Page 99 of Two Guys One Puck
I shrug because who knows what the right answer is. “This is new. What if you decide you hate me tomorrow, and you never touch another man again? Then what? You will have made yourself a white crow for nothing.”
“Made myself what?”
“I don’t know how you say…is like— ???? ?????—we’d say a white crow. I think you have something similar with sheep. Like you are the one who stands out from the rest.”
“You mean a black sheep?”
“How does that make sense? There are whole flocks of black sheep. There are no white crows.”
Ronan bursts out laughing, confusing me further. “It’s just a saying.”
“A dumb saying. But the point stands. You could hate me tomorrow.” I don’t even know what this is. Are we even dating? Just fucking each other while it’s convenient? I don’t want to ask because I don’t want the answer. I’d rather stay in my delusion for now.
“I’m not going to decide I hate you.” He skims his fingers down my side.
“Okay, dearest. We’ll see how the rest of the season goes.”
He’s quiet for some time, and I think he’s fallen asleep. “What did you say to me earlier in the kitchen?”
“I don’t remember,” I lie.
I don’t want him to hate me for things he can’t control.
I didn’t mean to fall in love with him.
THIRTY-ONE
KTYTOR
“Fuck, Sleepy, you have to get open.” I’m frustrated. January is busy and we don’t see each other. The loneliness is getting to me even more, and it’s hard to get my head straight after spending so much time with Seaborn over break. Is this how our entire careers are going to be?
“It’s not that easy with Grum…Boondock up my ass,” Sleepy mutters.
Grumpy growls. “What did you just call me?”
“Nothing.” Sleepy skates backwards, holding his stick up between him and Grumpy.
“I heard—” Grumpy is cut off by Coach.
“What the fuck is going on?” Coach asks.
“Sleepy called me Grumpy!” Grumpy shouts, and I have to bite back a laugh.
Coach glances between those two like he doesn’t fully get it. “Let me get this straight, are you mad he’s calling you a name when you’re calling him a name?”
“Yes… No!” Grumpy seethes. “That’s his nickname. He goes by Sleepy, and I go by?—”
Coach holds up his hand. “Who gave you your nickname?”
Grumpy mutters, talking around the subject before finally answering, “I’m not really sure.”
“Who calls him Grumpy?” Coach glances around and no one raises their hand at first. “Come on. He’s not going to punish you. I don’t give a fuck if he’s the captain. I’ll make sure there’s no retaliation.”
Reluctantly, a few hands go up, mine being the first. Then more join us until the rest of the team has their hands up.
Grumpy starts to argue.
Coach isn’t hearing it. “You can’t bully the rest of the team into calling you some preferred nickname when you call them other shit. The team thinks you’re Grumpy so that’s what you are. That’s how hockey works. Wait…” he trails off then looks around. “Happy, Grumpy, Sleepy? Why the fuck is your line the Seven Dwarfs?”
