Quick Flicks

I've been working with the Pittsburgh Penguins for the past two years. I graduated from college and started working with the team no more than two months later. It hadn't been an easy path, but it was one I survived and one that required every ounce of determination and focus I could muster.

There were rounds of interviews, a long application, and clinical trials. My transcript was scrutinized and my work experience was picked over with a fine-toothed comb. It was exhausting, but it was worth it.

I was currently working as an assistant athletic trainer with the team, which meant I was pretty much living in the Consol Energy Center 24/7 during playing season. But, I wouldn't trade it for the world. All the summers spent doing lame internships and late nights spent working for crappy pay at my school's athletic training center were made worth it when I donned that black polo with a tiny penguin on it.

I would be lying if I said I wasn't terrified to start working with the team. I had been a fan of the Penguins for as long as I could remember, and the thought of spending my career working with them terrified me. But, contrary to what tabloids and the internet may lead one to believe, the team was extremely welcoming. Sidney Crosby, captain and hockey legend, walked in on my first day to get his shoulder looked at and sat and talked to me for at least an hour.

The rest of the team was great, too! Of course, I wasn't super close with everyone, simply because it wasn't possible. But, I could always count on a smile and wave when I passed them in the halls, or a hug from those players who I'd gotten to know a little more.

Besides Sidney, who was instantly welcoming and kind, I was closest to Evgeni Malkin. Maybe it was because he had a tendency to get hurt all the time, which led him to being in the training room all the time, or maybe it was because he was pretty much the human version of a teddy bear. I didn't try to over-analyze the situation, though, because I loved having the crazy Russian in my life.

I've been dating Alex for three years. We met during our senior year while working at our school's athletic training center together. He and I were paired together to work on a project, and we'd been inseparable ever since.

When I locked down the Penguins job, Alex had been just as happy as I'd been. He'd been there for me every step of the way, helping me practice for interviews and studying with me for the exams that came before graduation. I remember him asking me to be his girlfriend the night I got the job, after taking me out to dinner to celebrate.

Alex hadn't been so lucky with his job search. He had good grades and experience like I did, but just hadn't had much success finding something. About a year ago he finally found a job, working as a trainer at a high school in the city.

Everything had been great at first. He was happy at his job, and I was happy at mine.

But things changed after a while. The happy face that used to greet my when I got home, giving me a kiss before listening to me talk about my day turned into barely a nod in my direction. The excitement in his voice as I told him about my day's adventures turned into a stream of questions about every detail of my life.

Alex didn't let on to what was bothering him at first. But, I got it out of him one night when he was drunk. I remember him slurring and swaying, staring at me as he said "Did you have a good time with your 'boys' all day, huh? Give any massages? Happy endings?"

I stared at him, dumbfounded, as tears stung my eyes. He spit "slut" in my face and walked away, going to get another beer in the kitchen. He apologized later, but I never forgot it.

I didn't really have time to forget it because the attacks only escalated from there, evolving from drunken verbal assaults to physical attacks. He nearly cried apologizing after he hit me the first time. I believed him.

But after awhile, he stopped apologizing. And I stopped protesting. I just accepted it as part of my life. I knew he loved me, because he told me all the time. I just pulled on my sleeves and brushed some powder on my face to cover the evidence and carried on with life.

It wasn't easy, but it's what you did for someone you loved.

Right?
-----------------------------------------
"LIVYA!!!" I heard a familiar booming voice shouting my name as I wrapped Beau Bennett's ankle.

"Hold on, G! I've got to take care of someone else now!"

"Yeah, G! She's gotta take care of me!" Beau flashed his blindingly bright smile as I finished up, before adding, "Share the love!"

"Alright, Beau, you're all set. Just put ice on it when you get home and then come back in before practice tomorrow so I can re-wrap everything." He hopped off the table and winked, walking away.

"You're the best!"

"That's what they tell me!" I went back to what I had been doing before Beau came in, which was putting the new tape shipment away in the cabinet. Geno came over and planted a quick kiss on my cheek before stealing a roll of tape and playing catch with it while he sat on one of the examination tables. "You need help or are you just saying hi?"

"Uh, both?" I turned around quickly and noticed the cut on his cheek, which was actually bleeding quite a bit.

"Jesus, Geno. What happened?" I grabbed the first aid kit off of my desk and hurried back over to where he sat. After gauging how I would approach the situation, I gestured for him to switch places with me, so I could sit on the examination table while he stood on the ground. I pressed the button on the side to raise the table to it's full height, sitting on my knees, which allowed me to assess Geno's wound.

"We do skate drill during practice. Rookie run into me and his stick slash my face." I winced as I pulled the alcohol soaked swab away from his face, cleaning up the edges of his cut.

"Is he okay?"

"He fine. I fine, too." I laughed, grabbing another swab.

"Yeah, barely! You're lucky this doesn't need stitches!"

"Yeah, yeah, okay. So, you come to party tonight? Bring boyfriend?" I shrugged, carefully cleaning Geno's cut.

"Ah, I don't know. I told you my boyfr-"

"Your boyfriend what?" Alex stood in the doorway of the training room, arms crossed as he looked at Geno and I. I sunk to sit lower on my knees. I had completely forgotten that Alex had told me he would pick me up today. I'd insisted I could take the bus home, as usual, but he had been extremely insistent. The threat of his raised hand was enough to make me agree.

I threw the second swab away and grabbed some bacitracin, applying it to my gloved finger and dabbing it to his cheek. Alex waited for an answer.

"Oh, nothing. Geno was just talking about some party, but I was telling him you weren't really into that." He cleared his throat as I finished applying the ointment.

"What are you talking about? Let's go." I gulped, not expecting that answer.

"Oh, okay. Sounds fun!"

"See, Livya, it will be lots of fun!" Geno continued facing me as I reached into the box to grab a butterfly closure, which was not completely necessary, but made me feel better. The cut was pretty nasty, but thankfully not nasty enough to require stitches.

"Her names Olivia. I'll be in the car, babe." The words sounded like venom coming out of his mouth, but Geno didn't seem to think too much of it. He raised his eyebrows a bit, causing me to giggle, and I thanked god that Alex had already headed to the car.

"Alright, G. You're all set. Just try to keep it clean and you'll be fine."

"I can do that. Thanks, Livya." He smiled and headed towards the door, stopping as he rounded the corner. "Be at my house at 6:00 for party time!" He danced away and I laughed, amused as always by my Russian friend.
----------------------------------------
We stood next to each other at Geno's doorstep. I wore a pair of dark skinny jeans and a long-sleeved black shirt, with a red infinity scarf. I had been wearing a different top, but Alex told me it was too revealing. Plus, it didn't cover the new bruises as well.

The car ride home from Consol was silent. But when we got home, Alex let me know how he felt. He slapped me across the face as soon as we got inside, accusing me of flirting with Geno. I tried to fight back, defending myself from his accusations and punches, but it didn't do much good. I was thankful for the MAC powder and new black shirt I had bought, which hid the marks well.

"Hello Livya and... boyfriend!" Geno planted a quick kiss on my cheek and I felt Alex's grip on my arm tighten. I had to bite my lip to keep from yelping.

"It's Alex." Geno extended his hand to shake Alex's, but Alex ignored him and brushed past, heading into the house. I shrugged when Geno looked at me questioningly.

"Hey, look who it is!" Beau yelled out and waved at me from across the room. He was sitting on the counter, talking to some girl he'd been seeing for awhile. He was taking full advantage of his new NHL star status, so this girl was different from the one I'd seen him with last week.

Sidney walked over to say hello, always the gracious host, even though this wasn't his house.

"Hello, you must be Olivia's boyfriend, Alex. It's nice to meet you." Of course Sidney would remember his name from the few times I'd told him. He smiled and stuck his hand out for Alex to shake. Even my bitter boyfriend couldn't resist his charm and begrudgingly accepted his handshake, offering a quick smile. "Would you like a drink?"

"Uh, sure, I'll have a beer."

"Sure, Olivia, you want anything?" I opened my mouth to speak but didn't have the chance.

"She's all set." Sidney nodded and headed off to get Alex his drink.

"What the hell, Alex?" I whispered my question, irritated but not wanting to draw attention.

"You don't need to drink tonight. Just stay next to me." I was about to protest, but Sidney came back.

Geno came back over just then, swinging an arm around Sidney and smiling. "Livya, time to dance!" He grabbed my arm and pulled me away from Alex, who had just begun a conversation with Sidney. He looked at us over Sidney's shoulder, jaw clenched and eyes narrowed slightly.

"Geno, slow down!" I laughed as he dragged me to the center of the room, where Beau and his girl were all over each other.

"Time to dance?" I heard a thick french accent and turned to greet Marc-Andre Fleury and his lovely wife, who I had had the opportunity to meet multiple times.

"Let's go!" We all started dancing around, as I wished I had some alcohol flowing through my veins to help improve my dance moves.

Geno grabbed my hands and held them over my head as I shook my hips to the song blasting through the house. I turned around to face Veronique as she moved in front of her husband. We laughed and sang along at the top of our lungs.

"OLIVIA! A word?" Alex shouted for my attention from the edge of the room. I whipped my head towards him, and I let go of Geno's hands. Walking towards Alex, the smile I had been wearing while dancing faded quickly.

I followed him into the hall off of the main room, which was surprisingly empty. I was immediately trapped against the wall, Alex leaning over me with his beer in hand.

"Do you think you're hot?" I gulped, not saying anything. I could feel his hot breath on my face. It smelled of beer and something stronger. Clearly he'd gone back to get something stronger to drink. He wasn't hammered yet, but he definitely wasn't sober, either. I put my hands on his chest and tried to push away. He only leaned in more.

"Alex, please stop." The sting of his hand across my face stopped me from saying anything more.

"Shut up, you slut." I lifted my hand to rub my presumably red cheek. "We're leaving. I can't stand to watch you grinding all over that stupid bastard anymore." My heart dropped as he insulted Geno. Also, I'd hardly call what we were doing grinding. I was purposefully leaving distance between us, because I knew Alex would be watching and was scared he'd react just as he was.

Alex moved his hand to rest on the side of my neck, leaning close. "I'm the only guy you talk to, okay?" He sloppily kissed me, my mouth tightly closed. I pushed away his hand as it slid down my hip. He growled and pulled back, grabbing my shirt and pushing me into the wall.

"Whoa, what's going on?" I sat on the ground and looked up towards the doorway, through tear-filled eyes, where Geno stood.

"Nothing, we were just leaving." I didn't get up from where I sat on the ground, mostly because my head was still spinning from the impact of hitting the wall. Alex reached down to grab my arm and pull me up. He pushed me forward towards the door, but Geno blocked him from leaving.

"No, I think is bad idea to leave." Alex got up close to Geno, even though he was quite a bit shorter.

"She's leaving." Alex grabbed my arm and dug his fingers in, enough to bring tears to my eyes. "Let's go."

"Please move, Geno." Geno didn't budge. Sidney and Kris Letang pushed around Geno, trying to see what all the commotion was.

"I need talk to Livya. Can you talk to Alex." Sidney and Kris nodded, while Geno snuck me away. Alex tried to fight the two guys off, but their height and strength made that impossible.

Geno's arm rested lightly around me as he ushered me upstairs, leading me to what I assumed was his bedroom. We walked into his bathroom, and he lifted me effortlessly to sit on the counter. Closing the door behind him and locking it tight, he leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest. We stood in silence for a few minutes, before he spoke up.

"What happen, Livya?" I shrugged.

"Nothing happened, Geno." My voice was a whisper and I looked at the ground. From the corner of my eye I saw Geno raise his hand, and I flinched instinctively. After I lowered the arm that I raised to protect myself, I saw that Geno had a tissue in his hand to wipe away the tears I hadn't noticed forming. His jaw hung open and he stared at me. The floodgates opened completely at that point and I couldn't stop the tears from falling.

Geno pulled me to his chest, quietly rubbing my back as I let out the tears I had been holding back for much too long. By the time I pulled away, I felt tired enough to take a nap. I accepted a tissue from Geno and wiped my eyes. I began to take off my infinity scarf and grabbed the bottom of my shirt, starting to pull it up.

"No, Livya, not now. You are too upset." I shook my head at his misunderstanding of the situation. I'd seen him almost naked enough times to not feel uncomfortable letting him do the same. After removing my shirt and slipping off my pants, I stood in my bra and underwear, arms crossed over my chest and eyes cast towards the floor as I sniffled.

Geno's fingertips brushed over my arms and torso, lightly touching the bruises. They ranged from almost completely faded to fresh and purple. The newer ones stung with his touch, even though it was light. He whispered quietly in Russian as he noticed the marks Alex had left on me.

After he removed his hand, I looked up at him. He was looking behind me and his jaw was clenched. He looked like he wanted to hurt something, or someone. I sensed what he was about to do and put my arm on his chest, getting his attention.

"Please, don't! Do not go out there and hurt him. I don't want you, or anyone, to stoop to his level." Tears filled my eyes again as I pleaded. Geno looked at me, sadness and anger swirling in his eyes, and groaned.

"I want to crush his skull."

"You can't!" I had started putting my clothes back on, suddenly conscious of my near-nakedness.

"Why not?" I gulped, not sure what to say.

"What if he hurts me? What if- I don't know. I just- I don't want you to sink to his level, and I don't want-" Geno cut me off by wrapping me in another hug, as I grew short of breath and started panicking in his arms.

"I no hurt him. But, I don't want him to hurt you." We pulled apart and I sighed. I didn't know what to say, and I was too overwhelmed and tired to think. Thankfully, we were interrupted by a knock, which caused me to jump.

"Hey, you guys wanna come out and talk?" It was Sidney, who looked worried and tired out. I nodded and we snuck out.

I sat on Geno's bed, Geno looking out the window in his room and Sidney standing in front of me, hands in his pockets.

"So, Tanger took Alex back to your place. It wasn't easy, but he's there now. He must have downed quite a bit before, uh..." He trailed off, neglecting to finish his sentence. "Anyway, he's there now. Everyone went home, but I wanted to come up and see if you were okay."

I forced a smile, standing to give Sidney a hug to show my appreciation. He lightly wrapped his arms around me, patting my back. He was usually a little more friendly than that, but I think he was anxious and didn't want to make me feel uncomfortable. I didn't like being treated like a ticking time-bomb, but couldn't deny that I appreciated his concern.

"Thanks, Sid."

"Please, don't thank me. You do so much for this team, and it's the least I could do. I am so sorry that this happened. Let me know if you need anything, okay?" I nodded. "I think you should probably avoid going home for the night, so..."

"She stay here." Geno spoke for the first time since Sidney had entered the room. Sid nodded and said goodbye, closing the door quietly behind him.

"Geno, you don't have to do that. I, uh, I-" I didn't know what to say. I didn't really have anywhere else to go.

"You stay here. With me."

"Thank you, Geno. Uh, I'll go get set up on the couch."

"No! You sleep in here. I protect you." I sighed and nodded, too tired to disagree. Plus, I was still on edge and wanted someone to watch over me.

Geno grabbed a sweatshirt and sweatpants out of his closet and quickly changed. He threw me a sweatshirt to sleep in, as well as a pair of shorts. They were both too big, but certainly more comfortable than my jeans and shirt.

Geno climbed into bed and pulled back the blanket. I climbed in next to him, turning to face the door while laying on my side.

"Livya?" I turned my head to look at him. "You okay?" I nodded, worrying that my voice would betray me. "Come here."

I scooted over to Geno, laying on my side to face him. He pulled me into his chest, careful not to touch my bruises, and leaned in to kiss my forehead.

"Good night, Livya."

"Good night, Geno."
--------------------------------------------------
I sat in Starbucks, chai latte in my hand and legs crossed. I anxiously scanned the space, searching for a familiar face. My phone rested in my hand, as I remembered Geno was only a phone call away. He had driven me here and was waiting in his car out front, at the edge of the parking lot.

"Olivia, babe. How are you?" I stood still as Alex walked in, flowers in hand, and walked over to me. I faked a smile as he leaned in to kiss me. I let him, but kept my mouth firmly closed and sat like a statue.

"Hi Alex. I'm fine."

"I missed you last night. Didn't feel the same sleeping alone."

"Yeah, uh-"

"So what did you want to talk about?" I cleared my throat. This was the moment I'd been anxious for. I felt my palms get sweaty and my heart start racing. I had been rehearsing what to say for hours, thinking about how I'd talk about the good old days, but also lay down the law. But, I couldn't stomach the thought of saying any of that now.

"Alex, I can't do this anymore. I'm done." Alex furrowed his brow, setting his drink down.

"What do you mean?"

"I can't- I can't be with you anymore. I should have done this a long time ago, but I guess it took someone else noticing to convince me."

"Are you kidding? You're breaking up with me? Because someone else said you should?" He put his drink down and shook his head. "I bet it was that Russian bastard, too." I was silent, which he took as confirmation. "It was, wasn't it?!"

"Geno is not a bastard. And I'm not doing this because of him or anybody else. I'm doing this for me." He laughed and crossed his arms.

"I should have known you were fucking one of them. No wonder you got that job so easily."

"Alex, oh my god! I'm not sleeping with any of them." I didn't give him the satisfaction of acknowledging his last comment.

"You know what, fine, fucking leave. I don't care. You think you're so hot with your fancy job. I bet you think you're better than me!" Alex's voice was getting loud at this point, so I tried to quiet him down. He stood up and stormed out, heads turning to face him. I sat still, staring at the floor for a minute or two before walking out.

"Livya, how-"

"I did it." Geno wrapped me in a hug, swaying me back and forth as we stood outside of his car. When he pulled back, he wiped the tears that had started pouring from my eyes.

"What is wrong? Did he hurt you?"

"No! I mean, he said some awful stuff, but deep down I know it's not true." We both walked to our respective sides of the car and got in. "It's just, well, a lot harder than I thought it would be. I've been with Alex for years, and he was so nice and sweet. But, that changed and I guess that's good, but it's so unfamiliar and what if I never find someone else and-"

Geno cut me off with his lips, pressing a calm kiss to my lips. I pulled my head back slowly, swallowing hard and looking right into Geno's eyes.

"I, uh, sorry." Geno turned away and started the car. But, he didn't put it in drive. "You will find other person. You are better than Alex. I am proud of you for doing that. It very hard, but you do it." I felt a genuine smile stretch across my face for the first time in awhile.

"Thank you, Geno. For supporting me, for protecting me, for being an amazing friend." I placed my hand over where his lay on the center console. "And don't apologize. I'm just not sure how ready I am for anything now. But, I'll work on myself and maybe one day I'll be fine."

"That's okay, Livya. I am here, always."

With a smile and a shift in gear, we pulled out of the parking lot and drove off.

Notes

(Requested)

Like I mentioned on my other request, PLEASE get help if you are ever in a similar situation. There are lots of places to go for assistance, and you CAN do this.

I am thinking of maybe doing a sequel to this, if there is enough interest! I think it could discuss life after Alex and maybe a blooming romance between Olivia and Geno.

Thank you guys so much for reading! Again, I'm always accepting requests. <3