Adam stretched in the morning sun, but was woken fully by the pain that abruptly entered his wrist.
"Shit," he cursed, recoiling his arm fast. He cradled his wrist in his hand, unwrapping it slowly. His wrist was an ugly shade of purple, and bumpy in the wrong spots. He looked over at the other bed, where he'd left Charlie after he cried himself to sleep. Charlie was sound asleep.
Adam grabbed the painkillers his trainer had given him the day before, and popped two easily. He was used to taking the medication. He stood up slowly, and rubbed his eyes.
"Today's going to be a long day," he whispered to himself. He nodded and walked over to his dresser ready to get dressed.
"CHARLIE!! CHARRRRR-LIE!" Goldberg and Russ pounded on the door.
Charlie, startled, quickly opened his eyes and moved to roll over, only to fall off the bed.
"WHAT?" he yelled angrily, as he scanned the bedroom quickly, looking for Adam whom he noticed was not on his bed.
"We're locked out," Averman said plainly, "Let us in?"
Charlie groaned and stood to unlock the door, "Guys ... what are you doing pounding on my door ... it's ..." Charlie looked around, "What time is it?"
"1 pm."
"What? Where's Adam?" Charlie turned around and scanned the room again.
"Didn't he have that doctor's appointment?" Goldberg asked Averman.
"Yea ... I think it was at 7 am. Something about getting it over and done with," Averman nodded.
"Man, I saw that fall he took yesterday," Guy nodded, "That was pretty harsh."
"Tell me about it," Russ commented, "But anyways, Charlie, we were going to go play some street, you in?"
"Uhh," Charlie looked around and rubbed his forehead, "Sure ... just give me a few minutes."
"Banks!! You up for some street hockey?" Goldberg yelled down the hall.
Charlie rushed to get dressed. He wanted to see Adam looking remotely presentable.
"Nah, I've got to hit the books, and besides, did we forget how I went down yesterday?" Adam's voice got closer and closer to the door, until he finally stood in the doorway, "Hey Charlie."
Charlie's heart nearly stopped. He wanted to rush over to Adam, hug him, kiss him, sit him down, check out his wrist. He wanted to make sure everything was alright, but he couldn't. No one else knew about them. Adam and Charlie were a secret to everyone. Banks and Conway were just friends. Nothing more, nothing less. Just roommates.
His knuckles began to turn white, as he forced his hands into fists, in an attempt to restrain himself. He prayed no one would notice.
"Ohh, that's right Adam," Guy nodded, following him with his eyes as he stepped inside the room, "How's the wrist?"
"Broken," Adam said like it was nothing. Inside, it wasn't just a broken wrist.
Charlie looked at the rug. He felt like shit. Didn't he tell Adam he was sorry? Didn't Adam know how bad he felt? Why was he doing this to him?
"Charlie, are you coming?" Russ asked, getting antsy of just standing around.
"Uhh yea, meet me out there. I just remembered I was supposed to call my
mom," Charlie looked up and caught Adam's eye.
"Okay!" Russ smiled, "Let's go guys," and within second, Adam and Charlie were alone.
Adam closed the door behind him.
"Charlie," Adam said. He caught Charlie's face when he told the others it was broken, "How many times did I tell you - it's not your fault. It was an accident."
Adam was dying inside though. He wanted so badly to throw his arms around his boyfriend and cry. He wanted to pour his heart out, wanted to release his fears. He knew his hockey career was on the line.
But he stood strong for once. Charlie needed him.
"Adam," Charlie stepped forward, and Adam met him halfway. Charlie wrapped his arms around Adam's waist, burying his head in his chest.
"Shh," Adam stroked Charlie's thick brown hair, "I'm going to be fine."
"Can you stop lying?" Charlie pulled away, letting his arms slide from around his waist to rest on his arms. He could feel the full arm cast on Adam, and looked up, fear etched across his face, "Adam?"
"It's not just my wrist," Adam sighed, "I have a hairline fracture in my humerus." Thank god for the cast, or Charlie would've seen the stitches from where they cut Adam's wrist open. His wrist has metal plates on either side, screwed into place to keep the wrist on the right path for healing correctly. It was worse than he thought.
Charlie felt it in the pit of his stomach that Adam wasn't telling him the truth, but he was too emotionally exhausted to press on.
Adam walked over to his dresser and took his new prescription out of his pocket and placed it on top. He sighed. There were about three different medications already, all for pain. He slowly removed his jacket. His painkillers worked wonders, "Are you going to play hockey with the guys?" Adam asked, putting his jacket on the back of his chair.
Charlie turned in his spot and watched Adam carefully, "Nah, I think I'll stay here," he let his eyes wander as Adam removed his long sleeve shirt with a tad bit of trouble. He watched as Adam's muscles rippled as he tossed his shirt into his hamper.
"Relax," Adam could feel Charlie watching him, "The full cast is only for two weeks," Adam reassured.
Charlie couldn't believe it. How was Adam not tearing up about this? There was only 6 weeks left of the season, 10 if you included playoffs. There was no way for Adam to be healed enough to play by then.
Charlie silently moved to Adam's bed and sat down, watching the other boy pull on a tee shirt.
"Really Charlie," Adam sat down next to him, "You don't need to hang out here for me. I'm probably gonna just sleep anyways," he placed his left hand on Charlie's back.
"I want to stay," Charlie turned around slowly to meet Adam's eyes, "If you don't mind."
"Of course I don't mind. I love you," Adam said. But he did mind. Don't get him wrong, he loved Charlie, and he loved spending time with him. If he didn't, there's no way they would've stayed together since the Goodwill Games. But Adam needed time to himself, he needed time to reflect on his injury, and his loss of hockey.
What was he going to do without hockey? Who would Adam Banks be?
Charlie tucked his head underneath Adam's chin, breathing relatively evenly. It was late in the night, and they both had school the next morning.
But Adam couldn't fall asleep. He had too much running through his head. And Charlie refused to asleep until Adam did. However, Charlie was fighting to stay awake.
He yawned, it closely resembling that of a cat's, long and stretched out, "Adam?" he asked when he finished.
"Yea?" Adam's voice held no hint of fatigue. He was wide awake.
"Last night, when I asked if you were going to play hockey again," he yawned, "And you said yes," he paused.
Adam waited for him to continue, and when he didn't, he prodded him along.
"Were you lying?" Charlie spoke.
Adam stayed quiet. How was he supposed to answer that question? He looked down at Charlie, his eyes were closed and his face pale.
"Yea Charlie. I was."
"So does that mean no more hockey?"
Adam gulped, "Yea." That sealed it. It was the first time he had admitted it out loud.
A few minutes later, Adam felt something wet on his chest. He looked down and his heart broke in two as he watched Charlie cry though is closed eye lids.
"Shit," he cursed, recoiling his arm fast. He cradled his wrist in his hand, unwrapping it slowly. His wrist was an ugly shade of purple, and bumpy in the wrong spots. He looked over at the other bed, where he'd left Charlie after he cried himself to sleep. Charlie was sound asleep.
Adam grabbed the painkillers his trainer had given him the day before, and popped two easily. He was used to taking the medication. He stood up slowly, and rubbed his eyes.
"Today's going to be a long day," he whispered to himself. He nodded and walked over to his dresser ready to get dressed.
"CHARLIE!! CHARRRRR-LIE!" Goldberg and Russ pounded on the door.
Charlie, startled, quickly opened his eyes and moved to roll over, only to fall off the bed.
"WHAT?" he yelled angrily, as he scanned the bedroom quickly, looking for Adam whom he noticed was not on his bed.
"We're locked out," Averman said plainly, "Let us in?"
Charlie groaned and stood to unlock the door, "Guys ... what are you doing pounding on my door ... it's ..." Charlie looked around, "What time is it?"
"1 pm."
"What? Where's Adam?" Charlie turned around and scanned the room again.
"Didn't he have that doctor's appointment?" Goldberg asked Averman.
"Yea ... I think it was at 7 am. Something about getting it over and done with," Averman nodded.
"Man, I saw that fall he took yesterday," Guy nodded, "That was pretty harsh."
"Tell me about it," Russ commented, "But anyways, Charlie, we were going to go play some street, you in?"
"Uhh," Charlie looked around and rubbed his forehead, "Sure ... just give me a few minutes."
"Banks!! You up for some street hockey?" Goldberg yelled down the hall.
Charlie rushed to get dressed. He wanted to see Adam looking remotely presentable.
"Nah, I've got to hit the books, and besides, did we forget how I went down yesterday?" Adam's voice got closer and closer to the door, until he finally stood in the doorway, "Hey Charlie."
Charlie's heart nearly stopped. He wanted to rush over to Adam, hug him, kiss him, sit him down, check out his wrist. He wanted to make sure everything was alright, but he couldn't. No one else knew about them. Adam and Charlie were a secret to everyone. Banks and Conway were just friends. Nothing more, nothing less. Just roommates.
His knuckles began to turn white, as he forced his hands into fists, in an attempt to restrain himself. He prayed no one would notice.
"Ohh, that's right Adam," Guy nodded, following him with his eyes as he stepped inside the room, "How's the wrist?"
"Broken," Adam said like it was nothing. Inside, it wasn't just a broken wrist.
Charlie looked at the rug. He felt like shit. Didn't he tell Adam he was sorry? Didn't Adam know how bad he felt? Why was he doing this to him?
"Charlie, are you coming?" Russ asked, getting antsy of just standing around.
"Uhh yea, meet me out there. I just remembered I was supposed to call my
mom," Charlie looked up and caught Adam's eye.
"Okay!" Russ smiled, "Let's go guys," and within second, Adam and Charlie were alone.
Adam closed the door behind him.
"Charlie," Adam said. He caught Charlie's face when he told the others it was broken, "How many times did I tell you - it's not your fault. It was an accident."
Adam was dying inside though. He wanted so badly to throw his arms around his boyfriend and cry. He wanted to pour his heart out, wanted to release his fears. He knew his hockey career was on the line.
But he stood strong for once. Charlie needed him.
"Adam," Charlie stepped forward, and Adam met him halfway. Charlie wrapped his arms around Adam's waist, burying his head in his chest.
"Shh," Adam stroked Charlie's thick brown hair, "I'm going to be fine."
"Can you stop lying?" Charlie pulled away, letting his arms slide from around his waist to rest on his arms. He could feel the full arm cast on Adam, and looked up, fear etched across his face, "Adam?"
"It's not just my wrist," Adam sighed, "I have a hairline fracture in my humerus." Thank god for the cast, or Charlie would've seen the stitches from where they cut Adam's wrist open. His wrist has metal plates on either side, screwed into place to keep the wrist on the right path for healing correctly. It was worse than he thought.
Charlie felt it in the pit of his stomach that Adam wasn't telling him the truth, but he was too emotionally exhausted to press on.
Adam walked over to his dresser and took his new prescription out of his pocket and placed it on top. He sighed. There were about three different medications already, all for pain. He slowly removed his jacket. His painkillers worked wonders, "Are you going to play hockey with the guys?" Adam asked, putting his jacket on the back of his chair.
Charlie turned in his spot and watched Adam carefully, "Nah, I think I'll stay here," he let his eyes wander as Adam removed his long sleeve shirt with a tad bit of trouble. He watched as Adam's muscles rippled as he tossed his shirt into his hamper.
"Relax," Adam could feel Charlie watching him, "The full cast is only for two weeks," Adam reassured.
Charlie couldn't believe it. How was Adam not tearing up about this? There was only 6 weeks left of the season, 10 if you included playoffs. There was no way for Adam to be healed enough to play by then.
Charlie silently moved to Adam's bed and sat down, watching the other boy pull on a tee shirt.
"Really Charlie," Adam sat down next to him, "You don't need to hang out here for me. I'm probably gonna just sleep anyways," he placed his left hand on Charlie's back.
"I want to stay," Charlie turned around slowly to meet Adam's eyes, "If you don't mind."
"Of course I don't mind. I love you," Adam said. But he did mind. Don't get him wrong, he loved Charlie, and he loved spending time with him. If he didn't, there's no way they would've stayed together since the Goodwill Games. But Adam needed time to himself, he needed time to reflect on his injury, and his loss of hockey.
What was he going to do without hockey? Who would Adam Banks be?
Charlie tucked his head underneath Adam's chin, breathing relatively evenly. It was late in the night, and they both had school the next morning.
But Adam couldn't fall asleep. He had too much running through his head. And Charlie refused to asleep until Adam did. However, Charlie was fighting to stay awake.
He yawned, it closely resembling that of a cat's, long and stretched out, "Adam?" he asked when he finished.
"Yea?" Adam's voice held no hint of fatigue. He was wide awake.
"Last night, when I asked if you were going to play hockey again," he yawned, "And you said yes," he paused.
Adam waited for him to continue, and when he didn't, he prodded him along.
"Were you lying?" Charlie spoke.
Adam stayed quiet. How was he supposed to answer that question? He looked down at Charlie, his eyes were closed and his face pale.
"Yea Charlie. I was."
"So does that mean no more hockey?"
Adam gulped, "Yea." That sealed it. It was the first time he had admitted it out loud.
A few minutes later, Adam felt something wet on his chest. He looked down and his heart broke in two as he watched Charlie cry though is closed eye lids.