Brains Behind the Puck

Cracks in the Armor

The living room feels different tonight. It's not that anything has changed in the physical space—Luke is sprawled on the couch, casually scrolling on his phone, while Alex and James are in their usual spots, controllers in hand, eyes glued to the TV. But there's an unspoken tension in the air, and I feel it even from my seat at the dining table, my laptop open in front of me, pretending to work on a project.

James and Alex are playing one of their go-to games—a racing one that they usually love, full of trash talk and laughter. But tonight, the laughs are fewer, and the digs are sharper.

"Nice turn, Captain," Alex says, but his voice lacks the usual playful edge. It sounds forced, almost like he's deliberately trying to keep things light, but failing.

James doesn't look at him, his jaw tight as he maneuvers his car on-screen. "Yeah, well, at least I didn't crash into the wall three times like a rookie." James throws a glance at Alex, his jaw tight.

"Twice," Alex snaps back, his voice clipped. "And I was dodging you, genius. But sure, keep talking." He clenches his jaw, his fingers tapping furiously on the controller as he overtakes James's car. "Not my fault you can't keep up."

James's eyes flicker to Alex for a split second, his expression unreadable, but I can see the tightness in his shoulders. There's something there, something simmering just below the surface. I don't think it's just about the game.

"Maybe if you didn't always pull those cheap tricks," James mutters, his voice low. "Some of us actually try to play fair, Hawk."

Alex shoots him a look, his lips curving into a smile that doesn't reach his eyes. "Fair's boring, Captain. You should know that by now." He overtakes James again, and the triumphant shout that usually comes with it is absent. Instead, there's just silence, thick and uncomfortable.

I shift slightly in my seat, glancing at Luke, who hasn't said a word the entire time. He's watching them, his eyes narrowed just enough to show he knows something's up too. But Luke's never the type to jump into a fight. He prefers to hang back, let them sort it out themselves. Still, there's a tension in his posture that tells me even he's not sure this will just blow over.

"Seriously, Lex?" James's voice cuts through the silence, a frustrated edge to it. "You can't let anything slide, can you?"

Alex slams the game on pause, his controller hitting the coffee table with a loud thud. "What's that supposed to mean, huh?" He turns to James, eyes narrowing to a glare that could cut glass. "You got something to say to me, say it."

The room goes quiet, the only sound the soft hum of my laptop. I swallow hard, feeling like I just stumbled into a heavyweight boxing match when all I wanted was to finish my project. Definitely not the spectator sport I signed up for.

James shifts in his seat, fingers raking through his hair, clearly struggling to keep it together. "I don't know, Lex. Maybe I'm sick of you always having to prove you're better, like you've got something to prove to everyone." His voice drips with frustration, each word like a punch aimed directly at Alex.

Alex's mouth opens, a sharp retort on the tip of his tongue, but he snaps it shut, his jaw flexing. He leans back, crossing his arms like he's physically holding himself in check, his gaze turning stormy. "Right. Because you've got it all figured out, don't you?"

Luke finally speaks, his voice a steady rumble that slices through the tension. "Alright, enough," Luke says, his tone carrying that no-nonsense authority. "You two idiots need to remember this is supposed to be fun, not some pissing contest." He shoots them both a pointed look that screams grow up.

There's a moment of silence, and then James sighs, shaking his head. "Forget it." He stands up, tossing his controller onto the couch. "I'm done for tonight." Without another word, he walks out of the room, the door to the backyard sliding shut behind him.

Alex stays where he is, his eyes fixed on the screen, his expression unreadable. There's a stiffness in his shoulders, a tension that wasn't there before. Luke watches him for a moment, then looks at me, his eyes meeting mine as if to say, Give him a minute.

I nod, standing up quietly and making my way over to the kitchen. I pretend to be busy with something, giving Alex the space he clearly needs. I can hear Luke mutter something to Alex—something low that I can't quite make out—and then the sound of Luke's footsteps as he heads upstairs, leaving Alex alone.

For a moment, there's nothing but silence. I glance over my shoulder, watching as Alex leans forward, his elbows resting on his knees, his head bowed. He looks... lost. It's a side of him I don't see often. The confident, cocky Alex is gone, replaced by someone who's struggling to keep it together.

I clear my throat softly, and his head snaps up, his eyes meeting mine. There's something raw there, something vulnerable that makes my chest ache.

"You okay?" I ask, keeping my voice gentle.

He lets out a breath, his lips twisting into a half-smile that doesn't quite reach his eyes. "Yeah, Sunshine. Just... you know. The usual." He shrugs, but there's no real conviction behind it.

I nod, stepping a little closer. "For what it's worth, you don't always have to win, you know. Sometimes it's okay to just... be."

He looks at me for a long moment, then nods slowly. "Yeah. Maybe." He lets out a breath, standing up and rolling his shoulders as if trying to shake off the weight of whatever's bothering him. "Thanks, Sunshine."

I give him a small smile, watching as he walks past me, heading toward the stairs. The tension in the room doesn't disappear, but it softens just a little, leaving behind something fragile and unfinished.

As the door to the stairwell closes behind him, I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding. There's something cracking between them, like a dam about to burst, and I don't know how—or if—they're going to fix it. One thing's clear though: if they don't figure it out, it's going to be a hell of a mess for all of us. And maybe, just maybe, if they remember what they mean to each other, they'll get through this. Because as much as Alex's bravado drives me nuts, I know he needs James. And I'm starting to realize, maybe I need Alex to remember who he is when James has his back.