Chapter 3:

After another embarrassing 1-0 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers on the road, the last thing Sidney wants is to shake their hands. He has to though. No matter how much he'd rather high five them in the face.

They have just one more game for the regular season against the Rangers. Not going into the playoffs would be a new experience for Sid, one he doesn't want to ever experience.

Another thing he doesn't want to experience is having to face the stupid reporters on his way to the locker room. He leads the line in though, he'd rather take the heat than anyone else who really didn't deserve it.

"We're all going to stay here with you, Sid. You lost just like we did and you tried probably harder than all of us." Tanger says. "Except Flower, but he doesn't count."

"Thanks guys." Sid lets his eyes rest on all of them before he walks closer to the giant huddle of his leaat favorite people.

"Wh.. How would you explain the poor performance by your team tonight?" an ESPN reporter asks.

"We didn't play poorly. Um, we weren't connecting on the ice like usual. We still tried our hardest, the Flyers out played us."

"Is there anything in particular that you think messed up your game?"

"No."

"Does it have anything to do with the pictures?" a burnett from CBS.

"Excuse me?"

"Pictures have spread all over Twitter of you sitting in a bar kissing another man before abruptly leaving." Brady (who Sidney has met before from CNN) raises an eyebrow following his statement. "Does this mean you're a homosexual?"

"No comment." Sidney's lungs feel like they're shrinking.

"Who is this stranger?"

"Are you dating him?"

"Are you having sexual relations with him?"

"I'm not answering anymore questions and neither are my teammates." Sid looked away and almost ran into the locker room.

Sid's heart is thudding hard in his chest. His throat is closing and his breath keeps hitching. He can barely see anything from the tears that he's fighting to keep in as he sits on his bench. His stomach is making knots as it twists out of fear. He's furious, some of it's directed at Claude, most of it at himself. How could he be so stupid, so careless? How could he let himself be exposed in public and .. and.. this is going to ruin him. It's going to destroy his whole career.

His ears start to ring as he pulls out his phone and pulls up Twitter. He prays that it isn't actually him. He hopes that it's very fuzzy and blurry and he can deny it because the only evidence they have is not usable.

The first thing that pops up is the picture. The first one is very unclear. Obviously two men are kissing, but neither faces are recognizable. The next one is the same, they're clearly having a conversation. The third one is.. is clear. No fuzz or grain. It's a clear shot of a man with puffy red lips and slightly messed up hair.

And it's a clear shot of Sidney.

He wills himself not to just drop to the ground and bawl his eyes out. Instead he tosses his phone into his bag and tries to breath calmly and not to think. That doesn't help, makes it worse that he has to cover up his panic attack.

"Sid?" He looks up at the sound of Geno's voice. "What they talk about is true?" He gulps and blinks rapidly.

"Y.. Yes." Sid studders out. He hates how wrecked his voice sounds and knows it must sound worse to them.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Flower asks, sitting next to him. Sid hangs his head.

"I.. I didn't want you guys to hate me." Sid confesses. "And it's not.. normal.. being like this. I'm not supposed to like men, It's wrong and.. and.. I couldn't tell anyone, even if I wanted to."

"Stand up." Geno orders. Sid does what he's told, kind of expecting to get punched or something.

Instead he gets hugged and lips brush against the side of his head.

"Never hate you Sid." Geno says louder than what he really should. He lets him go and takes a step back. "If anyone have problem with this or hate Sid now or whatever. Then leave now, trade later."

"No. Ass beating now, leave afterwards, then you get traded." Tanger threatens. "Considering if you can still walk."

"You ain't gonna do shit." Brooks kicks him in the shin. Tanger punches the air and Orpik pretends like it actually hit him in the face and they air fight each other.

Until Claude Giroux walks in.

"Hey Sidney," he says, shifting foot to foot as he receives death glares from everyone, "can I talk to you.. alone?"

Sidney takes a steo toward him, but Geno puts his hand on his chest to make him stop.

"Anything you say to him you say to everyone." Geno commands.

"G, it's fine." Sidney tries to move past him, but Cooke grabs his shoulder and makes him stop.

"Geno is right, for once. Anything you say to our captain can be said in front of us." Cooke adds.

"I'm sorry. If you wanna call me tomorow we can talk about it then." Sid apologizes. Claude shakes his head and blushes, well it's barely noticable.

"No, it's fine. I'm sure this will affect them more. than it will me." His teammates let out a growl. Claude stuff his hands nervously into his pockets.

"About the pictures," Claude says, "I was just wondering if you were going to come out. I'm going to. I just wanted to know whether or not I should leave your name out." Sid feels Geno stiffen beside him.

"I don't know." Sid replies. "I just heard about it when the reporters almost attacked me with questions. I haven't had enough time to call Pat or Mario. I haven't even talked to Coach yet." Claude nods, looking into his eyes.

"Okay. So you um.. Do you want my number? That would probably be best. If you want I can get it from Max. It might be more.. convenient." Claude suggested, shifting nervously.

"I can give it you." Sidney pried Geno's grip off his shirt, shaking away Cooke's hand.

They exchanged numbers. Claude told him the time that the bus went back to Philadelphia, and Sid gave him the time practice starts and ends.

"So I'll call you when I'm done with management." Sid promised. Claude shoved his phone in his back pocket and looked at him.

"I'll be waiting." He says.

Claude hugs him, hands on his waist. Sidney wraps his arms around his neck. It surprises him at first, and it also suprises him when Claude was a little reluctant to pull back,

"Bye." Sidney says.

"Bye." Claude says. He watches Sidney for a couple more seconds before he actually does leave.

As soon as the door clicks and Sidney turns around, the room erupts into barf noises. Well, Geno is bent over in laughter when Flower falls onto the floor. Sidney covers his face and sits back down on the bench.

"I change my mind." Tanger says. "I do hate you."

"Flyer Sid, really?" Brooks asks, pretending to barf on top of Tanger.

"If you like orange that much, then you should've tried for Max at least." Flower adds from his position on the ground.

"Ovie would be better." Geno has to sit on the bench and wipe his eyes from how hard he's laughing. Sidney blushes, thank god he's covering his face.

"What the -fuck- is going on here?" Dan's voice is louder than all the noise. It dies down, except for Geno's and Marc's deep chuckles, and Sidney uncovers his face.

"Everyone, shower and leave." Dan drops his voice. "Sidney, I'll set up a meeting after practice." He disappears from the way he came and the chatter starts up again.

"I just have one question for Sid." Neal says, crouching in front of his captain so they're at eye level.

"Fine." Sidney gives in.

"Would you have sex, or at least give head to, anyone in this room?" Neal tries to keep a straight face while he speaks, but the corners of his mouth keep twitching upwards.

"Uh.. uh.. no comment?" Sid's cheeks start to burn from the color that creeps onto them.

"Well I am very much single." James flirts, giving a friendly smile.

"My previous rules still apply. I hope you guys know that." Sid reminds them.

"No they don't." Kuni ruffles his hair as him and Neal head off to the shower.

"Come on, before take all hot water." Geno says, shaking his shoulder.

"No, it's fine. I can wait until you're all done and go then." Sid shrugs.

"Nonsense, Sid." Geno raises his eyebrows.

"I don't want to make anyone uncomfortable. I'll be fine." Flower flicks him in the ear.

"Ow! Dick."

"Now get up before we gang rape you." Flower pulls him up by the elbow.

"Fuck you." Sid teases.

"No. We're going to fuck you. That's kind of how rape works." Flower takes off Sid's jersey and pads.

"I know how to undress myself." Sidney swats Flower's hands away.

"Just thought you'd like the attention." Flower grins at him before removing his own clothes.

"I hate you fuckers."

Actually that statement is very wrong. He loves his teammates. They're his second family. Well, they might be his only family after tomorrow.

Notes:

I just wanted to let you know what I said about homosexuals is, as you should already know, is completely not my own opinion. I don't hate my sexuality and obviously I don't think it's wrong to be like me.

I really wanted this chapter to show their love for each other and the brotherhood that runs deep. Most guys would turn around a gay friend, especially when they're exposed around them quite often like hockey players are. I personally find this bullshit, my friends (mostly) didn't treat me like that.

I also want to inform you that I'm getting to the Sid/Alex part here pretty soon. So just stay with me.