Work Text:
the flyers played another game, and of course, they lost.
travis knew that he needed to have hope in this team. but he didn’t. he couldn’t.
the guys all walked back to the locker room as per usual, heads hung low, and the locker room being brutally quiet.
they never talked anymore.
sometimes he thought back to his rookie year, when he would truly never shut up and singlehandedly give the locker room its energy with his young persistence and pep in his step.
back when he didn’t know how cruel playing for this organization would be.
it wasn’t the boys faults, they all tried their best.
travis was just tired of the misfortune that consistently plagued this team, with no chance of success and it just felt like playing a game he was destined to lose.
he was young, he should be having some of the best years of his career right now. he should be making playoffs, he should be scoring more, giving more to this team but-
he just cant.
he can give this team everything he has , but it wouldnt be enough. he knows that. they know that. everyone knows that.
as travis was unlacing his skates, he took a quick glance over at claude.
clearly frustrated and upset, his body language and the aggressive way he was pulling at his laces to get them untied saying everything.
that sight was painful, not the first time he’s seen it, but still just as painful.
travis felt like they were wasting claude giroux’s career away, wasting game by game, season by season, playoffs by playoffs.
claude should've won a cup by now, he should've made so much more of his career.
but this team keeps him down like chains at his feet.
the wasted talent was what pained him to think about the most, not even about giroux, but about everyone.
farabee, atkinson, hart.. nolan.
he couldn’t look them in the eyes after games like this, because it just served as a reminder of how fucking tiring this team is.
trying their best day in and day out only for it to get absolutely nowhere.
travis should have so much more pride in putting that flyers jersey on.
he grew up a flyers fan, he was meant to be here.
he remembered hoping to play for them someday when he was a little kid, just for a chance to be one of the greats.
well, he’s here now.
but it’s not as enjoyable as what he once thought.
he thought about nolan.
he missed him.
he was the one thing that held him together whenever games like these got tough, they’d chill in their hotel room afterwards and make eachother laugh and smile for what felt like hours on end.
but patty wasn’t here anymore.
he didn’t sit next to him anymore.
he didn’t room with him anymore.
so there was no silver lining to these losses.
it was just a loss.
another L on his record.
another pointless game on his record.
call him dramatic but— travis was just frustrated.
he was frustrated that he felt like there was no hope anymore.
the team wasn’t even fun anymore.
you can’t have fun when you’re losing miserably.
he just wished someone would say something— so then maybe this locker room didn’t feel so empty.
he couldn’t even feel angry anymore, he just felt sad.
travis knew that he’s supposed to ‘man up and deal with it’ or whatever. but he didn’t care. he didn’t care about anything.
he just wonders what happened.
they were doing so well at the beginning of the season, and it felt like things were looking up, then before he knew it, they were back at the bottom again. no chance of a playoff spot in sight.
what the fuck happened?
and its not even like they have fans to back them up. the wells fargo center seems emptier every game.
he just.. wishes that this team wasn’t so unfortunate. wishes that nolan was still here to keep him company when he felt bored on random nights.
wishes that his career wasnt going like this.
wishes that his captain had a better chance.
wishes that everything was just.. better.
but right now,
he’s so fucking tired.