Title: Collapsed in Love Chapter 1: Too Late
Author: Foxy Finn ([email protected])
Rating: PG-13 for swearing
Archive: @ my site http://www.geocities.com/foxy_finn44/index2.html
Category: Sports, RPS, NHL, Edmonton Oilers, Comrie/York
Feedback: That or your first born.
Summary: This could be the end.
Author's Note: And you thought you could get rid of me. Ha. You'll probably want to read the two prior stories that I wrote to understand a little of what's going on. You can find those at my unfinished website as mentioned above. Chapter Two will probably be up some time next week. If finals don't kill me first.

First you say that you have to go away
I never should have been with you anyway
Now you say you want to stay
It's too late, cause I'm sending you on your way
You say that you have to go away
I never really loved you anyway
Now you say you want to stay
It's too late, it's too late

Like a puppet on a string
you came and took control of me
Would've given anything
to be your one and only
Filled my head with fantasies
of what one day you'd give to me
Full of hope of what could be
(I sat and waited patiently)...

Jennifer Lopez
Too Late

There was a knock at my door. I knew who it was. I knew whom it was because I've been getting these visits more and more often then I can tolerate. Plus, I was stupid enough to buzz him up.

I sighed, turning off the television and moving off my couch to open the door. I opened it, and Mike was leaning against my door. He slid to the ground, and looked up at me with a huge grin on his face.

"Hey Eric." He slurred, waving at me from the floor.

I rolled my eyes, then helped him to his feet. I closed the door, then sighed. "Hey Mike."

He smiled. "I think I'm drunk, Eric."

I frowned. "I think you are too."

He chuckled, actually he giggled, while I helped him to the couch. I let him flop over, rolling until he was laying face up. He shrugged out of his jacket, tossing it onto the floor. He stared at me, smiling absently.

It wasn't a real smile. I have stopped questioning how he can get here in the state he's put himself in. This is the third time in the past two weeks. He and York have been fighting since Mike's memory shit. Mike's dad has been really angry since all of that, and he's been telling Mike to change the way he lives. Mike hates that, and York has been a real ass about it. I've heard the whole story several times, and I hate the position I'm being put in. Mike tells me he's coming to me because I'm his friend, but I think it's because it pisses York off.

I was glaring at him when he laughed.

"Don't look at me like that." He stuck his tongue out at me, then giggled again. "Don't be a dork."

"Mike, I think you should go home." I leaned against the back of the couch, looking down at him.

He smiled, shaking his head. "I can't go home. I think that Mike might be mad at me."

I rolled my eyes. "He's worried about you. I'll call him, and he'll come get you."

"Errriicc�." He whined. "Don't tell him. Let him be mad. I'm not mad any more, but he's still mad."

I moved around the couch, sighing. "Mike, you're not solving anything by�"

He interrupted me by grabbing my face and forcing me into a bruising kiss. I blinked, pushing away.

"Come on." He tilted his head, seductively. "I know you still love me. Come on, tell me you don't and I'll stop."

He was tugging at my shirt, playing with it in between his fingers. I knelt next to the couch, meeting his eyes. I couldn't do this. I was looking at him with indecision, and he laughed again.

"See? You can't tell me you don't, so you do." His hands roamed up my shirt, playing with the collar.

"I think you should go home." My voice was a whisper as I spoke to him. I fisted my shaking hands, putting them on the floor.

He lowered his lashes, and gave me a small grin. "Eric, don't you miss how it used to be?"

"According to you, those weren't the best times in the world." I tried to be honest with him, while keeping some of my feelings inside, but I let myself slip. "But I do miss it."

"Then fuck me. I know you want to�" His fingers feathered across my face, stopping to curl around my cheek. "Mike can go to hell."

It took a lot of strength to shake my head. "You don't mean that."

His bottom lip quivered with an emotion I couldn't decipher. "Maybe I do mean that."

I looked at him with mixed feelings. I didn't know what was going on in his head, and I couldn't gage where he was coming from. What had happened before he got here? He was probably just blowing things out of proportion, but if York hurt him�

He was suddenly kissing me again, and this time I let him. He tasted like liquor as he pushed his tongue into my mouth. The kisses grew more heated; he pulled me on top of him, winding our legs together. Oh god, it was so good to feel this again. His hands explored the waist of my jeans, daring me to let this get any further.

I wanted to hurt York, but I didn't want to hurt Mike. I don't think he knows what he's doing right now, and neither do I. He'll hate me if I let this happen. He'll hate himself if he let's this happen. Fuck.

I forced our mouths apart, grabbing and holding his hands at his side.

"Mike, no." I managed to say.

"I said I didn't care about�"

It took a gasping cry to get the words out of my mouth. "But you do! You love him more than you ever loved me. I still love you, but I can't�I just can't." I finally had what I've been dreaming about since he said he was done with me, and I was giving it up. What the hell is wrong with me?

"I won't be mad, Eric. I promise." He batted his eyes.

Why am I so in love with him?

I pushed off the couch and some how my feet found the floor. I walked across the living room, until I found a wall to lean on. He sat up, following me with his eyes. Staring at him, I tried to pull myself together. This was not going to end up well.

Although they'd been fighting, it never bled over into the game. That was always separate from everything. We played as a unit, until we were off the ice. When we were outside the confines of hockey, they would start arguing. Mostly about Mike's dad and his brother, but I know it was taking a toll on both of them. But when they weren't mad at each other, and even when they were, I could still feel the bond that they share that Mike and I never had. If I let this happen, it would destroy everything.

But I've wanted this to happen for so long. Why is he doing this to me?

He stood up, managing not to fall over, and walked over to be next to me. Putting his hands around my waist, he rested his head against my shoulder.

I sighed, letting my hands fall onto his back. "You don't know what you're doing here."

"But I do." He looked up at me. "My dad hates Mike, and Paul hates him too. Mike thinks that I should tell my dad about Paul. I don't want to, because that's Paul's business. Then I just wanted to know what really happened between him and Paul and he just wouldn't tell me. I needed to get out of there."

"And you think a one night stand with me will fix things?" The question was more tired than anything.

"It might. You won't know until you try." He put his head against me again. He was so warm that I was sure I'd freeze to death if I parted from him. "Please Eric." He paused. "I love you."

It hurt to hear him say that. Shutting my eyes, I took a deep breath. "I'm calling Mike, and he's going to come get you."

"Don't be like that�let me stay." He was forceful when he wanted to be. His lips were pouted, a dark pink hint colouring them. There was no way out of this.

Without a word, I slipped out of his embrace. He looked at me with a shocked expression, until I held out my hand. He looked at my open palm, then back up at me, his expression dulled by alcohol.

"I'm giving you what you want, Mike." My voice leveled. "Aren't you going to take it?"

~End Chapter One

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