kathierif_fic (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
kathierif_fic) wrote2009-10-29 12:29 am
kathierif_fic) wrote2009-10-29 12:29 am
Fic: Skin And Bones (5/5) (RPS: Henrik Zetterberg/Ryan Miller, FRAO)
Title: Skin and Bones. (5/5)
Author: Kathie
Fandom: Hockey/NHL (Detroit Red Wings, Buffalo Sabres)
Current Word Count: 19,383
Rating: FRAO
Disclaimer: This is absolutely not true. The names of real people have been used, but this is just my imagination and done with lots of adoration and love for the guys and my mind isn’t affiliated with them anyways. The chapters are named after songs that don’t belong to me either.
Pairings: Henrik Zetterberg/Ryan Miller, Steve Yzerman/Tomas Holmstrom/Nick Lidstrom/Chris Osgood/Brendan Shanahan and Henrik Zetterberg/Pavel Datsyuk in the background
Warnings: slash, supernatural things, real people
Summary: Adulthood, mates, packs, the life of a werewolf is never boring
Author’s Notes: My neverending thank you goes to![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
nerfgunqueen and mer5, who checked this over for me, and especially Ginny, who held my hand while helping me getting this thing in order, including the summary. Also to chosenfire28 for the artwork, thank you so much!
Chapter 1.
Chapter 2.
Chapter 3.
Chapter 4.
V. Chapter 5: Blood For Wild Blood. Fall 2006.
The phone rang.
Ryan shot it an annoyed look, but he stretched over the bed to reach for it before it could stop with the gentle buzz. It was late, and the only reason for someone to call him would be if something had happened.
Icy fingers closed around his heart as he pressed the button to accept the call. “Yeah?”
“Am I interrupting something?”
The voice was enough to send shivers of a different kind down his back, and Ryan tipped his head back and hummed softly as weird emotions curled deep in his stomach and made him grin stupidly while all tension left his body. “No, you’re not,” he replied. “Although I have to admit, I didn’t expect you, of all people, to call me. Hank.”
Silence greeted his statement, and then, Hank chuckled softly. “I almost didn’t,” he admitted. “But then…something changed.”
The tension returned to Ryan’s shoulders and along his back, and he moved to sit up against the headboard of the bed. “Something bad?” he wanted to know, already expecting the worst.
“Depends,” Hank said, evading the question. “But we need to talk, Ryan.”
Tension or not, Ryan thought while biting his lip, hearing Hank say his name still made his stomach clench slightly.
“Talk,” he repeated, struggling to keep his voice even. “What about?”
Hank sighed softly. “I really didn’t want to do this over the phone,” he admitted. “I’d rather meet up with you. If you don’t mind, that is.”
“And I’d rather know what this is about before I agree meeting another werewolf during full moon,” Ryan replied. “Unless this can wait. I think we’re playing you sometime in October.”
He didn’t want to admit that he’d checked the schedule as soon as it had been available to him, to find out if he was going to see Hank again, and he didn’t even want to think too closely about why he’d done it.
“No,” Hank replied softly. “It can’t wait that long. Actually…” he hesitated briefly. “I want to see you before the full moon. Tomorrow, if you can arrange it.”
Ryan choked on the answer that was on the tip of his tongue. “I want to know why,” he insisted, his fingers clenched tightly into the fabric of his pants and his nails dug deep into his own thigh. Every instinct in him screamed at him to agree on a meeting, but he’d been raised to be cautious.
“Fine,” Hank said courtly, and belatedly, Ryan realized that the other werewolf was probably as much influenced by the full moon as he was and prone to the same kind of mood swings that had driven Ryan to distraction during the past few days. “I talked to Homer and he thinks that something happened when we met up last time.”
“Nothing happened,” Ryan pointed out, irritated himself by now. He stood and started to pace, to get rid of some of the nervous energy that flittered along his nerve endings. “I mean, besides the obvious, which very much happened.”
For a few heartbeats, he could hear nothing but Hank’s breathing, then the other man sighed. “He thinks we imprinted.”
Ryan’s thoughts came to an abrupt stop.
“Huh,” he said slowly and sank back down on the edge of the bed.
“That’s all you have to say?” Hank asked softly when he didn’t add anything else. “Huh?”
“I…this is a surprise,” Ryan muttered. “So this is what it feels like to find…you know?” He could feel the blood rise high into his cheeks and making him blush, and he was grateful that Hank couldn’t see him right now.
Hank snorted. “How should I know, it never happened to me before,” he pointed out reasonably. “If Homer hadn’t told me…I still wouldn’t know why I can’t stop thinking…” He stopped himself, and Ryan’s blush darkened.
It really was good that he was alone.
“Anyway…please, let’s meet up and, you know, talk about this?” Hank suggested again, and Ryan nodded, not caring that Hank couldn’t see him.
“Yeah,” he said. “I can’t leave here, coach will kill me.”
“That’s no problem,” Hank hastily assured him. “I’ll come to your place. Tomorrow afternoon, or maybe early in the evening?” Fabric rustled, and Hank continued, “I could be at the airport at…six in the evening. If that’s okay with you.”
Ryan took a shaky breath and slowly released it.
“Yeah,” he replied, not caring anymore about the scratchiness he couldn’t keep out of his voice. “That’s good. I’ll pick you up.”
“Great.” Hank chuckled softly. “Looking forward to seeing you again.”
“Yeah.” Ryan noticed that his free hand was shaking and curled it into a tight fist.
They ended the conversation, and Ryan dropped the phone onto the bed. Excitement and trepidation filled him, until he felt almost sick to his stomach, and for a brief moment, he wanted nothing more than call his father and ask for his advice.
He slipped down onto the floor and pulled his knees up. Breathing deeply and regularly, he reminded himself that he was an adult, and that he could deal with this without his father holding his hand.
He knew he could.
Slowly, he managed to calm himself down, but then, his thoughts returned to the reason why Hank had called.
They had imprinted.
Imprinted.
He could feel his heart rate picking up again, and he concentrated on his breathing and trying to get himself back under control again.
It was going to be a long night.
~*+*~
“So…” Ryan hesitated and shifted nervously from one foot to the other. He made sure that he was alone before saying it out loud. “Hank and I. Me and Hank.”
It was weird, saying it like this, like they belonged to each other, and he glided a step back and bent over, his elbows on his knees, to whisper it to the slick surface of the ice underneath him again. “Henrik Zetterberg and me.”
When Hank had called him the night before, to tell him about the Imprinting, implying that they needed to talk about their future together, Ryan had been shocked. Of course, he’d enjoyed his time with Hank, short as it had been, and he couldn’t deny that he’d thought about calling him again sometime, to help him through the full moon, but the thought of being mated to Hank meant that they would spent the rest of their lives together, and Ryan wasn’t sure if he was okay with that just yet. Hooking up with Hank for the full moon was one thing, but this?
He didn’t even know Hank that well. They’d met only a handful of time and only once had they been alone together.
Last full moon.
The memory of that particular night still sent hot shivers down Ryan’s spine, no matter how hard he tried to suppress it, and he quickly dropped to his knees, to get closer to the coldness of the ice to help him get his mind back on track.
So…the sex with Hank was fantastic. He knew that already. But what else did he know about the other man?
He was from Sweden. He played for the Red Wings. He was an alpha.
Ryan frowned as he started to stretch slowly and meticulously. If he was mated to an alpha, Hank could order him to join his pack, or to give up his career in order to be with him. He didn’t think Hank would do that, but it had happened before, and Ryan didn’t feel like ending his career before it really had started just so he could help Hank organize his pack.
Their pack.
He shook his head. He really didn’t know anything about Hank, he told himself firmly, and they should at least get to know each other before they even thought about the whole mate thing. What if they didn’t have anything in common?
And yet, Hank apparently was Ryan’s mate.
He shifted into the next stretch while exhaling softly. There was no use in worrying about it now, he told himself firmly. Hank would arrive later, and he would see then what the other werewolf wanted to talk about.
Either way, Hank was coming here, to Buffalo, to spend the full moon with Ryan.
He breathed in deeply. He needed to buy groceries and lube, put fresh linen on his bed, and, not to forget, he needed to pick Hank up from the airport at six.
And, most importantly, he needed to calm down his fluttering heart and his jittery nerves until then.
The scratch of skates on ice made him look up just in time to see Chris Drury skate around the goal before slowly coming to a stop next to Ryan. He gave the goalie a quick smile and shifted from one skate to the other.
“You’re here early,” he pointed out softly. It hadn’t been a question, but Ryan answered it nonetheless.
“Couldn’t sleep and had to do something,” he said. He didn’t tell Dru that he couldn’t sleep because his thoughts kept circling back to Hank and the concept of mates.
Deeming his muscles loosened up enough for now, he climbed back onto his feet and rolled his shoulders slightly. The tension there would probably disappear in a few days, he thought uncomfortably, when the full moon was over and the whole mates-thing was cleared up.
Dru nodded thoughtfully. “Does this have anything to do with what happened yesterday, in the locker room?” he wanted to know.
Ryan grunted. “Most likely,” he admitted after a brief moment of thinking. “I guess in a few days, it’s all over. Maybe even tomorrow, already. For this month, at least.”
He blushed slightly – if Hank stayed at Ryan’s place that night, he would certainly feel better the next morning. Sore and exhausted, most likely, but better, especially if they were mates.
“So…you found a way to handle the full moon without snapping at Petey?” Dru wanted to know, his voice still quiet and calm.
Ryan stared at him for a long moment. “What?”
Dru shrugged. “You snapped pretty badly at him yesterday,” he said, not flinching. “Now…I admit, I don’t have that much experience with your kind or know a lot about werewolves...but...” He stopped himself and shrugged again. “I guess what I want to say is, if you need someone to talk to, you know where you can find me. I may not know that much, but I can offer you an open ear, if you need it.”
Ryan’s eyebrows rose in amusement. “Did you lose a bet with Danny?” he asked. “Is that why you’re here?”
Dru snorted. “I didn’t,” he replied. “I didn’t even talk to him about this. Just want to make sure you’re okay. And the team.”
Ryan laughed softly. “Thanks, man,” he said, his stick tapping Dru gently against the shin. “I’m good. Give me two or three days to get through the full moon.”
“I can’t believe we never figured out you’re a werewolf,” Dru mused and reached for a puck with his own stick. “Does Lindy know?”
Ryan shrugged. “I guess?” he offered. “But then, I also thought you all knew.” He hesitated for a moment. “It’s on my medical files and on my passport,” he added. “For the obvious reasons.”
“The obvious reasons?” Dru muttered. “I think I need to refresh my knowledge of all things werewolves.”
“There’s all kind of medical differences between humans and werewolves, for example,” Ryan explained. “Whatever medication works for you probably won’t work for me.” He shook his head. “I know we keep to ourselves, but I never realized that you know so little about werewolves.”
“You’re a minority,” Dru stated. “I don’t know that much about Germany or Austria either, for example.”
“Yeah, but at least you knew that Jochen is German,” Ryan pointed out.
“No way you could ignore that accent,” Dru chuckled. “All right. Still, if you want to talk, or if you need anything, don’t hesitate and come to me, okay?”
Ryan nodded. “Thanks, I will,” he said, gratefulness filling his voice. He knew that Dru really meant what he’d said, and it took a huge weight off his shoulders.
~*+*~
Ryan stood on the tips of his toes, his hands shoved impatiently into the pockets of his pants, and tried to peer through the people filing through the airport, to catch a glimpse of Hank. However, he noticed the other werewolf’s smell before he saw him. It almost overwhelmed him, and his breath caught in his throat as he realized that Hank was really there, almost close enough to touch.
And then, the other man was standing in front of him, a small duffel bag slung over his shoulder, a cap pulled low in his face, his long hair curling against his shoulders. He was grinning widely, the skin at the corners of his soft brown eyes crinkled, and the moment their eyes met, there was no more doubt in Ryan.
He was the one.
“Hey,” Hank smiled and reached out, the back of his fingers brushing against Ryan’s cheek briefly. “You look good.”
Ryan laughed happily. “Last time you saw me, I was a wreck,” he stated.
Hank’s eyes flickered down Ryan’s body for a split second. “A good-looking wreck,” he grinned and finally pulled his fingers away from Ryan’s face. “Anyway, how’s things going with you?”
Ryan blushed slightly. “Good,” he murmured, suddenly feeling shy. “How did you convince the Wings’ staff to let you go in the middle of the pre-season?”
Hank’s grin widened, and he shifted his bag from one shoulder to the other, his hip bumping against Ryan’s gently. “They know I’m a werewolf. The second Homer let it slip that I imprinted on someone, they asked me how long I need.”
Ryan snorted. “Lucky you. I said that I was a werewolf and they all started to laugh at me.”
“Really?”
They started to walk toward the exit while Ryan told Hank about the past few days. Hank’s hand brushed against Ryan’s while they walked, and his smell surrounded Ryan like a cloud, leaving him with an accelerated heartbeat and a wide smile that was mirrored on Hank’s face.
When they finally were in Ryan’s car, Ryan turned to Hank.
“Should we go somewhere to grab something to eat?” he asked while biting his bottom lip nervously. “Or should we go to my place?”
A warm, strong hand settled on his thigh and squeezed gently. Ryan felt his nerve endings react and arousal curl deep in his stomach.
“Let’s go to your place,” Hank murmured, his voice rough and scratchy. “We have a lot to talk about.”
Ryan swallowed. “Okay,” he replied while turning the keys in the ignition. “My place, it is.”
Suddenly, he was very glad that he’d remembered to put fresh linen on his bed.
~*+*~
The second they entered the house and the door fell closed behind them, Hank’s hands were on Ryan’s hips, pulling him close while his lips sought out Ryan’s. His beard tickled and scratched against Ryan’s face and, when he lifted his hands and put them against Hank’s cheeks in an attempt to guide the kiss, against his palms. It only made the arousal in his stomach curl tighter and move lower.
“We really need to talk,” Hank moaned, his tongue wet and slick against Ryan’s lips.
Ryan bit down on Hank’s bottom lip. “Yeah,” he agreed breathlessly. “We’ll talk. Bedroom’s this way.”
~*+*~
Afterwards, they were lying next to each other, their shoulders barely touching, while their breathing evened out and the sweat cooled on their bodies. For a long time, neither of them dared to break the silence that had fallen between them.
Finally, Hank shifted and leaned up on one elbow.
“So…” he said slowly and reached out, to circle a nipple with a fingertip. “It feels like Homer was right.”
Ryan frowned slightly. “You mean…about the imprinting thing?”
Hank nodded and let his fingertips move upwards, to brush a strand of sweaty hair out of Ryan’s face. “Yeah,” he said uncertainly. “I think…”
“From what I get,” Ryan said, holding perfectly still under Hank’s caresses, “this seems to be pretty close. I mean…I don’t feel the moon anymore. You?”
“All I can feel is you,” Hank admitted before sighing. “Stupid werewolf myths! I wish someone would have thought of writing down what it feels like to find your mate…and I don’t mean the romantic other-half-of-your-soul stuff…which, apparently, isn’t true anyways.”
Ryan chuckled. “That would be helpful,” he agreed. “So…what now?”
“Now we talk,” Hank suggested before falling silent again.
Ryan shifted slightly. “I don’t know,” he said and sat up. This wasn’t a conversation he was comfortable with having while lying on his back. “I mean…imprinting or not imprinting, I don’t even know you. At all. I don’t even know what you like for breakfast!”
“Eggs, toast, jam…oatmeal,” Hank replied, a smile playing around his lips, but he quickly grew serious again. “Tell me something you like.”
Ryan shrugged helplessly. “Photography,” he finally answered. “What about you?”
Now it was Hank who shifted until he was sitting, cross-legged, on the bed, facing Ryan. “Something I really like?” he mused. “Pavel, probably.” His lips curled into a gentle smile, but his eyes never left Ryan. “He’s…he’s the one who convinced me that calling you would be the right thing.”
Ryan was silent for a long moment. “If…if you and me…” His tongue flickered out to moisten suddenly dry lips. “I mean, I assume you’re going to keep him?”
Hank’s mouth opened and closed without any words escaping. “You don’t mind?” he finally managed to ask.
Ryan frowned. “What?”
Hank shook his head slightly. “Sorry,” he muttered. “My parents…they always said you’re allowed to keep relationships with humans until you find your mate…then you don’t need or want it anymore.” He grimaced. “It’s…I didn’t want to believe Homer at first, when he told me,” he admitted. “Because, you know. Pavel.”
Ryan shook his head in disbelief. Hair fell into his eyes, and he brushed it back, behind his ear, with an impatient gesture. “That,” he said firmly, “is the stupidest thing I’ve heard in a long time.”
Hank flinched. “It works for humans,” he said defensively.
Ryan shrugged slightly. “But we’re not humans,” he pointed out reasonably while pulling his legs up, to wrap his arms around them. “And whatever works for them…it doesn’t always for us.”
“Yeah…” Hank ran a hand through his hair and allowed his shoulders to slump. “So…what do we do now?” He swallowed. “You…if we decide to go for this…you wouldn’t mind Pavs?”
“Hank,” Ryan said slowly, “You’re an alpha. You can do whatever you want, you know that, right?”
“So?” Hank lifted his chin challengingly. “I want to know if you would mind Pavs now.”
Ryan bit the inside of his cheek sharply, to stop himself from rolling onto his back and submitting to Hank. The other werewolf’s growling sent shivers down his back, and he knew that he would agree to everything Hank said if he just continued to talk to him in this tone.
“No,” he said quietly. His nervousness was still audible, and he took a deep breath to calm his nerves again. “Of course not, why should I? If it’s okay with him…”
He never finished his sentence, because suddenly, Hank moved. He surged forward, his hand tangled in Ryan’s hair, and pulled him into a deep, open-mouthed kiss while growling deep in his throat. The sound left Ryan with weak knees, and all he could do was cling to Hank’s shoulders and submit to the kiss.
Finally, with a final swipe of his tongue over Ryan’s swollen bottom lip, he pulled back and grinned crookedly. “Thanks, Ryan.”
His thumb brushed over Ryan’s mouth gently. “So…is there anyone that you want? If we’re going to be mates, I should know about that, right?”
Ryan laughed weakly. “No,” he murmured, “I’ve been an adult for a month now, Hank. I didn’t meet anyone during those four weeks.”
“But you could’ve met someone before,” Hank pointed out.
Ryan shrugged. “I didn’t.”
“You let me know if you do, okay?” Hank ordered, and Ryan found himself nodding without even remembering to agree to Hank’s words.
“You know,” he said shakily, “We should’ve done this on the phone…where I don’t want to agree to every single thing you say.”
“Sorry,” Hank muttered. “Do you want me to go stand outside and call you?”
“Don’t be ridiculous.” Ryan shook his head. “Okay, I have to ask. Which pack are you affiliated with?”
“Stevie’s.” Hank tilted his head to the side. “Homer is his mate, and Homer and Nick took me in pretty much from the first day, and it only seemed logical. When Steve asked me if I wanted to join his pack, I didn’t even have to think about it for long.” He hesitated. “I know your brother is still a member of your father’s pack…I guess you are, too?”
“Yes.” Ryan swallowed. “If we do this…do I need to join your pack?”
“It’s a good pack.”
The reaction was pure instinct, but Hank realized immediately that Ryan wasn’t happy about his answer. The other man’s lips thinned as he pressed them tightly together, and Hank lifted his hands in apology, even before Ryan could say a single word. “At the moment, Steve is the alpha,” he explained. “But I’m going to take over as alpha of the pack eventually.”
“So?” Ryan asked, his voice sharp and clipped.
Hank shook his head slightly. “I take it you don’t want to leave your father’s pack,” he guessed carefully.
“No.” The answer was short and gave no room for discussion, and Hank flinched slightly at the finality of it.
“Okay…” he took a deep breath. “If Stevie is okay with it, you stay a member of your father’s pack? Maybe we can work out something new when I get to take over the pack? How does that sound to you?”
Ryan narrowed his eyes suspiciously. “You gave in there pretty quickly,” he noted. “Where’s the catch?”
Hank frowned. “Catch?” he asked. “Why would there be a catch?”
“I don’t know,” Ryan replied hesitantly. “Why wouldn’t there be one?”
Hank sighed and slowly uncurled himself, to kneel up. His hands curved with unexpected gentleness around Ryan’s face, to hold him still for a kiss. “I kind of am crazy about you,” he murmured, his lips dragging wetly against Ryan’s cheek. “The more time I can spend with you, the better.”
Ryan exhaled softly. “So this is really true?” he murmured, his lips parting gently when Hank’s thumb brushed along them. “You…and me?”
“You and me,” Hank agreed. “And Pavs.”
The tension didn’t completely leave Ryan’s shoulders, but it eased slightly as he smiled. “You and me,” he repeated. “I guess we’ll have to figure out the rest, then.”
“Don’t worry, we will.” Hank sounded confident, and Ryan’s smile widened.
“Hank?” he said after a long moment of silence. “If it’s okay with your pack that I’m staying with mine…I don’t care how common it is for something like this…I’m not getting your name tattooed anywhere on my body,” he warned half-heartedly.
“Too bad,” Hank grinned and let his hand curl around the back of Ryan’s neck, feeling the tendons at the base of his skull and the sharp edges of bone under his fingertips. “Why not?”
Ryan leaned his forehead against Hank’s. “I’m too much of a wimp for that,” he murmured, no longer teasing. “And I don’t need a sign of property on my ass.”
“Then you don’t need to tattoo my name on your ass,” Hank grinned and let his hand slide lower, along the bumps of Ryan’s spine. Ryan unfolded himself and rose to his knees as well. He wrapped his arms around Hank’s shoulders and pressed their bodies together while letting his tongue invade Hank’s mouth, hesitantly at first, but with growing confidence.
They would figure the rest out later.
~~~ end
Author: Kathie
Fandom: Hockey/NHL (Detroit Red Wings, Buffalo Sabres)
Current Word Count: 19,383
Rating: FRAO
Disclaimer: This is absolutely not true. The names of real people have been used, but this is just my imagination and done with lots of adoration and love for the guys and my mind isn’t affiliated with them anyways. The chapters are named after songs that don’t belong to me either.
Pairings: Henrik Zetterberg/Ryan Miller, Steve Yzerman/Tomas Holmstrom/Nick Lidstrom/Chris Osgood/Brendan Shanahan and Henrik Zetterberg/Pavel Datsyuk in the background
Warnings: slash, supernatural things, real people
Summary: Adulthood, mates, packs, the life of a werewolf is never boring
Author’s Notes: My neverending thank you goes to
nerfgunqueen and mer5, who checked this over for me, and especially Ginny, who held my hand while helping me getting this thing in order, including the summary. Also to chosenfire28 for the artwork, thank you so much!Chapter 1.
Chapter 2.
Chapter 3.
Chapter 4.
V. Chapter 5: Blood For Wild Blood. Fall 2006.
The phone rang.
Ryan shot it an annoyed look, but he stretched over the bed to reach for it before it could stop with the gentle buzz. It was late, and the only reason for someone to call him would be if something had happened.
Icy fingers closed around his heart as he pressed the button to accept the call. “Yeah?”
“Am I interrupting something?”
The voice was enough to send shivers of a different kind down his back, and Ryan tipped his head back and hummed softly as weird emotions curled deep in his stomach and made him grin stupidly while all tension left his body. “No, you’re not,” he replied. “Although I have to admit, I didn’t expect you, of all people, to call me. Hank.”
Silence greeted his statement, and then, Hank chuckled softly. “I almost didn’t,” he admitted. “But then…something changed.”
The tension returned to Ryan’s shoulders and along his back, and he moved to sit up against the headboard of the bed. “Something bad?” he wanted to know, already expecting the worst.
“Depends,” Hank said, evading the question. “But we need to talk, Ryan.”
Tension or not, Ryan thought while biting his lip, hearing Hank say his name still made his stomach clench slightly.
“Talk,” he repeated, struggling to keep his voice even. “What about?”
Hank sighed softly. “I really didn’t want to do this over the phone,” he admitted. “I’d rather meet up with you. If you don’t mind, that is.”
“And I’d rather know what this is about before I agree meeting another werewolf during full moon,” Ryan replied. “Unless this can wait. I think we’re playing you sometime in October.”
He didn’t want to admit that he’d checked the schedule as soon as it had been available to him, to find out if he was going to see Hank again, and he didn’t even want to think too closely about why he’d done it.
“No,” Hank replied softly. “It can’t wait that long. Actually…” he hesitated briefly. “I want to see you before the full moon. Tomorrow, if you can arrange it.”
Ryan choked on the answer that was on the tip of his tongue. “I want to know why,” he insisted, his fingers clenched tightly into the fabric of his pants and his nails dug deep into his own thigh. Every instinct in him screamed at him to agree on a meeting, but he’d been raised to be cautious.
“Fine,” Hank said courtly, and belatedly, Ryan realized that the other werewolf was probably as much influenced by the full moon as he was and prone to the same kind of mood swings that had driven Ryan to distraction during the past few days. “I talked to Homer and he thinks that something happened when we met up last time.”
“Nothing happened,” Ryan pointed out, irritated himself by now. He stood and started to pace, to get rid of some of the nervous energy that flittered along his nerve endings. “I mean, besides the obvious, which very much happened.”
For a few heartbeats, he could hear nothing but Hank’s breathing, then the other man sighed. “He thinks we imprinted.”
Ryan’s thoughts came to an abrupt stop.
“Huh,” he said slowly and sank back down on the edge of the bed.
“That’s all you have to say?” Hank asked softly when he didn’t add anything else. “Huh?”
“I…this is a surprise,” Ryan muttered. “So this is what it feels like to find…you know?” He could feel the blood rise high into his cheeks and making him blush, and he was grateful that Hank couldn’t see him right now.
Hank snorted. “How should I know, it never happened to me before,” he pointed out reasonably. “If Homer hadn’t told me…I still wouldn’t know why I can’t stop thinking…” He stopped himself, and Ryan’s blush darkened.
It really was good that he was alone.
“Anyway…please, let’s meet up and, you know, talk about this?” Hank suggested again, and Ryan nodded, not caring that Hank couldn’t see him.
“Yeah,” he said. “I can’t leave here, coach will kill me.”
“That’s no problem,” Hank hastily assured him. “I’ll come to your place. Tomorrow afternoon, or maybe early in the evening?” Fabric rustled, and Hank continued, “I could be at the airport at…six in the evening. If that’s okay with you.”
Ryan took a shaky breath and slowly released it.
“Yeah,” he replied, not caring anymore about the scratchiness he couldn’t keep out of his voice. “That’s good. I’ll pick you up.”
“Great.” Hank chuckled softly. “Looking forward to seeing you again.”
“Yeah.” Ryan noticed that his free hand was shaking and curled it into a tight fist.
They ended the conversation, and Ryan dropped the phone onto the bed. Excitement and trepidation filled him, until he felt almost sick to his stomach, and for a brief moment, he wanted nothing more than call his father and ask for his advice.
He slipped down onto the floor and pulled his knees up. Breathing deeply and regularly, he reminded himself that he was an adult, and that he could deal with this without his father holding his hand.
He knew he could.
Slowly, he managed to calm himself down, but then, his thoughts returned to the reason why Hank had called.
They had imprinted.
Imprinted.
He could feel his heart rate picking up again, and he concentrated on his breathing and trying to get himself back under control again.
It was going to be a long night.
~*+*~
“So…” Ryan hesitated and shifted nervously from one foot to the other. He made sure that he was alone before saying it out loud. “Hank and I. Me and Hank.”
It was weird, saying it like this, like they belonged to each other, and he glided a step back and bent over, his elbows on his knees, to whisper it to the slick surface of the ice underneath him again. “Henrik Zetterberg and me.”
When Hank had called him the night before, to tell him about the Imprinting, implying that they needed to talk about their future together, Ryan had been shocked. Of course, he’d enjoyed his time with Hank, short as it had been, and he couldn’t deny that he’d thought about calling him again sometime, to help him through the full moon, but the thought of being mated to Hank meant that they would spent the rest of their lives together, and Ryan wasn’t sure if he was okay with that just yet. Hooking up with Hank for the full moon was one thing, but this?
He didn’t even know Hank that well. They’d met only a handful of time and only once had they been alone together.
Last full moon.
The memory of that particular night still sent hot shivers down Ryan’s spine, no matter how hard he tried to suppress it, and he quickly dropped to his knees, to get closer to the coldness of the ice to help him get his mind back on track.
So…the sex with Hank was fantastic. He knew that already. But what else did he know about the other man?
He was from Sweden. He played for the Red Wings. He was an alpha.
Ryan frowned as he started to stretch slowly and meticulously. If he was mated to an alpha, Hank could order him to join his pack, or to give up his career in order to be with him. He didn’t think Hank would do that, but it had happened before, and Ryan didn’t feel like ending his career before it really had started just so he could help Hank organize his pack.
Their pack.
He shook his head. He really didn’t know anything about Hank, he told himself firmly, and they should at least get to know each other before they even thought about the whole mate thing. What if they didn’t have anything in common?
And yet, Hank apparently was Ryan’s mate.
He shifted into the next stretch while exhaling softly. There was no use in worrying about it now, he told himself firmly. Hank would arrive later, and he would see then what the other werewolf wanted to talk about.
Either way, Hank was coming here, to Buffalo, to spend the full moon with Ryan.
He breathed in deeply. He needed to buy groceries and lube, put fresh linen on his bed, and, not to forget, he needed to pick Hank up from the airport at six.
And, most importantly, he needed to calm down his fluttering heart and his jittery nerves until then.
The scratch of skates on ice made him look up just in time to see Chris Drury skate around the goal before slowly coming to a stop next to Ryan. He gave the goalie a quick smile and shifted from one skate to the other.
“You’re here early,” he pointed out softly. It hadn’t been a question, but Ryan answered it nonetheless.
“Couldn’t sleep and had to do something,” he said. He didn’t tell Dru that he couldn’t sleep because his thoughts kept circling back to Hank and the concept of mates.
Deeming his muscles loosened up enough for now, he climbed back onto his feet and rolled his shoulders slightly. The tension there would probably disappear in a few days, he thought uncomfortably, when the full moon was over and the whole mates-thing was cleared up.
Dru nodded thoughtfully. “Does this have anything to do with what happened yesterday, in the locker room?” he wanted to know.
Ryan grunted. “Most likely,” he admitted after a brief moment of thinking. “I guess in a few days, it’s all over. Maybe even tomorrow, already. For this month, at least.”
He blushed slightly – if Hank stayed at Ryan’s place that night, he would certainly feel better the next morning. Sore and exhausted, most likely, but better, especially if they were mates.
“So…you found a way to handle the full moon without snapping at Petey?” Dru wanted to know, his voice still quiet and calm.
Ryan stared at him for a long moment. “What?”
Dru shrugged. “You snapped pretty badly at him yesterday,” he said, not flinching. “Now…I admit, I don’t have that much experience with your kind or know a lot about werewolves...but...” He stopped himself and shrugged again. “I guess what I want to say is, if you need someone to talk to, you know where you can find me. I may not know that much, but I can offer you an open ear, if you need it.”
Ryan’s eyebrows rose in amusement. “Did you lose a bet with Danny?” he asked. “Is that why you’re here?”
Dru snorted. “I didn’t,” he replied. “I didn’t even talk to him about this. Just want to make sure you’re okay. And the team.”
Ryan laughed softly. “Thanks, man,” he said, his stick tapping Dru gently against the shin. “I’m good. Give me two or three days to get through the full moon.”
“I can’t believe we never figured out you’re a werewolf,” Dru mused and reached for a puck with his own stick. “Does Lindy know?”
Ryan shrugged. “I guess?” he offered. “But then, I also thought you all knew.” He hesitated for a moment. “It’s on my medical files and on my passport,” he added. “For the obvious reasons.”
“The obvious reasons?” Dru muttered. “I think I need to refresh my knowledge of all things werewolves.”
“There’s all kind of medical differences between humans and werewolves, for example,” Ryan explained. “Whatever medication works for you probably won’t work for me.” He shook his head. “I know we keep to ourselves, but I never realized that you know so little about werewolves.”
“You’re a minority,” Dru stated. “I don’t know that much about Germany or Austria either, for example.”
“Yeah, but at least you knew that Jochen is German,” Ryan pointed out.
“No way you could ignore that accent,” Dru chuckled. “All right. Still, if you want to talk, or if you need anything, don’t hesitate and come to me, okay?”
Ryan nodded. “Thanks, I will,” he said, gratefulness filling his voice. He knew that Dru really meant what he’d said, and it took a huge weight off his shoulders.
~*+*~
Ryan stood on the tips of his toes, his hands shoved impatiently into the pockets of his pants, and tried to peer through the people filing through the airport, to catch a glimpse of Hank. However, he noticed the other werewolf’s smell before he saw him. It almost overwhelmed him, and his breath caught in his throat as he realized that Hank was really there, almost close enough to touch.
And then, the other man was standing in front of him, a small duffel bag slung over his shoulder, a cap pulled low in his face, his long hair curling against his shoulders. He was grinning widely, the skin at the corners of his soft brown eyes crinkled, and the moment their eyes met, there was no more doubt in Ryan.
He was the one.
“Hey,” Hank smiled and reached out, the back of his fingers brushing against Ryan’s cheek briefly. “You look good.”
Ryan laughed happily. “Last time you saw me, I was a wreck,” he stated.
Hank’s eyes flickered down Ryan’s body for a split second. “A good-looking wreck,” he grinned and finally pulled his fingers away from Ryan’s face. “Anyway, how’s things going with you?”
Ryan blushed slightly. “Good,” he murmured, suddenly feeling shy. “How did you convince the Wings’ staff to let you go in the middle of the pre-season?”
Hank’s grin widened, and he shifted his bag from one shoulder to the other, his hip bumping against Ryan’s gently. “They know I’m a werewolf. The second Homer let it slip that I imprinted on someone, they asked me how long I need.”
Ryan snorted. “Lucky you. I said that I was a werewolf and they all started to laugh at me.”
“Really?”
They started to walk toward the exit while Ryan told Hank about the past few days. Hank’s hand brushed against Ryan’s while they walked, and his smell surrounded Ryan like a cloud, leaving him with an accelerated heartbeat and a wide smile that was mirrored on Hank’s face.
When they finally were in Ryan’s car, Ryan turned to Hank.
“Should we go somewhere to grab something to eat?” he asked while biting his bottom lip nervously. “Or should we go to my place?”
A warm, strong hand settled on his thigh and squeezed gently. Ryan felt his nerve endings react and arousal curl deep in his stomach.
“Let’s go to your place,” Hank murmured, his voice rough and scratchy. “We have a lot to talk about.”
Ryan swallowed. “Okay,” he replied while turning the keys in the ignition. “My place, it is.”
Suddenly, he was very glad that he’d remembered to put fresh linen on his bed.
~*+*~
The second they entered the house and the door fell closed behind them, Hank’s hands were on Ryan’s hips, pulling him close while his lips sought out Ryan’s. His beard tickled and scratched against Ryan’s face and, when he lifted his hands and put them against Hank’s cheeks in an attempt to guide the kiss, against his palms. It only made the arousal in his stomach curl tighter and move lower.
“We really need to talk,” Hank moaned, his tongue wet and slick against Ryan’s lips.
Ryan bit down on Hank’s bottom lip. “Yeah,” he agreed breathlessly. “We’ll talk. Bedroom’s this way.”
~*+*~
Afterwards, they were lying next to each other, their shoulders barely touching, while their breathing evened out and the sweat cooled on their bodies. For a long time, neither of them dared to break the silence that had fallen between them.
Finally, Hank shifted and leaned up on one elbow.
“So…” he said slowly and reached out, to circle a nipple with a fingertip. “It feels like Homer was right.”
Ryan frowned slightly. “You mean…about the imprinting thing?”
Hank nodded and let his fingertips move upwards, to brush a strand of sweaty hair out of Ryan’s face. “Yeah,” he said uncertainly. “I think…”
“From what I get,” Ryan said, holding perfectly still under Hank’s caresses, “this seems to be pretty close. I mean…I don’t feel the moon anymore. You?”
“All I can feel is you,” Hank admitted before sighing. “Stupid werewolf myths! I wish someone would have thought of writing down what it feels like to find your mate…and I don’t mean the romantic other-half-of-your-soul stuff…which, apparently, isn’t true anyways.”
Ryan chuckled. “That would be helpful,” he agreed. “So…what now?”
“Now we talk,” Hank suggested before falling silent again.
Ryan shifted slightly. “I don’t know,” he said and sat up. This wasn’t a conversation he was comfortable with having while lying on his back. “I mean…imprinting or not imprinting, I don’t even know you. At all. I don’t even know what you like for breakfast!”
“Eggs, toast, jam…oatmeal,” Hank replied, a smile playing around his lips, but he quickly grew serious again. “Tell me something you like.”
Ryan shrugged helplessly. “Photography,” he finally answered. “What about you?”
Now it was Hank who shifted until he was sitting, cross-legged, on the bed, facing Ryan. “Something I really like?” he mused. “Pavel, probably.” His lips curled into a gentle smile, but his eyes never left Ryan. “He’s…he’s the one who convinced me that calling you would be the right thing.”
Ryan was silent for a long moment. “If…if you and me…” His tongue flickered out to moisten suddenly dry lips. “I mean, I assume you’re going to keep him?”
Hank’s mouth opened and closed without any words escaping. “You don’t mind?” he finally managed to ask.
Ryan frowned. “What?”
Hank shook his head slightly. “Sorry,” he muttered. “My parents…they always said you’re allowed to keep relationships with humans until you find your mate…then you don’t need or want it anymore.” He grimaced. “It’s…I didn’t want to believe Homer at first, when he told me,” he admitted. “Because, you know. Pavel.”
Ryan shook his head in disbelief. Hair fell into his eyes, and he brushed it back, behind his ear, with an impatient gesture. “That,” he said firmly, “is the stupidest thing I’ve heard in a long time.”
Hank flinched. “It works for humans,” he said defensively.
Ryan shrugged slightly. “But we’re not humans,” he pointed out reasonably while pulling his legs up, to wrap his arms around them. “And whatever works for them…it doesn’t always for us.”
“Yeah…” Hank ran a hand through his hair and allowed his shoulders to slump. “So…what do we do now?” He swallowed. “You…if we decide to go for this…you wouldn’t mind Pavs?”
“Hank,” Ryan said slowly, “You’re an alpha. You can do whatever you want, you know that, right?”
“So?” Hank lifted his chin challengingly. “I want to know if you would mind Pavs now.”
Ryan bit the inside of his cheek sharply, to stop himself from rolling onto his back and submitting to Hank. The other werewolf’s growling sent shivers down his back, and he knew that he would agree to everything Hank said if he just continued to talk to him in this tone.
“No,” he said quietly. His nervousness was still audible, and he took a deep breath to calm his nerves again. “Of course not, why should I? If it’s okay with him…”
He never finished his sentence, because suddenly, Hank moved. He surged forward, his hand tangled in Ryan’s hair, and pulled him into a deep, open-mouthed kiss while growling deep in his throat. The sound left Ryan with weak knees, and all he could do was cling to Hank’s shoulders and submit to the kiss.
Finally, with a final swipe of his tongue over Ryan’s swollen bottom lip, he pulled back and grinned crookedly. “Thanks, Ryan.”
His thumb brushed over Ryan’s mouth gently. “So…is there anyone that you want? If we’re going to be mates, I should know about that, right?”
Ryan laughed weakly. “No,” he murmured, “I’ve been an adult for a month now, Hank. I didn’t meet anyone during those four weeks.”
“But you could’ve met someone before,” Hank pointed out.
Ryan shrugged. “I didn’t.”
“You let me know if you do, okay?” Hank ordered, and Ryan found himself nodding without even remembering to agree to Hank’s words.
“You know,” he said shakily, “We should’ve done this on the phone…where I don’t want to agree to every single thing you say.”
“Sorry,” Hank muttered. “Do you want me to go stand outside and call you?”
“Don’t be ridiculous.” Ryan shook his head. “Okay, I have to ask. Which pack are you affiliated with?”
“Stevie’s.” Hank tilted his head to the side. “Homer is his mate, and Homer and Nick took me in pretty much from the first day, and it only seemed logical. When Steve asked me if I wanted to join his pack, I didn’t even have to think about it for long.” He hesitated. “I know your brother is still a member of your father’s pack…I guess you are, too?”
“Yes.” Ryan swallowed. “If we do this…do I need to join your pack?”
“It’s a good pack.”
The reaction was pure instinct, but Hank realized immediately that Ryan wasn’t happy about his answer. The other man’s lips thinned as he pressed them tightly together, and Hank lifted his hands in apology, even before Ryan could say a single word. “At the moment, Steve is the alpha,” he explained. “But I’m going to take over as alpha of the pack eventually.”
“So?” Ryan asked, his voice sharp and clipped.
Hank shook his head slightly. “I take it you don’t want to leave your father’s pack,” he guessed carefully.
“No.” The answer was short and gave no room for discussion, and Hank flinched slightly at the finality of it.
“Okay…” he took a deep breath. “If Stevie is okay with it, you stay a member of your father’s pack? Maybe we can work out something new when I get to take over the pack? How does that sound to you?”
Ryan narrowed his eyes suspiciously. “You gave in there pretty quickly,” he noted. “Where’s the catch?”
Hank frowned. “Catch?” he asked. “Why would there be a catch?”
“I don’t know,” Ryan replied hesitantly. “Why wouldn’t there be one?”
Hank sighed and slowly uncurled himself, to kneel up. His hands curved with unexpected gentleness around Ryan’s face, to hold him still for a kiss. “I kind of am crazy about you,” he murmured, his lips dragging wetly against Ryan’s cheek. “The more time I can spend with you, the better.”
Ryan exhaled softly. “So this is really true?” he murmured, his lips parting gently when Hank’s thumb brushed along them. “You…and me?”
“You and me,” Hank agreed. “And Pavs.”
The tension didn’t completely leave Ryan’s shoulders, but it eased slightly as he smiled. “You and me,” he repeated. “I guess we’ll have to figure out the rest, then.”
“Don’t worry, we will.” Hank sounded confident, and Ryan’s smile widened.
“Hank?” he said after a long moment of silence. “If it’s okay with your pack that I’m staying with mine…I don’t care how common it is for something like this…I’m not getting your name tattooed anywhere on my body,” he warned half-heartedly.
“Too bad,” Hank grinned and let his hand curl around the back of Ryan’s neck, feeling the tendons at the base of his skull and the sharp edges of bone under his fingertips. “Why not?”
Ryan leaned his forehead against Hank’s. “I’m too much of a wimp for that,” he murmured, no longer teasing. “And I don’t need a sign of property on my ass.”
“Then you don’t need to tattoo my name on your ass,” Hank grinned and let his hand slide lower, along the bumps of Ryan’s spine. Ryan unfolded himself and rose to his knees as well. He wrapped his arms around Hank’s shoulders and pressed their bodies together while letting his tongue invade Hank’s mouth, hesitantly at first, but with growing confidence.
They would figure the rest out later.
~~~ end
no subject
Wolf!Hank and Wolf!Ryan finding each other was a long and hard road, I'm glad they managed, as well :) (and who can resist a good Stevie/Homer/Oz/Nick/Shanny pairing, no matter in which combination?)
no subject
You did it in spaeds.;)
Nobody in there right mind would resist that combo.;p