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Sid wasn’t sure how he was relevant to this. Sergei had tried to explain to him that he volunteered with new Eastern European immigrants and they were having a Halloween Party to introduce them to the American tradition and so somehow Sid had to come to this because he was friends with Sergei and Russians like hockey. His relevancy seemed all too tangential, but Sergei had been his friend for a while and he was an even better friend of Geno’s so Sid’s consolation was that he was doing it more for their sake than the actual event.
He didn’t think that there was anything wrong with the event- a Halloween masquerade, the theme of which Sid thought was probably Sergei’s wife’s idea, but for a crowd of Russian and Eastern European immigrants, Sid thought that they’d appreciate Geno or Ovi attending. He’d all but forgotten about the event before he received a reminder from Sergei. His costume was a bit sloppily put together, a suit with a black cape, and he found some plastic fangs at the drugstore so he could say he was a vampire.
It wasn’t the best costume, by far, but he felt as least more secure wearing his dark black mask that Sergei had given him at practice already anticipating that the captain had forgotten the theme. Sergei had asked him to make a little speech later in the evening, but for now Sid was free to mosey about and grab some things to eat and drink.
The food was a mix of Pittsburgh food and dishes from their native countries and Sid found himself hovering by the food table. Conversations around him were occurring in other languages that Sid couldn’t understand and he had yet to see Sergei.
“Good party? Yes?” A thick accent greeted Sid.
Sid turned to see a similarly masked man dressed as a Ninja Turtle and awkwardly holding a glass filled with some alcohol.
“I’m not really the type of person this party was intended for.”
“You are American?”
“Canadian, but I’m friends with Sergei.”
“Sergei’s my friend too,” the ninja turtle replies, “I think he tell me if he have such cute friend.”
Sid’s cheeks burn under the mask. He shouldn’t get too riled up at the cheesy pick-up line but there was something sincere about it.
“How can you tell? I’m wearing the mask,” Sid says.
“I know. I don’t need to see face to know.”
There’s something about this man that seems so comforting even though Sid just met him. If it was a different person and under different circumstances, Sid would be embarrassed for melting like putty because of a stranger’s few words.
“What’s your name?” the Russian asks.
“That defeats the purpose of the masks,” Sid says trying to stall. He was almost certain that the man didn’t know who he was. Nobody knew that Sid was supposed to be here and the mask covered enough of his face that he wouldn’t be recognized.
“Is okay. By end of the night I know your name.”
Even with the mask on, it was clear the other man’s eyes lingered on Sid’s lips. Sid knew rationally that he should politely turn the man down. He’d been so careful throughout his entire career to not let his personal life bleed out into his professional one. But he knew that an opportunity like this was rare. He was anonymous today and someone was interested in him and for a split second Sid’s mind wandered to Geno. He didn’t know this man, and the bandana worn around his eyes hid many of his features, but a part of Sid wished it was Geno under that mask. Tonight, no matter how cruel it was, Sid could just pretend.
“Okay,” Sid replied to the unspoken question.
Almost immediately, the Russian takes his hand and guides Sid to the coatroom. Almost everyone had arrived and the room provided them with a privacy outside
“Just- the masks stay on, okay,” Sid said.
“Is okay.”
The man pinned Sid up against the wall and slid one of his legs between Sid’s own. Sid gasped as his head ground up against the wall behind him he involuntarily tilted his head back to give the man more access to his throat. Sid’s own hands gripped tightly into the fabric turtle shell which covered a muscular back underneath.
He couldn’t help the low groan that the affection drew from him. Sid went to reciprocate and sucked a few marks on the Russian’s neck and collarbone. He would have asked to continue but the hand woven into his hair, urging him to continue didn’t make him ask.
The man mumbles something in Russian and Sid doesn’t understand it, but he imagined that Geno would do the same thing. That Geno’s breath would come in small huffs as Sid kissed his neck.
“I’m-I’m sorry,” Sid backed away and panicked. He had wanted this to be Geno that was the only reason he was doing it. He didn’t know who this man was, but with the masks on and the anonymity, he was able to pretend.
“You okay?” the man asks, pulling away to look at Sid and under his concerned gaze Sid felt embarrassed.
“I’m sorry, it’s not you, I just- I just have to go.” Sid typed out a note of apology to Sergei as he left. What had he been thinking? He’d kept his feelings for Geno at bay for such a long time and all it had taken was a Russian man in a mask to let his walls down.
“What the fuck happened to you?” Tanger asked as they changed in the dressing room. Everyone turned and stared at Geno whose chest was covered in mottled purple bruises.
“Got bit by vampire,” Geno explained. Most of the others just chuckled and rolled their eyes but Sid froze. The bite marks on Geno were exactly in the same spots that Sid had left them.
“Come on, let’s get on the ice,” Sid said as he finished changing, insuring that all the chirping stopped in the locker room.
The practice that followed was unbelievably bad one even by non-Sid standards. Sully didn’t even have to yell at Sid, but instead gave him the disappointed look that always made him squirm.
“You okay?” Geno asked after practice after everyone else had trickled out.
“Did you go to Sergei’s party?” Sid asked, not even dodging the topic.
“Yeah, was with you,” Geno said.
“What? But you asked if I was American,” Sid said incredulously as his mind thought a thousand different things.
“It was how you say- roleplay, with masks,” Geno said.
“I didn’t know it was you,” Sid said.
“Oh,” Geno’s face dropped and it just seemed so, so wrong for Geno to look like that.
“But I wanted him to be you, yesterday,” Sid said without looking at Geno. “That’s why we had to stop because I so wanted it to be you.”
Geno’s face broke out into the wide smile that made his eyes crinkle shut. “So is okay to do this?” His face lowered towards Sid and paused just a few centimeters from Sid’s face waiting for him to make the last move.
“More than okay,” Sid said and pulled Geno closer to him, kissing him again, this time without their masks.