Chapter Text
Mack has been hiding the fact that he’s a sub for years. It was easy enough, with the amount of suppressants and training Rick has given him, he has been able to fool the entire league into believing he was just a more calm than others Dom.
Albeit there have been many questions, mostly as to why he doesn’t hook up ever or why he never seems to be as sharp as other Doms are. Although many voiced these questions they were more so just innocently curiosity, which is ironic considering the person who never asked was the most serious on the matter.
Will has known that something is up since they first met in development camp. When Mack tried to hard to be stoic and mysterious. It wasn’t until Will was finally able to crack that exterior with enough self deprecating jokes that Mack showed his true colours. That was the first red flag, Doms don’t do that, they don’t hide, they just are. Most people chalked it up to just stress about being the most talked about prospect in the league, but Will knew better. Which is why he felt so guilty when it went down.
They lost, they lost often but that never really took the sting away from it. Will was angry, Warso was angry, really everyone was; at the game and at themselves. The unusual thing though was Mack. Most often after games like this Mack looks like he wants to kill somebody with a shot gun. That person after particular games can often be himself. Today though Mack looked empty, he sat in his stall not moving not watching tape or angrily taking off his gear. He just sat there staring at the wall looking unusually pale.
“Hey Mackie, you good?”
Will asked giving a quick shove at his shoulder trying to get some response what he got through was something he wasn’t expecting. Mack dropped, hard. Straight to the ground infront of him landing on his knees and twisting so that he faced Will and began to cry. The locker room became dead silent. The shock was potent not only cause was this crazy unusual of Mack, it was completely unheard of as a Dom to ever get on your knees for another.
Will reacted quickly putting his hands in Mack’s hair trying to soothe him whilst he was shaking at an unbearable rate. Then before he knew it Mack had fallen again, this time straight forward into Will’s crotch as he had fallen unconscious.
The trainers had no idea what to do as they had never seen a Dom do this before, so Mack was rushed to the hospital. There Will learnt that Mack had experienced an induced aggravated sub drop. Apparently it can occur after a sub goes too long not going into sub space and is brought on when they feel they have disappointed others. The doctor left after delivering the news, giving Mack an IV with an induce of sub hormones and saying he needed to stay the night for observation, leaving only Will in the room when he woke up.
When Mack woke up the first thing he felt was shame. Unidentified shame that couldn’t go away. Then the memories of what had happened flooded in and he kept his eyes closed in an attempt to fool Will into thinking he was still asleep, he should’ve known it wouldn’t work.
“I know you’re awake Macklin. Open your eyes before I make you.”
Wills voice was undeniably harsh and Mack doesn’t think he had ever heard him speak like that. It wasn’t quite his Dom voice but it was dangerously close, and it did the trick.
“I really don’t wanna talk about it Smitty”
Mack says his voice gravelly from sleep and discomfort. It doesn’t help that that shame just doesn’t seem to want to go away.
“Too bad you don’t get a choice.”
Mack looks directly at the wall opposite Will keeping as far away as possible.
“So you’re a sub.”
“Wow no shit Sherlock I never knew.”
“Oh don’t be a brat Macklin. Why didn’t you tell me.”
“Oh yeah because Subs are well respected in the NHL Smitty. We don’t constantly get over looked or taken advantage of, make our skills be about that then actual hockey. You’ve seen Crosby, it’s a miracle he’s taken as serious as he is and that’s only because he hid it for so long.”
Mack’s rant ends with him still refusing to look at Will. His voice creeping up in octives as he goes on and on.
“That’s not what I asked Macklin. Why didn’t you tell me. Not the league, not the team, me.”
Will reaches out his hand and grabs Mack’s chin forcing him to look at Will.
“And look at me when I’m speaking to you.”
Now that. That was a Dom voice, something Mack wasn’t well aquainted with but it made it physically impossible for Mack to look away. His shame and now new found embarrassment creeping up to make his face hot and red.
“I don’t know Smit just didn’t want to tell. It’s none of your business anyway I have it under control.”
Will laughs
“Under control! You call this fucking under control? You’re in a hospital bed having hormones flooded into you because you haven’t taken care of yourself. When was the last time you went down?”
Mack stays silent and tries to look away but some invisible pull makes it impossible. Instead he takes to murmuring.
“Speak up.”
“Last summer. My dad. He uh does that stuff during the off season.”
Will gets up suddenly and begins pacing infront of Mack’s bed before he starts yelling again.
“The off season the fucking off season so what 7 months?? And you think that’s ok that that’s healthy?? What do you do in between?”
Will comes back to sitting in the chair beside Mack and leans in close.
“I’m on hormone pills, they’re supposed to keep my sub levels up. And if it gets that bad I just you know…… listen to dom videos.”
Mack says that last part so quietly Will would’ve of missed it if he wasn’t so close to Mack.
“Videos. Right fucking videos do you know how dangerous that is going down on your own? You can’t get proper after care on your own-“
Wills caught off by Mack sighing
“Jesus Will I’m not some girl I don’t need after care it’s different for me.”
Mack says rolling his eyes
“It’s what?”
“It’s different I’m not like a regular sub I’m like different I don’t need after care I’m not that soft.”
Mack’s certainty starts to waver the longer he talks and Wills face becomes more and more pitiful.
“And who told you that Mack?”
Wills voice has all of a sudden become very soft and it makes Mack close in on himself.
“Well my uh dad. When I presented, he said I was different than most.”
“Tsk tsk tsk”
Will interrupts and begins running a hand through Mack’s hair.
“All of these things, pills, your dad, those stupid fucking videos. And you never did the most obvious correct choice.”
“The what? Smitty what are you talking about”
Mack says and tries to be angry but the menstrations Will is doing through his hair are beginning to lull him in to a more relaxed state, the shame hasn’t gone away though.
“Come to me baby. Of course you can’t take care of yourself you’re just a little sub. It’s ok though, I’m gonna take care of you now.”
Mack’s head whips up at that
“What no Willy no I’m fine-“
“-no Mack you’re not. You’re my best friend and the fact that you didn’t come to me in the first place is insulting but that’s ok. I’m here now. And I’m gonna fix everything baby don’t worry.”
Mack certainly does worry but then Will kisses his forehead and begins running both his hands through his hair, and for the first time in his life, that never ending ache dissipates just a little.