Rating: PG-13
Original Date of Completion: May 2002
Pairing: Nicklas Lidstrom/Luc Robitaille
Disclaimer: Don't own them, will one day. This is a work of fiction, so please don't sue me.
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"I'm so damn worthless," He muttered, taking off his skates.
It broke my heart to see him like this. Any loss lately, he found some way to blame it on himself. It always made me wonder if he had done this in LA, where the team was basically built around him. He had to. That had to be why he didn't understand that we played as a team, and lost as a team. No one did anything wrong out there. The fates just didn't smile in our favor today. There was no one to blame. Of course, getting Luc to believe that was never easy.
I get up from my locker and walk over to him. I crouch down in front of him and take his hands in mine. The look in his eyes kicks at my heart. He looks like a 16-year-old kid who just lost his first junior game, not a 17-year veteran whose lost much harder games than this one. He tries to smile at me, but the sadness keeps a lock on his face. I lean up and plant a soft kiss on his forehead.
"You are not worthless, Luc. We wouldn't even be here right now if it wasn’t for you,"
He laughs stalely, and looks past me, staring at a spot on a blank wall. "You guys would be just fine without me. Even better, because you could take the 4 million I get paid a year and get someone who actually scores goals,"
"Luc," I sigh softly, reaching up and stroking his cheek. Reluctantly, he brings his eyes to mine. "You can't blame yourself for not scoring. It's a team effort. We play as a team, and we lose as a team. You can't blame yourself, no one else does,"
My heart aches as I see him jam his eyes shut. I know from previous experience that's he crying, and I feel tears creeping slowly to me. I loved this man so much. It killed me inside to see him like this, blaming himself for something he had no control over. But it was something I'd gotten used to. I just made sure to be there for him when it happened. I wipe my tears from my eyes, and stroke his hand with my thumb. I hear him sniffle, and I'm seconds away from pulling him into my arms, though I know it wouldn't be smart with people still roaming around behind us. I calm my urges, and plant a soft kiss on his hand.
"God Nicky, I hate this," He whimpers, his eyes still shut tightly. "I could score 10 goals a game when it doesn't matter, but when it does, I'm lucky if I get a shot,"
"Luc, look at me," I speak softly, touching his face.
Slowly, he opens his eyes and looks down at me. My stomach flips as I see the tears in his eyes. I can no longer control myself, and I jump to my feet, and pull him into my arms. He rests his head against my shoulder, and I hear him sobbing quietly. I rub my hands soothingly across his back, trying my best not to cry myself. My tears stay dormant, and I'm able to concentrate all my energy on this man I love. Eventually, his tears slow to a halt, and he separates from my embrace. As I catch a glimpse of his face, I reach out and wipe the tears from his eyes.
"Luc, it is not your fault. This is a team, and you are as a big a part of it as anyone else. There is no one to blame. It wouldn't matter if you scored 600 goals or 6, you are still a vital part,"
"But..."
"No buts," I cut him off with a finger on his lips. "It doesn't matter if you contribute with goals, assists, hits, or anything else. You bring a good attitude to this team, and we need that for game six,"
He stays silent for a few seconds, and I start thinking to myself if I had succeeded in making any sense. Eventually however, I see that beautiful smile come to his face, and my heart leaps up in my chest. No matter how often I see it, his smile can always do that. I smile brightly at him, and he grabs my hand in his.
"Thank you, Nicky. You always know how to make me feel better,"
"It's a gift, what can I say?" I joke, eliciting a slight giggle from him.
"I love you, Nicklas," He says seriously, placing his hand on my waist
"I love you too, Luc," I reply, leaning in to kiss him.
Regardless of who may be around, we share as passionate a kiss as we ever have. When our lips separate, we wrap our arms around one another and just stand there silently. He buries his face in my neck, and I can almost hear him purr. I slip my hands under his shirt and caress the bare skin beneath. He plants a soft kiss on my neck, then squeals with laughter as I hit the ticklish spot in the middle of his back. He jumps away from me, and looks at me with a mock glare. He can't keep a straight face, and winds up smiling and leaning in to kiss me again. When our kiss parts, I feel a hand pat me on the ass. I turn around and connect with the smiling eyes of our captain and his uh, mistress, I guess.
"Why don't you guys take it home?" Stevie laughs, slipping his arm around Brendan's neck.
"Seriously, get a room," Shanny jokes, rolling his eyes.
Luc and I laugh as the two of them walk out of the locker room. He turns around and grabs his bag, and tosses it on his shoulder. He reaches down and grabs my hand. He looks at me, and I see the usual fire back in his eyes. I lean down and give a quick peck to his lips. He smiles brightly, then speaks.
"Let's go home,"
THE END
© 2002 Triple X
