***
The atmosphere in the locker room was somewhat subdued. It always was after a loss. The air was somehow dimmer, filled up with quiet talk in two or three languages as the men changed, showered, and headed, preoccupied but optimistic, toward their cars.
Dominik undressed with a studied slowness, not partaking in any of the conversation, trying hard to be unnoticed, unseen. As he pulled off first his jersey, followed by a multitude of pads, he considered his game that night. It was not good. Not that he took the whole blame upon himself, he had been in this sport far too long to take every loss personally. But still. Some of the shots that had gone by him should not have gone by him. He was better than that. And yet, they had gone by him. Dammit, they had. Shirtless, he sat hunched forward on the bench, his forearms propped upon his thighs as he thought.
The locker room was beginning to clear out as the men hurried home, each driven by his own thoughts on how to come back and win the next game. Soon, the only one left was the brooding Dominator. And, of course, the man who now watched him.
It’s not like him to take a loss like this, Darren thought to himself. He continued to watch Dominik out of the corner of his eye as he himself stripped, taking his time as he peeled off the layers of clothing. Number 25 did not generally allow a single defeat to make him lose his normal cheerfulness, and Dom was generally the same way. There was frequently a steady stream of banter between the two men after a game, no matter what the situation, to the point where Steve would have to give them both several significant looks to shut them up. Speeches by the Captain were not to be talked over. But this silence on the part of Dominik had Darren a bit concerned.
As Dominik sat, he suddenly became aware that the locker room was now silent. Yet, he could feel the weight of someone‘s stare. Snapping out of his daze, he looked up sharply to meet the eyes of Darren McCarty. The look Darren was giving him was kind but questioning, soft but direct. Their gazes locked for a moment, and just as it looked like Darren was about to speak, Dominik abruptly stood and headed toward the showers, shedding the remainder of his clothes as he went.
Swearing under his breath, Darren looked down, studying the design of the tiled floor. He debated following him at all. Maybe he just needs to be alone, he thought. Then he debated the experience of putting on clean clothes over an aching body drenched in sweat, and remaining that way for a long, cramped drive home.
“Fuck it.”
Darren removed the last of his clothing and walked, slightly hesitantly, toward the showers.
Over the rush of the hot water hitting his body, the wall, the floor, Dominik could hear him approach. He remained silent, concentrating on soaping his arms, his chest, his neck…
“Dom?” The voice came from behind him. “Are you ok?” Dominik paused for a moment and then turned. Darren stood there, a careful distance away. He was naked, in that unconcerned way that men who frequently shower with a roomful of people can have. His face was carefully neutral, yet his eyes still held that soft questioning.
“Yes, I am fine,” came the answer in the lilting tones of a Czech accent. “Just a little sore.”
“I heard that,” Darren replied as he moved closer. He turned on the shower head next to Dom’s and let the hot water run over his head and down his back. “It’s just that you seemed a little quiet.”
“Oh.”
For a few minutes the only sound was the hot, steaming water.
“It is just-” Dom began, and then stopped. Darren turned his head.
“Go on.”
“This might be my last chance, you know? This might be my last chance to finally win the Cup.”
So that was it. Darren listened in silence. After a moment, Dominik continued.
“I have had a long career, a good career, but I have never been able to make it to the top. I have never been able to lift that damn thing and carry it around the ice. It is, I don’t know… It is getting to my head. And when it gets to my head, it gets to my game.”
“It’s got us all a little fucked up, Dom,” Darren answered. “But you gotta try to get the best of it.” He paused as he let the water hit him in the face, wiping it with his hands from forehead to jaw. “Besides, you got some years left in ya.”
“I am not so sure about that,” was the soft reply.
Darren turned his head again, to find that Dom had stopped the methodical soap/rinse process and was standing in absolute stillness, taking no notice of the water hitting his naked body. His eyes looked on nothing and a troubled frown crossed his face.
Concerned, Darren turned to him.
“Hey,” he said. Dominik made no change in stance or expression.
“Hey!” Darren said more strongly. Still nothing. Darren reached out a hand and rubbed it across the upper back muscles of his friend. “Don’t worry so much, it’s only one loss.”
Dominik’s body tensed under Darren’s touch. Darren stopped the rubbing motion, leaving the weight of his hand on Dom’s back., unsure about whether or not to pull completely away. After a few seconds, he could feel Dominik’s muscles relax, and he began to rub him again.
Dominik continued to stare off onto empty air as his body was soothed by the water and by Darren.
“Only one.” His eyes snapped back to focus on reality and he turned. Darren’s hand slid from Dom’s back to his shoulder, and then his upper arm as the two men came face to face. Their gazes locked as before, but this time there was a low heat burning in Dominik’s eyes. Darren flushed as his body automatically responded; his pulse quickened, his breathing grew deeper, and he suddenly became acutely aware of his nakedness.
“Only one,” he answered a little hoarsely, dropping his arm to his side. Slowly, Dominik reached out and touched Darren lightly on the arm, running the tips of his fingers against his bicep. The sounds of running water and slightly elevated breathing filled the air. Slowly, as if afraid of being repulsed, Darren stepped toward Dominik. Dom made no move, hot eyes locked on Darren’s. Darren paused for half a moment, inches away from the man the hockey world called the Dominator, and smoothly tilted his head and leaned toward him.
Dominik’s eyes closed almost by reflex as Darren’s lips brushed his. Dom’s hand gripped Darren’s arm as Darren kissed him softly, almost discretely, their lips barely keeping contact for more than a few seconds at a time. Perhaps a little braver now, Darren kissed him more firmly. Dominik felt a slight shiver run down his back as he opened his mouth, allowing Darren’s tongue to slide inside. Dom stepped into Darren’s embrace and the two men stood under the flowing hot water, arms wrapped around one another.
Darren’s thoughts were as clouded as the air. What am I doing, he thought hazily. I’m making out with one of the best goalies in the game, and God, he’s so good at it…
“Oh!” Darren broke the kiss as Dominik slowly, almost languidly rubbed his body up and down against him. The small sound had escaped him without his consent, and Darren realized that Dom was rapidly becoming hard, even as his own dick began to stiffen. Darren rubbed back eagerly, bringing both of them fully erect. Dominik groaned, deep in his chest.
“Darren.”
“Dom.”
Only one word was necessary from each as they kissed again. Darren tightened his embrace around Dominik and pulled them both down to their knees. Dominik pulled his face away and laughed softly. “Sore, remember? The last thing my knees need is a tile floor.”
“At least you seem to be in a better mood,” Darren retorted, a little out of breath.
“Much.”
Dominik grinned and suddenly pulled Darren to the floor, smoothly rolling on top of him. They kissed again, and all humor vanished as Dom slowly worked his hips, jacking Darren off using his own dick. The sting of the water hitting his back contrasted with the low throb of pleasure in his groin. Dominik’s lips left Darren’s and trailed down his neck, nuzzling the strong muscles he found there. He continued traveling down his body, kissing and licking, and occasionally biting, eliciting groans and muttered curses from Darren. Dom’s lips quickly found their way to Darren’s flat, muscled stomach, and continued lower.
Ah, God, thought Dominik as he gently ran his tongue over the tip of Darren’s dick, all ready slick with pre-come. He resisted the desire to reach down and stroke himself and concentrated instead on licking Darren from base to tip. Oh, God…
“Oh, God,” panted Darren as Dominik slowly took him fully into his mouth. The urge to thrust into him was almost overpowering. “Dom! Stop!”
Dominik looked up at Darren, frowning. “What is wrong?”
Darren pulled himself up to a sitting position, and gave Dominik a grin that was mixed amusement and desperate pleasure. He absently pushed the water out of his eyes and said “I think this is what YOU need now.”
Deftly Darren pushed Dominik onto his back and mimicked his earlier seductive path downward. Water poured onto Darren’s back and onto Dom. Dominik panted harshly as Darren reached his dick and licked up and down the length. Darren took him into his mouth and began to suck, slowly at first. He put one hand around the base of Dominik’s dick for control, and cupped the other around his balls. Groaning, Dom reached down to Darren’s head and tangled both hands into his curly hair. He pushed his hips upward, desperately needing the release to be gained from Darren’s hot mouth. Darren, sensing Dom’s urgency, sucked faster, stroking his balls and rubbing the base of his dick. Dominik thrust in time with Darren’s sucking, but was soon unable to hold a steady rhythm. Biting his lip, his hips moved faster. The familiar tightening of his groin was beginning to build, his lungs were producing nothing but breathy moans, and the hot rush of tingling nerves began to spiral upward and out.
“Darren!” he gasped. Just one word, as he exploded into his mouth. The world spun for a moment as the spasms wracked his body.
Darren held Dominik in his mouth until only the aftershocks of his orgasm were left, swallowing the salty-sweet come. Pulling his head up, he arched his back and pressed his lower body against Dom’s, panting. He gave a shaky groan and rocked his hips back and forth. His dick throbbed painfully, desperately needing to be touched. Dominik, still dizzy from the pleasure and the hot water, realized this and reached down in between their bodies. He wrapped his hand around Darren’s dick and began to pull in quick, firm strokes. No more than five or six were necessary. And only one word was required.
“Dominik!” Darren’s low, gutteral cry seemed forced out of his body along with his semen as he came, shooting the hot liquid onto Dom’s stomach. He collapsed, shuddering, on top of him, spreading sticky semen over both their bodies.
The two men lay for a moment, letting their breathing return to normal. Slowly, Darren rolled off of Dominik and onto his back, but neither got up off the floor. They each passively, silently let the jets of water wash the semen away. The realization of what they had just done began to sink in, and Dominik reached out to gently touch Darren’s arm.
“Darren?”
A pause.
“Yeah, Dom?”
Darren waited anxiously for the reply. Would he be upset? Did he think it was a mistake? What would happen now? He couldn’t meet Dominik’s eyes, instead he stared resolutely at the ceiling.
Another pause.
“Turn off that fucking water.”
***
