Work Text:
Pre-season was over, which meant that practices had picked up for the weeks leading up to the season opener. Nico barely had time to breathe between practices and classes. For the first three days, Nico had completely forgotten about his boyfriend (and his phone, apparently) and only slept for about three hours total just to catch up on his readings for class. Will had texted him repeatedly, and even called him at least five times, but still had to resort to going to Nico’s dorm to find him.
Nico had fallen asleep on his desk, using his textbook as a pillow. The door to his dorm room probably hadn’t been locked since the first of those three days, so Will had been able to walk right in, find his boyfriend, and then make a box of pasta with the hotplate Nico kept in the corner.
After waking up and realizing that, yes, Nico did have a boyfriend that he’d been neglecting, Nico spent the next full day with Will, watching movies in Will’s apartment until Nico fell asleep on the couch. Will had insisted that Nico just stay with him for the night instead of heading home while half asleep, and that had opened the floodgates.
Nico had spent the last three days before opening at Will’s apartment (when he wasn’t on the ice, of course). He would walk in and collapse immediately on the couch, only for Will to make his way over eventually to massage the knots out of Nico’s back. Nico thought he might be in love (maybe. He didn’t actually know. He was a little bit afraid that maybe that was what he was feeling, but he was a little bit hopeful, too).
And honestly, sleeping next to Will at night was so much better than being on his own. Nico couldn’t wait for the opening game (on a Friday night, when neither him or Will had any classes the next day) so that he could finally get a full eight hours of sleep. Maybe even more, if he was lucky.
Thankfully, he didn’t have to wait long. After his only class of the day (business math; he hated it) Nico was back on the ice, running drills and warming up before the game. He was so ready to get the season started (and to get a decent night’s sleep).
Will’s appreciation for hockey had grown immensely after watching so many games - for the sport itself, but mostly for the players. As the usual medic, he focused mainly on how often the players were smashed into the boards (which was frequently) and how they managed to get right back to their feet and keep skating - Nico, especially.
Of course, as starting center, Nico was one of the best players, and had always been one of the most aggressive on the team, which led to him being one of the most attacked players on the ice.
Surprisingly enough, Nico wasn’t involved in the first fight of the night. One of the new defenders on the home team had somehow aggravated a member of the opposing team, leading to gloves being thrown down to the ice and fists starting to fly. Thankfully, the fight happened close enough to the goal that Frank could intervene and pull the two apart. Both players were sent to the penalty box, and play had resumed.
Nico had provoked the next fight, which had resulted in a few (avoided) fists thrown in his direction, and the opposing player being thrown in the box, launching the home team into a power play.
Nico led the team into the third period with a three point lead, but his first breakaway at the start of the period was cut short with a check into the boards. Will was amazed that Nico’s helmet didn’t shatter the partition glass separating the first row of seats from the action.
The hit left Nico dazed enough to lose possession of the puck, but he recovered quickly. He skated furiously to regain possession, but as soon as he did, he was thrown across the ice once more.
Will winced with every hit.
Normally, after a game like that, Will would insist on a hospital visit, but the wide smile that Nico greeted him with after he emerged from the locker room convinced him otherwise. Nico made his way over to his boyfriend, dropping his bag at his feet and wrapping his arms loosely around Will’s neck.
“You look awfully happy,” Will commented, hands coming up to rest on Nico’s waist.
Nico’s smile brightened, his tired eyes half-shut as he gazed up at him. “Undefeated pre-season and a mercy win on the first game. I think I deserve a full night’s sleep with my boyfriend.”
Will scrunched up his nose. “I think you deserve a shower, and then we can discuss. After we get your head checked out.”
Nico pouted, forehead falling against Will’s collarbone. “No, no hospital, I’m fine, I just want to sleep."
Will reached up, nudging Nico’s head back with his fingers and tipping Nico’s head up to meet his gaze. “I suppose I can check you out myself.” Nico smirked at his words. “ I meant for a concussion.”
“You meant it the other way, too,” Nico said, and Will started to pull himself away, turning to leave.
Nico hastily grabbed his bag and followed after his boyfriend. “Wait, how are you supposed to check me out if you’re walking in front of me?”
The subway back to Will’s apartment was mostly empty, aside from a few strangers on the opposite end of the car from them. Nico and Will sat next to each other near the door, Nico’s bag at their feet and their bodies turned toward each other. Will reached into the side of Nico’s bag, pulling out a first aid kit that he’d stored there, and took out a pen light.
Will took Nico’s chin in his hand, tilting his head up slightly and holding the pen upright, moving it slowly in front of Nico’s face. “Follow the pen,” Will instructed, and Nico rolled his eyes before complying.
“I’m not concussed,” Nico told him as Will flicked on the light, shining it quickly in Nico’s eyes.
“Maybe not,” Will responded, returning the light to Nico’s bag before bringing both of his hands up to frame Nico’s face. “Tell me if anything hurts.” Will pressed his fingers lightly to Nico’s temples before moving them slowly backward and feeling different points on Nico’s skull for fractures.
“You know what hurts?” Nico asked. “How much you don’t believe that I’m fine.”
Will rolled his eyes. “I meant a physical pain.”
“It is a physical pain,” Nico responded, unable to keep a straight face.
“You’re a physical pain,” Will joked, running his fingers up to Nico’s forehead and brushing his hair back from his face, allowing Will a better view of his boyfriend’s face than he usually got. “Shit.”
Nico frowned as Will ran his fingers through Nico’s hair, keeping it pulled back from his face. “What?”
Will tipped his head forward, resting their foreheads together. “You’re really freaking cute.”
Nico groaned loudly, rolling his eyes, but didn’t pull back. “I can’t believe you.”
Will smiled, just as the train began to slow down and pressed Will closer to his boyfriend. Will took advantage of the close proximity to kiss Nico until the doors opened up for them to leave.
Nico, having just changed out of his hockey gear after his game, nearly collapsed against Will’s chest in the lobby of the arena.
“I’m dying,” Nico moaned.
Will wrapped his arms around his boyfriend. “You’re not dying.”
“I am,” Nico insisted. “I’ve probably lost all use of my arms.”
“They seemed fine ten minutes ago.”
“Time has passed and things have changed.”
“Alright, Drama Queen,” Will laughed. “Let’s go back to your place then, and maybe I can keep you from dying. Sound good?”
Nico nodded into Will’s shoulder. “Can you carry my bag, though? Seriously, I can’t raise my arms.”
Nico almost fell asleep against Will’s shoulder on the subway ride home, but the two managed somehow to make it into Nico’s apartment.
“Will,” Nico moaned. “I’m still dying.”
Will dropped Nico’s bag on the floor just inside the door. “How did you survive without me?” he muttered.
“What?”
“I said, how can I help?” Will offered sweetly.
“It’s my back and my shoulders and my arms,” Nico told him. “It hurts to move. Breathe, even.”
Will walked up behind him, wrapping his arms around Nico’s waist and resting his chin softly on his shoulder. “How about you take a nice hot shower, and then I’ll see what I can do to help?”
Nico nodded, leaning back into Will’s support, and kissed his boyfriend on the cheek before extracting himself and heading to the bathroom.
Nico collapsed face down on his bed in a fresh pair of sweatpants and a threadbare t-shirt. “It still hurts.”
“Of course it does,” Will said, kneeling on the bed next to him. “The hot shower was just to loosen you up.” He threw a leg over Nico’s waist, straddling his hips and digging his fingers into Nico’s sore muscles.
“Ow! Shit!” Nico exclaimed, immediately tensing up again.
“It’s gonna feel worse before it gets better,” Will told him. “Tensing up’s just gonna make it hurt more.”
“This sounds suspiciously like - ah! - like we’re about to have sex.”
Will leaned down, putting his weight behind his hands, whispering into Nico’s ear, “Maybe later.” And he ground the heels of his palms into Nico’s back.
Soon enough, Nico’s cries of pain turned into hums and moans as his muscles began to relax.
“Feeling better?” Will asked once Nico was at the point where he was practically purring, melting into the sheets.
“Yeah,” Nico breathed, and a few seconds later, he mumbled, “I love you.”
Will’s hands froze over Nico’s spine, feeling the muscles below them tense again.
“Y-your hands,” Nico stuttered. “I said I love your hands."
Neither of them moved for a second before Nico whispered fearfully, “Will?”
Will moved his hands to Nico’s waist, leaning forward once again to press a kiss to the back of Nico’s neck. “I love you too,” he whispered, trailing kisses across any available skin he could reach.
Nico started to squirm, trying to move to reciprocate Will’s affections, but Will held him still as he sucked a bruise into the side of Nico’s neck.
Finally, Nico squirmed and complained hard enough that Will pulled back, allowing Nico to roll onto his back to gaze at his boyfriend.
“You love me,” Nico said, voice filled with disbelief.
“I do, darling,” Will told him, pressing a kiss to Nico’s lips. “Of course I do.”
“You love me,” Nico repeated. “I love you.”
Will beamed at him, swooping down, hands framing Nico’s face and kissing his boyfriend like he’d never kissed anyone before.
God, he was so in love.
Nico couldn’t wait for his day off after him and Will finished their finals. Their schedules, possibly for the first time ever, lined up perfectly to give them each a full free day without classes or practice, and Nico wanted to lay on the couch with his boyfriend for a full twenty-four hours and watch movies and do nothing else.
When Will woke him up that morning, however, he seemed to have different plans. “We’re going on a date,” Will told him, dressed in one of his sweaters that Nico had seen frequently at his games and a pair of jeans.
“Does that date include us sitting around all day doing nothing?” Nico asked.
“Absolutely not,” Will told him, shoving him in the direction of his room. “It does, however, involve you getting dressed and getting in my car.”
“What, you can’t tell me where we’re going?”
“Nope,” Will answered, popping the p. “Dress kinda warm, that’s all you get to know.”
“An ice rink?” Nico said when they stepped into the building. He looked up at his boyfriend with a bored expression. “You thought that I, your hockey player boyfriend, would want to spend my day off at an ice rink?”
“Not necessarily,” Will responded. “I thought that I would enjoy skating with my hockey player boyfriend for once, and thought that maybe he would humor me.”
Nico rolled his eyes. "Fine," he said, drawing out the word, trying to sound annoyed but smiling at the end. “But after this, we’re going back to my place and watching, like, four movies in a row. And I get to pick all of them.”
“Deal.” Will pecked at Nico’s lips before leading him toward the skate rental.
Will paid for the skates, handing Nico a pair and sitting down on a nearby bench to replace his shoes. Nico stared at the skates in his hand for a second before glancing at his boyfriend.
“Will?” he started, waiting for Will to look up at him. “These are figure skates.”
“Okay?” Will finished lacing his skates and standing up. “Are you going to put them on?”
“Do they not have hockey skates?”
Will shook his head. “Not that I noticed. Is it really that big of a deal?”
“I guess not,” Nico muttered, sitting down and replacing his shoes with the too-tight figure skates.
Once Nico was laced up and standing uncomfortably, Will grabbed his hand and tugged him toward the ice. “C’mon, I haven’t been ice skating since I was a kid.”
Will stepped onto the ice without any hesitation, gliding a little ways before circling around to face Nico with a bright smile.
“What, captain hockey player can’t even step out on the ice?” Will teased, propelling himself forward and grabbing Nico’s hands.
“I don’t like these skates,” Nico said, wobbling a little as Will dragged him onto the ice.
“You’re fine,” Will assured him. “You move better on the ice than off, a change of skates isn’t going to kill you.”
Will dropped Nico’s hands and started to skate away, leaving Nico wide-eyed and frozen where he stood.
“C’mon, Nico, move your feet!” Will called from across the ice.
Nico carefully pushed himself forward, constantly adjusting his weight to keep his balance but feeling unsteady no matter what he did. He pushed off with the other foot, tipping his weight too far to one side and causing him to fall flat on his back.
Will skated to his side, dropping to a knee and pulling Nico to a sitting position. “Are you okay?”
“Fine,” Nico frowned. “Help me to my feet.”
Will lifted him off the ice, keeping a strong grip on one of his hands and tugging him across the ice. “C’mon, Neeks, you can skate better than that!”
“It’s the skates, I told you,” Nico insisted. “Figure skates and hockey skates are very different!”
Will crossed his arms. “Uh huh, sure. Because the best skater I’ve ever seen is suddenly incapable of skating. I totally believe that.”
Nico growled, hands closing into fists.
Will skated in a circle around him. “You know what, I think I know what this is,” he said, skating up behind his boyfriend and setting his hands on Nico’s hips. “You’re pretending so that I’ll help you.”
Nico rolled his eyes. “Don’t be stupid, Will.”
“No, no, I totally get it,” Will said. “Just try skating. Don’t worry, I’ll catch you if you fall.”
Nico sighed, but started moving unsteadily forward, Will's hands never moving from their place on his hips.
“Straighten up and you won’t feel so out of balance,” Will said into his ear.
“Said one gay to another,” Nico muttered, pulling a laugh out of his boyfriend.
Will pressed a kiss to Nico’s cheek. “C’mon, just try to enjoy yourself.”
Nico frowned in response.
Will sighed. He released Nico’s waist, watching his boyfriend flail for a second before he regained his balance, and skated out in front of him. “Alright, we tried my thing, I guess we can go watch a few movies if you really want. But," Will said, drawing out the word, “if I beat you off the ice I get to pick the first one.”
Nico, frozen in place, watched as Will took his time crossing the ice, as if he knew he didn’t even have to try to win the race against Nico.
Nico crossed his arms when Will turned back to smile at him.
“Do you really want to stay here that bad?" Will teased.
“I can’t move, Solace,” Nico complained.
“Of course, how silly of me,” Will said, hurrying back across the ice and planting his hands again on Nico’s hips, giving him a light push and following close behind him on the ice. He stopped the two of them before they could step off the ice, leaving Nico a few steps away from the door and letting himself out first. “Now I get to pick the first movie.” He held out a hand and tugged Nico off the ice after him.
“Fine,” Nico huffed. “But you’re staying the night, too.”
Will grinned. “Like that’s a punishment for me.”
Will pressed Nico into his bed, tugging at his clothes to reveal pale skin, and sucked marks into his chest. He felt Nico’s thighs squeezing tight at his hips, Nico’s fingers tugging at his hair as Will moved down Nico’s stomach.
“Babe,” Nico breathed, fingers tightening in Will’s hair. “Will.”
Will’s glanced up, unable to help a grin from appearing on his lips when he saw Nico, flushed and panting, watching him with half-lidded eyes. “Yes, darling?”
“You know how I have two different jerseys?”
Will’s face became blank, with a touch of irritation hinting at his eyes. “You really wanna talk about this right now?” he asked dryly, fingers pinching at Nico’s exposed hipbone.
Nico’s hand slid out of Will’s hair, moving to cup his cheek instead. “I want you to start wearing my extra jersey to games.”
Will crawled forward until his face hovered over Nico’s, lowering himself down until his weight covered Nico almost completely. “And why’s that?” Will asked, smile reigniting brighter than before.
Nico wrapped his arms around Will’s shoulders, pulling him down. “I wanna see you on the edge of the ice wearing my name and number.”
Will ducked down, sinking his teeth into the skin just beneath Nico’s ear. “Any other reasons?”
Nico gasped at the feeling, arms tugging Will closer. “I want everyone to know that you’re mine.”
Will sucked at the skin there until he knew there would be a dark, lasting mark, and pulled away enough to look at Nico’s face. “I would love to,” he said before dipping down and pressing a kiss to Nico’s lips. He pressed his thumb gently into one of the new bruises forming on Nico’s stomach, asking, “May I continue, now?”
Nico’s next game was within the week, and seeing Will in his away-game jersey had to be his new favorite thing. He wasn’t that much bigger than Nico, but the jersey fit him more like a shirt than it did for Nico. The sleeves didn’t quite cover his hands like they did Nico’s, and the bottom hem just barely covered his butt ( sadly ).
With the jersey and his worn out jeans and the ratty tennis shoes he always wore, Nico didn’t think Will could ever look more adorable.
He told him as much before he stepped out onto the ice, gloved hand tugging at the front of the jersey. “You’re adorable,” Nico said against Will’s lips.
“Shut up,” Will said with a roll of his eyes. He pressed his lips forcefully against Nico’s lips. “Get out there and kick some ass, Babe.”
Nico grinned and tugged on his helmet, jumping slightly when Will slapped his butt on his way out onto the ice. Nico turned to look back just as Will blew him a kiss.
In the past, Nico hated the feeling of so many eyes on him as he skated, but now, he didn’t think he’d be able to skate without them. At any point in any practice or game, he’d be able to look toward the bench and see beautiful blue eyes, locked on his every move.
It was the constant attention and the sight of Will in his jersey that gave him an extra boost on the ice that he hadn’t had before. He wasn’t sure what it was, but he wasn’t going to question something that made him play so much better.
Will blew him a kiss as he stepped onto the ice, telling him, as always, to kick some ass.
That’s exactly what he was going to do.
The game started like any other: aggressive, but civil. There were checks and hidden trips and accidental elbows, but everyone was playing by the rules - until they weren’t.
Nico’s team was up by three by the end of the first period, and when Nico went off the ice for a short break, he didn’t notice the eyes of the opposing team on him as he pressed a kiss to Will’s lips before venturing back out to the ice. He didn’t notice a takedown plan formulating.
Play started for the second period, and Nico shot off across the ice with the puck in his possession. He passed to a teammate who took a shot on goal, and missed. Nico started to move for a rebound shot, but before he could move very far, a gloved hand covered his face mask, fingers digging into the grate and tugging Nico backwards, throwing him down onto the ice.
The air was knocked out of his lungs, head smacking against the ice, and the side of a skate digging into his side as one of his opponents used his ribcage as a push-start.
A whistle was blown and play was stopped. A few of Nico’s teammates helped him to his feet as he started coughing, trying to get his lungs working again. He was led off the ice and watched as one of the opposing team’s members was ushered into the box.
Nico was sat down on the bench next to Will. “I’m fine,” he said after coughing one last time.
“I’m sure you are,” Will told him, reaching to pull of his helmet, “but everybody needs a break at some point. Might as well let it be now. How’s your head?”
“Fine, I barely felt anything,” Nico answered as Will started pressed gently against the back of Nico’s skull.
“Your back? That looked like it had to hurt.”
Nico shrugged. “I think my kidney belt broke my fall for the most part.”
“How’s your breathing? Better now?”
“I’m good, Will,” Nico told him with a smile. “I promise.”
Will kissed his cheek and handed him back his helmet. “Alright, you can go back in when the coaches say so.”
He was sent back into play for the next faceoff, skating to center ice and preparing for the start of play. The opposing team member - number twenty-three, Nico took a second to notice - snarled at him, spitting out, “This is no-homo ice, queer,” before the ref dropped the puck. Number twenty-three didn’t even try to make it hit, instead charging toward Nico and knocking him flat on his back. “There’s no room for people like you here,” twenty-three told him as he rose to his feet again and was ushered into the box.
“You okay, man?” Nico’s teammate Jason asked as he helped Nico to his feet.
“Keep an eye out for twenty-three when he gets back out here,” Nico said in lieu of an answer. “He’s got it out for me.”
“Yeah, I caught that.”
Twenty-three was back on the ice in five minutes, immediately setting out for Nico, attempting to check him but flying into the boards himself when Nico held himself back. Nico was pretty sure he heard the guy growl when he righted himself, charging at Nico once more but missing again. Nico managed to score, bringing play back to the center of the ice, though at this faceoff, Nico ducked out of the way before twenty-three could throw him back onto the ice.
Nico made his way down the ice, dodging players and making passes, until someone ran their shoulder into his stomach, flipping him forward onto his back once more.
“Shit!” Nico shouted through his mouthguard. He launched himself back to his feet, turning around to see twenty-three rushing toward him and cross-checking him. Nico managed to hold his ground that time, catching twenty-three’s stick and ripping it out of his hands. He threw both of their sticks off to the side, tugging off his helmet and tossing it onto the ice at their feet. “If you have a problem with me, say it to my face!”
Twenty-three’s fist connected with Nico’s jaw. Luckily for Nico, the gloves offered a little bit of padding, so he was able to recover quickly. He threw his gloves down, tugging at the mask of twenty-three’s helmet before throwing him backwards, helmet flying off. Nico raced forward, launching his fist into twenty-three’s nose.
There were more punches thrown than Nico could remember before the refs blew their whistles and ripped them apart.
“Disgusting homo!” Twenty-three called as he was shoved into the box, Nico nearly falling into the adjacent one.
Nico knocked his head back against the wall, catching his breath and watching the clock count down from five minutes. Sometime around the four minute mark, Will appeared in the box next to him, handing him a clean towel to wipe up the blood dripping from his nose.
“You good?” Will asked, eyes full of worry.
“Never been better,” Nico grinned around his split lip, his swollen eye crinkling at the corner.
“When I told you to kick some ass, I didn’t really mean it,” Will said, pulling out a pen light and flashing it in Nico’s eyes.
Nico shrugged, wincing slightly. “Too late now.”
“Anything I should know before I check on the other guy?” Will asked as he tucked his light away.
“Leave him to die,” Nico said in all seriousness. “He’s homophobic.”
Will sighed, expression becoming blank. “Alright. I won’t be long.” He stood, walking out of one box and into the other almost silently. Twenty-three looked like he was ready to throw another punch when he saw Will. “My name’s Will, I’m here to check you for any severe injuries before you head back out.”
He stepped forward, but twenty-three leaned back. “Don’t touch me, queer!”
Will followed him as he leaned, glaring at the athlete. “Either I check you for a concussion or I go over there and tell your coaches you’re benched for a month.” He pulled his pen light out of his pocket, reaching his hand forward, but twenty-three flinched away again.
“Keep your hands off of me!”
Will leaned back and stepped toward the door. “You’re benched, then.” Twenty-three didn’t even try to stop him as he left.
Will approached the opposing bench, tapping one of the coaches on the shoulder. “That homophobic, poor-excuse for a human being you have in the box refuses to let me anywhere near him, so I suggest that until you get a new physical from him proving that he has no serious injuries, he doesn’t go anywhere near the ice.”
The coach nodded, and Will turned back toward the other bench, taking his usual seat on the end.
Jason nudged him with an elbow, keeping his eyes out on the ice. “What an asshole, right?”