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rsadelleThe original comment that led to this, way back in August 2012, was, "How terrible a person am I if I would totally read a story where Danny cheated on Sylvie with/left her for Claude? (I'm still thinking about how those Flyers' Dads weekend pictures are from 2009, probably a little before or around the time of the divorce.)" I wrote a few bits and pieces of it, but never finished it. Content warnings for infidelity and Sylvie as a character.
Danny doesn't mean for any of it to happen. He knows his marriage is in trouble, he knows he's trying, they're both trying, but it's hard with how much time the combination of a hockey season and raising three boys take up. He doesn't mean for Claude to take up more and more of his time and attention, until Claude is the one he talks to about all the things he used to talk to Sylvie about.
The night he kisses Claude, they've each had a glass of wine with dinner, but not enough to impair anyone's judgment.
Claude kisses him back for a moment, then pushes him away, just far enough that they're no longer kissing even though they're still breathing each other's air, and says, "Sylvie."
Danny shakes his head, and says, "I love you."
It's the end of everything with Sylvie, because she's going to know - probably already does know, given the way her lips press into a thin line every time he mentions Claude - even if he doesn't tell her, but Danny does it anyway, because it's time for everything else to end, and for this to begin.
[This is where the sex scene would go, and also Claude telling Danny he loves him.]
*
They get home late, late enough that Danny lets himself into a silent and dark house. He locks the door behind him, goes up the stairs. He looks in on the boys first, picking out their silhouettes in the light from the hall, and hesitates with his hand on the master bedroom doorknob. He can't go in there. Can't sleep next to Sylvie like nothing has changed.
He sleeps in the guest bedroom.
*
In the morning, Danny wakes up to an absolutely silent house, late enough that Sylvie has already taken the boys to school. He takes a shower, gets dressed, makes himself breakfast. He's still at the table, eating the last of his cereal, when Sylvie comes home and sits down across from him. Her eyes are red around the edges.
"You slept in the guest room," she says.
"Yes."
Sylvie folds her hands on the table in front of her. "I called a lawyer. You probably should too."
Danny nods.
Sylvie lets out a huff of noise. "That's it," she says. "You're not even going to fight me on this."
"No." Danny doesn't reach out to touch her; there was a time when he would have.
Sylvie swallows and looks away. Danny can hear the tears in her voice when she says, "I can't- I'm not going to stay here. I'm going upstairs to pack a bag. I'll pick up the boys after school and bring them here so we can tell them together." She wipes at her eyes before she looks at him. "You can't have them. They can stay here until I have a place, but they're mine too."
"I know," Danny says. "We'll figure out custody arrangements."
Sylvie nods and visibly swallows. Then she gets up and walks away from him.
Danny stays at the table, cereal going soggy, until he hears the front door close behind her.
He dumps out his cereal, puts the master and guest bedroom sheets in the wash, calls his agent and his lawyer, drops in on the front office before practice.
Claude catches up with him after practice, and they walk out together, which doesn't look strange because it's what they do every day.
"You okay?" Claude asks. "You look-" He doesn't finish the sentence, but Danny can imagine all the things he must look.
"Sylvie and I are getting divorced. I have to go home so we can tell the boys."
Claude stops walking, and Danny turns to face him. Claude looks stricken, like it's hurting him even more than it's hurting Danny.
"Because of-"
"No. I didn't even tell her that. It was ending anyway," Danny says. "Not because of that."
Claude starts walking, but his voice is soft when he says Danny's name.
Danny can't quite muster up a smile for him, but he squeezes Claude's arm, the closest he can get to him right now. "I'll call you later. After."
Claude says, "Okay," and then, "What I said last night. It's still true."
That does get a smile out of Danny, one nothing can stop. "Me too." They're still smiling at each other when they get to Danny's car, and Danny says, "I'll call you," before he closes the door between them.
Danny doesn't mean for any of it to happen. He knows his marriage is in trouble, he knows he's trying, they're both trying, but it's hard with how much time the combination of a hockey season and raising three boys take up. He doesn't mean for Claude to take up more and more of his time and attention, until Claude is the one he talks to about all the things he used to talk to Sylvie about.
The night he kisses Claude, they've each had a glass of wine with dinner, but not enough to impair anyone's judgment.
Claude kisses him back for a moment, then pushes him away, just far enough that they're no longer kissing even though they're still breathing each other's air, and says, "Sylvie."
Danny shakes his head, and says, "I love you."
It's the end of everything with Sylvie, because she's going to know - probably already does know, given the way her lips press into a thin line every time he mentions Claude - even if he doesn't tell her, but Danny does it anyway, because it's time for everything else to end, and for this to begin.
[This is where the sex scene would go, and also Claude telling Danny he loves him.]
*
They get home late, late enough that Danny lets himself into a silent and dark house. He locks the door behind him, goes up the stairs. He looks in on the boys first, picking out their silhouettes in the light from the hall, and hesitates with his hand on the master bedroom doorknob. He can't go in there. Can't sleep next to Sylvie like nothing has changed.
He sleeps in the guest bedroom.
*
In the morning, Danny wakes up to an absolutely silent house, late enough that Sylvie has already taken the boys to school. He takes a shower, gets dressed, makes himself breakfast. He's still at the table, eating the last of his cereal, when Sylvie comes home and sits down across from him. Her eyes are red around the edges.
"You slept in the guest room," she says.
"Yes."
Sylvie folds her hands on the table in front of her. "I called a lawyer. You probably should too."
Danny nods.
Sylvie lets out a huff of noise. "That's it," she says. "You're not even going to fight me on this."
"No." Danny doesn't reach out to touch her; there was a time when he would have.
Sylvie swallows and looks away. Danny can hear the tears in her voice when she says, "I can't- I'm not going to stay here. I'm going upstairs to pack a bag. I'll pick up the boys after school and bring them here so we can tell them together." She wipes at her eyes before she looks at him. "You can't have them. They can stay here until I have a place, but they're mine too."
"I know," Danny says. "We'll figure out custody arrangements."
Sylvie nods and visibly swallows. Then she gets up and walks away from him.
Danny stays at the table, cereal going soggy, until he hears the front door close behind her.
He dumps out his cereal, puts the master and guest bedroom sheets in the wash, calls his agent and his lawyer, drops in on the front office before practice.
Claude catches up with him after practice, and they walk out together, which doesn't look strange because it's what they do every day.
"You okay?" Claude asks. "You look-" He doesn't finish the sentence, but Danny can imagine all the things he must look.
"Sylvie and I are getting divorced. I have to go home so we can tell the boys."
Claude stops walking, and Danny turns to face him. Claude looks stricken, like it's hurting him even more than it's hurting Danny.
"Because of-"
"No. I didn't even tell her that. It was ending anyway," Danny says. "Not because of that."
Claude starts walking, but his voice is soft when he says Danny's name.
Danny can't quite muster up a smile for him, but he squeezes Claude's arm, the closest he can get to him right now. "I'll call you later. After."
Claude says, "Okay," and then, "What I said last night. It's still true."
That does get a smile out of Danny, one nothing can stop. "Me too." They're still smiling at each other when they get to Danny's car, and Danny says, "I'll call you," before he closes the door between them.
(no subject)
Date: 2014-03-12 04:59 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2014-03-12 08:53 pm (UTC)