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The doors to the player’s lounge have always been closed - which seems like an inconvenience considering how many “almost accidents” end up happening right at that intersection. So Tyson knows better than to rush in blind into the room but he’s been feeling restless all day, wanting to just get to the arena and get the day started.
Maybe following his instinct is always a terrible idea, he tends to listen to it because it’s always helped on the ice. But off the ice, he rushes in headfirst and trips over an errant stick right at the door, getting his sandals hooked around the curve of the blade. He’s already swearing up and down he’s going to find out whose stick that is and give the guy a lecture about work safety when he blinks, falling forward and he’s reaching out to find any purchase that will break his fall and sees both Gabe and Nate lurching for him at the same time but Tyson knows they won’t make it in time and this is all a terrible idea because they’re all going to collide in a heap and -
He lands with a loud oomph, pain shooting up on his left because he knows better than to land on the bruise on his right from last game and blinks again - and for whatever reason - the space he carved out in his brain for when he was just a young kid dreaming that he is going to score the game-winning goal for his team in game seven of overtime in the cup finals - he’s already feeling like that spot is going to be taken up by this -
The look on both Nate’s and Gabe’s face when they crashed into each other instead while Tyson finds a chair to break his fall (or really, crash against the chair as a way to stop the fall is not the best idea). The sound of their breaths syncing up as they blink out of their stupor. Their eyes catching each other’s shocked gaze and their faces relaxing to a soft smile when they realize what was happening -
Tyson knows of that feeling - he’s forced Nate to watch those movies with him enough times to decipher the signs. And the sense of dread coursing through him knowing how everything is going to change. He forces himself up from the floor, moving slowly from both the pain and cautiously to not startle the other two who are still having their movement and backs away until he hits the door and slips through.
*
If he keeps smiling like this, he’s going to end up as the Joker with a permanent grin plastered on his face. Yes, he’s happy for his best friend and captain. Yes, he’s being supportive and so excited for them to start their new lives together. No, he hasn’t heard any details about their commitment ceremony.
Of course, he’s happy, finding your soulmate is one in a lifetime event. He’s not bitter he hasn’t found his - it’s not like people are given the chance to - even if the tide is turning and a lot more people are accepting of skin to skin contact again and not dressed up like a human tube of fabric like skin-on-skin touches will pass on diseases. But he wasn’t ready for a long time with hockey being number one priority and he remembered getting weird looks from people on the street when he went gloveless when he first moved to Denver... and suddenly he wants it so badly when he sees the adoring looks Gabe and Nate share when they think no one’s looking and the soft touches they dote out to each other to acknowledge each other’s presence even if they are brief. He was unaware of how much he wanted the skin-on-skin contact that he hasn’t felt since he was home with his parents.
So yes, he’s happy for them but it doesn’t mean it doesn’t blow, okay?
And it doesn’t mean anything if he is finding himself sticking to Colin like unwanted glue. He’s just giving the new happy couple some space to figure themselves out.
He’s been catching the new happy couple huddling together and whispering things in hushed tones, as if all of a sudden secrets are existing only between them and no one else (and EJ doesn’t even get to spill all of Gabe’s embarrassing secrets anymore - same goes for Tyson with Nate). And that the PR team has been trying hard to get the two of them into photoshoots and interviews - Nate texted him a couple of times during the shoots and Tyson tried to be sympathetic about it with quick replies to keep his friend company.
(God the both of them looked so good on the cover. It’s like a match made in heaven with their golden hair with perfectly styled poof and tightly fitted sweaters and jeans looking like they’re ready to meet the in-laws.
And if Tyson’s ripped out a few pages from the magazine and shoved them into his drawers, no one needs to know.)
*
“You’re being weird,” Nate says as he plops down on the vacant seat next to his. Where the hell is Colin, he promised they would be flight buddies from now on, even if Tyson had to bribe the man will bag duty for the next while.
“I’m not,” Tyson replies as he’s trying to untangle his headphones. Things just aren’t going well for one Tyson Barrie.
Nate reaches over and pulls the cords from Tyson’s hand. “Lemme help.”
The protest dies from his lips and he lets go when he sees Nate’s bare hands and the glint of the promise ring on his middle finger. Tyson knows they’ve planned the ceremony for the offseason already as details about it drift his way despite his best intentions to keep himself out of it. It doesn’t sit well that he’s been a terrible friend to both Nate and Gabe by sticking his head in the sand about this entire thing.
“No, Barrie, you’ve definitely been weird since -”
Tyson shakes his head, “just tired.” They’ve had a long road trip with a terrible back to back too.
Nate hands back one of the buds from the now tangle-free headphones, not without a pointed look directing Tyson’s way and puts the other one in his ear. “C’mon, there’s this documentary I wanna watch. I've been waiting for you to start or else you’re gonna complain I started without you.”
He’s queuing up the video on the tablet before Tyson has a chance to get a word in. Plus Tyson’s sitting by the window so the chance to escape is slim to none. He sighs and pulls down the window shade and gets himself comfy against Nate. That man does have a set of great shoulders to rest on, especially since he saw the light and finally invested in cashmere sweaters.
By the time Tyson wakes, the documentary has ended and the plane lights have gone up. He blinks a few times to adjust to the brightness, feeling too groggy to justify opening his mouth and using his words. Nate is on his phone, tapping away quickly until Tyson shifts and lifts his head from the pillow shoulders.
“We’re almost there. You always have perfect timing. Here’s a water too,” Nate cracks open the seal as if Tyson is too weak or something and hands over the bottle.
Tyson chugs down half the bottle before resealing it, muttering a thanks as he tries to stretch out his sore limbs.
“We are talking later,” Nate glares at him before getting up from his seat, heading towards the front of the plane, presumably to find their captain. Okay, so he saw that coming from a mile away from Nate. Instead, he closes his eyes until the seatbelt sign comes on.
*
Tyson barely gets the chance to put his luggage on the rack before there’s a loud knock disrupting the peace and in succession a few more knocks after that as if he didn’t hear the first one.
He grumbles; he planned to have a quiet night in with room service and Netflix and some alone time to recharge after having his face stuck in one position in public.
By the time he gets to the door, yanking it open to reveal and hunched-over Nate lurking around, his mood is already sour. Right, the man said he was going to come by later when they were on the plane. “Hey,” Tyson gestures him in and plops himself on the bed, leaving enough room for Nate to sit next to him.
Tyson forces himself to pull his eyes away from the ring again as Nate fiddles with the hem of his sweater.
“Are we okay?” Nate asks quietly. He leans against Tyson, using him as support. “I know this isn’t what you wanted - you know it’d have been you if I got to choose.”
Tyson knows he’s been a terrible friend and this hits home when he seems the effect of his aloofness regarding the whole soulmate thing. He’s trying to keep the bitterness out of his voice but he already knows Nate can hear the undertone of it. “It’s what you deserve, Dogg. You deserve everything good in your life. I know you think he’s fucking hot too so it’s not like it’s going to be a hardship.”
“It’s never me that I’m worried about,” Nate sounds off as if he isn’t a spring chicken himself who should be looking after himself and not someone several years older.
“I’ll be fine. Just give me some time, yeah? I have to process this and it’ll be me and you again and Gabe can tag along with his terrible jokes.”
“He can lug both of us home after a night out. And you can crash in the spare room. Or he can cook for us since he keeps boasting about his kitchen skills.”
Tyson can see Nate getting it. It’s like watching a puppy getting excited for his walk - what a relief it was, even if it’s temporary. Nate’s hyping himself up with his shoulders squared and eyes beaming with excitement. “And make Dairy Queen runs for us while we watch your sappy movies. We won’t even have to move.”
Tyson grins, bumping shoulders with Nate. “See, it’ll be okay. We survived Dutchy, we can survive this too.”
*
No one is saying that Gabe and Nate have been playing better since the whole, you know, soulmate thing happened. But no one is saying they haven’t been playing either. Every time the Avs get a powerplay, it’s like watching magic happen and if Tyson wasn’t on the ice with him, he wouldn’t believe it himself.
So everyone’s winning and the only loser here is Tyson, even if he’s the one getting the pity assists. (And everyone’s pulling him into these awesome hugs with the goal horn sounding off in the background but the brief flash of joy fades quickly as it came.)
*
A not-so-subtle tug of his elbow and instantly he’s dragged away, not even getting a chance to finish his sentence in a conversation with Josty about something - uh, maybe the girl he was hooking up with? He kind of lost track when Josty started sloshing his beer around and he spent the time dodging the errant beer flying everywhere instead of paying attention to the words coming out of the man's mouth. He gets pulled into a corner where the music is quieter and fewer people hovering around, though his back is against the wall with picture frames digging into him.
“We need to talk to you!” Gabe is beaming at Tyson like Christmas came early and Nate’s face doesn’t look any less enthusiastic.
It’s probably only an hour into their outing at the bar, and Tyson’s sure all of them only have had two beers into their system - though Nate probably doubling that with his ability to sniff out free beer and getting a head start over everyone else. There’s no reason why they’re both much closer than they should be, crowding and towering over Tyson.
Somehow Tyson thinks he’s the one who’s going to end up with the babysitting duty between the three of them, despite being the smallest as usual. He’s not taking them on the ice in a fight, much less trying to carry both of them at the same time. Where’s EJ when you need him? Nate is clutching onto him with all his weight, like he expects Tyson to hold him up.
“Waaaait, Barrie - you have to hear us out. It’s about the soulmate thing!”
“I should send you two home.” He shifts until he’s holding onto Nate with one arm and pulling his phone in the other. He can call an Uber with one hand, right? He can't remember if they share an address by now.
“Nopeeeee,” Nate seems to drag out the word forever, even loudly over the music. “So - we know how we are going to fix this.”
“You need to take off your gloves,” Gabe chimes in before Nate can continue, grabbing the phone out of Tyson’s hand and slipping it into his back pocket as if the thing was a nuisance. Nate’s back with tugging his hand until he’s nestling his face with it. The picture is pretty awkward if Tyson has to say so. At least the velcro remains vigilant in keeping Tyson’s glove where it should be. “Then touch us at the same time.”
“Gabe is such a good captain - he even wears his glasses,” Nate adds, nodding with his words slurring a bit until he straightens up, face sobering up as if he realized the importance of something up ahead, however brief that ended up being before the liquor is talking again. In that brief moment, Tyson’s seen that look before -
“We figured - we figured something’s wrong, you know.” Gabe’s face is already turning sour, scrunching up his nose in annoyance. “The two of us did.”
“Gabe even drew charts! Diagrams! Spreadsheets!”
Darting his eyes back and forth between the two hockey players is giving him a headache, “Boys, let’s talk about this when we aren’t in a bar and well, when you two are sober.” Tyson pats the two gently, as if trying to calm down two very excited animals before ushering them out towards the exit. He quickly pulls out his phone from Gabe’s back pocket, having slight trouble with how tight the man’s jeans are, before really calling for an Uber so get the two of them home.
“But, but - ” Nate’s pouting is getting on Tyson’s nerves as the three of them are shuffling back and forth while waiting for the car to show up. “We solved it. Tyson - you have to believe us -”
Tyson cuts off Nate just as the car pulls up to the curb. He’s blocking out Nate’s muttering and brushing off as drunken fantasies while Gabe is behind him nodding in agreement. He helps the two of them get into the Uber and calls another one for himself despite the very suggestive words and gesture coming from their mouths to join them back at Nate's house. He doesn't need to know what goes on between the two of them at night. It'd just fire off his imaginations in ways he tries very hard to want to shut down.
*
“Do you trust us?”
Tyson looks between the two men in front of him. They’re in his house, this time much more awake and sober - the two of them decided this is the best place to have him be comfortable - in his own territory - even if it feels more like an ambush. Though he’d think he would get the couch instead of sitting on the uncomfortable chair his parents gifted him as a dining set when he bought this place while facing Gabe and Nate like he's in line for the death penalty.
“Tys?”
He swallows, drumming his fingers nervously on his thighs and flexing his gloved hands, the material suddenly itching against his skin, screaming for him to take the gloves off.
When he wasn’t paying attention in his surroundings and instead, wallowing in his own misery about the whole soulmate thing (and owing one Colin Wilson a giant gift basket for talking his ears off), his friends obviously did. Gabe pulls out his laptop with a giant spreadsheet, jotting down each instance of when he and Nate didn’t feel right - like
Tyson was meant to tumble into Nate and Gabe at EJ’s party but EJ caught him before Tyson could go any further and somehow he forgot his gloves in the bathroom after he washed his hands - Tyson doesn’t remember that -
Or the time Tyson ducked out of the way last minute in the shower when Nate slipped on a patch of water on the ground and Gabe managed to catch him in time before all three of them could get a concussion -
And Tyson’s chalked it up to him being clumsy, but even he has to agree that for someone who makes a living with knives as shoes, it’s unreasonable how many close calls he’s had in the past few weeks.
“Okay, you got me there Landesnerd,” Tyson says as he looks away from the screen after skimming through several more instances of how clumsy he was the past while as he hadn't been distracted at all, and back to two sets of piercing eyes directed right at him.
“Nate and I talked a lot about this - we wouldn’t be asking if we aren’t sure, Tys, you know we love you and we would never hurt you like this.”
“But we’re sure - even if everything we’ve read online says otherwise.”
“Neither of us can pinpoint what it is that’s not exactly right.”
Tyson nods, just a small incline of his head as he takes this all in. The thing is that he does trust Nate and Gabe; they have everything he wants and are offering it to him too.
“So we’re asking again -”
“Take off your gloves and it’s just... one touch, that’s all we are asking.”
The problem is that he can already taste the disappointment and the bitterness on his tongue if this doesn’t work. He’s done his research too - it’s not just Gabe - Tyson remembers the words from Nate earlier in the bar, even if they’re slurred and not making any sense in the context of things - but the chances aren’t good, not even close. They’re already stacked against him before he even considered their proposition seriously.
But they’re offering it. And it’s his last chance to happiness. He didn’t have a giant crush on Gabe like the size of the moon and how he clicked with Nate the instant Nate showed up on the team to end up with nothing.
He pulls one glove off, left first, then right and tucks them under his thigh. Close enough he can snatch them back and tug them on with no hesitation. He’s not sure what he’s going to do if this doesn’t work. Maybe he’ll just have to live with it and be happy with having Nate still as his best friend because hello, ride or die but he’s going to have to give up the hope of ever getting a piece of Gabe and his gorgeous mop of hair because he belongs to someone else now. Is asking for a trade a good rebuttal for this? He keeps hearing EJ screaming for a trade and he can never tell if EJ’s joking or not, especially after Dutchy.
Either way, Tyson lifts his hands and reaches out, offering his left to Gabe and his right to Nate, letting them hang in the air for a moment before the other two men grab him and rein him in.
For a second or two, nothing happens and the crushing disappointment kicks in and the “I told you so” is at the tip of his tongue. But his eyes remain on Gabe and Nate, forcing himself to watch and all of a sudden, he sees the same soft look that started this whole thing. The two men across from him are grinning and beaming at Tyson, clutching his hand to the point it would hurt if Tyson’s not used to the pain from his job.
He feels like he’s missing something even if the two idiots are laughing so hard they’re cackling at this point, still not letting go of his hands and instead, tugging Tyson closer to them to the point he’s falling over into the empty spot between them on the couch. He lands with an oof and finds himself manhandled until they rearrange him to their liking and Gabe is already pulling out something from his jacket and Tyson finds himself catching the small black box coming his way.
“I feel like I’m missing something here,” Tyson forces out and looking at the foreign object in his hand.
“You’re always slow on the uptake, Barrie,” Gabe takes the box back and opens it.
Inside is a ring, a matching one he’s seen on both Gabe’s and Nate’s hand, the one he avoids looking at even if his eyes find it every time.
“Someone was eager and bought three of them,” Nate chirps, pulling out the ring from the box and handing it over to Tyson.
Tyson’s still confused - why do they think it worked? He doesn’t feel any different than five minutes ago when he was sitting across from them on the chair. He darts his eyes from everyone’s gaze and stares at the ring in his palm, feeling the weight of it and feeling undeserving of it.
“Being soulmate doesn’t invalidate your feelings for us. Whatever was there already is just magnified,” Gabe says from one side while Nate chimes in from the other, “You had so much love for the both of us already, it’s no wonder you don’t feel any different.”
Tyson asks, looking back and forth between the two of them. “But you do?”
Gabe nods, the smile never leaving his face since he’s touched Tyson’s bare hands. “I never thought your crush was a joke but I never realized how big it was until now.” He tugs on Tyson’s hand gently and places it on his heart. Nate does the same with Tyson’s other hand as their eyes meet.
Tyson can feel both their heartbeats thumping at the same time, not a second apart. He closes his eyes and listens for their breaths, his own syncing to the other two men as if they were one. It’s just - he doesn’t feel anything different. He’s already pouting - “All the movies I made you watch and I don’t even get my big reveal?”
He forcibly jerks his hands back and crosses his arms as he stands and that’s when he feels it. It’s not something he’s felt before nor can he describe it. There’s a sudden hollowness somewhere in him before the discomfort can seep in, he hurriedly thrusts out his arms again, making grabby hands until his hands have skin-to-skin contact again before he feels the relief in his bones.
“Now do you believe us?” Gabe rolls his eyes and tugs Tyson back onto the couch. The piece of furniture suddenly seems a lot smaller than he remembered, finding himself engulfed between two large hockey players.
Tyson can’t decipher the quick look happening over his head but Gabe is already leaning in, his lips brushing softly against Tyson. So quick and his head is turning to receive a kiss from Nate on the other side, this one more insistent than the other.
Tyson is trading kisses back and forth, learning the difference between the two and finding he doesn’t really have a favourite despite one had Ben his long-time crush and the other being his best friend. He loves them both equally, even if the type of love is slightly different for each of them.
Gabe seems to treasure him in a way he never believed he could ever have while Nate is sucking kisses down his neck and really the couch is too small but they just make it work, shuffling limbs and adjusting to each other without pause or thought.
Though Tyson has to admit the cherry on top is being sandwiched while watching Nate and Gabe make out in front of him as if his deep dark fantasy is coming true and he has the front row seat and lifetime ticket for it.
*
Despite his personality to be over-dramatic about everything, Tyson does keep this to the down-low to the point of only wearing the ring to match the other two and letting everything be hush-hushed despite the happiness he feels from the moment he wakes to the moment he sleeps in the California King mattress that finally came in a week ago. (And subsequently timed well for a long-streak of home games where all three of them get to break it in and take advantage of it.)
It’s not the ring that gets noticed first but it is a close second when EJ spots his gloveless hands first, then he sees the rings before he explodes and pulls everyone to crowd around Tyson’s stall in the locker room. It is the first time he let it show instead of shoving his hands directly into his hockey gloves to hide the jewelry.
“What do we have here,” EJ starts off, grinning with a slight leer despite his lack of teeth. Tyson’s just smiles and smiles and smiles, even if his face will stay put and leave him looking like the Joker with the way he's been grinning. He’s sure either Gabe or Nate will fill everyone in, explaining the whole thing and all three of them will get teased to the end of time. But right now he’s just content with the thrums of happiness running through him and the laughter bubbling inside him waiting to burst.