Back On The Ice

Hello all,

Here's the second chapter in the "Mark Gaines" and Hilary saga. If you haven't already read it, you'll want to check out "Keeping Ice on the Wound," before you read this one.

For the rest of you, my fun, friendly fans, I hope this meets your expectations.

PennLady... Looks like the puck is heading across the blue line, and, there it goes! Oh, it's in your zone!

Happy Reading!

M. ;)

***

"See?" Mark Gaines was beyond excited as he glided past the bench at practice.

His coach, fellow teammates, and one very concerned trainer looked on with unreadable expressions. Mark scowled as he turned, his skates slicing through the ice and sending a shower of snow in the opposite direction. This time when he circled back in front of the bench, several of the people gathered were giving him dirty looks. He thought he heard a feminine snicker and his gaze swept up several rows behind the bench.

A grin split his face when he met the amused gaze of his girlfriend, Hilary Winsome. She was watching the practice with her friend and roommate, Lena, who was also the girlfriend of Mark's teammate, Anatoli Oborotenski. Hilary shook her head at his smile and pointed at the ice. Even though she wasn't speaking, he knew she was instructing him to focus and stop acting like an idiot.

Well, if he was, it was just because he was ecstatic to be back in skates on the rink. After only three and a half weeks, his ankle had passed inspection, so to speak, and he'd been allowed to return to practice. It might be another week or so before he'd be allowed to play in an actual game but for now, this was enough.

It didn't hurt that he'd had ample opportunity to be with Hilary during his time off. Spending time with her was as potent a painkiller as codeine. However, three and a half weeks was a long time to not be playing, no matter how much fun he had with Hilary.

"So what do you say, Coach?" Mark asked, turning his attention to the portly, balding man in front of him.

"It doesn't look like you're pushing it," Coach replied, eyeing the younger man. "But I'll leave the decision up to the professionals." With that, he turned and made his way off the ice, leaving Mark at the mercy of the trainer.

After submitting to another brief examination from the trainer, Mark was allowed to join practice. He was razzed by his teammates, not only for taking three and a half weeks off, but for bringing his new girlfriend to witness his return.

"You're just jealous, Lang," Mark scoffed and patted his teammate, Brody Lang, with his stick against Brody's shin pads.

Brody snorted and returned the gesture, aiming nowhere near the injured ankle. "Hardly. Like I need a woman hanging around, telling me what to do."

Anatoli 'Obie' Oborotenski overheard and laughed, skating up on Mark's other side. "Sometimes that's the best part," he commented and winked at Mark.

Brody watched the exchange between the two before shaking his head and skating away with a laugh. As one, Mark and Anatoli turned to look into the stands where their girlfriends were sitting. The two women had their heads close together and they were laughing over something. Then, as though they could feel the men's eyes on them, they glanced down at the ice.

"Get to work!" Lena shouted, her voice carrying over the boards.

Laughing, Anatoli took off, eating up the distance to the far end of the boards before veering left and coming back on the far side. Mark watched him go, envying his speed. The trainer had allowed him to join practice but nothing that included fast skating, hits, or blocks. So basically, he was allowed to push around the ice like a five-year old. Swallowing his frustration, Mark did as he was instructed, knowing that if he pushed it, he might just end up setting himself back even further. He didn't want that.

After another forty minutes or so, practice was over and the players all began to make their way off the ice. Mark stayed out a little longer than the rest, smacking pucks towards the empty nets. A knocking distracted him and he looked over his shoulder to see Hilary standing on the other side of the glass, near the bench. Smiling, he sent the last puck sailing into the net and skated over to the boards.

"How are you doing?" she asked him, her smile wide but her eyes concerned.

Mark grinned and leaned close to the glass. "What do you think?" he asked instead of answering her question.

Her reaction was immediate. The smile on her face grew wider and she shook her head. "I'd say you're doing fine," she replied dryly.

"What are you doing later?" he asked, still grinning.

She shrugged, looking away, but Mark could see the smile on her lips. It had been a few weeks since they'd first met and already he couldn't imagine not spending every free evening with her. Especially now that he'd be traveling with the team again. His status would be updated to day-to-day, meaning he could return to the line-up at any point. He'd miss spending time with Hilary, sure, but nothing beat the game.

"I was thinking we should celebrate," Mark suggested.

Hilary's eyes came back to his face and she raised her eyebrows. "Celebrate what?"

"My return!" he exclaimed and laughed, still ecstatic about being back on the ice.

Laughing, Hilary shook her head again and nodded. "All right, let's celebrate. I'm not working, as you already know."

He did know that; he'd asked her to practice knowing they'd be able to spend the rest of the day and evening together. "Cool," he said. "I'll meet you in about twenty minutes."

"Lena and I were thinking of having dinner together," Hilary said before he could turn away. "Why don't you check with Obie and see what he thinks?"

Mark didn't really want to - he wanted Hilary all to himself - but he knew Lena was her best friend and he didn't want to scare her by insisting they go out alone. It was one day at a time with Hilary, something Mark was mostly all right with. He liked her too much to push her too far, too fast.

"I will," he replied, smiling through the scuffed glass. Then he turned to skate over and exit to the locker rooms.

Inside, the locker room was fairly quiet. Most of the guys had quickly washed up and headed home for the day. Their next game was the following evening. Mark moved to his spot and sat down on the bench to take his skates off. He had the first one off and was loosening the laces on the second one when the trainer appeared in front of him, demanding to see his injured ankle.

"Jeez, man, can't you even wait until I've taken my skate off?" Mark asked, but he wasn't upset. He knew the guy was just doing his job.

After a quick examination of his ankle -

no swelling or bruising, thank you very much,

Mark thought - Mark was allowed to take a shower. As he walked into the big shower area, he passed Anatoli.

"Hey, Obie," he said. "Hil said something about the four of us going to dinner tonight."

"Oh yeah?" Obie replied, rubbing a towel over his head. "Sounds good. I'll meet you with the girls upstairs."

Mark nodded and headed into the shower. There were a couple other guys there but no one was talking. Mark went to an empty spot and twisted the knob until a steaming hot spray of water hit him square in the chest. As he shampooed his short hair, Mark thought about his return to playing and how it might affect his relationship to Hilary. He hoped it wouldn't change things but Hilary was... different from most girls he'd dated.

Their relationship had started as a one-night stand but it hadn't taken them long to realize they liked each other more than one night would allow. After a bit of difficulty in the first week or so, Mark had convinced Hilary that he genuinely liked her and wanted to make things work. A month ago, Mark would never have pegged himself as one of those guys who went after a girl. Hilary was so intriguing and smart, that he couldn't stay away from her.

And she's bloody sexy,

he added silently, grinning as he turned his face under the hot spray.

Even so, it wasn't just about sex. Mark couldn't put his finger on it, but Hilary was a woman he wasn't going to give up without a fight. No matter how prickly she got at times, he found himself wanting to be around her, sex or no sex. Softening her up after she got snarky with him was one of his favorite spare time activities.

He quickly finished up in the shower and dressed before rushing through the building to meet up with his teammate and their girlfriends. The three of them were waiting patiently outside the corridor and, once he joined them, they headed off to a movie and then dinner together.

***

"Things seem to be going really well with you two," Lena commented as she and Hilary made themselves comfortable that evening after dinner.

Hilary smiled at her roommate as she pulled a cardigan over her pajamas. There was a definite chill in the air now that they were into the mid-December. Lena was in the kitchen, boiling some water for their late night tea. Neither girl had decided to spend the night with their boyfriends since they both had early morning shifts. They were intending to go to the game at Verizon Center later as well. Mark still wouldn't be playing, so he'd offered to take them to one of the private suites.

"I think so, too," Hilary agreed as she made herself comfortable on the couch. She left the TV off but glanced at the clock on the wall. It wasn't even nine o'clock yet.

"Mark is great," Lena added as she walked out of the kitchen to join Hilary on the couch, leaving the kettle on the stove to boil.

Hilary lifted her eyebrows at her friend and smiled. "Do

you

want to date him?" she asked playfully.

Lena laughed and slapped Hilary on the thigh. "Of course not," she replied. "One over-the-top hockey player is enough for me. I just think it's great that you and Mark are getting along so well."

Hilary nodded, amazed herself at how long things had lasted. They hadn't exactly started out in a traditional manner, and she'd certainly done her best to drive him away. Mark had proven to her that he wasn't going to just let her go, and now she was struggling to not run away nearly every day.

"What are you thinking?" Lena asked, giving her a close look.

Sighing, Hilary shrugged. Her roommate - also her dearest friend - knew all her apprehensions and hang-ups when it came to men, and the reasons for them. In her dating life, Hilary hadn't had the best of luck, starting with Johnny in fifth grade. He'd pulled her hair so hard, he'd yanked her to the ground, humiliating her in front of the entire school. Things had improved only slightly over time; the men in Hilary's life graduating from schoolyard bullies, to cheating hockey players and other assorted losers. Mark was the first guy she'd dated who treated her nicely and seemed to be genuinely fond of her.

She didn't know what to do with him most of the time and it scared the hell out of her. Hence, the great desire to bolt whenever he asked her out, which was pretty much every day.

"I think I don't know how much longer Mark is going to put up with me," Hilary replied at length.

"Oh, please," Lena scoffed and swatted her again. "You're not still afraid of that, are you? Hilary, he adores you! Everyone can see it. Obie tells me how Mark talks about you with the guys all the time."

Hilary blushed and looked away. "Really?"

"Yes! Hilary, you're the only one who can't see how much he likes you."

Sighing, Hilary pressed the back of her hand to her cheek and glanced over at her friend. "I just... I don't know what he sees in me. I'm so mean to him sometimes, and I don't know why."

Lena gave her a hard, searching look and then leaned close, gathering her into her arms for a hug. As always, Lena's quiet comfort made Hilary's throat feel thick. She hugged her roommate back and exhaled shakily.

"You have to talk to him, Hil," Lena told her as she pulled away. "You can't keep trying to drive him away or one day you'll succeed."

Hilary's stomach flipped at the thought of Mark walking away from her. She may be scared, and lash out at times, but she didn't want him to stop calling or coming to see her.

"You don't want him to go away, do you?" Lena asked.

"Of course not," Hilary replied.

"Then talk to him."

Hilary blew out a breath and nodded. She knew she needed to explain to Mark why she was so uneasy in their relationship. Mark had been so understanding until now, but Lena was right; one day he wouldn't be and it would be all Hilary's fault.

The kettle starting whistling in the kitchen and Lena jumped up. She came back into the living room a few minutes later, with two steaming mugs of tea, and handed one to Hilary as she sat down.

"I just don't even know how to have that conversation," Hilary said, going back to their conversation. "What do I say? 'Hi, Mark. I know I'm a total bitch sometimes and I think you need to know why?'"

Lena snorted and covered her mouth with her hand. Hilary grinned at her and lifted the mug to her lips for a sip.

"I don't know about that," Lena replied and sipped her own tea. "I would just... I don't know, let it happen naturally."

Hilary raised her eyebrows at Lena and set her mug down against her thigh. "Naturally? Lena, those conversations don't ever happen 'naturally.'"

"Sure they do," Lena said and smiled. "Next time he tells you how beautiful you are, or how good you smell, just go for it."

Laughing, Hilary shook her head. "Go for it? If I go for it, I'll be jumping him, not confessing my twisted relationship history to him."

"Jumping him works, too," Lena replied, her eyes dancing over her mug of tea. "Distracts him while you fess up."

Hilary couldn't help but laugh again. Lena was such a great friend and she knew she'd be lost without her. That made her think of something else, something not related to her own relationship drama.

"You've been with Anatoli for almost a year," she commented and smiled when Lena blushed. "Do you have any big plans for your anniversary?"

Lena shook her head. "Not that I know of."

"I bet Obie has something planned," Hilary remarked and grinned when Lena hid her face in embarrassment.

"I don't know," Lena replied and looked away, sipping her tea.

"I think he might even surprise you with something big," Hilary said.

Lena's head snapped back around to face her and her eyes were wide. "Has he said something to you?"

"No," Hilary replied and that was the truth. She just knew that Lena and Anatoli were the real thing. There was only one way to go in a relationship like that, and it had already been a year of spending every possible moment together. The next logical step was cohabitation. It pained Hilary to think of it, since it would take her best friend further away from her, but if it made Lena happy, Hilary would be supportive. "I just wouldn't be surprised if Anatoli asked you to live with him," Hilary confessed and smiled when Lena's mouth dropped open.

"No way," Lena breathed. "We're not ready for that! We haven't even talked about it."

"Well, maybe he'll bring it up and you'll

start

talking about it," Hilary suggested.

For a minute, Lena didn't respond. "You really think he'd ask me to move in with him? Has Mark said something? Did Obie say something to him?"

Hilary laughed and patted her friend's leg. "No, Mark hasn't said anything to me. I just mentioned it so you're not completely blindsided if he brings it up."

"You think I

should

live with him?" Lena asked after another moment of silence.

"I think you should do whatever makes you happy," Hilary replied. "Anatoli makes you happy. Why wouldn't you live with him?"

Lena nodded and gradually a smile spread across her face. "You're right," she murmured. "I can't imagine what my life would be like without him in it."

"I know," Hilary replied. "I can't imagine what

my

life would be like without him!"

They laughed together and spent the next hour chatting before Hilary yawned. She hugged her roommate, put her empty mug in the kitchen sink, and got ready for bed. As she lay in her bed, she couldn't help running through her conversation with Lena. That led her to imagining the possible outcomes of her discussion with Mark, which just stressed her out. Eventually she fell asleep, her mind filled with disturbing dreams of Mark skating over her body while her ex-boyfriends watched and cheered from the stands.

***

Verizon Center was packed when Mark arrived with Hilary and Lena the following night. Being a Friday night, most spectators were ready to cut loose for the weekend. The low hum of anticipation filled his ears and made his heart patter a little faster. He lead the way through the crowd and into their private suite, greeting some of the other guests of his teammates.

"This is great," Lena commented and walked towards the seats at the front of the box. "Thanks so much for bringing us, Mark."

"No problem," Mark replied with a smile. "If I can't play, at least I can enjoy watching with the two prettiest ladies in the building."

Lena grinned but from his side, Hilary snorted in a very unladylike manner. Raising one eyebrow, Mark turned and looked down at the woman beside him. He reached for her with one arm and drew her close, ignoring the curious looks from the other people in the suite. Hilary blushed under his gaze but moved closer as he drew her into his embrace.

"You don't agree with me?" he asked her, putting his lips very close to her ear.

God, she smells fantastic tonight,

he thought and breathed in her rich, feminine scent. He felt her shudder against his body and smiled.

"I think... I'm just not used to... being labeled that way," she murmured, hesitating over her words.

Mark drew back to look into her eyes, sensing that there was more to her hesitation than just his close proximity. "Labeled as what? A lady?" he asked with a smile, wanting to kiss the blush off her cheeks. "Or pretty?"

"Either," she replied with a shrug.

Mark knew she'd been hurt in the past, even without her telling him. He supposed when she felt more comfortable with him, she might tell him about it, but for now, he had his theories. "Well, get used to it," he told her and pressed a kiss to her warm cheek. He tamped down the urge to follow the color of her blush below the collar of her shirt, telling himself he could take care of it later. "I intend to keep using those labels."

Hilary smiled at him, her blue eyes sparkling and standing out in her flushed face. "I think I could get used to it," she whispered and squeezed his arms where she'd rested her hands.

There it was, the smile and the look in her eyes that had him coming back every day; calling her, making plans and undressing her every chance he could.

"Hey, you two," Lena spoke up from a few steps away. "Don't make me throw cold water on you."

Hilary giggled and pulled out of Mark's arms to join her friend in the seats out front of the box. Mark grabbed a beer and joined them a few minutes later. The game started in another ten minutes and they all focused on that for the next half hour.

Mark hated just sitting and watching the games. Even though he'd been allowed to remove his ankle wrap and walk without crutches for a few days now, he still felt useless. He wanted nothing more than to sit on the bench with the other guys where the action was. His feet moved unconsciously under his seat as he leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. It was only when Hilary laid a warm hand against his thigh that he realized he'd been moving at all. He threw her a sheepish grin before turning his attention back to the game.

Near the end of the first period, the Caps were down by one goal and Mark's jaw was sore from grinding his teeth. Hilary's hand came to rest over his and he turned to her. She was smiling and when he met her eyes, she winked, effectively taking his mind off the game and giving him something new to think about.