World Juniors went by quickly. Canada did much better. They won a silver this year, and Dylan was good with that.
Silver was an actual medal, that's why.
January was a busy month for Dylan. Well, not really, he just had to remember three birthdays and that was kind of difficult for him.
Matt was first. It was his eighteen so it was a big deal. Dylan posted something nice for his baby brother on Instagram. He couldn't wait to be tagged in the photo he used by a bunch of random people online that would repost it.
Next was Connor's. Dylan couldn't really do much for that.
Besides make old jokes since he was turning 20.
Connor laughed with him over FaceTime. He was on a road trip so Dylan didn't get to see Alli as well. Connor and Dylan talked for hours until they fell asleep on the phone. Dylan needed that sometimes.
Kennedy was spending the last week of January with Dylan for her reading week. The last week of the month happened to be when Allison's birthday fell. Dylan and Kennedy decided to get some well needed FaceTime with her.
But her birthday wasn't going that well.
She didn't tell them that, but Dylan could tell when he called her and she didn't seem absolutely thrilled to talk to him. He could also see that her eyes were red like she had been crying. Kennedy could also tell and she had known Allison for a small amount of time. But Kennedy could tell why more.
"How's it going?" Dylan gave her a small smile.
Alli shrugged. "I'm just not having a great day."
"Are you like pmsing?" Dylan frowned.
Kennedy shook her head. "Did something happen with Connor?"
Alli's bottom lip quivered as she nodded, then burst into tears. Dylan felt heartbroken. Why would Connor make her cry on her birthday? He loved Alli, that was so not him.
Dylan shook his head. He grabbed Kennedy's phone, typed in her password, then ended the call with Alli on his phone. Kennedy stared at him in confusion until he called Alli from her phone. He stood up and walked out of his room.
"Sorry, I think he went to call Connor." Kennedy explained as she sat up. "What's going on?"
"He's just been so hard on himself lately, and he's been so upset, and we just haven't spent much time together. He just trains, and trains, and then comes home and sleeps. He's breaking my heart." Allison cried to Kennedy. "I want to help him but I don't know how."
Dylan actually teared up when he heard that through the door. He let his FaceTime ring while he waited for Connor to answer. Connor answered and had obviously been sleeping... He was sleeping while his girlfriend was crying in the living room, on her birthday. Dylan was mad.
"I'm so upset with you." Dylan said before he could get a word in.
"What did I do?" Connor's brows furrowed as he sat up.
"It's Alli's birthday and she's out there crying because of you!" Dylan exclaimed.
Connor muttered a curse before there was shuffling. Dylan noticed him walking towards the bedroom door.
"Wait, she's venting to Kennedy." Dylan stopped him. "Look, I know how hard you are on yourself, but you don't have to be anymore, Davo. You made it! You're in the big leagues! Give yourself a break."
"It's hard to stop working to get where you want to be." Connor sighed. "I worked so hard for so long to be the best that it's just, it's a part of me."
They talked some more. Mainly about old memories when it wasn't this stressful for Connor. Dylan told his favourite story, which was secretly Connor's too, besides some minor details.
It was the night Connor had broke his hand. They both remembered it vividly. Dylan felt sick as he watched Connor go down the hall. Dylan had to keep playing and that killed him.
As soon as the game ended, Dylan ran to the team doctor's office without taking off a piece of equipment. He saw Connor sitting on the bed, crying. He looked up at Dylan and just broke down, crying even harder.
Dylan walked over and sat down beside him. He didn't say anything at first, he just wrapped his arm around Connor. Connor rested his head on Dylan's shoulder as he sniffed. Connor was so vulnerable at that moment. That was one of the only times Dylan had ever seen Connor vulnerable.
"Don't punch the goddamn glass, Davo." Dylan teased, keeping his voice as light as he could since Connor was vibrating, like he was about to shatter right there. "You're sure as hell not going to draw a penalty against the glass."
Connor sat up and looked at Dylan. He blinked in silence for a long moment before his mouth twisted into what was almost a smile. He groaned and looked up at the ceiling like he was asking for intervention from above. He coughed out a laugh, and shook his head.
"We get bench minors. Why not glass minors?" Connor smirked.
"Don't punch the fucking bench, either." Dylan smiled, wrapping his arm around Connor again.
That was Dylan's fondest memory of him and Connor because it taught Dylan that Connor really was only human. This robot he had made his best friend had feelings, and he expressed those feelings, and it made Dylan think it was okay for him to do the same.
"You know why that's my favourite Otter memory?" Dylan asked.
"Because I'm an ugly crier?" Connor laughed.
"No, because I was there for you, for once." Dylan told him. "You needed someone for a change, and I got to be that someone. I got to give back to you what you always did for me."
"I'd do that for you anyday, Stromer. You're my best friend." Connor gave Dylan his famous lopsided grin.
"Same goes for you. Now go give Alli the best birthday of her life, alright?" Dylan grinned.
"I will. I love you, Dyl." Connor stated.
"I love you too, Connie." Dylan beamed before he hung up.
Dylan went back into his room just in time to hear Connor apologizing to Alli and consoling her. She thanked Kennedy, and then Dylan, before she hung up. Kennedy sighed and smiled at Dylan, who just grabbed her face and kissed her.
He plopped down on his bed and she laid next to him. He wrapped his arm around her while she cuddled into his side. He smiled, then started absentmindedly playing with her hair.
She started talking about something, but Dylan wasn't listening. He felt bad. He felt like Connor was going through all this and Dylan was barely doing anything for him. Compared to the way Connor had helped Dylan, it was nothing. He felt like shit.
"D?" Kennedy's voice broke his thoughts. "Everything okay up there?" She giggled as she ruffled his hair.
"No." He said, bluntly. "Why am I a terrible person?"
Her face twisted. "Why are you saying this?"
"Connor is going through a really shitty time, and I'm doing nothing for him. He's going through bad times and I'm not helping him in the slightest way compared to how he helped me." He hissed.
"Baby, there's nothing you really can do. His bad times are just a bad streak in hockey, which is beyond your control." She rubbed his chest.
He shook his head and stood up. "You don't get it, Ken. He's done so much for me, and I'm fucking useless to him."
"Beating yourself up isn't gonna help Connor. You've done all you can." She sighed, sitting up.
"No, I haven't!" He hollered. Her brows rose. "You don't fucking understand that this is worse than it needs to be, and it's my fault since I can't help him!"
Kennedy just nodded as she flipped the covers off of her. "You're right." She said as she stood up. "Figure this out on your own since I'm just talking out of my asshole, apparently."
She started to pack up her things. Dylan let out a sigh and walked over to her.
"Kennedy, I'm sorry." He rubbed her shoulder.
She dipped out of his grip. "I'm gonna go home. You figure yourself out." She spat before she swung her bag over her shoulder and walked out.
Dylan sat on his bed and growled. He needed to fix this majorly.