We stayed in Florida another day and practiced before flying to California for our second game. The rooms were in sixes, this time, and Coach was proving his randomness by putting me with a bunch of defenders. Of course, that meant I got to room with Chris, so I didn't really care. We were working out pretty well, I thought. We were a little...awkward, at times, but I guess that's just because we don't have the easy familiarity that Billy and Damon do with each other.
We realized right away that this was going to be a different sort of game. The other team was big. Really big. It was obvious that their game was the physical. Still, we got our first goal early, mostly due to Billy's ability to annoy the hell out of defenders. He darts around down there, pushing them, taunting them, even with his lack of size. He draws defenders away from Damon and I extremely well.
Unfortunately, it's often at personal cost. Tonight, it was during our fifth shift. I had the puck near the blue line, while Billy was down in front of the goal, poking at the defender with his stick and getting in the goalie's way. Billy had already caused Damon to score once with his screen, and they were pretty pissed off at him. I sent the puck over to Dame, who one-timed it in. Billy's defender shoved him from behind, giving the goalie enough time to knock the puck away. It went to the left side, and Luke Pryor scooped it up, still inside the California zone. Billy had moved outside, and Luke sent the puck over to him. Before he could even receive it, the defender he'd been annoying so much hit him from behind, stick high. Billy fell forward into the boards, then to the ice. The puck was squirting towards me, and I shot it quickly towards the goal. The goalie stopped and covered it, and the whistle blew for stoppage of play.
About that time, Damon realized that Billy wasn't moving. Of course, he didn't do the logical thing and check on Billy, he went after the guy that had hit him. Dame's a big guy, and he slammed California's number 25 into the boards, his gloves and helmet already off. He knocked off the other guy's helmet, and they began to fight.
The refs were trying to pull them apart when someone else knocked me over from behind. I turned to see one of the forwards, who had been ineffective so far this game, standing over me. "Well, pretty boy? Wanna fight?"
"I'm not fighting you," I told him, getting back up. He grabbed my jersey and probably would've tried to instigate a bit more convincingly, but Chris pulled him off from behind before the refs got to us, too. Meanwhile, Luke was waving Coach Brown and our trainer out on the ice to look at Billy, who still hadn't moved. Damon was watching him, his nose bleeding a little, looking absolutely terrified.
It took a long time to get everything sorted out. Eventually Damon and the guy that had hit Billy were tossed. Billy had been taken to a nearby hospital, but we didn't have any idea what was wrong with him. The guy that had knocked me down got a roughing minor and we got a power play.
The second power play unit scored, and we didn't relinquish the lead, winning 2-0. But the rest of the game was brutal, more so on us than them, and the only reason they didn't win was Kevyn's brilliance in goal.
We were all pretty battered as we made our way to the locker room after the third period. There was hardly a person not icing SOMETHING, including me. I'd taken an elbow to the ribs that was going to leave an interesting bruise.
Still, though, the excitement was palpable. This time, we'd upset a good team. A very good team. We could feel that our team was able to compete with the best out there. And that was a very good feeling.
We had a week before our next game, so Coach opted to fly back to Raleigh before going up to Boston. It was good, because it would give Billy time to heal and everyone else could recover from their minor injuries. The plane ride was long, though. My bruised ribs hurt the whole time, and I couldn't get comfortable. Chris, sitting next to me, was having sinus issues not helped by the pressure. So we were all a little envious of Billy, who spent the whole flight drugged by the doctors and curled up against Damon, asleep.
Eventually, I gave up on trying to sleep and decided it was as good a time as any to think about things. Like my current personal relationship.
I liked Chris. A lot. Honestly, I don't think I'm really in love with him...it's more like lust with strong friendship right now. If that makes any sense. But he seemed like the kind of person that I COULD fall in love with. Outside of hockey, which would always be my first love. That was another thing I liked about Stormy...he understood my love for the sport. A lot of people couldn't understand why I dedicate so much to it, why I live away from my family and miss things like graduation and my senior prom. But Chris does, and that's...that's nice.
Since our initial conversation, we'd backed off a little. It's still a little awkward, the whole dating thing. I mean, we're not really because we're traveling around the country playing hockey games, and it's not really good PR to walk around the clubhouse holding hands. So a lot of the casual touches most couples get in isn't really present with us. So really, the only thing we've done other than the walk in Florida, is room together. Which I really enjoy.
Not that we've actually had sex, because we haven't. But being close is...nice. It's not something I'm used to. I like being close to him. He shifts beside me. He's trying to sleep against the window, which isn't working because it's very hard. "Stormy."
His eyes open. "Yeah?" He's blinking sleepily, which is absolutely adorable.
"My shoulder's probably softer than the bulkhead."
Smiling at me, he slouched down some in his seat and settled his head against me. I put my arm around him, enjoying the closeness again. God, that feels good.
I didn't even realize that I'd fallen asleep until I woke up as the plane was beginning the descent. I had been slumped over, and my ribs were letting me know that that was an unacceptable position. Anyway, it was nice to be 'home', even if home was just some dorm rooms and an ice rink. We were all pretty tired, and Coach didn't mind us taking today off and getting some sleep and resting our minor injuries. Or major, in Billy's case. He was still pretty out of it from the medication, and Damon was steering him gently towards their room. "Hey, Park?"
I smiled at Chris. "Yeah?"
"Do you think...tomorrow...we could maybe go on a real...date?" He looked all nervous. It was cute.
I reached up and ran a hand through his tousled brown hair, then kissed him quickly on the lips. "I would like that. After practice."
"After practice," he smiled, then squeezed my hand before heading towards the room he shared with Luke.