(no subject)

[cathybites]

hold your head high
[hockey rps, brandon dubinsky/nikolai zherdev, g, 260 words]

on 01/10/09, Brandon Dubinsky ended a 20-game goal drought. I suspect there was much celebration. originally written in an email to fryadvocate, who immediately demanded more. probably meant more than just 100 words more, but beggars can't be choosers. :P



Just one goal, but it had been his first in twenty, and Brandon can feel the weight of that, of that overbearing stat, slip off his shoulders. He feels lighter all over. Lit up all over, like he can set the whole world ablaze if he wants. He remembers Jags telling him once, "All you need is confidence, and you can do anything you want."

He remembers Avery telling him the same thing, but for very different reasons.

Brandon shakes his head, shakes free of the memory, of the weight, of his goal-scoring drought. Paulie walks by and swipes at his head, congratulating him, and Brandon ducks, laughs. His grin widens as he looks around the locker room, at everyone joking and smiling, getting ready for the trip back home and paying him no attention.

Everyone except for Z, who looks quickly away when Brandon catches him staring. It's not the first time it's happened, and Brandon's been caught himself plenty of times. Furtive glances like a game of Mouse and Mouse that are never-ending, never go anywhere.

But tonight...tonight he's got adrenaline and electricity buzzing through his veins. It flows through him, pumps him up and revs everything inside. He feels unstoppable, invincible, like the king of the world.

Confidence, whispers the two voices inside his head, one strong and encouraging, the other soft and demanding. Brandon takes the word, wears it like a crown. Nicky smiles at him, an invitation written in the curve of his lips, and Brandon gets to his feet and goes to him.

---

thank you for reading!

Comments

[http://users.livejournal.com/__tiana__/]

HOO BOY, um. THAT was rather hot, dear. The hints of what is to come made me totally tingly.

Mmm, HOCKEY BOYS. ♥

[ladyaugustana.livejournal.com]

He remembers Avery telling him the same thing, but for very different reasons. Wait I'm sorry, this was Brandon/Nikolai? My mind was totally taken over by the Sean reference. OTP of mine, (granted, a twisted one but...) what can I say. ;)

I do love these two together though and this was just lovely.

[offside.livejournal.com]

i love the way you use words; they're so poetic and flowy (that might sound retarded, idk). i always really love the sentence structure of yoru fics and this: Nicky is still smiling, an invitation written in the curve of his lips, and Brandon gets to his feet and goes to him.
sigh :))

great work, as always.

[jess-the1.livejournal.com]

Awww, I am vey happy for Dubi.

Dubi and Niky are very cute. SOme many ideas of what could happen next.

Loved it.

[cpexplosion.livejournal.com]

Gah! Aboslutely lovely! Any chance you'll be continuing this?
Awesome job! ^^

[girl-wonder.livejournal.com]

WHY ARE YOU SO GOOD AT THEM. I really, really love how you write Dubi. Like a lot a lot a lot.

[littlestclouds.livejournal.com]

Gah, this is so delightful.

He feels lighter all over. Lit up all over, like he can set the whole world ablaze if he wants.

I LOVE that. So, so much.

He remembers Jags telling him once, "All you need is confidence, and you can do anything you want."

He remembers Avery telling him the same thing, but for very different reasons.

That was awesome. I liked the contrast between Jagr's advice and Avery's.

Confidence, whispers the two voices inside his head, one strong and encouraging, the other soft and demanding.

I kind of love that he hears their voices in his head. XD
Brandon takes the word, wears it like a crown. Nicky is still smiling, an invitation written in the curve of his lips, and Brandon gets to his feet and goes to him.

I really liked that. A lot. And I think I just quoted your entire fic back at you. Whups.

I really enjoy how you write your boys. o/\o

[antheia.livejournal.com]

So much love! That was awesome.

[honeymull.livejournal.com]

*deletes any Dubi/Zherdev currently hiding in Word documents*

There just isn't any point. You've completed them.

(It was incredibly hard not to just squeal out loud and keysmash repeatedly for feedback. Seriously. So hard.)

[glockgal.livejournal.com]

Furtive glances like a game of Mouse and Mouse that are never-ending, never go anywhere.

WHY IS THIS SO HOT. WHY. I DON'T KNOW, BUT ESPECIALLY WITH THE ENDING, IT JUST. I'M LIKE. GNUUUHHHHHHHH. YOU GO, BRANDON. YOU TAKE YOUR NICKY HOME. \o/ \o/ \o/

[mickeymvt.livejournal.com]

*sings* Someone's gonna get some...

That last line is a killer- so much anticipation in such few words.

[sheesusnat.livejournal.com]

...Oh, this is very, very good.

Lit up all over, like he can set the whole world ablaze if he wants.

Someone else mentioned this, but I LOVE THIS LINE. Absolutely love it, gets the point across WONDERFULLY.

I enjoy this pairing SO much, and you write them very well. Very nicely done!

[jennyagain.livejournal.com]

i love all the little pockets of contrast in this short piece - the difference in the same words of advice from jags and avery, the difference in how brandon intends to put that advice into play, the exuberance of the locker room and the quiet game of Mouse and Mouse continuing amidst it all, the sweet slide from renewed confidence on the ice to confidence in the locker room.

love this best of all: Brandon takes the word, wears it like a crown. such a great way to explain that feeling, such a great lead into that fabulous closing image.

awesome.

[honeymull.livejournal.com]

Hi. I'm going through your hockey fic tag and I've decided that these 260 words need to be cross-stitched into a blanket so I can wrap it around me whenever I want to feel happy and fuzzy-warm.

Hmmm.