11. Surprising Players
11
SURPRISING PLAYERS
Nico
Warmth surrounds me. My body feels pleasantly exhausted — even though some places hurt and not just from the game. The ribs on my left side got a bruise or two when I was checked. It’s nothing serious and nothing I haven't had thousands of times before, but they could do with a cold pack. I can also feel my ass throbbing.
Memories flood back. Daniel and I making love. My confessions. The semifinals we won. It was one of the best days of my life. No, it was definitely the best day of my life! I smile so wide my cheeks hurt. I’ve never been so happy!
I grope on the nightstand for my phone. What time is it, anyway? Did we remember to set an alarm clock last night? But before I can check the time, the first thing that catches my eye as the screen lights up is a notification. It's from my father.
An old reflex means I’ve opened it before I can stop myself. Ever since I can remember, my father has made it clear that — without exception — an immediate response is required to any message he sends.
My heart sinks into the floor as I read it:
So, this is how it is now?! You let a traitor fuck you in the ass. Then you let his fag hag fight your battles. I raised you better, Nico!
I stare at the words on the small screen. The letters dance as my eyes adjust to the light of my cell in the dark room.
Or maybe they're blurring because of the tears in your eyes, the little angel on my shoulder gently suggests.
Throwing my cell across the room seems a sound choice, but that would surely wake Daniel up. His body is entwined with mine, his arm slung possessively across my chest, one leg squeezed between mine, his tight abs pressed against my back, and his forehead nestling into my neck. Every breath he takes sounds amplified by a microphone.
The warmth his body provided only a moment ago suddenly no longer seems comforting, but suffocating.
What has Daniel done?
I read my father’s message again. The first two sentences I would have expected. He always called the Millers traitors because Daniel's grandfather and then his mother always voted against Dad's regressive, nationalistic government proposals. And while other people may be able to separate a person from their politics, my father never could. He always took everything personally.
Although not surprising, the sentences hurt me. Do I mean so little to him that he can't even think outside the norm … for me? Is it really so bad that I like men? A lump the size of Terengia gathers in my throat. A sob wants to pass my lips, but I ruthlessly push it back. I can't break down now. Would Daniel be there for me? Yes! But can I trust him?
I blink a few times and reread the third sentence in the damn message:
Then you let his fag hag fight your battles.
By that, he can only mean one person. My father always looked down on Elisabeth because she attended the exclusive private school that Daniel and I went to on a scholarship rather than her folks paying. The fact that she was always top of the class didn't help. His mantra at the time was, You can't let trailer trash beat you ! But what could I do? Elisabeth is smarter than I am. Besides, after hockey training, study came second ...
Why does he think that Elisabeth would fight my battles?
Then I remember her standing next to my father after our semifinal and giving me a thumbs up. But she can’t have said anything, can she? No one knew about Daniel and me. And Daniel certainly didn't tell anyone. He’d promised me that back in Terengia. The more I think about it, though, the less I can shake off the suspicion. It’s the only thing that makes sense.
How could Daniel betray me like that?
Daniel
The bed moving wakes me up, and I cling to Nico grinning.
"Leave me alone! I have to go to the bathroom," Nico’s words are curt. He sounds annoyed.
Okay ...
I let him go and snuggle back into the soft bed again. An enticing scent envelops me — Nico and sex. Can there be anything better? Maybe we could use our morning to repeat last night. Or maybe Nico could fuck me. Excitement brews in my belly.
I can hardly believe that Nico and I are now officially a couple. There are still a few things we need to discuss. For a start, I'm not thrilled about slipping from one long-distance relationship straight into another, but if that's the price I have to pay to know Nico is by my side …
The bathroom door slams open and I lift the covers expecting him to get back in. Instead, I hear him shout, "I'm going down to breakfast." The main door slams shut.
What got into him?
Confused, I sit up. Everything was so good when we went to sleep. What happened during the night? Then my eyes fall on Nico's cell lying on his side of the bed. It’s teetering so precariously that it could easily fall. I reach for it and as I lift it, I see the screen is unlocked and I can hardly miss the message slapped across the screen. My heart drops as I read his father's words.
Nico has bolted again!
I have no idea why he does it, but we’ll add that to the list of things we need to talk about.
The morning doesn’t get any better. It seems wherever I am, Nico isn’t.
I dressed quickly and headed to the dining room, but he’d already left. He arrived just in time for the light workout scheduled for the team, and afterwards, he was changed and gone before I’d even finished showering. I checked back in our room — empty. And his phone is still there so I can’t call or text.
Where is he? And what the hell is going on?
I run my fingers through my hair. I have to talk to him!
It may have been a mistake to tell Elisabeth what happened yesterday before our game, but I still feel it was the right thing to do at the time. I know that she’d only ever have my best interests at heart, and when Julius Hovenberg left our room, I wanted to be on the safe side in case he did something irrational. Although I don't know what he’d do … turn us in to the Chinese secret police or something?
I've been wandering through the Olympic Village for two hours trying to find Nico. The freezing temperature makes me pull the thick scarf a little higher to cover my nose. Who would have thought it would get this cold here? But apparently, it’s because of the icy winds from Inner Mongolia sweeping directly into Beijing.
Even the freezing temperature distracts me only briefly from my search. I have to find Nico! I thought about asking the coaches, but Edvardsen would go ballistic if he knew Nico had disappeared. And he hasn't even really disappeared. He showed up for this morning’s training session, after all.
My eyes linger on one of the luxury hotels on the edge of the Olympic village. Leo and Guillaume are staying there. They’re here in Beijing representing the Terengian royal family to support its athletes. They came to our game yesterday and were our biggest cheerleaders.
Out of ideas, I enter the foyer of the hotel. Instantly, a burly man dressed all in black catches my eye. It’s one of Leo's bodyguards, so I head straight towards him. Normally I'm one of the taller people in a room, but this man is at least a head taller and has three stone more muscle than I do. He’s a perfect choice for a bodyguard.
"Hello!" I start brightly. I don’t really know what I’m doing here but getting this guy on side seems like a good start.
He’s startled at first, I can tell, but for a split second his face becomes animated — he recognizes me! Good!
"Are Leo and Guillaume here? I'd like to say hi," I say a bit lamely. They'd hardly be expecting me, so if I said I had an appointment he’d know it was a lie.
For a moment he looks at me critically then he mumbles a few words into his intercom. A few seconds later, he nods. He must have received confirmation through his earpiece that I’m harmless.
"They’ll see you. Twelfth floor," he says curtly, but not unkindly.
I’m so grateful I could kiss him, but I just shake his hand warmly and head towards the elevator.
When I enter the magnificent suite that Leo and Guillaume have rented for their stay, the contrast to our spartan room becomes obvious. Light-colored carpeting, dark wood furniture, fabrics in lush shades of blue, all in all, the décor looks quite European.
When I enter the living room of the suite, my eyes land on someone I wasn’t sure I’d find — Nico!
He’s sitting on a cozy-looking, wide leather chair, but by his expression, he’s anything but comfortable. I move to rush to his side but Leo steps in front of me.
“Hi Daniel! This is a surprise visit.”
Desperately, I look round him to Nico whose eyes are red. It’s obvious that he’s been crying. I don’t want to be rude, but all I want to do is push Leo out of my way and throw myself at Nico, kneel on the ground in front of him, and beg for his forgiveness. But before I get a chance to act, Leo calmly man-handles me into an armchair opposite Nico. Then he takes a seat on the couch next to Guillaume.
There are only a few feet between me and the man who stole my heart. Still I move so far forward on my armchair that my butt barely touches the seat to be even closer. Everything in me is pulling me towards Nico, but the space between us feels as wide as the Grand Canyon.
Nico
Daniel’s here!
How on earth did he find me? I didn’t even know I’d end up here. After training, I just had to get away. It was almost unbearable to practice on the ice together this morning. To feel this instinctive connection between us despite knowing he’s betrayed me.
With tears streaming from my eyes, I wandered aimlessly through the Olympic village not knowing where I’d feel safe. I could hardly bolt for my room since I’m sharing with Daniel.
I was completely lost.
Then I heard a voice I recognized saying my name. It was a voice that made my blood go cold. It was the voice of the King’s brother, Prince Leo.
Royal protocols have been drilled into me since birth. I know what’s expected. I must always represent my father appropriately. Make a good impression for his sake. But how could I with tears streaming down my cheeks? And why would I represent a stupid asshole of a father who’d rather lose his son than accept that he’s gay? And if I'm completely honest, why would I want to?
I wanted to be myself for a while. Just me. Not a Hovenberg. Not a member of the Terengia national ice hockey team. Just Nico. I wanted to be accepted for who I am and, with a bit of luck, even loved for it. For one brief moment, I thought I had it with Daniel. But then ...
The tears flowed unhindered until I could no longer see anything.
"You look like you could use a coffee," the prince said, putting a gentle hand on my back and steering me forward.
I willingly followed. I had no idea where he was leading me, but I didn't care. At that moment, I no longer had a goal — everything seemed to have fallen away. At some point I ended up here on this armchair, sipping something hot, and then Daniel appeared in the doorway.
Now he’s sitting across from me and I can't take my eyes off him, as much as it pains me to look at his beautiful face. Even the small scar dividing his left eyebrow reminds me how long we’ve known each other.
One afternoon, after school was out — we were maybe twelve or so — a game we were playing got a little out of hand. Our janitor was in bed with the flu and his temporary replacement was clearly overwhelmed. Instead of clearing the schoolyard of snow and gritting it like he should, he’d merely pushed the snow to the sides. In the freezing cold, the courtyard had turned into one wonderful ice rink.
While most of the students screeched their way out, stepping gingerly so as not to fall, my friends and I slid around the yard. When Miller and his crowd stepped out of the building, Vincent and I shouted a dare at them, and within no time, a game of tag was underway. Half running, half sliding, we tried to push each other against the school yard walls. Snowballs and school bags flew around like crazy. It was pure chaos until a window on the second floor flew open and the principal yelled out for us stop immediately unless we wanted to be suspended.
We had all frozen at the sound of his voice, or at least tried to. Miller must have been so startled at our headmaster's voice that he lost his famous balance and fell, hitting his head on the ground. There was dead silence in the courtyard — for a moment, the whole world seemed to hold its breath. Then Benjamin and Elisabeth, who’d been watching our shenanigans from the sidelines, rushed over to him.
Luckily, he hadn’t knocked himself out, but his whole face was covered in blood. I had to turn around to avoid throwing up on the spot. The site of blood was too much for me back then — another weakness my father hated in me — and there was a lot of blood.
I was sure that Miller was going to die. I could barely sleep that night and hardly dared go to school the next day. What would happen to us? Would we be suspended? Would the police question us about Miller's death?
Instead, Miller was sitting in his usual seat as I got to class, his head wrapped in a bandage that half hid his wild, black mane of hair. Two weeks later, the accident was forgotten. The only memory of it was that small scar Miller's worn ever since.
"I'm so sorry!" The words, barely more than a whisper, snap me out of my memories.
Daniel has leaned forward in his chair as far as he can. He is far too far away to touch, and yet I long to be in his arms again.
But I can't.
I allowed myself to be totally vulnerable. I trusted Daniel with every fiber of my being. And what did it get me? A broken heart. I don't know if I can ever forgive him for that.
"I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have told Elisabeth about us," he says.
I close my eyes. Even his words hurt.
"Wait a minute!" a voice unexpectedly interjects. "You two are a couple?"
My gaze darts to where Prince Leo and his husband are sitting on the couch watching us.
"Shit!" exclaims Daniel loudly, jumping from his chair. "I've done it again." He comes over to me and kneels on the floor next to my chair. "Can we go somewhere where we can talk privately?"
His voice is pleading. His eyes too, maybe, but I won't let myself to look at him. I know for sure that when I look into those gray-green eyes, I won’t be able to say no. And if we were alone together, I wouldn’t be able to resist him.
"It's too late for that now, isn't it?" I say sharply. "Thanks to you, it’s out there now."
It takes everything I have not to look at Daniel, but I notice him flinching out of the corner of my eye.
"You outed him," the indignant question comes from the couch, “without his approval?
I look over at the prince. I haven’t had much to do with him so far. Now, he’s sitting on the dark sofa with his arms folded, glaring angrily at Daniel. I could hug him. I can’t remember the last time anyone has stood up for me like that … apart from Daniel when my father came into our room. It’s strange, though. Despite the desolation I feel inside, I still have an irrepressible need to protect Daniel from Leo's rage. As if he didn't deserve it.
"Yes, but—" Daniel doesn’t get any further, because a loud, most unprincely snort interrupts him. "Leo, listen to me for once!" Daniel voice is raised. "Actually, don’t! I don't care what you think of me!"
I’m so surprised by his tone that my head snaps towards Daniel before I can stop it.
"Nico!" When my gaze meets Daniel's, he beams. He still looks contrite, but his eyes get that very special glow they’ve had for the past few weeks every time he looks at me. My heart breaks a little more. Without realizing it, I’d already gotten used to that look in his eyes. It's the kind of look that makes me feel like there’s just the two of us in the room, as if I’m everything to him, and it’s given me so much strength. It really made me believe that a better life was possible than the one my father had planned for me.
As Daniel tentatively takes my hand, I want to turn my head away. I don't want to allow him back into my heart. But I can't even do that. Daniel's warm, green eyes hold me captive.
"I'm so sorry that I told Elisabeth what happened with your dad, and for telling her how much you mean to me. But I didn't know what else to do. Your father's threat needed dealing with and we needed to focus on the game. Elisabeth seemed like our best bet."
Daniel is clearly being honest with me, but before I get a chance to respond, another voice chimes in, this time it has a lilting French accent. Maybe Daniel's idea of going somewhere private wasn't so bad after all.
"Sorry, have I got this right? You two are together. No one knew. But Nico's father caught you two and threatened you. So, Daniel called his agent to take care of it while you guys focused on the game?"
Heck, when you sum it up like that, it doesn't sound unreasonable.
"Essentially," Daniel answers the prince's consort without taking his eyes off me. Then he asks tentatively, "Can you forgive me?"
I don't get to answer … again.
"Outing someone against their will is unforgivable!" Prince Leo’s harsh voice booms around the room.
Daniel flinches again, and his eyes lose some of their glow.
" Mon petit chou ," Guillaume says, "I know how hard it was for you when that photo of us was published before you were ready. But this sounds a little different to me. We met and fell in love at that horrible ball in Paris and kept our relationship a secret. If I’d been conscious that night when I hit my head in the bathroom, I’d have done everything I could to prevent you from going to the hospital with me and getting papped in the process. I would have protected you any way I knew how, even if it meant telling my neighbor Paul to keep you at home, by force if necessary. Would he have guessed we were together? Of course. But isn’t that what Daniel was doing here? Don't you think your cousin was doing the only thing he could think of to protect Nico?"
The room goes silent as we process Guillaume’s quietly spoken words. Was Daniel really just trying to protect me? I look down at the wonderful man who’s been there for me these past few weeks. The guy who defended me from my own father. The guy who — god only knows how — found me here.
When he first suggested that we could have fun together, I briefly worried that it was all just a joke or some kind of power play. Maybe a way to extract information from me. But I quickly dismissed all those thoughts. Even as a teenager, I knew there was nothing devious about Daniel, and that still seemed true to me.
He really just wanted to help you, the little angel on my shoulder whispers, and to my great astonishment, the little devil is nodding too.
I can’t help myself. I lean forward and kiss the wonderful man in front of me. Daniel returns the kiss full force. His tongue pushes its way into my mouth, and when I try to back away a little, Daniel rises from the floor and sits on my lap, somehow managing to do it without our lips parting for a second.
Someone clearing their throat loudly makes us pause.
I blink a few times until my eyes scan the room. Damn! My relief at working things out with Daniel made me forget we're not alone.
"I was going to suggest that you kiss and make up, but I anticipated something less … full on." Laughter resonates in Guillaume's voice as he fans himself playfully.
Heat shoots into my face and my cheeks must be a fiery red as I turn to apologize to our hosts. Luckily, Leo and Guillaume just grin broadly at us.
"Our suite has four bedrooms if you’d like to borrow one?" the prince asks with a smug smile.
Could the floor open up, please? This is so embarrassing!
Then Daniel gets off my lap and I miss the connection instantly. Luckily, he reaches his hand out for me, so I take it gladly and let him pull me up.
"Thank you for the offer," my gorgeous guy says. He seems totally unaffected by the awkward situation. "But I think we'd better go now."
Leo and Guillaume get up from the couch, but then Guillaume takes me by surprise by hugging me warmly and pressing a small white card into my hand. It’s his business card with his phone number. My mouth remains open as I look at the prince's husband.
He just winks at me and says, “Talk to each other, of course. But if you ever want to talk things through with another gay man, call me.”
My throat is suddenly dry and I can’t get a single word out, so I just nod. The offer means so much to me! How could Guillaume know that I don’t have any gay friends?
Prince Leo gives Daniel and me a brief hug, then he steps back, rubs his hands together, and announces good-humoredly, “Now, nothing can stand in the way of a Terengian gold medal!”
Daniel
Nico and I leave Leo and Guillaume’s suite hand in hand. It feels so good to finally be so close to him again. I feel like I’ve been starved of his touch, even though we woke up this morning still wrapped around each other. But so much has happened since.
In the elevator, I take a deep breath and then I come out with a hard truth. "I never want to let you go again, but walking through the Olympic Village holding hands is not the best way to keep our relationship a secret."
Not that I want it to be a secret, but I don't think Nico is ready to tell the world we‘re a couple just yet. Nico drops my hand like a hot potato, and I try not to feel hurt by this. I remind myself that I've had years to come to terms with my bisexuality, that I have friends and family who stand behind me, that there’s an official media plan in place should I be outed. Nico has none of that.
"Sorry!" he says immediately. I probably couldn't keep my expression as neutral as I’d have liked after all.
I take advantage of the few seconds of privacy the elevator gives us to stroke my sensitive man's cheek. "It's all good! We belong together — that's all that counts. The rest of the world can go to hell."
A cautious but optimistic smile flits across Nico's face. It will probably be a while before he feels comfortable in his own skin, but that doesn't matter. We have time.
We walked back to our room in silence.
We have so much to say, but none of it is for public consumption.
But no sooner have we crossed the threshold to our room and locked the door than Nico is on me, and it's a fight to see who can get the other naked first. Nico's hands are everywhere and we’re naked and on the bed in record time.
I flip us so that I'm lying on top of Nico, using my body weight to pin him under me. Then I capture his face between my palms to kiss him as passionately as I know how before pulling back. Nico stares up at me with his pale blue eyes half fearful, half turned-on, and I say the most important words I’ve ever said: "I love you!"
There’s silence as I watch Nico's expression soften as he processes these words. I can see how important they are to him.
So, I say them again. "Nico, I love you!"
His answer comes at last. "I love you, too!"
Has there ever been a more beautiful sentence in the universe? Certainly not for me!
I bend down and kiss him. A kiss that’s gentle and tender, full of promise. The promise of a future together that I can hardly wait to experience.
The minutes stretch and our connection grows. And from what I can feel down below, it’s not the only thing growing. Nico's naked cock has been rubbing mine for some time, now it’s too hard for me to ignore. And I know exactly what I want to do with it!
"Do you want to fuck me?" I ask into Nico's mouth.
His tongue stills and his eyes widen. "Yes?" he says tentatively.
"Is that a question or an answer?" I tease him.
"Do you like it?" he asks simply. Then I remember how reserved Nico was at the beginning about anal sex. I even thought, he wasn’t into it. But it was just his father’s beliefs holding him back.
"I love it," I answer honestly. "But we don't have to do anything you’re not comfortable with.”
“In that case, yes, I do!" replies Nico so quickly that it's almost comical.
The grin on my face widens. It's been a long fucking time since I last had a real cock inside me, and I can hardly wait.
I twist to the side and grab the lube and a condom from the nightstand. I throw the condom to Nico and open the tube to wet my fingers. Kneeling astride Nico’s hips, I run my wet fingers up and down my cleft. It’s not only a great feeling but my anticipation goes through roof, and that’s before I slip two fingers inside my ass.
The burning sensation is as intense as I expected, and I groan loudly, my eyes close, and I throw my head back.
It doesn't take long before my fingers are completely inside me. I resist touching my prostate. As wonderful as that would feel right now, the danger that I’d come right away is just too great. Instead, I thrust both fingers into myself a few times, then spread them a little, stretching myself open further.
A whimper makes me open my eyelids. Nico is lying under me with wide eyes, the unopened condom forgotten in his hand. He’s watching my every move, and his cock is so engorged and stiff that it looks ready to explode. I grin wryly at him and press a third finger inside me. My eyes close. It's so damn tight, but I love feeling my body open up. The fact that it's Nico's first time only makes this so much hotter.
"I wanted to do that." His faint whisper only just reaches my ear.
My eyes burst open to see that Nico's gaze is so full of longing that I regret not giving him his chance to prep me today. But what I said in the elevator is true: we have time. All the time in the world to discover each other in new ways.
"Next time," I reassure him. "Now, how do you want me?"
Nico's breath catches for a moment, "I want to see you."
I smile at him. Our desires match so perfectly.
"Switch places, then," I suggest.
Nico’s on the move so quickly that I can’t help laughing. Although I can hardly blame him — I can't wait any longer either.
As he kneels next to me, I take the condom wrapper from his hand, open it, and slip it over Nico's hard prick. The precome leaking out of his tip is not lost on me. Then I lie down on my back, grip my shins, and pull my bent legs out wide.
A visible shiver runs through Nico as he watches me.
"Fuck me!" I urge him.
Even though his hand trembles slightly as he lines his cock up with my hole, he doesn't hesitate for a second. With steady force, he presses the tip of his cock against my ring. I gaze into his beautiful face that’s wearing an expression of utter concentration as it stares at the place we’re about to be united. I will my body to stretch a little more. Then he breaks through my tight ring of muscle and slips inside me. We both moan loudly and Nico's gaze flies to me.
"Is it too much?" he asks with a slight hint of panic in his voice.
I shake my head, "No, it's just right!"
The smile that spreads across his face is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.
"Fuck me!" I repeat, and even though I can clearly feel Nico's cock stretching me wider than my three fingers, I want more.
Nico seems to read my thoughts because he pushes his cock into me as slowly as he can. I close my eyes and enjoy the feeling of being so full. The slight burning only increases my lust.
When he’s all the way inside me, he leans down and gives me a soft, chaste kiss on the lips.
"Thank you!"
There’s so much in these simple words that, for a moment, I want to ask, want to know, what’s going on inside Nico’s head. Instead, I just smile. It's all good. The past can stay where it belongs. We can enjoy our lives together now.
Then Nico begins to thrust carefully. Far too carefully.
"More!"
I should probably give him time to get used to this new experience. But I don't have the patience for it right now. And anyway, he doesn’t seem to mind at all. His hips move faster and faster, and very soon, he’s thrusting into me like crazy. With every second or third thrust he hits my prostate, and it's unbelievably good. Electric shocks spread throughout my body as Nico's cock hammers into me again and again.
"I'll come!"
"Come!" I urge him and let go of my vise-like grip on my right leg.
My hand slips between our bodies and grabs my cock. I jerk myself off at the fast pace that Nico’s fucking me. My climax bubbles but I force it back. I want Nico to come first, although I won’t be able to hold out for long. I’m spanking my cock fast and hard, and Nico's thick cock is pounding my ass ... I clench my teeth. My body is reaching breaking point.
My name on Nico’s lips is triumphant before he goes completely silent. I drop the last shred of control and finally allow myself to come too.
"Nico!"
My hot juice squirts between us as the insane tension that’s built up inside me is released. I think for a moment that I’ll faint because every fiber inside me pulsates uncontrollably. It's like a volcanic eruption, and I try to ride the waves of magma as best I can.
At some point, my body relaxes and Nico collapses onto me. I wallow in the wonderful feeling of having him on and in me, feel his breath and heartbeat slow along with mine.
Carefully, I stroke my fingers over Nico's back as the experiences of today pass before my mind's eye, only now they no longer hurt. It means so much to me that Nico has decided to trust me.
Leo's parting sentence comes to mind, and grinning, I paraphrase his words. "Now we're ready to win!"
Nico's head rears up from my chest. As he does, his cock slips out of me and we both groan. Then he looks at me and says, half-amused, half-horrified, "Don't you start!”
I grin, lift my head, and press a playful kiss to his nose. "You're right. We're not just ready for the game. We're ready for the future."
The last word is not even out of my mouth when Nico leans down and kisses me passionately.
Guillaume is right, there are still so many things we need to talk about, but one thing is clear to both of us: we want to be together, and somehow, we’ll find a way!