Challenge: "Affiatati"

Henrik Zetterberg was never one to have to try to make himself look good. It just happened naturally. He didn't have to wake up early in the morning to prep himself, or do anything special.

He just looked good.

He had to try hard to make himself not asthetically pleasing. And he must have been trying, because as soon as he entered the locker room, Pavel's eyes went wide and his mouth dropped.

A beard? Since when did Hank have a beard? And why was it so terrible looking?

With a grin on his face, he was welcomed back into the ranks. Quickly, he made his way over to Pavel, who was still staring. They hadn't seen much of each other while Hank was recouperating from his broken leg. In fact, they had only seen each other once. Henrik had packed up his bags and taken holiday in Mexico for the entire month he was out. And to see him looking like this was almost depressing.

"Hey." He said, grin still in place.

"What is that?" Pavel asked pointing to his new facial accessory.

Henrik looked down, as if he had no idea what Pavel was talking about, "Oh, it's a beard."

"I see that."

Hank looked affronted, "You don't like it?"

"No."

"Why not?" Hank asked.

"Looks bad. Your face is covered. Does not look like you."

At that moment, Joe Kocur came into the locker room and all conversations were put to a hault. For now that was.

~*~

"No, Pavs!" Henrik said, pushing Pavel away from him. They were laying side by side on Henrik's bed in their hotel room in Phoenix. They had been kissing and talking, just catching up with one another when Pavel asked him to shave for the tenth time since they had arrived at the hotel.

"Please Henrik." Pavel asked. Hank shook his head and rolled onto his side. Pavel scooted over so he was pressed up against Henrik's back; arms wraped around his waist, pressing a kiss to his pulse. "Please?"

Henrik groaned in agrivation. "No Pavel. I won't."

Pavel sighed and dropped his head back down onto the pillow as Hank's cell phone rang. Henrik reached over grabbed it, "Hello?"

"Hey. Get ready, I'm taking you and Pavel out for dinner." Said the raspy voice on the other line.

"Who is it?" Pavel asked as he began kissing Henrik's cheek.

"Brett." Hank responded, "He wants to take us to dinner."

"How does Italian sound to you?" Brett asked.

"Good. We'll be ready."

"Just make sure you shave that... thing off your face before I get down there."

Hank made a disgruntled noise, "See!" Pavel said triumphantly.

Brett laughed, "I take it Pavs doesn't like it either?"

"Asshole." Henrik grumbled, flipping the phone shut to the sounds of Brett's laughter.

~*~

Following dinner, Brett came back to their hotel room to watch a movie. They weren't due to play the Coyotes for two more days so they could afford to stay up a little late.

As the bright red numbers changed to 12:00 midnight, Henrik had finally given in.

Pressing an excited, grateful kiss to his lips, Pavel pulled Hank into the bathroom by the hand.

Brett followed with an obvious smirk on his face. He stood in the doorway, leaning against the frame; arms crossed and grinning.

"Just make sure you don't cut me." Henrik mumbled as Pavel squirted his shaving cream into his hands.

"I'll try." Pavel said, grinning as he lathered up Henrik's chin.

Hank knew that Pavel would be twice as careful with him than when he was shaving himself. That was just his nature. Always searching for whatever would make him happy over what would please himself. Though, they were normally one in the same.

"Done." Pavel said, tossing the razor unceremoniously at the sink; and running a rough hand over the now smooth surface of Hank's chin.

Dispite the fact that Hank had not wanted to get rid of his beard, he found he was smiling as Pavel touched his face. He could never deny his Russian lover anything. And for a moment, they forgot that they were not alone. Pavel leaned in for a kiss and Henrik accepted him with a little too much friendliness.

"Woah!" Brett cried from the doorway as their hands began to go for each other's clothing. "Time out for the two by the bathtub!"

With sheepish grins and heated cheeks, they pulled away from each other and returned to the movie.

As the night wore on, Henrik fell asleep, leaving Brett and Pavel to watch the end of "The Return of the King". And as the battle at Palinor Fields began, Brett found he was no longer interested in what was on the screen, but what was going on on the other bed.

Henrik had awoken slightly and turned so that he was pressed against Pavel's chest; mumbling something in Swedish. Pavel's arms wrapped protectively around him, rubbing his back gently. He pressed a kiss to Hank's forehead and whispered something to him in Russian.

Brett smiled and sat up quietly. He tossed the pillow he had been using to the head of the bed and shut the TV off. Pavel looked up at him and Brett whispered goodnight; ruffling his jet-black hair before heading for the door.

He quickly ran through all of the times he had seen Henrik and Pavel together; in boyfriend mode. There were quite a few, but not once could he ever remember hearing them say "I love you" to each other. No. It seemed that any affection that was spoken between the two happened when the other was asleep; and not in a language that the other would understand.

Letting himself out of the room, Brett decided that it probably didn't matter. Their love for each other absolutely radiated from them. Obviously there was no need for words. There was no need to voice what was obviously known between them.

With a smile Brett slid his keycard into the slot for his bedroom. He probably wouldn't be thinking about it too much more tonight. Why would he? After all, he had a bed waiting for him with Chris Chelios in it just beyond the door.