#he isn't a player character he's just a guy
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this weird transgender freak aeron. son of aramo and sylene wren but no one gaf about them so he's the nephew of lancelin. he is immune to "he has two hands" jokes
#oc: aeron wren#his backstory is basically that he ummmm he ummmm his dad didn't accept him so he was like fuck you im taking the family bird#and going back to valenwood to learn about our family's heritage before it was basically Imperial-Washed#and then he got with a bad bitch orc man#and thats like a super abridged version#bosmer#bosmer oc#wood elf oc#tes oc#skyrim oc#he isn't a player character he's just a guy#wood elf#jay ocs
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back in the fallout pit, fortunately my art has improved since 2016 so I can draw doctors hanging out together somewhat effectively now
#fallout#arcade gannon#my art#posting here cos the relevant oc's rp blog isn't active anymore and my main rp blog rn is vtm stuff but this last week I've drawn him A LOT#as of March Dr. Antyllus is a 10 year old OC of mine! His fallout verse consumed me entire during 2016/2017 I did a lotta rp then!#know that despite using him as my player character in both NV and Fo4 I don't consider him the protag for either - he's just some guy#with his own set of antics going on I pinned on him#I just like playing through the game as him anyway and thinking up how he'd fit in and what his responses to stuff would be as a companion
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Qrow’s Semblance is Fortune! 🐦⬛
I talked about this briefly before, having speculated that Clover’s pin carries on his good luck after death or that Qrow has just done a lot of training mentally and/or physically. @benevolentslut had some amazing additions as well & I want to sum up this theory for you as best as I can as we reached similar conclusions even before I had read her reblog.
Qrow has only been in the negative all his life, mentally and emotionally.
This man has had barely any positivity in his life.
"His whole life he's been the epitome of cynicism and pessimism." - @benevolentslut
Qrow grew up under constant stress & threat of those around him.
Needless to say, but I don't think he could trust anyone he grew up around except maybe Raven.
Then he has to constantly worry about being found out by the other huntsmen! Also growing up with the threat of huntsmen and Grimm the entire time!
Then Oz drops the whole Salem problem on him & I'm sure that didn't help his mental health in the slightest!
"His sister leaves him and their team, and then summer disappears." - @benevolentslut Yeahhhh he is losing everyone close to him in one way or another! That cannot be a fun experience!
This look like the face of a guy that's doing okay?
I'm just going to copy paste this here as I hadn't noticed it & it feels worth noting that the intensity of his misfortune seems to increase with the increasing mental strain.
While we don't know for sure that all of these things are a byproduct of Qrow's misfortune semblance, it certainly isn't out of the realm of possibility. Notice the worsening of his mental health resulting in potentially more disastrous outcomes. 😰
"we see him blaming himself constantly for everything that goes wrong, and it only causes that to become more true." - @benevolentslut
She lists a lot more examples of where Qrow's semblance has potentially worked this way in the original post. Clover comes along & starts lifting him up, giving him actual hope. He now has a little seed of hope planted in him. 🍀
Wow, Qrow is doing so good for himself lately! I sure hope nothing-
Oh... oh no. From his perspective Ruby & Yang could literally be dead. He is stricken with grief as he watches it all unfold & probably sunk back down into a negative spot mentally. He may even blame himself in some way.
When you're this low, there's a saying that goes "nowhere to go but up."
I firmly believe that Qrow would see things that way, especially after reaching his lowest point. He can only do his best to help those around him. Though he's the most alone he's ever been, he's becoming a part of a new community where people help one another. In that sense, it's impossible to be alone. In spite of it all, he slowly finds his mental health improving! Ruby's message to the world is bringing people together! 🌹
"and we see him take up clover's role, both in terms of how he's helping out around shade, and more literally, in the unmissable parallel where he catches the guy who trips." - @benevolentslut
Ruby & Clover have both filled him with hope & he's more optimistic than he's ever been, which results in bursts good fortune! ✨
There's also already a premise for shifts in mental health and trauma resulting in semblance evolution.
Cinder betrayed Neo & so she winds up in the Ever After & through her form changes is showing us that she now has negative feelings towards Cinder.
She's so upset that her semblance starts to make multiple clones of her which it has never been able to do before. Her Overactive Imagination semblance has evolved due to the state of her mental health.
Her semblance begins to evolve so much to where she can create entire architectural structures and buildings out of it!
She can even use it to talk through the people she recreates, something she's not physically capable of herself.
While we do have to take into account that the Ever After plays by rules that are a little bit different at times; this absolutely confirms that semblances, much like people, can change & grow! 💪
My conclusion: Volume 10 & beyond will show Qrow's personal semblance evolution as he finds out that his power is actually Fortune itself & the ability to control it, good and the bad.
#oh god I have to compress the gifs so much because of tumblr's gif size limit 😩#thank you for the theory fuel & the supporting points you gave!#maybe I'll do a youtube video on this topic when I come off of my semi-hiatus#wow I told myself I'd keep it brief but here we are; I'm procrastinating packing my bags & making rwby theories#I just think Qrow is a very fascinating character & if we are right about this; he will be an important player in volume 10 & onward#imagine having a guy who can manipulate fortunate on your team; that's actually so powerful as an ability if he can master it#It's not so much that the Clover ebi pin is good luck; but that Qrow himself is becoming a beacon of good fortune#Fair Game lives on in his heart & the hope he's been given even if Clover isn't here to see it#please let me know what you think in the replies; reblogs; whatever; if you have anything to add I'd love to hear all about it!#rwby theory#rwby volume 10#rwby volume 9#fair game#qrow x clover#rwby#qrow branwen#greenlight volume 10#mine#op
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being a big fan of gender selectable and/or gender ambiguous characters is so hard because everyone defaults to calling them a guy all the time and it's like. i GUESS that's correct. i guess. you're perfectly free to decide that because that's the point of gender being choosable and im not one to dictate how you play or interpret your playthroughs or opinions on the game. im still gonna fucking kill you though.
#being a guy with a nonbinary durge trying to read analysis and fanworks is painful. yeah the default is a male dragonborn but like.#Give Me Something Here Dear Lord#yin-thoughts#i feel the same way about doctor arknights but if anything that's even worse bc they're not even a player insert#they're just an already existing person the player occupies the position of like a meatsuit. their gender is Doctor#i can only presume this is how undertale fans feel abt frisk and chara and kris (is an undertale fan and already knows the feeling)#idk how to express this. there's a difference between a character being canonically nonbinary and just like#having their gender decided by the player's own interpretation#and durge technically Isn't canonically nonbinary. but they ARE gender selectable. and there is a difference between canon durge and like#the durge you can make in the character creator on a durge route. but it's still always Really Jarring to see them default to being he/him#yknow?#this is all unrelated to my previous post btw this came to mind as an unrelated thought
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i'm not one of those 'media literacy is dead and our youth is wrong' people but the tags on that atla poll are. making me want to say it.
#it's such a binary way of looking at things#toph is a tomboy and sometimes she makes fun of guys for being girly bad anti-feminist character#girl. that's called being 12. and makes sense with her background.#when i was a kid what stuck out to me was that whenever she did that aang always just shrugged it off#(ember island players aside but there was a lot going on there)#he was really secure in himself and that was really unusual for male characters in cartoons#it kind of came off like the culture he came from was slightly less regressive about gender which makes sense#like yes there are problems but consider approaching the show in good faith and thinking about the characters#outside of whatever stereotype you've reduced them too#avatar the last airbender#katara isn't just team mom! she act maternal occasionally because she had to take on that role at a young age but she also acts immature#and drags everyone into trouble plenty of times. she was hotheaded and sometimes said cruel things!#do i think the romance with her and aang was always handled well no#but that doesn't mean she's a bad character
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finished the penacony quests (I think anyways lmfao) i dont understand how genshin and hsr are made by the same company what is this terrible plot
#hsr spoilers#ramblings!#i got spoilers about the 2 deaths beforehand but uhm. ???#at least a.yaka x traveler questline isn't important to the archon quest?....#also ngl ro.bin was like The character i was looking forward to (along w sun.day ig but he's the sidepiece to her)#and they really just went x_x to her#'firefly is sam' 'firefly/robin only died in the dream theyre still alive in reality' honestly i dont really care#i just think that killing a character suddenly for shock value (currently) is stupid and then telling the player that you 'care'#when all we did was follow her around while not really learning about her on a personal level is dumb and lazy#generally i dont think . things were explained very well....... anyways despite not appearing for more than 5 min#mi.sha is my 2nd fav character. shoutout to falling into my type (little guy) ig#watch them pull a ting.yun though i will be so disappointed i love hsr's garbage storytelling abilities
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Rasmodius totally has the same vibes as Ardyn Izunia and I love that for him
#ff15 au where everything is the same but ardyn has the same role as rasmodius does in sdv lmao#imagine if he was just like... some guy who shows up and provides assistance with slight disinterest#the weird guy who lives outside of town and isn't exactly menacing but something is off#the concept of ardyn being an entirely neutral party is weirdly so funny to me#hes just vibing.. this 2000 year old man... just vibing in the woods doing Wizard Activities#the scene where rasmodius makes the player drink the mystery brew and it gives them the power to speak with the junimos#ardyn would 100% do that and if there were any adverse consequences of noctis drinking the potion hed just shrug and be like#well you arent dead right#im thinking about this too much lmao#ff brainrot meets sdv brainrot yet again#im just gonna keep connecting sdv characters to ff characters in my dumb little head#sdv#stardew valley#sdv rasmodius#ff15#ffxv#ardyn izunia
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seeing folks misgendering seam deltarune.....
#i think the game itself made an attempt at having seam have no pronouns#but i think another site used they/them#but anyway truly the 'barry from murder of sonic' energy#where a character blatantly isn't using he/him but everyone assumes they're a guy cos they dont have eyelashes i guess??#rantings rambles#i am reminded of toby once saying long ago that he didn't want to blatantly call attention to characters being queer constantly#and just have them exist as they are#and ut has tons of nb characters!!! it's just everyone is dumb as shit and ignores that!!!#and idk from the vibe of dr ch2 toby really is losing his patience#cos he flatout constantly has characters monologue to themselves just so they can refer to kris using their pronouns#toby it ain't working enough!!! you need to get your devs to electro shock the players each time they mess up!!!!#isat is a game that's extremely blunt about its queer characters and i still see people fuck up!!!
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Recent game related things .. hrmm...
#I do like the inconsistency of the first map. that is actually something older but that I re-found and added to my Game Reference stuff#so that when characters reference where they're from I can be accurate. I like that the whole map is kind of shifted up that way. Where the#actual south part doesnt even count as the south since its Too Far and Scary lol. and if you say you're from 'the north' thats basically#like.. one single continent. Though some people do make distinctions like 'north midlands' or etc. still. I like the ways that common#language isn't always precisely accurate like that. and thinking about why a culture would classify things a certain way or etc. etc.#The inventory page is so funny to me because it's literally just the BASe like.. sample layout just to make sure it works properly with 0#actual design into it. just colored rectangles thrown together in MS paint. but what if I like... left it like that.. what if all the other#art in the game and UI is like stylized and fully matching BUT the inventory/journal/etc. screens I just left as plain colored blocks#with random misalignments and black spots and etc gjhbhjj... It looks unfinished in a Funny Contrast way to me.#the wordcounts are just like... my past few days of writing.. I am still not getting 2200 words a day done or whatever I needed. I'm lucky#if it's even half of that .... tee hee.. :3c I do also keep having appointments and other things going on but..grrr...#The full map of the area is probably not necessary but I thought it would be more realisitc if people were able to reference things. Like i#you have people all living in a city area probably at some point someone might mention a neighboring city or some landmark nearby#or etc. so I thought having at least the basic names of what's around for reference would be sensible. A side character mentioning#'oh yeah I don't live here full time I just travel from Marisene sometimes' or whatever makes it seem more like a Real#Fleshed Out Place than people just making vague references like 'the river' or 'i come from a city nearby' or 'i went to a place somewhere#around here' or 'the other city' or etc. lol.. Especially since global cities/global areas are weird as they operate almost like an#independent country within their walls. so it's like a micro country inside of another country usually. just plopped down in some agreed#upon plot of land that won't be too disruptive to the main country around it. That could get very complex depending on the cultural and#political backdrop of where they're placed (though obviously they try to choose the 'easiest' areas possible for it). Asen is a very mild#country without much history of conflict or anything so it's fine. But still interesting that Sifeh and the entire branched out global area#border three other districts of Asen. Which means like 3 times the local representitives you'l have to negotiate with for some major change#or anything. I think one of the 'random characters you can find around the world and have short discussions with just to make the area#feel more populated and real even though theyre not actual important npcs' is going to be a guy who actually serves on the council that#handles running the global areas and he's like.. some perpetually exhausted middle aged elf running around with a clipboard or whatever#ANYWAY...... hrgh... still trying to write when I can....#I WISH so badly that I had the scope for a simple character creation menu and all character interactions would allot for the background#of your player character. And also to have a simple day night cycle where places in the world you explore/people you talk to during the day#have new options or dialogue at night.. BUT alas... I already am so behind on everything as is lol.. aughhh... T o T#As the worlds number one Needless Detail And Complexity Enjoyer i must dilligently prevent myself from adding additional complexity
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I know I've already bitched about this but it's so frustrating that if it was just my glass cannon rogue, who was designed on purpose to get in over his head and be chewed up and spit out in combat, dying very badly over and over I'd be having fun
#LIKE. this isn't about 'oouuughh you're not allowed to hurt my little guy in the Guys Getting Hurt Game 🥺' like a whinerbaby#this is about the feeling of overwhelming futility as a PLAYER that apparently we're not even capable of leaving town without getting killed#intentionally knocking over an elaborate domino setup vs someone carelessly bumping the table with their ass and going 'oops 😰'#how are we supposed to plan our next moves or gauge what might be within our skillset if EVERYTHING is OUT of our skillset#if felix is getting bitten in half it should be because he's 44 inches tall and has +0 constitution and should stay out of melee but didn't#you know?#and on a less character-personal level if every little thing we do is a literal deadly encounter then how can we possibly raise the stakes#session three random wolf encounter is too hard for us to handle?? oh man if we try to engage with any kind of plot we're REALLY fucked huh!#so far-- in combat AND out of it-- the gameplay of this campaign has said repeatedly and resoundingly 'no you can't'#sucks. feels bad. can't find answers about the mysteries can't find a new plot hook can't set foot outside town without dying#well okay. cool adventure. I'm looking SO hard for stuff to engage with and the world just keeps telling me no#SIGH.#... anyway we're playing tomorrow lol yeehaw#we'll see....... what happens.#about me#my OCs#felix
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My personal little headcanon for Pit’s “never learned how to read” line is that he can read English/Japanese/whatever language the game’s set to perfectly fine. However, he can’t read the in-universe language* the setting uses.
So, while gameplay stuff like the UI, intensity gate numbers, and subtitles are all perfectly understandable to him, non-gameplay things like background signposts and actual books aren’t things he can understand.
* Disclaimer: I have not checked the levels for signs and googling "Kid Icarus Uprising signs” just gives you info on the Zodiac chambers, but I’m pretty sure the game’s textures for signs just use nonsense symbols? Could be wrong
#kid icarus#kid icarus uprising#pit#square speaks#he heads over to smash bros and goes yooo you guys got books in ENGLISH? half of the books in my world are too low-res for me to even read#and when texture resolution isn't an issue because it's a fanfic or whatever everything's in ancient greek or some other unknown language#anyway real talk i think it's a shame pit's often reduced to haha jared 19 so i'm recontextualising the line into a joke about game worlds#and how often games either make up a language or just put random symbols that the player's never expected to read#like what if the game character is on exactly the same page as the player? and kid icarus is the perfect game for that joke to land
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If anyone knows how to block half a couple on AO3, please,
#i want stardew valley fanfic but not of the player character#it makes my skin crawl#my pc isn't me hes just a little guy
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I don't want to be too mean because there's nothing objectively wrong with this article but the vibe I got reading this was like "it sounds like these are two valid approaches to writing romances and any flaws with them aren't inherent to the design choice so much as they're limited by the devs imagination and writing skill?"
But also like it's interesting to hear people talk about it and it brings up some interesting games I want to check out now, so like? Whatever? Objectively fine article, it's just going to be bugging me for the rest of the day.
I will make fun of this quote though:
“The difference between a bisexual character versus a playersexual character really is a matter of context,” Gaider says. “By calling a character ‘playersexual,’ you’re sort of erasing the fact that they are bisexual, but, the part where having a term for that becomes useful is when you start to investigate, like, why is this character bisexual?”
I'm sorry do I need a three page essay explaining why I'm bisexual? Do I need to bring this up on my tinder date? Damn I've been doing this wrong.
#should I have a tag that's just talking about interesting articles#because this isn't like an industry bullshit thing it's more#the framing is sus#article recs#Kotaku#I think another underlying theme of this article is that players are stupid?#like the dragon age example where the guy doesn't bring up his relationship with another man if dating a female player#and players were like mad? apparently? because this supposedly only exists if you're in a m/m relationship?#and like no sorry the players are being dumb. that's world building#and characterization#also like people acting like you're love interest determines the characters sexuality#see tatsuya Suou is canonically bi but people think he's gay if you romance jun
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always sort of a weird moment when the most ic line is a flirt option lmao
#shitpost#when like. my character isn't motivated to flirt per say but.#like. meh. that was the best option though.#100% ic so. i guess he flirted with this guy#also tbh i LOVE rass so im not even mad. my character is liking him more than i was expecting too#he respects him and does find him funny etc.#tavon is great at professionalism but it usually takes more for him to genuinely like someone. He likes Rass and his brother tbh#unlike me. tavon actually does like many mandalorians he meets. Rass Jekaiah and Torian are all pretty high on his list#he likes shae as well but recently has had more of a contentious relationship with her#because she doesn't like that he doesn't always follow her orders... and that he sees her as an equal#and so does she. but it's complicated because they're fellow faction leaders and they're on the same side but like#have different ideas on how some things need to be done. ie. tavon refused to just watch her die because someone was cheating on the duel#the issue is that tavon doesn't give a shit about mandalorian honor so like. any time that is a main motivator#he just gets a bunch of mandos turning on him. lol#its really fun#but as a side note#ME. the player who is not fond of mandalorians (i do find the story interesting though)#but i do genuinely like Rass#Jekiah is also good but i wouldn't say i like him the same way. Mandalorians in positions of power are always going to be iffy to me#because they're in a place to dismantle the harmful systems of their culture#and they uh. largely. don't.#this is why Canderous is the only mandalorian i truly support.#but even with him i have complicated opinions. lol
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The Kwamis! Some of these came easier than others, but since Angelic Layer has no magic involved, all the kwamis became human~ They won't be very prevalent, they're mostly here to fill in background character roles - shop clerks, MCs Tournament Directors, fans - so they won't have a whole lot of speaking roles (aside from, you know, the MCs who're there to commentate on the fights lol). But I thought I'd give them all a nice nod in the story somewhere.
As expected, Tikki and Plagg are the main MCs. Marinette and Adrien's fights will be going on concurrently so Tikki will be commentating Marinette's fights while Plagg commentates on Adrien's. They'll have the most dialogue of the kwamis, so I do want them to have unique ways of discussing what they're seeing.
Pollen will be working directly for the Bourgeois'. As a VIP with a direct relationship with the international director of Angelic Layer, Chloe has her own private practice layer in her home and Pollen is in charge of it's upkeep and maintenance. She matches Armand the Bulter's levels of competence.
Trixx is a Rena Rouge mega fan. They've been following Alya's blog for as long as they can remember and are mega stoked that Alya moved to their city. When Alya starts to doubt herself, it's Trixx's voice that can be heard cheering her on to not give up.
Nooroo and Duusu are servants in the Agreste Estate. Unknown to Adrien, they are fully aware of his sneaking around to play and the two do what they can to make excuses and deflect Nathalie when Adrien isn't where he's supposed to be. They're rooting him on from the shadows!
Wayzz is the adult son of Marianne and Fu. He brings them to Angelic Layer fights against his will because the two really enjoy them. The two seem to be really invested in Ladybug and Chat Noir's career (and the behind the scenes shenanigans that they secretly spy on).
Longg is Kagami's bodyguard. Like Nooroo and Duusu, they are fully aware of what Kagami is doing behind her mother's back and feigns ignorance when Kagami pulls something..."sneaky" to get to a fight secretly.
Here's where we get into some existing jobs from the show:
Orikko and Kaalki are the "Layer Hot Girls (and boy)". lol I just thought it was funny that Angelic Layer even has them.
Mullo is the sales clerk at the Princess Piffle store (the store where you can buy your Angel and all the accessories). All of them lol. Mullo and her many many sisters who look just like her.
Barkk and Fluff take similar but still different roles (the uniforms are ALMOST the same but there are some tiny differences). So Barkk is the receptionist at the Practice Ring (literally you pay to reserve a mini-layer to practice on) while Fluff is the waitress/cashier at the cafeteria at the Tournament Center.
(and back to making shit up lol)
Daizzi is a nurse where Rose goes to the hospital and she has segmental localized vitiligo. Rose is particularly close to Daizzi since she helps Rose make her donations to the hospital.
Sass is the backstage directory, aka, the guy who makes things run. He has an earpiece that has the same diamond pattern as his pants on it! The anime does show one person who helps backstage, but I wanted to have a little fun with Sass's look and tie in to him being "in charge" of the kwamis.
Ziggy works at Socqueline's family art supply shop, which is frequented by Angelic Layer players who are on a bit of a budget. They love talking with the customers about their angels, though mostly the design part.
Stompp is Ivan's foster mother and Roarr his foster sister (Stompp's bio-daughter). I actually didn't think of what kind of job this outfit would be good for, but I think she'd make a good security guard - usually working at rock concerts, which she bonds with Ivan over, but she's also been hired for Angelic Layer tournaments. Sometimes sore losers get a little...violent.
Roarr falls in love with Juleka's Angel Purple Tigress immediately thanks to her pre-existing love of tigers in general. She's even bold enough to proclaim her love to Juleka herself!
Xuppu is Ondine's sibling and a fan of King Monkey, though they'll go out of their way to make fun of Kim himself. Secretly, they're very invested in Kim's career and get very upset on his behalf when he loses.
#angelic layer au#alau#alau art#kwamis#tikki#plagg#pollen#trixx#duusu#nooroo#wayzz#marianne#fu#longg#orikko#kaalki#mullo#barkk#fluff#daizzi#sass#ziggy#stompp#roarr#xuppu#alau:kwamis
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Pucking Rookie I
~8.4k words
From me: here she is. gonna be at least one more part (probs 2) sorry. I didn't mean to do a series. I just can't shut up and I introduced too many fun characters. I don't know a lot about hockey so a lot of this is probably unrealistic.
Warnings: douchey ex-boyfriend, a little violent (it's hockey after all)
Summary: When the assistant coach's niece comes to take pictures of the team, her lens isn't the only thing capturing Harry Styles heart and soul on and off the ice. Harry wants to win her over more than he wants to win the entire league championship. (Although it would be nice to rub it in her ex's stupid face if he won that too).
The rink was chilly even with the appropriate clothes on. Despite the fact she practically lived in ice arenas for the two years, it never ceased to catch her off guard with how cold it was. To be fair, she was a lot closer to the ice this time around. Her camera pressed into the little glass cutout, her eye checking the visual before she clicked the shutter.
Quickly she pulled away as two of the guys pressed against the glass right next to her. “Hey Sweetheart,” Noah Ashford smiled briefly as he skated off in the other direction. She rolled her eyes. Uncle Charlie, assistant coach of The Arctic Chargers, warned the entire team that his niece was taking residence at the rink and would be part of media photos, headshots, and would be submitting to all major sport reporting outlets. The team was told without question, not to bother her in any way.
Naturally the group of twenty twenty-something year-old hockey players were going to do nothing of the sort.
Captain Evander Langston swished almost gracefully over to her. He stopped in front of her with a puff of ice at his feet. “Do you think I have a good side?”
She shook her head with a smirk and looked over the photos she just took in the last three minutes. “Probably not the left. You’ve been checked into the board over there about five times this practice alone.”
He put a hand on his chest. “Sweetheart, you wound me.” Sweetheart was the name Uncle Charlie called her in front of the whole team during the introduction and so it was the only thing any of them paid attention to from their coach. “Don’t say that in front of the others,” he pleaded quietly.
“I would never, Cap,” she smiled kindly.
He returned her grin with his own. “You call me Cap, and I’m going to have a problem with Coach’s rule, Sweetheart. But I know we’re all going to like having you around to keep us in check.”
“Lang, you better not be flirting when your technique needs work!” Kian Calloway shouted across the ice where he slapped a puck into the open net from the blue line.
“You better not be flirting, period, Lang!” Uncle Charlie called.
“Yeah!” Callie repeated to his captain. She had gone over the nicknames with her uncle before starting. Lang, Asher, and Callie were easy and as some of the major stars of the team, it made sense she would chat with them most. “If anyone is going to flirt with her, it’s going to be me!”
“I’ll sit you for less, Callie,” Charlie warned.
She couldn’t help but laugh. But she didn’t mind the attention nor care. It was adorable. Like a group of puppies looking for attention. With a shake of her head, she made her way around the glass and boards for another angle of the players on the ice. She wanted shots of the goalie. Niall Horan seemed much too nice to be a hockey player but perhaps that’s why he was the goalie. He was the first one to introduce himself and he didn’t seem to have the temper that the other players did over trivial things (like tying skates together or putting salt in someone’s Gatorade). Niall blocked shots from his teammates as if it was nothing but breathing. In a way it was stunning, nearly beautiful.
Hockey was violent, yes. But there was beauty in it, too. The way players skated backwards, cupped the puck on their stick. The speed, agility, and gracefulness required to stay standing. It was all really beautiful, and she was excited to be up close this time around. For the last two or so years she had been in a box cheering for her ex-boyfriend, right forward for the Glacier Wolves, Kael Crowe.
To be completely honest, she should have known it wouldn’t have worked out. Among the cheating, the belittling, and all the other things that were, in hindsight, an abysmal part of dating him, the orange and blue coloring wasn’t her favorite. The Arctic Chargers black and silver jerseys were much more her speed. Kael was her boyfriend of years and years but once he made it to the majors three years ago, things were very different.
“You can come on the ice, Sweetheart, we’re almost done!” Asher said.
Even though she had dated a hockey player for nearly a decade (most of which took place during college) she couldn’t skate. Uncle Charlie tried when she was younger to teach her, but the balance and coordination was not in her wheelhouse. She longed to skate better. Figure skaters were so dainty and beautiful as they glided on the ice. She was neither of those things and almost dreaded getting on the ice in the boots she was wearing. If she fell in front of her uncle, it was embarrassing. She could only imagine how embarrassing it would be in front of an entire professional hockey team.
“One second!”
She wanted to prolong the agony. Plus, with her fragile camera it seemed like a death sentence to send her out there. Even if it was what she was getting paid to do. It wasn’t the most lucrative job she had, but it was what she wanted to do most. She was grateful for the opportunity and hoped it would kickstart into something more. Photography was a major passion for her. Pictures of anything. Her computer was filled with pictures of the sun and sky from the summer. Snowy days in the winter. Pictures of her parents’ dog. Her uncle’s kids on birthdays. She was the official photographer of family weddings and more. But it wasn’t steady. A lot of her post-college young life had been put on hold to dote on Kael. Something she regretted but couldn’t do anything about now.
Uncle Charlie was kind to help her out and she thought starting now was better than never starting at all.
“Styles is that you?!”
“Yeah, yeah, don’t piss yourselves in excitement,” the voice was right beside her.
“You better be fucking cleared before touching this rink,” Ray Wheeler, head coach and another surrogate uncle to her was a bit gruffer in his delivery to the players than Charlie most of the time.
The man beside her slapped his hand, paper held pressed to the glass. “Doctor-cleared for takeoff,” he called. A round of cheers went up and she snapped another picture of the excitement, ignoring the one and only Harry Styles beside her.
Harry Styles was Kael’s rival. The same draft class (although begrudgingly, Kael would admit Harry went first), and almost the same position—left forward. Fortunately, they were in different conferences, so they only ever played one another twice a season. Unless they made it to finals which hadn’t happened yet. But in her opinion, it was only a matter of time. Harry made headlines for his skill and ability, fitness, and overall dominance on the ice. He was protective of his best friend in goal—he and Niall were a pair like no other. Which meant when they did play each other, Kael knew exactly how to get under Harry’s skin.
“Who are you?” He asked.
Harry wasn’t here for her formal introduction to the team. Before she could open her mouth, Uncle Charlie was there. “That’s my niece Styles. She’s off limits so just make your way to the locker room.”
“Ah,” he smiled.
It should have been noted that in addition to skill and ability, fitness, and dominance on the ice, Harry was one of the most beautiful men she had ever seen. His eyes were green which sure as hell meant God was in fact a woman because no man would know to make Harry even more beautiful with forest green eyes. He was tall, even taller on skates. His skin glowed in a way that should have been illegal when she spent half an hour dousing her face in ten moisturizing products each night to achieve the same look and Harry spent most of his time indoors on an ice rink. Was it the chill that made his cheeks pinker? Would she get the same glow working here all season? She could only hope.
But it was that smile that did her in. His straight teeth peeking out from his lips. The dimples. The arrogance behind the expression. The pink curve of his upturned lips went right through her as he grinned at her.
“Nice t’meet you,” he held his hand out.
“Hands off!” Charlie shouted again.
Harry chuckled as she took his hand with an eyeroll introducing herself. “I’m your photo media specialist, if you will.”
“Excellent,” Harry grinned. “Let me know if y’need me t’pose a certain way,” he winked.
She shook her head and Niall skated up to the side. “Hey Sweetheart,” he said.
“Hi, baby, I missed you,” Harry answered with a grin. Niall shook his head flipping his friend off which made her giggle. Niall remained focused on her.
“Your Uncle said you might need help walking out here.”
“Oh, do we have a skating rookie on our hands?” Harry asked. Her cheeks felt hot under the assumption. Even though it was accurate.
“I suck at skating,” she shrugged. There wasn’t any use playing it off—they would know in a matter of seconds. “I get too nervous and lose my balance,” she admitted.
They both tilted their heads at her. She knew that vulnerability wasn’t something seen on the ice. It seemed almost trivial to admit, but she knew it clearly threw them for a loop. “I can walk you out,” Harry offered with that sinfully delicious smile.
“Coach said he was going to rebreak all of your fingers if you touch her."
“Oh, please let me walk you out,” Harry practically bounced with excitement.
She worried her eyes were going to remain in the back of her head from rolling them so much, but she supposed that would come with the territory with working for a group of boys. “Thank you, Niall. I should be okay. Just don’t let anyone laugh at me too much if I fall on my butt.”
“We don’t want you t’fall on such a pretty asset, Rookie. Are y’sure I can’t help?”
She ignored Harry, keeping her eyes on Niall. “No one will laugh,” he assured her, a smile toying at his lips as he slipped his helmet back on. “I offered, but she’s stubborn like you, Coach!”
The laughter that ensued was a good distraction for her to make her move. She unlocked the rink door and stepped onto the ice following behind Niall. Each step was carefully taken, knowing the traction of her winter boots were better than any other pair of shoes she owned but would never compare to the blade of skate.
Three little steps was about as far as she could go it seemed. Right as her footing was about to be lost on her and send her to the hard ice, a hand caught her elbow and kept her upright. “Rookie, love,” he tisked. “I told you I could help.”
She looked at him briefly knowing that his good looks got him any girl he wanted. She heard the rumors of the string of girls he had (perhaps one for every city he visited) and she knew of every bad thing that Kael had to say about him. But the kindness of him to catch her was sweet. Even she couldn’t deny that. Kael merely laughed each time she fell, it wasn’t mean spirited per se, but it was almost like he was glad she couldn’t skate. A way to be better than her.
God, she wished she had taken the hint a lot sooner.
Harry’s skates weren’t even tied yet. “Jus’ wait,” he said and knelt to lace them up. She had to imagine he rushed to get out here just knowing she wouldn’t make it across the ice.
Once tied, Harry held her elbow again and skated so effortlessly beside her barely moving as he glided alongside her. No one paid attention to her slow steps, and she could feel Harry’s grip firm but not hard on her arm. Almost sensing when she was going to misstep before she did. It made her heart skip a beat.
No. She couldn’t think like that. She wasn’t going to fall for another hockey player ever.
“M’teaching m’niece t’skate. I can teach you,” he shrugged. It wasn’t arrogant the way he said it. She was sure anyone else that knew she was in their mid-twenties (especially someone with a famous hockey player for an ex-boyfriend of eight years, and famous major league hockey coach for an uncle) would expect her to be able to skate. Instead, one of the top players in the league was at her elbow barely acknowledging that it was weird. Perhaps the vulnerability she mentioned to him and Niall really meant something to him. Or maybe she was just reading into it—which she definitely shouldn’t have been reading into it.
“It’s a real shame you won’t have that hand to play with after all, Harry,” Uncle Charlie shook his head.
“Don’t worry, Uncle Charlie, I can handle a group of boys,” she rolled her eyes again, earning a bout of laughter from the group. But she knew that Uncle Charlie was worried about Harry specifically. He was a lot like Kael. In another life, Harry would have been a weakness for her. But not anymore. She was done with hockey guys.
“M’jus’ making sure she doesn’t fall. Sad y’couldn’t teach her t’skate. Some uncle you are,” he shrugged casually.
The group laughed again, and she smirked. Charlie ignored the childish behavior of his players but rubbed his middle finger on his nose like he had an itch aimed for Harry “They’re all yours, Sweetheart. Just tell them where you want them. They’ve all been instructed to listen carefully unless they want to do suicides tomorrow at practice, so be honest if they don’t listen. Or lie if you see fit,” Uncle Charlie remarked making everyone groan. “Harry, go get your gear she needs individual pictures too.”
His eyes flickered to Niall for several seconds. Right as he released her arm, Niall now stood beside her and waited for direction. He didn’t hold her elbow like Harry did, but it was clear there was an unspoken message they shared telepathically. That little flutter in her chest made it’s appearance once more solely because Harry was kind to her about her inability to skate.
No, she wasn’t going to fall for it.
She wasn’t going to fall for the hot left wing of her uncle’s team just because he offered to teach her to skate and didn’t make fun of her because she couldn’t.
Nope. She wasn’t.
Not even a little.
Right?
*
The boys were decidedly sweet. Despite the fact it was like trying to wrangle a group of twenty toddlers into one spot. They sat nicely for their headshots individually, but once she tried to get them into various poses and group shots with their respective lines it proved a little more difficult. (Don’t even get her started on how the whole team shot went).
Harry stood beside her while she took pictures of everyone but him. His presence was comforting in a way she didn’t want to admit so readily. It had been less than an hour since she spoke to him. When he returned with all his gear in place, he held a small rug that the coaches often used to stand at center ice and call drills. He laid it before her feet, and she didn’t have to worry as much about falling. Niall was her test subject in front of the goal. When she wanted to get another angle, Harry scooped up the little mat and held her elbow and let her guide while he slid alongside her at a pace that was much too slow for a professional hockey player. But Harry didn’t seem to mind.
“Can I see?” He asked while the others skated around, messing around at the other end of the rink. She was now at the bench where she was safe from slipping. Harry leaned over the rail, dropping his gloves onto the wooden seat beside her. She offered her camera to him. Carefully he cradled it, like he knew it really was precious to her. Silently, he looked at the little screen. A smile grew on his face as he admired how his pictures came out. “These are awesome, Rookie.”
“Thank you,” did her cheeks feel warmer from the compliment? She smiled softly as he looked through several photos of himself. Harry Styles was lucky he didn’t have a bad side. Not that she would tell him that.
“How come y’didn’t do this for Crowe’s team?” He asked clicking through photos of his teammates.
She blinked, the smile melting from her face. “You know about me and Kael?”
“Well, yeah. S’the whole hands-off talk Coach gave us. Said you’re done with hockey players,” Harry shrugged one shoulder, his gaze focused on the lines and group shots on the screen of her camera. “Fortunately for me, I don’t consider your ex a real hockey player,” he smiled at the screen. “But I haven’t told Coach ‘bout that loophole jus’ yet.”
She snorted and shook her head. The flirty comment was cute. She could admit that. Plus, a dig at her shitty ex made her feel a little lighter. But she wasn’t going to fall for Harry’s easy-going charisma.
If she repeated it to herself enough, it would stick.
“I will not be dating real and-or imaginary hockey players,” she told him.
“At least give me a chance t’change your mind, Rookie,” he offered.
“No, thank you,” she shook her head politely. He frowned. She laughed softly. “You genuinely look down by my answer.”
“Hell yeah,” he scowled. “Y’take pretty pictures and y’wrangled this ragtag group,” he sighed almost dreamily. “And you’re absolutely beautiful t’boot.”
That made her smile, at least. He was an expert flirter. “Thank you, Harry. I appreciate that.”
“Enough t’let me take you on a date?”
“No.”
“Ugh.”
She laughed again. “Thank you for helping me around the ice,” she said graciously. “I’ll tell Uncle Charlie you were a perfect gentleman after he left.”
“Rookie, love, you’ll ruin m’reputation,” he called after her as she made her way around the rink toward the exit.
*
Her apartment was not in the nice part of town. To be fair, it was only just over the border from the nicer side. From her place she could see the bar she would be working at on the days she wouldn’t be at the rink. She hadn’t told Uncle Charlie about it because she knew he would be pissed if he saw where she lived. But it was the right price and honestly, the other tenants weren’t bad.
She suspected one of her neighbors on the first floor was... an entrepreneur... for his... small business. Michael was very wary of her at first, but she was lucky because he wore a hockey jersey the day, she met him, Callie’s number and name on the front and back. She hadn’t gone to the rink yet because she was getting a lot of her things and affairs settled. That evening she moved in, she got him tickets to a home game through her uncle (along with a dozen cookies to welcome herself to the building). To his credit, Michael looked weary that the tickets were fake, but the cookies were good. They weren’t special seats or anything, but they weren’t bad seats either. He knocked on her door the day after the game and it was clear she wasn’t going to have any issues with her neighbor. “That was cool. If you need anything, I got you,” he assured her with a grin. “That car you got, I’ll keep an eye on it for you when you’re not around... you’re too sweet to be living here.”
She smiled. “Thanks Michael.”
On the second floor lived an older couple. They kept to themselves, but she was sure to give them a dozen cookies as well and offered to shovel out their cars when it snowed. But once Michael saw her out there shoveling, he joined her as well. She brought a hockey stick autographed by the whole team for their grandson. She couldn’t wait to hear how he enjoyed that Christmas gift.
Her neighbor on the third floor just down the hall was Marcellus. He went by Marc and told her that he had a boyfriend and if she had an issue with that, it was too fucking bad. The previous tenant must have been a piece of work. She laughed at him, handed off her dozen cookies and shrugged. “If he breaks your heart, I have a team of hockey boys who can take him on,” she giggled.
So, Marc loved her too.
She wouldn’t be jogging around the neighborhood any time soon, but it was nice she wouldn’t have to worry about her car being stolen (although good luck to anyone who tried to get that piece of crap to start without a prayer), or getting robbed on her way into the building.
Inside her little studio apartment was a small kitchen. There was enough space for a small loveseat, a bed, and TV. She had a coffee table and a counter to sit at for breakfast. The bathroom was surprisingly spacious and modern for a rundown studio apartment building.
After a full day at the rink, she was chilly. A shower was just what she needed before she ventured into the cold again. Letting the hot water soothe her cold neck and back was so nice. While her hair air-dried, she transferred and then sifted through her pictures on her laptop. The edits she made were small. The lighting and shadows only needed to be adjusted a little. She loved the natural look of the of the players in their element.
She forwarded the photos to Charlie for approval, and he would send them to the higher ups for printing.
They look stunning, Sweetheart. Incredible job.
Grinning she looked over the photos she took of Harry again. He was by far the best-looking guy on the team (not that the others weren’t good-looking but alas). Even in the photos where you couldn’t see his pretty face, there was a presence that made him look more attractive. It was obvious he was a good player. His talent was evident in the photos, and she was proud of herself for being able to capture it.
There was a knock on her door. She padded quietly across the room, peeked through the peephole to see Marc, before she opened it. “Hi,” she smiled.
“You have to teach me hockey,” he said. “This man is obsessed, and I don’t even know what you call the ball.”
“Puck.”
“Exactly.” She laughed. He glanced around her apartment. “Your talents are wasted on this run-down place—holy hottie, who’s that?”
Her computer screen remained on Harry’s smiling individual photo. Dimples on full display and looking intense but happy. “That’s Harry Styles.”
“I think I’ll like hockey after all.”
Shaking her head, she sighed. “Listen, I have a shift I have to get to, but there’s a game on tomorrow afternoon, come over and we’ll watch it, and I’ll teach you,” she offered.
“Bring flashcards of the players. It’ll make me more interested.”
She tied the apron around her waist as he sifted through the photos. “God damn, is this what all hockey players look like?” He asked.
“Bye Marc,” she pulled his arm and pushed him toward her door. “See you tomorrow.”
*
The Locker Room was a local restaurant owned by Louis Tomlinson. It was a hot spot for the players to go to on off days and after a win (they refrained from going after a loss unless absolutely necessary). The fans that went were not allowed to be aggressive about the players, but after a while, they got used to seeing the players so often, it became a nice place to be themselves.
Asher and Lang were playing darts while Niall and Callie focused on a game of pool. Harry sat back sipping his beer analyzing his contacts looking for the hookup he wanted for the evening. They had curfew at midnight since there was a game tomorrow evening which left him with ample time to peruse his list, meet up with the girl, and get home by midnight before he turned into a pumpkin.
“Who’s the lucky lady tonight?” Louis asked clapping a hand on Harry’s back.
“Haven’t decided yet,” he chuckled.
“Well, when the new waitress comes over, you are not to make her uncomfortable. I already warned her.”
“I would never,” he rolled his eyes, still scanning the names.
“Uh-huh,” Louis nodded. “Of course. Tell your teammates too. She’s off limits.”
“What’s up with every new girl being off limits in our life?” Callie asked.
“Coach won’t let us date his niece and you won’t let us date the new girl,” Niall explained to Louis for clarification.
“Fortunately, it’s the same person, so you don’t have to lose out on two girls.”
Harry pulled away from his screen to admire the pretty girl he met at the rink earlier in the day. His grin grew. “Oh, Rookie, it’s you,” he cooed.
“Oh Jesus,” Louis sighed. “Watch out for that one, love,” he patted her on the back.
“So, I’ve heard,” she smiled.
“Is she ours?” Asher asked excitedly.
“As long as you don’t torture her,” Louis shrugged.
“We would never!”
“Eleanor refuses to set foot back here because of you all.”
“Hire meaner waitstaff.”
“Best of luck, love,” Louis shook his head.
“What can I get you guys?” She asked sweetly.
“Uncle Charlie doesn’t pay you enough that you have to slum it here?” Lang asked.
“I heard that!” Louis shouted.
Harry was...quite taken. From the moment he laid eyes on her. The concentration on her face as she took pictures, the way her hair was pinned up, how bundled she was. Her smile was sexy. The quips that spilt from her mouth perhaps even sexier. Harry was certain she was a dream because good things at the rink consisted of goals, interviews, and the pizza from the snack bar. Not a pretty girl with an expensive camera and his assistant coach as her uncle.
Now her hair was still pinned back, an apron tied around her waist, and the black and silver uniform as homage to his own. Harry wanted her draped in the number eleven and his name on her back ASAP.
It was cute she couldn’t skate. Cute how passionate she was on day one taking pictures. She wasn’t flustered by their rowdiness, or their annoying nature. Harry knew that she was used to hockey boys—had to be if her ex was one of the top forwards in the league (although Harry didn’t recognize that too often). He liked how she didn’t take shit from them but was still kind. She was funny, creative, and lovely.
And he only saw her in action for a short time.
But it was enough to make him put his phone away and not think about hooking up with someone tonight. His focus would be on her waiting on the team and (hopefully) getting to know her more so he could rationalize falling for someone so out of his league and someone so off limits.
“Hi Rookie, love,” Harry smiled as she approached his table. She took orders from the other four hanging around.
“Hi Harry,” she answered.
“M’happy to see you again.”
She nodded. “It’s only been a few hours, Harry.”
“S’too long t’go without seeing your pretty face,” he assured her.
She rolled her eyes, but Harry noticed how her cheeks flushed with color. “What do you want to drink?” She asked instead.
“Are you on the menu?”
“Does that work on other girls?”
“Yes.”
“It’s probably because of the hockey thing you have going on. I promise it wouldn’t work if you weren’t a professional,” she shrugged.
“Good thing m’very professional,” he continued, his voice flirty.
“I’m putting down whatever the other guys said,” she shook her head and headed off to get the drinks.
“Harry, don’t bother her. Coach said she’s off-limits,” Niall reminded him while Callie took his shot.
“Yeah, she doesn’t strike me as one-night-stand material,” Asher murmured focusing on his dart going directly into the board.
“Mmm,” Harry sighed. In the brief interaction he had with her, he kind of figured that too. In fact, given she had been with Crowe for nearly a decade, he imagined she didn’t have too much experience dating other than her ex. Not that he would force her—or any woman. Like he said they all knew what they signed up for. Harry wasn’t great at the whole relationship thing. He was constantly traveling with the team. Practice most days, games most nights. Relationships were often one-sided and tiresome. It wasn’t fair to expect someone to wait for five months of the year to have a relationship.
One-night stands were better for him.
But he could at least ask her if she was willing to try him out. God, knew he wanted to try her out the second he looked at her.
“Your drinks,” she announced setting them on Harry’s table. He eyed her as she set the drinks down from the little tray in her arm. “Do you guys want food?” She asked.
“Are you on the menu now?”
“Jesus Christ,” Lang shook his head.
“You’re embarrassing us, Styles,” Callie sighed.
“Chicken wings, you said?” She asked scribbling on the pad of paper in her hand. “Great choice. Do you want anything else?” Harry smiled, opened his mouth to speak but she turned immediately. “Not you,” she said over her shoulder and sauntered over to the pool table. Lang and Asher chuckled to themselves at Harry’s strike out.
“You’re our hero, Sweetheart,” Asher sighed dreamily.
*
When Harry was on the ice there were zero thoughts of anything but slicing up the ice with the blade of his skate. He thought about the opponent across from him. The puck sliding across the ice and into the net. Protecting Niall in goal if anyone dared to lay a hand on him.
But now when they had timeouts, or when he was waiting for the puck to come up to him, he saw the pretty girl with her camera lens pressed to the glass, or in the cut out for the press. Her little badge draped around her neck looked so cute. Everything about her was cute and dainty.
Crowe was a fucking idiot to let her go.
Which made him wonder why he chose to break up with someone so pretty and witty. Creative as well.
Fuck. Coach was going to kill him.
But she really stood her ground. In the month that she had been part of the team, she seemed damn near impervious to Harry’s flirting. Harry worked hard to make her blush (which he could see was easy) but it took a lot to make her speechless. It was obvious Crowe didn’t treat her well. It seemed like Harry’s attention to her was the only time she had been shown affection. That alone pissed him off and made him hate him more. It was like she had never been told how pretty she was. Even when Harry wasn’t actively flirting with her, when he complimented her hair or how her pictures came out, she seemed completely off-guard.
What a fucking dick.
Harry once more wondered why they broke up. He still hadn’t figured it out. There was no way she wasn’t the perfect girlfriend. Especially for a hockey player. For all the reasons Harry didn’t date, she knew precisely what she was getting into and did it anyway. But she doted on his teammates as if she was dating all of them (there was no other way to describe it.) She always had extra tape for sticks. She walked with her cross body filled with supplies for hangovers, minor injuries, and the like. When she waited on them at Louis’ place, she knew their orders and had them ready almost like clockwork for when they arrived.
“Styles!” Coach Wheeler called. “If you’re not going to practice, you can sit out!” He shouted.
Shaking his head, Harry tried to rid his mind of the team’s photographer. The coach’s niece. His pretty waitress.
The star of all his dreams as of late.
*
“Sweetheart, where do you want us?!” Lang called.
She was on the bench, waiting to take some gameday photos. Today she was wearing skates, which made Harry nervous. He knew if she went down, she would protect her precious camera and he didn’t blame her, but it he hated the thought of her getting hurt. “Just by the—” She sighed, closing her eyes mid-sentence and she put her phone to her ear. “Stop fucking calling,” she snapped and then put her phone in her pocket again. “By the goal,” she cleared her throat.
The team stared at her. “Do you have a stalker, babe?” Asher asked.
“No,” she snorted and looked at her camera. She took a test shot of the empty net to make sure everything was set. She stepped tentatively onto the ice, more graceful than the last time she did. But Harry glided over to her quickly. He didn’t touch her, but he was more than ready to catch her. She ignored his presence, not in a mean way at all. Not an ounce of her was mean. Which is why it was so surprising she had that much malice in her voice on the phone.
“Everything okay, Sweetheart?” Charlie asked.
“Yup,” she popped the ‘puh’ sound.
She slid forward very carefully. “S’kind of shooting yourself in the foot here, Rookie. Figure skates have a better blade for beginners. S’harder t’skate on hockey skates for what you’re doing.”
“Oh, I was always told a hockey blade was thicker, so it was better.”
Harry shrugged. “S’not really that big of a deal in m’opinion. Figure skates have a longer blade, better for y’balance. Charlie set y’up with those?” She shook her head.
“No,” her voice was quiet.
“You bought hockey skates on your own?”
“Can you go stand with your team?” She asked dodging his question. He frowned.
“Yeah, sorry, Rookie, love,” he skated off but whistled at his younger teammate, Garrett, the third string forward for his position. Harry tilted his head in her direction and Garrett went over to her, standing way too far away in case she did fall.
“Who got her the skates?” He mumbled to Charlie. He shrugged.
“Not sure. Probably Kael. I would imagine he got a deal from his sponsors.”
God Harry hated him.
*
Mila was someone he saw on a semi-regular basis. Which meant she knew the drill. After their win, they would do their thing. Harry would stay until she fell asleep—because he wasn’t an asshole; and he wasn’t too proud to admit that he liked cuddling. Even if it was only for a little while—and he would send a text the next day to make sure she felt okay. There was no breakfast, no awkward small talk. Just sex. There was no setup to get feelings hurt or hearts broken. Harry was too busy for a girlfriend, and he would make for a shitty boyfriend.
It was cold when he left her place, and he blew into his hands for warmth when he as he headed to his car. There was a text on his phone from an unknown number.
Thought you would want to see the picture that’s on the front page of the sports section for tomorrow :) There was an impressive picture of Harry’s game winning goal. It wasn’t time sensitive but it was the one that broke the tie. The rest of the team held off the offensive line for the remaining ten minutes of the game.
Thanks, Rookie. I’m going to send it to Mum. She’ll print it for the fridge. How’d you get my number?
Kian gave it to me. Is that alright?
Who?
Callie 🙄 You should really learn your friends’ names. Is it okay I have your number?
Of course it’s alright. Just surprised YOU asked for it. Didn’t know you would want to talk to me so bad. You could have asked me yourself.
Sorry, I think have the wrong number.
He chuckled to himself while his car warmed up. The seat heater was heaven on his stiff muscles. Harry liked the cold—he had to being a hockey player. But it was her funny wit that warmed him from the inside out. Are you all still at Louis’?
Yes. Niall and Noah are about to break the air hockey machine.
Who?
🙄 Asher. Sorry. Jesus.
I’ll be right there, Rookie.
*
The next time the team won, Harry looked at the message from Layla asking if he wanted to come over to celebrate. He didn’t really want to. The guys were headed home because they had an early flight and there was no celebrating. Which meant that the pretty girl he wanted to celebrate with wasn’t going to be out and about either. She wouldn’t be doting on his drunk teammates. Wouldn’t be stopping their stupid fights about who’s turn it was to play her in darts. She wouldn’t be making sure they all made it home safely in the Ubers she ordered.
But Harry couldn’t just hang out with her either. There was no reason. She was basically his teammate and he couldn’t figure why she was so guarded. At least not beyond whatever it was she was dealing with Crowe.
“Is he still calling?” Niall asked looking at her phone the bench while she looked at her camera. Her hair always fell so perfectly as she watched the screen.
“Who?” Lang asked.
She sighed. “It’s just Kael.”
“Why?” Callie asked.
She shrugged. “I would have to answer to find out. Which is the last thing I want to do. I need a new phone number; I just haven’t gotten around to it. My schedule conflicts with most regular business hours so I could go to the store.”
“Charlie, you can’t spare her to give her a day off?” Asher asked.
Her uncle rolled his eyes, flipped him off, and continued practicing with the second and third stringers.
Harry sat beside her and peeked over her shoulder at her photos. “Do y’have any non-hockey photos?” She nodded and picked up her phone that was still showing Crowe blowing up her phone with calls and texts. “Why don’t y’block him, Rookie?” She swiped his notification away and she opened the web browser. It was currently on a recipe for carrot cake cupcakes. “Those look good,” he smiled.
She smirked. “It’s Ray’s birthday next week. Carrot cake is his favorite. Figured I’d make you all cupcakes.”
Harry thought she was too sweet for him. Someone with a lineup of women didn’t deserve her sweetness. Someone who was meeting Arya at her place after practice because he could didn’t get a girl like her. Him meeting Nyla after tomorrow’s away game three states away didn’t get someone like the pretty photographer.
Kael’s name kept popping up. “Y’probably never had t’block anybody before,” Harry said quietly. “D’you know how?” He hoped he didn’t sound condescending. But he had the unfortunate pleasure of blocking someone every now and again.
“I know how,” she laughed softly. “It’s just... with Kael, it’s likely to be a thing, you know?” She shrugged. “It’s easier to ignore him.”
“It probably gives him hope,” Harry frowned.
She held out her phone to him and shrugged. “That’s not my problem. I’ll see him in a couple weeks when we’re up North,” she reminded him. “Hopefully by then he’ll get the message; or I’ll have to talk to him in person.”
Harry took her phone and admired the portfolio of photos she displayed for him. The website was all black making her images pop. She was so talented. There were babies and weddings. There were family portraits and just general landscape shots. All of differing but equal beauty and perfection. Natural. Lovely.
Harry swiped away Kael’s name again and clicked on the menu item of the about section.
Two side by side pictures of the pretty girl next to him were on the screen. One with the camera in front of her eye, the other a sweet smile on her face camera in front of her like a prop. Behind the Lens... Thank you for browsing. If you like what you see, I’d be happy to quote you for any need. I have experience in just about any area of photographing. Thank you for letting me part of you day!
Too sweet for someone who was going to never be able to settle down because of his job. No matter how much he wished she could be part of his day.
Kael’s stupid name popped up again. Without another rational thought, Harry answered the call, pressed the phone to his ear, and skated off knowing she couldn’t go after him.
“Finally, baby,” Kael groaned.
“STYLES HOW DARE YOU!” She screamed.
“Crowe, nice t’hear from you.”
“Who the fuck is this?” He growled.
“HARRY!” She was on the ice in her ever-present boots. They weren’t great for walking on ice. She slipped immediately but Lang was right nearby to help her up. Harry was going to feel guilty about that for ages.
“None of your business,” he shook his head. “She doesn’t want y’calling anymore.”
“What the fuck? Put her on the phone!”
“No,” Harry said defiantly. “She doesn’t want t’talk t’you. Ever. Stop calling y’piece of shit.”
Lang looked at Harry wildly as he glided with the pretty girl clutching to his arm. She smacked Harry multiple times on the arm and chest making the coaches laugh. “Give me the phone!” She snapped.
“Give her the phone!” He repeated. “Listen to her!”
“No, y’don’t deserve her,” Harry stepped out of her reach where she lost her balance as she lunged for him. She fell again catching her hands. Thank God she didn’t have her camera. Lang helped her to her feet again and Harry felt a wave of guilt wash over him again. “Y’didn’t appreciate her, her talent, or anything. Y’didn’t get her the right skates, and I don’t know what y’did t’piss her off so bad, but y’not getting her back,” Harry said it so casually. But every word was meant for her.
“Is that you, Styles?” Crowe snarled.
“Bye Crowe, see you in a month!” He said cheerily handing the phone off to her.
She nearly fell again despite holding onto Lang. “What the hell, Harry!”
“I got rid of him,” he shrugged. “You’re welcome.”
Her face was beat red with embarrassment. Her hands had to be cold from the fall. But she still looked adorable as always. Even with a sour expression, she was sweet. Pretty beyond belief. Wide eyes, soft skin, even her nose was cute. She glared at him and spun on her heel. “Get me away from him,” she snapped.
Harry sighed, feeling bummed he pissed her off too much. Lang shook his head at Harry as he helped her back to the bench. She packed up her things and left.
But he couldn’t help but notice that her phone had stopped ringing.
*
She was still mad at him a week later. If she ignored his flirting before, this was an entire new level. She hardly acknowledged his presence. He missed her. In a weird way. He enjoyed bugging her, but perhaps it went to far. It was an invasion of her personal life that he wasn’t privy to, and he didn’t really have any right to deal with her ex-boyfriend.
That didn’t mean anything he said wasn’t anything but the truth.
“Hey Rookie,” he said as she entered the room to get their drink orders for the evening.
“Hi everybody,” she grinned at everyone in turn and glared at Harry.
“Boy you pissed her off,” Niall chuckled.
He shrugged. “Worth it,” because it was. He hated Kael before, he hoped he got the clue.
“You know she had to talk to him, right?” Callie asked. Harry’s head snapped up from his phone screen looking at his contacts once more. Harry wasn’t sure he could pinpoint it exactly but his evenings with the women in his phone were leaving him less and less fulfilled. He wasn’t looking for any grand pronouncements of love. That wasn’t his thing. But the idea of spending the evening with someone didn’t give him the same excitement as it used to.
It was probably the day he met her. But it was sinking in more over the week she had barely spoken to him. “What do y’mean?” He frowned.
“Crowe? She had to talk to him after that stunt you pulled.”
Harry glowered at the table. “Why?”
“Because he wouldn’t stop blowing up her phone and he was threatening to come to her if she didn’t just talk to him. Why do you think she didn’t come with us on the plane the next day?”
Harry felt like a jerk. “Oh.”
“She hates you,” Asher reminded him.
He rolled his eyes. “She could have told one of us,” he mumbled. Harry would have sat outside her apartment waiting for him.
“I don’t know if you noticed Harry, but she’s pretty private,” Niall sighed leaning on his pool stick. “I know you meant well, but it kind of fucked up her day.”
Harry pouted. He met her gaze as she brought their drinks out.
And if she spilled Harry’s on him, well, he supposed he deserved that.
*
Harry was a great hockey player, a great friend. A great brother and son. Not to toot his own horn but he thought he truly was the World’s Best Uncle like it said on the T-shirt Gemma had got him when she told him she was pregnant. He was still pretty humble all things considered; always looking to improve. Coach Wheeler was one of his favorite mentors (right after his mum) and he strived to do better by them.
He was bad at Chemistry in school. He wasn’t good at Sudoku. Most recently he felt like he was bad at having sex. The thing he had going with the women he knew didn’t seem to be working for him the way it used to. There was an awkwardness to the hookups when he left. He wasn’t mentally present in the moment.
Harry was pretty certain he would be a shitty boyfriend.
He needed her forgiveness, or the other remaining areas of his life were going to get worse too.
Most notably, he was shit in practice. He worried he was going to be demoted to second string.
Harry arrived early to practice, putting goals in the net two hours before everyone else arrived. He would have to pay to resurface the ice twenty minutes before practice officially started. But he hoped that she was going to show up early with her carrot cake cupcakes. He anticipated she would be just one short. Which Harry deserved on top of everything else too.
Fortunately, she did arrive early.
“Hey,” he waved.
She ignored him, set the cupcakes down on the bench and pulled out her camera. She fiddled with it, wiping the lens off with a cloth, and took some test shots of the ice.
“Rookie, love,” he sighed and skated over to the bench.
“Yes, Mr. Styles? Can I help you?”
“C’mon, Rookie, I’m sorry,” he frowned. “I was just trying to help.”
She rolled her eyes and ignored him. “You must get whatever you want all the time.”
He frowned. “No, I don’t actually,” although from her perspective he could see what she meant.
“Well, me either, so if I’m going to be miserable. So are you.”
He snorted, shook his head. He stepped off the ice and sat on the bench beside her. “I’m sorry, Bunny. Really. I hated that he was bothering you. I didn’t mean t’make it worse, honest. I would have done the same for m’sister or any one of the guys’ girls.”
“I am an adult Harry. I’m independent and I can handle my own shit. You shouldn’t have done that.”
“I understand. M’sorry, really. I won’t do it again. But m’sick of y’being mad at me. S’been no fun this week without skating you around, grossly overtipping you jus’ so you’ll spend extra time with us,” he smiled shyly at her.
She sucked her lip into her mouth. For a moment she looked at her lap, obviously thinking something over. “How’d you know he bought me the wrong skates?” Her voice was quiet.
Harry blinked wondering how long she had that question locked and loaded. He shrugged. “I asked Charlie. He said he didn’t. So, I assumed it had to be him.”
She sighed and looked up. “He said figure skates would make me look like try-hard. Hockey skates would make me look more like I belonged on his arm,” she explained. “I didn’t know. I would have...” she shook her head. “It was eye-opening when you said that, and it hurt... and I took it out on you. I shouldn’t have. I’m sorry too.”
Harry sighed with relief. “You don’t have t’apologize,” he promised. “I’m sorry. Seriously.”
“Apology accepted.”
Harry grabbed her shoulder and squeezed lightly. “Thanks Bunny.”
She wrinkled her nose at him in distaste. “I don’t like Bunny.”
“Oh...” his smile grew by the second. “Y’don’t Rookie, love?” He chuckled standing up and getting back on the ice. “Y’probably shouldn’t have told me that,” he winked and skated off.
“There’s no cupcake for you!” She called.
“That’s okay, Bunny!” He shouted back with a grin and sank a shot from half-ice.
Maybe Harry would be a shitty boyfriend, but he was going to be her best friend instead.
--
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