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Being the only hybrid on a team was probably some people’s nightmare. Constant staring, touching- but not to Will. He was greatful for his team. They left him alone pretty much.
Everyone except Mack.
Mack seemingly had a fascination with his ears. They were best friends, had been since joining the team. Yet Mack had never lost that look in his eye whenever he saw Will. Saw his ears twitching or tail out and wagging, which wasn’t often.
Will didn’t like hissing. But he had hissed at Mack a few times when he wouldn’t back off.
After a horrible game, Will had lay on one of the benches in the locker room. He’d already got dressed and just wanted a ten minute nap before having to do interviews or interact with anyone. Mack didn’t get the hint and subconsciously leant down to scratch Will’s ears. Will let out a grumble which turned into a hiss and moved his head. Mack quickly retracted his hand and spouted out a bunch of sorrys before yelling at Ekky for laughing at him.
After that, Mack got the hint whenever Will wanted to be left alone.
***
“Will?” Mack spoke loudly, knocking on the hotel door. Groaning when there was no reply yet again.
He slumped on the floor against the door and got his phone out. He’d somehow lost his keycard and was too tired to go all the way back to reception. He knew Will was in the room so he wasn’t sure why he wasn’t responding.
He clicked on contacts, pressing Will’s name. After a moment, he heard the ringtone from in the room.
Then nothing.
It went to voicemail.
Mack started to get a bit worried. Was Will okay? Was he dead? Maybe that was a bit dramatic, but he didn’t care. He left his bag near the door and stumbled towards the elevator. His legs were killing from the extra practice he’d done. It wasn’t mandatory, but Mack had wanted to be ready for the upcoming match.
What felt like forever, which was probably only a couple minutes, he was in the lobby. He rushed up to the receptionist and explained that he really needed a new keycard and that his friend was potentially hurt.
He was spouting out whatever he could until she just handed him the keycard.
“Thank you!” He quickly spoke before skipping the elevator entirely and deciding to just run up the stairs. His legs hated him in that moment.
His mind ran with horrible thoughts. Will had suddenly gotten ill and died. He’d fell over and hit his head, or he’d- Mack shook his head. He wasn’t sure why he immediately thought of death. It was weird for Will to not answer the phone though.
When he made it back up, he quickly unlocked the room and braced himself for the worst.
Except-
He just stood there. Will was curled up on the floor, fast asleep in a sun patch. The window wide open. His ears twitching in sleep and tail limp beside him, soft purrs heard throughout the room.
Oh.
He definitely wasn’t dead.
Mack let out a huge sigh, grabbing his bag and throwing it on his bed as he shut the door. He stared at Will for a moment before feeling like a creep.
He was cute.
Mack had always thought that.
Hybrids in general were, sure, but Mack had never met a hybrid like Will. The way he acted, the way his tail would sometimes curl around Mack’s wrist, almost like he was holding it.
There were other hybrids in the NHL. Mack had only spoke to a few of them. Bedard was nice. He was a dog hybrid, but wasn’t exactly hyper like one. Didn’t live up to the stereotype. Same with Slafkovský. He was also a dog hybrid, who definitely lived up to the hyperactive stereotype. He also knew Schaefer was a hybrid, although he couldn’t remember what animal.
None of them were like Will.
Will stood out.
And Mack loved him.
Feeling like a creep for just staring, he quickly moved himself to the stationary area to make himself a coffee. He debated putting a blanket over Will but realised he was lying there for the sun, which acted as a blanket. As the coffee machine brew, Mack hurried over and grabbed a pillow before gently placing it under Will’s head. He bit his lip to keep himself from making an embarrassing noise when he saw Will cuddle up to it.
He knew they were both grown men. But Mack sometimes wanted to punch something from how cute Will acted. That definitely wasn’t normal, yet he didn’t care.
Once the machine was done, he poured his coffee. Pouring in the tiny cups of milk they supplied. He despised black coffee.
He went to take a sip when something made him jump.
“Mack..?”
He quickly put the cup down. He hadn’t expected Will to wake up. “Jesus, Will! Give me a heart attack why don’t you-?!” He turned to face him and just paused. He looked downright gorgeous. His messy blonde hair flowed out around the pillow, his bangs in his face. His eyes were half lidded as he looked at Mack, his ears flopped slightly. Mack really tried to get his words out but just couldnt.
Will continued, his voice slurred slightly from sleep. “When’d you get back..?”
“Er- like- um- couple moments ago. I gave you a pillow, so your neck wouldn’t hurt!” He stumbled over his words.
Will just hummed, lifting himself slightly to rub his eyes. His ears flicked as he looked at Mack. He always seemed so nervous for no reason. Will found it kind of cute.
“The suns gone in..” He slightly pouted, “I’m still tired. Practice killed me earlier. I’m not sure how you managed to do extra.”
Mack shrugged. “Should’ve seen me after that. Had to run around the hotel.”
“What? Why?”
“I lost my keycard, you wouldn’t answer and I assumed the worst! I told the receptionist something bad could’ve happened- actually, I need to call front desk and tell them nothing was wrong..” Mack trailed off, pausing when he heard Will giggling. “What’s so funny?”
“I have your keycard,”
“What.”
“I lost mine, remember? Then my own gracious knight gave me his.”
Mack paused, remembering that now. It had completely gone past his mind. “Right, yeah. I knew that.”
“Mh, sure.” Will got up, stretching. His tail stood up straight before curling at the end, like it had stretched with him.
He grabbed the pillow and threw himself onto his bed.
Before Mack could speak, Will beat him to it.
“Sleep with me?”
Mack froze. He immediately blushed and started to stumble over his words again. Will seemed to realise his shit wording. His ears immediately flattened and he also blushed. “Not like that! I mean- come sleep in the bed with me!”
“Well you should’ve said that!”
“I did!” Will pouted, “but if you don’t want to..”
Mack had never kicked his shoes off faster. “No! I do!”
He quickly changed into some joggers and didn’t bother finding a shirt. It was hot anyway, he didn’t want to overheat.
The bed was small but he squeezed in next to Will. He felt the fuzziness of a tail wrap around his leg before Will shuffled to cuddle into him.
They did this.
Sometimes.
Mack never really got used to it.
He moved to get more comfortable, letting Will cuddle into his chest. Mack rested his chin near the top of Will’s hair, his ears flicking and making Mack’s skin itch. He lifted his hand to scratch them, in hopes of flattening them and making the position a bit more bareable.
Mack thought of the times when he’d first joined the sharks.
He’d never had a hybrid teammate before. Not even a classmate. He’d been so facinated by Will that he completely forgot to keep his hands to himself.
Mack had been hissed at more by Will than he had by any actual cat. It took a while for him to realise Will’s mannerisms, but once he did, he kept it permanently etched into his mind. He knew what every little movement Will did meant.
Will warmed up to him, a lot. Mack was the only one he allowed to openly touch his ears. Sometimes his tail, although Will complained it was sensitive. So Mack never touched it unless Will initiated it.
He heard the boy start purring as he quickly fell asleep once again. Mack softly smiled and gently pet Will’s ears, feeling them twitch between his fingers. He moved his hand to the back of the blonde’s head and got more comfortable.
“Goodnight, Will.” He mumbled, feeling Will’s tail move to droop around Mack’s waist before he fell asleep.