#OC: Jiang Eric

[kevindayscrown]

I just posted two whole new chapters to this, edited and slightly changed from the headcanons. If you want to revisit the story of Kevin and Eric or if you just stumble upon it for the first time, give it a read:) I hope I’ll get back to more regular uploading.

#all for the game #aftg #the foxhole court #kevin day #aftg headcanon #aftg oc #OC: Jiang Eric #the raven king #the kings men #Andrew MinyarD #neil josten #Andreil #aaron minyard #Palmetto State Foxes #aftg au #tfc #kevin day x oc

[all-for-the-wrong-game]

Incorrect “all for the (wrong) game” quotes #2

Eric: I hate you Kevin: I hate me more

#all for the (wrong) game #kevindayscrown #OC: Jiang Eric #kevin day #andrew minyard #neil josten #all for the game #aftg #aftg headcanons #exy

[kevindayscrown]

Directory for 'The One Where Kevin Day falls in love with an ice hockey player'

Quite a few people have asked me to do this and I figured that it would be useful too so here, you'll find the links to all the released parts + any extra content from asks or just ones I've randomly shared.

For those who do not know what this is about, this is my headcanon where Kevin falls in love with an ice hockey player, meaning someone from a 'rival sport'. Its main tropes are enemies to lovers and fake dating.

Main Parts:

Introduction

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Part 6

Part 7

Part 8

Part 9

Part 10

Part 11

Part 12

Part 13

Part 14

Part 15 (Epilogue)

Extra Content:

Background information on Eric (my OC)

Eric's POV after the events of the winter banquet (Extra Content Part 1)

Kevin's Birthday Special

Ghosts (Extra Content Part 2)

AO3 link:

You can find the fan fic version here.

#all for the game #aftg #the foxhole court #kevin day #aftg headcanon #aftg oc #OC: Jiang Eric #the raven king #the kings men #andrew minyard #neil josten #andreil #aaron minyard #palmetto state university #exy #aftg au

[kevindayscrown]

The one where Kevin Day falls in love with an ice hockey player.

Part 12

Hope

Anything included in this head canon takes place the semester after the Foxes won the championship against the Ravens.

Disclaimer: I know next to nothing about varsity teams in the United States so excuse any false information. Head over to the directory to find the previous parts.

To say Eric’s parents were confused when they saw Kevin standing on their porch was an understatement.

Kevin waited impatiently, but he had enough composure to not start fiddling. Instead, he stood almost still, and when the door opened, he fixed his posture and flashed one of his press smiles at the couple.

Jiang Wei and Hien stood at the other side of the door, watching Kevin with a questioning look for a moment before that look turned into a welcoming one.

If he would admit that he’d paid such great attention to detail, he would say that Eric had definitely taken after his mother. The woman gave Kevin a warm smile that matched her son’s and her eyes lit up the same way Eric’s did.

 “Kevin Day, right?” There was a heavy accent lacing her words, but they were still clear enough for Kevin to understand. “It’s nice to finally meet you.”

That seemed to cause Kevin’s façade to falter for a moment. Judging by the almost affectionate welcome he received so far he could assume that Eric had perhaps spared his parents the uglier details of their former relationship.

“Eric has told us a lot about you,” the man said and Kevin offered yet another small smile.

“All good things I hope.”

His comment was dismissed with a laugh, as a small joke, but Kevin genuinely hoped that Eric hadn’t told his parents about their fight.

If he hadn’t, then had he told them about the sides of Kevin only he had seen?

“Is Eric here?” He eventually wondered when he was invited inside. He was immediately asked whether he wanted something to drink, and despite Eric’s mother's persistence, Kevin settled for a glass of water as he sat down on the couch.

“Thank you, Mrs. Jiang,” he said as he reached for the glass. She smiled warmly at him and shook her head.

“No need to thank me. Make yourself at home. Eric is out with a friend, but I’m sure they won’t be long.”

Kevin ended up spending about an hour getting to know Eric’s parents. They were kind and welcoming, talking to Kevin as if they knew him for years. It was no wonder that Eric had turned out the way he had. Kind, caring and empathetic, somehow easily seeing through Kevin and understanding him like no one else could. 

Without having meant to, Kevin ended up finding out a lot more about Eric than he’d originally planned, though he should have expected that, seeing as he’d come to his childhood home.

He saw photographs of when Eric was younger, skating and looking pretty much unrecognizable; he’d been much smaller and scrawny as a child. He was briefed about his childhood friend Riley, with whom Eric had apparently gone out. He learned about how Eric had always been a quiet kid, but without losing his voice.

Hien said that’s what made him a good leader. Kevin found himself agreeing, having seen Eric coordinate his team on the ice.

Eventually, they heard the door open, and Kevin suddenly felt himself becoming nervous and jittery, clenching his hand to keep himself from fidgeting.

There were words exchanged in a language Kevin couldn’t understand, but he could still recognize Eric’s voice. When he turned his head to the hallway, he spotted Eric, standing beside the person Kevin could assume was Riley.

“D- Kevin?” Eric asked, correcting himself quickly and sounding rather surprised and confused by Kevin’s presence.

Kevin stood up and caught himself thinking back to the day he had gone to Eric’s dorm to talk to him about Ichirou’s plan and to apologize.

The irony was not lost to him.  

“Kevin Day?! Holy-,” Eric’s friend started but when Eric glared their way, they stopped and coughed, though it was obvious they were bubbling with energy.

“Could we get some privacy?” Kevin asked almost sternly. Despite needing to resolve this as quickly as possible, he refused to show any kind of vulnerability or desperation, especially not in front of all these strangers.

“Sure,” Eric said and glanced at his parents for a moment. They only gave him an encouraging smile as Eric and Kevin turned around and headed up the stairs, to where Kevin guessed Eric’s room was.

Of course, the room was covered with posters of famous ice hockey players, some long retired by now, and there was a shelf with trophies on the wall, above a small desk.

Kevin took everything in, every small detail that could tell him more about Eric. There were a few books here and there, but most bookshelves were occupied by comic books.

“Did you come all the way here to admire my collection?” Eric eventually asked as he leaned against the desk, arms crossed in front of his chest. Of course, Kevin was getting nervous all over again, though he had enough self-restraint to keep his composure.

“No. That’s not what I came here for,” he said as he pulled the door close, being paranoid about anyone overhearing their conversation. “You didn’t tell your parents it was a setup.”

It wasn’t a question. It was more of an observation.

“No? Why would I do that? I would have to explain… background stuff. That’s not something for me to share with the world.”

Kevin didn’t fully understand that, so he said, “You could have told them after the winter banquet though. Explain why we-,” he stopped for a moment before saying, “broke up.”

Eric shrugged. “I didn’t think all hope was lost yet.”

Kevin felt a lump forming in his throat that he had to swallow down.

“Neil talked to you.” Another observation.

“That he did.” Eric looked smug at that. “He said that you can be very stubborn. That you need your time.”

Kevin supposed that was right, but he would still have Neil run laps for good measure.

“I thought about it.”

That made Eric tense slightly and stand straighter from where he was slumping against the desk.

“There’s a lot,” he continued, “that I need to sort out.” It was the first time he was probably admitting that aloud to himself. “But I made a mistake.”

That really seemed to surprise Eric. Kevin couldn’t blame him. When was the last time he’d ever admitted to making a mistake? Kevin had made lots of them, but he rarely looked back.

“I tried to- I tried to look past whatever I felt for you.” Somehow, even when confessing his actual feelings, he was still held back, his whole body tense. “I can’t do this anymore. I physically can’t,” he said as he pressed his hand to his own chest. “I’m fucking tired.”

Eric did not respond for a long moment. Kevin was almost worried he’d gotten past the point of no return, that Eric had actually lost hope, but suddenly Eric was coming for him like he had when he’d body checked him on the ice.

But this time, instead of knocking him back against the wall to yell at him, Eric pushed him against the door with a loud thud and pressed his lips hard against Kevin’s.

Kevin was too shocked to respond immediately, but eventually let himself go limp as he kissed him back, his arms wrapping around his neck and pulling him closer.

This time was different compared to their kiss in the attic. They weren’t lying to themselves with stupid excuses. Kevin felt himself become even lighter as if a hundred knots in his chest loosened.

There was something freeing about being able to make a choice.

“Eric, Kevin?” Hien asked from the other side. “I hope you boys aren’t fighting.”

Kevin and Eric stared at each other for a moment, chests rising and falling. Eric chuckled softly and pressed his forehead against the wall, by Kevin’s head. Kevin closed his eyes for a moment, arms still around Eric.

“No ma. We aren’t fighting. We’ll be downstairs in a moment,” he said. When they heard the sound of footsteps become faint, Eric leaned in again and kissed him again.

“You are full of surprises, aren’t you, Day?” He whispered against his lips.

Kevin said nothing and simply pulled him in for another kiss.

There was still a lot they needed to figure out – Kevin specifically. He’d barely scratched the surface of his own emotions; he’d barely started accepting the reality of everything.

Eric wasn’t going to be the solution to his problems, but Kevin was glad he wouldn’t have to do this alone. He had Eric, he had Wymack, and in a way, he had the foxes too.

He wasn’t alone.

#all for the game #aftg #kevin day #the foxhole court #the raven king #the kings men #kevin day x oc #OC: Jiang Eric #andrew minyard #neil josten #andreil #matt boyd #dan wilds #renee walker #allison reynolds #nicky hemmick #aaron minyard #aftg headcanons #aftg oc #jeremy knox #jean moreau #jerejean

[kevindayscrown]

The one where Kevin Day falls in love with an ice hockey player.

Part 11

Weight

[TW: Panic Attacks, Nightmares, Alcohol, Mentions of Violence, Riko Moriyama]

Anything included in this head canon takes place the semester after the Foxes won the championship against the Ravens.

Disclaimer: I know next to nothing about varsity teams in the United States so excuse any false information. Head over to the directory to find the previous parts.

The winter holidays were a nightmare.

Maybe Kevin had the tendency to exaggerate things. Though, who could really blame him?

The Foxes – before they all departed for their holiday destinations – were approaching Kevin in extremes. Either as if he was a wild, caged animal ready to snap at everyone, or as if messing with him was the highlight of their day.

“If you miss him so much, call him,” Nicky had said, ever so casually.

The thing was, that Kevin knew he had messed everything up. There was no chance he was going to call or text Eric after what had happened during the winter banquet.

Partially because he thought Eric wanted nothing to do with him.

Another part of him, of course, simply wanted to punish himself. He had something in his grasp, something other than Exy, and he let it go, just like that.

If no one would bat an eyelash at Andrew and Neil, or at Jean and Jeremy, maybe Kevin could for once, do something for himself.

Disgusting.

Even after his death, Riko’s ghost would not let Kevin be happy. It was all so much, that he hardly thought he had the spine to actually call and apologize to Eric on his own volition.

Coward.

Kevin just knew Christmas would not be pleasant. It should be; it was the first Christmas when he was really free.

It didn’t really feel like that.

He’d thought that perhaps going to Columbia with Andrew, Neil and Aaron would help him forget.

Alcohol would help.

Apparently, however, those plans were ruined too, when Wymack told Kevin it would be a good idea for them to spend Christmas together.

“Abby said it- it might be a good idea. We have a lot to talk about,” Wymack had said, the night before they were to leave for Columbia. “The Foxes will be gone. We will have some fucking peace and quiet.”

Kevin knew he couldn’t say no. He’d kept the truth from Wymack for so long.

Selfish.

Kevin had agreed. He didn’t wake up as Andrew and Neil left; Aaron apparently, had arranged to retreat somewhere with Katelyn.

The dorm room was empty. It was unusual. The quiet was unsettling. No matter how much Kevin wouldn’t admit it, the voices, the bodies moving to an everyday routine, helped him focus.

Thankfully, Wymack had arrived early to pick him up from the dorms. They wouldn’t do anything special; just spend the holidays at the Coach’s apartment.

The first days were calm. Due to the awkwardness however, no talking was done. Not the kind of talking Wymack had implied at first, at least. The two men simply coexisted. The quiet became deafening in Kevin’s ears. Nights were the worst.

His fingers itched to be wrapped around the neck of a bottle. He didn’t like the way his thoughts – intrusive, nasty things – would fill in the silence when he was sober.

Relapsing however, would be yet another sign of cowardice. Kevin hadn’t drunk in months. He hadn’t felt like he needed it. The high of their victory, the busy start of the semester, training the new recruits, had all distracted him from the aftermath of everything that had happened in the span of a year.

Facing an identity crisis was not exactly what he needed.

Not when he blinked and saw Riko’s face during the night. Heard Jean’s screaming.

Christmas Eve was when it all reached its peak.

Homosexuality is disgusting, Kevin. Aren’t you happy you have Thea? Oh, don’t think I’ve not seen you sneak out at night to meet her. That’s why you will always be number two. You are so vulnerable.

Riko’s knife felt way too real, even as Kevin’s eyes snapped open and he jolted up from the couch. The lump in his throat and the tightness in his chest were definitely real.

“Kevin?”

Kevin had not realized that he had been screaming until he saw Wymack standing there, until he tried to speak but his voice was too hoarse.

“I- I-,”

Vulnerable.

He hadn’t had a panic attack in months. Almost half a year. He was aware it was happening at that moment, but he was too numb from shock to do any of the exercises Bee had shown him.

From shock or from the shortness of breath.

“Breathe with me, Day.” He felt hands on his shoulders, holding onto him, managing to only keep him grounded. He tried to match the pace of Wymack’s breathing but his own breaths would come out short and sharp.

“He is dead, Kevin. He is fucking dead. He can’t touch you.”

Kevin knew that. Knew he could be whoever he wanted to be now; he’d almost achieved that. He’d gone from Number 2, to Queen of the Exy court. He was no longer in Riko’s shadow.

Then why was it so hard to let the fuck go?

Kevin half expected Wymack to hand him a bottle of alcohol, like he’d done so many times in the past. Kevin wanted it as Wymack stood up, apparently to do just that. He clenched his left hand, waiting to feel the reassuring weight of a bottle as it started going numb.

Of course, that’s when he had to remember about Eric.

Stop clenching your fist like that. It’s better to have something to hold onto.

We all have our own weights. The question is whether you’ll allow someone to help you carry them.

Kevin rushed to the duffel bag he’d brought with him. He searched inside, making a curious Wymack halt when he noticed Kevin’s weird behaviour.

He found the puck and gripped it in his hand, as he sat down on the cold floor and threw his head back against the wall. He closed his eyes and, with something to fiddle, he finally had the chance to do the breathing exercises.

Breathe, one, two.

Hold, one, two.

Release, one, two.

It took Kevin at least ten repetitions to calm his pounding heart and rapid breathing. When he opened his eyes, Wymack was still there, alert and clearly unsure of what to do.

“Kevin?”

You can’t lie and pretend you didn’t feel anything.

It was because Kevin felt too much, that he became numb. But finally, as he sobbed, he let himself lean against his father and let it all out, allowing someone else to help carry the weight.

Wymack gripped his shoulder and held on for as long as Kevin needed it. He wasn’t exactly one to comfort people with soothing words, but he’d faced enough broken kids to know how to hold on.

It took Kevin until morning to finally calm down and fall asleep again. The bottle of vodka was left forgotten on the coffee table and neither of them touched it.

Christmas Day was a bundle of mixed feelings. Kevin felt lighter, having faced something like that and letting everything out. He wasn’t sure though how he felt about having trusted someone with this.

As days went by, he realized that carrying the weight, not only helped preserve that feeling of lightness, but also brought him a bit closer with his father.

It was only after New Year’s, three days prior to the start of the semester, that things had settled enough to help him make a decision.

The Foxes had come back, and Kevin greeted them with:

“Drive me to Atlanta.”

Nicky was ecstatic, though Kevin was mostly irritated by Allison’s smug grin as she turned on her heel and went to find the hockey team and get them to give her Eric’s address.

“Finally came to your senses?” Matt asked with a fond smile.

Kevin said nothing.

Next morning, as Kevin got in the car, he looked at Neil through the rearview mirror. Neil gave him only a nod as Andrew finally started the car.

Kevin was still filled with doubt.

But at the same time, he felt the same sense of certainty as when he had held a racquet on his left hand and strode to face Riko.

#all for the game #aftg #kevin day #the foxhole court #the raven king #the kings men #andrew minyard #neil josten #matt boyd #andreil #OC: Jiang Eric #kevin day x oc #aftg headcanons #aftg oc #allison reynolds #renee walker #nicky hemmick #dan wilds #jeremy knox #jean moreau #jerejean

[kevindayscrown]

The one where Kevin Day falls in love with an ice hockey player.

Part 15

Epilogue 

Anything included in this head canon takes place the semester after the Foxes won the championship against the Ravens.

Disclaimer: I know next to nothing about varsity teams in the United States so excuse any false information. Head over to the directory to find the previous parts, and follow this link for the fan fic version.

Kevin still carried the keys to the Court, so he was the one to lead the hockey players inside and hand them some spare equipment. Each Exy player had at least four spare sets but most of Eric’s team were either Matt’s or Kevin’s size, so they used their equipment.

Eric borrowed Matt’s uniform and gear, and Kevin watched the two from afar as they talked, raising an eyebrow as they seemed to be suspiciously getting along.

This was still a bit surreal for both teams, but so far so good. No fights broke out and, if anything, the Foxes of each team were probably starting to realize that all along, they had been contributing to a useless and pointless feud.

“Mind giving me a hand?” Eric asked Kevin, holding out the pads. Kevin raised an eyebrow as he strapped on his own knee pads and then stood up from the bench. He grabbed the ones Eric was holding out for him and helped him with them, even if he knew that the other had no need of his help.

Eric smiled at Kevin, and even if he got no smile in return, he was still satisfied with whatever intimacy the two shared.

“Here,” Kevin said and handed a spare racquet to Eric, who held it carefully in his hand and examined it. Kevin could tell that it probably felt a lot different to a hockey stick, but Eric did not hesitate.

“Ready?” Nate asked his captain, who spared a glance at his boyfriend before turning and following Matt out on the court.

Explaining the rules of the game to the hockey team was a long and vigorous process. Eventually, they all decided that they would have to learn by actually playing, and got their positions on the court.

Kevin glanced at Eric but couldn’t really read his expression through the grated front of the helmet. He could imagine, however, the other grinning like an idiot. Kevin hadn’t realized he was smiling at the thought of it.

Dan started them off and, if Kevin had been a patient person who played Exy for fun, he would have laughed at the other team’s incompetence. Instead, he didn’t hesitate to run them to the ground, perhaps as pay back for the embarrassment he had felt during his first time on ice.

Despite scoring several times, Eric eventually started catching up. He was an amazing goaltender when it came to Ice Hockey, and as time went by, it started showing on the Exy court as well.

The first time he caught the ball and stopped Kevin from scoring, Kevin halted and stared at him. This time, he could definitely tell the other was grinning. It immediately made his blood start boiling, in a familiar rush of stubborn determination to wipe it off.

The next time Kevin came for Eric, he fired at the goal with everything he had in him. However, the striker knew nothing about how Eric worked as a goaltender, unlike with his usual opponents. So, he had no idea the other was going to easily predict his move and catch the ball. Again.

“Come on Day, is that the best you can do?” Eric called. Kevin was not sure if he could tolerate someone who had no idea about Exy mocking him in such way, no matter who that was.

What started as a friendly game evolved in something else, at least for Kevin. The court was supposed to be his domain, and he wouldn’t stand for anyone proving him otherwise.

The hockey players knew how to tackle, that was for sure. Nate was close to pinning Kevin against the plexiglass, but Matt drove him off of Kevin so he could run for the goal.

He scored this time, and the friendly game ended with the Exy team having gathered more points, as predicted. Kevin was still sour though, as petty as that was. He tugged the helmet off and shoved his armored gloves in it, stepping off court.

“Damn, that went better than expected,” Nicky said with a laugh. “For a moment there, I though you might have a chance to beat us at our own game.”

Kevin sent a glare his way but Caleb laughed and patted Nicky’s shoulder in an unexpectedly friendly manner.

“Give us a bit more time and we will run you to the ground,” he said with confidence that had Kevin scoffing as he headed to the locker room. Eric followed behind and leaned in close to his ear.

“Someone is sour, even for a winner,” he said and Kevin turned to glance at him, before opening his locker and starting to shove his gear inside.

“I have nothing to be sour about when playing with someone who has no idea about the game.”

The sounds of the Foxes moving around and changing while talking amongst themselves occupied the silence between them as they got changed. It was uncharacteristic of Eric to not rebuke, but Kevin took that as a win.

Both teams filed out of the locker room but before he could follow, Kevin found himself trapped between Eric’s arms, the other’s hands pressed on the now closed lockers.

Kevin didn’t move, still facing away from him. “Is there anything you need, Jiang?” He asked, sounding smug only until he felt the other’s breath on his neck. It made Kevin shiver whole, to the point he clenched his hand again and pressed it against the locker.

“It’s kinda hot when you get all angry. But at the same time, it makes me remember why I used to want to punch you in the face,” he whispered into Kevin’s ear. Kevin closed his eyes, forcing himself to keep up the façade with a scoff.

“Did you ever really forget?” He asked. Eric laughed, and the vibrations of it against Kevin’s skin made the striker shudder yet again.

“I suppose that on the rare moments you are being affectionate, I might forget about it. But you are making it harder right now,” Eric mumbled in a soft tone. Kevin had to roll his eyes at the pun that would make Nicky very proud.

He finally turned around to look at him, their faces merely inches apart. The way his heart was pounding reminded him of older times, when the adrenaline of the fight would take over them both until they were at each other’s throats.

“You are so fucking annoying,” he whispered against Eric’s lips and closed his eyes, his hands moving to grip the hem of the other’s shirt and pull him closer.

Eric laughed again, but it was low and taunting.

“Mhm, I like you too,” he said and then pressed his lips hard against Kevin’s, pinning him back against the lockers. Kevin grunted against his lips and pressed him closer on his own body by the waist, until there was no space between them.

Kevin had once thought that he needed no distractions from Exy. Physical relationships, like the one he had developed with Thea, were the only ones he would allow himself to have. Not only that, but there had never been someone willing to try and break through the walls he had built around himself.

Somehow, it now made sense that someone as stubborn and caring like Eric would be the one to achieve that. Kevin felt as if he was genuinely happy for the first time in his life. Not necessarily just because he’d found someone who understood and was willing to be there for him, but also because finding himself in such an unfamiliar situation had tested his limits and had also tested him as a person.

“Shall we get the hell out of here?” Eric muttered as they finally pulled apart. Kevin chased after his lips for a moment until he realized what he was doing and stopped himself.

“Yes. Let’s go,” he whispered and reached to hold Eric’s hand.

He intertwined their fingers and held onto his hand, not looking back at the Foxhole Court as they left together.

#all for the game #aftg #the foxhole court #the raven king #the kings men #kevin day #kevin day x oc #OC: Jiang Eric #aftg headcanon #andrew minyard #neil josten #andreil #matt boyd #nicky hemmick #aaron minyard #renee walker #dan wilds #allison reynolds #palmetto state university #jeremy knox #jean moreau #jerejean

[kevindayscrown]

The one where Kevin Day falls in love with an ice hockey player.

Part 7 Night Lights

(TW: Awkward first dates with Andrew watching from a distance)

Anything included in this head canon takes place the semester after the Foxes won the championship against the Ravens.

Disclaimer: I know next to nothing about varsity teams in the United States so excuse any false information. Head over to the directory to find the previous parts.

Kevin knew that wherever they went in Palmetto, someone was bound to recognize either one or both of them. It didn’t matter where their date would take place, as long as people saw them.

He’d been to dates before. With Thea, after he left the Nest and whenever the two of them had time. It had been less than ideal. But, being the only experience that he had, Kevin used it as an example and booked a table at a restaurant.

It was obvious that Eric was hesitant about it but he agreed nonetheless.

“I think I might have a suit buried somewhere.”

Of course, he had to book two tables, seeing as Andrew and Neil would be joining them. He’d told Andrew that he didn’t need a fucking chaperone, but Andrew had ignored him completely.

Eric offered to pick Kevin up at the parking lot, half an hour before their reservation. Kevin had gone with the suit he’d worn at the last banquet, figuring this wasn’t something he should put too much thought or effort into.

Kevin realized, upon meeting with Eric in the parking lot, that he had had a different idea.

Suit brand new, hair brushed back, freshly shaved, the goaltender looked less like the jock he was and more like the proper date for someone like Kevin.

That thought made Kevin halt. Obviously, his ideal date would have been a woman. Obviously. He wasn’t even attracted to men.

“Come on Day, give me that one million-dollar smile all those fans of yours go crazy over,” Eric said and laughed as he opened the door so that Kevin could get in the car.

Kevin simply glared at him and got in the car. As Eric closed the door, Kevin watched Andrew and Neil heading over to the former’s Maserati.

“This is going to be a long night,” he muttered under his breath as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

The restaurant was packed, which made sense since it was Sunday night. Their tables weren’t as close to one another, which Kevin was grateful for. He sat down across from Eric an picked up his menu.

“Are you going to give me the silent treatment all night?” Eric asked once they’d ordered.

Kevin looked at him and put his hands down on the table. He found himself wishing he had the puck, which had proven to be quite useful as a stress reliever.

“We have nothing to say.”

“I thought you loved hearing yourself talk.”

Kevin narrowed his eyes at him, but decided to let it slide. He almost clenched his left hand again but Eric reached for it and stopped him.

“I told you not to do that.”

Kevin would have pulled away, but the warmth of it reminded him of their night practices, when Eric would take his hand and guide him forward on the ice.

He wasn’t sure if Andrew would come out of nowhere and use the table knife to stab Eric’s hand, but they’d made a new deal and Kevin hoped he would keep it.

“Day, relax. You are too tense. We are supposed to be on a date, no?”

“Why are you enjoying this?” Kevin finally asked as he stared at him, although he tried to not let his anger show.

Eric looked surprised by the question, but quickly shook it off with a shrug.

“I don’t care what people think, Day. They can make assumptions about me all they want. That’s on them. I just want to have a good time.”

He said it so casually, that Kevin was almost jealous of it.

“Are you-,”

“Gay?” Eric completed the sentence for him and then shrugged his shoulders a second time. “I don’t like labels. And I’ve never thought about it really. I’ve only ever dated girls but honestly, who knows?”

Kevin stared at him as if Eric was speaking a foreign language but said nothing else as their food arrived. Eric pulled his hand away; Kevin’s own almost instinctively reaching for it until he forced it to stop.

They ate in silence.

Eric shifted in his seat when they were done.

“I have an idea. But you’ll have to trust me.”

Kevin didn’t like the sound of that so he only arched an eyebrow at him.

“Look, no offense, but this is kinda boring and I want both of us to enjoy this. Plus, we may manage to get rid of your legal guardian over there,” Eric said as he glanced at the table where Neil and Andrew were at.

Kevin thought for a moment but nodded. They both insisted on paying but eventually settled with each of them paying for what they’d ordered.

Sneaking out of the restaurant without being seen was easier than expected, but perhaps it was because Neil and Andrew unexpectedly ended up having their own date, which kept Andrew occupied.

Eric wouldn’t tell Kevin where they were going, but Kevin was just glad to be out of there and not have Andrew on his back, watching them.

The building they stopped at was not enough on the outside to alert Kevin of what was waiting for him. Eric looked excited, which scared Kevin further as they made their way inside.

“Seriously? A public rink?”

Children yelling and laughing as they slid and fell across the ice, couples holding hands, groups of friends messing around, amatueurs holding onto the ledge. It was loud and busy.

Eric grinned at him. “I brought our skates just in case,” he said as he held up the duffel bag he’d taken from the trunk of his car.

The goaltender seemed to know his way around. He found them lockers after talking with some people he was quite friendly with and Kevin removed the blazer of his suit and the tie, shoving them inside, with no care whether they’ll get wrinkled.

Eric handed him his skates and as Kevin put them on, the other reached forward and undid a few buttons from Kevin’s shirt.  

“It’s not ideal to skate in this but let’s make the most of it.”

People in and out of the rink instantly recognized them as they slid on the ice. Kevin told himself that that was the only reason Eric reached to take his hand again.

“Relax,” he whispered in his ear as he leaned closer to him. Feeling Eric’s warmth breath against his skin in an otherwise cold room made Kevin shudder.

He turned his head to look at him, but almost fell back at how close their faces were. Thankfully, he had practiced enough to keep his balance.

Eric smiled at him and then moved forward, taking Kevin with him. Kevin tried to dodge all the kids and anyone who was in their way. Some would come up to him on purpose, introducing themselves, saying they were big fans. Kevin gave them all his flashing press smile, saying he was glad to meet them, while still holding onto Eric’s hand.

“If you’d excuse us, we are on a date,” Eric eventually told yet another person who had approached them. Despite the words, the way he went about it reminded Kevin of how calm he was on the rink during games.

People mostly left them alone after that. Kevin was grateful for it. Sometimes, he got too lost in the persona, in the ‘who he was supposed to be’ that he lost the meaning of what he did.

Besides that, however, Kevin realized that he was genuinely having fun. The two of them would challenge each other as to who would skate a certain number of circles faster, and in the end, they’d banter about it while still holding hands.

Kevin forgot which part of it was an act and which was real, the lines blurred.

It dragged on long enough that they’d have to leave because the rink was closing for the night.

“The night doesn’t have to end here, you know?” Eric said when they were both in the car.

Kevin smiled. It was a genuine smile, nothing more than one of the corners of his lips quirked upwards. But it was still there.

“No. No, it doesn’t have to end here.”

#aftg #aftg headcanon #aftg oc #all for the game #kevin day #kevin day x oc #OC: Jiang Eric #the raven king #the foxhole court #the kings men #andrew minyard #neil josten #andreil #nicky hemmick #aaron minyard #dan wilds #matt boyd #allison reynolds #renee walker #jean moreau #jeremy knox #jerejean

[kevindayscrown]

The one where Kevin Day falls in love with an ice hockey player

Part 5 Skate Blades

(TW: Violence, Lots of cursing)

Anything included in this head canon takes place the semester after the Foxes won the championship against the Ravens.

Disclaimer: I know next to nothing about varsity teams in the United States so excuse any false information. Read first the Introduction, Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 and Part 4

Eric was pushed back against the shelves of the aisle, knocking some skates down. Andrew had a tight grip on the collar of his hoodie and despite the huge height difference, he had somehow managed to pin the other goalie.

The skate on his hand came down at Eric at an almost impossible speed but Kevin managed to snap out of his surprised state and move quicker, grabbing Andrew’s hand and stopping it.

He realized his mistake way too late.

Andrew immediately shoved his elbow against Kevin’s stomach, making him let go and double over, cradling his stomach with his arms.

The blond turned his attention back to Eric and pressed the blade of the skate against his throat. When Eric gripped his wrist to push his hand away, Andrew only pressed harder.

“For fuck’s shake,” someone muttered and Kevin turned to look at Neil rushing towards them. Andrew pushed Eric back again, but Eric seemed to have gained back his own senses and brought his leg up, kicking Andrew back.

“Stop it. Now.” Kevin snapped at both of them, turning to look at Neil for help. He knew that he was the only one who could get through to Andrew.

“Andrew, don’t you think stabbing someone in public is going to cause more problems than solving them?”

Andrew was staring at Eric with a blunt expression despite holding onto the skate still.

Kevin’s heart was pounding but he wouldn’t dare try to make a move on Andrew again. It still felt as if his breath had been knocked out of him.

“Kevin,” Andrew’s tone made Kevin almost flinch. He knew from personal experience that despite their deal, Andrew wasn’t beyond lashing at Kevin.

Neil had to go reassure an employee that everything was alright so Kevin was left to deal with Andrew on his own.

Worst part was that Kevin couldn’t tell what Andrew was thinking right at that moment.

“Mind explaining why you were lying all those nights?” His tone was deadly calm, with a small hint of sarcasm that told Kevin that Andrew had never bought all these bullshit lies.

Kevin was cornered. His gaze went from Andrew to Eric, whose eyes were also on him. This resulted in them exchanging a long look until Andrew stood in front of Kevin and pressed the blade flat against Kevin’s chest.

“My patience, Kevin. Don’t test it.”

“I was going with Eric to the rink so he could teach me how to skate,” he finally admitted.

Andrew’s expressionless gaze stayed on him for a few moments before he pulled back.

“You were always so easy to read. And here I thought you didn’t have the spine to do something so stupidly reckless.”

“It’s nothing. It’s meaningless. Just a waste of my time.”

Eric’s eyes narrowed at Kevin.

“Oh, is it?” Andrew asked, probably noticing Eric’s reaction.

“It didn’t mean anything. It was just a matter of pride. Nothing more.”

Eric scoffed and shook his head as if disappointed.

“Of course. After all, Day has but little time for those of us who are beneath him.” Eric’s words dripped with venom. “Don’t worry, Minyard. Tug on that little leash of yours all you want. I’m done.”

Kevin watched him move past them and leave.

He felt a small twitch in his chest but Andrew stepping back and finally giving him space caused his attention to turn back to him.

“I don’t like anyone touching my stuff, Kevin. I made an exception about Thea, but you chose to break up with her.”

“It’s not like that.” Kevin snapped. “The press is just blowing things out of proportion.”

Andrew watched him, as if not quite believing that.

“Ichirou isn’t going to kill you over this.” He said, as if Kevin was stupid for even considering that, somehow reading his thoughts. “The news has probably gotten to him first too. You would already be dead.”

Somehow, that didn’t make Kevin feel any better.

Neil came back after helping the employee pick up the fallen skates, looking down at his cellphone.

“Kevin, you might want to look at this.”

He held the phone up and Kevin looked at the screen, reading the message Neil had just received.

‘Tell Day to keep it up.’

Unknown number. Though Kevin already knew who it was from.

“What?

“There is no such thing as bad press,” Andrew started and brought the skate up, running his finger across the blade. “The team you’ve signed with already isn’t going to break the contract over this. These news only bring more attention to your name. More cash to Ichirou.”

He then turned to Neil and said, “Tell him that Kevin isn’t doing this.”

“He can’t just tell Ichirou no. Not unless you want Kevin dead, just so Ichirou can turn him into an example of what he does to those disobeying him.”

Kevin kept staring at the message, dumbfounded. He then clenched his jaw and pushed Neil’s hand away.

“I’m not doing this. I don’t even like-,”

Neil raised an eyebrow, as if challenging him to finish that sentence.

“Fuck you, Josten.”

“He’s not doing this,” Andrew said with an edge to his voice, as if ready to snap at any moment.

“Fuck it if I’m letting the foxes lose the season because of another ‘tragic accident’. In any case, this will die down after a month, tops. Just roll with it. After that, Kevin can go back to kissing his Exy racquet instead. For now, we don’t have much of a choice.”

“Stop fucking talking as if I’m not standing right here,” Kevin spatted.

Andrew ignored him as he thought. He stared Neil down, as if the two of them were having a silent conversation that Kevin wasn’t a part of. The striker was used to that by now.

“No more of the skating bullshit. They’ll only do enough to satisfy the tabloids and Ichirou.”

“I’m not gonna fucking pretend I’m dating Jiang Eric to please the press.”

“Wanna tell that to Ichirou?” Neil asked and held his phone up.

Needless to say, Kevin knew he had no choice. He couldn’t go up against Ichirou – the man who pretty much owned him – and tell him ‘no’.

He had to do this. It just so happened that he made his life worse by telling Andrew in front of Eric that those late-night practices on the rink meant nothing.

Whatever progress the two had made into bridging the gap was now gone. Kevin would have to find the nerve to go to Eric and ask him to pretend they are going out. He had no idea how to do that, but from the little he got to know Eric a bit more personally, he didn’t think he was the type of person to not help someone in need.

He wasn’t even going to try and think about what this all meant. Kevin was straight. It was easier that way. When all this would be done, he would find a girl to date and people would forget about this fiasco.

But at that moment, he had to approach Eric and find a common ground.

#all for the game #aftg #aftg headcanon #aftg oc #OC: Jiang Eric #kevin day #andrew minyard #neil josten #andreil #the foxhole court #the raven king #the kings men #Palmetto State Foxes #exy #dan wilds #matt boyd #aaron minyard #nicky hemmick #renee walker #allison reynolds #ichirou moriyama #edgar allan ravens #jean moreau #jeremy knox #jerejean

[kevindayscrown]

The one where Kevin Day falls in love with an ice hockey player.

Part 10

Chances

Anything included in this head canon takes place the semester after the Foxes won the championship against the Ravens.

Disclaimer: I know next to nothing about varsity teams in the United States so excuse any false information. Head over to the directory to find the previous parts.

Eventually, Kevin dragged his feet and headed back to the table. As expected, Eric was nowhere to be seen. He couldn’t have gone far, but perhaps he had already retreated to the hotel.

Kevin slumped against his seat, pretending he didn’t notice the looks the foxes gave him. Only Neil was weirdly absent, but Kevin didn’t register it at the moment.

He turned his head away, but that didn’t help him.

Jeremy was on the dance floor, laughing and smiling as he had his arms wrapped around Jean’s neck.

Even Jean had a very faint smile on his face, watching the shorter blond as if he was his whole world. No one around them was paying them any mind.

Kevin turned his gaze away.

So, what is it Day? Are you really on a high horse or are you your own worst critic?

“What the fuck did you say this time?” Allison asked him. Kevin didn’t pay her any mind at first, but then Allison nudged his shoulder and made a gesture with her hand as if urging him to stand up.

“What the fuck do you want?” Kevin snapped at her, but she wasn’t having it. She crossed her arms in front of her chest and waited for Kevin to get up.

He grunted and pushed himself up slowly. No one at the table seemed to be opposed to Allison dealing with this.

“Out. Come on,” She headed towards the exit and Kevin, against his better judgment, followed after her. The cold outside was biting but Kevin embraced it.

Allison sat down on the pavement, completely unbothered. Kevin raised an eyebrow at her but she simply stayed there, waiting for him. She looked almost flawless, her hair braided back, make up on and a tight dress that fit her thin and yet fit form perfectly.

Kevin eventually gave in and tried to get comfortable on the pavement next to her, feeling the need to have his hand closed around a bottle neck, but guessed Allison would be persistent on giving him a piece of her mind.

“Go on, Day. Talk. We don’t have all night and seeing you sulking is ruining everyone’s mood.”

Kevin had never talked alone with Allison. Or at least, he couldn’t remember if they had ever had a civilized conversation. He respected her for her spine and what she had been through, but that was as far as it went.

“There’s nothing to talk about. We ended things. I suppose everyone saw him leave so the press can keep themselves occupied with this stupid break up.”

Allison stared at him, as if Kevin had uttered the stupidest sentence that could come out of his mouth.

“What did you tell him?” She asked and Kevin looked ahead, past the parked buses and out on the road, watching the cars pass by.

“I told him that this meant nothing. I told him I’m straight.”

Allison scoffed; an obnoxious sound Kevin hadn’t expected to hear from someone like her.

“I’ll ask you something, and I want you to be honest with yourself for once. Do you really believe that?”

Kevin halted for a moment, clenching his left hand. Upon doing that, he remembered Eric telling him to stop. He remembered Eric handing him a puck, Eric holding his hand.

“It’s easier being-,”

“Shut up. That shit doesn’t work with me, Day. I’ll give you the benefit of being raised next to someone as fucked up as Riko. But I want you to think about this carefully.

No one cares if you are gay or bi or whatever Kevin. No one. The press doesn’t count, they will always have something to say. But that’s useless noise. Thing is, I think you know that. It’s not the people you are worried about.”

“No. It’s not,” Kevin admitted, which surprised Allison. She probably hadn’t expected that Kevin would blatantly agree with her.

“It doesn’t change anything.”

Kevin had to be perfect. He didn’t need any distractions. Exy was all there was. His career and his future were ahead of him and he couldn’t afford to screw it over.

The two of them remained silent for a few moments, but Kevin could tell that the gear’s in Allison’s head were turning.

“When Seth died-,” Allison started, “- it practically changed my worldview, as silly as that may sound. The two of us were stupid. We didn’t appreciate what we had. We were always caught up in our problems. And just like that-,”

She snapped her fingers.

“Seth was dead. And why? Because a spoiled fucked up kid got offended.”

“He was… he was an asshole. I’m not going to try and justify that. But much like you, he was angrier with himself than with anyone else. Just like every fox, he was given a second chance to live his life, make something of it. A third, a fourth.”

Kevin stared down at his hands, not daring to interrupt her.

“I don’t know if he would ever learn from his mistakes. I don’t know if he would ever stop being so angry. But I know he was trying. You couldn’t see it but I could.”

“I’m not going to sit here and watch you waste away a chance like Seth did. I’m not going to wait and see you realize in a few years that you lost what could have been. Don’t get me wrong, I sometimes can’t even tolerate you, but I also can’t tolerate how stupid you are being.”

She finally stood up and dusted her dress off.  

“Priorities, Day. What’s really important? A career that will only last maximum ten years, or a person that could be your only chance at happiness?”

Allison turned, and just like that, she disappeared back inside.

Kevin was still looking at his calloused hands, at the white scar on his left palm. He knew Allison was right.

He was free now, so why was it so hard to escape his own mind?

It hadn’t been just Allison words that had shocked him. It had been the fact that she had even bothered to share this story with Kevin.

Kevin knew he wasn’t exactly… friendly. He pushed people away easier than he pulled them in. Before he met the foxes, he’d been okay with that. Before he saw what the sheer force of will and family could do, he’d thought he was better on his own.

Because people disappoint. A person you thought to be family, can be turned against you and shatter everything you’ve taken for granted only because of jealousy.

People disappoint. People have expectations from you, expect you to carry a whole team on your back, but when you can’t seem to handle the pressure, they dismiss you.

I understand. I didn’t use to, but now I see it.

Perhaps, however, all Kevin had to do, was to give a person the chance to understand him. He’d thought that opening up would show vulnerability, but he’d never felt vulnerable around Eric.  

Kevin clenched his hand into a fist again and pushed himself to stand up. He pulled his phone out to find the name of the hotel they would be staying at in his messages with Wymack.

“He left,” someone said. Kevin turned his head and looked at Neil, eyebrows furrowed.

“What?”

“He left. He was apparently already planning on going straight to his parents’ place for the holidays after this. He decided he had overstayed his welcome.”

That’s where Neil had disappeared off to before.

“You talked to him.”

“I did,” Neil said with a shrug of his shoulders.

“And he left?”

“Took a cab and everything.”

Kevin clenched the cellphone in his hand.

Maybe not everyone was worthy of third and fourth chances.  

#all for the game #aftg #the foxhole court #kevin day #kevin day x oc #OC: Jiang Eric #andreil #andrew minyard #neil josten #aaron minyard #allison reynolds #aftg headcanons #aftg oc #aftg au #palmetto state university #exy #jerejean #jeremy knox #jean moreau #seth gordon #nicky hemmick #matt boyd #dan wilds #renee walker #the raven king #the kings men

[kevindayscrown]

The one where Kevin Day falls in love with an ice hockey player.

Part 6 Cracks

(TW: Second hand embarrassment honestly)

Anything included in this head canon takes place the semester after the Foxes won the championship against the Ravens.

Disclaimer: I know next to nothing about varsity teams in the United States so excuse any false information. Head over to the directory to find the previous parts.

Kevin Day never apologized to anyone. All he did, he did because it was what had seemed right at the moment. Regrets were a waste. He was better than that.

Unfortunately, such wasn’t the case at that time, when he was standing at the end of the hallway of the third floor of the Fox Tower where the dorms of the ice hockey players were located. He could hear indistinct chatter from the rooms closest to him.

He willed himself to walk. Eric’s room was the one furthest down the hall, according to Nicky, who had talked with a few of the hockey players. It irked Kevin more than anything that all of the Foxes had been made aware of the situation.

Even remembering their reactions fueled Kevin. Of course, Allison had laughed, Nicky had been ecstatic, Matt and Dan had tried – and failed – to hide their amusement. There were no more secrets in the team, or so Neil said, so Kevin had more or less been forced to tell them about everything that’d been happening since October.

Standing in front of Eric’s door, about to attempt to reason with him, he wondered if it was all really worth it.

It took a few tries before Kevin finally held his fist up and knocked on the door. The chatter he could hear from before paused and turned into light murmur that was barely distinct.

Eventually, the door was pulled open.

Eric and Kevin stared at each other for a moment before Kevin spoke.

“We need to talk.”

It wasn’t the smoothest line he could have started with, but Eric was towering over him, and thus, distracting him.

Kevin hated that height difference with a passion.

Eric turned and glanced at his teammates, making a gesture with his head. They all fled the room, as if able to sense the tension.

But not before they threw a glare at Kevin.

Kevin ignored them, keeping his eyes on Eric and only breaking the contact when the other closed the door.

“Came to waste your time?” Eric asked.

Kevin’s jaw clenched but he told himself he was here to reason, not fight.

“I came here to talk.”

“Then talk.”

Kevin wasn’t entirely sure how to go about this. It was a bit easier thanks to having told Eric about Ichirou and the deal he had made with Neil already, but it didn’t make it any easier that he had to ‘apologize’ apparently.

“It’s about what happened,” Kevin started and followed Eric inside, sitting on the couch next to him after Eric had gathered all the scattered boxes of pizza and the tin cans of beer.

“Well, you are alive so I suppose your… boss either doesn’t know yet or he doesn’t really care.”

“Don’t sound so disappointed,” Kevin said with a scoff. “But not quite,” He sat back, shifting a bit on his seat. Eric was clearly waiting for an explanation, but Kevin could hardly put it in words himself.

“He wants us to lead the press on. To ‘keep it up’.”

Eric was confused for a moment. For a long moment. He stared at Kevin, as if expecting him at any moment to reveal that all this was just a prank. Kevin stared at the turned off TV as if it was the most interesting thing that he had seen all day.

“Wait, let me get this straight-,”

Kevin was sure that if Nicky was here, he would make a stupid joke about it.

“- your ‘boss’ wants us to pretend we are seeing each other?”

“He is not my boss, don’t call him that. He just owns 80% of any profit I’ll ever make and if he doesn’t get that, if I don’t do what he wants, then I’m dead,” he snapped.

The silence that followed made Kevin more than aware of his pounding heart. He didn’t want to turn and look at Eric, but he could imagine his expression all the same.

“Look, I didn’t fucking mean what I said back at the store,” Kevin admitted, probably for the first time to himself as well.

“Day-,”

Kevin interrupted him before he could say anything condescending.

“We don’t even have to say we are dating. We can just let people think what they want to think. I don’t have anything to give you in return, but-,”

He stopped.

Being around Andrew had made him acquire the bad habit of never being able to say ‘please’ without receiving a cold stare.

He heard Eric sigh, and Kevin almost felt bad for dragging him into this mess.

“I don’t- Is this some kind of prank? Are the guys in my team involved too?”

Kevin couldn’t really blame him for the reaction but he still narrowed his eyes at him. He hadn’t eve told Eric the whole truth, he could only imagine how he would react then. He had barely touched the subject, having avoided sharing the harsh reality of being a Raven, of being Riko’s second.

Eric however, was only now starting to see the cracks in Kevin’s cold front. It was more like a mask for a boy who had been broken in pieces

and then had to bring himself back together. Which, Eric doubted was an easy process, considering that his whole exy team consisted of people who had been broken too in different ways.

“I’ll do it on one condition,” Eric finally said.

Kevin raised an eyebrow but waited for him to continue.

“You’ll have to apologize. Properly. No more half-assed bullshit.”

The grin on Eric’s face told Kevin that perhaps, he wasn’t asking this for the apology itself. He sighed and clenched his left hand into a fist as he thought.

“I’m sorry,” he mumbled, but it came out more than a grunt that anything.

Eric noticed the way he was clenching and unclenching his left hand. He took a puck they had in the dorm and tossed it at him. Kevin grabbed it and stared at it before he started fiddling with it instead of putting strain on his left hand.

“I didn’t quite hear you. Let’s try that again,” Eric said as he flopped back on the couch and put his hands behind his head. Kevin would try anything to get that stupid smug expression off his face.

“I’m sorry I said that those night practices didn’t mean anything,” he said, louder and clearer as he stared down at the puck in his hands. “They- I really enjoyed them.”

It wasn’t a lie just to please Eric; Kevin had enjoyed them. What had started as determination to become better at something for the sake of his pride, had turned into something freeing.

Kevin was learning more than just ice skating.

Eric smiled and nodded slowly. “See? Wasn’t so hard.”

Kevin went to toss the puck back at Eric but he shook his head.

“Keep it. Stop clenching your fist like that. It’s better to have something to hold onto.”

Kevin stared down at the puck as he held it in his hands. It was smaller than an Exy ball and his fist could almost close around it.

He showed his gratitude only with a nod as he slowly stood up. Eric walked him to the door and then leaned with his one shoulder on the wall next to it.

“See you around then, boyfriend?”

Kevin rolled his eyes, wondering if Eric was enjoying this solely because it would annoy Kevin.

But as he got a text from Eric later that day to arrange their first ‘date’, he thought that perhaps it wouldn’t be so bad.

#aftg #aftg headcanon #aftg oc #all for the game #kevin day #kevin day x oc #OC: Jiang Eric #the foxhole court #the raven king #the kings men #andrew minyard #neil josten #andreil #nicky hemmick #aaron minyard #dan wilds #matt boyd #allison reynolds #renee walker #jeremy knox #jean moreau #jerejean #exy #Palmetto State Foxes

[kevindayscrown]

The one where Kevin Day falls in love with an ice hockey player.

Part 4 The Fall

(TW: Panic attacks, mentions of violence, mentions of homophobia, mentions of Riko because he deserves his own trigger warning)

Anything included in this head canon takes place the semester after the Foxes won the championship against the Ravens.

Disclaimer: I know next to nothing about varsity teams in the United States so excuse any false information. Read first the Introduction, Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3.

Weeks passed, the chilling breezes of October giving way to the bitter cold of mid-November. The season had started off to a satisfying foot for the Foxes of the Exy team, the new recruits slowly adjusting. Everything was falling into place.

The calm before the storm.

Kevin reserved three nights a week for sneaking with Eric to the Foxhole Rink and practice his skating skills.

It was a slower process than he would have wanted, but Kevin knew about slow processes. It had taken him half a year before he could use a racquet with his left hand again.

However, Kevin was also a firm believer of proper equipment being part of an athlete’s success. His borrowed skates just wouldn’t do, especially now that the two of them had moved on from simple skating to actual ice hockey.

Eric agreed to take him to buy his own pair. Kevin had to skip class just so he wouldn’t have to find another excuse. He still wasn’t sure if Andrew genuinely believed him every time he came up with a reason to skip night practice and then disappear for hours.

They were looking at the designs the store had in stock when it happened.

Kevin felt his cellphone vibrate in his pocket. He could guess that it was probably Nicky, wanting to annoy him with something.

When it didn’t stop, he sighed in frustration and picked it up.

“What?”

“I’m so sorry Kevin.” It was Dan.

“Sorry about what?”

Dan had a knack for taking photos of the foxes throughout the year so she could put them on the wall back at the court. She carried a camera everywhere with her.

She’d carried one when they’d gone at the rink after the Exy team lost the bet.

Kevin rushed forward and asked the cashier if he could use one of the computers in the store.

It was everywhere in local and nationwide websites. Mostly on gossip tabloids. The ice hockey players had apparently gotten their hands on the photo and in their attempts to harmlessly tease their captain, they ended up spreading the photo around on the internet.

‘Kevin Day’s newest conquest? Staring Striker swings a different way than you’d expect.’

‘All for the Wrong Game? Exy-Prodigy Kevin Day on Thin Ice.’

On the articles, pictures of Eric having his arm wrapped around him when he almost fell on the rink and of them entering the Foxhole Rink in the late hours, were attached. He couldn’t even tell when those had been taken and by whom.

“Shit.”

Crude commentary, speculations, jokes, slurs, people suddenly claiming they always knew. It was all over the news. The headlines alone were bad enough.

‘Perhaps Kevin and Riko’s relationship was of a different nature.’

Kevin was going to be sick.

“What the hell happened Day? You look as if you’ve seen a ghost,” Eric demanded but Kevin could barely hear him.

He was having a hard time breathing. The last time he had panicked like that was when he told the press he had never been skiing before and instantly thought Riko would kill him for it. Now, it was another Moriyama who could take his life for such a stupid mistake.

Before his thoughts could keep going downhill, Eric grabbed his wrist on his right arm and dragged him down one of the alleys that was the least crowded. Kevin then felt hands cradling his face. Eric stared down at him with a harsh look, though one also of concern.

“These rumors go around all the time about every celebrity, Kevin,” He said, trying to comfort him.

“No, no, he-,” he stopped and tried to breathe in again. “Fuck. Fuck!” He pulled away and ran his fingers through his hair. Kevin hadn’t circled the news like that ever since it was announced that he had transferred to Palmetto State University.

“He? Who? Kevin, talk to me.”

Simple rumors have ruined careers, Kevin knew that. It was the rumor of him being better than Riko that had gotten him to break Kevin’s hand and almost ending his own career. It was by luck that he could recover and play again.

Pro teams weren’t tolerant to gossiping rumors that could ruin their image. And they sure as hell weren’t progressive enough to accept homosexual players – even only rumored ones - in their lineup. Kevin had already signed, but would they break his contact over this?

If they did, if he didn’t make it to pros, he would be useless to Ichirou. He would get rid of Kevin overnight.

“Kevin.” Eric’s stern voice snapped him back to reality.

“Ichirou Moriyama,” he finally said and stared down at his hands. The white scar across his left palm was somehow more prominent at that moment.

Eric was confused, as it was expected. Kevin gathered the remainings of his sanity to explain as best as he could. He didn’t know why or how, maybe it was his panic, his need to talk to someone, Eric’s concerned expression, but he was suddenly sharing everything. The Moriyamas owning Kevin ever since his mother died, Riko breaking his hand, everything going on in the background last year that people didn’t know about, and of course, the deal Neil had made with Ichirou.

By the time he was done, he was shaking and Eric remained completely silent.

“Fuck it,” the goaltender suddenly said. “Any pro team would be stupid to not take Kevin Day into their lineup because of this. You are the best striker in the history of Exy. You are passionate, you are determined. You have an insufferable ego, yes, but you are Exy. It’s your legacy. They won’t take it away from you.”

Kevin wasn’t sure how to react to this, but he felt a twitch in his chest.

Usually, when he had a panic attack, the Foxes or Wymack would hand him a bottle of vodka and call it a day. They didn’t know how to handle him.

Somehow, Eric however, knew exactly what to say.

“I- Thank you,” he said and clenched his hands into fists.

His phone rings again and Andrew’s name appeared on the screen.

Whatever composure he had regained, vanished into thin air.

Before he could reach for it, Eric grabbed the phone and picked it up. Kevin wasn’t sure what had been shared, and he wondered which of his knives Andrew would use to skin them both alive.

It didn’t take long for the blond to show up. Kevin was immediately at his feet, but wasn’t quick enough. Andrew already had a skate on his hand, apparently deciding to get creative and test how sharp the blade of it was.

He was going for Eric before Kevin could stop him.

#aftg #all for the game #OC: Jiang Eric #kevin day #aftg headcanon #aftg oc #the foxhole court #the raven king #the kings men #neil josten #andrew minyard #andreil #exy #Palmetto State Foxes #aaron minyard #nicky hemmick #dan wilds #matt boyd #allison reynolds #renee walker #tfc #tfc fanfic

[kevindayscrown]

The one where Kevin Day falls in love with an ice hockey player.

Part 8

Windows

(TW: Mentions of Riko and conditions in the Nest, slight angst)

Anything included in this head canon takes place the semester after the Foxes won the championship against the Ravens.

Disclaimer: I know next to nothing about varsity teams in the United States so excuse any false information. Head over to the directory to find the previous parts.

Eric claimed he knew where to take Kevin. He said that he’d make up for the lack of privacy on the public rink, and Kevin let him drive them away. He was surprised when Eric parked outside of an old building. It still looked well preserved.

“This is sort of a hideout for the frats mostly,” Eric explained as he led Kevin inside. “It was found abandoned and they usually use it to throw parties. We got lucky that today is not one of those days.”

Kevin raised an eyebrow as he looked around. At least here, they were away from prying eyes and away from Andrew. He didn’t let himself think for too long that the only reason they were doing this pretend dating was that so people would watch them. Technically, neither of them had to agree to coming here.

He found a couch pushed back against the wall but before he could sit on it, Eric stopped him by standing in front of him.

“Not here. Come on.” He headed up the stairs. Kevin hesitated, and would have been suspicious if he hadn’t known that there was no way Eric hadn’t registered and taken Andrew’s threat seriously.

And so, he followed.

Kevin had doubts when he realized their new spot was in the attic.

But upon laying eyes on the mostly empty space, he halted.

It was small and yet big enough for just the two of them. There was a large window across from them, higher up, and when Kevin walked closer, he noticed that the only view through it was of the sky.

Eric sat down and pressed his palms down on the floor to lean on them, staring up at the window. Kevin hesitated before sitting down next to him.

“Sometimes, we come here with the guys from the team when we need a break, you know?” Eric started. Kevin scoffed as he kept his gaze outside of the window.

“So, you brought me on the same place you bring your teammates?” Kevin had loosened enough that Eric could tell he was teasing.

“Mm well, I figured we’d have some peace and quiet.”

And so, in silence they remained for a few minutes. The window was slightly ajar, so Kevin could listen to the sounds of the busy campus outside.

“Today was fun,” Eric said.

Kevin nodded slowly and brought one knee close to his body, hugging it.

“I suppose it was.”

Kevin could remember the feeling of Erik’s hand closing around his, the feeling of his breath against his skin, the goaltender’s laughter echoing even over the laughter of the children in the rink.

But he could also remember Riko. Riko and Tetsuji and their words. A good player was just that; a player dedicated to playing the game. Anything else did not matter. Especially things that could get in the way. Distractions.

Ravens did not care who they slept with in the nest. Gender did not matter, as long as they took what they wanted; meaningless sex. Riko however, would always tell Kevin that homosexuality was disgusting. It had no place in a world that belonged predominantly to men.

Kevin then remembered Jean’s screams and pleads.

He almost flinched, but Eric chose that moment to speak:

“You are always doing this.”

“Doing what?” Kevin asked, not looking at him.

“Get lost. In whatever it is that’s going on in there.”

Kevin didn’t respond.

“I know you’ve been through shit. I don’t know what that shit is exactly, but I’ve seen you face your demons. What’s holding you back now?”

Kevin had faced Riko. In the end, he’d won. But had he really?

“I’m tired.”

Was it the adrenaline from today’s excitement or the exhaustion itself that made Kevin say that? He wasn’t sure. All he knew was that he was tired of carrying this weight. Riko’s ghost, memories from the Nest, guilt, his mother’s legacy, people’s expectations.

Was Kevin a person or was he a figure? A shadow of his mother’s decisions, an echo of her life? Someone that people looked up to who wasn’t even real.

Eric’s expression softened, but Kevin didn’t want his pity.

“I understand. I didn’t use to, but now I see it.”

Kevin attention was drawn by his words so he finally turned to look at him.

“You are too hard on yourself. You are cold and harsh with others, but only because you are so used to having high expectations from yourself, that you can’t help doing the same with everyone else.”

Kevin didn’t respond.

He wondered how he was so transparent when it came to Eric.

“And you?” He finally said. Eric raised an eyebrow, waiting for further explanation.

“Me?”

“Yes. You. You always have something to say, you are so calm and so fucking confident. What’s the catch?”

Eric hesitated and then shrugged.

“We all have our own weights. The question is whether you’ll allow someone to help you carry them. I have friends. A family who supports me. They help me through it. Who do you have?”

Kevin scoffed.

“You and your wise sayings,” he muttered. He would have looked away but Eric didn’t let him. He held onto Kevin’s chin and made him keep his gaze on him.

“If I am to pretend to be your boyfriend, I ought to understand you, don’t you think?” He asked.

Kevin had nowhere else to stare at but at Eric.

Eric noticed then, that Kevin had small tiny freckles sprawled all over his cheeks. They were tiny and almost invisible, but they were there.

“I suppose you are right.” Kevin said.

The thought of Eric ‘understanding’ him, terrified Kevin, though he didn’t show it. Opening up to someone, letting everything out. He’d never done it before. With anyone.

Their faces were dangerously close.

Kevin wasn’t sure why he didn’t pull away.

“You know, to sell the lie, we will probably have to kiss in public,” Eric’s voice was now a whisper.

Kevin froze at that moment, but all it took for him to relax was a brush of Eric’s thumb across his skin.

“We need practice. You know, so that it won’t shock you when we finally have to do it.”

It was a stupid excuse, but both of them used it to appease to their doubts and self-instilled restrictions, worries and no’s.

“Yes. You are probably right.”

Practice. This was a game. Nothing more.

And yet, as Eric pressed his lips against Kevin’s, Kevin felt a rush feeling of excitement, similar to scoring on court, his heart pounding.

His eyes closed and he leaned closer. Even kissing was like a banter, a competition between them. They enjoyed riling each other up, drawing reactions out of the other, pushing each other to their limits.

It became frantic, rough. Kevin’s hands gripped Eric’s shoulders and Eric’s hands went to his waist. They pulled each other closer and only pulled away when they had to catch their breath.

Kevin let go and panted slightly. Eric was the one who put distance between them and they remained silent for a moment.

It wasn’t awkward. But it was clear both of them had a lot to think about, for different reasons.

“Perhaps we need more practice,” Kevin muttered. Doubts and denial would come later. At the moment, Kevin was too focused on Eric, as the goaltender leaned in again and stole his breath away.

#kevin day x oc #kevin day #all for the game #aftg headcanons #aftg au #aftg oc #aftg #OC: Jiang Eric #andrew minyard #neil josten #andreil #the foxhole court #aaron minyard #the raven king #the kings men #allison reynolds #renee walker #matt boyd #dan wilds #jean moreau #jeremy knox #jerejean

[kevindayscrown]

The one where Kevin Day falls in love with an ice hockey player.

Part 13

Stay

Anything included in this head canon takes place the semester after the Foxes won the championship against the Ravens.

Disclaimer: I know next to nothing about varsity teams in the United States so excuse any false information. Head over to the directory to find the previous parts.

When the two of them managed to pull away from each other, Kevin decided it was time to let Neil and Andrew know that he would take a bit longer to go find them.

He pulled out his cellphone from his pocket, only to see that Neil had already texted him;

‘Find something to do with yourself in Atlanta for tonight.’

Kevin stared down at it for a while, not sure what to do with it; was he supposed to ask Eric if he could spend the night here? The semester started in two days which meant that they’d both have to go back to Palmetto the next day. It would be only for a night but Kevin wasn’t so sure how he felt about it.

He was even more surprised that Neil had managed to convince Andrew to leave Kevin behind in the first place. Then again, it wouldn’t be the first time Andrew agreed to something just because ‘Neil asked’.

“Dinner is served. Ma says you are more than welcome to stay and eat with us,” Eric said, his hand finding its place on Kevin’s lower back. It took some will on Kevin’s part to not pull away and welcome the touch instead.

How was he going to ask such favor from Eric? Maybe he didn’t have to. Maybe he could call Neil and yell at him until they would turn the car around and come pick him up again.

“Yes, dinner would be nice,” he finally said, deciding to think about that later as he shoved his phone in his pocket.

The two of them headed downstairs, where Riley was helping Hien set up the table. Apparently, they’d already decided on their own that Kevin was going to stay for dinner.

Kevin wasn’t sure if any of this was a good idea, but it was too late to back down, turn around and leave. Instead, he pulled up a chair and sat down. Eric took a seat next to him and flashed him a smile that he couldn’t help but return, even in a passing moment.

The food served in front of them was a dish Kevin didn’t recognize, but could guess from Eric’s lit up expression that it must be one of those traditional ones that he’d told Kevin he favored.

Kevin never did well with new flavors. He’d already started to calculate potential calorie intake and how much he would have to work out to make up for it when Eric reached and put his hand on his knee under the table.

“If you want to have something else, I’m sure Ma wouldn’t mind it,” he said. Kevin wasn’t sure how he noticed or if he’d already put the pieces together from previous interactions of Kevin’s with food, but the striker wasn’t very willing to be rude to Hien and her attempts to welcome Kevin.

“No. It’s fine,” he said firmly, picking up a fork and starting to eat when everyone was seated. He could tell that Riley, seated across from him, was already dying to say something, held back only by Eric’s warning gaze.

Kevin let out a scoff at that, counting down the moments until Riley finally spoke;

“So… are you guys finally dating again?” They asked with a toothy grin. Kevin shifted a bit in his chair at the same time Eric coughed.

Where they dating? Kevin supposed they were. He wasn’t sure what that entailed. His only dating experience was not exactly an example he should be looking up to. However, if Eric had certain expectations from Kevin, he would probably be disappointed.

“Yes, we are,” Kevin finally said, taking both Eric and Riley by surprise. He didn’t elaborate though as he picked up the fork and brought it in his mouth slowly.

“That’s awesome! Oh wait- does that mean I’m third-wheeling? Are tonight’s plans cancelled?” The question was clearly directed at Eric, who seemed to hesitate as he turned to look at Kevin.

“Are you leaving after this? How did you even get here in the first place?” He asked. Kevin realized then that he could no longer stall making a decision.

“With Andrew and Neil. They left. They are probably on the way to Palmetto by now,” he said, sounding bitter about the fact that, once again, Neil was getting in someone’s business, thinking it was actually going to help.

“Wait- where are you staying then?” Riley asked but then their eyes lit up. They glanced between Kevin and Eric and then let out a mischievous hum.

“I was gonna sleep over here but I just remembered I have to keep my grandma company tonight. I’m sure Kevin will be comfortable on the spare mattress,” they said, looking very satisfied with themselves.

Eric glanced at Kevin, almost with a hopeful expression. Kevin wasn’t usually one to fall for such things, but Eric had already done a lot for him. Some small part of him also wanted to stay. To spend a little more private time with him before they got back to campus.

“Alright,” he said with a small nod, feeling Eric relax by his side for a moment. Riley grinned as they watched them and then stood up to pick up the plates. Kevin had enough common courtesy to decide and help, seeing as the family had already done a lot for him, and they would apparently let him spend the night here. Despite Wei’s persistence to let them handle it, Kevin picked up some of the plates and followed Riley in the kitchen.

“I’m glad you worked things out with Eric,” they eventually said as Kevin handed them plates one by one for them to wash. He wasn’t sure how to respond to that, but apparently, he didn’t really have to say anything because Riley just kept talking.

“He’s been crushing on you forever. Seriously, it was hard to hear him talk about how much he ‘hated’ you-,” they had to put the plate down and do the air quotes with soapy fingers, “- when it was just so obvious.”

Kevin raised an eyebrow as he listened, leaning up against the counter, watching Riley as they kept washing the dishes, like they hadn’t just dropped a bomb and waited for it to explode.

It made Kevin halt and think for a moment. Eric had never really been affectionate before. If anything, Kevin had earned a fair share of bruises from fights they’d gotten in. He couldn’t imagine the goaltender actually liking him in any way during that time.

“What has Eric said about me?” He eventually asked, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

Riley realized at that moment that they had spoken too much and hesitated as they kept rubbing the glass to get rid of the stains on it. Eventually, they shrugged and put on a small innocent-like smile.

“I guess you’ll have to convince Eric to tell you himself.”

Kevin wasn’t able to extract any further information after that. Riley eventually left after biding the whole family goodnight. Hien and Wei let Kevin get settled after making sure he had everything he needed. Eric had set up the mattress Riley had mentioned by his bed and even offered to take the mattress himself to let Kevin sleep on the bed.

“It’s fine,” Kevin said as he sat down and removed his shoes. The two remained silent for a long moment before Eric finally spoke:

“So. We are dating. Officially,” he said, as if still being unable to believe it.

Kevin himself was hesitant but he was slowly coming to terms with the fact that he was attracted to a guy. He wasn’t sure what that meant, but he’d rather not think too hard on labels right then. People had been labelling him his entire life already.

“Yes. We are.”

Eric smiled at that and then slowly leaned down from the bed to reach the same height as Kevin. Kevin met him halfway and brought his hand to Eric’s cheek as their lips touched.

“Alright then, boyfriend,” Eric hummed with a soft chuckle that had Kevin’s heart skip a few beats, “You can’t back out from this one now. You have no idea what you are getting yourself into.”

Judging from their previously fake relationship, Kevin knew exactly what he was getting into. He finally had someone who could tolerate him without dismissing him, someone who was helping him see things the way they were.

“Really, Jiang?” He finally asked as he gripped the other’s collar of his shirt and pulled him down, closer to his face. Eric watched him intensely, and Kevin could see his throat bob as he gulped.

“I think that now you are in my domain.” Kevin finally whispered before pulling Eric in for another kiss.

#all for the game #aftg #the foxhole court #the raven king #the kings men #kevin day #kevin day x oc #OC: Jiang Eric #andrew minyard #neil josten #andreil #matt boyd #nicky hemmick #aaron minyard #dan wilds #renee walker #allison reynolds #aftg headcanon #aftg fic #tfc

[kevindayscrown]

The one where Kevin Day falls in love with an ice hockey player.

Kevin's birthday special.

Anything included in this head canon takes place the semester after the Foxes won the championship against the Ravens.

Disclaimer: I know next to nothing about varsity teams in the United States so excuse any false information. Head over to the directory to find the previous parts.

This is not in the canon timeline. It's simply a special, and Eric and Kevin have probably been dating for a few years. The next part in the series will continue where the last one left of.

Kevin's birthday is always a tricky subject. Eric is never sure how to make it memorable or good. Last year, Kevin had insisted on not celebrating it at all.

Eric can guess why. He doubted Kevin's birthday was ever celebrated in Evermore. Kevin hasn't talked about that explicitly yet, but it doesn't take a lot for Eric to get it.

This year, Eric is convinced to show Kevin that his birthday deserves to be celebrated.

The day before the twenty second of February, Eric makes a show of not mentioning anything. They are spending the evening sitting on Kevin's bed, watching a documentary on the striker's laptop. Eric is usually content with that, but now he is too occupied with thoughts about the following day.

"You aren't being as talkative as usually. Should I be worried?" Kevin asks with that snarky tone of his.

Eric rolls his eyes but simply wraps an arm around his waist and holds him closer. Just as he had been able to start reading Kevin, Kevin has also started recognising the patterns in Eric's behaviour.

"Nah, it's fine. Just thinking about an assignment I have to do," he says, conjuring up a quick excuse, his eyes still stuck on the screen.

Kevin remains mostly silent after that and the evening goes as it usually does; they watch half of the documentary and then they make out for a while. Sometimes, it goes further than that.

This time, Eric stops it. He has a birthday to plan.

"It's the assignment," he says. "I'm not going to calm down until I've finished it."

Kevin nods and says nothing, although he seems suspicious of Eric. It's all forgotten when Eric leans in for another kiss, a peck on Kevin's lips, before standing up.

The goaltender rushes outside, only to be stopped by the rest of the so called Monsters, sitting in the sofa and in the bean bags, occupied by a video game.

"Still nothing?" Neil Josten asks, not taking his eyes off the screen, even if it's the twins and Nicky playing and not him.

Eric makes sure he has closed the door to Kevin's room before he turns to them.

"Nothing. I've no idea what I'm supposed to do and it's almost midnight," he says with a sigh of frustration.

Andrew pauses the game when he realises that Eric won't leave until he gets some help.

"It should be something Exy related. Since he is so obsessed with that," Aaron says sarcastically while waving a chip around and then shoving it in his mouth.

"I want it to be something special," Eric grumbles and sits awkwardly on the armchair of the couch.

"Maybe Kevin doesn't need special. Maybe he just needs something chill, something that will take his mind off of everything," Nicky recommends and steals a chip from Aaron.

Eric remains silent for a moment and then his eyes widen. He doesn't bother sharing his idea with the rest of them, he simply rushes off outside of the dorm.

Kevin thinks that Eric - and everyone else - will simply forget that tomorrow is his birthday.

It doesn't matter after all. It never did. Sure, his fans will make a big deal out of it, and maybe some sports programs will prepare some small tribute, but Kevin can easily forget about those.

Riko always made sure he did, after all. He always made sure that Kevin would practice a little harder that day, made sure he would keep him occupied with his poisonous words and his sharp knives.

Kevin follows his usual routine, finishing the documentary and then reading a bit before getting ready for bed.

At midnight, he checks his phone, not sure really what he is expecting. When he sees he has received no messages, he puts it down and goes to sleep.

Next day is almost completely uneventful. No one mentions a thing and Kevin tells himself it's better this way as he goes on about his day.

He meets with Eric when afternoon practice is over. Eric comes to pick him up from the Foxhole Court, but much to Kevin's surprise, they aren't heading to the Fox Tower.

"Where are we going?" He asks as he turns to look at his boyfriend.

Eric only smiles and says nothing as he keeps driving. Eventually, he parks outside of their once usual hang out spot.

The abandoned house that is regularly used for frat parties looks the same as it always did. Kevin raises an eyebrow but indulges in whatever Eric is planning and heads out of the car.

The two of them sneak inside like they always do when they come here. They find their way upstairs to the attic and to their spot by the window. Where they usually sat on the floor, now there is a couch and they make themselves comfortable.

Eric pulls Kevin against him and rests his head on top of his, convincing himself to not stare at him. He knows that the light from the setting sun is gonna shine on the other's face and make his facial features stand out, but Eric settles with imagining that instead and closes his eyes.

Kevin remains silent for a moment until he can't stand it any longer. He looks up at Eric and grips his chin, making him look at him.

Eric stares back into those emerald eyes, daring him to say anything. Technically, there has been no mention of Kevin's birthday.

"You are insufferable," Kevin finally says, making Eric grin.

"I know."

Eric leans in and kisses Kevin softly, arms settling around his waist as he pulls him closer. Kevin doesn't complain as he settles against Eric.

Eric doesn't break the kiss until he has to. He reaches down and under the couch and pulls out a badly wrapped box.

Kevin glares at him and pushes it away.

"I told you last year; I don't want presents."

Eric sighs and puts the box down on his lap.

"This isn't Evermore. You know that, right?" He asks him. "I know your birthday isn't the only day I can remind you of how amazing you are, but it just gives me more of a reason to do so."

Kevin hesitates and looks down at the box. He reaches for it and unwraps the newspaper wrapping slowly.

When he is done, he is holding a red sweater with Eric's number and last name on the back.

"I know red is your favourite colour. And I know you think it doesn't suit you. But I actually think it does," Eric explains when he sees the puzzled expression on Kevin's face. "Plus, you sporting my jersey number is kinda hot."

Kevin rolls his eyes even if he isn't annoyed. Not really. He grips the sweater in his hands and then turns to Eric.

"You really are amazing, Kev. I only want this day to be a happy one for you, not one ruined by bad memories. You are safe. You are here with me," Eric says.

"Thank you," Kevin finally mutters after a small moment of silence. Eric smiles.

"You can thank me another way," he says with a wiggle of his eyebrows that has Kevin scoffing and rolling his eyes again, more genuinely this time.

He can't resist though. He puts the sweater down and pulls Eric in for a feverish kiss, his arms wrapped around the other's neck.

Eric laughs against his lips for a moment before shoving the now empty box out of the way and pushing Kevin on his back, going on top of him.

Kevin knows that this isn't the most special thing someone could have done for him on his birthday.

He doesn't care. It's perfect all the same.

And even as time goes by and he now has his head on Eric's bare chest, looking out at the nignt sky while the goaltender is snoring softly, he wishes that every day was his birthday.

#all for the game #aftg #the foxhole court #the raven king #the kings men #kevin day #neil josten #andrew minyard #andreil #matt boyd #kevin day x oc #OC: Jiang Eric #palmetto state university #allison reynolds #renee walker #nicky hemmick #aaron minyard #aftg headcanon #aftg au

[kevindayscrown]

The one where Kevin Day falls in love with an ice hockey player.

Part 14 Free

Anything included in this head canon takes place the semester after the Foxes won the championship against the Ravens.

Disclaimer: I know next to nothing about varsity teams in the United States so excuse any false information. Head over to the directory to find the previous parts and the fanfic version here.

The semester started off on a good note. Kevin and Eric returned to campus together as planned with classes starting the day after that. At that point, everyone had heard about their ‘break up’ before the winter holidays so they were equally surprised to see the two of them come back to campus together.

No one had much to say except their respective teams; the Exy players looked almost smug, as if the couple’s make up was their doing. On the other hand, the Ice Hockey players were a bit more hesitant to accept this new reality.

Kevin knew that there were no happy endings. Even if the two had gotten together, the world around them was still the same. Kevin himself still had many battles to fight on his own.

“Are you for real, dude?” One of Eric’s teammates asked the captain. They didn’t even bother to be discreet; they’d been waiting for Eric in the parking lot, all five players of their starting lineup.

“Caleb, this isn’t the time,” Eric said sternly. Kevin’s own expression was almost dismissive, but he still strained an ear as he finally got out of the car.

Kevin cared little for Eric’s teammates but that part of him that knew Eric cared for them still sought for their approval. Then again, when was Kevin not chasing for someone’s approval?

“Yes, this is the time. You aren’t going to waste your last years in college fake dating this asshole,” Caleb Richards, center player said, glaring at Kevin with eyes narrowed.

Kevin couldn’t really blame them, but he did believe the way they went about this was incredibly idiotic and not worth his time. Which was why he decided to hook an arm around Eric’s waist and pull him closer, all while staring at the ice hockey players with an unimpressed and unfazed expression.

“Not that it’s really any of your business-,” Kevin started, with a tone that was almost polite, as if he were talking to a host of a talk show, “- but Eric and I are dating. Now, if you excuse us, it was a long drive from Atlanta, and I believe we both need rest.”

They were all left staring as Kevin helped Eric pull his suitcase out of the trunk of the car. They both thought they were done talking about this for now but Nate Wilson, right defenseman spoke up,

“Finally.”

This had both Kevin and Eric staring at him. The blond that was staring back at them only grinned slightly and then walked over and punched Eric in the shoulder, hard enough that it made the taller goalie wince.

“We were really tired of seeing you moping around all the fucking time.”

Eric looked as if he was about to protest but one raised eyebrow from Bryce had him shutting up. Kevin was amused, the tension leaving his body. This was perhaps the most civilized conversation he’d ever had with the players of the Ice Hockey team. Not that they’d ever have reason to try and speak to each other. Kevin supposed that his relationship with Eric was perhaps the first and only bridge between the two teams.

“We really went all mother hen on you, huh?” Nick Matheson, left winger, asked with a toothy grin.

“Yes, a little bit,” Eric said, still rubbing his arm on the spot where Nate had punched him. However, there was a rather fond smile on his face and Kevin could almost tell he was fighting hard to keep a balance between his figure as a Captain and his role as a friend and part of this group.

“Well, pizza is on the way. Might as well stick around,” Bryce suggested and glanced at Kevin, giving him a small nod that said the invitation was open to him as well.

Kevin thought about it for a moment as he turned and glanced at Eric. The goalie gave him an encouraging smile which Kevin did not return, but the slight light to his eyes was enough.

“One condition,” he said as he turned his gaze to the Fox Tower behind them for a moment.

Kevin knew there was a high probability that he would regret this later. For one, it was hard to fit both teams in one dorm room, even if not every ice hockey player in the line up joined them. Somehow, they made it work.

Andrew looked as if he’d rather be anywhere else but here, but the fact he’d agree to come at all was a wonder only Neil could have achieved. The two of them settled down on the couch in Eric’s dorm room, keeping to themselves.

However, the rest appeared to have an easier time adjusting. Dan and Matt were already dedicated in a conversation with Nate and Nicky had no problems talking Caleb’s ears off, who seemed to be less than amused by the whole situation.

Eric walked over to Kevin with that stupid puppy smile. Kevin would never dare admit that he was, in fact, very attracted to that smile.

“Seems to me like all this time spent fighting each other was for nothing,” he said with a hum as he slipped an arm around Kevin’s waist. Kevin stood still and watched the interactions between the two teams.

“Perhaps. It doesn’t matter.” It didn’t. The rivalry between Exy and Ice Hockey players was something that went beyond the Palmetto teams. It was common, expected and sometimes encouraged for the spectacle of it. But the Foxes were known for being… unconventional. If anyone were to break these ‘universal rules’, it was them.

“I’m proud of you,” Eric suddenly said. Kevin froze for a moment and then glanced at the goalie, wanting to tell him that he didn’t need patronizing. The expression on the other’s face, however, was genuine.

Kevin’s expression must have been a questioning one because Eric was quick to start explaining after that.

“I think you don’t really recognize how much you’ve achieved. I’m not talking about Exy, I’m talking about-,” he made a general gesture with his hand, as if having a hard time finding the right words. “- this. I may not know the whole story, but I know it was hard for you to come back from your lowest point. The fact that you are clearly working on it is more than enough.”

Kevin remained silent for a moment, not sure if he’d ever heard such words before in his life. The only one who’d gotten close to them was Wymack, but the coach was not exactly known for being good at handling emotional situation, even if he had his own way with words.

He hadn’t known how much he’d needed to hear them until they finally came from someone. Kevin wasn’t okay. He was far from it. But that was fine because Kevin was trying. Once, he’d accepted that he would always be property.

Now, Kevin was free and had to deal with the aftermath. Which was fine. He could do it. He’d achieved and faced worse things in his life. He just needed time and space. Having people like Eric around him could only help him.

“Thank you,” Kevin finally said. He’d always known to put up a front but at that moment, it felt almost ridiculous to try and hide from Eric. Or from anyone, for that matter. If anything, his vulnerability only made him stronger.

Eric smiled at that and leaned in, kissing him softly on the lips.

Happy endings may not exist but at least Kevin had this new reality that he knew how he was going to officially introduce.

“Get up,” he told everyone as he closed the pizza boxes and grabbed the slice Nicky was nibbling on from his mouth.

Nicky groaned and tried to reach it again. “What the hell for?” He demanded. Kevin grinned slightly as he dumped the slice into one of the boxes.

“I think it’s time we return the favor to the Ice Hockey team and bring them over to our court.”

The Exy players did not need any more encouragement, except perhaps the twins. Eric managed to get his teammates to also go along with this and then turned to Kevin.

“Who are you and what have you done to Kevin?” He teased. Kevin only shrugged as he followed the others, watching them piling inside their cars.

“I guess I’m full of surprises.” Kevin said and smiled at Eric for only a passing moment before following the Monsters to the Maserati.

#aftg #all for the game #aftg fanfic #the foxhole court #tfc #the raven king #the kings men #kevin day #kevin day x oc #OC: Jiang Eric #andrew minyard #neil josten #andreil #nicky hemmick #renee walker #dan wilds #Allison Reynolds #matt boyd #aaron minyard #Palmetto State Foxes #exy #jeremy knox #jean moreau #jerejean

[kevindayscrown]

The one where Kevin Day falls in love with an ice hockey player.

Extra Content Part 1

Anything included in this head canon takes place the semester after the Foxes won the championship against the Ravens.

Head over to the directory to find the main parts.

Words in italics are spoken in Mandarin by the characters.

This is sort of extra content, it’s not a main part and no, I promise it won’t be as bad as Nora’s extra content is.

Eric liked to believe he was a pretty chill guy. There were very few things that could really affect him emotionally, he rarely got angry, and he raised his voice even less.

But somehow, Kevin Day had the ability to turn it all upside down.

He could remember the first time they’d met very vividly. Back then, he’d thought that Kevin was nothing more than a stuck-up celebrity, who apparently didn’t have time for those he considered inferior.

However, Eric found that he enjoyed riling Kevin up.

And secretly, he also enjoyed when Kevin himself wouldn’t go down without a fight.

When they started spending more time together, Eric couldn’t help but want to find out more about him. It was clear there was a lot more behind that cold façade.

From the yakuza story, the pretend dating, that kiss in the attic and eventually, the ‘break up’, Eric was not sure what to think anymore.

He knew he felt something for Kevin.

Correction.

He knew he very much wanted to take the ‘pretending’ out of the ‘dating’.

Despite everything, Kevin didn’t seem to have the same idea. Eric knew he’d been through a lot, but there was only so much he could tolerate. Perhaps when the two of them would eventually cool down, they’d be able to at least stay friends.

“Perhaps this was a waste of our time after all.”

That’s what he’d said before rushing out of the restroom, leaving the striker behind. He’d figured that both of them needed space and time to think things through.

Neil Josten hadn’t been very willing to give Eric his space, though.

The short red head followed Eric outside, saying nothing at first. Eventually, Eric stopped and turned to look at him.

“Is there a particular reason you followed me outside?”

Neil shrugged and then pulled out a pack of cigarettes from his pockets. He held it out to Eric first, who shook his head, before taking one from inside and lighting it up.

“Let me guess-,” he started and took a drag, letting the smoke out before he spoke again, “- Kevin is being an idiot again.”

Eric ran his fingers through the hair at the back of his neck, not sure how to respond to that. Kevin hadn’t been an idiot. He’d just been incredibly blind and stubborn.

“You’ll get used to it. He’s like that. It takes him some time,” Neil said and blew out more smoke.

Eric didn’t at all doubt that. It was clear Kevin’s mind worked in patterns that were hard to break. But was Eric willing to sacrifice his own sanity in trying to help Kevin?

“I figured. I’m not sure if I’m the one suitable to be there for him.”

Neil’s snort caused some smoke to blow out through his nose.

“I’ve never seen Kevin like that. Lying to Andrew and skipping Exy practice to go to the rink at night with you? Even going there willingly in the first place? Trust me, whatever it is you’re doing is working wonders already.”

Eric wasn’t so sure about that, since he had just left Kevin alone in a restroom after he had literally returned Kevin’s words against him, telling him he’d been a waste of time.

“What do I do?” Eric asked, almost desperately. He didn’t want to mess this up. He definitely did not want to become another reason why Kevin was cold and closed off.

“Give it some time. We’ll handle it. I’m sure you’ve seen what the foxes can do if they get too stubborn.”

Oh, Eric had. The Exy team of the Palmetto State Foxes had risen from the bottom of the ranks and won the championship, in an impressive way to say the least.

“Fine.” Eric wasn’t sure if he liked how this gave him hope, but he decided to hold onto it regardless. He was already too deep into this to be able to back out. He didn’t want to give up on Kevin, but he couldn’t be the only one doing most of the work.

“Where are you planning on going? Not the hotel I suppose,” Neil said and then threw the cigarette down, stepping on it.

The last thing Eric wanted was to spend a whole awkward night sharing the same bed with Kevin. In any other case, it might have been something to look forward to, seeing how he had imagined that scenario many times. But not like that. Not with the two of them barely exchanging any words.

“No. I’m leaving. Figured I should give us both some space. A lot has happened these past months. Maybe the winter break is all we need,” he said with a shrug and then shoved his hands in his pockets. “I’ll head back to my parents’ place. Was already planning on it. I’ll just show up earlier.”

Eric wanted to give Kevin time and space, wanted to believe Neil. He generally wasn’t the pessimistic kind of person so it was easy for him to cling on the hope that Kevin and him could have something more. Something real.

Going home, he thought, would help him forget and clear his head for a couple of weeks.

Except, it didn’t.

His childhood best friend, Riley Pierce, wasn’t exactly keen on letting Eric forget about Kevin. Mostly because Riley had been obsessed with Kevin growing up. They weren’t a sports person, but they were an Exy fanatic.

And there was no chance they would let Eric forget that he’d started dating national champion Kevin Day without telling them anything.

Two days prior to leaving his home town in Atlanta for the start of the new semester, Riley still wouldn’t drop the subject.

“I can’t believe you went on dates with him. What is he like? I mean, I know you hate him, but really, you went on dates with Kevin Day.”

They were gliding across the ice of their neighborhood rink, a regular hang out spot for the two of them. Riley’s smaller frame and hate for physical violence led them down the path of figure skating instead of playing ice hockey with Eric.

“It was fine,” Eric mumbled, though his mind went straight to the nights spend in the attic. “He is-,” he stopped, knowing he couldn’t start talking about Kevin without Riley figuring out the truth. He had tried to avoid it throughout the holidays, but now it was just the two of them and Eric had no idea how to change the subject.

“Wait-,”

Too late.

Riley halted and made Eric do the same, watching him and studying him the way no one else could. Growing up next to each other was the cause for that.

“You actually like him. It wasn’t just fake dating for you, was it?”

Eric sighed and eventually gave in, nodding slowly. “He is... not used to this. We had a fall out and I figured out that giving him some time might help clear things out.”

Riley’s expression softened. They smiled and then crushed Eric in a hug that almost had them both tripping over the ice.

“If anyone can figure it out, it’s you. Even if sometimes you are a bit thick in the head. I’m telling you; ice hockey isn’t good for you.”

That had Eric laughing, lifting his spirits a bit. Riley pulled back and patted his shoulder.

“Look, Kevin Day or not, at the end of the day, you should do what makes you happy. If you want to be with him and think it’s going to work out, I know you can do it. If not then, well, you have my shoulder to cry on. Or you can tell Kevin I’m very much available.”

They grinned and Eric rolled his eyes but smiled fondly.

“Thanks, Riley.”

Eric knew he had his family, his team and his best friend whom he could count on. He couldn’t help, however, to worry about Kevin and how he spent the winter break. Sure, he had his team, he had people surrounding him, but was he still punishing himself?

Riley eventually suggested they go back for dinner at Eric’s place. They gathered their stuff after they got off the rink and then started heading back.

“Mom?” Eric called as they walked inside the house.

“Eric?” His mother asked as she looked at them from the living room, immediately walking over to them to welcome them. “You are back! Good. Someone very special is here to see you.”

The smile on her face had something mischievous about it that instantly got Eric’s attention.

Eric heard Riley squeal even before he spotted Kevin Day, sitting on the couch, watching him with bright emerald eyes.

#kevin day #kevin day x oc #OC: Jiang Eric #aftg #aftg headcanon #aftg oc #aftg au #all for the game #the foxhole court #the raven king #the kings men #andreil #andrew minyard #neil josten #Palmetto State Foxes #nicky hemmick #aaron minyard #matt boyd #dan wilds #renee walker #allison reynolds #exy