You ever look at this image and go "huh"?
Dex is beginning to wonder if Nursey is going to lose his chill.
They’ve been sitting in Chowder’s dorm room for two hours and for nearly one and a half of them, Chowder has talked himself into a tirade of appreciation for their captain, Jack.
“Chow, like, I get he’s cool and all–” Nursey tries, but Chowder steamrolls over him.
“No, Nursey, you don’t understand!!”
Dex is unfazed, really. He has seen this coming from ten miles away, against the wind. During their first practice earlier this week, the first time they had properly met Jack Zimmermann, former NHL draft prospect and all-around mystery man, Chowder had already looked at Jack like he was hanging the moon and stars.
If anything, this is really convenient. You see, Dex has his own little queer secret waiting to come out, and he’s certainly not giving Nursey the satisfaction of Dex admitting that. And if Chowder is busy singing Jack’s praises and writing him hymns and poems, neither of them will sus out Dex’s own hockey-boner for their captain.
Because, the thing is, Chowder is absolutely right. Jack is objectively f*cking hot, and it’s rocking Dex’s entire world to admit that. His ass is ridiculous.
Dex is from a small rural fishing town in Maine, people there don’t really talk openly about having the gays for another man, so this is an interesting change of pace for him. Especially considering that his new goalie teammate apparently seems to share his inclination.
Nursey in the meantime has inconspicuously started scrolling on his phone, and as much as Dex is just as burnt out by Chowder’s rambling, something about that just ticks him off.
“Hey, you’re being pretty hom*ophobic right now,” Dex quips. It feels like retaliation considering Nursey had said the same exact thing to Dex at team breakfast this morning, when Dex had really just minded his own business.
Nursey’s head snaps up, and Chowder immediately stops in the middle of his Shakespearean soliloquy.
Dex smirks.
“Excuse me?” Nursey says, and Dex can just feel the waves of anger wash up under all those layers of fake-chill.
Yes, good, Dex thinks, let’s fight about it. “I said it’s pretty hom*ophobic that you’d be bored with Chowder’s gushing over Jack.”
Nursey seems genuinely caught off-guard for a moment, then sneers back, “Dex, you’re full of bullsh*t.”
It feels good, having the upper hand for once. Dex’s smile widens and he says, “No, Nursey, Chowder is sharing some very crucial and culturally relevant takes right now.”
“Guys don’t fight… over… me?” Chowder interjects half-heartedly.
Nursey takes a deep breath and sits up against the bedpost of Chowder’s bunk. “Dex, don’t be a f*cking dick. Chowder is allowed to be into Jack all he wants, I just don’t care for it and neither do you. Sorry, C.” He shoots Chowder a quick apologetic look, but Chowder shrugs.
“It’s fine, Nursey. Sorry for rambling.”
“No, Chowder, don’t stop,” Dex smirks. Anything to rile up Nursey, for once. He’s tired of it always being him. “I’m fully with Chowder here. Jack is hot and C should say it.” He says it so confidently that only a few moments later he realizes that he just admitted to that. Oops.
Nursey’s face does something complicated. “What? You’re–… What?”
Dex deflates into the beanbag he’s lounging in, but has enough composure to shrug and say, “Cat’s out of the bag, I guess.”
Nursey narrows his eyes. “If you’re joking right now, you’re being super sh*tty, I hope you know that.”
Dex gratefully accepts the branch to steer the topic back into poking the Nursey-bear and says “Tsk, Derek, you really shouldn’t make fun of other people’s coming out.” On the inside, he is losing his absolute sh*t.
Chowder’s head swings back and forth between the two of them like he’s observing the most catastrophic tennis match in history. Finally, he settles on, “Dex, that’s… great for you, congrats!”
Dex shrugs weakly. Now that his secret is out, all confidence has left him, and he just collapses in on himself. “No biggie,” he manages. “You were saying, about Jack?”
Nursey has gone back to eyeing him warily, but now there’s a softness in his eyes. Huh.
It’s two weeks later, and Dex wakes up on the floor of the Haus den. Last night was Hazeapalooza, and he had way more to drink than he was comfortable with. He wonders to himself, hoping he didn’t do anything too stupid last night, when he catches Nursey’s glance from across the room, who is giving him the most vicious sh*t-eating grin from the sh*tty green sofa.
“Oh no,” Dex mutters.
Nursey sits up. The grin isn’t leaving. “Dude.”
“What the f*ck did I do?”
The grin somehow grows wider. “Dude.”
“What, Nursey?”
Nursey starts snickering to himself. “You totally confessed your crush to Zimmermann last night.”
Dex stares numbly. “Did not.”
“Did too. You kept sucking up to him about the draft and then kept talking about his butt. Shockingly large. Like, it is scary,” Nursey mock-imitates in his worst impression of a Maine accent.
Dex has a minor breakdown until next to him, Chowder stirs.
“Whuh habbuh?” he mutters.
“You weren’t any better, C,” Nursey says, all too gleeful at filling them in. “You were already sh*tfaced after two natty’s and it was all downhill from there.”
Chowder stares up at Nursey and Dex in shock and something clenches at Dex’s heart. Something that he realizes to his surprise is fondness. He doesn’t like seeing Chowder all concerned and scared like that.
“Oh God. Dex, we have to go apologize to him.”
Nursey shrugs and sinks back onto the sofa. “Eh, he’s probably used to it.”
The frown doesn’t leave Chowder’s face. “Yeah, well, he shouldn’t get this kind of fawning from his teammates of all people.”
Dex nods along slowly. “Yeah. Like. That was not the kind of impression I wanted to leave on our captain. Plus, like, I’m not fully out, so I’d like to at least do some damage control.”
Nursey hums noncommittally, then says, “By all means, go ahead. Guy lives upstairs. He’s been awake since seven, I don’t think he drank last night. Bitty said we could crash here so I’ll just…” He turns on his side, away from Dex and Chowder, and starts snoring within a minute.
“Incorrigible. Utterly incorrigible,” Dex mutters to himself as he gets up and stares at Nursey’s back, just as he lets out another ground-shaking snore.
“Are you coming?”
Dex turns and sees Chowder standing in the doorway, hands nervously dug into the pockets of his hoodie. “I don’t want to go up there alone.”
Dex collects himself for a moment and nods. “Yeah, I’m coming.”
The Haus is a liminal space, especially on a Saturday morning when everyone’s sleeping in after a night of drinks and games. The floorboards creak as Chowder and Dex ascend the stairs, and suddenly they find themselves standing in front of Jack’s room.
Chowder looks expectantly at Dex.
Dex sighs. “Yeah, okay.” He knocks.
Inside the room, there’s some shuffling, and then the door opens and Jack is standing in front of them. He’s wearing a red sleeping shirt that stretches out his chest and biceps, and it does nothing to help the situation at hand. “ Hey guys, what’s up?”
Dex figures he has to take the lead here, so he goes, “Hey, Jack. Uhm. We just wanted to talk, because of last night–”
“We came to apologize in case we made you uncomfortable!” the words crash out of Chowder’s mouth. “We’re really really sorry!”
Jack’s left eyebrow twitches imperceptibly for a moment. His eyes dart between the two of them, then he opens the door a margin wider and says, “Euh, come in.”
The boys follow Jack into his room and he motions for them to take seat on his bed, while he slouches into his desk chair. “So, euh, what exactly is this about?”
Dex glances nervously over at Chowder, who looks just as freaked, before turning to Jack again. “Uhm. You were sober last night, right?”
“Yes…?”
“So, uhm, you may remember the stuff Chowder and I may have said while we were… considerably inebriated.”
Jack co*cks his head slightly. “Like what?”
Dex can’t tell if he’s playing clueless or has genuinely no idea, and it’s making this a lot harder than it should be. “Well, like when I said your butt was… big…”
“Or when I swooned over you basically the entire night,” Chowder supplies.
Jack’s eyebrows furrow ever so slightly as he looks between them.
When he doesn’t speak, Dex rushes, “We just wanted to make sure you weren’t uncomfortable! You know, since I know most straight guys aren’t comfortable when other men come onto them like that.”
Something dawns on Jack’s face then. “Oh,” he says. “I see.”
Dex and Chowder exchange glances again. “You see… what?” Dex asks nervously.
Jack shakes his head then and chuckles slightly. “Oh, nothing, it’s silly.” When that does nothing to make Dex and Chowder’s worried expressions go away, he sighs. “I guess it’s just… well you guys obviously assumed that I’m straight.”
The penny drops for Chowder. “Holy sh*t,” he mutters. Then, immediately adds, “Sorry. What I mean is– Uhm. Thanks for trusting us with this?”
Dex nods quickly next to him. “Yeah, totally. Like, I’ve only recently gotten to explore my sexuality, so I know how scary it is. We’re not going to tell anyone if you want to keep it on the DL.”
To his surprise, Jack gives them a small smile. “Thanks, guys. But yeah, it’s… really okay. I didn’t feel uncomfortable. If anything, I was flattered.”
Dex doesn’t need to turn to look to know that Chowder is flushing just as hard as him. He doesn’t know where his brain is when the words come tumbling out of his mouth, “Yeah, ah, you were… into it?”
Jack holds Dex’s stare for just a moment too long and Dex feels himself flush all over again.
“Oh my God.”
Slowly, Jack gets up and walks over to stand in front of them. Even slower, one of his hands reaches up to cup Chowder’s cheek, who just has stars in his eyes as he stares up at Jack. Then, in slow-motion, Dex thinks, the other hand comes up to touch Dex’s chin.
Jack looks between the two of them, his eyes dark and filled with… fondness. “Are you two doing anything today?”
Almost imperceptibly, Dex and Chowder shake their heads in unison.
Breathy now, Jack says “Good,” and then leans down to kiss Chowder.
Chowder makes big starry eyes, but then leans into what looks like a very slow, sensual kiss.
They continue for about a minute before Chowder gets more bold and puts his hand on the back of Jack’s head. Jack responds by pushing into him, and pins Chowder down against the mattress. Chowder lets out a strangled moan and Dex just can’t–
He just stares and whispers “Wicked,” unable to move from shock. Is this really happening? Is he watching Chowder make out with Jack Zimmermann right now? On Jack’s bed?
Jack looks up then, as if surprised to find Dex sitting there. Jack’s blue eyes bore into Dex, and Dex suddenly feels like prey.
Jack climbs over Chowder’s legs and crawls forward on the bed, until he’s up close to Dex, right in his face. He cups Dex’s cheeks with his large, calloused hands and kisses him, and oh God, Dex feels like he’s gonna die, like he’s gonna pass out, it’s all so much.
Jack’s lips are fierce against his, and it’s entirely obvious that Jack has done this a lot, in fact, is an expert at it.
Dex is entirely caught up in it for a moment, just like Chowder, before he feels the rest of his body again and awkwardly reaches outwards. He brushes against Jack’s sides and Jack’s hips buck upwards in response, leaning forwards to get closer to Dex.
Dex feels his circuits melt from sensory overload. It’s too much, too much, too much, in the best possible way?
“Dex, are you okay?”
Chowder’s voice drifts through the ringing in Dex’s ears, and Jack suddenly goes very still and carefully pulls back. His eyes are big with worry now, just like Chowder’s next to him.
“I–” Dex tries, and realizes with horror that he has tears in his eyes. “f*ck, sorry.” He hastily tries to wipe them, tries to hide this moment of vulnerability from Jack and Chowder.
“No, it’s okay,” Jack says slowly, calmly. “What’s wrong?”
Dex shakes his head and stares into space for a moment. “Sorry, it’s just… this is my first time with a guy?”
Chowder silently goes “ooooh,” and Jack nods.
“Hey, that’s cool, eh? I’ll go slow and gentle for you then.”
And it’s kind of a lot, hearing that from Jack. Jack Zimmermann. His hockey crush Jack Zimmermann.
Some insecurities Dex didn’t know he held bore their way up into his mind and he feels tears piercing in his eyes. “That uhm. That would be cool, yeah. Thanks.” And before he knows it, he’s burying his head in Jack’s shoulder, who just holds him and gently strokes his back.
Somewhere, he feels Chowder’s hand wrangle its way into his, and Chowder holds on firmly. It’s grounding in a way Dex has never felt with anyone before.
“Let me know if you’re good to keep going, eh?” Jack rasps in his ear. “Take your time.”
And as much as Dex is freaked out, having Jack be this close to him, whispering in his ear, gives Dex the tingles in the bottom of his stomach.
“I– I’m good I think.” He looks up to find Jack looking at him intently. There’s that fondness again that Dex would see many times over the next few years, every time Jack talks about how proud he is of his team, his boys. Jack would do absolutely anything to make sure Dex is okay, he’s somehow convinced of it right here in this moment.
Jack nods slightly. “Come sit in my lap.”
“Whuh–?”
Jack spreads his legs out on the bed between them and motions for Dex to sit in the space between them.
Dex blushes furiously, but then just complies and shuffles around until he’s really really close to Jack.
It seems to achieve the desired effect, because Jack smiles again and leans forward to whisper in his ear again. “Alright. Your speed, then. I’m all yours.”
And that– that sets something off within Dex. He lunges forwards and crashes his lips into Jack’s. He wants this, and suddenly he’s overcome with lust, and if Jack really says they can go at Dex’s speed? Then–
He slides a hand under Jack’s shirt, the other hand still firmly holding Chowder’s, and feels his fingers glide over the ripples of Jack’s abs. “God, you’re so f*cking hot,” he mutters into Jack’s lips, and he feels Jack smirk against his face before he then feels Jack’s fingers slide into the hair on the back of his neck, gently tugging. It does incredible things to Dex, and he groans into the kiss before he can stop himself. Jack’s other arm is pried around Dex’s back now, holding him close.
Chowder starts encouragingly caressing the back of Dex’s hand, and Dex has to take a breather to say, “Chow, what are you waiting for, come here.”
Chowder makes big eyes again, but wastes no time crawling across the space between them until he’s just as close to Jack and Dex.
Dex leans forward and kisses Chowder right away. As he does, he feels Jack’s fingers glide across his back, slowly under his shirt.
“Is it alright if we take this off?” he hears the whisper in his ear.
Dex nods and only breaks away long enough to let Jack take his shirt off. He takes a moment to look at Jack, just marvel, really.
Jack is looking straight at him, the deep blue eyes giving way to a softness Dex wouldn’t have expected from him. Dex raises his eyebrows in question, and Jack shrugs. “Don’t get to do this often. Gotta savor it when it does.” And it sounds so… sad.
“Jack, when’s the last time you got to be with a guy?” Chowder asks tentatively.
Jack’s eyes dart away from Dex’s. Too long, Dex thinks.
Chowder and Dex surround Jack from both sides. More and more clothes start coming off as the trio shares kisses.
Dex moans shamelessly when Jack’s hand slips down his pants, and Chowder quickly follows suit. Jack blows both of them that afternoon, and it’s something Dex will not forget for the rest of his life. For one because it’s his team captain and hockey crush, but more importantly, because Jack is wickedly talented at sucking dick. Dex and Chowder lie on Jack’s bed for a whole while after it’s over, while Jack starts working on a paper he has to hand in by Monday.
Eventually, there’s a knock on the door and Nursey sticks his head inside the room.
“Hey, you guys. Just wondering where everyone went.” He looks around the room suspiciously. “What did I miss?”
The three of them exchange glances, and Dex shrugs innocently. “Oh, nothing much. Just some Frog/Captain bonding.”
