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TURN THE TV ON â RICHIE JERIMOVICH [Summer Writings]
A/N: Continuing the relationship between Richie x oc (Freya) from a previous summer prompt here. This season ofc was a lot (when is it not?) although many felt like it was missing something I think that was the point of the season to be frustratingly lost or stuck because itâs about subtracting like Carmy said. The removal of a already built foundation to get to the potential of greatness. At what cost though? Weâre seeing it.
I can say itâs not my favorite season but Iâve picked up on what I think theyâre trying to do and we all know âNapkinsâ + âIce Chipsâ were the best of this seasonâsome might disagree with ice chips and wanted that wrapped up in five minutes but itâs significant to explore Natâs struggle with motherhood and her as a character. Everything is always in glimpses with the Berzattoâs upbringing. Natâs part of the bear as well, physically and figurativelyâmore than ever now. Anyways you didnât see this with the intent of a mini analysis thrown in but thatâs just my two cents! I also enjoyed seeing richie bond with Eva đĽš, Nat and Syd. I expected the fallout with him and Carm though, Carmenâs really showing his ass!!! :/
WARNINGS: language, falling into a slump, blocking out emotions, a mention of Palestine, mentions of c*ncer & a mention of an intimate moment between the two characters.
*GIF BELONGS TO: @sharpesjoy !
<- read my previous anthology piece here.
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Freya doesnât blink twice when Richie latches onto her elbow, gaining her attention in her kitchen. His voice is muffled as she slightly turns her head to him, watching his mouth move but not picking up on the words just yet.
She keeps her gaze on Richie as he reaches over her to turn the knob to the stove off. When Freya brings her gaze back to the burnt paper in the frying pan, she realizes what sheâs been up to for however long sheâs been standing in front of the stove.
âFrey,â Richie coughs, fanning the air some, then letting his hand slip to the middle of her back, âwhatâs going on?â
Her eyes have been dry for the past few weeks, that over the counter drops did not do her any justice and she couldnât see a doctor since her insurance through her lackluster job was now over. However after finally hearing Richieâs voice and blinking, it feels like a storm is coming behind those dark eyes.
In due time but not today.
âYour uh, friend? Bahja I think? Reached out to me, said she hasnât heard from you in a couple of days.â Richie continues while the woman breathes, dragging her eyes away from the pan to turn back to the table in the center of the kitchen.
Richie watches her, as she almost springs back into action, rearranging the placement mats on the table, the utensils, and center decor piece before pushing the maple chairs in as if they werenât in as a far as they could go.
âFreya!â Richie snaps, making the woman sharply lift her eyes to his face, he was never one for patience and seeing her like this felt like a distant reminder of when they first met, âwhat is it?â
Freya scoffs out some laughter, folding her arms and placing her clef chin into her shoulder while trying to find the words, ââŚwhere do you want me to start?â
He leans back against the counter, clasping his hands in front of him, âstart with you serving paper for dinner?â
âThose are letters from Jayden.â She informs before pulling her bottom lip in while Richie widens his eyes, âheâs got cancer and he doesnât have much longer according to his doctors. He put me on the list, tells me heâs never taken me off. A invitation to see my abuser, before they deport him back to Portugal to finish out his last months of life. Isnât that lovely?â
Richie lets that soak in.
He didnât know what this poor excuse piece of shit of a person was thinking honestly. Jayden had a lot of nerve and Richie was tempted to take a visit himself. Richie can tell that it was taking a toll on his friend. She doesnât appear as if sheâs been sleeping, her usual wing lined eyes were not in motion, bare and skin rimmed red and heâs been so caught up in his own shit that he couldnât remember the last time sheâs even responded to anything heâs sent her way. He just assumed Freya was busy but she was the kind of person who didnât just disappear, not when they just got back on track after richie was too much in his head about where they took their friendship.
He still remembered what her moans sounded like and he knows he has no business thinking about it, alright!
Not when she was the person he told what Carmy said to him instead of keeping it to himself. He went into detail with Freya and just dropped crumbs in the group chat.
Not when sheâs met Tiffany and Frank.
And especially not when Tiffany gave her stamp of approval, although Richie didnât ask for it or expect Tiffany to show up after Freya was dropping something off to his apartment.
After losing Michael, Richie vowed to pay more attention his friends.
âMumâs not talking to me again since sheâs not getting any more funds from me, talked my sibs out of coming here to spend Aminaâs birthday with me, and I got fired thanks to my views on Palestine and participating in protests.â Freya informed the taller blue eyed man.
He rubs his own face in frustration with her, âwell, fuck. Why? Why didnât you tell me any of this sooner instead of me dumping all my shit with pacifier wearing Carmy on you?â
âItâs not your problem.â Freya shrugged and itâs not like Richie went into a whole turmoil about what happened that night either. It was so clear he was angry, hurt, and even being passive-aggressive about the situation.
So she left her shoulder open, as always.
Richie furrows his brows at that, pushing off the counter, âare you kidding me?! Donât say that shit to me, okay? Anything that involves you is my problem, youâre important too Frey.â
Freya gives a small smile, feeling the weight of emotions being worn on her face then and if she had any more tears left to cry she would. Sheâs a sniffing mess and would blame it on sinuses if she was out in public, digging her knuckles into her burning eyes with no tears; to save those feelings for when sheâs alone.
Richieâs rubbing and squeezing at her shoulders while Freya is taking that moment to herself. She ends up staring at the brash man asking, âso uh, tell me about Ever. Sorry about bailing by the way.â
He asked her to come with him two days before the funeral, she didnât pick up his call so he knew a text would do, figuring she was at work and not going back and forth with HR over wrongful termination.
âAfter everything that youâve been keeping to yourself? I donât blame you, kid.â Richie responds while Freya lets out a humorless laugh, âenough about meâŚwhat are you going to do?â
Freya lifts her shoulders as she glanced to her left where her living room sits, âwhat Iâve been doingâŚtaking time to figure it out. People take all the time so I guess now itâs my turn.â
Richie feels like he should know what this means, wondering if this will lead to a sense of better direction for his friend or worse. Sheâs always been soft hearted and that certainly wasnât a bad thing but she felt closed off right nowâalmost cold and Richie began to wonder if he should have checked in earlier.
âStop that,â she snaps her fingers at Richie seeing the guilt in his eyes, âIâm responsible for my own life. Iâll get through this whenever the time is rightâŚjust have to feel it for a bit, âtis all.â
Leaning forward, she tucks her head underneath Richieâs chin and he doesnât hesitate to move his hands to lock against her lower back, resting his cheek right on top her now chopped dark hair. The embrace feels nice, right and says that no matter what jar of emotions spilled, they still had each other.
Freya deeply exhaled, eyes closed as she numbs it all out, almost sinking into Richieâs frame as if sheâs ready to clock out of the world for at least a few hours instead of feeling it melt away from her. Pulling back she fixes the scarf on her head and heads over to her couch, tucking a leg underneath her before gazing at the black tv and not liking the smidge of a reflection of herself on the black screen, she reaches for the remote and turns the tv on.
Her eyes are in front of her but uses her free hand to pat the cushions for Richie to join her.
Heâs in dark attire: a black t-shirt and a gold chain with dark blue washed jeans but as good as Freya knew the older man, he probably kept an extra black blazer in his car somewhere. The suits and blazers were a good look on Richie, gave him a sense of purpose and professionalismânever snobbyâwhile still holding a welcoming nature in his bright blue hues and gestures to strangers.
Freya was no stranger.
Itâs the same when he plops down beside her though with a groan, lanky long limbs stretched out in front of him as he folds his hands on top of his growing hair. He also turns to the tv, watching as Freya loads some app to play a movie.
Richie reads the title of choice out loud, âThe Umbrellas of CherbourgâŚis this one of those sappy musical movies youâre into?â
âAre you judging me Richard Lawrence? Do I grill you when go into your deep dives of Sci-Fi?â Freya points the remote at Richie, with slits in her eyes, making Richie raise his hands in surrender.
âDamn, I canât ask questions, Freya Freyay Mazari?â He says in a mocking tone, throwing a nickname in place of if she had a middle name would be while Freya rolls her eyes, shuffling over to toss a pillow in his lap before laying her head there.
Richie shakes his head at the woman before bringing his attention back to the screen. The open credits are filled with the sound of flutes and the sunset over a water town, followed by a shot of cobblestone, people walking and the vibrant shades of umbrellas popping open as rain pattered over their heads.
ââŚTiff says I should bring you to the wedding.â Richie interrupts as the credits drag on.
Freya curls her feet up and nuzzles her face against her folded hands sheâs laying against, âyeah? The one you still wonât RSVP to?â
Richie scoffs, âIâm gonna!â
âWhen? Itâs in September.â
ââŚhow do you know that?â Thereâs a scowl on the bearded manâs face.
âOh Tiffany and I are tight.â The British woman tells, âEver since we first met back at your flat, accidentally. Apparently her and Frank sent me requests on Facebook not too long ago but I wasnât sure if Frank was thee Frank you referred to and I really didnât expect him to look like that so I accepted Tiffanyâs first before getting confirmation.â Freya rants while richie pinched at the space in between his brows.
Frankâs request was still pending on Richieâs account and Frank never brought it up when they were face to face. Itâs not like Richie would lie if the guy ever did bring it up. He personally had enough of Frank whenever he saw Tiffanyâs profile picture when she commented on whatever post Richie decided to share to his two-hundred and six âfriends.â Frank was kissing her cheek, her hand holding onto his shoulder, oval rock on her finger was shining as she gently smiled at the camera.
Tiffany deserved happiness, this Richie knew, he was just numbing it down until the feeling was gone.
âIâll RSVP if you agree to be my plus one, you fucking crumpet.â Richie lifts his hips, making Freya complain now that he was ruining her comfortability, only for a second as he pulled out his phone.
Freya debates, ânow I dunno if I want to when you just insulted me.â
âWhat?â Richie unlocks his phone, âcrumpet is a cute nickname! A loving term of endearment! You wonât teach me any Arabic anyway so thatâs your fault.â
Freya just hums as she tries to focus on the tv.
Itâs gone quiet besides the clacking from Richieâs phone as he goes through his texts, trying to find the old link Tiffany sent him. The tv continues playing its dream-like music and Freya even starts to feel her eyes close until Richie grabs her hip, pulling so that she can see the invitation right in front of her face.
âYouâll go with me?â His eyes quickly go from her lips then to her own eyes.
And she looks into his eyes, knowing that itâs genuine, that he wants her there beside him, needs her there with him. Freya knows the man isnât too proud to beg and they never pity each other.
âGo on and save the date then, yeah? So I can get back to my movie.â She teases with a wave of her hand, the faded henna on her fingers were still noticeable and pretty. She tucks that same hand underneath her face again, turning back to the screen.
Richie deeply exhaled, tossing his phone to the side after tapping on the screen to lock in his new spotâofficially being a ex-husbandâas he lets this action finally sink in. He was going to watch his ex-wife love someone else for however many years the creator upstairs allowed.
Yet he wouldnât feel as alone this time.
He pinches Freyaâs cheeks together, her complaints were ignored as he pressed a lingering scratchy kiss to her cheek, âthank you, Kochanie. There is that better?â
Usually part of Richieâs native tongue was only reserved for his baby girl, Eva. Most of the time insults were his way of showing his love and Freya was no different, regardless of how sensitive she often was.
Freya uses the sleeve of her beige zip up hoodie to wipe some of the saliva off her cheek, âI guess? No need to thank me, thatâs what mates are for, babe.â
Mates.
Something Richie wanted because he knew he wasnât over Tiffany and knew he wasnât when his mouth went to work on Freyaâs lower region back during that freezing winter. However he was positive that Tiffany wasnât in his head when they did that they did. The pair came to an understanding back in July and leaving each other alone wasnât the answer.
He also knew what Freya deserved but heâd be lying if he said he wouldnât be crushed if she hit him up one day to tell him that she found someone else too.
So he lets one hand rest on her hip, absentmindedly caressing the bone while flicking his attention to the tv.
Until the feeling is gone.
If ever.
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Continue with my summer anthology writings & prompts here.
#Spotify#queued#richie jerimovich#Richie jerimovich x oc#Richie jerimovich x reader#the bear#the bear season 3#the bear s3#the bear spoilers#summer writings#summer fiction#ebon moss bachrach
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Review: We'll Always Have Summer
Just when Isabel thinks she had everything mapped out, life proves that when it comes to love, you can never have all the answers . . .Isabel has only ever loved two boys, Conrad and Jeremiah Fisher. Sheâs grown up with them, and canât imagine life without them.One broke her heart, the other made her happier than she ever thought sheâd be.But each brother is keeping a secret from Isabel, and thisâŚ
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#book lover#book review#book review blog#genie in a novel#jenny han#summer fiction#the summer i turned pretty#ya fiction#ya romance#young adult fiction#young adult novel
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Tests | 2023
#artists on tumblr#illustration#celia lowenthal#scifi art#science fiction#last summer i read ender's game and while overall i didn't like it it did kind of indirectly inspire this#scifi illustration
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So, Iâve had the thought of âwhat if Max never intercepted the bullet, and Peter did die.â Because Iâve never been happy a day in my life. This image of Peter shot and the LIB coming in and possessing his body to take Max and Peter away has been haunting me for a few weeks now, soooâŚ.
I did this on Medibang pro, which I havenât touched in years, but yknow what, I had a good time! Sorry about this one.
#nector art!#fanart#starkid#peter spankoffski#If I had a nickel for every traumatized fictional Peter that had a history with the supernatural#Iâd have two nickels#well technically the spiderverse exists so Iâd actually have infinity nickels#and I could afford a two story house in America#:/#anywayâŚâŚâŚ#my summer is going poorly#might die#might run into traffic#might just#tw blood
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staying at theo nottâs over the summer
youâve been staying at theoâs parentsâ estate over the summer holidays for a few weeks now, itâs a huge house with not enough people to fill it. you donât mind though since it gives you plenty of peace and privacy with your boyfriend. you knew he was rich but you had never known how rich until you arrived here. everyday had been almost the exact same routine, not that it bothered you. this was the most relaxed youâd been all year. the mornings were quiet and often spent picking fruit in their orchard or picking out the days book & matching bikini. his parents were gone most of the time, leaving theo cocky enough to try and fuck you in every corner of the house, inside and out. the tennis court, the pool, the couch, the sauna, the kitchen, the terrace, the garden and the kitchen. while you admired his (constant) efforts, all you could really muster up the energy to do was sunbathe by the pool with pansy. it was supposed to be your holiday too after all. the italian sun was giving you a gorgeous golden glow that made theo drool all over his dinner each night- which, luckily, his parents were too self-absorbed to ever notice. most nights after dessert you and theo go out to the pool house, where pansy and draco were staying, to share a joint or two. you giggle and laugh for hours into the night with smoke hanging thickly in the still summer air, until theo starts to see your red eyes droop - thatâs when he knows itâs time to call it a night. he walks with you, hand in hand, up to the bedroom youâve been sharing. he tucks you in, kisses you on the forehead and walks to the bathroom to brush his teeth before bed. as he turns the tap on, the sound of steadily flowing water sends you off to a peaceful sleep, content to do it all again tomorrow.
đđ¸đđ (moodboard link)
#italian summer theo is sweet and lazy i love him#i wanna lie around with him all day#no plot just vibes#omg iâm scared this is the most iâve written in a while#{rubyâs writings}#theo x reader#theodore nott x reader#theo nott x reader#rubyâs moodboards#theo nott summer#theo nott imagine#theodore nott imagine#theo nott fluff#theo nott fan cast#theo nott moodboard#theodore nott#theo nott#theo nott aesthetic#lorenzo zurzolo#fanfic#harry potter aesthetic#harry potter fanfiction#fanfiction#theo nott fan fic#theodore nott fan fic#theo not fan fiction#theodore nott fan fiction#aesthetic board#moodboard#{rubyâs moodboards}
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Imagine going to the pool with Ellie.
imagine seeing her in swimmsuit for the first time, and her seeing you in one for the first time.
imagine her not being able to take her eyes off of you.
imagine her pushing you into the pool (lol)
imagine her laughing like she never did before while splashing you with water and having fun
imagine her hugging you from behing in the pool.
imagine her noticing how you were hiding yourself under the towel cause you felt insicure and then she kissed every part of you that you felt insicure about and told you how beautiful you looked in that bathing suit
imagine her getting a sunburn and then coming to you and crying like a little kid
imagine her falling asleep in the sun next to you
imagine her bringing water guns and having a fun little water gun fight with you.
live laugh love Ellie Willams
#fiction#video games#fanfic#summer#ellie williams the last of us#ellie fanfic#ellie the last of us#ellie#ellie tlou2#ellie williams x reader#ellie williams#ellie tlou#ellie x fem reader#wlw#x reader#x y n#x yn#lesbian#girls<3#girls like girls#comfort#fluff#fanfic writter#fanfic writing#fanfiction#andreaheartscats#andreahearts#fandom#tlou#the last of us
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iwryfanficmarathon's 20th anniversary
bangel + locations âł angel's apartment (sunnydale + los angeles)
#iwryficmarathon2024#bangel#bangeledit#buffy summers#angel btvs#btvs#btvsedit#ats#atsedit#dailybtvs#buffysource#filmtv#tvedit#bal#closing this marathon with the final gifset of this endless series#thank you to every person who worked so hard to make this event happen#and thank you to the people who participated and shared with us their very talented selves whether with fictions or visual arts#long live bangel
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#vhs#vhs aesthetic#photo#batman returns#batman forever#pulp fiction#edward scissorhands#final destination#queen of the damned#i still know what you did last summer#bride#scream#it#bride of chucky#warner bros#batman#interview with the vampire#90s movies#90's movies#film#movies
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How would W react to an MC who is obsessed with them? Like they need help with a small thing? MC drop everything and run to the rescue. W doesnât take care of themselves? Why bother when MC takes care of them.
Wâs presence wasnât always loud, but it was startling, an emotional thunderhead that you could feel rumbling in your ribs before it even fully cracked.
when the call came, their voice tried to sound casual but failed miserably. âi, uh, could use a hand with something.â
it didnât matter what it wasâsomething about a deadline theyâd forgotten or a lamp theyâd broken while pacing in frustration. you didnât even ask. you dropped your coffee cup on the kitchenette counter, grabbed your jacket, and bolted out the door without thinking twice.
the quick walk to their suite was a blur and when you arrived, W was sitting cross-legged on the couch, their thin frame curled in on itself. they were wearing a mismatched pair of socks, one of them being yoursâthe blue one with the tiny stars that youâd lost weeks agoâand it was enough to make your heart ache.
âwhatâs wrong?â you asked, dropping your jacket at the door and crossing the room in three long strides.
W didnât answer right away. their fingers were busy tracing invisible patterns on the edge of their sweater, which was so oversized it might as well have been a blanket. their silence stretched like a taut wire, and then, finally, they said, âi forgot to eat again.â
your chest tightened. not with anger, not even with frustration, but with the unbearable weight of love for someone who couldnât always love themself. you didnât say anything. you just walked into their kitchenette and started rummaging through cabinets and the refridgerator.
there wasnât much to work withâa box of crackers, a bruised apple, a carton of almond milk. it didnât matter. you threw together something small and easy and brought it back to W, sitting beside them on the couch.
they looked at the plate like it was a challenge, their fingers twitching toward it but never quite making contact.
âiâm sorry,â they murmured, their voice barely above a whisper.
âdonât,â you said, shaking your head. âyou donât have to apologize.â
âi do,â they insisted, their voice cracking. âyou shouldnât have toââ
âW,â you interrupted, your tone firmer than before. âiâm here because i want to be. because i love you. thatâs it. thatâs all there is to it.â
they looked at you then, their sapphire blue eyes watery and wide, and for a moment, you thought they might cry. instead, they reached for the plate and took a small bite of the apple. it wasnât much, but it was definitely a start.
that night, after theyâd eaten what they could and youâd cleaned up the remnants, you found yourself sitting together on the couch. W was curled against your side, their head resting on your shoulder, their fingers absently tracing shapes on your arm.
âyouâre warm,â they murmured, their voice soft and sleepy. âand you smell nice. like fresh laundry.â
you smiled, pressing a kiss to their temple. âand youâre wearing my missing sock.â
âitâs a good sock,â they said with a tired chuckle, tugging at the hem of it. âbetter than the pairs i own.â
âyou couldâve just asked for it,â you said.
they tilted their head to look up at you, their expression caught somewhere between a smirk and a fond smile. âand whereâs the fun in that?â
***
later, as the night deepened, W began to fidget. their fingers, which had been drawing lazy circles on your arm, began to scratch at their own thigh, leaving faint red marks in their wake.
âstop,â you said gently, catching their hand in yours.
they flinched but didnât pull away. âsorry.â
âdonât apologize,â you said, your voice kind. âjust⌠tell me whatâs wrong.â
they hesitated, their gaze fixed on the floor.
âi donât know how to stop feeling like this,â they admitted. âlike iâm⌠too much. or not enough. or both at the same time.â
your heart broke for the hundredth time that day. you pulled them closer, wrapping your arms around them like you could shield them from the weight of their own thoughts.
âyouâre not too much,â you said. âand youâre not not enough. youâre exactly who youâre supposed to be.â
they didnât respond, but their body relaxed slightly against yours. after a moment, they said, âi love you so much, i canât bear the pain.â
the words were so quiet you almost missed them, but when they sank in, they hit you like a freight train. you tightened your hold on them, pressing a kiss to the crown of their head.
âi love you so much, iâll bear it for you,â you whispered.
W looked up at you then, their eyes soft and full of something you couldnât quite name.
âyou mean that?â they asked tentatively.
âevery word,â you replied, leaving no room for doubt. W said nothing but their smile was brighter than the lights in the room.
after a while, W whispered in latin, âte amabo aeternum.â
you recognized the words instantly, even though Wâs accent was softer, less confident. i will love you forever.
âamabo te in aeternum,â you corrected gently, your voice warm and teasing. the structure mattered less than the sentiment, but you couldnât help it. Wâs latin was too endearing to leave unpolished.
âof course youâd fix that,â they muttered with a faint smile, their tone holding no actual irritation. âyou always seem to know everything, donât you?â
ânot everything,â you said, smiling softly as you ran your thumb along the back of their hand. âjust the important parts. like how much you mean to me.â
W looked up at you then, their blue eyes catching the light and you leaned in closer, your nose brushing against theirs.
âet ego te amo.â and i love you, you said, soft but firm, as if the words themselves could shield them from everything clawing at their mind.
they sighed, a sound that carried equal parts relief and exhaustion, and melted against you. âthank you for everything, mein stern.â
***
as the night wore on, W continued murmuring fragments of latin into the quietââes somnium meum,â they said at one point, and it took you a moment to piece it together. you are my dream.
you tightened your hold on them. âtibi in somniis et re in aeternum pertinebo,â you whispered back. i will belong to you in your dreams and reality forever.
that earned a smile from W, small but real, and when they finally closed their eyes, you stayed awake, holding them close. you whispered one final phrase into the night, one you werenât even sure theyâd catch:
âin saecula saeculorum.â forever and ever.
they didnât respond, but their breathing slowed, steady and even, their body curled against yours with all the trust and affection that they could ever afford to give back.
#my sweet blonde summer child#excuse my rusty latin translations#trying my best with dictionaries and whatnot#but this is pretty good practice ngl#if: the ballad of the young gods#interactive fiction#interactive novel#interactive story#twine wip#ro: w ostendorf#ro scenarios#tw: eating disorder
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lesbianizes your scott summers. cyclops wears MY clothes now.
[id in ALT]
#caption mostly a joke but 1) i do love lesbian cyclops and 2)#there is something very fun to me about dressing this fictional dude in the clothes that i a lesbian#have bought for myself largely from the men's section. like that's just interesting and fun to me in a gender way.#i have lesbianized the clothes by loving them and wearing them and then giving them to this dude in that context#is fun. idk. anyway.#scott summers#x men#w.me#my art
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Release Details:
Todayâs release is one chapter, adding 439k words because of all the different outcomes. It covers the entire quiz but nothing else, and I am curious to learn who can get their partner to answer all the questions right (it is possible). Anyway, enjoy!
Game Summary:
Welcome to Summer of Love. You and nine other singles will enter a luxury villa and couple up, spending a month in each otherâs company, along with a few extras along the way â youâll live together, eat together, sleep together, and hopefully, fall in love together. Sound familiar? Thought so â but instead of coupling ceremonies being split by boys and girls as is typical in shows like these, the public will be the ones deciding the order of who gets to pick, and as the cast is an all-bi one, you can pick whoever you like, so long as they havenât already been picked. At the end of the month, the most popular couple could win as much as ÂŁ500,000, depending on what challenges you win or lose and how well you win over the public. As for the other couples? As there are no dumpings, everyone has the potential to find love, and those in exclusive relationships by the end could also win as much as ÂŁ100,000 per couple. So, how much you win is entirely down to you. Ready for your summer of love to begin?
Play Chapters 1-11 now!
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Review: It's Not Summer Without You
Last year, all of Bellyâs dreams came true and the thought of missing a summer in Cousins Beach was inconceivable. But like the rise and fall of the ocean tide, things can changeâ just like that. Suddenly the time sheâs always looked forward to most is something she dreads. And when Jeremiah calls to say Conrad has disappeared, Belly must decide how she will spend this summer: chasing after theâŚ
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#book lover#book review#book review blog#genie in a novel#jenny han#summer fiction#the summer i turned pretty#ya fiction#ya romance#young adult fiction#young adult novel
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part of the BRIEFS 2024 DEATH COLLECTION free bundle
Take part in a collective rite of putrefaction. The world is dying, and you with it. Venice - frail, alien, abandoned - welcomes you in your last moments. Experience memories of death in Venice's past through six game poems across the city's sestiere districts: a death of biodiversity, a death of institutions, of community... then ponder your feelings on endings and change, talk it out with the city herself. It's all either of you has left. Venice is dying. This game is for her, and for the Venetians who resist.
Experience six different kinds of puzzles-less, frictionless interaction
All dialogue choices steer you toward one of three endings
Informed by global+hyperlocal social and environmental issues
Enriched by more than a hundred photos taken in and around Venice
Fullscreen recommended! Optimized for laptops; playable on anything bigger than 1000x550
Approximately one hour long
CW: terminal illness, death, environmental catastrophe
By far my most ambitious IF piece yet, both in scope and presentation!
#death to venice#videogames#twine game#interactive fiction#if game#my games#The toootally unbiased BRIEFS organizers promoted it as 'possibly the best looking twine game'#so anyway this is what I've been doing all summer
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HAY-FEVER
Abby Anderson x fem!reader
summary: you've fallen sick, and you don't want Abby to get sick too- she says it's just hay-fever.
warnings: none, fluff, she's the loml, kissing
btw I'm 90% sure that hay-fever is a British term: hay-fever literally just means seasonal allergies.
DAY 5 OF SAPPHIC SUMMER
WC - 440
"no- babe, you can't kiss me right now" you laugh, pushing back against your girlfriends face,a genuinely upset expression on her face.
it was a Wednesday morning, and you and Abby had nothing to do today, so here you were still in bed as the sunrise filters through the closed blinds, Abby's freckled face bathed in the orange glow of the sun.
if it wasn't for the stuffed feeling in your nose, the gross scratch of your throat and the rasp in your voice, you and Abby would be intertwined in more ways than one.
however, although unfortunate, you had decided on an affection ban- leading to a roar of outrage from your girlfriend, genuine offense displayed on her pretty facial features
god, she was so pretty, so fucking kissable. but no- you couldnt give in- Abby when she was sick, was basically Abby but 10x more affectionate.
which- wouldn't be a bad thing, except the fact that having her strong arms wrapped around your waist as she kisses up your torso would not help you tend to the farm you and Abby took care of and lived on.
she hugged in frustration, her face nuzzling into the softness of your tummy, groaning in annoyance,
"whyyy though darlin'- 's just hayfever' she whined, pretty blue eyes fluttering up at you, pressing a kiss to where her face was and started wriggling back up, her hands resting on each side of your head, being careful to avoid your sprawled out hair on the floral pillows "not like I'm gonna catch anything"
"you don't know that baby- and I ain't willing to take any chances" you replied, flicking at your girlfriends nose, another playful smile appearing on her face.
"fine- I'll let you win this one, just 'cus I don't want to stress my poor- ailing girlfriend" she chuckles "ya throat still sore?"
you give a meek nod, groaning at the feeling of Abby pushing up from the mattress, "be back in a sec baby"
it felt like only a second- although you knew that was wrong, floating in and out of sleep not helping your grip on time.
a soft clink of porcelain and wood hits your ears, peering your eyes open to see Abby, now dressed in her usual jeans and vest, hair braided messily, put down a steaming mug of tea, the slight smell of honey drifting through the room.
her lips press against your forehead, soft butterfly kisses comforting you.
"holla if you need anything darl- gotta make sure the barn animals haven't broke loose and caused havoc on the crops" she hums, "love ya doll".
#lesbian#the last of us#wlw#lesbian fic#abby anderson x reader#abby the last of us#abby tlou#abby x reader#abby headcanons#abby imagine#abby anderson x you#abby anderson fan fiction#abby anderson x female reader#abby anderson#the last of us fic#the last of us part 2#tlou 2#tlou fic#sapphic summer
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i've been yours since you stepped through the door tonight - andrei svechnikov
pairing: andrei svechnikov x original female character
warnings: swearing, drinking alcohol, lotta fluff, inaccuracies regarding anything athletic trainer related (timeline of training, terminology, etc), proofread maybe once, mentions of injuries, author has never been to raleigh, mostly based off the first hald of the 2023-2024 season but i couldn't be bothered to keep track how often svech had been in and out lmfao
title: "almost touch me" by maisy kay, also inspired by "lowkey" by NIKI
word count: 16k
author's note: this idea's been swirling around my head for awhile now, but @wyattjohnston's summer fic exchange 2024 inspired me to really revive it. @callsign-denmark, this is for you, my friend. i hope you enjoy it!
~*~*~
âChrissy!â
Christina turns around from where sheâs restocking ice packs in the training room. She nods at the smiley Russian. âSvech.â
He walks to her and swings an arm around her shoulder in a friendly side-hug. âGood summer?â
âIt was alright,â her summer back home in the Delaware suburbs wasnât anything to write home to. And Andrei Svechnikov is technically a coworker who doesnât need to know everything. âGood to be back though.âÂ
âI know what you mean,â he says. Andrei leans back against one of the treatment tables. âYou graduated, right? College?â
She blinks. When did she ever mention that to him last season? âI did. Back in May. The week after playoffs ended.â
âCongratulations.â
She smiles genuinely, turning to face him completely. âThank you. Did you need something?â
âNope,â he says with a smile that somehow still stuns Christina even after a season of seeing it so much. âI just wanted to say hi and welcome back.â
âWell, welcome back to you too.â As heâs turning away to go to fitness testing, she calls out. âHey! Come back after youâre done. Should check on the knee before you go home.â
He halts, turning back around with a raised eyebrow. âIs that part of my regimen to get back to playing?â
âHas Doug told you?â
âTold me what?â
Clearly not then. Trust her boss, whoâs lovely but also like a purposefully annoying father, to leave it to her to break the news. âThey put me in charge of you this season.â
âMe?â
âWell, your recovery. And not completely. Obviously, Doug will still have final say. But if anythingâs going on, Iâm your person. Especially as youâre getting back into it.â
âOh?â Andrei smirks and Christina refuses to be affected by it.Â
âIs that gonna be a problem?â
He shakes his head slowly. âOf course not. I trust you.â
âThen I better see you before you leave today.â
âDeal.â He shoots her one last smile. âBye Chrissy.â
âSee you later, Svech.â Andrei brushes shoulders with Brady and they exchange excited greetings. She waits until Andrei leaves the room and smiles. âWhat can I do for you, Brady?â
âGot any tape?â
âPlenty.â She heads to the cabinet. âTake a seat.â
Christina Hawthorne feels very fortunate to even be back in this training room. After a co-op with the Hurricanes last season with their athletic training team, she graduated from UNC Chapel Hill in the spring. They liked her enough to offer her a position on the team for this season while she prepares for her certification test in January. Theyâre putting an immense amount of trust in her, and she couldnât be more grateful.Â
She loves the guys, so itâs nice to see that they seem to like her enough to keep her around.Â
When she has a few free minutes with no players trailing into the training room, she wanders over to the gym. She may have had dreams to be a professional ballerina when she was very young, but actually working with professional athletes everyday is definitely a humbling experience.Â
Sheâs sure to stay out of the way as the players are getting tested, leaning against the wall and sorta zoning out. She takes note of Andreiâs visible frustration at himself for not getting some of the results he wants. She knows that he wonât be ready for the first few games, and he knows too. But sheâs sure heâs not happy about it.Â
As promised, Andrei does come back to the training room after his fitness tests. She wrinkles her nose as Sebastian ruffles her dyed blonde hair in thanks for helping him stretch out before he leaves. She brushes her fingers through her hair to try and tame it. âOh good, youâre back.â
âI promised, no?â He takes a seat on the table and puts his leg up.Â
âHow did today go?â
He huffs. âFine.â
She presses her thumb against a particular part of his knee and he hisses. She immediately stops and does the same to the other side. No reaction there. She quickly turns to scribble something down in her notes. âI know this is annoying. But youâll be back on the ice soon.â
âNot frustrated at you,â Andrei says, running a hand through his sweaty hair. âJust myself.â
âDonât be,â Christina says, gesturing for him to lie down. âHave you been doing the stretches youâre supposed to be doing?â
âHow do you know what Iâm supposed to be doing?â
âBecause I look over your notes and your trainers and the medical staff are in constant contact.â
He chuckles. âRight. Yes, I have been.â
âYou lying to me?â
âNever.â
She bends his knee against his chest. âThen believe me. Youâll be back on the ice soon.â
âOkay,â he replies simply. âI believe you.âÂ
She twists slightly. âAny pain?â
âNo.âÂ
Christina grins, then twists it the other way. âHow about now?â
âNo.â
âMusic to my ears,â she gestures for him to sit up. âYouâre good to go.â
âYou sure?â
âUnless thereâs something else you want me to look at.â
He shakes his head. âNo. I think Iâm good.â
âThen Iâll see you tomorrow.â
He gets up and flashes her a smile. âSee you, Chrissy. Thanks. As always.â
She waves him off. âJust doing my job. Have a good night.â
âŚ..
College was hard, but having a full-time job while trying to study for a certification is a whole new game. Trying to fit in study time while doing a job that already has weird hours is also another thing. Christinaâs lucky that the athletic training and medical team understands and lets her study when the players are on the ice or sheâs not needed. She even has her own little table in the trainersâ office this year, where sheâs often found pooling over textbooks and scribbling notes.Â
Training camp and pre-season is a chaotic time for a lot of reasons. Thereâs more players to keep track of and people are dusting off their rust. No one ever wants to get hurt of course, but especially not during pre-season. Which means everyone is also taking extra precautions. With new faces comes new routines and an adjustment period.Â
Christina has a few moments of quiet, the last pre-season game occurring later that evening against Nashville. Players arenât coming into the arena for at least another hour, and she pours over a chapter in her textbook. She has a pink highlighter in her mouth and a blue one in her hand when someone knocks on the wall.Â
She looks up to see Andrei, who looks amused. âSorry. Are you busy?â
She spits out the highlighter gracefully and caps them both. âNot at all. Whatâs up?â
âAre you sure?â He nods over to her books. âYou look busy.â
âWhatâs up, Svech?â She repeats.Â
He takes the hint. âCan you stretch out my hamstring?â
âIs it-â
âNo. Itâs not bad enough to need Doug. Just a little tight. And you said I should go to you whenever I need something.â
She stands up as they both head into the training room. âI did say that, yes. Which one?â He points at his right hamstring and she starts.Â
âWhat were you doing earlier? With the books?â
âIâm taking a certification exam in January.â
âFor what?â
âTo become an official athletic trainer.â
âYouâre not one already?â
âI am not,â she says. âDonât worry. Thatâs why Doug and the rest of the team do all the nitty-gritty stuff.â
âIâm surprised,â Andrei says. âI thought you were, like, official. You seem to know everything.â
She chuckles, feeling a knot and focusing on that area. âThatâs kind of you. I definitely donât though.â She sees his breath hitch and grimaces. âSorry. Just a few more seconds.â
âItâs your job,â he says in a strained voice. âYou donât have to apologize.â
âWell, I still feel bad when my job elicits pain in others,â she says. After two minutes, she nods. âNeed more?â
He moves his leg around and shakes his head. âI think Iâm good. Thanks.â
âOf course.â She looks at the clock hanging up on the wall and furrows her eyebrows. âYouâre in early.â
Andrei shrugs. âI like to come in early.â
âI know,â the right side of her lip quirks up as tilts her head to the side. âThis is really early though, even for you.â
âWell, youâre in too,â he says. âSo why canât I be?â
She chuckles. âIâm not saying you canât, Svech. Iâm just saying I didnât expect to be seeing any hockey player for at least another hour.â
âWas feeling too restless at home,â Andrei says.Â
She suddenly gets an idea. âAre you busy right now? Am I keeping you from anything?â
Ha shakes his head, âNot at all.â
âWanna help me study?â
âI donât know if I can be much help.â Nonetheless, he follows her back into the offices.Â
She pulls out a chair for him to sit in and opens her textbook back up. âI study best when I can talk to someone and describe a concept or topic and they tell me it makes sense. I would be a shitty athletic trainer if I canât tell the athlete what Iâm doing.â
âSo all I have to do is sit here and listen?â
âAnd ask questions if Iâm not making any sense,â she bites her lip. âAgain, if you have other places to be, I get it. This isnât the most interesting stuff but-â
âNo, no.â He assures before smiling widely. She has an urge to poke her finger in his dimple. âIâd love to help.â
Christina smiles in satisfaction as she flips through her pages. Andrei sits back and makes himself comfortable.Â
Yeah, sheâs glad to be back.Â
âŚ..
Every year, the players, coaches and staff head out to a bar in downtown Raleigh before the start of the first regular season game. Itâs to stir up excitement and camaraderie before the season starts. Christina couldnât make it last year because she had class, but as sheâs looking at herself in the mirror âa fitted white t-shirt under a green leather jacket she rarely gets to wear that her sister bought her for Christmas and light washed flare jeans â she tells herself to call the damn Uber before she backs out.Â
Itâs not that she doesnât like her coworkers. She really likes them, actually. But seeing them outside of work in a social situation where she could make a fool of herself is a bit anxiety-inducing.Â
Once she thanks her Uber driver, she steps out into the swanky rooftop bar that has her tapping her foot as she waits for the elevator. Once she steps up, itâs easy to find the Canes crew, various familiar faces crowded around a specific area of the spacious rooftop. Taylor, the head of social content, who Christinaâs become good friends with, sees her first and waves her over, and soon Christina is enveloped in exciting chatter. Taylor, the saint they are, pushes a White Russian, Christinaâs favorite drink, in her hands.Â
Christina canât feel too bad. The organization is heading the bill tonight and sheâs gonna milk that for all itâs worth.Â
A bit later, when sheâs on her third drink of the night and feeling comfortably tipsy observing the people around her, she feels a tap on her shoulder. She turns around in her stool and immediately beams.Â
âAndrei!â
Andrei laughs and returns Christinaâs enthusiastic hug before he leans his hip against the bar counter. âHey Chrissy. You having fun?â
âPlenty.â She giggles. âEspecially now that youâre here.â
Maybe itâs her tipsy self or the bar lighting, but she swears his cheeks become redder. Pair that with his button up shirt that has the top buttons undone and a pair of dark jeans and Christina needs to chill. âIâve been trying to get to you all night,â he says. âYouâre a popular woman. I saw Coach laughing at your jokes.â
She shrugs nonchalantly, leaning her chin on her palm. âIâm a funny gal, what can I say?â
âA confident one too,â he says, nodding to her empty glass. âWhat are you drinking?â
âYou do know that the tab is on the Canes tonight, right? You donât need to butter me up with drinks.â
Andrei rolls his eyes playfully and Christina bursts out into giggles. âIâm not trying to..butter you up? What does that even mean?â
âLike, uh, flatter me or whatever to get something. Like youâre doing something only hoping that youâll get something out of it.â
âIâm definitely not trying to do that. Iâm just trying to be nice. So what are you drinking?â
She offers a toothy grin. âA White Russian, please.â She pokes his shoulder. âKinda like you, I guess.â Andrei snorts before waving down the bartender to order her drink. She squints at the drink in his hand. âJust a beer?â
âDonât feel like getting too drunk tonight.â
âHow responsible of you.â
He smiles, and Christina is suddenly overcome by the urge to kiss him. But she shakes her head and refocuses back on whatever heâs saying. He leans in closer to hear her response and she has to swallow roughly so her voice doesnât crack.Â
Talking with Andrei is always so seamless. The conversation may shift between three different topics in two minutes but it feels natural. Christina never has an urge to overthink when sheâs talking with Andrei. Heâs funny and sweet and makes her feel like sheâs actually being listened to.Â
In a world where sheâs surrounded by men on a daily basis, itâs stupidly rare to feel as heard as she does whenever she speaks to the star winger of the Carolina Hurricanes.Â
After she finishes her drink, she realizes she should probably start thinking about going home. They all technically have work tomorrow, even if itâs a later start, and people are starting to filter out, having come by to say goodbye to the both of them in the last 10 minutes.Â
She starts to stand up and immediately sways on her feet. âWoah,â Andrei says, immediately putting a hand on her waist to steady her. âSlowly.â
âIâm fine,â Christina says, slapping his hand but ultimately grabbing onto his wrist as she steadies herself. âI should probably get going.â
Andreiâs eyebrows furrow. âYou didnât drive here, right?â
Christina snorts, âOf course not. I took an Uber.â
âWhere do you live?â
âThe Six Forks area.â
He pinches their empty glasses and puts them on the bar counter, nodding in thanks to the bartender. âYouâre on my way home. I drive you.â
âWhere do you live?â
âNorth Hills.â
She narrows her eyes. âIâm not that drunk to know that thatâs definitely not on your way. Youâd be overshooting.â
âI donât care. Itâs late, and Iâd feel more comfortable if I just drove you home rather than you taking an Uber.â
âAndrei.â She deadpans. âIâm a grown woman. I can get home myself.â
âI know. But just let me drive you. Please.â
She huffs. âFine. Thank you.â
He grins, âAnytime. Letâs say goodbye to everyone and then we head out.â Christina stumbles again and his hand is immediately back on her waist. âSlowly,â he repeats.Â
âIâm fine,â she repeats.Â
After they both say goodbye to everyone whoâs still at the bar (Taylor eyes her with a smirk, gaze shifting between Christinaâs eyes and Andreiâs hand thatâs hovering over her back. Christina just rolls her eyes and discreetly flips them off), Andrei leads her to the parking lot.Â
Christinaâs nose crinkles at the sight of the lamborghini as Andrei unlocks it. âI forgot you drive this.â
Andrei lets out a loud laugh before opening the passenger door. âDonât worry. I drive extra safe with you in the car.â
âThanks,â she mutters, climbing in. Sheâs heard about his questionable driving. She hopes she doesnât regret this.Â
The engine roars to life and Christina rolls her eyes at the sound. Andrei just shoots her a smile before backing out of the spot. He unlocks his phone and hands it to her. âPut in your address.â
She hums, typing it in before putting his phone in the center console. She closes her eyes for a few seconds, before turning her head so that sheâs facing him, leaning on the headrest. âYou really didnât have to do this.â
âYouâre telling me you donât like me as your personal Uber?â Andrei asks. She watches as he turns the wheel with one hand and rests his other hand on the center console shift. âYou feel okay? I can open a window if you need.â
âIâm okay, Svech. Just donât accelerate like a mad man.â
He laughs and she canât help but giggle along. âI wonât. Promise,â he says. âYou like to talk when youâre drunk.â
âNot drunk,â she mutters.Â
Andreiâs hum blends in with the engine. âSure.â
âNot drunk,â she repeats. âEspecially not in front of you all. That would be unprofessional.â
âWhy you afraid of being unprofessional? The staff loves you. The team loves you.â
âIâve worked hard to get here,â she says, forcing her eyes back open so she doesnât fall asleep. âBut the fact that I got this job in the first place is a blessing. Iâm not gonna do anything to fuck it up.â
He nods. She closes her eyes. He gently jostles her awake when theyâre parked in front of her apartment. He insists on walking her up to the door, and she leaves him with another âthank you,â a tight hug and a sleepy smile.Â
He doesnât move his feet until after a minute of staring at her front door.
âŚ..
Opening night is always so thrilling. Of any sport. Christina has to tell herself to stop grinning so widely when the team is getting announced, making sweater paws with a Hurricanes crewneck she found on Etsy. She rocks back and forth in the tunnel, trying to stay out of everyoneâs way on the side while simultaneously trying to see the ice and crowd.Â
Once the game is about to begin and the arena lights come back on, Christina shakes her head at herself to focus. Itâs go-time. Like last year, sheâs not with Doug on the bench â the day she gets on the bench will be the day her heart rate explodes â but sheâs closeby in the tunnel or in the training room, making sure everythingâs all good and sheâs not needed.Â
âHey.â
She turns to see Andrei, in his gray plaid game day suit coming from the bench where he was during player introductions. She smiles, âHi. Happy season opener.â
âHappy season opener.â He grins. âThe red earrings are back.â
Christina automatically reaches to touch the red rose earrings she has on tonight. She puts on a red pair of earrings every game day, whether its a flower, a cool design or ruby studs.
Itâs something she just does for fun. For herself. Sheâs surprised that Andrei has noticed.Â
âYou heading up to the press box?â
âYeah.â
Theyâre interrupted by Bob, the head equipment manager, greeting them with a grin âMiss you out there, Svech.â
âSoon,â Andrei promises.Â
Bob turns to her with a playful raise of his eyebrow. âThat true, Chrissy?â
Christina grins. âThat depends on him,â she jokes. âNo, he should be good to go soon. Let me know if you need any help tonight..â
Bob waves her away. âOf course. Can always count on you. See you both later,â He then heads back to the bench.Â
She takes one last look at the bench to see if anyone needs anything. No one does. She turns back to Andrei. âThanks again for driving me home last week.â
âOf course. Did you wake up okay?â
âI donât get hungover.â
âLucky you.â He shoves his hands in his pockets. âAre you heading on the road trip after this?â
âIâm not, actually. I should be on all the other ones though.â
âWhy not this one?â
She chuckles. âFunnily enough, because of you.â
âIâm sorry.â
âDonât be. Itâs my job. I also think itâs because itâs early in the season so Iâm not really needed yet. Hopefully.â She grimaces, âI just jinxed it, didnât I?â
Andrei laughs, while nodding a greeting at one of the assistant coaches passing by. âMaybe. I feel bad you canât go on the road, though.â
âThere'll be plenty of other chances. You can make it up to me by helping me study again,â she jokes.Â
âI will do it,â he says seriously.Â
âI was kidding.â
âI will do it,â he repeats and clears his throat. âI should head up.â
She nods. âEnjoy watching from above.â
âThanks. I mean it. I will help you study while you put me through painful stretches.â
âThe stretches shouldnât be that painful otherwise youâre not ready to go,â she admonishes. She internally wants to cringe at her tone switch, but she canât help it.Â
Luckily, he just grins, a twinkle in his eye. âI know, I know. Iâm teasing.â
She rolls her eyes. âLeave. I have work to do.â
He laughs, âSee you later, Chrissy.â
âŚ..
Last year, when she still had school, she couldnât go on road trips either â until it came to the playoffs. So she knows what itâs like to come to the rink when no oneâs really around.Â
Christinaâs planning just to come in for a few hours in the morning to gather her own notes and to organize a few things. Also, she might study for a bit, wanting a different environment than her apartment. Andrei also texted her â she got the number of every single player at the start of the season â saying that heâs planning to come in to work on some things with Steven, one of the other assistant athletic trainers whoâs also staying behind this road trip.Â
She taps her ID to get in, sipping her iced latte as she strolls down the hallway. She smiles and nods in greeting to a few staff members who she passes. Heading into the office, she sets her stuff down and immediately pulls out some of her notes, along with going through notes that the team has been sending on their road trip.Â
She hears Andrei before she sees him, the sound of him and Steven talking echoing through the hallway. They come to the office and she gives them both a wave.Â
âGood morning.â
Andrei and Steven both grin. âMorning,â they respond in unison.Â
âDid you get Dougâs notes last night?â Steven asks.Â
âYeah. Iâm in the middle of putting them in.â
âAmazing. Thank you.â Steven pats Andrei on the shoulder. âYouâre all set this morning, Svech. Just remember what I said.â
Andrei nods as Steven leaves the room. âThanks, Steve.â Steve puts his hand up in acknowledgement. Andrei pulls over a chair and sits down. She saves her work. He looks at the pair of old pointe shoes on her desk that she had just remembered to bring in. âWhat are those?â
âOld pointe shoes.â
âWell, yeah. I know what they are. Are they yours?â
She goes to play with one of the fraying ribbons. âThey are. These are the last pair I wore before I left for college. I brought them in as something to put on my desk.â
âI didnât know you danced.â
âWell, you donât know that much about me.â
A pause, before the most beautiful smile spreads across Andreiâs face. âWhat makes this pair so special?â
Christina smiles bittersweetly. âI was pretty good. Like, went to international competitions good. Couldâve maybe done it for a living good. And I loved it so much. But I fucked up my ankle pretty badly when I was 15 and was never the same after that. I still danced and I made a full recovery, but, you know. At my dance studio, every graduating senior got to perform a solo at the yearly showcase and I did mine on pointe. It was a big moment for me.â
âAnd you did it in those shoes.â
She nods. âYup.â
âWas professional dancer the first dream?â
âYes and no. I think as I got older I realized I had other dreams and wanted to do other things. That didnât fully sink into me until the injury. But it wouldâve been cool, you know, be on a stage for a living.â
âDo you still dance?â
âWhen I can. UNC didnât have a ballet company, so I tried to take classes out here in Raleigh. Iâm a bit too busy these days, but Iâd like to get back in a class at some point.â
Andrei hums, reaching to pick up a shoe. He hesitates, looking at her for permission and she nods at him to go ahead. âI just know youâre a beautiful dancer.â
She tries not to blush. But from the knowing glint in his eye, she knows she fails. He places the pointe shoe carefully back on her desk and she looks at the well-worn satin briefly, wondering what that life couldâve been like for her.Â
But then her attention is brought back to Andrei as he asks a question relating to his recovery, and Christina knows sheâs right where she wants to be.Â
âŚ..
The next day, when sheâs not scheduled to go into work, she still somehow sees Andrei.Â
Christina has just finished grabbing lunch with a college friend and decides to wander into a nearby cafe, its flowery and vine covered entrance enticing her. With a book in her tote bag and taste buds that always welcome coffee, she orders a latte and perches herself at a table by the window.Â
Sheâs staring out the window lost in her own world when she hears his name being called out by the barista. She whips her head towards the counter. Thereâs not a lot of people you run into in Raleigh named Andrei. Before she knows it, she makes eye contact with him. She hates that he literally lights up before briskly walking over to her.Â
A backwards cap and a gray henley has never looked so good before. Itâs almost infuriating.Â
He stops abruptly in front of her table, right hand bracing the chair across from her and left hand holding his coffee. âAre you waiting for someone?â
âNot at all.â She grins as he sits down. âEven on my off days, I canât escape.â
Andre laughs, putting his coffee down on the table. âI come here all the time but I never see you here before.â
âI was in the area meeting up for lunch with a friend and the flowers outside convinced me,â she says. âNow that I know this is your spot, Iâll avoid it.â
He rolls his eyes. âDonât do that.â He nods to her open book. âReading?â
âTrying. Been trying to read a bit more because I never had time in college.â
âDid you like college?â
Christina smiles. âI did. Part of it was interrupted by the pandemic, but even then, I had a great time.â
âAre you from Raleigh?â
âNo, Iâm not. I grew up in Delaware, and my familyâs all still there.âÂ
âWhereâs that?â
She chuckles. âA small state around Maryland, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The closest NHL teams would be the Caps and Flyers, probably. But my family are more football fans. Dad loves the Eagles.â
âSo no hockey?â
âNot really. I honestly didnât really get into hockey until working with the Canes.â
âSo now what? Youâre a Canes fan?â
âBecause I work for them, sure. And you guys arenât so bad off the ice either.â
Andrei laughs and itâs such a delightful sound. She puts her chin on her palm and listens as he continues talking.
She was hoping not to have to talk to a single person for the rest of the day. She ends up at that cafe with Andrei for over an hour.
âŚ..
Christina grimaces at her TV as she watches the game end, the Hurricanes now on a three game losing streak. Itâs still early in the season, but no one likes losing. She glances at her phone as it buzzes, knowing itâs a text from Andrei. Theyâve been texting sporadically all night about the game that heâs also watching in his own home. He hasnât outright said it to her, but she imagines itâs frustrating for him because he canât be out on the ice with his teammates.Â
Christina looks at his response with a quiet laugh, shoots back a text and tosses her phone a few feet away from her with a deep breath.Â
The thing is, when she lets herself really think about it, her and Andreiâs professional relationship from the start has always been different compared to her relationship with the other players. From the first time she introduced herself and saw his smile, she knew this was gonna be tough.Â
The athlete part of him doesnât faze her â sheâs danced with and been taught by world renowned ballerinas and she worked in the training room of various teams at UNC. It was his ingenuity and kindness that reeled her in. The accented voice paired with his ability to make things look so easy when she knows itâs anything but, always with a smile on his face.Â
Christina would be lying to herself if she says she hasnât ever considered her and Andrei asâŚmore. Sheâd be an idiot not to. Obviously, she knows Andrei is incredibly handsome. Sheâs known that from the very first time she saw him in the training room last season. And it doesnât help that heâs also so nice with no pretense. Nice just to be nice.Â
But it would never happen. Could never happen. He has the entire city of Raleigh falling at his feet and she works with him.Â
One night when she was a bit too wine tipsy in her dorm last year, she pulled out the contract she had signed and found the tiny section that addressed romantic relationships among âany members of the Carolina Hurricanes organizationâ and found some super vague shit basically saying that it was okay in most instances. Which it is. One of their assistant coaches is married to the head of the PR department.Â
But she has an inkling that players are a whole different subclause.Â
So while they developed a good rapport last season, Christina purposefully kept her distance a bit, sparing little details about her own life and always turning it back to him. To be fair, she was careful around everyone last season, not wanting to get in the way and just wide-eyed overall. But now sheâs (hopefully) gonna be around for a bit and will try to let her personality shine a bit more. Push herself to be more casual and comfortable with the staff and team.Â
Like texting Andrei about things that arenât related to his recovery.Â
It started with Andrei texting something funny about one of the pregame photos of Brady that had been tweeted. His comment made Christina snort out her tea as she quickly replied back. Itâs not like theyâre texting often, but it always puts a smile on her face whenever his name pops up on her phone.Â
She knows she needs to be careful. But before anything else, sheâs just glad to have another new friend. Someone at work sheâs comfortable enough to joke around with.Â
Thatâs enough for her.Â
âŚ..
Andreiâs long-waited season debut has the fans, his teammates and the whole staff excited. But no oneâs more excited than Andrei himself, whoâs bouncing around all day from the moment he walks in for his daily check-in.
As she watches him skate around for warmups, she grins at his infectious happiness. He picks up a water bottle and squirts water on her when he comes back to the bench for a moment and she wants to flip him off so badly. She totally would if there werenât cameras around and if also wasnât, you know, unprofessional. Heâs lucky sheâs wearing a black sweater today. Jordan reaches to pull on the ribbon in her hair and thatâs when she makes her way off the bench, causing Doug and the other staff to laugh.Â
Once the game starts, she does grimace a bit as sheâs watching footage of the game from the training room when she sees Andrei go in for a heavy hit. She hears the cheers from the fans and she gets it, but heâs literally just coming off a season ending injury. Yes, heâs a professional athlete, but sheâs (almost) a certified athletic trainer.Â
They win 3-0 and everyoneâs pumped. Sheâs busy documenting notes as the athletes start leaving the arena. Andrei, as instructed, comes in and she makes sure everythingâs okay with his knee.Â
âHey,â she calls out before he leaves. He turns back around with an expectant smile. She beams. âGood game. Glad to have you back.â
âThank you,â he says with a grin. âGood to be back.â
âŚ..
When you work in such a team centered environment, thereâs always someone around. Always someone to talk to and joke around with. She loves it. The collaboration of the work she does is probably her favorite part.Â
But she also loves time by herself. So she vows to herself that on every road trip, after some studying, sheâll take the time to explore wherever she is by herself. Whether itâs simply grabbing a coffee or walking around whatever city theyâre in or just sitting outside, sheâll carve out some time for herself, while exploring cities that sheâs never been to.
The first mini road trip she goes on is to Philadelphia and New York. In Philadelphia, she heads to the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Her younger sister Layla is a graphic design major at Carnegie Mellon so sheâs filtered some of her love and knowledge to Christina. With her airpods in, she wanders through the exhibits on her own.Â
Thatâs another thing about post-grad. Learning how to do things alone.Â
New York has a lot more options. She only has one full day she isnât working and another half day. During the full day when sheâs actually in the city, she meets up with a friend from high school for a nice walk around Brooklyn before dinner. On the half day, after morning skate in Long Island, she wants to just people watch outside for a few hours on a weirdly warm day for November.Â
The elevator doors open and Andrei comes walking out, looking down at his phone. When he looks up, a grin spreads across his face and he locks his phone. âHi Chrissy.â
She nods. âSvech.â The elevator doors close. Thatâs fine. Sheâll catch the next one. âWhereâd you just come back from?â
âJust grabbed some lunch with the guys after practice. Where you off to?â
âHonestly, probably also gonna grab a coffee and then sit outside by the water and just daydream. I brought a book, but weâll see if Iâm in the mood.â
Andrei laughs. âSounds like a great day.â
It is her alone time, but she asks anyways. âWould you like to join?â
His eyebrows shoot up his forehead. âOh. I donât want to intrude or-â
âYou wouldnât be. Iâm asking you.â
âOh. Well, um, yeah, then. Sure. Give me a minute to use the bathroom?â
âTake your time.â He shoots her a thankful smile as he briskly walks to his room while she waits by the elevators, shifting on her feet. A few minutes later, he comes back out, this time with a backwards hat on. He shoves his hands in his off-white sweatshirt and she presses the elevator button, purposefully not looking at him.
Thereâs something about a backwards hat. Itâs actually really annoying how attractive it is.
âHowâs your first road trip been?â
Christina smiles as they step into the elevator. âGood. Went to an art museum in Philly. Saw a college friend in Brooklyn and just walked around the city. The rest of the time Iâve been with you guys.â
âYou like art?â
âA bit. My sisterâs studying graphic design, so her love for it has bleeded into my life.â
âThatâs sweet. Are you two close?â
âYeah. I donât know if weâre as close as you and your brother though.â She teases, and she swears she sees his cheeks tinge pink as they walk out of the elevator and out of the hotel. âSheâs much cooler than I am, just started her second year at Carnegie Mellon. I was actually just texting her because sheâs trying to figure out flights to Raleigh for Thanksgiving.â
âSheâs coming down?â
âYup,â they start wandering to the nearby park. âUsually, weâd go back home to Delaware. But since we have games the day before and after and theyâre at home, theyâre all coming down to me. First Thanksgiving in Raleigh. Theyâll probably come to a game or two.â
âThatâs really nice.â
âHow about you? Is your mom or dad coming to visit anytime soon?â
âNot sure yet, with Geno now back in Russia. My mom was mainly here to keep me company when I was injured. Iâm sure youâll get to meet her soon though.â
They see a cafe ahead of them and she suggests they pop in to grab something. He opens the door for her and also pays for her, which is really annoying and she takes note of his coffee order so that she can get him back once theyâre home. Once they receive their coffees, theyâre back outside and in the park, sitting and people watching while petting the dogs that occasionally come up to them.
âDo you miss dancing? Like, at the level you were before getting injured?â
A sad smile automatically appears on her face. âAll the time. But itâs changed. It used to be more painful and frustrating to think about. Now itâs more of looking back at the good memories.â
âMy grandma used to dance as well. She took my brother and I to a ballet in Moscow once. I honestly donât remember much of it. I was too young.â
Christina chuckles. âYeah, itâs not for everyone.â She lets out a deep breath. âGod, I havenât seen a ballet in ages.â
âCan I ask how bad your injury was?â
âA recurring stress fracture that required surgery,â she says. âI donât know if they could ever actually diagnose it officially because it was so fucked up. Or maybe I just block it out of my brain because it was such a painful time.â
âEven after a full recovery, there was no chance to go on as intensely as before?â
âThere mightâve been. But I made the choice that I didnât want my ankles wearing down on me by 25 and like I said, I had other dreams.â
âThat mustâve been a hard decision to make.â
Christina swallows. Itâs been awhile since sheâs talked about this with anyone. âIt was. I was heartbroken, honestly. It just felt like my life was over, you know? Obviously, it wasnât. But I didnât know that at 15. But if that hadnât happened, I wouldnât have thought about going the athletic training route, and in a way, what Iâm doing now connects to my dance background, so Iâm happy where I am now.â
His eyes light up with hope. âDo you have a video of you dancing?â
She laughs. âI actually do.â She gets her phone out and searches for a particular video. âThis was around a year ago. A little across the floor combo we were doing in a class.â She hands him her phone and looks over his shoulder to watch with him. Itâs a short video, only about 20 seconds long, but it combines a bit of everything â waltz, pirouettes, leaps and footwork.Â
He replays it again. She has no idea what to make of that. âI was right.â
âHm?â
âYouâre a beautiful dancer.â
âOh. Thatâs kind of you. Thank you.â
âI mean it,â he says. âYou have beautifulâŚlines? Is that the right word?â
âYeah, actually.â He gives her a triumphant smile and she canât help but laugh. âThank you. That's really sweet. I appreciate it.â
He watches the video again. She stares at the side of his face, trying to see what heâs seeing. She canât quite place it. The only thing she can place is her faster than normal heart rate.
âŚ..
A loss against the Panthers at their barn, a win against Tampa on their ice the next day and then a loss against Philly at home. Andrei still hasnât recorded his own goal, and Christina knows itâs eating him alive.Â
Itâs funny, because heâs trying not to let it show, especially in front of media. But Christina knows better, especially when he starts pushing himself on the ice even more.Â
Sheâs not usually on the bench during morning skates. More often than not, sheâs in the training room or her office, studying or doing miscellaneous tasks until players file in during or after practice for various needs. But once in awhile, she likes to walk out to the ice. Today, sheâs taking her studying out there to see if the crispness of the air and the sounds of hockey keep her focused.Â
Sheâs reading over a passage in her textbook when she sees a shadow fall over the page. She looks up to see Andrei drinking some water.Â
âIf you spray water on this book, youâre paying for another one,â she warns.Â
âOf course,â he says with an easy smile.Â
âI hope youâve been stretching out your knee,â she says. âWith how hard youâre going at during practice.â
âHow do you know how hard Iâm going in practice?â
âItâs part of my job,â she responds dryly, backing away and glaring at Seth as he reaches out to mess up her hair.Â
âComing out here to study now?â Andrei asks.
She shrugs. âTrying something new.â
âIs it working?â
âIt was,â she says pointedly.Â
Brady skates to a stop in front of them and laughs. âThatâs her telling us to stop annoying her.â
âYou could never annoy me, Skjeisy.â Christina grins.Â
Andrei pouts. âWhat does Skjeisy have that I donât?â
âThe most beautiful smile,â she grins charmingly. Andrei playfully narrows his eyes and Brady shoots her a wink. No oneâs flirting. Christinaâs met Gracia a few times and those two childhood friends are very in love with each other. But itâs worth it to see Andrei squeeze water out of his water bottle in Bradyâs face.Â
âWhenâs your exam again?â Brady asks.
âJanuary 7.â
âThatâs soon.â
She sighs, staring down at her book. âDonât remind me.â
âYouâre gonna be great,â Andrei assures her.Â
âSure, if you all actually practice and leave me to study.â As if on cue, a whistle is blown and Christina waves her hand at them. âShoo. If Rod blames me for distracting you, Iâll be out of a job.â
She takes some notes for a few more minutes before giving up and closing her books. She puts her elbows on her knees, resting her chin on the palms of her hands as she watches them focus on winning board battles and protecting the puck. Practice is more intense than usual today as Christina loses herself in the focused energy in the air, eyes tracking the puck and the players and how theyâre positioning themselves around the puck. She almost laughs at herself at how hockey she sounds. Her football loving uncle would be proud and a bit confused.Â
Practice is over, and Christina decides to stay on the bench until everyone clears the tunnel, knowing that if any players need treatment, Doug has it. He would text her a random emoji if he needed her anyways. Last game, he took a liking to the red-headed fairy.Â
She squints at Andrei, whoâs the only player on the ice now, as he takes shot after shot from the blue line. She just observes him and the determined look on his face, the smoothness in his shot.Â
As if he can feel eyes on him, he turns around and laughs, before gathering the pucks and skating over to her. âStalking me?â
âObserving,â she corrects. âHow do you feel? Physically?â
âGood.â
âGood,â she says. âYou look good.â
âOh?â
She rolls her eyes. âYou know what I mean.â She trails behind him as they head to the trainers room. âDonât forget. Doctorâs appointment tomorrow.â
âI swear youâre my personal calendar.â
âThatâs actually my second jobâ she says flatly, a smile peeking out after he grins at her. âGo get your protein shake or whatever disgusting thing you like to drink.â
âSassy today.â
âI want to go home,â she deadpans. âIâve been up since 5 a.m.â
To his credit, he looks concerned. âWhy so early?â
âStudying.â
âOh,â he says softly. âWell, make sure you sleep. Sleep is important.â
She has to chuckle. âThanks Svechy. Iâll keep that in mind.â
He flicks his hand. âGo home.â
âI donât think you have the authority to tell me that. Youâre not my boss.â
âBut I am,â they both turn to see Doug peeking out of a doorway. âGet out of here, Chris.â
She narrows her eyes playfully. âYou schemers.âÂ
âGo sleep,â Andrei says, pulling at her ponytail lightly. She whacks his hand away.Â
The last thing she sees as she walks into her office is his smirk.Â
âŚ.
The day before Thanksgiving, sheâs preoccupied with her parents and sister flying in for the first half of the day. She picks them up from the airport and takes them all to one of her favorite lunch spots before she has to head to work and they go sightseeing on their own. She offered to get them tickets for the game against Edmonton, but they waved her off. Theyâll enjoy their time at a game on Sunday.Â
Thanksgiving morning is peaceful, with the Macyâs Parade on the TV as everyone is just relaxing. In the afternoon, as Christina and her mom are taking charge of dinner, someoneâs knocking on her apartment door. Immediately, Christina is confused. Sheâs almost positive her dad and Aimee grabbed her keys before heading out for a quick walk. She calls out a âcomingâ as the person knocks again.Â
âAndrei?âÂ
He shifts from side to side, flashing a quick but genuine smile. He looks extra cozy in a brown sweatshirt and a backwards hat. âHi Chrissy. Happy Thanksgiving. Iâm sorry for interrupting.â
âNot at all. Happy Thanksgiving. What are you-whatâs up?âÂ
He holds out a cake container. âUh, Iâm heading to Staalsyâs for Thanksgiving at their place, and I made ptichye moloko, which is a cake my mom makes for me back home in Russia. I made two. I was wondering if you wanted the other?âÂ
Her mouth drops open. âOh, Andrei. ThatâsâŚyou didnât need to do that.âÂ
âI wanted to,â he replies. âAnd honestly, I hope itâs good. Itâs my first time making it and I had to call my mom for help. I made too much batter so, two cakes.âÂ
She laughs, propping her hip against the doorframe, easy smile on her face. âI bet itâs delicious. Thank you. Youâre so-you really didnât have to do this.âÂ
Andrei shakes his head. âI wanted to-â
âHoney?â Marianneâs voice calls out from the kitchen. âWhoâs at the door?â She doesnât bother waiting for an answer before appearing.Â
Christina internally sighs. âAndrei, this is my mom Marianne. Mom, this is Andrei. Heâs one of the guys on the team.âÂ
Andrei balances the cake on one hand while reaching out to shake Marianneâs hand with the other, easygoing smile on his face. âItâs nice to meet you, Mrs. Hawthorne. I apologize for showing up without warning.âÂ
âOh, no apology necessary!â Marianne smiles, and Christina can tell immediately that her mother is charmed. She wants to roll her eyes. âAre you staying for dinner? Youâre more than welcome.âÂ
Andrei shakes his head. âNo, though thank you for the offer. Iâm on the way to our captainâs house. I just wanted to stop by and drop this off.âÂ
Marianne takes the cake from his hands with a delighted smile. âThatâs so sweet of you.âÂ
âHe made it himself,â Christina chimes in, smirking in his direction. âHopefully it doesnât poison us.âÂ
Andrei laughs. âHopefully.âÂ
The door opens again, and her dad and sister are back from their walk around the block. Christina swallows. Guess heâs meeting the whole family today.Â
âAndrei, this is my dad Mark and my sister Aimee. Father and Aimee, this is-âÂ
âAndrei Svechnikov,â her dad finishes for her. He and Andrei shake hands and a weird feeling appears in her stomach. âI watch the Canes games from time to time.âÂ
âItâs nice to meet you, sir.â He then turns to Aimee and shakes her hand with a small smile. âYou too, Aimee. Your sister talks about you all the time.âÂ
Aimee shoots her sister a look. Christina telepathically tells her to shut up. âDoes she really?â
âShe does. All good things.â
âItâs good to see you back on the ice again,â Mark says. âHowâs the knee?âÂ
âKnee is good,â Andrei says, before casting a smile in her direction. âAll thanks to Chrissy here.âÂ
âHeâs lying,â she deadpans. âI just make sure he doesnât do anything stupid.âÂ
âAre you staying for dinner?â Aimee asks with a hopeful look.
Christina shakes her head. âI wouldnât subject him to that. Heâs going to Captain Staalsyâs.âÂ
âLame,â Aimee says. Christina elbows her.Â
âChrissy mentioned you all were coming to a game?â Andrei asks.Â
âYup. Weâll be going Sunday.âÂ
âHave you ever been to a Canes game?â Mark shakes his head. Andrei grins. Christina wants to poke his dimple. âWell, hopefully we put on a good show.âÂ
She snorts. âAlright, Andrei. Better leave before Dad starts grilling you on the powerplay.â Expectedly, Andreiâs eyes light up. He turns to her as she rolls her eyes.
âAre you sure you donât wanna stay for dinner?â Marianne asks.Â
Andrei grins. âIâm sure. Thank you though.â He looks back at Christina. âSee you tomorrow?âÂ
âBright and early.â
He turns back to her family with a warm smile. âIt was nice to meet you all.âÂ
Christina nods to the door, âIâll walk you out.â She catches Aimeeâs smirk and rolls her eyes. She puts a shoe in the door so that it wonât shut on her as she faces Andrei. âThank you for the cake. Seriously.â
âCareful,â he teases, and if butterflies flutter in her stomach from his tone thatâs no one elseâs business. âIt could be awful.â
âIt wonât be.â She grins and gives him a quick hug before she can overthink it. She pulls away before she wants to. âHappy Thanksgiving. Iâll see you tomorrow. Thank you again.â
âHappy Thanksgiving.â
She watches him disappear from the hallway before she lets out a deep breath.
âŚ..
The crowd at the PNC arena goes nuts with Andrei scores with less than two minutes left in the third against Columbus. Christina herself bounces around on her toes in excitement, her parents and sister somewhere up in the box seats. What a way to get your first of the season. She feels weirdly proud of him.Â
She only catches him as sheâs heading out a bit earlier than normal to drive back with her family. And by catch him, she only means by eye contact as Andreiâs swept up in media. She stops for a moment and just leans against the doorway of the locker room, watching him answer questions
Christinaâs about to push herself off the doorway when Andreiâs eyes meet hers. Heâs still talking, but his smile widens, and she just shoots him a thumbs up and a grin of her own before walking to the parking garage.Â
âŚ..
Christina groans as she skims the email from the management of her apartment complex. Fixing the water pipes will shut down water for 24 hours. Itâs not the end of the world, but how inconvenient.Â
She leans back in her chair, mentally going through her mind to see where she could crash for a whole day last minute. The one friend she would go to immediately is away on vacation right now.Â
Sheâs twiddling her fingers as she walks to the locker room, needing to check in with Andrei. But weirdly, heâs nowhere to be found. Sheâs about to walk out of the room just as Andrei walks in.Â
âOh, perfect,â Christina says. âI was looking for you.â
âWere you?â
She tries not to roll her eyes as he follows her back to her office. âGet your ass on the table.â
He laughs, following her instructions as she works on his shoulder. She must sigh without realizing because his eyebrows furrow. âEverything okay?â
âHm?â
âAre you okay?â
âOh, Iâm fine,â she waves him off. âThe pipes are getting fixed in my apartment building for a day so I gotta figure out where Iâm crashing for the night. Thatâs all.â
âIâm sorry,â he apologizes. âThat must be annoying.â
She shrugs. âIt is what it is, but the friend I usually would stay with is away right now, so that kinda has me scrambling. I probably will have to get a hotel room for the night or something.â
âHow about you stay with me?â
Christina has her back towards him to take some notes, before she spins back around and raises an eyebrow. âAndrei, no. I canât-â
âI have a guest room. Multiple guest rooms, actually,â he runs a hand through his hair. âItâs no problem. Serious. It would be like Iâm not even there.â She opens her mouth to protest but closes it again, weighing her options. Like he senses her hesitation, he barrels on. âYou donât have to drop money on a hotel. And only for a night, right? Just stay with me.â
She bites her lip in thought. It would save her a lot of trouble. And heâs right, itâs just for a night. âAre you sure?â She says.Â
â100 percent,â he promises.Â
âOkay,â she says gratefully. âThank you. I owe you big.â
âNo worries,â he says. âI text you my address. Come over whenever youâre ready. I text you the garage code too in case Iâm not home.â
Sheâs a bit surprised that he just blindly trusts her so much, but he trusts her to handle his body and recovery, which is arguably the most important thing for a professional athlete, so staying in his home is next to nothing.Â
But itâs a big deal to her. Sheâs reminded of that when she drives home to grab some things. Sheâs reminded that her phone buzzes with a text from him, the garage code like he promised, along with what her sushi preferences are â anything, itâs her favorite food. Sheâs reminded of that as she drives over, immediately feeling overwhelmed at how nice this neighborhood is.Â
She forgets often that these players are earning more than she ever will. Andrei is a multimillionaire. The cost of his living room alone is probably worth more than a year of Christinaâs current monthly rent.Â
It doesnât phase her necessarily. Itâs just an observation.Â
As she pulls into his driveway, she sees Andrei coming out of his garage. He perks up with a wave, waiting for her to park her car. He approaches her as she comes out of her car with her backpack.
âJust in time. I grabbed dinner.â
She glances at the bag in his hands and she tries not to gulp at the familiar (expensive) restaurant logo âI couldâve grabbed it on the way here.â
He waves her off as they walk through the garage, him swinging her backpack over his shoulder. âYouâre a guest in my home. Why would I make you do that?â
Christinaâs not used to this. The chivalry. The acts of service. It all feels a bit too much, especially as he gives her a brief house tour and shows her the guest room. Itâs all so minimalistic and clean and expensive and she was not prepared to be staying the night in Andreiâs house today. Or ever.
She jumps in the shower really quickly to wash off the day. It takes her a moment to figure out how to control the temperature. Sheâs afraid to mess anything up. When she walks back out into the main room, Andreiâs just finished setting up the table. When she spots the familiar label of her favorite wine, she blinks.Â
He notices her silence and chuckles sheepishly, scratching the back of his neck. âI asked Taylor what your favorite wine is.â
âYou couldâve asked me,â she says softly.Â
He shrugs. âI wanted to surprise you, I guess.â
She hoists herself up on the stool of the island, trying to control the butterflies in her stomach. âWell, thank you. You didnât have to do that.â
Being with Andrei in his home is expectedly intimate. She feels very comfortable at work to poke fun at the players and staff. But itâs different sitting for meals in the kitchen at the office compared to sitting across a kitchen island eating sushi that Christina only has when her parents foot the bill. Something as simple as Andreiâs sushi plopping into his soy sauce and her bark of laughter feels almost too much, especially when he chuckles with her at his misery. Because itâs just the two of them in his home and itâs almost too much.Â
But even if itâs too much, she doesnât feel uncomfortable at all. In fact, itâs probably weird how comfortable she does feel, as her and Andrei chat about everything from the team to his brother to her college days. When his dimple pops out and his brown eyes brighten with curiosity, she has to remind herself that she works with him. Theyâre co-workers at best. Friends possibly.Â
She gets up to clear their dishes away, but Andreiâs quicker and pushes her shoulder down so sheâs sitting again. She gives him a look. âAndrei. Come on. You bought dinner and youâre letting me stay for the night. I can wash dishes.â
He shakes his head, âYou donât need to do anything but sit there all pretty.â
She just blinks and sips her wine because what the fuck.Â
They debate putting on a movie or show, but end up just hanging out on the couch and continuing to talk because heâs just so easy to talk to. Christina stops herself after her third glass of wine when she remembers she has work tomorrow, and she thinks heâs so sweet for grabbing her a glass of cold water without her even asking.Â
When theyâre winding down for the night, he hovers by the door of the guest room, making sure she doesnât need anything. When she assures him that sheâs all good, he leaves her with a âgoodnightâ and the cutest smile and Christina knows that sheâs fucked.Â
The next morning, she wakes up to the smell of coffee. When she walks out, yawning and rubbing her eyes, she sees two plates of waffles.Â
âGood morning,â she says with an air of surprise. âThis looks great.â
He chuckles. âEat it first before you say anything.â
She hums, making sweater paws with her UNC sweatshirt and smiling when he slides over a mug of coffee.Â
âYou sleep well?â
âI did, thank you. You have a very comfy mattress.â
His dimple pops out and Christina can feel herself falling. âYouâre welcome anytime.â
That statement doesnât help either.Â
After they finish their breakfasts, she yet again isnât allowed to help with dishes, so she wraps her hands around her coffee and watches him. âThank you, though, Andrei. Seriously. For letting me stay over. You saved me a lot of trouble.â
âOf course,â he says over his shoulder, catching sight of her packed backpack in the living room. âAre you heading out so soon?â
âYeah. I have to get into work earlier than you do, remember?â She teases, as she finishes her coffee, hands him the mug and goes to grab her backpack. âI also wanna stop by my place to drop this stuff off and pick some stuff up before heading to the rink.â
He turns off the faucet, wipes his hands and walks over to her. âI was gonna say Iâll miss you, but I see you in probably an hour.â
She laughs, not quite processing what he just insinuated. âProbably.â
âCan I ask you something before you leave?â
âYeah. Whatâs up?â
âWould you want to go on a date with me sometime?â
Her jaw drops open a bit. Oh. âOh.â
He backtracks. âYou can say no. I wonât be hurt. Or, well. I just want to ask to see if you give me that chance. I really like you, Chrissy.â
âNo, itâs not that. Itâs justâŚAndrei. We work together.â
âI know, I know.â
She lets out a sigh, tipping her head back and squeezing her eyes shut. âAndrei-â
âOne date,â he practically begs. âLet me take you on one date to prove that this is real to me.â
She swallows, her resolve starting to crumble down from his pleading eyes. âI could lose my job.â
âYou wonât. And I wouldnât let that happen.â
She canât help but snort. âCarolina loves you, but not that much.â
He pouts before taking her hands. âChristina,â he says sincerely. âJust one chance. And then if it doesnât go well, we stay coworkers and friends and this never happened.â
âAnd if it does go well?â She bites her lip.
The dimple appears on his cheek again. She wants to kiss it. âThen we figure out where to go from there.â
âThereâs just, itâs not- youâre wonderful and kind and sweet, but Iâm putting a lot on the line here.â She feels vulnerable, her voice shaking at the edges. âIâve worked too hard to have this fall apart on me.â
âI know. I understand.â And huh, Christina thinks. He actually probably does understand more than most, because if Andrei is anything, he's a hard worker. He gently places a hand on her waist and she canât fucking think. âI wouldnât ask you just to ask you or risk anything.â
âYou like me that much, huh?â Christina jokes weakly. Â
Andrei squeezes her waist lightly âI do.â
Oh. Okay.Â
A few more seconds pass with Andrei staring at her hopefully and Christina blinking rapidly. Heâs so gentle with her it makes her wanna scream into a pillow.Â
âOne date,â she relents. His eyes sparkle and her smile grows with his. âYou have one shot, Svech. Use it wisely.â
âOh believe me, I will.â He says confidently. âWhen are you free?âÂ
âMy work schedule is the exact same as yours.âÂ
He lets go of her hands to dig into his pocket for his phone, checking the Canes schedule thatâs synched up to his calendar. âWhen weâre in New York. Two weeks from now.âÂ
âNew Yearâs Eve?â
âYeah. I know weâre already all going out at night but during the day. Just you and me.â
Immediately, her mind goes into planning mode. âSure, yeah. That works. I have some friends who live in the city I could ask for recommendations for-â
âNo,â she tilts her head in confusion at his firm tone. âYou donât worry about anything. I take care of all of it.â
âAndrei.â
âI take care of it, Chrissy.â he repeats, shoving his phone back in his pocket. âAll you need to do is show up.â
She opens her mouth and closes it, before, âOkay.â
âOkay?â
âOkay. Will you at least tell me what to wear?â
âAnything. You always look beautiful.â
She rolls her eyes at the fact that heâs already loading on the charm and theyâre not even on the date yet. âNice try. Iâm not wearing my work attire to our date.â
âSeems like you already know what youâre wearing, then.â
She huffs before softening. âThanks for letting me stay the night.â
Andrei clicks his tongue. âOf course. I see you later?â
Christina chuckles. âYup.âÂ
They walk to his front door, and he hesitates for a second before leaning down to give her a quick kiss on the cheek. Sheâs absolutely floored. âGet home safe.â
She gives him one last smile as goodbye. It isnât until sheâs in her car when she leans her forehead on her steering wheel and smiles into it does it fully sink in.Â
She has a date in two weeks.
âŚ..
No one likes a loss, and even if Christina is kinda immune to it by now, itâs not fun. But the holidays are near and her heart feels light as she packs up her things. Her flight takes off early in the morning, so sheâs hoping to catch a few hours of sleep before then. A knock on the doorframe has her looking up to see Andrei dressed back in his game day suit with a light smile on his face.Â
âHey,â she greets. âEverything alright? You need treatment?â
âEverythingâs fine. Iâm okay.â He says, shuffling in and looking a bit sheepish.
Christina hesitates. Sheâs not sure how Andrei is after a loss, if he likes to talk about it or forget about it. âYou wanna talk about it?â
âNot really.âÂ
âOkay.â She looks down at his outstretched hand holding a box she didnât see at first. âWhatâs that?â
He clears his throat. âItâs, uh, your Christmas present. You fly back home in the morning, yes?â
âYeah,â she shakes her head. âAndrei, I-I donât needâŚI didnât get you anything.â
âThatâs okay.â The annoying thing is that she knows he means that. She tentatively takes the box out of his hand and opens it. Inside is a pair of silver dewdrop earrings.Â
âAndrei.â
âUh, I asked Taylor and they told me you wore silver and gave their approval. But if you donât like them, I can return them and exchange them for-â
âAndrei,â he halts as she looks at him. âTheyâre beautiful. Thank you so much.â
âYouâre welcome.â
âYou really didnât have to get me anything.â
âI wanted to.â
She chuckles shakily, closing the box. âWe havenât even been on our date yet.â
âSo?â he shrugs, like itâs not a big deal. But it is a big deal. âYouâre important to me. I get everyone important to me Christmas presents.â
Christina wants to melt at the soft look in Andreiâs eyes. Sheâs a bit at a loss for words, so she just gives him a tight hug. She lets herself fall into him as his arms wrap around her securely, resting her chin on his shoulder and letting her eyes fall shut at how safe she feels.Â
She reluctantly pulls away and puts some space between them. They are still at work after all. âThank you. Seriously. Youâre so sweet.â
âIâm glad you like them,â he says with a light in his eyes.Â
âIâm sorry I didnât get you anything.â
He shakes his head. âNo need.â She gives him a look as he chuckles. âI promise. A date with you is enough presents to last me a lifetime.â Jesus Christ. Where does he pull this shit out of? He just grins. âYou heading out? I walk you to your car.â
She swallows and nods, packing up the last of her things, carefully placing the box on top. She makes sure sheâs not looking at him when she says her next statement. âYouâre way too nice to me.â Silence for a bit besides her rustling her things. Once sheâs ready to go, she looks back at him, whoâs staring at her thoughtfully. It throws her off guard. âWhat?â
âIâm not too nice to you,â Andrei says, eyebrows furrowed adorably and sincerely. âIâm just..how I am.â
âItâs not a bad thing,â Christina quickly assures him as she flicks off the lights. âI just, uh, am not used to it? None of my exes have ever even treated me this nicely.â
âThatâs a shame,â he says. âYou deserve someone being kind to you. No such thing as too nice.â
She just swallows as they head down the hallway and to the parking lot. Because what can she say to that? Andrei has always been sweet and polite since the day they met, but she didnât expect him to be so sincerely earnest.Â
She slides into the passenger seat of her car and he leans down, resting his hand against the hood. âYouâll be good to go home?â
âYeah.â
âMerry Christmas, Christina,â he says with a grin.
âMerry Christmas, Andrei.â
âŚ..
Andrei gets a hat trick against Montreal and looks right at her as his teammates converge upon him. She has no idea how he even finds her so quickly considering sheâs not standing where she usually would be, but he finds her anyway.Â
She grins at him and he gives an imperceptible nod paired with his signature charming smile.
Three more days.
âŚ..
Half an hour before Andreiâs supposed to be at her hotel room door, Christina is already ready.Â
She hadnât managed to squeeze many details out of him, because he insisted that he would take care of it. Itâs not like she doubts him, perse. But sheâd at least like to know how to dress so she doesnât feel out of place. She told him that, and he caved, saying ânot a sweatshirt, but a nice sweater or dress will be fine, but not overly fancy,â which, actually, doesnât say much. But she could work with that.Â
And she did. When packing for this mini-road trip, she put thought into what she would wear today. Sheâs settled for a black-neck long sleeve with her favorite dark green pants, paired with black ankle-high boots and her favorite brown peacoat.Â
As she sits on her bed and waits, she starts becoming more fidgety. Sheâs nervous, yes, but not because she doesnât know him. She has a feeling that heâs going to be the perfect gentleman and the date will go well.Â
Sheâs nervous that itâll go too well and sheâll get ahead of herself.Â
Before she knows it, she hears a knock on her door. With a deep breath, she grabs her bag and walks over to open the door.Â
She swings it open and swallows. âHi.â
âHi,â Andrei says softly. She takes a moment to look at his outfit â a navy blue button up with a gray jacket draped over his arm. With black dress pants and sneakers, sheâs thankful that it seems like their outfits match on the formal scale. He clears his throat. âYou look beautiful.â
âThank you,â she says softly. âYou look great too.â
âShall we?â
Christina reaches into her purse to make sure she has her room key, phone and wallet before nodding. âWhere are we headed?â She asks as they walk down the hall.Â
âWeâll have to head on the train a few stops to Lincoln Center.â Lincoln Center? She furrows her eyebrows. He clears his throat as they step into the elevator, him leaning against the wall. âTodayâs the last day they show The Nutcracker. With your dancing history, I figure, I donât know, maybe it would be fun?â
Suddenly, a frog appears in her throat. Itâs probably the most thoughtful first date she could go on. She looks into his earnest eyes, as if he thinks sheâll hate it or not wanna go.Â
âItâs perfect,â she manages to get out. Heâs perfect. âI-I havenât seen a ballet in ages.â
âI know,â he responds. âYou told me, remember?â
Oh. She did. And he remembered. She bites her lip to keep herself from blurting out that this might be the best date sheâs ever been on and they just stepped out of the elevator.Â
She can tell heâs a bit nervous, quieter than usual. Theyâre not quite holding hands, but their fingers keep brushing and she feels the ghost of his hand on her lower back as they head down to the subway and onto the train.Â
âWhenâs the last time you were in New York City?â He asks.Â
The train lurches and Christina takes a second to find her footing. âItâs been at least two years. I used to come up here for, funny enough, dance intensives and camps when I was in middle and high school.â
âAre you planning on getting back to classes now that itâs been a few months?â
Again, sheâs impressed with the things Andrei actually remembers. She shrugs. âI definitely think Iâm still too busy during the season. But maybe in the off-season.â
More people pile onto the train, causing the two to move closer towards each other. She can smell his cologne. She looks up in shock at the feeling of a feather-like kiss on her forehead.Â
âThank you.â
âFor?â
âSaying yes. This will be the best date of your life, I promise.â
She just leans her head onto his elbow as the train runs on its tracks.Â
As they walk into Lincoln Center, all Christina can do is gape as they find their seats, Andrei leading the way â in the first row of the second wing. Itâs a perfect view of the stage with all the formations, lighting and sound. Andrei plays with her hand the whole time and it feels so good to see a dance performance again. During intermission, she gushes over the choreography and costumes as Andrei just smiles, listening intently to her observations. When she suddenly stops and apologizes for rambling, he tells her to keep going. (âI love how much you love dance.â)
Afterwards, they head to a nearby dessert place and share a bowl of shaved ice and ice cream. Sheâs having such a good time talking with him that it isnât until the sky becomes dark does she realize they both have to head back to the hotel before anyone questions them and they can get ready for the team and staff New Yearâs Eve party tonight.
She swipes her keycard, closing the door as he steps into her room. âThank you for this. I had a really good time.â
âYeah?â
She nods, biting her lip with a small smile. âI did.â
âA good time enough that you want to do it again?â
âI think so.â
âYeah?â His eyes are practically sparkling and Christinaâs elated that itâs because of her. âI didn't blow my shot?â
She chuckles, âYou did.â She doesn't want to tell him that if sheâs being honest with herself, he had her from the very start.Â
âGreat,â he grins. âGreat. Iâm glad you had a really good time. I was really nervous.â
âReally?â
âReally.â
âOh,â she says, walking closer to him and instinctively wrapping her hands loosely around his neck. âYou didnât have to be.â
âYou-you always make me a bit nervous, even if I donât show it,â he admits.Â
Christinaâs stomach tingles. âCan we go on another date when weâre back in Raleigh? Maybe after I take my exam?â
âYes,â he rushes out. âOf course. Yes.â
She catches his eyes flickering to her lips for a split second and decides to just bite the bullet. She presses a delicate kiss on his lips, and backs away to see a light pink dusting his cheeks. âIâm gonna go get ready for tonight.â
He chases her lips, causing her to giggle. âBye,â he mumbles against her lips. âI see you in a bit.â
As soon as her door shuts, she lets out a little squeal into her hands. Happy New Yearâs Eve to her, indeed.
âŚ..
Christinaâs certification exam happens to fall on a rare week where the Canes have no games, which sheâs grateful for because she doesnât want to miss out on any. There are some practices, but sheâs excused from those to study.Â
The day after her exam, she feels a large weight lift off her shoulders. She wonât get the results for a few weeks, but she feels confident that she did well and she can pat herself on the back for a bit.Â
She comes into practice in high spirits, having gotten a coffee and pastry from her favorite cafe on the way as a treat. She takes congratulatory messages from all the staff and some players with a smile. When Andrei skates up at the start of practice to her on the bench, he just smiles at her, shooting her a quick wink before skating off. She hopes sheâs not blushing.Â
Heâs left her alone in the meanwhile while sheâs been studying, but sheâs hoping to catch him before he leaves the rink today to see when they can go out again.
Unfortunately, the team is in the video room as Christina heads to her office to pack up for the day. She guesses sheâll have to talk to Andrei tomorrow. She could just text or call him, but that doesnât feel good enough.Â
When arriving at her car, she stops short and squints. Thereâs a bouquet of flowers wrapped in brown paper tucked inbetween the door handle, red roses and sunflowers to be exact.Â
âOh good, you havenât left yet,â she whips around to see Andrei jogging towards her.Â
She turns back around to her car, staring at the flowers as he stops beside her. âWhatâs this?â
âA little gift. To congratulate you on finishing your exam.â
She swallows, suddenly emotional. âTheyâre beautiful.â
âBeautiful flowers for a-â
She whacks him lightly. âDonât finish that sentence, you sap.â
He laughs. Itâs becoming one of her favorite sounds. âBut I mean it.â
âI know,â she finally turns to look at her and grins. âThank you.â
âYouâre welcome.â
She tucks a piece of hair behind her ear. âAre you around this week to grab dinner or something?â
He runs a hand through his hair. âYou know my schedule more than anyone.â She rolls her eyes as he chuckles. âOf course I am. Weâll find time.â
She hums. âOkay.â
âWhat should I tell the guys for now?â A sudden flurry of anxiety flashes through her veins. Andrei must see her face change, because he continues quickly. âI donât have to say anything. We can keep it quiet.â
âWould you mind if we did? Just because itâs soâŚâ
âI donât mind,â his dimple pops out. âPromise. Letâs just go on another date first. Sound good?â
She bites her lip with a nod. âYeah.â
âYeah,â he repeats. His hands itch to reach towards her before he remembers that theyâre just outside of the rink and that anybody could walk out at any minute. âIâll see you tomorrow?â
âSee you tomorrow. Thank you for the flowers, seriously.â
âI hope youâre proud of yourself,â he says, backing away. âYouâre so smart and you worked really hard.â
She looks down at her shoes, warmth spreading through her body. âThanks. Have a good night.â
âYou too.â
(When Christina goes home and arranges the flowers in a vase, she sends Andrei a picture. He responds immediately with the heart-eyed emoji, and she feels the excitement of something new starting.)
âŚ..
Christinaâs a smart girl. When she gets a text from Doug a few weeks (and more than a handful of dates with Andrei) later to come to one of the conference rooms, she has a feeling itâs about her and Andrei. Though who wouldâve said something?Â
Her stomach drops on the walk over, her palms sweating as she fiddles with her staff badge. When she walks in, she sees Doug, Mary, head of the HR department, Coach BrindâAmour and Andrei himself all around a rectangular table.
Mary offers a warm smile. âHi Christina.âÂ
Christina tries to smile back while shutting the door behind her. âHi Mary and everyone.âÂ
âPlease take a seat,â Mary says. The only empty one is next to Andrei. Christina gingerly sits down. âI guess weâll just cut to the chase. Itâs come to our attention that you and Andrei here are in a romantic relationship.âÂ
She blinks. Well, yeah. But-âFrom who?âÂ
âFrom me.â Andrei says. She whips her head to look at him and he grimaces. âIâm sorry. I know we planned to go together next week, but I slipped up in front of Coach this morning andâŚyeah.âÂ
âOf course you did,â Christina mutters. She hears Doug trying to cover a snort. âUm, yes, uh, we are. Seeing each other. Together. Whatever you wanna call it. We were going to come to your office next week. We werenât gonna hide it or anything, I promise.â
âI understand,â Mary says. âFirst of all, your job is not in jeopardy. Youâre not going to get fired because of this. Especially because itâs obvious you two werenât trying to hide anything. â Christina knows that, but she would be lying if she said that she wasnât a little bit relieved. âWorkplace relationships occur all the time. However, as Iâm sure you both understand, your particular situation is a bit different. I have to ask when you two started this relationship.âÂ
Christina lets Andrei take the lead, partially curious about what heâll say. He doesnât hesitate. âNew Yearâs Eve.âÂ
She smiles internally. Itâs nice to know he considers their first official date as serious as she does.Â
âYou do understand that in the workplace, there are boundaries.âÂ
Andrei and Christina both nod. Christina continues, twisting her fingers. âOf course. Iâll obviously continue with my responsibilities as I have been since I joined the organization and continue to do the best I can do with every player and staff member. Our relationship wonât affect that at all, I promise.â
âAnd I also understand the boundaries,â Andrei adds. âThis will also not affect my performance on the ice and off. I continue being professional with all staff.â
âYou both understand that no matter what happens that your professional relationship comes first?â
âYes.â
âYes maâam.â
âAnd you both understand that when you come into work, youâre at work and focused on work?â They both nod. Mary looks around the room. âI mean, thatâs really all I got. It seems like you two understand. Iâll draw out the paperwork and get it back to you two in a few days. Doug?â
Doug clears his throat. âFirst of all, I called this and Steve owes me $50.â Andrei lets out a surprised laugh but Christina isnât even fazed. âOnly thing I got is that I should probably take you off as the main person of contact for Svech for his general recovery regime we started in the beginning.â
She kinda saw that coming. Out of the corner of her eye, she sees Andrei about to protest but she kicks him underneath the table. âYeah, that makes sense.â
âNo worries. Iâll just take over. Thereâs not much to that anymore anyways, right?â She nods. He grins. âGreat. As long as you keep doing the good work youâre doing, no issues here. Coach? Anything to add?â
Christina swallows looking at Coach BrindâAmour, but she breathes easier when he smiles a bit. âNothing really from me. Svechy, you know what I expect from you. That doesnât change. And Christina, youâve done your job wonderfully thus far and as long as that doesnât change, which Iâm sure it wonât, no issues here. Do your teammates know, Svech?â
Andrei smirks. âSome of them have probably picked up on it. Nothing for sure though.â
Coach grins wryly. âYou can be the one to tell them then, should you want to.â
âYouâre gonna get chirped like hell,â Christina snickers, making everyone in the room laugh.Â
Andrei looks over at her with a small pout. âAnd you wonât?â
âA little. But youâre the one playing with them. Iâm just an lowly assistant trainer.â
Doug cackles. âChrissy, I think you underestimate how much the boys like you. Get ready for comments everyday.â
âBut not too mean,â Andrei says.Â
Christina snorts. âDown, boy.â She turns back to Mary, Coach and Doug with a smile, feeling more comfortable now. âIs there anything else?â
Mary shrugs. âBesides the paperwork Iâll get you two to sign later, nope. You two are free to go. Thanks for coming in."
They all file out of the conference room while Christina and Andrei linger. Once everyone is out of earshot, she playfully shoves him. âReally?â She deadpans.Â
âIâm sorry!â
She chuckles. âItâs fine. At least itâs out of the way. Would appreciate a warning next time though.â
He nods solemnly. âI know. Iâm really sorry. It wonât happen again.â
She swallows, before leaning up to press a kiss to his cheek and going their separate ways.Â
(Andrei lingers to watch her turn the corner of the hallway, a big smile on his face. Rod watches him)
âŚ..
three years laterÂ
The times that Christina is on the bench has gotten higher and higher the longer sheâs been here. Hell, sheâs one of few women to this day that has been on an NHL bench as a trainer, which is ridiculous since itâs 2027 and sheâs just doing her job. Dougâs son is getting married this weekend so Christina knew sheâd be taking over head duties for this game against the Rangers long before.Â
Itâs thrilling every time though, being on the bench. Everythingâs so much louder and things seem to move so much faster, even though sheâs been doing this for three years. Since puck drop, sheâs been in the zone and thankfully so far, not needed.Â
Until Andrei gets checked. Hard. Which rarely happens since heâs the one usually doing the checking.Â
Fights break out on the ice, whistles are blown and Christina doesnât need the refâs signal â or anyoneâs â to know that she needs to scurry out there fast. Sheâs praying that it looks worse than it is.Â
She bends down next to Andrei, whoâs crouched over in pain and places a gentle hand on his back. âHey, baby. Itâs me. Can you tell me what hurts?â Heâs breathing heavily and doesnât respond for a few seconds. âYou have to tell me what hurts so I can help you.â He mumbles something in Russian and while Christina is 90% sure of what heâs saying, she canât take any risks right now. âEnglish, baby, please.â
âChest.â
Okay. Lungs. Maybe ribs. Heâs talking and breathing fine, even if heavily. âOkay,â she nods, going through her mental checklist rapidly. âCan you skate off by yourself?â He nods and she just rubs his back, giving him a few seconds. He eventually gets up on his own, which is a good sign, and she tries not to eat shit as they both get off the ice and go straight down the tunnel.Â
Once heâs sat down on a training table, she puts her hands on his cheeks. âDrei. I need to hear the words from you.âÂ
Even in his injured state, Andrei knows. âIâm okay, solnyshka. Just hurting a bit.âÂ
âOkay. Letâs get your gear off and see whatâs going on, yeah?â She helps him get off his gear until heâs completely shirtless. âLie back for me.â She does her routine, pressing in specific spots and seeing how he reacts. She winces every time he hisses, even though itâs helping her determine whatâs wrong. She goes through her questions, quickly determining if heâs done for the day or may be able to head back out. It's the end of the second period anyways, so they have more time to assess.Â
âYou got your shit rocked.â She says bluntly. She smiles lightly when she gets the reaction she wants, which is a snort out of him.Â
âYeah, which is fucking annoying.â
She swallows. âBut youâre okay?â
âYeah. Think it was more of just an impact hit.â
âGood, good.â
âWhat are you thinking, Doc?â Andrei jokes. âAm I good to go for the third period?â
âThat really depends on you,â she says. âLike you said, it seems like it was more just an impact hit. Beside soreness and tenderness, nothingâs out of place or broken or sprained. But itâs all about how you feel.â
âThen why do you sound unsure?â
âBecause Iâm trying to talk to you like your trainer, not your fiance.â
Andrei softens and she has to look away. âTalk to me like youâre my fiance, solnyshka.â
âIt was just a scary few seconds there, when you didnât get up. Thatâs all.â
She swallows as he puts down the ice pack and puts his hands on her cheeks to make her look at him. âIâm sorry I scared you.â
She waves his apology away. âItâs okay. Getting hit is part of the gig. I know that by now.â
He rubs his thumbs on her cheek. âStill. Iâm sorry.â
âDonât be. Itâs just hard sometimes. Seeing you go down. Keep icing,â she instructs, backing away. Christinaâs not afraid of being caught with PDA nowadays. Everyone in the organization knows theyâre together after three years. But she still prefers keeping up a level of professionalism at work.Â
âI think Iâm gonna go back out, but I do limited minutes.â
She furrows her eyebrows. That doesnât sound like him. âLimited minutes?â He just shrugs. âAndrei.â She deadpans.
âIt depends on me, right? How I feel?â He says, throwing her words back at her as he starts putting his gear back on.Â
âYes. But youâre Andrei Svechnikov. You donât know what the word limited means because you have no sense of self preservation.â
âLimited minutes,â he says firmly. âI donât want you to worry about me.â
âThe ring on my finger kinda indicates that Iâll always worry about you,â she responds dryly.Â
He laughs, standing up. âOnly for tonight, to be safe.â They hear the boys about to head out for the period and start walking out of the room. âThank you for taking care of me.âÂ
âJust doing my job.â
He pulls her in to place a quick kiss on her lips. âAnd you do it well.â
âGood luck out there. Love you.â
âLove you more.â He runs back onto the ice with his teammates as she follows slower behind.
âHe all good?â Coach BrindâAmour asks when sheâs back on the bench.
âYeah. Up to him if he wants to take every shift, but heâs cleared to go.â
Coach nods, âIt never gets easier, does it?â
âHm?â
âThe look you had on your face when Svechy went down. Itâs the same look I have when my son goes down. Still. And heâs been playing his whole life.â
She shrugs, trying to be casual. âItâs part of the job I signed up for.â
âSure. But that doesnât mean itâs easy.â
They both watch as the teams skate to center ice to take the faceoff. No, she thinks. It most definitely does not.Â
Itâs close to midnight when she and Andrei are walking out of the arena together. She yawns as she leans into him and he puts an arm around her shoulder. Luckily they have the day off tomorrow. Maybe sheâll force Andrei to try a new recipe for dinner together that she found online.
Itâs not until sheâs in bed, listening the shower run as Andrei quickly rinses, does she see her notifications. Fifteen texts from six people.
She clicks Laylaâs first. Itâs a link to a short Twitter video. She clicks on it.Â
Itâs a short clip of the broadcast right after Andreiâs injury, a replay she winces at, cameras showing her running out and all the chaos before they head into the tunnel. But itâs what the commentators are saying that Layla â and all her other friends who sent her messages â are freaking out about.Â
âSvechnikov seems to be alright, able to get up on his own and slowly skate to the bench, which is always a good sign.â
âChristina, the Hurricanesâ assistant athletic trainer is out there with him, with Doug, the head trainer out for a few games for family obligations. Fun fact, sheâs one of the few female athletic trainers in the NHL. Fantastic at her job and an incredible person as well.â
âAnother fun fact to those who may not know, Christina and Svechnikov are engaged, getting married sometime next year. And thatâs a beautiful Canes love story if Iâve ever heard one.â
âI can imagine it isnât easy to have to see your fiance go down like that, even if it is a part of her job. Theyâre both heading down the tunnel now, so weâll see if he comes back out for the third period. Hopefully heâs okay.â
She locks her phone. Itâs been known to the general public that Andrei is engaged. He had posted on Instagram when he proposed. But it had been a silhouette shot and he hadnât tagged her out of respect for their privacy. Christinaâs Instagram is private too, so very few people they donât personally know had put it together.Â
Until now, that is.
âYou saw it too?â Andrei says, coming out of the bathroom.
âYeah. A bunch of people sent it to me.â
âAnd?â
âThey didnât say anything that wasnât true. What do you think?â
He slides under the covers and kisses her forehead tenderly, âI love being known as your fiance. Iâd ask you everyday to marry me if I could.â
âSap.â She feels him laugh as she leans her head on his chest, drawing circles on his bare skin. âIâm glad youâre okay.â
âIâm always gonna be okay. I have you.â
She kisses his lips before yawning, and he reaches over to shut off the lamp.Â
(When Christina goes into work the next morning, Taylorâs waiting for her in her office. With no greeting, they set their laptop down and press play on a video. Itâs a compilation of her and Andreiâs little pre-game ritual they had started a few months after they started dating.Â
Itâs Andrei, usually in his game day suit, and her in the hallway of whatever arena theyâre in. He grabs both her hands and kisses her three times. Twice on the lips. Once on her forehead. She always adjusts his collar even if it doesnât need to be adjusted, and then theyâre both off to their separate ways.Â
Christina had no idea Taylor had been filming this. For years, apparently, if the description in the bottom right of the video indicates anything. 2024, 2025, 2026 and this year, 2027.Â
âI was gonna originally ask you if I could post it the day of your wedding,â Taylor says as the video ends. âBut I also would never post it anywhere without you or Svechâs permission. Iâm perfectly prepared to just keep this in the archives and never let it see the light of day.â
âYouâve been filming that all these years?â
Taylor smiles softly. âI have. The clip from last night is everywhere, with the broadcast talking about you two while youâre helping him on the ice. Twitterâs going crazy. And I was thinking, and no pressure at all, but I was thinking that we could post this today. Everyone always loves behind the scenes content, like Marty screaming Svechâs name. I have a feeling everyoneâs gonna love this little ritual too.â
The video has been replaying automatically and Christina canât help but smile. âOkay.â
âFor real?â
âYeah. If you think itâs a good move, I trust you. Youâre the social expert.â
âWell, perfect,â they grin. âIâll catch Svech when he comes in to ask for his permission too.â
Christina snorts. âHeâs not gonna say no, I can promise that.âÂ
He doesnât. Taylor posts the video three hours later. The internet goes nuts. Andrei surprises her with dinner when she gets home after him, two plates of delicious-looking pasta on the table with a candle lit and a vase of fresh flowers. But the most beautiful sight is his dimpled smile.Â
She kisses him. Hard. It feels like the first time again.)
~*~*~
tag list: @ru-kru, @bunbunbl0gs (lmk if you wanna be added!!)
#the summer fic exchange 2k24#k writes#andrei svechnikov#canes#carolina hurricanes#andrei svechnikov fic#andrei svechnikov writing#nhl blurb#nhl fic#nhl#nhl writing#andrei svechnikov x oc#andrei svechnikov x ofc#andrei svechnikov x original character#andrei svechnikov x original female character#andrei svechnikov blurb#hockey writing#hockey fic#hockey fiction#hockey rpf#hockey fanfiction
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