Chapter Text
„Vaughny, I gotta tell you something.“
„Okay. What’s up?“
„You have to promise me not to tell anyone.“
Carter couldn’t remember how many times they have had this exact conversation in the past. Dozens, maybe hundreds of times. He couldn’t tell. Including the one where Scott had told him that he was gay. He had told no one else. Ever. And Carter felt VERY special.
„You know I won’t.“ And he really hadn’t. Ever. Not even a little bit. He knew that if he told anyone, especially any of the girls he was seeing, that stuff would end up on the internet. And gossiping with Scott was actually THE MOST FUN EVER. He didn’t want to ruin that.
„I heard something at the All-Star Game.“
Scott looked incredibly excited. Well, as excited as Scott could look. Carter was intrigued.
„Okay, let’s hear it then.“
„You cannot breathe a word.“
„I promise. You know I can keep secrets.“
„I was sitting on the bench next to Hollander at the skills competition.“ Scott rushed the words out. Carter looked at him a little confused. That was not exactly very interesting in itself.
„Wow, Scotty, that is exciting stuff! No wonder you are buzzing.“ He tried making his voice as unexcited as possible.
„Shut up, asshole.“ Scott punched him on the shoulder.
Carter stuck out his tongue.
„Okay, so I was sitting next to Hollander on the bench at the skills competition and I am sitting there, chatting to Robertson from Detroit and I wasn’t really listening, but I could hear Hollander talking to someone.“
„Riveting stuff, Scotty.“
„Asshole. Listen. There wasn’t anyone sitting next to him.“ Scott leaned back and looked at Carter as if he had just revealed the secret to eternal life.
„It’s almost as if this story should be turned into a movie.“
Scott rolled his eyes.
„Will you just let me tell the story, or not?“
„Okay. Fine. Have at it, man.“
„So, there wasn’t anyone sitting next to him ... but there was someone sitting on the bench opposite. With the other team“ Scott raised his eyebrows. Now Carter was interested.
„Okay.“
„Ilya Rozanov.“
„Oh. Okay.“ Carter was a little surprised and not at all mad anymore that Scott was telling him this story. Hollander and Rozanov were still Rookies but were already being pitted against each other as some sort of epic rivals.
„Were they like ... chirping each other?“
„Mh, no, I don’t think so. They were just chatting. Almost as if ... as if they already, like, knew each other. You know, just a little chit chat. I only had one ear on it because I was still listening to Robertson telling me about his boring family back home.“
„So, just a friendly chat. I must admit your story is not really that much more interesting than Robertson’s, it seems.“
„Yeah, okay, Vaughny. But then ...“ Scott took a deep breath for dramatic effect. He had been sharing many a juicy gossip with Carter in the past and they had built up a sort of rapport as to how their stories were being told. You had to build it up a little. Otherwise it wasn’t any fun.
„Then Rozanov got up from his bench, skated past Hollander ...“ He lowered his voice even more as if they were surrounded by team mates. Which they weren’t, because they were sitting on the couch in Scott’s living room for their weekly movie night.
„He skated past Hollander and ... whispered his room number to him!“ Scott looked incredibly pleased with himself.
„What?“ Carter almost dropped his beer. „Are you sure? How would you even know that?“
„Yeah, of course I’m sure. I heard him. And I knew it was his room number because I was in the room next door to him that weekend.“
„Holy hell ...“
„Exactly.“
„And then?“ Now Carter was really invested in the story.
„Well, Hollander kinda looked embarassed and I asked him what that was about?“
„What? Are you mad? You always said not to corner any of the other players who might be gay.“
„I haven’t got a fucking clue if Hollander is even gay, man!“ Scott huffed an annoyed laugh. „And I didn’t corner him. I just asked him what Rozanov had said.“
„That is cornering, Scott.“ Carter rolled his eyes.
„It might have been totally innocent, like ... a movie night.“ Scott didn’t really believe any of what he was saying.
„Okay. You think Rozanov skating past him, whispering his room number to him for a movie night?“ Carter’s face was incredulous. „He could have just told him straight up.“
Scott smirked at him.
„I don’t think that at all. I just wanted to see what you thought.“ He leaned back on the couch, arms crossed.
„Yeah, okay, look ... it all sounds a little ... suspicious, but it doesn’t prove anything at all.“ Carter was unconvinced. „What exactly did you say and what did he say?“
„Well, I just asked him what that had been about and he said it was just „shit-talking“ ...“ Scott made a face that was supposed to portray utter disbelief.
Carter snorted. „Sure, Jan.“
„Exactly what I was thinking.“
„So what happened?“
„Well, I asked him if Rozanov is an asshole and he confirmed that.“
„Oh, okay, that sounds less as if they’re doing it.“
„No no, you see. I just said. „He’s an asshole, right?“ And Hollander said. „I mean, yeah, basically.“ I mean ... what kind of an answer is that? Yeah, basically. Pfff, seriously. That was evasive as fuck.“
„I think maybe you’re reading too much into it, man.“
„Yeah, okay, to be fair I thought that, too. But ...“ Scott waggled his eyebrows at Carter.
„What?“
„Guess.“
„Oooooooohh, hang on. Did they ... I mean, did someone go up to Rozanov’s hotel room that night?“
„Bang on the money, man!“
„No way!“
„Yep.“ Scott nodded. „I was already in my room, because I am old and cannot party until midnight anymore.“
„Yeah, right. Sure.“ Carter had seen Scott party with the best of them until the early hours at all sorts of occasions.
„Okay, okay. I wanted to see ... well, hear, if anything would happen that night, okay? I am the worst, I admit it.“
„And did ... something happen?“
„Well, I definitely heard a knock on the door next to mine at around nine-ish.“
„Holy crap.“
„And then the door opened and closed.“
„That could still be nothing.“
„I know, but I definitely heard ... well, I couldn’t hear anyone talking because they were probably very quiet, but ... after about ten minutes the shower next door started up.“
„Okay, so Rozanov took a shower, big whoop.“
„Yeah ... a very looooong shower.“
„Man, I hate to tell you this. But I take long showers, too, sometimes.“ Carter winked at him. Not that Scott needed any clarification on that, thank you very much.
„Ugh, never tell me about that, please.“
„Okay, so he took a shower.“
„It was a very long shower. I bet they wanted to drown out the noise.“
„Still very vague, man.“
„And ten minutes after the shower stopped, the door of the hotel room opened and closed again.“ Scott’s face was triumphant.
„Great story man. In court you would now be dismissed for purely circumstantial evidence.“
„Okay, yeah, I mean, okay. It’s not like anything solid, but it is pretty damn interesting, isn’t it?“
„Okay, yeah, I mean ... it would be ... Hollander and Rozanov. Doing it in secret. That would be the best gossip we’ve ever picked up.“ Carter admitted.
„Wouldn’t it just.“