CHAMPION

15 - Pick a Side

From then on you and Flip were almost inseparable. He would meet you at the rink in the mornings, your safe place away from Andy, and he'd spend his day watching you train, skating with you and stealing secret kisses from you. Of course he still had hockey duties to do, regular meetings with coach, his own training sessions and heavy gym workouts, but he made sure he had time for you.

Seeing you here with him, with a smile on your face - that's all he wanted. Flip knew that when you were here, Landers couldn't hurt you... and you couldn't hurt yourself.

But, since Wednesday night Flip had noticed more bite marks appearing on your body. Although you had tried to hide it, you couldn't from him with the way he worshiped you.
It was here, sat in his lap in the truck that we noticed a new on on the inside of your arm. Flip pulled away and rolled your sleeve up further just to confirm what he thought he'd saw. From what he knew of your habits, if it wasn't a bite on your hand it was bad, you had been desperate. And the thought sent sadness plunging though his heart.

He knew how desperate you were, desperate to get out and start living again.. and he hoped, desperate to be with him.
Your eyes followed his movements as he leaned down to place a kiss over the reddened mark on your forearm. His lips lingered there before they met with your lips once again, he tried to convey all his feelings for you in that kiss.

"I'm sorry" you whispered as he pulled away, your foreheads leaning against each other. You wished you could break this habit, but it was something you had done since you were little.
"I try not too, I really do. But I just can't help it. It all started when my mom walked out on me and my dad... I didn't know how to manage my feelings so it started biting." Your admission broke him even more. This was the first time you'd spoken of your family or of your history.
"And then the anger I felt towards her I channeled into skating, when I messed up I bite myself, when I fell over, when I couldn't get a jump right, when I forgot part of my routine... when I felt helpless."

"Baby" Flip whispered, running his hand over the back of your hair. "You have nothing to be sorry for okay. I know it's hard sometimes, and you just don't know how to communicate how your feeling." You nodded.
"But that's why I'm here. When you feel like biting you talk to me, you call me, you text me, you kick me in the balls I don't care okay. Let me be here for you." You couldn't help but laugh and nod along, a silent agreement to try and break this with Flip's help.

You snuggled into his warm chest, nothing could compare to how safe you felt when you were close enough to hear his strong beating heart. A sound you yearned to hear and a movement you always wanted to feel, in one way or another when you were together your hands always rested over his heart or found his pulse... because that's how you knew it was real, knew he was here.

Flips eyes glanced down to his watch, knowing he was going to be late to practice if he didn't head in soon.
"Baby I gotta go" he said before smothering you're face in kisses in an attempt to cheer you up. You giggled at him and his silliness before you climbed out of his lap and back into the passenger seat of his truck. Just as you were about to get out, an all too familiar car pulled into the lot parking behind Flip's.