Chapter Text
Finishing up after the game, Fulton didn’t mention anything as Adam walked right past him, his face tear-streaked and his eyes all puffy.
Disaster was the only word Fulton could think of to describe their match, the Hawks were constantly cheating, picking on the Ducks and getting away with any fouls. They paid the refs for sure, he thought.
To make matters worse, the Hawks’ goalie decided to call Adam a “post-magnet”, which caused Adam to finally break, hitting his stick against the goalpost really hard until it smashed into pieces. He remembered watching in defeat as Bombay pulled the boy back, when he burst into tears and skated far from the eyes staring into his soul.
He remembered getting a talk afterwards from Bombay, struggling to pay attention as Charlie wandered off to find Adam.
So as he entered the changing room, he knew by the way Charlie was sitting that something was on his mind. Fulton changed back into his normal clothes, and once the locker room had died down a bit, sat himself down next to Charlie.
“Something going on between you guys?” Fulton asked as Charlie scraped the excess ice out of his skates.
”Nah man, it’s nothing, don’t sweat it.” Charlie mumbled back quietly.
”I can tell somethings bothering you.” There was a period of silence.
”Do you think I’m a good captain?”
Fulton was taken aback. Of course Charlie was a good captain! What made him think he wasn’t?
”Do you think otherwise?” Fulton prompted.
Charlie sighed. “I don’t know, I just… It’s Adam. Didn’t you see the state of him? He was awful, Fulton, I’ve never seen him cry like that. And I could’ve done something different so that nothing happened.”
Fulton looked at him, as if he could see into his brain.
Charlie continued. “I was just thinking, if I was a good captain, then I would’ve checked on him before the game. He would’ve talked to me and I would’ve been able to make it better for him.”
”Oh, come on, Charlie. It isn’t on you. You didn’t do anything wrong.”
“I could’ve been better though.” he said.
Fulton sighed. “Charlie, I think that by now, we all know how good Adam is at hiding things. Something will happen to him, and he’ll keep it a deep dark secret until eventually it gets too much for him. Now don’t tell him I know this, because he doesn’t know I do.” he started.
”Don’t worry man, I won’t.”
”But just because he hides how he feels, that doesn’t make you a bad captain. You never know, maybe next practice he’ll come in feeling like pure crap, but he would still walk in with a smile on his face and act like everything’s fine. You won’t really ever know unless he properly tells you.” Fulton explains. Charlie looks away.
”Yeah.. I know. I’m just kinda worried about him.” he said.
”I get it, I really do. But whatever he feels isn’t your fault, get it? If you don’t know what’s going on, that won’t make you a bad captain.”
”But all the other captains always check on their teammates, every single game! I’ve just been focused on my tactics and how I’m gonna play. How selfish is that?” Charlie put his head in his hands and sighed.
”It isn’t selfish. I know most of us think like that. You, me, Adam, hell, I bet Averman even thinks about that.” Fulton snickered, causing Charlie to let out a small laugh. Finding ways to roast a random member of the Ducks never failed to make any of them laugh.
”But don’t worry about it though. You’re a good friend, Charlie.” Fulton put a hand on Charlie’s shoulder to indicate that he’d finished his long speech. Charlie smiled at him in return.
”Hey, Fulton?” Charlie asked.
”Yeah, dude?”
”How the hell would I exist in a world without your advice?”
Fulton burst out laughing, and so did Charlie.
”Man, you wouldn’t even last. You’d be dead in minutes.” The boys continued to laugh until their stomachs hurt and they couldn’t catch a breath.
”Oh, jeez. We better get out of here.. it’s getting later.” Charlie realised.
”Yeah we really should go.” Fulton replied as the two got up and exited the locker room. As they left the building, they turned to face eachother again.
”Don’t you forget what I said by the way. You really are a good friend.” Fulton smiled.
Charlie smiled in return. “You too, man, you too.”
They turned opposite ways and began to walk home.