Ice Dreams

Disclaimer: Characters in this story are my creation, as is the city of Bannen,(as far as I know, Canada doesn’t have a city named Bannen in it), and the hockey team is fictional as well. California doesn’t have a team named the Demon Dogs, that is my creation. The characters in this story are not based on any specific person, so any similarities are purely coincidental. I do not own any rights to the Stanley Cup, and I don’t make any money off my stories.

---------------

I tried to keep the hockey facts as truthful as possible, so please excuse any slip-ups. While this is a story based on a sports team, it’s not my intention to focus completely on it, but instead on the romantic story. I also don’t bash hockey players in real life, as I’ve met a few and they are lovely people. It just works in my story for now. I was inspired from the recent playoff games, when this plot bunny jumped into my head. Please enjoy.

Warnings: angst, lemon, oral, death, fluff, language, m/f


** Asterisks indicate thoughts
-----------------



Chapter Twenty-Two



Colin Burkins waited patiently to be re-fit for goalie pads, sitting in the backroom of the sports store. He was good friends with the owner, and therefore privy to special treatment. As of lately he was finding that with his rigorous workout regime, he was outgrowing his equipment to the point where readjusting wasn’t going to cut it anymore.

He had received many appreciative looks when he had entered the store, mostly from the female clientele and workers. Now that he was playing far more games with the Bannen Warriors, he was being recognized more on a daily basis. That, and his charming, boyish looks always seemed to make the ladies swoon. Most of the time he was oblivious to it, but today he was feeling rather good about himself. His blonde hair was impeccably styled into a faux hawk, his bright blue eyes sparkling with warmth.

Although he had boyish features, it was quite obvious he had grown into a mature, strong man who looked capable of just about anything. Muscles rippled underneath his cotton tee, his jeans outlining the defined muscles in his legs. The cut of shirt drew attention to his biceps, several women’s eyes drifting to admire his form.

The owner had directed him to the backroom of the store, where he would bring the equipment for Colin to try on. He was surprised though, when a young woman entered the backroom instead, struggling with goalie pads.

“Let me help you.” Colin said, springing to his feet. He crossed the room, taking the goalie pads from the young woman. She offered him a smile, her large green eyes full of spunk.

“I’ll bring in the rest of the stuff.” She said, her voice surprisingly low and husky. Colin was immediately intrigued, tripping all over himself as he tried to meet her at the door.

“I can help if you’d like. It can get a little heavy.” He spoke a little hurriedly, grinning sheepishly when she raised her eyebrow.

“Sure, if you’d like.” Aside from striking green eyes, she had deeply tanned skin and dark, dark hair, nearly black. They were opposites, yet Colin felt himself drawn to her for some unknown reason. Perhaps it was because she had a hint of fiery attitude, and he loved a woman with fire. Seeing as that he was drafted early on, he hadn’t had much time for a private life, and with every day that passed, he yearned for some romantic company. Letting himself drift off, he imagined what it would be like to have a love in his life, since he had never had that experience before. It was a nice dream, but stealing a look at the woman’s bored expression, he realized that finding love would be harder than he first thought.

“Are you coming?” She asked, her voice sharp and clipped. She had her hands on her hips, one eyebrow raised. Colin gave her another sheepish grin, realizing that she had caught him in a daydream. If he admitted to his teammates that he was desperate for love, then they would laugh at him and poke fun. That wasn’t the worst of it though. If any of his buddies on the Warriors found out he was 25 and still a virgin, he would never hear the end of it. He had been convinced early on that women would only want to sleep with him because he was a professional hockey player, and since then he had been very careful about who got close to him.

He knew he couldn’t go on like this forever though. He had had a few serious girlfriends in the past, but he never felt the breathless, heart-racing feeling of being in love. Never mind that, the fact that he had never been with a woman intimately made him feel very inexperienced. Hearing his friends talk about their girlfriends in the locker room, it seemed like the man had to be the experienced one in the relationship. If that was the case, he was screwed. What kind of woman would put up with a guy who had no previous experience?

Colin followed the woman into another backroom of the store, helping her carry the equipment out. She was cute, and seemed very independent. Probably not the type of woman who wanted a clumsy lover. He watched her set the rest of the equipment down beside the goalie pads, then turned to face him.

“Try this stuff on, and if you need a bigger size, I’ll go get it.” Her voice was so commanding, Colin felt obligated to do exactly what she said. He quietly dressed himself in the goalie gear, watching her out of the corner of his eye. She looked slightly curious as he fitted himself with the equipment, her bright green eyes roving his form. When she saw that he had his eyes on her, she turned her head sharply away from him, crossing her arms underneath her breasts. There was an awkward silence in the backroom as Colin dressed, the woman shifting her weight from foot to foot impatiently. Finally, she decided to break the silence.

“So…why do you want all this anyway? You play on a college team or something?” Every time she spoke, he was drawn to her husky voice. The tone was very low for a woman, especially one so petite as her. He hardly expected it, and that was why he was so fascinated. When her question finally hit him, he blinked. A college team? Did she know anything about hockey? He was a player in the NHL, a member of the city’s hockey team. Anyone who knew anything about the city knew about the Bannen Warriors. Was that the way it was though? That he was the backup goalie who played so infrequently, that no one knew who he was? How depressing.

“I, uh, play goalie for the Bannen Warriors.” He informed her, tearing his eyes away from hers to adjust his pads. He needed to find some way to convince Coach that he should be playing more games, if no one recognized him at all. When he finally looked back up at the woman, she looked fairly embarrassed.

“Oh. Sorry. I thought you were just some college kid who… I guess that’s no excuse for my cold attitude. Sorry.” This time, it was her who looked sheepish. Colin decided to shrug it off to save the both of them further embarrassment.

“It’s okay. I guess I don’t play that many games, so people don’t recognize me as much. It’s fine.”

“No, no, that’s not it as well.” She said, her lovely green eyes growing wide. “I…um…I just don’t keep up with
hockey that much. I guess that’s pretty sad to admit, seeing as I work in a sports store in a hockey-crazy city, but it’s the truth. I wouldn’t recognize anyone on the team. I don’t even know your name…” She drifted off, looking at him expectantly.

“Colin Burkins. I’m the backup. Hopefully this year I can change that around. What about you? What’s your name?”

“Jenny Saunders. Or Jenn. Or Jennifer. Whatever floats your boat, I suppose.” She said, breaking out into a grin. It was still a little awkward, though Jenny’s grin seemed to lighten the mood a bit. He grinned back, charming and playful all at once.

“Nice to meet you, Jenny. Perhaps I can be sort of an incentive to get you interested in the team. We’ll be in the playoffs in just about five months, and during that time everyone seems to get on board to support the team. It’s great.” Colin’s enthusiasm for the hockey team and the playoffs was obvious as he talked to Jenny. She had to smile as he spoke. He seemed like such a little kid, getting so excited over a sport. She leaned against a filing cabinet, regarding the fair-haired athlete. She felt bad for not recognizing him, but she had been honest with him. She didn’t pay attention to the Bannen Warriors that much, and she certainly didn’t know about any of the other sports teams in Bannen.

Watching Colin check over his gear though, she thought it might be a good idea to take a sudden interest. When she had first laid eyes on him, she had believed he was just another college boy, a wannabe player that didn’t quite make it. Now that he told her he was on an NHL team, she began to think differently. He would not be on the Bannen Warriors if he wasn’t good or athletic. To be a professional, he would have to have determination, initiative, discipline, and skill. Those were all good qualities, and were admirable too. That, and he was gorgeous.

Upon closer inspection, she had realized that he looked older than the typical college student in the store, that his eyes held a maturity not present in 21 or 22 year olds. His body was drool-worthy, finely developed muscles barely hidden underneath his clothes. He had a ready grin and a boy-next door attitude, relaxed and friendly. She wasn’t used to being around such an amicable man, and now she felt slightly guilty for treating him coolly when he had first come in. He had let that pass though, and now was smiling at her.

“Maybe I will check out a few games. Is there anything else I can get you, Colin?” His name had never sounded sweeter. He looked up at her, giving her a breath-taking smile. If only he was aware at how charming a man he was.

“No, thanks. Everything is perfect. I’ll bring this to the cash.” He finished removing the padding, gathering the equipment in his arms.

“See you later, Jenny.” As he passed by, Jenny wasn’t sure what hit her, but suddenly her knees went weak. How the hell was that possible?


------------


Denise watched Graham come out of the dressing room, his hair sopping wet. He never seemed to take the time to properly dry his hair, eager to meet Denise after every game. He grinned when he saw her, leaning down to kiss her. Water droplets hit her cheeks, Graham wiping them away with his thumb after pulling away. She could feel the energy radiating off of him, still pumped from the game. The Bannen Warriors had been victorious once again, though the Demon Dogs still weighed down on all the players minds.

The Bannen Warriors would be facing the Devils in a few short days, and Denise still had to hear the plan from Graham. He had said something about getting Neil involved, though Denise wasn’t quite clear on his purpose yet. She imagined Neil would keep away anyone that would interrupt them, though she wasn’t certain yet. It all felt very risqué, but at the same time she was looking forward to it. Would it be enough to keep Hilary away? She hoped so. The damned woman was showing up all over the place, and Denise didn’t appreciate it one bit.

Neil came out of the dressing room next, deep in conversation with Jordan Michaels, one of the alternate captains. They were laughing boisterously, their words lost within their loud chuckles. Denise looked up at Graham, raising an eyebrow.

“Did something happen in the locker room that I should be aware of?” She joked, intertwining her fingers with his. Graham grinned, kissing her on the forehead.

“Tom got a tooth knocked out during the game. We were making jokes about what his wife would say when she found out. ‘Tom, the gap-toothed wonder’. I guess she’s not going to be too happy about it.” Tom emerged from the dressing room just as Graham finished informing Denise of what happened. She couldn’t help it – she stared at him, curious to see how bad the damage was. Tom Welding was one of the oldest members on the team, 35 years old and looking every bit his age. In a few years, he would have to retire from the game.

Off the ice, he had a fatherly look to him, no doubt from the pleasant wrinkles around his eyes and the warm air around him. On the ice though, he was a different man. Strong and commanding, the opposition knew when he was around. Tom was tough, unafraid of getting in and roughing it up, making the other team nervous. She remembered the hit that might have caused him his tooth – Tom had laid a hit, only to get a stick in the face immediately after. It had been called, and a penalty served, but she didn’t remember seeing him on the ice for awhile after that.

Now, he was standing outside the locker room, talking with Jordan and Neil. Every time he opened his mouth, she could see where his tooth used to be. The front one had been knocked right out, and now he looked even more tough. A lot of the guys on the team had missing teeth, but she had grown used to it. Seeing Tom, who always had a straight-tooth, gleaming white smile, it was a little peculiar now to see the gap. It would take some time getting used to.

Neil broke away from his conversation with Jordan and Tom, walking over to where Denise and Graham stood. Grinning, he slapped Graham on the back. Denise always liked to see the two of them together – they were close friends, and the chemistry was obvious.

“You know you’re a hockey player when…” Neil drifted off, signaling with his chin to where Tom stood. Graham smirked.

“So, if we’re not missing any teeth, we’re not true hockey players?” Graham said, breaking off into laughter. He understood though. The public always perceived hockey players as brutes with missing teeth. For those who weren’t familiar with the Bannen Warriors, they were always shocked as hell when Graham told them his profession. They could hardly believe that an attractive, intelligent man as he played in the NHL.

“Naw. Wonder what his wife is gonna say though.” Neil grinned, watching their captain. Denise nodded.

“We were thinking the exact same thing.”

“Yeah, she’s not going to be too happy, that’s for sure. Nothing he can do about that though, they’re not getting that tooth back in.” Graham said. Neil choked on laughter.

“No. Man, you should have seen the blood gush. I haven’t seen something like that since Eli broke his nose.”

“Ew! Gross. Let’s stop this conversation, now.” Denise cut Neil off, not wanting to hear all the gory details of Eli’s broken nose. Knowing Neil, he would have shared the full story. As they were bidding each other good night, Tom’s wife, Erica if Denise remembered correctly, came bursting into the room. Neil hung around beside Graham, watching the little drama unfold.

Erica searched the room for Tom, and when she finally spotted him, she hurried over. Grasping his shoulders, she peered into his face. Erica, like every other hockey wife she had seen, was beautiful and well-mannered. Tom tolerated her poking and prodding, standing perfectly still as she did a thorough inspection.

“I saw that. The high-sticking and you bleeding. How bad is it? I can handle it.”

“Hun, you get queasy from one drop of blood.” Tom reminded her. When he opened his mouth, Erica had seen the damage. Briefly stunned, she burst out into quiet laughter.

“Well look at you. The kids are going to believe that their daddy is a real toughie now. It’s going to be all over school.” Denise had not been expecting such a reaction from Erica. She was far too easygoing, and Denise wondered if she would be the same way. She supposed that it was the only kind of manner to adopt when you were with a professional athlete. Injuries did happen.

After a few good-natured jokes directed at Tom, the men started disappearing for home. The energy was dying down now, replaced with tiredness. Neil ran his fingers through his short blonde hair, regarding Denise and Graham.

“Well, I’m off. Have to get some sleep if I’m going to get to practice early tomorrow. I still have to talk to Amanda too. See you guys later.”

“See you, buddy.”

“Bye Neil.” Denise said, watching Graham’s brawny friend retreat. She turned to Graham, catching his sleepy look before he had a chance to conceal it.

“I guess you should get home to.” She said, lightly poking him in the arm. He smiled, knowing he had been caught.

“I guess. We both have a busy day tomorrow. Sleep is a must.” Denise had almost forgotten what was up for her tomorrow. She had to be on a plane to New York tomorrow, to discuss her latest fashion line. Although it wasn’t as beautiful as she hoped it would be, it was all she had for now. She would spend the entire day there, then catch a red-eye back home. It was such a busy existence, and she wondered if it was something she really wanted to do anymore. Her fashion line was giving her more grief than pleasure as of lately, and every time she went to work on it, she would almost resent it. Definitely not the kind of attitude a designer should possess.

Taking Graham’s hand, she walked with him out to his car. Unlike the past couple of weeks, they would not spend the night together. Denise would go to her own home, and drive herself out to the airport. Graham had an early practice tomorrow, and he didn’t need to worry about getting Denise to the airport, and then picking her up in the early hours of the morning. She wouldn’t but him through that.





------------------

A/N: Thanks for reading, more to come soon. Please review! I always love to read what you have to say.

------------------