Work Text:
When Jinyoung heard his team had drafted a chinese player and he been first overall in the draft, he should have known better than to be surprised over who it was once he found out. He had heard about Jackson Wang ever since they were still in little league - they had played each other in fact, Jinyoung already captain of his team and Jackson sporting the letter A of assistant captain, already known for his quick hands and not someone to underestimate just because of his small size.
Jackson was supposed to go (and actually was) in his draft year, they were the talk in the league during their last 2 years in juniors, but the year that everything was finally going to happen Jackson flew back to Hong Kong. Rumors started to arise about him staying in Hong Kong definitely and focusing in fencing, which was what his dad used to practice before and Jackson had story with. So, what happened was: Jackson was skipped over, even though before it he was expected to be one of the top 10 draft picks, and Jinyoung was chosen third overall by the Chicago Blackhawks.
One year later, one where Jinyoung spent it in the university (the one year he had promised his dad to do since you won't have hockey forever, son), the Blackhawks had gotten the first pick and for that they had chosen Jackson Wang - someone who people weren't even expecting to be back in hockey.
And now, it was finally time for training camp and for him to see if Jackson had changed anything during the time he spent away, if he was still as good as before.
------
For a lack of better words, Jackson was fucking good , as good as before and even better - after seeing Jackson skate past two defense man double his size and score with a sick backhand, there was really no doubt. Jackson was short, but unlike the first time they had played against each other, he was now broad, with strong legs and shoulders, not letting himself be a pushover. He was strong on his skates and to top it all, his hands were still ridiculously talented.
In day 1 of camp, surprisingly enough, they didn't have much time to interact, Jackson too busy focusing on doing well and trying to prove himself worthy of being there and the pick wasn't a mistake. Jinyoung was also particularly focused but because this time this was it, he wouldn't go back to university now this time it was for the big league. So, they were only able to exchange a few words like 'hey nice to see you again' and that was all. But in the second day, they were finally put in the same line and something just clicked.
There really wasn't another way to describe it, Jinyoung always knew playing with Jackson would be fun - when they played against each other as little kids, Jackson was someone he noticed right away and it was hard not to, not with his fast skating and with scoring 3 goals on them. But what happened when they had their first shift was amazing, it was like they always knew where the other would be and what they needed to do. Like Jinyoung, a center, had finally found the right wing player he needed.
And it wasn't something that had gone unnoticed by Jackson, "That was sick!" Jackson shouts in his ear as Jackson untangles himself from Jinyoung after they gave each other a celebratory hug while patting each other back after another goal. This time Jinyoung was the one to pass the puck to Jackson, he had heard Jackson shouting for his name so he didn't hesitate - he passed it back without even looking, just with the belief that Jackson would be there and the trust that Jackson do would what was needed and he did. He scored with a forehead on the top left corner.
Jinyoung flinched from the loud voice in his right ear but that wasn't enough to make the smile from his face go away and the satisfaction because yeah, a perfect no-look pass after only playing together for what? 4 shifts was pretty sick, "Nice goal." He bumped his shoulder with Jackson as they went inside the bench again, watching the next line do a face off in the middle of the ice again.
"Couldn't have done it without you, that was a really nice pass." Jackson got the water in front of the bench and drank it down, Jinyoung felt his face flush and looked down to fix his tape and mutters a thanks, receiving a shoulder bump from Jackson once he's done with the water and the bottle in offer, which Jinyoung accepted with a smile.
"Have you two played together before?" Both turned back to look at the assisting coach that had asked the question.
Jinyoung wiped his mouth after taking a gulp of water and replied, "Well, we played against each other like once as kids." Jackson nodded next to him.
"I think there was World Juniors too but that was it." Jackson added. Jinyoung settled the water bottle back on the floor and nodded, he had forgotten that.
"So you guys haven't played together? Ever?" Daniel, the kid that was playing as left wing in their line, asked after overhearing the conversation.
Jackson and Jinyoung looked at each other, both tilting their heads in confusion and saying in union, "No?"
"That's fucking weird." Daniel shaked his head and turned back to the ice in disbelief.
"You two are doing a great job," The assistant coach said thumping their shoulders, "keep it up."
"First line, you're next! Get ready." The coach screamed from the other side of the bench, Jinyoung and Jackson exchanged a little smile before jumping on the ice again and getting started with another shift.
------
Jinyoung was tying up his shoes in the locker-room after he had already taken his shower when he noticed a presence in front of him, "Hey," Jackson said standing in front of his stall, with only a tied up towel in his hips, he had just gotten out of shower it seems, "That was a good practice."
"Yeah," Jinyoung turned to his left shoe and started tying it up too, he didn't understand why Jackson had to talk to him only wearing a towel and standing so close, "That last shift could have gone better, though."
He heard Jackson groan and lifted his head to see Jackson pick up another towel from the stall next to him. Of course, he would be next to Jinyoung, they had practice yesterday Jinyoung didn't know why he forgot Jackson had gotten that stall, "I told you that wasn't my fault. If you had heard me warning about the defenseman, maybe we wouldn't have gotten scored on."
Jinyoung finished fixing his pants, rolling up the ends and got up, laughing and stretching, "Yeah, okay. But still," He looked at Jackson, and they gave each other another small smile, "Could've been better."
Jackson patted Jinyoung's leg with his hand - he had already put on some pants, thank god - and laughed, "Yeah, we always can and we will." He gave Jinyoung a smile, "Be better, that is."
------
After that, it didn't take much to guess that the media team would jump on it. And they did. It was like they were waiting for them to settle in before going hard on Jinyoung and Jackson being the future heroes of the franchise - and now, after that practice had gone perfectly, as the future Power Due of the franchise.
It was quite a pressure but not exactly surprising, the team they were in was one of the original six so they had just, so much story. And the fact that it was on the brick - on a cup drought of over 35 years, the team barely selling any tickets and not having gone to the playoffs since 2002, made the expectation bigger, especially after a third and first pick overall.
Maybe Jinyoung would have felt it more if he were in different circumstances - in his first training camp, he remembered being weighted down by the pressure given by the team then, but he had the fact that he would go for one year of college before jumping to the big league, to ease the expectation of the others, and he also had the excitement of finally being in the NHL. Now, he had Jackson.
He had Jackson to share the burden with, he didn't know how Jackson felt about it. In the next few days, they didn't have much time to talk about anything but their performance on ice and how their passes to each other could get better - and how their own performance could get better, both of them weren't scared of saying what they were thinking and give advice if it was for the best for the team and each other, individually and together. They could tell there was something there.
If they weren't talking practicing or talking about hockey, they were sleeping or eating. The training camp leaving a toll on both of them so yeah, no, they didn't have time to talk about how they felt about being giving the future of the team, when their first season on NHL hadn't even started yet.
For the next practices, Jackson and Jinyoung were always put together, like maybe that perfect synchronization in their first time had been some kind of luck, but as it kept going they kept getting better. The only thing that changed in their line was the left wing, though in some kind of way, it never really mattered who was there - they always made them better, that was just how good Jinyoung and Jackson were and a tell of how good they were together also.
With the pre-season games, the same thing would happen. Jackson and Jinyoung were put together, scoring even if they were against goalies that had played in the NHL for years. Of course, it started getting repercussion through the entire league, a couple of rookies that had never played together and one of them never had played a preseason game before and had actually been forgotten in his first draft and maybe he wasn’t a fluke overall.
By the end of it, it was a no-brainer that both of them would make the team and would play their first season together and would stay together for some time.
------
"Do you guys want to go to a bar after the last game?" Jackson stopped mid-sentence on a talk of the last goal they almost had and what they could have done for it to have gone right and stared at Devin who had showed up in front of their stall. They had just finished their last practice before their last preseason game, after that it was official. Regular season would start.
"Uhm," Jackson looked at Jinyoung and he shrugged, in a way of saying, i'm in if you're in , "That sounds nice. We can go." Devin nodded and left saying he would tell them later the bar they were going to meet.
Jinyoung tapped Jackson’s leg and mumbled in case someone heard and uninvited them, “You do realize we’re underage, right?” They were both from draft year, which was last year, which meant they only had 19 years. Jinyoung leaned back on the wall and stretched his leg, feeling the sore muscles. Maybe him and Jackson shouldn’t have stayed for an extra time of practice yesterday.
“Yeah,” Jackson scrunched his nose, like he didn’t understand the americans and their under 21 law, “We’re also the top rookies of the city and the league. Hockey might not be the biggest sport in the city now but everyone loves us, so I don’t think it’ll be a problem.”
Jinyoung laughed and gave Jackson a soft kick on the leg, he was right, Chicago wasn’t that big on hockey now but both of them were still being watched with big hopes on everyone’s eyes, waiting for the city’s golden hockey time to come back.
As Jackson got up and motioned for both of them to go back to the hotel, Jinyoung realized that instead of Devin asking Jackson and Jinyoung individually, he had asked both of them at the same time and they hadn’t even blinked, answering like the actual answer depended on each other, if the other didn’t go he wouldn’t either. Jinyoung chuckled to himself, Devin wasn’t that wrong if you thought about it.
Jackson and Jinyoung didn’t only spend time together on the ice, in the line, but also they would do their extra conditioning and practice together, would eat together and would leave the stadium together to go to the hotel where all the rookies and trainees were staying. It was like that first shift in the second day of training camp had settled something on them.
“What is it?” Jackson asked after hearing Jinyoung's chuckle.
“Nothing, just thinking.”
“I can’t believe you’re already keeping secrets from your best friend and the best right wing you will ever have.” Jackson whined and sighed deeply, “This is it. I’m not playing with you again.”
Jinyoung laughed and slapped Jackson’s shoulder lightly, “Shut up.” Jackson stumbled and gasped at Jinyoung, giving him a hurt and shocked look before his face cracked and he started laughing alongside Jinyoung.
“Come on.”
------
You could say, their last preseason game had been good - could’ve gone better, like Jackson said Jinyoung would always say (but it was true and he knows Jackson agrees with him), but it was good. Jinyoung and Jackson did not score but Jinyoung had one assist and Jackson assisted in two goals, one of them came from a deflection one of their teammates had from his shot, so both of them had done pretty well and the team too. A good way to go start a regular season.
All of the rookies had already left the locker room (Devin saying he would text Jackson the bar everyone was going), leaving Jackson and Jinyoung and a few veteran players left, all of them taking their time - some in wonder if this would be their last season, others in wonder if they would finally make it to the big league definitely and wouldn’t be dropped to the AHL once again, and the two of them in wonder of what their future would lead them to in the team and NHL.
As the games kept going and the news about their dynamic and performance were being spreaded out, a few changes could already be noticed in the stands. Even in these 3 weeks, a new small group of people kept showing up in each game and public practice, Jinyoung couldn’t help the chill and the thought of the United Center filled up with fans because of them.
“Hey,” It was the first thing Jackson had said in a while, he had gotten ready before Jinyoung and was left sitting in the stall staring in thought while Jinyoung got ready, “Want to go around?”
Jinyoung finished putting all his stuff on his bag and turned to look at Jackson, “In the stadium? Aren’t we supposed to go to the bar?”
Jackson shrugged, “We’re already gonna get there late.” He picked up his bag and put it over his shoulder, “Let’s have a look around the stadium.” He stood in front of Jinyoung and offered a hand.
Jinyoung clasped it and used to get up and picked over his bag, “Where to?”
Jackson nodded to the door and they bid their goodbyes to those left in the locker room, making their way up to the 200 level of the stadium.
“What is this about?” Jinyoung asked fixing his bag over his shoulder and following Jackson, stealing looks to look around the stadium, this would be their home now.
“I,” Jackson slowed down his walk and looked at Jinyoung, staring straight into his eyes before continuing, “I just wanted to take a look before we officially start our first season.”
Jinyoung nodded showing he understood, they had spent so much time playing there, so much time practicing but they never had had the time to look around, to see what their fans would experience - as much as people said all stadiums were the same, that was not true. Each stadium had their special atmosphere, their special fan store, their special everything . Being able to experience it, not exactly as a fan, but being able to walk around and see how it is and maybe notice how things would change in the future is - nice, it’s nice.
Finally they got to where Jackson wanted to get, it was like the mouth to the entire 200 level, open to ice, open to the other seats (the ones closer to the ice and those up in the 300 level), here they could see how many people could come to see, watch and follow them - it finally made Jinyoung realize how big this stadium was.
“We are going to fill this place up.” Jinyoung didn’t even notice himself mouthing those words but before he knew, there they were. And as he said it, he nodded at himself because it would happen it. They would fill this place up, they would bring hockey back to the city and would bring back the cup. Jinyoung knew they would be able to do it, maybe it would take a while, it wouldn’t be the easiest path but they would do it.
He turned to look at Jackson only to find out Jackson was already staring at Jinyoung. Jackson gulped and nodded slightly, “Yeah.” Jinyoung doesn’t know who reached first but before he knew it, they were tightly holding hands and staring at the open ice and empty seats in front of them, “We are going to fill this place up.”