Just M's shit @msshitposts - Tumblr Blog

The Rookie vs The Legend: Chapter 9: Montreal Part 2

Summary:

Valentine's Day skating date? HELL YES!

Notes:

HELLO!!!! I didn't forget you. I was moving to my new apartment and moving to a brand new house by your own it's tricky and busy from the minute you open your eyes. BUT I'M BACK! Somehow this two dorks managed to have a lovely unplanned date for Valentine's Day... some smut too (the ******** mark the scene in case you want to skip it)

Chapter 9: Montreal Part 2

The next morning Dan woke up alone in his bed. He opened his eyes slowly, the bed was cold and the room was quiet. Too quiet. For a split second, his chest tightened with confusion, the kind that only existed in those first few waking moments where nothing felt entirely real yet. He blinked up at the ceiling, listening carefully.

Nothing. No shower, no telly, no movement.

Dan pushed himself up slightly, running a hand through his curls, still messy from sleep. The flat felt oddly large all of a sudden, the silence stretching across the rooms in a way he wasn’t expecting. Then a faint clatter in the distance. Metal against ceramic… The kitchen. Dan let out a quiet breath he hadn’t realised he’d been holding.

Phil was still here. Not a dream and not a late-night Skype call he’d fallen asleep during. He was actually here, well… somewhere in the kitchen. Dan dragged himself out of bed, still half asleep. The cold floor woke him up properly as he moved toward the living area, following the smell before he even fully processed it.

Something sweet, coffee and… Bacon? Dan frowned slightly as he rounded the corner into the kitchen. Had he bought bacon?

Dan stopped entirely when he got to the living room. Phil stood at the stove with his back half turned, he was wearing a white shirt that said "Captain America" in black comic-style letters. One hand holding a spatula while the other reached for a mug beside him. The kitchen looked mildly disastrous around him. Two cabinet doors open, fruit already cut up on the counter, syrup left out beside a stack of pancakes, and somehow every surface was occupied.

But that wasn’t what made Dan stare. It was the glasses. Thin black frames sitting low on Phil’s nose while he squinted slightly at whatever he was doing on the stove. Dan blinked. Phil wore glasses? How had he not known that?

Like sensing him there, Phil glanced over his shoulder.

“Oh. Morning.” Dan kept staring and Phil noticed immediately. “…What?” “You wear glasses?” Phil looked genuinely confused for a second before touching them instinctively. “These?” “Yes, these.” Phil snorted softly. “Bit dramatic.” “How do I know you for months and only now discover you wear glasses?” Phil turned back toward the stove. “I used to wear contacts but I had a surgery a few years ago because playing hockey with contacts it’s not that save… but I do wear glasses for reading or watching tv or play games for long hours” “Why are you wearing them while cooking?” “Oh! I woke up a few hours ago so I checked a few emails I had pending” “That feels like information I should’ve had… you wearing glasses, not the emails thing” “Why?” Dan stepped further into the kitchen, still staring a bit. “I don’t know,” he muttered honestly. “Feels important.” Phil laughed quietly under his breath at that. “Really?” “Kinda” Dan leaned against the counter, taking the scene in properly now.

The breakfast looked absurd. Pancakes stacked slightly unevenly on a plate, scrambled eggs, bacon, cut fruit, mugs of hot chocolate already steaming softly beside the coffee Phil had apparently also made. It looked less like breakfast and more like the buffet section of a hotel trying to impress people.

Dan folded his arms. “What’s all this?” Phil glanced at him again. “Breakfast.” “This is breakfast for twelve people.” “You said I needed feeding.” “I did not say that.” “You implied it.” Dan shook his head slowly, unable to stop smiling. The glasses were making this significantly worse somehow, or better. Definitely better. Phil pointed the spatula at him slightly. “You’re staring again.” “You’re wearing glasses.” “Yes, Dan, there’s people in the world that can’t see for free” “You look…” Fuckable. Dan wanted to say Phil raised an eyebrow. “I look what?” Dan’s mouth twitched. “…Like an emo sexy nerd” Phil barked out a surprised laugh at that, shaking his head as he turned the stove off. “That was horrific.” “You liked it.” “Maybe… A little bit.”

Dan pushed off the counter and wandered closer, stopping beside him near the stove. Up close the glasses somehow softened Phil even more, especially mixed with the morning voice and the ridiculous domesticity of the entire situation.

Dan looked down at the pancakes. “You actually cooked.” Phil nudged his shoulder lightly. “I can do things, you know.” “I thought you survived entirely on cereal.” “That’s slander.” Dan hummed thoughtfully. “Not inaccurate, though.” Phil rolled his eyes before reaching for one of the mugs and handing it to him. “Hot chocolate.” Dan took it automatically, their fingers brushing briefly. Warm. Everything felt warm. Phil leaned back slightly against the counter then, looking at him over the rim of his own mug. “You sleep like you’ve been sedated, by the way.” Dan narrowed his eyes. “I was tired.” “You didn’t move once.” “That’s because unlike you, I don’t fight invisible demons in my sleep.” Phil looked offended. “I do not.” “You absolutely do.” “I was comfortable.” The way he said it made something in Dan’s chest pull tight unexpectedly. Comfortable. Like this was already becoming normal. Dan took a sip of the hot chocolate mostly to avoid reacting too visibly but Phil noticed anyway. A small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. “A penny for your thoughts?" Dan glanced at him over the mug. “You just look very nice in my kitchen.” Phil’s expression softened immediately into something dangerously fond. “Well,” he said lightly, “good thing I’m staying awhile then.” Phil moved Dan’s mug away from his face and leaned forward to give Dan a small kiss on the lips “Morning, by the way” “Morning” Dan kissed him again before Phil could pull away properly, shorter this time, sleepy and warm. When he finally stepped back, his eyes flicked immediately toward the glasses again. Phil noticed immediately. “Oh no.” “Oh yes.” Dan pointed at his face. “Those are staying on.” Phil laughed softly. “You’re weirdly obsessed with them.” “They suit you.” “They help me answer emails.” “That too.” Phil shook his head, smiling into his mug. “You’re impossible.” “And yet,” Dan murmured, stepping closer again just to steal another quick kiss, “you’re still wearing them, while cooking.”

The rest of the day slipped by with surprising ease. It became quickly obvious that living around Phil was… simple. Not effortless exactly, Phil still left cabinet doors open like he was legally obligated to never close one properly, and Dan followed behind him shutting them with increasing levels of disbelief, but easy in a way Dan hadn’t expected. Comfortable even.

By midday they’d settled back into the sofa with Final Fantasy again, the paused save file waiting for them. Phil sat cross-legged beside him, glasses still on despite Dan’s increasingly smug satisfaction about it.

“You know,” Dan said while handing him the controller, “I think they’re helping your gameplay.” Phil snorted. “They are not gaming glasses.” “You don’t know that.” “I literally do.” Dan leaned sideways into the sofa cushions, watching Phil more than the game itself. “Well, keep them on anyway.” Phil glanced at him briefly over the top of the frames. “That sounded suspiciously like an order.” “Maybe I’m bossy today” Phil nearly missed an item. “You’re a menace.” Dan looked unbearably pleased with himself. “And yet you’re blushing again.” “I hate you.” “No what you said last night” Phil sighed dramatically. “Right” he admitted quietly, eyes drifting back toward the screen, “I really said I liked you” Something warm settled in Dan’s chest again at the honesty of it, but he knew everything about this week already felt dangerous and cosy.

They eventually abandoned the game when the Olympic hockey coverage started. The women’s tournament had begun that afternoon and Canada’s opening match against Slovakia was about to start. Dan switched channels while Phil disappeared briefly into the kitchen for drinks, returning with two mugs of tea this time instead of hot chocolate.

“Very domestic of us,” Phil murmured as he handed one over before settling back into the sofa beside him. Dan smirked slightly. “You made pancakes this morning.” “And?” “You can’t accuse us of being domestic after that performance. You started it all” Phil rolled his eyes but didn’t argue.

The anthem finished playing on the television and both of them quieted slightly as the game finally started. At first Phil sat normally enough, shoulder pressed lightly against Dan’s, one hand absentmindedly playing with the sleeve of Dan’s hoodie he was wearing while they watched the opening shifts.

Then a defensive breakdown happened onscreen. Phil straightened immediately. “No, no, no! Why’s she drifting that far up?” Dan blinked slightly. Phil leaned forward now, elbows on his knees. “That leaves the middle completely exposed.” Another play developed almost immediately after. “There,” Phil muttered, pointing lightly toward the screen. “The winger’s too slow getting back. Canada’s going to exploit that all night.”

Dan stared at him for a second. Not because the comments were surprising, because Phil had changed completely. His voice was sharper now. His eyes focused while they tracked the puck obsessively, analysing positioning mistakes before the commentators even mentioned them.

“They need to stop collapsing so low defensively,” Phil continued. “They’re giving Canada far too much space high in the zone.” Dan smiled faintly into his tea. “You sound stressed.” “I’m not stressed.” “You look like you’re about to start coaching through the telly.” Phil ignored him entirely. “That defensive pair keeps getting trapped behind the net… And honestly Canada’s transition game is ridiculous.”

Dan couldn’t stop watching him. There was something fascinating about this version of Phil. Not the soft version cooking in his kitchen. Not the teasing and flirty guy version. He went into full Captain mode. This was the version of him that led Boston. The one who saw the ice three steps ahead of everyone else. Calm but intensely observant, quietly dissecting systems and positioning like second nature.

Phil suddenly pointed toward the screen again as Canada entered the offensive zone. “See? That’s clever. Weak-side support comes late so the defenders shift too early and suddenly there’s space through the centre.” Dan was barely watching the actual game anymore. “You know this is incredibly attractive, right?” Phil turned slowly toward him. “…Me criticising Olympic hockey?” “Yes.” “That’s… weird” Dan shrugged lightly. “Can’t help it.” Phil tried to look unimpressed, but the corners of his mouth betrayed him almost instantly. “You’re ridiculous.” “And you’re wearing glasses while explaining defensive hockey systems to me.” “You’re not even watching the game” Dan smiled softly. “You’re way more attractive”

Phil rolled his eyes again, but this time he leaned sideways until his shoulder pressed fully against Dan’s. Neither of them moved away after that and for the rest of the match, Dan spent almost as much time watching Phil as he did the hockey itself.

By the end of the match, Dan genuinely couldn’t have explained what had happened in the third period. Canada had apparently destroyed Slovakia with 18 goals to 0, the commentators sounded very enthusiastic about it, and Phil had spent the last twenty minutes explaining why Canada’s neutral zone pressure was terrifying.

That was about the extent of what Dan retained. Because Phil was still sitting there in those bloody glasses, sleeves pushed up slightly, completely focused on the game while casually analysing Olympic hockey like it was the easiest and most fascinating thing in the world. And Dan was having a serious problem with it.

“The Canada Team overcommitted” Phil muttered toward the screen at the end of the game. “Against stronger teams that’ll punish them later. They exerted themselves tremendously physically” Dan hummed absently. Phil glanced sideways. “You’re not listening to me anymore. Are you?” “I am.” “You’ve had the same expression for ten minutes.” Dan shifted slightly on the sofa, turning more toward him. “What expression?” Phil looked him up and down briefly. “The one where you look like you want to eat me” That made Dan laugh softly. “True” “I’m serious.” Phil narrowed his eyes slightly behind the glasses. “You’ve barely looked at the telly since the second period.” Dan didn’t even try to deny it. “That’s because you’re distracting.” Phil snorted quietly. “I’m literally talking about defensive structures.” “Exactly.” Phil blinked once, clearly trying not to smile. “I still don’t get it. All Captains do that” “Not all hockey Captains are in my flat, cooking for me and giving me amazing blowjobs” Dan leaned further into the sofa cushions, his knee pressing more firmly against Phil’s side now. “Hopefully it’s just me” “You know what the problem is?” Dan pulled up Phil's hoodie slightly, giving him room to slip his hand under Phil's shirt and run it along one of his sides. Phil swallowed “I suspect you’re about to tell me.” “You keep doing attractive things without warning.” Phil barked out a surprised laugh at that. “Analysing hockey is attractive now?” Dan leaned closer to Phil’s ear to whisper “Like you have no idea, and the glasses aren’t helping.” “They're just glasses” Dan kept whispering in Phil’s ear while his hand traced Phil’s abs “And the captain thing…” Phil covered part of his face with one hand immediately. “There’s no captain thing.” “There absolutely is.” Phil turned to face Dan “You’re inventing personalities for me.” Dan shook his head slowly. “I’m discovering them.” Phil looked at his lips and Dan called the victory, his eyes getting darker. Dan felt his stomach twist slightly.

“You’re staring,” Phil murmured quietly against his lips “Can you blame me?” Phil’s eyes flicked briefly toward Dan’s mouth again before returning upward while he bit his bottom lip. That tiny movement nearly killed him. “The thing is you are just staring at me and your hand is not doing enough” Dan shifted closer instinctively, one arm stretching along the back of the sofa behind Phil now. “You know,” he said softly, “I haven’t heard a single thing you’ve said for at least half an hour.” Phil smiled faintly. “That explains a lot actually.” “I’m serious.” “I know.”

The room had gone strangely quiet around them. The broadcast of the match had ended at some point, advertisements in the background, but neither of them paid attention anymore. Dan’s gaze dropped briefly to Phil’s mouth and then back up.

“You’ve got that look again,” Phil said quietly. “What look?” “Like you’re thinking something dangerous.” Dan’s mouth curved slightly. “Maybe I am.” Phil held his gaze for a second longer than necessary. “That usually ends badly for me.” Dan leaned in just enough for their noses to brush. “Liar” Phil exhaled slowly. His hand came up almost absentmindedly, fingers brushing lightly against Dan’s wrist where it rested under the hoodie. The touch was small but still enough to make Dan’s chest tighten immediately. “I have a question” “You’re trouble,” Phil murmured. “But let’s see what the question is” Dan smiled against the small distance between them, he felt a little shy “Can I fuck you?” Phil closed his eyes and exhale, when he opened his eyes again the blue on his eyes was almost gone “Thought you’d never ask” Dan jumped up from the sofa and grabbed Phil's hand to lead him along. “Bed. Now” “You are definitely in a bossy mood today”

Dan practically ran with Phil through the living room and the hallway that led to the bedroom. When they arrived, Dan left Phil in the middle of the room while he stormed around like a hurricane. He grabbed a towel that had been discarded on a chair near the window and spread it out on the bed, then opened the drawer of his nightstand and took out a small bottle that was clearly lubricant, and then ran to a drawer in the closet where Phil knew he kept his underwear and saw him take out a square aluminum foil package.

Dan turned around quickly and showed it to him between his index and middle fingers. The question was clear “I’m clean and I have kept my promise of this being just the two of us. If you wanna use it, it's totally fine too.” “C’mere” Dan walked with the package in his hand as casually as he could. Which probably would’ve worked better if his heart wasn’t trying to punch through his ribs.

Phil stayed where Dan had left him in the middle of the room, watching him pace around before finally sitting down at the edge of the bed. His elbows rested loosely on his knees, head tilted slightly upward to keep looking at Dan where he still stood in front of him.

That height difference suddenly felt unfamiliar, but welcomed. Now Dan was standing there while Phil looked up at him through slightly messy hair, expression soft and patient in a way that immediately made every coherent thought in Dan’s head dissolve.

And then Phil reached for him. Not enough to pull him down yet. Just fingertips brushing lightly against the inside of Dan’s wrist, right below where he still held the packet between his fingers.

“Hey,” Phil murmured quietly. That alone nearly melted him. Dan swallowed hard, suddenly very aware of how warm his face felt. Any lingering nervousness he’d had disappeared almost instantly under Phil’s voice. Under the way he looked at him like this mattered. Like he mattered. Phil’s thumb brushed slowly over his wrist. “You know,” he said softly, “you don’t have to look so terrified.” “I’m not” “You’re shaking a little.” Dan let out a quiet breath of a laugh. “Not the right feeling” That finally earned him a small smile.

That stupidly fond expression that made Dan feel like his organs had turned into soup. Phil’s hand slid more firmly around his wrist now, gently encouraging him a step closer until Dan stood directly between his knees. Phil looked up at him for a second longer than necessary and Dan genuinely forgot how to breathe properly.

“I meant what I said,” Phil whispered. “Back in the hotel room”

Dan’s chest tightened immediately. About this being just them. About wanting him. About all of it. No games, no pretending, no rivalry hiding behind it. Just them and Phil choosing him over and over again in all these small terrifying ways. Dan looked down at him and realised with sudden horrifying clarity that if Phil asked for absolutely anything right now, he would probably give it to him without hesitation. Which felt dangerous and a little embarrassing.

Phil’s eyes flicked briefly toward the packet still trapped between Dan’s fingers before looking back up at him again.

“You still with me?” Dan nodded immediately. He knew Phil was not talking about the space they were in, it was about them. “Yeah.” His voice came out quieter than expected. “Yeah, I’m here.” Phil’s hands slid slowly from his wrist to his hips instead, warm and grounding, fingertips pressing lightly through the fabric of Dan’s shirt. “Good.”

That single word hit Dan harder than it should have. Because somehow, standing here between Phil’s knees while being looked at like this, already felt less like something temporary and more like somewhere he belonged. Dan tossed the foil packet at the foot of the bed and sat on Phil's lap, his legs straddling Phil. After spending the whole day just watching him, he finally kissed him the way he wanted. At first, the kiss was slow, exploring him, conveying what he couldn't say with words.

**********************

They separated slightly and both opened their eyes at the same time. Phil gripped Dan's waist tighter to pull him closer, and Dan cupped Phil's face to kiss him again, this time making sure to let him know how much he wanted them to continue sharing intimate moments together. With a few touches of his tongue to Phil's lips, he deepened the contact.

Phil slowly lowered himself onto the bed, pulling Dan down with him. Dan felt the need to get closer to Phil, even when there was nothing between them except for their clothes. And no matter how good Phil looked in his hoodie, he needed to feel his skin with his own.

Dan began to slide his hand down the top of the hoodie until he reached the edge. There, he slipped his hand back under the layers of fabric, this time not just to touch it but to push the hoodie up. He realized Phil was doing the same thing, so he decided to break the kiss, sit down again, and help Phil sit down as well.

Dan pulled the edge of the hoodie “Off” Phil didn’t hesitate. He removed the hoodie and his shirt, but he struggled a little with his glasses. “You know these things are not practical, right?” Dan removed his shirt as fast as he could. “I don’t care about practicality. The sexy emo look stays” “Okay” Dan got out of bed and took off the rest of his clothes, Phil followed him immediately. Without warning, Dan settled himself with his head on the pillows, and Phil looked at him with a bit of surprise. Dan offered him a hand before speaking “C’mere” Dan took Phil's hand and helped him settle down next to him. “I've been thinking about something all day. I know we talked a while ago about how scoring a goal with my backhand would have… certain benefits, but today I want to try something different if you want to too.” Phil approached Dan to give him little kisses on the face “I’m listening” Dan took advantage of the position to hide a little in Phil's neck and whisper directly into his ear. “I want you to ride me” Phil paused the kisses he was giving Dan on the face to look at him, completely surprised. “You sure?” “I can’t keep the image out of my head, so… please?” “And you say that I'm the one who does things without warning, now I also have that image in my head and I definitely want to do it”

Dan released the breath he'd been holding and smiled slightly. He could see Phil's pupils dilate again, and in seconds he was kissing him with the same force as before. Phil pushed him down so he was beneath him. As Phil settled on top, their bodies pressed together, and Dan couldn't help but let out a sound that was a mixture of a whimper and a moan. He had been waiting for that type of contact all day. He grabbed Phil’s ass with his hands to press him further. Phil made a circular motion with his hips, which caused both their cocks to brush against each other.

Phil separated their lips to press his forehead to Dan’s temple “Fuck. Your fingers in me, now” “Brat, let's see how long it lasts” Dan began reaching for the bottle of lube he had thrown on the bed earlier as his hips thrusted upward to meet Phil’s.

As Dan searched for Phil's mouth to kiss him again, his left hand located the small bottle and expertly opened the cap. Dan took Phil's leg, which was between his own, and positioned it so that each leg was on either side of his hip. Phil understood what Dan wanted, so he drew his knees up slightly to be more exposed. The new position allowed Dan to turn the bottle over and pour some of the lubricant near Phil's entrance.He threw the bottle back into the mattress while he allowed the lubricant to run between Phil’s ass.

He broke the kiss for a moment “Phil?” he had his eyes closed and his breathing was heavy “Can you look at me?” Dan gently stroked Phil's thigh back and forth Phil slowly opened his eyes. He licked his red, swollen lips and pressed his forehead against Dan's. "I'm here," his voice sounded deep and, paradoxically, broken. “Keep your eyes on mine” Dan said softly as he moved his hand to caress Phil’s ass while reaching out to where the lube was.

Phil blinked rapidly as he felt Dan's fingers scoop up the lubricant and swirl it around the entrance. As Phil took a breath, Dan seized the opportunity to insert the tip of his middle finger and was surprised when Phil pushed back on it. And only that move encouraged him to do it again, just pushing his finger a little deeper. Dan repeated the movement a few times, each time going deeper, until he found the spot that made Phil moan in his mouth while he melted in his arms.

"More," Phil said to Dan’s ear, his voice cracking, sounding almost like a plea.

And just to be sure, Dan pulled his finger almost completely out and then pushed it back in with more determination. When he reached the bundle of nerves, Phil exhaled sharply before making a sound very much like "more," but without it coming out as a coherent word. Dan pulled his finger out completely, causing Phil to let out a groan.

“It’s ok, Just grabbing more lube. Don’t wanna hurt you”

Dan used his right hand to stroke Phil's back while with his left he picked up the bottle again and poured more of the liquid over Phil, caressing him while making sure his fingers were coated. Without much warning, and taking advantage of the space he had gained from his initial intrusion, he pushed his middle and index fingers in.

He was rewarded with Phil opening his mouth and throwing his head back, whatever word planned to go out stuck on his exposed throat. Dan kept fucking him with his fingers, and unable to resist Phil's exposed neck, he pulled him towards him and began kissing him forcefully at the point where his pulse could be felt fiercely, then ran his tongue over it and then moved towards his collarbone to suck a red mark on the pale skin.

"Can I put my other finger in?" Dan said, though it sounded more like a plea, as he adjusted Phil's glasses on the bridge of his nose. "Yes! Fuck, yes! Please" Phil said, almost shouting as he pushed his hips back each time matching Dan’s rhythm.

Dan wasted no time and inserted his third finger into Phil, pushing in as deep as possible and moving them around, ensuring Phil would be ready to receive him in a few moments. The tips of his fingers hit the perfect spot that sent Phil into a whimpering mess. Phil sat on Dan's lap, positioning one hand beside Dan's head and the other against the headboard.

“I’m ready! I swear to God I’m ready” Phil said while throwing his head once again his head back due to the new angle of Dan’s fingers.

Dan took out his fingers and grabbed the bottle of lube once again to coat his hard cock with it. He gave it a few strokes and placed the leaking head on Phil’s entrance. Once the tip was already inside, Dan grabbed Phil’s hips, he wanted him to have full control on his initial motions. And once again Phil surprised him by pushing himself until he was sitting on his lap.

“Shit, you feel amazing around me” Dan gripped Phil's hip tightly to keep him still for a few seconds “You feel amazing inside me. Now let me move” “And you say I’m bossy”

Dan wasn't going to let Phil be told twice. He planted his feet on the bed, lifted Phil slightly off his lap, and thrusted hard upward as Phil pushed back down. A groan escaped them both, and Dan grabbed Phil's neck, kissing him fiercely as they moved. They had to break the kiss to breathe, though Phil kept his forehead pressed against Dan's, their noses touching each other's cheekbones, their lips barely brushing with every breath and moan.

Dan kept thrusting up to meet Phil’s hips. His hands grabbed Phil strong enough to leave marks on his hips. He could hear the headboard hitting the wall every time he pushed inside Phil. Dan knew he was close but he wanted Phil to come undone first. He grabbed Phil’s hard cock on his hand, then ran his fingers in circles on the head, making sure he used the pre-cum and some of the remaining lube on his hand to help him smooth his movements along him.

“Dan?” Phil asked softly against Dan's lips. “Phil” Dan knew his voice sounded wrecked “Can I come?”

When Dan heard Phil pleading, he met his gaze and saw not only desire but a moment of utter vulnerability in his eyes behind the black frames of his glasses. The hockey player, the team captain, wasn't there; it was just Phil, looking completely broken, young, with his wet, disheveled black hair, asking for something so simple that Dan wanted to make him feel like he was in heaven.

When he was sure Phil wasn't going to look away, he coordinated his hand movement with the movement of his hip. “Let me hear you”

The combination of words and their movements brought Phil to the edge. Dan thrusted into his prostate twice in quick succession, hard enough to hear Phil’s groans as he called his name. His hand and stomach were covered with his orgasm. A string of curses escaped Phil’s mouth, and with another couple of thrusts, Dan came inside him as Phil’s muscles contracted around him.

Phil collapsed onto Dan, his arms letting the headboard go and his forehead resting on Dan's shoulder. Their breaths were heavy and fast. Dan's hand, which had been gripping Phil's hip, gently stroked his head, carefully removing his glasses and placing them on the other side of the bed.

*********************

The flat stayed quiet afterwards. Not awkward quiet, it was peacefully quiet. The kind that settled after too much emotion, warm and slow around both of them. Dan laid there for a minute catching his breath while Phil rested against him, one arm lazily draped across his waist. Montreal’s winter light filtered faintly through the curtains, soft blue-grey against the room.

Neither of them spoke at first. Phil was the one who finally broke the silence, voice rough with exhaustion.

“I’m starving.” Dan laughed quietly into the pillow. “Romantic.” “I’m serious.” “Let me get my dick out of you and then we can think about food” Phil lifted his head just enough to glare at him tiredly. “That sounded significantly worse out loud.” Dan grinned immediately. “Yeah, probably.” Phil propped himself up on his hands again to give Dan room to take his cock out of him. A final groan filled the room and Phil slumped down onto the bed with a thud. “I hate you.” “No, you loved it. You want to do it more” “True” Phil admitted after a beat, eyes already drifting shut again, “but my knees are damaged forever” Dan stayed watching him for another second before carefully untangling himself from Phil. “Come on,” he murmured. “Let’s take a shower and then we can eat something” “Is the shower necessary?” “Hell yes. We are a mess” Dan pushed himself out of bed but Phil remained there

Phil eventually followed him out of bed with visible reluctance, both of them walking slowly to the bathroom. After a quick shower full of small kisses and some giggles, they pulled on whatever clothes they could find first. The flat was cold compared to the warmth of the bedroom and Phil immediately stole one of Dan’s hoodies from the chair again.

“You know that’s mine, yeah?” Phil pulled it on anyway. “Finders keepers.” “You’re wearing half my wardrobe already.” “You will survive”

Dan watched him disappear toward the kitchen wearing glasses once again, his hoodie and sleep-mussed hair and genuinely had to pause for a second to recover mentally. This was becoming a problem. A serious one. He was absolutely sure he was falling for Phil.

The kitchen lights stayed low while they scavenged for food at nearly midnight. Leftover fruit, crisps, water bottles, whatever was easiest. Phil sat on the counter while Dan moved around the kitchen barefoot beside him, quietly talking about absolutely nothing important. It felt strangely normal. Like they could keep doing it forever if nobody interrupted them.

Dan handed Phil a plate. “Thanks.” “You’re welcome.” Phil watched him for a second over the edge of his water bottle. “What?” Dan asked. “Nothing.” “That’s never true.” Phil smiled faintly. “You’re smiling a lot” Dan blinked slightly at that, because he was. Embarrassingly so. “Maybe” Phil’s expression softened almost immediately. “Good. It suits you”

That single sentence settled somewhere deep in Dan’s chest and stayed there long after they finally wandered back toward bed.

February 14th, 2010.

By the next morning they’d already started falling into routines without meaning to. Dan woke earlier and Phil stayed in bed longer. Phil made tea while Dan made coffee. Dan closed cabinets behind Phil like it was now part of his daily responsibilities and Phil stole his hoodies constantly. They gravitated toward each other naturally in every room without even thinking about it anymore.

By late morning they’d ended up sprawled across the sofa again, half watching Olympic coverage while Phil distracted himself scrolling through emails on his phone. Dan was barely paying attention to the television when something suddenly clicked in his head.

“Oh! … right.” Phil glanced over. “What?” “Saku called me the other day, remember?” “How could I forget?” Dan ignored that. “He offered me ice time while everyone’s away.” Phil’s eyebrows lifted slightly. “Private?” Dan nodded. “One of the practice rinks.”

Now that got Phil’s full attention. Because NHL players during Olympic break still trained constantly. Especially players like them. The season wasn’t over just because the Olympics were happening.

“You were planning to skate?” Phil asked. “A bit, yeah.” Phil hummed thoughtfully. Then tried very hard to sound casual when he asked “When?” Dan looked at him for a second too long before smiling slightly. “Thought maybe you could come with me.” Phil blinked once. “To skate?” “Well, I figured there’s only so much Olympic hockey criticism I can survive from the sofa.” Dan leaned further back into the cushions casually. “Might as well let you coach me directly.” Phil laughed quietly. “I am not coaching you.” “That’s literally why we started talking” “That’s different.” “How?” Phil opened his mouth, paused and closed it again. Then pointed vaguely at him. “Shut up.”

Dan grinned immediately. The truth was simpler than he wanted to admit aloud. He wanted to see Phil on the ice again. Not Bruins captain Phil, not rival Phil, just… Phil. Away from the crowds, from the media and away from their teammates watching them carefully from benches. Just the two of them.

And apparently Phil understood that too, because his expression softened slightly as he lowered his phone. “A private rink?” he asked quietly. Dan nodded. “Minimal risk.” A small pause settled between them. Then Phil’s mouth curved slowly upward. “…Alright.”

Dan felt absurdly pleased by how quickly his answer came. The moment settled warmly between them for a second before Phil reached for his tea again, curling one hand around the mug. Outside the windows, Montréal stayed buried under soft February grey while the Olympic coverage murmured quietly in the background. It felt domestic in a way Dan was trying very hard not to examine too closely.

Phil took another sip before glancing toward the television where some overly cheerful presenter was talking about Valentine’s Day promotions around Vancouver. Dan blinked once. Shit, that’s right. February 14th. Apparently his brain had stopped functioning entirely this week. Phil seemed to realise it at almost the exact same moment because his mouth curved immediately into something dangerously amused.

“Oh.” Dan narrowed his eyes slightly. “What?” Phil tilted his head innocently. “... Nothing.” “Liar” Phil looked deeply entertained now. “We accidentally spent Valentine’s Day together.” Dan felt heat immediately crawl up the back of his neck. “Accidentally?” “Well,” Phil said lightly, “I didn’t exactly arrive with roses and a plan.” Dan snorted despite himself. “You flew internationally to stay in my flat for two weeks.” “When you say it like that it sounds suspicious and planned” “Exactly” Dan tried to act normal about this. He really did. But Phil laughed quietly into his mug, his tongue poking out of his mouth between his teeth and unfortunately Phil kept looking at him in a very soft and fond way.

“So,” Phil murmured after a second, “happy Valentine’s Day, I suppose.” The casualness of it somehow made it worse. Dan stared at him for a moment too long before answering. “…Happy Valentine’s Day.”

Phil smiled immediately, small and genuine. And for some reason that tiny stupid exchange hit harder than literally anything else they’d done so far. Maybe because neither of them had planned it (kind of), or maybe because it suddenly felt suspiciously close to a real date.

Dan cleared his throat lightly and leaned further back into the sofa cushions. “So technically,” he said carefully, “taking you skating tomorrow makes this our first date proper and Valentine’s present.” Phil nearly choked on his tea. “Oh my God.” “What?” Dan grinned immediately. “Private rink. Romantic atmosphere. Very exclusive.” “We are professional hockey players, we will be training. I don’t think it can be considered as a date” “Too bad. You already agreed to it.” Phil shook his head slowly, still smiling helplessly despite himself. “That’s because you trapped me.” Dan’s grin softened slightly at the edges. “Maybe...”

That quieted Phil almost immediately and without saying much more, he approached Phil and gave him a small kiss on the corner of his mouth. The air shifted again after that. Subtle but noticeable. There it was again, that feeling. The one both of them kept carefully circling around without saying it aloud. This isn’t casual anymore.

Phil looked at him for another second before speaking softer this time. “Well.” He nudged Dan’s knee lightly with his own. “Guess I should make sure I impress you on our date then.”

Dan genuinely had no idea what expression crossed his face after that, but whatever it was made Phil laugh quietly and look very pleased with himself.

February 15th, 2010.

Phil woke up to the sound of skating commentary quietly playing from the living room television and for one disorienting second thought he’d somehow slept through practice. Then he opened his eyes properly. Right! Olympic break and he was in Montreal.

The warmth beside him was already gone from the bed but not cold yet, which meant Dan hadn’t been awake long. He dragged himself upright slowly, still half asleep, and immediately spotted one of Dan’s hoodies across the room, in the corner of the open closet.

The hoodie was bright red, not really Dan's style, but when he got closer, he saw it was from the University of Manchester. He hadn't known Dan had gone to university since he was so young. Phil would love to know if he was a frat boy or more of a nerd. A smile crept lazily at his mouth before he could stop it, which was somehow worse because he kept picturing Dan at university and that made him strangely happy... This was getting embarrassing.

By the time he wandered into the kitchen with Dan’s hoodie, Dan was already there making coffee. Phil wanted to see Dan’s reaction to his look that morning, he had his glasses perched low on his nose while “reading” something off his phone on the kitchen island. Dan turned around and stopped all his motions. Honestly, the glasses were becoming a maleficent touch. Phil looked up from his glasses and waited.

“Morning Dan” “You’re wearing them again and where did you find that hoodie?” “I’m answering emails, I need my glasses” Phil shrugged “And the hoodie was on your closet” Dan took a deep breath and checked him up and down twice. “You’re ruining my ability to behave normally.” Dan finished the sentence and handed him a mug of freshly brewed coffee. Phil snorted softly into his mug. “That sounds like a you problem.” Dan walked around the island, then he slid one arm around Phil’s waist from behind while pressing a sleepy kiss against the side of his neck. Phil relaxed back against him immediately. “You’re clingy in the mornings,” Phil murmured. “The worst part is that my clothes look better on you than they do on me.” “Unfortunately for you.” Dan smiled against his skin.

The day itself passed slowly after that. They stayed mostly inside, Montréal buried under February cold outside while the flat stayed warm and quiet around them. Olympic coverage drifted in and out from the telly without either of them fully paying attention. Final Fantasy got revisited briefly before Phil accused Dan of deliberately sabotaging him during a mission and Dan argued that distracting him was not a real thing because it affected his game.

“You were kissing my neck while I was trying to collect items” “And?” Phil crossed his arms over his chest “That is hostile gameplay.” “Of course not” Dan seemed deeply pleased with himself because he had managed to make Phil pout.

Around midday Phil disappeared into the shower while Dan stayed sprawled across the sofa with his mobile in hand, finally remembering he needed to sort the rink situation out properly.

The call connected after a few rings. “Bonjour?” “Hi, my name is Dan… Howell.” Recognition came immediately after that. He explained quickly that he still planned to use the practice rink that evening, keeping his voice casual while glancing automatically toward the bathroom hallway. “Just later tonight,” Dan said. “And I’m bringing someone with me… several, well, some people… not many, but not just me" Dan was grateful the employee didn’t ask questions anyway. Players bringing teammates or training partners wasn’t unusual. Dan hesitated briefly before adding a small request “Could you leave enough gear out for four players?” The employee made a pause. “Four?” “Yeah. Like 2 for goalies and 2 regulars” Truthfully he only needed equipment for the two of them, but four looked less suspicious. “And if possible,” Dan added carefully, “can everyone clear out before we arrive?” That got him another pause and after a few faint clicks the employee confirmed that it was okay. Dan relaxed slightly. “Thanks.”

When he hung up, Phil was leaning casually against the hallway entrance in fresh clothes, towel still around his neck. Dan nearly forgot how language worked for a second.

“You know,” Phil said lightly, “that sounded suspicious.” Dan locked his phone. “You were eavesdropping?” “You’re loud.” “I’m not.” Phil smiled faintly. “Yes, yes you are… So?” Dan tried to hide his blushed cheeks and raised an eyebrow. “So what?” “The rink.” Dan watched him for a second before standing from the sofa. “Tonight,” he said simply.

Phil’s expression shifted immediately at that, he looked excited. Maybe even a little nervous if his hands betrayed him. And somehow that made Dan even more aware of what tonight actually was. It wasn’t a game, or a rivalry show, definitely not Bruins versus Canadiens. Just them on the ice. Dan stepped closer slowly until he could hook two fingers casually through the towel around Phil’s neck.

“You bringing your captain voice with you?” he murmured. Phil laughed quietly. “Depends.” “On what?” Phil’s eyes flicked downward to his mouth briefly before returning to his eyes. “How well you listen.” Dan felt warmth crawl immediately up the back of his neck… Tonight was going to be a problem.

The Uber ride to the rink was only about ten minutes, but somehow it still felt strangely long, but in a good way. Maybe because neither of them had stopped smiling properly since leaving the flat. Maybe because Phil kept absentmindedly bumping his knee against Dan’s in the backseat every time the car turned. Maybe because Dan couldn’t stop thinking about the fact that this was somehow their Valentine’s date now.

Outside, Montréal blurred past in soft gold and white under the streetlights, snow pushed into uneven piles along the roads. Phil sat beside him in a dark hoodie and joggers, one of Dan’s Canadiens beanies pulled low enough that nobody would recognise him easily if the driver looked too hard. Dan still found that bizarrely attractive.

“You’re staring again,” Phil murmured quietly without looking away from the window. “You’re wearing my hat.” He made it sound like an offence “You left it near the door.” “So theft.” “Borrowing.” Dan snorted softly. Phil finally glanced sideways at him then, mouth curving slightly. “You nervous?” Dan immediately lied. “No.” Phil hummed knowingly. “You’re fidgeting.” “I always fidget.” “You’ve checked your phone four times in two minutes.” “That’s normal… ” Phil looked deeply unconvinced. The worst part was that Dan wasn’t even nervous about the hockey, he was nervous about the date. By the time they arrived at the practice rink the car park was almost completely empty. Only a few exterior lights remained on against the snow, and the building itself looked quiet compared to the constant chaos NHL arenas usually carried.

Dan felt himself relax slightly the second they stepped inside. There were no cameras, no fans, no media… Just them. A small envelope had been left at reception with Dan’s name on it along with a note from rink staff explaining where everything had been prepared for them.

Phil read part of it over Dan’s shoulder while they walked down the quiet corridor. “They really rolled out the red carpet for your date.” Dan nearly walked directly into the wall. “What?” his voice came out fast and squeaky Phil was laughing when Dan recovered himself and looked at him.

The locker room waiting for them was smaller than the main Canadiens facilities but still professional enough to make Phil whistle quietly when they walked in. A few sets of practice gear had been left neatly folded out for them alongside extra sticks, gloves and skates.

Dan immediately spotted the issue. “You didn’t bring yours.” Phil shrugged lightly. “You never told me your Valentine’s date idea included a private rink so borrowing will do” Dan crouched automatically beside the spare skates, already checking sizes. “You trust random sharpenings?” “I trust you not to let me die, plus, I hope the Canadiens can provide some good skates”

That did something unfortunate to Dan’s chest. Everything kept doing that this week. Eventually they both changed into a mix of their own training clothes and whatever gear the rink had left behind. Neither of them bothered fully dressing in proper practice uniforms. It seemed too formal. Instead it ended up looking strangely domestic for professional hockey players.

Track trousers, some base layers, half-zipped training tops, gloves, no tape for their knee pads. Phil looked unfairly good the entire time. Especially when he sat on the bench lacing borrowed skates with his sleeves pushed up slightly while talking casually about edge work like this wasn’t actively ruining Dan’s ability to function.

“You know,” Dan said while pulling on his gloves, “most people do dinner on dates.” Phil glanced up immediately. “We already established this isn’t a date. I was messing with you” “Right. Just Valentine’s Day skating alone together at night.” “Exactly.” Dan grinned. “Very normal.”

Phil rolled his eyes but smiled anyway. The rink itself was freezing compared to the warmth of the locker room. The second they stepped onto the ice, both of them changed a little. Their instinct kicked in. Dan pushed off first, carving easily across the empty rink while Phil followed behind him a second later. The sound alone made something settle pleasantly in Dan’s chest. Skates cutting ice, the quiet arena. Phil laughing softly somewhere behind him. It was perfect.

“You’re showing off already,” Phil called after him. “You’re the captain. Thought I should impress you.” Phil accelerated suddenly then, catching him near centre ice faster than Dan expected. “Oh, I’m already impressed.” That absolutely did not help Dan's sudden shyness.

They started lightly enough. Some warm-ups, then a few passing drills followed by a simple shooting practice… At least that was the intention. Unfortunately neither of them seemed capable of behaving normally around each other anymore.

Phil kept skating unnecessarily close during drills just to bump shoulders against him. Dan retaliated by stealing pucks directly off Phil’s stick and refusing to give them back. At one point Phil reached around him to adjust his grip during a shooting drill and Dan nearly forgot how to stand upright.

“You’re distracted,” Phil murmured close to his ear. “You’re doing that on purpose.” “Doing what?” Dan turned his head slightly. Phil looked entirely too innocent for someone pressed that close. “This,” Dan muttered weakly. Phil smiled slowly. “You mean correcting the grip on that stick? Because it’s awful” Absolute nightmare of a human being.

Later they ended up racing blue line to blue line like children, both laughing too hard by the end to properly stay balanced. Phil won the first race and Dan accused him of cheating immediately.

“You literally play for Boston.” “That’s your argument? That is not evidence.” “It is to me.”

Phil laughed hard enough he nearly lost an edge turning back toward him, and somehow that became Dan’s favourite part of the entire night. Not hockey and flirting. Just seeing Phil like that. Relaxed, happy, his laugh so genuine his eyes were close, his hands holding his abs and the tip of his tongue poking between his teeth.

Free from the weight he usually carried as captain, rival, public figure, all of it stripped away until it was only Phil gliding across empty ice at midnight smiling at him like there was nowhere else he’d rather be. And to be honest, Dan was exactly where he wanted to be too.

When they finally stopped skating, Phil’s lungs burned pleasantly and his hair was damp beneath the helmet he’d stopped pretending to wear properly an hour ago. The rink lights reflected softly against the ice now, emptier and quieter than before. Somewhere above them the old arena clock flicked toward midnight.

Dan bent slightly at the waist near centre ice catching his breath after another sprint Phil had absolutely won and Dan was still insisting didn’t count.

“You cheated,” Dan repeated between breaths. Phil rested both gloved hands on his stick. “You say that every time you lose.” “Because you keep cheating.”

Phil laughed quietly, the sound echoing softly around the empty rink. God, Dan looked good like that. Flushed from the cold, messy curls going in all possible directions and his training clothes slightly dishevelled. He looked happy. Phil wasn’t sure when exactly watching Dan had become his favourite thing, but it had clearly happened somewhere along the way.

Dan finally straightened slightly, skating backwards a little. “What?” Phil realised immediately he’d been staring. “Nothing.” “Liar” Phil smiled faintly to himself. “I love lying”

A random thought hit him unexpectedly hard. The entire night had felt dangerously close to normal. Not hidden or forbidden, not mediated by a rivalry. The world was outside of the rink that night. It was just them, on a date. A real one, despite how much they kept pretending otherwise. Phil glanced toward the clock again.

11:53 PM.

“We should probably go,” he said quietly. Dan made an exaggerated expression of offence. “You’re abandoning me?” “You’re the one who said we shouldn’t stay too late.” “That does sound annoyingly responsible even for me.”

Phil snorted softly but neither of them moved immediately though. Dan stayed across from him, stick resting against his shoulder now while the silence settled comfortably between them. Then Dan looked up toward the clock too.

“…Nearly midnight.” Phil hummed lightly. “Mmmm.” Valentine’s Day almost over.

That thought did something strange to his chest and before he could really think better of it, Phil pushed off suddenly and skated straight toward him while removing his gloves. Dan barely had time to react before Phil caught the front of his training shirt lightly with one hand and kissed him. Quick at first. He only felt the cold air after a warm mouth teased his lips.

But the absence wasn’t long. Dan wasn’t sure who reached out to who. All he knew was that the faint taste of mint and sports drink were not entirely his. Dan made a small surprised sound against his lips before immediately kissing him harder. He felt Phil smile into the kiss despite himself. Dan’s hand closed instinctively around the front of his jacket like he was trying to pull him impossibly closer even on skates.

An alert rang in his ears. That was a dangerous idea… a very dangerous one. Especially when the rink suddenly felt far too open despite being empty.

Phil pulled back first only because he absolutely had to before the kiss turned into a +18 rated movie scene, but Phil looked slightly dazed afterward. Which honestly wasn’t helping.

“That,” Dan said quietly, still holding onto his sleeve slightly, “felt very date-like.” Phil laughed softly under his breath. “Happy Valentine’s Day.” Dan’s expression softened immediately “Yeah,” he murmured. “Happy Valentine’s Day.”

For a second neither of them moved again. And he knew with terrifying certainty that if they stayed on the ice much longer, neither of them was making it back to the flat behaving properly. Apparently Phil realised the exact same thing because he exhaled sharply through his nose and stepped backward first.

“We should definitely leave.” “Probably.” “Immediately, actually.” Phil grinned. “Why? We are just skating and this is not a date” Dan pointed his stick at him accusingly. “You started it.” “No,” Phil corrected lightly while skating backward toward the benches, “you wore those stupidly tight training trousers that let very little to the imagination” Dan looked scandalised. Then nearly skated directly into the boards because he was laughing too hard.

Both of them decided immediately that this had been the best Valentine’s Day of their lives.

Trending Blogs

Recently Viewed Blogs

Just M's shit