Page 84 of Tough Guy
Ryanhadwatched that fight, and he had also noticed how wild Harvey’s swings had been. How hard he’d hit. How damaged his opponent’s face had been after. “Yeah. I know.”
In the second period, Harvey shoved Ryan. Nothing had happened between them up to that point, but Harvey must have decided it was time for them to fight.
“Fuck off, Harvey,” Ryan said tiredly.
But Harvey shoved him again. “Let’s go, fucker.”
Ryan turned to face him. The Pay the Price chant had already started. “I’m not gonna fight you.”
Harvey’s eyes bugged out. He lookedferal. “The fuck you aren’t.” He threw his gloves off and Ryan watched them skid across the ice.
“Let’s go,” Harvey snarled.
“No.”
Harvey tried to grab his jersey, but Ryan skated backward and Harvey ended up grabbing air and almost losing his balance. “Fight me, you coward!”
Ryan didn’t want to. He was agooddefenseman. He could contribute to a team without having to do this.
And besides, Harvey wasn’t well.
Harvey launched himself at Ryan, this time taking a wild swing. Ryan grabbed both of Harvey’s wrists and wrestled his arms out to his sides. Harvey lost it. He was full-on screaming in Ryan’s face, demanding that he drop the gloves. Ryan just shook his head.
And then Harveyheadbuttedhim.
The front of his helmet smashed into Ryan’s mouth and chin, and it hurt like a motherfucker. Ryan staggered back, completely in shock that Harvey would do something so dirty, and then his mouth filled with blood.
Ryan’s brain went quiet, and it was all he could do to stop himself from knocking Harvey to the ice. But he didn’t. Instead, he dropped Harvey’s wrists and skated away. Behind him, he could hear Harvey’s hysterical screaming.
“Where the fuck are you going? You’re a fucking joke, Price! Come back and fight me, you asshole!”
Ryan ignored him. When he got to the bench, his teammates were quiet. There were no sticks being knocked against the boards like there always was after a fight, and no congratulatory words. Just uncomfortable silence, and a disapproving glare from his coach.
“Go to the dressing room,” Coach Cooper barked. “Get your mouth cleaned up. And stay there until intermission.”
“Yes, Coach,” Ryan mumbled. As he made his way down the hallway, he hoped he hadn’t just thrown his career away.
Fabian felt sick.
He’d thought it was time he tried to watch one of Ryan’s games. He’d met Tarek at a pub in the Village that showed Guardians games on their big screen televisions, and had been doing his best to follow the action. Ryan didn’t get shown up close very often, so the game was pretty boring.
Until it wasn’t.
There was a player who was almost as big as Ryan who kept shoving him. Fabian held his breath when Ryan turned to face the other man, sure that he was going to have to watch his sweet possible-boyfriend punch someone. Fabian covered his mouth with his hand, but forced himself to watch the screen.
So he saw what happened next.
“Holy shit!” Tarek said. “I don’t know shit about hockey, but I am pretty sure you’re not allowed to do that.”
Fabian knew enough about hockey to know that headbutting was not a normal part of the game. He knew enough about pain to know that Ryan must be in a lot of it right now. For a second, Ryan’s face changed into something Fabian didn’t recognize. It was dark and intense and terrifying.
“Oh my god,” Fabian said hoarsely. “Ryan, don’t.”
As if Ryan could hear him, his face immediately softened, and he skated away as the other man was dragged off the ice by some of the officials.
“Are you okay?” Tarek asked gently.
“I don’t know. Why does he do this? Why would anyone do this for a job? Why does anyone likewatchingthis?”
