#I'm also not a hardcore hockey expert so please don't come at me 😭

[lil-shiro]

Spit on the Ice (A Strollonso Hockey AU)

Fernando Alonso/Lance Stroll ✧ 1.3K ✧ Rated M (Mature)

Fernando might have to keep his relationship with his teammate a secret, but that doesn't mean he doesn't have his own ways of showing affection.

Read here or on Ao3

It’s hard sometimes, being gay in the NHL, but Fernando is more or less used to hiding his sexuality - keeping it under carefully controlled wraps from those around him.

The league can allow players to use rainbow tape in warm-up, they can release multiple statements about how “hockey is for everyone”, but they can’t ever erase the locker room culture that surrounds the elusive word, gay. 

Even for a seasoned player like Fernando, who’s dedicated the last decade of his life to the team, he can’t take any risks. Not until he’s done for good. 

What makes things a hundred times more difficult, was when Lance got drafted. Starry eyed and eager to please, Fernando took him under his wing and made sure he was comfortable with the team and new environment. He was the hometown boy after all, finally back after spending two seasons in the OHL (don’t ask Lance what London, Ontario is like, he’ll tell you there’s nothing to like). 

A calm and collected D-man, Lance is a type of player with good on-ice intuition and doesn’t let other players get into his head. His quick decision making skills allow him to support the offence, and also steal the occasional goal. So, naturally it was important that he gets to know the older forward and establish a good relationship if they want to make the playoffs. He doesn’t say anything about the signed Fernando Alonso puck he keeps safe in his childhood bedroom. 

Fernando might have done his job a bit too well though. Because one month in and he’s driving Lance home after they’ve stayed late at the rink running drills, two months in and Lance takes Fernando to his favourite childhood restaurant, one year later and Fernando wakes up to Lance curled up into his side, comfortable in his Montreal apartment during summer break.

But really, the matching His and His Habs mugs, indicate that this is now Lance’s home as much as it is Fernando’s. 

They can easily pass it off as a close mentor and mentee relationship to the public eye. And no matter how many times Fernando wants to kiss Lance on the ice after a good game, or risk a suspension after someone from the opposing team chirps out “daddy’s money”, Fernando manages to stay in control.

Lance easily slots into Fernando’s life, and he wonders if this was what he’d been missing all those years, while the guys went back to their families and partners; Fernando always found himself back in an empty apartment. 

Fernando loved watching Lance on the ice, a true rink rat from childhood since his father owned an abundance of them around the country. He’s picked out all the younger man’s habits, including his insane oral fixation. Lance isn’t one to chirp, that’s more Fernando’s style, but god does he love munching and chewing on his mouth guard throughout the entirety of a game.

It’s a habit from childhood he defends, after Fernando makes some ridiculous joke about putting that mouth to better use. 

Lance pouts, but obliges anyway, life is good, they’re comfy.

~

They’re on a three game losing streak, and playing in Montreal that night against the Canucks. The crowd is intense, desperate for a win, a home win.

Fernando can basically smell the anxiety radiating off of the team. As a veteran, all he can do is tell everyone to fucking focus when it’s time to get on the ice. It’s not easy as Fernando struggles to keep in puck in possession for more than five seconds, he sees Lance shake off another hit before quickly getting back into the defense zone. 

End of the first period and it’s scoreless, in addition to that, Fernando has to physically drag Pierre away by the neck from starting something after Ocon checks his shoulder and chirps in his ear. Those two are always making faces at each other in the penalty box, but they can’t afford to be a man down tonight, not even for a second.

Lance loses his mouth guard on the ice after a stray stick catches his chin, he’s glaring holes into the fucker’s head when he skates in after the whistle blows. He’s about to call for a new one when Fernando stops him, and spits out his own guard into the palm of his hand, holding it out to Lance.

“Fer…what are you doin?” he asks tentatively.

He offers no explanation other then, “For good luck yeah?"

Lance stares at the mangled piece of spit covered plastic, it’s not quite as worn as his own, since Fernando actually uses his mouth guard properly. The older man’s gaze is intense and Lance knows this all has a deeper meaning. He takes it without thinking twice and places it over his teeth.

Obviously, it doesn't quite fit the way his own guard does, but he doesn't care cause it's Fernando’s. And sure maybe it's kinda filthy, but they've swapped way more than just spit at this point, so Lance starts munching away absently, getting used to the shape, as Fernando watches on.

He’s satisfied with seeing Lance suck and chew on his mouth guard, his tongue poking out occasionally, their spit mixing inside of his boyfriend’s mouth. Thankfully, the game starts again before he can even think about popping a boner on live television.

Fernando growls as his shot hits the post, the Canucks goalie catches the puck before it flies out, ruining any chance for a rebound. There’s no score going into the first or second intermission, and both sides are starting to get agitated, making riskier plays. 

There’s 2 minutes left and no one wants to take this into overtime, they just need one chance, just one to end it all. 

From the bench Fernando watches them scramble for the puck, he can hear the team screaming and banging their sticks, urging the guys on. There’s a breakaway and Mick has the puck, Fernando knows it’ll go in, it always goes in when Mick has that look in his eyes.

Except this time it doesn’t, and Bottas blocks it, but it’s with his legs and he has to go down, he can’t get up fast enough. A stick flies up, clocking Mick in the helmet and cutting off his line of vision, he elbows them back but the refs ignore it.

There’s no one to get the rebound as the puck flies, suspended in the air - but like magic, Lance always shows up at just the right moment, after being invisible from the offensive zone for most of the game. He whips his stick around the back of net, and wraps the puck around so no one can block it. The buzzer goes off. The crowd explodes.

It’s dirty, fucking dirty. He learned from the best after all. He’s Fernando’s dirty boy, his quiet but smart boy, his everything.    

The Canucks are pissed at that goal, but the team have already started to pile on top of Lance. Fernando watches on as the crowd cheers endlessly for their hometown hero, then heads to the media.

When he enters the locker room, the atmosphere is light, a complete 360 from before. There’s claps on his back, fist bumps, and promises for a wild night out, but Fernando only has one thought on his mind. He walks until he’s in front of Lance’s stall, the player of the night, only now just starting to take off his gear.

Fernando doesn’t say anything, observing the way sweat droplets fall from his hair, but his lover senses his presence.

Lance looks up at him through damp lashes and flashes a closed mouth grin before sticking his pink tongue out playfully to reveal Fernando’s mouth guard, like a promise for later.

Oh, their celly tonight will be good. 

#I sincerely apologize to canucks fans...y'all just beat my team so... #I'm also not a hardcore hockey expert so please don't come at me 😭 #strollonso #my fics #my asks and dm's are open to wax poet!