Hi and welcome back to the story. Thanks a lot for the very nice feedback! I hope you like this as much as the first part. This has some sex like I promised in chapter one. This part is quite different from the first installment--it has more drama and less comedy, although there are a couple of bad jokes courtesy of Kurt(!) I'm afraid my sense of humor can be a little strange. The story gets a little surreal in some parts. Some of the dialogue is a bit lame & I apologize for that, I just couldn't think of anything better in some parts. And I'd like to take an informal survey. It was suggested to me by a reader that it would be easier to follow the story if I used the wrestlers' TV names instead of the real names (like Hunter instead of Paul). Do others feel this way? This part was completed some time ago so it would have taken a long time to change it. But please give me an idea of what you'd like to see in the future.
Pucks and Bodyslams in SLC by Boston Beth-chapter 2
DISCLAIMER: I am sure none of this really happened. Despite what I have heard about certain people in this story I am not making any claims to knowing their true sexual orientation. I don't own these guys and I don't want to, I just like writing about them. Please note the following! In this part there is one oral sex scene involving two men and one masturbation scene involving another guy. Plus I threw in a shower scene for good measure. I will tell you this once and only once: If this sort of thing bothers you please leave now!
CAST: The hockey players: Mike Modano, Pavel and Valeri Bure, Chris Chelios-and a surprise guest who will become Chris Jericho's match-up. Another heads-up: I have a feeling not everyone will like my choice for Chris. I'm not an especially huge fan of the mystery guest, although I don't hate him like I used to. I just like the idea of them together.
The wrestlers: Kurt Angle, Chris Jericho (aka Chris Irvine), Edge (aka Adam), Christian(aka Jason), HHH(aka Paul)
"I've missed you so much, Paul." Mike murmured, gripping his lover's shoulders. He and Paul were near the showers, but Paul wasn't going to let Mike get cleaned up just yet. The wall Mike leaned on was cold and stone-hard. With the way Paul was treating him, though, Mike didn't seem to notice.
Paul was on his knees, unconcerned that his expensive pants were wet from the soapy water leftover from a recent shower. He took his mouth off Mike's cock, which was wet with a mix of Paul's saliva and Mike's pre-come. "Can you tell I've missed you?" he asked.
"Mmmm-hmmm. Just show me some more. Don't stop there." Mike said slowly and quietly, his head hanging to one side.
Paul raised his head just to stare at Mike longingly and proudly. Paul couldn't help but smile at Mike's alluring eyes, a smile that could melt glaciers, and the thick thighs in which Paul wanted to plant his teeth. He blew Mike a kiss and asked, "Who would want to stop for someone like you?"
Paul covered his cock again and introduced it into his throat in one quick and easy motion. Two months wasn't a long period of time by itself. But it was too long to go without being able to touch, kiss or fuck. The first night they fucked Paul promised Mike that they would never be apart for long. He didn't count on the increased workload Vince had given him. Not that Mike felt like he was being ignored or that Paul had a real reason to feel guilty. But Paul was disappointed by himself for not being there for Mike more than he had. Now that they were reunited there was no room for hesitation. Paul wanted all of Mike along his warm throat and wet lips. He sucked with greed, his nose in the coat of fur covering Mike's abs. Paul could tell that Mike had wanted this too. Paul sensed the throbbing pulses coursing in Mike's cock all through his mouth and into his head.
Mike ran his fingers in Paul's scalp, drifting down to rub the nape of his neck. His mouth was pursed in an almost circular shape. Mike was emitting short breaths that were heavy and passionate. How long he had been waiting for Paul to put his mouth back where it belonged. He loved how Paul struck the right balance between pinching pressure and tenderness. He felt as electric as the first night they made love like this, which was the first night they met. "You don't know.don't know how much I've wanted this." he said.
He wasn't very loud, but it was audible enough for Chris Chelios to hear. He was taking a shower, just a couple of spaces down from the corner where Paul and Mike were situated. Chris couldn't help but become a silent observer to their love act. It distracted him from what he usually thought of while showering. In this solitary time he was reminded of his age. Years of being slammed against the boards, hard skating and constant training lived on as aches and pains housed in his muscles. Hot showers brought only temporary relief. But now Chris felt a change coming. He was spellbound by the ecstatic cries and moans of Mike and Paul. Before long Chris's thoughts were of nothing except Kurt.
He soaped up with brisk up and down motions, building up a thick layer of white soap which was a sharp contrast to his olive skin. As he washed Chris considered his body. He was proud of it and considered all the time he spent refining it, even in the off-season, was worth the results. Chris felt the strength in his nicely-developed pecs. They were not too large, built up enough. Somebody would like looking at them or sucking on them. A slippery finger let him explore his stomach and really feel the six-pack there. His flat hands admired his massive thighs and calves that allowed him to still skate as swiftly as he did when he was a rookie. Not bad for forty years old, he determined. He hoped Kurt would feel that way too. Ah, to feel Kurt.
Chris couldn't believe what had been given to him. He had begun to notice certain things at the last Olympics. For instance, he found that he liked to watch fellow players on the ice and imagine undressing them slowly. Not to mention the glances he liked to steal in the locker room. Chris would watch surreptitiously, then quickly avert his eyes if anyone got too suspicious. What an adventure for his eyes to see all of those hard, luscious bodies in a new way. Chris wouldn't dare try anything with a teammate. But Kurt.now that was territory worth claiming.
Chris went over his body again. This time his motions were slower and gentler. He wanted to make the most of the fantasy that was forming. Chris dreamed of Kurt suddenly appearing, pulling off his clothes, complaining that the heat was on too high in the arena. He was too hot and sweating terribly and could he maybe share a shower with him?
Of course, Chris answered, dreaming of the brightest blue eyes he had ever seen. Here, I'll be delighted to help you, Kurt. Chris stroked his arms and neck, imaging they were Kurt's. He lightly grazed his nipples as he thought about rubbing Kurt's smooth, powerful chest. Then he pinched them tight, pulled them back and forth, wishing it was Kurt's mouth performing. Chris traveled the road that led from his hips to his feet, groaning with need. Before he knew it he was stroking his cock. He pumped slowly, then vigorously. The water was cooling off, yet Chris was flushed with fever with every stroke. He was twenty years old.
As Chris's pre-come was trickling out, Paul lapped up the clear fluid flowing out of Mike. He pulled his mouth so that he could cover the tip of his cock. Paul quickly opened and closed his lips on it. Mike started to cry out unintelligibly, as if he were speaking in tongues. Paul finished with a flourish of his tongue across the tip, like an expert swordsman would make, letting the cock bob ever so slightly. Then it stopped on the space just past the head. With fast, short strokes Paul indicated he was reclaiming the cock.
Mike swore and moaned. "Paul.don't stop this. Just don't stop it, you're so. oh G-d you're good!" he pleaded. His knees buckled and he planted his feet firmly onto the floor so that he could regain his balance. He bucked his hips quickly to let Paul put the rest of it back in. Happily Paul accepted it. Then his head bobbed up and down quickly, taking Mike's firm cock with it. He knew that Mike was close to coming as his balls were contracting and Mike's breathing grew drawn and heavy. Paul took Mike's ass in his hands and squeezed as he sucked louder and harder.
Chris was close too. He was jerking harder and faster; he was gushing pre-come that was washed away by the shower. His moans were lost in the water's rush. He clenched his ass and shut his eyes letting the feel of his wet hands along his cock invade him. Nothing was wrong with what he wanted. Chris had never reached such a higher plane of consciousness with anyone. He was offering himself to his unspoken desires, to the holy bliss of sex and the forbidden thrill of desiring a man. But then he stopped. He wasn't going to waste this on himself. As much as it hurt him down there, he was going to wait until he had Kurt. He leaned his body forward and let the water make him clean. Chris turned off the faucet and reached for a towel. He wrapped it around his hips and walked to the mirror and sink next to the showers. He picked up the razor he left there and held it while he pondered whether he needed a shave at all. Chris had a few days' growth and he usually didn't let it go this far. He put down the razor. Chris ran his hand along the beard. This will be fine, he thought. He liked it. He loved the idea of running it along Kurt's thighs and watching him shake with ecstasy even more.
Mike had no such reservations. His first shot hit Paul's mouth and tongue like a hot, steamy spray. Then another, and another-it seemed to go on for minutes. After Mike was done, Paul took what he hadn't swallowed and coated his lips with the residue. He stood up straight and kissed Mike forcefully, letting him taste what he created.
Afterwards they walked to the lockers embracing passionately, Paul's mouth seemingly glued to Mike's neck. They stopped, straightened up and kissed warmly.
"Why do you even have to get dressed?" asked Paul teasingly. "It's such a waste. Come on!" Paul reached for Mike's top button.
"Paul!" he said, removing the hand. "We're staying only half an hour away. You can wait!"
"Seriously, babe. Just put your long coat on. Who'll know the difference?" Paul said, smiling. He pecked Mike on the cheek. "Listen. I have a new rule. When we move in together this summer, we won't wear clothes. How's that sound?"
"Make sure you invite me to the housewarming party!" said Adam, thinking of his not-so-secret crush fully revealed.
"Uh guys!" said Chris Irvine to the pair of lovebirds. "Before you make any more plans, why don't you say hi to Pavel and Valeri?" letting them realize they had company.
"Oh! Sorry about that, guys." said a slightly embarrassed Mike. "How's it going?"
"Very well, thanks." said Pavel.
"I'm doing great!" Valeri replied. "Nice to see you again, Paul!"
While they chatted, Jason yanked Adam by his shirt and forced him to sit down on the bench.
"Adam!" Jason spoke in a whisper, but irritation was obvious. "You promised you would stop this garbage!"
"I'm only kidding, Jason!" Adam replied. He threw his hands in the air. "Jason, come on! I love you. I don't really mean any of that!"
Jason looked unconvinced. "You know, you keep doing it and doing it and you know it upsets me! Why do you keep doing this? It's not cute. It's not amusing. Stop it, Adam!"
"Jason, please. I promise, that was it. I'm stopping right now. I won't make those remarks anymore. Okay?" Adam asked, sealing the deal with a kiss.
"Okay." Jason said in a flat voice.
By now the Bure brothers had walked over. "Hey Kurt. Good to see you again." said Pavel.
"Me too." replied Kurt, who looked like his mind was elsewhere.
"What's going on, Jason?" Pavel asked.
"Oh, not much, I'm doing fine." Jason replied, attempting to convince himself.
Pavel looked at Adam intently. He smiled and extended his hand. "Adam. I am very.happy to see you again." he said.
Adam's smile suggested he was thinking of something he shouldn't be. "The pleasure is all mine." he replied, holding Pavel's hand before shaking it.
Jason was disgusted. He thought back to the time when they had last seen Pavel and Valeri. It was around Christmas and the WWF was doing a three-night stand in Florida. Their show in Miami was scheduled for the day after the Panthers fan fest so they decided to play fans for a change and visit it. It was the first time Jason got truly angered with Adam's wandering eyes. He and Pavel spent a good portion of time chatting and flirting, so much so that Jason almost abandoned Adam there. He knew Adam had been flirting with other guys for awhile and he wasn't worried before. He was sure that nothing happened with any of those guys. But the way he and Pavel spoke to each other! So much heat and expectation lingered in the air. It made Jason sick to remember it.
"Jason?" asked Valeri. "Jason, did you hear me? Hi!"
Jason shook his head. "Oh, I'm sorry Valeri. Hi yourself!" Seeing Valeri brought Jason back to happiness. Jason ended up spending most of his time there chatting with Valeri and his wife Candace and playing with their children. That almost saved the whole vacation. Jason loved children and theirs were a joy to be around. Candace was a cheerful, pleasant woman. But Valeri was the best part of it all. Jason couldn't help but be happy with seeing him again. He loved Val's infectious smile and playful eyes. Jason was afraid to admit it to himself, but he really liked Valeri. Ever since that day he couldn't stop thinking about him and Jason felt like it was cheating.
He was interrupted by Kurt's hearty laughter. "Kurt!" Jason said. "What is so funny?"
"I was just thinking about Jeremy!" he said.
"So was I!" said Adam, still grinning. "I just love that working-class type of guy. You know, that blue-collar, honest and hard working look? And Irish-Catholic to boot! All that guilt he must be keeping inside. Man, I'd like to suck the guilt right out of him!"
Jason forced his lips together. He really did not want to say something he was going to regret in front of everyone, especially Valeri.
"Gee. Are you drooling, Adam?" Jason whispered, his voice dripping with a barely disguised disgust. He picked up a wet towel from a pile near his feet. "Here. Have a towel!" said Jason as he hurled it directly at Adam's face. Jason's pitch was hard and the towel landed on its target with a smack.
"So what? What's so funny about JR?" asked Mike.
"He is just so uptight, for being around naked guys all the time." Kurt observed.
"Well, not everybody is comfortable being around gay guys." said Mike.
"Ha!" exclaimed Kurt. "I think Jeremy is overcompensating, if you ask me."
"What do you mean?" asked Paul.
"I mean, he's a screaming closet case." said Kurt, reaching into the cooler at his feet for a can of soda. "The man is gay!"
Everyone looked at Kurt strangely. "Are you all right?" asked Paul. "Why would this even cross your mind?"
"I am very all right! I just think his behavior was a little strange for a straight guy. I mean, look at the display he was putting on in front of us. It was too funny!" Kurt paused to flip the top of the can. "No straight guy who is supposedly scared of gay guys is going to stick his butt out like that in front of anyone who he knows will probably enjoy the show. And the hair thing! And he loves disco."
"Oh, that doesn't prove anything." said Paul. "Maybe he just watched Saturday Night Fever too much as a kid!"
Kurt shook his head. "Uh-uh Paul. Who is he kidding? He is gay, gay, gay!" he concluded, taking a sip of his drink.
"And you are nuts, nuts, nuts!" Paul said, looking at Kurt with disbelief.
Mike laughed. "Kurt, I saw that chokeslam Kane did on you last week. I don't think you've fully recovered from it!" he said. "I have to agree with Paul, Kurt. You're looking for something that isn't there. I've never known Jeremy to be anything but straight. I'm sure that wherever he's going to tonight, he's going to watch women." Mike emphasized the word "women."
"Yeah. Maybe he'll find Hooters!" said Paul, cracking up over his comment.
"Hooters? Around here? Now that's funny!" said Jason.
"Ah yes, Hooters." said Kurt. "Or as I like to call it, tips for tits."
Adam laughed so hard he spit out his drink in one fearsome spurt. The rest of the guys weren't too far behind. "Please, Kurt!" Adam yelled.
"That's disgusting!" said Jason.
"Now, seriously Mike." Kurt continued when order had been restored. "You can tell us. At the awards banquet, you know where they give out MVP and all that? Did Jeremy bring his mom as his date?"
"Oh come on!" Mike shot back, finding this silly remark somewhat amusing.
"Boy Kurt, you're in rare form tonight. What's your problem?" asked Paul.
"Aw, I don't know. It's just the whole Benoit thing!"
"Oh G-d are we going to have to hear about that again?" asked Paul.
"What's the matter?" asked Mike. "I thought he was coming back for Wrestlemania."
"Well, he was!" answered Kurt, emphasizing was. As Kurt retold his story, Adam's attention was diverted by Pavel. Pavel wasn't the talkative type. He preferred to let his body tell the world what was on his mind. Pavel sat with his legs wide open and his arms hanging in between. His eyes went from scanning the room to getting glimpses of Adam. Adam returned this with a fixed stare and a confident smile. ***************************************************
After a few minutes Mike and Paul left to find some special ways to relax. Not long after that Chris Chelios emerged. Kurt saw him coming and his heart nearly stopped.
"Kurt?" Chris asked. "You want to pick up where we left off?"
"Oh! Oh yes." Kurt replied nervously.
"Great." Chris replied. He and Kurt walked across the room. They stood near the showers.
"So how do you think practice will be for Sunday's game?" asked Kurt. "Any new strategies? Is Herb Brooks a nice guy?"
Chris stood along the wall, taking in Kurt's broad shoulders. "We can talk about that later. I'd like to talk about you right now." he said.
"You would?"
"Sure. I'd like to get some advice from a fellow Olympian. After all, you have what I want."
"I do?" Kurt's cheeks were glowing red.
"You have a gold medal, I mean." Chris said.
"Oh. Oh yeah right." Kurt's heartbeat picked up.
"I think I can learn a lot from you, Kurt. It's tough when you've played with injuries that don't have a lot of time to heal. It happens in my profession. And I hear that you have knowledge of this." Chris's head moved in closer. "I heard that you competed with a broken neck. Is that a true story?"
"Absolutely, Chris. It's true, it's-ah, I gotta stop saying that! I'm off duty, you know?" Chris and Kurt shared a chuckle at his slip.
The right corner of Chris's mouth turned upward as he moved next to Kurt, standing right behind him. Kurt first felt balmy breaths on his neck, then Chris's mouth. He kissed it softly as Kurt moaned his appreciation.
Chris's hands were around Kurt's waist. "Hmmmm. You've recovered well." he said.
His hands moved to the top of Kurt's shirt. He undid the top buttons and slid his hand along Kurt's chest. He stopped at his heart, which was racing faster. "Mmmm, that's working well too." Chris whispered in Kurt's ear.
Now Chris's hand dove into Kurt's pants and explored the small of his back. He fingered between his ass carefully and traced the string of his thong. Kurt closed his eyes and thought about what was to come.
"Oh Chris." he moaned. For the first time ever he had nothing else to say. ***********************************************************
Adam was inspired by this display. He saw Pavel, who was now leaning along the wall. His legs were slightly apart and his hands hung by his side.
Now it was time to do what he'd been thinking of for the longest time. Adam's strut was aggressive and his confidence was as high as heaven.
"Hi Pavel. I know I've said it before, but it is really nice to see you again." said Adam with a grin.
"Oh no. No, Adam. I'm straight. I don't do that." Pavel replied, examining Adam's lean body without bothering to disguise it.
So this is Pavel's game, thought Adam. I'll beat him at it. He stopped in front of Pavel, his mouth looming close to Pavel's lips.
"Yeah right Pavel. Tell it to the thirteen-year-old girls. I don't wanna hear it." said a skeptical Adam. He unbuttoned his shirt, never taking his eyes off Pavel. "You don't mind, right?" Adam asked. "It's just a bit warm, you know, with the heat from the showers and all."
Pavel responded with a shrug. Adam released all the buttons and released the hem of the shirt from where it was tucked into his pants. Adam could not contain his longing any more. He desperately wanted to see all of Pavel and his lean, muscular body. Adam was familiar with a little of it from the suggestive photos of Pavel he found on the Internet. Especially the one he saw on that site for gay men who loved sports. In the picture Pavel smiled sweetly for the camera. His shirt was open just enough to supply a peek at his sexy chest and rippling stomach. Adam really loved the fine covering of hair. He wanted to kiss it from under his hard pecs right down below his belly button. Maybe even nibble down his treasure trail and get a stray hair or two stuck in his teeth. He wanted to lick the veins that stuck out of his arms and signified their power. The more he looked, the worse Adam's need became. He needed to kiss Pavel's ripe, juicy lips, to brush back his hair, to completely penetrate him through the mind as well as the body. Adam was completely off guard.
Pavel grabbed Adam and slammed their bodies together. He kissed Adam passionately while he backed him up against the wall. Adam moaned in confusion but Pavel would not stop. Pavel moved so that his erection leaned on Adam's. Soon Adam was at peace.
Pavel removed his mouth. Adam stood there frozen with shock. Adam's cheekbones got red, making them even more prominent. His legs grew weaker as Pavel ran a hand in his hair. He picked up sections of the long, blonde locks and combed them gently, then let them fall back into place.
"Just lovely. I've never been with a guy who had hair this long or this beautiful." Pavel remarked in a slightly menacing voice. His hand slid around Adam's hip to his buttocks and rubbed in circular motions. Adam could not conceal how good leather felt against his bare skin. The next thing he felt was a knee to the groin applied with just enough pressure to make Adam's head spin.
"Let me make something clear, Adam." said Pavel quietly. "I know you like me. And, as you can tell, I am somewhat interested in you. We can play. We're going to play. But it's got to be by my rules. I like to run the show. Do you agree to that?" Pavel's intense eyes never broke sight of Adam as he removed his knee, then gave him a surprisingly sweet kiss.
Adam's cockiness had long since disappeared. He wasn't counting on the power that Pavel seemingly possessed to sway minds and to make even the strongest soul submit. Adam had never been dominated like this before. He thought he could never imagine how that could be. Things had changed.
"Oh yeah." Adam said in one breath.
Jason watched the entire scene unfold. Glumly he sat on the bench, head in hand. He'll never change, he said to himself.
"Jason?"
Jason thought he heard a friendly voice. It belonged to Valeri. He had taken a seat next to him.
"Oh, sorry friend." Jason's mood had shot up. "What's up?"
"Not much. Not much at all." replied Valeri. Jason couldn't help but notice that Val seemed distracted by something. Val watched his brother and Adam kiss.
Valeri's voice was kind and caring. "Jason, please forgive me. I don't mean to make comments on things that aren't my business. But this."-he gestured at Pavel and Adam-"this is disrespectful. It's disrespectful to you because this is your boyfriend. And I am really shocked that Pavel would do this. He's never done something like this in front of me before." He looked at Jason with compassion. "I'm sorry you have to see this. I can tell it's hurting you. I can tell by your eyes."
"Naw, it's okay." Jason lied.
Valeri shook his head. "No, it isn't. It's not right. Not right at all, Jason." A robotic melody could be heard in the pause. "Oh, that's my cell. Please, would you excuse me Jason? I'll be right back, I promise." said Val.
"Oh, sure." Jason smiled a little at the prospect of Valeri spending more time with him.
Valeri walked to an empty corner of the room. He took the phone out of his pocket and pressed the keypad. "Hello? Hi Candace.hi kids! Daddy misses you too! Hi again, love. Yes, well it could have gone better but we'll be playing for bronze. It's nothing to be ashamed of. Yes.yes, actually do you know who I ran into? Jason! You know, Christian from the WWF? Yes, I knew you'd remember. Listen, I have to get back. Okay. And Candace.thank you for understanding. You are the best wife in the world. I love you, sweetie. Kiss the kids good night for me. Good-bye!"
Valeri replaced the phone and returned to Jason, but did not sit down. "Jason, hey listen. I was thinking. We don't need to stay here and watch this. Would you like to go somewhere and just hang out, watch some TV?"
Jason could not resist that smile of his. "Sure. That sounds good." He got up and stretched his legs which were stiff from sitting for a long time. "Thanks, Val." ******************************************************
Chris Irvine was the only one left and he couldn't stand himself one more minute. He saw everyone pair up and all it did for him was remind him of his loneliness. It just followed him everywhere lately. Needing to be alone, Chris moved into the massage room next door. He found a table and sat down on it, trying his best to get comfortable. Chris scanned the room. It was white, plain, pure and simple. Why couldn't life be simple? He shut his eyes as if in reaction to the sudden onset of a pounding headache. He buried his face in his hands and fought wildly to prevent tears from spilling.
The thud of a heavy gym bag broke the silence. Its owner was surprised to see Chris. Chris looked up but did not clearly see the visitor.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know someone was in here." said the man.
"Well, yeah." Chris said, full of exhaustion. "And if you don't mind I'd rather be alone."
"Well, all right." the stranger said. He turned around, then decided he wasn't going to leave. This scene looked so familiar to him. He thought back to all the times when he was so depressed he did not know if a way out existed. He didn't know Chris's story but he did know one thing. He wasn't going to leave someone in this state to be upset and confused. He wasn't going to treat this guy like everyone else treated him.
"Hey, are you all right?" the man asked in a concerned voice.
"It's none of your business. Leave me alone." Chris responded.
"But obviously something's bothering you. I can't just leave you here like this. Do you want to talk about-"
"Hey, buddy!" Chris snapped. "I said shut up and leave me alone!" Chris wanted his point heard once and for all. He faced the stranger, intending to repeat the statement so that it was absolutely clear. The anger disappeared when he saw who the other person was. Now Chris was hot with embarrassment. This man was tall and strikingly handsome, with curly brown hair and an athletic physique. He was also very familiar.
"You-you're Eric Lindros." Chris could barely get out the words.
Eric nodded, showing no anger or animosity. "Yeah, yeah I am." he replied.
Chris thought he would drop to the floor in shock. "I- I-I.I am so sorry, Mr. Lindros! You have no idea how sorry I am! I didn't mean to yell, I just.man am I going to be sick!"
"Hey now, don't worry about it!" said Eric. "It's okay. Are you going to be okay?"
Chris nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm going to be.just fine." His voice broke and he couldn't control the tears any longer. They spilled fast and furious down his face which Chris promptly covered out of humiliation. "I'm sorry, Mr. Lindros, so sorry!" he screamed.
"Hey, hey." Quickly Eric rubbed Chris's back. "No, please don't cry." he asked, thinking back to all the times he wept alone. "Whatever it is, it's going to be all right."
"No it won't!" Chris shot back, searching his pockets unsuccessfully for a tissue. He gratefully accepted one from Eric. "Thank you, Mr. Lindros." he said between sobs.
After Chris cleaned up his face, Eric looked deep into his eyes. "It will. I promise it will. And you can call me Eric. What can I call you?" he asked.
"Chris. My name's Chris." The crying had stopped.
"Chris, if you don't mind me asking, how come you're back here anyway? Are you part of the Olympics?"
"Uh, no. I just came with some friends to visit some other friends. Things got a little weird and I couldn't take it anymore."
"Okay Chris. Listen, if you really want me to leave you alone, if that's want you want, I'll do it. Otherwise, I'm right here. I'll listen to you."
"No! I can't talk to you!" Chris said, intimidated without knowing why.
"Sure you can talk to me!" Eric said cheerfully. "I'm just another guy, you know." He stood with his hands folded behind his back.
That's what you think, thought Chris.
"So I play hockey and a lot of people happen to know who I am. So what? What do you do, Chris?" Eric asked with genuine interest.
Chris didn't know how to answer. He was afraid to tell Eric who he was. He was afraid that Eric would just want to be around another famous guy and not really listen to him. He was afraid that what Chris Irvine had to say was insignificant.
"I'm a musician." Chris replied. That was the truth, even though he hadn't played with Fozzy for several months.
"Where are you from?" asked Eric.
"Originally, Winnipeg. I live in Manhattan now." said Chris.
"You like coffee or tea?" asked Eric.
What was he trying to do? thought Chris. He played along anyway. "Coffee."
"Tea. You like hockey, I take it. Who's your favorite team?"
"Well.the Rangers of course!" said Chris, still confused. "And Tampa Bay. I used to live there."
Eric approved. "Okay. Now we know a bit about each other. Now, come on. Tell me what's wrong. You need to talk and don't tell me otherwise."
Boy, he doesn't stop until he gets what he wants, thought Chris. For some reason he was slightly excited by that. "Okay. See, I love two.people. I work with these, uh, people every day. But they just don't want to be with me."
"Okay. I know that feeling. That really sucks, Chris. It is really painful to love someone when love doesn't feel the same way." said Eric.
"Yeah." Now Chris was comfortable enough to open up a bit. "I mean no matter who it's with it hurts all the same. Because love can be really not so good, you know, and it doesn't really matter who you love because--"
"You're in love with two guys aren't you?" asked Eric.
Chris was amazed by Eric's perception. "Am I that transparent?" Chris asked with a chuckle.
"Well, let's just say I can tell these things and I have, well, first-hand experience with the subject."
Chris was shocked. He had heard the rumors, of course. He just chalked it up to people who didn't like Eric or his reputation. All those guys who would chant "Erica" or "spoiled brat fag" when Eric hit the ice. That group had included Chris, before he realized his own orientation. Now he was overcome with shame for ever making fun of Eric.
"So Chris, now that you know about me, maybe I can be of some help." said Eric. "Are you sure you want to be alone?" I hope he doesn't say no, thought Eric. This Chris is kind of cute.
Chris could only appreciate his kindness. For all intents and purposes Eric was a stranger. But he was offering to listen to Chris's problems. The only people who knew of Chris's dilemma were Matt Hardy and Amy Dumas and he was well aware of their opinions. Maybe a different mind can bring different insight. Hey, Chris thought, it shouldn't be so bad. If the conversation was no good, at least the scenery would be.
"No. I'm going to take you up on your offer." said Chris.
"Great!" said Eric, picking up his bag. "Let me drop this off in my room and then I'll take you to this club I found. It's real quiet and low-key. It's good for conversations."
For the first time in this whole trip Chris had a reason to smile. He put his feet on the floor and lifted himself off the table. "Sounds good, Eric. Besides, I don't think my friends will miss me."
As always, praise and constructive criticism is most appreciated. Flames are not-don't even bother, I have no time or energy to waste on them. If you're enjoying it so far, let me know!