All's fair in Love and Hockey - A Nick and Charlie Fan Fiction

The truth

Charlie's Pov:
A few weeks later:

"So are you and Ryker getting serious?" Nick rolls his eyes. I'm telling him about winter break and how I'm going home with him to his house. "I wouldn't say super serious but yeah, I think we are getting there." I hide my shy smile. "What about you and Maddox?" I tilt my head to the side. "Char actually, I've been trying to tell you.." he has a perplexed look on his face. "Hey baby" Ryker bends down placing a kiss on my cheek. "What's going on?" He scoots in next to me. "Oh Nick was just gonna tell me how it's going with Maddox. Ryker scrunches his nose. "We're great." Nick coughs. A static silence falls over us as we just sit there waiting for the figure skaters to finish their practice.

Everyone heads off to the locker room and Luke joins me in the bleachers. "Jackson was being a total ass today." He slumps down. "I just want to live together but he thinks I'm not mature enough yet. "Ouch" I sigh. "Maybe he just means he wants you guys to have a some what normal college experience first." I place my head on his shoulder. "Yeah maybe" he relaxes. We watch them practice for a while and eventually get bored. "You and Ryker seem pretty cozy." He smirks. "Tell me everything." "He's perfect, I'm actually going to his house for Christmas this year." "Oh" he shrugs. "What. What's wrong with that?" Irritation creeps into my voice. "Nothing I just thought I over heard Max and Ryker making plans to practice over break." He hesitates. I look out to the ice to see Maddox and Ryker standing together talking. Rykers laughs and runs his hands through his hair and I swear I see a twinkle in his eye. "That's fine" I huff. "I'll just stay with Nick." My eyes trail over to nick. He's taking a drink of water and his hair is falling into his eyes drenched in sweat. I've seen him like this a million times but tonight he looks different. He doesn't look like the boy I grew up with but rather a young man. I can see how his features have matured. "Earth to Charlie" Luke waves his hand over my face. "What sorry" I jump. He follows my eyes to where I'm looking and I quickly look away. "Staring at Nick huh." He chuckles. "Not so serious with Ryker?" His voice is playful. "I uh. Nick and I are.." he cuts me off "just friends I know. But friends don't thirst over friends like that." He shrugs his shoulders. I wasn't thirsting over Nick. I cross my arms. My eyes trail back up and Nick is walking this way. My heart skips a beat and I sit up straight smoothing my shirt. Luke chuckles and mutters "just friends my ass."

"Hey Char, Max and Ryker are gonna stay behind to practice some more. I'm gonna hit the shower but we can get dinner after?" My eyes trail down taking in the sight of him. Something just seems different. "Char" Luke mocks. "Oh uh yeah that's fine." I smile and shake the feeling away. Nick walks away and Luke turns to me. "Don't tell Jackson because Ryker is his best friend and all, but I'm totally team Nick." He giggles and runs to Jackson as he gets off the ice.

I sit there perplexed. I've been around Nick my whole life there's no way I like him. My eyes trail to Ryker. I look him over and look at Nick just as he heads into the locker room. "Shit" I mumble under my breath, it's just not the same feeling.

Maddox Pov:

Everyone clears the rink expect for Ryker and I. I've been staying late after practice to help him strengthen his Knee on the ice. "Hey Max, catch" he toss my stick to me. He smiles and my heart aches. We've been spending a lot of time together and I don't know what I'm feeling. Just a friend, just a friend. I say over and over again through my head. We skate along side each other just passing the puke back and forth. We do this for a while. I look over at him and see his hair falling in his eyes. "You should really cut you hair" I laugh. He comes to a sudden stop. "Why what's wrong with it." I reach my hand up and tuck it behind his ears. "It's getting in your face and you can't tell me you can actually see through it." I chuckle. My hand trails down his jaw and my heart rate quickens. I pull back and skate the other way. "Hey Max, wait up." He follows me off the ice into the locker room. I throw my helmet off. I'm angry and confused. I don't understand why I'm feeling like this. Why it's so sudden. I promised myself I wouldn't feel like this again. Not after Alex. "Max what's wrong." Ryker stops in the door way. "Just leave me alone." I sit on the bench with my head in between my hands. Make it stop make it go away. Plays in repeat in my head. "Hey" I feel a hand on my shoulder. His voice is quiet and small. I look up tears in my eyes. He looks confused and concerned. "What's going on?" He sits next to me. He takes his hand in mine and I'll filled with warmth. "Nick and I aren't really dating." I say slowly. If I tell him this it might hurt him but at least he would stay away. "What?" Confusion fills his eyes. "Nick likes Charlie, he always has and I didn't know you yet and we thought if we fake dated it would make him jealous." I sigh knowing what's about to come. "You planned all of this just to break me up with my boyfriend?!" He yells and drops my hand. "I'm sorry, we weren't friends yet and I didn't think anyone would get hurt. I've been asking Nick to tell Charlie for weeks." I pled but I know the damage is done. "I can't believe you" he spits in anger. He turns and runs out of the Locker room. I sit on the bench for a few moments longer. Tears stream down my face. It was better to push him away now, he would have left eventually anyway.