Title: Collapsed in Love Chapter 7: Spin
Author: Foxy Finn ([email protected])
Rating: PG-13 for swearing
Archive: @ my site http://www.geocities.com/foxy_finn44/
Category: Sports, RPS, NHL, Edmonton Oilers, Comrie/York
Feedback: Feed my addiction
Summary: Eric keeps his distance.
Author's Note: Ahhhhhhhhhhh! School starts tomorrow! Shoot me now...Bleh. Photography at 8 in the morning. My joy cannot be contained.

And when the world keeps spinning round
My world's upside down
and I wouldn't change a thing
I've got nothing else to lose
I lost it all when I found
you and I wouldn't change a thing
No, you and I wouldn't change a thing
Everything I know has let me down
So I will just let go
Let you turn me inside out
'Cause I know I'm not sure
About anything
But you wouldn't have it any other way

Lifehouse
Spin

I came back into the dressing room a few minutes after York left. I think I was better off just keeping my little ideas in my head instead of confronting him. Maybe I would've felt better if he had gotten angry with me instead of himself. I was actually surprised by that, but not as surprised as I was when he kissed me.

York was talking to Mike when I walked in. York didn't look up at me, and neither did Mike. I couldn't hear what they were saying, but don't think it was anything more serious than cautious apologies. They were close together, York's hand resting on Mike's leg. York said something that made them both smile. When Mike smiles, there is nothing else in the world but the person he's smiling at. While that hasn't been me for a while, the feeling is still fresh in my mind from the first time he flashed me a grin of interest.

York's hand moved up Mike's body, trailing up his arm and across his shoulder. Mike watched him with half closed eyes, looking up when York's fingers caressed his face. His hand moved so slowly, hardly touching Mike's skin at times. I could hardly move watching this. Why didn't anyone else notice this? Why didn't I see this before? I've had the belief in the back of my mind for the longest time that their relationship wouldn't last. Now, I suddenly want them to prove me wrong.

Mike licked his lips and said words I didn't need to hear to believe. Love and fuck are the easiest words to lip read, and he definitely didn't say fuck.

They kissed. For one of the first times I wasn't clouded by jealously when I saw the exchange. I saw the affection in the way York's hand gently tilted Mike's head. Their lips parted for a moment, and they smiled brightly at each other. Mike put a teasing kiss on York's mouth, brushing their lips together in the same way York had kissed me. After he quirked an eyebrow, York's lips found Mike's again. There was no hesitation from either of them as the kisses grew heated and their bodies were drawn closer together. I wonder if Mike ever kissed me like that.

"Hey!"

A voice broke them apart and made me jump a little. Jason Smith glared at them and they blushed with guilt.

"Get away from the goddamned door if you're going to do that." He said with a mixture of disgust and amusement.

York turned to Mike and shrugged, before taking his hand and leading him into a different room. As they passed Jason, Mike stuck his tongue out at him. Our captain just rolled his eyes and looked the other way.

"They're in a better mood today." Shawn Horcoff said after sitting next to me.

I shrugged. "Guess so."

Shawn matched my shrug with one of his own, then continued on. "I heard Mike came over to your place last night."

"Is gossip the only thing that's holding this team together?" I asked, mildly frustrated.

Shawn grinned. "We're like school girls, Brew."

"Some more than others." I answered, dryly.

Shawn's grin faded a bit. "I saw you watching them."

"That a crime?"

"No," He said, shaking his head. "I've been worrying about them, you know? I remember how they were fighting when Yorkie left Michigan. This isn't the same, but I don't want it to end up the same."

I raised an eyebrow. "What makes you think I have anything to do with it?"

He chuckled. "Eric, I may look and act dumb, but I'm not as dumb as you think."

"You're proving me wrong with every word, Shawn." I sighed.

He laughed a little, but stopped when something caught his eye at the door. I looked up at him, before turning to look at the door.

Paul was there, standing in the doorway like he was supposed to be here. He swept the room, quietly taking everything while he waited to be noticed.

I stood, catching his eye. He smiled and I forced a small grin.

"Hey." He said. "How's it going?"

"Fine." I replied. "What are you doing here?"

He shrugged. "Business." He was wearing a suit, so I wasn't sure if he was lying or not. "I had some time so I'd thought I 'd drop by for a visit."

I nodded, then made a quick gesture towards the hallway. "Hey, can I talk to you for a second?"

I noticed the suspicion in his eyes when he nodded and followed me out into the hall. He looked at me with his eyes narrowed in confusion when I stopped to lean against the wall.

"I've only got a few minutes." He pocketed his hands. "I really just came to talk to�"

I cut him off. "York?"

His eyes shifted quickly to a glare. "As a matter of fact, yes. And it's none of your business."

"Paul, it's my business because I'm the one that's had to deal with your brother while your fucking around behind his back." I folded my arms, watching him stare at me with the look of superiority he always seemed to walk around with.

"Why the hell did York tell you what's going on?" He uttered, keeping his voice low.

I frowned. "Because he knows I care about your brother, while apparently, you don't."

"I don't need you to tell me my relationship with Mike." Paul shook his head. "Mike always told me that you wanted to get back together with him. Well, I can make that happen in the blink of an eye. I've told York before that my brother was too young for him; maybe he'd believe me this time, since we have slept together."

"York thinks you love him." I said, plainly.

That caught Paul for a second. He struggled for a moment to find the right words, but it only lasted for a second. "So? Do you think I am incapable of love or something?"

I shook my head with frustration. "It's not love if you're doing to be competitive with Mike. You're hurting him, and you don't even seem to care about the repercussions."

"I care about the repercussions; I just don't want to deal with them."

I've never been able to understand his logic. I doubt I ever will. "Paul, they're no good apart. It hurts to see Mike putting himself through so much pain when he has hardly a clue about what's really going on. He's not himself when they're fighting. He comes to me and I don't see him in his eyes. Mike needs York just as much as York needs him. Why can't you believe that?"

Paul pursed his lips. "Let them solve their problems the way they want to. If it breaks them up, so what? It'll be their own fault, and you'll have no guilt on your head."

I didn't want to tell Paul that I'd slept with Mike. No way was I giving him that. "And you wouldn't feel guilty?"

He looked very smug when he turned and gave me a quick grin. "Nope."

I shoved him, hard, sending him back a few steps. He stayed on his feet still, glaring at me as I approached him.

"Keep your nose in your own business, Paul, and stay the fuck away from them." I warned, staring him down.

He had a wry grin on his face as he took a step back from me. "It will be my business until York tells Mike what's really going on."

"He will, Paul." I said with confidence.

Paul walked away from me backwards. He shrugged with a smile. "We'll see." Then he turned and left. I gave him a few seconds on me before following him to make sure he was actually leaving and wouldn't be lurking about afterwards.

I went back to the dressing room, sitting in front of my locker to stare off at nothing. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't figure out Paul's motivation for stirring things up the way he did. I wonder what he said to York to get him to believe he cared about him?

Mike came back into the room, York in tow. Mike looked around quickly, before spotting me.

"Shawn said Paul was here." He said, standing next to my locker. York had his hands around Mike's waist, and his chin rested on his shoulder so he could see me.

I nodded to Mike.

"Is he still here?" Mike raised an eyebrow.

I shot York a quick look before turning back to Mike. "He left. He got called away to a meeting or something."

"Oh." Mike looked slightly disappointed, but shrugged. "I didn't know he needed to come here today."

"Does it matter?" I asked.

Mike pursed his lips, then shrugged with a small grin. "Not really. Did he say what he wanted?"

To my luck, MacTavish came in the room with a serious look on his face, which meant shut up it's time to focus for the game. All the little conversations that were going on stopped, and everyone started to move into the routine before a game.

I wish the game tonight would last forever, because I don't want to go back to Edmonton.

~End Chapter Seven

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