he choked out. Hank looked up at him, surprised and stunned, before he grinned.
“I’m in love with you too, Kronnie. I have been since the day you came here. The thing was, I wanted you to focus on your career and not on me. I didn’t need to be a distraction for you.” Niklas’s eyes widened. His captain loved him for all these years? Had he been too blind to see the signs?
“W-Why didn’t you tell me, Zetta? I mean, I wouldn’t have seen you as a distraction,” he blurted out. Hank laughed and gave his hand an extra gentle squeeze.
“I knew what I was doing, Kronner.” Niklas opened his mouth again but Hank cut him short with a kiss.
“Shh. Don’t try to talk. Just enjoy this moment.” Niklas leaned into the kiss and gently cupped the back of Hank’s neck. This was something he had been looking forward to for a long time. Hank laughed as he looked into Niklas’s big blue eyes.
“Goodness, you’re just so beautiful Kronner,” he whispered, trailing his lips down Niklas’s neck. Niklas shivered and groaned, wondering how far Hank was willing to go.
“I’m sure Hank is ok Nicky. He’s strong,” Natalie said. Niklas sighed.
“I know he is sis but you didn’t see the large bump on his head. And his eyes were closed and he looked…….” He couldn’t finish his sentence, but Natalie knew what he meant. She had been around and played hockey long enough to know what her brother was talking about.
“Come on. He’ll be okay. He wouldn’t leave you for anything you know that,” she whispered, squeezing his hand. Niklas half smiled and followed her into the room. Hank was sitting up in bed with an IV in his arm and a bandage around his head. There was a bruise under his eye where Crosby had hit him, but other than that he looked no worse for wear. Niklas, swallowing hard as his heart began to beat faster, walked over to bed and took his hand.
“Zetta? Can you hear me,” he asked shaking. Hank slowly raised his head and smiled.
“Kronner, I’m not dead. Of course I can hear you. Everything is fine as you can see,” he replied, absentmindedly brushing his thumb across the back of Niklas’s hand. Niklas blushed bright red.
“Zetta? I um………..I…………..I have something to tell you,” he said. Hank tilted his head at him.
“You’re nervous as heck Kronnie. What’s wrong?” Niklas blushed again and looked down.
“I’m scared to tell you,” he whispered. Hank gave him a soft but stern look.
“Hans Niklas Kronwall, you tell me right now what is going on. You’re starting to scare me.” Niklas finally looked him in the eyes.
“Zetta, I…………I’m in love with you,” he choked out. Hank looked up at him, surprised and stunned, before he grinned.
“I’m in love with you too, Kronnie. I have been since the day you came here. The thing was, I wanted you to focus on your career and not on me. I didn’t need to be a distraction for you.” Niklas’s eyes widened. His captain loved him for all these years? Had he been too blind to see the signs?
“W-Why didn’t you tell me, Zetta? I mean, I wouldn’t have seen you as a distraction,” he blurted out. Hank laughed and gave his hand an extra gentle squeeze.
“I knew what I was doing, Kronner.” Niklas opened his mouth again but Hank cut him short with a kiss.
“Shh. Don’t try to talk. Just enjoy this moment.” Niklas leaned into the kiss and gently cupped the back of Hank’s neck. This was something he had been looking forward to for a long time. Hank laughed as he looked into Niklas’s big blue eyes.
“Goodness, you’re just so beautiful Kronner,” he whispered, trailing his lips down Niklas’s neck. Niklas shivered and groaned, wondering how far Hank was willing to go.