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"We lost, Smitty..." Celebrini whispered, entering the dark corridor of the SAP Arena. He had little strength left after the game, so he practically collapsed into the arms of the guy standing opposite him.
"It's okay..." the older one said softly, smiling into the damp red hair. "You did great, Mack"
His slender fingers found their way into Celebrini's hair on their own, massaging his scalp and stroking it gently.
"I could have done more!" Mack rasped into the grey-eyed boy's broad shoulder.
Will frowned. He pulled the guy away from himself and cupped his face in his hands, forcing him to look directly into his eyes.
"Mack, listen to me. You're the most talented player I know. What you do on the ice... it's brilliant. But don't forget, hockey is a team game. You didn't lose alone; the team lost. It wasn't just you who could have done something more; the whole team could have! Please, stop blaming yourself for every loss..."
With every word, Mack's eyes filled with tears. He looked at Will and couldn't understand what he had done to deserve such a friend.
Will's gaze softened the moment he saw the tear tracks rolling down the hockey player's cheeks.
"I miss you so much" Mack's voice broke, and he pressed himself against the older boy again. "On the ice..." he added a moment later. "I'm so used to you. Used to feeling you nearby, knowing you'll take my pass, that you'll celebrate when I score... And when I do something that's normal for us, I remember you're not there..."
"You silly..." Smith snorted and hugged Mack even tighter, knowing that this was exactly what kept Celebrini afloat, what kept him from giving up. He had guessed, of course, that Mack would find it strange to play without him, but he clearly hadn't thought it would be a reason for tears. "I'll always be nearby. I'll always be watching, and I'll always be happy for you."
At the end of his words, Will pressed a light, barely perceptible kiss to Celebrini's forehead. He shuddered at the touch and immediately lifted a bewildered gaze to Smith. The curly-haired boy was immensely grateful for the lack of lighting in the corridor where they were hiding; Mack wouldn't be able to see the older boy's flushed face.
But Will miscalculated. They were mere inches apart, and the younger one could feel how wildly Smith's heart was pounding.
Unable to think of anything better, he moved his lips towards Will's neck. Pausing for a moment, as if expecting to be pushed away, he pressed his chapped lips to the Adam's apple.
A soft sigh came from above, but Mack would have sworn it sounded much louder in his ears. So he took it as a green light and began to trail a wet path of kisses leading straight to Smith's lips.
"Can I...?" His question was cut off by Will, who didn't wait and was the first to touch the younger boy's coveted lips.
The kiss was awkward, slightly childish, but that didn't make it any less sincere. Mack poured everything into it that he couldn't say to Will—all his feelings for his teammate were conveyed in that kiss.
Mack nibbled on Smith's lip, making him breathe faster, while Will, in turn, held Celebrini by the hair, tugging at it from time to time, which made the younger boy whimper into the kiss.
Smith was the first to pull away. Not because he didn't like it (he did, very much), but because they were simply running out of air. Both were breathing heavily, in unison, trying to catch as much air as possible.
"I think I like you" Celebrini whispered, embarrassed.
"I think I like you too" Smith smiled and drew Mack into another kiss.