DISCLAIMER: I do not own the TV show, Playmakers, or the characters on the show. Some people over at ESPN do. I'm just playiing in their universe.
SUMMARY: Leon Taylor, Robin Taylor, and Eric Olczyck's lives intertwine, interweave, and finally unravel.
PAIRING(S): Leon/Robin, Robin/Olzyck, I guess
NOTE: Since there's no section for Playmakers fic or Misc. TV Show fics, I decided to put this in the Misc. Movies section.
NOTE2: The times are all messed up. I guess you're just to assume they don't take place all in the same day :P

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

Push

I wanna push you around, I will, I will
I wanna push you down, I will, I will
I wanna take you for granted
I wanna take you for granted
I will
- Matchbox 20, Push

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

Eric Olczyk

You sense the change in him, although you don't see it happen, yourself. It happens gradually, as he slowly begins to shift, and change into something else entirely.

You start wondering when your best friend began to change into a man with whom you'd rather not be associated. You wonder how you didn't notice it earlier, being his best friend and all. You also wonder when he stopped being your best friend, and became this other man, the man you couldn't stand to look at anymore.

You also wonder why you never noticed the bruises on Robin before.

You want to be there for Leon and Robin. But you have to make a choice, you have to pick sides and choose your battles. And you have doing it, but that's just how it is.

Truth be told, you'd rather not get involved at all. You'd rather leave Robin and Leon's problems to Robin and Leon, and go back to being the slightly nosy, always caring best friend and uncle to the boys. But you feel the need to intervene, or something. Stick your nose where it doesn't belong.

You really just care too much.

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

Leon Taylor

You want to say something to her, you want to do something, anything, to get her to see your side. If only she understood.

But you can't, because Robin isn't speaking to you anymore.

You haven't actually talked to her for nearly three weeks. You pretend it doesn't bother you. You pretend you don't care.

And Sam has been coming around more and more now, like a lion stalking an injured gazelle, moving in for the kill. Trying to tempt you, trying to lead you astray.

And now you don't know if you can help yourself.

You want her. You want Sam, more than you've ever wanted another woman before.

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

Olczyk

Robin is at the stadium, in her usual seat, and you're a bit surprised. But pleasantly so. You haven't seen her in a while, and you want to talk to her, see how she and the kids are doing.

You know that she and Leon haven't spoken to one another in nearly a month now. You wonder if she knows about Samantha, the reporter that's been coming around Leon since the season began.

After the game, in the players' lounge, Robin's eyes lock on to yours and she manuvers through a sea of teammates and their wives, to you.

Your eyes fall on the split on her lip, and you wonder if Leon's hands caused it.

You wonder if he put her left wrist in that ACE bandage, as well.

Where did your best friend go?

Your fingertips graze the back of her hand, and your knees become weak like Jell-O, because you can feel the electricity passing from her smooth brown skin.

She's beautiful and wonderful, and smart, and you can't understand how blind Leon could possibly be.

If Robin was yours, you'd never take her for granted.

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

Leon

You think she's seeing someone else on the sly, maybe the greasy Mexicano pool boy who's been eying her when he thinks you're not watching, the one you're sure is illegal. Or worse yet, the faggy gardener with the phony French accent...

All of the possibilities are making your head spin so you lay down for a nap.

And you decide to spy on her.

You set up a hidden video camera in the spare room that Robin's made her own, since you two stopped speaking about three weeks ago.

You almost want to catcher her in flagrante delicto, so you can have a reason to be angry with her. Because that annoying, needling rational part of your brain knows that Robin doesn't deserve your doubt, or suspicion. She's a saint. She deserves better than you.

It kills you inside knowing that your actions are singlehandedly destroying your marriage, and there's not a damn thing you can do about them.

You set up that video camera before you leave for practice.

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

Olczyk

You touch the back of her hand, and the sparks fly again.

You can see the pain in her eyes, and she tries to mask it with a hooded smile.

You ask her how she is, how the boys are. You tell her you miss seeing them; you miss seeing her too, but you don't tell her that. You don't think it would be appropriate.

You just smile and play the part of the best friend, perpetually in the background and yearning to be the leading man.

You want to be Robin's leading man.

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

Robin

You can tell just from the way he acts around you, but the touching is what convinces you.

Before, he never tried to touch you. He always made sure that he was in this self-contained little box when he was around you, as if he were afraid of himself and what he might do if he weren't under control.

You almost wish he'd lose control around you. Because you've never seen him not in control of himself, or his body. You hear about the confrontation in the lockerroom with Demetrius Harris, and you wish you'd been there to witness it.

You shiver at the sight of his intensely blue, frosty eyes sparking with rage. You imagine how it would feel to have his large but gentle hands on your body.

This is the first time you've ever fantasized about someone other than your husband and it feels good.

It makes you feel free.

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

Leon

You stare at the fuzzy gray screen, not knowing what to expect. A ball of lead settles in your stomach, and you wallow hard.

You press play.

Robin is in bed with someone who is not you, this much is discernable.

The rage bubbles inside of you again, the same rage you felt when that undeserving DH stole your job out from under your nose.

You don't know who it is, but there is something disturbingly familiar about the man in bed with your wife.

It looks like she's enjoying herself. She lets out little gasps of pleasure she never uttered when she was in bed with you, and the ball of lead grows into an ember of jealousy.

It burns hotly, sending bile into your throat.

And then you hear it, and you're hoping it's just a whisper of wind. Not real. The sound that stops your heart.

Her honeyed voice saying one word, one name.

"Eric."

And your heart breaks.

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

end.

mneh.