Who: Hockey and Figure Skating. What: The NHL Awards, then the after-party. Where: Las Vegas. When: June 23rd. Warnings: Possible language and alcohol.
It was his night. The night when Hockey's finest adorned the red carpet and posed for the cameras before ushering inside, the greatest among them being honoured with trophies, each trophy holding so much historical significance within their metallic shapes. And Hockey took it all in eagerly, mingling with celebrities during the afternoon before returning to the hotel to dress in his finest suit and wait for Figure Skating to to dress before they were off, showing up at the red carpet in a limo. The walk took longer for them than it usually did for Hockey and Claire, as Hockey had to field questions about the woman on his arm - she's my girlfriend, yes, I'm quite happy, yes, I assume she's proud of me; now, weren't you asking my opinion on the Hart nominees? - but they reached the end of it eventually, Hockey rolling his eyes in Figure Skating's direction once the cameras had turned away from them and to the Sedin twins coming up from behind. Her hand on his arm was a cold weight, one that kept him from floating away as the power of the evening turned into intoxication, Hockey placing his hand on top of hers as he led her to their seats. It was only a matter of whispering into her ear, paying her lavish compliments - all centered around how beautiful she looked - to make the time pass and, then, the stage lit up and Snoop Dogg took over, Hockey grinning from ear to ear.
He only slipped away from her once, to stand backstage as the nominees for the Lady Byng were read. Hockey won, of course, and first thanked the Rangers organization before Max, Claire and, finally, his girlfriend, looking ever-so-humble and pleased to be up on that stage. When Hockey slipped back into his seat to grasp Figure Skating's hand lightly, he was thrumming with power and she had to remind him, several times, that he couldn't get up and change who won the separate awards with sheer force of will. There were times when he wanted to, of course - Ovechkin didn't deserve the Lindsay, Brodeur should have won the Vezina, and the Hart should have gone to Crosby - but, instead, he suffered through the mistakes and simply lapped up every little ounce of power that streamed toward him from every person present at the Awards. And when the ceremony was over, well, just because there were no more awards to give out didn't mean that everyone just went home. There was an after-party, after all, an after-party that only the finest - and their entourages - were invited to, an after-party with an open bar. Hockey, with his arm around Figure Skating's waist loosely, smirked at Claire across the room, his publicist wearing her best fake-smile as she nodded patiently up at a hulking bear of a man, a man who bared a slight resemblance to her.
But Hockey didn't want to talk to Bruiser. No, he only wanted to try and remain upright after that intoxicating burst of power. The champagne wasn't helping, but when Patrick Kane came over to talk to him, Hockey managed not to slur his words too much as Kaner congratulated him on the Lady Byng before going off to rescue Captain Serious from having to spend too much time with a still-lisping Duncan Keith. It was then that Hockey had a few brief moments alone with Figure Skating before someone else wanted to talk to him, and he took advantage of it, leaning down to brush a kiss over her jawline. "Having fun?" He asked, his voice made rough by the combined inebriation of power and alcohol.