Chapter Eight

Bobby was right about their schedules; both of Dan’s games were scheduled for the same days as the short and long men’s singles programs, but Dan formulated a plan. He didn’t tell anyone he was doing it, Kayla distracted with her own training and Ian and Rafael off limits, but even if the games went into overtime and shootouts, there would be enough time for Dan to get through media—if he had to do anything—changing, celebrating or commiserating with his teammates and still make it to the figure skating arena in time to see Bobby perform.

It would be tight, and Dan was probably crazy for even attempting it when he should be focused on hockey, but something about the situation felt right and Dan would be damned if he let his head rule his heart when he was just starting to listen to said heart.

“It will all work itself out,” he told himself in the mirror, trying to ignore the gnawing.

Game days usually bothered him; it was difficult to concentrate, and he would spend so much of the day watching game tape. It was a holdover from when his mother would give him tips and criticism on his game. Overanalyzing could do a player more harm than good at times, but it had never bothered Dan.

The day of his first game, it was different. They were facing off against a really tough Swiss squad. Ian had spent the morning texting him with unwanted and unnecessary advice, and it was all Dan could do to reply without telling him to fuck off. It was the same with Rafael, who always faced games in the opposite way—he would send gifs and video clips of people being stupid. Neither was particularly helpful when Dan had a plan.

By the time he was due for warmups, Dan wanted to kill Ian, Rafael and a couple of other teammates but he shoved it down and focused on the ice. Hockey was something he had been doing since he was a toddler.

“Don’t forget,” Ian said before they made their way out to the tunnel. “Our competition starts now.”

Dan had forgotten about that. “I remember. Try not to fall behind.”

Ian’s scowl was impressive, but his lips quirked up into a smile. “I never do.”

Rolling his eyes, Dan nudged him forward. “Get moving, idiot.”

The roar of the crowd was overwhelming, even from the tunnel, and Dan breathed in the smell of the ice, closed his eyes against the sensations of rink and stadium. It was intoxicating every time, made his blood pump harder, made him want to go out there and prove to everyone he deserved to be there.

Jammed between Alaric and Rafael on the bench, Dan kept his head in the game, yelling himself hoarse when plays didn’t go their way, yelling himself hoarse when they did, and feeling the familiar bump of a glove against his when they scored.

The first period passed in a blur, with Dan and Ian scoreless, but with Rafael sinking a shot—giving Dan an assist at least—and a guy from Florida, Shuck, managing to get their second.

Switzerland was good, but USA had the better depth and they were utilizing it. The second period had both sides remaining scoreless and Dan hated this part, heart pounding because they were winning, and he wanted to stay that way, but also aware that there was still enough time for everything to go to shit.

It wasn’t until the end of the second period that his attention was caught on the big screens as the cameras panned over the crowd, highlighting various Swiss athletes coming to support their fellow countrymen, then over to anyone from Team USA supporting the hockey team. Kayla was there, as he knew she would be, hair tied up into a ponytail and her roommate, Casey, was gesturing emphatically about something. On the other side of Kayla, Dan’s breath hitched as he saw Bobby, waving at the camera with a smile.

Shit.

Dan had planned that he would have enough time on his end, but he hadn’t suspected Bobby would do the same. Dropping his head and blowing out a breath, Dan kept his eyes on the ice, trying not to let on to Rafael that he was affected by Bobby being there if he even knew. Rafael was crazy intense when it came to games and Dan wasn’t about to bring it up.

There was a whistle and something happening down at the blue line and Dan gritted his teeth, concentrating on the plays. He could worry about what Bobby being here meant later. Determined as he was to score a goal, either because of his contest with Ian or because Dan wanted to show Bobby that even holding back he was a damn good hockey player, he took his next shift with an added burst.

Every time the puck touched his tape, he would be off down the ice, slipping through defenders like water, and finding Rafael and Alaric down the wings. Nothing connected, not until his shift was at the tail end. He received a turnover and shot off toward the net, cradling the puck against his stick. Alaric was on his left and accepted the puck Dan passed him. There wasn’t a lot of space around the net, and Dan could see the puck would rebound. Planting himself in the right spot, he got his stick to the ice just in time to hit the puck into the back of the net.

Fuck.

He’d scored in the Olympics.

Barely remembering to celebrate the goal, both Rafael and Alaric slammed into him, screaming in his ear, and the defensemen were throwing their own arms up. Then Dan turned his head to the bench where the rest of his teammates were celebrating. It was a huge stadium, and there was no way he could pick out Kayla, but the guys in control of the cameras were clearly interested in showing her reaction to everyone. It wasn’t the first time; usually, it was at Hunters’ games, where she would be showcased in the green and brown uniforms, pumping her arms into the air from the family box.

It was different this time, but only because this was an Olympic event and Dan wasn’t expecting it, but there was Bobby right next to Kayla, both cheering and fuck, Dan didn’t think his goal could be improved any. It didn’t make sense, that he would care what Bobby thought of him given how little time they’d spent together but Dan thought if he couldn’t revel a little in his first attraction that he could be open with himself about, he was going to lose his mind.

Dan’s good mood didn’t falter through the rest of the game, not when Switzerland scored, and not when the next time the camera panned over Kayla, Bobby had disappeared. There was a part of him that was disappointed, but Bobby had seen his goal and even if he scored again, that had been his first in the tournament.

In the locker room, Ian and another of the high-profile guys pulled aside for media, Dan shed his gear quickly, ducking the congratulatory pats and the cheers. Rafael was grumbling next to him.

“Nobody is celebrating my goal,” he said, affecting a dramatic pose.

“That’s because nobody cares about you, Rafe,” someone called across the room and Dan snorted.

“I care about me,” Rafael said with an actual pout. Dan didn’t think adults were supposed to do that.

“Therein lies the problem”, Dan told him, with a conciliatory pat.

Laughter erupted to his right and Dan took a mock bow as Rafael threw a dirty sock at his face. Slinging it back was childish, but Dan put it down to his good mood. When Ian stumbled in a few minutes later, muttering something about having to give an interview, Dan slung an arm over him, despite his gross appearance and shook him gently.

“Looks like I’m winning so far, bro,” he said.

Ian looked like he wanted to get mad, but they’d never been the sort of brothers to shit on each other’s accomplishments. “There’s plenty of games for me to catch up.”

Dan sighed, patting Ian’s cheek. “You can try.”

Dodging Ian’s swing, Dan laughed as he planted himself back in his cubicle, brushing his hair out of his face. His good mood was apparently infectious because even with the win, Dan didn’t think the locker room had ever been so rowdy. Guys were hip-checking, shouting and generally being a mess of sweaty men screaming about how great they were.

After a quick shower, Dan double-checked the time and breathed a sigh of relief. Avoiding his brother and Rafael’s shouts for drinks and celebrations, Dan ducked out of the room on the pretense of checking something with the trainers. Nobody stopped him, the benefit of hockey players taking their training and routines seriously, and he made it all the way out of the stadium without incident.

Most of the team had taken a bus in together and Dan made sure to check in with the coaching team, letting them know he’d find his own way back, yes, he was fine, there was someone he wanted to meet up with. Nobody questioned him—another benefit of the Olympics—and if he was careful and turned up the next day for training, he could do whatever he wanted.

By the time Dan made it to the rink where the figure skating was taking place, the game was taking its toll, body aching and mentally exhausted, but Bobby had made time to come see part of his game, he wasn’t about to get out of returning the favor.

The section of seating set aside for teams was a little lower than it had been in the hockey stadium, and Dan was glad for it. It was so much harder to follow a figure skater than it was a hockey game. Bobby was apparently up fourth and though Dan had no idea what to expect, there was a page online that was only too happy to explain the jumps and spins so that he wasn’t completely lost. By the time Canada’s first competitor came out onto the ice, third on the roster, Dan knew what Kayla and Bobby had meant by Salchow and could even recognize a toe loop. The rest were still a bit beyond him, but he could enjoy Bobby’s routine without having to pause to look up what a jump was.

Dan shifted in his seat in the lull between competitors and he couldn’t help but wonder what costume Bobby would be wearing. So far, they’d been understated or boring and if Dan knew anything about Bobby, it was that he was neither of those things.

When he finally took the ice, Bobby looked amazing. If Dan thought his makeup had been great before, that was nothing to the shapes drawn on his face. His costume was white feathers and Dan assumed he was supposed to be a swan. Kayla always tried to match costume and theme, but Dan had never been able to figure them out without her telling him. The same happened with Bobby; Dan could appreciate that Bobby was amazing, jumps and spins almost perfectly executed, but he had no idea what story he was trying to tell.

Dan couldn’t tear his eyes away from the ice. Even when someone jostled his elbow as they shifted in their chair, Dan just ducked out of the way and kept watching Bobby, enraptured by the performance. He was the same when he watched Kayla and Dan would just have to admit to himself that there was something evocative about figure skating that he would never find in a hockey rink. Joining the crowd in congratulating Bobby’s skate, Dan clapped as long as he could without feeling weird about it and wasn’t surprised when Bobby posted good scores.

Kayla had given up trying to get him to understand the scoring, but even Dan couldn’t miss the second place next to Bobby’s name. Feeling elated, and not wanting to sit through the rest of the competitors if he didn’t need to, Dan found his way down to the competitors’ area. Flashing his Team USA was probably a breach of protocol somewhere, but he didn’t care, slipping amongst the athletes, trying to ignore the looks sent his way.

Someone grabbed his arm and before Dan could say anything, Kayla had tugged him out of the way, grinning. “Congratulations on the win.”

“Thanks,” Dan said, accepting the hug. “Why are you here?”

“For the same reason you are,” Kayla said, smile widening. “I came to congratulate Bobby.”

“I didn’t see you up there.” Dan waved a hand in the vague direction of the stands.

“I watched from rink side. The benefit of sharing a trainer.” Kayla tugged him after her, guiding them both through the throng of people to where there was an abundance of USA colors, though that could also be Great Britain, Dan supposed.

“Katarina trains Bobby too?”

Kayla scowled. “I’ve told you plenty of times about Bobby, Dan, don’t be dense.”

Dan had never considered himself dense, but he must have been. “You’ve never said anything about Bobby. It’s always ‘B’ this and ‘B’ that. I thought it was Beatrice!”

“B,” Kayla said slowly, as if Dan was the slow one here, “for Bobby.”

“Oh, right,” Dan snapped sarcastically. “How could I not have connected that.”

Kayla slapped him on the arm, but Dan ducked out of it just as she threw her arms around Bobby, who seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. “You were fantastic, Bobby!”

Bobby laughed, kissing Kayla’s cheek and then pulling back, waving a hand. “Katarina did all the hard work.”

“I’m sure that’s not true,” Dan said, and if Bobby was startled to see him, he didn’t look it. “I think you’re the one skating.”

Bobby’s eyes softened. “Daniel.”

“I saw you at my game,” Dan blurted because now was as good a time as any. “I didn’t think you’d be there.”

Kayla looked between them, then drifted over to Katarina, who was discussing something with someone in a Team USA jacket. Dan was grateful for the privacy but also hyper-aware of the fact that he was going to have to be a functioning human being when he was riding the high of not only getting a goal and helping win the game but also with Bobby having seen it.

It was like he was a teenager going through his first relationship. The situation was similar in that this was Dan’s first, but he wasn’t sure relationship was the right word. Infatuation? That felt a little disingenuous to Bobby… and himself.

“I had time,” Bobby hedged. “Rafael made me show up.”

Dan opened his mouth and then closed it. That was possible, and Dan wasn’t sure what to say to that. Bobby didn’t owe him anything, but he had been hoping Bobby had come for him.

Bobby looked amused. “I’m kidding, Dan.”

“Oh,” Dan rubbed at the back of his neck. “Kayla says I’m dense, so I might have to work on that.”

“I wouldn’t say dense,” Bobby said. “More naïve.”

Nobody had ever called Dan that before. His mother often muttered that he was trying hard to be naïve but knew exactly what she was saying.

“I know how the world works,” Dan protested.

“With most things,” Bobby allowed. His smile was wry as he leaned in. “I think we both know there are areas where you’re very naïve.”

Perhaps it was the ease with which Bobby said it, maybe it was the fact that Bobby was standing in front of him in his costume, leaving precious little to the imagination, or maybe it was just that Dan had been talking himself out of it for long enough and was tired of it. Either way, he leaned in, aiming for Bobby’s mouth and catching the corner of his mouth instead.

Bobby let out a startled noise and ducked away, but he had a hand on Dan’s arm. “Dan.”

“Sorry,” Dan said, turning his face away, cheeks red. God, he’d fucked up, what had he been thinking?

“Hey,” Bobby said, shaking him a little. Dan didn’t want to meet his eyes, couldn’t bear to see the emotions reflected in him. “Dan, look at me.”

When he did, Dan’s breath expelled from him in a rush at the want on Bobby’s face, how close he was in Dan’s space. “Bobby.”

“We’re in the middle of a pretty public space,” Bobby said, grip tight on Dan’s upper arms. Dan abruptly started to panic, but Bobby shook him gently, forcing his attention back to Bobby’s face. “Kiss me later.”

Dan wanted to run, wanted to pretend he hadn’t done something so monumentally stupid but the sky wasn’t following and nobody around them seemed to have noticed anything. “Sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry,” Bobby said, eyes darting left and right before he reached up with a hand, cupping Dan’s cheek briefly. “I’d hoped you’d kiss me in the elevator.”

“Now I’m sorry I didn’t,” Dan said breathlessly, his panic giving away to disbelief. Bobby wanted a kiss from him. His heart was still pounding but he had a feeling it was from something other than the panic. More to do with the way Bobby was looking at him, hands still on Dan’s arms, reluctant to let go. “Come find me?”

Bobby nodded, head jerking forward a little like he wanted to return the kiss, but he aborted it, instead stared over his shoulder to where Kayla was gesturing at the phone in Katarina’s hand. “I have to finish up here and then I’ll be back at the house.”

Dan’s throat was dry, and he could already feel apprehension building about meeting Bobby later, but he was too elated to give it credence. He didn’t know if he’d ever have this chance again and he wasn’t about to screw it up just because he was panicking a little. “See you then.”