Page 2 of Bad Pucking Influence

“Yeah, I just don’t know much about skateboarding so I wasn’t sure if we’re supposed to be quiet or cheer or—what do you even cheer about in skateboarding?” I’m rambling, but if Niko notices he doesn’t let on.

“If they do a cool trick you can cheer.”

“What’s a cool trick?”

His brows draw together as he chews the inside of his cheek. “I don’t actually know. They have really weird names that I can’t keep straight, so just go with what looks impressive. Or join in if they cheer for each other.”

“Easy enough.” I relax into the chair and zone out, letting the rhythmic sound of wheels gliding over concrete put me in a trance. I may not understand what I’m watching, but I can appreciate the fact that balancing on wheels takes just as much skill as balancing on skates, and watching Tripp maneuver elegantly on that board is hypnotic.

He must have years of practice, because his movements seem effortless. It's like his body knows what to do without his mind giving any instruction. This must be how my teammates and I look during warm-ups, when we circle the rink. We skate with barely any movement, coasting gracefully for yards on end just from a slight shift in our weight.

I’m not sure how long we watch Xander and Tripp, but when I realize Niko is waving his hand in front of my face, I blink my surroundings back into focus. “Earth to Noah. You need another beer?”

I hold up my half-full beer and shake my head no.

“Kind of cool to watch, isn’t it?” He grins, and even though I know he’s talking about the act of skating and not the men, I feel my face heat.

“It reminds me of the ice.” I try to explain away the intensity of my stare. “It must take a lot of balance to ride one of those.”

“I think that’s part of why I like watching so much, except for the shirtless boyfriend part, obviously. It’s familiar and not at the same time.”

The nostalgic expression on his face is one I can relate to. “You’re missing the ice, aren’t you?”

Niko dips his head to rub the back of his neck. “Sort of.”

“That embarrasses you?”

He leans against the back of his chair and watches his boyfriend as he talks. “No, but it does make me feel a little guilty. We’re barely into the off-season, and I finally get to spend some quality time with Xander now that my life isn’t consumed with games and travel. I should just enjoy that, and I am, but…”

“But you miss the sound of blades scraping ice, and the chilly air in the arena.”

“Yeah.” He exhales heavily.

“If you didn’t miss those things in the off-season, it’d be time to retire.”

“You still feel that way? You’ve been in the league a long time.”

At thirty-three, I’ve been in the league longer than most, and I know the end of my career is looming. I’m hoping for one more Stanley Cup before I retire, but as Niko unknowingly pointed out, we’re in different stages of our love affair with the ice.

“I do. It’s not as all-consuming as it used to be though.”

“You’re thinking of retirement?” His eyes seem to bug out of their sockets. “You had one of the best seasons on record for a goalie, like ever. Twelve shutouts. That’s basically unheard of.”

“Some of those shutouts were just as much your doing as mine.” I tip my bottle in his direction.

“You can’t give me the credit. I know in at least five of those games the other team got the jump on me, but you stopped the puck. You’re way too good to be thinking about retirement.”

“I’m not thinking about it seriously. Even though it’s not the first thing I think of when I wake up anymore, I still miss the ice when I’m not on it every day. It's not time for me to leave the game yet. Besides, I want another cup before I hang up the skates.”

“Good.” He visibly relaxes. “I think we have a real shot at it this season.”

Every hockey player wants to believe that, but Niko isn’t off base. We made a strong run last season, and we managed to keep most of our top tier players on the roster heading into the upcoming one. I don’t like to get my hopes up since there’s still a long way to go–eleven months to be precise–but if we stay healthy and play like we did last year, it could happen. I can’t say that though, because as Captain it’s my job to keep the guys from getting ahead of themselves.

“Anything can happen between now and then. If we keep level heads and play the way we’re capable of, then yeah, we could do well.”

“Do you put your full name on the cup, or nickname? Technically I’m Nikolas, but since everyone calls me Niko maybe I should go with that.”

“Debating which version of your name to put on the cup is not keeping a level head.” I shoot him a withering look.

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