Please see Part 1 for disclaimers and archiving information.

"From The Top", Part 26/33
By Clotho (clothomoerae@hotmail.com) and Cathy (huntersglenn@yahoo.com)

*****************************************

Dave rubbed his hands together, then pressed into Carter's shoulder blades
near the neck.   He chuckled at Carter's comment.  "Sure will."   Then paid
his attention to working his way slowly along the shoulders -- outwards
until he reached the upper arms.  Carter's skin was warm and pliable under
his hands, with just a little rigidity for the muscles underneath.  Less
muscle than the guys on his team had, but still enough.

When John felt Dave's hands on his shoulders, he was at first puzzled.
Then he figured that Dave was toying with him and he smiled.  It was good
to see Dave loosening up when it came to trying new things for sex.  The
guy was way too rigid in the ways things were done and John had been
hopeful that Dave would get adventuresome with him.  After all, Dave was
the guy who took him on a dance floor, surrounded by lots of other men,
without thinking twice about it, and John kept hoping Dave would regain
that spontaneity and sense of adventure.  So, he would encourage him.
"Hmm.  That feels good.  You've got great hands, Dave."

Dave nodded happily.  "Yep, all the guys say that."  Wellll it was really
only a couple of them, but Dave did know he gave good back-rubs -- Sammy
and Jimbo both enjoyed them.  Dave returned to the centre of Carter's back,
and to running his fingers up and down Carter's spine fast -- and then
slowly down but with ever increasing pressure.

"Well, if you give back rubs like this after every game and practice then I
might be tempted to take up...ah, that's good...the game of hockey," John
replied.  He fought the urge to arch his back into Dave's hands and instead
focused on the feelings those hands were creating within him.  His cock was
brushing up against the side of the couch whenever Dave touched him hard
enough to make his body move, and while the friction felt damn good, John
wanted more.  He wanted Dave's hand to massage THAT particular muscle and
he wanted Dave inside him, massaging an important and sensitive internal
organ.

"Nah.  Only when the guys get hurt or sore or anything."  Dave moved his
attention to the ribs, moving sideways along them, probing the muscle
between them, counting off each one in his head, knowing which organs were
under each one.

"Lucky them.  I should have hired you last year.  The guy at physical
therapy kept trying to kill me...hey, watch it...that tickles!"  John
jerked his body away from Dave's hands.  "Go easy on the ribs, okay?"

If it tickled then it obviously needed more pressure.  Dave reapplied
himself to the ribs. "Yokay."  When he came to the end of them for the
second time, he reached for Carter's hips and began kneading the flesh
around them.  This was going to be good, Carter's back was going to stop
hurting.

John moaned loudly when Dave began to massage his hips.  So close to what
he needed...so very close.  God, he didn't know if he could hold out
against that kind of torment and teasing.

Dave smiled hearing the groan.  It was obviously a very happy groan -- he
was doing things right.  Dave began to work his way up Carter's sides,
duplicating the kneading movement all the way up.  "Good huh?  We're
getting there."  All the guys did during the good bits was grunt a bit --
but Dave supposed it was a bit different if it wasn't someone you were on a
team with -- and it was satisfying hearing Carter's pleased groans.  Very
satisfying.

"God, Dave, quit teasing and just fuck me already," John gasped out.  He
was ready for Dave, more than ready for Dave, he thought as he pushed his
hips out and spread his knees apart to give Dave room.  "Please?"

Dave stepped back abruptly, and suddenly found himself sitting on the
coffee table.  "What?"?

Dave's hands suddenly went away and John prepared himself for the feel of
some kind of cool lubricant.  But nothing happened and then he heard Dave's
question.  John looked back over his shoulder at him.  "You've got me more
than ready for you, there's no need to keep teasing me, no need for more
foreplay.  I want you in me, Dave.  Now."  John tried to not sound
demanding even as he demanded Dave's attentions.

Dave looked down.  He wasn't even hard, not really.  A little firm maybe,
but..."What?  I wasn't teasing.  That was a *backrub* Carter."   He didn't
get hard when he gave backrubs -- not to the team, not because one of his
friends was hurting.  Sure he enjoyed giving them, but..."I'm not some
kinda sadist, Carter."

John felt his cheeks rapidly growing warm as he realized that he had
misunderstood Dave's intentions.  "Oh."  John suddenly felt very
self-conscious that he was naked and Dave wasn't and embarrassed over
thinking that Dave had wanted him when he didn't.  He quickly got to his
feet and started to head for the bathroom. "Sorry.  I'd better get
dressed."

Dave looked at Carter's retreating back and butt.  Somehow things had just
gone wrong.  He called out, "Carter...Is it, um, feeling better?"

John didn't want to face Dave, not after messing up so badly in
misinterpreting what Dave had meant.  But he stopped and nodded.  "Yeah,
you were doing a great job with the back rub, even though you hadn't yet
reached the part that..." John trailed off, not wanting to admit to Dave
that he was hurting.

Dave shrugged hopelessly.  "Could go on."  He paused for a second then
continued a thought struck him.  "But ya couldn't have thought that.  I
mean I told ya I did the whole team!"

John turned around, his face burning with his embarrassment and his out of
control cock finally back under control. "I thought you were joking around
or something.  You don't have to finish the back rub.  It doesn't
matter...I'm okay."

Dave didn't know what to do next.  He really didn't.  His back rubs didn't
usually misfire, and definitely not like this.  "Okay.  You're okay."   He
shrugged.  "So?"

"So, I'll get dressed and do up the dishes."  John started to turn around,
but he hesitated. "I'm sorry.  I shouldn't have assumed..."

Dave shrugged.  "It's cool."  He didn't want to argue, and a backrub seemed
a stupid thing to argue about.  Pity it had ended like this though.  Dave
snabbled one of the remaining pancakes from the plate, and took a bite out
of it, then picked up a second and frisbeed it to Carter.  "Here."

John grabbed the pancake and made a face. "Sticky."  He tossed it back to
Dave and headed to get dressed for the day.  His embarrassment firmly in
mind, John closed the bathroom door, washed his hands and quickly dressed
in a pair of trousers and a button up cotton shirt over a T-shirt.

Okay, so giving Carter food hadn't done any good. Dave shrugged, and looked
about him, then began to pick up the breakfast debris.  Eating alone didn't
usually create quite this mess. There was the pancakes, and syrup and honey
and jam and butter, and - ugh -- a split glass of milk. Dave gathered the
first armload, and headed to the kitchen for a cloth to wipe up the mess.

After brushing his teeth again, John went to the kitchen. "Where's the dish
detergent?"

"By the sink.  It's the green stuff."  Dave grabbed a couple of cloths then
set to work sorting out the milk.  Spillages like this were a time when
wooden floors became an advantage.  He aimed to spend as little time
cleaning as possible.

John started the water to get it hot and for the detergent.  He soon had a
sink full of hot suds and he started to whistle as he did up the dishes.
He didn't mind cleaning kitchens as long as he didn't have to cook in them.

Milk wiped up, Dave waved his cloth in a desultory manner over the rest of
the table.  Dusting or wiping or something like that.  Then, as washing up
sounds were still coming from the kitchen, he started to straighten the
blanket on the sofa.  His yesterday's clothes were lying strewn over the
room.  Dave picked up the T-shirt and found a remote under it.  He flipped
it on in a reflex action, and saw an old black & white movie flip to life
in front of his eyes.  "Duck Soup".  He smiled, then yelled.   "Carter.
'Duck Soup'."

John finished rinsing the last thing, which was the frying pan Dave had
used, when he heard Dave hollering something about soup.  He pulled the
plug and grabbed the hand towel, then walked to the doorway.  "What about
soup?"

Dave repeated.  "Duck Soup."  Then sat down on the sofa, and gestured
toward the TV.

John was still wiping his hands as he walked over to the couch, then he
grinned when he saw what was on TV.  "I love the Marx Brothers," he said,
sitting down a respectable distance from Dave.  He didn't want Dave to
think he was after sex again.

Dave nodded.  "They're great."  He brought his legs up onto the sofa too,
and after a seconds indecision, laid them across Carter's knees.  He didn't
understand how the stuff before had turned out wrong, but that Carter was
sitting here, not far away and somewhere else, was a good sign.  Maybe.  A
good sign about what Dave wasn't too sure though - he veered away from that
thought.  Being here and fed and watching TV on a cold morning was enough.

*******************************************

At the rink, John climbed up the bleachers on the Wombat side so he could
use the wall as a back-stop.  And from up there he could watch Dave all he
wanted without it being obvious that he was only watching one person.  He
had his phone with him, but the ringer was off, so there were no worries
about interruptions.  Pager set to vibrate.  As Dave whizzed around the
rink, John saw him stop and talk to other guys in the same Wombat uniform,
obviously happy and in his element.  John grinned as he watched Dave
interact with the team and then it was time for the game to start.  John
settled back, ready to cheer for his favorite player.

It unnerved Dave having someone in the stands there for him.  Most of the
other guys brought their girlfriends along regularly, but Carter was the
first person who'd come along in Chicago just for him.  Way back as a kid
he'd had Mike or Father Frank or sometimes his mother -- but not since
then.  It felt strange.  It felt good.  It was also scary -- he kept on
searching the stands for Carter instead of keeping his eyes in the rink --
and in a fast hard game that was dangerous.  Dave abruptly returned his
eyes to the rink, and discovered he should have been half the rink away a
second ago.  Shit.

"Haven't seen you here before," a woman asked John.  She was seated on the
bench just below his and cheering for some guy named Sammy.

"Yeah, my first time.  I work with Dave at the hospital and don't get a lot
of time off for things like this," he replied, keeping his eyes on Dave.
"Go get 'em, Malucci."  He yelled out.

The woman laughed.  "It's good he has a friend here.  Usually we all have
to take turns rooting for him.  Enjoy the game."  She turned back around.
"All right, Sammy!  Go for it!"

John grinned.  It felt good to be there for Dave, even though he felt a
little bad for Dave that no one was ever there to just watch him play.
Then Dave made a goal and John jumped to his feet with the rest of the fans
and friends.  "Go, Dave!"

Dave turned around to the stands and pumped his arm triumphantly in
response to the yells from his team's supporters, and received a full body
bump from Jimbo in celebration.  It was good, it was great.  Dave turned
and faced the rink with renewed concentration, he wanted another goal and
another and another.  He wanted Carter to yell louder and louder for him --
but not too loud, not louder than anyone else was yelling, but VERY loud
all that same.  And all he needed to get that to happen was to get another
goal -- it should be easy.

As the game ended with the Wombats victorious, the woman turned to John,
who was in the process of turning his cell phone back on.  "You coming to
Sportz Shortz with us?  We all go there after the games."

"I'm Dave's ride home, so I guess I had better go."  John got to his feet,
then helped her get to hers.  "It was a good game."

"It was.  Dave usually plays better though.  But they all did well.   By the
way, I'm Marie and I'm Sammy's wife."  She held out her hand.

John shook it.  "John Carter."  They were now at the bottom of the stands
and John could see Dave still out on the ice.  He made his way to the
plastic wall that offered some protection from flying hockey pucks.  "Great
game, Malucci," he shouted, hoping Dave could hear him.

Dave thumped Sammy and Jimbo on their backs and received answering
whallops.  It had been a good game -- Carter didn't need to be yelling so
loud though -- especially now, he gestured toward Carter with his head.
"Guy from work."  He waved at Carter.

John waved back at Dave, then followed Marie and the others to the lobby of
the rink where they had to wait while the guys on the team showered and
changed.  He frowned though as there was something about one of the players
that struck a chord.  "Marie, that guy with Sammy and Dave, what's his
name?"

"Oh, that's Jimbo.  He's a good player, too."

Jimbo.  Dave had mentioned Sammy and Jimbo when talking about giving back
rubs.  Sammy was married, but Jimbo...Jimbo wasn't, John realized with a
start where he had seen Jimbo before -- the bar he and Adam used to go to
all the time -- The Back Yard.  The bar where Dave fucked him in front of
everyone.  Had Jimbo been there that night?  He bit back a groan as he
contemplated having to tell Dave about THAT.  Dave would blame him, John
knew it.

Dave jumped under the shower with enthusiasm -- okay so maybe he was
usually quicker to get to where the action was -- but he'd still got a goal
or two tonight -- and that wasn't bad by half.  And now they'd all go to
the bar and get a drink.  And sometimes life was good - as long as Carter
didn't shoot his mouth off, and he hadn't done that at work.  And the water
was hot.  And there were sweaty friends getting clean either side of him,
and when he got out there would be someone to have a towel flicking contest
with.  Probably Jimbo -- he was a good sort, or Sammy.  And life was good.
Dave grinned.

John checked his watch.  "How long does it take them to shower?"  The women
around him laughed.  "Well, it's been like, twenty minutes."

Marie shook her head.  "They've got to shower, dry their hair, dress to
impress. It takes men a while to get ready, you know."

"It doesn't take me long," John muttered, and that comment made the women
laugh harder.

"This is Dave's friend, John.  They work together," Marie said to the rest
of them.

John was greeted warmly by the women, all who seemed to be pleased that a
friend of Dave's had shown up to watch his game.  He heard a few 'bout
time' comments, but wasn't quite sure what the women meant by them, so he
pretended he hadn't heard them at all.

He checked his watch again.  "Shouldn't they be ready by now?"  He really
didn't like the thought of Dave and that Jimbo guy being in the same locker
room, let alone the showers.


Dave stuffed his sweaty gear into his bag, and took his opportunity to give
Jimbo one last towel flick on a piece of fast being covered up back before
he stowed the towel, too.

"Hey."

"Hurry up then.  I'm outta here."  Dave grinned at the rest of the room,
then joined the steady trickle of guys leaving the room.

"I'll get you."

"In your dreams."


Marie nudged John in the ribs.  "They're headed this way now."  She stepped
away from him and found Sammy, giving him a loving kiss.

John watched her, longing for the freedom to be able to do that when he saw
Dave...but even if he hadn't promised Dave that he would behave himself, he
knew he could never dare kiss Dave in public that way.  Too many people
just wouldn't understand.  But the dream was nice.

Dave walked into the throng, it was cool to have someone there to go up and
talk to.  Someone there just for him.  He sashayed casually over to
Carter.  "Enjoy the game?"

John turned quickly when he heard Dave's voice and he grinned.  "Yeah, it
was pretty good.  You were taking some pretty rough hits out there, but I
also saw you giving back as good as you got.  So, is the other team going
to the bar, too?  Or is the trip to Sportz Shortz only for the victorious
team?"

Dave was vaguely surprised that Carter knew all about everyone going to the
bar, but....he must have been talking to the others, or maybe he'd figured
it out from before, still, he guessed that Carter knowing was cool.  "Think
they've got their own bar, coupla other teams go to Sportz Shortz too,
though.  Like the Nailbiters."  He turned round and looked at the others,
but before he could speak got an answer.

"Yeah.  Everyone's got a game tonight, the All Illinois Junior's got all
the rinks booked this weekend," Sammy said.

John nodded.  "Well, I'm ready to head on over now if you are.  But I'm
driving and you can tell me how to get there, okay?"  John asked with a
wicked grin.

Dave shrugged, then addressed the group at large.  "Anyone need a ride?"
It was really, really cool to be able to offer a ride instead of always
cadging one.  He looked around the group hopefully.

"Sure," Jimbo said, and he walked toward them.  "Thanks for the offer."

John frowned slightly, but he knew it wouldn't be polite to dismiss Dave's
offer.  Instead he smiled politely at Jimbo.  "Ready to go?"

Dave punched Jimbo on the back and half pretended to dodge the one Jimbo
gave in return,  "Ya finally got dressed then.  Come on."

John held back slightly, letting Dave and Jimbo precede him out to the
Jeep.  He knew he was feeling jealous, but he also knew that being jealous
was stupid.  Just because he had seen Jimbo at the Back Yard a time or ten
it didn't mean that Jimbo had a thing for Dave.  Even if the guy was
laughing too loud at Dave's jokes and touching Dave waaay too much for
John's liking.  He caught up to them at the Jeep and unlocked the door.
"Just toss your bags in the back," he told Dave, then he walked to the
other side to get in.

Dave tossed his bag in the bag, then reached for Jimbo's and tussled with
him for it.  The guy had a nasty habit of passing it behind his back, and
Dave almost had to pin him to the Jeep to get it.  But after a moment he
had it, and threw it into the back with his.

It was cool too, to get to ride shotgun, and have someone else consigned to
the back with the bags.  He held the door wider, and grinned at Jimbo.
"Hurry up.  Don't want to let the Nailbiters get the good table."

"It's *you* who's in the way."  But by the time Jimbo had finished speaking
he was in the Jeep, and pulling the seat back to make room.  "Man, that was
a good game tonight.  You were a bit off though."

"Was NOT."  Dave scrambled up, and began to put on his seat belt.

John pulled on his seat belt and found that despite his misgivings about
Jimbo, that it was fun to listen to their banter.  They obviously had a
relationship that didn't go beyond being teammates.  John smiled as he
started the Jeep.  "Okay, I need some directions, guys."

"Just go along here, for 'bout a mile, and take a left onto...."

"You're crazy, Dave."

"Am not."

"Loco.  That might work on a bike, but in a car it's fastest to do a U here
and...."

John sighed and stopped at the end of the aisle.  "I'll accept any route
that doesn't involve me trying to squeeze the car through a narrow alley or
any illegal traffic maneuvers.  So, does anyone know how to get to this
place?"

Dave didn't know about navigating cars in Chicago, and knew he didn't.  It
rankled though.  "Well, listen to Jimbo then, he's the world expert or
something."

"Yeah, I'm the world expert.  Listen to me."  Dave felt the back of his
head getting a light swipe.  "Do a U, and left at the first light."

John rolled his eyes, then saw Marie waving at him from a car that slowly
passed in front of the Jeep.  "Sammy's going to the bar, right?"

"He better be."  Dave grinned.

John grinned.  "Good."  He pulled out behind Sammy's car and followed it
out of the parking lot.  It was a route that, surprisingly, didn't include
any U-turns or narrow alleys.  Once John reached the street where the bar
was located, he was once more in familiar surroundings and he easily found
a parking spot not far from the door.  "Delivered safe and sound," he
announced as he cut off the engine.

Dave didn't think Carter needed to sound *quite* so smug about it.  He was
sure that his and Jimbo's routes would have got them here too.  Still, a
bar was a bar -- and more particularly and meaningfully, Sportz Shortz with
his team was Sportz Shortz with his team.  He undid his seat belt, and got
out of the Jeep in about two seconds flat.  "Com'on guys."

John thought he was moving quickly, but Dave and Jimbo beat him inside and
John ended up walking into the bar with Sammy and Marie.

"You been here before?" Sammy asked as they made their way to the large
table that Dave had grabbed for all of them.

"Once.  It's a nice place."  John saw Roxanne and he grinned at her.   She
grinned back and winked, but he wasn't sure if she did that with all the
single guys or if she really did remember him.

"The food's good and cheap and the beer's cold and that's about all that
matters to these guys," Marie said, laughing.

"Hey, those *are* the most important things, you know," John said and Sammy
laughed, nodding his agreement.

Dave grinned at seeing Sammy laugh at something Carter had said -- this had
the makings of a good night.  Then he grinned some more at seeing someone
else walk in.  Someone who approximately half an hour before had probably
been wearing a pink shirt.  He thumped the table, and called out.
"Losers.  Took ya long enough to get here."

"The Teddybears.  How much did you lose by tonight?"

Dave snorted, and looked around at the others.  "We won.   Magnificently."

The guy grinned,  "Read a dictionary this week did you?"  Then turned to
Roxanne.  "The Blood-Red's need your BEST tonight."  He paused for a
dramatic moment, then said.  "We *doubled* the turkeys' score."

John made his way to the table and sat down between Dave and Marie and
listened to the good natured ribbing.  It was definitely more boisterous
than what went on after a dressage meet.

Roxanne laughed.  "Sorry, rules are first come first served, and the
Wombats got here first."  She stopped by John's seat.  "What'll you have,
hon?"

John grinned up at her.  "Well, I'm not on the team, but I think I can
safely say that you can bring a bunch of pitchers of beer for everyone."
He leaned back in the chair and whispered up to her, "My treat, but don't
tell them, okay?"

Roxanne popped her gum.  "Sure thing, honey," she whispered back.   "Anybody
want anything other than beer?"

Dave shook his head, and thumped the table.  "Beer.  Beer."  Then he had a
second thought.  He hadn't had much dinner -- he played faster without a
full stomach.  "Potato skins."

Jimbo nodded too.  "Nachos."

"Coke or Pepsi.  And a cheeseburger," John said.  He turned to Marie, "What
about you?  Are you a beer woman?"

Marie laughed.  "Nope."  She looked up at Roxanne.  "The usual."

"White wine.  Got it."  Roxanne took a few more orders, then sashayed off
to place the orders before taking ones from the other team.

"You don't drink?" Marie asked John.

"Not much, no," he replied.  "I have a beer every now and then, but since
I'm driving, I figured I should stay away from it."

She smiled and nodded.  "Good choice."

"Thanks," John said.  Then he felt a call of nature.  "Excuse me, I'll be
right back."   He got to his feet and headed to the men's room.
Remembering how some guy had kept coming on to him when he was at Sportz
Shortz before, John was relieved to find the room empty, John went to one
of the urinals and was nearly done when the door opened and Jimbo walked
in.

Jimbo looked around the room nervously.  It was empty, he walked past the
stalls before returning to the urinals and starting to take a slash.
"Hey.  Have I seen you before?"

John quickly zipped up his pants.  Maybe it was a good sign that Jimbo
didn't recognize him.  "I don't think so, but then, working in the ER, I
see so many people every day.  So, unless you've been there recently, you
probably don't know me from Adam."

Jimbo's stream jerked to a halt.  "Adam?"

The minute that Jimbo said 'Adam', John knew he had made a mistake.  What
if Jimbo knew Adam and put two and two together?  Shit.  "Uh, yeah," he
walked over to the sink and turned on the water.  "You know, like in the
Garden of Eden, first man and so on?"

Jimbo shrugged.  "Probably haven't.  That's cool.  Stupid mistake.   Don't
need to tell the others, right?"

"Tell the others?"  John glanced over at Jimbo, wondering what kind of game
the man was playing.  "I'm lost here."

"The guys.  The team."

John rinsed his hands and nodded.  "Yeah, I know what you meant by the
'others'.  But I don't know quite what it is that I don't need to tell
them.  That you haven't been to the ER?"  John knew he was treading on thin
ice, but he *had* to find out if Jimbo had seen him at the Back Yard and if
so, if had he also seen Dave there?

Jimbo resumed his piss.  "That we've never seen each other before."

"We haven't?"  John asked. Then he nodded.  "No, right.  We haven't.
Never.  Right."  So, if this guy *had* seen Dave on New Year's Eve, then he
wasn't saying, which meant he probably hadn't.  That was good.  "Um, I
really don't want Dave to know.  You know?"

Jimbo nodded heartily.  "Yeah.  Great guy...but likes his chicks.   Never
brings one to a game though."  He ended on an interrogative note.

"Really?  Well, they come up to the hospital after him."  At least that's
what John had heard one time, that some younger woman, a girl, really, had
been up there looking for Dave.  Maybe one day he'd ask Dave about it.
"Guess he hasn't found one yet that likes hockey."  John tossed the paper
towel in the trash then he smiled at the other man.  "Nice to meet you,
Jimbo.  Any friend of Dave's is a friend of mine."

"Uh yeah.  This bar's good, but the other's good too.  Have a drink
sometime?"  Jimbo gave himself a shake and zipped up his pants.

"I don't drink much," John said, wondering how to get out of a potential
date with Jimbo without revealing that he was seeing Dave.

"Somethin' else then?"  Jimbo began to wash his hands overcasually.   "No
need to tell Dave."

John shrugged.  "Yeah, sure, maybe.  I don't make it out there much any
more since I'm not...friends with Adam any longer, so..." John hoped that
Jimbo would take that as an indefinite answer and then forget all about
him.

Jimbo wiped his hands on his pants.  "Maybe you'll come along to another
game?"

"I'd like that.  You guys played really great."  John opened the door and
motioned for Jimbo to leave first.  He had handled that well, he thought.
Jimbo had never seen Dave at the Back Yard, and Jimbo had no idea that Dave
and he were a couple.  It had all worked out.  Smiling, John returned to
his seat.  All the drinks had been served and the conversation was loud and
cheerful.

To be continued