Hi Again, I Want You

Disclaimer: I own none of this. Disney owns it, but I like to borrow the characters for my own deviousness.

Chapter 1: Old Friends and Video Conferences

...

"Ducks fly together."

Charlie often told this to his JV hockey team before a game. He even instilled the saying in the minds of his history class, especially come group project time.

There was always that one group where a slacker would keep true to their 'slacking' ways, riding on the tailcoats of their higher achieving classmates. On the other end of the student-typecast spectrum, there was always the Type-A student dead-set on attending an Ivy League. They would rule the group with an iron fist that would make the Soviet Union proud while the slacker wrote their name and called it a day.

Sigh. Charlie was told it would happen while he was getting his bachelors in Education (and a double minor in History and Sport's Science) at Minnesota State by his professors. He was even told again by the more experienced teachers in the break room. The reality of the situation was a different matter entirely.

Well-to-do parents often sent (in some cases, dragged) their offspring to Eden Hall, and with it, varied expectations, which their children knowingly followed or completely disregarded.

Sitting in his apartment, pen in mouth, papers spread haphazardly on his coffee table, a schedule for the upcoming JV hockey season for the winter, the local news blaring on in the background, it wasn't hard for Charlie to get a little nostalgic about the past when the work was piling up and the itch for something familiar at the tip of his fingers.

On his laptop, littering his email account, instant chat, or heck, there were actual letters, from his various teammates about their random facets in life.

Some of them, not surprisingly, fulfilled the hockey dream.

The majority of them pursued different interests; their hockey memorabilia carefully stowed away to boast to their children for the future.

A ping on his computer disturbed Charlie from his particularly essay about Hitler and how he was 'a crazy dude that clearly had some mental issues and despite whatever Jeanne says about him needing a hug and a mirror, he definitely should've been gunned in the head. The League of Nations were so useless, how was it possible that they ignored him this long?'

Reaching over to his computer, Charlie grinned.

Adam Banks was online.

'Are you busy?'

Charlie disregarded the essay, placing it indifferently on the pile of ungraded papers. Settling himself in front of the laptop, he replied, 'Papers. I can ignore them for my favorite cake-eater. What's up?'

He saw the icon change to the symbol of a pencil writing, indicating Adam was typing a reply. Suddenly, the icon stopped. It changed into a pencil icon erasing.

Charlie patiently waited. He smiled as the icon changed into a pencil writing again. Adam was always one to carefully think before he spoke.

Finally, a line appeared. Four words. It almost felt like high school again.

"Can I call you?'

Immediately, Charlie typed: 'That shouldn't even be a question. Call!'

Not a minute later did he press 'Enter' to submit the message, did Charlie hear his phone ring. The phone's generic ring tone blasted from the table, drowning out the news.

He absently glanced at the TV while reaching for his phone in time to see a familiar name flash on the screen. There was an exhibition game with… Adam's team?

Oh. Charlie gripped his cell phone, staring at the neat block letters of 'Adam Banks' neatly flash across the screen.

Charlie grinned, leaning against the back of his couch, "Banksie."

"Hey Charlie."

Only two words and Charlie could feel the familiar feeling of a blush spread across his cheekbones. He was acting like the same teenagers that he often lectured to.

"So…" Charlie stated, curious at the late night phone call. Adam was still on the east coast, so it was probably after midnight by now.

"Um," Adam paused. Charlie curled against his couch, listening to the other breath nervously as he gained his bearing. Finally, he spoke, a hint of wary on the edge of his voice, "I'm gonna be in town this week."

"Yeah, I saw on TV." There was no malice in his voice, just the fizzy knowledge in his stomach of where the conversation was leading.

This was their routine. Adam would unexpectedly (not really, Charlie has his team schedule tucked neatly on his kitchen fridge) and they would do their small talk before a quiet settled and Adam would hesitantly ask him for lunch the day he arrived.

Of course, Charlie always agreed. He wryly grinned, despite the years and the interviews and magazines spreads, Adam was that quiet, young boy that captured Charlie's attention with his sincere determination and obvious love of hockey.

An exasperated chuckle, "Yeah, I didn't find out until a few days ago. I didn't know how to ask about…seeing you, y'know, since it's short notice. You're so busy teaching and all, so…sorry…but I was wondering if…"

There was a pause and Charlie grinned, knowing the other was probably worrying the knee of his pants with nervous fingers.

"It would really be great to catch up," Charlie interrupted. He quickly added, "If your schedule would allow."

The relieved sigh was noticeable. "Same. I have a dinner to go to with the big-wigs and some sponsors." Adam took a sharp intake of air before blurting, "You should come with me!"

Silence.

"I mean…would you like to come with me?" Charlie could almost see Adam turn pink.

"Hmm…and wear one of those penguin suits? Sorry Banksie, but that's your shtick."

"I know," Adam didn't relent, always the surprisingly stubborn one. "But it's free food and drinks, and we can leave early and go to my apartment, and- I dunno, drink a couple of beers and catch up."

Charlie 'hmmed' as he tucked his knees underneath his chin, wanting the other to sweat it out while he made his decision. "Well, I'm sorry to say-"

He heard Adam sigh.

"That all I heard was free food, so do tell," Charlie finished earnestly.

Charlie could hear Adam laugh through the phone, rich and deep, and suddenly, it was like they were back in high school, stowing away in one another's dorm rooms to study (he was horrible with math, but compensated with being a history buff, while it was reversed for Adam) or hide away from the rest of the Ducks for a marathon of Star Trek.

"Alright then, well, it'll be at-"

And Charlie lowered the volume to the TV and settled himself comfortably on his couch and listened patiently while his former teammate elaborated on his plans for his visit.

He probably only heard every third world that came out of Adam's mouth, focusing more on the man talking rather than the content of his words. He hadn't felt this giddy since the last time he had seen Adam, which was months ago. It was weird but exasperating at the same time every time they met up. Charlie had basically grown up with Adam.

Except, every time they met, it was like he was seeing Adam for the first time again.

Frankly, it was a little scary.

Video chat, another one of those 21st century marvels that are most needed when one is having an emotional crisis.

"Come on man! You've been crushing him for years!" Goldberg threw his hands in the air, mock glaring at Charlie through the computer screen.

"At least tell him." Julie smiled warmly. While pumping iron. Jesus, that girl was amazing with multitasking.

"Julie's right! Don't make this any gayer than this has to be."

"Goldberg." Julie paused from her lifting to glare at him.

"Uh…oh um, I don't mean gay like a bad way, but it kinda sucks that you're all sad and mopey and-an…"

Charlie rested his head on his palms, exasperated. He smiled fondly though while Goldberg continued ranting on how he was totally cool with him being gay and the gay population in general. Julie was staring into the monitor sympathetically at Charlie.

Charlie grinned. His teammates (always, there was no such thing as a former teammate in Charlie's mind) were amazing.

"Dude, just get it over with. He totally has the hots for you." Portman's husky voice interrupted Goldberg's tirade. "You see him every few months. I'm pretty sure you're the first person he contacts whenever he's coming to the state. You might as well be dating him at this point."

"Yeah, man! Cake eater always did a shitty job of pretending like he wasn't checking you out when we were in the lockers," Fulton pushed Portman out of the way, a maniac grin. "He's as see-through now as he was then."

"Get on your own laptop!"

"Yours is on right now!"

More pushing ensued.

Cracking a smile, Charlie shook his head. "He never made a move then or now. We're friends."

"Because he thinks you're straight!" Fulton gave a final push that sent Portman sprawled on the ground. He shot Charlie an annoyed look when Charlie gaped into the camera.

"W-what?"

"You dated Linda all through high school," Goldberg reminded. "And you lost contact with him when he went to college all the way on the east coast," he gave Charlie A Look, "So he didn't know you were going through your gay episode during that time."

"That, and you couldn't expect him to steal you from your girlfriend during high," Julie reasoned. "Ugh, high school," she rolled her eyes, grimacing. "Acne, hormones, horrible lunches, adding gay terror throughout the school would have made it worse."

Julie placed her barbell down. She dusted off her hands, smiling as she looked straightly at him. "We all went our separate ways. You ignored Adam despite the fact that he attempted to contact you pretty often during college."

Charlie groaned, leaning back on his chair.

"I-I had issues."

"Bro, you left him to the wayside," Fulton stated. "Hell, he even contacted me to check on you."

Charlie blushed, he'd never heard of this before until now.

"I would've accepted him," Charlie stated matter-of-factly, attempting to change the direction of the conversation, "We've been friends since we childhood!"

"Could you really have accepted the fact that he was gay?" Julie questioned. "It's a pretty big thing, especially when you're in a locker room changing in front of one another."

"Or the fact that he had the hots for you?" Portman piped up causing another session of blushing on Charlie's part while Julie cooed and Goldberg made kissing faces and noises on his behalf.

Charlie lowered his head downward, gently picking at the graded papers stacked neatly by his laptop. True, he hadn't figured himself to prefer men to women until he reached college, free from the social stigmas and watchful eye of the alumni association, b-but.

Charlie bit his lip.

He thought at least Adam would have told him he was gay instead of hiding it from him.

"We were…teammates."

That meant a lot.

And everyone in the video chat knew it.

Despite the fact that yes, during college, the former members of the Ducks eventually lessened communication, but they always, always, knew one another would have their back.

"Just be yourself, bro." Fulton said, finally breaking the silent. He smirked, "If that doesn't work, just lob one on him and run away before he can ram you in the head with his NHL regulation hockey stick!"

Portman's head popped up on the side beside Fulton. He winked, "Or you can date me! I'm easy!"

"Charlie, don't listen to him," Fulton pushed the other away. He rolled his eyes, "Trust me, as his roommate, the dude's a manwhore."

"Say that to my face!"

"Manwhore!"

The productivity level of the video conversation was at a minimal but the laughter that ensued, the good kind that he felt all the way down his belly, almost to the point that he couldn't breath; it'd been a long time since he felt that.


SS: I'm gonna get Mighty Ducks out of my system. I will. Still, comments and criticism is loved. I hope I managed to capture the character's voices well.