Status: I'm sorry, guys. I'm so busy with uni coursework and I have major writer's block. I promise you I'll finish this, and I assure you the sequel's actually partly written! <3

I Left The Lights On So You Stumble In Devotion

Help, I'm Alive

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Evgeni was feeling rather hopeful about the playoffs. The team was doing alright, and it didn’t seem like Philadelphia was going to be a difficult defeat. Evgeni spent most evenings practicing, whether it was with or without the team. He wanted to be a star performer this year, not making himself lack in points like in the beginning of playoffs the year before.

“You’re going to wear yourself out, Geno.” said Marc, patting Evgeni on the back as they both skated off the ice.

“I okay.” responded Evgeni roughly, taking his helmet off of his head.

His hair was growing longer now, and in an attempt to grow facial hair for the playoffs, it was working half decently.

“You’ll do fine. Don’t stress yourself out so much.” assured Marc, pushing open the dressing room door and holding it open. “Fuck whatever the press says, don’t let that get to you.”

There were only a few players left in the dressing room, one of them being Crosby. He was sat shirtless on the bench, winding tape around his stick. Evgeni sat down, his eyes still lingering on Sidney as he gracefully applied the hockey tape to his stick. Evgeni observed how gentle Sidney was being, it was as though Sidney was putting a great deal of thought into it.

“Sid, are you still having that barbeque tonight?”

Sidney looked up slowly, nodding in silence. His eyes flickered for a second at Evgeni, but they quickly went back to his stick.

“Barbeque?” repeated Evgeni curiously, trying to sound casual while questioning Marc about what he was talking about. He knew he had completely mispronounced the word, but he ignored it.

“Yeah, as a playoffs celebratory thing. Didn’t someone tell you?” asked Marc, his eyebrows raised as he continued to undress from his gear.

“No.” said Evgeni awkwardly, ruffling his hand through his hair, he hadn’t begun to undress yet.

“Well, Sid’s having a barbeque, and you’re invited.” informed Marc, smiling over at Evgeni.

“Maybe Sidney doesn’t want Geno there.” joked Max, tossing his glove over at Marc.

Evgeni felt the awkwardness increase as his brain processed the idea that Max had brought up, although Max and Marc continued to laugh as if it would never happen. He hadn’t even noticed that Max was still sitting in the dressing room. Evgeni saw Sidney looking over at him, realizing that he couldn’t hear Sidney’s voice in the laughter.

“Maybe.”

Max and Marc continued to joke and laugh as they headed to the showers, leaving Sidney and Evgeni alone in the dressing room. Sidney still continued to skilfully tape his stick, eyeing over at Evgeni every now and then as he began to undress.

“Are you coming?” asked Sidney suddenly, looking over at Evgeni.

Evgeni’s eyes rose up from his skates and over at Crosby. He shrugged, continuing to bend over to untie his skates. Sidney’s tone didn’t sound too inviting, but Evgeni didn’t think that there was any anger between either of them anymore. It was slightly confusing.

“I thought you knew.” added Sidney, laying his newly taped stick against the wall next to him. “Honestly, I just thought someone else would have told you.”

“I guess I do not talk a lot to other teammates.” muttered Evgeni, tossing his skates into his bag. “But it okay.”

Evgeni would have been content to leave the conversation there, but Sidney was finished concentrating on his stick now and felt more up for conversation. Evgeni could feel Sidney’s eyes on him as he found himself wearing nothing but his shorts.

“I think we need to talk.” said Sidney sharply, his hands laying sternly on his hips. “This feels weird.”

“Okay.” agreed Evgeni simply. “You talk.”

“I was kind of thinking it’d be a mutual thing.” replied Sidney, grinning over at Evgeni.

“I see you at barbeque.”

“How about you come over a bit earlier?” asked Sidney, folding his arms into his chest.

Evgeni nodded in agreement and proceeded to shrugging at Sidney again before heading to the showers to join Max and Marc, feeling slightly more comfortable knowing that Sidney wouldn’t be there to make him paranoid about his naked body. It was a bit awkward to shower next to someone like Sidney when you were as tall and lanky as Evgeni.

* * *

Evgeni found himself sitting on a couch on Sidney’s patio, watching as Sidney flipped burgers with the same amount of grace as he taped his stick. Evgeni wasn’t even a really big fan on barbeques, he was just thankful to be able to get out of his own apartment.

“How do you like your burgers, Geno?” asked Sidney, starting the first conversation since Evgeni had been there.

“Cooked.” responded Evgeni, ignoring Sidney as he rolled his eyes.

“No preference, huh?” asked Sidney, continuing to flip burgers. “That’s the best way to be.”

“You saying I am the best?”

Sidney resisted from rolling his eyes again, putting down his cooking utensils and turning around to face Evgeni.

“My my, Malkin sure is flirty tonight.” cooed Sidney, putting on his cutest smile.

Evgeni blushed a little, but ignored Sidney’s comment. He felt at such ease just hanging around Sidney like this, he didn’t want to frustrate things by talking about them again. He didn’t know what was going on and he felt a bit happier not knowing.

“So, about that talk…” started Sidney, taking a seat next to Evgeni, “-I don’t really know what to say.”

“Okay.” said Evgeni simply, willing to ignore the matter of talking at all, he’d probably be more eager to talk if he could understand half of the things being said or things he was saying himself.

“I don’t know what the whole kiss in the dressing room was about, or whatever it was that went on in California.” admitted Sidney, crossing his legs as he avoided Evgeni’s eyes. “I just have this weird attraction to you, and I don’t know what to do with myself.”

“Okay.” repeated Evgeni.

“You’re not the first guy, really.” admitted Sidney, who was beginning to blush himself. “Me and Ryane had something once, but it wasn’t really like this. I can’t really explain that.”

Evgeni just nodded, mainly to prove that he understood what Sidney was saying the first round through. He didn’t want Sidney to have to repeat everything, it was uncomfortable enough as it was; he could hardly imagine what round two would feel like.

“So, I don’t want to cause all of this awkwardness for the team. I don’t want to have you uncomfortable around me on the ice or in the dressing room. As captain, I want to make sure you can play the best game you can, and I can’t feel as good about that as I should if I know you’re uncomfortable because of me.”

“I’m okay.” said Evgeni quickly.

“I just need to tell you that I like you, a lot.”

Evgeni cringed a little, wishing that Sidney could have just stopped talking beforehand. He could tell that Sidney was a little hopeful in his reply, but Evgeni honestly had no idea what to say. He knew he had agreed to talk with Sidney, but he didn’t have any idea what he wanted to say about the matter.

“I like you too.” Evgeni blurted, the words tumbling out of his mouth before he had the chance to think them over.

“You like me?” asked Sidney, playfully pushing Evgeni’s shoulder.

“Sometimes.”

Sidney laughed, causing Evgeni to have a short chuckle himself. Evgeni felt Sidney’s arm graze across his shoulders before completely stopping. This was one of those times when Sidney could slip his arm around Evgeni’s shoulders and it seemed so casual, but Evgeni could tell Sidney was nervous; he was making Evgeni nervous as well.

“The guys are going to be here soon.” said Sidney, his arm tightening around Evgeni. “I don’t think they should know about any of this, except for whatever you decide to tell Gonchar.”

“What do you mean, what is ‘this’?” asked Evgeni suddenly, trying his best to shift without nudging Sidney’s arm from around him.

“It’s nothing, it’s whatever happens.” assured Sidney, his left hand rising to haul Evgeni’s jaw towards his own face. “I’m alright with whatever.”

Evgeni felt himself leaning into Sidney’s face, his eyes staring directly into Sidney’s. Sidney didn’t move, but kept his eyes on Evgeni’s as Evgeni pressed his lips shockingly against Sidney’s. Sidney’s hand left Evgeni’s jaw and slid down to his hips, the place where Sidney’s hand always seemed to land.
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Eek. (:
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