Love On the Rink

Chapter 7: Finale :)

[SCHLATTS POV]

"Nah.. I'm not scared.." he let's out. I look down at him, and I can see in his eyes that he is worried. Scared. We have a high chance of being knocked out of the playoffs. Our coach is praying that we'd win this, and if we let him down.. it would be devastating.

I gulp, slowly realizing the situation we'd put ourselves in. I place my free hand over his back, and I pull him into a side hug, walking us up into the Rink. I nod. "You know.. we made it this far.. we're tired.. but there's no way where gonna give up. We can do it."

As I stepped into the grand arena, my heart raced with anticipation. It was the final round of the playoffs, and the atmosphere was electric and greatly amplified. The stands were packed with fans of each team, every seat filled with eager fans donning their team's colors. The deafening roar of the crowd resonated through my body, fueling my excitement even further.

But amidst the sea of cheering supporters, my mind was focused on one person: Wilbur. He lay in the opposing team's locker room, unaware of the inner turmoil I was experiencing. The thought of seeing him, even for a fleeting moment, tugged at my heartstrings. Yet, I knew that now was not the time. The game was about to begin, and I had a duty to my team.

As I made my way towards our locker room, the energy in the air was palpable. My teammates were buzzing with enthusiasm, their laughter and camaraderie filling the room. The scent of sweat and anticipation hung in the air, blending with the pregame rituals that had become second nature to us.

But beneath the mask of excitement, a quiet struggle waged within me. I wanted nothing more than to see Wilbur happy, to witness him lifting the Stanley Cup in triumph. Winning had always been our shared dream, our common thread. If I had to sacrifice that dream for his sake, I was willing to do so.

In the moments before the game, I fought the urge to slip away and visit Wilbur in the other locker room. I yearned to see his smile, to feel his touch. But a voice of reason prevailed within me, reminding me of my commitment to my own team, my duty to the game.

As the puck dropped and the game unfolded, I found myself torn between conflicting desires. Every fiber of my being wanted to play my best, to push the limits of my skills and contribute to the team's success. But an equal part of me whispered that it was okay to hold back, to give Wilbur an advantage, to let him shine.

I was up face to face in the face off with Wilbur, and the eye contact that we had was strong, fierce but oddly loving.. the puck w a dropped and instead of pulling the puck between my legs, I 'accidentally' lose my balance and shove the puck between Wilburs legs. For the split second I could see him stare into my eyes.. It was odd.. it was loving, but shocked and disapproving. I immediately skated off having a hard time looking into his eyes.

Throughout the game, I skated with a delicate balance, occasionally pulling my punches, missing shots deliberately, or giving away penalties. I strived to give Wilbur the chance to excel, to make him feel the rush of victory. And as he scored goal after goal, I couldn't help but feel a mixture of joy and bittersweet pride. It was worth it, seeing him happy, even if it meant sacrificing my own ambitions. As well as having Charlie go off on me, by having an idea of what exactly I was doing. I could tell my team was fucking pissed.. but nothing would beat the happy smile and giggle I would receive from Wilbur..

With each passing minute, the game drew closer to its conclusion. And as the final buzzer sounded, my team had lost. The disappointment stung, but it was overshadowed by the genuine happiness I felt for Wilbur. He had won the Stanley Cup, achieved his lifelong dream, and I had played a small part in that triumph, which made me happy. I yearned for this. I needed to see him happy and smile..

But something confused me.. I didn't understand what was going on until I felt arms wrap around me with a huge force.

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[POV CHANGE - WILBUR]

he played it easy for me during the game. He wanted us to win, and make us happy. This utterly SHOCKED me. I would think that he would want his team to win over my own with how strong of a ego this man seemed to have. When the game was over he was being beaten up by words from everyone.. and I couldn't stand seeing that. After everything he did for our team? There wasn't no way I was accepting that.. I find myself adding pressure on the angle of my skate that caused momentum through my body.. slowly and slowly I started to gain speed and momentum before jumping up and throwing my body into his for a long and tight hug. My arms wrap around the man's shoulders, and I hold him closer to me. He didn't seem to see this coming, and we ended up falling down on the ice with an auditable loud groan from the both of us.

"Y-you didn't have to.. do that you know.." I'd mutter out hearing loud yells and angry skating coming up to the two of us. By now, both of our teams where utterly pissed off at the both of our interactions.. and I hadn't noticed Punz go around me. He was pissed.

Me and Punz tried to date, but it didn't go as planned. He wasn't the one for me, and he was way too sexually active. It scared me a bit actually. And by the goalie seeing me like this with another member, I'm guessing he couldn't hold back. He brought up his foot and rammed his skate into Schlatt's visor, which ended up cracking it with the speed and power that came from it.

Schaltt howled in pain as blood splattered over his face. My eyes widened huge.. Punz went to go for a second before team mates went after him breaking it up. Schlatt tightened his grip around me as he started to sob in my arms. The cut wasn't deep at all. It could easily be fixed with a few stitches.. I hope..

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[POV CHANGE - SCHLATT]

As I made my way to the locker room, exhaustion weighed heavily on me. My face stung with the fresh slice on my face, but no one showed mercy or any empathy for my state. There was a sense of contentment, knowing that I had done what I believed was right, even if i got a skate to the face for it. I had put Wilbur's happiness above all else, and in doing so, I had experienced a different kind of victory.

The paramedics surrounded me and put some of the stitches against my nose and cheek, making me whimper and whine the entire time. Nobody cared, and if at all, we only got yelled at. 'We' wasn't a good word for it. I got yelled at. Scorned. I swear I would've been beaten if the paramedics weren't here. This made me feel like shit.. but you know.. at least Wilbur was happy. I close my eyes and eat my head rest on the glass casing behind me, as well as my sweaty jersey.

Love, sacrifice, and the pursuit of happiness. They intertwined on that ice, forever shaping the course of my life. And as I removed my gear and walked away from the arena, I knew that no matter the outcome, the memory of that night would forever be etched in my heart.