honk shoo.

All good boys go to Heaven but bad boys bring Heaven to you

Chapter 6

Warnings: language, sex, a fist fight, (tw) stalking, lots of angst, and some fluff.

Sorry it’s taken so long. I’ve been trying to get Say it to me softly out, and now it’s finished so this will be updated more regularly. This is a very appropriate gif for this chapter. Stay tuned💕

“Chucky watch out!” Matt turned just as a puck cracked off the side of his helmet and sent him tumbling to the ice. He hadn’t been paying attention during practice, instead thinking all the ‘not sleeping’ he had done the night before. He could hear Noah and Johnny laughing as they skated over and helped him up. He deserved that one.

“Dude you gotta pay attention. What’s going on in there today space cadet?”

He wanted nothing more than to tell them. He was not only thinking about Hallie, but also about the mysterious flowers that had obviously rattled her. So he went with amended version of the truth.

“We’ll actually.” He turned to Noah and leaned on his stick “Has Hallie ever mentioned like a bad boyfriend or anything?”

Noah looked at the ceiling and chewed on his lip for a moment before he shook his head “I don’t think so, not to me anyway. Why?”

He chose his words carefully, keeping his expression cool “Well I showed up at her place yesterday and made her have dinner with me, and while I was there she said she got flowers and she assumed they were from me. But I didn’t send her any, and she got all fucking weird about it.”

“Was there a card?”

He shook his head “No but she was definitely upset. I offered to stay but she said it was fine.”

Johnny rolled his eyes and gave him a shove “Of course you did.”

“I can ask Carly if you want. They tell eachother everything.”

“No it’s okay. I don’t wanna invade her privacy or anything. Just seemed weird to me.”

They went back to running drills but his mind was still elsewhere. The more he thought about it the more her behavior bothered him. She had seemed upset, anxious, and scared and the whole thing had rubbed him the wrong way. He didn’t want to get involved in her business but it was really bothering him.

*******

“Come on Hal we’re going to be late.” Carly complained as Hallie shoved her feet into her shoes. She locked the door behind her and dig around in her bag as they took the elevator and exited her building towards the parking lot.

As they walked through the parking lot, she was still digging for her keys when she felt Carly’s hand on her arm forcing her to stop.

“Hal?”

Hallie looked up and felt the blood feeeze in her veins. Rose petals littered her car, moving very gently in the breeze. She took a step backwards turning her head this way and that but the parking lot was empty. She turned slowly towards Carly who was looking at her alarmed.

She began to shake, eyes filling with tears. She thought when she came here this would be over, that she could finally be free and not live her life looking over her shoulder. But she was wrong.

“He found me.”

**********

“Hal? It’s me open the door.” Matt said knocking. He hadn’t heard from her all day, and was starting to get worried when Carly told him she was sick, but was them confused when she texted him and told him to come over. He heard her shuffle around on the other side of the door before she eased it open, big eyes peering at him through the crack.

“Are you okay?”

“I’m fine, come in. Hurry up.”

She yanked him inside and clicked the lock as she shut the door. He frowned at her.

“Are you okay?”

“I’m fine why?” She breezed past him to pick up her buzzing phone on the counter. As she read the message the color in her face drained.

“Something wrong?”

Hallie stuffed her phone in her pocket and shook her head not meeting his eye.

“No why?”

He shrugged “ you just got super weird when your phone went off that’s all.”

“No I didn’t.”

“You did but it’s none of my business.”

“Your right. It’s not.”

“Maybe I should just go.”

“No!” She grabbed his arm holding him in place “I-I mean sorry. I just had a long day is all. Stay please?” She looked uncomfortable asking him, but there was another emotion he couldn’t identify. Whatever it was, it was convincing.

“I got your mail by the way.” He said setting several white envelopes and a large Manila one down on the counter, and walking from the kitchen to the bathroom. He needed a shower, and went to rummage through the collection of clothing he had accumulated. He had hoped by pulling his shirt off and walking back past the kitchen he could entice Hallie to come shower with him but he found her standing with her back to him, looking at an article of mail in her hand. He could see her trembling from where he stood.

She had opened the large envelope first, noticing it had no return address, but felt bulky and heavy. She felt goosebumps bloom across her skin as a stack of photos slid out and she looked through them. There were dozens, her walking to work, out with friends, her and Matthew. Each photo got progressively closer and some had foul crude writing on them. Mattys face was crossed out on several of them and a few were ripped in half.

“Hallie?”

Matt was standing in the middle of the room, shirtless looking at her, concerned. She thought for a minute about hiding them but she knew that there would be no point. She held the photos out to him and he took them, frowning. His eyebrows furrowed as he shuffled through them.

“What-what is this?” He looked mad now, eyes burning. His knuckles were white as he gripped them ”Who took these?”

She took a deep breath “ His name is Ryan. I dated him for a few months before I moved here, to get away from him. He started stalking me, saying we were meant to be and he couldn’t live without me. I thought I got away from him but he found me. He left roses on my car this morning. And he texted me just now.”

“How long has this been going on?”

She looked down “A few days. That’s where the flowers came from the other day. And I got a weird phone call at my office last week. -“

“A few days? And your just telling me this now?”

“I’m sorry. I thought he would just go away. I was wrong.”

Yeah I’d say you were. We need to go to the police.”

“I already have. They can’t do anything about it. Besides he’s just trying to scare me.”

“ And what happens when that’s not enough for him anymore? What happens then? If you think this creep is going to be content to watch you forever, your wrong. He’s going to hurt you.”

“I know I’m-I’m sorry.”

“That’s it. I’m moving in here.”

“What?! No!”

“It’s not up for discussion. Till this guy goes away I’m staying here.”

She wanted to be annoyed, but in all honesty she was relieved. She felt safe with him in the apartment, and it felt good to get this off her chest.

“And what are we going to tell our friends?”

“Would it be so bad if they just knew about us? I mean really Hal. Your starting to make me feel like I’m just a good lay and that’s the only reason you keep me around.”

She looked hurt for a minute and her expression softened “Matty. I’m sorry.” She put a hand on his arm and rugged him closer “I never meant to make you feel that way. I’m just scared okay. Of this, of Ryan of everything. We will talk about this, but give me some time.”

He pursed his lips for a minute before he nodded.

“Okay. That’s fair.”

She squeezed his arm before wrapping her own around him, her head resting on his chest near his heart. He was so big and safe, any worry she had about Ryan out the window, as she stood listen to his heart beating through his shirt.

She had lived by herself for so long it was weird having a roommate. Especially one who walked around mostly shirtless and slept in her bed. She learned a lot about him in the following days. She learned how incredibly sweet he was, and how much he loved his mom and his sister. She learned he slept on the left side of the bed, that he never had a dog growing up, and that he was not the pest that everyone saw on the ice. She learned that he loved to dance, and they had spent much time slow dancing in her kitchen, and that he could talk about everything and anything late at night. His voice, which had annoyed the hell out of her just a few months ago, now soothed her every time she heard it. She liked seeing him smile at her across the table, or next to her while they brushed teeth, and his presence had become a comfort that she never knew she needed. She had fallen hard for Matthew Tkachuk, just like she knew she would.

One particular rainy Sunday morning she had woken up to his big rough hands barely brushing the bare skin of her back. She rolled over eyes still closed, lips immediately finding his in the dim light of her bedroom. He kissed her deeply, lips moving slowly, tongue pushing inside her mouth. There was already minimal clothing on, so it didn’t take long before he was pushing inside her. She let out a breath, eyes closing slowly. Each time was more enthralling than the last time. He moved slowly, lazily hot breath on her neck. She reached up, running her fingers through his hair. She could her the dull pounding of rain hitting her window, the thick grey clouds making the room dim. But she could see those eyes burning into her own, as he moved above her, curls falling into his eyes. He leaned down and kissed her heavily, as his pushes became faster until he let out a ragged breath as she tensed around him, her own high coming with his.

“Can we stay in bed all day and do that again?”

Before she could answer she heard her front door open and then close. Panic rose in her throat as Matt jumped off the bed, yanking a pair of gym shorts on and banged the bedroom door open. He couldn’t believe this creep was bold enough to come into her apartment in broad daylight, but he was going to kill him before he got the chance to ever do it again.

“Matty wait!” She whispered pulling a T-shirt over her head as she hurried out behind him. To her horror it was not Ryan in her kitchen, but Noah and Carly standing there with wide eyes and open mouths.

“What the hell?” Noah said, eyebrows raised so far up his forehead they were in danger of disappearing into his hairline.

Hallies face had bypassed Red and turned Maroon as she shrank down behind him under Carly’s glare.

“Are you two serious right now?” She asked hands on her hips, looking between them.

“How long has this been going on?” Noah asked. He too was frowning, arms crossed. He knew something was up, and they had become even more suspicious when Hallie started being magically busy the past few weeks, coupled with Matthew being notably absent and coming and going at all hours. They had never though thought in a million years they would find them shacked up together in Hallies apartment.

Matthew took a deep breath and turned to look at her before looking back at their friends “Since that weekend at the lake.”

Carly sucked in a loud breath, eyes huge. She sputtered for a few moments, words completely escaping her.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” She asked after a few moments. She looked hurt. Hallie had wanted to tell her so bad, but she didn’t want to say it out loud. She was so scared that she had even let him in, but now to tell everyone else? That was terrifying.

“Let’s talk about this another time yeah?” Noah said, giving Carly’s arm a gentle squeeze.

“No.” Matt said “Let’s talk about it now. We didn’t tell you guys because we didn’t really know what to say. I honestly still don’t know what this is.”

“But there’s something else too.” Hallie reached behind her to pick up the envelope full of photos and handed them to Carly. She looked alarmed as she pulled them out, face turning white.

“Hallie.” She whispered.

“What the fuck?” Noah said, grabbing a few photos from Carly’s hand, and looking at both of them clearly confused.

“Sit down.” Matt said, patting the counter and walking to the fridge to pull out the liquor “We’ll tell you everything.”

And they did. They started with the lake house and went from there. Hallie and Carly walked Noah and Matt through the details on what had happened with Ryan and how they had come to Calgary to get away from him. Noah was so angry about the stalking, and the fact that she had kept it from them, he gave her a very stern talking to.

“This creep could have hurt you. Both of you.” He said glaring at Carly as well “We can’t keep you safe if we don’t know what we’re trying to keep you safe from.”

“I know, and I’m sorry.” Carly said giving his hand a squeeze.

“Now that we’re all in the loop I think we can agree that you two can’t go places alone for right now.” Matt said rubbing his chin “It’s just the way it is. Until this guy goes away or does something to get arrested for it has to be this way. When we have away games you two have some kind of sleepover or something. Have Jay come too.”

Carly giggled “I don’t really see Jay taking down an intruder, but safety in numbers right.” They laughed and the mood seemed to change. They decided to order takeout, and Hallie realized how much better she felt not keeping secrets. To finally have her and Matt out there in the open felt good, and natural.

After Noah and Carly left, it was just them in her apartment. He was smiling at her, a smile she hadn’t seen before. He walked very slowly towards her, eyes burning into her own.

“Thank you.” He said coming to a stop in front of her, hands resting on her shoulders.

“For?”

“For telling our friends. I know it wasn’t easy, and I know you didn’t want to, and I know your not my girlfriend or anything but thank you.”

“You haven’t actually asked me to be your girlfriend.”

He shrugged “I’m not really in the market for a relationship right now so.”

She gaped at him till he burst out laughing and swept her up, carrying her down the hallway towards her bedroom.

“Come on. Let’s go do boyfriend girlfriend stuff.”

********

As news of their new relationship spread, Matthews performance on the ice skyrocketed. He was having a great season, exploding on the ice and making headlines every game. He was still a pest, and that would probably never change, but he found himself playing with a confidence he didn’t know he had.

Plus it was an added bonus to look up and see Hallie sitting in the stands, looking so damn good with his name across her back. She was a steady constant in his life, and he found that having a real relationship was better than any hookup.

After one particularly physical game, Hallie waited nervously in the hallways outside the dressing room. Noah exited followed by Johnny and came over dropping a kiss on Carly’s cheek and turning to Hallie with a smile. Johnny gave her a gentle bump on the shoulder and grinned when he saw her expression.

“He’ll be out in a second.”

She peeked our from behind Him, as the door banged open and Matt came through the doors of the locker room, wet curls falling around his face with a casual elegance, cheeks pink, tie loosened around his neck. His eyes searched around the room till they landed on her and he smiled.

That damn smile.

He accepted a few pats on the back from his teammates as he made his way over to her, and stopped a few feet in front of her. She looked him over not noticing any injuries or blood and he held his arms out wide.

“ I’m fine Hallie. “

She breathed an audible sigh of relief and fell gratefully into his arms. He was so big and warm and she closed her eyes and breathed him in.

Watching Him fight had been a confusing expression to say the least. She had seen videos of it on YouTube but watching it happen live was completely different than through the tv screen. It was horrible because he was her boyfriend and she didn’t want him to get hurt, but it was enthralling to watch him throw his 6”2 frame around with such confidence on the ice. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to kiss him or smack him and the whole experience had left her emotionally drained.

They made idle chatter as they made their way out of the SaddleDome and into the parking garage, making plans to get together with some other guys from the team the following evening.

Once they were buckled in the car he turned to find her already staring at him.

“What?”

Her eyes were squinted and her head was turned to the side and like a flash of lightning she had hopped from the passenger seat to the back. He wasted no time following her, as they hurriedly pulled at whatever clothing was necessary to come off. She tugged the zipper of his suit pants down, and hiked up her skirt. She was dressed for work, having come to the game right from there with no time to change. She motioned for him to sit but he shook his head and leaned her back against the backseat, coming in between her legs. She settled in, opening her legs. His eyes bugged as he watched her pull the skirt up to reveal she wasn’t wearing stocking, but black thigh highs, and no underwear.

“Hal.” He breathed as she pulled his suit pants down enough and guided him towards her entrance. Her eyes closed and she arched back against the seat at the sensation of him pushing inside of her. He pushed again, adrenaline pumping through him as he quickened his pace, pushing deeper with each thrust.

“Matty.” She breathed, pulling his face to hers so she could kiss him. She fisted his dress shirt in her hands, as she pushed her tongue inside his mouth kissing him sloppily. Her legs began to ache as his pushed became erratic, and she came, him following shortly after. They say breathing heavily for a few minutes before he pulled out of her and sat next to her, situating his suit pants and turning to her. She smiled tiredly at him, eyes closing as he ran his fingers through her hair.

“Take me home.”

********

Hallie felt a twinge of annoyance at the way the girl was so obviously flirting with him and he was doing nothing to stop her. After a long night and a lot of sex, Hallie was overly tired and hadn’t really been in the mood to go out at all. She only had because she promised Carly she would. Matthew had gone to the bar to get a drink and was immediately approached By some bimbo in a short skirt, and that was all it took to bring Hallies mood down even more than it already was.

“Relax Hal.” Carly warned. She could feel an angry heat creep up her neck as she watched him smile at the girl, way to friendly for a guy who had a ‘girlfriend.” She angrily slugged the rest of her drink before setting it down loudly on the table.

“I’m going to the bathroom.” She said stand up and storming towards the ladies room sign, glaring at the back of the girls head who was flirting with her boyfriend.

She burst through the door, startling several girls who were fixing their makeup and blinked away angry tears while she went pee. Who did he think he was? They finally tell their friends the truth and here he was laughing and smiling with some random girl in the bar.

When she exited the bathroom she felt a hand on her arm. She turned ready to chew Matt out, when she realized the hand wasn’t his. She froze. It felt like someone was pouring maple syrup over head, and it was trickling down her body suffocating her as she came face to face with Ryan.

“Hi Hallie. I’ve missed you.”

“Get away from me Ryan.”

“I’m sorry about the photos, it was the only way I knew to get a hold of you after you blocked my phone number.”

“And what about the flowers on my car? How did you find my apartment?”

“I just know that you really love pink roses.”

“How did you find my house?”

He took a step forward and backed her further into the corner. Carly had noticed the exchange from across the bar and stood suddenly knocking her stool back and startling Noah. Matt turned from the conversation he was having to look at her as she jumped over the stool.

“That’s Ryan.”

As Hallie tried to maneuver around Ryan he grabbed her arm.

“Hallie please talk to me.” As she tried to pull away there was a commotion and Ryan’s face went white, a look of terror flashing across it. She turned just in time for a fist to come flying over her shoulder and connect solidly with Ryan’s face.

“Matty no!” She tried to grab on to the back of his T-shirt as he surged forward, punching Ryan again. He was so much bigger than her and she struggled nearly falling forward, until Noah appeared and grabbed Matt around the middle hauling him backwards. Johnny was standing looking at the scene with his mouth open and Carly was attempting to help Noah pull Matt towards towards the entrance. Hallie bit back tears and gave Ryan once last glance before she followed her friends out of the bar.

She burst through the door of her apartment not checking to see if he was behind her or not. She was so angry at him for what he had done she didn’t even want to look at him.

“Look I’m sorry okay?” He said leaning against the doorframe. The cut above his eyebrow had stopped bleeding and he was flexing his fingers, bruises beginning to bloom across his knuckles. “I just. When I saw that guy grab you like that, I don’t know. I just reacted” He looked at his hand and sighed “ it’s cuz I fucking love you okay?”

“You have to stop punching first and asking questions later. You almost punched me in the face!”

“I would never punch you in face Hal-“

“Your fist was two inches from hitting me.”

He looked at his feet embarrassed before she continued.

“And don’t think I didn’t see you flirting with that girl either!”

“What? What girl?”

“The bimbo at the bar who’s chest you couldn’t stop staring at! Thanks for making a complete idiot out of me in front of everyone!”

“This is never gonna change is it? Your never going to trust me.”

“Give me one good reason why I should?! You fill my head with air about wanting to have relationship with me then you flirt with some girl at the bar!”

They were standing ten feet apart, red faced and screaming at each other.

“I don’t need this.” He snapped grabbing his he let and leaving the room. She followed him.

“No you don’t need this and you clearly don’t need me either. Get out!”

“I am. And I won’t be coming back either.” He slammed the door behind him as she stood there, fists balled up at her sides. She listened to him walk angrily down the hallway until his footsteps could no longer be heard.

you’re the one that brings the sun; chapter 3/6

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Warnings: None

Notes: I was actually going to post this yesterday but apparently a post limit is a thing, oops. I think that constitutes as me winning the liveblogging. /j

Also, yes I changed Willie’s pronouns because I’ve developed an attachment to he/they Willie :)))

Anyway! Here’s chapter 3, I hope you like it :)))

---

Alex doesn’t quite know when it happened, but the coffee… not-dates, have become a thing. Willie seems to have a sort of sixth sense that just knows when Alex needs coffee and a breath of fresh air. It’s odd, the way they’ve sunk into a routine in just a month and a half. Alex has Willie’s schedule memorized, he knows that Willie likes skating to his classes and that he only has caffeine on Saturdays and that he has a favorite tree he likes to study under. He refuses to admit to himself that Willie seems to know him just as well, from buying him more bandaids when he knows the ones in his fannypack are running low, to calling him and making sure he doesn’t stay up too late studying that one night when Willie was at Caleb’s for the weekend.

Alex has a tendency to stay up late studying, because he has this ridiculous, innate desire to get everything perfect. He supposes it comes from the fact that at one point, he was sure he wouldn’t even be in college, so now that he is, he feels like he has to succeed or his entire everything will come crashing down. So despite the fact that he’s gone over his notes a million times and the only noise is the clock ticking past 2am, he remains glued to the couch, eyes straining to read the page in his history textbook.

“I’m pretty sure you’ve been staring at that page for 30 minutes.” Willie’s standing in the entrance to the living room, smiling, their hair pulled into a loose braid that makes them look soft around the edges. He’s holding a cup of tea in one hand and Alex’s favorite blanket in the other.

Alex looks up, rubbing his eyes blearily. “Hm? Thought you were asleep,” he says, stifling a yawn. He feels a pang of guilt at the thought that he woke Willie up. Willie has a hard enough time falling asleep as it is.

Willie shrugs and moves to sit beside him on the couch, offering him the steaming mug. “I woke up to go to the bathroom and saw the light was still on. Drink the tea, it’s peppermint.”

“Peppermint makes me tired.”

“That’s the whole point.”

Alex eyes the tea suspiciously, but he’s weak for peppermint tea, and Willie knows it. He gives in, sipping it and sighing contentedly. His eyes threaten to flutter shut, and the prospect seems so tempting. “You should go to sleep,” he murmurs.

Willie shakes their head. “Not until you do.” They reach over and shut Alex’s textbook, ignoring his protesting. “You have a 9am class, you need to sleep, hotdog.” Willie’s voice is gentle in the way that makes Alex’s stomach do flips. He tosses the blanket over Alex’s lap, making sure it covers his feet, which are always cold, because anxiety sucks like that.

“I will,” Alex replies indignantly. “I just- I just gotta finish this one thing-” He cuts himself off with a loud yawn and Willie shakes his head knowingly.

“It’s 2am dude, you’re incapable of getting anything done past 1 and we both know it.”

“Not true.”

Willie raises an eyebrow. “Really? C’mon man, all that studying is gonna go to waste if you’re too tired to even take the test. Sleep, now.”

Alex hums in response, too tired to get out another coherent sentence. He supposes it wouldn’t hurt to close his eyes for a few minutes. “Five minutes,” he mumbles. “Then you wake me up.”

“Of course, hotdog,” Willie whispers. His hand hovers just over Alex’s, hesitant. He pulls back before Alex can overthink it, but there’s something hanging heavy in the air.

Alex pulls the blanket up to his chin and half asleep, offers Willie one corner. Willie swallows thickly before carefully taking the blanket and wrapping it around himself, drawing them closer together. If he’d been fully awake, Alex never would’ve done what he did next, letting his head drop unceremoniously onto Willie’s shoulder before drifting off to sleep, lulled by the sound of Willie’s heartbeat. It’s reminiscent of his drums and the way they soothe his anxiety, a steady, warm beat that feels like home. He’s sure that he’s dreaming when he feels Willie’s hand card through his hair, but oh what a lovely dream it is.

Alex wakes up to muffled cursing and the sun shining in his eyes. He blinks the sleep away, noting that the light is coming from the wrong angle and his neck is incredibly sore. The events of the night before come flooding back and he considers holing up in his room and never looking Willie in the eyes again. And yet, despite the mortification of falling asleep on Willie’s shoulder and the cramp in his neck, he feels more rested than he has in weeks.

A sudden crash from the kitchen snaps Alex out of his daydreaming  It takes him a good couple minutes to register that Willie is practically hopping around the kitchen, narrowly avoiding dropping more things on the floor, and he almost smiles at the sight before remembering that Willie has admitted to being a terrible cook and Alex should probably intervene before something gets set on fire.

Alex trudges up to the counter, eyes still heavy with sleep. “What’re you doing?”

Willie looks up and Alex breaks down, laughing so hard his stomach hurts. There’s flour smeared all across Willie’s cheeks and what looks to be milk dripping from their hair and their eyes are wild with panic and laughter. Willie reaches over and pokes Alex’s chest. “Stop it,” they whine, biting their lip to keep from laughing. “I’m trying to make waffles but…” he looks around at the mess in the kitchen and sighs in resignation. “This was a bad idea. The dining hall waffles taste like cardboard, and I would just make pancakes since those are easier, but I know you like waffles better since they have little compartments for the syrup. So I thought y’know, it can’t be that hard, I just need a recipe and a waffle maker. But did you know there are a lot of rules to cooking that are not stated like anywhere? And waffle makers? Not very easy to use. A pain to clean too.”

“Where did you even get a waffle maker?” Alex questions, glancing over at the contraption cautiously.

“That girl from my art history class owed me a favor.”

“The one you gave skateboarding lessons so she could impress her crush? She just has a waffle maker lying around?”

Willie nods. “Yup.”

“And you went all the way over to the girls dorms at-” Alex glances at the clock and subtracts an hour from the current time. “- 7am. So you could borrow her waffle maker?”

“Well when you put it like that…” Willie runs his hands over his face, laughing. “It’s stupid. But uh… I got you coffee?”

“It’s not stupid,” Alex says. “I uh, I think it’s sweet. Really. Just, please don’t try it again, I don’t want the dorm burnt down.” He chuckles lightly and begins toying with his hoodie strings, cheeks slightly pink. “Coffee?”

Willie reaches into the fridge and pulls out a coldbrew. “I didn’t want it to get warm and I didn’t know when you’d wake up, but uh, here.”

Alex takes the coffee and something in his heart bursts just a little bit. “You remembered my coffee order.”

“I mean yea it’s… it’s what you get every time.” Willie scratches the back of their neck, rocking back and forth on his heels anxiously.

“Your memory sucks, dude.” Alex continues to stare at the cup like it’s something from an alien planet. “I- thank you.”

“Yea, yea of course.” Willie smiles softly, sitting next to Alex and nudging his shoulder. “It’s what friends are for.”

“I’m not helping you clean the kitchen.”

“Rude, I hate you.”

---

Alex is fairly sure he didn’t fail his history test, and his professor for his last class of the day had to cancel, so he’s let off early. All in all, satisfactory for a Monday.

It’s a fairly warm day, but chilly enough for him to be wearing a denim jacket. LA doesn’t really see actual fall until well into November, but having lived there his whole life, Alex needs a jacket as soon as it hits 65 degrees. There’s a bounce in his step as he walks across campus, a grin tugging at the ends of his lips. He’d agreed to meet Willie at the skatepark, and it sounds stupid that he’s so excited to see them, considering they live together, but this feels different. It isn’t a date, he reminds himself that he couldn’t be that lucky, but it’s nice. It’s nice to be able to spend time together as friends instead of just roommates.

Alex swings his rollerblades over his shoulder, bringing his other hand up to his face in order to block the sun, hoping to make it easier to find Willie. It isn’t hard to spot him, Willie stands out, and Alex wonders if that’s because of Willie himself or… something else. They’re like a light, the center of Alex’s messy, muddled universe. Willie’s perched on the back of a wooden bench, feet planted on the actual seat and looking off at the sky, they drum theiir feet to the beat of whatever song is playing in their headphones and mouths the lyrics quietly. Alex has always has a habit of noticing things. It stems from his anxiety, but it isn’t so bad when the things he notices is the golden haze around Willie’s head from the way the sun is positioned, or the way the light breeze snakes through his hair. Willie is very pretty, it’s a simple fact, one that Alex had never failed to take notice of; but watching him so… at peace, lost in his thoughts, it hits Alex like a truck.

Alex sidles up to the bench, standing over Willie’s shoulder. “Whatchya listening to?”

Willie yelps and leaps slightly in the air, clutching at his chest. “Christ Alex, you’re like a ghost! How’re you so quiet?”

“Hmm, I think you’re just oblivious.”

“Am not.”

“Are too,” Alex hops over the back of the bench to sit beside Willie. “What’re you thinking about? You had your daydream face on.”

“I don’t have a daydream face.”

“You totally do!” Alex snickers. “It’s like…” He gives a poor rendition of Willie’s so called daydream face, sending the other boy into a fit of giggles.

“I sure hope that isn’t my face,” Willie breathes, clutching onto Alex’s shoulder for balance. Alex begs his heart to please beat a bit slower. When Willie finally calms down, his hand lingers on Alex for a few moments, like he doesn’t quite know how to move it. When they do, Alex’s shoulder feels cold, and he thinks that Willie holding onto him was helping to balance them both, in a way. He shakes that thought from his mind, forcing himself to focus on the present, not the possibilities. Willie is swinging their feet, occasionally brushing Alex’s knees or his calves. His hair is let down and slightly tangled from his helmet, which is resting on the bench beside his skateboard. Alex lets out a gentle breath. Focus on the present. God, he sounds like a therapist.

“Are we gonna skate?” Alex asks, gesturing at his rollerblades and Willie’s skateboard.

Willie seems to think about it for a moment before shaking their head. “Two more songs,” they decide. “I’ll feel incomplete if I don’t finish the playlist.”

Alex peeks over his shoulder at his phone, where Spotify is open. “What’re you listening to?”

Willie scoots closer and Alex is painfully aware of how close they are, their knees knocking together. He offers Alex his other earbud and his voice is soft when he asks if Alex wants to listen with him. It’s like he’s holding a piece of himself in his hands, Alex recalls a time where Luke said that showing someone your music is like showing them your soul. Alex thought he was being dramatic, but now he thinks that he wouldn’t mind having a part of Willie’s soul to keep. He takes the earbud, and they have to move their heads closer to avoid any accidents with the wire. Their foreheads are inches apart, Alex can see the reflection in Willies eyes, soft and earthy, like the bark on his favorite tree that he used to climb until he felt like he could fly.

“Hmm, Green Day’s good,” Alex says, softly lip-syncing the ending of American Idiot. Willie nods in agreement, the movement causing a few loose strands of hair to brush across Alex’s face. Alex has to close his eyes for a few seconds, breath catching in the back of his throat.

A beat of silence passes between songs; Alex can hear Willie’s even breathing and he’s sure Willie can hear his sporadic heartbeat. It’s like they’re trapped in their own little bubble, where the sun never sets and they’re always wrapped in gold. And then it’s over and another song begins.

“Avril Lavigne?” Alex means it to come out as teasing, but his voice is far more tender than he intended.

“Don’t make fun of me!” Willie giggles, bumping Alex’s shoulder. “Shhh, let me listen to the song.”

Alex is so focused on his proximity to Willie that he isn’t paying too much attention to the lyrics that everyone’s heard a million times. “I like ballet,” he mutters absentmindedly in response to the song, not really clocking the way Willie’s face flushes crimson. He quirks a curious eyebrow when Willie shoots up, shoving their phone and earbuds into their pocket. “We didn’t finish the-”

“Lets skate!” Willie cuts in, plastering on a false smile. “I just REALLY wanna skate, so lets do that! Yup! Okay!” They hop on their skateboard, bouncing in anticipation and Alex can’t even admire the way that their hair dances in the wind because he’s just so confused. He’s sure he didn’t do anything wrong. He just said that he likes ballet and-oh. Alex buries his face in his hands at the realization, internally cursing himself. Well that’s one way to accidentally admit to your blossoming crush. Lovely.

Alex opens his mouth to get out an apology, but it’s stuck in the back of his throat. He fumbles with his blades, straps too small and agile beneath his shaking hands. Whatever. It’s fine. If he doesn’t mention it, it didn’t happen right? Willie doesn’t seem to be making any moves to talk about it, so he doesn’t either. Willie still has one foot on his board, looking ready to flee any moment, his eyes glued to the pavement.

“So, you dance?” Willie asks casually, but Alex can hear the tension behind the question.

“Uh yea, since I was little. Another way I disappointed my parents, they always told me dancing was girly and it’d turn me gay.” He laughs ruefully. “We all know how that worked out.” Willie nods distantly. “I danced in high school, mostly jazz, I was never great at ballet.”

“Jazz?!” Alex gasps in mock offense.

“Stupid egotistical ballerina,” Willie teases. The tension seeps from Alex’s shoulders when Willie finally makes eye contact and there isn’t anything hidden behind his gaze. Alex lets a tentative smile creep onto his face, but there’s still something unspoken dangling precariously in the air above them.

---

chapter 4

chapter 5

chapter 6

Notes: ok so this chapter was originally like 1,000 words longer but I cut out the last scene FOR GOOD REASON I PROMISE! 

I hope you liked it :)))

Taglist: @thatsanewflavor @spookiest-sapphic @dovesgrangers @julie-n-phantoms @frostknyte @thegaylink @nervousmiracletrash @crummycassidy @fairygclds @reallyintrospectivepeople @madsmax-37 @swamp-acad @kat-maybe-not @sunsetcurve123 @lookingthroughmirrors @queer-fandom-enby @over-under-through1 @willex-n-waffles @caliibee @herequeerandcantdrinkbeer @nickalicious @andwhenwepart @maizsnex @fanofthepod

Rollerskating Into My Life (Symone x Gigi) - Strawberry

Summary:

“You’re really pretty, too. But I don’t really know how to skate. Balancing is so hard!”

“Let me get a soda and then afterwards I can help you out?” The curly haired girl offered, and Gigi grinned.

Or, Gigi is at Jaida's birthday party and doesn't know anyone else there. Symone changes that.

A/N: Hi! I originally wrote this for the Rare Pair challenge earlier this year, but I never ended up submitting. I reread it yesterday and was like "Wait, I don't hate this!" so I decided that posting it months later was better than never!

Being at a roller rink with half of her grade was not where Gigi wanted to be.

It was her best friend Jaida’s birthday, and she wanted to go roller skating to celebrate. Being fairly popular, she ended up inviting half of their grade to the party, and Gigi, who was not popular in the slightest, knew absolutely no one well enough to want to talk to and she didn’t want to change that.

However, that meant Gigi would spend most of the night by herself as Jaida went around the rink, talking to everyone. Of course, she didn’t blame Jaida, it wouldn’t make sense to invite so many people and then only hang around the redhead. It also didn’t mean that it didn’t suck.

The two arrived together, meaning that Jaida was her ride back home where they would have a sleepover, just the two of them. Just that made showing up to the big party worth it in Gigi’s opinion, but the minutes were dragging on so slowly. She would’ve been out skating to make the time pass faster, but Gigi was incredibly clumsy and could only stay upright for a maximum of twelve seconds. Skating was not her thing.

Sitting at the bar, Gigi’s eyes wandered from watching Jaida and Nicky skate around, to Rock making a fool of herself in front of Jackie and Jan, to two girls that Gigi didn’t think went to their school.

One was a taller brunette and the other was a slightly shorter girl who had curly black hair. Both of the girls were stunning, but Gigi couldn’t take her eyes off of the shorter girl. She was the prettiest girl the ginger had seen in a long time, and she wished they had the confidence to get up and (slowly and carefully) make her way over to her.

Gigi watched as the brunette slipped and fell after attempting to dance to the Dua Lipa song that was playing and instead of helping her friend up, the pretty girl stood there and laughed.

Her smile was so beautiful.

“Whatcha looking at, G?” Jaida’s voice scared the shit out of her, Gigi placed her hand over their heart as she turned to face her best friend.

“Those girls don’t go to our school, I was trying to figure out if they did. But they don’t!”

“Mhm. You should go talk to the one you think is cute.” Jaida always saw right through Gigi.

“Oh, fuck off. You know I won’t.” She rolled her eyes. Gigi was never one to just go up and start conversations with complete strangers, especially ones that she thought were cute.

“Anything is possible! You actually showed up even though I know you would rather be in bed right now.” Jaida reminded her.

“Of course I would go to my best friend’s birthday party! I’m not a monster.”

“I know! It just really means a lot that you showed up. I know being with large groups of people isn’t your cup of tea.”

“Anything for you, but I think Nicky is waiting for you at the soda machine.”

After trying to convince Gigi to get up and say hi to Nicky, Jaida went off to go see her friend by herself. Gigi pulled out her phone, deciding to see if any of the celebrities she followed on Instagram had posted anything within the two hours they had at the roller rink.

“Hiii,” a voice she didn’t recognize said, and Gigi looked up to see that the pretty girl with curly black hair was right in front of her.

“Oh! Hi,” Gigi let out a nervous giggle. The ginger always laughed when she was nervous and absolutely hated it.

“I saw you looking at me earlier, and my friend just ditched me for a questionable boy, so I’d thought I’d come and say hi. I’m Symone.”

What a gorgeous name.

“I’m Gigi. And where are they? The boy probably goes to my school.”

Symone pointed to where her friend was currently trying to dance with a guy Gigi had history with. “Yuck. Your friend better not hit it off with him. He’s gross.”

“Noted. Is there a school event going on or something?” She asked, looking around at the rest of Gigi’s classmates.

“Oh, it’s my best friend’s birthday. She invited like, half of our grade,” the redhead rambled on while Symone nodded, “I think you and your friend are the only people here who aren’t from school.”

Gigi was never up to talking to strangers, but they wanted to keep talking to Symone. Everything about her was perfect and they were not going to fuck it up by being cold.

Symone made her way to the empty seat next to Gigi, “It feels so nice to sit down. I’ve been on my feet all night.”

“You should definitely rest up then.”

“I haven’t seen you on the rink all night though, I’m starting to think that you don’t know how to skate.”

“So you were watching me too?” Gigi questioned, grinning.

“Yeah. You’re pretty cute, Strawberry Shortcake.”

Gigi didn’t know why, but she liked being called that. It wasn’t new or creative in the slightest, but it gave them butterflies. “You’re really pretty, too. But I don’t really know how to skate. Balancing is so hard!”

“Let me get a soda and then afterwards I can help you out?” The curly haired girl offered, and Gigi grinned.

“Sounds amazing.”

____________

Gigi and Symone did a little more than grabbing a soda. They ended up getting pizza too, and spent a little too long sitting there and chatting.

They might have only met Symone an hour prior, but they really liked her. She was kind and funny and actually seemed very interested in getting to know the redhead a little bit more. The darker girl was an extremely slow eater, so they were there for quite a while, engaging in small talk. They both were interested in fashion and hated boys, it was extremely refreshing for Gigi to meet someone that appeared to be similar to her.

When Symone finally finished up her pizza, she got up and reached out to grab the ginger’s hand. Gigi gladly accepted it, and together they made their way to the edge of the rink.

“Okay, I’m gonna let go of your hand and you’re going to try to balance.” Symone explained, and Gigi hesitantly let the girl take her manicured hand away.

They did not stay up for long. After a few seconds, they had to grab the half wall that separated the rink and cafeteria in order to stay upright. “This is hard!” Gigi yelped, blushing when she saw the amused look on Symone’s face.

“You’re not standing right. You’re putting all of your weight on your heel which is why you can’t stand up for very long.”

Gigi tried balancing their whole foot, and Symone adjusted their body so the ginger was leaning slightly forward. “Try that now. You should have an easier time balancing.”

Symone was right. Gigi had completed the first step of learning how to skate, something they probably wouldn’t have been able to figure out on their own.

“Okay, I think I’m ready to skate.”

“Hold onto me, Strawberry Shortcake. I don’t trust you to not fall quite yet,” Symone giggled, holding her hand out and waited for Gigi to grab it.

They went slow at first, carefully watching Gigi as they went around the rink. Halfway around they passed Jaida who was now skating with Dahlia, and Jaida nearly fell over seeing that Gigi had actually talked to the girl she thought was cute.

After two laps, the redhead was fairly confident in her ability to skate around without holding onto Symone; not that she would tell her that. Gigi was enjoying holding Symone’s hand and she did not want to let go anytime soon.

If the dark haired girl felt the same, she was definitely prioritizing teaching her new acquaintance (what were they? Gigi had no clue.) how to roller skate.

By their fourth lap, Symone was starting to catch on, “I don’t think you need my help anymore. I think you just want to hold my hand.”

Being called out flustered Gigi, but they were proud of what they responded, “Am I wrong for not wanting to let go of a pretty girl’s hand?”

Her new love interest pondered for a moment, “I guess you might have a point.”

____________

They ended up spending the rest of the night side by side, skating around and dancing to music. Gigi was much better at roller skating than they were a few hours prior.

Eventually, Symone’s friend made a reappearance and the people who showed up for Jaida’s party slowly started to empty the rink. Gigi knew that it was time to part ways.

“I had a lot of fun tonight. Maybe we could do it again sometime?”

“Depends. Will you pretend to be bad at skating so you have an excuse to hold my hand again?” Symone teased, getting out her phone and opening up the contacts app, pressing ‘new contact’ before handing it to the redhead.

“I’m never living that down, am I?” Gigi giggled, typing in her name and number into the phone that was now in her hand.

She shrugged, “I’m not complaining about someone as cute as you holding my hand, but I also found it amusing.”

After saying their goodbyes to Symone and her friend Rosy, Gigi made their way over to Jaida who was sitting at the bar, typing away on her phone.

“Hey, stranger.”

Their best friend looked up, smiling at them. “You had a lot of fun tonight, huh?”

“I really did. I’m really glad I came.”

Gigi couldn’t wait to see them again.

Cutting Edge ~ Nathan MacKinnon Ch. 4

Hey everyone! I hope you are all doing well and having a nice Friday! Thank you so much for all your kind, supportive words! I’m so glad you are liking this series! Disclaimer for this chapter: I’m sorry if you like Ashley Wagner as a figure skater. To be honest she bothers me which is why I picked her for a little conflict that may or may not happen during the season lol 

Anyways, enjoy and let me know what you think! Also, let me know if you would like to be tagged in the upcoming chapters! Thanks!

Prologue  Ch. 1 Ch. 2 Ch. 3

“Nope. Try again,” you said as Andre tripped over his feet and missed the net. It was Monday morning at practice and you had just shown your group the three-turn move that Nate suggested you teach them. Andre groaned and looked over at you.

           “What is the point of this?” he asked.

           “The point is to be more fluid. You guys do this already, you just need to follow through with it and not be choppy,” you responded.

           “Maybe we are choppy because we have to keep the puck with us,” Andre grumbled and tried again, still not entirely succeeding. To be fair, not many had been successful that morning.

“You guys just need to keep your momentum,” you tried to explain. They looked at you like you were crazy. You quickly skated over to the side and grabbed a stick, becoming exasperated that they seemed not to believe you that it would work. Taking one of the pucks, you quickly did the move and shot the puck straight into the net. You turned back to your group and laughed at their dumbstruck faces. Honestly, you were even shocked that you made, but you couldn’t show them that. “So that’s how you do it. Any questions?” They all shook their heads no. “Okay then, line up,” you said, deciding to keep the stick with you. Though it still seemed foreign to you, you felt more comfortable with it. As the group you had started to get it, you smiled and looked down the ice to find Nate already looking at you. He was at center ice in another group, and when you grabbed the hockey stick a few of the players and coaches stopped to see what you were doing. He didn’t bother to look away when you met his gaze, but instead nodded at you with an impressed face. You shrugged and laughed, turning your attention back to your group.  

           The groups rotated about 30 minutes later, and Nate skated right up to your side. “Look who’s becoming a hockey player,” he teased you quietly. You giggled and elbowed him.

           “I told you it wasn’t that hard,” you said, adding “and you owe me two laps.” Nate looked at you unimpressed.

           “Are you serious?” he asked.

           “Can’t have people thinking I’m a pushover, right?” you laughed. Nate rolled his eyes, but smiled at you as he took off.

~ ~ ~

           The following day you stayed after practice, seeing as the team had Wednesday off. You were in the middle of your billman spin when you caught the outline of a blurred figure every rotation you made. You finished the spin, letting go of your right leg and checking out. Glancing toward the side, you found Nate standing there. He smiled as you skated over to him, shifting his weight from one foot to another slightly. That’s when you realized he had his skates on. “Mind if I join you?” Nate asked. You shook your head and smiled up at him.

           “You aren’t mad at me for making you skate laps?” you joked. He chuckled as he stepped out onto the ice.

           “Completely. Those two laps were the worst thing I had to do yesterday,” he answered with a wink. You laughed and skated around the perimeter of the rink with him. The two of you spent about two more hours on the ice, talking and doing different things, but always ending up back next to each other. You sat next to Nate on a bench off the ice to take your skates off while continuing your conversation. “So how did you get into skating? In Canada hockey is huge. I can’t imagine it’s the same in Southern California,” Nate asked after he had told you how he started playing hockey, and you smiled.

           “So I was actually a dancer when I was younger. My parents put me in ballet when I was about 2 in a half because I was that hyper child that needed something to do,” Nate chuckled at that. “Anyways, I had an older cousin who was taking skating lessons and had her like 10th birthday party at the rink. I was 4 and one of my other older cousins offered to skate with me. And I fell in love the second I stepped onto the ice. I asked my parents after the party if I could start skating and they signed me up for classes. And you should know as of last week with Z that I am a competitive, stubborn little shit of a person so I jumped at the idea of having a coach and competing. And I never looked back. The rink is my happy place, it’s where I feel most myself, and everything that has come along with it is just a perk,” You smiled, drying off your blades and putting your soakers on them.

           “Oh yes, an Olympic gold medal is just a perk,” Nate dead panned, but you could see he had a smirk on his face.  

           “I mean I worked hard for it. But it never felt like work because I love to skate,” you replied simply. Nate smiled softly at you, and you thought you would never get used to the way it made your stomach flutter.

           “That is beautiful Coach,” he teased you, and you knocked your shoulder into his arm. He laughed as you barely even moved him, more just bounced off of him. “I’m being serious Y/N. Obviously you are an amazing skater, and we are lucky to have you.” Nate said sincerely. You looked away as you started to blush.

           “Well you aren’t so bad yourself mister,” you tried to joke back to cover up how much his words were actually affecting you. Nate chuckled and shook his head.

           “I just try my best. Sometimes it doesn’t feel like enough, but I try,” he admitted.

           “But that’s all you can do, try. And you have a whole team behind you to support you,” you said, feeling that he was just like you; extremely tough on himself. “Plus, from what I’ve seen you’re a pretty good skater,” you smiled as he met your eyes after putting his skates away.

           “Only pretty good?” he teased, and you laughed.

           “Well there’s always room for improvement,” you said, teasing him back. Nate let out a chuckle and followed you out of the rink, walking with you over to your jeep.  

           “So, we have tomorrow off…” Nate started, rubbing the back of his neck. You smiled and nodded, encouraging him to continue. Nate wanted to just ask you out, but he wasn’t positive where you stood. You were nice to him, but you were nice to everyone. He decided to go with what he had already offered before to be safe. “Do you still need to get a bookshelf?” As he asked, you couldn’t help as your smile became brighter at the thought of hanging out with him away from the rink again.

           “I do actually. I was planning on doing that tomorrow,” you hoped you weren’t blushing too much, but Nate could see it and it only gave him more confidence.

           “I can come over around noon. We could get some lunch then get your book case,” he suggested, trying to gauge your reaction. You smiled shyly, knowing your blush had to be evident at this point. Nate thought it looked adorable. Here you were, this Olympic gold medalist becoming shy when he was asking you to hang out.

           “That would be great, as long as you don’t mind helping me,” you said. Nate beamed at you.

           “Not at all.” You smiled back at him and said your goodbyes with the promise of seeing each other tomorrow. You drove home, nervous and excited for being able to hang out with him more one on one.

           The next morning you woke up and busied yourself trying to clean up a bit. Not that you were messy, but you needed to move some boxes out of the way to make space for your book shelf. Getting dressed in some simple jeans and a black tank with a long, velvet deep yellow cardigan over it, you were just putting on your converse when Nate showed up at your door. You insisted on driving, sure that you would buy more than just a bookshelf and didn’t want to cram it all into his car. Nate directed you to a cute sandwich shop downtown for lunch, and the two of you talked the whole time about everything and anything. It felt so natural to be around him; the two of got along very well. Both of you being extremely competitive athletes, you also understood each other on a different level. Getting through lunch relatively unnoticed, Nate was amused when you were the one approached for a picture and not him. He couldn’t help but smile at the way you talked to the young girl and encouraged her to keep working on a jump she said she was having a problem with. After lunch, you and Nate went to Target and picked out a simple bookshelf. You also grabbed a few more things you could not leave the store without and Nate pushed the cart along, teasing you when you couldn’t pass up buying a few new books as well. Traveling from competition to competition always provided reading time, so you figured road trips with the team would provide the same.

           Once back at your apartment Nate took over constructing the book shelf while you unloaded your boxes for it. The day carried on with playful banter and you could feel your crush growing even stronger. Nate was feeling the same. It was nice for him to be around someone who didn’t seem to care that he was a professional hockey player. He felt that he could really be himself around you. Between the laughing, lunch, shopping, and setting up, it was 7pm before you even knew it. “Do you want some pizza?” you asked him as you placed a candle on one of the shelves.  

           “Don’t tell my coaches,” he winked and you laughed.

           “Never,” you said, asking him what a good pizza place to order from would be. “I’ll order a veggie one. That will make it a healthy meal.” Nate laughed and offered to pay, but you insisted being that he spent his whole day helping you, plus bought lunch. When the pizza arrived, you made your plates and sat at the table. “Do you ever miss being home with your family?” you asked after he told you all about them.

           “I do yeah. I love them and being able to spend time with them. But I’ve made Denver my home also and this team is like family. I’m happy being here with them,” Nate answered sincerely.

           “I think it’s really great you guys all have each other. I’ve never been much of a team player so I’ve never experienced that kind of bond,” you admitted.

           “You have to have friends through skating though, right?” he asked.

           “Yes and no,” you shrugged. Nate gave you a questioning look. “Girls are mean.” Nate broke out laughing. You laughed too and continued. “Once you get to a certain level, like you support one another but if someone your competing against falls you don’t feel bad. And I know that sounds horrible, but when there are only usually 3 spots on the Olympic team every four years, and the competitive span of a female figure skater is only like six years at senior level depending on how fast you learn, it’s a super competitive atmosphere. You tend to become better friends with people you won’t compete against. So like for me, my best friend is Jeremy Abbott. He’s kind of like an older brother to me. And I’m close to a few ice dancers. But any female single skater friend either tends to have gone through the ranks before you, or you start mentoring someone younger as they hop onto the circuit and you phase out. I think I’m better friends with girls I have competed against now that none of us are competing anymore. That’s just kind of how it goes,” you tried your best not to make it sound like you were a horrible person. Nate nodded thoughtfully, then grinned at you.

           “Does this mean you have an arch enemy that we all have to look out for?” You couldn’t help but laugh at his question.

           “Unfortunately, kind of. Playing the Stars should be interesting this year.”

           “Playing the Stars is interesting every year,” Nate muttered. “Who is it?” he asked curiously.

           “Don’t say anything ok. I have a reputation to uphold. I can’t be talking bad about another skater in this program,” you pleaded. “Plus the press already thinks we don’t like each other. I don’t need to be the one to add fire to that flame.”

           “Yeah I’d rather not talk to the press so your secret is safe with me Y/N,” Nate said, leaning in closer as to convey confidence.

           “Her name is Ashley Wagner. She was annoyed that in my first competition I bet her and knocked her off the podium completely. And every competition since I had beat her,” you explained and Nate nodded along. “Also, if you meet her, don’t let her fool you. She seems nice, but she’s not that great. She purposefully tripped me during warm ups once. That’s when all the rumors started flying around.” Nate looked at you surprised.

           “You didn’t do anything back to her?”

           “No,” you laughed lightly. “That’s not what you do in my sport. I kept smiling and brushed it off best I could.”

           “Alright. So we’ll have to protect you around her. You’re too nice,” Nate grinned at you. You smiled back and cleared both of your plates as you had finished eating.

           “Shut up. She’s a coach too. It should be fine…I hope.” Nate shrugged at your reply, taking a seat on the coach and making himself comfortable.

           “I don’t know. Hockey might just bring out the worst in both of you.”

           “Gee, thanks Nate. Glad to know you’d have my back if it came to blows,” you plopped down next to him. Not too close, but close enough the you could knock your knee into his. Curling your feet up on the couch, you both smiled lazily at each other.

           “Don’t worry Coach, I’ll be your back up. Tyson will probably be your hype-man,” Nate teased, reaching to shove your shoulder slightly. When his hand came down though, it rested slightly touching yours, and neither of you moved.

           “Sounds about right,” you tried to laugh your nerves off. Nate decided to take a leap, and placed his hand over yours. He smiled when he felt you intertwine your fingers with his. The both of you sat in comfortable silence for a minute. Nate was about to speak when your phone started to ring, ruining the moment.

           “I’m sorry,” you said, looking at your phone and seeing that it was Jeremy calling. You denied the call, but your screen just lit up again. “Speak of the devil. I can call him back later. I’m sure it’s not important.”

           “It’s fine. It’s getting late, and we have practice tomorrow so I should probably go,” Nate said, letting go of your hand and standing up. You were going to kill Jeremy.

           “Well thank you for coming over and helping me,” you said as you walked Nate over to the door.    

           “Anytime,” Nate responded, stopping just outside and turning back to you. “We should do it again sometime.”

           “Put together a book shelf?” you raised your eyebrow, hoping you weren’t over analyzing the moment the two of you just had. Nate chuckled and reached out for your hand again.

           “No. Lunch, dinner, this,” he squeezed your hand for emphasis. You blushed and nodded. “A book shelf if you really need another one,” Nate added, making you giggle.

           “That would be nice,” you responded. Nate grinned at you, and with one more squeeze of your hand he dropped it.

           “See you tomorrow Y/N,” he said, backing away from you.

           “Get home safely Nate,” you said, smiling at him till he turned around and walked down the hallway. You shut the door and locked up, walking back to the couch and the now 6 missed calls from your best friend. You called him back with a sigh. You didn’t give Jeremy a second to talk when he answered. “You better be dying to have called me this many times.”

           “Calm down, I just wanted to talk to you. Why weren’t you answering?” he laughed.

           “Nate was over. I think we were having a moment and you ruined it,” you complained.

           “Shit…sorry!” Jeremy responded. There was a pause, then he spoke again with excitement. “Now tell me all about it.” You laughed and launched into the story about your day, all the meanwhile looking forward for the season to begin, and to be able to see where things were headed with Nate.  

tags: @bqstqnbruin​ @avsfans95​ @andreiaafaria​

Sharpen Your Blades - Ch.15

Summary: “What the fuck is that supposed to mean?”

The thinning of Aizawa’s patience was evident in the twitching of his brow. “If you stop asking questions, maybe I could finish explaining.

”With a huff and roll of his eyes, Katsuki glanced away from their coach.

“City Hall and the SC want us to give them more variety. We are a team solely made up of single skaters. Every year, we dominate the rankings for single skate while Shinketsu dominates the pairs, so this year both cities are being required to split their skaters evenly between singles and pairs with at least one pair coming from out top five.” There was a collective intake of breath, but no one commented, choosing instead to remain silent. “Unfortunately, for us, it’s a lot easier to switch from pairs to singles. With our male to female ratio, alpha/beta/omega ratio, and those of you actually experienced with pair skating, we’re at a disadvantage. So, I’ve decided to choose your partners for you.”

…..

Or where Katsuki and Izuku are forced to be partners so they can continue to compete, but the blood in the water may be thicker than anyone realized.

Pairing: Bakudeku

Rating: T

Chapter: 15/20

Previously <- Chapter 14: Fighting

Chapter 16: Heats and Ruts -> Next

Chapter 15: Gross Holiday Activities

Izuku was lying in bed staring up at the ceiling. He was exhausted, had been exhausted for the entire week. No one had warned him just how much presenting would take out of him, let alone just how terrible going through heat would be. That’s not something they talk about in school. They talk about the biological mechanisms of why secondary genders exist. About how wonderful and beautiful heats and ruts were. ‘They help us create life,’ he remembered his teacher intoning.

After this first heat, he didn’t think they were all people had made them out to be.

The only good thing that came from presenting was that if Katsuki wanted to return to partner skate one day, they could still be partners. Izuku could only hope that one day Katsuki would want to.

A soft knock tapped at his door.

The person didn’t wait for him to reply before pushing open the door. Cinnamon and star anise and sugar wafted towards him, and Izuku knew without looking who had entered his room. His scent had never been so strong before, but it was so very familiar.

“Kacchan?” he mumbled, turning to look at the newly presented alpha where he stood in the doorway. “What are you doing here?”

“Get dressed,” he said as answer.

“I’m tired, Kacchan,” Izuku said even as he slowly pulled back the covers and slid his feet to the floor. He felt weak like even if he stood up his legs wouldn’t be able to hold his weight. Sighing heavily, he scrubbed at his eyes. “How did you get in? I didn’t think Mom would let you in since…” He trailed off, eyes on his toes as he curled and uncurled them.

“You really think Auntie would let me being an alpha change her opinion of me?” Katsuki crossed his arms, leaning against the very noticeably open door. Normally, when he came over, Katsuki would come in and immediately close the door. Either Inko had talked to him, or he was already conducting himself in a way that wouldn’t make Inko’s opinion change.

It made Izuku sad. Things would never be the same for them from here on out. Everything was going to change no matter how hard he fought against it.

Izuku shrugged. “I don’t know. I’m just surprised.” He didn’t move.

“Are you going to get up or am I going to just go on my own?” Katsuki snapped, impatience in his voice, but also the same exhaustion Izuku was harboring.

“Where are we going?”

“The outdoor rink opened today. You hate missing the first day.”

Katsuki didn’t have to say anymore. Izuku heaved himself out of bed with a groan, and hurried to find something clean-ish to pull on. Something that didn’t smell overwhelmingly of his heat. On their way out, Izuku’s hand trapped in Katsuki’s, he called, “We’re going to the outdoor rink, Mom!”

Inko shuffled out of the kitchen with a small bag, handing it to Katsuki. Miso soup or green tea that she always gave them before they went out on cold winter days. “Be safe, you two. Mitsuki is coming with you?” she asked, chaffing her hands together worriedly.

Katsuki nodded, face looking more severe than ever with the deep black bags beneath his eyes. “She’s waiting in the car.”

“Okay, well, I’ll see you two in a little bit. Call if you won’t make it back for dinner, baby.” With that, she hugged Izuku tightly and pressed a kiss to the top of his head.

When they slid into the backseat of the car, Mitsuki and Masaru turned to smile at Izuku. “How are you feeling, Izuku?” Masaru asked conversationally as Mitsuki turned back around to watch the road, “You’ve had a long week just like Katsuki, haven’t you?”

Izuku nodded, tightening his fingers around Katsuki’s. “It was really tiring, but I’m happy to be out of the house.”

“We’re glad to help. Katsuki missed you.” Masaru smiled at his son, but Katsuki had propped his chin in his hand to stare out the window. He turned back around, leaving the boys to their solitude.

There weren’t as many people on the ice when they got there than Izuku had expected. Probably it had to do with how early in the holiday season it was and maybe even that it was the first day the rink was open. Silently, they shoved their feet in the shitty skates that the rink offered while Mitsuki and Masaru wandered off to check out the stalls close by.

When Izuku finally stepped out onto the ice, it felt as if he hadn’t in months. It was a relief. Being on the ice was easy. Being on the ice was uncomplicated. Being on the ice meant being with Katsuki, and Katsuki was one of the few constants in his life.

They skated together for hours. Round and round and round despite the eyes that found them, tracked them. Children who were newly presented had a stronger, more pungent scent. They received more attention, especially newly presented omegas. Over the week, Izuku had dreaded having to go back out in public remembering all of the omegas on the team who had presented before him and the unrelenting, mostly unwanted attentions they’d received. He worried about the eyes that would follow him and the noses that would catch his scent.

But being out with Katsuki made it easy. After a while, the feel of those eyes fell away, and it was just the two of them.

When they finally left the ice, sweaty and red faced and shaky from exertion, Mitsuki handed them food to share and Izuku said, “Thank you, Kacchan.”

“For what?” Katsuki grunted, cheek stuffed full with takoyaki as he looked out over the crowd. His eyes were flat, not as shiny as they usually were. Lacking his excitement for life.

“Asking me to come out. I was… I was scared about being in public again,” Izuku whispered, holding the food tray in both hands, but not taking any for himself. He couldn’t look at Katsuki, his blush moving from exertion to embarrassment.

“Yeah, well, I was just tired of being inside,” Katsuki muttered, but even as he spoke, his scent told another story. It would take some time before he learned to control his scent enough that his emotions didn’t scream out through his scent.

For now though, it was nice to know exactly what he was really feeling, what he would refuse to say. Izuku smiled. “Thank you anyway.”

…..

"Deku, you should just talk to him," Ochako told him sternly.

Izuku pointedly did not look at her, focussing on his breathing as they jogged along somewhere in the middle of the team. Ochako wasn't a slow runner, but she wasn't as fast as Katsuki. Since their argument three days ago though, Izuku hadn't even looked at Katsuki with the insurmountable guilt he was harboring. He shouldn’t have let Katsuki’s pre-rut get the better of him, but his body seemed bound and determined to no longer be his friend. The same went for his omega who had been sulking the entire time.

Neither of them had even showed up to practice the past two days and yesterday's practice had been the most strained it had ever been, much to Aizawa's irritation and Toshinori's disappointment. Both Izuku and Katsuki had separately refused to touch the ice with the other on it, and had been relegated to floor work in separate studios. Toshinori had apologized to Izuki for making things worse which had only served to inflate his guilt.

The anger had eventually evaporated, and now the rational part of Izuku's brain had come back online. That didn't keep every other part of him from moaning that he'd royally fucked everything up. There was no way Katsuki would ever forgive him for what he’d said.

"Ignoring me isn't going to stop me from talking about this," Ochako warned, still keeping stride beside him even as her breath started to falter and grow heavier, "You two are being absolutely ridiculous."

"You have to admit, this is par the course for them," Todoroki murmured on Izuku's other side.

Izuku sighed. "Not you too, Todoroki."

Todorki somehow managed to shrug while still swinging his arms. "I agree with her. You should just talk."

Again, Izuku sighed, but heavier this time. Heavy enough to interrupt his breathing and force him to adjust his breath again. "You didn't see or hear how he reacted. It'll be a miracle if he ever even looks at me again."

"Well then, you have a fairy godmother because it's going to happen sooner than you think," Uraraka huffed, "Especially if you just. Talk. To. Him."

Finally, Izuku snapped his eyes to her, frustrated and feeling like garbage and she was just making it worse. "You don't get it, Chako! You don't know our history! It's not that simple!"

"Because you don't talk to us about it!" she shouted back, glaring at him fiercely. Far ahead of them, Iida turned a glance over his shoulder and began to slow.

"Because it hurts to talk about!"

Uraraka grabbed his arm, jerking him to a stop and pulling him away towards the side of the trail. Ahead of them, Todoroki kept running and grabbed Iida’s bicep to keep him moving. For several long moments, both of them caught their breath and stared at their feet. Only when the last of their teammates had passed did they speak.

"I'm sorry," Izuku whispered, eyes downcast and tear filled, "I didn't mean to yell at you."

"Well, you did," Uraraka said, voice still sharp around the edges, but normal volume now, "We're friends, Deku, but no one gets a pass for yelling at me. Not even you."

The tears spilled over, dripping off the tip of his nose. He shielded his face from view with a hand and scrubbed at his tears with the other. "I'm sorry. I'm really sorry. Please don't hate me. I can't have another friend hating me," he gasped.

Uraraka's sigh ruffled his hair. "I don't hate you and neither does Bakugou, but you were yelling at me when I'm trying to help you. Not only that, but you're holding stuff against me that I don't know about because you've never talked to us about it. I'm going to be blunt here, both you and Bakugou clearly have a lot of unresolved trauma from when you were younger that's still fucking up a lot of stuff for the two of you. You would be so much better without all this extra baggage. You two are terrible at communicating, and whether you talk to me or not, you need to talk it out with him. That time on the podcast doesn't count as talking it out. That was just Bakugou being vulnerable with you for once, but there's way more than just that going on. And you know it."

Izuku was crying harder, using the tail of his scarf to mop up his tears. "I know, it's just so hard. I caused so many problems for Kacchan when we were younger. I was just so thankful to be able to skate with him again, but now… now… Now he won't even look at me because I threw everything back in his face. I'm a terrible person, and Kacchan deserves a better omega. An omega who can cook and clean and doesn't have to rely on suppressants to get him through life. Who didn't ruin two years of his life when we were kids."

Uraraka gripped his shoulder tightly, waiting until he raised his eyes to her to begin. "Talk to him. I truly believe the two of you think more alike than you realize. I'm sure he wants to talk to you too."

"What if he tells me to go away."

"He won’t."

"But what if-"

"He won't, Deku, trust me."

With a shaky nod, Izuku accepted the hug Uraraka offered him before they started back towards the rink. They walked the trail instead of running, allowing Izuku to get his tears under control. When they exited the trail, the rest of the team had already disappeared into the rink to change for their day.

Only Katsuki and Kirishima remained standing near the rink entrance. Kirishima was whispering to Katsuki, but stopped when Katsuki's eyes snapped to Izuku.

They stared at each other, Katsuki's eyes trailing over him before scrutinizing his face. After several long moments, Katsuki turned and disappeared into the rink.

Kirishima waited for them to draw closer before speaking. "I think I managed to convince him, but I'm not sure what he's planning," he said, speaking directly to Uraraka instead of Izuku.

Sighing, she nodded. "Good. The same goes for me." Looking to Izuku, she smiled and said, "Talk to him. I'm going to get changed and head to work."

…..

"Bro, Katsuki, just talk to him. Watching you mope is making me sad. Like, come on now. You're better than this." Kirishima jogged beside Katsuki, the only one managing to keep up with him out of his group of friends. Mina and Kaminari loped along behind them, their panting desperate breath loud on the quiet trail. Only Sero was further ahead of them, his long legs carrying him easily. The only reason he was ahead was because Katsuki wasn't putting any effort into the run. He was just too tired.

"No." His reply was flat, almost monotonous. After the fight with Izuku, all of his pre-rut anger had ebbed into something aching. All day, every day, his chest hurt with the sheer level of pining he was allowing himself to engage in. He’d even allowed his alpha to start constructing the nest for the omega that he’d been fighting against. Not that any omega needed an alpha to create a shitty version of something they had the instinct to build well, but it put Katsuki at ease knowing it was there if Izuku so-ever needed it. So, he wallowed and pined and didn’t cave to the desire to go knock on the omega’s apartment door just down the hallway from him.

"Man-"

"No. You didn't hear what he said to me. He doesn't want anything to do with me. I'm not going to force him to talk to me."

Kirishima sighed, turning his eyes towards the sky. "You don't know if he does or doesn't if you don't talk to him. He was angry. People say stuff they don't mean all the time when they're angry."

Katsuki glared at him out of the corner of his eye. "Everything he said was true."

"That doesn't mean he meant it."

"It does for Deku."

"You're being ridiculous," Kirishima said sternly, eyebrows furrowing, "You don't know if he regrets what he said or not. Sometimes I think you don't know Midoriya at all." He turned his eyes forward again, and Katsuki got the distinct feeling that his best friend was disappointed in him.

"I've known him way longer than any of you extras!"

"Which makes you biased. From the little you told me, a lot happened when you were preteens, and I wouldn't be surprised to learn that your perspectives on each other are seriously skewed," Kirishima told him honestly, and Katsuki knew his best friend was frustrated with him because he hadn't looked at him. Not only that, but his ever present smile was missing. “It’s like you two hold each other on some insurmountable pedastals, but don’t realize that you’re just people.”

Katsuki didn't reply, seething under the truth of his words. But the thought of rejection made him nauseous. If he talked to Deku and the omega told him to fuck off, he wasn't sure what he'd do. Probably find another team all together.

He didn't want to do that though. He wanted to stay with Izuku even if the omega never looked at him ever again.

"How do I even start a conversation like that?" Katsuki muttered.

"Apologizing would be a good start." At the look on Katsuki's face, Kirishima sighed again. "You need to verbally talk to him, hash out everything between the two of you, but I guess you could start by getting on the ice with him. Maybe take him to do something that he'll really enjoy that he hasn't gotten a chance to do yet."

Several things popped into his head at once, but still he asked, "Like what?"

"I don’t know. You two have been seriously busy. Maybe take him to Downtown and go Christmas shopping and to see the lights. The Christmas tree is up, and they've opened the outdoor rink. He always gets excited during the holiday season."

Several distinct memories of making a day out of going to the outdoor rink on the first day of opening flitted through Katsuki’s mind. He scowled. "I hate all that gross Christmas shit. People are always way too loud and happy."

Kirishima laughed. "I know that, but this isn't about you. It's about him."

‘Fair point.’ Letting out a noncommittal grunt, Katsuki lengthened his stride and Kirishima whined as he started to fall behind. When they finally made it to the end of the trail, Katsuki waited for Kirishima, but also kept an eye out for Izuku to make sure the omega made it back.

Slowly, their teammates exited the path and started towards the rink. Izuku didn’t appear.

Kirishima shifted his weight from foot to foot, glancing between Katsuki and the path. After ten more minutes, he started talking, chattering without stopping.

Crossing his arms, Katsuki clenched his fists against his sides to keep his growing panic known. Kirishima’s neverending chatter was doing nothing to help him. Mostly, it just pissed him off.

Long minutes pass, and it was only when Katsuki was seconds away from plunging back into the forest and Kirishima was saying, “I’m sure he’s alright, man, this trail is really safe. All the trails are. And it’s Midoriya. I think we would have heard something by now if he was in trouble,” that there was movement at the trail mouth.

Izuku and Uraraka stopped as they spotted Katsuki and Kirishima.

He dragged his eyes over Izuku, looking for any signs that he’d been hurt and allowing his panic to subside, before looking over the omega’s face. His nose, lips and eyes were red, and there were clear signs that he’d been crying.

‘Omega sad. Comfort omega. Omega should not have to cry,’ his alpha said, and while Katsuki agreed, he couldn’t just go up to Izuku and hold him.

Instead, he met Izuku’s eyes pointedly again before turning and heading into the rink. From there, he turned towards the ice instead of the locker rooms where the rest of the team was. It had been three days since he last set foot on the ice, and he hadn’t realized just how much a deviation from his usual schedule would affect him. Sleep had been scarce, and frustration had been high. Not frustration at Izuku, but at himself. Because after everything, he was still somehow managing to fuck things up. Not to say he hadn’t been upset with Izuku, but it hadn’t lasted. Everything he’d said had been the truth.

Katsuki pulled on his skates with purposeful, quick jerks. By the time the three stragglers made it in, he was already taking off his guards to step onto the ice. He paused, glancing over his shoulder to catch Izuku’s gaze before stepping out. He found his way to center ice before coming to a stop and turning to wait for Izuku to join him. If he was going to join him.

He hoped the invitation was obvious. He wasn’t good with words. Never had been and had the sneaking suspicion never would be.

Uraraka and Kirishima were smirking, and together, pushed Izuku towards the rink. He glanced back at them, but they just waved him forward again. Only when he stepped away did they scurry away themselves, heads bent close together.

Katsuki waited patiently as Izuku slowly pulled out his skates. Every few seconds as he pulled them on, he glanced up as if to make sure Katsuki hadn’t gone anywhere.

Finally, standing at the entrance to the rink, he simply stared at Katsuki with trepidation written all across his face.

Instead of opening his mouth, worried something nasty and venomous was just going to come tumbling out as it so often did, he held out his hand.

Izuku’s face opened with relief, and he scrubbed at his eyes before hurrying out to meet Katsuki. They didn’t stay on the ice long, silently gliding around the rink a few times without any purpose, just contenting each other with the others presence.

As if following an unspoken signal, they stepped off the ice together, gathered up their belongings and went outside.

Izuku waited beside Katsuki, bouncing from foot to foot and breathing into his cupped hands as he locked the doors to the rink. When Katsuki turned, Izuku handed over Katsuki’s bag, a small cautious smile evident over the top edge of his scarf. The scarf Katsuki had given him.

For the first time in days, Katsuki spoke to Izuku. “Put on your fucking gloves, dumbass, that’s what you’ve got ‘em for. Fuck.” He stepped in close to Izuku, rummaging around his coat pockets despite the omega’s sudden stiffness and stammering and red cheeks. Pulling out the gloves, he pulled them onto Izuku’s hands with quick efficiency. He clasped Izuku’s hands between his own. “Where’s your hat? I swear, you’d be dead without me.” He reached around Izuku, and this time easily found his beanie in the outside pocket of his bag.

All the gifts he’d given Izuku on his person all at the same time. Katsuki smirked, self-satisfied, after he jerked the hat down over Izuku’s ears, flipping the bunny ears out of the omega’s face and over the top of his head. “Better. Let’s go.” He turned, striding away before Izuku could answer.

“What? Where are we going? Our building is the other way.” Izuku scrambled to catch up, falling into step beside Katsuki and stepping close as the sidewalk began to fill with bodies. The closer they got to Downtown, the more crowded it became. The signs of life grew exponentially, and it wasn’t long before the streets were filled with lights and holiday music and the sound of people living and loving together.

Katsuki glanced over at him, wrapping an arm around his shoulders to pull him close so they took up less space on the sidewalk. Izuku didn’t react to the sudden proximity like Katsuki had expected him to, eyes darting from one store front to the next. His eyes were wide, colored lights reflecting brightly off his corneas.

Glancing away as heat built along his collar, he said, “We’re not going home just yet.”

“What are we doing then?” Izuku asked, and he caught the glance the omega sent him.

He also caught the bright red of Izuku’s cheeks. ‘It’s just the cold. It’s just the cold. It’s just the cold,’ he chanted to himself.

‘Omega still responds to us. Hope!’ his alpha retorted.

On a whim, Katsuki steered them into a store front so frilly and lit up that his eyeballs actually throbbed in his head. The store was familiar, one of his few haunting grounds that made coffee exactly to his standards. Warmth and the heavy scent of coffee greeted them, and he unwound himself from Izuku to usher him through the double doors. “We’re getting hot chocolate to start off.”

As soon as Izuku had a chance to scan the coffee shop, his arm shot into the air. Jovially, he called, “Hagakure! Ojirou! I didn’t know you worked here!”

Neither did Katsuki, and he silently cursed.

The woman with her pale skin, pale blue eyes and the palest blonde hair on the planet waved back from behind the counter. “Midoriya! And Bakugou! What are you doing here?” She rounded the counter with a quick whisper to Ojirou who was sporting a baby blue apron. “Wow! It’s so weird seeing your guys off the ice.”

Izuku laughed. “It is, isn’t it? It’s nice though.”

“Yeah,” she cooed before stacking her gloved hands on her hips and smiling widely. “What can I do for you guys? Looking for a late night pick-me-up?”

“Kacchan said something about hot chocolate?” Izuku turned to Katsuki who would have been happier being ignored.

He hadn’t been expecting -realistically- to see any of their teammates that night. Had banked on it. He should have planned for the eventuality. It was the holiday season. Everyone was doing their Christmas shopping and enjoying the lights and shit.

He should have planned for it. Instead, Hagakure had a knowing smile playing across her mouth. Heat bloomed along his collar to crawl up his neck. Gruffly, he said, “Yeah. The Aztec spice for me and whichever the nerd wants.”

“You have multiples?” Izuku whispered reverentially as he whipped back around to look at Hagakure.

“Sure do! There’s a whole list for the holidays over there by Ojirou if you want to take a look.”

Izuku all but bounced over to the counter, greeting their other teammate with a bright chipper smile.

Hagakure and Katsuki didn’t move. “So…” she stared.

“Stop.”

She laughed, throwing her head back. “What? I haven’t said anything!”

Katsuki could feel his pulse in his cheeks, and he glared at her. “I know what you’re about to say. So, stop.”

“I just wanted to say that I’m happy for you. Just don’t fuck it up again, you know? And maybe get him something nicer than clothes and blankets? Just a suggestion.”

Katsuki didn’t even want to know how she knew about all of that, especially the blanket. He wanted to slam his head into a wall. Who was this beta trying to give him advice? They barely ever spoke, and he’d only ever thought of her as a teammate, even all these years later. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he ground out. But he allowed his eyes to remain glued on Izuku and for the warmth in his cheeks to fill his chest.

Hagakure pursed her lips. “You know, the one thing about basically being invisible is that people forget to check when they’re doing sketchy shit.” When he didn’t react, she simply said, “You’re courting him. I’ve seen you put a couple of those gifts in his bags. And don’t get me started on the lunches and snacks that I’ve seen you share. Just because he’s a dummy, doesn’t mean the rest of us are.”

Except that Izuku wasn’t actually a dummy, not in this sense. He’d known Katsuki’s intentions for a bit, eventually figured them out at least. It was just that he kept fucking shit up before actually getting the balls to properly ask Izuku to formally court him. Well, publicly at least. Katsuki hated that tradition dictated they go public. While he didn’t mind the idea of people knowing, the way he actually felt for the nerd was his and Izuku’s alone. If Izuku didn’t care about being public, he felt like that should have been good enough. Still, he knew how both of their parents would feel if they didn’t.

Working his jaw, Katsuki tried to find the words to reply that weren’t ‘fuck off’. If he really wanted to court Izuku, he couldn’t go alienating the nerd’s friends even if he wanted the omega all to himself. In the end, he muttered, “He wouldn’t like expensive shit. He’s not that kind of omega. The only non-functional things he owns are his skating memorabilia.” Before he was forced to endure whatever else she had to say in response, Izuku hopped back over with two takeaway cups and a smile cutting from ear to ear.

“Here you go, Kacchan!”

Katsuki took the cup with a grunt before grabbing Izuku’s hand and tugging him towards the door. “Let’s fucking go before more meddling happens.”

“Okay, bye, Hagakure, Ojirou!” Izuku called back, unperturbed by the frozen air just outside the door.

“Bye, sweetie! Have a good time! Make good choices!” Hagakure waved back enthusiastically before rounding the counter again.

Izuku waved for a few moments longer before bringing the cup in his hand to his lip. He hadn’t pulled his other from Katsuki’s, and instead used it to drag Katsuki into his side as they started to walk again. “So, what are we doing?”

“You haven’t gotten a chance to come down here this season, right?” Katsuki asked, keeping his eyes forward as he steered Izuku around a group of merry carolers. He felt more than saw Izuku shake his head, his curls sending up a cloud of sweet smelling mint and rain. “So, whatever you want.”

Izuku jerked them to a stop just as Katsuki was lifting his cup to his mouth. Hot liquid sprayed across his mouth, and he suppressed a curse. He thought the omega was about to really give it to him. Instead, when he looked at Izuku, he was met with wide sparkling green eyes and astonishment. Maybe the tongue lashing would have hurt less, but he knew he deserved every little twinge that spiked through his chest.

“What’s that look for?” he grumbled, glancing away from Izuku.

“Are you being serious?”

Katsuki snapped his eyes back around, indignation rising. “Why would I have said it if I weren’t being serious?”

Still, the astonishment stayed. “It’s just… it’s not like you, and after what happened at the beginning of the week…” Izuku dropped his eyes and then his hand, curling into himself. “It’s unexpected. I know you let me back on the ice, but I haven’t apologized. I don’t deserve your kindness.”

Considering what course of action to take, Katsuki eventually chose to reach around Izuku and pull his ponytail forward. He kept his fingers tangled in the supernaturally soft curls as Izuku shyly lifted his eyes to look at him.

“I haven’t apologized either. You’re not the only one at fault here. We’re both idiots.” Izuku’s eyes grew impossibly wide, but he didn’t speak. “So, what do you want to do?”

A smile grew quickly on Izuku’s face, and he pushed in close, wrapping his arms around Katsuki’s waist tightly. His cup was warm against Katsuki’s spine even through all of the layers he was wearing. “You’re going to regret asking me that,” he said, voice muffled in Katsuki’s jacket.

He sighed heavily. “I already knew that.”

Izuku pulled away, but not completely. Instead, he resumed their earlier position pressed shoulder to shoulder. “We have so much to do tonight,” he chirruped.

Katsuki grimaced, but went along without complaint.

For several hours, they peaked into packed stores strung from end to end with brightly colored lights and lengths of tinsel. Ate samples that said stores were handing out. Izuku did some actual Christmas shopping, picking up gifts for his mother, Katsuki’s parents, Uraraka and the rest of his friends. The entire time, he kept up a constant stream of chatter and singing.

And he never pulled his hand from Katsuki’s.

“The outdoor rink is open!” Izuku cried as they found themselves right in the middle of Downtown, the rink acting as the epicenter of the festivities.

The Christmas tree towered on the opposite end of the square as music played over the mass of bodies. There were so many lights strung around that there was no need for the usual street lamps or floodlights, and all stood dark beneath the Christmas lights. There weren’t actually that many people on the ice at the moment as Katsuki thought there would be, just a couple of kids and couples sticking close to the walls. Only a few brave souls had ventured out towards center ice, feet braced awkwardly and hands held out for balance.

“Let’s skate!” Izuku said emphatically, turning to completely face Katsuki, “Please, Kacchan! It’ll be closed for the season before I get to!”

“We skate every day, dumbass, what makes this rink different from ours?” Katsuki grumbled, beginning to feel the weight of his bag and the dragging of the day. It was well passed his usual bedtime, and he felt like an old man. An old man who needed a nap. “If you want to skate, we can just go back. At least there’s no people at our rink.”

“But that’s why I want to skate here.” Izuku was pulling him gently towards the booth renting out lockers and skates as if he moved slow enough that Katsuki wouldn’t notice what he was doing or something. “I love being on ice with so many people, all the excitement and energy they give off. I love being around people enjoying something I love just for the pleasure of enjoying it.”

Izuku’s words sounded extremely close to the reason Katsuki coached his students, and that more than anything unstuck his feet. He followed along behind Izuku, and waited by the wooden benches set up for the skaters to change into the skates while he got them skates and a locker to shove their things in. When he came back, he grinned and held up two pairs of ratty, ugly, abused skates.

“Why don’t we just use our own skate?” Katsuki asked, lip curled up in disgust as he stared at the sorry excuse for skates the omega was offering him. He hadn’t worn a pair of those skates since he was ten-years-old, but he was 99.9% sure they had never once been replaced in those twelve years. He didn’t even want to think of whose disease ridden feet may have been in them prior. “I’m not putting those on.”

Izuku pushed them towards him more insistently. “Come on, Kacchan, it’s part of the experience. Also-” His eyes darted towards the ice, completely ruined by hundreds of other people and the poor condition of the blades they were skating on. “I don’t really want to have to sharpen my blades after being on this ice. My current blades are probably still the most expensive things I’ve ever owned.”

Following his gaze and grimacing, Katsuki muttered, “Fine,” before taking the skates and sitting down heavily. He laced them up just like he would his own, and his grimace deepened when he stood and realized just how wrong wearing someone else’s skates felt. It wasn’t a pleasant feeling, for sure, but Izuku looked pleased as punch when he stood up beside Katsuki.

He toddered over to the lockers with their belongings and shoes, unceremoniously shoving everything into the locker’s depths before forcing it closed. When he turned, he was still grinning both a little smuggly and proudly. “Come on, Kacchan! Let’s skate!”

It took them several long minutes of trying to find a space between people to dart out to center ice, but once they were there, Izuku held out a hand. He smiled cheekily. “May I have this dance?”

“Gross,” Katsuki spat, but he was fighting back a smile as he grabbed the omega’s hand and dragged him in against his body.

Instead of following the routine for their programme, they just let their bodies move with the music. Still, they were in perfect sync. Laughter stayed on Izuku’s lips and a smile eventually broke out on Katsuki’s as they moved. It had been twelve years since they’d allowed themselves to be silly with each other, to just enjoy skating for the sake of skating, to forget about skill and technique and just skate.

They were planets orbiting a star where the other was the sun and they were the hapless, helpless planet caught in the sun’s gravity. Time became a distant construct as they spun and jumped and crashed together and flew apart.

At some point while holding Izuku’s hand above his head to spin him around and around and around, Katsuki realized that people were watching them more than skating. There were phones pointed in their direction and the holiday music had gotten louder, but nothing could really secure his attention like the sound of Izuku’s raucous laugh and teeth as he smiled helplessly.

Tackling Izuku around the waist and lifting him off his feet, he spun them around until the world was a blur of colors and Izuku’s face was the only thing in focus.

“Kacchan!” Izuku screeched, clutching onto his shoulder. His grip was for balance rather than out of fear, and after a moment, he flung his arms out to the sides and allowed Katsuki to hold him steady. Through his laughter, he called, “I’m getting dizzy!”

‘Me too. Dizzy on you,’ Katsuki thought nonsensically as he slowed to a stop. He let Izuku slide back to the ground, and together, they stumbled towards the wall while the assembled crowd clapped and crowed.

Katsuki leaned back against the wall, working to catch his breath even as it continued to escape in little puffs of laughter. Beside him, Izuku was still giggling, clutching onto the wall as if for dear life.

“Kacchan?”

Lifting his head from where it hung between his shoulders, Katsuki turned to look at Izuku. There were fingers there on the back of his neck, soft material warm against his skin, and before he could wonder what they were doing there, Izuku pressed his lips to Katsuki’s.

Katsuki went stalk still, brain struggling to connect the dots of what was happening to how he’d imagined kissing Izuku.

“Sorry, Kacchan,” Izuku was whispering as he pulled away, cheeks rose red and smile small, “I just couldn’t hold back anymore. I-”

Bracketing Izuku’s face between his palms, Katsuki pulled him back in, unable to handle even the short distance he’d put between them. He kissed him again, hungry and wanting and desperate, sliding his hands back into those perfect curls and holding on tight.

Izuku hummed against his lips, opening to him easily.

They melted into each other, and only virtue of being in public kept them from following their desires further.

When they parted, putting only enough space between each other to allow for panting breaths, Izuku whispered, “Why didn’t we do that sooner?”

Katsuki huffed out a breathless laugh. “Because I’m an idiot.”

10 Things I Hate About You (And 1 Thing I Love)

Word Count: ~2000 words

Ship: Peter Parker x Stark!Daughter, Avengers x Reader (platonic/family)

Warnings: Mild language, but that’s it!

A/N: This was so much fun to write honestly, we love fluffy chaos. It was originally going in a COMPLETELY different direction, but I decided to be nice and give you guys the fluffy version instead 😉 I attached the “10 things” list at the end in case you wanted it :)

You took a breath as you stood at the altar, hands interlocked with your fiancé Peter’s, and you began to speak.

“I hate your jokes, they’re so stupid.” Everyone in the room laughed, including Peter. “You’re the only person who could make such lame jokes funny. I especially hate that goofy laugh of yours that follows, that’s what makes the jokes tolerable. I hate that smile of yours, how it lights up the room. Seriously, it’s so bright, I need an Advil for my headache.” Peter let out a tearful laugh and your thumb brushed over his knuckles.

“I hate how hardworking you are. You built yourself up from nothing, you worked hard in everything you did. You overachiever, I look like a slacker. I hate how my family loves you and how they didn’t scare you off. Trust me, my dad tried.” Your dad called out a ‘hell yeah I did!’ which sent the small venue into laughter again. “My family’s all very guarded, but you smashed through those walls and you became like another member of the family. I hate how even my dog loves you, and he hates everyone. You can ask Dad, the day we took him off the street, he tried to bite him. He never liked anyone that I dated, until I met you.” Peter gave you a smile, which you gladly returned. Tears threatened to spill from your eyes, but you blinked them back.

“I hate how you always know how to make me laugh, you know I hate how my laugh sounds. I don’t think I’ve ever laughed this much until I met you. I hate how you always want to help everyone, even when struggling yourself. You could be out in the freezing cold, and you would give the shirt off your back to whoever needed it. You’re going to get sick or hurt doing that one day, you self sacrificing dork.”

“I hate how much you care about your friends. I won’t admit it again, but we truly are lucky to have you. Every endless day we spend with you is the best day. Except for our Harry Styles concert, nothing tops that. I hate how you’d lay down your life for your friends- you’d even do it for people who weren’t your friends. That’s just the person you are.” A few stray tears slid down your cheeks now.

“Even with all this complete and utter hatred I have for you,” your tone was playful and Peter was struggling not to cry at this point. You had told him your wedding vows would be a bit unconventional, he expected nothing less from you. You were Y/N Stark after all, being unconventional was a trademark Stark trait. “there’s one thing I love about you that cancels out all of that.”

“You made me feel like I belonged whenever so many people made me feel like I didn’t. From the second I started at Midtown, everyone treated me differently. Students and teachers were either terrified of me and what my dad could do, or they sucked up to me to get in my dad’s good graces. You treated me like I was just Y/N. Not Y/N Stark, daughter of Tony Stark, aka Iron Man. I was a regular teen with you, and I can’t thank you enough for that, Peter.” You wiped your eyes, smiling at the man you were about to marry. Your almost husband. “You introduced me to the best friends I could ever have, and you became the best boyfriend I could ever have. Boyfriend turned into fiancé, and now fiancé is about to turn into husband. These losers in the audience may be part of my family, but I can’t wait to start my own family with you. I love you, Peter Benjamin Parker.”

“I love you, Y/N Y/M/N Stark.” Peter smiled, a tear slipping down his cheek. “Now, if we’re doing the things I hate about you, let’s start with that god awful snoring.” The rest of the ceremony went on beautifully. Your dad wouldn’t admit it, but he totally cried whenever you and Peter said your “I do’s” and kissed. Meanwhile, Pepper wouldn’t let your dad forget it that he cried. Once the ceremony was finished, you moved the reception outside. Laura and Clint’s kids played with Scott’s daughter Cassie and your sister Morgan, while the adults continued the reception. The wedding was intimate, with your family of Avengers and Peter’s Aunt May and some friends of yours made up the guest list.

“I can’t believe Y/N’s married.” Natasha stood next to Tony, watching as you and Peter made your rounds with all the guests.

“Me neither.” Clint hummed in agreement, standing beside Natasha. “I remember the day I taught her to flip off the paparazzi.” Tony laughed at the memory, Pepper sending a playful glare to the archer. Tony still had the magazine in his office, the picture of you showing the camera your middle finger on the cover. You were only nine or ten at the time, you were all grown up now. You still liked to give the paparazzi your signature pose.

“How about the time she programmed FRIDAY to play that horrible Rebecca Black song every time we tried to use FRIDAY?” It was Steve’s turn to speak, and he groaned as he got the song stuck in his head again.

“Or that time she got FRIDAY to play that Black Widow song every time I entered the room?” Natasha’s face morphed into one of annoyance, but there was no real irritation behind it.

“What about the time Lady Y/N came to Asgard and made friends with Loki?” Thor remembered on your fourteenth birthday how you visited Asgard. It took endless tears and begging for your parents to agree. They finally agreed after you made a ten minute presentation, and Thor had promised to keep you safe. You loved Asgard and the people you met loved you- even Loki was fond of the young Stark. During your weekend in Asgard, you had spent equal time with the brothers. Thor gave you tours of Asgard and the castle, while Loki showed you some important spots from his childhood. You hated having to leave, but you came back every time you could. You even convinced Loki to spend more time on Earth (Midgard as he preferred to call it).

“I can’t forget about the time Tony brought in Y/N to the medbay when her hand was broken, he was hysterical. And you remember how she broke it?” Bruce looked at Tony, who rolled his eyes with a faint smirk.

“By punching that Flash kid in the face and breaking his nose.” Pepper shook her head at the memory, looking at the now grown up kids she loves. “They’ve always had each other’s backs. Now they’ve got each other forever. And they’ve got all of us.” Tony smiled as his older daughter walked over, Peter talking to his aunt. You gave everyone a hug, thanking them for coming.

“Sorry to interrupt, but it’s time for our dance, Dad.” Your dad nodded, pressing a kiss to his own wife’s cheek before walking to you.

“Let’s dance.” You lead your dad to the dance floor, your arm linked with his. You wrapped your arms around his neck, and Tony’s wrapped around your waist as you began to dance.

“I can’t believe my little girl is married now.” Tony spoke softly as you two danced, your dress sparkling under the lights as you moved. “Seems like just yesterday I held you in my arms for the first time.”

“It doesn’t feel real yet.” You hummed in agreement, looking up at your dad. “It still feels like I should be at home, having tea parties with Morgan, and giving you heart attacks with Peter.” Tony rolled his eyes, remembering how mere months ago, Tony was making a cup of coffee. You and Peter came to the lake house for Christmas, and you two were spending time with Morgan in your room.

Tony smiled as he heard the sound of laughter through the halls, until he heard a loud crash and Peter yell “shit!” which Morgan replied “that’s Mom’s word!” Tony ran to the sound, stopping at the sight. Morgan, holding your phone, stood beside Peter, who was doubled over laughing. Then he saw you, sprawled across the floor, roller skates on your feet. Pieces of shattered ceramic, dirt, flowers were surrounding you, which Tony recognized as the vase of flowers Morgan set up last week. You raised your head, looking at Morgan.

“Did you get that on video?!” You fist pumped the air as Morgan nodded, carefully getting back up. You froze when you saw your dad and looked at your fiancé and sister. “Retreat, retreat!!” You skated past your dad, Morgan and Peter following you as they laughed.

“Y/N, Morgan, and Peter! Get your asses back here and clean this up!”

“You see all these gray hairs? You caused them.” You laughed, giving your dad an award winning smile.

“We add excitement to your life.” Tony laughed, twirling you.

“And I can’t be happier that I have you two hooligans in my life.” You smiled as the song paused and everyone looked around. A familiar song started playing over the speakers, and your dad grinned. The slow song had been replaced by Mr. Brightside, one of yours and your dad’s favorite songs. The rest of the guests came to the dance floor, dancing and singing (yelling) the lyrics. The rest of the night was filled with singing, dancing, and laughter.

You stood beside Peter at the end of the night, swaying slightly as you held your sleeping sister. She was older now, but she never missed a chance for you to hold her. Your eyes traveled the room, taking in the sights around you. The rest of the kids were off by themselves, eating leftover wedding cake and drinking soda out of the champagne flutes. Ned and MJ had taken over the music, playing everything from throwbacks to today’s music, jumping around (as they’d call it, dancing) and laughing. The team of heroes were all broken out into their own groups, everyone getting along fine.

“I can’t believe this is our life.” You spoke after a minute of silence. “I remember when it was just me, my dad, and Happy. I never would’ve thought my family would grow from that group of three to all of us now.” Your eyes landed on your dad, who was laughing with the original Avengers team.

“If you would have told me in the start of high school that I was going to become an Avenger, fall in love with Tony Stark’s daughter, and join the family of the Earth’s mightiest heroes, I would think I was in a dream. And now it’s my reality. I’ve always wanted a big, happy family like this. And you gave it to me.” Peter smiled, pressing a gentle kiss to your forehead. Your eyes closed, savoring the moment.

“Our family’s about to expand by one more, too.” You whispered and Peter’s jaw dropped as it clicked.

“We’re having a baby?” You nodded with a smile, laughing as Peter hugged you tight, being careful not to disturb Morgan.

“We’re having a baby. Don’t tell my dad you know, he wanted to be the first to know.” You rested your head on his shoulder and Peter’s arm made its way around your waist.

“Our child really is going to have the best family to grow up in.” As you looked at your husband, you smiled to yourself.

‘Yeah.’ You thought. ‘They really will.’

1. Your stupid jokes

2. Your laugh

3. Your smile

4. How hardworking you are

5. How much my family loves you

6. Even my dog loves you, and he doesn’t like anyone

7. How you always know how to make me laugh

8. How you always want to help everyone

9. How much you care about your friends

10. And how you’d lay down your life for them

11. And how you made me feel normal

Taglist: @daughter-of-stark @agent-barnes40 @spideygirl2003 @ditttiii 💖 Taglist is OPEN, please let me know if you’d like to be added. Requests are also OPEN, feel free to make requests :)

Slides and Serendipity

Part Eight (4.5k)

Masterlist

AN: Lots of stuff happening. Also I wrote most of this after emptying an entire bottle of cider by myself so I take no responsibility for any mistakes (yes I sunk that low)

Warnings: probably swearing (idek anymore), alcohol?

“I’m in trouble Lisa, he’s definitely trouble”, I said to my best friend as I stood in my closet, phone pressed to my ear. Ever since the party my thoughts had been running wild and I had come to the realization that I couldn’t handle being just friends with benefits with Tyler. Right now it was more like friends with one-sided feelings.

“Yeah I saw that coming from a mile away. What changed?”

I told her how I’d been the last one to leave Tyler’s house at the party last week. After dancing around with Roope and Jamie I’d sat outside for a while to cool off, Tyler joining me on the sofa not long after. He’d started pestering me for juicy details of my threesome, but Lisa and I had promised each other to not tell any specifics. As soon as he realized that I wouldn’t tell him who it was with he gave up on the topic, switching to something less intrusive instead.

We’d spent the rest of the night there, only leaving once to grab more blankets as the temperature dropped. With my legs tucked underneath me and his arm around my body, apparently I’d looked like I was cold, we’d spent hours talking and trying to see the stars dimmed by the city lights. As the time had passed I’d found myself snuggling closer and closer but at one point I practically couldn’t keep my eyes open anymore.

He tried to convince me to stay, but with my house only being a five minute walk away there was no logical reason to accept his offer, even if I really wanted to. The dogs had all found comfortable spots on his couch to sleep and the sight was so domestic that it almost broke my heart to wake Yogi up so we could leave.

Tyler had insisted on walking me home again and as I hugged him goodbye I knew that I was in some deep shit. It wasn’t like I’d actively tried to avoid falling for anyone up to this point, I’d just had a more it’ll happen when it happens approach, meaning I didn’t particularly look for anyone either.

In hindsight I should have seen it coming with the amount of time we spent with each other and the way he reminded me of the one guy I’d ever had feelings for but yet it still took me by surprise.

He’d texted me a couple of times while being away and saying that I wasn’t looking forward to his snapchats would be a lie.

“So what are you going to do now?”, Lisa asked after listening to me telling her about what happened. I had thought about this a lot, especially since Tyler had asked me to come over for a bit before his first game of the pre season tonight. I wanted to go and watch in person but Mia wasn’t free tonight and I didn’t want to go by myself, so I promised I’d cheer on him from the confines of my couch.

Mia, Jason and I had finished working on our first day together an hour ago and I had just stepped out of the shower when Lisa had finally returned my calls.

“I don’t really have a choice, either it’s just friends or something more and I’m pretty sure that that isn’t what he is looking for right now.” I didn’t want to ruin our friendship by admitting anything to him prematurely so my only option was to wait for him to take the first step.

“You don’t know that.”

“Well no but I don’t know, seems highly unlikely.”

I put her on speaker as I put on some yoga pants and a loose shirt and when I looked at my screen I saw that I had a message from Tyler.

Ty: I’m cooking do you want some?

Me: Depends on what you’re cooking because I’m not in the mood for food poisoning

Ty: Funny as always..

Ty: Pasta, salmon and some salad I think even I can handle that

I hadn’t eaten lunch yet either, so I called for Yogi and then told Lisa that I had to hang up now.

“Go get your man.”

“Fuck off Lisa.”

The weather was nice today so it came as no surprise that Gerry was enjoying the pool, Marshall and Cash still wet from having taken a dip themselves sometime before we arrived. Yogi was more than happy to join the action and I already dreaded having to brush out the tangles in his fur tonight.

The food actually smelled really good and this time I let Tyler tell me what to do, as I didn’t want to mess with any pre-game superstitions. He did let me make some adjustments to the pasta sauce though. We took our meals outside so we could properly enjoy the sunshine, something I knew we both liked to do.

I tried to act normal and I was pretty sure that I was doing a great job or at least Tyler didn’t let it on if he picked up on something being off.

It was crazy, ever since my realization my feelings had snowballed and now I found myself overthinking every little action, trying to figure out what was going on in his head while also being confused of the mess that was my thoughts.

Afterwards we settled in the media room to watch some kind of animal documentary that Jamie had recommended, but we ended up mostly just talking and laughing until it was time for his nap and for me to go home again. Time always seemed to fly with him.

“I won’t wish you good luck because you’re definitely too good for that. Have fun tonight Ty, I’ll be watching closely.”

“Thanks, I’ll try my best to put one in the net for you.”

I hugged him closely and he pressed a kiss to my temple, making my thoughts go crazy. Perhaps him leaving for over a week on a roadtrip after the game would give me some much needed distance.

He didn’t put one in the net for me that night and I felt bad for him because of the loss, even if it was still only a pre season game. The team had been doing well after that, winning the following two games but Tyler hadn’t been on the ice for those.

Mia had asked me to go out with her because Elias would be staying with her grandparents for the weekend and without having any say in it I found myself in a crowded country bar on a Saturday evening. I’d even donned some boots that Mia had dug up from somewhere but I drew the line at the jeans shorts and a flannel, opting for long skinny jeans and a normal shirt instead. The boots were cute but I was nowhere near a country girl so the full get-up would only feel phony.

Mia taught me some dance moves and I even tried riding the bull-thingy, unsurprisingly not lasting very long. It did make me thirsty though so I made my way over to the bar, which offered a broad selection of beers to my delight.

“I could give you some lessons if you want me to”, I heard a voice next to me. I turned to my left and recognized the guy who had sat on the bull before me. While the time he lasted on the damn thing was impressive in itself, I’d been more captivated by his looks.

He had given me a ‘The Longest Ride’ vibe from the moment I laid eyes on him, a dark haired version of Scott Eastwood. For a second I contemplated shooting him down, but he gave off genuinely nice guy vibes with his bright smile and I could really use the distraction right now.

“How about we start with a drink instead?”, I asked, giving him my best smile. He chuckled but waved over the bartender nevertheless, ordering a round of shots and beer after taking a look at the bottle that I had in my hand.

His name was Mark and he had to lean down to hear me because he was so tall. This made me miss my heels but I also kind of liked the way he had to get close to me during our conversation at the bar.

“I’m actually here with a friend though and I don’t want to abandon her.”

“No need for that, why don’t you just bring her over to our booth over there?” He pointed over to a small group of guys that could have made up the cover of a cowboy calendar. Mia would be more than happy to spend some time with them.

She didn’t mind at all, of course, only telling me that this reminded her of our days in college when we didn’t have to spend any money at all and still stumbled out of the club drunk.

Hours later I was still dancing with Mark but what had started innocently was not so innocent by now. He had taken off his flannel long ago and his cowboy hat was now firmly planted on my hair while got to enjoy his tan skin and muscular built, results of hard work on his horse ranch.

I hadn’t gotten laid in almost two months and all the confusion from the situation with Tyler made me want to go further than I usually did with random strangers. It also helped that he could be the lead actor in any country romance movie. Mia seemed to really get along with one of his friends who promised to take good care of her and gave me his address so I could hunt him down if needed. Let’s just say it wasn’t like she minded me disappearing either.

It wasn’t until the next morning, after seeing Mark out, that I realized that I had forgotten to check on Tyler’s game, his messages from last night still unopened and portraying the frustration he felt after playing and having to watch Minnesota put six in the net.

Tonight I would finally get to watch Tyler play. I had to miss the game on Thursday because I had to attend some meetings for Bumble in Austin yesterday but now it was finally time.

After a brutal workout at the gym I’d gone over to his house in the morning to make breakfast after his morning skate, something that had somehow turned into our weekend routine.

It was the last game of the pre season and against Denver out of all teams. Mara had texted me earlier to tell me that while she was still rooting for the Avs, she wouldn’t be mad if they lost tonight, which was a compliment in itself.

Mia had arranged for a sitter so she could come to the game with me and I insisted on going over to AAC early so we could watch the warmups, wanting her to get the full experience for her very first ice hockey game. I didn’t have a Stars jersey but I did own a hoodie in victory green. Tyler had offered to hook me up with some merch but I declined because I honestly couldn’t handle wearing his jersey right now.

Mark had been an alright distraction but as soon as I saw Tyler again after the trip I was reminded of the mixed feelings that I was desperately trying to get in order.

The sex with Mark had been fun, although not mindblowing, and under different circumstances I probably would have hooked up with him again but I needed to get my shit together first. While throwing myself under someone else to get over whatever this thing with Tyler was sounded very appealing, I knew that it would only distract me for so long.

Mia honked from my driveway, ripping me out of my thoughts and I checked Yogi’s food and water again before grabbing my things and making my way out of the door. Following Emily’s recommendation I had installed a doggy door that would only open when a chip in his collar got close, meaning he was free to roam the backyard as he wished while still not enabling any instrusions. It was kind of ugly but I’d figure out a way to make it look good. This way he would be fine on his own for the next couple of hours at least.

I could tell that Mia was excited, her choice of music only pumping her up even more. I was really looking forward to this as well. My last hockey game had been during the playoffs in Denver and while watching the games on TV so far was fine, nothing beat watching them live.

We were early enough to still snatch a spot up at the glass for warmups next to a family, something I’d never experienced either. Whenever I’d go with the girls one of us had always taken longer than planned so by the time we’d make it to the arena we could only watch from our seats.

Mia and I had seen each other almost every day of the week so far, but yet we still found things to talk about until the guys finally stepped onto the ice. After passing some pucks Tyler skated a lap around the rink, stopping in front of us when he finally spotted me.

“Look who finally made it”, he teased and I was tempted to flip him off but I was also very aware of the many eyes watching our every move so I only stuck my tongue out at him.

“Yeah and you better win tonight or I’m not coming again.” I was kidding of course.

“I guess I have no choice then.”

“I know you’ll do great. Go ahead and crush them”, I said and he looked like he wanted to say something, but then stopped himself, which of course only made me curious. It was times like this where I was almost convinced that perhaps he liked me back as well but I knew how unlikely that was. I might not be a professional athlete but I did understand the perks of not settling down as well.

He was called over for some drills, effectively breaking the look we shared right now and he shot a quick smile at me before tapping his stick to the glass and then skating off.

“Just friends my ass”, Mia whispered in my ear and I elbowed her in turn. I was surprised that she’d picked up on the weird tension between Tyler and I. We’d talked about him a couple of times during the week, especially as we’d made plans for the game tonight, but I hadn’t told anyone but Lisa about my current dilemma. She sensed I wasn’t in the mood to elaborate though and quickly let it go after that, which I was really thankful for.

After the warmups we decided to grab some food and drinks before finally settling in our seats. Katie had asked us to join her and the others up in the box but I declined, wanting to spend some one on one time with an old friend during the game. Besides I’d be up there during opening night soon enough.

The game wasn’t off to a very good start and while the first period was action packed on both sides, it left the Stars trailing behind by two goals. Mia was a bit confused at first but I gave her a quick crash course and soon enough she picked up on the mood in the arena, following the lead of the other fans on when to cheer and when to boo.

I used intermission to wait in the ridiculously long line for the restrooms and to check my phone, Mara flooding the group chat with messages that were practically a play by play of the game. I shot a quick text to Tyler, even if I knew that he probably wouldn’t get a look at his phone until after the game.

It was different to watch a game when you actually knew the players on the ice. I probably hadn’t been this on the edge of my seat during any sporting event since the soccer world cup finals in 2014.

After Tyler finally scored my screaming could probably be heard by Mara all the way in Denver. Mia and I were hugging each other, way too excited for the Avs still being in the lead.

Colorado scored again in the third and at this point I was already considering my options on how to cheer Tyler up. Mentally I was already going through my cute animals folder to pick out the cutest puppies to show Tyler afterwards, something that always made me feel better.

With less than four minutes left the Stars scored and Tyler had the assist so it was back to screaming and jumping for Mia and I. By the time Jamie scored to even out the score we were practically wrapped around each other, hoping for one last goal.

It didn’t happen and overtime wasn’t any better, not for lack of trying though.

“Your first time watching a hockey game and you get to watch a shootout you lucky bitch.”

“I’m just glad because this time it will be easy to follow the puck, the stupid thing moves so fast that I lose it every few seconds.”

At this point we couldn’t even stay seated if we wanted to, not that we did, because everyone else was on their feet to see what would happen. Shootouts were always brutal and not for the first time that night I was glad that I’d put on some lipstick because otherwise my lips would probably bleed from constantly biting them. Life hack by the way.

With the sound of the final buzzer I was pulled into the arms of the middle aged man to my left that I had never seen before, but I didn’t mind because I was so happy that the Stars had won. For this being only a pre season game things surely had escalated quickly.

Mia was still buzzing by the time we made our way out of the arena, enthusiastically recounting her favorite moments of the game. She would probably never watch games on TV but I knew from experience that it was hard not to fall for hockey when you got to watch games live. Perhaps I could take her again sometime, I had a feeling that she’d like glass seats even better.

The amount of fans trying to leave at the same time had slowed us down quite a bit so we were still at the parking garage when I felt my phone buzz with a call.

“Hey Ty what’s up?”

“Sorry I just got out of the shower or I would have called sooner but I wanted to ask if you want to come out with us tonight. You should bring your friend too, we’re celebrating the end of a good pre season.”

I really tried not to think of him dripping wet from his shower but it still took me a couple of seconds to relay his invitation to Mia.

“Sorry I can’t, the sitter can’t stay over that late but you should definitely go out with them.” I didn’t want to abandon Mia in the parking lot like this, but she practically forced me to say yes and not soon after I was led through the arena by a security guard that Tyler had sent.

There was a group already waiting outside the locker rooms when I arrived, some of the guys greeting me enthusiastically. Roope even went as far as to lift me up so he could spin me around, saying that I was their good luck charm. I didn’t spot Tyler yet but I did see some of the girls so I made my way over to them. Some people must have already left, especially the players with kids, but the group was still big due to some of the rookies coming along as well.

I was just talking to Katie and Dominika about the game when I felt strong arms wrap around me from behind. By now I was very familiar with Tyler’s scent so I didn’t even hesitate before reaching up to put my hands on his forearms, tilting my head so I could smile up at him.

“We won so that means you can never miss a home game again”, he said and I laughed, not quite remembering that part of the agreement but also not willing to protest either.

The group must have finally been complete because now everyone was walking towards the exit, making a lot of noise and drawing looks from the few remaining employees.

I’d gotten my fair share of VIP treatment, money does solve a lot of problems after all, but yet I never really got used to the judging looks of people when security guards usher you through. The bouncers didn’t even question the presence of the rookies, even though some of them were definitely still underage, yet another bonus. It was the same club I’d been to with the girls a couple of weeks ago but up in the lounge everything was much more relaxed and the tables were actually clean.

“First round of shots is on me as a thank you for being so nice to me ever since I met all of you”, I called out before handing the waitress my credit card, loud cheering erupting from the rest of the group.

“Ooof our sugar mama, look at that shiny black”, Katie whooped and I just winked at her, receiving a kiss on the cheek in return. Meeting Tyler had been great in itself, but the friends I had made through him were a close second. I’d endure an eternity of unrequited feelings if it meant getting to keep everyone else in my life.

Several rounds of shots later I was out of breath from all the dancing, choosing to take a break in the lounge once again. Our group was split up by now, some lingering up here and others still tearing up the dance floor. I’d done my fair share of dancing as well, jumping around with the boys and pulling out the sexy moves with the girls. Hockey players definitely came in clutch for that part, as not a single guy came up to bother us, too scared of the human fridges that always kept a watchful eyes on us.

I’d danced with Tyler the most, his slight lack of rhythm being a great excuse to make him wrap his arms around me so I could ‘guide’ him. Perhaps I was a masochist after all.

I could spot Esa and Anna having a dance off with Klinger and Fanny from my spot against the railing and I watched them for a while before looking around some more.

Tyler was standing close to the bar, currently talking to one of his friends that had arrived some time after us. Tonight had been the first night where I could see his NHL fame in full action and it was both mesmerizing and terrifying to watch.

At all the other parties he’d known the other guests to some capacity at least so it wasn’t as bad, but tonight I got to watch girls literally throw themselves at him. Yes literally, I’d watched one of them ‘accidentally’ trip so he had to prevent her from falling not long ago. Some waited until I left his side, some just straight up didn’t care, interrupting our conversations or dancing without any regard for me. To my surprise I’d seen him turn down every single one of them so far but it was like a Roman battle formation, others always stepped up to close the gap. They were hot, there was no doubt about that and if I’d swing that way I’d definitely pick up some of them myself.

“I’m surprised Tyler let you out of his reach.” Roope’s voice ripped me out of my people watching trance and I looked up to him in question.

“I just overheard some of the rookies talking about how you’re fair game because they think that he hasn’t locked you down yet. I kinda want one of them to make a move so I can watch him put them in their place, he knows what’s going on.”

“You’re being mean. You were a rookie not so long ago.”

“Yeah and I had to deal with lots of shit so now it’s my turn.” I only shook my head at his ridiculousness, not really wanting to respond to his statement. Technically they were right and no matter how much I tried to convince myself of the opposite, that definitely stung a little bit.

“I’m being a good friend right now so I’m telling you that there’s this girl who’s been looking at you all evening and she looks like she’s nice. You could even braid each other’s hair,” I deflected, pointing towards the girl in question. Roope shoved me before flipping me off but his smile said that he’d go down to talk to her either way.

I chugged down the last few sips of my beer, quickly making my way back downstairs before any of the rookies could act out on their stupid idea. I doubted that Tyler would actually lash out at them if they did but I also didn’t want to tempt fate. Tyler waved me over as soon as he saw me walking down the stairs and I slowly made my way towards him, the writhing sweaty bodies and my height, or lack thereof, not helping at all.

I wasn’t even surprised anymore when he pulled me towards him as soon as I finally made it. Despite his bad boy looks I knew by now that he was a big teddy bear who loved to cuddle, the alcohol only making it worse. Or better, because he gave amazing hugs. He’d introduced me to his friend a while ago and I seamlessly slipped into their conversation until Tyler took me by surprise when he asked me if I was ready to leave yet. A closer look made it clear how exhausted he really was, his tired eyes not something I’d noticed up until this point.

“I honestly would’ve just gone straight home after the game but the others practically forced me to invite you along so I had no other choice because I wanted to spend some time with you”, he said once we had made ourselves comfortable in the backseat of the uber.

My heart was doing somersaults of course but my brain told me that it couldn’t keep up reminding me for much longer that there was no way he actually liked me back. I’d never been on this side of feelings and I definitely wasn’t handling it well. 

The Spotlight

Chapter 20- Michelle, TK and the Fastest Skater.  A/N: Reviews are welcomed! Always love hearing your thoughts and stuff! I’ll be making an updated playlist of this series later and there’s a one shot coming later! Thank you guys for taking the time to read it!  Next chapter is the last All-Stars chapter before everything goes back to normal!  Michelle was strolling through the hallways towards the locker room. Mat’s mother asked if she could take pictures of Mat before the skills challenges started. Mat’s parents were sitting and saving her seat. The morning and afternoon was good, Michelle and Mat were being tourists with Mat’s parents. All of them finding a good place for lunch at a local cafe. Mat’s parents were in awe of how sweet and in awe Mat and Michelle were with each other. Michelle was wearing Mat’s jersey with black jeans and wedges along with a high ponytail. She was very excited to see Mat in the fastest skater challenge. She was rounding the corner and was ready to knock on the door until she bumped into a figure and she would had fallen until the person caught caught her and she was confused but didn’t fall and she saw the figure It was a man with brown hair up to his shoulder, he was wearing an orange jersey that Michelle knew that was the Flyers. Michelle had attended an Islanders and Flyers game once and was amazed by both teams. “Watch where you’re going” The man said and she gave him a look “You should be watching where you’re going” The man narrowed his eyes at her “What are you a fan? How did you get back here? Do I need to call someone to help you to your seat?” “I was allowed back here, I know how to read my ticket and seat number thank you very much. I’m here to see my boyfriend and take pictures of him.. His mom asked me to” “And I was just born yesterday.” The man said and Michelle narrowed her eyes “At least I’m not the one wearing the orange jersey.. Doesn’t fit you anyways” The man broke into a grin “You’re a bonehead” He laughed as he shook his head “Whose your boyfriend?” “Mat Barzal” She said and the man’s eyes widen “Michelle Wilson?” He asked and she nodded and the man looked at her and stuck his hand out “My name is Travis Konecny, my friends call me TK” “Nice to meet you TK” She said and he gave her a look “Woah since when were you my friend?” He asked and she narrowed her eyes playfully “Have I mentioned that I hate you TK?” She said and the man grinned before Michelle sighed “How did you know my name anyways?” “Word around the locker room was that Mat Barzal’s international supermodel girlfriend would be attending the event.. Some of us were actually wondering if it was true. Mat just nodded when a couple of guys asked him. I’ve been sitting next to him for all of this, we’ve become cool” “Is he still in there?” She asked and TK nodded “Should be out soon. I’ve seen pictures of you..” TK said observing her before shaking his head “You’re more pretty in the pictures” He joked and Michelle couldn’t help but laugh “You’re my new enemy. It’s final. The feud of the year.. Michelle vs TK” TK grinned “Does that mean we have to have some sort of social media war? I’m not really on so you would win” “I’ll find the first camera that’s point at me and I’ll express how much I hate you and you’re my sworn enemy” “I can’t wait for this feud to boil over” TK laughed as he grinned at her before sighing “I’m gonna head towards the benches so I could get a nice spot. Mat should be out soon, I’ll make sure I beat your boyfriend and then challenge you for fastest skater” “Oh you’re on.. I could beat Mat in the fastest skater.. I could take you down too.” Michelle joked and TK grinned, amused “Okay Bonehead, I’ll see you later at the club?” He asked and she nodded “We’ll have a drink” “Looking forward to it” TK grinned before bidding her farewell and taking his stick and heading towards the tunnel. Michelle leaned on the wall, waiting for Mat to come through the door. A couple of Hockey Players came through and their eyes widened as they spotted her. She would smile in greetings and they would smile back and some would wave. But Michelle would hear the mutters about her from them. The door opened and out came a man with a green jersey that had a star in the middle. He was tall with brown hair. He did a double take on her before closing the door and making his way towards her “Hi” The man said and Michelle smiled “Hi, Michelle” She said and the man shook her hand “Oh I know who you are. I like your work” He said before clearing his throat “Tyler Seguin, I play for the Dallas Stars” “Nice to meet you Tyler. Thank you” She said and Tyler smirked “Of course.. I had always wondered when I would be meeting you face to face. I just didn’t expect to meet you here” He said and Michelle nodded “I’m here supporting my boyfriend” She said smiling, thinking of Mat and Tyler nodded “Have I also mentioned you're prettier in person? The camera doesn’t lie for sure” Tyler said and Michelle nodded “I’ve been told that” She grinned and Tyler couldn’t help but grin “Glad you know it then, you’re truly beautiful” Before Tyler could keep up with his flirting, someone cleared their throat and Tyler looked back and Michelle looked to see that Mat was standing in the open doorway with another player. Mat looked very unimpressed with Tyler as he was tapping the top of his stick and Tyler grinned “Hey Mat, was just introducing myself to Michelle over here” Tyler said and Mat gave him a look “I see that.” He said and Tyler was just grinning as he nodded “I’ll see you at the benches” He said before looking over and winking at Michelle “Hopefully I get to see you around” Without a word, he strolled off to the benches. Mat literally glaring daggers at him before wrapping an arm around Michelle’s waist and kissing her head “Hey, everything okay?” He asked and she nodded “I just came back here because your mom wanted a picture of you before you go out there” She said and Mat nodded before turning to the player next to him “Michelle, this is Seth Jones. He plays for the Blue Jackets. One of my favorite players too” Mat grinned as Seth nudged him playfully “Oh shut it” He said before shaking Michelle’s hand “Mat’s told me great things about you” He said and Michelle grinned “I hope so, otherwise he’s sleeping on the sofa tonight” “Oh ouch” Mat pretended to be hurt before Seth chuckled “She’s your match, Barzy.” Seth said while both Mat and Michelle blushed. “Was anyone else giving you trouble?” Mat asked and Michelle shook her head “Although, can you hit TK with your stick or something. He called me a bonehead” He said and Mat gave her a look “What did you do to him?” “What I did to him?! You should be asking what he’s done to me!” Michelle said before crossing her arms “He assumed I was a fan sneaking in the back” She said and he grinned “Well aren’t you a fan of me?” He asked and she gave him a look “I’m going to kill you Barzal, Seth is gonna have to escort you to the ER” “Hey I won’t be messing with her” Seth held his hands up and Mat grinned before looking over at the tunnel “Alright, I need to get to the benches soon.” He said before Michelle took out her phone and Mat stood proudly and was smiling at the camera. Michelle ushering Seth into the pictures too and both guys were grinning. “Come on Love birds, I’m sure the parents will be happy to have a picture of you guys too” He said as Mat wrapped an arm around her waist and brought her closer as both smiled widely before Mat leaned forward to kiss Michelle in which Seth snapped a picture and handed the phone to Michelle “Okay Mat, we gotta get going” “Alright, I’ll see you after my thing.” Mat said leaning down to kiss Michelle before the guys were being ushered into the tunnel and Michelle rushed towards the seats and saw Mat’s parents waving at her before Michelle sat beside Mat’s mom “How was it?” Mat’s mom asked and Michelle nodded “It was good! Met some players and was hanging with Mat for a bit” The three of them were watching the introductions of each player coming out and then the fastest skater was happening. Each player being introduced and Mat’s parents and Michelle cheering the loudest for Mat. TK and Mat were skating towards the bench and TK saw Michelle and grinned before turning to Mat to say something in which Mat laughed. Michelle giving TK a look in which TK grinned back. Michelle was clapping for each skater but pretended to boo for TK. Who pretended to look offended as he skated off. Soon Mat was on and Michelle was grinning and he looked over at his parents and her and he smiled softly while the three of them smiled and waved back. Soon the timer went off and Mat was skating as fast as possible. Michelle getting out of her seat and cheering for him as she watched him move with grace. She always loved to watch him skate. Michelle clapped and cheered when Mat went through the finish line. He was in the lead now and Michelle was smiling. She saw Mat was relaxing at the bench as he was watching everyone else go, winking at Michelle when he could. Finally Connor McDavid was up, Michelle looking on nervously but Mat was still relaxed. She watched Connor skating and even his parents were curious and Michelle’s eyes widen when she saw that Connor got to the finish line but didn’t beat Mat’s time and Mat had won. Michelle got out of her seat and was jumping up and down, Mat’s parents joining as they stood up and clapped and they watched the players surrounding Mat and cheering for him as Mat was laughing and smiling. Michelle was smiling widely and she watched as Mat and the other players were walking back to the locker room to make room for the next challenge Michelle was watching the challenges and soon the girls were going to take the ice and have their game. Michelle got a text from Mat for her and his family to come towards the locker room area. Michelle and Mat’s parents met Mat near the locker room and Mat brought Michelle into a tight hug and he lifted her up the ground and spun her around. Michelle grinning and Mat put her down and brought her into a kiss “I knew you would win” She mumbled and Mat smiled “Really?” “I’m always going to cheer for you Mat, no matter what” Mat’s parents smiled as they joined the hug and soon Mat brought them into a room where everyone was hanging out. Some of the players relaxing with their families and others were watching the game with grins. Michelle was sitting on Mat’s lap as they were speaking with Mat’s parents. At the corner of his eye, Mat saw the Tkachuk Brothers looking at Michelle and suddenly Mat became more self-aware. He didn’t know that Michelle would be getting such attention. Sure, Michelle was a famous model but didn’t expect players to just be looking at her. Mat knew TK’s interactions with Michelle were harmless, TK came towards Mat at the bench and told him about the interaction and TK even joked that Michelle was an annoying sister to him. But he got nervous when he walked out the door with Seth and saw Tyler openly flirting with Michelle. He would have been alarmed if Michelle didn’t mention Mat as her boyfriend or if she started flirting back with Tyler. But Mat didn’t worry at all, he was very calm but wanted to tell Tyler off to leave her alone. He had noticed that some of the players were looking at Michelle, but if she wasn’t worrying or saying anything about it.. He had nothing to worry about. He wouldn’t be afraid to punch a guy or two if they started flirting or made her feel uncomfortable. “You’re ready to go?” Michelle said and Mat snapped out of his thoughts and looked at her “Sorry babe, I was lost in thought” He said before Michelle nudging his leg with her own “I said the girls are finishing their game.. Ready for the last challenge before we meet the players at the club?” “Yeah, sorry” Mat said before kissing her cheek and she got up and Mat’s parents smiled “You guys are so cute” His father said his mother nodded in agreement “You guys are a very nice match.. It is nice to see Mat so relaxed and happy with someone and understands his life style” She said and Michelle nodded “Thank you, he’s very special to me and I’m very happy with him. I know with both of us traveling and both of us working, it will be hard at times but we’ll make it” “I know sweetheart” Mat’s mom winked. Mat’s parents and Michelle went back to their seats while Mat hung out with Seth and Auston. TK close by. All of them watching with grins on their faces as players had to shoot the puck from a higher level. Once the event was over. Mat’s parents bid Mat and Michelle a farewell before returning to their hotel room. Mat held Michelle’s hand as everyone was in the garage, some hockey players with their partners and others were just chatting with others. Mat squeezed her hand as he led her towards Seth and TK. Who were chatting until TK saw Michelle “It seems like I couldn’t beat your boyfriend, bonehead. I’ll do it next time for sure” TK greeted and Michelle greeted as they fist bumped each other “Now I gotta kick his ass and I’ll take his fastest skater title” “Oh really?” Mat said with an eyebrow raised and Michelle nodded proudly until Mat grinned and kissed her head “You’re cute” Seth chuckled and he hugged Michelle in greeting before greeting Mat. “Ready to have the night of our lives and party?” “Let’s do this” Michelle grinned as a couple of people started filing into cars. Auston Matthews nodded his head to Michelle in greeting and she smiled back. Michelle and Chris Kreider high fiving and talking about favorite places to eat while they were waiting for cars. Mat’s arm around his girlfriend’s arm. Soon a car came for them and Mat, Michelle and TK piled into the back while Seth went to the front. A majority of the car ride was Michelle and TK bickering as TK would try to wiggle for more room and Michelle pushing him so she could have more room. Mat watching the two with amusement. Mat, Michelle, Seth and TK got out of the car and were walking into the club. Michelle in awe of how big the club was and she was grinning “This is like a Gatsby party” “Lots of people” TK noted and Seth nodded “I like it” “Why?” Mat asked and Michelle turned to him “A lot of people.. Makes some interactions intimate” she whispered and Mat nodded “You’re right” He muttered. The club started getting more busy as hockey players and partners were filing in. Soon the dance floor was crowded with so many people and Michelle grabbed Mat’s hand and led him into the dance floor and they danced in the middle of the dance floor, Mat and Michelle not worrying over anything because of the fact the club was packed. They were young and carefree adults, dancing the night away with each other. Mat kissed Michelle softly and Michelle deepened the kiss and she broke the kiss and looked at him, her eyes half closed “Wanna head back to the hotel now?” He was smirking “I do deserve some kind of prize for winning fastest skater” He said and she narrowed her eyes playfully “Alright, Pretty Boy. Let’s go” They said their goodnights to everyone and retreated back to their hotel room.

[[ The story needs it own post too. ]]

The price of eating a bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich at the bodega may have eaten Jay's wallet more than she did, but it was always worth it. Especially today, since the streets are clogged, and the amount of packages she will have to deliver have grown compared to last week. At least the paycheck makes up for it.

Once she finished up her breakfast with a cup of orange juice, she gave Joshua – the store owner – a toothy grin. “Thanks, chef! I'll see you tomorrow!” she said, before securing her full face helmet on.

He gave her a firm nod before seeing her roller skate out of the store with a large bag strapped around her shoulder. That girl was going to get herself hurt again, but it never stops her from doing what she needs to do, no matter how many people beg her.

Skating from one road to another, between the honking cars with people screaming expletives out their window, Jay turned her bracelet on to see a map flash on her visor. Blinking red dots appeared on selected points of interest, along with lines on where the best shortcuts are from her personal experience. With a press of a button, the map revealed the address of her first stop: an apartment.

A few familiar faces greeted her as they watched her slip between narrow alleys, and as she passed by a man by jumping over a fence with the help of a ramp, he clicked on the stopwatch in his hand. He checked the time with a smirk, before pocketing the watch. “She finally slowed down for once,” he muttered to himself as he climbed into his truck.

Once she arrived at her destination, Jay lifted up her visor to see a middle aged woman sitting on the front porch. “Hey, Miyu,” she greeted her as she pulled out a tablet from her bag.

“Good to see you again, Jay,” she said as she picked up the stylus and signed her full name. “I see your bag is a little bit more stuffed than usual.”

Jay chuckled as she confirmed the delivery, and took out a box to give to Miyu. “It's no big deal,” she replied with a shrug. “Anyway, hope you and your kid are doing good.”

The woman gave her a warm smile. “We are, but Aya misses you a lot, child. You should come by for dinner sometime.”

“Ah, free food does sound tempting... and it's always fun to play with Aya. How about this Friday?”

“Very well, I'll give you a call before then, all right?”

Jay nodded her head with a smile in her eyes then closed her visor. “Okay. See you, Miyu.” She lifted her gaze to spot a young child peeking through a window and waved. The girl smiled as she returned the wave and watched her skate away.

It was not often that Jay stopped by the Okamura family, especially during deliveries, but they are one of the several people she feels comfortable talking to during her job. On her way to the next destination, she marked the day she will visit them before letting the image flicker out behind her visor.

The sun was almost over the horizon by the time Jay delivered her second to last package. She lifted up her helmet to take in the fresh air while gazing up at the orange tinted sky. It was difficult to see the sun at this time of day due to the large buildings around her, so she could only imagine how beautiful it must look.

Jay had lived in this city since her mother wanted to start a new life after the divorce with her father. It was difficult to adjust to the changes during her childhood, and she could never remember how the sun looked as it rose and fell. It wasn't until she turned thirteen that she had accepted it.

Things were difficult as the years went by. School became overwhelming for Jay, to the point that she dropped out at sixteen, and decided to study at home instead. While she had got her diploma, she didn't seek out a job until she was twenty-five, because her mother fell ill.

Her father wanted to get in touch with them, but her mother did not want anything to do with him. Why, Jay never knew. When she finally passed away, all contact outside the city was cut off, and Jay had to take care of herself with some of the inheritance that her mother passed down on to her.

Knowing that it was only going to be temporary, Jay searched for jobs to keep food on her table. It took several attempts, but she finally got one with the city's delivery service. Since then, her life has become stable.

Plus, she had a fun hobby to go along with it – roller skating.

Realizing she was smiling to herself, Jay slipped her helmet back on to deliver the last package for today. Her mother is probably proud of her, she thought.

The last stop made Jay question her GPS multiple times, but no matter what she did, it led her to a run down building sitting between apartments that are very much intact and livable. Well, there was no point in questioning it anymore. She carefully climbed up the stairs and pressed the single working button on the panel built into the side.

There was no response, but she did it again, this time yelling, “Pelican Packages delivery! Is there a Miss...” She paused to reread the name then tried to say it as slowly as possible, “Er-ee-na... Flo-reah?”

Silence.

“It's Doctor Irina Florea,” the person answered. “Please, leave the package at the door.”

A slight frowned formed on Jay's face. “You have to sign for it, Doctor,” she replied while mocking the person's title.

Another minute of silence.

“Fine,” they groaned. “I'll be there in a moment.”

Jay released the button with a huff. It's only natural to expect rude people in this line of work, but that doesn't mean she can't complain to her boss about it. Perhaps this person will be black listed, or assigned to some other delivery person, as much as she didn't want others to suffer the same way she is.

It took a moment for the person to approach the door and open it to reveal a haggard woman with red hair tied in a messy bun. She was dressed in a button up shirt and gray slacks and bunny slippers. Jay wasn't one to judge a person by their appearance, but this woman's attire just screams “workaholic”. She almost pitied her.

Like before, Jay gave the doctor a tablet to sign her signature with a brief hum.

“Is everything okay?” Jay asked.

“Hm?” She blinked at her a few times, before she rolled her head around with a yawn. “Your tablet is quite outdated... Is this really what your job assigned you with? A tacky tablet?”

Jay sucked in a deep breath as she tucked the tablet away. “I can't beg my boss to update our devices – that is up to the CEO of the company.”

There was a brief sparkle in the woman's eyes, until she blinked it away with a subtle disapproving look. “Can't be helped, I suppose.” She then stretched out her arms towards Jay. “Package, please.”

Jay took out a large, rectangular shaped box from her now empty bag to pass it towards her. There was a brief moment when Jay thought she felt something crawl on her skin, but when she pulled her arm back, whatever it was either fell off, or was just her imagination.

The doctor looked at her with a raised brow, but Jay quickly dismissed it with a shake of her head. “Enjoy your evening, Doctor,” she said, then turned away.

Irina only hummed in response before she shut the door behind her. That woman was quite short, the doctor thought as she made her way back to her room. Monitors and computers decorated it from the floor, to the walls, and even the ceiling. She maneuvered over the cables to reach one of her desktops and place the package on the table.

When she reached out for her scissors, only to realize that it was missing from her table, and let out a long, weary sigh. “Power on, Joy!” she yelled.

There was no response.

“Joy?” she repeated as she looked up at a sphere installed in the wall. “Hey, wake up!”

A bright blue light lit up from the sphere and turned towards Irina. “Pardon, Dr. Florea, I have just noticed an error in my system,” it replied.

“Show me the error!”

A screen flickered before Irina, showing Joy's entire body, from its shell to its cables within. Everything seemed to be in one piece, except for one part that was supposed to be installed just yesterday. The doctor huffed with a shake of her head. “I thought it was something far worse than that, Joy. I'll make you another one.”

“Very well, Doctor,” the drone spoke, before falling quiet.

On her way home, Jay stopped by the bodega again to pick up an order from Joshua for herself. A delicious toasted sandwich with turkey, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, and vinegar. She took off her roller skates to climb the stairs in her bare feet, and opened the door with a soft tired sigh.

After placing her bag aside in the living room, Jay stripped off her clothing to shower and put on a set of pajamas. She turned on the television to stream a movie, and report her work for today to her boss.

When she saw Irina's name on the list, she wondered if she should share her experience. Perhaps the woman was working too hard, which is why she acted the way she did. It was okay for the workers to share information about the clients so they could be safe, but Jay wanted to give this woman the benefit of doubt, and maybe keep her name clean for the time being.

So she put a special report under Irina's name. “I will be glad to take any packages for her.”

Once she pressed send, her work was actually done. All she has to do now, is rest and eat her sandwich while watching a B list horror movie.

She didn't notice the small sphere climbing out of her bag, and made its way up to the top of her couch to watch it alongside her.

Cookies And Cream 🏹🍪

Chapter 2 - Angel Cake

A/N * Sexual themes, No actual Smut. 

// Chapter 3 - Chocolate Sundae // Cookies and Cream Masterlist //

Billy knocked on Y/Ns door. That familiar scent of cookies filled his senses as she opened the door. She looked so heavenly, even in the morning, she was wearing a baby blue with white polka dots dress , his eyes traced over her figure, “Good morning Billy” her voice was soft and sweet. “Good morning gorgeous, I know it’s early and all but i was hoping to show you around town” Billy smiled, his pearly whites on show.

“I’d love to, I need to drop some muffins off at my mothers bakery actually, so if you don’t mind could we go there first?” He nodded. She stepped to the side to allow him in. “I just need to package them, do you want a drink or something to eat?”.

“If that’s alright angel” She nodded and made him some french toast and a cup of coffee, placing it down in front of him. Her house was simply decorated, a large painting of a ballerina hung on the wall. Fluffy white carpets and light gray wallpaper. It was too girly for Billy’s taste, but he respected it, it was her.

She came into the dining room holding a gift basket filled with muffins. “I hope everything tasted ok” He grinned at her.

“It was great, so is the bakery in the mall?”

“Mmmhmm” She hummed, placing a ribbon around the basket. “Shall we go?” She picked it up and smoothed our her dress.

Billy agreed taking out his car keys, leading the way to his house.

Max was outside with her skateboard, trying out some tricks on the curb. She stared at Y/N and Billy, she wasn’t his usual type, she seemed too innocent. Billy glared at Max, telling her to back off silently. She rolled her eyes and skated off.

Billy opened the passenger door for Y/N. She mumbled a ‘thank you’ before sitting down on the leather seat, he took the basket from her hands and placed it in the back.

They drove off, Billy played his music at a lower volume than usual. But was surprised when she started to hum along to the lyrics.

“You like Led Zeppelin?” He asked taken back. She let out a soft giggle,

“I occasionally listen to them, my father sent me a vinyl record of their new album, mom doesn’t appreciate it but I can listen to it on low volume” Billy smirked.

“Well it’s no fun when it’s quiet, here” he turned up the volume and noticed your smile grow. Cute, she was adorable... shame he was only trying to bed her, he thought.

Billy rolled into the mall parking lot. He had a a whole plan for the day, once he’d taken her to her mothers bakery he was going to show her around the mall a bit more, specifically the vinyl store now, then take her down town to hang around at the park and finally arrive by the lake, where hopefully he would have buttered her up enough to get laid. Besides who could resist him.

He helped her out of the car and walked with her to the entrance. “So where you from then?”.

“I was born in California but since my parents split my mom moved us to France, wanted a fresh start I suppose”

“France? You don’t sound French, like your accent” He was actually kind of interested.

“Well we lived there for only 2 years and I never picked it up” Billy smirked, following you as you walked towards the end of the mall.

“You know any French then?” Billy asked.

“Ouí, je parle couramment le français” He raised his eyebrows.

“Impressive, I have no idea what you said but it sounds cool” He chuckled, you both reached the bakery.

It was similar to your house, softly decorated, pretty pictures put around the walls, cakes and desserts were placed around the place. She opened the door with a key. “My mother isn’t here so feel free to take a cookie or something if you want” Billy took a cookie from the jar on the counter.

“These taste really good, the ones you bought yesterday were finished really quickly, your mom make them?” He looked around at the other treats.

“No, She makes the big cakes for events and stuff but I make the little desserts”

“Well you’re great at it doll” She placed the muffins on a stand.

“Thank you Billy, I’m all done here so we can go on our tour now”

Billy showed Y/N around every store, suggested the best places to eat and the worst. They had the most fun in the record store, both looking at albums they liked, Billy suggested more bands and other music he enjoyed. She even ended up buying a new album.

They left the mall after 2 hours, and Billy drove her around town, telling her about the different shops.

“There’s a park at the end of this street, sometimes me and my friends chill out here, and so since we are... friends” His voice deepened at the word ‘friends’ “I thought we should hang out there for a bit” She nodded.

“I really appreciate all of this Billy, it’s really sweet of you to give me a tour, Hawkins is actually quite interesting” Billy smirked.

“At times..., when new people come around things get a little more exciting” He pulled up outside some trees. “Now unfortunately, we have to go through a path which can be a bit over grown” he pointed to a dirt path which didn’t look too easy to walk through, stinging nettles and twigs where everywhere.

You went with him to the path, the mud was a little bit wet, which wasn’t going to go well with your white shoes and pastel dress.

“You know I could carry you, if you don’t wanna get muddy” Billy offered, his smirk even more evident.

She thought about it for a second. “I should be ok, but thanks for the offer, nothing wrong with getting a little dirty” a seemingly innocent comment from her, which Billy obviously found sexual undertones within it chuckling to himself.

“Ok princess, I’ll go first” he moved the branches out of the way and she followed. She tried to avoid the wet spots of mud but her shoes still ended up getting dirty, mother wasn’t going to be pleased.

They arrived at a small clearing. An abandoned park sat in the middle.

“Tommy says that this was going to be bulldozed and turned into some big apartment complex but something to do with the soil and trees got in the way so they left it all here” Billy gestured to the trees around them.

He took a cigarette out from his pocket brought it to his lips, lighting it.

He walked to the swing set in the middle, sitting down, for it being abandoned the park was actually in good shape, Y/N went on the swing next to him, pushing herself forward on it. She lightly swinged on it, clearly enjoying herself. Billy felt a little bad, his intentions with Y/N weren’t pure, her innocence made him feel different things.

“You gonna swing too?” She asked.

“Hell yeah, I have the record for highest!” He boasted. She giggled.

“Not if I beat it” she challenged. With that Billy put his cigarette on the ground and stepped on it before pushing himself back on the swing.

“Sure thing angelface, but no one can beat me” He let his feet off the floor and swung forward, the wind in his hair. Y/Ns giggles filled him with joy as he laughed along with her.

After a few minutes of swinging and Billy winning at heightest swing, they decided to sit down and talk for a while. Billy talked about California, how he enjoyed the beaches and over all life back there. Y/N talked about what she remembered of California, finding out that they both liked the fries in Dawson’s Diner, turns out they lived close to eachother only a 15 minute drive away, this was one of the first times Billy had really spoken about California and in a comfortable light.

It started to get dark. “We should head back now” Y/N, got to her feet. “My mom thinks I’ve been at the mall all day” Billy chuckled.

“Can I show you one last place?” She thought about it for a second but nodded.

They hopped into his car and Billy drove to the lake. He had wanted to fulfil his impure ideas, he felt as though he’d charmed you enough, but thinking back on it, you seemed to be very fragile, like a rose, he didn’t want to be that much of an asshole and do what he usually did, so he knew that they’d be going to the lake to look at the sunset and that’s it.

“This is the lake, not many people come here... I’ve been here a few times, you wanna sit on the hood?” He took her hand and helped her onto his car. The sun started set through the trees,

“This place is beautiful Billy, I bet you take your girls here all the time” He brushed off the comment.

“Maybe” He sat back a bit and watched the lake water reflect the sun. A cool breeze flowing through his golden locks.

Y/N’s eyes were wide with amazement at the scenery. The sun disappeared behind the lake and the sky got a lot darker. Y/N and Billy went back into the car, and drove back home.

“I had so much fun today, thank you” She was like a kid on Christmas, so much genuine happiness in a person.

“No problem doll” He dropped her off at her house, “see you at school tomorrow, want me to take you in?” She looked over at him.

“Are you sure, you’ve done so much for me, surely..” he hushed her.

“Don’t worry about it” I’ll see you at 7:30am tomorrow” He winked. He walked her to the front door, she unlocked it.

“Thank you Billy” she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and entered her house. Billy felt his cheeks heat up. That wasn’t his usual reaction to a kiss? He never really gave a shit about a kiss? He gulped, still a bit shook. But quickly realised he should probably get away from her door now, he ran a hand through his hair and got into his car, parking it up into his house.

He opened his front door, Max was with one of her friends on the floor of the living room looking through a magazine. “Who was that?” Max asked.

“None of your business shitbrain, clean that crap up before dad gets home” he quipped, walking into his room, hearing her huff.

Billy looked at his window. You were dancing gracefully around your room, a huge smile on your face, he smirked and closed his curtains.

He needed to think of something. He was getting very sexually frustrated, he needed to get laid but he couldn’t get her out of his mind, he couldn't do that to Y/N though unlike the other girls he’d slept with she seemed like she would be hurt if she knew his only priority, she seemed sweet and kind... He huffed and got changed.

Looks like it was just himself for now. She will probably end up dating one of the preppy boys at Hawkins and then leave him anyway, that way he could go back to one of the various women willing to sleep with him, no strings attached. Something about that thought made him feel jealous, he cursed himself. He's only known you for like a day or two, yet you’ve had such an impact on him, he hated it but some what loved it? ‘Feelings are complicated’ he sighed. 

To Love You More at Christmas Time

Surprise and Merry Christmas @girl-in-a-tiny-box, I’m you Secret Santa! I just love getting paired with someone I’ve never spoken to and making new friends. This story has as much of your list as I could handle. Friends to lovers, high school, snowed in, though I changed things up a little, Liam and Belle, kind of Ruby and Whale, Charmings, Killian being misunderstood and as much Christmas activities as I could stuff in. Please excuse any grammatical or spelling errors, or even issues with continuity. I started this rather large project early on then got extremely busy and had to sum it all up three weeks later. I hope you like it. Thanks to @cssecretsanta2k19 for giving us another year of gift giving.

Rated M for sexy times

6000 words

AO3

Summary: Killian has been in love with his best friend for ten long years. He intends to make what could be their last Christmas together a memorable one. Will Emma finally come around and realize her love for him as well?

How could she let this happen? He’s her best friend, has been since he approached her on her first day in a new school ten years ago. She had been distant and closed off, not expecting to make any friends. Other kids tended to avoid the strange new girl that had no family. The unwanted foster kid who would most likely be gone before the end of the year. But not Killian Jones. He marched right up to her during recess and plopped himself down under the large oak tree where she had taken refuge and offered her half of his lunch. She didn’t know what to make of him at first. As they nibbled on their sandwich halves he launched into a story about he and his brother fixing up a boat and how one day she’ll be seaworthy. Emma’s eight year old brain didn’t know what seaworthy meant, but Killian must have picked up on her confusion because he immediately explained the term to her.

He always does that. As impossible as it may be, Killian seems to be able to read her mind. An open book, he called her.

That day, under their oak tree, cemented their friendship and now Emma was scared to death that her stupid feelings might put a crack in the foundation of their relationship. She could pretty much pinpoint the moment her feelings for him changed dramatically. The corners of her mouth ticked up as she thought back to last Christmas.

“This could be our last Christmas together, Swan,” he told her as the first snowfall of the year began, their heads tilted back as they both watched a singled fat flake dance from the eternal darkness of the late November night sky. He reached his hand out to cup her jaw, sending a shock through her that she had never felt before. She lowered her head to find him gazing at her with something like wonderment. His bright blue eyes, that somehow seemed to shimmer on a dark, moonless night, were focused on her green ones as he spoke again. “And I damn well intend to make it the best you’ve ever had.” He smirked at his double entendre as one of his dark brows formed an arch. Emma knew that look. He was up to something, but she could never have guessed what he was actually planning.

---

Killian remembered the day he met his best friend and love of his life, like it was yesterday. He’d seen a kindred spirit in her crystal green orbs. They were both lost, fighting and clawing their way through life. Thankfully, Liam was granted full custody of Killian when he turned 18 and promptly moved them to America for a fresh start. He had sold all of their mother’s precious belongings to obtain the funds to do so. As hard as it was, their mum had begged them on her deathbed to use any means necessary to escape London and get as far away as possible from their good for nothing father.

Killian had only been five when she passed and had to spend two long, agonizing years in an orphanage until the day Liam proudly walked through the doors, swept him up and declared they were moving.

The following year, he met Emma. He’d learned that she was in foster care, living with the Nolans. Mrs. Nolan had immediately taken to Killian when he and Liam had moved into a shabby flat by the harbor. She was a teacher at his school and would often take Killian home with her after school when Liam had to work late. He was almost positive they would keep Emma. They had to because he desperately wanted Emma to be his best friend, even before she spoke a word to him.

Killian chuckled to himself as he laid in his bed, hands clasped under his head, staring at his ceiling, but picturing his eight year old self flying through the front door of their seaside home.

“Liam, Liam!” he called out unnecessarily. Liam was sitting in the kitchen enjoying a warm cup of tea that he nearly dropped at Killian’s shouting. “I made a friend, her name’s Emma and one day I’m gonna marry her!” After the initial shock, his brother gave him a pat on the back while failing to stifle a laugh.

“While I’m thrilled that you made a friend, little brother, I would suggest that you hold off on proposing for a few more years,” he said affectionately.

“I know that, and I think you mean younger brother.” Killian wasn’t really annoyed with Liam. The ten year age gap assured Killian would be smaller that his big brother for another few years, but he had to try to break him of the habit of calling him little before it became a thing. “I have to win her heart first.”

“When did you get so smart, younger brother?”

“Simple, Mary Margaret is a teacher and she and David are the poster children for happy ever after,” Belle chimed in. Killian hadn’t even noticed Liam’s petite girlfriend pouring herself a cup of tea when he ran in. He liked her a lot. She was good for Liam and always let him take extra books from the library. Killian really hoped that things worked out for the brown haired, blue-eyed beauty and his sometimes beast of a brother.

“Liam, I’m home!” Belle called from the front door. Killian leapt from his bed to head downstairs to greet his sister-in-law.

“Hi, Belle,” he leaned in to give her a brotherly hug. “Liam’s not home yet. He and Sheriff Nolan were called to the docks to check some paperwork for a couple of new yachts that are docking there for the Summer.”

“Storybrooke keeps getting more popular every year,” she said as she set down her bags. “Help me put these groceries away?”

“Of course,” he replied, ever the gentleman.

“So how was the graduation party?” she asked as they worked in tandem to put everything away.

“It was okay, Emma split before the party even had a chance to begin. I just don’t understand, Belle. What changed since Christmas?” Belle smiled knowingly which piqued his interest. “You know something,” he accused playfully.

“Killian,” she snickered, “everyone in town “knows something”, except you.”

Now Killian was very confused. For ten years it has been obvious to all of Storybrooke that he was in love with Emma, except Emma. Now it appears that he is the oblivious one.

“Please, Belle, for my own sanity, elaborate.”

“You said that Emma hasn’t been the same since Christmas.”

“Aye.”

“Do you remember everything that you did for her?”

“Of course. And I’d do it all again, every Christmas, for the rest of our lives, if she’d let me,” he said with conviction.

“Perhaps,” Belle began with a twinkle in her eye, “she realized that what she felt for you was more than love between best friends. Perhaps, she loves you, just as you love her and is scared that you don’t feel the same.” Killian’s jaw dropped at the thought. “And,” Belled continued, “perhaps it’s about time you and her had a conversation about those feelings, before it’s too late and she gives up before even giving it a chance.” Just as Belle finished talking, a loud thunderclap shook the house. Killian felt it may be a sign that it was now or never.

---

December 1st was a Saturday. Killian asked her to meet him at the bench by the lake that was now frozen over. The ice was amazingly clear, as if walking on it would feel like walking on water. She heard the familiar crunch of boots walking on freshly fallen snow. Emma couldn’t help the smile that stretched across her face at the knowledge of who was approaching. He had promised her the best Christmas she’d ever had and knowing Killian as well as she did, she had no doubt it would be.

She was starting to regret sharing with him, over Thanksgiving break, all the winter activities she had never experienced before. It’s not that the Nolan’s didn’t make every Christmas season a fun and memorable one, she had just never told them specifically all the things she had always wanted to do as a child. 

“Lovely morning, isn’t it Swan?” he greeted from behind. “The lake is particularly eye catching, wouldn’t you say, love?”

She turned to face him and saw a twinkle in his bright blue eyes. “It is,” she started, “what are you up to?”

“What makes you think I’m up to anything?” he asked with a smirk.

“Please, you couldn’t hide a surprise from anyone. Your face always gives it away.” Your stupidly handsome face that makes my stomach flip every time it smiles at me. Where the hell did that though come from?

“Well, if you’re going to be like that…”

“Killiaaann,” Emma huffed. He smiled tenderly and pulled out a pair of skates from behind his back. “What are those?” she blurts out.

“Ice skates, I trust you’ve seen some before?” he teases.

Of course I’ve seen them before, but I’ve never… we can’t,” she gestures toward the lake.

“We can. Your father and the head of the Department of Public Safety measured the thickness yesterday and assured me it was perfectly safe. Dave promised he would give us until noon before he put out the word about the town's newest attraction.” 

Emma’s heart swelled at the sweet gesture. He encouraged her to sit on the bench as he carefully pulled each of her shoes off and replaced them with beautiful white skates. 

“Now stay there while I go grab my own.” He kissed her hand as he leapt to his feet to fetch them from his truck. 

Emma caught herself rubbing the top of said hand across her cheek, feeling a blush bloom. He returned with a well used pair of black skates and proceeded to slip them on and lace them up while explaining that they were Liam’s. When they were still living in England the two would skate every chance they got. He stood and held his hand out to her.

“Do you trust me?” he asked imploringly.

Emma only hesitated long enough to release a breath she’d been holding “Yes,” she claimed, taking his proffered hand. It took several near falls, laughter from both of them and wobbly legs, but not long after stepping awkwardly onto the smooth surface, she felt comfortable enough to glide side by side with Killian, never once letting go of his hand. He was skilled enough that he turned around and led them through what he referred to as a waltz. She was forced to look into his eyes and found herself transfixed. They continued to dance to imaginary music until the screams and shouts of joy drew nearer. Emma knew their time was up. Killian led her off the ice just as a hoard of excited families approached the newly dubbed Storybrooke Ice Rink.

December 8th was the next Saturday and held yet another Christmas surprise for Emma. He picked her up in his truck and they ventured off into the middle of nowhere. She could see up ahead a hill with track marks.

“Sledding?” He gave her smirk and tilted his head toward the bed of his truck where several types of sleds and tubes sat. “Seriously?” Emma couldn’t keep the face splitting grin from her face even if she wanted to. She had seen people do it, but until she met Killian, she had never had a friend and the five winters after their meeting had brought too little snow for such an activity. 

Then there was the unfortunate event that kept her from her best friend for the next two winters. She had developed an innocent crush on a senior. He was the son of the wealthiest man in town. 

Somehow, Emma’s affection for Neal Gold had reached his ears and he started paying more attention to her. At first it was flattering, but then it started to make Emma feel uncomfortable. She confided in Killian and two days later, 18 year old Neal had a broken nose and Killian was being held in the county jail for assault. Mr. Gold wanted him sent away to Juvenile Hall two hours away in Portland. The judge decided on house arrest, but Emma was told to stay away from Killian because the reason for the assault was still unknown. David was a very protective father and the town’s sheriff.

It wasn’t until Victor Whale came forward a year later and confessed that he had heard and seen everything. According to Victor, Killian had approached Neal about keeping his philandering hands off his 13 year old best friend. Neal made some very lewd comments about “popping her cherry” and Killian gave him a swift punch to the nose and a warning to stay away from her.

After the truth came out, Emma ran to the Jones home and threw herself into the arms of her very best friend. A man she knew she could trust and the apologies from her parents and other members of the community started pouring in. It wasn’t long after that that news spread of Neal being expelled from college and was facing criminal charges for sexual assault. Mr. Gold left town almost overnight, but the most important thing was that Emma had her best friend back and he was no longer the town pirriah, but, in fact, a hero.

Emma felt Killian’s warm, calloused thumb wipe away a tear that had escaped at the memory.

“Why are you crying, my love?” he inquired. Emma smiled, despite the painful memory.

“I’m just really happy to be here with you.”

“Then let’s get to it,” he said with a relieved smile. They stepped out of the truck and Killian lifted himself into the bed of the truck. “So what’ll it be first, Swan?” Emma immediately pointed to the red two person flat sled. She really needed to be close to him right now. He nodded his approval and hauled the large piece of plastic out of the bed and held it in his left hand while holding Emma’s hand with his right. 

Once they reached the peak of the hill, Killian sat the sled down and looked her in the eyes. “Front or back, love?” Emma also blurted out back, but found herself wanting to feel the intimacy of Killian holding her, his warmth enveloping her.

“Front,” she murmured with a blush.

Killian sat down on the cold plastic and patted the space between his legs. “All aboard.” He reached out and helped her settle herself before launching them with his strong arms. The ride started slowly, but gained speed quickly. Killian wrapped his arms protectively around her as they reached top speed, icy wind whipping through her hair and a smile plastered on her face.

They tried the tubes and the disks as well, but nothing compared to being held by Killian Jones, especially when his cheek would rub against hers and she felt the tickle of his scruff.

December 15th brought the third Saturday adventure. Killian picked her up from her house and drove them to Portland where a Christmas market and festival was being held that day. There were booths with sweet treats, warm drinks, handcrafted toys, decorations, but the booth that caught Emma’s attention was the snowglobes. They were intricately carved and painted and one particular globe caught her eye. It was a swan on a lake with a little bridge across the water that held two figures. One with long blond hair and one with short dark hair. The figure with dark hair had an arm wrapped around the blonde as they watched the swan. Emma turned it over to watch the snow fall on the couple that was obviously in love. She watched the scene until the blue gaze of Killian stole her attention. She was mesmerized by intensity in his eyes. She quickly put the globe back and excused herself to the restroom. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Killian running his hand through his hair. It was too much. This was all too much.

December 22nd was the final surprise before Christmas. Emma had taken a week to get her bearings. She wasn’t falling for Killian. She couldn’t. She knew that if she let that happen, she would cause her own heartbreak when they inevitably had to part ways for college. Killian had been accepted to The University of Washington in Seattle and Emma was planning to head down to NYU.

As she approached his door, she could hear Christmas music and something smelled delicious. She knocked quietly on his door and took a calming breath. She could do this. Killian opened the door for her and she knew she was screwed. He had a red plaid shirt and an adorable santa hat on. His face lit up at the sight of her and she couldn’t help returning his smile. He settled her on the couch in front of the roaring fireplace. He excused himself for just a moment and Emma took in the decor and the music. Now all she needed was a-

“One homemade hot chocolate, whipped cream on top and a sprinkle of cinnamon,” he described while handing her the oversized mug. He joined her on the couch with his own mug and held it up in anticipation of a toast.

“Cheers,” Emma laughed while clinking her mug against his. They watched the fire while sipping their delicious drinks and enjoying some of Emma’s favorite songs. Little Drummer Boy by Pentatonix was playing when Killian excused himself to go grab something in his room. He returned with a wrapped box and Emma began to panic.

“I know we said no gifts, but I couldn’t let this one go. Merry Christmas, Emma.” He handed her the box and she stared at it for a moment before ripping the paper to reveal a plain cardboard box that contained no hints as to what was inside. She could feel Killian’s eyes on her as she opened the box and removed the item. Tears sprang to her eyes as she realized what she was holding. The snowglobe with the couple watching the swan. He must have purchased it after she fled the scene. Her heart burst as she could no longer deny that she was in love with her best friend.

She set it down, intent on revealing her feelings, when a new wave of fear swept through her. What if he didn’t feel the same? He had never said anything.

“I have to go, I can’t do this,” she cried, tears flowing freely as she ran away from him.

---

Killian didn’t know what just happened, but he knew he had pushed too hard. The site of the snowglobe resting on the end table next to her abandoned hot chocolate chipped away at his heart. He thought he had seen his feelings mirrored back at him, but he was so very wrong. He placed the globe in a safe place in his room and settled in for a sleepless night.

As the days got warmer, Emma’s distance from Killian remained the same. She no longer waited for him after classes, she turned down his offers to drive her somewhere and all of their mutual friends were worried about her.

Ruby tried her best to pry any information from Emma, but nothing worked. It was like Emma was attempting to erase Killian from her life. He had become inconsolable the day she announced that she was going to tour NYU during the weekend of prom, leaving him no chance to get her alone. Graduation came and went and he had to decide if he would give up on her and move on or try to fight for her one last time. He opened up his closet to grab a jacket to fight off the evening chill when he spotted the snowglobe. Fight for her it was then. He grabbed the fragile gift with every intention of getting to the heart of the matter.

Emma had successfully eluded him until the day of the big thunderstorm. His talk with Belle gave him the courage to confront her. By the look of the darkening sky, he didn’t have much time to get over to her house before the heavens opened up upon them. With the snowglobe in hand he jumped in his truck to head to the Nolan’s house. He pounded on the door and Mary Margaret answered.

“Is Emma here?” he asked hurriedly.

“No, we thought she was with you.” At that moment, Dave pulled up in his patrol car. The wind was starting to pick up as he jogged from the car to the porch.

“Killian, have you seen Emma? The weather channel is predicting a severe thunderstorm with gale force winds.” Killian’s heart dropped at the thought of Emma being stuck in something like that.

“I haven’t seen her.”

“Neither have any of her friends,” Mary Margaret worried.

“I’ll find her,” he promised, leaving the snowglobe in her hands and racing to his truck. Whenever Emma wanted to be alone, she usually went to the bench by the lake, but something was telling him to head to the harbor. He couldn’t ignore the voice in his head any longer so he peeled out, intent on heading to the water.

---

Emma rubbed her bare armed against the chill in the air. She could sense that she was in a dangerous spot. The sky was dark and ominous. At this point she had nowhere to go to seek shelter if things got bad. Just as she was running out of options, Killian’s truck pulled up. He jumped out of the cab and sprinted toward her. He wrapped his arms around her, relief spreading from him to her.

“Thank god, I found you,” he spoke into her hair. “We have to go, lo-” The rest on his sentence was cut off by the loudest thunderclap Emma had every heard. Suddenly a thick sheet of rain was pelting them. Killian grabbed her hand and blindly made his way around a building and pulled the door open, pushing them both inside.

He pulled her close to comfort her as the rain got heavier and turned to hail and the wind blew so hard against the structure that the walls shook. She rebuffed his comfort, choosing to put as much distance between them as she could.     

“Please, Emma, if I did anything to offend you-”

“It’s not you,” she interrupted. “None of this is because of anything you did wrong.” She couldn’t look at him. She knew the moment she locked eyes with him it would break what little heart she had left. They couldn’t have a future together. They were going to opposite sides of the country for college. If she told him now, he might give up his future to follow her. That is, of course, if what Ruby has told her was true about his feelings for her.

“Then why have you been avoiding me? Why do this to me now when we have so little time left together?” he pleaded.

“That’s exactly why I’m doing this now. It’ll just make it easier when you leave,” she nearly whispered. The rain had only gotten heavier and the sound of the large drops hitting the metal roof was deafening, but Emma could hardly hear it over her thumping heart.

“Love,” he started as his hand cupped her jaw to raise her head, but her eyes remained just out of line with his, “I may be leaving in a few days, but rest assured, I will always come back to you. I promised that I would never leave you and I always keep my word.”

Her iron will shattered and she gazed into the eyes of the man she loved. She could clearly see the same feelings mirrored back at her. She cursed her stubbornness for wasting so much time. He looked so pained and it was all her fault. The bags that rested under his ocean blue eyes, the hair that would be sticking up in all directions from his hand running through it if wasn’t drench from the downpour, and the pinch of worry between his adorable eyebrows was all her fault. He was waiting for her to either break his heart or set his mind at ease. She didn’t plan to do either. No, she planned to blow his mind.

---

The lack of response from Emma had Killian on edge. They were stuck in an empty boathouse for an unknown amount of time. Their clothes were soaked through which was creating a whole new problem as his eyes roamed over Emma’s form. Every curve that he had dreamed of running his hands over was on full display. Even her nipples, that Killian had imagined tasting on more than one occasion, were clearly visible and the blood was quickly flowing south. However, if she remained silent much longer, he would gladly face the weather to avoid anymore heartbreak. At least he had succeeded in getting her to look at him. 

It was then that he saw a flicker of something. Something like determination, of what sort he couldn’t tell. Then his whole world flipped right side up as Emma grasped the lapels of his jacket and pulled him to her. Their lips met in a flurry of wet passion.

Every fantasy that Killian had of kissing his Swan was quickly replaced with the reality of her soft lips on his. Emma’s mouth was hungry for his as she forced his lips apart so she could deepen the kiss. Her tongue swept across his own, sending shocks of pleasure down his spine. She tasted like her favorite drink, sweet, spicy, chocolate. He pulled her lithe body as tight as he could against him, threading his right hand through her wet tresses and his left held on to her lower back, inching his way further down. Her moans of pleasure encouraged him to finally cup one of her supple cheeks and pulled her against his growing erection. Emma gasped into his mouth as he let out his own grown of pleasure. Her hands flew around his neck, tugging the wet hair at the nape of his neck as she ground her center harder against him. He quickly realized that they needed to slow down or he was going to embarrass himself. He pulled his lips from her, which only encouraged her to place soft, hungry kisses down his neck. Bloody hell, he really didn’t want to stop. She was going to be the death of him.

“Emma, love, we need to stop for a moment,” he managed to mutter painfully. She pulled away and for a split second she looked worried that he was rejecting her. He was sure that once she saw the desire burning in his eyes, that worry was quickly squelched. “Before this goes any further and by God, I hope it does, I need to tell you something.” She swept her hand softly against his scruffy cheek.

“I need to tell you something too.” Killian’s head was starting to clear of the overwhelming lust.

“By all means, ladies first,” he offered. 

Emma took in a determined breath, stepped up close to his ear and whispered, “I’m in love with you,” so softly he thought he was imagining her words. Then she kissed the skin just behind the shell of his ear and nearly melted on the spot. He grabbed onto her shoulders both for support and to get a good look at her face.

“Emma, is that true? Do you love me?”

“Yes, Killian, it’s true,” she affirmed without hesitation. He could see a small hint of worry that perhaps he didn’t love her back. Now was the time to set her mind at ease.

“Emma, I have been in love with you since the day we met.” Emma gasped at his confession. “You can ask Liam or Belle, they’ll tell you-” before he could finish his sentence Emma’s mouth was back on his.

Killian hadn’t had much time to take stock of what the boathouse had to offer as far as amenities, but he had noticed the small bed tucked in the corner. He encouraged her to wrap her legs around him as he maneuvered them toward said bed. They both still dripping wet so he set her back on her feet to help her undress. He slipped his hands under the hem of her tank top and slowly raised the offending material while taking in the site of her exposed skin. Her top landed with a loud flop a few feet away. Emma was already unbuttoning her jeans, no doubt needing to feel free of the tight, wet material. Killian eased her on the side of the bed so he could help peel her out of the tight denim. She flushed all over when Killian rested his eyes on her matching light pink, lace bra and panties. He suddenly needed to be free of his constricting clothes as quickly as possible.

“Don’t move from the spot,” he nearly growelled. Emma giggled at his impatience with his layers. First the leather jacket had to go, followed by his blue henley and finally his jeans which he gingerly lowered over his aching erection. 

He stood before Emma in only his blue boxers with little black anchors scattered about. Her eyes seemed to dart from one part of his body to the next until they rested on his prominent bulge. Her tongue ran along her lips then her eyes shot up to his, lust mirrored back at him. She leaned back onto the bad, him following her gently. They laid together like that for a minute, their breath mingling as they both tuned out the sounds of the harsh rain and hail and howling winds.

Emma raised her bead to kiss him again as she wrapped one leg around his waist. He whimpered as the warmth of her core caused his to instinctively rut against her. They both moaned at the sensation. It was then that reality came crashing down on him. He raised his head to gaze longingly at her. Confusion clouded her earlier lust.

“Killian, what’s wrong?”

“I,” he started cautiously, “didn’t bring any… protection,” he blushed.

Emma’s worry was quickly replaced with an assuring smile.

“I’m protected and I’ve never been with anyone as long as you…” She seemed reluctant to finish that sentence.

“I’ve never wanted anyone, but you, my love. Rest assured, this is my first time as well.”

“Good.” Emma quickly flipped them so that she was on top of him, straddling his impossibly harder erection. She giggled triumphantly as she reached behind her back and unsnapped her bra, sending it flying through the air. Killian was transfixed by the goddess above him. He reached for her breast to cup the soft mound in his hand and felt Emma shiver as his thumb brushed over her rosy bud. He pulled her mouth to his as she wrapped her arms around his neck. After thoroughly ravaging her mouth, he kissed his way down her neck, causing little whimpers of encouragement from his love. He laved his tongue along her collarbone and pulsepoint before be surprised her by flipping them again.

He planned to taste every inch of her. His mouth reached her dusky nipple and Emma nearly shouted as he took it into his mouth as his hand massaged the other. He switched sides, giving the other the same attention them began inching lower. He slid his tongue around her belly button and continued south until he met the hem of her panties. He bit at the lace then looked into her eyes for permission. With a nod of her head, he curled his finger over the hem on each side of her hips and lowered the last barrier between them.

Emma was magnificent. He could smell her arousal as he gently parted her legs. He would occasionally dart his eyes back to hers to check for any signs of discomfort, but all he could see was lusty dark green. He swiped his tongue experimentally along her clit and Emma let out a surprised yelp. He was concerned at first until Emma’s fingers tugged at his hair as she pleaded with him to do it again. He dove in without hesitation, following Emma’s instructions ranging from “a little to the left” to “put your finger inside of me”. As he pumped into her with two fingers now he could feel her walls start to flutter. He sucked her clit into his mouth and with just a scrape of his teeth he felt and heard her fall apart on a loud gasp. He lapped up any residual arousal taking pleasure in the little whimpers about being sensitive and the jerking of her hips. He rested his head on her hip taking in the view of her coming down.

Emma raised her head just a little and crooked her finger at him. He willingly slithered up her lithe body, enjoying every second of the skin on skin contact.

“These have to go,” she demanded as dipped her toes in the hem of his boxers and dragged them down to a point where he could kick them off. She then spread her legs wide, inviting him to settle himself between her slick thighs. “Make love to me, Killian.”

He didn’t need to be told twice. He slid his cock along her wet lips to prepare himself, then slowly and carefully pushed into her tight, wet heat. He held his breath as he pushed past any resistance, praying that he wasn’t hurting her. They both let out a relieved gasp as he bottomed out. He allowed her a moment to adjust to his size then began slowly thrusting in and out. Emma encouraged him to go faster and who was he to deny her wishes. The friction was almost too much for Kilian. Every slide along Emma’s unique bumps and ridges brought him that much closer to the edge. He deepened and angled his thrusts in order to rub her clit with every drive.

“Yes, yes, yes! Oh, god, Killian, I’m almost there.” She grabbed ahold of the comforter on either side of her head, but Killian desired more intimacy when they came together. He opened her palms and entwined his fingers hers as he exploded inside of her. He groaned loudly into her damp neck as she squeezed every last drop from his cock. They laid like that, limp and unable to move. Their combined essence was leaking onto the boathouse owner’s bed, giving them the encouragement they needed to get cleaned up. They hung their clothes out to dry near the radiator and settled back into the bed, nodding off for a couple of hours knowing that no sane captain would try to moor his boat in this storm.

“The storm seems to have passed,” Killian observed as he pulled up his dry pants. Emma was smiling and chuckling at him. “What’s so funny?” he asked, returning her smile.

“I’m not sure when it happened, but you have a rather large hickey on the left side of your neck.” Killian turned to the closest mirror and slipped on his henley. The hickey, or bite mark more likely, was barely visible under his collar. He only hoped he didn’t leave any marks on Emma.

Killian handed her his jacket for their walk to his truck. Before they headed out, Killian grabbed her hand and encouraged her to look him in the eyes.

“This is it, right Emma? You and me, no more running?” he asked hopefully. She placed both hands on his cheeks, kissed him softly and sweetly then rested her forehead against his.

“No more running, Killian. My heart belongs to you.”

“And mine to you, my love.”

Next Christmas, Killian topped last years effort with a proposal and the year after that with a wedding.

Every Single Time | Lee Jeno

Genre: well floof ofc

Word count: 1.8k

A/n: I wrote this during my online class at school today for no reason other than avoiding ap Spanish yikerz. N e wayz it's kinda clichè and cheesey but I hope yall enjoy it nonetheless :)

It's one of my last fics in my jb song series!! Based off this Jonas Brothers song

To say you'd been in love was an understatement. More specifically, you had been in love with one (1) boy for five (5) years. Who is this boy, you ask. Well, none other than your very best friend, Lee Jeno.

You'd been crushing on him since eighth grade and have been friends for essentially your whole lives. The thing is, Jeno has always had other crushes and girlfriends. Of course, being that you two are besties, he tells you all about this and it lowkey highkey breaks your sensitive little heart.

To be fair, you have also had your fair share of boyfriends. Freshman year you dated Lee Donghyuck and later, Huang Renjun. The only reason you ever said yes to them was in hope of getting over your crush on Jeno. However, it never seemed to work and you were still left, well, crushed. Sophomore year you dated Chenle, but you two discovered that you worked much better as friends. Lastly, during your junior year you dated the school flirt, Na Jaemin. Everyone wondered how you managed to get such a renowned hottie. The thing is, Jaemin is another one of your friends so he knew about your crush. You two only went out because he was getting over his ex as well.

Now, in the middle of senior year, you find yourself sitting at lunch, mindlessly staring at the boy you're hopelessly in love with.

"Hey, y/n! Are you good?"

"Hmm? Oh yeah, right. Yeah I'm fine," you barely managed to convince Jeno after he caught you. Chenle gave you a knowing look from across the table, to which you responded with a glare.

As odd as it was, Chenle is still one of your best friends and he knows about your ongoing crush. In fact, he was one of the first people to tell you about it, because you were too dense to realize it yourself. Quite frankly, you think that may be the reason your exes dumped you, they could see your feelings for Jeno. However, it seems that you're lucky enough because Jeno has yet to catch on.

~

"Y/n, I think you should just confess. What's the worst that could happen?" Chenle suggested.

"He could hate me," you respond coldly.

"Okay yeah, but that would only last for the rest of senior year. Then, you'll both go to college and, if need be, never see one another ever again." :D

"Wow. That makes it sound so much better," you say in a sarcastic tone.

"Who knows, y/n, he might actually like you back. I get the feeling he does."

"What makes you say that?"

"Let's make a bet. 20 bucks says you won't confess to Jeno before winter break."

"I don't want to make any bets I know I'm going to lose," you pout.

"Fine then. 20 bucks says Jeno will confess first."

"That's a bet I can win."

"That's the spirit, y/n!"

"Because Jeno doesn't have feelings for me so he'll never confess!"

"You're hopeless."

"C'mon Lele, he's always surrounded by other girls. I wouldn't even have a chance."

"Okay, but you've dated other boys too," your friend reminds you.

"That's different. Throughout high school I only dated boys to get over Jeno." You paused briefly before continuing, "but it never worked. Every single time, I keep on going back. He's always on my mind. It doesn't matter what I do." You finally looked up at Chenle again only to find him fast asleep on your bed. Late night study dates with Chenle were always like this: deep conversation from you but snooze from him.

~

You sat impatiently in your physics class, waiting for the bell to ring. As you turn your head to check the clock yet again, you are met with Jeno's eyes staring back at yours. "Y/n," he started quietly, "you should be working on your project right now not staring off into space. We only have 2 more days before it's due."

You throw him a shy smile, blushing at his observation of you. "You're probably right," you whisper back. Instead of listening to his advice, you go back into staring off. This, however, was not to your advantage because he began to wonder about what Chenle said. Maybe you should just confess. What if Jeno actually does reciprocate your feelings? You turned to face him again only for your thoughts to be interrupted by his knowing look.

"Y/n, don't make me say it again. You need to finish your project so you don't have to finish it all in one night like last time." Of course. How could you forget the last project that you made Jeno stay up all night to help you finish on time. It's not your fault that he's much superior in physics. Oh gosh. There's no way he could feel anything for you when your literally so stupid! Yes, y/n, you are just so so stupid smh.

~

You checked the time on your phone. 3 am. Another all nighter to finish your dumb project. Okay so maybe Jeno had a point the other day. As you set your phone down it began to vibrate. "Hey Lele," you answer after reading his caller ID. "I'm sorry but I cant talk now because I need to finish this project. Why are you even up at 3 in the morning? If this is some lame attempt to convince me to tell Jeno about how I feel, it's not gonna work. He obviously doesn't like me back."

You waited for a response, but the line went dead. Maybe it was just a butt dial. Or a PRANK!! THAT LITTLE PIECE OF CRAP! Calm down, y/n. It's physics time right now.

~

Jeno sat at Chenle's desk, helping him study for his Calculus test tomorrow. "Chenle, you are just like y/n, always waiting until the last minute. I should call her. I bet she's pulling an all nighter right now to finish that project."

"That's not fair. We can't help it that we don't have the same level of intellect as the great Lee Jeno," Chenle mocked.

"No. You two are just bad when it comes to procrastinating. My phone is dead, can I use yours?" Chenle tossed Jeno his phone and he quickly dialed your number. You answered almost immediately. Stupid y/n, staying up so late.

"I'm sorry but I cant talk now, Lele, because I need to finish this project. Why are you even up at 3 in the morning? If this is some lame attempt to convince me to tell Jeno about how I feel, it's not gonna work. He obviously doesn't like me back."

The boy sat there, his mouth a bit agape. "Jeno. Jeno. Yo! Jeno what did she say?" Chenle finally recovered Jeno's attention.

"Oh, right. Yeah she just said she was busy and could talk right now. And then she hung up," he lied just a little. "N E ways. Back to limits. If the x in the denominator is..."

~

As you walk into school the next day, you are caught a bit off guard. Jeno was waiting for you at your locker. "Hey, y/n," he smiled brightly. How could anyone not fall for that? "Did you have to stay up all night again for your project?" He asks, playing dumb.

"N-no. Not all night," you argue despite him assuming correctly.

He laughs a little. "You're cute when you try to lie." And with that, he walks off, leaving you flustered at your locker. The warning bell rings and you quickly gather your things for your first class. Not that it'll matter. There's no way you could focus now.

~

The rest of the day was fairly normal until lunch. You sat down next to Chenle like usual, but Jeno was acting a bit,, unusual. He was looking at you almost lovingly and it was starting to get a little creepy. <(￣︶￣)> "Isn't y/n just do pretty today?"

Chenle just kinda looked at you like （＞д＜）which you responded with 乁། ˵ ◕ – ◕ ˵ །ㄏ

"What do you mean, Jeno? Is y/n not pretty everyday?" Chenle questions him.

"Oh. Of course she is pretty everyday! But today she is extra prettyyyyy," he draws out the last word adding to his cuteness.

You obviously wanted to join the conversation as opposed to awkwardly sitting silently but you couldn't come up with any words. You could feel the red tint burning across your face, but it's not like you could stop it. "Uh oh. Y/n is blushing. That must mean you like me too, huh?"

"What?" Your mouth hung open. Earth to y/n!! Did you hear that right? Did he really just say too? Say something!

"Ha! That's 20 bucks, y/n! I knew you couldn't tell him first," Chenle screeched, only briefly capturing the attention of the lunchroom. After the students returned to their own lunches and conversations, Jeno continued:

"I asked if you liked me. Of course, I already know the answer."

"Then why do you ask?" You reply rather innocently.

"Because I want to hear you say it again."

"Again?!" You question at the same time that Chenle shouts it.

"Yeah, again. Y/n confessed to me on the phone last night," Jeno elaborates. "So if that was some sort of bet, well, she won I guess."

You nearly died of embarrassment. "Wait so that wasn't Lele calling me yesterday? It was you? And I just-"

"Wait Jeno, you said she just hung up after explaining that she was busy," Chenle argues.

"Did I forget to mention that part?"

"Oh my gosh. I can't believe I did that. Ugh," you complain while facepalming.

"So, are you gonna say it?"

"Do I have to?"

"If you want to hear me say it again then I have to hear you say it first."

"Fine. Jeno, I have had the biggest crush on you since middle school. I really like you."

"Y/n, I have had a crush on you for some time as well. I really like you too," and of course to make matters even worse for your flustered state, he adorns his confession with that signature smile that makes your heart go we got that BOOM BOOM.

~

So yeah, y/no is the ship of the school. Y'all cute or whateva. Jeno always takes you out on fun dates like roller skating or bowling. He is also SUPER CLINGY which you didn't know back when you were only friends. He loves loves loves to cuddle and can almost always be found with his arms around your waist like a koala.

Red: ch 9 Luka

this is cross posted on Ao3 (my username is causemufins)

Marinette and Luka go on a NOT date

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Luka had texted her yesterday asking if she wanted to go out. Marinette had explained her recent falling out of love and her recent horrible life. Luka agreed it wasn’t a date and hanging out could cheer her up, but she still thought it was basically a date.

    They were going back to the ice rink. Marinette had been going there a few times when she had the chance. It had gained a little in popularity after Frozer since people had seen Ladybug’s ice power-up. Not only was she starting to enjoy going there, Tikki assured her that it could help improve her fighting with that power-up. That was mainly for if she started panicking about doing something fun when she had other things to be doing.

    An alarm on Marinette’s phone went off and she fumbled a bit with it, nearly dropping it and stopping the alarm. That was her cue to head to the rink. “Come on Tikki!”

    The kwami flew into Marinette’s purse as she raced downstairs. By the time she reached the ice rink, she was a few minutes, so she raced the rest of the way inside before colliding with Luka. “Oh no! Luka! I’m sorry! Was I late enough that you were leaving? I didn’t mean to be late, In fact I thought it was only a few minutes but if I got the time wrong then-”

    Luka just laughed, causing Marinette to stop talking, confused. “My sister has mentioned that you tend to be late. I actually thought you would be later. I was just going outside so I would be there when you got here.”

    Marinette gave a sigh of relief. “I’m sorry, I just thought that you would be upset like Juleka.”

    “Why would my sister be upset?” Luka asked, confused.

    “Uh, it doesn’t matter right now. Let’s head inside and start skating.” She took Luka’s hand, helping him up and going to the main rink area. The two of them rented skates and were on the ice soon enough. Marinette was glad there were others there. There were two other couples, a group of friends, and one girl by herself.

    The girl caught Marinette’s interest when she tried some figure skating but fell to the ground, trying again with the same result. Luka noticed where the designer was looking and spoke up. “Why don’t we go help her?”

    The two teens skated over to the girl, who was trying to repin up her golden blond hair. “Hi, my name is Marinette and this is my friend Luka. Do you need help?”

    The girl looked up and took the hands that Marinette and Luka were offering to her. “Thank my. Um, my name is Samantha.” Marinette paused, the voice of the girl sounding familiar. “I recently moved here and when I found out there was an ice rink I came here, but I’m not the best and figure skating, which is all that seems to be done here…”

    “Oh, do you normally just skate around for fun?” Luka asked the girl, who shook her head.

    “No, I used to play ice hockey! Last year we won both divisions and the playoffs! I remember it was only my second ever game I scored a goal, and that was after I hadn’t played for a year and went straight into squirts and hadn’t played mites!”

    Marinette’s head was spinning. She had no idea what this girl was really talking about. “Um, where are you from?”

    “Oh, I just moved here from Canada. My dad got a job offer here. Well here and in Italy, But since we’re Canadian, of course we came here instead. I just miss hockey. But hey, still skating for me to do.”

    Marinette smiled. “You seem really nice. Almost too kind for hockey.” The designer knew at least enough from the olympics and one time she was researching sports for a paper last year.

    “Well yeah, I’m normally nice. But being in a game changes that up. You need to be more serious when there’s something on the line.”

    Marinette nodded. That was how it sort of was when she was Ladybug. “Right, Well, If you want, Luka and I can help you learn how to figure skate.”

    Samantha looked very happy. “That would be wonderful! And maybe later we can share numbers or something? I haven’t had too much luck at making friends and I’m nervous about starting school here.”

    Marinette and Luka agreed. Eventually, Samantha was tired out and said goodbye to the pair of friends. They continued to skate as the Canadian started leaving the rink, doing her best to hide and whisper to a golden kwami poking out of a pocket in her jacket.

~~~~~

    Marinette laughed as she slid across the ice, having fallen. Luka was laughing as well and helped her up. “So, what exactly has been going on?” He asked her.

    Marinette’s smile fell. “It’s a long story.”

    Luka: held her hand. “I’m here to listen. Your song has been off-key most of this outing, especially now. I know just talking won’t fix it, but it will be a start.”

    Marinette reluctantly agreed as Luka led her to skate around the rink. “It’s the class. A new girl showed up named Lila Rossi.”

    “I know of her. My sister has talked about that girl a number of times. Juleka mentioned all the great things Lila had done, which I did at first believe. Mainly because your class is already an amazing one. Chloé is the Mayor’s daughter and lives in a hotel many celebrities live in, Adrien is the most famous teen model in Paris and his dad owns one of the more famous fashion industries, Alya runs the Ladyblog and is one of the few reporters to get multiple interviews from Ladybug, Nino won the qualifiers on The Challenge and is an excellent DJ, And then you design for various people like Jagged Stone and Clara Nightingale. With how your class is I thought it wasn’t out of the ordinary.

    “But then one day I took Juleka over to an event Lila was at. I wanted to meet her new friend and did, but I didn’t like what I heard. Her music… it wasn’t there. She had no music and I was confused. After that, I looked her up and found nothing about her but her video on the ladyblog. There were also a few articles about people with similar names. But they weren’t about her. I realized she had no song because she was lying. Lying so much that she doesn’t have enough of a true self for a song to be made.”

    Marinette listened happily to Luka’s story, so glad that someone else knew of Lila’s lies. She had a few questions, but waited for Luka to finish first. Luka finished by cutting himself off, remembering that Marinette was the one who was supposed to be talking. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to talk so long.”

    “It’s fine Luka. I’m just glad you know she’s lying too.”

    That took Luka off guard. “You mean, no one else knows? I thought it would just be my sister and a few other people, and only because of her being new. But this sounds like…”

    “Yeah.” Marinette nodded sadly. “I think only three people in the class know. Adrien, he’s known since day one. Chloé, who knows enough celebrities, and Alya, who learned yesterday after she was told by Ladybug. Until then, basically everyone in the class was against me, and it didn’t help that every time I talk about how Lila is lying, she turns on the waterworks. It’s gotten to the point where I’ve been thinking, maybe it’s my fault.”

    Luka stopped them from skating and put his hands on Marinette’s shoulders. “Mistakes can happen, but nothing like this. It’s not your fault. You’re just being gaslighted from all this emotional abuse. I’m going to be talking to my sister tonight. But first, it seems like it’s something more than just her lies. What is it?”

    “Adrien. I liked him… past tense. I said he knew Lila was lying, but anytime I tried to call Lila out for her various lies, he wanted to stop me from doing that. He said we were in this together. But while I suffered, he just stood by meanwhile I’ve nearly been akumatized a few times because of Lila. It’s gotten a bit better because Chloé has turned over a new leaf and is my friend now I guess.”

    Luka did his best to comfort Marinette. “I’ll be here for you. I won’t tell you what to do or not to do. I’ll just be here as a friend to support you.”

    Marinette hugged Luka and started crying. The musician carefully led her off the ice. Eventually Marinette calmed down and thanked Luka. “I h-had no idea h-how much I n-needed that.”

    “If you ever need a shoulder to cry on, just call me. I want to be there to help.”

    Marinette smiled and hugged Luka, an idea forming in her head. “I’m going to head home. All this skating and crying has left me tired.” Luka agreed and, after turning their skates in, led her back home.

Holiday HCs - Craquaria

Hey there!

Yesterday, I answered all of my inbox messages and mentioned that I might write some new HCs. Surprisingly, my brain allowed me yesterday to actually create something with the idea of one of the anons. I really hope that you enjoy them and may get some feedback. 

It was already mid-December and Brianna and Aquaria have slowly finished their Christmas purchases, everything from gifts to decorations.

The Christmas tree was missing but that was a shopping trip for later, to keep the tree as beautiful as possible on Christmas Eve. 

Both Aquaria and Brianna took one day off to spent more with their little daughter Hayley because they had a little surprise planned for her

“Hayley, come to the living room,” Brianna called and the two moms waited for their little princess.

Once Hayley arrived, Aqua said: “Put some warm clothes on, we want to go for a walk.” only to be met with a frustrated look. “I don’t want to go outside, it’s too cold,” she complained and had a pouty look on her face.

Her parents expected this response but sighed anyway. “Come on, you will love it, I promise.” Aquaria low key pleaded, the frustration slightly noticeable. Their daughter was bratty and may have been a bit spoiled thanks to Aquaria. 

After a small discussion, Hayley stomped into her room to put on some clothes. To her parent’s relief, she followed their instruction on putting warm clothes on. 

Brianna checked if she had everything and checked a list in her head, everything from keys to phones. Aquaria and Hayley already walked into the hallway of the apartment complex and waited for the third member of the family to lock the door and made their way outside. 

On their way to the planned surprise, the walked past many stores such as toy stores. Of course, Hayley’s eyes were glued to the window, watching all of the presented toys and already making a list in her head for everything she wants and hoped to unwrap on Christmas. Aquaria couldn’t hold back a chuckle, being remembered by her own childhood, acting similarly to her daughter. 

A few more minutes have passed and their daughter got grumpy again. “When can we finally go back home? I’m hungry and I’m cold.” She complained but her mood quickly changed when she noticed where they were heading, the ice rink with the huge Christmas tree in the middle. “Surprise!” Both Aquaria and Brianna said with a big smile on their face. Hayley’s eyes lit up and practically ran towards the tourist attraction. Thankfully, her parents could get a hold of her soon enough before losing their daughter in the giant mass of people. 

Once they paid for the tickets and rented the ice skates, they waited for the ice rink to be emptier. Luckily, it didn’t take too long.

Because Hayley only went ice skating a few times before, her moms held one of her hands to stabilize her on the slippery surface, one on each side. 

It was an amazing time for both Hayley and her parents, all of them enjoying the music and the atmosphere. 

After what has felt like only a few minutes, they had to make their way back home. To the moms' surprise, Hayley was too exhausted to complain but also, too exhausted to walk on her own, so Aquaria carried her all the way back to their home. 

Two weeks have passed and it was finally Christmas Eve. The day before, Sharon and Alaska arrived to spend the holidays with the small family. “Where’s my little princess?” she asked with a baby voice while walking towards Hayley to pick her up. “I’m here, Mom!” Aquaria joked while first hugging Sharon and then Alaska. Neither of them could hold back a laugh. Brianna greeted Aquaria’s parents quickly but had to make her way back to the kitchen to finish dinner. 

Unfortunately, Brianna’s parents couldn’t make it because of the weather in her home town. It really bumped her but tried to cover it up as best as possible. Aquaria obviously noticed and offered to help her clean up, mostly to talk to her wife in private. “What is going on, baby? You seem sad, what happened?” she asked with a concerned look on her face. Nothing hurt more than seeing her wife upset. Brianna sighed, “My parents can’t make it this year. Stupid weather in Seattle. I was really hoping for a Christmas like two years ago when all of us were together.” She was immediately hugged by her wife. “I’m so sorry to hear that. I was really hoping for it too but unfortunately, we can’t change that. It will happen next year, okay? At least my parents are here, so Hayley will have a great time and next year, it’ll be even better, okay?” Aquaria assured her. A small smile made its way on Brianna's face and she nodded to her wife. She was so happy to have her in her life. Both of them continued to clean up and joined the rest of the family in the living room. 

The next day, the family decorated the tree together that Hayley and her parents purchased. Well, Hayley picked it out and her parents paid for it but nonetheless, everyone enjoyed the activity together and were pleased with the result. 

Brianna took a picture of the tree and a picture of all of them together to send them to her parents, wishing them Happy Holidays. 

Throughout the day, not much has happened. They watched TV together, talked, played some games, etc. In the early evening, Brianna prepared their typical Holiday dinner, Raclette. It was everyone’s favorite because everyone could create their own version of it. While Brianna was boiling the potatoes, Aquaria prepared the slices of cheese and the toppings.

At dinner, they continued their conversations about everything and nothing while waiting for the cheese to melt. Afterward, they all cleaned up together to save time and sat together in the living room when they were done.

“Do you think you behaved well this year for Santa to bring you presents?” Alaska asked her grand-daughter with a smile on her face. “Of course! I was very nice and sent him my Wishlist!” Hayley grinned, earning a chuckle from everyone else. “Then hopefully, Santa agrees with you with some nice presents,” Brianna answered with a smile on her face. She loved her daughter to death and was not only content but happy even though, her parents couldn’t be there.

Throughout the evening, Hayley got tired but like usual, denied any accusation but couldn’t hold back a yawn. Sharon and Alaska did not want to miss the chance to bring their grand-daughter to bed, Aquaria and Brianna not trying to hold them back. Both of them knew how much they loved Hayley and gave them the rare opportunity of taking her to bed. 

A few hours and two bottles of wine later, the rest of the family got ready for bed. Aquaria made her way to the guest bedroom to ask her parents for the presents to put them underneath the Christmas tree. Alaska handed them to her and Aquaria made her way to the living room to put them next to the presents she and Brianna have purchased. Shortly after, they went to bed.

The family got woken up the next morning by Hayley shouting through the whole apartment: “He was here! Santa was here!”. None of them could hold back a laugh at her cute reaction and slowly made their way towards the living room not forgetting to each get a cup of coffee.

They all surrounded the Christmas tree and waited for Hayley to open up her presents before opening their own gifts. She got some new dolls, a few coloring books, and a Nintendo Switch she has wished for so long. Seeing the joy in her eyes as she opened her presents melted everyone’s heart and made their day better.

Throughout the rest of the day, they listened to some music, played a few rounds with Hayley on the new Switch after her convincing them which did not take much and overall enjoyed the rest of the holidays.