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“Welcome to the most anticipated game of this season,” the commentator’s loud voice boomed across the stadium and everyone around them broke out in cheers.
“Montreal canadians vs New York Islanders,” Liam didn't think it was possible but somehow the cheers got louder as if the audience was engaged in their own competition.
“Lots of enthusiasm from the audience and as we can see the montreal team already seems to be in place with their star player Liam Dunbar right in the center”, Liam held out his hand and gave a lazy wave to the cluster of crowds. They had gone through this routine enough times already yet it never failed to pump his chest full of pride, to look at the audience and realize that at least half of these people were here, rooting for him.
“Look, the islanders are also taking their position. Hm seems like they couldn't let their rivals get even a second of praise," both the commentators laughed and Liam felt the tension ease into his frame.
The familiar mocking eyes peeked from behind the helmet as they took their rightful place against Liam. His rival, the bane of his existence, the guy that Liam hates so much that it consumed him from within.
“There he is! Islander’s pride and joy, Theo Raeken.”
The smug bastard angled his body towards the Islanders audience and blew out a kiss. Thousands of shrieks echoed and Liam scowled.
Theo Raeken had every ounce of public support that any nhl player could possibly have for reasons Liam never understood. Theo was the most cocky and arrogant bastard that Liam had the unfortune of meeting. The way his stupid hair fell into his eyes, the way those stupid eyes twinkled with mischief, the stupid stupid wonders ice hockey had done to Theo’s frame.
“Ready to wipe the floor with your face, Dunbar?” Theo says in the most obnoxious European accent that Liam had heard, the accent that always makes his chest burn with rage.
“In your dreams,” Liam all but growls.
Then theo leans closer, his voice far lower than it had been previously, “In my dreams you're wearing a lot less.”
The asshole then leans back and winks. Liam is momentarily frozen, unable to go anything but blink. He feel the all too familiar red flush creep up on him and Theo, like always, watches it bloom.
“Liam,” Scott calls out in a low worried tone from behind him and Liam looks back and flashes him a thumbs up. When he turns back he makes a note to not meet Theo’s eyes and judging by Theo’s scoff, it is easily noticeable.
“And now it's time for the puck drop.”
All thoughts about Theo are chased out of Liam's mind until all he thinks and feels and breathes is the puck. Anticipation is thick in the air that he can taste in the air he breathes. This is it, he thinks, this is the reason why Liam lives. Being away from the ice is an agony for him but now being in this position looking at that puck makes it all worth it.
“And here they go”, is the last thing Liam hears, as soon as the puck is released, Liam quickly passes it behind him and they're all off. Liam’s face splits into a grin as adrenaline dissolves into his veins.
⋆˚࿔
They lost. Not by a lot but they did.
Disappointed murmurs passed through the locker room. The previous contagious happiness turned into thick venom clogging their throats. Liam has spent almost his entire 21 years of life playing ice hockey and yet the defeats never get easier. His entire neck is drowning in sweat and he leans his head against the lockers in sadness.
“Come on, come on stop sulking. All of you played an amazing game and gave your best so stop this moping”, their manager Stiles called out.
When they had lost Stiles had been the first person to violently tell all of them to stick their useless hockey sticks up their asses so his motivational speech doesn't exactly have the desired effect. On everyone but Scott, their captain and Stiles best friend, it seems because Scott gets up, nodding his head and loudly exclaims, “Yes! You all gave your best and that’s what matters!”
Brett Talbot scoffed loudly and Liam sat up straighter to look at his scowl “Cannot say that about everyone now, can we?”
Anger bubbles into him and he feels his pulse speed up. Liam pushed himself up from the bench with a scoff, “what are you trying to say Brett?”
Brett rises up from his seat until he’s standing face to face with him, Liam’s hands itch and he tightens them into a fist, “You know what I’m talking about, Dunbar. What is up with you and Raeken? Huh? Why do you always let him get to you?”
It’s like a fuse lit up in him as Liam pushes Brett hard enough that he loses his balance and falls back onto the bench, “I do not. Maybe if you minded your own business instead of being all over me, we’d have actually won.”
“You,” Brett gritted out and moved to get back up but Liam is quicker, he is already gripping Brett’s collar and lifting his fist to-
“Stop it!” Scott yells and Liam releases Brett’s collar with a scowl. Scott stands with his arms crossed and shame burns deep in Liam’s stomach. He didn’t mean to, he wants to say, but Scott is not his mother, Scott is also not Mason, Scott is his captain. The shame only suffocates him further as he looks at the other apprehensive glances that the others are casting at him.
“Sorry, I just don’t feel well.” and Liam is pushing his way out before anyone can mumble back an argument.
⋆˚࿔
His feet tap against the floor of his hotel room in anxiousness as he stares at the clock for the fiftieth time this hour. 11:15 am, the clock blinked back.
It was late, late enough for Liam to just sleep so he could wake up early for practice tomorrow but he needs this, needs it in a way he needs oxygen. Without this his lungs are shrunken and his heart is failing and he knows he should stop. This is wrong, wrong on so many levels that Liam is too scared to contemplate deeply.
This is the last time, Liam chants in his head, as he had done every time since he had gotten addicted to this forbidden fruit. His hands are tainted and he is covered in this shameful thing yet he cannot stop.
A knock sounds and Liam jumps up, his heart in his throat as he slams open the door. Theo stands, his hands crossed over his bulky chest and a lazy smirk on his face, he is visibly loosened from tonight's win.
Liam gives himself a second to take Theo in, to let his gaze linger at the swell of muscles, to properly stare at Theo in a way he cannot in the presence of so many scrutinizing gazes.
He darts a hand out, clutches Theo in and drags him in. A tear of clothing echoes and Theo lets out a protest, “hey”, but it doesn’t matter.
Nothing really matters because Liam had already slammed Theo against a wall and closed his lips over Theo’s. As soon as their lips touch, Liam has to open them again with a gasp from the sheer overwhelming relief he gets because theo is finally, finally ,touching him.
After that, all the restraint they had shown on the ice today is now thrown out of the window, teeth clashing against each other and hungry hands pawing through each other’s clothing. The burning flame, that is the desire in him for Theo in his chest turns into an inferno and swallows him whole.
He lets out a whimper, drawing himself shortly away from Theo’s mouth to murmur, “More.”
It’s more of a plea but Theo regards it with agency of a command because then they’re shuffling back and falling onto the bed. Breath knocks out of him yet he doesn’t draw away.
Sometime before, Liam had thought that he’d only ever experience a soft type of romance, the one in shared licences and stolen glances, but now he just has this illicit affair he is addicted to. Raw desire that is crafted into his bones that drives him onto the verge of insanity with just one brush of flesh.
As much as it hurts for him to admit, but Brett was right. He always let Theo get to him but like no one had ever understood him, he doesn’t expect them to understand this either. No, none of them can ever understand this and Liam wonders if he wants them to.
In a way, this is only his. Everything in his life belongs to someone but this, these entangled legs and shared breaths and the sighs, and whatever else that happens into the confines of the rooms only, only, ever belongs to Liam.
And also to Theo, if he’s nice about it and judging by the way he is meticulously working, Liam thinks he doesn't mind sharing this with Theo.