#a minor (17 and with a body count higher than god)

[leofrith]

excusing all of basim's many crimes because he is literally neurodivergent and a minor

[perriewinklenerdie]

I love you (MO, 17/17, Ethan x MC)

Missed Opportunities Series, Chapter 17

Pairing: Ethan Ramsey x Claire Herondale

Word count: 1070

Summary: All the times when Ethan could have told Claire he loved her but didn’t, and one time he did. Told through Ethan’s eyes.

Warnings: NSFW, 18+, minors please DNI

A/N: The finale is upon us. Welcome to the last part of the series, where we finally change the warnings and just let my two idiots be idiots in love. 

Ethan woke up to the gentle feeling of kisses being trailed up his arm. An effortless smile tugged on the corners of his lips.

��Good morning.” Claire muttered against the skin of his chest, looking up at him with hooded eyes. His hand traced a path from her hip, up her back, finally ending with a delicate touch at the back of her neck. Using the new point of contact, he pulled her down into a kiss, humming quietly at the sensation.

“I love you.” he whispered once the kiss ended, nudging her nose with his. Claire grinned.

“I love you, too.”

The next kiss had an entirely different tone. Deep, slow, and hot, it sent them both onto the path of desire, and they soon passed the point of caution. Ethan’s hands reached beneath the fabric of the shirt she was wearing, thumbs finding her nipples.

“Ethan…” Claire breathed out, bringing him closer to her with her legs on either side of his hips and grinding slowly, her intent clear.

“How do you want me, Claire?” He tried to keep his voice level, but the way she moved against him made it incredibly difficult.

“Slowly.” She panted, rolling her hips. Not long after, she fell onto the bed and crooked her finger to beckon him closer. He followed her directions, settling himself between her legs. “Look at me when you come.”

Her words alone could have made him combust on the spot, and they haven’t even started. With no sense of urgency, they got rid of each other’s night clothes and underwear. Claire held her breath when he aligned himself with her entrance, their eyes trained on each other. He fell into her open arms, embrace providing another layer of intimacy. Ethan’s broken groan got muffled by the skin of her neck, his tiny bites causing goosebumps to cover her arms. The muscles of his back were tensing as he held back from moving just yet.

The very first ghost of a sound she made started them both on a steady rhythm, their bodies coming and going together like waves lapping up the shore.

“Oh, god.” Claire’s moan went straight to his head, stroking his ego like nothing else. She snuck her hands under his arms and up his back to grab his shoulders. That form of leverage allowed her a tad bit more control over the situation, both of them now in perfect symphony.

“Lift your hips.” He said, moving his hand away from the mattress. Claire did as he asked, creating enough space for his arm to fit into. The new angle he created kicked the air out of her lungs as it allowed him to hit the spot inside her that made her feel lightheaded.

“Ethan, I want you to- fuck- “

“What was that?” he smirked, snapping his hips a bit more powerfully. She moaned, arching her back even further. Ethan pressed her onto the mattress with his body, kissing her cheek as he repeated, voice dropping to a sultry hum. “What was that?”

Claire shot him a charged look, one of her hands reaching higher to grab his hair and pull on it. “I want you to come.”

He kissed her without any hesitation, their tongues exploring each other as though it was their first time. His words were punctuated with his needy gasps for air. “Wrap your legs around me.” He kissed her, short pecks the only thing they both could afford at that moment. She followed his directions, creating yet another angle for him to enter her at.

Ethan could already feel himself slipping, his self-control leaving him behind. He opened his eyes, staring right at her.

“Tell me you love me.”

“I love you.” she said, no hesitation, no pause. Squeezing her inner muscles, she made him stumble momentarily. She repeated it once more as she stroked his broad shoulders and the back of his neck.

“I’m never letting you go. You’re mine.” Ethan was rambling now, his mind losing any coherence it once had.

“Please.” she moaned softly right before she came, his name following closely behind as stars began to appear in her vision. He followed closely behind, staring into her eyes as his movements lost precision and he chased the feeling of ecstasy she always gave him.

Claire held onto him tightly and Ethan kept his gaze on her as he gave her one last thrust. With the last shivers of their high leaving their bodies, they kissed and caressed each other, smiling wordlessly. She stroked the side of his face.

“You look happy.”

“I am happy. Why wouldn’t I be?” he pressed a warm kiss to her hand, then placed it against his heart. “I finally am able to tell you the one thing that’s been on my mind for more than a year now.”

“A year? What took you so long?” she was very obviously joking, but her surprise was genuine and visible. Ethan simply shrugged.

“I thought that was pretty obvious. After the- “ he cut himself off, a cold shiver running down his spine. Claire nodded in understanding. “After the attack, I stopped trying to pretend like I didn’t want you. Like I didn’t need you to get through the day.” His thumb pressed onto her wrist, stroking the discolored skin shortly after. “I was fully ready to tell you after the gala.”

“Then why didn’t you?”

“The whole commotion with Leland put a wrench in our peace and my plan. And then your partner turned into a clueless idiot- don’t laugh at me, we both know I was behaving like an idiot.” He scoffed but was unable to fight a laugh of his own, especially when her shoulders shook as she hid her face in his chest for a second.

“I admit, not your brightest moments. But you did get back to normal, so I guess you’re forgiven.” She patted him on the chest, moving to sit up. Ethan had other plans – with his hand still on hers, he pulled her downwards a little, making her laughing eyes meet his again.

“You guess I’m forgiven?”

“Yes. But only because I love you.” Claire grinned, falling back onto the bed and wrapping her arms around his neck. Ethan smiled – he hoped he’d get to smile with her every day from now on. He leaned down to peck her nose playfully.

“I love you, too.”

Notes

From the bottom of my heart, thank you so much for being here with me along for the ride. It’s been my pleasure to have you here, as I said goodbye to the series that carried me through my bachelors degree. 

There’s an announcement coming your way soon, as well as two fics - one that has an angsty undertone and the other that is half angst and half fluff (only the first one is written so far and all I can tell you is that it’s called Out of reach). There’s also the little thing called The Herondale Family + that I’ve been teasing for a while - that one should make appearance sometime in the future.

Thank you so much for reading and being here, see you soon (on the other side)!

Perrie <3

[eventidespirits]

Name: Laci Lydia Brighton-Lee

Nicknames/Aliases: None.

True Age: 41

Apparent Age: 22

Emotional Age: 6-22 (average of about 13-17)

Concept: Age Sliding Oracle

Species: Vampire (Revenant)

Gender: Cis Girl

Sexuality: Asexual Heteroromantic

Birthday: January 8th 1976

Death Day: October 31st 1998

Residence: Santa Marta, California

Universe: Primarily Original Universe but also Vampire the Masquerade (where she is Clan Malkavian).

Appearance:

Height: 4'7

Build: Petite and quite thin, Laci looks almost frail to most people and can be easily mistaken for a teen or preteen. She has a short torso and long limbs for her height.

Face Shape: Laci has a rounded face with a pointed chin, full cheeks and high cheekbones.

Eye Color/Shape: bright amber/Hazel. Deep-set with heavy, almost droopy eyelids and very thick lashes. Laci usually has a sort of sleepy look to her eyes, accentuated by her permanent dark circles and under eye bags.

Hair Color/Style: About shoulder length with a natural 2B/2C curl pattern. Her hair is naturally black but she has a badly bleached portion in the front that looks bright orange. Has very short, somewhat uneven bangs and her hair is a little shorter in the front than the back. Usually worn up in pigtails or twin buns.

Skin Tone/Texture: Unnaturally smooth and pale with an under-saturated yellow undertone. Doesn't look particularly healthy.

Distinguishing Features: Laci is very short and this is usually the first thing people notice about her -- she also has very large, expressive eyes. She has both eyebrows pierced, a nostril piercing on her left side and snakebites. Both ears have triple lobe piercings and two helix piercings.

Posture: Depends on her current emotional age but as a general rule, Laci's posture is somewhat folded in on herself, somewhat shy and insecure. When she's at an older emotional age, her posture is more confident and open. Laci's body language is dreamy and distant, her steps usually slow and unsure. She walks through the world like she's in an endless dream.

Voice: Somewhat nasal but with a distinct huskiness/vocal fry -- her actual pitch is somewhat higher and definitely comes across as a little bit childish.

Clothing Style: Laci is very much a goth -- she's almost always wearing at least one piece of clothing with mesh or fishnet (she doesn't like lace as much) -- the primary colors in her wardrobe are black, charcoal gray and purple, with occasional hints of neon green. She prefers pants and shorts with tights over skirts and dresses. She tends to prefer lays -- wearing tank tops over mesh shirts under hooded sweat shirts and so on. She has a fondness for collars and very high platform boots. An average outfit for Laci would be a pair of shorts with striped tights and knee-high socks, 4 inch platform boots, a mesh shirt under a tank top and a short sleeved hoodie with several bracelets, fingerless gloves and a collar of some sort.

Notable Mannerisms: Laci is often chewing on her lower lip or playing with her piercings. She often curls her hair around her fingers or plays with the hem of her short. Despite being a vampire and getting no real benefit or harm from it, Laci still smokes clove cigarettes (a habit she had as a human). Laci also has a tendency to sort of bounce in place when she's bored.

Skills:

Physical: Self-Defense, gymnastics, pickpocketing, small firearms

Social: Social Media, Bullshitting, Sweet-talking, Blame-Shifting, Persuasion

Talents: breaking & entering, stealth, being cute, dancing

Knowledges: Santa Marta Underground, Streets & Back Alleys, Hacking, Computers, Social Media manipulation, explosives, Revenant Signs & Grafitti

Hobbies: Pickpocketing assholes at cafes/coffeeshops, preventing the apocalypse, clubbing, coloring books, dancing, photography/instagram

Special: The Sight, precognition, increased speed & strength, darkvision/nightsight, some minor telepathy/empathy, some emotional influence, "immortality"

Psyche

Strengths: Clever, quick-witted, good at lying, adaptive, quick-learner, strong sense of justice, compassionate, sweet, dedicated/tenacious, in touch with her emotions, good with kids, generally empathetic

Weaknesses: overly-emotional, immature, irresponsible, stubborn, impatient, overly curious, has trouble understanding rationality, has difficulty understanding the motives/perspectives of others even if she can understand their feelings, hot-headed, prone to fits of mania and/or depression, way too fucking blunt at times, bad at explaining herself, bad at understanding her own motives at times.

Mental Health Issues: Bipolar Disorder, Age Regression, Hallucinations, Anxiety, Possible ADHD?

Goals: Stop the God-Damned Apocalypse, have fun, make friends, help people

Guiding Philosophies: Do your best to preserve life but know that in the end you'll have to hurt people to stop the apocalypse, try your best to make people laugh and improve their lives, make the world a better place, punish evil whenever you see it, offer help to the helpless and compassion to the weak and downtrodden of society, bash the fash

Sense of Humor: Laci delights in pulling pranks on her friends or making absolutely random, inane comments that leave others confused. She also likes puns and dumb memes.

Overall Personality:Chaotic and trickster-ish. Laci is an enigma to most of the people around her, often including herself. She is bright and spontaneous most of the time but can become somber and serious at the drop of a hat. Her general mood and energy are frantic, high energy and unpredictable. When she comes to care about someone, she's incredibly protective of them to the extent that she can be and will do about anything to make them happy or keep them safe.

Deep down, Laci is frustrated with her inability to remember most of her human life and desperately wishes she could regain it -- however, most of her efforts are currently focused on preventing the Awakening of a being she knows only as The Myriad Eyes, which Laci believes will cause the end of the world if it does wake from it's slumber. Her methods of doing so are...erratic and often nonsensical due to her lack of general knowledge about the thing, seeing only glimpses of it through her precognition and sight.

Little Laci: Mostly the same as Big Laci (described above) but less able to focus on her goals, more dependent on others and more emotional.

-In Love: Laci can't remember being in love. She knows vaguely that she was dating someone who had broken up with her just before she became a vampire but more than that is blurry. When she does crush on someone (which is rare) she's usually very shy around them, having difficulty speaking and becoming very awkward (think moe anime girl)

-Under Stress: Erratic, irritable and far more emotional than usual. Laci becomes inconsolably upset when under stress very quickly -- prone to lashing out in anger and having complete breaks from reality of the stress is severe enough. Stress is also the number one trigger for Laci's age regression, the more intense the stress, the further back she slides.

-Alone: Laci doesn't really get to be alone due to being haunted by her best friend as a human who she accidentally killed after her Change...When it's just Laci and Amy, Laci can be very quiet and withdrawn, just focusing on whatever task is at hand and desperately hoping Amy doesn't decide to cause any problems.

Life

Best Memory: Becoming part of the Revenant Vampire Community under Santa Marta

Worst Memory: Waking up after being Changed and killing her best friend.

Biggest Accomplishment: Hitting 100 cellphones stolen from assholes at Eventide Coffee

Prized Possession: her spiderweb mug

Favorite Color: Black, Purple, Lime Green

Favorite Food:

-Mortal Food: Mocha Frappe, Triple Chocolate Muffins, Cherry Soda, Monster Energy, Tiramisu, Fried Oreos

-Blood: She doesn't care, all the bagged stuff tastes like shit anyway.

Favorite Scents: Cloves, Cotton Candy, Bubblegum, Gunpowder, Fresh Coffee, Freshly Baked Bread, Coconut, Vanilla, Lime, Grapefruit

Favorite Songs: Hunger - Ayria, The Girl Anachronism - Dresden Dolls, I'm So Sick - Flyleaf, Counting Bodies Like Sheep - A Perfect Circle, Looking Glass - The Birthday Massacre, Placebo Effect - Siouxsie and the Banshees, Amnesia - Mind.In.A.Box

Can’t Leave Home Without: Her phone, her cigarette case, a few packets of blood

History

Birthplace: Santa Marta, California

Childhood:: Laci can remember her fifth birthday where she had her first vision of the future and of the party being ended prematurely. She also remembers starting therapy at twelve.

Adolescence: Laci remembers her first day of middle school -- which went rather badly, remembers going to anti-prom and getting kicked out of her parents' house at 18.

Adulthood: What little Laci can remember of her adulthood, she was working as a barista at a local coffee shop while working with a group of friends on a local anarchist zine. She was dating one of the editors on the zine until he cheated on her and broke up with her on October 20th 1998. During a manic episode that followed, she cut her hair and bleached her bangs (with the intent of dyeing them purple). She and her best friend were kidnapped by a vampire outside a local goth club on Halloween.The vampire would turn Laci and leave Amy in the room with her to kill during her first feeding. The trauma of her change (which occurred fully within only three hours) and subsequently murdering her best friend seems to have induced age regression and severe amnesia in Laci. She cannot recall the name or appearance of her Sire or even the majority of her life, outside of small snippets from here and there.

Recent: Laci has been living in Santa Marta in the Revenant Community since they found her in 2002. It's not sure if she's actually part of the Revenant bloodline or not but they don't really care about that. She's got a small apartment in Bram Park, not far from the Sidetracks bar, which contains one of the main entrances to the Underground.

Relationships

Family: Sanity (Adopted Sister, a fellow vampire)

Lovers: None

Friends: Art ??? (a local hacker and vampire), Alex Hyde (Revenant Vampire, clubbing and goth buddy), Louis DeFantome (Siren Vampire, local goth artist), Maggie Rodriguez (Local Witch)

Enemies: Amy (Ghost, haunting), Ella DuChamps (Local cultist), The Myriad Eyes (???)

Acquaintances: ???

Resources

Income: Working Poor

Vehicles: None

Residences: A 1br/1ba apartment in the attic of a Victorian house that's been converted into a triplex in the Bram Park neighborhood.

[foofygoldfish]

all of the questions c: for whichever oc you want!

IIiiiiii…… Willow! :D 

may have cut out a few questions, oops - i just wanted to get this done!

1. What’s their full name? Why was that chosen? Does it mean anything?

Willow Grace Keene - my first thought was Willa, but that turned into her nickname! Grace was chosen because I wanted something vaguely biblical, and Keene… Came from a name generator lol.

2. Do they have any titles? How did they get them?

Cap/Captain. It’s just from her job.

3. Did they have a good childhood? What are fond memories they have of it? What’s a bad memory? 

Before the bombs? Yeah, a good childhood. She loved her family’s little farm, and all of the little festivals in the town she lived in. 

Aaand then the bombs happened. So that definitely counts as a bad memory. Her parents tried to keep things as normal as possible in their bunker, but it was hard at times.

4. What is their relationship with their parents? What’s a good and bad memory with them? Did they know both parents? 

She had a good relationship with both parents. She doesn’t talk to them much anymore, but that’s just due to the difficulty of long-distance communication in the apocalypse.

Good memories: She has lots of happy memories of growing up on their farm, as well as her parents trying to make the best of their times in the bunker.

Bad: not really because of them, but the first few years out of the bunker were rough.

5. Do they have any siblings? What’s their names? What is their relationship with them? Has their relationship changed since they were kids to adults?

Two! An older brother, Flynn, who was 8 years older than her. She has a younger sister, Leah, who is two years younger. Flynn died the day the bombs went off, and Leah dies over the course of the game. (which may not actually happen, idk)

6. What were they like at school? Did they enjoy it? Did they finish? What level of higher education did they reach? What subjects did they enjoy? Which did they hate?

She was average - good with science, iffy with English, etc. She didn’t get to go to a conventional middle or high school, just because of the bombs, but her parents did what they could to continue her and Leah’s education (helped by their dad being a science teacher himself). 

7. Did they have lots of friends as a child? Did they keep any of their childhood friends into adulthood? 

She had a few, but none that she felt like she really missed after leaving Michigan.

8. Did they have pets as a child? Do they have pets as an adult? Do they like animals? 

Not a standard pet, but she had a goat!

As an adult, she wants a dog, but she doesn’t think her lifestyle would be fair for a dog.

9. Do animals like them? Do they get on well with animals? 

Animals love Willow lol

10. Do they like children? Do children like them? Do they have or want any children? What would they be like as a parent? Or as a godparent/babysitter/ect?

She loves kids, and kids are fascinated by her (after they get over how tough she can look lol). She has 1.5 with Rush as of the start of the game: Mila, who is back in Oregon with Rush’s family, and another that is born a few months after the end of the game.

11. Do they have any special diet requirements? Are they a vegetarian? Vegan? Have any allergies?

No allergies, no preferences on food.

12. What is their favourite food? 

Twinkies.

This happens at least once after the bombs go off lol

13. What is their least favourite food?

Spinach.

14. Do they have any specific memories of food/a restaurant/meal?

Not really? Her family didn’t go out to eat often. She vaguely remembers a few diners from when they went on vacation when she was little, but not much.

15. Are they good at cooking? Do they enjoy it? What do others think of their cooking?

She is! Willow loves it when it’s calm enough for her to take time to cook a nice meal. 

16. Do they collect anything? What do they do with it? Where do they keep it?

CDs! She has an old CD player that she takes with her everywhere. She wasn’t able to grab it after the train crash, but she found it when she and Carmina went back to scavenge the train.

  17. Do they like to take photos? What do they like to take photos of? Selfies? What do they do with their photos?

She doesn’t get the chance to often, but she used to love taking pictures of anything.

18. What’s their favourite genre of: books, music, tv shows, films, video games and anything else / 19. What’s their least favourite genres? / 20. Do they like musicals? Music in general? What do they do when they’re favourite song comes? 

Hi can I be lazy and skip these? lol

For books - she’ll read anything, but she likes sci fi; and music - she’ll listen to anything, but she likes 70s folk music.

21. Do they have a temper? Are they patient? What are they like when they do lose their temper?

A bit, but not as bad as Alice. You’ll know she’s really angry when she swears - she doesn’t swear much otherwise.

22. What are their favourite insults to use? What do they insult people for? Or do they prefer to bitch behind someone’s back?

Her parents had a Shakespearean Insults book in the bunker, and she likes to bring those out whenever the situation calls for one lol. She doesn’t talk about people behind their back.

23. Do they have a good memory? Short term or long term? Are they good with names? Or faces?

Willow has an excellent memory - almost photographic, but not quite. She’s not as great with remembering names, but faces? Yup.

24. What is their sleeping pattern like? Do they snore? What do they like to sleep on? A soft or hard mattress?

She can literally fall asleep anywhere.

25. What do they find funny? Do they have a good sense of humour? Are they funny themselves?

Like, John Mulaney-type humor? She loves Hurk and Sharky too, she thinks they’re hilarious.

26. How do they act when they’re happy? Do they sing? Dance? Hum? Or do they hide their emotions? 

God, all I can think of is that she’s like a puppy - energetic, smiley, etc. 

27. What makes them sad? Do they cry regularly? Do they cry openly or hide it? What are they like they are sad?

She gets second-hand sadness a lot - she’s used to death, but she has a hard time watching others mourn. Willow won’t cry in front of others (except in the AU/game canon where Rush actually dies), instead going back to her cabin or wherever she’s sleeping.

30. Do they exercise? Regularly? Or only when forced? What do they act like pre-work out and post-work out?

She does minor exercises daily, if possible - her job requires her to stay fit, so she tries to stay on top of it.

31. Do they drink? What are they like drunk? What are they like hungover? How do they act when other people are drunk or hungover? Kind or teasing?

She rarely drinks. While he didn’t drink often before the Collapse, her dad became an alcoholic after. It left a bad taste in her mouth.

32. What do they dress like? What sorta shops do they buy clothes from? Do they wear the fashion that they like? What do they wear to sleep? Do they wear makeup? What’s their hair like?

Nine times out of ten, she’s wearing something practical that was found in a settlement or in ruins somewhere. She’s really not picky: if it fits, it fits. Her sleepwear depends on where they are: somewhere safe? As little as possible. If they’re in a strange place, or there’s a risk of attack? She’ll sleep in her clothes, with her boots on. Makeup... Not really. Her hair is super curly, and she likes it that way - usually, she’ll tie it back into some semblance of a bun, but sometimes she’ll leave it down.

33. What underwear do they wear? Boxers or briefs? Lacey? Comfy granny panties?

She prefers boyshorts, but she’ll wear anything that she can find

34. What is their body type? How tall are they? Do they like their body?

Willow’s 5′4-ish, and somewhat muscular. 

36. What are they good at? What hobbies do they like? Can they sing?

Favourite hobby: Sewing or knitting! It’s practical, keeps her hand busy, and is a memory of her grandparents. She’s not the best singer, but she’s not bad.

37. Do they like to read? Are they a fast or slow reader? Do they like poetry? Fictional or non fiction?

She loves reading, though she has no preferences on what. She’s a fast reader.

40. Do they like energy drinks? Coffee? Sugary food? Or can they naturally stay awake and alert?

Coffee is her lifeblood.

41. What’s their sexuality? What do they find attractive? Physically and mentally? What do they like/need in a relationship?

She’s bi. Uh, I’m drawing a blank on the rest, but Rush has a lot of the traits that she finds attractive (....obviously?). 

42. What are their goals? What would they sacrifice anything for? What is their secret ambition?

Though it’s a bit lofty, she wants to help the world recover. Even if the world can’t be like it was before, she doesn’t want her children to grow up in a world anything like it was the first few years after the bombs.

43. Are they religious? What do they think of religion? What do they think of religious people? What do they think of non religious people?

Though her family didn’t go to church, she grew up Catholic. She’s not actively practising anymore, but she still believes. Coming to Hope County was a biiiiiit of a shock because of that lol.

44. What is their favourite season? Type of weather? Are they good in the cold or the heat? What weather do they complain in the most? 

Before? She loved the winter. Now? Spring. She likes the rain, and when it’s warm enough to be doing things, and for people to be able to start working on outdoor projects again.

45. How do other people see them? Is it similar to how they see themselves? 

She kinda puts off a tough vibe - it’s not how she sees herself at all lol

Well, she does think she’s tough, but she doesn’t think that’s her primary trait

[strapcats]

Thicker Than Water (Part 11)

↬ Genre: Gang au, angst, drama, eventual fluff

↬ Pairing: Jeongin x Chan

↬ Word Count: 3,846

↬ Description: Dépaysement- (n.) When someone is taken out of their own familiar world and pushed into a new one.

–

Yang Jeongin is a young Busan runaway with a sharp tongue.

Bang Chan is the easily-offended leader of a crime syndicate.

Read on Wattpad // Read on Archive

Part(s) One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten, Eleven

!!!DISCLAIMER AND WARNING!!!

I am very against underage smut, especially with skz becuase they're my ults and I hate the idea of sexualizing minors. With this in mind, this chapter includes some stuff that I'll classify as "heated". I'll put a warning before where it is, so you can skip it if you want.

---

“I know I sound like an idiot but that’s beside the point.” Felix spoke angrily, running his hands through his soft white hair again in anxious feeling. “I think I really like him, Changbin. Honestly. And all he ever does is run in circles with BC. I fed him when he first came here! I made sure he didn’t freeze on the solid ground since that asshat didn’t give him a blanket!” Felix was near shouting now, he was so frustrated.

“Felix, I get it, and it’s not stupid. Honestly you just have to get over him. I can’t give you much more advice than that, because that appears to be the only way you’re going to get out in one piece.” Changbin spoke calmly, his voice unwavering and full of compassion. The slightly older male was trying to comfort his friend, though he was just a little out of reach. Felix sniffled in defeat.

“Thank you hyung… I’ll do my best.” The white haired male spoke calmly again and thanked his undercut friend. Changbin had recently had it redone, and it looked so sharp. To Felix, the style really suited him, it made him look handsome. The pair of boys had been brought into Clan 09 around the same time, so they became fast friends. Felix sought out gang life, and Chan was his easy in. The freckled boy needed to support his family, and taking people out was an easy way to make big bank. 75% of each of his paychecks got automatically wired to his family’s bank account, they thought he was a freelance artist that happened to be hitting the right deals. Changbin was yanked into the crime syndicate web after he got into ring fights. He ended up losing against Chan and the penalty was three months of work. Of course he accepted, he was a good sport. After the three months however, he had grown to love the lifestyle, and he had found that Chan was a fantastic person to have on your side. So he stayed.

A few rooms away, Minho, Jisung, and Seungmin were chatting over a high-stakes game of M&M poker. Minho was winning. The eldest of the three had joined the gang life at 17 out of sheer rebellion. Clan 09 hardly existed at the time, and Minho was one of the founding members. Jisung joined up purely for the thrill, because nothing in the world felt better to him than sprinting through the dim-lit Seoul streets from a squad of police cars with an AK-47 strapped to your back. Seungmin was scouted by BC, he was the brightest teen hacker in Korea. He had taken up computer science and technology studies in high school, thinking that the government would notice his potential and he could make his family proud. They never saw him, not even when he hacked their security systems for the hell of it. So he started looking elsewhere, in deeper, darker places. The boy-wonder had caught the eye of a number of less-than-legal businesses, but Chan was able to coax him in with good money and a fantastic cover story. Seungmin’s family thought he was a government iT agent now.

Kim Woojin was rebandaging a cut on Hyunjin’s arm in the younger’s office, while he counted money. The black-haired boy ran into the dangerous gang lifestyle headfirst, as his sister got caught up in a hostage situation, or so he thought. The boy was fooled by a rival gang to work for them, but Chan snatched him up before he started working for someone else. The young boy meant to leave, he really did, but once his first paycheck rolled in, he never wanted to leave. Designer brand after designer brand, he got more and more comfortable in his role as treasurer. Woojin on the other hand, was born into his syndicate role. His father was one of the first mafia bosses in Seoul, so when Woojin was born, it became his birthright. After witnessing his father’s murder by his right-hand man, however, he decided to stray from his original path and let his father’s old mafia die out. Kim Woojin was infamous in the syndicate web, everyone wanted a piece of him and his bloodline, regardless of his loyalties. Chan though, had other plans, and made Clan 09 with his best friend as soon as he knew that he was free from his father’s clutches. They were the seed that sprouted into the intricate web of illegal activity that Seoul seemed to thrive on.

Jeongin sat on his bed in his room, surfing the internet and browsing social media. All the higher-ups of the gang had been doing nothing but planning since their shootout with Purity Ring, and Jeongin was not in that circle. He was unaware of any plans or ideas in the making, but “mid-late April” was drawing ever nearer by the day. He trusted his teammates, so he just laid low, they would figure something out.

“Knock knock.” A voice at the door pulled Jeongin out of his thoughts, so he looked up to find a very cute looking Felix standing in his doorway. The younger boy waved him in and scooted over on the bed a little to make room for his friend. The white-haired male took his silent offer and sat next to him on the plush bed, leaning back against the headboard and picking up a pillow to put in his lap and hug. Jeongin chuckled at the boy’s actions.

“You look really cute today, Felix. And your socks are very nice.” The curly-haired young boy spoke clearly with a slight giggle in his throat, pointing out Felix’s appearance. He wore a light pink beanie, white melange ribbed joggers, and a black, longsleeved thermal tee that clung to his lean body. He had on fuzzy socks that matched the color of his hat and had little ears and a face embroidered on each one to look like bunnies. Jeongin thought they looked cozy.

“Ah ~ Thank you Jeonginnie. You’re not too bad yourself.” Felix blushed as he spoke, unable to contain his smile. Jeongin reciprocated the loving grin and nodded in thanks. The younger boy didn’t feel like he was wearing anything special, just a pink and white floral silk sleep shirt, and a pair of white fleece shorts with fuzzy socks similar to Felix’s but without the embroidery.

“Did you have a reason to come compliment me and steal my pillows or did you just wanna hang out?” Jeongin asked playfully, nudging Felix with his elbow as he went back to scrolling. His friend’s face dropped quickly and he began to subconsciously fiddle with his fingers. His eyes dropped to the soft sheets on the younger boy’s bed. Jeongin became concerned. “Hyung? What’s up?” His voice was laced with worry for his best friend, he thought something was drastically wrong. Felix sighed.

“Don’t worry Jeongin it’s nothing bad, I’m just… I’m just scared.” Felix’s voice was soft, and Jeongin leaned in to hear it, only making the elder’s nerves worse. He took a deep breath. “I know it won’t work out for a multitude of reasons but it’s been eating away at me and I really want to tell you that I kind of like you. And I mean, like-like you. I guess I’m confessing right now.” Jeongin’s eyes widened, but before he could think of a response, Felix kept talking in his quiet, tense voice.

“I just, actually feel alive when I’m near you. Ever since I joined 09 I’ve just been living day to day waiting on my paychecks and only having a little bit of fun with Jisung or Changbin here and there. Chan is a great older brother figure but ever since you came along it’s almost like you’ve brought this warmth and kindness with you that makes me not dread waking up every morning. Being around you when you’re happy is intoxicating and contagious, and it’s the best feeling in the world. God, and not to mention the fact that you’re physically a prince. Your eyes are so changeable and deep and your dimples add so much to your already beautiful smile. You have perfect proportions and I know this is probably too far but your lips look painfully kissable.” Felix rambled on and on, eventually getting louder and more confident in his words, like he was getting lost in the idea of Jeongin even when the boy was sitting right in front of him.

“And when you talk about BC and the way he treats you, it makes my blood boil. He has no idea the damage he’s causing or what a precious gift he’s rejecting. You want to please him and be his friend and make him proud so badly and he just spits in your face and calls you names. You deserve better, Jeongin! He doesn’t respect you like you should, he doesn’t understand how lucky he is that he’s receiving your affections, even after all the bullshit he’s done.” Felix was nearly yelling now, and his eyes were glassy with intense emotion. He felt so strongly and he had never said all of his feelings out loud before, so everything just came tumbling out without a filter. He barely noticed that Jeongin was withered backwards away from Felix. He looked like a wilting flower, so beautiful but so distressed that it was eating away at his form. The older boy finally came out of his trance-like state and noticed the now shaking boy across from him. His eyes were cast downward and he was trying to make himself as small as possible. He winced at himself and then reached out a hand to try and comfort his younger friend, only to be met by Jeongin flinching away violently. That one stung.

“J-Jeongin…? I’m sorr-” Felix tried to start, but the younger cut him off.

“D-don’t you dare tell me what I do and don’t deserve. My feelings are my own and you have no right to dictate them. A-and you come here, confessing your emotions, and what do you think is going to come out of it? A relationship? I’m barely 17, and you don’t know the first thing about why I’m even here.” Jeongin spoke his words quietly, almost afraid of them. They cut through Felix like a knife, but he knew the younger was right. “I’m flattered, and I like you as a friend, as my best friend, but you have no power over who receives my affection and who doesn’t.” The black haired boy finished up his thoughts as he stood up and walked to the door. He stared at the floor and Felix saw crystalline drops falling from the young boys face. He pointed out the door.

“Go.”

And Felix did, without a word of protest, without any movement but getting up and walking out of the cozy room. Jeongin closed the door behind him and fell face first onto his bed again. He thought he would start bawling, but no more tears came than the ones already softly streaming down his supple skin. He felt hopeless and like his body was made of lead. He couldn’t move even if he wanted to because of the weight of his emotions crushing his back and shoulders. His best friend had a crush on him, and now their relationship was ruined. Jeongin was alone again.

The young boy only had one idea in his head, and he knew it was a stupid one. He decided against his better judgement and stood up from his comfy bed and walked to the mirror. He checked his appearance momentarily to make sure he didn’t look like he’d just been crying, before walking out of his room and down the dimly lit hall to the last door at the very end. Before he could even knock on it though, Woojin opened the door to BC’s room from inside, surprising both of them. The older male only had on silk pajama pants and basic socks, no shirt. Jeongin had seen almost every member without their shirts, save Woojin and Chan. Well, now just Chan.

The older male didn’t say a word as he stepped out of the room that definitely was not his, and walked around Jeongin, breaking eye contact only when he finally had to. The honey colored boy didn’t close the door, so he took that as an invitation in. Though he had been in it before, Chan’s room never ceased to surprise him.

It was bigger than all the other rooms, and rightfully so. He had a king-sized bed that was a bit raised off the ground on a solid black platform. He had a dresser across from his bed and an indented closet in the wall. On the dresser a couple glass bubbles sat with little air plants in them. There was a black and white geometric rug on the floor and a few miscellaneous things like clothes and gun harnesses strewn about. It had a pyramidal skylight that had clearly been redone, as it had clean, slightly fogged glass panes instead of the dingy, rusting ones that were present in the rest of the warehouse. There were small succulents hanging on little gold chains from the corners of the light, as that was the only place they could get direct sunlight. Jeongin smiled a little bit at the thought of his leader having plants. BC had simple black sheets with nearly invisible wide navy blue stripes on it. He had a few pillows, and no plushies. The older man’s voice took him out of his thoughts.

“What do you need, Fox?” BC spoke clearly, his eyes cutting right through Jeongin’s weak facade. There was no emotion in his voice, no resentment or concern or irritation; it was just flat. Jeongin gulped.

“Yeah… I just kinda wanted to talk to you sir… I don’t feel so good.” Jeongin fiddled with his pants a little bit and cast his eyes to the floor. Now it was the leader’s turn to gulp. Sir.

“Jeongin, you’ve never called me sir, what’s going on?” Chan closed his laptop that he was fake-working on and turned his full attention to the young boy in his doorway. His voice was still emotionless, it reminded Jeongin of when he first met the older.

“Oh, yeah… sorry. It’s just that Felix, well, he confessed to me.” Jeongin spoke ever quieter, only casting his eyes upward when he apologized. Distress and shame were evident in his tone and caused Chan a small bit of unidentifiable worry. He heard Chan sigh in apparent irritation and hit the top of his laptop in frustration. Jeongin looked up at the noise to be met with Chan’s stony glare. Jeongin felt his heartrate pick up speed for a couple of reasons.

“Jeongin, come here.” The leader spoke, disregarding his rare sign of emotion that he displayed just a moment ago and patted the bed close to his thigh as a motion for where Jeongin should sit. The young boy followed his directions obediently, only breaking eye contact to make sure he didn’t step on anything important on the floor. He sat lightly and scooted over to where Chan has pointed out, the pair’s thighs barely touching as he settled.

“I have to ask the obvious, do you like him back? Did you accept his feelings?” The leader spoke, showing a little bit of boredom by the questions he of course had to ask. Unsurprisingly, Jeongin shook his head disdainfully. Chan nodded back, not needing any more explanation.

“In that case, why did you come to me? Shouldn’t you have resolved it with Felix?” The black-haired boy said with a twinge of annoyance in his voice, making Jeongin crumble inside. The younger had no idea why he came to Chan, his mind just told him to. So he shrugged noncommittally. Chan rolled his eyes and scooted just a tiny bit closer to his youngest member. “Jeongin. Tell me why you’re here. I can’t do anything for you otherwise.” Chan spoke with a hint of condescension lacing his words and so Jeongin took a breath.

“Because I felt like I needed to tell you. You were the only person I wanted to tell, hyung. I don’t know why but I did and now I’m here looking weak and vulnerable again and making your life harder with problems that aren’t yours.” Jeongin’s speech picked up speed quickly, the stress and confusion eating away at him at a rapid pace. He just needed reassurance and comfort, neither of which Chan seemed like he would be doling out anytime soon. The pair sat in silence for quite a while before Jeongin felt awkward, causing him to look down at the striped duvet and pick at a loose thread. He felt the need to get up and leave, but right before he started to move he felt Chan’s hand on his own. He looked up slowly, a slightly stunned expression on his face. His eyes met his leader’s and he gulped, heat rising in the back of his throat. The older male turned his hands over in his palms and just comforted the younger through physical touch. After a couple of silent minutes Chan took a breath.

“I know that everything is confusing right now. And I also know that I have been anything but a good leader to you. I'm sorry, Jeongin.” The older male spoke calmly and cooly, and for once showed emotion in his voice towards the younger boy. Jeongin looked down again and nodded. Chan shook his head and reached out to touch the black haired boy's face. He used two fingers to lift the boy's head to look at him again, startling him and unknowingly cause a vicious blush to grow on his face. Jeongin gulped and looked at Chan’s lips momentarily without really meaning to. Some meaning flashed between them, and before he realized, Chan was leaning in ever so slightly, then Jeongin, and then their lips met.

!!!THIS IS THE WARNING!!!

It wasn't fireworks, it was more; it was like pyrotechnics at a stadium concert. Jeongin’s soft lips tasted like bubblegum and intoxicated the leader, only sending him reeling. Chan's hand cradled Jeongin’s face, pulling him closer to him, the younger’s body pressing against his own. Their lips were locked in a long-awaited embrace, and even when he realized he needed air, Chan refused to let go. They felt like they fit together, long they’d been searching for something and the moment their lips touched they found it. Jeongin was the first to pull away, much to BC’s distress. The younger was now basically on Chan’s lap, his wrists draped over his hyung’s shoulders and neck in a very feminine way. Chan’s hands had moved from his members face to his hips, subconsciously squeezing them to draw him closer. The smaller boy let his forehead rest on Chan’s for a moment, catching his breath and biting his lip a little bit in awkward anticipation. BC was just soaking up the view.

“Hyung, how long have you wanted to do that?” Jeongin asked abashedly, averting his gaze from Chan once again. Chan chuckled and squeezed the boy’s hips again, making him squirm a little in unexpected pleasure.

“I didn’t really know how badly I wanted it, wanted you, until you were leaning in, fox.” The leader’s words sent chills down Jeongin’s spine and the speaker blushed slightly at himself. The pair sat in relative silence for a few minutes, letting their actions settle into the air. Chan was happy, but thoroughly scared as to what this meant for the future of the Clan. He was about to open his mouth to speak when Jeongin started to move, Chan thought to leave. Instead, the younger boy simply fixed their position so he was straddling his leader’s lap. Chan felt heat rise to his cheeks for the first time in front of someone else and when he met Jeongin’s eyes with his own there was a devilish fire within them that made the leader gulp.

“J-Jeongin… What are you-” Chan tried to speak but was cut off abruptly by Jeongin’s lips on the corner of his own, clearly trying to tease him. The black haired boy quickly realized what the boy on his lap was trying to do so he just sat still, not reacting to the tempting things the younger decided to do with his lips. He kissed the corner of his lips, then trailed his kisses to the older male’s neck and ear, giving Chan goosebumps from the younger’s bated breath.

“Come on hyung… why don’t you play along?” Jeongin’s mischievous side was back out in full force and it lit a fire inside Chan just like how it had when they first met. He groaned in a displeased manner before moving the younger away from his tattooed neck and placed his attention back on his lips. Jeongin smiled in an accomplished manner into Chan’s mouth, running his hands through the elder’s hair and settling his hands on his cheeks. Chan’s rested on his partner’s hips again, and when their lips began to melt into each other, the elder pulled Jeongin roughly closer to him by his hips, earning a surprised noise from the younger boy, delighting Chan. The older boy licked Jeongin’s bottom lip, and the smaller eagerly accepted his invitation. They continued, Jeongin’s breath progressively getting hotter and came out in shorter pants, Chan becoming greedier by the second. Eventually Jeongin found the willpower to push his partner away, because he knew at this point Chan never would. The boy in question looked up at Jeongin with a confused glance before trying to go back in for his swollen pink lips, but the smaller boy just pulled farther away.

“B-BC, we have to stop… I’m still a minor and we have an attack on the horizon…” Jeongin stuttered out his words between sharp intakes of breath. He tried to keep his eyes away from Chan’s face, he knew that just one look from the leader’s lust-filled eyes would send any impulse control to the wind and he couldn’t go that far, he was still too young. He felt Chan loosen his death grip on Jeongin’s thighs, where his hands seemed to have travelled during their heated moment. The boy scooted away a bit, making sure to put safe distance between them now. Chan nodded at the actions, understanding and agreeing that it was probably the best course of action. The pair sat in silence before Chan flopped down backwards on his plush bed, surprising Jeongin a little bit. The smaller boy looked at him skeptically before BC rose a hand and beckoned him to come, Jeongin obediently obliged and crawled over to his leaders side, lying next to him happily. A strong arm snaked around his waist and the pair eventually drifted off to sleep, a million unspoken words dangling in the air between them.

[nhlhoser]

On The Rocks - 18

Part 17  Masterlist

word count:  3042

The usual minor swearing that comes with hockey

  Dinner ended up being at Aria a high-end Italian restaurant with Stephanie and Matt Martins better half model girlfriend Sydney. 1000 watt smile, beautiful long blonde hair, and hilarious. We didn't talk about hockey until the topic of Mitch's lip came up and Sydney explained that Matt has been having a hard time today himself, zoning out when he was pouring coffee causing the liquid to over flow and burn his hand.

"I have a good feeling about tonight," Sydney said firmly taking a large sip from her red wine, jealous as I sip my lime water because I have a long night of work still ahead of me.

"God, I hope you're right," Steph taking a needed gulp of her white wine.

"We can only hope," I agreed not knowing if I could handle the level of emotions if they lose tonight, the tension today is any indication. "Freddie, Mo, and Will all came to me about tonight's game. They're really scared," I leave out the interaction with Auston because it seemed wrong felt wrong to say anything for some reason.

Scanning over the Menu, I decide on Gnocchi Dish and a salad to start. Growing up in a household where Italian was spoken more than English, I barely notice that the menu was probably hard to understand for the rest of the table until Steph spoke up.

"What the hell is Antipasti?" both blondes looking confused.

"It's just dishes that aren't pasta. You want to look under Paste or Secondi those are Main dishes," I said casually my eyes not leaving the menu.

"You understand this gibberish?" Came Stephanie's slightly surprised response.

"Uhm yeah- I am Italian," I said slowly looking up to met Steph's wide eyes before her face morphs into one of confusion again.

"Since when?" She asked dumbly and visible face palming herself as the words left her mouth, Sydney finding the situation amusing as her lips pulled into a tiny smile as her shoulder shaking with laughter.

"About birth, I think as my parents are Italian. I thought you could kinda tell, you know olive skins and dark hair," I teased sipping my water as her eyes scan over my face taking in my features with a scowl.

I thought it was obvious that I was at least European.

"Man, I don't know much about you Do I?" She frowned at her wine making me frown.

"I'm a private person, Steph. It's not your fault," I offered, she nodded before continuing on trying to read the menu before again realizing she doesn't speak the language and groaning.

"I don't like mushrooms, what should I get?"

We ended up all ordering a pasta dish, which we all devoured quite un-lady like but we couldn't care because we were hungry and having a good time. Stephanie and Sydney take turns sharing the embarrassing tales that are their boyfriends and the things they do that would totally get them chirped within an inch of their lives if any of the guys heard.

We take dessert to go because we were running out of time but also we stuffed with carbie goodness. Sydney stole my phone and insisted we had to hang out more as she entered her number into my phone with slight difficulty from a bit too much wine for this early in the day when the night hasn't started yet but she had claimed if she was going to remain sane during the game she had to start now, which is quite understandable.

Parting ways as the other two girls head to one of the other WAGs places that are around the corner for some pre-drinking before the game. I drive the 15 minutes home, change and throw my dessert into the back of the fridge before heading back to the ACC to get ready for the night.

The medical room is empty apart from a couple physiotherapist checking over the medical supplies and preparing the packs for the bench tonight, Sparing a couple of greets before heading into the administrative office to work on some paperwork, recording who I've treated today and why.

When players start coming in, the atmosphere immediately shifts into a severe game mode. Quickly saving my work to the hard drive before logging off before heading out into the medical area where Leo Komarov, Nazem Kadri, and Nikita Zaitsev sit on the tables getting their ankles and wrist taped by the staff. Zaits and Leo speaking in a language I can only guess is Russian. Kadri looking bored as he stares intently as the staff tapes his left wrist with laser precision. There's heavy bass music coming from the actual locker room and the usual commotion of men getting ready.

  Spending about a half hour helping the therapist tape and massaging out tensions, Paul came around handing me a Leafs hat with a wink before continuing with players that came in. Setting the hat with my wind break in the staff area quickly before getting back to taping.

 "It's not serious, I'm just a little sore," A familiar grumpy looking Auston is being pushed into the room by an equally grumpy looking Matt Martin. Both in their under armor compression tops loose shorts with compression leggings under.

"Well, We have the resources to make you not sore. So shut the fuck up," Matt pushed the rookie further through the door, searching the room for someone and when his eyes land on me coming out of the staff area his face breaks in relief.

"Amelia! Talk some sense into this boy," He practically growled as Auston looks bashful not making eye contact.

"I got it from here Marty, Go terrorize Mitch or something," I shooed the larger man who leaves as I approach Auston, stopping three feet in front with my arms crossed my chest.

"Is it your back, again?" I gained Auston's attention.

"Your face," Is his only response making me roll my eyes.

"Box fell on my face, Now your back," I insisted it

Auston was unbreaking in our stare down, eyes steady and body language strong.

"Fine, you don't have to say anything. I can find you sore spot without you telling me," I sigh with a shrug. Auston is unmoving as I circle to his back taking his the mountain of muscle through the skin tight fabric. Panning my eyes from his neck to his hips (by default his bum). Instantly I can see the way he's standing his left lower side sore by the fact his left hip is pulled higher than his right.

Rolling my eyes at this guys stubbornness, I carefully lay my the palm of my hand in his lower back above his hip. Feeling the muscle tense followed by a wince so quick I almost missed it, there's a tiny beginning of a knot but it's deep.

With no warning, I dig the heel of my palm into the bundle of offending muscle and push. Auston gasps as I flex my hand and adjust my hand to now my fingers working out the tension until I feel the muscle release.

Stepping away, I circle back to his front with a frown and a glare.

"I'm aware that hurt Auston. We are here for a reason, you stay here well I get A535 for that," Forcefully pushing him to sit on the table closest giving him a pointed look. Darting to the supply cabinets, searching the shelves for the cream.

 Returning the table, my mouth dry's seeing as Auston took off his shirt in the little time I was gone, pausing in step briefly regaining composure. You are a professional-ACT LIKE ONE, AMELIA.

"It'll be easier if you lay down, " He wordlessly moves to a laying position now listening to suggestions. Uncapping and applying probably more than need amount of the cream directly to his lower back. Tossing the bottle on to a table I began rubbing the Goop around the offending area and his upper back but keeping the pressure on his lower back.

"Okay, that should do it," I pulled away 5 minutes later. My hands feeling gross because of heating and cooling properties. "Now go kick some Crosby ass," I teased as Auston sat up pulling his shirt on shaking his head.

"I'll try," with a wink and he leaves to finish getting ready.

After washing the cream from my hands, I spend the time until I have to go into the tunnel cleaning the medical room and spinning on an office chair. Paul eventually came in with a radio and ear piece for me before disappearing again, a sign I need get my act together. Pulling on the windbreaker, adjusting my ponytail before slipping the hat on, sticking the ear piece in and clip the radio to my belt.

  The music gets louder the closer it is until warm up, the air is thick with nerves and static excitement. Some of the guys are stoic others are non-stop movement and energy (Mitch). The energy is sure enough to give anyone goosebumps but having seen some of the work gives me crazy jitters myself.

  Coming into the commotion after Babcock does his speech and lines, he stands back as the guys start gathering the rest of their equipment on their body before starting to file towards the sliding doors. Morgan came up to me doing the random hand shake from last night before pausing about to bop my nose deciding that might not be the best idea.

"Kick some ass," I quipped as he wattles away with a laugh and a thumbs up. Freddie comes over and bonks the rim of my hat with a subtle wink.

"Amelia, have you met the newest 'baby leaf'," Connor brown come over with William rolling his eye at the term 'baby leaf'. They make way for a fresh face Kasperi.

"TOLD YOU," I cheered as a huge grin spreads across his face.  The blue of his jersey and helmet bringing out the blue in his eyes like to does with William and Mitch (and half the team).   Fist bumping before he's whisked away by some vets claiming to show him the way.

"Amelia, Can you grab the sticks? They were supposed to be out already." The equipment manager pleaded his hair a mess.

"Yeah," I smiled.

"I'll get one of the other staff to help, you're just the first person I saw," he breathed. I shook my head explaining I would require help, he nodded before running off to stress about something else.

Wondering the side door to the ice the sticks lay against the door waiting. There are two bundles as each player have multiple.

It takes two trips to get both bundles to the bench, I can tell why he had said he'd find someone to help as each bundle was quite heavy but I like to lift heavy things. 

There's a collective holy shit as the Leafs get the first goal of the game but then Kessel matches with his own for the penguins.  The air leaves the entire building when Freddie goes down, there are orders being blasted through the radio as soon as he comes to the bench and down the tunnel.  Mac swears and fumbles a fit getting up as an assistant brings him his mask and his stick and pat his back.

"You got this Big Mac," I chirp when he's on the ice turned to the bench getting a drink of water. He laughs and squirts the water at me, I duck to the side. The laughter lasts a couple seconds before it's serious time again and I'm back to jumping and reacting to everything happening on the ice but keeping my mouth shut.

There are seconds left in the second when Auston is involved in a knee to knee collision and "she drops. The entire bench starts swearing and cursing the opponent.

"Get up, get up," I chant under quietly willing the 6'3" center to get up -he does after what seems like minutes but was only seconds. His face gives away that he's in pain as he skates off and straight down the tunnel.

Pissed.

"Amelia, Matthews is saying you know what to do," was the first thing through the radio seconds later, the players haven't even cleared the cleared the bench yet.

"He knows I'm not a doctor, right?" I radioed back but still made my way into the locker room after the players, wasting no time getting to the medical room.

Auston's still taking off his gear, he adds a majority of it off already. I stood there blank face- wondering if this guy was serious right now?

"I'm not a doctor, Auston" I insisted glaring at the stupid teenage hockey player. The team doctor is standing over him with a similarly concerned glare.

Auston's face is a mix of uncomfortable pain and protest- grumpy. He opens his mouth but closes it when my glare deepened.

"It's just my my back, the same spot from earlier,"

"I'm not touching you until the doctor says it's just that,"  I declare challenging him to object my voice firm. He gives in nodding and the doctor begins his examination. My eyes still trained on Auston with a mighty glare.

"Why are you glaring at me now?"  A whine in his voice as his posture is slouched over like a child.

" 'cause you're an idiot, idiot,"  Crossing my arm and rolling my eyes like the adult I really am.

"Well it seems it's just what he said unless he's hiding something," The doctor pointed into Auston's knee trying to gage a reaction but nothing so the doctor dismisses himself.

"See, told you,"  Auston's tone flat but teasing.

"I need alcohol whips, tape and bio freeze,"

"And gloves,"

After applying a thick coat of bio freeze and a lot of pressure on the trouble spot, I let the Bio freeze seep into his skin and into his muscle before wiping away the excess cream with an alcohol wipe then getting started on taping the area for support.

In the end, I felt like I was sending an arts n craft project onto the ice with the amount of tape I used, I was praying for it to at least half for the period. The game is tied at 2 and the mood was still high and so was the dwindling energy.

It was Gardiner that broke the tie- not in the way we need.

Own goal.

The mood depleted instantly but luckily it was still relatively early in the period but that didn't stop the swearing and yelling from both benches. Auston was like a hellhound on the ice, he was rushing the net but they wouldn't go in.

"Fuck," I swore again when another brilliant play didn't work.  The fourth line and Auston were in a rush, the defense was crowding him when he passed back to Hunwick who with quick hands flicked to Kasperi and it was in the net the next.

Tie game

6:30 Minutes left

The building erupted in deafening cheers, I was jumping on a security guard in the tunnel not caring. The line did their fist bumps down the bench and the lines reset on the ice, on with play with a surge of adrenaline pushing them fast than Pittsburgh.

3 minutes late Connor Brown scored, deflecting the puck from Gardiners shot into the back of the net behind Fleury. The crowd somehow got even louder than I thought could be humanly possible. Paul was cheering and swearing into the radio.

4-3

2:30 minutes left

  A flame was lit under both team, Toronto working insanely hard to maintain the lead as Pittsburgh tried to take it, with multiple great plays but even better moves from Curtis McElhinney shutting even the great Sidney Crosby. 

Auston solidified the win with an empty netter down the ice for his 40th goal of the season.

5-3

3.4 Seconds left

THEY DID IT.

THEY WON.

Getting back to the medical room is tricky because of the all the media in the hall and celebration of the Leafs in the locker room. Getting in its void of life but still a mess but knowing how things go it's only going to get worse because the real treatments start after media.

When media left it got busy with many bodies because there is still a game to play tomorrow against the blue jackets, lucky I was in one of the private room to do treatments but not so lucky because some have yet to shower. As soon as I finished with Mitch I sent his ass to the showers 'cause he smelt so bad, then to the contrast pool for his legs-most players is in the hot tubs or contrast pool (extremely cold water). Leo is swearing in multiple languages as he sinks into an ice bath.

"Nice hat,"  Auston's voice startled me into the cabinet I am currently standing in front of arranging the blankets. Spinning around my hand over my pounding heart, Auston Stands in front of the closed door to the small room on the other side of the massage table looking- bashful.

"I owe you an apology but also a huge thank you,"  Running his hands through his hair nervously with the beginnings of a smile gracing his lips. I raised a brow at him, my head slightly tilted in confusion.

"I apologize for my stubbornness and for the position I put you in with Dr. Bettle but I was worried that I wasn't going to be cleared to play and I don't know what I would of down if that happened," His eyes close at the image of possibly not being able to play the rest of the most important game- my heart ached for him.  "Thank you for being really fucking good at your job, I-I honestly forgot there was even an injury well playing," He admitted with a shy smile.

"Anytime, Auston,"

"I'll be holding you to that," He winked.

"Please keep all emergencies during the day time," I teased but was being serious, taking a deep breath a rather ripe scent assaulted my nostrils.

"Oh my god, Auston! GO SHOWER,"

NEXT